Restoring Eastern Oregon rangelands - a before and after photo essay
The Kahler Dry Forest Restoration Project on the Umatilla National Forest shows the incredible value of projects that offer economic, social, and environmental benefits. Sustainable Northwest was a key partner in this multi-year project to thin juniper from Eastern Oregon rangelands.
Historically, low-intensity fires would have kept juniper from encroaching on rangelands. Some of the fires would have been sparked naturally, and some set by Tribes using cultural burning to steward rangeland health. Juniper are THIRSTY, so keeping them from taking over our rangelands is good for many reasons -- including water conservation in the arid West.
This project also supported local timber and milling jobs, as Sustainable Northwest and Sustainable Northwest Wood Inc. operate the largest juniper lumber market around. It's all about the triple bottom line: people, nature, and jobs. You can learn even more here from the Oregon Department of Forestry.
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