Olympic Experimental State Forest
Located on the western Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic Experimental State Forest (OESF) is a working forest and a living laboratory. Across 270,000 acres (110,000 hectares) of state trust lands, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) produces revenue for trust beneficiaries such as counties and public schools, primarily through timber harvest. DNR also provides habitat for threatened and endangered species and healthy streams for salmon and other aquatic species per the State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan and the Policy for Sustainable Forests. DNR meets these objectives through an experimental, integrated management approach.
As this experimental approach is implemented, DNR and its research partners conduct applied research and monitoring in the OESF. For example, through the Status and Trends Monitoring of Riparian and Aquatic Habitat project, DNR collects data on stream shade, water temperature, large woody debris, and other habitat indicators. This work helps us understand the natural processes that keep the forest ecosystem healthy, determine how forest management affects wildlife and their habitat, and continuously improve forest management. DNR shares what it learns through this website, a biannual newsletter called "The Learning Forest," the annual OESF Science Conference, publications, presentations, and field tours. Explore this website to learn more about this extraordinary place.
News and Events
Announcing the 2026 OESF Science Conference
The 2026 Olympic Experimental State Forest (OESF) Science Conference will take place on May 6 and 7, 2026 in Forks, Washington!
New this year, the conference will occur over two days instead of one. The first day will feature scientific presentations and poster sessions at the Rainforest Arts Center. Topics include windthrow monitoring, fish monitoring, and results from the Type 3 (T3) Watershed Experiment. The event will be hybrid (in-person and virtual) with presentations steamed via Zoom for those of you who cannot attend in person.
The second day is dedicated to a field tour of T3 upland sites that have been planted using novel silviculture prescriptions, including clumped patterns and polyculture. These sites also include deterrents for deer and elk browse of western redcedar.
Registration will open soon. Check back for details!
Novel Silvicultural Prescriptions Planted for the T3 Watershed Experiment
In January 2025, two crews of incarcerated individuals from the Olympic Corrections Center started planting tree seedlings as part of the T3 Watershed Experiment in the OESF. The crews are implementing a number of novel silvicultural prescriptions: planting seedings in different clumping patterns, planting a polyculture of red alder and western redcedar, interplanting seedlings in a heavily thinned forest, and applying fencing and other methods to prevent deer and elk from browsing cedar seedlings. The crews, their foremen, and DNR coordinators are working closely with the T3 research team to ensure good understanding of the unusual spatial patterns, provide proper training, and ensure compliance with the research design.
Recent Publications
The Learning Forest Newsletter Fall 2025
Silvicultural Action Plans for Actively Managed Units in the Type 3 Watershed Experiment (2025)
Riparian Validation Monitoring Program Summary Report Part 1: the Clearwater River (2017-2024)
