PUBLIC LANDS -- The Clearwater Basin Collaborative, a working group of various interests, from recreation and conservation to the timber industry, has issued a report listing its accomplishments in working out management issues for the Clearwater-Nez Perce National Forests.

Even though some will say they come up short, the accomplishments are much more impressive than management gridlock.

Following is my summary of the summary just posted by the Collaborative's office:

Title IV of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 established the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program.  The legislation provided funding authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to request up to $40 million annually from fiscal years 2009-2019 to implement major ecological restoration treatments on national forest system lands. 

The legislation required proposals be developed collaboratively.

The Clearwater Basin Collaborative, formally convened by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo in 2008, is a group of individuals with diverse interests who work primarily with the Forest Service to develop solutions to complex natural resource issues in north-central Idaho. 

The Nez Perce and Clearwater Forests recognized the opportunity for a new approach to land management.  Partnerships were formed to pen a proposal to restore conditions within the 1.4-million-acre Selway-Middle Fork ecosystem.  The proposal was comprehensive and unique because it included a landscape that swept across areas of intensive management into the vast, wild Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

The Selway-Middle Fork project was one of 10 selected nationally and, from fiscal years 2010-2014, has received more than $16 million to implement restoration activities.  Matching contributions of nearly $13.2 million have been generated in the form of money, products and in-kind services over the same period.

The money was a windfall essential to accomplishing mission-critical work in an era of shrinking agency budgets. 

“Motorized enthusiasts, hikers, anglers, hunters, private landowners, youth and woods workers have all benefited from restoration activities associated with this program,” said Joe Hudson, Moose Creek District ranger.

Highlights include:

• 17,000 acres of weeds have been treated using a variety of methods from 2010 through 2014.  Many of these treatments occurred at trailheads or along trails that access the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
• Watershed improvements include more than 63 miles of stream improvements, the replacement of 15 culverts that were undersized and/or prevented fish passage, and decommissioning of more than 66 miles of unneeded roads. The work was done in partnership with the Nez Perce Tribe
• 47 miles of roads have been improved and 729 miles maintained, helping to reduce sediment getting to area streams. 
• 3,500 miles of trail have been maintained and improved since 2010. Much of the work also reduces sediment moving into streams.
• Timber thinning to reduce national forest fuels that would sustain wildfire have helped protect private landowners, particularly near Lowell and Syringa. More than 65,000 acres have been treated, reducing the likelihood of intense wildfires within treatment areas.
• Vegetative restoration treatments contributed to commercial forest products beneficial to local communities.  So far, more than 48 MMBF (million board feet) of commercial timber have been sold within the CFLR area, and more than 16.5 MMBF harvested.  Smaller diameter materials and biomass have been removed whenever possible and used by a number of local businesses to produce commercial products such as posts, pellets and paper products.
• People benefited directly from the programs, including the Clearwater Basin Youth Conservation Corps, providing employment and natural resource on-the-job training for six young people in 2013 and another 20 in 2014.  Plans are underway to continue and possibly expand the program in 2015.
• Jobs created by the programs peaked in 2013 with more than 70 local jobs created or maintained related to commercial forest product activities.  Another 80 jobs were created or maintained in association with other restoration activities.  These numbers are expected to increase as larger-scale vegetative restoration activities are approved.

A 60-person monitoring advisory group comprised of citizens, academia, interest groups, agencies and the Nez Perce Tribe is keeping an eye on the programs.

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