Front Range Roundtable

1. Front Range Roundtable Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team March 31, 2011 Facilitated by:

2. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team Members

3. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team Outline Team Lower Montane Ecological Restoration “Metrics” Team Goal As much as possible given the tight timeframe (to begin monitoring CFLRP by summer), agree on metrics for a common definition of ecological restoration of the Lower Montane ecosystem. This means documenting the metrics that define desirable conditions (i.e. objectives) in relation to stand conditions (including old growth), fire behavior and any other conditions the group wishes to define for the first iteration of the CFLRP monitoring plan (the first Roundtable plan that will use these metrics). Also document differences of opinion to try to resolve later on (post-summer) during the adaptive learning cycle. Other monitoring programs in addition to CFLRP would use these metrics in the future as desired. Background In 2006, the Front Range Roundtable agreed that approximately 700,000 acres of the Lower Montane ecosystem are in need of ecological restoration. While the Roundtable agreed on where ecological restoration was needed, the Roundtable did not define what ecological restoration should look like on the ground. Based on the Roundtable’s findings, in May 2010, the Arapaho-Roosevelt and Pike-San Isabel National Forests, with the help of the Nature Conservancy, submitted a proposal under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program for additional funding of one million dollars for FY10 and $4 million for each of the next 9 years to implement ecological restoration on 34,000 acres of Lower Montane forests. In August 2010, the Arapaho-Roosevelt and Pike-San Isabel National Forests were awarded the first year of funding and are still under consideration for continued funding. In October, 2010, the Front Range Roundtable launched the CFLRP Monitoring Group to draft a monitoring plan for the use of the funds, as required by the Forest Landscape Restoration Act (FLRA). Monitoring is to include ecological1, social, and economic monitoring. The Roundtable Metrics Sub-Team was formed on January 24, 2011 to try to find target metrics for ecological restoration of Lower Montane forests to incorporate into the monitoring plan. Work streams Deliverables • Agree on Lower Montane science experts to interview and science publications to review. • Schedule interviews • Collect / post / distribute research publications on ecological restoration in the Lower Montane to team;. • Outline categories of metrics based on CFLRP objectives, agree on objectives to operationalize with quantitative metrics; research options for definitions for some terms (e.g., old growth, landscape) • Review literature • At a team meeting, synthesize literature (pulling out any target metrics into a strawman outline) and write interview guides for phone interviews with experts • Conduct interviews, using strawman outline of metrics and interview guide developed by team (record calls) • Transcribe interviews • Read transcriptions and synthesize results of interviews into target metrics (ranges) to incorporate into monitoring plan Documented quantitative metrics (ranges) for ecological restoration of the Lower Montane, based on literature, expert, and team consensus Documented areas of disagreement where further research, interviews, and discussions are warranted If possible, agreed upon definitions for some terms: e.g., old growth, landscape 1. Ecological monitoring is to include (a) implementation monitoring [Field-checking and/or collection of data to assess whether a planned management action such as mechanical thinning was done when, where, and how the plan/contract specified], (b) effectiveness monitoring [Field-checking and/or collection of data to assess whether the effects of a planned and implemented management action such as mechanical thinning actually met the stated objectives of the action (e.g. "to reduce fire hazard by increasing spacing between tree crowns")], and (c ) response monitoring [Collection of data over a period of time to evaluate a broad suite of direct and indirect effects, intended or unintended, of a management action on an ecosystem (e.g impacts of thinning on wildlife use of habitat or rate of soil erosion into riparian zone)].

4. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team Timeline At meetings Between meetings CFLRP full team meeting: Tues. 4/5, (9am-4pm) Exec Team meeting: 4/8/11 CFLRP full team meeting: Tues 5/17 (9am-4pm) Roundtable meeting: Fri. 5/27 (9:30 – 3:30) Metrics Team meeting: Fri. 3/11, 10-2, Boulder TNC, Room 305A&B Roundtable meeting: Fri. 3/4 CMC, 9:30 – 3:30 • Metrics Team meeting: Mon 2/28, 12-2, conference call1 • Metrics Team meeting: Thurs. 3/31 (10 – 2), Denver, TBD Feb Mar Apr May Deliverables Agree on experts to interview and published research to review Schedule interviews (send goals and categories) Write draft interview guide Send interview pre-read Conduct interviews Documented quantitative metrics (ranges) for ecological restoration of the Lower Montane, based on literature, expert, and team consensus Documented areas of disagreement where further research, interviews, and discussions are warranted If possible, agreed upon definitions for some terms: e.g., old growth, landscape Write interview notes • Review interview notes and synthesize results of interviews into target metrics (ranges) to incorporate into monitoring plan • Collect / post / distribute research publications on ecological restoration in the Lower Montane to team • Review literature (each team member responsible for select publications) • Synthesize literature (pulling out any target metrics into a strawman outline) and write interview guides for phone interviews with experts; agree on weightings for sources of data • Research options for definitions for some terms (e.g., old growth, landscape) • Outline categories of metrics based on CFLRP objectives, agree on objectives to operationalize with quantitative metrics Gali’s vacation: 3/21-29 1. Call 866-852-1588, participant passcode: 516343

5. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team—Proposed Metrics (p. 1 of 2) DRAFT

6. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team—Proposed Metrics (p. 2 of 2) DRAFT

7. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team—Experts to Interview

8. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team—Experts to Interview

9. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team—Publications to Review (p. 1 of 2)

10. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team—Publications to Review (p. 2 of 2)

11. Lower Montane Ecological Restoration Metrics Team—Publications to Review (p. 2 of 2)