Transcript Critical Loads Meeting, Riverside, February 15-18, 2005 Jim Sedell Director USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station Albany,California.

Critical Loads Meeting,
Riverside, February 15-18, 2005
Jim Sedell
Director
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Research Station
Albany,California
PSW Laboratory Locations
1. Arcata
2. Redding
3. Placerville
4. Davis
5. Albany
6. Fresno
7. Riverside
8. Honolulu
9. Hilo
1
2
4
5
3
6
8
7
9
National Research Council (NRC) Report
“Air Quality Management in the United
States” (2004)
Need for tighter air pollution controls and monitoring
in the US to protect sensitive ecosystems.
Need for an enhanced research on air pollution
impacts on ecosystems.
Concentration standards are inappropriate for some
resources at risk from air pollution (ozone, N & S
deposition).
Deposition-based standards for N & S are more
appropriate. “Critical Loads” are suggested as a tool
for evaluating ecological effects of N & deposition.
Europeans and Canadians have recently
greatly improved CL methodologies
The CL approach has been used in Europe since late
1980s by the UN Economic Commission for Europe
International Cooperative Programs
The CL approach has allowed for developing risk
probability maps for forests and other ecosystems for
entire Europe.
A similar approach, at a smaller scale, has been used in
SE Canada and New England.
Need for developing national ozone
secondary standard
The NRC Report recommends development of a
secondary standard for ozone. A concept of an effective
flux of ozone on vegetations is being developed in
Europe.
US researchers, including the FS scientists have
participated in these efforts.
Presence of the US scientists and managers in these
activities and staying abreast with state-of-science on ozone
phytotoxicity evaluation is essential for any future
standard-setting activities of the EPA.
These, of course, may have important effects on how the
federal resources are managed and protected in the future.
Meeting Objectives
(1) Evaluation of work at the FS demonstration sites where
methodologies of the ICP Forest and ICP Modeling and
Mapping for CL are tested.
(2) Consolidation of collaboration between FS R&D and NFS on
development and implementation of the CL approach on US
Forest Service lands.
(3) Development of close collaboration between FS and US EPA,
as well as other land-management agencies, in testing,
developing and implementing CL or similar methodologies for
better assessment of N & S deposition and ozone on forest and
other ecosystems (according to the NRC recommendations).
Tradition of the Mission Inn Critical
Loads meetings continues
This is 3rd CL meeting hosted by the Riverside Fire Lab
at Mission Inn in last 2 years.
These meetings have had a national impact on our
program direction for both Atmospheric Sciences and
Watershed Sciences.
Recently we have been developing, along with our sister
federal agencies, a Performance Accountability System
(PAS) in response to OMB requirements for
accomplishment reporting.
For our R&D PAS Critical Loads have been identified as
one of core budget activities nationwide.
I wish you a very successful
meeting!!!