The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on proposed timber sales to reduce wildfire risk from dead and dying trees across about 5,300 acres in the Applegate Valley near Jacksonville.
Sales would remove dead and dying trees in strategic locations. The work would be along roadways, near homes and in locations where BLM managers could best stop fires while they are small.
BLM Ashland Field Manager Lauren Brown said removing dead and dying trees is critical for firefighter safety and the people who use these lands. She added that harvesting timber while it still has value provides revenue for American taxpayers.
The BLM will host a field trip to the area from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 11th. During the field trip, BLM foresters will discuss the agency's plans and show project sites where dead tree removal has already happened.
The US Treasury and 18 western Oregon counties would split sale proceeds. BLM officials said preliminary estimates show the harvest could produce at least 14 million board feet of timber -- enough to build more than 850 homes and support nearly 200 local jobs.
The BLM has distributed nearly $28 million in timber revenue payments this year including approximately $4.3 million to Jackson County and $3.3 million to Josephine County.
Additional information is available at the BLM National NEPA Register, where comments can be submitted through the "Participate Now" options. The comment period will close on June 23rd.
