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SUNNY Temp: 94 °F Wind: NW at 4 mph Sunday, September 28, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection 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 Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 22, 2003 John Sessions, an Oregon State University forest engineering professor, explains his model of Jackson County forest management options. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Variety of forestry options Prof explains management models By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune John Sessions can’t predict when the next naturally caused wildfire will erupt in Jackson County. "Only God really knows when a fire is coming," cautioned Sessions, an Oregon State University forest engineering professor. He’s also the principal researcher of a controversial report reviewing management options in the aftermath of last year’s nearly 500,000-acre lightning-sparked Biscuit fire. But Sessions, using a complex model he’s helping develop for management options on forestlands within Jackson County, can predict what is needed to reduce the fire’s impact. Using Little Applegate River drain-age data, he demonstrated the potential benefits of forest management during a presentation Thursday in Medford. Advertisement "Our preliminary simulation, in terms of trying to bring down crown fires and torching fires and to get the ground flame length down, has found that heavy thinning brings it down to natural conditions most rapidly," he said. "Light thinning of small-diameter trees helps, but not as quickly," he added. "And, should the winds blow, that can be very problematic." Sessions was among about 40 scientists, foresters, government officials and community and timber industry leaders who gathered to discuss changes needed to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires and promote forest restoration. After meeting in the morning, they spent the day touring areas burned by last year’s Timbered Rock and Squires fires and the 1994 Hull Mountain fires in Jackson County. The event was organized by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute based in Portland. The local forestry management model, which is still being developed, was cited as an example of using new techniques and a collaborative approach to solve the massive problem of reducing fire threat in dense forests caused by decades of fire suppression in much of Southwestern Oregon. "The science is old — this is not rocket science," Sessions said of models developed in the 1960s. "I haven’t advocated any policy in this model," Sessions stressed, then added, "Nor did I in the Biscuit fire salvage." Rather, he said he is simply attempting to demonstrate the variety of management options before and after wildfires and their ramifications. However, the 57-page Biscuit fire report has drawn fire from the environmental community and others concerned that it doesn’t adequately address environmental ramifications. Commissioned by the Board of Commissioners of Douglas County, the report focused on the economic impact of decision-making on salvage and forest restoration. One of the conclusions reached by the report was that up to 2 billion board feet of fire-killed timber could be salvaged as well as another half billion board feet of insect-threatened, fire- stressed timber. It also estimates that salvage opportunities would disappear by the year 2006 because of deterioration of the dead wood and dying trees. Restoration opportunities also would decrease while costs would increase. The Forest Service originally proposed logging some 90 million board feet of salvage timber on the Siskiyou National Forest, the area primarily burned by the Biscuit fire. However, the draft management plan for restoring the burned acreage has been delayed until later this fall to incorporate two additional alternatives, including one that incorporates portions of the Sessions report. The draft, which had been scheduled to be released this month, already includes five alternatives. "We know that, if we can control the competing vegetation, we can grow those trees back at twice the rate they would have grown (naturally)," Sessions said. Hal Salwasser, dean of the OSU College of Forestry, who also made a presentation to President Bush during his visit to Redmond on Thursday, echoed Sessions’ comments. "We have to plant seedlings capable of surviving, reduce competing vegetation and get some fire-killed and fire-stressed trees off the site to reduce future fire risk and insect infestation," he said. When managing to reduce the fire threat, he said, that plan shouldn’t include cutting the largest trees. "We shouldn’t confuse healthy forest treatments with cutting big old trees under the forest plans," he said. "Cutting those big old trees does not reduce the fire risk. Those trees in dry forests are part of what a healthy ecosystem needs." Turning back to the Little Applegate River drainage data, Sessions noted that under the current situation, aggregate ground flame lengths would be 7 to 8 feet high during a later summer fire. "That is the flame length down on the surface," he noted. "It is this flame length that allows the fire to get up into the live crowns. And once it does, it is very difficult to stop." Although management cannot remove all threats to a forest — such as high winds fanning a crown fire — it can dramatically reduce that threat, he said. "Prevention is always investment and a little gamble," he said, then added, "After a fire, there is no gamble left. The question is then: What are you going to do about it?" Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] 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 | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times