Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Forest

Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Forest was established through the work of the Stemilt Partnership, a broad coalition including wildlife, conservation, recreation, agriculture, and development interests. It is owned by Chelan County and managed for forest health, ecological integrity, agricultural water supply, and recreation.

Some of the community benefits that this property provides include:

  1. Increased wildfire resilience through the implementation of cross-boundary fuels reduction projects near communities.

  2. Conservation of water quality in the Stemilt Basin, which provides water to four irrigation districts and is critical for Chelan County’s agricultural economy.

  3. Recreational opportunities for biking, hiking, hunting, and snowmobiling.

This aerial photo shows a forest stand that has been thinned. A landing with log decks and heavy machinery is visible at the end of a spur road.

Forest Health treatments on the Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Forest include commercial thinning, seen here from above.

Additional Property Facts:

  1. The property provides prime habitat for numerous wildlife species, including the Stemilt sub-herd of the Colockum Elk Herd.

  2. Since 2018, over 2,000 acres of forest health treatments have been completed across land ownerships in the basin. This success is largely due to the collaborative nature of the Stemilt Partnership, whose partners have worked together to support each other and implement across boundaries.

  3. The property is intermixed with other public ownership, including Washington Department of Natural Resources and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

    The Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Forest is a great example of successful cross-boundary, collaborative land management. Learn more below.

Photo provided by Chelan County

This image shows a forested hillside, with burn piles built between the trees.

Right: A fuels reduction treatment on the Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Forest. Ladder fuels and small trees have been removed and piled, and will be burned in a follow-up treatment.

This image shows several people in wildland firefighting gear with drip torches lighting a prescribed fire in an open pine forest.

Left: A prescribed burn underway on the Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Forest. Intentional fire is a great tool for wildfire mitigation.

Photos: Chelan County

This document is supported in part by financial assistance from the Forest Service. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.