Forest Service reports large planned timber volume, urges continued fuels reduction and reforestation work

Judd Lehman, District Ranger for portions of the Fremont-Winema National Forest, gave the Klamath County Board of Commissioners an update on upcoming timber sales, fuels treatments and reforestation needs.

Lehman said the Forest Service has “timber sales…planned for just the Chiliqua and Chamot districts [of] 81,000,000 board feet,” and that the forest overall “if we get all our sales out, it should be a 20,000,000 board feet,” noting much of the work is already prepared and ready to go. He described timber sales, prescribed burning and thinning as central tools the agency is using to reduce wildfire risk and provide material for local mills.

The nut of the update was the agency’s emphasis on three priorities for the fiscal year: fire suppression readiness, fuels reduction…