Editor’s Note: The following commentary was co–authored by the Pinchot Partners and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Did you know there is a group in your local community that works with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest helping plan work being done on the forest?
The Pinchot Partners and the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest work together to improve wildlife and huckleberry habitat, increase community awareness and involvement, improve visitor road access and achieve or exceed forest timber harvest goals.
This 13-year partnership continues to make a difference in helping improve forest resources and engaging communities and stakeholders.
A non-profit, mostly volunteer organization, The Pinchot Partners is a forest collaborative group formed in 2002 to help create local jobs and support the economy of Lewis County while improving forest health on the national forest.
The group is made up of diverse interests including local residents, recreationalists, timber industry representatives, conservationists, community based forestry experts and the Cowlitz Tribe.
Taylor Aalvik, chair of the Pinchot Partners, notes, “the Pinchot Partners have made great strides in collaboration and working in partnership the Gifford Pinchot National Forest over the years. We have added financial and organizational capacity to Forest Service resulting in multiple forest restoration timber sales and huckleberry restoration efforts.”
“The Gifford Pinchot National Forest embraces working with the Pinchot Partners as well as the South Gifford Pinchot Collaborative who partner on the south half of the forest,” said Gifford Pinchot National Forest Supervisor Janine Clayton. “Working with these groups has resulted in better collective understanding of the planning process and the value of early involvement.”
Much has been accomplished. The group has collaborated on numerous environmental analyses and restoration proposals. Decisions based on these analyses have led to several restoration activities including 2.700 acres treated through 11 commercial thinning timber sales generating approximately 55 million board feet (mmbf) of timber, 620 acres of huckleberry habitat restored, 280 acres of riparian habitat improved, and 25 miles of road restored. When the Pinchot Partners were formed in 2002, the Gifford Pinchot sold 1.4 mmbf as compared to in fiscal year 2014 when the forest sold 35 mmbf treating over 2,350 acres.
A few highlights include:
• Three small local timber companies were awarded stewardship contracts to treat 1,200 acres of stands that will generate nearly 17 million board feet of timber for sale to local mills. Most will go to the Hampton mill in Morton. Stewardship contracts are timber for service contracts, where the value of the timber sold is retained to perform restoration activities on the forest. Stewardship sales are a relatively new approach to timber harvesting. Funds from these sales are used locally for variety of forest resources projects and can be accomplished during or after the sale.
• The Pinchot Partners contracted with local foresters to preform 31,000 acres of low elevation forest stand exams. Information from the exams is used in identifying restoration needs.
• The group was also instrumental in supporting the development of the Natural Resource Forestry Technician program at Centralia College. They later employed student intern from the program who served as a Board member.
• The group hosts field trips to showcase projects and talk about collaboration with numerous natural resource agencies and local citizens.
• The partners support the White Pass Discovery Team high school program.
Recently, the Pinchot Partners were awarded the Russ Mohney Recreation Resource Stewardship Award from the Lewis County Economic Development Council. It was presented by The Chronicle at the EDC annual banquet in January. In March, the Pinchot Partners were asked to give testimony to the Washington State House Agriculture and Natural Resource Committee in Olympia. Both events are recognition of the outstanding, long-term collaborative efforts of the Pinchot Partners.
Currently, the Forest Service and Pinchot Partners are working together to improve huckleberry habitat and are beginning planning work in the Silver Creek Planning area.
The Pinchot Partners and their associated projects are funded through grants and contributions. They have received funding from the National Forest Foundation and the north Gifford Pinchot National Forest Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) for Title II. They have received donations from Lewis County commissioners, East Lewis County Public Development Authority and private citizens. They are recognized as a leader in the collaborative community and are a valuable partner to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
If you are interested in learning more about the Pinchot Partners, please contact Jamie Tolfree at jtolfree11@gmail.com or (360) 334-2555 or visit their website at www.pinchotpartners.org.
Everyone is invited to attend Pinchot Partners meetings, held the second Thursday of each month.
To learn more about the Gifford Pinchot National Forest visit their website at www.fs.fed.us/gpnf.
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To submit a guest editorial, contact Chronicle Editor Eric Schwartz at 807-8224 or eschwartz@chronline.com.
