Woodcutter Ron Thies talks to county commissioners about forest regulations on firewood harvest March 21.

ENTERPRISE Local woodcutters took their concerns about over-regulation on firewood harvest to the Wallowa County Commissioners on Monday, March 21. 

The commissioners plan to take those concerns to the Forest Service to request a change in regulations.

The message we (the commissioners) took away from the meeting is that the woodcutters expect the three of us to carry the message to the Forest Service, and in fact weve already starting doing that, said Mike Hayward, chairman of the county commission chairman. 

He said that Commissioner Susan Roberts has met with the county Natural Resources Advisory Committee for recommendations to take to the Forest Service. The woodcutters gave us five things to go the Forest Service about and well do that, Hayward said.

The 40 disgruntled woodcutters told commissioners that federal forest regulations are too limiting. 

Ron Thies of Enterprise represented the woodcutters at the meeting. He said there are too many restrictions on firewood harvest in the national forest. 

Joseph rancher Lori Schaafsma followed Thies with an economic study comparing the cost of wood-heat with other forms of energy.

Thies began the discussion by listing federal regulations that limit the size of trees that can be harvested and the time of year people are allowed to access the woods. Were here today to fight for our rights, Thies said.

Thies believes that rather than setting a woodcutting season that the forest should remain accessible for woodcutting year-round, if weather allows. 

Whats the calendar have to do with this? he asked. He said that people who had underestimated their wood needs this winter had been calling him since the first of February looking for an additional supply, but that by this time of year most suppliers are out of wood to sell. 

There are areas where we could still be cutting, he said.

Thies said the permit system is problematic. 

Why do we have to buy permits at all? he asked. He complained that permits do not carry over to the next season and that many woodcutters end the season with a stack of unused permits that cant be carried over to the next year.

The woodcutters question the regulations that set a maximum of 24-inches for trees that can be harvested, that disallow the harvest of green trees that have been blown down and for limits to harvesting certain species. 

Why cant we cut Ponderosa pine, why are they protecting the Ponderosa pine? he asked.

Thies said he has held two meetings and has attracted about 32 local woodcutters who are concerned about increasing regulations. A petition in support of keeping access to firewood has circulated around the county and garnered 800 signatures in less than a week, Schaafsma said.

Additionally, several local organizations have been formed to try and protect local assets in the national forest including the Stewards of the Wallowas.

Hayward warned of the possibility of increased regulations concerning firewood harvest with the proposed Forest Service Travel Management Plan final decision due in May. He referred to the proposed plan as the gorilla in the room.

In assessing the economic impact to the county, Hayward estimated that one-quarter to one-third of residents in Wallowa County heat with firewood. 

Schaafsma put a cost $55 per cord for those who gather their own firewood and a cost $165 per cord for those who purchase firewood. 

She then compared the cost of using firewood to other common energy sources. Schaafsma showed that firewood costs $4.55 to produce one million BTUs for those who gather their own, and $13.66 per million BTUs for those who purchase firewood. At current market prices, No. 2 fuel oil costs $33.74 per million BTUs. Electricity at 10.4 cents per kilowatt-hour costs $31.10 to produce one million BTUs.