Bear Creek Greenway Fuel Reduction Work to Begin
Parks
Work is set to begin Monday, April 1 aimed at reducing hazardous fuels left over from the Almeda Fire on the Bear Creek Greenway. Bartlett Tree Service out of Central Point has been awarded the roughly half million-dollar contract by Jackson County and will be performing the work.
The project will reduce dry, woody material on the ground, mitigate the dangers associated standing dead trees, and create limited access for fire and natural resource restoration officials to reach areas for work, including ongoing invasive species control and future fire suppression efforts. Work will begin on publicly owned lands along the Greenway between Ashland and Talent and continue north, ending in Phoenix later this year.
The project is a joint effort between the cities of Talent, Phoenix, and Jackson County, made possible due to funding provided by the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s 2023 Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program. “This is an example of how state, county and city governments can work together to manage fire risk in our communities and provide tangible results,” says Steve Lambert, Jackson County Roads and Parks Director. “Our goal is to showcase how fire risk mitigation can be balanced with natural resource management in a post-fire environment,” says Lambert. Project managers are collaborating with fire and natural resource professionals in this effort.
The project will result in limited closures of the greenway path over the next several months for the safety of users. Once work begins, updates can be found on the Jackson County Parks website. The project will be managed by The Freshwater Trust, under contract with Jackson County.
