Session 8 – June 9, 2025

Vashon Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Course

Agenda

Review and Intro

5:30 – 5:40 p.m.

Forest Soils

5:40 – 6:40 p.m.
Quinn Merrick (WSU Extension)

Break

6:40 – 6:50 p.m.

Fire Risk Reduction

6:50 – 7:55 p.m.
Kelsey Ketcheson (WA DNR)

Wrap-Up

7:55 – 8:00 p.m.

Speaker Contact Info:

Quinn Merrick – WSU Extension: 425-357-6023, nicholas.merrick@wsu.edu
Kelsey Ketcheson – WA DNR: 564-669-0056, kelsey.ketcheson@dnr.wa.gov

Learn More and Work on Your Plan

Recommended Activities

  1. Put in some inventory plots in your stand(s) using the techniques learned on the field trip.
  2. Review the Forest Inventory Section Examples and begin to draft your inventory section using the field data you collected.
  3. Use the Web Soil Survey to gather the information you need and draft the soils section of your plan (Resource Category 2), focusing both on the properties of your soils and also how you will protect them.
    1. Important: The Forest Soil Data for your Stewardship Plan publication will show you exactly how to get all of this. USE THIS PUBLICATION!
    2. Use the Soils Section Examples as a guide for how your soils section should look.
    3. Include all the items below in your plan.
      1. Soil series name(s) and brief description(s)
      2. Parent materials
      3. Depth and drainage
      4. Erosion hazard
      5. Compaction potential and rutting hazard
      6. Site index with base year
      7. Seedling mortality potential (and limiting factors)
      8. Soil protection recommendations
  4. If fire risk is an issue on your property, consider adding some mitigation activities to the forest health (Resource Category 1) section of your plan using the Forest Health Section Examples (PDF) to guide you. This should allow you to now finish that section.
  5. Draft your management timeline (see Management Timeline Examples (PDF)). Be sure to include an entry for “review and update plan” for 10 years from now and 20 years from now.
  6. Review the Quick Guide to Nomenclature and make any necessary edits to your plan.

Recommended publications for further learning

  1. Forest Soil Data for Your Stewardship Plan
  2. Keeping Your Forest Soils Healthy and Productive
  3. Slope Stabilization and Erosion Control Using Vegetation
  4. Vegetation Management: A Guide for Puget Sound Bluff Property Owners
  5. Washington Soil Atlas (PDF)

Connect Online

Check out these additional resources that are available to you online:

  1. Review these wildfire videos
    1. IBHS Research Center Ember Storm Test Highlights (4:17)
    2. IBHS Wildfire Research: Why Only Half This Home Caught Fire (2:13)
    3. Radiant Heat Versus Firebrands (3:33)
    4. Ember Attack (2:54)