1. how do I know when I’m done?
Goals, Objectives and Performance Measures for Restoration Projects
Or What am I doing and
how do I know when I’m done?

2. Overview...
Defining goals Setting goals Performance measures Specific measures for forest restoration in the Pacific Northwest Monitoring

3. What are goals?
Dictionary definition of a goal:
An observable and measurable end result having one or more objectives to be achieved within a fixed timeframe
Therefore, a good goal must be:
Clear
Specific
Quantifiable/Verifiable

4. How to set a goal
Decide on scale – large scale or small scale
Example – The Green Seattle Partnership’s goal is to restore 2,500 acres of forested habitat in Seattle within 20 years
Example – My community organization would like to build two trails in our park within the next three years
Example – I will do community outreach to three school groups in the next month and teach 100 second graders about the importance of planting trees

5. How to set a goal
Often goals will depend on:
Amount of funding available
Amount of person power available
Amount of time available

6. How to set a goal
Get consensus from your stakeholders
Coworkers
Funders
Community
Anyone else involved
Must have buy-in from all the key players to be successful. Do your goals reflect what the organization, community or funders want to achieve?

7. Examples of goals
Remove ivy from Chism Beach Park
Provide a sustainable source of firewood for the local community
Improve habitat for salmon in Taylor Creek

8. Examples of better goals
Remove all ivy from Chism Beach Park by November 2011
Make sure that there is less than 5% ivy regrowth in the next three years

9. Examples of better goals
Provide a sustainable source of firewood for the local community of 50 families within the next 20 years by planting 1,000 trees per year for 10 years

10. Examples of better goals
Improve habitat for salmon in Taylor Creek by:
Doing an inventory of culverts or other obstructions to salmon passage in the next year
Removing all invasive vegetation within 20 feet of both sides of the creek in the next three years and planting with native shrub and tree species
Follow all performance measures for the project

11. Performance Measures
A performance measure is a set of specific, quantifiable objectives that a project must meet in order to be successful. These measures usually include mortality survival, monitoring and vegetation requirements for restoration projects.
Examples:
At least 80% of all planted shrubs and trees must survive past the first three years
The project site must be monitored each year at the end of the growing season
Native shrub species will exceed 80% cover by year five

12. Performance Measures
Chism Beach Goal:
Remove all ivy from Chism Beach Park by November 2011
Make sure that there is less than 5% ivy regrowth in the next three years

13. Performance Measures
Sustainable Firewood Goal:
Provide a sustainable source of firewood for the local community of 50 families within the next 20 years by planting 1,000 trees per year for 10 years

14. Performance Measures
Taylor Creek Goal:
Doing an inventory of culverts or other obstructions to salmon passage in the next year
Removing all invasive vegetation within 20 feet of both sides of the creek in the next three years and planting with native shrub and tree species
Follow all performance measures for the project

15. Some Common Goals for Urban Forests in Seattle
Reduce invasive species in the forest:
Percent cover of invasive species will be less than 5% on the site after three years
Increase diversity of native species:
10 different species of shrubs will be planted on the site
Increase conifer density:
Conifer density on the site will be between 100 – 200 stems/acre for regenerating trees
Maintain the site:
Plant survival on the site will be at least 80%

16. Specific Goals for Three Forest Types
Conifer/Deciduous Forest
Appropriate for: Deciduous Forests
Mixed Conifer/Deciduous Forests
Conifer Forests
Madrone/Conifer Forest
Appropriate for any type of Madrone forest
Riparian Forest
Appropriate for riparian forests
Forested Wetlands

17. Targets
Table 1. Summary of recommended targets for Phase 4 conditions in three forest types
Forest Parameter
Conifer Broadleaf Evergreen Mixed Forest
Conifer Deciduous Mixed Forest
Riparian Forest
Overstory Density
stems/acre
stems/acre
stems/acre
Overstory Composition
30% Madrone, 70% Conifer
60% conifer
25% conifer
Overstory Diversity
4 species
10 species
6 species
Tree Structure
3+ layers
Overstory Invasive Tree Density
None
Regeneration Density
200 stems/acre
150 stems/acre
Regeneration Composition
66% conifer
40 stems/acre conifer
Regeneration Diversity
Invasive Tree Regeneration
20 stems/acre

18. Conifer/Deciduous Mixed Forest
CWD
2000 ft3/acre, of which 1/3 is Class III
Snags
30 stems/acre, with at least 33% > 20” diameter
15 stems/acre, with at least 25% > 20” diameter
Shrub Cover
100%
75%
Shrub Diversity
8+ species
11+ species
Shrub Structure
3 layers
Invasive Shrub Cover
<5%
Herbaceous Cover
20%
40%
50%
Herbaceous Diversity
7+ species
10+ species
12+ species
Invasive Herbaceous Cover

19. Monitoring and Adaptive Management
Identify successes and limitations of management strategies and allow for changes to these strategies

20. Why Monitor Restoration Sites?
…Adaptive Management
2. Management
1. Resource Objective
3. Monitor Results
4. Objective Achieved?
5a. Yes
5b. No
6. Alter Management

21. Why Monitor Restoration Sites?
…Adaptive Management
2. Management
To remove blackberry from the site and keep it to less than 5%
1. Resource Objective
3. Monitor Results
4. Objective Achieved?
5a. Yes
5b. No
6. Alter Management

22. Why Monitor Restoration Sites?
…Adaptive Management
2. Management
Grub the blackberry
1. Resource Objective
3. Monitor Results
4. Objective Achieved?
5a. Yes
5b. No
6. Alter Management

23. Why Monitor Restoration Sites?
…Adaptive Management
2. Management
Blackberry is at 15% on the site
1. Resource Objective
3. Monitor Results
4. Objective Achieved?
5a. Yes
5b. No
6. Alter Management

24. Why Monitor Restoration Sites?
…Adaptive Management
2. Management
Blackberry is at 15% on the site
1. Resource Objective
3. Monitor Results
4. Objective Achieved?
5a. Yes
5b. No
6. Alter Management

25. Why Monitor Restoration Sites?
…Adaptive Management
2. Management
1. Resource Objective
3. Monitor Results
4. Objective Achieved?
Re-grub, sheet mulch and mulch with woodchips
5a. Yes
5b. No
6. Alter Management

26. Why Monitor Restoration Sites?
…Adaptive Management
2. Management
1. Resource Objective
3. Monitor Results
4. Objective Achieved?
Blackberry is 2% on the site
5a. Yes
5b. No
6. Alter Management

27. Why Monitor Restoration Sites?
…Adaptive Management
2. Management
1. Resource Objective
3. Monitor Results
4. Objective Achieved?
Blackberry is 2% on the site
5a. Yes
5b. No
6. Alter Management

28. What type of monitoring is appropriate for a site?
Depends on your performance measures, size of site, available time and budget

29. Must know exactly what you planted
Monitoring
If you have a small site and need to look at plant survival, you can count all the trees and shrubs you planted to get a full count.
Must know exactly what you planted
Not a good idea to count ground covers because they spread rapidly – use percent cover to assess herbaceous layer and invasive species

30. Optimal to monitor each year for 3-5 years at end of growing season
Monitoring
If you have a large site and need to look at plant survival, you can put in a permanent plot (1/10th acre is standard) or use a belt transect to monitor survival of trees and shrubs
If possible, put in plot or transect prior to restoration to get baseline data (helps you plan!)
Collect information in plot immediately after you plant so you know what you planted
Optimal to monitor each year for 3-5 years at end of growing season

31. Summary and Application
Where to go from here?
Use the specific forest targets to assign a target forest type to each of your zones
Compare your collected baseline data to the targets
Identify how to achieve the targets based on your management activities and planting plans on the site
Some targets such as snags and CWD will take many years to achieve