10 Year Report for the Northwest Forest Plan
Related Information
Watershed Condition
The watershed condition 10 Year Report describes the status of aquatic and riparian resources and changes in their condition under the Northwest Forest Plan’s (Plan) Aquatic conservation strategy. In addition, the data supporting the conclusions of this portion of the report are provided as well. The scope of the assessment encompasses the 24 million acres of federal land in the Plan area and focuses on the shifts in the distribution of watershed condition scores. Effectiveness of the strategy is based on measuring changes in the distribution of watershed condition scores through time. The inference is that if the strategy has been effective in maintaining or improving the condition of watersheds, then the distribution of the condition of watershed should stay the same or improve. The report establishes a baseline for the condition of watersheds and tracks changing conditions through time.
Please peruse this site for the complete results of the Plan's success in maintaining or improving aquatic and riparian resources.
Abstract
Gallo, Kirsten, Steven H. Lanigan, Peter Eldred, Sean N. Gordon, and Chris Moyer, 2005. Preliminary assessment of the condition of watersheds under the Northwest Forest Plan. Gen. Tech. Rep.PNW-GTR-647. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 133 p. This assessment consisted of aggregating road, vegetation, and in-channel data to assess the condition of 6th-field watersheds in an effort to describe the distribution of the condition of watersheds in the Northwest Forest Plan area. The assessment is based on 250 watersheds selected at random within the Plan area. The distributions of conditions are presented for watersheds and for many of the attributes that contribute to the condition of watersheds by land-use allocation. Management activities were implemented in a way to promote positive change in the condition of watersheds. The growth rate of trees (2-4 percent) exceeded losses (1.6 percent due to stand replacing fire and harvest) and nine times more roads were decommissioned than were constructed. Fifty-seven percent of the watersheds had higher condition scores in time 2 than in time 1 across the entire Plan area. Only three percent of the watersheds had lower condition scores in time 2, and the scores did not change in the remainder of the watersheds. More key watersheds, which were supposed to have the highest priority for restoration activities,increased in condition than nonkey watersheds. The greatest positive change in watershed condition occurred in late-successional reserves.
Final Report
The Northwest Forest Plan status and trends for Wateshed Condition are available in final format as a general technical report (GTR) identified as PNW_GTR647 by the Pacific Northwest Research Station. The final report for Watershed Condition has received extensive technical reviews and external blind peer review. Copies of the reconciliation letter for external peer review comments are included. These comments have been considered and incorporated into the final report.
- Northwest Forest Plan The First Ten Years (1994-2003):
Preliminary Assessment of the Conditions of Watersheds under the Northwest Forest Plan - Reconciliation letter for External Peer Review Comments (PDF, 1.83 MB)
Bibliographic Citation
Gallo, K.; Lanigan, S.H.; Eldred, P.; Gordon, S.N.; Moyer, C. [2005]. Preliminary assessment of the condition of watersheds under the Northwest Forest Plan. Gen. Tech. Rep. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 133 p.
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