Final Environmental Impact Statement
Final Environmental Impact Statement
Final Environmental Impact Statement
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Vestal <strong>Final</strong> <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Statement</strong> Chapter 3<br />
88<br />
Summary of Effects to SOLC<br />
(Accipiter striatus) become denser. Conifers would<br />
continue to encroach into meadows<br />
and hardwoods. MPB activity<br />
would be expected to continue,<br />
changing the existing structural<br />
stages, with the majority of pine<br />
sites transitioning to SS1, 2, and<br />
3A. This change would also result<br />
in decreased nesting habitat and<br />
may cause displacement. The threat<br />
of stand replacing wildfire would<br />
increase. Spruce is expected to<br />
remain at 42 acres.<br />
Cooper’s Hawk<br />
(Accipiter cooperi)<br />
Would have adverse cumulative<br />
effects to habitat. Potential for<br />
long-term adverse cumulative<br />
effects due to stand replacing<br />
events.<br />
may cause short-term displacement of<br />
individuals. Unknown nests may be<br />
disturbed during harvest activities. Provides<br />
for habitat diversity. Would decrease existing<br />
MPB and wildfire risk. Spruce would not<br />
change from Alternative 1.<br />
Cumulative Effects<br />
Past, present, and future activities are<br />
expected to continue in the project area, as<br />
well as on private lands. Alternative 2 would<br />
be expected to incrementally offset some of<br />
the effects of past fire suppression by<br />
reducing pine encroachment in spruce,<br />
meadow, and hardwood habitat through<br />
vegetation treatment activities. Treatment<br />
activities are expected to temporarily<br />
produce disturbance impacts to sharpshinned<br />
hawks. Mountain pine beetle is also<br />
expected to incrementally offset some of the<br />
above effects naturally by reducing pine<br />
encroachment into spruce, meadow, and<br />
hardwood habitat. However, because of the<br />
effects of MPB, there is expected to be<br />
adverse cumulative effects to sharp-shinned<br />
hawks because of loss of suitable nesting<br />
habitat.<br />
Private lands may continue to be developed,<br />
some of which may include roads. All may<br />
affect sharp-shinned hawks through direct<br />
mortality, modification of behavior, habitat<br />
alteration, spread of exotics, or disturbance.<br />
There are no known future activities which<br />
would affect spruce habitat.<br />
Summary<br />
The No Action alternative retains the most suitable nesting habitat, with the most<br />
potential for more future nesting habitat than the proposed alternative. However, no<br />
SS3C is left because of MPB effects. The same amount of spruce is available in<br />
both alternatives. The proposed action is expected to increase hardwood acreage<br />
because of hardwood conversion treatments, although this habitat type for nesting is<br />
not significant. This alternative would contribute toward meeting Forest Objective<br />
221. This species is likely to persist on the Forest.<br />
Alternative 1<br />
Alternative 2<br />
No Action<br />
Proposed Action<br />
Direct and Indirect Effects<br />
MPB risk and wildfire risk would Preferred nesting habitat would decrease<br />
not decrease. Nesting habitat would from existing conditions. More preferred