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Just as abruptly as summer arrived in May with endless arid days, so has autumn suddenly enveloped the region once again in a moist Northwestern embrace. While I feel my pores rehydrating, I imagine the stomata of all plants opening like gasping mouths finally refreshed. Nearly 150 days with less than 2” of rain. I wonder what the weather will be like this fall and winter? We live in the age of climate change, which scientists predict will be marked by more extreme winter precipitation events and drier summers.
This transitional shoulder season is one of my favorite times to walk my woods and assess the situation. Color tinges fall foliage; the humid, earthy smells of decomposing detritus permeate the forest; the threat of wasps is diminishing. Now is a good time to assess mortality among any recently planted seedlings. You’ll need to decide quickly if you want to replant — how much and with what — as now is the time to place orders for tree seedlings. Do you want to plant any new or different species, or fill any gaps? In my woods, I’ll be underplanting some areas of red alder with cedar, experimenting with a variety of eastern hardwoods in an agroforestry plantation, and adding fruit trees to a developing hedgerow.
It’s also a good time to evaluate the drainage systems on your roads. Are they clear and ready for more steady, and likely more robust, winter rains? If you had any ground-disturbing activities this summer, you can minimize erosion by broadcasting certified weed-free straw or wood chips, as well as spreading native grass seed. If you have clay, or otherwise soft soils, you may want to grab those last loads of firewood, or finish up work that requires a truck or equipment, as the earth will start getting soft really soon, and you’ll want to avoid operating on unsurfaced roads or the forest floor.
Don’t forget the joy of just a simple walk — perhaps jot some notes, take a few photos — but regardless, go be in the woods. It’s beautiful out there.
P.S. More forestry tips for autumn are available as a resource here.
Kirk Hanson
Forestry Director
Northwest Natural Resource Group
(360) 316-9317
kirk@nnrg.org
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Upcoming Events
What Everyone Should Know About Lichens
October 9, 2018
Bellevue, WA
Build Local Alliance Happy Hour Hike
October 10, 2018
Portland, OR
Our Forests, Our Future: How You Can Help Create a Resilient Northwest
October 11, 2018
Port Townsend, WA
Alder Management Workshop
October 13, 2018
Raymond, WA
Revisiting the November 2014 Ice Storm
October 16, 2018
Corvallis, OR
Making Shiitake Happen
October 17, 2018
Coquille, OR
Salal Fall Native Plant Sale
October 20, 2018
Mt. Vernon
Selling Your Logs
October 25, 2018
Myrtle Point, OR
A Walk in the Woods: from Industrial Trees to the Ancient
October 27, 2018
Valley of the Giants, OR
Bogs and Outwash - Growing Uneven-Aged Douglas Fir in the Puget Sound Area
October 27, 2018
Shelton, WA
Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Shortcourse
Wednesdays starting October 31, 2018
Leavenworth, WA
Saving Tarboo Creek
November 1, 2018
Seattle, WA
Energy Opportunities for Woody Biomass
November 3, 2018
Friday Harbor, WA
An NNRG event!
Green Seattle Day!
November 3, 2018
Seattle, WA
Ties to the Land - Succession Planning for Family Forest Owners
November 3, 2018
Enumclaw, WA
Forest Health and Wildfire Hazard Workshop and Hands-On Demonstration
November 10, 2018
White Salmon, WA
Ties to the Land – Succession Planning for Family Forest Owners
December 14, 2018
Spokane, WA
Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Shortcourse
Online
Starting January 24, 2019
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Featured Project
On a dewy autumn morning, NNRG and Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust staff hiked through early-seral forest near Duvall, Washington. The discussion centered on things not seen — namely, invasive species.
Greenway staff had already located the worst offenders on the 154-acre site, including Himalayan blackberry, knotweed, Scotch broom, and butterfly bush. Over the summer the Greenway worked with crews to remove the invasives and prepare the land in anticipation of planting trees.
NNRG is working with the Greenway Trust, Seattle City Light, and Seattle Public Utilities to return the property to a healthy forest: one more resilient to a changing climate. Seattle City Light purchased the land in 2015 as part of its Endangered Species Act Early Action Plan to conserve and enhance habitat for steelhead.
The land, located along Stossel Creek and a tributary, was clearcut in 2012 by the previous owner and left to reseed itself. While new Douglas-fir and western redcedars are sprouting each year, they are growing by inches. All the while invasive plants have been out competing the young trees and growing upwards of 8 feet and shading over the seedlings.
The property is now the site of a new reforestation project, one where partners are considering the future climate of the region. Climate models suggest that by the mid- to late- 21st century, the climate of the Stossel Creek area will be similar to that of today in southwest Oregon where temperatures are warmer in the winter and summers are drier. So instead of replanting with only sub-varieties of trees native and local to the Cascade foothills, the planting plan includes Douglas-fir and western redcedar sourced from southwestern Oregon and northern California.
The Greenway, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, and NNRG received a $140,000 grant to undertake this trial from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) through its Climate Adaptation Fund, a program that is supported and established by a grant to WCS from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
More information about the Stossel Creek climate-adapted reforestation project can be found on the NNRG blog.
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Enjoying FSC®-Certified Forests
We are fortunate that many Forest Stewardship Council®-certified forests in the Pacific Northwest are open for public enjoyment. These lands offer an opportunity for all of us to know what healthy forests look and feel like. Here’s a list of FSC-certified forests that are open to the public.
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Upcoming Workshop for San Juans Forest Owners
Energy independence and forest health can go hand-in-hand! Wildfire risk across San Juan County is at an all-time high – largely due to increasingly overstocked forests. Learn about the wide range of methods for converting biomass into energy to heat and power our homes, businesses and communities. Learn more and register. |
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FSC® Management and Carbon Storage
It's no surprise to us that ecologically-based forestry is all-around good! A new study by UW and Ecotrust indicates that, "We would produce more timber AND store more carbon if we allowed trees to grow for a longer time before harvesting them."
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Old Growth Is for the Birds
Hermit warblers aren't immune to the impacts of climate change — rising temperatures can reduce the birds' habitat and food sources. But researchers at Oregon State University are studying how old-growth forests may become sanctuaries for warblers as temperatures increase.
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Operation "Wood Fiesta" Hits Yakima River This Week
Who knew helicoptering 5,000 logs into the Yakima River could do so much good? In the next two weeks, these dropped logs will help reconnect floodplains, produce natural fire breaks, and create habitat for chinook salmon, beavers, river otters and other animals. Read on.
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Solving a Sick Tree Mystery With Weather Data
A mysterious Doug-fir sample with stunted, curled, and dried out current-year needles recently landed on the desk of OSU Extension Forester Amy Grotta. The investigation that followed put citizen science weather data to excellent use.
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Establishing a healthy forest doesn't have to mean breaking the bank. Below we list a few of the funding resources available to forest owners in Washington and Oregon for forest stewardship activities. A more complete list can be found on NNRG's website.
Funding in Oregon
- Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) – ODF can help landowners with a minimum of 10 acres develop a forest management plan by providing up to 75% cost-share reimbursement through their Forest Stewardship Program.
- EQIP funding for forest management plans – NRCS provides funding for landowners to hire a forestry consultant (they call them Technical Service Providers) to develop management plans (they call the plans Conservation Activity Plans, or CAPs).
- Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board – Provides grants to help protect and restore healthy watersheds and natural habitats that support thriving communities and strong economies.
- Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits.
- Conservation Stewardship Program – The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) offers an opportunity for forestland managers to enhance their agricultural operations while adopting conservation activities that can improve crop quality, improve soil health, and improve water quality.
Funding in Washington
- EQIP funding for forest management plans – NRCS provides funding for landowners to hire a forestry consultant (they call them Technical Service Providers) to develop management plans (they call them Conservation Activity Plans, or CAPs).
- Conservation Stewardship Program – The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) offers an opportunity for forestland managers to enhance their agricultural operations while adopting conservation activities that can improve crop quality, improve soil health, and improve water quality.
- Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits.
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (WA) – The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a joint federal and state funded program that restores streamside habitat for salmon and protects that habitat for 10-15 years. CREP plants native trees and shrubs to improve stream conditions and enhance wetlands along salmon streams. All of the costs for these improvements are paid by the program.
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Spotting a Pika
On a sunny early fall afternoon, I heard the definitive "meep" alarm call of this pika perched nobly on a mossy rock. The tiny lagomorph had paused from its winter hay gathering to warn other pikas of would-be trespassers. Pikas are my favorite greeters in the Cascades - this one was spotted just south of Snoqualmie Pass along the Pacific Crest Trail beneath the flanks of Silver Peak where the trail traverses through forests of Pacific silver fir and mountain hemlock interspersed with talus slopes. The rocky hillsides are mini-hotspots of biodiversity within the larger forested landscape home to pika, voles, snakes, and an array of lichens, mosses, and plant species.
-Lindsay Malone, Director of Programs at NNRG
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Our mailing address is:
Northwest Natural Resource Group
2701 1st Avenue, Suite 240
Seattle, WA 98121
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