MB&G & ODF1 Using FVS to Develop and Test Structure Based Management Pam Overhulser, ODF Mark Rasmussen, MB&G 2/14/07 FVS Conference

MB&G & ODF2 Outline What is the planning problem? How does FVS fit into the planning system? How was FVS used? Improvements

MB&G & ODF3 ODF planning area 632,000 acres –High site –Fire history –Ownership history ODF structure –Seven districts –Foresters and managers, long tenure in place

MB&G & ODF4 ODF Forest Plan Summary Structure Based Management –accelerate growth of large diameter trees; –develop multi-storied canopy –produce commercial crops of timber –shifting mosaic of complex structure -- no set asides Habitat Conservation Plan Targets/Outputs –50% complex structure target –Maximize even-flow timber volume

MB&G & ODF5 Complex planning questions Strategic –Structure v. revenue v. set asides –Agree to HCP? Tactical –What to do about SNC? –SBM silvicultural methods –Set harvest levels Operational –Adjacency constraints –Road systems –Owl clusters –Location of complex forests

MB&G & ODF6 Analytical process

MB&G & ODF7 H&H Model Grow Stands Schedule harvest unitsOperationally feasible solution

MB&G & ODF8 Planning project stats Districts/models: 7 Acres: 632,070 Stands: 6,673 Harvest units: 14,306 Polygons: 313,283 Yield tables: 79,600 Coefficients: 108,564,472 Budget: $2 million Time: 36 months

MB&G & ODF9 Why FVS? Evaluated 4 mature stand models, and 3 young stand models –Data source –Support and documentation –Silviculture –Model behavior –Flexibility Growth models evaluated four times – south coast, northwestern districts, western cascades, southern Oregon

MB&G & ODF10 Using FVS 1.Calibrate FVS 2.Choose taper system, merch specs 3.Define structure classes 4.Develop SBM cutting algorithms 5.Develop SBM regimes 6.Build, evaluate, report yields

MB&G & ODF11 Using FVS: Calibrate FVS

MB&G & ODF12 Using FVS: Volume calculations 1.PN, WC. SORNEC 2.Flewelling taper equations 3.Track volume and value by species by product/size/grade 4.Merch specs District Astoria Elliott Log Length 4032 Minimum Top DIB 5 5 Trim Allowance Stump Height 1 1 Minimum Log Length Minimum DBH 8 8 Defect by age

MB&G & ODF13 Using FVS: Define structure classes

MB&G & ODF14 Using FVS: Develop thinning specs ODF financing, Auto Mark thinning contracts, 10 years of sales

MB&G & ODF15 Using FVS: Define a set of regimes

MB&G & ODF16 Using FVS: Make and evaluate yields YTG Tools

MB&G & ODF17

MB&G & ODF18 Planning results

MB&G & ODF19 Improvements for next time FVS –Thinning: clumpy v. uniform –Growth: genetic gain –Silviculture: Young stand and small tree growth ODF –Decay Model: Track snag and down wood components –Reprod SBM –Structure definition: thresholds v. similarity coefficient Inventory –Yield projections: stand v. strata