Forest Management Presentation

6/15/2015
BLM
June 16-17, 2015
Analytical Results, Draft RMP/EIS
Prepared By: Abe Wheeler
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Forest Management
1
Event
April 24, 2015
Release of Draft RMP/EIS
April 24-July 23, 2015
Comment Period
May-December 2015
Develop and analyze Proposed
RMP/Final EIS
Winter 2016
Publish Proposed RMP/Final EIS
Winter-Spring 2016
Protest Period, Governor’s
Consistency Review, Resolution
Spring 2016
Record of Decision
To submit comments:
Interactive Map: www.blm.gov/or/plans/rmpswesternoregon/interactivemap
Email: [email protected]
Postal: Draft EIS for Western Oregon
P.O. Box 2965
Portland, OR 97204
6/15/2015
BLM
Date
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Next Steps
2
– Purpose and Need
– Harvest Land Base Size
– Intensity of Harvest
– Restrictions on Timber Harvest
• Historical Context
• Analytical Results
6/15/2015
BLM
• Brief Overview of Alternatives
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Outline
3
– Maintaining a network of large blocks of forest to be
managed for late successional forests
– Maintaining older and more structurally complex
multi-layered conifer forests
•
•
•
•
Provide clean water in watersheds
Restore fire-adapted ecosystems
Provide recreation opportunities
Coordinate management of lands surrounding the
Coquille Forest with the Coquille Tribe
BLM
• Provide a sustained yield of timber
• Contribute to the conservation and recovery of
threatened and endangered species, including
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Purpose and Need
Draft RMP/EIS pg. xxiii
6/15/2015
4
− Fire Resilience
BLM
Moist ForestCoastal/north
(Salem, Eugene,
Coos Bay)
Dry Forest Interior/south
(Roseburg, Medford,
Klamath Falls)
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Moist vs.
Dry Forests
− Fire Resistance
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5
No Action Alternative (as written, not as implemented):
– Moderate intensity regeneration harvest (VRH) in the harvest land base
(HLB).
– Commercial harvest allowed in reserves for restoration purposes.
– Moderate sized harvest land base.
– Survey and Manage
Draft RMP/EIS
pg. 32-33
Figure 2-2
6/15/2015
BLM
•
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Brief Overview of Alternatives NAA
6
Alternative A:
–
–
–
–
High intensity regeneration harvest (Clearcuts) in the HLB, except driest forests.
Small harvest land base.
Non-commercial restoration of young stands in moist forest reserves, forest
resiliency objectives in dry forest reserves
No surveys for marbled murrelets, red tree voles, or site management for northern
spotted owls
Draft RMP/EIS
pg. 41
Figure 2-3/Table
2-4
6/15/2015
BLM
•
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Brief Overview of Alternatives: Alt A
7
Alternative B:
– Moderate intensity regeneration harvest (outside NSO CHU)/low intensity
regeneration harvest (inside NSO CHU), except dry forests.
– Moderate sized harvest land base
– Active restoration in moist forest reserves; forest resiliency objectives in dry
forest reserves
– Survey and protect: marbled murrelet (zone 1 only), red tree voles in north
coast distinct population segment.
Draft RMP/EIS
pg. 46-47
Figure 2-4/Table
2-5
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•
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Brief Overview of Alternatives: Alt B
8
Draft
RMP/EIS
pg. 5354
Figure 25/Table
2-6
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BLM
Draft
RMP/EIS
pg. 4647
Figure 24/Table
2-5
Sub Alternative B:
Protects ALL
historically and
currently occupied
spotted owl sites by
reserving necessary
habitat.
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Brief Overview of Alternatives: Alt B vs. Sub-Alt B
9
Alternative C:
– High intensity regeneration harvest (Clearcuts), except very dry forests.
– Moderate sized harvest land base
– Active restoration in moist forest reserves; forest resiliency objectives in
very dry forest reserves
– Survey and protect: marbled murrelets in stands >120 years old.
– Timber salvage directed in Late Successional Reserves (LSR).
Draft RMP/EIS
pg. 58-59
Figure 2-6/Table
2-7
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•
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Brief Overview of Alternatives: Alt C
10
AGE
Draft
RMP/EIS pg.
65-66
Figure 27/Table 2-8
6/15/2015
BLM
Draft
RMP/EIS pg.
58-59
Figure 26/Table 2-7
Sub Alternative
C: Protects ALL
stands ≥ 80 years
by reserving
them.
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Brief Overview of Alternatives: Alt C vs. Sub-Alt C
11
Alternative D:
– Mostly northern spotted owl-centric Uneven-aged management.
– Moderate intensity regeneration harvest (outside NSO CHU), except very dry forests.
– Moderate sized harvest land base
– Active restoration in moist forest reserves; forest resiliency objectives in very dry forest
reserves
– Survey and protect: marbled murrelet (zone 1 and 2), red tree voles in north coast, and
site maintenance for northern spotted owl current and historic sites.
Draft
RMP/EIS pg.
70-71
Figure 28/Table 2-9
6/15/2015
BLM
•
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Brief Overview of Alternatives: Alt D
12
Resulting Mapped Land Use Allocations (LUA)
Respond to wildfires in a manner that provides for public and
firefighter safety while meeting land management objectives
by utilizing the full range of fire management options.
•
Actively manage the land to restore and maintain resilience of
ecosystems to wildfire and decrease the risk of uncharacteristic
large high-intensity/severity wildfires.
•
Manage fuels to reduce wildfire hazard, risk, and negative
impacts to communities and infrastructure, landscapes,
ecosystems, and highly valued resources.
•
Build capacity, in partnership with local, State, and Federal
stakeholders, to reduce the risks and threats from wildland fire
within the communities bordering Federal lands
6/15/2015
BLM
•
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Fire and Fuels Objectives:
Common to all Alternatives
14
Important variables:
– size of Harvest Land Base and
– timber management type and intensity
Influence:
• Vegetation structure
• Fire resilience
• Fire resistance
6/15/2015
• Fire hazard
• Fire risk
BLM
While the approach to Fire and Fuels Management
is Common to All Alternatives
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Fire and fuels
15
Management Regime
HLB-HITA, High Intensity Timber
Area
(ALT A and C)
Even-aged Management, Clearcuts, no retention
trees, rapid reforestation
7
HLB-MITA, Moderate Intensity
Timber Area
(Alt B and D), GFMA/NGFMA
(NAA)
Two-aged Management, Variable-retention
regeneration harvest, 5-15% retention VRH,
delayed canopy closure in B/ prompt reforestation
in D
6
HLB-LITA, Low Intensity Timber
Area
(Alt B), SGFMA/CONN (NAA)
Two-aged Management, Variable-retention
regeneration harvest, 15-30% retention VRH,
delayed canopy closure, natural regeneration
5
HLB-UTA, Uneven-aged Timber
Area
(Alts A, B, C, and D)
Uneven-aged Management, Selection Harvest,,
reduced stand densities, increase fire
resiliency/forest health, while producing timber.
4
HLB-OHTA, Owl Habitat Timber
Area
(Alt D)
Uneven-aged Management, Selection Harvest,,
promote and maintain owl habitat while producing
timber.
3
Reserves, Active Management
(Alts A, B, C, and D)
Light to moderate intensity treatments; in moist
forests tapering off to zero, in dry forests continuing
on a regular cycle.
2
Reserves, Passive Management
(All Alternatives)
No Commercial Treatments. Uninterrupted forest
successional pathways.
1
6/15/2015
Intensity
Ranking
BLM
Land Use Allocation
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Intensity of Management
16
Outside Large Blocks, Inside & Outside Critical Habitat
BLM
No retention = clearcut
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
High intensity Timber Area (HITA)
Management Hypothesis
6/15/2015
Highest timber production yields.
Produces uniform stand conditions.
Shorter Rotations, Trend towards 60-90
17
Moderate Intensity Timber Area (MITA)
Outside Large Blocks, Outside Critical Habitat
6/15/2015
Management Hypothesis:
Provides moderate timber production yields.
Produces compositionally/structurally complex stand conditions.
Longer Rotations, Trend towards 80-140
BLM
Somewhat equivalent to GFMA/NGFMA in NAA
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
5-15% retention = Variable-retention Regeneration Harvest (VRH)
18
Low Intensity Timber Area (LITA)
Outside Large Blocks, Inside Critical Habitat
BLM
Somewhat equivalent to Connectivity/SGFMA in NAA
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
15-30% Retention = Variable-retention Regeneration Harvest (VRH)
Management Hypothesis:
6/15/2015
Provides moderate timber production yields.
Produces compositionally/structurally complex stand conditions.
Longest Rotations, Trend towards 100-160
19
Uneven-aged Timber Area(UTA) – Fire/drought/insect resiliency focused
6/15/2015
Visually the approach would look similar in many respects to a
complex variable-density thinning
BLM
Uneven-aged
Management:
– Lowest longterm timber
yields.
– Creates and
maintains
complex
late
successional
conditions.
– No rotation
age.
Variable reentry cycle.
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Owl Habitat Timber Area (OHTA) – Owl habitat focused
20
Stand Density
Area (OHTA)
Lighter touch
treatments to
restore/ maintain
NSO habitat and
produce wood.

Alt. D only.
 Uneven-aged
Timber Area (UTA)
Time in Decades
6/15/2015


Heavier
treatments to
reduce stand
densities,
increase fire
resiliency/ forest
health and
produce wood.

Alts A, B, C, and
D
BLM
 Owl Habitat Timber
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Uneven-aged
Management
21
Analytical Results:
2223
98%
Owl Habitat LUAs
Mature Multi-canopy or Structurally-complex (%)
100%
84%
86%
83%
86%
83%
85%
80%
60%
56%
48%
40%
51%
52%
55%
47%
20%
22%
BLM
2013
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Proportion of owl habitat management areas achieving
Mature Multiple Canopy or Structurally Complex status
Strongly Selected For by NSO
0%
No
Alt. A LSR Alt. B LSR Sub. B Alt. C LSR Sub. C
Action
LSR
LSR
LSR
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Alt. D
HLBOHTA
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 254; Figure 3-68
22
Early-seral without Structural Legacies
Early-seral with Structural Legacies
Without Structural Legacies
140,000
Available Early Seral Acres
120,000
1,248
286
100,000
80,000
1,255
121,447
60,000
40,000
111,770
117,064
110,272
1,169
69,967
70,664
20,000
0
44,831
6,155
9,554
10,490
Alternative
6/15/2015
With Structural Legacies
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 252-253; Figure 3-67
BLM
Abundance and complexity of early seral stage
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
Alt B = 31,000 acres regen/decade (3.8X)
Alt C = 84,000 acres regen/decade (1.6X)
23
Harvest Land Base Mature or StructurallyComplex (%)
No Action
Alt. A
Alt. B
Sub. B
80%
70%
Alt. D
60%
Alt. B
50%
40%
No Action
30%
Sub. B
20%
10%
6/15/2015
Alt. C
Alt. A
0% Sub. C
2013 2023
2033
2043 2053
Year
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 250-251; Figure 3-65
2063
2113
BLM
Three patterns of Structural Stage Progression in the Harvest Land Base
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
2213
24
Coastal/North
Timber Production Rate
(Board Feet per Acre per Year)
1,000
800
917
719
600
686
556
400
455
447
332
200
0
6/15/2015
Interior/South
209
280
124
HITA Even-aged No Action HLB MITA/LITA TwoManagement
Two-aged
aged
Management
Management
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 263-265; Figure 3-72
BLM
Intensity of Management; contribution to ASQ timber harvest
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
UTA Fire
OHTA NSO
Resiliency
Habitat UnevenUneven-aged
aged
Management
Management
25
BLM Timber Sales (Million Board Feet)
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
2012
2007
2002
1997
1992
1987
1982
1977
1972
1967
1962
1957
1952
1947
0
1942
200
BLM
1,800
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
BLM timber harvest, historical context
Year
6/15/2015
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 237-238; Figure 3-58
26
Sold Timber Volume (Million Board Feet)
300
HLB (ASQ) Thinning
1995 Declared ASQ
Average ASQ Volume Sold
250
200
150
100
50
6/15/2015
BLM
HLB (ASQ) Regeneration Harvest
Reserve (Non-ASQ) Thinning
Average of Total Volume Sold
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
BLM timber harvest, historical context
0
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
Fiscal Year
2005
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 269-270; Figure 3-73
2007
2009
2011
27
ASQ
600
400
249
Non-ASQ
332
218
399
180
69
500
Total Timber Harvest (MBF)
555
400
67
122
300
15
97
486
200
277
100
98
234
234
120
0
6/15/2015
4
332
176
BLM
Total Harvest (ASQ + Non-ASQ)
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
Average of total timber volume
sold (1995-2012) = 167
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 270-271; Figure 3-74
28
Alternative
Marbled
Murrelet
Red Tree
Vole
Northern Spotted
Owl
Site Management
Survey and Manage
Totals
No Action
4
47*
-
Unknown
51*
Alt. A
Alt. B
Sub. B
Alt. C
Sub. C
Alt. D
6
6
2
29
6
6
4
115
57
-
12
127
2
90
BLM
Restrictions on timber harvest in the harvest land base
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
*Timber volume reduction due to predicted RTV site management was not
deducted in the final expression of projected no action alternative ASQ.
Example: Alt D 176+90 =266
6/15/2015
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 265-267; Table 3-62
29
Analytical Results:
Non-ASQ Volume Harvested
(MBF)
60
40
20
0
2023
2033
2043
Coastal/North
2053
2063
2113
2213
2063
2113
2213
Interior/South
Non-ASQ Acres Treated/Decade
Non-ASQ Acres Treated
40000
30000
20000
BLM
Non-ASQ Volume Harvested
80
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Non-ASQ harvest flow; coastal/north vs. interior/south.
Alternative B example
10000
0
6/15/2015
2023
2033
2043
2053
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 273-274; Table 3-65
30
Clearcut
Commercial Thinning
180,000
Average of first two decades
Harvest Per Decade (Acres)
160,000
140,000
Selection
2,308
30,711
43,932
45,403
34,063
68,580
100,000
17,379
45,748
73,013
884 (Salvage)
42,147
80,000
26,757
60,000
110,570
103,059
15,315
40,000
71,700
42,200
20,000
83,691
59,369
58,454
14,901
0
No Action
6/15/2015
1,640
19,957
1,498
120,000
Salvage
3,587
2,642
2,539
VRH
BLM
Harvested acres by harvest type
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
Alt. A
Alt. B
Sub. B
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 277; Figure 3-75
Alt. C
Sub. C
Alt. D
31
6/15/2015
BLM
Non-commercial natural hazardous fuel treatment acres by treatment
type and BLM district/field office(2003-2012)
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Natural Hazardous Fuel Treatments
32
Coastal/North
Volume MMBF/
Year
400
Interior/South
391
350
300
300
250
200
230
150
218
165
100
179
163
155
109
50
67
0
No Action
Alt. A
93
58
Alt. B
Sub. B
Alt. C
Sub. C
123
57
Alt. D
Acres/Year
10,000
8,000
6,000
9,332
9,329
9,230
8,035
6,372
4,000
9,295
7,489
6,300
3,941
8,613
6,836
7,120
5,739
4,575
BLM
Acres vs Volume; coastal/north vs interior/south
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Analytical Results:
2,000
0
No Action
6/15/2015
Alt. A
Alt. B
Sub. B
Alt. C
Draft RMP/EIS pg. 278-279; Figure 3-77 and 3- 78
Sub. C
Alt. D
33
BLM
34
6/15/2015
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Questions?