Seeking Input on Salvage Harvest in Holiday Farm Fire
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Springfield, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public input on a proposal to conduct salvage harvest within the Holiday Farm Fire area, located approximately 20 miles east of Springfield in Lane County.
In the fall of 2020, the Holiday Farm Fire burned 18,545 acres of BLM-administered land, leaving behind burned forests of varying severity. Timber salvage—the harvest of dead and dying trees while they retain some economic value—is a critical tool in helping western Oregon economies, forests, and residents recover from the 2020 wildfires.
This project proposes salvage harvest on approximately 900 acres within the Harvest Land Base, which is the land designated for sustainable timber harvest in the 2016 Western Oregon Resource Management Plans (RMP). The project would include four to six timber sales over one to three years, beginning in 2021. In accordance with the authorizing CX, dead and dying trees would be harvested from the harvest units.
These salvage harvests would help boost impacted economies by providing a sustainable yield of timber production. Between 15 and 20 million board feet would be generated through the sales, supporting approximately 200 family wage jobs in local communities, and generating roughly $10 million in economic activity.
The project may also include road work, the retention of live and dead trees, fuels reduction treatments, and reforestation using native tree species. No recreation sites in the vicinity of the project area (Silver Creek Boat Ramp, Rennie Boat Landing, Marten Rapids Overlook, and Whitewater Day Use Area) would be affected.
An interdisciplinary team of specialists developed the project together, proposing measures for salvage harvest that will also protect natural and cultural resources. Their work is documented in a Categorical Exclusion, which is a National Environmental Policy Act compliance document.
Additional information is available on ePlanning at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011057/510. Comments will be accepted through May 11, 2021 at: blm_or_no_upw_salvageharvest@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.