Forest Service plans brush mowing north of Sisters this fall, winter to reduce hazardous fuels, protect community
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Sisters Ranger District said Tuesday it plans to conduct about 439 acres of brush mowing operations on the Sisters Ranger District in areas adjacent to Forest Service Road 2058 (Pine Street), the Sisters Tie Trail and Forest Service Road 1102 (Indian Ford Road).
The work is slated to begin Wednesday and will continue for the next few months. Operations are strategically located within the Highway 20 Project Area, which officials say is critical to reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire to the Sisters community.
Brush mowing will generally occur on the west side of Forest Service Road 2058 (Pine Street) adjacent to the Forest boundary from Sisters north to Forest Service Road 1102 (Indian Ford Road). Work will also occur along the Forest boundary south of Forest Service Road 1102.
No trail or road closures are anticipated; however, mowing operations will occur near the Sisters Tie Trail. The Forest Service asks the public to be aware of this work and avoid areas when mowing is occurring.
Mowing is scheduled during fall and winter months to take advantage of cooler weather and increased moisture, as well as to minimize impacts to ground-nesting birds and other wildlife.
Mowing reduces the height and density of brush, which if left untreated, can pose a serious risk for wildfires that burn with higher intensity and are more challenging for firefighters to stop.
This work is funded by the Joint Chief’s Landscape Restoration Partnership, a national initiative between the Natural Resources Conservation Service and U.S. Forest Service that invests in projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality and restore forest ecosystems on public and private lands.
Work is occurring within the Central Oregon Landscape, one of 21 focal landscapes identified within the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy.
The implementation of this work supports the Deschutes National Forest’s commitment to addressing the Wildfire Crisis Strategy which aims to reduce the severity of wildfires, protect communities and improve the health and resiliency of fire-dependent forests.
For further questions, contact the Sisters Ranger District at (541) 549-7700.
