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Redmond staff outline canyon wildfire mitigation: limbing, thinning and 65‑foot fire breaks
Summary
Staff and council discussed proposed wildfire mitigation for the canyon: limbing to about 6 feet, thinning to create ~10 feet between crowns, removing understory and small trees, mowing and maintaining ~65‑foot fire breaks with an immediate push to mow before cheatgrass seeds, and volunteer/in‑house implementation starting in late winter.
Redmond staff presented a wildfire‑mitigation plan for the Dry Canyon that emphasizes targeted thinning, limbing and maintenance of fire breaks and described an implementation window that begins this winter.
Josh Wedding (S3), public‑works staff, reviewed options developed with the chief and the state fire marshal after field visits. He said state and county guidance recommended limbing to about 6 feet from the ground and creating roughly 10 feet between tree crowns to reduce the risk of crown‑to‑crown fire spread. “The county and the state both recommended about a 6 foot from the ground limb,” he said, and staff recommended removing understory and trees 8 inches and smaller to reduce ladder fuels.
Staff described the existing fire breaks (about 65 feet width in Redmond), noted county preference for a 100‑foot break, and explained the tradeoffs between aesthetics and additional clearing. Josh told council they would aim to mow the fire breaks “before that cheat grass starts to spread seed” and proposed completing mowing in the ideal window before the end of February, followed by limbing and thinning in March and April using parks crews and volunteers from Heart of Oregon.
Councilors asked technical questions about how slope and elevation affect limbing and thinning prescriptions; staff replied the limbing recommendation remains the same and that thinning is adjusted to create the separation between crowns. Several councilors stressed balancing safety and views along the canyon rim and suggested neighborhood outreach before work begins.
Council signaled support for beginning operations quickly, with staff noting the timing depends on weather and volunteer availability. No formal council vote was recorded at the briefing; staff framed the proposals as operational plans and asked for direction to proceed with outreach and preparations ahead of early‑spring work.
