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Forestland
Forestland types cover approximately 8.5 million acres (12 precent) in Nevada. Forests can be divided into two major types, timberland and woodland. Timberland is comprised of conifer tree species (575,850 acres) formerly used for saw-log wood products such as ponderosa, Jeffrey, western white, sugar, and lodgepole pine, white and red fir, and incense cedar.
Figure 4-3 shows the approximate distribution of timberland forests. Heavily logged in the past, conifer forests in many mountain ranges have rebounded and form fairly continuous forested areas, especially in the Sierra Nevada and Carson ranges and the Spring Mountains of western and southern Nevada.
Large conifer forest patches also occupy higher mountains of central and eastern Nevada in varying mixtures of whitebark, bristlecone, ponderosa and limber pine as well as subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce. Aspen and cottonwood are the most common deciduous trees and are widespread along riparian areas, sometimes forming large groves around streams, springs and seeps.
Hardwoods and deciduous woodlands occupy about 283,865 acres. Mountain mahogany (535,500 acres) typically occurs above the Pinyon-Juniper woodlands, mostly in the mountains of northern, central, and eastern Nevada. Pinyon-Juniper woodlands are the most common forest type in the state.
More than 92 percent of the forestland occurs on Nevada's public lands and are managed primarily by the USFS and the BLM. Since 1969, the USFS has acquired 71,000 acres of forestland in the Carson Range of western Nevada. Conversion of private forestland to public land has decreased private commercial timber harvests and revenue. Approximately 750,000 acres of forestland is in private ownership with concentrations in the Carson Range of western Nevada, the Ruby Mountains, the Schell Creek Mountains of eastern Nevada, and portions of the Spring Mountains in southern Nevada (Nevada Division of Forestry, 2000). A large majority of non-industrial private forestlands are not adequately managed for their forest resource values.
Few forested areas are representative of the range, density, and mix of species that existed prior to settlement. Forests and their ecological conditions have been altered by commercial and domestic use, as well as to accommodate  agricultural, urban, mining, and railroad development. As a result, a majority of the timberland resources during the 19th Century were depleted. Second growth stands found today occupy higher elevation and steep terrain that is difficult to log or treat for fuel loading. The margins of some conifer forestlands that were clear-cut have not regenerated, likely the result of erosion of barren soils and drier, warmer microclimates across exposed slopes.
Overcrowded conditions are widespread on conifer and pygmy conifer forestlands, the result of aggressive fire suppression tactics and reduced harvests. Overstocked forests produce less streamflow, reduce groundwater recharge, and may contribute to higher flood frequency and peak flow. The Nevada Bird Conservation Plan prepared by the Nevada Working Group of Partners In Flight, prioritizes 21 bird species in conifer, pinyon and juniper, and aspen habitats for special conservation needs. The predominantly forested Carson Range on the edge of the Sierra Nevada ecoregion is designated a high priority conservation site by the Nevada Natural Heritage Program. Several sensitive plant and animal species inhabit the area.
The forests in the Sierra Nevada ecoregion of western Nevada generally receive substantially more attention than other forested areas because of the association with the large continuous Sierran forests, higher timber reproduction potential, and the proximity of rapidly growing urban areas. In the past 20 years, remaining foothill conifer forests along the eastern Sierra Front in western Nevada (including the Lake Tahoe Basin and the Carson Range) have become popular sites for residential development. Approximately 3,500 acres of timberland have been converted along the Sierra Front, resulting in the loss of commercial harvesting, recreational opportunities, and restricted public access to public lands (Nevada Division of Forestry, 2001).
Developments in forested areas also threaten critical watershed values, diminish scenic beauty, and increase the risk that lives and personal property will be lost to wildfires. A majority of the timberland areas are overstocked, comprised of even-age class, and standing dead trees. Pine and fir beetles and mistletoe infestations are common in the Sierran forests. The potential for management of park-like, old growth forest appears to be limited to small, high elevation patches.
Timber harvests ten years ago were permitted primarily for private commercial timberlands. Timber harvest production has declined from about 2.3 million board feet per year to 150,000 (Nevada Division of Forestry, 2000). Most tree harvesting permits now are for fire fuels management (e.g., thinning dense areas) to meet subdivision development requirements or for forest ecosystem health. The last timber harvest permit issued in the Sierra Nevada on private commercial timberland was in 1998. In the Carson Range, fuelwood production has declined from 3,162 cords in 1990 to 550 cords in 2000. The mills closer to northwestern Nevada in Truckee, Loyalton, and Pioneer, California, have closed. Some potential commercial forest product uses have been identified, but markets have not emerged in the western Nevada region.
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