North Coast Forest Conservation Conference. June 6-8, Conference Report

Transcription

1 North Coast Forest Conservation Conference June 6-8, 2012 Conference Report

2 Thank you to our sponsors Ernie Carpenter Fund for the Environment, A Sonoma Community Foundation Grant Members of the Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group include, Bodega Land Trust; CAL FIRE; Coast Ridge Community Forest; Fire Safe Sonoma; Friends of Mark West Watershed; Forest, Soil & Water, Inc.; Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District; Greenbelt Alliance; Gualala River Watershed Council; Santa Rosa Junior College; Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District; Sonoma Land Trust; Sotoyome Resource Conservation District; and University of California Cooperative Extension. Members of the California Northern Region Land Trust Council include, Friends of the Dunes, Jacoby Creek Land Trust, Lake County Land Trust, Mattole Restoration Council, McKinleyville Land Trust, Mendocino Land Trust, Northcoast Regional Land Trust, Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc., Sanctuary Forest, Siskiyou Land Trust, Sonoma Land Trust, and Trinidad Coastal Land Trust. North Coast Forest Conservation Conference Report Page 2

3 Overview The Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group, (SCFCWG), California Northern Region Land Trust Council (CNRLTC), and our sponsors developed and delivered a three-day Forest Conservation Conference held on the Santa Rosa Junior College campus at Shone Farm in Forestville. The goal was to provide updated information and expand upon Sonoma Land Trust s 2005 one-day conference, and host a local conversation to discuss how we can best keep our North Coast forests ecologically and economically healthy and viable. The conference included two days of speakers and interactive panel discussions. On the second evening, we held a banquet dinner and presented the Forest Land Ethic Award to landowner Ed Tunheim for his lifelong commitment to managing his forestland with a land ethic that incorporates the philosophy of Aldo Leopold. The conference concluded with a day of site tours to five diverse forested locations in Sonoma County. Almost 200 attendees came from throughout the entire Redwood Region, from Santa Cruz to McKinleyville and east to Weaverville, Redding, and Sacramento, and engaged in dialogue to develop strategies for protecting the forested landscapes in Sonoma County and the North Coast. The backgrounds of the participants, speakers and panelists were equally as broad and included industrial and non-industrial forest landowners, forest industry representatives, registered professional Sonoma County Fifth District Supervisor Efren Carrillo welcomes attendees. foresters, land conservation professionals, public agency staff, resource conservation district staff, watershed groups, FireSafe councils, educators and students. The speakers were leaders in their fields and volunteered to share their perspectives, ideas and success stories related to land management, programs, partnerships and policies. Simply put, we provided a forum to meet, listen, engage and encourage lively discussion about ways we can continue to protect our forestlands, given the existing and emerging challenges of fragmentation, conversion, disease, invasives, diminishing infrastructure, increasing regulations, imports and the uncertainties of climate change. A copy of the complete conference agenda, including speakers and bios, and PDF versions of their presentations are located at North Coast Forest Conservation Conference Report Page 3

4 Take Away Messages The focus of the conference was Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities and Healthy Economies. The participants informed us that their key take-away messages were -- Healthy Forests Past land use and management practices influence the forest health for decades, if not longer. Fire plays in important role in the health of our forests. Pests and disease, such as Sudden Oak Death, are present in our forests and having a significant impact. Wildlife is affected by non-native plant and animal species. Oak woodlands are not regenerating well. Illegal marijuana cultivation is a pervasive issue in our forests, which not only affects the ecological health of our forests, but also the safety of them. Water quality is essential for a healthy forest, and a healthy forest is essential for water quality. We need to manage the lands well to protect the fisheries. We need to control erosion, rehabilitate our roads, and reduce stream diversions in order to maintain healthy forests. Some of the best presentations were from scientists, which is just the type of information land managers are seeking. The conference afforded an opportunity to make current information available to many people. This is valuable and needs to be done more often. Healthy Communities There is a huge shift in forestry -- the us vs. them has been dramatically reduced in recent years. It is important to focus on both the large and small private land holdings. A large portion of Sonoma County s forestland is held in small parcels. The land trust community has a growing appreciation for forest management, and how it is used to create desired forest structures. There was a general excitement at the prospect of conservation and forest industry groups working together to improve forest conditions in this era of fire suppression. Family ownership of forestlands is an important component of protecting the forested landscapes of the North Coast. We have a beautiful place that is worth fighting for, through education and outreach. North Coast Forest Conservation Conference Report Page 4

5 Healthy Economies There is a critical connection between proper management practices and the economic health of the forest. Sustainable forestry is economically feasible under the right conditions. Regulations are important, but the process is broken. Land conservation is broader than directly conserving and managing forestland. It may also provide financial benefits to help support family-run timber companies, so they are able to continue to manage their forestlands well, and increase their ability to sustainably harvest. Both commercial and non-commercial forest managers support strong forest conservation goals and BMPs. They also believe the regulatory process (Forest Practice Rules) needs to be seriously revamped, as it is too large, unwieldy, and difficult to understand and navigate. Those who attended the conference should help develop a model for a better regulatory process. The conference was attended by professionals and students. Perspectives were shared from industrial, non-industrial, and NGO landowners about their unique challenges. It costs California forest landowners $60 per acre to obtain a permit to harvest, versus $4 per acre in Washington and $6 per acre in Oregon. How can we compete with this? Next Steps for the Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group As a result of the surveys from the participants, and our numerous and collective discussions held during the three-day conference, the Forest Conservation Working Group has developed the following list of activities on which to focus during the next three-five years. 1. Continue to convene workshops, conferences, meetings and other opportunities to carry on the discussion of how to protect the ecological and economical viability of the North Coast Forests. 2. Work with the forest landowners of both large and small parcels, to learn from them, and share information with them. North Coast Forest Conservation Conference Report Page 5

6 3. Specifically, identify how best to continue the local and regional discussions about, and participate in efforts to address, the following topics: a. Providing regulatory relief for forest landowners, especially small landowners and family forests. b. Emerging markets and trends, including the carbon market, ecosystem services, and biomass utilization, and co-generation opportunities, as potential economic incentives for improved forest management. c. Climate change. d. Forest conservation, including protecting our forests from fragmentation; conversion to other uses; and supporting economically sustainable forest conservation (including management for old-growth characteristics). e. Forest Management issues, including: best management practices; the role of fire in our forests and the Wild/Urban Interface; illegal marijuana cultivation; Sudden Oak Death; oak regeneration; road maintenance; and erosion control. f. The integrity of our forest industry infrastructure and global competition. Additional Information The success of the Forest Conservation Conference was a direct result of the outstanding participation of the attendees and presenters. If you have questions about the conference, the Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group, or the California Northern Region Land Trust Council, please feel free to contact any of the following: Hezekiah Allen, Mattole Restoration Council, , hezekiah@mattole.org Kim Batchelder, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, , kbatchel@sonoma-county.org Jill Butler, CALFIRE, , jill.butler@fire.ca.gov Amy Chesnut, Sonoma Land Trust, , Ext. 110, amy@sonomalandtrust.org Caerleon Safford, FireSafe Sonoma, , csafford@mcn.org Attendees enjoy conversation amid the beauty of Shone Farm in Forestville. North Coast Forest Conservation Conference Report Page 6