Forest Management & Planning for Grizzly Bears · Forest Management & Planning for Grizzly...

Forest Management & Planning for Grizzly Bears: a case study applying science-based management tools in multiple stages of forest harvest planning

CIFConferencelSept.2018lGrandePrairie,ABLauraM.Trout,M.Sc.,P.Biol.

Photo©MarkBradley2015

Concept

• DetailedForestManagementPlan• DraftrevisionforGrizzlyBearRecoveryPlan• fRIResearchGrizzlyBearGISTools

Concept

Objectives

BusinessasUsual“BAU”plantoaGrizzlyBearFriendly“GB”plan

Analyzean

dCo

mpa

re

Communicatewithinandoutwardhowwell[ornotsowell]theGBtoolsintegratedintotheplanningprocess

Commun

icate

Identifykeylessons,adaptandimproveAd

apt

Methods

BuildGBPlan

Roadscorridors

BuildRoadsAccessControls

HarvestBlocks

Timing

Design

ApplyGBTools

RSF,MR,HS

Sightability

Denning

BMPs AccessControl

BuildBAUPlan

ApplyGBTools

RSF,MR,HS

Workshops

Meetings

Study Area The Chungo

Photo©ChrisIngram2017

ExistingRoads

XXXKm XXXKm

Hectares XXXHa XXXKm

BAUPlan

GBPlan

BAUPlan

GBPlan BAUPlanCurrent

BusinessAsUsualPlan GrizzlyBearPlan

Index Current FutureBAU

Difference(+or-)

%changeBAU

FutureGB

Difference(+or-)

%changeGB

MeanMortalityRisk

1.93 2.23 - 15.25% 2.08 - 7.44%

MeanRSF 5.53 7.07 + 27.68% 6.69 + 20.97%OpenRouteDensity 0.44 0.52 - 18.31% 0.48 - 9.38%

HabitatState 0.57 1.08 + 88.78% 0.99 + 71.74%

TotalRoad(Km) 125Km 101KmHarvestArea(Ha) 915.9Ha 1629Ha

BusinessAsUsualPlan GrizzlyBearPlan

Index Current FutureBAU

Difference(+or-)

%changeBAU

FutureGB

Difference(+or-)

%changeGB

MeanMortalityRisk

1.93 2.23 - 15.25% 2.08 - 7.44%

MeanRSF 5.53 7.07 + 27.68% 6.69 + 20.97%OpenRouteDensity 0.44 0.52 - 18.31% 0.48 - 9.38%

HabitatState 0.57 1.08 + 88.78% 0.99 + 71.74%

TotalRoad(Km) 125Km 101KmHarvestArea(Ha) 915.9Ha 1629Ha

BusinessAsUsualPlan GrizzlyBearPlan

Index Current FutureBAU

Difference(+or-)

%changeBAU

FutureGB

Difference(+or-)

%changeGB

MeanMortalityRisk

1.93 2.23 - 15.25% 2.08 - 7.44%

MeanRSF 5.53 7.07 + 27.68% 6.69 + 20.97%OpenRouteDensity 0.44 0.52 - 18.31% 0.48 - 9.38%

HabitatState 0.57 1.08 + 88.78% 0.99 + 71.74%

TotalRoad(Km) 125Km 101KmHarvestArea(Ha) 915.9Ha 1629Ha

BusinessAsUsualPlan GrizzlyBearPlan

Index Current FutureBAU

Difference(+or-)

%changeBAU

FutureGB

Difference(+or-)

%changeGB

MeanMortalityRisk

1.93 2.23 - 15.25% 2.08 - 7.44%

MeanRSF 5.53 7.07 + 27.68% 6.69 + 20.97%OpenRouteDensity 0.44 0.52 - 18.31% 0.48 - 9.38%

HabitatState 0.57 1.08 + 88.78% 0.99 + 71.74%

TotalRoad 76Km 125Km(49Kmadded) 101Km(25Kmadded)HarvestArea(Ha) 915.9Ha 1629Ha

BusinessAsUsualPlan GrizzlyBearPlan

Index Current FutureBAU

Difference(+or-)

%changeBAU

FutureGB

Difference(+or-)

%changeGB

MeanMortalityRisk

1.93 2.23 - 15.25% 2.08 - 7.44%

MeanRSF 5.53 7.07 + 27.68% 6.69 + 20.97%OpenRouteDensity 0.44 0.52 - 18.31% 0.48 - 9.38%

HabitatState 0.57 1.08 + 88.78% 0.99 + 71.74%

TotalRoad(Km) 125Km 101KmHarvestArea(Ha) 915.9Ha 1629Ha

Habitat(Ha)

Secondary 4,414 3,988

Primary 2,489 8,634

Total 6,903 8,634GBPlan

Habitat(Ha)

Secondary 4,414 5,004

Primary 2,489 4,900

Total 6,903 9,903

BAUPlan

What did we learn from applying the RSF/MR/HS Model?

Effectiveness

What’sgoodforbearsisgoodforforestry.Difficulttobalancecostsonaget-in/get-outplan.ChallengeswithotherforestvaluesToolsbestappliedatabroaderlandscape-level.

Process

Heightenedawareness.

Workshopswerenotaseffectiveashoped.

Harvest/roadplansdevelopedontheflyresultingincommunicationissues.

GIStoolsdifficulttorun.

NextSteps

Re-runanalysiswith…-Roadaccesscontrols-Withretention(sightability)-Subsequent10-20years(forestgrowthandroaddeactivation)-Expandstudyarea

The Other Grizzly Bear Tools?

SightabilityDenning

BMPs(AccessControl)

Sightability

•  Topography•  Roadsiderealestate•  AllViewsvs.BestView.•  Competeswithnon-mobileretentionanchors•  Landscape-levelmatrixretention•  Redundanttoroadaccesscontrols•  Digitalanomalies(blockedge)

Notcompleteyet…

Denning Notcompleteyet…

•  EntireharvestareaisModerateorHighdenningprobability.•  Denningsitefidelityisuncertain•  Summerground

What did we learn from combining the tools in the planning process?

Effectiveness

Sightabilityandaccesscontrolsareredundantbutsightabilitytoolcanbeusedwhenaccesscontrolisnotanoption.NeedtointegrateSightabilityandAccessControlintoRSF/MR/HSmodel.Denningawarenessforstaff/season

Process

Toolsdidnotcombineaswethoughttheymight.Toolscouldbemodifiedtoalignwithforestryperspective(i.e.roadviews)MorecommunicationontooldevelopmentisneededNeedanin-houseexpert.

NextSteps

ApplythesightabilitytooltotheForestryTruckRd.ConfirmseasonofharvestforHighprobabilitydenningareasandunderstandthelevelofalignment.IntegrateaccesscontrolsandfinalblockshapesandharvestseasonsintoHabitatStatemodel?

Key Lessons on Science-based Active Adaptive Management

Timeanddedicationnottobeunderestimated.

Knowledgegoesbothways.

Greaterunderstandingofspeciespopulations,generally.

Singlespeciesvs.EBM

Adapt/Extrapolate

ByronVriendAaronJones

AnjaSorensonGordonStenhouse

HalJacksonLauraTrout

Questions?

Photo©GaryGulash