cience ccomplishments D E E P R A U PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION R T LT MENT OF AGRICU Vision and Mission We are highly sought for our scientific leadership and impartial knowledge. Our mission is to generate and communicate scientific knowledge that helps people understand and make informed choices about people, natural resources, and the environment. Moose Pass, Chugach Range, south-central Alaska. Photo by Jon Williams. Contents 4 A Message From the Station Director 6 Pacific Northwest Research Station: The Setting 8 Highlights From 2011 16 Communications—Print, Web, and Twitter 18 Finances and Workforce 19 Funding Partners for 2011 20 Climate Change 28 Community Sustainability 36 Fire and Smoke 44 Forests and Grasslands 60 Watershed Health 70 Wildlife 78 Learning Events 84 Honors and Awards 86 PNW Research Station Organization 3 A Message From the Station Director 4 XPERTISE, dedication, and partner- Proximity to the campus, which is also home of ship: these are key elements to success the station-sponsored Alaska Coastal Rainforest within the Pacific Northwest Research Center, will facilitate collaborative research. Station. Fostering these elements enables The station remains a key supporter of the the station to generate timely scientific informa- Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center, which was Etion for land managers and policymakers to use for started in 2009 as a collaborative effort to expand decisions about managing natural resources. and enhance education and research opportunities In 2011, several projects examined among six partners. It now ecosystem processes across large has 14 partners, including the landscapes. The Integrated Land- LeBarge Tim Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes scape Assessment Project, for exam- of Alaska, the City of Juneau, ple, developed models for assessing British Columbia Ministry of wildlife habitat, fire risk, vegetation, Forestry, U.S. federal agencies, and development, and likely effects of nongovernmental organizations. climate change across watersheds in The center is becoming a research Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and hub; in 2012 it will host the New Mexico. These models are help- international symposium “Coastal ing public and private land managers Bov B. Eav Temperate Rainforests: Integrating prioritize management efforts. Communities, Climate Science, Another project examined changes in old forests and Resource Management.” in the 15 years since the Northwest Forest Plan The station continues to improve its service went into effect. Byproducts of this effort have to underserved communities. Station scientists given forest managers rare, seamless information worked with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe in that spans ownerships, allowing owners to con- Washington state to develop new elk habitat sider how their management decisions fit into the models. Elk are an important cultural resource for broader landscape. the tribe. Scientists and partners are also mapping As we tackle questions at large scales of analysis, public land use by the Hispanic community in our partnerships with other agencies, nongovern- Washington. This project arose after a Hispanic mental organizations, tribes, and universities grow man harvesting floral greens in a forest was acci- in importance. Together we leverage our expertise dentally shot by a hunter. The maps will be used to address relevant questions, provide information to generate dialog with state and federal agencies to long-time stakeholders, and become acquainted about harvester safety. with new stakeholders. In 2012, new projects will include a study This year we made significant progress toward of the forest dynamics after thinning and fuel improving the physical spaces that will enable reduction at Pringle Falls Experimental Forest. research and partnerships to flourish. In Oregon, This experiment has been designed to test which construction is well underway on the new wing fuel treatments best accelerate development of of the Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory large trees while reintroducing natural disturbance located on the Oregon State University campus. processes that provide ecosystem resilience. This energy-efficient building will provide shared Another question considers the interactions laboratory and office space for scientists and between climate change and fuel treatments on support staff from the station, the Siuslaw vegetation dynamics and forest structure. These National Forest, and the Natural Resource are timely questions—answers to which will surely Information System group. provide insight to management issues across dry Construction began in August on the new forests of the West. Juneau Forestry Science Laboratory on land Thank you to station partners and employees for adjacent to the University of Alaska Southeast. a productive year, and I look forward to our work Like the Corvallis Laboratory, this facility is together in 2012. being constructed to meet or exceed the Leader- ship in Energy and Environment silver certificate requirements. The energy efficiencies will mean lower energy costs and a smaller carbon footprint. Station Director Bov B. Eav Columbia Gorge, Oregon. Photo © by Miles Hemstrom. 5 Pacific Northwest Research Station: The Setting The Pacific Northwest Research Station is one of five research stations in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service ALASKA Headquarters are in Portland, Oregon 1 2 11 laboratories and centers in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington 12 active experimental areas (forests, ranges, and watersheds) Research is conducted in more than 20 research natural areas Fairbanks 413 employees (311 permanent, 102 temporary) 3 Jon Williams Jon 4 Wenatchee La Grande 5 6 WASHINGTON 7 8 9 10 Southeast Alaska 11 12 OREGON 6 ALASKA 1 2 Fairbanks Anchorage Laboratories and Centers • Alaska Wood Utilization and Development Juneau 3 Center (Sitka) • Anchorage Forestry Sciences Laboratory Sitka • Boreal Ecology Cooperative Research Unit (Fairbanks) • Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory 4 • Juneau Forestry Sciences Laboratory • La Grande Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory • Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory • Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory (Seattle) • Portland Forestry Sciences Laboratory • Wenatchee Forestry Sciences Laboratory • Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center (Prineville) Wenatchee Experimental Areas La Grande Seattle 5 1. Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest 6 2. Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed Olympia 3. Héen Latinee Experimental Forest WASHINGTON 4. Maybeso Experimental Forest Portland 7 5. Olympic Experimental State Forest 8 6. Entiat Experimental Forest Corvallis 9 10 7. Wind River Experimental Forest 11 8. Cascade Head Experimental Forest 12 Prineville 9. Starkey Experimental Forest and Range OREGON 10. H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest 11. Pringle Falls Experimental Forest 12. South Umpqua Experimental Forest 7 Highlights From 2011 The PacIFIC Northwest (PNW) Research Station conducts research on a wide range of topics to improve the management and use of natural resources. Categorizing this research is often difficult because in many cases the crux of an issue lies in its connection to many natural processes. Climate change, for example, affects all natural processes and thus is an inherent component of much of the station’s research. The following section highlights emerging narratives from research described in more detail throughout the report. Living With a Changing Climate Providing information THE EFFECTS of warmer global temperatures are far reaching, to help land managers yet nuanced: local effects will differ. Station scientists are studying climate change from many angles. Their work is and decisionmakers instrumental in providing land managers and policymakers plan for a changing with needed tools and information to manage the Nation’s climate natural resources under changing conditions. 8 Managing for Change The North Cascadia Adaptation Project—This collaborative effort was developed by the Forest Service and the National Park Service with a goal of incorporating climate change adaptation into current management on federal lands in northern Washington. A vulnerability assessment and climate change adaptation strategy for Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park (http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/ pubs/38702). Education workshops for 330 staff from the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Mount Rainier National Park, and North Cascades National Park. American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes—They face disproportionate risks associated with climate change because of their close cultural and economic relationship to the land. A station scientist and university partners develop collaborative tools to help build awareness of the unique problems faced by tribal stakeholders and document tribes’ innovative approaches to adaptation. The Lummi Nation and Swinomish, Coquille, and Nez Perce Tribes used the collaborative model to initiate climate adaptation planning. The collaborative model was replicated in Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) across the agency as part of the All Station Tribal Climate Change Initiative. Assisted Adaptation Understanding the role of genetics in the adaptive ability of plants. This is important so that seed sources can be matched with planting locations. Seed transfer zones developed for mountain Richard C. Johnson brome, a grass commonly used in restoration efforts and used by the Malheur, Ochoco, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman