Workshop Explores Climate Change and Access to Public Lands

By Kim Brown, Public Lands Programs Intern

Huge gouges from roads. Trails little more than dotted lines of tread on a slumping slope. Piles of old growth trees ripped from the forest, now horizontally huddled against broken bridge pilings, still other bridges twisted and tossed about like toys (and one that was swept away and never found). Scenes from a Mad Max movie? Nope – just another day at the office from our public lands managers.

Western Washington’s devastating floods of 2003, 2006 and 2007, termed “100 year floods,” were a wake-up call to public land managers and the public. Eight years after the 2003 floods, the Forest Service is still dealing with that flood damage, and National Parks are still dealing with damage caused by the 2006 and 2007 floods. Careers have been launched – and bailed – as a result of the nebulous flood repair processes. Due to climate change, we can expect flood damage to become more frequent.

On November 30 and December 1, 2011, the North Cascadia Adaption Partnership (NCAP) - a collaboration of the US Forest Service (USFS) and National Park Service (NPS) - hosted a Climate Change and Human Access workshop to explore changing hydrology and its impact to access on public lands - including roads, trails, campgrounds and infrastructure.

Presentations by the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group, Western Federal Lands Highways Division, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Olympic National Forests, Mt. Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades National Parks showed climate change trends, road repair specifications, costs, and predictions.

NPS and USFS gave presentations about their flood issues - these presentations were dubbed “The Battle of the Floods” – with each agency outdoing the other with their devastation photos.
Climate scientists and land managers anticipate more frequent and larger storms due to changing precipitation patterns and the rising snow levels. We can expect more volumes of water roaring down our watersheds in winter, creating more swift-moving, or “flashier” floods capable of undermining roadbeds and scouring away riverbanks so that bridges no longer lead anywhere, their far ends jutting out into thin air and looking like ancient Roman ruins, their purpose long-gone.

The lack of rain in extended summers will dry out the forest vegetation and soils, meaning more fires and less vegetation to absorb the frequent and heavier fall and winter rains, resulting in - you guessed it – flashier floods.

Thousands of miles of secondary, un-used logging and spur-roads remain in Washington’s National Forests. There is no funding to upgrade every road to standards that will withstand 100 year floods. Factors to consider are geologic hazard, how much sediment enters fish habitat and how often, how many streams a road crosses per mile, and riparian zone buffers. In the future, those roads that are kept open will need upgrading to meet the newer standards needed withstand the impacts of climate change.

There are a lot of things we can do now to prepare ourselves for change, before the impacts of climate change become bigger. Check out some of the resources below; consider participating during public comment periods for road repairs, and advocate for appropriate federal funding for public land agencies.

More information about road issues & climate change :
US Fish & Wildlife, on Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest

Olympic National Forest Climate Change publication, August, 2011 (144 pages). The USFS Pacific Northwest Research station just completed the 2nd of a 2-part study on climate change and how it might affect roads, vegetation, wildlife and hydrology in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park. These studies will be a tremendously useful resource to all land managers when determining a course of action regarding the management of their lands for climate change.
The Way In - a study by National Parks Conservation Association after the 2006 floods at MRNP

Way-cool technical dork stuff:

Engineered log jams (ELJ’s). Placing woody debris in strategic locations can slow down the pace of water, which helps in preventing disastrous undermining of roadbeds (as a bonus, ELJ’s create aquatic habitat and resting places for fish).
Fish passage culverts . Used for fish-bearing streams, these culverts are now termed Aquatic Organism Passage culverts, or AOP’s (I am not making this up!). Larger AOP’s are being used more routinely. It’s not uncommon nowadays to see AOPs that are designed to accommodate 100 year floods, plus 20%, for added debris to move through them (to impress friends and family: this is written as a Q100 + 20% AOP - how you say it is up to you). This is quite a change from the old standard of a 25-year flood standard (Q25, of course).

Federal Court Upholds the Roadless Area Conservation Rule

Thanks to our friends at Washington Wilderness Coalition for breaking the news with the following press release!

SEATTLE, WA – Today, the 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the legality of the Roadless Rule, affirming protections for nearly two million acres of wild national forests in Washington and nearly 60 million acres around the country. The Court upheld the Rule’s provisions protecting Roadless Areas from road building and associated logging and development. This rule has been under attack for almost a decade but this influential decision ensures that the roadless rule is now unequivocally national policy.

“This is a great victory for the people of Washington and America who have spoken out, time and again and in record number, in support of protecting these wild backcountry lands,” said Tom Uniack, Conservation Director for Washington Wilderness Coalition. “Today’s decision was a home run for roadless forests and clears up any legal ambiguity about the Roadless Rule nationwide.”

The ruling upholds one of the most popular land conservation policies in Washington and the nation and will preserve protections for special places like the Dark Divide near Mt St. Helens and the Kettle Range in northeastern Washington and South Quinault Ridge on the Olympic Peninsula.

“I welcome the news that this court has rejected essentially every legal argument against protecting pristine forests,” said Senator Maria Cantwell. “Today’s ruling affirms the 2001 Roadless Rule was a well-crafted, balanced policy which continues to enjoy strong public support. The Roadless Rule is not just good environmental policy, but it protects outdoor industry jobs and helps stem the growth of the Forest Service’s road maintenance backlog. We now have the wind at our backs as we continue working to codify the Roadless Rule into law to ensure future generations of Americans will continue to benefit from these last remaining wild forestlands.”

The rule has been the subject of conflicting court decisions over the past decade. In August 2009, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling to reinstate the roadless rule, leaving the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decision still pending. Today’s decision dismissed all of the legal arguments made against the Roadless Rule in the lower court and affirmed that the Rule did not violate the Wilderness Act and that the two-year public process was consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act.

“This decision makes the Roadless Rule the law of the land.” said Rep. Jay Inslee (WA-01). “For years, the public has voiced its overwhelming support for the Roadless Rule. Now, the court has settled the debate and 49 million acres of public lands will be protected. This decision confirms our efforts in Congress to permanently protect pristine roadlesss areas, preserving our natural legacy for generations to come.”

Roadless areas are often referred to as “backyard wildlands” because of their proximity to population centers and the multi-season recreational opportunities they provide for youth, families and outdoor enthusiasts. Over the past several years hundreds of elected officials, local businesses and diverse stakeholders throughout Washington State have voiced their support for the roadless areas, which are a large part of the quality of life we all enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest.

Background

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule is a popular and balanced policy that protects nearly 60 million acres of undeveloped national forests from road-building and other industrial activity. It was issued by the Clinton Administration in early 2001 after the most extensive public involvement process in the history of federal rulemaking and enjoys the support of hundreds of local elected officials, conservation and recreation groups, religious leaders and local businesses throughout Washington State. With more than one-half of America's national forests already open to logging, mining and drilling, the rule was intended to preserve the last third of undeveloped forests as a home for fish & wildlife, a haven for recreation and a heritage for future generations.

The values of protecting roadless forests include:

• Sixty million Americans rely on clean and safe drinking water from the national forests. Roadless areas provide the purest source of that water due to their pristine and road-free condition. In the Northwest Forest Service Region, which includes Washington and Oregon, drinking water on national forest land is worth approximately $941 million annually, which is more than any other region or state in the country except California.

• Outdoor recreation has become more and more popular over time as Americans participate in everything from hike and camping to hunting and fishing in roadless areas. Approximately 2.5 million Washington residents took part in hunting, fishing, and wildlife-watching in 2001, contributing $2.4 billion to the state economy.

• A majority of the unspoiled habitat for hundreds of threatened, endangered, and declining species is found in roadless areas. In Washington, 25 at-risk species, including bald eagles, steelhead and bull trout and chinook salmon are found in national forests and could be harmed by the building of new roads and the ensuing destruction of roadless areas.

• Protecting roadless areas would be fiscally responsible, by saving taxpayers the cost of adding subsidized logging roads to the existing network of nearly 400,000 miles of national forest roads, which have an unfunded maintenance backlog of nearly $10 billion.

The 10^th Circuit decision can be read at: http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/09/09-8075.pdf

Open House & Cookout for Okanogan-Wenatchee & Colville Forest Plan Revision

The Forest Service is revising Forest Plans for the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests. These plans guide the agency's management of important natural and recreational resources for the next 10-15 years. Learn more.

If you care about Eastern Washington's National Forests, attend the only scheduled public meeting west of the Cascade crest and join the recreation and conservation community for a cookout following the open house.

Okanogan-Wenatchee & Colville National Forest Open House & Cookout

Saturday, August 13, 2011, 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

The Mountaineers Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Open House for Okanogan-Wenatchee & Colville National Forest Plan Revision

Forest Service representatives will provide a brief presentation about the proposed action and the public comment process, followed by a short question and answer session. Before and after the presentation, tables will be set up in an open house format to provide an individual opportunity to learn more about specific topics of public interest, and to have one-on-one conversations with Forest Service representatives. Details.

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Community Cookout

Continue the conversation about the proposed actions for the forest plan revisions during a free community cookout after the open house. Representatives from the recreation and conservation community will be on hand to share perspectives and discuss important aspects of the forest plans. This event is sponsored by Conservation Northwest, The Mountaineers, Sierra Club, Washington Trails Association and Washington Wilderness Coalition.

For questions about the cookout, contact Sarah Krueger, Conservation Manager, The Mountaineers, 206-521-6012 or email sarahk @ mountaineers.org.

Planning for the Okanogan-Wenatchee & Colville National Forests

The U.S. Forest Service is updating the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forest Plans this year and recently released Draft Proposed Actions for public review through September 28, 2011. During the Draft Proposed Action review period, the Forest Service collects public input to help shape a range of alternatives to consider for their respective forest plans. Once approved, these forest plans will dictate management practices for the next 10-15 years.

The revised forest plans have the potential to radically change the way the forest is managed for a range of values including human-powered and motorized recreation, wildlife habitat, wilderness preservation and resource extraction.

If you visit the Okanogan-Wenatchee or Colville National Forests for the incredible opportunities for hiking, climbing, kayaking, mountaineering, camping, backcountry skiing, snow-shoeing, and nature study – or care about the preservation of roadless and potential wilderness areas – take the time to get familiar with the Proposed Actions and share your perspective with the Forest Service.

Get involved!

• Review the Draft Proposed Actions & Maps online
• Attend the only west-side open house event Saturday, August 13, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Mountaineers Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
• Join the Mountaineers and other recreation and conservation groups for a post-open house picnic and discussion August 13, 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Mountaineers Program Center. Food and beverages provided, RSVP to sarahk@mountaineers.org.
• Attend one of two lunch-time webinars with the Forest Service August 9 & 18, 12-1:30 p.m. Details TBA.
• Submit your comments by September 28th! Submit comments via email to r6_ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us or mail written comments to the Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Plan Revision Team, Okanogan Valley Office, 1240 Second Ave. South, Okanogan, WA, 98840.

Mt. Rainier in our own Backyard

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics recently designated Mount Rainer National Park as a Leave No Trace Hot Spot. Learn more about this important effort during the Leave No Trace Backyard Session at The Mountaineers Program Center on Monday, June 27, 7-9 p.m.

Jordan Mammel, from Mount Rainier National Park, will discuss recreational impacts to the Paradise meadows as well as ways that we can help restore and protect these precious alpine resources.

Enjoy food and beverages, networking with other Leave No Trace supporters, and a rumored appearance from Leave No Trace's Bigfoot at the event. This event is free and open to the public, RSVP to bigfoot@LNT.org.