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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW There's never an off-season to becoming firewise ... Snow bogs down Crater Lake and Mt. Ashland, with more coming ... Iraqi visitor loves Ashland ... There's never an off-season to becoming firewise ... Snow bogs down Crater Lake and Mt. Ashland, with more coming ... Iraqi visitor loves Ashland ... OUR VIEW Our View: Noisy but necessary DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Dec. 23, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Dec. 23, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Sometime after the first of the year, Ashlanders may hear the chop-chop of helicopter blades above town as the work of thinning the Ashland Watershed proceeds. Some may find the racket disturbing, but a little temporary annoyance is a small price to pay for a safer, healthier forest. Chopper flights were expected as early as this week, but weather has prompted a delay until after the New Year. The helicopter work is the latest step in thinning overgrown trees and brush that pose a threat of catastrophic wildfire. Normally, fallen trees are dragged out of the woods, but that is impractical on slopes greater than 20 degrees. Dragging also disturbs the ground and contributes to erosion. The Ashland Forest Resiliency Project began in 2010, a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service, the city of Ashland, the Nature Conservancy, and Lomakatzi Restoration Project, which specializes in forest restoration work. The idea is to remove overgrown trees and brush so that when a fire occurs, it can burn slowly along the ground rather than climbing fuel ladders into the tree crowns and becoming a raging inferno. That's good for everyone. The Ashland Forest Resiliency Project serves as a model for successful forest treatment. When the work is complete, the watershed should be to a point where regular maintenance will keep the watershed healthy. The helicopters being used this year are the quietest in their class. But they will still sound like helicopters. Just remember they are temporary, and they are doing vital work. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Dec. 23, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501