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MONITORING

Fiscal Year 1999-2000

Fremont National Forest

Monitoring and Evaluation Report

Since the signing of the Record of Decision for the Fremont National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan (FLRMP) on May 12, 1989, there have been several changes in emphasis for

management of the Forest, reflecting national, regional and local issues.� This report reflects specific

changes as follows:

Up to September 30, 2000 (the end of Fiscal Year 2000),� there were 18 amendments to the

Fremont FLRMP.� Two of these amendments (17 and 18) occurred in 1999, and were site-specific

changes to allow land treatments in Old Growth (management areas 3 & 14) to reduce risks to the

Old Growth characteristics from overcrowding in the understory.� No amendments were made in

FY 2000.

1.

�There has been a major societal shift nationally in the expectations of how the�National Forests

will be managed.� This shift contrasts with the general emphasis in the 1989 FLRMP, and is

manifested in the adoption of Regional Forester's Forest Plan Amendment #2 (a.k.a. the Timber

Sale Screens) on June 8, 1995, and the direction in the Inland Native Fish Strategy (INFISH) of July

28, 1995, both being directed at the maintenance and recovery of Old Growth habitats and stream

conditions for fish.

2.

The results of several studies and assessments, starting with the Integrated Scientific Assessment

for Ecosystem Management in the Interior Columbia Basin (Sept. 1996), to the Forest's 1999 and

2000 Ecosystem Assessments at the Watershed Scale (Chewaucan and Upper Sycan), have all

indicated that the Forest's ecosystems are well below the historic conditions for Late/Old Seral

(LOS) Ponderosa Pine stands, and are at the same time significantly overstocked in younger age

class trees and Western Juniper, both decreasing the likelihood of long-term stability and

sustainability of fire-dependent ecosystems.

3.

These shifts in emphasis have resulted in a decrease in commodity outputs (primarily merchantable timber

products), and an increase in restoration activities such as road obliterations, in-stream habitat

improvements, prescribed fire, and new methods of thinning to emphasize long-term protection and growth

of LOS habitats.

In the period of Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000 (October 1, 1998 to September 30, 2000), the following work

was done and outputs derived from the Forest:

Total Forest Budget $15,445,123 $14,045,394

Work/Outputs Fiscal Year '99 Fiscal Year '00

Grazing Allotments NEPA Decisions 14 (Warner

Mountains)

7 (Chewaucan Basin)

Watershed Analysis 1 (Chewaucan) 1 (Upper Sycan)

Sensitive Species Conservation Actions 2 Iliamna bakeri and Bull

Trout

Level II Aquatic Inventory 20 Miles 20 Miles

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Streams Protected 5 Miles 9 Miles

Lakes Protected 1 Acre 5 Acres

Soil/Water Improvements 265 Acres 400 Acres

Roads Decommissioned 36 Miles 27 Miles

Wildlife Habitat Enhanced 2,769 Acres 1,522 Acres

Wildlife Structures 1,921 472

Noxious Weeds Treated 165 Acres 220 Acres

Reforestation 2,294 Acres 679 Acres

Precommercial Thinning 1,923 Acres 2,733 Acres

Fuel Treatments 32,864 Acres 11,153 Acres

Timber Sold Volume 8,165,000 Board Ft. 16,425,000 Board Ft.

Grazing Allotments Administered (to Standard) 66 (34) 65 (37)

Head-Months Livestock Grazing 56,881 56,759

Range Improvements 2 Structures 1 Structure & 2,000 Acres

Land Exchanges and Adjustments 11,420 Acres 1,000 Acres

Landline Maintenance 17.5 Miles 4 Miles

Special Use Permits Administered (to

Standard)

385 (123) 271 (95)

Roads Reconstructed 23 Miles 25 Miles

Trails Reconstructed 4 Miles 13 Miles

Recreation Visits 937,806 980,530

Some additional information and findings follow:

In FY'99, Fire Season was declared on June 16th and ended on October 29th, with a total of 84 days

rated "High" and 35 rated "Extreme" fire danger.� The Forest was at Industrial Fire Precautionary Level

(IFPL) II for 49 days and IFPL III for 18 days.� The Forest experienced 44 lightning fires and 14 humancaused fires, burning 58 acres and 1,871 acres respectively, including the 1,870 Thomas fire.

In FY'00, Fire Season was declared on June 1st and ended on October 11th, with a total of 55 days rated

"High" and 30 rated "Extreme" fire danger.� The Forest was at IFPL II for 20 days, IFPL III for 11 days

and IFPL IV for 21 days.� Only 19 fire starts occurred (10 lightning and 9 human caused), burning a total

of 12 acres.� This fire activity represents only 25% of the 20-year average for fire starts.� Because of

the extreme fire danger, additional fire suppression resources were obtained and shared with the

Lakeview District, BLM.

An analysis of 20 years of prescribed burning on the Forest showed that for this period, considerably more

acres of the Ponderosa Pine type were burned with prescribed fire than burned in wildfire.

We are also finding that the "Ecosytem Analysis at the Watershed Scale" (EAWS) process as done by the

Forest is providing information to the NEPA process that makes the latter more cost efficient, with good

ecological context at a larger-than-project-site scale, resulting in better decisions.

We have also continued the analysis process with the Area Ecologist to develop a Potential Natural

Community (PNC) classification for our riparian areas, and a scorecard to rate current conditions against

PNC.� When finalized, this will be very useful in riparian management and in the Clean Water Act Total

Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) allocation process.

Through Fiscal Year 2000, we have applied the Proper Functioning Condition rating system to 153 of our

most sensitive stream reach types in conjunction with the Consultation process with U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service on our grazing program.� Of these ratings, 101 are at Proper Functioning Condition, 42 are

Functional at Risk with an upward trend, 6 are Functional at Risk with no apparent trend, 1 is Functional at

Risk with a downward trend and 3 are rated Nonfunctional.� In other words, 93% of the stream reaches

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analyzed are either fully functional or at an upward trend.

Of all the sites sampled for compliance with grazing Standards contained in Biological Opinions, 96% met

those standards, with no repeat violations for the '99 and '00 grazing seasons.� One action was taken

against a permit for noncompliance with maintenance standards.

Based on what we've found in past years, the following are apparent:

Our streams, while still needing some improvement, are in better condition than was commonly

believed.

1.

The open-grown single-story Ponderosa Pine old growth condition is significantly below historic

levels, and will need significant treatment, along with time, to recover.

2.

Road management, particularly proper drainage, is the key to reducing impacts to hydrologic

function of our streams.

3.

4. Timber harvest has declined significantly due to a variety of factors.

Total Forest Budgets, and staffing levels, have also declined significantly since the Forest Plan was

implemented in 1989.

5.

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This page last modified Friday, 14-Jun-2002 14:33:29 EDT

by:

jhaugen@fs.fed.us

3 of 3 09/25/13 11:35 AM