Commercial logging on Phil’s Trail?
Jamie Dawson with Oregon Wild in the proposed project area.
Photo from Bradley Parks/OPB: Read the article here
What will become of the biggest trees in the Deschutes National Forest?
If you’ve spent time out on Phil’s Trail system in recent weeks, you may notice the blue paint rings marking several big, old ponderosa pines. Unfortunately, these trees have been marked for commercial logging as part of the Forest Service’s West Bend Project, moving full-steam ahead.
This area of the Deschutes National Forest, just west of Bend, has been slated for a timber sale on 26,000 acres of Central Oregon’s national forests.
We have some serious concerns.
Some of these trees are different from the many trees logged over the last few decades. They aren’t just the smaller, second-growth trees typically targeted in thinning projects. These are the big, old trees that play a pivotal role in forest ecosystems. Some of these trees are over 100 years old.
Wildfire
These are the large trees that have survived decades of fire and are naturally resistant to wildfire. They provide shade and hold moisture in the soil, keeping our forests cooler during the hot, dry summer months.
WILDLIFE
These trees provide critical habitat for wildlife. Regional species like mule deer and elk rely on protected forested areas for winter and summer rangeland.
Climate
These trees, often referred to as “carbon giants,” sequester a huge amount of carbon. While big trees, larger than 21” in diameter, make up only 3% of our forests, they hold 42% of the forests’ carbon. That means the best thing we can do to help mitigate climate change is to leave those trees standing.
Old growth
These larger trees are the ones that will continue to age into the critical old growth as time goes on. A big component of healthy forests is letting trees grow in all stages of life. To have a balanced forest succession with a wide range of biodiversity, we need to let these trees continue to grow.
The work continues to restore protections for big trees
By the early 1990s, much of Oregon’s old growth forests had been clearcut, devastating ecosystems and certain wildlife species. After years of advocacy from scientists and environmental advocates, various protections were put in place to safeguard many of the biggest trees that remained.
For instance, in Oregon’s eastern forests, trees over 21 inches in diameter were largely protected from logging due to the critical role they played in supporting wildlife. (Sadly, these protections didn’t extend to all portions of the Deschutes Forest, and they were amended in 2021. You can learn more about our ongoing efforts to restore these protections for Oregon’s central and eastern forests here).
Bringing it all back to what is happening along Phil’s Trail, we think this measurement, which is backed by science, should be applied to our local forests until official guidelines are back in place.
Large ponderosas in the Deschutes National Forest, over 21 inches in diameter, shouldn’t be on the chopping block– they bring us and our environment so many benefits and protections.
LandWatch has been working with organizations across Oregon to protect big trees– to put protections back on old growth trees across all of our national forests. In the long term, we need some major changes in federal forest management guidelines. LandWatch is continuing to work on restoring protections from commercial and industrial logging at the national level. But that process doesn’t happen overnight, and we’re seeing the consequences in our region right now.
As the Forest Service prepares to log big, old growth ponderosa pines along Phil’s trail, it's time to take action.
What can you do?
We are asking the public to share your concerns with Deschutes Forest Supervisor Holly Jewkes at holly.jewkes@usda.gov and ask that the Forest Service immediately stop the commercial logging of ponderosas over 21-inches in diameter in the Deschutes National Forest, including the Phil’s Trail area.
Our partners at Oregon Wild are circulating a petition to protect these big trees in Deschutes County and we encourage you to sign on.
“We, the undersigned, support an immediate moratorium on logging of any old-growth trees on the Deschutes National Forest. These forests and public lands should be prioritized for wildlife, recreation, and carbon storage.”
Protecting the Carbon Giants
Interested in learning more about the role of big trees in fighting climate change?
Get into the science and find out more about these carbon giants and why the best thing we can do to fight climate change is to leave these trees standing. Read this article: Large Trees Dominate Carbon Storage in Forests East of the Cascade Crest in the United States Pacific Northwest (2020).