March 2023

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Contributed by long time Bend resident, avid mountain biker and previous owner of Cog Wild, Melanie Fisher. A few years ago, I was invited to a meeting on Storm King Trail to discuss the West Bend thinning project. Along with many other local mountain bikers, we were concerned with how the forest thinning would affect our […]

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The plants and animals who live in our dry ponderosa pine forests are also adapted to fire and benefit from forest restoration. Wildlife habitat restoration in the Deschutes Forest includes work such as improving the health of aspen woodlands and streamside vegetation, creating snags (standing dead trees) for cavity-nesting birds such as woodpeckers, bats, and […]

We invite you to join the Northwest Fire Science Consortium, a Joint Fire Science Program Fire Science Exchange Network, for an informative webinar: Lessons from the Milli Fire The 2017 wildfire season impacted many forests and adjacent communities across the Western United States, leaving land managers, public officials and citizens with questions about how to […]

Forest Collaboratives – Restoring Oregon’s Dry Side (full length) from Ecotrust on Vimeo. Across the state of Oregon, Forest Collaboratives are working to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration in their communities. Featuring the voices of several collaborative members in Central, Eastern and Southern Oregon, the story of the Collaboratives illustrates the impact these […]

Restoring our dry, fire-adapted forests in Central Oregon is a multi-step process carried out over many years and requiring collaboration among a diverse team of forest scientists, loggers, fire experts, community leaders, and volunteers. These important forest restoration steps are used together to improve the health of our forest, reduce the risk of out-of-control wildfires, […]

Contributed by Nicole Strong, OSU Extension Forester, serving Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson Counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs We often talk about fire-adapted forests, but what exactly do we mean? Many people wonder what happens to the trees, plants, and wildlife during and after fires, both wildfire and prescribed burns. This article presents […]

*Posted August 27, 2018. You may have noticed some activity in the forests west of Bend. Restoration work (thinning, mowing, and prescribed burning) near the Phil’s Trail area aims to put the forest on a trajectory to grow healthier trees, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. In order to keep bikers, […]

Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell is combining two of his life interests – music and trees – into a new national television documentary, America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. Chuck Leavell’s musical career includes work with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Allman Brothers Band, John Mayer and others. He is also a conservationist, […]

As fall weather brings more moisture, shorter days and cooler temperatures, fire and fuel specialists will begin burning slash piles across the Deschutes National Forest. Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition. While smoke may linger in the area, there is a real benefit to burning this type of vegetation. […]

Contributed by Robbie Flowers, PhD. Forest Entomologist for the USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection. Central Oregon Forest Insect and Disease Service Center. With paddleboard and mountain biking season in full swing, you may see a familiar site fluttering by you near the river or on the trail. This robust and colorful insect is known […]

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Posted May 7, 2020: The Deschutes National Forest will be temporarily closing a section of the Dinah-Moe-Humm Trail from Forest Road 4180 west to the junction of Forest Road 500, north of Edison Butte Sno-Park for commercial thinning operations. This trail has been under snow until recently but warm temperatures have made it more visible […]