Steve Gibbs Forest Stewardship Program Manager

2. Steve Gibbs Forest StewardshipProgram Manager DNR Forest Stewardship Program Review USDA Forest Service, State & Private Forestry Cooperative Programs Review

3. DNR Forest Landowner Assistance Program History • USFS/DNR Cooperative Landowner Assistance dates back 60+ years • 1950’s – 1960’s: Farm Forestry Program • 1970’s – 1980’s: Service Forestry Program • 1990 – Present: Forest Stewardship Program

4. Summary/Overview Forest Stewardship Program Components Outreach and Education Forest Owner Field Days, Coached Planning Courses, Forest Owner’s Winter Schools, Local topic-specific programs

5. Forest Stewardship Program Components Technical Assistance Forest management advice Forest Stewardship Plan development and implementation

6. Forest Stewardship Program Components Financial Incentives (Cost-Share) Forest Health/Wildfire Hazard Reduction, EQIP

7. Forest Stewardship Program Components Recognition • Stewardship Forest sign • Coached Planning Certificate • FSP logo wear

8. Forest Stewardship Program Components Backyard Forest Stewardship Program (In partnership with WSU Extension)

9. Forest Stewardship Program Components Special Emphasis Projects • S&PF Competitive grants • Western State Fire Managers grants • Woodland Fish and Wildlife Publication Project

10. Staffing levels • 21 Full time staff total • Less than 2.5 full time staff supported by Forest Stewardship Program funds • Statewide: Program Manager and Wildlife Biologist • Northwest Washington – 1 Full time staff • Southwest Washington – 1 Full time staff • Northeast – 10 Full time staff • Southeast – 7 Full time staff

11. Strategies Aggressive outreach and recruitment of “new” landowners (Forest Owner’s Field Days, Coached Planning Courses, etc.)

12. Strategies • Targeted priority landscapes • State Forest Action Plan Core Landscapes • State Forest Health Warning Areas • Watershed (landscape level) plans and projects

13. Strategies Audience segregation – customized program delivery • Backyard Forest Stewardship Program • Absentee Owner outreach Integrated Program Delivery • Other S&PF programs (Forest health, Fire hazard reduction) • Small Forest Landowner Office Programs

14. Strategies Close interagency cooperation and resource sharing: MOU’s dating back 40 years

15. Strategies Integrated Forest Management Plan Guidelines • Plan Guidelines developed and adopted by DNR, NRCS, USDA Forest Service, WA Tree Farm Program, WA Dept. of Revenue

16. Strategies Interstate cooperation – S&PF grants, Forest Owner’s Field Days, Woodland Fish and Wildlife Publications

17. Strategies Landowner empowered Forest Stewardship Plan development (Coached Planning Courses)

18. Strategies Dedicated specialized expertise – Wildlife Biologist, Special Forest Products Specialist

19. Strategies Financial incentives – cost-share program Forest Health and Wildfire Hazard Reduction

20. GrantManagement • Forest Stewardship Annual Grants 2009 - $280,000 (spent) 2010 - $310,000 (spent) 2011 - $300,000 (spent) 2012 - $257,000 2013 - $ 253,667 • WSFM Competitive – 2009-2012 (13 - $3.7 million) • S&PF Competitive: 2009 – Spokane-Rathdrum Aquifer - $150,000. 2010* – Ties To The Land – 4 states - $70,000. 2011* – Wind-White Salmon Watershed - $300,000. 2011 – Kettle/Sanpoil - $300,000. 2012* – Absentee Landowner Outreach -$150,000.

21. Performance Measures 5-Year Snapshot: 2009-2013 • 446 Forest Stewardship Plans created covering 68,674 acres (average 90/year covering an average of 14,000 acres/year) • Number of on-site technical assists: 7,042 (average 1,400/year) • Number of “office” assists: 24,903 (average 5,000/year) • Number of landowners participating in educational programs: 14,570 (average 3,000/year)

22. Quality Assurance & Monitoring • Annual Forest Stewardship Plan Monitoring – follow national protocol. -- Qualitative review of plans -- On-site review of implementation • Periodic review of plans by Program Managers at DNR and Forest Service.

23. Partnerships Internal: Integrated Program Delivery of S&PF/Small Forest Landowner Office Programs External: • USDA – Forest Service – S&PF/NFS, NRCS, FSA • Washington State University Extension • Conservation Districts, Assn. of Conservation Districts • Consulting Foresters, Forestry Contractors, Contract Loggers • WA Farm Forestry Association • WA Tree Farm Program • Other NGO’s -Family Forest Foundation, Northwest Natural Resources Group, Sustainable Forestry Initiative • Land trusts, conservation groups • Local government – King Co. Forestry Program, County Assessors • Other governmental agencies – Bureau of Indian Affairs, Dept. of Revenue, WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, WA State Parks, WA Dept. of Ecology, etc. • Interstate – State Forestry and Extension in Idaho and Oregon

24. Outreach to underserved communities • Large scale direct mail campaigns reach all landowners • Tribes • Absentee Owners • Very small acreage ownerships

25. Issues • Historical Issues – that have been resolved Landowner focus groups: • Ineffective staffing structure – negligible time, often regulatory staff • Reactive – technical assistance limited to cost-share participants • “Siloed” Program Delivery • Lack of Specialized Expertise (Wildlife) • No coordination between education and technical assistance • Primary Current/Future Issue – Lack of regularly recurring reliable funding (88% of FSP FTE’s supported by non-FSP dollars -- largely “soft money”) -- Western WA – inadequate staffing -- Eastern WA – reliance on “soft money” • Lack of reward for full range of accomplishments and performance measures in FSP funding allocation.

26. Contact Information Steve Gibbs Forest Stewardship Program PO Box 47012 Olympia, WA www.dnr.wa.gov/sflo Click on Forest Stewardship Program 1-360-902-1706 steven.gibbs@dnr.wa.gov