Fire recovery is a huge challenge

If the B&B Complex and Link fires of 2003 which, together, burned over 95,000 acres had occurred in an isolated region of Oregon with little diversity of trees, few recreational visitors and few rivers and streams, the Forest Service would still have had a tough job to rehabilitate the area.

But these fires burned over half of the Metolius Basin watershed, a highly diverse forest in a popular recreational area near one of the fastest growing regions of the west.

Now, the Sisters Ranger District is facing enormous challenges with its proposed recovery project calling for the salvage of commercial timber on 10,000 to 14,000 acres of the burned area and the closing of some roads.

Even with the available expertise of agency-wide staff specialists, researchers and educators, there are many individuals, organizations, and government officials who will closely scrutinize this project -- all concerned about the future of this jewel of Central Oregon.

The Northwest Forest Plan of 1994 dictates the process to be followed in developing this recovery plan, according to Maret Pajutee, district ecologist for the Sisters Ranger District.

"Because the project falls within the Metolius watershed, the Northwest Forest Plan requires that you have an understanding of the watershed landscape before you do anything," she said.

Pajutee explained that a watershed analysis of the Metolius watershed was just completed in 1996, looking at water, soil, plants, wildlife and social issues. Both historic "natural" conditions and current conditions were identified and rated, including changing conditions that required either immediate or long-term treatment.

That study resulted in thinning, reintroducing fire to the ecosystem, upper basin stream protection and other work. Then the major fires of 2002 and 2003 came, covering some 54 percent of the Metolius Basin. Because conditions in the basin now had changed so greatly, the district faced the initial challenge of updating information even before it started developing a recovery plan.

"There are many variables of conditions in the B&B Fire Recovery Project area," Pajutee states. "The rain gradient ranges from 120 inches a year at the Cascade summit to 11 inches a year at Sisters. This variation greatly influences both vegetation and fuel moisture in the project area."

This rainfall variation combined with elevation, slope and soil has produced a wide variety of forest types including subalpine forests, white fir and other true firs, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine. Past timber harvesting and reforestation have created stands of different ages and sizes.

Fire behaves differently at different elevations and in different types of forest.

Pajutee also points out that with worldwide weather changes, large wildfires in the Sisters Ranger District have increased dramatically in the past 100 years. Major fires burned just 300 acres in the first decade of the 20th century and increased to an average of 3,000 acres a decade in the 1950s to 1990s. In the first of this decade, large fires already have burned over 122,000 acres.

Other challenges the district faces include the introduction of noxious weeds, especially knapweed along roads and streams. Soils also have been affected, Pajutee explained, including erosion from roadbeds and loss of soil cover.

This soils loss can impact future water quality and populations of bull trout and redband trout. Wildlife habitat has suffered, including the loss of 66 percent of the watershed spotted owl sites and two-thirds of the 21 nesting sites.

Planned reduction of 80 miles of roads of the 360 miles in the project area is a controversial issue for some forest users.

Probably the most controversial issue is the proposed salvaging of fire-killed timber on 10,000 to 14,000 acres, according to District Ranger Bill Anthony. There is a wide difference of opinion even among foresters and scientists on salvaging this timber. Salvage timber can provide economic benefits of raw materials and jobs at a time that demand for wood products is increasing and more jobs are needed. However, some are concerned about the impact on soil and water from salvage logging. Others believe funds would be better spent thinning green stands.

The district is beginning to face a heavy work load in fielding requests for reports, surveys and other data under the Freedom of Information Act made by individuals and organizations concerned about the recovery project proposal.

"We all recognize that this will be a long, uphill project," Pajutee said. "However, there is a lot of credibility here on the district and many of our people have been here for a long time creating a high level of trust. We'll continue talking to everyone about the challenges and proposals as much as we can. We understand how everyone feels about the Metolius watershed as a unique place and our staff feels that way too."