How does WADNR use How does WADNR use soils data? soils data? What might the next What might the next generation of managers need generation of managers need to know about soils?to know about soils?

Soils information and Soils information and forest sustainability on forest sustainability on State Managed Forest State Managed Forest Lands in Washington Lands in Washington StateState

Richard Bigley Richard Bigley

• Management objectives are complex with new demands• Prediction of future growth is very difficult• Increasing demand for wood products e.g. Bioenergy• Sustainability awareness is broadening perceptions of environmental impacts---------• Against a background of manager training that contains little

soil science

Management trends observed that will drive the need for soil science related information in the future

What might the next generation of managers need to What might the next generation of managers need to know about soils?know about soils?

$0

$75,000,000

$150,000,000

$225,000,000

$300,000,000

$375,000,000

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Washington Department of Natural Resources: Washington Department of Natural Resources:

Changes that Impact the Cost of Doing Changes that Impact the Cost of Doing BusinessBusiness

RMAPs

Forest & FishHCP 1997

Noel vs. Cole - 1980 – Required SEPA on all sales

ESA Listings

Forest Practice Rules 1992

Noel vs. Cole - 1980 – Required SEPA on all sales

ESA Listings

Forest Resource Plan 1992

Noel vs. Cole - 1980 – Required SEPA on all sales

ESA Listings – 1990 +

Noel vs. Cole - 1980 – Required SEPA on all sales

Timber Fish & Wildlife 1987

Noel vs. Cole - 1980 – Required SEPA on all sales

Forest Land Management Plan - 1984

State Environmental Policy Act - 1971

Noel vs. Cole - 1978– Required SEPA on all sales

Modern Forest Practices Act - 1974

Cos

t of

Doi

ng

Bu

sin

ess

Litigation

Sustainable Forestry an new measure of Success for landowners

Warty Jumping Slug (Hemphillia glandulosa)Warty Jumping Slug (Hemphillia glandulosa)

P. BissonP. Bisson

In 2005, WADNR gained Forest Certification under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Soon, FSC also.

OutlineOutline

What is DNR?What is DNR?

How has DNR created a How has DNR created a understanding of soils on State understanding of soils on State managed forest lands?managed forest lands?

History of soils impact awareness in History of soils impact awareness in the PNWthe PNWExamples of soils information utilization by DNR

DNR manages more than 5 DNR manages more than 5 million acres of state landmillion acres of state land

• Forest lands (2.1 million ac)

• Agricultural, grazing, and range lands (1.2 million ac)

• Aquatic lands (2.4 million ac)

• Natural areas (120,000 ac)

Trust Lands help support public schools, universities & colleges, Capitol buildings, prisons, state institutions, local services in many counties, and the state General Fund.

Recently had approved (2006) an HCP for water quality and salmon protection

Washington DNR has an independent Washington DNR has an independent regulatory side…regulatory side…

The FP HCP has an independent adaptive management program for rules and their new HCP

DNR Forest Practices develops and enforces Forest Practices on State and Private forest lands

• Commissioner of Public Lands – a statewide elected official

• Guided by the Board of Natural Resources

• Governor Representative• Superintendent of Public Instruction• WSU Dean of Agriculture• UW Dean of Forest Resources• County Commissioner• Commissioner of Public Lands

• Main Headquarters are in Olympia• Region Offices statewide

How is Washington DNR How is Washington DNR organized?organized?

Six Regions managing5 millionacres

DNR’s Geographic OrganizationDNR’s Geographic Organization

Lands Managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources

DNR manages more than 5 million acres of forest, range, agricultural, and aquatic lands

Blocking of landownership has allowed control of road building, harvest approaches,

and long-term stewardship of soils

Example of original

checkerboard configuration at

State hood (above) vs.

blocked ownership

through trades

Owners committed to long-term stewardship is becoming increasingly rare

Soils, the foundation for Soils, the foundation for forestforest

growth capacity, growth capacity, sustainability, ecosystem sustainability, ecosystem

resilienceresilience

and taxation!and taxation!

• Information for DNR SOILS data layer was derived from Private Forest Land Grading system (PFLG) and subsequent soil Surveys.

• five-year mapping program completed in 1980

• Developed for forest land taxation.

• It was funded by the WA Department of Revenue in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources, Soil Conservation Service (SCS), USDA Forest Service and Washington State University.

• State and private lands which have the potential of supporting commercial forest stands were surveyed.  

Soils data at the WADNR

Soil Science has a long history of administrate attention;

Current influence?

Organic Administration Act

1897

“No national forest shall be established except to improve or protect the forest within its boundaries or for the purpose of securing favorable conditions of water flow and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of the citizens of the United States.”

Source UN 2001

Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Multiple Use and Sustained Yield ActAct 1960 1960

Official policy: National Forests are to Official policy: National Forests are to be managed for multiple uses.be managed for multiple uses.

““Sustained yield of several products Sustained yield of several products and services means the achievement and services means the achievement and maintenance in perpetuity of a and maintenance in perpetuity of a high level or annual output of the high level or annual output of the various renewable resources various renewable resources without without impairment of the productivity of the impairment of the productivity of the landland.” .”

National Environmental National Environmental Policy Act 1969 Policy Act 1969

Environmental impacts of Environmental impacts of proposed actionproposed action

Adverse environmental Adverse environmental impactsimpacts

Alternatives to proposed Alternatives to proposed actionaction

Relationship of short-Relationship of short-term uses and term uses and enhancement of enhancement of long-long-term productivityterm productivity

Irreversible and Irreversible and irretrievable commitment irretrievable commitment

of resourcesof resources

National Forest Management National Forest Management ActAct

19761976

Requires development of Requires development of Forest PlansForest Plans

Specify guidelines that Specify guidelines that timber will be harvested only timber will be harvested only where:where:

Soil or other watershed Soil or other watershed values will not be values will not be irreversibly damagedirreversibly damaged

Adequate restocking Adequate restocking within 5 yearswithin 5 years

Protection where harvests Protection where harvests likely to seriously and likely to seriously and adversely affect adversely affect watershed condition.watershed condition.

Beschta 1990 ReportBeschta 1990 ReportImpacts of post fire Impacts of post fire

salvagesalvage

Major concerns with:Major concerns with:

Severely burned Severely burned sitessites

Erosive sitesErosive sites

Fragile soilsFragile soils

Riparian areasRiparian areas

Steep slopesSteep slopes

Newly available data and models are rewriting Newly available data and models are rewriting soils hazard analysissoils hazard analysis

6 meter DEM 1 meter DEM

photogrammetric LiDAR

US Forest Service Policy 1998FSM 2520.2 R6 Supplement 2500-98-1

Policy: Design and implement management practices which maintain or improve soil and water quality. Emphasize protection over restoration.

Policy: The following regional standards are thresholds beyond which soil quality is adversely affected:

Leave a minimum of 80 percent of an activity area in an acceptable soil quality condition

Recent Legal ChallengesRecent Legal Challenges““I am reluctantly compelled, I am reluctantly compelled, because of the because of the absence of absence of sufficient soil productivity analysissufficient soil productivity analysis, , to comply with Ninth Circuit to comply with Ninth Circuit precedent and find that the Forest precedent and find that the Forest Service has run afoul of both Service has run afoul of both NEPA and NFMA in approving NEPA and NFMA in approving Basin Creek Hazardous Fuels Basin Creek Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project. Reduction Project.

This means that until the law is This means that until the law is complied with in at least this one complied with in at least this one area, the project area, the project cannot move cannot move forwardforward.”.”

US District Court Judge US District Court Judge Donald Malloy, June 9, Donald Malloy, June 9, 20062006

•Harvest and entry intensity – Soil compaction concerns returning •Site productivity- have plant associations but without knowledge of soils•Biodiversity/sustainability- Early in the development and implementation•Utilization of biomass – Will have growing interest as biofuels become more viable•Wind throw- We need to protect investments•Wetlands identification – Hydric soils are ID

Examples of soils information utilization

•“Clear cuts” have considerable reserve trees•Moving to spatially heterogeneous structure•Mixed-species, multiple ages•Major are in riparian zones

How do we determine if variable retention is sustainable? What is the influence on site productivity and soils?

Management objectives are complex with new demands

Soils-Based Site Index

Classes

2006 Management Goals

39%

UPLANDS with complex structure goals

UPLANDS General Management

39%

RIPARIAN

22%

Example landscape in SW Washington

DNR harvest prescriptions are developed DNR harvest prescriptions are developed without specific knowledge of soilswithout specific knowledge of soils

About a third of uplands are under “traditional” even

aged, fully stocked “normal” stand

conditions

In the future,only a third of State lands might meet the

assumptions of the existing site index curves

From Robert Monserud 2001

To predict alternative futures, you must model ecosystem process

Kimmins 2001

Wind throw

i)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0 1 2 3 4 5 6+

Directions of Boundary Exposure (VRDIREX)

% o

f Seg

mts

W

indt

hrow

n

0

2000

4000

6000

No.

of S

egm

ents

j)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Completion Date (OF_COMPL_FY)

% o

f Seg

mts

W

indt

hrow

n

0

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6000

No.

of S

egm

ents

o)

0

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8

20 - 40 40 - 60 >60 inch

Soil Depth Label

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f Seg

mts

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indt

hrow

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6000

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12000

No.

of S

egm

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p)

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25

Soil Texture Label

% o

f Seg

mts

W

indt

hrow

n0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

No.

of S

egm

ents

How do soils characteristics relate to wind throw occurrence?

k)

0

1

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7

LOW MODERATE HIGH

Soil Available Water Capacity

% o

f Seg

mts

W

indt

hrow

n

0

4000

8000

12000

No.

of S

egm

ents

l)

0

2

4

6

8

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14

LOW MEDIUM HIGH

Soil Erosion Potential

% o

f Seg

mts

W

indt

hrow

n

0

4000

8000

12000

No.

of S

egm

ents

m)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

HIGH MEDIUM LOW

Soil Windthrow Hazard Label

% o

f Seg

mts

W

indt

hrow

n

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

No.

of S

egm

ents

n)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

EXCESS WELL MOD WELL POOR

Soil Drainage Label

% o

f Seg

mts

W

indt

hrow

n

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

No.

of S

egm

ents

Wind throw increases with site productivity

Site Index in meters

Recognizing hydric soils

100-years

10,000-years

100,000-years

How long does soil development take?

Fig. 11.12 Fig. 11.17a

Effect of Earthworms Effect of Vegetation

3 yrs. Of Earthworm Activity 12-15 yrs. Hardwoods Occupancy

Mor Mull Mor Mull

Are changes to the soil possible with changing management?

• Management objectives are complex with new demands• Prediction of future growth is very difficult• Increasing demand for wood products e.g. Bioenergy• Sustainability awareness is broadening perceptions of environmental impacts---------• Against a background of manager training that contains little

soil science

Management trends observed that will drive the need for soil science related information in the future

What might the next generation of managers need to What might the next generation of managers need to know about soils?know about soils?