Hawaii s s State-wide Assessment of Forest Resource Condition and Long-Term Strategy. Ron Cannarella September 24, 2009

Transcription

1 Hawaii s s State-wide Assessment of Forest Resource Condition and Long-Term Strategy Ron Cannarella September 24, 2009

2 Forestry & Resilient Communities in Hawai`i

3 "History doesn't repeat itself, at best it sometimes rhymes Mark Twain

4 But First: SWARS What Why Who When Where How

5 hat is SWARS? Every State Must Produce 2 documents = SWARS 1. Statewide Forest Conditions Assessment (SWA) 2. Statewide Forest Resource Strategy hy is Hawaii doing a SWARS? New Requirement in the 2008 Farm Bill if states want to be eligible for $ billons of Farm Bill program dollars ho is responsible? Each State Forester. In Hawaii; Paul Conry has tasked Ron Cannarella and the SWARS Team. hen is the Hawaii SWARS due? June 18th, 2010 must be in the hands of USDA. here will this plan apply? Statewide, all land ownerships, focus on forests & urban areas ow will we go about producing our SWARS? Using existing data, technology, teamwork & public input

6 hat is SWARS? Every State Must Produce 2 documents = SWARS 1. Statewide Forest Conditions Assessment (SWA) 2. Statewide Forest Resource Strategy hy is Hawaii doing a SWARS? New Requirement in the 2008 Farm Bill if states want to be eligible for $ billons of Farm Bill program dollars ho is responsible? Each State Forester. In Hawaii; Paul Conry has tasked Ron Cannarella and the SWARS Team. hen is the Hawaii SWARS due? June 18th, 2010 must be in the hands of USDA. Where will this plan apply? Statewide, all land ownerships, focus on forests & urban areas ow will we go about producing our SWARS? Using existing data, technology, teamwork & public input

7 Programs Affected (2010) Forest Stewardship Forest Legacy Coop Fire Conservation Education Urban & Community Forestry Forest Health Monitoring... and more (NRCS, other USDA)

8 Process for Implementing the State Strategy State-Wide Assessment = Priorities/Values/Trends/Threats State Resource Strategy = Long-term Program Steps (5-years) Annual Statewide Action Plan Annual S&PF Grant Proposals Core activities Competitive projects Other Funding Processes Other grants State budget process Annual work plans for each State staff unit

9 Stakeholder Involvement At minimum coordinate with: State Forest Stewardship Committee (DOFAW) State Wildlife Agency (DOFAW) State Technical Committee (NRCS) Federal land management agencies Lead agency for Forest Legacy Program (DOFAW) State Urban Forestry Council (DOFAW) List who was involved ID stakeholders that will contribute to strategies

10 Other Plans to be Consulted State Wildlife Action Plan (required) Community Wildfire Protection Plans (required) Past state strategic plans State Comprehensive Outdoor Rec. Plan Plans for State-owned owned Land Applicable plans for Fed. forest land Prior 5-yr 5 S&PF Program plans

11 Example Matrices of Strategies A. Example matrix of strategies organized by priority State issues State Issue #1: Private Forest Landowner Demographic Trends, and Corresponding Land Use Changes Long-term Strategy Priority Landscape Area(s) Secondary Issues Addressed Program Areas that Contribute Key Stakeholders Resources Available/Required Measure of Success Supports National Objective 1. Protect land by promoting establishment of conservation easements. -Middle Meramec - Current River All above are also within designated Forest Legacy Areas. Second strategy for State issue #1 2, 12 & 14 Forest Legacy; Competitive Grants; The Nature Conservancy; Ozark Regional Land Trust; National Wild Turkey Federation; Ruffed Grouse Society; US Forest Service; Dept of Conservation -Land Trusts - State Dept. of Consv. (ID & refer landowners). - Private/stakeholder donations to fund stewardship fees. -Forest Legacy -Conservation Tax -Protection of 25,000 acres of priority area in the next 5 years -S&PF measure XY 1.1, B. Example matrix of strategies organized by priority landscape areas Priority Landscape Area 1: Lamoille River Corridor State Issues Addressed Long-term Strategy Program Areas that Contribute Key Stakeholders Resources Available/Required Measure of Success Supports National Objective A. Pressure to develop remaining forest lands in transition area. 1. Conserve existing lands with forests and trees via easements and forest management practices Urban & Community Forestry; Forest Stewardship Town and regional planners; State lands staff; Land trusts Use UCF and Forest Stewardship to increase awareness of landowners of the importance of these lands for connected open spaces; land trusts determine this a priority; LIP - Degree of connectivity of trees across the landscape -S&PF measure YZ 1.1, 1.2, 3.5, 3.6 C. Village mixed use and suburban residential zoning 2. Maintain existing and expand forested buffers along river to protect wildlife and water quality; Institute low-impact development (LID) methods for new construction Forest Stewardship; Urban and Community Forestry; Forest Health Basin planner; League of Cities and Towns; Sea Grant Program; FREMO; developers; town planners and zoning boards Distribution of information re LID; Chittenden County open space plans; Chittenden County landscape analyses by UVM (underway); review of town ordinances -Adoption of LID practices - Water quality not diminished by adjacent construction - Existing and newly planted trees remain healthy - S&PF measure ZZ 3.1, 3.5

12 First Step: How to Prioritize Forests, Urban Areas and Watersheds? ~ How to eat an elephant successfully?

13 Had Experience in SAP Spatial Analysis Project Completed 2008 Limited to One Program Garbage IO Issues

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15 And One Day...

16 First: Ask The Experts USFWS Required Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies (talk story with Wildlife Section) Coral Reef Task Force Coral Reef Assessments (3 rounds) Local Action Strategies

17 Review Every Forestry Plan Ever Made for Hawaii

18 If history often rhymes how do we make ahupua`a rhyme with SWARS?

19 History of Forest Management in Hawaii "The principal product of Hawaiian forests is water" "Hahai no ka ulula`au" (rains always follow the forest) Ralph S. Hosmer

20 History of Forest Management in Hawaii Pre European Contact Ahupua`a System Developed Alteration of Natural Landscapes Sophisticated Agriculture/Aquaculture

21 History of Forest Management in Hawaii 1778 Post-European Contact Environmental Degradation & Deforestation Intensifies 1811 Sandalwood extraction becomes a major undertaking Goats, European pig, cattle & sheep are introduced, made kapu & multiply rapidly 1830 Kapu lifted, forests grazed to death

22 History of Forest Management in Hawaii 1848 First Public Distribution of Water to Honolulu from Nu`uanu Stream 1848 The Great Mahele private land rights 1876 An "Act for the Protection & Preservation of Woods & Forests" is authorized 1876 Reciprocity Treaty lifts tarriff on sugar 1878 King Kalakaua led a party to Nuuanu Stream to plant trees to protect water supply Deforestation impacts everyone

23 History of Forest Management in Hawaii 1882 Tree Nursery 1889 First Artesian Well 1892 First Forest Reserves 1902 General Description of Hawaiian Forests Water #1 forest product Damage by ungulates Wildfire as a threat

24 History of Forest Management in Hawaii 1903 Territory creates Board of Agriculture and Forestry (predating USDA Forest Service) 1904 Frank Hosmer creates Forest Reserve System 1912 Population of Honolulu 50,183 Sanitary Commission suggests that they plan for population of 500,000

25 History of Forest Management in Hawaii 1915 General crisis and alarm regarding water supply in Honolulu Widespread reforestation, planting anything & everything 1923 No more surface water supplied to Honolulu residents (all artesian water) 1923 First Quantitative Report on Water Resources of Oahu 1930 Forest Reserve System = 1 million acres Great Depression = 1,200 CCC workers plant 1.2 million trees

26 History of Forest Management in Hawaii 1957 US Forest Service establishes experiment station (becomes Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry) 1957 Comprehensive Zoning Law Passed New Forest Reserves Formalized on State Lands Conservation Subzones Created for all lands DLNR Responsible for permitting on Conservation Lands 1960 s Hawaii General Plan refined Comprehensive in Scope Protect Resources Direct Growth

27 History of Forest Management in Hawaii 1962 First Comprehensive Forestry Plan 1970 s Ecological and Cultural Revival 1970 Natural Area Reserve System Establilshed 1975 Second Comprehensive Forestry Plan 1976 Hawaii Water Resources Regional Study 1985 Third Comprehensive Forestry Plan 1991 First Watershed Partnership on Maui 1991 Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Act 1994 Tropical Forestry Action Plan

28 History of Forest Management in Hawaii 1998 Coral Reef Task Force Established 2003 Invasive Species Council Established 2005 Comprehensive Wildlife Plan Created million acres in Watershed Partnerships 2008 Farm Bill Requires Comprehensive Forest Plans, across all land ownerships, including urban forests

29 Hawaii SWARS Approach Need our partners help more than ever! Hawaii will incorporate Urban, Coral Reefs, island scale planning Look to our roots = The Conservation Zone Address new threats Invasives Fire Climate Change

30 Conclusions Hawaii has demonstrated capacity to build and maintain resilient communities Great level of cooperation Survived boom and bust economies many times Great hope for the future Needed: Data and Writers

31 Mahalo to our partners! For information Hawaiistateassessment.info Ron Cannarella, DLNR/DOFAW