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Forestry on the Yakama Reservation

Forestry on the Yakama Reservation. The Balancing of Natural Resources Management . By Philip Rigdon. An Overview of the Yakama Forest Resource. Washington State. Established by the Treaty of June 9th, 1855. Topography of Yakama Reservation. Agriculture. Range. Forest.

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Forestry on the Yakama Reservation

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  1. Forestry on the Yakama Reservation The Balancing of Natural Resources Management By Philip Rigdon

  2. An Overview of the Yakama Forest Resource

  3. Washington State Established by the Treaty of June 9th, 1855.

  4. Topography of Yakama Reservation

  5. Agriculture Range Forest Forest and Woodland 647,172 acres 47 %

  6. Vegetation Cover Types 4 Timber Types 95 % Acres

  7. Ponderosa Pine Savannah Oak-Pine Woodlands Mixed Conifer True Fir - Hemlock

  8. Balancing Resource Values • income • employment • cultural resource protection • traditional hunting & food gathering • wildlife • aesthetics • riparian / meadow protection • recreation

  9. This plan remains active due to forest health priorities and final approval for the 2005- 2014 Forest Management Plan.

  10. Forest Management Plan • Passed by the tribal and general council • Framework for BIA and Tribal DNR forest management • Eleven landuse management areas • Each landuse management area has goals and objectives

  11. Yakama Forest Management • Within the forest management plan timber sales are scheduled • Each timber sale goes through the interdisciplinary team process • Due to BIA funding, forestry activities adhere to and comply with federal laws (ESA & NEPA)

  12. THE PRESALE PROCESS PROJECT EA’s FOLLOW: • Tribal Laws • Federal Laws & Statutes • Forest Mgmt. Plan (FMP) • Forest-Wide EA • Tribal Council Objectives • IDT Recommendations PROJECT APPROVAL: • Tribal Council Resolution • Superintendent FONSI

  13. THE ORGANIZATIONYAKAMA NATION / YAKAMA AGENCY

  14. Yakama Forest Management • 143 million board feet annual allowable harvest • Money derived from stumpage is distributed to the Yakama Nation, 45% tribal government, 45% per capita payments to enrolled member, and 10% perpetual fund

  15. Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation • 9,000 Enrolled Members • Provides a majority of income and employment to the Yakama nation and people • Unemployment has decreased in last 10 years due to economic development but still much higher than national average

  16. Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation • Historically, Salmon Fishing on Columbia River • Forest resources – the economic backbone of the nation • 1994 Yakama Forest Products • 1997 Hew saw - mill went into operation • Increased employment opportunities with over 100+ new jobs • First time the Yakama Nation processed own logs

  17. The Forest Health Problem • large insect and disease complex • fifteen year western spruce budworm outbreak • 150,000 acres annual defoliation • bark beetle population buildups • an estimated billion board feet of mortality • two tribal declarations of emergency, 1997, 2000 • increasing risk of catastrophic fire

  18. How We Got Here • fire exclusion • selective harvesting • low levels of harvest

  19. Results of Fire Exclusion • conversion from low intensity to high intensity fire • species conversion from pine to fir • initiation of second growth dominated forest • increasing volumes per acre • increasing levels of insects and disease • increasing spotted owl habitat • increasing susceptibility to large mortality events

  20. Standing Volumes on the Yakama in Billions of Board Feet

  21. Addressing forest health on the Yakama Balancing • Forest restoration • Long-term forest health • Sustainable Forestry

  22. Forest Health Ability of a forest ecosystem to; • remain productive and • withstand disturbance over time

  23. Addressing forest health on the Yakama • Developed silvicultural guidelines to control spruce budworm • Increased level of harvesting above 200 mmbf • Prioritized harvest in damaged areas, “gray before green” • Accelerated the pre-sale process • Gained relief on some harvest restrictions concerning the northern spotted owl • Sprayed bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) on thousand of acres in 1990,1999 and 2000

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