2022/23 Effectiveness Monitoring Committee Request for Research Proposals to Test the Efficacy of the California Forest Practice Rules and related regulations

Purpose

The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee (EMC) funds robust scientific research aimed at testing the efficacy of the California Forest Practice Rules and related regulations. The EMC is seeking project proposals that: 1) Address one or more of the critical monitoring questions identified in the EMC 2018 Strategic Plan, and/or 2) Address natural resource protection issues that are important for California forestlands.

Description

The EMC is seeking project proposals that: (1) Address one or more of the critical monitoring questions identified in the EMC 2018 Strategic Plan, and (2) Address natural resource protection issues that are important for California forestlands. The critical monitoring questions are organized under 11 themes: 1. Watercourse and Lake Protection Zone (WLPZ) riparian function, 2. Watercourse channel sediment, 3. Road and WLPZ sediment, 4. Mass wasting sediment, 5. Fish habitat, 6. Wildfire hazard, 7. Wildlife habitat: species and nest sites, 8. Wildlife habitat: seral stages, 9. Wildlife habitat: cumulative impacts, 10. Wildlife habitat: structures, 11. Hardwood values Projects that address multiple EMC themes and critical monitoring questions within a given theme will generally be ranked higher than those that only address a single theme and critical question, particularly if the projects align with the EMC’s prioritized critical questions in that funding year. Among the 11 above-referenced themes, the EMC has prioritized the following five thematic questions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23, though this shall not exclude compelling thematic questions posed outside of the below list: • Question 6c: Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in managing fuel loads, vegetation patterns and fuel breaks for fire hazard reduction?• Question 11a: Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in retaining diverse forests with a mixture of tree species that includes hardwoods [14 California Code of Regulations (CCR) § 897 (b)(1)]?• Question 6a: Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in treating post-harvest slash and slash piles to modify fire behavior?• Question 5b: Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in maintaining and restoring the distribution of foraging, rearing and spawning habitat for anadromous salmonids?• Question 8b: Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in maintaining or increasing the amount and distribution of late succession forest stands for wildlife? An individual project proponent may request and be awarded up to the full amount available ($931,216) for funding in three consecutive FYs: $130,091 in FY 2022/23, $376,125 in FY 2023/24, and $425,000 in FY 2024/25. Applicants requesting more than the amount available for funding will not be considered. While the EMC may choose to fund projects that span multiple FYs, up to the available funding amount, the EMC prefers to fund multiple research projects annually. Proposers should keep this in mind when developing their project and annual budget requests. Projects lasting more than three years may re-apply through the competitive grants process. The Initial Concept Proposal is due on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 5:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time. If endorsed, the EMC will request a more detailed Full Project Proposal generally in September, which will generally be due in October 2022 on the date provided in the email notification. The EMC will generally complete the review of Full Project Proposals and make any funding recommendations at the December EMC meeting.