Stream restoration can take many forms. It can involve the removal of manmade structures such as fish traps, bridges and dams or it can involve replacing big wood and gravel spawning beds missing because of human intervention.
For the past 20 years Blue Ridge Timber has been synonymous with stream restoration. Fish biologists and hydrologists along with water board, marine and watershed managers have relied on Blue Ridge Timber to do the heavy lifting when it comes to in-stream contract work.
Blue Ridge Timber brings a unique combination of logging technology, conservation motivation and the ability to comply with government contracting requirements to all of our jobs. We truly have a concern for the environment and it shows in our approach to each job.
Over 20 years ago, Blue Ridge owner Mark Villers developed a technique for placing big wood in the streams for fish habitat work. Villers noticed that logs placed for these purposes often got swept away at high water and the ones that remained were often under public scrutiny because of an obvious connection to logging. So Villers developed a technique for placing large trees in the stream bed without the use of a chainsaw. This tree pulling approach accomplishes the primary goals of holding spawning gravel and providing shelter for young fish and it does this with the root wads still attached to anchor the trees against being swept downstream during high water events. Additionally, when Blue Ridge Timber is done placing the trees, they look like they went down quite naturally in a storm.
A well-placed Douglas fir tree splashes down in the McKenzie River.