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Logging proposal has some worried Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Michael Hammond, co-chairman of the Upper Rogue Watershed Association, says the Forest Service�s proposal to cut 65.4 million board feet of timber over 10 years in the watershed is just too much. It is the preferred alternative, however, in the Forest Service�s environmental impact statement on the area. By PAUL FATTIG PROSPECT � Michael Hammond doesn�t consider himself an environmental extremist. But the co-chairman of the Upper Rogue Watershed Association figures the U.S. Forest Service�s proposed harvest of up to 65.4 million board feet of timber on some 6,700 acres in the watershed may be a bit much. "Just imagine about 13,000 loads of logs coming through Prospect," said Hammond, 52, who lives on land in the watershed that has been in his family for more than half a century. "That�s going to be an immense operation." But agency officials are quick to observe that the harvest, although the proposed alternative, is only one of five options contained in its draft environmental impact statement released late last year. The first alternative calls for no action; other alternatives call for a much smaller harvest on fewer acres. Mill Creek Timber Sales options The Forest Service draft environmental impact statement for the Mill Creek Timber Sales project includes five alternatives. Alternative One: no action Alternative Two: This is the agency�s proposed alternative, which includes harvesting 65.4 million board feet of timber on 6,713 acres. Alternative Three: Plans call for harvesting 64.4 million board feet on 6,595 acres. Alternative Four: This plan would result in a harvest of 45.9 million board feet on 5,197 acres. Alternative Five: This action would produce 29.5 million board feet of timber from 3,827 acres. Each of the alternatives would be spread over a 10-year period. In addition to a variety of logging practices, the alternatives would include other projects like road decommissioning and burning to improve wildlife habitat. Moreover, the project, although the largest timber-cutting package proposed in the region in recent years, would be spread over 10 years, said Nancy Rose, timber staff officer for the Rogue River and Siskiyou national forests. The timber sales are scattered in the Mill Creek drainage area in the Prospect Ranger District. Jack Williams, supervisor of the two forests, will make a decision on the project in the next two months, she said. "Right now, he�s looking at comments we have received from the public," she said. "His decision will consider those comments as well as our analysis." The deadline for comments on the plan was Jan. 16. "We have had some very well-thought-out comments," Rose said, acknowledging the agency had expected more than the 20 comments it received from groups and individuals. At this point, Williams is looking at a possible blend of the three alternatives, calling for a lower harvest than the proposed alternative, she said. Depending on Williams� decision, logging could be done on up to 160 sites in the area, she said. "There is really no telling how many timber sales that would be," she said, noting that would depend on which logging methods are used. Much of the work is being done to reduce the potential for catastrophic fires, she said. "But we must have a biological opinion before we can move forward on this," she said, referring to a federal court case in northern Oregon that may impact what happens with the Mill Creek Timber Sales. The Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, an environmental group based in Williams, is also concerned about the biological impact. The group is worried about soil compaction, cutting on roadless areas that border the Crater Lake National Park and that fact the preferred method of logging would be clearcutting, according to Tom Dimitre, the group�s project analyst. "We�re talking up to 65 million board feet of timber," said Dimitre who is also chair of the Rogue Group Sierra Club. "That�s a lot of timber. (The Wildlands Center�s membership) feels they should be doing more restoration, not more cutting." The project would be good news to the local timber industry, said Dave Hill, executive vice president of the Southern Oregon Timber Industries Association. "That would certainly help some of the existing mill operations in Jackson and Josephine counties," Hill said. "It�s good for those still operating but I don�t know if it�ll help those already mothballed or shutdown." Under the Northwest Forest Plan, the Rogue River forest�s annual targeted cut is about 25 million board feet, compared to some 24 million board feet for the Siskiyou forest. The annual cut on the Bureau of Land Management�s Medford District is 57 million board feet. For his part, Hammond whose group is dedicated to improving the watershed through education and cooperation, hopes that the project won�t foster more extreme views in the debate over the management of public forestlands. "I�m seeking a different place than polarization," he said. "I just want to understand. "I�m an old-fashioned conservationist," he added. "It seems to me that when we start getting down to less than 10 percent of our native forest, then our bank account is getting a little slim." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.