Nedsbar Public Hike: Units 28-22A, 28-22B, 28-22C

Local residents looking at canopy closure in Unit 28-22B, a regeneration harvest unit.

Today seventeen adults, two young children and one dog braved the cold of the north-facing slopes above the Little Applegate Valley to walk a forest just above private land at the junction of Yale Creek and the Little Applegate River. This forest contains old-growth and late seral forests, however, the BLM has included the area as part of the Nedsbar Timber Sale. The area we walked today included three units: 28-22A, a thinning unit, 28-22B, a regeneration unit and 28-22C, another thinning unit. All three units would be accessed by a proposed new road on the ridgeline above the area. The proposed new road construction and log landings would facilitate cable yarding from the ridge above. Log trucks would then haul the trees from this old-growth stand past many of these residents' homes.

Pointing out the fire resiliency and healthy stand structure of Unit 28-22B

All local residents on the hike agreed that this forested stand would be degraded by logging, which would increase fire hazards for the adjacent private land on Lick Gulch and Yale Creek Roads. The relationship that local people have to this beautiful backyard forest would be compromised by "structural retention regeneration harvest," leaving only 16-25 large trees per acre. Local residents love the forests of the Little Applegate Valley and want to see these older forests protected from irresponsible logging proposals like the Nedsbar Timber Sale. The conclusion was unanimous: units 28-22A, 28-22B, and 28-22C should be dropped from the Nedsbar Timber Sale.

Local residents hiking the fire adapted forest of Unit 28-22B.

More public hikes into Nedsbar Timber Sale units are planned for March, after the BLM releases the Environmental Analysis (EA) for the project. The hikes will coincide with the public comment period, offering residents a firsthand look at BLM logging proposals. Come hike these amazing public lands, advocate on their behalf and get to know them before it may be too late! 

To view my original post about units 28-22A, 28-22B and 28-22C click on the following link:
http://thesiskiyoucrest.blogspot.com/2014/12/nedsbar-timber-sale-regeneration-unit.html