Forests

Abstract

In 1990, the U.S. Forest Service began a fouryear project to rehabilitate and expand recreational areas at Lost Lake, an area that has been a campground since 1900. Located just east of the Cascade Range crestline at 957 m above sea level, the project area receives 406 cm (160 inches) of precipitation a year, usually in the form of snow. The prevalent vegetation can be described as belonging to the Pacific silver fir (Abies) plant community. The project objective calls for building or reconstructing 133 campsites and 32 day-use sites along with over 4.8 km of roadway. Revegetation is integrated into the construction schedule since the area is accessible only from May through October. Our revegetation goals are 1) to minimize the area disturbed by construction and to salvage as many plants as possible within those areas; 2) to replant all disturbed areas using propagules collected on-site or from adjacent clearcuts; and 3) to protect the integrity of the identified plant subcommunities. Using a classification system developed in The Plant Association and Management Guide for the Pacific Silver Fir Zone (Hemstrom et al 1986), we identified four distinct plant sub-communities within the project area ranging from hydric to xeric. Data about vegetation, environment, and soil characteristics helped us develop a site plan, vegetation management plan, and revegetation specifications. We also used plant succession field data collected from adjacent clearcuts to determine the desired species composition and spacing for replanting. We planned all the work for this multi-year project by preparing revegetation specifications and requirements in the construction contract. Service crews, temporary employees and volunteers were then trained to carry out plant salvage, seed collection and propagation tasks. Each year, in the early spring before road construction begins, workers salvage most plant materials within the construction zone. They dig 10 to 15.25-cm-thick mats of pioneer grasses/forbs and transplant them directly into high-impact areas like