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
These are located on SW slopes, exposed ridges, and are the driest places in our landscapes

6. Allegheny Highlands Ecological Components
Oak dominated dry forests
Going down the slopes, these forest are what we refer to as our “matrix forests”, the vast majority of our landscape

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, 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,
First cooperative Rx fire (1100 acres) 2008 on TNC property includes many partners. (ultimately Rx burned >3000 acres in 2008), ~ 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

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

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

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

17. 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.

18. 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)

19. 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

20. The Nature Conservancy in VA
Discussion, Questions?
Sam Lindblom
The Nature Conservancy in VA