McKenzie Project Scoping Meeting PresentationMcKenzie Project Scoping Meeting Presentation Author: Eugene District BLM Subject: McKenzie Project Scoping Meeting Presentation Keywords:

McKenzie Landscape Project Public Scoping Meeting

September 26, 2013

Bureau of Land Management Eugene District

Upper Willamette Resource Area

Purpose of Meeting

Listen to us as we share information on the project Listen to you Your questions Your information to share Your comments

Project Identification

Assign Interdisciplinary Team

Scoping

Alternative Development

Environmental Assessment

Public Comment

Decision

Project Implementation

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)Process

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Process



Scoping (through Oct. 17)



Public Comment

Decision


Scoping

We have a common goal, which is a thorough environmental review. It is important that we hear your: Issues that could be relevant Alternatives Knowledge and information that might help with project development

or environmental review. Comments must be in writing so they can adequately be considered.

Agenda

6:00 – 7:00 BLM Presentation of the McKenzie Landscape Project

• Background and Project Context • Upland Management • Riparian Management

7:00- 7:30 Questions 7:30 – 8:00 Informal Discussion

Purpose and Goals of the McKenzie Project

Aid in the recovery of the Northern Spotted Owl

Maintain and restore high quality early seral and late seral forest habitats

Maintain & restore aquatic and terrestrial habitats and meet all components of the Aquatic Conservation Strategy

Test new methods and forest management strategies that meet both conservation and timber production goals

Provide for sustainable timber harvest

BLM Management Direction

O&C Act- Timber and other resource management

Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, NEPA, FLPMA

Northwest Forest Plan (1994)

Eugene Resource Management Plan (1995) Land Use Allocations Late successional reserves (42%) Riparian reserves (28%) Matrix (25%) Adaptive management areas (5%)

Adaptive Management Areas (AMA)

10 areas designated throughout the region

Encourage the development and testing of new methods to meet objectives

Relies on ingenuity of managers and communities working together

Adaptive Management Areas (AMA) cont.

Well distributed late-successional forests outside of reserves in lands suitable for regeneration harvest Riparian zone protection and restoration

Stable supply of timber

Develop an AMA plan (NWFP D1-D16) Ecosystem research Experiments and demonstrations at stand and watershed level Utilize natural disturbance (fire) histories to develop forest and

riparian objectives

Middle McKenzie Landscape Design (MMLD)

Developed by BLM team of interdisciplinary resource specialists

To meet ecological and timber objectives, it established guidance for regeneration harvest and thinning forest treatments per decade.

Regeneration harvest: 594 acres

Thinning: 933 acres

Management Considerations

Tier 1 watershed (most conservation-oriented of 2-tier system)



Northern Spotted Owl 2012 Critical habitat




Nominated Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)




Nominated Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC)

Eligible Wild and Scenic River segments

Potential Alternatives

No Action Alternative

Alternative based on the Middle McKenzie Landscape Design

Northwest Forest Plan Matrix/Riparian Reserve option Could include Ecological Forestry (Johnson & Franklin) components

Others?

Potential Issues for Analysis

How would the project affect:

Threatened & Endangered Species?

water quality including sedimentation and temperature?

other aquatic and riparian habitat components such as coarse

wood, peak flows, and microclimate?

climate change?

others?



Scoping (through Oct. 17)



Public Comment

Decision


National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Process

25

Central Concepts of the Landscape Design

Ecological Principles

Fire history reconstruction in the Bear-Martin Watershed. (Weisberg 1997)

Two important parameters for developing the landscape design Fire Frequency Fire Severity

Reasons To Treat These Stands

Provide stable timber supply Approximate key aspects of historical fire regime Maintain good crown ratios and stable, windfirm trees

Representative Current Stand Structure

Representative Stand Diameter Distribution

Two Types of Prescriptions in the Landscape Design

General Prescription Regeneration Harvest

Transitional Prescription Thinning

Green Tree Retention, Snags And Down Wood

6 – 20 green trees per acre 8 snags per acre 300 linear feet of down logs per

acre

Regeneration Harvest Individual and Group Retention

Transitional Rx Second Commercial

Thin 60-70 yrs

General Rx Regeneration

Harvest 180 yrs.

Transitional Rx Precommercial Thin

10-15 yrs.

Transitional Rx First Commercial

Thin 40-50 yrs.

Current Conditions

Comparison of Upland Management Landscape Design NWFP (Matrix)

Regeneration Harvest

Rotation Age

100 or 180 years or when stand develops certain stand attributes.

Age at which volume growth is at maximum (approx 80 yrs)

Green Tree Retention

• Range of 6-20 trees per acre • More green trees left at the

lower slope positions than at the upper slope positions.

• Emphasis on leaving trees for retention that are windfirm.

• Individual and Aggregate tree retention in varying sizes (<1 acre to 5 acres).

• Retain 8 Snags / acre and 300 linear ft. of down wood

• Retain 6-8 TPA. • Retain trees in a

variable pattern (single trees and clumps).

• Retain green trees for snag recruitment where there is an identified snag deficit.

• Minimum of 240 linear feet of logs per acre greater than or equal to 20"dbh.

• Retain snags at the unit level to support cavity nesting birds at 40 percent of potential population levels.

Thinning

Thin to create windfirm trees to move stand into general Rx

Thinning in stands up to 80 years of age

Comparison of Upland Management Ecological Forestry

Regeneration Harvest

Rotation Age

• use return intervals for silvicultural activities consistent with recovery of desired structures and processes

• Ecological forestry programs are typically planned, implemented and

evaluated at the landscape scale, incorporating knowledge developed from the study of pattern and ecological function in natural landscapes

Green Tree Retention

• Retain structural and compositional elements of the pre-harvest stand during regeneration harvests

• Retain existing older stands and individual older trees found within younger stands proposed for management, using a selected threshold age

Thinning

• Accelerating the development of complexity in young forest stands, particularly those originating as plantations, through a variety of silvicultural activities, including variable-density thinning

• Extending the maximum age of stands eligible for thinning in Late Successional Reserves from 80 years (current policy) to 120 years would aid in this effort

Riparian Reserves

Guidance: NWFP 1994 Eugene RMP 1995 O&C Act 1937 MMLD 2001 Vida Watershed

Analysis 1996 Endangered Species Act

1973 Clean Water Act 1972 Wild & Scenic Rivers

Act 1968

Potential Alternatives for Riparian Reserve Management 1) NWFP/RMP

(Matrix, LSR, etc…) 2) MMLD (AMA)

Focus today will

be on non-fish bearing streams

Riparian Reserve Land Allocation

“Apply silvicultura l practices in Riparian Reserves…needed to attain Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives” NWFP ROD 1994, C-32, Eugene RMP pp. 24

“Riparian protection in AMAs should be

comparable to that prescribed for other land areas…However, flexibility is provided to achieve these conditions, if desired, in a manner different from that prescribed for other areas and to conduct bonafide research projects within riparian zones.” NWFP ROD 1994, D-9

Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives

“ACSOs must strive to maintain and restore ecosystem health at watershed and landscape scales to protect habitat for fish and other riparian-dependent species and resources and restore currently degraded habitats.”

ROD, 1994 B-9 ACSOs have an aquatic and

terrestrial component.

MMLD separates the Aquatic and Terrestrial objectives of the ACS

Nine Small Basin Reserves established to meet intent of the ACSOs for terrestrial species

Provide connectivity between upland and riparian areas and a l ink to other reserve areas

SMAs focus on the aquatic attributes of the ACS. SMA widths varies between 135’ and 270’ (non-fish bearing streams)

Stream Management Areas and Small Basin Reserves

NWFP RR Boundary vs. SMA Boundary (Non-fish Bearing Streams)

NWFP/RMP Riparian Reserve

MMLD Stream Management Area (SMA)

1 SPTH (220’) 1/2 SPTH + 25’ (135’) to 1 SPTH + 50’ (270’)

Riparian Reserves vs. Stream Management Area

Example NWFP Riparian Reserve

Boundaries

Example SMA Boundaries with

Small Basin Reserves

Key components: Water quality

(temperature, sediment) Peak/Base flows Sediment transport,

soil compaction, water storage Floodplain

connectivity Stream structure

(streambank stability, wood recruitment, pool quality)

Analysis tools: Intensive ground based

surveys to determine wood loading, cold water inputs, topography, soils, and other site specific features Modeling thermal

loading, erosion, and debris flow potential using Netmap

Analysis of Aquatic Objectives of the ACS

Low sensitivity to thermal loading High sensitivity to thermal loading Proposed harvest units

Example of Modeling Using Netmap (Thermal Sensitivity)

Low probability of debris flow High probability of debris flow Proposed harvest units

Example of Modeling Using Netmap (Debris Flow)

Questions & Comments

It is important that we hear your: Issues that could be relevant Alternatives Knowledge and information that might help with project development or

environmental review. Additional information available online at http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/eugene/plans/mckenzie.php Comments must be received in writing by Oct. 17 so they can adequately be considered:

Eugene District BLM ATTN: Kristine Struck 3106 Pierce Parkway, Suite E Springfield , OR 97477 or e-mail [email protected], ATTN: Kristine Struck

McKenzie Project Scoping Meeting PresentationMcKenzie Project Scoping Meeting Presentation Author: Eugene District BLM Subject: McKenzie Project Scoping Meeting Presentation Keywords:

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