7/31/08

Tulalip Tribes plan timber harvest

The Tulalip Tribes recently announced that Timber Tec has been selected to assist the Tulalip Forest Enterprise in thinning 132 acres of mostly Douglas fir trees in the northwest corner of the reservation. The harvest of 4,600 tons of timber equals approximately 657,000 board feet.

Mytyl Hernandez, tribal spokesperson, confirmed that harvest operations will run from July through November as the tree population is thinned to improve the health of remaining forest growth and wildlife populations. The logging will produce pulp to be chipped in Everett and sent to mills to make paper, and saw logs for the mill in Darrington.

For the past 28 years, the Tulalip Tribes have been protecting and improving the 9,000 acres of forest growth on the Tulalip Reservation with the help of Terry Grinaker, the forestry manager. Since 1980 Grinaker has worked to develop a program to sustain and improve forest land on the reservation into perpetuity. Grinaker is retiring in August 2008.

Hernandez explained, "Forest preservation is important for its commercial benefits, but also for the culture of the Tulalip Tribes. Tribal members have historically used the resources of the land and water for sustenance."

Keeping the forests healthy allows tribal members to practice their culture through hunting, gathering of berries and herbs, and the use of cedar to make baskets, hats and clothing.

Since the first Forest Management Plan was written and adopted by the Tribes in 1978, nearly 4,000 acres of timberland have been harvested and replanted with close to 1,600,000 seedlings. Each year’s harvest averages 200 acres, on which the Tribes plant approximately 80,000 2-year-old seedlings. The tree species mix is generally 70 percent Douglas fir, with the balance in western hemlock and western red cedar.

For more than two decades, pre-commercial thinning has also taken place to improve the health and longevity of the forest ecosystem. The removal of deformed or suppressed trees naturally allows the healthier trees to grow to their full potential. In addition, managing the density of forest growth promotes healthy tree and plant development, animal populations and carbon emissions/absorption that are critical for oxygen production and stabilization.

Since 1987 the Tribes have thinned 3,000 acres of sapling size timber stands, an average of about 150 acres per year.