Pre-commercial thinning to occur near Beech Creek in Grant County

By Logan Bagett on Wednesday, September 30th, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories

JOHN DAY / MT. VERNON – (Press Release from the Malheur National Forest)

Blue Mountain Ranger District of the Malheur National Forest awarded a contract for the Beech Pre-Commercial Thinning (PCT) Project, located near Beech Creek and Highway 395 north of Mt. Vernon. This project includes 1,612 acres of pre-commercial thinning and slash piling adjacent to private lands.

This marks the first phase of a broader landscape treatment designed to reduce tree density and hazardous fuel loading, improve wildlife habitat, and strengthen overall forest health and resilience. Situated largely in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), the work complements ongoing thinning and fuels reduction efforts by private landowners to help protect communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.

Project work began September 14, 2026, and is scheduled to continue through August 31, 2027.

For more information on the Beech PCT project, please contact Brittney Osborn at Brittney.osborn@usda.gov .