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Preparing for Oregon Wildfire: Three Million Acres Burned Since 2012

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The last few summers in Oregon have been hot and dry. In fact, for some parts of the state, 2015 was the third consecutive year of drought. In March, the National Weather Service announced that everything west of the Cascade Mountains is clear of drought for the first time since 2013. Those hot and dry conditions have resulted in staggering statistics for the past four fire seasons: wildfires have burned over three million acres in Oregon since 2012. Those are devastating numbers – wildfires threaten lives, destroy homes and damage forests and wildlife habitat.

A worsening “new normal” for fire season begs the question of whether climate change is contributing to an increase in wildfires and how wildfires contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Both of those questions are extremely difficult for scientists to answer, but we do know that wildfires emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, releasing the oxygen while locking the carbon away in the body of the tree – about half of a tree’s weight is stored carbon. Wildfires release that stored carbon through combustion.

One large wildfire can release twice as much carbon as all the cars in the Portland metro region produce in a yearThe amount released varies considerably from year to year and fire to fire depending on geography, tree species, and myriad other factors. One study found that one large Oregon wildfire released twice as much carbon as all the cars in the Portland metro region produce in a year. It’s estimated that the recent Fort McMurray fire in Canada– which has to-date burned about one-third the acreage burned in Oregon in the last four years — has emitted between 35 and 85 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. That’s equivalent to emissions from 10 to 25 million homes’ energy use for one year.

Over their life-times, trees growing in sustainably managed forests absorb carbon while providing habitat for wildlife, recreational opportunities, clean drinking water, and, when harvested, shelter for humanity. Much of that carbon in then stored in long-lived forest products while remaining wood residuals can be utilized to generate renewable energy. When the forest is replanted, this virtuous cycle begins anew. That cycle doesn’t happen when trees go up in flames. While wildfires may serve an important ecological role, proper forest management can often mimic that role while also capturing maximum value from that carbon storage.

Wildfire season is quickly approaching and while this season isn’t expected to be as bad as previous years, Oregon and Washington have already seen some fire activity, and preparation is top-of-mind for landowners right now.

Image credit: Keep Oregon Green

Image credit: Keep Oregon Green

May is Oregon Wildfire Awareness Month, and Keep Oregon Green, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that has been educating the public on how to prevent wildfires for 75 years, estimates that people burned over 140,000 acres of state and federally protected lands in 2015. Throughout the month of May, Keep Oregon Green is reminding Oregonians to stop fires before they start by planning ahead, preparing for fire season, and preventing open fires and equipment from sparking a wildfire. “Simple prevention strategies will make the strongest impact on your home, family and community safety,” said Kristin Babbs, Keep Oregon Green president. Babbs recommends homeowners create “defensible space” around their homes by removing dead, flammable vegetation and limbing up trees. While weather-related wildfires (such as those started by lightening) are a major cause of natural wildfires, backyard debris burning is the leading human cause of wildfire issues in Oregon. Using common sense and following simple safety rules can prevent most debris burn-caused wildfires. Campfires are also a major cause of wildfires, in fact, 4000 acres of Oregon forest burned as a result of unattended campfires last year.

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At a contractor fire training in Willamina, crews geared up for the coming fire season while competing to put out mock fires.

Wildfires started by workers and the equipment they operate in the forests and on farms pales in comparison to wildfires started at home and through recreation. In fact, less than a quarter of last year’s human-caused wildfires were started on the job. Many landowners host annual training events to help contract loggers and others get prepared for operating during fire season through equipment inspection, drills, and an overview of best practices. At a training event earlier this month, Allan Foutch, forest manager for Miami Corporation, addressed a crowd of loggers and trained fire-fighters. “This is where you live and the goal is to protect it and prevent fires in your own backyard,” Foutch said. “If there were a fire, you are the people we’d rely on to put it out. We don’t want to have to respond to a fire, but if we do, we need to know when to attack and when to retreat, and how to use our equipment quickly and efficiently so everyone is safe.”

In addition to reviewing fundamentals, the training offered an opportunity to talk about lessons from last year’s fire season. David Hampton, forester and owner of Hampton Affiliates, shared stories from the Willamina Creek Fire that occurred on Hampton, BLM and Hancock land last summer. Hampton noted that it’s not always as straight forward as, “putting the wet stuff on the red stuff” because logistics often get in the way. Access to the Willamina Creek fire was limited by a one-lane road and responders got bottlenecked trying to get fire trucks to the fire before proper traffic control was in place. Hampton also stressed taking time to get familiar with the landscape. “You have to assess what the fire is doing first,” Hampton said. “Safety is key. So are headlamps, though, you can’t see anything in the dark.”

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Oregon Department of Forestry tests for adequate water pressure on contractor fire trucks in anticipation of the coming fire season.

Oregon Department of Forestry was also on hand for courtesy fire truck inspections and to stress that recent years have seen earlier and more severe fire seasons. “I’ve been doing this for 22 years,” said Jason Rayburn, Wildland Fire Supervisor, “and it keeps getting worse and worse.” He said fire season used to start after Fourth of July and would start at low to moderate danger, and only get to high danger in August. Last year the fire season started off early in high danger, before the crews even came on board, and saw ten days of extreme danger. “That was off the charts and was a first in my career,” Rayburn said, “we have to up our game.”

The training wrapped up with hose and nozzle competitions, offering about $1,500 in cash prizes for winners who could quickly and properly operate their equipment under pressure. Foutch explained it was more than just a chance to shine, though. “It’s a real-time demonstration of what can go wrong if your hose isn’t rolled properly and your adrenaline is pumping.” All those who participated got a chance to re-roll their hoses under the watchful eye of experts so they’ll be prepared for the real deal.

“We’re here, and we’re ready to go,” said Hampton.

Every Day is Arbor Day For Oregon Foresters

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On the last Friday of April, people all around the country take a moment to recognize the importance of planting trees. While this official Arbor Day only comes around once a year, Oregon foresters recognize the importance of planting trees every day. More than 40 million tree seedlings are planted in Oregon’s forests each year to reforest areas that have been harvested, burned by wildfire, or are otherwise understocked, thereby renewing a sustainable source of locally grown timber and ensuring that each acre of forest land is productively growing beautiful, healthy, Oregon trees.

Reforestation is serious business, not only because Oregon’s strict forest practices laws require it, but also because ensuring those seedlings get a good start sets the stage in that young forest for the next 45 to 60 years. For forest landowners, it’s one of very few opportunities to help steer how this land performs for decades to come.

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Tree planting crews unpack Douglas-fir and Hemlock tree seedlings and load them into carrying bags on Hampton’s Big Creek Tree Farm.

Tree planting in Oregon typically gets underway around February when trees are still in winter dormancy and the hard freezes are over, but the process actually starts two years before that when the seeds started growing in the nursery. Foresters plant tree seedlings (or two-year-old baby trees) even though they cost almost ten times as much as the seeds. Starting the seeds in a nursery dramatically increases the likelihood that the seedlings will survive and reestablish the forest, so it’s worth the extra cost. Douglas-fir seedlings presently cost about 36 to 38 cents each, or about $380 for 1,000. Hemlock, Western Red Cedar, Grand Fir and Noble Fir costs more, at about $420 for 1,000. Foresters make individual decisions based on many factors (elevation, health, soil condition, etc.) about which species and how many trees to plant in a given area, but at roughly 400 trees per acre, landowners are paying about $150 per acre for seedlings alone.  The average area being reforested in Oregon is about 50 acres, thus bringing the cost of seedlings for each unit to about $7,500. That number increases substantially as labor, transportation and storage costs are factored in.

Because those seedlings are so precious, considerable care is taken when transporting them from the nursery to the ground. Seedlings are transported in specially lined paper bags or boxes of about 120 in a covered, well ventilated vehicle, and they aren’t stacked too high. In order to prevent damage from drying out, it’s important that the seedlings stay out of direct sunlight and remain in a cool environment. Foresters are careful not to open the bags until right before planting to keep the seedlings in the best possible condition while they’re out of the ground.

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Forest manager Beth Fitch verifies proper planting technique, looking for straight roots and correct depth.

When the time comes to put the seedlings in the ground, forest managers hire crews of tree planters who have been trained in the proper technique. It’s not as easy as just sticking the tree in the soil and hoping for the best – the roots need to be straight, the depth and spacing needs to be just right, and the seedlings need to be planted in soil that will provide the nutrients they need, not the remnants of a decomposing stump or other plant material (called duff.) To ensure the seedlings are planted properly, forest managers routinely walk behind the crew and double check their work by counting the number of planted trees in a measured radius and digging up trees to look for proper planting.

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Tree planting crews work quickly, alternating between planting Douglas-fir and Hemlock seedlings at Hampton’s Big Creek Tree Farm.

The crew is paid by the number of trees they plant (with mechanisms in place to guarantee quality), which is about 1,200 trees per worker per day.  At about ten workers per crew, the team plants roughly 12,000 seedlings in a day.  Each bag carries about 155 seedlings and as long as the weather stays cool enough throughout the day, the crew refills their bags about seven times in a shift. Staggering each other by about ten feet, the crew follows the lead planter and puts a seedling in the ground around every three steps. It’s quick and impressive work – the average person might have to jog to keep up.

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This two-year-old Douglas-fir seedling will establish and spend the next 45-60 years providing clean air, water and wildlife habitat near the Oregon coast.

The end result is a young forest that will provide wildlife habitat and clean water and air for decades. When they reach maturity they’ll be harvested to create lumber for houses or pulp for paper, and then the re-planting cycle starts all over again.  The Oregon Forest Practices Act requires that harvested areas are not just replanted, but that those trees are evenly distributed and free from competing vegetation within six years. This high standard creates a sustainable source of locally-grown timber, and favors management styles that implement clear-cuts followed by even-aged plantations, mimicking the natural cycle of these forest ecosystems. Douglas-fir trees, which are native to the Pacific Northwest and are one of the most important conifers to softwood lumber production in the United States, require abundant sunlight and naturally regenerate following disturbances such as fire, and windstorms. Reforestation after harvest creates ideal growing conditions for sun-loving species like the Douglas-fir and enhances the forest’s ability to sequester carbon as younger and faster growing forests have higher annual sequestration rates.

US Fish & Wildlife Service Decision on Fisher Recognizes Landowner Partnerships

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 15, 2016

Contact: Sara Duncan, 503-371-2942, sara@www.ofic.com
Cindy Mitchell, 360-791-9372, cmitchell@wfpa.org
Lindsay VanLaningham, 916-899-4517, lindsayv@calforests.org

On April 14, 2016, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (the “Service”) concluded that west coast populations of fisher are not facing extinction and recognized that collaborative voluntary conservation efforts by state agencies and private landowners are providing conservation benefits for fisher on millions of acres across the range of the fisher in three states. The Service found that the threats to fisher were significantly less than feared, and did not warrant a listing under the Endangered Species Act.

“We applaud the Service’s decision not to list the fisher because it is good for the fisher,” said Kristina McNitt, President of Oregon Forest & Industries Council. “Forest landowners in Oregon are committed to protecting fish and wildlife and preserving habitat for species like the fisher. This progressive development underscores the dedication of the Oregon forest industry and the United States Fish & Wildlife Service to work collaboratively to achieve common environmental goals. We look forward to implementing the industry’s pledged conservation goals to protect and expand fisher habitat and hope this collaborative effort acts as a model for the future.”

The Service recognized that there were a number of federal, state, tribal and private partners that came together in California, Oregon and Washington to conserve fisher habitat and restore the population.

“The work we did together is a testament that landowners, the state, tribal and federal governments can develop voluntary measures that protect wildlife species, and the forestry business at the same time,” said Mark Doumit, Executive Director of the Washington Forest Protection Association.

“I applaud the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for recognizing that the voluntary efforts between California, Oregon and Washington to preserve and enhance the habitat of the pacific fisher are beyond what is needed to maintain a robust population. Our collaborative efforts show our commitment to the long-term stability of the species. We’ve found that these types of successful partnerships are best enhanced through both public and private landowner participation, and we look forward to continuing our efforts across jurisdictional boundaries in the West,” said David Bischel, President of the California Forestry Association.

The fisher is among the larger members of the weasel family that also includes the marten, otter, and mink. It is found in much of the northern United States, including populations in Washington, Oregon, and California. The fisher’s historic range was significantly curtailed toward the turn of the last century due, primarily, to trapping and pest control. Today, healthy populations persist in the southern Sierra Nevadas, in northern California and southwest Oregon, and on the Olympic peninsula in Washington.

Recognizing that abundant fisher habitat exists on private and public lands throughout the Coast and Cascade mountain ranges, landowners have worked with the Service to protect existing populations, and to reintroduce fisher in suitable habitat outside of its current range. In Washington, reintroduction efforts have been underway since 2008, and a programmatic candidate conservation agreement with assurances (“CCAA”) that would protect fisher found on state and private lands for 20 years is nearing completion. More than 25 landowners and 1.4 million acres have enrolled in the CCAA. In Oregon, landowners have indicated their intention to enroll more than three million acres of forestland under a template CCAA that requires fisher protection measures for 30 years. Oregon landowners have also offered significant financial support for proposed fisher monitoring and reintroduction efforts. Similarly, California landowners have successfully reintroduced fisher on private lands, enrolled more than 1 million acres in CCAAs and related projects benefiting the fisher, including efforts to enroll additional lands.
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The Oregon Forest & Industries Council is a trade association representing more than 50 Oregon forestland owners and forest products manufacturers. Our members combine sustainable forest management practices with the latest science and technology to continuously improve the environmental, social and economic value of healthy working forests. We protect and manage more than 5 million acres of Oregon forestlands, employ nearly 60,000 Oregonians, and make Oregon the nation’s largest state producer of softwood and plywood. For more information, go to ofic.com.

The Washington Forest Protection Association is a trade association representing private forest landowners in Washington state. Members of the 100-year-old association are large and small companies, individuals and families who practice sustainable forestry in Washington’s private forests on about 4 million acres of forestland. WFPA is committed to advancing sustainable forestry in Washington to provide forest products and environmental benefits to the public. For more information, go to wfpa.org.

The California Forestry Association is a non-profit trade association representing California’s forest products profession. We are dedicated to ensuring an adequate and sustainable supply of forest products at an affordable cost, while enhancing forest health and safety. www.calforests.org

Refuting the CZARA Disapproval

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Daily Quotes (1)On March 9, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Oregon’s Natural Resources Policy Director, sent a letter to Richard Whitman formally announcing that the agencies will not release the withheld portion of the 2015 grant funding ($1.2 million) intended for coastal communities and water quality improvement and nonpoint source pollution projects, and that they will continue to withhold funds until Oregon’s coastal nonpoint pollution control program under the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA) is approved.  This makes Oregon the only state of 33 to be disapproved for funding in spite of the fact that Oregon has some of the strictest forest protection laws in the country and the Board of Forestry is currently in rulemaking to expand riparian protection for small and medium fish-bearing streams in western Oregon.

The coastal nonpoint pollution control program was established in 1990 and is jointly administered by NOAA and EPA. The program is designed to help protect and restore coastal waters in coastal states and territories by assisting states in establishing management programs that protect such waters from nonpoint source pollution. Once a state has an approved program, the federal agencies distribute grant funding to support implementation of that program.

In 1998 Oregon was granted conditional approval, a status initially given to all 33 states and territories that have submitted coastal nonpoint pollution control programs. Conditional approvals are intended primarily to provide states and territories additional time to address issues NOAA and the EPA identify as needing further progress before they will fully approve the program. Today, nearly one-third of those states continue to have conditional approvals, many of which have considerably less restrictive forest management laws than Oregon.

In 2009, the Northwest Environmental Advocates, an environmental group based in Portland and led by Nina Bell, filed the only lawsuit in the country against the EPA and NOAA over the conditional status of a state’s program. As a result of the settlement agreement from that case, the EPA and NOAA agreed to either approve or disapprove Oregon’s program.

Arbitrary and CapriciousIn January 2015, the EPA and NOAA formally disapproved Oregon’s coastal nonpoint pollution control program.  The agencies pointed exclusively to forestry, focusing on protection of non-fish bearing streams, management of forest roads, landslides, and the application of herbicides around streams.  Interestingly, the agencies gave a pass to onsite sewage disposal systems for implementing voluntary measures (something they are unwilling to accept in the context of forestry) and chose not to address “concerns with the State’s agriculture program.”

While the disapproval was supposed to trigger an immediate one-third decrease in nonpoint source grant funding, Oregon continued to negotiate with the agencies in an effort to secure the 2015 funding, emphasizing Oregon’s strict forest protection laws which are based in science and adaptive to growing scientific knowledge. In February 2016, Richard Whitman sent a short letter to the agencies indicating, again, that Oregon believes its program is fully approvable.  With remarkable efficiency for federal agencies, the EPA and NOAA replied jointly on March 9, 2016 that they would not release the withheld portion of the 2015 funding.

The position of the federal agencies is perplexing.  Their objective seems to be the implementation of prescriptive regulations rather than achieving positive environmental outcomes based on rigorous science.  Oregon has a sound and thorough defense of its regulation and outcomes around all issues raised by the EPA and NOAA – a defense that is backed by extensive research and monitoring. To this end, Oregon is already addressing the issues raised by the federal agencies:

Riparian protection: The Oregon Forest Practices Act (FPA) is adaptive and rules have been modified with the inpDaily Quotes (3)ut of research. Over the years, the FPA has been changed to require the retention of trees and vegetation during harvest which must be left along fish streams as a buffer for shade and large wood recruitment. Last November, the Board of Forestry voted to adopt new steam protection rules and is currently in rulemaking to expand riparian protection for small and medium streams in western Oregon where salmon, steelhead, or bull trout are present. Oregon has also conducted three separate paired watershed studies to measure the harvest effect on conditions in streams that have shown no measureable downstream effect on stream temperatures.

Legacy forest roads: Oregon’s forest practice rules are some of the most rigorous in the nation.  From new road construction, to maintenance, to water diversions, to culvert placement, to road upgrades; the Oregon FPA is a rigorous body of laws that ensure forest roads are not compromising water quality.  Additionally, landowners, through The Oregon Plan, have spent over $96 million through 2011 making improvements to outdated culverts and stream-side care to help protect water quality and improve fish habitat. Many of these improvements divert water from road surfaces and protect roads from degradation.

Landslide-prone areas: The state has extensive research in western Oregon as it applies to age of tree stands, slope steepness, soil density and other factors.  Upon its review of existing information and additional research, the state found that the federal agencies’ Daily Quotes (2)concerns were unfounded. The FPA already dictates a rigorous process for both screening areas of potential instability and adding protective measures in areas that are deemed as having higher landslide risk.

Aerial application of pesticides: Oregon relies on regulations set by the Oregon Department of Agriculture and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for protection of streams during pesticide applications. In addition to the strength of the herbicide regulations is the fact that no scientific evidence exists that applications impair water quality.  In fact, just the opposite is true.  According to the Oregon Water Quality Index, forestland sites have the highest water quality of all sites statewide, including range, agricultural and urban areas.  And every extensive study of western watersheds conducted by state or municipal agencies has found no evidence that herbicides exist at a level harmful to public health.  Applying more prescriptive buffers is simply a solution in search of a problem. 

The federal agencies are in error, and their continued focus on forestry is puzzling.  Through all of this, they have failed to produce any evidence that Oregon forest practices are actually contributing to exceedances of water quality standards.  It’s akin to focusing the bulk of our law enforcement resources in our lowest crime neighborhoods.  Surely, there are better ways to allocate precious resources. The state shouldn’t throw away the foundation of its forest management for the minimal grant funding federal agencies are offering. Science is at the center of Oregon’s forest management; it is the foundation of policies that protect our water and wildlife, while providing for the sustainable use of natural resources.

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