In recent years, the Pacific Northwest has witnessed a rise in eco-conscious, self-built vacation rentals driven by travelers’ growing desire for unique, nature-immersed escapes. Many of these properties are built with locally sourced, renewable materials, reflecting the owners’ connection to the surrounding landscape. Heartland Treehouse in Langlois, Oregon, and Blueberry Hill Hideaway in Springfield, Oregon, […]
Watch a restoration thinning on our director of forestry’s property
Applied Ecology Films recently captured a restoration thinning on Director of Forestry, Kirk Hanson’s property. A glimpse into one of our recent Forestry Restoration Projects in partnership with Hanson Forests and landowner Kirk Hanson (Director of Forestry for NNRG). This structural renovation focused on improving ecosystem health through prescription thinning focused on structural and compositional […]
Listen to Kirk on Exploring Washington’s podcast
Growing Trees, Growing Futures: Ecological Forestry In this episode of Exploring Washington State, Kirk discusses the differences between sustainable forestry and traditional industrial methods. Industrial forestry often relies on clear-cutting, which can damage the environment, deplete biodiversity, and degrade soil quality. Instead, Kirk advocates for perpetual thinning, a practice that selectively removes weaker trees to promote […]
Understanding Soils: Resources for Small Forest Landowners
As a small forest landowner, understanding the relationship between soil types and vegetation is crucial for successful land management. The adage “right tree in the right location” highlights how the soil type directly influences what trees can thrive on your property. Soil is the foundation of any forest ecosystem, providing essential nutrients, water retention, and […]
NNRG Intern Highlight: Assessing the Impacts of Down Wood in Puget Sound Douglas fir EcosystemsLiving Dead Forests
Article by Forrest Becker – This research was conducted as part of the requirements for a Master of Arts in Climate Change and Global Sustainability at SIT Graduate Institute, USA. The grounded logs and branches from fallen trees play a crucial role in the Pacific Northwest’s forest ecosystems. Sometimes mistaken for a negative waste product, […]
NNRG Partners with Foster High School for Innovative Forestry Certificate Program
Written by Laura Linn, NNRG Program Manager This spring, we launched an new forestry curriculum for high school students in partnership with Foster High School in Tukwila, thanks to the generous support of the Russell Family Foundation. As the new program manager, I was excited to return to my roots in education and outreach, and […]
Member Highlight – Advice from Butler Family Forest on Cost-Share Programs
NNRG FSC member Paul Butler’s story is a testament to the benefits of leveraging cost-share programs for forest management. He took a break from installing plant protectors to share his advice and knowledge. Paul owns an 80-acre forest in Thurston County, where he has enhanced his land and deepened his commitment to forest stewardship. Beginnings […]
Maximizing Your Forest’s Potential – A Guide To Financial Assistance for Small Forest Owners
Managing a forest can be both rewarding and challenging, particularly for small private forest owners. Various federal, state, and county cost-share programs are available to support sustainable forest management activities. These programs are designed to offset the costs of management activities and typically work as a reimbursement model – meaning that you get paid the […]
Explore FSC Certified Forests in King County and Beyond
King County Parks and Recreation manages six sites under NNRG’s FSC group certificate, combining forest health initiatives with public recreation. These forests offer a range of activities, including hiking, biking, horseback riding, birdwatching, and picnicking. The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification is a voluntary, market-driven system that ensures wood products come from responsibly managed forests. […]
From Big Cats to Birds: Embracing Bird Conservation in Forest Management
As new staff members at NNRG, we were asked to share our favorite way of spending time in the forest for our bios. Naturally, I chose bird watching. My lifelong passion for wildlife initially drew me to Namibia for the charismatic megafauna, particularly big cats. I’ve spent countless hours waiting by waterholes, hoping to glimpse […]
Carbon Market Opportunities in the Pacific Northwest
Article by Midori Sylwester. Midori completed her University of Washington Program on the Environment Capstone Project with Northwest Natural Resource Group in Winter/Spring 2024. Small private non-industrial landowners own roughly forty percent of forestland in Washington State (Chowdhury and Brown, 2023) and, on average, prioritize objectives such as wildlife habitat, water quality, and recreation over timber […]
A Forest Of Your Own | Chapter 4 | Shopping for a Forest
Throughout this book, I certainly don’t hide my opinion that owning or managing a forest is one of the greatest expressions of earth stewardship. I wholeheartedly encourage you to go out and acquire your own tract of forestland and put your conservation ethic into practice. As my mom always says, “Land is a good investment […]
Into the Woods – Restoration Planning and Funding with Kirk Hanson
This article is part of the Hanson Family Forest series. Introduction When I helped my parents acquire our family’s Bucoda forest in 2018 we did what good farmer’s do, we bought good soil. The silty clay loam that this land is built from is nutrient-rich and, coupled with the mild maritime climate of the Pacific Northwest, capable […]
Engaging with Citizen Science
At heart, we are all scientists taking in the world around us with curiosity and questions. You can likely tell us when your hummingbirds return each year, when the wildflowers will bloom, or how the snowfall this February differs from the norm. Now imagine if all that knowledge could be shared for everyone to learn […]
Welcome NNRG’s New Staff!
A new year means new faces at NNRG! Learn more about our two new staff members below. LAURA LINN Program Manager Reach Laura at laura@nnrg.org Laura grew up along the McKenzie River in Oregon and has shared her love of the natural world throughout her career. In her last semester of college, she followed her […]
2023 Book Recommendations
We asked the NNRG staff and board — notorious for thinking about forests as much off-the-clock as on — for the best forestry, nature, PNW, and environment-related books they read this year. The resulting list has some real gems! Scroll down to read the whole list. The Ghost Forest: Racists, Radicals, and Real Estate in […]
An Interview with the Creators of Landmapper
Our partners over at Ecotrust are releasing a new tool that makes forest maps accessible in a matter of minutes, with no specialty knowledge needed. The maps are available for most properties in Oregon and Washington, with more updates coming over the next few months. We chatted with two of the program’s creators, Director of […]
The Meaning of Maps
Maps are an essential part of forest management, used to remotely evaluate property, delineate management units, plant harvests, and track management over time. But the array of maps available can be dizzying. Below, we outline a number of the maps you can expect to see in your forest management plan, plus a few more unusual […]
Snow for Trees: Forestry Techniques for a Changing Climate
Climate change is impacting landscapes on a large scale, and forests – one of our largest carbon sinks and
a critical part of any climate mitigation strategy – are at risk. If climate change is making forests more vulnerable, can innovative forest stewardship make them more resilient, and sustain the role they play in watershed protection? This question led us at Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG) to create an experiment in practical forestry methods, in collaboration with forward-thinking partner organizations.
Forest Adaptation: Half Art, Half Science
For fifteen years, the Deumlings have been experimenting with planting less-traditional tree species—ones more tolerant to a warming climate—including Incense cedar, Coast redwood, Giant sequoia, Oregon white oak, and Ponderosa pine. They’ve also been sourcing Douglas-fir seedlings from farther south, where they may already be adapted to a warmer and drier climate.