“Sustainable” vs. “Conservation-based” Forestry

Mike — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:58:37 +0000

What does sustainable forestry mean today? The term has been used for centuries and its meaning has continually evolved. Much of its history is rooted in the concept of ‘sustained-yield’ and the long-term prospects of a reliable timber supply. It is often still used in that context, but the past several decades have seen a much greater emphasis on sustaining the environment and communities as well. The recent marketing buzz around sustainability in (all sorts of industries) muddles the picture. It’s hard to know when it’s meaningful and when it’s “green-washing.”

I admit I often say we practice sustainable forestry, but I prefer the term ‘conservation-based’ forestry. To me, it better captures our ethic and what we do on the ground. Nowadays, it seems more meaningful to identify with conservation, than with sustainability. Our forestry practices are carried out in the spirit of the conservation movement, which seeks not only a sustained yield of natural resources, but also the preservation of soil, water, wildlife, fisheries, and biodiversity. For example, this means we’re growing older, mixed-species forests, identifying trees for wildlife habitat, creating snags, leaving downed woody debris, controlling invasive species, and restoring rare oak habitats.

What are your thoughts? Which concept means more to you?

Mixed Douglas-fir/Grand fir stand near Hagg Lake thinned by Barry and Mike in the Spring of 2011

Welcome to the Trout Mountain blog!

Mike — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:43:53 +0000

Greetings friends and colleagues! Welcome to Trout Mountain Forestry’s blog. We will update the blog at least monthly to share stories and pictures about our projects or to start or continue conversations about forestry and maybe other things that interest us…

Please feel free to comment on any of our posts and start a conversation, we’d love to hear your feedback and ideas.

Stay tuned for our next post! We’ll be contemplating the meaning of sustainable forestry in modern-day society and hopefully sparking an interesting discussion.

: Beautiful late fall day at Camp Arrowhead, WA.