State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan
Riparian Forest Restoration Strategy Implementation Training
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is implementing a riparian forest restoration strategy as part of the 1997 state trust lands Habitat Conservation Plan. In May 2005, we conducted a week-long, internal training to brief staff on the implementation of the new riparian restoration strategy. The materials below were used at this training session and are made available as a guide for DNR staff and others who may be implementing similar strategies.
Training Summary
The training consisted of a series of classes covering topics including entering and editing information in our Planning and Tracking (P&T) database, developing westside and eastside silviculture prescriptions, and conducting specialty training as directed by department management. Specialty training includes older stand thinning, which can be used to create the older stand conditions described as northern spotted owl Nesting, Roosting and Foraging (NRF) habitat in the Habitat Conservation Plan. The specialty training builds on basic skills provided by the presentations on P&T and silvicultural prescriptions. The riparian implementation strategies class is another form of specialty training that builds on basic silvicultural skills.
Training Content
Introduction
This section introduces course objectives and performance expectations along with the policy objectives that led to the development of the Riparian Forest Restoration Strategy. An outline of all course content is provided in order to give our staff an understanding of the implementation strategy and related expectations.
Ecology
This part of the training included classroom and field sections on riparian and aquatic ecology. This section provides the biological foundation to inform management actions called for in silvicultural prescriptions when developing riparian forest management units. Emphasis was placed on the biological potential of riparian sites, which is the foundation of all riparian management activities.
Management
This piece of the training integrated policy direction with the biological potential of riparian sites. This section was directed toward field foresters in order to provide the tools necessary to assess, design, and implement riparian prescriptions based on the best available science.
Field Exercise
This was the final section of the training. Training attendees used a case study approach to assess a riparian site, develop forest management unit objectives, develop a silvicultural prescription for the site, and enter the information into the Planning and Tracking database. This exercise permitted attendees to demonstrate their understanding of the material presented in this course and allowed the instructors to determine if additional instruction was necessary. The presentation below introduced the field exercise to the training class.
Field Exercise Presentation (1,923KB PDF)