FINDING 

 DIRTY IKE SALVAGE TIMBER SALE 



An interdisciplinary team (ID Team) has completed the Environmental Assessment (EA) for 

 the proposed Dirty Ike Salvage Timber Sale prepared by the Montana Department of Natural Resources 

 and Conservation (DNRC). After a review of the ElA, project file, public correspondence, Department 

 policies, standards and guidelines, and the Administrative Rules for Forest Management {ARM 

 36.11.401-450), I have made the following decisions: 



1. ALTERNATIVE SELECTED 



Two alternatives were presented and the effects of each alternative were fully analyzed in the EA: 



1 . The No Action Alternative 



2. The Action Alternative 



The Action Alternative proposes to harvest approximately 9,521 tons of timber on 204 acres. The No 

 Action Alternative did not include the harvest of any timber. 



For the following reasons, I have selected the Action Alternative withotit additional modifications: 



a) The Action Alternative meets the Purpose of Action and the specific project objectives as 

 described on page 1-1 of the EA. The Action Alternative would produce an estimated 

 $225,000-$315,000 retiun to the Common School Trust. 



b) The analysis of identified issues did not disclose any reason compelling the DNRC not to 

 implement the timber sale. 



c) The Action Alternative includes mitigation activities to address environmental concerns 

 identified during both the Pubhc Scoping phase and the project analysis. 



2. SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACTS 



For the following reasons, I find that the Action Altemadve will not have significant impacts 

 on the human environment; 



a) Water Quality-The Action Alternative would address sedimentation concerns at existing 

 road crossings, which do not currently meet BMPs. Deferring harvest in SMZs will 

 minimize the effects of implementing the Action Alternative upon watercourses within 

 the project area. Mitigations such as contoured log felling on steeper slopes in high 

 intensity bum areas, and the spreading of slash over cable corridors will serve to not only 

 address potential sedimentation produced as a result of harvest operations, they will also 

 help to ameliorate those conditions created by the Dirty Ike fire which will likely lead to 

 increased ninofTand sedimentation. 



