Policies to Encourage Diverse, Early Seral Forest in Oregon: What Might We Do?

Policies to Encourage Diverse, Early Seral Forest in Oregon:

What Might We Do?

K. Norman JohnsonDebora L. Johnson

“A future wood supply… is not assured. The serous

factor in the forestry problem becomes evident when it is

stated that a timber crop requires from fifty to one

hundred years for maturity. When to this statement is

added the assertions that this nation is using timber four

times as fast as it is being produced; that by far the

greater portion of the original stand of timber has been

removed; and that in spite of substitutes for wood, the

annual rate of timber consumption does not decrease,

the seriousness of the forestry problem becomes

increasingly clear.”

George W. Peavy, 1929

“One thing is certain: there must be a decided change

in our attitude toward our timber resources… The forest

is a renewable resource. In the interest of the nation

and of the state, Oregon’s forests should be renewed:

and, by all means, there should be as little delay as

possible in making a beginning.”

George W. Peavy, 1929

Source: Oregon’s Commercial Forests, 1929, George W. Peavy

The purpose of the reforestation rules is to ensure that forest tree cover is maintained or re-established after harvest.

Tree Species Suitable for Reforestation

1. The species must be ecologically suited to the planting site;

2. The species must be capable of producing logs, fiber, or other wood products suitable in size and quality for the

production of lumber, sheeting, pulp or other commercial forest products; and

3. The species must be marketable in the foreseeable future.

Oregon’s Reforestation Rules

ODF, December, 1994

Site Productivity Seedlings <1”dbh

tpa

Saplings and Poles 1-10” dbh

tpa

Trees 11” and larger

ba

Cubic Foot Site Class I, II, and IIIDouglas-fir 100 year site index 124 and higher

200/acre 120/acre 80 sq. ft.

Cubic Foot Site Class IV and VPonderosa pine 100-year site index 64-108


Cubic Foot Site Class VIPonderosa pine 100-year site index 40-63


Minimum Tree Stocking StandardsOregon Forest Practices Act

In general, a tree will be considered free to grow if:

1. It is not severely damaged by insects, disease, fire, wildlife, weather, or logging;

2. It exhibits the potential for continued height growth, consistent with the normal growth for the species on similar sites;

3. It has at least one-third of the tree height in full, live crown; and

4. It is taller than, and out-competing, any grass, shrubs, or other trees growing within a 10-foot radius from the tree.

Where are we now?

• Threat of timber famine greatly diminished

• Problems with successful regeneration largely solved

• A forest industry that views wood as a renewable resource

Baker, et al. 2006 Implementation monitoring: Summary of NWPF regional interagency monitoring results

Owner

group

Forest

(M acres)

Annual regen harvest

(M acres) %

Forest Industry 525 12 84

Family Forest 145 1.7 12

State 50 .4 3

Forest Service 380 0 0

BLM

Total

220

1320

.1

14.4

1

100

Possible policy changes---- Private Lands

Goal: create more diverse early seral forest without increasing landowner cost or regulatory burden

Ideas:

• Remove free-to-grow requirement

• Remove regeneration requirement in its entirety

• Allow substitution of an invasives eradication plan, enhanced wildlife tree plan, or logging debris retention plan

Perhaps on small harvest units

Remove “free-to grow” requirement

Remove the entire reforestation requirementPerhaps on small harvest units and/or in

certain zones

Brandis Oak Savanna Restoration Project

Allow substitution of an invasives eradication plan

Scot’s broom

GradeGradePond ValuePond Value

$/MBF$/MBF

2S2S 540540

3S3S 490490

4S4S 465465

3S (12+)3S (12+) 220220

SCSC 185185

UtilityUtility 4545

(ODF 4th Qtr. 2006)

Allow substitution of an enhanced wildlife tree plan

Encourage the retention of logging debris

Carbon stores increased as rotation length increased, but decreased as the fraction of trees harvested and logging debris removed increased.

Source: Forests, Carbon and Climate Change: A Synthesis of Science Findings. 2006. Oregon Forest Resources Institute

Policy Changes on Federal lands

Goal: create more diverse early seral forest consistent with agency mission.

Ideas:

• Allow burned areas to respond without major intervention,

• Implement a long-rotation strategy on BLM O&C lands keyed to their special mission,

• Emulate large-scale disturbance on the national forests through regeneration harvest of plantations

Federal lands


Ideas:




Current Policy – Now

Current Policy – Year 50

Long Rotation BLM– Year 50

Federal lands


Ideas:




Possible changes---- Private Lands

Goal: create more diverse early seral forest without increasing landowner cost or regulatory burden

Ideas:

• Remove free-to-grow requirement

• Remove regeneration requirement in its entirety

• Allow substitution of an invasives eradication plan, enhanced wildlife tree plan, or logging debris retention plan

Federal lands


Ideas:




Policies to Encourage Diverse, Early Seral Forest in Oregon:

What might we do?

K. Norman JohnsonDebora L. Johnson

Policies to Encourage Diverse, Early Seral Forest in Oregon: What Might We Do?

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