Forest Health Monitoring • National field protocols for the Forest Health Monitoring 



Program were tested west of the Cascade crest on 13 plots in 

 Oregon and 12 plots in Washington in 1994 to establish 

 baseline forest conditions in Douglas-flr habitats. 



• Operational forest health monitoring across all habitats in 

 Oregon and Washington is scheduled to begin in 1997. 



• Other surveys and inventories are ongoing and continue 

 to provide information on disturbance agents and forest 

 conditions. 



Solutions for Forests • Thin stands to reduce competition, stress, and bark beetle 

 East of the Cascades and in, susceptibility. 



Southwest Oregon , Harvest certain species such as lodgepole pine to create a 

 mosaic of age classes across the landscape to prevent wide- 

 spread outbreaks of bark beetles. 



• Design site-specific regeneration (natural or planted) to 

 promote desired species composition and structure. 



• Keep in mind the effects that certain activities (such as 

 thinning, harvest, or replanting with certain species) will have 

 on root diseases and dwarf mistletoes. 



• Reduce forest-floor fuel to prevent destructive, stand replac- 

 ing fires. Once fuels are reduced, prescribed fire will be safer 

 and more effective. 



• Introduce prescribed fire that mimics natural, light, ground 

 fires to maintain a light fuel load and remove fire-susceptible 

 species, such as Douglas-fir and true fir, in low-elevation pine 

 stands. 



• Use fire to regenerate species such as larch or quaking aspen 

 that depend on fire or other disturbance to create appropriate 

 seedbeds or stimulate root sprouting. 



Solutions for Forests West • In forested areas, shift stands from single to multiple species 

 of the Cascades to reduce insect outbreaks and proliferation of diseases. 



Tradeoffs between maximizing timber production (traditionally 

 with even-aged, single species plantations) and minimizing 

 insect and disease damage must be examined. 



• Replant harvested or restored areas with seedlings grown 

 from local seed sources or use natural regeneration. Severity 

 of diseases such as Swiss needle cast is much less when trees 

 are adapted to the site. 



• Maintain a mosaic or mix of species and age classes, prevent- 

 ing the whole landscape from being dominated by uniform, 

 highly susceptible stands. 



