Washington State Department of Natural Resources Pacific Cascade Region District Manager Brian Poehlein and Clark County Parks and Lands Manager Kevin Tyler discus the clear cutting that will be taking place along the Moulton Falls Trails to a man walking his two golden retrievers.
Approximately 60 acres of forest will be cut along the 8-mile Moulton Falls Trail in January 2019.
“My best guess is around 6,000 trees will be removed, but that is a really rough estimate,” said Washington State Department of Natural Resources Pacific Cascade District Manager Brian Poehlein.
Hikers and swimmers are concerned about the short and long term effects this clear-cut could have on the trail.
“This is an oasis out here. People I know say this is their favorite childhood trail,” said Erin Neufield, who lives nearby in Yacolt. “This feels like a park. This feels like a place where kids and families come to swim and enjoy being out in nature.
“I’m afraid this is going to drastically change the trail,” she added. “When it’s all said and done, I think people are going to be in shock.”
Poehlein said this trail exists because of a partnership of trust lands between the DNR and Clark County Parks and Lands. The DNR provided the parks department with an opportunity to expand their trail system along the Lewis River, but this is still a working forest.
“There are certain objectives we have to fill,” Poehlein said. “Not only are we removing this timber for revenue, but at the same time, we are going to get rid of some of these trees that pose overhead hazards.”
Poehlein said the conifer trees that will be harvested are between 64 to 88 years old. The alder trees, which pose a hazard to hikers with their branches dangling above the trail, are between 21 to 40 years old. He adds that most of the foliage along the trail will be untouched.
“If you think you are going to be walking through some sort of moonscape when we’re done, that’s just not what it’s going to look like,” Poehlein said. “There will be noticeable impacts, but not severe.”
Clark County Parks Lands Manager Kevin Tyler said the parks department and the DNR are working together on this project to fulfill the manades of the trust while preserving the beauty of the trail for the people who walk it.
“The north side of the trail is not going to be touched at all. On the south side, we have seen several parts on the trail where they are not going to harvest because of wetland buffers or leaf tree areas,” Tyler said. “The DNR is doing their best to minimize the overall impact of what we see by the time of year they plan on doing this and making sure the trail is open on weekends and holidays.”
Poehlein adds that the planting of new trees will take place just a few weeks after the timber clearing is complete.
“If we can complete this by February, we’ll come in here by March or early spring and try to get the new trees planted right away,” he said. “We expect the new trees to be at least five feet high in about four to five years.”
Poehlein has given four people a tour of the clear-cut. He encourages concerned citizens to come out and walk the trail with him. He can be reached at 360-577-2025.
“I think it’s important to get people out here, show them the maps, talk to them about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” Poehlein said. “This is a working forest with an incredible trail thanks to our relationship with the parks department. We think we do a really good job balancing all these needs.”
