As wildfires blaze across the Pacific Northwest, firefighters across the region are working to contain the flames. Ever wonder what it takes to become a wildland firefighter, and what else it’s good for? We sat down with part-time NNRG Restoration Forester Gustavo Segura Flores to find out. After becoming a full-time Pre-Sales Forester for the […]
Sustainable forest management
They Didn’t Start the Fire: Wildfire Risk Mitigation in the Seattle Watershed
Fire and water don’t mix, and no one knows that better than staff at the Seattle city watershed. The forestry team at Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has been working to increase the fire resilience of areas around critical water infrastructure, and experimenting with applying eastside thinning techniques in a westside forest. NNRG recently joined SPU […]
Redwood Trees…in Gig Harbor, WA?
Last month, we sat down with FSC certified forest landowner and NNRG board member Kit Ellis to learn how insights from her family’s 70 years of forest stewardship have informed her evolving approach to restoration. This month, we’ll learn how Kit’s redwood seedlings might be one answer to helping her forest survive hotter temperatures and […]
Stewarding the Future
Upon arriving at Kit Ellis’s property, your first greeters might be the symphony of a dozen singing amphibians. “That would probably be the chorus frogs,” Kit says with a smile. At her forest in Gig Harbor, chorus frogs (or the ‘Pacific treefrog’), are one of many species Kit stewards. This month, we sat down with FSC certified forest landowner and NNRG board member Kit Ellis to learn how insights from her family’s 70 years of forest stewardship have informed her evolving approach to restoration.
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 […]
Tool Time!
Over the course of a lifetime managing my family’s forestlands, I’ve learned a lot about the value of having the right tools for the job, and bringing them along each time I go to the woods. I have to admit that a strange voice lives in my head which frequently tries to convince me I’ll […]
Thinning Today to Create Value Tomorrow
At NNRG, we often discuss the importance of thinning to maintain forest health and productivity, as we did here — but in addition to these benefits, thinning can play a key role in increasing long-term timber revenue. In this article, we will explore the economic considerations of thinning. To shed light on when to thin, […]
Rediscovering the Forest Through The Lens of a Trail Camera
Have you ever walked through your woods and wondered what the wildlife gets up to when you’re not around? Maybe you’ve spotted unfamiliar tracks or heard rustling in the brush, leaving you curious about the critters that share your forest. For Lorna Smith and Carl Nelson, that curiosity led them to set up trail cameras […]
Winter & Spring 2025 Washington and Oregon Native Plant Sales
The Winter Wet Season In The Pacific Northwest Is An Ideal Time To Plant Young Trees And Native Shrubs! Planting native trees and shrubs enhances forest biodiversity by providing habitat for wildlife and forage for pollinators. It’s also a great way connect to the land and increase your aesthetic and recreational appreciation for the forest. […]
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 […]
Central Cascades Forest
The 46,000 acres of forestland spanning Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum known as the Central Cascades Forest (CCF) is now Forest Stewardship Council®-certified, through NNRG’s group certificate. It’s the Northwest’s largest jump in certified forestland since the City of Seattle’s Cedar River watershed earned FSC certification in 2011. The CCF is managed by The Nature Conservancy […]
Oregon Native Bee Atlas
Bees need our help. Just five years ago Oregon saw a major bee die off, and pollinator populations continue to decline around the world. “We have more species of bees in the Pacific Northwest than all the states in east of the Mississippi,” says Andony Melathopoulos, a pollinator ecotoxicologist with OSU. “We really want to protect […]
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 […]
Woody biomass trainings to reduce risks in the San Juan Islands
Landowners in San Juan County are addressing the unique challenges of managing island forests for both ecological health and economic viability. NNRG and our partners have worked with many island forests, conducting one-on-one site visits, developing management plans, hosting tours and classes. Increasingly, landowners have sought instruction on how to manage their overstocked stands for improved forest health. They […]
Carbon Assessment for Forest Owners
In the late 2010s, NNRG worked with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to better understand the value of carbon markets for family forest owners. We recently completed a forest carbon assessment for our FSC-certified member Clyde Tree Farm. Prepared with data from this unique forest, the assessment offers a […]
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 […]
Stewardship: Just Call It Love
Christine Johnson (with her husband Terrigal) has loved forests all her life. As NNRG’s board chair, she helps us work to protect the health, resilience, and character of these incredible places, share her love of Northwest woodlands every step along the way. Her 10-acre, FSC®-certified forest on Waldron Island is a living testament to Christine’s stewardship. Learn more […]