Partnership between the Forest Service and States ~ 2014 Farm Bill Authority
Advantages: 1. Ability to work across jurisdictional boundaries to 2. Leverage state resources to increase Forest Service capacity • States award and administer contracts 3. Program income may be generated through sale of timber
Limitations: 1. Program income remains on proclaimed NF 2. must be spent within 10 year agreement. 3. No reconstruction of roads **Prohibits projects in wilderness areas, new road construction
Increase the pace and scale of forest & watershed restoration
Provide additive fiber to Idaho markets to maintain infrastructure and support rural economies
Develop a self sustaining program in 3-5 years
A bypass of NEPA or other Federal Laws • Clean Air and Water Acts • Endangered Species • National Historic Preservation Act
A means to impose state management objectives on federal lands
A delegation of silviculture authority to the states
A state takeover of federal lands or jobs
Projects do not require financial match, multiple funding sources possible
USFS = 75% of Idaho Forests Idaho USFS Timberland Harvest Growth Mortality 8.8 million acres National 3,000 Forest are “high risk” 2,500
1.8 million acres I &D Priority 2,000 BF Treatment Area 1,500
Harvest levels are 12% of Million annual growth, 6% annual 1,000 mortality 500
External Capacity 0 1980 1990 2004 2015
Wildfire suppression Costs . 12.7 million ac at high risk . 30% increase in suppression costs predicted in next 10 yrs
Maintain Manufacturing Infrastructure . USFS supplies 10% of raw material needs . Idaho imports 200 MMBF
Jobs - Every million board feet harvested generates: . $3.85 million in goods and services . $667,000 in wages . 12 FP industry and 8 support jobs . 56,600 average industry earnings
May - Statewide Master Agreement signed June - Forest Products Industry agreement signed to provide start up funding September - IDL hired a Federal Lands Program Manager September - signed Nez-Perce Clearwater and Payette National Forest Supplemental Project Agreements September - IDL auctioned first GNA federal timber sale December- Idaho Panhandle National Forests Agreement signed
Nez Perce-Clearwater NF Wapiti timber sale – Harvest expected to begin in late spring of 2017 IDL/FS reviewing a potential GNA fire salvage restoration project to be auctioned in the spring of 2017 Panhandle NF Hana Flats – Project development, contact services for NEPA Payette NF Brundage Mountain- Project development, contract services for NEPA Sloan’s Point – Preliminary field review, data collection, project development Boise NF Reviewing possible project for GNA
IDL Capacity . Hire additional FTE, temps, utilize private sector NEPA . Support analysis with IDL specialist, utilize private sector Litigation . Focus on non-controversial projects, engage collaboratives Define GNA Performance Metrics . Acres, jobs, additive fiber, forest improvements, costs incurred by agencies
QUOTE FROM GOVERNOR C.L. “Butch” Otter
“ Good Neighbor Authority = GNA Project makes it possible for the State of Idaho to leverage our support and land management expertise with the Forest Service to augment management activities happening on federal lands in Idaho.”
Jon Songster, Federal Lands Program Manager, [email protected]
Peg Polichio, Idaho Good Neighbor Authority Facilitator; [email protected]
Craig Foss, Division Administrator, Forestry & Fire; [email protected]
Current GNA Est Treatment Est Harvest Projects Area (AC) Vol (MBF) Hanna Flats- IPNF 3,000 8,500 Wapiti- NPCNF 200 4,400 Brundage- PNF 180 800 Total 3,380 13,700 Proposed GNA Est Treatment Est Harvest Projects Area (AC) Vol (MBF) Sloan Point- PNF 1,500 4,500 Middle Fork Weiser- 7,500 22,500 PNF Woodrat Salvage- 348 8,600 NPCNF Bogus Basin- BNF 1,300 3,400 Total: 10,648 39,000 GNA Funding Source Industry Contributions $29,113.89 Federal Cohesive Strategy Grant $53,314.80 Payette National Forest $8,396.21 Total $90,824.90 Trust Lands 10% Private 32%
Private 46% Industy 12% Federal What needs legislative attention!
GNA roads fix – reconstruction allowed
Fire Funding fix – augment $ for NEPA in FS
When solid collaboration present on projects, diminish litigation options
Define GNA Performance metrics
10 year agreement 10 year agreement Provides framework Broad and flexible and objectives Provides scope of work Applicable laws and Funding Sources for GN projects: regulations • Appropriations Contract termination • State funds and disputes • Program income Principal Contacts from sale of Federal timber Covers Region 1 and 4 • Third party funding in Idaho
Wapiti GNA’s 1st federal timber sale auction 216 acre harvest Goal: Improve forest health and reduce fuels Sold to McFarland Cascade for $1.4 million IDL’s role: auction and administer timber sale F.S. role: NEPA planning, project field preparation, road reconstruction Project implementation expected in June of 2017
IDL $21,090 $1,350,000 USFS IDL Scaling Fee $1,300,000 $76,284 NFF, KV, BD $1,250,000 USFS Surface Rock $1,200,000 Replacement GNA USFS Minnimum $1,150,000 $1,252,284 Stumpage
$1,100,000 Program Income
$1,050,000
$1,000,000 Wapiti Hanna Flats ~ Panhandle NF Est. 3,000 acre treatment area Goal: Improve forest health and reduce fuels IDL’s role: NEPA data collection, field prep, auction and administer timber sale F.S. role: Facilitate NEPA
Brundage Mountain Est. 180 acre treatment area Goal: Improve forest health and enhance recreation IDL’s role: assist in field prep, data collection, administer NEPA contract F.S. role: provide training and NEPA protocols & support, auction & administer timber sale
Bogus Basin SPA in progress 1,400 to 2,000 acre treatment area Goal: Improve forest health, hazard tree removal Harvest approximately 3.5 MMBF IDL’s role: field prep, data collection, auction & administer timber sale F.S. role: NEPA decision signed, fuels treatment, tree planting? Industry $90,000 $259,000 Federal Grant
Program Income $272,000 Forest Improvement Fee Payetee NF Appropriated SPENDING AUTHORITY Total: $621,000 $177,600 PC (Federal) $323,300 OE ($200K Dedicated, $123K Federal) $59,000 CO (Dedicated) 5% 5% 5%
10%
Federal Private Industrial 75% Trust Lands Other State
*Note – Private includes ranchers, farmers and tribal. All values are percent.
1100
950
800
650
500
Million BF Million
350
200
50 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1985 1990 1995 2001 2006 2011 2015
USFS Timber Harvest in Idaho Introductions, Recognize Forest Products Industry contributors, presentation objectives (Craig) History of Idaho GNA, lessons learned (Craig) Overview of GNA (Jon) Why it’s important (Jon) Update 2016 progress, 2017 plans (Peg) Challenges (Peg) Q & A Section 8204 of FB requests Governor's designation priority treatment areas for I & D to streamline NEPA procedures. State led collaborative process ~ 1.8 million acres at risk to declining forest health, high risk for wildfire near communities, transportation system intact
State led collaborative process to discern best approach for Idaho (FS, Industry, Environmental Community)
Idaho Legislature ~ Senate Concurrent Resolution 126 ~ IDL to explore use of Good Neighbor Authority
GNA Facilitator hired in 2015 to lead process
Fed Lands Program Manager hired 2016 to evaluate potential projects, coordinate GNA efforts for IDL
Gov Otter requests first general funding for GNA – may be used to hire GNA staff, PC costs can still be recouped from PI once available Leadership & Alignment Matters – FS, IDL, Legislature, Industry, Collaborative
IDL Goal- Select the right projects (additive) but be flexible (NEPA contracting)
States need to “own” the initiative to advance quickly, IDL’s bold approach to GNA
Work at the Regional and Forest Scales simultaneously to build Statewide Master and Forest Level Agreements
All parties need to be empowered by their agency to make decisions, be prepared to clearly communicate, be willing to listen and negotiate in good faith to achieve mutually desired outcomes