Ecosystem Restoration Partnerships Allegheny Highlands of Virginia Sam Lindblom Land Management Director Fire Program Manager

Goals of the talk Overview of the Allegheny Highlands The partnership mandate Partnership milestones and mechanics Benefits/accomplishments Challenges Suggestions for building a good partnership Issues of scale Discussion/Questions

Allegheny Highlands, VA Overview Where?

Allegheny Highlands, VA Overview 400,000+ acres Western VA/Eastern WV Majority of the of the land is in public or conservation ownership, primarily managed by the U.S. Forest Service Roughly 90% of the area is forested, mostly unfragmented Stable to declining human populations Economic engine is agriculture/forestry and tourism

George Washington, Jefferson, Monongahela National Forests VA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation VA Dept. of Forestry VA Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries The Nature Conservancy National Weather Service Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service Allegheny Highlands, VA Overview

Allegheny Highlands Ecological Components Dry pine-oak ridges

Oak dominated dry forests Allegheny Highlands Ecological Components

Moist coves (maple, basswood, poplar, etc.) Riverine systems “Patch” communities (shale barrens, glades, etc) Allegheny Highlands Ecological Components By and large, fire doesn’t play a significant role in these natural communities

Theories and Questions What we know (or believe) Fire has been a part of this landscape for thousands of years Our forest are altered Most species in the Central Appalachians are well adapted to fire; many are dependent Our pine and oak communities are declining

Ecological Context of Fire What is in the understory now is likely the future canopy “The babies don’t look like their parents”

Theories and Questions What we don’t know The impact of changes in the last 100 years chestnut blight deer population climate change fragmentation How important fire is as an ecosystem shaper (relative to climate, topography, etc) How frequently fires burned pre-settlement How intense those fires were The relative contributions of human ignitions and lightning

Big vision from a handful of partners Limited resources Land ownership patterns demand cooperation The recognition that no one organization could shift the tide alone The Partnership need

TNC-Warm Springs Mountain Preserve USFS-Warm Springs District TNC-Warm Springs Mountain Preserve

Partnership Milestones TNC acquires a critical tract that includes some of the most fire dependent habitat in the landscape, 2002 TNC adopts NWCG standards for fire management, and utilizes IQCS for tracking FS R8 / TNC-SE fire MOU signed 2005 TNC-VA and GW-Jeff NF began fire discussions in 2005 FLN used as a planning/organizing tool current

Cost-share agreement signed, 2007 USFS leads landscape level planning and NEPA work-cooperatively completed on core 23,000 acres, First cooperative Rx fire (1100 acres) 2008 on TNC property includes many partners. (ultimately Rx burned >3000 acres in 2008), ~ to date. GW-Jeff NF adopts standard monitoring protocol for all burns on the forest (2008) Planning, implementation and monitoring continues Partnership Milestones

Partnership Mechanics TNC / FS Region 8 MOU facilitates cooperation on fires TNC / USFWS MOU TNC / VA DCR MOU Interagency agreements in place Cost-share agreement provides funding (funds for cost-share have come from R8, primarily) FLN provides framework, momentum, and accountability

Benefits and accomplishments Ecology and planning Monitoring Fire history research Mapping Forest plan revision Fire prioritization model

Benefits and accomplishments Operations Fire ops and aviation Cost sharing Other land management

Benefits and accomplishments Other Outreach to other NGO’s Consolidated voice Intangible benefits Regional and national attention to our project

Partnership Challenges Eating your vegetables (Doing things you might not do otherwise) Meetings and coordination Commitment Resolving differences without alienating partners

Dr. Phil A suite of strategies: boots>science>policy Develop “champions” within the organizations Commit resources (including money) Be willing to compromise Be up front about your abilities and your limitations Understand your partner’s priorities if they’re different than yours (but don’t shy from trying to influence them) Show up and work (even when you don’t really want to) Be Nice. Always.

The Scale Problem and Potential Strategies Partners “The Border Project”, includes additional partners, Region 9 Funding and capacity are and will be our biggest challenge Restoration at scale Currently planning the largest (season long event) Rx Fire in VA history (~6000 acres) Using TNC/FS 23,000 acres as a demonstration landscape (close to DC, state parks, high public visibility)

TNC-Warm Springs Mountain Preserve USFS-Warm Springs District TNC-Warm Springs Mountain Preserve

Changing a culture Lots of outreach, “fire is good for our Appalachian forests” Fire in VA is not often like fire “out West” Managing all ignitions instead of fighting them all Monitoring change and communicating that change The Scale Problem and Potential Strategies

We won’t get there without significant investment TNC- Appalachians are likely to be a North American priority. Will fire be a priority? Federal- FS R8 has identified Appalachian forest restoration as a emerging priority State- ?? Local- ?? The Scale Problem and Potential Strategies

Discussion, Questions? Sam Lindblom The Nature Conservancy in VA