Goal 7. Significant short-term and long-term reduction of fuel loads between Corvallis city limits on the south and OSU Research Forests to the north for purposes of reducing wildfire risk.

During the past 30 years a solid canopy of Douglas-fir overstory and Brachypodium understory had developed across the property, connecting the forest fuels of OSU Research Forests to the north with City of Corvallis residential developments to the south.  Although the fire-carrying capability of Brachypodium is largely unknown, a crown fire in the Douglas-fir could have easily spread from the residential area to OSU properties--or vice versa--at any time during the past few decades.  Removal of the overstory in December, 2004 largely removed the risk of forest wildfire spreading across the urban wildland interface, but increases the likelihood for future grass or brush fire events.

The creation of a rocked road (black line in this March 31, 2005 aerial photograph taken from the north by John Luna) has added a significant fuel-break and excellent firefighting access across the center of the western 2/3 of the property.  The trail roughed in across the eastern 1/3 of the property (blue line) also adds fuel-break and firefighting access, but to a much lesser degree.

The next step is to burn the established (south) meadow, which will rejuvenate native plants and reduce short-term grass fire potential.  This will be followed by burning the logging debris piles constructed by the cat during site preparation.

The proposed Indian-type burning experiment will continue to eliminate fuel build-ups in the oak savannah area over the next ten years (see Goal 8), but the residential area will have to develop a separate strategy--although seasonal patch burns may well be the best solution.

The management of forest fuels in the "urban-wildland interface" is of major concern to federal land managers at this time, and funding may be available to complete these actions as a demonstration project (see Goal 9).