South Five Mile Insect and Disease CE

Update – June 2026: Approximately 40% of the project is complete with 2,326 acres receiving non-commercial fuels reduction treatments. There have been 182 acres that received prescribed fire (pile burns). There was 3.7 mmbf (millions of board feet) of timber sold through the Kickoff Integrated Resource Timber Contract to Boise Cascade Company. There was also 5.6 mmbf of timber sold through the Halftime timber sale to Thomas Creek Lumber.

The one and only public comment period for this project will be in January 2022.

A categorical exclusion (CE) is a class of actions that a Federal agency has determined do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is normally required.

Project information: South Fivemile is being planned in the Barlow Ranger District, includes nearly 3,000 acres of “Insect and Disease” treatments, and is being planned with a very quick timeline. The area varies from oak and Ponderosa pine in the lowest elevations to moist mixed conifer higher up. Here is some more information:

• USFS Briefing paper
• Maps of past harvest and potential treatments
• Lidar Tree Height maps