2015 was a productive year! Northwest Certified Forestry members showed their dedication to stewarding Pacific Northwest forests with ecologically-minded practices that contribute to the regional economy. We are so inspired by the forest stewards in our community who worked to enhance habitat for threatened and endangered species, remove invasive species, plant native seedlings and shrubs, pursue new markets, and do what it takes to nurture and sustain complex forest structure. Here are some highlights:
Our Community
- 160 members across more than 162,000 acres in Washington and Oregon,
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- More than 100 family forests and small businesses
- 12 youth camps and education centers
- 11 land trusts and conservation groups
- 10 public forests
- Our members represent the diversity of forest communities found in the Pacific Northwest from the temperate rainforest of the Hoh River valley to the ponderosa foothills outside of Leavenworth, from the coastal forests of Port Orford cedar and myrtlewood on the southern Oregon Coast, to the oak woodlands of the Willamette Valley, to the giant western red cedar groves scattered in the Willapa Hills, Cedar River watershed, and Nooksack Valley on the flank of Mount Baker.
Spotlights
The Nature Conservancy installed engineered logjams on its Ellsworth Creek Preserve. The logjams restore the woody debris cleared by midcentury logging to recreate the pools, slack waters, gravel beds and food-chains for salmon and other wildlife. Oak Basin Tree Farm is restoring habitat for the Fender’s blue butterfly, an endangered species native to Oregon’s Willamette valley. Oak Basin is reestablishing meadows, controlling invasive species, and planting Kincaid’s lupine to protect this threatened pollinator.
Still Waters Farm continues diverse strategies to foster a rich community of wildlife. By enhancing wetlands, building nest boxes, and creating habitat piles, the Biser family has made their forest an oasis for migratory waterfowl and critters of all shapes and sizes. Ferris Family Forest improved forest health with an ecologically-based harvest that removed declining and small diameter trees including some small diameter western red cedar. Some of this FSC certified cedar will become fence posts at Mt. Rainier National Park.
Certification
- Our Forest Stewardship Council® group certificate represents 28% of FSC® certified land in Oregon and Washington (148,800 acres).
- Our FSC group certificate members supplied more than 8,600 mbf of timber in 2015 – 10% of that volume sold as FSC certified.
Accomplishments
- Hosted 9 workshops on ecologically-based forest management, precision tree-felling, and forest monitoring.
- Conducted more than 76 site visits to forest landowners.
- Completed 7 ecologically-based harvest projects across 240 acres.
- Oversaw 5 forest restoration projects involving inter-planting, pre-commercial thinning, and invasive species control across 86 acres.
- Wrote 11 management plans for tribes, families, land trusts and conservation groups to help steward more than 50,000 acres of forest.
- Pursued ecosystem services markets with partners in the Nisqually watershed to protect drinking water by maintaining forest cover.
