BoF Mar 07 FFAC

Federal Forestlands Advisory Committee Situation Assessment: 

Federal Forestlands Advisory Committee Situation Assessment Purpose: To provide background information on forest conditions and trends to help identify the “most pressing problems” that need to be addressed in the Guidance Document

What we’ll cover: 

What we’ll cover Survey Research on Forest Issues Forestland Ownership and Allocation Sustainability Fish and wildlife Productive capacity Forest health Soil, air, water quality Carbon Socio-economic Questions

Forest Issues (Oregon): 

Forest Issues (Oregon) Very Concerned Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall, Inc. 2006. Somewhat Concerned

Water Quality: 

Water Quality

Importance of Water Quality Protection in Forest Management Activities : 

Importance of Water Quality Protection in Forest Management Activities Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall, Inc. 2006.

Remedies For Water Quality Concerns – Aided and Unaided: 

Remedies For Water Quality Concerns – Aided and Unaided Unaided Stop pollution/Cleanliness - 22% More Protection/Monitoring - 13% More/Enforce Laws/Regulations - 10% Better Management/Accountability - 9% Aided (Strongly Agree) Leave streamside buffers – 62% Require forest managers to minimize erosion – 55% Reduce harvesting and use alternatives to wood - 27% % Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall, Inc. 2006.

Fish and Wildlife: 

Fish and Wildlife

National forests should provide for as much diversity of animals and plants as possible.: 

National forests should provide for as much diversity of animals and plants as possible. Institute for a Sustainable Environment. 2002.

Jobs and Revenue: 

Jobs and Revenue

Old growth forests should NOT be harvested in order to provide ecosystems for wildlife like spotted owls and salmon. (National Forests): 

Old growth forests should NOT be harvested in order to provide ecosystems for wildlife like spotted owls and salmon. (National Forests) Institute for a Sustainable Environment. 2002.

National forests that are NOT old growth SHOULD be harvested to provide jobs and forest products (National Forests): 

National forests that are NOT old growth SHOULD be harvested to provide jobs and forest products (National Forests) Institute for a Sustainable Environment. 2002.

For each, please tell me how serious aproblem it is for Oregon’s rural communities: 

For each, please tell me how serious a problem it is for Oregon’s rural communities Davis, Hibbits, and McCaig, Inc. 2001 .

Fire / Forest Health: 

Fire / Forest Health

Wildfire Danger Very Concerned: 

Wildfire Danger Very Concerned Davis, Hibbits, and McCaig, Inc. 2001 .

Necessary To Use Controlled Fires To Eliminate Excess Fuel: 

Necessary To Use Controlled Fires To Eliminate Excess Fuel Davis, Hibbits, and McCaig, Inc. 2001 .

Necessary To Thin Trees From Crowed Forests: 

Necessary To Thin Trees From Crowed Forests Davis, Hibbits, and McCaig, Inc. 2001 .

Balanced Forest Management: 

Balanced Forest Management

National forests should be managed to balancetimber harvest, wildlife conservation, recreation and other forest values.: 

National forests should be managed to balance timber harvest, wildlife conservation, recreation and other forest values. Institute for a Sustainable Environment. 2002.

“Some people say Oregon generally has a ‘balanced’ approach to forest management while other people feel things are out of balance. Which way do you feel?” : 

“Some people say Oregon generally has a ‘balanced’ approach to forest management while other people feel things are out of balance. Which way do you feel?” Davis, Hibbits, and McCaig, Inc. 2001 .

Balance For Federal Forestlands Management: 

Balance For Federal Forestlands Management Protection of water quality and wildlife habitat 40% Meeting a wide range of social needs including employment, recreation, and revenues to support healthy rural communities, and providing aesthetic and spiritual values 32% Growing forests for products people use 29% Davis, Hibbits, and McCaig, Inc. 2001 .

Forest Ownership and Allocation: 

Forest Ownership and Allocation

Forestland OwnershipWestern Oregon: 

Forestland Ownership Western Oregon

Forestland Ownership Eastern Oregon: 

Forestland Ownership Eastern Oregon

Land AllocationSimple 3 Category SystemEach Providing a Blend of Environmental, Social, and Economic Outputs: 

Land Allocation Simple 3 Category System Each Providing a Blend of Environmental, Social, and Economic Outputs Reserves No scheduled timber harvest - harvest only to benefit nontimber values Multi-resource Laws or plans significantly reduce harvest to provide for other values Wood production Scheduled timber harvest occurs and sustainable supplies of timber are anticipated

General Land Use Allocation by Ecoregion: 

General Land Use Allocation by Ecoregion

General Land Use AllocationStatewide: 

General Land Use Allocation Statewide

Maintain Plant and Animal Populations: 

Maintain Plant and Animal Populations

Oregon Conservation Strategy (ODFW): 

Oregon Conservation Strategy (ODFW) Goals - Maintain healthy populations Maintain habitat, at-risk-species, reverse species declines Long-term, big picture, blue print Statewide issues: Land use changes, invasive species, chg in disturbance regimes, barriers to movement, water quality, institutional barriers to conservation

Oregon Conservation Strategy (Cont.): 

Oregon Conservation Strategy (Cont.) Includes an ecoregional approach Conservation Opportunity Areas ID Strategy species and habitats Issues and actions Potential uses As a reference Set priorities Build partnerships Measure success Available at: www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy

Maintain Productive Capacity – Economic Well-being: 

Maintain Productive Capacity – Economic Well-being

Change in Private Timberland Area in Oregon, 1953-1997: 

Change in Private Timberland Area in Oregon, 1953-1997 Source: Donnegan, 2001. Assessing temporal trends in Forest Inventory and Analysis data: Applications to Criteria and Indicators. Wood Compatibility Workshop, Dec. 5-7, 2001. Base dataset: Resource Planning Act, 2000. Landbase relatively stable over past 20-years May be changing Land sales to people with little background in forestry Changes in Land use planning laws (M - 37) Declining markets in E. Oregon

Slide32: 

OREGON TIMBER HARVEST Actual Harvest vs. Sustainable (Public w/o Congressionally Reserved)

Annual Growth and Mortality of Sawtimber on Non-congressionally withdrawn Timberland (W. Oregon): 

Annual Growth and Mortality of Sawtimber on Non-congressionally withdrawn Timberland (W. Oregon) E.D Hovee & Co. Baseline Growth and Mortality Assessment Private and Other 1990 – 99, Federal 1993 - 2004

Annual Growth and Mortality of Sawtimber on Non-congressionally withdrawn Timberland (E. Oregon): 

Annual Growth and Mortality of Sawtimber on Non-congressionally withdrawn Timberland (E. Oregon) E.D Hovee & Co. Baseline Growth and Mortality Assessment Private and Other 1990 – 99, Federal 1993 - 2004

Maintain the Health of Forest Ecosystems: 

Maintain the Health of Forest Ecosystems

Annual acres of Forests needing treatment by category in 20, 25 year restoration timeframes : 

Annual acres of Forests needing treatment by category in 20, 25 year restoration timeframes MacDonald, et. al. 2006. The Condition of Oregon’s Forests and Woodlands: Implications for the Effective Conservation of Biodiversity. The Nature Conservancy.

Acres infested with bark beetles in Oregon : 

Acres infested with bark beetles in Oregon

Slide39: 

Changes in fire frequency, leading to type conversions of habitat (cheatgrass, Arundo) Changes in nutrient cycling (cheatgrass, knotweed) Toxicity to livestock (tansy ragwort, yellow starthistle) Loss of forage quality and quantity for big game (leafy spurge, knapweeds, yellow starthistle) Invasive shrubs acting as a population sink for native birds due to increased predation of nests within invasive shrubs (buckthorn) Changes in stream and river hydrology (knotweed, blackberry) Loss of nesting habitat and increased nest predation on endangered snowy plovers (European beachgrass) Major Issues Include:

Maintain Soil, Air, and Water Quality: 

Maintain Soil, Air, and Water Quality

Air Quality: 

Air Quality 69% Fine Particulate Emissions from Wildfire

Water Quality: 

Water Quality 303(d) Listings on Federal Land 4700 miles high temperature 340 miles sedimentation 70 miles toxics % Wadeable Stream Miles that Fail to Meet Standards (Coho ESU)

Drinking Water Quality: 

Drinking Water Quality 75% of municipal watersheds are forested USFS – 4.3 million acres BLM – 2.6 million acres Primary concerns include: Sedimentation / turbidity Pesticides Fire retardants

Enhance Carbon Storage – Climate Change: 

Enhance Carbon Storage – Climate Change

Climate Change: 

Climate Change Increase in rare wildland fire conditions Fire - primary agent of vegetation change Wholesale conversions of habitats Temperate dry forests to grasslands Moist tropical forests to dry woodlands High-severity fires eliminate entire forests Greater risk of extinction Recommended actions include: Identify fire-dependent or fire-sensitive ecosystems consider climate change and variability when developing plans Consider alternate climate scenarios when determining post-fire vegetation management Reduce uncharacteristic fuel levels Source: ASSOCIATION FOR FIRE ECOLOGY. SAN DIEGO DECLARATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND FIRE MANAGEMENT

Maintain Socio-economic Benefits: 

Maintain Socio-economic Benefits

Distressed Areas in Oregon – 2005 : 

Distressed Areas in Oregon – 2005

Average Earnings Per Job: 

Average Earnings Per Job

Slide50: 

Mill Closures and Related Job Losses, 1980-2003 Source: Ehinger and Associates, 2003

E. OR Losing the Infrastructure Needed to Support a Viable Industry and Conduct Fuel Reduction Thinnings: 

E. OR Losing the Infrastructure Needed to Support a Viable Industry and Conduct Fuel Reduction Thinnings

Oregon Forest Revenues to Counties 1994-2005: 

Oregon Forest Revenues to Counties 1994-2005

Questions: 

Questions What needs to be added to or deleted from the Situation Assessment? What Conflicts, Risks, and Unintended Consequences need to be explored