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SUNNY Temp: 56 °F Wind: W at 7 mph Sunday, March 2, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 29, 2002 Ashes to ... what? Biscuit fire acreage is a hot topic Public forums allow residents a chanceto help dictate future By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune If you have any burning thoughts on how the Forest Service should manage land scorched by the nearly 500,000-acre Biscuit fire, the agency wants to hear from you. The agency has scheduled four hearings beginning Dec. 9 to gather public comments in the wake of the largest fire in Oregon since the 1865 Silverton fire burned nearly 1 million acres. The workshops are part of the agency’s Biscuit fire integrated assessment project which is charged with developing plans for the fire area, according to Mary Marrs, spokeswoman for the Siskiyou and Rogue River national forests. The public response will help identify fire recovery needs and potential management activities, she said. In addition to gathering comments from the public, agency officials at the sessions will discuss assessment and inventory efforts already under way, she added. The meetings times and dates are: 2-4:30 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m., Dec. 9, Floral Building, Josephine County Fairgrounds, 1415 Fairgrounds Road, Grants Pass. 2-4:30 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m., Dec. 10, County Building, 102 S. Redwood Highway, Cave Junction. 6-8:30 p.m., Dec. 11, Azalea Middle School, 564 Fern Ave., Brookings. 6-8:30 p.m., Dec. 12, Gold Beach High School, 29516 Ellensburg Ave., Gold Beach. More public meetings will be held in January to share recommendations resulting from the project, Marrs said. The fire, which burned largely in the Siskiyou National Forest, was declared controlled Nov. 8 following a heavy rainstorm. Sparked by a July 13 lightning storm, the Biscuit blaze was both the largest and the costliest wildfire in the nation this year at more than $154.8 million to fight. The agency expects to spend some $7 million on rehabilitation, for such projects as replacing road culverts and seeding burned hillsides. Although the fire caused numerous evacuations, it burned only four cabins in the Illinois River Canyon west of Selma and another near Agness at the mouth of the river. Although the fire officially covered 499,968 acres, a satellite map revealed that 19 percent of the area within the perimeter of the fire was unburned. Another 41 percent burned at low intensity, leaving green trees standing while clearing out brush. The satellite image showed that 22.6 percent burned at moderate intensity, killing the trees but not consuming their needles. The remainder — 15.7 percent — burned at a high intensity, leaving little more than ash and charcoal. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S