February 22, 2006
Student’s forest study faces hearing
11 experts, including the author, will testify at Rep. Greg Walden’s Friday gathering here
By PAUL FATTIG
Mail Tribune
Eleven expert witnesses will be called to testify in Friday’s congressional field hearing in Medford to review controversial findings in a recently published study headed by an Oregon State
University graduate student.
The U.S. Congress’ Forests and Forest Health Subcommittee session called by subcommittee chairman U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., begins at 1 p.m. in the Medford City Council Chambers, 411 W.
Eighth St., Medford.
In addition to university professors, retired land management experts and others, the list includes Daniel Donato, the OSU graduate student who led the research suggesting salvage logging is
harmful to the recovery of burned forests.
The witnesses are by invitation only.
The study focused on the salvage in the aftermath of the Biscuit fire, which burned some half-million acres in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in 2002. It concluded the salvage
"reduced regeneration (of the forest) by 71 percent and increased short-term fire risk."
The results of the three-year study were published in the journal Science despite alleged attempts by several OSU professors to quash its publication.
The debate was heightened when the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Feb. 6 suspended funding for the study’s final year.
BLM officials said Donato had violated provisions of a $300,000 federal fire research grant that prohibits using any of the funds to lobby Congress, and required that a BLM scientist be
consulted before the research is published.
However, the agency reinstated the funding the next day after Democratic lawmakers charged that the Bush adminis-tration was attempting to manipulate science for political purposes.
In addition to Donato, the hearing witness list includes:
Stephen Hobbs, chairman of the Oregon Board of Forestry and executive associate dean, OSU College of Forestry.
Tom Atzet, retired ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service in southwest Oregon, currently a private consultant.
Cynthia West, acting director, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Dave Peterson, Forest Service fire ecologist.
Rich Drehobl, retired BLM field manager, Medford District.
Peter F. Kolb, Montana State University extension forestry specialist, adjunct professor of forest ecology at College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana.
Hal Salwasser, dean of the OSU College of Forestry.
Jerry Franklin, professor, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington.
Dave Perry, OSU professor emeritus of forest ecology.
Ted Lorensen, assistant state forester, Oregon Department of Forestry.
Noting the subcommittee has held seven hearings regarding post-catastrophic forest management, Walden said he supports using research and peer-reviewed science in developing policy.
"I look forward to hearing from the authors of this study about their findings on this issue as well," he said in a prepared statement.
"The more we can learn from researchers, the better our decisions regarding policy and legislation will be."
The Republican lawmaker is the co-sponsor of a bill to make salvage logging easier following large fires.
Reach reporter Paul Fattigat 776-4496 or you can contact him by e-mail at
pfattig@mailtribune.com.
Walden schedules kickoff rally
GOP Congressman Greg Walden will hold a kickoff rally in Medford for his re-election campaign.
Walden, 49, is on a tour of Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District, and will be in Medford for a congressional field hearing on Friday.
His rally in Medford will be held at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Red Lion Hotel’s Jackson and Cascade Rooms, 200 N. Riverside Ave.
He’ll hold a noon rally Thursday in Redmond.
Walden, 49, and his wife, Mylene, own and operate radio stations in Hood River and The Dalles. Their son is a sophomore at Hood River Valley High School.
About the meeting
What: U.S. House of Representatives Forests and Forest Health Subcommittee meeting on Daniel Donato’s forest salvage study.
Where: Medford City Council Chambers, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford.
When: 1 p.m. Friday.
Who: U.S. Rep. Greg Walden will run the meeting, which will include testimony from 11 witnesses.
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