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• 31. [Article] Managing for landscape resilience in the frequent-fire forests of central Oregon

  Wildfire in dry, frequent-fire forests is a pressing issue for natural resource managers, communities and politicians in the western United States. Area affected by wildfire has climbed steadily over the last ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Managing for landscape resilience in the frequent-fire forests of central Oregon Author: Platt, Emily K. Wildfire in dry, frequent-fire forests is a pressing issue for natural resource managers, communities and politicians in the western United States. Area affected by wildfire has climbed steadily over the last twenty years and is expected to increase in the future. Recognition of the importance of both social and biophysical influences on wildfire management has led to calls for integrated social-ecological research and new methods for studying ecosystems that incorporate both social and biophysical science. This project integrates social and biophysical research methods to address research questions related to wildfire, forest dynamics, and management of national forestlands in Oregon's Central Cascades. Qualitative content analysis is paired with landscape modeling to answer research questions related to managing frequent-fire forests for landscape resilience. Collectively, both approaches present a more complete understanding of challenges and opportunities related to managing for landscape resilience than could either approach on its own. One common thread identified in both approaches is the importance of bringing more fire onto the landscape, either through the use of prescribed fire or carefully managed wildfire. Both interview respondents and modeling results demonstrate the importance of using managed fire to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. Another compelling result of the analysis stemmed from modeling simulations which showed current levels of management to lead to the same amount of high-severity fire as a no management scenario. Finally, the modeling results demonstrated that not every acre has to be managed to reduce wildfire risk across a larger landscape. Landscape-scale management plans are thus critical to the development of effective management strategies, and forest plans may fulfill this role. Forest Service budgeting based on forest plans could lead to more efficient, effective, and responsive public administration of federal lands. Title: Managing for landscape resilience in the frequent-fire forests of central Oregon Author: Platt, Emily K. Wildfire in dry, frequent-fire forests is a pressing issue for natural resource managers, communities and politicians in the western United States. Area affected by wildfire has climbed steadily over the last twenty years and is expected to increase in the future. Recognition of the importance of both social and biophysical influences on wildfire management has led to calls for integrated social-ecological research and new methods for studying ecosystems that incorporate both social and biophysical science. This project integrates social and biophysical research methods to address research questions related to wildfire, forest dynamics, and management of national forestlands in Oregon's Central Cascades. Qualitative content analysis is paired with landscape modeling to answer research questions related to managing frequent-fire forests for landscape resilience. Collectively, both approaches present a more complete understanding of challenges and opportunities related to managing for landscape resilience than could either approach on its own. One common thread identified in both approaches is the importance of bringing more fire onto the landscape, either through the use of prescribed fire or carefully managed wildfire. Both interview respondents and modeling results demonstrate the importance of using managed fire to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. Another compelling result of the analysis stemmed from modeling simulations which showed current levels of management to lead to the same amount of high-severity fire as a no management scenario. Finally, the modeling results demonstrated that not every acre has to be managed to reduce wildfire risk across a larger landscape. Landscape-scale management plans are thus critical to the development of effective management strategies, and forest plans may fulfill this role. Forest Service budgeting based on forest plans could lead to more efficient, effective, and responsive public administration of federal lands. Close

• 32. [Article] Fire Prevention Work Group Final Report

  Report completed by the Fire Prevention Work Group for the 2004 Oregon Fire Program Review

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fire Prevention Work Group Final Report Author: Oregon Fire Program Review Fire Prevention Work Group Report completed by the Fire Prevention Work Group for the 2004 Oregon Fire Program Review Title: Fire Prevention Work Group Final Report Author: Oregon Fire Program Review Fire Prevention Work Group Report completed by the Fire Prevention Work Group for the 2004 Oregon Fire Program Review Close

• 33. [Article] A Proposed Framework for Identifying and Evaluating Ecosystem Service Tradeoffs for Marine Protected Area Planning

  Existing research on the effectiveness of marine protected areas narrowly focuses on developing sets of management indicators tied to outcomes described in management plans or on the achievement of a single ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Proposed Framework for Identifying and Evaluating Ecosystem Service Tradeoffs for Marine Protected Area Planning Author: Harte, Michael, Heppell, Selina, Rosenberger, Randall, Sylvia, Gil Existing research on the effectiveness of marine protected areas narrowly focuses on developing sets of management indicators tied to outcomes described in management plans or on the achievement of a single objective such as an increase in the size or number of older, more fecund female fish in a protected area. These approaches, however, fail to capture the dynamic complexity of social, cultural, economic and ecological processes, uncertainty, and tradeoffs associated with the establishment and operation of marine protected areas. Moreover, there is usually little recognition of local coastal communities, including fishing communities, and the values they hold in the evaluation of the relative benefits and costs of marine protected areas. We describe a framework for evaluating and assessing economic and ecosystem tradeoffs associated with marine protected areas and other forms of marine spatial planning. This framework integrates biophysical data and community-based social and economic evaluation methods. It identifies ecosystem services, their benefits and associated uncertainties in assessing the economic and social tradeoffs associated with changes in the use of the marine environment. Title: A Proposed Framework for Identifying and Evaluating Ecosystem Service Tradeoffs for Marine Protected Area Planning Author: Harte, Michael, Heppell, Selina, Rosenberger, Randall, Sylvia, Gil Existing research on the effectiveness of marine protected areas narrowly focuses on developing sets of management indicators tied to outcomes described in management plans or on the achievement of a single objective such as an increase in the size or number of older, more fecund female fish in a protected area. These approaches, however, fail to capture the dynamic complexity of social, cultural, economic and ecological processes, uncertainty, and tradeoffs associated with the establishment and operation of marine protected areas. Moreover, there is usually little recognition of local coastal communities, including fishing communities, and the values they hold in the evaluation of the relative benefits and costs of marine protected areas. We describe a framework for evaluating and assessing economic and ecosystem tradeoffs associated with marine protected areas and other forms of marine spatial planning. This framework integrates biophysical data and community-based social and economic evaluation methods. It identifies ecosystem services, their benefits and associated uncertainties in assessing the economic and social tradeoffs associated with changes in the use of the marine environment. Close

• 34. [Article] Trust: A Planning Guide for Wildfire Agencies and Practitioners—An International Collaboration Drawing on Research and Management Experience in Australia, Canada, and the United States

  A Joint Fire Science Program Research Publication

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Trust: A Planning Guide for Wildfire Agencies and Practitioners—An International Collaboration Drawing on Research and Management Experience in Australia, Canada, and the United States Author: Shindler, Bruce, Olsen, Christine, McGee, Tara, McFarlane, Bonita, Christianson, Amy, Sharp, Emily, McCaffrey, Sarah, Curtis, Allan A Joint Fire Science Program Research Publication Title: Trust: A Planning Guide for Wildfire Agencies and Practitioners—An International Collaboration Drawing on Research and Management Experience in Australia, Canada, and the United States Author: Shindler, Bruce, Olsen, Christine, McGee, Tara, McFarlane, Bonita, Christianson, Amy, Sharp, Emily, McCaffrey, Sarah, Curtis, Allan A Joint Fire Science Program Research Publication Close

• 35. [Article] Fire protection coverage working group

  Oregon contains approximately 6 million acres of mostly private lands that have no one individual, organization, or agency responsible for fire prevention and suppression actions. Wildland fires in these ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fire protection coverage working group Author: Oregon Department of Forestry, Institute for Natural Resources Oregon contains approximately 6 million acres of mostly private lands that have no one individual, organization, or agency responsible for fire prevention and suppression actions. Wildland fires in these areas have burned adjacent landowner resources, structures, and improvements; threaten public safety; and have other impacts on residents and the general public such as closing highways. While many of these fires remain small and have limited impacts, several have become large, damaging, and expensive fires to suppress. An incomplete record of fires involving unprotected lands exist, but since 1996, there have been at least 120 fires that have burned over 240,000 acres with suppression costs approaching $9 Million. After removing 4 large, expensive fires, the average suppression cost for the remaining 117 fires was $8,400. In addition, this working group was originally tasked with looking into a related issue associated with structural fire protection. Since that time, the Governor’s Fire Service Policy Council established a parallel effort to address the issue of continuing to provide catastrophic fire protection to communities outside a structural fire jurisdiction. Some additional discussion related to the connection between these two efforts will occur in this document, but will be considerably less than originally envisioned. Due to this parallel effort, the primary focus of this paper is on wildland fire protection. Title: Fire protection coverage working group Author: Oregon Department of Forestry, Institute for Natural Resources Oregon contains approximately 6 million acres of mostly private lands that have no one individual, organization, or agency responsible for fire prevention and suppression actions. Wildland fires in these areas have burned adjacent landowner resources, structures, and improvements; threaten public safety; and have other impacts on residents and the general public such as closing highways. While many of these fires remain small and have limited impacts, several have become large, damaging, and expensive fires to suppress. An incomplete record of fires involving unprotected lands exist, but since 1996, there have been at least 120 fires that have burned over 240,000 acres with suppression costs approaching $9 Million. After removing 4 large, expensive fires, the average suppression cost for the remaining 117 fires was $8,400. In addition, this working group was originally tasked with looking into a related issue associated with structural fire protection. Since that time, the Governor’s Fire Service Policy Council established a parallel effort to address the issue of continuing to provide catastrophic fire protection to communities outside a structural fire jurisdiction. Some additional discussion related to the connection between these two efforts will occur in this document, but will be considerably less than originally envisioned. Due to this parallel effort, the primary focus of this paper is on wildland fire protection. Close

• 36. [Article] Silviculture and reserve impacts on potential fire behavior and forest conservation: twenty-five years of experience from Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests

  Most administrators and ecologists agree that reducing the levels of hazardous fuels on forests is essential to restore healthy watersheds and protect adjacent human communities. The current debate over ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Silviculture and reserve impacts on potential fire behavior and forest conservation: twenty-five years of experience from Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests Author: Stephens, Scott L., Moghaddas, Jason J. Most administrators and ecologists agree that reducing the levels of hazardous fuels on forests is essential to restore healthy watersheds and protect adjacent human communities. The current debate over the appropriateness, technique, and timing of treatments utilized to restore vegetation structure and composition is currently on-going at local, state, and national levels. To provide information for these forums, the efficacy of seven traditional silvicultural systems and two types of reserves used in the Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests is evaluated in terms of vegetation structure, fuel bed characteristics, modeled fire behavior, and potential wildfire related mortality. The systems include old-growth reserve, young-growth reserve, thinning from below, individual tree selection, overstory removal, and four types of plantations. These are the most commonly used silvicultural systems and reserves on federal, state, and private lands in the western United States. Each silvicultural system or reserve had three replicates and varied in size from 15 to 25 ha; a systematic design of plots was used to collect tree and fuel information. The majority of the traditional silvicultural systems examined in this work (all plantation treatments, overstory removal, individual tree selection) did not effectively reduce potential fire behavior and effects, especially wildfire induced tree mortality at high and extreme fire weather conditions. Overall, thinning from below, and old-growth and young-growth reserves were more effective at reducing predicted tree mortality. Title: Silviculture and reserve impacts on potential fire behavior and forest conservation: twenty-five years of experience from Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests Author: Stephens, Scott L., Moghaddas, Jason J. Most administrators and ecologists agree that reducing the levels of hazardous fuels on forests is essential to restore healthy watersheds and protect adjacent human communities. The current debate over the appropriateness, technique, and timing of treatments utilized to restore vegetation structure and composition is currently on-going at local, state, and national levels. To provide information for these forums, the efficacy of seven traditional silvicultural systems and two types of reserves used in the Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests is evaluated in terms of vegetation structure, fuel bed characteristics, modeled fire behavior, and potential wildfire related mortality. The systems include old-growth reserve, young-growth reserve, thinning from below, individual tree selection, overstory removal, and four types of plantations. These are the most commonly used silvicultural systems and reserves on federal, state, and private lands in the western United States. Each silvicultural system or reserve had three replicates and varied in size from 15 to 25 ha; a systematic design of plots was used to collect tree and fuel information. The majority of the traditional silvicultural systems examined in this work (all plantation treatments, overstory removal, individual tree selection) did not effectively reduce potential fire behavior and effects, especially wildfire induced tree mortality at high and extreme fire weather conditions. Overall, thinning from below, and old-growth and young-growth reserves were more effective at reducing predicted tree mortality. Close

• 37. [Article] Native wetland, riparian, and upland plant communities and their biota in the Willamette Valley, Oregon

  As part of the Willamette Basin Geographic Initiative Program, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded The Nature Conservancy of Oregon to inventory, classify, and map native wetland and riparian ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Native wetland, riparian, and upland plant communities and their biota in the Willamette Valley, Oregon Author: Alverson, Edward R., VanderSchaaf, Dick, Kagan, James S., Christy, John A., Titus, John H. As part of the Willamette Basin Geographic Initiative Program, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded The Nature Conservancy of Oregon to inventory, classify, and map native wetland and riparian plant communities and their threatened biota in the Willamette Valley. Between October 1994 and September 1996, we evaluated 172 wetland and riparian sites throughout the Willamette Valley. A site is a stream or river reach or wetland area that was inventoried at one to many locations. Of these sites, 21 are high-quality remnants important for future protection and restoration efforts. We identified 153 natural communities as occurring in native wetland and riparian habitats, of which 101 are new to the plant community classification of the Oregon Natural Heritage Program. Twenty-six species of rare animals and 23 species of rare plants occur in the Willamette Valley. Thirty-two species of rare plants and animals appear to be directly dependent on wetland and riparian communities in the Willamette Valley, and twenty-two species are dependent on upland communities in the Willamette Valley. Mapping of presettlement vegetation in the Willamette Valley indicates that 456,119 hectares (1,127,071 ac) of wetland and riparian habitat have been lost overall, with 12 communities impacted in particular. As for uplands, 732,432 hectares (1,809,841 ac) of habitat have been lost overall, with 7 natural communities impacted in particular. We recommend local citizen involvement, land purchases and restoration as means of protecting and restoring remnant ecosystems and their biota in the Willamette Valley. Title: Native wetland, riparian, and upland plant communities and their biota in the Willamette Valley, Oregon Author: Alverson, Edward R., VanderSchaaf, Dick, Kagan, James S., Christy, John A., Titus, John H. As part of the Willamette Basin Geographic Initiative Program, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded The Nature Conservancy of Oregon to inventory, classify, and map native wetland and riparian plant communities and their threatened biota in the Willamette Valley. Between October 1994 and September 1996, we evaluated 172 wetland and riparian sites throughout the Willamette Valley. A site is a stream or river reach or wetland area that was inventoried at one to many locations. Of these sites, 21 are high-quality remnants important for future protection and restoration efforts. We identified 153 natural communities as occurring in native wetland and riparian habitats, of which 101 are new to the plant community classification of the Oregon Natural Heritage Program. Twenty-six species of rare animals and 23 species of rare plants occur in the Willamette Valley. Thirty-two species of rare plants and animals appear to be directly dependent on wetland and riparian communities in the Willamette Valley, and twenty-two species are dependent on upland communities in the Willamette Valley. Mapping of presettlement vegetation in the Willamette Valley indicates that 456,119 hectares (1,127,071 ac) of wetland and riparian habitat have been lost overall, with 12 communities impacted in particular. As for uplands, 732,432 hectares (1,809,841 ac) of habitat have been lost overall, with 7 natural communities impacted in particular. We recommend local citizen involvement, land purchases and restoration as means of protecting and restoring remnant ecosystems and their biota in the Willamette Valley. Close

• 38. [Article] Impacts of MPA on Coastal Communities‚ Resource Use Behaviour: Case of Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania

  Abstract Only

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Impacts of MPA on Coastal Communities‚ Resource Use Behaviour: Case of Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania Author: Mulyila, Esther Abstract Only Title: Impacts of MPA on Coastal Communities‚ Resource Use Behaviour: Case of Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania Author: Mulyila, Esther Abstract Only Close

• 39. [Article] Oregon wetland planning guidebook

  "This guidebook is intended to serve as a reference to help local governments plan for the protection of wetlands and meeting the requirements of statewide planning goals, particularly Goal 5. This guidebook ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Oregon wetland planning guidebook Author: Oregon. Dept. of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon. Dept. of State Lands, Winterbrook Planning, Shapiro & Associates (Seattle, Wash.) "This guidebook is intended to serve as a reference to help local governments plan for the protection of wetlands and meeting the requirements of statewide planning goals, particularly Goal 5. This guidebook does not create any new policy; it only seeks to explain existing statutes and administrative rules. Background and reference information is provided as well as "how-to" tips to assist local government planners in developing inventories and protection ordinances. The guidebook will also be useful in explaining wetland planning requirements to elected and appointed officials, property owners, developers, and concerned citizens. This guidebook represents perspectives of the state agencies and of those that apply state policies and regulations. The contents have been shaped by DSL, DLCD, and municipal planners, in collaboration with a private-sector environmental consulting company (Shapiro and Associates, Inc.) with experience in wetland assessment, permitting, and community wetland planning."--P. 1. Title: Oregon wetland planning guidebook Author: Oregon. Dept. of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon. Dept. of State Lands, Winterbrook Planning, Shapiro & Associates (Seattle, Wash.) "This guidebook is intended to serve as a reference to help local governments plan for the protection of wetlands and meeting the requirements of statewide planning goals, particularly Goal 5. This guidebook does not create any new policy; it only seeks to explain existing statutes and administrative rules. Background and reference information is provided as well as "how-to" tips to assist local government planners in developing inventories and protection ordinances. The guidebook will also be useful in explaining wetland planning requirements to elected and appointed officials, property owners, developers, and concerned citizens. This guidebook represents perspectives of the state agencies and of those that apply state policies and regulations. The contents have been shaped by DSL, DLCD, and municipal planners, in collaboration with a private-sector environmental consulting company (Shapiro and Associates, Inc.) with experience in wetland assessment, permitting, and community wetland planning."--P. 1. Close

• 40. [Article] Ecotourism, community development, and local autonomy : the experience of Shan-Mei aboriginal community in Taiwan

  Shan-Mei, a Tsou aboriginal village in Taiwan, is widely known as a legend of environmental conservation, where ecotourism has been successfully combined with integrated community development. Indigenous ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Ecotourism, community development, and local autonomy : the experience of Shan-Mei aboriginal community in Taiwan Author: Lee, Pei-Yao Shan-Mei, a Tsou aboriginal village in Taiwan, is widely known as a legend of environmental conservation, where ecotourism has been successfully combined with integrated community development. Indigenous knowledge containing "ecological wisdom" and decision-making based on consensus are perceived to be the greatest contributors to this achievement. I conducted three months of fieldwork in Shan-Mei, primarily using the methods of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The purpose of this study was to reexamine the ecotourism and community development in Shan-Mei. I found that the ecotourism project is ecologically based, but not ecologically sound. With a combination of nature-based tourism and ethnic tourism, and later expansion into mass tourism, Shan-Mei's ecotourism project yielded negative environmental impacts. The unplanned development of mass tourism especially brought overcrowding that endangered a fragile fish species and the surrounding ecosystem. Lack of education about environmental issues created misperceptions among tourists and local people about the role of conservation in ecotourism. The community also faced problems of inappropriate government intervention, declining local participation in the project, and internal conflicts of interest. There was a need for better training and implementation of the interpretive program, professional assistance by outside experts for environmental assessment and planning, and better protection for indigenous rights in the laws of the nation state. This case illustrates that ecologically sound ecotourism not only requires indigenous knowledge but also expertise and legal protection that recognizes local autonomy. Despite the shortcomings, the Shan-Mei community was found to be proactive in creating a better future for its residents. The community used the revenue from ecotourism and government aid to establish its own social welfare program, fund various projects to revive traditional culture, assist agricultural development, and improve everyone's quality of life. The community benefited from ecotourism and community development in terms of inventing a hybrid Shan-Mei culture and forming a stronger sense of identity and autonomy. Shan-Mei provides invaluable lessons in its experience with ecotourism in its strategic adaptation to modernization. Title: Ecotourism, community development, and local autonomy : the experience of Shan-Mei aboriginal community in Taiwan Author: Lee, Pei-Yao Shan-Mei, a Tsou aboriginal village in Taiwan, is widely known as a legend of environmental conservation, where ecotourism has been successfully combined with integrated community development. Indigenous knowledge containing "ecological wisdom" and decision-making based on consensus are perceived to be the greatest contributors to this achievement. I conducted three months of fieldwork in Shan-Mei, primarily using the methods of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The purpose of this study was to reexamine the ecotourism and community development in Shan-Mei. I found that the ecotourism project is ecologically based, but not ecologically sound. With a combination of nature-based tourism and ethnic tourism, and later expansion into mass tourism, Shan-Mei's ecotourism project yielded negative environmental impacts. The unplanned development of mass tourism especially brought overcrowding that endangered a fragile fish species and the surrounding ecosystem. Lack of education about environmental issues created misperceptions among tourists and local people about the role of conservation in ecotourism. The community also faced problems of inappropriate government intervention, declining local participation in the project, and internal conflicts of interest. There was a need for better training and implementation of the interpretive program, professional assistance by outside experts for environmental assessment and planning, and better protection for indigenous rights in the laws of the nation state. This case illustrates that ecologically sound ecotourism not only requires indigenous knowledge but also expertise and legal protection that recognizes local autonomy. Despite the shortcomings, the Shan-Mei community was found to be proactive in creating a better future for its residents. The community used the revenue from ecotourism and government aid to establish its own social welfare program, fund various projects to revive traditional culture, assist agricultural development, and improve everyone's quality of life. The community benefited from ecotourism and community development in terms of inventing a hybrid Shan-Mei culture and forming a stronger sense of identity and autonomy. Shan-Mei provides invaluable lessons in its experience with ecotourism in its strategic adaptation to modernization. Close