Wildlife Habitat Restoration
The plants and animals who live in our dry ponderosa pine forests are also adapted to fire and benefit from forest restoration. Wildlife habitat restoration in the Deschutes National Forest includes work such as improving the health of aspen woodlands and streamside vegetation, creating snags (standing dead trees) for cavity-nesting birds such as woodpeckers, bats, and small mammals, or opening up the forest canopy to increase moisture and light on the forest floor for native grasses and wildflowers to flourish.
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.
The West Bend Project is one of 10 primary forest restoration project areas on national forestland. There are only 20 such demonstration sites nationwide, selected to receive Congressional funding through the federal Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Act. The goals of the West Bend Project: restore forest ecosystems, reduce the potential of high-severity wildfire, and provide economic and social benefits to local communities.
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Recent News
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
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
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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