2012 New York/New England Forestry Initiative Proposal

Proposal Location and Goals:

The State Foresters see three important and related goals for the NE/NY Forestry Initiative:Goal #1 - Strengthen Markets for Forest Products – Retain and strengthen the forest products industry in the region so that it employs people and produces at pre-recession levels; Goal #2 - Improve Forest Stewardship – Implementing sustainable forestry on half the family forest ownerships in the region; andGoal #3 - Minimize Forest Fragmentation, Parcelization, and Conversion – Permanently conserve an additional 15 million acres of forest land in the region (reaching the goal of conserving half the forest land in the region);

Above: Although the Initiative is available to Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowner several focal areas with ranking priority are identified.

- Quabbin to Cardigan – a three-pronged strategy of core-area land conservation, forest stewardship practices and forest industry assistance on a 2 million acre landscape of working forests, water supplies and unfragmented forests spanning western New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts.

- The Berkshire/Taconic’s – A 230,000 acre area containing an inordinate number of rare species threatened by development and climate change. Efforts here to focus on restoring ecosystem functions through on-the-ground stewardship and preservation of large unfragmented forest blocks.

- Southern New England Heritage Forest – A 1.4 million acre area that will receive focused land-use planning assistance with a variety of land conservation tools preserving the working heritage of the last remaining rural landscape in Southern New England.

- Green Mountain/Berkshire – a programmatic working forest stewardship approach over the unfragmented forest of southern Vermont and Western Massachusetts.

- Keeping Maine’s Forests – four priority landscapes now under consideration, ranging in size from 500,000 to 2 million acres that will be targeted for a collaborative effort involving federal and states agencies as well as private interests to keep these forests as forests.

- Vermont Conservation Easement Stewardship Project – development of a model conservation easement stewardship program for the working forests of Vermont and the region.

- Several region-wide programmatic efforts will aim to strengthen the forest products industry, monitor and increase stewardship on private forest lands, and ensure a strong, continuing, and university-based research and evaluation element to measure progress toward the goals and assure that we learn “what works.”.

NRCS Point of Contact's Name from Each State Represented in the Initiative:

Name: Rick Ellsmore Position Title: State ConservationistOffice Location: Durham, NH

Phone: 603-868-7581 Email: richard.ellsmore@nh.usda.gov

Executive Summary:

I. Introduction Once reduced to just 20-30% of the landscape in large portions of the NE/NY region, forests now occupy some 80% of the land base. This astonishing recovery, and the fact that the region is a leader in sustainable management, offer a compelling opportunity to secure the economic benefits and forest values that the region’s people cherish and steward for future generations.In 2008, the North East State Foresters Association1 (NEFA) launched an effort to identify methods to maintain the region's forested landscape, increase the quality of stewardship of these lands, and strengthen the rural economy of the region. The project became known as the Northern Forest Keeping Forests as Forests initiative (NF KFAF) and included New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. NEFA invited representatives of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US Forest Service to participate in this effort. At the same time, the New England Governors' Conference (NEGC) independently established a Blue Ribbon Commission on Land Conservation (CLC). As a result of these combined efforts, in September 2009 the New England Governors’ Conference called upon the region’s State Foresters to develop, "…a New England Forest Initiative to Keep Forests as Forests that will constitute a new blueprint to protect the region's forest land-base and ensure the sustainability of these lands, as a public policy appropriate to all New England; and identify barriers to and opportunities for sustaining forestlands that are in private ownership and expanding forest products production and consumption." With this charge, the NF KFAF initiative expanded to include the southern New England States. The seven State Foresters have defined the mission of the New England/New York Forest Initiative: to establish a regional model/demonstration program to strengthen markets for forest products, improve forest stewardship, and conserve the region's forest landscape for future generations. The mission will be pursued within the following guiding principles:

Spur job creation and maintenance by improving the forest based economy;

Build a landscape-scale effort that emphasizes connectivity to Keep Forests as Forests;

Foster collaboration and partnerships across borders and sectors;

1

Encourage significant contributions from the private and philanthropic sectors; and

Generate significant contributions to expanding renewable energy resources.

II. Background A Treasured Resource:New England and New York's forests define the character of the region, are integral to its economy, and sustain many of its communities - from the expansive timber ownerships of the Northern Forest to the back-forty woodlots of the south. These forests have proven resilient through time, having recovered from land clearing and harvesting of centuries past, undertaken without regard for future crops of timber. Today, these forests cover some 52 million acres in seven states that:

Represent the largest intact temperate broadleaf forest in the nation, and one of the largest in the world, including almost 19 million acres in large contiguous blocks;

Form the backbone of many if not most of our rural economies, providing a sustainable source of forest products including building supplies, firewood, furniture, toys and paper; creating jobs in the woods and mills and serving as an economic engine of the region’s economies; and contributing over $20 billion annually and sustaining over 100,000 jobs;

Host a wondrous diversity of plant and animal life and the source of clean water for our rivers, lakes, aquifers and reservoirs;

Safeguard public and private drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater, for millions of residents often acting as the primary barrier against pollutants and pathogens;

Provide an important source of renewable energy that will reduce dependence on fossil fuels and enhance national security;

Provide, through trees in towns and villages, ecosystem services including: storm water filtration, air cleansing, and energy efficiency through moderation of temperature, as well as scenic beauty;

Offer outdoor adventures unsurpassed elsewhere in the eastern United States and supporting an emerging forest-based recreation and tourism economy that is already valued at more than $5 billion and is poised to grow as more visitors seek out unique eco-tourism experiences; and

Store great quantities of carbon and sequester approximately 10% of the region’s annual greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Unpredictable Future Joined with Unusual Opportunity:

These extraordinary values in a region so densely populated represent a tremendous opportunity to have the best of both worlds: a vital built environment that includes large metropolitan areas as well as quaint historic villages, while securing for present and future generations the economic benefits and natural values the region’s forests and their stewardship provide.

At the same time, the future of the region’s forests has become uncertain and subject to a host of new pressures. Proposals to subdivide, develop, and convert forest tracts are greatest in the south, but present throughout the region. With some 80% of the region's forests privately owned, decisions by forest landowners will largely determine whether New England and New York's forest landscape, the jobs that depend on it ,and the multitude of public values it provides will remain for future generations. Recent trends in the region’s demography, land use and ownership, and climate change create strong doubt that these values will persist:

Over the past two decades, fully two-thirds of the Northern Forest area has been sold at least once. From 1997-2003 nearly 400,000 acres of forest land have been converted to development uses in New England and New York. In Connecticut, from 1985-2006 over 5,500 acres of forest per year has been converted to developed use – nearly a 6% loss. In Massachusetts, from 1999-2005, nearly 10,000 acres of forest per year was converted for development.

Since 1993, the average size of forest ownerships dropped across the region, as forested tracts have been subdivided and sold. A 2006 US Forest Service survey of forest landowners showed that 86,000 landowners in New England/New York owning 2.77 million acres plan to sell some or all of their lands within five years. Some 35,000 landowners owning 869,000 acres of forest land indicated they plan to subdivide their forest lands over the same period.

Intergenerational transfers of forest land will occur at an unprecedented rate as over one-third of forest owners, who own 44% of forestland in the US, are 65 years old or older;

In many parts of the region, there is a wide and growing gap between the timber value of forest land and its value for development. Increasingly, timber management returns cannot justify current prices for forested acreage even in parts of areas where timber has, and continues to be, the primary use.

Forest products-based infrastructure and communities are facing an unprecedented challenge from volatile markets for home-grown timber, high energy costs, foreign competition, high domestic production costs, and mill closings with associated job losses.

Uncertainty regarding the stability of property tax policy for forest land, which greatly discourages private forest owners from maintaining their forests as forests.

Expanding responsibilities to monitor and manage conservation easements in the public and private sectors without adequate resources.

Finally, climate change itself creates great uncertainty about future forest conditions.

Coupled with these uncertainties, tremendous opportunity exists to maintain the exceptional economic and environmental values and traditional uses of the region's forests. The forest land base is largely intact in many parts of the region, with more forested acreage today than a century ago. Despite a difficult business climate, traditional forest products industries including paper mills and sawmills remain integral to our local economies and provide thousands of high-paying jobs. Newer uses of the forest as a renewable energy resource can create economic opportunities and new jobs. The boom in ecotourism combined with the proximity of the region's forests to major cities offers attractive prospects for businesses providing forest-based recreation.Today, these opportunities coincide with the federal Administration’s powerful and timely interest in an “All Lands” policy for management of the nation’s forest resources (US Dept. of Agriculture), for strengthening the nation’s “Treasured Landscapes,” (US Dept. of Interior) and for developing the nation’s renewable energy resources (US Dept. of Energy).

Resource Inventories:Enter total acres within the initiative area, and attach supporting map(s) if they exist.

Total Initiative Acres:__52 Million Then enter by land use, acres of that land use and the percent of that land use to the total acres.Please use official NRCS land use types found in the National Planning Procedures Handbook.

Table 1. Land use in the proposed initiative project area.

NRCS Land Use

Acres Percent of total acres in the initiative

areaPrivate Land

Public Land

Tribal Land

Forestland  >40 million acres (estimated)

    80% (estimated)

* Insert additional resource inventories under this section as needed to support the proposal.

SECTION 2 – Resource Concerns in the Initiative Area

Table 2. Resource concerns and conservation treatments

Resource Concern Total Acres Needing Treatment

Total Acres To Be Treated

FA Dollars Needed to Achieve

Proposed Treatment

Plant Condition- Productivity, health and vigor (crop tree release)

10,000,000 10,000 $1,000,000

Condition Productivity:Reproduction and Sustainability (forest regeneration)

5,000,000 10,000 $1,000,000

Plant Condition – Noxious and Invasive Plants

5,000,000 10,000 $1,000,000

Fish and Wildlife Inadequate Cover/Shelter

500,000 5,000 $500,000

Concentrated Flow:Ephemeral and Classic Gully Erosion (forest trail repair)

100,000 1000 $1,000,000

Aquatic Wildilfe: Inadaquate space and habitat fragmentation

10,000 1000 $750,000

SECTION 3 – Ongoing Conservation Activities

Table 3. Most utilized conservation practices in the proposed area over the past ten years.

Conservation Practices Most Utilized in Ranked Order by Amount

Rank Estimated Amount Installed in the Past

Ten YearsForest Trails and Landings 1Timber Stand Improvement 2Early Successional Habitat Development 3Brush Management 4

Fish Passage 5Access Road 6Critical Area Planting 7Upland Wildlife Habitat Management 8Tree and Shrub Planting 9Conservation Cover 10

SECTION 4 – Core and Supporting Conservation Practices and Extent Needed.

Table 4a. Core Conservation Practices.

Conservation Practice Practice Code

Unit Extent Principal Purpose

Brush Management 314 Ac Invasives/Understory Removal

Early Successional Habitat Management

647 Ac Wildlife Habitat

Fish Passage 396 Ea Culvert ReplacementForest Stand Improvement

666 Ac Crop Tree Release, Forest Regeneration

Forest Trails and Landings

655 Ac Erosion Control, Forest Access

Herbaceous Weed Control

315 Ac Invasive Control

Restoration of Rare & Declining Habitats

643 Ac Chainsaw Clearing for Successional Habitats

Riparian Forest Buffer 391 Ac Stream bank protection

Tree/Shrub Est. 612 Ac Restoration, Wildlife Habitat

Table 4b. Supporting Conservation Practices.

Conservation Practice Practice Code

Unit Extent Principal Purpose

Access Control 472 Ea Deter TrespassersAccess Road 560 Ac Logging

Trucks/Heavy Equip. Access

Conservation Cover 327 Ac Erosion Control, Wildlife Habitat

Critical Area Planting 342 Ac Seeding Forest TrailsLined Waterway 468 Ft Stabilize Forest Trails

Stream Crossing 578 Ea Water QualityStream Habitat Improvement & Management

395 Ft Wood Additions for Trout & Water Quality

Tree Pruning 660 Ac Apple Trees, Veneer Management

Site Preparation 490 Ac Forest Regeneration, Facilitate Plantings

Upland Wildlife Habitat Management

645 Ac Wildlife Structures, Grassland Openings

Wetland Enhancement 659 Ac Wetland PlantingsWetland Restoration 657 Ac Earth Moving

SECTION 5 - Resources Requested and Other Contributions

Fill in Table 5 with the appropriate information. Include the total financial assistance dollars required annually by program to treat the resource concerns from Table 2, then include any other funds required to accomplish full Resource Management System treatment within the proposed area. Break this total down into desired program funds, participant contributions, and other funding sources. Provide both a state-by-state breakdown and a total of funding needs and sources in the Appendix.

Table 5. Total FA requested for the proposed project by program.

Proposed Funding Source

Year 12011

Year 22012

Year 32013

Year 42014

Year 52015

FundTotal

(All Years)EQIP WHIPTotal

SECTION 6 – Conservation Outcomes Expected:

Anticipated Short and Long Term Conservation Outcomes/Deliverables:

Short Term Deliverables: (1- 10 years)

Highly visible success stories which continue to encourage forest management and conservation in focal areas throughout New England and New York.

Increased job opportunities for the underemployed forestry sector

Water quality improvements from reduced sedimentation to surface waters Improved wildlife habitat for 59 species of “greatest conservation need” in New England Additional access to forests for management with secondary benefits to hunting and

recreation Control of invasive plants and undesirable vegetation which hampers forest regeneration

and vigor. Restoration of High Graded forests and improved regeneration of desirable species

Long Term Deliverables (10-100 years)

Increase in high quality timber exports Improved biodiversity, Younger generations find jobs in rural economies and develop future forest infrastructure Transfer of ownership of more than 50% of the forest landscape with reluctance to

subdivide due to improved economic outlook on forest resources Renewed interest in managing and conserving forest resources Improved economic gains to regions due to improved hunting and recreation activities Long Term Management Solutions for Landowners

Evaluating Results:

Success Stories with before and after pictures and short write-ups to describe conservation benefits.

Various University Studies and Conservation Innovation Grants refine conservation prescriptions

NRCS, TSP, and Partners, revisit sites for follow up planning and check on installations

Public outreach events and listening sessions with customers and professionals to understand problems and successes

SECTION 7 – Participant Information for Civil Rights and Outreach

Identify the demographic make-up of those customers in the area with the identified resource problems. Then enter the expected participation of each of the groups. NOTE: This participation

should be sufficient to achieve the goals and treatment identified in other sections of the proposal. (Use Ag Census or other recognized sources of reliable data)

Table 7.

By Race and Ethnic GroupPotential Participants Expected Participants

Male Female Total Male Female TotalBlack (not Hispanic origin) 100 100White (not Hispanic origin) 1000 1000Asian/ Pacific Islander(not of Hispanic origin)

100 100

American Indian/Alaska Native(not of Hispanic origin)

5 5

Other (not of Hispanic origin)Hispanic origin and any race 100 100

Totals 1305 1305

Source: US Bureau of Census 2010

Table 8.

Cultural Indicators for Initiative Area

Numeric Value

Ave. Farm Size in Acres 250 acresTotal number of FarmsNumber of Limited Resource Farmers and Ranchers

20%

Number of Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

20%

% Leased Land Hardly any forest land is leased in New England and NY% Owned Land >40 million acresPer Capita Income of Farmers and Ranchers

$50,000 (median income)

Number of Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers

20%

Estimated % Unemployment above the National Average

SECTION 8 – Documentation of Initiative Input Processes

In 2008, the North East State Foresters Association2 (NEFA) launched an effort to identify methods to maintain the region's forested landscape, increase the quality of stewardship of these lands, and strengthen the rural economy of the region. The project became known as the Northern Forest Keeping Forests as Forests initiative (NF KFAF) and included New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. NEFA invited representatives of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US Forest Service to participate in this effort. At the same time, the New England Governors' Conference (NEGC) independently established a Blue Ribbon Commission on Land Conservation (CLC).

2 NEFA is comprised of the State Foresters of ME, NH, VT, and NY and a member from the US Forest Service, State and Private Forestry.