Why Restorative Thinning
How We Got Here– Over the past five decades, minimal management of the Philmont Forest has been undertaken. The predominant ponderosa pine ecosystem has been allowed to naturally increase in stem density while necessary cleansing fires have been suppressed.
The resulting forest has 2 to 5 times more tree stems per acre than a healthy forest in the same ecological type. A ponderosa pine forest in this condition is severely stressed because too many stems are competing for limited resources such as nutrients and water, leading to a situation that the ecosystem cannot sustain. This overcrowded forest is more vulnerable to diseases and insect infestations, which can damage it or cause a stand replacement event. Additionally, the current forest has minimal sunlight reaching the forest floor, which reduces forage production needed for various ungulate species that inhabit the area.
The Negative Impact – The reduction or suppression of natural cleansing fires has led to an increase in ladder fuels and the accumulation of heavy fuel loads. Fire is an essential component of this ecosystem and cannot be completely eliminated. Ignition sources such as lightning strikes, careless campers, or homeowners contribute to wildfires. Under optimal conditions, fire in the ponderosa pine ecosystem would burn away these fuels and ladder species, maintaining a healthy forest stocking level. However, current conditions are far from optimal, resulting in destructive wildfires like the 2018 Ute Park fire and last year’s Cooks Peak and Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fires. While these devastating fires have reset the forest, it will take generations for the forest to fully reestablish itself.
The First Steps Towards Change – Following the 2018 Ute Park fire, the Philmont Scout Ranch, under the guidance of the Conservation Department, began efforts to reduce fuel loads and restore the spacing and stem density typical of a healthy ponderosa pine ecosystem or savanna. These efforts included hand-thinning a firebreak that extended through Lover’s Leap Canyon and Crater Lake, heading toward Beaubien. Thousands of hours were dedicated to cutting trees on either side of the road and creating piles for later burning. Between 2018 and 2022, several hundred acres were treated. This work resulted in a line bisecting the Ranch, where the ponderosa stands were cleared of ladder fuels, and the spacing was restored to that of a healthy ponderosa savanna. The Conservation staff, along with Camper Cons projects, put forth a tremendous effort to fell, haul, and stack the material across the Ranch during this time. Unfortunately, the lessons learned from the Cooks Peak fire necessitated a different approach.
Acres Per Day – The Cook’s Peak fire taught us an important lesson: fire, driven by strong winds in extremely dry conditions, does not adhere to any boundaries across the landscape. The fire was detected several miles ahead of the advancing flames, and no linear feature could effectively halt this type of rapid spread. The only potentially effective strategy is to remove fuel sources and disperse the canopy over a watershed-sized landscape.
To achieve this, the ranch needed to shift from a day-per-acre prescription to a model that could treat multiple acres each day. While hand crews, including both staff and volunteer conservation crews, remain vital in creating defensible space around ranch infrastructure, it became necessary to adopt mechanical treatment methods to cover the required number of acres in a shorter timeframe, ensuring the ranch’s resilience to fire.
The ranch has now implemented a Restorative Thinning Treatment program. This method, widely used across the West, aims to minimize the impact of wildfires by reducing excess fuels and restoring the landscape to a state that would resemble its condition had fire continued to play a role in the ecosystem. Restorative Thinning is performed using machinery designed to efficiently decrease forest density to levels consistent with a healthy ponderosa pine ecosystem. By engaging this system, the Ranch will move to an acre-per-day treatment level.
Solution – The Ranch has chosen Miller Timber Services to provide restorative thinning services. Miller has extensive experience working with landowners to restore forest lands while minimizing the environmental impact. Their employees use Ponsse harvesters and forwarders equipped with a tether system, allowing the equipment to maintain positive contact without slipping on slopes of over 80%. This ability to work on steep slopes with minimal ground disturbance was a key factor in the Ranch’s decision to retain Miller’s services.
Miller employs a cut-to-length (CTL) system, where material is severed from the stump by the harvester. The limbs are removed and cut to programmed lengths that meet market specifications. Instead of dragging limbs across the ground, they are scattered ahead of the harvester, creating a bed that allows both the harvester and forwarder to operate with minimal ground disturbance. This approach minimizes environmental impact by avoiding significant ground disturbance.
The ranch has over 63,000 acres of ponderosa ecosystem acres to treat. Much of this ecosystem sits on lands with slopes in excess of 40%.
Fire plays a natural role in the ecosystem of the ponderosa savanna. It typically burns along the ground, consuming brush and younger trees, which helps maintain an open savanna landscape. This type of fire is essential for keeping the forest healthy. If left untreated, ladder fuels, such as small trees and shrubs, can grow into the mature ponderosa canopy, leading to dangerous wind-driven crown fires. To ensure that the Philmont Scout Ranch continues to offer a High Adventure experience, it is crucial for the forest to remain healthy and to recognize fire as a beneficial part of its system. Restorative thinning is a technique that allows the ranch to reset the forest without causing significant impact.
Philmont Fire Recover & Mitigation Fund
Consider supporting the Philmont Fire Recovery and Mitigation Fund. Your donation will directly benefit Philmont Scout Ranch by funding fire mitigation, land conservation, and recovery efforts. Your contribution will help ensure that the valuable lessons learned through wilderness adventures at Philmont can continue to benefit future generations.