PARTNERS

Voting Members

Arizona Game & Fish

Arizona Forest Restoration Products

Arizona State – Forestry Division

City of Flagstaff – Fire Department

Coconino County – Community Development Department

Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District

Coconino Rural Environment Corps

Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University

Mottek Consulting, LLC

Northern Arizona University - School of Forestry

The Arboretum at Flagstaff

The Nature Conservancy

US Fish and Wildlife Service – Region 2

Wildwood Consulting, LLC

 

 

Associates

National Park Service – Flagstaff Area National Monuments

Arizona Public Service (APS)

 

Cooperators
USDA Coconino National Forest

USDA Rocky Mountain, Pacific NW, and Southern Research Stations

USDA Forest Products Lab

 

For further information about the Partnership contact us at admin@gffp.org

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INTRODUCTION The Ponderosa Pine forests of northern Arizona have been radically altered during the last 120 years by logging, grazing, fire suppression, and other activities. The changes to the forest have both increased the potential for catastrophic fire and adversely affected many biological processes and aesthetic values. Changes include:

• Decline in large, old-growth trees and snags, both living and dead; Loss of native grasses and herbaceous vegetation; Decline in native wildlife and plant populations and an increase in non-native species; Disruption of natural fire regimes; A substantial increase in fuel loads and unnatural crown fires; Dramatic increases in dense stands of small diameter, stressed trees; Increased mortality from insect infestations and diseases;
• Disruption of vital watershed functions.

The decline in environmental health and the increased likelihood of catastrophic fires and their potential impact on the forests and towns of northern Arizona concerns many local citizens. The possibility of catastrophic fires and the need to restore forest health in the Urban Wildland Interface––where homes and other human development intermingle with wildland vegetation––are particular concerns for land managers, fire service personnel, landowners, and other concerned citizens. Recognizing the importance of these issues, the Coconino National Forest and the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership, Inc. (formerly the Grand Canyon Forests Foundation, a private, non-profit corporation) have formed a partnership to undertake a series of projects to reduce fire risk and begin the long process of restoring local forests. The formal Partnership is a cooperative agreement between the Forest Service and the non-profit Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership, Inc., with the Forest Service retaining full decision-making authority over any activities taking place on lands they manage. The primary goals of the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership are:

• Restore the natural ecosystem functions--within the range of natural variability--of the ponderosa pine forests in Flagstaff's Urban Wildland Interface.Manage forest fuels within the Urban Wildland Interface to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire.
• Research, test, develop, and demonstrate key ecological, economic, and social dimensions of restoration efforts. Top
  

THE FLAGSTAFF URBAN WILDLAND INTERFACE The Flagstaff Urban Wildland Interface is a landscape of approximately 180,000 acres surrounding the city. It encompasses an area from Fort Valley on the west and the Cinder Hills on the east, to the base of the San Francisco Peaks on the north, and Pulliam Airport on the south. It is made up of federal, state, city, and privately owned lands, although Forest Service lands make up the bulk of the area. The dominant vegetative community found in the Urban Wildland Interface is ponderosa pine forest, which, in addition to its ecological, economic, and social importance, is one of Flagstaff's most attractive amenities.Top

THE PARTNERSHIP The Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership is dedicated to restoring disrupted ecological processes and reducing the risk of catastrophic fires in the Urban Wildland Interface. Restoration plans will be developed by the Partnership with the assistance of a Partnership Advisory Board, made up of scientists, local government officials, land managers, business representatives, conservationists, and concerned citizens (see list above). The Partnership is comprised of:

Board of Directors: The non-profit GFFP, Inc. is governed by a 3-7 member board of directors.

Partnership Advisory Board (PAB): This group represents a broad range of interests and provides recommendations to the non-profit board and Management Team. Organizations that subscribe to the goals and objectives of the Partnership may become either a voting or non-voting partner upon approval of the Partnership's board of directors. All meetings are open to the public.

Working Groups: As Needed.

Interested Parties: Those who do not wish to become either a voting or non-voting partner may participate in the process through attending meetings, contributing comments and suggestions, and receiving project updates. Top

TIMELINE
Since 1997, GFFP has undertaken projects to restore forest health and reduce fire risk. Fortunately the two goals are compatible: restoring forests to more natural conditions will also reduce the likelihood of catastrophic fires. Using the best available science each project is based on reference conditions (conditions prior to Euro-American settlement), current conditions, and desired future conditions. Specificl activities include:

• Thinning overly dense stands of trees, also known as "doghair thickets"
• Creating clusters of trees with interspersed open spaces for native grasses
• Managing forests for a variety of ages and types of trees
• Restoring a low-intensity fire regime
• Reducing and controlling exotic species
• Restoring riparian areas

The projects are implemented through treatments designed to begin moving project areas toward a desired future condition. Monitoring and research of ecological, economic, and social issues add to our understanding of ecosystem processes and provide the basis for future management decisions. Local contractors, vendors, agency personnel, and volunteers do the on-the-ground work. Research and monitoring is conducted by various partners and other entities.

ECOLOGICAL VISION

The Flagstaff wildlands/urban interface will be a mosaic of open, parklike forests containing scattered timber stands with higher densities, interspersed with natural parks which approximate––although do not duplicate––conditions present before Euro-American settlement. Forests and woodlands will be dominated by open growing clumps of large old trees in a matrix of native bunchgrasses, wildflowers, and shrubs. Parks will be dominated by native grasses and wildflowers. Periodic low-intensity fires will maintain open habitats, cycle nutrients, and keep wildland fuel levels low, reducing the hazard of catastrophic crownfires. The presence of introduced species will be greatly diminished and native wildlife species will occupy their original niches within the ecosystem, moving freely through established wildlife corridors. A broad spectrum of uses––based upon science and adaptive ecosystem management principles––will be enjoyed by Northern Arizona residents and visitors. Although the majority of the landscape will be restored to more natural conditions, management practices will vary to address specific, well-defined management goals. Dramatic changes to the forested ecosystems of northern Arizona have been documented by many research studies. In the semi-arid, mountains typical of northern Arizona, plants and animals evolved together to adapt to recurring conditions of drought, wind, and sweeping low-intensity wildland fires which thinned out young trees but allowed mature, thick-barked trees and herbaceous plants to thrive. People have drawn their livelihoods from these ecosystems for millennia, but large-scale resource use associated with the introduction of livestock grazing, tree harvesting, and fire suppression did not begin until the area was settled by Euro-Americans during the late 1800s. Heavy grazing removed fine herbaceous fuels, altering the low intensity frequent fire regime, and allowing trees to become established instead of grasses. Habitats of native animals were severely altered, perhaps benefiting some tree-dependent species (tassel-eared squirrels, bark beetles), but negatively affecting the greater proportion of animals which depend on diverse forage, seeds, berries, and flowers, such as pronghorn antelope (the original name of Flagstaff was Antelope Springs), butterflies, and hummingbirds.

The loss of large trees, live and dead snags, hunting of predators, and introduction of exotic species, such as mullein, further impacted native ecosystems. Pine needles and dead trees decompose slowly in northern Arizona, causing these fuels to accumulate on the forest floor in the continued absence of fire. Despite the best efforts of skilled firefighters, fires which start in the dry, windy spring and early summer easily become uncontrollable crownfires, killing vegetation over thousands of acres. High-intensity fires have increased in frequency and size since the early 20th century, culminating in the largest fires in Arizona history in 1996, including the Hochderffer, Horseshoe, and Bridger-Knoll fires. Soil erodes rapidly after crownfires, reducing the capability of the land to regain its natural productivity and clogging streams with debris. Because plants and animals are not adapted to these intense fires, the sustainability of populations of many native species is threatened if these severe disturbances continue. Unfortunately, virtually all of the forests in northern Arizona (and the West) have been affected by fire suppression. High-intensity wildfires and other problems related to dense forests, including insect and disease outbreaks and what to do with the huge numbers of small trees, are major problems as we enter the 21st century.

What Is Ecological Restoration?
Reversing recent changes and restoring more nearly natural conditions––conditions characteristic of the evolutionary environment of an ecosystem––is the basic concept of the science of restoration ecology. Many ecosystem changes that have already occurred are permanent (species extinction) or will have long-lasting effects (loss of old-growth trees, atmospheric CO2 increase). Restoration treatments cannot make up for these losses. However, most remaining native species are still likely to benefit from restoration approximating more natural conditions. Substitutions can also occur: a new predator replacing the extirpated wolf, for example, or management fires replacing those caused by lightning. "Restoring" ecosystems encompasses a variety of treatments, ranging from restoring native ecosystem components (for example, re-introducing an extirpated species or thinning trees to recreate an open forest) and natural processes (fires, floods) to removing exotic species. Finally, ecological restoration must be compatible with the goals and objectives of human society.

Goals and Guiding Principles for Partnership Restoration Projects.

The following principles will guide project design and implementation.

• Overstory: Restoration projects will be based upon tree patterns that existed prior to Euro-American settlement. Restoration projects will move forests towards the clumpy structure of presettlement forests that are open and patchy with varying density over the landscape. Variations from presettlement patterns will be used to achieve specific ecological, economic, research, and/or social goals. Presettlement trees will be retained and treatments will favor retention of large, post-settlement trees needed to restore presettlement stand structure and dynamics. Appropriate density will depend upon local and landscape conditions. Snags will be retained unless there is a specific reason for removing them.


• Understory: The understory will be evaluated to determine which ecosystem functions are disrupted and to determine the steps necessary for restoring those functions. The actions needed to restore disrupted functions will be included in the project design. Reestablishment of the herbaceous community will be a management priority. During the time it takes the herbaceous community to become well established, management of wildlife and domestic livestock herbivory may need to be altered. Additionally, transplanting and seeding with native species and eliminating aggressive exotics will be done where feasible. Assuring that no non-native plant species are introduced during restoration work will be a management priority.


• Wildlife: As vegetation structures and disturbance regimes are returned to conditions consistent with their evolutionary environment, habitats for insects, birds, other vertebrates, and humans will also change. In general, these changes will benefit open forest species that evolved as part of the ponderosa pine ecosystem, creating a mosaic of diverse vegetative conditions that will support a variety of species, rather than the needs of a single species. While populations of individual species may rise or fall, the future forest will contain a variety of habitats to sustain native species. Providing wildlife corridors and a variety of habitat for wildlife is a priority of the Partnership, however, in high-risk zones––usually near structures––reduction of fire risk will be the management priority.


• Fuel Management: Management of fuel loads, reduction of fire risk, and research examining the ecological, economic, and social impacts of fuel management practices is a Partnership priority. Live and dead fuel loads will be reduced to levels commensurate with the low intensity fires that are a functional part of ponderosa pine ecosystem processes. In areas of high risk, fuel loads may be further reduced. Retention of large woody debris for small mammals will be included in dead fuel reduction plans. Mature trees and snags will be protected by removal of duff accumulations within two to four feet of the tree's base.


• Fire Regime: After overstory and understory treatments are complete, fire will be reintroduced into the system through a prescribed fire program. When the herbaceous communities are well established and the possibility of crown fires is minimal, natural fire will be reintroduced, except in areas or conditions of high risk, where a prescribed fire program will remain in place.


• Insects and Pathogens: Insects and pathogen impacts will be evaluated and allowed to exist within the range of natural variability as a functioning ecosystem process.


• Cultural Resources: The cultural, historical, and archaeological resources located in the Flagstaff area are an integral and important part of the landscape. The Partnership is committed to protecting them and including them in restoration plans. Additionally, the Partnership will strive to provide––within the capabilities of a naturally functioning ecosystem––native vegetative materials for traditional uses by indigenous cultures.


• Recreation: The impacts of recreational activities on ecological processes, wildlife, fire hazards, and local residents will be identified and evaluated. Restoration projects will consider the impacts of different recreational activities for the treatment areas, and shall include efforts to mitigate adverse recreational impacts during ecologically sensitive periods of recovery. While recognizing that there is a broad spectrum of legal recreational uses in the urban wildlands interface, the Partnership will promote low impact recreational use and clustering of higher intensity uses.


• Forest Access: Existing official roads and trails will be evaluated for their impacts on wildlife, introduction of exotic species, and soil erosion. Based upon the evaluation, development of a transportation plan, and public comment, roads will be retained, closed on a seasonal basis, or obliterated. Unofficial roads will be closed and rehabilitated when feasible. Trails will be created, improved, realigned, interpreted, or obliterated based upon the evaluation and public comments.


• Soils and Watersheds: Soils are the basis for ecosystem sustainability and stability. They support important processes such as plant growth, nutrient cycling and water movement. Soils are critical for maintaining good watershed conditions that minimize surface runoff and enhance groundwater recharge. All Partnership projects will include efforts to minimize soil disturbance and erosion and will strive to improve soil cover and its physical condition. Top

Ecological Research and Monitoring

Research and monitoring are critical components of the Partnership's restoration efforts. Through them, we expand our scientific knowledge of ecosystem processes, and how those processes are altered by particular management decisions. The information gathered through research and monitoring will guides future restoration projects.

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GREATER FLAGSTAFF FORESTS PARTNERSHIP ECONOMIC VISION

The greater Flagstaff area is home to a thriving sector of businesses based on the ecologically sustainable utilization of forest products. These renewable natural resources will be made available through forest ecosystem restoration and stewardship activities throughout the region. Revenues created through the sale of these forest products will provide the economic engine for ecosystem restoration efforts in the region's forests.

Businesses include primary producers of forest products, as well as "value-added" processors, such as manufacturers of fencing and custom building materials, furniture makers, wood pellets, and others. Businesses will employ technologies that maximize the value of these forest products. Availability of these forest products will be based on long-term forest management planning, and healthy ecosystem functioning, seeking a sustainable and stable flow of products to users, which in turn will provide stable jobs and benefits for local workers. Permanent forest-related jobs based on sustainable management will provide economic diversity for the community.

Further, the region's forests, as they are restored to more a sustainable ecological balance, continue to provide opportunities for tourism, recreation, other environmentally-sustainable uses, and for the general enjoyment of the public.

While restoration of ecosystem health and reduction of catastrophic fire risk are the driving forces behind the Partnership, economic viability of the project is critical to overall success. One of the key objectives of the Partnership is to research and improve the economic viability of restoration forestry. Economically viable restoration projects will benefit the environment and provide economic benefits to the community.

Restoration of forest ecosystems is labor intensive and costly. At present, there are few established markets for the types of forest products that are likely to be generated through restoration–small, suppressed trees. These trees and other forest products, which will only be removed as part of an overall restoration program, have little current value in the market.This lack of value poses a challenge to those who wish to restore forest ecosystem health in ponderosa pine forests–how do you generate funds to pay for the needed work? How much of the funding can come from sale of products removed as part of restoration efforts? What percentage of the costs of restoration will these funds cover, and where will the additional money come from? Answering these questions is one of the major emphases of the Partnership.

It is anticipated that this supply of small diameter trees will help create local, small-scale wood products industries and enterprises. Such new businesses will be essential to the feasibility of long-term restoration efforts, and will also lead to new jobs and improved economic stability in the region.

Economic Research and Monitoring

Restoration is labor-intensive and expensive, and it is unlikely that the Federal or State government will provide the funding necessary to restore the health of millions of acres in the West. To develop a better understanding of the economic issues associated with restoration, the Partnership is committed to addressing economic issues associated with each project it undertakes.

SOCIAL VISION

Greater Flagstaff area residents have a better understanding of what constitutes a healthy ponderosa pine forest ecosystem, and they will support a range of management actions aimed at restoration and maintenance of these forest ecosystems. Improved and increased communication, understanding and trust will replace confrontation over forest management. Land managers, educators, business people, conservationists, and local citizens will support science-based plans for maintenance of healthy ecosystems, sustainable use of forest products and an equitable and environmentally sustainable balance between competing uses of the forests.

Agreements have been reached that forest management in the urban-wildland interface will be predicated on maintaining the overall health of the system. Appropriate levels of different uses will be allowed in ways that minimize conflict between uses, and between any particular use and the preservation of ecological integrity. The full array of values provided by the urban wildland forests–from spiritual to utilitarian–will be recognized as legitimate and accommodated, although the values provided by a specific site, based on particular management goals, may change through time.

Today, virtually all ecosystems in the world are affected by human activities to some extent. Ecological processes are directly impacted by various forms of natural resource use, particularly in heavily used areas such as the urban-wildland interface. Deciding what types and levels of natural resource uses will be allowed, choosing between competing uses, and learning how natural processes can be protected while various uses are occurring, is a difficult, complex and often contentious process. While science can provide information about how ecosystems function and the potential impacts of our decisions, science cannot determine values, and values ultimately drive our decision-making.

As population in this region grows, balancing competing interests for use of the region's forest ecosystems will become increasingly important. The Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership will provide at least a partial vehicle for learning more about the compatibility and impacts of particular uses, and will also provide a framework for discussion about future uses and levels of use in the urban-wildland interface. Top

Social Research and Monitoring

If the Partnership is to succeed, it must be supported by a broad cross section of the community. Understanding the interests, values and needs, of the community help to design and implement restoration projects that restore vital ecosystem processes, while allowing the continued use and enjoyment of the Urban Wildland Interface by local residents. Top

CONCLUSION

The Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership is an innovative way of addressing important forest ecosystem management issues. It provides a model for developing and implementing management and restoration practices that can be done with limited infusions of public money, supported through active public involvement, and guided by objective science.

Restoring the ecological health of Northern Arizona forest ecosystems will create local jobs in forest-based industries and environmental restoration while providing economic and social benefits to local communities. The Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership is a successful approach for managing public forests that meets diverse objectives in the rapidly changing world of public resource management. Top