The Quinault Indian Nation is planting Sitka spruce to give a boost to sockeye salmon:
“Most of the original Sitka spruce forest in the river valley was removed by the 1950s to establish homesteads or was clear-cut back when they didn’t replant,” said Kevin Fetherston of R2 Resource Consultants.
The project treated about 70 acres, thinning red alder to allow existing spruce to grow more quickly and to provide gaps in the canopy for new tree growth.
Crews planted 12,000 spruce seedlings at about 170 trees per acre, similar to the densities in naturally developing forests of the Hoh and Queets river bottoms.
This story, and more, are available in the recently released Northwest Treaty Tribes magazine. You can download a free copy here or sign up for a free print subscription here.
