ASHLEY LAKE UNIT PRESCRIPTION 



Sale Name: Ashley Lake Unit Number(s): 2 



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



Elevation: 4,400 (4,200-4,600) Slope: 29% ( 1 0-40%) Aspect: SE 



Habitat types: ABLA/LIBO, PSME/PHMA, PSME/LIBO Acres: 148 



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 is a single storied stand of Douglas-fu- (64%), western larch (25%) 

 with minor amounts of lodgepole pine (10%) and scattered ponderosa pine (1%). The overstory averages 100 trees 

 per acre with an average age of 190 years old (range of ages from 75 to 275 years old). Growth rates are generally 

 declining in the overstory with a 10 year growth rate at 6/20ths of an inch. Stocking is fairly uniform throughout 

 with small breaks in the canopy throughout. Minor insect and disease problems can be found in the stand. The past 

 several years have seen an increase in number of trees killed from the Douglas-fn bark beetles but numbers are 

 holding steady to declining. Scattered dwarf mistletoe infection is present in the Douglas-fn. Understory is scattered 

 and clumpy in distribution consisting of approximately 600 Douglas-fir. Western larch is found mostly adjacent to 

 existing roads and older skid trails. Regeneration is limited due to extensive coverage of pinegrass. 



Treatment Objectives: 



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



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

 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. 



5. Retain 10 trees per acre in Stand 1 1 to maintain old growth classification. 



Prescribed Treatment: SEED TREE 



Harvest method: Ground based harvest unit. Slopes average 29% in the unit. Existing skid trails shall be used 

 wherever possible and feasible. A skidding plan will need to be approved prior to felling activities. Protection 

 of soil productivity will be maintained by retaining 10-15 tons of slash per acre. This will be accomplished 

 through return skidding of slash. Retention of clumps of small diameter trees adjacent to the main road will 

 provide hiding cover. Existing spur roads will be closed after harvest. Harvest will remove dominant and co- 

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

 ponderosa pine will be favored as leave trees over 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. State crews will bum. 



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

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



