Some foresters say many Northwest forests simply have too many trees. That makes them more prone to disease, insects - and most worrisome of all - mega-fires. But what’s the best way to thin out forests and bring these areas back to more natural conditions? Turns out, there’s an app for that.
This hillside in Central Washington is covered with trees, mostly Douglas fir with some pine sprinkled in. Their canopy acts as an umbrella, effectively blocking the fat raindrops starting to fall from the sky.
And that’s a problem. This forest needs more open spaces. Forester Rod Pfeifle with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is intimately familiar with this land.
“The last harvest in this stand was 35 to 40 years ago. We realized we need to do something with these stands, or we’ll lose them all to insects, disease, and wildfire,” Pfeifle said.
The goal today: Decide which trees need to be cut down.
“We’re trying to restore these stands to a condition that is more resilient and sustainable than they are right now,” Pfeifle said.
Forest managers say 100 years of keeping forest fires off the landscape in the age of Smokey Bear has meant many forests are now too dense. That can worse problems like insect infestations and wildfires.