The proposed project is not expected to 

 reduce canopy cover over what is expected 

 under the No-Action Alternative. The 

 proposed prescription could reduce mortality 

 in these stands, thereby preserving canopy 

 cover over the No-Action Alternative. 

 Removing deadwood used by fishers and 

 their prey v\/ould occur over approximately 89 

 acres. The proposed harvest prescription 

 and mitigations attempt to retain snags and 

 downed wood throughout all the proposed 

 units, especially within 100 feet of perennial 

 streams, is expected to result in negligible 

 effects to fishers. 



• CumulatiiBe t^ffecbt qftiie JVo-wJction 

 Mtematiee to Pidier» 



Under the No-Action Alternative, additional 

 deadwood material would be accumulated in 

 the area. 



• Cumulative B^ffecbt qftlietlction ^tlternatice 

 to Pi«lier» 



This project would further reduce deadwood 

 structure for fisher habitat. The Goat 

 Squeezer Timber Sale Project is expected to 

 reduce fisher habitat quality and quantity. In 

 these projects, deadwood material would be 

 retained, especially around perennial 

 streams. Therefore, the total reduction in 

 deadwood structure is not expected to 

 substantially affect fishers; therefore, minor 

 cumulative effects are expected. 



> PILEATED WOODPECKERS 



Pileated woodpeckers are listed by DNRC as 

 sensitive and play an important ecological 

 role by excavating cavities that are used in 

 subsequent years by many other species of 

 birds and mammals. Pileated woodpeckers 

 excavate the largest cavities of any 

 woodpecker. Preferred nest trees are 

 western larch, ponderosa pine, cottonwood, 

 and quaking aspen, usually 20 inches DBH 

 and larger. Pileated woodpeckers primarily 

 eat carpenter ants, which inhabit large 

 downed logs, stumps, and snags. Aneyand 

 McClelland (1985) described pileated nesting 

 habitat as "stands of 50 to 100 contiguous 

 acres, generally below 5,000 feet in elevation, 

 with basal areas of 100 to 125 square feet 

 per acre, and a relatively closed canopy." 

 The feeding and nesting habitat requirements 

 include large snags or decayed trees for 



nesting and downed wood for feeding, which 

 closely tie these woodpeckers to mature 

 forests with late-successional characteristics. 

 The density of pileated woodpeckers is 

 positively correlated with the amount of dead 

 and/or dying wood in a stand {McClelland 

 1979). 



Potential pileated woodpecker nesting habitat 

 was identified by searching the SLI database 

 for old stands with basal areas of more than 

 100 square feet per acre, more than 40- 

 percent canopy cover, and below 5,000 feet 

 in elevation. Based on these parameters and 

 field reconnaissance, the project area 

 provides potential nesting habitat for pileated 

 woodpeckers in the proposed stands. These 

 acres are relatively connected to other 

 nesting stands. Younger-aged stands could 

 provide feeding or nesting habitat of lower 

 quality. 



Effects to Pileated Woodpeckers 



• Direct and Indirect ^ffectts of the J\o-, Iction 

 ,1lternatiee to IHIeated Woodpeckent 



No additional disturbance effects to pileated 

 woodpeckers would occur; therefore, no 

 additional direct effects are expected. 



In the near future, many of the large western 

 ■^ larch and Douglas-fir are expected to die and 

 contribute to the nesting and foraging habitat. 

 Douglas-fir snags could provide marginal 

 nesting structure in these stands due to the 

 relatively rapid decay of the sapwood {Parks 

 et al 1997). Under this alternative, a pulse of 

 snag recruitment is expected to increase the 

 amount of pileated feeding habitat. Over 

 time, these will deteriorate to the point that 

 they no longer provide feeding habitat. With 

 few live recruitment trees adding to the snag 

 component over time, nesting and feeding 

 habitat is expected to increase in the short- 

 term, but decrease in the distant future. In 

 the distant future, the smaller live trees would 

 ^ gain in size and provide large snag 



recruitment; however, these trees are shade- 

 tolerant species, which provide a more 

 inferior nesting structure than shade- 

 intolerant species. 



Cilly Bug Salvage Timber Sale Project 



Page C-9 



