Lawmakers tour Deschutes Forest health projects
Wildfire season is officially over, but the focus for lawmakers is already on next season.
They had a field trip Wednesday to visit thinning and other projects on the Deschutes National Forest in Bend and Sisters areas.
“Improving forest health, reducing the stand density, or number of trees per acre, so the fuel loading is reduced,” said Jim Pena, U.S. Forest Service regional forester. “So the risk to communities and the risk to other resources is reduced.”
Last year, the Oregon Legislature invested $2.88 million in measures to improve the health of Oregon’s forests, which is an unprecedented move.
“I know other states have taken different approaches to federal forest management,” said Brett Brownscombe, policy adviser to Gov. John Kitzhaber. “I don’t know of any other state that has invested this kind of money in actively promoting work on federal lands.”
The funds are especially important, since much of the prevention funds are exhausted by the costs of firefighting.
“The state has played a unique and unusual role,” said Oregon Department of Forestry Director Doug Decker. “We’ve actually brought some additional resources and dollars to the table, and we want to talk about how we can continue that partnership.”
The tour also was an opportunity for state lawmakers to see what the funds have done for the Deschutes National Forest, and what else is needed.
“It’s important that they understand our perspective and what we’re bringing to the table,” Pena said.
The tour was not just about fire prevention measures.
“We talked a lot about economics today,” said Bend City Councilor Sally Russell. “We also talked about the importance of going in and treating the forest, and ways to do it so it’s economically feasible.”
It’s a collaboration between several interest groups.
“Folks from the environmental community and folks from the industry community coming together and saying: ‘You know what? I think there is some work I think we can agree on, in the best interest of the forest,'” Decker said.
