BLM to host conifer mortality field trip in Applegate Valley on March 1

Medford, Ore. - The Bureau of Land Management is hosting a public field trip to see ongoing conifer mortality in Southwest Oregon. During the field trip, BLM foresters will discuss the Bureau's plan to strategically address the crisis.

More trees in Southwest Oregon died between 2015 and 2019 than in the previous four decades. Increasing tree mortality is leading to concerns about increased fire danger and public safety issues.

To help address the problem, the BLM is proposing to remove dead and dying trees from up to 5,000 acres over the next 5 years. The work would focus along roadways, near homes, and in locations where fire managers will have the best opportunities to stop fires while they are small.

More information can be found on the project website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2027249/510.

The field trip will start near Ruch in the Applegate Valley at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 1, and end around 3 p.m.

To RSVP for the field trip, please contact Todd Bowen at [email protected] or 541-618-2365.