Ranger district to host fire ecology forums

Wildfire season is fast approaching, and foresters are busy lighting controlled burns to reduce fire fuel.

While smoke from controlled burns can be unpleasant, fire officials say it is also clear that fire can effectively reduce brush and woody debris that can feed the major wildland fires that have become common near Sisters in recent years.

Since 2002, human and lightning caused fires have scorched tens of thousands of acres on federal and state-protected lands in the Sisters area.

The Sisters Ranger District is hosting a community education presentation on ecological restoration in a ponderosa pine forest with an emphasis on fire's role. Participants will learn how forest fuels reduction treatments benefit residents and will gain helpful tips to prepare for wildfire events.

Amy Waltz will be the guest speaker. Waltz is a research ecologist currently working in a cost-share position between The Nature Conservancy and Central Oregon Fire Management Services to implement a collaborative effort that is focused on accelerating the restoration of fire adapted ecosystems. She has a Ph.D. in biology, studying the response of understory plants and insects to restoration thinning and burning treatments in ponderosa pine forests.

Four separate presentations with the same agenda will be held at the Sisters City Hall in the council chambers on April 3, April 24, May 8 and May 22. Each will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

For more information contact Shane Robson, Fuels Specialist, Sisters Ranger District at 549-7680.