July 16, 2024
These fuelbreaks will reduce fire-risk in areas with high risk levels due to insect and disease mortality having killed trees, combined with high fuel loads due to fire-suppression over the past 100 years. The project will not exceed 3000 acres.
This project is in the Paulina District, eastern Ochoco NF: north half of Jackson Watershed and NE corner of Black Mountain Watershed. The fuelbreaks will cover approximately 250 feet on each side of the roads or trail.
Stop 1
This is an area that has large patches of mortality in Douglas-fir, grand fir and pine. This area also has a lot of fuel buildup. The Jackson Watershed is critical for the Crooked River. This area will have some mechanical and hand thinning. We were shown some of the trees with insect galleries- markings on the trees where mountain and bark beetles are at. Sam also pointed out pitch pockets which is the immune response that trees have to push pitch out to drown the beetles.
Pitch pockets 
Showing Mountain Pine Beetle and Bark Beetle Galleries:
Kevin Keown Forest Service. 
Scott, Alex Makic Forest Service, Dawn Alexander OFRC. 
Ella Rowan NEPA Planner. 
Sam Mitchell and Scott McFarland both with the forest service. 
Stop 2
This was along Jackson Creek, an area that is a riparian habitat that has heavy lodgepole pine encroachment into the streambank and is in dire need of treatment. Treating the fuels within this planning area will make for a defensible fuel break and improve riparian habitat. This will be some hand thinning and piling to prevent soil disturbance.
John Shelk, OFRC 
Stop 3
Thinning unit Jack #131- this area was thinned and pile-burned in 2018 and represents what a shaded fuel break can look like- low stocking, retaining larger diameter trees, and minimal to no ladder fuels.
Cynthia Harper and Mary Opperman OFRC 
OFRC is a scoping partner for this project and any of our members can read about the project, check out the maps and make comments at the following link:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/ochoco/?project=66174
