Spring cleaning means more than just dusting off the shelves in the pantry and throwing out old boxes of junk in the garage, especially for those living in rural areas susceptible to wildfires. Homes are major fuel sources for wildfires and each year thousands of homes are burned and destroyed by wildfires across the United States. For those who enjoy living close to the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest’s forests and wild lands it is important to ensure that you take time to clean up your property and help keep it as fire safe as possible.

Here are some great tips that were recently published on thenewsguard.com on how to prepare your home and property for fire season.

Stop the fuel ladder

Most fires start and accelerate in tall dry grass and kindling lying on the forest floor. This can be anything from grasses to pine needles to fallen limbs or dead shrubbery. As the fire spreads it begins to climb, seeking bigger fuel sources to increase its growth. Fires then spread by jumping from limb to limb gaining ferocity and power. Fires that reach the canopy are known as crown fires and are highly destructive and extremely fast moving. As fires move across the tree line they look for bigger, stronger fuel sources to feed on, which means that trees close to homes and structures are particularly susceptible to igniting thus causing the structure itself to go up in flames. By trimming back your landscaping so that there are no trees or limbs immediately around your house you can help to provide clear defensible space between your home and a potential wildfire.

Choose your landscaping wisely

Many popular landscaping plants like ornamental juniper are easy to ignite and burn hot and fast. There are several accounts of home being spared from destruction during a fire only to catch fire hours or days later from the smoldering hot ash of their juniper bushes. Choose landscaping plants that stay green and hold moisture as they tend to be more fire resistant and burn slower and cooler. Also keep a buffer zone between your landscaping plants and your home where possible.

Clean your gutters

This should be on every home owner’s spring cleaning list, but as the saying goes, sometimes out of sight is out of mind. Winds that often accompany fast burning fires can spread embers and flames over great distances. Dry materials like leaves and pine needles that collect in gutters can be all a single ember needs to burst into a flame and catch a home’s roof on fire.

Block the Fire’s Path

Fires need fuel to continue growing, and when they run out of a fuel source they’ll typically move away from that area and towards fuel rich zones. By breaking up your landscaping and creating dead zones where no grass or shrubbery exists you eliminate the fuel source for an encroaching fire and can actively help to turn the fire away.  Keep your landscaping well watered and cared for and remove any dead shrubbery or trees from the area. Also keep your propane tanks and fuel storage no less than 30 feet from your home.

Follow these basic tips will help you to protect your property against catastrophic damage from forest fires and keep you enjoying life in rural Pacific Northwest.

Over the past 20 years a significant amount of attention has been directed at salvage logging operations and their impact on the local watershed after a fire. A lot of bellicose rhetoric has been thrown around from agencies and organizations that strictly oppose any and all fire restoration activities, and a large percentage of that negative attention is specifically pointed at salvage logging. But the truth is; salvage logging plays an integral role in watershed management, especially after significant burns.

Areas ravished by wildfire face a number of additional threats and challenges to the ecosystem. Once a wildfire has burned through an area the natural canopy and cover is destroyed. This allows more rainfall to reach the forest floor. In some cases, the combination of the high temperatures and changes in the organic elements can cause a loss of soil infiltration as well, leaving more rainfall and runoff on the surface. This results in rapid runoff, gullying, soil erosion, and subsequent water quality degradation. Fires also burn green belt areas along streams and rivers which act as natural barriers to help channel the flow of water and filter sediment from reaching downstream and polluting the water quality. These are all serious risks to the watershed of an area after a traumatic wildfire.

Salvage logging is the process of going in and removing dead and fire-damaged trees before they deteriorate. It’s important to remember that salvage logging is an emergency measure that has a limited window of effectiveness after a fire. There is a finite amount of time salvage loggers have after a fire before insect damage and disease wreak havoc on the area.

Many opponents argue that salvage logging operations have an adverse impact on the watershed. However the Forest Service and land managers have to weigh all possible outcomes when establishing a watershed management plan, there are a number of positive effects salvage logging can provide to post wildfire forest areas.

One of the main advantages of salvage logging is that it uses valuable timber resources that would otherwise simply deteriorate. This reduces the dependency on green timber sales. Trees that have been burned are not always a lost cause. They may no longer be viable to the forest canopy, but many times they can be reused and turned into timber output. In an average year, salvage logging makes up roughly 5 to 6 percent of all board feet of harvested timber. In years marked by large fire seasons this can be increased to help reduce the amount of green timber being harvested, helping preserve and promote healthy forest areas.

Unsalvaged trees are susceptible to insect and disease infestation. Insects and diseases that target dead trees can quickly pose a significant threat to the remaining live trees in the area. Many forest areas receive catastrophic levels of damage from post-fire threats and these threats can sometimes be more deadly to forest ecosystems than the fires themselves.

Dead standing trees also do little to benefit the forest. They provide no canopy coverage and no habitat for the remaining area wildlife. More importantly, they do little to nothing to help the area watershed. During salvage operations, many standing dead trees are felled on the contour and left as a watershed protection measure.

Road erosion is a significant problem in many fire affected areas. The combination of fire damage to topsoil layers as well as the efforts of fire crews can deteriorate and wash away roads leaving areas inaccessible. Roads created by salvage timber operations can be used to provide access to remote areas for other restoration efforts and can be eradicated after rehabilitation.

Finally, timber salvage efforts provide funding for long term watershed restoration and rehabilitation. Only a small portion of federal emergency funds go towards fire restoration and an even smaller percentage goes directly to watershed restoration. Salvage sales collect funds necessary to carry out erosion control and help restore the forest to its pre-fire condition.

Salvage logging, properly planned and carried out, provides important benefits to watersheds. Salvage efforts actually speed up re-vegetation and reduce the timeframes for watershed recovery. Improvements to roads, channels, and waterways as a result of salvage efforts all rehabilitate forests and create positive impacts on the watershed and ecosystem and benefit the fish, wildlife, and vegetation throughout our area forests.

Wildfire season is already under way. In mid March a wildfire broke out in a heavily populated cabin resort area of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.

The blaze quickly spread from tree to tree and rooftop to rooftop consuming more than 60 cabins and neighboring structures. More 200 people had to be evacuated, many of them permanently displaced as the fire destroyed their homes and belongings. Others were simply resort area vacationers on weekend retreats, still they lost several thousands of dollars in property. In total, the fire consumed about 160 acres (small by most wildfires standards) but its significance marks the start of the 2013 wildfire season.

Official channels reported two injuries resulting from the fire, but thankfully no deaths occurred.

Over 100 firefighters from 30 agencies were called to help fight the blaze.

The fire was originally contained by firefighter efforts before breaking through a fire line. Fortunately, mother nature swooped in to help out and local rains quickly doused the flames before the fire was able to break completely out of control. Before the storm help, fire officials worried that they would lose control of the fire, threatening neighboring Pigeon Forge, a densely populated area.

Officials have not confirmed the source of the fire.

While the efforts of our brave firefighters and some help from rain downpours stopped the Great Smoky Mountain fire before it wrecked serious havoc, this fire is a frightening reminder of the dangerous and dry conditions across the nation as we approach the annual fire season.

We’d like to encourage residents in rural and wooded areas to make sure to complete your annual spring property cleaning and take care to ensure you’re not leaving fuel sources for potential fires out in the open. Trim and remove dead or decayed landscaping and tree limbs, prepare a defensible space zone around your home and structures, and remove any trash or debris piles that could act as conductors for fires. Pay close attention to the burn advisories in your area and don’t use external flames in hot and dry conditions. Remember, you are the first line of defense against wildfires.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying “time is money.” Well, some scientists are proving that the age old adage could just as easily be “trees are money.”

Over the past couple of years, scientists and researchers from the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, and the Pacific Southwest Research Station have been studying the value of trees in the Pacific Northwest area. The results find that it pays to care for our trees.

According to the study findings, the average tree in the Pacific Northwest has a value of $2,820 in environmental and ecological benefits.  Research shows that properly cared for trees are valuable assets that can provide a 300% return on investment over the course of their lifetime! But let’s put the numbers in perspective. It would cost an estimated $92,000 to plant 100 large trees in the Portland area today.  It costs roughly $23 annually to care for a mature tree. In a 40 year period those trees would generate nearly $283,000 in direct and indirect benefits to the area. This results in a net benefit of more than $190,000 over that period.

Considering that trees also reduce carbon dioxide and other air pollutants in the area, capture and trap rain water, and slow the flow of runoff thus preserving soil quality and helping slow erosion to roads, river beds, and other area – the benefits of planting and caring for our trees is almost immeasurable.

These benefits don’t just apply to forest health. Even urban areas benefit greatly from the presence of trees. Trees can save homeowners and municipalities thousands of dollars annually on energy bills by providing shade and protection from harmful UV rays around buildings and common areas. The presence of trees also not only increases property values, but actually reduces the amount of crime in the area. Customers will stay longer and spend more in shopping districts that are populated with mature trees. Customers are also more willing to pay for parking and more likely to visit these areas more frequently.

What we’ve found is that the presence of trees, both in forest areas and landscaped areas provide benefits that far exceed the costs of planting or care over their lifetime. The benefits, including energy savings, stormwater runoff reduction, clean air, increased property values, not to mention economic and resource opportunities, are consistently several times greater than the costs to care for the trees themselves.

The bottom line is that we have vested interest in caring for our tree populated forests and public areas. If we take care of our trees, they’ll return the favor, 300 times over.

If you ask the average person what’s the difference between a national forest and a national park, they’ll probably shrug and tell you they weren’t aware of any differences. In fact, for the average person there really isn’t much of a difference on the surface. But for those tasked with managing and caring for the land, the differences are vast and very important to understand.

National parks are managed by the National Park Service, a division of the Department of Interior. National parks focus on the preservation of natural areas. These parks are designated to protect historical and significant natural resources with a mission of keeping the area “unimpaired for future generations.” Therefore much of the mission of National Parks is to reduce or eliminate human impact on the area.

National forests on the other hand are designated for multiple uses with the goal of sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. National forests are managed by the US Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture. Designated uses for National forests include timber operations, hunting, mining, livestock grazing, and recreation.

There are 153 national forests covering more than 190 million acres across the United States. The sheer size of national forest area makes the Forest Service the largest agency within the Department of Agriculture and one of the largest agencies in federal government.  Yet many urban leaders and elected officials fail to understand the unique needs and challenges of national forest lands.

National forests are depended upon by thousands of communities for economic vitality. These communities depend on the proper management of the forests to provide jobs, food, and housing. Even larger metropolitans downstream depend on the health of our national forests to provide clean drinking water, clean air, fuel, and energy sources.

There are established laws that govern the management of national forests which includes cutting timber and thinning growth to prevent possible forest fires.  However, due in part to a lack of education and a lack of understanding between the differences of national parks and national forests, we are only harvesting less than 10% of the annual growth in our national forests. In fact, since the early 1990s the level of harvest has plummeted by more than 80%.

This trend has led to a sharp rise in the amount of debris and overgrowth that exists on the forest floor and has contributed to record size fires across the United States, particularly in the Northwest. Too much dead and dry timber on the ground has increased the number of forest fires, but more importantly it has increased the severity of these fires costing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and threatening communities and lives annually. The lack of action has created a highly dangerous situation as well placing increased hardship on many rural communities.

The current forest plan allows for safe and responsible harvesting of up to 6.1 Billion board feet of timber. However, last year only 40% of the approved amount was authorized. Increased production in logging would not only revive the economy of communities in and around national forests, but it would also reduce the risk for catastrophic forest fires and promote a healthy and green forest.

So why aren’t we taking a more proactive stance on forest management? The answer has to do with education. An uninformed public and too many leaders taking their cues from misguided special interests groups have left policy surrounding managing and maintaining our national forests in disarray. The basic laws are in place, now we just need our government officials to take the initiative to understand just how valuable our national forests are and authorize the steps necessary to ensure the forests long term survival and vitality.

If you’d like to learn more about the threats facing our national forests visit us online at communitiesforhealthyforests.org.

We all know the story of the Tillamook Burn. The Tillamook fire started on an unusually hot and dry day in August 1933 and quickly spread throughout the virgin forest consuming a staggering 240,000 acres. In the next few years three more fires ravaged the area leaving nothing but a charred and devastated wasteland. But the real story of the Tillamook Burn is what happened next.

Almost immediately, the community sprang into action spearheading the largest restoration effort to occur at the time. Salvage operations were successful in recovering a fraction of forest trees that were charred by the fire but not consumed. But the majority of the forest lay destroyed by the blaze and the community facing uncertainty didn’t know how to respond. A citizens’ committee was created specifically to address the question of what to do with the burned forest area. The committee investigated the possibilities and determined that the best course of action was to attempt the most dramatic restoration effort aimed at restoring the forest to its “wealth producing status”.

The restoration effort was unique because much of the burned land had been surrendered by landowners owing back property taxes during the Great Depression. Land owners at the time facing economic uncertainty and now facing the possibility of never again being able to profit from the land they owned continued to turn over land to the local government.  Tillamook and Clatsop counties were facing a serious financial battle in the restoration effort.

The State jumped in and offered a brand new program which essentially deeded the land to the State of Oregon who would then front the costs of the restoration project. The counties would eventually profit from the restored forest through logging. The initiative passed a statewide bond vote in 1948 and the largest State sponsored restoration project of its kind began.

Between 1949 and 1972 more than 72 million saplings were planted and over a billion seeds were deposited by helicopter seeding. Generations of Oregonians jumped in to help and volunteers helped to plant more than one million seedlings. By the mid 70s the Tillamook Burn had come to define the resiliency of generations of Oregonians and the effort has become the stuff of legends here in Oregon.

Thanks to an unyielding spirit and aggressive restoration effort the forest today gives very few glimpses of its fiery past. In fact, today’s Tillamook State Forest is a dense green reminder of just how valuable forest restoration efforts can be and the impact forest management can bring to the community.

Spring is just around the corner, and just as animals come out of hibernation, millions of American’s begin to fill our national parks and wooded areas to camp, hike, and fish. But seasonal increases in recreational park visitors also mean an increased risk of human caused forest fire.

Preventing forest fires is everyone’s responsibility and you can help do your part to minimize the risk of disastrous wildfire outbreak this year. By being an environmentally conscious recreationist and practicing fire safety you can help to make sure that our national forests provide recreation, relaxation, and enjoyment for generations to come.

The number one lesson the US Forest Service wants park users to understand is “Know the rules when it comes to fire safety.” As many as 80% of wildfires are human caused. And as you might suspect, the number one culprit of forest fires is unattended/abandoned campfires. Once a fire has started, there are many factors that contribute to its spread and intensity but more often than not, the damage is severe.

Depending on several factors including the weather, time of year, location of the park, recent rainfall, and others; fire usage may be restricted within the park. Many times fires must be contained to sanctioned campfire areas, or held entirely above ground in special fire pits. In some cases, the use of fires may even be prohibited altogether. Understanding the fire threat levels and following fire safety laws can help minimize the risk of human related fire incidents.

Even where and when fires are permitted, you should still understand and abide by fire safety protocols.

Preparing your site

• First and foremost – never building a fire in hazardous, dry conditions.
• When you are allowed to build a fire and the conditions are safe, make sure you prepare the site and always use a fire ring or fire pit. Build your fire pit at least fifteen feet away from any tree, bush, tent, or other flammable object. Make sure your fire pit is not located under any sort of overhanging vegetation or limb.
• Before you build your fire pit, clear the area of any grass, twigs, leaves, or pine needles.

Building your fire

• Next, dig a small pit in the dirt – it doesn’t need to be deep, 10-12” will do fine.
• Finally, build a ring (or wall) around the pit with rocks to enclose and contain your fire.
• Fill a bucket with water and keep it near the campfire site. If you have a shovel, keep it nearby.
• Only build small fires that serve your immediate needs. Big, glowing bonfires might be fun to look at but they are difficult to put out and can quickly get out of control in shifting or escalating winds. Remember, fire is a tool and should only be used for the job at hand, be it cooking, boiling water, or for warmth.
• Remember to discard your matches into the fire pit. Never throw your burnt match into the woods or on the ground outside of the fire.
• Never use live or “green” timber to create your fire. Green wood contains moisture which causes the fire to pop and “spit” coals and ash.
• Most importantly, never leave your fire unattended.

Extinguishing your fire

• When possible, allow all the fuel to burn down to ash. Charred wood can hold embers for days accidentally reigniting and causing another fire when no one is around.
• Pour lots of water on your fire. Don’t just sprinkle a little water on the visible red embers. Douse the fire pit with water until you can no longer hear hissing or sizzling sounds.
• Use the shovel to turn/mix the ash. Then shovel dirt or sand into the fire pit and stir until the entire fire pit is cool.
• Do not simply bury a fire. Buried fires retain their heat and continue to smolder which can cause nearby grass and roots to ignite.
• Don’t put your trash in the fire. Fumes from plastic and Styrofoam containers can release can be harmful to the ozone and your lungs, and glass and aluminum do not burn or melt, thus introducing foreign contaminants into the soil and creating hazards for following campers and wildlife alike. In short, if you pack it in, pack it out.

Protecting the forest and preventing forest fires is everyone’s responsibility. Follow these rules the next time you’re preparing a campfire and you can be certain that you’re relaxing vacation in the wilderness won’t turn into a nightmare.

Maybe you’re an outdoor enthusiast and love to spend your free time hiking, camping, biking, and fishing alongside the towering pines. Or maybe you depend on the forest ecosystem to provide for your family and earn a living. There are hundreds of reasons why you might love and treasure our nation’s forests, and there are hundreds of ways you can get involved and help keep our forests healthy.

Volunteer

Volunteering is always a good way to make an impact. The US Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service has several volunteer programs designed to offer hands on experience helping federal land managers protect and preserve our national forests. Additionally, many States and local communities also have volunteer programs soliciting help for all kinds of activities from picking up trash and planting new trees in local forests and parks, to participating in large scale disaster clean up and reclamation projects. Whether you have a little time or a lot, there’s always something you can do to help keep our forests green and healthy. Here are just a few ways you can volunteer:

• Fish & Game habitat improvement projects such as improving streams and planting resources
• Become a campground host, or hiking or biking guide along your favorite forest trails
• Assist with replanting trees and plants in fire damaged and eroded areas
• Volunteer for administrative help at your local Forest Service or land management office

Donate

Many organizations (like Communities for Healthy Forests) are non-profit groups who dedicate their time and resources to helping keep the public and policy makers aware of the unique challenges and needs of forest communities. Most of these organizations operate primarily on public donations and government grants. While there are several ways you can reach out to help, even small donations can go a long way in helping to educate the public and keep pertinent issues involving our national forests in front of government officials and policy makers. Your contribution will be tax deductable.

Advocate

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to help is to speak up and voice your opinion. Write letters to your local representatives encouraging them to get involved on the State and Federal level. Offer to educate community members in areas that you’re knowledgeable. Volunteer to speak at community events and gatherings regarding our forests, or simply volunteer to help pass out fliers and leaflets on the issues that affect our forests the most. The bottom line is your voice is your strongest asset and if enough people demand the attention and accountability our forests deserve, policy makers will listen and respond. The first step to enacting change is to start talking about it.

These are just a few of the ways you can get involved and help make a difference in our forests. Our forests provide countless benefits from commercial to environmental to recreational, and we want to make sure that our forests continue to offer these benefits for generations to come. You can help make sure that our children’s children get the opportunity to experience pulling a trout out of a fresh valley stream, or biking along a tree lined mountain rim, and most importantly help keep our forests and forest communities healthy and protected for generations to come.