Hazard trees: every stump is a management failure

Nothing can put a damper on your day quite like the plummeting limb of an old growth Douglas fir tree. In fact, it can kill you.

Hazard trees are not something most campers think about, but we take their threat very seriously.

Each year we meticulously monitor the risks of hazard trees in all front country campgrounds, trails, and other visitor use areas.

Is there a target? Is there a limb perched precariously over a tent pad? Is the trunk hollow from heart rot?

Unfortunately, the science of hazard tree identification is not exact.

When a storm rolls through and the wind kicks up, trees and limbs can fall in very unpredictable ways. With careful monitoring we can reduce the risk, but we cannot eliminate it entirely.

Our goal is to minimize danger by reducing threats while protecting aesthetic values and habitat functions.

Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce risk without cutting down trees. We can climb the tree (no easy task!), and cut the offending limb or top, leaving the tree standing for generations of park visitors to enjoy.

In certain instances we may even go beyond simple trimming and create "habitat trees" by carving out nesting cavities and other niches for animals to nest or roost.

Next time you set up camp, take a good look around and see if you can spot our hazard tree handiwork.

For more information about hazard tree management, please contact Roy Zipp, Natural Resource Specialist. He can be reached by telephone at 360-873-4590 ext. 31 or via e-mail at roy_zipp@nps.gov.

Also, find out what "snags" are and why they are important to the forest ecosystem at http://www.nps.gov/noca/snags.htm.

Wildlife trees

A wildlife tree is any standing tree, dead or alive, with special characteristics that provide habitat for wildlife. Some of these characteristics are:

• large size
• hollow trunk
• broken top
• large branches
• loose bark

Woodpecker cavities, nest sites and birds perching on the branches are obvious signs of wildlife use. Bat guano under loose bark or bear fur around a hollow trunk are less obvious signs of use.