Boulder Creek and Jones Creek Watershed Forest Management Plan

The City of Camas Boulder Creek and Jones Creek watershed property consists of approximately 1,700 acres of mature forest land that is used by the City to collect water, via water intake facilities, for municipal purposes. Other than minor improvements and maintenance activities necessary to operate the water intake facilities, the property has been unmanaged for the last 60+/- years. 

In February 2011, the City contracted with AKS Engineering & Forestry (AKS) to perform a timber inventory and valuation assessment of the watershed. The purpose of this assessment was to inventory the timber resource and estimate its current value. The assessment determined that the property contains a significant amount of high value timber.

Given the valuation of the timber resource, the City directed AKS to develop a forest management plan to generate periodic income from the sale of wood products while protecting water quality.

AKS met with City staff to discuss the creation of this plan and performed extensive field reconnaissance of the watershed. An assessment of existing resources, a timber harvesting plan, an access and road plan, as well as implementation methods, guidelines, and management recommendations, comprise the main components of this plan.

City goals guided the development of this forest management plan. These goals are to:

1. Protect and maintain water quality
2. Generate periodic income from the sale of wood products
3. Provide a permanent access/road network within the property for operational, maintenance, and asset protection purposes
4. Improve forest health