Forest Management Public Summary. for. J-Spear Ranch Co.

Transcription

1 Forest Management Public Summary for J-Spear Ranch Co. Certification Code: SW-FM/COC-069 Date of Certification: April 1, 1999 Date of Public Summary: June, 2004 This document was produced according to the guidelines of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the SmartWood Program. No part of the report should be published separately. Certifier: SmartWood Program 1 c/o Rainforest Alliance 665 Broadway, 5 th Floor New York, New York USA TEL: (212) FAX: (212) info@smartwood.org Website: 1 SmartWood is implemented worldwide by the nonprofit members of the SmartWood Network. The Network is coordinated by the Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization. The Rainforest Alliance is the legally registered owner of the SmartWood certification mark and label. All uses of the SmartWood label for promotion must be authorized by SmartWood headquarters. SmartWood certification applies to forest management practices only and does not represent endorsement of other product qualities (e.g., financial performance to investors, product function, etc.). SmartWood is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for the certification of natural forest management, tree plantations and chain-of-custody.

2 ACRONYMS AAC CITES COC DBH DOC FMO FSC HCVF ILO JSR MAI NRCS ODF OSHA P&C RTE SFM USFS Annual Allowable Cut Convention on Trade in Endangered Species Chain of Custody Diameter at Breast Height Department of Conservation Forest Management Organization Forest Stewardship Council High Conservation Value Forest International Labor Organization J-Spear Ranch Co. Mean Annual Increment Natural Resources Conservation Service Oregon Department of Forestry Occupation Safety and Health Administration Principles and Criteria of the FSC Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species Sustainable Forest Management United States Forest Service INTRODUCTION To earn SmartWood certification, a forest management operation must undergo an on-site field assessment. This Public Summary Report summarizes information contained in the initial assessment report, which is produced based on information collected during the field assessment. Annual audits are conducted to monitor the forest management operation s activities, to review the operation s progress toward meeting their certification conditions, and to verify compliance with the SmartWood standards. Addenda providing the updated information obtained during these annual audits are included as attachments to the Public Summary Report. This report presents the findings of an independent certification assessment conducted by specialist representing the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance. The purpose of the assessment was to evaluate the ecological, economic and social sustainability of J-Spear Ranch Co. forest management. The purpose of the SmartWood program is to recognize conscientious land stewardship through independent evaluation and certification of forestry practices. Forestry operations that attain SmartWood certification may use the SmartWood and FSC label for public marketing and advertising. CERTIFICATION DECISION Based on a thorough field review, analysis and compilation of findings by this SmartWood assessment team J-Spear Ranch is recommended to renew the joint FSC/SmartWood Forest Management and Chain of Custody (FM/COC) Certification. In order to maintain certification, J-Spear Ranch will submit to annual on-site audits to verify maintenance of observed performance, compliance with the FSC principles and criteria as described in this report J-Spear Page 2

3 1. GENERAL SUMMARY 1.1 Name and Contact Information Source Name: J-Spear Ranch Co. Address: P.O. Box 257 Klamath Falls, OR Contact Person: Daniel T. Applebaker, Forest Manager Thomas M. Shaw, Vice President Owner: Thomas J. Shaw, President Tel: Fax: General Background A. Type of operation: J-Spear Ranch Co. includes private commercial forest and ranch property owned by the Shaw family of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This assessment refers exclusively to the J-Spear Ranch Co. forestland properties, managed primarily by Mr. Applebaker, a professional forester trained at Oregon State University and a Registered Professional Forester in California. The assessment does not cover Modoc Lumber, another private enterprise owned by the Shaw family. B. Years in Operation: The property has been managed for forest production for over 50 years. The Shaw family is a fourth generation logging and milling family which entered the business in 1892 when John A. Shaw began logging on the Santiam River near Mill City, Oregon. The family established a sawmill in Klamath Falls in 1946 and began acquiring timber lands in the early 50 s. Some lands were exchanged with the USFS (i.e. the Sun Pass Tract) and private owners, while others were purchased (i.e. Indian Allotment lands such as the Chiloquin Ridge Tract). From the beginning, family lands were managed primarily for future timber production and forest health; to be used only as necessary to supplement other sources. Federal forests were to remain the primary source of raw materials for the mill (Modoc Lumber). Most of the Shaw timber lands were in relatively good condition and the family was able to refrain from excessive harvesting. Up until 1992, 85-90% of the total timber used by Modoc Lumber was supplied by federal landholdings. During this period, the company sawmill produced 60 MMBF of lumber and maintained 160 employees. When federal timber harvests were dramatically reduced in , the Shaw family began more intensive logging on its own properties in an effort to keep their locally owned mill going. A major motivation was to maintain jobs in the region. It became clear to the owners that the best move was to close down the mill, rather than increase the timber harvest on family lands. To not do so, in the Shaw s minds, would have resulted in not only a degraded forest, but also a shut mill regardless. Thus, they decided to close the mill. Daniel Applebaker was hired in 1984 and has been the sole on-the-ground forester of the operations since C. Date first certified: J-Spear Page 3

4 April 1, 1999 D. Latitude and Longitude: The J-Spear Ranch Co. forestlands are spread between Klamath Falls and Lakeview, Oregon in Klamath and Lake Counties at approximately 42º -43º Latitude and 120º -122º Longitude. 1.3 Forest and Management System A. Forest Type and Land Use History During the last five years of audits and during the 2004 Reassessment SmartWood has observed the majority of the management tracts of J-Spear Ranch Co. Findings in this reassessment do not differ from the 1999 Assessment. The assessment team observed a variety of forest types and conditions being managed for timber production. White Fir and Ponderosa Pine are the most common species on the family s property. As is common throughout much of the region, large Ponderosa Pine trees that were not harvested previously due to defects or small size have become the dominant canopy species. Lack of fire and reduced logging levels have helped foster the growth of White Fir. In fact, White Fir regeneration is increasing more so than that of other species, and considerably more so than what would be proportional to its presence in merchantable size classes. Due to conservative harvesting, the property is generally fully or over-stocked with timber from a silvicultural perspective. According to the 1996 inventory, J-Spear Ranch Co. lands have the following species mix: Ponderosa Pine 57%, White and Shasta Red Fir 25%, Lodgepole Pine 8%, Sugar Pine 6%, Douglas-fir 3% and Incense Cedar 1%. The general management intent is to maintain this species mix. Species diversity represented by the less-common species mentioned above, as well as Quaking Aspen, are considered important attributes of the property and will be maintained at roughly 20% of the stand s composition. Multi-age and multi-species conifer stands were typical for most of the tracts visited. Stand health was generally good, but there is a continual concern regarding the impacts of the Fir Engraver Beetle (Scolytis spp) affecting the White Fir. Much of the land may be summarized as gentle in slope (< 20 %). Roads throughout the holdings are numerous and fairly primitive (natural surface). Essentially all of these holdings have been logged in the past. Much of the region is considered either hot-dry or warm-dry, which under normal conditions would clearly favor Ponderosa Pine. B. Size of Management Tract The J-Spear Ranch Co. forestlands total approximately 15,660 acres (6,275 hectares) most of which is fairly productive forest of various age classes. The current management goal is to achieve a 100% mixed age, mixed species natural forest, with an emphasis on larger diameter trees. C. Regional Context The J-Spear Ranch Co. is surrounded mainly by intensively managed industrial or State lands (Sun Pass State Forest), or largely unattended or lightly managed (i.e. USFS) forested properties. Private ranchlands also border many of the properties. J-Spear Page 4

5 D. Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) The annual allowable cut for the property has been historically quite light. (In general, harvest levels are designed to improve forest health and improve productivity.) Mr. Applebaker has calculated a periodic allowable cut of 5.4 MMBF for the 1999 management plan. The amount of timber being harvested appears to be below the annual growth rate. Harvest levels for the last 10 years were as follows: Year Volume (bf) ,810, ,531, ,451, ,780, ,657, ,711, ,657, ,881, ,188, ,071,100 The average annual harvest level for this 5-year period has been 4,074,274 bf including both logs and fiber. During the same period, net standing inventory has increased by nearly 3 mmbf, to approximately 145,000 mbf. This volume harvest is less than the 5.4 MMBF that Mr. Applebaker has calculated for the future and reflects the family s conservative approach to timber harvesting. E. General Description of Forest Management The goal of the Shaw family is to implement responsible, exemplary forestry on the ground while also obtaining positive financial returns over the long-term. The current strategy is to utilize revenues generated by harvest to cover management costs. The goals for certification are primarily to: validate the forestry approach practiced on the property; and access additional markets. The system practiced by the J-Spear Ranch Co. is currently focused on individual tree selection, and, over the last several years, has been principally focused on the salvage of diseased and dying trees, primarily White Fir, or blow-down. The basic silvicultural strategy is to utilize an uneven-aged system and harvest the worst or most defective trees (and/or those crowding or competing with individual crop trees), and leave the best trees for subsequent harvest, thus improving stand quality. This approach results in less environmental impacts than an even-aged approach and is aesthetically pleasing. It does not rely on high-grading and should result in well-stocked, multi-aged stands with some snag and wildlife tree components. Clearings (i.e. clear cuts) are not practiced, except for extreme fire salvage situations. 1.4 Environmental and Socioeconomic Context The J-Spear Ranch Co. forestlands are largely surrounded by U.S. Forest Service and industrial lands, which have been intensively managed in the past. In comparison to industrial lands in the region, the J-Spear Ranch Co. is pursuing a conservative and prudent approach to forestry that will protect a plethora of ecological values. On the other end of the spectrum, the USFS has dramatically reduced its annual harvest to J-Spear Page 5

6 the point that its management style would best be considered as passive. Although less timber is being harvested in USFS lands and stocking levels are high, the species composition shifts, risks of disease and propensity for stand-replacement fires combine to make the federal lands an environmental threat to J-Spear Ranch Co. timberlands. USFS lands do however; also protect environmental values such as wildlife and water that are beneficial to J-Spear Ranch Co. Few perennial streams on the J-Spear Ranch Co. forestlands were observed. Where these streams did exist, they tended to flow through marsh or meadow environments, with livestock grazing being the primary use. Very few intermittent stream channels were noted, and most channels would probably go dry before June. From a socioeconomic perspective, the J-Spear Ranch Co. is extremely important, as it represents one of the few locally-owned non-publicly traded, industrial forest property in Klamath and Lake Counties. As such it provides a critical source of income for numerous local contractors and mills. The long-term stability and integrity of the Shaw family helps ensure a steady economic stream to the local community. 1.5 Products A. Species and products The owners estimate the 2003 annual production to be approximately 3.8 MMBF of conifers, largely White Fir and Ponderosa Pine logs. 1.6 Chain of Custody The owners no longer own or manage any processing facility as part of their operation and therefore would not be required to undergo a separate chain of custody audit. Employee Type Permanent - (full & part time) Contract (incl. seasonal) Full time Part Time Male Female Male Female Total CERTIFICATION ASSESSMENT PROCESS 2.1. Assessment Dates Activity Date(s) Who Stakeholder Notification J Martin Stakeholder list Client Interview 2-17 to ML-DA J-Spear Page 6

7 Field Visit ML-DA Summary Meeting ML-DA-TS Draft Report Produced ML Draft Reviewed by Client DA Certification Decision 2.2. Assessment Team and Peer Reviewers Marco Lowenstein, SmartWood Western Regional Manager: Mr. Lowenstein has a Masters degree in Forest Science from Yale University and has worked in forestry and forest products for the past 25 years. Prior experience include: SmartWood Program Coordinator for the Lake States USA; Manager of lumber and flooring dealers in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Program Director for Forest-Based Economic Development in Costa Rica and New Mexico. Report was reviewed by: Walter Smith, Senior Technical Specialist. Walter has seventeen years experience in logging, training and forest resource management and thirteen years experience in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management and chain of custody certification. Walter is a pioneer of the FSC system and considered a senior authority on certification. He developed an FSC type certification system with the Institute for Sustainable Forestry before the establishment of the FSC. He is a founding member of the FSC and was on the original FSC Principles and Criteria Working Group. Walter began working with SmartWood in Since then he has been a team leader on over 120 forest management and chain of custody assessments and audits in Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and all regions of the United States. He is a principal instructor for the SmartWood Assessor Training Program and has participated in 18 training workshops in North America and Asia and is the co-author of a book on certification Assessment Process The Assessor met with Dan Applebaker, Forest Manager for J-spear Ranch on the afternoon of February 17th at the J-Spear Ranch office in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Documents were reviewed and operating principles, philosophies and current issues were discussed. The following day the Assessor visited an active winter logging unit on the Merritt Springs tract. On Thursday the auditor had a closing meeting with coowner Tommy Shaw and Mr. Applebaker. The following documents were reviewed: RIEE SmartWood Certification Assessment Report for: J-Spear Ranch Co. Forest Lands. SmartWood SmartWood Audit reports for 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Biological Evaluation and Management Recommendations for Selected Timberlands of the J-Spear Ranch Co. for the SmartWood Program of the Rogue Institute for Ecology and Economy. Wildland Resources Managers J-Spear Ranch Co., Biological Monitoring Plan. Prepared by: Wildland Resources Managers Standards The Standards used in this reassessment are the FSC Pacific Coast Working Group Standards version 7.9 as approved by the FSC International in August 2003 ( J-Spear Page 7

8 2.5. Stakeholder consultation process and results Issues Identified Through Stakeholder Comments and Public Meetings The stakeholder consultation activities were organized to give participants the opportunity to provide comments according to general categories of interest based upon the assessment criteria. The comment summary below is based upon specific interview and/or public meeting comments. Stakeholder Comments FSC Principle Stakeholder Comments SmartWood Response P1: FSC Commitment/ Legal Compliance J-Spear is paid up on all taxes and is in proactive and collaborative contact with neighboring landowners P2: Tenure & Use Rights & Responsibilities P3 Indigenous Peoples Rights P4: Community Relations & Workers Rights P5: Benefits from the Forest P6: Environmental Impact Access provided to adjacent landowners in most cases None None None Concerned with variety of species and habitat. Collaborates with Agencies in management of species None P7: Management Plan P8: Monitoring & None Assessment P9: Maintenance of ENGOs concerned about activities on public, High Conservation not private lands. Value Forest P10 - Plantations NA 3. RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1. Findings and Conditions by Principle Table V: Findings by FSC Principle Principle/Subject Area P1: FSC Commitment and Legal Compliance P2: Tenure & Use Rights & Strengths J-Spear has shown leadership in sustainable forest management for over 50 years. Regularly makes presentations to local and industry groups in support of FSC. Provides public access on most properties. Works with adjacent landowners to prevent Weaknesses J-Spear Page 8

9 Responsibilities P3 Indigenous Peoples Rights P4: Community Relations & Workers Rights P5: Benefits from the Forest P6: Environmental Impact P7: Management Plan P8: Monitoring & Assessment P9: Maintenance of High Conservation Value Forest P10 - Plantations and resolve problems Open door policy. See above. No traditional claims on private land Pays competitive wages. Works with contractors to provide steady flow of work.. Member of local community organizations for over 50 years. Forest inventory growing. Manages for multiple values. Maintain extensive large tree component (over 28 inches). Implementation of harvest and other activities consistent high quality. Maintains species and structural diversity through site specific uneven age management.. Retains snag and down woody debris component. Management plan is up to date and covers all required element Forest-wide inventory completed every 10 years. Growth plots measured every 5 years. Snag and woody debris component measured in growth plots. Biological Monitoring Plan completed. Many elements of 2001 BMP have been implemented. Elements of unique habitats such as riparian areas, aspen stands and rocky outcrops are protected. Some stands under management have a large tree component such as Sun Pass. These large trees (over 28 inches) are likely to be considered HCVF. These stands are being maintained through management. There are however extensive stands of large trees and Old growth protected on adjacent public Forest (USFS). Not Applicable. While JSR has made great strides in developing its biological monitoring protocol. There are several areas that still need further development. See condition Certification Decision Based on a thorough field review, analysis and compilation of findings by this SmartWood assessment team J-Spear Ranch is recommended to maintain its joint FSC/SmartWood Forest Management and Chain of Custody (FM/COC) Certification with the stipulated conditions. In order to maintain certification, J-Spear Ranch will be audited annually on-site and required to remain in compliance with the FSC principles and criteria as further defined by regional guidelines developed by SmartWood or the FSC. J-Spear Ranch will also be required to fulfill the conditions as described below. Experts from SmartWood will review continued forest management performance and compliance with the conditions described in this report, during scheduled and random audits Conditions and Recommendations J-Spear Page 9

10 Conditions are verifiable actions that will form part of the certification agreement that J-Spear Ranch will be expected to fulfill at the time of the first audit or as required in the condition. Each condition has an explicit time period for completion. Non-compliance with conditions will lead to decertification. Condition 1: Within 2 years JSR shall develop protocol for implementing Elements A.6; Horizontal Diversity (e.g., distribution of stand types and legacy trees) and; B.2.Openings (e.g., distribution and size of openings) of the 2001 Biological Monitoring Plan. This condition is a continuation of condition number 6, of the 1999 assessment. This protocol should specifically provide a mechanism for describing changes in stand structure over time. It is likely that this protocol would be based on existing data collection (Criteria 8.2.c.). J-Spear Page 10