An Introduction to Forest Protection

EC 1253 • Reprinted April 2002 $1.50

A. Campbell 3rd

FOREST PROTECTION

Allan Campbell 3rd, Extensionforester emeritus, Oregon StateUniversity. Alan Kanaskie, forestpathologist, and Dave Overhulser,forest entomologist, both of theOregon Department of Forestry,provided invaluable help with thispublication.

Figure 1.—Forest protection includes prevention and control ofdamage caused by vertebrate pest animals, diseases, fires, insects,and humans.

ContentsA look back ................................. 2

Forest and woodland enemies ........ 3Insects ....................................... 3

Biology ..................................... 3Control ...................................... 5

Diseases ..................................... 6Biotic (infectious) diseases .......... 6Diseases of deciduous trees ......... 7Abiotic (noninfectious) diseases ... 9

Animals ...................................... 9Fires .......................................... 9Humans ................................... 11

Voluntary injury ........................ 11Involuntary injury ..................... 11What you can do ...................... 11

Oregon forest law ...................... 12

Planning for protection ................ 12Objectives ................................. 12Woodland description ................. 12Inventory ..................................12Management recommendations .. 13Recordkeeping ........................... 13

For further reading ...................... 13

The purpose of this publication is to introduce you to the world of forestprotection by: (1) providing you with broad definitions of the fiveprincipal groups of destructive agents; and (2) presenting some infor-

mation on the impacts of these groups on the forests of Oregon.This is an introduction to forest protection. Four related OSU Extension

publications discuss particular threats: EC 1201, Understanding and Con-trolling Deer Damage in Young Plantations; EC 1255, Controlling PocketGopher Damage to Conifer Seedlings; EC 1109, Soil Compaction onWoodland Properties; and EC 1501, Abiotic Injury to Forest Trees inOregon (see pages 13–14).

The trees in your woodlands live under constant threats of injury anddeath. Perils to their survival come from a wide range of sources, and theyexist all seasons of the year. The health and vigor of your trees, bothindividual stems and groups of stems (stands), should be a constant con-cern that you reflect in your management strategy.

2 THE WOODLAND WORKBOOK

Forest protection is action taken todefend your forest or woodland againstpotential enemies, including vertebrate pestanimals, diseases, fires, insects, and humans(Figure 1).

Silviculture is the art and science ofproducing and tending a forest. Forestprotection can be visualized as one leg ofan imaginary “silviculture stool” (Figure 2).The two other legs are regeneration andintermediate cuttings—for example, libera-tion cutting, thinning, improvement cutting,and pruning.

The overall strength of the stool isgoverned by the strength of the individuallegs. Hence, inadequate protection can leadto below-par performance or even to thecollapse of a silvicultural program. Forexample, incomplete restocking of cutoverforest land may be the consequence of thewoodland manager’s inattention to localdeer populations.

Forest protection consists of a series ofactivities that support one or more of thefollowing objectives.• Maximize production of sound wood

• Minimize negative effects of soil distur-bance (compaction, erosion)

• Preserve appropriate wildlife habitat

• Sustain desired water quality

• Maintain an attractive forestenvironment

A look backForest protection is fundamental to

sound management. It can even be picturedas the rock on which the rest of manage-ment is perched. As a woodland manager,you should know that history records theimportance placed on forest resources byother people at other times.

You can affect the protection of theseresources in the future by your actionstoday. In many instances, our finite renew-able forest resources, coupled with rapidlyincreasing demands, have produced—andwill continue to produce—a “need-to-legislate” response in order to protect them.

Organized forest protection in the UnitedStates apparently had its beginnings in1743. The State of New York passed a lawthat gave anyone who discovered a fire (inone of several specified areas) the authority“to require and command” anybody insight to help put it out. There was a mone-tary fine for neighbors who objected—orwho weren’t too quick about helping.

Fire had been identified as a threat to thenation’s forests. More than 200 years wereto pass before other destructive agents wereofficially recognized.

It was not until the passage of the ForestPest Control Act on June 25, 1947 that acooperative program of protection againstdestructive forest diseases and insects waslaunched. This act declared it to be thepolicy of the federal government to protectall forest land from threats, regardless ofownership. It authorized the Secretary ofAgriculture to:• Conduct surveys

• Identify infestations

• Determine appropriate control measuresand implement them against outbreaks aswarranted

• Carry out these activities either directlyor in cooperation with other federalagencies, state and local agencies,private organizations, and individuals

The Forest Pest Control Act forms thebasis of most of our current governmentefforts to control forest disease and insectproblems.

Figure 2.—The three parts of silviculture: forestprotection, regeneration, and intermediatecuttings.

FOREST PROTECTION 3

Forest andwoodland enemies

InsectsThe forests and the woodlands of Oregon

are literally crawling with insects. Mostspecies are not harmful to forest trees—infact, many species, such as pollinators andpredators, are highly beneficial. Someinsects are of minor consequence; theyproduce no significant injury and have littleeconomic impact.

Some species of forest insects, however,can seriously damage Oregon’s commercialtimber. Much of the timber value of indi-vidual woodland properties has, in somecases, been damaged severely. The directvolume loss from these insects is estimatedat 3.7 billion board feet annually in Oregonalone (Figure 3)—and this does not includethe consequences of increased fire hazard,loss of wildlife habitat and recreationalvalues, or damage to watersheds.

Insects, as a group, attack virtually allparts of the tree at all growth stages. Someof the damage is obvious, as with defolia-tors (needle eaters). Other damage may beless visible, especially if it’s caused bywood-boring insects that feed under thebark.

Individual insect speciesfeed on specific portions ofthe tree and, in many cases,are specific about the treethey’ll attack. For example,the Douglas-fir tussockmoth, a defoliator, won’tfeed on ponderosa pine. Toidentify the insect pestinvolved (Table 1), firstidentify the host tree andthe parts of the tree beingattacked.

BiologyIn general, insects

experience several stages ofdevelopment (Figure 4,page 6). Some species, suchas beetles and moths, havefour stages: egg, larva

(grub, caterpillar), pupa (resting stage), andadult. This transition is called completemetamorphosis.

Other species, such as aphids and ter-mites, go through three stages of develop-ment, sometimes called incomplete meta-morphosis: egg, nymph (immature stage),and adult.

It’s the larvae or nymphs that most oftencause damage to trees. They feed on thecambium, foliage, roots, seeds, soft shoots,and twigs.

Adult insects are involved primarily withreproduction. They can cause damage intheir nest-building activities, such asconstructing egg tunnels under the bark(bark beetles) or actually mining the insideof the foliage in order to lay their eggs(certain leaf and needle miners). Someadult insects—the gypsy moth, forexample—do not feed. A thorough knowl-edge of the methods by which variousspecies feed is important to implementingproper control measures.• Chewing insects, such as bark beetles

and defoliator larvae, eat portions of theplant.

• Sucking insects—aphids, for example—simply remove the juices from the plant.

How much is 3.7 billion?

Figure 3.—The approximate equivalent in log trucks and three-bedroom housesof Oregon’s annual wood-volume losses due to insect damage.

4 THE WOODLAND WORKBOOK

Table 1.—Major forest insect pests of Oregon that attack standing and cut timber.

Category Insect Major host(s) Part(s) of tree affected

Coniferous trees(needle-bearing, softwoods)

Seedlings and pine needle sheath miner ponderosa pine, foliageyoung trees (Zelleria haimbachi) Jeffrey pine

ponderosa pine tip moth ponderosa pine, buds and shoots (Rhyacionia zozana) Jeffrey pine,

lodgepole pine,sugar pine,digger pine

western pine shoot borer ponderosa pine terminal shoots (Eucosma sonomana)

lodgepole terminal weevil lodgepole pine terminal shoots (Pissodes terminalis)

gouty pitch midge ponderosa pine current-year shoots (Cecidomyia piniinopis)

white pine weevil Sitka spruce terminal shoots (Pissodes strobi)

Douglas-fir twig weevil Douglas-fir, small branches (Cylindrocopturus furnissi) white fir,

Pacific silver fir

Mature trees Douglas-fir beetle Douglas-fir inner bark and cambium (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae) of main stem

fir engraver white fir, inner bark and cambium (Scolytus ventralis) grand fir, of main stem

California red fir

mountain pine beetle lodgepole pine, inner bark and cambium (Dendroctonus ponderosae) ponderosa pine of main stem

western pine beetle ponderosa pine, inner bark and cambium (Dendroctonus brevicomis) Coulter pine of main stem

pine engraver beetle ponderosa pine, inner bark and cambium (Ips pini) lodgepole pine, of main stem

Jeffrey pine

flatheaded fir borer Douglas-fir, inner bark and cambium (Melanophila drummondi) white fir, of main stem

grand fir,Pacific silver fir,California red fir,Sitka spruce,Engelmann spruce,western hemlock,western larch

western spruce budworm Douglas-fir, current-year buds (Choristoneura occidentalis) white fir, and foliage

grand fir,Engelmann spruce

Douglas-fir tussock moth Douglas-fir, foliage (Orgyia pseudotsugata) white fir,

grand fir,subalpine fir

Modoc budworm white fir current-year buds (Choristoneura viridis) and foliage

FOREST PROTECTION 5

Table I.—Major forest insect pests of Oregon that attack standing and cut timber (continued).

Category Insect Major host(s) Part(s) of tree affected

Coniferous trees—continuedMature trees—continued larch casebearer western larch foliage

(Coleophora laricella)

hemlock sawfly western hemlock foliage (Neodiprion tsugae)

spruce aphid Sitka spruce, foliage (Elatobium abietinum) Engelmann spruce

Deciduous trees(broadleaf, hardwoods) western tent caterpillar species of oak, willow, foliage

(Malacosoma californicum) cherry, plum, cotton-wood, birch, alder, andceanothus

bronze birch borer species of birch inner bark and cambium (Agrilus anxius) of branches and main stem

western oak looper Oregon white oak foliage (Lambdina fiscellaria somniaria)

oak pit scale California black oak, twigs and branches (Asterolecanium minus) canyon live oak

fall webworm species of alder, ash, foliage (Hyphantria cunea) cottonwood, madrone,

maple, willow, andvarious fruit trees

Cut trees(coniferous and deciduous) ambrosia beetles (various species various hardwoods wood fibers

from the genera Trypodendron, and softwoodsGnathatrichus, Monarthrum, andXyleborus)

flatheaded borers (various species various softwoods wood fibersfrom the genera Buprestis, Mela-nophila, and Trachykele)

roundheaded borers (various various hardwoods wood fibersspecies from the genera and softwoodsArchopalus, Leptura, Semanotus,and Xylotrechus)

• Gall-forming insects, such as the Cooleyspruce gall aphid, cause part of the tree toswell or form a gall, which houses themwhile they feed and develop.

ControlControl of insect pests is either by

natural means or through human interven-tion. Normal (endemic) insect populationsare maintained naturally by the feeding andreproductive habits of the insect, weatherfluctuations, feeding by parasites andpredators (birds, mammals, and otherinsects), and the intrusion of naturallyoccurring bacteria and viruses.

Human intervention into insect controlusually happens when pest populationsbecome epidemic.

Methods include chemical (insecticides)and biological (introducing predators,parasites, or disease-causing organisms). Inaddition, antibiotics and insect-resistant(genetically modified) trees are receivingincreased attention as potential controlmethods.

The best insect control is prevention.You can accomplish this through appropri-ate silvicultural treatments such as thinning.

Other silvicultural approaches that helpto prevent unreasonable losses from forestinsects include sanitation and salvage

6 THE WOODLAND WORKBOOK

cuttings to remove dead and dyinginsect-susceptible or insect-infested trees.Consider, too, practices that promote thedevelopment of habitats for insect predatorsand parasites (birds, mammals, ants, andother insects).

Carefully planned and executed silvicul-tural procedures can help mimimize popula-tion expansions or prolong the intervalbetween outbreaks of some insects thatthreaten your woodland resources.

Integrated pest management (IPM)—using a combination of techniques—appears to be more successful in controllinginsect outbreaks than the application of anysingle method.

Figure 4.—Examples of insect developmental stages: (a) complete meta-morphosis (bark beetles, Dendroctonus sp.); (b) incomplete metamorphosis(subterranean termites, Reticulitermes sp.).

DiseasesTree diseases might be

called the invisible enemiesof the forest. The visiblesigns of their presence arenot nearly as striking asthose that accompany fireand insect damage. Ingeneral, tree diseases spreadslowly, over long periods oftime.

Sometimes, there’s littlevisible evidence that aparticular disease is presentuntil the tree dies. In somecases, the amount ofdeterioriation caused by adisease is not apparent untiltrees are cut. It’s no wonderthat estimates of actual

Use pesticides safely!• Wear protective clothing and safety

devices as recommended on the label.Bathe or shower after each use.

• Read the pesticide label—even if you’veused the pesticide before. Follow closelythe instructions on the label (and anyother directions you have).

• Be cautious when you apply pesticides.Know your legal responsibility as apesticide applicator. You may be liablefor injury or damage resulting frompesticide use.

volume losses caused by forest diseases aresketchy.

Even less is known about the impacts ofdiseases on nontimber resoures—wildlifehabitat, water quality, and recreationalvalues, for example. One fact is certain,however: Forest diseases cause morelosses annually than either fires or insects.

Forest diseases may be divided into twobroad classifications, biotic (infectiousdiseases caused by living organisms), andabiotic (noninfectious diseases caused bythe nonliving environment).

Diseases within each classification canbe placed in a variety of categories. Thecategories in the following sections containsome of the more important diseases of theforests and woodlands of Oregon (see alsoTable 2, page 8).

Biotic (infectious) diseasesStem decays are caused by fungi that

break down the wood fiber of a tree trunk.They can severely reduce recoverable woodvolume, with little effect on growth ormortality of the infected trees. Stem decayscause more annual merchantable volumeloss than all other diseases. Much of thisdeterioration occurs in old growth stands.

On the positive side, trees with stemdecay often provide habitat for cavity-dwelling and nesting wildlife.

FOREST PROTECTION 7

Dwarf mistletoes are parasitic floweringplants that depend on the host plant for food(Figure 5). They’re usually host-specific;that is, a given species of mistletoe infectsonly a certain species of conifer.

As parasites, they severely retard growthand, in severe infections, cause eventualmortality. Infected trees are unsightly and,because the mistletoe plants can weakenbranches, they may be a safety hazard.

Root diseases are caused by fungi thatdestroy roots and eventually kill the tree.Some growth retardation can occur afterintroduction of a particular root disease, andinfected trees may be less windfirm(Figure 6).

Root diseases can be troublesome tocontrol—they often persist on the site formany years, even after infected trees havebeen removed.

Stem cankers/rusts are caused by fungithat attack and kill stems and branches.With the exception of white pine blisterrust, which has destroyed millions of whitepines, most of these diseases cause onlyminor loss statewide. A few of them cancause severe local damage.

Foliage diseases may appear dramatic,but they usually account for only minorwood loss. Their general impact is reducedtree growth and, in the case of Elytroderma

disease, branch deformation. A largenumber of foliage diseases of conifers areoften important to Christmas tree growers,but they have little impact in forest stands.

Diseases of deciduous treesBroadleaf trees also have diseases that

result in deformation, growth reduction,and mortality. The significance of thesediseases will increase as hardwood treesbecome more prominent in Oregon’stimber economy.

Figure 6.—Root disease can contribute to windthrow damage in timber stands.

Figure 5.—Dwarf mistletoe stems and seeds on an infectedponderosa pine. If mistletoe growth is heavy enough, it canlead to breakage of tree limbs.

8 THE WOODLAND WORKBOOK

Table 2.—Examples of the major forest tree diseases found in Oregon.

Group Disease Major hosts Pathogen

Infectious (biotic)Stem decays Indian paint fungus true fir Echinodontium tinctorium

red ring rot Douglas-fir, pine Phellinus pinibrown cubicle rot Douglas-fir, pine Phaeolus schweinitzii

Dwarf mistletoes Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe Douglas-fir Arceuthobium douglasiiwestern dwarf mistletoe ponderosa, Jeffrey, Arceuthobium campylopodum

knobcone, andCoulter pine

lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe lodgepole pine Arceuthobium americanumlarch dwarf mistletoe western larch Arceuthobium laricishemlock dwarf mistletoe western Arceuthobium tsugense

and mountain hemlock

true fir dwarf mistletoe grand, white, noble, Arceuthobium abietinumand red fir

Root diseases laminated root rot conifers Phellinus weirii

black stain root disease Douglas-fir Ceratocystis wageneri

Armillaria root disease conifers, hardwoods Armillaria ostoyae

Port-Orford-cedar root rot Port-Orford-cedar Phytophthora lateralis

Annosus root disease true fir, pine Heterobasidion annosum

Stem cankers/rusts white pine blister rust white and sugar pine Cronartium ribicola

western gall rust lodgepole pine Peridermium harknessii

Phomopsis canker Douglas-fir Phomopsis sp.

Atropellis canker lodgepole pine Atropellis piniphila

Foliage diseases Elytroterma disease ponderosa pine Elytroterma deformans

Rhabdocline needle cast Douglas-fir Rhabdocline pseudotsugae

Swiss needle cast Douglas-fir Phaeocryptopus gaumannii

red band needle blight ponderosa, lodgepole pine Dothistroma pini

shoot blight cottonwood Venturia sp.

stem canker cottonwood Cytospora sp.

Armillaria root disease oaks, other hardwoods Armillaria sp.cottonwood leaf rust cottonwood Melampsora occidentalis

cottonwood leaf spot cottonwood Marssonina populi

common hairy mistletoe oaks, other hardwoods Phoradendron villosum

Group Disease Cause

Noninfectious (abiotic) top kill low winter temperaturesfrost damage low winter temperatures

shoot tip dieback high temperatures and/or soil moisture deficiency

breakage mechanical (ice, snow, wind)needle drop and/or air pollution needle discoloration

Some diseasesof deciduous trees

FOREST PROTECTION 9

• Rubbing— damaging the branches ormain stem of a tree (*deer, *elk,livestock)

• Trampling—bruising or crushing seed-lings (*deer, *elk, livestock)These types of damage are, of course, not

all-inclusive. There are more indirect kindsthat can deteriorate a forest stand. Oneexample is soil compaction caused byexcessive concentrations of large animals.Another is the reduction of natural regen-eration caused by large populations ofseed-eaters (birds and small mammals).

To determine the actual culprit, you’llneed to investigate animal damage to yourforest or woodland carefully and thor-oughly. Make this assessment before youtake adequate control measures.

EC 1201, Understanding and Control-ling Deer Damage in Young Plantations,and EC 1255, Controlling Pocket GopherDamage to Conifer Seedlings, providecontrol information for specific problems(see “For further reading,” page 13).

FiresIt’s important to understand that fires in

the forest or woodland are not alwaysdetrimental. They can have benefits, includ-ing controlling some forest diseases,

Abiotic (noninfectious) diseasesThis group includes chemical, mechani-

cal, and weather injury. Many causes of treedecline can be attributed to these diseases.In some parts of the world, air pollution andacid rain have become major causes offorest decline.

Abiotic diseases are particularly impor-tant because they involve stresses or dam-age that predispose trees to other pests.

AnimalsAnimal damage results from the activi-

ties of wildlife (birds and mammals) anddomestic grazing animals. A 1979 surveyestimated that wildlife causes an annual lossof $14 to $16 million in the value of PacificNorthwest forest resources. Animals candirectly affect tree survival, growth rate,form, and reproductive capability. Indi-rectly, they can weaken trees, making themsusceptible to further damage or death fromattack by insects or disease organisms. Theimpact of animal damage is more severe inyoung plantations where new trees are of asingle species, are accessible, and aresucculent and rich in nutrients. Survivalfrom the direct consequences of animalinjury becomes less a problem, however, astrees increase in diameter, height, and rootmass. The nature of animal injuries varieswidely according to the needs of the indi-vidual species. Here are seven types ofdamage and the animals responsible (anasterisk indicates a major pest species inOregon).• Barking—gnawing or stripping away the

outer protective layers of a tree (*bears,*porcupines, tree squirrels, wood rats,*voles)

• Browsing— eating buds, foliage, andsmall shoots (*deer, *elk, livestock)

• Budding— feeding on buds and emergingfoliage (blue grouse)

• Clipping—severing shoots, stems, androots (*hares, *mountain beavers,*pocket gophers, *rabbits)

• Pulling— extracting seedlings from thesoil, at least partially (*deer, *elk, live-stock)

The big threeThree diseases account for more than

90 percent of the annual volume loss thatwe can blame on disease (values are ap-proximate):

Stem decays 43%Dwarf mistletoes 30%Root diseases 21%All other diseases 6%

100%

In western Oregon, most losses resultfrom stem decays and root diseases. Ineastern and southwestern Oregon, dwarfmistletoes cause most losses.

10 THE WOODLAND WORKBOOK

preparing seedbeds for new stands, elimi-nating high-risk populations of wood-destroying insects, and improving foragefor wildlife and domestic animals.

Prescribed fire (using it deliberately) isreceiving wider application as a silvicul-tural tool in the management of Oregon’sforests.

The very nature of fire gives rise toconcern, even fear, in many landowners. To

Fire can injure forests inone or more ways:• Death or weakening of

trees

• Reducing wood quality offire-scarred trees

• Deteriorating soil proper-ties and erosion

• Destroying esthetic value

• Eliminating or reducingwildlifepopulations

• Removing forage

• Impairing air and waterqualityThe Oregon Department

of Forestry identifieslightning and people as thetwo primary causes ofwildfire (Figure 7). People-

related causes are railroad, lumber/logging,camper, smoker, debris, incendiary, andmiscellaneous.

The breakdown identifies how fires start.When combined with data on the number offires and acres burned, it shows whichcauses need the most attention (Table 3).

Preventing wildfires should always beyour primary goal. It’s a lifelong practicefor the small woodland owner.

Table 3.—Annual incidence of fire, by cause, onlands protected by the Oregon Department of For-estry, 1958–1987 (rounded 30-year averages)a

Number of AcresCause fires burnedPeople-related

Railroad 34 385Lumber and logging 73 1,689Camper 83 425Smoker 150 1,712Debris 118 864Incendiary 41 1,036Miscellaneous 227 4,191

Subtotal 726 10,302

Lightning 343 6,356

Total 1,069 16,658aOregon Department of Forestry

Figure 7.—Wildfire, such as the one that damaged this stand, is causedprincipally by lightning and by human activity.

some, the thought of wild-fire conjures up an image ofmass destruction. At thevery least, wildfire com-mands respect for its poten-tially awesome conse-quences. It’s not surprising,then, that people thinkwildfire is the single mostdestructive force in ourforests. Such is not the case,with modern fire preventionand suppression techniques.

FOREST PROTECTION 11

The two principal approaches needed fora strong prevention program are:• Reducing risk—minimizing or eliminat-

ing possible sources of ignition

• Reducing hazard—decreasing thevolume or combustibility of potentialfuels

Incorporate preparations for possiblewildfires into your woodland managementplan. Helpful activities include:• Upgrading old logging roads or trails

• Creating new water sources

• Developing better access to existingwater sources

• Constructing firebreaks

• Minimizing concentrations of slash

• Maintaining basic suppression equip-ment (shovels, rakes, backpack sprayers)

It’s also important to develop goodcommunication links with adjoiningneighbors and Oregon Department ofForestry personnel in your area. You’ll findhelpful information in A Guide to LegalRequirements for Preventing and Control-ling Fires by Operators Logging, Clearing,and Constructing on or near Forest Landin Oregon (see page 14).

HumansHuman injury to forest environments can

be divided into two primary categories,voluntary (willful) and involuntary.

Voluntary injuryThis injury, either active or passive,

occurs when people engage in activitiesthat they know will or could damage forestvalues. An incendiary fire (set intentionallyto inflict damage) is an extreme example ofthe active role some people have in causingharm to forest values.

The lack of proper consideration topotential consequences of a logging opera-tion might be termed passive injury. Anexample of this kind of “permitted dam-age” is a landowner who neglects toconstruct water bars along the route of anabandoned skid road when he or she is wellaware of the potential outcome.

Involuntary injuryThis injury to forests and woodlands can

occur when people are truly unaware of thelikely result of their activities. The injury isunintentional. Introducing exotic forestpests are fine examples.

White pine blister rust, caused byCronartium ribicola, was first discovered inGeneva, New York, in 1906, although it’sbelieved to have been released accidentallyin North America as early as 1898. Thisdisease has become a major threat to thesurvival of white and sugar pines as com-mercial tree species in the United States.

The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, wasaccidentally released in Medford, Massa-chusetts, in 1870. It had been brought fromEurope in 1869 for use in silk production.The gypsy moth has caused severe damageto forests in the eastern United States. Itwas first discovered in Oregon in 1979, andmillions of dollars have been spent trying tocontain and eradicate it.

What you can doAs a small woodland owner, you can

influence the type and amount of humaninjury that can occur to your forestresources by being aggressive in:1. Your vigilance— be constantly alert to

what is happening on your property

2. Your operational concern— be careful ineach woodland activity: logging, roadbuilding, and site preparation

3. Your cooperation with neighboringlandowners in their management activi-ties; for example, maintain a joint systemof roads to preserve the largest possiblenumber of productive acres betweenadjacent properties.

You’ll find useful information on how tomimimize human injury to your woodlandin EC 1109, Soil Compaction on WoodlandProperties; EC 1110, Designated SkidTrails Minimize Soil Compaction; andEC 1143, Soil and Water Conservation:An Introduction for Woodland Owners (seepage 13).

12 THE WOODLAND WORKBOOK

Oregon forest lawCompliance with Oregon’s forest laws is

an important part of protecting the forestresources belonging to you and yourneighbor. You can find information onprotection from fire, insects, and diseaseswithin the pages of these laws.

Chapter 477 of the Oregon RevisedStatutes deals with the protection of forestsand vegetation from fire. Here are twoexamples.

“477.005 Policy. The preservation ofthe forests and the conservation of theforest resources through the prevention andsuppression of forest fires hereby aredeclared to be the public policy of the Stateof Oregon.”

“477.625 Permit to use fire orpower-driven machinery; conditions. Everyperson conducting an operation using fire inany form or power-driven machinery shallfirst obtain from the forester (the StateForester or his authorized representative) awritten permit for the calendar year.”

Chapter 527 contains sections on insectand disease control. Here are two examples.

“527.320 Pests and diseases harmful totimber; a public nuisance. Forest insectpests and forest tree diseases harmful,detrimental and injurious to timber andforest growths infested thereby are declaredto be a public nuisance.”

“527.330 Owner to destroy pests anddiseases. Every owner of timberlands ortimber shall control and destroy forestinsect pests and forest tree diseases, orprovide for the same to be done on timberlands or timber owned by him or under hiscontrol. In case of his failure, neglect, orinability to do so, the work may be per-formed as provided in ORS 527.350.”

Each of these chapters lists responsibili-ties of both the state and the landowner inmeeting the requirements of the law. Eachof these chapters contains many other lawsand regulations that are important tosustained-yield management in Oregon’sforests.

Oregon’s forest laws cover all state-protected forest lands, generally includingall ownerships except for properties of theU.S. Forest Service, the National ParkService, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, andthe Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

There are no chapters in Oregon forestlaws that deal with protection againstdamage caused by animals or humans.Certain human activities are regulated,however (such as logging, slash treatment,and reforestation), and there are appropriatelaws that require compliance with theOregon Forest Practices Act, which waspassed in 1971.

Contact the Oregon Department ofForestry office in your county or the stateoffice (2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310)for detailed information about Oregonforest laws and the Oregon Forest PracticesAct.

EC 1194, Oregon’s Forest PracticeRules, gives an overview of the objectives,scope, and nature of these regulations.

Planning for protectionA plan to protect your forest resources

will fit quite easily into the overall manage-ment scheme presented in EC 1125, Man-agement Planning for Woodland Owners:Why and How, and EC 1126, ManagementPlanning for Woodland Owners: AnExample.

These two publications describe andillustrate the five sections of a woodlandmanagement plan: objectives, woodlanddescriptions, inventory, managementrecommendations, and recordkeeping.

You might include your forest protectionplan under one or more of these sections.

ObjectivesProtecting your timber resource is

essential to realizing a high financial returnon potential products and to maintainingother amenities—fishing, hunting, andvisual aesthetics—that come with a healthyforest.

Woodland descriptionsIdentify and discuss any destructive

agent (animal, disease, or insect) known toexist in the area. Note special areas wherethese threats seem to be concentrated.

InventoryNote tree species, volumes, and acres

affected by destructive agents.

FOREST PROTECTION 13

Management recommendationsProvide recommendations on how to

prevent or control damage to your timberresource. Give a priority to each one, andlist the dates by which these measures areto be implemented.

RecordkeepingGood records are essential to planning

and management success. List eachdestructive agent, identify the kinds ofcontrol or preventive measures you used,discuss their effectiveness, record appropri-ate costs, and document financial lossesthat result from any damage.

Forest protection is fundamental to goodstewardship. It’s an essential part of thewise use of your forest resources.

For further readingSoil Compaction on Woodland Properties,

EC 1109. 1998. P.W. Adams. Corvallis:Oregon State University ExtensionService. $1.50

Designated Skid Trails Minimize SoilCompaction, EC 1110. 1997. J.J. Gar-land. Corvallis: Oregon State UniversityExtension Service. $1.50

Management Planning for WoodlandOwners: Why and How, EC 1125. 2002.M.C. Bondi and C.G. Landgren.Corvallis: Oregon State UniversityExtension Service. $1.50

Management Planning for WoodlandOwners: An Example, EC 1126. 1998.C.G. Landgren and M.C. Bondi.Corvallis: Oregon State UniversityExtension Service. $1.50

Soil and Water Conservation: An Introduc-tion for Woodland Owners, EC 1143.1997. P.W. Adams. Corvallis: OregonState University Extension Service.$1.00

Oregon’s Forest Practice Rules, EC 1194.1996. P.W. Adams. Corvallis: OregonState University Extension Service.$1.00

Understanding and Controlling DeerDamage in Young Plantations, EC 1201.1999. R.E. Duddles and W.D. Edge.Corvallis: Oregon State UniversityExtension Service. $2.00

Controlling Pocket Gopher Damage toConifer Seedlings, EC 1255. 1993. D.S.deCalesta and K. Asman. Corvallis:Oregon State University ExtensionService. $1.50

Abiotic Injury to Forest Trees in Oregon,EC 1501. 1999. A. Campbell 3rd.Corvallis: Oregon State UniversityExtension Service. $2.00

Forest Disease Ecology and Management,Manual 9. 1995. G.M. Filip, A.Kanaskie, and A. Campbell 3rd.Corvallis: Oregon State UniversityExtension Service. $14.50

14 THE WOODLAND WORKBOOK

Forest Insect Ecology and Man-agement in Oregon, Manual 10.1998. G.M. Filip, D.L.Overhulser, and P.T. Oester.Corvallis: Oregon State Univer-sity Extension Service. $5.50

To order copies of OSU Exten-sion publications, send thepublication’s complete title andseries number, along with a checkor money order (payable to Ore-gon State University) for theamount listed, to:

Publication OrdersExtension & Station CommunicationsOregon State University422 Kerr AdministrationCorvallis, OR 97331-2119Fax: 541-737-0817

We offer a 25-percent discounton orders of 100 or more copies ofa single title.

You can access our Publicationsand Videos Catalog and many ofour publications on the Web athttp://eesc.orst.edu

OSU College of Forestrypublications

These publications are availablefrom Forestry Publications Office,227 Forest Research Laboratory,Oregon State University,Corvallis, OR 97331. Quantityrates are available.Black, H.C., E.J. Dimock II,

J. Evans, and J.A. Rochelle.Animal Damage to ConiferousPlantations in Oregon andWashington, Part I: A Survey,1963–1975, Oregon StateUniversity, School of ForestryResearch Bulletin 25 (Corvallis,1979). No charge for a singlecopy.

Brodie, D., H.C. Black, E.J.Dimock II, J. Evans,C. Kao, and J.A. Rochelle,Animal Damage to ConiferousPlantations in Oregon andWashington, Part II: AnEconomic Evaluation, OregonState University, School ofForestry Research Bulletin 26(Corvallis, 1979). No chargefor a single copy.

Other publicationsScharpf, R.F., tech. coord. 1993.

Diseases of Pacific CoastConifers, USDA ForestService Agriculture Hand-book 521. Washington, DC:Government Printing Office,Superintendent of Documents.

Forest Disease ManagementNotes, USDA Forest Service,Pacific Northwest Region(Portland, undated). Availableonly on the regional officeWeb site: www.fs.fed.us/r6/nr/fid

Forestry Program for Oregon.(The 1995 edition is sched-uled to be revised in 2002).Oregon State Board of For-estry (2600 State St., SalemOR 97310-1336).

A Guide to Legal Requirementsfor Preventing and Control-ling Fires by OperatorsLogging, Clearing, andConstructing on or nearForest Land in Oregon. 1998.Oregon State Department ofForestry, Protection Division(2600 State St., Building 2,Salem, OR 97310).

Hawley, R.C. and P.W. Stickel.1953. Forest Protection. NewYork: John Wiley & Sons.

STAND MANAGEMENT 15

The Woodland Workbook is a collection of publications prepared by the Oregon State University Extension Service specifically forowners and managers of private, nonindustrial woodlands. The Workbook is organized into separate sections, containing information oflong-range and day-to-day value for anyone interested in wise management, conservation, and use of woodland properties. It’s availablein a 3-ring binder with tabbed dividers for each section.

For information about how to order, and for a current list of titles and prices, inquire at the office of the OSU Extension Service thatserves your county.

This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension work is acooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties.

Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials—without regard to race, color,religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, and disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status—asrequired by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilita-tion Act of 1973. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Published September 1988. Reprinted April 2002.