Podcast interview w/ Olympic biologist about Pine Martens
KPTZ 91.9 radio host Debaran Kelso interviews U. S. Forest Service wildlife biologist Betsy Howell to get an update on the pine marten survey. Listen to the Podcast here. (Fall 2017)
Historic High Steel Bridge preservation & maintenance by forest engineers
The historic High Steel Bridge, erected by the Simpson Logging Company in 1929, carried a single railroad track across a formidable chasm to tracts of previously inaccessible lands. The 685 foot steel riveted webbed arch rises 375 feet above the Skokomish River's South Fork. Forest engineers maintain the safety of structures like the High Steel Bridge.
Olympic National Forest History
Olympic Forest Reserve was established in 1897 and transferred to the Forest Service as Olympic National Forest in 1907. Mt. Olympus National Monument, established in 1909, was designated as Olympic National Park in 1938 by Franklin D. Roosevelt. View Olympic National Forest historic highlights.
Olympic native seed collection & propogation
Did you know the US Forest Service collects native plant seeds? Saving and growing seed from native plants helps us restore areas that have been disturbed or that need rehabilitation. Cheryl Bartlett, Olympic National Forest Botanist, explains her seed collection projects.
The Pacific Northwest is rich in many salamander species which are crucial in the process of forest carbon cycling. Salamanders are at risk from a number of threats, including habitat loss, wildlife trade, invasive species, and, most recently, fungal pathogens. (July 2016)
What does a wildlife biologist do?
Wildlife biologists monitor changes in our environment. They are often the first to recognize changes in the forest. In this video wildlife biologist Betsy Howell as she talks about her job and what a wildlife biologist does to help manage our national forestlands.
Roosevelt Elk habitat enhancement & remote camera monitoring
Olympic National Forest has long been working to improve elk foraging habitat on the Forest by encouraging the growth of forage. Remote cameras are used to monitor wildlife use in these areas.
Return of the Fisher King
Pekania pennanti, or the Pacific fisher, disappeared from Washington State early in the last century. This housecat-size member of the Weasel family was trapped for its fine fur and suffered from the loss of the old growth forests it prefers; it now resides on the Washington State endangered species list. Learn more about the Olympic peninsula fisher & it's reintroduction to the forest.
US-UK Pacific Northwest tree seed-collection tours
US Forest Service Geneticist Andrew Bower accompanied representatives from the United Kingdom Forestry Commission’s Bedgebury Pinetum, Westonbirt Arboretum, and the Oxford University Harcourt Arboretum on a seed collecting tour in the Pacific NW for propagation and long-term genetic conservation in 2015.
Climate Change
Land management has been traditionally based on the precept that future environmental conditions will mirror past conditions. Today we can no longer assume that precipitation will fall in the same amounts and during the same time of year as in the past. This case study provides a place-based example of how agencies and groups can work together.
The Great Washington State Birding Loop is a self-guided driving tour using a custom map with information on each site about habitat, access, bird species, best season(s), and amenities.
The Great Washington State Birding Loop is a self-guided driving tour using a custom map with information on each site about habitat, access, bird species, best season(s), and amenities.
Laugh and learn with this interactive tour with the Olympic Habitat Development Study.