What's the Deal With the Douglas-fir die-off, the BLM's Logging Agenda, & KS Wild?
The climate-induced drought, flat headed wood borers, and heat domes that have massively impacted Douglas-fir mortality in SW Oregon are no joke and has our full attention. It may be that some low-elevation locations in our region can no longer support conifer stands into the future as we move into longer, hotter summers. There is a lot of good work going on by organizations like Lomakatsi and Klamath Bird Observatory that’s attempting to encourage hardwood and oak woodlands that may be more adapted to the climate and to the fire regime that existed before the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and others excluded fire.
The Medford BLM unfortunately seems inclined to try to clearcut their way out of the fir-mortality problem. The clearcut down to bare soil at the "Boaz" salvage timber sale can be seen in the Applegate from miles around, and the BLM can't hide the irreparable damage they have done to soils and wildlife habitat…it is plain for all to see. They have wiped out the village to save the village. The Boaz timber sale documents can be viewed here:
BLM’s salvage logging plans across the Applegate
BLM’s new proposal to expand salvage logging throughout the District
The unfortunate truth is that we have a front row seat to the effects of climate change on the ability of low-elevation Douglas-fir to persist over time and its not pretty. The silver lining is that we have an opportunity to address a century of fire exclusion and encourage resilient hardwood forest stands. Compounding the tragedy is that the BLM simply does not care what its neighbors think- your requests for reasonable mitigation measures and conservation sideboards will be ignored as the agency exploits conifer mortality to meet artificial timber targets.
In an attempt to get the BLM to do better KS Wild is the only organization that has appealed any of the SOS clearcutting proposals. While we can't make everyone happy, we care deeply about the forests, ecological health and fire resiliency of the Appelgate and we are seeking to support the communities as best we can.
Check out our appeal of the Thom Bone salvage timber sale here:
We are living with the effects of climate change, fire exclusion and past BLM management decisions. Even if we don't agree on everything let's pull together to try to give future generations better options than those we are currently struggling with. Oak woodland restoration offers us a sustainable path forward.