Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation ...

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project
however some degree of exposure would be expected under the no action alternative, due to
falling dead trees across the landscape. This includes areas along the Continental Divide
National Scenic Trail.
Alternative 3 – Reduced Salvage Harvest
This alternative was designed to harvest trees in a visually sensitive manner while creating
openings that mimic the characteristic landscape throughout the Project Area. In addition, there
will be an attempt to slow the rate of insects and disease on the remaining canopy in the northern
units. This Alternative harvests only Unit #2 through Unit #5.
This Alternative will attempt to meet the next lowest Scenic Integrity Objective of “Moderate”
through management techniques of harvesting in patches as well as salvage prescriptions. The
harvesting techniques take into consideration the whole Rio de Los Pinos Viewshed and were
designed to mimic current characteristic openings (either natural meadows or rock outcroppings).
The placement of these openings within the landscape allows access to the stands and minimizes
the amount of visual impacts. In addition, this Alternative attempts to mimic natural processes
on the landscape to blend harvesting activities into the characteristic landscape. This increases
the possibility that harvesting activities remain less evident on the overall viewshed. Because
Unit #1 would not be harvested, it is expected that this Alternative will have slightly less impacts
to the Scenic Resources.
This area is highly visible from the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Forest Road 118,
and general forested lands surrounding the project area.
Timber harvesting has taken into consideration the next lowest Scenic Integrity Objective of
“Moderate” on the landscape, to allow harvesting activities to take place. For Unit #5 the design
criteria of the harvesting activity leaves 38-40 standing dead trees 8” and above per acre to meet
the current Forest Plan standards and guidelines. This allows for texture and color on the
landscape while the landscape transitions from the previous harvesting and the blowdown in the
County Line Area to the contiguous stands of timber in the Rio de Los Pinos Area. This allows
for understory trees to remain (with the exception of trees less than 8” or fir trees that will be
removed to access larger diameter standing dead trees). As harvesting activities move north
from Unit #5 to Units #4 and #3 the trees per acre are increased to 48-50 trees per acre (of
standing live and dead trees 8” and above with small openings that mimic characteristic
landscape conditions. Unit #2 with 48-50 leave trees per acre, will provide a transition back into
the contiguous stand of spruce evident outside the project boundary.
Visitors will still see evidence of harvesting activities, but to a lesser extent in Unit #2 than in
Unit #5.
Cumulative Effects – Alternative 3
As in Alternative 2, it is expected that loss of trees may additionally expose old disturbances
from closed roads or may open viewsheds not yet known into previously harvested areas. This
has the potential to expose to the visitor more harvesting activities than they may see if the
standing trees were alive. This includes areas along the Continental Divide National Scenic
Trail.
Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-72