Forest Resource Coordinating Committee
August 4-5, 2015
American Forest Foundation (2000M St. NW, Suite 550; WA., DC),
Meeting Notes
Non-Federal Members Present: Tammie Perreault (NIPF; Committee Vice-Chair), Leda Chahim
(Conservation Organization), James Ford (Conservation Organization), Daniel Forster (State Fish and
Wildlife), James Houser (Forestry Consultant), Buddy Huffaker (Conservation Organization), Bryan Hulka
(Forest Industry), Mike Lester (State Forester), Rob Olszewski (NIPF), Mary Jeanne Packer (NIPF), Bettina
Ring (State Forester), Clifford “Doug” Rushton (Conservation Districts), Bonnie Stine (State Technical
Committee), Steve Sinclair (State Forester), Tamara Walkingstick (Land Grant University)
Federal Members Present: Louie Tupas, (NIFA), Eric Norland (NIFA), Dave Hoge (FSA), Eunice Padley
(NRCS)
The members present constitute a quorum, as defined by the Charter.
FS Staff: Jim Hubbard (USFS S&PF Deputy Chief, Committee Chair), Andrea Bedell-Loucks (Designated
Federal Officer), Scott Stewart (Alternate Designated Federal Officer), Laurie Schoonhoven (Committee
Coordinator), Kristin Merony (facilitator),
Other meeting attendees are noted in the narrative following and they provided information to the
FRCC.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Introduction
Mary Jeanne, Andrea and Laurie worked on getting valued speakers who could inform next steps on the
Committee’s action plan, communicating with audiences, and having our voices heard. This is a time to
connect and share ideas. The goal is to leave with a sense of future steps.
Summary of Meeting with Under Secretary Robert Bonnie
Mary Jeanne, Buddy, Bryan, Tamara, Steve, Rob and Andrea met with Under Secretary Bonnie August 3rd
and the meeting went well. They discussed Committee efforts and asked for coaching on being more
influential on ‘keeping forests as forests.’ They noted that the FRCC recommendations were created
through information gathering that included technical expert presentations. Under Secretary Bonnie
noted that because the Committee is a diverse group that can reach consensus makes them a powerful
tool. Under Secretary Bonnie encouraged the Committee to:
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Draw in other entities and their support, especially federal partners, key individuals (e.g., Patrick
Holmes with USDA-NRE), and influential offices (e.g., OMB and CEQ). He also encouraged the
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Committee to package items in context of DC issues – couch them in “flavor of the day” (e.g. as
related to climate change).
recruit and outreach with external groups to represent our issues with OMB/CEQ
Use a targeted one-pager and appendix with additional details for outreach. Frame the
documents with the appropriate context for the group. Use a success story or example to make
changes on the ground and start discussions with influencers. Create links to other efforts to
assist private landowners. Use “key” words (i.e. current buzz words): landscape scale, crossboundary, delivery, gaps, outcomes more important than outputs, etc.
Focus Committee work on five key issues related to private forests: climate change, water
(quality, quantity, release timing), tax policy (property, capital gains, estate, ad valorem tax),
markets/green buildings, and fire
Work with federal partners, such as NRCS, regarding availability of technical assistance. Note:
NIFA, NRCS and FSA have important presence on the Committee.
Keep efforts focused at the policy and programmatic levels (where USDA can influence and
lead).
Provide further clarity and research on recommendations. Use the recommendations to
reinforce effective programs within USDA, make existing programs more effective, and identify
gaps or effective restructuring.
The Committee shifted to a large group discussion of Under Secretary Bonnie’s suggestions and
potential next steps. Members was encouraged to use USDA’s ten building blocks on climate change
that organize agency efforts into key areas including: private lands (retention through conservation
easements and Forest Legacy as well as technical assistance), wood products (creating and maintaining
markets), restoring federal forests, and urban (some own 1 or more acres of woods and they have a
vote). USDA is focused on an all lands approach. As a result, Chief Tidwell and Chief Weller created the
Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Projects as a cross agency (NRCS/Forest Service) landscape level
effort. There are thirty pilot sites focused on cross boundary outcome-based objectives.
Jim Hubbard pointed out several current driving forces in DC:
1. Climate change--current administration would like to leave a legacy that promotes forwardthinking mitigation and adaptation tactics),
2. Fire suppression funds – Shifting funds to fire suppression often reduces dollars for other
program areas. If these funds are freed up through other financing options, where could these
dollars be re-invested?
3. Congress looking at all-lands treatments that are strategic and prioritized,
4. OMB and CEQ are also asking for “land treatments” to monitor where funds are spent and
accomplishments are being made,
5. For FY 17 planning, discussions tend to get focused in line with financial investment.
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Seeing the Forests for the Trees
Gerry Gray, under special assignment to USFS-S&PF, is writing a report on the state of nation’s forests
and seeks the Committee’s input. The report will be easy to read, engage the public through their values
and will be used to build agreement on understanding and supporting sustainable forests. It is designed
to be updated every two to three years and help maintain a dialogue about sustainable forest
management and trees. The National Report on the State of the Forests is technical and hard for most to
digest. This report will talk to the public in a meaningful way, utilizing a “story-telling” approach. The
report consists of five sections: an introduction to sustainability; local and regional data to help
individuals and communities understand issues and opportunities; landscape scale efforts; adaptive
management; and shared leadership. The regional section will take into account and discuss each
region’s unique attributes. Gerry will use storytelling to address complex issues and engage the media.
The report will include contemporary stories and references to other reports for those who want to drill
down further.
Some asked whether the report will address forest carbon shifting from sequestration to emissions. Is
there a measure for this? Another recommended getting a famous person/forest landowner such as
Chuck Leavell to endorse the report. Members noted they plan to integrate the report into their work
plan. They are interested in building messages around the report and using the report to create dialogue
at local town hall meetings. Tammie Perreault and Doug Rushton volunteered to review and edit the
report on behalf of the Committee.
Members of the public were invited to provide public comment and they declined.
Forest Service Strategic Plan
Dave Allen with Forest Service Strategic Planning and Budget Analysis gave an overview of the Forest
Service’s new strategic plan. As the Forest Service shifts to an all lands approach, the strategic plan
needs to mirror our efforts to work across programs. External partners are essential to implementing
the plan. A member noted the first goal focuses on national forests, where do private forests fit? The
Forest Service manages national forests, we work in partnership with landowners and can’t command
landowners to maintain healthy forests. The strategic plan focuses on outcomes and the annual
performance report will identify performance measures. Comments are welcome as they will inform this
plan and future plans. A member suggested agencies work together on unified forest objectives,
especially for private forestland. Possibly work with NRE that manages the Forest Service and Natural
Resource Conservation Service.
State Forest Action Plans
Brent Keith, policy advisor for the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), discussed State Forest
Action Plans. NASF advocates for forestry programs on Capitol Hill. Forest Inventory and Analysis
program collects data on all forests and the data provides snapshots of forest trends and issues. State
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forestry agencies use the data to assess forest issues and the State Forest Action Plan is created and
implemented to address forest issues. Each state has unique forest issues thus each Forest Action Plan is
different. NASF has three regions: northeast, southern, and western. Each region has a state foresters
association. The regional associations aggregate theirs trends and the results are available on
www.forestactionplans.org. Lack of funding has a major impact on state’s ability to implement their
Forest Action Plans. Fire borrowing and wildfire suppression costs have an adverse effect on Forest
Service activities and funding of forest health initiatives. Reduced state-level appropriations negatively
impact state’s abilities to treat forest health issues.
Most state plans have recently been or are up for review as dictated by the 2008 Farm Bill. They are
organized around three principles: conserve, protect, enhance.
A member noted forest ecosystems, as well as threats to forest health (e.g., invasive plants and insects),
don’t know state boundaries. Are there efforts to work across sate boundaries? Most states do not work
across boundaries. The Northeast area states do collaborate on identifying and implementing programs
across priority areas. Forest priorities are selected based on public input. This creates differences among
states even though there are common watersheds or forests.
Landscape scale restoration (LSR) projects are used to address watershed issues. For example, there are
forest health and urban forestry strike teams, natural disaster assessments in the south, and multi-state
and multi-agency efforts. NASF provides guidance on landscape restoration projects. Regional state
forester associations review the guidance and NASF board selects projects and funding. States are also
working to reach out to and engage underserved and unrepresented communities. The committee
encouraged NASF to engage landowners and diverse groups to address forest issues.
State Wildlife Action Plans
Mark Humpert with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) noted this year is the 10th
anniversary of state wildlife conservation reinvestment act. The act allows state wildlife agencies to
manage non-game species and through monitoring identify at-risk species and declining species. Wildlife
agencies take care of common species and work hard to prevent federal species listing. Wildlife agencies
work with partners including federal and state agencies to implement Wildlife Action Plans. The plans
are updated every ten years but some states have five or seven year cycles. The Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies created Best Practices Guidelines for developing Wildlife Action Plans, a common
template for state agencies plan revisions and implementation. States develop species and habitat
monitoring protocols and use performance measures to demonstrate desired objectives and outcomes
are attained. States use a results chain/logic model to show measurements and results continuum. The
Association also collects and compiles state success stories into a publication that is shared on Capitol
Hill. An example report is each state showing how they avoided ESA listings. Like NASF, AFWA uses
landscape scale cooperatives to work with states on wildlife action plans.
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Mark encouraged members to reach out to their state wildlife agency and offer to provide input on the
wildlife action plan. A member asked whether state’s map wildlife priority areas. About sixty percent of
states, most in the northeast region, map wildlife priority areas. The western and southern states are
working on it. Another member asked how wildlife priority areas are selected. Priority areas are species
focused. Members noted a habitat approach would align with forest action plans as well as Natural
Resource Conservation Service’s Conservation Reserve Program.
Mark also noted they organized a blue ribbon panel of business leaders to develop approaches to
increase public awareness of wildlife issues and garner public support to address the issues.
Engaging Landowners
American Forest Foundation and Yale University are collaboratively developing a strategy to increase
forest landowner outreach and engagement. The new approach is being tested in several pilot sites
across the United State. Chris Erwin with American Forest Foundation is using the approach in the south
and Buddy Huffaker with Aldo Leopold Center is trying it in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. Key points are:
• Data/marketing - use county tax records and consumer data to frame direct marketing based on
different landowners and their interests.
• Evaluate and track landowner interests and behavior. Adjust marketing based on their behavior.
• landowner outreach steps:
1. Open dialogue
2. Build peer relationships
3. Create professional relationships to discuss their management objectives
4. Offer management activities and actions that meet landowner’s objectives.
• Five key ingredients to a customer centric approach to engagement:
1. Provide convenience to the landowner
2. Understand landowners by tracking their actions and behaviors. Focus landowners on
where they want to be Not what the professionals think, necessarily.
3. Target your audience – speak to them. Create targeted pamphlets based on major
interests. Provide information to help them understand options and seek
advice/assistance.
4. Serve your customers. The sequence of a free handbook followed by a visit from a
professional forester was deemed most effective.
5. Monitor progress to know success. Emphasize outcomes over outputs.
Recognition of Service
Steve Koehn stood in for Jim Hubbard to recognize Dan Forester’s service to the Forest Resource
Coordinating Committee. Dan is stepping down in December. The Committee and the Forest Service
greatly appreciate Dan’s wisdom, perspective and dedication to assisting private forest landowners.
FRCC structure/Program Level
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Based on input from Under Secretary Bonnie, as well as the earlier presentations, the Committee
discussed potential next steps. Under Secretary Bonnie recommended using their diverse perspectives
to discuss cooperation within the agency (technical assistance, education), as well as communicating
with entities outside USDA. Some members suggested they begin within USDA (Farm Service Agency,
Forest Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture) to
build private forest landowner efforts. They debated a broader outreach approach that has a longer
term, lasting effect versus building relevancy and relevant relationships that are high value in the shortterm. Need to understand audience before developing talking points or outreach.
Who is our audience?
• USDA (FSA, NIFA, NRCS, FS), CEQ, OMB, partners
What are our issues/topics?
• Climate initiative, urban citizens connection to forests (e.g., water), new people/new money,
water, landowner engagement, customer service, timber market development/wood products,
State Forest Action Plans, Wildlife Action Plans, invasive species, landscape scale/conservation
restoration, technical assistance, tax, and Forest Services’ Forest Inventory and Analysis.
• Steve Koehn provided copies of the USDA Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and
Forestry PowerPoint. The presentation includes a slide on the ten “building block” teams tasked
with developing options for implementation of technologies and practices to sequester and
reduce climate change. The Forest Service manages four of the teams – private forest growth
and retention, stewardship of federal forests, promotion of wood products, and urban forests.
The Committee is encouraged to engage and ask private forest growth and retention as well as
promotion of wood products teams how they can assist them.
What is success?
• Keeping private forests healthy and intact
• Maintaining the conversation and keeping it visible,
• Development of a mill close to my land
• Tools to keep focus on forests
• Increased funding and program refinement
The Designated Federal Officer will check with the Forest Service FACA program manager on whether
the Committee can meet with OMB and CEQ.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Check-in
During the April Committee meeting, members developed and agreed upon their audience, basic
outreach, and why they are doing this work. The members started the meeting by reviewing this
information in the April minutes. They agreed to build on their success with Under Secretary Bonnie and
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develop outreach strategies. As part of the outreach strategy the Committee will develop targeted onepagers based on major issues and use specific stories to help frame their conversations. Major issues are
water, taxes, markets, technical assistance, climate change, and land retention.
Public Comment
Members of the public were invited to provide public comment and they declined.
Reaching Private Forest Landowners
Brett Butler with the Family Forest Landowner Center discussed the latest data from his family forest
landowner survey. He noted natural resource professionals need to be there when landowners are
ready to ask for assistance. Natural resource professionals need to start the conversation by asking
landowners to tell them about their forests. Start by seeing the woods through their eyes rather than
our eyes. Rather than looking at forests as land management, think of it as land use. In addition, he
highlighted that most training and resources are aimed at men. However, many women are now
making major decisions for these family forests. What are we doing to reach/teach women about major
land management decisions?
The survey data indicates land holding size makes a difference in the landowner’s values and actions.
Most forest landowners have one to nine acres but we don’t have many programs for them. Individuals
who own ten or more acres are the most effective group for foresters to help.
• Larger forest landowners are more likely to do timber harvesting, have a management plan, and
use tax programs.
• Small landowners are more likely to use their forests for firewood, some timber and non-timber
forest products.
• Most landowners care but are not engaged in our traditional forest management sense. Most
don’t seek advice
• What can we do to engage landowners and incentivize education?
o Look at the categories described in Who Owns America’s Trees, Woods and Forests? –
understand the groups and do targeted marketing to each group. American Forest
Foundation and Yale are currently testing this approach.
Making Your Voices Heard
Caitlyn Pollihan, Executive Director of the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, encouraged the group
to build coalitions with foresters, research, forest products and promote partnerships that can raise and
push issues. The Committee identified a long list of issues, the audience and why statement during their
April meeting. Everything needs to relate to the Committee’s why statement.
• Start by cultivating relationships and trust with small groups.
• Focus on three overarching issues. Create simple message for each issue. Have the longer list in
your back pocket in case the topic is raised.
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Tailor the message and focus based on the audience. Create tailored pieces that fit the audience
and the issue.
Build coalitions and use influencers and partners to share messages
Focus on outcomes not outputs
You represent a stakeholder group and are here as part of the national group informing national
policy. Use your spheres of influence in other groups to “push” FRCC items.
Developing Targeted Messages
The Committee prioritized their past recommendation and current private forest landowner issues into
two overarching issues and four subtopics. Climate change and water are overarching topics that frame
the issues and can be leveraged to discuss key messages. The four subtopics are:
1. FIA: timely trends, aligns delivery systems
2. Forest health: multiple benefits, keeping forests as carbon sinks
3. Landscape scale conservation: allows habitat adaptation, forest resilience, enjoy wildlife. Tax
policy and the cost of maintaining a forest drives land use change.
4. Markets: ecosystem services, cost offsets. Paper and lumber for carbon sequestration.
As the Committee considers these topics they agreed to look for points of intersection such as forest
program delivery. Need to align technical assistance, financial assistance, taxes, education, and
information for private forest landowners. USDA programs are critical to maintaining forests and
assisting landowners.
Committee members broke into four audience-based groups (below). Each group developed tailored
outreach strategies for the water, climate change, FIA, forest health, landscape scale conservation, and
markets.
Under Secretary Bonnie – Mary Jeanne, Rob, Bryan, Tamara and Buddy
OMB/CEQ – Tammy, Buddy, and Rob
USDA – Tamara, Dave, Eric, and Leda
Joint Chiefs – Steve, Bonnie, James F, Dan, and Eunice
Partners – Bryan, James H., Mike, Bettina, and Doug
Next Steps and Follow-up Actions
1. The Under Secretary Bonnie subgroup will draft a letter to Under Secretary Bonnie, his
scheduler, chief of staff and Patrick Holmes thanking him for meeting with them, outline the
Committee’s next steps including reaching out to other USDA Under Secretaries, and note they
will keep him posted on their efforts.
2. OMB group was informed that OMB auditors question program outcomes and validity. The
auditor will want to know specific recommendations, their cost and expected outcomes and
benefits. As a result, the group plans to have specific details on their benefits. The DFO will ask
the State & Private Forestry Deputy Area budget coordinator to review the OMB talking points.
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The budget coordinator also has a breakdown of state funding. Each subgroup will report out
on next steps during the November conference call.
3. Seeing the Forests for the Trees follow-up: The Committee views this report as critical to the
Committee’s efforts. Tammie Perreault and Doug Rushton will be on the report’s editorial
board. The DFO shared their contact information with Gerry Gray and he will organize editorial
board meetings.
4. Laurie and Leda will create water talking points for each issue and integrate recommendations
with the talking points.
5. Mary Jeanne will provide Word version of current one-pager for members to share with their
constituents and others.
New committee member on-boarding
• Two members are rotating off the Committee. To help new members, invite them to participate as
members of the public in Committee conference calls. Give them a binder that contains information
on the charter, statute, members, by-laws, work plan and FACA process. As new members Tamara,
Mike and Buddy thought it would be helpful having the Committee chair call and talk with them
about Committee efforts. Mary Jeanne to do so with new incoming members.
Future Committee meetings/conference calls:
• Steve Sinclair and Leda Chahim will help Mary Jeanne develop meeting agendas. Members like
presentations on identified issues with time to ask questions as well as time for general
Committee dialogue.
• Everyone liked Buddy’s presentation on the Driftless Area. In the future, other Committee
members will be asked to give a presentation on who they are and their private forest
landowner issues. Invite NRCS and NIFA representatives to give presentations on their technical
assistance programs and agency limitations.
• The Committee agreed to meet in DC as it is easier for USDA members to attend.
• Mary Jeanne will chat with Eunice Padley (NRCS) about regularly attending meetings.
• Challenge speakers to talk about USDA programs. Have speakers listen to the Committee to get
a sense of the issues. How can the Committee help speakers address their biggest challenges?
• May want to invite a representative of Forest Service National Forest System to discuss cohesive
fire strategy, landscape scale land management, communities at risk, and forest health.
• Invite Forest Service Research representatives such as Susan Stein with the National
Agroforestry Center and FIA manager to speak about their programs.
• The Committee will try to have a meeting December 9-10th that aligns with the 25th anniversary
of the Conservation Reserve Program.
• Next conference call is October 14th, 2015 from 12-1:30 PM EDT. Have another call in November
18th to finalize December meeting agenda.
Meeting adjourned at 4:30 PM EDT.
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Handouts from the meeting (and/or web links):
1. Under Secrertary Bonnie one-pager; dated August 2015.
2. The National Woodland Owner Survey: Understanding Family Forest Owners. Undated but from
2011 and 2013 Survey. (www.FamilyForestResearchCenter.org).
3. Who Owns America’s Trees, Woods, and Forests. NRS-INF-31-15. March, 2015.
http://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/inf/nrs_inf_31_15-NWOS-whoowns.pdf.
4. American Forest Foundation. Protecting Forest Values Across America. Undated.
5. How the Forest Service Strategic Plan: FY 2015 – 2020 ties to major initiatives & priorities in the
Agency, Department, and Administration. Revised 06/10/2015. (“Tree version”)
6. USDA Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry: Forest Service Involvement.
Powerpoint dated 8/4/2015.
7. NASF Recommendations for Fiscal Year 2016 USDA Forest Service Programs.
http://www.stateforesters.org/sites/default/files/issues-and-policies-documentattachments/NASF%20FY16%20Appropriations.pdf.
8. Protecting Northern New England’s Forests from Harm with the Vermont Division of Forests.
Undated.
9. Conserving Working Landscapes with the Idaho Department of Lands. Undated.
http://www.stateforesters.org/sites/default/files/publicationdocuments/NASF%20Idaho%20Leave%20Behind%20FINAL.pdf.
10. Restoring Fire to Working Forest Landscapes with Oklahoma Forestry Services. Undated.
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