removing unhealthy trees and planning for the needs of future forests. Most
harvests are the result of sanitation cuts or thinning, the removals of diseased and
feeble trees to improve forest health. All harvest prescriptions favor leaving healthy
native tree species, assuming trees that evolved with the site are best suited to
grow on it. Our foresters use a variety of silvicultural prescriptions to assure biologic
diversity, protect water quality, maintain wildlife habitat, and preserve visual quality.
Management Project, the species composition of many of
our forests has changed due to past forest management,
disease, and fire suppression. Low elevation pine forests
have largely been replaced with firs, White Pine has been
decimated by blister rust, and Western Larch has been
greatly decreased by the elimination of stand replacing
burns. Today's forests have an overabundance of Douglas
Fir and Grand Fir, often at densities too great to sustain,
resulting in widespread insect and disease outbreaks and
an increased risk of uncontrollable fire.
management practices favoring native tree species grown in naturally occurring
conditions. Bennett has adopted practices to encourage a predominance of
Ponderosa Pine on lower elevation sites, the planting of blister rust resistant White
Pine where historically present and an increase in Western Larch plantations.
