OF THE

PACIFIC

NORTHWEST

RESEARCH

STATION

Science Accomplishments Science Accomplishments

2003
Contents Contents

2 STATION DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

3 PNW RESEARCH STATION: THE SETTING

4 GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

4 GOAL 1: DEVELOP A FUNDAMENTAL

UNDERSTANDING OF ECOLOGICAL, SOCIAL,

AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND THEIR

INTERACTIONS

22 GOAL 2: ASSESS THE STATUS AND TRENDS OF

ECOSYSTEMS AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND

THEIR USES

30 GOAL 3: DEVELOP SCIENCE-BASED OPTIONS

FOR INFORMED MANAGEMENT

53 GOAL 4: COMMUNICATE SCIENCE FINDINGS AND

ENHANCE THEIR APPLICATION

69 HONORS AND AWARDS

71 FINANCES AND WORKFORCE

72 COOPERATORS WHO RECEIVE FUNDING

73 CLIENTS WHO PROVIDE FUNDING

74 PNW RESEARCH STATION ORGANIZATION

MARCH 2004
Vision and Mission Vision and Mission

We are highly sought for our scientific

leadership and impartial knowledge.

Our mission is to generate and

communicate scientific knowledge

that helps people understand and make 

informed choices about people, natural

resources, and the environment.
T oday, as in the past, complex forces of nature intersect

with communities and society. Fire, climate change, 

invasive species, and large-scale shifts in forest cover 

and use are some of the key issues society currently faces. 

This accomplishment report encapsulates a year’s work from our

scientists. This work is often interdisciplinary, long term, geographically broad, and policy oriented. And most of all, we strive to

make it relevant to the issues of today as we build a foundation 

for addressing issues of the future.

A sample of science findings found in this publication:

• The BlueSky smoke modeling framework predicts smoke 

impacts from wild and prescribed fires.

• The BioSum computer model evaluates an area’s potential 

to supply wood for wood processing plants—a consideration

in reducing hazardous fuels.

• Forest products consumption is projected to rise by 42 

percent by 2050 in the United States.

• Pacific coastal old-growth forests are more diverse than 

previously thought; today’s old growth developed along 

multiple pathways.

• The Alaska Wood Utilization Research and Development 

Center is finding ways for Alaska sawmills to add new 

value-added products and find new markets for them.

Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Station Director’s Message

Our business is quality science. We recognize that generating 

information is not enough. Beyond generating excellent science, 

we must communicate and deliver the resulting information and

products. This year we shared our information with tens of thousands of people through our Web sites, Science Findings, Science

Updates, scientific journal articles, and technical publications. Our

scientists and professionals have made presentations, conducted

workshops, and provided training throughout the Pacific Northwest,

United States, and World. We have met regularly with resource

managers and policymakers as we continue the often difficult work

of incorporating science into decisionmaking.

I am fortunate to work with people who are very dedicated to 

their professions. This includes PNW Research Station employees

and our many cooperators, clients, and partners. I am honored to

be among you and look forward to future work together.

Thomas M. Quigley

Station Director

Thomas M. Quigley

Station Director’s Message

2
2003 P N W Research Station: The Setting Pacific Northwest Research Station 3

P N W Research Station: The Setting

• 10 laboratories in Alaska, Oregon,

and Washington

• 10 active experimental areas 

(watershed, range, and experimental forests)

• Research also conducted in more 

than 20 research natural areas 

(RNAs)

• Headquarters in Portland, 

Oregon

• PNW is 1 of 6 research stations in 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service

• 549 employees (288 permanent, 

261 temporary)
4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1

Goal Accomplishments

Goal 1: Develop a Fundamental Understanding of Ecological, Social, and Economic Systems 

and Their Interactions

• Genetic analysis shows that fisher 

populations in Oregon are the result 

of introductions from Minnesota and

British Columbia and are isolated 

from California fisher populations.

Historically, gene flow occurred

between fisher populations in British

Columbia and those in the Pacific

States, but the populations are now

isolated.

• Marbled murrelet populations are

affected by habitat quality, fragmentation, and predation of nests. In

Washington, a broad array of predators, including at least 10 bird and

mammal species, attempted to prey

on decoy murrelet eggs and chicks.

Predation rates are higher near forest

edges when the surrounding area 

contains human settlements and 

recreation sites, but not when the 

area is dominated by regenerating

forests.

• In the nearly 25 years since the Mount

St. Helens volcanic eruption in 1980,

ground-dwelling beetle communities

have shown successional changes as

the volcanically disturbed sites changed.

• Natural disturbances throughout the

watershed may have important influences on productivity and diversity in

streams. Small headwater streams may

be important sources of large wood in

watersheds where mass movements,

such as debris flows and landslides, 

are important natural processes.

• In southeast Alaska, small headwater

streams with gradients >20 percent

are used by resident and anadromous

juvenile salmon and trout. Headwater

tributaries compose a large proportion of most watersheds in southeast

Alaska, and all these headwater

streams combined may make a large

contribution to the fish community.

• The northern flying squirrel serves 

as a model for understanding conservation genetics and ecosystem roles

across wide geographical areas. In

Washington, flying squirrel populations may become genetically isolated

if open spaces interrupt forest cover.

Complex forests may help promote

permeability of managed landscapes,

thus maintaining gene flow.

Key Findings:

Beetle succession has been related 

to changes in soil, organic litter, and

plant communities. The beetle communities serve as a good barometer

for measuring ecological condition of

a site and as an index of biological

impairment.

• Elk, mule deer, and domestic cattle

have different foraging ecologies. The

three species select and use habitats

differently and also strongly partition

their use of habitats, particularly by

elevation, slope steepness, and logging

pattern. The three species also have

different forage preferences, each

species with a distinctive dietary niche.

• Historical fire occurrence and extent

are correlated with climatic variables

at time scales ranging from annual 

to multidecadal in the inland Pacific

Northwest. In five eastern Washington watersheds, the area burned was

positively correlated with current-year

drought but not correlated with wet

or dry conditions in previous years.

Variability in area burned also showed

cyclical patterns consistent with the 4-

to 8-year cycles of the El Niño southern
2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 5

oscillation and the 20- to 40-year

cycles of the Pacific decadal 

oscillation.

• Old-growth forests are regionally

more diverse in both their structures

and development than previously

thought. The diversity is a result of

regional differences in climate history,

fire history, site productivity, and

species composition. Today’s oldgrowth forests developed along 

multiple pathways.

• Universal rules govern how tree roots

use and redistribute water, regardless

of vegetation type or other site-specific characteristics. Redistribution of

soil water from deep to shallow roots

plays a key role in diminishing the

effects of summer drought on shallow

roots.

• Coarse woody debris can be used to

help predict the presence of western

hemlock saplings in west-side stands.

Management practices that increase

the amount of coarse woody debris 

in forest stands should be considered 

as potentially beneficial to hemlock

establishment.

Tom Iraci
Healthy rivers 

are not only 

resilient to 

disturbances but 

in fact are adapted 

to these events. The

dynamic view 

moves the focus 

for planners to 

restoring natural

watershed patterns.

Accomplishments

Finding on upslope sources of large wood leads to

“out-of-channel” perspective on stream restoration 

projects

Each river ecosystem has a character shaped by a unique combination of geology, climate, biology, and history. General principles

hold true across watersheds, but generalized prescriptions are likely

to fail. One general principle in watershed science is that rivers are

dynamic, and healthy rivers are not only resilient to disturbances

but in fact are adapted to these events. Restoration projects that

treat streams as unchanging systems, such as projects that hardwire

large wood in streams, often fail or have limited success.

A scientific perspective thinks “out of the channel.” This perspective views streams as dynamic systems intricately connected with

watersheds and changing over decades or centuries. The dynamic

view moves the focus to restoring stream processes, such as growing large trees that will eventually reach streams instead of engineering large wood into place.

The dynamic view also recognizes the role of disturbances throughout the watershed in restoring productivity and diversity to streams.

For example, many previous studies have recognized only streamside sources of large wood in streams and missed the importance

of upslope wood sources. In a pristine watershed in coastal Oregon,

however, scientists found that wood from outside the streamside

zone composed about 65 percent of the total number of pieces, and

46 percent of the total volume, of large wood. Large wood pieces

from upslope areas totaled, on average, about one-third the volume

of large wood from streamside sources.

6 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 

Healthy rivers are dynamic systems intricately connected with their watersheds. 

The Rogue River, shown here, is in southwest Oregon.

Although natural disturbances are important sources of habitat

diversity in watersheds, people’s land uses often change the frequency and characteristics of disturbances. For example, infrequent

forest fires and natural forest recovery are replaced by timber harvest and managed forests. These new, human-shaped disturbance

patterns can homogenize streams instead of creating diversity.

People can change their management practices, however, with the

aim of restoring closer-to-natural disturbance patterns. For example,

it is known that headwater streams are major sources of large wood

from upslope in watersheds where debris flows and landslides are

important natural processes, such as many west-side Oregon and

Washington watersheds. Planners could manage forests so that

when landslides and debris flows do occur in headwater streams,

Tom Iraci
depends on the ability of resource specialists to (1) determine the functions of

wood in target stream reaches and (2) evaluate the role of large wood relative 

to other factors affecting biological diversity.

This review helps to provide a sound scientific basis for (1) evaluating the

importance of large wood to aquatic and riparian ecosystems, (2) planning

projects to restore streams from past land use impacts, and (3) mitigating effects

of current and future land use activities.

Contacts: Peter A. Bisson, pbisson@fs.fed.us; Steven M.Wondzell, swondzell@fs.fed.us; Gordon H. Reeves,

greeves@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Stream water temperatures are strongly 

influenced by upstream factors

Cool water is important for healthy, productive streams in the Pacific Northwest,

and especially important for native salmon and trout. Warm water in streams

is often attributed to hot air near streams, but no cause-effect relationship has

actually been established between the two. New research demonstrates that

although direct sunlight and hot weather do influence both air and stream temperatures, the local air temperature is only one factor, and not the most important one, affecting stream temperatures. In fact, conditions upstream, perhaps

far removed, and the length of time that water spends in these various conditions,

can have considerable effect on downstream water temperatures. This finding

has significance both for projects that aim to lower warm water temperatures

and for proposed management actions that may affect streams.

Contact: Sherri Johnson, sherrijohnson@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Landforms in watersheds can control the nitrogen regime in streams

Nitrogen is a key nutrient in ecosystems, and the supply or loss of nitrogen

affects plant growth and food webs. Denitrification is the conversion of nitrates

to nitrogen gas, a process that removes nitrogen from soil or water and releases

it to the atmosphere. New research shows that denitrification in the soils of

dominant landforms can control the input of inorganic nitrogen to streams. 

they include large wood and rocks, the building materials of complex waterways downstream. Many landslides stop short of reaching streams, and scientists have developed a new computer model that managers can use to identify

the headwater streams most likely to deliver slide material all the way to streams.

Stream restoration is most likely to be successful, then, if people use both general

scientific principles and detailed knowledge of individual streams, and if they

plan projects mindful of both the stream’s processes and connections with its

watershed.

Contacts: Gordon H. Reeves, greeves@fs.fed.us, and Kelly M. Burnett, kmburnett@fs.fed.us,

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partner for restoration principles: Southern Research Station

Restoring large wood to streams is most successful 

when done in ecosystem management context

Over the last three decades scientific findings about wood in Western rivers

have led to several important management trends. Today, managers view wood

restoration more as a component of ecosystem management rather than as a

simple, stand-alone mitigation tool. The trend is moving away from using “hard”

engineering approaches to anchor wood in streams toward using “soft” placement techniques that allow some wood movement. Now wood is being placed

in locations where the stream channel and hydraulics favor stability and wood

would be likely to accumulate naturally. Restoration plans for wood in streams

include landscape analysis and may emphasize recruiting trees from natural

sources through channel migration, windthrow, and landslides, instead of 

engineering log placement.

Although large wood is generally thought to be critical for healthy streams, a 

literature review found that many studies show large wood not affecting aquatic

biodiversity. A number of factors, not just the wood itself, determine patterns of

aquatic biodiversity. Large wood is important, but just placing large wood in

streams will not restore habitat; the total effects of all the other factors must be

considered to have successful restoration. The success of wood restoration projects

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 7
A positive relation was found between the level of organic matter

and denitrification, pointing to the presence of organic carbon as

possibly a major control on the process of converting nitrates into

nitrogen gas. Nitrate availability was also an important potential

control on denitrification. The findings suggest that large-scale features in watersheds, plus the factors just mentioned, can control the

nutrient regime in streams, allowing nitrogen in soils either to reach

streams or not.

Other researchers have found that watersheds with salmon streams

often have more nitrogen than watersheds with no salmon in their

streams. This study found, however, that riparian soils along

salmon spawning streams had a higher denitrification potential

than soils along streams without salmon. The inherent differences

between salmon and nonsalmon streams, based on the landforms

and other factors, suggest that caution be used in estimating the

amount of nitrogen that returning salmon bring into watersheds.

Contact: Richard T. Edwards, rtedwards@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Relationships found between aboveground stream 

features and subsurface water

Surface stream water moves down into the region below the streambed, banks, and floodplain, an area known as the hyporheic zone,

and this water upwells back into the channel, perhaps exchanging

many times over the length of the stream. Scientists have long

known that as the water moves between aboveground and belowground flows, oxygen and nutrients are exchanged, stream life is

affected, and water temperature is influenced. But they have known

little about how hyporheic zones change in relation to aboveground stream characteristics.

By using nontoxic tracer dye studies and computer models, scientists have documented how the size and shape of stream features

8 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 

An inert red dye is used to trace the movement of subsurface (hyporheic) water into and

out of Lookout Creek, Cascade Range, Oregon.

Steve Wondzell

can influence the extent, flow paths, and water residence time in the

hyporheic zone. Pool-step sequences, pool-riffle sequences, channel

sinuosity, and other channel features all influence hyporheic water. 
removals are controversial, however, because large wood is needed in streams

for habitat recovery.

In the eastern Sierra Nevada Range, scientists found that the effects of large

wood in streams after fires differed, depending on fire intensity in the watershed, width of the stream channel itself, and size of the wood pieces. If only a

few long logs are in the stream (defined as length equal to the stream’s width),

the wood may pose little downstream danger in floods. One year after a wildfire, streams had less woody debris and logjams, not more. For the stream

reaches studied, postfire debris jams and related damage did not seem to be 

a problem. Results are still short term at this point.

Contact: David Azuma, dazuma@fs.fed.us, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partner: Pacific Southwest Research Station

Young salmon do use steep headwater streams 

in southeast Alaska watersheds

In southeast Alaska, small headwater streams with gradients greater than 20 percent have not been recognized as habitat for young anadromous fish. However,

The research demonstrates that models can be used to quantify both amounts

and residence times of hyporheic water, neither of which can be determined

with other common methods. The OTIS model matches short-term residence

times well, but the STAMMT-L model was more accurate for long-term residence times. These findings may be useful for understanding management

effects on streams and hyporheic zones and for choosing the best model to

analyze specific questions for individual streams.

Contact: Steven M.Wondzell, swondzell@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Deep pools in streams are shaped by landscape, not by logjams alone

High-quality stream habitat includes deep pools for fish and other stream

life. In Pacific coastal forests, most deep pools in streams are formed and

maintained by hydraulic forces created when water meets instream obstructions, such as large logs or boulders, or rocky banks resistant to erosion. The

number, size, and shape of pools are, therefore, largely controlled by characteristics of these flow obstructions. But other important controls include

stream geology, steepness, channel shape, streambed material, and streambank vegetation.

Stream restoration work is often designed to create or improve pools. Projects

that only restore roughness, such as putting in wood or boulders to create

pools, may fail if the other influences on pools are not considered.

Contact: Richard D.Woodsmith, rwoodsmith@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Postfire wood in streams causes few short-term problems 

in the eastern Sierra Nevada Range

After large fires, stream runoff can increase considerably for the next few years,

with more frequent downstream flooding. Postfire rehabilitation work has often

included removing wood from streams to reduce damage done by logs carried

downstream by floods, and also on the assumption that fire-killed trees drop

into streams and thus accumulate in excessive amounts after fires. The wood

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 9

In southeast Alaska, some salmon species do use steep headwater stream reaches for certain life stages.

Tom Iraci
Landscape 

patterns of boreal

spruce forests 

developed from 

intertwined 

relationships 

among fire, 

permafrost, and 

vegetation.

scientists found juvenile salmon living in these steep headwater

stream reaches. Young Dolly Varden were the most abundant in

these steep reaches, but young coho salmon (up to the age of 1+

years) also were found in reaches with gradients up to 10 percent.

Most fish movement up and down southeast Alaska streams

occurred during fall and spring peak flows. Steelhead moved into

the steep headwater streams during the fall and were still present

in the spring. Anadromous Dolly Varden spawned in the uppermost reaches to which they could swim, jump, and fight their way.

Although most fish movements were less than 1,000 feet up- or

downstream, some fish moved more than half a mile (not counting

migratory movement).

Because headwater streams are a large part of the stream networks

in most southeast Alaska watersheds, their total contribution as

fish habitat may be significant—if fish passage is not blocked. For

salmon to use all possible habitat in a watershed, stream crossings

under roads would have to be navigable for young salmon.

Contacts: Mason D. Bryant, mdbryant@fs.fed.us; Brenda E.Wright,

bwright01@fs.fed.us, Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Rare North American wetland type is found 

in southeast Alaska

The 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest is 30 percent wetlands,

most of which are low-productivity bogs, poor fens, and forested

wetlands. But scientists have recently found calcium-rich fens in

areas downslope from limestone or marble ridges on northern

Chichagof Island. Calcium-rich fens are the rarest of all North

American wetland types and had not previously been found in

southeast Alaska.

The groundwater in these calcareous fens is much less acidic and

much higher in calcium and magnesium than water in most southeast Alaska wetlands, and the fens support abundant vegetation

such as Sitka sedge, Barclay willow, and red-osier dogwood.

Mountain bladderfern, a plant that grows only in calcium-rich

soils, was found. Some plants found, such as thinleaf cottonsedge

and arctic yellow violet, were at the southern limits of their ranges.

The scientists noticed casual evidence of extensive use by brown

bears, wolves, and Sitka black-tailed deer, including well-worn

trails, crushed vegetation, and scat.

Contact: Mike McClellan, mmcclellan@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Alaska Region, University of Alaska

Fire and frost play key roles in black spruce landscape

mosaic and carbon budget

The boreal forest—the northernmost forest of North America,

Europe, and Asia—is the second largest biome on Earth and stores

about 30 percent of the world’s terrestrial carbon. With carbon 

storage in forests now a strategy for dealing with climate change,

10 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1

Caribou survive in a dynamic environment, where fire and frost 

create a mosaic of changing forests and open spaces.

Mike McClellan
Scientists modeled the intricate relations among forests, permafrost, fire, and

abiotic factors, and they also included the effects of climate changes on spruce

forests. These results are used in computer model projections of how Alaska

spruce forests would store or release carbon under different climate scenarios.

This research lays the groundwork for further work on fire, permafrost melting,

forest change, and carbon budgets in the Alaska boreal forest, and what role

these forests play in global carbon budgets.

Contact: Teresa Hollingsworth, thollingsworth@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Soil nutrient chemistry and temperature are implicated 

in yellow-cedar decline

Alaskans appreciate yellow-cedar (or Alaska-cedar) for its ecological, social, 

and economic values. But this valuable tree species is dying across hundreds of

thousands of acres in southeastern Alaska, mostly on water-saturated soils, and

cedar decline is drastically changing the forest dynamics. Yet the cause of death

is so far unknown.

Station scientists have shown that the yellow-cedar decline is not caused by

management or biological agents, eliminating two possible causes. Now they

are investigating other possibilities. Recent preliminary findings indicate that

calcium has been depleted in the surface soils of dying cedar stands. There are

also indications that soil temperature variations at low-elevation sites may lead

to frost damage of roots or foliage, or both. Although the mechanism of death is

still unknown, the latest research has provided evidence that soil nutrient chemistry and temperature are two of the factors related to yellow-cedar decline.

Contact: Dave D’Amore, ddamore@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Managing Disturbance Regimes Program, Aquatic and Land Interactions Program,

USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry

Scientists improve understanding of soil carbon storage and transport

The storage and transport of soil carbon is of great interest because of its critical

role in land and water ecosystems. Scientists also study carbon storage and

release from soils to better understand the global carbon cycle and climate

remote forests in the land of permafrost and northern lights have been drawn

into the global issue of climate change. Yet little was known about the dynamics

and carbon fluxes of boreal forests until recently.

In interior Alaska, black spruce dominates the boreal forest. By using Landsat,

scientists classified the spruce stands into three categories: wet/cold sites,

which are the typical black spruce sites; dry/warm sites, which are less common

and characteristically dominated by white spruce; and an intermediate class.

The scientists found that the landscape patterns of these types developed not

just from elevation, slope, aspect, and other stable abiotic factors, but from

intertwined relationships among fire, permafrost, and vegetation. Fires can

melt permafrost, releasing carbon stored in the frozen soil layer as well as 

carbon stored in trees. Once permafrost melts, many years can pass before a

black spruce forest occupies the site again and shade from the spruce trees

allows permafrost to form again.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 11

Tom Iraci

Native Alaskan master carver David Boxley shapes a totem pole from a yellow-cedar log in

Ketchikan, Alaska.
Forest 

managers 

can use the 

new model 

to predict 

likely murrelet 

habitat and 

survival.

change. In southeast Alaska, studies in forested wetlands show

that organic material in these soils decomposes much more slowly

than reported in earlier soil surveys. Differences are sharp enough

that a new classification subgroup of organic soils is needed for the

region. The data are also being used to refine carbon-storage values

for organic soils. The findings have led to new research on carbon

movement from these wetland soils into streams. Wetlands provide

more dissolved organic carbon than upslope areas and may be a crucial factor controlling stream nutrient balance in many watersheds.

Contact: Dave D’Amore, ddamore@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Partners: Aquatic and Land Interactions Program, University of Alaska

Northern flying squirrel is case study 

for conservation genetics

Forest management is producing simplified forests in many places.

In Washington, northern flying squirrels were studied to evaluate

the effects of forest management on genetic diversity within a species,

which is critical to long-term species survival. Flying squirrels in a

highly fragmented forest had markedly lower genetic variation, a

reduced gene pool, and less variety in genetic form than did squirrels

within more continuous forests with few physical barriers to flying

squirrel travel.

The study shows that genetic analysis can be used to evaluate the

effects of forest fragmentation on animal populations. Research on

flying squirrels—selected for their complex food web relationships

that indicate overall ecosystem productivity—may lead to new 

forest management strategies, particularly in areas of mixed ownership and development where fragmentation may isolate populations.

Complex forests may promote permeability of managed landscapes,

thus maintaining gene flow. Maintenance of genetic diversity may

require leaving some undisturbed forest near thinned stands for

recolonization.

Related research has shown that northern flying squirrels in southeast Alaska eat a more general diet and fewer truffle fungi than

northern flying squirrels in the Pacific Northwest, and thus the

Alaska squirrels may be able to exploit a wider range of habitats

than Pacific Northwest squirrels. Flying squirrels in Alaska remain

an important vector for truffle spores, however.

Contacts: Todd Wilson, twilson@fs.fed.us, and Winston Smith,

wsmith02@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

More information: Science Findings 51, February 2003. Sex and the Single Squirrel:

A Genetic View of Forest Management in the Pacific Northwest.

www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi51.pdf.

Fisher populations in Oregon are the result of 

introductions from Minnesota and British Columbia 

and are isolated from California fishers

Fishers are forest carnivores, once widely dispersed in the Pacific

Northwest but now limited to populations in the southern Oregon

Cascade Range, the Siskiyou Mountains, and northern California.

Fishers were extirpated from Oregon and Washington through

trapping, timber harvest, and agricultural development, but were

then reintroduced through transplants of animals from Minnesota

and British Columbia.

Scientists did genetic analyses on Pacific Northwest fisher populations to determine the origin and distribution of fishers in Oregon

and their degree of isolation from other breeding populations.

Scientists analyzed samples from the study population, northern

California population, and from both living fishers and museum

samples from around North America. They found that the small

fisher population in the southern Oregon Cascade Range is reintroduced and is descended primarily from fishers transplanted

from British Columbia and, to a lesser extent, from Minnesota. The

Siskiyou population is the northernmost extent of the California

population and is genetically isolated from other Oregon fishers.

12 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1
Historically, gene flow occurred between fishers in British Columbia and those 

in Pacific States, but the populations are now isolated.

These research results played a prominent role in the decision to proceed with 

a 12-month review to determine whether the fisher should be listed under the

Endangered Species Act. The results also can be used in the development of

conservation plans to maintain and restore fisher populations.

Contact: Keith Aubry, kaubry@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Marbled murrelet populations are affected by habitat 

quality, fragmentation, and predation of nests

The marbled murrelet is a threatened seabird that nests on branches of large trees

within older coniferous forest in coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. Surveys

show that murrelets often nest in continuous stands of mature, complex forest,

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 13

but they also nest in younger forests and in stands of only a few acres. New

research shows how murrelet abundance and reproduction are related to the

amount and pattern of nesting habitat at regional, watershed, landscape, and

nest-site scales.

At regional and watershed scales, murrelet abundance (estimated from offshore

surveys) correlated with the amount of nesting habitat and to a lesser extent with

fragmentation of that habitat. But at the landscape and nest-site scales, fragmentation may have a more significant effect on the likelihood of nesting and nest

success, perhaps due to increased predation by birds such as crows and jays.

Over the past 5 years this possibility was tested in Washington by using artificial

nests located in stands of different structural complexity, levels of fragmentation,

and proximity to human activity. Results showed that a broad array of predators,

including at least 10 bird and mammal species, attempted to prey on decoy

murrelet eggs and chicks in the artificial nests. Predation rates are higher within

50 yards of forest edges when the surrounding area contains human settlements

and recreation sites, but not when the area is dominated by regenerating forests.

By using these results, scientists are developing a model to predict likely murrelet

habitat and survival. Forest managers will be able to use the model to assess the

potential impact of management activities on murrelets and to develop conservation strategies over mixed-ownership landscapes.

Contact: Martin Raphael, mraphael@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Beetle communities show successional changes as 

Mount St. Helens blast zone recovers

Beetles are fully one-fifth of the total number of species on land, and beetles

play important ecological roles in pollination, herbivory, granivory, predatorprey interactions, decomposition and nutrient cycling, and soil disturbances. 

In the nearly 25 years since the Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption in 1980,

ground-dwelling beetle communities have shown successional changes as

the volcanically disturbed sites changed. Beetle succession has been related to

Genetic analysis yielded important information for conservation planning for Pacific Northwest fishers,

such as these 10-week-old fisher kits in southwest Oregon.

Catherine M. Raley
Ground-dwelling

beetles serve as a 

good barometer 

for measuring 

ecological 

condition of 

a site.

changes in soil, organic litter, and

plant communities.

On the pumice plain, the most severely

affected study site, certain ground

beetle species (no common names)

were the first to colonize the area 

and were common for 7 years, after

which other ground beetles replaced

the pioneer species. Tiger beetle

populations exploded between 1990

and 1995. Caterpillar hunters became

abundant from 1995 to 2000, as plant

cover increased and moth caterpillars

fed on the plants.

Beetle assemblage changes will likely continue with the changes in

pulses, such as rapid change when forbs and grasses are replaced

by shrubs, and shrubs are replaced by coniferous forest. Grounddwelling beetles serve as a good barometer for measuring ecological

condition of a site and as an index of biological impairment. The

beetle assemblages may serve as a useful tool for assessing ecological condition or evaluating disturbance severity at other locations

in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact: Charlie M. Crisafulli, ccrisafulli@fs.fed.us, Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Loss of nest trees may be a major cause of declines 

in Vaux’s swift populations

The Vaux’s swift, usually seen in open skies above forests, is one of

many Neotropical migratory birds whose populations are declining.

In 39 forested stands in northeastern Oregon, the abundance of

Vaux’s swifts dropped significantly from 1991 to 2003. Twelve years

after the swifts were

originally found in these

stands, only 46 percent 

of the stands still had any

Vaux’s swifts at all. The 

loss of nest trees owing to 

a severe budworm beetle

outbreak was identified as

possibly a major factor 

contributing to the swift’s

decline. Of 58 swift nest trees

located between 1990 and

1994, only 29 percent were

still standing and presumably

usable by swifts in 2003.

The swifts did, however, readily use 12-foot-long wooden nest boxes

designed to simulate hollow trees. During a 4-year study, swifts

nested in 30 of 103 nest boxes, with a 53 percent nest success rate.

The proven nest box design could be used by forest managers to

provide nest habitat for the Vaux’s swift and potentially help the

populations to rebound.

Contact: Evelyn Bull, ebull@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: University of California, Driftwood Wildlife Association, Umatilla 

and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests

Elk, mule deer, and cattle have different 

foraging ecologies

Elk, mule deer, and cattle frequently share the same forests and

rangelands in the interior Columbia basin. On the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range in northeastern Oregon, scientists have

learned that these three species have different foraging ecologies.

The three species select and use habitats differently and also

14 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 

The numbers of Vaux’s swift have been 

declining in northeastern Oregon.

Evelyn L. Bull

Andrew Carey

Mushroom cap was gnawed by

something very small, perhaps a

deer mouse.
Quick method developed for measuring extent of fire 

damage to ponderosa pines

Ponderosa pines may survive flames and scorched bark if the fire does not

injure the living stem tissues protected by the bark, but the extent of fire damage

to these tissues has always been difficult to evaluate. Scientists have found that

the amounts of ethanol present in stem tissues can be used as a direct measure

of tree injury from fire. Ethanol concentrations in ponderosa pines increased as

the degree of fire injury worsened. In fact, bark beetles may detect ethanol

released from fire-damaged trees and home in on those trees.

This finding has led to a new technique for quickly predicting postfire tree 

mortality. Ethanol measurements done 2 weeks after a fire can be used to predict

which trees will die, even though the trees may take up to 2 years to die from

their fire injuries. Initially, this research will be used to correlate visual signs of

fire injury, such as charred bark, to serious injuries in the living tissues. Eventually

the ethanol-sampling techniques may be useful to assess the degree of tree

damage from other causes, giving managers useful information.

Contact: Rick Kelsey, rkelsey@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Deschutes National Forest, Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District

Fall prescribed burning results in more invasive plants 

than spring burning, in interior Columbia basin

Invasive plants are a serious threat to native plant communities and even to

wildlife in forests of the interior Columbia basin, but little is known about how

wildfires and prescribed fires affect the spread of these exotic species. Two

research projects are exploring the relations between fire and invasive plants.

Prescribed burning is a major tool used to reduce fuel loads and restore ecosystem functions in ponderosa pine forests. Scientists studied the responses of

understory plants after prescribed burning done in fall 1997 and spring 1998 in

the southern Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon. They found significantly more

species of invasive plants growing after fall burns, compared to spring burns

strongly partition their use of habitats, particularly by elevation, slope steepness,

and use of logged forests. Cattle are habitat generalists, and the native elk and

mule deer avoid areas where cattle are. Mule deer and elk avoid each other

during short periods but not over longer periods, particularly in fall when the

least forage is available. Elk use low elevations if no cattle are there but move 

to higher elevations when cattle are moved onto low-elevation range, showing

that cattle can displace elk.

The three ungulate species also have different forage preferences, each species

with a distinctive dietary niche. Mule deer had the greatest variability in their

diets and foraged on more plants in dry areas than did either elk or cattle.

People have many viewpoints about how to manage livestock and wildlife so

that all three large grazing species can coexist and thrive and rangeland health

can be maintained as well. Starkey research may help managers develop strategies for sustainable, joint use of rangelands by elk, mule deer, and cattle.

Contact: John Kie, jkie@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Wyoming, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 15

In the Blue Mountains, northeastern Oregon, the Starkey Project yields new information about elk

foraging ecology.

Frank Vanni
More species 

of invasive plants 

grow after fall 

burns than after

spring burns.

With this 

information, 

managers can 

time prescribed 

burning to 

minimize the 

spread of 

invasive plants.

and no-burn control units. The most common invasive plants were

cheatgrass and bull thistle; these two species covered significantly

larger proportions of burned areas after fall burns, compared to

spring burn areas and no-burn control areas. The spring burns and

no-burn controls had statistically similar coverage of the two

species. Cheatgrass is a strong invader and has the potential to

inhibit natural successional processes. Bull thistle is considered

ephemeral, meaning that it will probably disappear from an area as

natural successional processes occur. The results give managers

useful information for timing prescribed burning to minimize the

spread of invasive plants.

Studies on fire and invasive plants are in their third year in the

Salmon River Canyon of Idaho, where large wildfires and invasive

plants are major issues. Scientists are examining the dynamics of

native plant communities and invasive plants as affected by wild

and prescribed fires and also are developing monitoring protocols.

Contact for fire and invasive plants, Blue Mountains: Becky Kerns, bkerns@fs.fed.us,

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Malheur National Forest, Burns Ranger District

Contact for fire and invasive plants, Salmon River Canyon: Nan Vance,

nvance@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Nez Perce National Forest, Salmon River Canyon Weed Management Area

Historical fires and their extent correlated 

with climate patterns

Recent severe fire years have raised the question of connections

between fire occurrence and climate. Scientists found that historical

fire occurrence and extent are correlated with climatic variables at

time scales ranging from annual to multidecadal, in five eastern

Washington watersheds on the Wenatchee-Okanogan and Colville

National Forests. The scientists used a combination of fire-scar data

from trees, reconstructions of past climate patterns from tree growth

rings, and time-series analysis to establish the historical influence

of drought, the El Niño southern oscillation, and the Pacific decadal

oscillation (ocean conditions), on annual area burned in the five

watersheds.

They found that the area burned was positively correlated with

current-year drought, but not correlated with wet or dry conditions

in previous years. Variability in area burned also showed cyclical

patterns consistent with the 4- to 8-year cycles of the El Niño southern oscillation and the 20- to 40-year cycles of the Pacific decadal

oscillation.

The research is being used to develop multiyear projections of fire

extent and fire risk. As scientists improve their ability to predict

shifts in ocean conditions such as El Niño, they may be able to forecast severe or mild fire seasons months or even more than a year in

16 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 

Researchers examine native plants and cheatgrass after a prescribed burn in the Frank

Church River of No Return Wilderness, Idaho.

Nan Vance
respectively, clearly are controlled by broad-scale environmental gradients. In

contrast, relationships were weak for lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce,

tree species that respond more to local site conditions.

These studies show that ocean circulation in the North Pacific, through its effects

on Pacific Northwest climate, has far-reaching and predictable effects on forest

ecosystems. Eventually it may be possible to predict multidecadal patterns of

tree growth and productivity, based on these patterns, and to better project how

forests will respond to various climate change scenarios.

Contact: David L. Peterson, peterson@fs.fed.us, and Donald McKenzie, donaldmckenzie@fs.fed.us, Managing 

Disturbance Regimes Program

Partner: National Center for Atmospheric Research

Old-growth forests are regionally more diverse in structure and

development than previously thought

Pacific coastal old-growth forests are diverse regionally in both their structures

and their development. The diversity is a result of regional differences in climate

advance. If so, wildland fire managers could use these forecasts to allocate 

firefighting resources further in advance.

Contact: Donald McKenzie, donaldmckenzie@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Ocean conditions and climate changes affect subalpine 

forests in Pacific Northwest

Scientists previously have established correlations between ocean conditions

and climate fluctuations. New work now finds long-term correlations between

high-elevation tree growth in the Pacific Northwest and ocean circulation patterns

in the north Pacific Ocean. Scientists studied growth in populations of mountain

hemlock and subalpine fir, the two dominant subalpine tree species, throughout

their range in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains.

Growth at treeline and in the snowiest regions of these mountain ranges, where

snowpack limits the growing season, correlated positively with changes in the

Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO). The alternating 20- to 30-year periods of warm

PDO, with associated warm, dry weather, correlated to high growth rates in the

mountain hemlocks and subalpine firs; and, in turn, the periods of cool PDO,

with associated cool, wet weather, correlated to low growth rates in the two tree

species.

At lower elevations and in drier regions, where summer drought limits tree

growth, the opposite relationship was found. In these areas, trees grew less 

during warm phases of the PDO, and trees grew more during cool phases of the

PDO. Thus the effects of a greenhouse climate on trees in subalpine forests are

likely to differ at different elevations and locations in mountain ranges.

In another study, Station scientists and partners found that well-defined ranges

of annual precipitation and temperature controlled the distribution of tree species

in the Wenatchee-Okanogan and Colville National Forests. Strong relationships

were found between the distribution of mountain hemlock and winter precipitation, and between the distribution of ponderosa pine and availability of soil

moisture. Thus, these two species, characteristic of upper and lower treeline,

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 17

The journey matters. Diverse pathways in forest development are ecologically important.

Tom Iraci
abundance” to protect the viability of old-growth associated species.

But scientists debate the question of exactly how much old growth

is enough and what landscape patterns are most effective.

In one search for answers, scientists documented the ecological

characteristics of remnant stands (from one-hundredth of an acre 

to about 100 acres) of mature and old-growth forests in the southern

Washington Cascade Range. They evaluated the effectiveness of

these remnants as refugia and sources of dispersal for lichens,

mosses and liverworts, vascular plants (forbs, shrubs, and trees),

and invertebrates such as snails. Results to date show that even the

tiniest remnants have a subset of old-forest associated plants and

invertebrates and can serve as refugia and sources of dispersal.

Analysis further indicates that the Northwest Forest Plan’s standard

to retain 15 percent of cutting units as unharvested trees does little

to protect refugia unless guidelines further specify the area and

biological composition of what should be retained.

Contact: Bruce Marcot, bmarcot@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Universal rules govern how tree roots use

and redistribute water

Tree roots take up water from deep soil layers and then redistribute

it near the surface during seasonal drought cycles. Studies in three

coniferous forests and three tropical savannas indicate that universal rules may govern these processes, regardless of forest type or

other site-specific characteristics.

In Washington and Oregon, studies in ponderosa pine and

Douglas-fir stands suggest that redistribution of soil water from

deep to shallow roots plays a key role in diminishing the effects of

summer drought on shallow roots. The amount of water redistributed increased as the soil dried. Water lifted from wet, deep soil

history, fire history, site productivity, and species composition.

Although the forests share the same general definition and similar

attributes such as large live and dead trees, the details differ, and

no one specific definition describes all Pacific coastal old-growth

forests.

Today’s old-growth forests developed along multiple pathways.

Some developed under open conditions created by multiple fires

and with different levels of biological legacies such as large live

and dead trees. Others developed from closed, dense stands after

a single major fire or other disturbance. In very wet, cool parts of

the region, some old-growth forests developed without fire; these

forests are dominated by shade-tolerant tree species in a mosaic 

of patches. These multiple pathways may have ecological implications not fully grasped yet.

All these forests developed from disturbances and under the climate

conditions of the last millennium. The particular composition and

structure of these old-growth forests may not occur again under

modern climates and disturbance regimes, but forest managers can

use these findings to encourage natural processes in this millennium’s old-growth forests and to develop complexity in managed

forests.

Contact: Tom Spies, tspies@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

More information: Science Update 4, June 2003. New Findings About Old-Growth Forests.

www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/science-update-4.pdf.

Even small old-growth remnants have value as refugia

Old-growth forests in western Oregon and Washington are valued

as refugia and seed sources—“seed” meaning spores, eggs, and offspring, as well as seeds—for other forests, among other values.

Under the Northwest Forest Plan, enough old-growth forest is to

be retained to supply “habitat of sufficient quality, distribution, and

Alders help 

to break down 

rocks with 

chemicals from 

their roots 

and symbiotic 

organisms, 

thus releasing 

nutrients from 

rocks into 

the soil. 

18 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1
2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 19

layers keeps shallow soil layers from drying to critical levels that would cause

shallow roots to stop functioning.

Other factors also affect stand water use and hydrology. Work at the Wind River

Canopy Crane Research Facility showed that old-growth western hemlock trees

infected with dwarf mistletoe change their hydraulic architecture to compensate

for the loss of transport efficiency in infected branches. These adjustments minimize the effect of mistletoe on the tree needles but sharply reduce water use and

photosynthesis in the entire tree, compared with uninfected trees of similar size.

The two studies have implications for understanding water use in trees, tree

growth and productivity, stand regeneration, and water movement at the watershed level, through forests and into streams.

Contact: Rick Meinzer, fmeinzer@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Alders and rocks lead to productive forest soils

Alders are the primary source of biologically fixed nitrogen in many Pacific

coastal forests from Oregon through Alaska. With their ability to pull nitrogen

from the air and convert it into soil nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship

with bacteria on their roots, alders grow quickly, enrich the soil, and may be an

important source of nitrate in streams. Alders help to break down rocks with

chemicals from their roots and symbiotic organisms, thus releasing nutrients

from rocks into the soil. The result is an annual crop of leaf litter, high in nitrogen

and other elements, that provides an organic substrate, maintains soil structure,

and increases the soil’s water-holding capacity. Both understory plants and

overstory trees benefit from alders in the stand. Instead of removing alders,

forest managers are including alders in management plans, in recognition that

alders can supply nutrients to other trees and improve wildlife habitat.

Contact: C.Y. Li, cyli@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Western hemlock more likely to grow when coarse woody 

debris is available at the microsite level

Western hemlocks are a key part of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest,

typically adding depth to the forest canopy and diversity to the tree ages.

Foresters have long known that hemlocks sometimes take root on decaying,

“nurse” logs. A new study in the Oregon Coast Range deepens knowledge

about that relationship, finding a significant association between hemlock establishment and the amount of coarse woody debris at the microsite level, but not

to the total amount of coarse wood available at the stand level.

These results suggest that coarse woody debris can be used to help predict the

presence of hemlock saplings in a stand. Management practices that increase the

amount of coarse woody debris in forest stands should be considered as potentially beneficial to hemlock establishment. Forest managers who want to accelerate the development of old-growth characteristics can apply these findings to

promote the establishment of hemlock.

Contact: Vicente Monleon, vjmonleon@fs.fed.us, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Alder plays many ecological roles in coniferous forests.

Tom Iraci
Humongous fungus in Blue Mountains may 

be the world’s largest organism

Armillaria root diseases are widespread fungal diseases of conifers in

North America. In a study started to map the populations of Armillaria

species in a mixed-conifer forest, scientists realized they had discovered a contiguous clone of one species spread across nearly

2,400 acres in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon—an area of

about 4.4 square miles. This single clone is estimated to be at least 2,000

years old, although it could be three or four times as old as that.

Scientists initially thought the underground clusters of fungus, revealed

aboveground by ring-shaped patches of dead trees, were separate

individuals. Analysis of DNA confirmed that all these clusters were

actually filaments of one individual that had been growing underground for thousands of years. Other large Armillaria clones may exist,

too. Wildfire regimes, forest cover types, and other factors appear to

play roles in the spread of Armillaria, but the relations are not clearly understood. The information that large clones of the fungus may

have thrived for thousands of years may lead to a new view of the

ecological roles of Armillaria. The results have received wide media

coverage, allowing Station scientists to reach new audiences.

Contact: Catherine Parks, cparks01@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Oregon State University,Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Forage lichens, a key food for spotted owl prey,

are more common than thought

Lichens are little-known species, but they are important food for

arboreal rodents, which in turn are food for northern spotted

owls; the lichens have other ecological roles as well. One eastern

Washington lichen species is listed as a survey and manage species

under the Northwest Forest Plan. Scientists studied the lichen

species of several low-elevation dry forests on the east slope of the

Rare plants 

vary widely 

within a species 

on the number 

of genes each 

individual 

plant has, and 

individuals with 

the most genes 

may be the 

hardiest and 

most adaptable.

20 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 

Tom Iraci
2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 1 Pacific Northwest Research Station 21

Washington Cascade Range. For lichen species that grow on trees (epiphytes),

the scientists found that species diversity differs considerably among dry forest

types, but species richness differs little. Important forage lichens are about three

times more abundant in mature to old forest than in open pine forest. The survey

and manage species, Bryoria tortuosa, a forage lichen, was found to be much

more common than previously thought.

When forest managers plan fuel reduction, thinning, and prescribed burning

treatments in dry forests, they need to analyze potential effects on wildlife,

including effects on forage lichens, tree-dwelling rodents, and spotted owls.

New information on the lichens answers questions about these effects; the study

results also may be used to reevaluate the survey-and-manage status of Bryoria

tortuosa.

Contact: John Lehmkuhl, jlehmkuhl@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partner: Wenatchee National Forest

Genetic analysis shows that different numbers of genes 

account for some differences in rare plants

About 70 percent of flowering plant species are polyploids, meaning that they

have a duplicate set of genes (a characteristic shared by all vertebrate animals

also). The extra set of genes means that a polyploid species has an extra set of

genes for trial-and-error mutations, a creative process of adaptation that has led

to the enormous variety of flowering plants, with over 225,000 species identified. Conifers, on the other hand, are not polyploids and have developed only

about 1,000 species worldwide, owing to their slow, conservative rate of

mutation.

Flowering plants include the grasses, forbs, and shrubs used for native plant

restoration and the propagation of rare or endangered plants in the West.

Traditionally, genetic diversity in these species has been measured by identifying the genetic basis of important traits. But flowering plants may vary widely

within a species on the number of genes each individual plant has, and

the individuals with the most genes may be the hardiest and most adaptable.

For example, sagebrush bushes in the harshest sites usually have the highest

number of genes per individual, compared to sagebrush in less severe sites.

Yarrows in very dry sites frequently have more genes than yarrows in moister

sites.

Scientists have developed techniques for estimating the number of genes activated in polyploid genomes. This innovation provides a bridge for understanding how the duplicate genes contribute to environmental adaptation. In addition,

these methods are the first step toward understanding why populations of rare

and endemic species show different tolerances for habitat fragmentation and

inbreeding.

Contact: Richard Cronn, rcronn@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Iowa State University, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region

Alpine reedgrass, a sensitive grass 

in the Pacific Northwest, has a polyploid

genome and stays genetically adaptable 

even with small population sizes.

Richard Cronn
22 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 2 

Goal 2: Assess the Status and Trends of Ecosystems and Natural Resources and Their Uses

of this land is forested, with 76 percent of the forested portion being

nonreserved timberland. About 71

percent of the timberland is on

National Forest System lands.

• Communities in the Northwest Forest

Plan area were defined by using a

new approach based on aggregate

census blocks. The new approach

resulted in 1,325 communities being

identified. Station scientists are

working with USDA Forest Service

Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest Regions on an assessment of

how well the Northwest Forest Plan 

is meeting its socioeconomic goals.

• The accuracy of LIDAR (light detection and ranging) in mapping terrain

was verified under heavy forest

canopy conditions. LIDAR is potentially very useful for mapping small

streams, gullies, and high-risk erosion

sites under heavy forest cover, as well

as providing better data for road and

harvest planning.

• The Resources Planning Act timber

assessment projects that forest products

consumption will rise 42 percent by

2050, with marked shifts in the extent

and location of domestic and imported supplies. In the long term, U.S.

timber harvest is projected to expand

by 24 percent. Owing to steadily

improving growth and productivity,

total timber inventory is projected to

expand even as harvest increases and

fewer private acres are used as timberland.

• New timber inventories for the

National Forest System project total

inventory increases under all scenarios

for both softwood and hardwood 

forest types, with increasing areas in

older age classes. Under the base scenario, National Forest System timberland with stands older than 150 years

would increase from 15 to 32 percent

of total timberland by 2050.

• Western Oregon has an estimated 19

million acres of land; about 80 percent

of this land is forested, with 71 percent

being timberland. Lands administered

by the Forest Service and BLM make

up about 48 percent of the timberland.

Eastern Oregon has an estimated 42.2

million acres of land; about 32 percent

Key Findings:

Tom Iraci
Contacts for timber assessment: Richard Haynes, rhaynes@fs.fed.us, and John Mills, jmills@fs.fed.us,

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: Oregon State University, USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory

Contacts for timberland area changes: Ralph Alig, ralig@fs.fed.us, and Jeff Kline, jkline@fs.fed.us,

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: Oregon State University, North Carolina State University

More information: Science Findings 55, August 2003. Biology, Ecology, and Economics at Play: Land Use and Land 

Cover Changes in the 21st Century. www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi55.pdf.

More Southern pine plantations could mean

some loss of upland hardwoods

The recent RPA timber assessment predicts that Southern pine plantations, 

first started in the 1950s, will supply much of the Nation’s domestic softwood

by 2050. The South will likely become the Nation’s “wood basket.” Trends are

unclear, however, as to exactly how the shift to planted pine will affect the

South’s native forest types: natural pine, oak-pine, and upland hardwoods.

Projections based on recent historical data indicate that upland hardwood

forests could be replaced by pine plantations. Projections that include expert

forest manager predictions, however, suggest fast-growing pine plantations 

will replace slow-growing stands of natural pine. The final projection in the

RPA timber assessment uses a hybrid approach, combining historical data with

manager intentions. This hybrid approach projects that intensive pine production could occur along southern coastal plains and areas along the AlabamaMississippi and Louisiana-Arkansas-Texas borders. Hardwood resources could

drop in Kentucky, Tennessee, and a little along the Mississippi River.

Contacts: Xiaoping Zhou, xzhou@fs.fed.us, John Mills, jmills@fs.fed.us, Human and 

Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partner: Auburn University

Accomplishments

Forest products consumption is projected to rise 

42 percent in United States by 2050

The Resources Planning Act (RPA) timber assessment, done every 10 years,

presents reasonable projections of changes in the Nation’s demand for timber

products and in the domestic timber resource. For more than a century, the RPA

assessments have been the basis of public discussions on the future of forest

resources and have guided the development of forest policies at federal and

state levels.

The assessment projects that forest products consumption will rise 42 percent by

2050. Although per capita U.S. wood and paper product consumption is expected

to remain just under three-quarters of a ton per person annually, total consumption will rise to meet the demands of another 126 million people. The wood and

paper demands would be met by (1) an increase in U.S. timber harvest of 24 

percent, (2) an increase in log, chip, and product imports of 85 percent, and (3) an

increase in use of recovered paper of 85 percent. Canada is expected to remain the

primary source of imports, but imports from Eastern Europe, the Nordic countries,

and Southern Hemisphere countries are expected to increase.

Projections of timberland changes show that U.S. timberland area will be 3 

percent smaller by 2050, and developed areas will increase by 79 percent, mainly

because of growing demands for urban and related land uses from the growing

population. To put this in perspective, that means the proportion of the total

land base that is developed will increase from 5.2 percent to 9.2 percent.

In the South, however, pine plantations will cover more area, with an increase 

of 14 million acres, and plantation fiber output will increase by 239 percent 

(see following story). Owing to steadily improving productivity, total timber

inventory is projected to expand even as harvest increases and fewer private

acres are used as timberland.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 2 Pacific Northwest Research Station 23
Although ozone

injury is common 

in California 

forests, no ozone 

injury has been 

detected in Oregon

forests since ozone 

monitoring began 

in 1998. 

Timber inventory is projected to increase 

on National Forest System lands

New timber inventories were completed for the National Forest

System by using, for the first time, the same methods used on private timberlands and thus allowing better estimates of all U.S. forest

resources. The results project that total inventory will increase under

all scenarios for both softwood and hardwood forest types. Scenarios

studied include large-scale disturbances such as large fires, insect

outbreaks, and tree diseases. Under the base scenario, national

forest timberland with stands older than 150 years would increase

from 15 to 32 percent of timberland by 2050.

Contacts: John Mills, jmills@fs.fed.us, Xiaoping Zhou, xzhou@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural 

Resources Interactions Program

24 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 2 

West coast forest health data contribute 

to international reports

The forest health monitoring program collects data on long-term

changes in forest health in the United States. Data on carbon in

Western forests are relevant to the carbon budget, a major factor 

in climate change. Carbon loss from dying trees can increase greenhouse gases; carbon stored in wood can mitigate for carbon released

elsewhere. On plots in 10 ecoregions in California, forest health

monitoring showed both carbon losses and gains. Most losses were

in areas where drought and insect outbreaks killed many trees.

Since 1998, forest health monitoring has collected data on lichens

that can be used to evaluate air quality. Forest lichens are sensitive

to air pollution and climate changes, and are good indicators of 

forest ecosystem biodiversity. Results so far show a higher lichen

species richness in Oregon and Washington than in California. West

coast data on carbon and lichens are part of a national database on

ecosystem health and condition, used in several recent reports on

forest sustainability, including the Heinz Center study, the international Montréal Process, and an Environmental Protection Agency

report.

Contact: Sally Campbell, scampbell01@fs.fed.us, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

County-level data used to study historical trends 

in Oregon timberland area and volume

Scientists used county-level data in Oregon to find historical trends

in Oregon timberland area and volume. The acres in timberland and

the volume of timber on those acres both declined from the early

20th century until 1977 in all counties, regardless of whether those

counties had low or high harvest levels in proportion to their total

growing-stock volume. But after 1977 the trends diverged. Growingstock volume per acre increased strongly for counties with low

Tom Iraci
and the remaining 2 percent is managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry

and other nonfederal public agencies. Eastern Oregon has about 25.7 billion cubic

feet of timber, of which about 312 million cubic feet per year were harvested

between 1987 and 1999. These results were published in PNW-GTR-578.

Although ozone injury is common in California forests, no ozone injury has

been detected in Oregon forests since ozone monitoring began in 1998. Ozone

causes visible injury to foliage and may cause long-term growth loss and 

contribute to tree death when combined with insects or disease.

Contact for western Oregon forests: David L.Azuma, dazuma@fs.fed.us,

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Contact for eastern Oregon forests: Sally Campbell, scampbell01@fs.fed.us,

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

timber harvest/volume ratios. The five counties with the lowest timber harvest/

volume ratios were Josephine, Marion, Washington, Multnomah, and Tillamook.

Most of these counties had rapidly growing populations and people who expressed

concerns about viewsheds, forest fragmentation, and recreation needs in forests.

For counties with high timber harvest/volume ratios, the growing-stock volume

per acre continued to decline slightly after 1977. The five counties with the highest timber harvest/volume ratios were Yamhill, Lane, Curry, Douglas, and

Columbia. Changes in land uses appeared to be the overwhelming cause of

changes in timberland area and volume; climate variations did not appear 

to be the cause.

Contact: Joseph Donnegan, jdonnegan@fs.fed.us, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Oregon forest inventory results provided 

to Oregon Department of Forestry

Updated information is available on Oregon forests, with “forest land” defined

as land at least 10 percent covered by trees of any size, larger than 1 acre, and 

at least 120 feet wide. For inventory, the division between western and eastern

Oregon is considered the crest of the Cascade Range. The information has been

provided to the Oregon Department of Forestry for their upcoming review of

the state Forest Practices Act.

Western Oregon has an estimated 19 million acres of land, with about 80 percent

of this land forested and 71 percent of the forest acres being timberland. Lands

administered by the Forest Service and BLM make up about 48 percent of the

timberland.

Eastern Oregon has an estimated 42.2 million acres of land; about 32 percent of

this land is forested, with 76 percent of the forest acres being nonreserved timberland. The amount of forest land in eastern Oregon has increased by about 650,000

acres since the 1930s. Ponderosa pine is predominant out of the 31 tree species

in eastern Oregon. The Forest Service, BLM, and other federal agencies manage

about 71 percent of eastern Oregon forests; about 27 percent is privately owned;

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 2 Pacific Northwest Research Station 25

Tom Iraci
are distinct from the whitefooted vole and heather voles, and that

some debated populations of the tree voles are not valid subspecies.

Genetic work continues to determine if there are unique and isolated

subpopulations within the red tree vole species.

Scientists are also investigating red tree vole ecology and behavior.

The use of tiny radio collars, weighing less than a gram each, has

allowed scientists to track red tree vole movements in forest

canopies and year-round. So far, the radio telemetry work has

shown that red tree voles use multiple nests in different trees and

that both male and female voles stay up in trees year-round. No

use of ground nests has been detected, but occasional use of cavity

nests has been documented. So far, no evidence has emerged of

seasonal differences in vole movements. Better knowledge of red

tree vole ecology can be used in estimating the effects of forest

management on this preferred prey of northern spotted owls.

Contact: Eric Forsman, eforsman@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

New findings on wild salmon genetic diversity could 

lead to improved conservation strategies

Wild salmon have survived in the tumultuous and changing environments of southeast Alaska rivers by developing hundreds of

specially adapted salmon runs, or “stocks.” Each salmon stock is

genetically adapted to its home watershed through variations in

life history, disease resistance, size, and migratory behavior. The

conservation of wild salmon requires giving thought to conserving

their genetic diversity.

Scientists looked for these markers of wild salmon genetic diversity: (1) high potential for adaptive variation, including distinctive

run timing; (2) a distinctive trait in combination with high spawner

New method tested for predicting spotted owl 

abundance and nesting success

Traditionally, northern spotted owl populations have been assessed

by calling in adult owls, banding them, locating owl nests, climbing

trees to count young owls in nests, and then relocating owls and

nests each year. These surveys are expensive and time consuming

and may disrupt owls. Scientists are testing a method based on the

type and amount of forest vegetation around a nest site for its

accuracy in predicting owl survival and reproductive rates. The two

methods have been tested in three Oregon forests, one near Roseburg,

one in the Coast Range, and one in the west central Cascade Range.

Results suggest that it is difficult to predict survival and productivity of owls based on vegetation attributes alone, because weather,

age of owls, and the presence or absence of barred owls have a

strong influence as well. Preliminary comparison of the two methods

indicates that the traditional demographic methods are more

accurate.

Contact: Eric Forsman, eforsman@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Red tree voles:Who are they and where do they go?

Tree voles are unique arboreal mice that occur only in Oregon 

and northern California. Red tree voles are also a primary food for

northern spotted owls. Accurate information about the seldomseen, canopy-dwelling voles has been scarce, but new taxonomic

and genetic studies have clarified vole taxonomy. Scientists established conclusively that the red tree vole, found in Oregon and

parts of northern California, is indeed a distinct species from the

Sonoma tree vole, whose range is northern California beyond the

red tree vole’s range. Research also determined that both species

Science-based

framework for 

monitoring the 

success of riparian

management 

and restoration 

projects will help 

in monitoring 

watersheds on 

large and small 

scales.

26 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 2
2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 2 Pacific Northwest Research Station 27

abundance, or genetic markers (allozymes) that diverge from geographic clustering patterns; and (3) more than one distinctive characteristic or freshwater

habitat shared with other distinctive populations. Of 47 salmon populations that

have been adequately sampled from a population of 9,000 populations in southeast Alaska, 22 populations met the criteria for genetic diversity. 

Protecting freshwater habitats for these stocks with high genetic diversity

may be the most practical approach for conserving Pacific salmon diversity.

Freshwater habitats for 6 of the 22 identified populations are located in watersheds without restrictive land use designations such as roadless, wilderness, 

or national park. Habitat protection for just a few additional watersheds could

help preserve much genetic diversity in wild salmon.

Contact: Mason D. Bryant, mdbryant@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Effectiveness monitoring asks if aquatic strategies 

are achieving goals in Northwest Forest Plan area

The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) brought together land-based strategies to

protect old-growth forests, spotted owls, and associated species, with streamnetwork based strategies to protect watersheds, salmon, and other aquatic life.

Effectiveness monitoring was a vital part of the plan, asking if the new strategies

were achieving the plan’s goals.

Station scientists developed a science-based framework and program for monitoring the success of riparian management areas and restoration projects in the

NWFP area. The program is designed to evaluate the ecological status and trends

of watersheds. A suite of indicators is measured: amounts and composition of

riparian vegetation, number of roads and stream crossings, and other data that

reveal the ecological integrity of and threats to streams. Data are fed into decision support models that can help determine trends and cause-and-effect relationships. The framework can be used to monitor watersheds at the scale of the

NWFP area, and at smaller scales such as individual ranger districts.

Contacts: Gordon H. Reeves, greeves@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions Program; Keith Reynolds,

kreynolds@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Community-level socioeconomic monitoring 

underway in Northwest Forest Plan area

In finding out how people are faring under the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP),

Station scientists looked to the U.S. census, conducted every 10 years, for

socioeconomic data. Station scientists needed first to delimit communities, or

describe their geographic boundaries. The U.S. census uses several types of

geographic units for different purposes. “Census places” leave out many people

in unincorporated rural areas, but “block group aggregations” count everyone.

For the NWFP region, excluding major metropolitan areas, the block group

aggregations include almost 4 million people, but the census places include only

2.5 million people, leaving out nearly 1.5 million people in the geographic area.

Conservation of wild salmon requires thought to conserving their genetic diversity.

Tom Iraci
The LIDAR map was found to be extremely accurate. Overall

LIDAR elevation error was extremely low (8 inches), with errors

slightly higher in dense canopy areas. LIDAR is potentially very

useful for mapping small streams, gullies, and high-risk erosion

sites under heavy forest cover, as well as for providing better data

for road and harvest planning. Further research is underway to

determine whether LIDAR is useful for mapping forest vegetation

structure and characterizing fuel conditions in forests.

Contact: Steve Reutebuch, sreutebuch@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Partners: Washington State Department of Natural Resources; USDA Forest Service 

Joint Fire Sciences Program; University of Washington; U.S. Department of Defense,

Fort Lewis

Using the block group aggregation process, scientists identified

1,325 communities in the NWFP area, including many unincorporated rural areas. These results, published in PNW-GTR-570, are

being used as the framework for community-level socioeconomic

monitoring, now underway in 12 communities and 4 federal forests

in Washington, Oregon, and California. Scientists are monitoring

social and economic trends in the communities and evaluating how

these trends are linked to NWFP implementation. The results, to be

published at the end of 2004, will be one measure of how well the

NWFP is meeting its socioeconomic goals. Complete socioeconomic

monitoring also may include indepth case studies, studies of nonplace-based communities (skiers or hunters, for example), and

other measures.

Contact for delimiting approach: Ellen Donoghue, edonoghue@fs.fed.us, Human and 

Natural Resources Interactions Program

Contact for socioeconomic monitoring: Susan Charnley, scharnley@fs.fed.us,

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest Regions

LIDAR maps the ground accurately through 

heavy forest canopy

Airborne laser scanning systems (commonly referred to as LIght

Detection And Ranging, or LIDAR, systems) can map open ground

with an accuracy within 6 inches of actual elevation. A new study

tested the accuracy of LIDAR in heavily forested areas. A high-resolution map of the ground was produced from high-density LIDAR

data for a mountainous second-growth forest near Olympia,

Washington. Next, in a ground survey, coordinates were measured

for several hundred checkpoints under canopy conditions ranging

from clearcut areas to dense second-growth stands.

28 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 2 

Tom Iraci
2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 2 Pacific Northwest Research Station 29

Plot sizes evaluated for western juniper seedlings, and plot designs

tested for mature coastal Douglas-fir forests

The Station Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program collects data on

over 2,000 forest plots in Oregon, Washington, and California annually.

Scientists regularly test plot designs and sampling methods for efficiency

and accuracy.

In western juniper forests, seedlings and saplings grow from natural regeneration and typically are sparsely and irregularly distributed among large

junipers. Their chances of long-term survival are good, however, and a

stocking survey needs to count these future overstory trees to be accurate.

Scientists tested the accuracy of four plot sizes for evaluating western juniper

forest land and tallying seedlings and saplings accurately. They found that

the plot size can be adjusted depending on stand density and the level of

acceptable error, offering a way to control sampling costs. Results should

improve the accuracy of juniper forest land inventories. The FIA Program

used this method to evaluate seedlings and saplings in the 1998 inventory

of eastern Oregon.

In mature coastal Douglas-fir forests, an improved plot design is being used

to monitor stand structure. A study showed that sampling 40 percent of a 1-

hectare (2.471 acres) plot, using four subplots, was required to keep the error

rate for estimated density of large trees (trees larger than 48 inches diameter

breast height) to acceptable levels. The improved accuracy of the sampling

makes inventory data more useful for looking at stand structure, forest

development, carbon storage, and species diversity. The improved plot design

is now being used on all FIA Program field plots.

Contact for plots in mature coastal Douglas-fir forests: Andrew Gray, agray01@fs.fed.us,

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Contact for evaluating plot size in western juniper: David L.Azuma, dazuma@fs.fed.us,

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Automated interpretation of aerial digital photographs 

tested for juniper inventory

In eastern Oregon, juniper inventory supplies data about the rapid expansion

of juniper, changes in stand density, and effects on understory species. Scientists

tested a method for automatically interpreting aerial infrared photographs of

juniper plots. The juniper trees were generally apparent on most of these images,

and trained staff could estimate juniper distribution, density, and size from the

photographs. An automated interpretation technique was tested that used a

combination of image preprocessing and rule-based, crown-delineation techniques, to identify the same information. The automated interpretation identified

junipers correctly 74 percent of the time when junipers were present. In images

with no junipers, the automated technique incorrectly identified junipers as

being there only 2 percent of the time. When automatic interpretation reaches

acceptable levels of accuracy, the technique could decrease inventory costs.

Contact: Dale Weyermann, dweyermann@fs.fed.us, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

New methods supply more accurate data about juniper expansion in eastern Oregon.

Tom Iraci
30 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3

plant. BioSum can be used to determine whether areas proposed for

these types of plants have the right

mix of resources, terrain, and transportation infrastructure to make the

proposed operation economically 

feasible.

• The new Spatial Resource Support

System (SpaRSS) project uses geographic information system methods

and existing information on forest

inventories, population density, and

fire threat to demonstrate a method

for allocating funding to various state

and private forestry programs.

• In the Blue Mountains of northeastern

Oregon, analysis of the forests, fire

threat, and potential timber removals

associated with fuel reduction show

that only 29 percent of the 5.5 million

federally administered acres in the

Blue Mountains are available for timber management activities. Only about

one-fourth of the accessible, heavily

stocked acres on federal lands have

commercial potential. Of these, only

about 10 percent (about 40,000 acres)

would have enough timber value to

offset the costs of fuel reduction treatment.

• The dynamic MC1 model can incorporate historical, current, and projected

weather and climate information,

along with vegetation information, to

forecast current-year fire risks over

the United States. Through MC1, scientists are producing 6-month fire

risk forecasts that will allow agencies

to better anticipate firefighting needs.

Over the last several years, MC1’s

forecasts have been validated for

accuracy as the fire seasons unfolded. 

• The BlueSky smoke modeling framework effectively predicts smoke impacts

from both wild and prescribed fires.

In 2003, BlueSky became operational

in the Northwestern United States

and in parts of Arizona and New

Mexico. It was used to coordinate and

plan prescribed burning across land

ownerships, and it was used on at least

three large wildfires to help determine

firefighting strategies and warn nearby communities of potential health

impacts.

• The BioSum computer model can be

used in any geographical area to evaluate the area’s potential to supply wood

for a biomass cogeneration plant or

any other type of wood processing

• The Douglas-fir levels-of-growingstock (LOGS) study, begun in the 1960s,

continues to yield results. The LOGS

study has shown that thinning will

produce larger trees quickly but also

can reduce stand volume production

over short rotations, depending on

the intensity of the treatment and the

productivity of the site.

• Thinning and underplanting increase

structural diversity in stands previously

managed intensively for wood production, which cover nearly a million

acres in western Oregon alone. Heavy

thinning and underplanting can lead

to improved structural and biological

diversity in young forests within 8

years.

• A new tool is available to advise forest

managers on the role and importance

of dead wood. Managers can use

“DecAID” to prescribe snag and down

wood sizes and amounts needed for

wildlife and to evaluate the effects of

current conditions and proposed

activities on wildlife species that use

snags and down wood.

• Genetic research has determined that

Key Findings and Products:

Goal 3: Develop Science-Based Options for Informed Management
2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 31

some families of Douglas-fir can

tolerate Swiss needle cast infection. New seed orchards have

been established to develop a

Douglas-fir seed source that can

be used in species mixes where

moderate levels of the disease 

are present.

• Alternative mechanical harvesting

techniques can reduce fuel loads

and protect large, live, retention

trees, but differ in environmental

effects and economic efficiency.

Two log extraction systems both

reduced fuels and protected large

trees, but the forwarder yarding

system caused slightly more damage to trees than the skyline yarding system. However, operational

costs for the skyline harvest units

were nearly double the costs on

the forwarder units.

• Wildland fires will continue to

burn. The question before public

land managers and policymakers

is, How might we influence the

timing, severity, and pattern of

wildland fires to achieve ecological management goals such as

Accomplishments

Dynamic model effectively forecasts current-year fire risks over the

United States

The dynamic MC1 model can incorporate historical, current, and projected

weather and climate information, along with vegetation information, to forecast

current-year fire risks over the United States. The model uses huge climate databases, with actual observed weather covering the whole country from 1895 to

the present. Weather databases are brought up to date each month. For nearterm forecasts, MC1 uses 6-month weather forecasts produced by three global

climate models, all of which take into account fully dynamic oceans, including

current sea surface temperatures and short-term anomalies such as El Niño.

renewal of stream habitats? Active

management of fire and fuels for

stream restoration goals is most

effective when a full spectrum of

ecological patterns and processes

is considered.

• New methods were developed to

characterize stream bottom types

and were tested in the highly variable streams found in the upper

Grande Ronde subbasin in northeastern Oregon. Managers can use

these new methods as they design

plans to protect and restore riparian ecosystems. For example,

management needs are different

for steep, high-gradient (Type A)

streams and low-gradient, meandering (Type E) streams.

• Collaborative groups, such as the

Applegate Partnership in southwestern Oregon, are successful

where there is an opportunity for

providing evaluation and feedback,

engaging needed participants, and

responding to groups critical of

the collaborative process.

Tom Iraci
Natural fuels photo series are used to rapidly 

assess fuel properties

Wildland fuel loads are critical data for fire behavior forecasts, 

prescribed burn plans, and smoke management. The collection of

detailed and precise fuels data takes time-consuming field inventory; best guesses are a poor substitute. Fire managers have relied

Over the last several years, MC1’s

forecasts have been validated by their

accuracy as the fire seasons unfolded.

The model’s consensus forecast for the

2003 fire season predicted a lower level

of fire risk compared to 2001 and 2002.

Observed fire activity in the 2003 fire

season correlated well with MC1’s forecast. The model forecast the approximate location of the B and B complex

in Oregon, and it forecast late-season

fires in southern California. However,

since the model does not yet incorporate Santa Ana winds, it did not predict

the severity and extent of the late-season wildfire disaster in southern

California.

Although preliminary results are encouraging, the model should still be considered experimental. Fire managers across

the country are evaluating the model;

eventually the model should be useful

for anticipating firefighting needs.

Policymakers at all levels, from local 

to national, are very interested in how the model can help them plan

for fire season contingencies. Officials including the Secretaries of

Agriculture and the Interior, USDA Undersecretary, and USDA

Forest Service Chief have requested briefings on the model and

research.

Contact: Ron Neilson, rneilson@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Oregon State University, Desert Research Institute, Scripps Institute of Oceanography

More information: Science Update 6, January 2004. Western Forests, Fire Risk, and Climate 

Change. www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/science-update-6.pdf.

The new model’s 

fire season 

forecasts have 

been validated 

over the last 

several years. 

This experimental

model will 

eventually help 

managers plan for 

fire season 

contingencies.

32 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 

Natural fuels photo series now cover ecotypes throughout the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Clint Wright
2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 33

on photo series guides for years as invaluable guides to quickly and accurately assess

fuel loads on timber harvest units.

Scientists have developed photo series guides to natural forest and grassland fuels to

provide the same quick, accurate assessments for the wide range of natural fuel situations. Over the past 5 years, 10 photo series volumes, representing 35 ecosystem types

throughout the Americas from central Alaska to central Brazil, have been completed and

distributed to thousands of land managers, scientists, and researchers throughout the

world. Managers can use the guides to quickly figure the tons per acre in standard fuel

categories and arrive at a total biomass for field sites.

Hundreds of managers are learning each year to use these guides, through National

Wildfire Coordinating Group fire training courses. Today, nearly all federal, state, and

private fuel and fire managers use these photo series to quantify fire severity and hazard, air pollutant emissions, and other fire effects. Average fuel inventory time per field

site has been reduced from 21 to 3 person-hours, saving $1,500 in inventory costs per

unit sampled. The photos and data are also being used to describe new fuel models 

for improved fire behavior prediction. Information for ordering the guides is at

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/pmsorder.html.

Contact: Roger Ottmar, rottmar@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Rocky Mountain, Pacific Southwest, and Southern Research Stations; USDA Forest Service Fire and Aviation 

Management (Washington Office) and Southwestern Region; USDI Fish and Wildlife Service

Smoke ventilation and hazard system is used by hundreds of fire managers

The ventilation climate information system (VCIS) is a 40-year database that includes

twice-daily values of wind, smoke mixing height, and their product, a ventilation index.

Users can determine the probability of good or poor smoke ventilation and smoke 

dispersal at any time of the year or from any point on the landscape, by accessing the

system’s Web-based map and database at http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/vent/.

Prescribed-fire managers and forest planners use VCIS to estimate smoke effects. Through

a geographic information system, data layers from VCIS can be combined with data

layers about fuel condition, fire regime, grazing patterns, lightning potential, and

drought potential, to produce fire risk maps that include all the risk factors.

About 400 fire managers have been trained to use VCIS for prescribed fire

and forest planning. During the 2002 Biscuit Fire in Oregon, the incident

command team used the system to estimate continuing smoke impacts and

issue smoke hazard warnings to about 500,000 people in the region around

the fire. Work continues to improve VCIS’s documentation to meet

National Environmental Policy Act requirements.

Contact: Sue Ferguson, sferguson@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

BlueSky smoke model gives a clear picture 

of what smoke is doing

Smoke from prescribed fires and wildfires affects air quality. The BlueSky

smoke modeling framework effectively predicts smoke impacts from both

wild and prescribed fires. BlueSky links information on atmospheric

processes with components of fuel structure, moisture dynamics, consumption, emissions, fire behavior, plume dynamics, and dispersion and

deposition of gases and aerosols. The prototype uses several existing

The BlueSky smoke model is being used on large wildfires to warn nearby communities of 

potential health impacts.

Tom Iraci
BioSum can be used to determine whether areas proposed for these

types of plants have the right mix of resources, terrain, and transportation infrastructure to make the proposed operation economically feasible. The first BioSum analysis was done for southwestern

Oregon. Biomass operators in northern California’s Shasta County

realized from that pilot study, that biomass recovery opportunities

in southwest Oregon would be less enticing than they had hoped.

Proponents of biomass plant construction in New Mexico and

Arizona are very eager to have BioSum analysis conducted for

their regions, to objectively assess the opportunities.

County commissioners and the New Mexico state forester are

among the people requesting BioSum analyses. They recognize that

the BioSum model provides an objective method to identify the

most fruitful places to use wood product recovery to support hazardous fuels reduction activities. The model gives decisionmakers 

a tool for sorting through the constant stream of proposals to fund

studies of these types of facilities.

Contact: Jeremy S. Fried, jsfried@fs.fed.us, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partners: National Fire Plan, Joint Fire Science Program

Framework is being developed for cost-benefit 

analysis of fuel treatments

Hazardous fuels reduction treatments, such as prescribed burning

and thinning, are advocated to reduce the threat of wildfires. The

economics of these treatments are often unclear. A cost-benefit

analysis involves how much the probability, size, and intensity of

fires are reduced; whether marketable wood products can be generated; the costs of fuel treatments; and balancing the costs and benefits of wildfires vs. fuel treatments on other forest values. Costs and

benefits are long term, and many factors are involved. Scientists are

BlueSky has

been used on at 

least three large 

wildfires. Through

eight workshops,

Station scientists

introduced 

BlueSky to over 

150 managers and 

regulators from 

10 states and 

5 regional and 

local air agencies.

computer models (CONSUME, EPM, and FCC) also developed 

by Station scientists.

In 2003, BlueSky became operational in the Northwestern United

States and parts of Arizona and New Mexico, and was linked with

the Environmental Protection Agency’s Rapid Access INformation

System (RAINS). It gave fire managers a much improved ability to

estimate how much smoke would be produced, to track the actual

smoke produced, and to forecast smoke movement for the next

several days. BlueSky is being used to coordinate and plan prescribed burning across land ownerships, and it has been used on 

at least three large wildfires to help determine firefighting strategies

and warn nearby communities of potential health impacts. Through

eight workshops, Station scientists introduced BlueSky to over 150

managers and regulators from 10 states and 5 regional and local air

agencies.

The BlueSky smoke modeling framework can be accessed on the

Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/BlueSky.

Contact: Sue Ferguson, sferguson@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

BioSum model is in demand for analyzing biomass plant 

opportunities in several states

Recent proposals for large-scale fuel treatment have renewed

interest in biomass-based energy generation as a way to use substantial volumes of small-diameter wood. Scientists have developed

BioSum, a computer model that can be used in any geographical

area to evaluate the area’s potential to supply wood for a biomass

cogeneration plant or any other type of wood processing plant.

BioSum uses data from the established forest inventory plots, which

offer an unbiased and statistically representative sample of all

forested lands in Western States.

34 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 
developing a conceptual framework for cost-benefit analysis of fuel treatments,

including an assessment of existing Forest Service research.

Contact: Jeff Kline, jkline@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program,

Jamie Barbour, jbarbour01@fs.fed.us, Focused Science Delivery Program

New tools speed up economic analysis of fuel treatment plans

To meet National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, fire managers

need to provide information on the economics of their planned fuel treatments,

including whether or not wood products can be generated to offset costs. Scientists

are developing a synthesis of economics and wood use information, in products

convenient for fire manager needs. One product is a series of fact sheets on key

points that need to be addressed in NEPA planning.

The second product is a fuel treatment planner tool that provides a series of

linked calculators that do much of the financial analysis required in a NEPA

document for fuel treatment. The planner tool is linked to a broad synthesis of

information needed for fuel treatment planning, including stand structure, fire

behavior, fire effects, and social interactions.

Contact: Roger Fight, rfight@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: Focused Science Delivery Program; Rocky Mountain and North Central Research Stations,

USDA Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management (Washington Office)

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station

New tools analyze the economics of fuel treatments.

Tom Iraci

35

User-friendly system helps nonexperts use geographic 

information systems (GIS)

Maps with digital data layers, also known as GIS, are now vital tools in managing resources. Although many maps and supporting data layers are rapidly

becoming available, decisionmakers have few user-friendly tools for interpreting

these maps.

Scientists are developing the Spatial Resource Support System (SpaRSS), an

evaluation system that accounts for human needs, ecological conditions of

forests, and fire threat. SpaRSS focuses on three areas: (1) assembly of relevant

multidisciplinary digital data layers and maps, (2) estimates that integrate the

data as support for objective decisionmaking, and (3) comparison of results

arising from different approaches to integrating GIS layers and from different

management alternatives. The system features a user-friendly interface, does

not require an extensive background in GIS, and will be available for installation

on personal computers or via the Internet.

Scientists used the new GIS tool and existing information on forest inventories,

population density, and fire threat to demonstrate a method for allocating funding to various state and private forestry programs. The system was used to
factors and complex relationships in forests, all while tracking

planning logic, assumptions, and important tradeoffs.

Forest managers in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Regions

are beginning to use decision-support tools to develop restoration

strategies and priorities and to track the tradeoffs associated with

their decisions. The new system described here is a valuable addition to existing decision-support tools.

Contact: Paul Hessburg, phessburg@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Fuel reduction work in Blue Mountains 

has limited commercial potential

Federal forests and rangelands cover 5.5 million acres in the Blue

Mountains of northeastern Oregon. Many of the forested acres

have heavy fuel loads. At the request of Oregon’s governor, Station

36 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3

New decision-support tools help managers evaluate benefits and tradeoffs of restoration

scenarios for interior Columbia basin forests.

allocate National Fire Plan thinning funds from the national to the

regional level in fiscal year 2003 and will be used with other cooperative forestry programs in fiscal year 2004.

Contact: Jamie Barbour, jbarbour01@fs.fed.us, Focused Science Delivery Program

Partners: North Central and Rocky Mountain Research Stations, USDA Forest 

Service State and Private Forestry

New decision-support system is a promising tool 

to set restoration priorities and strategies

The landscape patterns and disturbance regimes of interior

Columbia basin forests have been dramatically changed by the past

two centuries of settlement and land use. Scientists have developed 

a decision-support tool that helps forest managers understand how

changes they see in individual stands affect the larger landscape, 

and how changes in landscapes affect the larger ecoregion.

Scientists first mapped and quantified the patterns of forest structure

and species composition, down wood, and fire behavior attributes 

of one ecoregion from the earliest available historical (1930s) aerial

photography. Then they reconstructed the vegetation characteristics

of any stand showing evidence of early selective cutting or management. The reconstructed estimates of the range and variation of

historical vegetation patterns (reference variation, RV) were then programmed into the ecosystem management decision-support system

(EMDS) to evaluate the landscape conditions at varying scales.

At the ecoregion scale, the decision-support system gave a rapid 

and strategic view of conditions and estimated relative priorities and

feasibility for watershed restoration. At the watershed scale, RV 

estimates were used to identify changes in landscape patterns beyond

the typical, historical range of variation. The system is also used to

evaluate the benefits and tradeoffs of different restoration scenarios.

Benefits of the decision-support system include accounting for many

Tom Iraci
scientists helped with a major analysis of Blue Mountains forests, fuels, and

potential timber removals associated with fuel reduction.

The analysis found that only 29 percent of the acres are available for timber

management activities. Timber harvest is not permitted in areas such as the

Eagle Cap and North Fork John Day River Wilderness Areas. Further analysis

suggests that only about one-fourth of the accessible, heavily stocked acres on

federal lands have commercial potential, defined as more than 400 cubic feet 

per acre of trees larger than 7 inches in diameter at breast height. (The analysis

assumed that no trees larger than 21 inches in diameter would be harvested.) 

Of the federal forest acres with commercial potential, only about 10 percent, or

about 40,000 acres, would have enough timber value to offset the costs of fuel

reduction treatment. If restrictions on harvesting large trees were removed, the

acres that could be treated without a subsidy might increase to about 80,000.

Contacts: Roger Fight, rfight@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program;

Jamie Barbour, jbarbour01@fs.fed.us, Focused Science Delivery Program;

Partners: Oregon Department of Forestry, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 37

New tools are being developed to assist with fuel hazard reduction

The Interior Northwest Landscape Analysis System (INLAS) is a tool to analyze

the effects of forest succession, disturbances such as fires, and forest management, on forests in the interior Columbia basin. Of specific interest is the measurement of long-term cumulative effects of fuels management. Scientists have

developed two alternative methods to create the model framework. The INLAS

framework will be linked to other models on wildlife habitat, stream conditions,

and socioeconomic values.

The first analyses with INLAS suggest that returning east-side forests to singlestory, more open, old forests through passive management could take several

hundred years and would need a higher fire frequency than is now common.

On the other hand, thinning and fuel treatment could create more acres of singlestory old forests in 100 years than passive management would in that same

time. Thinning also would produce some merchantable timber and create more

habitat for some wildlife species.

Contacts: Jamie Barbour, jbarbour01@fs.fed.us, Focused Science Delivery Program; Jane Hayes,

jlhayes@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Blue Mountains Demonstration Area,Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Boise Cascade,

Oregon State University, Oregon Department of Forestry

New system being developed to track the costs of fighting wildfires

Fire managers are concerned with tracking and controlling the costs of fighting

wildfires. The Forest Service’s long-time wildfire budgeting model has been the

National Fire Management Analysis System (NFMAS), which is based on a cost

plus net value change model. Scientists found two errors in the NFMAS model

formulation, errors with serious implications for the model’s capacity to identify

the most efficient level of fire management expenditure. The scientists are now

developing a corrected model, still using the cost plus net value change framework. This model architecture will be used to develop a replacement for NFMAS

and should be a useful tool for controlling wildfire costs.

Contact: Geoffrey Donovan, gdonovan@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

In the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, only about one-fourth of the accessible, heavily stocked

acres on federal land have commercial potential.

Tom Iraci
vegetation was reduced, but the rate of growth increase leveled off

as the density of competing vegetation approached zero. In shelterwoods and thinned stands, western hemlock and Douglas-fir had

little response to removal of competing vegetation because overstory trees had already limited the amount of soil water available

to the seedlings.

Contact: Tim Harrington, tharrington@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Partner: Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Thinning and underplanting increase structural 

diversity in stands previously managed intensively 

for wood production

Nearly a million acres of 30- to 50-year-old forests in western Oregon

were previously managed intensively for wood production. Many

landowners now wish to expand their objectives for the young

forests and add more tree species, increase structural complexity,

grow large-diameter trees, and develop understories and large

down wood.

Managers 

can use 

DecAID 

Advisor to 

prescribe snag 

and down 

wood sizes and 

amounts needed 

for wildlife. 

Timely results from long-term thinning research 

in Douglas-fir

The Douglas-fir levels-of-growing-stock (LOGS) study, begun in the

1960s, continues to yield results. The LOGS stands are already 40 to

50 years old, older than the planned rotations on some intensively

managed plantations, and the LOGS study is of most interest to

managers who plan to manage young forests under long, extended

rotations. The LOGS study has shown that thinning will produce

larger trees quickly but also can reduce stand volume production

over short rotations, depending on the intensity of the treatment

and the productivity of the site. In the 40 years since the study

began, forest landowner goals have expanded from wood production to include wildlife habitat, recreation, and aesthetics. The LOGS

study is yielding unexpected positive outcomes related to these

goals, showing the role of thinning in accelerating stand structure

development that can benefit aesthetics and many wildlife species.

Contact: David Marshall, dmarshall@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Partners: Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Canadian Forest 

Service, British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Oregon State University,Weyerhaeuser 

Company

Conifer seedlings respond strongly only when both 

overstory and understory vegetation reduced

In a new phase of research for the overstory density study at

Capitol State Forest in western Washington, competing vegetation

was removed in 2002 and 2003 with herbicides around seedlings 

of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar growing in

clearcuts, shelterwoods, and thinned stands of mature Douglas-fir.

First-year results indicate that soil water increased strongly only

when densities of both overstory and understory vegetation were

reduced. Seedling growth also increased as the density of competing

38 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 

New silvicultural studies tend to focus on what is left behind in the forest, rather 

than on what is taken out.

Tom Iraci
Station scientists and their partners are finding that heavy thinning and underplanting can lead to improved structural and biological diversity in young

forests within 8 years. After the heavy thinning, overstory trees grow faster,

develop deeper crowns, and keep their lower branches alive longer. Hardwoods

and conifers regenerate under the thinned stands, with underplanted trees

growing nearly five times taller than naturally regenerated trees. In sum, the

treatments promote development of multilayered, diverse stands, a good foundation for future old-forest habitats. Forest managers are already using the

information, and the findings are being used to improve models of stand development.

Contact: Samuel Chan, schan@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon State University

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 39

New tool advises forest managers on snag and down 

wood prescriptions

The many ecological roles of dead and decaying wood have been recognized 

in recent years. Scientists developed the “DecAID Advisor” from data and

research in Oregon and Washington forests. DecAID Advisor is a planning tool

that managers can use as they conserve and manage snags, partially dead trees,

and down wood.

Managers can use DecAID Advisor to prescribe snag and down wood sizes and

amounts needed for wildlife, and to evaluate the effects of current conditions

and proposed activities on wildlife species that use snags and down wood. The

name “DecAID” can be read as decayed wood advisor and management aid

(“decay-aid” or “decision-aid”). Or, the name can signify long-term planning

advice, as over “decades” of time.

Contacts: Bruce Marcot, bmarcot@fs.fed.us, and Janet Ohmann, johmann@fs.fed.us,

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partner: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

PNW Research Station strengthens Agenda 2020 partnerships

The Agenda 2020 program was established several years ago as a research partnership among the forest products industry, the U.S. Department of Energy,

and the USDA Forest Service. Agenda 2020 represents the industry-supported

research agenda to ensure substantial forest resources and sustainable management for the future. National projects are in areas such as biomass gasification

and new forest products.

Last year, the PNW Research Station’s Resource Management and Productivity

Program (RMP) established a regional template for others to use in competing

for regional projects from the Agenda 2020 program. The RMP process for 

competing, selecting, and funding Agenda 2020 research has been emulated by

other research stations. In March 2003, RMP hosted a workshop where principal

investigators and management from all three western Forest Service research

stations met with the Western American Forest and Paper Association executive

DecAID Advisor helps managers meet snag and down wood needs for wildlife from bluebirds to bats.

Tom Iraci
Contact for Swiss-needle-cast-tolerant Douglas-fir: Randy Johnson,

randyjohnson@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Swiss Needle Cast Cooperative; Northwest Tree Improvement Cooperative;

Oregon State University

Contact for model to assess risk of Swiss needle cast damage: Daniel Manter,

dmanter@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Swiss Needle Cast Cooperative (interagency); Oregon State University

Genetically improved Douglas-fir show early gains 

in growth over unimproved trees

Considerable work and funds have been invested in Douglas-fir tree

improvement programs in the Pacific Northwest, and seed orchards

are now producing large amounts of improved seed. Despite the

large investment, fundamental questions remain unanswered about

the growth of genetically improved trees and the interactions of

genetics and silviculture. Station geneticists have been working with

the Northwest Tree Improvement Cooperative to establish large-plot

trials comparing genetically improved and unimproved trees.

committee to present the science content and progress, discuss

funding commitments, and collect all the study plans for statistical

review. RMP also collaborates in the Fall River long-term site productivity study, funded through the national Agenda 2020 program.

Contact for Agenda 2020 program: Charley Peterson, cepeterson@fs.fed.us,

Resource Management and Productivity Program

New seed orchards are established with 

Swiss-needle-cast-tolerant Douglas-fir

Swiss needle cast, a native fungal disease of Douglas-fir needles, has

intensified in the Oregon Coast Range since the early 1990s. The

disease leads to needle loss, reduced photosynthesis, and severely

reduced growth for infected trees. Scientists made progress on two

fronts to help foresters manage the disease’s effects.

Genetic research has determined that some families of Douglas-fir

can tolerate Swiss needle cast infection, able to grow even with

moderate levels of defoliation. New seed orchards have been established to develop a Douglas-fir seed source that can be used in species

mixes where moderate levels of the disease are present. Douglas-fir

is still not recommended in areas of high disease pressure.

In the second project, scientists are developing a risk assessment

model that can identify sites in the northern Oregon Coast Range

where Swiss needle cast effects will be minimal. The model is based

on research into Douglas-fir carbon assimilation and correlations

between reduced carbon assimilation and tree growth. The risk

assessment model uses these data, in conjunction with a fungal 

epidemiology model currently being tested. Forest managers can

use the model to identify planting sites where Douglas-fir may be

suitable. An updated version of the model, compatible with common software, is currently available from the contact scientist.

40 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Jeff Riddle

Genetically improved trees, such as this Douglas-fir in western Oregon, are growing

faster than unimproved trees.
Mechanical harvesting techniques can reduce fuel loads 

and protect large, live, retention trees

Alternative mechanical harvesting techniques can reduce fuel loads and protect

large, live, retention trees, but differ in environmental effects and economic

efficiency. Two log extraction systems were tested in three paired, mixed-conifer

stands in northeastern Oregon. A single-grip harvester was coupled with either

a forwarder or a skyline yarding system. Economics, fuel reduction, stand

damage, soil disturbance, effects on soil biota, and down woody material were

all measured.

Both systems reduced fuels and protected residual large trees, but the forwarder

yarding system caused slightly more damage to trees than the skyline yarding

system. Fire risk was lowered in all stands, but large woody material for wildlife also was reduced. Light displacement of soil resulted in a short-term increase

in the abundance of soil microarthropods, but forest litter compaction resulted

in litter microarthropods being reduced for at least 1 year after harvest.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 41

Initial results show that genetically improved trees are growing at the rates 

predicted from earlier testing. Five years after planting, improved trees gained 6

percent more height, 8 percent more diameter, and 28 percent more stem volume,

than genetically unimproved trees. Results provide a high level of confidence in

the first-generation testing and selection procedures despite some limitations 

in those procedures.

Contact: Brad St.Clair, bstclair@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Northwest Tree Improvement Cooperative

More information: Science Findings 52,April 2003. Conserving and Managing the Trees of the Future:

Genetic Resources for Pacific Northwest Forests. www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi52.pdf.

Soil disturbance is not always bad

For many years foresters and soil scientists have seen soil disturbance from

heavy equipment, and many have been concerned that soil compaction or topsoil displacement could reduce future tree survival or growth. Those who have

seen stunted trees growing on log landings or other high-traffic areas have often

generalized that all equipment impacts were bad.

Several recently completed studies compared tree growth with and without 

soil disturbance. Results were mixed; the studies found negative, neutral, and

positive effects of soil disturbance on tree growth. Soil disturbance can positively

influence tree growth if it reduces competition from other vegetation, increases

soil temperature that may favor root growth, or increases soil water-holding

capacity. Soil disturbance can hurt tree growth if it removes fertile topsoil or

reduces soil aeration, affecting tree roots.

At this point, the effects of soil disturbance on tree growth cannot be predicted

perfectly. Tree reactions differ under specific site conditions, and long-term effects

are different from short-term effects. For resource managers concerned about the

effects of soil disturbance on trees, the best course of action may be to measure

tree growth directly.

Contacts: Connie Harrington, charrington@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Weyerhaeuser Company, Colville National Forest

In northeastern Oregon, cost per metric ton of using a skyline yarding system was nearly double that of

using a forwarder yarding system.

James McIver
WestPro will 

help managers

predict growth 

and yield for 

uneven-aged 

stands.

Revenue was similar for both systems, but total operational costs

were $81/metric ton in the skyline units, nearly double the $46/

metric ton costs in the forwarder units. Information is needed on

the effects and efficiencies of harvesting systems for fuel reduction;

already over 65 managers have requested information from this study.

Contact: James McIver, jmciver@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Oregon State University, University of California,Wallowa-Whitman National Forest,

and Andy Munsey, logging contractor, Pendleton, Oregon

Free software estimates the costs of harvesting 

small-diameter timber

In the Western United States, the number of small-diameter trees 

is at a historic high, and managers plan to thin many of these small

trees. The costs of small-tree harvest are generally higher than costs

for harvesting larger trees, however, and cost can be a major issue

in getting thinning work done.

Scientists developed STHARVEST, a Windows-based, public-domain

software used to estimate costs of small-tree harvest, either in pure

small-tree stands or as one part of a mixed-size stand. The free software can be used by planners with little background in forest engineering to get reasonable estimates of harvest costs, in U.S. dollars

per 100 cubic feet or per green ton, for clearcutting or partial cutting.

Costs can be estimated for six harvesting systems over a wide range

of stand conditions: two ground-based systems and one cable system

with manual felling; and two ground-based systems and one cable

system with mechanical felling.

STHARVEST runs under Windows 98 and newer operating systems

and is documented in PNW-GTR-582. It can be downloaded for free,

along with a users guide, from the Web page http://www.fs.fed.us

/pnw/data/stharvest/stharvest_home.

Contact: Roger Fight, rfight@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interations Program

Partner: University of California Davis

(The use of trade or firm names is for reader information only and does not imply any 

endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any products or service.)

Simulations estimate the effects of thinning on 

development of late-successional forest structure

Many forest managers are interested in accelerating the development of late-successional forest characteristics in young forests

through silvicultural practices. However, experiments that produce

data on what works take years to complete and are costly. Scientists

developed a simulation model that uses existing findings to estimate

the effects of different thinning intensities on development of 

late-successional forest attributes.

In general, the model estimated that heavy thinnings at stand ages

40 and 60 would promote rapid development of large boles, vertical diversity, and tree-species diversity, but would provide the 

42 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 

The STHARVEST software can be used to estimate harvest costs for small-diameter trees.

Tom Iraci
classes and a planned cutting cycle. The software can predict the growth of the

stand each year, for a set number of years into the future. Performance indicators include diversity of tree sizes and species, timber yield, and net present

value of harvest over the given number of years. More information can be

found in PNW-GTR-574.

Contact: Jeremy S. Fried, jsfried@fs.fed.us, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Findings on silviculture, fire threat, and late-successional 

forests are used in management planning

Under the Northwest Forest Plan, late-successional reserves are managed to

maintain and enhance late-successional forests. Some forest characteristics that

are desirable for wildlife habitat, such as canopy layering and dead wood, also

create conditions favorable for wildfires and insects in the drier part of the plan

area. Tradeoffs between wildfire threat and old-forest structure were examined

in simulations for a 30-year period for one 15,000-acre reserve in the Gifford

Pinchot National Forest in Washington.

The study compared variable-intensity silvicultural treatments on how well

they would reduce the threat of large, severe wildfires and maintain latesuccessional forest structure. Ecological and economic factors were considered.

Simulation results indicate that a combination of variable-intensity treatments

would be most efficient for meeting multiple landscape objectives. Fire threat

was reduced the most by treating more acres of structurally simpler forest; treatments of existing late-successional forest structures contributed less to reducing

fire threat in the simulations. The USDA Forest Service and USDI Fish and

Wildlife Service planning team used the study results in a draft environmental

impact statement on reserve management that is currently available for public

review and comment.

Contact: Susan Hummel, shummel@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partner: Gifford Pinchot National Forest

least amount of timber 

volume and require 

artificial creation of 

snags and dead, down 

logs. Thinning may 

accelerate the development

of some late-successional

characteristics by several

decades, but additional

management may be 

needed to generate snag

densities comparable to 

late-successional forests.

Ecosystem scientists can

use the model to simulate

other silvicultural prescriptions and estimate

some likely outcomes for

the treatments.

Contact: Tom Spies,

tspies@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem 

Processes Program

New software provides growth and yield information 

for uneven-aged Douglas-fir stands

Many silvicultural prescriptions today are developing uneven-aged Douglas-fir

stands, and traditional growth and yield programs cannot model these stands

very well. A recently developed program, WestPro, can be used to predict

growth and yield for these uneven-aged stands. WestPro uses the initial stand

state, defined as the number of softwood and hardwood trees per acre by diameter class, and defines management regimes by a target stand distribution of age

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 43

Analysis of tradeoffs between wildfire threat and old-forest 

structure is being used in planning for Gotchen LateSuccessional Reserve in the Washington Cascade Range.

Tom Iraci
Three approaches to calculating log values compared

Appraisals of log values start with the gross value of products 

that can be manufactured from a tree. Scientists evaluated three 

log appraisal systems. Logs used for the comparison included ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and true fir species. The

three systems were used to estimate volumes and grades of lumber,

and volumes of chips and residues, produced from the logs. Scientists

found that if users wish to make a simple calculation of value of a

forest stand, a simple method would suffice. If information is needed

also on the recovery proportions of chips and residues, and price in

dollars per board foot, then a more complex method is needed. The

most detailed method provides extensive information on the volumes of different lumber grades as well as a means to do a complete analysis of forest management activities; the other two methods

do not. However, the detailed method results in slight losses of

accuracy on the gross values of logs.

Contact: Roger Fight, rfight@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

First postharvest results are available from 

the Alternatives-to-Clearcutting study

The Alternatives-to-Clearcutting (ATC) study began with a retrospective study in the old-growth forests of southeastern Alaska. The

operational-scale silviculture experiment, a major part of the study,

will test the effects of harvesting intensity, retention patterns, and

patch size on forest development. The 5-year assessment of the first

block of nine units was completed in 2002, with data gathered on

the postharvest responses of overstory and understory vegetation to

the varying retention levels. The 5-year assessment of the second

block is scheduled for 2004. The third and final block of nine units

will be harvested within the next 2 years. To date, 25 publications

have been produced from the ATC study. Recent publications

include discussions of the social acceptance of alternative harvesting

practices, bird community ecology, headwater stream ecology,

harvesting costs and production rates, and disturbance regimes 

in old-growth temperate rain forests.

Contact: Mike McClellan, mmcclellan@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Alaska Region, University of Alaska

In southeast Alaska, red alder in young-growth 

forests has several benefits

Southeast Alaska has vast stands of young-growth forests. Scientists

are studying ways to produce wood, wildlife habitat, and fisheries

simultaneously from these even-aged, young-growth forests. Of

particular importance is the establishment of thriving understory

vegetation to support deer populations. Two approaches were

44 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 

Timber scalers develop lumber recovery data used in calculating log values.

Dean L. Parry
Standard southeast Alaska growth and yield 

model found to be biased

Forest growth-and-yield models can be valuable tools for predicting stand

growth under different management alternatives, but model predictions must

be reliable and unbiased to be useful. Models are rarely validated adequately,

however. FVS-SEAPROG is the growth model commonly used in southeastern

Alaska, and Station scientists recently used data from two long-term silvicultural

trials—dating from the early 1920s and mid 1970s—to evaluate the model’s

performance. The actual growth on 259 plots across southeastern Alaska was

compared with FVS-SEAPROG predictions for the same periods.

tested for promoting diverse and abundant understory vegetation in these

young stands: the inclusion of red alder in the overstory canopy, and commercial thinning for the older young-growth stands. Both approaches were much

more successful than silviculture treatments attempted previously. Potential

benefits include more wood products, improved wildlife habitat, and better fish

habitat. The Tongass National Forest is including red alder in young-growth

stands in a large-scale adaptive management study.

Contact: Tom Hanley, thanley@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Progress is made toward modifying kiln-drying guidelines 

for western hemlock in southeast Alaska

Western hemlock is an important commercial tree in southeast Alaska, making

up nearly 60 percent of the region’s timber. Alaska western hemlock, however,

is sometimes characterized by localized regions of high-moisture-content wood,

referred to as wet pockets. Wet pockets, or wetwood, develop in western hemlocks as a result of bacterial infections. When freshly milled lumber is kiln dried,

wet pockets can cause uneven drying and defects such as warping and checking, lowering the value of the boards.

Scientists evaluated moisture content in western hemlock lumber from trees

harvested near Sitka, Alaska. Preliminary results suggest that great variation

occurred in the samples, ranging from 50 to 100 percent. This work was a first

step in developing kiln-drying schedules for western hemlock in southeast Alaska.

Scientists may be able to develop modified kiln-drying guidelines that group

lumber batches by green moisture content and prevent uneven drying and defects.

Properly kiln-dried hemlock lumber will have a significant price premium over

undried or defective wood, and the dry lumber can potentially be used for valueadded made-in-Alaska products.

Contacts: David Nicholls, dlnicholls@fs.fed.us, and Eini Lowell, elowell@fs.fed.us,

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: Flagstaff Partnership, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region and Alaska Region

More information: Science Update 5, September 2003. Alaska Forest Products: Using Resources Well.

www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/science-update-5.pdf.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 45

Special kiln-drying guidelines may be needed for western hemlock, which makes up about 60 percent of

southeast Alaska’s timber.

Bob Szaro
The Chugach

National Forest 

is heavily used as 

a scenic resource

where road 

access is critical 

for recreation 

activities; this 

and many other 

findings will be 

used in revising 

the forest 

management 

plan.

The study found large differences between observed and predicted

values for several key stand characteristics and provided evidence

of significant bias in FVS-SEAPROG. The results validated people’s

concerns about the model’s predictions and showed where the

model can be improved.

Contact: Mike McClellan, mmcclellan@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Subsistence deer hunting remains important to residents

on southeast Alaska island

In rural Alaska, the average annual harvest of all subsistence food,

including game, seafood, and berries, is 375 pounds per person,

with deer the most common animal hunted in southeast Alaska.

Scientists studied factors influencing hunter demand for deer on

Prince of Wales Island, a large island with several small communities, not far by floatplane from Ketchikan, Alaska.

The cash-based market economy on Prince of Wales Island has

declined in recent years as logging and commercial fishing have

declined, and the subsistence economy has assumed greater importance. Despite this change, overall hunter demand for deer has not

changed significantly on the island in the last 10 years (1989-99).

In communities with a smaller percentage of Native Alaskans, deer

were a larger component of the subsistence harvest. As the percentage of Native Alaskans in a community increased, the dependence

on deer decreased and use of other resources such as halibut

increased.

Although overall hunter demand did not change, the pounds of

deer eaten annually per capita did increase in five communities 

on the island with declines in household median income. Thus this

study, published in PNW-GTR-581, found a correlation between

increased deer harvests and increased poverty for Prince of Wales

Island residents.

Contact: Rhonda Mazza, rmazza@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources

Interactions Program

Partner: Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Social and economic reports tell Chugach planners about 

the human environment of the south-central Alaska region

The Chugach National Forest extends south and east of

Anchorage along the south-central Alaska coast, encompassing

most of the Prince William Sound area, northeast Kenai Peninsula,

and the Copper River Delta. The Chugach National Forest is revising its forest management plan, and Station scientists did social,

economic, and recreation assessments of the area for the planning

team’s use. Results were published in PNW-GTR-561.

46 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Bob Szaro
Public lands are highly important to residents’ quality of life in this area. Results

of a mail survey showed that residents both near the Chugach National Forest

and in other parts of Alaska rate the amenity values of the Chugach higher than

the commodity values. People rely on public lands to maintain their quality of

life, especially clean air and water, beauty of surrounding area, and open undeveloped areas. People generally favored “no change” in their community’s 

current level of economic activity in forest-resource-related sectors.

Contact: Richard Haynes, rhaynes@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partner: Chugach National Forest

Fire on the mountain—what it means for fish

Wildfires, floods, and landslides can be destructive in the short term, but long

term these disturbances are natural processes that help to create and renew

diverse and healthy stream habitats and ecosystems. After wildfires, burned

mountain slopes are often susceptible to accelerated erosion, water runoff, and

landslides for the next few years.

Wildfires will continue to burn. Research suggests, however, that active management of fire and fuels could influence the timing, severity, and pattern of wildland fires to achieve ecological management goals such as renewal of stream

habitats. Fire management for stream restoration goals is most effective when 

a full spectrum of ecological patterns and processes is considered. An adaptive

management approach tests alternative management treatments, each based on

different assumptions about how ecosystems function and how they will respond

to treatment. This approach requires (1) well-articulated hypotheses of how

ecosystems will behave, (2) commitment to monitoring and rigorous data gathering, (3) creative, yet rigorous analytical approaches to provide inferences based

on data.

One part of the research challenge is understanding how ecosystems respond

after wildfires. People sometimes assume that wildfires pose a short-term risk to

endangered fish. Research shows, however, that local and regional factors affect

Although parts of the Chugach are remote, much of the forest is easily accessible

to tourists via Seward Highway on Kenai Peninsula, cruise ships or Alaska state

ferries, and highways to Valdez. The Chugach National Forest is heavily used

as a scenic resource where road access is critical for recreation activities such as

fishing, camping, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Active forms of recreation and

“soft adventure” activities are growing faster than other types of recreation. The

assessment found that entrepreneurial efforts to provide short-duration recreation and tourism experiences would lead to increasing use of the Chugach

National Forest.

The Chugach area has three main population areas: Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula,

and the Valdez-Cordova area. Of the three areas, the Valdez-Cordova area shows

the most economic volatility and has the least economic diversity. Resident population is increasing and aging in south-central Alaska, especially on the Kenai

Peninsula. Total employment is growing at a faster rate in south-central Alaska

than in the United States as a whole, and growing fastest in the Kenai Peninsula

Borough. Many of the new jobs are in services and retail trade sectors.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 47 Bob Szaro

The scenic Seward Highway gives tourists easy access to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula.
The Applegate

Partnership 

established specific 

criteria to measure

change, and a 

decade later they 

can point to major,

positive changes

in their watershed. 

This and other keys 

to success offer 

lessons for other 

collaborative 

groups.

the actual risk level, including factors such as watershed geology

and topography, prevailing climate, difference in the degree that

original vegetation modified erosion, and differences in fire severity and fire regime. The likelihood of postfire erosion can only be

ascertained in the context of these factors. This work is a context

for better understanding of what drives erosion and sedimentation,

how these processes are influenced by fire, and what the short and

long-term risks—and benefits—are for streams and fish, when

there’s fire on the mountain.

Contacts for managing fire to restore stream ecosystems: Peter A. Bisson,

pbisson@fs.fed.us, and Gordon Reeves, greeves@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions

Program; Paul Hessburg, phessburg@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Rocky Mountain and Pacific Southwest Research Stations

Contacts for postfire erosion: Michael J. Furniss, mfurniss@fs.fed.us, and 

Steven M.Wondzell, swondzell@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

New stream assessment methods are tested in upper

Grande Ronde basin

In the arid lands of the interior Columbia basin, streamside areas are

a geographically minor part of the landscape, showing up as only

thin lines on landscape-scale maps. But in this dry land, streams

and streamsides are the primary habitat for 71 vertebrate species,

and source habitats for at least 90 terrestrial species and perhaps

more. Landscape-scale management could miss not only the streams

but the many variations in stream types and conditions, critical

information for protecting and restoring these ecosystems while

allowing other management activities.

Scientists developed new methods to characterize stream bottom

types and tested them in the highly variable streams found in the

upper Grande Ronde subbasin in northeastern Oregon. The new

methods use GIS, watershed analysis, and landscape simulation

modeling, to assess streamside conditions across large landscapes.

Eventually these methods will be a module in the Interior

Northwest Landscape Analysis System (INLAS).

Managers can use these new methods as they design plans to 

protect and restore riparian ecosystems, and they can link the information to landscape-level wildlife and aquatic habitat planning.

For example, management needs are different for steep, high-gradient, cascading step-pool (Type A) streams, and low-gradient,

meandering, riffle-pool (Type E) streams, which are highly sensitive to vegetation change along their banks.

Contact: Miles Hemstrom, mhemstrom@fs.fed.us, Focused Science Delivery Program

48 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 

Burned forests pose risks such as erosion—and benefits such as future large wood—for

streams and fish

Tom Iraci
should be useful for teams revising forest plans. This work is aimed to help

managers efficiently target where they can improve recreation capacity within

budget constraints, and to help planners look at the forest-wide picture of 

recreation use and its effects.

Contacts: Sue Alexander, salexander@fs.fed.us, and Linda Kruger, lkruger@fs.fed.us, Human 

and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Sponsoring program: Focused Science Delivery Program

Applegate Partnership is a good example of a successful 

collaborative group

Scientists evaluated the effectiveness of collaborative groups by using the

Applegate Partnership as a case study. Results were published in PNW-GTR565. The Applegate watershed, in southwestern Oregon’s Siskiyou Mountains,

has more resident environmental activists than most rural areas in the Pacific

Northwest. The Applegate Partnership was formed by residents of the Applegate

River watershed in 1992 to address forest management, forest health, and fire

risk issues.

Since then the partnership has moved through a series of successes, failures,

and more successes. An early goal, ecosystem health, was hard to measure. But

by establishing specific criteria to measure change, a decade later the group can

point to major changes in their watershed: a shift from clearcutting to selective

cutting, a shift from cutting large-diameter trees to small-diameter trees, development of a small-diameter materials program, more attention to fire risk on

private lands, and an increase in number and mix of people on field trips. From

the beginning the partnership worked to be as open and inclusive as possible.

Among other techniques, the partnership used skilled facilitators to get diverse

viewpoints expressed and still make progress as a group.

The partnership has found that specific measures of progress, and revisions as

the group evolves, are the best answers to criticism. Other results in the Applegate

watershed include securing grants to reduce fire danger and accomplishing the

Scientists develop tools to help land managers understand recreation

and tourism on federal lands

The growing American population loves to get outdoors and loves to visit their

national forests. Scientists are asking managers what they could use from science

to help them manage recreation and tourism compatibly with other national 

forest resources valued by the public.

Managers have said they urgently need information on exactly where conflicts

are occurring between recreation user groups and activities, and effects of both

authorized and unauthorized recreation on the forest resources. Scientists have

summarized the current state of knowledge and propose to integrate recreation

data and analysis with extensive, existing GIS data. The result will be GIS map

layers backed up by extensive databases on recreational use, information that

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 49

Rafters float by anglers on the popular Kenai River in Alaska. Both groups may come in conflict with

grizzly bears fishing for salmon.

Tom Iraci
risk-reduction work, taking over a county park that would

have closed and starting weekend outdoor movies and developing 

nature trails, installing fish-friendly irrigation pipes on private

land, regulating sand and gravel operations that affect river habitat,

and expanding their mission to include local economic development.

The scientists found that collaborative groups can be successful

when there is an opportunity for providing evaluation and feedback, engaging needed participants, and responding to groups 

critical of the collaborative process.

Contacts: George Stankey, ghstankey@fs.fed.us, and Roger Clark, rnclark@fs.fed.us,

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partner: Applegate Partnership

Most forested counties in the United States have medium

or high viability and adaptability

The Montréal Process for Sustainable Forest Management, an 

international process, recognizes that forest-dependent communities must be healthy for forest management to be truly sustainable.

The Montréal Process calls for evaluation of the “viability and

adaptability to changing economic conditions, of forest-dependent

communities, including indigenous communities” as an indicator

of well-being.

Scientists have developed a composite measure to evaluate forest

community well-being at the national level; the analysis is published in PNW-GTR-567. The composite measure was developed

from county-level data that combined population density (a proxy

for civic infrastructure), lifestyle diversity (a proxy for social and

cultural diversity), and economic resiliency. Counties with fewer

than six people per square mile got the lowest rating on the population density measure; these have been called frontier counties.

Counties with 6 to 27 people per square mile are classified as rural

counties; counties with 28 to 250 people per square mile are called

intermix counties, and those with over 250 people per square mile

are called interface counties, essentially urban areas.

The United States has a total of 3,110 counties (including some citycounty and borough combinations). When ranked by the composite

measure just described, 837 counties got a low rating; these counties

represent 36 percent of the U.S. area but have less than 3 percent of

the U.S. population. Low adaptability does not mean that the areas

are economically distressed; it just indicates low resiliency to social

and economic changes.

Of the 742 forest-dependent counties with a high proportion of

forest land, only 102 were rated as having low viability and

50 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 

Counties with both forests and large cities, such as Multnomah County, Oregon, 

generally are resilient in coping with social and economic changes.

Tom Iraci
Progress is made on understanding the

ecology of survey-and-manage plants

In 1996 the World Wildlife Fund cited the

lady’s slipper genus as one of the “10 most

wanted” of threatened plants and animals 

on the planet. More locally, the Northwest

Forest Plan, adopted in 1994, included survey-and-manage guidelines for a list of rare,

little-known species associated with oldgrowth forests. Two lady’s slipper species

are on the survey-and-manage list in the

Pacific Northwest. Station scientists are

working on key questions about these two

rare species. Two major concerns are the

flowers’ reproductive success and their

response to disturbances such as thinning

and fire.

Research on the clustered lady’s slipper orchid has resulted in new information

on its reproductive biology and response to fire and other disturbances. Early

results of a 2-year study of the mountain lady’s slipper indicate the flower associates with species common to dry forest types, helping to define habitat qualities associated with successful seed production for the species. These findings

are being incorporated in the revised management recommendations for highpriority site management.

Contact: Nan Vance, nvance@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Study begins on genetic variation of antelope bitterbrush

Antelope bitterbrush is often used in restoration work because it is a primary

winter food for antelope, deer, and elk. No guidelines exist on how far bitterbrush seed can be moved and still be “local.” At times seed has been acquired

from locations distant from the planting site.

adaptability. The other 640 heavily forested counties have medium or high

rankings. Many of these are counties with both forests and large cities, such as

Seattle, Portland, and Atlanta, and others have significant recreation areas such

as Shenandoah and Olympic National Parks.

Contacts: Ellen Donoghue, edonoghue@fs.fed.us, and Richard Haynes, rhaynes@fs.fed.us,

Human and Natural Resources Interactions

Logic-based system can organize expert judgments 

about sustainability

Many projects are underway to apply the Montréal Process to assess the 

sustainability of temperate and boreal forests. This year scientists described

a logic-based system for evaluating the sustainability of forests at regional

and national levels. Such a system can evaluate sustainability more consistently and transparently by providing a systematic way to organize expert

judgment about ecological, economic, social, and institutional relationships,

and by providing a policy framework that can be used to reveal decisions

about values and what is meant by sustainability.

Contact: Keith Reynolds, kreynolds@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Local watershed groups have become important part 

of management landscape

Scientists found that watershed groups established through government initiatives have become an important part of the natural resource management landscape in developed economies. For these groups to be successful they need to

have broad stakeholder representation, and they need to be embedded within 

a supportive institutional framework that identifies realistic roles for private

landowners, local organizations, and regional planning bodies. Success also

requires that people within the group must have the commitment and skills to

establish processes that build trust and competency among citizens and agencies.

Contact: Linda Kruger, lkruger@fs.fed.us, and George Stankey, ghstankey@fs.fed.us,

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 Pacific Northwest Research Station 51

Findings on the ecology of survey-andmanage plants such as the mountain

lady’s slipper are used by managers.

Nan Vance
Scientists are studying genetic variation in antelope bitterbrush seed

to establish guidelines for moving seed between locations. Over

the past 2 years, seed was collected from over 200 populations of

antelope bitterbrush in eastern Oregon. Preliminary analysis of the

seed collection times supports previous findings that the date of

seed shatter is strongly associated with the elevation. Seed shatter

date could be explained even better with a regression equation using

latitude, longitude, and elevation.

The seed collections will be used for a common garden study that

explores patterns of genetic variation in adaptive traits and their

relations to environment. Seed movement guidelines can then be

designed to reflect patterns of genetic variation.

Contact: Randy Johnson, randyjohnson@fs.fed.us

Partner: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region

Volunteer network collects data on Oregon 

white oak acorns

In Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, volunteers have

been helping scientists who are studying the factors influencing

acorn production in Oregon white oak (also known as Garry oak).

Once an oak tree is selected for the survey, the volunteers collect

information on tree and site characteristics and then code its acorn

production each fall. Acorn production can only be coded during a

fairly short period; if coded too early the green acorns are hard to

see against the green leaves, and if coded too late the acorns have

been eaten or fallen on the ground. So the volunteer network allows

sampling many more trees than could be done otherwise.

The survey began in 1999, and so far more than 1,200 trees have

been surveyed, some three or four times. Each year more volunteers

have joined the survey and some of the early volunteers have added

more trees to the group they survey. The number and geographic

range of the surveyed oaks, as well as the repeat sampling, enable

researchers to look at tree and site characteristics associated with

acorn production, regional patterns in acorn production, and the

consistency of production from year to year. Volunteers download

instructions and survey forms from a Web site that also includes background information on the species, some survey results, and links

to related sites. The Web site is http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/

olympia/silv/oaksurvey/oak.htm.

Contacts: David Peter, dpeter@fs.fed.us, and Connie Harrington, charrington@fs.fed.us,

Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: U.S. Department of Defense, Fort Lewis, and many dedicated volunteers

52 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 3 

Oregon white oak, once common in western Oregon and Washington, has lost

much habitat to conifers or to other land uses.

Dave Peter

Nancy Mandel

Seed from over 200 antelope bitterbrush populations is being tested for genetic variation,

including seed from Potamus Canyon in eastern Oregon.
2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 53

Goal 4: Communicate Science Findings and Enhance Their Application

various goods and services, shows

ways that science can help, and discusses examples of Pacific Northwest

forests already being managed to produce both diverse forests and wood

products.

• Interior Columbia basin science findings are available on a set of five compact disks (CD-ROM set). The set

includes all maps, databases, and

metadata compiled during the

Columbia basin research project.

• Station research on wetland soils

went into a guide developed by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 

collaboration with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

The recently published guidebook is

used to assess and rate southeastern

Alaska wetlands, and it has already

been used in training for land managers, planners, researchers, and 

private industry.

• A synthesis report was developed on

the influence of forest structure on

wildfire behavior and effects. Research

addressed the environmental benefits

of active fuels management in reducing unwanted fire behavior. As science

support for a healthy forests initiative,

Station scientists are working on

additional synthesis products about

wildfire behavior and the economics

of fuel planning.

• Four sessions were held to discuss

significant science findings with

regional and local managers on key

topics: late-successional reserves,

socioeconomic planning issues, the

management implications of existing

information about hydrologic function, and management scenarios for

Oregon’s Blue Mountains. The major

findings discussed were documented

in a report.

• A textbook, Compatible Forest Management, was published by Kluwer

Academic Publishers. The book examines approaches to forest management

that emphasize compatibility among

Key Products:

• Scientists developed a software application called FishXing that integrates

elements of fish biology, hydrology,

hydraulics, and engineering to evaluate road culverts for fish passage.

FishXing has quickly become the

standard tool in the West for evaluating fish passage in road culverts.

• The PNW Research Station Web site

was converted to the USDA Forest

Service template and new features

were added. The site offers downloadable software, an extensive library

of publications, and a wide range of

information on Station research.

• Media reporters covered stories emerging from Station research, including

stories on spotted owls, logging, and

people; dam removal; smoke management; and other fire science research.

Tom Iraci
The Pacific

Northwest forests

demonstrate that 

a high degree of 

wood production 

is taking place 

without impairing

other forest values. 

54 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 

Accomplishments

New report is a major synthesis of research on forest

structure and wildfire behavior

Under the National Fire Plan, a national project has been developed

to address four key areas of fuel planning in the dry forest types of

the Western United States: wildland fire behavior and forest structure, wildland fire effects, economics and utilization of wood

removed, and social science. The goal is to improve access and

use of existing research information for fuel planning. Meeting this

goal will require several delivery approaches to reach the intended

audiences—in formats and styles understandable and useful to the

field.

Scientists developed a synthesis report on the influence of forest

structure on wildfire behavior and effects. The information was

compiled from university and federal scientists throughout the

Western United States whose research addressed the relation

between fuel levels and fire behavior and severity. The report also

addressed the environmental benefits of active fuel management in

reducing unwanted fire behavior. The report is a synthesis of 153

peer-reviewed articles and is available at http://www.fs.fed.us/

projects/hfi/2003/november/documents/forest-structurewildfire.pdf. As science support for the Healthy Forests Initiative,

Station scientists are working on additional synthesis products

about wildfire behavior and the economics of fuel planning.

Contacts for economics: Roger Fight, rfight@fs.fed.us, Human and Natural Resources 

Interactions Program; Jamie Barbour, jbarbour01@fs.fed.us, Focused Science Delivery

Contact for fire behavior: David L. Peterson, peterson@fs.fed.us, Managing 

Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Rocky Mountain and North Central Research Stations, USDA Forest 

Service Fire and Aviation Management (Washington Office)

Workshops held to discuss science findings

with land managers

The Focused Science Delivery Program delivers science information

through multiple formats to ensure various clients get useful information. Formats include workshops, conferences, briefing papers,

client meetings, scientist-manager interactions, data analysis,

client mailing lists, bibliography databases, and other specialty

products on an ongoing basis.

In the Santiam Pass area, photos taken in different years show the same landscape before thinning, after thinning, and after the B and B Complex burned the area in 2003.

Tom Iraci
“we don’t know,” but indicates that the answers depend on context, specifics,

multiple variables, and possible pathways. The answers aren’t in growth and

yield tables, but depend on the complexities of trees, forests, animals, weather,

and people’s changing values.

Kluwer Academic Publishers published a textbook on the research as part of their

Managing Forested Ecosystems series. The final book, Compatible Forest Management, was edited by Robert A. Monserud, Richard W. Haynes, and Adelaide C.

Johnson, and included chapters by many PNW authors.

The Pacific Northwest has a rich legacy of forests managed for a variety of goods

and services. These forests demonstrate that there is a high degree of wood production taking place without impairing other forest values. A history of deliberate forest management carried out by many landowners with diverse objectives

has contributed to this rich legacy. Two watershed-scale case studies, including

the Blue River Landscape Study in the Oregon Cascade Range, indicate that a

variety of environmental indicators can be increased while producing wood. The

key is to manage the entire watershed simultaneously, rather than in a piecemeal

fashion.

A team of scientists held four sessions to discuss significant science findings

with regional and local managers on key topics: late-successional reserves,

socioeconomic planning issues, the management implications of existing information about hydrologic function, and management scenarios for Oregon’s Blue

Mountains. The major findings discussed were documented in a report.

Contact: Becky Gravenmier, bgravenmier@fs.fed.us, Focused Science Delivery Program

Book on compatible forest management gets 

international audience

Work was completed on the Wood Compatibility Initiative, a short-term research

program that looked for approaches to forest management that emphasize the

compatibility among various goods and services and that avoid counterproductive arguments about conflicting tradeoffs between timber, jobs, and ecological

values in ecosystems.

Science can play a key role in finding ways to produce compatible goods and

services. The challenge in this kind of cutting-edge, broad-scale science is that a

fundamental uncertainty always remains. The answer “it depends” doesn’t mean

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 55

In the Oregon Cascade Range, the Blue River Landscape Study is testing a new approach to sustain native habitats and species, maintain ecological processes, and provide a sustained flow of timber.

Tom Iraci
FishXing has

quickly become 

the standard tool 

in the West for 

evaluating whether 

or not culverts are

currently accessible 

to fish and other

aquatic life. 

No single management regime will meet all of society’s needs or

desires. Diverse management regimes may help to achieve compatibility at a landscape scale, in terms of both diverse forests and

diverse wood qualities. In one sense, compatible forest management

merges our scientific understanding with changing societal values

to shape the forest legacy for the next generation.

Contacts: Bob Monserud, rmonserud@fs.fed.us, and Richard Haynes, rhaynes@fs.fed.us,

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Redesigned Web site includes early results on alternative

harvest strategies for mature forests

The Demonstration of Ecosystem Management Options study

(DEMO) will provide data on alternative harvest strategies in

mature Douglas-fir forests. DEMO studies the ecological effects and

public perceptions of different levels of green-tree retention, and

dispersed vs. aggregated patterns of green-tree retention, in harvest

units. Study components include overstory and understory vegetation, breeding birds, forest-floor small mammals, amphibians, treedwelling rodents, canopy arthropods, fungi, and public perceptions

of visual quality. Pretreatment sampling was completed in 1997,

harvest treatments in 1998, and the first year of postharvest sampling

in 2001. A new study began this year on interrelations of birds and

bark-dwelling invertebrates.

The DEMO Web site was redesigned and updated this year. It now

includes detailed information on the history, experimental design,

and research results of DEMO. The Web site can be accessed at:

http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.demo/index.

Contacts: Charley Peterson, cepeterson@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity 

Program; Keith Aubry, kaubry@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

Partners: University of Washington; Oregon State University; University of Oregon; Louisiana 

State University; Cascadien, Inc.;Washington State Department of Natural Resources; Gifford

Pinchot National Forest; Umpqua National Forest

Strategies for restoration of Puget Sound rivers 

have lessons for all

Station scientists offered insights on stream restoration principles 

in the book Restoration of Puget Sound Rivers published by University

of Washington Press. The success of restoration strategies is likely

to depend on careful consideration of a stream’s physical environment, including local climate, topography, and geology, and common

disturbances, such as fire. These factors control elements of habitat

quality such as stream channel pattern and form, and size of

streambed gravels.

Streams are embedded in watersheds, and the physical context

limits the range in habitat quality that is likely to be sustainable. Not

all things can be accomplished in all streams. Understanding these

limits, the processes that control them such as landslides, and how

upslope actions affect streams, will raise the likelihood that restoration work will succeed. Watershed context is critical in stream and

watershed restoration.

Contact: Richard D.Woodsmith, rwoodsmith@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land 

Interactions Program

HydroDB—making hydrology data available

The Hydrology Database project (HydroDB) is a cross-site synthesis

of long-term records of streamflow and meteorology from a network of USDA Forest Service experimental watershed sites and

National Science Foundation-funded long-term ecological research

sites. The assembled databases establish a baseline response of

watersheds to climate variability for monitoring environmental

change and assessing disturbance effects, and are widely used in

intersite comparisons, modeling studies, and land managementrelated studies. The intersite HydroDB features a data harvesting

56 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 
Science on wetland soils is used in guidebook 

on southeastern Alaska wetlands

Station soil scientists contributed to a guidebook on the assessment and rating

of southeastern Alaska wetlands. Their research on wetland soils went into a

guide developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in collaboration with the

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. It is part of a national series

on wetland characteristics. Guidebook users can determine if soils are truly wetland soil types, rate wetland functions objectively, assess the potential effects of

proposed actions, and develop mitigation measures. The recently published

guidebook has already been used in training for land managers, planners,

researchers, and private industry, sponsored by the Society of Wetland Scientists,

state of Alaska, and PNW Research Station.

Contact: Dave D’Amore, ddamore@fs.fed.us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Alaska

Road culverts can be barriers to fish migration,

with potentially devastating effects

Road culverts can act as barriers to migration of fish and other aquatic species,

with potentially devastating effects on their conservation. Fish passage has

become the priority activity for fisheries restoration and recovery in all Forest

Service regions. Assessment of fish passage requires a broad knowledge of

hydraulic engineering, fisheries biology, stream channel geomorphology, and

hydrology.

Scientists have developed a software application called FishXing (pronounced

“fish crossing”) that integrates elements of fish biology, hydrology, hydraulics,

and engineering to evaluate road culverts for fish passage. FishXing has quickly

become the standard tool in the West for evaluating whether or not culverts are

currently accessible to fish and other aquatic life. The software is now being

adopted in the Eastern United States.

Contact: Michael J. Furniss, mfurniss@fs.fed.us,Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

system, a central cross-site database, and a Web interface to display, graph, and

download data.

The HydroDB Web site is averaging over 500 hits per month. Additionally, over

120 separate computers have viewed, graphed, or downloaded data sets in the

past 4 months, which resulted in the display of 750 data plots, 250 data views,

and 215 data downloads.

Contact: Don Henshaw, dhenshaw@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 57

Station research on southeast Alaska wetlands contributed to a guide newly published by the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers.

Tom Iraci
Every day 

about 1,300 

people visit the 

PNW Research

Station Web 

site. The Web 

site is at

http://www.fs.

fed.us/pnw.

Visualization tools help interpret remote sensing data 

for complex forest landscapes

New remote sensing technologies can produce large quantities 

of unprecedented high-resolution information on forested environments. Some systems produce millions of data points per square

mile, often making interpretation of data time consuming and 

difficult with existing GIS and image processing systems. Scientists

have developed new visualization tools that allow researchers to

combine data from many sensors and then filter, categorize, and

display these large, complex data sets. These new visualization

tools can help researchers and managers assess the accuracy and

value of remotely sensed data for monitoring and communicating

forest conditions.

Contact: Bob McGaughey, rmcgaughey@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Partners: Washington State Department of Natural Resources; USDA Forest Service 

Joint Fire Sciences Program; University of Washington; U.S. Department of Defense,

Fort Lewis

Historical forest surveys from 1930s made available 

again after decades out of print

The first large-scale, complete forest surveys of Oregon and

Washington were done in the 1930s by foresters from the Pacific

Northwest Forest Experiment Station (now PNW Research Station).

Survey reports and maps, difficult to find for decades, are now

available in a new publication and CD-ROM from the Station; the

CD-ROM also has the maps in digital format. The maps display

forest composition and size classes for all forests in the two states

at a scale of 1:253,440. County maps (at a scale of 1:63,360) were

produced for all forested counties, but many are now missing; the

history lists missing maps in the hope they will be found.

58 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 

Historical surveys again available show that in the 1930s, western Oregon and

Washington already had large acreages of trees less than 60 years old, as well as over 3

million acres of Douglas-fir old growth.

Tom Iraci

The 1930s surveys are a valuable record of forest conditions in 

the early 20th century. A 1934 report noted that western Oregon and

Washington had over 3 million acres of Douglas-fir old growth with

trees over 40 inches diameter at breast height, and another 32

million acres of old-growth Douglas-fir “of the 20- to 40-inch type.”

The 1934 report further recorded that Oregon had large acreages in

30-, 40-, 50-, and 60-year age classes. These stands occurred largely

in old burns and were established in 1870-1900, a period “coincidental with the era of intensive land settlement and the development of rail transportation that followed the Civil War.”

Contact: Connie Harrington, charrington@fs.fed.us, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

Partner: Umatilla National Forest
Scientists and managers can access databases and software from the Web site.

The databases include a bibliography on Oregon white oak and a database on

insect damage to trees. Downloadable software offers free tools for biomass

calculations, financial evaluation of ecosystem management, stand- and landscape-scale visualization, and smoke management, among other items.

Instructions are available on system compatibility and software use.

With so much information available, it’s no surprise that on average 1,300 

people visit the Station Web site every day. The Web site is at http://www.fs.

fed.us/pnw.

Contact: Tiffany Dong, tdong@fs.fed.us, Communications and Applications Program

Synthesis published on managing chanterelle mushrooms 

in Pacific Northwest

Chanterelles are globally renowned as one of the best edible forest mushrooms,

and their international commercial value likely exceeds a billion dollars annually.

A number of chanterelle species fruit plentifully in Pacific Northwest forests,

and their abundance has spawned a significant commercial harvest industry

during the last two decades. Because chanterelles grow symbiotically with the

roots of forest trees, managing the fungi for sustainable harvests also means

managing forest habitats.

Research results have been summarized in a major synthesis publication, PNWGTR-576. Findings include the effects of thinning and related forest management

on chanterelle productivity, DNA analysis that is refining species distinctions,

and influence of high and low levels of coarse woody debris on chanterelles.

The new synthesis publication is used by national forests and BLM districts 

to manage these valuable special forest products.

Contact: Randy Molina, rmolina@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes Program

PNW Research Station Web site adds new features

The Station converted its Web site to the USDA Forest Service template in 2003,

a format that is easy to use and offers enhanced features. The home page offers

links to the Station newsroom, answers to “frequently asked questions,” research

programs and teams, experimental forests, and a calendar of events.

These links are in addition, of course, to the extensive library of publications. A

new feature called “TreeSearch” offers more convenient search choices, allowing

Web visitors to search by author, title, and keywords, and to access publications

from other research stations as well. Recent Station publications and publicdomain journal articles are available electronically as well as in hard copy, 

and many classic publications are being scanned in so they too are available

electronically.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 59

Tom Iraci
The 25th anniversary of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption is in

2005, and media interest has already started, with German public

television covering the ecology of a recovering landscape. Perhaps

the most unusual request was the interview of Charlie Crisafulli, 

a Mount St. Helens scientist, for a BBC program on the plagues of

Egypt. Historical evidence shows that a huge volcanic eruption

occurred about the same time as the plagues of Egypt, and Egypt

was in the depositional path of the volcanic plume. Although

Crisafulli did not comment directly on Egyptian history, he did

explain how the Mount St. Helens ash cloud darkened daytime skies

and how frogs and grasshoppers responded in the posteruption

landscape.

60 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 

Media information

T he story of how people use forests received attention

from many angles. The release of the Resources Planning

Act fifth timber assessment led to a front-page article in

The Oregonian, and eventually to reports in other newspapers

and radio stations. Richard Haynes, among others, was interviewed about the shift from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast

as the Nation’s biggest timber-producing region.

KIRO-TV in Seattle did a sequel to their early 1990s “War in the

Woods” documentary, on spotted owls, logging, and people. Oregon

Field Guide, an Oregon Public Broadcasting program, covered red

tree voles, a main food species for spotted owls. Several TV stations

and newspapers did features on the status of spotted owl populations, the effects of barred owls, and implications for people; Eric

Forsman was interviewed several times. Other stories on forest

resources featured grazing and noxious weeds in Hells Canyon, the

“humongous fungus” in the Blue Mountains, diversity in secondgrowth forests, and the big game and cattle grazing research of

Starkey. The History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” program did a

show on cranes, from early cranes used to build the Egyptian pyramids to modern construction cranes, and the show included a segment on the Wind River canopy crane. In Alaska, Trish Wurtz was

interviewed by several reporters about the spruce bark beetle

outbreak on the Kenai Peninsula.

Water, salmon, and dams were featured in other stories. The Los

Angeles Times and the Public Broadcasting System both interviewed Mark Wipfli on the story of how marine nutrients, brought

upstream in the bodies of salmon, fuel freshwater and riparian food

webs. Dam removal was a hot topic, with Gordon Grant interviewed

by several reporters about how dam removal can affect rivers. KTOO

in Juneau interviewed Mason Bryant about fish passage through

culverts and effects on fish.

Station scientists shared their findings with the media as a contribution to public 

discussion of topics such as the spruce bark beetle outbreak on Kenai Peninsula and wild

salmon issues.

Tom Iracci
Educational videos produced

Michael Furniss produced videos that educate managers about the migrations

of many aquatic organisms, not just anadromous fish. Also, Jack Piccolo and

Jenny Grayson produced a video on the feeding ecology of juvenile coho salmon

and steelhead in Alaska streams, in cooperation with the National Fish and

Wildlife Foundation.

Contact for migrations video: Michael Furniss, mfurniss@fs.fed.us,

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Contact for feeding ecology video: Brenda Wright, bwright01@fs.fed.us,

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

In fire-related stories, Sue Ferguson was interviewed about the BlueSky program, a smoke management technology used on about 100 wildfires during the

2003 fire season. Japanese public television covered the Station’s fire science

research in interior Alaska as part of a report on forest fires and possible global

warming. Finally, media traveled to southwest Oregon to see what scientists are

learning about postfire recovery after the 2002 Biscuit Fire.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 61

Tom Iracci

The 25th anniversary of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption is in 2005. Station scientists have studied the recovering landscape extensively.
Publications

• 431 publications total.

• 230,000 copies of Station series publications distributed.

• 9,000-13,000 journal article reprints distributed by scientists in 

response to requests.

• 586 publications are available in electronic format. All new 

Station publications are placed online, and scanned versions of 

journal articles and older Station publications are being added.

• 10 issues of PNW Science Findings published; about 9,500 copies

distributed each issue.

• 3 issues of PNW Science Update published; about 8,000-10,000 

copies distributed each issue.

• 2 CD-ROM sets published.

62 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 

Total Publications

Types of

Publications

Tom Iracci
Capitol State Forest silvicultural options tours. In separate groups (38 people total),

students from the University of New Brunswick and the University of Washington

and staff from the Cedar River watershed, city of Seattle, visited the studies of

silvicultural options on Capitol State Forest outside Olympia, Washington.

Cascade Center for Ecosystem Management. The center hosted its annual public

forum on young stand management. Over 100 people attended the conference

in Springfield, Oregon, and field trips. The Cascade Center is sponsored by 

the PNW Research Station, Willamette National Forest, and Oregon State

University.

Density management and riparian buffer study field tours. In six separate field trips,

over 200 people visited density-management and riparian-buffer study sites in

western Oregon. The field trip groups were from the 2003 North American

2003 Technology Transfer Events

Symposia, Workshops, and Tours

Alaska Region, USDA Forest Service, forest management workshop. A total of 40 people attended this workshop in Juneau, Alaska. Station scientists gave presentations on silvicultural options, growth-and-yield studies, and forest health topics

to national forest personnel.

American Birding Association field trips. Eric Forsman and the owl crew led field

trips to northern spotted owl sites in the Oregon Coast Range for people at the

American Birding Association annual meeting in Eugene, Oregon. About 200

birders were able to see spotted owls and other native forest birds.

Applied forest ecological experiments. PNW Research Station cosponsored this

International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) meeting in

Davos, Switzerland, in August 2003. The conference presented state-of-the-art

research results and techniques for the management and analysis of applied forest ecological experiments. The Switzerland conference was a building block for

the international symposium on sustainable forestry being hosted in 2004 by

PNW Research Station. “Large-Scale Experiments for Sustainable Forestry:

Balancing Ecosystem Value” is planned for August 15-20, 2004, in Portland,

Oregon.

BlueSky workshop. A total of 57 people attended this workshop in Seattle,

Washington. Scientists and managers from several states, universities, and federal land management agencies met to discuss progress to date on the BlueSky

smoke management program and discuss research needs in smoke modeling.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 63

Group learns about spruce bark beetle outbreak, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.

Tom Iraci

Event Number of participants

Workshops and symposia 1,620

Field tours 1,750

Conservation education 7,450
Forest Ecology Workshop, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

National Science Review Board, the Levels-of-Growing-Stock committee, and federal and state agencies. The BLM and Oregon State

University were partners in organizing the tours.

Forest ecosystem study. Andrew Carey led a field trip to Fort Lewis,

Washington, for people interested in ecological and collaborative

forest management. The 10 participants included representatives

from Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, Northwest Old-Growth

Campaign, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Forest inventory and analysis meetings and technology transfer workshops. Scientists from the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

held their annual meeting with FIA clients from Washington,

Oregon, and California, with about 75 people attending. Along

with Station presentations about our research, clients presented

results from research they have done based on inventory data. 

The FIA scientists conducted 21 technology transfer events, such as

workshops, and made 11 presentations to layperson organizations.

Genomics of Douglas-fir. A total of 50 people attended this workshop

in Corvallis, Oregon. Scientists, policymakers, and tree breeders

met to learn about the field of genomics and to discuss how genomics

may be used to increase forest productivity and promote gene

conservation in the Pacific Northwest.

H.J.Andrews Experimental Forest. Over three dozen field tours were

conducted at the Andrews in the Oregon Cascade Range, bringing

more than 1,000 scientists, land managers, students, media, and

other visitors to discuss science and management issues. Featured

field stops included new research on air flow in small watersheds

and implementation of the Blue River Landscape Study.

Hungry Bob Fire and Fire Surrogate study. A total of 65 people attended

this conference in La Grande, Oregon. Station scientists made

presentations on the economics and ecological consequences of fire

and fire surrogate treatments in a ponderosa pine forest.

Identifying barriers to aquatic organism passage at road-stream crossings

workshops. Scientists developed two courses on inventory and

assessment procedures for identifying barriers. One course was

given in Boise, Idaho, for the USDA Forest Service Intermountain

Region, and in Rutland, Vermont, for the Eastern Region. The other

course was given in four locations in Oregon and Washington for

the Pacific Northwest Region. Total attendance for all workshops

was about 130 people, all involved in stream crossing design for

the remediation of fish migration.

64 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 

Old growth, young stands, and landscape management are just a few of the research topics

being studied at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Oregon Cascade Range.

Frank Vanni
Levels-of-growing-stock (LOGS) tour. About 30 people from Oregon and

Washington toured LOGS research sites in western Oregon. The studies are

investigating management of stand structure for multiple objectives, early 

spacing control, and management of riparian buffers.

North American forest ecology workshop. Over 300 scientists and managers from

North America and other continents attended the “Ecosystems in Transition”

conference in Corvallis, Oregon, in June 2003. People looked at research about

forest ecosystems, including new ideas about nonequilibrium, chaos, complexity, and uncertainty. A symposium within the conference examined silviculture

for changing objectives including conservation, restoration, and intensified timber production. As part of the forest ecology workshop, Station scientists led

field trips to places such as the Biscuit Fire, the Metolius Research Natural Area,

old-growth forests, the young stand thinning and diversity study, and the H.J.

Andrews Experimental Forest.

Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory seminars. Scientists at the Olympia Lab give

monthly presentations on natural resource topics. The seminars are well attended

by natural resource professionals from the south Puget Sound area.

Olympic Peninsula silvicultural studies tours. A group of 25 people visited the

Olympic Habitat Development study and Clearwater Young Stand Management study. Participants were from the Makah Indian Nation, Cedar River

Watershed, Olympic National Forest, Tacoma Power, Washington State

Department of Natural Resources, and the University of Washington.

Riparian restoration density management field tour. A 20-person Chinese delegation on restoration and forest health visited Corvallis, Oregon, in July 2003. The 

delegation was headed by China’s Deputy Directorate General of Afforestation,

State Forestry Administration, and included scientists and managers. In collaboration with the USDA Forest Service Washington Office, BLM, and the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, PNW Research Station hosted a field trip on restoration

projects and studies that develop structurally and biologically diverse riparian

Innovations in species conservation. Held in Portland, Oregon, in April, 2003, this

symposium focused on approaches to conserving rare, little-known species of

plants and animals. Many of these species could face extirpation because of

habitat loss. Participants discussed the social, economic, and legal issues, as well

as the biological issues, in species conservation. A theme emerged that multiplespecies approaches seem more efficient and essential, but their outcome is yet

untested. About 200 people attended.

Invasive plants research tours. A total of 35 people, on two separate tours, looked

at invasive plant infestations in northeastern Oregon. The scientists and land

managers saw sulfur cinquefoil and yellow hawkweed, and they discussed

research needs and management options.

Late-successional reserve meeting. A group of 12 people met in Portland, Oregon,

to discuss key findings related to late-successional reserves and information

needs for revising forest plans. Attendees were from the USDA Forest Service

Pacific Northwest Region and PNW Research Station.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 65

Staff explain the ungulate ecology research on Starkey Experimental Forest and Range in northeastern

Oregon.

Frank Vanni
and upland forests. The visit evolved after the Chinese State

Forestry Administration and the USDA Forest Service signed a

memorandum of understanding in 2002. This field trip sets the

stage for collaboration in China.

Second International Precision Forestry Symposium. A total of 80 

people met in Seattle, Washington, to discuss precision operations

and equipment; remote sensing and measurement of forest lands

and vegetation; terrestrial sensing, measurement, and monitoring;

and design tools and decision-support systems.

Small hydrology and management implications workshop. A group of 21

people met at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon to

identify future research needs and discuss management implications relating to small hydrology research in the Pacific Northwest.

Attendees were regional and forest hydrologists from BLM and the

USDA Forest Service, technology transfer staffs, university scientists, and Station scientists.

Socioeconomic planning issues meeting. A group of 20 people met in

Portland, Oregon, to discuss socioeconomic information needed for

forest plan revisions. Attendees were from BLM, USDA National

Forest System, universities, and PNW Research Station.

Starkey Experimental Forest and Range. Several tours were conducted

on the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, with over 60 people visiting. Groups

included the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation project advisory

committee, Oregon Congressional staffers, the Oregon State Parks

and Recreation Commission committee on all-terrain vehicles, and

all-terrain vehicle riding clubs in Union and Wallowa Counties.

Starkey Project symposium. A full-day symposium was held 

on the Starkey Project at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

annual meeting in Reno, Nevada. A total of 76 people learned

about the first 10 years of the long-term research project on deer,

elk, cattle, grazing, and forests. Future research directions also 

were discussed.

Sustainable wood production issue client meeting. A group of 25 people

met in Portland, Oregon, and developed a list of key topics that the

sustainable wood production issue should address. Participants

represented universities, state and federal agencies, industry, and

private landowners.

Wildland fire workshops. Three workshops on the 2002 fire season

were held in collaboration with Oregon State University, the Joint

Fire Science Program, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Pacific

Southwest Research Station. At workshops in Oregon, Arizona, 

and Colorado, a total of about 265 managers, researchers, educators,

community groups, and others identified research topics based on

manager needs. Workshop recommendations will be used by the

Joint Fire Science Program board to evaluate its current program

and report to Congress on needed research. Recommendations also

will be published.

Wind River canopy crane. About 50 people attended a science conference on research done from the canopy crane, at the Wind River

Experimental Forest, June 10-11, 2003.

Wind River Experimental Forest silvicultural studies tours. A group of

35 people attended the summer field trip and meeting of the Stand

Management Cooperative.

66 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4
H.J.Andrews Experimental Forest. Andrews staff hosted several educational activities, including the Teachers in the Woods program sponsored by Portland State

University and the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences program (SMILE) sponsored by Oregon State University and attended by about 

200 young people.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities National Internship Program (HNIP).

An intern hired through the HNIP program spent the summer of 2003 at the

Corvallis Lab. The student worked on a conservation education project about

watershed management, and she also participated in field, laboratory, and 

analytical experiences related to research on restoration ecology, plant biology,

managing forests for diversity, riparian area ecology, and management. The

intern also assisted with the Inner-City Youth Institute summer camp.

Inner-City Youth Institute (ICYI). The Station continued its support to ICYI, which

encourages underrepresented youths to learn about the environment and related

careers. The program sponsors ecology clubs in inner-city middle and high

schools, and it also sponsored a summer program called Alberta Nature Teams

(ANTS), geared for elementary school children from inner-city communities.

Station scientists also helped with this year’s summer camp program for high

school students, held in Corvallis. A total of 200 students participated in this

year’s ICYI programs. ICYI is a collaborative effort among the USDA Forest

Service, Oregon State University, the Audubon Society of Portland, and the

Bureau of Land Management.

Juneau Science Fair. Scientists and staff from the Juneau Forestry Sciences

Laboratory mentored several students participating in the Juneau Science Fair.

One student placed second with her project on using lichens as bioindicators 

of air quality, and she qualified for the national competition in Cleveland.

Another student mentored by Station scientists won a spot in the top 10 at

Juneau, and yet another student won two special awards at Juneau.

Conservation Education

Expanding Your Horizons (EYH)

Workshop. At this workshop in

Seattle, Washington, a Station scientist introduced 90 girls to tools

and procedures used in fire weather forecasting during three handson sessions, and all 600 girls at the

workshop visited a booth where a

Station scientist showed equipment

used in fire weather research. One

girl from the workshop is now

volunteering at the Pacific Wildland

Fire Sciences Laboratory as a

research assistant in atmospheric

sciences. The workshop gives girls

in 9th through 12th grades a chance

to meet adults with careers in

mathematics, science, and technology; get hands-on experiences 

in these fields; and learn about

careers in these fields. The workshop is cosponsored by the Women’s Math and

Science Network and Shoreline Community College.

Forest camp outdoor school. Six Station employees taught modules on disturbance, ecosystem management, and the web of life to over 120 sixth-grade

students from the Corvallis area at the Alsea Forest Camp. Station scientists were

also involved in similar outdoor schools in Corvallis, Lebanon, and Astoria, all 

in Oregon.

Girls in Science. Station staff participated in this all-day session, sponsored by

Eastern Oregon University, to introduce seventh and eighth-grade girls to career

opportunities in the sciences.

2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4 Pacific Northwest Research Station 67

Teenager learns about stream hydrology and ecology,

near Alsea Falls, Oregon.

Edna Mo
Northwest Science Expo. The PNW Research Station sponsored

awards for middle and high school students at the 2003 Northwest

Science Expo in March at Portland State University. A high school

and a middle school student were each awarded with “Outstanding

Science Project About Forests” plaques.

Old-growth forest posters and activity guides. The Station helped

develop posters of Pacific coastal old-growth forest and distributed

about 1,500 posters with a Station-developed student activity guide

to school teachers, organizations, and interested people in the

Pacific Northwest.

Oregon High Desert Museum. Station scientists worked with the

Oregon High Desert Museum and several federal agencies to release

two juvenile spotted owls into the wild. The young owls, born in

captivity at the museum, were placed into nests of wild spotted owls

near Roseburg, Oregon. Both owls were accepted by their foster

parents and were raised along with their wild siblings. This is the

first case where captive-bred spotted owls have been fostered into

nests of wild owls. Station scientists gave presentations about

spotted owls at the museum to over 200 people.

Oregon Saturday Academy apprenticeships in science and engineering

(ASE) program. The ASE program pairs promising high school students with science or engineering professionals as mentors, to help

students learn about careers in those fields. As part of the program,

a Station scientist mentored an apprentice in summer 2003.

School presentations. Station scientists gave presentations at several

schools. In northeastern Oregon, a Station scientist taught students

from two high schools how to teach younger students about insects

and spiders, as part of the “whole ecosystems in balance” (WEB)

program. A scientist also taught elementary and high school students in Cove about insects and spiders. In La Grande, scientists

took children ages 7 through 12 outside to learn what roles insects

have in stream and agricultural ecosystems, as an activity with the

Think Link Children’s Museum.

Sciences and Tribes Educational Partnership (STEP). The STEP program

brought 60 high school students from Native American tribes in 

the Pacific Northwest to the Big Beef Creek Research Station near

Seabeck, Washington, in June 2003. The teenagers studied fisheries

biology in the field with instructors including one Station scientist.

Partners were University of Washington, Yakama Nation, Colville

Nation, and Quileute, Muckleshoot, Quinault, and Lummi Tribes.

Starkey Experimental Forest and Range conservation education. Staff

from Starkey hosted four educational trips to the forest with 155

participants. Groups included students from Echo, Oregon, and

from Eastern Oregon University, and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteers. Students learned about the 10-year-old Starkey

Project and toured the facilities and research sites.

Watershed Stewardship Education Program (WSEP). Station scientists

taught classes and led field trips in several Oregon counties on

riparian area ecology and management as part of the WSEP. Participants included agency people, local landowners (farmers and

woodlot owners), fishermen, interested residents, school teachers,

and even OMSI representatives, who took the class to be certified

as watershed stewards. These watershed stewards then become

local experts who work with other landowners on restoration

projects. Indirectly, over 1,000 people benefit from this program.

Wolftree. Station employees served as mentors in ecology programs

with Portland and Vancouver area middle and high schools. Over

3,000 students participate in Wolftree activities annually, with 45 percent from primarily low-income, inner-city, and rural populations that

have little or no access to high-quality science or outdoor programs.

The Station also contributed funds for supplies and equipment.

68 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Goal Accomplishments • Goal 4
John Wesley Powell Award for 2002

Michael J. Furniss, hydrologist, received this award from the Watershed

Management Council. The lifetime award honors an individual providing outstanding contributions to watershed management in the Western United States.

Wildlife Publications Award for Outstanding Article

John Kie, team leader and research wildlife biologist, received this award from

the Wildlife Society for his article “Landscape Heterogeneity at Differing Scales:

Effects on Spatial Distribution of Mule Deer,” published in Ecology 83: 530-544.

Merit Award for Outstanding Contribution

Jim Lenihan, Ray Drapek, and Lisa Balduman (USDA Forest Service) and

Dominique Bachelet (Oregon State University) received this award in recognition

of their outstanding dedication and contribution to the U.S. national assessment

of the ecological impacts of global warming and the production of a world-class,

Honors and Awards

Savery and Outstanding Master’s Student Award

Shannon Claeson, of the Station’s Aquatic and Land Interactions Program, won

the Savery Award at Oregon State University in recognition of her public service, leadership, research capability, and research that benefits Oregon natural

resources. She also won an outstanding master’s student scholarship from the

Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, a research scholarship from

the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Thomas G. Scott Award, also

from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University.

Society of American Foresters Golden Member Award

Robert Curtis, mensurationist emeritus, received this award in recognition 

of his half-century of SAF membership and his contributions to the forestry 

profession.

USDA Forest Service New Century of Service Award

Dean DeBell, research forester emeritus, received this award. As part of 

the 100th anniversary of the Forest Service in 2005, the agency is recognizing

employees such as Dean DeBell who epitomize what the agency stands for:

service, excellence, relationships, and innovation.

Best Technology Transfer Tool Award

Sue Ferguson, team leader and research atmospheric scientist, received this

award given annually by the Joint Fire Science Program. She was cited for her

exemplary efforts in creating the brochure and Web site for the ventilation 

climate information system (VCIS) and her leadership in promoting use of VCIS.

Gold Medal for Innovation

Team leader Sue Ferguson and the atmosphere and fire interactions research 

and engineering team and collaborators from the University of Washington and

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), received the gold medal for innovation, awarded annually by the EPA. The team was cited for developing

BlueSkyRAINS, a technology that allows incident command teams and smoke

managers to use one Web site to manage smoke from planned fires and wildfires.

2003 Honors and Awards Pacific Northwest Research Station 69

Tom Iraci
70 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Honors and Awards

peer-reviewed legacy in support of the assessment. They are

members of the Mapped Atmosphere-Plant-Soil Systems (MAPSS)

Team.

Secretary of Agriculture’s Honor Award for Maintaining

and Enhancing the Nation’s Natural Resources and

Environment

Ronald P. Neilson, team leader and bioclimatologist, received this

award for outstanding contributions to understanding the potential

impacts to ecosystems, water resources, and fire regimes under 

climate change at regional, national, and global scales.

Chief’s Award for Natural Resource Stewardship

Gordon Reeves, research fish biologist, received this award for

helping to build a strong foundation for management and conservation plans in aquatic ecosystems and for contributions to conservation biology and natural resource management.

USDA Forest Service Exemplary Volunteer Service Award

Roy Silen, research geneticist emeritus, received this national award

for his contributions as a volunteer since his retirement in 1985. He

was cited for his contributions in measuring, maintaining, documenting, and publishing results from long-term studies, and for work

that has made an important difference in advancing forest genetics

research as well as maintaining a historical record of forestry research

in the Pacific Northwest.

Chief’s Honor Award for Global Stewardship

Robert Szaro, Deputy Station Director, received this award in

recognition of his sustained efforts in contributing to the improvement of global forest stewardship, promoting U.S. foreign policy

objectives, contributing to the improvement of international

forestry, and establishing innovative and effective partnerships 

to further international objectives.

Certificate of Appreciation

Martin Vavra, Starkey Project team leader, received this certificate

from the American Society of Animal Science in recognition of his 

6 years as editor of the contemporary issues section in the Journal of

Animal Science.

Toward a Multicultural Organization Award

Tammy Verhunc, administrative officer for the Portland Forestry

Sciences Laboratory, received this award from the Station for her

leadership in bringing cultural diversity to the lab through presentations, coordinating national civil rights observances, and creating

an atmosphere of cohesiveness in the lab environment.

Tom Iracci
2003 Finances and Workforce Pacific Northwest Research Station

Finances and Workforce

T he PNW Research Station is supported by two funding sources. The

largest part of our funding comes from federal appropriations. Our

other funding source is direct client support, which comes from 

organizations needing scientific information.

2003: PNW Research Station Finances and Workforce, 

by the Numbers

Fiscal year 2003: October 1, 2002, to September 30, 2003

Incoming Funding

• Base research appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.2 million

• Direct client support* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.9 million

• Total funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $51.1 million

* Includes national fire research funds ($2.8 million), National Forest System monitoring 

funds ($3.8 million), state and private research funds ($1.1 million), and nonfederal sources

($4.2 million).

Distribution of Funds

• Employee costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 percent

• Support and operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 percent

• Distributed to cooperators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 percent

• Of $8.4 million to cooperators . . 85 percent went to educational institutions

Workforce Statistics

• Permanent workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 employees

• Of the permanent workforce . . . . . . 32 percent or 91 employees are scientists

• Temporary workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 employees

• Station total workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549 employees

Incoming

Funds

Distribution

of Funds

Employees

Types of

Positions

71
I n 2003, the PNW Research Station distributed about $8.4

million to its cooperators. The list below includes all

cooperators who currently have agreements and partnerships with the Station.

Educational Institutions

Colorado State University

Eastern Oregon University

Humboldt State University

Michigan State University

Michigan Technological University

Ohio State University

Oregon State University

Pennsylvania State University

Saint Louis University

Southern Oregon University

University of Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau)

University of Arizona

University of California (Berkeley and Davis)

University of Georgia

University of Idaho

University of Minnesota

University of Montana

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin

University of Wyoming

Utah State University

Washington State University

Other Federal Agencies

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management

U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey, Biological 

Sciences Division

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service

State Agencies

Oregon Department of Agriculture, Plant Division

Government Agencies in Other Countries

Forest Research (New Zealand)

University of Leeds (United Kingdom)

Indian Tribes

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Nongovernment Organizations

Alaska Manufacturers Association

Earth Systems Institute

Institute for Applied Ecology

Institute for Culture and Ecology

Wildlife Conservation Society

Private Industry

National Council for Air and Stream Improvement

Sealaska Corporation

72 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 Cooperators Who Receive Funding for Studies

Cooperators Who Receive Funding for Studies

from the P N W Research Station
Nongovernment Organizations

Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Foundation

National Council for Science and the Environment

Private Industry

Northwest Power and Conservation Council

I n 2003, the PNW Research Station received about $2.7 million in 

support from clients other than the National Forest System, State and

Private Forestry, and other research stations. The list below includes all

clients who currently have agreements and partnerships with the Station.

Educational Institutions

Montana State University

Oregon State University

Washington State University

Other Federal Agencies

Bureau of Land Management

Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Geological Survey

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

National Marine Fisheries Service

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

U.S. Department of Defense, Fort Lewis

State Agencies

California Resources Agency

Oregon Department of Forestry

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

2003 Clients Who Provide Funding for Studies Pacific Northwest Research Station

Clients Who Provide Funding for Studies

to the P N W Research Station

73
Station Director

Thomas M. Quigley

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2100

E-mail: tmquigley@fs.fed.us

Deputy Station Director

Robert Szaro

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2115

E-mail: rszaro@fs.fed.us

Assistant Station Director

Cynthia West

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2104

E-mail: cdwest@fs.fed.us

Director for Operations

Vacant

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2102

Communications and 

Applications Director

Cynthia L. Miner

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2135

E-mail: clminer@fs.fed.us

PROGRAM MANAGERS

Aquatic and Land Interactions

Vacant

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

3625 93rd Ave. SW

Olympia, WA 98512

Ecosystem Processes

John Laurence

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

3200 SW Jefferson Way

Corvallis, OR 97331

Phone: 541-750-7357

E-mail: jalaurence@fs.fed.us

Focused Science Delivery

Jamie Barbour

Pacific Northwest Research Station

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2542

E-mail: jbarbour01@fs.fed.us

Forest Inventory and Analysis

Sue Willits

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2066

E-mail: swillits@fs.fed.us

74 Pacific Northwest Research Station 2003 PNW Research Station Organization

PNW Research Station Organization

Human and Natural 

Resources Interactions

Richard Haynes

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2002

E-mail: rhaynes@fs.fed.us

Managing Disturbance 

Regimes

Ed DePuit

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

1133 N Western Avenue

Wenatchee, WA 98801

Phone: 509-664-1715

E-mail: ejdepuit@fs.fed.us

Resource Management and 

Productivity

Charley Peterson

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2026

E-mail: cepeterson@fs.fed.us
Publications mentioned in this report can be requested by calling (503) 808-2138 or e-mailing

pnw_pnwpubs@fs.fed.us. Many publications can be downloaded from the PNW Research

Station Web site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on 

the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or

marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require

alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should

contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write

USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider

and employer.

Credits:

Writer - Valerie Rapp

Design and layout - Jenny Beranek

Art direction and production - Frank Vanni

Photographs - credits with photos

All unaccredited photos - USDA Forest Service, Tom Iraci, Bob Szaro, Ken Eldredge, or other Forest Service staff 
USDA Forest Service

Science Accomplishments

of the Pacific Northwest Research Station