HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-0502 Study Session PACKET
CITY OF
ASHLAND
CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
AGENDA
Monday, May 2, 2016
Siskiyou Room, 51 Winburn Way
5: 30 p.m. Study Session
1. Public Input (15 minutes maximum)
2. Look Ahead review
3. 2016 Ashland Forest Plan draft review and presentation by the Forest Lands
Commission
4. 8/10 Staffing Study for Ashland Fire & Rescue
5. Update on employee disaster readiness
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this
meeting, please contact the City Administrator's office at (541) 488-6002 (TTY phone number 1-800-735-
2900). Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to
ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title l).
COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE BROADCAST LIVE ON CHANNEL 9. STARTING APRIL 15, 2014,
CHARTER CABLE WILL BROADCAST MEETINGS ON CHANNEL I80 OR 181.
VISIT THE CITY OF ASHLAND'S WEB SITE AT WWW.ASHLAND.OR.US
CITY OF
ASHLAND
Council Communication
May 2, 2016, Study Session
2016 Ashland Forest Plan Draft Review and Presentation by Forest Lands
Commission
FROM:
Chris Chambers, Forest Division Chief, Fire Department, Chris.chambers a]ashland.or.us
SUMMARY
The Forest Lands Commission has drafted a major update to the 1992 Ashland Forest Plan and
presents a summary of major issues and changes in advance of Council consideration and public
comment at the May 17, 2016, business meeting.
BACKGROUND AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS:
The 1992 Ashland Forest Plan has served the community well for over two decades of reducing
wildfire danger and increasing forest health and resiliency in a transparent public process. This
necessary update to the original document recounts work and plans written to date and establishes an
updated scientific basis for ongoing and future stewardship of our City and Parks Commission lands.
Small Parks and City parcels have been added from the original plan and new GIS mapping technology
has allowed an online tool that informs analysis and plans, which will be presented at the session by
the Commission. A climate change chapter has been added to the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan to address
the pressing issue of climate effects on our local forest ownership. Recreation on City forests has
changed greatly in recent decades with increased population and need for trails that separate bikes from
pedestrian users and continue to provide quality opportunities to access public lands at the edge of
town. With addition of land not originally in this plan, over 1,100 acres of municipal land falls under
the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan.
COUNCIL GOALS SUPPORTED:
8. Protect the integrity and safety of the watershed.
9. Enhance and expand natural and recreational resources.
22. Prepare for the impact of climate change on the community.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Ashland Forest Plan does not obligate additional spending, only the current level already
dedicated to City and Parks forest management activities.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUESTED ACTION:
There are no recommendations at this time.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
N/A
Page 1 of 2
!1FAW&A
CITY OF
-ASHLAND
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2016 Ashland Forest Plan Summary
2. 2016 Ashland Forest Plan Parcel Overview Map
3. Full 2016 Ashland Forest Plan Draft:
http•//www ash]and.or.us/Files/2016%2OAshland%2OForest%20Plan%2ODraft%204.25.16.pdf
Page 2 of 2
p
2016 Ashland Forest Plan (AFP)
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Chapter 1 - Social, Educational, and Political Status
Chapter 2 - Water: Primacy and Practice
Chapter 3 - Recreation: Multiple Use Challenges and Opportunities
Chapter 4 - Wildlife in the Ashland Creek Watershed
Chapter 5- Climate Change: Global Yet Local
Chapter 6 - Invasive Plants: A Nuisance By Any Other Name
Chapter 7 - Infrastructure: The Ties That Bind
Chapter 8 - Inventory
Chapter 9 - Vegetation: Retrospective, Trends and Challenges
Chapter 10 - Monitoring: Plots and Protocols
Chapter 1 I - Forestlands Management: Goals and Guidelines
Appendices
References
Acknowledgements
Glossary
Maps
Executive Summary
Since Abel Helman built a small sawmill on the banks of Ashland Creek in 1852, the
surrounding Ashland Creek Watershed has been cherished and changed by local citizenry due to
its essential water producing potential, social, and economic values. Over time, its increasingly
fire-prone landscape became problematic. The suppression of pre-settlement frequent, low-
intensity fires that once maintained open forests, changed into a resulted in a forest susceptible to
high-intensity wildfires and other forest health issues. Several early 20t" century severe wildfires
in the Ashland Watershed catalyzed the City toward intensified protection and then, ultimately,
active stewardship of their water source.
In May of 1992, the City of Ashland adopted the first Ashland Forest Plan (AFP). It placed the
City and Parks forestlands under a management regime with the primary emphasis "to emulate
the historical role of fire in the ecosystem utilizing a carefully applied program of tree salvage,
thinning and prescribed fire". The lead organization charged with implementation of the AFP
was the Ashland Forest Lands Commission (AFLC), a citizens' advisory group that provided
recommendations for City forest management activities. In addition, the AFLC continued to
provide public education about complex forestry issues while fostering engagement and valuable
feedback from the Ashland community.
Throughout the first ten years of the AFP (1992-2002), citizens of Ashland were made more
aware of the issues involving protection of their water supply and the ecological complexity of
the surrounding Ashland Watershed. Through professionally developed planning documents and
citizen outreach, trust was established within the community. Through the careful thinning of
brush and small trees plus use of prescribed fire, initial restorative work proceeded. In October
2003, the City adopted the City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase II, commonly known as
"Restoration II". This project instituted a community-vetted strategy that included non-
commercial treatments, dead tree salvage, and harvest of commercially viable, yet. primarily
small diameter trees. Restoration II was followed in April 2009 by Restoration III: silvicultural
treatments on the Winburn Parcel above Reeder Reservoir.
The AFLC is currently updating the 1992 AFP to better reflect current science and our
experiences with active forest management. The 2016 AFP is guided by the mounting volume of
credible data emerging from the monitoring protocols enacted on the City forestlands in 1995. In
order to continue desired disturbances that emulate natural processes in the watershed (tree and
brush thinning and prescribed fire regimes), restoration projects have been planned to embrace
ecosystem health. Experts in botany, fire ecology, fisheries, fuels, geology, hydrology,
silviculture, soils, and wildlife will continue to design these projects. A key element in the 2016
AFP is the inclusion of forestlands administered by the Ashland Parks and Recreation
Commission including Siskiyou Mountain Park and Oredson-Todd Woods (included in the
original plan) and nine additional parcels totaling 172 acres including undeveloped portions of
upper Lithia Park. This brings all undeveloped City forestlands under one management umbrella
resulting in improved budgeting, planning, and on-the-ground implementation.
Through the 2016 Ashland Fire Plan, the Ashland Forest Lands Commission is committed to the
care and further restoration of the City forestlands and the broader Ashland Watershed
employing ecologically-responsible stewardship principles within an open and transparent
community decision-making process.
Chapter I - Social, Educational, and Political Status (Synopsis)
The City of Ashland has a long history of protecting our water-producing forestland resources in
the Ashland Watershed. However, a lack of comprehensive, active forestry management in
addition to outright resistance and mistrust of active intervention within these forestlands had
pushed them into serious degradation. The lack of natural disturbances, mainly caused by fire
suppression, had resulted in an over-burdened system that was increasingly prone to a large-
scale, high-intensity fire that would be both socially and economically intolerable. Through
thoughtful and persistent community education and active engagement of the Ashland citizenry
over a 25-year period, a more careful and coherent approach to forest and land management has
been implemented, first on private and municipal lands in the area, and ultimately on U.S. Forest
Service land in the Ashland Watershed. The transition of the community from one commonly
opposed to active intervention to one supportive of careful stewardship of the forest is a clear
example of how integrating ecological and social values can provide a unique and timely
response to issues of critical importance to a forestland dependent community. The 2016 AFP,
through continuing civic engagement via the Ashland Forest Lands Commission, will move our
community further in the direction of long-term, sustainable stewardship of the priceless social
and ecological values that we are charged with managing.
Chapter 2 - Water: Primacy and Practice (Synopsis)
City forestlands within the Ashland Watershed are managed primarily for the long-term
sustainability of the City of Ashland's water supply and the City has long been an advocate for
the same goal on federal land in the watershed. Ashland Creek, which drains much of the
northern flank of Mt. Ashland and flows through the center of the downtown, is the primary
source of municipal water. Several smaller, named creeks flow through Ashland including Clay,
Hamilton, and Paradise creeks. Above Reeder Reservoir, the West Fork of Ashland Creek and
Weasel Creek also flow through the City's Winburn Parcel and into Reeder Reservoir. All of
these waterways play a vital role in the health of City forestlands and the health of the forest and
creek habitats used by wildlife and aquatic animals. Stream flows in Ashland Creek are usually
adequate for fish production. Temperatures are within limits for spawning and rearing. Riparian
vegetation and shade structures that are important for keeping water temperatures within healthy
limits are adequate. Forestlands management within riparian areas require a specific set of
objectives and strategies. Ashland Ponds is a new area added to the 2016 AFP that has potential
for restoration of anadromous fish habitat..
Chapter 3 - Recreation: Multiple Use Challenges and Opportunities (Synopsis)
The forestlands around the city of Ashland have been used for recreation by local citizens and
visitors for generations. The City offers several gateways via in-town trailheads to forestland
owned by the City and to the larger Forest Service ownership in the Ashland Watershed. At
various times in Ashland's history, initiatives have been explored and implemented by different
government and private entities on City forestlands to increase and enhance visitor use and
promote the city as a forested destination, while at the same time managing natural resources
including wildfire risk and forest management activities. It is expected that the use of City
forestland trails for running, hiking, equestrian use, and mountain biking will increase in the
future. The City is committed to collaborating with Federal, State, and local jurisdictions,
businesses, public and private schools, user groups, and individual citizens to provide trail users
with a safe and gratifying experience while protecting the array of natural resources that the
Ashland Watershed offers. In 2005, the Parks Commission created a Trails Master Plan (TMP)
to implement the vision of providing Ashland with "a diverse network of trails that connects
downtown, schools, neighborhoods, and surrounding areas." The 2005 TMP is an important
reference and planning document to incorporate into City forestlands management because it
uses the City's forest lands trail system as the connector from urban areas to the Forest Service
managed lands, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy lands, and other ownerships in the Ashland
Watershed. Below is a list of specific goals identified by Ashland Parks & Recreation
Commission for the future of the city's trail systems:
• Enhance trail connectivity within the city limits (by obtaining easements, additional trail
connections on right of ways, park areas, etc.)
• Develop additional sustainable and appropriate trail connections along or within several
designated corridors that are identified in the 2005 TMP (i.e. Ashland Creek Corridor,
Wrights Creek Corridor, Tolman Creek Corridor, TID Corridor, etc.)
• Increase sustainable and appropriate trail connections in the Wildland Urban Interface
(WUI)
• Work to accomplish regional trail connection goals including the Grizzly Peak Trail
Connection and expansion of the Greenway Trail out to Emigrant Lake
Chapter 4 - Wildlife in the Ashland Creek Watershed (Synopsis)
City of Ashland forestlands contain a variety of wildlife habitats ranging from the Riparian
Management Areas (RMA) This snakes it sound like the only RMA is in the Ashland Ponds.
Delete., up through the drier lowlands, to the mature conifer forests. These diverse areas lie on
the northern slopes of the Siskiyou Mountains, a range known for its significant biodiversity. In
1974, a Southern Oregon State University survey listed 56 species of mammals, 103 bird species,
and 27 species of reptiles and amphibians. Not all of these species are to be found on City lands,
but it does provide an idea of the wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians found
in the area. The Douglas-fir forests of the Pacific Northwest have the highest densities of birds
of all coniferous forests in North America. The riparian habitats along Ashland Creek are
particularly rich in species diversity. City forestlands are not currently inhabited by any
threatened or endangered species and does not meet habitat requirements for the northern spotted
owl (strix occidentalis). The rare Pacific Fisher (Mantes pennanti pacifica) was not confirmed in
the Ashland Watershed until only recently. The United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)
determined in April of 2016 not to list the Pacific Fisher as "threatened". Several common
wildlife species within Ashland are considered nuisance animals by some residents and staff,
including raccoons, deer, and turkeys. Sightings of black bears and mountain lions within city
limits result in special warning signs posted at nearby City parks and properties to help minimize
surprise encounters, although there is no record of any such encounters resulting in human
injury, excepting deer.
In a 2008, the City's Restoration III document guidelines spelled out wildlife goals including
maximizing biodiversity while maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitat.
• Increase the structural diversity of forest stands
• Hardwoods, especially California black oak, will be retained and encouraged where
appropriate.
• Additional coarse woody material will be added to the forest floor, if a need has been
identified, to provide needed micro-habitats.
• Snags will be retained unless they pose a hazard or conflict with other management
objectives.
Chapter 5 - Climate Change: Global yet Local (Synopsis)
Given a high level of uncertainty about specific changes in the Ashland Watershed from
impending climate change, most frameworks for present and future management suggest flexible
approaches, ongoing monitoring, learning, and subsequent adaptive management. Important
changes in forest and resource management strategies will have to occur on a much larger spatial
and temporal scale than addressed in this 2016 Ashland Forest Plan (AFP). However, it is not a
responsible option to do nothing. The City forestlands and the conjoined Ashland Watershed are
uniquely positioned to test future impacts associated with climate change given the steep
environmental gradient and eco-system variation that exists in the eight linear miles from
downtown Ashland to the top of Mt. Ashland. The short-term focus for the City forestlands
managed under the 2016 AFP will continue to be on adaptive strategies that improve overall
ecosystem resistance and resilience from major perturbations, most notably from high-severity
wildfire. The management dilemma that consistently presents itself is the conflict between
strategies that reduce high-severity wildfire namely, reductions in vegetation and downed fuel,
and the climate-change mitigation strategy to sequester carbon because forests are widely
thought to be the most efficient terrestrial carbon accumulating system. Fortunately, management
objectives and implementation strategies initiated over 20 years ago on City lands will continue
to have climate-change relevance under the 2016 AFP. Simply improving overall forest health
will contribute to the larger landscape's ability to adjust to future variability in temperature and
precipitation and, hopefully, adjust to climate change.
Chapter 6 - Invasive Plants: A Nuisance By Any Other Name (Synopsis)
Invasive plants come in many varieties and sizes, from trees to vines to shrubs, and the damage
they can cause is just as varied. If left unchecked, many invasive plants can cause the eventual
demise of desired plant species, alter wildlife habitat or directly threaten animals, choke
waterways, or increase the intensity of a wildfire. On lands administered by the Ashland Parks
Commission, invasive plant populations will continue to be managed under the existing
Integrated Pest Management Policy (IPM) adopted by the Ashland Parks Commission. Ashland
Park's IPM policy is based on park planning and design, manual maintenance, ecological and
organic controls, and, as a last resort, use of chemical herbicides. The department works to
reduce or eliminate the use of herbicides and will conduct an annual review of invasive plant
management activities, which will include written suggestions to the Parks Commission for the
further reduction of herbicides and for alternatives to their use. On City forestlands under the
stewardship of the Ashland Forest Lands Commission (AFLC) the following guidelines are in
line with the City's historic management of noxious weeds without the use of chemical
herbicides, but with an added process for City Council involvement if a rare ecological threat is
identified. In general, chemical herbicides will not be used unless a special circumstance
strongly suggests that such application would be a "best practice". In such rare cases, City staff
would seek prior authorization from the AFLC and City Council with public input.
Chapter 7 - Infrastructure: The Ties That Bind (Synopsis)
Infrastructure may be impacted by City forest management activities, so a listing of
infrastructure by unit is included in the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan (AFP). Management of
infrastructure is not part of the 2016 AFP. For the 2016 AFP, the specific existing infrastructure
components fall into the category of publicly owned roadways, easements, wire, pipes and other
appurtenances used for provision of public services such as electrical power, drinking water,
Irrigation water, sewage, overflow drainage and transportation. These structures owned and
managed by the City are either on or directly adjacent to City forestlands and they may be
impacted by forest management activities. Tables list the most significant of those structures,
with the structures inside the 2016 AFP managed lands shown. A map is provided in the
appendix showing the locations of these structures with respect to the most significant location-
specific natural hazards:
• landslide susceptibility,
Do we actually have these 3?
• 100 and 500 year probability flood boundaries,
• dam inundation boundaries,
• wildfire hazard zone boundaries.
Chapter 8 -Inventory (Synopsis)
This section of the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan (AFP) presents essential information in the form of
lists, data sets, GIS data and color schemes, and a specialized dictionary for interpreting data
sets.
Chapter 9 - Vegetation: Retrospective, Trends and Challenges (Synopsis)
The progression in the 20"' century of increasing vegetation density, both horizontally and
vertically, has created conditions in the Ashland Watershed for a fire to rapidly escalate in
magnitude beyond historic baselines. Successful manipulation of vegetation on City forestlands
has been guided by a thorough understanding of the existing vegetation and its history. The
weakened trees resulting from increased forest density also increase the likelihood of insect-
related mortality and pathogenic damage. In a vicious cycle, this increased tree mortality has
tended to further increase the potential likelihood of a severe wildfire. Breaking this pattern and
restoring more benign fire regimes through active vegetation management has been the
underlying strategy on City and Parks lands over the past 20+ years. Shifting the vegetation to
achieve more fire-resistant and resilient landscapes achieves a primary objective: reduction in the
likelihood of high-severity fire on City lands and into the Ashland Watershed above. The
restoration of a natural, landscape-scale patched forest diversity and acceptable and effective fire
regimes close to developed property is an outcome few forestland managers have accomplished
on a watershed scale. Nevertheless, this end is being carefully pursued by the City with an
understanding that the current set of watershed conditions reflects an interruption of past
vegetation cycles and ecological interactions that are complex and not easily duplicated. What is
universally understood by all stakeholders who value our forestlands is that doing nothing other
than fire suppression is not an option.
Chapter 10 - Monitoring: Plots and Protocols (Synopsis)
Monitoring is an essential and ongoing part of the restoration of City forestlands. It provides the
basis for an adaptive management approach by regularly assessing conditions that can give
valuable feedback and initiate appropriate changes in management activities. Over time, there
will be changes in understory vegetation and tree growth. It is imperative that the effects of
stand-density reductions, prescribed fires, and other silvicultural treatments be monitored to
evaluate their effectiveness and inform future work. Monitoring provides information to help
determine if management actions are meeting the objectives of the AFP.
• Track ecosystem elements: tree vigor, ground layer vegetation, species composition, and
soil cover
• Compare effects of treatments at different locations
• Ensure that the desired effects are produced
• Provide feedback to apply adaptive management
The City has established 206 permanent monitoring plots and initiated data collection on both the
Lower- Watershed Parcel (137 plots on 486 acres) and the Winburn Parcel (69 plots on 160 acres)
in 2000-2002. More data was collected in 2007-2009. Data collected at each plot included:
• Site data such as slope percent, aspect, UPS location;
• Stand exam tree data such as live/dead, species, dbl1, height, crown ratio, dwarf mistletoe,
rating, radial growth, age, crown closure;
• Fuels by size class;
• Species, size, decay class of coarse woody material;
• Soil types such as bare soil, rock, litter, live vegetation, duff cover, duff/litter depth;
• Vegetation composition details such as layer, species, and percent cover;
• And photos.
A proficient monitoring process will continue to provide information to shape the improvement
of both planning and implementation of future work on City forestlands. These monitoring
protocols will offer an ongoing assessment of the 2016 AFP's overall effectiveness.
The newly created forest inventory for the 2016 AFP will provide current and future forest
managers with a standardized format applicable to all City forestlands.
Chapter 9 - Vegetation: Retrospective, Trends and Challenges (Synopsis)
The progression in the 20`x' century of higher vegetation densities, both horizontally and
vertically, has created conditions in the Ashland Watershed for a fire to rapidly escalate in
magnitude beyond historically healthy cycles. Successful manipulation of vegetation on City
forestlands has been guided by a thorough understanding of the existing vegetation and how it
came to be. The weakened trees resulting from these high stand-densities also increase the
likelihood of insect-related mortality and damage from other organisms such as dwarf mistletoe.
In a vicious cycle, this increased tree mortality has tended to further increase the potential
likelihood of a severe wildfire. Breaking this pattern and restoring more benign fire regimes
through active vegetation management has been the underlying strategy on City lands over the
past 20 years. Shifting the vegetation to achieve more fire-resistant and resilient tree stands and
landscapes, achieves a primary objective: reduction in the likelihood of high-severity fire on City
lands. The restoration of a natural, landscape-scale patched forest diversity and acceptable and
effective fire regimes close to a wildland urban interface (WUI) is an outcome few forestland
managers have accomplished on a watershed scale. Nevertheless, this end is being carefully
pursued by the City with an understanding that the current set of watershed conditions reflects an
interruption of ancient vegetation cycles and ecological interactions that are complex and not
easily duplicated. What is universally understood by all stakeholders who value our forestlands
is that doing nothing other than fire suppression is not an option.
CD
N
00
N
N
0
Cl
N U)
N 0 co co c~ co N
cl) co p co a W p 0 O w w O
(fl co cn
co co cn
a ~ 0 a= Z
LO a- 0 p
cl) 1) U)
W
Z ~ co
aQ
2
o v
o p to
J
F-
a) ~ ~Q
= U LO
W
W N
Z v °
LL c
Q ca a)
Z a) ~ LL a~ a) a) n
D Q c c c c c c c c c c c c c
cu co
.0 c c
'a LL _0 _0 L L 0 -0 -0-0 -0 _0
C Q Q Q ii<< LL U i~ QU QQQQQLL LL i~ U Q
ca ~
c
N 70 LL J C
Q N o c ~ _0 M o o a) a) U) >
L U) 70 U
O C U) D f/) ~ - .Q aj > U a)
O
_ ° O a) > ( Q
U U o a) o L ° O)
Fx o 0 cn ~ rn 0 (n ° cap c
0) a) m
o cn c}n U) Y a) J Q > E a
0 0(1) W c o U) o~,
0 a)
0 ~o a) ° - 0 c (1) _0
iD c
0- 07 tm T) = cfl U c (o co a) m c t 0 a`) ao
a>, a)o 0 a) O' m e Qc0 U> 0
m c O- } - U c d o o co a)
m Q L 0)
m tJ) U U o~ m o cA U c co N C a° o U
_ L L ~
c: ZZ _0
(D U) 0 C)
a) co 0 a C: c) -0 (n 0 0 a) d) 76 E
E E gW L~ 0) a)a-0- 0 0) -0~ (n cu oQ
0 to ° o c L CO cn >1 CL % cu U)
o m 0 > -
U E o m L o c c a) tm a) co j> 0 a- ou
a) 'C3 Q U c cn a) LL "o z 00 > W ° U) U > y ~ a) , O
:3
4) 4~ cn C:
O ^
~ 70 c c Q (6 O 0~ a) "0 O 3 ~ O V J (6
m U c VJ O L cn
U . V ,U( C O O_ m U L 70
a) 0
E cu cu CD (D ~L-
W I..L cu cu :E cu cu 4-- a) - 0)
m 0) ~ > CY) 75
~c: a) CU 4) 0
) -f 0) 'c! ° O o a) Q a) c c 70 Q 70 a) O a) c C C .0 c
1- 0 CO c O a
C C L O (B (a -0 O O L a) O O OU O c C a) a) Q
O L O a) 4 a) a) O co 4- a) O p O L Q O
-F Q.
D CF. q) p :3
O U
O U tLn c `co Q- -0 -0 (a O > U cr, c O ca -0 a) to u) U> > c
cn cB c co 0 0= 0 a) co c ~ 0 0 0 D 0 a) m a) c
pct) QUQLLd d >Q 01-0 E<a-<<[L w o-, (n0 ~Q
o) N CO r ~e O N M M W
rn O O
N N M V (D r co (c) r N N
L L L
0)
w
a
oo (.0
r- o
N
00
V
LO
'V
N L11 W
cq a-
d. Z
~c
~c
~c
~c
~c
W
Z
Q =
-Y U
O
.
00
J
H
~ U
u.l
M~M
C W N
C D O
•v V) N
a
Z
O Q c c c
UE- EE E
LL -0- _0
C Q Q Q Q
ca cn
a) r„
a)
N 0)
Q Q a`)
O _0
U) (D U)
C E o
IT
x Q O c o
* Q 0 ~ " cs 0
L o f4
C «7 C = O E _U
(0 c
d O Q O G1 d C1 Q. U ° a) a--d m
CL >
i'' g sC cu c0 ~ `o U)
O N to r U E
C~ •V •V : N 0 la7) (D
o .in E
C O O c c O , F p Q O N o 0
CU U 0 0 U cn o cU) -0 cr, _0 U c v t> c U Q E N c c o o a w `o a)
L o c i O z ca o N N a) a)
E Fn Ri U U tT3 Rt 0) 0 o E cc~) .L D L cn U ° E E o
cn N c 2 is o N
c c O c c o U E o E a) U c
4 a) O Q N Ui aD LLJ , .0 c E U E o c E aa)i Q-.~ o
. o 0 t~ p! ~ o o c o U CO ° E ° w
U U ,C co cn - U O U c Cy, U E in ?
E m O ° EO o Q c c V voi
-0 CL
CL E
N
U a) y °
o U ca m L o c co (B L c6 U U O J U) Q n ca V)
O E d. L a) 'L m +c Q= c-~a .N N a)
c~ N - C N O N j O 8 a Ln U o
O> omo N~`~ 0000
0 •N > Co CO N= (L) a) c C c
_ ' i _ L Q ..Q 2 s C .0
N U •E cat CD N E a) E E (n to (U
ui
fn c0 E L U a) D -2 p a) N n 7
o Q_ 0 a) m L m O U o a) L/) N E uVi
dU :D Q ULL~Q2-~ ~<U)0Z0 0Q (u
t~ W O)
N N co
N N r., ti ^ N
~ ;r, f ,`''Ashland Ponds ~
~ 2016Ashland Forest Plan Parcels
~
,,~J j f Yr ~ ij
_
u
p
i i
' r ,L ~ ( i ~ f i ~ 1 .d'''am /
` '
t
„3 it ~ I ~ ~ I "i_ I ~ ~ ( ~ ! ~ ~ I~
i ~ ~
J~
i #
~ ~ ~ i I h i ~ r ~f >I i w ~ ~1 ~ .r
.
~ ` ~ 1. f
.
n
r
p
ff I
.
,
7777 't
~
y,. _ r ,f ~ ~ r
i ,
~ ! Hald Strawberry, ~ ~ ~ ~ i r t-
Westwood ~ rb~ f
Piedmont ~ ~ \ f ~ t { ~~,,,~•,,.,,~~~„T.,,
,i 'y ~ I ~ ~ ~ ~ w ' ► r j
_
f `
i : f I ^d f ' ~ ~1 lYI.~~IIIAYY
.
.
'a F
4 t ~ ~ ~ r ~
~F - , j
. C a "
Hitt Rd ~ ~ ~ i ` 't ~
s,
. ,
~ ~ .
~ ,
~
R.' ; ~ ~ ~
a ~ 3 ~ ~ Ashland ~ f ± ~ ~
I Granite St ~ f ; ~ , ~ , 'I ` x ~ } tl
_ / r'~ + I ~ ~y ~ * ~ r ( I ~ 5 ~ ~~=may ~ 4, k'~,.
Burnson:Lawrence~ ~Upper~Lithia ~ ~ I'~ ~ ~ ~
s
ti.. ~ Cottle Philips r ~ $ , ~ ~ .
{ I i r '
~ ~ r
~ y..
.
ti ~ ~ ~ CrowsonRes t~ ~ ~ ~ r~ ~ , _
°f
Terrace St»~Liberty St g ~ a„ ; i ~ , 4P°. , i ~ ~
a
...N~ 1 - r 1 r - ~ , i j . ,
~ -
t~ ! ~ i
~,.,'P ~ ~ 1j ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ h ~ ~ ~ ` ~ If ~ ti,
Y j -w. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lower~Watershetl e~"~f : € a ~
~ r° fi' t ~ t
~
~ ~ ° 1.
I r°•
` ~ ~ ~ i
i ~ O'redson Todd
Siskiyou Mountain~Park
r
` ~ r" Alsing Res
1,
.
. ;
~i" ~ 'T ~ ~ !,J
, G~~~
~f" r...i' a r' F ✓„'r,~/ I•
r~e,~,,..~
.
w ~ ~ ~
, ~ b}~.~ ,i Legend ;
' '•v
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .Forest Plan Units 'ti.,
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ City Limits
- ~ ~ i ~ ` ~ Roads
~
' ~ ~ ~ .:a i Building r'
~F gym.,. :
. ,
~c Lakes, Ponds & Reservoirs
~ !
~ ,
t
r.,,~ _
f
• ~ ~ ~ Streams
t ~ r°`
t
f'' Ashland Creek Watershed ~
Winburn ~`r} ~ ~
` •N~AD_1983 StatePlane_Oregon_Sout~_FIPS_3602_Feet_Intl
~ Projection: Lambert Con~Ormal Conic
~ ~ ~ J - i -
J,., ,
,y `
~
' ~ Date Printed: 10I29I2015
.
.w,
f
,
''•ti..,
. ~ th r key F
„ ` ~ ~ t
' ~ u is i e
A o R'
~ ~ , a••~ ! 0 0.25 0.5 1
ty' i ~ ~ Miles
~ a ~S
2016 Ashland Forest Plan DRAFT
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Chapter 1 - Social, Educational, and Political Status
Chapter 2 - Water: Primacy and Practice
Chapter 3 - Recreation: Multiple Use Challenges and Opportunities
Chapter 4 - Wildlife in the Ashland Creek Watershed
Chapter 5- Climate Change: Global Yet Local
Chapter 6 - Invasive Plants: A Nuisance By Any Other Name
Chapter 7 - Infrastructure: The Ties That Bind
Chapter 8 - Inventory: Tracking Progress
Chapter 9 - Vegetation: Retrospective, Trends and Challenges
Chapter 10 - Monitoring: Plots and Protocols
Chapter 11 - Forestlands Management: Goals and Guidelines
Appendices
References
Acknowledgements
Glossary
Maps
Executive Summary
Since Abel Helman built a small sawmill on the banks of Ashland Creek in 1852, the
surrounding Ashland Creek Watershed has been cherished and changed by local citizenry due to
its essential water producing potential, social, and economic values. Over time, its increasingly
fire-prone landscape became problematic. The suppression of pre-settlement frequent, low-
intensity fires that once maintained open forests, changed into a resulted in a forest susceptible to
high-intensity wildfires and other forest health issues. Several early 20`" century severe wildfires
in the Ashland Watershed catalyzed the City toward intensified protection and then, ultimately,
active stewardship of their water source.
In May of 1992, the City of Ashland adopted the first Ashland Forest Plan (AFP). It placed the
City and Parks forestlands under a management regime with the primary emphasis "to emulate
the historical role of fire in the ecosystem utilizing a carefully applied program of tree salvage,
thinning and prescribed fire". The lead organization charged with implementation of the AFP
was the Ashland Forest Lands Commission (AFLC), a citizens' advisory group that provided
recommendations for City forest management activities. In addition, the AFLC continued to
provide public education about complex forestry issues while fostering engagement and valuable
feedback from the Ashland community.
Throughout the first ten years of the AFP (1992-2002), citizens of Ashland were made more
aware of the issues involving protection of their water supply and the ecological complexity of
the surrounding Ashland Watershed. Through professionally developed planning documents and
citizen outreach, trust was established within the community. Through the careful thinning of
brush and small trees plus use of prescribed fire, initial restorative work proceeded. In October
2003, the City adopted the City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase II, commonly known as
"Restoration II". This project instituted a community-vetted strategy that included non-
commercial treatments, dead tree salvage, and harvest of commercially viable, yet primarily
small diameter trees. Restoration II was followed in April 2009 by Restoration III: silvicultural
treatments on the Winburn Parcel above Reeder Reservoir.
The AFLC is currently updating the 1992 AFP to better reflect current science and our
experiences with active forest management. The 2016 AFP is guided by the mounting volume of
credible data emerging from the monitoring protocols enacted on the City forestlands in 1995. In
order to continue desired disturbances that emulate natural processes in the watershed (tree and
brush thinning and prescribed fire regimes), restoration projects have been planned to embrace
ecosystem health. Experts in botany, fire ecology, fisheries, fuels, geology, hydrology,
silviculture, soils, and wildlife will continue to design these projects. A key element in the 2016
AFP is the inclusion of forestlands administered by the Ashland Parks and Recreation
Commission including Siskiyou Mountain Park and Oredson-Todd Woods (included in the
original plan) and nine additional parcels totaling 172 acres including undeveloped portions of
upper Lithia Park. This brings all undeveloped City forestlands under one management umbrella
resulting in improved budgeting, planning, and on-the-ground implementation.
Through the 2016 Ashland Fire Plan, the Ashland Forest Lands Commission is committed to the
care and further restoration of the City forestlands and the broader Ashland Watershed
employing ecologically-responsible stewardship principles within an open and transparent
community decision-making process.
2
Chapter 1: Social, Educational, and Political Status
Early History of Wildfire and Forest Management in the Ashland Watershed
Abel Helman built a small lumber mill on the banks of Ashland Creek in 1852. The water-
powered sawmill became the nucleus of the city of Ashland, but even before our small town was
established, humans manipulated the forest environment in the Ashland Watershed. Native
American tribes frequently used low-intensity fire as a tool to herd deer and gather grasshoppers
(Holt, 1946). These frequent low-intensity fires periodically reduced the fuel loading with the
result that high-intensity, stand-destroying fire was the exception. Native American fire
influence on the landscape diminished significantly beginning with the arrival of early settlers
(Lalande, 2010).
Several sawmills were built on Ashland Creek, upstream from the original Abel Helman
operation in the 1860s. These were small operations, utilizing minor amounts of easily harvested
timber from the lower reaches of Ashland Creek to supply the wooden buildings for the new
town of Ashland (Williams, 1952). During the period of 1850-1880, the Ashland Watershed was
a much more open forest due to the early indigenous fire regimes, "...denuded of forest growth
and covered with grass or brush." (McCormick, et al, 1992).
In 1892, the Ashland Board of Trade (now Chamber of Commerce) petitioned the federal
government to protect the City's water supply. The request was honored on September 23, 1893,
by President Cleveland (City of Ashland, 2014). The Ashland Forest Reserve, which consisted
mostly of the Ashland Creek Watershed, was formally designated by executive proclamation.
Grazing of sheep or other livestock, a very common practice within the area, was forbidden.
There were no Federal employees available to oversee protection of the Reserve until the U.S.
Department of Interior began to hire rangers in 1899. Systematic fire suppression efforts began
soon after (McCormick, et al, 1992). W. G. Kroepke started duty on the Ashland Reserve in
spring of 1899 and remained as ranger until after the area's administrative transfer to the newly-
formed Forest Set-vice in 1906.
In 1899, John Lieberg documented logging in all of the forested areas he surveyed, including the
East and West Forks of Ashland Creek (City of Ashland, 2004). Areas lower in the watershed
neat- Ashland (T39, R 1 E) had been logged more heavily due to the proximity of the Ashland
Creek sawmills as noted in Table 1.1.
Table 1-1 1899 Forest Characteristics of the Ashland Watershed
Forested Stand Composition of trees> 4" ) by species
Forested Non Logged %
Township Forest Ponderosa Sugar Madrone Incense White Noble
Acres Acres Acres culled pine pine Dorlas- and Oak Cedar fir fir
11
3
T39S, 8,040 15,000 8,040 50 60 15 20 5 0 0 0
RlE
T40S, 19,540 4,500 500 0 23 10 30 5 2 5 30
RIE
Note: Original document has tree stocking in 1'40S, RI E at 105%. The meaning of the term "culled" used in this
table is somewhat unclear. Its meaning can be inferred from the following sentence: Originally of good proportion,
the forest has been culled during many years and stripped of its best timber, only a trace remaining (City of Ashland,
2004).
In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Ashland National Forest which added most of the
Upper Applegate area into the Ashland Forest Reserve. The Ashland National Forest was absorbed
almost immediately into the Crater National Forest, with headquarters in Medford, Oregon (Lalande,
1980). The early Forest Service built a number of roads, both in the original Ashland section and in the
larger addition to the west. One of the main purposes of road and trail construction was to provide
firefighting crews with access into the remote portions of the unit. Due to this increased focus on
suppression of fire in the National Forests, the ensuing fuels buildup had set the stage for high-severity
wildfires that had previously been unlikely.
One of the worst years for wildfire in the western United States was 1910. The summer- was extremely
hot, dry and windy throughout the region. During August and September of 1910, Ashland Creek
experienced two fires totaling about 1280 acres. These conflagrations were doubly serious not only
because of forestland and timber destruction but because of the threat to community watershed values.
Crews composed of local civilians and U.S. Army troops helped to control the two burns, but "the high
winds prevailing ...and the inexperience of the men in handling the fires resulted in large areas being
burned over". Fires occurred again in 1917 and 1924 but both of these were much smaller in size
(Lalande, 1980).
The first national fire policy was introduced after several decades of severe fires throughout the western
United States between 1910 and 1935. In the context of the forest management theory of the time, fire
exclusion was believed to promote ecological stability. In addition, fire exclusion could also reduce
commodity damages and the resulting community economic losses. In 1935, the Forest Service instituted
the "10 AM Policy," wherein the objective was to prevent all human-caused fires and contain any fire by
10 a.m. the following day (USDA FS and USDI BLM, 2001).
The Forest Service was particularly apprehensive regarding the Ashland Watershed, with its valuable
multi-purpose forestland and large number of recreational users: "...it is important to give the Ashland
watershed special fire protection... campers are quite numerous in the headwaters of streams, and some of
them need careful watching in order to see that carelessness is not exercised" (Erickson, 1913).
The issue of the Ashland Watershed's protection continued in 1928 when Hosler Darn was constructed
and the resulting Reeder Reservoir, a new water impoundment facility, was filled. This resulted in a
Cooperative Agreement between the City of Ashland and the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA). The Cooperative Agreement gave the City of Ashland standing as a partner in all aspects of
Ashland Watershed management even on federally administered lands and has been amended many times
since. This legal foundation has allowed for City involvement over the years that otherwise may not have
been possible.
In August of 1959, the Ashland Watershed Fire engulfed nearly 5,000 acres of timber and brush from
Jackson Hot Springs to the slopes overlooking Lithia Park. The human-caused blaze seriously threatened
4
to spread through the Ashland Watershed but was contained. The Forest Service immediately began a
program of grass seeding, tree planting, and construction of erosion control ditches and check dams to
mitigate the damage (Lalande, 1980).
The earliest Forest Service timber sale occurred in 1928 when Arthur Coggins purchased ten million
board feet in the upper Tolman Creek drainage. After the Depression struck in 1929, Coggins' operation
limped along for a few years, but byl933 only one million board feet had been cut and the sale was
cancelled (Mason, 1934). During the boom building period immediately after World War 11, the town of
Ashland supported over a dozen small sawmills. The attrition rate of these family-owned operations
soared in the mid-1950s, following the arrival of the large, diversified wood products manufacturers in
Jackson County (Tedrow, 1954).
Between the years of 1965 and 1968, approximately 2,795 acres were logged (Table 1-2) and about 45
miles of roads were built in the Ashland Watershed. (Acklin, 2015 personal communication).
Table 1-2 Forest Service Harvest Types in the Ashland Watershed 1965-68
Harvest Type Acres Timber Volume f Board feet)
Partial Cut 2,300 17,390,000
Clearcut 495 16,170,000
Total 2,795 33,560,000
The Initiation of Ashland Forestland Management, 1990 - 1995
In 1990, the controversial sale of forestland immediately adjacent to the City of Ashland by Southern
Oregon University to Superior Lumber Company initiated a vigorous community conversation focusing
on how to protect forest values in the vicinity of town. To protect important scenic values on what has
now become known as Siskiyou Mountain Park, the City of Ashland developed a plan to trade timber
harvested on its ownership in exchange for a lighter removal of timber on the Superior parcel and the
post-harvest sale of the Superior parcel to the City. This exchange opened the door for a closer
examination of how the City should positively interact with adjacent forestland owners. The outcome
included promoting active forest management on privately owned lands as welt as laying a foundation for
the 1992 Ashland Forest Plan to be implemented on City owned lands within the Ashland Watershed and
the wildland urban interface (WUI).
In that same year, a Coordinated Resource Management Plan was initiated in the Hamilton Creek
watershed that included properties owned by the City, the Forest Service, the Southern Oregon Land
Conservancy (SOLO), and 5 private landowners. This more collaborative approach to forest management
across ownership boundaries with project oversight from the USDA Soil Conservation Service, was the
first of its kind for forestland in southern Oregon. This process resulted in a number of important
developments, including a plan for trail use in the area (excluding private owners who did not want
trails), watershed-level fire management, planning across multiple ownerships, coordinating a timber sale
with several owners, and a watershed-level assessment of soil erosion and sediment transport into the
hydrologic network. Outgrowths of the project included the following:
• an innovative three-year program through the Job Council and Phoenix High School where at-risk
students worked on forest and land management projects in the watershed, for 20 hours per week;
• a community-wide fundraising effort that led to the purchase of 120 acres that was added to
Siskiyou Mountain Park resulting in a conservation easement held by the SOLC in 1992 with an
additional easement for the adjacent Oredson-Todd Woods completed in 1999; and
5
• a more educated and knowledgeable City staff in tune with the need for, and methods of,
implementing sensitive forest and resource management, particularly given the emerging
understanding of the high potential for wildfire in the Ashland WUI.
In 1992, Ashland Public Works put out a request for the preparation of an Ashland Forest Plan (AFP) to
provide specific management guidance for City forestlands. Ron McCormick and Associates were hired
and completed the plan for the City. In the AFP, the Ashland community was described as
environmentally aware, and sharing a similar environmental goals. Some of these shared goals include
the following:
• preservation of the scenic beauty and mountain backdrop to the City;
• protection of the watershed from catastrophic wildfire, especially originating from within the
urban interface (developed area); and
• protection of residents and property from wildfire.
Keith Woodley, hired in 1990 as the new City of Ashland Fire Chief, was handed the duties of overseeing
the management of City of Ashland forestlands and administering the new AFP.
The AFP recommended that the City Council establish a Forest Lands Commission to oversee City forest
management direction. Chief Woodley began initial implementation of forest and resource management
activities on City-owned lands by hiring Small Woodland Services, Inc. in 1995 to provide consulting and
contracting services. It has been a highly successful management relationship for over twenty years with
invaluable professional forest management services applied to the City of Ashland forest ownership.
Simultaneously, the Ashland Department of Parks and Recreation began more active forest, fuel, and trail
management activities on City park lands through efforts led by Jeff McFarland (Central Division
Manager, Ashland Department of Parks and Recreation). This active management was initiated first in
response to the widespread, insect-related demise of large Douglas-fir in the upland portions of Lithia
Park causing a significant increase in wildfire potential as the trees died and fell to the ground.
Additional forest management on Ashland Parks forestland throughout the City also began, most notably
in Siskiyou Mountain Park.
The City of Ashland continued to be innovative in developing ecologically sound strategies for managing
forestlands and increasing public acceptance for active forest management throughout the early 1990s.
This approach was not yet common in southern Oregon because, during the 1980s and 1990s, loggers and
conservationists squared off on opposite sides of the "timber wars" that erupted across the Pacific
Northwest over efforts to save the northern spotted owl under the Endangered Species Act and the
creation of the Northwest Forest Plan on federal agency land in 1994.
The Active Management of Ashland Watershed Forestlands, 1995 - 2015
Beginning in 1995 with the hiring of Small Woodland Services Inc. and the advisory oversight of the
Ashland Forest Lands Commission, the City of Ashland began active management of their forestlands
with three primary objectives:
• Protection and promotion of the City's water supply
• Maintenance and promotion of forest health
6
• Reduction in the fire prone nature of the forestland through active management of vegetation and
fuels
The City ownership was divided into working management units based on existing stand conditions, past
management history, and the management objectives as outlined by the City. Silvicultural prescriptions
were developed for key areas in the ownership and non-commercial work was begun to achieve those
management objectives. Over two-hundred permanent plots were installed that provided baseline data for
existing conditions including stand exam and tree data, stocking survey, canopy closure, snags, coarse
woody material, soils, fuels, and vegetation composition. The entire ownership was mapped for slope
stability and geologic sensitivity. These comprehensive data sets provided an ongoing source for project
implementation and effectiveness monitoring. The use of a recognized scientific methodology with the
support of actual data was beginning to build citizen acceptance of active forest management.
The 1990s also ushered in the beginnings of collaboration across property boundaries on public and
private ownerships. In 1997, the coordinated cross-boundary prescribed burn between the Forest Service
and the City was believed to be the first project undertaken using the newly-created Wyden Amendment
which allowed the Forest Service to conduct needed management activities on adjacent private lands.
This initial collaboration between the two primary owners in the Ashland Watershed has blossomed into
the positive outcomes currently being produced under the Ashland Forest Resiliency Project (AFR).
In 1994, Fire Chief Keith Woodley and civic supporters created a funding source for City forestland
management from the Water Fund, which is derived from the sale of water to citizens. These dedicated
funds have allowed for active vegetation management projects and focused on non-commercial thinning,
brushing, as well as piling and burning as recommended in the silvicultural prescriptions. Approximately
300 acres were successfully managed on the City of Ashland ownership, reducing wildfire risk. Other
work included
• conifer planting in select locations to shift long term species composition,
• native grass seeding in specific locations,
• invasive plants inventory and management/eradication plans, and
• trail maintenance and recreation management.
Due to insect-related conifer mortality and trees that were threatening the pipeline from Reeder Reservoir,
tree removal projects took place and a small volume of logs was sold to local mills. Additional hazard
trees were removed along trails.
The growing public acceptance for comprehensive forest management strategies resulted in the 2003
Restoration 11 project designed by the Ashland Forest Lands Commission. This project, involving a
timber sale, used helicopter harvest systems and was completed in 2004 removing 450,000 board feet
(approximately 125 log truck loads) of merchantable timber. It was primarily thinning-from-below of
overstocked stands and included the harvest of fire-prone, dead Douglas-fir (approximately 30% of the
total volume). The sale was completed at essentially breakeven costs to the City, and provided a model
showing how removal of merchantable trees could be undertaken in a program with clear objectives,
especially those related to fire management.
The Restoration II project expanded the possibilities for developing break-even helicopter projects by
demonstrating that carefully planned and implemented helicopter sales could occur at low volumes per
7
acre. Previously the minimum viable break-even harvest volume per acre was considered to be about
5,000 board feet per acre. Restoration 11 removed approximately 2,400 board feet per acre within budget.
This work on City lands progressively began to provide the citizens of Ashland and local resource
professionals with examples of how key forest management goals could be achieved in the Ashland
Watershed area while simultaneously protecting both ecological and important community values.
A prominent organization in this process continued to be the Ashland Forest Lands Commission, the
citizens' advisory group established in 1992 that provided a steady influx of able and active residents who
gave input to City staff and provided oversight for City forest management activities. In the process, the
City was able to gain direct input guiding its activities while educating the public about the complex
issues of forest and resource management in the Ashland Watershed. Over the years, the list of volunteer
commissioners on the Ashland Forest Lands Commission has included an impressive list of forestry and
natural resource professionals. In addition, the list of non-professionals who became well versed in forest
and resource management is as impressive as the list of professionals involved. They provided a much
needed layinen's perspective on forest and resource management issues and brought thoughtful strategies
and community-based values to the table. All meetings were open to the public, allowing additional
avenues for transparent and creative citizen involvement.
In contrast to the work being completed on City of Ashland forestlands, there was an ongoing Forest
Service stalemate and lack of pro-active management activity on adjacent agency lands in the Ashland
Watershed. A proposed timber sale in 1997, locally known as Hazred, received stiff opposition from
local residents, including a vocal march on the local ranger station. Eventually, the sale was withdrawn
and a new collaborative planning process was initiated by the district ranger, Linda Duffy, with a greater
effort to incorporate local input. An ad-hoc group of citizens formed the Ashland Watershed Stewardship
Alliance (AWSA) which began meeting regularly. This active group included a technical team of local
professionals who provided reconunendations to the Forest Service for management of the Ashland
Watershed (Ashland Watershed Stewardship Alliance, 1999).
Eventually, a second proposal for management activity in the Ashland Watershed was offered by the
Forest Service (the Ashland Watershed Protection Project) which incorporated more of the citizens' input
in its design, including a proposed 17-inch diameter limit on trees to be harvested in the watershed.
Interestingly, the necessity of a diameter cap was strongly opposed by a vote of group members in one of
the last meetings of the AWSA, largely because of the improved understanding of the complex issues
surrounding ecologically sound management in the Ashland Watershed.
The Record of Decision for the Ashland Watershed Protection Project authorized 145 acres of logging,
1,141 acres of manual treatments, 263 acres of prescribed underburning and follow up maintenance
underburning on 1,152 acres (USDA - FS, 2001).
Throughout this period, as the citizens of Ashland became more aware of the complex issues surrounding
protection of their water supply and the various critical resources of the entire Ashland Watershed, it was
increasingly understood that the choice to do nothing was unacceptable and that the continued likelihood
of a devastating high-severity fire would threaten all of the values prioritized by Ashland residents. A
handful of important factors were key to developing public awareness and acceptance:
• Ongoing management on City forestlands, including a helicopter thinning timber sale, in 2004,
provided an example of how ecologically and socially acceptable forest management could be
conducted.
• Numerous public and professional tours were conducted to view City management activities,
exploring the management actions in context, with extensive discussion of the merits of the
8
project. A similar situation was also occurring on Ashland Park lands, where members of the
public observed management activities designed to reduce fire danger.
• A collaborative management style was developing on private, non-industrial lands in the Ashland
WUI that allowed for inclusion of ecologically sensitive forest and resource management
strategies by citizens who were more poignantly aware of the potential impacts from large-scale,
high severity fire.
• The ongoing role of the Ashland Forest Lands Commission encouraged citizen input while
increasing public awareness and education in the process.
• Beginning in 2000, the initiation of a series of fuels reduction grants through the National Fire
Plan administered by the City of Ashland for homeowners and landowners in the Ashland WUI
helped citizens to directly participate and understand the importance of vegetation management
activities in the larger landscape.
• Ongoing changes within the Forest Service recognized the importance of productive interaction
with the local community in the development of proposed forest and resource management
activities. (Of special note, Linda Duffy was temporarily removed from her position as district
ranger only to be subsequently re-instated, at least in part due to citizen protest over her removal.)
One outgrowth of this process was the designation by the Forest Service of a single, on-point individual
to oversee a new developing project in the Ashland Watershed within federal ownership which ultimately
became Ashland Forest Resiliency Project (AFR). This encouraged more trusting and effective
community involvement in agency planning and decision making. Through careful and persistent
education, citizen distrust of active intervention in forest management was slowly replaced by the general
public's ability to understand and address important issues if given adequate information and valued as
participants.
This framework of knowledge and trust provided a solid foundation with which to embark on a much
larger project in the Ashland Watershed in 2003-2004. Designed under the Healthy Forest Restoration
Act, this project allowed for consideration by the Forest Service of a community alternative incorporated
within a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Through an extraordinary effort by a number of key
players, the City of Ashland was able to design such an alternative. This community alternative was
submitted to the Forest Service for consideration in 2004 and was found to be consistent with agency
goals. It was then largely adopted and blended into the 2009 Record of Decision (ROD) for AFR. The
acceptance of a community alternative as the foundation of the ROD was precedent setting and further
cemented the viability of the collaborative process developed in Ashland and was the first of its kind
under the 2003 Healthy Forest Restoration Act (Sturtevant, 2007 personal communication).
Understanding the unique relationship of the City of Ashland with the Ashland Watershed, the supervisor
of the Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest, Scott Conroy, chose to appoint two other organizations to
help plan for and implement the Ashland Forest Resiliency Project ROD under a Master Stewardship
Agreement (MSA). Stewardship Agreements are a federal authority that allows non-federal entities to
partner in implementation of federal forest land management.
The City of Ashland brought expertise to the AFR Project, including technical ability (silvicultural
prescription writing, tree marking, and operational oversight), community engagement and information
sharing, and advocacy for additional funding.
9
The Nature Conservancy, which had been instrumental in helping develop the community alternative in
2009, was added as a partner to bring scientific and environmental credibility to the project, as well as
both a local and national constituency.
The Lomakatsi Restoration Project brought established contracting capabilities, a workforce training
component, and good local acceptance for their ecologically sensitive approach for implementation of
forest management activities.
These four organizations, with the Forest Service as both the lead and an equal partner, embarked on a
collaboration strategy using the MSA to help implement this much-needed project on Forest Service
administered lands. In effect, the direct grass-roots citizen involvement evolved into an operational
project typical of professional management practices as conducted by the agency. Connection with the
local community was maintained through active participation of the other three partners, who brought
skills and community credibility to the project that might otherwise not have been available within the
agency.
In 2014, a larger landscape surrounding AFR was identified for treatments to reduce wildfire potential on
adjacent ownerships in a 53,000-acre footprint. In its sixth year of activity in 2015, the partnership
continued to retain broad public support for its work. The partnership successfully implemented major
treatments in the Ashland Watershed and continued to find a variety of funding sources, including a City
of Ashland utility bill surcharge, which began in July, 2015. It has become a regional and national
example of incorporating local social concerns and expertise in the development of a federal agency
project.
Community Education and Outreach
An important piece of the evolution of community attitude towards forest management is ongoing
education and outreach. Proactive engagement has allowed community members to understand the
ecological, political and public safety components of forestland management. Community outreach
fostered by the Ashland Forest Lands Commission and the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission
along with City staff have played a significant role toward increasing the public understanding and
acceptance of forest stewardship.
Figure 1-1 - Forestry Division Chief Chris Chambers speaking during an AFR Public Tour; April
12, 2014
10
Y~Y n
r
i
a
r_ `s
4 ~e 1
s
4#.
fi•.
Photo courtesy of the City of Ashland
Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission
The Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission has provided a variety of nature programs through the
North Mountain Park Nature Center. These programs teach monitoring skills, stewardship, and
interaction with the environment. Courses include bird, animal and plant identification, water quality
monitoring, bird counts, geology park/field study and Native American cultural study.
Specific programs and class offerings can be viewed on the Ashland Parks and Recreation website and in
the recreation guides available to all Ashland residents and visitors. There are a growing number of
volunteer groups that assist with trail restoration and construction and control of invasive species. One
public school program of note is the adoption of Ashland Ponds by the students at Helman Elementary
School in partnership with the Lomakatsi Restoration Project and the Rogue River Watershed Council,
both of which are local non-profit organizations. Students have spent many hours in study, research, and
restoration of this area.
11
Table 1-3 Organizations / School Groups that have Participated in Forestry, Trails, and Ashland
Ponds Projects with the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department; 1993 to 2015
Americorps
Figure Ashland Court Referred Community Service Program 1-2-
Ashland High School
Ashland Mountain Adventures
Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission Volunteer Program
Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission Trail Host Program
Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission Youth Conservation Corps Program
Ashland Rotary Club
Ashland Wilderness Charter School
Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association
Boy Scouts of America
Bainbridge Island School
College of the Siskiyous
Hassell Family
Helman Elementary School
International Mountain Bike Association
Jackson County Fuel Committee
Jackson County Juvenile Restorative Community Justice
Job Council
John Muir School
Klamath Bird Observatory
Klamath Tribe
Lithia Boys Home and Girls Home
Lomakatsi Restoration Project
Medford High School
Northwest Youth Corps
National Park Service
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Oregon State University Spring Break Alternative Group
Oregon State University Extension Service
Phoenix High School
RcalCorps
Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)
Rogue River Watershed Council
Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association
Saint Mary's School
Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Southern Oregon University Mountain Bike Club
Southern Oregon University Outdoor Education Program
The Nature Conservancy
U.S. Forest Service
U. S. Geological Survey
12
Lomakatsi High School Trail Crew on the Bandersnatch Trail, July, 2015
t
3'}
.
t
• r`
1
r `fir`
Photo courtesy of Jeff McFarland, City of Ashland
Ashland Forest Lands Commission
The Forest Lands Commission's mandate incorporates elements of public education and outreach,
including:
• To ensure that plans integrate diverse opinions of citizens and private land owners.
• To promote public knowledge and acceptance of the Ashland Forest Plan programs.
Specific examples include public meetings, interpretive hikes, staffing at community events, brochures
and a watershed poster contest.
Table 1-4 Forest Lands Commission Outreach Activities
Activity Timeline
Staffing Earth Day Booth 2009 to 2014
Bear Creek Salmon Festival Participation 2009 to 2014
Ashland Watershed Map Contest 2011
Forestry Interpretive Hikes and Field Reviews 1995 to present
13
Ashland Fire & Rescue
Ashland Fire & Rescue has implemented numerous educational initiatives on private lands through the
Fire Adapted Communities Program and precursor efforts. Since its inception there has been an increase
in community wildfire awareness and acceptance of personal responsibility for mitigation, forest
stewardship and knowledge of the importance of the City's forestlands.
The 2009 Siskiyou Fire and 2010 Oak Knoll Fire unfortunately demonstrated the continued potential for
high-severity fire to impact the community. The Siskiyou Fire ignited on September 21, 2009 during an
unusually strong east wind. Through a combination of fortunate factors, the fire was controlled before it
crossed Tolman Creek Road, where it would have threatened many more homes and advanced toward the
Ashland Watershed.
On August 24, 2010 a grass fire near exit 14 on interstate 5 spread over the freeway and into the adjacent
neighborhood, destroying 11 homes and damaging three more. Ashland Fire and Rescue's new Firerr,ise
Communities Program grew rapidly due to the community awareness created by these two wildfires.
Fi ure 1-3 - Retardant Dro on the 2009 Siski ou Fire
k '
f'
~k
it
Photo courtesy of Jeff McFarland, City of Ashland
Future Educational Needs
Continuation of programs that connect youth to the environment in active ways is important to their
development and wellbeing, future watershed management, and the financing of programs to protect the
watershed. Efforts under the AFR Project brought over 2,000 students from Ashland Schools into
watershed activities and education between 2010 and 2014 and will continue with additional funding in
2015. Additional efforts to integrate forest and watershed education into the Ashland School District
curriculum are still under consideration, but have not been fully developed as of 2015. The City will
continue to promote public knowledge and acceptance of Ashland Forest Plan (AFP) programs.
14
Examples of Expanding Community Involvement
Efforts to involve a broader- spectrum of the Ashland community have resulted in valuable engagement of
the arts and business communities.
In January, 2010, the Ashland Forest Lands Commission sponsored an Ashland Watershed Map Contest.
The Commission offered a $500 prize in a competition to design a cartoon-like map of the Ashland
Watershed and city. The map was intended to function as a tourist map of Ashland highlighting key
features of the city and surrounding area. The contest was advertised in several local publications
including two articles in the Ashland Daily Tidings. The winner was selected in April, 2010.
Fi ure 1-4 - Winner of the Ashland Watershed Ma Contest
f t: _ . _ s ass
~Lr
tg.
6
f{
MP
YIlo
Map courtesy of the City of Ashland, artist and winner: Pokey McFarland
In 2014 the Ashland Chamber of Commerce produced a fold out snap to satisfy the need for a
comprehensive trail map for visitors and locals alike, and to help raise funds for the Ashland Forest
Resiliency project. The "Ashland Map" accomplished both goals and also became an effective platform
for education and outreach:
The mission of our educational map is to create awareness, expand public
understanding and foster stewardship of Ashland's outdoors and resources.
With the map you will learn of the value and history of Ashland's watershed,
from fire to water- to a community settled because of its alluring source. While
showcasing the work done by the Ashland Forest Resiliency project - past,
15
present and future the AFR initiative provides crucial forest management for
fire protection and better access to AFR project areas to ensure the Ashland
watershed is healthy and continues to provide Ashland's unsurpassed livability
for decades to come. The map is produced by the Ashland Chamber of
Commerce.
-Ashland Chamber of Commerce, 2014
In July 2014, the Watershed Art Group received a $3,000 grant from the Haines Philanthropic
Foundation. The Watershed Art Group is a community collaborative aiming to use art to inspire, educate
and involve community members of all ages in the stewardship of Ashland's forests. This funding was
awarded to a local artist who created the mosaic sculpture of the Pacific fisher pictured below. The
Pacific fisher, a member of the weasel family, was once thought to be rare in the Ashland area, but now
AFR multi-party monitoring efforts have located over 25 of these forest carnivores just above town. The
increased understanding of the fisher's biology demonstrates an interdependent mix of community
awareness of forest ecosystem values in a social and scientific context.
Figure 1-5 - Watershed Art: Pacific Fisher Sculpture
Photos courtesy of the City of Ashland
In April 2016, the Ashland Visitor and Convention Bureau produced the "Ashland Map Guide" which is a
robust and picturesque guide to Ashland streets, parks, watershed, and trails, as well as information on
Crater Lake, Table Rocks, Cascade-Siskiyou Bikeway and Sky Lakes Wilderness.
Surveys of Public Opinion, 2011 - 2015
Three separate surveys of public opinion were completed that specifically assessed the perceptions of
Ashland residents regarding the importance of adjacent forestlands, the potential impacts of wildfire, the
need for active management to accomplish important objectives, the effectiveness of the AFR project, and
other issues. Two of these surveys were multi-year. Each survey used slightly different styles of
assessment and areas of emphasis.
2011 and 2012 Shaffer et al. S«jvevs of >Fildfire Puhlie Opinion
In 2011, a Wildfire Public Opinion Survey (Shaffer, et.al. 2011) was commissioned by the Rogue Valley
Fire Prevention Cooperative (RVFPC) and the results were administered, analyzed, and published by the
Southern Oregon University Research Center. A Phase Two Final Report was completed in 2012. The
intent of the project was to measure the regional public's knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with respect
to wildfire prevention and preparedness. The results suggest that outreach efforts of the RVFPC and
partners have been successful in raising public awareness of wildfire risk.
16
2011 Preister Discovery Project
Another- survey of Ashland residents, The Ashland Discovery Project: Citizen Issues and Opportunities
Regarding the Ashland Forest Resiliency Stewardship Project (AFR), was completed in May, 2011 by
Kevin Preister, PhD., of the Center of Social Ecology and Public Policy (Preister, 2015)). On behalf of
AFR partners, the City of Ashland requested that the Center for Social Ecology and Public Policy use its
Discovery ProcessTM to train and supervise a team of volunteers to engage the citizens of Ashland in
conversations about their watershed. Two-hundred and thirteen people provided their input. through
discussions with team members (139 as individuals and 74 in group settings). Preister's somewhat more
personal and direct approach to community assessment through direct individual, person-to-person
contact allowed for production of other community perspectives that might otherwise not have been
obtained.
2012 and 2014 Shihley et al. AFR Public Perception Surveys
In 2012, an Opinion Survey of Ashland residents was conducted by the Southern Oregon University
Research Center (Shibley, et al, 2012). The study population was adult residents of Ashland, Oregon and
the surrounding area. The sampling frame was registered voters in October 2011. The survey results
were included in the 2012 report titled Public Perceptions of AFR (Ashland Forest Resiliency) and Forest
Restoration-Results, from an Opinion Survey of Ashland Residents and was part of a multiparty
monitoring effort to track public support for this project. The report summarized results from a public
opinion survey measuring beliefs and attitudes about forest conditions and management practices in the
Ashland Watershed. Based on a random sample of residents in Ashland and the surrounding area, this
study is part of the multiparty monitoring effort to track public opinion of the AFR project.
Summary of All Public Surveys
The three separate surveys of public opinion conducted between 2011 and 2014 present a good composite
view of social opinion and public perceptions about forest and resource management in general and the
work within the Ashland Watershed and interface in particular. In general, the surveys arrived at a
number of very similar conclusions, with a few noticeable differences:
• The importance of the forestlands around the City of Ashland in general and the Ashland
Watershed in particular as a place of special connection and high value to respondents
was evident in all of the surveys, with the possible exception the Shaffer surveys that did
not address that particular issue. It was described as an important part of why people
lived in Ashland, and in Shibley's first report, natural beauty and recreational use even
superseded the value of the water produced from that watershed.
• All surveys reported a general and broad scale of agreement on the need to, and
acceptance of, conducting active forest and resource management to accomplish
important goals and objectives. All of the surveys indicated a concern for the negative
effects of wildfire upon resources and other public values, and emphasized individuals'
sense of vulnerability to fire. The 2014 Shibley survey found an increasing acceptance
for active management and restoration in general, both locally and regionally.
• In both Preister's survey and Shibley's 2012 survey, there was a considerable lack of
knowledge and understanding about the AFR project. However, Shibley's 2014 survey
17
seemed to suggest that knowledge about AFR and its goals was increasing, although he
also reported a decreased approval of AFR goals, with strong approval decreasing from
85 to 50%.
Another key finding that may be somewhat unusual regionally and/or nationally was the particularly high
sense of trust amongst individuat respondents for the primary organizations in the AFR project, ranging
from 70-90% in the 2014 Shibley survey. Additionally, strong support for the two governmental
organizations (Forest Service, City of Ashland) in both Shibley surveys (80% or greater of full trust or
some trust) is suspected to be well outside of the ordinary for most of the country. Preister did not
measure differences in levels of perceived trust of organizations, although he does suggest generally
broad areas of trust for the project.
Conclusion
Ashland has a long history of active citizen involvement in a wide range of issues, not the least of which
is interest in the natural environment. The close juxtaposition of the wildland urban interface, Ashland
Watershed and the City of Ashland itself has long been a source of concern for Ashland residents.
Protection of these water-producing forestland resources and the many other valuable natural assets
contained in the Ashland Watershed has been of paramount importance for many decades.
However, the lack of frequent disturbance within the forest ecosystem, either natural (frequent low-
severity fire, endemic levels of insect and disease, wind, landslides, etc.) or planned (thinning, prescribed
fire, etc.) has resulted in an over-burdened system that is increasingly due for an uncharacteristic, large-
scale, high-intensity disturbance that would be both socially and economically unacceptable. Years of
social resistance to active intervention in forest ecosystems, as exemplified by the "timber wars" of the
1980s and 1990s, only further limited the potential for more ecologically appropriate management,
making the area increasingly susceptible to unintended negative outcomes.
Through thoughtful and persistent education and active engagement of the Ashland community over a 25-
year period, a more careful and reasoned approach to forest and land management has been implemented,
first on private and municipal lands in the area, and ultimately on Forest Service land that encompasses
most of the Ashland Watershed. The transition of the community from one commonly opposed to active
intervention to one supportive of careful stewardship of the forest took place in a relatively short
timeframe. This change is a clear example of how integrating ecological and social values can provide a
unique and timely response to issues of critical importance to a forestland community. This 2016
Ashland Forest Plan hopes to move our community further in the direction of long-term, sustainable
stewardship of the priceless social and ecological values that we are charged with managing.
18
Chapter 2
Water: Primacy and Practice
City forestlands within the Ashland Watershed are managed primarily for the long-term
sustainability of the City of Ashland's water supply. While the Forest Service manages the
entire watershed for a host of values, the City's primary goal is protection and production
of potable water.
Ashland Creek, which drains much of the northern flank of Mt. Ashland and flows through
the center of the downtown area, is the primary source of municipal water. Several
smaller, named creeks flow through Ashland including Clay, Hamilton, and Paradise creeks.
Above Reeder Reservoir, the West Fork of Ashland Creek and Weasel Creek also flow
through the City's Winburn Parcel. A wide variety of aquatic macro-invertebrates are
found in the Ashland Watershed. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management surveys
have noted 25 rare or unusual taxonomy classifications in this area (Bear Creek Watershed
Council 2007).
Water Supply
City of Ashland customers consume a daily potable water total ranging from 2 to 7 million
gallons (MG), depending on the season and weather. Reeder Reservoir, built in 1928,
provides 280 MG of untreated water storage, and the City maintains four tank reservoirs of
treated water totaling 7.1 MG (City of Ashland 2012). This treated water storage capacity
results in approximately one day of potable water for city-wide use during the high season.
City planners generally view Reeder Reservoir as storing approximately 40 days of water
for the City. The City is also traversed by one large lateral from the Talent Irrigation
District (TID), providing additional water supply in dry years.
The City's single water treatment plant, approximately one mile below Reeder Reservoir on
Ashland Creek, was built in 1948 next to the City's original hydroelectric plant. This
location, at the bottom of several converging canyons, is at significant risk from wildfire,
floods and rock slides. The City continuously monitors the water system for over 100
contaminants including coliform bacteria, micro-organisms, herbicides, organics,
inorganics, and pesticides (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007).
Geology and Natural Processes in the Ashland Watershed
The primary geologic formations in the Ashland Watershed are the igneous Mount Ashland
batholith on the slopes of Mt. Ashland, and the sedimentary Hornbrook Formation lower
down toward the Bear Creek valley floor. The batholith contains granite and other igneous
rocks which readily decompose into the rounded pebbles, course sands, and granitic soils
common in the upper watershed. The silty sand of the surface soil ranges from a depth of a
few inches to about one foot, and is easily eroded. Landslide potentials are high, especially
on slopes greater than 50% or those exposed to the elements due to natural or
19
anthropogenic disturbance (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007). The bedrock of the
Hornbrook Formation is mostly sandstone, shale and conglomerate, and does not erode as
easily as the upland granitic soils.
Erosion and the resulting sedimentation are natural processes in the Ashland Watershed,
but human activity, which may cause flooding and high-severity wildfire can accelerate
these processes. Natural erosion of the Mt. Ashland granite results in the rounded stream
cobbles and course sand seen in the Ashland Creek watershed. Excessive sediment in
streams adversely affects aquatic habitats and the water quality needed for human uses.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) reported in 2010 that only 42%
of streams in the Rogue River Basin were in "good condition" in terms of sedimentation
(Oregon DEQ, 2012). Ashland has experienced large floods every 20-30 years since
European settlement, including 1853, 1861, 1890, 1927, 1948, 1955, 1964 (the largest),
1974, and most recently, 1997. Recent floods have overwhelmed or damaged the water
and sewage system, roads, parks, and city property, causing millions of dollars of damage
to Ashland city property alone (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007).
The Ashland Watershed is heavily influenced by climate, with high summer temperatures
and low annual precipitation. Precipitation levels increase sharply with elevation,
providing an average 60 inches at the top of Mt. Ashland (7500 feet) and only 19 inches in
town (1800 feet). The Ashland Water Advisory Committee commissioned a 30-year
climate model for the Ashland Watershed in 2010, which predicted a modest increase in
precipitation over that period, along with a 2°C increase in average temperature (City of
Ashland 2010). Rain-on-snow events, primarily at the 3500-4000 feet elevations, are
significant contributors to potential flood-stage creek flows.
Fisheries
Historical accounts indicate that Bear Creek was once "teeming with salmon" (Bear Creek
Watershed Council 2007). Bear Creek is considered a sensitive aquatic habitat by the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and historically an important spawning
tributary to the Rogue River for fall-run Chinook and winter Coho salmon, sea-run
cutthroat trout, and summer and winter steelhead. The Forest Service estimates that
steelhead were plentiful all the way up Ashland Creek, including the first mile of West Fork
and East Fork, and within the first mile or so of Hamilton, Tolman, and Clayton creeks (Bear
Water Analysis Appendices, 1995). Current steelhead distribution on Ashland Creek is
blocked by the Granite Street Dam which is well below the confluence of the East and West
forks. A general overview of the creeks and fish distribution as well as City-owned parcels
in the Ashland Watershed is shown in figure 2-1.
20
Figure 2-1 General overview of the creeks and fish distribution in Ashland
Watershed (Source)
2016 4hiana Fcracr ii;An ParrAtr~
'Z'
E -
~.tam
i~ -
f
mss Fisheries in the Ashland Watershed have historically supported 5 native salmonids:
• Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
• Chinook salmon (0. tshawytscha)
• Steelhead (0. mykiss)
• Rainbow trout (also 0. mykiss)
• Cutthroat trout (0. clarki)
Coho salmon within Ashland Creek were listed as Threatened under the Endangered
Species Act in May, 1997. Steelhead are the anadromous (ocean-going) variety of rainbow
trout. Other fish native to Bear Creek and its tributaries include Lamprey (Lampetra
tridentata), Klamath smallscale suckers (Catostomus rimiculus), speckled dace (Rhinichthys
osculus), and reticulate sculpin (Cottus perplexus). Fish distribution in streams passing
through City forestlands are listed below (table 2-1). The same information for streams
managed under the Oregon Forest Practices Act is shown in (table 2-2).
21
Table 2-1 Stream Segments Managed under the City Riparian Ordinance
(1.05 miles / 15.3 acres)
Stream Name Stream Type Length in Miles Riparian
Management
Acres
Ashland Creek Perennial Stream 0.23 4.7
(Ashland Ponds) with Fish
Ashland Creek Perennial Stream 0.31 2.9
(Lower Watershed) with Fish
Bear Creek (Ashland Perennial Stream 0.25 5.9
Ponds) with Fish
Lower Watershed Intermittent Stream 0.13 0.8
Tributary 1
Westwood Park Intermittent Stream 0.13 1.0
Table 2-2 Stream Segments Managed under the Oregon Forest Practices Act
(4.05 miles / 65.0 acres)
Stream Name Stream Type Length in Miles Riparian
Management
Acres
Ashland Creek Perennial Stream 1.45 34.4
(Lower Watershed) with Fish
Clay Creek Intermittent Stream 0.39 1.2
Hamilton Creek Intermittent Stream 0.01 0.1
(Alsing Reservoir)
Lower Watershed Intermittent Stream 0.19 0.6
Tributary 2
Paradise Creek Intermittent Stream 0.19 0.8
Weasel Creek Perennial Stream 0.4 6.5
with Fish
West Fork Ashland Perennial Stream 0.77 17.9
Creek with Fish
Winburn Tributary 1 Intermittent Stream 0.21 0.5
Winburn Tributary 2 Perennial Stream 0.13 0.9
with Fish
Winburn Tributary 2 Perennial Stream 0.11 0.7
without Fish
Winburn Tributary 3 Perennial Stream 0.07 0.8
with Fish
Winburn Tributary 4 Perennial Stream 0.13 0.6
without Fish
Ashland Creek Fishery
22
Ashland Creek is an important tributary to Bear Creek with approximately seven miles of
stream, extending from the headwaters of the West Fork down to the confluence with Bear
Creek below the City of Ashland's Wastewater Treatment Plant. The West Fork of Ashland
Creek runs through the City-owned Winburn Parcel before flowing into Reeder Reservoir,
and empties a drainage of approximately 6,966 acres (Bear Creek Watershed Council
2007). The East Fork of Ashland Creek does not flow through City property and is not
discussed here.
From the City's Water Treatment Plant located along Ashland Creek approximately one
mile below Reeder Reservoir, the creek proceeds through residential and commercial areas
of Ashland to its confluence with Bear Creek. It is a substantially confined, narrow channel
with little or no riparian area. The urban portion of the stream is considered meager fish
habitat, although, between Reeder Reservoir and the Winburn Way Bridge, the stream
habitat is better as it flows down through Lithia Park, but is still considered poor fish
environment (Bennett 2000). If properly restored, lower Ashland Creek would provide
excellent habitat for juvenile Coho (Williams et al., 2006).
The City of Ashland has a Water Resources Protection Ordinance which specifies
development guidelines and riparian buffers along streams and wetlands for all property
within the city limits. Forested private lands outside of city boundaries fall under
jurisdiction of the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Forest Practices Act.
This law requires riparian buffers of varying widths, depending on the size of stream and
whether "game fish" are present.
Ashland Creek fisheries are divided into several distinct reaches, most of which flow
through City forestlands or Ashland Department of Parks and Recreation property. The
lower reach starts at the confluence with Bear Creek and gently slopes up to the Granite
Street Dam, 2.5 miles upstream. This reach contains seasonal anadromous salmonids
(Coho and Chinook salmon), reticulate sculpin (Cottus perplexis), and rainbow trout, the
catadromous form of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In electroshocking surveys during
the summers of 1997 and 1998, sculpin (figure 2-2) accounted for 92-97% of all captured
fish in lower Ashland Creek (Broderick, 2000). It's possible that introduced warm-water
fish from private ponds and Bear Creek have found their way into the lower reach of
Ashland Creek, including large and small mouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, catfish, brown
bullhead, yellow perch, carp, goldfish, and Gambusia (mosquito fish). To date, several
native fish including suckers, pacific lamprey and speckled dace have not been found
recently in Ashland Creek, although small-scale suckers were observed near Ashland in
Bear Creek as recently as 2000 (Broderick, 2000).
23
Figure 2-2 Reticulate Sculpin
Picture of ugly sculpin needed.
[Need photo credit from (Bear Creek Watershed
Council 2007)]
In August, 2012, the ODFW conducted a survey of a stretch of Ashland Creek below the
Water Street Bridge, showing that stream health was improving as the result of restoration
projects. In a 300-foot section of the creek, fish biologist Dan Van Dyke reported finding
246 trout fry, 180 steelhead between 3 and 11 inches long, eight Coho salmon, three Pacific
giant salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus), and 167 sculpin. Native cutthroat trout are
apparently no longer present in this reach. (Wheeler, 2012).
The middle reach of Ashland Creek extends from above the Granite Street dam to Reeder
Reservoir, and is notable for an increasing gradient and narrow canyons. Rainbow and
cutthroat trout exist in this little-used reach of Ashland Creek (Bear Creek Watershed
Council 2007).
Ashland Creek, from the confluence with Bear Creek to the Granite Street dam, supports a
small summer steelhead run, a January - May winter steelhead run, and November -
December Coho salmon run if water levels are adequate. Ashland Creek contains about
three miles of spawning and smolt-rearing area from Bear Creek to the Granite Street Dam.
There is also a resident rainbow trout population from this dam all the way down to Bear
Creek.
Like any urban stream, lower Ashland Creek suffers from a variety of unavoidable street
pollutants which affect fish and aquatic life, including petroleum products, creosote,
herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and metals (Baldwin et al., 2003; Hunter and
Pyle 2004; McPherson et al., 2004;). In Ashland, most storm drains and ditches run directly
into tributaries of Ashland Creek or Bear Creek.
Near the mouth of Ashland Creek, the City Wastewater Treatment Plant confines the channel
and treated water is discharged into the stream which elevates the overall temperature of
the creek. According to the DEQ, stream temperatures near the outlet frequently exceed
DEQ's water temperature criteria for fish (Oregon DEQ, 2012).
Ashland Creek in Lithia Park is often closed to the public towards the end of summer due to
high E. coli concentrations. This bacteria indicates the presence of fecal matter, which enters
24
the creek from a variety of sources including wild and domestic animals, human activity in
the creek, improperly functioning septic systems, and illegal dumping. In 2010, Rogue
Riverkeeper and Southern Oregon University embarked on a field study to determine the
causes of E. cols in Ashland Creek. The resulting 2011 report found that the primary source
of the bacteria was the TID outfall near the top of Lithia Park. This 12-inch diameter pipe
spills TID water into Ashland Creek during the summer months to supplement low water
flows due to the City Water Treatment plant out-takes upstream. The TID water did not
contain significant E. coli before it entered city limits, but picked up the bacteria as it flowed
through the southeastern part of town in an open ditch (English, et al, 2011)
West Fork Ashland Creek
Above Reeder Reservoir, Ashland Creek is divided into two tributaries, West Fork and East
Fork. The West Fork of Ashland Creek runs upstream approximately 2.25 miles, flowing
through the City-owned Winburn Parcel. The most recent stream survey data for this reach
is the 2001 West Fork Ashland Creek Stream Study (City of Ashland 2001), a level-two
stream survey performed by the Siskiyou Research Group for the Forest Service.
The 2009 City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase III: Winburn Parcel (Restoration 111)
describes the West Fork Ashland Creek as flowing "through a colluvial canyon with steep,
narrow canyons containing moderately entrenched channels with low bankfull width-to-
depth ratios and moderate to high stream gradients. This valley-type is consistent with a
good portion of the creek as it flows through the Winburn parcel, particularly the portion
below Weasel Creek. Aquatic habitats on the creek consist of rapids, cascades with pocket
pools, and plunge pools. Another key aquatic habitat type on the Winburn Parcel, as a
result of confluences with several tributaries, is alluviated canyons characterized by
discontinuous floodplains, scattered terraces, and other alluvial deposits. These portions
contain gravel and cobble substrates, side channel habitat, and more spawning and rearing
habitat, largely due to lower stream gradients. The presence of these alluviated canyons
and associated features on the Winburn Parcel is important due to their relative scarcity on
the West Fork Ashland Creek." (City of Ashland, 2009.)
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides web pages with live and historical
data on stream flow in the West Fork Ashland Creek:
http•//waterdata usgs gov/or/nwis/uv/?site no=14353000&PARAmeter cd=0006
5,00060
Approximately 0.75 miles of the West Fork Ashland Creek flows through the Winburn
Parcel. This fork has five perennial tributaries feeding it, with Weasel Creek and one other
unnamed tributary containing fish. The Forest Service conducted stream surveys of West
Fork in 1969-1970, and again in 1990 in a survey called West Fork Ashland Creek Stream
Study (WFACSS). The West Fork was surveyed again in the 2001 WFACSS. The following
table is a summary of conditions found in the West Fork (figure 2-3).
25
Table 2-3 West Fork Ashland Creek key measurements in the past 50 years.
2001 West Fork Ashland Creek Stream Study (WFACSS), Reach 1 data
July 23, 1969 Sept 17, 1990 Sept 28, 2001
Water Temperature 58 degrees F 55 degrees F 47-52 degrees F
Stream Flow 8-9 CFS 3.3 CFS 2.3 CFS
Fish Species Cutthroat Cutthroat Cutthroat
Pool/Riffle ratio 10% pools 3% pools, 11% glides 16% pools, 83%
riffles (.19)
Large Wood unknown 153 pieces/mile 0.7/mile
Material
The 2001 WFACSS reported that "cutthroat trout were the only species observed however
some identification was inconclusive and rainbow trout may be present in West Fork
Ashland Creek." Habitat conditions were fair to good.
Stream survey records from 1990 show that large woody material exceeded the desired
amount of 100 pieces per mile. However, the 2001 survey noted that large woody material
was significantly deficient. The reduction in large woody material after 1990 could be
explained by major floods in the intervening years. Pool-to-riffle ratio is low. Riparian
vegetation is in good condition, providing ample shade, although more conifer vegetation
would be desirable.
Weasel Creek
Weasel Creek is a perennial creek running 0.4 of a mile to the West Fork of Ashland Creek.
Aside from some relic commercial recreation occurring along the stream for several
decades between 1890 and 1920, Weasel Creek is largely untouched by urbanization.
Overall stream habitat is excellent. It is a very small stream but supports a healthy
population of native cutthroat trout. A large landslide occurred during the 1962 flood,
depositing large quantities of sediment into the stream.
Clay Creek
Clay Creek begins on Forest Service land and runs 0.39 of a mile through City property in
the southeast corner of Siskiyou Mountain Park and the full length of the Southern Oregon
Land Conservancy's Oredson-Todd Woods. This creek is not part of the Ashland Creek
watershed and flows directly through residential areas in Ashland emptying into Bear
Creek. Lower reaches of this intermittent creek may be used by anadromous fish, and the
Bear Creek Watershed Council summarized the creek's condition as "Moderate-quality
aquatic habitat (and moderate-size fish community)." However, the portion of Clay Creek
which flows through Oredson-Todd Woods only maintains a local trout population. A
natural waterfall in Oredson-Todd Woods prevents migration of upstream fish populations,
and just below the park, fish are obstructed by many man-made barriers all the way down
to the confluence with Bear Creek (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007).
Hamilton Creek
Hamilton Creek drains a small watershed east of the Clay Creek drainage, and flows directly
into Bear Creek. Only a tiny portion of Hamilton Creek crosses City property at the Alsing
26
Tank Reservoir. There is a native trout population at this point, primarily above the
reservoir, near Tolman Creek Road. However, it is unlikely this population can reach Bear
Creek, due to piped, residential stretches downstream. The mouth of the creek may be
used by anadromous fish (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007).
Paradise Creek
In the northwest corner of Siskiyou Mountain Park, the upper reaches of Paradise Creek
begin. This intermittent stream does not contain fish. Like Hamilton and Clay creeks,
Paradise Creek also suffers from piped areas and barriers as it flows through residential
areas of Ashland (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007).
Ashland Ponds
In 2008, the City began a unique collaboration with Lomakatsi Restoration Project, the Bear
Creek Watershed Council, Helman Elementary School, and the Ashland Parks & Recreation
Commission to rejuvenate City wetlands near the mouth of Ashland Creek, including areas
along Bear Creek, Ashland Creek, and a large pond at the site of an old gravel pit called the
Ashland Pond. This area was overgrown with Himalayan Blackberry and non-native
grasses and trees. Since the project began, with the help of students and parents from
Helman Elementary School, over 2000 native trees have been planted. With extensive
blackberry clearing, heavy mulching, semi-annual weeding, fertilizing and watering
throughout the hot summer months, significant progress has been made in returning this
area to a more natural, open condition with native plants (City of Ashland, 2015).
Conclusion
All of these waterways play a vital role in the health of City forestlands and the health of the
forest habitats used by wildlife and aquatic animals. Stream flows in Ashland Creek are
usually adequate for fish production. Temperatures are within limits for spawning and
rearing. Riparian vegetation and shade structures that are important for keeping water
temperatures within healthy limits are adequate. However, structural habitat (pools,
gravel, and hiding cover) is only fair. According to the ODFW, there are opportunities for
structural habitat improvement projects.
27
Chapter 3
Recreation: Multiple Use Challenges and Opportunities
Introduction
The forestlands around the city of Ashland have been used for recreation by local citizens and
visitors for generations (Hess, 1986). The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) offer several
gateways via in-town trailheads to forestland owned by the City and to the larger Forest Service
ownership in the Ashland Watershed. At various times in Ashland's history, initiatives have
been explored and implemented by different government and private entities on City forestlands
to increase and enhance visitor use and promote the city as a forested destination, while at the
same time managing natural resources including wildfire risk and timber harvest (LaLande,
1980).
In 2005, the City of Ashland created a Trails Master Plan (TMP) to implement the vision of
providing Ashland with "a diverse network of trails that connects downtown, schools,
neighborhoods, and surrounding areas." The 2005 TMP covers City forestlands as well as other
City lands that do not fall under the scope of this 2016 Ashland Forest Plan (AFP). The 2005
TMP is an important reference and planning document to incorporate into City forestlands
management because it uses the City's forest lands trail system as the connector from urban
areas to the Forest Service managed lands, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy lands, and other
ownerships in the Ashland Watershed. The 2005 TMP identified the importance of developing
and maintaining City forestland trails appropriate to their natural surroundings, level of use, and
with regulations in place regarding the type of use for specific trails (City of Ashland, 2005).
In recent years, Forest Service and City personnel, as well as casual trail users, have noticed a
sharp increase in the number of visitors to the greater Ashland Watershed (USDA FS, 2014).
This recent escalation has impacted user experiences, strained natural resources and created
parking issues at trailheads on City lands. Increased use combined with the existence of
unsigned trails and unsanctioned, user-created trails has generated confusion and tension for trail
users.
The current management trend is to identify trails on City forestlands for specific uses or, in
some cases, multiple uses depending on user demand and natural resource management
objectives. Sanctioned and sustainable trails are regularly repaired, signed and maintained while
unsustainable trails are eliminated. In addition, trail managers try to create a challenging and
positive trail environment where some users are not motivated to build unsanctioned trails
(McFarland, 2015).
In 2011 the Ashland Woodland Trails Association (AWTA), a local non-profit organization,
developed their own master plan which listed the current state of the trails system, uses,
concerns, conflicts and management recommendations (AWTA, 2011). As new types of trail
usage arise within the recreation community with the inevitable attendant concerns, the various
interested parties in Ashland are continually working together on developing adaptive
28
management solutions to protect and enhance the valuable resource of Ashland Watershed
forestland trails.
Trail Uses
Trail use in the City forestlands include: hiking, trail running, equestrian use, and mountain
biking. The purpose of regulating trails for specific uses is to reduce user conflict, enhance user
experience and to protect natural resources by promoting trail sustainability. In a typical year,
eight special-use permits are issued for events within the Ashland Watershed. Some of these
events have been occurring for decades and since City forestlands offer gateways to the Forest
Service land beyond, the permitted events are required to seek approval from both the City and
the Forest Service. These events draw nationwide attention to Ashland and bring fitness
enthusiasts, adventure seekers and spectators to town. Large events can adversely impact the
casual trail users and may result in temporary conflicts (AWTA, 2011 and USDA FS, 2014).
Fig 3-1 - A hiker enjoying walking her dog on the Liberty Street trail in Ashland, Oregon.
29
its 3 ~la i1-
y~
r
aY 4M. s~i.} .1 _
x# k
x
j t ti.., 4 w t r
3
wr Ur i~1} t 31.E ~~,~s4
M t
1
i
1.•
Photo by Jeffrey McFarland February 24, 2012.
Hikers have been drawn to the lands surrounding the city for over a hundred years. According to
the Ashland Commercial Club's 1909 brochure, the Ashland Creek drainage, or "Ashland's
Grand Canyon" as they called it, offers "...stillness, music, incense, light and shade and
seclusion. What wonder that the young folks and old alike stroll through this cool retreat on
Sunday afternoons..." (Ashland Commercial Club, 1909). Hikers and their impacts are typically
concentrated closer to trailheads and are affected by parking availability. The heaviest use
occurs on the lower reaches of Road 2060 (both ends) and on the BTI, Alice in Wonderland,
White Rabbit, Toothpick, Jabberwocky, and Caterpillar Trails (USDA FS, 2014). The Forest
Service 2060 road is closed to vehicles for most of its length except for the portion between
Morton Street and White Rabbit Trailhead and may be used by hikers looking for a longer route
on a gentle grade. Many hikers and some trail runners bring dogs with them on their adventures.
Trail running has gained popularity more recently and this use often starts on City forestlands
and extends to the Forest Service trails. Trail runners may start in the city itself and access
30
Forest Service trails in the upper watershed via City forestland trails with trail runners looping
via multiple trails. Other runners park at City trailheads to begin their runs. The trail running
community has a history stretching back several decades of organizing weekly group runs which
start in downtown Ashland and may include 10-20 participants. Several permitted events
sponsored by the running community that use City forestland trails include the Lithia Loop Trail
Marathon and the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Run (AWTA, 2011).
Equestrian use of City forestland trails is infrequent due to the steepness of trails and lack of
suitable trailer parking. It has become even less common recently due to conflicts with mountain
bikers. (AWTA, 2011 and USDA FS, 2014).
Off-highway vehicle use is prohibited on Ashland forestland trails.
The 2011 AWTA Trails Master Plan provides an excellent summary of the evolution of
mountain biking and how it has led to new kinds of trail construction and use, and how this
evolution has affected other trail users. Modern downhill mountain bikes are manufactured to go
faster and achieve higher and longer jumps. Many current mountain bikers ride downhill only.
The greater Ashland Watershed provides superior opportunities for rapid descent due to the
approximately 5,000 foot elevation differential between Mount Ashland and the City of Ashland.
These extreme downhill mountain bikers frequently finish their descents via the City forestlands
trail system. With their increased speed and interest in doing tricks and jumps, their recreational
needs can present a disruptive and dangerous feature when other trail users are present.
Fig 3-2 - Mountain biker on Lower Waterline Trail while participating in the "Super D"
race during summer of 2011.
31
kx
~v
:a.
A
1 ~ilf ~ t
Photo by Jeffrey McFarland taken June 18, 201 1.
Extreme mountain bikers employ local shuttle drivers and have organized themselves to enhance
their riding experience but also to reduce conflicts with other uses. One of their main concerns is
that their bikes are built for a different kind of trail than the narrow switch-backing trails that
previously existed on City forestlands. The lack of suitable trails for this extreme mountain
biking has led to the creation of unsanctioned trails built specifically for rapid downhill descent
(AWTA, 2011). Traditional mountain biking on City forestland trails still occurs, but the
cumulative impact of increased numbers and intensity of the extreme mountain bikers has
reduced traditional mountain biking on the trail system.
Camping is not a sanctioned use on City forestlands, but transients do use City forestlands and
City forest trails for illegal camping. Homeowners with property adjacent to City forestland
trails regularly express apprehension about the threat of wildfires from campfires started by this
illegal activity (City of Ashland, 2014).
Use of Ashland forestland trails for hunting and fishing is minimal due to road and Reeder
Reservoir zone closures, the proximity of infrastructure and the non-hunting/fishing individuals
32
that frequent these trails. Fortunately, there is an abundance of more accessible and appropriate
forestlands for this type of activity in surrounding areas.
Cross-country skiing is rare on trails within City forestlands but has been known to occur during
excessively snowy conditions. Skiers may enter forestlands from the city, but more typically
they start at Mount Ashland and use Forest Service trails to descend into town, traversing over
City forestland trails near the end of their expedition.
Figure 3-3 - Trail overview* map.
[MAP HERE]
*Individual parcel maps start on page x.
We need to turn the Trail overview map into a jpeg or some other format. I can't send the chapter with
the Trails Overview snap included. The file is too big.-Frank
Table 3-1 - The total miles of trail on city lands by use type for each parcel.
Trail use by type in miles per parcel
Forest Land Parcels Use Type
Hike Hiker/Equestrian Multi Bike Hike/Bike Total
Only Only Use Only Only trail
length
Ashland Ponds 0.15 0.27 0.42
Alsing Reservoir 0
Burnson - Lawrence 0.11 0.19 0.30
Cottle - Phillips 0.22 0.01 0.23
Crowson Reservoir 0.09 0.04 0.13
Granite Street 0.43 0.43
Hitt Road 0.05 0.05 0.05
Hald - Strawberry 1.19 1.19
Liberty Street 0.09 0.09
Lower Watershed 0.75 2.49 0.40 1.04 1.48 6.32
Oredson Todd 0.5 0.28 0.78
Woods
Siskiyou Mountain 2.37 2.37 4.74
Park
Upper Lithia 1.71 0.39 2.10
Total trail length 5.90 2.49 5.71 1.20 1.48 16.78
per user type
Conflicts and Challenges
User Conflicts
33
Conflict happens in recreational settings when a user's expectation and desire for a positive
recreational experience are not met. Such conflict occurs more frequently with increasing use
and multiple use (USDA FS, 2014). Conflict may arise between users in the same or different
user groups. User conflict is experienced uniquely by individuals. What one individual deems
as appropriate and an enjoyable recreation experience can be judged by another user as an
unacceptable and unfulfilling recreational activity.
The primary user conflict in the Ashland Watershed is between downhill mountain bikers and
pedestrians (hikers, runners, and dog walkers), and to a lesser extent, equestrians (USDA FS,
2014). Pedestrians have reported becoming startled and fearful of, near misses by extreme
downhill mountain bike riders. The 2005 Ashland TMP also identified off-leash dogs, dog
waste, and untenable noise as sources of user conflict between user groups (City of Ashland,
2005). It should be noted that the proximity of City forestlands to private residential property
also creates potential user conflict between homeowners and trails users. This conflict is
generally comprised of noise and visual disturbances, as well as perceived threats of trail-user
created wildfires and the use of City forestland trails to establish transient camps in the broader
Ashland Watershed (City of Ashland, 2005 and City of Ashland, 2014).
User conflict may be mitigated by creative trail design and by regulating the type of use on
specific trails. According to the Forest Service, "...inadequate trail design can contribute to
conflict because of inadequate sight distance, sharp switchbacks, narrow trails directly down the
fall line, and overall inconsistent design on a particular trail" (USDA FS, 2014).
User conflict generally increases on the Ashland forestland trails closest to the city. The Forest
Service has identified the east side of Ashland Creek, in the vicinity of White Rabbit trailhead,
on the Alice in Wonderland, White Rabbit, and Caterpillar trails as having the highest user
conflict. City forestlands that have experienced high user conflicts include the area below the
BTI Trail where the Waterline Trail meets the Bandersnatch and BTI Trail intersections. The
City sees an opportunity for ways to lessen user conflicts when new tie-in trails are developed to
connect with the Forest Service trails in their Ashland Trails Project.
An additional area where user conflict has occurred is the top section of the Alice in Wonderland
trail which traverses Forest Service land and three private properties before entering City
forestland. The City has worked successfully with AWTA to obtain two of three trail easements
needed to reconstruct, reroute, and separate trail traffic onto a future Alice in Wonderland trail
and a new Bandersnatch trail to mitigate user conflicts. The City continues to seek the final
easement to make this connection for a reroute a reality.
Accessibility to trails is the most important factor that contributes to specific high-use rates with
attendant high rates of conflict in the Ashland Watershed. The east side of Ashland Creek is
more heavily used by extreme mountain bikers due to the easy location of shuttle drop-off points
which concentrate users in this area (USDA FS, 2014). Due to the nature of the topography and
a lack of roads for shuttles, the west side does not experience a similar level of extreme mountain
biking and thus user conflict is less frequent. Accessibility as a factor contributing to user
conflict plays an important role in creative management of City forestlands because these
forestlands serve as the gateway to the Forest Service trails and may serve as both the entry and
exit through which most users obtain their trail recreation experience.
34
Trail Sustainability
Most of the trails within the City forestlands are authorized trails, and approximately two thirds
of them receive annual maintenance with a goal of trail sustainability (McFarland, 2015).
According to the Forest Service, "a sustainable trail reflects a condition where soil movement is
limited to that which can be addressed through annual or bi-annual maintenance" (USDA FS,
2014). Annual maintenance focuses on clearing vegetation to promote safe passage and sight
distance, rerouting problem sections, removal of hazard trees, maintenance or replacement of
trail signs, and upkeep of drainage structures to reduce erosion. The recent proliferation of
unsanctioned trails provides the biggest threat for soil erosion as they are not constructed with a
focus on resource protection. However, it should be noted that even sanctioned City forestland
trails may suffer negative complications during unique weather events or from intense use...a
complication that did not exist when the trails were originally constructed (McFarland, 2015).
Figure 3-4 - Jason Minica, Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission employee, hauling
gravel with a Trail-Toter during construction of Rich's Trail above Lithia Park.
fiy . r, I r
k
r~
•-IRS
Photo by Jeffrey McFarland on December 4, 2006. y
In 2007, there was a marked increase in unapproved trail building for the specific purpose of
increasing riding challenges for extreme mountain biking. During this time there was also an
increase in reports of user conflicts (USDA FS, 2014). The construction of unapproved trails on
Forest Service land, which is often accessed via City forestlands, came to a head in 2010 when a
35
mini-excavator was used to construct unapproved trails in the area below Coggins Saddle (Four
Corners). On a positive note, community outreach and education by the City, the Forest Service,
and user groups has subsequently decreased the rate of unapproved trail construction (USDA FS,
2014).
Figure 3-5 - Trail work crew performing "rough-in" work on new Red Queen Trail.
.t
A•.Y~
4
a
i
e-/
J
Ilk
44:
,
So%
Y
s
10~ Z.
Photo by Torsten Heyeke taken February 13, 2016.
36
Figure 3-6 - High School students from the Lomakatsi Summer Youth Outdoor Program
working with Ashland Parks to install crib logs on lower Bandersnatch Trail on a trail's
workday. These students were from five different high schools in the area that were
participating in the program. They worked with the Ashland Parks & Recreation crew for
two days on the new section of Bandersnatch Trail.
iI III
e j
f 4 I~J
e
. i
y, 9 rr . R
~ Y,4 rr .
~A Y M
4- IIa
yNC• I
k
4 ,
b 4A
Photo by Jeffrey McFarland on July 24, 2015.
Management Recommendations
it is expected that the use of City forestland trails for running, hiking, equestrian use, and
mountain biking will increase in the future. Users will continue to seek out high-value recreation
37
experiences in the Ashland Watershed and utilize the City forestland trailheads to access the City
forestlands themselves and Forest Service lands beyond. The City is committed to collaborating
and partnering with Federal, State, and local jurisdictions, businesses, public and private schools,
user groups, and individual citizens to provide trail users with a safe and gratifying experience
while protecting the array of natural resources that the Ashland Watershed offers (City of
Ashland, 2005). Below is a list of some specific goals identified by Jeffrey McFarland, the
Central Division Manager for Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission, for the future of the
city's trail systems:
• Enhance trail connectivity within the city limits (by obtaining easements, additional trail
connections on right of ways, park areas, etc.)
• Develop additional sustainable and appropriate trail connections along or within several
designated corridors that are identified in the 2005 TMP (i.e. Ashland Creek Corridor,
Wrights Creek Corridor, Tolman Creek Corridor, TID Corridor, etc.)
• Increase sustainable and appropriate trail connections in the WUI
• Work to accomplish regional trail connection goals including the Grizzly Peak Trail
Connection and expansion of the Greenway Trail out to Emigrant Lake
(McFarland, pers Comm 2015)
To achieve theses goal, the Ashland Forest Lands Commission developed the following
management recommendations:
• Continue managing trails to promote sustainability and reduce the creation of
unsanctioned trails
• Retain social and natural resource monitoring protocols and adaptive management
strategies
• Continue community outreach and education
• Maintain collaboration with Federal, State, and local jurisdictions, businesses, public and
private schools, and citizens
Parcel maps down here as per Frank
References
Ashland Commercial Club. 1909 "Ashland, Oregon," (promotional brochure), Ashland, Oregon.
(JCL-A)
Ashland Woodland Trails Association. 2011. Trails Master- Plan. 97p. Ashland, Oregon
https://sites.google.com/site/ashlandwoodstmp/home
38
City of Ashland. 2006. Ashland Trails Master Plan 2005. 57p. Ashland, Oregon.
City of Ashland, 2014. Unpublished data on file; meeting minutes, Ashland Forest Lands
Commission December 9th, 2014.
Hess, J. 1986. The Forest at Ashland's Doorstep - A Study of Visitation to the Ashland Creek
Watershed. Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina. [Page] Information not available
online?-Frank.
Lalande, J. 1980. Prehistory and History of the Rogue River National Forest: A Cultural Overview.
Medford, OR. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 287 p.
httf//soda.sou.edu,lawdata/0 30205a l .pdf
McFarland, J. 2015. Central Division Manager, City of Ashland. Ashland, OR. Personal
communications
US Forest Service. 2014. Ashland Trails Project Environmental Assessment; 278p.
Jacksonville, Oregon.
http://a l 23.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc 123/forestservic.download.akamai.com/1 l_ 558/www/ne
pa/89822 FSPLT3 2397535.pdf
Chapter 4
Vegetation: Retrospective, Trends and Challenges
Variables and Factors Determining Vegetation
39
Manipulation of vegetation to achieve objectives on City forestlands has been guided by a
thorough understanding of the existing vegetation. This has been facilitated by the recognition
that existing vegetation results from the interaction of three factors:
• Relatively constant environmental variables, including, but not limited to, elevation,
aspect, seasonality of annual rainfall, temperature, and soil
• Typical successional changes as vegetation develops through time
• Changes in vegetation composition, structure, and density resulting from human
interactions with the landscape, encompassing a range of disturbances that began with
Native American activities, was altered when early settlers arrived, and continues to
change today
With an understanding of existing vegetation and how it came to be, informed decisions have
been made and planned manipulations implemented on the City forestlands over the past 20
years to produce desired changes. This has been particularly challenging due to the reasons
listed below:
• The Klamath province is known for its high level of biodiversity.
• Disturbance histories have been significantly altered, often in highly diverse and
complicated ways, since early settlers arrived in the mid-1800x.
• Vegetation communities today are functionally, compositionally, and structurally
complex making projections as to future stand trajectories difficult.
• The difficulty in projecting existing conditions into the future is exacerbated by the
uncertainty of how modeled climate change trends and extremes will affect this region.
Variations in the environmental variables which determine vegetation produce significant
differences in site conditions including elevation, aspect, seasonality of annual rainfall,
temperature, and soil characteristics. In the Klamath Siskiyou region, these environmental
variables are generally most critical in the influences they have upon moisture availability for
plants, as moisture is usually the limiting factor affecting plant survival and growth. This is
particularly important at lower elevations in the eastern edge of the region where the City
forestlands are located. They are within the rain shadow of Mt. Ashland, such that precipitation
amounts average only 20 to 30 inches annually on lower City ownership at approximately 1800
feet in elevation, compared with close to 60 inches at the top of Mt. Ashland (7,533 feet in
elevation), only eight miles to the south. In particular, the lack of precipitation during summer
months greatly affects the type, quantity, and diversity of vegetation that can persist. The steep
elevation gradient between Mt. Ashland and the city significantly influences vegetation, with
cooler and moister conditions increasing rapidly with increasing elevation.
Aspect is an important environmental variable because greater amounts of solar radiation on
southerly aspects during long, dry summer months limits moisture availability much more so
than on northerly aspects (with easterly and westerly slopes intermediate). Obvious changes in
40
vegetation occur on City forestlands on opposing southerly and northerly aspects, with westerly
and easterly aspects intermediate. Species such as Douglas-fir, white fir, Pacific madrone, and
deerbrush (Ceanothus integerrimus) tend to dominate the more northerly aspects, while drought
tolerant species are increasingly common on more southerly aspects (i.e. ponderosa pine, Oregon
white oak, California black oak, whiteleaf manzanita, etc.).
Variations in soil properties are important determinants of vegetation on any given site. Soils in
the watershed are derived primarily from granitic parent material of the Tallowbox (on steeper
sites) and Shefflein (on gentler slopes 10-35%) soil series (Johnson, 1993). These are relatively
deep, and well-drained to excessively-well-drained soils of a very coarse nature which are prone
to erosion. Both surface erosion and mass wasting events, most notably debris slides and debris
flows, have frequently occurred on City forestlands and throughout the Ashland watershed, even
in unmanaged landscapes, and are a historic and integral part of the disturbance regime.
However, the potential for increasing these erosion events through active management (i.e.
manipulation of vegetation) is of major concern. The high-intensity storm events of 1964, 1974
and, most recently, the New Year's Day storm of 1997 revealed the potential landslide activity
and major associated flooding that may occur in the Ashland area.
As vegetation develops, it typically progresses through a series of successional stages, each of
which contains specific and recognizable characteristics (Oliver and Larson 1990). Prior to early
settlement of southern Oregon, the primary disturbance mechanists in the Klamath Siskiyou
region, and on City forestlands, was fire ignited by Native Americans or lightning (Atzet and
Martin, 1991). Sensenig found a frequency averaging twelve years across a wide range of sites
in southern Oregon during this era (Sensenig, 2002).
Metlen's 2012 analysis of 91 fire scars sampled across many biophysical settings in the Ashland
watershed, (although on somewhat higher elevations than on most of the City ownership)
suggests that historically fires were frequent - occurring every three years (range 1-14), and 44%
of fires were recorded on at least three of sites up until the early 1900s. Fires returned to a given
site every 13 years, ranging up to 40 years. Sampled trees typically survived tens of fires over
their lifetime (Metlen, 2012).
Understanding of these three categories of site condition determinants (environmental site
conditions, vegetation development patterns, disturbance history), can help explain the existing
condition of vegetation type on a site if they are analyzed correctly. These factors set the stage
for the dominating and rapid alteration to disturbance history which took place within the last
150 years with the arrival of early settlers. Beginning in the first half of the 19th century,
significant vegetation modification and changes in disturbance history began to occur as Native
American application of fire was eliminated and radically new forms of disturbance began to be
implemented across the landscape on City forestlands and in the broader Ashland Watershed.
Forests began to be harvested in earnest to help build the developing town of Ashland, and the
resulting slash from these operations, coupled with the resulting increase in more flammable
early successional vegetation, created a landscape much more likely to burn at larger scales and
higher intensities. In some cases, high-intensity fire was purposely initiated by ranchers desiring
more pastureland or miners hoping to expose more rock strata and make mining easier-both
clear and purposeful objectives.
41
"The fiercest tiniber fire that has ever taken place close to Ashland has been raging along the
hillsides of Ashland Creek Canyon for the past three days, and its work of destruction was only
placed under- control last evening. "
- Ranger W. Kripke, August 26, 1901 (City of Ashland, 2004)
Over the last 115 years, large-scale, high-severity fires have become a much more common type
of disturbance in the emerging disturbance regime. Major wildfire events occurred in 1901,
1910, 1959, 1973 and 2009 both in and around the current City ownership. The 1901 and 1910
events were very likely largely fueled over fifty years of logging and the creation of slash and
early successional vegetation, resulting in a much more flammable landscape. The 1901 and
1910 wildfires were part of a national trend that led to a policy of fire suppression and
subsequent fire exclusion from forest ecosystems that remained in place for most of the 20th
century. Almost all of the area below Reeder Reservoir and a large percentage of the City
ownership has vegetation initiated after those events. Trees older than 115 years are rare in that
area.
Once initiated, however, the pattern of infrequent but intense wildfires (as opposed to frequent
fires of low intensity) may be reinforced by the resulting increased amounts of more wildfire-
prone early successional vegetation, which often occurs in relatively continuous vegetation and
fuel profiles. Breaking this pattern and restoring more benign fire regimes through active
vegetation management has been the underlying strategy on City lands over the past 20 years for
helping to achieve more fire-resistant and resilient stands and landscapes, and subsequently
helping to achieve a primary objective: reduction in the likelihood of high-severity fire on City
lands. In essence, the City has decided through its vegetation and fuels management activities to
increase the likelihood of low-severity fire when it does visit our lands, and to subsequently
reduce the likelihood and effects of high-severity fire.
Historically, forests in the Ashland watershed contained two-thirds fewer trees than found
currently with the major increases in small white fir, Douglas-fir, and Pacific madrone (Metlen et
al, 2012). A profusion of white fir, Douglas-fir and Pacific madrone has grown since the change
in disturbance history initiated by early settlers, with a subsequent reduction in the percentage of
pines and oaks. This change is represented in the graphs below. Stands are denser, more
populated by shade intolerant species and much more susceptible to high-severity disturbance
from both fire and insects. This is a striking change with consequences for long term vegetation
development, fire behavior and ultimately accomplishment of City management objectives.
Figure 4-1 --1901 (Metlen et al.)
Figure 4-2 2012 (Metlen et al.)
42
1911 reconstructed stands _rt
Trees a A Inches DOM 2011 tut"t condicloo
' Tte.~s> 4lntnes DRH
ate.
• t
~ f
ti a,
DiantN■e at 4.5 rt (inenaa) Of~~lRr ■t a.%h (mchmi
e Jt
Herashed For ' st
S 4 i n c Res D 2
z
.b~q 1
Basal area ft2/acre) Trees/acre
Year Mears Range Mean Ran e
1911 81 (13-225) 50 (16-121)
2011 194 (63-339) I 176(28-401)
t(Metlen, et al. 2012)
In historical fire regimes in the western forests of the United States, fire varied in intensity fi-om
site-to-site and tended to interact cumulatively in balance with other disturbance agents
(especially insects and disease). The progression in the 20`" century of higher vegetation density
and relatively continuous structure, both horizontally and vertically, has created conditions for a
fire to rapidly escalate in magnitude beyond historically healthy cycles. The weakened trees
resulting from these high stand-densities also increase the likelihood of insect-related mortality
43
and pathogenic damage such as dwarf mistletoe. In a vicious cycle, this increased tree mortality
has tended to further increase the potential likelihood of a severe wildfire.
Data show dramatic increases in the number of small Douglas-fir, Pacific madrone, and white fir,
while regeneration of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and black oak has been very limited. Spatial
patterning of trees within stands has changed as well, resulting in significantly less light to the
forest floor and much larger aggregations of trees. Gaps between trees and tree cluster are
important for a variety of reason. Gaps are where snow is retained best, and where early seral
species, and seed/fruit-bearing understory plant species and dependent wildlife thrive. Increased
forest density, species composition shifts, and increased uniformity in spatial pattern are
widespread trends seen in other dry, fire-exclusion-adapted forests across the west.
Vegetation Changes Effecting Wildfire Behavior
High-severity fire occurred in the historic landscape and is an important part of healthy and
resilient forest ecosystems. However, it was likely much smaller in size, severity, and impacts,
and likely occurred at a wide and discontinuous range of locations. In today's environment,
particularly on City lands located adjacent to, and even within, City limits, high-severity fire is
not desirable. Nonetheless, in some situations it cannot be prevented, although it is the intent of
this plan to attempt to do so whenever and however possible to limit its severity and scope, and
reduce the likelihood for it to spread to larger areas with subsequent impacts on lives, property
and resource values.
The Siskiyou Fire
On September 21, 2009, a wildfire ignited on the hillside near 3500 Siskiyou Boulevard, just
above Interstate 5. Strong winds from the east that day (National Weather Service: Red Flag
Conditions) quickly fanned the fire despite the timely arrival of fire suppression resources
including engines, helicopters, and retardant planes.
Within two hours of the ignition, five retardant planes and three helicopters were providing aerial
support for many engine crews who protected structures and attacked the tire. The fire advanced
throughout the morning and afternoon, causing evacuations of approximately 150 homes and
ultimately consumed one structure and several outbuildings. A fireline was constructed by both
bulldozer and hand crews primarily along the east and west flanks of the fire. Fortunately, pre-
fire fuels-reduction work altered the fire behavior and significantly aided in the protection of
structures and the successful containment of the fire east of Tolman Creek Road.
In nearly all locations where the fire was controlled, vegetation had been managed through either
an Oregon Department of Forestry sponsored National Fire Plan grant program, or a similar
program coordinated through Ashland Fire & Rescue.
There were several areas of crown fire that spread directly into fuels treatment zones. In all
cases except one, the fuels treatment areas caused the crown fire to drop down and become an
intense surface fire, and particularly on the western and southern flanks, the crown fire became a
low-severity underburn.
44
Exactly 80 acres within the 188 acre fire perimeter were thinned under these programs and to
varying degrees altered the fire's behavior and intensity and provided opportunities for
suppression via air or ground. In addition, this vegetation management improved the post-fire
ecological effects (Chambers 2009).
Recently, as part of the monitoring for the 2004 Community Wildfire Protection Plan, the City of
Ashland quantified some of the historical changes in forest composition and structure in the
Ashland Watershed (fig.4-4, table 4-5).
Figure 4-4
Township 39 South, Range 1 East, Section 21
White Rabbit Parcel
Change in Forest Conditions 1939 to 2004 (Ashland Forest Resiliency Stewardship Project.
2004; City of Ashland 2004)
rr
4rrt
a•S~st „ i
#+f•
t t ,a ja, tt,~.~
, i
3- ' rt f
_ tts~{4
04
1939 2004
Table 4-5 Change in Forest Conditions 1939 to 2004 (Ashland Forest Resiliency
Stewardship Project. 2004; City of Ashland 2004)
1939 Photo 2004 Photo
Primarily open canopy forest maintained by Primarily closed canopy forest. Open canopy
fire events forest a result of human activity
On 420 out of 460 acres (91 grazing was Little to no shrub component due to closed
the recommended management forest canopy
Ceanothus and manzanita species were Ceanothus and manzanita species are less
common, occurring together on 360 out of common, occurring together on
460 acres (78%). approximately 30% of the acres.
Stand conditions favor more fire-tolerant, Stand conditions favor less fire-tolerant,
shade-intolerant tree species (pines and
shade-intolerant species (Douglas-fir).
hardwoods)
45
Vegetation and Forest Pathogens
Insects
Insects that damage or kill conifers and other vegetation are important contributors to healthy,
functioning forest ecosystems, serving many important ecological roles. They are an essential
form of disturbance that can effectively reduce stand densities, improve overall stand vigor,
provide important wildlife habitat values, supply coarse woody material for the forest floor,
facilitate nutrient cycling, and perform other important ecological functions.
In most healthy forest ecosystems, insect-related mortality is usually light and scattered, with
generally the weakest trees being attacked. However, in forests of increasing levels of stress
and/or declining in health, damage from insects can increase significantly and become an
uncharacteristically high-severity disturbance. Bark beetles attack trees that are suffering severe
cumulative stress factors because the insects can detect stressed trees via odors and cell wall
collapse in trees. Stress factors include drought, fungal disease, soil compaction or disturbance,
and mechanical logging damage. The most common form of stress in the forests of southern
Oregon and especially the Ashland Watershed is uncharacteristically high stand-densities. These
high stand-densities are primarily the result of a change in fire regimes through fire suppression
and the subsequent lack of more frequent, light disturbances such as low-intensity fire. Increased
stand density over time reduces the availability of site resources for individual trees (e.g., soil
moisture, nutrients, and available light). The resulting reduced tree vigor makes conifers more
susceptible to successful attack by various insects. Once a bark beetle gains entry into a
weakened tree, it can chemically communicate this fact to others of its species, thereby causing a
mass attack, which kills trees outright. Tree stands that experience a high level of mortality can
result in a disturbance regime of increased scale and severity.
Each coniferous tree species is associated with a set of species-specific bark beetles. Ponderosa
pine is susceptible to attack from the western pine beetle (Dendr•octonus br•evicomis), pine
engraver beetle (Ips pini) and the red turpentine beetle (D. values) among others. A separate
cadre of beetles, including the Douglas-fir twig weevil (Cyliridrocopturis fiirnissi), flatheaded fir
borer (Melaniphila drnrrrmondi) and the Douglas-fir beetle (D. pseudotsugae) attack Douglas-fir.
White fir is particularly susceptible to infestation from the fir engraver beetle (Seolytus
ventr•alis). Sugar pine is most often attacked by the mountain pine beetle (D. ponderosae). Each
of these insects has its own particular biology and style of interaction with its particular host
species.
Rapid expansion of flatheaded fir borer populations in the Ashland interface area resulted in
significant mortality of Douglas-fir during the major droughts of the early 1990s (e.g., almost all
of the Douglas-fir in the Lithia Park uplands were killed in that event) and again during the
2001-2002 drought event. If conditions allow bark beetle populations to build up to high
numbers, even healthy trees can be overcome by mass attacks. As many as four- generations of
some bark beetle species can occur in one surnmer season, allowing for rapid population
expansion. Larger conifers of low to moderate vigor, often the most desirable trees for retention
in the Ashland Watershed, are particularly susceptible to bark beetle related mortality during
these outbreaks.
46
Knowledge of the insect biology and associated ecological interactions is key to formulating and
implementing an appropriate planned disturbance (i.e., ecologically based silvicultural or stand
management activity) to return the stand to a healthy co-existence with forest insects.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. Mistletoes are flowering, seed-bearing, perennial plants that attack
trees. They do not have enough chlorophyll to produce their own food. Thus, they rely totally
on host trees for nutrients and water. The pathogen will ultimately kill the infected tree, although
more typically it makes the tree more susceptible to demise from other agents, most notably bark
beetles from reduced tree vigor. When the host tree dies, the mistletoe plant dies. Heavily
infected trees with abundant vertically arranged brooms (thick foliage masses produced by the
tree in response to the disease) are more susceptible to conflagration in prescribed and wildland
fire. Heavily infected trees can also be wildfire accelerators by transporting low to moderate-
intensity fire into upper canopy layers thereby increasing crown-fire development, spotting, and
wildfire rates-of-spread.
True mistletoes (Phoradendron spp.) attack both conifers and hardwoods but mostly hardwoods.
True mistletoes are most prevalent in Oregon white oak. They stress the host tree, create weak
areas and provide an entry point for decay fungi.
Dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.) infects conifers. Each conifer has its own host-specific
species of dwarf mistletoe.
Reproduction is by seed, which is aerially spread from tree to tree. Rate of spread is generally
about one to two feet per year, although the sticky seeds, forcibly shot from the fruits in fall, can
fly as much as 30 to 40 feet or more. Since they prefer high levels of sunlight, dwarf mistletoes
can spread more rapidly in open stands than in closed stands. For this reason, partial cutting
and/or thinning has been known to rapidly increase dwarf mistletoe infections if a diligent job of
removal is not accomplished. A second entry to remove infected trees that were missed in the
first entry is not uncommon. The most undesirable element of dwarf mistletoe infection occurs
when poor quality, infected overstory trees spread the disease to young, healthy saplings in the
understory, thereby ensuring the long-term continuation of the disease. The pathogen is a slow,
subtle form of disturbance that can significantly change stand conditions over time.
Moreover, infection of younger Douglas-fir in the short term may limit their lifespan, thereby
reducing recruitment of mature Douglas-fir in the future and facilitating a compositional shift
toward white fir. Unfortunately, white fir tends to grow in multiple layers with relatively high
crown bulk densities, characteristics that may exacerbate potential wildland fire behavior under
some conditions.
Dwarf mistletoe brooms are particularly important for wildlife nesting at lower slope positions
and canyon bottoms, suggesting that some retention may be desirable. At upper slope positions,
where aerial spread of the parasite is more pronounced and wildland fire management goals may
be more readily compromised, dwarf mistletoe should be managed to meet project fire-
management goals.
White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola)
47
White pine blister rust (caused by the fungus ribicola) is an exotic disease. The causal fungus is
native to northern China, Siberia, and the Russian Far East. It was introduced into Europe via
the Crimea in 1854, and was transported to western North America in 1910 on a single shipment
of infected white pine that was sent to British Columbia from France. White pine blister rust
found ideal conditions in the Pacific Northwest, became established on native hosts, and spread
rapidly. It was first reported on the National Forest in the late 1920s. If 1850 is used as a
standard for "past natural conditions," white pine blister rust did not occur in the Ashland
Watershed in historical times. All impacts of white pine blister rust have occurred in the period
from about 1928 to the present (USDA FS 2003).
Root Disease
Root diseases are another slow, subtle form of disturbance that has long-term repercussions for
vegetation development and stand succession. Although they appear to be uncommon on City of
Ashland parcels at this time, these subtle, damaging agents are common, are usually much
underrated, and are very difficult to control.
Four major species of root disease are common in southern Oregon- Armillaria root disease
(Armillaria ostovae), Laminated root rot (Phellinus sulphurescens), Arnosus root disease
(Heterobasidion annosum), and Black Stain root disease (Leptographium wageneri). Each has
its own particular biology and options for management. Unlike dwarf mistletoe disease,
destruction of the above-ground portions of trees does not necessarily remove root disease from
forest ecosystems. Ongoing monitoring and early protection is critical for preventing excessive
destruction from these diseases. Minimizing damage to residual stems during logging, planting
and encouraging resistant species, and particularly maintaining stands with trees of high vigor
are the most important management techniques that can help limit the spread of most root
diseases.
Botany: Special Plants
There are two plant species listed in the Oregon Natural Heritage Plan (ONHP) that occur on
lands to be managed under the 2016 AFP.
Three Leaved Horkelia
There is a population of three leaved horkelia (Horkelia tridentata) in unit C2 in the Lower
Watershed parcel. Three-leaved horkelia is an ONHP List Two species. List Two species are
taxa that are threatened with extirpation or presumed to be extirpated from the state of Oregon.
These are often peripheral or disjunct species which are of concern when considering species
diversity within Oregon's borders. They can be very significant when protecting the genetic
diversity of a taxon. The ONHP Center regards extreme rarity as a significant threat and has
included species which are very rare in Oregon on this list. In Oregon this species is only known
from the Ashland Creek Watershed. It grows in dry forest openings (City of Ashland, 2009).
California Smilax
There is a population of California smilax (Smilax californica) in unit AP-1 at Ashland Ponds.
California smilax is an ONHP List Four species. List Four species are taxa which are of
conservation concern but are not currently threatened or endangered. This includes taxa which
are very rare but are currently secure, as well as taxa which are declining in numbers or habitat,
48
but are still too common to be proposed as threatened or endangered. While these taxa may not
currently need the same active management attention as threatened or endangered taxa, they do
require continued monitoring. This species occurs on streambanks in coniferous forest.
Landslide Hazard Zones
Areas with steep slopes offer the potential for both surface erosion and mass soil wasting, with
the very steep slopes obviously of much greater concern. Surface erosion delivers sediments to
draws where it accumulates over time, increasing the potential for eventual debris slides.
Areas such as identified landslide hazard zones may benefit from retention of higher densities of
trees in order to reduce the likelihood of slope failure in the short-term. These benefits should be
balanced with associated long-term drawbacks on a site-by-site basis. For example, this strategy
may lose its effectiveness over time if excessive bark-beetle-related mortality occurs due to an
overstocked stand condition and subsequent moisture stress. In this scenario, increased loss of
larger overstory trees, which are more effective in holding soils together at deeper depths, is also
a potential disadvantage in the long run. There can also be a higher level of fire hazard
associated with these stand conditions, with increased impacts on soils and slope stability in a
fire event. That is to way, when wildfires occur, a high percentage of the vegetation in a stand is
killed and large areas of soil are exposed, which is the single most potential negative impact that
can contribute to large mass wasting events.
Vegetation Development and Disturbance in the Riparian Forest
In southwest Oregon, fire exclusion in the 20th century triggered a shift in the stand dynamics of
riparian forests from frequent fire disturbance and shade-intolerant tree recruitment in large
canopy gaps to one characterized by the replacement of overstory trees by shade-tolerant species
through individual tree-fall gaps. Fire-sensitive and shade-tolerant white fir is represented in far
greater numbers than it was prior to 1900 and few Douglas-fir trees that recruited after 1900 are
on the trajectory to canopy dominance. Growth rates of Douglas-fir recruited during the 20th
century, however, suggest they were not growing in canopy gaps, but in the shaded understory
and thus are growing much slower than the older, dominant trees. In the shade, 20th century
Douglas-fir trees would not have received enough sunlight to support the rapid growth rates
achieved by the dominant trees from older cohorts. Previous work in old-growth, upland forests
of southwestern Oregon found that the majority of dominant trees were the largest trees in their
cohort at age 50 and they tended to remain dominant for at least 250 years. Few Douglas-fir
trees that recruited after 1900 are on the trajectory to replace the large-diameter trees that
currently dominate the canopies of riparian forests on northerly aspects because slow-growing,
suppressed trees have reduced potential to become large, dominant trees later in life.
The most significant change in disturbance regimes in the Ashland Watershed, as well as most of
southern Oregon, has been in the frequency, severity, size, and duration of fire. Historically fires
were very frequent - occurring every three years (range 1-14) up until the early 1900s. Fires
returned to a given site every 13 years, ranging up to 40 years. Mature trees typically survived
multiple fires over their lifetimes.
49
In riparian forests on southerly aspects, vegetation was most likely shaped by a low-severity fire
regime, similar to that of southwestern ponderosa pine where frequent fires killed most tree
seedlings and maintained open savannas or woodlands with shade-intolerant hardwoods and
scattered, open-grown conifers. The age structure of live Douglas-fir observed for these sites
suggests the survival of trees to a fire-resistant size was infrequent, resulting in low conifer
densities relative to northerly sites.
In riparian forests on northerly aspects, patches of high-severity -tire within the moderate-severity
matrix apparently created canopy gaps in which new cohorts of Douglas-fir could establish
within existing stands and perpetuate Douglas-fir overstory dominance. Fire exclusion has been
associated with an increase in tree density and an increase in the recruitment of white fir, a fire-
sensitive, shade-tolerant species. Without large canopy gaps, Douglas-fir recruitment has been
restricted to the shaded understory where it grows very slowly and is unlikely to replace the large
canopy dominant Douglas-fir trees that recruited before 1900. The Douglas-fir dominated
canopy may eventually be replaced by white fir, which does not produce high quality, large
diameter, more decay-resistant standing snags and coarse woody debris that are desired
for both terrestrial and aquatic species habitat.
The dominant trees in riparian forests would likely have been the individuals that recruited into
canopy gaps after fire where they were able to develop full crowns and grow rapidly out of the
"lethal flaming zone". Until the late 19th or early 20th century, it appears most tree recruitment
into the overstory of northerly aspect riparian forests occurred in large canopy gaps (greater than
30 meters in diameter) created by fire.
Vegetation Change Due to Managed Disturbance, 1995-2015
Over the past 20 years, the City has implemented active management of existing vegetation
structures to more closely create conditions that would reach their objectives. The intent has
been to begin to move forest vegetation closer to the more open stand conditions for the historic
forests while more closely emulating natural functional processes and ecologic outcomes over
time. In the process, vegetation has again been modified by this new disturbance regime that can
be generally characterized by the following factors:
• Frequent gradual reductions in stand density to improve tree vigor and reduce the
potential for insect-related mortality
• Thinning-from-below to improve forest structures, create fuel discontinuities and
decrease likelihood of high-severity fire
• Shift to more open stand conditions and encourage development of more shade-
intolerant species while also reducing likelihood for spread of high-severity crown fires
• Regular slash reduction of activity generated fuels to ensure ongoing reduction in the
potential likelihood and severity of fire when it occurs
• Reintroduction of low-intensity fire through an active prescribed underburn program to
restore this important ecological and functional process to forest ecosystems
50
Stand and Landscape Patterns
The City of Ashland has implemented vegetation manipulation through planned disturbances on
a fine scale, with prescriptions and implementation occurring on a unit basis. These
prescriptions and the subsequent implementation has been site-specific and closely monitored in
a collaboration between City staff, contract personnel, and the Ashland Forest Lands
Commission. The results of that work are shown in chapters 8 and 10 of this document -
Inventory and Monitoring respectively, and describe current vegetation conditions for each unit,
as well as the past management activities that have produced current outcomes and projections
for additional vegetation modifications in the future. Although management on City lands will
continue to be done on a very site specific, fine scale approach, the following information
provides general guidelines for desired vegetation conditions by plant association group (PAG).
Plant Association Groups (PAGs)
Trees, shrubs and other plant life can be classified in many different ways fulfilling a variety of
purposes. The Ashland Watershed, including the City of Ashland forestlands, has been stratified
into designations called Plant Association Groups (PAGs) in order to expedite accurate
discussion and address the specific vegetation concerns and prescriptions. Plant Association
Groups provide a general picture of major vegetation patterns across a forest. Each PAG is
comprised of five or more closely-related plant associations, or groupings of plants that occur
together in similar environments. These environments are typically defined by their temperature
and moisture regimes, soils, and history of natural disturbances, such as wildfires, diseases and
insect outbreaks. PAGs may also be characterized by features other than vegetation, such as
cinder, glacier, lava, meadow, rock and water. Together, the PAGs provide a picture of both the
vegetation and the non-vegetative features within a large area (Greiner, et al. 2010). The City
lands covered under the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan arc primarily in the Dry Douglas-Fir PAG.
Table 4-6--- PAGs on Citv of Ashland Forestlands
PAG Number of Acres Percent of City Forestlands
Dry Douglas-fir 675.8 59.8
Moist Douglas-fir- 0.0 0
Oregon White Oak 20.6 1.8
Ponderosa Pine 130.1 11.5
Unclassified 131.0 11.6
Dry White fir 71.2 6.3
Moist White fir 102.3 9.0
Total 1,131 100.0
Fig 4-7 PAGs on City of Ashland Forestlands by Parcel
51
t
A.hland Roads t
f - 2016 Ashland Forest Plan Parcels
r~ 1 ♦ _
'I 1
1 +
IT.
1
f Hald Strawberry
f weatrroad ( 4
- 4 Piedmont I 1 t q
Ashland
Grmirls se ~
Upper Llthia
r° 41( i
y6 6wosorr ce { Coltla Philips •1I
t~ Crnw&oo Res ( / o
y Terrace 31, Ubarty $t II ! l'
- Lawor 1Nators3led ~ vl ' • J .
siskiyo'u Moulta~n Park r f
A.
1
t ti 't ; f ~
-y 1 I Crofton Toda
A16tng Res
1 h
Legend Plant AtzocurBon Group
Cr',r• L,ruts - NiA
r-~+ ~t H~atz Urt Lri:4pla5t n
nr A1,411+ ~r
Build & r
r ` LAkoa PD eaz 5 HezCr4cars
~ r r ! Atols:l~t'tr
Vtinb.rrn s Streams
✓rnle•a5a Pr -
I i Azha a Cwk V.atP.rorca
tJAn 1 &1.ihP4ine_f}r106+"FtPS_3$tF2_Fmekk~irtd
PMO~ L_C
Y!~ bale P V2018
t ~ ~~i t 0 0.35 Of 1
Oft
~ ~ . r ,,.ms's-- r ~ ►
52
The following short descriptors of each PAG were assimilated from the USDA 2003
publication (USDA FS 2003)
Dry Douglas-Fir PAG
The primary disturbance agent in this PAG was frequent, low-severity fire, occurring on a
5 to 15 year average return interval. Insects, diseases, and fire return time interacted to
detennine fire severities. However, these frequent fires burned in a mosaic pattern missing some
patches, hence allowing development of the mid-seral closed structure type. These most likely
occurred in riparian areas associated with perennial streams and springs, and on some lower
slopes of north aspects.
At the stand level, this PAG would commonly be considered uneven-aged with most of the
structure consisting of groups of trees. As a whole, stands may appear to have had up to three
layers due to the number of different age classes within the stand. Shrubs and grasses were a
substantial feature of this PAG with the relative abundance of shrubs over grasses depending on
the number of years since the most recent fire. A longer fire interval allowed more shrub
development.
Surface erosion and landslide potential were moderate for this portion of the landscape. Several
debris flow landslides occurred during 25, 50, and 100-year flood events, but probably not as
frequent as compared to current conditions. In addition, larger trees that existed in the past
would have aided in slope stabilization.
Moist Douglas-Fir PAG
The primary disturbance agent in this PAG was frequent, mixed-severity fire, occurring on a 15
to 25 year average return interval. Insects, diseases, and fire interacted to determine fire
severities. Although the typical fire was of mixed severity, low-severity fire tended to
predominate.
Seral stage dynamics in the moist Douglas-Fir PAG were very similar to those of the dry
Douglas-Fir PAG with a slightly more dominant shrub layer, and a slightly higher probability of
a stand moving from an open structure type to a closed type. Sugar pine was more common.
The ability of this PAG to retain soil moisture is high, due to slope aspects involved, and
therefore, it is slightly less stable than the Dry Douglas-Fir PAG. Moist soils, steep slopes, dense
dendritic drainage pattern, and high fire risk caused this PAG to be at a moderate-to-high risk for
landslides and at high risk for erosion potential. To a large extent, these disturbances occurred in
and/or adjacent to stream channels, springs, seeps, and concave drainage features. Moderate and
large conifer trees were frequently removed and transported down slope during these mass
wasting events. Sediment, large rock, and other debris were often carried and deposited far
down slope from the source of the landslide.
Oregon White Oak PAG
Man-caused fire, initiated on a regular basis, strongly influenced vegetation conditions in this
PAG. Well-established and uniformly distributed perennial grasses offered regular opportunities
for indigenous burning, and a five year average return interval is estimated.
53
Oregon white oak was the dominant tree in these clay soils, with a lesser amount of California
black oak. Ponderosa pine was scattered on the landscape as the large overstory dominant trees.
It is probable that the trees in this open, savannah-like landscape were mostly older individuals,
ranging up to 300 or more years. Closed structure types were rare.
This PAG is considered low risk for landslide hazards due to decreased slope gradients and
gradation away from the coarser, less-cohesive granitic soils of the neighboring Ponderosa Pine
and Dry Douglas-Fir PAGs.
Pathogens thrived generally at lower levels compared with those seen today. Sparsely located
ponderosa pine were attacked by bark beetles during extended droughts but this sparse tree
distribution substantially reduced the likelihood of any spreading disease. Mortality was
probably related to site characteristics (e.g., shallow and/or clay soils) interacting with climatic
extremes.
Ponderosa Pine PAG
The primary disturbance agent in this PAG was frequent, low-intensity fire, occurring on a
5 to 10 year average return interval. This PAG is most commonly located on the dry, more
southerly aspects and these conditions, coupled with Native American burning in the nearby oak
woodlands, contributed to increased fire frequency.
Under this disturbance regime, mid-seral and late-seral open structure types were by far the most
common. Generally, vegetation tended to occur in clumps with a range of ages expressed
between individual trees or clumps of trees. At the stand level, this PAG could be described as
uneven-aged with ponderosa pine the most common tree species, comprising 50 to 75 percent of
the total composition, with the remainder in Douglas-fir and sugar pine. Pacific madrone and
Oregon white oak probably comprised less than ten percent of the pre-settlement stands.
Vegetation and fuels were horizontally discontinuous in this PAG, with numerous openings
maintained by frequent fire. Grasses and herbaceous vegetation were much more common than
shrubs due to the frequent fire interval.
Surface erosion and landslide potential were low-to-moderate in this PAG, due to decreased
slope gradients on these southerly aspects. Although this PAG tended to have more bare soil
than others, surface erosion may not have been high due to abundant but thin grass cover.
Reduced risk for high-intensity wildfires additionally reduced risk of large landslides and erosion
that often follows a fire.
Low levels of ponderosa pine and sugar pine mortality occurred from western and mountain pine
beetle (less than 0.5 percent per year). Dwarf mistletoe was likely of very low occurrence in
pines or Douglas-fir.
Dry White Fir PAG
The primary disturbance agent in this PAG was mixed-severity fire occurring on a 25 to 35
year average return interval. Low-severity fire tended to predominate.
54
Seral-stage dynamics in this PAG are similar to those of the Dry Douglas-Fir PAG. The mid-
sera] open structure type was the most common. Some closed structure types were more likely
to develop and persist than in the Douglas-Fir PAGs. The longer fire intervals resulted in a more
dominant shrub layer- and a higher probability of a stand transitioning from an open to a closed
structure type. Individual patches could have up to three canopy layers, particularly in the late-
seral closed type.
This PAG is completely within the rain-on-snow zone. Consequently, the risk for landslides to
disturb and/or remove vegetation is considered moderate to high. Surface erosion for this area is
also classified as high. Soil productivity and fertility would have periodically been adversely
affected when topsoil was removed during large-scale surface erosion occurrences. These
erosive actions upon the soils have caused vegetative cover to be reduced in areas that were
usually highly productive. It would take a long period of time for soils and vegetation to recover
from these large-scale erosion events. A majority of the damage occurred during the large flood
events that commonly occurred in a time span ranging from 10 to 25 years apart.
Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe was present at some unknown level, perhaps about 35 percent of the
stands. Dwarf mistletoe was probably found in scattered stands in all mid-seral and late-seral
stages, but it was likely most concentrated in the mid-closed and late-closed stages.
Moist White Fir PAG
Fire in this PAG was of mixed-severity, occurring on a 40 to 50 year average return interval.
The relative proportions of low and high-severity fire were roughly equal. Other substantial
disturbance agents included bark beetles, defoliators, dwarf mistletoe, and laminated root
disease. Both fire and root diseases were responsible for creating small to medium-sized
openings.
High productivity resulted in a predominance of closed structure types. The combination of
disturbance agents promoted greater variation between the relative proportions of structure types,
compared with the drier PAGs. Western white pine was a minor, but important species and
sugar pine was most abundant in this PAG. Shrubs and forbs were more predominant in all
structure types, and forbs tended to dominate the understory in the closed structure types.
The landscape included such wide variation in patch sizes that it is very difficult to describe with
averages. The Moist White Fir PAG had the highest level of within-stand and between-stand
variation compared with the other PAGs in the landscape.
This PAG is located on east and north aspects and would tend to retain a larger percentage of soil
moisture. It also falls completely within the rain-on-snow area for this landscape. Consequently,
the risk for landslides to disturb and/or remove vegetation in this PAG is considered high.
Surface erosion potential for this area is also classified as high with similar outcome potentials as
the Dry White Fir PAG.
Small to moderate scale epidemic outbreaks of bark beetles or defoliators were possible,
especially in the late seral closed structure type. Laminated root disease and dwarf mistletoe
were relatively common.
55
Vegetation: Dilemmas and Directions
The key to the preservation of water quality and the other forest resource values within the
Ashland Watershed is contingent upon the ability to manage the geographical distribution and
intensity of wildfires that will occur within the watershed. The majority of wildfires that have
burned in the Ashland Watershed during the last century have occurred at lower elevations
within the Witdland Urban Interface (WUI) and have burned into the watershed in response to
upslope wind patterns, slope, aspect and vegetative patterns. Of these four factors, vegetative
pattern is the only one that can be pre-emptily managed. Therefore, the effective manipulation
of wildfire fuel vegetation within the WUI and in the larger Ashland Watershed can significantly
reduce the threat of a catastrophic wildfire.
However, an inherent false dichotomy may appear to exist within the strategies currently
employed by City forestland managers as they manipulate and disturb the vegetation in the
Ashland Watershed.
On the one hand, as clearly outlined in City objectives, there is a strong desire to prevent,
suppress, and prepare for fire where it threatens lives and properties. In and near the city, a
single goal applies across yards and homes: protect lives and property. Effective vegetation
management to reduce the potential of wildfire within the WUI is of even greater importance
when these areas are located in or adjacent to municipal watersheds and also experience heavy
recreational use.
On the other hand, research and collected data suggest the imminent need to restore fire as a key
ecological process in the long-term health of the Ashland Watershed. Further compounding this
dichotomy, is the general desire of the citizenry to reside safely within a forested landscape that
has evolved historically and can only be kept healthy with frequent, low-intensity fires.
The restoration of a natural, landscape-scale patch diversity and balanced fire regimes close to a
WUI is an outcome few (if any) forestland managers have accomplished on a watershed scale.
Nevertheless, this end is being carefully pursued by the City with an understanding that the
current set of watershed conditions reflects an interruption of ancient vegetation cycles and
ecological interactions that are complex and not easily duplicated. What is universally
understood by all stakeholders who value our forestlands is that doing nothing other than fire
suppression is not an option.
56
Chapter 5
Wildlife in the Ashland Creek Watershed
City of Ashland forestlands contain a variety of wildlife habitats ranging from the Riparian
Management Areas (RMA) at the confluence of Ashland Creek and Bear Creek, through the
drier lowlands, to the mature conifer forests above Lithia Park and on into the Reeder Reservoir
area and the Winburn parcel in the upper reaches of the Ashland Creek watershed. These diverse
areas lie on the northern slopes of the Siskiyou Mountains, a range known for its significant
biodiversity (Wallace 1992).
Existing Conditions
The Lower Watershed Parcel, including Ashland City parkland, is dominated by a landscape where,
historically, vegetation tended to occur in clumps with a range of ages expressed between individual trees
or clumps of trees. At the stand level, this landscape could be described as uneven-aged with ponderosa
pine the most common tree species, comprising 50 to 75 percent of the total composition, with the
remainder in Douglas-fir and sugar pine. Pacific madrone and Oregon white oak probably comprised less
than ten percent of the pre-settlement stands. Even with significant urbanization and the resulting mix of
non-native trees, this area continues to provide nesting and foraging habitat for migratory songbirds,
woodpeckers, owls and other raptors as well as browse for deer and smaller herbivores, and habitat for
carnivores such as raccoons, bobcats and other animals.
The Winburn Parcel is composed mainly of mature forests that do not meet the definition of "old
growth." This riparian corridor currently meets dispersal and foraging needs for forest
carnivores and resting and denning sites are adequate along Ashland Creek except where logging
or other disturbance has reduced the forest structure to early successional stages.
A 1974 survey of the Ashland Research Natural Area conducted by Stephan P. Cross, professor
of biology, Southern Oregon State University, listed 56 species of mammals, 103 bird species,
and 27 species of reptiles and amphibians. Not all of these species are to be found on City lands,
but it does provide an idea of the wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians found
in the area. The riparian habitats along Ashland Creek are particularly rich in species diversity.
Information regarding common species of wildlife can be found at
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/index.asp
The Ashland Watershed, including the Winburn Parcel, is home and breeding ground for many
species of birds. In fact, the Douglas-fir forests of the Pacific Northwest have the highest
densities of birds of all coniferous forests in North America (Altman et al 2012, Weins 1975).
However, many of these bird species are declining in population due to development, land and
vegetation management, and possibly as a result of vegetation changes in the absence of fire. An
estimated 37 bird species rely on snags for some portion of their life cycle. Birds are commonly
used as indicator species due to their diversity and abundance, ease of census, and close
associations to habitat and mobility.
57
Maintenance of healthy ecosystem functions and key habitat characteristics that include large
snags and down wood materials, significant effective ground cover, maintenance of riparian
areas and their hydrologic functions, should all provide for the habitat necessities for wildlife.
Sensitive Species
Many sensitive wildlife species potentially exist on City forestlands, both within city limits and
in the Ashland Watershed. Identification and counts for these species are infrequent, with a few
notable exceptions, so it is difficult to determine exactly how many sensitive species appear on
City property, and in what concentrations.
The state of Oregon and the federal government maintain separate lists of threatened and
endangered species, although the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service include all
state listed sensitive species. Oregon's SensitNe Species Rule (OAR 635-100-040) defines
"sensitive species" as those which are facing one or more threats to their population or habitat.
Species added to this list are often candidates for the more stressed designations of "threatened"
or "endangered."
City forestlands are not currently inhabited by any threatened or endangered species and does not
meet habitat requirements for the Northern Spotted Owl (Stnix occidentalis). The Winburn
Parcel provides some dispersal and foraging habitat for the spotted owl and other raptors. The
spotted owl prefers dispersal habitat where forests contain average tree diameters greater than I I
inches (28 cm), greater than 40% canopy cover, and open areas under the canopy for flight
(Davis et al, 2005). Some areas have the potential to meet nesting, foraging and dispersal habitat
requirements for spotted owls, primarily along the riparian corridor of Ashland Creek. Legally
mandated protection of spotted owl habitat values is an important consideration affecting
management directions and possibilities.
The rare Pacific Fisher (Mantes pennanti pacifica) was not known to occupy the Ashland
Watershed until work on the Ashland Forest Resiliency (AFR) project began in 2010. Of the 26
fishers discovered by the Forest Service throughout the Ashland Watershed in 2015, telemetry
shows that fishers sometimes enter Siskiyou Mountain Park. The United States Fish & Wildlife
Service (USFWS determined in April of 2016 not to list the Pacific Fisher as "threatened" under
the federal designation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reversed course from its earlier stance of 18 months ago and
declined threatened-species protection for fishers in part because of voluntary and proactive
wildfire and conservation measures improving forest health and fisher habitat in Ashland
Watershed forestlands.
General Management Goals for Wildlife
In 2008, City, Forest Lands Restoration Project: IVinburn Phase 111 spelled out wildlife goals for
the Winburn parcel, including maximizing biodiversity while maintaining and enhancing wildlife
habitat.
• Efforts will be made to increase the structural diversity of forest stands across the
58
landscape.
• Hardwoods, especially California black oak, will be retained and encouraged where
appropriate.
• Existing canopy gaps will be utilized to maintain structural diversity across the
landscape.
• Where possible, a multi-layered canopy will be retained or encouraged. Fuel hazard and
density-reduction goals will be weighed with other goals.
• Additional coarse woody material will be added to the forest floor, if a need has been
identified on a unit basis, to provide needed micro-habitats.
• Snags will be retained unless they pose a hazard or conflict with other management
objectives.
• Should removal of non-commercial trees be inadequate to reduce stand densities to
desired levels, snag creation, as opposed to removal of large trees, will be considered to
meet future snag and coarse woody material goals.
• Cutting trees within riparian transition zones (100-300 feet of streams and draws) will be
minimized if fuel hazard reduction goals can be met. Within riparian zones, thinning will
entail either girdling or retention of downed trees on site as coarse woody material unless
there is an associated hazard.
• While recognizing that there will be an effect on terrestrial mollusks, salamanders and
other organisms, activities will minimize the impact on terrestrial wildlife.
Several common wildlife species within Ashland are considered nuisance animals by some
residents and staff, including raccoons, deer, and turkeys. Sightings of black bears and mountain
lions within city limits result in special warning signs posted at nearby City parks and properties
to help minimize surprise encounters, although there is no record of any such encounters
resulting in human injury. In August, 2015, Mayor John Stromberg held a "Deer Summit" to
garner public input on Ashland's growing deer population and potential management strategies.
No consensus was reached at that meeting.
59
Climate Change: Global Yet Local
An emerging science is currently being developed to address the projected global climate
change. The subsequent impacts on forest ecosystems and human values, and the opportunities
for adaptation of management strategies to accommodate these changes is a new and unsettled
field of study. Given a high level of uncertainty about specific changes in the Ashland
Watershed from impending climate change, most frameworks for present and future management
suggest flexible approaches, ongoing monitoring, learning, and subsequent adaptive
management. It is widely recognized that no single solution will fit all future challenges. It is
also obvious that important changes in forest and resource management strategies will have to
occur on a much larger spatial and temporal scale than addressed in this 2016 Ashland Forest
Plan (AFP). However, it is not a responsible option to do nothing.
The City will be challenged to integrate adaptive strategies that help ecosystems accommodate
climate changes over time while encouraging mitigation strategies in our own jurisdictions that
can help reduce man-caused influences on global climate. Adaptive strategies include resistance
options (delay the impacts and protect highly-valued resources), resilience options (improve the
capacity of ecosystems to return to desired conditions after disturbance), and response options
(expedite transition of ecosystems from current to new conditions). Mitigation strategies include
reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions and maximizing options to sequester carbon because
forests are widely thought to be the most efficient terrestrial carbon accumulating system (Millar
et. al 2007).
Management Objectives
Fortunately, management objectives and implementation strategies initiated over 20 years ago on
City lands will continue to have climate-change relevance under the 2016 AFP, and contribute to
the larger landscape's ability to adjust to future variability in temperature and precipitation.
These management objectives include
• reducing the likelihood of high-severity fire through strategically placed fuels treatments
and subsequent implementation of prescribed underburning to maintain reduced fuels and
less fire-prone conditions;
• managing for both development and maintenance of older forests that may sequester and
retain large amounts of carbon over time;
• focusing on protection and restoration of diverse forest structures, plant communities and
associated genetic resources which are important mechanisms of resilience;
• emphasizing multiple species management including species well-selected to thrive in
future warmer and drier conditions, such as pines, hardwoods and shrub species (within
prescribed spatial considerations for their potential to aggravate fire potential and
hazard);
60
• monitoring and control of invasive species that are prone to establishment and/or
expansion in changing climates.
The short-term focus for the City forestlands managed under the 2016 AFP will continue to be
on adaptive strategies that improve overall ecosystem resistance and resilience from major
perturbations, most notably from high-severity wildfire. This focus is of paramount importance
for the City, not only on our lands but on associated Forest Service lands in the Ashland
Watershed. The management dilemma that consistently presents itself is the conflict between
strategies that reduce high-severity wildfire (namely, reductions in stand density and associated
fuels that lessen the likelihood of potential negative impacts from a high-severity disturbance
from insects and/or wildfire) and the above mentioned climate-change mitigation strategies (that
is, maximizing options to sequester carbon because forests are widely thought to be the most
efficient terrestrial carbon accumulating system).
The widely accepted hierarchy of community values attributed to forestlands in the Ashland
Watershed, including municipal water production, late-successional and at-risk species habitat,
and community recreation, must be able to live alongside compromises to those values that are
driven by management strategies reducing the potential of high-intensity wildfire. It suggests
that stand-density reductions and fuels management will continue to be an integral part of City
forestlands policy. This is even more important given the potential for wildfire impacts on lives
and property within the Ashland wildland urban interface.
It is recognized that these management directions may, in fact, not be positive in terms of
mitigation strategies that sequester carbon and/or reduce the carbon footprint in the short-tenn
(i.e. they could be carbon neutral or even a net negative). However, until such time that the
Ashland Watershed morphs into a more resistant and resilient condition in the face of high-
severity events, active management to reduce this potential and protect the important multiple
values, will continue to be prioritized above retention of trees solely to achieve short-term carbon
sequestration.
The City will continue to use, whenever possible, multiple conservative interventions in the
manipulation of vegetation that provide incremental steps and reversible directions if needed.
These vegetation manipulations will be designed to, on the one hand, reduce the potential for
high-severity insect, disease and/or fire-related events through strategic biomass reductions.
And, on the other hand, emphasize strategic retentions that minimize potential adverse effects
from slope failures and debris slide initiation, which will likely increase in frequency with the
more severe stone events predicted in future climate change scenarios. Balancing these
objectives will be a continuing challenge in the years to come.
The City will also continue to rely on increasing our understandings of historical ecology that
will inform us about past environmental dynamics and ecosystem responses to changes in our
watershed over the past 150 years and earlier. This plan recognizes that we should not rely on
past forest climate conditions and assume a steady weather regime to provide us with adequate
targets for current and future management. More important than identifying historically accurate
analogs is understanding the dynamics of vegetation development, functional processes and
disturbance ecology that have produced existing species combinations and stand structures and
how they developed into the conditions we have today. The 2016 AFP is designed to move
61
existing stand and vegetation conditions, through "planned disturbances", to conditions that are
both more resistant and resilient to major perturbations, but also help achieve current City
designated objectives.
The City is in a unique position to monitor changes over time, and perhaps help discern the rate
of changes and the consequences related to climate change through the continued use and
analysis of existing and future data on permanent plots on City forestlands. This will help test
the effectiveness of existing strategies aimed at improving resistance and resilience of our
forests, as well as testing future response options and/or mitigation strategies relative to climate
change. At some point in the future, a more resistant and resilient vegetation on a landscape
level will occur at which time long-term retention of the ensuing robust vegetation profile will
hopefully provide important and sustainable carbon sequestration values.
Conclusion
The City forestlands and the conjoined Ashland Watershed are uniquely positioned to test future
impacts associated with climate change given the steep environmental gradient and eco-system
variation that exists in the eight linear miles from downtown Ashland to the top of Mt. Ashland.
Temperature and moisture regimes, which are the key environmental factors that will be
modified with climate change exist in a wide variation within this swath of forestland. The
naturally occurring differences makes for an ideal location from which to assess changes to
individual vegetation and animal species over time and to identify adaptations and make
adjustments.
62
Chapter 6
Invasive Plants: A Nuisance By Any Other Name
Invasive Species - A nonnative species whose introduction is likely to cause or has the potential to cause
economic or environmental harm to an ecosystem or harm to human health or commerce (Clinton 1999).
Noxious weeds: A term that generally refers to native or non-native plants introduced into an ecosystem
that tend to be aggressive, poisonous, toxic, difficult to manage and/or otherwise undesirable or
threatening for healthy ecosystem functioning (City of Ashland 2009).
The terms noxious weed and invasive plant are sometimes used interchangeably, which is not
always accurate. All noxious weeds are invasive, whereas not all invasive plants are noxious
weeds. Decades ago, agency control programs targeted plants that had adverse effects on human
health, agriculture, and livestock. Those plants were then called noxious weeds. In recent years,
control programs have included plants that had adverse ecological effects, particularly exhibiting
the detrimental invasive habits and they were labeled invasive species. Today, noxious weeds
and invasive plants are both generally regarded as plants with adverse social, economic, or
ecological effects. Generally, noxious weeds take a higher priority because of their more
aggressive nature and propensity to cause greater ecological or other detriment. Plants that may
be less aggressive state-wide, could be more aggressive within the Ashland Watershed
ecosystem and be considered locally noxious. For example, this is the case for both noxious
pampas grass and butterfly bush along portions of the Oregon Coast, though those plants are not
considered noxious in our inland valley environment.
Integrated Pest Management Policy
On lands administered by the Ashland Department of Parks and Recreation, invasive plant populations
will continue to be managed under the existing Integrated Pest Management Policy adopted by the
Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission on May 24, 2010 and last revised on April 28, 2014. Ashland
Parks and Recreation Department's Integrated Pest Management Policy is based on park planning and
design, manual maintenance, ecological and organic controls, and, as a last resort, use of chemical
herbicides. The department works to reduce or eliminate the use of herbicides and will conduct an annual
review of invasive plant management activities, which will include written suggestions to the Parks
Commission for the further reduction of herbicides and for alternatives to their use.
On City forestlands under the stewardship of the Ashland Forest Lands Commission (AFLC) the
following guidelines are in line with the City's historic management of noxious weeds without the use of
chemical herbicides, but with an added process for City Council involvement if a rare ecological threat
was identified.
63
In general, chemical herbicides tii,ill not be used unless a special circumstance strongly suggests that such
application would be a "best practice In such rare cases, City staff ticould seek prior authorization
from the AFLC and ON Council with public input.
Types of Invasive Plants
Invasive plants come in many varieties and sizes, from trees to vines to shrubs, and the damage they can
cause is just as varied. If left unchecked, many invasive plants can cause the eventual demise of desired
plant species, alter wildlife habitat or directly threaten animals, choke waterways, or increase the
intensity of a wildfire.
Trees
Invasive trees usually seed themselves very rapidly or root sprout, and become too abundant in the
landscape, thereby outcompeting wanted varieties. Removals are generally manual and involve chain-
saws and excavation. The long-term control technique is simply aggressive removal so they do not
reseed. For a tree stump or root sprout, removal might include a cut and treatment with herbicide for
control in a specialized circumstance in accord with the proper policy guidance.
Shrubs and Vines
Shrubs and vines come in many different forms, from blackberries to English laurel. They tend to
smother an area causing a loss of landscape plant diversity and can have detrimental effects on larger
specimen trees. Non-native invasive shrubs and vines typically outcompete the surrounding plants as
they possess an advantage in their new environment because the insects, diseases, and animals that would
normally control them are often not found here. Damage to surrounding trees can range from excessive
weight causing limb or full stem breakage down to superior ability to consume available water and soil
nutrients.
Removal can include manually lopping and sawing some of the larger areas and, in the case of
blackberries, cutting them down with a tractor mounted flail mower. Eradication of invasive shrubs and
vines becomes challenging when they are mixed with desirable plants, a situation that involves a labor-
intensive removal procedure. Long-term control techniques include systematic continual removal only or
cutting and treating each stem with an herbicide in a narrowly targeted special circumstance.
Grasses/Annuals
Invasive grasses and grass-like plants can blanket receptive landscapes and prove challenging to control.
Some propagate by use of stolons (rooting structures that spread along, or under the ground) that produce
more plants from the roots. Annual grasses such as hedgehog dogtail reseed themselves every year and
can become difficult to control.
Annual plants (non-grasses) can also be challenging. Examples are yellow star thistle (Centaurea
solstitialis) and puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris). Like annual grasses, annual invasive plants spread by
seed and can be extremely aggressive and resist control. The seed source needs to be eliminated each
year until seeds are exhausted. Removal can be manual, by machine, or even by carefully applied fire
during the right season (usually fall).
Ground Covers
Invasive ground covers can smother susceptible large areas and outcompete native and desired plants. An
example of an invasive ground cover is Vinca major also known as periwinkle. These ground covers are
hard to remove because of all the rooting locations. Removals can be manual, by machine (if areas
allow), or by using cardboard to for an extended time to smother plant material. Long-term control
64
involves vigilance in eradicating the new shoots as they arise by manually removing or possibly using
narrowly applied herbicide applications in a persistent outbreak.
Rooting Species (Rhizomes)
Some species survive and spread via various pathways, including underground. An example is Japanese
knotweed (Fallopia japonica) that grows along stream banks and can quickly relocate to downstream
locations. The challenge is that pieces of the plant can easily relocate and start a new colony elsewhere,
such as root (rhizome) pieces or stem segments. Removal/eradication can take all forms-from manual to
chemical. Long-term control takes persistent prescriptions from cut, remove, and digging to burning or
possible biological or chemical treatments.
During the development of the 2016 AFP, existing City documents were reviewed and a comprehensive
list of invasive plants that occur on City lands was created. This list can be found in the Appendices and
will standardize the invasive plant species nomenclature used in the 2016 AFP.
The 2016 AFP inventory lists invasive plants by unit, shows the last year treated, and type of treatment(s)
accomplished. Each unit also has recommendations for the next invasive plant treatment and the
projected year the treatment(s) will be accomplished.
Invasive Plant Treatment Definitions
IST-1) Manual treatments - mowing, weed-eating, cutting, grubbing, mulching, pruning
pulling/weeding, burning, root barrier installation, piling and burning, smothering
IST-2) Mechanical Treatment - brush flail
IST -3) Herbicide Treatments - organic herbicide spraying, cut/puncture/drip organic
herbicide application, herbicide spraying, manual herbicide application, cut/drip
herbicide application.
(City of Ashland 2011)
65
Chapter 7
Infrastructure: The Ties That Bind
Infrastructure generally includes the public works facilities that enable the transport of people and goods,
provision of municipal water, safe disposal of waste products, provision of energy, and transmission of
information. There is a variety of infiastructure units in City of
Ashland forestlands:
• transportation (roads and trails)
• public utilities (lines and appurtenances)
• buildings
• yards
• structures (includes reservoirs, dams, bridges, storage tanks, and pump stations)
Infrastructure may be impacted by City forest management activities, so a listing of infrastructure by unit
is included in the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan (AFP). Management of infrastructure is not part of the 2016
AFP.
For the 2016 AFP, the specific existing infrastructure components fall into the category of publicly owned
roadways, easements, wire, pipes and other appurtenances used for provision of public services such as
electrical power, drinking water, irrigation water, sewage, overflow drainage and transportation.
Table 7-1 - AFP Infrastructure
AFP Infrastructure Category _ AFP Infrastructure Category Definition
Electric Fixtures transformers, sectionalizing (splicing)
cabinets, hndholes, meters, lights, and poles
Electric Lines electrical conductors underground in conduit
or overhead suspended by cables
Sewer Fixtures sewer manholes, cleanouts, and pump stations
underground sewer- piping normally "6"
Sewer Lines
diameter and larger
66
Storm Fixtures manholes, ditch inlets, catch basins, curb
inlets, vaults
Storm Lines drainage piping including culverts and
siphons, generally 12 in diameter
Water Fixtures valves, vaults, hydrants meters, and flow
control devices
irrigation or potable water mains normally
Water Lines "6" diameter and larger
Table 7-2 below aggregates current City-owned roads and utilities by Ashland Forest Plan Unit.
Roads are given in lane-miles; linear features are given in feet of length; fixtures are shown as
counts. Several forest management units have no City infrastructure units.
67
Table 7-2 Infrastructure within City of Ashland Forest Management Units
Road Drain Drain Electrical Electrical Sewer SewWater Water
Unit (In-m) Fixtures Lines (ft) Fixtures Lines (ft) Fixtures [Line's"
Fixture Lines
AP 3 426 5 1282
AR 8 2511
BL 1080
CR 1 230 6 162 2 250 15 1310
GS 898
HR
LS 8 3 201
LW 7 1 572 40 12927 14 4713 4 15000
P 49
TR 1 5
UL 4 1405 15 1435 6 2039
WP 1 33 1 7
Total 7 1988 2666 61 14572 29 6246 38 21072
Current Conditions
There are numerous structures owned and managed by the City that are either on or directly adjacent to
City forestlands which may be impacted by forest management activities. Table 7-3 below lists the most
significant of those structures, with the structures inside the 2016 AFP managed lands shown in Bold
Italics. A map is provided in the appendix showing the locations of these structures with respect to the
most significant location-specific natural hazards:
• landslide susceptibility,
• 100 and 500 year probability flood boundaries,
0 dam inundation boundaries,
• wildfire hazard zone boundaries.
68
Table 7-3. Buildings, Structures, and Maintenance Yards by type
No TYPE Year built Size - Unit
OPEN RESERVOIRS/DAMS
1 Reeder Reservoir/Hosler Dam 1928 800 AF
2 East Fork Diversion Dam 1909
3 West Fork Diversion Dam 1909
4 "Swimming Hole" 1890
5 Jones and Bryant Reservoir ("Ashland Ponds") 1972 11.8 AF
POTABLE WATER STORAGE TANKS
6 Granite Reservoir 1949 2.1 MG
7 Crowson Reservoir 1927 2.1 MG
8 Alsing Reservoir 1983 0.5 MG
9 Fallon Reservoir 1994 2.1 MG
10 Loop Road Reservoir (proposed) 2018 0.2 MG
11 Crowson 2 Reservoir (proposed) 2018 2.1 MG
BRIDGES indicates replacement date)
12 Granite Street Bridge over Ashland Creek 1997*
13 USFS 2060 access over Ashland Creek 1997*
14 WTP over Ashland Creek (2 bridges) Unknown 30'+/-
15 WTP to Dam over Ashland Creek (6 bridges) 1997* 30'+/-
16 East Fork Bridge 2000 22'
17 West Fork Bridge (proposed) 2018 55'
POTABLE WATER PUMP STATIONS
18 Terrace Street Pump Station (TID) 1977
19 Park Estates Pump Station Vault 1982
20 Strawberry Punip Station 1994
21 Duck Pond Pump Station (TID) 2008
BUILDINGS
22 Parks Dept Main Offices unknown
23 Lithia Park Storage Building unknown
24 Lithia Park Restrooms unknown
25 Butler Bandshell 1947
26 Hydroelectric Powerhouse 1911
27 Water Treatment Plant ("WTP"): S buildings 1995*
28 Water Treatment Plant (proposed) 2018
MAINTENANCE YARDS
29 "Granite Pit" aggregate storage unknown
30 Glenview Concrete Reclamation Yard unknown
69
31 Glenview Pipe Storage Yard unknown
32 Glenview Asphalt Reclamation Yard unknown
Chapter 8
Inventory
This section of the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan (AFP) presents essential information in the form of lists,
data sets, GIS data and color schemes, and a specialized dictionary for interpreting data sets.
Table 8-1: Native Plant List
Scientific Name Plants_Symbol COMMON NAME Notes
Abies concolor ABCO White fir uncommon
Acer macrophyllum ACMA3 Big-leaf maple riparian
Achillea millefolium ACM12 Common yarrow openings
Achlys triphylla ACTR Vanillaleaf
Achnatherum lemmonii ACLE8 Lemmon's needlegrass
Adenocaulon bicolor ADBI Trail-plant pathfinder
Agoseris heterophylla AGHE2 woodland agoseris
Agoseris retrorsa AGRE spear-leaved agoseris
Aira caryophyllea AICA Silver hairgrass
Alnus rhombifolia ALRH2 white alder riparian
Amelanchier alnifolia AMAL2 Western scrviceberry not abundant
Amsinckia intermedia AMIN3 fireweed fiddleneck
Anaphalis margaritacea ANMA Common pearly-everlasting
Anemone deltoidea ANDE3 Threeleaf anemone
Anthriscus caucalis ANCA 14 bur-chervil
Aquilegia formosa AQFO Sitka columbine
Arabis oregana AROR Oregon arabis oak openings
Arabidopsis thaliana ARTH mouseear cress
Arbutus menziesii ARMS Pacific madrone
Arctostaphylos patula ARPA6 Greenleaf manzanita
Arctostaphylos viscida ARVI4 Whiteleaf manzanita
Arrhenatherum elatius AREL3 Tall oatgrass
Athysanus pusillus ATPU sandweed openings
Balsamorhiza deltoidea BADE2 Puget balsamroot
Berberis aquifolium BEAQ Tall Oregongrape
Berberis nervosa BENE2 Dwarf Oregongrape
Boschmakia strobilacea BOST2 Ground-cone
70
Bromus carinatus BRCA5 California brome
Bromus tectorum BRTE cheat grass
Calocedrus decurrens CADE27 Incense-cedar
Calochortus tolmiei CA-0 Tolmie's mariposa
Calypso bulbosa CABU Fairy-slipper
Campanula prenanthoides CAPR 15 California harebell
Campanula scouleri CASC7 Scouler's harebell
Cardamine nuttallii CANU17 slender toothwort
Cardamine oligosperma CAOL Little western bittercress
Carex multicaulis CAMU5 Manystem sedge
Castilleja CASTI2
Ceanothus cuneatus CECU Buckbrush
Ceanothus integerrimus CEIN3 Dcerbrush
Cerastium glomeratum CEGL2 sticky mouse ear
Cercocarpus montanus CEM02 Birchleaf mountain-mahogany
Chimaphila umbellata CHUM Common prince's-pine
Cirsium CIRSI
Clarkia rhomboidea CLRH Common carkia openings
Claytonia perfoliata CLPE miner's lettuce
Claytonia rubra rubra CLRUR red miner's lettuce fire rings
Collinsia grandiflora COGR2 Large-flowered blue-eyed
Mary
Collinsia linearis COLI Narrow-leaved blue-eyed Mary
Collinsia parviflora COPA3 Small-flowered blue-eyed
Mary
Cornus nuttallii CONU4 Pacific dogwood
Cryptantha CRYPT
Cryptantha intermedia CRIN8 common cryptantha
Cynoglossum grande CYGR Pacific hound's-tongue
Cynosurus echinatus CYEC Hedgehog dogtail
Cystopteris fragilis CYFR2 Brittle bladderfern
Cytisus scoparius CYSC4 Scotch Broom Invasive
Dactylis glomerata DAGL Orchard-grass
Daucus pusillus DAPU3 little wild carrot openings
Deschampsia danthomoides DEDA little deschampsia
Dichelostemma capitatum DICA 14 bluedicks
Draba verna DRVE2 Vernal draba
Elymus glaucus ELGL Blue wildrye
Epilobium brachyearpum EPBR3 parched fireweed
Erodium cicutarium ERCI6 Redstem stork's bill
Erythronium hendersomi ERHE7 Henderson's fawn-lily
71
Festuca californica FECA California fescue openings
Festuca occidentalis FEOC Western fescue
Fragaria vesca bracteata FRVE133 Woods strawberry
Fritillaria recurva FRRE Scarlet fritillary
Galium ambiguum GAAM2 Obscure bedstraw
Galium bolanderi GABO Bolander's bedstraw
Galium triflorum GATR3 Fragrant bedstraw
Garrya fremontii GAFR Fremont silk-tassel
Githopsis specularioides GISP3 common bluccup openings
Goodyera oblongifolia G00132 Rattlesnake-plantain
Heterocodon rariflorum HERA3 little oak flower openings
Hieracium albiflor-um HIAL2 White-flowered hawkweed
Hieracium scouleri HISC2 Scouler's woollyweed
Holodiscus discolor HODI Creambush ocean-spray
Hypericum perforatum HYPE Klamath weed
Hypochaeris radicata HYRA3 false dandilion
Iris chrysophylla IRCH Slender-tubed iris
Koeleria macrantha KOMA prairie junegrass openings,
ridges
Lathyrus nevadensis LANEP Sierra pea
Lithophragma parviflora LIPA5 Smallflower fringecup
Lithospermum californicum LICAI I California stoneseed
Lonicera ciliosa LOCI3 Trumpet honeysuckle
Lonicera hispidula LOH12 Hairy honeysuckle
Lotus micranthus LOMI Small-flowered deervetch
Lupinus LUPIN
Lupinus bicolor LUBI miniature lupine
Luzula comosa L0006 field woodrush
Luzula parviflora LUPA4 Smallflowered woodrush
Madia exigua MAEX little tarweed
Madia madioides MAMA Woodland tarweed
Maianthemum racemosum MARA7 false Solomon's-seal
Maianthemum stellatum MAST4 starrySolomon's-seal
Melica MELIC
Microsteris gracilis var. MIGRG4 pink annual phlox
gracilis
Moehringia macrophylla MOMA3 big-leaf sandwort
Moenchia erecta MOER moenchia
Montia parvifolia MOPAP small flowered miners lettuce
Myosotis discolor- MYDI yellow/blue scorpion grass
Nemophila parviflora NEPA Small-flowered nemophila
72
Oemleria cerasiformis OECE Indian plum
Osmorhiza chilensis OS CH Mountain sweet-root
Osmorhiza occidentalis Os )C western sweet-root
Pachistima myrsinites PAMY Oregon boxwood
Pectocarya pusilla PEPU little pectocarya openings
Phacelia heterophylla PHHE2 Varileaf phacelia
Philadelphus lewisii PH E4 Lewis' lnockorange uncommon
Piperia spp. PIPER2 Rein orchid
Pinus lamber-tiana PILA Sugar pine
Pinus ponderosa PIPO Ponderosa pine
Plagiobothrys tenellus PLTE slender popcorn flower
Plantago lanceolata PLLA English plantain
Plectritis macrocera PLMA4 desert plectritis openings
Poa bulboua POBU bulbous bluegrass
Polypodium glycyrrhiza POGLS Licorice-fern
Polystichum munitum POMU Western sword-fern
Potentilla glandulosa POGL9 Sticky cinquefoil
Pseudostellaria jamesiana PSJA2 sticky chickweed
Pseudotsuga menziesii PSME Douglas-fir
Pteridium aquilinum PTAQ Braken
Pyrola picta PYPI2 Whitevein pyrola
Quercus garryana QUGA4 Oregon oak
Quercus kelloggii QUKE California black oak
Ranunculus occidentalis RAOC Western buttercup
Ribes sanguineum RISA Red currant
Rosa gymnocarpa ROGY Baldhip rose
Rubus leucodermis RULE Black raspberry
Rubus parviflorus RUPA Thimbleberry
Rubus ursinus RUUR Pacific blackberry
Rumex acetosella RUAC3 Sheep sorrel
Salix SALIX willow draw, trail
Salix scouleriana SASC Scouler's willow ridge
Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulca SANIC5 blue elderberry
Sanguisorba SANGU2 minor garden burnet
Sanicula crassicaulis SACR2 Pacific blacksnakeroot
Sanicula graveolens SAGR5 Sierra snakeroot
Saturcia douglasii SAD05 Yerba buena
Sedum stenopetalum SEST2 Wormleaf stonecrop
Senecio integerrimus SEIN2 Western groundsel
Silene campanulata SICA5 bell catchfly
73
Symphoricarpos albus SYAL Common snowberty
Synthyris reniformis SYRE Snow-queen
Taematheitim Caput-medusae TACA8 medusahead
Taraxacum officinale TAOF dandelion
Tauschia glauca TAGL Glaucous Tauschia
Taxus brevifolia TABR2 Pacific yew
Tohniea menziesii TOME Youth on age
Tonella tenella TOTE Small-flowered tonella
Torilis arvensis TOAR field hedge-parsley
Toxicodendron diversilobum TODI Poison oak
Tragopogon dubius TRDU Yellow salsify
Trientalis latifolia TRLA6 Western starflower
Trifolium dubium TRDU2 little hop clover
Trillium ovatum TROV2 White trillium
Valerianella locusta VALO corn salad
Vancouveria hexandra VAHE White inside-out-flower
Verbascum thapsus VETH Common mullein
Vicia americana VIAM American vetch
Viola glabella VIGL Stream violet
Vulpia microstachys VUMI Nuttall's fescue
Table 8-2: Problematic or Invasive Plants
Plants_Symbol Common-Name Oregon A Oregon B Oergon T
List List List
ACPL Norway maple
AEHI Horse chestnut
AIAL Tree of heaven
AMPA Carelessweed
ANCA14 Bur chervil
BRRAR Field mustard
BRD13 Rip-tit brorne
BRTE Cheatgrass
BUDA2 Orange eye XX
butterflybush
CES03 Yellow star-thistle XX
CIAR4 Canada Thistle XX
CIVU Bull thistle XX
74
CLVI6 Evergreen clematis
COMA2 Poison hernlock xx
CYDA Bermudagrass
CYSC4 Scotch broom xx
DACA6 Queen anne's lace
DILA4 Cutleaf teasel xx
EQTE Giant horsetail
EUES Leafy spurge
FOVU Sweet fennel
GERO Robert geranium xx
HEHE English ivy xx
HYCA10 Aaron's beard xx
ILAQ80 English holly
IRCH Yellowleaf iris xx
LASE Prickly lettuce
LAC03 Common nipplewort
LIVU European privet
LYSA2 Purple loosestrife xx
MEOF Sweet clover
MEOF2 Common balm
POCU6 Japanese knotweed xx
POSA4 Giant knotweed xx
POOL Little hogweed
PRAV Sweet cherry
PRCE2 Cherry plum
PRLA5 Cherry laurel
PRLU Portugal Laurel
PYC02 Scarlet firethorn
ROCA3 Dog rose
RUAR9 Himalayan blackberry
SEJA Tansy ragwort xx
SPJU2 Spanish broom xx
TRTE Puncturevine xx
TRDU2 White clover
ULPU Siberian elm
VEBL Moth mullein
VIAM American vetch
VIMA Bigleaf periwinkle
VIMI2 Common Periwinkle
Ashland Forest Plan
75
GIS Data Dictionary
Definitions were developed specifically for this data dictionary except where otherwise noted.
Acres - The number- of acres in the Landscape Unit.
Aspect - The direction in which any piece of land faces (City of Ashland 2009) .
Fuel Model - The collections of fuel properties are known as fuel models and can be organized into four
groups: grass, shrub, timber, and slash. The differences in fire behavior among these groups are basically
related to the fuel load and its distribution among the fuel particle size classes. Each fuel model is
described by the fuel load and the ratio of surface area to volume for each size class; the depth of the fuel
bed involved in the fire front; and fuel moisture, including that at which fire will not spread, called the
moisture of extinction.
• Fuel Model 1 (Grass) - Fire spread is governed by the fine, very porous, and continuous
herbaceous fuels that have cured or are nearly cured. Fires are surface fires that move
rapidly through the cured grass and associated material. Very little shrub or timber is
present, generally less than one third of the area.
• Fuel Model 4 (Shrub) - Fires intensity and fast-spreading fires involve the foliage and
live and dead fine woody material in the crowns of a nearly continuous secondary
overstory. Besides flammable foliage, dead woody material in the stands significantly
contributes to the fire intensity. California mixed chaparral is a typical example.
• Fuel Model 6 (Shrub) - Fire will drop to the ground at low wind speeds or at openings in
the stand. The shrubs are older, but not as tall as shrub types of model 4, nor do they
contain as much fuel as model 4. A broad range of shrub conditions is covered by this
model.
• Fuel Model 8 (Timber) - Slow-burning ground fires with low flame lengths are
generally the case, although the fire may encounter an occasional "jackpot" or heavy fuel
concentration that can flare up. Only under severe weather conditions involving high
temperatures, low humidities, and high winds do the fuels pose fire hazards. Closed
canopy stands of short-needle conifers or hardwoods that have leafed out support fire in
the compact litter layer. This layer is mainly needles, leaves, and occasionally twigs
because little undergrowth is present in the stand.
• Fuel Model 9 (Timber) - Fires run through the surface litter. Concentrations of dead-
down woody material will contribute to possible torching out of trees, spotting, and
crowning.
• Fuel Model 10 (Timber) - The fires burn in the surface and ground fuels with greater
fire intensity than the other timber litter models. Dead-down fuels include greater
quantities of 3-inch or larger limbwood resulting from overmaturity or natural events that
create a large load of dead material on the forest floor. Crowning out, spotting, and
torching of individual trees are more frequent in this fuel situation, leading to potential
76
fire control difficulties. Any forest type may be considered if heavy down material is
present; examples are insect- or disease-ridden stands, windthrown stands, overmature
situations with deadfall, and aged light thinning or partial-cut slash (Anderson 1982.
Fuel Model updated in 2014 analysis (Main 2002)
Invasive Species - A nonnative species whose introduction is likely to cause or has the potential to cause
economic or environmental harm to an ecosystem or harm to human health or commerce (Clinton 1999).
Infrastructure - Infrastructure is defined as publicly owned roadways or casements and wire or pipes
including other appurtenances used for provision of public services such as electrical power, drinking
water, irrigation water, sewerage, overflow drainage and transportation. Infrastructure can be divided into
the following categories:
Table 8-3 - Infrastructure
AFP Infrastructure Category AFP Infrastructure Category Definition
Electric Fixtures transformers, sectionalizing (splicing)
cabinets, handholes, meters, lights, and poles
Electric Lines electrical conductors underground in conduit
or overhead suspended by cables
Sewer Fixtures sewer manholes, cleanouts, and pump stations
Sewer Lines underground sewer piping normally "6"
diameter and larger
Storm Fixtures manholes, ditch inlets, catch basins, curb
inlets, vaults
drainage piping including culverts and
Storm Lines siphons, generally 12" in diameter
Water Fixtures valves, vaults, hydrants meters, and flow
control devices
irrigation or potable water mains normally
Water Lines "6" diameter and larger
Landscape Units and Descriptions:
Landscape Unit Number - Updates and standardizes nomenclature for all management units
covered by the Ashland Forest Plan. A unique code for each management unit consisting of a one
to three letter parcel identifier and a unit number for each management unit within the parcel.
Nomenclature supersedes that from Main, Marty 2002. The Ashland Wildland/Urban Interface:
Wildfire Management Inventory, Analysis, and Opportunities; 2002. Information shown in Table
I below and under Landscape Units and Descriptions is intended to assist in providing a
transition from earlier vegetation classification to that in the Ashland Forest Plan. Parcel
identifiers are as follows:
Table 8-4 - AFP Parcels
Parcel Name Parcel Identifier
Alsing Reservoir AR
77
Ashland Ponds AP
Burnson - Lawrence BL
Cottle - Phillips CP
Crowson Reservoir CR
Granite Street GS
Hald - Strawberry HS
Hitt Road HR
Liberty Street LS
Lower Watershed LW
Oredson Todd Woods OTW
Piedmont P
Siskiyou Mountain Park SMP
Upper Lithia UL
Westwood Park WP
Winburn W
Unit Numbers will be sequential beginning with the number L For example, the first inventoried unit for
Ashland Ponds will be coded as AP-1, the second unit will be coded as AP-2 and so on until all the
Ashland Pond units have been listed. Burnson - Lawrence units will be coded as BL-1, BL-2, etc..
Table 8-5 Ashland Forest Plan Landscape Units
Landscape Wildfire Hazard Seral Fuel
Unity Description* Rating* Stage* Model
A Grassland / Non-vegetated Low Early 1
B Oregon White Oak Moderate Early -
Mid 9**
Ponderosa Pine / Oak 25 to 50 Early -
C years Extreme Mid 6
D Whiteleaf Manzanita 25 to 50 Extreme Early 4
years
E Douglas-fir / Madrone / Extreme Early 6
Deerbrush 25 to 50 years
F Conifer Plantations 10 to 25 Extreme Early 4
years
G Mixed Conifer and Hardwoods High Mid 10
75 to 125 years
H Douglas-fir (dying) / Madrone High Mid 10
75 to 100 years
J Douglas-fir 75 to 100 years High Mid 8**
K Riparian Moderate Variable 8**
Landscape Unit A - Grasslands or Non-Vegetated
• Topography - 0 to 30 percent slopes at low elevations on various aspects.
78
• Vegetation - Landscape Unit A sites have very limited existing vegetation, largely due to
vegetation removal activities in the past. These sites remain dominated by various grasses
and herbaceous vegetation, usually growing close to the ground.
Landscape Unit B - Oregon White Oak
• Topography- 15 to 45 percent slopes at low elevations on various aspects.
• Vegetation - Landscape Unit B sites are uncommon on City lands but represent a unique
vegetation type. The vegetation is indicative of harsh, droughty sites where moisture
availability is limited due to either (1) very shallow soils, or (2) the high percentage of
clay in the soil. Vegetation is dominated by Oregon white oak up to 30 feet tall.
Understory vegetation is dominated by native or non-native grasses and herbaceous
vegetation. A second understory type occurs in which whiteleaf manzanita, wedgeleaf
ceanothus, and most notably birchleaf mountain mahogany occurs with the oaks.
Landscape Unit C - Ponderosa Pine/Oak
• Topography - 25 to 40 percent concave slopes on various aspects.
• Vegetation - Shallow soils result in low site productivity (although greater than that
found on Landscape Unit B). Sites are generally dominated by California black oak and
ponderosa pine. The pines are present often as scattered overstory trees up to 20+ inches
DBH, as well as younger, smaller trees primarily in openings. California black oak forms
a considerable part of the overstory and mid-story canopies, as well as being a prevalent
understory species. Other vegetation includes whiteleaf manzanita and occasionally
Douglas-fir and incense cedar. Sites are subject to bark beetle mortality of pines.
Landscape Unit D - Whiteleaf Manzanita Dominated Brushfields
• Topography - 15 to 45 percent (occasionally steeper) slopes located on dry, southerly
aspects and other dry sites, most notably ridgelines.
• Vegetation - Sites are characterized by vegetation indicative of a major, high-intensity
disturbance generally within the last 10-50 years, such as the 1959 fire and the 1973
Hillview fire. Sites are dominated by dense whiteleaf manzanita, with clumps of stump
sprouting Pacific madrone, although scattered ponderosa pine, California black oak, and
deerbrush ceanothus may also occur. Brushfields are dense and continuous, fully
occupying the site and generally preventing establishment and/or growth of other
vegetation. Many of these sites are capable of, and historically probably did support,
mixed stands of conifers (particularly ponderosa pine) and hardwoods.
Landscape Unit E - Douglas-fir / Pacific Madrone / Deerbrush Ceanothus
• Topography - Sites are located on mostly steep (primarily 40 to 65 percent, although
ranging as high as 80+ percent) primarily northwesterly to northeasterly aspects in the
upper half of concave slopes. The steep topography makes slope stability an important
issue on slopes over 50% and/or when other signs of potential slope failure exist.
• Vegetation - Sites are characterized by early scral native vegetation initiated after major
high-intensity wildfire events (the 1959 wildfire and the 1973 Hillview fire). Vegetation
is primarily Douglas-fir, Pacific madrone, and deerbrush ceanothus. Other species
include snowberry and dwarf Oregon grape.
Landscape Unit F - Conifer Plantations
• Topography - 15 to 30 percent slopes on ridgclines and southerly aspects.
79
• Vegetation - Sites are an uncommon vegetation type on City lands. These sites were
planted 10 to 25 years ago, primarily to Ponderosa pine. Plantations have often been
reinvaded by other brush (most notably whiteleaf manzanita) and hardwood species.
Landscape Unit G - Mixed Conifer & Hardwood, 75-125 Years
• Topography - 25 to 45 percent, mostly southerly/southeasterly aspects at low to mid
elevations.
• Vegetation - Sites are a wide array of age classes, species compositions, structures and
densities. Sites are dominated by a mixed overstory of equal amounts of Ponderosa pine
and Douglas-fir in the 60 to 100 (occasionally older) year age class. These two conifers
generally comprise approximately 75% of the total stand basal area. California black oak
and especially Pacific rnadrone are also common parts of the overstory with the larger
conifers (typically up to 24+ inches DBH) overtopping the hardwoods. Other overstory
species include sugar pine, incense cedar, and on less productive microsites Oregon white
oak. Brush species are primarily deerbrush ceanothus and whiteleaf manzanita.
Douglas-fir snags are common. Bark beetle mortality of overstory conifers can be a
concern during drought years.
Landscape Unit H - Douglas-fir (Dead & Dying)/Pacific Madrone
• Topography - 25 to 55 percent slopes on primarily northwesterly to northeasterly aspects.
• Vegetation - Moisture stress on these sites snake the conifers (primarily Douglas-fir)
highly susceptible to attack from bark beetles, due to excessive stand densities. Bark
beetles focus on the larger diameter classes, so the remaining Douglas-fir tends to be the
smaller, suppressed individuals formerly in the understory. Hardwoods form a much
greater percentage of the overstory, averaging two-thirds of the total stand basal area,
with Pacific madrone about twice as abundant as California black oak. The availability
of site resources following Douglas-fir mortality, results in rapid development of
understory vegetation, most notably deerbrush ceanothus, poison oak, snowberry, hairy
honeysuckle, and various grasses and broadleaved herbaceous plants.
Landscape Unit J - Douglas-fir/Pacific Madrone
• Topography - 40 to 65 percent (and occasionally steeper) slopes on northerly aspects, in
upper slope positions, including headwalls
• Vegetation - Stands initiated after intense wildfire in 1901 or 1910 are dominated by
dense Douglas-fir poles 4 to 16 inches DBH. Douglas-fir generally comprise 75 to 90
percent of this total stand basal area, with the remainder being similar sized Pacific
madrone that are rapidly becoming overtopped and shaded out. The Douglas-fir are ripe
for bark beetle related mortality.
Landscape Unit K - Riparian
• Topography - Along creeks and draws most of which flow in a northerly to easterly
direction.
• Vegetation - Tree species include Oregon ash, black cottonwood, red alder, bigleaf
maple, and willow species. Other plant species present are mock orange, ninebark,
horsetails, sedges, and rushes. Invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry and
English ivy have become well established in many riparian habitats, often to the
exclusion of other native species (Main 2002).
80
Last Treatment - Most recent type of treatment accomplished
Last Treatment Year - Year most recent type of treatment accomplished
Next Treatment - Recommended next treatment to accomplish.
Next Treatment Year - Projected year next recommended treatment will be accomplished
Overstory Species - Three most common species of live trees in the uppermost canopy layer in an
inventory unit. Species are listed by plant symbol as shown on the Ashland Forest Plan species list.
Overstory Species Size Class -
• Cohort #1 - generally 25 to 50+ inches DBH; 150+ years.
• Cohort #2 - generally 10 to 25 inches DBH; 50-150 years.
• Cohort #3 - generally 1 to 10 inches DBH; 1-50 years.
Overstory species will be listed by Plant Symbol and cohort number. For example, legacy
(Cohort -1) Ponderosa pine will be listed as PIPO - Cl; younger Douglas-fir will be listed as
PSME - C2 City of Ashland 2004).
Overstory Species Stocking (see below for table definitions)
Table 8-6 - Ashland Forest Plan Overstory Species Stocking
Current Basal Acceptable Current Basal
Plant Series Area (in square Range of Basal Area Stocking
feet) Area (in square Level Rating
feet)
Douglas-fir 80 to 150
Ponderosa Pine 60 to 120
White Fir 110 to 200
Plant Series - plant series is based on the dominant, most shade tolerant, regenerating tree
species on the site (Atzet et at. 1996).
Current Basal Area - taken from stand data for that inventory unit; tally
includes all tree species on the site; basal area is the cross-sectional area of tree
boles in a forested area as measured at the diameter at breast height (dbh)
Acceptable Range of Basal Area - target amount of basal area for a plant series to achieve
full site occupancy and meet management objectives (Goheen 2014 pets. comm.)
Current Basal Area Stocking Level Rating existing basal area as a percentage of the
maximum acceptable basal area for that plant series
Table 8-7 - Ashland Forest Plan Current Basal Area Stocking Level Rating
81
Current Basal Area Stocking Current Basal Area as a
Level Rating Basal Area Stocking Density Percentage of Desired Basal
Area
1 Low < 40%
2 Moderate 40 to 69%
3 high 70 to 100%
4 Overstocked 101 to 140%
5 Severely Overstocked > 140%
Plant Association Group (PAG) - Plant Association Group (PAG): a group of plant associations that
share a common feature of favoring development of particular tree species that will become dominant
over time if the forest matures without disturbance. Plant Association Groups are an intermediate
stratification between plant associations and plant series. The coarsest level is the forest or plant series,
which denotes all types that have the same climax dominant tree species, defined by shade tolerance (i.e.,
the Douglas-fir series). The finest level is the plant association, which denotes an overstory species that is
the most shade-tolerant of the species found in that type along with one or more indicator understory
species (i.e., Douglas-fir/ Oregon grape plant association) (USDA FS 2003).
Old-Growth Forest - A forest stand usually at least 180-220 years old and typically suggesting the
following characteristics: moderate to high canopy closure; a multilayered, multispecies canopy
dominated by large overstory trees; high incidence of large trees, some with broken tops and other
indications of old and decaying wood (decadence); numerous large snags; and heavy accumulations of
wood, including large logs on the ground (City of Ashland 2009).
Seral Stage - The series of relatively transitory plant communities that develop during ecological
succession from bare ground to the climax stage.
• Early Seral Stage - The period from disturbance to development of crown closure of
conifer stands. Grass, herbs, and brush are plentiful in this stage. Early seral stage is
defined as having trees up to 5 inches DBH (diameter at breast height).
• Mid-Seral Stage - The period in the life of a forest stand from crown closure to ages of
15 to 80-100 years. Mid seral stands include diameters between 6 and 24 inches average
DBH.
• Late-Seral Stage - The period in the life of a forest stand older than 80 years and
approaching 200 years or more. Late seral stands average 24 inches or greater DBH.
Slope - A standard way of measuring the steepness of any slope; specifically, a percent figure based on
the rise in elevation in feet over a 100 foot distance (i.e., 25% slope equals a rise of 25 feet over a 100
foot distance). Although no uniform standards describing steepness exist, a typical classification is as
follows: flat (0-5%), gentle (6-25%), moderate (26-55%), steep (56-75%, very steep (76%+) (City of
Ashland 2009).
Treatment Types:
82
• Hazard Tree Removal (HR) - The removal of trees that have been identified as a
potential risk, for failure that would cause injury to a person or damage to property
(Helms J. 1998).
• Invasive Species Treatments (IST) -
IST-1) Manual treatments - mowing, weedeating, cutting, grubbing, mulching,
pruning, pulling/weeding, burning, root barrier installation, piling and burning,
IST-2) Mechanical Treatment - brush flail
IST-3) Herbicide Treatments - organic herbicide spraying, cut/puncture/drip
Organic herbicide application, herbicide spraying, manual herbicide application,
cut/drip herbicide application (City of Ashland 2011
• Non-commercial thinning (NCT) - The removal of trees of little or no commercial
value from a forest stand to achieve a pre-designated silvicultural objective (e.g., improve
stand vigor, reduce wildfire danger, etc.) (City of Ashland 2009).
• Non-commercial thinning/slashing in preparation for underburn (NCT / PU) -
similar to non-commercial thinning but includes the additional objectives of reducing
ladder fuels, increasing height-to-crown base, and creating more discontinuous fuel
conditions, both horizontally and vertically, while producing more favorable fire
management conditions which prepares the site for safe application of a future low
severity prescribed fire regime.
• Overstory Removal (OR) - The cutting of trees constituting an upper canopy layer to
release trees or other vegetation in an understory (Helms J. 1998).
• Piling and burning (PB) - Smaller non-merchantable material is thinned and piled on
site without the aid of machinery and contains needles, twigs, small-diameter branches,
and boles. In areas with a major shrub component, cutting and hand piling is also used for
reducing heavy surface fuels. Use of hand piling mitigates soil compaction
concerns and widens the prescribed burning window, allowing managers to use fire under
weather and fuel moisture conditions that are inappropriate or ineffective for broadcast
burning. Pile burning can be more easily monitored and controlled, minimizing escape
potential (Wright et al. 2009).
• Planting (P) - Artificial restocking of an area with forest trees, shrubs, or grasses;
• Prescribed fire (underburning) (PFU) - Prescribed underburning: involves the
controlled application of fire to understory vegetation and downed woody material when
fuel moisture, soil moisture, and weather and atmospheric conditions allow for the fire to
be confined to a predetermined area and intensity to achieve the planned resource
objectives (City of Ashland 2009).
• Radial Thinning (RT) - Density reduction for a fixed distance beyond the dripline of the
retention tree or as a function of the crown radius of the retention tree (i.e. 2 or 3 crown
83
radii out from the retention tree) to create crown separation and horizontal canopy fuel
discontinuity.
• Sanitation Cutting (SC) - The removal of trees to improve stand health by stopping or
reducing the actual or anticipated spread of insects and disease (Helms J. 1998).
• Thinning from below (TFB) - The cutting of non-dominant trees in a stand, usually in
order to give more site resources to the dominant trees or to reduce ladder fuels (City of
Ashland 2009).
• Variable Density Thinning (VDT) - Variable-density thinning is a thinning method that
attempts to enhance stand structural heterogeneity by deliberately thinning at different
intensities throughout a stand. VDT may create stands with dense areas, open areas, and
other areas that may be intermediate in density. Subsequent stand development forms a
more varied structure than is common in many even-aged forest stands (O'Hara et al.
2012).
Understory Density - existing understory cover as a percentage of the site
Table 8-8 Ashland Forest Plan Understor Density Rating
Current Understory Stocking Understory Stocking Density Current Understory Stocking
Level Rating as a Percentage of the Site
1 Low < 40%
2 Moderate 40 to 69%
3 High 70 to 100%
Understory Species - Three most common species of live trees and shrubs in the lower- canopy layer in
an inventory unit. Species are listed by Plant Symbol as shown on the Ashland Forest Plan species list.
Unit History - list of management treatments accomplished, acres treated, and year(s) treated.
Wildfire Hazard Rating - The kind, volume, condition, arrangement, and location of fuels and
vegetation that creates an increased threat of ignition, rate of spread, and resistance to control of wildfire.
• Extreme (Red) - These landscape units arc characterized by a likelihood of very
explosive wildfire behavior, largely due to dense, early successional vegetational profiles
on moderate to steeper topography.
• High (Orange) - These are mid-successional units and are slightly less likely than units
in the extreme class to initiate and/or sustain crown fires due to more inherent structural
discontinuities in fuels, particularly vertically as ladder fuels drop out in typical stand
development. However, greater overall fuel loading and relatively continuous canopy
fuels can result in uncontrollable wildfire behavior. Fire is more likely to burn at a range
of intensities in this category.
84
• Moderate (Yellow) - Units in this category are less likely to burn with to severe wildfire
behavior, either due to greater live moisture percent in vegetation through the summer
season or generally reduced site productivities and subsequent fuel loadings.
• Low (Green) - Units in this category have site conditions that offer wildfire management
opportunities at low or minimal cost, largely due to very low or even non-existent fuels,
and generally gentle topographical locations. Examples include pastureland or other
grasslands, orchards, quarries, or other areas where vegetation is significantly reduced
(Main 2002).
Comments - Any useful information the evaluator- felt should be passed on to the
data user. No more than 250 characters. Examples include tree data such as radial growth rate and live
crown ratio; species regenerating, presence of pathogens, and smaller inclusions of other vegetation types
atypical of the larger unit.
Table 8-9 Blank Unit Attribute Table
Landscape Last Next Overstory Overstt
Unit Acres Aspect Fuel Model Species Last Treatment Treatment Next Treatment Treatment Species Speci(
p.,cies
Number ~ Year Year Size Cl
Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit Unit
Unit Input Input Input Domain Input Domain Input Domain Input Input Doma
Fuel Model Variable Density Variable Density Color
1 Thinning Thinning
Fuel Model Thinnina from below Thinning from Cohorq below
Fuel Model Radial Thinning Radial Thinning Collor
6
Fuel Model Non-commercial Non-commercial
g thinning thinning
Non-commercial Non-commercial
thinning /
Fuel Model thinning / slashing slashing in
9 in preparation for for
underbunt preparation
nnderburn
Fuel Model Piling and
1 Piling and bunting burning
Prescribed Fire Prescribed fire
(underbuming) (underbunting)
Planting Planting
Invasive Species Invasive Species
Treatments Treatments
85
Chapter 4
Vegetation: Retrospective, Trends and Challenges
Forensic Forestry and Vegetation Trends
In historical fire regimes in the western forests of the United States, fire varied in intensity from
site-to-site and tended to interact cumulatively in balance with other disturbance agents
(especially insects and disease). The progression in the 20" century of higher vegetation density
and relatively continuous structure, both horizontally and vertically, has created conditions for a
fire to rapidly escalate in magnitude beyond historically healthy cycles. The weakened trees
resulting from these high stand-densities also increase the likelihood of insect-related mortality
and pathogenic damage such as dwarf mistletoe. In a vicious cycle, this increased tree mortality
has tended to further increase the potential likelihood of a severe wildfire.
Currently in the Ashland Watershed, a profusion of white fir and Douglas-fir have developed since the
settlement era - a striking change that has consequences for forest communities and fire behavior. Maps
of tree distribution reconstructed back to 1865 show a patchy dissemination composed of large diameter
ponderosa pine, sugar pine, Douglas-fir and at lower elevations black oak and Pacific madrone as shown
in figure 4-1.
Figure 4-1
86
2011
.6
Comparison of historic verses contemporary forest structure on 7.4 acres of Ashland forest in a
productive setting at 4,500 feet above sea level.
(Source)
Data show dramatic increases in the number of small Douglas-fir, Pacific madrone, and white fir, while
regeneration of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and black oak has been very limited. Spatial patterning of
trees within stands has changed as well, resulting in significantly less light to the forest floor and much
larger aggregations of trees. Gaps between trees and tree cluster are important for a variety of reason.
Gaps are where snow is retained best, and where early seral species, and seed/fruit-bearing understory
plant species and dependent wildlife thrive. Increased forest density, species composition shifts, and
increased uniformity in spatial pattern are widespread trends seen in other dry, fire-exclusion-adapted
forests across the west.
Recently, as part of the monitoring for the Ashland Forest Resiliency Project (AFR), The Nature
Conservancy has quantified some of the historical changes in forest composition and structure in the
Ashland Watershed (fig.4-2, table 4-1).
Figure 4-2
Township 39 South, Range 1 East, Section 21
White Rabbit Parcel
Change in Forest Conditions 1939 to 2004 (Source)
87
T '
TC:
[µt;5 ~ D ~T Nf 7•
Not
1939 2004
Table 4-1 Change in Forest Conditions 1939 to 2004 (Source)
1939 Photo 2004 Photo
Primarily open canopy forest maintained by Primarily closed canopy forest. Open canopy
fire events forest a result of human activity
On 420 out of 460 acres (91%), grazing was Little to no shrub component due to closed
the recommended management forest canopy
Ceanothus and manzanita species were Ceanothus and manzanita species are less
common, occurring together on 360 out of common, occurring together on
460 acres (78%). approximately 30% of the acres.
Stand conditions favor more fire-tolerant,
shade-intolerant tree species (pines and Stand conditions favor less fire-tolerant,
hardwoods) shade-intolerant species (Douglas-fir).
Sampling at multiple scales is necessary to quantify multiple variables at relevant scales. Forest density
(e.g. basal area and trees per acre), tree sizes, and forest species composition were characterized on 0.25
acre plots as shown in figure 4-3. tntra-stand spatial patterning was quantified on large plots (7.4 acre)
placed in representative forest stands dotninated by old-growth trees and which had avoided significant
disturbance in the last 100 years. In the Ashland Watershed, 50 stand density (0.25 acre) plots and four
spatial pattern (7.4 acre) plots were established.
Figure 4-3 (Metlan, 2012)
88
Y r'
r
aershed Forest
li M
>4 inc~s D
Basal area ft?/acre) Trees/acre
Year Mean Range, Mean Ran e
1911 81 (13-225) 50 (16-121)
2011 194 (63-339 176 (28-Q1
89
Variables and Factors Determining Vegetation
Manipulation of vegetation to achieve objectives on City ownership has been guided by a thorough
understanding of the existing vegetation. This has been facilitated by the recognition that existing
vegetation results from the interaction of three factors:
• Relatively constant environmental variables, including, but not limited to, elevation,
aspect, seasonality of annual rainfall, temperature, and soil
• Typical successional changes as vegetation develops through time
• Changes in vegetation composition, structure, and density resulting from human
interactions with the landscape, encompassing a range of disturbances that began with
Native American activities, was altered when early settlers arrived, and continues to
change today
With an understanding of existing vegetation and how it came to be, informed decisions have been made
and planned manipulations implemented on the City of Ashland ownership over the past 20 years to
produce desired changes. This has been particularly challenging due to the reasons listed below:
• The Klamath province is known for its high level of biodiversity.
• Disturbance histories have been significantly altered, often in highly diverse and
complicated ways, since early settlers arrived in the mid-1800s.
• Vegetation communities today are functionally, compositionally, and structurally
complex making projections as to future stand trajectories difficult.
• The difficulty in projecting existing conditions into the future is exacerbated by the
uncertainty of how modeled climate change trends and extremes will affect this region.
Variations in the environmental variables which determine vegetation produce significant differences in
site conditions. In the Klamath Siskiyou region, these enviromnental variables are generally most critical
in the influences they have upon moisture availability for plants, as moisture is usually the limiting factor
affecting plant survival and growth. This is particularly important at lower elevations in the eastern edge
of the region where the City of Ashland forestlands are located. They are within the rain shadow of Mt.
Ashland, such that precipitation amounts average only 20 to 30 inches annually on lower City and Parks
ownership at approximately 1800 feet in elevation, compared with close to 60 inches at the top of Mt.
Ashland (7,533 feet in elevation), only eight miles to the south. In particular, the lack of precipitation
during summer months greatly affects the type, quantity, and diversity of vegetation that can persist. The
steep elevation gradient between Mt. Ashland and the city significantly influences vegetation, with cooler
and moister conditions increasing rapidly with increasing elevation.
The Ashland Water Advisory Committee commissioned a 30-year climate model for the Ashland
Watershed in 2010, which predicts a modest increase in precipitation over that period, along with a 2
degree C increase in average temperature (City of Ashland 2010). Rain-on-snow events, primarily at the
3500-4000 elevations, are significant contributors to potential flood stage flows.
Aspect is an important environmental variable because greater amounts of solar radiation on southerly
aspects during long, dry summer months limits moisture availability much more so than on northerly
90
aspects (with easterly and westerly slopes intermediate). Obvious changes in vegetation occur on City
ownership on opposing southerly and northerly aspects, with westerly and easterly aspects intermediate.
Species such as Douglas-fir, white fir, Pacific madrone, and deerbrush (Ceanothus integerrimus) tend to
dominate the more northerly aspects, while drought tolerant species are increasingly common on more
southerly aspects (i.e. ponderosa pine, Oregon white oak, California black oak, whiteleaf manzanita,
etc.).
Variations in soil properties are important determinants of vegetation on any given site. Soils in the
watershed are derived primarily from granitic parent material of the Tallowbox (on steeper sites) and
Shefflein (on gentler slopes 10-35%) soil series (Johnson, 1993). These are relatively deep, and well-
drained to excessively-well-drained soils of a very coarse nature which are prone to erosion. Both surface
erosion and mass wasting events, most notably debris slides and debris flows, have frequently occurred
on City forestlands and throughout the Ashland watershed, even in unmanaged landscapes, and are a
historic and integral part of the disturbance regime. However, the potential for increasing these erosion
events through active management (i.e. manipulation of vegetation) is of major concern. The high-
intensity storm events of 1964, 1974 and, most recently, the New Year's Day storm of 1997 revealed the
potential landslide activity and major associated flooding that may occur in the Ashland area.
The Role of Fire
As vegetation develops, it typically progresses through a series of successional stages, each of which
contains specific and recognizable characteristics (Oliver and Larson 1990). Prior to early settler activity
in southern Oregon, the primary disturbance mechanism in the Klamath region, and in Ashland
Watershed, was fire (Metlen et al., 2012; Skinner, 2007) ignited by Native Americans or lightning.
Sensenig (2002) found a frequency averaging 12 years across a wide range of sites in southern Oregon
during this era.
Metlen's (2012) analysis of 91 fire scars sampled across many biophysical settings in the Ashland
Watershed, (although on somewhat higher elevations than on most of the City ownership) suggests that
historically fires were frequent - occurring every three years (range 1-14), and 44% of fires were recorded
on at least three of sites up until the early 1900s. Fires returned to a given site every 13 years, ranging up
to 40 years. Sampled trees typically survived tens of fires over their lifetime.
Understanding of these three categories of site condition determinants (environmental site conditions,
vegetation development patterns, disturbance history), can help explain the existing condition of
vegetation type on a site. These factors set the stage for the dominating and rapid alteration to
disturbance history which took place within the last 150 years with the arrival of early settlers. Beginning
in the first half of the 19th century, significant vegetation modification and changes in disturbance history
began to occur as Native American application of fire was eliminated and radically new forms of
disturbance began to be implemented across the landscape on lands that today are owned and managed by
the City of Ashland, Forests began to be harvested in earnest to help build the developing town of
Ashland, and the resulting slash from these operations, coupled with the resulting increase in more
flammable early successional vegetation, created a landscape much more likely to burn at larger scales
and higher intensities. In some cases, high-intensity fire was purposely initiated by ranchers desiring
more pastureland or miners hoping to expose more rock strata and make mining easier-both clear and
purposeful objectives.
"The fiercest timber fire that has ever taken place close to Ashland has been raging along the
hillsides of Ashland Creek Canyon for the past three days, and its work of destruction was only
placed under control last evening. "
- Ranger W. Kripke (August 26, 1901) (City of Ashland, 2004)
91
Over the last 1 15 years, large scale, high-severity fires have become a much more common type of
disturbance in the emerging disturbance regime. Major wildfire events occurred in 1901, 1910, 1959,
1973 and 2009 both in and around the current City ownership. The 1901 and 1910 events were very
likely largely fueled by the more than 50 previous years of logging and the creation of slash and early
successional vegetation, resulting in a much more flammable landscape. The 1901 and 1910 wildfires
were part of a national trend that led to a policy of fire suppression and subsequent fire exclusion from
forest ecosystems that remained in place for most of the 20th century. Almost all of the area below
Reeder Reservoir and a large percentage of the City ownership has vegetation initiated after those events.
Trees older than 115 years are rare in that area.
Once initiated the pattern of infrequent but intense wildfires (as opposed to frequent fires of low intensity)
may be reinforced by the resulting increased amounts of more wildfire-prone early successional
vegetation, which often occurs in relatively continuous vegetation and fuel profiles. Breaking this pattern
and restoring more benign fire regimes through active vegetation management has been the underlying
strategy on City lands over the past 20 years for helping to achieve more fire-resistant and resilient stands
and landscapes, and subsequently helping to achieve a primary objective: reduction in the likelihood of
high-severity fire on City lands. In essence, the City has decided through its vegetation and fuels
management activities to increase the likelihood of low-severity fire when it does visit our lands, and to
subsequently reduce the likelihood and effects of high-severity fire.
Historically forests in the Ashland Watershed contained two-thirds fewer trees than found currently with
the major increases in small white fir, Douglas-fir, and Pacific madrone, developing a J-shaped diameter
distribution from one that was historically more flat. (fig. 4-4 and 4-5)
Figure 4-4 (Ranger W. Kripke (August 26,
1901 as documented in the 1992 Ashland
Forest Plan)
Figure 4-5 (Metlan et al.) 2012
92
1911 te[onstnttted stands - f • ..I:,.
■ a rrn „,,r.,,,,
Trees a A Inches DOM 2011 current condltlo(%
yL
yyd y
1= ~
Mam ma# at 4.5 tt ri mha!) nlu.,.e+. of GA R lind "I
Vegetation Changes Effecting Wildfire Behavior
The Siskiyou Fire
On September 21, 2009, a wildfire ignited on the hillside near 3500 Siskiyou Boulevard, just above
Interstate 5. Strong winds from the east that day (National Weather Service: Red Flag Conditions)
quickly fanned the fire despite the timely arrival of fire suppression resources including engines,
helicopters, and retardant planes.
Within two hours of the ignition, five retardant planes and three helicopters were providing aerial
support for many engine crews who protected structures and attacked the fire. The fire advanced
throughout the morning and afternoon, causing evacuations of approximately 150 homes and
ultimately consumed one structure and several outbuildings. A fireline was constructed by both
bulldozer and hand crews primarily along the east and west flanks of the fire. Fortunately, pre-
fire fuels-reduction work altered the fire behavior and significantly aided in the protection of
structures and the successful containment of the fire east of Tolman Creek Road.
In nearly all locations where the fire was controlled, vegetation had been managed through either
an Oregon Department of Forestry sponsored National Fire Plan grant program, or a similar
program coordinated through Ashland Fire & Rescue.
There were several areas of crown fire that spread directly into fuels treatment zones. In all
cases except one, the fuels treatment areas caused the crown fire to drop down and become an
intense surface fire, and particularly on the western and southern flanks, the crown fire became a
low-severity underburn.
Exactly 80 acres within the 188 acre fire perimeter were thinned under these programs and to
varying degrees altered the fire's behavior and intensity and provided opportunities for
suppression via air or ground. In addition, this vegetation management improved the post-fire
ecological effects (Chambers 2009).
Fire in the Upland Forest
The most significant change in disturbance regimes in the Ashland Watershed, as well as most of
southern Oregon, has been in the frequency, severity, size, and duration of fire. Historically fires were
very frequent - occurring every three years (range 1-14) up until the early 1900s. Fires returned to a given
site every 13 years, ranging up to 40 years. Mature trees typically survived multiple fires over their
lifetimes.
93
Fire in the Riparian Forest
In southwest Oregon, fire exclusion in the 20th century triggered a shift in the stand dynamics of riparian
forests from frequent fire disturbance and shade-intolerant tree recruitment in large canopy gaps to one
characterized by the replacement of overstory trees by shade-tolerant species through individual tree-fall
gaps. Fire-sensitive and shade-tolerant white fir is represented in far greater numbers than it was prior to
1900 and few Douglas-fir trees that recruited after 1900 are on the trajectory to canopy dominance.
Growth rates of Douglas-fir recruited during the 20th century, however, suggest they were not growing in
canopy gaps, but in the shaded understory and thus are growing much slower than the older, dominant
trees. In the shade, 20th century Douglas-fir trees would not have received enough sunlight to support the
rapid growth rates achieved by the dominant trees from older cohorts. Previous work in old-growth,
upland forests of southwestern Oregon found that the majority of dominant trees were the largest trees in
their cohort at age 50 and they tended to remain dominant for at least 250 years. Few Douglas-fir trees
that recruited after 1900 are on the trajectory to replace the large-diameter trees that currently dominate
the canopies of riparian forests on northerly aspects because slow-growing, suppressed trees have reduced
potential to become large, dominant trees later in life.
In riparian forests on southerly aspects, vegetation was most likely shaped by a low-severity fire
regime, similar to that of southwestern ponderosa pine where frequent fires killed most tree
seedlings and maintained open savannas or woodlands with shade-intolerant hardwoods and
scattered, open-grown conifers. The age structure of live Douglas-fir observed for these sites
suggests the survival of trees to a fire-resistant size was infrequent, resulting in low conifer
densities relative to northerly sites.
In riparian forests on northerly aspects, patches of high-severity fire within the moderate-severity
matrix apparently created canopy gaps in which new cohorts of Douglas-fir could establish
within existing stands and perpetuate Douglas-fir overstory dominance. Fire exclusion has been
associated with an increase in tree density and an increase in the recruitment of white fir, a fire-
sensitive, shade-tolerant species. Without large canopy gaps, Douglas-fir recruitment has been
restricted to the shaded understory where it grows very slowly and is unlikely to replace the large
canopy dominant Douglas-fir trees that recruited before 1900. The Douglas-fir dominated
canopy may eventually be replaced by white fir, which does not produce high quality, large
diameter, more decay-resistant standing snags and coarse woody debris that are desired
for both terrestrial and aquatic species habitat.
The dominant trees in riparian forests would likely have been the individuals that recruited into canopy
gaps after fire where they were able to develop full crowns and grow rapidly out of the `lethal flaming
zone'. Until the late I9th or early 20th century, it appears most tree recruitment into the overstory of
northerly aspect riparian forests occurred in large canopy gaps (greater than 30 meters in diameter)
created by fire.
Vegetation and Forest Pathogens
Insects
Insects that damage or kill conifers and other vegetation are important contributors to healthy,
functioning forest ecosystems, serving many important ecological roles. They are an essential
form of disturbance that can effectively reduce stand densities, improve overall stand vigor,
provide important wildlife habitat values, supply coarse woody material for the forest floor,
facilitate nutrient cycling, and perform other important ecological functions.
94
In most healthy forest ecosystems, insect-related mortality is usually light and scattered, with
generally the weakest trees being attacked. However, in forests of increasing levels of stress
and/or declining in health, damage from insects can increase significantly and become an
uncharacteristically high-severity disturbance. Bark beetles attack trees that are suffering severe
cumulative stress factors because the insects can detect stressed trees via odors and cell wall
collapse in trees. Stress factors include drought, fungal disease, soil compaction or disturbance,
and mechanical logging damage. The most common form of stress in the forests of southern
Oregon and especially the Ashland Watershed is uncharacteristically high stand-densities. These
high stand-densities are primarily the result of a change in fire regimes through fire suppression
and the subsequent lack of more frequent, light disturbances such as low-intensity fire. Increased
stand density over time reduces the availability of site resources for individual trees (e.g., soil
moisture, nutrients, and available light). The resulting, reduced tree vigor makes conifers more
susceptible to successful attack by various insects. Once a bark beetle gains entry into a
weakened tree, it can chemically communicate this fact to others of its species, thereby causing a
mass attack, which kills trees outright. Tree stands that experience a high level of mortality can
result in a disturbance regime of increased scale and severity.
Each coniferous tree species is associated with a set of species-specific bark beetles. Ponderosa
pine is susceptible to attack from the western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis), pine
engraver beetle (Ips pini) and the red turpentine beetle (D. valens) among others. A separate
cadre of beetles, including the Douglas-fir twig weevil (Cylindrocopturis firj•nissi), flatheaded fir
borer (Melaniphila drummondi) and the Douglas-fir beetle (D. pseudotsugae) attack Douglas-
fir. White fir is particularly susceptible to infestation from the fir engraver beetle (Scolytus
ventralis). Sugar pine is most often attacked by the mountain pine beetle (D. ponderosas).
Each of these insects has its own particular biology and style of interaction with its particular
host species.
Rapid expansion of flatheaded fir borer populations in the Ashland interface area resulted in
significant mortality of Douglas-fir during the major droughts of the early 1990s (e.g., almost all
of the Douglas-fir in the Lithia park uplands were killed in that event) and again during the 2001-
2002 drought event. If conditions allow bark beetle populations to build up to high numbers,
even healthy trees can be overcome by mass attacks. As many as four generations of some bark
beetle species can occur in one summer season, allowing for rapid population expansion. Larger
conifers of low to moderate vigor, often the most desirable trees for retention in the Ashland
Watershed, are particularly susceptible to bark beetle related mortality during these outbreaks.
Knowledge of the insect biology and associated ecological interactions is key to formulating and
implementing an appropriate planned disturbance (i.e., ecologically based silvicultural or stand
management activity) to return the stand to a healthy co-existence with forest insects.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. Mistletoes are flowering, seed-bearing, perennial plants that attack
trees. They do not have enough chlorophyll to produce their own food. Thus, they rely totally
on host trees for nutrients and water. The pathogen will ultimately kill the infected tree, although
more typically it makes the tree more susceptible to demise from other agents, most notably bark
beetles from reduced tree vigor. When the host tree dies, the mistletoe plant dies. Heavily
95
infected trees with abundant vertically arranged brooms (thick foliage masses produced by the
tree in response to the disease) are more susceptible to conflagration in prescribed and wildland
fire. Heavily infected trees can also be wildfire accelerators by transporting low to moderate-
intensity fire into upper canopy layers thereby increasing crown-fire development, spotting, and
wildfire rates-of-spread.
True mistletoes (Phoradendron spp.) attack both conifers and hardwoods but mostly hardwoods.
True mistletoes are most prevalent in Oregon white oak. They stress the host tree, create weak
areas and provide an entry point for decay fungi.
Dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobiunn spp.) infects conifers. Each conifer has its own host-specific
species of dwarf mistletoe.
Reproduction is by seed, which is aerially spread from tree to tree. Rate of spread is generally about one
to two feet per year, although the sticky seeds, forcibly shot from the fruits in fall, can fly as much as 30
to 40 feet or more. Since they prefer high levels of sunlight, dwarf mistletoes can spread more rapidly in
open stands than in closed stands. For this reason, partial cutting and/or thinning has been known to
rapidly increase dwarf mistletoe infections if a diligent job of removal is not accomplished. A second
entry to remove infected trees that were missed in the first entry is not uncommon. The most undesirable
element of dwarf mistletoe infection occurs when poor quality, infected overstory trees spread the disease
to young, healthy saplings in the understory, thereby ensuring the long-term continuation of the disease.
The pathogen is a slow, subtle form of disturbance that can significantly change stand conditions over
time.
Moreover, infection of younger Douglas-fir in the short term may limit their lifespan, thereby reducing
recruitment of mature Douglas-fir in the future and facilitating a compositional shift toward white fir.
Unfortunately, white fir tends to grow in multiple layers with relatively high crown bulk densities,
characteristics that may exacerbate potential wildland fire behavior under some conditions.
Dwarf mistletoe brooms are particularly important for wildlife nesting at lower slope positions and
canyon bottoms, suggesting that some retention may be desirable. At upper slope positions, where aerial
spread of the parasite is more pronounced and wildland fire management goals may be more readily
compromised, dwarf mistletoe should be managed to meet project fire-management goals.
White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola)
White pine blister rust (caused by the fungus ribicola) is an exotic disease. The causal fungus is native to
northern China, Siberia, and the Russian Far East. It was introduced into Europe via the Crimea in 1854,
and was transported to western North America in 1910 on a single shipment of infected white pine that
was sent to British Columbia from France. White pine blister rust found ideal conditions in the Pacific
Northwest, became established on native hosts. and spread rapidly. It was first reported on the National
Forest in the late 1920s. If 1850 is used as a standard for "past natural conditions," white pine blister rust
did not occur- in the Ashland Watershed in historical times. All impacts of white pine blister- rust have
occurred in the period from about 1928 to the present (USDA FS 2003).
Root Disease
Root diseases are another slow, subtle form of disturbance that has long-term repercussions for vegetation
development and stand succession. Although they appear to be uncommon on City of Ashland parcels at
this time, these subtle, damaging agents are common, are usually much underrated, and are very difficult
to control.
96
Four major species of root disease are common in southern Oregon- Armillaria, Phellinus (which causes
laminated root rot), Annosus, and Leptographiurn (which causes Black Stain root disease). Each has its
own particular biology and options for management. Unlike dwarf mistletoe disease, destruction of the
above-ground portions of trees does not necessarily remove root disease from forest ecosystems.
Ongoing monitoring and early protection is critical for preventing excessive destruction from these
diseases. Minimizing damage to residual stems during logging, planting and encouraging resistant
species, and particularly maintaining stands with trees of high vigor are the most important management
techniques that can help limit the spread of most root diseases.
Botany
There are two plant species listed in the Oregon Natural Heritage Plan (ONHP) that occur on lands to be
managed under the 20 t 6 Ashland Forest Plan.
Three Leaved Horkelia
There is a population of three leaved horkelia (Horkelia tridentata) in unit C2 in the Lower Watershed
parcel. Three-leaved horkelia is an ONHP List Two species. List Two species are taxa that are
threatened with extirpation or presumed to be extirpated from the state of Oregon. These are often
peripheral or disjunct species which are of concern when considering species diversity within Oregon's
borders. They can be very significant when protecting the genetic diversity of a taxon. The Oregon
Natural Heritage Information Center regards extreme rarity as a significant threat and has included
species which are very rare in Oregon on this list. In Oregon this species is only known from the Ashland
Creek watershed. It grows in dry forest openings (COA 2009).
California Smilax
There is a population of California smilax (Smilax calilbrnica) in unit AP-1 at Ashland Ponds. California
smilax is an ONHP List Four species. List Four species are taxa which are of conservation concern but
are not currently threatened or endangered. This includes taxa which are very rare but are currently
secure, as well as taxa which are declining in numbers or habitat, but are still too common to be proposed
as threatened or endangered. While these taxa may not currently need the same active management
attention as threatened or endangered taxa, they do require continued monitoring. This species occurs on
streambanks in coniferous forest.
Landslide Hazard Zones
Areas with steep slopes offer the potential for both surface erosion and mass soil wasting, with
the very steep slopes obviously of much greater concern. Surface erosion delivers sediments to
draws where it accumulates over time, increasing the potential for eventual debris slides.
Areas such as identified landslide hazard zones may benefit from retention of higher densities of
trees in order to reduce the likelihood of slope failure in the short-term. These benefits should be
balanced with associated long-term drawbacks on a site-by-site basis. For example, this strategy
may lose its effectiveness over time if excessive bark-beetle-related mortality occurs due to an
overstocked stand condition and subsequent moisture stress. In this scenario, increased loss of
larger overstory trees, which are more effective in holding soils together at deeper depths, is also
a potential disadvantage in the long run. There can also be a higher level of fire hazard
associated with these stand conditions, with increased impacts on soils and slope stability in a
fire event. That is to way, when wildfires occur, a high percentage of the vegetation in a stand is
killed and large areas of soil are exposed, which is the single most potential negative impact that
can contribute to large mass wasting events.
97
Vegetation Change Due to Managed Disturbance, 1995-2015
Over the past 20 years, the City has implemented active management of existing vegetation structures to
more closely create conditions that would reach their objectives. The intent has been to begin to move
forest vegetation closer to the more open stand conditions for the historic forests while more closely
emulating natural functional processes and ecologic outcomes over time. In the process, vegetation has
again been modified by this new disturbance regime that can be generally characterized by the following
factors:
• Frequent gradual reductions in stand density to improve tree vigor and reduce the
potential for insect-related mortality
• Thinning-from-below to improve forest strictures, create fuel discontinuities and
decrease likelihood of high-severity fire
• Shift to more open stand conditions and encourage development of more shade-
intolerant species while also reducing likelihood for spread of high-severity crown fires
• Regular slash reduction of activity generated fuels to ensure ongoing reduction in the
potential likelihood and severity of fire when it occurs
• Reintroduction of low-intensity fire through an active prescribed underburn program to
restore this important ecological and functional process to forest ecosystems
Stand and Landscape Patterns
The City of Ashland has implemented vegetation manipulation through planned disturbances on a fine
scale, with prescriptions and implementation occurring on a unit basis. These prescriptions and the
subsequent implementation has been site-specific and closely monitored in a collaboration between City
staff, contract personnel, and the Ashland Forest Lands Cornmission. The results of that work are shown
in chapters 8 and 10 of this document - Inventory and Monitoring respectively, and describe current
vegetation conditions for each unit, as well as the past management activities that have produced current
outcomes and projections for additional vegetation modifications in the future. Although management on
City lands will continue to be done on a very site specific, fine scale approach, the following information
provides general guidelines for desired vegetation conditions by plant association group (PAG).
Plant Association Groups (PAGs)
Trees, shrubs and other plant life can be classified in many different ways fulfilling a variety of purposes.
The Ashland Watershed, including the City of Ashland forestlands, has been stratified into designations
called Plant Association Groups (PAGs) in order to expedite accurate discussion and address the specific
vegetation concerns and prescriptions. Plant Association Groups provide a general picture of major
vegetation patterns across a forest. Each PAG is comprised of five or more closely-related plant
associations, or groupings of plants that occur together in similar environments. These environments are
typically defined by their temperature and moisture regimes, soils, and history of natural disturbances,
such as wildfires, diseases and insect outbreaks. Plant Association Groups may also be characterized by
features other than vegetation, such as cinder, glacier, lava, meadow, rock and water. Together, the PAGs
provide a picture of both the vegetation and the non-vegetative features within a large area (Grenier, et al.
98
2010). The City lands covered under the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan are primarily in the Dry Douglas-Fir
PAG.
Table 4-2--- Plant Association Groups on City of Ashland Forestlands (Source)
Plant Association Groups on City of Ashland Forestlands
PAG Number of Acres Percent of City Forestlands
Dry Douglas-fir 675.8 59.8
Moist Douglas-fir 0.0 0
Oregon White Oak 20.6 1.8
Ponderosa Pine 130.1 11.5
Unclassified 131.0 11.6
Dry White fir 71.2 6.3
Moist White fir 102.3 9.0
Total 1,131 100.0
Insert the overview PAG map.
Dry Douglas-Fir PAG
The primary disturbance agent in this PAG was frequent, low-severity fire, occurring on a
5 to 15 year average return interval. Insects, diseases, and fire return time interacted to determine fire
severities. However, these frequent fires burned in a mosaic pattern missing some patches, hence
allowing development of the mid-seral closed structure type. These most likely occurred in riparian areas
associated with perennial streams and springs, and on sonic lower slopes of north aspects.
At the stand level, this PAG would commonly be considered uneven-aged with most of the structure
consisting of groups of trees. As a whole, stands may appear to have had up to three layers due to the
number of different age classes within the stand. Shrubs and grasses were a substantial feature of this
PAG with the relative abundance of shrubs over grasses depending on the number of years since the most
recent fire. A longer fire interval allowed more shrub development.
Surface erosion and landslide potential were moderate for this portion of the landscape. Several debris
flow landslides occurred during 25, 50, and 100-year flood events, but probably not as frequent as
compared to current conditions. In addition, larger trees that existed in the past would have aided in slope
stabilization.
Moist Douglas-Fir PAG
The primary disturbance agent in this PAG was frequent, mixed-severity fire, occurring on a 15 to 25 year
average return interval. Insects, diseases, and fire interacted to determine fire severities. Although the
typical fire was of mixed severity, low-severity fire tended to predominate.
Seral stage dynamics in the moist Douglas-Fir PAG were very similar to those of the dry
Douglas-Fir PAG with a slightly more dominant shrub layer, and a slightly higher probability of a stand
moving from an open structure type to a closed type. Sugar pine was more common.
The ability of this PAG to retain soil moisture is high, due to slope aspects involved, and therefore, it is
slightly less stable than the Dry Douglas-Fir PAG. Moist soils, steep slopes, dense dendritic drainage
pattern, and high fire risk caused this PAG to be at a moderate-to-high risk for landslides and at high risk
for erosion potential. To a large extent, these disturbances occurred in and/or adjacent to stream channels,
springs, seeps, and concave drainage features. Moderate and large conifer trees were frequently removed
99
and transported down slope during these mass wasting events. Sediment, large rock, and other- debris
were often carried and deposited far down slope from the source of the landslide.
Oregon White Oak PAG
Man-caused fire, initiated on a regular basis, strongly influenced vegetation conditions in this PAG.
Well-established and uniformly distributed perennial grasses offered regular- opportunities for indigenous
burning, and a five year average return interval is estimated.
Oregon white oak was the dominant tree in these clay soils, with a lesser amount of California
black oak. Ponderosa pine was scattered on the landscape as the large overstory dominant trees. It is
probable that the trees in this open, savannah-like landscape were mostly older individuals, ranging up to
300 or more years. Closed structure types were rare.
This PAG is considered low risk for landslide hazards due to decreased slope gradients and gradation
away from the coarser, less-cohesive granitic soils of the neighboring Ponderosa Pine and Dry Douglas-
Fir PAGs.
Pathogens thrived generally at lower levels compared with those seen today. Sparsely located
ponderosa pine were attacked by bark beetles during extended droughts but this sparse tree
distribution substantially reduced the likelihood of any spreading disease. Mortality was probably related
to site characteristics (e.g., shallow and/or clay soils) interacting with climatic extremes.
Ponderosa Pine PAG
The primary disturbance agent in this PAG was frequent, low-intensity fire, occurring on a
5 to 10 year average return interval. This PAG is most commonly located on the dry, more southerly
aspects and these conditions, coupled with Native American burning in the nearby oak woodlands,
contributed to increased fire frequency.
Under this disturbance regime, mid-seral and late-seral open structure types were by far the most
common. Generally, vegetation tended to occur in clumps with a range of ages expressed between
individual trees or clumps of trees. At the stand level, this PAG could be described as uneven-aged with
ponderosa pine the most common tree species, comprising 50 to 75 percent of the total composition, with
the remainder in Douglas-fir and sugar pine. Pacific rnadrone and
Oregon white oak probably comprised less than ten percent of the pre-settlement stands.
Vegetation and fuels were horizontally discontinuous in this PAG, with numerous openings
maintained by frequent fire. Grasses and herbaceous vegetation were much more common than
shrubs due to the frequent fire interval.
Surface erosion and landslide potential were low-to-moderate in this PAG, due to decreased slope
gradients on these southerly aspects. Although this PAG tended to have more bare soil than others,
surface erosion may not have been high due to abundant but thin grass cover. Reduced risk for high-
intensity wildfires additionally reduced risk of large landslides and erosion that often follows a fire.
Low levels of ponderosa pine and sugar pine mortality occurred from western and mountain pine beetle
(less than 0.5 percent per year). Dwarf mistletoe was likely of very low occurrence in pines or Douglas-
fi r.
Dry White Fir PAG
100
The primary disturbance agent in this PAG was mixed-severity fire occurring on a 25 to 35
year average return interval. Low-severity fire tended to predominate.
Seral-stage dynamics in this PAG are similar to those of the Dry Douglas-Fir PAG. The mid-seral open
structure type was the most common. Some closed structure types were more likely to develop and
persist than in the Douglas-Fir PAGs. The longer fire intervals resulted in a more dominant shrub layer
and a higher probability of a stand transitioning from an open to a closed structure type. Individual
patches could have up to three canopy layers, particularly in the late-seral closed type.
This PAG is completely within the rain-on-snow zone. Consequently, the risk for landslides to disturb
and/or remove vegetation is considered moderate to high. Surface erosion for this area is also classified
as high. Soil productivity and fertility would have periodically been adversely affected when topsoil was
removed during large-scale surface erosion occurrences. These erosive actions upon the soils have
caused vegetative cover to be reduced in areas that were usually highly productive. It would take a long
period of time for soils and vegetation to recover from these large-scale erosion events. A majority of the
damage occurred during the large flood events that commonly occurred in a time span ranging from 10 to
25 years apart.
Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe was present at some unknown level, perhaps about 35 percent of the stands.
Dwarf mistletoe was probably found in scattered stands in all mid-seral and late-seral stages, but it was
likely most concentrated in the mid-closed and late-closed stages.
Moist White Fir PAG
Fire in this PAG was of mixed-severity, occurring on a 40 to 50 year average return interval. The relative
proportions of low and high-severity fire were roughly equal. Other substantial disturbance agents
included bark beetles, defoliators, dwarf mistletoe, and laminated root disease. Both fire and root
diseases were responsible for creating small to medium-sized openings.
High productivity resulted in a predominance of closed structure types. The combination of
disturbance agents promoted greater variation between the relative proportions of structure types,
compared with the drier PAGs. Western white pine was a minor, but important species and
sugar pine was most abundant in this PAG. Shrubs and forbs were more predominant in all structure
types, and forbs tended to dominate the understory in the closed Structure types.
The landscape included such wide variation in patch sizes that it is very difficult to describe with
averages. The Moist White Fir PAG had the highest level of within-stand and between-stand
variation compared with the other PAGs in the landscape.
This PAG is located on east and north aspects and would tend to retain a larger percentage of soil
moisture. It also falls completely within the rain-on-snow area for this landscape. Consequently, the risk
for landslides to disturb and/or remove vegetation in this PAG is considered high. Surface erosion
potential for this area is also classified as high with similar outcome potentials as the Dry White Fir PAG.
Small to moderate scale epidemic outbreaks of bark beetles or defoliators were possible, especially in the
late seral closed structure type. Laminated root disease and dwarf mistletoe were relatively common.
Vegetation: Dilemmas and Directions
The key to the preservation of water quality and the other forest resource values within the Ashland
Watershed is contingent upon the ability to manage the geographical distribution and intensity of
101
wildfires that will occur within the watershed. The majority of wildfires that have burned in the Ashland
Watershed during the last century have occurred at lower elevations within the Wildland Urban Interface
(WUI) and have burned into the watershed in response to upslope wind patterns, slope, aspect and
vegetative patterns. Of these four factors, vegetative pattern is the only one that can be pre-emptily
managed. Therefore, the effective manipulation of wildfire fuel vegetation within the WUI and in the
larger Ashland Watershed can significantly reduce the threat of a catastrophic wildfire.
However, an inherent false dichotomy may appear to exist within the strategies currently employed by
City forestland managers as they manipulate and disturb the vegetation in the Ashland Watershed.
On the one hand, as clearly outlined in City objectives, there is a strong desire to prevent, suppress, and
prepare for fire where it threatens lives and properties. In and near the city, a single goal applies across
yards and homes: protect lives and properly. Effective vegetation management to reduce the potential of
wildfire within the WUI is of even greater importance when these areas are located in or adjacent to
municipal watersheds and also experience heavy recreational use.
On the other hand, research and collected data suggest the imminent need to restore fire as a key
ecological process in the long-term health of the Ashland Watershed. Further compounding this
dichotomy, is the general desire of the citizenry to reside safely within a forested landscape that has
evolved historically and can only be kept healthy with frequent, tow-intensity fires.
The restoration of a natural, landscape-scale patch diversity and balanced fire regimes close to a WUI is
an outcome few (if any) forestland managers have accomplished on a watershed scale. Nevertheless, this
end is being carefully pursued by the City with an understanding that the current set of watershed
conditions reflects an interruption of ancient vegetation cycles and ecological interactions that are
complex and not easily duplicated. What is universally understood by all stakeholders who value our
forestlands is that doing nothing other than fire suppression is not an option.
102
References
Chambers, C. 2009. An Analysis of Fuels Reduction Treatment Effectiveness
During and After the 2009 Siskiyou Fire, 14p. Ashland, Oregon.
(ham://vkvw.ashland.onus/Filest`Siskiyou°o20Firq// 20Report°ro20FINAL Pt)
Gremer, et al. 2010 Plant Association Group and Special Habitat Descriptions Deschutes and Ochoco
National Forests, Crooked River National Grassland
(his jr.library.ore,-,onstate.edu/xmlui/bitstreani/handle-1957!18892IPAG"io20Descriptions%20 2 . df?s
eguence=l )
Hagle, S. K. 2009. Laminated root rot ecology and management. Chapter 11.2 Forest insect
and disease management guide for the northern and central Rocky Mountains. USDA Forest
Service, Northern Region, State and Private Forestry. 20 pp.
llttD://wN.N'w.fS.usda.2ox,/Intet-tiet/FSE DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5187461.pdf
Messier, M., Shatford, J., and Hibbs, D. 2012. Fire exclusion effects on riparian forest
dynamics in southwestern Oregon. Forest Ecology and Management 264 (2012) 60-71; 12p.
Metlan, K 201 1 Unpublished data on file The Nature Conservancy Medford, Oregon.
Metlan, K., Olsen, D., and Borgias, D. 2012. Forensic Forestry: learning from history for a
resilient future.
(http://ashland.or.us/Files/Forensic°/`20Forestr °/y o20LJpdatc`/"20Drail`/209°/"202012.pdf)
USDA - Forest Service 2003 Upper Bear Assessment. Ashland OR; Pacific Northwest
Region: 238p.
Chapter 10
103
Monitoring: Plots and Protocols
Monitoring, in general, is obtaining accurate information over time and maintaining a long-term record.
Forest monitoring entails a purposeful and systematic observation and documentation of characteristics of
the landscape and responses of the landscape to various management strategies including a "no
management" option.
Monitoring is an essential and ongoing part of the restoration of City forestlands. It provides the basis for
an adaptive management approach by regularly assessing conditions that can give valuable feedback and
initiate appropriate changes in management activities. Over time, there will be changes in understory
vegetation and tree growth. It is imperative that the effects of stand density reductions, prescribed fires,
and other silvicultural treatments be monitored to evaluate their effectiveness and inform future work.
There are two types of monitoring, qualitative and quantitative, both of which have intrinsic and unique
value.
Qualitative Monitoring
Qualitative observations are any observation made using the five senses. Qualitative evaluations may
involve value judgments and emotional responses. They are produced through anecdotal evidence,
surveys, community meetings, and sensory observations. The word "subjective' is often applied to
qualitative monitoring. The type of intimate understanding of the forestland and the associated resources,
as well as the public context in which their management exists, has important values that cannot
necessarily be obtained through quantitative, data-driven monitoring. Complex biological relationships
can be analyzed and assessed experientially over time in ways that are not necessarily available through
quantitative assessments alone.
This type of monitoring has been conducted for more than twenty years by City staff; the Ashland Forest
Lands Commission (AFLC), Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission, and Small Woodland Services,
Inc., the City's well-considered contract forestry and resource management consultant.
Quantitative Monitoring
Quantitative monitoring employs repeated measurements of important numerically assessable indicators
that can be tracked over time. The resulting data sets offer important insights into longer term trends and
changes. Quantitative approaches are very useful in balancing institutional and individual biases that are
a normal pail of organizational processes. Quantitative monitoring can inform a qualitatively-oriented
decision making process and provide a base of unbiased information upon which to base those decisions.
The maintenance and repeated measurement of more permanent quantitative data can allow for a reliable
assessment of changes over time and offer a solid continuity, even though individuals in the decision
making process may change. The inherent reliability offered by quantitative monitoring can also help
develop a greater level of trust among community members than might occur through qualitative methods
alone.
City of Ashland Forestlands Monitoring Protocols
Forestlands monitoring is most effective when it integrates knowledge and understanding that emanates
from both qualitative and quantitative sources. To date, the City has been fortunate to be able to
incorporate information from both forms of monitoring. Unlike larger ownerships, such as federal agency
holdings, where there is far more acreage than can be closely monitored, the City ownership is of a size in
which ongoing interactions by professionals and involved citizens has resulted in an understanding of
104
considerable depth and breadth, both ecologically and socially, that could not be obtained otherwise. It is
expected that the qualitative monitoring that has provided the solid foundation for City forestlands
management for more than twenty years will continue with monitoring protocols and longitudinal data
solidly in place.
To date, the City has invested in a series of 206 permanent inventory plots, with two rounds of inventory
data collection that allows for assessments of both current conditions and changes over time. Analysis of
that data has been largely dependent on episodic needs of City staff (e.g. to help answer an important
question), rather than as a regular analytic occurrence. This has been due, in part, to budgetary
requirements that prioritized implementation of projects over additional post-monitoring analysis. Recent
efforts to more closely standardize inventory and monitoring on all City lands, including on lands
managed by Ashland Parks and Recreation, is a significant step forward for the City of Ashland,
particularly as more landscape level approaches to forest and resource management are imperatively
driven by wildfire prevention strategies.
Monitoring provides information to help determine if management actions are meeting the objectives of the
Ashland Forest Plan. The monitoring plan is designed to do the following:
• Track ecosystem elements that are likely to change as a result of management actions
including tree vigor, ground layer vegetation, species composition, and soil cover
• Compare effects of treatments at different locations
• Ensure that the desired effects are produced
• Provide feedback on the effectiveness of our individual actions so we can respond in an
adaptive management framework
Phases of Quantitative Monitoring
Typically, quantitative monitoring consists of four phases:
1) Inventory or Baseline Monitoring: to provide an initial assessment of species
distribution and environmental conditions. (i.e., "What is there now?"). A problem
encountered during the development of the 2016 AFP was the inconsistency of available
inventory data. The Lower Watershed and Winburn Parcel both have a systematic forest
inventory consisting of formal plots. However, other parcels have inventory data
resulting from individual projects and local knowledge. This inventory data exists in
multiple formats: spreadsheets, narratives, and photographs. To solve this incongruence
in data, a new inventory format was designed for the 2016 AFP. The 2016 Unit Attribute
Summary has 21 individual attributes for each AFP unit and is now consistent for all
lands managed under the plan. A GIS database has been created so that the information
can be analyzed to assist in developing management recommendations. The Attribute
Table and Data Dictionary can be found in Chapter 8 and includes both quantitative and
qualitative assessments.
2) Implementation Monitoring: to determine if management actions were accomplished as
planned. (i.e., "Did we do what we said we would do?"). For example, following the
2004 Restoration It project in the Lower Watershed Parcel, permanent plots were re-
105
visited post-harvest to determine if implementation occurred as it had been designed
(e.g., were the trees marked for removal the actual trees removed in the operation?).
3) Effectiveness Monitoring: to determine if a management action achieved the stated
objectives. (i.e., "Did our actions accomplish what we wanted them to?"). For example,
effectiveness monitoring has been used on the Winburn Parcel to determine whether
restoration work has reduced the number of small trees competing with the highly
desirable larger trees, and whether pine species have been retained while white fir has
been reduced. This was represented by measurement of trees per acre of each species,
and basal area of each species, both before and after work was completed.
4) Validation Monitoring: to determine if the assumptions and models used in developing
the existing management plan have proven correct, and modify them as necessary (i.e.,
"What have we learned from what we have done?"). For instance, improved tree vigor is
an important gauge of density management effectiveness. This is most easily represented
as diameter growth rate in rings-per-inch acquired through increment boring. Forest
inventory plots can help determine if tree vigor is actually improving through increasing
the rate of diameter growth. For example, ongoing monitoring on the Winburn Parcel
Restoration III project will determine if goals to increase the health of pine and other
leave trees was achieved by reducing stand density.
Monitoring of City Forestlands Management to Date
What is learned fi-om City forestlands monitoring efforts is key to guiding future adaptive management
strategies. When resource objectives are met, those management practices are continued. When resource
objectives are not met, monitoring data assists our forest managers in chan-ing management techniques to
reach stated objectives. Since 1995, four significant forest management projects have occurred on City
forestlands:
1) Restoration I, beginning in 1996 and continuing to date, has focused primarily on
stand density and fire hazard reduction through thinning of non-commercial size
classes of trees, with follow up slash treatment, throughout the City forest lands.
2) Restoration II, beginning in 2004 on the Lower Watershed Parcel, was primarily
additional stand density reduction through helicopter thinning on 183 acres, with
follow up treatment of activity-generated fuels.
3) Restoration III, beginning in 2013, consisted of helicopter thinning and follow up
treatment of activity-generated fuels on 74 acres of the Winburn Parcel.
4) Restoration IV, the name given to the ongoing practice begun in 2013, primarily
involves prescribed underburning that has been implemented following completion
of the various projects in Restoration I-III. These treatments have recently been
elevated by City forestland managers to a long-term ongoing management practice,
used once units have undergone stand reduction activity so that fire can be utilized as
a planned low-severity disturbance event.
106
Each of these four projects (Restoration I-IV), has included a different mix of qualitative and quantitative
monitoring. The following sections and tables describe each phase of quantitative monitoring done for
each of the four projects and provides examples of each.
Baseline Monitoring Results to Date
The City established 206 permanent monitoring plots and initiated data collection on both the Lower
Watershed Parcel (137 plots on 486 acres) and the Winburn Parcel (69 plots on 160 acres) in 2000-2002.
More data was collected in 2007-2009. Data collected at each plot included:
• Site data such as slope percent, aspect, GPS location;
• Stand exam tree data such as live/dead, species, dbh, height, crown ratio, dwarf mistletoe,
rating, radial growth, age, crown closure;
• Fuels by size class (Brown's transects);
• Species, size, decay class of coarse woody material;
• Soil types such as bare soil, rock, litter, live vegetation, duff cover, duff/litter depth;
• Vegetation composition details such as layer, species, and percent cover;
• And photos.
Plots were not established in riparian areas as no active management projects were planned. Plots were
also not established in scattered smaller parcels under City jurisdiction. No plots were established on
lands administered by the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department.
Data from these plots have been summarized and analyzed a number of times by the City, primarily on an
ad hoc basis. There are, however, a number of variables that have never been summarized and/or
analyzed because there was never an explicit need by the City to do so. The capacity to perforrn needed
retrospective summaries/analyses at any time is in place because the actual plot data for all variables is
permanently stored in City of Ashland tiles. The City plans to re-visit the plots again (budget depending)
within the next several years. This ongoing data collection provides the opportunity to assess long-term
changes in the biophysical features on City forestlands.
Implementation Monitoring Results to Date
Implementation monitoring is used to determine if management actions were accomplished as planned.
Three major projects have occurred on the City ownership in which follow-up quantitative
implementation monitoring has occurred. The results of quantitative monitoring were presented in a
number of documents (Main 2003, Main 2006, Main 2007, Main 2010, Main 2013, Main 2014).
An example of implementation monitoring that has been completed occurred in the 2004
helicopter thinning project (Restoration II) on 183 acres of City lands in the Lower Watershed
Parcel. The data are summarized in Table 10-1 (Main 2003).
Table 10-1. Trees Removed in Restoration Pro'ect Phase II
Diameter Live trees Dead trees
<17" dbh 4202 1563
>17" dbh 120 283
107
Following the harvest, a revisit to permanent plots confirmed that what had been planned had
actually occurred: the trees marked for removal were the ones removed. This is shown in Table
10-2.
Table 10-2. Trees Removed by Unit in Restoration Project Phase It
Unit Acres 17" dbh < 17" dbh > 17" dbh > 17" dbh Trees /
Live Dead Live Dead Total Acre
A2 7.0 62 43 0 4 109 15.6
Barranca 1.8 0 111 0 3 114 63.3
B 213, 33.1 485 787 2 48 1,322 39.9
and 4
B 516, 9.4 298 143 3 20 464 15.6
and 7
D 1 7.5 25 150 0 31 206 27.5
D2 4.2 209 9 3 6 227 54.0
E 213 ' 4, 11.0 218 92 9 38 357 32.5
and 5
F 4.5 126 30 1 4 161 35.8
H 3.5 26 35 2 27 90 25.7
J 5.0 104 6 13 10 133 26.6
K1 and 2 7.0 20 14 6 39 79 11.3
K3 4.3 96 47 6 17 166 38.6
L1 3.5 89 2 10 0 101 28.9
M 15.0 320 2 21 2 345 23.0
N 21.3 984 16 8 7 1,015 47.7
P/Q 40.3 905 36 33 14 988 24.5
S2 5.0 235 40 3 13 291 58.2
Totals 183.4 4,202 1,563 120 283 6,168 33.6
Effectiveness Monitoring Results to Date
Effectiveness monitoring is used to determine if a management action achieved the stated goals.
This is dependent on clearly articulating desired goals and simultaneously selecting appropriate
monitoring indicators to quantitatively measure achievement of the specific goals. If goals and
monitoring indicators are not developed concurrently, it is common to have goals that cannot be
measured quantitatively and must then be assessed only by qualitative methods.
The following goals have been developed for projects on City ownership:
Restoration I (R-I) Goals:
1) Protection of watershed values and maintenance of water quality and quantity for the City
2) Maintenance and/or promotion of forest and ecosystem health
3) Reduction in wildfire hazard and risk
108
Restoration II (R-II) Goals:
1) Promote healthy forest stands for the long term through reducing stand densities by
thinning understory and middle-canopy trees
2) Maintain structures, features and processes critical to the functioning of mature forests
such as large trees, snags, down logs, multi-layer canopy, soil structure and nutrient
recycling
3) Significantly reduce the likelihood of a large scale, high-intensity wildfire through
activities that will restore a disturbance regime more closely emulating the historic range
of natural disturbances. Although highly variable, these natural disturbances included
frequent, low-intensity fires as opposed to infrequent, high-intensity fires. This goal will
not be accomplished with a single management action and may take years or decades to
complete
4) Minimize the need for continued intervention in the landscape and eventually allow
natural fire cycles and other disturbance events to occur
5) Protect and improve riparian transition zone habitat, specifically those areas where the
vegetation shows a distinctly different plant community compared to the adjacent uplands
6) Increase stability of surface soils by increasing effective ground cover, including coarse
woody debris, mosses, native grasses and low shrubs
7) Develop an approach for reducing stand density while protecting slope stability in
moderately sensitive geologic areas (Hazard 2 Zones)
8) Encourage and preserve native species diversity on a landscape level
Restoration III (R- III) Goals:
1) Employ ecologically-responsible stewardship principles and an open and transparent
community decision-making process
2) Promote forest health through reducing stand densities
3) Maintain structures, features, and processes critical to the functioning of late seral forests,
such as tree densities and biodiversity appropriate to the forest type, large snags, down
logs, multi-layer canopy, soil structure, and nutrient cycling
4) Significantly reduce the likelihood of a large-scale, high-intensity wildfire through
activities that will restore a disturbance regime more closely emulating the historic range
of natural disturbances, including reintroduction of natural and/or prescribed fire
5) Protect and improve aquatic and riparian transition zone habitat
109
6) Increase stability and productivity of surface soils by increasing effective ground cover,
including coarse woody material, mosses, native grasses and low shrubs
7) Maintain and protect wildlife by preservation of key habitat characteristics and retention
of structural diversity across the landscape
Restoration IV (R-IV) Goals:
1) Return low-intensity fire as an ecosystem process
2) Reduce one and ten hour fuels by 30% to 60% to minimize potential for wildfire
ignition/spread
3) Reduce developing understory vegetation, especially sprouting madrone, whiteleaf
manzanita seedlings, hairy honeysuckle and other shrubs by 25% or greater to promote
native grass and herbaceous vegetation
4) Maintain existing overstory conifers and hardwoods by limiting overstory mortality to
10% or less
5) Maintain 1000 hour fuels for large woody debris by retaining 50% or more of these fuels
6) Protect existing duff layer with objective to retain 50% of the duff depth over 75% or
more of the area
Using data from permanent monitoring plots, a number of the above-described goals were quantitatively
assessed for effectiveness. For example, reductions in stand densities have been quantified to help assess
effectiveness in achieving goals R-I.2, R-1.3, R-11. 1, R-II.3, R-III.2 and R-II1.4. Monitoring data from
Restoration III has made it clear that stand density reduction had occurred (Tables 10-3 and 10-4).
Table 10-3. Pre and Post Stand Density in Winburn Parcel Unit
Unit (#plots) Prc-Helicopter (2007-08) Post-Helicopter Post-Helicopter (w/ NCT)
TPA HA QMD RDI TPA BA QMD RDI TPA HA QMD RDI
1 (n19) 335 222 11.0 0.74 222 158 11.5 0.52 I35 139 13.7 0.42
4 (n=4) 102 250 21.2 0.64 74 215 23.1 0.53 74 215 23.1 0.53
5 (n=5) 204 225 14.2 0.68 124 165 15.6 0.48 90 155 17.8 0.43
It was also confirmed (Table 10-4) that a reduction in trees per acre of shade tolerant species had
occurred, while no shade intolerant species had been removed. This was an important species
composition shift pertinent to Goal R-III.3.
110
C
W V v
V V
~ M M
0.
0
~ ~ ~ N N O
v E r O
CC
a
~ M M
C
U Q M
~ c
O U F-
~ U
~ ~ < N M
F-
O
p.,
o
Q Q O O O
a ~ Lr.' M M N N
0
00 0 t M
lzt
E-
CL Q1 M C~ M
~--U ~ N c~i~ U v
-zt
r--
Discussions, both qualitative and quantitative, of other stand attributes that changed during the
Restoration III project are discussed in greater detail in the Winburn Parcel 2013 Treatment
Summary (Main 2013). The value of using both qualitative and quantitative monitoring was
evident during the development of that report.
For example, post-treatment results for- basal area and RDI in Unit 4 (Table 3) were somewhat
higher than planned and implemented during the project. This may have been due to the low
number of plots (n=4) in the small unit. The subsequent addition of six systematically-arranged
plots resulted in an actual basal area of 192 ft'-/acre, rather than the 215 ft2/acre previously
reported. The higher retention of basal areas and RDI than might typically be retained in many
prescriptions was the result of two qualitative judgements not reflected in the data:
• High height/diameter ratios and small crowns in the unit made it appropriate to leave
more trees for potential loss from windthrow, helicopter damage, etc.
• This site was judged to have a higher potential maximum stand density index (SDI) than
other sites which would result in an RDI that was lower than indicated by the data alone.
It is important to note that several of the goals outlined above could not be quantified, such as Goal RIIA ,
RIIL 1, and portions of others. In some cases, these could be assessed qualitatively. In many cases,
additional qualitative assessments could improve the analysis.
In Restoration IV, an overarching goal has been to return low intensity fire as an ecosystem process where
appropriate - a goal partially accomplished by utilizing prescribed burns. Accomplishment of this goal
can be a qualitative assessment (i.e., the goal was accomplished if fire was re-introduced as an ecosystem
process).
Quantitative assessment of this goal can be accomplished with more elaboration, such as measuring flame
length to indicate low-severity fire. Retention of a duff layer, an important factor in reducing the
potential for soil erosion, can be quantitatively assessed after prescribed underburning. Effectiveness
monitoring in Unit E2 found that significant increases in percent of bare soil occurred after prescribed
underburning (Main 2014).
Table 10-5: Unit E2 Pre and Post Burn Soils'
Date Bare soil Live vegetation Duff/Litter Duff Depth
(n = 200') (n = 200') (inches)
(n = 200') _ (n = 20)
Pre-burn 7.9 24.0 68.1 0.75
112
(6-7/2007)
Post-burn 55.5 3.0 41.5 0.4
(1/2014)
Post-burn 37.3 18.7 44.1 0.46
(7/2015)
Soils inventory protocol developed by David Steinfeld, USFS Soil Scientist
Additional effectiveness monitoring will continue on prescribed underburns on City forestlands and will
be used to inform adaptive management by trying other methods for protecting duff layers. Eventually,
validation monitoring may be employed through repeated permanent plot re-measurements to determine
the level of validity assumed wherein prescribed underburning can be used while protecting duff and
watershed values.
Validation Monitoring Results to Date
validation monitoring verifies or refutes the assumptions that guide proposed management actions, and
modify them as necessary (i.e., "What have we learned from what we have done?").
For instance, improved tree vigor is a very important gauge of density management effectiveness. This is
most easily represented as diameter growth rate in rings-per-inch acquired through increment boring.
This data has been collected on all forest inventory plots on the City ownership and can help determine if
thinning has improved tree vigor as measured by increasing diameter growth over time. For example,
ongoing monitoring on the Winburn Parcel Restoration III project will determine if goals to increase the
health of pine and other leave trees was achieved by reducing stand density.
In "Post-Treatment Monitoring- Lower City of Ashland Ownership" (Main 2006), radial growth had not
improved in the years following thinning treatments, although understory vegetation had increased
significantly. This raised the question as to the validity of the underlying assumption that thinning would
improve vigor of the retained trees on this portion of the City ownership, with notable differences by
sites, species and crown ratios.
Longer- time frames are often needed to measure the validity of underlying assumptions and models. The
two year interval following the last major thinning (2004 Restoration II helicopter thinning) may not have
been enough time to determine outcomes for validation monitoring, especially given the presence of high
populations of flatheaded borers in Douglas-fir that can affect stand level responses to thinning.
On the Winburn Parcel, inventory data collected over 13 years suggested no increase in mortality of older
legacy trees even when higher basal areas were retained around those trees. The removal of smaller,
more competitive size classes, both around individual legacy trees and later on a stand level basis, likely
helped produce that outcome. The extensive data set, with one repeat measurement and a second planned
in the next several years, should offer ample opportunity to conduct validation monitoring as needed by
the city.
Monitoring Under the 2016 Ashland Forest Plan
The 2016 AFP goals (see Management chapter) are more general than some of the project level
goals discussed above for R-I, R-II, R-III and R-IV. While both qualitative and quantitative
monitoring has been and will continue to be important in guiding City forest management, future
monitoring under the AFP will emphasize specific quantitative indicators. In addition to
monitoring which provides new data, both the Lower Watershed Parcel and Winburn Parcel have
extensive data from past monitoring that is available for future review and analysis.
113
Given the limitations on both fiscal and human resources, monitoring, in the short term, will
focus on the indicators that make the most effective use of those resources and that build on past
monitoring. Ultimately, by considering all of the quantitative information supplied by indicator
assessments, a final, more comprehensive qualitative assessment can be made as to progress with
each individual goal.
The 2016 AFP describes management actions and subsequent monitoring by the City of Ashland
on City forestlands. These are the monitoring indicators marked below with an asterisk
Other monitoring indicators, while providing important information toward achievement of 2016
AFP goals, are outside of the scope of this plan (e.g., Ashland Creek watershed stream
temperature as measured by USGS gauges upstream of City forest lands).
Monitoring Indicators for Goal I-A: Promote healthy, resilient forest ecosystems
1. Stand Vigor
A. Radial growth
B. Crown ratio
C. Basal area, relative density
D. Insect and disease extent and ratings
2. Tree species composition
3. Stand density
A. Basal area and relative density by unit
B. Seedling stocking
4. Invasive plant species abundance and composition
5. Existing or developing late seral forest conditions
A. Tree size class distribution by species
B. Snag and large woody debris
C. Canopy closure
6. Frequency and magnitude of natural disturbance regimes, and deviation from them
A. Regional aerial insect mortality detection surveys
B. Dwarf mistletoe disease- extent, severity
Monitoring Indicators for Goal I-B: Significantly diminish the likelihood of a high severity wildfire
through active vegetation and fuels management that emulates the historic range of natural
disturbances
1. Strategic location of fuel reduction treatments
A. Areas, total acres on City of Ashland ownership
2. Possibility for stand level crown fire initiation
A. Surface fuels
B. Understory cover
C. Height to crown base
114
3. Possibility for sustaining crown fire
A. Horizontal discontinuity of fuels
B. Canopy closure
C. Crown bulk density
Monitoring Indicators for Goal I-C: Maintain water quality and quantity for use by the City of
Ashland and for the enhancement of aquatic life in the watershed, minimizing the potential for soil
erosion and landslide events
1. Soil resources and surface erosion
A. Understory cover
B. Percent bare soil
2. Slope stability
A. Slope stability hazard mapping
B. Location, size and extent of recent landslides
3. Water quality
A. Stream temperature
B. Turbidity/total suspended solids
4. Aquatic habitat
A. Fish habitat and abundance (via ODFW or USFS Stream Surveys)
B. Stream bottom composition
5. Riparian Management Areas
A. Collect baseline data in riparian zones
Monitoring Indicators for Goal II-A: Encourage citizen input and increase public awareness and
education in the process of maintaining the health of the forest lands, the urban interface and the
Ashland Watershed
NOTE: Social indicators are difficult to ineasure solely on City forestlands. A broader discussion of
social monitoring and indicators has been pursued at the landscape level and references to those studies
are in the Social Chapter. Indicators listed here will be measured in coniunction with broader efforts as
funding allows.
1. Community knowledge and acceptance of restoration activities and the perceived
Benefits
A. Prescribed burning/smoke managernent
B. Ecologically sensitive timber harvesting
C. Protection of municipal water supply
D. Protection from wildfire
115
2. Opportunities for fostering connection to the watershed and sense of responsibility
for outcomes
A. Number of individuals and hours worked by volunteers or students on work
projects and monitoring
B. Number of public tours given on City forest lands, and number of people
participating
C. Number of programs and presentations given, and number of people attending
D. Number of reports, brochures, videos and other outreach materials produced and
distributed
Monitoring Indicators for Goal II-B: Integrate recreational opportunities into the larger context of
active forest management.
1. AWTA data on numbers and types of recreational users of trails on City forest lands
2. Miles of trail built and maintained on City forest lands
3. Number of trail signs installed and maintained on City forest lands
4. Number of recreational opportunity maps and brochures published and distributed
Conclusion
A proficient monitoring process will continue to provide information to shape the improvernent of both
planning and implementation of future work on City of Ashland forestlands. These monitoring protocols
will offer an ongoing assessment of the 2016 AFP's overall effectiveness. With new information and
ecological understandings that result from good monitoring, necessary adjustments to planned activities
will occur in the ongoing spirit of adaptive management.
Chapter 11
Forestlands Management: Goals and Guidelines
The original Ashland Forest Plan (AFP) stated that the primary mandate of city administration is to
"manage the city forest lands in a manner which maintains and enhances the Ashland Watershed and
provides the City with a sufficient, high quality source of water." The 1992 AFP further states: "In order
to emulate the historical role of tire in the ecosystem, a carefully applied program of tree salvage, thinning
and prescribed fire will be introduced" (McCormick et al, 1992).
Goals
Pursuant to this mandate, the Ashland Forest Lands Commission (AFLC), adhering to its mission to
"develop forest management plans for the City's municipal forests", holds forth with the following five
goals that will continue to guide our work. These goals will apply to all City forestlannds administered
under the 2016 AFP.
Ecological
116
• Promote healthy, resilient forest ecosystems including appropriate native plant and
animal habitat.
• Significantly diminish the likelihood of a high severity wildfire through active vegetation
and fuels management that emulates the historic range of natural disturbances. We
acknowledge that fire will occur on City lands in the future and that our management
efforts are designed to allow it to occur at times, locations, scales and intensities that
more closely meet current resource objectives.
• Maintain water quality and quantity for use by the City and enhance aquatic life in the
watershed while minimizing the potential for soil erosion and landslide events.
Social
• Encourage citizen input and increase public awareness and education in the process of
maintaining the health of the forest lands, the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and the
broader Ashland Watershed.
• Integrate recreational opportunities into the larger context of active forest management.
Guiding Principles
• Restoration projects will be planned to embrace ecosystem health. Thus, management
activities will be based on thorough site evaluations, where applicable, by experts in
botany, fire ecology, fisheries, fuels, geology, hydrology, silviculture, soils, and wildlife.
• Proposed active management and restoration treatments will not be broad brush strokes
but site-specific activities based on environmental site conditions including existing
vegetation, past management actions, current management objectives, and Desired Future
Conditions (DFC).
• Forest management activities will generally be designed to maintain or enhance
development of older forest conditions.
• Proposed active management and restoration treatments will continue to draw from the
mounting volume of data emerging from the monitoring of our own site-work that has
been ongoing since 1995. Monitoring and data collection protocols will be continued and
broadened to allow for regular and continued adaptive management.
117
• No trees will be removed simply for economic value. What is left behind is more
important than what is removed. Timber and other forest commodities will be generated
only as a by-product of carefully designed management and restoration activities
• As has been successfully practiced for over 20 years, management decisions will be
considered within the social context of local citizen involvement using the Ashland
Forest Lands Commission as the venue for public input and interaction.
Management Basis
Achieving goals for forest ecosystems generally involves manipulating vegetation - a process humans
have been involved in for thousands of years. This portion of the 2016 AFP describes the various factors
that have guided active forest management over the past 20 years and includes updated strategies and
directions that will guide implementation of this next phase of forest management.
In the early 1990s, the City began a project of actively manipulating vegetation on their ownership to
achieve land management objectives. However, before beginning that process, a clear understanding of
the wide diversity of vegetation types was needed. Given the range of vegetation conditions on the City
ownership, a more formal process of categorizing City forestlands vegetation into units was initiated with
associated suggested management activities based on that categorization. Each of these units also
received a prescription for needed management activity - a planned disturbance(s) designed to achieve
management objectives - on both a unit and landscape level. More recently, lands held and managed by
the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission have also come under the forestry management umbrella
of the AFLC and have been stratified into management units.
Although the large percentage of the acreage owned and administered by the City and addressed in the
2016 AFP is located in forests dominated by mixed conifers and hardwoods, other non-forested parcels
are included. These non-forested parcels contain grasslands, shrublands, small tree-diameter woodlands
and openings on less productive sites with their own unique set of values and opportunities. Due to the
urban/semi-urban location of most of these small parcels, fire management goals are paramount, while
hydrological and slope stability goals are less emphasized. Recreational opportunities tend to be
highlighted on these smaller parcels and management of these lands will use site-specific approaches
often unique to the parcel itself (e.g., retaining certain unique vegetation and habitat types such as Oregon
white oak woodlands, small whiteleaf manzanita brushfields)
With this initial categorization of units, the City began actively working to adjust forest stand
structure, density and species composition to help achieve the goals in ways that more closely
emulates historical patterns of disturbance. Prescribed management activities will encourage the
development of forest conditions that allow for the occurrence of functional processes, such as
frequent, low-to-moderate-severity fire or insect infestation in a frequency, severity, scale and
duration that are closer to that which occurred historically.
The need for active management can change both spatially and temporally. The importance of
both qualitative and quantitative monitoring allows, through adaptive management, appropriate
alterations in management direction.
Early assessments of forest and vegetation conditions on the City forestlands found a range of
site and/or stand characteristics that suggested a strong need for active management to achieve
City objectives. Individual units were analyzed for three general characteristics:
118
• The inherent fire susceptibility of the vegetation in the unit and the benefits of, on a
landscape level, altering that vegetation to achieve fire management objectives
• Existing stand and vegetation structure, density and/or species composition that was far
from desirable and in some cases threatened by insects, disease, and excessively high
stand densities
• Site conditions with an inherent high susceptibility for slope failure
These three priority conditions were mapped, analyzed and guided forest management decision-
making and subsequent implementation of forest and resource management activities.
After 20 years of carefully planned and strategically targeted management activities, the
resulting forests and stands have been altered in ways that have resulted in the following:
• Reduced potential for impacts from high severity fire
• Structures, densities and species compositions that are more vigorous, and offer a greater
likelihood of resistance to, and resilience from, high severity disturbance
• Stand conditions that continue to minimize the likelihood of slope failure
These changes have been well documented. Qualitative valuations have been performed through
periodic work done by City staff, AFLC and our contract forester, and quantitative assessments
through regular data collection and analysis on the 206 permanent plots on the City ownership.
Vegetation Management
Initial management practices were guided by silvicultural prescriptions developed for each unit
with eventual review and analysis by City staff and the AFLC. To achieve City forest
management goals, implementation has largely occurred at a unit-level or stand-level basis.
Restorative prescriptions in forested areas largely call for stand density reduction by thinning-
from-below which improved tree and stand vigor and accelerated development of older forest
conditions. The resulting activity fuels from these operations have been hand-piled and burned.
In some cases, this was followed by prescribed underburning and removal of surface and ladder
fuels with the subsequent reduction in wildfire potential in the post-treatment forest.
In the first decade of active management on the City property, thinning-from-below primarily
occurred in tree size-classes less than eight inches diameter at breast height (dbh) that had
limited commercial value. Thinning-from-below has also been employed in two cases (2004 and
2013) on the City ownership where size classes of trees to be removed retained adequate and
useful market value. Once retrieved, through the use of helicopters, their sale helped offset the
costs of management.
This general stand management strategy of thinning-from-below was combined in specific places
with variable density thinning and/or radial thinning around older mature trees where the
removed trees were most often of shade intolerant species. The implementation of this range of
silvicultural practices, each determined on a site specific, unit-by-unit basis, encouraged
119
continued development of older forest structures by retaining and nurturing the larger and older
trees in any stand. Following initial attempts to improve overall stand density, succeeding
entries have included strategies that encourage a modified clumped distribution of trees at
various scales more typical of historical forests.
Throughout this time, forest management activities have largely been implemented on the stand
level on City forestlands, with improvements in density, structure and species composition more
important than focusing on individual trees. However, in the interest of conserving older legacy
trees, radial thinning around legacy trees has been prioritized and implemented on City
ownership. This targeted thinning treatment occurred mainly during the first five years of active
management primarily as a stopgap measure to buy more time until more extensive stand level
treatments were accomplished.
Initial radial thinning mainly focused on smaller, non-commercial size trees which are more
competitive for site resources which disproportionately affects the vigor and survivability of the
desired legacy tree. These offending small trees contribute to a significant increase in potential
fire behavior around a legacy tree, whether the fire is planned or not. Our past experience has
justified this management approach: prior to initiating the first prescribed underburning on City
forestlands in 1997, radial thinning of non-commercial trees and shrubs was implemented around
all older legacy trees in the unit, promoting reduced fire behavior and impending small-tree
competition impacts to the legacy tree.
On the Winburn Parcel where the large majority of legacy trees on City forestlands exist, a three-
stage process has been completed encouraging survivability of larger, older legacy trees:
1) Initial removal of 90% of the smaller trees (up to eight inches dbh) in the immediate
vicinity of individual legacy trees in 2000
2) A more extensive stand-level thinning in 2003 of smaller trees in units that contain legacy
trees
3) In 2013, additional stand-level thinning of larger-sized but suppressed trees, using
helicopters, as well as additional smaller tree radial thinning around legacy trees as
needed during the treatment of activity fuels
Monitoring data has revealed that around individual legacy trees, basal areas were reduced from 198 to
171 ft-/acre in the first treatment in Unit One in 2000, and to 90 ft' /acre after the second treatment in
2013. On a stand level, initial 2000 pre-treatment unit densities of 218 ft' /acre were ultimately reduced to
139 ft' /acre following treatments in 2013.
These multiple-entry, conservative interventions around older, highly-stressed, legacy trees gradually
released them from unfavorable stand conditions that was the result of over 100 years of growth without
disturbance. These interventions were also accomplished over a 13 year time frame that included
significant drought events with minimal loss of legacy trees (i.e. losses were below endemic levels). This
mirrored the results of a retrospective study by Latham and Tappeiner who found that release and
improved vigor occurred in conifers 168-650 years old in southwestern Oregon over a wide range of post
thinning retained basal areas (up to 252 ft'/acre) and concluded that "vigor of the trees can be improved
without intensive density reduction" (Latham, P. and Tappeiner, J. 2002). On the Winburn Parcel, a
wide range of retained densities around legacy trees occurred (20-180 W/acre), with tree retention around
the legacy tree focusing on vigorous and larger trees of desired species at various spatial configurations
120
rather than imposing a pre-determined spacing guideline for tree removal. Thinning styles and intensities
were also adjusted to fit the different species of legacy trees, including hardwoods such as oaks and
Pacific madrone.
A primary long-term strategy exercised on City forestlands is to gradually shift stands towards older
forest conditions, with the concomitant forest health and fire management benefits, while, at the same
time, encouraging the retention of legacy trees of various species and ages. On the Lower Watershed
Parcel, Oregon white oaks are often the only legacy trees and these oaks may be as or older than any of
the oldest conifers on the entire City ownership. These legacy trees will be promoted through individual
tree and stand-level practices. Even in stands without existing individual legacy trees, implementation of
pre-legacy thinning in the vicinity of the oldest, most vigorous trees of desired species is prioritized in
order to encourage development of older forest structures.
Over the past 20 years, forest thinning on a stand level basis, whether commercial or non-
commercial, has shifted forests on City forestlands to less dense, more open forest conditions
that has resulted in more vigorous trees and stands. This has improved stand resistance to high-
severity wildfires, as well as resiliency from insect and disease attack. An occasional high-
intensity, stand-replacing disturbance may be beneficial to dry forest ecosystems over time and
within more remote locations. However, the close proximity of City forestlands to lives and
property that would be threatened by a rapidly expanding high-severity fire will demand
continuing forest management on a path of reducing the likelihood of a stand-replacing wildfire
event.
The above-described forest management activities have more recently been favorably viewed on a
regional (and even national) basis as the primary strategy in dry forests for retaining our existing array of
forest values. At this point, the City has one of the longest track records of actively applying these
management strategies. While these strategies have mainly been implemented on the stand or unit level
on City forestlands, future collaborative and federal agency directions now suggest an increasing trend
towards a wider landscape context across other ownerships in the Ashland Watershed, a process in which
the City is actively involved. It is important to note that the verv first acconzplishnrent of cross-boundary
work by the Forest Service in the nation occurred on City forestlands in the 1997 prescribed underburn
near Reeder Reservoir.
Riparian Management Areas
Production of high quality and quantities of water from the Ashland watershed for use by the City
remains a primary goal guiding City forestlands management on both City ownerships and in the larger
Ashland Watershed. The key to successfully achieving this objective is promotion of healthy, fully-
functioning aquatic and terrestrial riparian ecosystems, as well as the associated upland forest ecosystems
previously described.
A single, specific management plan for the aquatic and riparian resources on the City ownership in the
watershed has not been developed. To date, little management activity has occurred within the legally
mandated Riparian Management Areas (RMAs) as per the Oregon Forest Practices Act on the City
ownership.
City forestlands administered under- the 2016 AFP present 5.37 miles of streams flowing through them
and 96.17 acres of RMA. Outside of the City limits, management direction for streams on non-federal
lands, including those owned by the City, is provided by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) under
the Oregon Forest Practices Act. Streams that flow within the City limits are governed by the City
Riparian Ordinance. The remainder, which is the large majority of streams in the Ashland Watershed, are
121
located on Forest Service ownership and are governed by a separate set of rules specific to that
organization.
Intermittent and ephemeral streams, which are not mapped as such in the current data set, will be treated
per the regulations governing that class of stream based on site specific review during unit level
implementation. We recognize that the hydrological network extends into areas that may not have a
specific regulatory designation, but yet are important to hydrologic function. These will be considered on
a site by site basis.
Table 11-1 Stream Segments Managed under the City Riparian Ordinance (1.32 miles / 15.77 acres)
Streams inside Ashland city limits (Ashland Riparian Ordinance)
Miles Miles Miles Total Riparian Riparian
Creek Perennial
Name Stream Perennial Intermittent Stream Management Management
with Fish Stream Stream Miles Acres Area
Ashland 0.23 0.00 0.00 0.23 4.73 APR-2
Creek AP
Ashland
Creek LW 0.31 0.00 0.00 0.31 2.93 LWR-1
IN City
Bear Creek 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.25 5.87 APR-1
Clay Creek 0.00 0.00 0.39 0.39 1.22 OTWR-1
SMPR-3
Hamilton
Creek 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.06 ARR-1
(AR)
Westwood 0.00 0.00 0.13 0.13 0.96 WR-3
Park
122
Table 11-2 Stream Segments Managed under the Oregon Forest Practices Act (3.9 miles / 80.41
acres)
Miles Miles Miles Total Riparian Riparian
Creek Perennial Perennial Intermittent Stream Management Management
Name Stream
with Fish Stream Stream Miles Acres Area
Ashland
Creek LW 1.45 0.00 0.00 1.45 34.42 LWR-1
Out City
LW Trib 1 0.00 0.00 0.13 0.13 0.80 LWR-4
LW Trib 2 0.00 0.00 0.19 0.19 0.64 LWR-3
Paradise 0.00 0.00 0.19 0.19 0.81 SMPR-1
Creek
Reeder 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 14.46 LW-Res
Res
Weasel 0.40 0.00 0.00 0.40 6.52 WR-4
Creek
West Fork WR-2, WR-
Ashland 0.77 0.00 0.00 0.77 17.92 3
Creek
Winburn 0.00 0.00 0.21 0.21 0.45 WR-1
Trib 1
Winburn 0.13 0.11 0.00 0.24 1.58 WR-8
Trib 2
Winburn 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.07 0.78 WR-7
Trib 3
Winburn 0.14 0.00 0.00 0.14 1.58 W R-5
Trib 5
Winburn 0.08 0.00 0.02 0.10 0.45 WR-6
Trib 6
Many of the stream segments in the above tables have been considerably altered by various land uses that
have compromised riparian and aquatic function. This is especially true within the city limits of Ashland,
as well as in the segment between the city limits and Reeder Reservoir. In these settings, objectives can
be quite different than in more wildland settings. Existing infrastructure, property values, intense human
usage and multiple values are already in place adjacent to the RMAs.
Above Reeder Reservoir, and specifically on the Winburn Parcel, aquatic and riparian functions are more
intact. Even in this parcel, the lack of fire disturbance is affecting vegetation development. Although
very little active management has occurred to date to improve conditions in the aquatic/riparian network
on City forestlands, it is recognized that considerable work could be undertaken to improve these zones
and, in most cases, that work would involve alterations in existing vegetation.
Riparian vegetation provides many important ecosystem services that contribute to healthy aquatic
ecosystems including:
• bank stability and mitigation of erosion;
• natural water filtration, trapping waterborne sediment;
123
• shade structures and subsequent reduction of water temperatures;
• reduction of flood-stage flows and promotion of slower, year-round release of water;
• substrate framework for insects and other organisms with soil nutritional inputs; and
• large woody material that provides cover and improves functional habitat for fish and
other organisms.
To date, the RMAs have been a lower management priority and the City has only cautiously intervened.
Increased knowledge and understanding about these types of riparian/aquatic systems and how they
function has been developed in recent years (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007, Messier et al. 2012).
Key to this understanding is the emerging knowledge that stream systems are used to having regular
disturbances within a wide range of frequency, intensity, duration, and scale.
A century or more of alteration in the historic fire regimes in dry forests has also affected system-level
functioning of the RMAs on the City forestlands. Changes in disturbance regimes have shifted many of
these forests into a new successional trajectory with these undesirable traits:
• Uncharacteristically high tree densities
• Increased recruitment of fire-sensitive species
• Temporal patterns of tree recruitment unlike those of the past
This increased understanding of riparian functions, suggests that the City may consider a more proactive
approach to management of the RMAs based on an individualized approach for each RMA. Large-scale,
high-intensity storm events are undesirable for the City, particularly in larger stream segments where flow
intensities and impacts can be devastating (e.g. 1997 flood in Ashland). In smaller stream segments,
including intermittent/ephemeral streams higher in the Ashland Watershed, upland forest disturbances,
such as fire, will likely have a greater effect. Emulating this continuum of disturbance within RMAs on
City forestlands is a guiding principle for active intervention to improve hydrologic/ecologic functioning.
If thinning and prescribed fire treatments are to be applied within RMAs, City management will need to
balance those objectives with the in-stream habitat requirements for fish and water quality. In particular,
the need for a steady supply of large woody material and a well-shaded aquatic environment may appear
incompatible with the restoration of more open forests such as likely occurred on more southerly aspects,
and particularly on more savanna or woodland conditions. Ironically, reductions in tree density upslope
as a function of forest restoration or fuels reduction to reduce fire intensity may increase water infiltration
into the soil, reduce transpiration loss, and result in greater stream flow and cooler in-stream
temperatures.
Treatments may include the creation of canopy gaps, untreated areas, clumps and irregularly-spaced trees.
Generally, smaller trees (Cohorts 2 and 3) will be thinned from below to establish the more desired
open forest structure and to the extent possible, the largest trees of all species in the stand would be
retained. Therefore, density reduction will primarily include trees in the less than 100 year age class
and less than 17 inch diameter size. Trees of larger size classes may be considered for removal only
if sufficient amount of snags and the coarse woody material (CWM) components have already been
retained. In addition, trees to be thinned are also candidates for retention as in-channel structures if
that ecosystem component is lacking.
124
Proposed treatments are site-specific based on Plant Association Groups (PAGs). For instance, on
stable slopes with southerly aspects, more open stand conditions will be promoted to maintain and
encourage pine and hardwood species. On moist, northerly aspects, management will primarily
encourage a more closed canopy stand condition with some exceptions.
Table 11-3 Riparian Management Areas
Forest Type Amount Objective
Maintain a closed canopy
Closed Canopy Greater than 50% forest that can survive an
underburn.
Promote the development of
Gap plus Refugia acres large than 24"dbh)
conifers. Target species
Ga combined equal remaining in sugar and ponderosa
Gap acres not being managed for
Closed Canopy forest pine, Douglas-fir or incense
cedar. May be natural
regeneration or planted stock.
Promote development of fire
intolerant species including
Gap plus Refugia acres alder, bigleaf maple, and
Refugia combined equal remaining Pacific yew. Maintain
acres not being managed for heavier fuel loading and
Closed Canopy forest increased understory species
diversity compared to the
closed canopy forest type.
Ashland Creek
Fish habitat problems and challenges identified by the Bear Creek Watershed Council include:
• Barriers - on Ashland Creek, primary fish barriers are the Granite Street Dam and Hosler Dam
below Reeder Reservoir
• High water temperatures (DEQ 303d listing)
• Altered streamflows from irrigation
• Flood prevention
• Storm drain runoff
Within the city limits in the Riparian Management Areas managed under the City Riparian Ordinance,
stream shading, water quality and bank stability are the primary objectives. Shade is an important
component of healthy riparian zones because cool water benefits fish and the aquatic ecosystem. Even
waterways which do not support fish populations play an important role in contributing to the temperature
125
of the larger creeks they flow into. While shade appears to be adequate in most city stream segments, this
critical component should be enhanced when opportunities arise. Enhancing the structure and size of
riparian vegetation also helps protect stream banks from erosion and provide future woody material for
the habitat.
Alteration and channelization of riparian corridors occurs primarily within urban growth boundaries, and
this has led to reduced woody debris, shade, and riparian vegetation. Especially since the lower reaches
and mouths of Ashland streams are important to anadromous fish, habitat restoration should be
encouraged to help provide a suitable, diverse and complex structure, although the addition of large
woody material inside city limits must not pose problems during high flow events. In areas where it is
possible to place large woody material, particularly the Ashland Pond, the Winburn Parcel, and lower
reaches of creeks, stream channels can be allowed to change or meander due to natural factors (Bear
Creek Watershed Council 2007).
Because all fish, not just anadromous fish, range throughout a wide area within a stream, it is important to
facilitate policies and actions which help reduce barriers to fish movement. Large dams such as the
Hosler and Granite Street dams block all fish movement, but small dams and culverts, including those
designed to create ponds and irrigation diversions, also deteriorate fish habitat.
Besides the introduced warm-water fish species, several invasive water species should be part of any
management discussion in Ashland. Neighborhood meetings regarding local streams have indicated
homeowner concerns about invasive plants along creeks (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007). The
most frequently mentioned were blackberries, star thistle, and English ivy.
Perhaps the most visible non-plant invasive species in Ashland waterways is the ringed crayfish
(Orconectes neglectus). In addition to supplanting the native signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus),
there is concern that ringed crayfish may deplete native reticulate sculpin populations (Bear Creek
Watershed Council 2007).
[Secure crayfish photo rights from (Bear Creek Watershed Council 2007)]
Fig 11-1 Native Signal Crayfish (left) and invasive Ringed Crayfish (right).
IL
The ringed crayfish was likely introduced in the 1970s. This bait crayfish is easily transported, so it is not
surprising to see it invading Ashland creeks.
Moreover, the Ashland Watershed Assessment & Action Plan (2007) identifies and suggests a wide
variety of management projects to help improve aquatic habitat in Ashland. Many of the projects labeled
"High" priority have still not been implemented.
West Fork Ashland Creek (including Weasel Creek)
The 1990 survey made the following management recommendations:
126
• Retain the woody material presently in the system.
• Increasing large woody debris has a similar effect. An ideal ratio would approach 40/60 - 40% of
the stream length should be pools and the remaining 60% should be riffles.
• Increase instream scour elements with tree length logs and boulder elements. Also increase cover
elements for spawning adults.
While Restoration III reported that aquatic habitats in the West Fork Ashland Creek were "generally
described as diverse and of good quality", further, detailed onsite studies by WFACSS and the general
consensus of researchers such as Messier, et al, indicate that increased large woody material is desirable
(Messier et al., 2012).
Ashland Ponds
Ashland Ponds will have a specific management strategy developed for that parcel. This unique parcel is
the only one on all City ownership with potential for anadromous fisheries enhancement. Both Bear
Creek (0.25 stream miles / 5.9 RMA acres) and Ashland Creek (0.23 stream miles and 4.7 RMA acres)
have opportunities for aquatic habitat improvement. These opportunities include
• adding stream shading,
• creating off-channel rearing habitat,
• improving bank stability,
• placing of instream structures (whole trees with root wads and large boulders), and
• reconnecting the stream with its floodplain.
Numerous restoration projects have been cooperatively implemented on this parcel by Ashland Parks and
Recreation and the Lomakatsi Restoration Project.
Snags and Coarse Woody Material
A number of activities and historic processes have affected the snag and coarse woody material (CWM)
component of City forestlands. Actions such as mortality salvage logging can immediately change forest
structure by removing the snags and subsequently changing downed log volumes. A more subtle change
in the dead wood component has also occurred through fire exclusion, which has increased the amount of
CWM on the forest floor particularly in the small to inedium size classes. Downed logs previously
consumed during wildfires now have a longer forest floor residence time as they decompose rather than
burn. This has allowed a higher volume per acre of downed logs to accumulate than would have occurred
with a more frequent fire return interval. In addition, the increased mortality rate among trees of all sizes
from insects and disease has increased the amount of snags and eventually CWM developing in the
Ashland Watershed. At the same time, the absence of a fire that would have killed live trees, thus
creating snags, has reduced the natural recruitment of downed logs and snags (City of Ashland, 2009).
Snags
Snags, particularly larger diameters, offer critically important wildlife habitat values as well as
contributing to the essential CWM component of the forest floor. Large snags over 21 inches dbll are
particularly indispensable for multiple forest functions. In addition, at least 96 wildlife species in Oregon
127
and Washington are associated with snags as they use snags for shelter, roosting and hunting. Most
species utilize snags greater than 14 inches dbh. Cavity nesting species arc particularly dependent on
large snags.
Brushy snags can compromise wildfire suppression activities by rapidly escalating the rate-of-spread
through firebrand production at their tops representing a significant safety hazard that can limit or even
prevent fire-fighter deployment into critical fuel management zones. Similar problems can occur during
prescribed fire but are mitigated through preplanning and treatment design. Given these potentially
conflicting management objectives, snag retention has been adjusted on City forestlands to maximize
benefits and minimize concerns. In particular, snags are less desirable in the Lower Watershed Parcel,
particularly close to homes and improvements, where fire management goals are paramount. Snags are
also less desirable close to trails and other areas that receive a considerable volume of public use.
In more wildland settings, ridges, upper thirds of slopes, and RMAs or lower third of slopes are very
important for late successional dependent species such as fishers and other forest carnivores.
Snags on ridges are essential for bats. Bats generally are thought to prefer snags near ridge tops for day
roosts. Snags taller than the general canopy are preferentially used by bats, particularly as maternity
roosts with these snags providing the warm microclimate necessary for rapid fetal and juvenile
development. Clusters of snags are especially important.
Snag management along ridges and upper- slopes will seek to retain snags at current levels unless their
retention will create a wildfire control hazard. Snags that increase fire hazard will be felled and left on
site as CWM unless they, in turn, increase wildfire hazard as ground fuel overload. Snags should be
retained as high as possible on slopes.
Snags that extend above the primary canopy, but do not extend above the level of the ridgcline will be
priorities for retention.
Areas around clusters of three or more snags are a priority for understory vegetation slashing and pruning.
Activity fuels will be off-zone hand piled and burned to reduce the potential for ignition around snag
clusters.
In RMAs and upstope areas prone to landslide, snags of all size classes contribute the large woody debris
component that is critical to creation and maintenance of stream structure and function. Recruitment of
large woody material to stream beds provides support for the aquatic ecosystem by creating physical
habitat structure as well as nutrient cycling and other in-stream processes. Snags in various size classes
also are important to the recruitment and decay sequences as downed logs revitalize and build forest soils.
Table 11-4 Snag Recommendations from Restoration II
Ponderosa Pine Dry Douglas-fir Moist Douglas-fir Dry White Fir Moist White Fir
3 - 4 snags > 3 - 4 snags > 17" 4 snags > 17" dbh Average 4 large 3 to 6 snags /acre
17" dbh / acre dbh / acre / acre snags / acre
(City of Ashland 2003)
Snag inventories were conducted on the Winburn Parcel in 2000 to provide baseline data.
Table 11-5 Winburn Parcel Sna sin 2000
Unit Snags / Acre
Number
128
> 18" dbh All Sizes
1 3.3 8.1
2 4.2 6.8
3 4.5 4.5
4 7.1 7.1
5 4.6 13.0
6 6.1 10.5
(City of Ashland 2009)
Coarse Woody Material
Coarse woody material (CWM) performs vital ecological services, including stabilizing surface soils,
increasing organic content in soils and providing habitat for the many organisms that depend on wood in
various stages of decay. The volume of CWM retained on City forestlands will depend on site-specific
considerations such as existing plant communities, topography, slope gradient, fire management
considerations, the potential for insect outbreak, and others.
Although CWM data has been collected at two different times on permanent plots in the City ownership,
only a limited amount of summary and analysis of that data has occurred, and this only from the original
data collection in 2000-2002. Although some changes may have occurred since then, the summary data is
still instructive.
Table 11-6 Coarse Wood Material Recommendations from Restoration 11
Ponderosa Pine Dry Douglas-fir Moist Douglas-fir Dry White Fir Moist White Fir
Few -no Moderate to Moderate High level - 8 to 10
numbers given high levels -no No numbers given level - 2 to 6 logs / acre
numbers given logs / acre
(City of Ashland 2003)
Coarse woody material inventories for the entire Winbum Parcel were generally high, at least in part
due to logging slash left after the 1990 logging.
Table 11-7 Winburn Parcel Coarse Woody Material by Unit in 2000
Unit Down Logs / Acre
Number
5 to 9" 10 to 19" > 20"
diameter in diameter diameter
1 1 18 11
2 9 15 14
3 0 11 24
4 0 0 3
5 0 3 8
6 0 5 20
(City of
Ashland 2009)
None of the inventory data from 2007-2009 has yet to be summarized and analyzed. Furthermore, current
comparisons between data sets and summaries used in this report should be cautiously accepted because
data collection protocols and models for calculating summaries may also have been different.
Additionally, none of the data collected has yet to be summarized by decay class. Such a summary
129
would provide valuable comparisons with earlier data sets and render important insights that could
additionally guide CWM management on the City forestlands.
CWM distributions are complex. Surprisingly, more than 50% of the acres analyzed throughout
southwest Oregon show no CWM at all, indicative of the highly variable nature of CWM distribution. In
general, however, the highest volume of downed logs should be left in RMAs for the same reasons
mentioned above for snag retention. Away from streams, the southerly aspects historically would have
very few downed logs. Three out of four acres would have no downed logs at all with the remaining acre
having 50 to 75% less than seen on the northerly aspects (City of Ashland, 2003).
A dilemma similar to the snag-retention conflict exists between retention of downed logs for their
important contributions to site productivity and other values, and the negative impacts that result from a
wildfire management perspective when excessive amounts of CWM exist in fuel reduction zones. The
above data suggest that amounts of CWM may be within acceptable ranges on both the Lower Watershed
Parcel and on the Winburn Parcel. However, fire management concerns on the Lower Watershed Parcel,
coupled with its lower site potential and more frequent historical fire regime, suggest that lower amounts
of CWM are appropriate vis a vis the Winburn Parcel.
Pathogen Management
Insects and diseases that damage or kill forestlands vegetation are important parts of healthy,
functioning forest ecosystems serving many important ecological roles. They are an essential
form of disturbance that can effectively reduce stand densities, improve overall stand vigor,
provide important wildlife habitat values, supply CWM for the forest floor, facilitate nutrient
cycling, and perform numerous other ecological functions (City of Ashland, 2009). Many of
these pathogens tend to cause tree mortality in small groups causing gaps that can encourage
early seral vegetation while creating vital gaps in crown fuels that can reduce the potential for
developing a high-severity crown fire.
In most healthy forest ecosystems, insect-related mortality is usually light and scattered, with primarily
the weakest trees being attacked. However, in forests of increasing levels of stress or declining in forest
health, damage from insects can increase dramatically and reach uncharacteristically high severity and
perhaps attain a large-scale disturbance. Bark beetles, which are hyper-sensitive to "stressed" trees,
attack weakened trees that are suffering from a range of severe cumulative stress factors that include
drought, disease, soil compaction, soil disturbance, and logging damage. The most common form of
stress in the Ashland Watershed is high stand densities, primarily the result of a change in fire regimes
through fire suppression and the subsequent lack of more frequent, low-intensity fires. Increased stand
densities over time reduce the availability of site resources for individual trees including soil moisture,
nutrients, and available light. The resulting reduced tree vigor simply makes trees more susceptible to
successful attack by insects and diseases.
Insects
Insects attack trees under stress. Once an insect, especially the bark beetle, gains entry to a stressed tree,
it can chemically coinrnunicate this fact to others of its species, thereby causing a "mass attack," which
kills trees outright. As populations of insects increase, stand level mortality of conifers can result in a
disturbance regime of increased scale and severity.
A general preventative prescription calls for fostering vigorous growing conditions for potentially
susceptible host trees. Ecologically-based silvicultural strategies to reduce the likelihood of higher
severity disturbance from insects wit] focus on continuing to reduce stand densities in most of the stands
on the City forestlands. Ideally, these treatments would be applied well in advance of a drought regime,
130
allowing time for improved tree vigor to repel insect infestation. Additional silvicultural practices to limit
the frequency, scale, and severity of insect-related disturbances include:
• rapid disposal of available insect breeding habitat (i.e., green slash produced during
thinning activities) which is particularly important for pines;
• seasonally appropriate thinning (usually autumn) when most beetles are dormant and the
reulting slash has time to desiccate before beetle re-emergence the next spring; and
• stand management practices that maximize species and structural diversity including the
use of a gap-based approach for development of a more heterogeneous stand structure.
The natural disturbance process of insect-related mortality, currently at an increased potential of
severity and scale as a result of forest management practices over the last 150 years, may further
increase in scale, severity and frequency in the wake of predicted global warming scenarios.
131
Table 11-8 Common Insects on City Lands
Insect Objectives / Considerations
Douglas-fir beetle
Minimize damaged (fire kill, windthrow, and logging slash) host
(Dendr-octonits
trees.
pseudotsugae)
Douglas-fir twig weevil Damage is most common on young, open grown Douglas-fir.
.
Damage is pronounced during drought years. Effects are of
(Cylindrocopttrris fitrnissi) .
minor unportance in natural stands.
Fir engraver activity is strongly associated with root disease,
drought and defoliation. During outbreaks, significant mortality
Fir Engraver Beetle
may occur over large areas. Management of root disease will
(Scolytus ventralis)
also manage for the fir engraver (see management of laminated
root disease below).
In southwest Oregon, flatheaded fir borers may behave
Flatheaded Fir Borer aggressively attacking and killing Douglas-fir and white fir that
(Melaniphila drznnmondi) are encroaching on sites that were historically occupied by oaks.
Remove encroaching Douglas-fir and white fir from white oak
sites.
During outbreaks, the mountain pine beetle attacks apparently
Mountain Pine Beetle
healthy trees and can cause extensive tree mortality over large
(Dendroctonus .
areas. Stand susceptibility is strongly correlated with high
ponderosae)
stocking levels and tree age.
Do not create fresh pine slash during spring or early summer.
Pine Engraver Beetle Qps Thin clumps of pole sized pine. Thinning should be done
pini) between August and December so slash will dry and not be
suitable for the first generation of beetles flying in April.
Minimize injury to standing trees. Ordinarily not very
Red Turpentine Beetle aggressive and do not become epidemic. During periods of
Dendroctonus valens) drought or through repeated attacks, these beetles sometimes kill
scattered individual trees.
Populations fluctuate at low levels breeding in declining mature,
windthrown, diseased, or otherwise weakened trees. Outbreaks
Western Pine Beetle are most common with large old growth and overcrowded
(Dendroctonus brevicomis) second growth stands. During periods of drought, western pine
beetle may become prominent and overcome apparently healthy
trees.
(Goheen and Willhite 2006)
132
Forest Diseases: Fungi and Bacteria
Damage to conifers from forest diseases is often insidious, scattered in occurrence, and difficult to
monitor and manage. Forest diseases tend to weaken trees and snake them susceptible to demise from
other agents such as insects, fire or untenable stand densities. Management strategies that reduce damage
from forest diseases, or at least do not aggravate them, are an important aspect of forest management on
City forestlands.
At the same time, like insects and other forms of disturbance, forest diseases are natural and important
parts of healthy forest ecosystems. Balance is a key concept and the degree to which a specific disease
has moved outside its normal range of disturbance will dictate the appropriateness and degree of a
management response in line with City forestland objectives. Many forest diseases have increased over
the past 150 years, especially with the advent of fire suppression and exclusion.
The two most important forest diseases currently affecting City forestlands are dwarf mistletoe disease
and laminated root disease in Douglas-fir.
Dwarf Mistletoe (Arcuethobium species)
Dwarf mistletoe is a native parasitic plant that can hypothetically infect all conifers in the Ashland
Watershed. Each conifer species has its own, host-specific species of dwarf mistletoe. Dwarf mistletoe is
rare on all species in the Lower Watershed Parcel. Inventory results in the year 2000, prior to active
management on the Winburn Parcel, indicated that 26% of the Douglas-fir were infected. In addition, this
parasite is well established on ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and white fir. It is most prominent on
Douglas-fir.
When seeds of dwarf mistletoe mature, they are forcibly ejected out into the forest canopy potentially
infecting adjacent trees of the same species up to 50 feet from the source tree. The disease may also be
spread by birds. The disease will eventually kill the infected tree, although more typically, the disease
makes the tree susceptible to demise from other agents, most notably bark beetles as the reduced tree
vigor invites attack.
Since they prefer high levels of sunlight, dwarf mistletoes can spread more rapidly in open stands than in
closed stands. For this reason, partial cutting and/or thinning has been known to rapidly increase dwarf
mistletoe infections if a diligent job of removal is not accomplished. A second entry to remove infected
trees that were missed in the first entry is not uncommon. The most undesirable element of dwarf
mistletoe infection occurs when poor quality, infected overstory trees spread the disease to young, healthy
saplings in the understory, thereby ensuring the long-term continuation of the disease. The pathogen is a
slow, subtle form of disturbance that can significantly change stand conditions over time.
Heavily infected trees with abundant vertically arranged brooms - copious foliage masses produced by
the tree in response to the disease - are more susceptible to conflagration in a prescribed or wildland fire.
Heavily infected trees can also be wildfire hazards by transporting low-to-moderate intensity fire into
upper canopy layers thereby increasing crown-fire development, spotting, and wildfire rates-of-spread.
The lack of frequent, low-to-moderate intensity fire in the last century has significantly increased the
abundance and severity of this disease. In heavily infected stands, dwarf mistletoe can initiate
unfavorable stand conditions and development trajectories with the loss of large Douglas-fir and
associated structural and habitat values and the infection of younger Douglas-fir causing undesirable
long-term changes in species composition.
However, large dwarf mistletoe produced brooms of Douglas-fir, are important nesting locations
for spotted owls in the Ashland watershed, particularly those in larger trees in the lower slope
positions preferred by the owls. At least three nest site locations have been documented within
133
one-half mile of the Winburn Parcel. Retention of dwarf mistletoe produced brooms as nesting
sites and habitat for the spotted owl is an important objective in the management of the Winburn
Parcel. Large brooms are also used by prey species for the owl, as well as animals such as the
Pacific fisher.
Balancing multiple objectives in managing dwarf mistletoe is challenging. On the Winburn Parcel, and
much less commonly on the Lower Watershed Parcel, this will be assessed on a site-by-site basis.
Retention of dwarf mistletoe-infected Douglas-fir will be prioritized if they are larger trees, have
abundant large brooms and are in more favorable lower slope positions utilized by owls for nesting.
Removal of trees infected with dwarf mistletoe may be prioritized when trees are smaller/younger (e.g.
less than 16-inch dbh and 100 years of age); are likely not to live much longer (i.e., will not live long
enough to produce a viable nesting location); and/or are in locations not prioritized for nesting (i.e., upper
slope positions). Additionally, they will be prioritized for removal in order to achieve wildfire
management objectives in locations where removal could significantly benefit an associated legacy
conifer (e.g., 25-60-inch dbh and more than 150 years of age); or in small patches where removal and
small gap creation could enhance both prey base for the owls, and the establishment and survival of
preferred shade-intolerant species such as ponderosa pine. Where mixed tree species occur, isolation can
also be used to minimize spread where an infected Douglas-fir is surrounded by non-host species (pine,
white fir, hardwoods, etc.) (City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase 3: Winburn Parcel, 2009).
Other silvicultural options to be considered on a site-by-site basis include 1) girdling infected trees and
retaining in place in areas deficient of snags or large woody debris, 2) removal of low level infected limbs
through manual pruning (pruning has only been shown to be effective long-term in ponderosa pine) 3)
retaining infected trees in places where they are less likely to spread, such as in low spots in the
topography (e.g., draws), as opposed to ridges or other high locations where seeds can spread much
longer distances, 4) encouraging vigorous growth in dense stands of Douglas-fir that can occasionally
shade out and kill low level infections of shade intolerant dwarf mistletoe, 5) clumping the distribution of
infected trees into small widely separated groups thereby reducing spread and levels of contiguous
infection.
The City's current program of utilizing low-intensity prescribed fire to accomplish multiple objectives,
including protection of municipal watershed values, will likely remove some smaller stature trees infected
with dwarf mistletoe, but not affect brooms located higher- in larger trees. Prescribed underburning, then,
will not significantly reduce Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe in most situations where retained infected
overstory trees continue to re-infect understory trees after- an underbum. This is an undesirable outcome
in some locations and desirable in others (e.g. for retention of overstory Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoe
brooms for inherent wildlife habitat values).
Laminated Root Disease
Laminated root disease, is caused by the native fungus Phcllinus sulphurescens. It is a disease that affects
both Douglas-fir and white fir. However, pines and incense cedar are resistant to the disease and
hardwood trees are completely immune. Laminated root disease survives in the soil LIP to fifty years after
the death of an infected tree and therefore is a disease "of the site." It requires root-to-root contact to
spread and cannot grow freely through the soil. Disease hubs expand radially an average of one to two
feet per year, although many healthy-appearing trees on the edge of expanding centers can be infected
without showing symptoms. Windthrow of infected trees is common and is easily observed by the
presence of root balls created when roots have rotted off just below the root crown (Thies & Sturrock,
1995). On City forestlands, this disease has only been found in a few small locations on the Winburn
Parcel and does not appear to occur on the Lower- Watershed Parcel.
Options for managing laminated root disease are listed below:
134
• Thin stand densities while favoring root disease resistant species especially pines, incense
cedar and hardwoods
• Thin early and avoid partial harvests
The preferred treatment for minimizing the effects and spread of laminated root disease would be
removing all Douglas-fir and white fir in and around infested sites and planting and encouraging
pines or incense cedar or hardwood species (Nagle 2009).
Other Pathogens
There are numerous other pathogens that exist on City ownership, but none are currently of
enough significance to warrant particular management action. Regular monitoring for outbreaks
of pathogens should continue to be a priority on City forestlands. It is always appropriate to map
and inventory existing insect and disease locations for future reference. This is especially true
for diseases "of the site" such as laminated root disease.
Prescribed Burning
The history of wildfire in the Ashland Watershed, as well as the escalation of wildfire events throughout
the American West, makes a strong case for adopting robust precautionary measures to protect lives,
homes, and the watershed. Taking this cue, the City has a history of active forest management employed
to protect residents as well as to minimize the spread and impact of fire to the City's forestlands and the
larger watershed.
Since 1995, the City has been aggressively manipulating vegetation in strategic locations
throughout their forestlands such that fire, planned or unplanned, can burn in a more benign
manner that more fully accomplishes management goals within the City forestlands and the
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Many of these treated sites have now become well-suited for
prescribed underburning that reduces surface and ladder fuels and returns fire as a critical
ecosystem process. To that end, the City has embarked on an aggressive program of annual
prescribed underburning if site conditions are within the parameters of a carefully developed
burn plan. Ongoing prescribed underburning is a critical part of the long-term forest
management strategy on City ownership and is key to continued reduction of fuel loading and
subsequent protection of soils and hydrologic function in the Ashland Watershed. The specific
objective is to develop opportunities where applied fire can reduce fuels, while maintaining
sufficient ground cover. Spring burning is most often preferred over autumn burning, at least
initially, to protect soils, minimize duff and litter consumption, and maintain hydrologic
functioning.
In the process of implementing stand management and the use of prescribed fire, the City has
been encouraging a change in tree species composition back to one that is more diverse and more
representative of historical compositions. In the absence of the cleansing, more frequent, low-
severity fires, an unhealthy density of small, shade tolerant and/or fire sensitive trees (small
Douglas-fir, white fir and Pacific madrone) have grown in since the settlement era. The number
of Douglas-fir and Pacific madrone have increased dramatically in both the Douglas-fir and
white fir plant association groups (PAGs), with similar- increases in white fir in the white fir
PAGs. This has adversely affected the development of more shade-intolerant and less fire
sensitive pines, oaks, and other early successional shrubs and grasses. Carefully applied, low-
135
severity, prescribed underburning selects against the more shade tolerant and/or fire sensitive
species and restores a closer approximation of historical species compositions.
In the past, shade tolerant species were numerically dominant on cooler, more northerly aspects.
On warmer and dryer settings, the proportion of shade intolerant to shade tolerant trees was
about equal. In the absence of disturbance in contemporary forests, the proportion of shade
tolerant trees far- exceeds the proportion of shade intolerant trees, regardless of solar insolation.
Long-term stand management on the City lands will continue to emphasize a return to species
compositions more reflective of historical numbers and locations, while reducing ladder fuels
and wildfire hazard in the process.
In all areas planned for prescribed underburning to date, and likely in the future, pretreatment
will be required prior to any underburning. Pretreatment is required in most situations because
the existing vegetation, developed outside of the natural fire regime, has resulted in conditions
where fire can easily escalate outside of desired low severities. Pretreatment includes, but is not
limited to: cutting, hand piling, and hand-pile burning of understory vegetation. Pretreatment
allows for the opportunity to safely introduce low-severity prescribed fire and maintain or reduce
the risk of high-severity fires.
Prescribed underburning is complicated by a host of competing factors that can make its use
problematic:
• fuel hazard reduction
• duff retention
• soil protection
• smoke management
• liability exposure
• availability of trained personnel
• coordination with adjacent outside agencies and private landowners
• conflicting management objectives
• narrow environmental windows to accomplish the work
• poor access and associated difficulty in mop up
• limited road access on City lands and associated limited access to water
• high costs of the necessary pretreatment
To date, the City has conducted eight prescribed underburns covering over 100 acres in an
ongoing program with more underburns expected annually.
Soils and Landslides
Soils and their essential hydrologic function are key elements of the Ashland Watershed that
protect and promote forest health and our essential municipal water supply. These elements are
fundamentally related and can be significantly altered by a variety of forest and resource
management actions.
Soils
Soils on most of the City forestlands are similar to those found elsewhere in the Ashland
Watershed: decomposed granite derived fi-om intrusive igneous rocks formed during the Jurassic
Age, 145 to 164 million years ago. These gravelly, sandy loams are moderately deep, coarse
136
textured soils that are generally well drained. The lack of cohesion of these soils allows them to
be easily detached and eroded. This is particularly true during major storm events when a high
probability for surface (sheet and gully) erosion, as well as mass soil movements such as debris
slides and debris avalanches can occur. The 1999 Forest Service EIS, "Ashland Watershed
Protection Project", describes the soils:
Soils have been classed as having severe and ver-v severe erosion hazard rating oil the
steeper slopes because of a combination of factors which include non-cohesive sandy
texture of the soil, general lack of coarse fr•aginents, and steeper slope gradients. On
gentler slopes however, the erosion ratings are moderate. Topsoils are generally less
erosive than subsoils because of the soil organic matter and root systems that bind the
sands together. The subsoils, when exposed, are highly erosive. Areas in the Watershed
where exposed subsoil can be observed are: on many of the cutbanks of roads transecting
the Watershed, bike trails, recent landslide scars, and over-steepened slopes adjacent to
perennial and intermittent streams. (USDA FS 2001).
Minimizing surface soil erosion is important in the management of City forestlands. The easily
detached soils are a major factor in contributing sediment to the hydrologic network- into Upper
Ashland'Creek flowing into Reeder Reservoir from the Winburn Parcel and into Bear Creek
from the Lower Watershed Parcel- affecting water quality throughout and storage space in the
reservoir and in creek beds. Surface soil erosion also tends to accumulate in ephemeral and
intermittent draws higher in the landscape, increasing the likelihood of slope failure and debris
slide development in these landslide-prone locations.
Surface soil erosion and sediment delivery into the aquatic system is controlled by a variety of
factors:
• soil type
• ground cover
• root strength
• root abundance
• slope gradient
• number and size of landslides
• magnitude and timing of precipitation
• proximity of landslides to draws or live streams
Fire, and especially high-severity fire, can reduce protective vegetation as well as duff and litter
layers, while increasing runoff rates, surface erosion, likelihood of mass wasting events, and
eventual sediment delivery into the aquatic system. Creation of a water repellant soil crust can
often develop following a high intensity wildfire further increasing surface erosion and runoff
rates.
Minimizing surface soil erosion depends on maintenance of adequate duff and litter as protective
layers over the soil. This is challenging when implementing prescribed underburning and care is
taken to retain adequate amounts of these soil covers during burning. This conflict between
retaining vegetation and duff to protect soils while removing it to reduce the potential for
wildfire is a constant balancing act. The City has already initiated a careful monitoring program
to assess changes in fuels, vegetation and soils following prescribed underburning.
137
Landslides
A classification technique referred to as Landslide Zonation and Risk Evaluation was completed
for the City forestlands and has been used to guide forest management activities ever since. This
technique identifies and maps landslide features and active soil movement through detailed field
reconnaissance. It also assigns activity levels and influence zones to all landslide terrain and
subsequent determination of hazard levels. With this information, the City will continue to
modify forest management activities such that the likelihood for slope failure is minimized. This
mitigation effort is accomplished by maintaining trees and associated canopy cover to help
stabilize soil profiles. Vegetation older than 25 years of age, especially conifers, hardwoods and
brush species, have larger, deeper root systems than younger- vegetation. Roots are the "twine"
that provide soil cohesion, while simultaneously transpiring significant amounts of water that
would otherwise increase soil overloading and encourage slope failure (City of Ashland, 2003).
Loss of roots due to excessive tree mortality either from tree thinning, insects, disease or fire
exacerbates the potential for both surface erosion and mass soil movement, at least until
vegetation fully reoccupies the site. Generally, the period of 5 to 10 years following the demise
of deep-rooted vegetation and the eventual root decay, is the most likely time for slope failure to
occur.
Ecologically based tree thinning that retains enough canopy cover and root mass to maintain full
site occupancy and protect forest soils while creating stand structures that reduce the likelihood
and severity of fire is a balanced management strategy that tries to maximize benefits and
minimize risks on the City ownership. Light thinning from below, in small steps or stages over
several years, has been utilized by the City to allow leave trees to develop the additional root
stricture necessary to stabilize soils while continuing to reduce fire hazard. Trees prioritized for
retention include the larger, fire-resistant species (i.e. older pines, Douglas-fir-, incense-cedar )
and sprouting hardwoods which maintain rooting structures post-fire and have the potential to
more quickly stabilize the site.
Thinning and other tree removal practices have been restricted on slopes greater than 65%, with
only smaller trees < 7" dbh considered for removal to encourage more vigorous stands in the
long-term. Achieving fire management objectives is more difficult on these steeper slopes which
are more prone to problematic fire behavior given the fact that vegetation modification has much
less of an effect on fire behavior in steep terrain. In addition, on slopes with gradients of 55-
65%, full site occupancy of well-distributed trees is desirable to encourage an adequate root
network for holding soils in place. Stand densities are managed to insure that full site occupancy
is retained while allowing available site resources to grow trees vigorously for many years to
come.
Thinning-from-below has been widely used to create optimal vertical fuel discontinuity for fire
management benefits. Slope stability concerns are generally less problematic on slope gradients
less than 55%. Adjustments in stand thinnings to create more structural diversity, including
more gaps and open forests with greater horizontal fuel discontinuity, have been, and will
continue to be implemented in strategic locations on the gentler slopes in deference to
challenging soils and slope stability features.
Adaptive Forest and Resource Management
The City of Ashland has demonstrated a fundamental commitment to continue its current
direction of active forestlands management as described in this 2016 AFP. The ongoing adaptive
138
management that has been in operation since the first Ashland Forest Plan in 1992 has resulted in
the following understandings that will guide forest management into the future.
Wildfire Risk Management
The increased potential for high-severity fire has relentlessly extended throughout the western
United States in recent years as the smoke-filled skies of summer too often remind us.
Continued, and even heightened, efforts to reduce the potential for a damaging wildfire while
sustaining current stand and fuel treatment regimes is a paramount goal in the future
management of City lands.
Wildland Urban Interface and Beyond: Private and Public
Minimizing the potential for large-scale, high-severity fire requires a significant level of
coordinated planning on a broad landscape level irrespective of ownership. Initial planning done
by the City resulted in effective work on private lands in the WUI through Ashland Fire &
Rescue grant programs starting in 2001 up to present (Main and Uhtoff, 2002). Cost-share
grants with City and privately-owned properties allowed for non-commercial fuels thinning and
slash disposal on 352 properties and 1308 acres between 2001 and 2009 with a three-fold focus
on structures, property and watershed protection. The program continued in 2010 under the
Firewise Communities banner, a national recognition program for neighborhoods working
collectively to reduce wildfire danger. Ashland now has 23 certified Firewise Cornrt2ufaities and
a handful have reached their five-year anniversary. In the process, not only has protection of
lives and property from advancing wildfire been enhanced but also the likelihood of wildfire
initiating in the WUI and advancing onto City lands and into the Ashland Watershed has been
significantly reduced
On an even larger scale, the inter jurisdictional collaboration, Ashland Forest Resiliency Project
(AFR), was launched in 2009 after considerable community and City input over the previous five
years. The initial 7,600 acre fuels treatment and restoration footprint on Forest Service land in
the Ashland Watershed is expected to be complete by summer of 2018. The City has been a key
partner in the creation of AFR and now contributes over $175,000 per year from a special fee
attached to citizen water bills as an annual input toward Forest Service fuels reduction projects
on acreage surrounding City forestlands. This fund is over and above the annual City and Parks
forestland budgets. In 2014, the AFR treatment footprint was expanded even further to include
privately owned parcels and adjacent agency forestlands, totaling 58,000 acres. The recognition
of the importance of forest restoration across the landscape and the indiscriminant nature of
wildfire's impacts has spawned these funding opportunities that required an outsized
collaboration across boundaries. The AFR partners were fiscally successful in both 2015 and
2016 under this program, securing a total of $5.6 million dollars for landscape level fuels
reduction and forest restoration.
Reducing Stand Densities
Fire histories offer us a look back at pre-settlement stand reconstructions and have increasingly
validated stand thinning as an appropriate strategy for creating more resilient forests that are less
prone to severe fire in the dry forest ecosystems of southern Oregon. There appears to be
validity in reducing stand densities even further in order to protect and promote older forest
characteristics. There are likely opportunities to complete a second, or in some cases, even a
third phase of stand density reduction to provide desired benefits while still maintaining other
resource objectives. The City will continue to reduce stand densities and create more open
139
forests to improve tree and stand vigor and reduce the likelihood of high-severity disturbance,
especially from wildfire
Encourage Landscape Diversity
The Lower Watershed Parcel, as well as much of the adjoining private and agency lands, are
dominated by relatively homogenous, even-aged forest structures. A greater diversity of stand
structures on a landscape basis, with associated gaps and breaks in fuels, both horizontally and
vertically, is desired. As the City forestlands are nudged toward healthy stand densities, reduced
wildfire potential, and improved tree and stand vigor, the encouragement of these more diverse
stand structures can be accomplished through additional thinning and/or prescribed fire. As part
of a strategy to increase structural variability on City lands, increasing development of native, yet
uncommon early successional vegetation, especially those species that do not exacerbate fire
behavior, will be prioritized. The City's long background in the use and encouragement of native
grass communities will be valuable in this endeavor. In addition, the City will not be reluctant to
nurture native, yet uncommon, plant species and communities. These include oak woodlands,
intact shrub communities, rocky outcrops with associated vegetation and individual rare or
sensitive plants.
Riparian Management Revitalized
To date, very little work has been implemented in the RMAs within City forestlands.
Throughout the next management period, appropriate stream-segment specific modifications of
vegetation will be targeted to improve aquatic and hydrologic function. Active management
within the RMAs will promote processes consistent with disturbance regimes that are thought to
have historically existed in riparian communities in dry forests in southwestern Oregon.
Prescribed Fire
Prescribed fire will continue to be carefully applied to reduce hazardous fuels thus re-introducing
fire as a fundamental ecosystem process. Prescribed fire will be applied in those stands and
vegetation types that have been properly prepared through active vegetation manipulation over
the past 20 years to accept more benign fire types similar to those of historical disturbance
regimes.
Conclusion
The original forest and resource management planning that was completed in the late 1990s,
coupled with the follow-up initial active management on City forestlands, still has considerable
relevance today. In many respects, the City of Ashland was a forerunner in the implementation
of multiple forest and resource management strategies that are now being employed throughout
dry forests in the region. The work performed on City forestlands lands was inconspicuously
initiated a full 15 years before similar and critically acclaimed activities were executed on
adjacent Forest Service ownership in the context of the Ashland Forest Resiliency Project (AFR).
The City's early strategies at encouraging and developing frill and transparent participation of
interested individuals and organizations provided a workable template that others have since
applied. Such an inclusive approach has proven essential in obtaining the political acceptance
for adaptive forest management designed to achieve mutually agreed upon goals within our City
forestlands and beyond.
140
References
Bear Creek Watershed Council. 2007. Ashland Watershed Assessment & Action Plan.
Medford, OR. Rogue Valley Council of Governments. 117 p.
http://",ww.i-oguet-iverwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Ashland-Watershed-Assessment-part-
l pdf
City of Ashland. 2003. City Forest Lands Restoration Project - Phase 11; Ashland OR; 38p.
(littp://ww,,N,.ashlaiid.or.us/'Files/RestoratI'oii Phase2.pdf)
City of Ashland. 2004. Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Ashland, OR: Department of Public
Works. 176 p. http•//w%v,w.ashland.or.us/Files/Asliland"lo2OCWPP.pdf
City of Ashland. 2009. City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase III Winburn Parcel;
Ashland OR. 78 p.
http://www.asliland.or.us/Files/2009%20Winburn%20PIiase%201I1%20Final%~20Draft%204%20
20/02009.pdf
Goheen E.M. and E.A. Willhite. 2006. Field Guide to Common Insect and Disease Pests of
Oregon and Washington Conifers. R6-NR-FID-PR-01-06. Portland, OR: USDA Forest Service,
Pacific Northwest Region. 327 p.
Hagle, S. K. 2009. Laminated root rot ecology and management. Chapter 11.2 Forest insect
and disease management guide for the northern and central Rocky Mountains. USDA Forest
Service, Northern Region, State and Private Forestry. 20 pp.
littp://www.fs.usda.gO,,,/Internet/FSE DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5187461.pdf
Latham, P. and Tappeiner, J. 2002. Response of old growth conifers to reduction in stand
density in western Oregon forests. Tree Physiology 2002 Feb;22(2-3):137-46.
McCormick, R., Hoffman, J., and Lichlyter, B. 1992. Ashland Forest Plan; 73p. Ashland. Oregon.
(11ttp://www ashland or us/Files/Forest'/o20Pian%201992.t)dt)
Main, M. and Uhtoff, P. 2002. The Ashland Wildland/Urban Interface Wildfire Management Inventory,
Analysis, and Opportunities. Ashland OR. 137 p.
http://soda. sou. edu/Data/Library
=true
McCormick, R., Hoffman, J., and Lichlyter, B. 1992. Ashland Forest Plan; 73p. Ashland, Oregon.
(http://www.asliland.or.us/Files/Forest%20Plan%201992.pdt)
Messier, M., Shatford, J., and Hibbs, D. 2012. Fire exclusion effects on riparian forest
dynamics in southwestern Oregon. Forest Ecology and Management 264 (2012) 60-71; 12 p.
Thies, W.G., and R.N. Sturrock. 1995. Laminated root rot in western North America. General
Technical Report PNW-GTR-349. Portland, OR. USDA Forest Service, PNW Research
Station, in cooperation with: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forest
Centre. 32 p.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 2001. Final environmental impact statement,
Ashland watershed protection project. Ashland Ranger District, Rogue River National Forest.
141
References
Acklin, P. 2015. Personal communication. Emeritus Professor of Geography, Southern Oregon
University, Ashland, OR.
Altman, B. and J.D. Alexander. 2012. Habitat conservation for landbirds in coniferous forests
of western Oregon and Washington. Version 2.0. Oregon-Washington Partners in Flight
(www.orwapif.org) and American Bird Conservancy and Klamath Bird Observatory.
Anderson, Hal E. 1982. Aids to Determining Fuel Models for Estimating Fire Behavior. USDA
For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Rep. rNT-122, 22p. lntermt. For. and Range Exp. Stn., Ogden, Utah
84401.
Ashland Commercial Club. 1909 "Ashland, Oregon," (promotional brochure), Ashland, Oregon.
(JCL-A)
Ashland Forest Resiliency Stewardship Project. 2004. Documents.
http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Historic%2OConditions%20with%2OPhotos.pdf
Ashland Watershed Stewardship Alliance. 1999. A Draft Comment and Proposal for the Ashland
Ranger District and interested citizens in response to the Ashland Watershed Protection Project
Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Ashland OR. 99p.
littp://www.ashland.or.us/Files/AWSA Comments.pdf
Ashland Woodland Trails Association. 2011. Trails Master Plan. 97p. Ashland, Oregon
https://sites.google.com/site/ashlandwoodstmp/home
Atzet, Thomas, D.E. White, L.A. McCrimmon, P.A. Martinez, P. Reid Fong, and V.D. Randall.
1996. Field Guide to the Forested Plant Associations of Southwestern Oregon. Technical Paper
R6-NR-ECOLTP-17-96. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, Oregon.
Baldwin, David H., Jason F. Sandahl, Jana S. Labenia, and Nathaniel L. Scholz.
2003. Sublethal effects of copper on coho salmon: Impacts on non-overlapping
receptor pathways in the peripheral olfactory nervous system.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 22(10):2266-2274.
Bear Creek Watershed Council. 2007. Ashland Watershed Assessment & Action Plan.
Medford, OR. Rogue Valley Council of Governments. 117 p.
http://www.roguerlverwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Ashland-Watershed-Assessment-pat-t-
l.pdf
Bear Creek Watershed Council, Rogue Valley Council of Governments. "Ashland Watershed
Assessment, Part 2" (AWA2). December, 2007.
http://www.rogueriverwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Ashland-Watershed-Assessment-part-
2.pdf
142
Bear Water Analysis Appendices, 1995. Ashland Ranger District, Rogue River National Forest
Bennett, Greg. 2000. Ashland Creek Stream Survey (Bear Creek to Reeder
Reservoir). Siskiyou Research Group (SRG), Cave Junction, OR. Report
prepared for: Rogue River National Forest, Ashland Ranger District,
Ashland, OR.
Broderick, Susan. 2000. Su nmer Fish Community Surveys in Bear Creek, Little
Butte Creek, and Related Tributaries, Jackson County. Oregon. Report
prepared for: U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, Technical Services Center,
Denver, CO.
Chambers, C. 2009. An Analysis of Fuels Reduction Treatment Effectiveness
During and After the 2009 Siskiyou Fire, 14p. Ashland, Oregon.
(http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Siskiyou%20Fire%2OReport%2OFINAL.pdf)
City of Ashland, 2001. West Fork Ashland Creek Stream Study (WFACSS). Ashland, OR.
City of Ashland, 2009. City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase III Winburn Parcel; Ashland
OR;
http://www.asliland.oi-.us/Files/2009%2OWinburn%2OPhase%201I1%20Fitial%2ODraft%204%20
2%2009.pdf
City of Ashland, 2010. Hamlet, Alan, et al. "Effects of Climate Change on Ashland Creek,
Oregon". Water Conservation and Reuse Study and Comprehensive Water Master Plan,
Ashland, Oregon.
City of Ashland, 2012. Kraska, David, et al. "Comprehensive Water Master Plan". Ashland
Water Advisory Committee (AWAC), Ashland, Oregon.
City of Ashland, 2015. Ashland Pond News. "Ashland Creek Ponds Riparian Restoration
Project". http://www.ashland.or.us/News.asp?NewsID=3234
City of Ashland. 2006. Ashland Trails Master Plan 2005. 57p. Ashland, Oregon.
City of Ashland, 2014. Unpublished data on file; meeting minutes, Ashland Forest Lands Commission
December 9th, 2014.
City of Ashland. 2003. City Forest Lands Restoration Project - Phase II, Ashland OR; 38p.
(http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Restoration_Phase2.pdf)
City of Ashland. 2004. Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Ashland, OR: Department of
Public Works. 176 p. http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Ashland%20CWPP.pdf
City of Ashland. 2009. City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase III Winburn Parcel;
Ashland OR. 78 p.
http://www.ashIand.or.us[F11es/2009%20W1nburn%2OPhase°/`20I II%20Final%2ODraft%204°/020
2%2009.pdf
143
City of Ashland. 2004. Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Ashland, OR: Department of
Public Works. 176 p. http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Ashland%20CWPP.pdf
City of Ashland. 2003. City Forest Lands Restoration Project - Phase II. 38p.
(http://www.aslilatid.or.us/Files/Restoration_Phase2.pdt) [Date accessed: unknown]
City of Ashland. 2009. Unpublished data on file with the City of Ashland, Oregon.
City of Ashland, 2014. The Ashland Map [Brochure]. Ashland Chamber of Commerce,
Ashland, OR. 2 p. http://www.ashIandchamber.com/Page.asp?NavID=1200
City of Ashland, 2009. City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase III Winburn Parcel; Ashland
OR. 78 p.
http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/2009%20W]nburn%20Phase%20111%20Flnal%20Draft%204%20
2%2009.pdf
City of Ashland, 2010. Integrated Pest Management Policy (revised). Ashland Department of
Parks and Recreation, Ashland, OR 10 p.
http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Parks%201PM%20Policy%20-%20F1na1%20-%20adopted%205-
24-1 O.pdf
City of Ashland, 2011. Problematic / Invasive Plants Management Plan, Ashland Department of
Parks and Recreation, Ashland, OR. 116p.
City of Ashland, 2004. Community Wildfire Protection Plan: Living with Fire in Ashland; Dept
of Public Works, Ashland OR. 176 p. (littp://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Ashland%20CWPP.pdf).
City of Ashland, 2009. City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase III Winburn Parcel, Ashland
OR. 78 p.
http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/2009%20Winburn%20Pliase%20I11%20Fina1%2ODraft%204%20
2%2009.pdf
City of Ashland, 2011. Problematic / Invasive Plants Management Plan, Ashland Department of
Parks and Recreation, March, 2011. 116 p.
Clinton, W. 1999. U.S. Presidential Executive Order #131 12 re: Invasive species February 3,
1999. Federal Daily Register. 64(25): 6183-6186.
Davis, Raymond; Lint. Joseph. 2005. Chapter 3: habitat status and trend. In: Lint, Joseph, tech.
coord. Northwest Forest Plan--the first 10 years (1994-2003): status and trends of northern
spotted owl populations and habitat. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-648. Portland, OR: U.S.
English, F., K. Coffelt, J. Daomn-Tollenaere, J. Heglie, M. Plankenhorn, and K.
Page. 2011. Ashland Creek E. coil Study. Rogue Riverkeeper. Ashland, OR.
Erickson, M L. 1913 "District Fire Plans, F-Plans," Crater National Forest, Medford, Oregon.
(HRC - Item #D-3)
Goheen, D. 2014. Plant Pathologist/Entomologist (retired), USDA Forest Service, Forest Health
Protection, Pacific Northwest Region, Central Point, OR; personal communication.
144
Goheen, E.M. and E.A. Willhite. 2006. Field Guide to Common Insect and Disease Pests of
Oregon and Washington Conifers. R6-NR-FID-PR-01-06. Portland, OR: USDA Forest Service,
Pacific Northwest Region. 327 p.
Gremer, et al. 2010 Plant Association Group and Special Habitat Descriptions Deschutes and
Ochoco National Forests, Crooked River National Grassland
(https://ir.library.orcgonstate.edu/xmlul/bitstrcam/handle/I957/18892/PAG%20Descriptions%20
(2).pdf?sequence- l )
Hagle, S. K. 2009. Laminated root rot ecology and management. Chapter 11.2 Forest insect
and disease management guide for the northern and central Rocky Mountains. USDA Forest
Service, Northern Region, State and Private Forestry. 20 pp.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE-DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5l87461.pdf
Helms, J. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry, Society of American Foresters. 210 p.
(http://dictionaryofforestry.org/diet/term/overstory_removal
Hess, J. 1986. The Forest at Ashland's Doorstep - A Study of Visitation to the Ashland Creek
Watershed. Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina. [Page] Information not available online?-
Frank.
Holt, Catherine 1946 "Shasta Ethnography," Anthropological Records, Vol. 3 #4, University of
California, Berkeley, California. (CRL)
Hunter, Kim, and Greg Pyle. 2004. Morphological responses of Daphnia pulex to
Chaoboius americanus kairomone in the presence and absence of metals.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 23(5):1311-1316.
Lalande, J. 1980. Prehistory and History of the Rogue River National Forest: A Cultural
Overview. Medford, OR. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 287 p.
http://soda.sou.edu/awdata/030205aI.pdf
Lalande, J. 2010. Impact of Native Use of Fire on Pacific Northwest Forest Zones: Southwestern
Oregon as a Case Study. Paper presented at the 2010 Meeting of the Society for American
Archaeology, Sacramento, California.
(http://soda.sou.edu/Data/LibraryI/B1oregion/I 20925z l .pdf)
Lalande, J. 1980. Prehistory and History of the Rogue River National Forest: A Cultural
Overview. Medford, OR. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 287 p.
littp://soda.sou.edu/awdata/030205a l .pdf
Latham, P. and Tappeiner, J. 2002. Response of old growth conifers to reduction in stand
density in western Oregon forests. Tree Physiology 2002 Feb;22(2-3):137-46.
McFarland, J. 2015. Central Division Manager, City of Ashland. Ashland, OR. Personal
communications
McPherson, Taryn D., Reehan S. Mirza, and Greg G. Pyle. 2004. Responses of
145
wild fishes to alarm chemicals in pristine and metal-contaminated lakes.
Canadian Journal of Zoology. 82(5):694-700.
Main, M. and Uhtoff, P. 2002. The Ashland Wildland/Urban Interface Wildfire Management
Inventory, Analysis, and Opportunities. Ashland OR. 137 p.
http://soda.sou.edti/Data/LibraryI /030805c l .pdf#xml=http://soda.sou.edu:8080/soda/documentvi
ew?xml=true
Main, Marty. 1996. A Silvicultural Prescription for High Priority Forest Managment Areas.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 1998. Silvicultural Prescriptions for Additional Forest Areas - An Update.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 1999. A Preliminary Overview of the Winburn Parcel. City of Ashland.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2002. The Ashland Wildland/Urban Interface Wildfire Management Inventory,
Analysis, and Opportunities. Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services,
Inc.
Main, Marty. 2002. The Ashland Wildland/Urban Interface: Wildfire Management Inventory,
Analysis, and Opportunities-, 2002;
(http://www.asliland.or.us/Files/Ashland%20WIIdiand%20Urban%20Interface%20Analysis,%20
Hazards, %20and%20Opportunities.pdf).
Main, Marty. 2003. City Forest Lands Restoration Project- Phase 2, Overview and Analysis.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2006. Post-Treatment Monitoring- Lower City of Ashland Ownership.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2007. Prescribed Underburn Stnnmary-City of Ashland Unit H/US Forest Service
Unit G. Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2010. Douglas-fir Mortality on the Lower- City of Ashland Ownership.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2013. Winburn Parcel 2013 Treatment Summary. Developed for the City of
Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2014. City of Ashland Prescribed Burn Monitoring- Units A2 and E2. Developed
for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2003. City Forest Lands Restoration Project- Phase 2, Overview and Analysis.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2006. Post-Treatment Monitoring- Lower City of Ashland Ownership.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
146
Main, Marty. 2007. Prescribed Underburn Summary-City of Ashland Unit H/US Forest Service
Unit G. Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2010. Douglas-fir Mortality on the Lower City of Ashland Ownership.
Developed for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2013. Winburn Parcel 2013 Treatment Summary. Developed for the City of
Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Main, Marty. 2014. City of Ashland Prescribed Burn Monitoring- Units A2 and E2. Developed
for the City of Ashland by Small Woodland Services, Inc.
Mason, 1. J. 1934. "Memorandum of Inspection - A.L. Coggins Timber- Sale, S-sales. Rogue
River National Forest, Medford, Oregon. (HRC - Item #C-18)
McCormick, R., Hoffinan, J., and Lichlyter, B. 1992. Ashland Forest Plan; 73p. Ashland,
Oregon. (http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Forest°/`20PIan°/`201992.pdf)
Messier, M., Shatford, J., and Hibbs, D. 2012. Fire exclusion effects on riparian forest
dynamics in southwestern Oregon. Forest Ecology and Management 264 (2012) 60-71; 12 p.
Metlen, K. 2011. Unpublished data on file. The Nature Conservancy, Medford, Oregon.
Metlen, K., Olsen, D., and Borgias, D. 2012. Forensic Forestry: learning from history for a
resilient future.
(http://asliland.or.us/Files/Forensic%20Forestry%20Update%20Draft%209%202012.pdt)
Millar, C., N. Stephenson, and S. Stephens. 2007. Climate change and forests of the future:
Managing in the face of uncertainty. Ecological Applications, 17(8), 2007, pp. 2145-2151
Preister, K. 2015. Personal communication. Executive Director, Center for Social Ecology and
Public Policy, Ashland OR.
O'Hara, Kevin L., Leonard, Lathrop P., and Keyes, Christopher P. Variable-Density Thinning in
Coast Redwood: a Comparison of Marking Strategies to Attain Stand Variability in Proceedings
of the Coast Redwood Forests in a Changing California: A Symposium for Scientists and
Managers. Standiford, Richard B.; Weller, Theodore J.; Piirto, Douglas D.; Stuart, John D., tech.
cords. 2012. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 675p.
Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ), 2012. "Rogue Basin Water Quality Status and
Action Plan Summary 2012".
http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/watershed/Docs/RogueSummary.pdf
Shaffer, S.; Skaratowicz, E.; Miller-Loessi, K.; and Pritzlaff, K. 2011. Wildfire Public Opinion
Survey; Final Report. Rogue Valley Fire Prevention Cooperative and the Southern Oregon
University Research Center; 29p. Ashland, Oregon.
(https://drive.google.com/file/d/OB-TAlV 1WSU2ybsZIVhdVJGUkILMIU/edit?pli-1)
147
Shaffer, S., Skaratowicz, E.; Miller-Loessi, K.; and Pritzlaff, K.. 2012. Wildfire Public Opinion
Survey; Final Report. Rogue Valley Fire Prevention Cooperative and the Southern Oregon
University Research Center; 38p. Ashland, Oregon.
(https://drive.google.com/file%d/OB_TAMWSU2ybsQUIDMEEwVk9NT3M/edit?pli=1)
Shibley, M. and Schultz, M.. 2012. Public Perceptions of AFR and Forest Restoration. Southern
Oregon University Research Center; 58p. Ashland, Oregon.
(http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Public%20Perceptions%20of%2OAFR%20Forest%20Restoratio
n.pdf)
Shibley, M. A., Averback, S. and Lindgren, A.. 2014. Change in Public Perceptions of AFR and
Forest Restoration; Summary and Data Tables from a Longitudinal Study of Ashland Residents;
Southern Oregon University Research Center; Ashland, Oregon; 54p.
Sturtevant, V. 2003. Personal communication. Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Southern
Oregon University, Ashland, OR.
Tedrow, M. L.1954. "A Plan of Management for the Timber Resources of Rogue River National
Forest, S-Plans," Timber Management Section, Rogue River National Forest, Medford, Oregon.
(HRC - Item #C-13)
Thies, W.G., and R.N. Sturrock. 1995. Laminated root rot in western North America. General
Technical Report PNW-GTR-349. Portland, OR. USDA Forest Service, PNW Research
Station, in cooperation with: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forest
Centre. 32 p.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 21-82.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2001. Final environmental impact statement,
Ashland watershed protection project. Ashland Ranger District, Rogue River National Forest.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2001. Record of Decision for the Ashland
Watershed Protection Project; Ashland, OR, 111 p. littp://soda.sou.edu/awdata/020814zl.pdf
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2003. 2003 Upper Bear Assessment. USDA
Forest Service, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Ashland Ranger District, Ashland, OR.
238p
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2014. Ashland Trails Project Environmental
Assessment; 278p. Jacksonville, Oregon.
http://al23.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abcl23/forestservic.download.akamai.com/1155
8/www/nepa/89822_FSPLT3_2397535.pdf
U.S. Department of Agriculture, NRCS. 2016. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data
Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. http://plants.usda.gov/java/
148
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management [and others]. 2001. Review and Update of the 1995 Federal Wildland
Management Policy. Bureau of Land Management Office of Fire and Aviation, National
Interagency Fire Center, Boise, Idaho. 86 p.
https://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/Policy/FederalWildlandFireManagementPolicy_2001.pdf
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2003. Upper Bear Assessment. Ashland OR;
Pacific Northwest Region: 238p.
Wallace, D.R. 1992. The Klamath surprise: forestry meets biodiversity on the west: coast.
Wilderness 56: 10-33.
Wiens, J. A. 1975. Avian communities, energetics, and fiinctions in coniferous forest habitats.
Proc. symp. mgmt. forest and range habitats for nongame birds. U.S.D.A. Forest Service,
Gen. Tech. Rept. WO-1:226-264.
Wheeler, Sam. "More Salmon, Steelhead in Ashland Creek." DailyTidings.com, Ashland,
Oregon. 22 Sept. 2012. Web. Accessed 27 Jan. 2016.
http://www.dallytidings.com/article/20120922/NEWS02/209220307.
Williams, C. L. 1952. "A Centennial History of Ashland, Oregon," (unpublished
typescript on file at Southern Oregon State College Library). Ashland, Oregon.
Williams, Thomas H., Eric P. Bjorkstedt, Walt G. Duffy, Dave Hillemeier, George Kautsky,
Tom E. Lisle, Mike McCain, Mike Rode, R. Gleen Szerlong, Robert S. Schick, Matthew N.
Goslin, and Aditya Agrawa. 2006. Historical Population Structure of Coho Salmon in the
Southern Oregon/Northern California Coasts Evolutionarily Significant Unit. Technical
Memorandum # NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC-390. U.S. Department of Commerce, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA.
Wright, Clinton S.; Balog, Cameron S.; Kelly, Jeffrey W. 2009. Estimating volume, biomass,
and potential emissions of hand-piled fuels. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-805. Portland, OR: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 23 p.
149
2016 Ashland Forest Plan Glossary
age class: A classification of trees of a certain range of ages.
anadromous fish: An anadromous fish, born in fresh water, spends most of its life in the sea and returns
to fresh water to spawn. Salmon, smelt, shad, striped bass, and sturgeon are common examples (NOAA.
2012.)
aspect: The direction in which any piece of land faces.
basal area: The cross-sectional area of tree boles in a forested area as measured at the diameter- at breast
height (dbh).
biological diversity: The variety of living organisms considered at all levels of organization, including
the genetic, species, and higher taxonomic levels, the variety of habitats and ecosystems, as well as the
processes occurring therein.
board foot: A unit of measurement represented by a board one foot long, one foot wide, and one
inch thick. Also, a standard way of measuring volume of standing trees, logs, or lumber, usually
expressed in thousand board feet, or mbf.
bole: The main stem or trunk of a tree.
broadcast burning: Intentional burning of fuels and/or vegetation where the fuel has not been separately
piled and the fire is applied under predetermined conditions such that it is allowed to spread freely
throughout a pre-designated unit.
brushing: A generic term referring to the practice of removing all, or a portion, of the brush component
in a unit of forest vegetation to meet some pre-designated objective (e.g., fuel reduction, seedling
establishment, etc.); can be done manually or with equipment.
canopy: The more or less continuous cover of branches and foliage formed collectively by adjacent trees
and other woody species in a forest stand. Where significant height differences occur between trees
within a stand, formation of a multiple canopy (multi-layered) condition can result.
catadromous: Catadromous fishes are a special category of marine fish that spawn in salt water and
whose young migrate long distances to enter fresh water to complete their growth and development to the
adult stage (USFWS, 2014).
coarse woody material (CWM): Portion of tree that has fallen or been cut and left in the woods. Pieces
are at ]cast t6-inch in diameter (small end) and at least 16-foot long.
cohort: A group of trees developing after a single disturbance, commonly consisting of trees of similar
age, although it can include a considerable range of tree ages of seedling or sprout origin and trees that
predate the disturbance.
crown class: A class of tree based on crown position relative to the crowns of adjacent trees.
dominant: Crowns extend above the general level of crown cover of others of the same stratum
and are not physically restricted from above, although possibly somewhat crowded by other trees
on the sides.
co-dominant: Crowns form a general level of crown stratum and are not
150
physically restricted from above, but arc more or less crowded by other trees from
the sides.
intermediate: Trees are shorter, but their crowns extend into the general level of
dominant and co-dominant trees, free from physical restrictions from above, but
quite crowded from the sides.
crown fire: Fire that advances through the tops of trees.
defensible fuel reduction zones: Areas of modified and reduced fuels that extend beyond fuel breaks to
include a larger area of decreased fuels. These would include managed stands with reduced amounts,
continuities, and/or distributions of fuels that would provide additional zones of opportunity for
controlling wildfire.
density management: Cutting of trees for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to: accelerating
tree growth, improved forest health, to open the forest canopy, promotion of wildlife
and/or to accelerate the attainment of old growth characteristics if maintenance or restoration of biological
diversity is the objective.
diameter at breast height (dbh): The diameter of a tree 4.5 feet above the ground on the uphill side of
the tree.
down, dead woody fuels: Dead twigs, branches, stems, and boles of trees and shrubs that have fallen and
lie on or near the ground.
eco-type: A more or less homogeneous natural community type which occupies specific niches in the
landscape. More or less synonymous with "landscape unit," but landscape units often will sub-divide an
eco-type (often based on steepness of slope).
fire hazard: The kind, volume, condition, arrangement, and location -of fuels and vegetation that creates
an increased threat of ignition, rate of spread, and resistance to control of wildfire.
fire regime: The characteristic frequency, extent, intensity and seasonality of fires within an ecosystem.
fire risk: The chance of various ignition sources, either lightning or human-caused, causing a fire.
fire season: The period of time, usually during the summer and fall, when there are drier conditions and
higher temperatures, and restrictions and rules designed to minimize forest fire risks are put into effect.
fire severity: Measures the effect of fire on an ecosystem, especially the effect on plants. Fires are
commonly classed as low, medium, and high.
fire weather conditions: The state of the atmosphere within 5 to 10 miles of the earth's surface indicated
by measures of temperature, pressure, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, visibility, clouds, and
precipitation. The potential for fire weather conditions to influence fire behavior is generally described in
terms of low to extreme.
forest health: The ability of forest ecosystems to remain productive, resilient, and stable over time and to
withstand the effects of periodic natural or human-caused stresses such as drought, insect attack, disease,
climatic changes, fire, flood, resource management practices, and resource demands.
fuel continuity: A qualitative description of the distribution of fuel both horizontally and
vertically. Continuous fuels readily support fire spread. The larger the fuel discontinuity, the greater the
fire intensity required for fire spread.
151
fuelbreak: A strip of land in which vegetation has been manipulated such that fires burning into one arc
more easily controlled.
Hawksworth dwarf mistletoe rating: A method of determining the level and/or- severity of infection of
dwarf mistletoe disease (Arcuethobizim species). See the Hawksworth rating system description in the
Appendix for more detail.
hydrologic function: the capacity of an area to capture, store and safely release water when that water
come from rainfall, run-on or snow melt (Lund et al. 2014)
invasive species: A species is invasive when it is both nonnative to the ecosystem in which it is found
and capable of causing environmental, economic, or human harm. Invasive species often compete so
successfully in new ecosystems that they displace native species and disrupt important ecosystem
processes. Plants, fish, insects, mammals, birds, and diseases all can be invasive.
ladder fuels: Flammable vegetation that provides vertical continuity between the surface fuels and tree
crowns.
leave trees: trees intentionally marked to remain standing in a treatment area, i.e., "leave" behind or
"leave" alone (Traugott and Dicke. 2006)
landscape unit: A defined area of land with relatively consistent topography and vegetation.
log decomposition class: Any of five stages of deterioration of logs in the forest; stages range from
essentially sound (class 1) to almost total decomposition (class 5).
lop and scatter: A method of slash treatment in which slash is cut into smaller pieces and spread out to
decrease fuel accumulations so that it lies closer to the ground to increase decomposition rate.
mature stand: Traditionally defined as a discrete stand of trees for which the annual net rate of growth
has peaked. Stands are generally greater than 80-100 years old and less than 180-200
years old. Stand age, diameter of dominant trees, and stand structure at maturity vary by forest cover
types and local site conditions. Mature stands generally contain trees with a smaller average diameter,
less age class variation and less structural complexity than old-growth stands of the same forest type.
merchantable timber: trees large enough to be sold to a mill.
monitoring: the process of collecting information to evaluate if objectives and expected results of a
management plan are being realized or if implementation is proceeding as planned.
mycorrhizae association: Symbiosis between particular species of fungi and the roots of vascular- plants.
noxious weeds: A term that generally refers to non-native plants introduced into an ecosystem. Noxious
weeds tend to be aggressive, poisonous, toxic, difficult to manage and/or otherwise undesirable or
threatening for healthy ecosystem functioning (USDA. 2015)
old-growth forest: A forest stand usually at least 180-220 years old and typically suggesting the
following characteristics: moderate to high canopy closure; a multilayered, multispecies canopy
dominated by large overstoty trees; high incidence of large trees, some with broken tops and other
indications of old and decaying wood (decadence); numerous large snags; and heavy accumulations of
wood, including large logs on the ground.
152
overstory: The uppermost canopy layer in a stand.
plant association: A group of plant communities which share the same set of dominant species and
usually grow in a specific range of habitat conditions. There can be significant variation between sites
and there is a great deal of variation at different successional pathways, vegetation trends and
management opportunities. Plant association classification is based on the concept of potential natural
vegetation. The potential natural vegetation for a site is the vegetation that would be present under climax
conditions. In other words, if the site were allowed to grow, undisturbed by fire, insects, diseases, flood,
wind, erosion, or humans, in approximately 500 to 1,000 years it would theoretically reach a steady state
condition in climax vegetative composition that would be characteristic of the site potential.`
plant association group (PAG): a group of plant associations that share a common feature of favoring
development of particular tree species that will become dominant over time if the forest matures without
disturbance. Plant Association Groups are an intermediate stratification between plant associations and
plant series. The coarsest level is the forest or plant series, which denotes all types that have the same
climax dominant tree species, defined by shade tolerance (i.e., the Douglas-fir series). The finest level is
the plant association, which denotes an overstory species that is the most shade-tolerant of the species
found in that type along with one or more indicator understory species (i.e., Douglas-fir/ Oregon grape
plant association).'-
plant community: An area of vegetation in which the same set of species is present in all layers (tree,
shrub, herb/grass, moss, and lichen)
plant series: a group of plant associations that share a common feature of favoring development of
particular tree species that will become dominant over time if the forest matures without disturbance.
precommercial (noncommercial) thinning: The removal of trees of little or no commercial value from a
forest stand to achieve a pre-designated silvicultural objective (e.g., improve stand vigor, reduce wildfire
danger, etc.)
prescribed underburning: involves the controlled application of fire to understory vegetation and
downed woody material when fuel moisture, soil moisture, and weather and atmospheric conditions allow
for the fire to be confined to a predetermined area and intensity to achieve the planned resource
objectives.
radial thinning: the removal of competing trees within a certain radius of a valuable tree (BLM. 2014)
relative density index: The ratio of the actual stand density to the maximum stand density attainable in a
stand. Used as a way to measure quantitative differences between stand densities. Measured on a scale
between 0 and 1.00.
release: A term used to indicate the increased growth that occurs in a tree or stand of trees following
stand density reduction.
restoration ecology: The study of theoretical principles and applications in population and community
ecology aimed to restore and rehabilitate highly disturbed or degraded ecosystems to their more natural
states.
riparian area: A geographic area (150-300-foot) influenced by an aquatic component and adjacent
upland areas.
seral stage: The series of relatively transitory plant communities that develop during ecological
succession from bare ground to the climax stage. Four seral stages are utilized in this report:
t53
early seral stage - The period from disturbance to development of crown closure of conifer
stands. Grass, herbs, and brush are plentiful in this stage.
mid-seral stage - The period in the life of a forest stand from crown closure to ages of 15 to 80-
100 years.
late-seral stage - The period in the life of a forest stand older than 80 years and approaching 200
years or more. Old-growth forests are included in this category and typically include stands at
least 180-220 years old.2
silviculture: The art and science guiding the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of
vegetation in forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a
sustainable basis.
site index: Site index is a method of measuring and describing the potential productivity of any given site
based on the height of dominant conifers by species at a given age.
site productivity: The capacity of an area of land to produce carbon-based life forms.
slash: Tree tops, branches, bark, and other typically non-merchantable debris left after forest management
activities.
slope percent: A standard way of measuring the steepness of any slope; specifically, a percent figure
based on the rise in elevation in feet over a 100 foot distance (i.e., 25% slope equals a rise of 25 feet over
a 100 foot distance). Although no uniform standards describing steepness exist, a typical classification is
as follows: flat (0-5%), gentle (5-25%), moderate (25-55%), steep (55-75%, very steep (75% L).
snag: Any standing dead or partially-dead, tree at least sixteen inches in diameter at breast height (dbh)
and at least sixteen feet tall.
stand (Tree Stand): in ecology, a continuous group of similar plants. In silviculture and as used in this
Assessment; a contiguous group of trees sufficiently uniform in age-class distribution, composition, and
structure, and growing on a site of sufficiently uniform quality to be a distinguishable unit.-'
stand density: An expression of the number and size of trees on a forest site. May be expressed in terms
of numbers of trees per acre, basal area, stand density index, or relative density index.
stand density index: A measure of stand density independent of site quality and age. From the stand
density index, an approximate number of trees, of a chosen diameter, capable of being supported on an
acre can be determined.
stocking level: The number of trees in any given area expressed as trees/acre.
succession: The process through which vegetation develops over time as one community of plants
replaces another; often described in terms of stages.
suppressed: Also known as overtopped. Crowns are entirely below the general
level of dominant and co-dominant trees and are physically restricted from
immediately above.
swamper burning: A method of burning in which slash is thrown onto a burning pile.
154
thinning-from-below: The cutting of non-dominant trees in a stand, usually in order to give more site
resources to the dominant trees or to reduce ladder fuels.
tree vigor: A measure, either subjective or quantitative, of the relative health of an individual tree.
underburning: A type of broadcast burning that is applied under an existing stand of trees.
understory: The vegetation layer between the canopy and the forest floor, including forbs, shrubs,
smaller trees, and other low-lying vegetation.
wildland urban interface (WUI): A geographic area in which the urban and/or suburban setting is
juxtaposed and transitionally grades into the wildland environment.
windthrow: windthrow is defined as the uprooting of a whole tree at the interface of the trunk with the
soil, which may involve the lifting of roots, the snapping of roots or the failure of the trunk at the soil
surface (Moore, 2014).
References
All definitions in the Glossary are from the City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase III unless
otherwise indicated.
Superscript I indicates the definition is from City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase II.
Superscript 2 indicates the definition is from the Upper Bear Assessment.
Ashland Forest Lands Commission. 2003; City Forest Lands Restoration Project - Phase II;
Ashland OR; 38p. (http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/Restoration_Phase2.pdf)
Ashland Forest Lands Commission. 2009. City Forest Lands Restoration Project Phase III
Winburn Parcel; Ashland OR. 78 p.
http://www.ashland.or.us/Files/2009%20Winburn%20Phase°/`20III%2OFinal°/`2ODraft"//0204%20
2%2009.pdf
BLM. 2014. KBO_and_LRP 2014-Landowner oak guide 1.0 (Web).pdf
USDA Forest Service. 2003. Upper Bear- Assessment. Ashland OR; Pacific Northwest Region:_238p.
USDA Forest Service. 2015. Pacific Northwest Research Station
Lund et al. 2014. Integrating Storage In California's Changing Water System. UC Davis
NOAA. 2012. NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region
Traugott and Dicke. 2006. Are My Pine Trees Ready To Thin? P2260. State of Mississippi Extension
Service
155
Maps
AFP Maps: GIS.ashland.or.us/afp
156
CITY OF
ASHLAND
Council Communication
May 2, 2016, Study Session
8/10 Staffing Study for Ashland Fire & Rescue
FROM:
John Karns, Fire Chief, Ashland Fire & Rescue, karnsj a>,ashland.or.us
SUMMARY
At the Council Study Session of August 31, 2015, the Fire Chief presented information concerning the
mission and future of Ashland Fire & Rescue. The basis of this presentation was the difficulty the
department is facing maintaining quality service with its current staffing.
Council then requested that the Fire Chief develop and present a "menu" that further explained each of
the options and strategies for addressing the staffing issue. This menu was presented on December 14"'
2015. As there are a number of different approaches to consider, it was felt that further clarification of
each was appropriate before evaluating them. The options discussed, in varying degrees, help to deal
with this issue either through enhanced staffing or reduced call volume. There are also several
administrative opportunities that will help in the long term. Many of these strategies come with a cost
and some carry significant ramifications that should be carefully assessed.
At the conclusion of the menu presentation Council asked the Fire Chief to bring back a more detailed
assessment of transitioning to 8/10 staffing from 8/9 staffing. That is the basis of this presentation. This
presentation looks at the 8/10 staffing in close detail. Council is being asked to evaluate the 8/10
staffing option to ensure adequate staffing so that Ashland Fire & Rescue can maintain quality service
delivery.
BACKGROUND AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS:
Ashland Fire & Rescue has been increasingly challenged to provide the appropriate number of
resources for our response requests for a number of years. With the same 27 member line-personnel
force we are now responding to close to 4000 calls annually. The average call volume over the last ten
years has been 3418. We are also seeing a sharp increase in the non-emergent medical transfers after
the Ashland Community Hospital reorganization. The Fire Chief has requested additional personnel
each of the last six years. Two years ago a change in the staffing window from 7/9 to 8/9 was approved
which helped but no new personnel were hired. During this same time Medford Fire Department
created five new positions and Jackson County Fire District 3 added six new positions to ensure an
appropriate level of service for their communities. There are a number of factors that contribute to this
increased call volume including local demographics, increasing public reliance on the 911 system,
increasing out of area medical transports, and other influences.
The result of inadequate staffing causes periods during a shift when there are no personnel available to
Page I of'2
11TALAR
CITY OF
ASHLAND
respond or insufficient personnel available for an event. Often when medical requests are made during
this time we ask Mercy Flights to respond and provide transportation thorough our mutual aid
agreement. The response time for Mercy Flights into Ashland is much longer than AF&R. For fire or
other emergency calls we rely on our neighboring departments to respond if available, again with much
longer response times. For many medical events and obviously fire calls, response time can drive the
outcome of the call. During a recent weekend the department was without of available personnel l 1
times.
A move from an 8/9 to 8/10 staffing profile has the potential of placing one more
Firefighter/Paramedic on duty on any given shift, though the minimum level stays at eight. The real
advantage of increased staffing won't be realized until we see a 9/10 staffing profile. We can move to
the 8/10 staffing model with a near no-cost the first year due to the savings in overtime. This is further
explained in the body of the document.
COUNCIL GOALS SUPPORTED:
23. Support innovative programs that protect the community
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The approximate cost for 8/10 staffing are as follows:
• First year $7,904
• Second year $27,015 to $29,176
• Third year $39,317 to $42,462
• Fourth year $52,059 to $56,223
STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUESTED ACTION:
N/A Information Only
SUGGESTED MOTION:
N/A Information only
ATTACHMENTS:
8/10 Staffing Presentation Document
Page 2 of 2
!r,
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
INTRODUCTION
As has been presented to Council on several occasions, the current staffing level of Ashland Fire & Rescue is inadequate to
sustain the appropriate level of service as well as desirable response times to incidents. The goal of the fire department is to
ultimately achieve a 10/11 member per shift staffing level even if this takes a number of years to realize. This is the correct
staffing level for Ashland Fire & Rescue. The department has requested increased staffing during every budget cycle in the last
six years. In December of 2015 the Fire Chief presented a "Staffing Menu" to Council that discussed a number of options to
address this issue with both short and long term strategies. A request was made by Council to further evaluate the impact and
cost of adopting an 8/10 staffing model now with a three-year phase-in of 9/10 staffing.
The following tutorial was developed to fully explain the operational and fiscal implications of moving to an 8/10 staffing level
from our current 8/9 staffing level. This is a graphical and explanatory look at the various staffing opportunities that existed on
actual work days. It will demonstrate how staffing is affected by our constant staffing agreement, requests for leave (such as
sick time, FMLA, vacation leave, training leave, etc.), and the resulting; impact on overtime costs. It will also show how these
costs are influenced by transitioning to an 8/10 staffing level. Finally, it will estimate the cost of a transition from 8/10 to 9/10
over a three year period when the full operational advantage will be realized.
This document will demonstrate:
1. How 8/9 Staffing works and the process for filling vacancies for a particular date.
2. How 8/10 Staffing would work on the same date.
3. The number of overtime hours the department could save if we were at 8/10 Staffing.
4. The cost of 8/10 Staffing (three new firefighters) compared to the cost of overtime expenses for existing personnel.
5. The cost of increasing our staffing, over a three year period, to a 9/10 model.
6. Present staffing variables, assumptions, and long range staffing goals.
STAFFING MODELS
The first concept to understand is how we staff the department on any given day. Ashland Fire & Rescue currently has 27 line
staff members. These firefighter-paramedics are divided into three shifts of nine (A, B and C shifts). Each shift takes a turn
staffing the departments vehicles on a 24/7 basis. Each shift works ten 24-hour shifts per month, producing a 56 hour work
week. As with most places of employment, vacations, training, family medical leave act (FMLA), jury leave, and sick time are part
of the daily staffing dilemma. Unlike most places of employment however, we cannot simply "close" an ambulance, a fire
engine, or a fire station for the day.
To help keep track of who is and who is not working, the department utilizes a staffing computer program called Telestaff. This
program looks at our future shifts and alerts staff if there is a staffing shortfall. It will also notify members of opportunities to fill
vacancies and records members' acceptance or refusal of those opportunities. The following eight pages give a visual
representation of what our staffing looks like through the Telestaff program.
Telestaff shows members either assigned to a vehicle or shown as Off Roster. Off Roster is simply a term that Telestaff uses to
show a member not assigned to a vehicle. How we staff our vehicles changes from day to day dependent upon how many
members are on duty (see below). Telestaff holds that 91h firefighter in the "Off Roster" position until:
1. They are needed to fill a vacancy (8 members on duty)
2. They are paired with the Station 1 engine firefighter to staff the rescue at Station 2. (9 members on duty)
Either way, they are needed on a vehicle, but holding them in the "Off Roster" position allows Telestaff and the BC to make last
minute changes as needed.
Page 1 -
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
C Shift
Station 1
Command Vehicle 8853
l Battal Battalion Chief Shepherd, David X
Engine 8801
2 Captain Hanstein, David X
3 Engineer Roselip, David X
4 Firefighter Hegdahl, Tim X
Rescue 8831
5 Firefighter Trask, Robert X
6 Firefighter Stoy, Trent X
Station 2
Engine 8802
7 Captain Burns, Kelly X
8 Engineer Foss, Justin X
Off Roster
9 Firefighter Turner, Shannon ~X
Tcl estate 2.9
The department is currently staffed at what we call 8/9 Staffing. This
means that the department is staffed 24/7 with a minimum of 8 personnel
and a maximum of 9. Above is a representation of what our staffing program,
Telestaff, looks like. We call this the Roster. The Roster shows what
personnel are on duty on any given shift.
If we were to have looked at the Roster for July 5, 2014 (above), back in
January of 2014, it would appear as shown. As you can see, the 9th firefighter
is shown "Off Roster". On days when we have all 9 personnel the firefighter
from Engine 8801 will be teamed up with the Off Roster firefighter to staff
another ambulance (Tim would come off Engine 8801 and staff a Rescue with
Shannon). It is common to have two or three ambulances on calls
simultaneously.
Now let's assume that in March of 2014, four months before he is assigned
to work on July 5th, Robert Trask decides to take this day off as vacation.
Go to next page
Page 2
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
ASh1,1,1d 11 ire & f-,'eSCLIe
Saturday July 5, 2014
C Shift
Station 1
Command Vehicle 8853
1 [Battalion Chief Shepherd, David X
Engine 8801
2 Captain Hanstein, David X
3 Engineer Roselip, David X
4 Firefighter Hegdahl, Tim X
Rescue 8831
5 Firefighter Trask, Robert
6 Firefighter Stoy, Trent X
Station 2
Engine 8802
7 Captain Burns, Kelly X
8 Engineer Foss, Justin X
Off Roster
9 Firefighter Turner, Shannon X
T) 1
l elesta11'`?.9
Robert submits his vacation request and it is approved. We allow two
personnel to have time off on any given shift. Robert's position on the roster
now shows a red "V" (for Vacation) instead of an "X". Because Rescue 8831
must have 2 firefighters, his vacancy creates an opening that must be filled.
Fortunately for us, Shannon is still floating out there in the "Off Roster"
position. Instead of having to hire someone back on overtime, we can simply
move Shannon from "Off Roster" up to the Rescue 8831 vacancy. However
we now only have two members on the engine company.
Go to next page
Page 3
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
Ashland Fire & Rescue
Saturday July 5, 2014
C Shift
Station 1
Command Vehicle 8853 _
attalion Chief Shepherd, David
1 B
F X
Engine 8801
2 Captain Hanstein, David X
3 Engineer Roselip, David X
4 Firefighter Hegdahl, Tim X
Rescue 8831
5
Turner, Shannon X
6 Firefighter Stoy, Trent X
Station 2
Engine 8802
7 Captain Burns, Kelly X
8 Engineer Foss, Justin X
Te l estaff 2.9
Shannon will now fill the vacancy created by Robert with no additional
charge to our budget.
As you can see, having an additional firefighter in the form of 8/9 Staffing
saved the city 24 hours of overtime expense. However, it should be noted,
the department will no longer be able to staff a second ambulance from
Station 1 due to the loss of the Off Roster firefighter (Shannon).
Now, let's assume that in April of 2014, Engineer Justin Foss would also
like to have July 5th off on vacation (contract allows two individuals off at the
same time).
Go to next page
Page 4
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
Ashland Fire & Rescue
Saturday July 5, 2014
C Shift
Station 1
Command Vehicle 8853
1 F attalion Chief ~hepherd, David ~X
Engine 8801
2 Captain Hanstein, David X
3 Engineer Roselip, David X
4 Firefighter Hegdahl, Tim X
Rescue 8831
5
Turner, Shannon X
6 Firefighter Stoy, Trent X
Station 2
Engine 8802
7 Captain Burns, Kelly X
8
TCICStaIf 2.9
Justin submits his vacation request and it is approved. Justin's position on
the roster now shows a red "V" instead of an "X". Unfortunatley for us, there
are no other "Off Roster" personnel to fill this vacancy. The Batallion Chief
will now allow Telestaff to hire back an engineer to fill the vacancy at the
departments overtime rate.
Go to next page
Page 5
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
Ashland Fire & Rescue
Saturday July 5, 2014
C Shift
Station 1
Command Vehicle 8853
1 Battalion Chief Shepherd, David X
Engine 8801
2 Captain Hanstein, David X
3 Engineer Roselip, David X
4 Firefighter Hegdahl, Tim X
Rescue 8831
Turner, Shannon X
6 Firefighter Stoy, Trent X
Station 2
Engine 8802
7 Captain Burns, Kelly X
8
Telcstaff 2.9
Rod Lacoste agreed to work as engineer on July 5th and is now shown in
green. Rod will be working on Engine 8802 on an overtime shift.
It is important to point out that personnel working on overtime, as in any
department, are paid at 1 1/2 their normal rate. Basically, for each 24 hour
shift of overtime an employee works, they are being paid for 36 hours.
Go to next page
You should now have a general understanding of 8/9 Staffing and how the Roster works. The next
component of this tutorial is to conceptualize what would happen if we went to 8/10 Staffing. Utilizing the
same date as before (July 5, 2014) let's looks at how department staffing would occur if we had one
additional firefighter on duty each day.
Page 6
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
Ashland Fire & Rescue
Saturday July 5, 2014
C Shift
Station 1
Command Vehicle 8853
1 Battalion Chief 7]~Shepherd, David X
Engine 8801
2 Captain Hanstein, David X
3 Engineer Roselip, David X
4 Firefighter Hegdahl, Tim X
Rescue 8831
5 Firefighter Trask, Robert X
6 Firefighter Stoy, Trent X
Station 2
Engine 8802
7 Captain Burns, Kelly X
8 Engineer Foss, Justin X
Off Roster
9 Firefighter Turner, Shannon X
10 Firefighter Winwood, Brandon X
Telestaff 2.9
Let's assume that we are now at 8/10 Staffing. The Roster now looks like
this. As you can see, instead of a single "Off Roster" firefighter we now have
two. This allows for two rescues and one engine to respond from Station 1.
As with the last scenario, both Robert Trask and Justin Foss want July 5th
off.
Go to next page
Page 7
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
Ashland Fire & Rescue.
Saturday July 5, 2014
C Shift
Station 1
Command Vehicle 8853
1 [Battalion Chief _ Shepherd, David X
Engine 8801
Captain Hanstein, David X
3 Engineer Roselip, David X
4 Firefighter Hegdahl, Tinn X
Rescue 8831
5
6 Firefighter Stoy, Trent X
Station 2
Engine 8802
7 Captain Burns, Kelly X
8
Off Roster
9 Firefighter Turner, Shannon X
10 Firefighter Winwood, Brandon X
Te I es tafi' 2.9
Both Robert Trask and Justin Foss submit Vacation time off requests for
this date and both are approved. As before, the Vacations create vacanices
on Rescue 8831 and Engine 8802. Fortunately for us, we have now have 2
firefighters that are in the "Off Roster" position.
Go to next page
Page 8
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
Ashland Fire & Rescue
Saturday July 5, 2014
C Shift
Station 1
Command Vehicle 8853
1 Battalion Chief Shepherd, David X
Engine 8801
2 Captain Hanstein, David X
3 Engineer Roselip, David X
4 Firefighter Hegdahl, Tim X
Rescue 8831 0
5 7Firef refigher Winwood, Brandon X
6 ig hter Stoy, Trent X
Station 2
Engine 8802
7 Captain Burns, Kelly X
8 Engineer Turner, Shannon MU
Telestaff 2.9
We can now move Brandon up to cover for Robert and as Shannon is also a
Move-Up Engineer, he can cover the vacancy created by Justin. If you will
remember in the first scenario with 8/9 Staffing, it was necessary to hire an
Engineer back on overtime. With 8/10 Staffing we are able to move the 10th
firefighter into the vacancy, eliminating the overtime expense.
Go to next page
Page 9
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
Now that you have an understanding of the difference between 8/9 Staffing and 8/10 Staffing we
need to talk about the financial impacts of each. As you have probably already realized, having 10
firefighters on duty each day will produce substantial savings in overtime expenses. However, you
may also realize that in order to have 10 firefighters on duty each day we would need to hire one
additional firefighter per shift for each of the three shifts.
To determine if this might be financially practical, we need to calculate the total overtime expense
associated with 8/9 Staffing and compare that to the total cost of three new firefighters in an
8/10 Staffing model. Remember that to achieve 8/10 staffing we need to add one firefighter to
each shift.
Using the Telestaff program as outlined on the previous pages, we looked at two years of actual
shifts. For each day that we determined a 101h firefighter would have been able to cover a vacancy
instead of hiring a firefighter back on overtime for the full or partial shift, it was noted on the
following spreadsheets. The following data gives a daily/monthly/yearly count of the "available"
overtime hours to be saved by an 8/10 staffing model. The hours of the two years evaluated were
averaged to achieve a base-line for subsequent comparison of costs.
Page 10
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
2014 2014
Day .lanuarv Pebniar~_ -March April _ May June Jule August September October November December
1 24 0 0 0 0 4 24 24 14 24 24 4
2 24 0 24 24 24 2 18 24 _ 24 24 24
3 24 0 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 0 0
4 24 0 0 0 24 24 24 24 _ 24 24 24 4
5 24 0 0 24 0 5 24 24 24 7 24 4
6 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 24 24 8 24 24
7 0 0 0 0 8 24 15 24 24 12 24 24
8 0 24 0 24 24 24 16 24 _ 24 3 13 0
9 0 24 24 24 24 0 24 24 24 5 24 24
10 24 24 24 24 10 0 24 24 17 24 0 2_4_
11 24 5 10 16 18 24 24 24 0 24 15 -C)-
12 24 0 11 10 _ 9 24 24 24 _ 24 22 24 24
13 0 4 0 0 0 4 6 24 24 24 24 24
l4 0 24 11 0 9 6 24 24 24 24 24 24
15 0 24 0 22 13 24 24 24 0 0 24 0
16 24 0 (1 19 0 18 24 _ 24_ 0 0 0 0
17 24 0 5 9 12 5 0 24 24 24 0 0
18 0 0 0 24 0 0 24 24 24 24 24 12
19 0 24 0 24 0 6 24 5 4 24 24 -.,-.-24-
20 24 _ 24 0 24 24 6 24 24 24 24 0 24
21 6 0 24 24 24 24 24 2410 24 0 24
22 0 24 24 0 24 24 _ 24 0 0 18 9 0
23 0 24 0 0 24 24 24 0 5 4 0 24
24 0 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 7 10 0
25 0 24 9 24 24 6 24 24 _ 17 20 0 24
26 24 13 24 24 24 6 24 24 24 _ 11 0 0
27 15 _ 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 _ 24 24 0 _ 24
28 0 24 24 24 12 24---- 24 24 24 24 0 24
29 8 0 24 - 12 24 - - 9 0 20 24 24 - 24
30 - 0 0 0 0 14 24 24 24 24 0 0 24
31 0 - 0 24 0 - 0 0 16 - 24 0 24 0 24 _
nthly T 317 334 334 436 429 428 656 653 543 525 383 432
In 2014 Total Overtime hours That Could I Lave Been Covered If At 10/8 Stal'11112 - 5470
This spread sheet shows that for CY 2014, an 8/10 staffing model would have save 5470 hours in
overtime. Each year varies, the following page takes a look at 2015.
Page 11
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
2015 2015
Dal` January February March April Mav June July August September October NoN,ember December
1 4 11 2 0 24 0 4 9 0 0 0 24
2 0 24 9 24 0 24 24 24 3 24 24 21
3 0 24 0 0 24 24 6 24 0 24 24 0
4 0 24 24 0 24 3 24 II 24 _ Il 24 15
0 0 24 0 _ 24 0 24 24 0 0 24 24
6 0 0 10 0 14 _ 24 24 24 24 0 24 24
7 0 0 24 0 0 24 24 24 24 _ 8 24 24
8 24 24 0 7 0 18 24 6 0 0 24 4
9 0 24 7 16 24 24 6 24 0 0 24 _ 0
t0 24 0 16 22 24 0 24 24 1 4 0 9
11 0 0 10 10 24 0 24 24 24 0 24 8
12 18 24 24 0 24 2 _ 0 24 24 24 24 0
13 14 19 12 24 24 24 0 24 24 24 24 0
14 0 5 7 24 24 24 7 24 24 _ 10 24 10
15 4 0 7 14 0 24 0 24 0 24 24 0
16 24 24 13 0 12 0 24 24 24 0 24 6
17 24 24 9 0 13 6 _ 19 15 0 4 24 24
18 24 13 0 6 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24
19 0 24 15 4 0 24 24 0 4 24 0 0
20 0 24 0 0 0 24 24 13 24 24 0 0
21 4 0 0 4 4 24 _ 24 24 6 24 24 0
22 0 24 0 14 24 24 24 24 0 0 0 _ 15
23 24 9 7 9 24 24 24 _ 0 0 0 24 24
24 24 0 24 19 24 24 _ 24 0 0 _ 24 24 24
25 0 5 24 24 0 0 24 _ 24 17 24 24 24
26 0 0 0 24 24 15 24 24 24 24 12 _ 24
27 5 0 0 0 24 8 24 0 24 24 0 24
28 10 24 24 4 24 24 24 24 20 24 0 0
29 0 0 24 24 24 0 _ 24 _ 0 24 24 24 24
30 24 0 0 24 0 0 24 14 24 24 24 0
31 24 0 0 0 24 0 0 24 24 0 24
Monthly Total 275 350 316 297 499 436 570 548 387 445 540 400
In 2015 Total Overtime Hours That Could Have Been Covered If At 10/8 Staffing 5063
Average Hours Saved with 10/8 Staffing for CY 2014 and 2015 5266.5
Page 12
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
Now we need to look at how much savings in overtime is available compared to the cost of hiring the
three new firefighters necessary to achieve the 8/10 staffing level. For the cost of the overtime
calculation, we'll use the rate of top-step engineer. This represents a good "middle of the road" cost for
employees. There is one rank below engineer (firefighter - 12 members) and two above (captains and
battalion chiefs - 9 members). As with all departments the cost per hour for overtime is calculated at
time and one-half. While there are some benefit costs that "roll-up" at time and one-half, such as FICA,
Medicare, HRA VEBA, there are other benefits that are fixed costs such as health insurance and deferred
compensation that don't change with overtime pay. This is why the cost for overtime is quite close to the
cost of a new hire when calculating salary and benefits which is typically 1.4 to 1.6 times the cost of
salary, depending on rank and step of pay.
The cost of the firefighters is obviously lowest while they're at step one of their six-step pay range. This
first step is for six months, second step for the next six months, and third step for the next year, and so
on. During the first year of employment the department doesn't grant vacation leave so there is some
reduction in overtime costs when there are firefighters on probation. We have used salary figures that
are from the recently agreed upon contract with the bargaining unit.
The spread sheet on the next page compares the savings in overtime with the cost of three new
firefighters for each of their six pay steps. As you can see there is a savings in overtime, based on the
previously determined average of leave requested, of $_224,611 per year. It is necessary to understand
that overtime use is very dynamic and is influenced by illness, injury, maternity leave, retirements, large
fire events (regionally and state-wide), training, and many other factors. It is impossible to predict
overtime activity with any degree of accuracy.
To indicate the true cost of the three new firefighters in the first year we need to average the cost of the
first two pay steps as each one has a six month term. That yields a cost for three new firefighters for the
first year of $332,516. This produces a net cost of the 8/10 staffing level for the first year of $7,904.
The net cost for subsequent years will increase as the three firefighters earn their new pay steps,
basically one step per year. The compensation increase due to contractual agreements will largely be
offset by a corresponding increase in overtime savings.
Please look at the following spread sheet developed by the fire and finance departments that reflects, as
accurately as possible, the costs involved in transitioning to 8/10 staffing from 8/9 staffing. This spread
sheet looks at the averaged overtime savings and compares that with the cost of the three firefighters
over all six pay step ranges. It takes a firefighter five years to achieve top step in pay.
Page 13
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8 10 Staffing -March 2016
Hsahh Irlsurarlcs V~arka~s Cam
R
20141?41~ Dof~rrod Gross HRA~EBA fICA Medicare Tier F QPSRPFF EE Modical
4 F Tail
Ti11s Wa e Hours Com Holida FLSA Pa 7°l0 6~~a°lo 1,4~'~1 ~0~9°~'; 1~,6fi~d:~ 6.08t~ &Dcntal AD&D Lifo LTD 1~C ~Nckm
Benefits
p ~ Y Toil
9 p
To ate E~~ hee~- O~~~li~e Hours 44.0814 62666 - - - 232164.69 4 643~0~9 14408,60 340031 484.7,12 13.929.28 - - - ~ ~
G7 ~ ~ ~ . ~ 324611.66
p P ~ 9 ..bj ~.4~6~9b 3~4e11,~~ Ou~rhm~Cast ,
1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1
I~1id'di ~ dil h1i' i ~ e d(l~ ~e hi311
II ~~~ho~~ui~iJTlla~eli~ c
I. 4 V ~ ~
~~Cf'~~~u Ir ~i ~~-r ~ ~ r~^r n- n~ ~r~r~ ~ ^rri ,IIIr~^ r^a^ ,r, i
Ert~+~Le~~~+elFi~~l~~h1e~ li~~t~~i~~.i~~lou,h~ 1.6886 ~~~4 4199 ~4~9~1~ ~ni~il~l~a ~Ir14.~~ 13~s4~~~9 ~161,~3 1CilJ~s~~4 106C4~11 40~~.88
1r+41~14.~~~1 ~~~.~1 13~u,33 80~G0 1~944~9 41C'~7332 108181.94 3Nl:wfi~fi hi~rs= 26 64
~ I 1 1 I 1 I 1 1 1 ~ 1 I
'3er~o~dSis Fl~efighle~-Se~,ord3l~~:lw~lorths 22.6691 2164 4r~9~96 '2~63~9!01 ~6304~71 10766,03 141612 4366.88 1049.34 1101.39 4245.36
1T4C14;30 2972 299.68 141.46 80.00 2~032.0r 42133'23 11288,9.26 3S~sandSl~ fi~fi h1¢rs= 38668
p ~ ~ ~ p 9
~ ~ ~r r n r r ~i~ rr r r^^i ~i ~ r~ i
ThI~~S~fe`nlFi~ef~i ls~-~~2~x1~~ieai ~~.Iu, ~rv~~~ ~~~s~~r~ ~~~~~slj 13~u~9~~~ 1479~1~9 4~u4.40 10~9~~~19 11~~.0~ 4~31~~b 1T~404~3C~
3106 313.33 14190 8000 2'123.98 4329,63 117298.]9 3ThirdSlepufi~fi hlers~ 61626
r 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 I i I I r ~ i
Fourth3te`n1Fiiefi~hi~-PI6:x~tl'ea~ 24.684 2764 479.96 216461 677606 Ii19G0~36 1640.01 4742.96 1139,88 120~26~ 46~120~02 1340430
3234 X6.30 16403 8300 2211.26 44309:33 121309.69 3FaurthSl~apuFi~fi hf~rs= 63 28
r ~ 1 1 1 I I 1 1 I 1 I I r
l=lhhSteoFi~e6~hiP~-Me~,~11'ea~ 20.1 2704 49.96 28~8~40 601380 8C~149~96 16'0300 4938.22' 1186~6~6 12~6'j1.48 480~9~C10 1T404~30
33.66 339.3 160.36 8000 2.301.63 46406,94 12~6656~90 3fifthSfe fi~fi hl¢rs~ 76611
0 ~ ~ ~ p 9
10 pie Fiiefi~ht2~ 26.6'639 ~r~~~4 4t9~9608636 6~39.3~ 8313~~~~s 1b~~h 613.49 1C18~88 13019~4~ 498828 1r40431j 34.90 ~~.48
1b~~38 81~~0C~ ~38r.3r ~448~7 1~~9~~863~ 3To Ste fi~~1i hiers= 88159
P~ 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ p p 9
The savings in overtime will also go up with time somewhat as our members achieve higher pay steps.
Now we will look at the cost of narrowing the staffing window from 8/10 to 9/10 which is when the
maximum advantage is realized from an operational perspective. Part of this proposal is to change
the staffing window from 8/10 to 9/10 one shift per year, for three years. This would produce a
9/10 staffing profile for all three shifts. The cost for this would be approximately one-third of the
overtime savings each year that the staffing window is changed. We can see above that the overtime
savings is projected at $324,611 thus narrowing the staffing window would be approximately
$108,000 each year we move to 9/10 staffing.
Page 14
Ashland Fire & Rescue 8/10 Staffing - March 2016
To conclude this summary we must look at some of the variables in staffing, make some assumptions, and
revisit what the goal is in terms of staffing and providing an appropriate level of service.
• Factors that affect overtime
o Vacation time
o FMLA
o Illness and injury (on and off duty)
o Training leave
o Comp leave
o Large fire and other emergency events (This past year we participating in a number of
state-wide mutual aid fires that produced) significant overtime costs. Fortunately the larger
and longer-term events were eligible for state and FEMA reimbursement so we were
compensated for most of the overtime costs. That funding is represented in our budget
adjustments throughout the year)
o Jury leave
• Overtime is highly dynamic with few discretionary components
• While there are many factors affecting our call volume, demographics is near or at the top of the
list. This is an influence that is likely to increase if current trending continues.
• The cost of transitioning to 9/10 staffing from 8/10 will be approximately one-third of the overtime
savings per year. The full benefit of 10 member; per shift won't be realized until 9/10 staffing is in
place on all three shifts.
We have provided to you a summary of this issue that is complete as possible with figures that are as
accurate we can ascertain.
For a fire department to exhaust the on-duty staff during large or long-term events is to be expected and
the reason most departments have mutual and automatic aid agreements in place. Ashland Fire &
Rescue has mutual aid agreements in place with fire departments in Jackson and Josephine Counties
through the Rogue Valley Fire Chiefs Association. However, to run out of staff on nearly a daily basis due to
"bread and butter" responses is simply a function of inadequate staffing and a disservice to the
community. We cannot continue to operate at our current staffing level and provide an appropriate level of
service to our community.
The proper staffing level for Ashland's fire department as it is currently structured is a 10/11 staffing level
ideally enhanced by a volunteer or student program. I clearly understand that increasing staffing is
expensive and needs to be implemented over time. However I've presented this service gap for six years
with no progress in a resolve. The issue and solution is clear. I encourage you to start the 8/10 staffing
on July 1, 2016, and then initiate 9/10 staffing for one shift starting July 1, 2017. This should continue
for three years until 9/10 staffing exists on all three shifts.
We will continue to pursue the FEMA SAFER grant opportunity that cover's the cost (usually for two or three
years) of enhanced staffing for inadequately staffed fire departments, though less than 2% of
departments applying receive awards. Through hiring-back two members who retired at the first of the
year, we've saved nearly half of the cost of the first year of 8/10 staffing.
Thank you for your consideration
Page 15
CITY OF
ASHLAND
Council Communication
May 2, 2016, Study Session
Update on employee disaster readiness
FROM:
Dave Kanner, city administrator, dave.kanner a ashland.or.us
SUMMARY
This is an update from the Mayor and Fire Chief John Karns on planning for employee disaster
readiness.
BACKGROUND AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS:
In his State of the City address last January, the Mayor identified employee readiness for disaster
response as one of his priorities for this year. Specifically, the mayor proposed a program to provide
City employees with disaster readiness kits that would provide two weeks' supplies for employee's
families, thus allowing employees who are needed for disaster response to focus their energies on that
response, while knowing that their families have been provided for.
Quoting from the Mayor's speech:
"I want to set a process in motion by which our Fire Chief works with existing committees - we have
some in this area - to create and implement detailed, two-week shelter in place plans for all
employees' families and what it will take in terms of resources and support to make it a reality. Getting
these plans in place is why I consider the situation seriously and the plans can serve as templates for
the community. If our employees work out something that has to work for them in an emergency we're
going to have a real leg up. What I want to task them to do is figure out the simplest, least expensive
way to do it. This will make it easier for everyone and for people who can't afford the cost of two
weeks' worth of K-rations or something like that it's going to be a life saver."
COUNCIL GOALS SUPPORTED:
11. Prepare the community for natural and human-made disasters.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined
STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUESTED ACTION:
N/A. This is for information only.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
N/A. This is for information only.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Page 1 of' 1
IVALAR