hidden in plain sighthiding in plain sight. to target initial focal areas, the analysis also pointed...

Hidden in Plain Sight: FAMILY-OWNED WOODLANDS ARE KEY TOPROTECTING AND IMPROVING WILDLIFE HABITATSIN THE NORTHEASTERN U.S.

2 AMER I C AN F O R E S T F OUNDAT I ON

Traveling throughout theNortheast, one is struck by the forestsyou see everywhere; it’s feels like adefining feature. In fact, this region isthe most forested region in thecountry. Quietly producing an array ofgoods and services, these forests areloved, yet too often overlooked. Atfirst glance, the forests seem healthyand productive; after all, there aretrees everywhere. But the forests arenot sufficiently diverse to provide

resilient wildlife habitat now and into the future. Fortunately,AFF’s research has unveiled a hidden opportunity forindividuals and families to take stewardship actions toimprove wildlife habitat on their land to the benefit of us all.Importantly the impact of these actions is powerful and itsresults can be measured.

The overwhelming majority, or almost 51%, of forests inthis region are privately owned, most by individuals andfamilies. These woodland stewards play a vital role in theability of forests throughout this region to produce thebenefits we all derive from forests, and in some cases, thiscareful stewardship stretches back several generations.

Based on extensive research, AFF found that in spite ofsome long-standing, dedicated stewardship, for historicreasons the region’s forests are largely out of balance. As aresult, they are not providing the diverse array of habitatsnecessary for regional wildlife. Why is this? The history offorest use and conversion across this region, dating backtwo centuries, set in motion a dynamic that has resulted intoday’s lack of overall diversity. Today’s woodlands are largelythe same age and composition, over-representing “middleaged” forests. Healthy forests and wildlife populations needforests of all ages. For instance, young forests are good forspecies like the Appalachian cottontail, the Americanwoodcock, and the bobcat; while older, more mature forestssupport species like the wood thrush, the northerngoshawk, and the pileated woodpecker.

The good news is that the region is benefitting fromsome excellent, decades-old work to permanently protectforests in the region through easements and other means.That said, our analysis shows that simply keeping forests asforests is not sufficient to produce the diversity of habitatnecessary for wildlife. Indeed, active stewardship is neededto help restore ecosystem balance in the region. Theseactivities include harvesting to create young forest standsand selectively thinning mature stands to mimic older forestconditions, increasing growth on remaining trees andenhancing desired old forest amenities such as den treesand trees of different sizes. With a majority of forest in

private hands, family woodland owners are key to success.We want to build on the excellent examples of family

woodland owner stewardship throughout the region, a fewof which are highlighted in this report. Fortunately,landowners in the region share the desire to do good thingson their land for wildlife. AFF conducted a survey ofwoodland owners in the region and found that 85% ofowners state that protecting and improving wildlife habitat isan important reason they own their land. What’s more, 9 ofevery 10 landowners expressed a desire to do more forwildlife on their land, suggesting favorable conditions tostimulate landowner action.

We need to get landowners the tools they need to acton their passion. The opportunity is great, as 86% ofwoodland owners have not recently received professionalassistance. As a result, these landowners are often unawareof ways in which they can increase habitat quality on theirlands. By connecting these folks with trained professionals,we can channel their passion with new knowledge and seemeaningful impact at a true landscape scale.

In order to target our work in those places where wecan make the greatest difference, AFF conducted a first-of-its-kind spatial analysis identifying 30 watersheds acrossthree forest habitat types with high-quality, family-ownedwoodlands, where stewardship activities can make aparticularly important contribution to forests, birds andwildlife in the near future. AFF intends to focus our on-the-ground efforts in these areas, working with willing partnersto reach more landowners and assist them in stewardshipactivities that achieve the landowner’s objectives and benefitwildlife.

In this report we outline a set of recommendationsdesigned to overcome barriers and improve the ability offamily owners to implement these activities on the ground.They include policy changes that will make stewardshipaffordable, as well as more targeted work throughpartnerships to develop and implement landscape-scaleprojects in the three priority forest habitats identified in thereport. Finally, we want to align markets with theseconservation activities to help finance restoration."

The forests of the northeastern United States are anincredible asset to the people of the region and nation. Ourwork summarized in this report shows that we have a realopportunity to enhance the value of these forests and thewildlife that depend upon them; in order to do so, we needto engage the individuals and families who represent thelargest forest ownership group. Through this work, we canhelp ensure these forests provide healthy, resilient wildlifehabitat across the landscape both now and long into thefuture. Fortunately, we can now see the conservationsolution that has been hiding in plain sight.

TOM MARTIN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE AMERICAN FOREST FOUNDATION

3

Nearly two-thirds of the 13-state northeast region thatstretches from Maine to West Virginia1 is blanketed by woods,making it the most heavily forested area of the country. These woods are home to hundreds of species of birds, fish,amphibians and mammals, many of which are dependent onhealthy, diverse woodlands for their habitats.

Executive Summary

There are black bear and bobcats,red squirrels and white-tailed deer,and ruffed grouse and grosbeaks. Inspite of the abundance of forestlandand some excellent stewardship bymany landowners throughout theregion, all is not well. Hidden behindthe veneer of this bucoliclandscape, lie two important butoften overlooked details: due to thehistory of land use, these forestslack overall diversity, limiting theirability to sustain healthy and diversewildlife populations; and more than

half of these forests are owned byfamilies and individuals, meaningthat the future of sustainablewildlife populations lies in theirhands.

During the 19th century, heavyclearing of forests took place forfarming, shipbuilding, fuels, charcoaland development of communities,setting up a dynamic ofabandonment and regrowth. Overthe last century, forests havereclaimed millions of agricultural andindustrial acres in the Northeast. Thereestablishment of this vastforested region provides animportant foundation for the array ofbenefits derived from sustainablymanaged forests.

Nonetheless, given the long-term nature of forests, we find thatthe majority of the forests in theregion today are roughly the same

age and composition– despite the bestefforts of manyexemplary stewards.Because of this,northeastern forestslack the diversity inboth tree species andage needed toprovide healthy andsustainable wildlife populationsthroughout the region. While thisbalance can be restored throughwide-spread, targeted stewardshipactivities, landowners throughoutthe region are lacking the markets,tools and resources to implementthese activities on the ground.

Not only does the lack of diversetree species, structure and ageclassification affect availablehabitats for native wildlife, but italso affects the forests’ ability to

H I D D EN I N P L A I N S I G HT

Family-owned woodlands make up more than half of the Northeast’s 101 million acres of forest,which means family woodland owners have toplay a key role in protecting and improving wildlifehabitats and forest health across the region.

1 The 13-state region includes: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey,Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.


respond to looming threats, likeinsects and disease, and anuncertain climate future.

Moreover, this decline in foresthealth is occurring at the same timelow-grade forest-product markets inthe Northeast are shifting andshrinking. That makes it difficult forsmall landowners who need toharvest trees to improve habitatconditions and subsequentlyreinvest any income gained backinto the land for furtherimprovements.

These habitat issues createcritical challenges for wildlife. TheU.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicereports that there are now 37wildlife species at risk of extinctionin the region, 13 of which aredependent on healthy forest habitatto survive (Elowe, 2016). Anadditional 23 have been identifiedas birds and mammals of concern(Anderson, et al., 2013).

What’s more, healthynortheastern forests are alsoimportant to the regional economy.The timber industry and wildlife-

related outdoor recreation bothcontribute billions annually to theregional economy (USFWS 2014;AFPA, 2015).

Given the importance of wildlifein the region, and given the role thatfamily woodland owners can play inprotecting and enhancing wildlifehabitats, the American ForestFoundation set out to find solutions.AFF commissioned a state-of-the-art spatial analysis, as well as asurvey of northeast familywoodland owners.

What we found are some

incredible, hidden opportunities thatare often overlooked.

The spatial analysis focused onmore than 27 million acres of forestin three important habitat typesacross the Northeast, and revealedthat more than 11 million of thoseacres are owned by families andindividuals.

What does this analysis reallyshow? With 40% of these acres infamily ownership, the solution ishiding in plain sight. To target initialfocal areas, the analysis alsopointed to hidden opportunities in30 key watersheds, wheresignificant amounts of intact andhigh-quality family-owned woods

remain. To complement the existingefforts of many family woodlandstewards, if even more landownersare given the essential tools tomanage significant amounts of thisland, important progress to protectwildlife can be made.

Family woodland ownersthroughout the region canimplement practices that benefitwildlife, and they should beencouraged to do so. However,with limited resources available toreach and assist landowners, AFFand our partners can use the results

AFF’s state-of-the-art spatial analysis showsthat northeast forests are out of balance. But italso identifies both the watersheds wherestrategically engaging family woodland ownerswill produce the most benefits and the specifictypes of stewardship activities that are needed.

2 For purposes of this report, at-risk species are wildlife that are already listed as threatened or endangered, or are candidates for listing. Species of concern are birds and mammals that are locally in declineor are indicators of the health of the surrounding forest ecosystem.

Northeastern forests have tremendous potential, but are imbalanced and unableto fully support wildlife.

n The 13-state northeastern U.S. is the most heavily forested region of thecountry, with two-thirds of the land — more than 100million acres —covered in forests.

n More than half the forests of the region are owned by families andindividuals.

n But the forests are currently out of balance; they are not providing thediverse array of habitats that wildlife in the region need.

n According to the U.S. FWS, there are 37 species at risk, 13 of whichdepend on forests, and an additional 23 species of great concern.

AFF’s spatial analysis finds the solution is hiding in plain sight.

n More than 11 million acres of important habitat types are owned byfamilies and individuals, meaning family woodland owners are a key partof the conservation solution.

n AFF’s analysis identified 30 watersheds with high-quality familywoodlands, where stewardship activities can make a particularly importantcontribution in the near future.

n Both the target and surrounding watersheds have an unhealthy shortageof early- and late-successional forests, differing from historic conditions by17 and 32%, respectively. Stewardship can restore these conditions.

Family woodland owners are willing to help, but we need to increase access tothe right stewardship tools.

n Protecting and improving wildlife habitat are important reasons to owntheir land (85%).

n A large majority of family owners are concerned about the loss of wildlifehabitats (77%) and want to take steps to protect them.

n Fewer than half, however, are managing to protect wildlife habitats on anongoing basis, and 9 of 10 landowners acknowledge that they could domore on their land.

n Family woodland owners who consult with a natural resourceprofessional do more than twice as much to protect and improve wildlifehabitats through active stewardship.

5H I D D EN I N P L A I N S I G HT

of this analysis to target increasedeffort in areas that have the greatestpotential impact for protectingwildlife habitats and improvingforest health. The 30 targetedwatersheds that emerged from theanalysis are great places to start.

To take it one step further, theanalysis also illustrates that the onlyway to rebalance our forests isthrough active stewardship. Buildingon successful efforts to promotepermanent land protection throughconservation easements, the criticalnext step is to work with landownersto implement key practices on theirland. Both the target and

surroundingwatersheds have anunhealthy shortageof early- and late-successionalforests, differingfrom historicconditions by 17and 32%,respectively. These

forest types are critically importantfor many wildlife species that arealready at risk or in decline.

It is not enough, however, tosimply know where the problemsare and what kinds of activities areneeded to fix them. AFF and othersalso need to know more aboutfamily woodland owners’ attitudesas well as wildlife-related activitiesthat are completed, planned orunder consideration to augment theimpact at a landscape scale.

To find out, AFF conducted asurvey of more than 20,000northeast family woodland ownersin early 2016, with more than 1,400respondents. It found that a largemajority say protecting andimproving wildlife habitats areimportant reasons they own theirland (85%), and that they areconcerned about the loss of wildlifehabitats (77%). Yet fewer than halfof Northeast family owners aremanaging for wildlife habitats on anongoing basis, and nine out of 10

acknowledge that they coulddo more on their land.

Why aren’t they doingmore? The most commonreasons given are concernsabout government red tape –

whether real or perceived, costs to implement activities anduncertainty about what to do. Thosebarriers are not insurmountable,though. In fact, the survey showsthat providing family landownerswith information and connectingthem with natural resourceprofessionals are the keys tobreaking down barriers and helpingthem protect and improve wildlifehabitats on their land through activestewardship. Indeed, landownerswho work with professionalsimplement more than twice asmany habitat improvements thanthose who have not yet interactedwith professionals.

Based on the spatial analysisand landowner survey, AFFrecommends three strategies tohelp overcome family woodlandowners’ barriers and improvewildlife habitats throughoutnortheast woodlands in a way thatis both consistent with andcomplementary to existing stateForest Action Plan and WildlifeAction Plan efforts:

1. Promote forest policies, stateand federal technical assistance,and markets that help Northeastfamily woodland owners keeptheir woods as woods, whilesimultaneously improving theirhealth and sustainability.

2. Increase woodland owneraccess to professionals,improve training and educationfor natural resourceprofessionals and expand inter-agency collaboration.

3. Work with northeast regionaland local partners to developlandscape-scale projects forreaching out to and engagingfamily woodland owners in thethree priority forest habitats.

AMER ICAN FOREST FOUNDAT ION 6

No area of the United States ismore heavily forested than the13-state Northeast region thatstretches from Maine to WestVirginia. Nearly two-thirds of theregion – more than 100 millionacres in all – is blanketed bywoods.

Not surprisingly, a wide varietyof forest types can be found in anarea that extends from theCanadian border to the centralAppalachians. There are spruce,hemlock and fir boreal forestsacross the White Mountains and

Adirondack peaks. Oak-dominatedwoodlands populate the piedmontand lower elevations along theNortheast and Mid-Atlanticseaboard. And oak-pine forests andpine plantations can be found inthe Appalachians from Virginia andWest Virginia up into Pennsylvaniaand New Jersey.

Yet these are not all big,company-owned forests. Nor arethey mostly state and nationalforests. In fact, more than half ofthe Northeast’s woods – 51.0million acres – is owned by families

and individuals, typically in plotsaveraging about 50 acres (Butler, etal., 2016).

On industrial, public and familylands alike, these woods are hometo hundreds of species of birds,fish, amphibians and mammals.There are black bear and bobcats,red squirrels and white-tailed deer,ruffed grouse and grosbeaks, andbrook trout and yellow perch. Manyof these are dependent on healthy,diverse woodlands for theirhabitats.

HOW WELL IS THENORTHEAST CURRENTLYSUPPORTING WILDLIFE?

A good financial adviser will tell youthat diversifying your investmentsguards against risks associated withchanging market conditions. A gooddoctor will tell you that a balanceddiet along with exercise is the bestway to prevent sickness and

Northeastern Family Woodlands –


WOODLAND BY OWNERSHIP(FIGURE 1)

7

OPPORTUNITIES HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

FOREST OWNERSHIP IN THE 13 NORTHEASTERN STATES

Esri, HERE, DeLorme, MapmyIndia, © Open StreetMap contributors, and the GIS user community

n Family

n Private Industrial

n Public

21.1%

50.5%

28.4%

Legend

Family-owned Woodlands

Other Forest Land

disease – and that eating fast foodat every meal, every day, is neitherhealthy nor sustainable.

Unfortunately, forests in theNortheast are no longer diverse orbalanced. Several centuries ofclearing trees for farming,shipbuilding and development ofcommunities has robbed manyNortheast forests of the diversity inboth tree species and ageclassification that is needed to behealthy and sustainable for wildlifeand, ultimately, us.

By the mid-1800s, only about30% of the Northeast was forested.But as farms were abandoned inthe latter 1800s and early 1900s,the forests came back and reacheda peak in the 1950s. Since thattime, however, urban and suburbanexpansion has been a leading causeof declining forest cover(Drummond, 2010). Despite efforts

from the existing network ofexemplary land stewards, thesetrends, combined with a lack ofwidespread active stewardship,

have contributed to unhealthy forestconditions that are moresusceptible to drought, insects anda changing climate – and lesscapable of providing the habitatsneeded by native fish and wildlife.

For example, according to theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, thereare now 37 wildlife species that areat risk of extinction in the region, 13of which are dependent on healthyforest habitats to survive (Elowe,2016). An additional 23 have beenidentified as birds and mammals ofconcern in three priority foresthabitat types (Anderson, et al.,2013).

Moreover, the decline in foresthealth is occurring at the same timelow-grade forest-product markets inthe Northeast are shifting andshrinking, which makes it difficultfor small landowners to depend ontimber as a source of income. Forexample, in New England, therecent loss of hemlock and whitepine pulpwood mills as a result ofmedia markets shifting away frompaper products has left a huge hole


Wildlife-related recreation in northeastwoodlands is a major economic driver,contributing more than $27 billion annuallyto the regional economy.

PULPWOOD PRICE TRENDS IN NEW ENGLAND(FIGURE 2)

120%

110%

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

Hardwood

Kingsley 2016

4Q 2015 4Q 2014 1Q 2016 2Q 2016 3Q 2016 1Q 2015 2Q 2015 3Q 2015

Pine Hemlock


in landowners’ ability to affordstewardship practices (Figure 2).Without those revenues, familylandowners may not have theresources needed to invest inactivities that will improve foresthealth and wildlife habitats. Worsestill, the lack of markets andrevenues could create incentives forsome family landowners tosubdivide and sell their woodlands,which would magnify thechallenges associated withproviding diverse and healthywildlife habitats in northeast woods.

NORTHEASTERN FORESTSGENERATE GREAT VALUE.

Not only does enhancing wildlifehabitats support the inherent valueof declining species, but it alsosupports a strong, rural-basedregional economy. It’s not surprisingthat wildlife-related outdoorrecreation contributes more than$27 billion annually to the local andregional economy, with a little morethan half of that coming fromhunting- and fishing-relatedexpenditures (USFWS, 2014) (Table1). Wildlife watching alone

StateTotal

ExpendituresHunting and

FishingWildlifeWatching

Connecticut $1,701,961 $767,258 $934,703

Delaware $325,374 $155,586 $169,788

Maine $1,417,258 $618,404 $798,854

Maryland $1,303,595 $820,174 $483,421

Massachusetts $1,961,405 $683,507 $1,277,898

New Hampshire $553,507 $272,317 $281,190

New Jersey $2,294,691 $1,308,413 $986,278

New York $9,166,012 $5,014,223 $4,151,789

Pennsylvania $2,793,977 $1,523,089 $1,270,888

Rhode Island $360,420 $159,940 $200,480

Vermont $744,040 $455,533 $288,507

Virginia $3,542,179 $2,583,572 $958,607

West Virginia $1,200,485 $874,707 $325,778

NE Total $27,364,904 $15,236,723 $12,128,181

Unhealthy forest conditions have put 37 wildlife species at risk of extinction in theNortheast. But there are solutions, and familyforest landowners must play a lead role.

TABLE 1

Economic Impact of Wildlife-Related Recreation by State in 2011($ thousands)

10

contributes more than $12 billionannually, creates nearly 245,000jobs and generates almost $1.9billion in state and local tax revenues(USFWS Addendum, 2014).

And while traditional forest-product markets are currently in astate of decline, they still contributesubstantially to the regionaleconomy – and certainly could domore. As of 2015, a conservativeestimate concludes the timberindustry employed more than182,000 workers with a payroll inexcess of $10 billion and a totalvalue of industry shipments greaterthan $46 billion (AFPA, 2015). Inaddition, an estimated 64% of alltimber removals in the region comefrom family woodlands (USDA,2016). Non-timber products likemaple syrup, which produced nearly$50 million in Vermont alone in 2013,are also important to the Northeast’seconomy (Shifley, et al., 2016).

Not only are the northeastforests a major economic driver inthe region, but the health of thoseforests also plays an important rolein protecting drinking water quality

for an estimated 30 million peoplewho live there (Barnes, et al., 2009).

REVEALINGUNRECOGNIZEDCONSERVATIONSOLUTIONS.

There are solutions, indeed hiddenopportunities, that will help addressat least some of the issues affectingforest health and wildlife habitats inthe Northeast, and new state-of-the-art research and survey data showthat family woodlands can – and

must – play a lead role. With that inmind, AFF identified three priorityforest types across the 13-stateregion that provide habitats for thegreatest number of birds andmammals, including, in particular,those that are of special concern,based on data aggregated fromnatural heritage programs and stateWildlife Action Plans. By focusing on species of concern, the analysisis ensuring that a broad suite ofspecies is included that areindicative of healthy ecosystemsmore generally. Those habitat typesare:

n Acadian Low Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest

n Appalachian (Hemlock) NorthernHardwood Forest

n Central Appalachian Pine-OakRocky Woodland

A spatial analysis was thenperformed, the first of its kind in the region, to identify watersheds in each forest type where engagingfamily woodland owners in activestewardship to improve wildlifehabitats would have the greatestbenefits.TABLE 2

Three Forest Habitat Types and Associated Species of Concern

Acadian Low Elevation Spruce-Fir

American three-toed woodpecker, bay-breastedwarbler, black-backed woodpecker, borealchickadee, cape may warbler, gray jay, olive-sided flycatcher, red crossbill

Appalachian(Hemlock)-NorthernHardwood Forest

brown creeper, Canada warbler, northerngoshawk, Allegheny woodrat, Indiana bat,southern rock vole, southern water shrew,Virginia northern flying squirrel

Central AppalachianPine-Oak RockyWoodland

cerulean warbler, peregrine falcon, eastern whip-poor-will, Allegheny woodrat, Appalachiancottontail, eastern small-footed bat, Kittatiny red-backed vole, long-tailed shrew, northern bat,southern flying squirrel

AMER I C AN F O R E S T F OUNDAT I ON

11

When Art and Barbara Eve purchased their 360 acres in 1973, it was a cut-overproperty in Massachusetts that was going to provide space for their family’srecreation. But as they began to learn more about their land and woods, theyrecognized its potential for helping wildlife in the area.

So, they reached out to a forester and developed a management plan that wouldcreate good habitats for birds and other wildlife, while also growing quality timberthat would allow them to cover their wildlife management costs.

First, they created a six-acre forest opening and pruned some overgrown wild appletrees to provide habitats for bluebirds and other grassland birds. They also removedvines, cleared trails, set up birdhouses and improved drainage areas.

A few years later, they conducted select harvests to create better conditions forregenerating red oak, while also thinning some woods to promote black cherry, another important species for wildlife.

Soon the family partnered with Foresters for the Birds, a program to improve habitatsfor declining songbird species that is a joint effort of the state Department ofConservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Forest Stewardship Program and theMassachusetts Audubon Society. They were so successful in diversifying their woodsand providing more of the trees that songbirds need, that their land was selected as ademonstration site to help educate other landowners on best practices for bird habitats.

Their woods were also certified in 2003 by the Forest Stewardship Council, the MassForest Alliance and the American Tree Farm System, as a way to showcase theirsustainability efforts and add value to their timber. In fact, one harvest of pulpwood (low- quality pine and some hardwoods) was able to be shipped up to a Maine pulp mill because of their certification. Unfortunately, Northeast timber markets have beendeclining for several years.

During the summer of 2016, the family was working on creating mid-height brushy habitat to offer cover for nesting songbirds and safetyfrom predators. The project would include two patch cuts of betweentwo and five acres and some selective cutting of low-quality timber,which would encourage regeneration on an additional ten acres. Butwhen it came time to harvest, they could not find a logger or a millthat was interested in buying the wood. Without a buyer, the familydid not have the funds to pay for the project and had to put it on hold.

The Eve-Cowles clan, recently awarded 2016 Regional OutstandingTree Farmers of the Year, now includes children, in-laws andgrandchildren. They, remain passionate about their land and will

continue to be good stewards byimproving wildlife habitats where theycan, promoting the importance ofmarkets and helping other landownerswith forest conservation.


FOREST CERTIFICATION

Forest certification programsrequire woodland owners toabide by a set of managementstandards that ensure theirwoods are being managed toprovide values like cleanwater and wildlife habitat,among others. Certificationprograms, like the AmericanTree Farm System, a third-party audited certificationsystem for family woodlandowners, also tell consumersand companies that yourforest is sustainable, well-managed, and helping theenvironment.

AFF worked with science-basednonprofit Manomet on the firstphase of the analysis, which wasconducted on a watershed basisacross the region. It examined thethree targeted forest habitat types –Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest, Appalachian(Hemlock) Northern HardwoodForest and Central AppalachianPine-Oak Rocky Woodland – toidentify family woodlands that haveimportant innate qualities: both highecological integrity and resilience.This unique approach targets thehidden opportunities – high-qualitylandscapes where engaging familywoodland owners in activestewardship will produce thegreatest benefits.

For this analysis, ecologicalintegrity is defined according to theNortheast Index of EcologicalIntegrity developed by researchersat UMass, where ecologicalintegrity is the ability of an area(e.g., local site or landscape) tosustain important ecologicalfunctions over the long term. This ismeasured by examining acombination of many differentnatural and human-related variablesincluding, for example, temperature,soil type and quality, developmentpatterns and road networks.

Areas of resilience wereidentified using data from The

Nature Conservancy’s ResilientSites for Terrestrial Conservationproject. Lands that are resilient arethose that have the capacity torecover from disturbance andstress, measured as a combinationof landscape connectedness andcomplexity. Areas that have avariety of geophysical sites

(moisture, topographical andelevational gradients) have greatercomplexity and, therefore, canbetter respond to changingconditions and provide diverseopportunities for wildlife over thelong term. Areas that are highlyconnected provide corridors thatenable wildlife to move and

12

Finding the Hidden OpportunitiesPROTECTING WILDLIFE AND RESTORING FOREST HEALTH:

The American Forest Foundation’s state-of-the-art spatial analysis identifies30 watersheds in the 13-state Northeast region where increasing thenumber of family landowners who are practicing active stewardship intheir woods can play a significant role in protecting birds and wildlife.



EXTENT OF THREE TARGET FOREST HABITAT TYPES

LegendCentral Appalachian PineOak Rocky Woodland

Acadian Low Elevation Spruce-Fir Hardwood Forest

Appalachian (Hemlock)Northern Hardwood Forest


disperse as their needs change, aswell as allow water to moveunimpeded across the landscape.The combination of complexity andconnectedness increases resilience.

The spatial analysis focused onmore than 27 million acres of forestin three habitat types across theNortheast and discovered that 11.5million acres, or 40%, are family-owned woodlands. The key to ourconservation solution was hiding inplain sight: the stewardship offamily woodland owners.

Most of that family acreage –10.1 million acres – is in theNorthern Hardwood (Hemlock)habitat. The Acadian Low Elevation

Spruce-Fir-Hardwood (1.15 millionacres) and Central AppalachianPine-Oak Rocky Woodland(212,000 acres) are considerablysmaller. Of the total acreage in allthree habitats, nearly 1.6 millionacres, owned by an estimated30,000 families or individuals, arein the top 25% for ecologicalintegrity and above-averageresilience (Table 2).

The spatial analysis alsoidentified 30 target watersheds, 10in each habitat type, that have themost family-owned acreage withhigh ecological integrity and above-average resilience where

stewardship investments will havethe greatest impact. However,even though forests in the targetwatersheds generally have higherinnate landscape qualities than inthe surrounding watersheds, thatdoesn’t necessarily mean they arehealthy and meeting the needs ofnative wildlife. As described in moredetail below, a subsequent analysisby Appalachian Conservation, LLCshows that not only is there asignificant shortage of early andlate-successional forest, bothacross the Northeast and in thetarget watersheds, but there is alsomuch less than existed in the past.3

Habitat Type

TotalHabitat Area

Habitat inFamilyForest

Family ForestHabitat in Top 25%Ecological Integrity

WITH Above- Average Resilience

Acadian LowElevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood

5,522,962 1,153,106 94,647

Central AppalachianPine-Oak RockyWoodland

566,284 211,650 19,251

Northern Hardwood(Hemlock)

20,994,503 10,193,864 1,458,734

TOTALS 27,083,749 11,558,620 1,572,632

We must conserve the forests, not by disuse, but by use, making them more valuable at the same time that we use them. Theodore Roosevelt

August 6, 1912

TABLE 2

3While late-successional forest qualities can be created by managing for complex forest stand structure, for purposes of this Report, forest age is our best proxy –given data availability- of thishabitat component.


The 30 targeted watersheds are the Northeast’s “hiddenopportunities” where family woodland owners can make thebiggest difference by taking steps to protect and improvewildlife habitats in their woods.

Those are indicators of forests thatare out of balance and where activestewardship can make a difference.

Additionally, all three foresthabitat types are at risk of loomingthreats from invasive pests andpathogens and an uncertain climatefuture – indicating active stewardshipcan help regional forests adapt tothese disturbances, too.

As a complement to importantlandowner engagement workoccurring throughout the region, AFF will focus first on engagingfamily landowners in the 30 targetwatersheds, followed by expansioninto surrounding watersheds. Bydoing so, AFF and other public andprivate conservation partners canensure that their resources areinvested strategically in areas thathave the greatest potential forprotecting wildlife and improvingforest health across the Northeast.

There are many tools foraccomplishing those goals. Forexample, conservation easementshelp ensure that wooded land stayswooded, which is both important forwildlife and something that northeastfamily woodland owners already carea lot about (See Figure 6). As thedata that follows demonstrates,however, more active woodlandmanagement by family owners isalso needed to ensure that forest-dependent wildlife have the diversearray of habitats they need.

AFF ’S 10 TARGET WATERSHEDS IN EACH OF THE 3 FOREST HABITAT TYPES


Legend

Watersheds

Acadian Low Elevation Spruce-Fir Forests

Appalachian (Hemlock) Northern Hardwood

Central Appalachian Pine Oak Rocky Woodland


Kurt Woltersdorf’s interest in owning and improving woodlandsbegan at a young age. When Kurt was just 14 years old, hepurchased his first property with money he had earned sellingnewspapers. While only three quarters of an acre, it excited him tohave a slice of land he could call his own.

In the mid-1990s, Kurt took the next step when he and his wifepurchased 235 acres in southern Maine. He knew that the landwasn’t in very good shape and that it wouldn’t support the birds andwildlife they both loved. He also knew that since the area wasalready under intense pressure for development, he could play animportant role in protecting the land and restoring it to its historicnatural state for wildlife.

Kurt had heard that New England cottontail rabbit populations wereplummeting and that, with a little work, his land could provide idealhabitat. He researched long-term protection options likeconservation easements, but while he saw the value in permanentprotection, he chose to focus his time and resources on activelyworking the land to improve cottontail habitat.

When he joined the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM), Kurt learned thatthe Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,was offering meetings with wildlife biologists and cost-share assistance for cottontail habitatimprovement. He set up a meeting with the agency’s biologist, who recommended a series ofclearings and patch cuts to create early-successional habitat – or young forests – that are ideal forcottontails. With funding assistance from NRCS, he was able to implement the plan.

While Kurt was conducting his cottontail habitat work, he posted “No Trapping” signs along abrook on the property. Soon after, beavers reappeared and began to thrive,followed by ducks. Kurt now sees a wide variety of wildlife on his land, including falcons,Wilson’s snipes, spotted turtles and more. In 2016, he was able to hunt and take his first largedeer in almost eight years. Like cottontails, deer thrive in early-successional habitat, so throughKurt’s cottontail work, he directly contributed to the deer habitat on his property as well.

Although New England cottontail rabbits are still under stress in the Northeast, the efforts of landmanagers and private forest landowners like Kurt have helped increase its numbers and keep itoff the federal threatened and endangered species list.

Kurt continues to actively manage his land and think about the bestoptions for permanent protection in the future. What is mostimportant to him is that his land continues to provide for the crittersand birds of Maine today and long into the future.


NORTHERN HARDWOOD(HEMLOCK) FOREST

By far the largest of the threehabitat types studied is theNorthern Hardwood (Hemlock)forest, with nearly 21 million acres,more than 10 million acres of whichis family owned, running from WestVirginia to southern Maine. It ishome not only to black bear, grayfox, ruffed grouse and an array ofwarblers, but also to eight bird andmammal species of concern.

As shown in Figure 3, the age-class distribution of NorthernHardwood (Hemlock) habitat isunbalanced, a condition thatsignifies forests that are lessresilient to drought, insects and achanging climate, as well asproviding inadequate habitats forthe birds and wildlife that dependon it for food, shelter andreproducing. Nearly two-thirds ofthis habitat – 64% – is between 40and 80 years old, while only 9% is

in an early-successional stage (<20years) and less than 1% is in a late-successional stage (>100 years),both of which are needed forhealthy wildlife habitats. In fact,only 4% of the trees in theseforests are older than 80 years.

The 10 target watersheds in thishabitat type have nearly 4.3 millionacres of family woodlands, ofwhich more than 550,000 acresmeet the criteria for high ecologicalintegrity and above-averageresilience. As described above,however, that does not mean thesewoods are all in good shape. Infact, an AFF analysis found thatearly-successional forests in thosewatersheds depart from historicconditions by 12.9% and late-successional forests by 27.4%,which is indicative of forestecosystems that aren’t meeting theneeds of native wildlife and thatneed further evaluation and activestewardship to restore balance.4

ACADIAN LOW ELEVATIONSPRUCE-FIR-HARDWOOD

The spatial analysis identified morethan 5.5 million acres of Low-LevelSpruce-Fir-Hardwood forest, 1.1million acres of which is familyowned, which go from Maine tonorthern New Hampshire andVermont and into the Adirondacksin northeastern New York. Wildlifenative to these woods includesmoose, fishers and ruby-crownedkinglets. There are eight species ofconcern that depend on this habitattype as well.

As in the Northern Hardwood(Hemlock) forests, the Acadian LowElevation forests have animbalanced and unnatural agerange. More than three-quarters ofthe trees are between 40 and 80years old, while just 2% are lessthan 20 years old and only 1% areover 100 years old (Figure 2). Thisconcentration of trees in the 40- to80-year age range is unsuitable forbirds and wildlife that depend onearly- and late-successional forestto survive.

The 10 target watersheds in thishabitat type have nearly 3.5 millionacres of family forest, of whichmore than 65,000 acres meet thecriteria for high ecological integrityand above-average resilience. Aselsewhere, however, early-successional forests in thesewatersheds have departed fromhistoric conditions by 17.7% andthe late-successional forests inthese watersheds are off by 31.9%.

CENTRAL APPALACHIANPINE-OAK ROCKYWOODLAND FOREST

The 211,000 acres of familywoodlands in the Pine-Oak RockyWoodland habitat identified in the

NORTHERN HARDWOOD (HEMLOCK) FOREST(FIGURE 3)

1-2 yrs 20-40 yrs 40-60 yrs 60-80 yrs 80-100 yrs 100-140 yrs

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Age Class Distribution

4Departure conditions are based on best available data, developed by LandFire. Estimated reference conditions are Biophysical Settings models that represent the vegetation that may have been dominant on the landscapeprior to Euro-American settlement and is based on both the current biophysical environment and an approximation of the historical disturbance regime. https://www.landfire.gov/NationalProductDescriptions20.php

spatial analysis stretch from WestVirginia to southern Maine, althoughthe bulk of it is along the Virginia-West Virginia border and up intosouth-central Pennsylvania.Bobcats, pine warblers and scarlettanagers live there, along with 10bird and mammal species ofconcern.

The age-class distribution in thePine-Oak Rocky Woodland habitat isthe most unbalanced of the threehabitat types. More than two-thirdsof this habitat – 68% – is between40 and 80 years old, while only 3%is in an early-successional stage andjust 2% is in a late-successionalstage.

Moreover, there are fewerforests here than in the other twohabitat types that meet thestandard for high ecological integrityand above-average resilience. Ofthe nearly 3.4 million acres of familyforest in the 10 target watersheds,just over 10,000 acres meet thecriteria. In addition, both early- andlate-successional forests in these 10watersheds show the greatestdeparture from historic forestconditions, with early-successional

forests departing from historicconditions by 19.4% and late-successional forests by 38.1%.

LOTS OF WORK TO BE DONE

The spatial analysis shows clearlythat forests in the Northeast are outof balance, which is a problem forbirds and other wildlife that dependon those forests for survival. Asthese forests recover from land-usehistory of years long gone by, ouranalysis shows that familywoodland owners are well

positioned to play a key role in thesolution, and identifies 30 targetedwatersheds – indeed – hiddenopportunities, where working withlandowners with high-value woodsis the priority for improving wildlifehabitats and forest health.

17

ACADIAN LOW-ELEVATION SPRUCE-FIR-HARDWOOD FOREST(FIGURE 4)

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

CENTRAL APPALACHIAN PINE-OAK ROCKY WOODLAND(FIGURE 5)

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%





How Imbalanced Are Our Forests?

AFF’s assessment didn’t justidentify the watersheds wherefamily woodland owners can makethe biggest difference for wildlife. Italso dug deeper to examine thecurrent condition of the forests inboth the 30 targets and 90surrounding watersheds that arepart of the three priority habitattypes in the Northeast. By learningmore about the specific challengesin each watershed, AFF and otherswill be better positioned torecommend the kinds ofstewardship activities that willproduce the most wildlife habitatbenefits and rebalance the forests.

To accomplish that goal, aReport Card was generated for eachwatershed based on a statisticalanalysis of more than 50 differentwildlife and forest healthcharacteristics that are indicators ofage-class diversity, structuraldiversity, species diversity,landscape diversity and thewatershed’s departure from historicconditions.

The best way to illustrate theresults is to explore how the ReportCard works in a single watershed.The nearly 500,000-acre Bald EagleWatershed is one of the targetwatersheds in the CentralAppalachian Pine-Oak RockyWoodland habitat. Nearly one-third

of the watershed’s total area –more than 150,000 wooded acres –is owned by families andindividuals, which means that theiractions can significantly impactwildlife habitats and forest health. Itis located in central Pennsylvania, ispart of the Susquehanna RiverBasin and has nearly 850 differentstreams that eventually flow intothe Chesapeake Bay. Thewatershed is home to species likethe wood thrush, scarlet tanager,cerulean warbler, bobcat andAppalachian cottontail.

While relatively unthreatened bydevelopment or conversion (indeed,the forest cover grew by 10% in arecent five-year period), thiswatershed nonetheless lacks thevariety of habitat componentsnecessary to support importantwildlife species.

For example, the Bald EagleWatershed has almost no availableearly-successional habitats. These

18

Map Created January 6,2017 by Scott Bearer, Appalachian Conservation, LLC. National GAP data was used for 4early-successional birdspecies (ALFL AMWO, AMRE, CSWA) and 4 mature/late-successional species (BLBW, BTBW, SCTA, WOTH). 2012 Landfire EVT data wasused to determine early and late-successional stages of 4 common forest types (Cent. App. Dry Oak, Appalachian Northern Hardwood, NEInterior Dry-Mesic Oak, Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwood).

A COMPARISON OF POTENTIAL HABITAT FOR EARLY/LATE-SUCCESSIONAL BIRDS AND CURRENT FOREST AGE CLASSES WITHIN THE BALD EAGLE WATERSHEDS


19

are more open areas, which haveyoung trees, shrubs and forbs thatare important for wildlife like theAppalachian cottontail. Thiswatershed also has very little late-successional habitat, which ischaracterized by trees that are 80 to100 years or older. Late-successional habitat has morecomplex structure and diversity, andprovides critical nesting sites andfood for species like the woodthrush. However, based onpotential wildlife species ranges,the Bald Eagle Watershed couldhave significantly more early- andlate-successional habitat than isthere today.

Not surprisingly, there is far lessof both early-successional and late-successional habitat in thewatershed than there washistorically – by 24% and 36%,respectively.

The spatial analysis allows us todo this same kind of site-specificanalysis in watersheds across theNortheast – finding those hidden

opportunities where familylandowners can make the mostdifference, as well as identifying thekind of stewardship activities thatare needed.

While the goal is not to achievepotential or historic levels, thesedata show that the Bald EagleWatershed, like many otherwatersheds in the region, isdrastically unbalanced and providesinadequate wildlife habitats. Activestewardship can restore thatbalance.

Take for example, the 2,000-acreAmerican Tree Farm System-certified Beartown Tree Farm,which is located in the heart ofthe Bald Eagle Watershed.

Owned by Susan Benedict, herfamily and her brothers, BeartownTree Farm is continually managed toprovide several-acre stands of bothyoung forest and large canopygaps, as well asreserves of mature,older forests. It’s apriority for Susan andher family to activelyprovide this diversehabitat for all kinds ofnative, local wildlife.

The Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) isworking with American Bird Conservancy, Indiana University ofPA, PA Game Commission, PA Bureau of Forestry, and otherregional and local partners in the Bald Eagle watershed to restorehabitat for cerulean and golden-winged warblers. A key strategy inthis effort is engaging family woodland owners in Bald Eagle andbeyond. We look forward to partnering with the American ForestFoundation to more effectively reach and engage woodlandowners in this important stewardship work.

Bald Eagle Target WatershedEarly-successional

HabitatLate-succesional

Habitat

Current Habitat 0.01% 1.6%

Potential Habitat 52% 49%

Departure from HistoricCondition 24% 36%

Todd Fearer, AMJV Coordinator


AFF’s research showed where inthe Northeast family owners canmake a difference, as well as thespecific habitat issues that needto be addressed in both the targetand surrounding watersheds.

There are many unansweredquestions, however, about howNortheast family landowners thinkabout, and what they are doing in,their woods:

n Why do they own their land?

n What issues do they care about?

n What are their forest-management priorities?

n Have they taken steps toactively manage for wildlife inthe past, and do they plan to doso in the future?

n Are there significant barriers thatare preventing them from takingaction?

To explore those questions, AFFcommissioned Fors Marsh Group,an applied research firm, to

conduct a survey of familywoodland owners with 10 or more acres in the 13-stateNortheast region. The four-pagesurvey was mailed to 20,000family owners, and 1,454 surveyswere completed and returnedbetween February 10 and March 9, 2016.

FAMILIES AND WILDLIFE: A MATCH MADE INWOODLANDS

Northeast family woodland ownerscare deeply about their land, so itis not surprising that they showlittle inclination to develop or sell it.More than eight in 10 want theirland to stay wooded, and 66%want it to stay in their family(Figure 6).

CARING ABOUT THEIR LAND(FIGURE 6)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

I want my woodedland to stay wooded

I want my wooded landto stay in my family

Agree/Strongly Agree

83%

66%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Somewhat Important Important Very Important

Investment

12% 50%

REASONS FOR OWNING WOODLANDS(FIGURE 7)

24%

16% 42%27%

21% 36%28%

9% 49%21%

17% 34%25%

20% 31%24%

16% 36%19%

18% 18%21%

Pass land on to children/heirs

Protect water resources

Recreation

Privacy

Protect nature or biological diversity

Protect or improve wildlife habitat

Enjoy beauty or scenery

20

WILLING AND MOTIVATED, BUT MORE IS NEEDED

Northeast Family Woodland Owners:



FAMILY WOODLAND OWNERS AND WILDL IFE HABITAT

(FIGURE 8)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

I am concerned about theloss of wildlife habitat

The decisions I make on myland affect wildlife habitat

elsewhere

Agree Strongly Agree

It is important for me toimprove wildlife habitat on

my wooded land

I actively manage my land toimprove wildlife habitat

37% 40%

41% 29%

33% 28%

26% 17%

About Northeast Family Forest Landowners

n 85% say protecting andimproving wildlife habitat areimportant reasons they owntheir forested land.

n 77% say they are concernedabout the loss of wildlife habitats.

n 61% say they want to improveor enhance wildlife habitats intheir woods.

n While 77% of family forestowners engaged in one or moreactivities to improve wildlifehabitats in 2015, fewer than halfsaid they do so on an ongoingbasis.

n Landowners who have consulteda natural resource professionalare doing twice as much forwildlife – 85% have done atleast one habitat-improvementactivity compared to just 44% of those who haven’tconsulted a professional.

n 61% are willing to harvesttimber if it will improve wildlifehabitats, and 74% of those whoconsulted with a natural resourceprofessional are willing to do so.

n 91% acknowledge that theycould still do more to improvewildlife habitats on their land.

n Red tape, costs and anuncertainty about what to do arethe biggest barriers to protectingand improving wildlife habitat onfamily woodlands.

Moreover, most Northeastfamily woodland owners areprimarily interested in owning theirland for wildlife, scenery andrecreation, and less so forinvestment purposes. As Figure 7shows, a substantial majority –85% – say that protecting orimproving wildlife habitats andprotecting nature or biologicaldiversity, are important reasonsthey own their land. Their interestin protecting wildlife habitats goeseven deeper: 77% of familywoodland owners say they areconcerned about the loss ofwildlife habitats (Figure 8).

While these results clearlyshow that most Northeast familywoodland owners are motivated toimplement wildlife habitatimprovement activities on theirland, they also show theopportunities that exist to do

more, because fewer than half arecurrently managing their landactively for wildlife habitats.

FAMILY WOODLANDOWNERS WANT TO BEPART OF THE SOLUTION

Not only do a strong majority(61%) of family woodland ownersacross the 13-state Northeastregion believe that it is importantto be working to improve wildlifehabitats in their woods (Figure 8),but more than three-quarters ofthem (77%) say they had taken atleast one step to do so in the 12months prior to the survey. Thoserange from low-threshold activitieslike hanging bird boxes to higher-threshold work like planting trees,creating a forest-management planor thinning their woods to improvewildlife habitats. Many others say

they were considering or planningto take such actions in thefollowing year (Table 3).

Even though most familywoodland owners are taking somesteps to improve wildlife habitats,most are not doing so regularly,and more than 90% admit thatthey could do more. In addition,very few said they had consultedwith a natural resourceprofessional (14%) or had a writtenmanagement plan that includeswildlife (16%) in the prior year(Table 3). That is importantbecause the survey shows thatfamily woodland owners whointeract with professionals or who

have a written management planare at least twice as likely to beactively managing to improvewildlife habitats than those whodon’t talk to professionals (Figure 9).

Permanent protection througheasements is one important toolfor protecting habitats, but not alllandowners are willing to use thattool. Moreover, easements aloneare not enough to increase therate of wildlife habitat restorationsin already degraded forests like wesee in much of the Northeast. Forthat, additional stewardshipthrough active management isneeded. One good sign, however,is that family woodland ownerswho placed an easement in thepast year were also engaged in

Wildlife Improvement Activities

Done in past 12months

Will do innext

12 months

Consideringin next

12 months

Create piles of brush forwildlife shelter

40% 16% 15%

Hang bird boxes to createnesting sites

30% 13% 17%

Create clearings for nestingareas and food sources

25% 11% 20%

Thin wooded land for habitats 24% 13% 21%

Remove invasive plants thatdon't support local wildlife

23% 16% 23%

Plant trees for wildlife foodand shelter

23% 13% 18%

Create a forest managementplan that includes wildlife

16% 7% 22%

Consult a natural resourceprofessional

14% 7% 23%

TABLE 3

FAMILY WOODLAND OWNER ENGAGEMENT(FIGURE 9)

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0

Have not consulted aprofessional

Have consulted a naturalresource professional

Have a writtenmanagement plan

Average TOTAL Wildlife Activities

Have a written managementplan that includes wildlife habitat

Do not have a writtenmanagement plan

6.3

2.8

6.0

7.5

2.7


To restore the wildlife habitat balance, activestewardship is needed.


active stewardship for wildlifehabitats at a substantially higherrate than those who did not havean easement (Table 4).

HOW CAN WE GET MOREFAMILY WOODLANDOWNERS MANAGING FORWILDLIFE?

Northeast family forest owners saythat there are many benefits ofactively stewarding their land forwildlife, including recreationalopportunities for their families(hiking, hunting or fishing),improving forest health andvalidating their interest in doingthe right thing (Figure 10). Yet thereis a gap between what they knowthey can and should do and whatthey are actually doing on anongoing basis. Many landownerssay it is because of concerns

BENEFITS OF MANAGING TO PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITATS

(FIGURE 10)

64% 66% 68% 70% 72% 74% 76%

Knowing I’m doing theright thing for wildlife

Improved health of mywooded land

Providing recreational opportunities for my family

Improved wildlife habitat isaesthetically pleasing


75%

68%

72%

74%

TABLE 4

Wildlife Improvement ActivitiesHave a

conservationeasement

No conservationeasement

Create piles of brush for wildlifeshelter

52.2% 41.4%

Hang bird boxes to create nestingsites

50.0% 27.9%

Remove invasive plants that don'tsupport local wildlife

48.9% 22.4%

Plant trees for wildlife food andshelter

45.6% 22.4%

Create a forest management planthat includes wildlife

44.4% 16.9%


43.3% 13.2%

Thin wooded land for habitats 38.9% 24.9%

Create clearings for nesting areasand food sources

38.9% 26.2%

Participate in workshops to learnmore about wildlife habitats

36.7% 8.9%

24

about government (42%)5, highcosts (34%) and uncertainty aboutwhat to do (30%) (Figure 11).

Those barriers are notinsurmountable. On the contrary,they create opportunities toprovide family landowners withinformation and technical supportabout the kinds of activities theycan implement to protect andimprove wildlife habitats on theirland, as well as help in navigatingthrough any red tape in order toget the work done.

In short, providing family forestowners with information andconnecting them with natural-resource professionals are thekeys, even the catalysts, to action.

For example, the more certainfamily landowners are about whatto do to improve wildlife habitats intheir woods, the more likely theyare to take those steps (Figure 12).

In addition, those who haveconsulted with a professional areless likely to be unsure or confusedabout what to do. They are alsomore likely to recognize theimportance of improving wildlifehabitats and to actively manage forwildlife on an ongoing basis,including a willingness to cut treesif it will improve wildlife habitats ontheir land (Figure 13).

Indeed, the opportunity to workwith family woodland owners toenhance and promote wildlifehabitats is tremendous, if given theright set of tools and resources toget the job done.

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

The cost of implementingthese practices is too high

There is too muchgovernment red tape

I am unsure about whatactivities I should do


It’s difficult to find the rightprofessional to provide help

I have concern about doingthe wrong thing and

harming my land

42%

34%

30%

22%

22%

BARRIERS TO LANDOWNER ACTION TO PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITATS

(FIGURE 11)

MORE CERTAINTY MEANS MORE ACTIVITY TO PROTECT WILDLIFE

(FIGURE 12)

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

Create piles of brush forwildlife shelter

Create clearings for nestingareas and food sources

Thin wooded landfor habitat

55.9%

34.2%

37.4%

Remove invasive plants thatdon’t support local wildlife

Plant trees for wildlifefood and shelter

Create a forest managementplan that includes wildlife

31.8%

19.8%

18.8%


32.7%

22.6%

28.3%

31.8%

19.0%

19.0%

9.9%

11.3%

NOT Unsure/Confused About What To Do

Unsure/Confused About What To Do


5The regional woodland owner survey did not further specifythe “red tape” issues that concerned landowners. We alsodo not know, but can certainly anticipate, that many of theseissues may be a result of uncertainty (another listed barrier)or confusion.

25

CONSULTING A PROFESSIONAL IS GOOD FOR WILDL IFE

(FIGURE 13)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

I actively manage my wooded landto improve wildlife habitat

29%21%

59%74%

60%74%

39%62%

I am unsure about theactivities I should do

It is important to me to improvewildlife habitat on my wooded land

I am willing to cut some trees toimprove wildlife habitat

Have Consulted A Professional

Have Not Consulted A Professional


Providing family landowners with information andconnecting them with natural resourceprofessionals are the keys to breaking downbarriers and helping them protect and improvewildlife habitats on their land.


Pat and Dan Stone purchased their 132 acres of woods in Vermont in2012. Pat has family roots in the state, and Dan has a hobby ofwoodworking. Together, they hoped the property would provide anescape from city living.

They were looking for more than just a peaceful reprieve, though. Patand Dan wanted to care for the land and improve habitats wherewildlife could live and nest, but soon realized they lacked knowledgeon how to best care for their land. They had heard horror stories aboutlandowners who had received bad advice and were determined tofind someone they could trust for professional expertise.

After extensive research, they met – and hired – Kathy Beland and herbusiness partner Frank Hudson, long-time foresters with extensiveexperience in managing forests for wildlife. After exploring the

property with the Stones, Kathy and Frank found that even though it hadn’t been managed sincethe 1930s, the land had good soil and, with a little work, the potential to provide ideal habitats forbirds and other wildlife.

Although they were surprised to learn that a properly designed timber harvest could actually begood for birds and wildlife, the Stones worked with the Kathy and Frank to write a managementplan both to remove invasive species that were choking out the native plant life and, eventually,include a harvest.

Kathy also told Pat and Dan that they were prime candidates to join the Vermont Tree Farm System,which would recognize their commitment to conservation and provide them with a community ofother landowners and trusted professionals.

Through Kathy, an active member of the Vermont Tree FarmCommittee, the Stones learned about a new project calledWoods, Wildlife and Warblers, a joint effort among VermontTree Farm, the American Forest Foundation and AudubonVermont to help landowners improve bird and wildlifehabitats across southern Vermont. Dan and Pat jumped atthe opportunity and signed up for a bird habitat assessmentwith an Audubon Vermont biologist.

The assessment confirmed much of what the Stones hadlearned from Kathy and Frank – their land had greatpotential for bird habitat and the harvest plan that Kathyand Frank had outlined would help get them there.

The Stones are grateful for the people they have met andthe expert guidance they have received. They hope otherlandowners will see the benefits of working withprofessionals and take steps to get involved, too. They’relooking forward to many years of active stewardship wherethey can make a difference for the birds of Vermont.


Recommendations

Better yet, our survey of familywoodland owners in the regionshows that they are willing to play alead role in protecting andimproving wildlife habitats in theirwoods. They will need betterinformation and technical supportfrom natural resource professionals,however, to overcome concernsabout the uncertainties, costs andperceived or real red tapeassociated with active stewardship.

AFF recommends threestrategies to help overcome thosebarriers and improve wildlifehabitats on family-ownedwoodlands in the Northeast in away that is both consistent withand complements existing ForestAction Plans and Wildlife ActionPlans prepared by each state:

1. Promote forest policies, stateand federal technical assistanceand markets that helpnortheast family woodlandowners keep their woods aswoods, while simultaneouslyrebalancing the forest andimproving wildlife habitats.

2. Increase woodland owneraccess to professionals,improve training and educationfor natural-resourceprofessionals and expand inter-agency collaboration.

3. Work with northeast regionaland local partners to developlandscape-scale projects for

reaching out to and engagingfamily woodland owners in thethree priority forest habitats.

1. Promote forest policies,including tax policy, stateand federal technicalassistance and markets thathelp northeast familywoodland owners keep theirwoods as woods, whilesimultaneously improvingthe woods’ health andsustainability.

The landowner survey showsthat most family woodland ownerswant their land to stay wooded(83%), and that they want toprotect wildlife habitats (85%). Avariety of market and policyfactors, however, are making bothgoals increasingly difficult for someowners.

For example, the market forlow-grade timber products hasdeclined precipitously over the pastthree years. That means familylandowners who want toimplement specific stewardshiptreatments may not even be ableto break even on the project.Moreover, the lack of certainmarkets reduces familylandowners’ income for other non-revenue-generating wildlife-improvement projects, while alsocreating a perverse incentive tosubdivide or sell their land.

There are programs and policiesthat can help.

State and federal programs,such as the U.S. Forest ServiceForest Stewardship Program,provide landowners with much-needed boots-on-the-groundtechnical assistance. As we knowfrom survey data, landowners willcomplete more than twice asmany wildlife-related activitiesunder the guidance of a naturalresource professional. Advocatingfor maintaining, and evenstrengthening, these programs willensure more habitat improvementsare implemented.

The Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS)provides cost-share funding toeligible landowners for prioritystewardship activities. Over thelast decade, these programsexperienced significantimprovements that better enablewoodland owners to participate.However, there are three keyissues that need to be addressedto ensure these programs canimpact the wildlife issueshighlighted in this Report. First, not

Our in-depth assessment of northeast forestsshows not only the opportunity to providetremendous impact, but it also reveals whatneeds to be done to fix the problem and whyfamily-owned woodlands are the key.


all wildlife-related forest practicesare eligible for support. Secondly,streamlining the paperwork andprocess for landowner participationis essential, as all too oftenlandowners need tremendousassistance completing the requiredpaperwork, taking NRCS staffaway from what they do best.Lastly, due to the wide range oftheir current responsibilities, someNRCS staff lack the training andsupport to understand the benefitsand financial costs of wildlife-related forest practices.

There are also annual propertytax programs in most of the 13northeast states that valuewoodlands at their current (notbest) use, which allowslandowners to be fairly assessedon their wooded land. The mostsuccessful of these programs aretiered so that they provide highertax incentives for certain voluntaryoptions, ranging from just keepingthe land wooded, to requiring a

forest management plan, toproviding recreational publicaccess. These tax programs havebeen shown to have a greatereffect on landowners’ ability tokeep their woods as woods thanany other tax policy.

Federal taxes can also make orbreak a landowner’s ability to keeptheir woods and manage it forwildlife habitat. While economicsare not a top reason landownersown their woods, if the economicsdon’t work, it’s much harder for alandowner to afford ongoingstewardship. For example, estatetaxes can have a significant impacton a landowner’s ability to passintact, sustainably managedwoodlands to the next generation.Federal tax policy that allowslandowners to deduct expensesassociated with owning andstewarding their woods, such asthe cost of a thinning that improveswildlife habitat, is also essential toensuring this work is affordable.

Additionally, allowing landownersto treat wildlife-related stewardshipharvests as the long-terminvestment it really is, just likeother investments that are taxedas a capital gain, encourageslandowners to retain and stewardtheir land, rather than investingelsewhere.

In order to addressshortcomings in existing policiesand programs, and to promotemarket forces that will benefitnortheast family woodland ownerswho want to keep their landwooded and protect or improvewildlife habitats, the following isneeded:

n Opportunities for reinvigoratingmarkets for low-grade woodproducts, including through thepromotion of innovative woodproducts;

n Legislation like the TimberInnovation Act (S.2892/H.R.5628in the 114th Congress,

State forestry agencies across the Northeast recognize theimportance of engaging family woodland owners to promote healthyforests for wildlife habitat and other values. That’s why we’re excited

to partner with the American Forest Foundation, theVermont Tree Farm Committee and Audubon Vermont to effectively reach and engage more landowners thanever before in southern Vermont. Through this effort weare simultaneously achieving the landowners’ objectivesand enhancing habitat for priority birds and other wildlifeon a landscape-scale. It’s a true win-win.

Steve Sinclair, State Forester, VT Departmentof Forests, Parks and Recreation


expected to be reintroduced inthe 115th Congress) whichinvests in research andtechnology to increase wooduse, including innovativeproducts;

n Robust federal and stateprograms that provide technicaland financial assistance tolandowners who implementstewardship activities based onmeasurable outcomes,especially in areas wheremarkets are least available andin high-opportunity areas asdefined in this Report, by stateForest Action Plans andcompanion Wildlife ActionPlans;

n Strong NRCS forest-relatedprograms in the upcomingFarm Bill legislation, includingimprovements to streamlineand ensure necessary wildlifepractices are included;

n Effective state annual taxprograms that are found to bestserve family woodland ownerswhile delivering the greatestoverall public benefits; and

n Federal tax policy thatencourages retention ofwoodlands and long-termstewardship, includingeliminating the estate taxburden on family woodlandowners and maintaining orenhancing other federal taxpolicies, such as the capitalgains treatment of timberincome and the ability todeduct expenses related towildlife-related stewardship.

2. Increase woodland owneraccess to professionals,improve training andeducation for naturalresource professionals andexpand inter-agencycollaboration.

The landowner survey showedthat northeast family woodlandowners who consult with naturalresource professionals are moreactively engaged in stewardshipactivities that improve wildlifehabitats and overall forest health.However, the survey also showsthat fewer than one in four of thoselandowners had talked with aprofessional in 2015.

While foresters have madegreat strides in the enhancementand implementation of wildlifehabitat practices, furtheropportunities to increase theforester knowledge base isnecessary. Since researchindicates wildlife habitat is of greatinterest to northeastern woodlandowners, foresters should beprepared with the most up-to-dateinformation through an effectivetechnology transfer system for on-the-ground practitioners. We alsoknow that wildlife biologists, who


typically work for state or federalagencies are the experts who aremost capable of providinglandowners with up-to-date wildlifeinformation. Unfortunately, in somecases, a landowner’s distrust ofgovernment agencies can be abarrier to seeking their biologists’assistance. In other cases, thewildlife experts are over-committedand have competingresponsibilities.

We recommend the followingstrategies to overcome thosebarriers and increase the numberof northeast family woodlandowners who are working withtrained foresters and wildlifeprofessionals to protect andimprove wildlife habitats in theirwoods:

n Work with the forestry andwildlife communities in each ofthe 13 northeastern states toexpand on existing efforts ordetermine how best to educateand train the professionalforesters, who typically interactmore frequently with family

landowners, in wildlifemanagement and relatedstewardship practices.

n Expand on-the-groundcollaboration among stateforestry agencies, state wildlifeagencies and state NRCSoffices throughout the region.

3. Work with Northeastregional and local partners todevelop landscape-scaleprojects for reaching out toand engaging familywoodland owners in thethree priority forest habitats.

AFF has worked for years withregional and local partners in morethan a dozen geographies acrossthe country to develop and refinetargeted strategies for reachingand engaging woodland owners.Those projects involve closecollaboration with the partnersboth to coordinate landownercontacts and provide boots-on-the-ground technical assistance.

In the Northeast, werecommend working with area

partners, including localconservation groups and stateagencies, in the three priorityforest habitats to:

n Identify family woodlandowners in the 30 targetwatersheds and in surroundingwatersheds;

n Develop an outreach programaimed at helping thoselandowners improve wildlifehabitats in their woods whilealso meeting owners’ otherobjectives for their land;

n Connect family owners withinformation and with naturalresource professionals who canprovide advice, planning andtechnical assistance; and

n Focus on restoring age-classdiversity with an emphasis onincreasing both early- and late-successional habitats.

It’s critically important toapproach these projects at alandscape scale, understanding thefull conservation, social andeconomic context for individuallandowners. In particular, wildlifespecies do not understand orrespect parcel boundaries, sohabitat improvements must bemade within the context of thelarger picture and understanding ofwhat specific habitat types may beunderrepresented. Furthermore,approaching projects from alandscape level allows partners toprovide more nimble, site-specificrecommendations for individuallandowners that meet their needsand desires, particularly givensocial and economicconsiderations, while stillcontributing to an overarchingoutcome at the landscape level.

31

For some people, the Northeast means big cities like New York,Philadelphia and Boston. For others, it is winter skiing or summer at theshore. But one of the region’s most defining, and perhaps under-recognized, features is the 101-million-acre blanket of woods that stretchesfrom the Canadian border to the central Appalachians of West Virginia.

From hunting and fishing, to wood and maple syrup production, to viewing fall foliage and wildlife, the Northeast’s woods remain a major economic driver. But over the past 60 years, development,declining markets and a lack of active stewardship due toinaccessible resources have created unhealthy, imbalanced forest conditions that are less resilient and a threat to native birdsand wildlife.

The good news is that family woodland owners, who care for more than half of the Northeast’s woods, are concerned about theloss of habitats and want to do more to help wildlife on their land.A network of woodland owners are already engaged as activestewards and looking for ways to further enhance their ongoingstewardship. In addition, AFF’s spatial analysis found hiddenopportunities in targeted watersheds across theregion and identified the specific kinds ofstewardship activities by family woodland ownersthat would produce the most wildlife benefits.

By working together in the 30 targeted, as well assurrounding, watersheds, AFF, its local and regionalpartners and state and federal agencies, can investstrategically in efforts to engage with familywoodland owners. Further, focusing onrecommendations to increase woodland owner

access to trained professionals, while increasing market opportunities andenhancing federal and state policies and programs, will ensure woodland ownersare best equipped to maintain and steward their land for years to come.

Combined with the continued landowner engagement work throughout theregion, AFF and partners will ensure wildlife habitats — and thus the wildlife thatdepends on these woods — are enhanced, promoted and protected now and intothe future.


Methods and References

Phase I: Identify TargetWatershedsWorking with Jennifer Hushaw and Eric Walberg fromManomet, we worked to identify family-owned landswith innate qualities that would help ensure long-termstewardship would be most impactful. We started by

1. Identifying family-owned woodlands, spatial dataextrapolated from National Woodland OwnersSurvey data by Jake Hewes and Brett Butler ofthe Family Forest Research Center.

2. Targeting forest habitat types that had the mostspecies of concern associated with them, asidentified in the TNC Terrestrial Habitat Guide.(www.conservationgateway.org) Once identified,these were sorted to include those habitat typeswith sufficient family-owned representation.

3. Further filtering family-owned forest habitat acresby looking for those with the top 25% inecological integrity (developed by North AtlanticLCC: http://northatlanticlcc.org/products/index-of-ecological-integrity) and above-average resilience

(developed by TNC:www.conservationgateway.org).

4. Aggregating results to HUC-8 watershed level andidentifying the top 30 watersheds,10 in eachhabitat type, with the largest amount of priorityacres.

Phase II: Assessing habitatqualityWorking with Scott Bearer of AppalachianConservation, LLC, we explored data from a diversesuite of tools and data repositories to identify the mostrelevant information across the region that wouldprovide meaningful insight into possible managementrecommendations in the focal geographies. Our focuswas on identifying ways to characterize habitatmanagement protocols that enhance long-term health,sustainability, and resilience of targeted wildlifespecies. Bearer (unpublished data; also see: Andersonet al. 2016) has proposed four diversity metrics (age-class, species, structural, and landscape-level diversity)as being essential targets when planning formanagement to increase long-term habitat health andresilience. Generally speaking, an increase in any ofthese four diversity measures will likely improve overallhealth and resilience. In addition to these four diversitymetrics, we then added a fifth metric to takeadvantage of Landfire’s characterization of Departurefrom a historic range of variability (HRV).

We compiled and integrated a variety of GIS data/toolsacross geographies that help to quantify four criticalhabitat health metrics:

1. Age-class Diversity, 2. Species Diversity,3. Structural Diversity, and 4. Landscape-level Diversity.5. Departure from HRV

SPATIAL ANALYSIS METHODS AND RESOURCES


While numerous sources offered a variety ofinformation helpful for specific regions within ourstudy area, few were available and standardized acrossthe entire study area. We focused on identifying spatialdatasets that spanned the entire area of study (Figure1) and provided meaningful information to helpquantify each of the five diversity metrics. Weidentified ten data repositories that providedmeaningful sources of data (Table 1). Due tosensitivities associated with some spatial data, onerepository (U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory andAnalysis data) requires a specific request be submittedto USFS-FIA personnel. We worked with USFS-FIAstaff to obtain watershed specific data for snags andcoarse woody debris.

From these repositories, we extracted and developed52 spatial datasets to help characterize each of the fivediversity and departure metrics (Table 2). Each of thesespatial datasets required a unique series of GISprocesses to produce meaningful results.

Data Source URL

Landfire Existing Vegetation Type (2012) http://www.landfire.gov/NationalProductDescriptions21.php

Landfire Vegetation Departure (2012) http://www.landfire.gov/NationalProductDescriptions11.php

Landfire Successional Class (2012) http://www.landfire.gov/NationalProductDescriptions17.php

NLCD 2011 Land Cover http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd11_data.php

NLCD 2006 to 2011 Land Cover http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd11_data.php

NLCD 2011 Tree Canopy cartographic http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd11_data.php

TNC Northeast Resiliencehttp://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/edc/reportsdata/terrestrial/resilience/ne/Pages/default.aspx

TNC Aquatic Resiliencehttp://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/edc/reportsdata/freshwater/fwresilience/Pages/default.aspx

US Forest Service: Forest Inventoryand Analysis Data

http://apps.fs.fed.us/Evalidator/evalidator.jsp

USGS Gap Analysis http://gapanalysis.usgs.gov/species/data/download/

Data repositories used to identify and develop spatial analyses for the five diversity metrics.

TABLE 1


Report ReferencesAmerican Forest and Paper Association, Economic FactSheets, 2015. http://www.afandpa.org/our-industry/economic-impact

Anderson, M.G., M. Clark, C.E. Ferree, A. Jospe, A. OliveroSheldon and K.J. Weaver. 2013. Northeast Habitat Guides: Acompanion to the terrestrial and aquatic habitat maps. TheNature Conservancy, Eastern Conservation Science, EasternRegional Office. Boston, MA.http://easterndivision.s3.amazonaws.com/NortheastHabitatGuides.pdf.

Barnes, Martina & Albert Todd, Rebecca Whitney Lilja, andPaul K. Barten. 2009. “Forests, Water and People: Drinkingwater supply and forest lands in the Northeast and MidwestUnited States.” USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area Stateand Private Forestry. NA-FR-01-08.https://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/watersupply/forests_water_people_watersupply.pdf

Butler, B. J., 2008. “Family Forest Owners of the UnitedStates, 2006.” Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-27. Newtown Square, PA:U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, NorthernResearch Station. 72 p.

Butler, Brett J., Jaketon H. Hewes, Brenton J. Dickinson, KyleAndrejczyk, Sarah M. Butler, and Marla Markowski-Lindsay,2016. “USDA Forest Service National Woodland OwnerSurvey: National, Regional, and State Statistics for FamilyForest and Woodland Ownerships with 10+ acres, 2011-2013A Technical Document Supporting the Forest Service Updateof the 2010 RPA Assessment” Resource Bulletin NRS-99.

Drummond & Loveland. 2010. “Land-use Pressure and aTransition to Forest-cover Loss in the Eastern United States.”BioScience 60: 286-298.

Elowe, Ken, USFWS Asst. Regional Director of ScienceApplications, Dec. 1, 2016. Personal correspondence.

Kingsley, E., Forest2Market. “Softwood Pulpwood DemandDeclines in the Northeast” (May 16, 2016).https://blog.forest2market.com/softwood-pulpwood-demand-declines-in-the-northeast

Landscape History of Central New England.http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/diorama-series/landscape-history-central-new-england

Nowak, David J. and Eric J. Greenfield, "Tree and imperviouscover in the United States" (2012). USDA Forest Service/UNLFaculty Publications. Paper 239.http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdafsfacpub/239

Shifley, Stephen R., W. Keith Moser, eds., 2016. FutureForests of the Northern United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-151. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture,Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 388 p.

The Nature Conservancy, 2016. Resilient Sites for TerrestrialConservation.https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/edc/reportsdata/terrestrial/resilience/resilientland/Pages/default.aspx

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, ForestInventory & Analysis, Unpublished Data (2016).

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau,2014. “2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation”https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/fhw11-nat.pdf

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau,2014. “Wildlife Watching in the U.S.: The Economic Impactson National and State Economies in 2011: Addendum to the2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation Report 2011-2”http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/cdm/ref/collection/document/id/1906

2000 M Street NW

Suite 550

Washington, DC 20036

P 202.765.3660

www.forestfoundation.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christine CadiganDirector, Northeastern Woodland [email protected]

hidden in plain sighthiding in plain sight. to target initial focal areas, the analysis also pointed...

Documents