Memorandum
Date: September 30, 1996
To: G. Lynn Sprague, Regional Forester, Forest Service, Region 5
From: Donald R. Knowles, Executive Director
Subject: Proposed Coyote Rock Fuels Management Projects Within Late-Successional Reserve #RC310, Mendocino National Forest
Summary
The Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) and the interagency Late Successional Reserve (LSR) Work Group have reviewed the fuels management projects proposed in LSR #RC310 in the Mendocino National Forest. The REO finds the projects are consistent with the Northwest Forest Plan (NFP) and Record of Decision (ROD) requirements for salvage and silviculture activities in LSRs.
Background
In 1988, a severe windstorm hit the Covelo District of the Mendocino National Forest, affecting several thousand areas in the Coyote Rock area. No salvage activity occurred following that blowdown, in part because a proposed sale received no bids, and later due to classification of the area as a Habitat Conservation Area. Subsequent insect-related tree mortality and additional windthrow during the winter of 1995 increased the level of stand damage. In a number of stands the mortality ranges from 50-90 percent, with canopy closure below 40 percent and fuel loadings of up to 300 tons per acre.
The Forest submitted five proposed activities within the LSR for REO review: (1) blowdown salvage in five units totaling approximately 300 acres; (2) removing hazard trees along, and blowdown trees across, Forest Road M-1, a major access route to the area; (3) release and/or precommercial thinning of approximately 1100 acres of existing established plantations; (4) prescribed chaparral burning of 100 acres per year on a 20-year rotation; and (5) maintaining, through underburning, an existing fuelbreak along Old Man Ridge, approximately 3 miles in length and adjacent to the LSR.
After further discussions, the Forest determined that the release/precommercial thinning will meet the exemption criteria identified in April 20, 1995, REO memorandum, "Criteria to exempt specific silvicultural activities in LSRs and MLSAs from REO review," and that the removal of blowdown across the road and roadside hazard trees was not subject to REO review. Consequently, neither action is addressed in this consistency finding.
Rationale for Consistency Finding
Regarding the 300 acres of proposed salvage, the following factors were considered in determining that the action was consistent with NFP objectives, standards and guidelines:
No live or dead standing trees will be removed except as needed for safety purposes.
All salvage units exceed 10 acres and have canopy cover of less than 40 percent.
No blowdown will be removed from riparian reserves.
At least 3 logs per acre greater than 20 inches in diameter (small end) will be left on site. Initially this level of coarse woody debris (CWD) was a concern to the REO. However, after further discussions with the Forest it was clarified that there will actually be substantially higher volumes of CWD following the activity since much of the 1988 blowdown is not merchantable. In addition, the windstorm left an average of 3 to 4 trees per acre with most of the crown broken out--which will likely become snags within the next 10 years; and an additional 9 to11 healthy trees per acre which can be used to supplement CWD if needed in the future. This strategy for assuring adequate levels of CWD until a new stand is capable of producing CWD was provided by the Forest in a separate CWD analysis. It will be important for the Forest to monitor on-the-ground conditions to assure that their assumptions were correct.
Following treatment, 3.5 to 10 snags per acre will remain.
The Forest proposes chaparral and glade burning of 100 acres per year to reduce the chance of fires moving into late-successional habitat and to prevent shrub/tree encroachment into glades. The REO believes that, in general, this type of activity is consistent with LSR objectives and standards and guidelines. However, a long-term program such as this should be based on a comprehensive LSR Assessment (LSRA) rather than an initial LSRA. For this reason, the REO consistency finding is limited to the initial 100 acre treatment scheduled for the fall of 1996 or spring of 1997. Long-term treatments of chaparral and glades should be addressed in the subsequent comprehensive LSRA.
Given the fire history of the area and the fuel concentrations present, the REO agrees that the proposed fuelbreak maintenance through the use of prescribed fire is necessary to protect existing late-successional conditions. In the absence of this treatment brush encroachment into the fuelbreak will reduce its effectiveness, increasing the risk of stand-replacing loss of late-successional stands.
Conclusions
Based on review of the documentation and conversation with Forest staff, including expected post treatment results discussed above, the REO finds the proposed salvage, the initial 100-acre chaparral and glade burning, and fuelbreak maintenance to be consistent with objectives, standards and guidelines for late-successional reserves. Since the Forest has concluded that the proposed precommercial thinning and roadside tree removal are not subject to REO review, the REO has not addressed these activities.
cc:
T.Nygren, S.Clauson
Covelo RD, Mendocino NF
RIEC, REO Reps
800/ly