• Start-up
  • Planning
  • Action
  • Evaluation

Hiawatha National Forest staff completed the adaptation workbook and incorporated climate change information into the project’s Environmental Assessment. 

The Hiawatha National Forest manages a diverse array of forest types across Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula. Many red pine plantations were established across the forest from the 1930s to the 1960s. East Red Pine 3 Project activities include commercial thinning of about 4,000 acres of red pine, planting white pine on about 1,200 acres, and conducting prescribed burns on about 500 acres. More information about the project is available on the Hiawatha NF website.

Project Area

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The East Red Pine 3 Project will occur throughout the east side of the Hiawatha National Forest, on the Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace Ranger Districts.

Management Goals

In Management Areas (MAs) prioritized for timber production, these stands are being managed for a diversity of wood products.  In certain MAs, goals also include increasing stand diversity, reducing wildfire hazards, and encouraging a more natural appearance.

Climate Change Impacts

Staff from the Hiawatha National Forest used the Adaptation Workbook from Forest Adaptation Resources to evaluate the potential climate change impacts for the East Red Pine 3 project in particular. Potential climate change impacts that are of major interest include:
Wildfire risk is anticipated to increase over time under climate change, due to longer growing seasons, warmer temperatures, and potential moisture stress in summer months. This is particularly concerning for the East Red Pine 3 project because many red p
Red pine is generally projected to decline across a range of future climate scenarios. Sandy sites in this project area may be at higher risk of decline, because they may be more exposed to moisture stress. With no action, these stands will continue to be
Species such as red maple, red oak, and white pine are projected to increase across a range of future climate scenarios. This supports the project goal of planting white pine, and also supports the idea of favoring these species where possible to improve

Adaptation Actions

Staff on the Hiawatha National Forest were able to identify several items that were already part of the East Red Pine 3 proposed action that also have important adaptation benefits. Examples of adaptation approaches and tactics from the Adaptation Workbook used at the demonstration sites include:

Area/Topic
Approach
Tactics
Proposed Management
1.5. Restore or maintain fire in fire-adapted ecosystems.
3.2. Establish fuelbreaks to slow the spread of catastrophic fire.
Forest Strategy 5: Maintain and enhance species and structural diversity.
9.1. Favor or restore native species that are expected to be adapted to future conditions.
Thinning stands to reduce stocking and improve vigor
Variable thinning to achieve a more natural stand structure
Underplant 1,000 acres of white pine
Variable thinning and prescribed fire to encourage red maple and red oak

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Keywords

Fire and fuels
Regeneration
Upland conifers

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