Message from Tami Miketa, Manager of the Small Forest Landowner Office

Spring is finally here with the passing of the vernal equinox, which means getting outside more and enjoying  work in the woods! In this message, I want to celebrate the working forests of Washington while acknowledging some milestone anniversaries of important legislation that help protect forest habitat and encourage sustainable forestry.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Washington’s Forest Practices Act. Since 1974, the state has regulated forestry activities related to growing, harvesting, or processing timber. This includes hydraulic projects, roads and culverts, thinning, salvage, reforestation, brush control, and application of fertilizers or pesticides on non-federal public and private lands. The opening paragraph of RCW 76.09.010 describes why the Act is needed:

“The legislature hereby finds and declares that the forestland resources are among the most valuable of all resources in the state; that a viable forest products industry is of prime importance to the state’s economy; that it is in the public interest for public and private commercial forestlands to be managed consistent with sound policies of natural resource protection; that coincident with maintenance of a viable forest products industry, it is important to afford protection to forest soils, fisheries, wildlife, water quantity and quality, air quality, recreation, and scenic beauty.“

Forest practices rules have been amended and strengthened numerous times over the years. Another milestone worth celebrating this year is the 25th anniversary of the Washington Legislature adopting updated forest practices rules related to the Forests and Fish Law in 1999 (ESHB 2091).

The Forests and Fish Law was designed for Washington’s forest practices to comply with both the federal Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act, and as a result of federal listings of endangered salmon and impaired water quality on non-federal forested streams in Washington. Changes were made to improve forest roads and culverts, enlarge buffer zones along stream banks, and improve protections for unstable slopes on approximately 10 million acres of forest lands regulated under the Forest Practices Act.

Recognizing the disproportional impact regulations may have on Washington’s private forest landowners with smaller acreages, and to encourage keeping their land in forestry, the Forests and Fish Law legislation also created the Small Forest Landowner Office:

“Within the Department of Natural Resources a Small Forestland Owner Office that shall be a resource and focal point for small forestland owner concerns and policies.”

76.13 RCW Stewardship of Nonindustrial Forests and Woodlands

Although we’ve experienced ups and downs in state funding over the years, as I’ve remarked in several recent Small Forest Landowner News editions, recent public funding has expanded DNR’s Small Forest Landowner Office and other related programs. This includes free technical assistance, financial incentives and educational support for small forest landowner, land management, restoring fish or wildlife habitat, reducing fuels for wildfires, improving forest health, generating income, and more.

The Small Forest Landowner Office (SFLO) has a few milestones to celebrate as well. This month, the Forestry Riparian Easement Program purchased its 500th conservation easement! In total, this program has protected over 7,300 acres of riparian habitat. Since the program began in 2003, the Family Forest Fish Passage Program has removed 460 fish passage barriers that collectively restored 1,332 miles of habitat. Since 1999, the Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program has protected 1,333 acres of important habitat and channel migration zones in perpetuity, through the implementation of 26 conservation easements. I can’t say enough about how proud I am to be the manager of the Small Forest Landowner Office!

I also want to share an update from the legislative session this year with the passing of a new bill that affects how the Forestry Riparian Easement Program (FREP) is implemented. Effective June 5, 2024, the following changes will take effect:

• The percentage of compensation for timber within the easement is changed to 90 percent for all applications – up from a minimum of 50 percent and a maximum of 90 percent.
• The duration of the easement contract is changed from 50 years to 40 years.
• The date used for valuing the easement is changed from the date the FREP application is received, to the date that the harvest was completed.
• The maximum compensation for potentially unstable slopes is increased from $50,000 to $150,000 per biennium.

DNR staff are currently working on changing rules and statutes and are reaching out to current landowners on the FREP application list to inform them about these changes.

In this edition of the Small Forest Landowner News, you’ll get to know a bit about our latest addition to the SFLO team — John Schmeltz recently started with us as the new Olympic Area Small Forest Landowner Regulation Assistance Forester. Our small forest landowner regulation assistance program offers knowledgeable foresters like John to assist understanding and navigating all those forest practices rules!

Here is a picture of DNR small forest landowner service program staff, including John, attending a training on recent updates to the Forest Practices rules concerning federally threatened marbled murrelets and how to implement the new rules in the field.

Other related topics in this newsletter introduce DNR’s Forest Practices Compliance Monitoring Program and an update on the status of online forest practices permits, or fpOnline. In addition to forest practices related content, we share upcoming spring and summer educational events and an article from Ken Bevis, DNR Stewardship Fish and Wildlife Biologist, about Himalayan blackberries. Dave New has a promotional piece about the Washington Tree Farm Program and Jeff Gersh from the Washington Small Forest Landowner Carbon Workgroup provides us with another small forest landowner profile on architect Susan Jones. DNR service forestry staff feature an article on “assisted migration” tree plantings, and a feature on wildfire fuels reduction projects in the Yakima area. From DNR’s wildfire’s community resilience program, we also have a timely addition this spring about this upcoming wildfire season and available assistance resources.

In closing, I ran across this quote that I think is so fitting for small forest landowners and the endless effort you put in to successfully managing your forestland:

“In the Spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

Margaret Atwood

So true…

Himalayan Blackberries: Maybe they are good for something?

By Ken Bevis, Stewardship Wildlife Biologist, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, ken.bevis@dnr.wa.gov

Iconoclast: pronoun. One who challenges conventional thinking in a manner causing logical confusion and sometimes a reconsidering of established views. A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions. (Wikipedia) I want to be one here.

Rubus armenaicus is native to the region of Armenia and northern Iran (located between the Black and Caspian Seas, near Turkey and Russia). It was introduced to Germany in 1835 as a crop plant. Brought to the United States in 1885 by Luther Burbank himself, one of the greats in horticultural history. Somewhere during this phase of crop promotion, the (incorrect) moniker of “Himalayan Blackberry” (HBB) was applied. It was first planted in the U.S. near Santa Rosa California and then to other locations in the Northwest. Apparently never hybridized, it was promoted as vigorous, with heavy berry yields. (True!) The plant escaped propagation and quickly spread. It is now naturalized and considered a noxious weed (as we well know) in many areas, including western Washington.

 Nearly impenetrable HBB thicket. (Ken Bevis, DNR)

Himalayan Blackberries: One of the most aggressive and challenging introduced plant species that have established themselves widely on small forest ownerships. HBB outcompete desirable native plants, taking up growing space intended for trees, overrun trails and open forest stands, and generally are a nuisance. Dense thickets are impenetrable due to the strong canes and vicious spines. Ouch! And they are challenging to control. HBB, however, are the only noxious weed I can think of that provides tangible human benefit in the form of jam, cobblers and pies (and I hear wine too). The plant even has a fan base. (The “Himalayan” Blackberry, a California Summer Tradition – Bay Nature)

Food. Water. Cover. The wildlife mantra. When these three things exist in a home range for any species, they have a chance to succeed, i.e. survive and reproduce. How many times have we seen a song sparrow, or a junco, or robin sitting atop an HBB thicket? Or a rabbit scooting underneath? How many bears or birds eat the berries? How many of us have enjoyed the sweet fruits? HBBs can provide cover, and food in abundance.

Let’s face it. They are here to stay. Our “natural” environment, especially in the developed “front country” is a crazy mishmash of both native and introduced species. This topsy-turvy world is an ever-moving kaleidoscope of success and failure, right in front of our eyes. Let’s pop some bubbles: there is no “balance of nature.” The natural world is a seething cauldron of organisms pushing, shoving, cooperating, and surviving (or not), all around us, and they don’t care where they came from (ask a starling if he/she remembers England). Some places have a semblance of stability, especially in relatively undisturbed environments (arguably “balance”), but most of the world now, is “disturbed” and dominated by humans and human influences, such as introduced organisms. Hence, the importance of active management to help us achieve objectives.

So, back to HBB.

Ripe, sweet HBBs. (Ken Bevis, DNR)

They were introduced as a high productivity agricultural plant that grew fast and produced lots of tasty berries. Good objectives, but then, oops. They escaped and now are widespread, and a real pest.

Our Service Foresters, and virtually all land managers in lower elevations of Washington, continuously battle numerous invasive and noxious plants. We have a detailed set of programs with Noxious weed lists and categories, with even legal requirements to control certain species (Class 1). Others have become so ubiquitous (Class 3) that they are basically considered part of the landscape now; HBB is one of these.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for letting HBB take over the landscape. However, this is one of our “bad” plants that may have some redeeming value as habitat. Many birds and mammals eat the abundant berries (and yes, spread the seed far and wide). The thickets offer amazing cover for many creatures, including birds and mammals.

I heard a story from a landowner in Clark County about a huge HBB thicket on her property. There was a tunnel going into the jungle, big enough for her to crawl into it. She did. Some distance under the viney roof, was a chamber, almost big enough for her to sit up in. What? A bear den? On the far side of the cave, she spotted something in the faint light; it was a porcupine! And how many HBB thickets have low trails going into the vines? Places for rabbits, raccoons, skunks or other medium or small mammals to take refuge? Or locations for birds to nest in the vines or on the ground underneath?

I advocate for habitat piles to create cover thickets for wildlife, and have observed that in western Washington, these will often become HBB thickets with a pile in the middle, providing cover in abundance. And once this happens, it is nearly impossible to control these HBB without destroying the habitat feature.

 The author participates in assessment of the situation regarding HBB. (Ken Bevis, DNR)

That said, HBB must be controlled in most circumstances, otherwise many sites will only have this remarkably aggressive plant, thus reducing plant diversity, overall habitat quality and diminishing ecological integrity. There is plenty of information out there about management, including this succinct resource from King County: King County Best Management Practices for Himalayan and Evergreen Blackberry (Rubus bifrons and Rubus laciniatus).

Basically, HBB is bad. It takes over. However, all things in small doses, right? If we recognize that a thicket, or hedgerow, of HBB has some value, and we make sure it doesn’t spread, it can function as a valuable habitat feature, and a place for tasty berries to be harvested. Decide where it is ok to have it. Mow the perimeter regularly. Maybe dig up root crowns. Keep it right there with active management. Where you don’t want it, work to eradicate. Use the tools you need to win!

Good news: HBB has some habitat value. The bad news: it grows too darn much. And to those weed warriors out there, keep up the good work!

Assisted Migration Options and Considerations

By Anne Favolise, Service Forester, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Anne.Favolise@dnr.wa.gov

 A grove of redwoods at Hama Hama Tree Farm, near Lilliwaup, Washington (Holly Haley, DNR)

Landowners routinely ask DNR Service Foresters about assisted migration, which is human-assisted movement of a species of tree. Here in western Washington, those conversations usually revolve around planting coast redwood trees in response to other native trees struggling due to the stress of dry and hot weather events that we have experienced the last few years. A common concern with assisted migration, however, is whether a species that is not native to an area will become a hinderance to native plant and animal species.

Will an introduced species change the ecology of an area and will this new kid on the block harbor pestilence?

Questions about ecological suitability are important ones and usually lead to a dialogue where alternatives to planting redwoods are discussed, such as planting a tree that is native to an area, but sourced from nearby seed zones where that species has adapted to live in a drier and hotter environment.

Planting a tree species outside its historic range and planting a tree species sourced from a seed zone within its historical range are both forms of assisted migration. There is a third type of assisted migration as well, where species are moved just beyond their historic range.

Here are how the three types of assisted migration are defined on the USDA’s Forest Service website:

• Assisted population migration (also assisted genetic migration or assisted gene flow) – moving seed sources or populations to new locations within the historical species range.
• Assisted range expansion – moving seed sources or populations from their current range to suitable areas just beyond the historical species range, facilitating or mimicking natural dispersal.
• Assisted species migration (also species rescue, managed relocation, or assisted long-distance migration) – moving seed sources or populations to a location far outside the historical species range, beyond locations accessible by natural dispersal.

Some examples of each type of assisted migration:

• Assisted population migration would be planting Douglas-fir or Western redcedar in Sequim, Washington that came from a nursery two seed zones east of Sequim. In this case, the Douglas-fir and Western redcedar are being planted where other populations of these species exist in their native range.
• Assisted range expansion would be planting Coast redwood from Northern California in Coos County, Oregon, which is just north of the native range of Coast redwood.
• Assisted species migration would be planting Coast redwood from Northern California in southeast Alaska which is far outside the historical species range, beyond locations the seeds would naturally be dispersed by animal, wind, or water.

Considering the long-term impacts assisted migration might have on the environment is important when coming up with management options for your forestland, especially if you are interested in assisted species migration. Arguments have been made regarding risks associated with human interference in species distribution. There are many cases of introduced species going wild, growing out of control, and outcompeting native vegetation.

Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius), and English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) are all species that were intentionally brought to North America over a century ago. All three are now considered some of the most noxious, invasive weeds in Washington. They can seriously impact local fauna, soil hydrology, important fungal communities, and other parts of the ecosystem in ways we don’t fully understand yet.

The lower-risk options of assisted migration are assisted range expansion and assisted population migration, as these population shifts have less potential to change the natural ecological functions of an area. One approach to using assisted migration as part of your forest management is to implement small scale projects and projects that include planting only a fraction of species which are not native to an area.

This graphic demonstrates each type of assisted migration using the darker green conifers as the example; the three types of assisted migration are applicable to all plants. Different populations are represented by individual gray areas. Orange arrows represent human-assisted movement of plant material from the dark green conifers to new locations. (Graphic and description courtesy of USDA/USFS)

There is still a lot to learn about assisted migration. Deciding on seed sources, the current and projected climate of an area, soil conditions, how well a tree might become established, the regional ecology, and the local economy are just some of the things one should carefully consider when implementing an assisted migration project. Project scale is an important factor, too. For example, planting a handful of coast redwood trees in your front lawn in western Washington for shade and aesthetics will not make as big an impact on the environment, compared to planting hundreds or thousands of coast redwoods for reforestation or timber production. As we move forward with the discussion of assisted migration, may we be considerate and strive to learn more.

Works cited:

1. Handler, S.; Pike, C.; St. Clair, B.; 2018. Assisted Migration. USDA Forest Service Climate Change Resource Center. https://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/topics/assisted-migration
2. Climate-Woodlands, 2019. The Debate about Assisted Migration. https://climate-woodlands.extension.org/the-debate-about-assisted-migration/

Message from Tami Miketa, Manager of the Small Forest Landowner Office

Tami Miketa, Manager of the Small Forest Landowner Office

Welcome fall season! With the rich fall season upon us, it is a time of sensation in nature! As the leaves burst with color and give their grand finale, may we appreciate every attribute it brings and offers. To me, this is the season to be grateful. Gratitude is an emotion or feeling of being thankful for the good in our life. Do you ever feel the importance of gratitude in life? Studies suggests that gratitude helps people, “feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

Let me give you a challenge. For five minutes think about three things that make you grateful. How many of you can count more than three blessings? In addition to being thankful for the beauty of nature, I am especially grateful for the additional resources we now have from the federal, state and local level for small forest landowner assistance.

Since last fall, we have been able to greatly expand DNR staff capacity and financial assistance to help you manage your forestlands for forest health, wildfire resilience, and resource protection. We integrated the Small Forest Landowner Service Program into a one-stop shop model, and DNR developed online resources such as the Landowner Assistance Portal website and Find Your Forester search tool.

In this newsletter, you will find a related article from our DNR Communications Manager Lauren Padgett with a link to a survey, so thank you for your comments and suggestions to help us improve those online tools. We also have been increasing outreach with the help and dedication of Small Forest Landowner Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist Holly Haley. Holly has been traveling all over the state to meet you and get the word out about small forest landowner programs, coordinating with DNR field staff and external forestry and education partners.

To expand the Forestry Riparian Easement Program (FREP), we just hired a new Forest Check Cruiser, Kellen Salseina. Kellen will cruise the FREP easements as well as the Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program easements. Get to know him in our employee spotlight article in this newsletter. In this edition, you will also read more about DNR’s Webster Forest Nursery, their expansion plans, and meet their new manager, Carlos Gantz.

This past year has seen growth other DNR forestry programs that have expanded our community footprint. You may have read in the recent edition of Forest Stewardship Notes, about the new DNR Post-Fire Recovery Program.

In this newsletter, you will hear about DNR also initiating a monitoring pilot program called the Wildfire Interaction with Treatments Survey, to help determine the effectiveness of forest health and fuels reduction projects. We also introduce DNR’s new Outdoor Education and Training Program Manager, Clare Sobetski, and the launch of the Youth Education and Outreach Program (YEOP) to facilitate place-based, career-connected, outdoor learning experiences and cultivate the next generation of natural resource professionals.

In addition, a feature on DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, highlights their significant increases in resources this biennium to provide expanded technical, educational and financial assistance to Washington’s cities and towns, counties, tribal governments, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions. The Washington Farm Forestry Association provided another small forest landowner profile, part of their continuing series for the Washington State Forest Carbon Workgroup, and Washington State University extension forestry’s Molly Darr shares an update on developing the Washington chapter of Women Owning Woodlands.

Finally, we share some articles from the field, with a story of DNR service foresters facilitating a workshop for local scouts to earn their forestry merit badge; an interview with a small forest landowner working with goats for vegetation management; and a feature from DNR Stewardship Wildlife Biologist all about wildlife habitat in projects aimed at fuels reduction.

As we reflect on the year in review, I hope this holiday season fills your heart with gratitude and love and provides opportunities to express those feelings with friends, family, and beyond.

Message from Tami Miketa, Manager of the Small Forest Landowner Office — This Spring, Try Forest Bathing to Decrease Stress

Trillium flowers in a spring forest. (Tami Miketa / DNR)

Tami Miketa

Greetings!

As I sit here at my desk and look out my window, I see fresh buds coming out on my garden plants, the forsythia is blooming, and the crocuses are pushing their way up out of the ground. Nevertheless, it is still so cold outside! Other sure signs that spring is on the way for me are the return of the swallows swooping overhead and the trillium blooming along the forest floor. A few weeks ago, I was on an assistance site visit to a small forest landowner’s property on a beautiful piece of land near Shelton . Located along Cranberry Lake, a wooden boardwalk crosses over some beautiful wetland areas. As I was looking down at the water, I saw hundreds and hundreds of flies that had just hatched (yes, that seemed early for me too!). When I looked up in the sky I also saw hundreds of swallows circling over the wetland snatching up as many of those flies as they could! What a sight it was! Full spring is just around the corner!

As spring comes upon us, as forest landowners, we all know how good being in nature can make us feel. The sounds of the forest, the scent of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh, clean air — these things give us a sense of comfort. They ease our stress and worry, help us to relax and to think more clearly. Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, and refresh and rejuvenate us. What exactly is this feeling that is so hard to put into words?

In Japan, they practice something called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means, “forest,” and yoku means, “bath.” So, shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses. This is not exercise, or hiking, or jogging. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.

Forest bathing in nature allows the stressed portions of your brain to relax. Positive hormones are released in the body. You feel less sad, angry and anxious. It helps to avoid stress and burnout, and aids in fighting depression and anxiety. A forest bath is known to boost immunity and leads to fewer days of illness as well as faster recovery from injury or surgery. Nature has a positive effect on our mind as well as body. It improves heart and lung health, and increases focus, concentration, and memory.

Certain trees like conifers also emit oils and compounds to safeguard themselves from microbes and pathogens. These molecules known as phytoncides are good for our immunity too. Breathing in the forest air boosts the level of natural killer (NK) cells in our blood. NK cells are used in our body to fight infections, cancers and tumors. So spending time with these trees is a special form of tree bathing. Most important is the size of the forest. The larger the forest, the more phytoncides and the better the results . Much of the health benefits are described collectively in the book Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing LI, chair of the Japanese Society for Forest Medicine.

So how does forest bathing work?  First, find a spot. Make sure you leave your phone and camera behind — you do not need any devices. Instead, you are savoring the sounds, smells and sights of nature and letting the forest in. Listen to the birds singing and the breeze rustling in the leaves of the trees. Look at the different greens of the trees and the sunlight filtering through the branches. Take a deep breath. Smell the fragrance of the forest and breathe in the natural aromatherapy. Taste the freshness of the air as you take those deep breaths. Place your hands on the trunk of a tree. Dip your fingers or toes in a stream. Lie on the ground. Drink in the flavor of the forest and release your sense of joy and calm. Now you have connected with nature, and as a small forest landowner has always known, you have crossed the bridge to happiness  I know that small forest landowners value their forests similarly and personally experienced forest bathing, whether or not you call it that. I found reading about the research behind forest bathing affirming and inspiring to do it more myself, and I encourage you to take the time to relate with your forest in this way in addition to all the other ways you value your forestland.

In this newsletter, we continue a spring theme with articles on frogs, getting out into your woods with photopoint monitoring, and joining others at a variety of upcoming educational events statewide. Our forest entomologist and pathologist will discuss the results of Washington’s recent Forest Health Highlights report and communications staff will outline the Western Washington expansion of the, Wildfire Ready Neighbors program. We are also excited to feature Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) and Executive Director Elaine Oneil’s article on the new Carbon Workgroup established by recent Climate Commitment Act legislation to pursue carbon-offset projects for small forestland owners.

Dan Pomerenk

As we move into springtime, DNR service program staff will be out and about assisting forest landowners. We wanted to take this opportunity to highlight one of those staff, Dan Pomerenk, who is retiring after more than four decades of public service with DNR, the past 21 years working directly with small forest landowners protecting natural resources as the Forestry Riparian Conservation Easement Program Manager. Please join me in wishing him the very best in his retirement years.

Spring and Getting Out for Outreach

A sawmill demonstration at the 2022 Forest and Range Owners Field Day in Chewelah. (Kelsey Ketcheson, DNR)

By Holly Haley, Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist, DNR Small Forest Landowner Office, holly.haley@dnr.wa.gov.

As the community outreach and environmental education specialist for DNR’s Small Forest Landowner Office, my work is to get the word out about technical and financial assistance programs available to landowners for their forest management needs. Whether on the phone, through email, virtually by video, or in-person, I get to meet and talk to many landowners and work in partnership with a variety of forestry service partners, statewide. When I started this position, coming off the height of the pandemic, most educational outreach was not in person. That all started to change last spring, and although I enjoy all forms of communication, there is something special about engaging in person for dialogue, and for making those personable connections that build good working relationships and community together. Whether at a Washington Farm Forestry Association chapter meeting, a Washington Conservation District native plant sale, a Washington Tree Farm Program tree farm tour, or Washington State University Extension Forestry seminar, it has been wonderful to get out about again.  Therefore, this spring, I am looking forward to even more in-person outreach opportunities and getting outdoors and in the woods with you too. In fact, my favorite part of the calendar year of education outreach events is coming up, forest owner field days! That is when many forestry service partners and forest landowners get together in the woods for a full day, sharing our passion and learning with each other.

Washington State Extension Forestry will host two forest owner field days in June, one in Eastern Washington and one in Western Washington. Field days are an out-in-the-woods educational events where forest owners can learn about forest management strategies and emerging issues and connect with experts and services to help meet their objectives. These events feature a rotation of forestry classes taught by experts from around the Pacific Northwest. Each field day will offer classes on a variety of topics including forest health, wildlife habitat enhancement and management, thinning and pruning, wildfire risk reduction, noxious weed control, and landowner assistance programs. It is also a great opportunity to network with other landowners and connect with your local foresters and other professionals that can assist you on your property.

DNR forest entomologist Glenn Kohler leads a class about forest health during 2022 Forest and Range Owners Field Day in Chewelah.

The Western Washington Forest Owners Field Day will be held on Saturday, June 10 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Washington’s Pack Forest in Eatonville.

The Eastern Washington Forest and Range Owners Field Day will be held on Saturday, June 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kalispel Tribe’s Indian Creek Community Forest in Newport.

You will find information on registering for these outreach education events and many others in this newsletter’s section about Upcoming Events.

I continue to explore ways to get the word out about DNR and other service programs available to forest landowners, including experimenting this summer with staffing a forestry booth at county and state fairs! If you have an organization gathering or event where you would like to feature outreach about DNR’s small forest landowners service programs, please let me know and we can try to arrange myself or other DNR staff to join you in person or virtually! In fact, a small forest landowner who read last spring’s edition of this newsletter, where I first introduced this new outreach role, invited me to join their Lewis County Master Gardner’s event this weekend!

Enjoy this newsletter’s upcoming events section and thanks letting me know if you have a relevant event you think would be valuable to post in the next newsletter, Forest Stewardship Notes, coming out in June. Happy spring for now!

Upcoming Events, Classes, and Workshops

Blooming osoberry on a recent sunny spring day. (Holly Haley, DNR)

Webinars

What’s Happening with Sudden Oak Death

April 11 – April 18, 2023
4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Participants in this free webinar will learn what sudden oak death is, how it spreads, symptoms to watch out for, the treatment approach, sampling and detection strategies, current research and citizen science opportunities.

Emerald Ash Borer Webinar
April 26, 2023
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Kevin Zobrist with Washington State University Extension Forestry, this free webinar will focus on properly identifying both the beetle and symptoms on trees.  Dr. Zobrist will discuss the implications for Washington forests and wetlands, management options, and what to expect in the coming years. Register online by 8 a.m. the day of the webinar.

What the Old Forest Taught Us: Forest Stewardship in the 21st Century
May 3, 2023
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
The University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS) hosts Dr. Jerry Franklin, SEFS Emeritus Professor, as the 2023 Sustaining Our World Speaker. Dr. Franklin will present, “What the Old Forests Taught Us: Forest Stewardship in the 21st Century,” and a short Q&A will be held after the presentation. The event takes place at Kane Hall at the UW’s Seattle campus and is offered online or in person. RSVP online.

Birds of the Willamette Valley
May 18, 2023
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
During this free Oregon State University Extension Master Naturalist Program webinar, zoologist Dr. Ivan Phillipsen will present about the wonderful diversity of bird species found across the Willamette Valley Ecoregion. In addition to exploring the avian fauna of several major habitats, including prairies, wetlands, riparian forests, and oak woodlands, discussion will include their ecological importance and some key conservation issues.

Workshops

Stewarding a Climate-Resilient Forest West of the Cascades-Chimacum, WA
April 29, 2023
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Chimacum
At this free workshop in Jefferson Land Trust’s Valley View Forest, professional foresters will introduce forest owners to a set of simple, hands-on strategies for increasing their forests’ resilience in the face of a warmer and drier climate. Discussion topics include ecological risks facing Jefferson County forests due to wildfire, drought, disease, and insect infestation, how to evaluate the current health of a forest based on desired future conditions, and how forest owners can use woody biomass to create wildlife habitat structures such as constructed logs, snags, and habitat piles.

Field Days

Washington State Extension Forestry will host two forest owner field days in June, one in Eastern Washington and one in Western Washington. These events feature a rotation of forestry classes taught by experts from around the Pacific Northwest. Field days are an out-in-the-woods educational event where forest owners can learn about forest management strategies and emerging issues and connect with experts and services to help meet their objectives. Each field day will offer classes on a variety of topics including forest health, wildlife habitat enhancement and management, thinning and pruning, wildfire risk reduction, noxious weed control, and landowner assistance programs. It is also a great opportunity to network with other landowners and connect with your local foresters and other professionals that can assist you on your property.

2023 Western Washington Forest Owners’ Field Day

June 10, 2023
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Eatonville
This event will be held at the University of Washington’s Pack Forest in Eatonville, WA.
Registration for this event is open now. Please visit 2023 Western Washington Forestry Field Day to register and learn more.

2023 Eastern Washington Forest and Range Owners Field DayJune 24 2023
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Newport
This event will be held at the Kalispel Tribe’s Indian Creek Community Forest in Newport, WA.
Registration for this event will open in May; check the website for more information.

Other Events

The 2023 Olympic Experimental State Forest Science Conference

May 3, 2023
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Forks
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) annual update on scientific research and monitoring in the Olympic Experimental State Forest (OESF). OESF is comprised of 270,000 acres of state lands designated in the early 1990s with the intent to study how to integrate revenue production from timber harvests with ecological values such as habitat conservation. Oral presentations, a poster session, panel discussions, demonstrations of less familiar field monitoring equipment, and more. This conference is free and open to the public but registration is required.

2023 Washington State Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting

May 3-5, 2023
La Conner
This in-person annual meeting will include speaker presentations on forest health, climate resilience strategies, tribal cultural uses, carbon projects, current research in fire ecology and post-fire regeneration, and forestry in youth education.  Two field trip options will allow participants to see a range of forest management and related activities.

2023 Washington Farm Forestry (WFFA) Annual Meeting

May 21 – 23

• Sunday, May 21 – Field Tour and Luncheon Meal, Hama Hama Tree Farm, Lilliwaup, WA
• Monday, May 22 – 2023 Annual Meeting including WTFP 2023 Tree Farmer of the Year Award Luncheon and Annual Business Meeting, Olympia, WA
• Tuesday, May 23 – Executive Board Meeting, Olympia, WA

The WFFA celebrates 70 years since incorporated as an organization. Come enjoy the fellowship of your fellow tree farmers and learn more about forestry and small forestland management.

Are You Wildfire Ready? Popular Eastern Washington Wildfire Resilience Program Expands to Westside Counties

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, left, and Congressman Derek Kilmer listen as Guy Gifford, assistant division manager for Community Resilience at the state Department of Natural Resources, speaks about the Wildfire Ready Neighbors program during a press conference on April 4. (Photo by DNR)

By Natalie Johnson, forest practices communication manager, Natalie.johnson@dnr.wa.gov

Since 2021, thousands of Eastern Washington residents have taken steps to make their homes more resilient to wildfire through the Department of Natural Resources’ Wildfire Ready Neighbors program.

But wildfire isn’t just an Eastern Washington issue. Starting this month, Wildfire Ready Neighbors is launching in three Western Washington counties – Pierce, Mason, and Thurston.

That means residents of Western Washington can visit WildfireReady.com to sign up and get their own Wildfire Ready Plan, which provides tips and strategies to make their properties and neighborhoods more resilient to wildfire.

Residents in current WRN counties – including the three new Western Washington counties — can also sign up for Wildfire Ready Home Visits from a trained partner, who can give them personalized plans to better prepare their property for fire. During the six-week launch event for each new county, residents are eligible for a drawing to a local hardware store for a gift card to help them take action on their property.

The program provides this technical assistance by working with local partners, such as fire and conservation districts. Locals know their communities needs and risk best, and they’re crucial in crafting each launch in a new county.

Wildfire Ready Neighbors launched two years ago in some of Eastern Washington’s most at-risk counties — Okanogan, Chelan, Spokane, Yakima, Kittitas and Klickitat counties. Since then, more than 4,000 Eastern Washington residents have signed up to get a personalized Wildfire Ready Plan and committed to take more than 20,000 actions to better prepare their homes and communities for wildfire.

If you don’t live in one of our Wildfire Ready counties, hold tight. House bill 1578, passed earlier this month by the Washington state House of Representatives, is now being considered in the Senate, and would fund further expansion of the program in Western Washington communities.

Carbon Markets and Forest Management Incentives for Washington’s Small Family Forest Owners

Tucking in the last seedlings of the day, incense cedar and ponderosa pine. (Photo by Jeff Gersh)

Moments after planting, a Ponderosa pine seedling casts shade over its new Westside home. (Photo by Jeff Gersh)

By the Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA)

In 2023, the nonprofit Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) is celebrating its 70th year supporting the stewardship of small family forest owners. This anniversary is especially significant as we partner on one of the most important projects in our history — to cultivate a viable future for the communities and ecosystems we care about.

Two years ago, the Washington state legislature passed the Climate Commitment Act (SB5126) establishing an incentive program to fund carbon reductions in Washington. The act recognizes that prevention of forest loss, changes to forest management practices, reforesting or afforesting areas without forest cover, and wise use of harvested wood products are all crucial in mitigating climate change.

The legislation calls for recommendations to encourage the voluntary participation of interested small forest owners in markets that pay for storing carbon; and, in management techniques that improve carbon storage — which in turn benefit forest health and fire hazard reduction.

WFFA was awarded a contract from the Department of Natural Resources in 2022 to develop these recommendations with a work group of small family forest owners and technical experts, and in partnership with the Washington Tree Farm Program and the American Forest Foundation. A final report is due to the legislature in June of 2024. Once implemented, this landmark effort will reward tree farmers who wish to receive payments in exchange for ecosystem services provided to the state, the region, and the world.

Work group responsibilities include:

• Understanding the needs—and possible barriers to participation—of Washington’s small woodland owners in additional carbon storage
• Evaluating existing and potential carbon markets
• Coordinating with managers of state and federal forests, which link to the larger forest ecosystem and economy
• Gathering substantive input from underserved community members as part of environmental justice considerations
• Developing cost-effective remote sensing tools to inventory carbon stocks
• Tracking carbon from the tree farm to the marketplace in order to quantify real outcomes created by carbon storage

The 218,000 small forest landowners in Washington account for 15% of the state’s forests—nearly 3 million acres—and produce roughly 15% of the harvested wood products in Washington. Success of WFFA’s comprehensive approach depends on listening closely to our small woodland owners across the state, and to all of those who care about the health of our forests, communities, and economy.

We are eager for your input, and there are numerous ways to participate—as advisers, through surveys and focus groups, and in creative conversations with members of our work group. Visit WA Carbon Workgroup | Washington Farm Forestry Association (wafarmforestry.com) for more information and please join our mailing list to stay informed about opportunities as the program develops. For additional information, reach out to Elaine Oneil, executive director of WFFA: eoneil@wafarmforestry.com.

Message from Tami Miketa, Manager of the Small Forest Landowner Office

Tami Miketa, manager of DNR’s Small Forest Landowner Office

I hope all is well with you as we all get ready to hunker down for the winter.

As the days get shorter and we wait for snow to fall in parts of the state not already dusted or dumped on, we in the Small Forest Landowner Office are looking back on the successes of a busy year.

Throughout the past year, we’ve told you in this newsletter about how the Washington Department of Natural Resources has greatly expanded landowner services and staff in its Service Forestry Program, the Small Forest Landowner Regulation Assistance Program, the Urban and Community Forestry Program, and Community Resilience and Prevention.

In October, DNR facilitated a training as part of the Integrated Small Forest Landowner Assistance Program, established in state law in 2021 to bring existing programs together to more efficiently help landowners, remove barriers to assistance and funding, and increase education and outreach, among other tasks.

As the number of small forest landowners who seek assistance from DNR grows each year, so too does the need for information on what programs they qualify for.

Based on the Washington’s Small Forest Landowners in 2020 study conducted by the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, and an informal survey conducted this spring by DNR, we believe many small forest landowners know what services they need, but don’t always know where to turn for help.

DNR’s Integrated Small Forest Landowner Service Program training. (Holly Haley, DNR)

The two-day in-person event trained new and existing staff who work directly with small forest landowners on this new effort to integrate the programs, resources, and services available to you, the small forest landowner community.

Within DNR, that included highlighting resources like our significantly expanded Regulation Assistance Program, which now includes five regulation assistance foresters, who can help you with questions on Forest Practices Applications and alternate plans, and a fish and wildlife biologist to help with water typing and riparian zones, among a wide variety of other topics.

For information on programs outside of DNR, we invited representatives from the Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA), the Washington Tree Farm Program, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, WSU Extension Forestry, Washington conservation districts, the Cascades to Coast Landscape Collaborative, and the Washington Department of Revenue.

We also highlighted new online tools available to landowners. The Landowner Assistance Portal brings links to many resources for landowners — both within DNR and outside the agency — under one umbrella to provide a one-stop-shop experience.

Small forest landowners will find 34 of the most commonly sought-out subjects sorted into four categories: Resources for Managing My Forest, Keeping My Forest Healthy, Education and Training, and Permits and Regulations. Click on a topic and see our recommendations for a variety of links with more information. You can also use our new Find Your Forester tool to contact foresters and other program managers for their specific geographical area.

Want to talk to someone directly? You can call 1-800-523-TREE (8733). Or you can email us at OneStopShop@dnr.wa.gov. You can also fill out a survey to help us improve these new information tools.

In this newsletter, you will also hear from one of our partners, the Cascades to Coast Landscape Collaborative, who have an update on their online search tool. This tool is another option to browse not only DNR service programs, but a plethora of incentive programs landowners could be eligible for by federal, county, and non-governmental organizations. The Washington Department of Natural Resources funded the expansion of the tool that now covers all of Washington state.

I am also happy to announce the Small Forest Landowner Office is fully staffed. In this newsletter edition, we are highlighting new staff in the Forestry Riparian Easement Program and the Regulation Assistance Program. You will learn more about Daniel Hevezi, Sean McCluskey, Martin Pillow, and Karl Peterson later in this edition.

I hope you all have a safe and joyous holiday season!