In Oregon, huge swaths of the Willamette National Forest, perhaps as much as 12,000 acres, has stands of trees less than 40 years old that have never been thinned. The firs are crowded together, making it hard for sunlight to reach them. Competition for resources has made them susceptible to insects, disease, blowdowns and snow breakage. Trees that should be 13 to 14 feet apart are suffocating just eight feet from their neighbors.
The U.S. Forest Service, in cooperation with the North Santiam Watershed Council, is working with companies in the region to establish a special forest products industry to thin the stands and harvest products such as moss, boughs, posts and poles, logs and firewood.
The agency, the Council and the North Santiam Chamber of Commerce are encouraging businesses to form a cooperative to take advantage of the commercial opportunities.
“We’ve managed timber in the Willamette National Forest for 100 years, but we’ve never tried anything like this,” Forest Services natural resources supervisor Darren Cross said. “We’re not trying to put things back. Instead we’re trying to imagine what the forest will look like in 30, 50 or 100 years.”
From The USDA Blog: https://blogs.usda.gov/2012/06/14/oregon-forest-becomes-setting-for-a-cooperative-thinning-venture/