Adaptation in Action: Projects for Forests & Water

Adaptation in Action:Projects for Forests & Water

Maria JanowiakApril 4, 2017

Water InitiativeNortheast Workshop

Develop local examplesof adaptation

www.forestadaptation.org/demos

200+Projects

underway

Atlas Timberlands (VT)

www.forestadaptation.org/atlas

Sustainable forestry

Conservation

Vermont Land Trust & The Nature Conservancy About 25k acres of forestAcquired from industrial

ownership Working forest to

demonstrate sustainable forestry practices

www.forestadaptation.org/carolinelake

Atlas Timberlands

Atlas Timberlands

Altered precipitation

Extreme rain

Shorter, milder winters

Decline of northern tree species

Challenge: Shorter and more variable winters

Summer harvest = Opportunity?

Atlas Timberlands

Already doing and even more important for adaptation:• Follow BMPs for water quality• Increase coarse woody material• Increase tree species diversity• Increase forest structural

diversity• Ensure adequate seedling

regeneration• Control invasives• Minimize roads & trails

Atlas Timberlands

• Road layout• Pre-sale road work• Temporary bridge installation

Adaptation Tactic: Summer harvest

Atlas Timberlands

Did it work?Atlas Timberlands

“The area operated was considerably different in the winter vs summer, but … it’s safe to say our infrastructure costs per unit sold were considerably higher in the summer than winter. There was also far more down time because we had a great winter for operating and problematic rains in the summer.”

Time and effort

• Public utility developed and operated by City of Providence

• Current system established c. 1920• Now provides water to 600,000

people or 2/3 of all Rhode Islanders

• Main Scituate Reservoir and several smaller tributary reservoirs

• 93 square mile watershed, mostly private land

• Water Resources Division manages 13,000 acres of City-owned forest surrounding reservoir system

Providence Water (RI)

Graphics/text courtesy Christopher Riely, Providence Water

www.forestadaptation.org/providencewater

Overarching goal is to maintain a forest that is adaptive to change and resilient to disturbances that could impact water quality

Providence Water

Providence Water

Regeneration

Forest health

Invasive plants

Extreme storms

• Poor upland oak growing site with some young pine

• Land acquired recently; not historic ownership

• Death of remaining trees and regeneration failure following shelterwood timber harvest

• Drought, defoliation, deer• “Nightmare” of what a significant

acreage could come to resemble following a severe windstorm

• What to do with this site?

Many challenges from climate change & other stressors

Opportunity to experiment with “transition” strategy

Providence Water

Conifers (250 each)• Eastern red cedar (native)• Loblolly pine (new)• Pitch pine (native)• Shortleaf pine (new)

Hardwoods (100 each)• Black locust (non-native)• Black oak (native)• Persimmon (new)• Pin oak (native)• Sassafras (native)• Sweetgum (new)• White oak (native)

Providence Water2015 Planting – Two sites (inside/outside deer exclosure)

• 38 acre upland oak stand thinned in 2014-15

• Anticipated natural regeneration challenges

• Students planted “climate adaptation mix” in 2016

• Part of larger grant funded by Arbor Day Foundation TD Green Streets Program

• Possible future seeding

Providence Water2016 Enrichment Planting at Similar Site

Conifers (75 each)• Shortleaf pine (new)• Virginia pine (new)

Hardwoods (25 each)• Black locust (non-native)• Black oak (native)• Chestnut oak (native)• Persimmon (new)• Sweetgum (new)• White oak (native)

Providence Water

• Irregular species distribution by planting crew

• Significant mortality resulting from drought immediately following planting

• Survivors are doing OK• Monitoring height growth of 10

individuals of each species in both areas

• Annual height measurements planned for at least 5 years

• Results indicate deer browse is having a significant impact

Providence WaterMonitoring effectiveness

Providence Water

COMING SOON! www.climatehubs.oce.usda.gov/northeast/360Secret preview link – click here

Virtual demonstration site from USDA Northeast Climate Hub

Questions?