ASHLEY LAKE UNIT PRESCRIPTION 



Sale Name: Ashley Lake Unit Number(s): 3 



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



Elevation: 4,100 Slope: 45%, (20-60%) Aspect: SW, NW 



Habitat type: ABLA/CLUN Acres: 38 



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

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

 accumulations. 



Description or existing stand: Single storied stand of Douglas-fir (64%), western larch (20%), Engelmann spruce 

 (8%) and Alpine fir (8%). The unit has scattered relict Douglas-fu- and western larch present. The overstory 

 averages 240 trees per acre with an average age of 195 (range of 1 10 to 300). Stocking is uniform throughout with a 

 few openings in the canopy created by bark beetle mortality. Understory is mostly alpine fu- and Douglas-fir and 

 clumpy in distribution averaging 1200 trees per acre. Heavy pinegrass in parts of the unit have prevented seedling 

 establishment. Tree growth and vigor is declining in the overstory with a 10 year growth rate of 5/20ths of an inch. 

 Minor insect and disease problems exist in the stand. Scattered pockets of mortality from the Douglas-fu- bark beetle 

 are present but numbers of beetle killed trees have been declining over the past couple of years. Heart rot is common 

 in the scattered large relict overstory Douglas-fir and western larch. 



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 greater than 21" to maintain old growth characteristics. 



Prescribed Treatment: SEED TREE 



Harvest method: Unit will be cable harvested using a running skyline to access timber on other side of 

 draw/canyon that bisects unit. Slopes on edge of draw/canyon average 50-60%. A temporary skid road will 

 need to be constructed along the break in slope on the west side of unit to facilitate skyline operation. The ten^ 

 road will be rehabbed after harvest. 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. Existing spur road will be closed 

 after harvest. Harvest will remove intermediate and suppressed and co-dominant trees to open the canopy. 

 Western larch, Douglas-fu^ will be favored as leave trees over alpine fu- and engelmann spruce. 



Hazard Reduction: Hazard reduction will be accomplished through whole tree harvesting. If hazard remains, 

 unit will be excavator piled and burned. Piling will be done with either an excavator or dozer. Purchaser will 

 pile landings. State crews will bum. 



Site Preparation: Will need to determine extent of site preparation after harvest. Slopes in canyon too steep to 

 mechanical scarify. 



Regeneration: Plant western larch on a 15 x 15 spacing with C-10 seedlings. 



