CRISIS IN THE BLUES.
WANTED!
Public Involvement
Dear Friends:
The Ochoco and other
National Forests In the Blue
Mountains of eastern
Oregon are in a real crisis,
and as forest land manag
ers, we need
your help!
This insert is Intended to
provide you with Information
regarding the crisis situation
pertaining to "forest health",
as we are calling it, as it
relates to your National
Forests.
We are trying to reach as
many central
Oregonians
as possible.
This Insert Is
Included in
newspapers
in the com
munities where most of
the customers
and neighbors
of the Ochoco
National Forest live.
the back page contains a
response form where we ask
you to tell us how we can
best meet your needs In
keeping you informed and
up-to-date concerning the
forest health situation. A
quarterly Forest newsletter
describing current and
upcoming projects on the
various Forest Service
Districts will be distributed to
the respondents of this
insert.
After reading the following
important information, I
believe that many of you will
want to know more about
forest health and how
together we can all manage
our lands for the good of
people and resources alike.
Healthy Forests
Make A World
Of Difference
We really need your help
in this important time, for
now and for the future!
So just what IS "forest health" and
WHY is it such a crisis?
"This is not a mirror event Sixty percent of the
forests in eastern Oregon are either dead Or
dying at the present time."
Ochoco National Forest Supervisor Tom Schmidt
Forests east of the Cascades are in a
distressed condition. Weakened by
years of severe drought, entire stands
of trees are being attacked and kilted
by insects and disease, the problem is
most severe in the northeast quarter of
the state in the area known as the
Blue Mountains.
Over 3.2 million acres of National
Forest lands including the Wallowa
Whitman, Umatilla, Malheur, and
Ochoco National Forests are affected
by the epidemic. That's 5,000
square miles!
This Is not a minor event", explained
Ochoco National Forest Supervisor
Tom Schmidt. "Sixty percent of the
forests in eastern Oregon are either
dead or dying at the present time",
Schmidt said, "and we're losing more
trees to insects and disease than to
wildfires."
In fact, Schmidt contends that if
it weren't for Northwesterners'
preoccupation with the spotted
owl contoversy, forest health
would be the number one
resource management concern
In the region.
Others have also characterized
the problem as being very
serious. Ochoco National
Forest SiMcutturalist Don
Wood states There are four
primary reasons why forest
health Is a problem in the
affected National Forests:
drought, Insect Infestations,
society demand for ponderosa
pine, and the suppression of
forest fires."
The composition of forests has
changed from
open stands of
ponderosa pine
and larch to
mixed-conifer
stands domi
nated by true fir
and Douglas-fir
which Usually
occur In dense
multi-canopy
levels thereby
promoting infestation by
insects from nearby Infested
trees. According to Blue
Mountain Natural Resources
Institute acting manager Tom
Qulgley, There are no easy
answers.... (concerning forest
health problems). It is very
important for people to realize
the ecosystem that exists today
in the Blue Mountains is not a
natural ecosystem." The natural
ecosystem began to disappear
with the advent of forest fire
suppression in the early 1900's.
John Butruille, Forest Service
Regional Forester characterizes
the forest health problem as
"...a world-class environmental
problem." Butruille sums it up
by saying "I have never seen
anything like It in all my years
with the Forest Service." .
CONTINUED INSIDE..
Forest Chronicles, Insert USDA, Forest Service
Ochoco National Forest Spring 1992