CLEARCUT: Ugly but essential

I applaud the Idaho Department of Lands for their decision to clearcut parts of Rathdrum Mountain. A clearcut is a silvicultural tool that removes most of the trees from an area. Tree seedlings are planted after the logging slash is cleaned up and measures are taken to prevent erosion.

The clearcut decision is not easy mainly because it looks bad. However, there are benefits. It is often the only way to maintain a productive forest if the trees are diseased. A clearcut is essential for trees that need open sunlight to survive and grow, such as western larch and white pine. The planted trees are often species that were native to the area and can grow better than those removed. The new seedlings often have superior traits, such as blister rust resistant white pine.

It is easy to forget that many of the forests in North Idaho started this way. A large fire killed most of the trees, leaving an open seed bed for the trees to reproduce. A clearcut tries to imitate that condition under controlled conditions.

I have worked with these types of timber stands over the last 40 years. I experienced similar failures as the IDL. We need different harvesting methods if forest productivity is a goal.

Clearcuts are not pretty, but neither is a recently harvested cornfield. The difference is that it takes the cornfield only a year to reproduce; it takes a forest more time, sometimes 10 years before results. With trees, we must be patient.

DENNIS PARENT

Hayden