Strategic Plan

Transcription

1 N a t u r a R e s o u r c e s Photo Photo Photo Photo Strategic Pan The Godmark Agenda Apri 2010

2 This Report was prepared by the Washington State Department of Natura Resources (DNR). Peter Godmark, Commissioner of Pubic Lands Executive Management Team PO Box Oympia, WA Emai: Phone: TTY: , TRS: Lenny Young, Department Supervisor Bridget Moran, Deputy Supervisor for Aquatics & Agency Resources Chuck Turey, Deputy Supervisor for Reguatory Programs Cay Sprague, Deputy Supervisor for Upands Craig Partridge, Poicy & Governmenta Reations Director Edie Giiss, Senior Advisor Cuen Stephenson, Budget Director Aaron Toso, Director of Communications & Outreach Heath Packard, Director of Legisative & Externa Affairs Ben Hainine, Interna Auditor Roni Pettit, Executive Assistant to the Commissioner Linda Hecke, Executive Assistant to the Department Supervisor Strategic Panning Project Management Team Margaret Piaro Barrette, Pubic Invovement and Outreach Manager Edie Giiss, Senior Advisor Heath Packard, Director of Legisative & Externa Affairs Craig Partridge, Poicy & Governmenta Reations Director Strategic Panning Consutants BERK & ASSOCIATES, Seatte, WA Bonnie Berk, Principa Brian Murphy, Manager Juia Warth, Project Associate Contents Panning for DNR s Future...1 Trust Land Management and Revenue Production...3 Accountabiity to the Pubic...3 Panning Context...3 Panning Process and Timeine...3 Pan Structure and Impementation Guide...6 Guiding Statements and Pan Summary...8 Agency Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principes...8 Summary of Pan Goas and Major Initiatives...9 Goas...11 Goa I Goa II Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby...11 Improve Forest Practices Rues and Strengthen Impementation and Compiance...19 Goa III Preserve Forest Cover and Protect Working Forests and Agricutura Lands from Conversion...23 Goa IV Cean Up and Restore Puget Sound...27 Goa V Deveop Renewabe Energy Resources on State Lands, Address the Chaenges of Cimate Change, and Create Renewabe Energy Jobs...33 Goa VI Ensure that DNR is We-Managed and Supportive of its Empoyees...44 Year 1 Miestones and Performance Measures...49 Reated Initiatives and Actions that Occur in Sequence...51 This document is avaiabe in PDF format at:

3 Strategic Pan The Godmark Agenda Apri 2010

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5 PETER GOLDMARK Commissioner of Pubic Lands Apri 2010 Dear Friends and Coeagues: I am peased to present you with the Department of Natura Resources (DNR) Strategic Pan for the next five years. The Godmark Agenda wi serve as a forward-ooking roadmap to guide the Department in sustainaby managing our state ands and protecting the pubic s natura resources in the face of a strugging economy and a changing environment. Inside this document you wi find our vision and mission statements and an expanation of my three guiding principes for the management of this agency, and the pubic s resources: Manage the State s resources sustainaby. Make decisions based on sound science. Make decisions in the pubic interest and with the pubic s knowedge. This document contains detais on six major goas initiatives that have been shaped by tribes, oca governments, staff, stakehoders and citizens ike you from across the state. From our foresters in Sedro Wooey to pubic meetings in Eensburg and Longview, I am happy to say that hundreds of peope sent in comments or attended pubic forums to discuss the future of DNR and the ands and natura resources we have been entrusted to manage. As a resut, this document has gone through many changes in order to address the many comments and concerns brought forward by the pubic and staff. Your interest in DNR is humbing. Working together we wi bring new innovative approaches and perspectives to our work and continue to provide revenue for our communities whie serving as an economic engine for the state. We wi continue to protect cean air, water, heathy ecosystems and other pubic resources for future generations. It is my honor and priviege to serve Washington State, its citizens, and this agency in this endeavor. Yours in stewardship, Peter Godmark Commissioner of Pubic Lands 1111 WASHINGTON ST SE i MS i OLYMPIA, WA TEL: (360) i FAX: (360) i TRS: 711 i TTY: (360) i EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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7 Strategic Pan: WASHINGTON State DEPartMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES strategic PLAN: THE GOLDMARK AGENDA Panning for DNR s Future This Strategic Pan estabishes a roadmap to guide the Washington State Department of Natura Resources (DNR) actions over the coming five years, buiding on and making rea the positions and priorities that Commissioner of Pubic Lands Peter Godmark articuated in securing the support of Washington voters. As he took over eadership of the agency, Commissioner Godmark estabished three Guiding Principes that focused on: 1) sustainaby managing the state s resources, 2) reying on sound science, and 3) making transparent decisions in the pubic interest with the pubic s knowedge. These Principes estabish a high standard for the agency and its staff. This Strategic Pan simiary directs the agency to pursue ambitious objectives by making the poicy changes, programmatic shifts, and specific actions required to reaize the Godmark agenda. This document aso emphasizes the need for specific changes and actions needed to responsiby manage Washington s natura resources and address emerging issues. The need for action is cear from the tites of the six Goas that form the structure of this Pan: I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby II. III. IV. Improve Forest Practices Rues and Strengthen Impementation and Compiance Preserve Forest Cover and Protect Working Forests and Agricuture Lands from Conversion Cean Up and Restore Puget Sound V. Deveop Renewabe Energy Resources on State Lands, Address the Chaenges of Cimate Change, and Create Renewabe Energy Jobs VI. Ensure that DNR is We-Managed and Supportive of its Empoyees Critica themes that echo throughout this Strategic Pan are the need to protect and create jobs for Washington residents and the need to protect Washington s natura environment. Many of the Major Initiatives and Action Strategies in this Pan refect these themes. This Strategic Pan devotes primary attention to major new initiatives intended to guide DNR forward in some new or newy strengthened directions. Severa core DNR programs centra to its mission are aso components of the Godmark Agenda. These programs wi continue in the coming years, whie making changes, as needed, to aign with the Guiding Principes. These programs incude the agency s significant state trust and management and revenue-generating activities, as we as its responsibiities for emergency response incuding fire suppression (see box, page 2). Apri

8 Strategic Pan: FIRE & EMERGENCY RESPONSE DNR manages the argest on-ca Fire Department in Washington and in 2009, the agency deveoped and impemented a pan to baance budget goas with firefighting needs. Last year, temperatures heated to record or near-record eves on both sides of the Cascades. Despite responding to a higher-than-average number of fires in historicay dangerous fire conditions, the Department s new fire strategy avoided about $5.2 miion in additiona spending. It did so by improving firefighting effectiveness and taking cost efficiency steps. DNR crews aso substantiay reduced the number of acres burned this year compared to recent years. Most importanty, it was done safey with no deaths or major injuries. In the 2009 fire season: 1,045 fires were fought by DNR crews 17 percent more than the 5-year average. 40 percent fewer acres burned (17,405) in DNR s 12.7 miion acre jurisdiction than the 5-year average percent of the fires (in FY 09) were kept to ess than 10 acres (exceeding the performance goa of 93 percent). Aong with DNR s responsibiities to fight widand fire, our Geoogy and Earth Resources Division monitors and researches the causes of earthquakes, andsides, and vocanoes, and pubishes information on geoogic hazards information that is critica to decision makers in government and the private sector and key to reducing the human and financia effects of natura disasters. DNR aso impements an active Forest Heath program to respond to forest heath crises, especiay in Eastern Washington, with information, education, and assistance, and by forest heath treatments on state-owned forest ands. 2

9 Strategic Pan: Trust Land Management and Revenue Production DNR has responsibiity for managing approximatey 3 miion acres of state trust ands, which produce about $200 miion each year in non-tax revenue for designated pubic beneficiaries. These beneficiaries incude the state s K-12 common schoos, universities, state capito buidings, other pubic institutions, and counties and their junior taxing districts. Revenue-producing activities incude timber harvesting on the 2.1 miion acres of forested trust ands, eases and permits on 1 miion acres of agricutura ands, and innovative new programs ike biomass and wind power on state ands throughout Washington. The department s trust and management activities are grounded on and guided by its fiduciary trust obigations, originating in Washington State s Federa Enabing Act and the State Constitution. The ega duties of this perpetua trust incude various eements such as acting with undivided oyaty to the interests of the trust beneficiaries, exercising reasonabe care and prudence in the management of the trust assets, and dispaying impartiaity toward present and future generations of trust beneficiaries. Amost haf of DNR s 1,200 empoyees are engaged in carrying out trust and management, in programs such as agricutura ease management, scientific research and monitoring, forest sivicuture, timber saes, and maintaining forest roads. These activities are funded from a percentage of trust and revenues. Generating revenue for the trust beneficiaries is a top priority for DNR in this Strategic Pan. The department s fiduciary duty wi be a major consideration in any actions taken reated to the various actions in this Pan which invove trust ands. Accountabiity to the Pubic Accountabiity is critica to good governance and a centra component of DNR s third Guiding Principe, which directs the agency to Make decisions in the pubic interest and with the pubic s knowedge. DNR is broady accountabe to the peope of Washington for the expectations in this Pan. The successfu impementation of the Goas and Major Initiatives articuated on the foowing pages wi be the measure by which the success of the organization, in responding to new direction, wi be evauated. Miestones and performance measures for the first year of impementation are isted on page 49. Panning Context DNR s Strategic Pan was deveoped during a period of faing timber prices and shrinking budgets. As with many other pubic agencies across the state and across the country, DNR continues to navigate severe budget restrictions and staff ayoffs. These chaenges directy affect the capacity of the agency to act, and the Department has repeatedy had to focus on accompishing its most fundamenta priorities. This Pan wi hep prioritize the agency s imited resources during chaenging times. When the economy recovers, the Vision and Action Pan articuated on these pages wi focus agency resources on the most critica issues and priorities. Apri

10 Strategic Pan: Panning Process and Timeine The Commissioner of Pubic Lands, his Executive Management Team (EMT), and a Strategic Panning Project Management Team ed the deveopment of this Strategic Pan, benefiting from extensive outreach to the pubic, stakehoders, and agency staff. Many peope care deepy about the future of the agency, the natura resources for which it is responsibe, and the fisca heath of trust beneficiaries. Opinions and insights of these groups were soicited twice during the panning process: once to hep shape the Draft Pan and once to review and refine the Draft. A comments were considered, incuding staff and stakehoder opinions about the fundamenta roe of the agency and the approach it shoud take to specific issues, advice concerning the steps required to achieve particuar poicy goas, and suggestions for the draft Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principe statements. As a resut, the Pan refects the best ideas of everyone who participated. In the initia outining of this strategic panning project, Commissioner Godmark emphasized the importance of gaining the input of as many of the agency s 1,200 empoyees and stakehoder groups as possibe. The foowing process was taken to meet that objective within a reativey short timeine, ensuring that the recenty eected Commissioner s strategy for the agency coud be estabished and communicated by the end of the first quarter of 2010: Commissioner and Executive Management Retreat (October 2009). This initia meeting estabished a preiminary framework for the Strategic Pan. Seven potentia Goas were sketched out and refined over the remainder of the panning process, utimatey resuting in the six Goas found in this Strategic Pan. Managers Retreat (November 2009). The preiminary framework estabished by the Executive Management Team was criticay reviewed and advanced at a meeting of approximatey 80 DNR division and regiona managers and assistant managers. DNR Staff Outreach (November - December 2009). DNR managers soicited staff input via 31 meetings hed across the state. Participants in each meeting provided their feedback on a draft Vision Statement, description of the agency s Guiding Principes, and potentia strategies and priorities in seven topica areas. In addition to these meetings, 197 staff submitted input through a staff survey. Stakehoder Input (November - December 2009). Stakehoder input in these same topica areas was coected via an on-ine survey. The opportunity to provide comment was promoted through emais soiciting input from DNR stakehoder groups, an announcement on the agency s website, and DNR s Twitter and Facebook presence. 520 responses were coected. 4

11 Strategic Pan: Pan Deveopment (December January 2010). The Commissioner, Executive Management Team, Panning Project Management Team, and the strategic panning consutant from BERK & ASSOCIATES compied and anayzed staff and stakehoder input, incorporating feedback into a Draft Pan compete with impementation eads and timeines. Staff and Stakehoder Review of Draft Pan (January - February 2010). A Draft Strategic Pan was posted to the agency website on January 25, 2010, initiating a second round of staff and stakehoder outreach. Comments were soicited unti February 19th and incorporated into a Fina Strategic Pan in March. Again, comments were soicited through emais to stakehoder groups, an announcement on the agency s website, and DNR s Twitter and Facebook presence. Comments on the Draft Pan were gathered through: Onine stakehoder and staff surveys which produced neary 140 responses. Seven regiona stakehoder meetings hed across the state with participation by more than 200 members of the pubic. Discussions with DNR staff across the agency. Dozens of etters and e-mais. Apri

12 Strategic Pan: Pan Structure and Impementation This pan has six Goas, each of which is composed of mutipe Major Initiatives which are to be accompished through stated Action Strategies and Impementation Steps. Goas are identified with Roman numeras, Major Initiatives with capita etters, Action Strategies with numbers, and Impementation Steps with buets. Each specific action caed for by the Strategic Pan has been assigned an impementation ead and a timeine for initiation. The ead identifies who within the Department of Natura Resources organization is accountabe for advancing the item and the timeine stipuates when the effort wi begin, incuding subordinate items. In some cases, Impementation Steps (bueted items) under numbered Action Strategies begin in different time periods; in such cases the timeine is noted at the Impementation Step eve. Initiation years assigned in the pan adhere to the foowing definitions: Years 1-2 = Juy 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012 Years 3-4 = Juy 1, 2012 to June 30, 2014 Years 5+ = Juy 1, There are many reationships among the Major Initiatives and Action Strategies that make up the pan. In some cases, the strategies are simiar in that they work toward a common outcome ike deveoping a statewide conservation strategy, seeking financia resources or supporting a naturaresource based economy. These inkages are identified with a star symbo ( ) and a cross-reference in the margin. There are other Major Initiatives and Action Strategies that are dependent upon the competion of one before another, reated action is initiated. The isting of these reated items is ocated on page 51 of the document. To ensure DNR s accountabiity for impementing the Strategic Pan, a set of Miestones and Performance Measures for the first year of impementation (Juy 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011) is isted on page 49. 6

13 Strategic Pan: TRIBAL RELATIONS IN WASHINGTON AN OPPORTUNITY The history of the interaction of the United States Federa and State Government with Native Americans is ong and compex. Native Americans survived federa poicies of segregation and assimiation such as the Remova Act, Treaty making, Genera Aotment Act, Indian Reorganization Act, and Termination. In the ate 1960s, federa poicy took a new direction, one of sef-determination a poicy of encouraging the tribes to shape their own destinies. Sef-determination gave triba government greater autonomy to achieve triba restoration, sef-government, cutura renewa, reservation deveopment, educationa contro and input in both federa and state government decisions. However, for the purposes of federa and state Indian poicy, a tribe must be recognized by the federa government and not a Indian tribes are. In the state of Washington, two tribes are currenty pursuing federa recognition. There are twenty-nine federay recognized tribes in the state of Washington, each with a unique ega and poitica history(s), a unique cuture(s), and a unique anguage(s). The Washington State Department of Natura Resources respects and recognizes the unique status of Washington s tribes. This unique status is based on the United States Constitution, federa treaties, aw, federa executive order, and court decisions. In 2009, the DNR Triba Reations Manager met with each federay recognized tribe to receive suggestions regarding the deveopment of the Commissioner s Order for Triba Reations and to isten to the tribes natura resource issues. The Commissioner of Pubic Lands has aso met with many of Washington s tribes. These efforts contribute to stronger government-to-government reationships and to deveopment of the foowing triba reations priorities: Deveop the Commissioner s Order on Triba Reations with triba eader input. Recognize the sovereign status of Native American triba governments. Ensure protection of American Indian treaty reserved rights as they pertain to DNR programs, projects, and poicies. Conduct effective and efficient agency outreach through periodic meetings, incuding: Commissioner meetings with a 29 federay recognized tribes, as we as statewide and regiona meetings with triba eaders. Deveop triba reations poicies on: Consutation, communication, and notification. Access for gathering (big game, cutura trees, fire-wood, traditiona use pants), scientific monitoring, and other purposes. Cutura resources (update poicy). The Washington State Department of Natura Resources recognizes the integra and interdependent nature of Native Americans with their homeands as a pace of spiritua connection and a andscape of cutura and emotiona meaning....everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence. Mourning Dove [Christine Quintasket] ( ) Okanogan Apri

14 Strategic Pan: OUR VISION Our decisions and hard work on the ground eave a egacy of heathy forests, cean water, thriving ecosystems, and a vibrant natura resource-based economy. OUR MISSION In partnership with citizens and governments, the Washington State Department of Natura Resources provides innovative eadership and expertise to ensure environmenta protection, pubic safety, perpetua funding for schoos and communities, and a rich quaity of ife. OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES Manage the state s resources sustainaby. Through our sustainabe management of resources entrusted to our care, future generations wi have ampe opportunities to enjoy and benefit from Washington s rich natura heritage. We wi aso ensure that revenues for our trusts wi be stabe or growing and that associated industries wi thrive for generations to come. Make decisions based on sound science. Using sound science, data, and information to guide our decisions wi resut in the best possibe outcomes for the State of Washington. Make decisions in the pubic interest and with the pubic s knowedge. Transparency and accountabiity are vita to earn the pubic s trust and appropriatey manage shared resources. Decisions shoud be made for the benefit of current and future generations. Photo Credit: Gregg M. Erickson 8

15 Strategic Pan: SUMMARY OF PLAN GOALS AND MAJOR INITIATIVES I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby II. III. IV. A. Increase the Vaue and Area of Forest Stewardship Counci Certified State Lands. B. Deveop and Impement Strategies to Sustainaby Manage Agricutura Trust Lands. C. Deveop and Impement Strategies to Sustainaby Manage Shrub Steppe Lands. D. Deveop and Impement Strategies to Sustainaby Manage Aquatic Lands. E. Protect At-Risk Ecosystems. F. Deveop and Impement a Sustainabe Pubic Use/Recreation Program. G. Impement the State Upands Habitat Conservation Pan. H. Diversify and Improve the Upands Asset Portfoio and Improve Asset Management Strategies. Improve Forest Practices Rues and Strengthen Impementation and Compiance A. Ensure the Forest Practices Rues Are Fuy, Fairy, and Consistenty Impemented and Enforced by DNR staff. B. Improve Landowner Compiance with the Forest Practices Rues. C. Ensure Forest Practices Activities do not Increase the Risk, Frequency, or Severity of Landsides. D. Ensure a We-Funded, Functioning Adaptive Management Program. Preserve Forest Cover and Protect Working Forests and Agricutura Lands from Conversion A. Consoidate DNR-Managed Working Forests into Strategicay Positioned Bocks. B. Hep Sma Forest Landowners Stay on the Land. C. Identify and Advance Poicies and Incentives to Prevent the Loss of Private Working Forests and Agricutura Lands and Retain Associated Jobs. D. Permanenty Protect DNR-Managed Forests at Greatest Risk of Conversion. Cean Up and Restore Puget Sound A. Position DNR to Effectivey Execute its Roe and Responsibiities in Puget Sound Recovery. B. Prioritize and Impement DNR Aquatic and Upand Actions that Contribute to the Recovery of Puget Sound by C. Partner on Puget Sound Recovery whie Exercising Leadership and Vision. V. Deveop Renewabe Energy Resources on State Lands, Address the Chaenges of Cimate Change, and Create Renewabe Energy Jobs VI. A. Reduce DNR s Energy Footprint. B. Deveop a Renewabe Energy Program for State Lands. C. Deveop and Impement a Cimate Adaptation Strategy. D. Provide Leadership for Washington s Forest Sector Participation in Cimate Change and Bioenergy Programs. E. Anticipate Opportunities for the Marketing of Carbon Credits from Carbon Sequestration on State Lands. Ensure that DNR is We-Managed and Supportive of its Empoyees A. Strengthen DNR s Financia Heath. B. Increase Workforce Diversity. C. Retain and Support a Diverse and Highy Skied Workforce. D. Recognize Empoyees for Exceent Work. E. Ensure A Empoyees Receive Adequate Safety Training, are Accountabe, and Act in the Pubic s Interest. F. Estabish Processes to Use Agency Resources Effectivey, Efficienty and in the Pubic s Interest. Apri

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17 Strategic Pan: GOAL I Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby The Department of Natura Resources manages 5.6 miion acres of state-owned ands, incuding forest, range, agricutura, aquatic, and commercia ands. The stakehoder groups tied to this natura environment are as varied as the ands themseves, incuding tribes, foresters, shefish growers, farmers, mining companies, schoos and communities that receive trust revenues, hikers, stock users, bikers, cross-country skiers, kayakers, snowmobiers, other recreationa users, and conservation groups dedicated to the preservation of natura habitat for the many pant and anima species that ive on these ands. A of these stakehoder groups and natura species obtain benefit from or depend entirey upon the heath of the and. To maintain a vita natura-resource based economy, a rich quaity of ife for Washington residents and visitors, and strong schoos and communities, we must maintain the heath of the fundamenta underying asset: our natura ands. Goa I articuates specific strategies to sustainaby manage Washington s state-owned ands, ensuring commercia and pubic use aong with the ong-term heath of our diverse and beautifu natura environment. Specificay, this Goa seeks to: Increase the amount of and with Forest Stewardship Counci (FSC) certification and increase the revenues received by the state and other andowners for FSC-certified timber products. Sustainaby manage agricutura ands, considering both revenue generation and environmenta sustainabiity. Sustainaby manage shrub steppe ands through the deveopment of a conservation strategy and sustainabe grazing practices. Sustainaby manage aquatic ands by competing and impementing the Aquatic Habitat Conservation Pan, improving the aquatic easing program, and preserving aquatic ands by acquiring strategic and bocks and targeting priority aquatic habitat for conservation and restoration. Protect at-risk ecosystems through a variety of new and existing toos. Deveop a financiay sustainabe pubic use/recreation program that aows the continued use of DNR ands for appropriate recreation uses. Continue impementation of the state Upands Habitat Conservation Pan. Ensure that the upands asset portfoio is diversified and wemanaged to protect the interests of beneficiaries. Apri

18 Strategic Pan: Goa I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby Start Year Forest Stewardship Counci Certification The Forest Stewardship Counci (FSC) estabishes principes, criteria, and standards that guide forest management toward sustainabe outcomes. FSC standards have been appied in over 57 countries around the word. Region-specific standards are deveoped across 10 topica areas by working groups comprised of conservation and forestry organizations. By adhering to these standards, and owners, forestry professionas, and forest managers assure customers that their goods are produced through forest practices that meet high standards of ecoogica, socia, and economic sustainabiity. The market vaue for such products may be higher than for non-certified products. A. Increase the Vaue and Area of Forest Stewardship Counci Certified State Lands. Lead: Forest Resources & Conservation Division 1. Maintain certification for a state ands. 2. Evauate and pursue FSC certification for state ands when beneficia. Activey interact with FSC governing bodies to seek consistency of standards with trust and management. Examine the costs and benefits of additiona FSC certification for state trust ands. Evauate FSC certification through forest and panning. Incorporate anaysis of FSC certification standards when the sustainabe harvest is recacuated in Aso see Goa I, Major Initiative B, Action Strategies 1 & 3, and Goa V, Major Initiative E 3. Coaborate with FSC to increase the market vaue of certified wood. Deveop a marketing strategy for FSC certified products from state ands. Promote Washington FSC certified processing infrastructure and associated jobs. 12

19 Strategic Pan: Goa I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby Start Year B. Deveop and Impement Strategies to Sustainaby Manage Agricutura Trust Lands. Lead: Asset & Property Management Division 1. Increase revenues generated from agricutura ands. Aso see Goa I, Major Initiative A, Action Strategy 3, and Goa V, Major Initiative E Deveop and impement a wheat marketing strategy. Ensure fair easing and renting programs that recognize the asset vaue of agricutura resources. Work with trade organizations to promote Washington s agricutura commodities. 2. Review and deveop changes in easing requirements and management practices to ensure ong-term sustainabiity of agricutura resources. Deveop a monitoring strategy for ease compiance and resource condition. Expore incentives for direct seeding, no-ti, and other conservation-farming practices where appropriate. Review grazing practice standards and make changes where appropriate to ensure the ong-term sustainabiity of the resource. Emphasize bioogica contros of persistent crop pests. Aso see Goa I, Major Initiative D, Action Strategy 3, and Goa VI, Major Initiative F Apri

20 Strategic Pan: Aso see Goa I, Major Initiative A, Action Strategy 3, and Goa V, Major Initiative E Goa I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby 3. Deveop a comprehensive water use strategy for agricutura ands considering the effects of cimate change on the future avaiabiity of water. Determine areas of state ands where ong-term water avaiabiity is sustainabe (surface, aquifers, rainfa, etc.). Start Year Aso see Goa III, Major Initiative D, Action Strategy 2, Goa IV, Major Initiative B, Action Strategy 1, and Goa I, Major Intiative E Deveop agricutura and transaction and investment strategies based on ong-term water potentia and rainfa amounts. C. Deveop and Impement Strategies to Sustainaby Manage Shrub Steppe Lands. Lead: Forest Resources & Conservation Division 1. Deveop a shrub-steppe conservation strategy. Aso see Goa I, Major Initative D, Action Strategies 2 & 3 Determine what parces of state trust and can contribute to a comprehensive shrub steppe strategy based on condition of the habitat, ocation, and reated conservation panning efforts. 2. Adopt grazing practices that aign with the shrub steppe conservation strategy. Review grazing practices for compatibiity with maintenance or enhancement of shrub steppe habitat on strategicay important state ands and adjust eases as needed. The Shrub Steppe Shrub steppe ands are native habitat found on Washington s dry eastern side where rainfa is sufficient to support the growth of grasses and shrubs. 14

21 Strategic Pan: Goa I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby Start Year D. Deveop and Impement Strategies to Sustainaby Manage Aquatic Lands. Lead: Aquatic Resources Division 1. Compete the Aquatic Habitat Conservation Pan (HCP). Compete the HCP and submit for fina approva to the Nationa Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Widife Service. Compete environmenta review (NEPA/ SEPA), ensuring a robust pubic process with ampe opportunities for pubic invovement and input. Secure Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 10 Permit from NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Fish & Widife Service. 2. Impement the Aquatic HCP. Secure funding for HCP impementation, incorporate measures into aquatic use authorizations, and monitor eases for compiance with HCP. Seek partnerships with tribes, state and federa agencies and stakehoders in Aquatic HCP impementation. Seek aignment of oca, state, and federa permits and pans with DNR HCP standards and measures. Deveop an aquatic andscape pan to protect priority andscapes. Habitat Conservation Pans A Habitat Conservation Pan (HCP) is a ong-term management commitment that ensures DNR s natura resource management adheres to guideines estabished to achieve or strive towards compiance with the federa Endangered Species Act. An HCP estabishes poicy guidance regarding the fu range of DNR s resource management activities. An HCP offsets potentia harm to a federay isted threatened or endangered species as a resut of and management activities by impementing conservation on ands covered by that HCP. DNR currenty has three estabished HCPs. One guides the management of state trust ands and other state forested ands. Another HCP is reated to the state forest practices reguatory program, and the third is a geoduck widstock fishery HCP. This Strategic Pan cas for the competion of an additiona Aquatics HCP to assure protection of isted species on Washington s fragie and vauabe state-owned aquatic ands,which tota about 2.6 miion acres. Aso see Goa IV, Major Initiative B Photo Credit: Caro Piening, DNR Apri

22 Strategic Pan: Aso see Goa I, Major Initiative C, and Goa VI, Major Initiative F, Action Strategy 2 Goa I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby 3. Ensure the aquatic easing program is environmentay sustainabe and in the pubic s best interest. Modify easing and compiance practices to ensure environmenta protection. Modernize easing rents to ensure fair return to the citizens of the state. Improve the eve of partnership with stateowned aquatic and essees by seeking a better understanding of their business pans and strategies eary in the process. Evauate ownership boundaries and baseine conditions to enhance accountabiity. Start Year Aso see Goa III, Major Initiative D, Goa IV, Major Initiative B, Action Strategy 1, and Goa I, Major Initiative C 4. Seek authority to purchase strategic bocks of aquatic and. E. Protect At-Risk Ecosystems. Lead: Forest Resources & Conservation Division 1. Secure funding for DNR s Natura Areas/Natura Heritage Programs. 2. Prioritize areas to protect and deveop strategies for the protection of additiona ecosystems. Integrate science information, conservation priorities, and actions incuding addressing invasive species, forest heath, and other risks to ecosystems. Work with granting agencies and other partners to secure priority and acquisition funds. 16

23 Strategic Pan: Goa I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby Start Year F. Deveop and Impement a Sustainabe Pubic Use/ Recreation Program. Lead: Asset & Property Management Division 1. Pursue egisative action for sustainabe funding. 2. Increase ongoing and effective partnerships with user groups for stewardship of the and. 3. Compete andscape evauations to determine the baance of economic, ecoogica, and socia objectives, and management methods to achieve them. Prioritize andscapes to evauate. Initiate panning for priority andscapes. 4. Update DNR recreation poicies. G. Impement the State Upands Habitat Conservation Pan. Lead: Forest Resource & Conservation Division 1. Compete and impement the forest and pan, incuding research and monitoring for the Oympic Experimenta State Forest. 2. Ensure the protection of the Marbed Murreet on state ands by working to compete the Long-term Marbed Murreet Conservation Strategy and working to gain Board of Natura Resources and U.S. Fish & Widife Service approva. Apri

24 Strategic Pan: Goa I. Deiver on Our Promise to Manage State Lands Sustainaby Start Year H. Diversify and Improve the Upands Asset Portfoio and Improve Asset Management Strategies. Lead: Asset & Property Management Division 1. Work towards a diversified natura resource-based portfoio. Deveop and transaction strategies to increase financia performance of each trust s asset portfoio. Determine avaiabe options and create targets for diversification of the portfoio. Focus asset acquisition and retention around natura resource ands. Inventory trust assets by asset type and by trust. Launch a piot project with Washington State University trust ands. Photo Credit: Chad Unand, DNR 2. Determine the asset vaue of each trust s assets and assess performance by asset type and by trust. 18

25 Strategic Pan: Goa II IMPROVE FOREST PRACTICES RULES AND STRENGTHEN IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE The heath and sustainabiity of Washington s non-federa forests depend on the effectiveness of Forest Practices Rues in ensuring that timber harvesting, pre-commercia thinning, road construction and maintenance, forest chemica appication, and other forest practices are conducted in a responsibe and sustainabe manner. Pursuant to the State Forest Practices Act (RCW 76.0), the Forest Practices Rues are designed to protect pubic resources incuding water, fish, and widife, whie maintaining a viabe timber industry. This Goa addresses the Forest Practices Rues in a comprehensive manner, recognizing the important roes payed by DNR, private andowners and foresters, the Forest Practices Board, and the many stakehoders invoved in the Adaptive Management Program. The Goa seeks to ensure that: The Forest Practices Rues are consistenty impemented and enforced by DNR staff. It is easy for and owners and operators to compy with the Forest Practices Rues. The Forest Practices Rues make certain that forest practice activities do not increase the risk, frequency, or severity of andsides. The Adaptive Management Program is we-funded and effective. Apri

26 Strategic Pan: Forest Practices and the Forest Practices Rues The Forest Practices Rues estabish standards for forest practices on 12 miion acres of non-federa commercia forest ands. The Rues cover practices such as timber harvest, precommercia thinning, road construction, fertiization, and forest chemica appication. They give direction on how to impement the Forest Practices Act, aong with additiona egisative guidance regarding stewardship of non-industria forests and woodands. The Forest Practices Rues are designed to protect pubic resources incuding water, fish, and widife, whie maintaining a viabe timber industry. They are under constant review through the Adaptive Management Program (see page 22). The Forest Practices Board, an independent state agency, adopts the Forest Practices Rues. Rues invoving water quaity protection must be in concurrence with the Department of Ecoogy prior to Forest Practices Board adoption. Goa II. Improve Forest Practices Rues and Strengthen Impementation and Compiance Start Year A. Ensure the Forest Practices Rues Are Fuy, Fairy, and Consistenty Impemented and Enforced by DNR Staff. Lead: Forest Practices Division 1. Ensure consistent interpretation, impementation, and enforcement of the Forest Practices Rues across DNR s regions. 2. Resume fied audits. 3. Impement audit findings. Resume annua forest practices staff training based on fied audit and compiance monitoring findings. Increase communication and interaction among division and region staff. B. Improve Landowner Compiance with the Forest Practices Rues. Lead: Forest Practices Division Aso see Goa III, Major Initiative B and Goa VI, Major Initiative F Review and refine forest practices penaties and incentives, working as needed with the egisature, the Forest Practices Board, and stakehoders. Create incentives for good behavior. Estabish penaties for repeat offenders. Streamine the civi penaty process and estabish fines that exceed the market vaue of the commodity iegay harvested. Work with the Compiance Monitoring Program Stakehoder Committee to deveop recommendations to improve compiance. 2. Seek authority to simpify and streamine permitting and appeas processes without essening protection for pubic resources. This process shoud incude consideration of the appication process for a andowners and the appeas process for a andowners and stakehoders.

27 Strategic Pan: Goa II. Improve Forest Practices Rues and Strengthen Impementation and Compiance 3. Examine reasons for non-compiance. Determine commony vioated rues and deveop corrective actions. Start Year Deveop a pan and timeine to ensure Forest Practices Rues provide compiance with the Cean Water Act. 5. Deveop and impement additiona forest practices training for private and-owners and operators. Aso see Goa II, Major Initiative C, Action Strategy 3 Resume DNR s participation in the Washington Contract Loggers Association training and annua ogging conferences. Increase training on the use of water typing, first making sure the data ayer is accurate, up to date, and avaiabe on the web. Pursue a certification program for private foresters and operators. Create web-based training modues. 6. Review and recommend simpification of the Rues and Board Manua. Remove or propose revision of obsoete Forest Practices Rues. Pursue simpifying the Rues and rewriting them in pain Engish to make them easier to understand, with ess room for interpretation. Seek revision of Rues identified as inadequate. Apri

28 Strategic Pan: Landside Management Landsides are a continuing probem aong Washington hisides, shoreines, and roadways. Just since 1996, andsides have caused hundreds of miions of doars of damage across the state. DNR s Geoogy and Earth Resources Division is a eader in andside hazard identification, mitigation, and emergency response Goa II. Improve Forest Practices Rues and Strengthen Impementation and Compiance Start Year C. Ensure Forest Practice Activities do not Increase the Risk, Frequency, or Severity of Landsides. Lead: Forest Practices Division 1. Address potentia faws with Watershed Anaysis by competing the Forest Practices Board process of evauating continued use of Watershed Anaysis Mass Wasting Prescriptions and take appropriate steps as identified. Aso see Goa II, Major Initiative B, Action Strategy 5 2. Work with stakehoders to obtain funding necessary to compete the Landside Hazard Zonation project. 3. Review, revise, and impement the unstabe sopes training. Adaptive Management By foowing an adaptive management approach, DNR engages in ongoing monitoring of natura resource heath and response to particuar Forest Practices Rue changes. Over time, the agency s poicies are modified to adopt the most effective approach. 4. Based on monitoring and adaptive management, identify and propose revision of Forest Practices Rues inadequate to meet statutory goas for protection of pubic resources. D. Ensure a We-Funded, Functioning Adaptive Management Program. Lead: Forest Practices Division 1. Strive to compete current stakehoder discussions regarding adaptive management. Secure short- and ong-term Adaptive Management Program funding. Continue discussions with stakehoder caucuses and federa, triba, state, and oca governments regarding necessary reform. 2. Conduct a performance review of the Adaptive Management Program and deveop recommendations for appropriate changes. 22

29 Strategic Pan: GOAL III Preserve Forest Cover and Protect Working Forests and Agricuture Lands from Conversion Many factors exert pressure on the owners of private natura resource ands to convert their forested properties to non-forest uses. Fuctuations and chaenges in the resource-based economy, urbanization, and the opportunity to se ands for deveopment purposes may cause andowners to se their property. In such instances, Washington oses vauabe natura habitat and recreation ands and sees a reduction in its resource-based economy. This, in turn, may undercut the infrastructure that processes natura resource commodities and ead to chaenges for remaining commercia enterprises. Specificay, this Goa estabishes an action pan to: Consoidate DNR-managed working forests into strategicay positioned bocks that wi hep provide compatibe management for neighboring forest ands. Support sma forest andowners in maintaining their and as working forests. Advance poicies and incentives to prevent the oss of private working ands and retain associated jobs. Permanenty protect DNR-managed forests at greatest risk of conversion through a variety of new and existing toos. Photo Credit: Car Cook Apri

30 Strategic Pan: Sma Forest Landowners DNR hopes to encourage sma andowners to keep their ands forested. It is important to retain the benefits they provide, incuding fish and widife habitat, cean water, and green andscapes whie producing vauabe wood products and contributing to the economy of many communities. DNR wi assist sma andowners in facing their unique chaenges. Efforts may incude: Improving and fuy funding the Forest Riparian Easement Program. Increased funding for Famiy Forest Fish Passage Program. Estabishing a baseine for sma andowner Road Maintenance and Abandonment Panning status. Estabishing a fixed width buffer tempate. Estabishing a riparian conifer restoration tempate. Deveoping an economic mode to assist andowners in making management decisions for their ands. Renewing assistance provided by DNR through its Sma Forest Landowner Office. Aso see Goa II, Major Initiative B, Action Strategies 2 through 6 and Goa V, Major Initiative E, Action Strategy 3 Goa III. Preserve Forest Cover and Protect Working Forests and Agricuture Lands from Conversion Start Year A. Consoidate DNR-Managed Working Forests into Strategicay Positioned Bocks. Lead: Asset & Property Management Division 1. Identify potentia ands for consoidation. Identify potentia ands that are at moderate risk of conversion, suitabe for trust management, adjacent to private andowners in ong-term commercia forest management, and supporting timber industry infrastructure and jobs. 2. Execute strategies to accompish consoidation. Emphasize the use of and trades, intergrant exchanges, repacement account assets, and other toos to prevent conversion. Seek compensation for the trusts for unreaized deveopment potentia. B. Hep Sma Forest Landowners Stay on the Land. Lead: Forest Practices Division 1. Identify the reationship between categories of sma forest andowners and their management activities, environmenta impacts, and potentia for ong-term stewardship. 2. Provide eadership regarding measures to address shared priorities to hep sma forest andowners with their unique chaenges. 3. Recognize sma forest andowners who are committed to ong-term stewardship of their forests and promote their wood products. 24

31 Strategic Pan: Goa III. Preserve Forest Cover and Protect Working Forests and Agricuture Lands from Conversion Start Year C. Identify and Advance Poicies and Incentives to Prevent the Loss of Private Working Forest and Agricutura Lands and Retain Associated Jobs. Lead: Poicy Office 1. Create the Evergreen Forests Program to estabish incentives and reward private forest andowners who make ong-term commitments to maintaining their working forest andscapes. Deveop and adopt criteria for defining Evergreen Forests. Design and adopt incentives for Evergreen Forests. Promote and impement the Program. Evergreen Forests Program The Evergreen Forests Program is a new initiative-based approach to encourage private andowners to commit to keeping their and permanenty forested. 2. Support passage of Community Forest Bond egisation in Congress. 3. Assist andowners in gaining access to additiona sources of revenue for the benefits generated from working ands such as carbon sequestration and cean water. Assist and cooperate with private andowners committed to estabishing inventory/baseine data for use with emerging carbon market registries. Aso see Goa V, Major Initiative D, Action Strategy 1 Provide eadership in exporing the possibiity of quasi-market mechanisms for rewarding watershed protection beyond current requirements. 4. Advocate for the required use of Washington-grown certified wood in pubic faciity construction. 5. Promote the increased use of toos such as conservation easements and the ease, transfer, and purchase of deveopment rights to keep working ands working. Community Forest Bond Legisation Community Forest Bonds are a means of protecting forest cover on private ands by aowing private conservation-oriented and trusts to issue tax-exempt bonds to raise funds to purchase ands at risk of conversion to non-forest uses. The and trusts can then use commercia forest management on the ands to raise revenue to repay the bonds. Apri

32 Strategic Pan: Community Forest Trust The Community Forest Trust is a proposed state-owned forest and category emphasizing conservation and ight-touch break even commercia forest activities in which revenue produced woud be reinvested in management and protection of the same ands to provide oca community benefits. Under the program, existing trust ands or private ands that have significant oca conservation vaue but are at high risk of conversion to non-forest uses woud be acquired using egisativey appropriated and/or foundation funding. The ands woud then be managed by DNR or other designated managers for community benefits incuding conservation and ight-touch commercia activities. Aso see Goa IV, Major Initiative B, Action Strategy 1, and Goa I, Major Initiatives C & E Trust Land Transfer Program DNR strives to improve returns from state trust ands; however, some trust ands are reativey ess appropriate for revenue generation and have important socia or ecoogica vaues that are desirabe of protection for pubic use and benefit. Goa III. Preserve Forest Cover and Protect Working Forests and Agricuture Lands from Conversion 6. Work with oca governments through the comprehensive pan update process to identify state ands and working forest and agricutura andscapes of ong-term significance. Start Year D. Permanenty Protect DNR-Managed Forests at the Greatest Risk of Conversion. Lead: Asset Management & Protection Division 1. Acquire the authority and funding for a new Community Forest Trust intended to ensure non-revenue forest benefits to oca communities. Existing trust ands or private ands at high risk of conversion to non-forest uses but with significant oca conservation vaue woud be acquired using egisativey appropriated and/ or foundation funding, and managed by DNR or other designated managers for community benefits incuding conservation and ight-touch commercia activities. 2. Mode the Community Forest Trust mechanism on the Trust Land Transfer Program. Through the egisativey-funded Trust Land Transfer Program, Common Schoo Trust ands best suited for conservation are appraised and transferred at market vaue out of trust hodings to conservation-oriented programs. The vaue of the timber provides immediate revenue for K-12 schoos. The vaue of the and is used to acquire repacement property better suited to generate future revenue for common schoos. 26