Long Delayed forest thinning on land owned by the city of Ashland in its watershed is moving forward thanks to grant funding, improved market for timber and a thinning project on neighboring Forest Service land.

In 2009 the Ashland City Council approved the thinning of wildfire fuels on the 160 acre Winburn Parcel, an island of city property in the middle of forest service land that covers most of the watershed.

The council approved a contract for Columbia Helicopters to remove thinned trees from the site. The trees will likely be cut in March.