Environmental Assessment

ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTION – ALTERNATIVE –TREATMENTS CHAPTER 2
Commercial Harvest with and without Non-Commercial Harvest and Fuels Reduction Units
This alternative would authorize the treatment of 7,118 acres of forest stands by small and medium tree
harvest to reduce stand densities and fuel loadings. This would include medium tree thinning (trees up to
21 inches dbh) of 1,551 acres; 2,210 acres of medium tree thinning with follow-up small tree thinning (up
to 16 inches dbh) of the residual understory (trees generally less than eight (8) inches dbh); and small tree
thinning of 3,357 acres. There would be no regeneration (clearcut or shelterwood) harvest.
Medium and small tree harvest would be accomplished using the same methods and types of machinery
as described under Alternative 2. Commercial harvest units would be harvested using whole tree yarding
with slash piled on the landing and burned.
To increase habitat diversity (increased browse and long-term cover) within treatment areas in the Tepee
Draw area, 50 to 100 feet openings would be created near leave areas on approximately 1/3 of the acres in
units C316, C317, and C320.
Units P312 and P314 would be underburned prior to implementing thinning, because if trees are killed by
underburning on these steep slopes they would not be selected for leave trees during thinning. The
desired condition in unit P314 is to retain 10 to 30 large overstory trees per acre.
In the Sand Springs area, units C333, C334, and approximately one half of C335 are lodgepole pine.
Residual tree spacing would be 20 to 25 feet with 20 percent retention between units with no post sale
small tree thinning. Additionally, in Unit C334, a contiguous block of approximately 138 acres of
existing optimal thermal cover (thermal cover meeting the LRMP definition of thermal cover with 40
percent or more canopy closure) would remain untreated. This would be in addition to the 20 percent
retention in the remaining 252 acres of the unit. The wildlife corridor in unit C337 would not be thinned.
Medium tree and small tree harvest would be accomplished using the same methods as described under
Alternative 2.
Slash created by medium tree and small tree non-commercial harvest on 5,942 acres would be treated by
lopping and scattering. There would be no machine piling and burning. If market conditions permit
commercial harvest for tree removal of the medium and small trees from these acres they would be
yarded tree length to landings. Slash would be piled and burned on landings. Incidental concentrations
remaining in the treatment unit following commercial harvest would be lopped and scattered if necessary
to meet fuel prescription requirements. There would be no slash treatment on 1,179 acres because slash
loadings are expected to be within prescription for fuel loading.
Fuel reduction treatments in harvest units would include 3,721 acres of underburning and 2,294 acres of
burning beneath the driplines of residual trees. This would require the construction of approximately two
(2) miles of machine fireline adjacent to portions of units F01, F18, F38, and F39 (approximately 0.5
miles per unit). Incidental construction of hand firelines may be required, particularly where slopes
preclude the use of mechanized equipment (slopes greater than 30 percent). Firelines would be
rehabilitated as described under Alternative 2.
One quarter (0.25) acre within the Pine Mountain Observatory permit area boundary would be planted
with trees to provide additional screening between the telescopes and the new parking lot and Forest Road
2017 as described under Alternative 2. Approximately 11 acres of existing openings in unit C319 would
not be planted.
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