Chimacum Ridge

Chimacum Ridge rises between Center and Beaver Valleys, in the heart of Chimacum, amid a landscape of protected salmon streams, forests and farms. The 850+ acre forested ridge is a prominent landmark and is ideally located for a community forest. Chimacum Ridge is the biggest land acquisition planned by Jefferson Land Trust over the next five years.

[KT] View of the Olympics from the ridge

[TL] Not wild tansy alongside the forest road running around the property.

[TL] While mum is busy getting the next meal

[TL] House wrens chitter and call in much of the forest.

Erick Kingfisher and ??? discuss how to provide sustainably harvested wood to local schools and companies

Sean Koomen (L) - chief instructor at the NW School of Wooden Boat Building , ??(C) and Erik Kingfisher (R) - Stewardship Director of Jefferson Land Trust

Jefferson Land Trust regularly takes groups of local stakeholders to explore the potential for a community forest.

[KT] Sarah Spaeth of JLT explains plans to a group tour

Wide spaced growth rings tell the story of quick growth and early harvest.

Piles of slash are scattered across the property.

Clearcut valley leading down to Chimacum Creek.

[TL] Open forestry with little understory covers the top of the ridge.

[TL] Some of the creeks start as seeps or moist hollows.

[KT] Views to the west of the Olympic Mountains

[KT] Eighteen creeks run off the ridge into Chimacum Creek. Restoring the land keeps the water clean.

[TL] Overlooking the farms on Center Valley

[TL] Rotting slash piles are a great home for new growth

[TL] Moist areas remain lush through the summer

[TL] A spotted towhee sits in a big leaf maple.

[TL] A male and a juvenile American Goldfinch hanging out

[TL] Spider weaving it's web in the ferns

[TL] A member of the Crescent family of butterflies

[TL] Hanging moss is common, especially on Maples and Alders

Photographers: Tim Lawson [TL], Robert Tognoli [RT], Kerry Tremain [KT]

Chimacum Ridge

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