Update

Progress is slow in the forestry front.


I have had a hell of a time getting the data from concerned parties, all the equipment seem to be blowing up and if that were not enough, the whole process we are trying to study is held up in court. So, this seems like a perfect time to let you know what we are trying to do.

Since the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan (1994) Federal Forest lands are now managed moreso for habitat than simply for timber production. The group working out here on the Olympic Peninsula has taken second-growth stands that are currently in stem exclusion (understory in deep shade, tree growth limited while they compete for light) and have prescribed various treatments that enrich structural diversity. The intent has been to mimic natural disturbances (wind-throws) that open up the canopy and allow the understory to become more complex.

We have gone out to a number of stands near Bear Creek (Sol Duc area) and have gathered the baseline date to compare the effects of the treatments on the health and diversity of the shrubs and forest herbs. The treatment are setup so there are patches of small gaps (no trees) large areas that will not be touched at all and blocks that will be thinned. This should encourage a boost in understory development with the addtional growing space while leaving enough of the forest intact that it does not fully eliminate any late-seral forest species.

This sort of treatment has been done in a similar stand of Federal Forest land near Copper-Ranch Road, but no one has ever quantified the success of such prescriptions to actually improve a forest's health as an ecosystem to support a variety of animal and floral life.

This is where we come in.
Right now I do not know the status of the court battle over the fate of the stand. If it takes another year to clear up, we can always get in another year of baseline data so we can see the growth rate of forest before the understory trees, shrubs and herbs are released.

I'll keep you updated.