| 2006 "Best of the Best" Forest Operators |
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by Arlene Whalen, ODF Public Affairs
When forest operators take extra measures to exceed Oregon’s requirements to protect forest resources—often at considerable personal sacrifice—they deserve to be recognized. Every year, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) does just that through the Operator of the Year program.
Forest operators who are the “best of the best” are selected annually as regional Operator of the Year award winners for using forest management practices that produce outstanding results. Given the rigorous terrain in Oregon and the less than cooperative weather that often complicates projects, this is easier said than done. To achieve such high standards takes more work and means assuming more financial risk.
This year’s winners, who were nominated by ODF stewardship foresters and then selected by Regional Forest Practices Committee members, displayed numerous commendable qualities while performing their operations, including innovation and the ability to overcome difficult circumstances.
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| Eastern Oregon Region |
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Heavy flooding caused water to wash around the culvert
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Holgate Logging and Contracting, Lakeview, earned the Eastern Oregon Operator of the Year Award for excellent stream crossing design, installation and ground-based logging.
The Holgate Kelley Creek operation, 12 miles south of Lakeview, involved replacing a culvert that had washed out several times over the years and caused extensive erosion. The existing culvert, unfortunately, was too small to withstand high water flows. When the water washed around the culvert, the course of the creek changed. This also affected fish passage for Speckled Dace and Red Band Trout.
A road was re-designed that led to the landowner’s property. It had been affected by the washout of the culvert. Because timber is selectively harvested on the property every five to 10 years, the crossing had to be engineered to support heavy logging equipment. Grant dollars from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department helped pay for the project.
Dave Holgate, the contractor, and his crew worked closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, the local watershed coordinator and engineers to produce a successful outcome, even though at times it was difficult to merge various project visions to everyone’s satisfaction. Kellie Carlson, ODF stewardship forester, said “he spent extra time and effort filling the new culvert with sediment and gravel by hand to ensure it met fish passage criteria, and he spent many days placing fill and rock in appropriate spots to stabilize the stream bank.” Afterwards, Holgate and his crew seeded the area with grass and planted willow trees to further stabilize the bank from erosion.
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The replaced culvert as it looks after the operation
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Another part of the operation removed trees from a mixed conifer stand of ponderosa pine and white fir. Fir trees diseased with Scolitis were cut. Slow-growing ponderosa pine and those with poor form were also cut, leaving a thrifty stand of healthy trees.
Using a dozer for skidding helped minimize ground disturbance. Trails were water-barred as soon as skidding was completed, and roads were well-maintained during the operation. Landing and skid trails from previous operations were used, minimizing the need to create new ones.
Holgate said the toughest part of harvesting isn’t about the regulations that must be followed, but rather about trying to do just as much with less. “Today we’re harvesting smaller trees and getting less volume,” said Holgate. “We use more equipment to do the same job we did 50 years ago and the pay’s the same. Also, because the easier ground out there has already been harvested years ago, we’re working on tougher ground and this adds to our expense. Our labor force is disappearing, too. On the one hand, it’s tougher to break in the younger guys—they don’t seem to want to work as hard. On the other hand, it’s hard to get those who have been doing the job 20-30 years to change the way they do things, so more oversight is needed. Back in those days, people didn’t think too much about skidding down a hill and across a creek.”
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| Southwest Region |
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Operators Toby Schofield, Butch Wright, Mark Gingery
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Huffman-Wright, Canyonville, earned the Southwest Operator of the Year Award for excellent logging across steep slopes and stream riparian areas.
The cable-logging operation, located about six miles southwest of Riddle, was a 95-acre clearcut on moderately steep ground that had a small fish-bearing stream at the bottom of the unit. The operation, using both a tower and swing yarder, was exceptionally difficult because of the sloping terrain and large, defective old growth. The operator had to carefully fall timber so it wouldn’t roll into the stream—logs were used as a crib to hold other logs on the slope.
The lack of large tailholds to secure cable also made the operation difficult. Numerous stumps and trees needed to be used to get enough strength to hold tail blocks in place. The yarder had to be repositioned several times to get the appropriate cable angle to the creek.
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A tower and swing yarder maneuver through difficult terrain
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Because the unit was logged during the middle of winter, weather was also an obstacle. Most harvesting days, the unit was cloaked with fog, making it difficult for workers to see the logs as they were being maneuvered through the riparian area.
“I find it truly remarkable that the brush in the bottom of the draw wasn’t disturbed,” said Jack Tannehill, ODF stewardship forester. “There is absolutely no damage to the bed and banks of the stream.” Achieving this outcome resulted in extra costs to the landowner—not only because extra trees were left along the stream, but because of the work in repositioning lines and equipment.
“The secret in having a successful operation is getting the cut right,” said Ralph Huffman, operator. “If that’s not right, everything else goes wrong. Communications (between crew, stewardship forester, landowner, etc.) are important right from the start, too.”
Huffman should know what he’s talking about—he says he’s been logging 51 years. “We’re now logging stuff on ground where we logged when we were young,” he says.
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| Northwest Region |
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Gary Blanchard, Starker Forests, explains the operation
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Emerald Valley Thinning, Inc., Philomath, earned the Northwest Regional Operator of the Year Award for excellent logging through stream riparian areas.
Two medium fish-bearing streams bisected this cable logging operation. A 42-acre clearcut, the operation also involved converting the predominantly alder riparian areas back into conifer stands.
The topography of the area allowed the operator to have landings on only one side of the unit, making it necessary to fully suspend the cable lines across both streams. To get sufficient suspension to protect residual trees, the operator had to secure permission from the neighboring landowner (Bureau of Land Management) to place cable tailholds on their property. To further complicate matters, the ground between the riparian management areas was flat, making it difficult to get the lift needed to clear the streams.
Yarding corridor widths were minimized to reduce the impact on the stream areas. Logs were guided through natural openings, whenever possible.
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Care was taken to protect two fish-bearing streams
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“Emerald Valley Thinning assumed financial risk by taking extra measures during the logging to reduce the impact to the remaining stand and the stream,” said Terry Orton, ODF stewardship forester. “The volume per acre (of trees) in the unit was already low—these measures meant that logging productivity would be even lower than in typical units. And the conversion plan in the riparian management area also resulted in more expense due to the challenging felling and yarding conditions.”
Regardless of the risk, the extra measures were undertaken without hesitation. Tracy Smouse, Emerald Valley Thinning, stressed that any job worth doing, was worth doing right. “We’re always in the public eye. Whether we’re working way back in the boonies or five minutes from town, there’s always someone watching. More importantly, because it’s our livelihood, we need to do it right if we want to continue doing what we do. Paying attention to detail really does pay off.”
Smouse said he was surprised when he got the call from ODF that notified him that he was nominated for the award, but he said he was also impressed because it “indicates that “the folks from forestry are paying attention…they’re doing their jobs.”
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| 2006 Merit Award Winners |
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Eastern Region –
JELD-WEN Logging Company, Klamath Falls
“Outstanding wetland harvesting practices.”
Northwest Region –
O’Brien Timber Falling, Inc., Warrenton, jointly with Hopkes Logging Co., Tillamook
“Outstanding application of thinning in marbled murrelet habitat.”
Fallon Logging, Inc., Tillamook
“Extraordinary effort to protect marbled murrelet habitat.”
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