34.2 Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project
497
These changes were brought on by immigration of
industry and people into the Northwest and the decrease in resource flows, primarily timber and forage from public lands (Haynes and Home, 1997;
McCool et al., 1997). Through interpretations of
the Endangered Species Act and Forest Planning
regulations, litigation and administrative bottlenecks brought gridlock to the management and use
of natural resources in the Pacific and inland Northwest (Lee et aI., 1997; McCool et aI., 1997). Law
suits challenging natural resources management
were abundant; communities and industries dependent on natural resources saw their way of life
threatened (Haynes and Home, 1997; McCool et
aI., 1997). In addition to these political and administrative issues affecting natural resource management, the eastside forests were experiencing accelerated disease and insect epidemics, along with
frequent, large stand-replacing wildfires that destroyed homes and lives and threatened communities. Also, it was apparent that many grass and
shrublands on the eastside were changing because
of human use and the invasion of exotic species
(Hann et aI., 1997).
To address these local to national issues on natural resource management, President Clinton convened a forest conference in Portland, Oregon, in
the spring of 1993 to discuss the state of the forests,
economy, and people of the Northwest. During the
conference the president issued a statement: "Management of eastside forests will need to focus on
restoring the health of forest ecosystems impacted
by poor management practices of the past. ... " The
president directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS) to develop a scientifically
sound and ecosystem-based strategy for management of eastside forests (Quigley et aI., 1996). The
president went on to state "that the strategy should
be based on the forest health study recently completed by agency scientists as well as other studies." This direction provided the impetus for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management
Project (ICBEMP), and, starting in the fall of 1993,
the beginnings of the Columbia River Basin Assessment were born.
34.2 Interior Columbia
Basin Ecosystem
Management Project
In January 1994, following the president's direction, the chief of the Forest Service (FS) and director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
dictated that an ecosystem management framework
and assessment be developed for lands administered by the FS and BLM on those lands east of
the Cascade crest in Washington and Oregon within
the Interior Columbia River basin. The effort would
produce a science-based framework and assessment and a scientific evaluation of alternative management strategies. These products would be completed in the next 9 to 12 months. In addition, the
charter for the ICBEMP outlined a process for using these products to develop an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the management of BLMand FS-administered lands in eastern Oregon and
Washington to be completed in spring or summer
of 1994 (Haynes et aI., 1996).
34.2.1 Project Organization
The executive steering committee for the ICBEMP
included the regional forester from the Pacific
Northwest Region, director of the Pacific Northwest Research Station, and the state BLM directors
for Washington and Oregon. This group provided
overall direction, as well as funding and personnel
priorities. A management team composed ofFS and
BLM personnel was assembled that included an
overall manager and assistant, science integration
team (SIT) team leader and deputy, and an EIS
team leader and deputy. The team was located in
Walla Walla, Washington, near the border of
Washington and Oregon in the heart of the eastside.
The SIT was charged to examine the historical
and current ecological, economic, and social systems and discuss probable outcomes if current management practices and trends were to continue. This
task would be accomplished by completing an interior Columbia River basin assessment encompassing lands in western Montana, Idaho, eastern
Washington, and eastern Oregon (Figure 34.1). All
lands of this broad area were to be assessed, which
would provide context for a more in-depth assessment or mid-scale assessment of the lands in eastern Oregon and Washington. The basin-wide assessment would include the following:
1. Landscape, economic, cultural, and social characterization
2. Identify the probability that change may occur
in the components of diversity (landscape,
ecosystem processes and functions, species)
3. Identify social, cultural, and economic systems
4. Identify emerging issues that relate to ecosystem management within the basin
5. Identify the social and cultural values of natural
resources
6. Identify technological gaps, research needs, and
opportunities to advance the state of knowledge
497
These changes were brought on by immigration of
industry and people into the Northwest and the decrease in resource flows, primarily timber and forage from public lands (Haynes and Home, 1997;
McCool et al., 1997). Through interpretations of
the Endangered Species Act and Forest Planning
regulations, litigation and administrative bottlenecks brought gridlock to the management and use
of natural resources in the Pacific and inland Northwest (Lee et aI., 1997; McCool et aI., 1997). Law
suits challenging natural resources management
were abundant; communities and industries dependent on natural resources saw their way of life
threatened (Haynes and Home, 1997; McCool et
aI., 1997). In addition to these political and administrative issues affecting natural resource management, the eastside forests were experiencing accelerated disease and insect epidemics, along with
frequent, large stand-replacing wildfires that destroyed homes and lives and threatened communities. Also, it was apparent that many grass and
shrublands on the eastside were changing because
of human use and the invasion of exotic species
(Hann et aI., 1997).
To address these local to national issues on natural resource management, President Clinton convened a forest conference in Portland, Oregon, in
the spring of 1993 to discuss the state of the forests,
economy, and people of the Northwest. During the
conference the president issued a statement: "Management of eastside forests will need to focus on
restoring the health of forest ecosystems impacted
by poor management practices of the past. ... " The
president directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS) to develop a scientifically
sound and ecosystem-based strategy for management of eastside forests (Quigley et aI., 1996). The
president went on to state "that the strategy should
be based on the forest health study recently completed by agency scientists as well as other studies." This direction provided the impetus for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management
Project (ICBEMP), and, starting in the fall of 1993,
the beginnings of the Columbia River Basin Assessment were born.
34.2 Interior Columbia
Basin Ecosystem
Management Project
In January 1994, following the president's direction, the chief of the Forest Service (FS) and director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
dictated that an ecosystem management framework
and assessment be developed for lands administered by the FS and BLM on those lands east of
the Cascade crest in Washington and Oregon within
the Interior Columbia River basin. The effort would
produce a science-based framework and assessment and a scientific evaluation of alternative management strategies. These products would be completed in the next 9 to 12 months. In addition, the
charter for the ICBEMP outlined a process for using these products to develop an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the management of BLMand FS-administered lands in eastern Oregon and
Washington to be completed in spring or summer
of 1994 (Haynes et aI., 1996).
34.2.1 Project Organization
The executive steering committee for the ICBEMP
included the regional forester from the Pacific
Northwest Region, director of the Pacific Northwest Research Station, and the state BLM directors
for Washington and Oregon. This group provided
overall direction, as well as funding and personnel
priorities. A management team composed ofFS and
BLM personnel was assembled that included an
overall manager and assistant, science integration
team (SIT) team leader and deputy, and an EIS
team leader and deputy. The team was located in
Walla Walla, Washington, near the border of
Washington and Oregon in the heart of the eastside.
The SIT was charged to examine the historical
and current ecological, economic, and social systems and discuss probable outcomes if current management practices and trends were to continue. This
task would be accomplished by completing an interior Columbia River basin assessment encompassing lands in western Montana, Idaho, eastern
Washington, and eastern Oregon (Figure 34.1). All
lands of this broad area were to be assessed, which
would provide context for a more in-depth assessment or mid-scale assessment of the lands in eastern Oregon and Washington. The basin-wide assessment would include the following:
1. Landscape, economic, cultural, and social characterization
2. Identify the probability that change may occur
in the components of diversity (landscape,
ecosystem processes and functions, species)
3. Identify social, cultural, and economic systems
4. Identify emerging issues that relate to ecosystem management within the basin
5. Identify the social and cultural values of natural
resources
6. Identify technological gaps, research needs, and
opportunities to advance the state of knowledge