SOS Forests

Some Excerpts from the Johnson-Franklin Testimony

Last December Drs. K. Norman Johnson and Jerry F. Franklin gave public testimony calling for forest restoration, protection, and maintenance. The statement was given before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests (Chair Ron Wyden, OR), who heard testimony regarding forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction efforts in the forests of Oregon and Washington.

The following are excerpts from that testimony (full testimony [here]).

Our definition of “restoration” is the re-establishment of ecological structures and processes on these forests where they have been degraded and, simultaneously, restoration of economic and other social values on these lands…

These forests… differ greatly from their historical condition in having much higher stand densities and basal areas, lower average stand diameters, much higher percentages of drought- and fire-intolerant species (such as white or grand fir), and many fewer (or no) old-growth trees…

We will lose these forests to catastrophic disturbance events unless we undertake aggressive active management programs…

This is not simply an issue of fuels and fire; because of the density of these forests, there is a high potential for drought stress and related insect outbreaks. Surviving old-growth pine trees are now at high risk of death to both fire and western pine beetle, the latter resulting from drought stress and competition. Many fir-dominated stands are now at risk of catastrophic outbreaks of insect defoliators, such as the spruce budworm, as has occurred at many locations on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range in both Oregon and Washington. Without action, we are at high risk of losing these stands-and the residual old-growth trees that they contain-to fire and insects…

Inaction is a much more risky option for a variety of ecological values, including preservation of Northern Spotted Owls and other old-growth related species. We need to learn as we go, but we need to take action now. Furthermore, it is critical for stakeholders to understand that active management is necessary in stands with existing old-growth trees in order to reduce the risk that those trees will be lost. Activities at the stand level need to focus on restoring ecosystems to sustainable composition and structure-not simply to acceptable fuel levels. Objectives of these treatments need to include: Retention of existing old-growth tree populations; shifting stand densities, basal areas, diameter distributions, and proportions of drought- and fire-tolerant species (e.g., ponderosa pine and western larch) toward historical levels…

Restoring old-growth tree populations to, and maintaining them at, historical levels should be a goal of restoration management. Action is also needed to restore hardwood species, such as aspen, willows, and alders, which have declined in these landscapes as a result of lack of regeneration and overtopping by dense conifers…

Restoration programs must be planned and implemented at the landscape scale to be effective; management over the last century has altered entire landscapes and created the potential for very large wildfires and insect outbreaks. Treating isolated stands within these landscapes will not be effective…

To conserve these forests, we need to modify stand structure (e.g., treat fuels) on one-half to two-thirds of the landscape. This level of restoration will create a matrix of more natural and sustainable forest, which has a greatly reduced potential for stand-replacement fire and insect mortality…

Key elements of actions to restore these forests include: Conserving old growth trees as a first priority. Utilizing historical conditions, such as historical densities and distributions of tree sizes, as an ecological guide…

Combining conservation of old growth trees, stand density targets, and emphasis on drought and fire-tolerant species as an overall guide to action. We suggest moving away from approaches based on diameter limits. Young, shade-tolerant trees of substantial size often contribute to the unnaturalness of many stands, as well as threatening old-growth trees…

Focusing on areas with concentrations of old growth structure as a high priority for treatment…

There has been a tendency to think that stands with numerous old-growth trees should be left alone or, at least, be of much lower priority for treatment. The reality is the opposite! Forests that still retain substantial numbers of old-growth trees should be priorities for treatment because these are irreplaceable structures that are at great risk from uncharacteristic wildfire and bark beetle attack. Hence, reducing the potential for accelerated loss of these old trees should be at the top of the agenda…

Prescribed fire is a useful tool in forest restoration but is not sufficient alone—mechanical silvicultural activities typically will be required. Difficulties exist in safely dealing with the build-up in fuel; in many cases harvest is required to help reduce fuel loads…

Harvest can help pay for actions and provide useful economic and social benefits, but additional funds will be needed. Significant commercial volumes need to be removed to restore these forests. They can provide the funds for treatment and also help maintain milling capacity and communities…

Rarely has there been such a coming together of ecological, economic, and social considerations. Commercial harvest, though, will not pay for all that needs to be done. Fire or other actions must follow harvest to reduce the short-term fuel hazards generated by mechanical treatment. Fire, at least to consume activity fuels (debris and small trees left on site), is an ideal follow-up to harvest where it can be carried out. Without treatment of activity fuels, thinning has a significant probability of actually accentuating the fuel hazards in treated forests for at least a period of time. Better yet, use this residue in biomass power plants…

Finally and most profoundly, policy makers and managers need to plan for continued active management of these restored stands. These activities and others will need to be repeated through time to maintain the sustainable structure and composition. Sometimes, this may be accomplished with burning but most of the time repeated silvicultural treatment of stands and landscapes will be required in the more productive mixed conifer types…

On the west side of the Cascade Range, the primary restoration need is for silvicultural activities to accelerate the development of structural complexity in the plantations created following timber harvest. Tens of thousands of acres of young stands exist which could benefit from activities that reduce stand densities, favor biodiversity, and create spatial heterogeneity. There is an immense opportunity and need for restoration in these plantations that could result in significant contributions to ecological, economic, and social goals…

Management goals should be the starting point in determining appropriate post-disturbance activities. Hence, if ecological objectives are primary objectives prior to the disturbance they should be primary considerations in any post-disturbance restoration process…