March 13, 2023 HFHC News Round Up 

Yale Forest School Scientists on “Proforestation” (The Smokey Wire)
Proforestation, on which the working group recommendations are based, is a recent political movement that aims to prevent forest management in the United States under the assumption that excluding humans from forests will serve as a climate change mitigation tool [4, 14, 15]. It also omits important aspects of forest carbon science [16]. It appears to be premised on a single opinion article published in an academic journal last year [14]. The reality is that forest carbon science is complex [17]. Excluding silviculture from Connecticut’s forests could result in them sequestering less atmospheric carbon over time, due to future losses from catastrophic disturbances (such as windstorms, invasive species, and fire) and lack of carbon benefits derived from forest products.

Threat of western wildfires elevates forestry’s role in 2023 farm bill (Ag Daily)
The farm bill consists of multiple “titles,” or categories. These titles separate each topic and house different provisions that pertain to the omnibus legislation, which covers areas such as commodities, nutrition, and crop insurance. In the 2018 farm bill, there were 12 titles, and that is likely to remain the same in the 2023 reauthorization. These titles don’t all get equal treatment in terms of funding — not by a long shot. The largest chunk of the designated federal dollars has historically gone to the nutrition, crop insurance, commodities, and conservation titles. The remaining titles compete for whatever money is left, which can cause some contention when farm bill discussions begin, as they already have. This is largely due to the fact that natural disasters, volatile markets, and economic instability continue to burden the agriculture industry, and therefore, every other title desperately needs more funding than what it may ultimately receive in the final piece of legislation. One of those titles is Forestry.

Daines talks farm bill priorities in Bozeman (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)
Montana’s Republican Sen. Steve Daines talked about the importance of crop insurance and wildfire mitigation in Bozeman this week during a discussion about farm bill priorities. Daines spoke Friday at Montana State University’s Post Farm, where people from the agriculture and forestry industries gathered to tell the senator their policy goals on risk management programs, research, and food security measures, as renewal of the landmark legislation approaches. The farm bill, a more than $400 billion policy package renewed by Congress every five years, is the main governing policy for agriculture, forestry, and food assistance. It’s what pays for federal crop insurance and loans, floor pricing for commodities, and food stamps, among other U.S. Department of Agriculture programs.

Groups Say Fire Retardant Injunction Would Increase Western U.S. Risks ‘Dramatically’ (Insurance Journal)
Several groups of associations, cities and counties are attempting to challenge a case in Montana they say has the potential to take away an important tool from firefighting efforts at a time when Western U.S. wildfires are worsening. The groups, led by the National Wildfire Suppression Association, filed a motion in U.S. District Court District of Montana Missoula this week to intervene as defendants in a case that seeks to enjoin the U.S. Forest Service from using aerial fire retardant. They were part of several groups that include the wildfire-prone counties, as well as towns like Paradise, California, which was destroyed by massive the 2018 Camp Fire.

Wildfire Smoke Stands to Deplete The Ozone Layer, Scientists Warn (Science Alert)
The smoke from recent wildfires is threatening to slow and even reverse the recovery of Earth's ozone layer – the same one that the world has worked so hard to heal since 1987. The ozone layer is a crucial part of the stratosphere that stops our planet from getting scorched by the Sun's radiation. It's important for the health of all plants and animals that it stays intact, yet thanks to the historical use of synthetic pollutants called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), there's a big old hole in Earth's atmospheric armor, right over Antarctica.

Arizona and California forests face catastrophic change (Payson Roundup)
Double whammy. That’s what’s facing northern Arizona’s forests. If officials don’t act quickly, we’ll likely lose huge swaths of forest permanently. Those conclusions have emerged from the intersection of three massive studies on the decline of forests in the Southwest. First you have the steady rise in average temperatures. Next you have the steady rise in high intensity wildfires. Finally, you have the discovery that a wet winter doesn’t necessarily reduce the danger of a bad fire season. The three recent large-scale studies help explain why the forest has been so slow in coming back from megafires like the Wallow Fire and the Rodeo-Chediski.

Fire policy is destroying our forests (New Mexican)
“Blowtorch forestry” is what Frank Carroll calls it. He is a retired Forest Service employee and a fire expert who analyzes fires, their causes and results. The Santa Fe National Forest is proposing new fire projects on both sides of the Rio Grande Valley. They should complete environmental impact statements. We want to participate. The Forest Service is required to allow us to have a say in what happens next. Anything less is illegal. Forest Service personnel and firefighters describe perfect cases in which everything (weather, resources, moisture) lines up for burns to be “safe.” But their culture still breaks the rules, doesn’t follow protocols and has no oversight. As we learned last spring in Northern New Mexico, the burns are much more horrific than imperfect; they are devastating and deadly. 

Post-wildfire conditions result in poor recovery for fish (ABQ Journal)
Fishing in rivers and streams that cross through Bandelier National Monument in northern New Mexico is off limits now as wildlife managers look for ways make the area more habitable following a catastrophic fire and years of subsequent flooding. Managers at Bandelier issued a temporary fishing closure order Friday, saying Rio Grande cutthroat trout and other species reintroduced following the 2011 blaze aren’t recovering as expected. Water testing has shown a decline in the insect larva that the fish feed on, and the water temperature also is higher because of the lack of shade in the burn areas.

Bipartisan group of lawmakers introduce bill to fully extend good neighbor authority eligibility to counties (NACo)
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Reps. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) – introduced S.697/H.R.1450 – Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act. First introduced in the 116th Congress, this critical piece of bipartisan legislation would fully extend eligibility for the Good Neighbor Authority to counties and tribes and expand opportunities for cross-boundary treatments on our public lands. “Good Neighbor Agreements strengthen the partnership with federal land management agencies and state, tribal and county governments. Standardizing the use of GNA resources will help counties support forest management projects and facilitate better land management decisions based on local impacts and needs. We applaud Senator Risch, Congressman Fulcher and Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez for introducing the Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act and urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation,” said Matthew Chase, Executive Director of the National Association of Counties.

Biden-Harris Administration Invests More Than $12 Million In Support of the Tribal Forest Protection Act (USDA)
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced more than $12 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be invested in fiscal year 2023 to complete projects in support of the Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA). Projects have been selected to support a range of activities focused on forest and grassland restoration. Work will include vegetation management, hazardous fuels risk reduction, and cultural and ethnobotanical surveys on indigenous landscapes.

Flathead National Forest seeks public comment on Cyclone Bill Project (NBC Montana)
Opportunities exist in the project area to manage the forest stands to reduce dense stands of trees and accumulated fuels within the wildland-urban interface to decrease the likelihood of stand replacing fire, while diversifying plant and tree communities and increasing the presence of ponderosa pine, western larch, and western white pine. Project treatment would provide a mix of forest products for local economies as well as maintaining and increasing the presence of large size classes of trees, which could also help maintain low levels of insect and disease activity in the project area. The project activities include 9,694 acres of commercial timber harvest and 4,838 acres of noncommercial vegetation treatments, including thinning and prescribed burning. The project would add approximately 15 miles of road to the National Forest System and 3 miles of temporary road.

Project looks to improve forest health (Lewiston Tribune)
The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest will use a mix of logging and prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on about 2,100 acres north of Elk City. Ron Tipton, ranger of the Moose Creek District, recently approved the Green Horse Project. According to a Forest Service environmental analysis, stands in the area are dominated by shade-tolerant species like grand fir and plagued by insect infestations and diseases such as root rot. The trees are tightly bunched and there is little understory — younger trees and brush — growing beneath more mature trees.

 We can promote resilience in Santa Fe mountain forests (New Mexican)
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains rise in beauty behind Santa Fe. They are home for species ranging from rare giant helleborine orchids to the tiny threatened American pikas, along with our state’s iconic bald eagles, mule deer, cougars and black bears. Because the many life forms in the mountains face complex and diverse challenges, Santa Fe County, conservation organizations, biologists and forest specialists are urging Santa Fe National Forest to consider a wider range of tools in their Landscape Resiliency Plan. The fire triangle — three components needed for fire: oxygen, heat, and fuel — contains more than just fuel. High wind speeds, and heated and dried plants and soils play crucial roles. We live in a world increasingly altered by climate change. Restoring forest resiliency requires new tools and integrated approaches to managing more forest values than those identified in past environmental assessments and silviculture methods.

Forest Service plan includes logging on nearly 12,000 acres in the Green Mountain National Forest (Vermont Public)
On a weeknight in February, dozens of people braved icy roads to crowd into the bleachers at Barstow Memorial School in Chittenden. Forest Service employees in crisp tan uniforms lined the room. On the agenda? The Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project. After years of planning, the Forest Service has a proposal to manage 70,000 acres of federal forest and private land primarily in Rutland County. That includes new logging in about 12,000 acres of national forest. The agency says this management will improve forest health, but some advocates say it’s a bad idea in the face of climate change.

Oregon Department of Forestry Multi-Mission Aircraft Making Strides in Early Wildfire Detection (Aerial Fire)
Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Partenavia P-68 Observer has had many uses in the last 40 years, but its most recent function is as the platform for the department’s nighttime wildfire detection work. Using night vision and an FLIR camera system that is paired with an augmented reality mapping system, this multi-mission aircraft (MMA) allows for quick detection and response to dozens of wildfires every year.

A plan is hatched for Oregon's farms and forests to capture carbon (KPVI)
Oregon’s vast farm and forest lands could be enlisted to capture carbon and reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gasses under legislation that awaits further work in a legislative committee. The Senate Natural Resources Committee heard from about three dozen people on Feb. 15, and a follow-up session is planned later in March. Though representatives of timber industry groups and Oregon Cattlemen’s Association opposed it, Senate Bill 530 won support from environmental groups, plus individual farmers, forest owners and ranchers across the state.

Another fire on the San Francisco Peaks could be a multibillion dollar disaster for Flagstaff (AZ Daily Sun)
During Monday’s informational presentation to the Flagstaff City Council and Coconino County Board of Supervisors, county staff made it clear that the impacts of another fire on the nearby mountains would be disastrous for Flagstaff. The presentation was focused on the possibility of a blaze on the south and western slopes of the San Francisco Peaks — areas that make up the Upper Rio De Flag watershed that drains through downtown Flagstaff. Engineering firm JE Fuller shared models of potential burn severity for a fire in the particular area, as well as models of potential post-fire flooding. While preliminary, the results of the models have been enough to catch the attention of area leadership.

Research: Hotter, Drier Conditions Limit AZ Forest Recovery from Wildfires (PNS)
Marcos Robles, lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy's Arizona chapter and co-author of the study, said forests across the West are what he calls "fire adapted." Robles explained forests have evolved with fire, but what is concerning is how fire behavior has intensified due to climate change, resulting in more trees being killed and fewer seedlings being available to help forest regeneration...Robles noted forest thinning and prescribed burns in overgrown dry forests help reduce fire severity and subsequent tree death. He added effective forest management tools can make forests get back to "historic conditions" and lower the probability of damaging high-severity wildfires. Robles emphasized the federal government has allocated around $3 billion to fund ecological forest management and reforestation efforts across 50 million acres in the next 10 years throughout the West, and stressed the window of opportunity to take action is shrinking.

Ohio's ruffed grouse population devastated (The Courier)
Their plight is a reflection of the declining successional habitat required for the bird’s existence, a critical habitat shortage that effects many upland-dwelling species from bouncing warblers and long-beaked woodcock to the secretive little gray fox. As is true with all wildlife species, habitat remains the key. Forest health is the all-important factor in managing ruffed grouse. Many walk through the forest and have a picture of what it should be: tall, straight trees with squirrels hopping playfully, logging curtailed and under-growth minimalized, trails allowing easy access, and all fires eradicated. In one word, pristine. Sounds great on paper, but that ideal is neither natural nor a friend of wildlife except for those bouncing squirrels. Misperception about timber and fire management is a big reason why ruffed grouse habitat has disappeared. In fact, grouse rely more than most species on forest disturbance and the early successional habitat that comes from those disturbances. The remedies offered by biologists often sound like they’re too much, too difficult, and too hard to sell … and now, could they also be too late?

Sustainable logging: a key contributor to carbon reduction (Market Screener)
The logging industry is adopting sustainable forestry practices that aim to balance economic, social, and environmental objectives. Sustainable forestry involves managing forests in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This includes reducing the impact of logging on biodiversity, maintaining the ecological functions of forests, and minimising the use of non-renewable resources. Sustainable forestry practices also include replanting trees, protecting wildlife habitats, and promoting biodiversity. By doing so, the industry not only preserves the ecological functions of forests, but also helps to reduce carbon emissions. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass. Sustainable forestry practices ensure that forests continue to act as carbon sinks, helping to mitigate the impact of rising greenhouse gases.

Maine’s dwindling cedar supply leaves uncertain future for log home company (BDN Maine)
On the heels of a banner sales year in 2022, Katahdin Forest Products has closed one mill and laid off 20 employees because its cedar stock is nearly depleted. The combination of warmer weather and a 30 percent reduction in the number of Maine firms harvesting timber means the company cannot keep pace with the demands of cedar log home and fencing sales, owner David Gordon said. “While there have been shortened seasons in the past, there has never been a year where supply was this limited,” Gordon said.

Local lumber bill would put grading in hands of producers (KDLL)
A proposed state Senate bill from Nikiski Republican Jesse Bjorkman would put lumber evaluation in the hands of local sawmill operators, allowing local lumber to be used more readily in building projects. A press release from the Alaska Senate Majority says the state is struggling to meet housing shortages, an issue exacerbated by increases in the cost of construction materials and supply chain lag times. As it stands, lumber used for construction must first be graded — or assessed and categorized — by a third-party agency, meaning it leaves the local area before getting to a contractor. Bjorkman’s bill would instead allow certified sawmill operators to grade their own lumber.

U.P. logging dates back to 1832. An app brings it into the 21st century (MLive)
The Upper Peninsula has a logging history dating back almost 200 years. Now, there’s an app for that. Leo Huhta, 47, grew up in the logging business in the U.P.’s Chassell as he watched his dad’s business start humbly with a single chainsaw. For the past 15 years, Huhta has been running his own business, Huhta Logging, with the help of his wife, Tina and their 11 children. Running a large household, the Huhtas know a thing or two about logistics. Whatever downtime Tina had from her career as a full-time nurse was spent connecting dots on who to pay and how much for Huhta Logging services. But payments were slowed by misconnections out in the field. Huhta describes logging logistics like a riddle. One company would have log trucks but no equipment while another, down the road, would have the equipment to cut timber but no way to haul it.

Women to coach women on forest management (CDA Press)
Idaho Department of Lands and University of Idaho Forest Extension are offering a women-centric forestry workshop March 17, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Idaho Research Park in Post Falls. “While anyone is welcome to attend, this is an opportunity for women to interact with women,” said Erika Eidson, IDL Forest Health Specialist and workshop co-host. ”The goal is to create an atmosphere where women are comfortable asking questions and hopefully will gain confidence in managing their family forests.”

Lessons in leading change at Women in Forestry Virtual Summit 2023 (Canadian Biomass)
“You don’t have to be at the top of an organization to be leading change.” This is a quote from Linda Coady, the new president and CEO of the B.C. Council of Forest Industries, reflecting on learnings from a recent project she co-led in her former role with the Pembina Institute, along with Globe Series president Elizabeth Shirt. Shirt and Coady opened the Women in Forestry Virtual Summit this week with a discussion about takeaways from the project that uncovered barriers and collected stories and lessons from women leading the energy transition.

Glenville State University natural resource management students get first hand experience (WBOY)
Forester Karen Kubly of the U.S. Forest Service recently helped a group of Glenville State University (GSU) students learn about sampling and plot design used by the Northern Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program. U.S. Forest Service Forester Karen Kubly marks a tree during her visit to Glenville State University. (Courtesy photo) According to a GSU release, the students, who are a part of a GSU Forest Measurements class, met on GSU-owned forestland.

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