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Watershed deadline extended By PAUL FATTIG ASHLAND -- The public comment period for a watershed-protection project has been extended a month. The deadline has been moved from Oct. 19 until Nov. 19 to allow the public time to study the draft environmental impact statement, according to Ashland Ranger District officials. The goal of the Ashland Watershed Protection Project is to reduce the potential for severe fires in Ashland's watershed. The district's proposal calls for the Forest Service to burn brush on 1,097 acres in the 14,500-acre watershed. Another 452 acres would be logged by helicopters, skyline cable or tractors. There would be no limit on the size of trees removed. The project would take eight to 12 years to complete, officials say. The draft EIS is the result of an administrative appeal by Headwaters and the Rogue Group Sierra Club in 1998 of the agency's decision on how it planned to reduce what its perceives as a fire hazard. The environmental groups said the Rogue River National Forest initially planned too much disturbance and not enough study of the impact. The Rogue Group asked the agency to do more analysis and prepare an environmental impact statement. The proposal would reduce the fire hazard by maintaining eight miles of fuel breaks on 205 acres, constructing new fuel breaks on 13 acres, managing fuel-break flanks on 401 acres, reducing fuel density on 301 acres and managing brush on 629 acres. District ranger Linda Duffy said comments from the public will be be seriously considered. "I believe that if our diverse communities and publics work together with us, we can find acceptable solutions for protecting and restoring the lands, including identifying other options that are ecologically sound, practical in application and financially realistic," she said. Comments should be sent to: Linda Duffy, Ashland Ranger District, 645 Washington St., Ashland, OR 97520. The final EIS is expected this winter. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA