Northwest Watershed Institute (NWI), a Port Townsend-based non-profit, leads the work to regrow old-growth forests in the uplands of Tarboo Creek and re-establish forested wetlands in the floodplain. Over the years, NWI has quilted together Tarboo Wildlife Preserve, 396 acres in the Tarboo valley near Quilicene, Washington.
forest management practices
Spring: Forestry through the Seasons
It’s nearly officially spring, so get ready to greet the return of the growing season! Each season presents the best time to conduct different stewardship activities. Timing your forest management for the ideal season will help you achieve success and avoid setbacks. This page provides tips to help you make the most of stewarding your forest […]
Summer Forest Stewardship Tips
Summer is the perfect time for major forest management activities like thinning trees, controlling weeds and invasives, and maintaining roads.
Helping Your Forest Through Dry Times
The drier and hotter years ahead don’t have to spell trouble for the forests you steward. From recognizing and responding to drought stress in trees to planting tree species from other regions, there are steps you can take to mitigate the impacts of climate change in your forest.
Using the SuperACE Tool for the Skokomish Tribe
Much of NNRG’s effort this spring has focused on our work for the Skokomish Tribe on the Tribe’s forestland located at the south end of Hood Canal. To help the Tribe achieve its management goals, we’ve completed a timber appraisal and are planning the first commercial thinning on tribal lands in a couple decades. NNRG is applying […]
Cedar Row Farm
Eve Lonnquist can often be found working in the woods, just like her grandmother, who bought Cedar Row Farm in 1919 for $2000 and planted its namesake row of cedars. Nestled in the Nehalem River foothills, the 160-acre forest is stewarded by Eve, her two brothers and her partner Lynn Baker. The family enjoys taking […]
Measuring Timber and Woody Biomass in San Juan Forests
Techniques to estimate the volume of timber and woody biomass in your forest Saturday, April 28, 2018 10:30am-5pm Lopez Island Understanding which trees and how many to remove from your forest is critical to a successful thinning project. This workshop will introduce participants to strategies for installing forest inventory plots and collecting the right data to calculate timber […]
Blakely Island Timber
Up in the San Juans Islands, our Forest Stewardship Council®-certified member Blakely Island Timber cares for more than 2,200 acres on namesake Blakely Island. Harvesting timber is a tool to achieve their goal of stewarding the forest with a healthy, productive long into the future. Douglas-fir grows much more slowly in the San Juans than […]
Member Spotlight: Butler Family Forest
Paul Butler has had a life-long love of forests. Now that he and his wife steward their own forest they’ve taken steps to care for and enjoy their land. Paul tells us how his relationship with his woods has deepened over time and what actions he’s taking to make the forest healthy.
Forest Certification is a Global Movement
I’ll admit that I traveled to the worldwide General Assembly of the Forest Stewardship Council meeting last month in Vancouver, BC with a smidgen of skepticism. As I’ve re-immersed myself in ecological forestry since taking the helm at NNRG in June, I’ve been chagrined to learn that 15- and 20-year-old challenges are still dogging the […]
Forest Tour: Many Shapes & Sizes
Kevin Kaster (right), owner of a small-scale sawmill in Clackmas Co., presents a sample product to forest managers, designers, and woodland owners. A Tour of “GOOD WOOD” Management and Products REGISTER TODAY! Can a forest be managed for different purposes? Why might one tree be cut and another left standing? How does the way our […]
By the Numbers: 2016 Accomplishments
2016 was an incredible year for Northwest Certified Forestry members and the forests they steward. Because of the dedicated community of ecologically-minded woodland owners, Pacific Northwest forests are healthier, more resilient homes for wildlife and people alike. Here are some highlights of our year: Accomplishments: We hosted 11 workshops on ecologically-based forest management, precision tree-felling, forest […]
Member Spotlight: Orkila showcases ecological forestry
Along the rocky shores of Orcas Island, YMCA Camp Orkila is a special place where the forest meets the sea. Campers describe the iconic Northwest destination as magical, Neverland, and Oz. The YMCA offers camp programs by summer and outdoor environmental education programs in the spring and fall, serving more than 17,000 campers and students each year. The iconic camp […]
Summer: Forestry through the Seasons
Summer is the perfect time for major forest management activities like thinning trees, controlling weeds, and maintaining roads. Performing these stewardship activities in the dry season when sap flow is low will reduce damage to residual trees while minimizing soil compaction and other effects on forest ecosystems. Steward your Forest Clear winter debris from roads and […]
Member Spotlight: Oak restoration & attuning to “hidden” wonders
When Jeanie Taylor and her husband, Tom Lenon, saw their forest for the first time they knew it was home. While the 20 acres in the Gopher Valley hills of Yamhill County was riddled with scotch broom and blackberry, it also supported Oregon white oaks and suggested the potential to provide habitat for endangered Fender’s blue butterfly, threatened […]
Workshop: Emerging Biofuel Options for San Juan Forests
Join us to learn about ways to improve your forest’s health and use low value wood! Register today: http://sanjuans-biofuels.eventbrite.com Often there are significant byproducts from forest management and restoration treatments that amount to slash and other woody biomass left on the ground. This low value material includes small diameter trees, limbs, needles, leaves, and other woody […]
Workshop: Optimize the Value of Your Timber – November 7
Recognizing the value of the timber you have can be the difference between selling a veneer-grade log at pulp prices instead of the market premium. By understanding the specialty product markets for veneer, figured wood, pole-quality timber, and export logs you can extract the highest value for your timber. It’s important to understand the niche markets […]
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 […]