Mechanical Fuels Treatments

The desired future for some of our central Oregon forests and rangelands is to restore hundreds of thousands of acres to conditions that are compatible with frequent, low to moderate intensity ground fire; higher elevation forests should be compatible with moderate to high intensity wildfires that consume hundreds of acres and create patches across the landscape instead of burning tens of thousands of acres at a time.

In many cases, the forests and rangelands have changed to the point that land managers cannot safely allow wildfire to play a natural role. The presence of dense stands, heavy accumulations of downed woody debris, and other factors frequently make full fire suppression the only option. Thinning, mowing and masticating are several tools that can be used as an intermediate step to reduce the risk of a future high intensity wildfire.

Prescribed Fire in central Oregon - also known as 'Rx Fire' or 'good fire,' it's a fire prescription for the forest.

Hazardous Fuels Reductions - Central Oregon Success Stories!

• Rosland Road Fire - Prescribed fire and mechanical treatments benefited the long-term health of the forest and prevented this 2020 fire from creating a larger impact, as shown in linked video.
• GW Fire - Previous fuels reduction projects cut back the impact of the 2007 GW Fire
• Incident 595 - Another success thanks to fuels reductions