Forest Management A Resource Management Strategy of the California Water Plan California Department of Water Resources July 29, 2016 Forest Management Table of Contents Forest Management ...................................................................................................................................................1 Forest Ownership and Management in California ..................................................................................... 1 Effects of Forest Management on Water Supply ....................................................................................... 4 Vegetation Management for Water Supply ........................................................................................... 5 Fuels/Fire Management ......................................................................................................................... 6 Wildfire Impacts on Watershed Resources ....................................................................................... 6 Fuel Treatments to Reduce Wildfire Impacts on Watershed Resources ........................................... 8 Management Strategies to Reduce Adverse Impacts Associated with Wildfire ............................... 9 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 10 Road Management ............................................................................................................................... 10 Riparian Forests ................................................................................................................................... 11 Meadow Restoration and Groundwater ............................................................................................... 13 Urban Forestry ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Urban Watershed Forestry .............................................................................................................. 15 Tree Cover and Watershed Benefits ................................................................................................ 15 Stormwater Runoff .......................................................................................................................... 15 Structural Soils ................................................................................................................................ 17 Quantifying Benefits ....................................................................................................................... 17 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 17 Forest Loss and Fragmentation ............................................................................................................ 18 Recommendation ............................................................................................................................ 18 Illegal Marijuana Cultivation ............................................................................................................... 18 Climate Change ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Adaptation ........................................................................................................................................... 20 Mitigation ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Potential Costs ......................................................................................................................................... 21 Vegetation Management ...................................................................................................................... 21 Fuels/Fire Management ....................................................................................................................... 21 Road Management ............................................................................................................................... 21 Riparian Forests ................................................................................................................................... 21 Meadow Groundwater Storage ............................................................................................................ 21 Urban Forestry ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Illegal Marijuana Cultivation ............................................................................................................... 22 Major Implementation Issues .................................................................................................................. 22 Information Needs ............................................................................................................................... 22 Coordination Needs ............................................................................................................................. 23 Limited Funding for Forest Watershed Restoration ............................................................................. 23 Regulatory Requirements .................................................................................................................... 24 Overarching Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 25 Monitoring and Research ..................................................................................................................... 25 Coordination ....................................................................................................................................... 25 Regulatory Requirements .................................................................................................................... 26 Beneficial Forest Management in Areas with Commercial-Scale Marijuana Cultivation ................... 26 Special Author’s Note ......................................................................................................................... 27 References ............................................................................................................................................... 27 References Cited ................................................................................................................................. 27 Additional References ......................................................................................................................... 42 July 29, 2016 i Forest Management Tables Table 1 Acres of Forest Land by Ownership in California ........................................................................ 2 Table 2 Watershed Benefits of Urban Forest Cover ............................................................................... 16 ii July 29, 2016 Forest Management Acronyms and Abbreviations AB 32 climate change legislation af acre-foot, acre-feet ARB California Air Resources Board BAER Burned Area Emergency Response BLM U.S. Bureau of Land Management BMP best management practice BOF California State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Cal EMA California Emergency Management Agency Cal EPA California Environmental Protection Agency CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CO2 carbon dioxide EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FPR Forest Practice Rule GHG greenhouse gas HFI Healthy Forest Initiative LRMP Land and Resource Management Plan NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NFP National Fire Plan NPS National Park Service RWQCB regional water quality control board SWP State Water Project July 29, 2016 iii Forest Management SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board THP timber harvesting plan TMDL total maximum daily load USDA Forest Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service USGS U.S. Geological Survey WDR Waste Discharge Requirements or Waivers of Waste Discharge Requirements iv July 29, 2016 Forest Management Forest Management Forest lands in California, the majority of which are in the middle to high elevation foothills and mountains, produce a diverse array of resources such as water, timber, native vegetation, fish, wildlife, and livestock, and outdoor recreation. However, the water produced by these forests has economic value that equals or exceeds that of any other forest resource (Krieger 2001; California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection 2003). Most of California’s major rivers and a substantial portion of its runoff originate in these forests; therefore, most of California’s major water development projects are tied strongly to forested watersheds. Forest management activities can affect water quantity and quality. This strategy focuses on forest management activities, on both public and privately-owned forest lands, whose goals specifically include improvement of the availability and quality of water for downstream users. Water rights for groundwater in most areas of California are assigned to overlying landowners and reasonable use is unregulated. In contrast, surface water rights, which are managed and enforced by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), are a complicated mixture