Test Plot Grant Initiative
Test Plot Grant Initiative
For Immediate Release, 11/01/2024
Contact Philip Stielstra, President
PropagationNation.us
info@propagationnation.us
PropagationNation Announces the Availability of Free Coast Redwood Reforestation Seedlings to Help Timber Owners Establish Test Plots in Western Washington and Oregon in Spring 2025*
Philip Stielstra, Co-founder and President of PropagationNation (PropagationNation.us), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) based in South Puget Sound, whose mission is to increase the presence of Coast Redwood in the Pacific Northwest, has announced a grant program to encourage the establishment of commercial timber test plantings on sites throughout western Washington and Oregon.
“There are many compelling reasons why coast redwood is an ideal candidate for commercial timber success in the Pacific Northwest. We have seen several sites where they are outperforming our traditional commercial timber species in terms of volume per acre and harvest rotation cycles.” according to Stielstra.
PropagationNation is offering up to 360 coast redwood seedlings to qualified tree farmers who will plant and maintain test plots and report back site-specific results on the growth and resilience of the trees over time.
This new initiative will help determine appropriate forest practices for coast redwood timber production and help develop site specific quantifiable information for commercial timber owners interested in diversifying their timber stands, including the role coast redwoods can play in providing resilience where fire, disease, and climate conditions are threatening forest lands.
The grant allows for a minimum of 240 to 360 coast redwood seedlings (including shipping costs), enough for the establishment of one acre. PropagationNation recommends planting at least 360 coast redwood seedlings per acre or planting in a mixed-species forest. The grant does not cover additional landowner costs for establishment and maintenance including site prep, plug planting, and post plant establishment treatments. Successful grant participants are asked to provide growth and survival data to PropagationNation via an easily uploadable annual form and give permission for PropagationNation to publish site-specific growth information. PropagationNation will work with successful grant recipients to provide forest practices advice to maximize successful coast redwood timber establishment.
Persons interested in participating in the Coast Redwood Test Plot Grant Program can find an application form at this link.* Qualified applicants accepted into the Test Plot Grant Program will receive free coast redwood plug seedlings (including shipping costs) for Spring 2025 planting. Successful grant recipients will be notified by December 15, 2024.
To download a copy of this press release, click on the link below:
Press-Release-Test-Plot-Grant-Initiative_11-7-24
* Editor’s note: It has not yet been determined if the Test Plot Grant Initiative will be open for applications in 2026.
Tour of Lamers Family Forest – A Redwood-Growing Success Story
In September, a group of Lewis County Farm Forestry Association members and PropagationNation staff toured the Lamers Family Forest 490-acre tree farm in Monmouth OR near Salem where they have been growing redwoods since 1989. They have planted 20,000 redwoods to-date, and based on redwood’s superior performance over the years, that’s the only species they plant. Harry Bhagwandin has written a detailed report on the tour which is available at the link below:
Experimenting with Coast Redwood Timber Production in the Pacific Northwest
Presentation to the Olympic Region DNR TFW – Redwoods for the PNW, 12-19-24
PropagationNation was invited to make a presentation to the Olympic Region DNR TFW (Timber, Fish & Wildlife). They wanted to hear our perspective on the potential benefits and risks of Assisted Species Migration of coast redwoods and giant sequoias to the Pacific Northwest. A pdf copy of that presentation is available at the link below:
Presentation to the Chehalis Basin Collaborative on Salmon Habitat, 12-8-25
PropagationNation was invited to make a presentation to the Chehalis Basin Collaborative on Salmon Habitat. They wanted to hear our perspective on Coast Redwoods and Giant Sequoias and the potential benefits of Redwoods for Salmon habitat. A pdf copy of that presentation is available at the link below: