Appendix W 

 Happy Valley Wildlife 



Direct and Indirect Effects 



No-Action Alternative 



No direct impacts are anticipated under the No Action Alternative. Remaining shade-intolerant 

 trees would continue to grow and die over time, providing nesting and foraging habitats. As these 

 trees die, the stands would gradually become dominated by Douglas-fir unless disturbance 

 influences the stands, allowing for regeneration of these shade-intolerant species. Therefore, a 

 reduction in suitable nesting trees is likely over time. Pileated woodpeckers t>pically do not nest in 

 Douglas-fir; however they will forage on the boles of Douglas-fir. Under the No Action 

 Alternative, stands once dominated by western larch and Douglas-fir would continue to be 

 converted to Douglas-fir stands through succession, become densely stocked, and exist at high risk 

 to insects, disease and stand-replacement fire. Thus, habitat sustainability and quality for pileated 

 woodpeckers would then decline over time. 



Action Alternative 



Pileated woodpeckers tend to be tolerant of human activities (Bull and Jackson 1995), but might be 

 temporarily displaced by proposed harvesting. Elements of forest structure important for nesting 

 pileated woodpeckers would be retained, including snags (limited numbers that exist, outside the 

 Special Operating Area), coarse woody debris, and some shade-intolerant trees. After the proposed 

 har\est, 430 acres of more open stands of western larch, Douglas-fir, and scattered ponderosa pine 

 would probably be too open to be considered preferred pileated foraging habitat, and development 

 of suitable nesting habitat would be further delayed with the increased tree spacing and decreased 

 canopy cover. Pileated woodpecker use of the state parcel is expected to decline with the proposed 

 activities that would remove canopy co\er and foraging substrates. Under this alternative, stands 

 expected to mature into suitable pileated woodpecker nesting habitat in the near-term would be 

 harvested. However, as a more uneven-aged stand develops. qualit>' of foraging and nesting 

 habitats for pileated woodpeckers are expected to improve over the next several decades. This 

 more open stand should also lead to the recruitment of shade-intolerant western larch that could 

 benefit pileated woodpeckers in the future by providing nesting, roosting, and foraging substrates. 

 Short-term habitat suitability would be reduced while the stand is more open, but long-term use is 

 more probable given the silvicultural prescriptions improving habitat sustainability through time. 



Cumulative Effects 



No-Action Alternative 



Under the No Action Alternative, habitats on the state parcel would continue to grow and die over 

 time, providing nesting and foraging habitats. Through time, the increased representation of 

 Douglas-fir in the stands would reduce nesting substrates for pileated woodpeckers. Habitats on 

 adjacent small woodlots to the east have been partially harvested through a combination of 

 thinning and shelterwood cutting methods, which has opened up the stands to a point that 

 appreciable pileated woodpecker use is unlikely. Woodlots to the south of the proposed project 

 area would, if unmanaged, likely continue along the path of aging and cover t>pe con\ersion 

 similar to the stands on the state parcel. Large areas of non-forested habitats such as agricultural 

 areas, pastures, house-lots, and other openings exist in the analysis area to the east and south of 

 these small woodlots. Pileated woodpecker habitat does not exist in these non-forested habitats 

 and these parcels are not expected to develop attributes necessary for pileated woodpecker use in 

 the short-or long-term. Housing subdivisions to the north and west of the proposed project area 

 have eliminated some of the pileated woodpecker habitats within these areas. Further east across 

 highway 93, contiguous blocks of forested habitat exist, which may be used by pileated 

 woodpeckers using the state section as well. In the near-term, the analysis area would likely 

 continue providing nesting and foraging habitats for a pair of pileated woodpeckers. The 

 encroachment of housing subdivisions and associated development likely limits present and future 

 uses of these areas. No planned changes in access management are planned with this alternative. 



W-8 



