From lightning strikes to Indigenous stewardship of the land, fire has been a part of Central Oregon for millennia. It has shaped our forests, meadows, rivers, plant communities, and wildlife habitats. Even now, it’s a part of the land. The Land Trust experienced this firsthand in 2025, as we conducted our first prescribed burn and also had two wildfires move across four of our Preserves. As we continue wildfire recovery efforts and plan for our second prescribed burn, let’s take a look at how fire is shaping the places protected by Deschutes Land Trust.
Prescribed Burns at Metolius Preserve
2025-2026 Burn Goals: Healthy forests, diverse native plant communities, and thriving wildlife.
Highlights from first prescribed burn:
- Developed prescribed burn partnerships with Deschutes National Forest and The Nature Conservancy.
- Completed pre-burn restorative mowing of brush and understory shrubs.
- Completed first prescribed burn in May 2025!
- Met all burn goals, including increasing small snags (standing dead trees used by wildlife) and restoring more natural and healthy tree densities in forest.
- Black-backed woodpeckers immediately returned to forage, wildflowers and bunchgrasses bounced back and bloomed within weeks.
Next step: Second prescribed burn at Metolius Preserve planned for May 2026! This burn is planned for the southern section of the Preserve. Stay tuned for more details!
2025 Cram + Flat Wildfire Recovery
- July 2025: Cram Fire (95,736 acres) near Madras burns ~3,158 acres at Priday Ranch.
- August-September 2025: Flat Fire (23,346 acres) near Sisters burns ~2,113 acres at Aspen Hollow Preserve, Rimrock Ranch, and Whychus Canyon Preserve.
- August 2025: Aerial imagery collected to understand full scope of recovery needs at Priday Ranch. Hazard assessments and tree removal completed.
- August 2025: Fundraising and grant writing for wildfire recovery begins.
- September 2025: Burn assessment and restoration planning underway at impacted Land Trust properties near Sisters.
- September 2025: Cleanup of burned fencing and structures begins.
- October 2025: Erosion control efforts and road repairs underway at Rimrock Ranch.
- October-December 2025: Priority weed management underway.
- November 2025: Volunteers begin helping with wildfire recovery efforts.
- November 2025-February 2026: Bulldozer line restoration and seeding underway.
- January 2026: Seeding in area that burned hotter at Priday Ranch underway.
- January-March 2026: Complete 10 miles of bulldozer line restoration at Priday Ranch.
- June 2026: Whychus Canyon Preserve targeted to reopen after hazard tree removal.
Next steps in 2026:
- Prioritize juniper restoration work and collaboration with Preserve neighbors to help reduce wildfire danger.
- Continue work to control annual invasive grasses.
- Restoration planning for the next phase of Whychus Creek restoration, including looking at how restored areas fared during the wildfire.
- Continue post-wildfire monitoring and adjust management of our Preserves as needed.
Learn more:
- Join the Land Trust on a Wildfire Restoration Tour this spring or summer!
- About our prescribed burn goals at Metolius Preserve
- East Cascade Dry Forests and their historic conditions
- The Flat Fire and Stream Restoration
- Managing Weeds on Land Trust Preserves