by Herman Flamenco, conservation forester
The How Go Commercial Thin Project began in June of 2021 on Cle Elum Ridge and officially wrapped up in September of 2023. There were a few cool things that came about from this project. One was that some of the wood from this project was used to build the Portland Airport's new wood roof. Another was the opportunity to study the impact that thinning has on snowpack depth and retention. And most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to gain some ties to the property. Here are some images to help summarize this project.
The overall goal of the How Go Commercial Thin Project was to reduce wildfire risk to the surrounding communities and improve forest health by decreasing the number of trees. We implemented the Individuals, Clumps, and Openings Method to help create spatial variability in the forest so that it resembles a more natural forest. Remaining trees now have more space to grow and have more resources available to them to help make them more resilient to a changing climate and attacks from insects and diseases.
Some other cool things that came about from this project. One was that some of the wood from this project was used to build the Portland Airport’s new wood roof. Another was the opportunity to study the impact that thinning has on snowpack depth and retention. And most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to gain some ties to the property. Here are some images to help summarize this project.