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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 2021)
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon The Ranger’s Corner Ian Reid Sisters District Ranger New ranger station progressing As winter wanes and spring appears in the short- ening shadows, it9s time for another Ranger9s Corner. While 2021 is a transition year in many ways, Sisters Ranger District employ- ees are still hard at work stewarding and protecting your national forest. This year will bring more active management, community engagement, and a major shift in the management of three Central Oregon wil- derness areas. First, we welcome two new permanent employ- ees to the Sisters Ranger District: John DeLuca and Lauren DuRocher. John is our new wildlife biologist and has years of experi- ence working with partners and conserving wildlife including northern spotted owls. Lauren is our new environmental coordina- tor and has vast experience in project management, community collaboration and complex vegetation management. We also say farewell to Nate Dachtler, one of our esteemed fisheries biolo- gists, who recently accepted a promotion in Bend. Speaking of vegetation management, we are work- ing on two vegetation proj- ects on Green Ridge, west of Sisters. The first is a danger- tree removal project along roads in the 2020 Green Ridge Fire scar. The second is a large landscape resto- ration project, for which we intend to release a draft environmental assessment this summer. Green Ridge is an important area for wild- life, as well as a potential wildfire buffer from popu- lated areas. We continue to administer a logging con- tract for diseased and dead trees around Suttle, Dark, and Scout lakes. And our silviculturists are diligently preparing for thousands of acres of reforestation this spring in the 2017 Milli Fire burn scar. The Deschutes National Forest was recently awarded over $3 million in USDA Joint Chiefs funding. Much of these funds will be spent in the Sisters <fireshed= and will target fuels reduction and fish and wildlife habi- tat restoration. Expect to see smoke in the air outside of Sisters this spring as we resume our underburning program after a one-year hiatus related to COVID- 19. As always, we will work to ensure smoke impacts are brief, localized, and well-communicated. Many of you have likely heard about the permit sys- tem coming this summer to the Mount Washington, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness areas. The intent of this project is to manage for wil- derness character as man- dated by law: with solitude and naturalness key tenets of wilderness character. Permits go live on April 6 through www.recreation. gov and ranger district staff are available to answer questions about the permit process. Staff will be moni- toring the results of this summer9s permit season and adapting the process as nec- essary in the future. In the spirit of community engagement, there are sev- eral upcoming opportunities for the public to interact with Forest Service employees around many of the projects described above. The first is a virtual Sisters Ranger District open house sched- uled for 5 to 7 p.m. on April 13. The second is a com- munity conversation around long-term dispersed camp- ing concerns sponsored by Sisters Citizens4Community <Let9s Talk= on the evening of Monday, May 17. The third is a community dia- logue and brainstorming session around Sisters Ranger District trails master planning in mid-June (details TBD). Please watch The Nugget and Deschutes National Forest social media for more details about these three upcoming community- engagement events. Due to COVID-19, the front office of the ranger station is still closed to the general public, although we hope to see some changes in 2021 that will allow for more traditional public con- tacts. We are available by phone at 541-549-7700 dur- ing weekday business hours to answer your questions. Or you can email us at mail room_r6_central_oregon@ 21 usda.gov and we will reply as soon as possible. Finally, our design con- tract with Steele Associates Architects to design the new Sisters ranger station is pro- gressing splendidly and we have recently approved a 30 percent design. We intend to commence construction on the new warehouse in 2022; and the main ranger station as soon as 2023, dependent on funding. Watch for an article in The Nugget soon describ- ing the historic relationship between the Forest Service and the City of Sisters as the City experiences its 75th anniversary. Enjoy the days ahead; there is light at the end of the tunnel! CCB#203769 • Re-Roof & New Construction • Composite, Metal, Flat & Cedar Shake Products • Residential & Custom Home Framing • Gutter Installation • Free Estimates • Financing Available • Transferable Warranties • 10-Year Workmanship Guarantee Family Owned & Operated for 20 Years 541-526-5143
