Contact

➤ LOCATION

434 Jefferson St.
Monte Vista, CO

☎ CONTACT

legacyforestco@gmail.com
(719) 850-2095

Overview

Here at Legacy Forest Management, LLC we frequently discuss the need to “restore” our forests from the impacts of altered fire regimes and historical practices that have left our forests in a state that is often severely departed from the “Historical Range of Variation” or HRV. HRV is the the range in which our forests historically existed under frequent and semi-frequent fire regimes that are a natural part of the ecology of our forests.

Reference Conditions

One of the most common ways foresters can reconstruct historical forest conditions is with the study of tree age (dendrochronology) with trees that predated an establish reference date. For example let’s say the reference date is 1860. Data to include species, growth ring spacing, and fire scars are collected for trees that were alive prior to 1860 to understand the general species composition of the forest along with disturbance regimes and historical growing conditions. Sometimes reconstruction is difficult due to the lack of available samples so using a similar site, ideally adjacent to the area of interest, is done. Reference conditions are not a complete fix-all but they help us understand the background of forests so we can develop management strategies that are best suited for that forest.

Forged From Fire

Much of the discussion around restoration forestry came about from ponderosa pine forests with frequent fire regimes. For forests in Colorado, New Mexico and elsewhere in the Southwest, wildfire plays an important role in regulating forest biomass and other ecological processes under natural conditions. Under historic conditions, fire in these forests were generally lower intensity as the forest was better regulated. Without wildfire or other disturbance that mimics wildfire such as timber harvesting, many forests across the Southwest have departed from natural conditions. This departure has helped give rise to many of the issues facing our Southwestern forests such as catastrophic wildfire that are costly and cause significant damage. In recent years, catastrophic wildfires have devastated ecosystems and communities alike and have been very expensive for the West. The Rodeo-Chediski Fire of 2002 in Arizona burned nearly a half million acres and destroyed nearly 500 homes, ushering in the “era of catastrophic wildfire”. The dawn of this new era holds much significance for Legacy Forest Management, LLC as it helped give birth to restoration forestry in the west and was one of the biggest influences on founder Tyrell “Ty’ Mares in becoming a forester.
 

From Fuels to Forest Products

Using the biomass that accounts for potential wildfire fuels can be a challenge given declining sawmill infrastructure and the logging/ lumbering workforce. Numerous forest product companies around the state are engaged in the shared endeavor of forest management and make the work we do possible. Supporting Colorado forest product companies helps our forests and provides money to our local economies. When foresters, landowners, loggers, and sawmills work together we have healthy forests and healthy communities.

Applied Forest Ecology

Management decisions are used with the practice of silviculture. Silviculture is the art and science of managing forests for a specified purpose using scientific forestry principals. A more basic definition is applied forest ecology. In order to understand silvicultural principals a working knowledge of tree biology, ecology, soils, and plant community dynamics is essential. Silviculture emphasizes trees but it includes looking at the grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees found within a forest and how they all interact with each other. Don’t forget about the wildlife because silviculture looks at that too.