
Zach Williams
Blue Mountains Forest Partners
Biography
Zach Williams graduated in 2005 from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Environmental Economics Policy Management and a minor in Natural Resource Environmental Law and Policy. Zach is employed by King Inc. in Canyon City, Oregon, where he lives with his wife, Marissa Williams, and their 3 children. Zach is also a member of the Blue Mountains Forest Partners board and Operations Committee.
Presentation Topic
The Economics of Holistic Restoration — Integrating Fuels Reduction with Other Restoration Goals
Presentation Description
Forest management in the form of commercial harvest is often relied upon to fund other elements of forest and watershed restoration work, such as non-commercial thinning, stream restoration, prescribed fire, and aspen fencing. This panel explores the challenges associated with funding “the whole package” of restoration within this funding paradigm. We recognize that completing the full suite of restoration treatments is necessary to achieve broader ecosystem restoration goals and is also vital to keeping conservation voices at the collaborative table, while also creating challenges associated with the economic viability of forest restoration projects. This presentation invites a solutions-oriented conversation on this challenging topic, exploring alternative funding mechanisms, partnerships and incentives.
Workshop Schedule
Registration Opens
10:00 AMLight Lunch
11:00 AMKey Note Speaker
12:00 PMPanel: The Economics of Forest Restoration
Topics: Making Forest Restoration Economical, Contractor Logging Costs & Opportunities for Cost-savings, The Economics of Dry Forest Stewardship Projects, and Using the Land Fin Tool
Panel: From Inception to Implementation, Planning for Success
Topics: Planning at the Landscape Scale, Making Use of Good Neighbor Authority, Authorities to Maximize Restoration, and Packaging Federal Resources for All-lands Restoration
Panel: Cutting Edge Technologies for Sale Layout and Implementation (Part 1)
Topics: Virtual Boundaries and Discernable Boundaries, Integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in daily forest operations: from cruising to regeneration survey, Using Avenza PDF Maps in Concert with Cut-To-Length Harvesting Systems, and Planning Ground-based Harvest Operations to Limit Soil Impacts
Reception and Featured Speaker
5:30 PMBreakfast
7:00 AMFeatured Speaker
Panel: Forest Treatments for Riparian Health
Topics: Hydrology Concerns for Treatments in Riparian Areas, Riparian Thinning Using Cut-to-Length, and Riparian Thinning: An Example from the Deschutes National Forest
Panel: Managing Good Fire at the Right Place and Right Time (Part 1)
Topics: Managed Fire: A tool or a Hazard? An in-depth discussion with the Lakeview Forest Stewardship Group.
Panel: Managing Good Fire at the Right Place and Right Time (Part 2)
Topics: Prescribed Fire at Scale and Contracting Prescribed Fire
Panel: Bridges and Water Crossings: Challenges and Opportunities
Topics: Roads, Crossings and Culverts, Low-cost approaches to Low-Volume Roads and Water Crossings, Prioritizing Roads, Crossings & Culverts with NetMap.
Lunch: A View from All Sides: Perspectives on Implementation Efficiencies, Challenges, & Opportunities
Summary Statements from Forest Service Staff, Collaborative Member and Industry Representative discussed over Lunch
11:45 AMAdjourn
Have a safe trip home!
1:00 PMBreakfast
7:00 AMFeatured Speaker: Do Collaboratives Matter in Litigation?
with Susan Jane Brown
Panel: New Opportunities for Conventional Harvesting Systems and Biomass Utilization
Topics: Cut-to-Length vs Whole Tree Logging Systems, Biomass Utilization: Harvesting and Markets, and Managing Slash: Needs, Challenges, Opportunities
Panel: Steep Terrain Harvesting Systems
Topics: Skyline Logging: New Approaches to Traditional Systems, Steep Slope Logging, and Tethered Assist
Lunch
with optional practical application activity
12:30 PMFacilitated Conversations on the morning’s topics
Continue the discussion: The key elements of making forest restoration work economically viable
Panel: A Grounded Approach: Soil Considerations for Harvesting
Topics: Soil Matters: Improving Forest Landscape Planning and Management for Diverse Objectives with Soils Information and Expertise, Soil Resources Management for Logging in Steep Slopes, Interaction of Steep Slope Equipment with Soil Resources
Panel: Cutting Edge Technologies for Sale Layout and Implementation (Part 2)
Topics: Tablet applications for Implementing Silvicultural Prescriptions, Forest Restoration in the Tablet & Smart Phone era: Marking and Realtime Monitoring using the ICO APP, and Non-contact tree measurement for forest harvesting machines
Panel: Designation Methods: Lessons Learned
Topics: Alternative Contracting Methods and Implementation Strategies for Commercial Harvest, DxP and DxD
Facilitated Conversation on Afternoon Topics
or optional practical application activity
Dinner on your own
Enjoy one of the many area dining options at your leisure.
6:00 PM