Upcoming Events, Classes and Workshops

Many native plant and tree seedling sale events occur winter through spring around the state, including the 65th Annual Whatcom County Washington Farm Forestry Association Annual Tree Sale, at the Northwest Washington Fair and Event Center in Lynden, WA.  (Photo: Whatcom Chapter, WFFA).

Webinars

(Tip: Register and even if you can’t join live, you often will be sent a recording)

Agroforestry Webinar

February 7, 2024

6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. (online)

Agroforestry is an emergingly popular practice that combines trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits for landscapes, farmers, and greater community. Patrick Shults, WSU Extension Forester, will teach agroforestry basics, including how to design an agroforestry project, choose the best plants, and ensure your project meets your landscape-based goals. Patrick will also share more about how he designed the two demonstration agroforestry projects at Cosmic Carrot Farm and Dancing Goats and Singing Chickens Farm. Agroforestry workshops at these farms are scheduled February 10 and 17.

Webinar Series-Tribal Forestry: Understanding Current Issues and Challenges in Contemporary and Traditional Management of Forested Landscapes 

February 8-April 25, 2024

9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (online)

This free weekly webinar series will focus on the current state of tribal forest management and indigenous stewardship with a series of speakers from different tribes, universities, non-profits, and agencies. Beginning with an introduction to tribal forestry and the trust responsibilities, topics will include the history of forest stewardship on tribal lands in North America, federal laws and tribal forestry, contemporary uses of plants and wildlife stewardship, fire, tribal co-management, and the future of tribal forestry in the face of climate change. 

Fire Lab Seminar Series: The Economics of Using Forest Biomass from Fuel Treatments to Produce Biochar for Agriculture

March 7, 2024

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (online)

Biochar is an anthropogenic charcoal used as a soil amendment. It can be made from forest biomass using a wide range of methods, from wooden ricks and simple kilns to large-scale industrial pyrolysis systems that produce heat, power and sometimes liquid fuels and chemicals as co-products. This presentation from the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Fire Lab is focused on understanding the potential costs and benefits of using woody biomass from fuel treatment and forest restoration to produce biochar used as a soil amendment in agriculture.

Save the Date: Overview of Forest Landowner Assistance Programs Webinar -NW Region (Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, Island and Snohomish counties)

March 13, 2024

12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (online)

Save the Date: Women Owning Woodlands-Washington Spring 2024 Webinar Series- Forest pathology in Washington: the influence of tree diseases

March 27, 2024

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (online)

More info to follow.

Fire Lab Seminar Series: Fire impacts on the physiology of western U.S. conifers and implications for drought vulnerability

April 4, 2024

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (online)

Save the Date: Women Owning Woodlands-Washington Spring 2024 Webinar Series- What’s bugging you? A review of native and invasive forest pests in WA

April 24, 2024

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (online)

More info to follow.

Tours/Workshops/Classes

Bigleaf Maple Syrup Workshop

February 1, 2024

12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Duvall, WA

At this outdoor field workshop, you will learn the basics of collecting sap to make syrup, including tapping demonstrations and a chance to see all the tools of the trade. Discussion topics will include proper tapping techniques, collection systems, maintenance and sanitation, boiling off and finishing the syrup, and where to get tools and supplies. Participants will have an opportunity to join the Washington State University Sapsucker Citizen Science Project and learn about the University of Washington’s Community Sugaring program.

Free Fuel Reduction Contractor Workshop

February 7, 2024

10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Richland, WA

The Southeast Region of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a free workshop for contractors interested in working on fuel reduction projects with private landowners. Such projects may be eligible for DNR cost-share funding. The program provides benefits to new contractors, including opportunities for existing contractors to learn about changes to the program, meet with a representative from the state Department of Revenue (DOR) regarding taxes, and to gain insight into the program. While this workshop is focused on contractors, anyone from the public is welcome to attend.

Stevens County Conservation District Forestry and Livestock Event 2024

February 10, 2024

9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Deer Park, WA.

This year’s event will focus on feed and nutrition, home Hazard Ignition Zone planning, grazing for weed control and fire mitigation, post-logging/post-fire weed control, burning regulations, and family forest issues and opportunities. Event presenters include speakers from the Department of Natural Resources, Wild Goat Forestry and Consulting, and WSU Extension.

Agroforestry Hands-On Workshop

February 10, 2024  

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Cosmic Carrot Farm, Yelm, WA

Agroforestry is an emergingly popular practice that combines trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits for landscapes, farmers, and greater community. Coordinated by Thurston County Conservation District and WSU Extension, this free, hands-on workshop provides an opportunity to tour a demonstration agroforestry project and learn how to design and install an alley-crop and forest farm.

Agroforestry Hands-On Workshop

February 17, 2024

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Dancing Goats and Singing Chickens Farm, Yelm, WA

This free hands-on workshop provides an opportunity to tour a demonstration agroforestry project and learn how to design and install a shelterbelt and silvopasture.

Winter 2024 Vashon Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Course

February 21 – April 17, 2024

Wednesdays 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Vashon, WA

Forest Stewardship Coached Planning is the flagship course for small landowners and is put on in partnership by WSU Forestry Extension and the WDNR.  Topics covered include silviculture, ecology, harvesting, thinning, wildlife, special forest products mapping, soils, and much more.  Through this series of classes, landowners are “coached” through the process of writing a forest management plan for their property based on their own management objectives.  Your management plan is a key to accessing resources for small forest landowners in this area, such as reduced property taxes, financial assistance programs, and becoming a certified stewardship forest.

Forest Owners Winter School-Community Colleges of Spokane

February 24, 2024

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Spokane, WA

The Forest Owners Winter School is a hands-on, interactive educational event for families who own forestland in Washington. Whether you live on your land or are an absentee owner, this is a great opportunity to learn how to gain more benefits from your family forest no matter where it is located in the state. Throughout the day, over two dozen workshop and class topics will be presented for you to choose from. Get practical, “how-to” advice on simple stewardship practices, talk with agency and natural resource professionals who are available to assist you in meeting your family’s goals, see equipment displays, speak to vendors, and meet other landowners (maybe a neighbor!).

2024 American Forest Foundation/American Tree Farm System National Leadership Conference

March 12-14, 2024

Vancouver, WA

Western Washington Forest Owners’ Winter School–Green River College

March 16, 2024

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Auburn, WA

Designed to let you attend multiple workshops all in the same day, the Winter School will help you address challenges on your property, restore healthy forest conditions, and achieve your goals. Whether you are a novice to family forestry, or your family has owned land for many generations, there is something new for everyone to learn. Topics covered include: Forest health in western Washington, wildlife habitat enhancement, fire risk reduction, forest road maintenance, native trees, seedling selection and planting, invasive weed control, climate change, variable density thinning and more!

Spring 2024 Friday Harbor Forest Stewardship Intensive Coached Planning Course

March 28-30, 2024

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Friday Harbor, WA 

Forest Stewardship Coached Planning is the flagship course for small landowners and is put on in partnership by WSU Forestry Extension and the WA DNR. Topics covered include silviculture, ecology, harvesting, thinning, wildlife, special forest products mapping, soils, and much more.  Through this series of classes, landowners are “coached” through the process of writing a forest management plan for their property based on their own management objectives.  Your management plan is a key to accessing resources for small forest landowners in this area, such as reduced property taxes, financial assistance programs, and becoming a certified stewardship forest.

Spring 2024 Snohomish Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Course

April 2 – June 4

Tuesdays, 6:00 p.m to 8:30 p.m.

Snohomish, WA

Spring 2024 Key Peninsula Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Course

April 4 – June 6, 2024

Thursdays, 12:00 p.m to 2:30 p.m.

Lakebay, WA

Save the Date: Climate Adaptation for Forest Owners Seminar

April 4, 2024

Morton, WA

More info to follow.

Save the Date: Forest Management Assistance Programs Workshop -NW Region (Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, Island and Snohomish counties)

April 6, 2024

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Hybrid)

Mount Vernon, WA

More info to follow.

Save the Date: Springfest WSU DNR Forestry Field Day

April 13, 2024

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Roslyn, WA

A celebration of the spring equinox and Earth Day! Honor spring and all it provides the community. Rain or shine, you can enjoy wellness and educational opportunities that include e-cycling, kids recycling, art activities, entertainment, and food trucks. Also featured are classes and activities on forest health and management, wildlife habitat, and wildfire protection led by Washington State University Extension Forestry, The Washington Department of Natural Resources, and The Kittitas Fire Adapted Communities Coalition.

2024 Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) Annual Meeting

April 28-30, 2024

Tacoma, WA

Low Risk Does Not Mean No Risk

Charlie Landsman, Community Resilience Coordinator, DNR, charles.landsman@dnr.wa.gov 

Hand Crew looks for spot fires during a burnout operation with Newell Road Fire in July, 2023 (Photo: DNR)

With increased impacts from wildfires across the United States, one thing is increasingly clear – no one is immune from the impacts of wildfire.  Gone are the days where this problem was unique to small towns, rural areas, or the wildland urban interface. We are seeing suburban and semi-urban areas impacted directly by wildfires. Increasingly, urban conflagrations occur where structures, vehicles, and communities are the fuels carrying the fire, not the trees, shrubs and grasses we historically picture during a forest fire.  Whether directly or indirectly, wildfire affects everyone. 

Just because you might be in an area with low risk, does not mean there is no risk.   

When most people think of wildfires, they think of forest fires.  An entire forest ablaze, from the pine needles on the ground to the shrubs above all the way to the tops of trees torching off with a wall of flame destroying everything in its path.  As Smokey Bear says, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” But, what about the other types of wildfire?  While forest fires can be incredibly destructive, they are not the only fires that impact our communities.   

Increasingly we see grass fires, not traditional forest fires, having massive impacts. The Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colorado primarily burned through grassy fields until it entered the communities of Superior and Louisville.  Similarly, in Lahaina, Hawaii, grasses carried the fire at incredible speeds driven by winds into the community.  The problem with grassy fuels is twofold. First, they are small and dry out quickly, ignite easily, and can be blown great distances ahead to cause spot fires.  Second, they grow back quickly and therefore need regular retreatments while simultaneously neglected as a major source of fuel because they do not fit the traditional forest fire picture in the minds of many landowners. 

Across Washington state, we are lucky enough to have extremely diverse ecosystems.  Unfortunately, every ecosystem is prone to fire, just not the same type of fire.  Fire regimes represent fire return interval as well as fire severity.   

At its most basic level, wildfire risk is calculated by multiplying the likelihood of an event by intensity and severity of an event. Therefore, the highest risk communities see both high probability of a wildfire or short fire return interval as well as high severity of an event such as a high intensity fire generally in the form of crown fire moving large scale through the tree canopy.   

While the rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula historically do not burn often, they burn with high intensity and severity when they do.  Throughout the ponderosa pine forests of eastern Washington, fires burn more frequently although historically, with low severity with an occasional high intensity event.  Other vast areas of Washington are agricultural land, deviating from the natural fire regime in a way that doesn’t allow the historic burn cycle because the land is being managed and utilized for other public and private benefits beyond the snapshot of fire regimes.  Simply reducing fuels does not solve the problem.  Therefore, the way we calculate risk favors the forested lands of eastern Washington rightfully so.  Fires are common and can be high severity.  Risk is comparative; just because the risk is lower than another area does not mean it isn’t present.   

Fuel doesn’t only refer to vegetation.  Unfortunately, we often see structures adding to the intensity of a wildfire.  Suburban or urban areas experiencing conflagration events where our homes, businesses, and communities fuel the fire.  When a structure ignites and there are not resources to extinguish it, structure to structure ignition can occur transitioning the fire from a wildland fire to an urban conflagration requiring different firefighting techniques and resources. 

Ultimately, we are all at risk from wildfire whether directly or indirectly. Just because you might not be at risk from a forest fire, does not mean wildfire will not affect you, your land, or your home.  Similarly, if you live in the suburbs or even some urban areas, urban conflagration, or ember ignitions miles away from a wildfire could threaten you directly.  Everyone across Washington is impacted by wildfire.  Luckily, there are steps you can take to reduce your wildfire risk.    

Contact DNR, your local fire department, conservation district, or other forestry or emergency management agency for help.  Learn about building or retrofitting your structure to harden it against ember ignitions.  Create defensible space around your home to protect it as well as the firefighters who so bravely are trying to defend it.  Work with your neighbors and community to prepare for wildfire.  Protect your community, not just your home.  Just because you are in an area of low risk does not mean you have no risk.  Take the steps now to prepare for any type of wildfire will protect your property, home, community, and most importantly, yourself. 

Key Insights for Wildfire Management in Western Washington: Fire Regime and Forest Structure

By Emily Fales, Service Forester, South Puget Sound region, Department of Natural Resources, emily.fales@dnr.wa.gov

Daniel Donato, Natural Resource Scientist, Department of Natural Resources, daniel.donato@dnr.wa.gov

Northwest Forest plan fire regimes. (Photo: Spies et all 2018)

Wildfire plays a unique role in forest development. As a DNR Service Forester conducting site visits to small forest landowners to assess forest health and resilience, I have encountered an increasing number of questions about reducing the risk of wildfires in the forests of western Washington. Matt Provencher, head of the DNR Service Forestry Program, has initiated the conversation on the topic of wildfire management in Western Washington, and I will attempt to delve deeper with the help of an expert.

Recently, I had an opportunity to ask Daniel Donato, an Forest Scientist with the Department of Natural Resources specific questions regarding effective management tactics available to us.

Before we ask Daniel a few questions, let us review some important foundational knowledge of  wildfire ecology. A fire regime refers to the characteristic pattern, frequency, and intensity of wildfires in a particular ecosystem or geographical area over a specific period of time. It encompasses various factors such as the frequency of fires, the size of fires, the severity of burns, and the types of vegetation affected. Fire regimes are influenced by natural factors like climate, topography, and vegetation, as well as human activities.

In wildfire ecology, grasping the fire regime of an ecosystem is imperative for the effective management and preservation of biologically and structurally diverse forests. Eastern Washington’s forest ecosystems have historically thrived alongside regular, low-intensity fires, playing a crucial role in upholding lower fuel densities. In contrast, westside forests have evolved to endure less frequent but more intense wildfires, leading to naturally higher fuel densities and the development of niche-rich ecosystems. These ecosystems play a vital role in promoting biodiversity, ensuring stability, supporting ecosystem services, adapting to changes, and providing aesthetic and cultural values.

Wildfire, as a disturbance, has consistently played a vital role in the westside forest disturbance regimes, acting as one of the rare events capable of replacing an established forest stand. To realistically manage wildfire risk in the forest system, it is essential to recognize fire as an inevitable occurrence. Considering the lengthy intervals between these events, spanning hundreds of years and covering vast areas, the prospect of mitigating the risk may seem limited.

To help us understand the westside fire regime and forest structure, I asked Daniel Donato the following questions. These answers will further our understanding of the role wildfire has played on the landscape, which will be crucial for implementing the effective management tactics available to us.

Western Washington’s fire regime is made up of what kinds (flavors) of wildfire events? And what role does wildfire play in forest development?

Relationship between the proportion of burned area and severity of fires in three major fire regime classes. (Photo: Spies et all 2018)

There’s a wide range of fire events on the west side, partly reflecting variations in fire regimes that range from drier mixed-severity regimes in lowland and rain shadow areas (like the Puget Trough and northeast Olympic Peninsula), to moist stand-replacing regimes in much of the western Cascades. One useful way to categorize westside wildfires is into what we call “two main flavors.”

The first flavor is the relatively ecologically small (under about 50 thousand acres) fires burning under moderate weather conditions, which burn with variable severity and are likely more responsive to variation in fuels, topography, and operational fire management. Of the two flavors, these events occur more frequently. The second flavor is the major east-wind-driven fires that can be several hundred thousand acres in size and tend to have very large patches of stand-replacement burn that can compose about half the burn footprint. These are more of a weather event than a fire event per se and tend to run over whatever fuel structure they encounter.

It’s also important to note another type of westside fire – indigenous cultural burning. That historically played a role in westside fire regimes, likely for millennia. While intentional (and therefore not wildfire), cultural fire likely shaped vegetation patterns in many areas in western Washington.

In terms of stand development, patches of stand-replacement are what sets forest succession in motion, the process of stand initiation through maturation to old growth. Stand-replacement patches are entirely normal for most westside forests. Time since the last stand-replacing fire is perhaps the most important determinant of the overall stature and successional stage of a given stand. We’re also increasingly appreciative that intermediate disturbances like blowdown gaps, endemic insects, and low- to moderate-severity fires (whether wildfire or cultural burning) can be important variations in the pathways westside stands take along their development.

You mentioned, “Time since the last stand-replacing fire.” Is that what we mean by, “fire return intervals?” Let’s delve deeper into the frequency of wildfires and identify other natural events useful for comparison with “fire return intervals.”

Basically, it’s the amount of time that passes between fire events. Like most things, there’s an average (mean or median) return interval and a range – which can be just as important as the average. It’s key to think about fire return intervals at different scales. There’s the local scale of an individual stand, where fire return interval means how long that particular spot on the landscape typically goes between fires. In many moist westside forests, that stand-scale return interval can be every 100 to 500 years, but can be more or less than that depending on a variety of factors.

Some factors can shorten these local-scale fire intervals in certain contexts, including reburns following stand-replacing fire. These are apparently common for the first several decades of stand establishment in westside forests, as well as cultural burning practices that may have involved recurrent fires in specific areas.

Zooming out, there’s also the question of how often fire visits a broader landscape or region. For example, take how often a fire occurs somewhere in western Washington. That’s where the flood analogy becomes useful, when thinking about the different ‘flavors’ and magnitudes of westside fire. There are small fire starts pretty much every year (mostly extinguished quickly). Then, there’s the moderate-condition or lower-severity events that might occur somewhere in the region every 10 or 20 years. Finally, the largest, wind-driven monster fires that might occur somewhere in the region only every 100 years. Just about any natural event operates this way, be it floods, fires, earthquakes, or hurricanes – more frequent small events and rare large events.

In the past decade we have seen many large wildfire events in the national news. Large catastrophic wildfire is on everyone’s mind. What combination of factors leads to these large stand-replacing fires?

Representation of synoptic east wind events. (Photo: Daniel Donato, DNR)

It’s a clear recipe for big westside fires: late summer drought (almost always late August to mid-September), an ignition source, and a synoptic east wind event with hot, dry winds blowing over the Cascades from the interior toward the coast. The first and second ingredients set the stage, and the third is really the difference maker that turns the fire into a big footprint with big stand-replacing burn patches. Examples of this type of fires are the 1902 Yacolt Burn in southwest Washington and the 2020 Labor Day Fires, which burned the same exact week – 118 years apart. These fires can really show some extreme behavior, like jumping the biggest fuel breaks on the landscape such as the Columbia River.

Let’s pause here to allow me to elaborate on Dan’s answer.

Fire requires three fundamental elements for combustion – oxygen, fuel, and a heat source – collectively known as the “fire triangle.” In the context of wildfires, these elements are interrelated with the wildfire triangle, encompassing weather, topography, and fuel. The elements of the fire triangle and the wildfire triangle are interconnected. For example, heightened wind events combined with dry, combustible fuel can amplify the influence of the fire triangle elements, resulting in more severe wildfires.

If factors leading to large stand-replacing fires are interconnected, and heightened wind events can amplify wildfire severity, the same may apply to an abundance of fuel. Is thinning for fuel reduction a sustainable management approach on the west side, or are there consequences for altering forest structure?

We’ve been advising people for some time now that thinning and other Firewise practices have their place on the west side, but also have their limitations (more so than in other systems) which we must recognize. Treatments can certainly make sense in the drier mixed-severity fire-regime parts of the westside, as well as around human communities and infrastructure. They probably can make a difference in the smaller, moderate-condition fires, so targeted implementation can absolutely be part of the toolbox. The limitations come in part from the presence of the large wind-driven fire events, which we’ve seen can pretty much run over everything in their path, regardless of any prior treatments, fuel breaks, or variations in forest structure or ownership (like the 2020 fires in Oregon did). So, we must expect that some fires will simply not respond to Firewise type treatments and be prepared with other contingencies, like evacuation plans similar to those for hurricanes, and tsunamis. There’s nothing fatalistic about this idea; rather it is critical for saving lives and part of being smartly prepared, with humility for a force of nature.

Another consideration is what we’re taking on and what we’re making when we consider fuel reduction treatments in westside forests. These are some of the most productive and naturally biomass-rich forests on the planet. Quite simply, reducing fuels to meaningfully moderate fire behavior in these systems is a formidable task and, importantly, requires keeping pace with incredibly fast growth rates. And, there is the real possibility of creating stand structures with no natural analog, as low-density or low-biomass stands likely have little precedent in moist westside forests. In many westside settings, such treatments may not be restoration, like they are in drier eastside forests. It’s conceivable we could turn westside stands into something unrecognizable that doesn’t provide the functions, values, and ecosystem services we rely on from these important forests.

 A typical biologically diverse and fuel rich westside forest stand found in Olympic National Park. (Credit: Library of Congress)

Your previous answer suggested that altering forest structure through fuel reduction might lead to forests lacking important ecosystem services. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are interconnected – having diverse species aids the processes supporting these services. Does the biodiversity of westside forests help reduce wildfire severity?

There’s some thought that broadleaf hardwoods can provide benefit in terms of resistance and resilience to fire, in being less flammable than conifers and resprouting quickly to re-establish vegetation cover and soil stabilization after fire. We need more study on the west side to explore this thoroughly, but these are the working hypotheses, with a good basis in first principles.

Another important factor is structural diversity. Recent studies are showing that older forests are generally more resistant and resilient to fire than younger forests are – that is, in terms of both how severely fires burn and the regeneration that occurs afterward. The westside landscape is currently dominated by younger forest age classes, and these findings suggest that at least diversifying that landscape age structure has fire benefits.

Now that we understand the westside fire regime, various types of wildfire events, the resilience of diverse forests to wildfires, and certain limitations to our management options, what are the most suitable management tactics available to us?

For all types of wildfires, minimizing unintended human-caused ignitions is key. Most wildfires in western Washington are human caused. Some of the major 2020 fires in western Oregon were caused by high-voltage powerlines blowing down in the same east winds that then spread the fires – meaning that the winds essentially came with their own ignition source, so the 3-part recipe effectively got simplified to a 2-part recipe. There’s room for improvement there.

For small, moderate-condition wildfires: thinning, defensible space, fuel breaks, and other Firewise principles around communities and infrastructure can certainly be useful.

For the large, wind-driven events: infrastructure, home hardening, community preparedness, and evacuation plans are all useful approaches.

In conclusion, there is a hopeful path forward to embrace wildfires’ intrinsic role in shaping new forest ecosystems. By acknowledging the unique contributions of wildfires, we accept them as an inevitable disturbance of forest ecosystems.

The key to resilience lies in recognizing the shared responsibility at the individual level, where home hardening and maintenance play a pivotal role, and extending this commitment to community-level planning. Through a collective effort that combines ecological understanding with strategic planning, we can navigate the challenges of living with wildfires, fostering coexistence between communities and the natural landscapes they inhabit. It is in this shared understanding and proactive approach that we find hope and resilience for a future where we adapt and thrive amidst the inevitability of wildfire events.

Barred vs Spotted Owls

By Ken Bevis, Stewardship Wildlife Biologist, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, ken.bevis@dnr.wa.gov

Round head, dark eyes, a big puffy owl looks down from mid canopy at curious humans. A loud call erupts, “Who Cooks for You. Who Cooks for You Alllllll.” Classic barred owl. I get an email from somewhere in lowland western Washington that reads, “I think we have a spotted owl on our property.” This has happened several times in the past 10 years. They look a lot alike.

Barred owl. Note the streaking on the breast, dark on light. Northern spotted owls and barred owls are approximately the same size, with barred being slightly heavier. (Photo: Gregg Thompson)

Originally native to the forests of the eastern United States, barred owls (Strix varia) managed to cross the North American continent in the mid 20th century. It is thought this forest owl traversed the great plains by skipping from one forest patch to another (which did not exist in the distant past), including river bottoms, towns, and upland tree plantings. The first barred owl observation in Washington was in 1965, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Barred owls are now commonly observed on forestlands in Washington. They live in a wide variety of habitats, including younger forests. They eat almost anything that moves and were called “flying coyotes” by wildlife biologist Dr. Peter Singleton in a memorable talk about barred owl diets.

In the WSU podcast, the Forest Overstory, Dr. Jerry Franklin, the de facto dean of Northwest forestry, posited that the ecological impact of this highly adapted and successful new predator on local fauna could be substantial. Barred owls, the ecological newcomer to our forests, are a big deal for multiple reasons, including their relationship to their closely related cousin, the spotted owl.

Northern spotted owl adult.
Note the spotting on the breast, light on dark. (Photo: William Meyer)

Northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) are creatures of deep, mature forests, specializing in mid-sized, nocturnal, arboreal mammals, primarily the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). Flying squirrels den in cavities in large trees, especially large hollow snags and eat mushrooms that they find. The primeval dance of the spotted owl and flying squirrel once occurred in all low and mid-elevation, fir-dominated forests of the Pacific Northwest (another sub-species of spotted owl lives in forest pockets in the Southwest). In this deep forest, uncommon goshawks were primary predators on spotted owls, working the proverbial day shift. Great horned owls, another avian predator, live along forest edges and in more open habitats so they generally didn’t threaten spotted owls.

Rarely would a mammal – such as a marten or fisher – have a chance at the arboreal owl, either. Predation was limited, they live a long time and don’t migrate far from dedicated territories. Hence, spotted owls evolved into the tame and mellow creatures I encountered as a spotted owl biologist. Sometimes while handling them, they would completely relax in our hands.

I admire barred owls – a species beautiful in appearance and adaptable in nature. They are scrappy critters that thrive in amazingly variable circumstances by being aggressive and opportunistic hunters. They have smaller home ranges than spotted owls and produce more young. Barred owls dine on a wide variety of prey, including insects, worms, squirrels (day and night), wood rats, rabbits, deer mice, snakes, salamanders, and even fish.

I found a remarkable 2023 paper wherein Ryan Baumbusch analyzed stomach contents and body condition of over 1,300 barred owls that had been lethally removed in the pilot barred owl removal projects over the past few years. Here are a few pithy quotes from the paper to bear out the differences between spotted and barred owl diets: 

“Diet composition of barred owls differed substantially from that of northern spotted owls in that prey species that typically comprise the majority (>50%) of spotted owl diets (e.g., flying squirrels (Glaucomys spp.), woodrats (Neotoma spp.), and tree voles (Arborimus spp.) comprised <10% of barred owl diets in WA and <3% of diets in OR. ….
Mammalian insectivores – shrews (Sorex spp.), shrew moles (Neurotrichus gibbsii), and moles (Scapanus spp.) – along with salamanders were consumed at a high frequency by barred owls, suggesting these taxa may be at risk from invasive predator at high density. These prey, as well as arthropods (insects), contribute little biomass to the diets of northern spotted owls, yet contributed 12-51% of the dietary biomass of barred owls in my study…..
The barred owl’s broad diet and generalist habitat use has likely allowed this invasive species to expand throughout the range of the northern spotted owl and outcompete the threatened congeneric. While the threats posed by barred owls are pressing and complex, these threats are likely not limited to northern spotted owls alone, as a variety of prey species may also be at risk from this new predator in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.”

Ryan Baumbusch – “Foraging ecology of barred owls where they are outcompeting the threatened northern spotted owl”

Barred owls are here to stay and are also developing relationships with people. In 2020, I wrote an article about barred owls and their exciting habit of swooping on people out minding their own business.

Spotted owl populations were well studied and monitored over several recent decades, especially around the time the controversy erupted, and the federal government listed them as a threatened species. This meant that (for a while), crews of biologists and technicians, aka “hooters,” went out on prescribed routes, emitting spotted owl calls and locating territorial spotted owls. Follow up work in daytime forests would locate nest sites by finding roosting owls and offering them live mice. When the owl swooped to take the mice, the workers (like me) would follow and chase the owl as it flew through the forest canopy, listening closely for the transfer call sequence between the female, on the nest with eggs or owlets, and the male who usually took the bait. The ultimate success of this work was finding the nest tree, usually a dwarf mistletoe clump (in eastern WA), a big, hollow broken top tree, a pileated woodpecker cavity, or other type of platform in the dense forest canopy.

In late May and June, we would go back to the same nest groves and hopefully find fuzzy juveniles perching on branches. They often acted charmingly dumb, spinning their cute faces as we squeaked. The parents would sit close by the young ones, watching us intently, but not attacking even if we grabbed the juveniles off the branches to band them. I did this work, including catching, banding and radio marking spotted owls over eight years. This is how my career as a wildlife biologist began.

Barred owl with a just-captured garter snake. (Photo: Ken Bevis, DNR)

Known and discovered spotted owl nesting territories were mapped and sometimes used to designate either protected habitats, or as filters for timber harvest planning. In my work, we found the birds, put dots on the paper map, handed it off and went back out to the woods. It was interesting and fun.

When out looking for and monitoring spotted owls in the late ’80s and mid ’90s on the east slopes of the Cascades, it was unusual to encounter a barred owl. In fact, our crews would take note and be surprised when we found them. Today, in those same areas, spotted owls are rare. It is thought they have been outcompeted and overwhelmed by the barred owl. It is an interesting fluke of history that there was substantial work being done with these forest owls across the entire region as the barred owl populations grew.

I reached out to my friend and former colleague, Margy Taylor. She worked on the long-term owl monitoring project in and around Cle Elum, Washington, and knows first-hand about the population shift from spotted to barred owls. She responded via email and I quote her directly: 

“From the time I began doing field work studying spotted owls in 1987 to when I retired in 2014, I was able to witness, first-hand, the crash of the population of spotted owls on the east slopes of the Central Washington Cascades.  In the early 1990s we were monitoring well over 100 occupied spotted owl territories, and by the time I retired in 2014, the territories occupied by spotted owls had fallen to less than 10.  Some of the territories were simply vacant.  Others had been taken over by barred owls.  We were once able to monitor a territory where a spotted owl was paired with a barred owl.  The pair raised young that fledged and we verified the fledged hybrids as adults in subsequent years.  The combination of loss of habitat and climate change has made life for spotted owls nearly impossible here where I live.  Barred owls, with their more varied diet are much better able to make do in the compromised habitat available now.”

The controversy around spotted owls began when biological studies strongly indicated this bird’s habitat need for older forests. Forest Service harvest quotas at the time were leading to owl population problems and timber policies were changed. Adjustments in harvest levels, and listing as a federally threatened species in 1990, forced substantial modifications to planned forest management over a very short time frame. This resulted in economic displacement, and controversy. The “owl wars” are still a source of bad feelings in our region.

Barred owl in young mixed forest, Vashon Island (Photo: Ken Bevis, DNR)

Fast forward: Habitat conservation on a large scale has apparently not been enough to save the spotted owl from rapid population declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service introduced a proposal for direct action to control barred owl populations through removal (i.e. killing). The introduction to this document gives another good overview of the biology of the situation, and rationale for this proposal.  Here is a good summary of the relationship between spotted and barred owls on a National Park Service publication.

Would removing barred owls in spotted owl habitats improve the likelihood of northern spotted owl survival? Possibly. But the program would have to continue indefinitely, as the supremely well adapted barred owl has successfully permeated mid to low elevation forests across the Pacific Northwest. Funding levels for wildlife programs have always been variable, and it would be a long-term commitment.

Would this proposal have an impact on small forest landowners? Seems unlikely, as the core protected habitats of the spotted owls are on federal and some industrial lands. Conservation strategies around habitat protections (federal management and DNR implemented Spotted Owl Special Emphasis Areas) would likely stay in place (my opinion).

Many people object to the idea of direct intervention of any kind on wildlife populations, advocating for more passive approaches, where we let nature take its course. But, what if the situation in question is not “natural” and due to human activities? Some contemporary examples: Sea lions eat endangered spring chinook at Bonneville dam. Starlings compete with Lewis’ woodpeckers or bluebirds for nest cavities.  Wolves are considered unwanted predators on elk in Idaho and Montana. Skunks live under someone’s chicken house. Where is the line for appropriate active management on wild populations?

If we are lucky, each of us has a moment in our lives, where we touch history. Mine was the chance to work with this remarkable bird, the Northern spotted owl. “Spotty” changed the course of my career, and my life.

Works Cited

Baumbusch, Ryan. 2023.  Foraging ecology of barred owls where they are outcompeting the threatened northern spotted owl.  Oregon State University, Phd Thesis.  https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/parent/6395wg81m/file_sets/gb19ff47b

Applications Available for Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program

By Tami Miketa, Small Forest Landowner Office Manager, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, tamara.miketa@dnr.wa.gov 

KelliAnne Ricks, Conservation Easement Program Manager, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, kellianne.ricks@dnr.wa.gov 

The Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program (RHOSP) is a Washington state-funded program that purchases conservation easements on unique forest lands. This voluntary program is administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to purchase or accept donations for permanent conservation easements from any private forest landowners.  

 A photo of DNR staff visiting a conservation easement site on the Cowlitz River. (Photo: DNR)

In 1999, the legislature added the Riparian Open Space Program (ROSP) to the Forest Practices Act. The Riparian Open Space Program was created to implement the purchase of perpetual conservation easements from willing forest landowners in Washington state, to protect forested lands within channel migration zones. In 2009, the legislature expanded ROSP to include the purchase of conservation easements of critical habitat required to be protected under the forest practices rules for state-designated threatened or endangered species. The program is now called the Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program (RHOSP).  
 
The program serves an important role in the conservation of upland habitat for threatened or endangered species on designated forestland. Under the forest practices rules, no timber harvesting or road construction may occur within channel migration zones or designated critical habitat due to their ecological importance. Since these upland and aquatic resources cannot be managed for timber, they could be vulnerable to land-use conversion, but RHOSP ensures their long-term preservation by acquiring conservation easements on lands and timber within these channel migration zones and habitat of threatened or endangered species.  
 
The program is administered by the DNR, but it requires funding from the state legislature. DNR screens applications, prioritizes qualifying applications, and acquires land based on available funding. Since 2002, when funding first became available, there have been 26 easements purchased protecting over 1,300 acres of important habitat. 
 

What are Channel Migration Zones? 

Aerial view of a river with an active channel migration zone. (Photo: DNR)

A channel migration zone (CMZ) is the area where the active channel of a stream meanders back and forth. CMZs are generally associated with large rivers that have less than a 2 percent gradient. They are found in valleys that are more than four times the width of the bankfull channel. These areas typically have high ecological value as spawning and rearing habitat for salmon and other fish species. That’s why the state’s  Forest Practices Rules prohibit timber harvesting and road construction within  channel migration zones due to their high ecological importance. 

What is Critical Habitat? 

Under the Washington Forest Practices Rules, critical habitat is a designation that makes a special effort to protect important habitat characteristics for state-listed threatened or endangered species. Washington’s Forest Practices Rules recognize and protect critical habitat of eight upland species: 

• Northern Spotted Owl 
• Marbled Murrelet 
• Sandhill Crane 
• Grizzly Bear 
• Gray Wolf 
• Woodland Caribou 
• Oregon Silverspot Butterfly 
• Pacific Pond Turtle 

Who is Eligible for RHOSP? 

To qualify for a conservation easement under the Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program, your property must be: 

• Located on forestland within a channel migration zone or containing critical habitat for state threatened or endangered species designated as of particular concern by the Forest Practices Board
• Identified as either “designated forest land” (Chapter 84.33 RCW) or “current use forest land” (Chapter 84.34 RCW) on county assessor records; and 
• Free of unacceptable liabilities such as hazardous substances or other site conditions that may jeopardize the preservation of fisheries enhancement or ecological protection of the project area. 

How Can You Sign Up for the Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program? 

Every 2 years, landowners can apply to the program. DNR then prioritizes applications based on: 

• Ecological value to salmon or state listed threatened or endangered species
• Potential benefits to water quality
• Biological characteristics
• Connectivity to other protected lands
• Risk of impact to the resource without the acquisition of the easement 

The application window is now open for the next 2025-2027 funding period. Applications are due by May 31st, 2024. 

There are two applications available for this program. One is for forest land that contains habitat for state listed threatened and endangered species and the other application is for forest land within a channel migration zone. Applications are found on the DNR’s Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program website.  Select the proper application and instruction booklet that applies to your forest land. Be sure to include in your application the following items: 

• A description of the forest land that includes the location and an estimated acreage, 
• A description of the method used to determine whether the land qualifies for the program, and 
• A map showing the approximate boundary of the qualifying land. 

Return completed applications to: 

Washington Department of Natural Resources  

Forest Regulation Division 

Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program  

MS 47012 

Olympia, WA 98504-7012 

Applications are provided funding in order of ranked priority. All remaining eligible applicants may reapply during the next application window. 

The program receives funding every two years, at the discretion of the Washington state legislature, and lands may be donated for a conservation easement at any time. Generally, when the funding level exceeds $1 million, DNR expects to allocate approximately 70 percent of the funds for Critical Habitat and 30 percent for CMZs. If the demand is limited in either funding category, DNR may shift moneys between the funding categories. DNR has $4.7 million available to purchase Rivers and Habitat Open Space conservation easements for the 2023-2025 biennium.  

Ranking of Applications 

The Small Forest Landowner Office and a panel of qualified experts of critical habitat for threatened and endangered species and channel migration zones, will review the applications and agree upon a prioritization list for funding. The ranking is done using multiple criterions including habitat quality, risk of habitat loss, etc. The legislative funding for the RHOSP program will be determined on or before June 30, 2025, and we will notify all applicants of the prioritized list. 

Other Land Conservation Programs 

Forest Legacy Program 

If your forestland doesn’t contain a CMZ or critical habitat for state listed threatened or endangered species, but you still want to donate your land for conservation, check out DNR’s Forest Legacy Program. The Forest Legacy Program is a federal grant program designed to protect working forests under threat of conversion to non-forest uses, most commonly for commercial or residential development. The program is administered by the USDA Forest Service, and in Washington is carried out by the DNR. 

Through the program, federal grant funds pay for conservation easements that remove the development rights from forestland. This allows the landowner to continue long-term forestry on a property that might otherwise be sold for development. Keeping land in traditional forest uses also aids protection of water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, cultural resources, and recreation opportunities. 

Washington Association of Land Trusts 

A land trust or land conservancy is a community-based, nonprofit organization that actively works to permanently conserve land. Land trusts acquire land outright or they also partner to conserve land that remains the property of willing landowners using a conservation easement. Land trusts also manage or restore land once it has been conserved. The Washington Association of Land Trusts (WALT) currently represents 33 non-profit conservation organizations who work collaboratively to conserve the lands that sustain our economies and quality of life. If you are interested in learning more about WALT, visit their website https://walandtrusts.org/.