Upper Touchet Project underway at Ski Bluewood

PENDLETON, Ore.—With implementation of the Upper Touchet Vegetation Management Project underway, winter recreationists may enjoy some enhanced skiing opportunities at Ski Bluewood in the Walla Walla Ranger District this winter.

Contractors have completed the first treatments as part of project implementation, which consisted of non-commercial thinning 504 acres including hand piling 129 acres within Ski Bluewood, located 20 miles south of Dayton, Washington. Forest Service personnel have been burning piles following this work over the past couple of weeks. The fuel treatments will provide more resilient landscape conditions in the project area by reducing the density of stands and removing ladder fuels. In addition, forest users will benefit from improved skiable terrain within the Ski Bluewood Special Use Permit area.

The thinning was completed as part of the Upper Touchet Vegetation Management Project (Upper Touchet), which was signed in April 2020. The 3,120-acre project was designed to create a more resilient landscape and protect values at risk surrounding the Ski Bluewood Special Use Permit area by reducing fuels and the risk of wildfire that could impact existing infrastructure, while also enhancing safety for forest users and firefighters. Overall, the project will include 1,570 acres of thinning (which includes 1,150 acres of commercial timber harvest) and 1,530 acres of prescribed burning. The first of the timber sales, Upper Chase, was awarded on Sept. 28 and will produce 2.3 MMBF and treat 194 acres.

Active management is an important part of creating a resilient landscape that has the capacity to resist or recover from disturbances, including wildfire. Areas that are treated tend to burn at a lower severity, improving the likelihood that, even if a fire burns through an area, the Forest will recover more effectively from the wildfire. Additionally, these types of treatments can increase options for fire managers and firefighters to safely engage a fire and support local infrastructure, which in turn facilitates future active land management.

For additional information about the Upper Touchet project please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53438.