United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

Forest 

Service 

Northern 

Region 

200 East Broadway 

P.O. Box 7669 

Missoula, MT 59807 

Numbered Report 06-09 November 2006

Jerry Johnson Campground Restoration Project 

Monitoring Report, September 2006 

Susan K. Hagle, PhD, Plant Pathologist, 

USDA Forest Service, Northern Region 

Introduction 

Jerry Johnson Campground on the Clearwater 

National Forest (NF) was clearcut in the early 

spring of 2004 to allow the site to be re-opened 

for public use. Root disease and stem decay in 

the predominantly grand fir and Douglas-fir 

stand made this action necessary. Restoration of 

white pine and western larch by grand fir and 

Douglas-fir tree removal, site preparation, and 

planting was funded, in part, using Prevention, 

Suppression and Restoration (PSR) funds 

provided by Forest Health Protection (FHP). 

History

Jerry Johnson Campground is located on Idaho 

State Highway 12 in the wild and scenic river 

corridor between the-Idaho Montana border and 

the confluence of Lochsa and Selway Rivers 

(approximately 75 miles upriver from Kooskia, 

Idaho). It is a historic use campground that was 

expanded and renovated just prior to the decision 

to clearcut. 

I first visited the campground in August of 2003. 

Root disease in both tree species, primarily 

caused by Heterobasidion annosum, and stem 

decay in grand fir caused by Echinodontium 

tinctorium were found throughout the 

campground. In the past the site has required 

several large scale hazard tree removals in an 

attempt to make the campground safer for 

visitors. 

A formal hazard tree survey was completed in 

September 2003 to identify and rank hazard trees 

according to their relative hazard (Hagle and 

others 2004). Despite a large hazard tree 

removal project here the previous year, 169 

additional trees (including 24 dead) were 

recommended for removal. Annual reassessment 

and, probably, tree removal was considered 

necessary to ensure minimal user safety in Jerry

Figure 1. Jerry Johnson Campground in 2004 after tree 

removal. 
2 

Table 1. Trees present in campground before (fall 2003) and after 

treatment (spring 2006). 

Present before clearcut harvest Present after 

regeneration 

Species Total Dead Average 

d.b.h. 

Reserved 

trees 

Planted 

seedlings 

Douglas-fir 75 7 20.9 6 

Grand fir 746 16 18.6 22 

Lodgepole pine 17 2 14.8 18 

Ponderosa pine 4 0 30.5 4 2400 

Engelmann Spruce 1 0 8.5 1 50 

Western white pine 2550 

Western larch 2550 

All species 843 25 51 7550 

Johnson Campground. We recommended 

development of a vegetation management plan 

that would include regeneration of root disease 

resistant tree species. That plan ultimately 

selected clearcut harvesting an immediate 

regeneration with root disease resistant trees and 

shrubs. 

Harvest on 13 acres was completed in spring of 

2004 and planting started spring 2004 and 

continued through spring of 2005 (Table 1). 

Stand tending to was necessary because of the 

unusually dry conditions, and to reduce ungulate 

browsing.

Tree Removal 

Approximately $20,000 of the $36,000 provided 

from PSR funds was spent on tree removal from 

the 13 acre campground. The remote location 

combined with high rates of cull and low market 

values resulted in a high net cost to the Forest. 

Protection of campground improvement and site 

preparation requirements increased the direct 

operator costs as well as overhead costs for the 

contract administrator (Dean Roach) and 

silviculture specialists (Bill Wulff, Wes Paulson 

and John Weston). PSR funds paid a portion of 

these costs. 

Tree Planting and Tending 

The remaining $16,000 was used to establish a 

seedling stand of root disease resistant species. 

Planting and tending costs included purchase of 

conifer seedlings from the Coeur d’Alene 

nursery and contracted planting, seedling 

protection, fertilization, and monitoring. 

In the spring of 2004, 13 acres were planted with 

a mix of ponderosa pine, western white pine and 

western larch seedlings on 7 by 8 foot spacing. 

The density, after accounting for un-plantable 

area (road and parking areas), was about 550 

Figure 2. Engelmann spruce seedling. 
3 

trees/acre. Ungulate (deer, elk and moose) 

repellent was to reduce browsing damage. The 

survival exam in fall of 2004 showed 450 

trees/acre (80% survival); Ponderosa pine had 

the best survival rate. 

The stand was fertilized in 2005 with 20 

pounds/acre fertilizer (15-15-15) to stimulate 

growth of shrubs to improve aesthetics. This 

appeared to have been successful and was 

recommended as repeat treatment in 2006 and 

2007. 

In June of 2005, another 300 trees, a mixture of 

ponderosa pine and western larch were added to 

the site. A walk-through exam in March of 2006 

found significant browse damage and big-game 

repellant was again applied in April. This was a 

late planting and the condition of the trees was 

poor so survival may have been low. The 

survival exam in May of 2006 found 450 planted 

seedlings per acre. 

Conclusions 

Jerry Johnson Campground is well on the road to 

recovery. The species mixture in now has can be 

expected to thrive for at least a century on this 

site with maintenance. Mortality has continued 

to occur around the perimeter of the campground 

and should be monitored to assure that these 

trees do not become hazards to campsites near 

the perimeter (Figure 3). 

Thinning 

As natural regeneration of grand fir and Douglasfir increases stand density, thinning will be 

desirable to prevent over-crowding. Western 

larch and ponderosa pine are particularly 

sensitive to lateral competition. It is important to 

prevent the species composition reverting to root 

disease susceptible species. If Douglas-fir and 

grand fir are allowed to grow large enough to 

become hazardous, the investment in tree 

removal will be necessary again. These species 

can be safely used as screening when they are 

small but should be removed before they are 

large enough to become hazards. Root 

pathogens will remain on this site and infect any 

grand fir or Douglas-fir growing there but 

typically will not be very obvious until the host 

trees are about 40 years of age or more. A few 

trees of other species can be expected to die from 

root disease when they are young but damage is 

expected to be slight in species other then grand 

fir and Douglas-fir. 

White pine blister rust 

Western white pine should be monitored for 

presence of white pine blister rust cankers. 

Branch pruning is recommended by age 15 or 

sooner, depending on evidence of branch 

infections. Pruning will prevent most infections 

from reaching the stem, thereby prevent most 

mortality. Although many of the trees can be 

expected to resist infection by blister rust, 

infections are likely to occur and, in the 

campground setting, management can greatly 

improve survival. 

Report Cited: 

Hagle, S. K., K. Perry, R. Wiles. 2004. Jerry 

Johnson Campground hazard tree 

evaluation, September 2003. USDA 

Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, 

Northern Region, Report 03-10. 14 P

Figure 3. Mortality in campground perimeter in 2005