FORESTERS, FORESTS, AND ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

~Presented by Crown Pacific

What is a Forester?

Most people, when asked, aren't quite sure what a forester is. We're often confused with park rangers, game wardens, or loggers. A forester's job contains certain aspects of these other professions, but our careers are different from each of them.

To put it simply, foresters manage forests. Traditionally the emphasis was on growing trees for harvest. While that is still a large part of our profession, there is much more to it than that. Today's forester deals with a number of issues: wildlife, scenic values, water quality, and forest recreation to name just a few. In a typical day, a forester may deal with everything from elk habitat enhancement to computerized mapping, supervising tree planting crews, or maybe working with tree genetics at a seed orchard.

While our careers may have a low profile, our handiwork is anything but. Every time you step into your house, write a letter, take a picture, go fishing, or drive your car, chances are that you're using one of the resources we help produce. The trees we grow are used for everything from the obvious, such as lumber for your home or paper for school, to the not so obvious, such as photographic film and plastic car panels. The forests in which we grow our trees also provide numerous other benefits, from providing clean water for fish, to moss for florists, homes for wild animals, or maybe a place to go hiking.

What's the Difference Between Private Forests and Public Land?

While many forests may look alike, their owners often have sharply contrasting ideas as to how they should be managed. Public forests are owned by all of us, through our state, federal and local governments, and are often managed with an emphasis on recreation and wildlife preservation. Crown Pacific's forests are privately owned -- by the company, and ultimately by people who have invested in our company with the expectation of a fair return.

Every American now uses two 80' tall 16" diameter trees every year -- more than the US currently produces. This demand requires us to import ever increasing amounts of wood from other countries where environmental laws aren't as strict. With public forests producing less timber, private forests must fill this gap between supply and demand. Meeting this need provides a special challenge to our foresters, who must simultaneously protect the other resources of the forest.

What is Ecosystem Management, and How do We Use It?

Ecosystem Management has been described hundreds of different ways, but most definitions seem to agree that it means management for more than just timber resources. In other words, we need to manage our lands for the benefit of all resources, whether they're recreational, commercial, or ecological in nature. It also means when we consider an action we must assess its effect on the tree farm as a whole. We've always been at the forefront of the timber industry in this respect, and it's something of which we're particularly proud.

At our Hamilton tree farm, we identified the most ecologically sensitive and important areas of our ownership. We then sold these areas (at well below market value) to organizations who are looking to preserve land for its environmental qualities, such as the Nature Conservancy, River Action Network, and Seattle City Light. The management of our remaining lands closely reflects their degree of environmental sensitivity. This allows us to produce adequate amounts of timber while still retaining the environmental integrity of our tree farm.

A passive "preservation" approach to protecting environmental qualities can work very well, but the active approach of a working tree farm can accomplish still more. One of the tools used by our foresters is the thinning of young forests, which can simulate many important characteristics of old-growth forests. Wildlife biologists believe that the habitat created by our thinning will attract the wildlife species normally found only in old growth. We also take an active role in programs that enhance habitat areas for fish, elk, and other wildlife species found on our farm.

When you own as much forest as we do, you soon discover that other people want to use your land. Some people think it's a great place to dump garbage and old cars, steal trees, or start fires. Other people think our forests are a great place to go hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, or horseback riding. Providing for these social values is an important part of ecosystem management, which we are happy to do as good neighbors. The tough part is separating the first group of people from the second. Many land owners respond to this problem by closing their land to everyone. That's the simple and inexpensive solution, but we prefer to take a different approach. We welcome people to recreate on our land, but limit some areas to access by foot, horseback or bicycle. This minimizes wildlife disturbance, and also makes some undesireable activities a little more difficult. In addition to limiting access, we have also hired a ranger who patrols our farm to stop those who would damage or abuse our lands.

Private forests are diverse places, with pressures and demands upon them increasing every day. Foresters must work within the idea of a whole landscape if we are going to protect all the resources of our forest lands. We are still in school too. Every day we learn a little more, and get a little better at our jobs.

Living here in Whatcom County, as most of us do, we all see the forests that surround us, but hear very little about what happens there. Maybe you'd like to know more, or have some questions you'd like answered. If so, bring them with you to the Conservation Tour and we'll be happy to answer them.