'Non-Random Branching' is a Land Reclamation work

in the National Forest outside Sun Valley, Idaho.

The site is a 'road-cut' alongside a creek and road.

We installed 270 Lodgepole poles at the vertices of

a hexagonal grid to act as surrogates or shields for

180 Lodgepole seedlings. These poles retained the

earth and the moisture from snows. (Left Photo). On

the right is a photo of the same hillside twelve years

later. The new trees averaged around 3-7 feet tall.