Wildfire and Restoration in Deschutes National Forest
To better understand the community’s perception of prescribed fire, please take a moment to complete the Deschutes County Prescribed Fire Survey.
Mt. Bachelor sits well into the Deschutes National Forest, about 20 miles west of Bend. Identified by the Forest Service as a Wildfire Crisis Strategy landscape, the Deschutes National Forest historically thrived under a natural fire regime. These fires were frequent and low intensity, clearing younger trees and shrubs while leaving mature, fire-resistant trees intact. In recent years, these wildfires have been trending toward high intensity burns due to changing forest conditions. To protect our communities, the forest, air quality, and water resources, diverse stakeholders are coming together to restore the forest using methods such as prescribed burns and thinning. As outdoor recreationists, it’s important for us to remember that although these activities can temporarily disrupt access, they’re necessary to preserve the places where we live, learn, and play.
Read about the stages of restoration here: Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project
There’s a difference between restoration thinning and commercial timber harvesting. Restoration thinning is designed in a way to maximize the ecological benefit to the forest – most of the trees and shrubs that are removed are small and have no value to timber companies. The forest service contracts this work at a large expense; all parties are aware that the thinned material usually cannot be sold.
Why is this an important distinction? Not all forestry operations occur at the expense of forest health. In fact, much of the thinning seen in Deschutes National Forest is helping to restore the forest to its historically fire-resistant state.
Smoke from prescribed burns can be a bummer, but it’s necessary. Thinning is just part of the battle. Mimicking historic fire regimes, prescribed fire keeps the new growth at bay and has proven to be the most successful way to reduce tree deaths from wildfire. Doing this in a controlled setting reduces the possibility of accidental ignition by lighting strike or other means.
Why is there more smoke than usual this spring? Increased prescribed fire around our communities creates a buffer of protection. This year, Bend is serving as a test site for a more aggressive strategy. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, and it needs to be done quickly. Acknowledging that prescribed smoke affects the community, it significantly reduces the risk of a large-scale fire that would lead to a much more significant impact.
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