position statements: washington dnr sustainable harvest analysis
background
Washington's Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) manages 2.1 million acres statewide of forestland for current and future citizens of the state. WDNR's goal is to maximize revenues for public trust beneficiaries such as the public school construction fund and county forest board lands, while meeting habitat conservation and social obligations of a large forest manager. By statute, these lands are managed under a periodically updated sustained yield plan. The Board of Natural Resources last approved a sustainable harvest level in 1996 in conjunction with the Habitat Conservation Plan adoption.
current status
WDNR is engaged in a sustained yield recalculation that reflects spatially explicit habitat, riparian, and other protection impacts on harvests within the trust's western Washington forestland base. Completion is expected in 2003. This project is being conducted with substantial public input to the process and analysis.
process
- An independent technical committee of professionals reviews the calculation process;
- A series of public meetings to inform the public are conducted;
- Individual meetings with interest groups are held;
- The Board of Natural Resources is a full partner in the process;
- Meetings will occur as the calculation moves through the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) process;
- The WDNR actively seeks academic and professional input.
analysis
- Multiple alternative modeling approach is used to explore and evaluate policy options;
- A widely accepted model (Options) is used to perform the calculation;
- An experienced WDNR team oversees the process.
recommendations
The following professional suggestions are offered:
- Explore alternatives to habitat conservation that minimize reductions in sustainable harvest levels while meeting state and federal laws and agreements. Advancements in environmental science and forest management technology should be incorporated into the analysis that maximizes sustainable harvest levels while maintaining habitat conservation goals.
- Test a broad range of silvicultural regimes, rotation lengths, and geographic analysis groupings to offset reductions in harvest levels associated with habitat conservation. Tree improvement, vegetation management and fertilization along with aggregate planning units on the remaining forestland base after habitat conservation measures should be analyzed. Shorter rotation lengths on the residual acreage should be analyzed to determine the highest sustainable harvest levels recognizing limited market opportunity for long rotation size trees.
- Seek a balance of environmental, social and economic outputs by quantifying the alternatives tested for each of these parameters. Methodologies and protocols for projecting habitat (environmental); employment and tax revenues (social); and cash-flows (economic) have been developed at the University of Washington and Oregon State University for large forest ownerships.
- Check the calculations through continuous monitoring and review. Actual harvest data and silviculture application rates need to be incorporated into an ongoing process of model verification and update. The University of Washington's Landscape Management System (LMS) and experience with linear programming analysis should enhance the understanding and application of Options results.
- Recalculate the eastern Washington trust forestlands sustainable harvest upon completion of the westside project. The current project covers only those lands covered by the western Washington 1997 Habitat Conservation Plan.
summary
WDNR's sustainable harvest recalculation project is a model of public input and technical rigor. We believe our professional input will serve to improve the well being of the citizens of the State of Washington through a balance of habitat conservation, sustainable harvests and social contributions.
Adopted with 93% approval by member referendum of the Washington State Society of American Foresters (WSSAF) on December 4, 2002. This statement will expire on December 4, 2005, unless after thorough review it is renewed by the WSSAF Executive Committee.