Forests in the Deschutes National forest show poor health just prior to the 2003 B&B Complex fire that burned more than 100,000 acres. Photo courtesy of the US Forest Service Regional Office.

via OFRI: Federal Forestland Report

A new special report from OFRI examines the problems and potential solutions facing unhealthy and at-risk federal forests. Federal Forestland in Oregon documents a growing consensus that proactive management practices – especially in the dry forests of eastern and southwestern Oregon  – can restore federal forests to environmental, economic and social sustainability.

The report fills a longstanding need for a primer on federal forest issues, says Paul Barnum, OFRI executive director. “I began talking a year ago with a broad cross section of people about whether this was a topic we should address, and I heard a unanimous ‘yes.’”

The 24-page booklet benchmarks what is known about the state’s publicly-owned forestlands managed by the federal government. It provides historical context for Oregon’s 18.2 million acres of federal forests, details current conditions and lays out in frank terms the impact of federal forest management policies on ecosystems, budgets and people.

The sheer magnitude of fixing the problem is daunting. Money is tight. Action horizons are long. Budget and political cycles are short. But there are reasons for optimism, according to the report.

Scientific opinion and public awareness is coalescing around the issues and remedies for federal forests. Encouraging signs include  public awareness of the problem, new management practices, recognition of ecosystem dynamics, and the emergence of new, more collaborative modes of decision making.

Whether called active management, ecological forestry or whole-landscape approaches, solutions entail prescriptions such as thinning young trees and underbrush, particularly in the dry forests. Forest restoration activities conducted on a landscape-wide basis can both supply forest products and leave forests healthier and more fire resilient.

In the end, whether these initiatives will suffice, or come soon enough, remains uncertain. “More certain is the growing consensus that doing nothing is not an option,” the report concludes.

Download or order printed copies of Federal Forestland in Oregon from the
OFRI website.