ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES in rocky mountain coniferous ...

productive capacity. Recent legislation dealing with public land management has in-
cluded explicit requirements to evaluate and consider the probable effects of any
management activity upon other resources and the ecosystems.
The need to recognize and avoid unacceptable environmental impacts of harvesting
is one reason for current emphasis upon research that will better define and quantify
effects. A second, and perhaps more basic, reason is the fact that properly pre-
scribed timber harvesting can be the most effective tool the public land manager has
to manage forested lands for a variety of resources and uses. In the Rocky Mountain
area especially, timber is rarely if ever harvested from pub1 i c lands simply to
obtain wood fiber. Principal management objectives for the site are more likely to
relate to insect and disease control, wild1 ife habitat, recreation potential, or
watershed potential. Typical planning guidelines for the central and northern Rocky
Mountain Forests emphasize key values relating to recreation, scenic beauty, wildlife,
and other non-timber resources, toward which management of public forest lands will be
directed. To make effective use of timber harvesting as a management tool, however,
the land manager must be able to predict both short-term and long-range environmental
consequences of specified hanosting prescriptions.
THE RESEARCH APPROACH
To meet specified objectives, Program research has necessarily involved a wide
variety of subject matter and associated disciplines. The core Program staff has
included researchers with skills in engineering, wood technology, economics,
meteorology, microbiology, entomology, and biometrics. Other Station research work
units in such subject areas as silviculture, fire management, economics, hydrology,
and wildlife habitat have participated extensively in studies of biological and
management impacts. Other major participants in Program biological research have
included researchers in other Forest Service units and researchers at a number of
Universities. Participating organizations especially worthy of note because of
their extensive involvement include
--the Center for Mycology Research, USFS Forest Products
Laboratory, Madison, Wis.
--faculty and staff researchers, School of Forestry,
University of Montana, Missoula, Mont.
--faculty and staff researchers, School of Forestry,
Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Mich.
Early Program planning was developed around three basic cancepts: recognition
that wood utilization objectives and practices must extend from, and be compatible
with, broad forest management objectives; belief that the best approach to residue
utilization is through more efficient initial harvesting practices, rather than
salvage operations; and recognition that residue reduction has significant and direct
effects upon the forest ecosystem and subsequent management activities. The typical
procedure followed in planning and implementing Program research is illustrated in
figure 2. First consideration is given to defining the total forest resource
management objectives for a particular timber stand and site situation.
Treatment
specifications are then developed for tree removal and/or other stand or site
character modifications (usually an array of possible a1 ternatives) that may meet