The ICO method is a stand-level tool to restore the mosaic patterns of individual trees, clumps, and openings commonly found in pine and mixed conifer forests that have intact, frequent-fire regimes, as well as other forest types. Many managers and stakeholders across the west have an intuitive understanding that frequent-fire forests were not uniformly spaced, and that “clumpy-gappy” patterns played...

Good Neighbor Authority provides the opportunity for the state to implement restoration projects on federal land, including the administration of timber sales and the use of any program revenue generated to be used on further restoration. This talk explored the possibilities of using GNA in Oregon, shared our current understanding of the necessary ingredients, and discussed a current pilot project...

Planning and implementing forest restoration projects on steep slopes in Central and Eastern Oregon is typically challenging due to the appropriate harvesting technology and the economics for these operating conditions. This presentation reviewed solutions to these challenges that include (1) planning and silviculture strategies, (2) use of appropriate skyline harvesting technology or new concepts with tethered-assist ground-based technology on steep...

How much fire are line officers and managers comfortable with and how far can we push that limit? It’s time to change our thinking on a grand scale if we’re to come close to meeting the need. Dave presented an in-depth look at the benefits and challenges of contracting prescribed fire, versus completing the work with in-house teams. He broke...

Forest roads and water crossings appropriate to Eastern Oregon (or Eastside forests in the PNW in general). There are often significant issues in Eastside forests with access to harvest operations with both seasonal and permanent roads (e.g. aging or restrictive bridges, low volume harvest removals, use of temporary bridges, low water crossings etc.). This presentation provided the audience with options...

The discussion included the seasonality of road summer (dry and dusty), winter (frozen ground), and the freeze thaw break up. Which also included typical cost of road rocking and how that increases road costs. Download Low-cost Approaches to Roads presentation...

This discussion explored the various effective crossing options for both intermittent and perennial streams. Download Low-cost Approaches to Stream Crossing presentation Read the Presentation Notes...

Climate change and the interruption of wildfires due to past forest management are creating uncharacteristic late seral forest conditions within dry forest (Eastern Oregon) riparian areas. Recent wildfires illustrate the potential for dramatic changes in riparian forested cover at scales inconsistent with historic patterns/observations. This presentation focused on observations and insights into riparian areas (valley characteristic influence on forested seral...

WILL BRENDECKE and Scott Melcher Riparian restoration objectives have become a central part of projects on the Sisters Ranger District in recent years. Central to concerns of working in riparian areas include, but not limited to, soil impacts and stream shade concerns. Three recent projects specifically have utilized thinning in RHCAs/riparian reserves using hand-thinning and/or harvesting equipment to accomplish work....

Making Forest Restoration Economical was a presentation of factors industry considers when purchasing a timber sale. It concentrated on reasons that a sale may go no bid or factors that reduce the stumpage value to the selling agency. A few of the items discussed were timber sale cut outs, minimum piece size, purchaser marking, and required chip wood removal. Examples...

LanFin is a landscape financial model using ArcFuels and the Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD) to display stumpage values across a landscape. The inputs come from the Forest Vegetation Simulator cut tree lists which are processed to give stumpage value of the cut trees. This output is then projected across a landscape showing stumpage values. Areas of high and low value become visible...

Several partners in Lake County are working together on the North Warner Multi-Ownership Forest Health Project. This project provides a great model for how to approach landscape level forest health projects involving multiple partners and private landowners. Through this effort, the partners have discovered some lessons learned and tips for success that may be helpful to others working on similar...