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

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project
a large amount of spruce beetle activity. There are a number of locations where entire groups of
trees are being killed by spruce beetle.
The Rio de los Pinos Analysis Area is surrounded to the north, east and west by Backcountry
MAPs and spruce beetle mortality has been observed in these backcountry areas. The full extent
of the infestations in these backcountry areas is unknown. Backcountry areas would remain
untreated and natural processes would continue in these areas without human intervention.
Nearby efforts to treat spruce beetle activity include the Grouse Salvage Sales, Spruce Hole
Salvage Sale, La Manga Salvage Sales, and Neff Mountain Salvage Sales. Three sales are under
contract in the County Line area: Wolf Beetle Salvage, Esacarabajo Salvage, and Spruce Park
Salvage. All of these sales would contribute toward removing spruce beetle from the forest but it
is probable that the sum total of these efforts would have little impact on bark beetle populations
and on forest conditions as a whole. These sales may temper beetle-caused mortality on a
localized (stand) level and allow some portions of the older age class spruce to survive the
current wave of mortality.
The underlying cause of the widespread mortality is the relatively homogeneous stand structure
found throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. A primary goal of forest management is to
increase stand heterogeneity so that large-scale outbreaks are not prevalent in the future forests.
The effects of management activity must be viewed in two lights: the effect of sanitation/salvage
on dead and dying timber, as well as the potential mortality in currently un-infested spruce trees.
No increase in armillaria is expected to result from management activities.
3.5 Forest Management
Scope of Analysis
This analysis focuses on the proposed management of timber stands within the Analysis Area to
address spruce beetle infestation and timber productivity.
Past Actions that have affected the Existing Condition
Table 3.5-1 shows past timber sales that have occurred within the Analysis Area.
Table 3.5-1. Past Timber Sales in the Analysis Area.
Timber Sale Acres Year Harvest Type
Los Pinos 35 1977 Prep cut Shelterwood
Hanson 556 1957-1960 Prep cut Shelterwood
Hanson 6 1957 Seed cut Shelterwood
Flat 101 1979-1983 Prep cut Shelterwood
Misc. Dead Removal 100 1981 Sanitation/Salvage
Pre-commercial Thin 23 1978 Thin trees below 8” dbh
Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-9