Memorandum
Date: September 18, 1997
To: G. Lynn Sprague, Regional Forester, Region 5, Forest Service
From: Donald R. Knowles, Executive Director
Subject: Proposed Crabtree-Maryanne Salvage Project Within Late-Successional Reserves RC4040 and RC4041, Mendocino National Forest
Summary
The Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) and the interagency Late-Successional Reserve (LSR) Work Group have reviewed the subject project proposal. The REO finds this project to be consistent with the objectives established for LSRs and with the applicable standards and guidelines from the Northwest Forest Plan (NFP) and Record of Decision (ROD) requirements for salvage and silviculture activities in LSRs. REO also concurs that this proposal meets the "unusual circumstances" criteria on page C-11 of the standards and guidelines and that proceeding with this project without a completed LSR Assessment is appropriate.
Background
LSRs RC 4045 and 4046 are 100-acre LSRs near the extreme southern end of the owl range. They represented key forest habitat within a large area generally devoid of large blocks of late-successional forest. Surrounding wildlands include considerable area of hardwoods, chaparral, grey and knobcone pine, plantations, and conifer patches that are typically smaller in tree size or acreage. One of the LSRs is located on Wild Bill Ridge which serves as a secondary fireline opportunity. Fires have been frequent within the analysis area and drainage. The likelihood of fire occurring within each of the 100-acre LSRs within the next 80 years is almost 100 percent, based on local models and estimates.
In August 1996, the 83,000-acre Fork Fire burned in and around these two LSRs. This was the largest fire in over 50 years. These two LSRs were significantly impacted, with current mortality of 70 to 100 percent of the trees over 10" DBH on 50 percent of LSR RC4045 and 95 percent of RC4046. Current downed fuel levels are light, but standing dead material that will become down fuel in the future ranges from 20 to 100 tons per acre.
These two LSRs are included in the 12,000-acre Crabtree-Maryanne Planning Area. Salvage and related restoration and risk-reduction work is proposed for approximately 1,500 acres within the Planning Area, and planting of burned plantations will cover another 1,400 acres. Within the 100-acre LSRs, salvage is proposed on 39 acres in RC4045 and 75 acres of RC4046. All salvage is within openings larger than 10 acres. Thirty-four acres will be skyline yarded, 12 acres will be yarded by helicopter, and the remainder will be tractor yarded. Four to six of the largest, most persistent snags as well as four to six of the largest logs per acre (plus pre-existing logs) will be retained. These downed logs and snag levels are expected to be supplemented in the near future by delayed mortality occurring because of insect activity after the harvest. Where remaining fuel levels exceed 20 tons per acre, fuels will be jackpot burned (skyline and helicopter areas) or tractor piled. This fuels treatment serves the dual role of reducing fuel loading on all areas so that fire can be reintroduced into these stands within 20 to 30 years, and it provides site preparation for the rapidly sprouting brush species that would compete with planted trees. All salvaged areas will be planted. Snag and downed log levels are consistent with the results of a recent province-wide interagency effort to identify appropriate snag and coarse woody debris (CWD) numbers. Reintroduction of fire into these stands in 20 to 30 years is necessary because of the high likelihood that wildfire will occur within these stands within the next 80 years, ignition sources are present in the form of nearby arterial roads and lightning prone ridgetops, and one of the LSRs occurs on a ridge that serves as a secondary fire control zone.
Rationale for Consistency Finding
Documents submitted for REO review included prescriptions and marking guidelines, the Biological Assessment, a detailed discussion of consistency with the ROD standards and guidelines, and a map. In addition, one of these units was viewed and briefly discussed during a field visit to the burn in April 1997. The field trip included participants from the Mendocino National Forest, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and three members of the REO interagency LSR Work Group.
The following factors were considered in determining that the proposed salvage is consistent with NFP objectives, standards and guidelines for LSRs:
The proposed salvage is within intensively burned portions of the LSRs as required by the salvage S&Gs. The salvage meets the salvage S&Gs on pages C-13 through 16 of the NFP ROD/S&Gs. The present stand is not serving as late-successional habitat.
Relatively intensive fuel treatments are necessitated by fire risk concerns, consistent with the risk portion of the S&Gs on pages C-12 through 13 and B-7. The likelihood of replacing the late-successional values within these areas is low without these treatments.
It was clear from the documentation and site visit that there is a substantial risk of stand-replacing fire within the LSRs, even if risk-reduction treatments are done on areas immediately surrounding the LSR.
The fuel concentrations contribute significantly to the risk of any fire within the LSR becoming a stand-replacing event and prevent future reintroduction of fire to maintain acceptable fuel loadings.
Following the salvage, adequate CWD and snags will remain on site and substantial opportunities for future CWD recruitment will exist. All units will be planted, protected, and managed for late-successional objectives.
In addition to reviewing the specifics of the harvest proposal, REO has considered the appropriateness of proceeding prior to completion of an LSR Assessment as required by standards & guidelines (S&Gs) (ROD, page C-11). The S&Gs permit habitat manipulation activities to proceed without such assessment "only in unusual circumstances." The Forest characterizes, and REO agrees, that the Fork Fire and the circumstances surrounding this response presents "unusual circumstances" anticipated by the ROD. Not only was the Fork Fire the largest fire in 50 years, it exceed the previous largest fire by some two times. Approximately half of the burned area was consumed by high intensity fire. These circumstances combined with the limited resources, the need to accomplish fuel-reduction and restoration treatments over as much of the fire area as possible, the expected rapid deterioration of marginally merchantable material, the sufficiency of the interdisciplinary and interagency analysis conducted to increase the likelihood of supporting and enhancing LSR objectives makes it appropriate to proceed with this project prior to completion of a LSR Assessment. It was noted that the Forest stated that it intends to begin the LSRA for the LSRs within the fire area "in approximately one month."
Conclusions
Based on review of the project documentation, conversations with Forest staff, and the results of the field review, the REO finds the proposed harvest and associated fuels treatment to be consistent with objectives, and standards and guidelines for Late-Successional Reserves. REO further finds it appropriate to proceed with this project prior to completion of an LSRA.
Based on the LSR Work Group field visit, and discussions with the Forest staff, it appears that these same conditions exist for other risk-reduction and salvage plans in progress within one other LSR within the 83,000 acre Fork Fire area. For the same reasons presented here, LSRAs will not be developed before submitting these other proposals to REO for review. The REO will review the projects, which are similar to the one described in this memo, based on their merits.
It should be noted that any projects or treatments that either propose cutting any green trees or fall outside the burned area will have to be supported by a LSRA.
cc:
A. Holden, S.Clauson
Upper Lake Ranger District, Mendocino NF
REO, RIEC
993/ly