Science and Implementation Forum:
Assisted Migration Reforestation
in
Sierra Nevada Ecosystems
April 16, 2015
9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Tahoe National Forest Supervisor’s Office
631 Coyote Street
Nevada City, California 95959
Remote Participation Available via Adobe Connect and AT&T:
https://usfs.adobeconnect.com/tahoe/
1-888-844-9904
Access code: 6588379
Forum Overview:
The Tahoe National Forest, in cooperation with Region 5 Ecosystem Management and Pacific
Southwest Research Station staffs (PSW), is pleased to host the first in a series of climate
change adaptation forums. Implementation of assisted migration prescriptions for
reforestation projects may be one of the most important resource management activities
conducted by the Forest Service with the potential to affect adaptation and continued viability
of ecosystem resources under changing climate regimes.
Currently there is a lack of clear direction and consistency for implementing assisted migration
reforestation prescriptions within and among National Forest units in the Sierra Nevada
bioregion. The purpose of this forum is to facilitate awareness within the agency on the latest
science on assisted migration and to develop a consistent approach to reforestation in the face
of current and predicted climate change scenarios in the Sierra Nevada.
The forum will include presentations on current science and implementation of assisted
migration reforestation projects by District/Forest, Regional and PSW staffs within an
interactive Q&A and web accessible format. Based on the discussions prompted by the
presentations, questions and answers, a list of action items will be captured to move forward
with development of consistent direction for assisted migration reforestation prescriptions and
their implementation.
Presentation Abstracts and Presenter Biographies:
Hugh Safford
Presentation Title: Managed Relocation of Species: Noah’s Ark or Pandora’s Box?
Abstract: The Managed Relocation Working Group, an independent collection of more than 30
scientists, scholars, and policymakers, met between 2008 and 2012 to discuss in depth the
implications and challenges of managed relocation (also known as assisted migration). Our
group included ecologists, economists, social scientists, ethicists, legal experts, policy makers
and others, from management and regulatory agencies, universities and research institutions,
and non-governmental organizations. There is strong societal and scientific disagreement about
the wisdom of engaging in managed relocation (MR) as an adaptation strategy, and our working
group sought to identify and treat a series of fundamental questions related to its potential use.
Our group included people initially strongly supportive of managed relocation, and others who
were strongly opposed. Themes treated by the working group included (1) basic goals of MR;
(2) identification of trigger conditions for the implementation of MR; (3) genetic considerations;
(4) legal, policy, and ethical questions; (6) reconciling MR with existing conservation strategies;
and (7) how to deal with community- and ecosystem- level interactions. One of the key
outcomes of the working group’s deliberations was the development of four broad criteria for
comparing strategies for conservation of a target species: (1) the risk of negative impact of
climate change (or other anthropogenic disturbance) for the species of interest; (2) the risk of
collateral effects of the strategy in consideration (e.g., on the recipient ecosystem of the MR
action), (3) the feasibility of the strategy in question (“could we do this?”), and (4) the
acceptability of the strategy (“should we do this?”). Although we did not agree on everything,
our working group came to a consensus that a structured decision making process for managed
relocation is necessary, and it should integrate ethical, legal, and scientific considerations in a
way that is both deliberative and publicly transparent. There are too many cases of managed
relocation/assisted migration gone awry: resource managers need standards, protocols, and
guidelines for evaluating whether, when, how, and for whose benefit managed relocation
might be implemented.
Published Sources:
Short summary of first workshop outcomes: Safford, H. D., Hellmann, J. J., McLachlan, J., Sax, D.
F., and Schwartz, M. W. 2009. Managed relocation of species: Noah’s ark or Pandora’s box? Eos
90: 15.
Summary of heuristic method for evaluating MR/AS tradeoffs: Richardson, D. M., J. J. Hellmann,
J. McLachlan, D. F. Sax, M. W. Schwartz, J. Brennan, P. Gonzalez, T. Root, O. Sala, S. H.
Schneider, D. Ashe, A. Camacho, J. R. Clark, R. Early, J. Etterson, D. Fielder, J. Gill, B. A. Minteer,
S. Polasky, H. Safford, A. Thompson, and M. Vellend. 2009. Multidimensional evaluation of
managed relocation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106: 9721-9724.
In-depth consideration of key MR/AS issues: Schwartz, M.W., Hellmann, J.J., McLachlan, J.M. ,
Sax, D.F., Borevitz, J.O., Brennan, J., Camacho, A.E. , Ceballos, G., Doremus, H., Early, R.,
Etterson, J.R., Gill, J., Gonzalez, P., Green, N., Hannah, L., Jamieson, D.W. , Javeline. D., Minteer,
B.A., Odenbaugh, J., Polasky, S., Richardson, D.M., Root, T.L., Safford, H.D., Sala, O., Schneider,
S.H., Thompson, A.R., Williams, J.W., Vellend, M., Vitt, P., and Zellmer, S. 2012. Managed
relocation: integrating the scientific, regulatory and ethical challenges. Bioscience 62: 732-743
Biography: Hugh Safford is the Regional Ecologist for the USDA-Forest Service’s Pacific
Southwest Region (California, Hawaii, Pacific Islands), and a member of the research faculty at
the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California-Davis. Safford’s
areas of professional expertise are community and landscape ecology, climate change,
disturbance ecology, and restoration ecology. Safford manages a staff of ecologists that provide
expertise in vegetation and fire ecology, inventory, monitoring, and general applied science to
resource management on the 18 National Forests in California. He is the manager of the
Regional Research Natural Area program, the Sierra Nevada region leader for the California Fire
Science Consortium, and a member of science advisory boards for a number of environmental
collaboratives and NGOs. Safford was a member of the Managed Relocation Working Group
between 2008 and 2012.
Connie Millar
Presentation Title: Overview of Assisted Migration as a Climate Adaptation Tool: Applications
to Forestry
Abstract: I will give an introduction and background on the concepts and use of assisted
migration (AM) as a climate adaptation tool, contrasting applications for species rescue,
ecosystem sustainability, and market-based resource management (e.g., timber). I contrast
current approaches of AM to past reforestation and conservation practices, discuss benefits
and risks of AM, review the 10-step implementation and monitoring process used in Canadian
forestry programs, provide specific forestry examples of implementation, and discuss the latest
USFS national policy and strategic considerations. I will conclude with comments on the debate
and controversy that exists over AM in the conservation and public circles – awareness of which
is important for resource managers.
Biography: Connie Millar, Senior Scientist, PSW Research Station, Albany and Lee Vining, CA.
Research scientist at PSW since 1986; research focuses on mountain ecosystems response to
historic and ongoing climate change.
Jessica Wright
Title: Using provenance test data to inform seed transfer and within species assisted migration
in the Tahoe Basin
Authors: Jessica Wright, USFS; Aurore Bontemps, UC Davis; Johanna Schmitt, UC Davis.
Abstract: The first step in any ecological restoration project involving the planting of trees is to
select the source of seeds to be planted. This question has recently become more complex,
with climate change- what is the optimal seed to plant, given that the climate is changing?
Provenance tests can provide information for land managers on this question. These tests
contain a number of tree sources (ie across the species range), planted in a common garden
environment- or if multiple gardens are used, environments. Growth and performance can be
assessed across years and sites, and compared to the climates of origin of the trees. Here we
will present new analyses of provenance test data from a test established in 1984 in the Sierra
Nevada at two planting sites, one at 2500 feet elevation, the other at 5000 feet. We will discuss
the relationships between climate of origin and performance in the test sites.
Biography:
JESSICA WILCOX WRIGHT
Pacific Southwest Research Station
USDA- Forest Service
1731Research Park Drive
Davis, CA 95618
jessicawright@fs.fed.us, 530-759-1742
a. Professional Preparation:
University of California, Davis
Evolution and Ecology
Rutgers University
Plant Biology
Ph.D.
Amherst College
Biology (Magna cum Laude) B.A.
Amherst College
Music B.A.
Post-doc, 2000-2005
2000
1994
1994
b. Appointments:
Research Geneticist, USDA-Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 2005- Present
Post-doctoral scholar, UC Davis, with Maureen Stanton, 2000-2005.
Arnaldo Ferreira
Presentation Title: Identification of potential areas for successional shifts in forest composition
under climate change.
Abstract: Identification of potential areas sensitive to shifts of major forest types under climate
change would be critical to restore resilience to our forest ecosystem. GIS-based models for
climate change and vegetation distribution can be used to predict areas of potential
successional changes in forest composition across the landscape. A better understanding of
how climate change could alter the distribution and the composition of forests would impact
ecological restoration, as well as resource allocation by the Forest Service. In this presentation
we are proposing a strategy to implement assisted migration into our ecological restoration
practices, thus building resilience of our forests to the effects of climate change on long-term
forest health.
Biography:
Education
Ph.D. in Forestry with emphasis in Genetics and Silviculture
M.Sc. in Molecular Genetics
B.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering
Professional
USDA Forest Service - Geneticist for the Pacific Southwest Region. Since 2011
CellFor Inc. - Forest Biotechnology Product Development Manager for South America. 20052011
MeadWestvaco - Forest Genetics and Biotechnology Manager for Rigesa Ltda in South
America. 1998-2005
- Biotechnology Senior Research Specialist for Forest Research Laboratories in
South Carolina, USA. 1995-1998
Northern Arizona University - Molecular Biology Research Staff. 1992-1995
Tom Blush (Co-Presenting with Arnaldo Ferreira)
Biography:
Education:
M.S. in Wildland Resource Science, University of California
B.S. in Forest Resources, University of Washington
Professional:
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Region – Regional Geneticist. 2005-present
Westvaco Corporation, Forest Research
Summerville, South Carolina – Research Scientist. 1981-2005
Served as:
- Lead Researcher, Clonal Development Program
- Hardwood Tree Improvement Scientist
- Seed Orchard Scientist
Gary Cline
Presentation Title: An overview of assisted migration on the Tahoe National Forest.
Abstract: A discussion on the rationale for utilizing assisted migration in reforestation, the
expected outcomes, and planned monitoring.
Biography:
Education
Environmental Science – Sierra Nevada College
Silviculture Institute – Univ. of Washington and Oregon State Univ.
Professional
District Culturist on the Yuba River R.D., TNF
Silviculturist – Nevada City R.D., TNF
Assistant Culturist – Truckee R.D. TNF
Nursery Manager – Placerville Nursery, Eldorado NF