Research Database
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3
Management for Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Suppression: Does Relevant Science Support Current Policy?
Year: 2014
While the use of timber harvests is generally accepted as an effective approach to controlling bark beetles during outbreaks, in reality there has been a dearth of monitoring to assess outcomes, and failures are often not reported. Additionally, few studies have focused on how these treatments affect forest structure and function over the long term, or our forests’ ability to adapt to climate change. Despite this, there is a widespread belief in the policy arena that timber harvesting is an effective and necessary tool to address beetle infestations. That belief has led to numerous proposals…
Publication Type: Journal Article
Stewarding Forests and Communities: Final Report of the Dry Forest Zone Project
Year: 2014
During the past two decades, land managers and community leaders in the West have adopted sustainable land management methods to make forests healthier, and to maintain profitable local businesses that are beneficial to their communities. However their efforts were often siloed and were not making a big enough impact to offset the vast threat of wildfire and the effects of climate change that are increasingly pressing the region. Nor were these singular efforts being presented to federal lawmakers or agencies that have the need and ability to implement policies to replicate these successes…
Publication Type: Report
Reality Check: Shedding New Light on the Restoration Needs of Mixed-Conifer Forests
Year: 2014
Until recently, scientific understanding of the history and ecology of the Pacific Northwest’s mixed-conifer forests east of the Cascade Range was minimal. As a result, forest managers have had limited ability to restore the health of publicly owned forests that show signs of acute stress caused by insects, disease, grazing, logging, and wildfire. A recent study co-authored by a Pacific Northwest Research Station research forester revealed that the traditionally used term “mixed-conifer forest” is too broad for ecological management. The study fills a knowledge gap by providing evidence about…
Publication Type: Report