AMA over 80 Decision Tree Framework

In July 2022, the Collaborative released their statement on Canyon Forest Restoration Project within Olympic National Forest’s Adaptive Management Area. Their statement below is a reflection of a consensus towards adaptive management in stands over 80 years old on the Olympic Peninsula.

“The Olympic Forest Collaborative is looking forward to implementing a project to conduct a vegetation management treatment in the Adaptive Management Area (AMA) of the Olympic National Forest (ONF) near Sequim, WA in Clallam County. The potential project would come out of an environmental assessment, the Canyon Forest Restoration Project, being developed by the ONF, which is currently at the scoping stage of the National Environmental Policy Act review. This project will explore the use of a science-based and informed decision framework to identify the need for treatment in stands over age 80 in the AMA. The Collaborative’s contract foresters, Resilient Forestry, conducted a literature review of recent science and developed the framework for use on Collaborative projects. The goal of the framework is to employ a transparent and credible science-based decision tool to identify stands that can benefit from treatments to accelerate the goals of achieving desired future conditions that support late seral species such as the Northern Spotted Owl and the Marbled Murrelet. The Collaborative projects include commercial thinning treatments. The members of the Collaborative have agreed to use this decision framework on Collaborative projects in AMA stands over 80 and will adapt and/or modify the framework over time as we evaluate results and conditions on the ground. All Collaborative projects follow the ONF Management Plan and any amendments to that plan under the Northwest Forest Plan, including NEPA analysis. Our reports on monitoring and evaluation of Collaborative projects can be found on our Monitoring page. The Collaborative encourages and welcomes review and comments.”