GNA Spotlight - Oregon, July 2024
July 2024 | Authored by Kyle Sullivan-Astor
The Slim Prospect Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) commercial restoration project is the culmination of years of investments and work accomplished by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the USDA Forest Service, and many partners in the Rogue Basin of Southwest Oregon. This project is part of the larger Stella Landscape Restoration (Stella) Project on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, covering over 40,000 acres near Prospect, OR. It is intended to thin overstocked stands, introduce prescribed fire, improve terrestrial and aquatic habitat including culturally significant plants, and upgrade and maintain road infrastructure.
The Stella project has been supported by ODF’s Federal Forest Restoration (FFR) Program in various ways through the planning and implementation stages since 2017. Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative has been a recipient of a forest collaborative grant every biennium since the 2013-15 biennium and has been heavily engaged in the planning and development of the Stella project. The ODF-FFR Program also invested $60,000 in the 2017-19 biennium and $75,000 in 2021 Emergency Board funds for botany and heritage surveys within the Stella project area, allowing for the signed decision to come sooner than expected in 2022.
As of July 2024, the Slim Prospect GNA project, which started in 2023, is approximately 50% complete. It is expected to thin 250 acres, improve or decommission 14.3 miles of road, and generate 2.3 million board feet of small diameter fiber to support jobs in the local community. Revenue generated from this project is planned to be reinvested in the planning and implementation of future restoration projects that achieve the common goals of ODF, the Forest Service, and local partners.
For more information, contact Kyle Sullivan-Astor.