tionalized ownership patterns can limit and 

 have limited the State's management oppor- 

 timities. Additionally, it is reasonable to 

 assume that the highest and best use of land 

 would change over time. For example, the 

 State lease sites developed as cabinsites may 

 be best suited for the location of a golf 

 course, shopping mail, bed and breakfast, or 

 some other commercial development in the 

 future. Disposing of scattered sites within 

 and near subdivisions would limit future 

 developments. 



JOBS AND INCOME 



NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE 



There wotild be no jobs related to harvesting 

 timber from this project, but there may be 

 related timber jobs due to harvesting because 

 of the natural events (fire, blowdown, etc.) that 

 could occur after the No- Action Alternative is 

 selected. 



ACTION ALTERNATIVES A AND B 



The impacts on local communities are esti- 

 mated by quantifying the jobs aiid income 

 associated with harvesting and processing the 

 timber into final products. Regional response 

 coefficients estimated for northwestern Mon- 

 tana indicate that timber harvesting provides 

 10.58 direct jobs per MMBF; a total direct 

 income of $337,146 (Keegan et al.) for an 

 average amiual income of $31,866.35 per job. 



It is important to note that the response coeffi- 

 cients are an accounting of what has 

 happened historically. These response 

 coefficients are average values, not 

 marginal values. To say the consequence 

 of not selling this sale would result in 

 the loss of XX amount of jobs and YYY 

 amount of income may not be correct. A 

 marginal analysis would have to be 

 done in order to be more certain that 

 there would be a reduction in income 

 and employment. Lack of a marginal 

 analysis and the use of average numbers 

 commonly result in overestimation of 

 the total economic effects (Godfrey and 

 Beutler 1993). 



VISUALS 



Visual effects from the proposed timber-harvest- 

 ing and road-building activities are character- 

 ized from the viewpoints described in Chapter 

 III for both action alternatives. Computer 

 simulations of the effects will be presented as a 

 visual aid in Figures IV-2 and IV-3. 



NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE 



Views from the scenic viewpoints would not 

 change on State ownership in the near future, 

 excluding natural events such as wildfire, blown 

 down timber, insect outbreaks, and disease- 

 related mortality. 



Some segments of existing roads may receive 

 maintenance brushing, which would increase 

 visibility around curves aiid into forested 

 stands; other segments may not. As trees 

 continue to grow along the unmaintained 

 roadside segments, views into the adjacent 

 forest stands would be more limited. 



ACTION ALTERNATIVES A AND B 



Areas with potential views of the proposal area 

 were evaluated based upon the expected results 

 of the harvest prescription and final road loca- 

 tions in relation to the topography, aspect, slope 

 position, and existing vegetation. 



With the aid of computerized simulations, the 

 view from the north shoreline of Beaver Lake 

 would look similar to Figure IV-2. The topogra- 

 phy and tree heights on the south shore of the 



Chapter IV: Environmental Consequences 



