12 th Annual

NIPF Foresters Workshop

The Family Forest Foundation

Steve Stinson, Executive Director

January 23 rd 2004 Westcoast Ridpath Hotel Spokane WA

Family Forest Foundation

Family Forest Foundation

Committed to the conservation and prosperity of the family forest

Mission:

To promote the conservation and prosperity of family forests  Promote forests

regulatory stability

for family    Broaden

consumer's awareness

of the public values provided by family forests Improve

market access

for products produced from family forests Establish an

enduring fiscal foundation

for the conservation of family forests Family Forest Foundation

Action Plan

Issue

: Increasing Regulatory Burdens

Goal

: Promote Regulatory Stability

Objective

: Family Forest Habitat Conservation Plan Family Forest Foundation

Endangered Species Act

 Passed 1973  1263 US species listed as of August 12, 2003  In Washington State  26 Endangered  11 Threatened  10 Sensitive  118 Candidate Species Family Forest Foundation

Habitat Conservation Plan

 In 1982, Congress amended the ESA and a provision in Section 10 that allows for the “incidental take”  Incidental take – “incidental to and not the purpose of, the carrying out of an otherwise lawful activity”  As of August 12, 2003 450 HCPs have been approved, not one for a Family Forest landowner Family Forest Foundation

Need for Family Forest HCP

  Regulatory Instability

Case Study

Disproportionate

1

Impact of Broad brush

Forests and Fish Buffers

regulation

33 Acres (13 ha) 64% in Buffers

 Time and Personnel N  Expense

Streams Core Zone Inner Zone Outer Zone Property Boundary

400 0 400 800 Feet Family Forest Foundation

Streams

16,628 Miles of streams in Lewis County 1620 Miles on Family Forestland 493 Miles of potential fish bearing streams Family Forest Foundation

Family Forest Foundation

Family Forest Habitat Conservation Plan

    First of its kind: multi-species, multi-landowner HCP Provides a scientifically credible long-term management plan Provides for regulatory stability and management flexibility Pilot project that could be used as a template throughout Washington State or the nation Family Forest Foundation

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FFHCP Partners

Family Forest Foundation Lewis County US Fish and Wildlife Service NOAA Fisheries WA DNR Forest Practices Division WA DNR Stewardship Program        Rural Technology Initiative WSU Cooperative Extension Cowlitz Tribe Chehalis Tribe Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Biota Pacific/R2 Perkins Coie Family Forest Foundation

How will it work?

 Voluntary Participation  Suite of scenarios to choose from  Implementation Plan for specific properties  Receive Certificate of Inclusion (Programmatic Approach)  FFHCP prescriptions are substituted for the applicable Forest Practices Rules Family Forest Foundation

FFHCP Progress to date (cont.)

  Relationship with Lewis County   BOCC and legal counsel supports FFHCP concept County pursuing permit holder status Using Geographic Information Systems   Developed database of family forest demographics Created a database on ecological characteristics of family forestland in Lewis County Family Forest Foundation

FFHCP Progress to date (cont.)

 FFHCP project coordinator position has been funded in Lewis County  Secured USFWS Section 6 funds for development of HCP document  Secured Payment to County funds for Pilot Implementation Plans and coached planning courses Family Forest Foundation

What’s Next

 Complete riparian and upland prescriptions  Independent Scientific Panel Review of science supporting conservation measures  Develop pilot implementation plans and coached planning sessions  Complete and negotiate final HCP document  Implement FFHCP in partnership with Lewis County Family Forest Foundation

Action Plan

Issue

: Loss of Markets for Wood Products

Goal

: Provide Market Access for Products from Family Forests

Objective

: Marketing Entity and/or Manufacturing Facility Family Forest Foundation

Marketing Feasibility Study

Questions:  Can a coop improve market access?

  Can a coop provide better services?

Can a coop reduce operating expenses?

Tasks:  Landowner Survey  Potential markets      Business structure Supporting Resources Landowner outreach Visit forestry coops Feasibility study report Family Forest Foundation

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Forestry Coops

Innovative technologies Direct marketing Product branding Equipment sharing Member owned Value-added processing Landowner services Eco-tourism Utilizing low-value species Family Forest Foundation

Forestry Coops Across the United States

Western Upper Peninsula Forest Improvement District Hancock, Michigan Overview:      Began as state-funded agency in 1985 Currently a self-funded landowner coop Membership: 1,000 landowners (150,000 acres)  All ownerships (20-15,000 acres) Improve high-graded forests Provide forest management and marketing services Family Forest Foundation

Forestry Coops Across the United States

Western Upper Peninsula Forest Improvement District Hancock, Michigan Strategies:       

Began as state-funded pilot project

Regional approach to forest improvement Inventory forestlands Develop management plans Coordinate timber harvests

Manage sort yard/market logs

SFI certified Family Forest Foundation

Forestry Coops Across the United States

Western Upper Peninsula Forest Improvement District Hancock, Michigan Lessons learned:    

Do not be grant dependant

Adequate membership dues Provide wider range of services to maintain landowner interest

Value-added processing may provide higher returns

Family Forest Foundation

Forestry Coops Across the United States North Quabbin Woods Orange, Massachusetts Overview:      

Develop regional identity Develop brand recognition for regional forest products Market regionally labeled forest products

Eco-tourism Make connections between producer, manufacturers and consumers more efficient Landowner and public education programs Family Forest Foundation

Forestry Coops Across the United States North Quabbin Woods Orange, Massachusetts Strategies:  Educational programs for landowners & public    Eco-tourism Forest management planning

Administer “working forest conservation easements”

Family Forest Foundation

Forestry Coops Across the United States Vermont Family Forests Bristol, Vermont Overview:       

Non-profit + LLC

Began as watershed organization  Primary goal: healthy watersheds 31 parcels, 4,700 acres Educational programs Value-added processing

Seek high-end markets Market self-branded forest products

Family Forest Foundation

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Forestry Coops

Summary

Utilize existing resources Innovative technologies

Eco-tourism Regional brand/identity Start slow, don’t over capitalize

Non-profit coop + for-profit LLC

Direct market to consumer

Don’t compete in commodity market

Database for tracking inventory       Provide source of reliable management services Landowners must be involved in development of business plan

Don’t be grant dependent

Seek start-up funds from membership Value-added processing keeps more value in coop

Be creative with low-value species/grades

Family Forest Foundation

Next Steps

   Complete Feasibility Study Quantify potential volume of products  Develop Management Plans Research Potential Business Models and Investors Family Forest Foundation

Action Plan

Issue

: Rural/Urban Paradigm’s

Goal

: Broaden Consumers’ Perspective on Forestry Issues

Objective One Objective Two

: : Develop Series of White Papers Develop a Speakers Guild

Objective Three

: Foster the Development of Forest Policy Family Forest Foundation

How Many Family Forest Landowners Are There?

     22,000 in county forest tax classification An estimated 2.6 million acres unaccounted for Average parcel size from tabular data set is 43 acres Approximately 65,000 additional owners

An estimated 97,000 family forest owners in WA

Family Forest Foundation

Accuracy of GIS Reporting

Family Forest Foundation

Western Washington NIPF Conversion to Non-forest Use   100 Acres a Day 56 Square Miles a Year

Source:

WA Department of Natural Resources 1998. Our Changing Nature. WA Department of Natural Resources, Olympia WA Family Forest Foundation

What Makes Family Forest Landowners Unique?

  Location of ownership  Urban/Rural interface  Lower in watershed Scale of ownership    Economies of scale increase operations cost No Staff for technical, legal, financial advice Disproportionately impacted by “broad brush” Forest Practices Regulations Family Forest Foundation

What Makes Family Forest

 

Landowners Unique? (cont.)

Diverse Management Styles   Not constrained by corporate profit standards Many reason for owning forestland – love of land, heritage, legacy, investment, wildlife, recreation   Longer rotations and smaller harvest units Generational change fragments ownership (every 30 years on average) 90% of currently listed endangered species depend on private forestland for some of their habitat needs Family Forest Foundation

Family Forest Foundation

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Lewis County NIPF Landowners

2169 NIPF Landowners 136,353 Acres Ownership Acreage  <21 Acres:  21-50 Acres:    51-100 Acres: 101-500 Acres:  >500 Acres: Target Audience >50 Acres   556 NIPF Landowners 56,481 Acres 29% 31% 19% 18% 3% Family Forest Foundation

LC Forest Landowner Survey

Reason for owning forest land

Privacy Enhance quantity of timber Enhance quality of timber Long-term investment Recreation Long-term income Immediate income Non-timber products Protection of biological diversity Legacy Home/vacation home Development Scenic/asethetic 0% 67% 62% 74% 86% 39% 84% 35% 14% 72% 80% 56% 30% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Percent high/moderate priority

70% 80% 82% 90% Family Forest Foundation

LC Forest Landowner Survey

Level of interest in improving forest management

Thinning to improve forest health Growing older trees if economics incentives are present Coordinateing with other landowners Protecting sensitive sites Timing timber harvest to benefit wildlife Receiving assistance 84% 69% 47% 49% 61% 60% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

% strong or moderate interest

Family Forest Foundation

LC Forest Landowner Survey

Age of owner

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 20-30 31-40 41-50 Family Forest Foundation 51-60 61-70 71-80 80+

Action Plan

Issue

: Financially Stable Entity is Needed to Ensure Long-term Maintenance of Family Forest Conservation Efforts

Goal

: Create a Sufficient Endowment and Matching Grant Fund

Objective

Forests : Provide a Financially Stable Resource to Promote the Conservation of Family Family Forest Foundation

Family Forest Foundation Fund Raising

 Regulatory Stability (FFHCP)     2001 Interior Appropriations 2003 USFWS Sec 6 Funds 2003 WA DNR 2003 Lewis County Family Forest Foundation

Family Forest Foundation Fund Raising

   Market Access  USDA Cooperative Feasibility Study Consumer Awareness  Weyerhaeuser Foundation Outreach Locally contributed Matching Funds  Endowment Fund Family Forest Foundation

Criteria For Successful Family Forest Management Policy

Family Forest Foundation

Family Forest Foundation Board of Directors Contact the Foundation at www.familyforestfoundation.org

PO Box 1364 Chehalis, WA 98532 Phone: 360-345-0123 or e-mail at [email protected]

Family Forest Foundation