“There is overwhelming evidence that reducing tree density and returning low severity fire to dry mixed conifer forests reduces the severity of subsequent wildfires”- Kimberley Davis, Research Ecologist at the […] Read more Differences between wildfire and prescribed fire smoke in Western States in the U.S. What Is Smoke? Smoke is a byproduct of living […]
“After 15 years of massive and severe blazes that have blackened landscape and choked the community with smoke for weeks at a time, severely disrupting people’s lives and the local […] Read more Pete Caligiuri, Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project steering committee member and Forest Ecologist with the Nature Conservancy, joined our local morning show Business Break […]
The final piece of ensuring safe and controlled prescribed fire involves all the personnel on hand, including both the ignitions and holding crew, who continue to patrol the prescribed fire perimeter and perform “mop-up” into the afternoon and evening. Mop-up involves the use of hand tools and fire engines using hoses and water to extinguish […]
As favorable weather and forest burning conditions develop, fuels specialists across the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests will conduct numerous prescribed burns across Central Oregon in the coming weeks. Prescribed burns are planned for the Bend, Crescent, and Sisters areas. The use of prescribed fire in Central Oregon’s fire-adapted ecosystems restores forests to healthier conditions, […]
Watershed Restoration within the Deschutes National Forest Contributed by Bill Anthony with Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and Darek Staab with Trout Unlimited You may have heard the saying “you can’t see the […] Read more
Globally, the World Wildlife Fund estimates that plant and animal species abundance has declined 69 percent since 1970 of which a 94 percent decline has occurred in Latin America, a hotspot of biodiversity. In North America, NatureServe, the authoritative source of biodiversity data, estimates that 34 percent of plants and 40 percent of animals are […]
Top Five Reasons to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree this Holiday Season Written by Pete Caligiuri with The Nature Conservancy and Sarah Mowry with the Deschutes Land Trust. Photos courtesy of Jay Mather. Holiday season […] Read more
To start, it is important to know how to read the Air Quality Index (AQI) to know if the level of air pollution in unhealthy or unsafe. This index is used by the local news to online graphs to describe if it is safe to go outside, to exercise, and if those with unhealthy lungs […]
CNN published a quick but comprehensive explanation of the Air Quality Index here: https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/15/health/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-health/index.html Read more We’re hiring – along with Deschutes Trails Coalition and Discover Your Forest – for a Shared Outreach Coordinator position. Read the Scope of Work and learn where to apply. Read more In response to the controversial thinning in the Euro […]
We are restoring 26,000 acres of forest adjacent to the City of Bend to improve forest health, create a diversity of plant and wildlife habitat and to protect our communities and quality of life. We are doing it through: Thinning the forest to provide a diversity of forest structure and associated wildlife habitats that are […]
OUR FORESTS NEED FIRE We live in and around forests that are adapted to fire, which is why we are working to safely use fire as a critical step in local forest restoration efforts. Prescribed fires help keep forests healthy, reduce risks from out-of-control wildfires, and increase community and firefighter safety during future wildfires.
In the forests surrounding our communities, we are using treatments like prescribed fire and others makes the forest healthier and helps keep communities safer. In our communities, fire safety is also about protecting houses and buildings from wildfire. People can lower the risk of a building catching fire by improving its defensible space. We also […]
Where to ride in Bend during trail closures *Updated January 25, 2021. During forest restoration activity, portions of the Phil’s Trail network may be temporarily closed for your safety, but […] Read more My Deschutes Forest Contributed by long time Bend resident, avid mountain biker and previous owner of Cog Wild, Melanie Fisher. A few […]
ONE: To reduce the forest density for a myriad of reasons, such as to improve recreation opportunities, fire resilience, insect resistance, animal habitat, and much more – done through thinning out trees and mowing the forest floor.
