Bankhead

Bankhead National Forest Health and Restoration Initiative

Background
The William B. Bankhead National Forest is located on the Southern Cumberland Plateau and within three Alabama counties - Winston, Lawrence, and Franklin. The Bankhead National Forest is one of four national forests within Alabama and covers 180,581 acres in northwest Alabama. The Bankhead is managed for multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wildlife and fish, water and soil, wilderness and range. It is the largest remaining tract of unfragmented deciduous forest in the state, and continues to protect water quality and serve as a watershed to local municipalities. It is Map of Alternative 5, Bankhead National Forest home to a diverse plant, land, and aquatic wildlife including game, endangered, threatened, and sensitive species; it has cultural and historical significance to residents and surrounding communities of the Bankhead, including its spiritual significance to the Native American tribal members, and scientific and research significance to academic and scientific communities.

During the past decade, the Bankhead National Forest has experienced Southern Pine Beetle infestations at epidemic levels. These have primarily occurred in loblolly pine forests. The epidemic peaked in the summer of 2000. An estimated 22,000 acres of pine forest have been killed by this epidemic. Most of the affected trees are located within the Sipsey Wilderness area of the Bankhead and other special areas where suppression efforts did not take place. The epidemic has resulted in large acres of standing dead trees that are a public safety hazard along trails and roads. The standing trees also constitute increased forest fuel loads that escalate the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the future.

The management of the Bankhead National Forest generates a great deal of interest from a large number of individuals and organizations, including the inholders or residents of private property within the Bankhead. The past history of Forest Service management on the Bankhead can be characterized as controversial and without general public support and trust. The Forest Service is working to change this pattern and is moving forward in a spirit of cooperation, to encourage the varied parties who have an interest in forest management to work together to seek common ground. The overall goal is to foster a positive and productive approach that will guide the future management of the Bankhead National Forest. As an example, the Bankhead Liaison Panel was established in 2000 to provide a forum for interested parties to meet face to face and discuss issues.

Cooperation and assistance by other state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, resident-landowners, recreationists, researchers, and the general public is an important component in the day to day operations of a National Forest, including forest restoration initiatives. Public acceptance of recovery measures in part depends on the level of input that the public has in their development and implementation. The Service is involving the public on decisions related to alternatives in the Forest Health and Restoration Initiative.

Purpose and Objectives
The Forest Service in Alabama through an extensive public involvement process, developed a Forest Health and Restoration Initiative for the Bankhead, a five-year schedule of work that intends to emphasize:

Sustaining short and long term forest health:
and restoration of six native upland forest community types, including all associated plant and wildlife species in the Bankhead National Forest.

The Service is in a unique position to implement natural resource management actions aimed at sustaining a representation of forest community types that are native to the Southern Cumberland Plateau region, and not in abundance on private lands. These communities include fire dependent upland pine/bluestem and oak woodland ecosystems, mid-to late successional deciduous forests (including cove hardwood/eastern hemlock forests), old-growth representation of all native forest community types, and to protect all rare plant and cave community types.

The Forest Service engaged in a formal NEPA process (including the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS) to define priority needs and determine appropriate management actions for this project initiative. While this project focused solely on the Bankhead Forest Health and Restoration Initiative, it also enhanced public understanding of the broader National Forests in Alabama Land and Resource Management Plan (or Forest Plan) revision that took place concurrently.

In addition, the Forest Service worked with the U. S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (the USIECR) to address historical controversies and seek a more collaborative approach to decision making for the Forest Health and Restoration Initiative. The U. S. Institute, a federal agency established by Congress, serves as an impartial, non-partisan institution providing professional expertise, services, and resources in resolving environmental, natural resource, or public lands conflicts. Through its Federal Partnership Program, the USIECR provided assistance in Phase I to assess and plan for opportunities for integrating collaborative approaches where appropriate into the Forest Health and Restoration Initiative. Working with the Natural Resources Leadership Institute (a NC State University Cooperative Extension Program), and RESOLVE, Inc. (a national public policy dispute resolution organization), NRLI and RESOLVE did the following to assist the Forest Service with its Phase I initiative from September 2002-May 2003:

1. Conducted a situation assessment, involving key individuals and groups that identified issues and stakeholder interests related to the Bankhead National Forest's Forest Health and Restoration Initiative. The assessment highlighted essential issues, points of common ground and potential controversy, strategic options, and suggested activities for improving relationships among affected parties.

2. Designed and supported an effective and intensive public involvement strategy for the Forest Health and Restoration Initiative through facilitation of eight Bankhead Liaison Panel stakeholder meetings.

3. Conducted steering committee conference calls or calls to respective steering committee members and USFS members to determine how to move forward with agenda planning and/or to assess the overall quality of the process and needed improvements.

4. Facilitated stakeholder recommendations regarding a shared vision for desired future conditions of the forest communities and a 5-year program of priority actions needed to address current issues.

5. Maintained a Bankhead Liaison Panel website for comprehensive outreach to interested parties regarding the USDA Bankhead Liaison Panel efforts to date.

6. Encouraged the value of collaborative learning and inquiry for supporting and making good decisions amongst the Bankhead Community.

7. Identified and began to build the capacity for local leadership to support and sustain more inclusive and collaborative approaches to forest management decision making.

During Phase II of the project, the Natural Resources Leadership Institute did the following to assist the Forest Service with the Forest Health and Restoration Initiative from October 2003-August 2004:

1. Produced the Bankhead Forest Health and Restoration Initiative Phase I Final Report for distribution. The situation assessment in Phase I formed a basis for the final report.

2. Continued to design and support an effective public involvement strategy for the Forest Health and Restoration Initiative through facilitation of six Bankhead Liaison Panel and Monitoring Workgroup stakeholder meetings.

4. Continued to identify and build the capacity for local leadership to support and sustain more inclusive and collaborative approaches to forest management decision making. Assisted the Bankhead Liaison Panel and USFS to identify participants with facilitative leadership skills to lead the monitoring work group efforts as well as future meetings as needed.

5. Developed a monitoring and evaluation strategy outline for the five monitoring work groups as identified in the 5-year program of priority actions needed to address current the future desired conditions. The work groups established an operating structure and criteria for accountability to focus the monitoring efforts. Although not a direct nor intended outcome, the monitoring work groups have also increased public involvement in the Bankhead Liaison Panel.

6. Provided coaching and coordination for the development and active engagement of the Timber and Thinning Monitoring Work Group as well as the Recreational Monitoring Work Group.

7. Continued to maintain a Bankhead Liaison Panel website for comprehensive outreach to interested parties regarding the USDA Bankhead Liaison Panel efforts to date.

8. Provided Bankhead Liaison Panel Orientation Notebooks to all Liaison Panels members, the USFS, and other partners including local libraries.

9. Updated procedural documents to reflect Phase II project changes (e.g., updated operating protocols and Liaison Panel membership). Consulted on expanded outreach efforts, and establishment of a technical resource network.

10. Conducted an evaluation of Phase II to assess the process and ongoing needs and potential changes to the collaborative effort. Provided a progress report to the Bankhead Liaison Panel and the USFS.

11. Researched, provided, and contacted a list of multi-party facilitation resources in Alabama to potentially facilitate the Liaison Panel and its steering committee over the next term of the project. Members of the Liaison Panel would like a third-party neutral to facilitate and coordinate the local meetings, as would the USFS.

12. Continued to encourage the value of collaborative learning and inquiry for supporting and making good decisions amongst the Bankhead Community.

Group Process: Charter and Groundrules
The guidelines and procedures for group process are detailed in the charter and ground rules. You can access a copy of the BANKHEAD NATIONAL FOREST HEALTH AND RESTORATION INITIATIVE Charter and Ground Rules by clicking on the following link: . The is presented in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read and print these documents. You can obtained a free copy by clicking this link: Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Final Reports
The following reports narrate and describe the environmental decision-making process of the Bankhead Forest Health and Restoration Initiative that has occurred from September 2002 through August 2004.You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read and print these documents.

Meeting Summaries
The following meeting summaries of the BANKHEAD NATIONAL FOREST HEALTH AND RESTORATION INITIATIVE are presented in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read and print these documents.

Phase II