lodgepole, Douglas-fir, western larch, and more competitive vegetation. These 

 sites will be less susceptible to weed invasion, although small infestations may 

 occur. The extent of noxious weed infestation is limited to isolated plants 

 within forest sites on most north and east aspects. 



3.2.2 Human Environment 



3.2.2.1 Road Dust 



Fish Creek Road and Wig Creek Road are unpaved. There are five residences 

 along the main Fish Creek Road and one on the Wig Creek Road. The 

 residence on the Wig Creek Road is behind a closed gate. The main Fish 

 Creek Road passes Fishing Access Sites (FASs). There has historically been 

 log traffic down both roads. Dust is presently produced by both log truck and 

 passenger vehicle traffic along the main Fish Creek road. 



3.2.2.2 Recreational Sites 



There are two campgrounds along the main Fish Creek Road: Big Pine and 

 Forks FASs. These FASs have a 7-day camping limit (out of every 30 days). 

 Both sites are typically snowed in during the winter months and receive 

 minimal use during that period, which helps each FAS recover from heavy 

 summer use. 



3.2.2.3 Economics 



There is no current revenue being generated from the management and sale of 

 timber in these sections. 



The costs related to the administration of the timber sale program are only 

 tracked at the Land Office and statewide level. DNRC does not track project 

 level costs for individual timber sales. An annual cash flow analysis is 

 conducted on the DNRC forest product sales program. Revenue and costs are 

 calculated by Land Office and Statewide. These revenue-to-cost ratios are a 

 measure of economic efficiency. 



3.2.3 Wildlife Issues, Existing Conditions 

 3.2.3.1 Endangered Species 



3.2.3.1.1 Grizzly Bears (Federally threatened) 



Grizzly bears are the largest terrestrial predators in North America, 

 feasting upon deer, rodents, fish, roots and berries, as well as a wide 

 assortment of vegetation (Hewitt and Robbins 1996). Depending upon 



Fish Creek Salvage Environmental Assessment 3-17 



