The Action Alternative includes adjustments, mitigations, and activities to address 

 concerns expressed by the public and others, including, but not limited to: 



a. Silvicultural treatments will remove trees infected with bark beetles and 

 dwarf mistletoe; retain western larch and western white pine in the 

 overstory; reduce overcrowded stand densities; and promote establishment 

 of western larch and western white pine in the understory, effectively 

 maintaining or improving the growth and vigor of the forest stands. 



b. Skyline (cable) yarding wiU be utilized to harvest steeper slopes on 

 approximately 232 acres. Prescribed burning will be utihzed on steeper 

 slopes for disposing of logging slash and preparing sites for regeneration. 

 AppUcable Best Management Practices and the Streamside Management 

 Zone law requirements will be apphed to protect water quality and 

 minimize impacts to soil and site productivity. 



c. No harvest will occur on 432 acres of the project area, retaining closed 

 canopied forest stand conditions on approximately 50% of the project area. 

 In addition, no harvest will occur within 50 feet of streams adjacent to or 

 within harvest unit boimdaries, to provide for wildlife cover and travel. 



d. An adequate number of trees or snags will be retained in the project area to 

 provide for snag recruitment and down woody debris as important wildlife 

 habitat components. 



SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACTS 



I find that none of the project impacts are regarded as severe, enduring, geographically 

 widespread, or frequent. Further, I find that the quantity and quality of various resources, 

 including any that may be considered unique or fragile, will not be adversely affected to a 

 significant degree. I find no precedent for future actions that would cause significant 

 impacts, and I find no conflict with local. State, or Federal laws, requirements, or formal 

 plans. In surrunary, I find that the identified adverse impacts will be avoided, controlled, or 

 mitigated by the design of the project to an extent that they are not sigiiificant. 



• VEGETATION: Old growth stands or sensitive plant species or communities were not 



identified on state land in the project area. 35 acres of an over represented cover type 

 will be converted to the under represented and more site appropriate western 

 larch/ Douglas-fir cover type. As a result of reducing stand densities and favoring serai 

 tree species for retention or regeneration, stand conditions will be more favorable for 

 maintaining the current and appropriate western larch/ Douglas-fir cover type on 

 approximately 252 acres (30% of the project area). The seedtree removal cut wiU convert 

 97 acres from the 100 - 149 years old age class to the 0-39 years old age class, which is 

 currently not represented on state land, but well represented on surrounding lands. 

 Stand conditions on 311 acres, after harvest, wiU be less susceptible to bark beetle 

 infestations and dwarf mistletoe infection. Although mortahty from root disease may 

 increase immediately adjacent to existing pockets, assuring regeneration of less 

 susceptible species, such as western larch should decrease susceptibility and mortahty 

 in future stands. 



• NOXIOUS WEEDS: Heavy equipment used for sale activities will be washed prior to 



being brought on site; disturbed areas wiU be seeded with a native grass seed mix 

 concurrently with disturbance. Site-specific herbicide spraying would occur based on 

 current and future monitoring and assessments. 



• SOILS: New road construction would remove an additional 8 acres from the forest 



