State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan
Testing Silvicultural Treatments Designed for Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Management
Assessment of Operational Feasibility for the Implementation of Habitat Creation Research in the olympic Experimental state forest
This study was designed as an empirical test of alternative thinning treatments proposed to accelerate the development of wildlife habitat to meet the conservation goals of the Olympic Experimental State Forest (OESF). The test compared traditional uniform thinning with variable density thinning and un-thinned control treatments.
In spring 2001, University of Washington forest engineering students developed a harvest and access plan for the Big Country Timber Sale. The project developed a harvest and transportation plan that provided for the implementation of the OESF conservation strategy and also provided additional opportunities for research and monitoring.
Proposed prescriptions based on operational feasibility and research/monitoring objectives.
The project used a flexible analysis framework to evaluate the operational and economic viability of the proposed habitat development research. The framework can be used to make future timber sale decisions and design operational-scale research.
The harvest plan has some flexibility built in, so silvicultural prescriptions can be changed as needed. This provides freedom to incorporate new information into management plans quickly and efficiently. The suggested final prescription layout combines information on economics, feasibility, and current forest conditions to create the best possible landscape given current information.
Cable yarding profiles analyzed as a part of this study. Red lines indicate profiles analyzed using LoggerPC; yellow lines indicate profiles taken in the field.
Relation to HCP: This research tested alternatives to determine how to manage and harvest timber within northern spotted owl habitat. Research objectives included the development of methods that balance economic and timber production on the OESF and increase the cost effectiveness of HCP monitoring.
Project Status: Concluded in 2001.
Principal Investigators: Dr. Peter Schiess and students, University of Washington.
More Information:
External link to full report from the University of Washington.