Starting with a public meeting in Salem on Wednesday, May 24, a broad-based committee put together by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will review management practices for controlled burning on forestland. The committee is charged with recommending improvements for how the state can utilize controlled burns to meet land management objectives on private and public forestland in Oregon while minimizing smoke impacts on communities and protecting public health. The public is invited to attend the meeting, which will be in the Tillamook Room in Building C at ODF’s Salem headquarters, 2600 State St. The meeting lasts from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The meeting space is accessible to persons with disabilities. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting by contacting Chrystal Bader at 503-945-7220. The committee will hear presentations on air quality and human health, as well as the benefits of controlled burns to forest health, productivity and reducing wildfire risk. There will be time for public comments in the afternoon.
