Butte Falls Community Forest

The Butte Falls Community Forest was purchased by the City of Butte Falls in 2021. This 446-acre forest almost completely surrounds the town. The property is locally managed for benefits including wildfire mitigation, drinking water protection, fish and wildlife conservation, and promotion of economic development, recreation, tourism, and natural resource education.

Some of the community benefits provided by the Butte Falls Community Forest include:

  1. Public access to recreation close to town, including to Butte Falls, the town’s namesake.

  2. Protecting the town from high-intensity wildfire through fuels reduction and forest health management.

  3. An outdoor classroom easily accessed from town, which has hosted high school students as part of the Firebright Curriculum, a special elective focused on fire behavior and resource management.

Two large piles of woody debris burn in the foreground, with about 10 people dressed in wildland firefighter gear standing around them. Forest is visible in the background.

Fuels reduction on the property is supported by the Oregon Department of Forestry

Photo provided by the City of Butte Falls

Additional Property Facts:

  1. Forest management is governed by the Butte Falls Community Forest Commission and City Council.

  2. Wildfire mitigation was identified as a key priority of the project after Butte Falls was evacuated during the 2020 South Obenchain Fire.

  3. According to the Butte Falls Community Forest Plan, most stands on the forest are dominated by Douglas-fir between one and one hundred years old.

  4. Future goals for the forest include increasing recreation opportunities, such as a campground, archery range, and a historic excursion train running through the community forest. There are also plans to rebuild the Butte Falls viewing deck.

The Butte Falls Community Forest demonstrates what can be achieved through a grassroots effort to move towards local management. Through a combination of forest management activities, education, and community engagement, the Butte Falls Community Forest is central to the City of Butte Falls’ efforts to become resilient to wildfire.

In the foreground is a burn pile made of woody debris, located in a green forest setting.

Right: Wildfire mitigation work on the community forest includes ladder fuel removal and building slash piles to burn over the winter

A wooden deck in the center of the photo is surrounded by trees.

Left: Butte Falls viewing deck, which is slated for upgrades now that it is in community ownership

Photos: Sustainable Northwest

This document is supported in part by financial assistance from the Forest Service. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.