Supporting prairie habitat through forest health
Project at West Rocky Prairie benefits vesper sparrow and Puget blue and Taylor’s Checkerspot, among other species
A forest health treatment near Tenino starting this August will help to restore historic prairie habitat, benefiting a suite of wildlife species.
The 119-acre forest thinning project kicking off this summer at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) West Rocky Prairie Unit of the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area, is just one example of the Department’s efforts to support active land management and healthy forests.
Since 2014, WDFW has used a variety of forest management tools to mitigate risks and restore forests to their historic, healthier states. Restored forests decrease severe wildfire risk, improve health and habitat for fish and wildlife species, and protect homes and local communities. Of forest management tools available, the Department focuses mostly on forest thinning, prescribed burning, and creating fuel breaks.
The project will improve forest health by managing the densities of Oregon white oak, Douglas fir, and other tree species in the area, to align closer to healthy, historical habitat conditions.
In addition to preserving some of south Puget Sound’s most impressive oak trees and select Douglas fir in areas to support old-growth forest conditions, the project will also bring benefits for wildlife species, including Mazama pocket gophers, vesper sparrow, and Puget blue and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies.
Prairies are one of the rarest ecosystems in Washington. Once common in the South Puget Sound region, habitats such as prairies and oak woodlands are now almost gone, with just 3% of original prairies remaining. They were created by glaciers 15,000 years ago which left behind gravelly soils. Prairie vegetation is dominated by a variety of grasses and wildflowers with few trees.
Prior to settlement by non-Indigenous people in Washington, prairie habitat covered an estimated 180,000 acres of western Washington. In the ensuing years, large areas of prairie were converted to farmland and development. Most of that prairie is now gone and much of what is left is degraded.
Prairies support a variety of plants and animals — some of which are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. This rare ecosystem is home to many of Washington’s most imperiled species, and is one of WDFW’s highest conservation priorities.
Historically, prairies and oak woodlands were more prominent on the West Rocky Prairie Wildlife Area Unit. For about a century, successful fire suppression has allowed Douglas fir to invade many prairie and oak woodland areas. Continued stewardship and active management will help to ensure historic prairie in the unit is available for years to come.
WDFW land managers emphasize that, while forest conditions immediately after thinning may not look like everyone’s perception of a thriving forest, this is a normal step in the process to restoring healthy forest habitat. Following forest thinning, the Department will re-plant native species in the project area.
Reference the images below for images of similar forest thinning efforts at nearby a nearby wildlife area from West Rocky Prairie pre and post restoration from 2017 to 2023.
In addition to improving forest health, the project will maintain more than three miles of existing forest roads, build almost two miles of permanent roads, and decommission approximately one-half mile of existing road to support restoration.
The project began Aug. 14 and is anticipated to last about four months. The 143rd Avenue public parking area and associated Power Plant Road from the parking area to the prairie portion of West Rocky will be closed starting Wednesday, Aug. 23 to Friday, Sept. 15 to support public safety during this treatment. The Department will announce any changes as more details become available.
More information is available in a map of the site plan below.
The project has been designed to meet objectives outlined in the Department’s Management Strategy for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Forests.
WDFW encourages visitors to continue to Recreate Responsibly and stay on roads and trails to protect sensitive habitat and support the growth of these young trees.
More information about WDFW’s ongoing forest health efforts is available on the Department’s website.
