| Much of the city forestland ownership is overstocked due to the suppression
of natural fires in the watershed. In addition, there are areas of old logging
slash that were created during past harvest operations and have been left
untreated. Previous thinning work has focused on the removal of small, understory
trees (less than 7" diameter) that have been cut and burned on site. This
work has reduced ladder fuels and promoted age diversity in some areas. On
occasion, a small number of commercial size trees have been removed to mitigate
the hazard these trees posed to human activities in the area. Nevertheless,
many stands still exist with very high tree densities in larger size classes
(greater than 7" diameter). These dense stands experience increased stress
during drought periods. As a consequence, they are subject to substantial
beetle and parasite attack as well as increasing the fire fuels potential.
There are currently many stands that are accelerating in their deterioration.
The goal of this second phase of the Forest Lands Restoration Project is
to restore a level of resilience and forest health by attaining stand densities
that are sustainable over the long term. This will be primarily done by removal
of small and low vigor trees in the understory and middle canopy.
This thinning activity will create: a) reduced tree density, b) a shift in
species favoring shade intolerant and fire tolerant species, c) an increase
in larger trees with higher, less flammable crowns, and d) a reduced potential
for future fuel buildup from tree mortality. This project will treat (burn)
existing logging slash and will also treat any slash created from the project
itself. Tree removal methodology will be restricted to helicopter logging.
Mechanized, ground-based logging systems will not be utilized. Log trucks
will be restricted to utilization of three miles of Forest Service Road 2060,
and the access road into the large granite pit off Granite Street. Approximately
150 log truck loads will be removed via Granite Street out to East Main Street,
and then by the standard truck route out to Interstate 5.
Many of the trees to be thinned are in a size class that allows for a commercial
timber sale. Since this topic tends to be controversial, a detailed description
of the project has been provided in the document, "City Forest Lands
Restoration Project, Phase II", to foster public discussion and review.
An electronic version of this document has been made available to the general
public on the City of Ashland website, and printed copies have been distributed
through the public workshops and are also available through Nancy Slocum
in the Public Works Department. The AFLC has established a range of goals
that the proposed project seeks to accomplish:
• Reduce forest stand densities by thinning primarily understory and
middle canopy trees to promote healthy forest stands for the long term.
• Maintain structures, features and processes critical to the functioning
of mature forests such as large trees, snags, down logs, multi-layer canopy
and soil structure.
• Reduce the likelihood of a large scale, high intensity wildfire and
ultimately restore a disturbance regime that more closely emulates the historic
range of natural disturbance. Although highly variable, these natural
disturbances included frequent, low intensity fires as opposed to infrequent,
high intensity fires. This goal will not be accomplished with a single management
action and may take years or decades to complete.
• Minimize the need for continued intervention in the landscape and
eventually allow natural fire cycles and other disturbance events to occur.
• Protect and improve riparian transition zone habitat: Specifically
those areas where the vegetation shows a distinctly different plant community
compared to the adjacent uplands.
• Increase effective ground cover including coarse woody debris, mosses,
native grasses and low shrubs to provide stability to the surface soils.
• Develop an approach for reducing stand density while protecting slope
stability in moderately sensitive geologic areas.
• Encourage and preserve appropriate species diversity on a landscape
level.
A series of public hikes into the project area, as well as workshops, have
been conducted to receive public input and to provide a forum for responding
to questions and concerns regarding the planned project. Included with this
communication are copies of those public notices. The project "work window"
proposes a bid process in November / December, and actual work on the ground
to take place January through February. This specific timeline is contingent
on project approval by Council at the October 21st council meeting. |
