New guy needs a best guess tree ID in PNW

[GJB1958]

Hello all.  This is my first post after visiting a few times over the last year or so. 

I'm a retired Navy dentist who now plays around in forestry part-time while the kids are in school.  I'm currently working three small parcels in Western Washington, about 56 acres total, of primarily Red Alder and Doug. Fir.  I've got my eye on a larger parcel down on the Washington Coast, just far enough away that I don't want to make the drive without knowing what I'm looking at in advance, especially since the access road appears overgrown to the point that visiting the site appears to be a bushwhacking adventure.   I'm hoping someone here can put their eyes on this satellite photo and best guess what is going on in this stand of forest.

Here's the setup:  This parcel is a couple miles inland of the ocean.  Appears to have be logged and replanted in Western Hemlock at 300 trees per acre somewhere around the year 2000 - 2003, so the current conifer stand is roughly 15 years old.  Google Earth reveals another darker colored tree that seems to have capture a significant portion of the acreage, but I can only guess what that species is:  1. Cascara Buckthorn or 2. Big Leaf Maple 3. Doug. Fir??

Just curious what if any local foresters have a best guess as to what the species makeup of this stand is.   Secondly, the site appears to be in need a release/pct treatment ASAP.   Agree or disagree??

Thank you in advance! 

 



 

[BaldBob]

Given the location and color I would guess Sitka Spruce.

[GJB1958]

Thank you.  I considered that, but I didn't think that the spruce would regenerate to the extent pictured.  Great answer!  For sure, some of it seems to be conifer.

[agor490]

Based off of my experience as a forester on the Olympic Peninsula, my best guess is that the darker colored trees are actually your western hemlocks that were planted (likely along with a number of naturally regenerated hemlock) and the light colored ones are probably western red alder that came in naturally. I'd agree that the stand is probably in need of a PCT.