Forest Management
Living in a forest comes with responsibilities. Trees are dynamic organisms, often competing with other trees for water, nutrients, light and space. In a dense forest these resources become limited and trees can become stressed and therefore vulnerable to a variety of ailments.
Fire is a great risk to trees, property and homes. Land owners should be proactive and manage their forest to modify fire behavior in order to create a defensible space. We offer fuel reduction work that closely follows the specifications and standards provided by the state.
Alongside our years of experience in arboriculture, our team has years of experience in wildland firefighting and forestry to consult on your property. Our expertise can help you establish and execute a long term fuel reduction and forest health management plan.
Forest health in the Flathead
Before human development and logging, the Flathead Valley’s upper canopy was dominated by old growth Larch and Pine. The two species were well equipped for the area, sporting deep tap roots to find water during dry years and stability in tough, rocky soils as well as protection from fire.
After Logging
Douglas fir grows much quicker than other trees, making it the dominant species of the upper canopy and creating a monoculture in some areas. Now, 50-100 years later, we are experiencing the negative side effects of these monocultures, like the easy spread of Dwarf Mistletoe, Armillaria root rot, and Flatheaded wood borer, as well as other beetle pests.
Dying Trees
Along with the disease risks of a monoculture forest, Douglas fir also has a shallow root structure, making it susceptible to uprooting in heavy winds and less hardy during periods of drought when trees need to go deeper for moisture. Just in these past few years we’ve started to see massive die-off of the firs in the valley.
Our Strategies
The sooner you start considering altering or assisting the diversity of your forest, the better chance it has of retaining health in the near future.
How do we bring Larch and Pine back to the upper canopy? Our two main strategies are weeding out weaker individuals and planting new trees.
How do we prevent beetle infestation? We recommend chipping or hauling materials to avoid bringing them on to your property in the first place. We also supply pheromone packets to deter certain beetles from flying towards your trees.
Fire prevention in the Flathead
Misguided but well-intended strategies of the late 1800's led to decades of fire suppression in our National Forests. These policies, combined with hotter, drier summers have led to the worst, most destructive decade of forest fires in history.
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