Competing ecosystem and socio-economic interests present challenges to accomplishing Integrated Watershed Plan (IWP) goals for Hood Canal forests.
The Hood Canal Coordinating Council has drafted a list of pressures that impact Hood Canal forests, including primary challenges to:
- Balance forest harvest, conservation of wild forests, and residential development
- Maintain transportation infrastructure while minimizing forest fragmentation
Forest conversion has been concentrated in the coastal and lowland areas of Hood Canal. Between 1995 and 2006, approximately 24,500 acres were converted from forest to some other land use. The forest resources in different areas, and for varying uses, are subject to different pressures.
- Residential areas face pressures related to forest fragmentation and conversion
- Conservation and recreational lands are threatened by land use changes
- Timber lands are subject to rotational harvest and residential conversion
In addition, environmental conditions can impede efforts to restore and maintain forests requiring adaptive management actions that allow:
- Flexible response to climate change impacts such as severe weather events, altered temperature, and precipitation patterns
- Effective management of pests, fires, and other natural events