Volunteer Event - Riverside State Park - Forest Health

Overview: Riverside State Park consists of 9,194 acres along the Spokane and Little Spokane rivers. Recreational opportunities include mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, boating and more!

Project Description: From Sontag Park, we will walk down Hill Avenue about 1/4 mile to our thinning site within the Trautman Conservation Area. Volunteers have already thinned roughly 1 acre of overstocked Ponderosa Pine stands in this area off of one of our designated motorized track chair trails. This area of the forest has been opened up which has created more space, light, water and nutrients for the remaining trees. Overall, the health of the stand has improved, and wildfire severity risk has reduced. We will spend this event continuing to remove small trees from overstocked stands with use of handsaws and loppers as well as cleaning up the project area by utilizing the woodchipper and broadcasting the chips on the forest floor. 

Hiking Information: 1/4 mile on flat, gravel trail. After our safety briefing at the trailhead, we will head to our work site!

Planning Information:

• No experience is necessary; we will provide the training and tools you need.
• Expect to be physically active at your own pace for up to 4 hours on uneven terrain.
• No problem if you need to leave early, but please be on time to sign in and attend safety briefing!
• No minors are able to feed the wood chipper.
• We are unable to sign off on court mandated community service.

Things to bring:

Required:

• Sturdy closed-toe shoes
• Long Sleeved shirt
• Long Pants
• Work gloves
• Eye Protection
• Ear Protection
• A pack to carry your personal gear
• Water
• Discover Parking Pass (we can issue a day pass if you do not have one)

Work gloves, eye and ear protection will be provided but, if possible, we recommend bringing your own.