The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Sue Fisher and Hal Salwasser at a forest health discussion. photo by Conrad Weiler Mike and Sue Fisher, part-time residents of Black Butte Ranch (BBR), have donated money to start a graduate fellowship program at Oregon State Univaersity to assess forest health research in and around residential areas like the Ranch.

Hal Salwasser, Dean of Forestry at Oregon State University, discussed the program at a meeting at the Ranch last week.

Since the initial money for starting the program came from BBR, "the program will start at Black Butte Ranch," said Salwasser. However, studies will include areas of Central Oregon near Cloverdale, Camp Sherman and Redmond.

Salwasser's presentation to Friends of Black Butte Ranch drew a large crowd to the Black Butte Ranch Fire Hall.

"Fire is natural but variable," Salwasser said. "We have altered fire regimes and things have gotten way out of whack in local areas. This is particularly serious since we live in lightning alley."

He then displayed overlay maps showing this dangerous area for fuel concentration and lightning stretching from northern California through Central Oregon and into Idaho and Montana.

Salwasser laid out four options for coping with fire, included putting fires out, letting fires burn, prescribed fires, or an integrated strategy.

"The latter is the best option in many watersheds -- essential in some," said Salwasser.

The goals of an integrated strategy include assessing landscapes, targeting action, prepping locations and monitoring and doing research to learn to adapt and finally, to communicate with and educate the local community.

His 10-year goals are to improve prevention and remove hazardous fuels, integrate the best use of science, collaborate and communicate with the local community -- and to act boldly.

"Does science have all the answers?" Salwasser asked rhetorically. "No, we don't. However, we should have core principles establishing collaboration, priority setting and accountability for determining forest health."

Goal 1 should be to improve prevention and suppression of dangerous forest fires. Goal 2 reduces hazardous fuels, and Goal 3 calls for fire adaptive ecosystems, suggested Salwasser.

"Future funding for fighting forest fires should progressively shift from suppression to prevention funding. Market-based incentives might make an impact here," said Salwasser.

Homeowners would be assessed different insurance rates for fire protection depending on their defensive efforts.

The Healthy Forest Restoration Act will streamline the process for action according to Salwasser.

"It will stimulate biomass utilization, provide watershed assistance, inventory and monitor forest health," he said.

"Many thinning projects are too light. It is important to reduce ground fuels, reduce ladder fuels and reduce crown diversity.

"We should leave some large live and dead trees for future diversity but leaving lots of dead trees after fire creates stage for really damaging fires."

Salwasser's talk was part of the ongoing Friends of Black Butte Ranch series dealing with local issues.