Applegate Adaptive Management Area. Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

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1 Applegate Adaptive Management Area Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

2 Josephine County Applegate Watershed Fun Facts 493,000 Acres (770 sq. miles) 262,400 Acres in Jackson County 172,800 Acres in Josephine County 57,800 Acres in Siskiyou County Land Ownership 68% Publicly Managed Land 55% Forested 2% Range 18% Non-Range Ag 13% Rural Residential 711 Stream Miles Miles of 303(d) Listed Streams OREGON CALIFORNIA

3 1994 NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN Five Key Principles: Never forget human and economic dimensions of issues Protect long-term health of forests, wildlife, and waterways Focus on scientifically sound, ecologically credible, and legally responsible strategies and implementation Produce a predictable and sustainable level of timber sales and non-timber resources Ensure that Federal agencies work together

4 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT Integral principle woven into the fabric of the plan that applies throughout NFP area Adjusting management over time to better achieve NFP objectives in light of new information Adaptive Management Areas: Network of 10 areas specifically designed for testing alternative approaches to more effectively achieve desired ecological, socioeconomic, or other objectives

5 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AREAS

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7 APPLEGATE AMA EMPHASIS: Development and testing of forest management practices, including partial cutting, prescribed burning, and low-impact approaches to forest harvest (e.g., aerial systems) that provide for a broad range of forest values, including late-successional forest and high-quality riparian habitat.

8 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AREAS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES Role of Agencies to facilitate collaborative efforts, partnerships, mutual learning, and innovation. Although the role is facilitation, agencies retain the authority and responsibilities to make decisions. Role of Communities find innovative ways to set objectives, develop plans, implement projects, and monitor accomplishments.

9 APPLEGATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS A partial list includes: Applegate Ecosystem Health Assessment 1994 Applegate Watershed Assessment 1994 Little Applegate River Watershed Analysis 1996 Applegate Adaptive Management Area Guide 1998 Applegate River Systems Analysis 1999 Fish Passage Assessment 1999 Williams Creek Watershed Assessment 2000 Murphy Creek Watershed Assessment 2000 Applegate Fire Plan 2002 Applegate Water Quality Management Plan 2003 Applegate Stream Habitat & Water Quality Report 2004 Applegate Ecological Management Model 2004 Applegate Water Quality Restoration Plan 2005 Watershed Health Factors Assessment 2006 Middle Applegate Watershed Analysis 2007 Salmon-Safe Applegate Study 2007 Applegate Coho Recovery Plan 2012

10 1994 APPLEGATE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH ASSESSMENT Findings: There is an increased risk of insect attack because of high stand densities. A younger and denser stand make-up as compared to pre- European settlement. Stocking levels exceed the carrying capacity over much of watershed. There is an increased risk of fire because of increased fuelloading and stand conditions.

11 1994 APPLEGATE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH ASSESSMENT Management recommendations and goals (at both the stand and landscape level): Reduce stand densities (of both merchantable and nonmerchantable trees and shrubs) by thinning or prescribed fire. Protect and restore riparian areas and late-successional habitat. Increase the number of larger, older trees. Promote, maintain, and restore shade intolerant species in designated Plant Association Groups (PAG's).

12 1998 APPLEGATE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AREA GUIDE Northwest Plan required each AMA to develop a plan The Guide provides information on: Biophysical, social, and economic aspects of the AMA Public and agency issues across multiple jurisdictions Strategies and future actions The Guide does not provide management requirements Vision was to develop a future area-wide integrated plan

13 APPLEGATE FIRE PLAN Applegate Partnership Applegate River Watershed Council Applegate Valley Rural Fire District #9 Bureau of Land Management, Ashland Resource Area Bureau of Land Management, Grants Pass Resource Area Jackson County Building Department Jackson County Department of Emergency Management Jackson County GIS Services Jackson County Planning Department Jackson County Sheriff's Office Josephine County Department of Building Safety Josephine County Department of Forestry Josephine County Planning Department Josephine County Sheriff's Office National Marine Fisheries Service Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Oregon Department of Forestry, Central Point Unit Oregon Department of Forestry, Grants Pass Unit Oregon State University Extension Service Rural Metro Fire Department Siskiyou County Planning Department US Fish and Wildlife Service US Forest Service, Applegate Ranger District US Forest Service, Galice Ranger District Williams Creek Watershed Council Williams Rural Fire Department

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15 4D - Continue the fuel break along Humpy/9-mile/Thompson Creek SPA ridge, to the south and west, to protect Thompson Creek area. Beaver/Palmer Strategic Planning Area 4C - Review existing Forest Service fuels management plan adjacent to Upper Applegate Road. 4B - Continue Forest Service work for good fuel breaks & tie in with existing Charley Buck ridge fuel breaks. 4A - Fuel reduction is needed in these locations to protect CARs along Upper Applegate Road from fires spread by afternoon winds. 4E - Do fuel reduction work on private lands & assess agency lands along Upper Applegate Road for complementary work.

16 Proposal For Stewardship Authority for the Applegate Watershed This proposal is designed to address social, cultural and economic needs of communities along with the need to improve forest and watershed health, reduce fire risk and accelerate development of historical late-successional conditions. Receipts from commercial treatments on Forest Service lands would provide funding opportunities to improve roads, improve fish habitat, improve riparian area, improve upland wildlife habitat, manage invasive species, and other improvements in forest health. This is proposed as a multiyear endeavor, encompassing the entire Applegate Watershed. It would involve multiple thinning-and-goodsfor-services contracts, as well as multiple projects funded with retained receipts, both on federal lands and potentially on private lands in accordance with Wyden authority.

17 UPPER APPLEGATE ROAD HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION PROJECT The Need for action is urgent reduction of the potential for highseverity wildland fire in the Upper Applegate Road Wildland Urban Interface using adaptive management in concert with the Applegate Adaptive Management Area land allocation and the Applegate Fire Plan, increasing options that can help restore lowseverity fire to the landscape. The Purpose of the Proposed Action is to reduce hazardous fuels and crown fire potential to protect communities at-risk and promote public and firefighter safety via adaptive planning and application techniques.

18 In addition to noncommercial fuels, the DN authorizes: A maximum of 1,200 acres of commercial variable density management treatments. Ground based systems will be limited to slopes of 30% or less. Some temporary road construction could occur (0.38 miles), existing system road reconstruction (2.5 miles), and/or existing system road maintenance (10.5 miles) could occur.

19 APPLEGATE FUELS REDUCTION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT The purpose is to demonstrate innovative ways to restore ecological viability of forests, reducing uncharacteristic fire damage and risk to both the greater ecosystems and affected communities by restoring fire and fuel relationships, and subsequently restoring ecological integrity. Design consists of blocks of 4 plots (5 acres each). One block will serve as a control. One would be treated using typical agency prescriptions. One would be treated using an indigenous restoration perspective. One would be treated using a site-specific conservation prescription.

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21 Applegate Fire Learning Network Landscape Assessment, Values Analysis and Treatment Priorities For the Applegate Watershed The Applegate Fire Learning Network, one of three in the State of Oregon, was established in 2006 as a collaborative effort between the Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council, The Nature Conservancy, BLM, Forest Service, and interested stakeholders. The goal of this project was to integrate social and biological value attributes of the Applegate Watershed to create Landscape Restoration Priority Treatment Maps.

22 Applegate Fire Learning Network Values Analysis The map was intended as a planning tool, to be used by the agencies as a road map or guide to develop projects and best determine the where, how and when to meet the needs of the social, biological and economic values of the Applegate Watershed. 1. Fire suppressed forests 7. Pine Dominated Systems 2. Oak woodland 8. At-Risk ESA habitat 3. Public lands adjacent to private 9. Communities at Risk 4. Late-Successional forest 10. WUI 5. Intense fire behavior areas 11. Economically feasible harvest 6. Next Generation Old Growth 12. Frequent Fire Systems

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24 1998 RRNF PROBABLE SALE QUANTITY STUDY PSQ A Study Group included Forest Service specialists and members of: Jackson County Natural Resource Advisory Committee Headwaters Southern Oregon Timber Industry Association Applegate Partnership National Marine Fisheries Service US Fish and Wildlife Service

25 PSQ STUDY FINDINGS - SISKIYOU WORKING GROUP The process included four primary steps: Assumptions Current Vegetative Condition Assessment of Available Acres Modeling Assumption Factors: Harvest unit 15% green tree retention Survey and Manage Species Temporary roads and landings Unmapped natural unsuitable areas Unmapped, newly discovered Riparian Reserves Technological harvest limitations Hidden defect and breakage Yield table uniformity adjustments Watershed condition, cumulative effects Other factors 15% of acres w/ regeneration Rx 7-15% reduction of all acres 5-12% reduction of all acres 1% reduction of all acres 1% reduction of all acres 1-3% reduction of all acres 3% reduction of volume 6-10% reduction of volume 1-3% reduction of all acres 1-5% reduction of all acres

26 PSQ STUDY FINDINGS - SISKIYOU WORKING GROUP 1 Total area available (Matrix/AMA lands only) 84,811 acres This includes deductions for Riparian Reserves, unmapped LSR s and protection areas for other T&E species. Current vegetative condition classes: Mature and Old Growth (>21 dbh) 16,069 acres (19%) Small saw (9-21 dbh) 42,411 acres (50%) Poles (5-9 DBH) 5,024 acres (6%) Seedling/sapling (<5 dbh) 3,617 acres (4%) Non-forest 17,691 acres (21%) First decade annual PSQ MMBF Note: Approximately 24% of the AMA is within Inventoried Roadless Area. Annual PSQ Outside of Inventoried Roadless Areas: MMBF 1 Siskiyou Working Group is the same as the current Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District

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30 Findings: Although risk and uncertainty are inevitable realities, there must be both political permission and organizational willingness to engage them explicitly. Barriers to adaptive management implementation are primarily institutional in nature, including statutory and political constraints and risk-averse organizational cultures. Leadership is essential to successful implementation of adaptive management; it establishes direction, contributes resources, and aligns, motivates, and inspires people. Leadership must occur throughout an organization; e.g., advocates at field levels are as essential as progressive agency heads.

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