The National Association of State Foresters has done a great job consolidating all of the Forest Action Plans at http://www.forestactionplans.org/.

The old acronym SWARS is officially decommissioned and replaced with the newer, FAP.

Very interesting to see the diversity of approaches in each plan.

The new LANDFIRE dataset is now available for download. Please “right-click” and “save-as”   http://www.hawaiistateassessment.info/gisdata/LANDFIRE_Hawaii.gdb

The file is an ESRI file geodatabase which includes all landfire rasters for Hawaii, reprojected to NAD83, UTM Zone 4, and resampled to snap to Hawaii GAP. The LANDFIRE Hawaii data were derived from the same Landsat scenes that were used for Hawaii GAP.

For more information on LANDFIRE, please visit their website at http://www.landfire.gov

The Hawaii Statewide Assessment of Forest Conditions and Resource Strategy 2010  (SWARS) consists of two main documents, the Assessment & Strategy, and the Appendices. You may download the two documents, or individual sections. The Strategy matrices for each of Hawaii’s 9 Issues are at the end of each Issue Section. If you are unfamiliar with SWARS, we recommend that you look at the Executive Summary, Background and Historical Context sections. These documents are in Adobe PDF format. The largest document is the Entire Document (86 MB), so we recommend that you “right-click” on the link below and “save as” to your local computer.We are pleased to announce that Hawaii’s Statewide Assessment of Forest Conditions (2010) and Resource Strategy is available.

Please visit http://www.hawaiistateassessment.info/SWARS/ to download the entire document or individual chapters.

It’s been a while since I last posted. Been devoting pretty much all of my time to this project, but now that we are entering the review phase of producing our SWARS, looks like I’ll be posting more often.

Today we have a Technical Advisory Committee (a committee of the Natural Resources Conservation Service) via PeaceSat so that all of the Pacific Islands can participate.

Here is the Outline and Issues for Hawaii’s Assessment of Forest Conditions and Trends. The Strategy document will mirror this structure, and will address the items in the Issues section.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message From the Chair     9
Hawaii State Motto     10
Introduction and Objectives for this Assessment     11
Methodology     17
Scope     17
Data     17
Process     17
Stakeholder Groups Consulted     17
Priority Landscape Areas (where and why)     18
Hawaii’s Themes     18
Hawaii’s Forests: Historical Context     20
The Aina (working title)     33
The Ahupuaa Paradigm and Ecosystem-Based Management     33
Land Use and Zoning in Hawaii     35
Conservation zone     37
Agriculture zone     40
Urban Zone     41
Coastal Zone     46
Near Shore Zone     48
Issue-Based Themes     49
Watershed Management     49

1. Benefits     53
2. Threats     54
3. Trends     54
4. Present Condition     54
5. Priority Landscapes     54
6. Data Gaps     54

Conservation of Biodiversity     55

1. Benefits     55
2. Threats     55
3. Trends     55
4. Present Condition     55
5. Priority Landscapes     55
6. Data Gaps     55

Forest Products     55

1. Benefits     59
2. Threats     59
3. Trends     60
4. Present Condition     60
5. Priority Landscapes     60
6. Data Gaps     60

Forest Health: Invasive Plants, Insects, and Diseases     60

1. Benefits     62
2. Threats     62
3. Trends     62
4. Present Condition     65
5. Priority Landscapes     65
6. Data Gaps     65

Wildfire     66

1. DOFAW’s Fire Management Program     66
2. Fire History     67
3. Collaboration     67
4. Planning     67
5. Harmful Effects of Wildfires in Hawaii     67
6. Threats and Trends     68
7. Impacts on Watersheds and Groundwater     68
8. Soil erosion and coral reef impacts     68
9. Threats to Native Biodiversity     68
10. Threats in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)     72
11. Wildfire and Fuel Loading Cycle     72
12. Present Condition     72
13. Fire Response Zones     72
14. Funding     73
15. Establishment of a Land Fire Protection Law     73
16. Wildland Urban Interface     74
17. Community Wildfire Protection Plana 74
18. Priority Landscapes     74
19. Firewise Hawaii Program     74
20. Data Used     76
21. Hawaii Fire Danger Rating System (HFDRS)     76
22. Hawaii Fuel Models     76

Climate Change/Sea Level Rise     79

1. Threats     79
2. Trends     79
3. Present Condition     79
4. Priority Landscapes     79
5. Data Gaps     79

Coastal Issues     79

1. Benefits     79
2. Threats     79
3. Trends     79
4. Present Condition     79
5. Priority Landscapes     79
6. Data Gaps     79

Recreation & Tourism     80

1. Benefits     80
2. Threats     80
3. Trends     80
4. Present Condition     80
5. Priority Landscapes     80
6. Data Gaps     80

Health of Our Urban Forests     80

1. Benefits     80
2. Threats     84
3. Trends     84
4. Present Condition     84
5. Priority Landscapes     84
6. Data Gaps     85

Multi-State and Regional Issues     86

1. Benefits     87
2. Threats     87

• Movement of Invasive Species
• Impacts of Climate Change/Sea Level Rise on the Pacific Islands Region

1. Trends     87

• Access to Various on-line resources documenting trends of climate change/sea level rise
• Education and Capacity Building

1. Present Condition     89
2. Priority Landscapes     89
3. Data Gaps     89

Graphics for Document (Temp)     90
Appendix A: Timeline of Forest Management in Hawaii     91
Appendix B: Plans Considered     105
Resource Land Acquisition Plans and Priorities in the State of Hawaii     106
County Plans & Priorities     106
County of Hawaii     106
County of Maui     106
County of Kauai     107
State Plans & Priorities (organized by agency)     108
Department of Land and Natural Resources     108
Department of Agriculture     110
Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism     110
The University of Hawaii     111
Other Plans & Priorities (within Hawaii, but not State or county)     112
Appendix C: Stakeholder Involvement     113
City & County of Honolulu Watershed Partners and Projects     113
Appendix D: Orthography and Language     117
Appendix E: Acronyms     119
Appendix F: Glossary and Place Names     121
Appendix G: 2008 Farm Bill Summary of Forestry Title VIII     125
Bibliography     141

Thanks to Molly Schmidt who works for the Hawaii Legacy Lands Conservation Commission for compiling this excellent list of Resource land acquisition plans and priorites in the of State plans, county plans, and other projects that indicate priorities or policies for the acquisition of lands for the purpose of resource protection.

Great work Mollie. This will be immensely useful for our SWARS.
-Ron

What an interesting month this has been. Only four weeks ago we were wrapping up the Hawaii Conservation Conference (86 presentations now available for free from the iTunes Store, or on line at http://hcc09.blip.tv). At that conference, retired forester Bob Merriam was presented with an award from the Society of American Foresters for being a member of our professional organization for 50 years. Bob, on the other hand, gave me a treasure trove of historic documents relating to forestry in Hawaii.

Right before I left for vacation (on August 20th) I scanned about 2000 pages of these documents and have spent the better portion of my time reading them, cross-checking dates, and teasing out the significant points.

I have been on vacation for the last week, but most of my time has been devoted to absorbing these incredible documents and learning the history of forestry in Hawaii. Here’s an interesting item;

August 26, 1889 (report by J. D. Schuyler and G. F. Allardt to Mr. B. F. Dillingham with respect to possible water supplies for the development of sugar plantations at Honouliuli and Kahuku, Page 18)

“THE ARTESIAN WELL SUPPLY: The discovery of the possibility of obtaining a supply of flowing water by deep artesian borings around the margin of this island (Oahu) has been of incalculable value to all property interests, and has compensated in a measure for the loss occasioned by the perpetual robbery of the waters, that fall so copiously upon the mountains by the porous and thirsty earth, and for the water lost during torrential storms by rapid drainage into the sea. On no other island of the group has Nature provided for such compensation, and even here the geological formation is so different from that of any other region the world over where artesian water is obtained by boring that no scientific man would have risked his reputation by predicting the possibility of securing flowing wells by boring in the volcanic and coral formations of this country before success had demonstrated the fact.”

The discovery of “artesian water” on Oahu changed the course of history for Hawaii. From that point on foresters, geologists and the sugar cane barons worked together to create Hawaii’s Forest Reserves with the goal of recharging the groundwater for all time. -Ron

OK, so this is the Northeastern States’ Guide for Statewide Forest Resource Strategies http://www.northeasternforests.org/FRPC/files/1248201969NAASF_NA_Guide_State_Strategy_7_21_09.pdf

It is understandable, clear, well thought out, elegant, and thorough.

And I am going to officially adopt these guidelines. So to the Hawaii team, perhaps you might want to print this and pin it to the wall next to your computer. Right next to your calendar. While you’re at it, take a look at their Draft checklist for approval of State Assessments and Strategies I’ll buff this out over the weekend and have it ready to go for Hawaii by Monday morning.

Finally, some guidance. (Note the dates those documents were produced . . . ).

-Ron

Way to go, Northeastern Area Association State Foresters (NAASF)! (Oddly enough, the NAASF doesn’t really seem to have a home page, or I would have included the link here.)

But wow, what a team you have in your NAASF Forest Resource Planning Committee (FRPC). The mission statement of that committee is “to encourage and support forest resource planning and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies; to develop and maintain a working relationship with NAASF, the USDA Forest Service, and other appropriate organizations; and to advise and provide technical support to NAASF”.

If you visit the homepage of the FRPC, there is a treasure trove of information about SWARS planning and project guidelines for their region. Many great presentations, links to data sources, detailed information on exactly what is to be included in their SWARSs.

I just discovered this website because I have set up a “Google Alert” so that I get an email any time the words “forestry assessment” pop up on the internet. This morning’s email lead me to this presentation July 2009 Presentation on State Assess. & Strategies for NAASF.

That most informative presentation is in Powerpoint so you may need that Powerpoint or another program to view the presentation. But it includes a couple of slides that really cought my attention. I quote:

“USFS Funds to Support Assessments & Strategies
NAASF share = $481,525
$45,000 reserved to support travel
likely some will be left over
$143,000—habitat classification project
$293,525—split equally among requesting states
$15,449 available for each
16 states have submitted application
Status report due in Sept.”

What? Hawaii was told that there was no funding specifically earmarked for supporting SWARS. Our regional forestry liaison agency was supposed to hire a coordinator to assist the Western States (and Pacific Islands) but last thing I heard before I left for this vacation is that they were unable to hire anyone. “Sorry bout that”.

Today is August 21, 2009; our SWARS is due on June 18, 2010. We had a scant two years to do these plans. And now, we learn that there were indeed funds to support this planning effort, other regions have established regional committees to provide coordination and support to their member states, they are exchanging information, providing useful input.

But frankly, Hawaii has been left out there to pretty much go it alone. We have stepped up, and made significant progress. Our partnerships are strong and growing, we have great data, lots of institutional planning capacity, we have demonstrated and documented our our stakeholder involvement, and through our own research (reading the Farm Bill and Federal Register Notices) we have fortunately jumped through all of the hoops so far.

But to my colleagues in the Western and Pacific Islands region; take a look at what we should be getting. Take a look at where we should collectively be at this point.

Take a look at http://www.northeasternforests.org/FRPC/

OK Hawaii team. Read up. Pure gold.

Great work, FRPC!

Playing catch-up here. The flu knocked me back pretty hard in the middle of last week’s SWARS GIS-a-thon. I did want to post these links to Hawaii SWARS session presentations at this year’s Hawaii Conservation Conference.

Bear in mind that this session was moved to “Open House Day” and as such, the presentations were geared to a general audience. The session was well attended, and generated a great deal of interest in the project.

Ronald Cannarella – Introduction to Statewide Assessment of Forest Conditions and State-wide Resource Strategy (SWARS)

Kimberly Burnett – Sustainability Science for Watershed Management:A Systems Approach to Efficient Conservation
Teresa Truman-Madriaga  – Statewide Assessment and Resource Strategy (SWARS) —Urban and Community Forestry Perspective

Darren Johnson - Application of LANDFIRE Spatial Data in Hawai’i Statewide Forest Resource Assessment

Dawn Greenlee -State-wide Assessment and Resource Strategies: Minimizing Wildland Fire Impacts to Hawaii’s Natural Resources

Landcover and Urban Expansion, Island of Oahu, Hawaii from 2991-2005

Just when you think you know all of the cool GIS data sets out there, something like this pops into your in box. Way to go Urban & Community Forestry Committee for finding this resource. Image produced by Kenneth Kay, GIS & Remote Snsing Analyst with American Forests, Washington, DC. Thanks Kenneth! Beautiful image and well done. I’ll be in touch this week.