UNIT 

 # 



APPROXIMATE 



AREA 



(ACRES) 



CHANGES IN 

 AGE/CLASS 



CHANGES IN 

 COVER TYPE 





16 



169 



iiSi(«Biiifc» J-.--- ryiws^- 



Approximately 93% of the unit is 

 currently in the 40-to-99-year age 

 class and would be converted to the 

 O-to-39-year age class. 



Approximately 60% of the imit is 

 lodgepole pine cover type that wovild 

 convert to a western larch/Douglas-fir 

 cover type through prescribed 

 treatments. 



17 



39 



No change 



No change 



18 



28 



No change 



No change 



19 



10 



No change 



No change 



I PATCH CHARACTERISTICS 



NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE 



I Patch size w^ould remain the same over the 

 I short term. 



I ACTION ALTERNATIVES A AND B 



The mear\ patch size /cover type in the project 

 area would increase approximately 12 acres 

 over all cover types. The mean patch size by 

 age class in the project area would be reduced 

 by approximately 24 acres. These changes are 

 rather minor when viewed from a landscape 

 i level, as they are only occurring in the project 

 ' area. In general, it is believed that the average 

 patch size of timber stands has been reduced 

 by land-management activities in comparison 

 to historic conditions. Trying to retain natural 

 processes by moving towards historic condi- 

 tions would be one of the goals of land-man- 

 agement activities. 



A Patch shape would become slightly less irregu- 

 lar in the Beaver Lake area after the proposed 

 treatments. Some degree of irregularity is 

 desirable when trying to emulate natural 

 disturbances; however, too much irregularity 



tt can seriously reduce amounts of core interior 

 forest. A combination of laying out irregular 

 imit boundaries and retaining trees in clumps 

 along urut boundaries to create patches that 

 better emulate natural disturbance is pro- 

 posed. 



OLD GROWTH 



NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE 



• The amount of total old-growth stands on 

 Stillwater State Forest would remain the 

 same in the short term, with changes in the 

 cover type as plant succession continues. 



• The amount of large live trees in the old- 

 growth stands would likely stay the same 

 for the short term and decrease over time 

 through mortality. « « 



• The amount of large coarse woody mate- 

 rial on the ground in old-growth stands 

 should increase over time as more large- 

 tree mortality takes place. 



• The number of snags would increase over 

 time; however, snags would continue to be 

 lost to firewood cutters and natural distur- 

 bances. } j I 



• The combination of increased stocking 

 density, mortality, and overall stand age 

 should lead to a reduction in stand vigor 

 and an increase in the decadence of old 

 stands within the project area. 



ACTION ALTERNATIVES 

 AANDB 



OLD-GROWTH REPRESENTATION 



The proposed harvest treatments would not 



IV4 



Stillwater State Forest • Beaver Lake Timber Sale Project 



