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2 CapitalPress.com Friday, September 6, 2019 People & Places AFTER THE FIRE: How management impacts forest Mike Forrester Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Susan Rana Harrison Forrester Mike Omeg Cory Bollinger Jeff Rogers Corporate Officers Heidi Wright Chief Operating Officer Rick Hansen Chief Financial Officer Capital Press Managers Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher Kevin Blodgett ........... Advertising Director Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor Jessica Boone ............ Production Manager Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager Craig Reed/For the Capital Press About 50 people participated in the Return to the Burn tour that visited forest lands that were impacted by the 1987 and 2004 Bland Mountain fires and the 2015 Stouts Creek Fire. Trees that died in the Stouts Creek Fire are in the background. When trees are not salvaged for timber or removed, they increase the intensity of any future fires. 10,300-acre fire in 1987 and then another fire of 4,700 acres in 2004. The Stouts Creek fire in 2015 burned 26,000 acres. All three fires were human-caused. The burned forested areas are on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains and east of the rural communities of Canyonville and Azalea. In addition to many acres of forest experiencing their first burn from these fires, thousands of acres suf- fered a second burn or third burn from the fires or other smaller ones caused by light- ning strikes. Another example of over- lapping fires is the 48,679- acre Douglas County Com- plex in 2013 and this year’s 13,000-acre Milepost 97 fire. In discussing the cost of these fires, Skrip explained that $1 million was spent on fighting the 10,000-acre Bland Mountain fire in 1987. In the past 30 years, how- ever, firefighting costs have rapidly risen. Suppressing the 26,000-acre Stouts Creek fire in 2015 cost $37 million and earlier this month, $23 million was spent on contain- ing the Milepost 97 fire of 13,000 acres. “Fires in Western Oregon can be long and expensive,” Skrip said. To decrease those types of fires, Adams said Roseburg Resources Co.’s approach includes being active mem- bers of the Douglas and Coos forest protective asso- ciations, contributing staff, equipment and other supplies to firefighting efforts, work- ing with and monitoring log- ging crews to make sure they are adhering to fire preven- tion regulations, and elimi- nating snags and brush that can provide fuel for a wild- fire. When there is fire on its lands, the company quickly salvages the burned tim- ber before pests can further lessen its value. “A green forest is more desirable than a black-and- dead forest,” said Adams. “We don’t let a fire start to begin with. But when there is fire, our focus is on suppres- sion, keeping it small.” Warnack said the Forest Service has had to balance its time, money and workforce in its management of public forests. It must also adhere to regulations set at the highest federal levels. He said there are some projects in the Umpqua National Forest where con- trolled burns of ground fuels are being done during the colder, wetter months and some younger trees are being thinned so the forest isn’t so dense. He said that approach has been tested in other areas “and they bear out with less intense fires so we know it’s an effective approach.” “We want to make the entire landscape more resil- ient, less susceptible, to large scale, high intensity fire,” said Warnack. He said 20 million board- feet of timber was salvaged following 2017 fires in the Umpqua National Forest and a little less was salvaged fol- lowing the 2018 fire sea- son. But the Forest Service faces the dilemma of put- ting its efforts into salvage and cleanup of burned areas or into fire prevention treat- ments of unburned areas. The Forest Service must also put effort into its road system, keeping it clear and safe for travel for the public who wants to visit the back country. The Bureau of Land Man- agement has seen its manage- ment objectives for the O&C THROUGH SEPT. 7 MONDAY, SEPT. 23 Eastern Idaho State Fair: East- ern Idaho State Fairgrounds, 97 Park St., Blackfoot, Idaho. Eastern Idaho celebrates country living each year at the fair. https://funatthefair.com Fall Cover Crop Workshop: 6-7:30 p.m. Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center, 569 Hanley Road, Central Point, Ore. In this class, we will discuss the bene- fits of using fall-planted cover crops, learn about the species and mix- tures well suited to southern Ore- gon, and detail the process of grow- ing and managing cover crops for multiple benefits to your farm{/ span}. $10 per person http://bit.ly/ JacksonExtAgriculture Sauvie Island Jubilee: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Howell Territorial Park, 13901 NW Howell Park Road, Port- land, Ore. The event is free and open to all. Celebrate Sauvie Island his- tory and culture, and the West Mult- nomah Soil and Water Conserva- tion District’s 75th anniversary. It will be a fun-filled day of activities for all ages. https://www.sauvieislandjubi- lee.org/main Lands change over the past decades to provide habitat for the spotted owl. Follow- ing the 1987 Bland Moun- tain fire, BLM salvaged 41 million board-feet of timber, but then following the 2004 Bland fire, there were very few salvage sales. “Economic recovery is not the mission,” said Kin- top of BLM’s timber man- agement approach. “There have been land use allocation changes.” In 1937, O&C Lands were classified as timberlands to be managed for permanent and sustainable forest pro- duction with trees being sold, cut, removed and then seed- lings planted. Additionally, watersheds were to be pro- tected, stream flows regu- lated, recreational facilities and activities provided and contributions made to the economic stability of local communities and industries. There have been changes over the years. Today, on BLM’s land that suffered from the Stouts Creek fire, dead trees cover the moun- tainsides beginning 100 yards or so from the road system. Road zones were cleared, providing for safe vehicle traffic, but the rest of the BLM land was not. Douglas fir seedlings were planted in the burn, but the snags and woody ground fuel do increase the chance of another fire, putting those young trees and adjoining properties in jeopardy. With the public agencies either not being allowed or not being able to do enough fire prevention work on their timberlands, the private owners such as Roseburg Resources are concerned about future fires becoming intense enough that they burn through and impact a green forest even if dead wood fuel has been removed. “We’re past the emotion of the issue,” said Adams. “We’re dealing with tens of thousands of acres of forest. Money has been invested to get the land back into pro- duction. We have to get rid of the large amount of dead wood that is left out in the forest after fire. We, the fed- eral and private land manag- ers, must find ways to col- laborate using principles that are tried and true. The whole focus has to be on fuel reduc- tion and fuel mitigation. “Science and the his- toric record are very clear,” he added. “Fires that have been documented and under- stood, like the Tillamook and Oxbow burns, show that leaving large amounts of snags and dead wood out on the forest floor is going to result in a reburn. We can’t afford to have that happen any more.” Adams admitted that fed- eral land managers at the dis- trict level have restraints and always the threat of lawsuits from environmental groups. He said he has seen some progress made at the district level by those land manag- ers, but “we need to do better in eliminating fuel on public lands.” “Roseburg Resources isn’t saying do it our way, but rather work together to help reduce the amount of standing dead fuel through- out the forest,” he said. “That will reduce the risk of a high intensity fire. “Roseburg wants to be the advocate and champion for change, and not con- troversial about it,” Adams explained. “We want to try to find the right narrative that includes everybody and creates a green forest.” convention.com/ County Fair and Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Rd. E, Albany, Ore. The expo is over 250,000 sq. ft. of exhib- itors, equipment, seminars, classes, food and fun. Attendees will have the opportunity to work with exhib- itors and vendors directly. In addi- tion to the exhibitors and classes, attendees can enjoy other attrac- tions such as “Dine Around Oregon,” an antique farm equipment display and an educational area from Ore- gon Women for Agriculture.http:// wvaexpo.com/ CALENDAR THROUGH SEPT. 22 Washington State Fair: Wash- ington State Fairgrounds, 110 9th Ave. SW, Puyallup, Wash. Washing- ton’s statewide celebration opens at 9:30 a.m. on weekends and 10:30 a.m. on weekdays. It will be closed Sept. 3-4, 10 and 17. www. thefair.com THROUGH SEPT. 15 Spokane County Interstate Fair: Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St., Spo- kane, Wash. Spokane County, Wash., invites people from around the region to celebrate. https:// www.spokanecounty.org/1077/ General-Information SATURDAY, SEPT. 14 Heritage Barn Workshop: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Hollinshead Barn, 1235 NE Jones Road, Bend, Ore. Restore Oregon will host its annual 2019 Heritage Barn Work- shop, where barn owners will learn practical solutions from experts on how to maintain, rehabilitate, and adapt old barns for today’s needs. Attendees will learn about the his- tory and construction of barns as well as maintenance, stabilization, funding opportunities and preser- vation. Cost includes snacks, lunch with choice of sandwich and side, and beverages. $40 www.restoreo- regon.org Established 1928 Board of Directors By CRAIG REED For the Capital Press ROSEBURG, Ore. — Different management styles for the forest, pre- and post-catastrophic wildfires, were the key talking points during the Aug. 22 “Return to the Burn” tour of the Bland Mountain and Stouts Creek fire areas. About 50 people partic- ipated in the tour that was organized by Communities for Healthy Forests, a non- profit group whose goal is to provide education about restoring and rehabilitating forests. Featured speakers were Craig Kintop, a silvi- culturist with the Bureau of Land Management office in Roseburg, David Warnack, deputy forest supervisor with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Umpqua National Forest, Phil Adams, timberlands director with Roseburg Resources Co.; and Patrick Skrip, district manager for Douglas Forest Protective Association. They agreed that mea- sures can be taken to lessen the chance of a spark turn- ing into a wildfire. But they acknowledged that pub- lic and private land manag- ers have different restric- tions and policies that govern how they are able to manage forestlands. They also agreed that fires, no matter what size, need to be put out as soon as possible. It was emphasized that 93% of wildfires in the Douglas District of South- western Oregon are limited to less than 10 acres. But that leaves a few each year that are not immediately contained. Those fires that do spread quickly and burn out of control can create their own firestorm and weather. They are so intense and hot that they are devastating to most everything in their paths, no matter what the for- est management has been. These catastrophic fires have many negative impacts: Cost of fighting the fire, loss of recreational activities, loss of the value of present and future merchantable timber, and leftover snags and other dead wood that can be fuel for a future fire. There’s also the loss or threat of loss of structures in the rural inter- face and to human life, both firefighters and residents. In addition to sum- mer lightning strikes caus- ing fires when forest condi- tions are most dry, history shows that the risk of fire is increased with more people living in remote, rural areas. It was stated 70% of the fires in the Douglas District are human-caused. Bland Mountain had a EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER WEDNESDAY- SATURDAY SEPT. 25-28 Public Lands Council Annual Meeting: Great Falls Civic Center, 2 Park Drive S, Great Falls, Mont. The agenda includes federal agency updates, an Endangered Species Act panel discussion, a public lands ranching panel discussion, a PLC business meeting and a predator tour. http://publiclandscouncil.org THURSDAY, SEPT. 26 Oregon Aglink Open House: 9 a.m.-noon. Oregon Aglink’s new office, 2195 Hyacinth St. NE, No. 105, Salem, Ore. Join the staff and members of Oregon Aglink at the organization’s new Salem office. Pastries and coffee provided. http://www.aglink.org SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 Goat Education Day: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Auditorium, South- ern Oregon Research and Exten- sion Center (SOREC), 429-569 Hanley Road, Central Point, Ore. Adults $35, Youths (18 and younger) $20 http:// bit.ly/JacksonGoatEdDay2019 WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9, 16, 23 Exploring the Small Farm Dream for Veterans: 1-3:30 p.m., Benton County Extension, Sunset Meeting Room, 4077 SW Research Way, Corvallis, Ore. A 3-part work- shop series offered to veterans free of cost. Sponsored by Ben- ton County Veteran Affairs. https:// tinyurl.com/yy2fnnyo WEDNESDAY- SATURDAY OCT. 30-NOV. 2 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo: Indiana Convention Cen- ter, 100 S Capitol Ave., Indianapo- lis, Indiana. This is the organization’s annual gathering. https://conven- tion.ffa.org/ SATURDAY-TUESDAY NOV. 2-4 2019 Angus Convention: Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S. Virginia St., Reno, Nev. From outstanding educational semi- nars to nationally known entertain- ment, the 2019 Angus Convention in Reno, Nev., is an event you won’t want to miss. http://www.angus- TUESDAY- WEDNESDAY NOV. 5-6 Intermountain Native Plant Summit IX: Boise State Univer- sity Student Union Building, Boise, Idaho. The use of native plants on rangelands in the West. Open to the public. WEDNESDAY- SUNDAY NOV. 6-10 American Agri-Women Con- vention: Embassy Suites by Hil- ton, 9000 SW Washington Square Road, Tigard, Ore. Hosted by the Oregon Women for Agriculture, the American Agri-Women Convention will bring members from around the nation. https://owaonline. org/2019-aaw-convention/ MONDAY- WEDNESDAY NOV. 11-13 Idaho Cattle Association Annual Convention: Sun Valley Inn, Sun Valley, Idaho. The annual ICA event is focused on cattlemen’s needs, putting them face-to-face with some of the industry’s most renowned experts. http://www.ida- hocattle.org/ TUESDAY-THURSDAY NOV. 12-14 Willamette Valley Ag Expo: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday. Linn WEDNESDAY- SATURDAY NOV. 13-16 Tri-State Grain Growers Con- vention: Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane, Wash.This is the annual conven- tion of grain farmers in Washing- ton, Oregon and Idaho and fea- tures a full slate of presentations and breakout sessions. Sponsored by the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Idaho Grain Pro- ducers Association and the Oregon Wheat Growers League. Early bird registration ends Oct. 18. http:// www.wawg.org/convention FRIDAY, NOV. 22 Denim and Diamonds Awards Dinner and Auction: 5 p.m. Salem Convention Center, 200 Commer- cial St. SE, Salem, Ore. This is Oregon Aglink’s annual awards dinner and fundraising auction to support the organization’s activities, including Adopt a Farmer, roadside crop signs and a multimedia campaign pro- moting Oregon agriculture. http:// www.aglink.org Entire contents copyright © 2019 EO Media Group dba Capital Press An independent newspaper published every Friday. Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is published weekly by EO Media Group, 2870 Broadway NE, Salem OR 97303. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. To Reach Us Circulation ...........................800-781-3214 Email ........... 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