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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend December 15, 2005 Accord seems near on Big Butte cut Timber and environmental interests are coming together in the planned harvest of 41 million board feed from the watershed By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune BUTTE FALLS — If cheers rise out of timber, environmental and political camps over a U.S. Forest Service decision to cut 41 million board feet in the Big Butte Springs watershed, does that mean someone slipped a little holiday spirit in the water? Nope, only that Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest officials have struck a rare accord with the region’s diverse natural resource factions. Agency officials confirmed Wednesday that the Big Butte timber sale in the Butte Falls Ranger District will harvest some 41 million board feet while focusing on thinning overstocked, fire-prone forests on previously logged land. A formal announcement of the decision is expected at the end of the year. "I think it’s a great step in the right direction" of cutting green timber, said David Schott, executive vice president of the Southern Oregon Timber Industries Association. "It’s a pleasant surprise," observed George Sexton, conservation director of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center. Advertisement "It looks pretty reasonable," concurred Dave Gilmour, a member of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. However, each is waiting to read the final environmental impact decision before putting their stamp of approval on the project. All told, 6,184 acres will be thinned using a combination of logging methods, said forest spokeswoman Patty Burel. "We believe this will be beneficial to the local economy and help forest health as well," she said. The decision was the result of an agency study that incorporated public comments, she said. Some of the area scheduled to be cut was originally harvested nearly 100 years ago, officials said. Much of the region was logged by railroad. The second-growth stands within the watershed, the main water source for the city of Medford for more than half a century, are prone to wild fires. The springs are located in the upper Big Butte Creek drainage, roughly six miles east of Butte Falls. The area contains overstocked timber that is at high risk for insect and disease infestations as well as wildfires, officials said To put the harvest into perspective, it will produce enough lumber to build a little more than 2,000 modest-sized three-bedroom, two-bath homes. Each of those homes would include about 20,000 board feet of lumber and panel products. The agency’s decision calls for harvesting less than half of the timber proposed in the agency’s preferred alternative released early this year. That alternative called for cutting nearly 83 million board feet of timber. The annual target harvest for the Rogue River-Siskiyou is about 40 million board feet. The work on the sale is expected to begin this fiscal year and will continue for several years, she said. The decision is good news for those who work in logging or local mills, Schott said. "We’re very happy to see some green timber sales coming from the Forest Service," he said. "There has been a noticeable lack of it in the past four or five years. It’s long overdue." But he also agreed that it would improve forest health. "The thought of a wildfire in that area is scary," he said, adding, "This is a good start." The project demonstrates that sales can move forward if they are properly framed, said Sexton, whose group has developed a reputation for being an agency watchdog on timber sales. Sexton said he is encouraged the focus is on thick stands of young white fir instead of old-growth timber. The former are more susceptible to wildfires while the latter are fire resistant, he said. "Our hope is that the Forest Service has success in the Big Butte sale to show everyone you can get more done through collaboration and step away from logging old growth," he said. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at Accord seems near on Big Butte cut ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s