CHAPTER 2 - ALTERNATIVES 



This chapter is intended to describe alternatives developed and considered in this EIS. The 

 effects of implementing each alternative, including the No Action Alternative, will be 

 summarized. Environmental consequences of each alternative are listed here for comparative 

 purposes. More detailed information can be found in Chapters 3 and 4, which follow. 



INITIAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 



The initial proposal and intent of this project is to treat these five tracts of school trust lands to 

 achieve the objectives of providing the largest measurable return to the trust in the long run; 

 providing 1.5 to 3.0 MMBF toward the Department harvest target; managing for healthy and 

 biologically diverse forests; and managing for forest types and stand structures historically 

 present on the landscape. This involves the proposed removal of up to 3.0 MMBF of sawlog- 

 sized timber from 300 acres. In addition to the sawlog harvesting, up to 1200 acres of post and 

 rail material are proposed for removal by thinning. Also included is construction of 5.06 miles of 

 new road, 2.18 miles of existing road improvement and reconstruction and up to .3 mile of 

 temporary road. The new and reconstructed roads would provide long-term access to these 

 parcels. 



DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES 



Upon analysis of existing conditions in the project area by DNRC specialists, the project leader, 

 and the Decision Maker, an interdisciplinary team was formed to develop alternatives and 

 address issues. Public comments were received and grouped into the concerns listed in Chapter 

 1 . In addition, information on existing conditions was collected and compiled. Using this 

 information, the decision maker along with the team met and developed a reasonable range of 

 selectable alternatives. 



Many resource concerns can be resolved by interdisciplinary development of site-specific 

 mitigations. Resolution of the remaining unresolved concerns provides the basis for 

 development of alternatives. There were three concerns, which drove development of the 

 alternatives. Elk Security Cover, harvesting in stands meeting Green et al. old growth definitions 

 and the hydrologic health of this area. To examine these concerns 3 different action alternatives 

 were developed. Alternatives B and D were developed which emphasized retention of elk 

 security cover and varied old growth harvesting. Alternative C maximizes timber harvest on this 

 entry and trust return while maintaining other important forest resources. 



Lodgepole pine is the dominant forest cover within both the drainage and the State's Upper 

 Willow Creek ownership. When current age class distribution on state land in the Upper Willow 

 Creek Drainage and throughout the unit is compared to historical distribution research done by 

 Losensky (1993) it becomes obvious that the current distribution for the lodgepole pine stands 



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