Solutions — Although the current forest con- 

 ditions are accepted as "normal" by many, we 

 believe these east-side forests are unhealthy 

 and in need of renewal and restoration. Re- 

 source managers and land owners have sev- 

 eral options for managing their forests to 

 achieve long-term forest health. Prescriptions 

 for harvest, stand improvement, riparian res- 

 toration, or wildlife enhancement can be tai- 

 lored to improve forest health and, at the same 

 time, to achieve resource management objec- 

 tives. There are a number of ways to return 

 sites to historical, or other desirable, conditions 

 to reduce their susceptibility to fire, insects, 

 pathogens, and drought: 



• Thin stands to reduce competition, stress, 

 and bark beetle susceptibility. 



• Harvest certain species such as lodgepole 

 pine to create a mosaic of age classes across 

 the landscape to prevent widespread out- 

 breaks of bark beetles. 



• Design site-specific regeneration (natural or 

 planted) to promote desired species compo- 

 sition. 



• Keep in mind the effects that various activi- 

 ties (such as thinning, harvest, or replanting 

 certain species) will have on root diseases and 

 dwarf mistletoes. 



• Reduce fuel loading to decrease destructive, 

 stand-replacing fires. Once fuels are reduced 

 to manageable amounts, prescribed fire can 

 be used more safely and effectively. 



• Introduce prescribed fire that mimics natu- 

 ral light ground fires to maintain a low fuel 

 load; remove fire-susceptible species such as 

 Douglas-fir and true fir; and use fire to re- 

 generate species such as larch or quaking 

 aspen that depend on fire or other distur- 

 bance to create appropriate seedbeds or 

 stimulate root sprouting. 



Several years after thinr)ing ar)d prescribed fire. 



The Future— 80 



