Thursday Morning:
Thursday morning started off with a visit to the Guy F. Bennett Sawmill to see the technology and processes involved in producing lumber. After that, headed out to a briefing of forest management objectives by the Idaho Department of Lands in Brush Creek, Idaho followed by a visit to view Roy Lawson and his logging company, Lawson Logging on-site at Flat Creek where we'll view Cut-to-Length harvesting machinery in action.
Mill tour
Teachers toured this mill to see how technology is used to ensure complete utilization of timber resources.
Mitch Dimke, Sawmill Superintendent for Guy F. Bennett's ultra high tech sawmill, was our host for this portion of the tour.
^ TopHarold's Briefing in-transit
On the way North from Bennett Lumber to the University of Idaho's Experimental forest, Harold Osborne of the University of Idaho gave teachers a primer on Ecosystem Management. Teachers learned about the principles of ecosystem management: Disturbance and Response, Biodiversity, Sustainability, and Linkages.
Shade Tolerance Classification-Related to moisture gradient
- Ponderosa Pine = Most Shade Intolerant (Doesn't grow well in shade)
- Western Larch
- Douglas Fir
- White Pine
- Grand Fir
- Western Red Cedar
- Western Hemlock = Most Shade Tolerance (Grows well in shade)
Ecological Succession
- Establishment-After a disturbance, the initial establishment of a stand by natural regeneration or planting
- Stem Exclusion-Crowding causes selection among young trees
- Understory Reinitiation-As trees die because of natural causes they cause holes in the stand canopy allowing growth and regeneration in the understory.
- Gap Replacement
Logging Succession
- Grass/Forb
- Shrub/Seedling
- Sapling/Pole
- Small Timber
- Mature Timber
- Old Growth
Forest tour
We stopped in Brush Creek for a briefing by the Idaho Department of Lands. Here Robert Barkley, Forest Practices Advisor, talked about forest management objectives for the lands owned by IDL.
Robert gave us a nice overview of the Idaho Department of Lands and their forest management policies. IDL manages 2.3 million acres of land grants. The primary purpose of the Idaho Department of Lands is to provide support to public schools and other educational institutions. It consists of 239 full time employees, dedicated natural resource professionals and over 200 seasonal employees.
The Idaho Department of Lands office in Deary, Idaho is headquarters for the Ponderosa Forest Protective District.
^ TopCut-to-Length Harvesting Demonstration
Roy Lawson and his logging company, Lawson Logging demonstrated their Cut-To-Length Harvesting System consisting of a harvester and a forwarder on-site at Flat Creek on UI's Experimental Forest.
^ Top<Home
