Recently, at its June 2009 meeting, the Jackson Advisory Committee (JAG) considered a proposal by the JAG Landscape Committee to make Natural Forestry the “default” for management in Jackson Forest. The introduction of their proposal, still very much in draft form and not agreed to by all members of the JAG, describes the committee’s vision:
Rockefeller Grove, Redwood National Park,
Humboldt County, CaliforniaThe Landscape Committee recommends that Natural Forestry be a primary approach to management in Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Simply put, Natural Forestry has the goal of simultaneously producing timber and fostering the forest’s development towards its natural age and structural state.
Under Natural Forestry, some portion of trees will be allowed to grow old and die as they would in an unmanaged forest. Another portion of old, large trees will continue to be cut into the indefinite future. One of the purposes of Natural Forestry is to grow many old trees so that some can be harvested without impairing the forest’s ability to provide the special habitats and character of old redwood forests.
Natural Forestry is a conceptual approach to forest management. It recognizes that we are dealing with recovering forests, and makes clear that timber production is an inherent part of the management. It does not prescribe management techniques, but does constrain management techniques to those that are compatible with the goal of fostering the return of forests to their natural age and structural state.
We envision that a wide range of silvicultural approaches will be used in Natural Forestry. Indeed, because Natural Forestry is new and knowledge of the long-term dynamics of recovering redwood forests is limited, it will be essential to apply a variety of silvicultural approaches and to do rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the results.
Natural Forestry will contribute to making Jackson Forest into a world-class research forest. People around the world want to see redwood forests restored. The combination of restoration and timber production will provide a wide scope for research and demonstration that will be of worldwide interest.
Our principles for Natural Forestry for Jackson Forest include meeting revenue and timber production requirements to ensure that Natural Forestry appropriately balances the interests of the clients of the forest and accommodates the legal mandates for the forest.
The Landscape Committee proposes that Natural Forestry be the basic management approach in all areas of the forest not specifically designated for different management, such as special concern areas, reserves, late-seral development areas, and areas designated for other silvicultural treatment in support of the research and demonstration program.
I am a member of the Landscape Committee and have participated in developing the proposal for Natural Forestry. I am excited by this approach to managing forests that need to produce revenue, either because they were purchased on borrowed funds, as are a number of non-profits forest holdings in Mendocino County, or because they need to produce revenue to cover the costs of operating them and repairing past damage, as is the case with Jackson Forest. In Natural Forestry, revenue is generated in the context of restoring the forest to its natural age and state. Timber operations are harmonized with restoration.
Some of the members of JAG still have concerns about Natural Forestry as the basic management approach at Jackson. In the coming month the Landscape Committee will be address these concerns and, hopefully, find responses that satisfy these concerns. I will keep you up to date on developments.
I would very much like to hear your thoughts, reactions, concerns about Natural Forestry. Please post a comment.
