Forest Rehabilitation
Beetle infestation, storm damage, or wildfire can all cause the need for forest rehabilition. In the last fifteen to twenty years the mountain pine beetle has wreaked havoc in western forests, killing up to 90% of trees in certain areas.
We have worked with landowners and the state of Wyoming, including the Curt Gowdy Restoration and Resiliency Project at Curt Gowdy State Park, to speed up the natural process of forest rehabilitation.
Wildfire rehabilitation treatments aim at initiating regrowth and preventing erosion. Contour felling of dead trees and seeding are common prescriptions in post-wildfire situations were the country is steep and close to watersheds. Wood chips and/or smaller pieces of slash left on the ground can prevent erosion and speed up soil regeneration. In swaths of beetle kill the removal of dead wood, both standing and on the ground, along with some ground disturbance can spur regrowth. Large scale planting of trees is also an option.
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- Contour felling and seeding
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- Seed
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- Seeding
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- Contour felling of burned timber
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- Contour felling and seeding
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- Contour felling of burned timber
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- Leaving some slash unpiled to help prevent erosion
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- Hauling beetle kill logs off of Curt Gowdy State Park
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- Hauling ips infected logs off the property