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mountain goats, moose, bald eagles, blue grouse, 

 Vancouver Canada geese, woodpeckers, and a variety of 

 song birds (see summaries in Attachments H and I) . 

 Logging old-growth replaces diverse and productive 

 wildlife habitat with a patchwork of young clearcuts 

 and second-growth forests which are less valuable 

 habitat for many of the species listed above. During 

 winters of average to deep snow accumulation, clearcuts 

 fill up with snow and much of the food for herbivores 

 is unavailable. Once a clearcut closes over (at about 

 age 25 years) and is dominated by a dense conifer 

 stand, few green plants survive on the forest floor. 

 These second-growth forests, which persist from about 

 age 25 to over 100 year, are exceptionally poor habitat 

 for most wildlife species. 



3) Is the natural old-growth forest the best habitat for 

 all these species described in Question 2? If not, 

 which do not benefit? 



Old-growth provides optimal habitat for most of the 

 species described in Question 2 at some time of the 

 year. For example, old-growth is critical winter deer 

 habitat but may not be used substantially during the 

 summer. However, winter is the limiting season for 

 deer. Other species use a variety of habitats over 

 their annual life cycle but old-growth may provide an 

 important habitat during some portion of the year. For 

 example, bald eagles use old-growth nesting habitat. 

 Most nests occur in old-growth trees with an average 

 age of 4 00-500 years. Brown bears use riparian spruce 

 old-growth along the borders of salmon streams very 

 extensively during late summer and early fall but use 

 other habitats during other times of the year. 

 Biologists consider these spruce riparian stands to be 

 the highest value brown bear habitat in southeastern 

 Alaska. (Refer to summaries of wildlife-old-growth 

 relationships in Attachments H and I) . 



It is important to note that most research on wildlife- 

 old-growth relationships has been conducted in the last 

 decade. We still have much to learn and there are many 

 species yet to be studied. However, based on current 

 knowledge, it is clear that old-growth is extremely 

 valuable, and perhaps essential habitat, for many of 

 the species for which we have data. Old-growth is a 

 rare and valuable ecosystem, and one that is 

 irreplaceable on short 100 year rotations. From an 

 overall ecological and global biodiversity perspective, 

 it is the old-growth ecosystem within this largest of 

 the earth's temperate rain forests, rather than any 

 individual species, which is of greatest value. In 

 other words, the whole is much more important than the 

 individual parts. Trees can be regenerated over short 



