"is variable, depending on location, 

 and ranges from 5 to several hundred 

 acres. In the project area, stand 

 sizes reflect both past harvesting 

 and large fires that burned prior to 

 European settlement . 



Direct and Indirect Impacts to 

 Fragmentation 



• Direct and Indirect Impaetg oftlie JVthvlction 

 Mtemative to Fragmentation 



Concentrated mortality and 

 blowdown have created some small 

 1- to 2 -acre openings. Timber 

 harvesting on adjacent ownerships 

 and forest fires would continue 

 to change existing patterns and 

 edges associated with forest 

 patch size and shape. 



• Direct and Indirect Impacts qfthe Jlclion 

 Mtemative to Fragmentation 



Only 8 or 9 trees per acre would 

 be removed with this project; 

 therefore, no change is 

 anticipated to existing patterns 

 and edges associated with forest 

 patch size and shape. 



Cumulative Impacts to Fragmentation 



• Direct and Indirect Impacts of the .Action 

 Mtemative to Fragmentation 



Timber harvesting on DNRC and 

 adjacent ownerships and forest 

 fires would continually change 

 existing patterns and edges 

 associated with forest patch size 

 and shape. 



OLD GROWTH 



Current Situation and Distribution 

 o£ Old Growth 



DNRC is enjoined from harvesting in 

 old-growth stands on timber sales 

 that were named in Judge Sherlock's 

 ruling. The Department is also 

 enjoined from using the 1998 

 biodiversity guidance for developing 

 new timber sale projects. 

 Administrative rules have been 

 developed and finalized for DNRC s 

 old-growth management . The SFLMP 

 was used to develop this CEA, 

 including old-growth management. 



DNRC defines old growth based on the 

 number and size of large trees 

 according to the minimums proposed 

 by Green et al (1992) . The SLI 

 provides the data for labeling 

 stands as old growth. At the 

 project level, stands identified as 

 old growth through the SLI are 

 verified through additional field 

 reconnaissance, including the 

 collection of plot-level data. A 

 representation of old-growth stands 

 within the project area where 

 salvaging is proposed is 

 demonstrated in FIGURE C-1 - STANDS 

 THAT MEET THE GREEN ET AL DEFINITION 

 FOR OLD GROWTH. 



Several approaches to estimating 

 historic, or naturally occurring, 

 old-growth amounts have been 

 explored. Previous efforts to 

 estimate amounts of old growth that 

 historically occupied the landscape 

 in Swan Valley include: 



• The FNF Plan Amendment 21 (1998) 

 estimated 2 9 percent of the 

 Flathead Basin was occupied by 

 late serai age classes. This 

 estimate was interpreted from a 

 timber survey done in 1898 and 

 1899 by H.G. Ayres. 



• Lesica (1996), in an effort to use 

 fire history to estimate the 

 proportions of old-growth forests 

 in Swan Valley, estimated that 

 approximately 52 percent of the 

 area was occupied by stands that 

 were 180 years or older. 



• Using covertype conditions and 

 historical data from the 1930s, 

 summarized by Lozensky (1997), an 

 estimated 2 9 percent of the 

 forested acres on Swan River State 

 Forest would have historic 

 conditions occupied by old growth 

 (SOUTH FORK LOST CREEK SEIS, 1998) 



• Hart (1989) indicated that 

 approximately 48 percent of the 

 area contained in the 1930s stand 

 data for Seeley and Swan valleys 

 had forests with a significant 

 component of trees older than 200 - 

 years . 



Big Blowdown Salvage 



Page C-7 



