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:	Forest Supervisor, Gifford Pinchot National Forest
From:	/s/ Edward W. Shepard, Chair, Regional Interagency Executive Committee
Subject:	Review of Win Thin Stand 15B Silvicultural Treatment

Summary:  The Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) interagency Late-Successional Reserve (LSR) Work Group has concluded its review of the Win Thin Stand 15B silvicultural treatment within the Wind River LSR, Gifford Pinchot National Forest (Forest).  The Forest proposes to treat a 29-acre stand of “off-site” Douglas-fir trees to develop late-successional conditions.  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&Gs (C-12-15).  As required by the NWFP S&Gs (C-11), the Forest prepared a Late-Successional Reserve Assessment (LSRA). The Gifford Pinchot National Forest Forest-wide LSRA, which encompasses the Wind River LSRA, was reviewed by the REO and found consistent under the NWFP S&Gs (C-11). The Win Thin project was not exempted from REO review under the LSRA and was thus brought to the LSR Workgroup for review.

Background and Project Description:  After stand-replacement fires in 1902 and 1925, this stand was replanted in 1929 with Douglas-fir growing stock obtained from outside the local area and acclimated to conditions different from the Wind River watershed.  These “off-site” trees, as compared to adjacent trees of the same age that generated naturally after the 1925 fire, are substantially smaller in height and diameter than the stand regenerated naturally.  In addition to their stunted growth, their chlorotic needles and reduced crown development inhibit the growth rate of these trees, retarding their ability to achieve late-successional structure in a timely manner.  Finally, the poor vigor of the off-site trees put the stand at risk to insect mortality.

Desired late-successional conditions (diverse, multi-species, multi-layered stand with moderate to high accumulations of large logs and snags, moderate to high canopy closure, and moderate to high component of trees with physical imperfections) are not expected to be achieved in this stand without treatment, and the off-site trees alone are not expected to provide the tree size and canopy depth and cover inherent to late-successional structure.  Thus, the proposed treatment is to remove many of the off-site trees leaving 20 of the largest residual trees per acre in addition to a single three-acre patch.  Snags and coarse woody debris would be created at the time of harvest.  Site-adapted trees would be planted (Douglas-fir, western redcedar, rust-resistant western white pine, and red alder), and tree spacing would mimic historic conditions by purposely clumping some trees and widely spacing others.  Planting density will be such that no additional entries for density reduction will be necessary until 2069, when the new stand is 61 years old.  At that time, thinning is proposed to accelerate diameter growth, create snags and coarse woody debris, and underplant a mix of shade-tolerant conifers to establish a second canopy layer.

Review of the Project:  The LSR Work Group reviewed the project as described in the document titled, “Regional Ecosystem Office Review of Silvicultural Practices for Win Thin Stand 15B,” dated May 30, 2008.  The Work Group also met with District staff on February 5, 2008, and had multiple phone conversations with the field thereafter.

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

· Forest vegetation simulator projections indicate increased growth and structure (e.g., increased diameter distributions and canopy layers) with the proposed treatment than with either no treatment or with thinning the existing off-site trees and not adding more locally adapted growing stock.  By year 2090, trees planted in 2009 as part of the proposed treatment will be of similar diameter and height to the off-site stock if they were alternately thinned in 2009 and left to grow.  However, the newly planted, locally adapted stock will be more vigorous with the capacity to continue vigorous growth.  Additionally, growth projections for the off-site stock are considered optimistic given the uncertainty as to how well the trees would respond to increased growing space given the chlorotic needle conditions and generally poor crown development.

· The proposed treatment is expected to improve the functioning of the LSR for late successional species.  Currently, about 70 percent of the LSR contains habitat through which late-successional species such as spotted owls can disperse.  Stand 15B is not currently suitable dispersal habitat.  While treating stand 15B will not remove existing dispersal habitat, it could cause a 30-40 year delay in developing dispersal habitat in the stand, as opposed to not treating the stand, whereby it might become dispersal habitat within 10-20 years.  However, there is currently no lack of dispersal habitat in the LSR; in addition, more dispersal habitat is expected to develop over the next 10-20 years as younger plantations mature.  Finally, the treated stand is expected to produce late-successional structures and characteristics of value to late-successional species much sooner than if the stand were left untreated.

Conclusion:  Based on the interagency REO LSR Work Group’s review and conclusions, the REO concurs with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s conclusion that silvicultural treatments proposed in stand 15B of the Win Thin project 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

      Andrea Ruchty, Gifford Pinchot NF

Debbie Pietrzak, BLM

Joyce Casey, FS

Kim Mellen-McLean, LSR Workgroup, FS