Regional Interagency Executive Committee 333 SW 1st   P.O. Box 3623 Portland, Oregon  97208-3623 Website:  www.reo.gov   E-Mail:  REOmail@or.blm.gov Phone:  503-808-2165     FAX:  503-808-2163
	Memorandum
Date:	June 24, 2008
To:	Gary Larsen, Forest Supervisor, Mt. Hood National Forest
From:	/s/ Edward W. Shepard, Chair, Regional Interagency Executive Committee
Subject:	Review of the Cascade Crest Shaded Fuel Break Project, Clackamas River Ranger District, Mt. Hood National Forest

Summary:  The Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) interagency Late-Successional Reserve (LSR) Work Group has concluded its review of the Cascade Crest Shaded Fuel Break Project within the Upper Clackamas LSR (RO-207B), Clackamas River Ranger District, Mt. Hood National Forest (Forest).  The Forest proposes to treat approximately 852 acres along Forest roads 4230 and 4220 to more effectively protect important late-successional habitats by creating a shaded fuel break intended to support initial attack of wildfires along the Cascade crest between Ollalie Lake and Sisi Butte.  The REO, based upon review by the LSR Work Group, concurs with the Forest in its finding of consistency with the Standards and Guidelines (S&G) under the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP).

Basis for the Review: Silviculture, risk reduction, and salvage treatments in LSRs are subject to REO review under the NWFP S&G (C-12-15).  As required by the NWFP S&G (C-11), the Forest prepared a Late-Successional Reserve Assessment (LSR assessment).  The North Willamette LSR Assessment, which encompasses a portion of the Cascade Crest Shaded Fuel Break, was reviewed and found to be consistent under the NWFP standards and guidelines (C-11).  Although the North Willamette LSR assessment supports the shaded fuel break, the project came before the LSR Workgroup for review because certain recommendations in the LSR Assessment cannot be met and have the shaded fuel break function as intended.

Background and Project Description:  The project area lies mostly within the mountain hemlock zone and includes 57 acres of suitable habitat for the northern spotted owl, 61 acres of dispersal habitat and 254 acres of capable habitat.  The suitable habitat consists of mature mixed conifer stands.  The dispersal habitat is comprised of small to moderate diameter lodgepole pine/mixed conifer stands.  The capable habitat is comprised of dead and dying lodgepole pine stands, small diameter lodgepole pine/mixed conifer stands, and young plantations.

The Ollalie Lake area lies within an area of relatively high lightning occurrence for the Mt. Hood National Forest.  An ongoing mountain pine beetle outbreak has caused significant mortality in many of the lodgepole pine stands present in the project vicinity.  Stands of mixed conifer species have developed extensive ladder fuels consisting of a combination of young conifers and shrubs.  Old trees are also draped and matted with mosses and lichens that are highly flammable in summer conditions.  This fuels complex combined with the lightning occurrence level aids in

the start of wildfires and the development of crown fires when burning conditions are appropriate.  Further, access into the area is limited with a single route into and out of the Ollalie Lake area, and travel times are long for ground-based firefighting resources.  A crown fire would then pose significant risk of unacceptable loss to tribal and treaty resources on both the Mt. Hood National Forest and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation and to existing northern spotted owl habitat in the Upper Clackamas LSR and increases the risk of entrapment and threat to human life for visitors at Ollalie Lake Resort and Campground.

To address this risk, the forest is proposing to construct a shaded fuel break along the only access route into Ollalie Lake to aid in successful initial attack using either direct or indirect tactics.  The fuel break would be approximately 500 feet wide, 250 feet on either side of the roads, with three wider areas created to serve as staging areas for crews and unloading areas and turnarounds for large vehicles such as crew carriers, buses, lowboys, and water tenders.  The project would directly affect 316 acres of the Upper Clackamas LSR, including 57 acres of currently suitable northern spotted owl habitat.

Review of the Project: The LSR Work Group reviewed the proposed action for the Cascade Crest Shaded Fuel Break Project.  Members of the LSR Work Group also met with District staff on November 20, 2007 and on April 4, 2008.  The Work Group’s review was based on information obtained from these resources.

The interagency LSR Work Group review concluded that the proposed treatment in the LSR meets the objectives for managing LSRs.  This conclusion was reached in part for the following reasons:

· The shaded fuel break is located in the only logical place to aid initial attack and evacuation of the Ollalie Lake area

· Shaded fuel break width is intended to aid only in initial attack, minimizing to the extent possible the project impacts on currently suitable northern spotted owl habitat within the LSR.

· The treatment prescribed is aimed at reducing surface, ladder, and canopy fuels to the extent needed to sufficiently alter potential fire behavior and allow the use of burning out operations along the road.  The treatment will also provide an adequate anchor point for fire line construction around smaller fires that have not transitioned to a crown fire.

· Simulations using FVS-FFE tested various prescriptions until the specified fire behavior was achieved (flame lengths less than 4 feet, surface fire only after treatments were complete).

· Maintenance of the shaded fuel break is recognized.

Conclusion: Based on the interagency REO LSR Work Group’s review and conclusions, the REO concurs with the Mt. Hood National Forest’s conclusion that shaded fuel break construction in the Ollalie Lakes area on the Clackamas River Ranger District are consistent with the Northwest Forest Plan.

If you have questions regarding this review, please contact Kim Mellen-McLean at

503-808-2677.

cc:  RIEC

Jim Rice, Mt. Hood NF

Debbie Pietrzak, BLM

Joyce Casey, FS

Kim Mellen-McLean, LSR Workgroup, FS