Metolius MPMT Notes from October 4, 2004 meeting
10/4/04 Metolius Multi-Party Monitoring Team Meeting Notes Attendees: Phil Blatt, Cal Mukumoto, Bruce Berryhill, Lyle E Miller,Wade P Fagen, Gregory McClarren, Bill Anthony, Dave Moyer, Cindy Glick (notetaker)
Future Meetings: Thursday, Oct 7, 2004, 6:00 pm- Community Meeting at Camp Sherman Community Hall to discuss the implementation of the mowing, thinning, and burning program in the Camp Sherman area under the Met Veg Mgt EIS project. Monday, November 1 st , 1-4pm at the Sisters RD office- Metolius Multi-Party Monitoring Team meeting. Monday, December 6 at the Sisters RD office, Metolius Multi-Party Monitoring team meeting Ranger Update: No court date has been set for the Metolius Basin Veg Mgt EIS lawsuit; it is expected to occur sometime between October and December, 2004. The Friends of the Metolius and the Sisters Forest Planning Committee are intervening on behalf of the Forest Service in this lawsuit. The district is currently working on 4 other appeals. The District plans to move ahead with some projects in the Basin covered under the EIS as mowing, small tree thinning, and burning. Estimates of treatments acres are: 800-1000 acres of small tree (<8”DBH) thinning, 1500-2000 acres of mowing, and the 106 acre stewardship contract. The estimates of the acres to be burned were not identified as yet. Source money to pay for these treatments includes RAC Title II, Forest Health, and Appropriated budget monies. The Band B Fire Salvage Status is that the team has framed three key issues: water quality, soil productivity, and wildlife concerns for standing and downed woody debris and spotted owl habitat. Out of the 92,000 acres of the fire area, 40,000 acres exist as non-wilderness, and of that 10-14,000 acres are considered to be economically viable for salvage opportunities, and of those considering other costs, about 5500 acres are eligible yielding an estimated 25MMBF of timber. The alternatives vary in the amount of standing dead that is left and with the logging systems. A stewardship contract could be used to implement this work. The Draft EIS will be out in February and the Record of Decision in July, 2005. The Eyerly Fire Salvage will be repackaged and reoffered. The Sisters Area Community Fire Plan that Marcus Kaufmann with a National Fire Plan grant is developing will include all the local fire department areas: Cloverdale, Sisters, Camp Sherman, and Black Butte. It should be released in February, 2005. There will be 4 community meetings to discuss the plan in late October and November. A participatory agreement has been formed between the Warm Springs Tribal entity, Geovisions with the Forest Service to determine the costs of biomass removal. Some of the project will be conducted on the Sisters RD, in an area near Black Butte Ranch where small tree boles will be trucked up to Warm Springs Forest Products Inc. to be hogged and burned in their cogen plant. Other components of the project are to develop the costs of juniper as a hog fuel at the Crooked River Grasslands as well as determining what the market is for landing pile hogging operations on the Bend/Ft. Rock RD. Also a blackened tree removal in the Eyerly area is currently being planned to be converted into hog fuel, as a part of this agreement. Discussion Items: The Met MPMT could put together grants to help get the private land in the Metolius Basin thinned and fuels reduced. A partner could be the Deschutes Basin Land Trust, as they plan on doing some fire resiliency work this next year. Cindy will be the source for getting grant applications (RAC Title II, National Fire Plan, and National Forest Foundation) to the team in a timely manner for follow-through. The Team noted an interest in utilizing biomass in this project wherever it is possible. Hand labor using youth crews and mechanized operations were also discussed. The team needs to determine what is to be monitored with the implementation that will be occurring in the project area this fiscal year. Geoff Babb or his TNC replacement needs to lead this monitoring effort. The last pilot program meeting is being held Oct 26, 27 th in Ashland, Oregon. Currently, Cindy is the only representative from our team. If any team members are interested in attending, room and board will be paid for. Enclosures: The Met MPMT FY 04 Monitoring Report The FOM Submission to the Sisters RD on the need to prioritize and conduct work in the Metolius Conservation Area.
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