Our Forests
SENECA
JONES TIMBER COMPANY Intrinsic to the partnership between Seneca Sawmill Company and Seneca Jones Timber Company is the management of over 166,000 acres of forestland in Oregon. Seneca Jones Timber Company’s forest policy consists of more than just the planting, growing and harvesting of trees. Our forests are also managed to protect and provide habitat for fish and wildlife, clean air and water, soils, and recreational opportunities. The combination of these values provide the necessary foundation for not just healthy forests, but more importantly, healthy ecosystems, as illustrated in the above photo of our Roseburg Tree Farm. Our Forests are Forever Seneca promotes sustainable forest practices on its timberlands. Over time, the volume of timber grown equals or exceeds that which is harvested. Commonly referred to as sustainable yield, it simply means that our harvest never exceeds the growth of our forests. In fact, our volume of growing stock has increased each of the last five years, a net result of growing more trees than we harvest.
We also pride ourselves with the fact that we utilize virtually 100% of each log brought to our mills from our forestlands. Growing Tomorrow's Forests In 2001 alone, Seneca Jones Timber Company will be planting over 1.6 million trees. This includes seven different species which will assure diversity in our next-generation forests. We strive to reforest our lands in the first planting season after harvest, and at the maximum, no more than the second. Targeting a spacing of 10' x 10', we hope to achieve 435 trees per acre (roughly the size of a football field) after the first year, with the goal of having at a minimum 90% survival after three years.
To assist with tree establishment, Seneca utilizes the latest techniques to control competing vegetation. Later in the tree growth cycle, silviculture tools such as precommercial thinning, commercial thinning, and fertilization are often applied. During 1998, Seneca fertilized over 9,600 acres of its forests. In 1999, the number of acres fertilized increased to over 15,000.
In addition, Seneca has recently joined a seed orchard cooperative with eight other private industrial landowners and one Government Agency insuring our future seedlings are grown from superior genetic stock.
The commitment and proper application of these silvicultural tools assures Seneca a continuous and sustainable supply of trees. Taking Care of our Forests Having long understood the importance of its forest resources, the State of Oregon has one of the most comprehensive sets of Forest Practice Regulations in the world, commonly referred to as the Oregon Forest Practices Act. These regulations encompass all areas of forest management including, and not limited to, reforestation, harvesting, road building, stream protection, and wildlife protection. The Oregon Department of Forestry is not only charged with the responsibility of monitoring and enforcing these regulations, but also to strengthen them whenever sound science shows a need for new regulations. Seneca prides itself by utilizing Best Management Practices which meet, and more often exceed, the regulations of the Oregon Forest Practices Act. |
