salvage operations would likely have little direct or indirect effect on 

 wolves. 



4.3.3,1.2.4 Cumulative Effects of Alternative B: Harvest 



With the expected vegetative recovery of areas affected by the Dirty 

 Ike fire would be an expected increase in use of this area by big game 

 species. Such use would likely concentrate activity by predators, such 

 as the wolf. There are two proposed DNRC projects within the 

 analysis area: the Dirty Ike Road project, which would construct 1.5 

 miles of new road within the project area and could disperse big game 

 movements; and the currently proposed project. 



4.3.3.1.3 Lynx 



4.3.3.1.3.1 Alternative A: No Harvest (No Action) 



Under Alternative A: No Harvest (No Action), fire-killed timber 

 would not be harvested. As such, over time shrubs and trees would 

 eventually begin to recolonize the project area, providing habitat for 

 snowshoe hares, the lynx's preferred prey. Eventually, snags created 

 from the Dirty Ike fire would fall to the ground, likely creating a large 

 pulse of coarse woody debris in the area. As a result, potential 1>tix 

 denning habitat may result from potential jackstrawing of the fallen 

 snags, or the presence of large diameter hollow logs. Thus, there 

 would be low risk of direct or indirect effects to lynx as a result of this 

 alternative. 



4.3.3.1.3.2 Cumulative Effects of Alternative A: No Harvest 

 (No Action) 



As previously discussed under direct and indirect effects (4.3.3.1.3.1), 

 foraging habitat would develop over the next 15 to 20 years under this 

 alternative, as well as potential denning habitat as recently created 

 snags fall over. However, the proposed Dirty Ike Roads project would 

 increase the amount of road in mature foraging habitat. Construction 

 of new road may enable competing predators access to l>'nx foraging 

 habitat in winter. While Alternative A: No Harvest (No Action) would 

 not construct road or harvest timber, there is low risk of cumulative 

 effects from other proposed actions. 



4.3.3.1.3.3 Alternative B: Harvest 



The proposed action would salvage harvest timber from a total of 204 

 acres of School Trust land that were affected by the Dirty Ike fire (203 

 acres of stand replacement fire, 1 acre of mixed severity). Through 

 salvage harvesting, an average of 10 trees per acre >9 inches dbh 

 would be retained within the harvest units, and may contribute to 

 potential 1>tix denning habitat in the future, once they fall and become 

 coarse woody debris. Because the proposed action is largely avoiding 



Dirty Ike Salvage Environmental Assessment 4-14 



