have lost their protective vegetative surface and are subject to chronic 

 erosion and above average maintenance needs. Segments of existing skid 

 trails and roads with inadequate drainage would continue to erode without 

 maintenance. The Lolo NF is in the process of completing reclamation of 

 35 miles of road in Deer Creek and removing culverts at risk of flood loss. 

 Reclaimed roads should have an immediate reduction in chronic erosion 

 with improved drainage and removal of deep road fills over culverts at 

 risk. Existing skid trails with live vegetation roots will continue to slowly 

 stabilize and ameliorate past disturbance. Restoration treatments of road 

 reclamation, culvert removal, road drainage restoration, and grass seeding 

 for watershed emergency conditions are nearly completed under 

 Alternative A: No Harvest (No Action). 



4.3.1.2.2 Alternative B: Harvest 



For Alternative B: Harvest, the effects of timber harvest and road 

 construction were evaluated. During sale development, DNRC was very 

 concerned about the effects of the fire on soils, loss of vegetation, and 

 design of harvest systems relative to terrain and slope. Tractor skidding 

 and cable harvest could cause direct effect of soil disturbance that could 

 result in increased erosion. The indirect effect of erosion is expected to be 

 similar or not substantially more than Alternative A: No Harvest (No 

 Action), based on implementation of attached mitigation measures. 

 Natural rates of erosion could be high and there is limited and conflicting 

 research about whether or not erosion rates will be obviously greater with 

 harvest effects (Mclver et al. 2000, DNRC 2002). Monitered erosion rates 

 were low overall on the DNRC Moose Fire salvage area in 2002. Erosion 

 was observed to be lower, but not significantly different, on harvest sites 

 than sites not harvested. 



For Alternative B: Harvest site specific mitigations and BMP's would be 

 implemented to minimize the area and degree of soil effects associated 

 with proposed harvest and road construction (see mitigation measures 

 listed in Chap. 2). Alternative B: Harvest incorporates watershed 

 protection measures to minimize harvest disturbance through the retention 

 of woody debris on site, the installation of road drainage features, grass 

 seeding and stabilization of road segments considered at risk of erosion. 



No ground skidding equipment would be operated on slopes over 40%. 

 Winter harvested sites should have minimal disturbance and negligible 

 effects on soils (Klock 1975) and Williams 1993, DNRC 2002). Slopes of 

 30-40% have increased risk of erosion associated with ground skidding 

 disturbance. Slopes over 35% would be cable harvested or ground lead, 

 winch-lined to trails. Cable harvest in summer has potential to cause more 

 disturbances than winter operations that would be mitigated with cable 

 corridor layout, erosion control measures, and administration of 

 operations. DNRC would require cable sets to be located on ridges and 



Fish Creek Salvage Environmental Assessment 4-8 



