I'd be interested to know if the clear-cutting helps increase / decrease the fire danger say in 10+ years post clearcut phase? My thought process says that the mono culture that's replanted probably doesn't help, so really, "replanting" doesn't work, but I love that they found some young hipster kids to sell out to be on those commercials. Anything for attention right? Gotta love the facecrook generation: "we'll give you some flannel shirts and YOU can be in a commercial!" or whatever feel-good sales pitch occurred.
On a brighter note, I've gotten a few photos over the years where beargrass, rhodys, or fireweed returns after the clear cuts...
You could easily find photo locations using google earth, and those Bark pea-pole mentioned earlier. Bring your sunscreen n hiking poles n tougher boots as most clear cuts have some pretty unstable slopes, and random surprises/ankle killers
Bonus points/beer if you can identify the median age, income and education level of the "people" that work in said operations.
Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they.
Re: Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they
I'd be interested to know if the clear-cutting helps increase / decrease the fire danger say in 10+ years post clearcut phase?
The most fire resistant trees are the largest old growth trees. These have very thick bark which resists burning and few or no branches low enough to catch fire from a burning understory. Moderate fires can pass through an old growth grove of trees and leave all of them essentially intact with a bit of charring around the base of the trunk.
The growth in clear cuts is all small-sized and low to the ground, so that fires that pass through will pretty much destroy everything, unless it is a very, very small fire and most of the fuel is damp. Think how quickly grass fires burn. A clear cut is just a step above that kind of vulnerability.
The most fire resistant trees are the largest old growth trees. These have very thick bark which resists burning and few or no branches low enough to catch fire from a burning understory. Moderate fires can pass through an old growth grove of trees and leave all of them essentially intact with a bit of charring around the base of the trunk.
The growth in clear cuts is all small-sized and low to the ground, so that fires that pass through will pretty much destroy everything, unless it is a very, very small fire and most of the fuel is damp. Think how quickly grass fires burn. A clear cut is just a step above that kind of vulnerability.
- Waffle Stomper
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Re: Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they
Looks like plenty of opportunities out there. Thank you.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir
- sprengers4jc
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Re: Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they
I'm trying to remember if any clearcuts were visible from the Clear Lake Butte Fire Lookout. The weather wasn't all that cooperative in March so it's hard to tell from my pictures and my brain cannot recall, for some reason. Maybe Cheryl knows? Any of the fire lookouts provide an interesting viewpoint that is difficult to replicate without hiking a long ways elsewhere in MHNF.
'We travel not to escape life but for life to not escape us.'
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Re: Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they
You can definitely see clearcuts from that lookout, but they're not as jarring as ones you can see from other high points.sprengers4jc wrote:I'm trying to remember if any clearcuts were visible from the Clear Lake Butte Fire Lookout.
- Waffle Stomper
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Re: Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they
Jarring is the best. I'd like to make an impact. I'm thinking Lolo Pass is probably my best bet.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir
Re: Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they
Just happened to read this all these years later. After the fires in the logged over foothills of the Western Cascades in 2020, seems like you were right.
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.
Re: Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they.
It's more than likely the even aged stands that are the problem, but that's really just splitting hairs at this point.
I also think there was someone that looked at the Santiam fires, and found little difference in fire resistance based on stand age.
I'll leave you with this to think about though
I also think there was someone that looked at the Santiam fires, and found little difference in fire resistance based on stand age.
I'll leave you with this to think about though
- Michael
Re: Ugly clear cuts with view of Mount Hood - where are they.
I took that back in like 1998 near Jewell Meadows. I never really had the full story but I always suspected it was private land that was cut then donated to the refuge.
Now that I have more resources, it just looks like it's private timberland that is within the boundary of wildlife management area.
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/v ... _broch.pdf
So the photo is somewhat deceptive if you don't know how an ODFW wildlife refuge works, and probably not many people do.
Now that I have more resources, it just looks like it's private timberland that is within the boundary of wildlife management area.
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/v ... _broch.pdf
So the photo is somewhat deceptive if you don't know how an ODFW wildlife refuge works, and probably not many people do.
- Michael