Reforestation on Tiger Mountain
By Kasia Grzebyk
The Issaquah Alps played a pivotal role in my decision to move to this area. After living in a cramped downtown Seattle apartment for much of 2020, transitioning to several acres surrounded by forest was the escape that COVID-me needed. The move happened during the toughest days of the pandemic, but being able to gaze out at Tiger from my new home brightened even the gloomiest of those days. And then the logging started. As a newcomer to the Pacific Northwest, I wasn’t familiar with logging practices or the concept of a "working forest”. I guess watching 200 acres of forest cleared outside my window these last few years was the motivation I needed to educate myself on logging and reforestation practices in Washington—especially as they relate to Tiger. What follows is a brief overview of what I’ve learned about reforestation through some online sleuthing and many conversations with representatives from the Issaquah Alps Trail Club (IATC), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition (LFDC).
West Tiger in February 2021 (before the Basaltamuch and Tree Tip auctions)
West Tiger in September 2024 (post-Basaltamuch and ongoing Tree Tip logging)
A Tale of Two Timber Sales
I’ve become particularly interested in two Tiger logging projects I’ve watched unfold over the last few years: the 2020 Basaltamuch auction (108 acres)¹ and the 2023 Tree Tip auction (97 acres)². My research started there. I quickly found out that both sales were certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative program and the Forest Stewardship Council, which promote responsible forestry through “environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable management practices”.³
Timeline of Basaltamuch and Tree Tip
Basaltmuch:
February 2020: DNR holds timber auction
Spring 2021: Logging begins
August 2021: Logging wraps up
Summer 2022: DNR applies herbicide to the cleared area
March 2023: DNR replants trees
Tree Tip:
January 2023: DNR holds timber auction
August 2024: Logging begins
Summer 2025: DNR to apply herbicide to the cleared area
Feb/Mar 2026: DNR to start reforestation efforts
Washington's Reforestation Practices
Washington has different reforestation standards east and west of the Cascades, due in large part to differences in ground productivity and moisture levels. Most of what follows focuses on standards west of the Cascades.
Unless a logged area is being converted for another use, landowners are required to replant trees within three years of logging. Clearcuts must follow artificial regeneration standards, where trees that mimic previous forest conditions are planted by hand. For partial cuts, natural regeneration can be utilized if certain criteria are met.
To facilitate seedling establishment and growth, reforestation sites are typically prepared by clearing debris and managing competing vegetation. Once planting begins, guidelines for optimal tree spacing (that take into account the site’s productivity and the type of species planted) are followed. Chosen species depend on the area being reforested but typically include Douglas Firs, Western Red Cedars, Hemlocks, Alders, and Noble Firs.
After reforestation efforts are completed, a report is submitted to DNR, who then inspects the site within twelve months to assess whether it meets reforestation standards. A logged area is considered officially ‘reforested’ when it contains an average of 190 “vigorous, undamaged commercial species seedlings per acre that have survived on the site for at least 1 growing season”.⁴
When planted, seedlings range from 12 to 18 inches in height and follow the ‘Sleep —> Creep —> Leap’ pattern their first few years:
Sleep (first year in the ground)—trees grow 6 inches or less
Creep (second year in the ground)—trees grow 12-18 inches
Leap (third year in the ground and beyond)—trees grow approximately 3 feet
Note that exceptions and special circumstances to the above exist.
Recent Reforestation Efforts on the Basaltamuch Site
Replanting occurred almost two years after logging at the Basaltamuch site, with approximately 302 Douglas Firs (the dominant tree species pre-harvest) planted per acre. Despite Douglas Fir being the only tree species planted on the site in 2023, DNR found evidence of Hemlock, Alder, and Cedar presence on recent monitoring visits.
One of the reasons DNR planted a Douglas Fir monoculture was because of the lower survival rates of Western Red Cedars and Hemlocks in artificial regeneration projects. Hemlocks, for example, have shallow roots, need more moisture, and struggle with heat. Western Red Cedars are not quite as sensitive, but are grazed upon by deer and elk and therefore have a hard time growing. DNR is experimenting with various methods to deter deer and elk from the cedars, including hand-applying emulsified sheep fat. Unfortunately, our hotter, drier summers make it especially difficult for Western Hemlocks and Cedars to succeed when replanted.
To manage competing vegetation, DNR sometimes applies herbicide to a site prior to replanting. At Basaltamuch, DNR applied herbicide the summer before trees were planted, targeting noxious weeds such as woodland groundsel, tansy ragwort, thistles, false dandelions, and oxide daisies. DNR used a mix of herbicides to target these different weeds, all approved for use in a forestry setting (as determined by the EPA). DNR deliberately applied the herbicide over the summer to prevent runoff into water bodies and unwanted spread to other plants or areas. Buffer zones on the permitter of the logged site also help with herbicide containment. There was no monitoring done afterwards to assess herbicide presence on the site or in the vicinity.
The Basaltamuch site - before herbicide application that targeted competing vegetation (woodland groundsel). Photo credit: Brian Williams, DNR.
The Basaltamuch site - after herbicide application that targeted competing vegetation (woodland groundsel). Photo credit: Brian Williams, DNR.
DNR monitors their sites in the years following reforestation efforts, keeping tabs on tree health, pest presence, and competing vegetation. After the first growing season, DNR conducts a ‘survival survey’ to assess the success of their efforts. They create a grid on their reforested sites, and count trees and species per plot to make sure they’re meeting their reforestation targets. On the Basaltamuch site, that means 300 viable trees per acre within 3 years of harvest (surpassing Washington’s standard of “190 viable trees”). If they find that their targets aren’t being met, they plant more trees and follow up the next year. Otherwise, DNR would come back in the fall after the 3rd growing season.
At the Basaltamuch site, the first monitoring survey was conducted in September 2023. DNR has been out to the Basaltamuch site several times to survey and observe the replanted area.
Climate change is a concern for DNR and is prompting them to rethink their approach to reforestation. For example, DNR is exploring the use of different trees (potentially better suited to our changing climate) in Washington reforestation efforts, such as Sequoias. DNR is also planting trees with a broad genetic base and noted that that there was actually greater genetic diversity in the Douglas Firs planted on the Basaltamuch site than what was actually harvested.
What’s Next for Tree Tip?
The Tree Tip site is expected to follow a similar timeline as the Basaltamuch site, with herbicide application scheduled for Summer 2025 and reforestation efforts planned for 2026. The reforestation targets for Tree Tip vary somewhat because there is an area on the lower portion of the site that is affected by root rot. In that area, DNR will plant Western Red Cedars because they are more resistant to root rot than Douglas Firs. Since these cedars are hard to grow, DNR will plant 540 cedar seedlings per acre—much more than the 360 trees per acre targeted for the rest of Tree Tip.
1 https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/psl_ts_feb20_auctiobook.pdf
2 https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/psl_ts_jan23_auctionbook.pdf
3 https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/lm_certification_ops_timber.pdf
Learn more about IATC’s long history of advocacy and our continued commitment to the conservation, education, and advocacy for the land, wildlife, and trails of the Issaquah Alps for present and future generations.