Deschutes National Forest OKs plans for 25,000-acre Green Ridge Landscape Restoration Project north of Sisters
Barney Lerten
Thinning, mowing and burning could begin next spring, last to 2040 – or longer
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes National Forest announced Monday it has signed the final decision for the 25,000-acre Green Ridge Landscape Restoration Project, located 13 miles north of Sisters on the Sisters Ranger District.
The forest said the purpose of the Green Ridge project is to restore and maintain forest health and resiliency and reduce the risk of large-scale, high-severity fires. Also, they said, the project will maintain or improve habitat for northern spotted owl, mule deer and other sensitive species.
Here’s the full text of Monday’s announcement, with links to more information:
“My final decision incorporates dozens of public and agency comments and field visits, best available science, and strikes a solid balance between active forest and fuels management and protection of habitat critical to some of the last remaining northern spotted owls on the Sisters Ranger District,” said Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid.
Forest restoration treatments are needed to move the area towards more natural, historic forest conditions, which will increase landscape resilience to large-scale wildfires and insect and disease outbreaks. Alternative 3-modified was selected and approves treatment activities on about 17,500 acres of the project area. Several meaningful changes were made to address concerns about impacts to northern spotted owl habitat, large trees, deer habitat, and the Metolius Late Successional Reserve.
“The planning and approval process for the Green Ridge Landscape Restoration Project has taken many years and Friends of the Metolius has been involved at every step along the way,” said Doug Hancock, President of the Friends of the Metolius, a nonprofit group. “As the process is near conclusion, we support the project because it is a compromise necessary to begin restoring forest health on the Green Ridge landscape.”
Treatment activities will include commercial and noncommercial thinning, mowing and mastication, prescribed burning, trail reroutes, road closures and decommissioning, and tree planting. The road closures and decommissioning will provide a 10% increase in core wildlife habitat across the project area.
Austin Smith Jr., Natural Resources Manager for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, said, “Given the importance of maintaining timber and other crucial resources as well as protecting our region from wildfire throughout our ceded lands, we offer our full support of the Forest Service’s Green Ridge project. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs were closely involved through every step of the process, including offering input upon the scope and project management plan. We value our continued, productive partnership with the USDA and the US Forest Service.”
Restoration treatments may begin within the project area as soon as the spring of 2026 and are tentatively slated to continue through 2040, with prescribed burning continuing beyond this date. This summer, Forest Service employees will be preparing the project area for upcoming vegetation management contracts to start implementation of forest thinning.
Project documents can be viewed on the Deschutes National Forest website here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/deschutes/projects/48454. A copy of the signed Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact is available at: https://usfs-public.box.com/s/sfza5zlaz6vj4prxj6g7iao0nk8d57yp. Members of the public may also contact Lauren DuRocher, Environmental Coordinator on the Sisters Ranger District by email at lauren.durocher@usda.gov with questions about the project.
For more information about the project, visit this storymap: https://arcg.is/1TaT003, or reach out to the Sisters Ranger District at (541) 549-7700.