Final Environmental Impact Statement

Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 3
forage production would occur. This alternative better moves toward Objective 205, than
Alternative 1.
Cumulative Effects
The time boundary used to analyze cumulative effects is 1980-2018. Harvesting and
noncommercial treatments in the 1980s are the earliest known activities that still
significantly affect the landscape today. The timber sales from this analysis are
scheduled to sell in 2012 and 2013. Allowing two years for the sales to be harvested and
three years for post-sale activities to be accomplished all activities should be completed
by approximately 2018. Predicted changes in structural stages from mountain pine beetles
would also be expected to occur by 2018.
The spatial boundary used to analyze cumulative effects is the project area boundary for
all resource elements discussed in this section except for mountain pine beetle. The
direct and indirect effects for most elements are contained within the project area
boundary. The cumulative effects boundary for mountain pine beetle is the project area
and the Wabash Resale Timber Sale area immediately adjacent to the southwest boundary
of the project area. This boundary was selected because beetle populations are known to
be at a high level in the Wabash area and could affect ponderosa pine within one mile of
this sale area. Beetles generally move less than one-tenth of a mile per year but might
travel up to several miles on rare occasions.
Ponderosa Pine
Much of the Vestal analysis area has been harvested in the past. At least 25 timber sales
have taken place in portions of the project area since 1980. The effect of past treatments
has been an increase of merchantable volume growth and improvement in the quality of
timber. There has also been an improvement in the quality of timber through removal of
damaged, diseased, and poorly formed trees. Precommercial thinning and weed &
release have occurred and improved stand health by removing damaged, diseased, and
poor quality trees. Past treatments have contributed to the current structural stage
conditions.
Some timber harvesting is occurring on private land within the project area, mostly in
conjunction with MPB and fuels reduction. Since private land comprises approximately
40% of the project area (17,693 acres) and over 7,000 acres of that is forested land, the
effects of treatment on private land for fire hazard reduction and MPB would contribute
to a reduction in both fire hazard and MPB risk.
Late Succession and Very Large Sized Trees
Past timber harvest has had both positive and negative impacts on late succession and
very large sized trees. It has allowed some mature trees to grow into the very large tree
size (greater than 16+ inches dbh) by increasing diameter growth as a result of less
competition. In addition, MPB risk to mature stands has been reduced due to harvest.
Past harvest has also removed old trees from stands that may have had the potential to
become late succession.
The proposed action alternative would have a beneficial cumulative effect by increasing
the potential for retention of very large and old trees on the landscape because of reduced
48