Seeking Input on Roadside Hazard Tree Work in Holiday Farm Fire
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Springfield, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public input on plans to remove fire damaged hazard trees along 65 miles of BLM roads burnt in the Holiday Farm Fire. The work is needed to restore safe road access for the public who wish to visit public lands. BLM lands affected by the fire are currently closed to the public due to the danger of injury from falling trees. This project would remove these dangerous conditions along roads.
In the fall of 2020, the Holiday Farm Fire burned 18,545 acres of BLM-administered land, leaving behind thousands of hazardous dead and dying trees along BLM roadways that pose a threat to public health and safety. The hazard tree removal work could begin as early as April and continue over several years.
The work to identify and safely remove hazard trees is a monumental effort, requiring substantial investments of time and resources. Felled trees would either be used for instream fish habitat restoration projects or sold to offset costs and save money for the American taxpayer.
An interdisciplinary team of wildlife biologists, silviculturists, hydrologists, fisheries biologists, soils scientists, and other specialists developed the project together, coming up with measures that would ensure natural and cultural resources would be protected even while hazards are removed. Their work is documented in a Categorical Exclusion, which is a National Environmental Policy Act compliance document. The BLM is committed to supporting local communities and economies impacted by fire.
Additional information is available on ePlanning at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2009923/510.
Comments will be accepted through February 26, 2021 at: BLM_OR_NO_UPW_Roadside_Hazardtree@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.