These are restoration, habitat enhancement, and sale area improvement activities that may be implemented after commercial thinning activities in an area are complete, if sufficient revenue is generated by the timber sales to support them. This environmental assessment assumes that all the activities listed here would be implemented, and takes into account the environmental effects of implementing them. These treatments are presented here by resource area.
Vegetation
Non-commercial young stand thinning
Following the proposed commercial thinning, selective non-commercial thinning In adjacent stands that are younger or smaller in size would accelerate the development of desired tree and stand characteristics, and contribute to the future connectivity of late-successional habitat on the landscape. Of the stands less than 35 years of age within the planning area, there are currently 77 stands totaling 2,770 acres which may benefit from a non-commercial thinning treatment. Table 2.4 below displays the seven stands, totaling 249 acres, which would be the highest priority for treatment due to their proximity (within 0.25 miles) to stands proposed for a commercial thinning treatment in the Proposed Action.
Table 2.4. Priority Stands for non-commercial thinning treatment Compartment Cell Stand Age in 2011 Acres
4203 182 27 17
4204 179 24 43
4204 185 34 21
4302 28 33 38
4302 40 31 18
4302 109 25 62
4303 71 30 50
Invasive plant treatment
After project activities are complete, thinning units, temporary roads, landings, and system roads within 0.25 miles of thinning units would be surveyed for invasive plants, and any infestations located would be treated. It is estimated that there would be approximately 40 infested acres that would need treatment.
Wildlife
Wildlife habitat enhancement
Limited mortality, windthrow or breakage of leave trees is expected following the commercial thinning treatment. However, given the generally low levels of snags and coarse woody debris (CWD) within project stands, the active creation of snags and CWD would enhance the habitat values provided by the project stands. Snag creation would use a variety of methods (girdling, topping and fungal inoculation) that would delay mortality of some trees and produce snags in multiple decay classes. The placement of flying squirrel nest boxes would provide short term habitat improvement while natural cavities develop. Coarse wood structures would be in the form of log pyramids and slash piles. In addition, forage planting of native shrubs is
recommended for big game and other species. Table 2.5 describes these activities.
Table 2.5. Recommended wildlife habitat enhancement activities
Activity Location Description
Snag creation All commercial
thinning units Estimated total snag creation need is 200 trees.
Table 2.5. Recommended wildlife habitat enhancement activities
Activity Location Description
Coarse wood
creation All commercial
thinning units Approximately 100 log pyramids and 100 brush piles would be created. Any creation of brush piles would be coordinated with slash and fuels treatments.
Placement of flying squirrel boxes
All commercial
thinning units Estimated need for 200 nest boxes across all units.
Forage planting of
native shrubs Landings and temporary roads
Shrub species include elderberry, snowberry, red osier dogwood, and willow. Approximately 1000 plants total across all units.
Aquatic Habitat and Roads Road decommissioning
Table 2.6 contains recommendations for road decommissioning. These roads are high priority for decommissioning due to their potential to deliver sediment to aquatic habitat were a landslide or culvert failure were to occur.
Table 2.6. Road segments recommended for decommissioning
Road number and mileposts Miles Op. ML 2 Obj. ML 3 No. stream crossings Priority
2355400, MP 0.0 to 1.2 1 1.2 2 2 3 High
2355400, MP 1.2 to 3.9 1 2.7 2 2 8 High
2360000, MP 0.0 to 0.6 0.6 2 2 2 High
2360200, MP 0.0 to 2.0 1 2.0 1 D 11 High
2361300, MP 0.0 to 0.3 0.3 1 1 2 Moderate
1 The effects of decommissioning this road segment have already been analyzed in either the Skokomish Road and Trail Remediation Project EA and Decision Notice; or the Church, Brown and Steel Creeks Decommission and Closure Project EA and Decision Notice.
2 Op. ML means “operational maintenance level,” and is the level at which the road is currently maintained.
3 Obj. ML means “objective maintenance level” and is the maintenance level recommended for the road in the Forest’s current Access and Travel Management Plan (USDA Forest Service 2004c).
Road stabilization and upgrading
Table 2.7 contains recommendations for stabilization and/or drainage upgrading of several system roads associated with project units.
Table 2.7. Road segments recommended for stabilization and/or drainage upgrading Road number and mileposts Miles Op. ML Obj. ML No. stream
crossings Priority
2300, MP 9.2 to 16.7 7.5 4 4 (many) Moderate-High
2340-230, MP 0.0 to 2.1 2.1 2 2 6 Moderate
2340, MP 9.2 to 12.9 3.7 3 3 14 Moderate-High
2360, MP 0.0 to 4.4 4.4 2 2 10 High
Table 2.7. Road segments recommended for stabilization and/or drainage upgrading Road number and mileposts Miles Op. ML Obj. ML No. stream
crossings Priority
2356-400, MP 0.0 to 1.3 1.3 2 2 8 Moderate
Aquatic organism passage improvement
There are several culverts on existing system roads in the planning area that are barriers to passage for fish and other aquatic organisms. Replacing these culverts with structures designed to allow fish passage would improve habitat for these creatures. Table 2.8 lists these culverts, including the amount of upstream habitat they block and their priority for replacement.
Table 2.8. Recommendations for aquatic organism passage improvement
Road number Milepost Stream name Fish stock Miles blocked Priority
2340-100 0.2 Vincent Creek Resident 0.7 Moderate
2350 5.5 Cabin Creek Resident 0.7 Moderate
2300 3.8 Fir Creek Resident 0.5 Moderate
2351 11.9 Rock Creek Resident 0.5 Moderate
2350 1.9 Nickelson Creek Resident 0.4 Low
2351 11.1 Rock Creek Resident 0.4 Low
2361 0.8 Cedar Creek Resident 0.3 Low
2353-210 0.2 Lebar Creek Resident 0.3 Low
2350 7.7 Vance Creek Resident 0.2 Low