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SUNNY Temp: 77 °F Wind: NNW at 11 mph Tuesday, May 20, 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 March 10, 2003 Ashland tree removal draft plan completed The seven-member commission, which has worked on the plan for six years, still has issues to iron out By MYLES MURPHY for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — A city commission has completed a draft plan for removing trees on city-owned lands in the Ashland watershed, but crucial aspects are undecided, such as the number and size of trees to be removed, and the cost. "It’s not something we’ve come to complete agreement on, but it’s a starting point," said Elizabeth Crosson, a city Forest Lands Commission member, during a special study session held Tuesday by the Ashland City Council. The seven-member city Forest Lands Commission — made up of a diverse blend of forestry experts, environmentalists and other Ashland residents — has been working on the plan for six years. While members have differences on how to address the health of the city forest lands, there is agreement that much of the property is threatened as a result of nearly 100 years of fire suppression. To decrease fire danger and increase the general health of the forest, thinning is likely to be a recommendation to come out of the commission. Still undecided are whether some commercial logging will be allowed, what size trees will be removed and what the final forest density should be. Logging would help offset costs of thinning, but it raises other issues such as increased erosion in the watershed. The draft doesn’t detail the cost of thinning or possible revenue from logging. "We are nowhere near the specifics we need to generate those numbers," Commissioner Jo Anne Eggers said. "It may cost us more than we bring in, but there are other values like water quality, soil building and clean air." Another potential conflict may come from where to concentrate efforts. Some members support more thinning in areas near the city, the so-called forest interface. Treating that area would keep the most common fires — those originating near the city — from spreading through the watershed. Others call for a focus on the upper reaches directly above Reeder Reservoir where a fire might have an immediate impact on the city’s water quality. "We can save the interface, but if we have a fire farther up in the watershed, we may still have no water coming out of the tap," Commissioner Bill Robertson said. City lands considered in the draft make up less than 700 acres of the watershed. The 18,000-acre area’s remaining land is mostly under the care of the U.S. Forest Service, which has its own management plan. The City Council will eventually have to make a decision on how to manage its portion — a decision fraught with differing scientific, philosophical and economic opinions, Councilman Don Laws pointed out. "This is a pretty unique situation with a diversity of views," Laws said. "The technical aspects are so important and can lead to different conclusions." The council decided to present the issue to the community before making a decision. At least two community workshops will likely be scheduled — similar to public meetings held while the plan for Siskiyou Boulevard was being created. The commission will take input from those meetings, revamp the plan and bring it back to the council for another public hearing and possibly an approval by late summer. "I think we’ve done as much as we can now," Eggers said. "I don’t think we’re into changing this until it comes up for public review. We want to see what people think." The draft plan is available at www.ashland.or.us on the Web. Click on "Document Center" in the left-hand column, or call 488-5587 for information. Myles Murphy is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 482-3456. 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