The Watershed TMP: a proposal to manage the redwood ecosystem under convergent environmental, economic and social goals

Abstract

Under present California Forest Practice Rules, mandated by the Legislature and codified by the State Board of Forestry, Non-industrial Timber Management Plans (NTMPs) give small landowners the flexibility to operate under a specific set of rules 'forever,' allowing short notice (3 days or less) for pre-approved harvest operations. This permit is presently restricted to forestland ownerships less than 2,500 acres, requires uneven-aged management (selection harvest), and allows forest managers to both react to market conditions and have certainty of regulation. There is no comparable tool for larger ownerships. Using this concept for larger ownerships, with an explicitly directed primary outcome of wildlife, watershed benefits or carbon sequestration, and timber as a subsidiary output, would improve environmental quality, reduce landowner costs and reduce regulatory time for forestry under the California permit process. A Legislative bill or Board of Forestry initiative could create a Watershed Timber Management Plan as a low-intensity, watershed-scale forest management permit. This tool would be particularly useful in California's coast redwood ecosystems, where selection harvest is a demonstrated way of managing for both ecosystem services and timber production.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the coast redwood forests in a changing California: A symposium for scientists and managers

Citation

Euphrat, Frederick D. 2012. The Watershed TMP: a proposal to manage the redwood ecosystem under convergent environmental, economic and social goals. In: Standiford, Richard B.; Weller, Theodore J.; Piirto, Douglas D.; Stuart, John D., tech. coords. Proceedings of coast redwood forests in a changing California: A symposium for scientists and managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. pp. 593-601.