Sustainable Forestry

A healthy forest will continuously regenerate trees and maintain them at the highest quality. It also provides food and medicine while performing numerous ecological services that benefit human communities. These invaluable services are often overlooked in the economic calculus performed by logging operations, leading to practices that damage the ecological integrity of the forest.

When the 13th World Forestry Congress convened in Argentina in October 2009, they strongly emphasized the important role forests play in climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as the need for forest-dependent people and forest ecosystems to adapt to this challenge.

"Forests are an invaluable asset for humanity providing livelihoods for billions of people, helping achieve environmental sustainability, and serving as a source of social and spiritual values for peoples, communities and nations. Through their sustainable management, forests can contribute to alleviating poverty, safeguarding biodiversity, providing the broad range of goods and services for present and future generations, in the context of a changing climate."

The conference produced a Final Declaration that contained 27 action items regarding sustainable forestry. My management plan takes into account the guidelines provided by the World Forestry Congress, focusing on 9 of action items. I also draw on the wisdom of Victor Schauberger, the Austrian forester and bio-physicist, Bill Mollison, an ex-logger who founded the Permaculture movement, and Michael Pilarski, my personal mentor who wrote Restoration Forestry.

Rivers and streams are the blood vessels of the forest, both in appearance and function. They transport and distribute minerals, nutrients, and water from higher to lower elevations, creating rich fertile valleys that were once the cradle of human civilization. Rivers also contribute to coastal aquatic ecosystems in many ways, delivering minerals and cold water to plankton colonies, which in turn feeds the entire oceanic food chain.

Victor Schauberger, a lifelong forester, spent the first 20 years of his life living in the Black Forest of Austria, making detailed observations of rivers and trees. He realized that rivers can regulate themselves if they are kept forested. Schauberger called for a buffer zone of 100 meters, or about 300 feet, around streams, in order for them to retain their ecological function. The current DNR policy requires a buffer of only 30 feet. This inadequate buffer causes wind throw, sedimentation, and landslides in logged areas.

Trees shade and cool the water, making the water more dense and thus able to transport more sediments. They also fall into the river occasionally, creating habitat as well as optimum temperatures for salmon spawn. Having continuous buffer of trees along the Nooksack will create a wildlife corridor, allowing deer, elk, cougars, bears, salmon, and other animals to travel from the coast all the way up to the mountains. Such corridors are important not only for the animals, but for all the plants and micro-organisms that interact with them. However, humans will reap the greatest benefit from protecting the river. Floods and droughts will be minimized due to the ability of forested areas to absorb water and release them slowly. Salmon will return in abundant numbers, providing (as they once did) a staple food for local inhabitants. The buffer will also filter pollutants going into the river, which in turn will reduce the level of pollution in the bay. The reduction of evaporation due to the tree cover will also raise the water table in surround areas, improving farm productivity.

it is also important to protect trees that are grow on ridge tops and near the tree line. These high elevation forests affect snow pack, intercepting much of the snow and giving them a chance to evaporate or sublimate back into the atmosphere (Pilarski, 1994). They also offer protection from warm rains in the springtime that melt the snow, preventing streams and rivers from becoming rapidly inundated with snowmelt. High altitude forests also generate biomass that turns into topsoil and fertilize lower elevations.

Ecological protection and restoration does not mean that trees can’t be harvested from these areas. However, it does mean that the main focus of any human activity should be to keep the ecosystem as intact and fully functional as possible. 2. Rehabilitate Tree Plantations and Clear Cuts

After clear-cutting old growth forests, timber companies usually convert the land into monoculture tree plantations that perform a paltry fraction of the ecological services the forest previously did. When comparing a tree plantation to an ecologically intact forest, one will notice key differences. In a natural forest, one is astounded by the profusion and variety of life forms flourishing within. The temperature and humidity is also different from the outside. On most tree plantations, however, only one crop is allowed to grow, and poisons are used to suppress the growth of other species.

Instead of maximizing the amount of money-producing trees in a given area, we should adopt an ecological management strategy that takes biodiversity and the process of succession into account. If we do this, we will eventually have high quality mature trees of old growth quality, the trees that made timber companies rich in the first place. Current timber from tree plantation cannot compare to the quality of old growth timber.

We can restore the function of monoculture tree plantations by thinning and interplanting with other species. Such species should include nitrogen fixers such as alder, canopy species such as cedar and western hemlock, and understory species like salmonberry, bitter cherry, hazel, elderberry, and huckleberry.

For rehabilitating clear cuts, one should start with soil building pioneering species, such as alder, lupine, clover, and other nitrogen fixers. The goal is to quickly generative a vegetative cover over bare soil. Mulch innoculated with mycelium can also help in the soil building process (Stamets, 2005). Once pioneer species become established, the forest will be able to regenerate on its own with the help of mycelium and wildlife passing through and dispersing seeds.

Few materials can compete with the beauty and usefulness of timber. Forests were once considered a primary source of wealth, as they will be in the near future. Whatcom County is fortunate to have so many forests left. If we want this wonderful resource to be available for the countless generations after us, we must have sustainable logging practices.

In order to sustainably harvest trees for timber, one must log well below the rate of regeneration in a given area, and leave enough snags behind for soil building and wildlife habitat. The rate of regeneration can differ significantly within the same watershed. In general, trees grow slower on northern slopes, higher altitudes, and closer to the poles. South-facing hill at low elevations are more favorable for rapid tree growth. I suggest a maximum removal of 40% of the tree cover on favorable sites and a maximum removal of 20% on unfavorable sites through selective cutting. The canopy should be kept as intact as possible in order to protect the soil microbiota, provide shade for trees that require shade, and force sun-loving trees to grow straight and tall.

To prevent soil erosion and encourage water infiltration into the landscape, logging roads should be built on contour. Roads should also be minimized and sited well, to provide the most access with the least amount of cleared area. If possible, they should be permeable, and built with swales (ditches planted with vegetation) to catch runoff and allow for water infiltration.

There are also other ways to moving logs besides using heavy vehicles that require roads and fossil fuels. Schauberger has devised a logging flume with a meandering S-shape that imitates the natural form of rivers and streams. His flume also allows for injection of cold water at key points to enhance the water's ability to transport logs.

Instead of having one large saw mill serve a wide area, it will be more efficient to have many small mills located close to the places where trees are being cut. This will reduce the energy required to transport logs. Pilarski also suggests banning the export of raw logs at the state or even county level, instead only allowing the export of value-added forestry products. By processing logs locally, we can generate more money and jobs rather than exporting our wealth to other places. We can also monitor how much is being cut and provide direct feedback to foresters in the community.

Besides timber, there are many other products that can be harvested from a healthy, ecologically intact forest. We must wonder how the first peoples of Pacific Northwest were able to sustain themselves without extensive monocultural food production systems. Indeed, they relied on the biodiversity and productivity of healthy forests ecosystems, not only for food, but for a wide variety of medicinal and dye plants.

I personally harvest many edible berries and leaves from the forest. My favorites are salmonberries, thimbleberries, huckleberries, blueberries, oregon grape, miner's lettuce, and young shoots of trees. The medicinal plants I harvest account for nearly 90% of all the medicine I use on a regularly basis. These include oregon grape (digestive, antibacterial, liver detoxifier), devils club (adaptogen, blood sugar regulator), black cottonwood buds (analgesic and anti-fungal), willow bark (pain killer), Usnea (antibiotic), and turkey tail mushrooms (anti-viral, anti-tumor). The forests of the Pacific Northwest contain a veritable apothecary capable of treating a wide variety of ailments.

Perhaps the most valuable of all the non-timber products are the medicinal mushrooms found mostly in old growth forests, particularly those of the Ganoderma genus. The Chinese revere Ganoderma lucidum, or Ling Zhi (Reishi in Japanese), as a cure-all. Indeed, this mushroom contains medicinal compounds that have been shown to kill tumor cells, inhibit viruses, stimulate red blood cell and stem cell production, and improve the function of nearly every organ of the body. Close relatives of Reishi with similar properties can be found in the forests of Cascadia, including G. tsugae and G. applanatum. Large quantities of G. applanatum (commonly called Artist's Conk) can be found growing on old-growth douglas firs in the Hoh Rainforest, as well as on Mt. Baker.

It is believed by many herbalists that wildcrafted herbs and mushrooms are more potent than those grown artificially. If so, then preserving the forest for these medicinal plants and fungi will yield lasting benefits for society, especially in America, where people spend a significant amount of their income on healthcare.

Much of the Nooksack runs through agricultural landscapes. In these areas, we should encourage farmers to plant a 300 foot buffer of trees next to streams and rivers. This could include flood tolerant fruit and nut trees with appropriate root stock. Closer to the stream they can plant alders and black cottonwoods, which can be harvested for use as lumber or pulp. Farmers should be given financial incentives for planting the buffer, similar to current policies for conservation easements. The trees will also capture and filter the runoff from pesticides and fertilizers which would otherwise pollute the stream.

Instead of fences, living hedges of trees can be planted along property lines to provide privacy. They can also double as a source of food, firewood, and provide habitat for wildlife. Trees also act as a windbreak, and can significantly increase crop production by reducing the physical damage, temperature loss, soil erosion, and carbon dioxide loss caused by wind (Mollison, 2002).

Permaculture offers many ways of integrating trees and perennials into food production systems. Perhaps the most famous local example is the Bullock's Permaculture Homestead. Much of their property is planted with diverse fruit trees and perennials. As you walk through their forest of food, the biodiversity seems comparable to that of a natural forest, perhaps even greater.

Jean Pain, a forester from Provence, France, developed a system for obtaining energy by composting chipped brush and snags. Pain lived in a dry area of France plagued by wildfires. He selective cut trees and cleared brush as part of his forest management plan, which he chipped into small, sawdust-like duff. He then used this material to build huge piles of compost, with a steel drum in the middle that produced methane. The center of the pile gets up to 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit).

It took about 90 days to produce 500 cubic meters of gas, enough to keep two ovens and three burner stoves going for a year. The methane-fueled combustion engine drove a generator that produced 100 watts of electricity every hour. This charged an accumulative battery which stored the current, providing all the light needed for the household.

Hot water was generated through 200 meters of pipe buried inside the compost mound. The pipe was wrapped around the methane generator with an inlet for cold water and an outlet for hot. The heat from the decomposing mass produced 4 liters of hot water per minute heated to 60 degrees Celsius - enough to satisfy the central heating, bathroom and kitchen requirements.

Jean Pain did this with 40 tons of chipped brush, which he harvested from roughly 1 hectare of woodland. Here in the Pacific Northwest, one can harvest much more brush and still be harvesting below the rate of regeneration. Getting energy by composting wood is much more efficient than burning and generates much less carbon. The end product can then be used for gardens or for regenerating the forest.

The Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest have managed forests for millenia, keeping large portions of it at the old growth stage. Not only were they very good at sustainable forest management, they also knew how to use all the timber and non-timber products of the forest very efficiently for making everything they need in daily life. They have a great deal to teach us modern industrial humans about sustainability.

In her book, The People of Cascadia, Heidi Bohan gives detailed accounts of how the Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest utilized and revered all the different plants and animals of the forest. Western Redcedar was perhaps the most useful tree, made into fiber for clothing, baskets for holding water, dugout canoes, and planks for building houses. Yew was used for making bows due to its strength and flexibility. The bark of bitter cherry was useful for tying knots. The forest was integrated into every aspect of people's lives, the same way petroleum has now been integrated into ours. If we were to return to a more sustainable lifestyle, then the first nations people should be the first place to look for answers.

We can incorporate indigenous knowledge into our current educational system, in the same way we've included education about salmon and recycling. Careful attention should be paid to the different methods and artistic styles used by different tribes, so that the local tribe's histories and traditions are taught. Tribal elders should be invited to talk and teach at public schools. Kids would then grow up to appreciate and value a healthy forest, and the people that first lived here and took care of them.

Land tenure reform can have the greatest influence on how forests are managed. Currently, large trans-national corporations are allowed to own huge tracts of forest land in Whatcom county. These corporations are not held accountable for the long term damage they inflict on local communities, since they are only responsible for generating short term profits for shareholders. Georgia Pacific comes to mind as an example.

By giving local communities ownership over their surrounding forests, better forest management practices will naturally arise. Instead of letting the DNR and corporations control huge tracts of land, the responsibility of management should fall on people who live closest to the forest, since they have the most to gain or lose. I propose dividing the county into "forest districts", with an elected official in charge of coordinating forestry activity for each district. Private owners will need to abide by the district-specific regulations, since what they do on their land can affect other properties nearby. People who are not residents of the forest district should be heavily taxed for absentee ownership forested land.

The first step towards implementing reform would be to educate people about all the goods, services, and functions provided by the forest. There are already many people who appreciate the beauty of the woods, and want to keep them preserved. Educating people about sustainable forest management practices would then enable people with forested land, as well as county forest managers, to implement site specific plans.

On the state, national, and international level, policies already exist to guide people in sustainable forestry practices. All that's needed now is for state and local governments to adopt, implement, and enforce them.

Such political reform will be resisted and lobbied against by big timber interests. Fortunately, we are not in the late 1800's. In this age of declining fossil fuels, it will be increasingly costly to conduct large scale forestry operations that have grown dependent on heavy machinery. As their influence wanes, more economically vibrant, local businesses will be able to influence their local governments to adopt sound forestry policies.

In the meantime, we can encourage more sustainable forestry practices by supporting FSC certified products. The Forest Stewardship Council provides the following guidelines for certification:

• Prohibit conversion of forests or any other natural habitat
• Respect of international workers rights
• Respect of Human Rights with particular attention to indigenous peoples
• Prohibit the use of hazardous chemicals
• No corruption - follow all applicable laws
• Identification and appropriate management of areas that need special protection (e.g. cultural or sacred sites, habitat of endangered animals or plants)

Though they're not perfect, FSC has demonstrated that people do care about where their forestry product comes from, and that awareness is spreading.

Comprehensive Forest Management Design

I created a map overlay for my comprehensive forest management plan described above. Green areas are those under ecological protection. Orange areas are locations with favorable logging conditions, mainly south-facing slopes and flat areas. Blue areas are places with unfavorable logging conditions - north-facing slopes and sites close to a body of water. Yellow areas are designated as good for agroforestry. My plan can provide Whatcom County with food, fresh water, methane (for cooking, heating, and electricity), quality timber and non-timber products (with plenty left to export), jobs that are truly sustainable, wildlife, and more beautiful forests.