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The brood trees of the Douglas-fir bark beetle would not be removed. Covertypes would quickly 

 shift as overstory Douglas-fir trees die from continued bark beetle activity and are replaced by 

 other species, primarily grand fir. In the short term, the stand would become more open as 

 trees are harvested under potential future salvage projects or as they die and fall. Over the long 

 term, the stand would fill in with the shade-tolerant species that are already growing. 



As beetle-infested trees die and the younger shade-tolerant trees begin to move into the 

 dominant class, the age class of the stand would change to that of a younger stand. 



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Because Douglas-fir, a dominant overstory species, are being attacked by Douglas-fir bark 

 beetles in the project area, the stand composition would change. Some portions of the project 

 area would become predominantly grand fir, others would regenerate to serai species that may 

 take advantage of the small openings created during salvage operations. These openings 

 would be created significantly sooner and be relatively larger than if they were generated 

 naturally. Combined with soil disturbance and removal of a majority of the large woody debris, 

 the openings would significantly increase the opportunity for serai species to regenerate. 



The stand's age class would change to that of a younger stand as beetle-infested trees die and 

 the current understory of younger shade-tolerant trees begin to move into the dominant class. 

 The natural regeneration of the salvaged areas would also reduce the stand age class. The 

 removal of brood trees, however, would allow more of the unaffected large older trees to 

 survive, thus, moderating the change in age classes for the affected stands. 



FRAGMENTATION 



Existing Condition 



Swan River State Forest lands and adjoining properties display a pattern of fire-generated stands 

 overlain by human-generated stands of harvest units and land clearing. The Swan River State 

 Forest's Stand-Level Inventory (SLI) database shows that timber stands are delineated along natural 

 and human-generated boundaries. The natural boundaries fall along edges of moisture regimes, 

 age classes, soil types, topographic features, and fire influences that created visible differences in 

 timber-stand characteristics. The human-generated boundaries follow property, natural, and past- 

 harvest boundaries. Stand size is highly variable. 



Direct and Indirect Effects 



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Forest fires and timber harvesting on adjacent ownerships would continue to change existing 

 patterns and edges associated with forest patch size and shape. 



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Existing patterns and edges associated with forest patch size and shape would not change 

 except through forest management on adjacent ownerships or wildfires. Stand boundaries 

 would not change. This is due to stand composition density and structure not being significantly 

 altered enough to create a fragmented stand. 



Cumulative Effects 



Forest fires and timber harvesting on DNRC-managed lands and adjacent ownerships would 

 continually change existing patterns and edges associated with forest patch size and shape. 



Cilly Bug Salvage Timber Sale Project Page CEA-13 



