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Many forest owners in the Pacific Northwest are interested in maintaining mature forests that provide a broad range of economic and ecological values.  Mature forests can be perpetually managed on a regenerative cycle that allows for multiple entries and a sustained yield of a broad range of high-value forest products.  The timing and design of thinning practices can result in a wide variety of forest conditions depending on the landowners objectives.

This workshop is for forest owners and managers who want to manage mature forests for production.  A morning classroom session will introduce the theories, principles and applications of “continuous cover forestry”. Speakers will discuss silvicultural strategies, harvesting and management logistics and the unique productive and ecological differences of mature forests.

An afternoon field trip to Fort Lewis will showcase a variety of silvicultural strategies being used to develop mixed age-class, mixed species and multiple canopy mature forests.

This seminar will provide useful information for all types of forest owners and managers including family forests, land trusts, non-profit conservation groups, govt. agencies, and consulting foresters.

Key topics will include:

• Growth dynamics in mature stands
• Innovative silvicultural approaches, such as:
• Variable density thinning
• Variable retention harvesting
• Uneven-age management
• Enhancing ecosystem services (e.g. carbon sequestration)
• Equipment and logging logistics
• Managing for high quality forest products
• Managing for key wildlife habitat elements