VEGETATION 



Mitigation measures would 

 require that equipment be washed 

 before it is brought on site, 

 substantial areas of exposed 

 mineral soil be seeded, and 

 herbicides be applied at 

 specified sites. Action 

 Alternative B would collect 

 money for forest improvement, 

 which would help fund the 

 Stillwater Unit weed-management 

 program. This program monitors 

 noxious weeds annually and 

 applies herbicides at specific 

 sites. 



CUMULATIVE EFFECTS 



• Cuuiiilaiipe Hiffecbt qfJVo^lclion 

 »1Iternative -1 and miction tllternatice li 

 OH j\oj-iotM \V'eedPopulntionM 



The open roads in the analysis 

 area have traffic from dispersed 

 recreation, timber-management 

 activities, and other uses on a 

 regular basis. This traffic, 

 along with road-maintenance and 

 timber-harvesting activities, 

 increases exposure to weed 

 establishment. Utility line 

 corridors and illegal motorized 

 use also increase exposure to 

 weed establishment. Over time, 

 the weed-management program at 

 Stillwater Unit, including 

 cooperation with the Flathead 

 and Lincoln County weed 

 departments, has improved. If 

 funding remains available, some 

 of the large populations of 

 weeds in the analysis area would 

 be treated, greatly reducing the 

 current weed populations. 



> Sensitive Plants 



DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS 



• Direct ami Indirect f^ecltt qfJVo-,1ction 

 »'ilternatice ,1 on Sensitive Plants 



This alternative would not 

 directly affect water levels or 

 increase the risk of exotic 

 plant species being introduced 

 in meadows and fens where 

 sensitive plants are known to 



occur. Over time, if forest 

 fuels were allowed to build up 

 and increase fire hazards, the 

 risk of a very large stand- 

 replacement fire in the area 

 would increase. The result of 

 such a fire could increase 

 runoff and water levels in the 

 fens and meadow complexes near 

 the burn. Under this 

 alternative, no funds would be 

 collected for weed-population 

 monitoring or management. 

 Without adequate funding the 

 weed-management program on 

 Stillwater Unit would, over 

 time, be reduced, which would 

 increase the risk of exotic 

 plants successfully invading the 

 habitat of the sensitive plant 

 species in the project area. 



• Direct and Indirect L^ffecfs qf. Iction 

 tllternatice li on Sensitive Plants 



Action Alternative B would 

 reduce the canopy on 

 approximately 93 9 acres to 

 varying degrees. This could, 

 potentially, cause some 

 increased water levels at low 

 points of the topography. The 

 meadows, wetlands, and fens 

 would be buffered by additional 

 vegetation that would be 

 retained along the edges; in 

 some cases, harvest units would 

 be located away from the habitat 

 feature. This retained 

 vegetation would absorb much of 

 the water from surrounding areas 

 and should limit increases in 

 water levels in sensitive plant 

 habitat to veiry minor amounts. 

 Action Alternative B would 

 collect fees that could be used, 

 in part, to fund measures to 

 monitor and control weeds. This 

 would allow land managers to 

 react to the future 

 establishment of an exotic plant 

 species within the sensitive 

 plant habitat in the project 

 area. 



Chapter III— Existing Environment and Environmental Consequences Page III -7 



