Older trees and snags showing signs of rot, broken tops, 

 nesting use etc. would be retained as much as possible. 

 Human safety during the harvesting process dictates that some 

 of these must be felled by equipment before people can work 

 on-the-ground near those locations. This is an OSHA 

 requirement . 



In areas of merchantable sized trees, the tree stocking would 

 be reduced to a basal area of 35 to 80 square feet per acre. 

 In most areas probably closer to the low end of this range. 



Some dense pockets of submerchantable size trees are present 

 in these stands. To the extent possible, harvest operations 

 would be directed away from these areas to maintain some non- 

 uniformity to the post harvest stand. 



These proposed actions emphasize the treatments listed in the SFLMP 

 Implementation Guidance, as being favorable for maintenance of 

 Flammulated Owl Habitat, thus being a benefit for Flammulated Owls 

 from the existing condition. 



Pileated Woodpecker: 



The Gladstone Creek proposal area includes some stands with the 

 characteristics apparently preferred by Pileated Woodpeckers. 

 Pileated Woodpeckers have been observed in nearby drainages. 



The biodiversity evaluation for the Gladstone area completed in 

 March 1997 examined stand data on the state lands in Gladstone and 

 French Creeks. Pileated Woodpecker preferred habitat includes 

 mature conifer forests with a canopy dominated (in this area) by 

 Ponderosa pine, with representation by Douglas-fir. (They prefer 

 larch foremost, but larch is located mostly just west of the 

 Continental Divide in Montana.) The biodiversity evaluation 

 recorded 13 forest stands totaling 507 acres where the mature canopy 

 was currently dominated by Ponderosa Pine, with some Douglas-fir. 

 There are also small streamside patches of overmature Cottonwood 

 trees scattered along Gladstone and French Creeks. These stringers 

 are too small to be identified as individual stands, but do provide 

 potential Pileated habitat and a connective corridor up and down the 

 drainages . 



The 507 acres noted above includes proposed Unit 1 (portions of 

 stands 23-15-5-17; 26-15-5-6 and 26-15-5-llA) for 110 acres and 

 proposed Unit 7 (portion of stand 23-15-5-2) for 11 acres, for a 

 total of 121 acres proposed for treatment in potential Pileated 

 habitat . 



Overall, there are probably 1000-1500 acres of potential Filiated 

 habitat in the Gladstone & French Creek drainages when state and 

 private land are considered. Rough terrain limits the potential for 

 additional private logging in these drainages. Though some small 

 scale harvesting would probably be expected, we can expect most of 

 the habitat on the private lands to remain intact. 



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