Transcript June 28, 2006 WASTE WOOD UTILIZATION WORKSHOP Forest Sustainability Program for Baltimore County, MD Donald C.

June 28, 2006
WASTE WOOD UTILIZATION WORKSHOP
Forest Sustainability Program for
Baltimore County, MD
Donald C. Outen, AICP
Natural Resource Manager
[email protected]
410-887-4488 x238
Department of Environmental
Protection and Resource
Management
Baltimore County
Renaissance Redevelopment
• Forest Sustainability Strategy
• Land Preservation Strategy
• Water Quality & Watershed
Restoration Program
Water Quality Protection Ranking
Chesapeake Bay Program’s Resource Lands Assessment
Low
Moderate
Medium High
High
Linking Communities to the Montreal Process Criteria &
Indicators - County Pilot Projects
Wallowa
County
Gogebic
County
Land Area (sq. mi.)
3,145
1,112
599
Population (2003)
7,082
17,329
777,184
Population (2000)
7,226
17,370
754,292
2.3
15.8
1,260.1
% Forest Cover
52%
80%
34%
% Publicly-owned forest
56%
52%
25%
1,049
570
130
2000 Density (sq. mi.)
Forest acres (1000’s)
Wallowa County, OR
Gogebic County, MI
Baltimore
County
Baltimore County, MD
Forest Sustainability
“meeting the needs of society today without diminishing the
ability of future generations to meet their needs”
Montreal Process Criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Conservation of Biological Diversity
Maintenance of the Productive Capacity of Forest Ecosystems
Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem Health and Vitality
Conservation and Maintenance of Soil and Water Resources
5. Maintenance of Forest Contribution to Global Carbon Cycles
6. Maintenance and Enhancement of Long-Term Multiple SocioEconomic Benefits to Meet the Needs of Societies
7. Legal, Institutional, and Economic Framework for Forest Conservation
and Sustainable Management
http://www.mpci.org/home_e.html
The MP Indicators measure forest sustainability at national levels.
Inside the Urban-Rural
Demarcation Line (URDL)
90% of the Population
33.6% of the Land
16.8% of the Forests
Forest (133k ac)
Grass
Impervious
URDL
(adopted 1967)
Baltimore County Forest Resources
FOREST LOSS
• forests cover only 34% of the County (v. pre-settlement ~95%)
• 67% of forests on development sites are retained (Forest Conservation Act)
• forest lost to development averages 230 acres per year
FRAGMENTATION
• > 9,000 patches; mean patch size is 14.6 acres
• ~ half < 0.25 acre; total 418 acres or 0.3% of forests
• 315 patches > 100 acres; comprise 6.5% of patches and 62% of forests
OWNERSHIP
• 75% of forests are privately owned
PARCELIZATION
• est. >50,000 owners of forest patches
• 32% of patches have 1 owner but total only 4% of forest acres
HABITAT
• 13% of forests are “interior” (>500’ from a forest edge)
WATER QUALITY
• 52% of 100-foot stream buffer areas are forested
• 28% of forest cover is located within 100-foot riparian buffer areas
Forest Parcelization
MANAGING THIS 240-ACRE FOREST PATCH TO PROTECT THE FOREST AND STREAM
Forest Parcelization
BECOMES A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THERE ARE DOZENS OF OWNERS
Developing a Forest Sustainability Program
1. Sustainability Issues and Indicators
Forum (June 2003)
2. Stakeholder Steering Committee
(July 2003)
3. Issues and Indicators Paper and web
site (December 2003)
4. Draft Forest Sustainability Strategy
(November 2005) – goals, actions and
assessment needs for 15
sustainability issues
5. Partnership Memorandum of
Understanding for Sustainable Forest
Management (November 2005)
6. Strategy Implementation
http://www.co.ba.md.us/Agncies/environment/workgroup
User name: deprm
Password: environment
DRAFT
Forest Sustainability
Strategy
• 15 Ecological and
Economic
Sustainability Issues
• 42 Proposed Goals
• 101 Recommended
Actions
• 85 Recommended
Assessment and Data
Analyses
http://www.co.ba.md.us/Agncies/environment/workgroup
User name: deprm
Password: environment
Guiding Principles for Forest Sustainability
1. Proactive resource management v.
“benign neglect” or chance.
2. Manage for both ecological and
economic sustainability. Use the
Montreal Process Criteria and
Indicators framework.
3. County-wide management. Assure
that “urban” forests and other treed
areas not traditionally considered
“forest” are included.
4. Address multiple stressors
comprehensively.
5. Develop and use sustainability
indicators, supported by adequate
assessment and monitoring. Work
with federal and State agencies on a
Forest Health Monitoring program.
Goal: “better data, better dialogue,
better decisions.”
6. Favor non-regulatory means,
including education, technical
assistance, and financial incentives.
7. Institutionalize initiatives and
integrate into existing land use and
environmental programs.
8. Continue to facilitate participation
of parties-at-interest (federal and
state agencies, the forest industry,
environmental organizations, and
citizens) in an open process to
implement forest sustainability.
9. Demonstrate leadership by example
and make forest sustain-ability a
priority for management of Countyowned lands.
10.Report progress periodically to the
County Council and the public.
Maintain program website.
http://www.co.ba.md.us/Agncies/environment/workgroup
User name: deprm
Password: environment
Forest Sustainability Strategy
Ecological Sustainability Issues
•
•
•
Forest Cover Loss
•
Conservation of Biological
Diversity
•
Exotic, Invasive Plant and
Animal Species Invasion
•
Forests in Key Sensitive
Areas (Riparian Buffers,
Recharge Areas, Reservoir
Watersheds)
•
Deer Browsing Threats to
Forest Regeneration
Forest Fragmentation
Effects of Forest Loss on
Water Quality and Quantity
and Stream Function
Economic Sustainability Issues:
• Valuing Forest Ecosystem Services
• Reduction of Greenhouse Gases
(Carbon Sequestration Market
Mechanisms)
• Landowner Attitudes Toward Forest
Management
• Public Education about Forest
Science
• Cost and Legal Barriers to
Sustainable Forest Management
• Markets for Local Forest Products
Utilization
• Timber Management for Sustainable
Forests
• Forest Management Plans for
Publicly-Owned Forests
http://www.co.ba.md.us/Agncies/environment/workgroup
User name: deprm
Password: environment
Continuing Partnership for
Implementing Forest Sustainability
• MOU for Sustainable Forest
Management (Nov. 2005)
• Forest Sustainability
Strategy
• Roundtable on Sustainable
Forests
Implementing Forest Sustainability in
Baltimore County
CORE STRATEGY:
• Retain existing forests to degree possible
• Reforest priority environmental areas (riparian buffers, reservoirs, etc.)
• Promote sustainable forest management by public and private sectors
PRIORITY ACTIONS:
• Incorporate forest sustainability initiatives into regional Reservoir
Watershed Management Agreement
• Incorporate forest management as a water quality BMP for regulatory
programs (NPDES, TMDLs)
• Continue to implement Forest Sustainability Strategy through new
partnerships and operating and capital budget initiatives
• Incorporate forest resource assessments into community plans
• Foster forest education and landowner stewardship
• Encourage inter-agency development and adoption of forest and
community sustainability indicators
2006-2007 Work Program
Capital Budget Projects:
•
•
•
•
•
Growing Home Campaign
Rural Residential Stewardship Initiative
Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Network
Urban Forest Assessment (UFORE)
Forest Markets – Carbon, Biomass/Renewable Energy,
Timber and Alternative Forest Products
Urban Tree Canopy Goals Study
5E Forum: Forest Strategy Implementation
• Education, Ecology, Economics, Easements, and Env.
Indicators actions in 2005 Forest Sustainability Strategy
Roundtable on Sustainable Forests:
• County case study & outreach to local governments
American Planning Association:
• PAS Report: Planning with Urban Forestry