Update on Tribal Forestry Program- February 2026               

Back in the September newsletter, it was announced that the Tribe had approved its first ever Timber Sales. Those projects were:

• Taqnis Timber Sale: 22 acres of Timber on Lake Tract (including the January 2024 Ice Storm damaged area)
• Heluu Timber Sale: 35 acres of Timber on Tioga Tract
• Hawatsit Timber Sale: 36 acres of Timber on Lake Tract

Current status of the Projects is as follows-

Taqnis: All Timber Harvest work was completed in December 2025. This included removal of the storm damaged trees along with standing timber. The species removed were primarily Douglas-fir and Western Hemlock.   The area was replanted in January of this year. Over 7,000 seedlings were planted, comprising of Douglas-fir and Western Redcedar. The success rate and growth of the seedlings will be closely monitored by the Forestry Department. There are a number of slash piles that remain at the site, and they will be burned in Fall of 2026.

Heluu: Roadwork was completed in 2025, which was a combination of restoring previous roads and creating new sections. Timber Harvest started at the beginning of February and will continue through late March or early April. The timber removed will be approx. 85% Douglas-fir and 15% Western Hemlock. Slash Piles will be burned in the Fall and the area will be replanted in late 2026 or early 2027. The Replanting mix will be Douglas-fir and Western Redcedar. There will also be a small plot dedicated to experimenting with Douglas-fir seedlings sourced from different geographical areas and elevations. After the harvest and replanting is complete, this area should provide tremendous deer and elk hunting opportunities for years to come.

Hawatsit: Road work is scheduled to start in April of this year, with Timber harvest occurring shortly thereafter. The Harvesting is expected to be completed by July. The mix of trees being removed is estimated at 70% Douglas-fir and 30% Western Hemlock. Slash burning will occur in the Fall and replanting will take place in late 2026 or early 2027. The Replanting mix will also be Douglas-fir and Western Redcedar.

To date, these 3 projects are the only approved Timber Sales. Work is underway on the final Planning phase of the next round of sales, which will include an emphasis on Commercial Thinning, to address the priority areas of Forest Land that are dense and overpopulated. The next Sales will include areas on Lake Tract and Smith River Tract. Once the Sales are approved, operations are expected to begin in late 2026 and carry over into 2027.

Starting this April, the Forestry Department is planning to facilitate meetings that will be open to the Tribal Community to review topics such as the Forest Management Plan, sustainable forestry practices, and future plans around burning. The sessions will be open to in-person participation or attending via Zoom. More information will be provided in the near future.  

Lastly, all Tribal households will be receiving a packet in the mail in February, containing copies of the Tribal Forest Access Policy and the Forest Products Use Policy. If there are any questions on Timber Sales or the Policies, please reach out to the Forestry Team at forestry@ctclusi.org. You may also contact me directly.

Thank you,

Tyler Slyter

Director of Forest Management

tslyter@ctclusi.org 

Office  541-888-1311