In the past few years, Cascade Forest Conservancy has become increasingly concerned about the reemergence of regeneration harvest on National Forests and public lands. Regeneration harvest is a harmful harvesting practice, similar to a clearcut, where only 10-20% of the tree stand is left behind. While conservationists see regeneration harvests as harmful to forests, it is lucrative for landowners, timber companies, and land management agencies. Regeneration harvest is not a new issue. However, the inclusion of this method to create early seral habitat is something we are experiencing with increasing frequency and scale on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

WHAT IS EARLY SERAL HABITAT?

Following a stand disturbing event like wildfire, disease, and major wind disturbances, a forest typically progresses through several stages from its resurgence to becoming an old-growth stand. The different types of forest habitat created throughout this process can be categorized in seral stages.

As seen in the diagram above, the early seral forest stage is initially dominated by grasses and shrubs. Shade-intolerant tree species also establish in the early seral stage. The mid seral stage has a mix of species, with early seral species and mid seral species present in almost equal amounts. Late seral stands have both mid seral and late seral tree species present. The Potential Natural Community (PNC) stage where old-growth trees are present, features a composition where early or mid seral species are scarce or absent altogether.

WHAT THAT GENERALLY LOOKS LIKE IN THE FOREST:

EARLY SERAL – Grass and seedlings

MID SERAL – Saplings and young forest

LATE SERAL – Mature forest

PNC – Old-growth forest

Different kinds of wildlife prefer different seral stages as their habitat. For example, certain birds, butterflies, and moths prefer early seral habitat, whereas the northern spotted owl requires late seral and old-growth forest. Healthy forests contain a mix of various stages of regrowth.

WHY IS CLEARCUTTING MATURE FOREST TO CREATE EARLY SERAL SO PROBLEMATIC?

Although early seral habitat is less abundant on the landscape than it has historically been, sacrificing mature forests to restore early seral habitat does not make sense. Early seral habitat can be created relatively quickly and easily; late seral habitat and mature forest can only be created with time. Additionally, the quality of early seral habitat created by stand-replacing wildfire or disease cannot necessarily be recreated by regeneration harvest. What this means is that we could end up losing critical mature forest on the landscape to create a habitat that may not provide the ecological benefit used to justify creating early seral through harmful forest management practices in the first place.

WHAT HAS REGENERATION HARVEST AND EARLY SERAL CREATION LOOKED LIKE ON THE GIFFORD PINCHOT NATIONAL FOREST?

Cascade Forest Conserevancy has encountered timber sales for the last few years that have incorporated regeneration harvest for early seral creation. Six years ago we weighed in on Swift, a timber sale in the Mount Adams Ranger District (MARD) that proposed just under 200 acres of regeneration harvest. Through our work in the collaborates and participation in the public commenting and objection process, the size of the regeneration harvest was reduced to 123 acres. We are now faced with a new proposal in the Upper Wind planning area of MARD that proposes 450 acres or regeneration harvest with nearly 200 acres proposed in mature, 120-year-old forest. We are concerned with the scale of regeneration harvest and the inclusion of critical mature forests. We will be working with our collaboratives and the Forest Service, as well as participating in the public commenting process over the coming months to remove older mature forest stands from the proposal and reduce the overall acreage of regeneration harvest.

July 31, 2020

In 2018, Cascade Forest Conservancy partnered with Cowlitz Indian Tribe to reintroduce beavers to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest for the first time since the 1930s.

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of these animals to the health of the forest. In his award-winning book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, Ben Goldfarb describes the fur trade that eradicated beaver populations as an ecological and social disaster on par with the destruction of the bison herds of the Great Plains.

Beavers are a keystone species–dam-building, wetland restoring, water-storing, habitat engineers. The weight of their ponds push water deep into the ground, refilling aquifers and allowing water to be in the system even during dry summers. The slack waters and ponds beavers create help filter pollutants out of water systems, dissipate floods, disrupt the spread of fires, and create habitat that greatly benefits other species. In some parts of the West, wetlands cover 2% of the total land area but contain 80% of an ecosystem’s biodiversity. As the effects of climate change accelerate, the benefits beavers bring to the landscape are more important than ever.

So far, this project has been a success, and it’s still going strong!

We’re expanding the project and releasing even more animals this year. Here is the latest.

Our Program Director, Shiloh Halsey, and Science and Stewardship Manager, Amanda Keasberry are now permitted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to house and relocate beavers in multiple SW Washington counties. In July, we completed building our new beaver housing facility on land belonging to a generous supporter. Trapped beavers must be kept in housing facilities where we monitor their health and collect data before release.

We’re thrilled to be expanding the capacity of this program. We plan to release 3-4 beaver families this fall–families of beavers are made of between two to six animals.

This year, the project will benefit from an additional partnership. Researchers from Washington State University Vancouver are working on a new way to track beavers and understand their impacts, one that uses environmental DNA taken from water samples. The researchers will be working with the beavers who pass through our new facility and tracking them post-release. The new technique they are developing could be key to monitoring wild and reintroduced beaver populations without having to physically track down individual animals.

June 3rd, 2020

Here at the Cascade Forest Conservancy, we work every day to protect the places and people of southern Washington’s Cascades. Some may wonder why an environmental organization should take a stand on an issue some would consider beyond the scope of our mission. We don’t see it that way. Our efforts are regional, but our vision, one in which human communities exist in harmony and peace with the thriving natural world, is global. Racism and racist violence are antithetical to that goal. Environmental wellbeing is not possible apart from social and racial justice.

The protests that have spread across our nation are not solely about the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police officers. We are still mourning the death of Emmett Till. Of Tamir Rice. Of Sandra Bland. Of Trevon Martin, and countless other precious lives. We are still mourning the historical looting and land theft of the indigenous peoples of our region, and the continuing discrimination and injustice these communities face today.

A majority of our staff benefit from white privilege, as do many other leaders within the environmentalist movement. Historically, conservationists have not been vocal leaders in the long fight for social and racial justice in this country. We can no longer bear to remain in the silence our privilege affords.

At CFC, we are committed to listening, and speaking up when we see injustice–whether that be environmental policies that endanger the health and safety of marginalized communities, unequal opportunities to safely enjoy the benefits wild places provide, unjust laws, or police brutality.

We ask that you join us. Listen to and amplify the voices of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and POC perspectives. Research intersectional environmentalism. Read about the history of Vanport. Educate yourself about the history of indigenous peoples in our region (Vine Deloria Jr.’s Indians of the Pacific Northwest is an excellent place to start) and continue to fight for a world that is sustainable, whole, and where black lives matter.

May 22 2020

If you’re anything like us, you can’t wait to get back out on the trail this summer. It was recently announced that after COVID-19 closures, most of the day-use trails and recreation areas in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest have reopened. As glad as that news makes us, the situation is far from back to normal. Here’s what you need to know before hiking in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest during the pandemic:

Check ahead of time to confirm that the area you plan to visit is open. You can find information on current trail openings and closures at the Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s website here. 

Site facilities may still be closed. Just because the trailhead is open, does not necessarily mean the site’s facilities are. Vault bathrooms may be open, but the Forest Service will not be maintaining them as usual because employees don’t currently have the PPE to do so safely. There is no guarantee that open facilities are COVID free. Take precautions for your own safety and the safety of others. Plan (and pack) accordingly.

Avoid crowded areas. If you get to a trailhead and the parking lot is full, don’t hike there. Period. The trail will be too crowded to safely practice social distancing. Plus, if you park on the side of the road, you could be towed, and who wants to end a day in the woods trying to hitch a ride to an impound lot? Not us. Probably not you either. Have a plan B (maybe even a plan C) before you head out.

DO NOT visit stores in rural communities. Can’t stress this one enough: unless you’re a local resident, don’t stop into stores in rural communities. Plan ahead and bring everything you’ll need with you. Don’t risk exposing people in rural communities to the virus because you didn’t bring enough water or snacks.

Campgrounds are still closed, but dispersed camping is allowed. Campgrounds currently remain closed and the GPNF is working to open them with safety as the number one priority.  If you choose to disperse camp, please take all of your trash home and dispose of human waste properly.

These are strange times, so be safe out there. If a hiker or other recreational user gets into trouble, response times will likely be longer since local emergency responders (many of whom are volunteers) are also under the Executive Order unless necessary or exempted. Emergency responders are also focusing on keeping their local communities safe. So remember, always pack the 10 essentials. Bring more food and water than you think you need. Bring basic first aid, supportive footwear, and rain-gear, no matter what the weather forecast says. Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.

We’ll see you (from a safe distance) on the trail!

By Michal Orczyk  |  Development Director

April 22, 2020

Today is Earth Day, and it’s a special one: today we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of this historic moment in American history, which has now become a global phenomenon. Many people know about Earth Day, but those who weren’t around in 1970 might not know its origins. It is an amazing story that shows how grassroots activism, as well as courageous political leaders (sorely lacking in our day) can make sweeping changes in our world.

In American government and society, some initial discourse about human impacts on the environment began in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Writers like John Muir popularized a romantic vision of nature and wilderness, and how human values were sometimes in conflict with nature. National parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite were established in 1872 and 1890 respectively, and the idea of wilderness as a valuable part of the American landscape began to be appreciated (though indigenous people understood this long before). However, it wasn’t until the middle of the 20th century that scientists, naturalists and activists started to raise considerable alarm over the impacts of human industry on wildlife, landscapes, and our own health. Concepts like air and water pollution, biodiversity, and climate change began to take hold. One watershed moment was the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, which sold over 500,000 copies in 24 countries.

In the late 1960s Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson was inspired by the student environmental movement, and announced the idea for a teach-in on college campuses to the national media. He also persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican congressman, to serve as his co-chair. They chose April 22, a weekday falling between Spring Break and final exams, to maximize the greatest student participation. 

Dennis Hayes, a young activist and the organizer of this teach-in, realized the potential for this event to gain traction, and turned it into a national campaign that quickly drew massive media attention. Soon there were events planned in towns and universities across the United States. Nearly 20 million Americans took part! A high school senior in Portland convinced Oregon Governor, Tom McCall, to deliver a speech to an audience at his school, Fremont Junior High School (today Parkrose Middle School).

(Oregon Governor Tom McCall speaking at an Earth Day event in 1970. Source: Oregon Historical Society)

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders. By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first of their kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act,  the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act.  Two years later Congress passed the Clean Water Act.  A year after that, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act and soon after, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. These laws have protected millions of men, women and children from disease and death and have protected hundreds of species from extinction. (Source: https://www.earthday.org/history/)

CFC had big plans for Earth Day 2020, and due to COVID-19 we have to change some of those. However, we’d like to thank the organizers of Earth Day Oregon for bringing together hundreds of Oregon businesses and nonprofits to share a message – we must protect our home, our planet, from our own reckless behavior. Check out https://earthdayor.org/ to learn more about this wonderful state-wide campaign. Special thanks to our Earth Day Oregon 2020 business partners:

Chinook Book

Aesthete Tea

Jam on Hawthorne

Falling Sky Brewing

Oregon Data

By Amanda Keasberry  |  Science and Stewardship Manager

April 17, 2020

April is Citizen Science Month and you can still be involved! Our Science and Stewardship Manager, Amanda, delivers a message about the importance of understanding the life-cycle events of plants (phenology) and how you can help climate science researchers collect data by observing plants in your backyard or neighborhood.

By Amanda Keasberry  |  Science and Stewardship Manager

April 16, 2020

Many of our important stewardship and restoration projects rely on the generosity of volunteer citizen scientists who join us in the forests of Washington’s south Cascades. April is Citizen Science Month, and I recently began to wonder more about the origins of citizen science, and why it’s become so popular today. So here is a quick dive into the fascinating history of citizen science!

“In citizen science, the public participates voluntarily in the scientific process, addressing real-world problems in ways that may include formulating research questions, conducting scientific experiments, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, making new discoveries, developing technologies and applications, and solving complex problems” (citizenscience.gov). 

The first mention of ‘citizen scientist’ appeared in a 1979 New Scientist article by James Oberg. Oberg wrote about his skepticism that ufology, the study of unidentified flying objects, could be called science and argued that those who studied this “science” were “crackpots and cranks,” whom he later referred to as “citizen scientists.” The first mention of the term was drenched in sarcasm, but nonetheless, those were people of the general public making new discoveries (people just might not agree on what those discoveries actually were…). The term ‘citizen scientist’ was not seen again in writing until 1989 when it was officially used by the Audubon Society to describe a group of 225 volunteers who helped collect rain samples to assist with an acid-rain awareness campaign. 

But long before the term ‘citizen science’ was ever used, there were many amateur and non-professional scientists who volunteered their time to further scientific understanding and exploration. Some of these amateurs are now considered some of the most renowned scientists of all time, like René Descartes, Charles Darwin, and Issac Newton. All of them began as independent, amateur scientists who were initially headed down a different career path. But their intrigue for science led them to discoveries of fundamental scientific concepts and theories which continue to shape our understanding of our world to this day. By the 20th century, science was mostly taken over by professional scientists and researchers who obtained funding through universities and governmental agencies. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the bureaucracy of science research was being brought into question, and the revival of the amateur scientist was being advocated for.

By the 1990s, the use of ‘citizen science’ began to take off and there was an increase in the number of citizen projects, the variety of projects, and the size and scope of projects. Volunteers were being used across all fields and disciplines–making important contributions everywhere from astronomy to oceanography and everything in between. Today the number of citizen science participants have grown even more thanks to technological advancements. Advances like the internet and the creation of mobile smartphones have not only made information easier to obtain, but have created new ways for researchers to engage with large groups of people. For scientists who rely on data collected from the field, smartphones and their connectivity to the internet and their internal global positioning systems have greatly increased the ease of collecting data anywhere in the world. Volunteers are making huge contributions to our knowledge, whether gathering data from their own backyards or in the most remote places of the forest. 

CFC has greatly benefited from being able to use smartphones and tablets when out in the field to collect geospatially-referenced data that we can easily share with our partners and the community. Using smartphones or tablets also allows for a uniform way to collect data. We tend toward simplicity in survey design and clarity in the data collection process to ensure quality and consistent data is collected. The quality of data collected by citizen scientists often raises concern among researchers. Some researchers discredit citizen science work, while others believe volunteers can collect comparable data to that of professional scientists. CFC believes there is a huge benefit to public involvement in science and restoration projects and that, in addition, it helps build support from the community for important restoration and conservation work. Citizen science has been an integral part of many of our projects like huckleberry monitoring, beaver habitat site assessments, and the wildlife camera surveys. 

We could not gather as much data without the help of citizen scientists, and I know this is the case for other organizations, agencies, and researchers.

Most citizen science projects, including ours, are put on hold right now. But there are actually plenty of citizen science opportunities that you can participate in from the comfort of your home. I will be posting a tutorial for a fun project related to climate change that you can participate in right in your backyard or neighborhood. By participating in this project, you will provide researchers with a more robust dataset which will help them to answer some of the unknowns about climate change. Stay tuned for the video on Friday!