Long-Range Plan Update

Conservation districts are required by state law (RCW 89.08.220) “to prepare and keep current a comprehensive long-range program recommending the conservation of all renewable natural resources of the district.” Long-range plans are generally updated every five years, and our current plan was adopted in early 2018. However, because that plan was prepared without the input of a majority of our current Board of Supervisors, we have decided to do a mid-course update.

Your input is greatly valued, and we’ve prepared a short survey to learn what Clallam Conservation District residents think we should focus our efforts on in the future. Please go to our Long-Range Plan webpage to access the survey, and our current long-range plan and renewable resource inventory.

by Executive Director, Joe Holtrop

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy a walk in the woods on a warm, sunny October day, and we had some beauties the first week of this month.

I love the fresh autumn air, sound of a light breeze in the trees, the long shadows, leaves lazily gliding to the ground, and most of all, the colors.

Although not generally known for fall foliage color, the Pacific Northwest can be stunning this time of year. And, according to the Fall Foliage Prediction Map, we’re in peak season for autumn leaf color right now.

The factors that contribute to fall leaf color are temperature, sunlight and soil moisture. Warm, sunny days and cold but not freezing nights are best.

As daylight hours decrease, cells at the juncture of the leaf and stem transform in preparation for leaf detachment. This same phenomenon blocks the flow of chlorophyll to the leaf. And because chlorophyll is what makes leaves green, they begin to lose their green color. This allows the yellow and orange pigments to be visible. Plenty of sunshine and low temperatures cause more rapid loss of chlorophyll. Meanwhile, cool nights cause a chemical change in the leaf that produces red and purple pigments.

Two common weather conditions around here that lead to poor foliage color development and early leaf drop are drought and early frost. And then of course, there are those early fall storms that bring wind and rain, which also cause leaves to fall prematurely.

But in some years, we get optimal conditions, resulting in spectacular fall foliage color. And in the years that aren’t so ideal, there are still a number of plants that rise to the occasion. There are numerous outstanding non-native trees and shrubs that have been bred for their spectacular fall display, but I’m only going to focus on our natives.

Our native maple trees are among the best for fall color, with vine maple rising to the top of the list with its vibrant orange hues. Foliage color on vine maples typically starts changing in August, long before most other plants, and continues to change until eventual leaf drop late in October.

Rocky mountain maple, also known as Douglas maple, is another good choice for fall color. It is similar to vine maple in size and shape. Its fall color isn’t quite as eye-catching and doesn’t last as long; however, rocky mountain maple is more tolerant of sun and wind, thus more adaptable to variable site conditions. And in spring, it leafs out a good month earlier than vine maple. Both vine and rocky mountain maple tolerate variable soil conditions.

In good years, big leaf maple is a sight to behold with its classic yellow fall foliage. Unfortunately, this year’s foliage seems to have been impacted by summer drought, resulting in considerable browning of the leaves. Note that big leaf maple is a big tree that requires a lot of space. Whereas the much smaller vine and rocky mountain maples can fit into almost any landscape.

Serviceberry is another small tree or large shrub suitable for any landscape that also produces nice fall color. Like the big leaf maple, with good weather conditions, the foliage on serviceberry turns a warm golden color in fall. And like the vine and rocky mountain maples, serviceberry is tolerant of variable soil conditions. As an added benefit, it produces fruit that attract cedar waxwings and other birds.

Last on my list is red-osier dogwood, which goes by many other names, including red-stem dogwood and creek dogwood. Although known for its red stems in winter, its unique red and purple fall color is matchless. Red-osier dogwood is a shrub that prefers moist to wet soil conditions, although in a clay or silt loam soil, established plants can easily endure our normal dry summers.

There are other native trees and shrubs with good fall color, but most are not as suitable for residential landscaping. Two species known for nice fall color that should be avoided or at the very least, used with extreme caution are black cottonwood and quaking aspen. Black cottonwood has a shallow root system, grows rapidly and has a bad habit of dropping branches in wind storms. Its cousin, the Quaking aspen is very invasive, sending roots far and wide that sprout new trees.

WSU Forest Owners Field Day

Washington State University Extension Forestry is having their annual Family Forest Field Day on October 24th. Due to COVID-19 precautions the in-person event has been canceled, however the extension foresters have designed an extensive list of workshops that will be held throughout the day.

Participants will learn about forest health, combating invasive species, improving wildlife habitat, forest-farming mushrooms, thinning, tree planting, and more. Experts will be teaching many courses "out in the field" to provide real-life demonstrations, and sessions will allow for questions and answers. Register at: WSU - Forestry Extension

2021 NATIVE PLANT SALE

There is still time to save money on your native plant order! We are continuing to accept large orders through mid-November. These discounted bundles of bare-root tree and shrub seedlings are being sold in quantities of at least 100 per species, and range in price from $75 to $140 per 100 plants. Place your order today through our Online Store or by calling 360-775-3747 ext. 5.

Place Your Large Orders Now

VIRTURAL WORKSHOP:
Beautify Your Farm with Native Plants

Looking for ways to beautify your farm and create habitat? Join us for a webinar to learn how to create hedgerows, windbreaks, and privacy screens, and how to protect both new and existing plantings from horses and livestock. We will also talk about using native plants to enhance habitat for pollinators, birds, bats and wildlife.

• When: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm

• Where: Virtual workshop on GoToMeeting

• Registration: CLICK HERE to register and receive a link to attend the workshop.

If you aren’t able to attend the live workshop, check the box at registration to request the recorded presentation.

Frozen stock tanks and rodent infestations are two completely unrelated topics. However, both are items that are often overlooked until they are really creating havoc. To keep you from having to chop out frozen tanks or having your grain eaten by mice or rats, we’ve created some Winter Farm Tips for you to incorporate into you farm.

CONSERVATION SPONSORS