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City forester reports timber sale, reforestation plans; contract with Mason Bruce & Gerard to be moved to evening agenda
Summary
Brett Keller of Mason Bruce & Gerard reported the sale of a Section 20 timber unit and outlined reforestation, thinning and invasive‑species control plans, while staff said a new forestry management contract will be moved to the evening meeting for approval.
Brett Keller of Mason Bruce & Gerard presented the city’s annual forest report during the St. Helens City Council work session on Feb. 5, describing recent timber sales, reforestation, planned thinning and a forthcoming management plan.
Keller said the Section 20 timber sale sold last October covers about 90 acres and contains roughly 2.5 million board feet; the sale carries an estimated revenue of about $1.5 million and brought a stumpage price of about $609 per thousand board feet for Douglas fir. The sale’s contract period runs into mid‑2026, Keller said.
Keller described follow‑up silviculture and logistics: precommercial thinning is planned for roughly 80 acres in an overstocked stand (thinning from roughly 350 trees per acre to a target 200–250), and reforestation work has been completed in several units with additional planting planned as seedlings become available. He said invasive Scotch broom is an active issue in some planted units and that limited herbicide use (product name referenced as Vaslam/Crossbow family) is planned where hand work is insufficient; the city’s forest program otherwise emphasizes non‑herbicide treatments.
Keller said timber market prices fell during 2024 but recovered to roughly the same levels as the prior year, driven partly by reduced Canadian imports and changes to harvest policies outside Oregon. He recommended the council consider deferring some harvests for one to two years to moderate the annual cut rate; the city has averaged about 60 acres per year since 2018 against a suggested sustainable level near 50 acres.
City administration said Mason Bruce & Gerard was the sole respondent to a recent request for proposals for forestry management services and recommended adopting a time‑and‑materials contract, using an established fee schedule. The mayor and administrator indicated that recommendation will be forwarded to the evening meeting for approval; no formal contract vote occurred during the work session.
Ending: Keller said a written management plan is being finalized and may be presented to council in the coming months; councilors asked for continued outreach on recreation buffers and the timing of harvests.
