Transforming Forest Health in Idaho & Montana Tom Schultz, VP Government Affairs
Our Mission “To enhance the lives and livelihoods of our employees, customers, partners and the communities in which we operate by providing the earth’s best renewable building products.” 2
A Glimpse at IFG’s Impact in 2018 • 1050 team members with an additional 2,000+ contractors assisting business. • Wages across the company were $70 million • Over $2 million paid in taxes within Idaho, Montana, and Washington states • 143,553 truck loads delivered to IFG facilities. That equates to trucks lined up end to end from Coeur d’Alene to Pittsburgh, PA! • IFG supports charitable organizations that provide educational and arts and cultural opportunities and youth activities in Idaho and Montana, enhancing the communities where our employees live and raise families. 3
Overview
Overview We’re going to discuss: • Health and mortality in Idaho and Montana’s forests • Why forest health matters • How we can restore our forests and how long it will take to make an impact 5
Overview Today’s Inland Northwest forests are not the same forests that existed before European settlement. Their ecology has been altered by: • Fire suppression • Historically unsustainable harvest methods, without replanting • Introduction of White Pine Blister Rust and other invasive species • Climate change and drought These impacts have created more densely populated forests with dominant • tree species that are less tolerant of fire and disease and are competing for limited resources. • This has set the stage for an abundance of weak, malnourished trees that are susceptible to insect, disease, and catastrophic wildfire. 6
Overview U.S. Volume Harvested vs. U.S. Acres Burned in Wildfires 1980-2017 14,000,000 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 Volume of Timber Harvested (MBF) 6,000,000 Acres burned 4,000,000 2,000,000 - 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 7
Fire 1910 Fire: • 3 million acres burned in Idaho & Montana • 85 people died • Current stand conditions are now similar to the conditions prior to 1910 8
Overview Overstocked/Weakened Stands Fire Mortality 9
Insects and Disease
Insects & Disease NIDRM 28% of Idaho’s treed acres are at risk – ranked 1 st nationally for • percentage of acres at risk. • 21% of Montana’s treed acres are at risk – ranked 3 rd nationally for its percentage of acres at risk. Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest 11
Treed Acres at Risk of >25% Basal Area Loss 2013-2027 Idaho Montana Total: 7,862,018 Total: 7,655,558 223,811 258,191 493,809 409,578 1,081,556 877,950 206,624 180,406 974,152 998,833 4,955,281 4,857,385 State Lands USFS-Non Wilderness Wilderness Areas BLM Private Other Ownerships 12
Insects & Disease Beetle Gallery Root Rot “The warming climate has allowed beetles to hang on, reproduce faster — multiple broods in a year — and access trees at higher elevations that used to be resistant because of the cold,’ says Carl Seielstad, a fire expert at the University of Montana in Missoula.” Washington Post, January 29, 2019 Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/gone-in-a-generation/ forest-climate-change.html?utm_term=.3f4e862dafc6#forest. Published January 29, 2019. 13
Fire
Fire According to the US Forest Service, almost 70% of federal forests need some sort of fuels restoration treatment, which may include: • Harvest • Thinning • Prescribed fire Clearwater Complex, • Replanting near Kamiah, 2015 15
Fire Burned Acres on National Forests 1980-2018 Beaverhead-Deerlodge Bitterroot MONTANA Kootenai Lolo Flathead Idaho Panhandle Boise IDAHO Nez Perce-Clearwater Payette 0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000 1400000 1600000 1800000 2000000 Total Non-Wilderness, Non-Roadless Acres Total Burned Non-Wilderness, Non-Roadless Acres 1980-2018 16
Forest Health
Forest Health One decade ago, mortality in the Intermountain Forest started to exceed growth. What defines mortality? Trees that DIED from natural causes: • Fire • Drought • Insects and Disease • Age Tree mortality is measured as trees that died from natural causes within 5 years of the measurement date. 18
Forest Health Intermountain Region All Ownerships Softwoods, Growth, Removal, and Mortality (MCuFt) 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0 1952 1962 1976 1986 1991 1996 2006 2011 2016 Net Growth Removal Mortality Created from FIA data Intermountain Region refers to Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. 19
Forest Health Intermountain Region National Forests Softwoods, Growth, Removal and Mortality (Mcuft) 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0 1952 1962 1976 1986 1991 1996 2006 2011 2016 -500,000 Net Growth Removal Mortality Intermountain Region refers to Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. 20
Forest Health: Federal Forests Over the next 15 years, National Forests are at greatest risk of loss: 50% of treed acres are at risk and growth rates are declining. Some forests are in critical situations: • The Beaverhead-Deerlodge is set up for a catastrophic wildfire: • Mortality is far exceeding growth Fires have only touched 3.6% of the non-wilderness, non roadless acres • • Harvest has been around 26 MMBF • The Payette keeps burning: Only about 13% of the forest is non-wilderness, non-roadless acres • • About an eighth of the acres have already burned • Mortality has surpassed growth The Panhandle is succumbing to disease: • • There is a 50% risk of 25% basal area loss from insect and disease • Only 2.3% of the non-wilderness, non-roadless base has burned since 1980 21
Percent Change in Forest Growth, Removal, and Mortality 1991-2016 Idaho Montana Year Net growth Removals Mortality Year Net growth Removals Mortality 1991 607,168 258,529 182,289 1991 728,705 333,015 189,614 1996 560,727 170,735 272,818 1996 793,597 247,041 274,016 2006 469,731 197,889 386,900 2006 597,709 245,735 374,967 2011 254,712 90,411 558,466 2011 417,388 257,803 612,835 2016 441,238 230,262 616,491 2016 54,778 102,171 662,369 Percent Percent -39% -31% 225% -91% -60% 263% Change Change 22
Forest Health Mortality is reducing the growth of the existing timber resource in Idaho and Montana over the last ten years. Idaho Montana 23
“Montana is one of six states in the West where trees have been emitting carbon in the past decade or so, according to an analysis by David Cleaves, former climate change adviser to the chief of the U.S. Forest Service.” “The other states are Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. Four of these states’ forests have flipped in recent years to become carbon emitters — with Montana showing the biggest changes of all.” “Between 2000 and 2015, 14 million acres were damaged by beetles and other pests or diseases, more than half of the state’s total forested area.” Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/gone-in-a-generation/ forest-climate-change.html?utm_term=.3f4e862dafc6#forest. Published January 29, 2019. 24
Forest Health Idaho, Net Growth as % of BF Volume Montana Net Growth as % of BF Volume by Ownership by Ownership 5.00% 3.50% 4.50% 3.00% 4.00% 2.50% 3.50% 2.00% 3.00% 2.50% 1.50% 2.00% 1.00% 1.50% 0.50% 1.00% 0.50% 0.00% 0.00% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 -0.50% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 -1.00% USFS BLM State Private USFS BLM State Private Created from FIA data The negative percentages mean that mortality is exceeding growth. 25
Forest Health Idaho, Net Growth as % of BF Volume Montana, Net Growth as % of BF Volume by National Forest by National Forest 5% 5% 4% 4% Private Lands Private Lands 3% 3% Panhandle Beaverhead 2% 2% Bitterroot Clearwater Flathead 1% Nez Perce 1% Kootenai Boise 0% 0% Lolo Payette -1% -1% -2% -2% -3% -3% 26
Forest Health 27
Forest Health Summary Why do we care about Mortality? • Reduced timber supply • Depleted carbon sequestration capacity • Increased risk of catastrophic fire, smoke, and carbon emissions • Degraded water quality, reduced water supply, and increased erosion 28
Transformation
Collaboration Diverse stakeholder groups (tribes, industry, conservation, recreation, local government) using science to build consensus and take on forest projects that support economic, restoration, and conservation goals on Montana has 14 forest collaboratives, that participate in the Montana Forest Collaboration Network. priority landscapes. Idaho has 10 forest collaboratives that participate in the Idaho Forest Restoration Partnership 30
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