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

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project
Alternative 2 – Full Salvage Harvest
This alternative provides the opportunity to salvage dead and dying Engelmann Spruce. This
would be accomplished with ground-based (tractor) logging methods.
The intent of the salvage is to place timber on the market for the American public in time to
capture the value of the beetle-killed spruce trees, before the effects of wood decay eliminates
that value. The object of the silvicultural prescription would be to harvest only spruce trees,
which were recently killed by, or are currently infested with, spruce beetle. No green, uninfected
spruce trees would be harvested, and no green or dead subalpine fir would be harvested.
Exceptions to this are those trees that must be removed from skid trails, landings, or for safety
reasons, and areas designated for scenic patch cuts.
The minimum number of spruce/fir snags, live fir, and live uninfected spruce to be left is
specified by unit in the project design criteria, Chapter 2, Table 2.5-8. The stands are expected
to have a below average susceptibility of windfall risk. Having been previously managed, these
trees have been exposed to lower stocking densities and have developed wind firmness over
time. Soils mapping for the area also shows a windthrow hazard as “slight” (Section 3.7) and
stand boundaries are on east-facing slopes greater than 2000’ horizontal distance from ridgetops
and saddles. Field reconnaissance shows only minor evidence of old windfall resulting from past
management. With all factors considered, these mid-to-low slope units are considered to have
low-to-moderate risk for windfall (Alexander 1987). Trees most susceptible to windthrow would
be residual live overstory fir, which have greater wind resistance than snags. Any loss of these
trees to windfall would not affect management objectives or future management activities within
the analysis area.
Following removal of the dead or dying spruce, the Forest Service would plant Engelmann
spruce seedlings on those areas where post-sale reforestation surveys indicate that stocking is
below the minimum Forest Plan standard of 150 trees per acre. The logging process itself would
provide the necessary soil scarification, allowing seeds to reach mineral soil, and helping prepare
the sites for planting. Light logging slash left in the woods would be used to benefit young
seedlings by protecting them from excessive sunlight, extremes of temperature, desiccation, and
grazing animals (Smith 1997). It is anticipated that up to 75 acres could require planting. Actual
planting acres will be determined through regenerations surveys following management
activities.
Some openings (gaps) would be created in the units. Openings also would occur in Alternative 1
(No Action) when the dead trees fall. An opening in a forest canopy is associated with the death,
blowdown, or other removal of all or a significant portion of the overstory trees. These gaps are
often characterized by high structural and species diversity due to the growth of understory flora
and colonization of new species, which are facilitated by the microclimatic conditions of the gap
(Dunstar 1996).
Patch cuts would be implemented across the units to mimic the visual landscape surrounding the
analysis area. ¼ to 5 acre patch cuts would be placed throughout the units, removing all trees
above 8 inches. See section 3.11 for a description of the patch cut’s effects on visual resources.
Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-11