Stewardship — Trillium Community Forest
Stewardship Goals
- Ensure that the forest is healthy, diverse and progressing toward old-growth
- Protect and enhance habitat and connections for native wildlife
- Allow public access for non-motorized uses in harmony with nature
Blog
Want to hear more stories about Trillium? Click here to visit the Trillium blog page for brief updates, lots of photos, and interesting tales from the woods.
Forest Restoration – Update
The thinning project is scheduled for January 16 to February 29. The end date may change based on weather and site conditions. The property is OPEN during the thinning process. However, trails in the green area will be closed Monday – Friday. Logging trucks will be using the main road so please move out of the way of any vehicles if you are visiting the property. Below is a map of the 60 acre thinning area. There will be a tour in February for the public to see the thinning operation and get up close to the equipment.
Forest Restoration – In Progress
The first forest restoration thinning at the Trillium Community Forest will occur in early 2012 to help a poorly managed portion of the forest return to a much healthier condition — significantly enhancing wildlife habitat.
Trillium stand in need of thinning
The Land Trust’s primary goal for the Trillium Community Forest is protecting ecological values, which includes enhancing wildlife habitat. We believe taking actions to help the forest reach a healthy and diverse condition will hasten its return to a more natural old-growth forest condition.
A healthy Whidbey forest, with a variety of tree species of different ages and robust native shrub understory, naturally thins itself as the more vigorous trees shade out weaker trees. Many of the Trillium forest stands however, are unhealthy because of past commercial clear-cut logging followed by dense planting of only one tree species with no subsequent thinning. These practices have resulted in forest stands lacking species diversity and variability in size, age and spacing. One of the most effective tools to return a forest to its previous healthy condition is to thin the stands.
The first thinning of the 654-acre Trillium Forest will be on 60 acres of dense, small trees with a barren understory. This stand exhibits trees with almost no wildlife value that are vulnerable to insects, disease and fire due to unnatural competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight.
Trillium stand that was previously thinned
Removing some of the weaker trees will reduce competition, allowing more light to reach the forest floor and promoting growth of a native plant understory. This, in turn, will enhance wildlife habitat, especially for songbirds that depend on a healthy forest understory for nesting, feeding and refuge from predators. Thinning young, dense forest stands has also been shown to improve tree growth rates, resistance to disease and insect invasion, ability to survive wildfires, and the forest’s visual appearance.
The Land Trust will be working with Janicki Logging Company out of Sedro Woolley, who is experienced in ecological restoration logging with demonstrated successes in Washington State. Janicki has specialized, low-impact equipment that leaves a smaller footprint on the ground, significantly reducing impacts on soil and surrounding vegetation.
For more information on thinning follow these links:
Thinning Factsheet
Wildlife Thinning in Alaska
Variable Density Thinning for Wildlife
Restoration thinning in Young Plantations
Managing for Biodiversity in Young Douglas-Fir Forests
Management Plan – In Progress
The Land Trust is currently working on a Management Plan for the Trillium Community Forest. A Steering Committee was selected in January 2011; its members provide feedback on issues and management options for the plan by providing “big picture” perspectives. The committee members are Robin Clark (Whidbey Watersheds Stewards), Bill Oakes (Island County Public Works), Sarah Schmidt (Whidbey Audubon), Helen Price Johnson (County Commissioner), Steve Shapiro (Owner of Island Athletic), Sarah Cassatt (Whidbey Island Conservation District), and Lenny Corin (Land Trust).
Between March and May of 2011 the Land Trust also conducted a series of focus group meetings to solicit input from various specific user groups. The groups included bicyclists, equestrians, hunters, hikers, dog walkers, natural resource specialists, and neighbors. During these meetings the Land Trust collected information on each group’s concerns and ideas about the property.
June to December is dedicated to the writing of the management plan, creation of maps, collection of field data, and discussions with the Steering Committee.
The Land Trust expects to have a Draft Management Plan ready for public review in April 2012. The Plan will be posted online and another public comment period will occur.
2011 Hunting Information
For 2011, the Trillium Community Forest will be open for deer hunting only and closed to all other users from October 15 through October 28 and from November 17 through December 11. No hunting is allowed of any other species at any other time. Recreationists will not be able to use the property during these late fall time periods.
Prior to the Land Trust’s ownership and for many decades, the property was open to deer hunting from September 1 through December 31. These interim access rules reduce the number of deer hunting days from a total of 92 days to 37 days. Hikers, bikers and horseback riders can recreate at other Island County sites during the 37 days the Trillium Forest is closed to them. The Forest is open to these recreational users the rest of the year – nearly 11 months.
There are no motorized vehicles allowed on the property, there are no exceptions for hunting. Hunters are allowed off-trail during the above listed hunting times. These rules are interim and will remain in place until a comprehensive management plan is approved. Any questions regarding hunting can be sent to jessica@wclt.org or call 360-222-3310.
Volunteer Activities
654 acres is a lot of space and there will be on-going stewardship opportunities for many years to come. Trail work and invasive species removal will always be on the forefront of stewardship actions for this property.
Interested in being part of maintaining Trillium for future generations? Join our volunteer crews at a work party or sign up to be one of our site stewards! There are lots of opportunities to help out at this great site. Contact Jessica@wclt.org to get on the list and learn about volunteer activities.
