Increased restoration of Blue Mountain forests proposed

The National Forest Service will be considering two new alternatives for a revision of its Blue Mountains Forest Plan after listening to the public comments of more than 700 people.

The new alternatives will emphasize the health of the forest over the next 15 years through activities such as thinning and planned burning. One of the alternatives would include a more aggressive schedule of restoration.

A final study and draft decision on the plant is expected to be completed by the end of the year. It will cover 5 million acres of the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman and Malheur national forests.

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 8:58 PM with the headline "Increased restoration of Blue Mountain forests proposed."