FINDING 

 DEADMAN GULCH TIMBER SALE 



An interdisciplinary team (ID Team) has completed the Environmental 

 Assessment (EA) for the proposed Deadman Gulch Timber Sale prepared by 

 the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) . 

 After a review of the EA, project file, public correspondence. 

 Department policies, standards and guidelines, and the State Forest 

 Land Management Plan (SFLMP) , I have made the following decisions: 



1. ALTERNATIVE SELECTED 



Two alternatives were presented and the effects of each alternative 

 were fully analyzed in the EA: 



1. Alternative A: Deferred Harvest 



2. Alternative B: Harvest 



Alternative B: Harvest proposes to harvest approximately 1.5-2.5 MMBF 

 of timber on 645 acres. Alternative A: Deferred Harvest does not 

 include the harvest of any timber. 



For the following reasons, I have selected Alternative B: Harvest 

 without additional modifications: 



a) Alternative B: Harvest meets the Purpose of Action and the 

 specific project objectives as described on page 1-2 of the 

 EA. Alternative B: Harvest would produce an estimated 



$375, 000-$ 62 5, 000 return to the School Trust, while providing 

 a mechanism whereby the existing timber stands would be moved 

 towards conditions more like those, which existed 

 historically. 



b) The analysis of identified issues did not identify any reason 

 compelling the DNRC not to implement the timber sale. 



c) Alternative B: Harvest includes mitigation activities to 

 address environmental concerns identified during both the 

 Public Scoping phase and the project analysis. 



2. SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACTS 



For the following reasons, I find that Alternative B: Harvest will 

 not have significant impacts on the human environment: 



Soils- Harvest mitigation measures such as skid trail planning 

 and season of use limitations will limit the potential for severe 

 soil impacts. 



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