pine and western white pine. As 

 fire intervals become longer, the 

 more shade -tolerant species (grand 

 fir, subalpine fir, Ertgelmann 

 spruce, western hemlock, western red 

 cedar) begin to develop. The higher 

 elevations have longer periods 

 between fires within the forest; 

 these stands are multistoried with a 

 dominant shade -tolerant covertype. 

 Where periods of time between fires 

 were short, the stands are open and 

 single-storied, occasionally two- 

 storied. Fire suppression has begun 

 to change covertypes and fire 

 frequency. Stands of ponderosa 

 pine, western larch, and/or Douglas- 

 fir have become multistoried with 

 shade- tolerant species. Once open, 

 stands dominated by ponderosa pine 

 now have a thick understory of 

 Douglas-fir. Fires that occur are 

 generally kept small, limiting the 

 effects of natural fires. In stands 

 where fire intervals have been 

 lengthened, a larger-scale fire 

 would burn more intensely due to 

 ladder fuels and heavy fuel 

 accumulation 



Big Blowdown Project Area 



The project area is represented by 2 

 different fire regimes that are 

 classified as fire groups: Fire 

 Group 11 and Fire Group 9 (listed in 

 descending order of representation) . 



Typically, fires burned in the 

 project area at intervals of 30 

 years to as long as 200 years or 

 greater. The various fire intervals 

 and intensities created a mosaic in 

 the forest across the project area. 



Hazards and Risks In the Project 

 Area 



A potential loss of timber 

 resources, effects to watersheds, 

 and loss of property are among the 

 hazards and risks associated with 

 wildfires. Hazards in most mature 

 stands are at near-natural levels, 

 with moderate to high accumulations 

 of down and ladder fuels relative to 

 the high tree-stocking levels. Many 

 of the mature stands are approaching 



the upper end of the fire- free 

 interval of 2 00 years. This long 

 fire-free interval has allowed 

 continued encroachment of shade - 

 tolerant trees, down woody-debris 

 accumulations, and mortality- 

 increasing catastrophic fire risks. 



Much of the adjacent Plum Creek 

 Timber Company ownership has been 

 harvested in recent years; the 

 resulting stands have a low wildfire 

 risk due to light fuel loading. 



Direct and Indirect Impacts to Fire 

 Effects 



• Direct and Indirect Impacts qf the JVo->lcHon 

 ^Alternative to Fire Effects 



The hazards of wildfires would not 

 change substantially in the short 

 term. With continued accumulation 

 of fine fuels, snags, ladder 

 fuels, and dead-wood components, 

 the risk of a stand- replacement 

 fire would increase. 



• Direct and Indirect Impacts qfthe Action 

 Jlltemative to Fire Biffects 



The proposed salvage would remove 

 7 to 9 trees or 7 to 8 tons per 

 acre of large woody fuel material . 

 Treated areas would see a reduced 

 fire hazard. Pockets of dead and 

 dying trees would be removed, 

 which would reduce the chance for 

 a flare-up. Immediately following 

 the salvage harvesting, the amount 

 of fine, flashy fuels would 

 increase. Scattering slash, 

 cutting limbs and tops to lay low 

 to the ground to hasten 

 decomposition, and yarding to 

 landing piles and burning would 

 reduce fire hazards. 



Some postsalvage machine piling 

 and scarification would take place 

 in areas of concentrated blowdown 

 " and disease mortality just south 

 of Point Pleasant Campground and 

 north of the Soup Creek Road/ 

 Highway 83 intersection. Piling 

 would remove the down woody fuel 

 buildup in excess of 20 tons per 

 acre and promote the natural 



Big Blowdown Salvage 



Page C-11 



