Issue Overview

The purpose of this section is to provide information and boilerplate language that will help to provide a basic understanding of the issue by factually describing the issue, its scope, and dimensions.

Forested lands are an important natural resource in Utah , and contribute to quality of life by providing employment, forest products, open space, wildlife habitat, forage for livestock, recreation, and numerous other social and economic benefits. Significant issues impacting Utah 's timber resource include declining forest health, productive capacity of forest ecosystems, fragmentation, and socio-economic concerns. Sustaining a full range of services and benefits that people desire from forests will require a diverse mosaic of forest conditions and a suite of management emphases across the landscape.

Utah 's forests have become more susceptible to intense wildfire, insects, and diseases. Past land use practices such as high-grade logging, overgrazing, and fire exclusion have led to altered landscapes, changes in species composition, disturbance regimes, and poor resource conditions.

In many cases, statutory, administrative, and physical constraints limit the ability to implement restoration treatments within the context of historical functions and conditions. Existing legal authorities, however, do provide justification for these types of activities. Legal mechanisms include the National Forest Management Act, the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Fire Plan, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, the Organic Administration Act and the Clean Water Act.

Achieving measurable progress toward a desired future condition is important and will serve as a benchmark for future management direction. To do so, it is also important that timber resources be characterized within the landscape setting. Sustainable forest systems begin with the development of assessments that describe the biological, social and economic environment in which the landscape resides.

Options & Trade-Offs

We often talk about sustainable forest management. Invariably, the concept of sustainability tends to integrate society's essential values of environmental, social and economic considerations. Thus, it is equally important to talk about sustaining forest dependent communities in our discussions of sustaining forests.

What is the existing infrastructure and capacity related to forest products manufacturing and forest dependent communities?

How much area is available for timber production and the level of growing stock (merchantable vs. non-merchantable) available for timber harvesting?

Direct and indirect employment in the forestry sector?

Ability and willingness of the forestry sector to adapt to changing economic conditions and technologies?

Potential for Conflict

By its' nature, managing forest resources encompasses a high degree of conflict. What's important is to reach a “balanced” and agreeable approach through mechanisms that support the conservation and sustainable management of forests.

Legal Framework: periodic planning, assessment and policy review that recognize the range of forest values. This includes opportunities for public participation, decision-making and coordination with affected sectors.

Economic and Institutional Framework: education and awareness, planning and coordination, establishment of important infrastructures to support implementation of forest management. Consideration of continued research and understanding of the dynamic nature of forest ecosystems and their functions.

Range of Alternatives

Acceptance of management alternatives need to be based in part on local factors and influences. For example, availability of labor force(s), manufacturing capacity (primary and secondary), shifts in available wood supply (large diameter vs. small diameter material) and markets. Environmental factors may include consideration of wildfire risk and fuel reduction and forest health considerations.

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Existing Condition

The purpose of this section is to provide information and boilerplate language that will help to describe the existing condition.

Data Review

Availability of statistically reliable forest inventories, assessments, monitoring reports and other relevant information are key to making scientifically sound management decisions, and must be accessible by the public.

Items to Consider

Items to consider may include:

• Species, forest type
• Composition
• Structural arrangement (age/size class distribution)
• Successional stage (pioneer, seral, climax)
• Available growing stock (volume of merchantable or non-merchantable forest products)
• Annual removals (supply)
• Forest fragmentation
• Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive species (range and distribution)
• Soil and Water resources (riparian areas, soil compaction, etc.)
• Noxious/Invasive species
• Forest Health conditions (insect and disease populations – current and expected)
• Land use designation (protected, wilderness, roadless…)

Boilerplate Language

•  Land use practices such as poor logging, overgrazing and fire exclusion have resulted in forest conditions that are denser and less diverse (greater abundance of late successional species). Accumulation of large amounts of woody debris and increased fuel loads coupled with mortality-causing disturbance regimes (e.g. fire, insect and pathogens) exacerbates the potential for catastrophic wildfire. Research shows these conditions are often inconsistent with historical patterns of forest development. Some far-reaching impacts include changes in hydrologic function, nutrient cycling, and introduction of noxious and invasive species.

•  Timber resources can be managed to achieve multiple benefits. Objectives may include reducing fire hazard and improving forest health across landscapes with the additional benefit of providing raw material to forest industries. Prescribed fire can reduce fuel loads and potential for catastrophic wildfire, application of appropriate silvicultural prescriptions can be used to promote regeneration while providing a sustainable flow of forest products.

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Desired Future Condition

The purpose of this section is to provide information and boilerplate language that will help to describe the improvements and changes that need to be made to the existing condition in order to achieve the desired future condition. It also provides the basis for the development of policy statements that support the desired future condition.

Range of Alternatives

The exact definition of a well-managed forest will be debated as long as there are interest groups that value different sets of attributes available from a forest. There are, however, a number of frameworks commonly perceived to address key components of a well-managed forest. Fundamental to all is the premise that forests are recognized as a community of interacting plants, animals, soil, water, air and people within a major landscape – no longer just a concentration of trees.

Boilerplate Language

Any system or program professing to result in well-managed forests when implemented should include the following principles in its requirements for planning, implementation and assessment:

1. Contribute to the conservation of biological diversity of the forest and the landscape in which it resides

• Available expertise is sought for assessing biodiversity considerations at the site and landscape levels.
• Rare and endangered species and plant communities are identified and their protection or enhancement is addressed.
• Forest dynamics, major disturbances and catastrophic events are factored into decision making.

2. Maintain or improve productive capacity

• Timber and non-timber products and habitats are identified for the forest.
• Long and short-term productive capacities and targets are established.
• Removals are achievable and sustainable.
• Appropriate science and technology are used.

3. Maintain the health and vigor of the forest and its landscape/watershed

• Tree species selection, stocking levels, age class distribution, integrated pest management and fuel loading are addressed at some level within forest planning processes.
• Forest risk assessments, monitoring and prevention are complete.
• Areas of forest affected by processes or agents beyond the range of historic variation are identified.
• Grazing is managed to prevent negative impacts.

4. Protect soil and water resources

• Management practices to insure soil stability, that protect and enhance soil productivity and water quality, are used.
• Utah 's Forest Water Quality Guidelines (FWQGs) during all management activities are used to protect forest, soil and water resources.

5. Consider carbon cycles

• Forest biomass considerations by forest types, age classes and sucessional stages are addressed.
• Management of ecosystems in a manner that enhances carbon budgets and cycles is promoted.
• Quantity of biomass that can be made available to users is determined so that entrepreneurs know the resource base within a geographic area.

6. Consider socio-economic benefits and impacts

• Sound economic approaches, considering both long and short-term goals are used when harvesting both wood and non-wood products
• Appropriate social values are considered.

7. Comply with laws and legally adopted rules, and implement applicable guidelines where a regulatory approach is not used

• Careful and consistent application of FWQGs under Utah 's non-regulatory approach will help avoid future regulation of forest practices.

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Policy and Position Statements

The purpose of this section is to provide boilerplate policy statement language that will support the desired future conditions. A range of possible conditions is provided here.

Boilerplate Language

Watersheds are dynamic natural systems that not only provide water, forage and habitat for wildlife, livestock and humans, they help clean our air and offer places to recreate and find solitude. They also contain renewable timber, energy and mineral resources, and are the headwaters of our food supply. It is our policy that watersheds and ecosystems be restored to, or maintained in, properly functioning condition within the framework of multiple use sustained yield principles.

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Goals, Objectives, and/or Action Items

The purpose of this section is to provide boilerplate examples of the types of improvements or changes that typically would be needed to reach the desired future condition. “Goal” is the desired condition. “Objectives” are improvements or changes that need to be made to reach the goal. “Action Items” are specific actions that can be taken in order to achieve the objective.

Goal: Maintain productive capacity of forest ecosystems

Objective: Implement restoration treatments identified in planning processes within historic ranges of variability.

Objective: Ensure realistic targets are established and outputs are sustainable over the long-term.

Action Item: State and local agencies will participate in planning processes and assist with identifying areas where restoration treatments are needed on federal land.

Action Item: County government will consider adopting timber harvesting ordinances similar to those adopted by Carbon and Emery counties. Ordinances will include adherence to Utah 's FWQGs.

Action Item: Provide for an identifiable and sustainable supply of forest products that approach net annual growth (growth minus mortality) for local community and industry needs.

Goal: Sustainable forest management

Objective: Management decisions and applicable alternatives are supported by the use of appropriate science and technology.

Objective: Prevent forest insect and disease outbreaks from devastating forests.

Action Item: Approaches to monitoring, prevention and response are in place and include cooperation with local, state and federal agencies and neighboring landowners where appropriate.

Goal: Maintain Soil & Water Resources

Objective: Mitigate adverse impacts to forest, soil and water resources; minimize soil erosion and sedimentation to nearby water bodies; protect water quality.

Action Item: Provide for proper vegetation management practices so that excessive fuel loading and high intensity fires do not damage soil productivity.

Action Item: County government will consider adopting timber harvesting ordinances similar to those adopted by Carbon and Emery counties. Ordinances will include adherence to Utah 's FWQGs.

Goal: Recognize the importance of production and consumption of wood and non-wood products, their volume, value and supply.

Objective: Identify production and consumption of wood products; value of both consumptive and non-consumptive forest products are quantified and account for changing economic conditions and impacts to forest-dependent communities.

Action Item: State and local agencies to participate in planning processes and assist with identifying the needs for local forest industry and communities.

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Monitoring Methods and Mechanisms

The purpose of this section is to provide suggested techniques and methods for monitoring progress towards the desired condition.

Properly functioning condition exists when forest, soil and water resources are conserved, and plants and animals can grow and reproduce and respond favorably to periodic disturbance. Ecosystems are in a properly functioning condition when they are dynamic and resilient to disturbances to structure, composition, and processes of their biological or physical components. Careful demonstration of technical and professional skills can do much to dispel perceived conflicts.

To measure progress toward the stated goals, federal land managers will periodically convene and report to state and local county governments relative to their methods for meeting program targets (e.g. acres of treatment-by-treatment type). The reports will be reviewed by counties, which will provide feedback to federal agencies regarding programmatic changes necessary, within the context of planning processes.

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Sources and Resources to Assist

This section is intended to be a reference guide to help locate any sources of assistance.

Questions regarding this document should be directed to Joel Frandsen, State Forester, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands , (801) 538-5555.

A directory of certified foresters is on the web at http://safnet.org/certifiedforester/directory.cfm

Utah 's Forest Water Quality Guidelines are on the web at http://www.ffsl.utah.gov/fwqg.htm

The Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands provides technical assistance to private landowners regarding management of forest resources and other conservation activities. Cost share funding may be available. The counties served by the division's area offices can be found at http://www.ffsl.utah.gov/areaoffices.htm

Carbon and Emery county officials can relate their experience from enacting timber harvesting ordinances.

USFS Website Address: www.fs.fed.us/

USU Extension Website Address: www.extension.usu.edu/forestry/

Federal Noxious Weeds Program: www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/weeds/

National Report on Sustainable Forests – 2003: www.fs.fed.us/research/sustain/

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