AmeriCorp Assists YMCA Camp Orkila

–by Cara Russell–

Group Back Row: Steve Long, Nathan Lucas, Sean Savage. Middle: Rachel Codd, Heidi Livingston, Kyra Haney, Ryan Cox. Front NCCC team leader Kelly Barrett, Rich Harvey.

Throughout the month of June, Rich Harvey of Harvey Logging Company, along with eight young members of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), have paired up to help Orcas YMCA Camp Orkila implement the introductory phase of a new forestry management plan. This first phase involves the creation of ‘shaded fuel breaks’ along the roads, fields, and forest line. “A shaded fuel break is where you selectively thin and remove brush, dead branches, needles, and logs to create a buffer for a potential spreading wildfire,” said Harvey.
The plan, in its entirety will take around three years and multiple phases before it is completed.

Last year, Camp Director Dimitri Stankevich hired Kirk Hanson from Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG) to write out a forest management plan for the Camp. NNRG is a non-profit organization whose primary program, Northwest Certified Forestry (NCF), specializes in conservation-based forest management, consulting and providing services that range from forest management planning to timber harvest administration to wildlife habitat enhancement.

“One of the goals is fire mediation and sustainable forest practices so we have a healthy forest for the next 100 years,” said Stankevich. “The camp is 108 years old, so the health of the forest is something to factor in for the next 100 years.”

In order to move forward with the ‘introductory’ phase, Stankevich applied for assistance from AmeriCorps NCCC and received a team of eight core members for a four week deployment to Orcas. Rich Harvey from Harvey Logging Company was then hired to train the group and work with them for the month of June. “The group has gained knowledge on healthy forests, and have learned how to use chainsaws and run a wood chipper,” said Harvey.

“This team is made up of young men and women from all over the country who want the experience of being able to serve their country, travel, and gain a variety of skill based experiences,” said team leader Kelly Barrett. “We all want to help out, travel, provide a service, and start to plan for the future.”

The group has been constructing ‘shaded fuel breaks’ and have focused on potential fire borders, along the fields and the camp’s areas, highly frequented by kids, and where grasslands, roads to forest, and buildings meet the forest. “We are doing these projects to lessen the ability of a potential fire to spread,” said Stankevich.

Aside from creating ‘fuel breaks’ the group has also been removing hazardous trees around the camp that are dead or diseased, and have also removed the noxious weed, Scotch broom.
The AmeriCorps team will be leaving on June 30th. Stankevich hopes to have teams every year to help Camp Orkila implement the next phases of development.