By Mike Totey, Conservation Director
OHA will look for opportunities to join forces with the USFS and other partners to restore critical winter range habitat in the Metolius Unit following this summer’s Flat Fire, which erupted on Aug. 21 and quickly spread south. This human-caused fire affected some of OHA’s conservation efforts in the area.
The fire covered more than 23,000 acres in an area that is a key wintering ground for migrating mule deer within the Deschutes mule deer herd range.
OHA recognized the importance of this area some time ago and leaned in to help conserve and improve the habitat here as part of a bigger project known as the Metolius Winter Range project. The area is home to an OHA conservation easement and multiple habitat projects.
The USFS is already planning to plant bitterbrush (21,000 plants) this year and more next year. They are also planning to seed portions of the burned area (600-800) with native bunchgrass and forbs before invasive plant species can move in.
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