Cutting and reseeding will reduce fire risk, improve erosion control
Forest service officials estimate that about 4,400 truckloads of dead Engleman Spruce trees will be removed from the Manti-La Sal National Forest by a logging operation underway at the Carbon-Emery county line.
In a video produced by the forest service, Sanpete District Ranger Kyle Beagley said there is a very active timber program in the forest. The Mine Timber Sale in Eccles Canyon is one of several timber sales offered by the forest service to reduce fuels and improve forest health in a 70,000 acre area devastated by the Spruce Bark Beetle. The beetles killed about 90 percent of the trees in the area, leading to a huge fuels buildup problem.
Dead trees dry while standing, so the timber customers can begin processing the logs almost immediately. Local customers include Satterwhite Log Homes of Gunnison and Sanpete Shavings & Timberline Firewood Bundles, based in Moroni. The bulk of the shavings are used by turkey producers and mink farms in the area.
Beagley noted that after the trees have been killed by the beetles, there is a window of opportunity for viable logging. He said if left standing, the dead trees may fall or be blown down and, “you end up getting a spaghetti noodle mess on the floor of the forest.” Beagley said that has a negative impact for wildlife and adds to the fuel load, so wild fires that may come through the area are more intense and sterilize the soil.
7-year term
Mike Scottorn, a forester with the Ephriam office of the Manti La-Sal National Forest, said the Mine Timber Sale, named for the nearby Skyline Mine, also covers the ridge above Eccles Canyon for several miles to the north on Forest Road 0221 and several miles south on the Trough Springs Road. Contract terms are based on the size of the sale and are typically two to five years. The contract for the Mine Timber Sale is for seven years.
After the logging operation is completed, steps will be taken to control erosion, including re-contouring the temporary roads, distributing “slash” on the ground and reseeding the area. Officials say because logging results in more open terrain, more grasses will grow and that will benefit the watershed.
There are currently three other timber sales in the immediate area, and a total of seven active timber sales within the Manti-La Sal National Forest boundaries. Proceeds from the sales are used to buy seedlings to replant the areas disturbed by the logging operations.