Statement of

Dr. Ann Bartuska

Deputy Chief for Research and Development

Forest Service;

Mr. Steve Eubanks

Forest Supervisor, Tahoe National Forest

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Before

House Resources

Forest and Forest Health Subcommittee

Concerning

Restoring Forests After Catastrophic Events

July 15, 2004

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to discuss with you the important topic of restoring forests
after catastrophic events.

**Background**

Catastrophic events such as wildfire, hurricanes, tornados and other
wind events, ice storms, insect infections and disease, and invasive
species impact millions of acres of forests annually across the United
States and the rest of the world. When these events occur on National
Forest System lands, the need for restoration is determined by ecosystem
characteristics, by economic, social, and ecological values at risk, and
by land management objectives as described in the applicable Forest
Plan. Forests, in the long term, are adapted to recover from such
events, although recovery may take tens to hundreds of years and
sometimes result in modifications to forest type. Therefore, management
objectives, which address all these considerations and reflect research
findings, are the critical factors in determining the amount, type, and
location of restoration treatments. Many disturbed areas should be, and
are, left to recover naturally, but there are times when restoration or
other management activities including the commercial removal of dead and
dying trees is the appropriate and responsible thing to do.

Because wildfire is a recurring and frequent force in North American
forests, we will focus on restoration after fire. Wildfire is one of the
most complex events that impact forests.

Ecological impacts of fire vary with forest type, stand density, fuel
loading, fire intensity, slope and soil characteristics, and weather
conditions. Shrubs, stimulated to sprout or germinate after fire, may
prevent establishment or suppress growth of forest regeneration on some
dry and mid-elevation sites. Changes in species composition and
structure after fires may make these areas more susceptible to future
fire and may not meet long term objectives for an area for wildlife,
recreation and other resources. Severe fires may increase the
susceptibility to invasion by exotic grasses and other undesirable plant
species. Steep slopes and sites with water-repellant soils may lose
surface soils to erosion, causing streams and reservoirs to become
silted. This accelerated erosion, combined with the increased runoff
typical of burned sites can cause channel erosion, loss of fish habitat,
and downstream flooding or debris flows. In these situations management
to restore or speed recovery would likely be appropriate.

**Emergency Stabilization, Rehabilitation, and Restoration**

Restoring forested ecosystems following a large scale disturbance
typically involves three stages: emergency stabilization, usually
completed in the year following the event to prevent threats to life,
property, and further damage to watersheds; rehabilitation of key
resources affected by the disturbance and unlikely to recover without
human intervention; and longer term forest restoration which includes
reforestation and other treatments needed to restore functioning
ecosystems; and that span many years. All of these stages are completed
consistent with the direction contained in individual forest plans.
Research and tools developed by scientists provide important methods of
evaluating what needs to be done and the effectiveness of emergency
stabilization, rehabilitation, and restoration.

After a catastrophic event, our first priority is public health and
safety. Our goal as land managers is to take the steps needed to
stabilize and restore the resource to meet the desired condition of the
resource using treatments that are based upon sound ecosystem
restoration science. Emergency stabilization treatments are conducted
through the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program. Treatments
vary based on values at risk and the probability of protecting those
values. The nature of the treatment is based on severity of the fire,
the slope, soils, ecotype, and post fire weather conditions. Because we
fund emergency stabilization with emergency wildland fire funding, we
require that treatment measures provide essential and proven protection
at minimum cost in order to qualify for funding.

Over the past three years we have developed the capacity to use
satellite imagery to assess burn severity on most large fires on
National Forest System lands. Maps are derived and supplied to managers
who must decide where to treat and how much area needs treatment. Forest
Service and United States Geological Survey scientists have developed an
integrated system called FIREMON for determining and implementing
appropriate methods for quantifying and monitoring effects and severity
of wildland fire.

For example, the bare soils of a severely burned forest may be
susceptible to invasive, non-native species which compete with native
species, limiting growth and productivity of desired vegetation.
Treatments would be designed to prevent the establishment of invasive
species based on severity of the burn, soil condition, and anticipated
invasive species.

Our researchers are currently working with managers to improve a
prototype computer tool that considers soils, vegetation, terrain, burn
severity, and climate characteristics to estimate sedimentation that
might be expected after fire, and how much erosion might be reduced by
various treatments. Results are expressed in terms that allow managers
to assess the uncertainty associated with future climatic events. This
computer model summarizes a vast quantity of data into a form that
managers can use to design effective treatment regimes.

Information developed by researchers helps manager determine appropriate
treatments. For example, the 2003 Myrtle Creek Fire heavily burned the
municipal watershed for the City of Bonner's Ferry, Idaho. The steep
slopes, granitic soils and typically heavy rain falls made erosion
likely. To prevent heavy sedimentation of the City's water supply, the
watershed was seeded with non-persistent grasses. In comparison, the
Southern California fires burned the area surrounding the Silverwood
Lake, a major distribution point for the Southern California water
supply. Because of the Santa Ana winds and the seasonal distribution of
rains, seeding likely would not have been effective in preventing
sedimentation in Silverwood Lake. Instead, mulch was placed to slow the
run off and reduce erosion. The differing treatments were equally
effective in preventing sedimentation.

Last year over 1.4 million acres of National Forest System land burned.
Emergency stabilization treatments were carried out on 78,317 burned
acres. There were also 1,474 miles of road and trail stabilization and
stream rehabilitation. We also completed 2,170 projects that cannot be
measured in acres or miles, such as culvert replacements, hazard warning
signs and early warning systems to warn residents of impending floods.

Rehabilitation focuses on the lands unlikely to recover from fire
through natural processes. The goal is to produce a more intact
ecosystem that meets management objectives for fire and disease
resistance, tree type, regeneration, and fish and wildlife habitat in a
manner appropriate to the site and the impacts of each particular fire.
These activities are carried out using the best available science to
maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts of treatments.

**Tools for Long Term Restoration**

On many acres, natural processes may foster recovery at a pace that is
entirely sufficient to satisfy land management objectives without human
intervention. We conduct vegetative treatments in those locations where
this is not the case, and where we can help expedite the recovery
process through carefully planned and conducted activities that may also
recover value from these areas through various actions, including timber
salvage operations.

Longer term restoration goals are achieved through the application of
prescriptions designed to achieve long term objectives for the land. I
will focus on two types of prescriptions today: the removal of trees
affected by the disturbance event and those designed to facilitate
reforestation.

**Restoration Tree Removal**

We remove trees following catastrophic disturbances for both ecological
and economic reasons. Prescriptions are developed following catastrophic
events to achieve specific land management objectives. For example,
prescriptions to achieve wildlife habitat objectives have become
increasingly commonplace on the national forests, particularly for
late-seral dependent wildlife species. The retention of snags, coarse
woody material, and other features are beneficial to these species and
to the ecosystem as a whole. Other harvest prescriptions are designed to
couple the objective of leaving large tree structures in place, while
removing other dead and dying trees, to expedite the establishment of a
new forest.

There will be other situations where removing dead and dying trees is
primarily for economic and social benefits. If we can get some of these
trees out of the woods in a timely manner they still have commercial
value. Timber salvage operations can provide jobs in the woods and in
the mills of nearby communities. If these trees are processed before
they deteriorate too much, forest products for the American economy can
be the end result. Purchaser deposits generated from salvage sales may
also be used to complete the renewable resource work needed to restore
these project areas through reforestation treatments.

The removal of dead trees must be done promptly if economic benefits are
to be derived because deterioration begins immediately after death.
Steve Eubanks will share his experiences connected to the cost of
delayed implementation, shortly.

In fiscal year 2003, salvage treatments were conducted on 49,000 acres
following fire, insect infestations, and disease or about 22 percent of
the total area where commercial harvesting was done on the national
forests (224,000 acres).

**Reforestation**

Immediately following a disturbance event, a preliminary diagnosis is
made to determine the areas that will require reforestation treatment to
restore forest cover. This diagnosis is generally made by a
silviculturist. Within one year of the disturbance event, a detailed
prescription with specific sequence of treatments is developed. These
prescriptions provide direction to restore these lands to a forested
condition consistent with the land management plan.

We annually tabulate these treatment needs by national forest and
include them in the Reforestation Needs report submitted to Congress as
required in the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974. Our most recent report compiled as of the end of Fiscal Year 2003
identifies reforestation needs of approximately 899,000 acres
service-wide. Approximately two-thirds of these needs have arisen from
wildfires.

Reforestation treatments may or may not involve tree planting. Natural
regeneration may be entirely sufficient to achieve resource objectives.
For example, in fiscal year 2003, reforestation treatments were
completed on about 160,000 acres. Of this total, the Forest Service
planted about 76,000 acres and seeded about 5,000 acres. The remaining
79,000 acres regenerated naturally. Each of these practices is carried
out in a manner that will restore native tree species to the treatment
area.

The silvicultural prescription provides direction for how many young
trees must be reestablished, the proper mix of vegetation, and the
target structure and composition for the reforested area. The desired
future condition may be a structurally complex conifer dominated forest
to provide habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl on a national forest in
the Pacific Northwest, the development of cover in key winter range for
black-tailed deer or myriad other possible combinations representing the
spectrum of resource benefits embodied by our national forests.

One of the most useful collaborative products emerging from Forest
Service research and our National Forests Systems applications group has
been the Forest Vegetation Simulator and the Fire and Fuels Extension to
this tool. This model enables resource managers to visualize and project
through time the development of reforested areas following wildfires and
treatments.

**Science and Restoration**

In their paper titled "Environmental Effects of Post-Fire Logging:
Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography", Forest Service research
scientists, McIver and Starr reviewed the existing body of scientific
literature on logging following wildfire. Twenty-one post fire logging
studies were reviewed and interpreted. McIver and Starr concluded that
while the practice of salvage logging after fires is controversial the
debate is carried on without the benefit of much scientific information.
They also concluded that the immediate environmental effects of post
fire logging is extremely variable and dependent on a wide variety of
factors such as the severity of the burn, slope, soil texture and
composition, the presence or building of roads, types of logging
methods, and post-fire weather conditions.

We realize that there are gaps in what we know about post-fire
restoration and we are working hard to fill those gaps. Forest Service
researchers, in collaboration with other scientists, are working to
increase our knowledge of how ecosystems respond to fires and how
management actions can affect desired outcomes. For example, there are
as many as ten different research studies within the Biscuit Fire
Recovery Project.

Our research program is focused on improving our ability to understand
and implement restoration and rehabilitation actions. For example,
research has studied the interactions of undesired, invasive species and
fire, use of native plant materials in rehabilitation and restoration,
and watershed responses in terms of nutrients and sediment loading.

We have established comprehensive studies to examine the variability of
watershed response and treatment effectiveness. For example, we have
established a network in six western states to examine variability of
post-fire erosion and effectiveness of emergency rehabilitation
treatments such as contour felled logs, mulches and straw wattles.
Included are watersheds in the 2002 Hayman Fire in Colorado and the 2004
Cedar Fire in southern California.

Several research publications related to rehabilitation and restoration
are available to all and are in general use. A series of recent
publications synthesizes the science related to fire effects on flora,
fauna, and air. These documents are useful in understanding how fire
affects ecosystems including important post-fire plant regeneration
information. The computerized Fire Effects Information System, available
online, contains species and vegetation community specific summaries of
what is known regarding fire effects and interactions.

In April 2003, the General Accounting Office recommended that the Forest
Service and the Department of the Interior specify methods to monitor
the effectiveness of emergency stabilization and rehabilitation
treatments after wildfires and develop a system to disseminate
monitoring results. The Wildland Fire Leadership Council chartered the
National Burned Area Emergency Response Coordinators Group and assigned
the group to take action on the GAO recommendations. The group has
identified the major treatments and is establishing teams to identify
protocols for monitoring these treatments. An additional team is being
established to develop methods to disseminate the monitoring results for
use in management decisions.

**Tahoe Experience**

During the fire season of 2001, several major fires occurred on the
Tahoe National Forest including the Gap and Red Star Fires. I want to
share with the committee my experience with some of the issues faced in
planning and implementing restoration projects after these fires,
particularly impacts of delaying the implementation of salvage and
restoration activities.

First, let me provide some perspectives on what it is that we are trying
to achieve as we restore forest resources to the areas impacted by the
Gap and Red Star fires. In terms of our management direction, most of
the fire area was in a Land Management Plan allocation (Sierra Nevada
Forest Plan Amendment) that emphasizes perpetuation of mixed conifer
forest conditions in support of late-seral dependent species. Our
management actions would thus be directed at re-establishing these
structural and compositional elements on the landscape at the soonest
practicable time.

The focus of Gap and Red Star Fires' proposed restoration work was only
on high intensity fire areas where mortality exceeded 75% (due to
provisions of the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment). The area planned
for treatment was 737 acres on the Gap Fire and 1038 acres on the Red
Star Fire.

Post-fire restoration projects typically include extensive environmental
analysis and documentation intended to respond to the anticipated
challenges of administrative appeals and formal litigation. The Gap Fire
Restoration Environmental Assessment for the areas on the Tahoe NF was
completed and a decision signed by June 2002, ten months after the fire,
and operations began in October 2002 after the administrative appeal
process was completed. The Red Star Restoration Project's Record of
Decision was approved in November 2002, more than one year after the
fire. After appeals were completed, work began in the non-roadless
portion of the project in June of 2003. Most of the areas burned on
private land were treated without comparable environmental analysis or
public participation, by the end of November 2001.

Normally, trees 10 inches in size and larger may have commercial value.
By the time operations actually began in the Gap Fire and Red Star Fire
restoration work, deterioration was significant within smaller trees,
and their value was no longer high enough to pay for their removal.
Deterioration was less significant only on larger trees. Therefore, the
minimum size of trees removed had to be increased to approximately 18
inches. As a result, many fewer trees were removed when the project was
conducted. This in turn meant there was less monetary return to the
Treasury from the timber sales: reductions in the returns to the
taxpayer were over \$1.3 million for the Gap Fire area and nearly \$4
million for the Red Star Fire area.

Beyond the economic costs I have outlined, there is an ecological cost
that we must also weigh. The Red Star and Gap Fire areas occur within a
fire regime that experiences a frequent fire return interval (30-35
years). By delaying treating in these areas, the trees that were killed
by the fire may remain standing for a decade or perhaps two, but they
will eventually fall to the ground and create a very significant dead
fuel component that, with subsequent wildfire events, could consume the
young stand that becomes established within these areas.

Through active management in some forest types, we can accelerate by
many decades the development of large tree structure and we can better
protect the replacement forest. By letting nature take its course for
these projects, we run the risk of delaying or not achieving these
objectives.

**Summary**

Mr. Chairman, post-catastrophic forest restoration is a complex process
which begins almost immediately following a destructive event. Forest
Service research works with managers to develop tools and information
that these managers need to do their jobs better. Forest Service
managers strive to use the best science available in their decision
making. We realize there are questions still to be answered about the
effects of our restoration activities, and we are working to find these
answers. We also know that we would not be responsible stewards if we
waited to satisfy all uncertainties before proceeding with our work.

We appreciate your willingness to listen to us today and look forward to
your support for active forest management based on the best available
science. This concludes our testimony. We will be glad to answer your
questions.