Changes in Forestry
Clair Klock
I was on a tour a few weeks back with the Stewardship Partnership of Clackamas County. The focus of this group at this time is to oversee the “Healthy Forest Initiative” timber thinning sales. It is a consortium of all the interested parties, from environmental interests such as BARK, Northwest Forest Council, and Clackamas River Basin Council as well as industrial forestry interests represented by Clackamas County and U.S. Forest Service and neutral interests such as Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District. All organizations are working together to get healthier forests while serving their organizational missions. The group had a very rocky start because of the years of forest abuse, by state and federal and private interests, which left environmental groups with a deep distrust of the logging industry and agencies that oversee those interests. The process is now going well.
Hopefully the result will be healthy old growth forest in 200 to 300 years. The tour reminded me of the advances in environmental considerations in all parts of the forest industry. I have been amazed by the tours the last 2 years. The US Forest Service is doing a very commendable job of environmental oversight. Advances in machinery and attitude have enabled operators to leave virtually no skid trails and no damaged or “skinned” trees. The “thinning” sales are just that – not an excuse to cut old growth trees. The wildlife biologist is an important part of the sale planning. The wildlife biologist writes prescriptions for snag creation by intentional girdling or introduction of tree rot bacteria. The forest silvaculturist marks the forest stand to avoid minor tree species to make sure forest diversity is preserved. The forest is no longer just Douglas fir in western Oregon. Logging roads are being decommissioned or mothballed. One of the stops was a 10 yr old thinned stand, which looked absolutely wonderful. You would never have known that logging had occurred.
In spite of all this support for the thinning process, I have to qualify it by saying that environmental interests should never be complacent. Now we have Measure 37, which will increase destruction of farmland and timberland. In addition, state and federal clean water and air standards may be compromised. In short, a great way to get involved is to organize and participate in meaningful productive groups such as the Clackamas Stewardship Partnership.
As always, Clair Klock is willing to answer any questions. Clair can be reached at Clackamas County Soil & Water Conservation District 503-656-3499 or by email at clair.klock (at) or.nacdnet.net.