Updates
10/01/20
Wildfire Season is Here
It has been a difficult month for almost everyone on the west coast, as wildfires driven by high winds and unusually dry conditions burned over five million acres in Washington, Oregon, and California. Most of us faced hazardous air quality, many thousands of people were displaced from their homes, and some lost loved ones. Our thoughts are with all those who were and continue to be impacted by the fires, and our deepest condolences go out to those who are grieving. We also would like to thank all of the firefighters who work tirelessly to protect communities. As a forestry collaborative, we represent multiple perspectives on forest management, but our common ground is the desire for healthy, resilient forests and thriving communities. We know that for many who were impacted by these fires, the recovery is just beginning, and we are committed to continuing to support our partners and stakeholders and work responsively to the changing realities we face.
10/01/20
September 2020 Monthly Updates
- This month our Consulting Foresters completed the flagging and layout for the Orchard Loner project site, and installed monitoring plots at the WWB project site.
- On 9/23, the Collaborative received notice that a draft Decision Notice and final Environmental Assessment is available for the Wynoochee Restoration Project. The Collaborative looks forward to working with the Forest Service to identify opportunities to assist with capacity on future restoration thinning projects following this decision.
9/01/20
August 2020 Monthly Updates
- In August, our Consulting Foresters met with Olympic National Forest staff to discuss the possibility of a tether logging system for appropriate units in the Orchard-Loner project.
- Working with our Consulting Foresters, the Collaborative completed the draft prescription for the Orchard-Loner project.
- On 8/20, the Collaborative met with Representative Derek Kilmer and his staff to update them on recent progress and accomplishments.
- On 8/18, the Olympic Forest Collaborative Coordinator attended the Washington Forest Collaborative Network meeting
- On 8/24, the collaborative met with the Washington Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Division about future funding opportunities for collaboratives in Washington State.
- On 8/27/20, the Collaborative provided a formal letter responding to a request for feedback on the Washington Department of Natural Resource’s legislative priorities related to forest health funding for the next biennium.
- In August, the Olympic Forest Collaborative finalized multiple Collaborative documents including a new fact sheet highlighting recent accomplishments and goals, and a timeline of significant collaborative events.
9/01/20
August Monitoring Progress
The Olympic Forest Collaborative is developing a monitoring plan for new stewardship projects on the national forest, and recently released an interim summary of progress in this area. The collaborative has received input on the plan from Olympic Natural Resources Council, the US Forest Service, and Resilient Forestry. To read our summary of recent monitoring progress, click here.
8/01/20
July 2020 Monthly Update
- On 7/15, members of the Collaborative met with Olympic National Forest leadership to discuss progress on forest restoration projects and possibilities for future collaborative work.
- The Washington Forest Collaborative Network held its monthly facilitator call on 7/21, which was attended by our OFC Coordinator. The call focused on some ways that forest collaboratives can adapt to changing economic conditions in the near future.
- On 7/13, the Collaborative officially welcomed the new ownership of Resilient Forestry on our bi weekly call. We look forward to continuing the great work with Sean and Miles!
- Working with our Consulting Foresters, the Collaborative completed several objectives on the Orchard-Loner project during the month of July. These included the layout and boundary flagging of D units, as well as Orchard units 1 and 2. In addition to the boundaries, our forestry team flagged wetlands at the project site to ensure their protection during the harvest process.
7/18/20
Monitoring is Underway at Queets Corner
This month, members of the Collaborative conducted monitoring at the Queets Corner project site, using both drone imagery and on-the ground observation. Monitoring begins before harvesting a new project, so that the change in overall health of the forest can be assessed following the treatment. On the ground, our invasive plant specialist documented the presence of invasive species and began some initial work to remove them, with plans to continue this work with a team in the near future. In the air, drone flights took images of the forest pre-treatment, which will allow us to compare the condition of the forest before and after the thinning is done. The images are also a great way to show the differences in thinned vs unthinned forests, on a landscape scale. The Collaborative will continue to monitor the Queets Corner site and share the findings with our community.
7/01/20
June 2020 Monthly Update
- On June 12th, members of the Collaborative were invited to give an update at the Skykomish Watershed Action Team meeting.
- The Collaborative completed a draft prescription for the Humptulips harvest unit
- Working with our Consulting Forester and Olympic National Forest staff, the Collaborative completed a site visit at the Orchard Loaner project to assess preliminary layout, logging systems, and prescription.
6/29/20
Collaborative welcomes new ownership at Resilient Forestry
The Olympic Forest Collaborative is excited to welcome the new owners of Resilient Forestry, Sean Jeronimo and Miles LeFevre. Resilient Forestry is plays a key consulting role in the collaborative – providing the on the ground expertise to drive our restoration forestry work on the Olympic Peninsula.
Sean has forest management, research, and analysis experience from up and down the West Coast, and National Forest collaborative experience in eastern Washington and Arizona. He specializes in forest restoration and analytics. Sean earned his PhD in forest ecology from the University of Washington.
Photo coming soon!
Miles has a wide range of expertise in forest restoration and management. His work experience includes summers as a wildland fire fighter, field mapping old-growth forests, and using remotely-sensed datasets to model landscape-scale forest management scenarios. Miles earned both undergraduate and Master’s degrees in forest ecology from the University of Washington.
The Collaborative greatly appreciates the support and expertise of Paul Fischer over the past two years in his role as owner of Resilient Forestry. Paul will continue to support the Collaborative as he moves into his new role as Senior Forester for King County, and we extend our warmest wishes and congratulations to him in this next step!
6/12/20
Collaborative works with Forest Service, Tribes, and conservation district to create a "win win" for forest restoration
This Spring, the Olympic Forest Collaborative worked with the Olympic National Forest, Skokomish Tribe, and the Mason Conservation District to resolve a potential conflict regarding two restoration opportunities on the forest. The Forest had offered the Orchard Loaner stewardship sale to the Collaborative, supported by grant funding from DNR. Another engineered log jam restoration proposal, supported by the Mason conservation district and Skokomish tribe required targeted trees which were most readily available from the Orchard location. Olympic National Forest was able to offer replacement acreage for the Collaborative stewardship sale, clearing the way for the engineered log jam to proceed as well. The Collaborative appreciates the support of Olympic National Forest in turning this challenge into an opportunity to increase forest stewardship on the Olympic Peninsula. On June 12th, a member of Olympic Forest Collaborative was invited to the Skokomish Watershed Action Team meeting, where they had the opportunity to report on this exciting “win-win” for restoration.
6/01/20
May 2020 Monthly Update
- On May 18, The Olympic Forest Collaborative announced their new Coordinator Anna Shepherd. The Coordinator will support the Collaborative by leading internal and external communication as well as overseeing administrative tasks, adding critical capacity to our work.
- In May, the Olympic Forest Collaborative held zoom interviews with nine candidates for the Collaborative coordinator position.
- On May 27, the Queets Corner project was sold to Skagit Logging and Construction for $25/MBF. The Queets Corner is a project that the Olympic Forest Collaborative has provided support to the Olympic National Forest with presale planning, thinning prescription, monitoring protocols, and field layout. The sale includes 578 MBF of 60-year old stands that will be part of a restoration thinning to expedite late successional characteristics.
- In May, the Collaborative worked with the Forest Service to identify and secure replacement acreage following some changes to the Orchard/Loaner stewardship sale.
5/27/20
Collaborative Queets Corner Project Sold
On May 27, the Queets Corner project was sold to Skagit Logging and Construction for $25/MBF. The Queets Corner is a project that the Olympic Forest Collaborative has provided support to the Olympic National Forest with presale planning, thinning prescription, monitoring protocols, and field layout. The sale includes 578 MBF of 60-year old stands that will be part of a restoration thinning to expedite late successional characteristics. 1.0 miles of a no longer needed DNR road system will be decommissioned as part of the project, as well as 0.5 miles of Forest Service non-system road prisms. Additionally, the decommissioning will remove two fish passage barriers as part of the project and restore surface water drainage at five locations on National Forest property.
The Queets Corner Project was supported by the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) program at the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Project auction, contracting and compliance will be overseen by DNR GNA staff with engagement from the US Forest Service. The GNA program is focused on providing DNR expertise to increase capacity on federal lands for timber harvest as well as terrestrial and aquatic restoration projects.
5/18/20
Olympic Forest Collaborative Welcomes Anna Shepherd as New Coordinator
If you have any questions for Anna about her work with the collaborative please reach out at ashepherd.ofc@gmail.com
5/1/20
April 2020 Monthly Update
- On April 23, the Olympic Forest Collaborative met with the Olympic National Forest Supervisor and leadership to discuss current work by the Collaborative on ONF lands and future opportunities.
- On April, The Queets Corner project was advertised as a restoration thinning sale by the Washington State DNR on behalf of the U.S Forest Service, under the Good Neighbor Authority. The Olympic Forest Collaborative has worked for more than a year to do the pre-sale work and prescription for the sale.
- In April, members of the Olympic Forest Collaborative met with Washington State Department of Natural Resources to give input into the development of their Washington Forest Action Plan
- In April, members of the Olympic Forest Collaborative ground-truthed stands in the Skokomish watershed that were potential for a new thinning project
- On April 29, members of the Olympic Forest Collaborative took a field tour to conduct recon on additional units offered to the Collaborative for the Orchard/Loaner stewardship sale.
4/17/20
Olympic National Forest Supervisor Kelly Lawrence Announced
The Olympic Forest Collaborative welcomes Kelly Lawrence who was announced as the next Forest Supervisor for the Olympic National Forest. Kelly comes from the Naches Ranger District on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest D and her official start date will be May 24. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Kelly has served the last 17 years with the Forest Service in research, partnerships, planning, and management. The Olympic Collaborative looks forward to working with her to support restoration thinning and aquatic restoration projects on the Olympic National Forest in the years to come. Welcome Kelly!
4/6/20
Collaborative Hiring Coordinator Position
The Olympic Forest Collaborative is looking for a passionate and skilled individual
to work with members of the Collaborative to coordinate their work to support restoration forestry and aquatic restoration projects on the Olympic National Forest located on the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic Forest Collaborative brings together stakeholders from the environmental community, the timber industry, and representatives from federal and local government around shared goals of increasing timber harvest from the Olympic National Forest while benefiting the environmental quality of our forests and watersheds. The Collaborative will work together and with federal officials to address issues that stand in the way of achieving the stated goals. Ultimately, the purpose is to simultaneously create a more environmentally sound forest, provide for increased, sustainable timber harvests on the Olympic National Forest, and provide economic benefits to timber communities on the Peninsula. This coordinator position will significantly increase the capacity of the Collaborative by accomplishing key administrative tasks, increasing the quality and volume of outreach to local stakeholders, developing relationships, and identifying additional grant opportunities for the Collaborative. The position is open until filled with a priority deadline
of April 15, 2020.
Click here to read the full job description:
4/01/20
March 2020 Monthly Update
- In March, Resilient Forestry completed a draft prescription for the Humptulips project
- In March, Resilient Forestry provided a final field monitoring report for the monitoring protocol for the H to Z project
3/01/20
February 2020 Monthly Update
- On 2/7, members of the Olympic Collaborative hosted an H to Z Lessons Learned field tour which included staff from Olympic National Forest, local landowners, Tribes and other stakeholders.
- In February, Resilient Forestry completed the logging systems analysis for the Humptulips project
2/01/20
January 2020 Monthly Update
- On 1/16, members of the Olympic Collaborative met with leadership from the Olympic National Forest for a quarterly leadership meeting to discuss progress on current and prospective projects.
- In January, Resilient Forestry completed the road analysis for the Humptulips project
1/20/20
Olympic National Forest Supervisor Reta Laford Moves to Regional Office
In January, Olympic Forest Supervisor Reta Laford will be leaving to take a planning position in the Regional office in Portland. Reta led the Olympic National Forest since 2012 and presided over the launch of the Olympic Forest Collaborative and its growth over the past seven years. Reta supported the Collaborative’s work to provide additional capacity on the Olympic National Forest for restoration thinning projects and aquatic restoration priorities. She provided several letters of commitments as part of successful grant applications by the Collaborative, worked to identify larger stewardship sales on the Forest and established quarterly leadership meetings between the Collaborative and the Forest. We wish her all the best in her new position at the regional office.
1/16/20
Collaborative and Olympic National Forest Establish Regular Quarterly Leadership Meetings
On January 16, the Olympic Forest Collaborative met with the Olympic National Forest Supervisor and leadership as part of quarterly meetings to discuss current work by the Collaborative on ONF lands and future opportunities.
1/01/20
December 2019 Monthly Update
- On 12/24, the Olympic Collaborative received a Building Forest Partnerships grant from the Department of Natural Resources for $40,000 to support a part time coordinator position and a short video about the Collaborative and its accomplishments.
- In December, Resilient Forestry provided blow down spatial analysis as part of the monitoring protocol for the H to Z project
12/24/19
Olympic Collaborative Receives $40K Building Forest Partnership Grant
On December 34, the Olympic Collaborative got an early Christmas present and received
a Building Forest Partnerships grant from the Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) for $40,000 to hire a part time coordinator to support forest restoration work on the Olympic National Forest. The grant is part of a program at WA DNR that supports local forest collaboratives work to improve forest health conditions statewide. Funds are expected to be available in March 2020 and funding would be applied through June 2021.
12/01/19
November 2019 Monthly Update
- On 11/21. the Olympic Collaborative received an All Lands Forest Restoration grant from the Department of Natural Resources for $125,000 to support forest restoration work on Olympic National Forest
- In November, Resilient Forestry completed riparian tree surveys for the Humptulips project
11/21/19
Olympic Collaborative Receives $125K All Forest Lands Restoration Grant
On November 21, The Olympic Forest Collaborative received an All Lands Forest Restoration Grant for $125,000 to support restoration forestry work, including thinning of overly dense forests, doing stand exams, road inventories and pre-sale work associated with future sales on the Olympic National Forest. The grant is part of a program at WA DNR that supports local forest collaboratives work to improve forest health conditions statewide.
11/01/19
October 2019 Monthly Update
- On October 3, the Olympic Collaborative met with Glenn Casamassa, Regional Forester (Region 6) for the U.S. Forest Service, Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-WA06) and leadership form the Olympic National Forest to discuss progress and opportunities for the Olympic Forest Collaborative
- On October 9, the Olympic Collaborative met with the Olympic National Forest Supervisor and leadership to discuss current work by the Collaborative on ONF lands and future opportunities. The ONF agreed to offer the Collaborative to work on the Orchard Loner project as a stewardship sale in 2020.
10/01/19
September 2019 Monthly Update
- A member of the Olympic Collaborative walked prospective units in the Wynoochee watershed that is a candidate for a future Olympic Collaborative project
- A member of the Olympic Collaborative met with the Salmon Coast Partnerships to learn about and discuss potential aquatic restoration project priorities
- In September, Resilient Forestry completed field work for additional thinning areas and provided a GFIS layer of the draft harvest boundary as part of the Humptulips project
- In September, Resilient Forestry digitized blowdown and field verified samples as part of the monitoring protocol for the H to Z project
9/01/19
August 2019 Monthly Update
- On 8/7 members of the Collaborative attended a meeting with Rep. Derek Kilmer and Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa to discuss future opportunities for the Olympic Collaborative to work with Olympic National Forest.
- In August, Resilient Forestry completed draft monitoring reports for the H to Z, Queets Corner and Big Stew project areas
- In August, Resilient Forestry provided an analysis of plot data and summarized current conditions for the Humptulips project for Olympic National Forest staff
8/22/19
Olympic Collaborative Hosts Rep. Kilmer and Members of Approps Committee on Field Tour
On August 22, the Olympic Forest Collaborative hosted a field tour of their H to Z project for Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA06) and three members of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee who were visiting Washington State. The tour is part of a broader tour for the subcommittee members who were touring the 6th CD with Rep. Kilmer as part of the district work period.
8/01/19
July 2019 Monthly Update
- On 7/13 the Olympic National Forest sent out a tribal scoping notice on the Humptulips Restoration project
- On 7/22 Resilient Forestry finished a supplemental inventory and logging systems work including 40 basal area plots in all four units for the Humptulips project
- On 7/21 Resilient Forestry finished post-harvest monitoring field work at the H to Z project and pre harvest monitoring at the Queets Corner project
- In July, Resilient Forestry and members of the Olympic Collaborative participated in a field tour of the Queets Corner project with Olympic National Forest staff
7/01/19
June 2019 Monthly Update
- On 6/3 Resilient Forestry sent final prescription to the Olympic National Forest for the Queets corner project
- On 6/14 Resilient Forestry put in 14 monitoring plots distributed across different treatment types in the Big Stew project area pre harvest
- On 6/23, Resilient Forestry met with Olympic National Forest staff about timing and the prospect of using Good Neighbor Authority for the Queets Corner project
- On 6/27 members of the Olympic Collaborative attended a shared Stewardship workshop hosted by the University of Washington’s Olympic Natural Resources Center which included U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa
6/1/19
May 2019 Monthly Update
- On 5/28/19 the Olympic Forest Collaborative held a public meeting in Port Angeles, WA, hosted by the Olympic Natural Resources Center. The meeting included a welcome from Port Angeles Mayor Sissi Burch and presentations by members of the Olympic Collaborative and Olympic Forest Supervisor Reta Laford. The meeting attracted about 25 participants, including Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Connie Beauvais, local Clallam County loggers, and representatives from North Olympic Land Trust, Green Crow Timber, Olympic College, and Congressman Derek Kilmer’s office.
- On 5/31/19 the Olympic Collaborative completed a GIS analysis of drone monitoring flights of its H to Z project post-harvest.
5/1/19
April 2019 Monthly Update
- On 4/15/19 the Olympic Forest Collaborative held a public meeting in Aberdeen, WA hosted by the Olympic Natural Resources Center. The meeting included a welcome from Aberdeen Mayor Eric Larsen and presentations by members of the Olympic Collaborative and Olympic Forest Supervisor Reta LaFord. The meeting attracted about 50 participants including local contract loggers and representation from Congressman Derek Kilmer’s office. On 4/18 members of the Olympic Forest Collaborative met with leadership and staff from the Olympic National Forest to discuss existing and future stewardship and Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects to assist with Forest Service capacity issues.
- On 4/18 members of the Olympic Forest Collaborative met with staff from the Washington Department of Natural Resources Good Neighbor Authority Program to receive an update about progress and discuss future opportunities to collaborate
- On 4/22 the Olympic Forest Collaborative unveiled its first logo which was created by Lori Veres Graphic Design.
4/22/19
Olympic Forest Collaborative Unveils New Logo
After working with a graphic designer for several weeks and supported by a grant from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Olympic Forest Collaborative finalized its first logo. The logo was developed in conjunction with the Collaborative’s Board of Directors by Lori Veres Graphic Design.
4/1/19
March 2019 Monthly Update
- On 3/6, Resilient Forester measured 17 inventory plots on the Queets Corner project.
- On 3/14, members of the Olympic Collaborative, Olympic National Forest and WA Department of Natural Resources participated in a field visit to look at the road decommissioning stewardship component of the Queets Corner sale.
- On 3/18, members of the Olympic Forest Collaborative and Resilient Forestry met with Olympic National Forest staff to do a field meeting on the Queets Corner project to review stand boundaries and streams.
- On 3/26, the Olympic Forest Collaborative held a public meeting in Forks hosted by the Olympic Natural Resources Center. The meeting included a welcome form Clallam County Commissioner Bill Peach and presentations by members of the Olympic Collaborative and Olympic Forest Supervisor Reta LaFord. Participants included Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Connie Beauvais, Forks City Attorney Rod Fleck and representation from Congressman Derek Kilmer’s office.
Watch the presentation below.
3/31/19
Peninsula Daily News Article: “Forest Collaborative Tells of Projects, Seeks Input”
The Peninsula Daily News reported on the first of three public meetings schedule around the Olympic Peninsula by the Olympic Forest Collaborative and host by Olympic Natural Resource Center. Read the article from the forks public meeting here.
Reta Laford, Olympic National Forest supervisor, spoke about the Northwest forest plan and current emphasis on Olympic National Forest land and the need for many different entities to work together to make the collaborative successful. (Christi Baron/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
3/19/19
Olympic Forest Collaborative Begins 2019 by Building on Successes – Seeks Input at Upcoming Public Meetings in Forks, Aberdeen, and Port Angeles
PORT ANGELES, WA –Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) & The Olympic Forest Collaborative head in to 2019 with an impressive string of successful projects increasing timber harvest and aquatic restoration on Olympic National Forest.
The Olympic Natural Resources Center will facilitate 3 public meetings in 2019 where the Olympic Collaborative and the Olympic National Forest will highlight their accomplishments, discuss upcoming plans and ask for ideas and feedback from attendees on new projects and ways to increase their representation and involvement:
Forks Public Meeting (March 26, 2019, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm)
Olympic Natural Resources Center
1455 S. Forks Avenue
Forks WA 98331
Aberdeen Public Meeting (April 15, 2019, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm)
Rotary Log Pavilion
1401 Sargent Boulevard
Aberdeen, WA 98520
Port Angeles Public Meeting (May 28, 2019, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm)
Peninsula College, Lecture Hall J47
1502 E. Lauridsen Boulevard
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Read the Full Press Release HERE
3/1/19
February 2019 Monthly Update
- On 2/11, members of the Olympic Collaborative met with representatives from Olympic Natural Resources Center to discuss and develop a monitoring and evaluation protocol that can be applied to Collaborative projects both current and in the future.
- On 2/18, members of the Olympic Collaborative met with representatives from Olympic Natural Resources Center to discuss and develop a monitoring and evaluation protocol.
- On 2/19, Resilient Forestry subcontracted with a local Hoquiam forester to assist on the inventory and layout for Queets Corner.
- On 2/20, a member of the Olympic Forest Collaborative participated in the monthly Washington Forest Collaborative Network phone conference.
- On 2/20, Resilient Forestry had a field meeting at the Queets Corner site to identify roads and logging systems and discuss inventory plots and boundary layout.
- On 2/21, Resilient Forestry completed tree measurements on two of the 10 plots at Queets Corner as part of the Olympic Collaborative’s monitoring and evaluation protocol.
2/1/19
January 2019 Monthly Update
- In January, members of the Olympic Forest Collaborative partnering with Olympic Natural Resources Center research relevant monitoring and evaluation protocols to inform efforts to develop a protocol for Collaborative projects.
- On 1/16, a member of the Olympic Forest Collaborative participated in the monthly Washington Forest Collaborative Network phone conference.
1/1/19
December 2018 Monthly Update
- On 12/8, members of the Olympic Collaborative met with leadership from the Olympic National Forest to discuss status and future projects .
- On 12/26 -12/28, 10,000 Years Institute deployed crews to the H To Z site to do post harvest invasive species treatment to the site.
- In December, the Olympic Collaborative retained a graphic designer to develop a logo for the Olympic Forest Collaborative.
12/28/18
Collaborative Treats Invasive Weeds Post Harvest
On December 26, 27, and 28, 10,000 Years Institute’s crew returned to work at the H to Z on non-native plant control to prevent the newly thinned units from invasion by species which affect the growth of native plants important to native biota, and that do not provide the ecological services and functions provided by the native species they very effectively replace. Four to six restoration technicians mapped, pulled, and piled the early growth of non-native, allelopathic and toxic foxglove, Scotch broom, herb Robert, and common groundsel.
Survey crew pulling foxglove patch on railroad grade.
12/1/18
November 2018 Monthly Update
- On 11/5 members of the Olympic Collaborative and Olympic Natural Resources Center participated in a field tour of the H to Zsale to discuss and develop improved monitoring and evaluation protocols for existing and future Collaborative projects.
- On 11/8 member of the Olympic Collaborative and Olympic Natural Resources Council met with leadership for the Olympic National Forest to check in on existing joint projects and discuss opportunities for future public engagement around restoration forestry and aquatic restoration efforts.
11/1/18
October 2018 Monthly Update
- On 10/11 Olympic Collaborative’s contractor Resilient Forestry completed a Recon trip identifying logging systems, hydrologic resources, layout, habitat and sensitive features for the Queets Corner project on Olympic National Forest. Olympic Collaborative members Jill Silver participated in the effort.
- On 10/12 Olympic Collaborative’s contractor Resilient Forestry met with Olympic National Forest staff on site to review harvest plan for Queets Corner project
- On 10/20 the Olympic Collaborative submitted formal scoping comments to the Olympic National Forest on the Wynoochee Restoration and Roads Management Project.
10/15/18
September 2018 Monthly Update
- On 9/14 the Olympic Collaborative received confirmation that their grant request to the Washington Department of Natural Resources for restoration thinning project work and developing a monitoring protocol was awarded.
- On 9/26 the Olympic Collaborative hosted with the Olympic National Forest a field meeting to discuss the recently released proposed action for the Wynoochee Watershed Project. More than a dozen members of the Collaborative and the Olympic National Forest participated in the meeting which included discussion about restoration thinning and other aspects of the proposal as well as a hike into one of the units.
- In September the Olympic National Forest requested the number of hours that the Olympic Collaborative has contributed toward restoration thinning work during FY2019.
- The Collaborative is planning with Olympic Natural Resources Center to organize the first of three public meetings for the Olympic Collaborative in the Forks area for November.
9/26/18
Olympic National ForestStaff and Olympic Collaborative Members Have Field Meeting in Wynoochee
On 9/26 the Olympic Collaborative hosted with the Olympic National Forest a field meeting to discuss the recently released proposed action for the Wynoochee Watershed Project. More than a dozen members of the Collaborative and the Olympic National Forest participated in the meeting which included discussion about restoration thinning and other aspects of the proposal as well as a hike into one of the units. This provided an excellent opportunity for Collaborative members to learn more about the recently released Proposed Action for the Wynoochee Management Plan and for Olympic National Forest Staff to meet and interact with members of the Collaborative.
Participants from the Olympic Collaborative and the Olympic National Forest at the Wynoochee Field Meeting
9/1/18
August 2018 Monthly Update
- On 8/8 the Olympic Collaborative hosted a public filed tour on their H to Z stewardship sale in the Sol Duc watershed. The tour was well attended by more than 30 participants.
- On 8/15/18 the Olympic National Forest awarded the contract for the Big Creek Stewardship Sale to Sierra Pacific Industries for an estimated forest product value of $654,281.76.
- On 8/31 the Olympic Collaborative submitted a grant application to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources as part of their cross boundary competitive grant program for Washington forest Collaborative projects. The grant requested funds to do pre-sale inventory and layout work on the Queets Corner and Humptulips restoration thinning projects on the Olympic National Forest as well as funding for the establishment and initial implementation of a monitoring protocol for stewardship sales the Collaborative has been involved with.
8/15/18
Olympic Collaborative’s Big Stew Stewardship Project Sold to Sierra Pacific Industries
On 8/15 the Big Stew stewardship sale was awarded and sold to Sierra Pacific Industries in Shelton. The project will include 207 acres of restoration forestry and provide sufficient funding for aquatic restoration at Vance Creek by replacing a damaged culvert. Project implementation is scheduled for the summer of 2019. The Collaborative has worked with Olympic National Forest and the Skokomish Watershed Action Team (SWAT) to support a restoration thinning project that will promote late successional structure in a previously harvested stand. As a stewardship project the retained receipts from the thinning sale were sufficient to fund an aquatic restoration project on Vance Creek. This summer, the Olympic Collaborative hosted a field tour to the Big Creek unit to educate local stakeholders around the benefits of restoration thinning and the efforts to mitigate impacts and enhance recreational opportunities associated with the Big Creek Trail and campground as part of this project.
8/8/18
Olympic Collaborative,Representative Kilmer Host Field Tour on H to Z Project
On 8/8 the Olympic Collaborative hosted a public filed tour at their H to Z stewardship sale in the Sol Duc watershed. The H to Z was harvested in September 2017 and was th efirst pilot project of the Olympic Forest Collaborative on the Pacific Ranger District of the Olympic National Forest. The stewardship sale has two components: a thinning project, and an upland habitat enhancement component to increase standing and down dead wood and understory plant diversity and improve habitat for sensitive and threatened species. The Field Tour discussed the Olympic Collaborative’s role in the H to Z project, remarks abou tthe efforts by the Olympic Collaborative by U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA06) and a question and answer portion with stakeholders and members of the Collaborative. The tour was well attended with more than 30 participants including U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer,State Representative Mike Chapman, Clallam County Councilmember Bill Peach, Forks Mayor, Port Angeles Mayor Sissi Bruch, Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Connie Beauvais and representatives from Olympic Natural Resources Center, North Olympic Timber Action Committee, Coast Salmon Partnership, the Hoh and Quileute Tribes
8/1/18
July 2018 Monthly Update
- On 7/13/18 the Olympic National Forest opened bidding for the Big Creek Stewardship Sale to local contractors and loggers.
- On 7/16 the Olympic Collaborative received a formal offer letter to work with the Olympic National Forest on two additional projects (Queets Corner and Humptulips). The Collaborative accepted the offer and will continue planning work on the two projects.
- On 7/18 the Olympic Collaborative submitted a grant application to the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ Washington Forest Collaborative Infrastructure Pilot Program for $25,000 to support coordination and organizational capacity needs.
- On 7/26 DNR awarded the Olympic Forest Collaborative an infrastructure pilot project grant. The Collaborative is in contract negotiation on the final project.
- On 7/30 Collaborative member crews led by 10,000 Years Institute did Herb Robert eradication on H to Z project site.
- On 7/31 the Collaborative hosted a public outreach site visit to the Big Creek project site. Residents, stakeholders attended and viewed the project, learned about stewardship restoration project plans, and asked questions of the US Forest Service staff and Collaborative members.
7/31/18
Collaborative Holds Big Creek Field Tour with Local Stakeholders
The Olympic Collaborative hosted a public field tour on their Big Creek Stewardship Sale in conjunction with the Olympic National Forest. The tour introduced the Olympic Collaborative and provided education about the nature of Stewardship contracting which focuses on restoration thinning focused on promoting late successional stand characteristics and allows the receipts from the sale to go toward an additional aquatic restoration project on the Olympic National Forest. The tour also clarified how the slae will minimize impacts to recreation associated with the popular Big Creek trail and campground. The aquatic restoration project for this sale will be on Vance Creek in the Skokomish watershed. The tour was well attended with about 20 participants suchas Olympic National Forest staff including Forest Supervisor Reta LaFord, Mike Anderson and Bob Metzger from the Skokomish Watershed Action Team, Mitzie Schindle from the Olympic Peninsula Access Coalition, Max Franklin from the Hoodsport Chamber of Commerce, Chuck Malinski from Evergreen Turtle Rockets Trail running club.
7/30/18
Collaborative Crew Tackles Invasive Weeds on H to Z Site
On 7/30 a local crew of 6 restoration technicians from 10,000 Years Institute, an Olympic Collaborative member, spent 8 hours pulling 75 pounds of herb Robert, a highly invasive non-native weed from the H to Z site, one of the Collaborative’s stewardship sales in the Sol Duc watershed. Great work!
7/1/18
June 2018 Monthly Update
- On 6/7 members of the Collaborative met with members of the U.S Forest Service Region 6 Forest Leadership Team, including Regional Forester Jim Pena and Olympic National Forest Supervisor Reta LaFord during a field tour on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie region of the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.
- On 6/8 members of the Collaborative attended the Skokomish Watershed Action Team (SWAT) board meeting to discuss Big Creek project, site visit and stewardship project opportunities. US Forest Service staff also attended and discussed potential future projects in the watershed through 2021.
- On 6/11 The Olympic Collaborative scheduled a Big Creek public field visit for July 31. Collaborative members will plan the visit with the SWAT and the Forest Service and local stakeholders.
- On 6/11 Collaborative members met with the Olympic Natural Resources Center (ONRC) and Rep. Kilmer’s office to finalize next steps for the funding provided by the Washington State Legislature to support the Olympic Collaborative’s efforts.
- On 6/20 Collaborative members participated in the monthly Washington Collaborative Network call. This was an opportunity for a Q&A with Washington Department of Nature Resource staff to ask clarifying questions related to the upcoming DNR request for proposal (RFP) funding for forest collaborative capacity building
6/1/18
May 2018 Monthly Update
- On 5/1 Collaborative member spoke with ONF Supervisor Reta LaFord about two new projects: Queets Corner and Humptulips CE. The Wynoochee project is still in planning stages.
- On 5/14 Collaborative members toured the Big Creek project to plan for public outreach and local stakeholders site visit. The Collaborative met with local partners of the Skokomish Watershed Action Team to plan the site visit and discuss stewardship projects.
- On 5/14 Collaborative members met with local stakeholders in the west end of the Olympic National Forest to plan public outreach in their area.
- On 5/14 The Collaborative board met and agreed to move ahead with the State Legislature’s capacity funding in partnership with the Olympic Natural Resources Center. The Collaborative also decided to apply for capacity building and stewardship forest health restoration funding when the two requests for proposals are published.
- On 5/14 The Collaborative agreed to hold a public outreach field tour to H to Z in July or August to demonstrate the Collaborative’s impact in that project.
- On 5/21 The Collaborative evaluated the H to Z project and completed a project “accomplishment survey” preliminary report. The project yielded more revenue per acre than anticipated. The Collaborative experimented with GPS to lay out the boundary, rather than traversing method. The GPS method was also used on the with Donkey Creek project. The Collaborative finished replanting of H to Z.
- On 5/29/18 the Olympic National Forest advertised the Big Creek Stewardship Sale in local outlet
5/1/18
April 2018 Monthly Update
- Big Creek project planning moved forward with a meeting between the Olympic National Forest staff and the Collaborative. The Big Creek appraisal was released with the sale documents.
- The Collaborative received support from the Washington state Legislature for outreach and capacity. The Collaborative began discussions with the University of Washington’s Olympic Natural Resource Center, located in Forks, WA, to plan for the funding.
- On 4/5 members of the Collaborative attended the Pacific Northwest Forest Collaboratives Summit in Hood River, OR.
- On 4/9 Trevor McConchie, Executive Policy Advisor on Forest Health and Wildfire at Washington Department of Natural Resources, spoke to the Olympic Collaborative by conference call to discuss and answer questions about the DNR’s new federally funded Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) program. The GNA program is focused on increasing capacity for working forestry and restoration thinning on Forest Service lands. McConchie reported that the GNA program has two pilot projects on the Olympic National Forest: a stream monitoring project and a FSB thinning project on the North Fork of the Calawah. The projects are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2018, and hoped to contribute $600,000 to restoration in the forest and future projects.
- On 4/9 the Olympic Collaborative agreed to have standing weekly Board conference calls indefinitely to respond to requests and project opportunities.
- On 4/18 a member of the Olympic Collaborative participated in the Washington Collaborative Network monthly meeting. In the meeting we continued a discussion about finalizing metrics that collaborative groups would actively track and discussed details of Washington DNR competitive grants available to WA collaborative groups in 2018
4/1/18
March 2018 Monthly Update
- On 3/9 the Collaborative completed the cutting guidelines, terrestrial restoration survey, and the cruise through the Big Creek Sale. The project is out for appraisal and contract. The Collaborative will reach out to residents and recreation groups to plan a field tour for the Big Creek sale with the Olympic National Forest on the final prescriptions around the trail corridor, campground and aquatic restoration projects.
- On 3/9 Collaborative members participated in the state-wide survey to identify capacity needs for forest collaboratives in the state, and funding.
- On 3/9 the Collaborative assessed its capacity needs and identified where future funding could achieve Collaborative goals (project coordination and development, outreach, and technical assistance).
- On 3/21 a member of the Olympic Collaborative participated in the Washington Collaborative Network monthly meeting. Anticipation of the 4/5 Pacific Northwest Collaborative Summit in Hood River, progress on the Network’s new website and a discussion on what metrics to use in evaluating Collaborative work were all discussed.
3/1/18
February 2018 Monthly Update
- On 2/21 a member of the Olympic Collaborative participated in the Washington Collaborative Network monthly meeting. The Network members provided input to DNR on two grant programs for 2018: Washington forest collaborative capacity building and scaled forest health restoration projects.
- On 2/26 members of the Collaborative provided a road tech to inventory 2.1 miles of roads over two days and several restoration techs put in 80 hours of work in coordination with ONF staff as part of the GFF sale. The Collaborative identified “off season” work to move forward potential future projects before the season.
2/1/18
January 2018 Monthly Update
- On 1/8 members of the Collaborative met with Olympic National Forest staff to discuss current and future projects involving the Collaborative.
- On 1/23 members of the Collaborative met with Forest Supervisor Reta LaFord and other Olympic National Forest staff to discuss the Collaborative’s work on the Big Creek stewardship sale and future opportunities for collaboration.
10/24/16
Collaborative holds Public Meeting in Port Angeles with Rep. Derek Kilmer
On October 24, the Olympic Collaborative held a public meeting from 11:00 – 12:30 pm at Port Angeles City Hall. The meeting included a welcome from Port Angeles Mayor Pat Downie and a statement by U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA06) about his support for the Collaborative’s mission and work. Olympic National Forest District Ranger Dean Millet also spoke about the welcome assistance by the Collaborative on the Donkey Creek and H to Z sales. The meeting was attended by several local stakeholders including, Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias, Port Townsend Mayor Deborah Stinson and Director of Environmental Affairs at Green Crow Corporation Harry Bell.