Forest Management Public Summary for Tree Shepherd Woods Certification Code: SW-FM/COC-013 Date of Certification: September 1, 1996 Date of Public Summary: January 2003, updated for 2003 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 10012 U.S.A. TEL: (212) 677-1900 FAX: (212) 677-2187 Email: info@smartwood.org Website: www.smartwood.org 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.
ACRONYMS AAC ALP CITES DBH DOC FMO FSC HCVF ILO OSH P&C RMA SFM SFMP Annual Allowable Cut Annual Logging Plan Convention on Trade in Endangered Species Diameter at Breast Height Department of Conservation Forest Management Organization Forest Stewardship Council High Conservation Value Forest International Labor Organization Occupation Safety and Health Principles and Criteria of the FSC Resource Management Act Sustainable Forest Management Sustainable Forest Management Plan 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 reassessment conducted by a team of specialists representing the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest alliance and the Northwest Natural Resource Group. The purpose of the reassessment was to evaluate the ecological, economic and social sustainability of Tree Shepherd Woods 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 label for public marketing and advertising. Tree Shepherd Page 2
1. GENERAL SUMMARY 1.1. Name and Contact Information Source Name: Tree Shepherd Woods Contact Person: Jean Shaffer Address: 8400 Rocky Lane SE, Olympia WA 98513 Tel: (360) 459-0946 Fax: E-mail: jeanforest@cco.net 1.2. General Background A. Type of operation Tree Shepherd Woods is managed as private non-industrial land and includes the residence of Jean Shaffer. B. Years in operation Jean Shaffer has owned the property since the 1970's and has been actively managing the forestland since 1986. C. Date first certified The original Assessment date for Tree Shepherd Woods (listed as Jean Stam Property) was November 1995. D. Latitude and longitude of certified operation Lat/long,47/123 degrees, Section 13 Township 17 Range 1W. 1.3. Forest and Management System A. Forest type and land use history The Shaffer property is located in Thurston County, Washington, near the city of Olympia and is approximately 20 acres in size. Douglas fir is the predominate tree species with western red cedar, red alder, western hemlock, madrone, dogwood big leaf maple and willow. Understory species include Oregon grape, evergreen and red huckleberry, yerba buena, sword fern, rose, blackberry, ocean spray, hazelnut and salal. The soils are moderately deep, well drained and erodability is low. Slopes are slight to moderate, 15% to 35%. There is one small drainage in the middle of the property that has a spring which flowed into a small pond. The pond cracked during the February 2001 Nisqually Earthquake and has not been filling with water since. The property was clearcut in the 1930's and selectively harvested in the 1970's. Two acres were clearcut in 1986. Tree Shepherd Page 3
B. Size of forest management unit certified and forest use and area in production forest, conservation, and/or restoration Table 1 Land use Area (ha) Natural or Semi Natural Forest 3.8 Plantation 0 Protected area.4 Special Management Areas 0 Water 0 Infrastructure and other uses.4 Other uses 3.4 Total Certified Area 8 ha C. Annual allowable cut and/or annual harvest covered by management plan Sustainable harvest plans are documented in the management plan for Tree Shepherd Woods. The forest was cruised by a consulting forester in 1995 and again in June of 2000. Information on volume is collected for every tree cut at Tree Shepherd. Based on this information, the AAC for Tree Shepherd Woods is calculated at 3% of the standing volume. The Shaffers have only harvested once since their original assessment in 1995 and the calculated average annual harvest over the past six years was approximately 2.3%. The annual growth of Douglas fir by year 2000 was determined to be greater than 3%. Projected harvest plans for Tree Shepherd do not exceed calculated growth rates. D. General description of details and objectives of the management plan/system Tree Shepherd Woods continues to maintain similar forest management objectives to those discussed in their original 1995 Assessment report. The objectives are to practice ecoforestry with the opportunity to use their forest as a demonstration project. All harvests are carefully monitored and documented. Harvest volumes, costs, and incomes are carefully recorded as well as ecological changes in the landscape over time. Most of the products removed from the forest are manufactured by the landowner into value added products like furniture. People interested in learning about ecoforestry are invited to participate in seminars and tours of the property. Four permanent inventory plots, three with a radius of 37.5' and one with a diameter of 100', have been established on the property. Tree species, diameter class, live crown ratio, volume, growth and crown closure have been measured. The plots also include measurements of snag density, large down wood, understory shrubs and plants, along with wildlife, soil structure, erosion hazard, fuel loads, slope and aspect. The 100' radius inventory plot represents the control so no harvesting is permitted in the area. Projected harvest levels are well within documented annual allowable cut levels. Trees to be removed are those in the suppressed, intermediate and co-dominate classes. Harvesting is intended to enhance biological diversity. Skid trails are kept to a minimum and yarding equipment is restricted to the trails. Reforestation is accomplished through natural regeneration. A field that was cleared for agricultural purposes in the early part of the century will continue to be reforested using seedlings from sources on or near the property. Tree Shepherd Page 4
1.4. Environmental and Socioeconomic Context The lands adjacent to Tree Shepherd Woods are cleared for residence and agricultural so the forest serves as important habitat within the immediate vicinity. In the larger landscape, Tree Shepherd is within a few miles from the Ft. Lewis Military Base Rainier Training Area, which provides over 20,000 acres of forested, prairie and oak woodland habitat. The neighboring Nisqually Tribe has been invited to participate in management decisions at Tree Shepherd. 1.5. Products Produced and Chain of Custody A. Chain of custody certificate Tree Shepherd uses the wood from their forest to make approximately 15 pieces of furniture a year. They do not accept wood from other suppliers, so there is no risk of contamination. B. Species and volumes covered by the certificate Table 2: Certified Production Species Scientific name Volume (m 3 Product per yr) Douglas fir Psuedotsuga menziesii 5 (m 3 per yr) Furniture C. Description of current and planned processing capacity covered by the certificate. The logs are cut into pieces for furniture using a band saw mill, stacked in a shed for drying and then further processed in a wood shop on the property. The Shaffers estimate that they will produce approximately 15 pieces of furniture a year. 2. CERTIFICATION REASSESSMENT PROCESS 2.1. Reassessment Dates June 10 Stakeholder public notices distribution starts (email, FAX, newspaper and mail) June 10 Initial team planning June 14 Field reassessment at Tree Shepherd June 14 Begin report write-up and continue stakeholder interactions (emails and interviews) June 20 Draft report to Tree Shepherd for initial review & factchecking/comment Comments received from Tree Shepherd Draft report to peer reviewers and SmartWood headquarters Comment back from peer reviewers Final draft submitted to SW Certification Committee Certification Contract signed and received by SmartWood 2.2. Reassessment Team and Peer Reviewers Ms. Michele Zukerberg, Forester. Michele received her Master of Forestry degree from Duke University. She has over seven years of experience in research, restoration and management of natural resources. As a forester on public lands, Michele designed timber sales, silvicultural prescriptions, and Tree Shepherd Page 5
performed contract compliance on harvest operations. She currently manages public conservation lands in Washington State, and is employed as the Forest Certification Coordinator for the Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG); a Washington based non-for-profit organization and member of the FSC Pacific Coast Working Group. Michele has served as a SmartWood Assessor for a number CoC's and FM's in the Pacific Northwest. Marco Lowenstein, SmartWood Western Regional Manager: Marco has a Masters degree in Forest Science from Yale University and has worked in forestry and forest products for the past 25 years. As Lake State program coordinator for the SmartWood Program, Mr. Lowenstein was team leader on the Assessment of the Cass County Land Department, Minnesota (230,000 acres) and conducted Annual Audits on The State of Minnesota Division of Forestry s Aitkin County Unit (300,000acres) and the Aitkin County Land Department (200,000 acres). Mr. Lowenstein has also has extensive work experience in the forest management and the forest products industry including tree planting Crew Leader in Douglas and Coos counties in Oregon; Program Director for Forest-Based Economic Development in Costa Rica and New Mexico; and manager of contractor lumber yards and hardwood flooring dealer in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Two Peer Reviews were completed for this reassessment by resource professionals with experience in forest management, certification, local issues and small forestland holdings. 2.3. Reassessment Process During the field phase of the reassessment process, the team interviewed Jean Shaffer at Tree Shepherd and toured the property focusing on recent management practices. 1) Pre-Reassessment Planning and Documentation review The team reviewed the Shaffer Management Plan and forest consultant's cruise report. The team also reviewed the Management Plan, the original Assessment and subsequent annual audits. 2) Meeting with Landowner. The team met with the landowner to discuss the plan, management systems and objectives. 3) Selection of Sites and Field Inspections: The operation is small enough that the team was able to visit all 8 hectares including the four permanent plots, clearcut area, perimeter of the property, planted agriculture field, lumber drying area, storage area, and wood shop. 4) Field Interviews/Stakeholder consultation Stakeholders contacted were the neighbours and a representative from Thurston County. 5) Reassessment Report Development The reassessment report was developed over a 2-day period after the fieldwork was completed. Throughout this write-up period the assessors continued to conduct stakeholder interviews and other research. Tree Shepherd Page 6
6) Report Review by Candidate Operation and Independent Peer Reviewers The reassessment report will be reviewed by operation and two independent peer reviewers. 7) Certification Decision The certification decision was made by SmartWood headquarters. This was completed after review the reassessment report and of comments made on the draft report by operation and peer reviewers. Table 3. Summary of Forest Areas & Areas Visited by SmartWood Assessors Forest/Block Name Total Area in Hectares Reassessment Site Tree Shepherd Woods 8 X TOTALS 8 2.4. Standards SmartWood generic guidelines and the Draft 6.5 of the FSC Pacific Coast Working Group was the most current draft at the time of the reassessment. The FSC US approved draft 8.01 is different in many respects but not more stringent than version 6.5 and SmartWood has, therefore, determined to continue with this assessment as is. 2.5. Stakeholder consultation process and results The purpose of the stakeholder consultation strategy for this reassessment was threefold: To ensure that the public is aware of and informed about the reassessment process and its objectives; To assist the field reassessment team in identifying potential issues; and, To provide diverse opportunities for the public to discuss and act upon the findings of the reassessment. This process is not just stakeholder notification, but wherever possible, detailed and meaningful stakeholder interaction. The process of stakeholder interaction does not stop after the field visits, or for that matter, after even a certification decision is made. SmartWood welcomes, at any time, comments on certified operations and such comments often provide a basis for field auditing. In the case of Tree Shepherd Woods prior to the actual reassessment process, a public consultation stakeholder document was developed and distributed by email, FAX and mail. Through input from the Northwest Natural Resource Group an initial list of stakeholders was developed and public announcements were distributed to them. This list also provided a basis for the reassessment team to select people for interviews by telephone. 2.6. 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 reassessment criteria. The table below summarizes the issues identified by the reassessment team with a brief discussion of each based upon specific interview and/or public meeting comments. Table 4: Stakeholder Comments FSC Principle Stakeholder Comments SmartWood Response P1: FSC The operation has successfully filed for all Commitment/ necessary permits and follows all applicable Tree Shepherd Page 7
Legal Compliance P2: Tenure & Use Rights & 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 laws. The management at Tree Shepherd is great, the neighbors have no complaints. Not applicable. Not applicable. 3. RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1. General Discussion of Findings As evidenced by the findings in the original 1995 assessment and all the subsequent annual audits, Tree Shepherd Woods continues to exhibit exemplary forest management. Based on this information the team recommends that the FSC SmartWood certification for Tree Shepherd be continued. Table 5: Findings by FSC Principle Principle/Subject Area P1: FSC Commitment and Legal Compliance P2: Tenure & Use Rights & 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 Strengths Great performance, management illustrates devotion to environmental sustainability. Not applicable Weaknesses Landowner should develop a forest succession plan for regeneration after selective harvests. Tree Shepherd Page 8
P10 - Plantations Not applicable 3.2. Certification Decision Based on a thorough field review, analysis and compilation of findings by this SmartWood reassessment team Tree Shepherd Woods is recommended to receive joint FSC/SmartWood Forest Management and Chain of Custody (FM/COC) Certification with the stipulated conditions. In order to maintain certification, Tree Shepherd Woods 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. Tree Shepherd Woods will also be required to fulfil the conditions as described below. Experts from SmartWood will review continued forest management performance and compliance with the conditions described in this report, annually during scheduled and random audits. 3.3. Conditions and Recommendations Conditions are verifiable actions that will form part of the certification agreement that Tree Shepherd Woods 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 de-certification. Condition 1, Criteria 6.3: By the next annual audit develop a regeneration plan for the Douglas fir stands that are selectively harvested and lacking sufficient regeneration in the understory. Conditions 2, Criteria 6.6: By the next certification audit the Shaffers need to document their long-term reforestation management plan for the pasture. Tree Shepherd Page 9
1.1 Audit Process A. Audit year: 2003 B. Dates of Audit: October 26th 2003 C. Audit Team: Ms. Michele Zukerberg, Forester. Michele received her Master of Forestry degree from Duke University. She has over seven years of experience in research, restoration and management of natural resources. As a forester on public lands, Michele designed timber sales, silvicultural prescriptions, and performed contract compliance on harvest operations. She currently manages public conservation lands in Washington State, and is acting Forest Certification Coordinator and Board Member for the Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG); a Washington based non-for-profit organization and member of the FSC Pacific Coast Working Group. Michele has served as a SmartWood Assessor for a number CoC's and FM's in the Pacific Northwest. D. Audit Overview: In preparation for the audit, the auditor reviewed the 2002 Reassessment for Tree Shepherd Woods and Draft 7.9 of the FSC Pacific Coast Region Guidelines. The auditor met Jean Shaffer at her residence on Tree Shepherd Woods, visited the forest, the lumber stocking area, and the pasture. Documents reviewed during the audit were amendments to the management plan and invoices from Jean's 2002 to 2003 certified furniture sales. E. Sites Visited: Tree Shepherd Woods forest and reforestation pasture. F. Personnel Interviewed: The following people were consulted during this audit: Person interviewed Position/Organizatio n Jean Shaffer Jarrell Shaffer Owner Owner/furniture maker G. Documentation reviewed: 2002 Reassessment Report 1.2 General Audit Findings and Conclusions No management activities have occurred at Tree Shepherd Woods since the 2002 Re-assessment. During the field visit and interview with the FM owner, the auditor found that Tree Shepherd Woods continues to meet the quality of standards required by the FSC and Smartwood Program. All existing conditions from the 2002 Re-assessment have been adequately met. 1.3 Status of Conditions and Corrective Action Requests (CARs) A. Compliance Summary of Previously Issued Conditions and CARs The 2002 Re-assessment identified two Conditions to be met by the 2003 audit. Jean Shaffer provided the auditor with a written addendum to her management plan Tree Shepherd Page 10
addressing reforestation of the pasture, and regeneration of the forested area. Both conditions are considered by the auditor to be met. B. New CARs Issued in this Audit No new CARs were issued during this audit. Tree Shepherd Page 11