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Sisters, Oregon
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Large Sisters forest project approved
By Jim Cornelius

Foresters will spend the next five years thinning out dense tree stands and removing dead trees on 5,000 acres of forest west of Sisters.

Acting Deschutes National Forest Supervisor Rebecca Heath released a decision notice on the McCache Vegetation Management Project last week.

The project involves removing dead timber from areas hard hit by the 1990s infestation of the spruce budworm and cutting down thick clusters of small green trees that have grown up where fire has been suppressed for decades.

The main goal of these actions is to reduce fuel that could feed a big wildfire.

"Those (green tree stands) add ladder fuels for fires to get up into the forest crown," said Sisters Ranger District project manager Kris Martinson.

She noted that these "dog hair stands" are not characteristic of the open ponderosa forest that once existed in the Sisters country.

Those who like to explore the woods around Sisters will notice subtle changes -- a more open forest, easier to see through, with less dead timber standing or cluttering the ground.

However, since the 5,000 acres to be "treated" are scattered over a 15,000 acre project area, the impact will not be large or startling.

The project covers the forest from Road 1028 in the east (just up Highway 242 from Cold Springs Campground) to the wilderness boundary in the west. It is bounded on the south by Highway 242 and runs north to Cache Mountain.

The project will help reduce the danger of catastrophic wildfire, according to Martinson, but it won't prevent it.

"We hope that the areas where fuels will be reduced are strategic enough to protect the adjacent lands," she said. "I can't say it's a major bite, because we have so many acres out there. It's more of a strategic step forward."

Martinson said that the fuel reduction will reduce potential fire intensity and also give firefighters places to make stands and stop the march of a blaze.

The Forest Service hopes to find contractors willing to work with them to cut the small trees and haul out the dead timber -- none of which promises much profit.

"A lot of that material out there doesn't have very high value," Martinson said.

According to Martinson, contractors sometimes will handle such materials on a break-even basis just to keep crews working in a slow period.

Some areas will be reforested with appropriate tree species if natural regeneration appears unlikely. Some tree plantations will be mowed and burned to reduce the build-up of tinder-like brush. Those areas, Martinson said, will eventually experience the return of native grasses and larger trees.

In her decision notice, Supervisor Heath emphasized that she "(does) not feel we can afford to let the forest heal at its own pace."

She argued that, without management, the area is at high risk for habitat losses due to fire, insect infestation and disease.

The decision remains subject to appeal for 45 days after public notice. For more information on the project, contact Martinson at 549-7730 or e-mail kmartinson@fs.fed.us.

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