WILLOW CREEK MULTI- PRODUCT SALVAGE
FOREST HEALTH AND FUEL REDUCTION PROJECT
Beckwourth Ranger District, Plumas N.F.

STATUS

NOTE: A DECISION NOTICE AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT WAS ISSUED UNDER PL 104-19 ON NOVEMBER 18, 1996. THIS DECISION NOTICE WAS LATER WITHDRAWN AND ANOTHER DECISION NOTICE DECLARING NO SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE IMPACTS WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 27, 1997.

SUMMARY TREATMENT OBJECTIVES

VICINITY MAP

BACKGROUND

The Robinson project was intended to accomplish the following:

1. Improve forest stand health and vigor,

2. Enhance seral stage diversity,

3. Reduce the potential for stand-destroying fires and contribute to control along a portion of the Granite Basin Strategic Control Network,

4. Contribute timber to the on-going need for wood products,

5. Improve watersheds,

6. Enhance wildlife and fish habitat,

7. Enhance recreation opportunities, and

8. Maintain viability of sensitive and native plant species.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

• Commercially thin approximately 475 acres of heavily stocked forest stands.

• Regeneration harvest of approximately 51 acres under the Robinson Multi-Product Timber Sale. Sale activities to include:

  1. Timber Harvest,

  2. Road Construction and reconstruction,

  3. Logging slash disposal,

  4. Reforestatinn to include additional logging slash disposal, site preparation, planting and seedling release.

• Contingent upon sufficient Knutsen-Vandenberg (KV) Act funds collected from the timber sale the following natural resources enhancement activities will be initiated:

  1. Enhancement of habitat for roosting bats in mining shafts and caves,

  2. Obliterating roads to enhance wildlife habitat and reduce stream sedimentation,

  3. Thinning dense alder stands to release riparian areas from conifers,

  4. Confirming nest locations and monitor the status of California spotted owls and goshawks for projects funded with KV funds,

  5. Collect seed and plant material for revegetation activities,

  6. Stabilize sections of Boulder Creek,

  7. Restore two meadows,

  8. Stabilize a gully,

  9. Rehabilitate a grove of aspen,

  10. obliterate a large landing near Boulder Creek,

  11. Precommercially thin patches of trees within stands,

  12. Monitor site preparation activities to ensure that sufficiewnt snages and large woody material are retained and roads are effectively obliterated.
      
      NOTE: These enhancement activities may also be completed with appropriated funds. In addition, appropriated funding will be sought for closing roads that are not within the sale area.

SILVICULTURE ACTIVITIES

Table 3 summarizes the silvicultural prescriptions, diameter harvest limites, acreage, tec.

Seven stands (110, 113, 115, 116N, 116S, 201, 202), totaling approximately 284 acres, would be treated as described under "Selected Strata" of the CASPO interim guidelines. A sufficient number of the largest trees would be left to achieve >40 percent of the existing basal area per acre or >40 percent crown closure retention, whichever would be more restrictive. Eight stands (111, 112, 114, 117, 120, 121, 122, 200) approximately 185 acres would be treated as described under the CASPO interim guidelines for "Other Strata." A sufficient number of the largest trees would be left to achieve at least 50 square feet of basal area per acre and >30 percent of the existing basal area per acre. In both Selected and Other Strata, removal of live trees 30 inches in diameter at breast height (dbh) or larger is prohibited.

Portions of stands 116N, 117, 122, 110, 115 and the entire area contained within 118 and 118A-E are within the Granite Basin Proposed Forest Carnivore Network and/or Goshawk Territories. The specific areas are shown on the Forest Carnivore Network and Goshawk Territories Map (PNF 1996). Within these areas, retention of at least 60 percent of the total canopy closure would be met upon completion of timber operations. Where this constraint can be met, trees between 4.0 and 29.9 inches dbh would be selected for harvest so as to thin the stands for fuel management concerns. Where 60 percent canopy closure cannot be achieved with trees of >30 inches dbh, then the largest trees less than 30 inches would be retained such that the canopy closure requirement is met.

Small pockets of regeneration were encountered within some of the stands during field investigation. Although these areas are too small to map, a precommercial thinning operation would be employed on these areas. Regeneration trees (0-4 inches) would be spaced to approximately 15 x 15 foot intervals, leaving evenly distributed trees. Priority would be given to retention of the largest, healthiest trees. Pines should be given priority for retention over fir.

Legend

O/S is CASPO Other or Select Strata
N/A is not applicable
Thin is Commercial Thin
PCT is Precommercial thinning
T is Tractor yarding
T/C is Tractor/Skyline Cable Yarding

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