to moderate risk of cumulative effects to flammulated owls as result of 

 implementing this proposed Alternative B: Harvest, depending upon 

 the extent of fire-related insect infestations within the project area in 

 the future. 



4.3.3.2.4 Fisher 



4.3.3.2.4.1 Alternative A: Deferred Harvest (No Action) 



With no action, there would be no change from current conditions. 

 Thus, there would be low risk of direct or indirect effects to fisher as a 

 result of this alternative. 



4.3.3.2.4.2 Cumulative Effects of Alternative A: Deferred 

 Harvest (No Action) 



With no action, there would be no change from current conditions. 

 Thus, there would be low risk of cumulative effects to fisher as a result 

 of this alternative. 



4.3.3.2.4.3 Alternative B: Harvest 



Approximately 618 acres of the 888 acres of preferred fisher habitat 

 types to be harvested under the proposed action would be stand 

 replacement-burned timber. The remaining 170 acres would be mixed 

 severity bum. Thus, the amount of potentially suitable fisher habitat to 

 be harvested would amount to approximately 8.5% of the 2,001 acres 

 of preferred fisher habitat types within the project area. Of the 

 remaining 1113 acres of preferred fisher habitat types that were 

 affected by the fire (these acres experienced mixed severity fire 

 intensity), 384 acres would be deferred from harvesting for a minimum 

 of 5 years, and the remaining 729 acres would be subject to salvage, 

 should an insect infestation occur within the next 5 years. 



Under current conditions, the 618 acres of stand replacement fire that 

 would be harvested under the proposed action are not currently 

 suitable habitat for fisher. These acres would continue to be unsuitable 

 for approximately 50 years, when the area had become revegetated, 

 displaying late successional forest attributes. The proposed action 

 would, in the long term, remove key fisher habitat attributes (i.e., 

 snags and eventually coarse woody debris) that would be of 

 importance once natural forest succession had occurred. Thus, 

 because much of the affected habitat is currently unsuitable for fisher, 

 and currently suitable fisher habitat would be deferred from harvesting 

 for a minimum of 5 years (pursuant to ARM 36.11.438 (l)(b)), there 

 would be low risk of direct and indirect effects to fisher as a result of 

 the proposed action. 



Fish Creek Salvage Environmental Assessment 4-29 



