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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW John Muir school expands ... Prosecution: Defendant said he was sorry for stabbing ... Direct hit: Storm leaves destruction in its wake ... John Muir school expands ... Prosecution: Defendant said he was sorry for stabbing ... Direct hit: Storm leaves destruction in its wake ... NATURAL RESOURCES Forest Service: Thin 100K acres of Oregon forest Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 3, 2014 at 5:57 PM By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 3, 2014 at 5:57 PM » Social News ENTERPRISE — A team of experts charged with accelerating the pace of forest restoration and heading off big fires in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon is proposing a 10-year effort to thin the underbrush in a 100,000-acre area. The proposal is a result of a decision a year ago on the part of the U.S. Forest Service's regional forester at the time, Kent Connaughton, the East Oregonian reported. The team he commissioned has proposed the Lower Joseph Creek Restoration Project on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest about 20 miles north of Enterprise. The area is about 156 square miles. The agency released a draft environmental impact statement Nov. 15 for public comment. It includes three alternatives that would affect how many acres are harvested and how many miles of road are closed. The comment period is set for 90 days. The team hopes to start the project by late summer and expects it to take a decade to complete. "Wildfire is the primary ecological driver," said Michael Brown, water and soils scientist with the team. "We have an abundance of volatile fuels in the forest." Fire suppression now has built up 100 years of overgrowth in some areas, contributing to high-intensity blazes throughout the Northwest. Last summer, the region spent nearly $460 million fighting wildfires that scorched more than 1.2 million acres of land, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland. Large fires on the Wallowa-Whitman included the 36,000-acre Somers Fire 30 miles northeast of Enterprise and the 4,500-acre 5 Mile Fire in the Imnaha River drainage, near the Lower Joseph Creek project area. Connaughton appointed Pendleton's Bill Aney as coordinator of the effort to ramp up thinning work. Aney's team focuses on the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, Malheur and Ochoco forests, which together comprise more than 6 million acres. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 3, 2014 at 5:57 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501