control quantity of dust if operations are active during droughty conditions. Any burning would be accomplished 

 in accordance with State Air Quality regulations. 



7. VEGETATION COVER, QUANTITY AND QUALITY: 



What changes would the action cause to vegetative communities? Consider rare plants or cover types that would be 



affected. Identify cumulative effects to vegetation. 

 No rare plants or cover types were identified within the project area. The existing Douglas-fir/western larch 

 forest community would be maintained, although stand characteristics would be altered. 160 acres would be 

 treated with a modified seedtree cut, and 283 acres would be treated with individual and group selection cut. 

 Canopy closures, number of stems per acre, and proportion of Douglas -fir would be reduced. Existing timber 

 stands do not meet the age and size criteria for old growth, and harvesting under the action altemative does not 

 reduce the potential for old growth development in the long term. Reduced tree density would improve individual 

 tree growth promoting development of larger diameter trees in the future, and improving stand resistance to 

 insect and disease. Snags are rare (0-1 /acre) in the existing stands. The action alternative would leave snags 

 or snag replacement trees (a minimum of 2/acre) on harvest acres that are more than 200 feet away from 

 residential property or county roads. Refer to Appendix D, Vegetative report for more detail. 



8. TERRESTRIAL, AVIAN AND AQUATIC LIFE AND HABITATS: 



Consider substantial habitat values and use of the area by wildlife, birds or fish. Identify cumulative effects to fish and 



wildlife. 

 There are no fish bearing streams on site and flow from the project area does not contribute to any fish bearing 

 streams. The closed canopy stands currently provide 359 acres of habitat for "forest interior species. 

 Harvesting would reduce tree density and open up the tree canopy, providing 359 acres of habitat favorable to 

 wildlife species preferring more open habitats. These open habitats were more prevalent historically, under 

 natural disturbance regimes. The project area is part of a big game winter range (0.4% of larger winter range) 

 and thermal cover would be reduced after harvest. Elk are not known to frequent the area, but white-tailed deer 

 are present year round. Winter survival of white-tailed deer may be slightly reduced in the short term, in the 

 case of a severe winter, prior to tree crown development and increasing canopy closure. The action alternative 

 would retain pockets of dense vegetation for thermal cover/snow intercept within the harvest units, and reduce 

 the amount of open roads traversing state owned land in the project area. Refer to Appendix W, Wildlife report 

 for more detail. 



9. UNIQUE, ENDANGERED, FRAGILE OR LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES: 



Consider any federally listed threatened or endangered species or habitat identified in the project area. Determine 

 effects to wetlands. Consider Sensitive Species or Species of special concern. Identify cumulative effects to these 

 species and their habitat. 

 The existing environment does not provide favorable habitat for any federally listed threatened or endangered 

 species. DNRC recognizes the pileated woodpecker as a sensitive species, and current timber stand conditions 

 may provide foraging and low quality nesting habitat. The action alternative would reduce canopy closure; 

 promote development of large diameter western larch; and retain snags or live trees for snag replacement. Due 

 to the openness of the stands after harvest, nesting habitat suitability may be reduced. In the long term, 

 pileated woodpecker habitat is expected to improve and be more sustainable as the canopy closes and western 

 larch is retained as a proportion of the species composition -thus providing more favorable nesting sites in the 

 future. Mitigation measures included in the action altemative include: favoring western larch for leave trees and 

 for regeneration; restrict motorized access to protect snags and snag replacement trees from loss; leave snags, 

 snag recruits, and coarse woody debris on site. Refer to Appendix W, Wildlife report for more detail. 



10. HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES: 



Identify and determine effects to historical, archaeological or paleontological resources. 



A review of state cultural and historical resource records identified a lack of these resources in the project area. 

 No further investigation or survey was required due to the lack of discovery of any of these resources during 

 past management activities. 



