The Northwest The Northwest Forest PlanForest Plan

An OverviewAn Overview

What is the Northwest Forest Plan?

What have been the Plan’s major accomplishments to date?

What steps are the agencies taking to improve upon the present course of Plan implementation?

What critical issues and challenges are still in need of resolution to more effectively satisfy both the Plan’s conservation and commodity goals?

HistoryHistoryCommercial logging in Pacific Commercial logging in Pacific Northwest begins in late 1800s, Northwest begins in late 1800s, increases significantly after WWIIincreases significantly after WWII

Northern Spotted Northern Spotted Owl listed as Owl listed as

threatened species threatened species under ESA in 1990under ESA in 1990

By 1992, court injunctions had By 1992, court injunctions had shut down virtually all Federal shut down virtually all Federal

old-growth timber salesold-growth timber sales

• Forest Plan Conference held in Portland in 1993Forest Plan Conference held in Portland in 1993• Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture directed to Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture directed to

jointly develop array of options for managing Federal jointly develop array of options for managing Federal old-growth forests in Pacific Northwestold-growth forests in Pacific Northwest

• In 1994, Northwest Forest Plan adoptedIn 1994, Northwest Forest Plan adopted• Was first time Federal agencies developed a common Was first time Federal agencies developed a common

management strategy for entire ecological regionmanagement strategy for entire ecological region

Adoption of Adoption of the Strategythe Strategy

Geographic ScopeGeographic Scope

The Northwest Forest Plan area The Northwest Forest Plan area encompasses 24.4 million acres encompasses 24.4 million acres of Federal lands in the western of Federal lands in the western portions of Oregon, Washington, portions of Oregon, Washington, and Northern Californiaand Northern California

Components of the Northwest Forest Plan

Five Key Principles• Never forget human and economic dimensions of issues Never forget human and economic dimensions of issues • Protect long-term health of forests, wildlife, and Protect long-term health of forests, wildlife, and

waterwayswaterways• Focus on scientifically sound, ecologically credible, and Focus on scientifically sound, ecologically credible, and

legally responsible strategies and implementationlegally responsible strategies and implementation• Produce a predictable and sustainable level of timber Produce a predictable and sustainable level of timber

sales and non-timber resourcessales and non-timber resources• Ensure that Federal agencies work togetherEnsure that Federal agencies work together

Land Allocations• Previously Reserved AreasPreviously Reserved Areas

>Congressionally Reserved Areas (30%)>Congressionally Reserved Areas (30%)>Administratively Withdrawn Areas (6%)>Administratively Withdrawn Areas (6%)

• NFP Reserve SystemNFP Reserve System>Late-Successional Reserves (31%)>Late-Successional Reserves (31%)>Riparian Reserves (11%)>Riparian Reserves (11%)

• Areas available for programmed Areas available for programmed timber harvesttimber harvest>Matrix (16%)>Matrix (16%)>Adaptive Management Areas (6%)>Adaptive Management Areas (6%)

• A series of Standards & Guidelines provide various forms A series of Standards & Guidelines provide various forms of management direction that applies either:of management direction that applies either:>within a particular land allocation>within a particular land allocation>across the entire NFP area>across the entire NFP area

• All Standards & Guidelines have underlying objectives All Standards & Guidelines have underlying objectives that describe their purpose and application – e.g.,that describe their purpose and application – e.g.,>Objectives of LSRs include protection and enhancement of late-successional >Objectives of LSRs include protection and enhancement of late-successional and old-growth forest conditionsand old-growth forest conditions>Objectives of Matrix include programmed timber harvest>Objectives of Matrix include programmed timber harvest

Standards &Guidelines

AquaticConservationStrategy

• Primary objectives are to restore and maintain watersheds and aquatic functions and systems

• Strategy consists of four primary components:>Riparian Reserves>Key Watersheds>Watershed Analysis>Watershed Restoration

Implementation

Effectiveness Effectiveness

ValidationValidation

Three Kinds of Monitoring

• Adjusting management over time to better achieve NFP Adjusting management over time to better achieve NFP objectives in light of new informationobjectives in light of new information

• Integral principle woven into the fabric of the plan that Integral principle woven into the fabric of the plan that applies throughout NFP areaapplies throughout NFP area

• Adaptive Management Areas: Network of 10 areas Adaptive Management Areas: Network of 10 areas specifically designed for testing alternative approaches specifically designed for testing alternative approaches to more effectively achieve desired ecological, socio-to more effectively achieve desired ecological, socio-economic, or other objectives economic, or other objectives

Adaptive Management: “Learning to manage “Learning to manage and managing to learn”and managing to learn”

Survey & Manage• Suite of mitigation measures for rare and Suite of mitigation measures for rare and

little-known species within NFP arealittle-known species within NFP area• SurveysSurveys

-- -- Site-specific Pre-Disturbance SurveysSite-specific Pre-Disturbance Surveys-- Strategic Surveys-- Strategic Surveys

• Management recommendations designed Management recommendations designed to maintain high-priority species sitesto maintain high-priority species sites

Interagency & Intergovernmental Framework

• Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC) and Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC) and staff office provide forum for representatives of 12 staff office provide forum for representatives of 12 Federal environmental and natural-resource agenciesFederal environmental and natural-resource agencies

• Advisory committees at both regional and provincial Advisory committees at both regional and provincial levels provide input from State, County, and Tribal levels provide input from State, County, and Tribal governments, as well as from local stakeholdersgovernments, as well as from local stakeholders

• Intergovernmental Information Management group Intergovernmental Information Management group coordinate on data standards and information sharingcoordinate on data standards and information sharing

Summary of Major Accomplishments

• Greatly improved interagency coordination and Greatly improved interagency coordination and collaboration in management of NW Federal forestscollaboration in management of NW Federal forests

• NFP has strong scientific foundation and research NFP has strong scientific foundation and research agencies continue to provide valuable input in agencies continue to provide valuable input in support of implementationsupport of implementation

•NFP upheld by courts against nearly NFP upheld by courts against nearly 100 legal claims, ending years of court 100 legal claims, ending years of court injunctions against all Federal old-injunctions against all Federal old-growth harvest growth harvest

• Marked increase in protection of old-growth Marked increase in protection of old-growth forests while providing timber outputs at or forests while providing timber outputs at or near projected amounts for first 5 years near projected amounts for first 5 years

• Watershed Restoration ActivitiesWatershed Restoration Activities> Watershed analyses completed on 85% of Federal lands> Over $186 million invested in Watershed Restoration> Net reduction of over 900 miles of roads in Key Watersheds

Monitoring resultsMonitoring results> Implementation Monitoring shows 95+% compliance rate> Implementation Monitoring shows 95+% compliance rate> Northern Spotted Owl monitoring has shown apparent > Northern Spotted Owl monitoring has shown apparent improvement in owl demographic trendsimprovement in owl demographic trends

• Habitat Conservation Plans Habitat Conservation Plans on non-Federal landson non-Federal lands

• Salmon habitat restorationSalmon habitat restoration• Enhanced source water

protection• Related economic initiatives

(see table)

FY $ Millions Projects Jobs (FTE)

1994 31.9 425245

1995 33.5 600290

1996 31.5 500235

1997 30.4 425245

1998 25.9 430425

1999 18.7 375310

2000 17.0 340 280

Totals $189 3,095 2,030

Benefits to Other Benefits to Other Initiatives & ResourcesInitiatives & Resources

Ongoing or Near-Term Initiatives

Adaptive Managementin Action

• Survey & Manage measures recently revised to enhance Survey & Manage measures recently revised to enhance flexibility and efficiency of implementationflexibility and efficiency of implementation

• Increased emphasis on thinning dense, young stands in Increased emphasis on thinning dense, young stands in LSRs to enhance and protect late-successional habitat in LSRs to enhance and protect late-successional habitat in response to growing body of researchresponse to growing body of research

• Adaptive Management guidelines under development to Adaptive Management guidelines under development to provide for more systematic consideration of management provide for more systematic consideration of management adaptations in light of research and other new informationadaptations in light of research and other new information

Increased Focus on Local Discretion & Decision-making

• Issuing guidance on site-specific modifications Issuing guidance on site-specific modifications consistent with NFP objectives to harness field-unit consistent with NFP objectives to harness field-unit expertise and improve plan’s effectivenessexpertise and improve plan’s effectiveness

• Crafting criteria to exempt narrowly framed NFP Crafting criteria to exempt narrowly framed NFP modifications from regional review where projects modifications from regional review where projects have buy-in from province-level groupshave buy-in from province-level groups

Enhanced Collaboration with State, Tribal, and County Governments

• Proactive solicitation of non-Federal advice on Proactive solicitation of non-Federal advice on significant policy-related implementation issuessignificant policy-related implementation issues

• More effective public communication, More effective public communication, information, and outreach tools in useinformation, and outreach tools in use

• Coordinating on related non-Federal initiatives to Coordinating on related non-Federal initiatives to achieve greater integration and efficienciesachieve greater integration and efficiencies

Remaining Critical Issues

Timber Sales

616

840889

789

290

145

FY95 FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99 FY20000

200

400

600

800

1000

(in MMBF)

Timber Sales Offered

• Adoption of NFP resulted in significant reduction in timber harvest from pre-injunction level in 1980s

• After NFP adopted, gradual ramp-up of timber sale volume offered to levels near annual projected amount

• In recent years, expected sales have fallen well below projected annual amount primarily as a result of:>Adverse court rulings>Certain elements of NFP haveaffected timber harvest more than was anticipated

• In aggregate, requisite implementation processes hamper achievement of full suite of Plan’s principal objectives

• NFP pioneered efforts to streamline ESA consultation, but some efficiencies have been undermined by recent court rulings

• NFP itself contains variety of analytical and procedural requirements (e.g., Survey & Manage involves difficult and time-consuming procedures)

Implementation Processes

Implementation Costs

• Overall costs of implementing the NFP are high

• Certain NFP elements (e.g., Survey & Manage) have proven particularly costly to implement

• Reliance on agencies’ multiple funding sources and processes also presents challenges

• Agencies working to modify ESA Agencies working to modify ESA salmon consultation process to address salmon consultation process to address adverse court rulings and injunctionadverse court rulings and injunction

• RIEC has endorsed in principle a suite RIEC has endorsed in principle a suite of proposed changes to improve the of proposed changes to improve the ability of NFP to meet all of its objectivesability of NFP to meet all of its objectives

Coordinated Response to Critical Issues & Concerns