R E S O U C ▲ Juvenile coho salmon observed by a DNR field crew State Trust Lands while surveying a tributary to the Clearwater River on the Olympic Peninsula. Launched Habitat Conservation Plan in 2015, DNR’s Riparian Validation Monitoring Program will test whether 2015 Annual Report current forest management practices in the Olympic .......................................................... Experimental State Forest will restore and maintain habitat For Fiscal Year 2015 capable of supporting viable .......................................................... salmonid populations. Published April 2016 N A T U R L State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan 2015 Annual Report .......................................................... For Fiscal Year 2015 .......................................................... Published April 2016 Prepared by Washington State Department of Natural Resources Forest Resources Division Acknowledgements Jason Angehrn Michelle Argyropoulos Julie Armbruster Janet Ballew Emma Barnett Richard Bigley Angus Brodie Mike Buffo Ellis Cropper Dan Donato Allen Estep Glenn Glover Bruce Gleason Jason Goldstein Josh Halofsky Renae Hamilton Andrew Hayes Michael Kearney Doug Kennedy Thomas Laxson Kyle Martens Teodora Minkova Candace Montoya Calvin Ohlson-Kiehn Kristen Ohlson-Kiehn Luis Prado Bob Redling Justin Schmal Barbara Simpson Deborah Whitney David Wilderman Cover photo courtesy of Ellis Cropper. All contributors are staff of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources unless otherwise indicated. For information on how to obtain a copy of this report, contact: Doug Kennedy Forest Certification Program Manager HCP and Scientific Consultation Section Forest Resources Division Washington State Department of Natural Resources (360) 902-1283 [email protected] Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Report Organization .................................................................................................................................. 1 Highlights for 2015 .................................................................................................................................... 1 Progress toward Conservation Objectives .............................................................................................. 2 FY 2015 Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Data ............................................................................................ 2 FY 2015 Riparian Habitat Forest Restoration Data .................................................................................. 5 Marbled Murrelet Conservation Strategy Development ............................................................................ 6 Adaptive Management .............................................................................................................................. 10 Implementation Monitoring ...................................................................................................................... 10 Effectiveness Monitoring ......................................................................................................................... 11 Validation Monitoring ............................................................................................................................... 13 Research ................................................................................................................................................. 14 OESF Research and Monitoring Program .............................................................................................. 16 Conservation Strategy Updates .............................................................................................................. 17 Silvicultural Activity for FY 2015 ............................................................................................................. 18 Timber Harvest ........................................................................................................................................ 18 Forest Site Preparation ........................................................................................................................... 19 Forest Regeneration ............................................................................................................................... 19 Vegetation Management ......................................................................................................................... 19 Pre-Commercial Thinning ....................................................................................................................... 19 Salvage ................................................................................................................................................... 19 Road Management Activity ...................................................................................................................... 22 Forest Roads Program ............................................................................................................................ 22 Easements .............................................................................................................................................. 23 Land Transaction Activity ........................................................................................................................ 24 Activity by HCP Planning Unit ................................................................................................................. 24 Natural Areas Program ............................................................................................................................. 27 Non-Timber Management Activity ........................................................................................................... 32 Special Forest Products .......................................................................................................................... 32 Leases ..................................................................................................................................................... 33 Sand, Gravel, and Rock Sales ................................................................................................................ 33 Recreation Program .................................................................................................................................. 34 Development ........................................................................................................................................... 34 Planning and Design ............................................................................................................................... 35 HCP Implementation Documentation ...................................................................................................... 36 Appendix A: Background State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan ...................................................................................... A-1 Lands Covered by the HCP .................................................................................................................. A-2 Conservation Objectives for ESA-Listed and Other Species ............................................................. A-3 Northern Spotted Owl Conservation Strategy ....................................................................................... A-3 Northern Spotted Owl Data ................................................................................................................. A-10 Riparian Conservation Strategy .......................................................................................................... A-14 Marbled Murrelet Conservation Strategy ............................................................................................ A-15 Multispecies Conservation Strategy .................................................................................................... A-15 Adaptive Management and the Conservation Strategies ................................................................... A-16 Silvicultural Activities ........................................................................................................................... A-16 Selecting Silvicultural Activities ........................................................................................................... A-16 Tracking Silvicultural Activities ............................................................................................................ A-17 Descriptions of Silvicultural Activities .................................................................................................. A-17 Non-Timber Management Activities .................................................................................................... A-19 Special Forest Products ...................................................................................................................... A-20 Oil and Gas Leases ............................................................................................................................. A-20 Prospecting Leases and Mining Contracts ......................................................................................... A-20 Grazing Permits and Leases ............................................................................................................... A-20