FOREST PROTECTION

~Presented by Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Fire, insects, diseases and animals are all parts of the natural forest ecosystem. They all play an important role in nutrient recycling and are interdependent upon each other. Too many or too few of any of them can negatively impact a forest. Foresters know that extremes can occur naturally and because of human influences on the environment. Forest protection is the process of maintaining the balance of these four factors in managing the forest for timber, wildlife and fish habitat, water quality, and other uses.