State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an HCP?
A Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is a long-term management plan between a landowner and federal agencies that is authorized under the Endangered Species Act. It includes commitments to maintain habitat for threatened and endangered species. In exchange for following the plan, we are not penalized for any accidental ‘take’ or harm to an endangered plant or animal or its habitat.
Why have an HCP?
Our trust lands HCP allows us to perform timber harvests and other management activities while also protecting and improving habitat for listed and unlisted species. It provides us greater certainty, flexibility, and stability in meeting our trust responsibilities, including revenue generation.
Where does the trust lands HCP apply?
Our HCP covers approximately 1.8 million acres of land in the range of the northern spotted owl. The plan covers forested state trust lands west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains and those on the eastern slope of the Cascades, from the Canadian border to the Columbia River.
What’s done in areas not managed under the trust lands HCP?
Those areas are subject to the Forest Practices HCP, as well as other agency and federal policies to provide appropriate environmental protections.
What’s protected under the HCP?
The HCP protects habitat—including nesting, roosting, hunting, and foraging areas—for a wide variety of plants and animals. It includes specific conservation strategies for the northern spotted owl; marbled murrelet (a small seabird); and riparian areas; as well as a multi-species conservation strategy that benefits a wide variety of species at risk.
Conservation Strategies
What’s being done to protect northern spotted owls?
We have conservation strategies designed to protect owls and enhance their habitat. They are designed for different parts of the state based on local conditions, issues, and goals. We are also performing research and monitoring to learn how best to manage and preserve owl habitat.
Where can I find out about the development of a marbled murrelet long-term conservation strategy?
Check the marbled murrelet overview.
What’s being done to restore or enhance riparian areas and wetlands?
We have a riparian conservation strategy designed to help maintain healthy streams and wetlands through protective buffers and other conservation measures. We’ve also developed a Riparian Forest Restoration Strategy to offer guidance in restoring and protecting streamside forests.
What’s being done to protect Type 5 (headwater) streams?
We are developing a long-term conservation strategy with specific management guidelines. To help with this process, we’ve compiled a review of relevant literature. An interim strategy provides buffers in areas of unstable slopes to protect downstream ecosystems.
How do I know if an area is a wetland?
We’ve written guides to identifying and managing wetlands. These include pictures and descriptions of wetland plants as well as information on soils, hydrology, and protection measures.
What is being done to protect unstable slopes and prevent landslides?
We have a conservation strategy to protect unstable slopes, as well as a team of earth scientists to help us find and protect such features. We also complete landslide hazard zonation projects, which are reports and maps used to screen for and protect sensitive areas.
What is being done to protect old growth?
Old growth is important because it provides habitat for many species, including northern spotted owls and marbled murrelets. We’ve developed guides to identifying old growth in Washington. We’ve also worked with experts to define and map the extent of old growth on DNR-managed lands. The experts’ reports are guiding policies to protect and enhance old growth and old forest characteristics.
What’s being done to protect other threatened and endangered species?
Our HCP also contains habitat protections and conservation goals for a number of plant and animal species listed as threatened or endangered. By protecting snags, large trees, streams, and other important features, we preserve food and habitat for many species.
How do you protect cultural resources or archaeological finds?
We have two archaeologists who work on upland and aquatic habitat to help our staff learn to identify and protect culturally significant sites and resources. Before performing management activities, we check for such resources and work with Tribes and others to preserve important resources and sites.
Monitoring and Research
How are the conservation strategies implemented?
Each conservation strategy contains specific goals as well as details about how it should be implemented. When timber harvests or other activities are being planned, we check the area for streams, designated habitat, or other areas of interest. We then plan our activities so that they comply with the HCP and other applicable rules and regulations.
How do you know the strategies are being implemented and are effective?
We perform research and monitoring to see how our conservation strategies are being implemented and if we are getting the results we expected. These studies are done both before and after timber harvests or other activities and are designed to answer specific questions about our success in meeting our goals.
What kind of monitoring is done?
We focus on three types of short- and long-term monitoring: implementation; effectiveness; and validation. This monitoring helps us determine how well we are protecting and enhancing habitat for plants and animals and meeting our conservation goals. We use the results to improve our management practices.
Why do you conduct research?
We conduct research to fill information gaps or answer questions arising from our monitoring. Research helps us ensure we are applying the best science to our management. This research is conducted by DNR staff, often in collaboration with scientists from universities, government agencies, and other organizations.
Where can I find out about research on DNR-managed lands?
Visit the research and adaptive management overview for information on upland habitats and the aquatics HCP research overview for studies related to the aquatics HCP.
Who do I contact if I want to do research on DNR-managed uplands?
Contact Richard Bigley to discuss your plans. Be sure you also talk to someone in the region where your work will be done.
What do you do if you don’t find the results you expect?
We perform research and monitoring to track our progress. If we find unexpected or unsatisfactory results, we seek to find out what is going wrong, then adapt our management practices to get better results. This can include testing new practices, offering updated guidance, writing new or updated policies and procedures, or even developing new or amended conservation strategies.
How do you track activities on lands managed under the HCP?
We compile Annual Reports, including periodic comprehensive reviews. These reports detail the type and levels of activities on our lands, including timber harvest, road building and removal, land transactions, and other activities.
Other
How can I get involved in forest land planning in the Olympic Peninsula or other areas?
Our forest land planning projects offer many opportunities to provide feedback and share your knowledge.
What are you doing to ensure you harvest sustainably?
We have obtained Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) green certification for our timber sales statewide. We are working to get Forest Stewardship Council certification.
In addition to the HCP, we apply other protection measures, including Forest Practices rules, on all DNR-managed lands. We also are experimenting with using variable density thinning and other management techniques that enable us to enhance, protect, and grow habitat.
Where can I read DNR’s HCP?
We have three HCPs: the state trust lands HCP, the forest practices HCP, and an aquatics HCP (which is under development).
How do I get a copy of the HCP or a related report?
Browse the trust lands HCP publications list. To check if we have a print copy or CD available, contact Angie Cahill.