PROPOSED S I LVI CULTURAL TREATMENTS 



If Action Alternative B were chosen, 

 several of harvest treatments 

 (silvicultural prescriptions) would 

 be required to meet the described 

 management objectives. Under Action 

 Alternative B, multiple 

 silvicultural prescriptions are 

 proposed for implementation within a 

 single harvest unit. A variation of 

 silvicultural prescriptions within a 

 proposed harvest unit would emulate 

 the effects of mixed-severity and 

 stand-replacement fires across the 

 landscape. Where existing stands 

 would allow, multistoried forest 

 structures would be retained to 

 perpetuate structural diversity. 



The preferred tree species for 

 retention (in order of preference) 

 would be western white pine, western 

 larch, Douglas-fir, and western red 

 cedar. Although none were 

 encountered during field 

 reconnaissance of the stands 

 proposed for treatment, any healthy 

 ponderosa pine would be retained. 



Reserve trees would remain 

 individually or in clumps within the 

 harvest units where prescriptions 

 specify. Reserve trees would 

 include seedtrees, existing snags, 

 vigorous trees of various age 

 classes, and large serai trees that 

 have a high potential to become 

 future cavity-nesting sites. To 

 provide for structural and species 

 diversity, small clumps of younger 

 trees would also be retained as 

 reserve trees. 



In some buffer areas adjacent to 

 streams and wetlands, the potential 

 for limited harvesting would occur 

 in compliance with the Montana SMZ 

 law. Depending on an area's timber 

 and hydrologic characteristics, 

 harvesting in SMZs and buffer areas 

 would be determined on a case-by- 

 case basis. Some SMZs along 

 perennial streams in the project 

 area have been designated as fisher 

 buffers where timber harvesting 

 would not occur. These 165- and 83- 



foot fisher buffers are designed to 

 function as wildlife linkage 

 corridors across the project area. 



The proposed silvicultural 

 treatments would leave approximately 

 8 to 10 tons per acre of coarse 

 woody debris (greater diameter than 

 3 inches) in harvest units following 

 site preparation and hazard 

 reduction. 



Where available, approximately 2 

 large snags and 2 large live trees 

 for snag recruits per acre would be 

 retained in a clumpy distribution in 

 harvest units. Silvicultural 

 treatments that would be applied to 

 each harvest unit are specified in 

 TABLE II -1 - PROPOSED SILVICULTURAL 

 TREATMENTS BY UNIT. Following are 

 descriptions of the silvicultural 

 prescriptions proposed under Action 

 Alternative B: 



• Modified Seedtree with Reserves - 

 Six to eight large western larch, 

 Douglas-fir, and western white 

 pine seedtrees per acre would, 

 individually and in clumps, 

 provide a seed source, snags and 

 snag recruits. Reserve-tree 

 selection is described above. 



• Modified Seedtree/Shelterwood with 

 Reserves - Six to eight large 

 western larch, Douglas-fir, and 

 western white pine seedtrees per 

 acre would, individually and in 

 clumps, provide a seed source, 

 future snags, and cavity-nesting 

 sites. Approximately 15 to 30 

 trees per acre would be retained 

 in shelterwood areas. 



• Commercial Thin - Forty to sixty 

 percent of the existing overstory 

 would be harvested to reduce the 

 stocking density and improve 

 growth rates and vigor. The 

 residual stand would consist of 

 the most vigorous and largest 

 diameter trees currently on site. 

 Serai species (western larch, 

 western white pine, and Douglas - 

 fir) would be the favored leave 

 trees in the stand. 



Page II -6 



Dog/Meadow Timber Sale Project Draft EA 



