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ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS, 



ANALYSIS AREAS, 



AND ANALYSIS METHODS 



INTRODUCTION 



This chapter contains infonnation on the 

 environment of Stillwater State Forest and the 

 Beaver Lake Project area in reference to associ- 

 ated issues. The size of each resource analysis 

 area varies depending on the analysis methods 

 used and the viewpoint from which a resource 

 needs to be examined. Current condihons 

 discussed in this chapter include effects from 

 past management and other known distur- 

 bances, including other active timber sale 

 projects, projects that are in the planning stage, 

 and ongoing maintenance and use of the areas 

 being analyzed. 



VEGETATION 



The vegetation analysis will consist, primarily, 

 of 2 major components: 



a landscape analysis that will examine 

 cover types, age-class distribution, and 

 patch characteristics, and 

 old-growth commitments that will focus 

 on the amounts and attributes of old- 

 growth stands. 



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF 

 THE PROJECT AREA 



LOCATION 



The project area is comprised of approximately 

 4,129 acres located in 10 sections. The primary 

 drainage, located on private land, is Beaver 



Creek, which flows east of the project area into 

 Whitefish Lake. 



The topography is glacially influenced with 

 predonninately broken ground of cliffs, draws, 

 ridges, benches, and potholes. Elevations 

 generally range between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. 



Forest productivity is rated moderate to high, 

 with the less productive sites on the steeper 

 southwest exposures containing shallow soils 

 and on ridges. Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, 

 and scattered western larch and ponderosa 

 pine occupy these sites. The more productive 

 sites are located on the northerly exposures 

 and near draws where soils are deeper. These 

 sites are predominately occupied with grand 

 fir, Douglas-fir, western larch, and lodgepole 

 pine, with a scattered representation of west- 

 em red cedar, subalpine fir, western white 

 pine, and western hemlock. 



Stand structures and the variability of tree size 

 classes have been heavily influenced by past 

 natural disturbances, fire suppression, and 

 harvest treatments. Insect and disease condi- 

 tions in the forest include stem decays (prima- 

 rily in grand fir, but associated with all other 

 tree species) and root diseases (primarily in 

 Douglas-fir, grand fir, and subalpine fir). 

 Mountain pine beetle mortality is still occur- 

 ring, but has slowed considerably since the 

 epidemic of the 1980s. There is a range of other 

 stem decays, root diseases, insects, and foliar 

 pathogens present within the project area, all 

 of which influence the variability of the stand 

 structures and size classes represented in the 

 project area. 



Chapter III: Affected Environment 



-:iim: 



