1 / 50

Presentation 1: Wildland -Urban Interface Issues and Connections Overview

Presentation 1: Wildland -Urban Interface Issues and Connections Overview. Outline. Introduction Section 1: What is the Wildland -Urban Interface (WUI)? Section 2: Key WUI issues in the South Section 3: Why Focus on the WUI? Section 4: Skills Needed by Natural Resource Professionals

abdul-peterson
Download Presentation

Presentation 1: Wildland -Urban Interface Issues and Connections Overview

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Presentation 1: Wildland-Urban Interface Issues and Connections Overview

  2. Outline • Introduction • Section 1: What is the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)? • Section 2: Key WUI issues in the South • Section 3: Why Focus on the WUI? • Section 4: Skills Needed by Natural Resource Professionals • Summary

  3. Section 1: What is the Wildland-Urban Interface?

  4. How do you define the WUI? The WUI can be defined from many perspectives. Some of the major ones are: • Spatial • Fire • Sociopolitical • Natural Resource

  5. From a spatial perspective the WUI has been variously defined The Classic Interface is an area of urban sprawl where subdivisions and other development press against natural areas

  6. The Intermix is an area going through a transition from agriculture and forest uses to urban land uses

  7. The Isolated Interface is an area where isolated structures are surrounded by large areas of vegetation

  8. Wildland-Urban Interface Islands are pockets of isolated natural areas within cities and/or surrounded by urban areas

  9. From a fire perspective… the WUI is a zone where structures are located in or adjacent to areas prone to wildfire

  10. From a sociopolitical perspective… the WUI is an area where there is an interaction of different political forces and potentially competing interests

  11. From a resource management perspective…. the WUI is an area where increased human influence and land conversion are changing natural resource goods, services, and management

  12. With so many definitions, how can I know where the WUI is in my area?

  13. A project supported by the USDA Forest Service and the University of Wisconsin-Madison addressed this question by mapping the WUI based on two components: • human presence • wildland vegetation • They defined two types of WUI – interface and intermix. The two together make up the WUI.

  14. What is most important is not where it is located but how key interface issues influence how natural resources are managed and conserved!

  15. Section 2: Key WUI Issues in the South

  16. Demographic changes in the South • Population is projected to increase 24% by 2020 • Percentage of the population made up by Hispanics, African Americans, Asians is increasing • Between 2000 and 2030, number of people aged 65 and over will double

  17. Diverse public attitudes and perceptions Different age and ethnic groups, new and longtime residents may differ in how they use and value natural resources

  18. Economic and taxation issues • Property taxes tend to increase in developing areas, affecting the ability of forest landowners to manage or retain forests. • Heirs are sometimes forced to subdivide or sell family land in order to pay estate taxes.

  19. Land-use planning and policy • Lack of effective growth management • No common approach across jurisdictional boundaries • Regulation of forest practices increases with urbanization

  20. I n c r e a s e i n u r b a n a c r e a g e - 1 0 0 - 5 2 0 0 5 2 0 1 - 1 6 M a j o r H i g h w a y s 4 0 0 Land Use Change Increases in urban acreage 1982-1992 1 6 4 0 1 - 4 1 9 0 0 4 1 9 0 1 - 9 1 9 0 0

  21. Changes to ecosystems • Fragmented forests • Decreased air and water quality • Reduced or degraded wildlife habitat • Increased non-native invasive plants

  22. Altered ecosystem goods and services • Tourism and recreation • Food, wood, and decorative products • Air and water purification

  23. Risks from increased human influences Urbanization Floods Wind Fires

  24. Lack of public education • Education about how ecosystems work • Information for newcomers • Science-based information for informed decision making

  25. Challenges of managing natural resources on public lands • Development along boundaries • Pressures from adjacent owners • Higher degree of visibility to a greater population • Problems with trash, fire, non-native invasive plants and animals

  26. Challenges of managing non-industrial private lands • Limited small-scale and alternative management options • Limited markets for traditional forest goods and services • Lack of information and assistance

  27. Managing fire • Limited use of prescribed fire • Concerns with smoke and liability issues • Alternative fuel reduction methods may be needed

  28. Managing recreation • Opportunities decreasing on private lands, puts more pressure on public lands • Need to provide recreation opportunities for diverse users • Potential for conflict between different user groups

  29. Managing and conserving wildlife • Conserving, managing, and restoring wildlife habitat is main challenge • Some species are increasing, others are decreasing • Balancing desire for contact with wildlife with nuisance complaints

  30. Key WUI issues in 6 locations across the South • Twelve focus groups were conducted in 6 states, 173 participants • Represented natural resource management, industry, development, conservation, planning, and other related fields • Some issues were common across all states, others were unique

  31. Summary of focus group findings • Common themes included increased land development, transportation issues, challenges managing natural resources in the interface, changes to ecosystems, ineffective planning, and conflicting perceptions and values. • Some regional differences were noted, such as demographic composition and types of land-use policies utilized.

  32. Some WUI connections Ecological changes Factors driving change Land Use Planning  Water Quality and Quantity  Non-Native Invasive Species Public Policy Urbanization  Forest Fragmentation Demographics  Forest Health Economics and Taxation Air Quality

  33. Section 3: Why Focus on the WUI?

  34. Changes in the South –- land use, population, demographics – are affecting the ability of natural resource professionals to manage forests and other natural areas

  35. Natural resource professionals have the opportunity to help maximize ecosystem goods and services

  36. Resource professionals can also help minimize the risks associated with urbanization

  37. Resource professionals can provide science-based information about the potential natural resource consequences of land-use decisions

  38. Interface and urban constituencies will have the greatest influence on national and state policies affecting natural resources and their management

  39. Section 4: Skills Needed by Natural Resource Professionals

  40. New skills and approaches for managing interface forests • Cross boundary and small scale harvesting • Protecting trees during development • Managing amenities • Forest owner cooperatives

  41. Knowledge of public policy and land-use planning processes • Be familiar with growth • management measures • Become part of the land- use decision-making process • Ensure that decisions • are made on the best • available science

  42. Effective communication skills • Work with variety of audiences • Build partnerships • Resolve conflict • Translate natural resource information into familiar terms

  43. Technology • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can aid in land-use planning by analyzing land-use trends. • Land-use modeling can help determine where growth can be accommodated without sacrificing environmentally sensitive land.

  44. Summary • WUI issues affect the ability of natural resource professionals to work effectively in the WUI. • There are unique opportunities to educate the public, planners, policymakers and others about the importance of natural resources.

  45. Credits • Photos: • Slides 1,5, 6, 11, 12, 23, 25, 26, 28, 31, 33, 38, 39, 42, 45, 46: Larry Korhnak • Slide 1, 5, 10: Cotton Randall • Slides 1, 8: Courtesy of Virginia Department of Forestry • Slide 21: James Kundell • Slide 30: Courtesy of Virginia Tech • Slide 41: Annie Hermansen-Baez • Slide 44: Dudley Hartel

  46. Credits • Maps: • Slides 15-17: Joint project between the USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Susan Stewart, Roger Hammer, Volker Radeloff (Slides 14-17).http://silvis.forest.wisc.edu/library/wuilibrary.asp • Slide 24: Woods and Poole Economics, Inc. 1997. 1997 complete economic and demographic data source. Washington, DC: Woods and Poole Economics. • Literature: • Slides 23, 34-35: Monroe, M; Bowers, A.; Hermansen, L.A. 2003. The Moving Edge. Gen.Tech. Rep. SRS-63. USDA Forest Service.

  47. For more information about WUI issues refer to: Human Influences on Forest Ecosystems: The Southern Wildland-Urban Interface Assessment GTR SRS-55

More Related