Region Archives: United States

A federal judge has thrown out an Oregon timber company’s lawsuit faulting the U.S. Forest Service for allegedly allowing the spread of a devastating 2020 wildfire. The negligence complaint filed by Freres Timber of Lyons must be dismissed because it challenges discretionary firefighting decisions for which the government can’t be held liable, according to U.S. District Judge Michael McShane. Though the Forest Service was operating under an official directive to fully suppress the Beachie Creek Fire, the exact methods were still up to the agency, the judge said. …Under federal law, U.S. government officials can be held liable for negligence and similar claims if they fail to carry out required actions, but not for certain discretionary decisions based on policy considerations. In this case, Freres Lumber alleged the Forest Service was required to maximize its response to the Beachie Creek Fire based on a formal “full suppression” directive and official agency fire management policy.

EUGENE, Ore. — A million dollars is heading to Eugene and the McKenzie River Valley to help with wildfire resiliency. Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden secured major investments to strengthen forest health and wildfire resiliency back in Spring of 2024. Among these areas strengthened by the investments are the protection of public lands and the environment, securing important programs for tribes, and supporting critical projects across Oregon communities. Funds from these investments have been awarded to the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) in the amount of $1 million towards wildfire resiliency projects. These projects will be in partnership with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), McKenzie Fire and Rescue (MFR) and Eugene Springfield Fire (ESF).

EUGENE, Oregon — While city councils are on holiday break, Lane County Commissioners are scheduled to meet this week to hear feedback and vote on a supplemental budget, hear a presentation from timber industry representatives on its efforts to improve housing affordability and fire resiliency, continue a hearing on three proposed homes in forested land near Oakridge and vote on a contract to provide mental health services in the Lane County Juvenile Justice Center. …County commission meetings stream at this link.

In partnership with Stimson Lumber Company and the Idaho Department of Lands, nonprofit Trust for Public Land announced an easement agreement Wednesday that will protect 10,846 acres of working forests in Bonner and Boundary counties. Under the agreement, IDL holds the development rights to land owned and logged by Stimson Lumber Company, ensuring the easement areas will not be subdivided and will continue to contribute to the local timber industry. “By protecting over 10,000 acres of working forestland in northern Idaho, Trust for Public Land has ensured that these vital landscapes will be preserved for future generations,” said Trust for Public Land Northern Rockies Director Dick Dolan. …IDL Director Dustin Miller and Stimson Lumber Company President Andrew Miller expressed their commitment to preserving working forests in the area and protecting the longevity of Idaho’s timber industry. 

Oregon lawmakers meeting in a special session Thursday approved spending $218 million to pay off hundreds of unpaid invoices from contractors who worked during the historic 2024 wildfire season. …The Senate voted 25-2 in favor and the House voted 42-2. The bill specifically directs $191.5 million from the general fund to the Oregon Department of Forestry and $26.5 million to the Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal. …Some Republicans blamed the extent of the wildfires on what they called “mismanagement” of the state forests. …Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale called on the head of the Department of Forestry, Cal Mukumoto, to resign, saying the special session was an indication of a failure “on every level” from the agency to communicate the issue in a timely manner. …Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s proposed budget recommends redirecting $150 million to the Department of Forestry and State Fire Marshal for the two-year budget that begins July 1.

Wind turbulence is a well-known factor in the complex wildland fire environment. Sometimes it is the wind shear over vegetation, buildings, or terrain, and other times it’s the buoyant forces from solar surface heating or thermal plume injections from the fire itself. For a smokejumper, parachuting from a low-flying aircraft in a remote and rugged landscape, turbulence near the ground at the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is of particular concern. Scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research Station have published a study on how to better predict terrain-induced turbulence to assist smokejumper operations. …This study concluded that WindNinja’s lesser-known ability to simulate wind turbulence could be of use for assessing smokejumper operations under moderate to high wind conditions. They also suggest that although this work focused on smoke jumping, real-time turbulence predictions from WindNinja could be useful for other near-surface firefighting aerial operations.

Oregon lawmakers will convene Thursday for a brief emergency session related to this year’s record-setting wildfire season. At the heart of the session are hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid bills owed to the workers who helped put out blazes… This year, wildfire touched over 1.9 million acres, making it Oregon’s most destructive fire season in modern times in terms of acres burned… In the end, Oregon spent a whopping $350 million fighting fires across the state… The Oregon Department of Forestry can usually pay contractors within a couple of months. But this year’s costs far exceeded what the state had on hand as it awaited federal reimbursements. The federal government helps pay for wildfires through disaster funds and reimburses the state whenever Oregon lends firefighting support on federally managed fires. But it can take years for those federal dollars to make their way to Oregon.

Some 250,000 acres of Maine fir trees are at risk of defoliation from a moth that could cause millions of dollars of harm to the state’s economy if ignored, forestry experts said during a webinar Wednesday. The spruce budworm is an emerging threat that has already been spotted in Aroostook County near the Canadian border earlier this year, affecting some 3,500 acres of trees, according to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Forestry experts worry that the spruce budworm could spread quickly and damage up to 250,000 acres of Maine’s forests next year. As part of a webinar sponsored by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, they recommended early intervention with aerial pesticide spraying starting in May.