BLM seeks input for Gerber Forest Health Treatments Environmental Assessment

LAKEVIEW, Ore. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Klamath Falls Field Office, seeks public input on the Gerber Forest Health Treatments Environmental Assessment.

“Prolonged drought and changing weather patterns are starting to take a toll on our overstocked dry site pine stands, and we need to take action to increase the resilience of the forest and help to prevent a catastrophic loss of these stands,” said Acting Klamath Falls Field Manager Mike Limb.

This EA covers approximately 27,000 acres of treatment on Public Domain Lands in Southeastern Klamath County, Oregon. The objective of the project is to increase the resilience of forested ponderosa pine stands and woodlands to the impacts of insect, disease, and uncharacteristic stand replacing wildfire. Treatments include commercial timber harvest through uneven aged management regimes, non-commercial thinning, juniper removal, and prescribed burning including both under burning and pile burning.

“There are already numerous pockets of red topped Ponderosa Pine across the landscape,” continues Limb.

The BLM asks for public comments through May 30, 2024. Comments must be provided in writing to the Klamath Falls Field Manager by one of the following methods:

• Mail: BLM Klamath Falls Field Office, 2795 Anderson Ave., Building 25, Klamath Falls, OR 97603, ATTN: Field Manager
• Email: blm_or_kf_mail@blm.gov; identify your comments as being for the “Gerber Forest Health Treatments EA”

If you do not have comments at this time but would like to be kept informed about this project, please provide your email address to blm_or_kf_mail@blm.gov to be included on the mailing list for this project. Once we have completed the EA, we will notify each person on the mailing list about the opportunity to review and provide comments.