different than research indicates should be present. Fire suppression for the last 80 years 

 has created a shift in age class distribution toward older aged stands. This concern will be 

 discussed in Chapters 3 and 4. 



> Concerns were expressed that the State would not be able to adequately regenerate 

 the proposed harvest units. 



There have been many timber sales within the Upper Willow Creek drainage over the 

 years. Those from the 1960's and early 1970's were concentrated in the Scotchman's 

 Gulch. Ram Mountain and Miners Gulch area. Early sales tended to be large in extent 

 and concentrated in over mature Douglas fir stands. Most of the early sales were also 

 located on private land. In the mid 1970's the emphasis shifted from harvesting on 

 private lands to public land, predominately United States Forest Service. In 1986 DNRC 

 sold their only timber sale to date in this drainage. This sale consisted of 1 14 acres of 

 clearcut harvest, and 29 acres of commercial thinning harvest. During the last three years 

 approximately 55 acres have also been thinned by harvesting posts and rails within 

 Sections 5, 16, and 17. DNRC's ability to regenerate harvest units has been variable. 

 Sites dominated by lodgepole pine appear to be more successful in regenerating than 

 those dominated by Douglas fir. Regeneration surveys conducted in 1993 and 2002 

 produced the following results from harvesting in Section 16, Township 8 North, Range 

 15 West. 



TABLE 1-2 



Past Success on DNRC Lands With Natural Regeneration 



In the Upper Willow Creek Drainage 



1993 results 



*percentage of 1/300"^ acre plots with one or more crop trees on the plot, which equals 

 300 trees per acre 



TABLE 1-3 



2002 results 



*percentage of 1/1 00' acre plots with three or more crop trees on the plot, which equals 

 300 trees per acre 



22 



