Grant to help reforest state trust lands scorched in wildfire

[winshooter88]

Skyvalhunter, the article says that they are purchasing seedlings. As far as I know seedlings have to be planted by hand in the burned areas as there are to many obstacles to use any kind of machine. There is no way to plant seedling by helicopter.

[JLS]

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/25772/FORECO9370%2c%20revised%20Aug%202011.pdf?sequence=1
Most of the owls I see are on DNR and USFS land that isn't old growth.  Only saw one in the old growth this year.

I'd bet dollars to donuts you are seeing barred owls.  The abstract of your posted article indicates  a negative impact on squirrel populations of thinning as well as them preferring a continuous canopy forest.  When I was in the field, it was accepted that flying squirrels and red voles were the primary food source, red voles need the older forests as well.  Yes, Spotted Owls can live in non-old growth forests, temporarily, but they cannot survive as a species, especially if they have no food and can't find a nest cavity.

In three years of surveying back in the 80's and early 90's, I did not see or get a response from one single owl in an area of trees less than about 100 years old.  Logger, you are correct since unless there is suitable habitat and enough of it nearby, they cannot survive long enough for the forest to mature enough to support their needs.  There is pretty much zero chance of survival of this species in any area that is/has been/will be logged/burned in our lifetimes unless the trees are put on a 100+ year rotation which is not practical or realistic. 

Sorry about the thread jacking.   

Very interesting, I learned something here.  Thank you.

[huntnphool]

Those trees in that area take forever to grow.

[6x6in6]

Most fire areas actually do get replanted, most areas that are not under the NPS jurisdiction get planted with seedlings after a large fire.

I would say that that is debateable.  Certainly the large areas of non protected USFS land burned in the 1994 and 2002 Leavenworth fires saw little or no replanting.  Neither did the burns in the Harts Pass area in 2004

I think bigtex was talking about State land and particularly DNR land intended for logging purposes for revenue.  Not necessarily Federal land.