Transcript Sustaining Forests For Oregon’s Quality of Life and Prosperity Hal Salwasser Dean, OSU College of Forestry Oregon Environmental Council Portland & Medford, OR March 2-3, 2004

Sustaining Forests
For Oregon’s Quality of Life and
Prosperity
Hal Salwasser
Dean, OSU College of Forestry
Oregon Environmental Council
Portland & Medford, OR
March 2-3, 2004
Forests Sustain Quality of Life
#1 Clean air
and water …
Forests Sustain Quality of Life
#2 Fish and
wildlife
habitat …
Forests Sustain Quality of Life
Recreation …
Forests Sustain Quality of Life
Scenic
beauty …
Forests Sustain Quality of Life
Forests store ~ 45% of the carbon
held in terrestrial ecosystems,
turn CO2 + sunlight into O2 + wood
Climate,
carbon, and
oxygen …
Forests Sustain Quality of Life
Wood
products …
Forests Sustain Quality of Life
Jobs …
155,100 family-wage jobs
Forests Sustain Quality of Life
Revenues to
support
schools and
public services
Global Forest Context
 People: ~ 6.6 billion, 11 x 1600 ce, < 8 billion by 2050
 Forest area: ~ 9.6 bil ac; 50-66% of 1600 ce
 Forest loss: ~ 23 mil ac/yr in 1990s
 Population + economic growth = forest loss, but not always
 - 30 mil ac/yr tropics, + 7 mil ac/yr non-tropics
 Demands for forest benefits ever growing
 Water quality, quantity
 Wood use (+ 0.5%/yr)
 Biodiversity conservation
 Carbon storage
 Recreation, subsistence, cultural uses
Global & U.S. Wood Use
 Ind. wood use rose 40% since 1960: ~ 1.5 BCM in 2000
 Fuel wood use > industrial wood use: ~ 1.7 BCM in 2000
 Ind. wood use will increase 33-66% by 2050: ~ 2-2.8 BCM
 ~ 80% of global wood and fiber will come from planted
forests by mid century or earlier
 ~ 35% of industrial wood used worldwide crosses an
international boundary from tree to product
 US imports ~ 20% of wood products consumed; exports 12%
of harvest
 US uses ~ 25% of world’s industrial wood; largest per capita
 US forest and wood choices drive global wood market
 Forest industries integrating globally
Oregon Forests
 Forests are one of Oregon’s greatest natural assets
 ~ 46% of Oregon’s land is forest: 28 mil ac., among most
productive in world, all managed for water quality, ~ 90%
of original forest, no net loss in recent decades
 ~ 57% federal (NFS, BLM, NPS)
 Most currently reserved from timber harvest or managed for
recreation and natural values as primary purpose (> 80%
Cascades & west; 20-50% central & eastern OR)
 ~ 43% non-federal
 21% industry, 16% family, 3% state, ~ 3% tribal, county, municipal
 90+% of state’s timber harvest from these lands
Varied Ownerships
State
Federal
Tribal
Private
Water
The Forest Cluster*
People
Place
Products
Forests
Businesses
Policies
Infrastructure/
Institutions
* A cluster is all the entities engaged in or affiliated with a core business, in this
case forests and forest products broadly defined
Economic Impact for Oregon
 Forest cluster (SIC data for 2000)*
 $18.6 billion total industrial output (TIO); 9.3% of
State TIO
 155,000 direct jobs; 7.3% of State total
 $5.3 billion wages; ave wage = $40,525; State ave
wage = $34,840
* Preliminary data from 2004 OBC project by Eric Hovee; includes Primary,
Secondary, Services, Timber Related and Forest Rec/Tourism
Historical Context
 Forest cluster’s economic role has changed
 Forest products major factors in Oregon economy and
community life from late 1800s to early 1980s
 Employment in forest cluster fell during 1980s to early
1990s, stable since mid 1990s
 Recession early 80s, retooling 80s-90s, supply loss early 90s
 Economic challenges most severe in rural communities
 Land available for harvest reduced dramatically 1990s
 Federal policies (environment > economy), values conflicts
 Timber harvest on private lands ~ stable since 1990
 Most forest cluster jobs now derive from private lands
Historical Context …
 Public perceptions on economic and community
roles of forest cluster changing
 1980s-1990s: conflict over forests, environmental
concerns produced:
 Old-growth protection in federal forests (5.3 million ac)
 Economic hardship for rural communities, economies
 Increased regulatory and legal costs for wood producers
 Gridlock and excessive costs on federal forestlands
 False perceptions of forest resources in Oregon’s future
 2004: Oregonians want balance, end to conflict
strategy, forests managed for economic, social, and
environmental benefits, i.e., sustainability’s “triple
bottom line”
Building a Future from Past
Success
 Oregon has a solid foundation for natural
resource sustainability
 Land-use dedications: federal and state forests, parks,
wildlife refuges; nature reserves; wood production
 Diverse ownerships = diverse outcomes
 State land-use laws limit forest, ag-land loss
 State & federal forest, water, air, wildlife protection laws
 State forestry strategic plan (FPFO)
Building from Success …
 World-class forestry education, research and extension
(OSU CoF/OR FRL, FS PNWRS, USGS, EPA)
 Private-public partnerships (Oregon Plan)
 Public forestry education programs (OFRI)
 Growing sustainability ethic, incentives
 Access to major markets
Returns on Investments
 Highest quality water in Oregon from forestlands
 Fish habitat restoration well underway
 Successful reforestation following harvest
 Wood growth exceeds harvest
 Sustainable contributions to Oregon’s economic,
social and environmental goals
 Public support for “balanced” management
But We Can’t Sit Still!
 Action is needed to sustain forest social,
environmental, and economic benefits
 Continue protecting private forestland from conversion
 Forest is best land use for water, air, fish, wildlife, CO2
 Encourage use of environmentally superior, renewables
 Wood grown here to some of world’s highest standards
 Reduce threats posed by imported raw wood
 Build on effective public-private partnerships, e.g.,
Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watershed
 Restore health and prudent management to federal
forestlands
Action is Needed …
 35% of Oregon’s federal forests are at high risk of
drought stress, disease, fire; Federal forest plans
not working for all goals, due for revisions
 Federal forest management costs are very high for the
public benefits delivered
 Private forests need science-based protection rules
and incentives, not precautionary overkill
 State forests offer options to federal & private plans,
warrant testing
Near-term Opportunities
1. Gain Federal endorsement of Oregon Plan
 State lead on water and listed species to:
 Recover salmonids, maintain healthy watersheds;
conserve Oregon’s natural heritage
 Build from foundation of federal and state laws and
regulations – CWA, ESA, FPA rules – adding
voluntary conservation actions
 Leverage state, federal and private investments
Near-term Opportunities
2. Support forest health programs
 Expedite thinning & post-fire restoration
 Focus on urban interface, near private property,
where resource values are at risk – water, natural
& cultural resources, ESA-listed species
 Collaborate on strategic, landscape-scale treatments --
thin, Rx fire, contain invasives, restore resilience
 Protect environmental values -- water, air, FWL
 Capture economic benefits compatible with other goals,
e.g., wood, biomass energy
 Education, research, outreach for forest & rangeland
health -- agency-university partnerships
Is Current Forest Healthy?
See for yourself
Western Forest Stats
More wood added than removed every year
Mortality
0.07
Removals
0.09
Growth
0.2
Inventory
10.3
0
2
4
6
8
Billion Cubic Meters (BCM)
USFS 1996 FIA data
10
12
Near-term Opportunities
3. Statewide Conservation Strategy
MOVE FROM
TO
Landowner uncertainty,
Stewardship for
gridlock over species-by- ecosystem health,
species protection,
long-term
unsustainable
dynamics,
preservation
multiple
benefits
Near-term Opportunities
4. Analyze effects of increasing requirements on
landowners
 Economic viability of ownership
 Influences on land-use conversion
 Continued investment in forestland management
 Align tools, policies for forestland sustainability
Near-term Opportunities
5. Federal forest plan and policy refinements
 Window for plan revisions 2005-2007
 Federal forests weak overall performance on
sustainability, very costly, socially divisive
 Federal regulatory processes are impediments
to long-term environmental protection and
economic recovery
Near-term Opportunities
6. Evaluate forest sector potentials for
Oregon’s economy
 Supply/demand potentials for wood, recreation,
tourism, other forest products, services
 Potentials for distinct Oregon forest products,
market niches
Near-term Opportunities
7. Market Oregon wood
O R E G O N

Land use laws
 FPA rules
 FPFO strategy
 Oregon Plan
 Sustainability
commitment
W O O D






Functional
Renewable
Low pollution
Low energy/
water use
Stores carbon
Got forest?
is
G O OD

Quality
 Durability
 Beauty
 Jobs
 Economy
 Environment
Near-term Opportunities
8. Support landowners who promote sustainable
forestry, FPA, seek certification – ATFS, SFI, FSC
Sustainable Forest Management
“Forest resources across the landscape are used, developed,
and protected at a rate and in a manner that enables people to
meet their current environmental, economic and social needs,
and also provides that future generations can meet their own
needs (ODF 2004)”
Breadth of Sustainable
Forest Management
 Sustainable forest management
varies by forest type,
ownership, primary purpose
 Forest use classes:

Wood and fiber production

Multiple resource values/uses

Reserves, nature preservation

Urban and community forests
Wood Production Forests
 Most of world’s wood comes from
planted forests:
 ~ 40-50% now, > 80% by 2050,< 10-20%
of global forest area
 Primary purposes:
 Grow trees for wood, fiber
 Increase forest value to owner
 Management challenges:
 Thrive in global markets
 Increase wood yield: < 2X over natural
 Reduce environmental impacts
 Improve wood quality
 Produce high return on investment
 Maintain social license to operate
Wood from Oregon Forests
 Timber harvest: ~ 3.9 BBF in 2002
 ~ 5% of US softwood harvest
 Superior quality wood due to species, growing
conditions, milling and manufacturing processes
 Harvest potentials
 1977-1989: 5.6 – 8.6 BBF/yr
 1997 OSU study long term sustainable: 7.5 BBF/yr
 1998 – 2002 (after NWFP + other restrictions): 3.4 – 4.1 BBF/yr
 If total ban on federal harvest: 3.5 - 4 BBF/yr
 If HFRA + federal second growth available: > 5 BBF
Multi-resource Forests
 Most of the world’s accessible forests
have multiple resource purposes
 < 40% of global forest area
 Primary purposes:
 Meet diverse landowner objectives
 Increase forest value to owner(s)
 Challenges:
 Optimize multi-resource production
 Produce multiple benefits for acceptable
costs
Reserve Forests
 Parks, reserves, wilderness, natural
areas:
 < 40-50% of global forest area
 Primary purposes:
 Sustain at-risk species, natural
processes, “wild” ecosystems
 Recreation, cultural uses
 Management challenges:
 Minimize human use impacts
 Restore, promote wildness, naturalness
 Ameliorate effects of invasive species,
air pollution
 Achieve goals for least costs
Urban, Community
Forests
 Where 80% of the people live
 Primary purposes:
 Attractive communities, neighborhoods
 Conserve resources: water, energy
 Increase property values
 Backyard wildlife habitats
 Management challenges:
 Safety, infrastructure impacts
 Minimize sprawl and resource use
 Minimize invasive species escapes
 Maximize conservation value
Reserve Forests: Mostly
federal, some state, tribal,
private
Wood Production
Forests: Mostly
industry, family,
some state, tribal
Multi-resource
Forests: Mostly state,
Sustainability
Environmental Benefits
Urban, Community
Forests: Forests where
people live
tribal, some family,
some federal
Ownership Matters
Multi-resource
Wood Production
Reserve
Industry
*
*
Private, large
Family, small
Tribes
State
Federal
*
Streamside zones, leave trees, HECV = mini or micro reserves
Oregon’s Current Balance
Oregon Forest Area by Primary Purpose
Wood
Production
36%
Reserve
31%
Multi-resource*
33%
* This includes 2.5 million acres of federal matrix and AMAs which currently are not fully
serving their designated purpose
Near-term Opportunities
9. Invest in forest-related higher ed, research, tech
transfer


Forest cluster is a knowledge-based
industry
Public and private INVESTMENT in
KNOWLEDGE component of forest
cluster at OSU

Forest/Rangeland Health - Fire
 Watersheds and Fish Protection
 Enhancing Wood Yield & Forest Value
 Wood Products Innovation, Durability
 Forest-based Recreation/Tourism
 Scholarships/Professorships
Near-term Opportunities
10. Build public understanding, commitment to
FPFO and its respective roles for private,
federal, state, tribal, & county forests in
sustaining Oregon’s quality of life and
prosperity
 Oregon summit on forest sustainability
 Education/research/policy/marketing agenda
 Action plan for implementation
Take-home Message
 Capturing these opportunities offers:
 Increasing productivity, resilience and sustainability of
Oregon forests
 Growing environmental benefits from Oregon forests
 Growing jobs & sustainable economic benefits for
Oregon communities
 Globally competitive forest-based Oregon businesses
 Forestland stays in forest uses for forest values
Sustainable Forestry
www.oregonforests.org