Prescribed Fire Planned Adjacent to Black Butte Ranch

              

Prescribed Fire Planned Adjacent to Black Butte Ranch

SISTERS – Given favorable weather conditions, Deschutes National Forest fuel specialists on the Sisters Ranger District plan to conduct a prescribed burn as early as tomorrow and continuing through Friday. Up to 212 acres could be burned adjacent to Black Butte Ranch and ¼ mile south of Highway 20 in the Glaze Meadow area. 

The prescribed fire is part of the Glaze Meadow Restoration Project, a project which was accomplished through close collaboration between the Forest Service, public, and representatives from both the environmental and timber communities.  Black Butte Ranch will likely be impacted by smoke as a result of this project. 

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on Highway 20, throughout Black Butte Ranch and along Forest Road 300. For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby Forest roads and state highways that could be impacted.  No road closures are anticipated with these projects.

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires, and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health. For more information, visit the Ochoco/Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/centraloregon  and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire. 

-End-

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

The BLM manages more land – more than 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.

Fuels Specialists to Burn Within the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest

Fuels Specialists to Burn Within the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest

BEND – If conditions remain favorable, up to 800 acres could be burned beginning as early as tomorrow on the east slope of Lookout Mountain within the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest.

The Experimental Forest is approximately 25 miles southwest of Bend and 11 miles west of La Pine, Oregon. Fuels specialists are working in conjunction with Forest Service scientists from the Pacific Northwest Research Station on this project that reduces the risk of high severity wildfire while answering research questions pertinent to fuels management, forest insect and disease issues and gather data about climate change impacts on mixed conifer forests.

Ignitions are planned to begin April 28, 2015 and are expected to be completed by Thursday. Smoke will likely linger in the area for several weeks after ignition.

While there are no road closures expected with this prescribed burn, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and Forest roads. For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby Forest roads and state highways that could be impacted.

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires, and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health. For more information, visit the Ochoco/Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes  and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire. 

-End-

Four Prescribed Burns Scheduled This Week Across the Deschutes National Forest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                    April 22, 2015    

Contact: Kassidy Kern, 541-383-5517

              

Four Prescribed Burns Scheduled This Week Across the Deschutes National Forest

Ignitions planned near Two Rivers North Subdivision, Sunriver and Camp Sherman

CENTRAL OREGON – Beginning tomorrow and continuing through Friday, fuels specialists on the Deschutes National Forest intend to ignite several prescribed burns across the forest beginning in the southern portion of the forest near Two Rivers North Subdivision, and southeast of Bend near No Name Butte, then moving north to Sunriver area and Camp Sherman/Metolius Meadows on Friday.

If conditions remain favorable on Thursday, ignitions totaling 258 acres will be divided between two distinct areas near the intersection of Highways 97 and 58 proximate to the Two Rivers North subdivision. Thirty-three acres are planned to be burned just east of the Two Rivers North subdivision and 225 acres are planned to be burned approximately 1 mile south of the Two Rivers North subdivision. Because these prescribed fires fall within the boundary of the Walker Range Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a specific project objective is to reduce hazardous fuels within the wildland urban interface.

Also on Thursday, fuels specialists are planning to execute a 232 acre burn 35 miles southeast of Bend near No Name Butte. The objective of this burn is to reduce dwarf mistletoe infection in the trees, reduce the potential of high severity wildfires and reintroduce fire as a natural process into the ecosystem. Ignitions for this burn could take up to two days to complete.

On Friday, fuels specialists will be burning three units near Sunriver. The first is a 61 acre section adjacent to and east of Sunriver along County Road 40. The next one totals 40 acres and will take place 1 mile northwest of Sugar Pine Butte along Forest Road 9720. If weather conditions remain favorable, fuels specialists will attempt the final, 12 acre burn ½ mile southeast of the High Desert Museum. If this burn is not completed on Friday, fuels specialists will come back and complete it on Monday if conditions allow.  These burns are located within the congressionally designated Deschutes Skyline Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration which receives funding towards accelerated forest restoration and is part of an Oregon State University study evaluating short and long term effects of four silviculture treatments on stand structural development. The objective for these burns is to reduce fuels and restore forest health in areas that were historically maintained by frequent low intensity fire. 

Also on Friday, fuels specialists in Sisters will be burning a 186 acre unit approximately 1 ½ miles northwest of Camp Sherman/Metolius between Forest Road 12 and 1420. The objective of this burn is to minimize the risk of high intensity wildfire and reduce hazardous fuels within the wildland urban interface.

No road closures are anticipated with any of the projects although drivers can expect road flaggers on Road 40 into Sunriver during periods of time where dense smoke may limit visibility. Smoke from the operations near the Two Rivers North subdivision could be visible from Highways 58 and 97 as well as County Road 61.  Smoke  from the burn near No Name Butte will be visible from portions of Hwy 31, LaPine, and Ft Rock. Smoke from the operations near Camp Sherman could be visible to the communities of Camp Sherman and visitors to House on the Metolius. If smoke drifts on to local roads, motorists should slow down, turn on headlights, and proceed with care. 

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires, and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.  Once ignited, units are monitored and patrolled until they are declared out. 

For more information, visit the Deschutes National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire.  

Prescribed burning planned over the coming weeks on Ochoco NF

PRINEVILLE, Ore. – Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest plan to ignite prescribed burn units about 15 miles east of Paulina, Ore. and in the Maury Mountains over the coming weeks as weather conditions allow.

The Upper Beaver Prescribed Burn project consists of multiple small burn units totaling 500 acres near Forest Service Road 58 and 5840, in the southeast corner of the Ochoco National Forest, about two miles west of Frazier Campground.

The project will target up to 200 acres of burning per day and could begin this week.

The West Maury Jackpot Burning project includes about 500 acres spread across multiple units approximately 12 miles southeast of Post, Ore. along Forest Road 16.

Crews completed 170 acres of jackpot burning in the Maury Mountains at the end of February before snow halted the project.

Jackpot burning is part of a hazardous fuels reduction program that addresses high concentrations of naturally-occurring or thinning-related downed woody debris.

The goals for both projects include improvement of wildlife habitat and range conditions, reducing the encroachment of western juniper, and removing hazardous fuels to reduce the future potential for high-intensity wildfire. 

Light smoke will be visible during ignition and periods of active burning. Smoke is expected to settle at night in the Paulina Valley.

Fuels specialists follow policies outlined in the Oregon Smoke Management Plan, which governs prescribed fires (including pile burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health. 

Pile burning cancelled near Walton Lake

Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest have cancelled the planned ignition of hand piles along Forest Service Road 22 leading to Walton Lake.

The project will be considered again this fall when cooler, wet conditions return.

The piles were determined to be too green to fully consume.

The hand pile unit is roughly 100 acres, located about 25 miles east of Prineville along a five-mile stretch of road beginning at Ochoco Ranger Station.

The piles are left over from a mechanical thinning project to reduce hazardous fuels and fire danger along the popular route.

Pile burning planned for next week near Walton Lake

PRINEVILLE, Ore. – Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest plan to take advantage of forecasted snow over the weekend to ignite hand piles next week along Forest Service Road 22 leading to Walton Lake.

The hand pile unit is roughly 100 acres, located about 25 miles east of Prineville along a five-mile stretch of road beginning at Ochoco Ranger Station.

Light smoke will be visible during ignition periods but will be short in duration. Prescribed fire signs will be placed along the road. Burning will continue as long as weather and fuel conditions allow.

The piles are left over from a mechanical thinning project to reduce hazardous fuels and fire danger along the popular route. Piles created from this type of treatment are allowed to dry for one to two years to reduce smoke emissions and increase consumption of piled material.

Fuels specialists follow policies outlined in the Oregon Smoke Management Plan, which governs prescribed fires (including pile burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.