HomeMy WebLinkAbout022723 T3 Watershed Experiment - 2022 Update________________________________
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Greetings,
We are reaching out to share progress on the T3 Watershed Experiment (formally known as “Large Scale Integrated Management Experiment”). This collaborative project aims to inform state
and other land managers how alternative forest management practices compare to the current ones in providing environmental, economic, and social benefits. The management experiment
takes place in the Olympic Experimental State Forest <https://www.dnr.wa.gov/oesf> (OESF) on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
Project Overview
A team led by Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and University of Washington’s Olympic Natural Resources Center (ONRC) developed a landscape-scale forest experiment in
2018 to identify and compare forest management strategies that take into consideration the balance of ecological, social, and economic benefits. They were later joined by researchers
from University of Washington, NOAA Fisheries, Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Oregon State University, Washington State University, University of California San
Diego, and Omfishient Consulting.
The study takes place on 20,000 acres of forested state trust lands across 16 watersheds in the OESF on the western side of the Olympic Peninsula, mainly in the Clearwater River and
Hoh River drainages in Jefferson County. Selected watersheds are between 500-2000 acres, drain in a fish-bearing (Type-3, aka T3, stream) and are managed primarily by DNR. The treatments
are implemented as part of DNR’s Olympic Region timber sale and silvculture programs on about 13% of each of the 12 treated watersheds. Four watersheds are no-entry controls.
Using a randomized block design, current DNR management practices (Variable Retention Harvest, Variable Density Thinning, and default riparian buffers) are contrasted with several novel
upland and riparian treatments (management prescriptions). New treatments include, for instance, small gaps and thinning to increase riparian forest diversity and improve salmon habitat,
alder-cedar polyculture to increase cultural and economic benefits, and regeneration practices to create complex early-seral habitat. The novel treatments were developed by incorporating
input from far-ranging discussions with stakeholders, managers, and scientists in 2017-2021. The experiment is implemented at operational scale and tracks ecological, economic and social
outcomes. If proven useful, the new prescriptions may expand the forest management toolbox of DNR and other land managers.
The pre-treatment conditions have been monitored since 2020. The post-treatment responses will be monitored at multiple scales, including forest stands, stream reaches, sub-catchments,
and entire watersheds. The results of monitoring, modeling and trade-off analyses will inform future land management decisions. Furthermore, DNR and ONRC are committed to ongoing partnerships
with local communities, tribes, regional stakeholders, and research partners. Our stakeholder engagement strategy, called Learning-based Collaboration, includes several Learning Groups
that facilitate deeper engagement on sustainable forest management topics such as invasive species, cedar browse, carbon, and management history.
Recognizing the value of this research to local communities and statewide priorities, the Washington State Legislature has committed funding to this project since 2019. Multiple grants
and in-kind support from the participating organizations also help to fund this research.
You can read more about the T3 Watershed Experiment on the ONRC website <https://www.onrc.washington.edu/t3-watershed-experiment/> .
Project Updates
In 2022, we made significant progress in 5 areas:
1. The Upland Study Plan has been completed, with facilitation of the peer-review process by Dr. Tom DeLuca, Dean of Forestry at Oregon State University. The Upland Study Plan is published
on both the DNR <https://www.dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/forest-resources/olympic-experimental-state-forest/research-projectshttps:/www.dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/forest-resources/olympic
-experimental-state-forest/research-projects> and ONRC <https://www.onrc.washington.edu/t3-watershed-experiment/> websites, along with the Riparian Study Plan and an Overview Plan
that ties all of the study elements into the broader context of ecosystem sustainability.
2. We completed a third year of pre-harvest monitoring in aquatic, riparian, and upland study areas. Aquatic and riparian indicators include, but are not limited to, stream habitat,
water quality, macroinvertebrates, and fish. Upland indicators include, but are not limited to, soils, forest structure, habitat surveys, and acoustic monitoring of indicator songbird
species. State-of-the-art drone LiDAR flights were completed in 2021 and 2022 on both upland and riparian areas. Data from those flights are now being analyzed. A pilot project on harvest
productivity started in 2022.
3. The experimental treatments are implemented through 13 timber sales managed by the DNR Coast District Timber Sale Program. As of February 2023, 7 timber sales have been purchased.
The remaining 6 timber sales will be offered for auction between March and June, 2023. Harvest operations started in one timber sale.
4. Two major modeling efforts are underway. An aquatic trophic productivity model will simulate short- and long-term stream food web responses to each riparian treatment. A forest growth
& yield model will project stands’ development after treatments which will later be used to calculate associated net present value at the end of rotations.
5. Eight Learning Groups (LGs) were established in June 2022.
* The Cedar-Browse LG has developed a comprehensive sub-study plan <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VgpMXhItXAbO7B-7FnNJls6BOaqTJUdY/view?usp=sharing> to find methods of preventing
over-browsing of cedar seedlings by ungulate species.
* The History LG is collating and mapping data from a variety of sources about conditions and events in the T3 watersheds and surrounding areas from the 1950s onward. Combined with
pre-monitoring efforts, this information will help inform future analyses.
* The Invasive Species LG is exploring ways to monitor Scotch Broom within the OESF through remote sensing techniques.
What’s Next?
* The results from the aquatic trophic productivity model and the forest growth & yield model are expected by July 2023.
* Pre-harvest monitoring continues in 2023. The timber harvesting takes place within 2-year timeframe following each timber sale, allowing an additional window for pre-harvest monitoring
of some sites.
* Silviculture planning for the novel regeneration prescriptions has started and will be major focus in 2023.
* The analysis of drone LiDAR and other monitoring data continues. We hope to share exciting results at the upcoming OESF Science Conference in spring 2023.
* We are well underway with establishment of robust data management systems to ensure long-term sustainability of the project.
Contact
For questions, to be added to our future updates list, or to join one or more Learning Groups, please reach out to the T3Team@uw.edu or directly to the project leads: Dr. Bernard Bormann
and Dr. Teodora Minkova.
Thank you for your interest,
Bernard Bormann
Professor of Forest Ecosystems and Director Olympic Natural Resources Center
School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment
University of Washington
bormann@uw.edu
Teodora Minkova
Research and Monitoring Manager for Olympic Experimental State Forest
Forest Resources Division
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
teodora.minkova@dnr.wa.gov
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