Land Managers

Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark with the poster representing Washington State 5th graders in the national Arbor Day poster contest this year. photo: Brandon Lee/DNR

Today, Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark joined a panel of judges to critique the Washington State Arbor Day Poster Contest, in which fifth-graders from across the state participated.

Yvonne Sun from Clyde Hill Elementary (Bellevue School District) is the state contest winner. Her poster will compete with entries from 49 other states for the national poster title. The national winning poster will be announced later this spring during special ceremonies at the National Arbor Day Foundation in Lincoln, Nebraska.

This year’s poster contest theme, “Trees are Terrific… and Energy Wise,” challenged the students to look at what trees do for us in our communities, such as provide food for people and wildlife, absorb excess water on stormy days, and lessen erosion that can cause landslides.

National Arbor Day Foundation educational materials helped Washington State fifth-grade teachers teach their students the values of many different species of trees.

The winner of the national Arbor Day Poster Contest will receive a $100 savings bond and his or her class will be treated to an ice cream party and receive Arbor Day patches. The second place runner-up will receive a $50 savings bond, as well as Arbor Day patches for classmates.

In today’s judging, honors also went to runner-ups:

• Stella Won of  Fisher’s Landing Elementary, Vancouver: 2nd place poster winner; and
• Ciana Yi of Fisher’s Landing Elementary, Vancouver: 3rd place poster winner.

See the winning entry and the runner-ups on DNR’s Flickr page.

Northlake Beach at Waterway 18 on Lake Union

DNR in partnership with The Seattle Parks Foundation and Friends of Waterway 18, will restore Northlake Beach at Waterway 18—one of the last natural beaches remaining on Lake Union. The restoration is an effort to preserve the natural shoreline environment of the beach to provide better habitat for migrating species, recreational opportunities, and safer public access.

The shoreline is the area between the dry lands and deep water—critical habitat that vegetation, fish and wildlife depend upon. Unfortunately, the shoreline is also an area where a lot of human activity and disruption occur.

The DNR Aquatic Restoration Program is providing $25,000 towards the on-the-ground restoration effort at Waterway 18 which includes removal of non-native invasive species and hard armoring rip-rap. Concrete rip-rap was used to stabilize the shoreline and prevent erosion, but has since been found to have negative environmental impacts.  

Chinook salmon migrate through this shoreline. The preferred habitat for Chinook juveniles includes gently sloped beaches, overhanging vegetation and large woody debris.  The removal of the concrete armoring will restore a more natural contour and enhance the shoreline.  Subsequent planting of native riparian and aquatic vegetation will help prevent soil erosion and protect water quality.

This restoration effort is just one of many current projects statewide that are redeveloping shorelines in order to bring back the natural aquatic environment that has degraded over the years.

Construction on the quarter-acre beach is set to start in March. After the project is ‘completed,’ it will be diligently managed for the next three years in order to successfully establish native vegetation. Ongoing removal of non-native invasive species, watering during dry months, and replanting will be carried out primarily by volunteers.

Waterway 18 Design Sketch

Building a green forest biomass industry in Washington’s forests took a step forward over the weekend as the Legislature passed the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Forest Biomass Supply Agreements Bill. The legislation, which was requested by Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark, takes the next step towards creating a forest biomass industry from state trust lands.

If signed by the Governor, the bill will allow DNR to enter into long-term agreements to supply biomass from overcrowded young forests and after-harvest slash to the biomass energy economy. To date, a major obstacle to realizing the benefits of the biomass energy has been securing reliable and predictably priced biomass feedstock.

The bill incurs no cost to the State’s General Fund and, actually, has the potential to generate revenues from state-managed forestland.

Following the bill’s passage Commissioner Goldmark released the following statement:

“I appreciate the Legislature’s support for our Forest Biomass Initiative. It will not only help achieve a greener economy and create rural jobs, but can earn some added revenue for schools and other state trusts. I look forward to support from Governor Gregoire on this effort.”

The bill now moves to the Governor’s desk for her signature in the coming weeks.

Earlier this year, DNR announced the first four companies selected to partner with it in test projects for renewable energy using biomass from forested state trust lands–an initiative authorized by the 2009 Legislature. Now, if the new legislation is signed into law by the Governor, the agency will be able enter into long-term agreements to supply biomass to those partners.

Trimming lower branches near homes and other precautions can reduce wildfire risks in rural forested areas. Photo: DNR

The Ellensburg Record today describes a program that could help many small forest landowners in Kittitas County and elsewhere in eastern Washington to get through the next fire season a little safer.

The DNR-administered Eastern Washington Forest Landowner Cost-Share Program reimburses landowners for 50 percent of the cost to reduce wildfire hazards and bark beetle risks. The cost-share program is part of the national Forest Stewardship Program, which provides advice and assistance to help family forest owners manage their lands. The program is cooperatively funded by the USDA Forest Service and state forestry agencies. It’s one of several programs DNR administers through its Small Forest Landowners Office.

Download the Eastern Washington Forest Landowner Cost-share Program information and application to improve forest health and reduce wildfire and bark beetle risks.

DNR's acquisition of the the 985-acre Bear Creek Tree Farm in Snohomish County. Source: DNR

Through acquisition of replacement properties for the state trusts—the $4.15 million, 985-acre Bear Creek Tree Farm in Snohomish County—DNR accomplished two important objectives: prime working forests will earn School Trust funding into the future, and the purchase supports the Working Forest Initiative for preventing commercial forests from being converted.

The Bear Creek tract, just 10 miles from I-5, and the Jim Creek acquisition to the north will help buffer thousands of acres of state trust land from non-forest development.

Preventing sprawl, while protecting working forests, supports the Northwest quality of life—clean air and water, wildlife habitat, sustainable timber harvesting practices, and recreation.

DNR exchanges, transfers or sells at public auction those trust lands less effective for natural resources management—such as those too close to housing developments. 

The largest known western hemlocks grow in the cool, moist environments at high elevation. Photo: Van Pelt/DNR

One of the biggest banks for carbon storage in the nation is right here in the Northwest, according to a new analysis released by the Wilderness Society. Several newspapers, including today’s The Olympian (and Tacoma News Tribune) reported the analysis, as did several other newspapers, wire services and many, many blogs, including the L.A. Times’ Greenspace

Calling the Pacific Northwest’s thick, wet forests the “carbon storage powerhouses of the U.S.,” the analysis says 10 national forests in Washington, Oregon and Alaska store more than 1-1/2 times as much carbon as the entire amount of carbon dioxide burned in fossil fuels throughout the country each year.

The study did not focus on other types of forestland ownerships, such as private and state trust forests. In Washington, fewer than 10 percent of forests on state trust land would be considered old forest, but there are different ways to identify “old” when it comes to trees.

Here are two guides that you can download and use in the field to spot the old stands of trees in your part of Washington. Both were developed and published by DNR using the talents of research ecologist Robert Van Pelt, PhD, of the University of Washington. The Washington State Legislature asked DNR to map and inventory old growth forests on state trust lands, and here are the results:

Identifying Mature and Old Forests in Western Washington

 Identifying Old Trees and Forests in Eastern Washington

Volunteers, horses, and mules pack in gravel to repair trails in Capitol State Forest at last year’s Great Gravel Pack-In. Photo: DNR/Randy Warnock.

Are you ready to shake off the winter doldrums? With spring just a few weeks away, is the great outdoors beckoning you?

Many recreation areas on DNR-managed lands provide opportunities for visitors year round. But some are only open seasonally. Either way, a lot these areas need routine maintenance and repairs to prepare for the busy season.

There are many opportunities for volunteers with various skills and interests who’d like to help improve conditions at DNR-managed recreation areas.

For example…

This Saturday, March 6, stock animals and humans alike will be hauling rock and gravel and performing various routine maintenance tasks to repair and restore trails in Capitol State Forest at the 5th Annual Great Gravel Pack-In to get ready for the May 1 opening day of the use season. 

Gravel hauling is also the theme for the March 6 work party at the Tarbell Trail System in the Yacolt Burn State Forest. Participants can help haul gravel, install a culvert, and work on trails.

In the Yacolt Burn State Forest, off-road vehicle (ORV) season also starts on May 1. DNR and partners in the motorized recreation community, such as Jones Creek Trail Riders, have planned several work parties, starting March 20 at the Jones Creek ORV Trailhead. Here’s an advisory about the project.

Check out DNR’s volunteer calendar to learn about more ways to get involved! Or, contact Christine Redmond, DNR’s volunteer coordinator, at 360-902-1632 or christine.redmond@dnr.wa.gov.

Thanks to all the volunteers who help make recreation areas on state trust lands safe and enjoyable!

Sections of Mountain Loop Highway will close 7 a.m. Monday through noon Friday beginning March 8 until the end of April. It will open on weekends. Workers will close various locations from mile post 42, south of White Chuck Bench Overlook, to mile post 35, south of Bedal Creek Bridge. The closure the week of March 8 on the north side of Mountain Loop Highway will block access from Darrington to forest road 49 and Sloan Creek Trailhead, which leads to Glacier Peak Wilderness. Call Darrington Ranger District for updates weekdays at 360-436-1155, or Verlot Public Service Center weekends at 360-691-7791.

Road damage at Sunset Lake, Tumwater, from the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. Photo: Steven Kramer/University of Washington.

On Tuesday, the Seattle Times ran an article about the earthquake and tsunami hazards that we face in Washington State. The recent earthquake and tsunami in Chile are good reminders of Washington State’s risks. A similar type of earthquake fault lies just off our coast.  The Cascadia Fault is a subduction zone, which occurs where two tectonic plates meet and  one is slipping beneath the other. These faults are cabable of especially powerful quakes, and the Northwwest has seen a few in the past.

Geologists from DNR identify, assess, and map various geologic hazards, including earthquakes and tsumani zones. Our hazard maps are used for land-use and emergency-management planning, disaster response, and building-code amendment.

Previous Ear to the Ground blogs about Washington’s risks of destructive earthquakes and tsunamis:

Tsunamis: DNR studies risks to Washington’s coasts
September 22, 2009

We’re number two! (in U.S. earthquake risks)
September 21, 2009

New map shows impact of tsunami on Tacoma
August 14, 2009

Recreation enthusiasts and DNR staff tour the area in Reiter Foothills Forest set aside for non-motorized recreation. Photo: DNR/Robert Dengel

This past Saturday (Feb. 27), DNR staff and 14 interested citizens toured the section of Reiter Foothills Forest that will provide a range of non-motorized recreation opportunities, including horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking.  Also participating in the field day: a park ranger from nearby Wallace Falls State Park and contractors hired by DNR to design some of the more challenging and technical trails and.

The group hiked to different sections of the proposed non-motorized area and discussed locations and opportunities for trails and trailheads.  The group also talked about what types of trails can be easily shared amongst the different uses and what types of trails need to be for separate uses.

The field day took place both north and south of Wallace River. The group talked about the possibilities of a linking trail system between Reiter Foothills Forest and Wallace Falls State Park.

Many thanks to our neighbors at Gold Bar Nature Trails for their help in making the field day a success by giving the group temporary access across their bridge over May Creek.

So far, DNR has conducted three field days at Reiter to:

• Scope out restoration needs (February 6)
• Explore motorized opportunities (February 20)
• Look at non-motorized opportunities (February 27)

More field days will take place in the future as part of a public process to reopen Reiter with safe, enjoyable, and sustainable recreation opportunities.

If you’d like to receive regular updates about the progress at Reiter Foothills Forest, send an email to reiterfoothills@dnr.wa.gov. Put the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Almost 25 mostly little boys anxiously squirmed in their seats, barely able to contain their energy while they waited to hear the wildlife biologist answer their question: “Do they attack you?” Not daunted, Don Gay flashed a grin as he said no; the swans haven’t attacked him, not so far. They momentarily quieted while considering this, and then several hands shot up to ask the next question. The kids were waiting at the Kulshan Creek neighborhood community center for the bus that would take them to view migratory swans at the Port Susan Bay Preserve, an estuary managed by Nature Conservancy where the Stillaguamish River combines with the Port Susan Bay. Gay described the Trumpeter Swans and shore birds they were going to see and explained why they migrate.

As the steward of more than 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands, DNR takes care in preserving Washington’s natural aquatic habitats. The DNR Aquatic Reserves program focuses on protecting and enhancing some of the most vital ecosystems in the Puget Sound. These ecosystems have been identified as areas that will enhance the health of native marine and freshwater aquatic habitats, and the fish and wildlife that depend on them.

Currently, DNR has four Aquatic Reserves that have been selected for preservation and three more that have been nominated. These reserves are chosen based on their scientific, educational and environmental benefits.

The Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve was nominated for protection in 2008 by the Nisqually Reach Nature Center. The preservation of this area will stretch from the Nisqually River Delta to the Nisqually Reach, and will also include surrounding State-Owned Aquatic Lands and bedlands that border Anderson, Ketron and Eagle Islands. DNR has been working closely with stakeholders and interested parties of the reserve in order to ensure a complete and thorough management plan of the area that will benefit future generations.

For more information visit Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve, or the Aquatic Reserves Program.

Male lynx in live trap recovers from tranquilizer and waits to be freed after being assessed, ear tagged and collared with a GPS monitor by biologists.

The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) has been ‘listed’ by Washington state and federal agencies as threatened with extinction (in 1993 and 2000 respectively). In response, DNR developed a landscape approach to protect the lynx and its habitat on state trust lands. Since 1996, DNR has implemented its Lynx Habitat Management Plan — one of the most comprehensive conservation plans for lynx in the United States.

The plan guides DNR’s forest activities to help create and preserve high-quality lynx habitat. It allows DNR to meet state and federal lynx requirements while at the same time managing state trust lands to provide revenue through timber harvests, and carrying out other land management objectives.

One of the challenges was finding out more about the lynx, the health of the animals, and their home range and activities. A cooperative research project was set up four years ago to do just that. The objective was designed to provide a better understanding of how lynx use certain habitats throughout the year, and how past and future land management activities may affect individual lynx and the overall lynx population in Washington. To accomplish this, DNR and its partners work each winter to track and capture the lynx, radio-collar the animal animals (for GPS tracking) and examine and chart their health. To keep the lynx in the traps as short a time as possible, they check the live traps daily, driving up to 60 miles a day on snowmobiles.

The cooperative project has successfully collared and tracked nine male lynx across broad areas of northeastern Washington. The females have been followed but eluded the crews so far.

DNR has been a significant contributor to the cooperative research project. For support, the agency has provided biologists Scott Fisher and Matt Marsh who, with the help of partner agencies and groups, conduct the daily trapping and collaring activities. In addition DNR provides snowmobiles and fuel to access the study area. DNR also builds and maintains the live traps for capturing lynx, and supplies other logistical support to keep a challenging endeavor moving successfully over four winter seasons.

Read more:

DNR news release: State DNR Biologist receives The Wildlife Society Special Achievement Award

Wenatchee World: Loomis lynx study captures ninth cat — still no female (article also appears in the Seattle Times)

Wheelers of Washington members and friends spent a weekend cleaning up and repairing an off-roading area of the Tahuya State Forest recently

A belated ’thank you’ to the several members of the Wheelers of Washington who came out to Tahuya State Forest Feb. 20-21. They repaired fencing around Mud Lake, picked up trash and cleared brush from trails. To see more photos of these volunteers’ efforts to keep off-roading safe and enjoyable at Tayuha and elsewhere, visit the  Wheelers of Washington’s Facebook page

DNR Ritzville Unit Land Manager Dale Warriner with Del Teade and Steve Teade (son), on the right. The Teades have farmed State Trust lands near Colfax for 37 years.

DNR lessees, the Teades, use a ‘direct seed’ system of farming. New crops are seeded directly into residue from the previous crop, which protects the soil surface from eroding and minimizes soil loss. Direct seeding also improves overall soil quality and greatly reduces the number of field operations needed throughout the year. 

Direct seed farming (also known as no-till) is successful in rainfall zones of 14 inches or more annually, which includes a large swath of south-eastern Washington State, including around Colfax.

DNR works with lessees as a partner in soil conservation, encouraging direct seeding and other conservation practices. As an incentive for trust land lessees to try direct seeding, in 2003, DNR began offering a 25 percent reduction in rent for five years. This very successful program has many lessees participating. Most saw the benefits of direct seeding and continued even after the incentive period ended.

Direct seeded field.

 DNR leases and permits about 1 million acres of state trust lands for agriculture and grazing. Our leases include dryland grains, irrigated row crops, orchards and vineyards, and grazing. Most trust lands in agriculture are ‘Common School’ trust lands that were given to Washington State at statehood in 1889. DNR manages those lands to earn funding for construction of kindergarten through 12th grade public schools statewide.

[Bottom photo of direct seeded field: Yellow stubble is a recently harvested crop. The bleached-out, grey stubble under it is from the previous year’s crop.] 

Sun. Feb 28: Late Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service canceled its tsunami advisory for the Washington and Oregon coasts.

ORIGINAL POST

As of Saturday morning, a Tsunami Advisory is in effect which includes the coastal areas of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska — from the California-Mexico border to Attu, Alaska.

A Tsunami Advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is imminent or expected. Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.

At 10:34 PM Pacific Standard Time on February 26, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 8.8 occurred near the coast of central Chile. This earthquake has generated a tsunami which could cause damage to coastal regions in a warning or advisory. Estimated tsunami arrival times and maps along with safety rules and other information can be found on the WCATWC (West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Center) web site.

Get updates by monitoring your local media or their websites, such as the Seattle Times or KOMO-TV or other television and radio stations in your area.

DNR (in cooperation with several counties and the Washington Emergency Management Division, produces tsunami evacuation brochures showing routes to safety in several of Washington’s coastal communities. Find evacuation maps at:
http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeologyPublicationsLibrary/Pages/tsuevac.aspx

West side of Blanchard Mountain

Yesterday’s Skagit Valley Herald reports the announcement on Wednesday by Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark to create the Blanchard Mountain Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA). The news also got a mention on the “American Alps” blog of the Northern Cascades Conservation Council — thanks NC3 !

The new NRCA builds on the “Blanchard Strategy” formulated by interested groups to determine the future of the popular scenic area.  The NRCA is projected to ecompass about 1,600 acres on Blanchard Mountain with the balance of other acreage on the mountain retained as a working forest. The process will include purchasing other working forests to replace the land placed in the NRCA status, which allows low-impact recreation such as hiking.

 

Mason Lake Road (Forest Service Road 9031) is closed at milepost 2.5 for commercial timber thinning 8 a.m. Monday through noon Friday starting March 1 until the end of April. Workers will open the road for traffic Friday noon through Sunday and holidays, but the closure will block access to Ira Spring Trailhead during the week. Hikers can still reach the Talapus Trailhead. Call Snoqualmie Ranger District for updates at 425-888-1421, or stop by the office at 902 S.E. North Bend Way, North Bend, Wash., 98045.

An abandoned vessel recently secured through DNR Derelict Vessel Removal Program. Photo: DNR

Yesterday, the San Juan Journal ran this piece about DNR’s Derelict Vessel Removal Program. The article illustrates the challenges small communities are have in finding their 10 percent match (with the state’s 90 percent) for costs of removing derelict vessels from their waters. 

The program Derelict Vessel Removal Program, paid from the state’s annual boat registration fees, gives funding and expertise to help public agencies remove and dispose of derelict or abandoned vessels that pose navigational hazards. In many cases, these rotting, rusting, sinking wrecks (but, hey, beauty is in the eye the beholder) are also environmental hazards to Washington State rivers, lakes and Puget Sound. In fiscal year 2009, DNR oversaw the program, reimbursed other agencies for 32 removal actions, and directed removal of 17 vessels.