TAPASH- Susta ,nJ ble Forest ----------------------------­Coll abo ra t ive May 7,2010

Mary Wagner, Supervisor

US Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region

333 SW First Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204-3440;

P.O. Box 3623, Portland, OR 97208-3623

Dear Ms. Wagner,

Please accept this letter of support from the Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborative

Executive Committee . The Tapash Collaborative consists of five entities (M.O.U . signers)

and other associated stakeholders that have a diverse expertise in forest restoration,

management and protection working together: The Nature Conservancy of Washington

State, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural

Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Yakama Nation. This combination of partners in

the Collaborative creates a unique combination of public, non-profit, and tribal land

managers working together to create ecologically sustainable healthy forests on the east

side of the Cascades.

Additionally, the Collaborative brings a shared vision, energy and expertise that will be

needed to resolve complex restoration issues over time. We bring with us a range of

knowledge and skills: science advocacy, community development, and knowledge of

federal and state programs.

Our goal is to ensure that the forests, which suffer from a debilitating convergence of

drought, disease and altered fire regimes, are restored to ecological health and

sustainability. Long-term fire suppression has put the Dry Forest of the eastern Cascades at

risk of a catastrophic fire.

Long-term goals designed to help restore and manage Dry Eastside forests include:

• The restoration of fire adapted ecosystems to reduce the occurrence of large stand replacement wildfires. Although we will continue to use prescribed fire, we are

explor ing new ways to reduce fire fuel loading in the forest understory, including

stewardship contracting; ecosystem services markets, and alternative fuel

production from biomass to create green energy and jobs.

• Acquisition of at risk lands. AchieVing landscape scale conservation requires reducing the threat of industrial forest lands being converted to non forest use.

Having multiple alternating owners over square mile grids is not manageable for the

partners nor is it sustainable for ecological processes like fire, water regimes, or

migration. The Tapash partners are constantly working together to seek

opportunities to reduce the risk of conversion of forested lands to other uses.

The Tapash Collaborative is an unusual model. Although diverse in many ways, we have a common vision and management objectives for several million acres of both public and private land . We are share our collective wisdom and our technical expertise to identify the pathways needed to provide ecological integrity and sustainability for these forests. However, we know from past experience, that there is no easy path or quick solution in finding the ultimate measure of success - sustainable natural forest processes. Time is critical, and the size and scale of the task at hand is growing. The Collaborative Forest Landscape Proposal is a key step towards increasing the restoration of these ecologically valuable forests at a landscape scale.

Sincerely,

The Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborative Executive Committee

Becki Heath, Supervisor Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest

Phil Rigdon, Deputy Director Yakima Nation Department of Natural Resources

laura Ditmar, South East Regional Manager, Washington Department Natural Resources

Fore ·l O kanogan -Wena tchee 21 5 Melody Lane Service National Forest \Vcnatchee, WA 988tll

TTY (509) 664-9201 Voice (509) 664-9200 FAX (509) 664-9280

File Code: Date: May 7, 2010 Route To:

Sub ject:

To: Regional Forester, R-6

We greatly appreciate this 0ppOIiunity to submit a full proposal to the Regional Ofticc on behalf of the Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborative. The Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborati ve landscape encom passes 40 1,202 acres of dry forest, of which a signi fi cant portion is in need of some type of restoration treatment. Although this coalition of public, non-profit and tribal land managers has been indepcndently implementing aggressive dry forest management activities, we are only treating a small pOIiion of the landscape each year; and planning and implementation of treatments occur using an ownership-by-ownership approach. Though significant resources are being directed toward these efforts, the real concern is the need to use an " all lands approach" to restore these forests to conditions that are more susta inable, more resilicnt and adaptable to climate change. In this regard, it is imperative that we not only proceed without delay using the best available science, but accelerate management to restore forests, enhance sustainability, and reduce the effects of uncharacteristically severe wildfires.

The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program provides the means to accomplish these objectives by leveraging local resources with national and private resources; facilitating the reduction of wildfire management costs through reestablishment of natural fire regimes and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire; and encouraging the utilization of forest restoration by-products to offset treatment costs to benefit local and rural economies and to improve forest health.

If you have any questions about our proposal, please feel free to contact .1 odi Leingang at (509) 653-1450 or jiLilH.!.dllf2.'111s.Il:Li .u".

~'D. I~ -r~EB ·CC A LOCKETT HEATH

Forest Supervisor

,... America's Working :Forests - aring Every Day in Every Way. Prj led on Recyded Paper ..,

cc: Becki L Heath, Clint Kyh l, Jodi L Leingang