Improving the Forests and Fish Report to Protect Salmon
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Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan
The Problem
Logging on Washington’s state and private forests over the past century has had a devastating impact on the habitat of endangered salmon and steelhead.
- According to official federal and state environmental impact statements, almost 80% of Washington’s forested streams and rivers are in “early seral stage,” which means that these streams and rivers have been logged so heavily that they provide no useful habitat for endangered salmon or other fish.
- Two-thirds of Washington's private logging-road systems are in serious disrepair, bleeding sediment into rivers and blocking fish passage in 90% of the state's watersheds. Streamside logging of trees has resulted in major changes to the type, amount and condition of salmon habitat across the state.
Our goal is to ensure that the proposed Forests and Fish Habitat Conservation Plan is based on the best available science and sound government decision making.
Background:
Prompted by the Endangered Species Act listings for salmon, steelhead, and bull trout, in April of 1999 forest stakeholders negotiated a document called the “Forests and Fish Report”.
The Report is intended to be a blueprint for forest practices rules that protect forested salmon habitat and serve as the forestry component of statewide salmon recovery. The Report is both a package of rules for forest practices and a scientifically-based adaptive management program.
The 1999 Legislature adopted the Report and directed the Washington Forest Practices Board to adopt it into rule. The Board adopted final Report rules in 2001.
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One example of how the Forests and Fish Report affects forest practices is in Channel Migration Zones. The forest practices rules define a Channel Migration Zone as “the area where the active channel of a stream is prone to move [over time] (WAC 222-16-010).” It is critical that forested buffers include the extent of a river's floodplain and are left uncut. These buffers allow for fallen trees to provide crucial fish habitat within the river, while taking into account the migration of the river over time.
To learn more about channel migation zones click here to read about WFLC's channel migration zone case.
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The Adaptive Management Program
The Adaptive Management Program component of the Report was designed to develop scientifically-credible information regarding the conditions and needs of aquatic resources. The Program implements the original Report prescriptions to determine whether they are working and makes changes as needed over time.
The Department of Natural Resources is currently overseeing the formal Adaptive Management Program, which involves literally dozens of scientists and “policy” people; its budget is $30 million through 2010. If adopted, the Forests and Fish HCP will be the largest HCP in the country.
The Conservation Caucus, composed of several conservation organizations including WFLC, was formed to participate in the Forests and Fish Adaptive Management Program. Caucus members serve to represent the voice of the conservation community and are represented on the Coooperative Monitoring Evaluation and Research Committee and the Forests and Fish Policy Committee.
WFLC and the conservation community is concerned that the Forests and Fish Report does not routinely employ the best available science when determining forest practices rules.
Washington's Proposed Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan
In 2005, the State of Washington applied to the federal agencies (NOAA Fisheries and US Fish & Wildlife Service) for approval of a 50-year, 9.1 million acre Incidental Take Permit for logging in areas where water quality and the habitat of endangered fish, such as salmon, steelhead, and bulltrout will be adversely impacted.
The application is conditioned on compliance with the Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan, which is based on the Forests and Fish Report, and is currently under review.
On June 5, 2006, the Forests and Fish Report was signed by federal officials, exempting timber companies and forest landowners from provisions of the Endangered Species Act for 50 years if they follow new state rules to protect salmon when logging. Read about it in the news.
Read how one leading environmental law firm, the Marten Law Group, described the Forests and Fish Report here.
WFLC's Contribution:
In response to Washington State's application for a 50-year permit to take endangered species, WFLC coordinated extensive legal and expert comments on the proposed Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan, Implementation Agreement, and Draft Environmental Impact Statement. To learn more about Washington's take application and to read the comments submitted by WFLC and expert scientists click here.
