The Blue Mountain Ranger District on the Malheur National Forest is holding a public meeting on Thursday, January 28, 2010, to present a preliminary proposal on an upcoming forest thinning and prescribed fire project. The meeting is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m at the Malheur National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 431 Patterson Bridge Road in John Day.

The project is located approximately 15 miles south of John Day. It is within the Starr subwatershed which includes Starr, Jenkins, Jack, and other nearby streams. The Forest Service is following guidelines in the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA) for hazardous fuels reduction with the intent of protecting at-risk national forest system lands from catastrophic wildfire and enhancing watersheds.

Participants will have the opportunity to contribute information, ideas, or concerns that can be used to develop the proposed action. We hope you can attend the meeting but if you cannot and wish to make comments, you may submit written comments to the responsible official: John Gubel, Blue Mountain District Ranger, P.O. Box 909, John Day, OR 97845. Comments may be hand delivered during business hours, faxed to 541-575-3013, or emailed to comments-pacificnorthwest-malheur@fs.fed.us.