September 13, 2024 HFHC News Round Up
Number of trees that die years after wildfire likely bigger than thought, research shows (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
One year after a wildfire burns in a forest, the U.S. Forest Service assesses the damage. What the agency finds at this one-year mark informs its post-fire restoration efforts, including how many trees foresters are required to plant to replace ones that died due to the fire. But according to a growing body of research, one year just isn’t enough time to determine how many trees have died following a wildfire. Two recent studies, created independently of each other, that examined the effects of wildfires in Oregon, Washington as well as other parts of the West, found that trees scorched by fire can continue to die for as long as five years after a wildfire. While there is as yet no scientific consensus about what these findings mean for post-fire restoration, the implication, according to some scientists, is that the ecological damage caused by wildfires has been underestimated and restoration efforts are not keeping up.
Rural Oregonians Respond to the Draft Elliott State “Research” Forest Plan (Evergreen)
The Oregon Department of State Lands has released its Draft Elliot State Research Forest Forest Management Plan Community Engagement Report. I don’t know why the word “Elliott” is missing a “t” on the report’s title page but I presume someone will correct this misspelling. The Elliott – Oregon’s first state forest – takes its name from Francis Elliott, Oregon’s first state forester, appointed by the Board of Forestry at its founding meeting, March 30, 1911. During his 19 years at the helm, Elliott was instrumental in the Oregon legislature’s decision to develop a state forest system from public domain lands granted by Congress at statehood in 1859. Normally, Congress granted only one section [640 acres] per township but Oregon got two sections [1,280 acres per township] because of its more mountainous and difficult to develop terrain. Statewide, 3.5 million acres – with the proviso that Sections 16 and 36 were to be used to generate revenue for rural schools.
Proper Forest Management: Protecting our Natural Resources and Reducing Future Risk (Western Caucus)
The recent Park Fire in my district is yet another reminder of the urgent need for better forest management and post-fire recovery efforts. The destruction of homes, businesses, and cherished natural resources is heartbreaking, and our residents are left grappling with the aftermath. But the real issue runs deeper. Poorly managed forests and neglected post-fire cleanup have made these fires more destructive than they should be. We’ve seen this pattern before. Past fires have left massive burn scars—landscapes filled with dead trees, charred brush, and hazardous rubble. These areas, left uncleared and untreated, become fuel for future fires. Instead of removing this fire hazard, we’ve allowed it to sit, creating tinderboxes waiting for the next spark. The failure to address burn scars not only puts nearby towns at risk, but also slows down the natural recovery of the affected ecosystems. Without proper management, these damaged areas become prone to soil erosion, flooding, and even landslides.
Conservation groups ask Ninth Circuit to halt commercial logging projects in Oregon forest (CNS)
Two conservation groups asked a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel to stop three commercial logging projects slated for a south-central Oregon forest, accusing the U.S. Forest Service of exceeding its authority and bypassing environmental regulations in approving the projects. Oregon Wild and WildEarth Guardians appeared before a three-judge panel on Wednesday to implore the court to prevent the service from commercially thinning 29,000 acres within the Fremont-Winema National Forest in southern Oregon. The conservation groups argue that the service illegally authorized the projects and bypassed environmental impact analysis by misapplying a categorical exclusion to the National Environmental Policy Act.
North-central Idaho forest improvements underway with Good Neighbor Authority partnership (Idaho Capital Sun)
The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and Idaho Department of Fish and Game are working to improve north-central Idaho fish and wildlife habitats and restore forest ecosystem health. The years-long Good Neighbor Authority partnership now has another $1.3 million for the work, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests announced in a news release Wednesday. “We’ve demonstrated our commitment to build a strong partnership that we hoped would support our priorities in the long term,” Tara Ball, Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s partnership lead, said in a news release. “We are starting to see this transpire with work in the Selway, South Fork, and North Fork watersheds and are excited to do good things for wildlife in areas where it matters most.” In 2020, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game joined the partnership with the national forest. The Idaho Department of Lands is also a partner.
‘Man-made’ disaster: Ruidoso officials say lack of forest thinning and logging contributed to fire (Santa Fe New Mexico)
Still reeling from fires and floods that caused two deaths, the destruction of hundreds of homes and a puny summer tourism season, local leaders in the Ruidoso area are asking: How much could have been avoided? Local and tribal officials told a group of state lawmakers gathered Wednesday in Las Cruces they believe insufficient forest thinning and maintenance played a role in scope of the South Fork and Salt fires this summer, as well as the subsequent burn scar flooding that caused heavy damage at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track & Casino, a tourism driver in the cluster of mountain communities. Several said they blame overgrowth in the forests in part on the slowdown of the logging industry in the area. “This disaster, which affects even the Hondo Valley and the acequias down there … was all man-made,” said Mark Fischer, a Lincoln County Commissioner, during a meeting of the Legislature’s Economic and Rural Development and Policy Committee.
Federal firefighters run out of leadership teams as fires rage across West (SF Chronicle)
As powerful wildfires rage across the West, including in California, Nevada, Oregon and Idaho, the federal government this week ran out of leadership teams to oversee firefighting efforts. The 44 incident management teams that travel to big fires, each made up of dozens of experienced employees who develop strategy and coordinate slews of firefighters, are either tied up, taking required time off to rest or preparing for their next assignment, according to federal officials. “We’ve had to send all the teams out,” said Piper Brandt, public affairs specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, which helps run the federal response to wildfires. “We have a lot of large fires, and it’s gotten really busy.” The current unavailability doesn’t mean federal firefighters won’t respond to new fires; the management units can sometimes handle more than one burn, and states such as California as well as major municipalities often have their own teams that can step in to aid the federal government and oversee federal employees on wildfires. However, the shortfall spotlights the enduring and crippling staffing problems that have recently plagued federal firefighting ranks, even as huge fires become more common.
Over $100M in Climate Funds Spent on Forestry Projects That Don’t Reduce Net Carbon Emissions – Explainer (Forks Forum)
The fate of Washington’s cap-and-trade law, the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), will be decided by voters this November. Proponents of the law often claim that repealing the CCA would eliminate critical funding to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and make forests more resilient to climate change. However, these claims don’t square up with how Olympia politicians have spent funds from the Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) Account — the fund established under the CCA for these activities. In fact, during the first two years of spending from the NCS account, 72% of the funds have been used on forestry projects that do not reduce net carbon emissions. Instead of spending CCA NCS funds on real climate solutions that reduce net carbon emissions including reforestation, forest health, and wildfire prevention, CCA funds have largely been spent to close Department of Natural Resources (DNR) forested state trust lands from sustainable timber harvesting, and to purchase private working forests as replacement lands. The result is a net loss of working forests for Washington.
Nature Conservancy Releases Innovative Emerald Edge Carbon Map (TNC)
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and our Canadian affiliate Nature United are excited to announce the launch of the Emerald Edge Carbon Map, an innovative, interactive map to help identify the most impactful and actionable opportunities for natural climate solutions projects that also support Indigenous and community priorities. Natural climate solutions are actions to protect, manage and restore ecosystems that help sequester carbon and fight climate change. The Emerald Edge is the world’s largest coastal temperate rainforest and is a globally important carbon storage and sequestration heavyweight. The region spans 125 million acres across Oregon, Washington state, British Columbia and Alaska, and comprises the territories of more than 50 Indigenous Nations who continue to care for the land to support their cultures, food security, ecotourism services and other economic uses.
Hunters sue FWS over delays in making gray wolf ESA decisions (Greenwire)
Hunting organizations this week brought new legal pressure to bear on the Fish and Wildlife Service over the agency’s long delay in deciding whether certain gray wolf populations still require Endangered Species Act protections. Citing the federal agency’s apparent inaction on two ESA petitions filed in June 2023, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and three allied groups filed a lawsuit this week that adds to the legal, regulatory and political tangle surrounding the iconic species. “Unsurprisingly, the agency has asked us on multiple occasions to refrain from bringing this suit,” Michael Jean, litigation counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, said in a statement. “But we will never refrain from holding agencies accountable to their statutory mandates to scientifically manage wildlife.” The Michigan Bear Hunters Association, Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen Association and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association joined in the suit, filed Monday in federal court in Michigan. The suit focuses on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s missing statutory deadlines for rendering initial and final decisions on the two June 2023 petitions.
After Chevron: Conservation Rule Already Faces Challenges (Law 360)
Just two months have passed since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, but litigants are already using it to challenge agency regulations in the field of environmental law and natural resource management to overturn and otherwise test the boundaries of that ruling. One regulation that is vulnerable under Loper Bright, and is now the subject of four newly filed lawsuits, is the Bureau of Land Management’s May 2024 Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, which broadly interprets “uses” under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to include conservation easements — the first time the BLM has done so in a regulation. Without the tip of the scales that agency interpretations enjoyed before Loper Bright, the rule is on shaky footing because the text and structure of FLPMA, as well as the BLM’s past interpretations of the term “use,” suggest that the rule is not the best interpretation of the statute. How the courts treat the pending challenges to the rule is likely to further color the post-Chevron landscape.
Public officials seek local investors for a potential Tillamook ‘biomass’ plant (Headlight Herald)
The idea of a new power plant here that’s fueled by forest and agricultural waste – or, “biomass” – has received enthusiastic support from local public and economic development officials. But those commenting from the private sector, while expressing interest, seems a bit more reserved. “There is a lot of interest in biomass power,” said Jeff Webber, Stimson Lumber Company’s vice president of manufacturing. “It’s an opportunity we’ve looked at for quite some time. “But we don’t feel the economics are there right now. However, they could be in the future.” Stimson Lumber, which owns Trask River Lumber, a sawmill on Port of Tillamook Bay property south of the City of Tillamook, sent representatives to an Oct. 27 workshop to discuss construction of a $50-million to $60-million biomass plant that could employ from 20 to 100 workers at the port’s industrial park.
Georgia regulators consider pricey power plant to bolster forestry jobs (WABE)
State regulators are considering a plan that would allow Georgia Power to generate more electricity by burning organic material, such as wood pellets. There appears to be little disagreement over whether energy from biomass is a cheaper option than other energy sources: it’s not. Instead, questions around the proposal ultimately hinge on a different issue: whether it’s the role of the Georgia Public Service Commission to support jobs in the state’s timber industry.
Market Report: Navigating Challenges in the US Wood Products Market (Freres Wood)
Wood products markets are still a grind for almost all our product lines. The LVL market is lackluster, so the takeaway for density-graded veneers has slowed considerably. Plywood sales prices improved slightly over the last couple of weeks and sales volumes are consistent. We are selling production each week, but we have not yet seen a week where there has been a surge in demand that dramatically exceeds production. US wood products market conditions shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the ISM (Institute for Supply Management) Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers Index), which is an indicator of expansion or contraction in US manufacturing, has indicated 21 monthly declines out of the last 22 periods. Manufacturing in the US is further impacted by the strength of the US dollar, which is currently at a 20-year high when compared to a basket of currencies from major trading partners.
BC Forest Industry in Crisis (On The Brink Podcast)
In this special solo edition, John A. Brink tackles one of the most pressing issues in British Columbia today: the crisis in the BC forest industry. Drawing from his 60+ years of experience in the industry, John reflects on the unprecedented challenges facing the sector, stating, “I have never witnessed a more difficult time in the British Columbia forest industry.” John discusses how BC, once known for being the lowest cost producer of fibre and lumber, has now transitioned to being one of the highest-cost producers. He explains the underlying causes and the consequences of this shift on the local economies of the province.
Editorial: Canfor closures are a ‘shock’ that we all saw coming (Prince George Citizen)
We’ve known for years that BC’s forest industry is in serious trouble. The most recently announced U.S. tariffs aren’t helping. For years, under first the BC Liberals and then the NDP, the approach has been to kick the can down the road when it comes to addressing the ground-level challenges facing the forestry industry. Companies keep harvesting, milling and shipping until the ledger turns red (or looks like it might), and then the saws are unplugged, the mills close and people lose their jobs. It didn’t have to be this way. Warning signs have been clear since the pine beetle attacked BC forests 20 years ago. While it was a crisis, it led to a major logging boom as salvage operations began. Crews started harvesting the trees the beetles had killed, an operation that saw huge growth in the industry and money being made across the board. Things looked OK. But once those dead trees had been turned into cash, experts warned at the time, the province needed a long-term plan to deal with the eventual collapse of the industry. That plan never came, and here we are in that collapse. The industry has about half the jobs it did 25 years ago. It’s failing.
