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221-6010-19038

Project Abstract

Project Location

Boneyard Ridge Habitat Reserve, Seaside, Oregon. In 2016 NCLC acquired 340 acres of young forestland on Tillamook Head with a plan to restore the property to late seral forest habitat through long-term adaptive management.

Project Need

There is a 70-acre management unit on the property that is young, densely planted, even-aged, and ready for thinning. The stand contains a mix of 20-year-old spruce and hemlock, with 630trees per acre. 

Proposed Project Work

Local forest ecologist recommend we use hand crews to thing the stand to 280-350 trees per acre, favoring the healthiest trees and creating variable spacing. This prescription will allow dominant trees to grow larger quickly, increase spatial diversity, and improve forest health.  Some of the resulting slash will be used to construct habitat piles that will create an immediate benefit to amphibians and songbirds.Cut trees will be installed into stretches of stream that fall within the unit to benefit fish habitat. Following the thinning treatment, western red cedar and bigleaf maple will be planted into some of the created gaps to restore species diversity that would have historically been at this site.

Project Partners

NCLC is working with other neighboring forest managers on Tillamook Head to share resources including Oregon State Parks and Recreation District (Ecola State Park and Elmer Feldenheimer State Natural Area) and Tareen Filgas Foundation (Ecola Ridge). NCLC will also work with the Necanicum Watershed Council to do community outreach through volunteer events and public tours. Numerous foresters and wildlife biologistshave been consulted for project design and provide ongoing support to NCLC, including Northwest Natural Resource Group, Springboard Forestry, Lewis and Clark Natural Historical Park, OSU Extension Services, Celata Research Associates, Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon State Parks, and Intergrated Resource Management.

Project Completion Report

Final_Report_19038.pdf
A forested area with pine trees, underbrush, and a cloudy sky.
(Before) Overview of forest stand area prior to treatment
A forest landscape with pine trees, dry grass, clear blue skies, and some logged wood.
(After) View of forest stand area post treatment
A sunny forest scene with pine trees and dry grass, clear blue sky overhead, and a date stamp: "2020/10/22."
(Before) Showing dense Ponderosa pine to be thinned with NRCS funds.
A forest landscape with pine trees, dead wood, grass, and a clear sky.
(After) View of Ponderosa pine area post thinning.
A damaged blue shopping cart amid overgrown vegetation and a PVC pipe, date stamped 2021/05/05.
(Before) Overview of spring to be developed.
A green barrel within a wire fence, surrounded by disturbed soil and vegetation.
(After) Overview of spring after development protected with rock and fencing.
A forested area with a dirt path and a muddy section, possibly caused by vehicle tracks or water erosion.
(Before) Overview of spring runoff to be piped into watering trough.
A forested area with pine trees, muddy ground, and a black object on the ground in the distance.
(After) Spring is not piped underground to trough in right of photo.
A sunlit forest scene with a mix of coniferous trees and birches against a clear blue sky.
(Before) Overview of Aspen colony #2
A leafless tree amidst green pine trees under a blue sky with wispy clouds.
(After) Overview of Aspen colony #2 showing completed exclusion fence.
A forested area with pine trees, underbrush, and a cloudy sky.
A forest landscape with pine trees, dry grass, clear blue skies, and some logged wood.
A sunny forest scene with pine trees and dry grass, clear blue sky overhead, and a date stamp: "2020/10/22."
A forest landscape with pine trees, dead wood, grass, and a clear sky.
A damaged blue shopping cart amid overgrown vegetation and a PVC pipe, date stamped 2021/05/05.
A green barrel within a wire fence, surrounded by disturbed soil and vegetation.
A forested area with a dirt path and a muddy section, possibly caused by vehicle tracks or water erosion.
A forested area with pine trees, muddy ground, and a black object on the ground in the distance.
A sunlit forest scene with a mix of coniferous trees and birches against a clear blue sky.
A leafless tree amidst green pine trees under a blue sky with wispy clouds.