Resource harvest continues on the Colville National Forest today. Timber harvest remains one of the primary ways these lands meet economic needs. Because most of the national forest burned in the 1920's due to dry conditions and lightning strikes, a large crop of trees reached maturity in the 1990's. Thus, the Colville National Forest was able to harvest at high levels during an era when other national forests were severely reducing timber cutting.
Modern timber management differs markedly from the simple numbers control, slash burning, and single- species reforestation of the early years of the Forest Service. Today, foresters design timber sales to reduce environmental and visual impacts. Partial cuts are replacing clearcuts as the preferred harvest method. Live trees are left standing for natural seeding purposes, and standing snags are left for wildlife. Buffers of trees along rivers and lakes protect crucial riparian habitat for fish and wildlife.
The Colville National Forest is divided into management areas that have different emphases. For example, the primary objective in one area might be timber management, while wildlife needs or recreational opportunities might be the prime focus in other areas.
Reforestation has become a sophisticated science, and seed orchards on the Colville National Forest grow different genetic strains of"super trees." Researchers monitor tree growth and work to develop trees that are resistant to disease and adapt well to a wide variety of ecosystems.
Fire still affects timber management. The drier portions of the Colville burn naturally every twenty or thirty years. Even modern fire control methods are of little use when lightning strikes aged lodgepole stands after weeks of dry weather. The White Mountain Fire of 1988 burned more than 20,000 acres, reminding foresters that fire, as well as timber harvest, can start a forest over again.
Other natural resources also are harvested on the Colville. About 7,000 head of cattle graze on the national forest, allowing ranchers to grow hay on their private land during summer months. Permits are required, and no more than 50 percent of the available forage can be consumed by domestic livestock. The rest is preserved for wildlife.
Mining exploration, berry picking, firewood cutting, and other consumptive uses such as hunting and fishing still are permitted on national forest lands. In many cases, gathering forest products has become less a matter of economic survival and more a form of recreation.
Return to 
Top
RELATED GORP LINKS
GORP Washington Resources
GORPtravel Adventure Vacations
from Away.com
