Presentation Transcript

1. Working in the Urbanizing Landscape: Changing Roles for Natural Resource Professionals Oregon Department of Forestry “Stewardship in Forestry”
2. Presentation Outline What is the forested area we are concerned about? Residential Emphasis forest Low-density residential Wildland-urban interface Description of the interface Why do we care about this area? Challenges and Opportunities Working in the Urbanizing Landscape, May 23-24, 2011 - Beaverton, OR
3. Nature emphasis forests – Parks, wilderness, wild areas Mostly federal lands, some state, tribal and private Wood production emphasis forests Mostly forest industry, some state, tribal, family Multiple-use emphasisforests Mostly state, tribal, some family, some federal Social Benefits Economic Benefits Sustainability Environmental Benefits Residential value emphasis forests Wildland urban interface, rural residential zones, urban and community forests
4. Fragmentation & Conversion All states confronting an increase in land conversion as Globalization and rising social costs erode forestry profitability Alternative land values on the rise Risk to “green infrastructure” needed to attract new industries; maintain quality of life Risk to rural economies, family-wage jobs
5. Non-Forest Profitability is Attractive
6. Fragmentation & Conversion Compared to other states, Oregon is currently well-positioned to protect its forestland base However, Oregon is seeing an increase in the number of dwellings in wildland forests And shift from wildland forests to residential forests
7. Oregon’s Private Forests 10.7 million acres 4.7 million acres of nonindustrial or family forests 6.0 million acres of industrial / investment forests Significant economic impact Total economic output of $22 billion in Oregon; 11% of goods and services (2007) Forest products sector pays higher than the state average
8. Oregon’s Private Forests An estimated 330 thousand acres of Oregon forest - about 5 percent of private forestland - exist inside urban growth boundaries or other development zones. Another 1.8 million acres of private forest exist within one mile of developable areas. The remainder extends out from the wildland-urban interface to the more rural areas.
9. Oregon’s Private Forests Approximately 3% of family forestland occurs within Urban Growth Boundaries (UGB) and 34% in Wildlan-Urban Interface (WUI) Approximately 9% of Industrial / Investment forests occurs withinWUI
10. Why Do We Care about these Urbanizing Areas? Board of Forestry Objectives Potentail loss of forest benefits Changes the way the surrounding landscape is managed Affects surrounding economies and supporting industries Risks and cost of Fire protection
11. Board of Forestry2011 Forestry Program for Oregon (FPFO) Goal C: Protect and improve the productive capacity of Oregon's forests Key challenge: Maintaining the Forest Land Base New forces are reshaping Oregon’s forests in ways more significant than any wildfire, windstorm, or disease outbreak.
12. 2011 FPFO: Maintaining the Forest Land Base Fueled by factors including development pressures, population growth, …, and changes in the forest products and real estate markets, forestland is being threatened by conversion to non-forest uses.
13. Current Board of Forestry Private Forests Policy Objective Identify current and future risks of forest fragmentation and the conversion of forests to non-forest use as the primary, overarching challenge to sustainable forestry and keeping working forests working.
14. 2011 FPFO: Loss of Benefits Fragmentation and parcelization of forests, combined with the development of roads and residences, can degrade the green infrastructure of a forested watershed, including clean water, diversity of fish and wildlife species, and the quality of forests habitats
15. Statewide Water Quality Conditions Measurements on land in all ownerships in Oregon, by DEQ land use class, 2005
16. 2011 FPFO: Changes Management dramatically changes the way the surrounding landscape is managed, limiting the range of traditional forestry practices the notion of producing a timber value from the lands … is no longer acceptable to new nearby residents or landowners
17. 2011 FPFO: Affects Communities When formerly productive timberlands are converted to non-forest uses, surrounding economies and supporting industries are often affected because forest products-related businesses are no longer viable. Harvest taxes are no longer available to support local government services and education.
18. 2011 FPFO: Fire Protection The presence of development in forested areas changes makes wildfire management more difficult - placing homes at risk, making firefighting more complicated, and increasing firefighting costs.
19. Wildland Urban Interface:Fire Issues Likelihood of human-caused fires increases with dwelling density Sisters Unit: Compared to sections w/ no dwellings fires increased: 1-5 = 2.6 times, 6-10 = 5 times, 21-40 = 21 times, 40+ = 71 times Large fires that threaten dwellings are 48.3% more expensive to fight
20. Challenges and Opportunities Most complex and challenging area Contains all four types of forests: nature, residential, multiple use, and wood production Dominated by family forestland (3% in UGB; 34% in WUI); contains industrial / investment forest (9 % in WUI). Highest risk of land use conversion (highest ratio of real estate to timber values)
21. Urban and Urban Interface Forests Key Objectives Active involvement in local and state land use planning Support forest products market and ecosystem service market development Assist local governments in compliance with statewide land use goals by providing technical assistance Support transferable development rights program Monitor changes in the public and private forestland bases and levels of forestland impacted by land use conflicts.
22. Urban and Urban Interface Forests Current Efforts Constrained by resources Significant workload
23. Stewardship Forestry in UGB and WUI Notifications: 1 % in UGB; 31 % in WUI Forestland: NIPF: 3% in UGB; 34% in WUIIndustrial: 9 % in WUI
24. Oregon’s Family Forestland Occupy a unique landscape position, contribute diversification to forest cover and local economies, and provide political and cultural connections with urban populations Are smaller, and their objectives and land uses are varied In general, occupies ecologically important, lower elevation settings, often near residential areas
25. Family Forestlands Diverse objectives, concerns, and plans Top reasons for ownership include: Aesthetics, Family legacy, Privacy, Land investment, Part of home, farm or ranch Top concerns include: High property taxes, Keeping land intact for heirs, Trespassing or poaching, Fire, Insects or plant diseases
26. Family Forestlands Key Objectives: Provide one-on-one technical assistance, deliver incentives, support Oregon plan, and administer the Forest Practices Act Support certification / management plans for family forestlands and conduct audits Develop easement program for protecting working forests