Environmental Assessment

PURPOSE AND NEED CHAPTER 1
PROPOSED ACTION __________________________________________
The action proposed by the Forest Service to meet the purpose and need is to implement a variety of
vegetation (commercial and non-commercial thinning) and fuels reduction treatments on 26,638 acres.
This includes approximately 6,468 acres of thinning and regeneration harvest treatments in ponderosa
pine and lodgepole pine stands. Within these treated stands are also proposed 5,312 fuels reduction
treatments. An additional 20,170 acres of fuel reduction treatments in xeric shrublands and forest stands
are proposed outside of the commercial and non-commercial treatments.
The proposed action includes the following activities:
Commercial Thinning and Regeneration Harvest Units
• Thin to create or maintain single story stands and culture large trees (1,620 acres);
• Thin to reduce stand competition, culture large trees and retain a combination of single story and
multi-story canopy (2,355 acres);
• Regeneration clearcut harvest to reduce the incidence and spread of dwarf mistletoe in ponderosa
pine (38 acre)
• Regeneration shelterwood harvest to reduce incidence of insects in lodgepole pine (108 acres);
Non-Commercial Thinning Units
• Thin to reduce stand competition, culture large trees and retain a single story canopy (2,347
acres);
Total: 6,468 acres
Fuels Reduction in Commercial Units
• Fuels Reduction units underburning (1,702 acres);
• Fuels Reduction units with burning beneath the dripline (1,323);
Fuels Reduction in Non-Commercial Units
• Fuels Reduction units underburning (2,002 acres)
• Fuels Reduction with burning beneath the dripline (285 acres)
Total: 5,312 acres Fuels Reduction within Commercial and Non-Commercial Treatments
Fuels Reduction in Xeric Shrublands and Forest Stands Units
• Underburning (5,299 acres);
• Burning beneath the dripline (2,064 acres) ;
• Pretreat (cut trees less than 4 inches dbh with follow-up underburn) and Underburn (9,553 acres);
• Pretreat, Machine Pile, Burn Piles, and Mow (147 acres);
• Pretreat, Machine Pile, Burn Piles, & Underburn (2,140 acres);
• Pretreat, Mow, & Underburn (307 acres);
• Hand Fall or Mow Juniper 9 inches dbh and less (335 acres);
• Hand Fall or Mow Juniper 9 inches dbh and less , Mow, Underburn (133 acres);
• Mow (192 acres).
Total: 20,170 acres
A detailed description of the proposed action, including tables or maps showing the locations of all
activities, can be found in Chapter 2 of this document.
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