n 



Water Quality- Alternative B: Harvest would improve the surface 

 drainage on existing roads. BMPs and the SMZ law will be strictly 

 adhered to during all operations involved with the implementation 

 of Alternative B: Harvest. 



Cumulative Watershed Effects- There are no perennial streams 

 within the project area. Increases in sediment yield are expected 

 to be negligible due to the area treated, location along the 

 landscape and mitigations designed to minimize erosion. 



Cold Water Fisheries-There are no documented fish bearing streams 

 draining the state sections within the proposed sale area. Due 

 to planning and associated mitigation, it is unlikely that the 

 proposed timber sale will affect large woody debris recruitment, 

 shade or in-stream temperature within nearby fish-bearing 

 streams . 



Air Quality-Any slash burning conducted as part of the Turah 

 Creek Timber Sale will be conducted in coordination with the 

 Montana/ Idaho Airshed group in order to ensure that ideal smoke 

 dispersion conditions exist prior to ignition and throughout the 

 duration of any burning operations. As a result, impacts to air 

 quality should be minor and short in duration. 



Noxious Weeds -Equipment will be cleaned prior to entering the 

 project area, which will reduce the likelihood of weed seeds 

 being introduced onto treated areas. The DNRC will monitor the 

 project area for two years after harvest and will use an 

 Integrated Weed Management strategy to control weed infestations 

 should they occur. 



Natural Forest Conditions -The proposed harvest operations will 

 begin the process of returning the timber stands within the 

 project area to those conditions that most likely existed on the 

 site{s) prior to organized fire suppression. 



Heavy Truck Traffic and Public Safety- With realignment and 

 widening of Cochise Drive, application of dust abatement if 

 hauling takes place during dry conditions and the requirement 

 that all loaded log trucks turn right when entering Highway 93 

 from Cochise Drive risks to the public safety should be minimal. 



Visual Quality- A harvest prescription that leaves 40-65 of the 

 largest trees per acre, minimizing the width of skyline corridors 

 and aligning them away from common viewpoints will result in a 

 minimal visual impact in the short term. The aesthetic quality 

 of the project area should improve in the long term as trees 

 remaining within treated stands increase in size and their crowns 

 expand . 



Economics- Alternative B: Harvest would provide approximately 

 $375, 000-$625, 000 in short-term revenue to the School Trust and 

 does not limit the DNRC's options for generating revenue from 

 these sites in the future. 



