How much of California’s forest does the federal government own?
Trump ignored the fact that the federal government manages much of the forested land in the West. Of the 33 million acres of forest in California, roughly 57% is owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service or federal Bureau of Land Management, according to a report by the state’s Little Hoover Commission.
Are California's forest management policies destroying the forest?
California’s forest management policies have decimated the state’s timber industry, neglected its biomass industry, rejected the cattle industry, turned millions of acres of forest into scorched earth, and are systematically turning mountain communities into ghost towns.
How much of the US Forest is controlled by the state?
State and local governments control only 3%, while the rest is private. “The state cannot require the federal government to manage its forests,” the commission wrote.
How much of California’s national forests would benefit from ecosystem restoration?
“Based on its ecological restoration implementation plan, USFS estimates that 9 million acres of national forest system lands in California would benefit from treatment.
Who handles forest management in California?
In California, forest management also falls under the purview of the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
Is forest management federal?
Federal authorities affecting forest management on private land are very limited—and generally established to protect air and water quality, endangered species, and wetlands. However, the United States has no single law covering forest management nationwide, and most regulatory authority lies with the 50 states.
Is the Forest Service federal or state?
federalWe are a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture that manages 193 million acres of land, roughly the size of Texas.
How much of California forest is privately owned?
40%California has 33 million acres of forest land, one-third of the state's total land area. Sixty percent of this forest is publicly owned - for example, by the USDA Forest Service and the National Park Service. The remaining 40% is privately owned.
How much of California land is owned by the federal government?
47.70 percentThe federal government owns 47.70 percent of California's total land, 47,797,533 acres out of 100,206,720 total acres. California ranked third in the nation in federal land ownership.
What percent of US forests are federally owned?
(31%)Federal Forests The federal government owns 238 million acres (31%) of U.S. forests, most of which are managed by the U.S. Forest Service (FS)—as part of the National Forest System (NFS)—and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); see Figure 3.
Which federal agency controls the national forests?
The USFS is a Federal agency that manages 193 million acres of public lands in national forests and grasslands. USFS provides technical and financial assistance to state and private forestry agencies, and is the largest forestry research organization in the world.
Who manages national forests?
the United States Forest ServiceNational forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned collectively by the American people through the federal government, and managed by the United States Forest Service, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture.
What agency protects forest?
As spelled out under EO 192, the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) and the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) are the DENR bureaus with direct forestry-related functions.
Why doesn't Texas have wildfires like California?
Texas actually has more forest and higher temperatures than California, but the Lone Star state rarely struggles with fires, perhaps because 95 percent of its land mass is privately owned and these owners act as responsible stewards of the land.
Who owns American forests?
Private owners of woods or forest are “Family and Individual” owners, “Corporate” owners, and “Other Private” owners who own 1 or more acres of woods or forest land. Public woods or public forest owners are Federal, State, and local government agencies (such as the U.S. Forest Service and State forest departments).
What is the largest forest in California?
The Shasta–Trinity National ForestsThe Shasta–Trinity National Forests are federally designated forests in northern California, United States. Combined, they are the largest National Forest in California and are managed by the U.S. Forest Service....Shasta–Trinity National Forest.Shasta–Trinity National ForestsGoverning bodyU.S. Forest ServiceWebsiteShasta-Trinity National Forest7 more rows
What federal agency was created out of a portion of the U.S. Forest Service?
Federal forest management dates back to 1876 when Congress created the office of Special Agent in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assess the quality and conditions of forests in the United States. In 1881 the Department expanded the office into the Division of Forestry.
What does national forest management do?
Managing the Forest Forest management focuses on managing vegetation, restoring ecosystems, reducing hazards, and maintaining forest health.
What did the National Forest Management Act do?
The National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976 was designed to counter damage to natural ecosystems on public lands. The act put in place a system for forest management following several debates over the legality of clear-cutting forests.
What is meant by forest management?
Forest management is the process of planning and implementing practices for the stewardship and use of forests to meet specific environmental, economic, social and cultural objectives. It deals with the administrative, economic, legal, social, technical and scientific aspects of managing natural and planted forests.
How many trees have died in California since 2010?
More than 150 million trees have died in California since 2010.
What did Donald Trump say about wildfires?
President Donald Trump said in the presidential debate Tuesday night that California wildfires would not be happening if the state had better forest management, a claim that is misleading for multiple reasons.
Can giant sequoias survive fire?
Severe fire can be good for giant sequoias. The ‘hopeful’ new research – and a giant debate
How much of California's forest is owned by the federal government?
Since the federal government owns nearly 58 percent of California’s 33 million acres of forestlands, while the state owns 3 percent, joint state-federal management is crucial to California’s overall forest health and wildfire resilience. Improved coordination also is key since nearly half of the state dollars invested in fuels management in recent ...
What is the agreement between the Newsom Administration and the Forest Service?
Agreement comes as Lake Fire burns in Angeles National Forest. SACRAMENTO — In a key step to improve stewardship of California’s forests, the Newsom Administration and the U.S. Forest Service today announced a new joint state-federal initiative to reduce wildfire risks, restore watersheds, protect habitat and biological diversity, ...
How can we increase the pace and scale of forest management?
Increase pace and scale of forest management by improving ecologically sustainable timber harvest in California and grow jobs by tackling structural obstacles, such as workforce and equipment shortfalls and lack of access to capital;
When was the Great American Outdoors Act signed?
Share data and continue to invest in science. The Great American Outdoors Act, signed by President Trump on August 4, will provide critical funding for the Forest Service’s work in California. ###.
How much of California's forest is federal?
In fact, the bulk of California’s forest management falls under federal jurisdiction, with the U.S. Forest Service owning 57% of California’s 33 million acres of forests. Yet, for the fiscal year 2020, the agency spent $151 million treating 235,000 acres with practices like controlled burns meant to reduce wildfire risks, according to figures provided by the service.
How many acres of forest are there in California?
California estimates that 9 million acres of U.S. Forest Service lands in the state need treatment to maintain forest health, according to a policy document from 2018 prepared by representatives from several state agencies.
Why did the Forest Service suspend its fire prevention efforts?
The Forest Service suspended its wildfire-prevention efforts for six weeks this spring, saying it was concerned about the safety of its personnel during the coronavirus pandemic. State fire officials at the time decried the move as risky.
Does California have a federal forest?
While more than half of California’s forests fall under federal management, the U.S. Forest Service consistently spends fewer dollars than the state in managing those lands to reduce wildfire risks, a Reuters data analysis reveals.
How many acres of forest are there in California?
Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service owns about 19 million acres of the total 33 million acres of forestlands in the state of California representing about 57% of the forest areas. Private nonindustrial entities own about one‑quarter (8 million acres) acres of forestland. These include families, individuals, conservation and natural resource organizations, and Native American tribes. Industrial owners—primarily timber companies—own 14 percent (4.5 million acres) of forestland. State and local governments own about a 3 percent (1 million acres) combined. In total these non-federal entities represent about 43% of the states forest areas."
What is restoration and forest management?
Restoration and forest management work often involves the removal of trees that could be commercially viable. When sold, the revenue generated from sales can help offset the cost of restoration activities. However, selling any forest products commercially usually requires additional documentation, such as a THP.
What is the Cal Fire?
Cal Fire has identified a series of high priority wildfire policy actions that need to be addressed and that reflect decades long policy inaction by the state which have led to the buildup of increasing wildfire risks that are responsible for the severity of recent California wildfires.
How many priority projects are there for Cal Fire?
In total, CAL FIRE identified 35 priority projects that can be implemented immediately to help reduce public safety risk for over 200 communities. Project examples include removal of hazardous dead trees, vegetation clearing creation of fuel breaks and community defensible spaces, and creation of ingress and egress corridors. These projects can be implemented immediately if recommendations in this report are taken to enable the work. Details on the projects and CAL FIRE’s analysis can be found online which will remain updated in the coming months. The list of projects is attached to this report as Appendix C.
What factors contributed to the decline in private harvests?
Environmental protection policies have also contributed to declines in private harvests, along with other factors. More recently, the economic recession in the late 2000s sharply reduced demand for new housing construction, thereby also suppressing demand for timber.
What is the Governor's emphasis on pursuing a strategic approach?
With an emphasis on taking necessary actions to protect vulnerable populations, and recognizing a backlog in fuels management work combined with finite resources, the Governor placed an emphasis on pursuing a strategic approach where necessary actions are focused on California’s most vulnerable communities as a prescriptive and deliberative endeavor to realize the greatest returns on reducing risk to life and property.
When did the federal government change its priority from fire control to fire management?
The federal government changed its priority in 1964 from fire control to fire management as noted in the report:
How much of California is forested?
Roughly one‑third of California is forested, including the majority of the watersheds that serve as the key originating water source for millions of people across the state. These forests also provide critical air, wildlife, climate, and recreational benefits.
What are the benefits of forests in California?
These forests also provide critical air, wildlife, climate, and recreational benefits. However, a combination of factors have resulted in poor conditions across these forests and watersheds, including excessive vegetation density and an overabundance of small trees and brush. Such conditions have contributed to more prevalent and severe wildfires and unprecedented tree mortality in recent years, and experts are concerned these trends will continue if steps are not taken to significantly improve the health of the state’s forests.
How to reduce the burden of CFIP?
Provide Partial Advance Payments for CFIP to Reduce Burden on Small Landowners. To encourage greater landowner participation in the program and reduce the financial burden placed on participants, we recommend making changes to how CFIP payments are made to landowners. Specifically, we recommend that the Legislature authorize CalFire to provide landowners with a share—for example, up to one‑half‑of the state’s cost‑share payment—in advance of the work being undertaken. While participants still would need to fund their own portions of the project costs as well as pre‑fund a part of the state’s share, we believe removing a portion of the upfront investment needed to complete the work could encourage greater participation in CFIP. This, in turn, could increase the number—and associated acreage—of landowners investing in improving the health of their own lands. The program already has provisions in place to ensure state funding is protected. For example, CFIP already requires a binding upfront legal agreement between the state and landowners regarding the scope of work to be completed, as well as repayment provisions should participants not fulfill the agreed upon terms. Moreover, the state already conducts oversight of program participants both during and after the work, so it would have assurances that program participants used the funding to implement the work per the agreement. The state could also consider imposing additional safeguards, such as provisions requiring applicants to offer collateral as a condition of the upfront payment, to help ensure the state is able to recapture funds that are not appropriately used. As discussed above, 9 m illion acres of forestland in California are owned by nonindustrial landowners and nearly 90 p ercent of these owners have less than 50 acres of forestland. As such, improving the health of these privately held forestlands is an essential component of the state’s overall forest management strategy, and CFIP can be one mechanism to help achieve such improvements.
How many acres of forestland are affected by wildfires in California?
Restoration on Nonfederal Lands. The draft Forest Carbon Plan states that 20 m illion acres of forestland in California face high wildfire threat and may benefit from fuels reduction treatment. According to the plan, CalFire estimates that to address identified forest health and resiliency needs on nonfederal lands, the rate of treatment would need to be increased from the recent average of 17,500 acres per year to approximately 500,000 acres per year. The plan does not include associated cost estimates.
Why are trees less resilient to fire?
Less Resilient Forests, Large Numbers of Dead Trees. In addition to increasing fire risk, overcrowded forests and the associated competition for resources can also make forests less resilient to withstanding other stressors. For example, trees in dense stands become more vulnerable to disease—including infestations of pests such as bark beetles—and less able to endure water shortages from drought conditions. This vulnerability has been on display in recent years, as an estimated 129 m illion trees in California’s forests died between 2010 and 2017, including over 62 m illion dying in 2016 alone. While this is a relatively small share of the over 4 b illion trees in the state, historically, about 1 m illion of California’s trees would die in a typical year. Moreover, most of the die‑off is occurring in concentrated areas. For example, the Sierra National Forest has lost nearly 32 m illion trees, representing an overall mortality rate of between 55 p ercent and 60 p ercent. When dead trees fall to the ground they add more dry combustible fuel for fires, as well as pose risks to public safety when they fall onto buildings, roads, and power lines.
What are the characteristics of a healthy forest?
Healthy Forests Display Natural Ecological Characteristics and Processes. In general, a forest is defined as being healthy when it reflects the natural variability, processes, and resilience it has historically displayed. Specifically, conditions in healthy forests typically include ( 1) a heterogeneous mix of tree species of different ages; ( 2) a density of vegetation that matches the supply and demand of light, water, nutrients, and growing space; and ( 3) a capacity to tolerate and recover from naturally occurring disturbances such as fire, insects, and disease. The majority of California’s forests currently do not meet these health criteria.
What is Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program?
The Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program (WIP) was created in March 2015 as a coordinated effort between the state (through the Sierra Nevada Conservancy) and the U.S. Forest Service, along with other governmental and local agency partners. It is intended to increase the pace and scale of re storation and forest health activities within several key California watersheds. The program is formalized through a memorandum of understanding between the state and federal governments, which is designed to increase coordination of restoration efforts at the regional and watershed levels. Both the extent of land area that is covered and the number of agencies proactively working together make this collaborative effort unique.
When did forestry services tell people that the new policies and regulations would create a major disaster in the not to distant?
I remember in the late ’70s and early ’80s people involved in forestry services telling people that the “new” policies and regulations would create a major disaster in the not to distant future. All can now see they were correct.
What is restoration and forest management?
Restoration and forest management work often involves the removal of trees that could be commercially viable. When sold, the revenue generated from sales can help offset the cost of restoration activities. However, selling any forest products commercially usually requires additional documentation, such as a THP.
What has decreased the ability to deal with disposing of the significant amount of biomass material which is created when needed forest?
State energy and environmental polices have decreased the ability to deal with disposing of the significant amount of biomass material which is created when needed forest thinning is undertaken. This result has made it more difficult and expensive to undertake needed forest thinning. The report summaries this issue as follows:
How many priority projects are there for Cal Fire?
In total, CAL FIRE identified 35 priority projects that can be implemented immediately to help reduce public safety risk for over 200 communities. Project examples include removal of hazardous dead trees, vegetation clearing creation of fuel breaks and community defensible spaces, and creation of ingress and egress corridors. These projects can be implemented immediately if recommendations in this report are taken to enable the work. Details on the projects and CAL FIRE’s analysis can be found online which will remain updated in the coming months. The list of projects is attached to this report as Appendix C.
What factors contributed to the decline in private harvests?
Environmental protection policies have also contributed to declines in private harvests, along with other factors. More recently, the economic recession in the late 2000s sharply reduced demand for new housing construction, thereby also suppressing demand for timber.
What is the California regulatory process?
The regulatory process in California is designed to cater to the green blob’s desire to stop any use of wildlands that benefit people.
What is the Governor's emphasis on pursuing a strategic approach?
With an emphasis on taking necessary actions to protect vulnerable populations, and recognizing a backlog in fuels management work combined with finite resources, the Governor placed an emphasis on pursuing a strategic approach where necessary actions are focused on California’s most vulnerable communities as a prescriptive and deliberative endeavor to realize the greatest returns on reducing risk to life and property.
What are the effects of California's forest management policies?
California’s forest management policies have decimated the state’s timber industry, neglected its biomass industry, rejected the cattle industry, turned millions of acres of forest into scorched earth, and are systematically turning mountain communities into ghost towns.
What are the misguided forest management practices in California?
Specifically, California’s misguided forest management practices included several decades of successful fire suppression, combined with a failure to remove all the undergrowth that results when natural fires aren’t allowed to burn.
How many sawmills are there in California?
Today only 29 sawmills remain in California, along with eight sawmills that are still standing but inactive. In addition, there are 112 sites in California where sawmills once operated. In most cases, these vacant sites of former mills are located in ideal areas for rebuilding mills and resuming operations.
How many acres of overgrown forests are there in California?
This is the real reason why California’s forests are not only tinderboxes but are also filled with dying trees. Now Californians confront nearly 20 million acres of overgrown forests.
How much timber is harvested in California?
When it comes to carrying out timber, California used to do a pretty good job. In the 1950s the average timber harvest in California was around 6.0 billion board feet per year. The precipitous drop in harvest volume came in the 1990s. The industry started that decade taking out not quite 5 billion board feet, and by 2000 the annual harvest had dropped to just over 2 billion board feet. Today, only about 1.5 billion board feet per year come out of California’s forests as harvested timber.
How did fires affect the Sierras?
For about 20 million years, California’s forests endured countless droughts, some lasting over a century. Natural fires, started by lightning and very frequent in the Sierras, were essential to keep forest ecosystems healthy. In Yosemite, for example, meadows used to cover most of the valley floor, because while forests constantly encroached, fires would periodically wipe them out, allowing the meadows to return. Across millennia, fire-driven successions of this sort played out in cycles throughout California’s ecosystems.
Does clear cutting destroy ecosystems?
While clear-cutting will not destroy most ecosystems, since it is only performed on one to two percent of the land in any given year, there are other types of logging that can be used in areas deemed more ecologically sensitive. Southern California Edison owns 20,000 acres of forest around Shaver Lake in Southern California where they practice what is known as total ecosystem management.
How much of California's forest is owned by the federal government?
Trump ignored the fact that the federal government manages much of the forested land in the West. Of the 33 million acres of forest in California, roughly 57% is owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service or federal Bureau of Land Management, according to a report by the state’s Little Hoover Commission. State and local governments control only 3%, while the rest is private.
How many acres have burned in California?
All told, more than 3 million acres have burned in California, representing 3% of the state’s total landmass. In terms of acreage, 2020 is already the worst wildfire season in modern history in California. Cal Fire Director Thom Porter discusses the state’s wildfires with President Donald Trump and California Gov.
What states have wildfires?
With wildfires raging in California, Oregon and Washington, the president said “there has to be good, strong forest management” and he’s been telling states for three years to embrace that.
Can giant sequoias survive fire?
Severe fire can be good for giant sequoias. The ‘hopeful’ new research – and a giant debate
What percentage of California forest land does the federal government own?
Trump is right. Mismanagement and overregulation deserve most of the blame, but he should keep in mind that the federal government owns 57 percent of California forest land. This mismanagement is also not a result of a lack of care. Believe me, Californians care.
Why is it so difficult to manage California forests?
Part of the reason it is so difficult to manage California forests is the bureaucratic milieu. The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of land, has 28,000 employees, and has an annual outlay of $7 billion a year, according to a 2017 Analytical Perspective from the budget of the U.S. government. For decades, environmental protection schemes ...
What is the saddest part about fires in California?
The saddest part about these fires in California is that they are self inflicted. Californians should not allow such mismanagement to continue. I grew up in California’s Ventura County and have family in both southern and northern California. Right now, the most deadly fire in California’s history is racing across northern California.
How many fires were there in 2017 in California?
Mega catastrophes are becoming the norm in California. In 2017, there were 5,906 fires on state and private land, Kathleen Schori, an assistant chief at CAL FIRE, said in a phone interview. “Extreme fire behavior has become more commonplace,” says the Forest Service.
Why are California forests mismanaged?
California and federal agencies have mismanaged forests, not because they don’t care, but because they chose the agenda of environmentalists over commonsense forest management. The result has been deadly.
How many acres of forest were burned in 1993?
This limited the ability of the Forest Service from thinning trees. In 1993, 1,797,574 acres of wildlands burned, but in 2017 this number jumped to 10,026,086 acres.
How can the federal government help prevent fires?
To prevent fires, both the California’s state government and the federal government need to deregulate logging and encourage the Forest Service to make a profit by selling timber. Until the environmental protests of the 1970s, the Forest Service was one of the only departments in the federal government making a profit. It is a myth that environmental concerns and business interests are always at odds. In the case of California’s forests, thinning the trees is in the interests of both parties. Trump understands this, and his administration is expanding timber sales on federal land.
