Investment in State's Cooperative Programs:

The cooperative programs are administered and implemented through a partnership between the State of Washington, the USDA Forest Service and many other private and government entities.  These programs promote the health and productivity of Washington’s forest lands, cities and communities, and rural economies.  Emphasis focuses on timber and other forest products, wildlife, water resources, salmon recovery, sustainable communities, and conservation practices.  The goal is to maintain and improve the health of Washington’s urban and rural forests and related economies. These programs:

Increase cost effectiveness through the use of partnerships in delivery,

Increase values through sustained productivity of forests, and

Are voluntary, and use non-regulatory approaches.

Key issues which State and Federal programs will address together in the next few years include:

	Wildfire Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface
	Water quality and riparian area rehabilitation for salmon recovery.
	Forest Health concerns related to increased stand age and density, and decreased species diversity.
	Rapid urbanization and subdivision development.
	Utilization and marketing of small diameter material realized by hazardous fuel reduction.
	Serving inner city, low income, and underserved areas in Urban & Community Forestry.  Funds are currently not sufficient to meet needs.
	Assisting cities in developing ways to fund Urban & Community Forestry tree maintenance, such as a “curb tax.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forest Facts and 2001 Accomplishments

 

 

 

Program Highlights:

Urban and Community:  A Dutch Elm Disease management project is being undertaken in Tacoma which will assist low income property owners with treatment or removal of diseased trees.  A disposal site for diseased wood will serve the region.  King County is assisting in conservation and restoration of urban forest habitat in underserved, low-income, and minority neighborhoods.  Washington has 40 Tree City USA cities.

 

Cooperative Fire Protection:  Washington helped approximately 2,500 homeowners reduce hazardous fuels around their homes through landowner assistance programs funded through State Fire Assistance.

 

Forest Health Protection:  The program continues to offer insect and disease evaluation and educational programs to large and small landowners, State land managers, pesticide applicators, teachers and students.  About 1,500 acres of private land were treated near Winthrop, Washington for Douglas-fir tussock moth.  Douglas-fir tussock moth, western spruce budworm, and Swiss needle cast continue to be monitored.

 

Forest Stewardship:  New landowners are aggressively recruited for the program; promotional mailings are directed at 20,000 landowners annually and subsequent Forest Owners Field Days education programs around the State have attracted over 3,000 landowners to date.  The State is continuing to use a Coached Forest Stewardship Planning course to provide education and assistance to landowners to develop stewardship plans.  The State has assisted thousands of woodland homeowners in the wildland interface through its Backyard Forest Stewardship/Wildfire Safety program.  In 2001, additional Forest Stewardship Program funding ($250,000) was used as part of the National Fire Plan to help landowners complete wildfire hazard reduction practices in areas of critical fire danger.

 

Forest Legacy:  The Washington State Forest Legacy Program purchased the Kimball Creek Conservation Easement in 2001.  The Kimball Creek Forest legacy parcel encompassed 80 acres of working forest abutting large rural residential development on two sides and protected forest areas on the other two.  This parcel is a logical link for the two protected working forests.  Goals for this property are to provide sound management for the health and diversity of the forest, provide educational and passive recreational opportunities for the public, while preserving the site’s ecological, wildlife and water quality values. 

 

Economic Action Programs:  These programs strive for, (1) healthy rural communities with a capacity to manage change, (2)appropriately diverse economies, and (3) sustainable resource management through collaborative stewardship.  Small diameter and special forest products utilization and marketing were once again emphasized as a means to achieving sustainability goals, especially as related to the national Fire Plan.  Collaborative partnerships with tribal, state, local, and other federal partners resulted in the agency providing financial assistance to 56 communities, local governments, or nonprofits, plus 3 tribes in FY2001.  Over 50% of all grants were for planning purposes.

 

Conservation Education:  An expansion of the Urban Youth Program now includes a Teen Urban Forestry Club and the Seventh Annual Urban Youth Campout Series included modules to teach Green Space modeling, Environmental Justice, and natural resource classes such as tree measurements and identification.

 

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