Small Forest Landowner Parcel Identification and County GIS Data Compilation for Washington State WRIAs

• Small Forest Landowner Parcel Identification and County GIS Data Compilation for Washington State WRIAs 23 & 49
  A PDF version is also available for download.
  
  
• Small Forest Landowner Parcel Identification and County GIS Data Compilation for Washington State Clallam and Jefferson Counties-
  A PDF version is also available for download.
  
  
• Small Forest Landowner Parcel Identification and County GIS Data Compilation for Washington State Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties-
  A PDF version is also available for download.
  

Restoration of Washington’s threatened and endangered salmon runs can be assisted by focusing restoration efforts in areas where the most habitats can be created for the least cost. The Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources as well as many local fish enhancement groups have come together to locate and survey many of the State’s salmon streams. These surveys have produced Geographic Information System (GIS) layers that show the location, condition and fish passage status of dams, culverts, and fishways around the state. This information, combined with knowledge of who owns the land, can help local groups and funding agencies to identify target restoration areas. Currently, there are many assistance programs targeted specifically at Non-Industrial Private Forestlands and Small Forest Landowners.

Small Forest Landowner Parcel Identification and County GIS Data Compilation for Washington State WRIAs 25 thru 29 -
A PDF version is also available for download.

Prepared for the Lower Columbia Fish Recover Board

Washington’s non-industrial private forestlands represent over half of the total private forestland in the State. Lower in elevation than industrial forestlands, these parcels are often found in the spawning regions of many of Washington State’s salmon streams and present an excellent opportunity for cost-share and assistance programs aimed at habitat access and restoration. The Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife has teamed with many local fish enhancement groups like the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board to identify existing fish blockages and habitat enhancement opportunities. What is unknown is where the non-industrial lands that qualify for assistance programs are located. A Geographic Information System (GIS) based approach to locating Non-Industrial Private Forestlands (NIPF) using county assessor tax roles, GIS parcels, Landsat satellite imagery, and aerial photography has been developed to assist in the prioritization and identification of habitat enhancement opportunities on NIPF lands. This approach identifies certain and probable non-industrial lands and allows local fish enhancement groups to prioritize work and contact individual landowners.

Small Forest Landowner Database:
The Assessment of Non-Industrial Private Forestlands by Water Resource Inventory Area -

Abstract
To fully implement recommendations made in the Forests and Fish Report (1999), the Washington State Department of Natural Resources is required to obtain Federal Assurances from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act. A draft environmental impact statement (EIS) is being prepared by Tetra Tech FW Environmental Corporation in order to analyze the effects of the federal action and support the decision-making process. In support of the
EIS, the Rural Technology Initiative (RTI) was contracted to provide riparian ownership statistics for forestland parcels qualifying for the 20-acre exemption from the Forests and Fish Rule package. This report details data collection, analysis methods and results of assembling geographic information and statistics about Washington’s exempt 20-acre forestland parcels.