Our Work

Our Work

Restoring Our Forests

The DCFP is dedicated to restoring our forests, making them more resilient to fire, insects and disease, and even climate change. At the same time, we are creating better wildlife habitat, space for trees to grow and thrive, and safer and healthier communities.
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A Forest that Needs Fire

Fire were historically a healthy and regular occurrence in Central Oregon forests. Our trees, plants and wildlife are all adapted to forests that received regular fire. A century of fire suppression has resulted in overly dense forests, and thus very hot and devastating fires.
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The West Bend Project

Some of the most beloved places in the Deschutes National Forest are restoration priorities. Our goals for the West Bend Project: restore forest ecosystems, reduce the potential of high-severity wildfire, and provide socioeconomic benefits to local communities.
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2015-CFLRP-Overview-MapRestoring Balance in our Forests

Since 2010, we’ve been working as partners alongside the Deschutes National Forest on a $10.1 million effort to restore 250,000+ acres of forest in Deschutes County, focusing on the unhealthiest places that are putting our forests and communities at risk, including the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas west of Bend, Sisters, Tumalo and Sunriver.

Before and after restoration efforts at the SAFR project outside Sisters.

Recent News

  • Prescribed Burning in Progress
    Prescribed Burning in Progress

    Prescribed Burning locations across Central Oregon With consistently warmer temperatures, fire managers on the Deschutes National Forest will be taking advantage of favorable weather conditions and begin igniting prescribed burns across our area over the next few weeks. This will…

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  • Video: Prescribed Fire Planning
    Video: Prescribed Fire Planning

    Restoring our dry, fire-adapted forests in Central Oregon is a multi-step process carried out over many years and requiring collaboration among a diverse team of forest scientists, fire experts, loggers, community leaders, and volunteers. Before every Prescribed Fire, we do…

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  • Video: Meet the Crew
    Video: Meet the Crew

    Once the initial forest restoration steps have been completed, and the forest is ready for prescribed fire, now it’s time to organize the many fire professionals and equipment needed to safely conduct a prescribed burn. The Burn Boss oversees all…

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  • Video: The day-of a Prescribed Fire
    Video: The day-of a Prescribed Fire

    Today’s the day! The staging area is bustling with activity as fire engines, water trucks, and fire professionals arrive and begin to assemble and ready their gear, tools, and equipment. The Burn Boss has been hard at work since early…

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  • Video: Mop it Up
    Video: Mop it Up

    The final piece of ensuring safe and controlled prescribed fire involves all the personnel on hand, including both the ignitions and holding crew, who continue to patrol the prescribed fire perimeter and perform “mop-up” into the afternoon and evening. Mop-up…

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  • Living with Fire – How trees, plants, and critters have adapted to live with wildfire
    Living with Fire – How trees, plants, and critters have adapted to live with wildfire

    Living with Fire - How trees, plants, and critters have adapted to live with wildfire Contributed by Nicole Strong, OSU Extension Forester, serving Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson Counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs We often talk about fire-adapted…

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