Forest Thinning Begins on 1,000 Acres in Oregon

Pre-commercial thinning, slash piling and pile burning are underway in the John Day area across the Beech, Dixie and Aldrich work zones.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Safety

Photograph of an open ponderosa pine forest on a slope, with stacked piles of cut branches and a thin smoke column rising from a distant pile burn. — The U.S. Forest Service has begun thinning about 1,000 acres of forest and burning slash piles in several John Day project areas across Oregon, with work continuing through May. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The U.S. Forest Service has begun pre-commercial thinning, slash piling and pile burning on about 1,000 acres combined in several John Day project areas. The work is scheduled to continue through May.

Why it matters

The treatments reduce tree density and hazardous fuels while improving wildlife habitat and forest health. The work is intended to help protect nearby communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfire across Oregon.

The figure of about 1,000 acres is an agency-reported combined total for active pre-commercial thinning, slash piling and pile burning. The source does not provide prior-year treatment acreage for comparison, and it is unclear how much of that total will be finished before work ends in May.

The players

Malheur National Forest

The Malheur National Forest is a national forest in eastern Oregon managed by the U.S. Forest Service, covering the Blue Mountains region.

Oregon Department of Forestry

The Oregon Department of Forestry is the state agency that regulates and manages forest lands and wildfire prevention across Oregon.

The details

Crews with the Malheur National Forest's Blue Mountain Ranger District are working in the Beech area along Beech Creek and Highway 395 north of Mt. Vernon, the Dixie area north of Highway 26 near County Road 18, and the Aldrich area southeast of Dayville. Much of the work is in the wildland urban interface, and private landowners and Forest Service contractors are also conducting fuels reduction.

November 2026: Treatments begin on about 1,000 acres.
Through May 2027: Forest treatment work is scheduled to continue.

Seasonal Patterns

The John Day treatments follow the hazardous fuels reduction goals of the National Fire Plan, which has directed federal land managers to thin dense forests and reduce wildfire risk in the wildland urban interface. The work is scheduled for the late fall through spring window, when conditions allow pile burning and thinning to proceed.

Residents near the Beech, Dixie and Aldrich project areas should expect active crews, slash piles and pile burning during the treatment period. Avoid areas posted as closed or under active work, and follow any burn-related advisories issued by local authorities.

The takeaway

Forest thinning and fuels reduction are long-term investments in wildfire resilience, and their benefits build over multiple seasons. Residents living near treated areas can reduce their own risk by clearing vegetation around homes.