Fuels, Fires, and Future Forests

1. Fuels, Fires, and Future Forests Restoring and sustaining resilient forests with an eye on benefits to economies and communities Hal Salwasser Dean, College of Forestry, Oregon State University SmallWood 2004 Sacramento, CA, May 19, 2004

2. What is a healthy landscape? • Works the way it is supposed to work as stated in relevant policies and plans • High quality water – clean, fishable, swim able • Water quantities & timing sustain ecosystems, people – natural hydrologic function • Resilient ecosystems – “handle” normal fires, droughts, storms, insects & diseases

3. Where does fire fit? • Fire is a natural recycling, renewal process • Altered fire regimes exceed range of healthy conditions • Fire will occur: how, when, where, with what ecosystem consequences?

4. Is our current wildland fire situation healthy? • 190 million acres of federal land at mod to high risk of uncharacteristic fire • 70 million acres of all forestland at risk to increased insect and disease mortality • Warming climate increases severity of drought stress, increases risk to fire, insects, diseases • Invasive weeds increase fire risk

8. Fires create multiple threats, growing each year • Biodiversity • Watershed integrity • Aesthetics, invasive species • Air quality, global climate • Water quality, quantity, timing of flows • Community, economic resilience • Human lives, property • Financial liabilities

9. Forest and rangeland health: wicked problems • Fuels predictable, fires not • Insects, diseases exacerbated by climate • Invasive weeds follow disturbance • Endangered species, fires conflicting risks • Climate changes plant competition • Population growth/sprawl – WUI effects • Public resources sapped to fight fires • Social fragmentation/polarization

10. What are our options? • Keep/put fires out – increasing costs and risks • Let fires burn – huge costs and risks • Put fire back in thru Rx -- feasible in only some watersheds w/o pre-treatments • Integrated strategy – best option in many watersheds, essential in some

11. What is an integrated strategy? • Assess landscape-scale priorities – not WUI only • Target actions/treatments strategically • Prep places, landscapes to restore resiliency, for return of fire • Return fire or fire surrogates to maintain desired conditions for health • Monitor and research • Communicate, learn, adapt

12. What will it take? • Financial resources • Integration of sciences – social, physical & biological -- with management • Common vision for active collaboration, communication – community engagement • Bias for boldness – risks increase with inaction • Commitment to bust barriers

13. Does science have all the answers? No way!

14. Can we get there without science? No way!

15. Myths and realities • High intensity fires are natural; only some are • Cutting trees increases fire risk; it depends on what trees are cut and what is done with slash • Fires should be left to burn; only where potential damage to ecosystems or property is low • Rx fire is effective by itself; only in rare cases w/o pre-treatments • Just fire safe homes and urban interface; won’t help if crown fire is headed your way

16. Problems with traditional solutions • Short-term focus, too timid, risk avoidance • Narrow focus along disciplinary lines • Science/technology can’t fix social problems • Obsession with process and law • Dominance of federal agencies

17. Busting the barriers • Create federal-state-community-university partnerships: Adaptive Management Teams • Take strategic, landscape-scale approach, balance short and long-term risks • Focus on results over process; streamline processes for action • Use technology to improve effectiveness, efficiency • Give resources to the performers • Generate $$ from biomaterials to help pay for work • Monitor, communicate, learn and adapt

18. What about after the fires? • Decision tree • Is policy/plan clear on direction for area in question? • If no, messy gridlock • Will nature deliver what policy/plan calls for? • If yes, work is through • Are restoration interventions needed? • What kind? • Where? • How frequent is the need? • How to pay for restoration work? • Federal appropriations – but federal discretionary $$ declining • Revenues generated from by-products of restoration work

19. What about after the fires? • Biscuit Burn • 400,000 acres; 220,000 have >75% trees dead • < 5-year window for reforestation from 2002 • Cost increases each year -- $250 - > $1,000/acre • Success decreases each year due to competition • > 5 years, inaction results in decades of shrub land on most intensely burned areas, vulnerability to future fires, insects • < 5-year window for biomaterials salvage • ~ 20% annual decline in economic value of dead trees • Emergency? • 2 years ago maybe, now its just a disaster playing itself out

20. Hull Mountain story Rapid reforestation using all tools, timber dominant goal Delayed action w/o all tools, timber not dominant goal Need other options if hastened regrowth of diverse, complex conifer dominated forests that retain structural legacies yet at reduced risks from future fires, invasive species and insects is the goal

21. Roles for land grant universities • Research • Risk reduction strategies, effects on fire behavior • Post-fire restoration options • Biomass and small wood utilization, product innovations • Decision making tools, risk assessment, e.g., Nov ’03 Conf. • Monitoring protocols • Education • Degree, certificate programs, short courses • Outreach • Public awareness, understanding, e.g., reports, conferences • Adaptive management teams, technical assistance • Policy options, legislative assistance, e.g., NFP, HFRA