The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has made its first timber sale in a forest restoration pilot project under way in the Applegate Valley.
The 1.5-million-board-foot Pilot Joe sale was sold for $230,606 to Boise Cascade Wood Products on Thursday, one of three qualified bidders at the auction. There were no administrative protests to the sale which covers about 250 acres.
Work can begin on the project as soon as the contract documents are signed, John Gerritsma, manager of the BLM's Ashland Resource Area. The contract is for two years instead of the normal three years, he said.
"This one we wanted to get on the ground as rapidly as possible so we can learn from it and adapt for the next pilot project," he said. "We've already started on the planning process for the next pilot project."
Pilot Joe is the first sale for the project since it was proposed last year by forest ecology professors Norm Johnson at Oregon State University and Jerry Franklin at the University of Washington. The goal is to preserve the largest trees and improve forest health, including northern spotted owl habitat, while producing wood for mills and reducing wildfire danger.
The local project in the middle Applegate Valley is one of three such projects in Oregon that could change the way timber is managed on federal forestland nationally. The other pilot projects under way are on BLM land in the Myrtle Creek drainage in Douglas County and on tribal land in Coos County. Franklin and Johnson also are heading up those projects.
The two scientists, along with environmental activists and timber industry representatives, joined forces to convince Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last summer to launch the pilot projects. Basically, the principles call for preserving trees older than 150 years and avoiding entry into roadless areas. The projects will be consistent with the Northwest Forest Plan and the National Environmental Policy Act, according to the BLM.
In the Pilot Joe sale, all the trees slated for cutting are less than 50 years old, Gerritsma said, adding that most will be 16 inches and smaller in diameter at chest height.
All told, the initial work on Pilot Joe will include about 900 acres. Brush cutting and other vegetation management work will be conducted on the remaining 650 acres but no timber products will be produced from that work, Gerritsma said.
In August, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced its biological opinion on the Applegate pilot project, concluding it could harm a pair of owls at one site, but determining that overall it would be a long-term benefit to spotted owl habitat in the region. The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to consult with the service when their proposed actions could affect a species listed as threatened or endangered. The spotted owl is listed as threatened.
In addition to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the BLM also is working with the Southern Oregon Small Diameter Collaborative, Applegate Partnership and Watershed Council in designing and monitoring the project.
Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at pfattig@mailtribune.com.
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