Management Goals & Treatments

A team of natural resource specialists from the Flathead National Forest/Coram Experimental Forest and regional scientists participated in a three-day workshop in June 2016 to develop the ASCC treatments for the site. The team developed a set of management objectives, desired future conditions, and silvicultural tactics for each adaptation option:

RESISTANCE

Trout Lake treatment; Photo Credit: Melissa Jenkins, Flathead National Forest
Trout Lake treatment; Photo Credit: Melissa Jenkins, Flathead National Forest

maintain relatively unchanged conditions over time

Management Goals: 

  • Maintain pre-treatment species composition and structure of western larch and mixed conifer, but with slightly decreased representation of shade-intolerant species
  • Sustain vigor of existing desirable trees
  • Maintain fire-resistant trees with thick bark, high crowns, and low canopy bulk density
  • Maintain low surface fuels
  • Maintain tree health with low incidence of insects and diseases

Strategies & Approaches: 

  • Uniform thin of retaining shade-intolerant conifer species to 75-85 ft2/acre
  • Favor western larch retention
  • Reduce ladder fuels and burn slash piles 

RESILIENCE

Flathead National Forest; Photo Credit: Molly Roske
Flathead National Forest; Photo Credit: Molly Roske

allow some change in current conditions, but encourage eventual return to original conditions

Management Goals: 

  • Increase proportion and development of long-lived, fire-adapted species
  • Maintain genetic diversity via large diameter, long-lived trees and planting tree improvement seed
  • Enhance spatial and structural heterogeneity
  • Maintain high productivity and supply of wood products at regular intervals
  • Promote development of large-diameter, long-lived trees to promote old-growth characteristics
  • Reduce hazard of crown fire
  • Maintain low surface fuels
  • Maintain low levels of insects and diseases
  • Maintain and improve forage production

Strategies & Approaches: 

  • Use group selection to create 2-4 acre openings with feathered edges, retaining 6-8 seed tree clumps per acre in openings, favoring retention of western larch and western white pine
  • Uniform thinning to 75-85 ft2/acre in the matrix 
  • Plant western larch and western white pine in group openings (2-4 acre)
  • Slash and/or remove damaged trees to facilitate site preparation
  • Reduce ladder fuels and burn slash piles

TRANSITION

actively facilitate change to encourage adaptive responses

Management Goals: 

Transition ASCC plots on Flathead National Forest
Transition ASCC plots on Flathead National Forest
  • Increase proportion and development of the most fire-adapted and drought-tolerant species and genotypes (30% western larch, 25% western white pine, 35% ponderosa pine, and 10% other (i.e. Douglas-fir, aspen, paper birch))
  • Enhance spatial and structural heterogeneity
  • Maintain high productivity and supply of timber products at regular intervals
  • Promote development of large-diameter long-lived trees (average 10-16 trees per acre) in clumps with scattered trees
  • Maintain low level of insects and diseases
  • Reduce hazard of crown fire and spread by reducing ladder fuels
  • Maintain low surface fuels
  • Maintain and improve forage production

Strategies & Approaches: 

  • Seed tree cut with reserves, leaving 6-8 scattered seed tree clumps of western larch and western white pine per acre
  • Plant tree improvement seed of western larch, western white pine, and ponderosa pine (assisted range expansion, species not on site) from high, mid, and low elevations
  • Slash and/or remove damaged trees to facilitate site preparation
  • Reduce ladder fuels and burn slash piles