San Juan National Forest - Resilience

Treatment: allow some change in current conditions, but encourage eventual return to original conditions

Management Goals

Meadow patch in a forest with mountains in the back.
San Juan National Forest. Photo Credit: Molly Roske.
  • Heavily favor fire-adapted and drought tolerant species across all size classes and create openings in the stand
  • Create high variability in spacing with openings up to 1 acre
  • Expand openings off of existing natural openings in the stand structure
  • Retain trees in closely spaced legacy groups with multiple size classes and species
  • Increase drought-tolerant and fire-adapted species (ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir)

Strategies & approaches

  • Thin to 60-80 ft2/acre
  • Create high variability in spacing with openings up to 1 acre
  • Expand openings off of existing natural openings in the stand structure
  • Retain trees in closely spaced legacy groups with multiple size classes and species
  • Increase drought-tolerant and fire-adapted species (ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir)

Check Out other Treatments

Resistance

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Transition

Site Leads & Partners

Mike Battaglia (USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, RMRS) is the site lead for the San Juan National Forest project and Adam Tlachac (San Juan National Forest) is the local site manager. Key partners include Lance Asherin (RMRS), Kevin Emde (San Juan National Forest) Matt Tuten (USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry), Paula Fornwalt (RMRS), Chuck Rhoades (RMRS), Wade Tinkham (RMRS), Zach Steel (RMRS), Anthony Culpepper (Mountain Studies Institute), and Jake Kurzweil (Mountain Studies Institute), who are working with us to complete monitoring and outreach goals. Linda Joyce (Retired, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station) was a key thought-leader in the development of the San Juan ASCC site. 

Headshot of Mike Battaglia.

Mike Battaglia
San Juan national Forest ASCC Site Lead

Research Forester, Rocky Mountain Research Station
USDA Forest Service
Forest and Woodland Ecosystems Science Program
240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins, CO 80526
Phone: 970-498-1286
Michael.battaglia@usda.gov

Adam Tlachac
San Juan National Forest ASCC Site Manager Lead

San Juan National Forest
USDA Forest Service
180 Pagosa Street, P.O. Box 310 Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Phone: 970-264-1513
adam.tlachac@usda.gov

Kevin Emde
San Juan National Forest ASCC Site Manager Lead

San Juan National Forest
USDA Forest Service
180 Pagosa Street, P.O. Box 310 Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Phone: 970-264-1510
kevin.emde@usda.gov