24. OTHER APPROPRIATE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES: 



Estimate the return to the trust. Include appropriate economic analysis. Identify potential future uses for the analysis 

 area other than existing management. Identify cumulative economic and social effects likely to occur as a result of the 

 proposed action. 



The proposed timber sale would return approximately $450,000 to the trust based on the assumption that 3,000 

 MBF would be harvested for a stumpage value of $150/MBF. The potential exists for the residential 

 development of the tract through leasing or sale. Residential development is speculative at this time and may 

 be an additive revenue generating use to these lands or may be an exclusive future use. The proposed action 

 would not detract from this future potential use. 



EA Checklist 

 Prepared By: 



Name: Terry Thorpe; Date: November 24, 2003 



Title: NWLO Small Sales and Forest Products Accountability Specialist 



V. FINDING 



25. ALTERNATIVE SELECTED: 



The interdisciplinary team has completed the Environmental Assessment for the Happy Valley Timber Sale. In 

 the development of this EA 2 alternatives were considered, Action and No Action. These two alternatives were 

 evaluated on their ability to meet the mandate of managing school trust lands to generate revenue for the trusts' 

 benefit, and the more site specific objectives of maintaining and restoring forest health, promoting historic stand 

 conditions and species composition, and reducing fuels in stands adjacent to residential property. 



After a thorough review of the EA, project file, public correspondence. Department policies, standards, 

 guidelines, I have selected the action alternative for implementation on this project. 



I have selected the Action Alternative for implementation with the understanding that resource mitigation 

 measures identified in the Environmental Assessment will be applied to meet the intended protection. 



The Action Alternative has been selected for the following reasons: 



1 ) The Action Alternative meets the Purpose of Action and the specific project objectives listed on page 1 

 of the EA. 



2) DNRC is required to administer these lands to produce the largest measure of reasonable and 

 legitimate long-term return for beneficiaries (Montana Codes Annotated 77-1-202). DNRC meets this 

 obligation by managing intensively for healthy and biologically diverse forests. 



3) The Action Alternative includes adjustments, mitigations, and activities to address concerns expressed 

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



a) Potential adverse effects of harvest on avian species in the project area will be mitigated by 

 favoring western larch for leave trees (snag recruitment), restricting motorized access to protect 

 snags and snag replacements from loss, and leaving snags, and course woody debris on site. 



b) Road dust was also identified as a concern, and while this would be short term and intermittent, 

 dust abatement may be used to mitigate this impact if necessary. 



c) Concerns over the specifications in the silvicultural prescription will be addressed by tailoring 

 prescriptions to result in conditions similar to the areas harvested under the Flathead Forestry 

 Project, and the Happy valley Fuels Management Project. 



d) Some existing roads within the project area will be closed to motorized traffic for resource 

 protection reasons. DNRC will make efforts to keep access open for general recreation as 

 defined in "Rules for Recreational Use of State Land" where possible. 



'iOC'j 



