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


Committed to the conservation and prosperity of the family forest


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


Action PlanIssue: Increasing Regulatory Burdens

Goal: Promote Regulatory Stability

Objective: Family Forest Habitat Conservation Plan


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


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


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


Streams

16,628 Miles of streams in Lewis County

1620 Miles on Family Forestland

493 Miles of potential fish bearing streams



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


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


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


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


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


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


Action PlanIssue: Loss of Markets for Wood Products

Goal: Provide Market Access for Products from Family Forests

Objective: Marketing Entity and/or Manufacturing Facility


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


Forestry Coops Innovative technologies Direct marketing Product branding Equipment sharing Member owned Value-added processing Landowner services Eco-tourism Utilizing low-value

species


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



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



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


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


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”


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


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


Next Steps Complete Feasibility Study Quantify potential volume of products

Develop Management Plans Research Potential Business Models and

Investors


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


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


Accuracy of GIS

Reporting


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


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


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.)



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


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


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


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


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


Family Forest Foundation Fund Raising

Regulatory Stability (FFHCP) 2001 Interior Appropriations 2003 USFWS Sec 6 Funds 2003 WA DNR 2003 Lewis County


Family Forest Foundation Fund Raising

Market Access USDA Cooperative Feasibility Study

Consumer Awareness Weyerhaeuser Foundation Outreach

Locally contributed Matching Funds

Endowment Fund


Criteria For Successful Family Forest Management Policy


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]

Documents

12 th Annual NIPF Foresters Workshop The Family Forest Foundation