Originally published in Trout Mountain Forestry’s Spring/Summer 2019 newsletter
We now understand that climate change means we can expect more severe weather, be it in the form of wind, rain, snow, ice, or drought. This February a “100-year storm” dropped 2 feet or more of heavy wet snow in parts of Lane and Douglas Counties that toppled extensive swaths of timber. Many forest management plans went right out the window, that is unless the owners had given thought ahead of time to how they might address catastrophic events.
A “Natural” Disturbance?
When your timber is damaged by wind, snow, or fire how will you respond? Western forests are adapted to all types of weather, and native forests have in fact been shaped by what foresters call natural disturbance regimes — the characteristic natural forces that shape stand structure. Think frequent low-intensity fire in the intermountain west, or gap creation from high wind gusts at the Coast. We can anticipate that certain natural forces are a regular part of any particular forest region. However, extreme events of any sort can wreak havoc, and chances are such damage will be rapid, unpredicted, and widespread — you will not be the only one considering salvage.
To Salvage or Not to Salvage?
When a natural disaster strikes loggers will immediately be in high demand, log prices may drop, and timber quality may quickly deteriorate —time is of the essence! You have only a few years before down trees dry out, crack, and become infested with insects or decay. Value quickly declines and logs become unmarketable. With Douglas-fir, this takes 2-3 years, less for true firs, alder, and young trees. Logging costs for salvage are higher than for a typical harvest and may exceed the value of the down timber. A rule of thumb is that 100 MBF is needed for salvage to be economical — or a truck-load of sawlogs per acre or more over 20 acres. Smaller sawlogs and pulpwood are often not economical to recover. The higher costs of cable yarding make the economics even more difficult on steep ground. Industrial timber owners will often choose to cut their losses (no pun intended) and clearcut and regenerate any significantly damaged stands. Recognize that loggers may not be available for small or complicated projects.
Balancing Values
Weather damage can amount to “nature’s thinning”, improving growing space, creating snags, and contributing down wood and other biological values. Timber value lost may be balanced by habitat gains received for free. Of course, too much down wood may increase fire hazards, lead to damaging insect activity, and contribute to erosion by blocking ditches or culverts. The amount, distribution, location, and species of damaged timber all need to be factored into the equation.
Preventative Measures
It’s rarely possible to anticipate extreme weather events, but there are things you can do to build resilience into your forest. Encourage more drought-tolerant species on marginal sites. Thin stands early to maintain tree vigor, build stable tree form, and create wind-firm stands over time. Maintain a variety of age classes of trees to help to reduce the risk that your entire property is impacted by any particular disturbance.
Funding Assistance
Federal or State agencies may offer emergency assistance, but in most cases, these are unlikely to be of much help for your forest. However, there may be assistance for repairs to critical infrastructure like roads and livestock fencing, or for fire risk abatement. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) provide Federal cost-share programs, targeting local needs at the county level. Check with your county offices to see what programs are available in your area.
It is too early to tell what the “new normal” in regional weather will be – new occurrences of extreme weather seem to occur every year. But it’s not too soon to start planning for how to you might respond to future catastrophic events.
Addition 2/18/2021 - Storm Damage information from the Oregon State University Extension office’s “Tree Topics” blog