Outdoor report: There’s still lots of snow and an opinion on devastating effects of recent wildfires

This will be a little different outdoor report. Perhaps longer than usual with a bit of opinion sprinkled in.

First, a quick look at the current snowpack at a few locations after the recent rains and warmer weather. Crescent Lake Snotel at 4910′ elevation reports 56″ which is down from 64″ a week ago.

Summit Lake Snotel at 5610′ elevation reports 101″ down from 115″ a week prior. Cascade Summit Snotel reports 90″ snow depth, down from 99″ last week.

Ice fishing remains good with safe ice at Diamond Lake. Skiing at Willamette Pass has been excellent despite recent rains. Walker Rim Riders snowmobile club had all trails well-groomed before the recent monsoon like rains. I had 13° here at Crescent Lake for this mornings’ temperature, so I’m sure they will be out again grooming those snowmobile trails after being on hold due to the soggy conditions that resulted from the heavy rains.

Spring is less than a month away! We will also be “springing” our clocks forward on March 9th to daylight saving time.

Recurring forest fires are more than a seasonal problem

Onward to a matter that has negatively impacted outdoor recreation within our Highway 58 Corridor and elsewhere: forest fires, fire scars and smoke from what has been described as a pandemic of fires across the western states in recent years.

While browsing my Facebook memories this morning, I discovered a post that I had shared back in 2018 on February 26th from Jim Petersen, the founder of Evergreen Magazine. The title of the article, “Will Wildfire and Smoke Kill Tourism?” Google it. It’s well worth reading.
Speaking from a local perspective, I would venture to say that these fires haven’t killed tourism in our area, but they have certainly harmed tourism. This applies throughout many areas of the west as my friend Jim Petersen details in his article.

I can prove the harm simply by looking at last summer’s Red Fire here at Crescent Lake that was allowed to burn for nearly four months inside the Diamond Peak Wilderness. The fire prompted the USFS to close the entire area around Crescent Lake from late July, soon after the fire began, until the snows arrived in late October.

All campgrounds were closed, summer homeowners were not able to visit their cabins on the lake, miles of trails and roads were closed and guarded to prevent access. Crescent Lake Resort was behind the guarded roads and reservations were cancelled; employees laid off. Campground Hosts and maintenance crews were also laid off. Local businesses saw a dramatic decline in customers and profits.

Just two years prior to the Red Fire, there were several other bigger fires on the Willamette National Forest, as well as last years’ and in prior years; all impacted tourism.

The number one fire of consequence was the 127,000 Cedar Creek Fire that began 14 miles away from Oakridge near the Waldo Lake Wilderness on August 1st. After an initial attack was deemed too dangerous. The plan was to build a “big box” around the fire using shaded fuel breaks. That strategy catastrophically failed when east winds kicked up in early September. The entire Oakridge/Westfir was evacuated for the first time in history as the fire moved from east to west. Only a change in the wind direction saved our communities from the fate that impacted some 70-plus western communities in recent years.

 

Again, the smoke last year was unbearable and extremely unhealthy throughout the entire area and beyond. It’s been an all too regular summer and fall occurrence. Prime recreational and tourism seasons have been affected.

 

Historically, much more forest has burned in a much shorter timeframe

Beyond the immediate dangers of the fires and the smoke, we are left to deal with the destruction left in the wake of these fires. I’ve written before that from 1945-1989 the Willamette National Forest only lost 43,229 acres to wildfires. My rough estimates from last year’s fires on the Willamette once again equaled or exceeded that total. In fact, just on the southern portion of the Willamette, last year’s fires nearly equaled that 43,229-acre total acreage burned that took 44 years to accumulate.

In 2022, the Cedar Creek Fire not only destroyed 127,000 acres of our National Forest, but it also destroyed two of our most popular campgrounds; North Waldo Campground and Islet Campground. These two are two of the top 5 largest campgrounds in the entire Willamette NF. Additionally, Blair Lake Campground was also damaged. It is slated, however, to have some dead and burned trees removed according to plans on the Middle Fork Ranger District website.

When will similar action be planned and taken to reopen the two Waldo Lake campgrounds? Who knows? Some trees are being removed within and from road corridors within the Middle Fork Ranger District. It’s a shame that we don’t salvage most of the millions of acres and millions of board feet of timber we see burned annually.

As a side note. It’s been estimated that to rebuild from the deadly and destructive Los Angeles fires recently that 5000 truckloads of lumber will be needed to rebuild from those fires. Can you imagine how much fire killed timber could’ve been harvested within our forests to supply that rebuilding effort, as well as our nation’s need for affordable housing construction?

Also, the Cedar Creek Fire destroyed so many beautiful backcountry destinations and trails. Volunteers have taken over much of the trail maintenance these days, along with the limited resources and crews from the USFS. The task of clearing and maintaining these areas damaged by fire is monumental. Especially within the wilderness areas where chainsaws are not allowed.

In formerly once proud, productive timber communities throughout the west, similar to Oakridge/Westfir, the answer to Jim Petersen’s article” Will Wildfire and Smoke Kill Tourism?” seems obvious. It hasn’t killed tourism. But the accumulative impacts of fire-scarred forests certainly does not help tourism nor the communities that have become dependent on tourism as its main economic driver.

Losing tourism every summer due to smoke directly impacts businesses. Turning lush green forests into blackened acres of dead snags doesn’t attract people to recreate.

Leadership changes on the horizon

Change may be forthcoming. I sure hope so. This morning USFS Chief Randy Moore submitted his resignation. I certainly don’t blame the current condition of recent fires on one USFS Chief. I wish him well. Brooke Rollins was recently sworn in as the Secretary of Agriculture in President Trump’s Administration. She will choose the successor to Chief Moore to lead the USFS.

I believe there are fully capable candidates within our area to take that leadership role. Including Region 6 Forester Jacque Buchanan and her Deputy Forester Merv George. Merv actually called me last summer in response to an email that I had sent to his boss Jaque Buchanan concerning the Red Fire in August. From our conversation and subsequent emails, I believe either would be a solid choice to create a needed change in direction and culture within the USFS. Or, someone from outside of the USFS may be selected.

The 20-person committee to amend the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) toured both the Oakridge/Westfir and the Weaverville, CA areas recently. Both were identified as areas in need of improved fire resiliency within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Which could, and should, improve not only fire safety but the economy of both areas. Expanding the Jim’s Creek Project would be a likely place to begin to build and expand fire resilience. That project, in my opinion, could also be expanded to many areas directly within the Oakridge/Westfir WUI area.

We shall soon find out about the NWFP committees’ proposals and new USFS leadership. We can hope that whoever is selected will be an agent of change that many of us believe is needed and obvious. Our forests and communities within these forests cannot survive much more on this current path.