Fire Management

From the time of European American settlement on, humans actively suppressed and even feared fire. This negative perception of fire critically altered western forest landscapes.

The suppression of naturally occurring fire intervals has allowed understory and tree density increases that create higher risk of severe and high-intensity fires.

Fire ecology and mitigation

Researchers in the 1930s began to focus on the benefits of fire and its role for wildlife and forest health.

With the help of fire ecology, land managers began to use additional methods to remove fuel from the landscape mechanically (e.g., chainsaws and chippers) addressing fine fuels, large fuels, and noxious weed management.

For over twenty years, BPRD has conducted fuels reduction and forest health projects focused on its regional parks and large properties, including Shevlin Park, Eastgate Natural Area and Riley Ranch Nature Reserve.

Fuels reduction on park land may look different than structural fuels defense, such as Firewise, but both efforts complement one another. Firewise guidelines help private homeowners create a defensible space for fire fighters to protect the structure if fire is in the vicinity.

Fire mitigation of natural areas in Central Oregon balances fuels reduction and forest health. A resilient and healthy forest stand reduces the amount of flammable vegetation (fuel) available and allows individual trees to be well-spaced, decreasing the likelihood of wildfire to the canopy, or crown.

Forest health projects aim to increase species diversity and support mixed-aged stands that slow fire progression and keep fire behavior predictable for fire fighters on the ground.

With climate change increasing wildfire risk, BPRD performs fuel reduction operations year-round. The Natural Resources and Trails team maintains an internal 5-year fuels project plan to balance the needs of our regional parks and smaller neighborhood spaces closer to homes. In 2024, BPRD started monitoring of neighborhood parks and natural areas in town to assess fire risk and prioritize projects.

In collaboration with Bend Fire and City of Bend, BPRD is incorporating  a 20-foot fuel break between parkland and private properties for new projects within city limits.

Many neighborhoods in Bend are built in close proximity to park spaces, this fuel break increases Firewise guidelines zone three for defensible space. While natural areas are not meant to be Firewise, BPRD is committed to being good community partners working together to support more resilient neighborhoods.

North Shevlin Park Wildfire Fuels Reduction Project

In 2022, a 62-acre project occurred in the northeast section of Shevlin Park. This project reduced wildfire risk by removing overstocked tree density on steep terrain. BPRD is currently working with state and federal partners on cross-boundary partnerships to burn the resulting slash piles.

Eastgate Natural Area Fuel Project

In March 2025, BPRD partnered with a local fire mitigation company on a large-scale fuels project at Eastgate Natural Area. The project created a 50-foot fuel break along  between park land and private property boundaries.

Shevlin Commons Conservation Easement Fuel Reduction Project

In April 2025, BPRD partnered with a local fire mitigation company to treat the Shevlin Commons Conservation Area between west Bend neighborhoods and Shevlin Park. This project created a 20-foot fuel break against private property as well as breaking up vegetative continuity throughout the easement. The prescription balanced fuel reduction while maintaining habitat for nesting birds, mammals, and critical forage for deer and elk.

Cedarwood Trailhead Fuels Reduction Project

In April 2025, BPRD’s Natural Resources & Trails team worked together to do fuels treatment at the Cedarwood Trailhead in Farewell Bend Park. This project removed junipers, dead and dying trees, as well as brush removal near neighboring property boundaries. Removing vegetation along property lines enhances defensible space as well as allows sunlight into the understory encouraging overall forest health and resiliency.

Forestry Plots at Rose Property

In fall 2024, the Natural Resources division established forestry plots at the Rose Property in southeast Bend. Acquired in summer 2023, the Rose Property is a diverse patchwork of a former surface mine, an active agricultural crop pivot, and a ponderosa forest. To better understand the needs of the ponderosa stand, six permanent plots were installed to determine forest stand health and current stocking levels.

Annual Noxious Weed Treatments

Noxious weed treatment not only removes undesirable weeds from our parks and trails, it is also a large component of fuel reduction. Noxious weeds create unknowns that make fire unpredictable, making it harder for fire fighters to contain and suppress an  outbreak. BPRD is committed to monitoring and treating noxious weeds throughout the district. To learn more, visit https://www.bendparksandrec.org/about/maintenance/integrated-pest-management/.

Heart of Oregon Corp Fine Fuels Project

BPRD collaborates annually with Heart of Oregon Corp, a local youth conservation corps, to treat fine fuels throughout many neighborhood parks. Fine fuels mitigation is an important part of fuel mitigation as they can ignite easily and contribute to fire or ember spread during  wildfire. Prescriptions and locations are determined  by regular neighborhood park and natural area fuel assessments performed by BPRD’s Natural Resources team.