Hide and Seek Timber Sale

The Hide and Seek Timber Sale has been canceled!

Bark’s Concerns

Stands generally 121-200 years old, some really big old trees -Multi-layered canopy-vital ground cover-mix of tree agesForest past the age where red alder provide nitrogen fixing. Soil now receives nitrogen fixing via lichen (lobaria oregana, common name lettuce lung) which only grows in canopy of forests over 100 years, though vigorous growth takes perhaps another hundred years (The Hidden Forest, Jon R. Luoma, page 56).Wide variety of plant and animal speciesForests in which pileated woodpeckers exist (old-growth indicator species).Forests that support spotted owl and their prey species.Surrounded by recent clear-cutsWhile this area is not protected, both the land higher in the watershed (Mt. Hood Scenic Corridor) and the land lower in the water shed (proposed Wyden/Smith protection area) are protected. How does it make sense to protect the area above and below while ignoring the middle?On the way to examine the slide area, we encountered the first of many Pacific yews, one of which had a diameter of 10.4 inches (33 inches measured circumference).Units E and F are late-successional forests where the oldest and largest trees (Douglas firs) are being overtaken by hemlocks and other (taller) firs.Trees are at the age of being Cloud forest in which the large square footage of old-growth trees gather moisture from clouds and locally rain (droplets of condensed cloud mist), adding water to soil and streams.Fallen old-growth logs act as giant sponges, soaking up water in the wet season and releasing in the dry season, making old forests far more fire-resistant.Measurements of riparian buffer of Wildcat stream demonstrated potentially shortened riparian buffer. Measurements to the northwest of Wildcat Creek were 237 feet and 285 feet, measurement of riparian buffer on south east side of stream was 238 feet. NW Forest Plan calls for a width of 300 feet or 2 site potential trees, which ever is LARGEST, on each side of a fish bearing stream or 150 feet or one site potential tree on each side of the non-fish bearing stream, which ever is LARGEST, (Standards and Guidelines for Management of Habitat for Late-Successional and Old-Growth Forest Related Species Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl, page C-30). Site potential trees in this western Cascadian lower elevation environment are clearly larger than 150 feet, therefore the riparian buffer needs to be greater than 300 on each side of a fish bearing stream and greater than 150 on each side of a non-fish bearing stream. Need to obtain the Sandy River Watershed Analysis to check proposed riparian buffer widths in that document. Fungi Ramaria araiospora inventoried and marked 11/4/00. View of the damage a cable-stay, wrapped around the base of a 200 year-old Douglas fir. The stay supported a tower that was used to clear-cut the bordering forest. The manner in which the base of the Douglas fir was cut to wrap the stay means that a 200 year-old tree (100 yards from previous timber sale and not part of the previous timber sale) will die. Why is it an accepted practice to kill large and old trees that border or are outside the boundaries of a timber sale? We saw pileated woodpecker holes. Use of public lands as shooting range, targets included pumpkins, metal drums and the lower half of a mannequin. Low stability of soil near Wildcat Creek aggravated by steep riverbanks and poor soil. Steep slopes in both units. Numerous seeps throughout the hillside of Unit F needs close ground-truthing to determine whether there are all outside of the boundaries and that they are all adequately buffered.