About SNAMP
A brief overview of the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project.
SNAMP In A Nutshell: How do forest vegetation treatments to prevent wildfire affect fire risk, wildlife, forest health and water? Millions of acres of Sierra Nevada forest are endangered by wildfire. The USDA National Forest Service's 2004 Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment calls for managing the forest using the best information available to protect forests and homes. Vegetation management treatments are planned or being conducted in several places in the Sierra Nevada where fire risk is high. A team of university scientists has agreed to act as an independent third party, monitoring the effects of vegetation management treatments in two areas in the Sierra Nevada. Results will be used to improve forest management in the future.
SNAMP in More Detail: The Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project has been formed to develop, implement and test Adaptive Management processes through testing the efficacy of Strategically Placed Landscape Treatments (SPLATs) across four response variables, including
- public participation
- wildlife, focusing on the Pacific Fisher and the California Spotted Owl
- water
- fire/forest health
Each of these groups has an associated research team, and all are supported by a spatial team. The SNAMP is made up of researchers from the University of California, the University of Minnesota, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the California Resources Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Public. The Science Team is working with the agencies to develop an adaptive management and monitoring program consistent with the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment. The USFS is responsible for the treatments; and the Science Team researchers will function as an independent third party, and will implement methodologies that focus on the specific response variables to
- make predictions
- analyze response variables and results
- provide feedback to the USFS
- support public interaction and participation.
This website: The purpose of this website is to share documents and data related to the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project. In January 2006 the site went live, and now you are able to read about our workplan development, see our meeting presentations, and post comments about SNAMP topics at this site.
SNAMP People
The University Science Team is made of representatives from UC Berkeley, UC Merced, University of California Cooperative Extension, and the University of Minnesota. Our member list is posted here.
The MOU Partners (Memorandum of Understanding) are a group of agency representatives from US Forest Service Regional Offices, National Forests, and Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW); USDI Fish and Wildlife Service; CA Dept. of Fish and Game; CA Resources Agency; Dept of Water Resources; and CalFire. The MOUP org chart is posted here.
