Lakeview Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (CFLRP) Monitoring Plan June 2013 PREPARED BY: Amy Markus – Wildlife Biologist Bernard Bormann – PNW Research Bryan Yost – Wildlife Biologist Cass Moseley – Title XX Chaylon Shuffield – Fire Ecologist Clair Thomas – Biophysical Monitoring Crew Leader Bienz – The Nature Conservancy Director of Sycan Marsh Jane Brown – Title XX Gregg Riegel - Ecologist Jeanette Wilson – Botany and Invasive Specialist Lora Vialpando – Silviculturist Lucas Phillips – Range and Invasive Program Manager Sarah Lovtang - Ecologist Tom Demeo – R6 Ecologist Vince Pacific – Hydrologist
MONITORING PLAN INFORMATION X. Questions, Goals, Indicators, Scale, Methods, and Who Collects Data and Reports Question Type of Question Social Ecological Economic Goal Indicator Landscape Stand Methods Approach Effectiveness Implementation National Indicator Methodology Who Collects Data Who does the Analysis, Interpretation, and Reporting #1 How effective are restoration treatments in reducing wildfire risk? Ecological To quantify the effectiveness of restoration treatments on reducing fire growth and behavior. Modeled fire growth and behavior. Landscape Effectiveness National Indicator FlamMap FARSITE FS BPMC TNC FS BPMC TNC Economic Estimate fire program management cost savings and risk reductions for the CFLR project area. Expected suppression costs with and without treatments Landscape Effectiveness National Indicator R-CAT FS FS #2 What are the effects of restoration treatments on tree survival/mortality by diameter class, changes in ladder fuels, and fuel loading pre/post treatment(s). Ecological To quantify the effects of restoration treatments on vegetation. Mortality, Forest Structure and Fuel Loading Stand Landscape Implementation Effectiveness FIREMON FFI BPMC BPMC FS #3 What is the effect of restoration treatments on moving the Forest landscape toward a more sustainable condition that includes the approximate scale and intensity of historic disturbances? Ecological To assess whether current restoration treatments have resulted in sustained or improved resiliency/resistance to insect, disease, and drought. Projection of a stands resistance to wildfire, insects and disease, drought on past radial growth and other stand data. Stand Validation FS stand exam plot data BPMC FS Ecological To quantify the scale and intensity of current restoration treatments and their effectiveness at moving the Forest landscape towards a more sustainable condition. Change in FRCC rating Landscape Effectiveness Validation National Indicator FRCC FS FS Ecological To quantify and compare the effects of restoration treatments to the historic disturbance regime. Fire frequency and severity Stand Landscape Effectiveness GIS analysis FS FS #4 What were the historical within-stand spatial patterns on the Lakeview Ecological To understand historic spatial patterns that will help with future prescription writing. Individuals, clumps, and openings Landscape Effectiveness Churchill et al. 2012 TNC BPMC BPMC FS TNC
#8 How are restoration treatments (road closures, upland/riparian treatment, etc.) impacting quality? Ecological The desired condition is that watershed condition (at the 6th field watershed) would be maintained in those watersheds currently rated as “good” and improve to “good” in those watersheds currently rated as “fair.” Watershed Condition Framework (WCF) ratings Landscape National Indicator Watershed Condition Framework FS FS Ecological To quantify the miles of road decommissioned across the entire CFLR project area and within riparian zones. Miles of road decommissioned and reduction in road density in the 6th field watersheds within the CFLR project area and within riparian areas Landscape Implementation National Indicator GIS analysis FS FS Ecological To determine how restoration projects affect stream temperature Stream temperature Site specific Effectiveness Hobo water temperature data loggers FS FS #9 Are Forest Prevention Practices effective in minimizing impacts of restoration treatments (including prescribed fire) on invasive plant species (new and/or existing)? Ecological To minimize the occurrence of new invasive plant sites and/or expansion of existing sites. Number of new invasive sites discovered and/or expansion of existing invasive plant sites within or immediately adjacent to veg. management activities Stand Landscape Effectiveness Pre and post ocular surveys BPMC FS FS
Question #2: What are the effects of restoration treatments on tree survival/mortality by diameter class, changes in ladder fuels, and fuel loading pre/post treatment? Fuel treatments are effective at reducing the size and intensity of wildfires and moving the landscape towards a condition reflective of one within the historic range of variability. However, the short-term and long-term tradeoffs of implementing different fuels treatments on tree mortality, fuel stratification and fuel loading at the stand and landscape level is less understood within the Lakeview Federal Stewardship Unit. Table XX. Goals, Indicators, Scale, and Type of Monitoring for Question #2 Goals Indicators Scale of Monitoring Type of Monitoring To quantify the effects of restoration treatments on vegetation. Mortality, Forest Structure and Fuel Loading Stand Landscape Implementation Effectiveness Description of Methodology FIREMON/FFI Who will Collect the Data? The Biophysical Monitoring Crew will collect data. When, How, and Who will Analyze the Data and Report? Data will be analyzed using associated FFI software components. Data will be analyzed, interpreted and reported by both the Biophysical Monitoring Crew and Forest Service every 4 years with the first year of reporting beginning in 2014. Where and How the Data will be Stored? Data will be stored in the FFI database. In addition, electronic spreadsheets and local hardcopy files will be stored at the Fremont-Winema National Forest Supervisor’s Office and/or the Winter Rim or Southeast Zone District Offices. Estimate of Budget Table X. Estimated budget for data collection, data storage, analysis and reporting Expense Cost/Unit # Day Total Cost Salary – GS 11 $330 30 $9,900 Biophysical Monitoring Crew $260 90 $18,200 Total $28,100 Questions #3: What is the effect of restoration treatments on moving the Forest landscape toward a more sustainable condition that includes the approximate scale and intensity of historic disturbances?