Olympic Experimental State Forest
Located on the western Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic Experimental State Forest (OESF) is a working forest and a living laboratory. Across 270,000 acres (110,000 hectares) of state trust lands, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) produces revenue for trust beneficiaries such as counties and public schools, primarily through timber harvest. DNR also provides habitat for threatened and endangered species and healthy streams for salmon and other aquatic species per the State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan and the Policy for Sustainable Forests. DNR meets these objectives through an experimental, integrated management approach.
As this experimental approach is implemented, DNR and its research partners conduct applied research and monitoring in the OESF. For example, through the Status and Trends Monitoring of Riparian and Aquatic Habitat project, DNR collects data on stream shade, water temperature, large woody debris, and other habitat indicators. This work helps us understand the natural processes that keep the forest ecosystem healthy, determine how forest management affects wildlife and their habitat, and continuously improve forest management. DNR shares what it learns through this website, a biannual newsletter called "The Learning Forest," the annual OESF Science Conference, publications, presentations, and field tours. Explore this website to learn more about this extraordinary place.
News and Events
2026 OESF Science Conference Held in Forks, Washington
Over 140 people attended the 8th annual OESF Science Conference on May 6 and 7. Participants in this free, DNR-sponsored event included scientists, natural resource specialists, educators, and other professionals from Tribes, government agencies, the private sector, and the local community.
The first day included scientific presentations and posters on windthrow monitoring, fish monitoring, and results from the Type 3 (T3) Watershed Experiment. Eight Tribal, nonprofit, and educational organizations also shared their Olympic Peninsula research and monitoring projects through information tables.
On the second day, 36 participants attended a field tour of three upland sites of the T3 Watershed Experiment, where they had a chance to view and ask questions about variable density planting, polycultures of cedar and alder, and different approaches to protect cedar seedlings from browsing deer and elk.
Both days were free for this DNR-sponsored outreach event. As in previous years, videos from the conference will be posted on DNR’s YouTube channel. Click here for the conference program.
Novel Silvicultural Prescriptions Planted for the T3 Watershed Experiment
In January 2025, two crews of incarcerated individuals from the Olympic Corrections Center started planting tree seedlings as part of the T3 Watershed Experiment in the OESF. The crews are implementing a number of novel silvicultural prescriptions: planting seedings in different clumping patterns, planting a polyculture of red alder and western redcedar, interplanting seedlings in a heavily thinned forest, and applying fencing and other methods to prevent deer and elk from browsing cedar seedlings. The crews, their foremen, and DNR coordinators are working closely with the T3 research team to ensure good understanding of the unusual spatial patterns, provide proper training, and ensure compliance with the research design.
Recent Publications
Riparian Validation Monitoring Program Summary Report Part 2: Type 3 Watersheds (2016-2024)
The Learning Forest Newsletter Fall 2025
Silvicultural Action Plans for Actively Managed Units in the Type 3 Watershed Experiment (2025)
Riparian Validation Monitoring Program Summary Report Part 1: the Clearwater River (2017-2024)
