Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report for the San Bernardino National Forest
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USDA a.. United States Department of Agriculture Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report for the San Bernardino National Forest Fiscal Year 2017 For More Information Contact: Tasha Hernandez 602 S Tippecanoe Ave San Bernardino CA 92408 (909) 382-2905 Forest Service San Bernardino National Forest October 2018 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Forest Service San Bernardino National Forest October 2018 Contents Summary of Findings and Results ........................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 8 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Objectives ......................................................................................................................................... 10 How to Use this Report ...................................................................................................................... 11 The Importance of Public Participation ............................................................................................. 11 About Our Forest Plan Monitoring Program .................................................................................... 12 Roles and Responsibilities ............................................................................................................. 12 How Our Plan Monitoring Program Works ................................................................................... 12 Monitoring Evaluation .......................................................................................................................... 13 Monitoring Activities ........................................................................................................................ 13 Part 1 ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Part 2 ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Part 3………………………………………………………………………………………………...47 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 67 Appendix A – Monitoring Items Not Evaluated in Detail ..................................................................... 73 Appendix B: Listing of Supporting Plan Monitoring Program Documents .......................................... 75 Appendix C: Listing of Stakeholders Who Participated in the Plan Monitoring Program.................... 77 Appendix D: Monitoring Discussions, Findings, and Adaptive Management Findings Work Sheet.... 78 i San Bernardino National Forest FY 2017 Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report Summary of Findings and Results The five year trends were measured and reported in the fiscal year 2010 San Bernardino National Forest Land Management Plan Monitoring and Evaluation Report. Along with the 10 year trends, these will no longer be reported, as we have transitioned to the new monitoring program under the 2012 Planning Rule. The following long term monitoring indicators and trends are a result of the San Bernardino National Forest Land Management Monitoring Plan Guide: Table 1. Summary of findings (Part 1 Monitoring). Do monitoring Based on results the demonstrate evaluation Monitoring Monitoring Goals Indicators intended of Question Action progress or monitoring trend results, may toward Plan changes be targets? warranted?1 1.1 Has the forest Acres of High Use baseline acres Yes No made progress in Hazard and from the 2006 reducing the High Risk in Southern number of acres WUI Defense California Land that are adjacent to Zone, Total Management Plans development and Mean Fire analysis; within Wildland Size, Ignition subtracting the Urban Interface Density, Fire areas treated, and (WUI) defense Severity, and areas that are no zones that are Monthly Area longer WUI classified as high Burned Defense Zone; and risk? Are wildfires adding acres from becoming larger, areas that have more frequent, or reverted to high more severe, and hazard and risk is there a seasonal due to shift in fire maintenance activity? backlog, and areas that have become WUI Defense Zone due to development 1.2 Has the forest Mortality Risk Compare the Yes No been successful at Assessment; annual National reducing mortality Forest Health Insect and Disease risk? Is tree Protection Risk Map mortality Mortality (NIDRM) data and increasing across Surveys; cross referencing the landscape, and Proportion of mortality within is it distributed Landscape in the reporting 1 San Bernardino National Forest FY 2017 Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report Do monitoring Based on results the demonstrate evaluation Monitoring Monitoring Goals Indicators intended of Question Action progress or monitoring trend results, may toward Plan changes be targets? warranted?1 evenly across Departed Fire period and elevations? Are Frequency compare every fire frequencies five years becoming more departed from the natural range of variation? 1.2.1 Is the forest Departure Use baseline acres Yes No making progress from desired of Montane toward increasing fire regime, Conifer, Fire I' the percentage of acres by Fire Regime I, from the montane conifer Regime I 2006 Southern forests in California Land Condition Class Management Plans 1? analysis that were in Condition Class 1; subtracting the areas that have not had mechanical treatment, prescribed under burning, or wildfire within the previous 35 years; and adding the areas that have been mechanically treated, areas that have had prescribed under burning, and areas that have had wildfire over the five year monitoring period 1.2.2 Is the forest Departure Use baseline acres Yes No making progress from desired of Chaparral, toward fire regime, Coastal Sage maintaining or acres by Fire Scrub, Gabbro, increasing the Regime IV Serpentine, percentage of Closed-cone vegetation types conifer, and Lower that naturally montane occur in Fire vegetation types, Regime IV in Fire Regime IV, Condition Class from the 2006 1? Southern 2 San Bernardino National Forest FY 2017 Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report Do monitoring Based on results the demonstrate evaluation Monitoring Monitoring Goals Indicators intended of Question Action progress or monitoring trend results, may toward Plan changes be targets? warranted?1 California Land Management Plans analysis that were in Condition Class 1; subtracting the areas that have a return interval of disturbance that is less than 35 years over the five year I' monitoring period through mechanical treatment, prescribed under burning, and wildfire; and adding the areas that have not had mechanical treatment, prescribed under burning, or wildfire within the previous 35 years 1.2.3 Has the forest Departure Use baseline acres Yes No been successful at from desired of Alpine and maintaining long fire regime, Subalpine, Desert fire-free intervals acres by Fire woodlands, forests in habitats where Regime V and scrub, and fire is naturally Bigcone Douglas- uncommon? fir vegetation types, Fire Regime V, from the 2006 Southern California Land Management Plans analysis that were in Condition Class 1; subtracting the areas that have a return interval of disturbance that is less than 200 years over the five year monitoring period through 3 San Bernardino National Forest FY 2017 Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report Do monitoring Based on results the demonstrate