Wednesday, March 20, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
SUTTLE LAKE: Public
input sought on
proposed project
Continued from page 1
Reid noted that the condi-
tions are natural.
<It9s an old forest and
that9s what forests do 4
they fall apart. And in lots of
areas, that9s fine,= he said.
But in an area that9s full of
campgrounds and developed
camp facilities and traveled
by thousands of people each
year, a forest that9s falling
apart can pose a hazard.
Reid noted that a USFS
employee9s truck was struck
by a decrepit tree that fell
near the lake. It totaled the
rig. Managers of the several
camps in the area have been
urging action by the Forest
Service, which has been
addressing hazard trees on a
case-by-case basis. Reid said
that the District decided that
it is time for a comprehensive
approach to the area.
A scoping letter from the
Forest Service states that:
<The proposed action takes
a comprehensive approach to
managing vegetation in this
intensive recreation area. In
addition to abating (felling)
hazards in the form of dan-
ger trees and hazard trees to
protect the public and reduce
potential damage to recre-
ation infrastructure, trees
in the general project area
would be selectively har-
vested to improve overall
forest health by reducing the
extent of dwarf mistletoe and
addressing susceptible host
trees in areas with stem and
root diseases. Reforestation,
seeding, and transplanting
of disease-resistant tree spe-
cies would be conducted
to facilitate recovery in
areas of tree removal. This
would result in a decreased
need (both short and long-
term) to address safety
concerns.=
Some of the downed trees
would be used for habitat res-
toration work, including in
Link Creek.
The letter notes that, <Tree
felling and removal would
focus on tree species that
have a higher susceptibil-
ity to root and stem decays
as well as Douglas fir and
white fir dwarf mistletoe. As
a general rule, trees selected
for removal would include
white fir, Engelmann spruce,
and mountain hemlock due
to their higher susceptibility
to root and stem decays and
the presence of root and stem
diseases. In addition, where
non-native tree species or
shrubs are present, additional
tree falling/shrub removal
would occur.=
Reid acknowledged that
the project will have some
impact on the visual appear-
ance of the forest in the area
of the lake.
<I think in some areas it
will,= he said. <It9ll be more
open& In some areas the
cover canopy will be opened
up quite a bit.=
He said that, depending
upon the level of public inter-
est, part of the public input
process may include field
trips to the area and identify-
ing specific trees that forest-
ers could try to save.
Comments are wel-
comed by the Sisters Ranger
District; deadline is April 19.
Submit comments
to Greater Suttle Lake
Vegetation Management
Project, P.O. Box 249, Sisters,
Oregon 97759 Attn: District
Ranger Ian Reid, c/o Michael
Keown, Environmental
Coordinator. Telephone 541-
549-7735. FAX: 541-549-
7746. Hand-delivered com-
ments may be delivered to
Highway 20 and Pine Street
in Sisters from 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Monday through Friday,
excluding holidays. Email
comments should be sent to:
comments-pacificnorthwest-
deschutes-sisters@fs.fed.
us. Put <Greater Suttle Lake
Vegetation Management
Project= in the subject line of
the email.
21
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
The forest around Suttle Lake is old and there is lots of disease and decay
— which can pose a danger in such a heavily used area.
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