Many of the large acreage parks in Kitsap County are former industrial timberlands that have been clearcut multiple times. Since 2012, the Parks department has been performing restoration projects to address forest health issues caused by former timber management practices and return the forest to a reference native condition. The short-term impacts and progress towards long-term restoration objectives of these projects have not always been well documented. There are a few opportunities for thesis projects depending on student interest. We would love to see a study across the temporal gradient of restoration projects looking at understory vegetation response, invasive species issues, wildlife utilization, soil moisture, etc. This idea is very open ended. We’re excited about any ideas you may have and can help develop and tailor research questions to your area of study.

Irene Weber (she/her)
Natural Resources Program Supervisor
Kitsap County Parks Dept.
iweber@kitsap.gov | 360-337-5367