ASHLEY LAKE UNIT PRESCRIPTION 



Sale Name: Ashley Lake Unit Number(s): 1 



Location -Section 36 TWP: 29N RGE: 24W 



Elevation: 4,500 (4,100-4,900) Slope: 21% (0-52%) Aspect: E 



Habitat type: ABLA/LIBO, ABGR/LIBO, PSME/SYAL, ABLA/MEFE Acres: 442 



Soils: Andeptic Cryoboralfs- Glacial till. Typic Eutroboralfs- Silty till. Soils have medium textured loess surface 

 layers influenced by volcanic ash. Subsoils contain 35-80 percent rock fragments. Lower slopes have clay 

 accumulations. 



Description of existing stand: Harvest unit consists of a single-storied stand of Douglas-fir (60%), westem larch 

 (20%), and alpine fir (15%). Scattered lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine and engelmann spruce also are present. The 

 overstory averages 140 trees per acre with an average age of 190 years old (range of 150 to 275 years in age). 

 Stocking is fairly uniform throughout with a few breaks in the canopy. Growth rates the last 1 years are 8/20ths of 

 an inch and declining. Understory is clumpy in distribution with seedlings/saplings being found mostly along the 

 existing roads and in old skid trails. Alpine fir and Douglas-fir are the dominant species in the understory 

 composition, with the westem larch found mostly adjacent to the roads and old landing areas that were burned during 

 past harvests. Heavy pinegrass in parts of the understory have prevented seedling establishment. There are a few 

 minor problems with insects and disease in the stand. Small attacks by the Douglas-fir bark beetle during the last 5 

 years have caused pockets of mortality. The beetle numbers appear to be endemic at this time but conditions exist 

 for future outbreaks. Minor amounts of dwarf mistletoe have been observed in the Douglas-fir but is not widespread 

 in the unit. The westem larch is generally healthy but the advanced regeneration is suffering from needle cast/blight 

 caused by overstocked conditions in the understory. 



Treatment Objectives: 



1. Remove shade tolerant species that have encroached upon historic westem larch cover types. 



2. Retain 10-20 trees per acre to provide a seed source for natural regeneration, favoring westem 

 larch. 



3. Protect soil productivity by minimizing soil displacement, compaction and erosion, and site productivity by 

 retaining 10-15 tons of down woody debris and fine fuels per acre after treatment. 



4. Retain and protect existing snags and promote recruitment of replacement snags. 



Prescribed Treatment: Seed Tree 



Harvest method: Ground based harvest unit. Slopes in unit average 21%. Harvest will use skid trails where 

 possible and feasible. A skidding plan will need to be approved prior to felling activities. Harvest will remove 

 dominant and co-dominant trees to open the canopy to provide for regeneration of serai species. Western larch, 

 Douglas-fir, and ponderosa pine will be favored as leave trees over alpine fir, grand fir and lodgepole pine. 



Hazard Reduction: Unit will be piled and burned. Piling will be done with either an excavator or dozer with 

 brush blade. Unit may be prescribed burned to accomplish site prep but depends upon the fuel loading after 

 harvest. Purchaser will pile landings and State crews will bum. 



Site Preparation: Prepare a seed bed for natural and planted westem larch. Site prep will be accomplished 

 through mechanical site prep or by burning if conditions are acceptable. 



Regeneration: Natural and planted regeneration. Plant westem larch on a 15 x 15 spacing with C-10 seedlings. 



