A 4-year-old Douglas-fir plantation in the western Washington Cascades was monitored for 8 years after fertilization with potassium (K), nitrogen (N), and K+N to determine fertilizer effects on rates of mortality from laminated root rot (LRR) and other causes relative to a nonfertilized control.

Incidence and effects of tree damage by black bear (Ursus americanus altifrontalis) in a 50-year-old, coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) plantation are described. Bears girdled or partially girdled 35 dominant or codominant Douglas-fir trees per acre, but only in that portion of the plantation that had been interplanted at age 4 with red alder (Alnus rubra Bong). No red alder were damaged. Bears damaged Douglas-fir in this stand on at least four occasions between 1929 (planting) and 1991. Fully girdled Douglas-fir (six per acre in 1976) died within 2 to 14 years. Of the 29 per acre partially girdled trees, 17 percent died in the 16 years of observation, compared to 9 percent of nondamaged trees. Crosssectional growth of surviving damaged trees exceeded that of matched, nondamaged trees by about 30 percent at three heights on the bole: 6 ft, 4.5 ft, and immediately above the damaged area. Death of six large Douglas-fir trees per acre reduced live stand volume of this species for about 6 years after bear damage until growth of the remaining trees compensated for the volume lost to mortality. Confirmation of the stimulating effects of bear damage on subsequent tree growth is needed at other locations.

Silvicultural practices in the Douglas-fir region evolved through a combination of formal research, observation, and practical experience of forest managers and silviculturists, and changing economic and social factors. This process began more than a century ago and still continues. It has had a great influence on the economic well-being of the region and on the present characteristics of the region's forests. This long history is unknown to most of the public, and much of it is unfamiliar to many natural resource specialists outside (and even within) the field of silviculture. We trace the history of how we got where we are today and the contribution of silvicultural research to the evolution of forest practices. We give special attention to the large body of information developed in the first half of the past century that is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to both operational foresters and--perhaps more importantly--to those engaged in forestry research. We also discuss some current trends in silviculture and silviculture-related research.

Soil disturbance is a visually apparent result of using heavy equipment to harvest trees. Subsequent consequences for growth of remaining trees, however, are variable and seldom quantified. We measured tree growth 7 and 11 years after thinning of trees in four stands of coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb. Franco)) where soil disturbance was limited by using planned skid trails, usually on dry soils. The three younger stands had responded to nitrogen fertilizer in the 4 years before thinning, but only one stand showed continued response in the subsequent 7- or 11-year period after thinning. The most consistent pattern observed was greater growth of residual trees located next to skid trails. The older stand also showed greater growth in trees located next to skid trails, whereas tillage of skid trails failed to benefit growth of nearby residual trees for the first 7 years after tillage. We conclude that traffic that compacted soil only on one side of residual trees did not reduce growth of nearby trees.

This paper describes a growth model for young plantations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) growing in the Pacific Northwest. The overall model has three major components. The first is a yield model for diameter and height distributions describing stands prior to pruning or precommercial thinning. The second component is an annual per-acre net increment model adapted from a recent model for Douglas-fir plantations in New Zealand; thinning and pruning are features of the model. The third component is growth equations for cohorts of individual trees; the results from this component are adjusted to match those from the second component. Fitting data are from Stand Management Cooperative experiments, with top heights generally below 75 ft. An intended use of the model is the evaluation of pruning regimes, in conjunction with the ORGANON model for growth at older ages, and TREEVAL model for clear-wood recovery and economic evaluation.

Based on an in-grade testing program, the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center has registered three proprietary grademarks for Alaska species of hemlock (Tsuga heteraphylla (Raf.) Sarg.), yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach), and spruce (combined Sitka spruce [Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.] and white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss]). The Ketchikan Wood Technology Center conducted tests to establish glulam beam manufacturing specifications. In conjunction with this program, there is a need to measure the market for glulam beams in Alaska. The purpose of this research was to compare Alaska residential builder adoption rates of glulam beams and other engineered wood products to those of the continental United States. The results showed that a higher percentage of Alaska builders use glulam beams compared with builders in the rest of the United States.

Population growth in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska is expected to increase demand for outdoor recreation on public land. This trend will be tempered by changes in the sociodemographic composition of the population. Among sociodemographic characteristics, different ages and incomes correspond to different participation rates. Although older Americans are participating more, participation is still lower among this group for active pursuits. Hence, as the population ages, demand for passive activities may increase. Low-income people participate at a much lower rate than higher income people in outdoor recreation, and the growing disparity between the wealthy and poor may create inequities in opportunities for participation. State recreation planning documents for Oregon, Washington, and Alaska have identified this issue as a significant concern for recreation providers. Another important factor in recreation trends in the region is ethnicity: different ethnic groups participate in outdoor recreation at different rates, exhibit some different preferences for specific activities, and use recreation sites in different ways. In Alaska, the number of Asian/Pacific Islanders is expected to quadruple by 2025; in Oregon, the Hispanic population may triple by 2025; and in Washington, both these segments of the population may double.

Conservation of biodiversity serves a number of human needs, including maintenance of ecosystem services that are critical to the sustainability of all life. Effective biodiversity conservation will require better landowner incentives for restoration and protection of ecosystems. Many services produced from healthy, functioning landscapes are not well recognized in current conservation incentive structures, including sequestering or storing carbon in trees and soil, providing fish and wildlife habitat, filtering water, and reducing damages from natural disasters. Most existing incentive programs pay landowners to protect and restore a specific service rather than the suite of services produced from well-functioning ecosystems.

This guidebook describes Upper Elk Meadows Research Natural Area (RNA), a 90-ha (223-ac) area that supports a mixture of coniferous forest and open, shruband herb-dominated wetlands. The major forest plant association present within Upper Elk Meadows RNA is Pacific silver fir/vine maple/coolwort foamflower (Abies amabilis/Acer circinatum-Tiarella trifoliata).

The latest data summarizing West coast log and lumber exports in the fourth quarter of 2015 were released today by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station. The data-covering exports during October, November, and December 2015-were compiled and analyzed by Xiaoping Zhou, a research economist with the station.

The latest data summarizing West Coast log and lumber exports in the first quarter of 2016 were released today by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station. The data-covering exports during January, February, and March 2016—were compiled and analyzed by Xiaoping Zhou, a research economist with the station.

First Forest Service researcher to receive honor.

Forest disturbances are increasing in extent and intensity, annually altering the structure and function of affected systems across millions of acres. Land managers need rapid assessment tools that can be used to characterize disturbance events across space and to meet forest planning needs.

Outdoor recreation is a central way that people interact with the natural environment. Federal land agencies are key providers of settings, facilities, and landscapes for recreation.

Natural resource professionals are often tasked with weighing the benefits and costs of changes in ecosystem services associated with land management alternatives and decisions. In many cases, federal regulations even require land managers and planners to account for these values explicitly. Outdoor recreation is a key ecosystem service provided by national forests and grasslands, and one of significant interest to the public. This report presents the most recent update of the Recreation Use Values Database, based on an exhaustive review of economic studies spanning 1958 to 2015 conducted in the United States and Canada, and provides the most up-to-date recreation economic values available. When combined with data pertaining to recreation activities and the quantity of recreation use, the recreation economic values can be used for estimating the economic benefits of outdoor recreation. The recreation economic value estimates provided in this report, whether from past research literature or from values constructed using our meta-analysis benefit function, are average consumer surplus per person per activity day.

The economic linkages between national forests and surrounding areas are one of the important ways public lands contribute to the well-being of private individuals and communities. One way national forests contribute to the economies of surrounding communities is by attracting recreation visitors who, as part of their trip, spend money in communities on the peripheries of national forests. We use survey data collected from visitors to all forest and grasslands in the National Forest System to estimate the average spending per trip of national forest recreation visitors engaged in various types of recreation trips and activities. Average spending of national forest visitors ranges from about $36 per party per trip for local residents on day trips to more than $740 per party per trip for visitors downhill skiing or snowboarding on national forest lands and staying overnight off forest in local areas. We report key parameters to complete economic contribution analysis for individual national forests and for the entire National Forest System.

Transportation corridors (notably roads) affect wildlife habitat, populations, and entire ecosystems. Considerable effort has been expended to quantify direct effects of roads on wildlife populations and ecological communities and processes. Much less effort has been expended toward quantifying indirect effects. In this report, we provide a comprehensive review of road/transportation corridor ecology; in particular, how this new field of ecology has advanced worldwide. Further, we discuss how research thus far has shaped our understanding and views of the ecological implications of transportation infrastructures, and, in turn, how this has led to the current guidance, policies, and management options. We learned that the impacts of transportation infrastructures are a global issue, with the potential to affect a wide variety of taxonomically diverse species and ecosystems. Because the majority of research to date has focused on the direct and more aesthetic and anthropocentric implications of transportation corridors, mainly wildlife-vehicle collisions, it is a fairly standard practice to incorporate underpasses, green bridges (i.e., overpasses), fencing, and barriers into road corridors to alleviate such impacts. Few studies, however, have been able to demonstrate the efficiency of these structures. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly evident that the indirect implications of transportation infrastructures (i.e., behavioral responses of wildlife individuals to roads) may be more pervasive, at least from the standpoint of biological diversity. Understanding how road corridors influence the functional connectivity of landscapes is crucial if we are to effectively manage species of concern. With these issues in mind, we propose a program of study that addresses the indirect and cumulative implications of transportation infrastructure on species distributions, community structure and ecosystem function

Thankfully the little lamb was unharmed by the ordeal and was reunited with his mum

With bad hair day becoming the norm during lockdown, here are some tips on how to cut back on some of that growth

Home Bargains says it is taking steps to ensure the safety of shoppers and staff just days after an incident at the store in South Shields

McDonald's will reopen 15 restaurants in the south of England next week - but none in the North East

Garden lovers are welcoming new contactless delivery service from Southdene Nursery in Low Fell

Feeling fed-up with lock-down? Then read these wonderful words of advice from those who lived through the hardships of war

Life Science Centre in Newcastle hosts challenging debate and here's how to join its online audience for free

We're at the point in lockdown that our hair has become unmanageable but here's some advice on what we should do to cope

Boris Johnson is set to unveil his "roadmap" to the nation in a speech on Sunday

The North East enjoyed a spell of warm weather on Saturday but did people stick to social distancing? These pictures show what the scene was like in some popular Tynesidea areas

The Prime Minister is expected to announce only very modest changes in detailing his "road map" for easing the lockdown on Sunday evening

Simon Cowell was moved to tears by rescue dog Miracle on Britain's Got Talent who has a very traumatic past

Salomon Rondon enjoyed a successful season under Rafa Benitez at Newcastle United - and admits he would love to return to Tyneside

BCE INC., parent of CANADA's BELL MEDIA, saw its overall consolidated operating revenues slip 0.9% year-to-year to C$5.68 billion in first quarter 2020, attributed to the COVID-19 … more

iHEARTMEDIA News-Talk KOA-A-K231AA-K231BQ/DENVER has agreed to a three-year extension of its deal with rightsholder LEARFIELD IMG COLLEGE's BUFFALO SPORTS PROPERTIES to serve as radio … more

Once again we've doubled up on CONSULTANT TIPS at ALL ACCESS to help you steer your way through the not-even-close-to-normal world that we continue to operate in. This week MC MEDIA … more

Welcome to a free and easy way to download new music, and put songs directly on the air ... it's ALL ACCESS DOWNLOADS. Just go to any COOL NEW MUSIC page, where you find ALL ACCESS … more

There are currently 26 patients with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 in ICU

CONCORE ENTERTAINMENT star NATALIA DAMINI will perform her new hit PACEMAKER (f/ PETEY PABLO) on an IG LIVE TOMORROW with iHEARTMEDIA Top 40 WAKS (96.5 KISS FM)/CLEVELAND at 2p (ET) for the … more

iHEARMEDIA Top 40 WFLZ (933 FLZ)/TAMPA has announced that the “THEjoeSHOW” will now helm mornings, replace THE KANE SHOW, beginning JUNE 1st. “THEjoeSHOW,” is hosted … more

The four parts of the UK could now move at ‘different speeds’ in adapting their Coronavirus restrictions

A further five deaths were recorded on Friday

Outdoor recreation organisation conducts important survey influencing government policy

4,425 patients have been discharged from hospitals across Northern Ireland

An NHL NETWORK documentary on the 50th anniversary of the BOSTON BRUINS' 1970 STANLEY CUP championship is narrated by DROPKICK MURPHYS founder KEN CASEY. "THE 1970 BRUINS: BIG, BAD … more

NASHVILLE based BIG YELLOW DOG MUSIC (BYD) has signed CLARE DUNN to its publishing and label roster. DUNN's new single, “Safe Haven,” is available now via the label and is the … more

NUVOODOO's latest look at consumer behaviors and perceptions during the COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS pandemic asks questions beyond previous surveys' media usage topics. In the new sets of … more

FRIDAY night, MAY 1st, from 7 to 10P (ET) was the kick-off of #United4Cincy, a virtual community telethon produced by NUVOODOO MEDIA SERVICES, directed by NUVOODOO's RUSS GILBERT, and … more

Industry veteran JOHN ALEXANDER has resigned from his role as CEO of the crowdfunding and artist development platform BANDTWANGO MUSIC, effective immediately. Concurrently, he has signed a … more

SAGA COMMUNICATIONS first quarter net revenue fell year-to-year from $27.8 million to $26.1 million but net income rose from $1.4 million to $1.7 million for the quarter. Gross political … more

The in-person NAB SHOW didn't happen due to the pandemic, but the annual chat between FCC Chairman AJIT PAI and NAB Pres./CEO GORDON SMITH will take place anyway as part of the NAB SHOW … more

iHEARTMEDIA's Board of Directors has approved its own poison-pill provision in the form of a "short-term stockholder rights plan" that would deter a third party from taking … more

The RADIO TELEVISION DIGITAL NEWS ASSOCIATION and FREEDOM FORUM Power Shift Project are holding a "Local Broadcasters Town Hall" online on MAY 27th to highlight the work being done … more