1. Working in the Urbanizing Landscape: Changing Roles for Natural Resource Professionals
Oregon Department of Forestry
“Stewardship in Forestry”

2. Presentation Outline What is the forested area we are concerned about?
7/30/2010
Presentation Outline
What is the forested area we are concerned about?
Residential Emphasis forest
Low-density residential
Wildland-urban interface
Description of the interface
Why do we care about this area?
Challenges and Opportunities
Working in the Urbanizing Landscape, May 23-24, Beaverton, OR

3. Sustainability Nature emphasis forests
7/30/2010
Nature emphasis forests
– Parks, wilderness, wild areas Mostly federal lands,
some state, tribal and private
Wood production emphasis forests Mostly forest industry, some state, tribal, family
Multiple-use emphasis forests Mostly state, tribal, some family, some federal
Social Benefits
Economic Benefits
Sustainability
Environmental Benefits
Wrap-up overview
KPMs discussion
Residential value emphasis forests
Wildland urban interface, rural residential zones, urban and community forests

6. Fragmentation & Conversion
All states confronting an increase in land conversion as
Globalization and rising social costs erode forestry profitability
Alternative land values on the rise
Risk to “green infrastructure” needed to attract new industries; maintain quality of life
Risk to rural economies, family-wage jobs

7. Non-Forest Profitability is Attractive

8. Fragmentation & Conversion
Compared to other states, Oregon is currently well-positioned to protect its forestland base
However, Oregon is seeing an increase in the number of dwellings in wildland forests
And shift from wildland forests to residential forests
Connection between forests, green space, and Oregonian’s sense of identity
Pioneering land use laws (pre-BM49)
Science-based forest practice rules
Renowned forest growth and wood quality
Premier “forest cluster” including forestry school, economic development infrastructure, forest conservation organizations

12. Oregon’s Private Forests
7/30/2010
Oregon’s Private Forests
10.7 million acres
4.7 million acres of nonindustrial or family forests
6.0 million acres of industrial / investment forests
Significant economic impact
Total economic output of $22 billion in Oregon; 11% of goods and services (2007)
Forest products sector pays higher than the state average
And urban forests

13. Oregon’s Private Forests
7/30/2010
Oregon’s Private Forests
An estimated 330 thousand acres of Oregon forest - about 5 percent of private forestland - exist inside urban growth boundaries or other development zones.
Another 1.8 million acres of private forest exist within one mile of developable areas.
The remainder extends out from the wildland-urban interface to the more rural areas.

14. 7/30/2010

15. Oregon’s Private Forests
7/30/2010
Oregon’s Private Forests
Approximately 3% of family forestland occurs within Urban Growth Boundaries (UGB) and 34% in Wildlan-Urban Interface (WUI)
Approximately 9% of Industrial / Investment forests occurs withinWUI

16. Why Do We Care about these Urbanizing Areas?
7/30/2010
Why Do We Care about these Urbanizing Areas?
Board of Forestry Objectives
Potentail loss of forest benefits
Changes the way the surrounding landscape is managed
Affects surrounding economies and supporting industries
Risks and cost of Fire protection

17. Board of Forestry 2011 Forestry Program for Oregon (FPFO)
7/30/2010
Board of Forestry 2011 Forestry Program for Oregon (FPFO)
Goal C: Protect and improve the productive capacity of Oregon's forests
Key challenge: Maintaining the Forest Land Base
New forces are reshaping Oregon’s forests in ways more significant than any wildfire, windstorm, or disease outbreak.

18. 2011 FPFO: Maintaining the Forest Land Base
7/30/2010
2011 FPFO: Maintaining the Forest Land Base
Fueled by factors including development pressures, population growth, …, and changes in the forest products and real estate markets, forestland is being threatened by conversion to non-forest uses.

19. Current Board of Forestry Private Forests Policy Objective
Identify current and future risks of forest fragmentation and the conversion of forests to non-forest use as the primary, overarching challenge to sustainable forestry and keeping working forests working.

20. 2011 FPFO: Loss of Benefits
Fragmentation and parcelization of forests, combined with the development of roads and residences, can degrade the green infrastructure of a forested watershed, including clean water, diversity of fish and wildlife species, and the quality of forests habitats

21. Statewide Water Quality Conditions
Section C.: Key Budget Drivers and Big issues discussion, slides 4-9 as the lead-in.
Measurements on land in all ownerships in Oregon, by DEQ land use class, 2005

22. 2011 FPFO: Changes Management
dramatically changes the way the surrounding landscape is managed, limiting the range of traditional forestry practices
the notion of producing a timber value from the lands … is no longer acceptable to new nearby residents or landowners

23. Section C.: Slides 10- 14 cover issues 1-3.

24. 2011 FPFO: Affects Communities
When formerly productive timberlands are converted to non-forest uses, surrounding economies and supporting industries are often affected because forest products-related businesses are no longer viable.
Harvest taxes are no longer available to support local government services and education.

25. 2011 FPFO: Fire Protection
The presence of development in forested areas changes makes wildfire management more difficult - placing homes at risk, making firefighting more complicated, and increasing firefighting costs.

26. Wildland Urban Interface: Fire Issues
Likelihood of human-caused fires increases with dwelling density
Sisters Unit: Compared to sections w/ no dwellings fires increased:
1-5 = 2.6 times,
6-10 = 5 times,
21-40 = 21 times,
40+ = 71 times
Large fires that threaten dwellings are 48.3% more expensive to fight
Section C.: Slides cover issues 1-3.

27. Challenges and Opportunities
Most complex and challenging area
Contains all four types of forests: nature, residential, multiple use, and wood production
Dominated by family forestland (3% in UGB; 34% in WUI); contains industrial / investment forest (9 % in WUI).
Highest risk of land use conversion (highest ratio of real estate to timber values)

28. Urban and Urban Interface Forests Key Objectives
Active involvement in local and state land use planning
Support forest products market and ecosystem service market development
Assist local governments in compliance with statewide land use goals by providing technical assistance
Support transferable development rights program
Monitor changes in the public and private forestland bases and levels of forestland impacted by land use conflicts.

29. Urban and Urban Interface Forests Current Efforts
Constrained by resources
Significant workload

32. Slides 21-26 as the lead-in to the budget discussion.

33. Stewardship Forestry in UGB and WUI
Notifications: 1 % in UGB; 31 % in WUI
Forestland: NIPF: 3% in UGB; 34% in WUI Industrial: 9 % in WUI

34. Oregon’s Family Forestland
Occupy a unique landscape position, contribute diversification to forest cover and local economies, and provide political and cultural connections with urban populations
Are smaller, and their objectives and land uses are varied
In general, occupies ecologically important, lower elevation settings, often near residential areas

35. Family Forestlands Diverse objectives, concerns, and plans
Top reasons for ownership include:
Aesthetics, Family legacy, Privacy, Land investment, Part of home, farm or ranch
Top concerns include:
High property taxes, Keeping land intact for heirs, Trespassing or poaching, Fire, Insects or plant diseases

36. Family Forestlands Key Objectives:
Provide one-on-one technical assistance, deliver incentives, support Oregon plan, and administer the Forest Practices Act
Support certification / management plans for family forestlands and conduct audits
Develop easement program for protecting working forests