WSU Puget Sound Extension Forestry E-Newsletter

Winter 2022

Volume 14, No. 1
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Editor’s note

After a one-year hiatus, the WSU Puget Sound Extension Forestry E-Newsletter is back for 2022! We look forward to sharing news and events with you throughout the year.

In this issue:

(Click links to jump to article)

Forester’s Notes

Disappointments

Well, that was disappointing. By “that” I mean the past year. 2021 started out with such promise. Surely by 2022 we would return to what we remembered as normalcy. Surely we would put the pandemic and all the other unpleasantness of 2020 behind us. Instead, 2021 brought more of the same, if not worse in some respects. The headlines of 2021 resembled those of 2020 so much it was as if the calendar never really changed. Will 2022 bring the same set of disappointments?

Even the woods, which we rely on for respite from the disappointments of the world, can be a source of disappointment. I encounter landowners who are discouraged and frustrated with their lack of progress toward their objectives. To others, I sometimes have to be the bearer of disappointing news. “That tree is going to die.” “There’s really nothing you can do.” “It’s too late for that stand.” “You won’t get any money for those trees.” “That species will not do well there.” Perhaps the most disappointing answer I give of all is the lack of one. “It’s impossible to tell.” “There’s no data on that.” “We don’t know yet.” “Studies are inconclusive.” “Researchers are still working on that.”

The problem of expectations

Perhaps the problem lies in our expectations. As 18th Century poet Alexander Pope wrote, “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” Perhaps by shedding our expectations we can lead lives of pleasant surprises. As Stephen Hawking noted, “My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.”

I have been talking about the problem with expectations in the context of forest health for several years now. With a changing climate, introduced pests and pathogens, and other stressors, we should not expect the same things from our trees and forests as we have in the past. Expectations lead to disappointments and oftentimes ill-advised management actions that exacerbate rather than mitigate the problems.

Apathy or hope

Then again, is a lack of expectations really a good thing? I suppose it depends on how it manifests itself. A dearth of expectations leading to an open mind is one thing, but a road to apathy is another. Much is lost when we stop caring, much that is worth risking disappointment over. As Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel noted, the opposites of love and life aren’t hatred and death, but rather indifference.

If there is power in positive thinking, then lofty expectations, while they bring the risk of disappointment, can also bring positive change. If we don’t aim high, we are unlikely to achieve anything great. As inventor Charles Kettering said, “High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.”

Ultimately, high expectations are a manifestation of hope. The Apostle Paul characterized hope as a product of character borne out of perseverance through suffering. So, while times of tribulation can spawn discouragement and indifference, maybe such times can also spawn hope, and with hope comes expectations. Maybe some expectations have intrinsic value that transcends disappointment.

Prudence and reality

This is not to say that we should avoid prudence or neglect reality. We don’t expect our houses to burn down or be broken into, but the reality is that these things are possible so out of prudence we have insurance policies, install alarms, and lock our doors. Prudence dictates that we should prepare for the possibility of major disasters as well as have backup plans for life’s everyday hiccups. To not generally expect that all will go well, though, would be to live in misery.

When we plant trees, we expect them to grow. Seedling mortality is a reality, though, so out of prudence we plant extra. Realistically, Douglas-fir is not going to grow on a swampy site, and western hemlock is not going to grow on a droughty site, so out of prudence we choose site-appropriate species instead. If we don’t have any expectation of trees growing and thriving, though, while we may be saved from possible disappointment there is really no reason to bother planting any in the first place.

The importance of patience

Whether growing trees or struggling through a pandemic, it is patience that creates space for expectations and mitigates disappointments. Often, it just takes longer for our great expectations to be realized. Sometimes, it takes a lot longer. If the trees you planted are growing a little slower than you expected, should you rip them out, or just give them some time? If your trees aren’t quite ready for harvest when you expected them to be, should you cut, pile, and burn them all and call it a loss, or just wait a few more years for them to grow into merchantable size classes? If your stand looks trashed and trampled after a thinning operation, should you despair and convince yourself you made a bad choice, or just wait a few years for the understory to bounce back and the trees to put on rapid new growth? I’ve seen landowners take rash and destructive actions because they did not have the patience to see their expectations realized. As Gandhi said, “To lose patience is to lose the battle.”

In forestry, things take a long time to happen. Majestic old growth forests did not become such overnight. Most of the old growth forests of the region originated after destructive and seemingly negative events. It would have been a mistake to look at the damage and desolation following major wildfires centuries ago and assume that it was the end of the forest. Many of our expectations about the maturity that our trees and forests will grow into won’t come to fruition in our lifetime. Should we not expect it nonetheless?

Caring for forestland is all about expectations. Without the expectation that something wonderful will happen, there would be no point. These expectations will inevitably yield some disappointments, but surely forest stewardship is still a worthwhile endeavor. As for the disappointments of these current times, I don’t think we should forgo expecting good things as the year continues to unfold, so long as we pack our expectations in patience, perspective, and prudence. In time, this, too, shall pass.

Kevin W. Zobrist
Professor, Extension Forestry
Washington State University
Serving the Puget Sound Area

2022 Washington Forest Owners’ Online Winter School – February 26th

Take time during the off-season for forestry education

Do you want to learn new things about enjoying and caring for your property? Do you want to learn things like:

  • How to make your trees more resilient in a changing climate
  • Heat, drought, Ips beetles, sooty bark disease, and other current forest health threats
  • Agroforestry and nontimber product opportunities
  • How to improve wildlife habitat
  • Native American uses of the land
  • And much more?

Do you want to sit in on discussion panels on timely topics and mingle with other landowners at virtual lunch tables? If so, this Winter School is for you!

Winter School is the classroom counterpart to our summer field days. Designed to let you attend multiple workshops all in the same day, the Winter School will help you address challenges on your property, restore healthy forest conditions, and achieve your goals. The event will feature thirty unique seminars and panels discussions specifically for people with forested property in Washington. There will be both Eastern and Western Washington sessions. Virtual lunch tables will allow you to interact with other participants during the lunch hour.
Whether you are a novice to family forestry, or your family has owned land for many generations, there is something new for everyone to learn. This is a family-friendly event. Youth are encouraged to participate, so tune in with your next generation of forest stewards.

New this year

More than half of the 24 class sessions are new topics!

When and where

The 2022 Online Winter School will take place from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Saturday, February 26th, 2022. Sessions will be taught via Zoom.

What you will need

If you do not have one already, you will need to sign up for a free Zoom account in order to participate in the course. You should also install the Zoom app (if you don’t already have it) by going to the Zoom download page. The top item, Zoom Client for Meetings, is what you will want if you are using a computer. Scroll down the page to see app options for phones and tablets. You should set up your Zoom account in advance of the Winter School itself. There will be opportunities to pre-test your connection before the Winter School (details will be provided after you register).

Cost and Registration

Cost

Free!

Pre-registration required

Register online before 9:00 a.m. Friday, February 25, 2022. For details on sessions offered and to register, visit the Winter School Website.

What to expect

Live sessions

The Online Winter School will consist of five 50-minute sessions, during each of which you can pick from a variety of topics. You will be able to ask questions and interact with instructors and panelists via the chat box.

A final schedule, with Zoom meeting room numbers for each session, will be sent out a few days in advance of the event so you can plan which sessions you want to attend live.

Virtual lunch tables

There will be a 30-minute lunch break from 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. During the break, you can turn on your camera and microphone and chat with other participants at one of our themed virtual lunch tables.

Recordings

Can’t attend live on February 26th? Register anyway! Registered participants will receive links to the recordings of the sessions. This will also allow you to see all the sessions you are interested in, even if they’re scheduled for the same time slot–watch one live and catch the recordings of the others later.

Acknowledgements and Accommodations

This program is made possible in part by funding support from Washington State University, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Island County, King Conservation District, King County, Lewis County, Pacific County, Pierce County, San Juan County, Skagit County, Stevens County, Snohomish Conservation District, Snohomish County Surface Water Management, USDA Forest Service, and the Renewable Resources Extension Act.

Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and special needs who contact Grace Garrison at grace.garrison@wsu.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.

Program updates

Welcome, Pierce County

The Puget Sound Extension Forestry Program is growing! The Pierce County Council has provided funding for us to expand into Pierce County. Watch for announcements of upcoming Pierce County programs!

Welcome, new Extension Foresters

Brendan Whyte left WSU to pursue an opportunity with another agency, but the WSU Puget Sound Extension Forestry program has hired two great new Extension Foresters. Grace Garrison is stationed at the King County Extension Office, and Rebekah Zimmerer is stationed at the Skagit County Extension Office in Burlington. Both will be serving throughout our six-county area (Island, King, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish).

Meet Grace Garrison

Grace Garrison
My name is Grace Garrison, and I am elated to have recently joined the WSU Puget Sound Extension Forestry team. I grew up in Sonoma County, California, and have always had a deep love for the natural world. As a kid, I climbed live oaks and caught butterflies in the backyard, and accompanied my dad, a consulting arborist and tree climber, to “help” him during his workday (mostly getting in the way, sometimes tying his lunchbox to a rope and sending up into a tree for him). My connection to the outdoors grew through young adulthood, backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, bike touring along coastlines and through old growth forests, and working at a summer camp right outside Yosemite National Park during summers, using all free time to swim in the Tuolumne River, and explore the lesser-known nooks and crannies of Yosemite.

I studied forestry and ecosystem management at the University of California, Berkeley, drawn in by the landscape-scale approach to land health and management, and by the intertwined social aspects of forestry and the timber industry. A critical part of my education was UC Berkeley Forestry Camp in the Plumas National Forest, where I learned about the local ecology, visited local timber mills, and practiced my forest mensuration skills.

While I was earning my degree and learning about forest systems, California, my home state, was beginning to experience drastically changed wildfire patterns. In 2017, the Tubbs Fire – at the time the most destructive fire in California history – burned in my hometown. This, and the fires every year since, has been a continuous wake-up call as to how urgent and important forest management is. The way we manage our land will increasingly affect us on the community and individual level. I feel passionate about using healthy forest management practices to attain more resilient land and communities.

After graduating, I worked a number of jobs around the country in outdoor recreation, conservation, and food systems: I worked as a backcountry steward and naturalist in the White Mountains Huts in New Hampshire, a kitchen manager and garden educator at a nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area, a native seed collector in northern Nevada, a farm intern on Vashon Island, and a handful of other odd jobs. During my summer farming on Vashon Island in 2020, I set out most Friday evenings, grime still underneath my fingernails from the week’s work, to explore the seemingly endless number of stunning mountain ranges in Washington. I left after the season ended, but knew I would like to return.

Although working seasonally has fed my love of adventure and travel, I’m very excited that with WSU I’ll have the opportunity to dive in deeper, learn more, and get to know the local community better. I’m also so happy to be in the forestry world again, which feels like one of the most dynamic and important fields right now.
I’m looking forward to getting to know you, hopefully in person at some point! In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line at grace.garrison@wsu.edu.

Meet Rebekah Zimmerer

Rebekah Zimmerer
I recently moved out to the Pacific Northwest from Massachusetts to join the WSU Forestry Extension team as an Extension Coordinator Specialist. I’ll be focusing on extension efforts in Snohomish, Skagit, San Juan, and Island counties.

Prior to moving out to Washington, I worked for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, assisting forest landowners and others to protect rare species.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in environmental conservation, and I focused my master’s thesis work on private forest owner estate planning objectives. I have also had the opportunity to work with diverse groups of people, both in the United States and abroad, including as a Fulbright Scholar in Finland. Some of my other professional expertise center around habitat management, prescribed fire, small-scale agricultural production, and regulatory oversight.

When not at work, I enjoy being out in nature, whether it’s trail running, hiking, cross-country skiing, or backpacking. I’m also working on my Northwest flora and fauna ID skills! I very much look forward to meeting and working with you, so please reach out to me at rebekah.zimmerer@wsu.edu if you have any thoughts, questions, or ideas to share.

New WSU Extension Forestry Publications

We have two new publications for forest landowners that are available for free download.

Forestry Education and Assistance for Washington Forest and Woodland Property Owners

Forestry education and assistance for forest and woodland property owners in Washington is available from a variety of sources, including public agencies, private consultants, and fellow landowners. Available resources include publications, videos, workshops, online classes, technical advice, and financial assistance. Whatever your situation, there is likely a resource, organization, or individual that can help you meet your goals for your property. This publication provides a comprehensive directory of public and private o resources and provides a guide to where to go for what type of resource.

Seasonal Foliage Discoloration and Loss in Pacific Northwest Evergreen Conifer Trees

A hallmark of fall is leaf color change and drop, which is a phenomenon predominantly associated with deciduous broadleaf trees. However, some foliage on evergreen conifers also turns shades of yellow and orange in the fall and is subsequently shed. This is particularly noticeable on western redcedar (Thuja plicata), where splotches of bright orange are highly visible and can causes alarm for homeowners and small forest landowners because it is mistaken for a forest or tree health issue. It is actually a normal, annual function that does not mean something is wrong with the tree. This publication explores the different foliage retention strategies of trees, the phenomenon of seasonal foliage loss on evergreen conifers and how it differs from deciduous trees, and other seasonal color variations in Pacific Northwest (PNW) conifers that may look unhealthy but are generally harmless.

Forest Stewardship University is back

After a several-year hiatus, online learning through Forest Stewardship University is available again in an all-new format. Forest Stewardship University is a set of free, on-demand, self-paced, and peer-reviewed online learning modules on a variety of forest stewardship topics. The modules are geared toward owners of forested and wooded property in the state of Washington as well as anyone interested in learning more about Pacific Northwest forests. Many of the modules are also applicable to those in Oregon, Idaho, and other parts of the region.

Six modules are currently available:

  1. Animal damage control
  2. Managing a successful timber sale: Top 10 “musts”
  3. Managing woodlands for aesthetics and enjoyment
  4. Reducing wildfire risks to your western Washington home in the woods
  5. Threatened and endangered wildlife species in Washington forests
  6. Washington state forest land and timber taxes

Many more modules are in development.

Visit the Forest Stewardship University website for more information and to register for free access to the modules.

2022 Native tree and plant sales

The 2022 plant sales are pre-order only. Pre-orders have ended or are sold out for most area sales. There may still be availability for the sales below.

Skagit Conservation District

Whatcom Conservation District

Whatcom Farm Forestry Association Sale

Market Update

Here is the latest news on log prices in Western Washington based on data provided by our friends at DNR in their monthly Timber Sale Query reports.

Despite skyrocketing lumber prices, Western Washington log prices are not elevated much overall compared to before the pandemic. Douglas-fir prices are particularly strong right now, though, with January 2022 prices being the highest in more than 12 years. Western redcedar prices have also been strong, though very volatile.

A chart of prices for major commercial species from June 2019 to January 2022 showing a minor increase in prices since mid-2020.

Tidbits

The Forest Overstory podcast

Check out The Forest Overstory – WSU Extension Forestry’s new podcast series. Guests so far include ecologists, entomologists, a wildlife biologist, and several family forest owners, all with unique stories and insights to share.

Forest Stewardship Notes

The February 2022 edition of Forest Stewardship Notes, our statewide newsletter, is now available, including articles on biochar, drones, and why all the deer have died in the San Juan Islands.

2021 Tax Tips

Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2021 Tax Year is now available.

Conservation district forestry webinar series

Tune in for the free South Sound Conservation Districts’ Forestry Education Webinar Series on the third Thursday of the month through April.

Subscription and Contact Info

Manage your subscription

You are currently subscribed to the Washington State University Puget Sound Extension Forestry mailing list. You can unsubscribe or change your subscription options by visiting our newsletter website.

Contact info

Kevin W. Zobrist
Professor, Extension Forestry
Washington State University
kevin.zobrist@wsu.edu
Puget Sound Extension Forestry Website

New mailing address

6705 Puget Park Dr
Snohomish, WA 98296

New phone number

425-231-4524

Acknowledgements

The Washington State University Puget Sound Extension Forestry program is made possible in part by funding from Island County, King County, King Conservation District, Pierce County, San Juan County, Skagit County, Snohomish Conservation District, and Snohomish County Surface Water Management.

Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office. Reasonable accommodations for the WSU Extension events described above will be made for persons with disabilities and special needs who contact us at least two weeks prior to the event.

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