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The Port Blakely Tree Farms HCP
In 1996, when we made a strategic decision to develop a 50-year Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) on the Robert B. Eddy Tree Farm for the northern spotted owl, we also decided to go a step further and include protections through a multi-species HCP.
As part of our agreement, we committed to a comprehensive program of research and monitoring designed to help us maintain and enhance wildlife habitat.
Scientific Foundation
Port Blakely scientists, in cooperation with teams of outside experts, documented the species that live on our land as well as the topography, geology, soils, land use, vegetation, and surface water.
Conservation Measures
We took a four-pronged approach to conservation measures that would help us protect and manage fish and wildlife habitats in the area covered by the HCP.
- Harvest levels.
We adjusted harvest schedules to accommodate the need for a more diverse distribution of tree ages, because different species rely on various ages of trees.
- Special management practices.
We developed forest management practices that improved habitat, including accelerating the development of older trees that some species need. Under this strategy, we left snags and cavity trees behind to provide habitat for various species.
- Protect stream areas.
We developed specific protection measures for streams and wetlands, because water quality is a key component of the HCP.
- Special protections.
Our HCP also outlines site-specific management to protect areas for species such as the marbled murrelet, northern spotted owl and the northern goshawk.
Monitoring
Our HCP has a two-part monitoring plan: First, compliance monitoring to evaluate and document the company's performance under the plan; second, effectiveness monitoring to determine how well those conservation measures work.
We report on our compliance monitoring every two years, and every five years we report any significant changes in habitat. We then compare habitat conditions to the targets identified in our HCP and adjust our practices accordingly.
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