LEI Oregon News and Blog

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Reducing Forest Fire Risk and Improving Forest Health

LEI began work on a new and exciting project for the USDA Forest Service, Region 6:  The Limestone/Silver Forest Health and Disease Control project on the Colville National Forest.   This project is an effort to promote forest growth and health, reduce tree insect and disease levels, and develop stand densities that sustain wood fiber production.   More information can be found on the Forest Service project website:  Limestone Silver Project Website

LEI is performing the logging engineering and forestry components of this project through completion of treatment unit reconnaissance and layout, logging system analysis, and unit boundary designation.  

LEI is excited to be working for the Colville National Forest to assist in improving the health of this National Forest while reducing risk of forest fire.   Projects like this one are so vital to the long term sustainability of our Nations Forests.

​Frequently, the developer or homeowner is faced with a situation where it is not possible to utilize existing stormwater treatment infrastructure for a new construction or reconstruction project.   A Rain Garden can be an ideal solution that provides effective stormwater treatment and is often very cost effective to construct.  Resembling standard landscaping, the rain garden collects stormwater from roof drains and other impervious surfaces and detains it for treatment through natural infiltration.   Stormwater entering the rain garden flows through vegetation, and associated root systems, allowing the water to be filtered prior to entering surrounding native soil.   The rain garden is an accepted stormwater treatment facility by most regulatory and permitting agencies.  

Construction of a rain garden is fairly straight forward and inexpensive process, with the primary requirements that the garden be sized appropriately for regulatory rain storm events and that existing soil provides a minimum level of infiltration.  A simple soil infiltration test can be performed at the site of the planned rain garden and then the garden sized by an engineer to accommodate required stormwater flows. 

Contact LEI if you would like more information about using a rain garden to address your stormwater treatment need. 

​The Lookout Pass Ski Resort Expansion EIS has been approved for implementation: https://data.ecosystem-management.org/nepaweb/nepa_project_exp.php?project=43757   LEI completed the road engineering, logging system engineering, and timber economics components of this project, as a sub-contractor to SWCA Environmental Consultants (www.swca.com).  

This project took nearly three years to complete and drew on LEI's extensive NEPA and timber sale NEPA experience to complete.

As stated in the final NEPA document: 

"The purpose of Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area's proposed expansion is to provide a high-quality downhill skiing recreation opportunity on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest and Lolo National Forest. Currently, ski area terrain is insufficient to consistently meet demand by the local skier market, resulting in diminished recreation experiences during high-visitation days. Expansion of the Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area would provide more skiable terrain and more efficient lift systems to enable the ski area to ensure a high-quality recreation experience for a wider range and number of skiers."

LEI principal engineer Greg Zartman, PE, was the lead engineer for this project and completed all of the road engineering, logging systems, design, and timber economics tasks for the SWCA team.

LEI is pleased to be the Civil Engineering team member for the Corvus Design multi-disciplinary team for the Region 10 Forest Service Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering IDIQ contract (Indefinite delivery indefinite quantity).   The Corvus Design team was awarded this one-year contract with four options years. 

Per the Forest Service notification:
"The USDA Forest Service Region 10 Regional Office is seeking qualified firms to provide professional landscape architectural and engineering services on an as-needed basis for Forest Service owned or managed lands and facilities located within the Tongass and Chugach National Forest."

Corvus Design and LEI have been successfully working together since 2010, and LEI looks forward to working with Corvus to provide the Forest Service with industry leading professional services for this contract.