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

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project
tree age under 200 years for softwoods and under 100 years for
hardwoods. Canopy closure is greater than 40%.
b) Stand dominance by trees in the 5” DBH or greater size with tree age over
200 years for softwoods and over 100 years for hardwoods. Tree crown
cover is over 70%.
Indicator: A measurement of a resource quantity or quality, which is linked to a cause-and-effect relationship and
responsive to a Key Issue. Indicators are used to compare the effects among alternatives, and are most generally
quantitative, rather than qualitative, in measure.
Key Issue: A concern expressed over the potential effects of a proposed action on the human environment, due to
the geographic extent, duration, or intensity of interest or resource conflict. Key Issues are used to develop and
compare alternatives, prescribe mitigation measures, and analyze the environmental effects. For an issue to be
considered Key, it must be relevant to the specific project and appropriately addressed at that level.
Landscape Character: An overall visual and cultural impression of landscape attributes; the physical appearance
and cultural context of a landscape that gives it an identity and “sense of place.” It includes existing land use
patterns, ecological unit descriptions, and existing landscape character descriptions.
Landtype Association: An ecological mapping unit based on similarities in geology, soils, and plant associations.
Repeatable patterns of soil complexes and plant communities are useful in delineating map units. LTAs are an
appropriate ecological unit to use in Forest- or area-wide planning and watershed analysis. On the RGNF, soil
mapping units were aggregated into 13 distinct LTAs.
Long-Butt: A section cut from the bottom log of a tree and culled because of rot or other defect.
Natural Regeneration: The establishment of a plant or a plant age class from natural seeding,
sprouting, suckering, or layering.
Non-system Road: Also termed “Unclassified Roads.” Roads on National Forest System lands that
are not managed as part of the forest transportation system, such as unplanned roads, abandoned
travelways, and off-road vehicle tracks that have not been designated and managed as a trail; and those
roads that were once under permit or other authorization and were not decommissioned upon the
termination of the authorization (36 CFR 212.1).
Noxious Weeds: A plant specified by law as being especially undesirable, troublesome, and difficult to control.
Reforestation: The re-establishment of forest cover, either naturally or artificially. This process usually maintains
the same forest type and is done promptly after the previous stand or forest was removed.
Road Maintenance: The ongoing upkeep of a road necessary to retain or restore the road to the approved road
management objective (FSM 7712.3).
Road Construction (New): Activity that results in the addition of forest classified or temporary road
miles (36 CFR 212.1).
Road Reconstruction: Activity that results in improvement or realignment of an existing classified road as defined
below:
-Road Improvement - Activity that results in an increase of an existing road’s traffic service level, expands its
capacity, or changes its original design function.
-Road Realignment - Activity that results in a new location of an existing road, or portions of an existing road,
and treatment of the old roadway (36 CFR 212.1).
Road Spot Reconstruction: Road reconstruction activities on very short sections of road. Generally involve
activities such as culvert replacement and surface rock replacement.
Appendix C -- Terms and Acronyms Page C-2