■" rust infections may be required if 

 rust levels are high when the 

 trees are still young. Retention 

 of various numbers of natural , 

 mature, seed-bearing western white 

 pine is encouraged in order to 

 maintain genetic diversity of the 

 species {Schwandt and Zack 1996) . 



> Douglas-fir barK beetle 



The Douglas-fir bark beetle is 

 currently active across Swan Rive'r 

 State Forest. The project area 

 has a high incidence of Douglas- 

 fir bark beetle in the areas 

 proposed for salvaging. In 

 general , stands that are at 

 highest risk to attack by the 

 Douglas- fir bark beetle are those 

 with: 



- a stand basal area greater than 

 250 square feet, 



- an average stand age greater 

 than 12 years, 



- an average Douglas-fir dbh over 

 14 inches, 



- a stand composition greater than 

 50 percent Douglas-fir (USDA 

 Forest Service 1999) , and 



- stands with recent Douglas -fir 

 and western larch blowdown. 



Due to age, stocking levels, and 

 recent blowdown, the Douglas -fir 

 within most of the proposed 

 harvest areas on the Big Blowdown 

 Salvage Project area are at high 

 risk of Douglas-fir bark beetle 

 attack. Higher populations of 

 Douglas- fir bark beetles tend to 

 exist in fresh blowdown, fire- 

 killed trees, or live trees within 

 and around pockets of root 

 disease. Management of Douglas- 

 fir bark beetles should 

 concentrate on the removal of 

 wind-thrown Douglas-fir and the 

 salvage of newly attacked trees 

 before adult beetles can emerge 

 {Livingston 1999; Schmitz and 

 Gibson 1996) . Valuable Douglas - 

 fir (those in and around 

 campgrounds, for example) that are 

 considered to be at high risk of 

 attack can be protected by use of 



the Douglas-fir bark beetle 

 antiaggregant pheromone 3- 

 methylcyclohex-2-en-l-one (MCH) 

 {Ross et al. 2001) . 



In 1999, numerous pockets of 

 infestations were located within 

 the analysis area. Each spring 

 following the flight of the 

 beetle, reconnaissance surveys 

 were conducted by DNRC foresters ; 

 to determine the extent of the 

 infestations. The Douglas-fir 

 bark beetle has caused heavy 

 Douglas -fir mortality on an *'* 

 estimated 2,500 acres. The Swan 

 River State Forest timber permit 

 program allowed for the salvage 

 harvesting of approximately 2 ^4MBF 

 of sawlogs in 1999, 600 thousand 

 board feet (MBF) in 2000, 500 MBF 

 in 2001, and 600 MBF in 2002. 



Direct and Indirect Impacts to 

 Forest Insects and Diseases 



* Direct and Indirect Impacts qfthe JVo^ction 

 Mtemative to Forest Insects andlHseases 



Sawlog volume would continue to be 

 lost from the project area due to 

 insect and disease effects, 

 especially from Douglas- fir bark 

 beetles in inaccessible stands 

 with large trees . Salvage logging 

 would continue where stands are 

 accessible without building roads. 



School trusts may lose long-term 

 revenue due to: 



- the slowly increasing mortality 

 rates and increased sawlog 

 defect that are caused by a slow 

 increase in incidences of 

 blister rust and bark beetles 

 and 



- the reduced growth rates as old- 

 growth stands continue to age 

 and defects increase. 



• Direct and Indirect Impacts qfthe taction 

 Jlltemative to Forest Insects and Diseases 



The salvage treatments would 

 remove dead and dying trees 

 affected by insects and diseases. 

 Snags meeting DNRC density 

 guidelines would be retained. 



Big Blowdown Salvage 



Page C-13 



