Prescribed Fire

Forest Resilience

Resilient forests have the capacity to adapt to stress and change, while retaining ecological integrity.

Decades of fire suppression have built up a crowded understory in forests across the Pacific Northwest, creating ladder fuels that extend into the canopy. Indigenous peoples used fire as an ecological tool to maintain the understory. The regularity of cultural burning prevented fire from reaching the forest canopy and devastating the ecosystem.

Stand-replacing fire has become more common as wildfires grow hotter and larger under desiccating conditions, creating large swaths of charred landscape that have lost ecological integrity.

At Watershed Science, our goal is to promote resilient forests. Studies show that thinning and prescribed fire minimize the risk of severe fire effects, resulting in resilient forests.

Let our team bring your forest into ecological balance.

Invasive Species Removal

Invasive species compete with native species, reduce biodiversity, and dramatically alter habitats.

Herbicides contain chemicals that contaminate the land. It is not feasible to remove some species by hand.

Fire can be used to eradicate invasive vegetation more quickly and effectively than other methods without contaminating the land. Burning prior to seed maturation and disposal is an effective vegetation control strategy.