National Fire Plan Success Story
Umatilla Agency—Indian Lakes Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project
Before: Indian Lake Campground, 1 year after winter ice storm.
After: Indian Lake Campground after cutting and piling.
In early July of 2006, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Umatilla Agency began a fuels reduction project around the Indian Lake Campground in the Birch Creek Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI) area. The project aimed at reducing hazardous fuels on the 344 acres of Tribal Trust land in order to improve public and firefighter safety in the area. In the three months between July and September, ten acres of heavily dead and dying fuels had been cut and piled.
The initial accomplishments were completed by small tree removal and limbing of larger trees. All understory trees less than 6 inches in diameter were felled, bucked, and delimbed. Any viable materials were piled by use for tribal members as firewood or post and pole product. Residual trees are pruned up to ten feet to reduce ladder fuels and heavily draped lichen that occurs in the crowns. Any remaining limbs, tops, or other woody materials are piled and ready for burning.
The Umatilla Agency worked closely with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation to complete work on this project. These two organizations partnered with the Oregon Department of Forestry using BIA grant money to reduce hazardous fuels on adjoining private lands.
Contact: Nancy Lee Wilson, Fire Management Officer, 541-969-7243.