Forest
restoration projects are popular mechanisms for harvesting small diameter
timber in an ecologically sensitive manner, while also building a rural
community's economic well-being more harmoniously with the local
ecosystem.
Restoration projects have been
part of partnerships involving community members, timber-related
businesses, researchers, technical assistance providers, and public land
agencies. These partnerships work towards on-the-ground results, but also
on building more effective collaborative relationships among partners who
bring differing perspectives and concerns to efforts to revive community
economics and heal ecosystems damages.
Restoration
forestry is made up of interdependent components each of which contribute
to a comprehensive ecosystem management approach to both forest health
management and rural community development. The first is an ecologically
sensitive silvicultural prescription that guides cost-effective
harvesting, employing innovative machinery in the process of thinning
small diameter timber from unhealthy forest stands. While the work on the
ground is taking place. Simultaneously, developing value-added products
and connecting to the markets and buyers is occurring. Pre- and
post-harvest monitoring for the plant compositions and growth is also
taking place. Wildlife habitat monitoring plays a big role, also. And
reintroducing fire in those ecosystems, such as ponderosa pine, is the
final important component of helping the ecosystem to re-establish natural
structures and functions.
