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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup Tripp Street closure planned for today, Thursday 10 things to know for Wednesday Emergency services, May 11 Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, May 11 Police reports Medford police use anti-overdose nasal spray to revive heroin victim Emergency Services, March 10 Medford man arrested for growing marijuana Politics and Elections Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Education St. Mary's reaches out to China Work your body to save your braaaaains Inert grenade spurred White Mountain Middle School evacuation Willow Wind students raise money for water District considers options to keep school tracks open, safe Environment Low snow closes Mt. 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Onorato: Try out this hot stuff in your kitchen on a cold night Serra storms Seattle What you'll find at the growers markets this week Home and Garden Dear Monty: Successful rezoning property requires a plan Garden Cameos: Time to give your garden a new look Carol Link: Eradicate weeds completely, use edgers to help keep thrift on slope Paul Rogers: Daylight Saving, full moon hopeful signs for spring Home Help: 4 ways to redefine your outdoor space Health Community blog: The Future is Now Dr. Murray Feingold: Cognitive-behavioral therapy shown to help hoarders Dr. Jeff Hersh: Gallstones affect 25 percent of American women Health Watch: Get prepped for spring break HealthStyle: Marriage care and maintenance Hiking Biking Faith More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Milestones and Achievements Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Warren G. performs at the Historic Ashland Armory Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Zepdrix! 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'Shook, Rattled and Rolled' ZEPDRIX! at the Historic Ashland Armory The Bee Eaters play Headwaters Ladysmith Black Mambazo plays the Craterian Theater Community Events Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Third Fridays showcases local artists Dining Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens ... Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax ... What you'll find at the growers markets this week ... Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens ... Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax ... What you'll find at the growers markets this week ... INTERIOR DEPARTMENT Firefighting plan aims to protect Western habitat Comment By Keith Ridler The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Keith Ridler The Associated Press Posted Mar. 10, 2015 at 4:01 PM By Keith Ridler The Associated Press Posted Mar. 10, 2015 at 4:01 PM » Social News Firefighting plan aims to protect Western habitat BOISE, Idaho  — U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has released the initial plan for a new wildfire-fighting strategy to protect a wide swath of intermountain West sagebrush country that supports cattle ranching and is home to a struggling bird species. The 27-page report released Tuesday calls for prioritizing and protecting areas most at risk by using veteran crews, rural fire departments and fire protection associations made up of ranchers who can respond quickly. The previous strategy didn't call for specific efforts to protect the habitat. The plan heading into the 2015 wildfire season also calls for accelerating efforts to restore burned rangelands by developing a strategy for storing and distributing locally adapted seeds to try to keep invasive species such as cheatgrass from returning. "Cheatgrass and other invasive species have contributed to making rangeland fire one of the greatest threats to the Great Basin — not only to sagebrush habitat, but to wildlife, ranching and other economic activities that depend on a healthy landscape," Jewell said in a statement. "As we head into the 2015 fire season, the actions recommended in this report will help ensure that our preparedness, response and recovery strategies better align with the threats facing the West." The Boise-based National Interagency Fire Center, which assigns resources throughout the nation during wildfire season, is already adopting new strategies. One of them is a plan to preposition fire crews in the Great Basin ahead of fire season. "That's the key thing that we will be doing differently," said Randy Eardley, a Fire Center spokesman. Previously, he said, fire crews only responded — sometimes from great distances — once wildfires had started and spread. "If we have more crews available in the area, then yes, it could be very effective," he said. The plan requires making a priority the protection of sage-steppe ecosystems where sage grouse live.  Wildfire managers are still working out the specifics of how some aspects of the plan will be put in place, Eardley said. In the last decade, rangeland fires have been especially destructive in the Great Basin region of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California. Jewell in October toured southern Idaho and saw firsthand the giant swaths scorched by wildfires. In January she issued an order seeking a "science-based" approach to find a way to stop wildfire and other threats while also protecting habitat for greater sage grouse. The wide-ranging bird is under consideration for federal protections, and just the potential listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has already put on hold development of wind farms and oil and gas drilling plans in some areas. Experts say an endangered-species listing could damage Western states' economies. The football-sized bird once numbered in the millions, but current estimates put the population between 200,000 and 500,000. The plan released Tuesday stems in part from a conference last fall in Boise that brought together scientists and land managers to find collaborative ways to protect Great Basin rangelands from the plague of increasingly intense wildfires. John Freemuth, a Boise State University professor and public lands expert who took part in that conference, on Tuesday analyzed the resulting plan. "This is a reordering because of the possible sage grouse listing," he said. "Nobody wants a listing because so much key habitat burns that (a listing) just gets out of everyone's control." Besides sage grouse habitat, the gigantic wildfires have destroyed rangeland that ranchers rely on to graze cattle. "I appreciate the direction of Secretary Jewell's management plan," said Idaho Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter in a statement on Tuesday. "In fact, many of the points echo the strategies that have been fundamental to my sage-grouse protection plan for some time now." Otter said he and other Western governors have been working for years battling cheatgrass "and other threats to important habitat in Idaho and throughout the region." The January order by Jewell created a Rangeland Fire Task Force assigned to come up with an initial plan by March. That report made public on Tuesday is called "The Initial Report: A Strategic Plan for Addressing Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management, and Restoration in 2015." The next step in the process is for the task force to recommend longer-term actions for rangeland fire management, prevention, suppression and restoration. That report, according to Jewell's January order, is due by May 1. Full implementation is scheduled for 2016.     By Keith Ridler The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Keith Ridler The Associated Press Posted Mar. 10, 2015 at 4:01 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. 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 Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. 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