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Ecosystem Restoration Partnerships Allegheny Highlands of Virginia

Ecosystem Restoration Partnerships Allegheny Highlands of Virginia. Sam Lindblom Land Management Director Fire Program Manager. Goals of the talk. Overview of the Allegheny Highlands The partnership mandate Partnership milestones and mechanics Benefits/accomplishments Challenges

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Ecosystem Restoration Partnerships Allegheny Highlands of Virginia

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  1. Ecosystem Restoration Partnerships Allegheny Highlands of Virginia Sam Lindblom Land Management Director Fire Program Manager

  2. Goals of the talk • Overview of the Allegheny Highlands • The partnership mandate • Partnership milestones and mechanics • Benefits/accomplishments • Challenges • Suggestions for building a good partnership • Issues of scale • Discussion/Questions

  3. Allegheny Highlands, VA Overview • Where?

  4. Allegheny Highlands, VA Overview • George Washington, Jefferson, Monongahela National Forests • VA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation • VA Dept. of Forestry • VA Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries • The Nature Conservancy • National Weather Service • Fish and Wildlife Service • National Park Service

  5. Allegheny Highlands Ecological Components • Dry pine-oak ridges

  6. Allegheny Highlands Ecological Components • Oak dominated dry forests

  7. Theories and Questions • What we know (or believe) • Fire has been a part of this landscape for thousands of years • Our forest are altered • Most species in the Central Appalachians are well adapted to fire; many are dependent • Our pine and oak communities are declining

  8. The Partnership need • Big vision from a handful of partners • Limited resources • Land ownership patterns demand cooperation • The recognition that no one organization could shift the tide alone

  9. Partnership Milestones • TNC acquires a critical tract that includes some of the most fire dependent habitat in the landscape, 2002 • TNC adopts NWCG standards for fire management, 2003-4 and utilizes IQCS for tracking • FS R8 / TNC-SE fire MOU signed 2005 • TNC-VA and GW-Jeff NF began fire discussions in 2005 • FLN used as a planning/organizing tool 2006-current

  10. Partnership Milestones • Cost-share agreement signed, 2007 • USFS leads landscape level planning and NEPA work-cooperatively completed on core 23,000 acres, 2007-8 • First cooperative Rx fire (1100 acres) 2008 on TNC property includes many partners. (ultimately Rx burned >3000 acres in 2008), ~7-8000 to date. • GW-Jeff NF adopts standard monitoring protocol for all burns on the forest (2008) • Planning, implementation and monitoring continues

  11. Partnership Mechanics • TNC / FS Region 8 MOU facilitates cooperation on fires • TNC / USFWS MOU • TNC / VA DCR MOU • Interagency agreements in place • Cost-share agreement provides funding (funds for cost-share have come from R8, primarily) • FLN provides framework, momentum, and accountability

  12. Benefits and accomplishments Ecology and planning • Monitoring • Fire history research • Mapping • Forest plan revision • Fire prioritization model

  13. Benefits and accomplishments Operations • Fire ops and aviation • Cost sharing • Other land management

  14. Benefits and accomplishments Other • Outreach to other NGO’s • Consolidated voice • Intangible benefits • Regional and national attention to our project

  15. Partnership Challenges • Eating your vegetables (Doing things you might not do otherwise) • Meetings and coordination • Commitment • Resolving differences without alienating partners

  16. Dr. Phil • A suite of strategies: boots>science>policy • Develop “champions” within the organizations • Commit resources (including money) • Be willing to compromise • Be up front about your abilities and your limitations • Understand your partner’s priorities if they’re different than yours (but don’t shy from trying to influence them) • Show up and work (even when you don’t really want to) • Be Nice. Always.

  17. The Scale Problem and Potential Strategies • Partners • “The Border Project”, includes additional partners, Region 9 • Funding and capacity are and will be our biggest challenge • Restoration at scale • Currently planning the largest (season long event) Rx Fire in VA history (~6000 acres) • Using TNC/FS 23,000 acres as a demonstration landscape (close to DC, state parks, high public visibility)

  18. The Scale Problem and Potential Strategies • Changing a culture • Lots of outreach, “fire is good for our Appalachian forests” • Fire in VA is not often like fire “out West” • Managing all ignitions instead of fighting them all • Monitoring change and communicating that change

  19. Discussion, Questions? Sam Lindblom The Nature Conservancy in VA 434-950-0580 slindblom@tnc.org

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