Wood is Good

A decade of grassroot dedication helped save the world’s last unprotected, intact, old-growth redwood forest ecosystem, now known as Headwaters Reserve (designated 1999). Tim Metz was one of the grassroots activists. For years he lived and breathed the forest, and met his wife as they fought side by side to stop the logging. Now, after 25 years he is returning to Headwaters.

When Tim left Headwaters in the 90s, the partially logged areas of the forest were ‘meadows and sapling plantations’, they’re now redwood, spruce, alder, and fir trees that tower over the banks of the South Fork Elk River that runs through Headwaters.

 

Decades of logging and misguided wood removal have impacted the river's geomorphology, and caused it to become sediment choked. The river still supports a population of spawning coho salmon that swell into its waters each winter, but restoring the the river will ensure this population returns year after year.

 

What the river needs is wood, and fast. The fish can't wait for the decades it will take for trees to slough off into the river. So, just as scientists took all of the wood out of the river, they are putting it back. The fastest way to put wood in the river?

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Chainsaws. 

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Hearing chainsaws in Headwaters is ominous given its history, but passers by are reassured by the cries of 'wood is good!' from the team as the sounds of falling trees fill the forest.  As we walk mark trees for felling, Tim says ‘I mean, who gets to do this? We are making a difference right here, right now.’

 

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Wood shapes rivers. Water flows in and around it, scouring pools, creating meanders, and sorting gravel. Salmon need wood to hide under and the sorted gravel provides spawning grounds.

 

In return, salmon carcasses bring gifts from the sea. The marine nutrients salmon carry in their flesh decompose into the soils, and then into the trees, nourishing the ecosystem. Studies have found that trees living on the banks of rivers that are home to salmon grow three times faster than those on rivers without salmon. This feedback loop creates an intimate relationship between fish and wood.

The art of selecting which tree to fell and why is complicated. How will its absence affect the rest of the stand, the ecosystem? Will it expose the river to too much sunlight? Which tree has the best chance of survival and should be left to grow? This is where Tim gets really excited. Knowledge of trees and forest dynamics blend with accurate felling and skilled chainsaw work. Tim says 'this is where silvicuture comes in, its an art form'.