According to many experienced foresters, Oregon's forests need better management and they think that Oregon needs more forest thinning to reduce wildfire risks, but a new bill making its way through Congress will make this job more difficult.

S.192, introduced by Senators Wyden and Merkley, restricts thinning and other forest management activities on three million acres of Oregon's federally-owned lands. County commissioners throughout Oregon have expressed concerns about the bill and oppose it.

The bill will add nearly 4,700 miles of Oregon “rivers” to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. But most of the waterways in the bill are not even classified as rivers. Many are small creeks and tributaries that don't even carry water year-round, and are overgrown and ripe for wildfire. Yet the bill adds half-mile buffers where thinning and public access will be restricted.

Wildfires over the past two years have devastated Oregon's rivers, watersheds and nearby communities. We need to reduce wildfires risks and maintain safe public access, and follow the science.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-09-16 13:38:01