Environmental Assessment

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3
alternatives balance the goal of maintaining and/or improving soil quality following project
implementation and soil restoration activities (Soils Report, page 42).
The proposed actions are also expected to comply with recommended guidelines that ensure adequate
retention of coarse woody debris and surface organic matter following post harvest activities (Soils
Report, page 42).
Under all alternatives, the combined effects of all past, present, and reasonably foreseeable management
activities would be within allowable limits set by Regional direction and LRMP standards and guidelines
for protecting and maintaining soil productivity within each of the proposed activity areas (Soils Report,
page 42).
Economic and Social Analysis
Economic and Social Analysis Introduction
The importance of recovering economic value and maintaining a ponderosa pine and lodgepole forest are
one of the primary purposes of the Opine Vegetation Management Project. The economic gain from
harvesting does not cover all the costs associated with the fuels treatment and non commercial thinning a
ponderosa pine/lodgepole pine forest on the 54,623 acres. There is a long timeline need to implement the
project, in relationship to the high fuel loading and high risk from a wildfire. There is also concern from
high risk associated with insect and disease related to the high tree stand densities within the project area.
There would be a positive cash flow from the commercial treatments under both action alternatives,
which would help to reduce the cost of proposed fuels and non commercial treatments proposed under
both action alternatives. Overall, there would be a negative economic value, when considering all of the
fuels and non commercial treatments proposed with either of the action alternatives.
Economic impact analysis of the activities proposed in the Opine Vegetation Management Project focuses
on the makeup of the communities of Central Oregon, a comparison of recent local work and
unemployment data to the state of Oregon as a whole, and a discussion of economic trends by industry.
Social factors important to Central Oregon, and specifically to land and forest management as a source of
local income include: the region’s rural setting and its history of a large wood products industry, farming,
and ranching; the manner in which the local population utilizes resources for recreation; the collection of
wood for fuel, fish and game for sport; and the effect of an increasing population on the region’s job
market and economy.
Economic and Social Analysis Existing Condition
Demographics
Five Central and South Central Oregon counties; Jefferson, Crook, Klamath, Lake and Deschutes
Counties, are considered in this analysis. The Opine Vegetation Management Project area is located
within Deschutes County. The total population for the five county area during the 2000 Census totaled
224,735. Populations and change for the region and by each individual county are displayed in the
following Table 3-31.
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