In a coordinated effort to take full advantage of the recent spate of cool, wet weather, Lomakatsi crews completed 400 acres of controlled pile burning across the West Bear All-Lands Restoration Project area, Colestin Valley and Williams area over the past two weeks. Here are some photos of controlled burning operations at various sites.
During this seasonally late burn window, crews closely monitored creeping fire and hotspots, performed minor mop up where necessary, and kept all burn units contained. With drier, warmer weather in the forecast for next week, this stretch of efficient controlled pile burning on public and private land represents a significant end-of-burn-season accomplishment. Since November, Lomakatsi crews have completed just over 1,000 acres of pile burning, despite a dry February limiting winter burn opportunities.
As a result of our strong, long-term regional partnerships and role within Rogue Forest Partners, Lomakatsi is shovel ready for windows of opportunity to make critical progress on land stewardship goals. Successful controlled burning operations mitigate community smoke impact, improve forest health, and reduce the risk of severe wildfire near homes, along roads, ridgelines, and other strategic areas to support evacuation and fire response.
We thank the community for patience and support this spring during controlled pile burning operations, as we restore fire-adapted landscapes at these strategic sites. We also extend sincere gratitude to our partners at Sustainable Northwest, Oregon Department of Forestry, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, U.S. Forest Service, USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Jackson County Fire District #5 IAFF Local 2596, Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative, City of Ashland Oregon and The Ashland Forest Resiliency Stewardship Project for a collective dedication to making the best of our burn season facing a third drought summer, and fully committing to the health of our local forests, streams and communities.