Volunteers helping with the recent harvest planting at Chimacum Ridge Community Forest.
What does stewarding a working forest actually look like? At Chimacum Ridge Community Forest, the answer is taking shape through a recent harvest and planting effort rooted in careful planning, ecological repair, and hands-on work.
The plot of land at the center of this story has a long history as a commercial forest, managed for decades as a monoculture dominated by Douglas-fir trees (with the goal of optimizing financial return). That monoculture legacy created conditions that made the stand vulnerable to laminated root rot, a native soil fungus that spreads through root systems and can quickly kill infected trees. Before Jefferson Land Trust’s ownership, the previous landowner carried out initial thinning around an infected pocket, leaving the hardwood species intact and clearing roughly an acre of affected trees to create a buffer that would slow the disease’s spread.
Blue tubes protect new plants in the harvest area at Chimacum Ridge Community Forest.
Last fall, Community Forest Manager Ryen Helzer took the next steps to expand on that earlier work. When signs of infection appeared beyond the original treatment area, Ryen and his team recommended a small, carefully timed harvest. This entailed clearing a wider buffer of Douglas-fir trees around the site to further slow the spread of the fungus through the live root systems. A few isolated cedar trees were also removed, as they were unlikely to survive long-term once the surrounding Douglas fir were taken out.
Addressing the disease was not only about removing affected trees, but about creating healthier conditions for what comes next on Chimacum Ridge. In that sense, the selective harvest served multiple purposes: slowing the spread of the fungus so surrounding forest systems could continue to function and grow, making productive use of the removed timber, and generating modest revenue that was reinvested directly into managing and restoring Chimacum Ridge Community Forest.
Once the harvest was complete, the work moved quickly from removal to renewal. Opening the canopy created a rare window to intentionally reintroduce diversity and complexity into a previously uniform forest stand — shaping not just what grows here next, but how the forest functions over time.
Working from a post-harvest planting plan developed by Community Forest Intern Slater Sorensen, volunteers worked alongside staff to introduce a diverse mix of native seeds, shrubs, and trees selected for ecological value, wildlife benefit, and long-term resilience. In total, 163 plants were installed. Grasses and wildflowers were seeded across impacted harvest areas, with shrubs and small trees concentrated along the creekside southern slope. The plantings included osoberry, salmonberry, elderberry, ninebark, red flowering currant, cascara, and experimental plantings of Garry oak and Pacific madrone.
The project received generous support from Jefferson County Conservation District, Kul Kah Han Native Plant Garden, Northwest Meadowscapes Conservation Seed Co., and local native seed specialist Forrest Schumer — whose combined contributions helped make the scale and diversity of the planting possible.
For Slater, the planting is about adding new layers of life to the forest.
Community Forest Intern Slater Sorensen enjoying time in the forest.
“What excites me about this site in particular is the potential for wildlife habitat,” he says. “A forest gap like this is critical for overall forest diversity. My greatest hope is that animals are able to find some of what they need in this space. I imagine it as a miniature retreat — wildflowers to entice pollinators, grasses that offer a soft place to bed down, and native shrubs producing berries for deer, bear, foxes, mice, voles, you name it. Hedge rows of shrubs can provide cover and nutrients, while trees like cascara will grow into the next forest layer over time.”
The 3-acre site’s south-facing slope and higher elevation make it warmer and drier than much of Chimacum Ridge, creating an ideal place to test drought-tolerant native species and better understand how the forest may adapt as climate change brings warmer, drier conditions to the region. Several habitat piles were also constructed from post-harvest debris, providing shelter for small mammals and insects while also helping rebuild soil.
The part of the diversification that inspires Ryen the most are the Garry oaks. These trees are an experiment for the site, and represent a long-term investment in both the ecological and cultural values of the forest. Over time, their acorns will introduce a new food source for both people and wildlife — something not currently found on this part of the ridge. To give these young oaks the best chance to thrive, a fenced planting area has been installed to protect them from deer browsing during their first five to seven years of growth.
A volunteer helps with the harvest area planting at Chimacum Ridge.
Community participation played a central role in bringing the vision for this plot to life. Volunteers supported both pre- and post-harvest work, including stacking slash into habitat piles and planting many of the native species now taking root. One work party included a group from Cascade Community Connections, an organization that supports adults with disabilities through community engagement and workforce skill development. Participants gained hands-on experience with skills that translate to landscaping, nursery work, and land stewardship.
For Land Trust staff, involving the community directly in these activities is essential. Investing physical effort in the land builds connection and care, reinforcing the idea that Chimacum Ridge is not just a place to visit, but a community forest shaped by shared enthusiasm, investment, and responsibility.
Over time, visitors walking through this area may notice more light, more layers of vegetation, and a broader mix of plants and wildlife than before. The changes underway reflect the long-term vision for Chimacum Ridge — one that balances ecological health, community benefit, and thoughtful forest management.
A Closer Look at a Few of the Species Selected
Laminated root rot is a native soil fungus that primarily affects fir and hemlock species common to Pacific Northwest forests, including Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and grand fir. The disease spreads underground through root systems, weakening and eventually killing infected trees.
Some species are less affected. Western redcedar can tolerate laminated root rot, while many hardwood trees — such as bigleaf maple, red alder, and bitter cherry — are largely immune. Because the fungus persists in the soil, managing it often requires removing susceptible trees and replanting with more resilient species, rather than attempting to treat the disease directly.
