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 />
For MA 5.1, Alternative 2, structural stage 4B would move toward Forest Objectives and<br />
SS1, 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4C and 5 would remain the same, while SS4A would move away<br />
from Forest Objectives. This movement away from the Forest Objectives for some<br />
structural stages is expected to be short term and in the long term, more beneficial. These<br />
changes from denser stands to more open stand conditions were necessary to lower the<br />
MPB hazard and to accomplish fire hazard reduction over the landscape.<br />
Table 30. Forest-Wide Management Area 5.4 Pine Structural Stages by Alternative<br />
Structural<br />
Stage<br />
46<br />
Forest<br />
Plan<br />
Objective<br />
%<br />
Existing<br />
Condition<br />
Acres<br />
Existing<br />
Condition<br />
%<br />
Alt 1<br />
Year<br />
2018<br />
Acres<br />
Alt 1<br />
Year<br />
2018<br />
%<br />
Alt 2<br />
Year<br />
2018<br />
Acres<br />
Alt 2<br />
Year<br />
2018<br />
%<br />
1 5% 45,616 13% 48,539 14% 45,613 13%<br />
2 5% 10,152 3% 11,005 3% 10,672 3%<br />
3A 10% 17,454 5% 19,309 6% 17,616 5%<br />
3B 15% 22,227 7% 22,099 7% 21,660 6%<br />
3C 5% 15,763 5% 15,182 4% 15,196 4%<br />
4A 25% 86,487 25% 87,061 26% 91,683 27%<br />
4B 25% 87,864 26% 83,747 25% 84,278 25%<br />
4C 5% 52,865 16% 51,500 15% 51,675 15%<br />
5 5% 1,066 0.3% 1,052 0.3% 1,066 0.3%<br />
Total 100% 339,494 100% 339,494 100% 339,459 100%<br />
For MA 5.4, Alternative 2, structural stages 4B and 4C would move towards the Forest<br />
Objectives and SS1, 2, 3A and 5 would remain the same, while SS3B, 3C, and 4A would<br />
move away from Forest Objectives. This movement away from the Forest Objectives for<br />
some structural stages is expected to be short term and in the long term, more beneficial.<br />
These changes from denser stands to more open stand conditions were necessary to lower<br />
the MPB hazard and to accomplish fire hazard reduction over the landscape.<br />
Very Large Sized Trees<br />
Alternative 2 would reduce the acres of SS4 with an average tree size of very large within<br />
the project area, by approximately 21% from 974 acres to 767 acres (Table 31), which is<br />
less of a change than in Alternative 1. This change in acres however would not result in a<br />
change to the Forest-wide management area percentages (Table 31) for Objectives 5.1-<br />
204 or 5.4-206. It would reduce the percentage in MA 4.1 and moves toward Objective<br />
4.1-203.<br />
Table 31. All Alternatives: Acres of SS4 with an Average Tree Size of Very Large at Year<br />
2018<br />
Existing<br />
Management Condition Alt 1 Acres Alt 2 Acres<br />
Area<br />
Acres<br />
Year 2018 Year 2018<br />
4.1 50 16 36<br />
5.1 208 69 178