Medford Water Commission - Forest Management

The Commission owns approximately 3,700 acres, of which about 2,800 acres require active forest management. Commission forests are generally healthy, but strategic and consistent active management is needed to sustain forest health.

The Commission has updated its Forest Management Plan to guide future management activities. The Forest Management Plan was adopted in May 2020, and covers management of the Commission forests for the next 30 years. Planned activities are prioritized to protect and enhance the source of drinking water and are focused on forest health.

A comprehensive forest inventory (click here to go to the Forest Inventory page) was conducted in 2019, which serves as the basis for the data-driven Plan.

The Forest Management Plan is designed to achieve the following goals:

Create a forested landscape which supports the yield of a consistent source of high-quality, cool and clean water.
Reduce the risks of and increase the resiliency to wildfires.
Improve and maintain forest health and productivity.
Create financial sustainability whereby revenue-generating activities are used to offset non-revenue generating activities over the long term.