Principle – Society accepts responsibility for sustainability

Criterion - Forest-based health issues are recognized.

Indicator – Original Wording: Forest managers cooperate with public health authorities regarding illnesses related to forest management. Final Wording: Forest managers cooperate with public health authorities regarding illnesses related to forest management and potable water related concerns.

Box B: Definition:

CIFOR-BAG defines this indicator as "Logging practices and lifestyles accompanying logging, such as male-dominated logging camps and associated prostitution, are linked to a number of health related issue, including AIDS and other STD’s, malaria and other mosquito borne illnesses, logging accidents and violence amongst the logging employees. Management decisions made by the timber company, including logging practices and health services offered to employee and contact with public health authorities will affect these health issues (CIFOR Resource Book, p. 117)".

In the North American context, such direct links between forest management to prostitution, AIDS, and malaria seem improbable; but logging accidents, Lyme Disease, Giardia, and asthma (and other respiratory ailments) may be important. In addition, potable (or culinary) water quality concerns are also prevalent where portions of forest management units serve as community water supply areas.

Box D: Applicability to Different Landowners:

Water supply requirements will differ by landowner although in most locations, state or federal water quality requirements will supersede for potable/culinary water sources. Similarly, public health concerns may vary by tenure owner, however, public health requirements typically over-ride private land rights.

Box E: Overlap:

CIFOR – BAG: 3.2.3

Box I: Underlying Concepts:

CIFOR-BAG notes the following issues. "Logging practices and health: Logging practices such as ponding and interference in the habitats of mosquito predators can affect human health by increasing mosquito populations and thus risk of malaria and other similarly transmitted diseases may increase. Also lack of precautions may result in increased potentially fatal accidents with machinery or logging trucks (CIFOR 1998, p. 119)"

In addition to worker safety concerns, addressed more completely in Boise H3, forest management activities can affect human health in a broader area. Emphysema, asthma and other respiratory illnesses can be aggravated by fire management activities including prescribed burns. Water quality concerns, particularly related to community water supply areas/watersheds, can be affected by forest practices. In many jurisdictions, special constraints apply to forest management in community water supply areas.

Box J: Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable Management:

This indicator is relevant to sustainability because it is directly linked to the health of employees and local communities. Human health is an important part of human well-being. (Colfer, Prabhu and Wollenberg 1995). In addition, an indicator that shows deleterious affects to human health is also an indicator of potential ecological health issues.

Box K: Measurement Methods:

Methods used to assess the status of this indicator could include:

• An assessment of public health records of the area;
• An examination of forest practice regulations/codes to identify specific management practices surrounding potable/community watersheds – check compliance by forest managers with these special practices.
• Interviews/surveys with public or community health workers to identify any problems with compliance or other public health concerns.

Box L: Data Required:

Data Sources:

1. Public/community health workers and reports from these officials
2. Forest practices codes/regulations regarding water quality/human health concerns
3. Forest management plans for community watershed management
4. Workers safety (e.g., OSHA) records for health issues
5. Compliance reports regarding violations/warnings regarding human health issues
6. Community complaints (e.g, letters to editors, complaints to forest managers).

Data Reliability:

Data sources 1-5 should generally be relatively easy to access, inexpensive and relatively reliable. Trend data is probably available for most of these areas. Community complaints (data source 6) may be less easily available unless records are maintained by the forest manager or an alternate organization (e.g, a local environmental organization).

Box M: Data Used for the North American Test:

Multiple methods and many variables could be used to examine this indicator. For the North American test, data sources 1 (public health reports) and 5 (compliance reports) could be used to illustrate this indicator. Data are readily available in already compiled reports from government agencies including air quality (Boise Department of Environmental Quality), municipal watershed quality (USGS) and National Forest potable water testing (Boise National Forest). A sample data from these sources was examined to illustrate this indicator.

Data Sources

• USDA-FS. 1990. Land and Resource Management Plan for the Boise National Forest. USFS, Boise National Forest.
• State of Idaho Water Quality Act
• Federal Clean Water Act. 1977 and Amendments.
• Idaho Dept. of Lands. 1996. Forestry for Idaho: Best Management Practices. Forest Stewardship Guidelines for Water Quality.
• Boise National Forest Facility Water Sampling – FY 1997, October-1996 through September – 1997.

Box N: Example Results:

Potable Water Supply:

As part of water quality management for human health, Boise National Forest ensures that water quality samples are taken on a regular basis from potable water supply sources within the National Forest. Campgrounds and other public sources are monitored for total coliforms monthly and yearly for nitrate. Of a total of 307 tests for total coliforms, thirty-seven of those gave a positive reading for total coliforms. Further analysis, however found that E.Coli and Fecal Coliforms, the primary coliforms of concern for human health, were not present in any of those samples.

Box O: Assessing the Practicality:

This indicator is relatively easy and inexpensive to measure.

Box P: Assessing the Information Value:

Medium value information. If measurement of this indicator identified problem areas, further research would need to be done to assess the nature of the problem and assess its status further.

Box Q: Overall assessment:

Accepted.

This indicator was accepted as a relatively straightforward measurement of human health issues that are directly related to forest management.

Box R: Did you rewrite or revise to a new indicator. If so what?

Yes. Forest managers cooperate with public health authorities regarding illnesses related to forest management and potable water related concerns.

Box S: References:

• Colfer, C. J. P., Prabhu, R. and E. Wollenberg. 1995. Principles, Criteria and Indicators: Applying Ockham’s Razor to the People-Forestry Link. Working Paper No. 8, CIFOR, Indonesia.
• Colfer, C. J. P., Wadley, R. L, Harwell, E., and R. Prabhu. 1997. Intergenerational Access to Resources: Developing Criteria and Indicators. Working Paper No. 18, CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia.
• USDA-FS. 1990. Land and Resource Management Plan for the Boise National Forest. USFS, Boise National Forest.
• Idaho Dept. of Lands. 1996. Forestry for Idaho: Best Management Practices. Forest Stewardship Guidelines for Water Quality.

Please record your notes on evaluating the indicator here.

Methods:

1. Agency Presentations - At the beginning of the test and during our first field trip, agency and tenure holders reviewed their mandates and issues of concern. Water quality was discussed by State Department of Lands officials and USFS officials regarding the implementation of the State water quality standards.
2. Review of Related Documents - review of the applicable section of the BNF LRMP with respect to water and air quality health concerns and any other health notes in the plan. I also examined other related documents on these issues that we had available (e.g., Idaho BMPs for water quality and the Federal, Clean Water Act).
3. Interviews - Phone interviews or questions were asked of:

• Tim Kennedy, Forest Practices Advisor, Idaho State Department of Lands regarding applicability and compliance of private landowners to water quality standards.

1. Analysis of Potable Water Reports

• Water quality reports were obtained for potable water sources on the Boise National Forest. This data was examined and compiled for this report.

Water Quality:

Overview of water quality concerns by USFS and others noted that the State is responsible for implementing the requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act, consequently State regulations on water quality (approved by the EPA) are applicable on USFS land e.g., Boise National Forest. The Boise National Forest LRMP notes that "[t]he Forest must comply with State of Idaho water quality standards and other pollution control requirements according to Section 313 of the Clean Water Act (USFS, 1990, p. II-42)". In the analysis of the management situation, the Plan notes that while chemical quality is excellent, pathogen conditions such as Giardiasis, while not prevalent, have been reported by recreationists who drink untreated stream water. Sediment is reported as the pollutant of greatest concern particularly on the South Fork Salmon River which as a result does not, "and cannot reasonably be expected to attain or maintain" water quality standards without management action (USFS, 1990, p. II-42).

The BNF LRMP sets forest management direction with respect to human health related water quality as the following:

• Meet or exceed State water quality standards.
• Fully protect and maintain existing beneficial uses as required by Idaho Water Quality Rules and Regulations
• Annually meet with State of Idaho Environmental Quality Bureau personnel to review proposed land disturbing activities, and to meet Federal consistency requirements of the Clean Water Act.
• Evaluate and monitor forest activities with respect to water quality

Specific prescriptions (prescription P) are set out for those management area units containing municipal watersheds. Management Prescription P emphasizes "the maintenance of water quantity, of a quality suitable for domestic use after reasonable treatment" (USFS, 1990, p. IV-242).

Reviewed Idaho BMPs for water quality. Information in this document provides ‘how to’ techniques for protecting water quality in general but does not specifically address the human health/water quality issue except in an introductory fashion: "Why protect water quality? Excessive runoff and sedimentation into streams can increase filtering costs for drinking water, interfere with irrigation systems and increase flood potential" (Idaho Dept. of Lands, 1996).

Water quality issues are state requirements and therefore constant across all landowners. Tim Kennedy, reported that private landowners who are out of compliance with water quality standards, particularly with respect to community water supply areas are immediately shut down.

Potable water testing on the National Forest is conducted monthly for total coliforms, fecal coliforms and E.coli and yearly for nitrates (Boise National Forest).

Air Quality:

The BNF LRMP notes that "smoke management practices in prescribed fire activities" must maintain the air shed standards and that air quality must meet "local, State and Federal regulations over National Forest lands and adjacent communities" (USFS, 1990, P. IV-5).

The State Department of Environmental Quality was noted as the source for air quality information regarding the study area. Discussions with DEQ noted that, in general, air quality monitoring could not identify the cause of the event (e.g, forest fire, agricultural burning, woodsmoke, etc.) except by proximity of events. Air quality monitoring is done for the city of Boise and for the community of McCall on a regular basis and is available from DEQ. When events of concern occur (e.g., forest fires) Boise National Forest is able to track the air quality with information obtainable from DEQ. Information on federal air quality sites (Improve Sites) is available from Colorado State Universities CIRA program.

Informal Ethnographic Interviews: