Peer Reviewed Science

A study completed by Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation monitored soil erosion on burned sites across the Sula State forest in the year following the fires. Although there were areas that exhibited severe post-fire erosion, salvage logged sites did not show any greater propensity for erosion than sites that were not salvaged. In a second study of salvage logged areas following the 2003 Moose fire in northern Montana, soil impacts from salvage logging were found to be "less than 15% of detrimental affect considered to acceptable.......Levels of soil erosion and disturbance observed on logged sites are not expected to affect long-term soil productivity compared to unlogged sites." (Soils Monitoring Report for the Sula State Forest Fire Mitigation, Salvage & Recovery Project. 2002. Montana Department of Natural Resources Trust Land Management Division, Forest Management Bureau. Prepared by Jeffry Collins and Soils Monitoring Report for the Moose Fire Salvage & Reforestation Project. 2003. Montana Department of Natural Resources Trust Land Management Division, Forest Management Bureau. Prepared by Jeffry Collins.)

Study (unpublished to date) of the impacts of salvaged versus unsalvaged sites on state and federal lands in Montana showed salvage logged sites had similar vegetation recovery as unsalvaged sites, indicating that salvage does not necessarily damage vegetation recovery. (Kolb, Peter. Testimony before the House Resources, Forests and Forest Health Subcommittee. February 24, 2006. )

In 2002 the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation conducted an independent survey of the 12,000 acres of fire affected lands within the Sula State Forest. The results showed that only 13.3% of the area had naturally establishing seedlings and that 18.9 % of the area was within 200ft of trees capable of producing seed. This survey indicated a need to plant tree seedlings across 86.7% of the fire affected forest to ensure adequate tree regeneration. (Sula State Forest Post-fire Natural Regeneration Survey. 2002. Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Paul Moore Hamilton Unit Manager 406/363-1585)

Treatments including hand felling, logging over snow or on dry ground, low slopes, heavy soils, in the absence of extreme weather events can cause soil disturbance but produce minimal sedimentation, as shown in a study of salvage logging after the 1996 Summit Fire in northeastern Oregon. This author also suggests that an alternative to simply more research might be an adaptive management approach where managers monitor post-fire logging effects and share results. (McIver, James D. 2004. Sediment Transport and Soil Disturbance After Post-Fire Logging. Hydrological Science and Technology, Vol 20, No 1-4, pp 101-111).

Studying seedling establishment after wildfires and salvage treatments, researchers in northwestern California found that salvaged sites had more hardwood cover and unsalvaged sites had more shrub cover, both competing with the establishment of Douglas-fir. This indicates that other treatments beyond removing dead trees can help speed establishment of desired species such as Douglas fir but no treatment does not necessarily mean immediate re-establishment of desired tree species. (Stuart, John D., Michael C. Grifantini, Lawrence Fox III, 1993. Early Successional Pathways following Wildfire and Subsequent Silvicultral Treatments in Douglas-Fir/Hardwood Forests, NW California. Forest Science, Vol. 39, No. 3 pp 561-572.)

Upon observing logging impacts after seedling establishment, Roy found that 75% of established seedlings were killed in a single postfire logging operation. (Roy, DF. 1956. Salvage logging may destroy Douglas-fir reproduction. USDA For. Serv. Res. Note 107. 5p.

Postfire logging should start while the ashes are still smoldering and should be completed before the next growing season starts for logging to produce optimal ecological results such as woody debris deposits to stabilize soils and ash as well as disrupting a contiguous ash layer that can reduce soil water infiltration rates by over 50% (Martin and Moody, 2001. Comparison of soil infiltration rates in burned and unburned mountainous watersheds, Hydrological Processes (15)2893-2903).

Without planting and subsequent shrub control following the Biscuit fire it could take more than 100 years for conifer forests, habitat of the northern spotted owl, to establish. With active recovery and reforestation it will take around 50 years to establish large conifer trees. (Sessions, J., P. Bettinger, R. Buckman, M. Newton, J. Hamann. 2004. Hastening the return of complex forests following fire. Journal of Forestry 102(3): 38-45.)

Seeding and reforesting immediately is more effective in reducing the impacts of competing shrubs and other species. Also as time passes, costs per acre tend to increase. (Sessions, J., P. Bettinger, R. Buckman, M. Newton, J. Hamann. 2004. Hastening the return of complex forests following fire. Journal of Forestry 102(3): 38-45.)

Removing dead and dying trees can have positive effects including: reducing wildlife, and insect and disease risk, and in some cases produces less sediment than sites that are left alone after fires. (Ice, G., D. Neary, and P. Adams. 2004. Effects of wildfire on soils and watershed processes. Journal of Forestry 102(6): 16-20.)

Salvage can improve watershed conditions by increasing ground cover, by removing a source of large, high-energy water droplets and by breaking up hydrophobic soil layers, improving infiltration. (Poff, R.J. 1989. Compatibility of timber salvage operations with watershed values. 137-140 in Proceedings of the Symposium on Fire and Watershed Management. USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report PSW-109. Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Berkeley, CA.)

Chou, Yue Hong; Conard, Susan G.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M. 1994a. Analysis of postfire salvage logging, watershed characteristics, and sedimentation in the Stanislaus National Forest. In: Proceedings of ESRI user's conference; 1994 Palm Springs, CA.

Duncan, Sally. 2002. Postfire Logging: Is it beneficial to a forest? Science Findings Pacific Northwest Research Station. Issue 47.

GAO Report on Reforestation Needs

Kolb, P. and Moler, R. 2004. Management Practices for Forest Health and Catastrophic Wildfire Resistance. Montana State University Extension.

McIver, J. D. and Starr, L. 2000. Environmental Effects of Postfire logging: literature review and annotated bibliography. Gen. Tech. Rept. PNW-GTR-486. USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station: Portland, OR 72 pp.

Prestemon, J. and Holmes, T. 2004. "Market Dynamics and Optimal Timber Salvage After a Natural Catastrophe" Forest Science Volume 50 (4) pp. 495-511(17)

Robichaud, Peter R.; Beyers, Jan L.; Neary, Daniel G. 2000. Evaluating the effectiveness of postfire rehabilitation treatments. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-63. Fort Collins: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 85 p.