1. Forest Management and Timber Harvest Planning
Mark Hitchcock CF, MFS
Fairweather Forestry

2. Basic Questions For Forest Landowners
What are your forest management objectives?
What are the physical attributes of your land?
What are the biological characteristics of your forest?

3. Management Objectives
Income
Aesthetics
Habitat
Mixed-Use

4. Physical Attributes Soil attributes Drainage Depth Fertility
Harvest Limitations
Reforestation Limitations
Topography
Elevation
Aspect
Adjacent land use

5. Forest Characteristics
Species
Shade Tolerance
Longevity
Durability
Vigor
Disease
Insects
Crown Ratios

6. Tree Species Characteristics
Shade Tolerance
Typical Longevity
Durability
Western Hemlock
Very Tolerant
years
Intermediate
Western Redcedar
1000+ years
Very Durable
Grand Fir
Tolerant
years
Vulnerable
Douglas Fir
years
Durable
Big Leaf Maple
years
Red Alder
Intolerant
years
Black Cottonwood
Very Intolerant
years

7. Evidence of root rot infestation
Evidence of root rot infestation. Root wads appear incomplete, or “fist-like“, due to root decay.
Fallen trees are “jack-strawed” and do not appear directionally felled, as in windthrow.

8. Later evidence of bark beetle infestation
Later evidence of bark beetle infestation. The first signs of attack are pitch tubes marking where
female beetles have entered the tree. Secondary evidence is dry boring dust, similar to fine sawdust,
found in bark crevices and around the tree base.

9. Crown type classifications of trees in even-age stands
Crown type classifications of trees in even-age stands. D= dominant, C= codominant, I= intermediate, W= wolf, S= suppressed, M= mortality. The “crown ratio” is the proportion of total tree height that is occupied by live crown. In this illustration, the dominants have a 50 percent crown ratio; the wolf tree has an 80 percent crown ratio.

10. Silvicultural Systems Simplified
Cultivation of forests through comprehensive programs of stand treatments, commonly classified by reproduction method.
Even-Aged Reproduction Methods
Clearcutting
Seed-Tree
Shelterwood
Uneven-Aged Reproduction Methods
Selection

11. Stand Age = 28 Years
TPA = 397 (RA = 81)
QMD = 10.4
Uniform Thinning
TPA = 150 (RA = 0)
QMD = 12.9
Variable Thinning
TPA = 150 (RA = 20)
QMD = 12.1

12. A heavily thinned stand at age 50 – 30 years
after the first thinning. This is a highly productive
site where thinnings have reduced stand density to
a low number of large trees. The open condition
has allowed the development of understory plants.
A portion of the same stand, un-thinned, at age 50.
The stand has developed to a high density with
many smaller trees and few plants growing in the
understory because of a lack of light reaching the
ground.

13. Logging Equipment
Cable yarding systems
Ground-based yarding systems

14. A small cable yarding system equipped with a motorized, clamping carriage is commonly
employed to selectively harvest timber on steep slopes or over vulnerable soils. Use of
intermediate supports can extend yarding distances, thereby reducing the costs and impacts
of road construction.

15. Motorized carriage in action!

16. Left and right sides of the graph represent traction under the best
conditions, but soil and weather conditions may reduce gradability.

17. The typical rubber-tired skidder will provide very
economical yarding in a variety of silviculture
prescriptions. The use of a cable winch and chokers,
as shown in this picture, increases machine versatility
and reduces soil compaction compared with using the
same machine equipped with a grapple.
A crawler tractor is among the most versatile of
machines. When equipped with winch and chokers or
a grapple, as shown in this picture, it can be used for
yarding. Wide, low ground pressure tracks reduce soil
compaction.

18. A method of commercial thinning now
common is the use of a harvester-forwarder
combination in what is called a cut-to-length
system. The harvester moves through the
stand felling, delimbing, bucking, and
bunching trees selected for harvest;
meanwhile a forwarder loads and moves
these processed logs to the truck road where
it then unloads and sorts the logs into decks
for log truck pickup.

19. Roads, Landings, and Skid Trails
Avoid Wetlands and Drainages
Locate Skid Trails To Minimize Impacts
Plan to Recycle Skid Trails
Protect Leave Trees

20. Ground disturbance comparison between designated skid trails and random
skid trails. In this example, random skid trails result in about 25% more
ground disturbance that designated skid trails.

21. A rub tree is left intentionally to protect selected leave trees during harvest operations.
Rub trees should be removed, from back to front, after all other logs have been removed.

22. Tree Selection
Form
Vigor
Crown Ratios
Spacing
Wildlife Trees

23. Height/Diameter Ratio
Intolerant species -  Less than or equal to 85
Tolerant species - Less than or equal to 95

24. The gradual decay of wildlife reserve trees into snags.

25. Tree and Boundary Marking
Clearly Mark Boundaries
Property Line Survey
Tree Marking

26. Harvest Timing Dry Soil Conditions to Minimize Compaction
Avoid Spring Sap Flow (mid-March to mid-June) to Minimize Bark Slippage

27. Graphics, Tables, and Pictures Shamelessly Borrowed From:
Useful Web Sites
Washington State University Cooperative Extension
Oregon State University Extension
USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station
Graphics, Tables, and Pictures Shamelessly Borrowed From:
Creighton, J.H. and D.M. Baumgartner Wildlife ecology and forest habitat. EC1866, WSU Cooperative Extension, Pullman, WA
Duncan, S Volume, value, and thinning: logs for the future. Science Findings Issue 48, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Garland, J.J Designated skid trails minimize soil compaction. EC1110, OSU Extension Service, Corvallis, OR.
Greulich, F.R., D.P. Hanley, J.F. McNeel, and D.M. Baumgartner A primer for timber harvesting. EB1316, WSU Cooperative Extension, Pullman, WA.
Schlosser, W., D.M. Baumgartner, D.P. Hanley, S. Gibbs, and V. Corraro Managing your timber sale. EB1818, WSU Cooperative Extension, Pullman, WA.
Stathers, R.J., T.P. Rollerson, and S.J. Mitchell Windthrow handbook for British Columbia forests. Working Paper 9401, British Columbia Ministry of Forestry, Victoria, B.C.