approximately 1.7 percent and 

 slightly decrease the area in 

 older stand classes. 



OLD GROWTH 



Direct Effects 



• Direct £(ff'ecfjt qfJ\o^lcHon . lUeimatice Aon 

 Old Growth 



No-Action Alternative A would have 

 no direct effects on the amount, 

 distribution, or character of old- 

 growth stands in the analysis 

 area. 



• Direct Effect* qf.lction Alternative B on Old 

 Groirth 



Action Alternative B was developed 

 to not enter old-growth stands 

 with harvesting or road 

 construction. Therefore, no 

 direct effects to old growth are 

 expected with the implementation 

 of this alternative. 



Indirect Effects 



• Indirect mfectn *ifJVo^ Iction Alternntice A 

 on Old Growth 



Fire suppression, firewood 

 cutting, and roadside salvage 

 harvesting would still occur with 

 No-Action Alternative A. Over 

 time, with no harvesting, old- 

 growth timber stands would likely 

 become more decadent, more heavily 

 stocked, and contain increased 

 down woody loads and wildfire 

 hazards. An increase in shade - 

 tolerant species would occur 

 within the stands; potentially, 

 more snags would occupy the stands 

 where they are too far from open 

 roads to be harvested for 

 firewood. 



• Indirect lilffectJt qf Action Alternative B on 

 OldGroicth 



Action Alternative B would not 

 harvest within old-growth stands; 

 thus, the indirect effects would 

 be very similar to No-Action 

 Alternative A. Additionally, this 

 alternative would harvest in 

 stands adjacent to old-growth 



stands, structurally creating a 

 more abrupt edge to the stand 

 boundary. The risk of blowdown 

 along proposed harvest unit 

 boundaries would, potentially, 

 increase. Harvest units adjacent 

 to old-growth stands would be less 

 susceptible to high intensity 

 crown fires and may provide an 

 opportunity for a fuel break in 

 the event of a wildfire. 



Cumulative Effects 



• Cumulative lilffectM qfJWo-, Iction Alternative 

 A and Action . lUernative B on Old Groicth 



The timber sales in the analysis 

 area that have been initiated, but 

 are not yet reflected in the SLI, 

 are not harvesting timber in old- 

 growth stands. Approximately 188 

 acres of these stands meet the 

 current old-growth definition, but 

 were withdrawn from harvests until 

 ongoing litigation is resolved. 

 If this litigation is resolved, 

 these areas may be harvested as 

 part of their initial projects. 

 After harvesting, these 188 acres 

 would not likely be considered old 

 growth, although the current 

 prescribed treatments would retain 

 some of the larger older trees, 

 snags, and coarse woody debris. 

 If no action was applied for an 

 extended period over the entire 

 analysis area, the number of old- 

 growth stands would increase as 

 younger stands age and develop 

 old-growth characteristics. 



INSECTS AND DISEASES (FOREST HEALTH 

 CONDITIONS) 



Direct Effects 



• Direct J^ect* qfJVo-, Iction . llternativeA 

 and Action Alternative B on InacclH and 

 Diseages/forest Health Conditions 



Small pockets of mortality caused 

 by the Douglas -fir bark beetle are 

 expected to occur in clumps of 

 mature Douglas-fir within the 

 project area. Some subalpine fir 

 and grand fir will become infected 

 with stem rots, Indian paint 

 fungus in particular. Western 



Appendix C-Vegetation Analysis 



Page C-9 



