The Green Ridge Project

The Green Ridge Restoration Project is the east facing slopes of Green Ridge. This area has a broad range of diversity from lower east slopes with ponderosa pine forest up to grand-fir and incense cedar on the higher slopes.

Tree species in the area include western juniper, western larch, grand-fir, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, western white pine, and some sugar pine. The sloping area includes many drainages, which at least intermittently contain water in very defined drainages.

Focus on restoration in the area is on structure, species composition and ecosystem process’s function. The ridge has been found to be important to migrating deer herds and is one of the few areas with intact spotted owl habitat.

The 25,000-acre area has had past activities which have changed it from the historical condition, which is the ideal condition it should be in. Stand replacing fires, logging that required reforestation, logging that focused on ponderosa pine removal and keeping low intensity fires out of the area have all changed the area to a place not like the historical ponderosa pine dominated area it once was.

Historically, ponderosa pine was the dominant tree present with larch and Douglas fir also common. Now grand-fir, incense cedar and lodgepole pine are heavy competitors to the fire tolerant species. Tree and brush density has increased over levels, which were found when low severity fire was common

The Green ridge area is home to spotted owl habitat, important deer habitat, recreational hiking areas and some Aspen stands in moist sites.

Restoring the tree composition, tree density and structure and the processes of the historical forest are challenged with managing habitat for species which prefer dense areas.

In an area like Green ridge where moisture is a limiting factor, denser forest and especially large trees in dense forest are susceptible to bark beetle mortality.

The management in the Green Ridge area involves an increase of healthy fire-resistant trees and improving habitat for interior forest species while reducing fire hazard and reintroducing prescribed fire which is low severity.

Restoration on Green ridge is a balancing act hard to simplify.

Keeping the area:

The Forest Service has taken members of the Collaborative on a few tours of the area to discern the collaborative recommendations in such a diverse and changed environment. Much discussion of the past fires, ingrowth and activities, current condition and desired results influenced the outcomes for management considered.

The Collaborative has representatives from recreation, environmental groups, timber industry, local government and interested citizens. The Green Ridge project has tree thinning, fuels reduction, prescribed burns, trail building, road decommissioning and closures over the area planned for implementation soon.