FINDING 

 nSH CREEK SALVAGE TIMBER SALE 



An interdisciplinary team (ID Team) has completed the Environmental Assessment (EA) for 

 the proposed Fish Creek Salvage Timber Sale prepared by the Montana Etepartment of Natural 

 Resources and Conservation (DNRC). After a review of the EA, project file, public correspondence, 

 Department poUcies, standards and guidelines, and the Administrative Rules for Forest Management 

 {ARM 36. 1 1 .401 -450), I have made the following decisions: 



1. ALTERNATIVE SELECTED 



Two alternatives were presented and the effects of each alternative were fully analyzed in the EA: 



1 . Alternative A: No Harvest 



2. Alternative B: Harvest 



The Alternative B: Harvest proposes to harvest approximately 52,000 tons of timber on 3,176 acres. 

 The Alternative A; No Harvest did not include the harvest of any timber. 



For the following reasons, I have selected the Action Alternative without additional modifications: 



a) The Alternative B: Harvest meets the Purpose of Action and the specific project 

 objectives as described on page 1-2 of the FIA. Implementation of this alternative would 

 produce an estimated $1,300,000 ($25/ton) return to the Common School and PubUc 

 Building Trusts. 



b) The analysis of identified issues did not disclose any reason compelling the DNRC not to 

 implement the timber sale. 



c) Alternative B: Harvest includes mitigation activities to address environmental concerns 

 identified during both the Public Scoping phase and the project analysis. 



2. SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACTS 



For the following reasons, I find that implementation of Alternative B; Harvest will not have 

 significant impacts on the human environment: 



a) Water Quality- Harvest activities and road construction have low risk of increased 

 sediment yield to stream channels. Sediment yield associated with the implementation of 

 Alternative B: Harvest would be below the high levels, as a residt of the Fish Creek 

 Complex fires, expeaed with Alternative A: No Harvest (No Action). BMP's and erosion 

 control mitigation measures would be implemented to prevent sediment deUvery from 

 roads to streams. No timber harvest would occur in SMZ's. 



b) Water Yield- TTie proposed salvage harvest is not expected to increase water yield, surface 

 runoff, or magnirude and duration of peak flows above existing post-fire conditions. This 



is due to the fact that only dead trees will be harvested. 



