DEPAR TMENT OF AGRICULT URE

2007 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

of the Pacific Northwest Research Station

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service
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.
Contents

4 A Message From the Station Director

6 PNW Research Station: The Setting

8 Goal Accomplishments

9 Goal 1: Develop a Fundamental 

 Understanding of Ecological, 

 Social, and Economic Systems 

 and Their Interactions

25 Goal 2: Assess the Status and 

 Trends of Ecosystems and Natural

 Resources and Their Uses

35 Goal 3: Develop Science-Based 

 Options for Informed Management

63 Goal 4: Communicate Science

 Findings and Enhance Their

 Application

77 Publications

78 Learning Events

84 Honors and Awards

86 Research Context

86 Finances and Workforce

87 Funding Partners for 2007

88 PNW Research Station Organization

On the cover: Turnagain Pass, Alaska. This page: 

Mack Creek, H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, 

Oregon. Both photos by Tom Iraci.
 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

A Message From the Station Director

Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research 

Station, I am very gratified at the 

contributions of our scientists 

and support staff in producing 

scientific knowledge and tools. This 

year has brought unprecedented 

recognition of the contributions 

of our scientists. Ralph Alig 

(research forester), Ron Neilson 

(bioclimatologist), and David L. 

Peterson (research biologist) were 

recognized with the Nobel Peace 

Prize for their contributions to the 

International Panel on Climate 

Change. Their participation in 

this rigorous endeavor is truly 

remarkable. They and those who 

have supported their efforts bring 

great pride to the Station and the 

Forest Service.

Also, two scientists at the Station 

were promoted to super grade 

scientists, representing the highest 

graded positions in Forest Service 

Research and Development. 

The Chief of the Forest Service 

As I look back at 2007 for the

Station Director Bov Eav

recognized Richard Haynes with the 

Distinguished Science Award, Bruce 

Marcot with the Global Stewardship 

Award, and Gail Hodgson with the 

Excellence in Budget and Financial 

Accountability Award. And there 

are more. Please turn to page 84 

for a description of these and other 

awards the Station received in 2007. 

The PNW Research Station is 

extremely fortunate to have many 

retired scientists work with us as 

emeritus scientists. Their continued work with the Station is very 

valuable. This year, Jim Trappe, Walt 

Thies, and Nan Vance became PNW 

emeritus scientists. 

Our partnerships are very important 

to the work we do, and I want to 

acknowledge that nearly all 

accomplishments reported here are 

possible because of those who work 

side-by-side with us in generating 

and delivering new knowledge and 

developing tools that will help 

inform land management. This past 

year we reached out to many of our 

partners and clients as we developed a strategic business plan that 

will help guide our work for the 

next 3 to 5 years. We also 

had several field 
A MESSAGE FROM 

THE STATION DIRECTOR 

visits with Congressional staffers 

as we presented information on 

climate change, fire, and urban 

development. 

I look forward in 2008 to new efforts 

we have started related to climate 

change. We are working hard to 

find new ways to generate and 

deliver science to meet an incredible 

demand for information as people 

adapt and mitigate the changes we 

have begun to experience. We also 

are reaching out to partners in new 

endeavors. For example, to better 

understand urban areas as forested 

environments, we are working 

with the University of Washington, 

Northern Research Station, and 

others. 

I invite you to read this report at 

whatever pace you might choose: 

glance through the photos and 

captions. You might pause at the 

key findings and tools. And we 

hope there are headings that will 

draw you. Following are findings 

related to climate change, an area 

that the Station has been studying 

for about 20 years.

➤ A vegetation model, developed 

by one of our Nobel Peace 

Prize winners, indicates 

that climate change likely will 

affect many forest types and 

increase fire frequency on 

one-third of the global land 

surface. Federal, state, and 

private land management 

agencies, and The Nature 

Conservancy have inquired 

about these MD1 Dynamic 

General Vegetation Model 

climate change projections.

➤ Models are predicting warmer 

temperatures will lead to less 

snow accumulation and less 

runoff during longer dry seasons. This information about 

snowmelt helps managers 

anticipate effects of climate 

change on snow regime.

➤ Different landscapes have 

widely different responses to 

warming climate with ground 

water becoming the primary 

source of summer streamflow 

in parts of Oregon and California with a warming climate. 

Public water and energy utilities 

are incorporating information 

about sources of summer water 

supply in western Oregon into 

long-range management plans. 

➤ Land-use changes affect carbon 

storage and ecosystem goods 

and services. Scientists found 

that Oregon’s land-use planning 

program resulted in substantial 

carbon storage over the past 

decade, sufficient to offset 

more than twice the increase in 

carbon emissions over the same 

period. The Oregon Department 

of Forestry and Environmental 

Protection Agency are using 

this and other land-use studies 

to develop climate change 

strategies.

The coming year promises to be 

one marked by further change and 

accomplishment. I wish you the 

best in all your 2008 endeavors.
Pacific Northwest Research Station: The Setting
Anchorage Fairbanks

Juneau

Sitka

Olympia

Seattle

Wenatchee

La Grande

Portland

Corvallis

Prineville

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

11

10

9

O R E G O N

W A S H I N G T O N

A L A S K A

PNW RESEARCH

STATION: THE SETTING 

➤ 11 laboratories and centers in 

Alaska, Oregon, and Washington

➤ 11 active experimental areas (watershed, 

range, and experimental forests)

➤ Research also conducted in more than 

20 research natural areas (RNAs)

➤ Headquarters in Portland, Oregon

➤ Pacific Northwest Research Station is one of 

five research stations in the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service 

➤ 443 employees (302 permanent, 141 temporary)

Left: Research ecologist samples pond near Mount St. Helens 

for presence of amphibians. Photo by Tom Iraci.

Laboratories and Centers

Alaska Wood Utilization and Develop-

ment Center (Sitka)

Anchorage Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Boreal Ecology Cooperative Research

Unit (Fairbanks)

Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Juneau Forestry Sciences Laboratory

La Grande Forestry and Range Sciences

Laboratory

Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory

(Seattle)

Portland Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Wenatchee Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Western Wildland Environmental Threat

Assessment Center (Prineville)

Experimental Areas

1. Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest

2. Caribou-Poker Creeks Research

Watershed

3. Young’s Bay Experimental Forest

4. Maybeso Experimental Forest

5. Entiat Experimental Forest

6. Wind River Experimental Forest

7. Cascade Head Experimental Forest

8. H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest

9. South Umpqua Experimental Forest

10. Pringle Falls Experimental Forest

11. Starkey Experimental Forest

and Range
Goal Accomplishments
GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Develop a fundamental understanding of ecological, GOAL 1: social, and economic systems and their interactions

Models predict warmer temperatures will lead to less snow 

accumulation and less runoff during longer dry seasons. 

Significance of groundwater will increase in parts of the 

Cascade Range as the climate warms. 

Vegetation model indicates climate change likely will affect 

many forest types and increase fire frequency on one-third 

of global land surface. 

Nutrient chemistry of streams changes seasonally and differs 

among stream types in southeast Alaska. 

Scientists summarize historical climate data and create climate 

maps to forecast atmospheric conditions contributing to large 

wildfires. 

During the Biscuit Fire in southern Oregon, areas that had been 

salvage-logged and replanted after an earlier fire appeared to 

burn more severely than comparable unmanaged areas.

First field study of Washington’s wolverine population finds 

the species may be particularly vulnerable to local extinction. 

Two distinct lineages in the chloroplast genome of modernday sugar pine reveal genetic difference among populations 

with measurable resistance to white pine blister rust and 

those with no resistance. 

K E Y F I N D I N G S

Left: Blue Mountains, Oregon. Photo by Miles Hemstrom. 

Above: Mount Hood, Oregon. Photo by Tom Iraci.
10 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Models predict future 

snowpack and rate of melt 

In the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, 

snowpacks store winter precipitation for release 

later in the year. In the semiarid environment 

east of the Cascade crest, this melted snow is 

critical for recharging groundwater aquifers and 

streams. The warmer temperatures predicted 

with a changing climate likely will mean less 

snow and less spring and summer recharge and 

runoff. These effects will reduce water supply 

during longer dry seasons in the summer and 

fall for this environment. This will affect the 

water supply for society at large as well as federally protected salmon species and other aquatic 

life. 

In this study, scientists applied the SNOBAL 

and ISNOBAL models to two different climate 

regimes in the Cascade Range to determine rate 

of snowmelt. They found that solar radiation, 

both direct and indirect, was the principal factor 

in snowmelt in the western and eastern Cascade 

environments, and the rate at which wind and 

temperature affected snowmelt depended on 

the topography and vegetation. Simulating 

snowmelt processes helps managers anticipate 

effects of environmental change on the snow 

regime in the Pacific Northwest. 

Contact: Richard D. Woodsmith, rwoodsmith@fs.fed.

us, Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: Oregon State University; USDA Forest 

Service Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Climate change models project less snow accumulation. Here graduate students measure snow depth 

on the Entiat Experimental Forest. 

Richard Woodsmith

Different landscapes have 

widely different responses 

to warming climate

Station scientists have found that where 

large groundwater systems are present, these 

aquifers are the primary source for rivers in 

western and central Oregon and northern 

California during the dry summer months. 

Scientists traced the source of late summer 

water in this region to groundwater stored in 

permeable lava flows in the Cascade Range. 

These immense groundwater reserves help 

explain why many large rivers in this region 

continue to have relatively high flow volumes 

in the summer when high-elevation snowpacks 

have receded and when many other rivers 

throughout the West are quite low.

Using these findings, scientists modeled how 

regional streamflow will be affected by climate 

change. They found that different landscapes 

will have widely different responses to a warming climate because of differences in their 

groundwater dynamics. Regions of the West fed 

by groundwater will continue to have streamflow under climate warming, in contrast to areas 

fed exclusively by snowpack, such as the southern Sierras in California. These same groundwater regions, however, will be most sensitive to a 

warming climate and will lose a greater proportion of their flow volumes because the annual 

recession or multimonth decrease in flow will 

start earlier in the year and last longer for these 

slow-draining systems. 

These findings have significant implications 

for how rivers, dams, and water supplies are 

managed in the future throughout the West. 

They are being incorporated into long-range 

management plans and strategies developed 

by public water and energy utilities, and also 

are helping scientists develop better models 

for predicting late summer streamflows.

Contact: Gordon E. Grant, ggrant@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partners: Eugene Water and Electric Board; 

Oregon State University; University of California, 

Santa Barbara

Outcome: Public water and energy 

utilities are incorporating information 

about sources of summer water supply 

in western Oregon into long-range 

management plans.
GOAL 1: Develop 

a fundamental 

understanding of 

ecological, social, 

and economic 

systems and their 

interactions 

11 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Climate change likely will 

affect many forest types and 

increase fire frequency

A changing climate means trees and other 

plant species may become suited to different 

areas than where they are currently located. 

This has profound implications for biodiversity 

and economic concerns. To help anticipate this 

change, scientists developed the MC1 Dynamic 

General Vegetation Model, which projects what 

might grow where under different temperature and precipitation regimes. The model also 

projects fire frequency under different climate 

scenarios. These climate scenarios are linked to 

high, moderate, and low trajectories for future 

greenhouse emissions. Simulations showed that 

areas of tropical woodland, temperate mixed 

forest, and tundra and alpine vegetation are 

potentially the most vulnerable to impacts of 

future climate change, and that approximately 

one-third of the global land surface could experience increased fire frequency. 

Numerous federal, state, and private land 

management entities have asked Station 

scientists about these findings. The Nature 

Conservancy is considering these research 

results as it incorporates climate change into 

conservation action plans. 

Contacts: James Lenihan, jlenihan@fs.fed.us; 

Ronald Neilson, rneilson@fs.fed.us, Managing 

Disturbance Regimes Program 

Partners: Oregon State University, The 

Nature Conservancy 

Outcome: The Nature Conservancy along 

with federal, state, and other private land 

management agencies have inquired 

about MD1 Dynamic General Vegetation 

Model climate change projections.

A warmer climate is projected to shrink range of 

lodgepole pine in Alberta 

Lodgepole pine, the dominant tree in Alberta, 

Canada, is prevalent throughout western North 

America and is a commercially valuable timber 

species. Through a series of studies using the 

province’s extensive permanent study plot 

network, a Station scientist and his colleagues 

estimated the effects of global climate change 

on lodgepole pine over the next century. 

Mount Hood, Oregon.

Warren Olney
12 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Model simulations indicate that in areas where 

enough moisture is present, lodgepole pine will 

actually thrive with warmer temperature, with 

dominant trees growing about 3 additional feet 

per decade of the 90-year simulation. Because 

the warmer climate is also projected to be drier, 

however, the future range of the lodgepole pine 

is projected to be much smaller than it is currently. In Alberta, the species would be confined 

to the foothills of the Canadian Rockies under 

this climate scenario.

This information enables land managers to 

begin planning ahead for a climate that is 

projected to change faster than the slowgrowing species can adapt. 

Contact: Robert A. Monserud, rmonserud@fs.fed.us, 

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: Alberta Sustainable Development; 

Russian Academy of Science, Siberian Branch

Modest increases in global 

temperatures could significantly alter ecosystems in 

northwestern Yunnan, China 

Potential impacts of climate change on global, 

regional, and local biodiversity are a significant 

environmental concern. The Hengduan Mountains of northwestern Yunnan Province, China, 

support many rare and endemic species as well 

as alpine and coniferous forest ecosystems of 

critical value to the local human population. 

Simulation runs of the MC1 Dynamic General 

Vegetation Model under three climate-forcing 

scenarios projected that even modest increases 

in temperature could cause significant alteration 

of these ecosystems. For example, simulated 

increases of 6.8 °F in average annual temperature in the latter part of the 21st century were 

projected to cause coniferous forests to shift to 

more temperate forest types and loss of alpine 

meadows–with attendant loss of habitat for 

many rare and endemic species that depend on 

the coniferous forest and alpine ecosystems as 

well as socioeconomic values. 

This project and its outcomes contribute to 

the larger goals of the Forest Service to help 

conserve forests worldwide and are part of 

The Nature Conservancy’s ongoing work in 

northwestern Yunnan. Outcomes will be used 

to help identify how future climate change will 

affect conservation targets in China, primarily 

in alpine, subalpine, and coniferous forest 

ecosystems.

Contacts: James Lenihan, jlenihan@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Colorado State University, The

Nature Conservancy

Outcome: The Nature Conservancy is 

using climate change work in Yunnan, 

China, to help conserve various forest 

types.

Land-use changes affect 

carbon storage and ecosystem goods and services 

The ability of trees to store carbon makes 

conserving forest land an effective way to offset 

increases in carbon emissions and consequently 

mitigate greenhouse gas production and 

resulting climate change. As a result, land-use 

laws can play a key role in determining the 

amount of carbon that is stored. Scientists 

found that Oregon’s land-use planning program 

resulted in substantial carbon storage over 

the past decade, sufficient to offset more 

than twice the increase in carbon emissions in 

Oregon over the same period. Nationally, forest 

land conservation can contribute significantly 

to carbon storage as well as enhance other 

ecosystem goods and services associated with 

forests. For example, additional research linking 

land-use projections with forest fragmentation 

analyses quantifies how land-use changes affect 

biodiversity in Western States. Forest land 

Pine seedling growing in ashes.

John Laurence
GOAL 1: Develop 

a fundamental 

understanding of 

ecological, social, 

and economic 

systems and their 

interactions 

13 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

David D’Amore

Nitrogen and phosphorus levels in soil indicate the 

ability of this southeast Alaska bog to sequester carbon.

conversion and fragmentation are shown to not 

only reduce carbon storage but also to reduce 

forest biodiversity. 

These findings were used by the Oregon 

Department of Forestry and the Environmental 

Protection Agency to develop strategies for 

addressing global climate change within 

a multisector economy. More broadly, the 

research lends support to current interests 

within the Forest Service in taking a greater 

leadership role in the conservation of forest land 

and other open space nationally.

Contact: Jeff Kline, jkline@fs.fed.us, Human 

and Natural Resources Interactions Program 

Partners: Oregon Department of Forestry, 

Oregon State University, Texas A&M University, 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Outcome: Oregon Department of 

Forestry and Environmental Protection 

Agency use land-use studies to develop 

climate change strategies.

Stream chemistry 

changes seasonally in 

southeast Alaska

The productivity and quality of stream 

habitats is determined by the input of organic 

material produced outside the stream, such 

as branches and leaf litter, and production of 

organic matter from within the stream, which is 

largely controlled by the availability of nitrogen 

and phosphorous. Recent research in southeast 

Alaska indicates that the chemistry of different 

stream types changes seasonally in predictable 

ways. 

Understanding differences among glacial, 

clearwater, and brownwater streams, as well 

as current conditions and the natural range 

of variation among these stream types is 

critical for predicting future change related 

to climate warming. This information will 

help land managers categorize watersheds 

into functionally distinct groups, which will 

allow them to tailor activities specifically to a 

watershed, reducing the need for onsite surveys. 

Contact: Rick Edwards, rtedwards@fs.fed.us, 

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: University of Alaska Southeast

Forested wetlands and 

bogs have lower rates 

of mineralization than 

previously believed for 

southeastern Alaska 

A detailed study of field and laboratory 

experiments conducted by scientists showed 

that nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization 

rates are very low in southeastern Alaskan 

wetlands. In contrast, the high internal nutrient recycling rates in open bogs indicates that 

these ecosystems retain nitrogen and phosphorus. Forested wetlands do not have as great a 

potential for internal nutrient cycling as bogs 

and are sites for exchange between vegetation 

and surface waters. 

Nitrogen and phosphorus can influence the 

ability of terrestrial ecosystems to sequester 

carbon, so understanding the magnitude of 

nitrogen and phosphorus cycles is necessary for 

estimating carbon cycling and sequestration. 

Knowledge of mineralization rates also is 

important to developing models of carbon 

sequestration that determine future scenarios 

of vegetation succession under changing 

climate conditions. 

Contact: David D’Amore, ddamore@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: University of Alaska-Fairbanks, University 

of Alaska-Southeast 

GOAL 1: Develop 

a fundamental 

understanding of 

ecological, social, 

and economic 

systems and their 

interactions 

15 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

This fire climatology map, based on historical data, 

shows the number of consecutive days when weather 

in the lower atmosphere creates dangerous and erratic 

fire conditions. Users can select from over a thousand 

maps such as this one for various regions, seasons, and 

other predictors from http://www.airfire.org/haines.

Historical climate data and 

new maps aid predictions 

of large fires

“Blowup” fires are situations where fuel 

conditions and the weather at the ground fail 

to foretell sudden increases in fire intensity 

or spread. These blowups create extremely 

dangerous situations for wildland firefighters. 

Since 1988, fire weather forecasters have used 

the Haines Index to evaluate the potential 

for large fires, based on the stability and 

moisture content of the lower atmosphere. 

But until now, there has been no information 

available about what “normal” atmospheric 

conditions are for a given location. To address 

this need, Station scientists developed a North 

American climatology for the Haines Index 

that summarizes atmospheric information 

from 1961 to 2000. They produced 7,600 maps 

(now available at http://www.airfire.org/haines) 

to provide context for evaluating existing 

conditions and context for forecast conditions. 

Fire behavior analysts, long-term analysts, and 

the National Predictive Service Group are using 

the Haines Index Web climatology information. 

The historical climatology is also an integral 

part of a recently completed Joint Fire Science 

Program study to evaluate how climate models 

predict the Haines Index will change over the 

next 100 years. This information will help guide 

long-term resource management and policy 

decisions.

Contact: Brian Potter, bpotter@fs.fed.us, Managing 

Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Northern Research 

Station, Joint Fire Sciences Program; Michigan State 

University; National Predictive Services Group

Outcome: Fire analysts use climatology 

maps to predict large fires.

N E W T O O L

Regional Wetland Delineation Manual for Alaska

Description: A guide for delineating 

wetlands in Alaska that uses indicators 

that are specific to Alaska’s ecosystems to 

determine wetland boundaries based on 

soils, plants and hydrology.

How to get it: The guidebook is available 

online from the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers at http://www.usace.army.mil/

cw/cecwo/reg/erdc-el_tr-07-24.pdf

Contact: David D’Amore, ddamore@fs.fed.

us, Resource Management and Productivity 

Program
16 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Areas that burned severely in the 1987 Silver Fire 

tended to burn again at high severity in the 2002 

Biscuit Fire, regardless of management treatment. 

Reburn severity differs 

depending on management 

history of forest vegetation 

Following the massive Biscuit Fire in southern Oregon in 2002, Station scientists had the 

unique opportunity to study the effects a past 

fire and subsequent management can have on 

future fire severity. Parts of the area that burned 

in 2002 also were burned in 1987 by the Silver 

Fire and then either salvage-logged, planted, 

and managed to establish Douglas-fir plantations or left to naturally regenerate. 

Using satellite and aerial imagery and management records, scientists found that areas burned 

severely in the Silver Fire tended to burn again 

at high severity in the 2002 Biscuit Fire, regardless of management treatment. Areas that were 

salvaged-logged and planted after the initial 

fire, however, burned more severely than comparable unmanaged areas, suggesting that slash 

left over from logging and fuel conditions in 

conifer plantations can increase fire severity for 

some time despite removal of large woody fuels. 

The work also reveals that in mixed fire regimes 

such as southwest Oregon, the occurrence of 

one wildfire does not necessarily reduce the 

severity of a second wildfire burning within a 

decade or two. This is contrary to what has been 

found in drier forest types.

This study is the first to look at how postfire 

management can affect vegetation burn 

severity in a subsequent fire. Continued research 

is needed to further understand the causes 

of these results and to better understand 

the tradeoffs associated with postfire forest 

management. 

Contact: Thomas A. Spies, tspies@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partner: Oregon State University
GOAL 1: Develop 

a fundamental 

understanding of 

ecological, social, 

and economic 

systems and their 

interactions 

17 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Postfire resprouting is one of the many traits being analyzed in the 

bitterbrush common gardens in Madras, Oregon.

Matthew Horning

The first field study of Washington’s wolverines 

indicated that the species population is small and 

isolated. 

High level of genetic 

diversity found in antelope 

bitterbrush, an important 

postfire species 

Antelope bitterbrush is a dry-land shrub 

that occupies an important ecological niche 

in many fire-prone communities across the 

Western United States. Because it is an important food source for wildlife species, bitterbrush 

is frequently planted by federal agencies in 

postfire revegetation and landscape restoration 

activities. 

Station scientists have begun to analyze the 

genetic diversity of bitterbrush as part of a larger 

effort to develop seed movement guidelines. 

Analyses to date reveal high levels of genetic 

diversity in the species. Markers developed in 

this study are now being applied to assess the 

genetic diversity in bitterbrush cultivars that are 

widely planted on public lands. These results 

will be combined with quantitative genetic data 

to identify adaptive traits in this key restoration 

shrub.

Contact: Matthew Horning, mhorning@fs.fed.

us and Richard Cronn, rcronn@fs.fed.us, Resource 

Management and Productivity Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest 

and Pacific Southwest Regions; USDA National 

Research Initiative 

Washington’s 

wolverine 

population may 

be vulnerable to 

local extinction 

Relatively little is known

about the distribution and 

ecology of the wolverine, 

one of the rarest mammals 

in North America. Wolverines once lived in the Sierra 

Nevada of California, but 

now the northern Cascade 

Range in Washington 

represents the southern 

extent of their current range 

along the Pacific Coast, 

making the species a candidate for listing under 

the Endangered Species Act. 

During the winters of 2005–06 and 2006–07, 

scientists captured and radio-collared four 

wolverines in the North Cascades—a pregnant 

female, a juvenile female, and two subadult 

males. Using satellite technology, scientists 

monitored the wolverines’ movements and 

documented areas of use ranging from 900 to 
18 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Van Dykes’s salamander is likely 

the rarest small vertebrate in the 

Cascade Range. 

Charlie Crisafulli

Small, steep streams in the volcanic regions of Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens are home to the rare Van Dyke’s 

salamander. 

Charlie Crisafulli

1,200 square miles. Early results from the field 

study—the first to study the species in the 

Pacific Northwest—suggest that Washington’s 

wolverine population is small and isolated 

and may be particularly vulnerable to local 

extinction. 

The study’s findings have provided the first 

empirical evidence of a resident wolverine 

population in the Pacific Northwest and have 

helped characterize the species’ use of boreal 

forest habitats in the North Cascades. This 

work contributes new information critical 

to the conservation of wolverines in the 

contiguous United States and to the numerous 

land management agencies charged with the 

species’ management. 

Contact: Keith B. Aubry, kaubry@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service OkanoganWenatchee National Forest, Washington 

Department of Fish and Wildlife

Rare salamander lives in 

areas prone to catastrophic 

disturbance

Van Dyke’s salamander is likely the rarest small 

vertebrate in the Cascade Range. It lives in small, 

steep streams and seeps within the volcanic 

regions of Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier. 

The salamander is sedentary; most of the 

animals monitored in this study moved less than 

6 feet during a 4-month period. Its scarce and 

patchily distributed habitat in an active volcanic 

region, combined with its low mobility and 

reproductive rates are presumably factors that 

have resulted in the small, highly fragmented 

population 

that exists 

today. The 

salamander 

is likely a relic 

from the 

Pleistocene 

10,000 to 

14,000 years 

ago and is 

undergoing 

a slow 

decline that may be accelerated if predicted 

global warming trends occur. The U.S. Forest 

Service, National Park Service, and Washington 

Department of Fish and Wildlife are using results 

from this study to develop conservation plans 

and to meet survey protocols of the Northwest 

Forest Plan. 

Contact: Charlie Crisafulli, ccrisafulli@fs.fed.us, 

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: Oregon State University, Central 

Washington University
GOAL 1: Develop 

a fundamental 

understanding of 

ecological, social, 

and economic 

systems and their 

interactions 

19 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

This riparian area along Devil’s Gulch in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest contributes to the forest’s 

biodiversity.

John Lehmkuhl

Midelevation riparian zones 

contribute to bird diversity 

in dry forests

Riparian areas are critical to biodiversity, but 

that importance varies greatly across regions, 

landscapes, and elevations. Station scientists 

quantified breeding bird abundance, diversity, 

and indicator species in riparian and upland 

dry forests along large streams in the eastern 

Cascade Range, Washington. Riparian areas did 

not have more species than upland forests, but 

riparian bird community composition was different from that of upland forests and contributed 

to landscape-scale avian diversity. Results from 

this study indicate that current riparian buffers 

could be effective avian refuges and movement 

corridors. Scientists also identified indicator 

species for predicting and monitoring changes 

in bird species composition after management 

practices or environmental changes. 

Forest managers may use findings and models 

from this work to predict the biodiversity 

value of specific riparian areas and could use 

the indicator species identified in this study 

to predict and monitor shifts in bird species 

composition from fuel reduction and other 

management practices.

Contact: John Lehmkuhl, jlehmkuhl@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service, OkanoganWenatchee National Forest

Douglas-fir needles protect 

trees against disruptions in 

water transport 

Xylem is an extremely important tissue in 

plants that is responsible for transporting 

water from roots to leaves. Because it relies on 

constant tension to transport water upwards, 

xylem is extremely sensitive. The entry of gas 

bubbles—known as emboli—can break the 

cohesion of the water column and disrupt 

water transport. In the branches of Douglas-fir, 

for example, embolism is not readily reversed 

and must be limited if the xylem is to remain 

conductive for many years. 

GOAL 1: Develop 

a fundamental 

understanding of 

ecological, social, 

and economic 

systems and their 

interactions 

21 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Left: Lookout Creek, H.J. Andrews Experimental 

Forest, Oregon. Photo by Tom Iraci.

Scientists found that, in contrast to stems, the 

xylem of Douglas-fir needles undergoes daily 

cycles of embolism and refilling. The stomata, 

which are small openings on the leaf surface 

where water vapor is released during transpiration, respond to this variable hydraulic signal by 

limiting their release of vapor, which prevents 

tension in stems from reaching levels where 

embolism-induced loss of transport capacity 

increases rapidly. Scientists found that both the 

hydraulic architecture of leaves and stomatal 

control of transpiration are finely tuned to 

height-related increases in xylem tension. This 

allows taller trees to keep their stomata open for 

photosynthesis while maintaining the tension 

necessary for successful water transport. 

These findings are fundamental to understanding how trees cope physiologically with 

increases in water stress that are associated 

with increasing height.

Contact: Rick Meinzer, fmeinzer@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partner: Oregon State University

High-tech method works 

well to measure soil depth 

in the Sierra Nevada 

Soil depth can influence where trees and 

shrubs grow, particularly in forests that 

experience summer drought. Visual surface 

conditions and low-tech methods for estimating 

soil depth may overlook thick layers of 

weathered bedrock that can serve as a potential 

rooting medium for deep-rooted trees and 

shrubs. This study evaluated different methods 

for measuring soil depth in the mixed-conifer 

forests of the Sierra Nevada. Only the refraction 

seismic method was able to measure various 

soil profiles with different levels of rock content. 

This method involves geophones connected 

to a computer, which calculates soil depth 

based on the intensity of sound vibrations and 

the length of time it takes for these vibrations 

to hit bedrock. Understanding subterranean 

influences on the spatial distribution 

Scientists are unraveling the mystery of how tall 

trees transport water to their tops.

of vegetation is another component to 

understanding where and how forests grow.

Contact: Andrew Gray, agray01@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest 

Research Station, Oregon State University

New model predicts 

seasonal variation in soil 

water redistribution

In earlier studies, Station scientists found that 

deep roots play an important role in ensuring 

conifer survival during the Pacific Northwest’s 

dry summer months. Conifer roots take up water 

from deep soil layers and then hydraulically 

redistribute it near the surface, slowing the drying of upper soil layers and reducing seasonal 

dieback of shallow roots. 

Scientists have now constructed a simple model 

that predicts how water will be hydraulically 

redistributed by roots in the region’s ponderosa 

pine and Douglas-fir forests. Using parameters 

such as rooting density, driving force for 

water movement, and root conductivity, the 
22 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

model enhances scientists’ ability to predict 

seasonal variation in hydraulic redistribution of 

soil water. More broadly, the model improves 

understanding of the relationship between 

vegetation and water availability, which can 

inform management strategies. 

Contact: Rick Meinzer, fmeinzer@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partners: Oregon State University, 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Douglas-fir, western hemlock 

differ in their ability to 

extract soil water 

Douglas-fir and western hemlock are two 

of the most abundant and widely distributed 

conifers in western North America. Although 

both species can—and often do— co-occur 

in forests, their distributions typically extend to 

different extremes along a moisture gradient: 

Douglas-fir occurs in drier, interior sites, whereas 

western hemlock is found in wet coastal areas. 

To better understand the basis for the species’ 

ecological distributions, scientists studied patterns of soil water extraction and root distribution around old-growth Douglas-fir and western 

hemlock trees. They found that, although 

western hemlock tended to have greater root 

areas, Douglas-fir were better able to seasonally 

extract water from the soil. This apparent greater 

efficiency of Douglas-fir roots helps explain why 

the species grows better on dry sites than does 

western hemlock.

These findings contribute to the fundamental 

understanding of these species’ distributions 

and are of interest to silviculturists, forest 

ecologists, tree physiologists, and others 

charged with developing management 

strategies. 

Contact: Rick Meinzer, fmeinzer@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partner: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Diversity in chloroplast 

genomes tracks the 

prevalence of blister rust 

resistance in sugar pine 

Like all North American five-needle pines, 

sugar pine is susceptible to white pine blister 

rust, a serious fungal infection that is one of the 

most destructive diseases of the Pinus genus. In 

sugar pine, rust resistance is genetically conferred, and this resistance is more prevalent in 

the southern latitudes of the sugar pine’s range. 

To understand the historical forces responsible 

for this gradient in resistance, scientists conducted a chloroplast DNA survey of sugar pine 

and its near relatives from North America and 

Asia. Results revealed two distinct chloroplast 

lineages, indicating a major historical break 

in the ancestral gene pool of modern-day 

sugar pine. Scientists found that the published 

frequencies of the gene that confers blister rust 

resistance differs significantly, depending on the 

chloroplast lineage. 

Although chloroplasts, the microscopic components responsible for photosynthesis within 

plant cells, are not directly linked to resistance, 

the partitioning of chloroplast diversity between 

populations showing no resistance and measurable resistance indicates that these genetically 

distinct groups have only recently come into 

contact. 

These data are being used to develop models 

that quantify the historical prevalence of blister 

rust resistance in sugar pine and to understand 

the molecular genetic basis of blister rust 

resistance in white pines. 

Contact: Richard Cronn, rcronn@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Oregon State University; USDA Forest 

Service, Pacific Northwest and Southwest Regions
GOAL 1: Develop 

a fundamental 

understanding of 

ecological, social, 

and economic 

systems and their 

interactions 

23 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Traditional and local 

ecological knowledge 

tapped to conserve 

biodiversity 

Maintaining and restoring native biodiversity 

is a common goal of forest management in the 

Pacific Northwest. Station scientists asked about 

100 natural resource managers from various 

institutions what kind of research information 

would help them reach this goal. They learned 

managers were interested in knowing how 

traditional ecological knowledge could be 

incorporated into efforts to conserve biodiversity in the region. 

By synthesizing existing literature on traditional 

and local ecological knowledge related to forest 

management among American Indians, family 

forest owners, and commercial nontimber 

forest products harvesters, several key points 

emerged: (1) integrating this knowledge into 

forest biodiversity conservation is most likely 

to be successful if the knowledge holders are 

engaged as active participants in conservation 

efforts, (2) more information is needed 

about how different groups are currently 

implementing their ecological knowledge 

through forest use and management actions 

and about the ecological effects of these 

actions on biodiversity, and (3) several promising 

models exist for integrating traditional and local 

ecological knowledge into forest management, 

but the social, economic, and policy constraints 

that prevent this knowledge from flourishing 

should be addressed alongside any strategy for 

knowledge integration. 

Contact: Susan Charnley, scharnley@fs.fed.us, 

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: Oregon State University, Institute for 

Culture and Ecology.

Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata).

Jerry Bednarczyk 

GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS25

Assess the status and trends of ecosystems and GOAL 2: natural resources and their uses

K E Y F I N D I N G S

Species most susceptible to sudden oak death were thriving 

prior to disease introduction. 

Palau’s forests are maturing but urbanization and conversion 

to nonforest uses have led to decreases in forest area. 

Population growth and associated residential development 

in counties with national forests and grasslands put pressure 

on the resources of these public lands. 

National timber assessment indicates increases in U.S. 

demand for timber will be met by increased harvests on 

private land and through imports. 

Timber statistics reveal younger forests with fewer trees 

per acre are growing in eastern Washington on private land 

and public land not administered by the Forest Service. 

New tree height models for west coast forests improve accuracy of inventory data and reduce cost of data collection. 

Updated FUSION software lets users more easily process 

LIDAR forest vegetation data, and expanded tutorials are 

now available online.

Left: Mount Bachelor and Todd Lake, Oregon. Photo by Tom Iraci. 

Above: Ponderosa pines on the Ochoco National Forest, Oregon. Photo by John Hutmacher.
26 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Historical data reveal longterm effects of wildfire on 

watershed processes 

Wildfire affects water quantity and quality in 

a watershed. These effects may be long-lasting 

and depend, in part, on rehabilitation actions 

that occur after the fire. In this study, scientists 

used rare historical data from the Entiat Experimental Forest to create models to evaluate 

the effects of a severe 1970 wildfire on streams 

draining forested headwaters. Preliminary results 

indicate that runoff from the burned area more 

than doubled. These increases in peak flows 

resulted from less vegetation present to draw 

groundwater, greater snow accumulation, and 

more rapid snowmelt. 

After more than 25 years of inactivity, the 

study watersheds were reinstrumented in 

2004 with stream gauging, water quality, and 

meteorological stations to assess the rate of 

recovery toward prefire conditions. This data 

will also be used in future investigations of the 

effects of prescribed burning and other fuel 

control treatments on hydrologic processes.

The information gained from this research will 

enable scientists and managers to better predict 

the effects of severe wildfire on hydrology and 

to better understand the hydrologic recovery 

process after major disturbances. It will also 

inform management decisions regarding the 

need and strategies for postfire rehabilitation.

Contact: Richard D. Woodsmith, rwoodsmith@fs.fed.

us, Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: Oregon State University, USDA Forest 

Service Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

New satellite-based 

mapping technique 

captures full range of 

forest disturbance and 

recovery across landscapes 

Satellite-based maps help researchers and 

land managers visualize forests and landscapes 

across the Pacific Northwest. Until recently, 

satellite-based maps of forest disturbance 

have only been able to capture major, standreplacing events such as clearcuts and 

intense fires, not the complete range of forest 

disturbance and recovery. 

To improve the usefulness of satellite-based 

maps, Station scientists developed and 

validated a fundamentally new approach to 

mapping that captures both major events and 

other disturbances—including partial cuts and 

thinnings and insect and disease mortality. The 

new approach also is capable of mapping year 

of disturbance, intensity of disturbance, and the 

rate of recovery. 

The products derived from this new satellitebased mapping approach are useful to a wider 

range of research and public constituencies. The 

approach’s ability to map subtle disturbances 

will allow better understanding of changing 

forest management practices across private 

and public lands over the past two decades. 

Mapping insect mortality can potentially 

contribute to fire-fuels management and 

planning efforts. The ability to conduct yearly 

mapping also allows richer studies of the 

connections between forests and economies 

over time. 

Contact: Robert E. Kennedy, robertkennedy@fs.fed.

us, Ecosystem Processes Program

A study established in 1970 after a wildfire on the 

Entiat Experimental Forest enabled scientists to 

study long-term effects of fire on watershed 

processes. Here a field technician checks a flume 

that measures runoff from the area burned in 1970. 

Richard Woodsmith
GOAL 2: Assess the 

status and trends of 

ecosystems and 

natural resources 

and their uses. 

27 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Advances in satellite mapping capture a greater variety of forest disturbances and rates of recovery.

N E W T O O L

MapCurves

Description: The identification of key 

differences between maps is the basis for 

much vegetation cover and habitat changedetection study done under the aegis 

of landscape ecology or climate change 

research. MapCurves is a new quantitative 

method for comparing two or more maps; 

it unambiguously and quantitatively shows 

the degree of agreement (i.e., spatial 

concordance) between the maps. MapCurves 

graphically and quantitatively evaluates 

the degree of fit among any 

number of maps and quantifies a 

goodness-of-fit for each polygon, 

as well as the entire map. 

Outcomes: We live in a world 

with an ever-shifting climate, 

and changing patterns of land 

cover, biogeography, dominant 

processes, and habitats. Each of 

these changes may be reflected 

in maps that people can visually 

inspect, but they are difficult 

to compare. MapCurves allows 

users to compare maps not only 

visually but also quantitatively. For example, 

MapCurves is an ideal method for comparing 

maps derived from remotely sensed or 

simulated images, using chronological 

sequences of vegetation cover resulting from 

succession, disturbance, or climatic change. 

How to get it: Journal of Geographical 

Systems. 8: 187–208, or contact Paul 

Hessburg, phessburg@fs.fed.us, Managing 

Disturbance Regimes Program

GOAL 2: Assess the 

status and trends of 

ecosystems and 

natural resources 

and their uses. 

29 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Left: New growth in tree crown viewed from the canopy 

crane at Wind River Experimental Forest. Photo by Tom Iraci.

Tanoak was thriving prior to 

introduction of sudden oak 

death pathogen 

Sudden oak death in the United States was 

first observed in California in 1995. Since then, it 

has spread rapidly through many host species. 

Several counties in California and one forest site 

in Oregon are under quarantine, which affects 

removal of forest products from these areas. 

tanoak, had been increasing in number and size 

prior to the first observation of the disease. 

Inventory information continues to be collected 

annually on private and public forest land 

to better understand the impacts of sudden 

oak death on coastal California ecosystems. 

By understanding mortality rates prior to 

the introduction of sudden oak death, forest 

managers will be better able to determine 

appropriate forest management activities as 

they try to control and contain the spread of 

the disease. 

Contact: Tara M. Barrett, tbarrett@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Forest Health 

Protection

Palau’s forest area declines 

slightly 

The Republic of Palau encompasses a series 

of islands lying 500 miles southeast of the 

Philippines. Its tropical forests have endured 

occasional typhoons; clearing for development, 

agriculture, and mining; 

introduced humancaused fires; and 

significant battles on 

some islands during 

World War II. This 

inventory revealed 

that since 1985, trees 

generally are getting 

larger, but some forest 

area has been lost to 

agriculture and urban 

development. Currently 

about 2.2 percent 

of Palau is classified 

as urban. Further 

urban development 

is expected on the 

island of Badeldaob; 

the nation’s capital 

was relocated there in 

2006, and a new road 

Tanoak, a common tree in coast coniferous forests 

in California, is dying from sudden oak death. To 

help forest managers contain and control the 

disease, scientists used historical inventory data 

to identify forest conditions before the disease 

was introduced. 

Understanding the ramifications of this disease 

requires a baseline knowledge of the forest 

conditions before the disease was first observed. 

Forest inventory data collected between 1981 

and 1984 and between 1991 and 1994 from 

private and public land in California enabled 

researchers to determine the distribution and 

abundance of the vulnerable species and to 

determine the rates of change and mortality 

prior to the onset of sudden oak death. The 

study found that host tree species, particularly Tara Barrett

Joe Donnegan

Palau coastline.
30 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

circumnavigating the island has created access 

to previously remote areas.

Results from this inventory enable resource 

managers in Palau to manage for sustainable 

supplies of wood, control invasive species and 

erosion, detect and plan for land-use change, 

and manage disturbances such as fire and 

animal damage. This inventory also provided 

an exchange of expertise among local students 

and foresters, and foresters and ecologists 

from mainland United States, Guam, Yap, and 

American Samoa. Multiple clients have asked 

for this data, including Palau forestry staff, 

the Natural Resource Conservation Service, 

university researchers, the Institute for Pacific 

Islands Forestry, the United Nations Food and 

Agriculture Organization, the Pacific Southwest 

Region of the USDA Forest Service, and U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service.

Contact: Joseph A. Donnegan, jdonnegan@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partners: Foresters and ecologists of Palau

Outcome: Recent forest inventory 

enables Palau’s resource managers to 

manage for sustainable wood supplies 

and healthy forests.

Residential development 

expected to increase along 

borders of national forests

The U.S. population is projected to increase 

by around 135 million people by 2050. Counties with national forests and grasslands are 

already experiencing some of the greatest 

population growth and the National Forests on 

the Edge project indicates that an additional 

21 million acres of nearby rural land will likely 

experience substantial increases in residential 

development in the coming decades. 

People are attracted to the rural areas around 

public land, in part, by the recreational 

opportunities provided by these lands. In 

Field crews inventoried Palau’s tropical forests. 

Joe Donnegan

Proximity to federal land is a selling point for many 

prospective home buyers. 

Eric White
GOAL 2: Assess the 

status and trends of 

ecosystems and 

natural resources 

and their uses. 

31 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

addition, the country’s 155 national forests and 

20 grasslands provide clean water, clean air, 

wildlife habitat, and forest products that support 

rural economies and urban lifestyles. Monitoring changes in recreation use as a result of an 

increasing local population provides managers 

with information that will help them address 

changes in recreation demands while also managing for other resources.

In coordination with the National Forests on the 

Edge project, scientists developed monitoring 

approaches to estimate recreation activity by 

using readily available Forest Service data. These 

findings were shared with State and Private 

Forestry and the National Forest System. The 

projections of residential development also 

are being provided as a tool for local and state 

agencies to use in natural resource planning. 

Contact: Ralph Alig, ralig@fs.fed.us, Human and 

Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: Colorado State University; USDA Forest 

Service National Forest System, State and Private 

Forestry, Cooperative Forestry, and Washington 

Office. 

Outcome: Local and state agencies are 

using residential projections in natural 

resource planning.

Increasing demands for 

timber will be met by private 

harvests and imports

The latest assessment of the U.S. timber 

situation, conducted under the mandate of 

the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resource 

Planning Act (RPA), indicates that the Nation will 

use 38 percent more timber in 2050 than it does 

now, and domestic harvests will increase by 24

percent. This increase in demand will likely be 

met through increased harvests on private land 

in the South and through increased imports. 

Canada is currently the largest supplier of timber 

to the United States, but by 2050 the volume 

of imported timber from other countries is 

projected to increase by 23 to 26 percent. Two 

other possible futures have opposing impacts 

on consumers. First, reduced pine plantations in 

the South would lead to higher product prices 

and increased imports of lumber and other 

wood products. Second, increased thinning of 

public lands in the West would reduce imports, 

lower product prices, and thus reduce market 

incentives for sustainable forest management 

on private land.

This study contributes to the 2005 RPA Timber 

Assessment Update and the Interim Update 

of the 2000 Renewable Resource Planning 

Act Assessment. 

Contact: John Mills, jmills@fs.fed.us, Human and 

Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: Oregon State University, USDA Forest 

Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (all units) 

and Forest Products Laboratory

Younger, smaller trees 

characterize non-Forest 

Service forests in eastern 

Washington 

Timber management has many implications 

for future timber revenues and nontimber 

forest resources. A 2001 inventory sampled all 

private and public land in 20 counties in eastern 

Washington, except those administered by the 

Forest Service and those that were reserved 

from timber management. Timber statistics 

reveal that in the 11 years between inventories, 

the area of land producing timber products 

in eastern Washington has remained relatively 

Timber harvests between 1990 and 2001 exceeded 

growth on nonfederal land in eastern Washington.

Andrew Gray
32 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

stable, but the volume of available timber per 

acre has declined. The current timber market 

does not place a premium on wood quality, so 

younger trees are being harvested. The intensive 

forestry practices found on private land in this 

study contrast with protection management 

and longer rotations generally found on Forest 

Service land.

Information on the status and trends of forest 

resources in Washington is invaluable to land 

managers, investment bankers, policymakers, 

and others in evaluating future investments 

and management options for their lands. 

Data from this study were included in The 

Future of Washington Forests, a report to the 

state legislature published by the Washington 

Department of Natural Resources. 

Contact: Andrew Gray, agray01@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partner: Washington Department of 

Natural Resources

Outcome: Findings about Washington’s 

timber resources reported to state 

legislature.

Scientists assess accuracy of 

LIDAR measurements 

Tree height is a fundamental measurement 

taken during forest inventory and is used to 

determine forest biomass, carbon stocks, 

growth, and site productivity. This measurement 

is typically time-consuming and, therefore, 

costly to obtain when using conventional field 

techniques. The emergence of airborne LIDAR 

(light detection and ranging) remote sensing 

has provided an economical and efficient means 

of obtaining tree heights over large areas of 

forest. But its accuracy needed to be assessed 

and compared to alternative field techniques. 

This study determined optimal LIDAR system 

settings for acquiring accurate individual tree 

heights for overstory trees in conifer forest 

stands of the Pacific Northwest. Scientists 

also found that LIDAR-obtained height 

measurements were more accurate for Douglasfir than for ponderosa pine. The field-based 

height measurements were slightly more 

accurate than the LIDAR measurements, but the 

field measurements were acquired under ideal 

conditions, in open stands where tree crowns 

were easily visible. 

Contact: Hans-Erik Andersen, handersen@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partner: University of Washington

New mathematical models 

help find efficient inventory 

methods

Periodic inventories of our Nation’s forests 

are critical for assessing forest health, monitoring management outcomes, and planning for 

the future. In these inventories, some types of 

measurements, such as tree heights, can be 

measured or modeled in different ways. For 

example, tree heights can be measured in the 

field, modeled from diameter, or measured with 

airborne laser scanning systems (see LIDAR 

finding above). Alternatives for estimating forest 

attributes typically differ in cost of data collection and accuracy. This study developed a 

mathematical optimization method for evaluating these types of tradeoffs. Using the example 

of measuring or modeling tree heights, the 

research showed how managers can find efficient solutions to the problem of deciding how 

to collect inventory data.

As part of the example application, new tree 

height models were developed for west 

coast forests and have been programmed 

into the data recorders used by the field crew 

New tree height models for California, Oregon, and 

Washington are used to reduce measurement error. 

Here a forest technician measures tree heights with 

a laser.

Misha Yatskov
GOAL 2: Assess the 

status and trends of 

ecosystems and 

natural resources 

and their uses. 

33 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The software has been enhanced to ease 

processing of data for large projects, and 

several new metrics have been added to help 

characterize vegetation structure over large 

land areas. FUSION tutorials, developed by RSAC, 

provide an online software installation guide 

and task-specific instruction focused on interactive display and presentation features of FUSION 

as well as the data processing environment. By 

using the tutorial and companion sample LIDAR 

data set, users can learn how to process LIDAR 

data into ground models and forest canopy 

height models, measure individual trees, and 

automate processing tasks for large projects.

The FUSION LIDAR software system has been 

used for several projects on national forests by 

researchers at several universities and by other 

federal, state, and private groups to display and 

analyze forest vegetation. 

Contact: Bob McGaughey, bmcgaughey@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Fort Lewis Military Reservation, Joint Fire 

Science Program, Precision Forestry Cooperative, 

University of Washington, Weyerhaeuser Company

More information: http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/rsac/

fusion/

conducting inventories in Washington, Oregon, 

and California. This has improved the accuracy 

of inventory data while reducing the time costs 

involved with data collection and analysis.

Contact: Tara M. Barrett, tbarrett@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Outcome: Field crew use more 

efficient and accurate methods for 

obtaining tree heights.

LIDAR forest vegetation 

measurement software 

updated, expanded tutorials 

now available online 

The FUSION system, user-friendly software 

for processing and displaying airborne laser 

scanning data has been updated by Station 

scientists and is being distributed through 

the USDA Forest Service’s Remote Sensing 

Application Center (RSAC). 

Field crew sampling the vegetation on the pumice plain at Mount St. Helens.

Charlie Crisafulli

GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS35

GOAL 3: Develop science-based options for informed management

K E Y F I N D I N G S

Homeowners’ attitudes toward different fuel treatments differ across the Nation.

New decision-support tool evaluates fire danger and 

helps land managers prioritize areas for fuel treatment. 

Decision-support application delivers rational and 

transparent funding process for prioritizing treatment 

of forest fuels.

Fuel treatments in wildland-urban interface in central 

Oregon may shift wildfire behavior but not reduce its 

probability.

Fuel Characteristic Classification System facilitates 

fuel mapping, estimates of fire hazards, and potential 

ecological effects of fire.

Fire-dependent ecosystems in northeastern Oregon are 

resilient to various fuel treatments, suggesting additional treatments are needed to reduce fire hazard. 

Framework to assess fuel treatment projects used to 

determine potential effects of treatments on spotted 

owl habitat.

Fine-scale vegetation maps model fire risk to spotted 

owl habitat and identify areas at risk of gypsy moth 

outbreaks in eastern Oregon. 

Interior Northwest Landscape Analysis System tools 

provide a framework for analyzing landscape management scenarios and help translate planning directives 

into management projects.

As more people recreate on public land, planning 

methods and tools need to be reevaluated.

Using wood residues to economically generate 

electricity is a niche operation where feasibility is 

determined by access to wood, harvesting costs, 

and capital costs of building the facilities. 

Native Douglas-fir will be poorly adapted to climates 

expected by the end of the 21st century; planting 

stands with seeds from various locations is one 

option for preparing for climate change. 

Headwater streams play key role in contributing 

wood to fish-bearing streams. 

Continuous, fixed-width riparian buffers appear to 

offer more protection to aquatic life in headwater 

streams than intermittent, variable-width buffers 

or no buffers. 

Riparian buffers conserve the diversity of forest 

mammals along headwater streams in Washington. 

New models indicate areas most susceptible to 

spread of noxious weeds in Crook County, Oregon. 

New research highlights ways the Forest Service 

can administer the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) more efficiently. 

Left: Ochoco National Forest. Photo by Tom Iraci. Above: Small log discussion. Photo by Dean L. Parry.
36 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Roger Ottmar

Foresters learn how to use the Natural Fuels Photo Series to assess fuelbed characteristics during a regional fuels 

workshop held near Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Regional differences found 

in homeowners’ attitudes 

toward fuel treatments

Fuel treatments at the wildland urban 

interface are not universally accepted by the 

homeowners they are intended to benefit. 

Without public approval, it is difficult for land 

managers to effectively reduce fire hazard 

on neighboring public land or to engage 

homeowners in activities that would reduce fire 

hazard on private property. To help managers 

understand and predict homeowners’ attitudes 

toward different types of fuel treatments and 

their intentions to approve the use of such 

treatments, scientists developed a survey that 

was tested and administered in California, 

Florida, and Michigan. 

The survey revealed that California residents 

tended to have positive attitudes toward 

mechanical treatments to remove fuel and 

toward defensible space ordinances that require 

homeowners to remove flammable vegetation 

near their homes. Florida residents tended to 

have more positive attitudes toward prescribed 

burns, whereas fewer Michigan residents 

were supportive of mechanical treatments or 

prescribed burns. Although strong regional differences were observed, nearly all homeowners 

in the wildland-urban interface were generally 

supportive of at least one of the fuel management approaches under consideration.

Land managers can use and adapt this survey 

to poll homeowners living in fire-prone areas 

around the country. When necessary, managers 

can follow up with targeted information that 

may change homeowners’ beliefs and attitudes 

toward fuel management activities. 

Contact: Jeremy Fried, jsfried@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partners: Cornerstone Strategies, Michigan 

State University, University of California

Outcome: An adaptable survey allows 

land managers to assess homeowners’ 

attitudes toward fuel treatments
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

37 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Smoke from wildfire.

Education program 

changes homeowners’ 

attitudes toward fire 

risks

A dream house in the western 

foothills or a tinderbox in a fire-prone 

area? Too often the unsuspecting 

homeowner in the wildland-urban 

interface finds the latter description is 

more accurate. Every summer, wildfire 

threatens homes that have been built 

in areas prone to frequent fires. Station 

scientists and the Colorado Springs 

Fire Department developed a study 

to determine if educating the public 

about fire risk would influence the 

local housing market. 

Before the education campaign, 

housing prices in Colorado Springs were 

greatest in areas that also had the greatest 

wildfire risk. Presumably, prospective buyers 

valued the view afforded by a house on a ridge 

and were unaware of the increased wildfire 

risk in such a location. After the education 

campaign, scientists observed no correlation 

between wildfire risk and housing price. 

This suggests that the education campaign 

successfully changed homeowners’ attitudes 

toward wildfire risk, although there was some 

evidence that this effect was fading over time. 

The Colorado Springs Fire Department has 

used this study to demonstrate the efficacy 

of their program and to refine their ongoing 

educational efforts. The results also may be 

useful to land mangers trying to raise public 

awareness about other natural hazards. 

Contact: Geoffrey H. Donovan, gdonovan@fs.fed.us, 

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain 

Research Station, National Institute of Standards and 

Technology, Colorado Springs Fire Department

Outcome: Colorado Springs Fire 

Department develops an education 

campaign for informing homeowners 

about fire risk.

Fuel treatments in wildlandurban interface may change 

fire behavior but not its 

probability 

Managing dry forests on the eastern slopes of 

the Cascade Range involves striking a balance 

between the desired forest structure and the 

risk of wildfire or insect outbreaks. Management 

decisions are based on different objectives, 

environmental settings, social acceptability, and 

natural disturbances. To help managers weigh 

all these factors and predict potential outcomes 

of their actions, the Interagency Mapping and 

Assessment Project (IMAP) compiled data and 

developed methods and models for mid- to 

broad-scale landscape assessment and planning. 

The IMAP team assessed 680,000 acres in the 

central Oregon Cascades using three different 

management scenarios suggested through 

public input. The simulations showed (1) fuel 

treatments in the wildland-urban interface may 

shift wildfire behavior as fires burn in grass, 

shrubs, and open forests but may not reduce 

overall wildfire probability; (2) treatments 

designed to encourage multistory large-tree 

forests resulted in increased wildfire and insect 

outbreaks; and (3) managing toward historical 

conditions resulted in increases in single-story 

John Laurence

GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

39 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Steve Wondzell

Prescribed burn on the Umatilla National Forest. 

Fuel treatment funding 

process becomes more 

transparent

Federal land-management agencies 

responsible for managing forest fuels have 

been criticized by oversight agencies such as 

the General Accountability Office (GAO) for not 

providing a rational and transparent explanation 

for their processes of allocating funding for 

fuel treatment. Responding to this situation, 

scientists developed a national-level decisionsupport application for integrated fuel analysis 

and fuel-treatment planning. The application 

was specifically designed to provide a rational 

and transparent decision process. Additionally, 

the application can be used to evaluate agency 

performance with respect to fuel-treatment 

outcomes over the long term, thus supporting a 

key requirement of environmental management 

systems.

An initial version of this application tested 

favorably in 2006 with the Forest Service’s Fire 

and Aviation Management office, regional 

fuel managers, Congressional staff on natural 

resource committees, and GAO. Following this 

success, the modeling process was repeated 

in 2007 for the Forest Service with some 

modifications based on feedback from fuel 

managers. The U.S. Department of the Interior 

adopted the application in a slightly modified 

form for use in all of its forest-resource bureaus.

Contact: Keith M. Reynolds, kreynolds@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Fire and Aviation 

Management; USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau 

of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and 

National Park Service

Outcome: Federal land-management 

agencies look to adopt a transparent 

funding process for fuel treatments.

large-tree forests and decreases in high-severity 

wildfire and insect outbreaks. 

IMAP models are being used in forest plan 

revisions for the Umatilla, Malheur, and WallowaWhitman National Forests. Models are currently 

being developed for the Fremont-Winema, 

Deschutes, and Ochoco National Forests. 

Contact: Miles Hemstrom, mhemstrom@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partners: Oregon Department of Forestry; USDI 

Bureau of Land Management; Oregon State 

University; USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region; The Nature Conservancy; Oregon Natural 

Resources Institute

Outcome: Three national forests 

are using IMAP models to evaluate 

management options.

New tool used to evaluate 

fire danger and prioritize 

areas for fuel treatment

FireDanger is a new decision-support system 

that allows land managers to evaluate the risk of 

severe wildland fire and prioritize subwatersheds 

for vegetation and fuels treatments. Scientists 

used FireDanger to assess 11.8 million acres in 

the Rocky Mountain region in Utah. Fire danger 

was assessed for each evaluated watershed in 

a logic model as a function of three primary 

topics: fire hazard, fire behavior, and ignition 

risk. A decision model then summarized fire 

danger conditions of each watershed in the 

context of the amount of associated wildlandurban interface. Additional logistical factors such 

as proximity to population centers, presence 

of endangered species, slope steepness, and 

road access may all be taken into account in 

selection of specific watersheds for treatment. 

Station scientists and their partners are building 

a version of this model suitable for all public 

and private land ownerships in Oregon and 

Washington.

Contacts: Paul Hessburg, phessburg@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Research Station, Communications and Applications 

Program; Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula 

Fire Sciences Laboratory, The LANDFIRE Project, 

http://www.landfire.gov/
N E W T O O L S

40 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Fuel Treatment Evaluator (FTE) 3.0 

Description: FTE 3.0 was developed to 

address complicated questions about 

financing fire hazard reduction treatments. 

This tool helps users simulate silvicultural 

treatments and analyze resulting harvest 

costs and biomass revenue.

Outcomes: FTE 3.0 was used in an assessment of 12 Western States to evaluate treatments to reduce fire hazard and to identify 

locations where removed products might 

help offset treatment costs. 

How to get it: Visit http://ncrs2.fs.fed.

us/4801/fiadb/fire_tabler_us/rpa_fuel_

reduction_treatment_opp.htm

Contact: Jamie Barbour, jbarbour01@fs.fed.

us, Focused Science Delivery Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Forest 

Products Laboratory, Northern Research 

Station, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 

and Forest Inventory and Analysis 

Digital Fuels Photo Series

Description: The Digital Photo Series (DPS) 

is a Web-based application that delivers 

the content from the Natural Fuels Photo 

Series volumes in an electronic format. 

The DPS can be used to assess landscape 

conditions through the appraisal of live 

and dead fuels and stand characteristics. 

Although designed for online use, it can 

also be run from the computer desktop 

when an Internet connection is unavailable. 

The DPS currently includes data and images 

for all 14 published volumes, with 36 series 

containing a total of 398 sites. The DPS 

complements the published volumes by 

adding content and by consolidating fuel 

and vegetation data in one central location. 

The application is robust and flexible, allowing for additions of other published photo 

series or photo-accompanied fuel data. The 

Photo Series for Quantifying Forest Residues in 

Managed Lands of the Medicine Bow National Forest

Description: This photo series presents 

a visual representation of a range of fuel 

loading conditions specifically found on 

the Medicine Bow National Forest. The 

photos are grouped by forest type and 

past management practices. This field 

guide describes the distribution of different types of woody fuels and includes 

some vegetation data.

Outcomes: Medicine Bow National Forest 

is using this tool.

How to get it: General Technical Report 

RMRS-GTR-172. Photo series for quantifying forest residues in managed lands of the 

Medicine Bow National Forest. http://www.

fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr172.pdf

application has been demonstrated at eight 

regional fuels workshops, three conference 

workshops, and the most recent session of 

Technical Fire Management. 

Outcomes: The Digital Photo Series 

delivers fuel and vegetation structure and 

composition data to fuel, fire, and natural 

resource managers and scientists for use 

in strategic planning, project implementation, and modeling efforts. For example, the 

underlying fuels and vegetation database 

has been supplied to developers of the 

LANDFIRE mapping reference database and 

the FIRETEC fire behavior simulation model. 

How to get it: Contact Clint Wright, 

cwright@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance 

Regimes Program
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

41 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Firefighters are briefed before conducting a multiday prescribed burn on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest 

that tested the Fuel Characteristic Classification System. 

Roger Ottmar

Method improved for 

documenting fuel conditions

The Fuel Characteristic Classification System

v. 1.1 (FCCS) documents actual fuel conditions 

and determines potential fire characteristics. 

The FCCS contains hundreds of fuelbeds 

that describe real fuels in six strata from 

crown to ground, calculations of fire behavior 

characteristics as a function of environmental 

conditions, and calculations of fire potentials 

that express hazard for surface, crown, and 

available fuels. Older systems only quantified 

fire behavior for surface fuels, severely limiting 

their usefulness. The Canadian Journal of Forest 

Research accepted seven articles documenting 

the FCCS for publication; these will provide a 

foundation for the scientific and management 

communities who use the system. 

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest 

has developed a comprehensive map of 

FCCS fuelbeds. The Forest Service’s Central 

Oregon Fire Planning Unit is developing a 

comprehensive map of FCCS fuelbeds that 

will be used for planning and decisionmaking 

within the Fire Planning and Analysis program. 

A large multiday prescribed burning project 

on the Naches Ranger District of the OkanoganWenatchee National Forest used FCCS fuelbeds 

for assessing fuels and estimating emissions. 

Contact: David L. Peterson, peterson@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Air Sciences Inc., University of Washington

Outcome: The EPA is using FCCS in a 

national wildland fire emissions inventory.

Integrating models help 

predict smoke dispersal 

from prescribed fires 

Air quality restrictions often make it difficult to 

use prescribed fires to achieve fuel management 

goals. To manage smoke from prescribed 

fire, explicit knowledge is required about fuel 

loading, consumption, and heat release, as well 

as the ability to predict smoke emissions and 

dispersal. During two prescribed burns on the 

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, scientists 

found that integrating the Fuel Characteristic 

Classification System (FCCS) and Consume 3.0 

provided accurate predictions of fuel loading, 

fuel consumption, and heat release, which are 

important inputs required by smoke dispersion 

models such as BlueSky. A smoke monitoring 
N E W T O O L

42 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

A multiday prescribed burn on the OkanoganWenatchee National Forest also enabled scientists 

to test the BlueSky smoke dispersal model. Here 

field crew collect fuel samples to determine moisture 

content prior to the burn. 

Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) v. 1.1

system was implemented, and more than 20 

BlueSky forecast scenarios were run each day 

for the burning effort using ignition pattern 

and timing scenarios jointly designed by fuel 

managers and PNW scientists. 

This project tested the integration of several 

new procedures and tools to increase the 

likelihood of conducting multiday, landscapescale prescribed burns with minimal effects to 

air quality. The findings from this project will 

be used to improve the Okanogan-Wenatchee 

National Forest smoke management program 

and revise the BlueSky model. The model will 

be released to all users including USDA Forest 

Service, Fire Consortia for Advanced Modeling 

of Meteorology and Smoke (FCAMMS), the 

National Weather Service, Environmental 

Protection Agency, and Northwest AirPact.

Contacts: Roger Ottmar, rottmar@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program 

Partners: Washington Department of Natural 

Resources; Washington Department of Environmental 

Quality; USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; 

Northwest Coordination Center; National Weather 

Service

Description: The Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) v. 1.1 is a tool that 

enables land managers, regulators, and scientists to create and catalog fuelbeds and 

to classify those fuelbeds for their capacity 

to support fire and consume fuels. Version 

1.1 refines the system to include calculations of flame length and rate of spread at 

benchmark environmental conditions for 

each fuel, and assigns the fire behavior fuel 

model that is the closest match. 

Outcomes: FCCS outputs are being used in 

a national wildland fire emissions inventory 

by the Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) and in the development of fuelbed, 

fire hazard, and treatment effectiveness 

maps on the Okanogan, Wenatchee, and 

Deschutes National Forests. It is also being 

used for the eastern Oregon local fire 

planning unit test area for the Fire Planning 

Analysis program. The Landscape Fire and 

Resource Management Planning Tools Project, a multipartner project, is using FCCS 

to produce consistent and comprehensive 

maps and data describing vegetation, wildland fuel, and fire regimes across the United 

States. The system has been taught at 5

regional fuels workshops and 12 regional 

and national training sessions. The University of Idaho has incorporated FCCS into a 

two-credit continuing education class.

How to get it: Visit http://www.fs.fed.

us/pnw/fera/fccs/, or Roger D. Ottmar, 

rottmar@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance 

Regimes Program

Roger Ottmar
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

43 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Fire-dependent ecosystems 

in northeastern Oregon are 

resilient to fuel treatments

Prescribed burns, burning plus thinning, and 

thinning are the three most commonly used 

fuel reduction techniques in the West. The questions are, how effective are these treatment in 

a given situation, and what effect do they have 

on the residual stands? Scientists used the Fuel 

Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) to 

assess changes in fire hazard resulting from the 

three treatments and an untreated control when 

applied to a ponderosa pine forest in northeastern Oregon. They found that although fire 

hazard may decline in the short term, the treatments did not significantly reduce fire hazard 

over the long term. This suggests that more 

aggressive treatments or repeated application of 

treatments may be needed to reduce fuels and 

create more sustainable forest structure. 

The study did find a difference between fuel 

treatments and the residual forest stands. 

Burning and burning plus thinning treatments 

increased the proportion of dead trees, whereas 

the proportion of dead trees declined or 

remained constant in thinned and control units. 

Most new tree mortality occurred within 2 years 

of treatment and was attributed to bark beetles. 

Bark beetle-caused tree mortality, although low 

overall, was greatest in the burning plus thinning treatment. 

This study was part of the national Fire and 

Fire Surrogate study, which is assessing fuel 

reduction techniques, economics associated 

with different treatments, wildfire behavior, and 

forest health and forest restoration efforts, along 

with other issues and methods for integrating 

these results into decision-support tools. 

Contact: Andrew Youngblood, ayoungblood@fs.fed.

us, Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Joint Fire Science Program

Prescribed fire has little 

effect on erosion in the 

absence of major storms 

after treatment

Prescribed fire is often proposed as a 

treatment for restoring forest health and 

reducing long-term risk of wildfires. It is 

generally assumed that wildfires and wildfirerelated erosion pose greater threats to water 

quality and fish habitat than prescribed fires. 

This study in the Blue Mountains of northeastern 

Oregon and southeastern Washington was 

designed to quantify background erosion rates 

and to examine the effects of prescribed fire 

on hillslope erosion and stream sedimentation. 

Preliminary analyses indicated that erosion rates 

were significantly related to aspect and amount 

of bare ground but were not significantly 

influenced by prescribed fire. Vegetative ground 

cover grew back quickly in the years following 

fire. Consequently, the window of time during 

which treated areas are at risk of accelerated 

erosion following prescribed fire appears to be 

relatively short.

Data from this study have been used to help 

calibrate the WEPP model for background 

erosion rates and the effects of prescribed fire Steve Wondzell

A field crew checks a silt fence to evaluate erosion 

at a study plot on the Umatilla National Forest. 
44 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

A study after the 2004 Pot Peak Fire near Chelan, Washington, found that fertilization accelerated plant regrowth.

Dave W. Peterson

on hillslope erosion for volcanic-ash-derived 

soils. The data and WEPP model also contributed 

to analysis on erosion and sedimentation for 

the School Fire salvage logging environmental 

impact statement and subsequent litigation.

Contact: Steve Wondzell, swondzell@fs.fed.us, 

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Umatilla National 

Forest, Rocky Mountain Research Station, and 

Moscow Forestry Sciences Laboratory

Fertilization after severe 

wildfires can accelerate the 

development of plant cover 

and help reduce soil erosion 

hazards

Slope stabilization treatments often are 

applied after high-severity wildfires to reduce 

soil erosion, protect water quality, and reduce 

risks to human life and property resulting from 

landslides. The effectiveness of many common 

slope stabilization treatments remains in question, however, and high costs limit the extent 

to which some popular treatments, like aerial 

mulching, can be used. In a study of seeding 

and fertilization treatment effects following the 

2004 Pot Peak Fire near Chelan, Washington, 

scientists found that fertilizing with nitrogen 

and sulfur increased plant cover significantly 

during the first two growing seasons following 

the severe wildfire. Fertilization alone was more 

effective than seeding alone; however, spreading fertilizer and yarrow seeds, a native forb, 

produced the greatest increase in plant cover.

If further studies can establish the consistency 

of these results, fertilization can provide a 

viable alternative to seeding or mulching as a 

slope stabilization treatment. Fertilizer is widely 

available and relatively inexpensive to purchase 

and apply, and carries low risk of introducing 

exotic plant species into severely disturbed 

landscapes. Ongoing studies will help us better 

understand possible secondary effects (good or 

bad) of fertilization on vegetation composition 

and succession.

Contact: Dave W. Peterson, davepeterson@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Okanogan-Wenatchee 

National Forest, University of Washington
N E W T O O L

GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

45 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

New model improves 

estimation of wood quality 

and fire risk

The size, location, and condition of knots are 

important factors in determining wood quality. Although individual tree stand simulation 

models have been used for almost 30 years, 

very little research has been done on modeling crown dynamics in individual trees or knots 

formed by the branches. Without detailed 

information on crown dynamics, it is difficult to 

improve predictions of wood quality in these 

simulation models. A second need for this information is its use in determining the probability 

of crown torching in fire-risk models. 

To meet these needs, scientists developed a 

dynamic crown model that is general enough to 

fit into the major stand simulation models used 

in the Northwest. This model can provide key 

information for both wood quality and 

fire-risk modules under a variety of 

management alternatives.

Contact: Robert A. Monserud, rmonserud@fs.fed.us, 

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partner: Oregon State University

Fuel reduction treatments 

affect elk and mule deer 

differently 

Manipulation of forest habitat via mechanical 

thinning or prescribed fire for fuels reduction 

has become increasingly common across 

western North America. This study evaluated 

seasonal and spatial responses of North 

American elk and mule deer to thinning and 

burning of true fir and Douglas-fir stands that 

contained high levels of dead fuel. Results 

indicated that although elk altered their home 

SMARTFIRE

Description: Fire information is available 

from ground-based reporting systems, 

satellite fire detections, incident command 

teams, and other sources, each of which has 

its strengths and weaknesses. The Satellite 

Mapping Automatic Reanalysis Tool for Fire 

Incident Reconciliation (SMARTFIRE) is a 

new tool for integrating and reconciling all 

sources of fire information. By selectively 

weighting the different sources based on 

their inherent strengths, SMARTFIRE creates 

a single fire database that contains the 

most complete and best possible information. SMARTFIRE currently reconciles 

ground-based reports such as the incident 

command system reports and those from 

prescribed burn systems with satellitebased fire detections made available 

through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hazard Mapping 

System. SMARTFIRE output is available on 

a daily, real-time basis. 

Outcomes: The Environmental Protection 

Agency is examining SMARTFIRE for use 

in its national emissions inventory. When 

SMARTFIRE is used with the BlueSky smoke 

modeling framework, BlueSky appears to 

better predict surface smoke concentrations. The National Weather Service will be 

evaluating SMARTFIRE for use in National 

Air Quality forecasts.

How to get it: Contact Sim Larkin, larkin@

fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes 

Program
Left: Mack Creek old growth, H.J. Andrews Experimental 

Forest, Oregon. Photo by Tom Iraci.
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

47 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Left: Mack Creek old growth, H.J. Andrews Experimental 

Forest, Oregon. Photo by Tom Iraci.

range to include areas that had been treated, 

they did not use the treated area within their 

home range more than untreated areas. 

Seasonal and multiple environmental factors 

such as distance to roads, steeper slopes, and 

topographical complexity also contributed 

to home range establishment. It appears that 

manipulating forest habitat with prescribed fire 

may be of greater benefit to elk than mule deer 

where these species are found in the same area. 

Therefore, maintaining a mixture of burned and 

unburned habitat may provide better longterm foraging opportunities for both species 

than burning a large proportion of a landscape. 

This research will help forest managers plan 

fuel reduction projects in the future to ensure 

that habitat values for elk and mule deer are 

maintained or enhanced.

Contact: John Kie, kiejohn@isu.edu, Marty Vavra, 

mvavra@fs.fed.us, Managing Disturbance Regimes 

Program

Partners: Joint Fire Science Program, University of 

Idaho, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Idaho State 

University 

Vegetation maps facilitate 

modeling of fire risk to owl 

habitat and risk of gypsy 

moth outbreak 

Station scientists identified the need for 

geospatial vegetation data that could be used 

to model interactions between potentially 

severe disturbances such as wildfire and insect 

outbreaks and their impacts on resource values. 

Therefore, they used a mapping method that 

links forest plot data with satellite imagery to 

produce a series of vegetation maps at 30-meter 

resolution for central, eastern, and southern 

Oregon; Washington; and northern California. 

These maps provide detailed information 

on the distribution of vegetation and stand 

composition, which allowed scientists to 

model the risk of fire to existing spotted owl 

habitat and identify areas at risk of gypsy 

moth outbreaks. This information enables land 

managers to focus related management efforts 

in areas where they will be most effective.

Contact: Jerome S. Beatty, jbeatty@fs.fed.us, Western 

Wildlands Environmental Threat Assessment Center

Partners: Landscape Ecology, Modeling, Mapping, 

and Analysis Team, Oregon State University; USDA 

Forest Service Remote Sensing Application Center

Fuel treatments can protect 

spotted owl habitat

Natural disturbances such as wildfire are 

a growing threat to the habitat of many rare 

wildlife species. Although fuel treatments and 

other management activities can reduce wildfire 

impacts, designing effective treatment strategies on large complex landscapes is challenging. 

Scientists are developing a new wildfire risk 

assessment framework 

for measuring the performance of alternative 

fuel treatment strategies 

using formal risk science. 

The framework can be 

applied to wildlife habitat and other resource 

values at risk to find fuel 

management strategies 

that best meet habitat 

conservation goals. 

In a case study on the 

Deschutes National 

Forest, the risk analysis 

indicated that strategic 

fuel treatments on 10 

percent of the project 

area, excluding habitat 

Tom Iraci

Northern spotted owl.

Frank Vanni

Elk at Starkey Experimental Forest and Range. 
N E W T O O L

48 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

of the northern spotted owl, reduced the 

probability of owl habitat loss from fire by 

almost 30 percent, compared to no treatment. 

Results from the risk assessment were used to 

support the preferred alternative in the final 

environmental impact statement for the Five 

Buttes Interface project. This work paves the 

way for future wildfire risk analysis to support 

fuel treatment projects. The risk assessment 

framework can be applied elsewhere to 

quantify potential benefits of wildland fires 

and to study social and ecological issues 

related to wildfire impacts. 

Contact: Alan Ager, aager@fs.fed.us, Western 

Wildlands Environmental Threat Assessment Center

Partner: USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain 

Research Station

Outcome: Deschutes National Forest 

uses new risk assessment framework 

to assess probability of lost owl habitat 

from wildfire with or without fuel 

treatment projects.

Forest structure limits 

populations of flying 

squirrels, primary prey 

of spotted owl 

Northern flying squirrels are a central part of 

the spotted owl-squirrel-fungi-tree linkage and 

are, thus, thought to be important to the longterm ecological health of the region’s forests. To 

study the impact forest management practices 

can have on this nocturnal rodent, scientists 

collected data from live trapping, radio-tracking studies, and vegetation surveys in western 

Washington from 1991 to 2006. These data were 

added to a three-dimensional computer model. 

Scientists found a positive association between 

high squirrel densities and complex interactions 

among forest structural components that 

appear to make squirrels less vulnerable to 

predation. Removal of structure, either through 

Description: Bayesian network models 

are based on Bayesian statistics and 

allow the user to model events in terms 

of probabilities of different outcomes. A 

Station scientist and his colleagues have 

developed, published, and implemented 

practical guidelines for creating, evaluating, 

validating, and updating Bayesian network 

models.

Outcomes: The Oregon Department of 

Forestry has asked for help in developing 

Bayesian network models to determine 

the overall efficacy of their forest 

management in terms of ecological, social, 

and economic outcomes. Washington 

Department of Fish and Wildlife has asked 

for guidance in developing wildlife habitat 

prediction models for groups of wildlife 

species; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is 

using the Bayesian network approach 

to model decisions about listing species 

as threatened or endangered; and U.S. 

Geological Survey used this research 

to build comprehensive models of 

probable relationships between polar bear 

populations, amount of arctic sea ice, and 

global climate change. 

How to get it: 

Marcot, B.G.; Steventon, J.D.; Sutherland, 

G.D.; McCann, R.K. 2006. Guidelines for 

developing and updating Bayesian belief 

networks applied to ecological modeling 

and conservation. Canadian Journal of 

Forest Research. 36: 3063–3074.

Marcot, B.G. 2006. Characterizing species 

at risk I: modeling rare species under the 

Northwest Forest Plan. Ecology and Society. 

11(2): 10. http://www.ecologyandsociety.

org/vol11/iss2/art10/. 

Contact Bruce Marcot, bmarcot@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Guidelines for developing and updating Bayesian 

network models 
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

49 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

natural or human-induced processes, reduced 

squirrel populations. 

Models such as the one developed in this 

project help provide a quantitative basis for 

forest management designed to promote 

habitat for species of concern, such as the 

northern spotted owl.

Contact: Todd M. Wilson, twilson@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partners: U.S. Army, Fort Lewis; USDA Forest 

Service Olympic National Forest

Insect-induced tree mortality 

and loss of canopy closure 

not necessarily detrimental 

to pileated woodpeckers

The pileated woodpecker is a species of 

conservation concern and an indicator of 

mature- and old-forest habitat conditions in the 

Pacific Northwest. Effects of natural and humancaused disturbance on density of nesting pairs, 

reproductive success, and traditional home 

ranges were compared over 30 years in two 

areas and over 15 years in five additional areas. 

Harvesting, particularly regeneration cuts, which 

lead to the development of new stands, and 

loss of dead trees and logs were detrimental to 

the woodpecker. In one area, density of nesting 

pairs decreased after extensive timber harvests 

eliminated most of the stands of mature and 

old-growth grand fir and reduced the density 

of nest and roost trees and foraging substrate 

since 1990. Density of nesting pairs, reproductive success, and home range location remained 

fairly consistent over 30 years in a second area 

with extensive tree mortality resulting from 

insect outbreaks but without regeneration harvests. The woodpeckers had greater reproductive success between 2003 and 2005 in areas 

where less harvest had occurred and where 

there were more closed-canopy stands within 

their home ranges. 

Given the USDA-USDI 2001 National Fire Plan, 

the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003, and 

management emphasis on fuel management 

and forest restoration, large areas have or will 

be subject to fuel reduction activities. Findings 

from this long-term study will be useful to 

wildlife biologists and resource managers as 

they manage for multiple goals. 

Contact: Evelyn Bull, ebull@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program 

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific 

Northwest Region; University of Idaho 

N E W T O O L

Description: Wood-boring buprestid 

beetles (e.g., emerald ash borer) can have 

significant ecological and economic 

impacts on forest resources. This 

identification aid includes more than 20 of 

the most common PNW buprestid species 

and selected exotic species. This imagedriven key was developed in PowerPoint, 

a format that is widely available. This 

screening aid enables non-entomologists 

to sort up to 95 percent of specimens 

collected in surveys or studies. This 

relieves the limited number of taxonomic 

experts from conducting time-consuming 

coarse sorts and instead enables them to 

concentrate on target species. 

Outcomes: This project supports the Forest 

Service’s Early Detection/Rapid Response 

effort in providing taxonomic keys for 

prescreening collections. Similar support will 

be provided for various state surveys, such 

as the National Exotic Woodborer and Bark 

Beetle Survey conducted by the Cooperative 

Agricultural Pest Survey program.

How to get it: 

Contact Christine G. Niwa, cniwa@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Image-driven screening aid for identifying common and 

selected exotic species of wood-boring buprestid beetles 
50 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

The Interior Northwest Landscape Analysis System 

(INLAS) was applied to management scenarios in the 

Blue Mountains in northeastern Oregon to determine if 

management activities were creating the desired results.

Miles Hemstrom

N E W T O O L

Description: Detailed maps of forest 

composition and structure for research 

and management applications, including 

landscape scenario analysis; forest policy 

analysis; land management and conservation planning; and risk assessment for fire, 

insects, disease, and climate change.

Outcomes: Used in a wide variety of analyses, such as the Interagency Mapping and 

Analysis Project (IMAP), Effectiveness Monitoring for the Late-Successional Forests 

Gradient Nearest Neighbor maps of forest vegetation 

for the state of Oregon

under the Northwest Forest Plan, National 

Forest Plan revision, forest health risk assessment, dead wood habitat assessment using 

DecAID.

How to get it: Download maps, accuracy 

assessment, metadata, and other information from http://www.fsl.orst.edu/lemma/, 

under the link for the GNNPac project, or 

contact Janet Ohmann, johmann@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

New tools help translate 

planning directives into 

management projects

Forest managers want to know if their 

management activities are having the intended 

result or creating the desired condition. It is 

difficult, however to conduct broad-scale, 

multidisciplinary evaluations of management 

practices. Scientists developed the Interior 

Northwest Landscape Analysis System (INLAS) 

project to address this challenge. INLAS provides 

intermediate-scale assessments that can help 

translate broad-scale planning directives into 

specific management projects. 

The INLAS tools were applied to management 

scenarios in the Blue Mountains of northeast 

Oregon. Several key findings emerged from 

these simulations: (1) fire suppression alone does 

not produce abundant large tree structure; (2) 

maintaining abundant large-tree multistoried 

structure in cool, moist forests is likely to be difficult because of wildfire and insect 

outbreaks; and (3) both active fuel 

treatment and passive management 

scenarios increased the proportion 

of large-tree single-story forests in 

dry forest conditions. 

Some INLAS tools have been used 

in other assessments, and some 

INLAS case studies have been 

integrated into Forest Service 

planning tools for vegetation, 

wildlife habitat, and wildfire. 

INLAS case studies also have been 

incorporated with nationwide 

training programs for the Fireshed 

Assessment process, and the Interagency 

Mapping and Assessment Project. 

Contact: Miles Hemstrom, mhemstrom@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partners: Oregon State University, University of 

Georgia, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region and Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDI 

National Park Service, Oregon Department of Forestry
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

51 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2.5-acre forest aggregates 

retained during harvest 

provide conditions suitable 

for species maintenance 

Leaving aggregates of undisturbed forest after 

timber harvest to serve as refugia for sensitive 

species is a practice increasingly considered by 

forest managers. The success of these plots as 

refugia lies in their ability to maintain the same 

environmental conditions found in mature, 

intact forest. 

Scientists compared conditions inside 2.5-acre 

plots to those in adjacent harvested areas and 

to larger tracts of undisturbed forest. After 

measuring microclimatic variables such as light 

availability and temperature, they determined 

that 2.5-acre aggregates are sufficiently large 

to contain areas with light, temperature, and 

soil moisture that are comparable to those in 

undisturbed forest. These areas, they found, 

would be suitable for the short-term persistence 

of forest-dependent species. 

Current retention standards in the Northwest 

Forest Plan allow for retention of forest 

aggregates as small as 0.5 acre. These results 

suggest that microclimatic conditions in 

aggregates this small would be severely 

compromised. Findings from this study can 

be used to develop retention guidelines that 

better meet management objectives.

Contact: Troy Heithecker, theithecker@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Oregon State University; University of 

Oregon; University of Washington; USDA Forest 

Service, Gifford Pinchot and Umpqua National Forests 

and Pacific Northwest Region; Washington State 

Department of Natural Resources 

Snag density declines with 

timber harvest and human 

access 

Many wildlife species depend on snags 

(standing dead trees) for habitat. Research 

suggests, however, that snag density is lower 

in areas of intensive timber harvest and where 

humans have access to cut firewood. Scientists 

evaluated these potential relations by sampling 

stands with different 

levels of timber 

harvest and access in 

national forests in the 

Northwestern United 

States. Stands with 

no history of timber 

harvest had 3 times as 

many snags as in stands 

selectively harvested, 

and 19 times as many 

snags as in stands that 

had been completely 

harvested. Stands not 

adjacent to roads had 

three times as many 

snags compared to 

stands adjacent to roads. 

This information is being 

used by national forests 

in eastern Oregon, 

eastern Washington, 

Idaho, and western 

Montana as part of forest planning, revisions, 

amendments, and environmental assessments 

and impact statements to help mitigate past 

snag loss and to improve snag retention during 

management activities. 

Contact: Michael Wisdom, mwisdom@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program

Partners: Wildlife Consulting, Inc.; USDA Forest 

Service Washington office

Outcome: National forests are revising 

management to improve snag retention.

Recreation is emerging as a 

key management issue

More people are recreating on public land, 

and the range of activities they are engaging in 

is expanding. This increasing diversity of both 

people and activities has highlighted the need 

to reevaluate planning methods and tools and 

to assess the role of recreation within the Forest 

Service’s planning and administrative processes. 

To address this, scientists systematically 

compared the premise, development, 

strengths, and weaknesses of the major 

recreation planning frameworks used by land 

management agencies. Conceptual needs for 

Snags are important 

habitat to a variety of 

wildlife. Scientists 

found fewer snags in 

areas readily accessed 

by humans. 

Evelyn Bull
52 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

meeting future recreation goals were presented 

at the National Workshop on Recreation 

Research and Management.

Scientists have shared their findings about the 

effectiveness of different planning methods and 

ways to incorporate ecosystem management 

principles in the selection and use of planning 

tools at the Outdoor Recreation Short Course 

for Mid Career Professionals in Logan, Utah, 

and the Continuing Education for Ecosystem 

Management Short Course in Flagstaff, Arizona. 

Results were also presented to the Dixie National 

Forest Travel Management Taskforce and at the 

Science Forum for the Grand Staircase-Escalante 

National Monument. For 2008, scientists have 

been invited to share these findings with the 

Forest Management Teams for the Mount BakerSnoqualmie and Olympic National Forests, and 

the Forest Service’s Interregional Ecosystem 

Management Coordinating Group. 

Contact: Dale Blahna, dblahna@fs.fed.us, Human 

and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: University of Montana, Department of 

Society and Conservation; Utah State University, 

Department of Environment and Society and 

Department of Sociology, Social Work, and 

Anthropology

People form relationships 

with the land during 

nature-based recreation

Understanding how and why people become 

attached to certain places can help land 

management agencies anticipate how people 

will react to management proposals. Scientists 

found that tourists, as well as seasonal and 

year-round residents identified natural areas 

where they recreated as special places. Working 

with this conception of recreation as a placemaking and a community activity, scientists 

developed a matrix that provides analytical tools 

for integrating theories of place and community. 

The matrix helps integrate exploration across 

categories of place (physical setting, interactions 

and behaviors, meanings and evaluations) and 

community (local ecology, local society, and 

community action). The matrix was conceived 

as an aid for crafting land-use policy that will 

be better understood, easier to implement, and 

more successfully involve the public, particularly 

in volunteer programs.

Contact: Linda E. Kruger, lkruger@fs.fed.us, Human 

and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partner: Pennsylvania State University

Field crew members drill each other on identification of lichens.

Sara Jovan
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

53 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Consumers prefer decorative 

wood products with character

Traditionally, wood products were valued for 

their high strength, clear grain, consistent color, 

and lack of knots. Deviations from this were 

considered imperfections and thus given a 

lower grade and sold for a lower price. Continuing research on hardwood utilization indicates 

that when it comes to lumber for furniture and 

paneling, consumers often prefer lumber with 

character. In surveys conducted at home shows, 

respondents consistently preferred cabinets and 

panels with knots, distinct grain, and contrasting 

colors in the heartwood and sapwood. 

Understanding consumer preference allows 

small lumber producers to increase their profit 

margins by converting lower grade lumber to 

value-added products, such as paneling, to sell 

to local markets and wholesalers. 

Contact: David L. Nicholls, dnicholls@fs.fed.us, 

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: University of Alaska Cooperative State 

Research, Education, and Extension Service Forest 

Products Program

Scientists explore feasibility 

of using wood for power 

generation

Woody residues from timber harvest, 

hazardous fuel removal, and wood products 

manufacturing can be used to generate 

electricity. The question is, when is it 

economically feasible in a given location? 

Scientists examined the feasibility of using 

Home show attendees preferred wood panels with knots, distinct grains, and 

contrasting colors. 

David Nicholls

Woody residues, such as these from a mill in Alaska, 

can be used to generate electricity.

David Nicholls

woody biofuels for directcombustion electrical or 

thermal power applications 

at several different scales: 

large-scale electrical 

power generation at 

stand-alone facilities, 

co-generation to produce 

steam and electrical 

power, and smaller scale 

thermal heating projects at 

government facilities and 

schools. They found that 

for such a project to be economically feasible, 

the source of wood had to be very close to 

the power-generating facility, harvesting costs 

had to be very low, which is not often the case 

with hazardous fuel removal, and the costs 

of building and maintaining the generating 

facility had to be low. The most promising use 

for woody biofuels currently appears to be in 

smaller scale projects such as generating heat 

for schools.

As the country looks to develop alternative fuel 

sources, the information generated from studies 

like these plays an invaluable role in helping 

bioenergy projects find an appropriate niche. 

Contact: David L. Nicholls, dnicholls@fs.fed.us, 

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: The Sitka Wood Utilization Center

GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

55 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Oval logs produce more 

lumber than round logs of 

same volume

Over the years sawmillers have, by trial and 

error, determined the best way to cut logs to 

produce the most useable lumber. For ovalshaped logs, primary sawing along the longer 

axis has generally been accepted as the “correct” 

method. Scientists verified this by applying a 

series of sawing simulations to five replicate 

groups of oval logs, modeled from measurements of 52 western hemlock logs. Using 

Regional Agenda2020 

partnership is strengthening 

forest products industry 

Agenda2020 is a national partnership 

committed to sustainable forestry and its 

application in the United States. Funded by 

the Forest Service and the American Forest 

and Paper Association, the partnership fosters 

research exploring numerous high-priority areas, 

including soil and tree productivity, molecular 

biology, and biotechnology. The Forest Service’s 

western research stations and area universities 

are among the partnership’s many members.

In 2007, the Station’s Regional Agenda2020 

members successfully completed a dozen 

projects that explore long-term site productivity, 

genetics, and tool development. Results and 

technologies from the Agenda2020 partnership 

are being used by the forest products industry 

to sustainably manage for wood production 

and maintain competitive strength in a 

global market. More broadly, results from 

Agenda2020’s work are helping the country to 

reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, increase 

carbon sequestration, promote sustainable 

development in rural communities, and increase 

the global competitiveness of the forest 

products industry.

Contact: Charley Peterson, cepeterson@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: American Forest and Paper Association, 

National Council on Air and Stream Improvement, 

Oregon State University, University of Idaho, 

University of Washington

Native Douglas-fir will be 

poorly adapted to climates 

expected by end of 21st

century 

Climates are expected to warm considerably 

over the next century, suggesting that today’s 

plant populations will not be adapted to future 

conditions. 

Scientists studied the potential risk of maladaption of native Douglas-fir by comparing 

populations grown together and looking at the 

relationship of population variation in adaptive 

AUTOSAW, the log models were sawn in a series 

of simulations that altered log orientation and 

elliptical representations. Scientists found oval 

logs tended to produce more lumber than 

round logs when rotated to their optimal orientation. In fact, the more oval the log, the greater 

the amount of lumber it yielded, compared to a 

round log of the same volume. 

This information indicates the oval logs should 

not be downgraded as other literature has 

suggested. These finding were published in the 

Forest Products Journal and presented to the 

Timber Measurements Society.

Contact: Robert A. Monserud, rmonserud@fs.fed.us, 

Human and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: New Zealand Forest Research Institute 

(Scion and Ensis)

Sawing simulations revealed the optimal log 

orientation for producing lumber.

Left: Photo by Charlie Crisafulli.
56 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

traits and the environments of seed sources. 

They found the risk to be large for most adaptive 

traits relative to the risk associated with transfers 

within current seed zones, particularly for the 

more drastic climate change scenarios. Uncertainty remains, however, with respect to specific 

climate projections and appropriate timeframes 

to consider for adaptive responses. 

Management options to prepare for a warming 

but uncertain future climate include increasing 

within-stand diversity by planting mixtures of 

local seeds and seeds from lower elevations or 

farther south.

Contact: Brad St. Clair, bstclair@fs.fed.us, Resource 

Management and Productivity Program

Partner: Oregon State University

Understanding why 

Alaska yellow-cedar is 

declining leads to 

conservation strategy 

The decline of yellow-cedar in southeast Alaska 

illustrates how a minor shift in climate can have 

serious and unanticipated consequences on forest ecosystems. As scientists better understand 

the cause of the decline, they are developing a 

conservation strategy for this economically and 

culturally valuable species. Cumulative research 

Standing dead yellow-cedar interspersed with 

healthy western hemlock are a common sight on 

low-elevation hillslopes in southeast Alaska.

David D’Amore

is revealing that spring freezing injury induced 

by a warming climate and reduced protective 

snow is the cause of the widespread yellowcedar mortality. This knowledge, combined with 

assessment of decline at several spatial scales, is 

leading to a strategy that involves partitioning 

the landscape into areas that are favorable and 

unfavorable for yellow-cedar, harvesting some 

of the dead forests, and actively regenerating cedar in areas suitable for long-term cedar 

viability. 

This strategy may eventually be implemented 

by Forest Service and other land managers in 

southeastern Alaska and adjacent areas of British 

Columbia to conserve and manage yellow-cedar 

in the context of climate-induced mortality.

Contacts: Paul Hennon, phennon@fs.fed.us, 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program; David 

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

and Productivity Program

Partners: British Columbia Forest Service; USDA 

Forest Service Tongass National Forest, Forest 

Products Laboratory, and Northern Research Station; 

University of Vermont; University of Alaska Fairbanks; 

The Nature Conservancy; 

More information: Science Findings No. 93 (May 

2007), The Mysterious Demise of an Ice Age Relic: 

Exposing the Cause of Yellow-Cedar Decline,

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi93.pdf

Outcome: Research leads to strategy for 

managing for Alaska yellow-cedar in a 

changing climate.

Headwater streams 

contribute wood to 

fish-bearing streams

Large wood in streams creates desirable 

habitat for salmon. Its presence slows water 

and creates pools, which give fish places to rest 

and hide. Forest management within a watershed can affect the size and amount of wood 

that eventually ends up in a fish-bearing stream. 

The question is, at what spatial scale within a 

watershed can landscape features best explain 

habitat features in fish-bearing streams? In 

southwestern Oregon, scientists found that an 

intermediate spatial scale, which included headwater streams draining directly into surveyed 

fish-bearing streams, best explained the presence of large wood in fish-bearing streams. 
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

57 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Large wood in streams helps create desirable habitat 

for salmon.

These findings will help managers decide 

where management within a watershed will 

most effectively contribute to desirable stream 

habitat. This multiscale approach is being 

explored to reduce monitoring costs and target 

field monitoring locations as part of the Aquatic 

and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program 

for the Northwest Forest Plan. 

Contact: Kelly Burnett, kmburnett@fs.fed.us, 

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness 

Monitoring Program (a partnership of federal land 

management agencies); Oregon State University; 

USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region; USDI 

Bureau of Land Management Oregon State Office 

Buffers along headwater 

streams protect amphibians 

and invertebrates from 

effects of upslope timber 

harvests 

Headwater streams have an ecology distinct 

from larger streams within the watershed. They 

also contribute critical nutrients to fish-bearing 

streams farther downstream. Retention of vegetation in streamside buffer zones can minimize 

the effects of forest management activities on 

the stream. Although the establishment of riparian buffer zones has been a required forestry 

practice for more than a decade, the benefits 

of different riparian buffer widths for headwater 

wildlife and habitats were relatively untested. In 

particular, the relation between buffer widths 

necessary to maintain headwater wildlife with 

different forestry activities was unknown.

Scientists conducted several studies in 

northwest Oregon to address these issues. 

At study sites from near Mount Hood in the 

Cascade Range to near Coos Bay in the Coast 

Range, they characterized headwater amphibian 

communities and found that riparian buffers as 

narrow as 20 feet retained amphibian diversity 

and habitat when upland forests were thinned. 

Another study near Sweet Home, Oregon, 

found that a 98-foot buffer protected riparian 

invertebrate communities from the impacts of 

a clearcut forest harvest. This information helps 

forest managers develop management plans 

that protect wildlife diversity and habitat while 

also managing timber resources. 

Contact: Deanna H. Olson, dedeolson@fs.fed.us, 

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: USDI Bureau of Land Management, USDA 

Forest Service Siuslaw and Willamette National 

Forests, Oregon State University, Oregon Headwaters 

Research Cooperative Alex Foster

Sara Jovan

Hall’s lung lichen (Lobaria hallii).
N E W T O O L

58 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Description: This model for western 

Oregon predicts the likelihood of a debris 

torrent in a given headwater stream reaching a fish-bearing stream. It also estimates 

the amount of wood that will be delivered 

to the channel.

Outcomes: The model allows for the 

development and evaluation of options 

for managing headwater streams within a 

given watershed or across a large area and 

by either intermittent, variable-width buffers 

or no buffers. The quantity and composition of 

organic litterfall was strongly influenced by the 

amount of riparian forest retained with fixedwidth buffers providing the greater amounts of 

organic matter, but temperature changes were 

detected only in streams with no buffers. Fewer 

mollusks and millipedes were found after timber 

harvest, especially at sites without springs or 

seeps, regardless of the type of buffer provided. 

Contact: Pete Bisson, pbisson@fs.fed.us, 

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: Washington Department of Natural 

Resources, Washington Department of Ecology, 

University of Washington

Outcome: Buffer information is being 

used by the Washington Department of 

Natural Resources to prescribe headwater 

stream protection requirements in its 

50-year habitat conservation plan for 

managing headwater streams. 

Amphibians and invertebrates benefit from riparian 

buffers after upslope timber harvests.

Millipede.

Alex Foster

Sediment and wood delivery from headwater 

streams model

for evaluating the potential cumulative 

impact of forest management. The model 

is being used extensively by the Bureau of 

Land Management in Oregon to develop 

and evaluate options for their revised land 

management plan.

How to get it: Contact Kelly Burnett, 

kmburnett@fs.fed.us, Aquatic and Land 

Interactions Program

Continuous riparian buffers 

protect aquatic life better 

than variable-width buffers

Riparian trees and shrubs play an important 

role in aquatic ecosystems. Stream-side 

vegetation within a riparian zone shades 

the stream, while fallen branches and leaf 

litter provide structure and nutrients in the 

immediate vicinity and farther downstream. 

In this study, scientists found that aquatic 

life in headwater streams of the Washington 

Coast Range appeared better protected by 

continuous, fixed-width riparian buffers than 

Alex Foster
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

59 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Stream buffers conserve 

diversity of forest mammals 

The ability to gauge the response of forestfloor wildlife to changes in streamside habitat 

is critical to determining the efficacy of aquatic 

conservation strategies. These strategies 

often involve the creation of buffers—natural 

areas surrounding streams that protect them 

and their inhabitants from the effects of land 

management activities. 

To study the effectiveness of buffers in 

conserving small mammals, scientists compared capture rates of mammal species 

along streams before and after the creation 

of buffers. They found that species diversity 

increased in streams with buffers and was 

greatest within 3 years of creation. Scientists 

also noted that capture rates tended to vary 

greatly among the streams, meaning very large 

effects would be needed to detect differences 

following disturbance. 

This research supports efforts to develop a 

long-term stream conservation strategy as 

part of the Washington Department of Natural 

Resources’ habitat conservation plan and to 

support the agency’s adaptive management 

strategy. 

Contact: M.G. Raphael, mraphael@fs.fed.us, and 

R.J. Wilk, rwilk@fs.fed.us, Ecosystem Processes 

Program

Partner: Washington Department of 

Natural Resources

Synthesis of research on 

amphibians provides 

alternative management 

approaches 

Forty-seven species of amphibians live in 

the Pacific Northwest and spend some portion of their life in riparian areas. Streams create 

microclimates of cool, moist air that permeates 

upslope to warmer, drier areas. These microclimates appear particularly important to 

amphibians that breed in streams but can 

disperse hundreds of yards into upland forests, 

if the habitat is present.

A synthesis of recent studies on amphibians 

and microclimates associated with headwater 

streams suggests a two-pronged management 

approach for forested headwaters in the Pacific 

Northwest. One is a conservative approach 

designed to provide maximum benefits to 

targeted amphibians potentially at risk, whereas 

the other is for landscapes where timber harvest 

is a priority. Key to both of these approaches 

is providing connected avenues of trees 

both along streams and across ridgelines to 

other headwaters. Aggregated and dispersed 

retention of trees along channels and upslope 

to provide dispersal habitat for amphibians may 

effectively retain these unique taxa and the 

habitat and microclimates they require. 

Contact: Deanna H. Olson, dedeolson@fs.fed.us, 

Aquatic and Land Interactions Program

Partners: USDI Bureau of Land Management, Pacific 

Rivers Council, USDA Forest Service Siuslaw National 

Forest and Pacific Southwest Research Station

Maybeso Experimental Forest, Alaska.

Tom Iraci
60 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

A third new tool is a comprehensive, interactive 

online guide to field techniques for collecting 

data of inventory and assessment of culverts. 

These learning resources widen the FishXing 

user base, and help to ensure it is used as 

intended.

Contact: Michael Furniss, mfurniss@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Program

Partners: San Dimas Technology and Development 

Center and the Federal Highway Administration 

More information: Visit http://stream.fs.fed.us/

fishxing/

Maps and expansion 

models aid weed 

management 

Noxious, invasive weeds can sicken 

livestock, contaminate agricultural 

exports, and out-compete native vegetation. Crook County in central Oregon 

is particularly susceptible to invasive 

weeds because of its location, climate, 

and land uses, including multiple offhighway recreational attractions. Effective weed management requires land 

management agencies to coordinate 

their efforts across the affected, and potentially 

affected, landscape. 

Before this project, federal, state, and local 

agencies in Crook and surrounding counties 

were independently monitoring and combating 

the spread of noxious weeds, but a commonly 

accessible source for noxious weed data did 

not exist. To remedy this, Station scientists and 

collaborators established contacts within the 

Cutthroat trout and Chinook salmon.

Peter Bisson

New tools enhance 

FishXing software

FishXing helps engineers, hydrologists, and 

fish biologists design and evaluate culverts 

that fish and other aquatic organisms can pass 

through safely. In 2007, scientists created several 

new tools to further enhance the usability of the 

software. One of these tools is a 300-page help 

manual. It is built into the software and includes 

a comprehensive synthesis of the literature 

on fish performance vs. culvert hydraulics. 

Noxious weeds can contaminate agricultural 

products and sicken livestock. Scientists helped 

Crook County, Oregon, control the spread by 

developing maps and models that identify 

vulnerable areas. 

Terry Shaw

Organized in table format, the help manual 

allows users to select the literature that best 

fits their situation. Internet search engines give 

priority ranking to the help manual for many of 

the key terms included in its index; this results 

in extensive online traffic from users around the 

world.

The FishXing Web site now includes 29 case 

studies that facilitate advanced training 

for Aquatic Organism Passage design and 

construction. The case studies demonstrate the 

application of accepted design techniques for 

passage of fish and other aquatic organisms, 

ways to approach challenging site constraints, 

lessons learned, and pitfalls to avoid. The case 

studies highlight successful solutions as well 

as techniques that did not work as expected. 

Another 20 case studies are in the works. 
GOAL 3: Develop 

science-based 

options for informed 

management

61 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

various agencies and mapped the location of 

the top 15 invasive weeds. Models that project 

the probable expansion of the weeds were 

also developed and validated, enabling land 

managers to focus weed management efforts in 

areas where spread is most likely. 

Contact: Charles (Terry) Shaw, cgshaw@fs.fed.us, 

Western Wildlands Environmental Threat Assessment 

Center

Partners: Crook County, Oregon Geographic 

Information Systems Office

Outcome: Study helps coordinate 

noxious weed management in 

Crook County.

National Environmental 

Policy Act process on way to 

becoming more efficient

Administering the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) is one of the most demanding and publicly visible functions of the Forest 

Service. As part of the NEPA for the 21st Century 

Initiative, nine studies examined how the NEPA 

process could be administered more efficiently 

within the agency. Some findings from these 

studies indicate that (1) passionate leaders 

who encourage stakeholder participation are 

common elements of success, (2) there is more 

within-region variation than between-region 

variation in NEPA processes, (3) multiple federal 

agencies value having a dedicated interdisciplinary team and a staff writer, and (4) certain activities would be amenable to outsourcing. 

Regional planning staff, line officers, and 

national-level NEPA program staff helped 

develop the initial research questions addressed 

in the nine studies to ensure that the findings 

and resulting recommendations would meet 

the information needs of on-the-ground NEPA 

practitioners. Elements of these studies are 

being used by National Forest System staff to 

consider alternative organizational structures 

and management processes for conducting 

NEPA activities.

Contact: David Seesholtz, dseesholtz@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service Ecosystem 

Management Coordination, Washington office; 

Virginia Tech University; State University of New 

York at Buffalo; University of California at Berkeley; 

Indiana University; Oregon State University; 

Society of American Foresters

Outcome: National Forest System is 

considering alternative processes for 

administering NEPA more efficiently. 

N E W T O O L

Description: This is a user-friendly interface 

program for the Stand Visualization System 

(SVS). It streamlines the process of creating 

forest images to depict dwarf mistletoe 

infections in live trees and a range of 

mortality structures including uprooted, 

broken, or standing dead trees.

Stand Visualization Add-in for ExcelTM

Outcomes: Stand images that can be 

used to illustrate or communicate forest 

health scenarios or management treatment 

scenarios.

How to get it: Visit http://silvae.cfr.

washington.edu/stnadviz-addin/

GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS63

GOAL 4: Communicate science findings and enhance 

their application

New framework used to guide monitoring associated with 

the Northwest Forest Plan and report related science findings 

in an annual interagency report. 

Station scientists provide information and modeling tools 

that assist Pacific Northwest Region forest plan revisions.

Station scientists complete six scientific reviews for the 

Tongass Forest Plan Amendment.

An informed public is more likely to accept fire and fuel 

management strategies, and interactive learning is an 

effective format for communicating information. 

Clients want to know more about markets for ecosystem 

services and identify the need to clarify role of federal 

agencies.

New science delivery strategy puts fire science information 

in the hands of users, and further informational needs are 

identified. 

First reference book about silviculture and ecology of western 

forests examines management within an ecosystem context. 

K E Y F I N D I N G S

Left: Alder stand in southeast Alaska. Photo by Tom Iraci. 

Above: Ecologists discuss research findings at Mount St. Helens. Photo by Charlie Crisafulli.
64 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Framework is developed to 

guide monitoring and report 

science findings 

The Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC) identified adaptive management 

as a priority following the Northwest Forest 

Plan conference in 2005. To facilitate adaptive 

management, the RIEC developed a framework 

consisting of 16 priority questions to guide 

regional monitoring and collaborative research 

investments over the next 10 years. The Station 

compiled key findings for all the research agencies involved in the Northwest Forest Plan for 

the first annual report using this new framework. 

The RIEC will review the adaptive management 

strategy annually to determine if changes in 

management policies, standards and guides, or 

priority questions are warranted. Forest Service 

and Bureau of Land Management managers 

will use the annual report findings to better 

implement adaptive management and regional 

monitoring efforts across the region.

Contact: Becky Gravenmier, bgravenmier@fs.fed.us, 

Station Director’s Office 

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region

Station continues its science 

support in regional planning 

efforts 

The Station participates in Forest Service 

land-use planning efforts and provides 

science support by developing new products, 

synthesizing findings, and providing 

consultations and scientific reviews. Scientists 

helped develop regional sustainability models 

for aquatic species that will be used in forest 

plan revisions in the Pacific Northwest Region 

of the Forest Service. These models and other 

tools will be useful to other regions as they 

revise their forest plans. Station scientists 

also consulted with managers about recent 

postfire forest management research findings 

and management implications for the Pacific 

Northwest and Pacific Southwest Regions 

and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 

Oregon. Key science findings were provided 

to the regions, and a summary of recent and 

forthcoming publications was placed on the 

Station Web site for easy access by forest and 

BLM units.

Contact: Becky Gravenmier, bgravenmier@fs.fed.us, 

Station Director’s Office

Partners: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest 

and Pacific Southwest Regions

Station provides scientific 

reviews for Alaska Region of 

Forest Service

The Station provides science support to 

the Tongass Forest Plan Amendment process. 

This year, scientists completed six scientific 

reviews of key components of the forest 

plan including the conservation strategy, 

timber demand, climate change, younggrowth management, vegetation models, and 

ecosystem services. These reviews help ensure 

that the best available science is used in the 

plan revision process. 

Contact: Becky Gravenmier, bgravenmier@fs.fed.us, 

Station Director’s Office 

Tom Iraci

Partners: USDA Forest Service, Alaska Region

Homer Demonstration Forest, Alaska.
GOAL 4: Communicate 

science findings and 

enhance their application

65 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

People respond positively 

to interactive communication about fire and fuel 

management

Public acceptance is key to the success of 

many fire and fuel management strategies, and 

acceptance is more likely to evolve from an 

informed public. Scientists conducted several 

studies on communication strategies for fire and 

fuel management programs. They found that 

outreach programs that engaged citizens as 

active participants rather than passive recipients 

were most effective. This finding is consistent 

with theories on adult learning. A second study 

found that fire agencies need to further develop 

their capacity to respond to the public’s concerns. The third study found that direct, frequent 

interactions between scientists and managers 

are an effective way to communicate findings, observations, and questions, but that few 

opportunities for this type of dialog exist. 

These findings suggest that interactive methods 

are better able to incorporate the participants’ 

experiences with real-world problems. These 

experiences include attachment to special 

places, perceptions of uncertainty and risk, and 

community concerns. A workshop is being 

planned to share these findings with managers 

and to jointly develop processes that will reduce 

communication barriers between scientists and 

managers. 

Contact: Lee K. Cerveny, lcerveny@fs.fed.us or 

Linda E. Kruger, lkruger@fs.fed.us, Human and 

Natural Resources Interactions Program 

Partners: Oregon State University, (jointly funded 

with Joint Fire Science Program, National Fire Plan, 

and USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station), 

University of Washington

Clients share thoughts 

about markets for 

ecosystem services

“Ecosystem services” are the benefits 

people obtain from ecosystems, such as food 

and forest products, as well as an array of 

traditionally nonmarketable services provided 

by nature, such as clean air, clean water, and 

carbon storage. When forest or agricultural 

land is converted to more developed uses, 

many of these services are lost or significantly 

reduced. As the U.S. population increases, so 

will demand for these ecosystem services, while 

the availability of land and natural systems that 

produce these services will likely be diminished. 

This realization has created interest in finding 

incentives to encourage private landowners to 

include production of ecosystem services in 

their resource management plans.

Participants at a Station-led fuels workshop in Ohio learn how to classify forest fuels.

Roger Ottmar
66 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

At a workshop in January 2007, forest industry, 

public agencies, conservation groups, and 

family-forest owners discussed concerns, 

barriers, regulations, and incentives related to 

market-based valuation systems for ecosystem 

services. This was followed by focused client 

meetings where clients identified key research 

needs. Several common themes were expressed: 

(1) clients believe well-structured regulations are 

crucial to the success of developing ecosystem 

service markets, (2) clients are insecure about 

market uncertainties, (3) clients would be better 

served if the efforts of multiple agencies were 

integrated across broad geographic areas, and 

(4) clients are very interested in carbon markets. 

Discussions also included the appropriate role of 

federal land management agencies in providing 

ecosystem services and their assistance to 

develop markets for these services. 

Contact: Robert Deal, rdeal@fs.fed.us, Focused 

Science Delivery Program

Online watershed seminars 

offer new format for scientists to share expertise 

This new seminar series on watershed sciences 

allows hydrologists, biologists, ecologists, and 

others in the watershed-fisheries community 

of practice to efficiently share key information 

throughout the year. Topics for 2007 included 

the effects of forest management on water 

yield and quality in three experimental forests, 

modeling biological responses to physical 

stream changes, and a synthesis of emerging 

research on the effects of fire and fuel 

management on fish. Each seminar had about 

50 participants. By participating in interactive 

seminars online, participants avoid the travel 

costs associated with traditional conferences 

and symposia, and less travel means fewer 

carbon emissions. The seminars have been 

Charlie Crisafulli

Scientists gather to discuss recent findings in ecological research at Mount St. Helens.
GOAL 4: Communicate 

science findings and 

enhance their application

67 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

N E W T O O L

A Consumer Guide to Vegetation and 

Fuels Management Tools

Function: This publication provides a state-of-science summary of 

tools currently available for management of vegetation and fuels. 

Detailed summaries include a description of each tool, where it 

can be obtained, relevant spatial scale, level of user knowledge 

required, data requirements, model outputs, application in fuel 

treatments, linkage to other tools, and availability of training and 

support. Streamlined summaries in tabular format allow users to 

rapidly identify those tools that could potentially be applied to a 

specific management need. In addition, an interdisciplinary team 

process is described that facilitates application of tools and decisionmaking at different spatial scales.

Outcomes: This guide is currently being used by the Joint Fire 

Science Program and Carnegie-Mellon University as the basis 

for a national review of fire modeling tools produced by federal 

agencies. It is also being used by the U.S. Geological Survey as a 

source document for information on fire models within their fire 

research program. 

How to Get It: General Technical Report PNW-GTR-690. A 

Consumer Guide to Vegetation and Fuels Management Tools. 

Available at http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr690.pdf 

or contact David L. Peterson, peterson@fs.fed.us, Managing 

Disturbance Regimes Program

converted to portable electronic presentations 

for on-demand viewing. More seminars are 

planned for 2008. 

Contact: Michael Furniss, mfurniss@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service National Forest 

System and State and Private Forestry

More information: Visit http://stream.fs.fed.us/wss/

Fire science information is 

now more accessible 

Over the past decade, the federal Joint Fire 

Science Program has generated a substantial 

volume of new knowledge, methods, and tools 

related to fire and fuel management. Until 

recently, however, there was no organized 

system for introducing and delivering 

these products to managers, regulators, 

decisionmakers, and policymakers. To address 

this need, scientists developed a science 

delivery strategy and implementation plan 

designed to move away from the current ad hoc 

method of science delivery and application to 

a more systematic process. A range of written 

products designed to meet the communication 

needs of various audiences is now available on 

the Joint Fire Science Web site: http://www.

firescience.gov/.

Contact: Jamie Barbour, jbarbour01@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

Partners: Joint Fire Science Program 

Improved computergenerated images of 

forested landscapes facilitate 

better communication

Computer-generated images that illustrate 

different conditions in forest stands facilitate 

discussion about prospective management 

treatments. These images are based on forest 

inventory data and are used to convey information such as forest age, density, stand size, vertical layering, and fire hazard. Before this study, 

little research had been done to determine the 

accuracy of interpretations of forest attributes 

from computer-generated images. Based on 

the response of 183 forestry professionals in 

California, Oregon, and Washington, several factors were identified, that when altered, affected 

observer perception of forest conditions 

based on the image. For example, including 

Graphic images created from forest inventory data 

are increasingly used to depict different forest types.

GOAL 4: Communicate 

science findings and 

enhance their application

69 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

more visual information, such as groundcover, 

changed the observer’s perception of tree size, 

age, and stand density. 

A new nationally consistent forest inventory 

system has been implemented for 43 states, 

providing a wealth of inventory measurements 

that can be used to create images of the diverse 

forest types found across the United States. 

Improved computer-generated images provide 

scientists and managers with another way to 

communicate and involve the public in forest 

planning discussions. 

Contact: Tara M. Barrett, tbarrett@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partner: University of Montana

Proceedings highlights 

insights on the transfer of 

forest science knowledge 

and technology

An ongoing challenge for forest science organizations around the world is disseminating information and innovations 

in ways that facilitate their 

implementation. A conference in 2005, sponsored 

in part by the Station and 

the International Union of 

Forest Research Organizations, addressed this topic. 

The proceedings resulting from the conference 

includes papers by people 

who work in extension 

services, natural resource 

specialists, scientists, and 

technology transfer specialists. A major theme is 

the concept of technology transfer as a two-way 

channel between researchers and users. The 

collection of papers examines knowledge and 

technology transfer theories, methods, and case 

studies that cover digital media, engagement of 

users and communication specialists in the full 

cycle of research, integrated forestry applications, Internet-based systems, science writing, 

training, video conferencing, and Web-based 

encyclopedias.

Contact: Cynthia Miner, clminer@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Application Program

More information: General Technical Report 

PNW-GTR-726. Proceedings: International Conference 

on Transfer of Forest Science Knowledge and 

Technology. http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/

pnw_gtr726.pdf

Scientists characterize eastside old-growth forests 

When land management agencies are 

charged with managing for and maintaining 

“old-growth forest conditions,” it helps to have 

an agreed-upon definition of the term. The 

Washington Department of Natural Resources 

(DNR) is required by the state legislature to do 

just that, so Station scientists and staff from state 

agencies are developing definitions of oldgrowth forest for several forest environments 

east of the Cascade Crest ranging from very dry 

to cool and moist. The development of these 

definitions is part of a larger examination of how 

DNR manages forested 

lands to meet legislative 

requirements.

Contact: Miles Hemstrom, 

mhemstrom@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery 

Program

Partners: University of 

Washington, Washington 

Department of Fish and 

Wildlife, Washington 

Department of Natural 

Resources

Station expertise helps 

combat illegal logging 

worldwide 

Illegal logging threatens sustainable forest 

management around the world. One method 

for thwarting this activity is to establish a chain 

of custody that tracks logs and wood products 

from the forests where they are harvested 

through their final sale to the consumer. The 

Forest Service’s International Programs Office 

Cup lichen (Cladonia sp.)

Sara Jovan

Left: Hikers at Breitenbush Hot Springs, Oregon. 

Photo by Tom Iraci.
70 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Station scientists write first comprehensive textbook 

on silviculture and ecology of Western U.S. forests. 

asked a Station scientist, recognized as a world 

authority on the subject, to develop training 

materials on log tracking systems to assist 

officials in Russia and Columbia combat illegal 

logging. The scientist was also invited to Jakarta, 

Indonesia, to help plan a training program for 

implementing that country’s new legal standard 

for harvested timber. 

Contact: Dennis Dykstra, ddykstra@fs.fed.us, Human 

and Natural Resources Interactions Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service International Forestry; 

Food and Agricultural Organization, Center for 

International Forestry Research

Outcome: Officials in Russia, Columbia, 

and Indonesia receive training to 

establish log tracking systems.

New book provides 

international perspective 

on sustainable forestry 

management 

Sustainable Forestry Management and Wood 

Production in a Global Economy, published by 

Haworth Press, is a compilation of international 

studies and strategies for sustainable forest 

management in a global economy. A Station 

scientist edited the volume and several 

others contributed chapters. Topics included 

the influence of forest products markets 

on sustainable forestry in the United States, 

the development of conservation reserves 

and changes in forest policy in Australia, 

the challenges associated with even-aged 

plantations of conifer species in Scotland, 

illegal logging and the economic challenges 

of forest management in Central America, and 

similarities and differences in sustainable forest 

management criteria and indicators and their 

role for sustainable forestry in the Pacific Rim 

region. Forest researchers and practitioners 

around the world seeking to manage forests 

on a continual basis will find this book useful. 

Contact: Robert Deal, rdeal@fs.fed.us, Focused 

Science Delivery Program

New reference book 

examines forest 

management within an 

ecosystem context 

Modern silviculture is more than just a 

collection of methods for cultivating forests. 

Through carefully designed prescriptions, 

today’s foresters use silviculture to implement 

specific management objectives, such as 

improving forest health, reducing wildfire 

hazard, and creating wildlife habitat. 

A team of scientists from the Station and 

Oregon State University have written the 

first comprehensive reference book on 

silviculture for the Western United States. 

Using an ecosystem framework as a basis for 

silviculture, the book includes chapters on 

ecology of shrubs and hardwoods, methods 

for regenerating forests, measurement of stand 

density, and use of controlled fire. The book 

synthesizes 40 years of forestry research and 

cites over 900 references as well as the authors’ 

Robert Szaro

Tillamook State Forest, Oregon.
GOAL 4: Communicate 

science findings and 

enhance their application

71 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

research and management experiences. Written 

with forest practitioners, policymakers, and 

students in mind, the book provides a practical 

understanding of the science and application of 

silviculture.

The book serves as a primary reference for land 

managers, scientists, and students interested 

in using silvicultural treatments to improve 

forest health, produce forest products, manage 

wildlife habitat, and accomplish other forestry 

objectives. Already, the book is being used 

as part of silviculture courses at Oregon State 

University and the University of California, 

Berkeley. 

Contact: Timothy B. Harrington, tharrington@fs.fed.

us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partner: Oregon State University

More information: Tappeiner, J.C., II; Maguire, D.A.; 

Harrington, T.B. 2007. Silviculture and ecology of 

Western U.S. forests. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State 

University Press.

Comprehensive synthesis 

chronicles silvicultural 

research and management 

in the Douglas-fir region 

Over the last century, silvicultural practices 

in the Douglas-fir region evolved through a 

combination of formal research, observation, 

practical experience, and changing economic 

and social factors. These practices have had 

a great influence not only on the present 

characteristics of the Pacific Northwest’s forests, 

but the economic well-being of the region. This 

long history is unknown to most of the public, 

and much of it is unfamiliar even to many 

natural resource specialists. 

In a new publication, Station scientists trace the 

history of silvicultural research’s contributions to 

the evolution of forest practices. Special attention is given to the large body of information 

developed in the first half of the 20th century 

that is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to 

both operational foresters and—perhaps, more 

importantly—to those engaged in forestry 

research. Current trends in silviculture and 

silviculture-related research also are emphasized.

Ecologists visit a bog near Juneau, Alaska, to collaborate on development of regional ecosystem models.

John Laurence

GOAL 4: Communicate 

science findings and 

enhance their application

73 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

This publication provides forest researchers 

and managers with access to results from 

older silviculture research that are difficult to 

find. Many of these studies have relevance to 

newer silviculture regimes being proposed 

and implemented to address multiple resource 

objectives. 

Contact: Robert O. Curtis, rcurtis@fs.fed.us, 

PNW emeritus scientist, Resource Management 

and Productivity Program

More information: PNW-GTR-696. Silvicultural 

research and the evolution of forest practices in 

the Douglas-fir region. http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/

publications/pnw_gtr696/

importance of strong working relations among 

Station scientists, land managers, and university 

partners. Historical accounts document and 

interpret the histories of the Wind River Experimental Forest and the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, based on archival and oral history 

research methods. These histories reveal the 

importance of management systems that balance a strong commitment to long-term studies 

with attention to the issues of the day.

These historical accounts provide information 

on how successful management of research 

facilities can lead to important advances 

in ecosystem science and natural resource 

management. 

Contact: Sarah Greene, sgreene@fs.fed.us, 

Ecosystem Processes Program

Partners: Oregon State University, Western 

Oregon University

More information: 

Herring, M.; Greene, S. 2007. Forest of time: a century 

of science at Wind River Experimental Forest. Oregon 

State University Press. 188 p.

PNW-GTR-687. Necessary work: discovering old 

forests, new outlooks, and community on the H.J. 

Andrews Experimental Forest, 1948–2000. http://

www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/gtr687/.

Second edition of Alaska 

Trees and Shrubs is published 

New techniques and procedures have been 

developed for plant taxonomy in the 25 years 

since the first edition of Alaska Trees and Shrubs

was published. Several Alaska shrubs have 

been renamed, and others are now categorized 

in new or different genera. Additionally, the 

geographic range of Alaska vegetation is better 

known, and gaps in range maps have been 

filled, especially in western and southwestern 

Alaska and the Wrangell-St. Elias region. This 

updated information is included in the second 

edition of this reference book published by 

Snowy Owl Books and is now available for 

scientific, academic, and general public use.

Contact: Willem van Hees, bvanhees@fs.fed.us, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Partners: USDA Forest Service State and 

Private Forestry, Alaska Region, and Bonanza 

Creek Long-Term Ecological Research Program; 

USDI National Park Service

PNW’s experimental forests 

and ranges embody rich 

history of work valuable to 

science, management 

The Pacific Northwest’s 11 experimental 

forests and ranges are part of a national network 

of long-term research sites whose rich legacies 

are today helping to address contemporary 

natural resource issues. 

Studies of the histories of two leading experimental forests in the Pacific Northwest reveal a 

wealth of contributions toward the understanding of the natural resource systems and the 

Starkey Experimental Forest and Range. 

Left: Old-growth trees, Olympic National Forest, 

Washington. Photo by Tom Iraci.
74 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

PNW scientists contribute to 

special issue of Forest Science

and help reveal value of 

headwater streams to 

downstream resources and 

watershed condition

In the past, headwater streams—those closest 

to the water’s source—have received considerably less attention than larger fish-bearing 

streams. Recent research, however, has highlighted the importance of headwater streams 

to downstream aquatic resources and overall 

watershed condition. 

Station scientists are playing a major role in 

developing original research and research 

syntheses that address several high-priority 

research needs and information gaps surrounding headwater streams. Studies have focused 

on the basic ecology, biology, and physical 

attributes of riparian systems and processes as 

well as the influences of management practices 

and policy on the provision of riparian services 

from headwater streams. 

This body of work has been captured in a recent 

special issue of Forest Science that focuses on the 

science and management of forest headwater 

streams. Of 21 papers included in the issue 

of this peer-reviewed journal, at least 12 have 

direct connections to the Station—through 

authorship by Station scientists or collaborators 

receiving Station funding.

This volume will be useful to managers and 

policymakers responsible for developing 

management practices and riparian reserve 

guidelines and to the development of 

watershed assessments and restoration or 

conservation plans.

Contact: Paul D. Anderson, pdanderson@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: National Council for Air and Stream 

Improvement, Oregon Headwaters Research 

Cooperative, USDI Bureau of Land Management, 

Weyerhaeuser Company 

More information: Science and management 

of forest headwater streams (Special issue). Forest 

Science. 53(2): April 2007. 

Second edition of media 

guide published 

This year, the Station 

published the second 

edition of its media 

guide, Sources and 

Science: A Guide to 

Experts at the Pacific 

Northwest Research 

Station. The publication 

was updated to feature 

profiles of 62 Station 

scientists and is designed to help journalists 

and others identify expert sources and learn 

more about the work the Station conducts. 

Other highlights of the revised edition include 

a glossary, which defines common forestry 

and natural resource terms, and an expanded 

subject index. 

Contact: Sherri Richardson Dodge, 

srichardsondodge@fs.fed.us, 

Communications and Applications Program

More information: Sources and science: a guide to 

experts at the Pacific Northwest Research Station. http://

www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/sources-science07.pdf

Conference lays groundwork 

for establishment of Pacific 

Northwest Invasive Plant 

Council 

Invasive plant species threaten many of 

the Pacific Northwest’s terrestrial and aquatic 

ecosystems by outcompeting native species, 

degrading wildlife habitat, and altering basic 

British felt lichen (Peltigera britannica).

Sara Jovan
GOAL 4: Communicate 

science findings and 

enhance their application

75 GOAL 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Although beautiful to the untrained eye, invasive species such as this orange 

hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum L.) threaten many of the Pacific Northwest’s terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by outcompeting native species.

ecosystem functions. To 

address these concerns 

and set the groundwork 

for collaboration, Station 

scientists hosted a conference 

in Seattle titled “Meeting the 

Challenge: Invasive Plants in 

Pacific Northwest Ecosystems.” 

Nearly 60 papers and posters 

were presented during the 

2-day event, which attracted 

180 professionals from public 

and private organizations 

responsible for monitoring, 

studying, or managing invasive 

plants. 

In addition to exploring the 

latest developments in invasive 

plant research and fostering 

dialog, the conference also 

stimulated a scoping process 

that is currently underway to establish a Pacific 

Northwest Invasive Plant Council. Similar organizations in other regions of the country have 

been extremely effective at coordinating early 

detection and rapid response efforts, as well as 

educating land managers on prevention and 

control tactics for invasive plants.

Contact: Timothy B. Harrington, tharrington@fs.fed.

us, Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: Montana State University, The Nature 

Conservancy, University of Washington 

More information: PNW-GTR-694. Meeting the 

challenge: invasive plants in Pacific Northwest 

ecosystems. http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_

gtr694.pdf

Scientists provide international leadership on 

value of long-term studies 

in a sustainable world 

Station scientists have worked closely with the 

International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) in holding three major symposia.

These symposia, held in Europe; Portland, 

Oregon; and Australia, demonstrated the 

value and relevance of long-term studies and 

included information generated from largescale experiments that address joint production Lisa Scott

of wood and ecological and social values. 

Collectively, many of the variable-retention 

harvest and thinning options presented at the 

symposia are gaining wider use on federal lands 

in Alaska, the Western United States, and on 

crown lands in British Columbia.

Contact: Charley Peterson, cepeterson@fs.fed.us, 

Resource Management and Productivity Program

Partners: International Union of Forest Research 

Organizations; British Columbia Ministry of Forestry; 

Canadian Forest Service; Oregon State University; 

USDA Forest Service Alaska and Pacific Northwest 

Regions, Gifford Pinchot and Umpqua National 

Forests; University of Washington; U.S. Department 

of Defense; USDI Bureau of Land Management; 

Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Western Journal of 

Applied Forestry special 

issue highlights findings 

from Sustainable Wood 

Production Initiative 

Key research findings from the Sustainable 

Wood Production Initiative (SWPI) focused on 

several important topics for sustaining wood 

production in the Pacific Northwest region, 

including sustainable timber supply and 

markets, sustainable land use, and sustainable 

forestry options. The research was conducted 
76 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

W E B P A G E

Large-scale silvicultural experiments in 

western Oregon and Washington 

Description: This Web page describes 12 large-scale silvicultural 

experiments in western Oregon and Washington. Because these 

experiments are being conducted at the scale of actual forestry 

treatments, rather than on smaller experimental plots, the inferences drawn from these experiments can be translated directly 

to management options. 

Function: The Web page enhances communication and 

information exchange among scientists, cooperators, and other 

stakeholders interested in large-scale, operational silviculture 

studies in the Pacific Northwest.

How to get it: Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/research/lsse/

in response to the needs of an array of forest 

landowners who were solicited during the 

SWPI for their input. Selected findings include 

(1) market-based harvest projections of private 

lands suggest that harvests in western Oregon 

could be sustained at or above recent levels 

over the period through 2054; (2) urban and 

developed area is projected to roughly double 

over the next 30 years, putting pressure on 

land values; (3) in some cases, riparian harvest 

restrictions could preclude the thinning of 

overstocked stands, which, if completed, 

would enhance riparian fish habitat; and (4) 

the ecological benefit of forest certification, 

measured in terms of acres of old-forest 

structure, is minimal. These studies were 

written up as a special issue of the Western 

Journal of Applied Forestry.

Contact: Robert Deal, rdeal@fs.fed.us, 

Focused Science Delivery Program

More information: See Western Journal of 

Applied Forestry, Vol. 22.

PNW Media Highlights

Attracting the most media attention in 2007

was a study that explored the effects of postfire 

forest management on future fire severity. Led 

by Station scientist Thomas Spies and published 

in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, a highly regarded interdisciplinary journal, 

the study examined forested sites that burned 

most recently by the massive Biscuit Fire in 

2002. The story was run by many print and radio 

outlets, including The New York Times, Christian 

Science Monitor, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and 

Oregon Public Broadcasting. Outlets in Austria, 

the United Kingdom, and Australia also covered 

the story. 

Also receiving attention was the capture and 

radio-collaring of a wolverine in north-central 

Washington by Station biologists Keith Aubry 

and Cathy Raley and their colleagues. The 

wolverine was the third to be captured as part 

of a study that began in 2006—the first to track 

the elusive species in the region. The Wenatchee 

World and Methow Valley News ran stories. 

In response to a pending sawmill closure, 

reporters sought the expertise of Station economist Richard Haynes. Haynes was quoted about 

the health of Oregon’s timber industry in stories 

that ran in The Oregonian and on the news sites 

of several regional television stations, including 

NBC affiliate KGW and CBS affiliate KOIN. 

Bioclimatologist Ron Neilson was quoted in 

stories about a study that found a possible link 

between ocean temperatures and wildfires. 

Articles ran in several outlets, including The 

Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and 

Discovery Channel News. 

A study on the effects of recreation on elk and 

deer also received media attention. The Casper 

Star-Tribune (Wyoming) and Billings Gazette

(Montana) were among the outlets that ran 

stories quoting Michael Wisdom, a wildlife 

biologist and the study’s lead investigator. 

Contact: Sherri Richardson Dodge, 

srichardsondodge@fs.fed.us, Communications 

and Applications Program

Michael Wisdom

Singleleaf pinyon pine and mountain big sagebrush. 
PUBLICATIONS 77

Publications

Publications

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Total Publications

2003

2004

2005

Fiscal year

20062007

Theses and

dissertations 

4%

Proceedings

6%

Journal

articles

49%

Types of Publications

462 total publications for FY2007

Books or 

chapters 

11%

Station 

series

13%

Other

17%

➤ 462 total publications. (Includes Station series 

publications, journal articles, proceedings, books 

or book chapters, theses and dissertations, and 

other publications.)

➤ 316,955 hardcopies of Station series publications 

distributed.

➤ 1,664 Station publications available online (via 

Station’s Web site and Treesearch, http://www.

treesearch.fs.fed.us).

➤ More than 19,000 journal article reprints distributed by scientists in response to requests.

➤ 10 issues of PNW Science Findings published; 

about 9,800 copies distributed each issue.

➤ 2 issues of PNW Science Update published;

about 9,800 distributed each issue.

➤ 26 multimedia presentations produced.

Types of Publications

Journal articles 225

Station Series 59

Books 53

Proceedings 30

Theses 16

Other 79
2007 SCIENCE 78 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Learning Events

Symposia, Workshops, and Tours

The PNW Research Station sponsors scientific and technical events each year, 

many with the help of partners, including universities, state and federal agencies, 

and nongovernmental organizations. Below is a description of some of these events. 

➤ 1,466 people participated in symposia and workshops

➤ 1,105 people went on field tours

➤ 4,460 people participated in conservation education activities

BlueSky Stakeholders’ Meeting. Twentyseven researchers and users attended the 

annual meeting in Winthrop, Washington, to 

discuss new and future developments for the 

BlueSky smoke modeling framework. 

Capitol Forest Research Tour. Scientists from 

the Silviculture and Forest Models Team met 

with managers and resource specialists from the 

Washington Department of Natural Resources to 

discuss results of the Silvicultural Options Study. 

Topics included methods for establishing understory conifers in mature forests and silvicultural 

systems for regenerating forests given different 

management constraints. Twenty-one people 

participated in this tour.

Colville Forest Measurement and 

Monitoring with LIDAR Workshop. At the 

request of the Colville National Forest and the 

Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition, 

PNW scientists presented results from 

LIDAR forest measurement research 

in a half-day workshop in Colville, 

Washington, for 40 attendees. 

Following the presentations, 

scientists demonstrated the 

PNW LIDAR Fusion software 

system to local, state, and 

federal resource specialists 

and managers.
Symposia, Workshops, 

and Tours

79 LEARNING

EVENTS

At workshops in California, Idaho, New Mexico, and Ohio, scientists from the PNW Managing Disturbance Regimes 

Program led participants through a series of exercises on the use of the Fuel Characteristics Classification System.

Roger Ottmar

Dry Forest II. At this workshop in Wenatchee, 

Washington, 207 participants shared knowledge 

and experience gained through managing dry 

forests since the 2001 Dry Forest I workshop. 

They also discussed ways to translate this 

knowledge into treatment options so it can be 

included in management strategies. 

Forest Growth and Timber Quality: Crown 

Models and Simulation Methods for Sustainable Forest Management. This 4-day 

conference in Portland, Oregon, focused on the 

relationship between forest management activities and timber quality. Special sessions focused 

on mechanistic crown modeling and on hybrid 

models within the context of wood quality and 

sustainable forest management. Seventy-five 

scientists from 20 countries participated.

Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Client 

Meeting. At this annual meeting in Olympia, 

Washington, FIA updated 30 clients from Washington, Oregon, and California on its activities 

over the past year and shared research findings. 

Clients also presented results from their research 

based on FIA inventory data. 

Fuel Treatment Planning and Wildfire Risk 

Assessment Workshops. This training on ArcFuels and other tools for fuel treatment planning 

and wildfire risk assessment was offered to fuel 

planning and management specialists at several 

workshops throughout the West. Participants 

included employees with Forest Service, Bureau 

of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

and The Nature Conservancy. There were about 

45 attendees at the Region 5 workshop in Reno, 

Nevada, a combined 65 attendees at the two 

central Oregon workshops, 20 attendees at the 

Umatilla National Forest workshop, and 25 at 

the Klamath National Forest workshop.

GIS Day 2006. About 50 adults attended a 

seminar and poster session at Oregon State 

University about uses of GIS technology. GIS 

Day is a global event with the goal of educating 

millions of children and adults about how 

geography makes a difference in our lives.

GMWest Workshop. About 15 attendees from 

various state and federal agencies attended a 

workshop titled “A Risk Assessment System for 

Gypsy Moth” in Portland, Oregon. 

Hardwood Silviculture Cooperative Annual 

Meeting. As part of the annual Hardwood 

Silviculture Cooperative Meeting in Olympia, 

Washington, PNW scientists conducted a tour 

of its oak research sites in the Olympia area 

for 15 private, state, and federal scientists and 

managers. 

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. About 

950 scientists, natural resource managers, public, 

students (K-16), and teachers participated in 

tours of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. 

Participants were from around the world. 

Five writers spent a week at H.J. Andrews 

Experimental Forest, and 15 environmental 

philosophers spent a long weekend reflecting 

on their roles in shaping public thinking about 

the natural world.
80 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

direction for the coming year. Participants also 

toured sites in the Wallowa Mountains to view 

ongoing plant invasions and to discuss invasive 

plant survey and monitoring techniques.

NEPA for the 21st Century study review 

workshop. At this workshop in Stevenson, 

Washington, principal investigators shared 

their preliminary findings on how the Forest 

Service conducts NEPA activities with 25 NEPA 

practitioners and decisionmakers. Participants 

provided feedback on these findings and 

contributed to a discussion about potential 

changes in the NEPA process. 

Modeling Fire Behavior and Landscape 

Planning Workshop. About 30 employees 

with the U.S. Geological Survey attended this 

workshop in Denver, Colorado.

Oregon Remote Sensing Workshop and 

Training Session. The Oregon Remote Sensing 

Workshop, held at Oregon State University, introduced 125 people from local, state, regional, and 

tribal agencies to ways remote sensing imagery 

can be used and methods for sharing access to 

acquired imagery. About 30 people participated 

in a related training.

Portland Forest Measurement and Monitoring with LIDAR Workshop. At the request of 

the BLM, PNW scientists presented results from 

LIDAR forest measurement research in a half-day 

workshop in Portland, Oregon, for 45 attendees. 

Following the presentations, scientists demonstrated the PNW LIDAR Fusion software system 

to local, state, and federal resource specialists 

and managers.

Regional Fuel Workshops. Twenty-two participants in Moscow, Idaho, 20 in Portsmouth, 

Ohio, 15 in San Luis Obispo, California, and 15 in 

Albuquerque, New Mexico, partook in a 3-day 

course on how to use and train others to use the 

Fuel Characteristics Classification System (FCCS), 

Consume 2.0, the Natural Fuels Photo Series, and 

the Digital Photo Series. Scientists from the PNW 

Managing Disturbance Regimes Program led 

participants through a series of classroom and 

field exercises. 

Starkey Experimental Forest and Range 

Tours. During six 1-day tours, 134 people 

learned about ongoing and past research 

activities and management of the experimental 

forest. 

Integrating Science and Experience in 

Silviculture Prescriptions. About 70 participants from federal agencies, nongovernmental 

organizations, and universities met in Vancouver, 

Washington, to present and discuss stateof-the-art silviculture projects. Practitioners 

and researchers established communication 

networks and identified limitations in existing 

knowledge and tools.

Leafy Spurge Insect Biocontrol Collection 

Days. About 40 participants met at the Shake 

Creek Guard Station on the Sawtooth National 

Forest for 3 days to collect two species of 

insects that are being used to control leafy 

spurge, an invasive weed.

Managing for Wildlife Habitat in West-Side 

Production Forests. About 150 participants 

attended this workshop in Vancouver, Washington. The workshop included a panel of 

11 speakers from research, management, or 

policy backgrounds who shared prescriptions 

and guidelines for managing wildlife habitat in 

forests cultivated primarily for wood production. 

A proceedings publication from the workshop 

(PNW-GTR-695, http.//www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/

pnw_gtr695.pdf) summarizes each presentation and provides a synthesis of methods for 

integrating habitat management into existing 

silvicultural systems. 

MIREN II. At this second workshop for the 

Mountain Invasion Research Network, 17 participants, including 10 international scientists, 

convened at the La Grande Forestry and Range 

Sciences Laboratory to discuss the research 

A participant at the Southwest Regional Fuels 

Workshop practices her skills in the field. 

Roger Ottmar
Symposia, Workshops, 

and Tours

81 LEARNING

EVENTS

Wrangell 2020. Envisioning Our Future. This 

2-day workshop in Wrangell, Alaska, focused on 

cultivating community identity and identifying 

strengths and opportunities, as well as building capacity for achieving short- and long-term 

goals. The event included a visioning workshop 

attended by 30 local residents and a cultural 

exchange with 35 elementary students (coordinated with the Alaska Native Sisterhood). As part 

of the workshop, several local organizations and 

agencies developed vision statements. 

Western Forest Climate Change Task Force 

Workshop. This workshop in Vancouver, 

Washington, brought together 16 researchers 

and managers from Oregon, Washington, and 

British Columbia to learn about climate change 

impacts on forest ecosystems and discuss the 

development of a multidisciplinary task force 

of forest managers, forest geneticists, tree 

breeders, silviculturists, and tree physiologists 

to evaluate potential genetic and silvicultural 

options for mitigating effects of climate change. 

Western Stations Bark Beetle Workshop. At 

this inaugural workshop in Stevenson, Washington, participants developed regional priorities 

for bark beetle research, identified protocols 

and processes for inter-station research communication and collaboration, and established 

links with State and Private Forestry Forest 

Health Protection. About 15 scientists from the 

Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest, and Rocky 

Mountain Research Stations were joined by 12 

partners from Forest Health Protection.

Westwide Workshop on Forests, Insects, 

Pathogens, and Climate Change. About 35

attendees gathered in Portland, Oregon, to 

discuss current tools used to assess and quantify 

climate change, insects and pathogens, and 

synergistic effects on natural resources and 

ecosystem services at scales relevant for forest 

management and planning. 

Wildfire Risk Modeling Workshop. About 120 

members of the Army National Guard attended 

this workshop as part of the National Environmental Coordinators Training in San Diego, 

California. 

John Laurence
82 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Learning to use a compass at GIS Day in Corvallis, 

Oregon.

Michelle Kinzel

Aquatic Ecology Monitoring Program. 

With the help of a Station scientist, students 

from Battle Ground High School, Washington, 

developed a multiyear field program. Students 

learned how to design and implement aquatic 

scientific studies through hands-on activities. 

About 120 high school students participated in 

this program each week over a 6-month period. 

Aquatic Entomology Taxonomic Class. A 

Station scientist spoke about her profession and 

background to 16 undergraduate science students at Evergreen State College, Washington. 

Students also learned to identify aquatic insects.

Conservation Education Poster Distribution. 

The Station distributed about 2,000 posters 

related to Mount St. Helens, invasive species, 

fish, oak communities, and old-growth forests. 

Most of these posters are requested by teachers in the Pacific Northwest, but many posters 

also have been sent to teachers throughout 

the United States and overseas. Posters can be 

requested online at http.//www.fs.fed.us/pnw/

kids/index.shtml.

Conservation Education

Conservation education introduces children and adults to the natural world. 

By teaching classes and leading field trips, PNW Station scientists are sharing 

forest science with broader audiences. 

Corvallis Outdoor School. About 250 middle 

school students in Benton County, Oregon, 

learned about botany, pollination, the natural history of streams and riparian areas, soils, 

wildlife, and forestry. Station scientists helped 

develop the curriculum and served as instructors in both field and classroom sessions.

Dry Ice—Discovering CO2. Seventy thirdgraders from the Liberty Elementary School 

District in Albany, Oregon, learned about 

carbon dioxide gas and its many uses. 

Forest Camp. This outdoor learning event in 

Lebanon, Oregon, taught 250 sixth-graders 

about the web of life, a concept illustrating 

the links among biotic and abiotic elements of 

forest ecosystems. This camp also featured an 

added segment on the important role fungi play 

in forest ecosystems. Several Station scientists 

participated in the camp, which was hosted by 

the Siuslaw National Forest. 

Forest Camp—Project Learning Tree. Fifthand sixth-graders near Sweet Home, Oregon, 

also learned about forest ecology using the web 

of life curriculum. Several Station scientists each 

contributed 1 day of instruction for about 120 

students.

GIS Day. About 450 sixth-grade students from 

Corvallis and Portland, Oregon, participated in 

this event at Oregon State University. Students 

saw demonstrations of geographic information systems (GIS) applications, participated in a 

global positioning systems hike around campus, 

and learned about using GIS technology for 

climate mapping. 

Hands-On Experience With Science Series. 

A Station forester made 12 visits to Lincoln 

Elementary School in Olympia, Washington, to 

speak with 25 second- and third-graders about 

a variety of natural resource topics, including 

radio tracking, measuring trees, weather 

stations, plant reproduction, and graphing 

ecological data. 
Conservation 

Education

83 LEARNING

EVENTS

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest Used 

by Students and Faculty. Classes from 10 

universities and colleges used the Andrews 

facilities and forests in 2007 (University of 

Oregon, Willamette University, Evergreen State 

College, Lane Community College, University of 

Wisconsin-Platteville, Portland State University, 

Lewis & Clark College, Washington StateVancouver, and Western Oregon University. The 

forest also hosted a professional development 

workshop on fire ecology for 20 community 

college faculty from around the United States.

Inner City Youth Institute. The Station continued its support of the Inner City Youth Institute 

(ICYI). The ICYI sponsors ecology clubs in inner 

city middle schools and high schools and a 

summer camp in Corvallis, Oregon, as away to 

encourage students to pursue higher education and careers in the natural resource and 

environmental fields. The ICYI is a collaborative 

effort between the Forest Service, Bureau of 

Land Management, Oregon State University, and 

Portland Public Schools. About 200 students 

participated in ICYI programs.

Kids in the Creek. About 150 biology students 

from Wenatchee High School, Washington, 

participated in hands-on watershed monitoring 

at a site in the Wenatchee River subbasin. 

Launch Your Future: A Math and Science 

Career Fair. Station scientists spoke to 200 

middle school students about math and science 

careers with the Forest Service at an event 

hosted by Intel in DuPont, Washington.

Northwest Science Expo. The Station sponsored the “Outstanding Forest Science” award 

that is given to a high school student and a 

middle school student at the Northwest Science 

Expo. This science fair for young scientists, engineers, and mathematicians was held at Portland 

State University, and Station scientists served as 

judges. 

Oregon State University Extension Outdoor 

School. About 150 middle school students in 

Astoria, Oregon, attended classroom sessions on 

the ecology of riparian zones. 

Petri Dish Experiment. By participating in an 

activity called “Growing fungi and bacteria from 

the dirt on our hands,” 70 third-graders from 

Liberty Elementary School District in Albany, 

Oregon, learned about the scientific method. 

The children rubbed dirty hands on an agar 

petri plate and then clean hands on another 

to see what sort of fungus and bacteria would 

grow. 

Salmon Steward Program. Over 2,000 people 

participated in interpretive field trips to various salmon spawning locations near Olympia, 

Washington. A Station scientist was on hand to 

explain the salmon life history to the general 

public. 

Salmon Watch. About 200 grade and middle 

school students in Corvallis, Oregon, visited 

streams with spawning salmon to learn about 

stream and fish ecology. 

South Sound Farm Forestry Association. 

In Tumwater, Washington, 20 tree farmers 

attended a presentation about current research 

in the Capital State Forest. The presentation was 

called “Response of several small, invertebrate 

and vertebrate species to different riparian buffers along headwater streams” and was hosted 

by the South Sound Farm Forestry Association. 

Washington State Science and Engineering 

Fair. The Station sponsored the “Outstanding 

Forest Science Project Award,” for high school 

students at the Washington State Science 

and Engineering Fair held at Olympic College, 

Bremerton. Station scientists also served as 

judges.

Wolftree. Station employees participated in 

ecology programs with Portland and Vancouver area middle and high schools. About 100 

students were involved. The Station also contributed funds for supplies and equipment. 
84 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Honors and Awards

Nobel Peace Prize 

Ralph Alig, an economist with 

the Human and Natural Resources 

Interaction Program, Ron Neilson, 

a research bioclimatologist, and 

David L. Peterson, a research 

biologist, both with the Managing 

Disturbance Regimes Program, were 

honored for their research related 

to climate change. The three Station 

scientists share the Nobel Prize with 

many other scientists worldwide 

who also have contributed to the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 

Change and with former Vice 

President Al Gore. 

Chief’s Distinguished 

Science Award

Richard Haynes, program manager 

for the Human and Natural 

Resources Interactions Program, 

received the Chief’s Distinguished 

Science Award. He was honored for 

his work on developing bioeconomic 

models for forest assessments and 

policy analyses.

Chief’s Global 

Stewardship Award

Bruce Marcot, a wildlife biologist 

with the Ecosystem Processes 

Program, was honored for fostering 

conservation of wildlife and forest 

biodiversity through global projects 

and partnerships.

Chief’s Excellence in 

Budget and Financial 

Accountability Award

Gail Hodgson, a budget analyst 

for the Station Director’s Office, 

was awarded for her dedicated and 

proactive service to the Station in 

the area of budget and financial 

accountability.

Society for Technical 

Communication Awards

Charlie Crisafulli, an ecologist, 

and Fred Swanson, a research 

geologist, with the Aquatic and 

Land Interactions Program along 

with their colleague Virginia Dale 

received the Society’s highest 

award for distinguished technical 

communication for their publication, 

Ecological Responses to the 1980 

Eruption of Mount St. Helens. In the 

international competition, the book 

received a merit award. The Society 

for Technical Communication is 

the world’s largest professional 

organization dedicated to technical 

communicators, with more than 

18,000 members and 150 chapters. 

The Communications and 

Applications Program also 

received a distinguished rating 

from the Society for Technical 
85 HONORS AND

AWARDS

Communication for its publication, 

2005 Science Accomplishments 

of the Pacific Northwest Research 

Station. Because of its success at the 

chapter level, the publication was 

entered in the Society’s 2006–2007 

International Technical Publications 

competition where it was rated as 

excellent. 

Director’s Award 

for FIA Excellence

Team leaders Ray Koleser and 

Bob Rhoads each received the 

director’s award, while Ken 

Winterberger, forester, and Sue 

Willits, program manager, received 

honorable mentions for their 

outstanding efforts in advancing 

the Forest Inventory and Analysis 

Program. In particular, the four 

recipients were honored for their 

contributions to developing and 

publishing national field manuals 

over the past 10 years.

Society of American 

Foresters, Oregon Chapter

Robert Deal, research forester 

with the Focused Science Delivery 

Program, was named forester of 

the year by the Oregon chapter of 

the Society of American Foresters 

(SAF). He was recognized for his 

exceptional service to SAF as 

program chair of the Portland 

chapter, as co-chair at the 2005 tristate meeting, and for his work on 

the national SAF Forest Science and 

Technology Board. 

Wings Across the Americas

John Lehmkuhl, research 

wildlife biologist with the 

Managing Disturbance 

Regimes Program, 

received an international research and 

partnership award 

for his work with the Birds and Burns 

project, which examines fire effects 

on populations and habitat of cavitynesting birds and songbirds in 

ponderosa pine forests in the 

interior Western United States. 

Wagon Wheel Gap Award 

Michael Furniss, a hydrologist 

with the Communications and 

Applications Program, received 

the 2006 Wagon Wheel Gap Award 

for excellence in hydrology. This 

award is named in honor of the 

first watershed experiments in the 

United States at the Wagon Wheel 

Gap Experimental Forest on the Rio 

Grande National Forest.

Photo by Frank Vanni.
2007 SCIENCE 86 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Research Context Number of employees350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

2003

2004

20052006

Year

2007

Total number of employees

Permanent positions

Temporary positions

Number of employees250

200

150

100

50

0

2003

2004

200520062007

Year

Permanent employees by type

Support

Scientists

Dollars in millions

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Incoming funding

Base research appropriations

Support from clients

2003

2004

2005

Year

20062007

Distribution of funds

Employee

costs

51.0%

Support and

operations

36.7%

Cooperators

 12.3%

Finances and Workforce

Two sources of funding support the work of the PNW Research 

Station: federal appropriations, which contribute the greatest 

percentage of funds; and direct client support, which comes 

rom organizations in need of scientific information. 

2007 PNW Research Station finances and 

workforce, by the numbers:

Fiscal year 2007: October 1, 2006, to September 30, 2007

Incoming funding

Base research appropriations: $39.9 million

Client support: $12.3 million

Total funding: $52.2 million

Distribution of funds

Permanent employee costs: ($26.6 million)—51.0%

Support and operations: ($19.2 million)—36.7%

Distributed to cooperators: ($6.5 million)—12.3%

 Of $6.5 million to cooperators, 90 percent went to 

 educational institutions.

Workforce statistics:

Permanent workforce: 302 employees

 Of the permanent workforce, 28 percent, or 

 85 employees, are scientists.

Temporary workforce: 141 employees

Total Station workforce: 443 employees
87 RESEARCH 

CONTEXT

Cooperators Who Received Funding for Studies From the PNW Research Station

Educational Institutions

Alaska Pacific University

Duke University

Eastern Oregon University

Loyola University

Michigan State University

Oregon State University

Southern Illinois University

Southern Oregon University

San Jose State University Foundation

University of Alaska Anchorage

University of Alaska Fairbanks

University of Arizona

University of California at Berkeley

University of Georgia

University of Idaho

University of Illinois

University of Maine

University of Montana

University of Oregon

University of Washington

University of Wyoming

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State College

Virginia Tech University

Washington State University

West Virginia University

Yale University 

Other Federal Agencies

National Academy of Sciences

National Institute of Standards and Technology

National Weather Service

USDA Farm Service Agency

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

USDA Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 

USDI Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service

USDI National Park Service

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Geological Survey

State Agencies

Oregon Department of Agriculture

Oregon Department of Forestry

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

Private Industry

MacGregor-Bates, Inc.

County and Municipal Governments

Crook County

Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation

Juneau Economic Development Council

Nongovernmental Organizations

Earth Systems Institute

Forest Research Institute of Baden-Wuerttenberg

International Association of Wildland Fire

Sustainable Northwest

Washington Conservation Corps

Western Forestry and Conservation Association

Foreign Institutes

SCION (New Zealand Forest Research Institute)

Clients Who Provided Funding for Studies to the PNW Research Station

Educational Institutions

California State University

Montana State University

University of Alaska Fairbanks

University of Maryland

University of Notre Dame

Other Federal Agencies

Bonneville Power Administration

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

 Fisheries Science Center

USDA Agricultural Research Service

USDC National Marine Fisheries Service

USDI Bureau of Land Management

USDI National Park Service

U.S. Army, Fort Lewis

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Geological Survey

State Agencies

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington Department of Natural Resources

County and Municipal Governments

City of Seattle

Eugene Water and Electric Board

Private Industry

Portland General Electric

Seattle City Light

Sonoma Technology

Tyler Contracting and General Services

Nongovernmental Organizations

National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc.

Northwest Power and Conservation Council

The Wolverine Foundation, Inc.

Funding Partners for 2007
88 2007 SCIENCE 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Station Director

Bov Eav

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2100

E-mail: beav@fs.fed.us

Deputy Station Director

Cynthia D. West

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2104

E-mail: cdwest@fs.fed.us 

Assistant Station Director

Paul Dunn

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2115

E-mail: pdunn@fs.fed.us 

Director for Operations

Rolando Ortegon

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

Phone: 503-808-2102

E-mail: rortegon@fs.fed.us 

Director and Program Manager for 

Communications and Applications

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

Douglas Ryan

Forestry Sciences Laboratory

3625 93rd Avenue SW

Olympia, WA 98512

Phone: 360-753-7652

E-mail: dryan01@fs.fed.us 

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

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

PNW Research Station Organization

Credits

Communications and Applications Director— 

 Cynthia L. Miner

Managing editor—Rhonda Mazza

Writers—Rhonda Mazza and Yasmeen Sands

Art direction and production management—Frank Vanni

Graphic design and layout—Keith Routman

Photography—see credit with each photo

All uncredited photos—U.S. Forest Service staff
United States

Department of 

Agriculture

Forest

Service

Pacific Northwest 

Research Station

The attached CD-ROM contains the following files:

➤ 2007 Science Accomplishments.

➤ PNW Research Program Reports.

➤ PNW Directory for Research Programs.

➤ 2007 PNW Research Station publications.

The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of multiple use 

management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and 

recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and 

management of the national forests and national grasslands, it strives—as directed by Congress—

to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation.

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the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial 

status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or 

because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (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, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 

(800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

DE PARTMENTOFAGRICULT U RE
January 2008

Pacific Northwest Research Station

333 SW First Avenue

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/