Public can comment on restoration

Local foresters want public input on a project to reduce fire hazards to subdivisions and stands of old-growth ponderosa pine trees.

The Oregon Natural Resources Council and Warm Springs Forest Products Industries helped initiate the project near Black Butte Ranch.

The environmental group and the industry representative agreed that active management is needed to protect the mature trees, aspen groves, historic sites and rare wildflowers lying on 1,200 acres east of the Ranch, five miles west of Sisters.

Forest Service officials hope the unique partnership will become a model for groups with differing views to work together to protect ecosystems, communities and economic resources.

According to Maret Pajutee, Sisters Ranger District Team Leader for the project, years of fire suppression in the scenic area have left woody debris, brush and thickets of immature trees that can feed blazes such as the 4,200-acre Cache Mountain Fire, which forced the evacuation of the subdivision and damaged two homes before it was contained in July 2002.

Deschutes National Forest managers hope to avoid more catastrophic fires and improve forest health through thinning and biomass collection in stands of immature trees within the project area, Pajutee said.

In old-growth stands, they plan to use thinning and mechanical mowers to reduce the risk of low-intensity ground fires killing mature trees. Controlled burns will also be used throughout the area to reduce woody debris and dense patches of trees will be left undisturbed for wildlife habitat. Less than 1,000 acres will be thinned, but up to 1,200 acres might be mowed or burned under the project proposal.

Project comments will be accepted until May 31 and can be mailed to: Glaze Team Leader, Sisters Ranger District, P.O. Box 249, Sisters, OR 97759. E-mail comments to: http:// exithref="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d1b2bebcbcb4bfa5a2fca1b0b2b8b7b8b2bfbea3a5b9a6b4a2a5fcb5b4a2b2b9a4a5b4a2fca2b8a2a5b4a3a291b7a2ffb7b4b5ffa4a2ff">[email protected]

A field trip to the project area is planned Thursday, May 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. and will start at Indian Ford Campground. Contact Pajutee at 549-7727 for more information about the project or public meetings.