University Of Oregon Studying Smoke Management

University of Oregon researchers are studying community smoke management plans and how local governments can better prepare the public for fire season.  Student researcher Stuart Warren said management plans can allow communities to get exemptions from current prescribed fire rules.

“Hopefully allows prescribed fire burners to do more burning, in an effort to undo some of our past histories in forest management; particularly, our years of preventing wildfire and stopping wildfire from doing what it’s done for thousands of years. And also to help us reduce the amount of fuel loads that we’ve seen build up over time.”

The team’s work focused on Jackson County in Southern Oregon; but they also looked at plans already in place around the state.  Warren said Deschutes County and the city of Ashland are setting the standard for communicating with the public and mitigating fire impacts.

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