Blog | Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project

Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities: Local Experts to Explore the Connection Between Forest Restoration and Public Health

October 12, 2026

Join us for “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities: A conversation on restoring forests and protecting public health” presented by the Deschutes Collaborative…

Akawa Butte Fire Recovery

October 1, 2026

The Akawa Butte Fire began on July 16, 2026 and burned approximately 27,490 acres, including11,992 acres on the Deschutes National…

Community Assistance for Wildfire Graphic Explains How Collaborative Efforts to Prevent Wildfire Work

July 22, 2026

Darlene 3 Fire Response Storymap

May 1, 2026

Hazardous Fuels Reduction Plays Critical Role in Success. Read the whole Storymap outlining the successes in protecting the town of…

DCFP Works with Visit Bend on Wildfire Outreach for Tourists

April 30, 2026

Visit Bend x Deschutes Collaborative Forest Forest Restoration

April 22, 2026

Check out our most recent video project with Visit Bend where we tell the story of forest restoration in Central…

Upper Black Butte Swamp Restoration

October 14, 2025

Upper Black Butte Swamp is located on the Sisters Ranger District, southwest of Black Butte. It is a 34- acre…

Thomas Stokely, DCFP member and forest ecologist for The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, was featured on the In The Woods podcast!

September 4, 2025

Listen in as Thomas discusses the significance of wildlife habitat connectivity, the impacts of habitat fragmentation and loss, the role…

The DCFP closely collaborates with Deschutes County Health during wildfire and RX fire season

August 7, 2025

https://fb.watch/BkDvCAM1rI

Longtime DCFP Steering Committee Member, Melanie Fisher, talks with Dirty Freehub about Forest Restoration

August 7, 2025

2025 Spring Prescribed Fire Season Wraps Up

June 26, 2025

It was another successful prescribed fire spring season on the Deschutes! 2025 Spring Prescribed Fire Season By The Numbers: Total…

DCFP Featured on KPOV Radio

May 5, 2025

Jacob Fritz, Program Manager for the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project, explains the process and tradeoffs of preparing and conducting prescribed…

In Response to Federal Forest Service Staff Firings

March 11, 2025

Read our submission to the Bend Bulletin and see where we stand in supporting our friends and colleagues at the…

In response To A Guest Column In The Bend Bulletin

November 20, 2024

The following guest column was submitted to the Bend Bulletin in response to a column written by George Wuerthner to…

The Importance of the Forest Products Industry in Restoration Work

November 6, 2024

Excerpts Taken from the National Forest Article On the Forest Products Industries Vital Role In Restoration Work. How a Forest…

Upcoming event! Join us October 30th for The Importance of Forest Restoration In Our Community

October 18, 2024

Join The Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project for a night of information on forest restoration and its vital role in preventing…

Burning Questions Answered: New review examines 30 years of fuel treatment effects on wildfire severity

June 25, 2024

“There is overwhelming evidence that reducing tree density and returning low severity fire to dry mixed conifer forests reduces the…

Smoke 101

April 8, 2024

Differences between wildfire and prescribed fire smoke in Western States in the U.S. What Is Smoke? Smoke is a byproduct…

What is Prescribed Fire?

March 6, 2024

Fire is an important part of any ecosystem. Disturbances such as fire change landscapes by altering plant and animal populations, removing…

Land Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions Across the National Forest System

January 17, 2024

Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. The United States Department of Agriculture is proposing to amend all…

Twenty-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned — or thinned

January 3, 2024

Excerpts from an article from UC Berkeley by Kara Manke “The research is pretty darn clear that these treatments are…

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree and Help Restoration Efforts At The Same Time!

December 4, 2023

The Deschutes National Forest is full of white and grand firs that make perfect Christmas trees. Plus, they’re local and…

Embracing the flame-resistant beauty of our Central Oregon oasis with fire-resistant landscaping

November 13, 2023

Take a deep dive into flame-resistant landscaping options with the OSU Extension authors, Amy Jo Detweiler, Stephen Fitzgerald, Ariel Cowan,…

Pile Burning 101

October 30, 2023

This Article contains information from DCFP experts and Deschutes Land Trust write up By Amanda Egertson and Jana Hemphill Here…

What is Prescribed Fire and Why is it Important for Forest Health?

October 5, 2023

by Carolyn Bucknall, National Forest Foundation It may seem counterintuitive that burning forests is good for their health. In fact,…

Oregon State Study Confirms Successful Eastern Forest Restoration

September 26, 2023

Story by: Steve Lundebergsteve.lundeberg@oregonstate.edu Source: James Johnstonjames.johnston@oregonstate.edu Forest thinning is improving the robustness of older trees and enhancing native biodiversity…

Indigenous groups say they have a better way to fight wildfires

September 26, 2023

The Oregonian More frequent fires. Smaller, cooler blazes. Nighttime and early morning burns. Those are three important principles of what’s…

Case Update: The 21-inch Rule is (probably) back

September 20, 2023

The 21-inch rule will likely become the law of the land again in National Forests east of the Cascades in…

A case study on the 2021 BootLeg Wildfire

September 11, 2023

Controlled burning is key to lowering fire severity during wildfire season While the Sycan Marsh Preserve is in a different…

Reducing Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke

August 29, 2023

CNN published a quick but comprehensive explanation of the Air Quality Index here: https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/15/health/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-health/index.html

We’re Hiring!

November 17, 2022

We’re hiring – along with Deschutes Trails Coalition and Discover Your Forest – for a Shared Outreach Coordinator position. Read…

Pinedrops Trail Thinning, DCFP Steering Committee Response

November 14, 2022

In response to the controversial thinning in the Euro 5 Unit along the Pinedrops trail in the West Bend project…

Prescribed Burning in Progress

May 3, 2022

Prescribed Burning locations across Central Oregon With the arrival of favorable weather conditions, fire managers on the Deschutes National Forest…

Job Openings

April 1, 2022

Posted April 1, 2022: We are presently accepting applications for two positions to support the work of the Deschutes Collaborative…

Trail Closure Updates for Phils Trail area

March 9, 2022

Restoration Work near Phil’s Trail area Popular mountain biking trails will be temporarily closed. You may have noticed some activity…

Mowing to occur near Deschutes River recreation areas

May 26, 2021

Recreationists should keep their distance from mowing equipment for their safety Posted May 26, 2021: Heavy equipment will be mowing…

Prescribed Fire Text Alerts

April 24, 2021

Need Up to Date Prescribed Fire Information? Land managers and public health officials have come together to develop two new…

Why is paint on the trees a good thing for mountain bikers?

November 16, 2020

Contributed by Melanie Fisher. She has lived in Bend for 15 years and was previously the co-owner of Cog Wild…

Oregon 2020 Wildfires

September 11, 2020

We know we are not alone in our sorrow and shock over the staggering loss of lives and property due…

BendFilm Festival screening of Rebuilding Paradise

July 21, 2020

We’ve partnered with BendFilm Festival for a unique (social-distance-friendly) viewing opportunity of Ron Howard’s latest documentary, Rebuilding Paradise. The film…

Preventing Human-Start Fires

June 23, 2020

Preventing Human-Start Fires This Summer Contributed by our partners at Project Wildfire Thanks to an unfortunately warm and dry spring,…

Pandora Moth in Central Oregon

June 1, 2020

Contributed by Robbie Flowers, PhD, Forest Entomologist, USDA Forest Service. What is causing recent defoliation of pines in forest areas…

Temporary Trail Closures Deschutes National Forest

May 7, 2020

Temporary Trail Closures Deschutes National Forest Posted May 7, 2020: The Deschutes National Forest will be temporarily closing a section…

What is up with the Mulch Piles near Phil’s Trailhead?

April 14, 2020

What’s up with the Mulch Piles around Phil’s Trailhead? Beginning Wednesday, April 15, 2020, the Deschutes National Forest will temporarily…

Spring 2020 prescribed fire ignitions postponed

March 25, 2020

Central Oregon Forests to postpone all prescribed fire ignitions Posted Thursday, March 26, 2020 Due to the seriousness of COVID-19’s…

Why are trails closed for winter range?

January 8, 2020

Why are Bend-area trails closed for winter range? Contributed by Lauri Turner, Wildlife Biologist The Deschutes National Forest is an…

How can we help migrating elk and deer?

November 10, 2019

How can we help migrating elk and deer? Contributed by Sara Gregory Fall is upon us in Central Oregon and…

Fall Pile burning on the Deschutes NF

October 2, 2019

Pile Burning to Begin on the Deschutes National Forest As fall weather brings more moisture, shorter days and cooler temperatures,…

Pandora Moth Returns on the Wing to Central Oregon

July 23, 2019

Pandora Moth Returns on the Wing to Central Oregon Contributed by Robbie Flowers, PhD. Forest Entomologist for the USDA Forest…

Video: Prescribed Fire Planning

April 29, 2019

Restoring our dry, fire-adapted forests in Central Oregon is a multi-step process carried out over many years and requiring collaboration…

Video: Meet the Crew

April 29, 2019

Once the initial forest restoration steps have been completed, and the forest is ready for prescribed fire, now it’s time…

Video: The day-of a Prescribed Fire

April 29, 2019

Today’s the day! The staging area is bustling with activity as fire engines, water trucks, and fire professionals arrive and…

Video: Mop it Up

April 29, 2019

The final piece of ensuring safe and controlled prescribed fire involves all the personnel on hand, including both the ignitions…

Living with Fire – How trees, plants, and critters have adapted to live with wildfire

April 20, 2019

Living with Fire – How trees, plants, and critters have adapted to live with wildfire Contributed by Nicole Strong, OSU…

Restoring an Avian Oasis: Measuring Success Through Bird Banding

December 23, 2018

Contributed by John Goodell, avian researcher and wildlife biologist. In 2015, a bird banding effort was launched at the Indian…

How can we help California Wildfires

November 16, 2018

We know we are not alone in our sorrow and shock over the staggering loss of lives and property due…

FireFree Event: Half Price Yard Debris Recycling

October 2, 2018

Fall has finally arrived in Central Oregon after a long fire season and smoky skies. With cooler temperatures, this is…

Biomass Summit to be held in Prineville

September 9, 2018

Biomass Summit – Prineville, OR What is Biomass and how can it increase our community resilience? Join our partners, the Ochoco…

Storm King and Grand Slam Trail Closure

August 24, 2018

Storm King and Grand Slam Trail Closure Alert *Posted August 27, 2018. You may have noticed some activity in the…

New website for Fire, Smoke, and Health Information

June 30, 2018

New website for Fire, Smoke, and Health Information Available A new website will provide a one-stop shop for Central Oregon…

Why Prescribed Fire Matters: Healthier forests. Safer communities

June 19, 2018

Why Prescribed Fire Matters: Healthier forests. Safer communities Contributed by: Pete Caligiuri – Forest Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy, Bob Madden –…

Pandora Moth Returns to a Central Oregon Forest Near You

June 5, 2018

Pandora Moth Returns to a Central Oregon Forest Near You Contributed by Robbie Flowers, PhD. Forest Entomologist for the USDA…

Working Together to Restore our Forests

May 15, 2018

Experts agree that much of central Oregon’s federal forests are out of balance. Too many small trees crowd the landscape…

FireFree Recycling Events This Weekend!

May 4, 2018

FireFree Recycling Events This Weekend! Last year’s fire season is fresh in many Central Oregon resident’s minds. Fire season is…

Dr. Paul Hessburg’s Era of Megafire returns to Central Oregon

March 7, 2018

Dr. Paul Hessburg’s Era of Megafire returns to Central Oregon Last year was a record fire year with 9.1 million…

City Club of Central Oregon

February 23, 2018

Special event with City Club, registration is now open! For almost a decade, members of the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project…

Webinar: Lessons from the Milli Fire

February 16, 2018

We invite you to join the Northwest Fire Science Consortium, a Joint Fire Science Program Fire Science Exchange Network, for…

West Bend Project Receives Top Honor

December 8, 2017

West Bend Project Receives Forest Service’s Top Honor The prestigious “Chief’s Honor Award” was given in Washington D.C. On November…

Prescribed Burning for a Healthier Forest and Safer Community

November 4, 2017

Prescribed Burning for a Healthier Forest and Safer Community We share our community’s concerns regarding health, visibility, and livability related…

Obstacles to Forest Restoration

October 17, 2017

Forest-thinning project saved homes but highlights obstacles by Andrew Selsky (AP) Lightning started a forest fire one August afternoon near…

Fuels Reduction Slows Milli Fire

August 31, 2017

Fuels Reduction Slows Milli Fire Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project members Ed Keith and Nicole Strong visited an area of the…

Goodlife Wildland Session Ale

July 20, 2017

GoodLife Brewing’s Wildland Session Ale Re-released for Summer With summer in full swing, people of the PNW are gearing up…

Why Prescribed Fire Matters

July 10, 2017

Why Prescribed Fire Matters: Healthier forests. Safer communities Contributed by Pete Caligiuri – Forest Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy, Bob Madden…

Smell Smoke? Prescribed Burning in Central Oregon

June 15, 2017

Smell Smoke? Prescribed Burning across Central Oregon in Deschutes National Forest As favorable weather and forest burning conditions develop, fuels…

Fire Preparedness with local 6th graders

June 6, 2017

La Pine Middle School 6th grade Science Class learns about Fire Preparedness and Wildfire Prevention On May 28, 2017, Discover…

DCFP Open House

May 8, 2017

Why is Prescribed Burning important to Central Oregon? Do you know how important fire is for forest health and restoration?…

Where to ride in Bend during trail closures

April 13, 2017

Where to ride in Bend during trail closures *Updated January 25, 2021. During forest restoration activity, portions of the Phil’s…

America’s Forests to air on OPB

March 30, 2017

New TV series America’s Forests to air on OPB Pilot episode to feature committee members from DCFP Rolling Stones keyboardist…

Deschutes Forest Winter Activity

February 8, 2017

Deschutes Forest Winter Restoration Activity Forest restoration activity has been a bit quiet this winter but with snow beginning to…

“The Era of Megafires” comes to Bend

September 7, 2016

The Era of Megafires film tour comes to Bend Megafires, wildfires over 100,000 acres, and their impacts on people and…

My Deschutes Forest

May 31, 2016

My Deschutes Forest Contributed by long time Bend resident, avid mountain biker and previous owner of Cog Wild, Melanie Fisher.…

GoodLife Brewing Wildland Session Ale

May 13, 2016

DCFP chosen for GoodLife Brewing “Sustainable Session Series” Wildland Session Ale- Launching June 2016 With summer quickly approaching, people of…

Spring Prescribed Burns Scheduled

April 29, 2016

Ignitions planned south and west of Bend and outside Sisters If weather conditions remain favorable, the Deschutes National Forest has…

Prescribed Burning Begins on the Deschutes National Forest

March 31, 2016

Prescribed Burning Begins on the Deschutes National Forest A public service announcement from our friends at the Deschutes National Forest…

Good Dog Area Trail Closure Update

January 7, 2016

Good Dog Area Trail Closure Update ***** UPDATED 04/15/16 ***** Good news! As of Friday, April 15th restoration work has been…

Top Five Reasons to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree this Holiday Season

December 12, 2015

Top Five Reasons to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree this Holiday Season Written by Pete Caligiuri with The Nature Conservancy and Sarah Mowry…

Pile Burning to begin around Central Oregon this week

November 10, 2015

Pile Burning to begin around Central Oregon this week A public service announcement from our friends at the Deschutes National…

What is with all the paint on trees?

October 21, 2015

What is with all the paint on trees? You have probably noticed something new in the forests west of Bend…

Half Price Yard Debris Recycling

October 19, 2015

Save the date… Half Price Yard Debris Recycling A public service announcement from our friends at Project Wildfire. From Monday,…

What is the West Bend Project?

October 5, 2015

What is the West Bend Project? We are restoring 26,000 acres of forest adjacent to the City of Bend to…

Deschutes National Forest to begin prescribed burning

September 30, 2015

A public service announcement from the US Forest Service Fall Prescribed Burning to Begin This Week Across the Deschutes National…

How forest restoration methods affect wildlife

September 9, 2015

How forest restoration methods affect wildlife Contributed by Marilyn Miller of Miller Conservation Consulting Our eyes were glued to the ground…

Bend Bulletin sheds light on West Bend Project

September 4, 2015

Bend Bulletin sheds light on West Bend Project Our thanks to The Bulletin for their coverage of our ongoing work…

Air quality warning

August 27, 2015

Air quality in Deschutes County affected by wildfire smoke A public service announcement from the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners…

Central Oregon Fire Evacuation Guide

August 20, 2015

A public service announcement from Sgt. Nathan Garibay, Deschutes County Emergency Services Manager and Michael Ryan, Crook County Emergency Services Manager In…

Youth Fire Prevention & Intervention

August 12, 2015

A Public Service Announcement from the Central Oregon Fire Prevention Cooperative. Youth Fire Prevention & Intervention As the dog days…

Watershed Restoration within the Deschutes National Forest

August 4, 2015

Watershed Restoration within the Deschutes National Forest Contributed by Bill Anthony with Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and Darek Staab with Trout Unlimited…

Public Use Restrictions and Wildfire Prevention

July 30, 2015

A public service announcement from our friends at the USDA Forest Service. Central Oregon – Given the continued trend of hot…

Protect Your Home Against Wildfires

July 15, 2015

A public service announcement from our friends at Project Wildfire How Can You Increase Your Chances of Your Home Surviving a Wildfire?…

Fireworks safety during dy weather

July 1, 2015

A Public Service Announcement from the Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association Legal fireworks have gone on sale just as Central…

Formation of a Coalition

May 15, 2015

Contributed By Ruth Williamson, former Steering Committee Member, DCFP I have had the good fortune to be involved with the…

Three Things You Can Do For Our Forest

April 14, 2015

By Alan Unger, Tony DeBone & Tammy Baney One reason Central Oregonians love this area is the striking landscape provided…

How does the DCFP work?

March 2, 2015

How we work We identify high-priority forest areas that are most in need of restoration and represent the greatest risks…

Living with Wildfire

March 2, 2015

Wildfire is a certainty. We’re finding solutions to allow us to live with it better. Some of us love the…

Why restoration can’t wait

March 2, 2015

Within the Deschutes National Forest we now have approximately 450,000 acres of unnatural, unhealthy forest in need of active restoration. We’re all familiar…

Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project Blog

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