15 



the Six Rivers National Forest. The heavy blowdown and breakage across entire 

 hillsides has created a critical fuels situation with extremely high potential for cata- 

 strophic damage due to wildfires. 



Since snow melt in June, efforts have been moving forward to reduce the potential 

 hazard through the use of the timber sale process. Most of the damaged material 

 is white fir. Due to the rapid deterioration of this species, the proposed timber sales 

 need to be completed before the value of this material is lost. If the merchantable 

 material is not slash treatment and BD collections would be lost. 



The NEPA process us well underway. The public has been involved through let- 

 ters, news articles, a public meeting, and field trips. Local tribal governments have 

 been consulted, as well as tribal religious leaders. Biologists from the National Ma- 

 rine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have visited the areas 

 and strongly support the need for immediate action. 



No new permanent road construction is proposed. Temporary roads would be kept 

 to a minimum, and closed after project completion. The material to be removed is 

 blowdown and damaged trees that exceed Land Management Plan Standards for 

 snags and logs. Green trees would only be removed if needed for access (temp roads, 

 skyline corridors, etc.) Special prescriptions designed to achieve all Aquatic Con- 

 servation Strategy objectives have been developed for riparian areas. 



Approximately half of the areas proposed for treatment is located in released 

 roadless areas which have been identified in the Forest Plan as having retained 

 their roadless character. Under the Secretary's direction of July 2, 1996, no salvage 

 sales in inventoried roadless areas may go forward under the Salvage Legislation 

 unless the trees are "imminently susceptible to fire", and near local communities or 

 occupied structures. The closest communities to proposed project areas are the 

 towns of Denny and Orleans, each of which is located approximately three air miles 

 away. By limiting fuels treatment to roaded areas only, the Secretary's direction se- 

 verely limits our ability to reduce the extreme fire risk to the entire affected area. 



FUEL LOADING AND FIRE RISK 



The majority of the affected area is composed of natural, untreated stands be- 

 tween 80 and 120 years of age. These stands originated from fires occurring between 

 1870 and 1910. Stand density typical of these relatively young age classes has cre- 

 ated competition induced mortality, which produces high levels of naturally-gen- 

 erated ground litter. Prior to the Wind event, expected fire behavior would have 

 been a low, creeping ground fire with increasing intensity in fuel concentrations. Be- 

 cause white fir is easily damaged by fire, there would likely be high levels of mortal- 

 ity in the event of a large fire. Fires of this nature have traditionally been fought 

 with high levels of success. Total number or acres damaged would remain relatively 

 low. Under these average burning conditions, riparian areas would normally have 

 reduced fire damage because of higher levels of fuel moisture and humidity. 



Fuel Models are used to classify vegetation types for purposes of fire behavior 

 analysis. Prior to the storms, fuel configuration would be classified at 60% closed 

 timber litter, 30% timber litter and understory and 108% other. Due to the addi- 

 tional fuel loading caused by the wind event, the stands currently are classified as 

 heavy logging slash. The tops, limbs, chunks, and merchantable material resulting 

 from the wind storm contribute to the total fuel loading, which is currently in the 

 hundreds of tons per acre. 



The larger fuels (which would be removed under a timber sale), contribute to the 

 intensity of a fire, while the fine fuels contribute to the rate of spread. This com- 

 bination will result in extreme behavior and catastrophic effects in the event of an 

 unplanned ignition. Suppression strategists will be severely hampered and stand re- 

 placing fires would occur over extensive areas. Potential fire size would be in the 

 tens of thousands of acres burned. Smoke emissions die to the tremendous fuel load- 

 ing could cause severe health impacts to residents of local communities downwind. 

 Riparian areas would also be consumed under these extreme conditions. If fuel 

 treatment does not occur, risk to these stands will continue at the current level for 

 about three years. After three years, rates of spread should decrease, but intensity 

 levels will remain. 



Based on historical records, the wind damaged areas of the forest have a very 

 high potential of receiving lightning activity. Since 1911, within the affected area 

 of just the Lower Trinity Range District there have been 166 documented fires; 83 

 percent have been lightning caused. The smaller affected area on the Orleans Rang- 

 er District shows 70 percent of the 44 recorded fires as lightning caused. Several 

 fired within and adjacent to the affected areas. The potential for much larger fires 

 has increased dramatically due to the higher fuel loadings from the blowdown. 



