How a Logged Tree Farm Became a Thriving Community Forest
Trillium Community Forest, Whidbey Island, WA
The Trillium Community Forest didn’t start as a pristine natural area—it began as a heavily logged tree farm, dense with overcrowded Douglas-fir planted for maximum yield, not ecological balance. When the Whidbey Camano Land Trust purchased the property in 2010, they inherited a forest that looked green from afar, but was struggling beneath the surface. The trees were tall and spindly, soil conditions were poor, and biodiversity had all but vanished.
A once-dense monoculture of overcrowded Douglas-fir now shows signs of new growth and diversity after ecological thinning. Drag the slider bar in the image left and right to see before and after.
That’s where Janicki Logging Co. came in.
Working side-by-side with the Land Trust, JLC applied ecological thinning strategies designed to mimic natural disturbance patterns. Instead of clearcutting, they created mini-openings throughout the forest, leaving behind habitat trees, snags, and coarse woody debris to support wildlife.
“This has a net mortality — it’s dying more than it’s growing… If it doesn’t burn down, it’ll just keep thinning itself for a really long time.”
JLC project manager David Janicki walks through an untreated stand in the Trillium Community Forest, explaining how years of overcrowding have led to stagnation, stressed trees, and increased fire risk. He outlines how selective thinning and slash mat techniques are being used to restore biodiversity and support forest health.
David Janicki explains the benefits of habitat gaps created by “mini clearcuts” during one of several guided tours he led for the Trillium Community Forest project near Greenbank, WA.
Thanks to careful thinning, strategic habitat creation, and a long-term partnership between JLC and WCLT, the forest is rebounding. Light is returning to the understory. Native plants and young trees are establishing themselves. The transformation didn’t happen overnight—but it’s now a model for how logging, when done right, can bring a forest back to life.
👉 Read the full Trillium case study to see how restoration, recreation, and trust came together in one ambitious project.