More than 2 million seedlings planted this season in Oregon's state forests

A mild winter has helped the Oregon Department of Forestry plant roughly 2 million seedlings across the state's forests ahead of schedule this season, including in the Tillamook State Forest west of Forest Grove. "This has been a great planting season with no shutdowns due to weather," said John Walter, ODF's state forests silviculturist. "All our districts are done or will be this month." Douglas fir makes up about 74 percent of the seedlings planted, followed by 17 percent hemlock, with the rest a mix of western red cedar, noble fir, grand fir, Sitka spruce and ponderosa pine. Hardwoods like alder and bigleaf maple seed in naturally later, Walter said. Nine contracted Northwest nurseries supplied ODF with 2.3 million seedlings. About 300,000 extra seedlings will go to watershed groups, nonprofits and Oregon tribes. Private contractors do most of the planting, with some work in the Tillamook State Forest done by adults in custody from South Fork Forest Camp, a facility jointly run by the Department of Corrections and ODF. Bill Sayers, reforestation forester for ODF's Forest Grove District, was monitoring contractors working in Tillamook State Forest. "This is not easy work," Sayers said. "The terrain can be steep and slippery especially with a pack of 200 or so trees on your back and a shovel in your hand." ODF staff check the work by measuring 1/100th-of-an-acre circles and counting seedlings. The goal is typically four seedlings per circle, or about 400 trees per acre. Staff also dig up checked seedlings to make sure they're planted at the right depth with roots positioned correctly. Once in the ground, weather is the biggest factor in survival. "If it is an unusually dry spring and hot dry summer, mortality goes up," Walter said. "We can't do anything about the weather." Competing vegetation is the second-biggest threat. ODF evaluates each unit individually and uses herbicide where necessary to give seedlings a better shot at the available moisture, Walter said. Deer and elk browse, mountain beavers, insects, disease and wildfire also take a toll in some areas. ODF is also partnering in research projects across the Northwest to improve tree genetics for disease resistance, climate adaptation and growth. "Ideally, we want disease resistance, climate adaptation and growth all in the same tree," Walter said. "Realistically it is hard to get one of those traits without dropping one or two of the others." Photos courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry