County Expedites Harvest Of Felled Trees

Spokane County commissioners have set aside the process normally used to hire contractors so loggers can start removing downed trees from three parks soon.

November’s ice storm felled about 180,000 board feet of timber at Liberty Lake Park in the Valley, and at Holmberg and Bear Lake parks on the North Side, said Fran Boxer, head of county parks.

Those logs are worth about $30,000 now, but might not be worth anything by the time the county could seek bids from loggers, then select one to do the work. Boxer got permission from commissioners to hire a logger without going through that lengthy process.

It has been 78 days since the storm that put a heavy coating of ice over wet snow, snapping and uprooting trees across the county.

Within 60 days of hitting the ground, downed ponderosa pines become susceptible to fungus that can reduce a tree’s value by half, Boxer said. Douglas fir drops in value when the wood dries or becomes infected with insects.

Boxer said it’s important to get logging equipment out of the woods before spring, when the ground becomes soggy with runoff.

Boxer said she hasn’t yet interviewed loggers, and doesn’t know what it will cost to remove the trees. The county is almost certain to make a profit, she said.

, DataTimes