Happy Valley Timber Sale 

 Appendix D: Vegetative Analysis 



8. Happy Valley stand health and vigor 



Overall stand vigor and health is rated as "fair to good " for all stands on this parcel. The 

 Douglas fir is more vigorous than the western larch due to the effects of overstocking. Old 

 thinning of a portion of Stand 2 in the southeastern corner of Section 29 released the 

 remaining Douglas fir but had little or no affect on the western larch. Overall vigor is fair to 

 good for Douglas fir and fair for western larch. Armellaria spp. root disease was identified in 

 pockets of Douglas fir trees. Mortality ranges from several decades old to recent, and is 

 affecting individual trees of all size and age classes within these pockets. Douglas fir bark 

 beetles are attacking trees at increased levels for the last few years a may be indicative of 

 increasing tree stress resulting from several years of drought, dense stocking levels, and the 

 presence of root disease. 



9. Adjacent Lands general forest conditions 



Private residential subdivisions border this section on the north, east and west boundaries. 

 Private forested lands border the Happy Valley parcel to the south. The majority of the 

 forested acres within one mile of this parcel have been selectively harvested in the last few 

 decades and subdivided for residential development. The private forested lands to the south 

 have been managed for the production of forest products. Some agricultural land also exists 

 within a mile of the parcel. 



B. Sensitive, Threatened, and Endangered Plants - existing condition 



A review of the records from the Montana Natural Heritage Program for the Rose Crossing 

 topographic map quadrangle indicated no plant species of special concern identified within the 

 project area. 



C. Noxious Weeds - existing condition 



Flathead County and DNRC have a "Cooperative Integrated Noxious Weed Management 

 Agreement in compliance with the state law known as the County Weed Control Act (Section 7- 

 22-2151, MCA). An annual coordination meeting between the County Weed Control District and 

 DNRC allows for identification of weed problems; and determines an integrated approach at 

 managing and treating priority areas as related to county and DNRC weed control goals. 



At the landscape level, past activities have had a big impact on noxious weed populations. Land 

 use activities such as logging, road building, livestock grazing and recreation have led to 



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