Unlike most mainland forests, clearcutting was rarely practiced in the San Juans. Rather, high-grade harvesting was the common practice, essentially “take the best and leave the rest.” Multiple rotations of high-grading have eroded not only forest health and timber quality but have also led to a loss of big trees; champion sized Douglas-firs in particular. Large, old trees with complex canopies are awe-inspiring but also a critical component of our complex ecological web. In natural systems, form often equals function. In our bioregion, nothing can substitute for large 300+ year old trees. Once lost, we can’t replace these overnight or even in a generation. We can, however, plan for the future through thoughtfully applied conservation and ecologically driven forestry to help recruit future giant and resilient trees with highly complex growth forms.

Drought-stressed and densely crowded forests are an all-too-common sight in our islands. Most people are surprised when they learn that even with all the farms and houses in our county, we have far more trees growing now compared with when Euro-Americans first arrived in the mid to late 1800s. Nearly 150 years of fire exclusion and poor logging practices, combined with worsening summer droughts, have led to a huge amount of accumulated woody material. Addressing this woody fuel problem and avoiding catastrophic wildfire is one of our greatest challenges and it will take a huge collective effort to reverse this trend. We must be successful because we must have safer communities and healthier, more resilient, and more biologically diverse forests.

Rain Shadow has the experience, equipment, and expertise to implement custom fuel reduction projects for your site. Ask us about cost-share programs and how to help make your woods safer and healthier.