Overview & Recommendations from the
Hazardous Fuel and Vegetation Treatment Workshop
May 17 & 18, 2004 – Bend, Oregon
Presented to the RLT/SLT Meeting July 2004
Background
Jeff Blackwood and Karen Shimamoto had discussions about the fuels planning program with Tom Quigley, PNW Station
Director, last winter at the Forest Supervisor’s meeting. Management wanted to ensure:
ƒ A good science-management partnership
ƒ Available science was understood
ƒ Science community understood issues and needs of field
ƒ Integration of vegetation & fuels treatments
As a result of these discussions, a hazardous fuel and vegetation treatment workshop was held May 17 and 18, 2004 in
Bend, Oregon. The workshop objectives included:
ƒ Provide overview & synthesis of models, tools & processes for fuel/vegetation treatment
ƒ Promote interaction & discussion between science & management on issues & barriers
ƒ Discuss short-term & long-term needs & priorities of managers
ƒ Identify opportunities for science to assist
Workshop Key Messages
The Region needs:
ƒ Consistency in planning of fuel treatments
ƒ Holistic & interdisciplinary approach
ƒ Predictability of outputs
ƒ Commitment to interagency process
Key Workshop Recommendations
ƒ Improve linkage between unit ID teams, models & science
ƒ Need unbiased synthesis of models & tools
ƒ Monitoring & tracking effectiveness of fuel treatments
ƒ Need consistent seamless mapping of vegetation & other data
ƒ Integration at regional and local offices
Workshop Commitments
ƒ Establish workshop regional core working group (ad hoc) to address follow-on issues
ƒ Review workshop recommendations & take to BOD, regional & PNW Station leadership
ƒ Share meeting materials via website at http:// www.fs.fed.us/pnw/science-connection/index.shtm
ƒ Report progress to workshop participants
ƒ PNW has agreed to produce a synthesis of the workshop materials by fall. This synthesis will be formatted like a
consumer’s digest review. Synthesis will evaluate tools and models and recommend the best tool for various
circumstances.
Workshop Regional Core Group Recommendations to BOD
1. Recommend adoption of a regional decision framework.
2. Recommend review of 5 yr treatment plans to identify regional criteria for project planning & implementation &
issue as guidance to field.
3. Recommend team be assigned to address data needs for hazardous fuel treatment planning.
a. A group could be developed to evaluate the various data needs for each scale, provide a
strategy/options to address building and maintaining the data, and evaluate the need to revise existing
Disclaimer: The views in this report (presentation) are these of the author(s) do not necessarily represent the views of the
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Forest Service.
vegetation data standards. Need to ensure data collection will not duplicate potential LANDFIRE data
products.
4. Recommend team be assigned to evaluate the need/options for regional “fuels” team to assist field with fuel
treatment planning & interface with science.
a. Evaluation should include: defining team membership and expertise needed; identifying benefits and
costs ; developing a business case; evaluating efficiencies; and then evaluating options for teams
(centers of excellence, regional experts, permanent team, adhoc teams, enterprise team approach,
contract support needed, etc.)
Feedback from BOD
The BOD felt recommendations were incremental decisions, and a comprehensive regional approach is needed.
Framework: Agreed that a regional analysis and prioritization framework was needed for consistency and that review of
5yr plans would assist with development of regional criteria.
Data: Inventory of existing vegetation maps currently underway
Regional “Fuels” Team: BOD requested more information and was confused on “fuels” team vs proposal for regional
and local FRCC teams.
Joint Action Items:
Following the BOD meeting, the workshop regional core group and regional fuels staff met to discuss joint work priorities.
The group agreed on the following priorities and agreed to share them with the RLT and SLT at the joint meeting in July.
Framework
Agreed to develop regional analysis and prioritization framework.
ÎWho? Doug Daoust & fuels personnel
ÎWhen? Draft framework by July 2004
Data
Complete inventory of existing vegetation maps by end of FY and review results & flesh out next steps considering all
data needs for fuels planning.
ÎWho? Regional Office & PNW
ÎWhen? By December 04
Biomass Utilization
Investigate or inventory opportunities, technologies & applications from regional perspective. Get proposals from eastside
forests kickstart money could be used to begin the process now.
ÎWho? SORO & PNW
ÎWhen? By August 2004
Regional “Fuels” Team
A group would poll R5 on benefits of their analysis team, sort out roles of expert team vs FRCC forest teams, determine
likely utilization of a team, and address options.
ÎWho? Regional Office & PNW
ÎWhen? By October 2004
Discussion Topics for RLT/SLT
The following topics will be addressed briefly at the RLT/SLT meeting to seek feedback and input.
ƒ Are we on the right track with priorities & regional action items?
ƒ How much would Forests utilize a regional expert team ? (amount time/Forest/year)
ƒ What issues or topics might be addressed at a similar fall hazardous fuels & vegetation treatment workshop?
Disclaimer: The views in this report (presentation) are these of the author(s) do not necessarily represent the views of the
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Forest Service.