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The Northwest Forest Plan: origins, components, implementation experience, and suggestions for change
Jack Ward Thomas1, Jerry E Franklin, John Gordon
1Department of Forest Management, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA. jwt@forestry.umt.edu
Summary
The Northwest Forest Plan shifted federal forest management to biodiversity conservation, emphasizing endangered species like the Northern Spotted Owl. While effective for conservation, it needs improvements for restoration and socio-economic goals.
Area of Science:
- Forestry
- Conservation Biology
- Environmental Management
Background:
- The 1990s saw a major shift in Pacific Northwest federal forest management from timber production to biodiversity conservation.
- This change was driven by legal challenges concerning endangered species, notably the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina).
Observation:
- The Northwest Forest Plan, established in 1994, introduced a network of late-successional and riparian reserves with controlled timber harvesting.
- The plan's implementation has been more successful in preventing harm to old-growth forests and aquatic ecosystems than in achieving broader restoration and socio-economic objectives.
Findings:
- The plan has been effective in halting detrimental activities impacting old-growth forests and aquatic systems.
- However, it has fallen short of its goals for ecological restoration and socio-economic benefits.
Implications:
- Recommends viewing the Northwest Forest Plan as an evolving, integrative conservation strategy.
- Advocates for conserving old-growth trees and forests universally.
- Suggests managing federal forests as dynamic ecosystems to better achieve conservation and restoration goals.