vermont forest assessment for the 2010-2015 forest resources plan vermont department of forests,...
TRANSCRIPT
Vermont Forest Assessmentfor the 2010-2015
Forest Resources Plan
Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation
Purpose of Presentation
Show development of Vermont’s method of conducting three distinct forest assessments based on landscape characteristics
How and why to identify Urban, Rural and Transition lands
Landscape Characteristics and Values in Vermont
Forest covers 78% of state, 80%+ privately owned
Average parcel size county foresters help manage is 40 acres (relatively small)
Tendency to place higher value on much larger forest blocks 200-2500 acres+
Spatial Analyses of Other Programs
Previous assessments revealed limitations of using only Rural and Urban in Vermont
Forest Legacy Area valuing larger block sizes eliminated one biophysical region, despite those forests being highly threatened
Spatial Analyses of Other Programs
Landowners with 10-25 acres are not served by VT’s Use Value Appraisal Program, administered by county foresters
Looked at WUI analysis w/ its identification of ex-urban areas
Defining the Problem Resolving High Value of Large Forest Blocks with
High Threat of Smaller Blocks (not urban areas)
WUI Analysis offered a useful perspective
Determined that housing density could be a more useful tool for our use
Used housing density as surrogate for fragmentation
MethodologyInitial stratification of housing density using
E911 housing sites Display areas of housing in units per sq km (250
ac) Averages: 10 houses per average parcel size of
25 ac., 50 houses per average parcel size 5 ac. >128 houses correlates to <2 acres 50-128 houses correlates to 2-5 acres 9-49 houses correlates to 5-27 acres 0-8 houses correlates to >27 acres
MethodologyFinal stratification of housing density using
E911 housing sites for state assessments
>128 houses correlates to <2 acresUrban 9-128 houses correlates to 2-27 acres
Transition 0-8 houses correlates to >27 acres Rural
Move any agricultural lands (crop and pasture from NLCD) with 0-8 houses into Transition area
E-911 Housing Density Classes
Legend
Red = Urban
Yellow = Transition
Dk Grn = Rural
Shaded Yellow = Ag lands
Lt Grn = Conserved lands
Properties of Housing Density Classes
Rural Contains many conserved lands and Larger forest blocks
TransitionLands most threatened with developmentSimilar threats to water qualityImpacts to wildlife at road crossings, fragmentation
Adjusted Map
Transition Lands
1.5 km search radius conducted
Result3 distinct areas for assessment
Next StepsAfter thematic maps are developed, overlay them
for Rural, and then for Transition lands Forest Site Productivity Wildlife Habitat Water Quality Carbon Sequestration Forest Pests Development Risk Fire Risk Urban & Community Forestry--pop. density, growth
+CARS
Use Spatial Results and Key Issues to Help Create Strategies in the Context of C&I
Climate change-How will management decisions need to change within a changing world?
Global/Local economies--Can our forest products economy separate itself within a global market?
Sustainability--What is it and how can we convey to the public on the state of our forest resources.
Recreation--How do we balance the many demands on the land and landowners?
Forest health--The foundation of our forest system must be sustained.
Key Issues, continued
Keeping forests forested--The impacts of land use change, parcelization and forest fragmentation.
Biomass--Addressing issues concerning sustainability. Public land management--Identify proper role and capacity. Water quality--Forest role in influencing water quality in a
positive way. Wildlife--How do we sustain wildlife habitat? Taxation—Are there opportunities to make owning land more
viable? Exotic/Invasives--Problematic implications for the future.
Key Issues, continued Demographics--How do the graying and greening of
society affect forests? Certification--Role in Vermont. Organizational Capacity--How will we adapt to reduced
resources? Urbanization--Can we maintain forest functions in a built
environment? Environmental Advocacy--Are we training/teaching the
next generation to become forest stewards?
Vermont Plan Contacts Information
Linda Henzel [email protected] 802-241-3688Planning
Bill Moulton [email protected] 802-476-0171Planning
Danielle Fitzko [email protected] 802-241-3673U&CF State Coordinator
Barbara Burns [email protected] 802-885-8821Forest Resource Protection
Steve Sinclair [email protected] 802-241-3680State Forester