Recently, the Yakama Nation took the NCW Forest Health Collaborative Steering Committee on a field trip to see an innovative project in the Taneum Creek watershed that integrates forest and stream restoration (http://archive.rrnw.org/docs/2009/session2/Taneum%20LWD%20RRNW.pdf). Using WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife’s Stream Habitat Restoration Guidelines, large wood from upland sites was placed in the stream to provide a number of benefits, such as rearing habitat for juvenile salmon. The trees were removed from areas needing thinning to create a more resilient forest. Using locally-sourced wood and manual tools for harvest, costs were kept very low (approximately $44 per placed log) while achieving two important objectives: healthier streams and forests. The NCW Forest Health Collaborative hopes to use creative approaches such as this in its efforts to accelerate and integrate aquatic and terrestrial restoration on Forest Service-managed lands in Okanogan and Chelan Counties.

