United States Department of Agriculture Managing for Wildlife Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Habitat in Westside General Technical Report Production Forests PNW-GTR-695 February 2007 TECHNICAL EDITORS Timothy B. Harrington, research forester, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3625 93rd Ave. SW, Olympia, WA 98512 and Gretchen E. Nicholas, division manager, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, 1111 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA 98504. Cover photography courtesy of Timothy B. Harrington (top left and bottom left), John P. Hayes (top right), Port Blakely Tree Farms LP (middle), and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (bottom right). Graphic designer: Jenny Beranek, Beaverton, OR. Papers were provided by the authors in camera-ready form for printing. Authors are responsible for the content and accuracy. Opinions expressed may not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The use of trade or firm names is for information only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. PESTICIDE PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT This publication reports research involving pesticides. It does not contain recommendations for their use, nor does it imply that the uses discussed here have been registered. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate state or federal agencies, or both, before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic and wild animals, and desirable plants if they are not handled or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides and pesticide containers. Managing for Wildlife Habitat in Westside Production Forests Timothy B. Harrington and Gretchen E. Nicholas, Technical Editors U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Portland, Oregon General Technical Report PNW-GTR-695 February 2007 This page is intentionally left blank. ABSTRACT Harrington, Timothy B.; Nicholas, Gretchen E., tech. eds. 2007. Managing for wildlife habitat in Westside production forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-695. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 135 p. On October 18, 2006, a workshop was held in Vancouver, WA, with the title “Managing for wildlife habitat in Westside production forests.” The purpose of the workshop was to provide prescriptions and guidelines for people who manage Westside forests (those west of the Cascade Mountains’ crest) primarily for wood produc- tion, but because of mandate or personal preference, want to integrate wildlife values. The audience included over 150 professionals from forest industry, consulting firms, and public and tribal forest and wildlife manage- ment agencies. This proceedings includes ten papers based on oral presentations at the workshop plus a synthe- sis paper summarizing workshop themes, discussions, and related information. Topics include a history of wildlife management research in the Pacific Northwest, elements of habitat and how to manage for them, the challenges of appropriately implementing ecosystem management, and economic implications to private forest- land owners. KEYWORDS: Wildlife habitat, old-forest structure, thinning, coarse woody debris, wildlife trees, management regimes, economic analysis. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This workshop was sponsored by USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station; Washington State Department of Natural Resources; Southwest Washington Chapter, Society of American Foresters; and Western Forestry and Conservation Association. Special thanks to Gary Benson for his helpful suggestions for the proceedings, Grace Douglass for manuscript formatting and editing, Cassandra Koerner for proofreading, and Richard Zabel for orchestrating the workshop. Managing for Wildlife Habitat in Westside Production Forests. CONTENTS KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS Changing Perceptions of the Role of Managed Forests as Wildlife Habitat in the Pacific Northwest 3 Keith B. Aubry Forest Ecosystem Management: Miracle or Mirage? 19 J.P. (Hamish) Kimmins SILVICULTURAL APPLICATIONS Key Elements of Stand Structure for Wildlife in Production Forests West of the Cascade Mountains 35 Joan C. Hagar Silvicultural Guidelines for Creating and Managing Wildlife Habitat in Westside Production Forests 49 Timothy B. Harrington and John C. Tappeiner II Wildlife Habitat Management Practices on Private Non-Industrial Forestlands 61 Jim Bottorff ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS Combining Management Goals of Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Revenue on Washington State Trusts 67 Angus Brodie, Michael Bowering, Weikko Jaross, Don Reimer and Bryan Lu Issues and Alternatives Associated with Private Forest Wildlife and Riparian Habitat Management 81 Bruce Lippke, Kevin W. Zobrist, and Kevin Ceder Economic Considerations in Managing for Older-Forest Structure 95 Greg Latta and Claire A. Montgomery INTENSIVELY-MANAGED FORESTS Managing for Wildlife Habitat in Intensively-Managed Forests 107 Ken L. Risenhoover and S. Blake Murden Proactive Management Considerations for Wildlife Habitat to Ensure Profitability 117 Malcolm R. Dick, Jr. WORKSHOP SYNTHESIS Managing for Wildlife Habitat in Westside Production Forests: A Workshop Synthesis 123 Pete Holmberg Metric Equivalents 135 This page is intentionally left blank. KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS This page is intentionally left blank. Managing for Wildlife Habitat in Westside Production Forests CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF THE ROLE OF MANAGED FORESTS AS WILDLIFE HABITAT IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Keith B. Aubry1 ABSTRACT Forest management objectives and the perceived role of managed forests as wildlife habitat in the Pacific Northwest changed in many significant ways during the 20th century. Before 1900, wildlife was generally considered something to be exploited or exterminated, not managed or protected. This perspective began to change in the early 1900s when Theodore Roosevelt promoted the doctrine of “conservation through wise use,” and Aldo Leopold established the science and practice of wildlife management with the publication of his seminal textbook, Game Management. However, the most revolutionary changes in public and professional perceptions regarding forest management for wildlife objectives occurred in the latter part of the 20th century. Many of these changes began during the 1970s, after the environmental movement of the 1960s resulted in the enactment of federal legislation designed to minimize environmental degradation, perpetuate biological diversity, and protect endangered species. In this paper, I argue that changing perceptions about the role of managed forests as wildlife habitat were associated primarily with the following four key conceptual turning points that were strongly influ- enced by these legislative mandates and the ground-breaking research and landmark publications of various scientists and resource professionals in this region: (1) for which species should forests be managed? (2) at what spatial or ecological scales should forests be managed? (3) which riparian zones should be managed? (4) can old-growth attributes be created in managed forests? KEYWORDS: Forest management, landscape, old growth, riparian, wildlife. INTRODUCTION managed forests as wildlife habitat (Thomas et al. 1991, FEMAT 1993, Tuchmann et al. 1996). However, the evolu- Coniferous forests play an important role in the eco- tion of both public and professional perceptions regarding nomic health, social values, and biodiversity of the Pacific wildlife in managed forests that accompanied and some- Northwest. Environmental conditions in this region create times directed those changes had its roots in the first extensive forests with very large trees and unusually diverse decade of the 20th century and continues today. My objec- wildlife communities that include many rare and endemic tive in this paper is to describe that evolution and demon- species. Although the states of Washington and Oregon strate that it was associated with a series of key conceptual contain only 4.6% of the land and 6.8% of the conifer for- turning points that were often initiated or strongly influ- ests in the U.S., they contain 25.7% of the softwood timber enced by the ground-breaking research and landmark pub- volume, 37% of the bird species, and 42% of the mammal lications of various scientists and resource professionals in species (Bunnell and Kremsater 1990). During the late this region. 1980s and early 1990s, conflicts among environmental groups, the timber industry, and federal land management Wildlife Management Before 1900 agencies over the population status and habitat require- Public perceptions and values associated with wildlife ments of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis changed dramatically in the United States during the 20th caurina) and the fate of old-growth forests on federal lands century. Before 1900, wildlife was considered by most peo- in the Pacific Northwest resulted in profound changes in ple as something to be exploited or exterminated, not man- forest management objectives and the perceived role of aged or protected. Additionally, at that time, the concept of 1 Keith B. Aubry is a Research Wildlife Biologist, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Ave. SW, Olympia, WA 98512 3 “wildlife” was much narrower in scope than it is today, and was limited