“In 2015 more than 1,500 wildfires burned over one million acres and 230 homes across Washington State.”
-Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands for the State of Washington
Jay McLaughlin (left), Exec. Dir. Mount Adams Resource Stewards, Forest Advisory Committee, Chuck Hersey, DNR Forest Health Specialist Program Manager
The state?s Department of Natural Resources developed a plan in response to the increasing number of massive wildfires. The plan: 20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan for Eastern Washington. The DNR staff is holding statewide listening meetings to explain the program and to get people’s ideas on the highest priority areas. One of those sessions was held in Trout Lake on Jan. 26. Citizens and agencies representing the US Forest Service, ranchers, homeowners, logging industry and collaborative and environmental groups came to listen and talk.
“Nearly 2.7 million acres of Eastern forestland need treatment to be more resilient against insects, diseases and wildfires,” The plan states. It includes state funding to manage private, state owned and even federal forests to achieve these goals. DNR will assess over 200,000 acres per year and has $13 million in funding for initial implementation. Funds will be available to agencies and to private land owners.
Chuck Hersey, DNR Forest Health Specialist from Olympia ran the meeting. “Our staff has done a mapping and prioritization process,” he said, “and now we want to hear from you.”
The assembled group pored over the maps Hersey brought, which delineate each watershed with a rating based on potential fire probability and forest intensity. The group recommended local areas that should be rated high priority and included in the first round of funding. Specific group recommendations include: Snowden Road, Glenwood, Little White Salmon River watershed and areas surrounding Goldendale.
DNR staff will take the local input back to Olympia and sort it out with other groups’ priorities. DNR will offer grants through its local offices for private landowners. DNR will also create forest management projects on its own lands and offer financial assistance to the US Forest Service.
[/media-credit] Local Priority Areas for treatment, Hydrologic Unit Code Level 5 Watersheds. Advisory group?s priorities marked
