VI . RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL SHORT-TERM USE OF MAN'S 



ENVIRONMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF LONG TERM PRODUCTIVITY 



The purpose of this sale is to harvest certain mature and overmature stands 

 on the area and replace them with healthy, vigorous, young stands of trees. The 

 proposed Upper Stryker Ridge timber sale will result in a short-term decrease in 

 the amount of timber readily available on the area. However, as a result of this 

 action, the long term productivity of the area for harvestable tree growth should 

 be increased. 



Poductivity of adjacent stands within the general sale area should also be 

 improved in that better access will facilitate future salvage, harvest and improve- 

 ment cuts. Future management cuts, with the exception of salvage cuts, will not be 

 undertaken until new forest stands have become well established on harvest units 

 created by the Upper Stryker Ridge sale. 



Aside from these obvious effects upon commodity uses, there will likel> oe 

 a short-term effect upon the other land uses, both consumptive and non-consumptive. 

 During harvesting operations and prior to the slash clean-up, the aesthetic appeal 

 will change. This change will be localized and short-term due to the size of the 

 units, their location and the presence of screening vegetation. In the long-run, 

 these factors, coupled with the fact that the forest is dynamic, will reduce the 

 period during which aesthetic appeal is altered. 



The proposed action is expected to disrupt big game use patterns within the 

 area. However, in that critical wildlife habitat is not present and the big game 

 population is small, the action is not expected to alter the long-term productivity 

 of the wildlife resource. 



The action is expected to increase the water yield from the area. As a result 

 of varied topography, the yield will be spread throughout the runoff period; the 

 increase will be greatest during the year after harvesting. The increase will be 

 short-term and will decrease until evapotranspirative recovery from regeneration 

 is complete. The recovery period has been estimated to be about 25 to 30 years. 



As presently planned, the Upper Stryker Ridge timber sale will, in the 

 short- and long-runs, stimulate and improve desirable tree growth within the 

 commercial forest zone. Further, economic and social benefits will be provided 

 through the utilization and perpetuation of a renewable resource, and present 

 and future forest management activities will be facilitated. 



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