Colville National Forest Centennial
September 2007

An Observation Concerning Forest Health
by Tom Pawley, Forest Silviculturist

We've all heard the old saying that goes something like, "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like." This saying could be revised to reflect the way in which the public seems to view forest health: "I don't know much about forest health, but I know what I like." And what the public likes is a "green" forest.

There are many different ways in which the Forest Service is capable of measuring forest health: tree growth, stocking levels, amount and diversity of forest structure, tree mortality rate, and presence of insects or diseases, just to mention a few. And while, as forest managers, we use all of these measures and several more to assess forest health on the Colville National Forest, the bottom-line for many people remains: "Is the forest green, or is it turning red and brown?" It's not highly scientific, but it's a pretty straightforward question.

The Colville has seen its share of forest health problems over the years. There are root diseases and mistletoe problems which affect individual trees and groups of trees. They are present in varying amounts over most of the forest, and cause tree mortality and poor growth, yet go almost unnoticed by much of the public. There are needle casts and blights that turn foliage brown on certain species, but seldom kill trees. We hear from the public about these (because they change the color of landscapes). So it's great to be able to respond that these problems come and go without much long-term damage to the forest. But occasionally there comes an insect outbreak such as bark beetles, spruce budworms, or tussock moths capable of turning landscapes red and brown due to tree mortality. We really hear it from the public when these pathogens reach epidemic proportions. Yet, by the time the forest starts to turn brown, effective treatment options become very limited.

Forest managers on the Colville prefer to take a proactive approach to forest health through mechanical treatments and prescribed fire designed to reduce the potential for insect or disease problems before they appear. Along with the purposes of stocking control and reducing the potential for destructive wildfire, treatments target diseased, insect-infested, or damaged trees for removal, attempting to keep the residual landscapes, well, green if you will. And "green" is good, if you're a tree.

Don't hesitate to call if you have questions or comments about forest health when traveling through the Colville National Forest. It's yours to use, discover, and enjoy.

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