HomeMy WebLinkAbout071519_cabs011:30 p.m. County Administrator Briefing
Commissioners Chambers
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Philip Morley, County Administrator
FROM: Leslie Locke, Executive Assistant
DATE: July 15, 2019
SUBJECT: PRESENTATION re: Quimper Lost Wilderness and the Citizen Efforts to Conserve 30
Acres of Washington State Department of Natural Resources Forest near Ocean Grove
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
Noreen Parks and Steve Grace will present to the Commissioners information on the Quimper Lost
Wilderness and the citizen efforts to conserve 30 acres of DNR Forest near Ocean Grove.
RECOMMENDATION:
Listen to presentation. No Action Required.
REVIEWED BY:
hilip M y ministrator Date
Quimper Lost Wilderness: A Summary
Early this year Steve Grace --naturalist, author, educator, and a resident of the Ocean Grove
community overlooking Discovery Bay --made an exciting discovery. He found a stand of very mature
forest without roads or trails, a stand that contains some of the oldest and largest trees on the
Quimper Peninsula.
Inquiries into the status of the parcel revealed that the Department of Natural Resources plans to log
about 30 acres, including a very mature forest of Douglas -fir and western redcedar. (See DNR map
attached; 30 -acre "harvest" unit outlined in blue.) Recognizing the unique characteristics of this rare
remnant of rainshadow forest and the importance of conserving it as a valuable part of Jefferson
County's natural heritage, Steve has taken dozens of interested local people, including many with
considerable ecological expertise, to tour the forest and a wetland at the edge of the parcel that
provides important wildlife habitat, including a great blue heron rookery. The enthusiastic consensus of
all who have visited the "Quimper Lost Wilderness" is that it should be preserved in perpetuity for
future generations to benefit from its exceptional natural qualities. (A sample of visiting experts'
assessments follows.)
Communications from Brian Turner, DNR regional manager, and Mark Benner, district forest manager,
indicate that tree cutting on the parcel could begin as early as July 2020, following the agency's
groundwork surveys, the completion of a State Environmental Planning Assessment (SEPA), and
timber sale processes. Under Steve Grace's persistent efforts, DNR agreed to conduct a "legacy tree
survey" of the stand, which commenced in June. As of July 10, survey results have not been
published.
The current initiative to preserve this forest revolves around two possible options: 1) DNR designation
of an appropriately sized area as a Natural Resource Conservation Area (more about NRCAs here); or
2) a community forest. The immediate goal of QLW preservation advocates is to make the strongest
possible case for DNR to suspend all planning for timber harvest on the parcel until these options are
evaluated by state and local officials BEFORE ground surveys and other revenue -consuming work
begins.
Local media productions have focused on this exciting story, including two programs produced on
KPTZ: Steve Evans's "Compass" podcast for May 6 and an interview with Steve Grace on Nature Now
#401. Photos from the QLW are posted on Steve Grace's website Tides and Trails.
Background
The QLW forest is a living museum. Some of the trees in the stand were in all likelihood alive when
Captain Vancouver's expedition surveyed Discovery Bay in May of 1792 and Vancouver's surgeon and
botanist, Archibald Menzies, documented this region's natural history. Fire scars on the old Douglas -
firs (named after Archibald Menzies: Pseudotsuga menziessi) in the stand may have originated from
periodic fires set by Natives using the area, or from the settlement era (late 1800s to early 1900s)
when great swaths of the Quimper Peninsula were cleared and burned to make way for homesteading
and agriculture.
This remnant of old forest reminds us what the land was like before humans transformed it --a sliver of
the last remaining fraction of ancient, relatively pristine forest on the Quimper Peninsula. Its best use
is to serve as a living classroom for students young and old seeking knowledge about the natural
world, and a living library of information for scientists trying to understand how healthy forests function.
The stand is also a sort of living cathedral where people can find solace and inspiration. Cutting the
last of the old forests for timber is like dismantling cathedrals to make use of the bricks. The stand
could become a "living museum" park with walking paths accessible to people in the community.
There are many other, practical benefits to leaving this stand intact. It filters water, cleans air, prevents
erosion, produces oxygen, and serves as a fire buffer (because it has little groundcover than can burn,
unlike a clearcut with a lot of brush that serves as fuel). It also provides native plant and wildlife habitat
and prevents invasive plants and noxious weeds from becoming established.
In an effort to quantify the forest's unique characteristics and make a data -driven case for its
conservation, citizen scientists are using forestry tools to measure DBH (diameter at breast height) of
standout trees. DBH measurements and GPS coordinates have been collected on some 50 trees with
diameters of 30 inches or greater. Thus far, two titans of more than 50 inches diameter have been
identified, and only a small portion of the stand, perhaps 25 percent, has been surveyed.
Rainshadow Forest
Although tree diameters of 30 -plus inches may not at first glance seem to qualify as "old growth," the
entire Quimper Peninsula lies in a rainshadow vegetation belt, where average precipitation is below 20
inches annually, and glacially derived soils hamper vigorous growth. (See "Identifying Mature and Old
Forests")
Recent research reconstructs Pre -Settlement Forests around Puget Sound based on 14,000 pages of
field notes from Government Land Office surveys in 1874. The tree data extracted from these records
indicate that drought- and fire -tolerant Douglas -fir was the predominant tree species in rainshadow
forests. Estimates of pre -settlement stand ages suggest some trees in the QLW could exceed 250
years.
This paper also makes the case for revisiting the current official definition of "old-growth" forest --
crafted in the 1980s for the drafting of the Northwest Forest Plan, with its concern for endangered
spotted owl habitat. That "interim" definition states that "a forest stand would be considered old growth
if — on a per -acre basis — it contains: a) at least eight Douglas -fir specimens 32 inches or more in
diameter; and/or b) at least 12 redcedar or hemlock specimens at least 16 inches in diameter."
Rainshadow forests, with their poor soils and severely restricted rainfall cannot support the size and
density of trees found in richer conditions. Thus, old-growth rainshadow trees 200 or more years old
are likely to be more compact and widely spaced within the forest.
Joe Rocchio of the DNR Natural Heritage Program stated in an email communication that the stand
is listed in the DNR database as a "very rare forest association." Rocchio's predecessor, Chris
Chappell, assessed the site in 1994. Chappell determined that the stand, as classified under the U.S.
National Vegetation Classification, is an example of the Thuja plicata/Gaultheria shallon (Western
Red-cedar/Salal Forest). A description can be found here. This is considered a very rare forest
association, Rocchio noted, given that it occurs in a rainshadow setting and has been reduced in
extent, and its ecological integrity has been degraded from past logging activities, development, etc.
Fred Weinmann, a PhD botanist and former president of the Washington Native Plant Society,
remarked following a tour of the forest that the stand, regardless of the age of the trees, is "functioning
as old-growth forest at this point." Dr. Weinmann noted other qualities that suggest old-growth
characteristics: a lack of invasive plants, the considerable volume of nurse logs and other woody
debris on the ground, and the stand's structural complexity. He added that the trees are roughly
comparable in size and age to the trees in Old Fort Townsend State Park. Dr. Weinmann also noted
that there are only eight occurrences of evergreen huckleberry -rhododendron understory in
association with Western Redcedar, Douglas -fir and Western Hemlock in this region; the QLW has a
small occurence of this rare rainshadow plant association.
Lorna Smith, member of the Jefferson County Planning Commission and Executive Director of
Western Wildlife Outreach, and wildlife biologist Darrell Smith concluded after visiting the stand
that "the forest here appears [to be] at least 400 years old, with exceptional rodent, forest bat, avian
and herpetological habitat. Also, good wildfire protection! Stunning habitat area in a small package,
and crucially located to support and augment other old and ancient forest areas on our Quimper
Peninsula!"
Peter Bahls, Executive Director of the Northwest Watershed Institute, deemed the QLW "a great
candidate for protection" and suggested that a community forest might be established on the DNR
Trust Land parcel.
Erik Kingfisher, Stewardship Director for the Jefferson Land Trust, visited the stand on his own
behalf. (Note: JLT declined involvement at this time due to its full slate of priorities.) Mr. Kingfisher's
assessment: "Most of the stand appears to be of a late seral stage (it's probably been about 100 years
since the last disturbance), and among them are clearly some trees from the pre -European settlement
era, with the corky, thick bark that I associate with Douglas -firs that are at least over a couple hundred
years old. I also noticed that some of the upper branches on some of these legacy trees had relatively
thick branches that made me wonder about Marbled Murrelet nesting platform potential."
Potential Marbled Murrelet Habitat
Seasoned naturalists and bird experts who visited the stand were delighted by the sounds of many
bird species --warblers, finches, wrens, ravens and others. They also drew attention to the potential for
Marbled Murrelet habitat, particularly to a number of relatively thick branches high above the forest
floor in configurations that would support nest platforms. Erik Kingfisher, Fayette Krause of the
Olympic Forest Coalition, Monica Fletcher of the Admiralty Audubon Society, Ken Wilson, local natural
history and birding educator, and others have speculated on the suitability of the some of the trees as
MM habitat and their close proximity to Discovery Bay, where murrelets are often sighted in seabird
surveys on the water around Protection Island.
The Marbled Murrelet is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, and it is listed
as endangered by the state of Washington. The US Fish & Wildlife Service criteria for MM nesting
habitat specifies eight 7 -inch platforms 50 feet above the ground per acre. DNR reported conducting a
Marbled Murrelet survey during the 1990s --almost 30 years ago --when no evidence of occupied nests
was detected. Given the critical need of endangered murrelets for nesting habitat, a current evaluation
for evidence of murrelet habitation, using state-of-the-art survey methods, is imperative.
Jerry Gorsline, a regional historian who formerly worked with the Washington Environmental
Council and led a successful campaign for the designation of Devils Lake on Mount Walker as a state
Natural Resources Conservation Area, provided this context on the potential age of legacy trees in the
QLW: "Douglas Firs of similar dimensions have been cored and aged to approximately 300 years at
Beckett Point [less than a mile from QLW] by the late Ed Tisch, botanist and co-author with Nelsa
Buckingham of " Vascular Plants of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington: A Catalog. "Mr. Gorsline
cautioned, however, that tree diameter is not always closely correlated with age, and he emphasized
that the true age of the trees will not be known until core samples are taken and tree rings are
counted.
Climate Action Plan
It seems the height of irony to depend on forest logging of public trust lands for the education of
children whose future is imperiled by climate change. While our purpose is not to engage in a battle to
change that system, carbon sequestration is one of the many reasons to conserve this forest. Included
in the Climate Action Plan committed to by Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend, is a
section under Land Use Policies on Rural Resource Management section (see printed page 45) that
speaks to carbon sequestration:
"Rural Resource Management Maximizing Carbon Sequestration in Natural Resource Lands and
Open Space:
Much of Jefferson County's land is natural resource land, including forestry, agriculture, open
space, conservation land, and critical areas such as wetlands and wildlife habitat. Our large
land base, particularly that in forestry, provides a large amount of sequestration for carbon
emissions generated elsewhere. Jefferson County should maximize this "carbon sink" function
of our natural resource lands by supporting and encouraging management practices that retain
or improve storage. Jefferson County should work with the forestry and agricultural
communities to explore ways to turn net -carbon -emitting natural resource lands into carbon
sinks, without jeopardizing the profitable industry. Options to be explored include, but are not
limited to:
1. Explore economic incentives (e.g., Tax benefits or other subsidies) that may encourage
landowners to increase carbon storage on their land as well as decrease the conversion out of
farmland and forest use.
2. Fund demonstration projects and highlight best practices for forestry and agriculture.
4. Identify key areas with high carbon sequestration rates and consider protection measures
such as transfer of development rights, purchase of development rights/conservation
easements.
5. Assess the potential for increasing carbon sequestration on County -owned forest lands."
In a world where rapid change is occurring seemingly nonstop, the opportunity to preserve this rare
natural asset for present and future generations is unique. Advocates for preserving the Quimper Lost
Wilderness passionately believe it should not be ignored. Please join the efforts to save this treasure
by petitioning the DNR to to suspend all planning for timber harvest on the parcel until NRCA and
community forest options can be fully evaluated by state and local officials before ground surveys and
other revenue -consuming work begins.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Contacts for QLW:
Noreen Parks noreen.parks@gmail.com ; Steve Grace stevegrace5280@gmail.com
Quimper Lost Wilderness - Catalog of Trees - started May 5, 2019
Key: Tree - DF - Douglas Fir, WRC - Western Red Cedar; DBH - Diameter at breast height;
Circ - Calculated Circumference; Lat - latitude N; Lon - Longitude
Number
Tree
DBH (inches)
Circ (inches)
Lat 48°
Lon 122°
Comment
1
DF
35.5
111.7
4.7440N
52.0740W
2
DF
33.0
103.8
4.7740N
52.0780W
3
DF
36.5
114.8
4.7450N
52.0780W
4
DF
30.0
94.4
4.7510N
52.0830W
5
WRC
36.0
113.3
4.7480N
52.0830W
6
DF
38.0
119.5
4.7480N
52.0860W
7
WRC
39.5
124.3
4.7470N
52.0670W
Culturally modified tree
8
WRC
42.5
133.7
4.7490N
52.0770W
Culturally modified tree
9
DF
36.0
113.3
4.7490N
52.0770W
10
DF
48.5
152.6
4.7550N
52.0890W
Marbled Murrlet
platforms?
11
DF
35.0
110.0
4.7620N
52.0860W
12
DF
41.0
129.0
4.7650N
52.0960W
13
WRC
35.0
110.0
4.7650N
52.0940W
Culturally modified tree
14
DF
37.0
116.0
4.7650N
52.0940W
15
DF
35.0
110.0
4.7600N
52.1000W
16
DF
51.0
160.0
4.7710N
52.1000W
17
DF
52.0
164.6
4.7650N
52.1010W
Vancouver Tree + MM
Platforms?
18
DF
41.0
129.0
4.7660N
52.1040W
19
DF
35.5
111.7
4.7650N
52.1050W
20
DF
39.5
124.3
4.7590N
52.1100W
21
DF
33.0
103.8
4.7540N
52.1130W
22
DF
33.0
103.8
4.7640N
52.0980W
23
DF
36.0
113.3
4.7530N
52.0980W
24
DF
35.5
111.7
4.7510N
52.1020W
25
DF
130.5
196.0
14.744ON
152.104OW
26
1 DF
130.0
194.4
14.744ON
152.104OW