Final Environmental Impact Statement

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