4.3.3.1.3.3 Alternative B: Harvest 



The proposed action would salvage harvest timber from a total of 

 1,314 acres of School Trust land that were affected by the Fish Creek 

 Complex fires. Through salvage harvesting, an average of 7 trees per 

 acre >9 inches dbh will be retained within the harvest units, and may 

 contribute to potential lynx denning habitat in the future, once they fall 

 and become coarse woody debris. Additionally, 497 acres would be 

 deferred from harvest for a minimum of 5 years. These acres are a 

 mixture of low, moderate, and stand replacing fire. For 157 acres that 

 would be deferred in Deer Creek, there are an average of 107 trees per 

 acre >7 inches dbh that would be retained and could eventually 

 provide the coarse woody debris structure for potential future denning 

 habitat. Because the proposed action is largely avoiding areas that 

 experienced mixed severity fire, more forest structure will be retained 

 within these areas that would contribute to mature foraging habitat, 

 once the understory vegetation recovers from the effects of the fire. 



Although there are currently no plans to harvest within the areas that 

 experienced mixed severity fire, or forest stands adjacent to the fire, 

 these are the areas that are most likely to become infested with bark 

 beetles within the next few years, due to fire/heat-induced stress on the 

 trees. In all likelihood, these areas may then be subject to additional 

 salvage harvesting to recover timber killed or damaged by insects. 

 Thus, it is possible that additional mature foraging and denning habitat 

 will be lost from the proposed action. Additionally, establishment of 

 early foraging habitat within the burned area will likely require 15 to 

 20 years while the area becomes revegetated through natural 

 succession. Therefore, there is low to moderate risk of direct and 

 indirect effects to lynx from the proposed action. 



4.3.3.1.3.4 Cumulative Effects of Alternative B: Harvest 



Within the analysis area, there at least 41,235 acres of lynx preferred 

 habitat types (18,095 ac primary habitat types, 23,140 acres 

 secondary). The proposed action would harvest 1,314 acres of fire- 

 killed timber, of which 476 acres are currently classified as being 

 secondary lynx habitat types. As previously discussed, this would 

 result in potential losses of future denning materials. With 36,683 

 acres of forest burned during the Fish Creek Complex Fires, there was 

 a temporary loss of foraging habitat for lynx. The proposed action, 

 which includes potential salvage of subsequent insect damage 

 associated with the fire, coupled with the salvage on surrounding 

 private lands, and prior timber harvesting on private industrial lands, 

 could further reduce the availability of mature foraging habitat within 

 5 miles of the project area. Additionally, the proposed construction of 

 1.5 miles of new road under the Fish Creek Road project, and this 

 project's scheduled winter harvest activities would likely permit 



Fish Creek Salvage Environmental Assessment 4-20 



