Environmental Assessment

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3
restore structural diversity thereby improving and increasing the quality, quantity and distribution of
nesting habitat. Retention patches, 10 percent under Alternative 2 and 20 percent under Alternative 3, in
treatment units may provide foraging habitat for the woodpecker as trees in those denser patches succumb
to stress, bark beetle attack, or other agents. Additional discussion of the effects of each of the
alternatives can be found in the following section on MIS species, which includes the black-backed
woodpecker.
Impacts to other species that heavily utilize these habitats such as the three toed woodpecker, are not
likely found within the planning area boundaries but tend to found at higher elevations elsewhere on the
District and Forest.
Cumulative Effects - Lodgepole Pine Habitats
In contrast to ponderosa pine habitats, lodgepole pine habitats are more limited in this and adjacent and
nearby planning areas – Lava Cast, Fuzzy, and Aspen. Given the distance between the Opine planning
area and the Lava Cast planning areas, this area is not included in the analysis. There are no identified
cumulative or cumulatively significant effects identified under any of the three alternatives with
vegetation or fuels reduction activities in either the Fuzzy or Aspen areas, both of which targeted
treatments in ponderosa pine and only limited treatments in low quality lodgepole pine habitat (Fuzzy
only). None of the other activities have identified cumulative effects on this habitat.
Cumulative effects to this habitat type are similar to those described under the ponderosa pine habitat.
The large lodgepole pine-dominated stands as referred to in the Conservation Strategy are relatively
common only in the southern third of the Opine area. (e.g. Potholes area). Although there are risks to
maintaining current habitat conditions, cumulatively potential impacts would be likely be minimal in the
short-term.
Priority Habitats (Shrub-Steppe and Unique) – Alternative 1 has limited impact on these habitats.
Insect/disease epidemics that affect adjacent ponderosa and lodgepole pine habitats have no measurable
impact on these habitats. With the exception of encroaching pines and juniper, none of the species found
in these habitats are susceptible to these disturbance agents.
Because no vegetation or fuel reduction treatments would be implemented, continued tree encroachment
and increasing canopy cover levels would be expected. No measurable change would be expected in the
short-term. Existing vegetation would experience increased competition of scarce resources including
nutrients, water, light, and growing space. This would continue the reduction in the quality, quantity, and
distribution of shrub, grass, and other herbaceous vegetation in those areas. In turn, this would result in
reductions in the populations of species that depend on those plant species for nesting, hiding, foraging,
and brood rearing habitat. Historic shrub-steppe, sagebrush, shrubland, and unique habitats would
continue the evolution into juniper or pine woodland and ultimately into forest.
Wildfire, and particularly uncharacteristic wildfire, could negatively affect these habitats.
Uncharacteristic large fires create conditions that favor the establishment/expansion of other species such
as rabbitbrush and noxious weeds or other invasives such as cheatgrass. Establishment of cheatgrass, an
invasive species, also results in short fire cycles which preclude establishment and maintenance of tall
shrubs such as sagebrush and bitterbrush. Recent fire events suggest that current fuel loadings are more
likely to result in uncharacteristic effects and impacts, eliminating or greatly reducing the quantity,
quality, and distribution vegetation characteristic of these habitats. An uncharacteristic event is more
likely to result in the loss of large contiguous areas of habitat in contrast to historic fire events and fuel
loadings which were smaller and more localized in area and impacts. The intensity of current fires is also
likely to preclude re-establishment and recovery of existing habitats in periods of less than 40 to 50 years
or more.
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