Climate change is altering current weather patterns and may complicate forest operations. This guide was developed to identify practices for adapting forest operations to climate change. Key topics discussed include climate change impacts on operations in northern forests, considerations for planning, and practices that may be useful for protection of natural resources and continued forest operations in the changing climate.
Climate Impacts on Forest Operations
Forest operations are important to managing forested lands. Timber harvests are critical tools for manipulating vegetation towards a desired condition, addressing forest health issues, and meeting land management goals. Best management practices are commonly used to reduce risk to natural resources to protect soil and water during and after operations. Weather impacts forest operations-related risks to natural resources. Climate change is altering current weather patterns and may complicate forest operations. To continue forest operations while protecting natural resources, it may be increasingly important to plan operations and implement practices to protect soil and water with consideration of the changing climate conditions.
Climate change is causing warmer winters and less snow cover, which affects the duration and consistency of frozen ground and may result in shorter or more variable operating windows for sensitive soils. Hotter, drier summers may increase the risk of wildfire and might also provide additional access or harvest opportunities in dry conditions. More frequent and intense precipitation events may increase erosion associated with forest roads, vegetation removal, and other soil disturbance. These events may also cause flooding, which can disrupt site access or damage infrastructure.
Key Topics Discussed in Report
- An in-depth exploration of climate changes and how it might affect forest operations
- How to best incorporate climate change into planning through site-specific information, evaluating risks, and creating adaptive forest operation plans
- Practices to reduce or avoid climate-related risks associated with local site features or conditions and to maximize the efficiency of an operation
Major Findings
The forests of the northern Midwest and Northeast United States (hereafter referred to as northern forests) are experiencing unprecedented climate shifts. More specifically, climate change is causing warmer winters, reduced snow cover, fewer frozen ground days, hotter and drier summers, and more extreme precipitation and runoff events in the northern forests of the Midwest and Northeast U.S.These impacts are expected to continue and intensify throughout the 21st century (USGCRP 2023). These changes can impede forest operations and amplify risks to natural resources (Bick et al. 2019, Rittenhouse and Rissman 2015). View the full guide for more in-depth information on specific climate change impacts.
Planning aids efficient and effective protection of natural resources throughout (and after) forest operations. The following steps can help foresters, loggers, and other professionals incorporate climate change adaptation into specific forest operations projects (steps adapted from Minnesota Forest Resources Council [MFRC] 2012).
Gather Information
Detailed site information is important to developing and designing a climate-adapted operations plan. Information can come from a variety of sources, including digital geospatial information, hardcopy maps, and onsite surveys and inventories. Publicly available geospatial datasets are increasingly able to help identify or analyze features beyond what can be easily assessed through onsite surveys. For example, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) bare-earth digital elevation models can be used to identify old skid trails, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s web soil survey data describes soils to a high level of detail for many areas. However, such information does not always exist at the project scale or capture all relevant details. Onsite surveys are critical and provide site feature information at the project scale. View the full guide for more in-depth information that may be relevant to planning forest operations in response to climate change impacts.
Evaluate Risk
Harvest, site feature, and condition information as just described can be assessed in conjunction with climate- and weather-related information to identify risks to and from a forestry operation and any associated infrastructure. These influencing factors can inform an evaluation of risks based on likelihood and severity. It might also be helpful to note situations in which climate change may decrease risk and create opportunity. Identifying and evaluating risks and opportunities provides a framework for planning. Low-risk areas on a site may be adequately addressed with standard BMPs or monitoring (or both), whereas high-risk areas may require additional measures, up to and including avoiding harvest altogether. View the full guide for more in-depth information that may be relevant to evaluating risk for forest operations in response to climate change impacts.
Create a harvest plan
Thoughtful and informed operation plans facilitate efficient work and can avoid or reduce climate-related risks to operations and natural resources. Documenting and communicating operation plans can help ensure their implementation is as close to expected as possible. Comprehensive operation plans with good documentation can help ensure appropriate actions are taken to avoid or reduce risks related to climate and other factors. They can aid communication among landowners, foresters, and loggers. There may also be specific planning requirements associated with tax incentive, certification, or incentive programs that will apply to lands enrolled in those programs. Clear communication before and during activity is important in any operation (MFRC 2012). Communication helps to set expectations and build trust among landowners, land managers, foresters, and operators and increases the potential for flexibility, adaptation, and best-case outcomes from unexpected events like those caused by changing conditions. View the full guide for more in-depth information that may be relevant to creating a harvest plan for forest operations in response to climate change impacts.
The intentional consideration of how climate change and weather variability could affect forest operations can inform harvest plans and forest operations, thereby helping to reduce any negative impacts to ecosystems. A variety of practices are presented as options to consider for individual projects. Like tools in a toolbox, they can be selected to reduce or avoid climate-related risks associated with local site features or conditions and to maximize the efficiency of an operation. View the full guide for in-depth discussion surrounding practices to reduce climate-related operation risk specifically on the following topics:
- Site Layout
- Creating and Maintaining Flexibility
- Reducing Compaction and Rutting on Harvest Areas, Skid Trails, Landings, and Roads
- Erosion Control
- Wetlands
- Stream Crossings
- Riparian Management Zones and Filter Strips
- Wildlife and Invasive Species
- Monitoring Impacts and Adapting to Changing Conditions
- Sale Closure
In Press Citation
Toot, R.; Handler, S.; Shannon, P.D.; Amman, A.; Blinn, C.; Butler-Leopold, P.; Shakun, J.; Janowiak, M.K. [in press]. Climate change considerations for forest operations in northern forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-223. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 39 p.