Tree Planting In The Pasayton Wilderness Area

[slowp]

The Okanogan Forest is proposing to do tree planting in an official wilderness in an area that had a natural fire. Seems odd to me.

Then I see that they figure it will take two days of planting by a crew of 10 to put 1000 trees in the ground.
Perhaps it is a special crew??

Here's the article.
Methow Grist Newsbrief

 

[hammerlogging]

strange, yes. I'm assuming thats out of wilderness designation policy?

The real question, as pointed out, what will they do with the other 45 hours?

Those better be some damn well planted trees.

 

[madhatte]

Crews of 12 average 15K trees in a 6-hour workday on our ground at an 8 x 8 spacing and 95% quality. I can see packing 'em in slowing things down considerably. Also, planting shovel vs hoedad. Right tool for the site. I'm glad I'm not doing QA on that project.

 

[northmanlogging]

its been a few moons (Hel decades) but I seem to remember 400-500 personally planted in one day... granted they're probably all dead now. The cruddy thing is I wasn't driving and was stuck in the back of the truck so I know the general area, but haven't been able to find the exact spot since, I'd like to see how tall they are now...

 

[floyd]

They are probably packing the trees in. Most tree planters do not keep a pack string. Hence a local packer was hired, only because the wilderness area is too close to the damn tree huggers that MAY see the Helicopter.

Sorry, got carried away.

 

[slowp]

The Okanogan has a pack string, unless they ditched it in the last 5 years. The Pasayton is a large and hard to get to wilderness area.

It'll take at least a day to get to the planting area.

 

[forestryworks]

My question is, why bother?

If a fire causes a former Whitebark stand to change to a grassy opening, what's the big deal? Clark's Nutcrackers will move elsewhere and grazers and browsers will come explore the new grassy opening. And since we humans have only been on this Earth for a speck of time in the grand scheme of things, who is to say after 10 years of no regen that it will never regenerate? Wilderness management sure is a big old goofy world (cue John Prine).

Changes in nature by nature are nothing new. But I digress, fire suppression probably indirectly caused the Quartz Fire somewhere along the way.

 

[OlympicYJ]

I agree with you Jameson. In keeping with the spirit of wilderness the various stages of succession need to happen thus providing habitat for other wildlife.

They want to bend the rules to fit their specific need. I personally feel wilderness should be done away with and rolled back into regular NFS administration. The whole system needs a redo but that's a whole other discussion.

 

[Gologit]

My question is, why bother?

If a fire causes a former Whitebark stand to change to a grassy opening, what's the big deal?

'Cause we don't want Warshington to look like Texas?

You rangeland management guys...always trying to make things look like a prairie. Tsk.

 

[slowp]

Yup, if they left it, the sheep could be brought back in. :smile2: That area used to have sheep grazing allotments, and they were still there in 1990 something when I went on a short backpacking trip. We got snowed on and cut our trip short. It was August! It isn't supposed to snow in the middle of August, much less stick to the ground.

 

[madhatte]

Let Wilderness be Wild, dammit!

 

[OlympicYJ]

C'mon Nate... you know nothing's wild anymore.... foresters, hunters, hikers, or somebody has tramped over almost everything by now

Besides since we humans are part of the ecosystem any disturbance we make should be considered wild anyways.... whether it be the present or when we were still runin around naked with clubs.

I find it fascinating that somehow we humans are not part of a system that we are clearly a part of. Were just the most advanced organism in it. To think we are not a part of Earth's ecosystem is preposterous. The long hairs say we evolved from algae like the rest of the critters so how does that make us not part of the natural processes on earth?

 

[Gologit]

Were just the most advanced organism in it.

Well, we like to think we are. I wonder sometimes.

 

[slowp]

C'mon Nate... you know nothing's wild anymore.... foresters, hunters, hikers, or somebody has tramped over almost everything by now

Besides since we humans are part of the ecosystem any disturbance we make should be considered wild anyways.... whether it be the present or when we were still runin around naked with clubs.

I find it fascinating that somehow we humans are not part of a system that we are clearly a part of. Were just the most advanced organism in it. To think we are not a part of Earth's ecosystem is preposterous. The long hairs say we evolved from algae like the rest of the critters so how does that make us not part of the natural processes on earth?

Yah, but try 'splainin' that to THOSE people. The ones that get all red faced when after they tell you they wish some terrible virus was let loose so the people population will be reduced, and you suggest they set an example by killing themselves first.

 

[OlympicYJ]

Well, we like to think we are. I wonder sometimes.

That would be true sir! Touche! haha not saying were intelligent because I think the mindset that we are not part of the ecosystem proves some aren't so intelligent even when they profess intelligence and have a piece of paper complicit in said intellectual demagoguery...

 

[OlympicYJ]

Yah, but try 'splainin' that to THOSE people. The ones that get all red faced when after they tell you they wish some terrible virus was let loose so the people population will be reduced, and you suggest they set an example by killing themselves first.

Hey it's an after you kind of thing then just slam the door shut and dust your hands off and say good riddance!

 

[OlympicYJ]

Now to the bar I go for tranquil beer and relaxation with fellow forestry students. Oh shuffleboard and pool taboot!

PS Moscow is empty over spring break so the bar isn't very loud. Wonder if that means I'm an anomaly because I didn't leave with the rest of the student population....? Guess I'll ponder that one with a tub of brew. Hope everyone has a good Friday night!

 

[Gologit]

Yah, but try 'splainin' that to THOSE people. The ones that get all red faced when after they tell you they wish some terrible virus was let loose so the people population will be reduced, and you suggest they set an example by killing themselves first.

Yup...THOSE people. I heard every word you were thinking.

 

[Gologit]

Now to the bar I go for tranquil beer and relaxation with fellow forestry students. Oh shuffleboard and pool taboot!

PS Moscow is empty over spring break so the bar isn't very loud. Wonder if that means I'm an anomaly because I didn't leave with the rest of the student population....? Guess I'll ponder that one with a tub of brew. Hope everyone has a good Friday night!

Thank you Sir...and the same to you.