Appendix 3 Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team Report

from the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team on the forestry project that we just completed. The report contains 19 specific recommendations. Most are directed to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), but there are also recommendations for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Forest Research Laboratory (FRL). This report focuses on topics involving the management of (a) riparian areas, (b) large wood (sometimes referred to as large woody debris), (c) sedimentation from roads and landslides and (d) fish passage at road-stream crossings. While there are other forestry issues that could impact the recovery of wild salmonids, we felt these were most important, and were within the scope of what the IMST could do given the rest of our responsibilities. The geographic scope of our report is forested lands west of the Cascades and in the Siskiyous. We excluded forest lands on the east side in part because grazing and forestry are so strongly intermingled on these lands and in many instances it will be difficult to segregate the effects on aquatic habitat of one land use from the other. I anticipate that IMST will address this intermixed land use on the eastside and their different policies in a separate project. For now we note that the concepts articulated for the westside forestlands can likely be extended by ODF, ODFW and the FRL to the eastside forests. Concerning this report, the IMST finds that some specific aspects the Oregon Forest Practices Rules and the Measures of the Oregon Plan need improvement in dealing with riparian buffers, large wood management, Appendix 3 Appendix 3 sedimentation and fish passage at road-stream crossings. We believe these changes can all be accommodated within the existing policy framework. However, even with these changes, the current site-specific approach of regulation and voluntary actions is not sufficient to accomplish the recovery of wild salmonids. A landscape scale approach with flexible or adaptive management will be needed. Our report recommends this for forestlands (see recommendations I and 2), but we believe this will require a change in the forest policy framework of the State before it will be feasible, equitable and attractive. Given that salmonids extend across most of the lands of the State, I anticipate that in the future the IMST will conclude the landscape approach will need to extend across this larger landscape as well. To conclude, as you study our report keep in mind …