Forest Management; 2025
Ponderosa Pine trees are the dominant tree in abundance to Eastern Washington. This project coincides with private, family land management in Pomeroy, WA. Tree thinning is important for fire prevention and maintaining healthy forest growth.
Mature Ponderosa Pines are well equipped to withstand wildfires, with thick plates on their bark. On the contrary; younger and smaller trees are not developed enough to be resistant. If trees are growing too close together, this can cause an acceleration in an active fire and tree crowding will not allow enough sunlight for optimal growth.
This project is ephemeral, site specific, and time-based. As the trees hung over a span of a few months, they began to dry, change color, draw sap, and lose needles.
Forest Management reflects land preservation and trees as a utility, while honoring rural regions of WA state that do not get much recognition in Seattle. This installation honors the life that was taken in order to sustain the land and wildlife that remain.
All images copyright Sarah Cabarteja and James Harnois