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Feds air plan for Ashland watershed To reduce chance of wildfire, logging will be allowed By PAUL FATTIG ASHLAND - After five years of public debate, the U.S. Forest Service has decided to reduce hazardous fuels on 1,549 acres in the Ashland watershed. In announcing the final decision on the controversial Ashland Watershed Protection Project early Tuesday afternoon, Ashland District Ranger Linda Duffy credited local residents for their input in the long and sometimes heated debate. "We've been through intense public involvement, particularly these last two years," she said. "A lot of people put a lot of work into this. That allows us to begin with general community support." Some details of the watershed plan Other specifics in the Ashland Watershed Protection Project final decision include: Defer logging planned in the Winburn Ridge area. Impose a 17-inch diameter limit for logging in the Ashland interface area. An exception would be made for worker safety. Defer logging in two areas - units 16 and 23 of the interface area. Defer the proposed quarter-mile of road reconstruction and construction of an additional helicopter landing site in Unit 19 of the watershed. Begin manual treatment in the Winburn Ridge area as soon as practical. Defer logging in a 1.65-acre area within the nonfishbearing riparian reserve portion of Unit 10. Commit to continued public involvement for implementation, education and monitoring. Having said that, she was quick to say that the decision on how best to remove hazardous material in the watershed's urban interface - which includes logging some areas - won't satisfy everyone. "I know that some people will be disturbed that it has logging, and others will be disturbed because it doesn't have enough," she said. "My hope is that it will be well received. It wasn't a tough decision to arrive at, but it is a good decision." The decision calls for a combined treatment on the 1,549 acres to be spread over eight to 12 years. Logging will be allowed on 145 acres in the interface area in which selected trees less than 17 inches in diameter will be cut. Of that, 113 acres will be logged by helicopter, 16 acres by "skyline" cable-yarding and 17 acres using horses. Hand tools will be used to reduce hazardous fuels on 1,141 acres. The agency also plans to reduce the fuel buildup by prescribed underburning on 263 acres. Follow-up underburning will be done periodically to remove the buildup of hazardous material on 1,152 acres. Duffy said she didn't know how many board feet of timber would be produced. "Logging was never the driver," she stressed. "The driver was reducing the wildfire hazard." The broad-based Ashland Watershed Stewardship Alliance, which worked closely with Duffy and her staff on the project, will meet this morning to discuss the decision. Ashland resident Richard Hart, an ecologist and alliance member, expects the decision to be well received by many residents concerned about both the fire danger and protecting the environment. "I really hand it to Linda and her staff in taking this risk to incorporate the community," he said. "She was very consistent, very open. She has done something that's pretty wondrous. "What gives this whole project credibility is it will be as transparent as a storefront window," he added. While stressing that he was speaking only for himself, Hart said Duffy was genuinely interested in considering local input before making the decision. "This is a dream that has come to reality, and it's only going to get better when we go to the ground," he said. "On the ground is where we will learn and adapt, like the watershed does. It's a new day." No more public comments are being sought, but the decision is subject to appeal for the next 45 days. Originally dubbed the Ashland Interface Fire-Hazard Reduction, or "Hazred" when first proposed in 1996, the project immediately drew heat from the environmental community concerned about the watershed. The city of Ashland depends on the watershed for its water supply. When a draft environmental assessment was released early in 1998, it was successfully appealed by environmental groups. Since then, the agency has been working closely with the alliance and others. The goal is to look at the entire landscape, Duffy said, adding that the agency will eventually address the entire 15,000 acres in the watershed. "This is a beginning," she said. "One of the things that made possible - and interesting - was the number of people who wanted to participate. "Not a lot of communities would want to get this involved. It takes a lot of persistence, stamina and belief in the process to go through this kind of effort." 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.