More Than Planting: How Thoughtful Management Sustains Forest Health
Photo By Daniel Malta |
Hank Lochhead, left, a silviculture forester with the Gunnison Ranger District, stands......read moreread more
Photo By Daniel Malta | Hank Lochhead, left, a silviculture forester with the Gunnison Ranger District, stands with his tree-planting crew, June 11, 2026. The crew starts work before sunrise, checking spacing, depth and placement to give each seedling the best chance of survival. The crew will have planted more than 194,000 trees by the end of the planting season. (Forest Service photo by Daniel Malta) see less
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More Than Planting: How Thoughtful Management Sustains Forest Health
Under a bright morning sun high in the Gunnison Ranger District, crews moved across an open slope in a steady rhythm…swing, plant, tamp, move. By the end of the week, they had planted tens of thousands of lodgepole pine seedlings across the district, part of a broader effort to ensure successful forest regeneration in the region. Across the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests’ Gunnison Ranger District, crews will plant about 194,000 trees this season.
Managing these planting operations, Hank Lochhead, silviculture forester with the Gunnison Ranger District, moved continuously among the crew, checking spacing, depth and seedling placement, ensuring the work met standards and that each tree had the best possible chance at survival.
To increase the odds of survival, crews plant on a nine‑by‑nine‑foot grid and adjust their spacing for existing natural regeneration. “If they hit a patch of spruce or lodgepole regen, they’re supposed to space off that,” said Chris Olson, Timber Sale Administrator with the Gunnison Ranger District. He pointed out the small branches placed on the south side of each seedling, a technique used to shade the young trees from the intense sun. “Otherwise, a lot of these won’t make it,” he said.
In addition to careful placement and shade, foresters also work years ahead of each planting season to ensure the seedlings themselves are set up for success. Seed is collected from areas near the planting site, so the young trees retain local traits that improve their chances of surviving in the same climate and elevation. Each seedling is ordered nearly two years in advance and grown in a nursery, giving it time to develop strength while allowing weaker genetics to be screened out long before the trees are planted on the forest.
Much of this season’s work is happening where dense elk sedge quickly filled open areas after a past harvest. The grass grew thick and fast, overwhelming young lodgepole pine before they had a chance to take hold.
“The elk sedge came in too thick,” Olson said. “It outcompetes the lodgepole seedlings from getting established, and once it gets that thick, you don’t get much natural regeneration without planting.”
Tree planting is often one of the most visible forest management activities, and Olson said it’s no surprise that the public reacts positively when they see trees going into the ground. But he emphasized that planting is a supplement, not the primary or even the most desirable strategy.
When forests are managed correctly and conditions are optimal, forests regenerate naturally after disturbances like timber harvest or fire. Gunnison District Ranger Dayle Funka said planting is used only when natural processes fall short.
“Planting isn’t your first option,” Funka said. “A responsible disturbance usually creates enough seedbed preparation for natural regeneration to come in on its own. If it’s not meeting the stocking rate after a few years, that’s when we know Mother Nature needs a little help. Everything we do, from prescribed fires to timber sales, feeds into resiliency,” she said. “It’s not defined by one action. It’s the combination of many.”
Tree planting is one tool among many. Prescribed fire, thinning and timber harvests all help create healthier, more resilient forests. Timber harvesting, for example, reduces fuels, prevents crown fires and creates natural fire breaks. “If we don’t cut trees, they become overmature, diseased and unhealthy,” Olson said. “We want age diversity out here.”
Disturbance, whether natural or intentional, also creates the conditions many species need to regenerate. “Lodgepole like disturbance,” Olson said. “Some areas come back really thick after fire or logging.”
Olson noted that even harvesting is methodical, not indiscriminate. Foresters intentionally leave species like Engelmann spruce because they regenerate more slowly and help maintain diversity.
“We don’t like to cut any of the spruce when harvesting,” he said, gesturing toward mature Engelmann spruce left standing at Taylor Park among thousands of newly planted seedlings. “Those are all mature trees. The timber sale didn’t cut those.” A mix of ages and species strengthens the forest against insects and disease.
Funka said this work also ties directly into other district priorities such as managing watersheds. “The Forest Service exists to protect watersheds,” she said. “If you have responsible, resilient ecosystems, including your trees and grasslands, you’ll have clean water and less sedimentation for communities, animals and plants.” Every action, planting, thinning, prescribed burning or harvesting, supports the long‑term health of the landscape.
Olson explained that these new seedlings will take nearly 100 years to reach maturity, but foresters will return long before then to thin the stand and help the strongest trees rise and develop into trees with fuller crowns and larger diameter.
Standing among a mix of new seedlings, decades‑old lodgepole and mature spruce, Funka said the landscape shows what the Forest Service is working toward. “This is what resiliency looks like, a forest with many ages, many species and room to grow,” she said.
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