Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) sent the following letter to the U.S. Forest Service expressing concern about the spread of the Dollar Lake Fire:

September 13, 2011 

Chris Worth
Supervisor
Mt. Hood National Forest
16400 Champion Way
Sandy, Oregon 97055

Dear Supervisor Worth,

As a lifelong Oregonian who recreates on Mt. Hood and has been a longtime advocate for forest health and the mountain, I have great concerns about reports I have heard that this fire could have been extinguished much earlier during its infancy. With that deep kinship to the mountain and its importance to Oregon, I write to share my concerns and those voiced to me by my constituents regarding the Dollar Lake Fire on the Mt. Hood National Forest.

I understand and appreciate the fact that you and your crews are currently doing everything possible to contain and ultimately extinguish this fire. Oregonians are grateful for the tireless work performed by the men and women that volunteer to put themselves on the front lines of defense against these wildfires.

Unfortunately, local residents who live nearby the fire have relayed to me that the United States Forest Service could have launched a much faster response to this fire during its early stages but instead chose to let the fire, then only a handful of acres, burn. As I write this letter, the size of the blaze is approximately 6,100 acres.

I also understand from local reports that the Dollar Lake Fire poses health risks to surrounding communities that have been inundated by smoke. As you know, the fire is also perilously close to one of the most important watersheds in the state and it threatens valuable state and county forest lands that are used to generate significant amounts of revenue for Oregon roads and schools. It is also my understanding that the fire has adversely affected private businesses that count on recreation and tourism revenues from visitors to the forest, especially since the fire was well underway during one of the busiest weekends of the year – Labor Day weekend. The costs to fight this fire have risen to over $9 million and are likely to far exceed that before it is extinguished given the fire is only 40 percent contained.

After the fire is under control, I ask that you please brief me on the timeline and decisions made during the earliest stages of the fire. I also ask that you and your staff provide me with details about the forest health conditions and land designations in the burned area, and an explanation of how you plan to address the post fire forest clean up and restoration in areas where allowed.

Thank you for your efforts to devote the necessary resources to bring this fire under control. The fire and its impacts on public land and communities comes at a high cost to the taxpayer and local businesses. 

Best regards,
Greg Walden
Member of Congress 

Cc: The Honorable Tom Tidwell, Chief, United States Forest Service
Kent Connaughton, Regional Forester, Pacific Northwest Region, United States Forest Service