Forest Service outlines summer fire plans; long-term repairs

ALBANY — The U.S. Forest Service is gearing up for heightened wildfire protections in 2023 and will also begin an extensive, $78 million multi-year fire damage recovery program, Willamette National Forest staff told Commissioners Roger Nyquist and Will Tucker Tuesday morning.

Commissioner Sprenger was not present.

Forest Supervisor Dave Warnack introduced Duane Bishop, Deputy Forest Supervisor; Michelle King, Detroit District Ranger; Nikki Swanson, Sweet Home District Ranger; Christ Donaldson, Deputy Fire staff; and Brett Blundon, Disaster Recovery lead.

Blundon is heading up a Disaster Recovery Team and said that 21% of the Willamette National Forest has been affected by wildfires between 2020 and 2022. That breaks down to 196,000 acres in 2020, 42,000 acres in 2021, 127,000 acres in 2022 for a total of 365,000 acres.

Blundon said that Congress approved $1 billion for forest recovery programs and Region 6 will receive $250 million due to the extensive wildfires in recent years.

The Willamette National Forest team compiled a list of projects that totaled more than $100 million and $78,640,000 was approved.

Priorities will be:

• Public safety and access: $43.8 million. Remove danger trees within one tree height of roads; treat weeds; reconstruct fire-damaged roads; replace and increase culvert sizes to accommodate increased flows due to fires.
• Infrastructure: $21.1 million. Includes replacing housing at the Detroit Ranger District that was destroyed by fires.
• Reforestation and planting severely burned areas: $8.4 million
• Restoration: $1.47 million
• Additional asset surveys of all lands: $515,000
• Additional temporary staffing: $3.27 million

All permanent staff has been assigned and offers have been made to temporary staff.

• Priority recovery projects include:
• Holiday Farm Fire roads risk reduction: $5.2 million.
• Beachie Creek/Lionshead fires roads risk redeuction: $20 million.
• Gales Fire roads risk reeduction: $7 million.
• Detroit Housing reconstruction: $9 million.
• McKenzie River priority road reconstruction: $5 million.

Donaldson said the Willamette National Forest does not have a “let it burn” policy in wilderness areas, but added it can be extremely difficult to fight fires there due to terrain issues.

Donaldson said forest managers have traditionally focused on post-time sale slash reduction as a top fuels management priority. They are now placing a higher priority on fuels reductions as a whole, identifying potential fire risk areas early.

Donaldson said the Forest Service has been working closely with Giustina Resources and Cascade Timber Consulting, which have timber lands adjacent to wilderness areas. The Forest Service is committed to a multi-year road improvement program in those areas east of Sweet Home.

Donaldson said there will be three 20-person fire teams in the area this summer and next summer they will expand to 25-person teams. An interagency fire school will be held in Sweet Home along with the Oregon Department of Forestry and aviation resources such as helicopters and airplanes will not be stationed locally, but will be on call.

Commissioner Nyquist said the Forest Service needs to make timber harvesting a higher priority to both reduce fire opportunities and to create revenues for both Forest Service programs and counties that relay on federal payments.

“The National Forests are growing fuels faster than harvesting them,” Nyquist said. “In sports, that’s called playing from behind all of the time. This needs to be reviewed vigorously internally.”

Commissioner Tucker said he wants to go on a tour of the forest lands with staff and he’s also concerned that aircraft are not being staged locally.

“Fire season starts earlier in California and that becomes a priority,” Tucker said.

He also pointed out that the Freres family in the Santiam Canyon lost a majority of their timber lands and have already harvested what they could and replanted, while the Forest Service is just starting, nearly three years post-fires.

Tucker emphasized that he believes all fires should be attacked as quickly as possible during fire season.

Donaldson said a contract to use the Weyerhaeuser helicopter has been renewed.

In other business, the commissioners:

• • Were informed by Dr. William Muth there were 320 confirmed COVID-19 cases in February and one death of a person more than 100 years ago whose death could be attributed to it. There were 56 births, 28 boys and 28 girls and 111 deaths.
  • Were told by Shane Sanderson of Environmental Health that his staff inspected 54 food service facilities last month and 376 so far this year.
  • Appointed David Alderman and Debra Haile to the Linn County Solid Waste Advisory Committee.
  • Approved hiring Corrections Deputy Lori Frenzel to work two days per week at the jail after her retirement on March 31.
  • Were told by Fair & Expo Center Director Kris Barnes that the facility has been busy and brought in more than $90,000 in fees last month. He said April also looks strong and a horse-oriented event will bring in more than 7,000 guests.
  • Approved the sale of 28 acres of landlocked property near Halsey to Tom and Marci Herndon for $20,000. The two parcels of about 12 and 16 acres each, were foreclosed upon by the county in lieu of taxes in the 1930s and 1969.
  • Approved a contract with Clear Ballot Group for the county’s vote-by-mail system administered by Linn County Clerk Steve Druckenmiller.
  • Heard a request by Albany resident Bret Kizer that Linn County join with other Oregon counties that wish to become part of what is called the “Greater Idaho Movement.”