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CHAPTER II 

 ALTERNATIVES 



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INTRODUCTION 



Chapter II describes alternatives 

 for the Dog Meadow Timber Sale 

 Project and summarizes the predicted 

 effects of implementing each 

 alternative. A summary of the 

 alternative -development process that 

 occurred on this project is 

 included. TABLE II -2 - SUMMARY OF 

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS summarizes 

 predicted effects from the detailed 

 environmental analyses in CHAPTER 

 III - ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS or the 

 RESOURCE APPENDICES . 



DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES 



The Dog/Meadow Timber Sale Project 

 area was proposed for a timber sale 

 project in the fall of 1999. The 

 area was identified for timber 

 harvesting at this time primarily 

 because 2 existing stand conditions 

 are prominent in the area : 



• Several relatively large patches 

 of 40-to-99-year-old overstocked 

 stands are present. These areas 

 have low growth rates and the 

 frequency of mortality and decay 

 is substantial. Tree mortality in 

 these areas has created heavy fuel 

 loading and areas that are at high 

 risk for high-intensity, stand- 

 replacement wildfires. 



• Also present are areas of densely- 

 stocked and mature mixed-conifer 

 stands of shade-tolerant species. 

 Many of these areas were entered 

 with timber harvests several 

 decades ago. The harvests removed 

 many of the dominant western 

 larch, Douglas-fir, western white 



pine, and western red cedar trees. 

 The shade-tolerant species that 

 currently dominate these areas are 

 highly susceptible to stem rots 

 and loss of value as wood 

 products. Due to jackpots of down 

 fuels and the high-stocking 

 density of species that act as 

 ladder fuels into the upper 

 canopy, many of these stands are 

 at high risk for high-intensity, 

 stand-replacement wildfires. 



After identifying the project area, 

 this project was included in the 

 Northwestern Land Office (NWLO) 3- 

 year listing of upcoming timber sale 

 proposals. The listing was sent to 

 interested parties. The ID Team 

 began work on the project in the 

 spring/summer of 2000. The role of 

 an ID team is to summarize issues 

 and concerns, develop and define 

 management options, and, in 

 reference to issues, analyze 

 predicted and potential impacts of a 

 proposal on the human and natural 

 environment . 



Throughout 2000, 2001, and 2002, ID 

 Team members and other DNRC 

 personnel were involved in field 

 reconnaissance and data collection 

 in the project area. Information 

 was collected on: 



- existing roads to determine needs 

 to improve surface drainage, ditch 

 relief, stream crossings, and 

 safety features; 



- timber-stand characteristics, old- 

 growth characteristics, noxious 

 weeds, and sensitive plants; 



- the type, size, and location of 



