VEGETATION 



overall impact of root rot appears 

 low. However, the project area has 

 a high percentage of Douglas-fir, 

 subalpine fir, and grand fir, which 

 are highly susceptible to root rot. 

 The Indian paint fungus stem rot in 

 subalpine fir and grand fir is 

 fairly prevalent in the project 

 area. Concentrations of downed dead 

 trees can be found throughout the 

 project area. Most of the large 

 concentrations are lodgepole pine 

 that have been attacked by mountain 

 pine beetles several years ago. 

 Concentrations of downed dead trees, 

 combined with densely stocked 

 smaller trees, have created risks of 

 high intensity wildfires occurring. 



NOXIOUS WEEDS 



Concentrations of spotted knapweed, 

 oxeye daisy, orange hawkweed, Saint- 

 John' s-wort, dalmation toadflax, and 

 several species of thistle can be 

 found in the project area. Spotted 

 knapweed, the most widely 

 distributed noxious weed on 

 Stillwater State Forest, is found in 

 areas where ground disturbance has 

 occurred, such as landings and skid 

 trails, and in areas of high use, 

 such as powerlines and roadsides. 

 Isolated occurrences of tansy 

 ragwort were found in the project 

 area and sprayed with herbicide in 

 2002. 



SENSITIVE PLANTS 



In the project area, 2 populations 

 each of poor sedge and Buckler fern 

 were found during surveys . These 

 species, associated with wet meadows 

 and fens, appeared to be healthy and 

 reproducing. 



Buckler fern 



Poor sedge 



ALTERNATIVE EFFECTS 



> Distribution Of Age Classes and Covertypes 



DIRECT EFFECTS 



• Direct ElffeclH qfJVo-*1ction ^llternntive ,1 

 on »1ge ClniuteH and Cocerti/jteti 



This alternative would not 

 directly affect the distribution 

 of age classes or covertypes in 

 the project area. 



• Direct Effects of miction . Iltemative Ji on 

 ^ge Clauses and Covertyjies 



This alternative would convert 

 approximately 546 acres of the 

 mixed-conifer, subalpine fir, 

 and lodgpeole pine covertypes to 

 a western larch/Douglas-fir 

 covertype. An estimated 614 

 acres would be converted from 

 stands of pole-sized timber (40 

 to 99 years old) and mature 

 sawtimber (100+ years old) to 

 stands of seedlings/saplings (0 

 to 39 years old) . 



INDIRECT EFFECTS 



• Indirect Effects ofJVo-^lction ^llternntine 

 .1 on »1ge Classes and Covertgpes 



Over time, the western white 

 pine covertype would likely 

 decrease as western white pine 

 mortality continues, and the 

 mixed-conifer covertypes (shade 

 tolerant) would likely increase. 

 The combination of lack of 

 forest management and continued 

 fire suppression would increase 

 the distribution of older age 

 classes . 



• Indirect IJ^ffects of taction »1ltemative li on 

 *ige Classes and Covertypes 



As tree planting, precommercial 

 thinning, or other follow-up 

 treatments occur in the proposed 

 harvest units, the percentage of 

 western larch, Douglas -fir, and 

 western white pine species would 

 likely increase in addition to 

 the direct effects. The 

 proposed harvest treatments, in 

 combination with the existing 



Page III -4 



Dog/Meadow Timber Sale Project Draft EA 



