Effectiveness monitoring for the aquatic and riparian component of the Northwest Forest Plan: conceptual framework and options.

Abstract

An Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Plan (AREMP) for the Northwest Forest Plan is intended to characterize the ecological condition of watersheds and aquatic ecosystems. So to determine the effectiveness of the Northwest Forest Plan to meet relevant objectives, this report presents the conceptual foundation of options for use in pilot testing and implementing an effectiveness monitoring program for aquatic and riparian systems. The base program would evaluate status and trends of watershed, stream, and riparian conditions by using decision-support models. Although the focus of AREMP is on characterizing ecosystem status and trend, implementing it will also supply information that will be useful in determining causal relations to help explain those trends.

Simulating riparian vegetation and aquatic habitat dynamics in response to natural and anthropogenic disturbance regimes in the Upper Grande Ronde River, Oregon, USA

“…Existing tools allow assessment of current conditions and monitoring (e.g., Kershner et al, 2004;Reeves et al, 2004) or projecting impacts from specific disturbances or activities (e.g., Lancaster et al, 2001;Spies et al, 2002). Existing models, however, do not project the future effects of natural disturbances and land-use practices typical of the interior Columbia River basin.…”

An approach to effectiveness monitoring of floodplain channel aquatic habitat: channel condition assessment

“…At the regional scale, the USDA Forest Service (FS) in collaboration with USGS, EPA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, and USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is developing the Aquatic-Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Plan (AREMP). The AREMP outlines strategies for monitoring the effectiveness of the Northwest Forest Plan's aquatic conservation strategy on federal lands in large portions of Washington, Oregon, and northern California (Reeves et al, 2004). Also at the regional scale, the FS is cooperating with BLM, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S.…”

Exploring Environmental and Economic Trade-offs Associated with Aggregate Recycling from Decommissioned Forest Roads

“…An assigned score reflects the degree to which a premise is true, where +1 indicates the premise is completely true and −1 completely false. The Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program, for instance, evaluates the premise that a watershed is in a "good" condition, defined as a state wherein the physical attributes are adequate to maintain or improve biological integrity, in particular for native and desired fish species [25]. Drilling down into the model, scores are assigned to attributes such as road/stream crossing frequency and riparian road density [2].…”