Chapter 13. Methodology for Determining Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Air Quality Impacts on Areas in the Western United States

Summary

Colorado has long been known for its scenic vistas and majestic mountains. Wildfires which are common in the summer months can significantly impact scenic environments close to the wildfire location. There are also concern as to the health impact to people in towns and cities located on the urban/wildland interfaces where the impact can also include loss of life and property. For these and other reasons, a concerted effort is underway to better understand the implications of these wildfires on areas potentially impacted by smoke.

This study created a methodology for evaluating air quality impacts on both a statewide and regional basis using a state-of-the-art meso-scale meteorological model to simulate the meteorological conditions which correlate with prescribed fire and wildfire activity. These meteorological fields are input into an air quality model which simulates transport and secondary aerosol formation for certain pollutants. This modeling effort makes use of climatological analyses derived from observational data provided by the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission (GCVTC). Locally, the model examines impacts within the urban/wildland interface to the extent possible. The regional analysis evaluates the impact of long range transport on neighboring states and the relative impacts on states downwind from areas with the potential for extreme wildfire events.     

A Survey of Forestland Conservation Easements in the United States: Implications for Forestland Owners and Managers

Internationally, conservation easements are increasingly popular land management tools for private landowners, government agencies and non-governmental organizations seeking to preserve forests and other natural settings. This paper reports a study of the design and use of conservation easements by organizations and public agencies in the USA. More than 355 conservation organizations and 16 state agencies holding at least 3,598 forestland easements were identified. Demonstrated shortfalls in baseline forest inventories, record keeping, and professionally-developed management plans were evident on working forest easements. Failure to address these shortcomings runs the risk of jeopardizing the legitimacy of the easement approach even where favorable legal and tax conditions exist. Management restrictions varied broadly, with a minority of respondents prohibiting such techniques as clearcutting and salvage logging. Concerns for the use of chemicals, best management practices, and streamside management zones were commonly reflected in easement language, whereas logging road design and the cultivation of old-growth conditions remain largely undeveloped. Implications from the US experience, where easements are relatively well-developed, highlights the need for professional forestry advice—particularly for non-industrial or small-scale forest owners—in both easement development and implementation, the need for careful planning, and the need to carefully consider the respective goals of the forest landowners in crafting the easement documents. In the cases of developing nations, consideration of the differing needs of landowners may require increased flexibility in management documents.     

美国的林业政策和制度

对美国林业管理及服务体系、林业政策和制度、林业体系管理的目标，以及美国各个部门和组织在实施这些政策中所起的作用和实施成效作了介绍。     

美国国有森林系统规划管理

美国的森林资源丰富且国有森林经营管理水平较高,其国有森林的权属清晰,管理理念先进,管理体系规范,法律法规健全,科学化经营程度高,森林多功能经营完善。美国最新的国有森林系统规划管理是在吸取了几十年的经验和教训之后提出的,旨在为人们和社区提供生态系统服务和多种用途,为当前和未来提供一系列的社会、经济和生态效益。文中介绍美国国有森林系统规划管理的背景和规划框架,分析其规划管理特点,总结其现行管理体系,并提出对我国国有林经营管理的借鉴意义。     

占用征用林地管理的法律思考

结合占用征用林地管理的实践,从法律的视角科学界定林地;论述了林地保护利用规划的法律定位及内容设定;提出完善占用征用林地的法律制度,尤其是林地补偿机制,构建科学的占用征用林地管理制度。     

美国私有林管理及其对广东民营林业发展的启示

美国政府十分重视私有林的发展，通过立法明确私有林产权、规范私有林主行为，实行积极的经济和科技扶持政策，使私有林业成为美国的重要产业之一。美国私有林已建立了一整套完善的管理制度，积累了许多成功的经验，为广东省民营林业的发展提供了有益的启示。     

对当前征占用林地管理主要问题之反思

根据全国连清资料,我国每年有林地转变为非林地的面积为56.2万hm2,目前我国林地管理存在着管理部门之间关系混乱、行政干预严重、林业部门自身执法犯法问题突出等问题。分析了造成这些问题的原因,提出了建立健全法制、理顺管理关系、加大案件查处力度、加强执法队伍建设、加大舆论宣传等对策。     

云南省林地资源管理存在的问题及对策浅析

分析了目前云南省林地资源管理存在着林地资源信息的获得、更新及管理滞后、林地逆转呈上升趋势、林地资源流转不规范、林地四权不落实,争地矛盾突出、生态效益补偿缺位等问题.在存在问题原因分析的基础上,提出了加强法制观念、建立健全管理体系、规范流转行为、对林地征占用实行预审制、加大执法力度,实行以法治林等林地管理措施.     

云南省林地资源管理存在的问题及对策浅析

分析了目前云南省林地资源管理存在着林地资源信息的获得、更新及管理滞后、林地逆转呈上升趋势、林地资源流转不规范、林地四权不落实，争地矛盾突出、生态效益补偿缺位等问题．在存在问题原因分析的基础上，提出了加强法制观念、建立健全管理体系、规范流转行为、对林地征占用实行预审制、加大执法力度，实行以法治林等林地管理措施．     

美国的造林过程及启示

通过200多年的发展, 美国林业形成了一个相对完备、科学性强、有着良好收益的造林激励体系。文中从美国的造林工程、造林扶持政策等方面介绍美国的造林过程, 并结合我国的林业发展现状提出了明晰产权、尊重价值规律、健全林业政策保障体系和提高林业科技水平等建议。     

中美两国城市雨水管理机制对比研究

雨水管理是指通过政策、法规所制定并实施的一系列雨水排放、收集利用措施。雨水管理机制包含了雨水管理政策和过程控制。从管理目标、管理工具和管理执行三个维度探讨雨水管理机制,对比中美两国现行的雨水管理机制的差异,分析美国雨水管理机制的可借鉴点,为我国城市雨水管理机制改革提供理论支持,雨水管理制度及实践提供参考依据。     

永安生态公益林管理现状与对策分析

生态公益林对于改善生态环境、抵御自然灾害、维系国土生态安全、保障经济社会持续发展具有重要意义。文章在对永安市生态公益林调查研究基础上,初步掌握永安生态公益林的基本情况。指出了永安市在生态公益林经营管理中存在森林生态效益补偿、生态公益林管护、生态公益林利用等不足,并提出了相应的公益林经营管理对策。     

非公有制森林经营方案编制中公众参与问题探讨

阐述非公有制森林经营方案相关公众、公众参与的内涵、公众参与权利及方式,并将非公有制森林经营方案编制划分为准备、外业调查、征求意见、公示、评审修改、上报与审批、执行与反馈7个阶段,提出每个阶段林地所有者、林木所有者、资源管理者和其他利益相关者参与的具体形式及权力表现。     

浙江省生态公益林建设中非良性林地流转问题分析

介绍了浙江省非良性林地流转的表现形式及其危害性,分析了生态公益林建设中非良性林地流转的促动因素,提出了林地流转的政策建议。     

浙江省生态公益林建设中林地流转基本问题研究

首先阐述了浙江省生态公益林林地流转的形式与类型,接着描述了浙江省生态公益林林地流转覆盖面积与规模,最后分析了浙江省生态公益林林地流转动力与障碍因素。     

Transfer of Scientific Expertise into Successful Forest Policy： Assessment for Monitoring and Evaluating Sustainable Forest Management in China

INTRODUCTION Forest monitoring and forestry policy monitoring and evaluation systems play an important role in forestry policy making and improvement. Transfer scientific expertise into forest policy making is one of the most important factors to improve Chinese forestry development. CERN (Chinese Ecosystem Research Network) and CFERN (Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network) are two main forest scientific monitoring systems in China. CERN is managed by CAS (Chinese Academy o…     

National inventories of down and dead woody material forest carbon stocks in the United States: Challenges and opportunities

Concerns over the effect of greenhouse gases and consequent international agreements and regional/national programs have spurred the need for comprehensive assessments of forest ecosystem carbon stocks. Down and dead woody (DDW) materials are a substantial component of forest carbon stocks; however, few surveys of DDW carbon stocks have been conducted at national-scales around the world. This study uses the DDW survey of the United States as a case study to examine the challenges of inventorying DDW at a national scale, reviews how dead wood carbon pools are currently estimated in the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGHGI), and suggests opportunities for improving such inventories. The US currently estimates national DDW carbon stocks using models with standing live tree attributes as predictor variables, calibrated using preliminary DDW field estimates. In recent years, implementation of a national DDW inventory has resulted in inventory-based DDW estimates. National field-based DDW estimates follow the national patterns of DDW carbon dispersion seen in earlier model-based estimates. Although the current DDW inventory provides fairly repeatable measurements within a statistically defensible national sample design for producing national estimates of DDW carbon stocks, improving numerous aspects of the DDW survey would may improve the accuracy and precision of C estimates reported in the NGHGI.     

中美林业发展比较研究

全面回顾了中美两国林业发展的概况,对中美两国林业的发展进行了比较,在总结美国发展林业的成功经验的基础上,对我国林业发展提出了3点建议,以期推动我国林业的健康发展。     

Surface wildfire in conifer broad-leaved forests of the Hyrcanian region of Iran: short-term effect on regeneration and damage to trees

Wildfires in recent years have resulted in degradation and damage to the Hyrcanian forest ecosystems in Northern Iran.This study was carried out to investigate fire damage to trees and changes in regeneration in early-season growth after wildfires in the Golestan Province.For this purpose,a random sampling plan was used,with 60 circular plots(each plot is 1000 m2) for each stand and 240 circular(25 m2) plots for regeneration within the burned and unburned areas,respectively.In each plot,habitat factors were recorded,including crown canopy percentage,forest stratum,herb-layer cover percentage,species,diameter at breast height,tree and regeneration quality,and quantity of seedlings and saplings.Our results showed that bark is an important factor for fire resistance in Hyrcanian forests.The Persian ironwood and European yew has the highest and lowest fire resistance;as broad leave species are more resistant than needle leaf species.Density of regeneration in unburned area was higher than burned area,and statistical analysis showed significant differences for all species between two areas.Fire effects on sapling were different among species which indicates sapling has different resistance to fire.Forest floor fuel,season,stand composition and microclimate have more effects on fire severity while environmental factors,regeneration and management practices shaping future composition stands.     

美国林业管理及林业资源保护政策演进分析和启示

美国是世界上林业发达国家之一,林业发展的经验值得借鉴。基于文献资料,首先较为系统地分析了美国林业管理体系,进而分析了林业资源保护政策的演进,最后提出几点结论和启示。结果表明,美国高效精干的服务型林业管理体系和依法护林、治林和管林的林业经营传统值得借鉴。