As mentioned above, the proposed new road construction would not reduce elk security habitat, 

 following the Hillis et al. (1991) paradigm, because new roads would be closed due to the year- 

 round locked gate on USFS Road #4325. However, new roads would afford walk-in hunters 

 easier access and would likely temporarily change local elk movements until the resident elk herd 

 became accustomed to habitat changes (Lyon 1998). In evaluating effects of the proposed action 

 alternatives on elk security habitat, only those portions of proposed harvest units outside of the 

 0.5-mile open road buffers were included in likely reductions to elk security habitat. The 

 proposed action alternatives would reduce elk security habitat within the project area from 58.9% 

 to as low as 18.6% (Alternative C) within the project area, and from 36.6% to as low as 34.1% 

 (Alternative B) within the EAA (Table 4-6). Of the total acreage within the EAA, approximately 

 2,122 acres have been previously harvested on DNRC and USFS lands, and are expected to 

 regenerate into suitable elk security habitat over the next 15-20 years. Such re-growth would 

 increase the amount of elk security habitat within the EAA by 7.2% for all action alternatives. 

 Thus, the proposed harvests would reduce elk security habitat initially by up to 2.5% within the 

 EAA, but there would also be an expected 7.2% increase over 15-20 years, for a net gain of 4.7% 

 in elk security habitat over current conditions in approximately 15-20 years. Regrowth of prior 

 harvesting would not affect elk security habitat within the project area. Thus, there would be 

 direct negative short-term effects to elk security habitat within the project area as a result of the 

 proposed action alternatives. However, there would be direct short-term negative effects within 

 the EAA as a result of the proposed action alternatives, but long-term negative cumulative effects 

 would likely be mitigated by substantial increases in hiding cover as a result of regrowth in pre- 

 existing harvest units. 



Table 4-5 

 Acres of proposed timber harvest and road construction for each action alternative 



87 



