Wednesday, April 29, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Raising awareness of wildfire threat People in Sisters scarcely need remind- ing of the threat posed by wildfire. Sisters Country has seen nearly two decades of major wildfires that have dis- rupted life and threat- ened the local economy and the health and well- being of citizens. May is Wildfire Awareness Month. Keep Oregon Green, in partnership with federal, state and local fire agencies and orga- nizations, is using time to encourage the pub- lic to create defensible space around homes this spring and prevent the start of careless, unwanted wildfires. When it comes to prevent- ing wildfires, there9s a lot at stake 3 lives, personal prop- erty, and the many benefits provided by Oregon9s for- ests and rangelands. During the 2019 season, 250,000 acres in the Northwest were consumed by wildfire, with almost 80,000 acres burned in Oregon. People were respon- sible for starting 1,192 fires that burned around 22,000 acres. Oregon Department of Forestry9s gross large-fire costs were $32.8 million, and many neighborhoods were forced to evacuate. Each year, over 70 percent of Oregon9s wildfires are started by people. Many are a result of escaped debris burning and campfires left unattended. Before heading outdoors, contact the agency or land- owner who manages the lands at your destination for an update on current fire restrictions or bans. Any visi- tor to Oregon9s natural areas should review these restric- tions before building camp- fires, burning debris, or using equipment that could ignite dry vegetation. This year, Keep Oregon Green is launching a new wildfire prevention campaign and releasing four new pub- lic service announcements to help raise awareness. The announcements feature movie, television and voice actor Sam Elliott, who is the official voice of Smokey Bear. Each announcement will encourage residents and tourists to practice basic wildfire safety while enjoy- ing the outdoors. Elliott has a home in Oregon and has experienced fire first-hand near his other home in California, so he well understands the fire risk that threatens our state every year. Pride in Oregon is the driving force behind Keep Oregon Green9s campaign and new web- site. Stunning campaign photos of Oregon9s iconic landscapes will encourage everyone to protect our state9s sce- nic recreation areas. Using the hashtag, #OregonOurOregon, Keep Oregon Green wants you to share pho- tos of your favorite nat- ural areas and thoughts for keeping Oregon free of wildfire. The new campaign artwork, PSAs, and additional wildfire safety tips can be found at keeporegongreen.org and its social media platforms. During May, a new wild- fire prevention topic will be shared each week to help homeowners and recreation- ists learn how to prevent their outdoor activities from sparking the next wildfire. For more information, visit the websites for Keep Oregon Green at www.keeporegon green.org, and the Oregon Department of Forestry at www.oregon.gov/odf. EAGLE CAM: Live camera shows eaglet Aspen Continued from page 3 hatched on April 4 and a sib- ling hatched on April 8 but the second one to hatch died because it could not compete successfully with the much larger first-hatched eaglet. According to Hammond, the name