Colville FFA Chapter Agriculture Issues Team

Hannah Gormon, Mariah Lentz, Billy Rogers, Kashmir Howes, Jolene Rogers,

& Hannah LeCaire

Is the practice of clear cutting with the use of

herbicides a proper way of forest management in Eastern Washington?

Benefits of Clear-Cutting

• More economical

• Removal of areas infested with insect or disease damage

• Fire Control

Selective Cut Logging

Multiple cuts in a decade

Clear Cut Logging

Allows only one cut for several decades

Erosion is a problem in clear cutting!

Grass fires vs. Crown fires

Benefits of Herbicides

• Foliar Spraying– Spray Over– No overspray

• Injecting– Injected straight into unwanted vegetation, and does

not affect other plants.

Reforestation after herbicides

Benefits of Herbicides

• Smaller Spray Zone• Environment– Help to speed up

process of forest regeneration

– Meant to kill unwanted plants.

Disadvantages of Herbicides

• Toxicity• If inhaled could cause serious damage• Animals can also ingestthese horrible and deadlytoxins

Disadvantages of Herbicides• Kills Non-Targeted Vegetation– Can overspray onto neighboring land or

someone’s private property

• Contamination– contaminate the soils for future planting– Pollute waterways and soil

• Costly– Cheaper to buy larger seedlings

Advantages of Clear-Cutting• Positive points– More cost effective for logging– Larger profits– Insect and Disease control– Less ladder fuels for fire prevention

Disadvantages of Clear-Cutting• Causes Numerous Negative Impacts– Views change (ascetics)– Soil erosion– Increased wildfires– Long term profit vs. short term profit

Advantages of Herbicides• Positive Points– Faster regeneration of the forest with less

competition of other plant– Numerous safemethods of applications

Disadvantages of Herbicides• Causes negative Impacts– Overspray may damage non-targeted areas– Costly….could buy larger seedlings vs. cost of sprays– Toxic to environment

~The End~The answer is for

you to decide?