USFS plans Black Crater fire salvage

The U.S. Forest Service is making its plans and surveys for two salvage operations on a small portion of the area burned in the Black Crater Fire this past summer. No actual operations will commence for several months.

The two different operations are only loosely connected. Robert Flores, Natural Resources Team Leader for the Sisters Ranger District, explained that one project is the "danger tree" removal project. This project concentrates only on areas near roads that pass through the burned areas.

The project is mandated due to concerns for public safety and allows for the removal of trees that constitute a risk to the general public. A "scoping" letter has been released on this project, and the public may provide input and comment about the project.

The area that can be salvaged or have tree removal is strictly limited under the danger tree removal program. The criteria for removal is well defined and concerns only trees that present a danger of falling onto public roads, trails or areas readily accessed by the public. For example, a hazardous tree that is 50 feet in height and located 25 feet from a roadway can be removed, but if the same tree was located 51 feet from the roadway, it would be left to its own destiny under this program.

Trees that fit this criteria could be fire damaged but also might not have any fire damage but perhaps suffer from root rot.

Flores explained, "This is a problem that we deal with all the time."

However, the danger tree operation is generally on a small scale and passes unnoticed by nearly everyone other than the involved Forest Service personnel.

The timber salvage project for the approximately 9,400 acres of lands burned in the Black Crater fire is also a strictly controlled program and separate from the danger tree removal project. According to Flores, the latest estimate is that only 202 acres of land are proposed for the salvage project in the area that was burned.

"The proposal has been formalized, but we are not ready to release the 'scoping' letter," Flores said.

He added that there is still information that is being collected and refinements that are being made to the project.

Under current forest management regulations, projects of this nature that cover areas of less than 250 acres can proceed without requiring an official environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement.

However, Flores cautioned, "We are very concerned that we minimize the impact of any operation on the environment."

Flores said that projects are to avoid habitat for endangered species, wetlands and Native American cultural sites.

All salvage operations also avoid riparian growths and are not conducted where slopes of more than 30 degrees are present.

Flores emphasized, "Salvage operations are very closely controlled. Only those trees that are designated may be removed."

Individual trees are marked for removal or, in some cases, trees that need to be left behind are marked with anything else being fair game. Regardless, some snags are always left behind to insure that there is adequate habitat.

These salvage operations are also conducted close to existing roads where the project will not require the creation of new roads or undermine the integrity of the forest. Such projects always require the balancing of several issues according to Flores. The timber first has to be of value, and the area must fit the salvage criteria regarding location and environmental impact.

Time is of the essence for forest fire timber salvage operations, and it is hoped that the parcels will be put out for bid sometime in the early spring of next year. Time is a strong factor in the operation as the dead trees will lose much of their salvage value if they were to sit thoughout another summer. Additionally, there is the factor of re-growth which will commence next year in the burned areas, and it is important that these fragile new growth flora are not damaged unnecessarily by salvage operations.

To comment on either project contact Michael Keown, the environmental coordinator of the Black Crater Fire Salvage Project at the Sisters Ranger District, by e-stmail at [email protected] or by post to Black Crater Fire Salvage Project, Attn: Michael Keown, PO Box 249, Sisters, OR 97759.