Critical Loads Meeting, Critical Loads Meeting, Riverside, February 15-Riverside, February 15-

18, 200518, 2005

Jim SedellDirector

USDA Forest ServicePacific Southwest Research Station

Albany,California

PSW Laboratory PSW Laboratory LocationsLocations

11

22

3344

55

66

7788

1. Arcata2. Redding3. Placerville4. Davis5. Albany6. Fresno7. Riverside8. Honolulu9. Hilo

99

National Research Council (NRC) Report “Air Quality Management in the United

States” (2004)

Need for tighter air pollution controls and monitoring in the US to protect sensitive ecosystems.Need for an enhanced research on air pollution impacts on ecosystems.Concentration standards are inappropriate for some resources at risk from air pollution (ozone, N & S deposition). Deposition-based standards for N & S are more appropriate. “Critical Loads” are suggested as a tool for evaluating ecological effects of N & deposition.

Europeans and Canadians have recently greatly improved CL

methodologies

The CL approach has been used in Europe since late 1980s by the UN Economic Commission for Europe International Cooperative ProgramsThe CL approach has allowed for developing risk probability maps for forests and other ecosystems for entire Europe. A similar approach, at a smaller scale, has been used in SE Canada and New England.

Need for developing national ozone secondary standard

The NRC Report recommends development of a secondary standard for ozone. A concept of an effective flux of ozone on vegetations is being developed in Europe.US researchers, including the FS scientists have participated in these efforts. Presence of the US scientists and managers in these activities and staying abreast with state-of-science on ozone phytotoxicity evaluation is essential for any future standard-setting activities of the EPA. These, of course, may have important effects on how the federal resources are managed and protected in the future.

Meeting Objectives

(1) Evaluation of work at the FS demonstration sites where methodologies of the ICP Forest and ICP Modeling and Mapping for CL are tested. (2) Consolidation of collaboration between FS R&D and NFS on development and implementation of the CL approach on US Forest Service lands. (3) Development of close collaboration between FS and US EPA, as well as other land-management agencies, in testing, developing and implementing CL or similar methodologies for better assessment of N & S deposition and ozone on forest and other ecosystems (according to the NRC recommendations).

Tradition of the Mission Inn Critical Loads

meetings continues

This is 3rd CL meeting hosted by the Riverside Fire Lab at Mission Inn in last 2 years. These meetings have had a national impact on our program direction for both Atmospheric Sciences and Watershed Sciences. Recently we have been developing, along with our sister federal agencies, a Performance Accountability System (PAS) in response to OMB requirements for accomplishment reporting. For our R&D PAS Critical Loads have been identified as one of core budget activities nationwide.

I wish you a very successful meeting!!!