Forestry Director Kirk Hanson is on Orcas Island hosting the precision tree felling and low-impact yarding courses at YMCA Camp Orkila this week (9/24-26). Ken Lallemont of Timber Resource is instructing the courses and providing hands on guidance to students. It’s an intensive 2-3 days of training to learn the art and science of tree felling and tree extraction. […]
NNRG
Member Spotlight: A few sheep and EQIP help steward the forest
By Christina Davis and NNRG Steve and Linnea Bensel of Nootka Rose Farm steward 32 acres of forest on Waldron Island in the San Juans. In recent years, they accessed cost-share funds through the Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a forest management plan and do a pre-commercial thinning in their forest. They also channel the appetites of a few woolly ruminants to stymy […]
Member Spotlight: Shiitake Mushroom Logs
In our Member Spotlight series, we highlight Northwest Certified Forestry (NCF) members who have used forest products for unique and entrepreneurial purposes on their land and within their communities. Often these projects help members earn supplemental income. For the second installment in the series, we introduce you to Gopher Valley Botanicals, a Forest Stewardship Council® certified member of our group certificate, who has sourced non-timber […]
Member Spotlight: Large woody debris & wetland restoration
In our Member Spotlight series, we highlight Northwest Certified Forestry (NCF) members who are improving ecosystem functions and who have cultivated forest products for unique and entrepreneurial purposes on their land and within their communities. In this edition, we introduce you to Digger Mountain Forestry-a Forest Stewardship Council® certified member of our group certificate, and Yankee Creek Forestry-an NCF Preferred Provider. Recently, […]
Growing biologically rich forests for wildlife and income
On a beautiful summer day in early June, woodland owners gathered inside the library at Sedro-Woolley High School for the Managing for Timber and Wildlife workshop. The more than 20 participants were there to learn from Rolf Gersonde and Ken Bevis, two experts in the fields of silviculture and wildlife biology. Rolf Gersonde, a renowned silviculturist and researcher […]
Funding Forest Stewardship – Enhance Forest Health
For the third installment in the Funding Your Forest series, we’re focusing on ways to improve the diversity and productivity of your forest. Stewarding a forest that is diverse in species, age and size classes, with appropriate stocking densities is beneficial to the entire ecosystem – supporting resilience to diseases and pests, and boosts overall productivity. So to speak – it diversifies your forest’s investment […]
Workshop: Tree Felling & Yarding – September 24-26
Join us on Orcas Island for a unique hands-on training program for small woodland owners who are interested in conducting their own timber harvests. Detailed instruction will be provided on precision tree felling techniques and low-impact log yarding strategies and equipment. Precision Tree Felling – 2-day course Thursday & Friday, September 24-25, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – each day […]
Funding Fuel Reduction and Forest Health Projects
Depending on the state of your forest, fuel reduction and forest slash treatments may be ways you can improve your forest’s health and fire resilience. We’ve identified cost-share programs, funding, and other resources, as well as information on how to do-it-yourself. Forest slash treatment is becoming a necessity in many forests due to historic fire […]
Point Defiance Park – a living museum
Point Defiance Park is as rare as it is gorgeous. No where else can one find 500 acres of old-growth forest along the shore of Puget Sound and all within the city of Tacoma. The forest is interwoven with walking and running trails, bike paths, and picnic areas that provide a serene reprieve from the urban […]
Workshop: How to Manage a Timber Sale – August 15
Harvesting and marketing timber can be one of the most rewarding experiences of owning forestland… it can also be one of the most challenging. On Saturday, August 15, join us for a workshop to learn how to manage a timber sale on your land and effectively market your wood products. This day-long seminar will introduce landowners to […]
Crystal Lake Tree Farm – a community and a classroom
On June 23, I was fortunate enough to attend a forest health workshop at the location. It was a lovely night to be outside as we tromped up and down the road of Crystal Lake Tree Farm. Settled on 400 acres in suburban Woodinville, WA, its location is merely one special aspect of the tree […]
The Good Wood Tour – July 30
Interested in building sustainably? Want to know the difference between FSC-certified and conventional forest products? Then come to the Good Wood Tour! On July 30th, NNRG and others will be co-hosting the first of a two-part event that will increase participants’ understanding of sustainable forestry and FSC products as an important component of green building. The event […]
Build Local Alliance’s Summer Tour – June 27
The Build Local Alliance (BLA) is a network of foresters, land stewards, millwrights, craftsmen, contractors, and architects interested in creating with wood from well-managed forests in Oregon and SW Washington. Each season BLA hosts a talk or field trip to connect our community of practitioners. We share ideas, showcase projects, and often enjoy well-crafted beer! NNRG is a supporting member of […]
Special Announcement: Funding Forest Stewardship – Make a Plan
NNRG is kicking off a series about cost-share programs and resources available to woodland owners in Oregon and Washington. Over the next six weeks we’ll be sharing information about resources to fund stewardship activities in your forest. We’re focusing on the topics you’ve told us are important to you: developing management plans, improving timber quality, […]
Sometimes a couch tells the story
Over the past year my father built a set of craftsman-style living room furniture for my family – a couch and two Morris chairs. This furniture is particularly significant as it was crafted from white oak that my father and I harvested from my family’s original woodlot in Minnesota many years ago. The logs […]
Sustainable forestry in Clark County
In southwest Washington, Clark County Department of Environmental Services exemplifies how to transition forest land from passive management to active management. Starting in 2011, the County developed forest stewardship plans for its recently acquired properties. Today, the County is using selective thinning and other techniques to improve overall health of these forest ecosystems that supports a diversity of plants […]
Partnership in the Skagit Watershed
The iconic Skagit Watershed is important to all of us for its production of timber, food, and fisheries. It is also significant in that it is the only river system in the Puget Sound region to support all five species of Pacific salmon. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Northwest Natural Resource […]
GiveBIG – May 5
Are you a champion for forests? The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG is a one-day, online charitable giving event to inspire people to give generously to nonprofit organizations who make our region a stronger, more vibrant community for all. This year’s GiveBIG event is May 5, 2015. Northwest Natural Resource Group is excited to be a participant in […]
Time to start thinking about 2016 EQIP projects
The Washington State cutoff for 2016 EQIP funding is Friday, July 17, 2015 (Edit: The 2016 EQIP deadline has been extended to October 16, 2015 in WA. The Oregon 2016 EQIP deadline is January 15, 2016.) The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a technical and financial assistance program managed by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. EQIP […]
Spring time in the San Juans
NNRG returned to the San Juans this spring, this time assisting Camp Orkila prepare for pre-commercial thinning as well as develop a forest management plan for Satellite Island. Kirk Hanson, Director of Forestry, spent the better part of a day on Satellite Island, a 116-acre remote camping island owned by the YMCA that is nestled along […]