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County looks at cutting smaller trees Aim: reduce fire hazard and make a profit By Dani Dodge Jackson County commissioners want to reduce the threat of a catastrophic fire by finding a way to economically harvest small trees. But they aren�t issuing an open invitation to meetings where the idea is being discussed. A group called the Small Diameter Tree Utilization Committee, led by Commissioner Sue Kupillas, has been working on the problem of what to do about so-called "small-diameter trees" for a little over a year. They want to harvest the small trees to diminish fire danger in the area�s forests. The group is exploring ways to develop an industry that could log the small trees and make some sort of profit. On Wednesday, County Commissioners Jack Walker and Kupillas (Commissioner Ric Holt was absent) agreed to make the goal of harvesting small trees a county priority, allowing county staff to work on the project. One person at the meeting praised the commissioners and asked them to make sure local people get the logging jobs. Roger Butterfield, of the environmental group Headwaters, asked Kupillas to allow him to come to the committee discussions. She refused, though she did say she�d talk to the group � made up mostly of forestry experts, scientists and industry officials � about allowing Butterfield to attend a meeting. (Because Kupillas is the only commissioner at the meetings, the meetings don�t have to be open to the public.) "Our concern is that until we really understand and get to the essence of what we are trying to do here, to keep including more and more people, pretty soon you have a roomful and it�s hard to move the project forward," Kupillas said, adding that she hopes the committee�s work will move forward more quickly with county support. Forest fires have been suppressed for decades and there�s a buildup of burnable materials in the forests, Kupillas contends. Without some kind of thinning, the county could be in for a catastrophic fire. But currently, there�s very little economic incentive for loggers to go into forests and take out the 4- to 12-inch-diameter trees. Large trees produce more lumber of a higher quality and mills usually are designed to handle larger logs. The committee is considering only acreage that isn�t off-limits for forest management � about 11 percent of forests in the Rogue Basin � and only stands of trees within 1,000 feet of existing roads. Still, that could mean 770,000 acres containing more than 2.4 billion board-feet of trees under 12-inches in diameter. Butterfield said he should have a chance to be part of the group because it could have an immense impact on the county. "We�re talking of potential impact on our forests that could be incredible," he said. "If you have no recognized environmental representative, that�s wrong." Kupillas said she�d be glad to talk to Headwaters representatives about the issues. She said the county won�t spend money on the project unless it is discussed in open session. "This is not some secret thing going along as you sort of implied," she said to Butterfield, who then shared with Kupillas some of his concerns about the project. "We believe in sustainable forestry. We are not a no-cut organization," he said. "But our concerns with building a small-diameter mill is that after you�ve spent millions to set this up, you have to continue to feed the monster." At that point, Kupillas abruptly ended the meeting. "That isn�t the issue," she insisted. "That isn�t the issue driving the project. You invite me and we�ll talk about it. This meeting is adjourned." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.