4.3.3.2.3.4 Cumulative Effects of Alternative B: Harvest 



Cumulative effects of the proposed action relate primarily to long-term 

 impacts from the removal of fire-killed trees and the absence of 

 suitable flammulated owl habitat on adjacent private industrial land. 

 In the short-term, flammulated owls are not likely to utilize the stand 

 replacement area for nesting or roosting due to the lack of a forest 

 canopy and understory growth, which would provide habitat for their 

 preferred insect prey. However, in the long-term, removal of large 

 diameter snags would reduce the availability of nesting and roosting 

 substrate once suitable vegetative cover and forest structure developed. 

 Within a 1-mile radius of the project area, shelterwood/seed-tree 

 harsests have been the predominant silvicultural system on adjacent 

 private industrial lands over the last 10 years. As a result, suitable 

 forest structure conditions for nesting and roosting are currently 

 lacking on these lands, and will not develop for at least another 40 

 years. Thus, there would be a low risk of cumulative effects to 

 flammulated owls as result of implementing proposed Alternative B: 

 Harvest. 



4.3.3.2.4 Fisher 



4.3.3.2.4.1 Alternative A: No Harvest (No Action) 



With no action, there would be no change from current conditions. 

 Thus, there would be low risk of direct or indirect effects to fisher as a 

 result of this alternative. 



4.3.3.2.4.2 Cumulative Effects of Alternative A: No Harvest 

 (No Action) 



With Alternative A: No Har\'est (No Action), the burned area would 

 gradually become revegetated over time. Of the 42 acres of preferred 

 • fisher habitat types affected by the fire, 27 acres occur within areas 

 that experienced stand replacing fire. The remaining 15 acres 

 experienced mixed severity fire. Over time, snags would provide 

 potential den sites for fishers, as well as areas within which to forage, 

 once the snags are recruited into coarse woody debris. Thus, in the 

 long term (50+ years), the Alternative A: No Harvest (No Action) 

 would provide for an island of fisher habitat within the surroundmg 

 matrix of private industrial land. Thus, there would be low risk of 

 cumulative effects to fishers as a result of this alternative. 



4.3.3.2.4.3 Alternative B: Harvest 



The proposed action would harvest approximately 27 acres of stand 

 replacement-burned timber within preferred fisher habitat types. This 

 amounts to approximately 3% of the 832 acres of preferred fisher 

 habitat types within a 1-mile radius of the Dirty Ike fire. Of the 



Dirty Ike Salvage Environmental Assessment 4-22 



