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