ASHLAND, Ore.– A recent survey commissioned by the City of Ashland found at least 20% of Douglas Fir trees in the Ashland Watershed are dead or dying.
Ashland Fire and Rescue Division Chief Chris Chambers said the number of dead trees in the survey is likely an understatement.
Chambers said they have seen similar die-offs in the past 20 years with Douglas Firs.
He said the dead trees can pose a huge fire danger and the city is working to remove them.
Chambers said, “we need to respond to this pulse of dead trees, but we also need to think about how we can forestall more dead trees in the future because for Ashland it really is about our community’s safety.”
Chambers said climate change will likely mean more red flag conditions in the future.
He said they want to soften the impacts of climate change as much as possible over the next 25 years.
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