The Asotin County Conservation District (ACCD) is pioneering a Forestland Stewardship Program to source local, high-quality woody materials for in-stream fish habitat enhancement projects. Precommercial thinning and pruning practices will be applied to reduce fuel-loading and increase fire-resiliency in the upland forests which stand at the headwaters of our watersheds. ACCD will then use the harvested woody materials to construct in-stream habitat enhancement structures in project areas around Asotin County.

In-Stream Habitat Enhancement Projects:

PALS (Post-assisted log structures) and BDA's (beaver dam analogues) habitat enhancements are low-cost, hand-built structures which mimic a stream's natural process of wood accumulation (much like a beaver dam) which improves fish habitat. We will be installing PALS in several project areas within Asotin County in the Summer of 2020, 2021 and 2022. Future habitat enhancement projects are in the works, meaning we will need large amounts of woody materials in the future!

Forestland Stewardship Program Requirements:

• Program is open to all Asotin County landowners with forested parcels. Limited availability for fuel-reduction services.
• Forestland Agricultural Stewardship Plan (Provided at no-cost to landowners by ACCD technical staff): Includes comprehensive statement of landowner goals and timber management objectives, parcel maps, stand descriptions, vegetation inventory data, identification of resource concerns, and recommended conservation/maintenance/treatment activities to improve forest health.
• All Agricultural Stewardship Plans provided by Conservation Districts are confidential and exempt from the Public Records Act
• Forest improvement practices can be conducted according to the Forestland Stewardship Plan by the ACCD-hired crew (dependent upon availability*), contracted privately with local certified foresters, or completed by the landowner.
• Special conservation service-fee rates for forest improvement activities may be available for a limited number of acres per season, per landowner, and is dependent upon crew availability and funding.

If you are interested in viewing any of the PALS, please contact the District our check out our new video that highlights PALS that were installed in 2020 above.