Accelerating Adoption of Sustainable Practices for Small Forest Producers

2014 Annual Report for OW14-003

Project Type: Professional + Producer
Funds awarded in 2014: $47,167.00
Projected End Date: 09/30/2017
Grant Recipient: Northwest Natural Resource Group
Region: Western
State: Washington
Principal Investigator:
Lindsay Malone
Northwest Natural Resource Group

Accelerating Adoption of Sustainable Practices for Small Forest Producers

Summary

This is a brief interim report for the first two quarters of our project. In 2014, NNRG and Ecotrust focused on preparations for developing the case studies of forest producers. NNRG confirmed case study participants and identified collection criteria for forest inventory data in consultation with Ecotrust. NNRG also developed draft interview questions to be submitted to SARE for review and a template document to summarize harvest data.

Objectives/Performance Targets

 

  1. Research landowner decision-making processes and the impact of Ecotrust’s Forest Planner on these processes – By September 2015, NNRG and Ecotrust will complete research with nine producers on current forest management decision-making processes and the ways in which scenario information impacts these decisions. Ecotrust’s Forest Planner is intended to help landowners weigh revenue expectations, ecological goals, the potential for carbon crediting and the impact of management decisions by neighboring landowners. Our research will ask: Does this free Internet-based decision support tool improve decision-making and management planning capabilities for forest producers? Which tool outputs are most helpful in supporting decision-making? How do landowners consider the Forest Planner’s results in near-term plans for ecological thinning and restoration projects? Are landowners able to use the tool on their own or do they need assistance? NNRG and Ecotrust will complete initial landowner surveys, site visits, forest scenario trials and final surveys with nine producers to answer these research questions.  

 

  1. Incorporate research results into outreach plans and materials – From July to October 2015, NNRG and Ecotrust will analyze research results and incorporate results into plans and materials for outreach. Each of the research questions have the potential to influence the design of educational workshops, materials and site visits. For example, if producers report that the tool outputs are most useful for informing the creation of management plans, then workshops will include information about how to integrate management plans and tool results. If producers report that tool outputs enable a switch from non-management to active ecological management, recruitment for the workshops will focus on landowners where non-management poses the greatest risks to forest health and long-term economic viability.

 

  1. Educate producers and professionals about the use of a new planning tool to assist decision-making – From October 2015 to May 2016, NNRG and Ecotrust will conduct an education and outreach campaign, including three workshops, one webinar for forestry professionals and 30 individual producer follow up site visits. By May 2016, 49 producers and professionals will understand how to use information generated by the Forest Planner to assist decision-making.

 

  1. Remove barriers to sustainable forest management by giving producers and professionals better information about expected long-term outcomes – By the end of the second year of the project in September 2016, at least 49 producers and professionals will have used the Forest Planner to generate information about expected long-term outcomes from active forest management.

 

  1. Directly assist landowners in implementing ecological forestry projects – By the end of the second year of the project in September 2016, at least five producers will incorporate information from the Forest Planner into plans for ecological thinning projects and will complete thinning projects across at least 100 acres.

In 2015, NNRG and Ecotrust will complete research with nine producers on current forest management decision-making processes and analyze research results to understand ways in which scenario information impacts these decisions. Research results will inform the development and outreach for workshop trainings. By fall 2015, we will organize and begin promoting the first of three workshops on forest management decisions using the free Internet-based tool: Forest Planner.

Accomplishments/Milestones

In 2014, NNRG and Ecotrust focused on preparations for developing the case studies of forest producers. NNRG confirmed case study participants, identified collection criteria for forest inventory data in consultation with Ecotrust, and developed interview questions. NNRG also developed a template for summarizing harvest data.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

The goal of the project is to empower forest producers to switch from non-management to active ecological management and remove barriers to sustainable forest management by giving producers and professionals better information about expected long-term outcomes. By collecting data on nine producers and developing case studies, our research seeks to understand what information and circumstances compel producers to change from non-management to active ecological management.

Ecotrust’s Forest Planner is intended to help landowners weigh revenue expectations, ecological goals, the potential for carbon crediting, and the impact of management decisions by neighboring landowners. Our research asks: Does this free Internet-based decision support tool improve decision-making and management planning capabilities for forest producers? Which tool outputs are most helpful in supporting decision-making? How do landowners consider the Forest Planner’s results in near-term plans for ecological thinning and restoration projects? Are landowners able to use the tool on their own or do they need assistance?

Based on the interviews and feedback from producers, NNRG and Ecotrust will design workshops to assist producers in using Forest Planner to meet their management objectives. For example, if producers report that the tool outputs are most useful for informing the creation of management plans, then workshops will include information about how to integrate management plans and tool results. If producers report that tool outputs enable a switch from non-management to active ecological management, recruitment for the workshops will focus on landowners where non-management poses the greatest risks to forest health and long-term economic viability.

Collaborators:

Peter Bahls

peter@nwwatershed.org
Executive Director
Northwest Watershed Institute
3407 Eddy Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Office Phone: 3603856786
Gordon Hogenson

ghogen@microsoft.com
Forest owner
Hogenson Family Forest
18815 320th Ave NE
Duvall, WA 98019
Office Phone: 4257038270
Rod Hanson

rodihans@gmail.com
Forest owner
Hanson Family Forest
6239 56th Ave SE
Lacey, WA 98503
Office Phone: 3604911213
David Diaz

ddiaz@ecotrust.org
Forestry Program Manager
Ecotrust
721 NW 9th Ave, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97209
Office Phone: 5034670821
Bill Lane

bill.lane2@gmail.com
Forest owner
Lane Family Forest
40021 Tanwax Rd E
McKenna, WA 98580
Office Phone: 3604586049
Phil Aponte

paaponte20@gmail.com
Forest owner
Aponte Family Forest
PO Box 4024
Spanaway, WA 98357
Office Phone: 3608328346
Rick Helman

rick@nnrg.org
Forester
Northwest Natural Resource Group
1917 1st Ave, Level A, Ste 200
SEATTLE, WA 98101
Office Phone: 2069713709
Randy Ransom

randyransom@msn.com
Forest owner
Ransom Family Forest
425 400th Street S
Roy, WA 98580
Office Phone: 3604584013
Mark Biser

mbiser@hctc.com
Forest owner
Still Waters Farm
241 Webb Hill Rd
Union, WA 98592
Office Phone: 3604278603
Elona Kafton

elonaraven@juno.com
Forest owner
Two Frog Bog
37225 13th Ave. E
Roy, WA 98580
Office Phone: 3608326783
Donna Albert

donnalen@aol.com
Forest owner
Log Rhythms LLC
7201 Brown Rd. SW
Olympia, WA 98512
Office Phone: 3603579719
Kirk Hanson

kirk@nnrg.org
Director, Northwest Certified Forestry
Northwest Natural Resource Group
1917 1st Ave, Level A, Ste 200
SEATTLE, WA 98101
Office Phone: 2069713709
Lindsay Malone

lindsay@nnrg.org
Membership Director
Northwest Natural Resource Group
1917 1st Ave, Level A, Ste 200
SEATTLE, WA 98101
Office Phone: 2069713709