12 th Annual NIPF Foresters Workshop The Family Forest Foundation
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Transcript of 12 th Annual NIPF Foresters Workshop The Family Forest Foundation
Family Forest Foundation
12th Annual
NIPF Foresters Workshop
The Family Forest FoundationSteve Stinson, Executive Director
January 23rd 2004
Westcoast Ridpath Hotel
Spokane WA
Family Forest Foundation
Committed to the conservation and prosperity of the family forest
Family Forest Foundation
Mission:To promote the conservation and prosperity of family forests Promote regulatory stability for family
forests 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 PlanIssue: 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
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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
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Need for Family Forest HCP Regulatory Instability Disproportionate
Impact of Broad brush regulation
Time and Personnel Expense
400 0 400 800 Feet
Property BoundaryOuter ZoneInner ZoneCore ZoneStreams
N
Case Study1
Forests and FishBuffers
33 Acres (13 ha)64% in Buffers
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Streams
16,628 Miles of streams in Lewis County
1620 Miles on Family Forestland
493 Miles of potential fish bearing streams
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Action PlanIssue: Loss of Markets for Wood Products
Goal: Provide Market Access for Products from Family Forests
Objective: Marketing Entity and/or Manufacturing Facility
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Marketing Feasibility StudyQuestions: 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
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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
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
Forestry Coops Across the United StatesWestern Upper Peninsula Forest Improvement DistrictHancock, Michigan
Family Forest Foundation
Forestry Coops Across the United StatesWestern Upper Peninsula Forest Improvement DistrictHancock, 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
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Forestry Coops Across the United StatesWestern Upper Peninsula Forest Improvement DistrictHancock, 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
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Forestry Coops Across the United StatesNorth Quabbin WoodsOrange, 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
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Forestry Coops Across the United StatesNorth Quabbin WoodsOrange, Massachusetts
Strategies: Educational programs for
landowners & public Eco-tourism Forest management
planning Administer “working
forest conservation easements”
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Forestry Coops Across the United StatesVermont Family ForestsBristol, 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
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Forestry CoopsSummary 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
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Next Steps Complete Feasibility Study Quantify potential volume of products
Develop Management Plans Research Potential Business Models and
Investors
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Action PlanIssue: Rural/Urban Paradigm’s
Goal: Broaden Consumers’ Perspective on Forestry Issues
Objective One:Develop Series of White Papers
Objective Two: Develop a Speakers GuildObjective Three: Foster the Development of Forest
Policy
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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
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Accuracy of GIS
Reporting
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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
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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
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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
What Makes Family Forest Landowners Unique? (cont.)
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Family Forest Foundation
Lewis County NIPF Landowners 2169 NIPF Landowners 136,353 Acres Ownership Acreage
<21 Acres: 29% 21-50 Acres: 31% 51-100 Acres: 19% 101-500 Acres: 18% >500 Acres: 3%
Target Audience >50 Acres 556 NIPF Landowners 56,481 Acres
Family Forest Foundation
LC Forest Landowner SurveyReason for owning forest land
82%
30%56%
80%
72%
14%35%
84%
39%
86%62%
67%
74%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Scenic/asethetic
DevelopmentHome/vacation home
Legacy
Protection of biological diversity
Non-timber products
Immediate incomeLong-term income
Recreation
Long-term investment
Enhance quality of timberEnhance quantity of timber
Privacy
Percent high/moderate priority
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LC Forest Landowner SurveyLevel of interest in improving forest management
60%
49%
61%
47%
69%
84%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Receiving assistance
Timing timber harvest to benefitwildlife
Protecting sensitive sites
Coordinateing with other landowners
Growing older trees if economicsincentives are present
Thinning to improve forest health
% strong or moderate interest
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LC Forest Landowner Survey
Age of owner
0102030405060708090
20-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 80+
Fre
qu
en
cy
Family Forest Foundation
Action PlanIssue: 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: Provide a Financially Stable Resource to Promote the Conservation of Family Forests
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Family Forest Foundation Fund Raising
Regulatory Stability (FFHCP) 2001 Interior Appropriations 2003 USFWS Sec 6 Funds 2003 WA DNR 2003 Lewis County
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Family Forest Foundation Fund Raising
Market Access USDA Cooperative Feasibility Study
Consumer Awareness Weyerhaeuser Foundation Outreach
Locally contributed Matching Funds
Endowment Fund
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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]