Washington Resource Conservation & Development Council
Our vision: Washington’s communities and landscapes are resilient in the face of environmental and economic issues. We realize our vision by empowering communities by providing the tools, resources, capacity, and connections to adapt to a changing world.
The UWPP is guided by a Core Team with representation from:
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WRRD – District Ranger or assigned representative
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OWNF Supervisor’s Office – Point of Contact
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WRCD – Contract Representative
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NCWFHC Steering Committee Representative(s)
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Communication & Engagement Representatives from OWNF & NCWFHC
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Terrestrial Sub-Group – Team Lead or representative
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Aquatic Sub-Group – Team Lead or representative
The Community Engagement, Terrestrial and Aquatic Sub-Groups are comprised of representatives from the USFS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), and interested members of the NCWFHC. The agency and collaborative partners who are working collectively on the UWPP are referred to as the Upper Wenatchee Project Team.
The following goal statements have been developed to guide subsequent planning for the UWPP:
1. Through scientifically-sound restoration treatments, the UWPP will create a more resilient terrestrial and aquatic landscape in the Lower Chiwawa, Big Meadow, Lake Wenatchee, and Beaver Creek-Wenatchee River sub-watersheds to:
• Address conditions that have departed from the historic range of variability to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire and other disturbances to protect lives, communities, and ecological values and analyze the effects of restorations treatments used for advancing the landscape toward the desired condition
• Promote better outcomes for a broad spectrum of ecological, social, and community resources and values in a manner that recognizes and responds to the important role of natural fire and helps mitigate risk in the wildland urban interface while providing for sustainable user access
• Protect and restore watershed conditions that maintain uplands, late-successional habitat and large old trees, riparian and instream habitat, and water quality and quantity for the benefit of communities and native fish and wildlife
• Design and implement treatments to support the recovery of threatened, endangered, and sensitive species such as restoring historical patchwork forest structures, addressing fish-passage barriers, and facilitating natural watershed process to improve aquatic habitat.
2. Optimize the production of ecosystem services and forest products to fulfill the stewardship mandate of the USFS in a manner that reflects a broad spectrum of ecological, cultural, and socio-economic values.
3. Develop an effective model for collaboration among the USFS, other federal, state and local agencies, local Tribes, the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative and member organizations, as well as a wide range of local landowners, community partners and stakeholders. This collaborative planning effort will increase the shared leadership of the forest and watershed restoration vision and will result in greater support for all management tools needed to implement terrestrial and aquatic treatment actions on this landscape.