In 2001, COIC received a US Forest Service National Fire Plan grant to create a strategy to help develop markets for small diameter forest fuels in Central Oregon, and Central Oregon Partnerships for Wildfire Risk Reduction (COPWRR) was born. The forcast was that more and more small diameter material would be made available from wildfire fuels reduction and forest restoration projects (mainly thinning small trees from below the overstory), and that the local wood products industry could be a partner in restoring the forest if they were able to process and market sustainable quantities of this previously "unmerchantable" material. A local market would give this material at least some value, which would in turn allow public land managers to stretch limited budgets and get more restoration work done. This would also benefit local communities by reducing the threat of uncharacteristically severe wildfire - large conflagrations which threaten property and human life.
Part of the condition of the initial grant was that COIC would work with the involvement of a broad cross-section of local forestry stakeholders - including representatives of environmental organizations, the forest products industry, public land agencies, communities affected by wildfire, emergency management, and others. Throughout the duration of this project, COIC has remained committed to identifying win-win solutions and steadily expanding the area of agreement through neutral stakeholder convening, mutual learning, and demonstration of positive outcomes.
"Through broad-based community participation, this project will implement ecologically sustainable, economically viable, market-driven methods to restore forest and rangeland ecosystems and utilize small diameter by-products from Central Oregon's public and private lands. The focus of this project will be the development of the partnerships necessary to remove hazardous fuel and cultivate markets using small diameter materials."
- Restored forest and range ecosystems; enhanced resilience to natural disturbances (e.g. fire, insect, disease, etc.);
- Diminished risk to human, animal and plant communities from uncharacteristically severe wildfire;
- Enhanced value in small diameter material through the development of new or improved processing infrastructure;
- Long-term community jobs and income from sustainably-managed forests and appropriately-scaled wood products and energy industries;
- Enhanced community and stakeholder involvement in public land management.
1. Development of strategies and tools to help agencies plan, fund, and implement on-the-ground projects.
- Signing of a Declaration of Cooperation outlining partner contributions to developing CROP;
- Development of the CROP supply database;
- Development of a "levelization system" for the Warm Springs Forest Products Industries biomass power plant (currently under construction);
- Promotion of additional levelization circles and stewardship contracting to improve supply stability;
- Development of an ecosystem monitoring program to ensure sound ecological principles in planning and implementing restoration projects.
2. Business Investment / Increased Demand for Small Diameter Materials.
Key benchmarks include:
- Technical assistance provided to businesses including: supply analyses, identifying and securing financial incentive programs,connecting businesses with partners/resources/information;
- New biomass-fired boiler for dry kiln operation in Prineville;
- Construction under way of a 15-MW biomass power facility in Warm Springs;
- Construction under way for a new shaver and biomass-fired dryer for a large animal bedding firm in Redmond;
- Construction under way for a new high-speed small diameter primary mill in Prineville;
- Project planning for a 24-MW biomass power facility in La Pine;
- Feasibility studies for biomass process heat systems in Prineville (under way).
3. Development of an Ecosystem Monitoring Program
- Development of a field-based multi-party monitoring program to promote public confidence in small-diameter treatments, communications between stakeholders and land managers, and adaptive management;
- Establishment of an annual gathering of researchers and stakeholders to discuss findings from existing local scientific studies and what we still need to know.
4. Committed Stakeholder Group
- Working together to identify common ground and act on it;
- Helping agencies improve practices through collaborative monitoring and feedback;
- Developing mutual understanding among traditionally-opposed interests;
- Providing a rich collaborative context to attract resources and opportunities to the region;
- Creating the conditions for active restoration of forest and rangeland ecosystems.
The COPWRR project has been and continues to be supported by a variety of granting agencies. A cumulative list of financial supporters includes:
- USDA Forest Service Economic Action Program (National Fire Plan)
- USDA FS Forest Products Lab (Woody Biomass Utilization Grants)
- USDA FS State and Private Forestry Program
- Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties
- Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests
- Prineville BLM District
- The National Forest Foundation
