Dames & Moore, 1999 - USDA Forest Service

Glacier Peak Wilderness Area. Due to the remote setting and the presence of both north- and south-facing
slopes in the valley, the Site is surrounded by a rich diversity of plant community types and wildlife habitats.
For wildlife survey purposes, the Site and the surrounding area was regarded as five sub-areas which
differed by cover type. These sub-areas consisted of the mine tailings, the north facing slopes and old mine
works, the south facing slopes, the riparian area upstream of the tailings, the riparian area downstream of the
tailings, and the tailings themselves. Vegetative differences of these areas are described hereafter.
Although all habitats were surveyed, effort in each area was not equal, due both to different amounts of time
spent in each habitat, and the variable weather conditions encountered. A summary of surveys conducted is
presented in Table 4.6-4.
4.6.2.2 Vegetation
The vegetation in the Site area varied by aspect, elevation, and available moisture, and was broken into five
sub-areas for purposes of the terrestrial surveys. These sub-areas consisted of the tailings piles, the north-
aspect slopes and old mine works, the south-aspect slopes, the riparian area upstream of the tailings, and the
riparian area downstream of the tailings (Figure 4.6-5). A table providing common species name with
scientific name is presented as Table 4.6-5. Vegetative differences of these areas are detaiied below.
North-Aspect Coniferous Forest and Mine Workings
The abandoned mine workings (portals and waste rock dumps) are located on the north-facing valley wall.
The plant diversity is high and vegetation is relatively dense in the moist coniferous forest surrounding the
mine workings. Trees on this slope include Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, western white pine, Englemann
spruce, western red cedar, subalpine fir, Pacific silver fir, western hemlock, mountain hemlock, and
lodgepole pine. The trees are all relatively young and closely spaced, probably as a result of a fire in the .
early 1900s. The herbaceous layer contains many species that are common in the wetter Western Cascades,
including devil's club, various ferns, and goat's beard. Other understory species incl~idt! Oregon boxwood,
bluebeny, and thimblebeny. Numerous avalanche chutes, vegetated with deciduous shrdlrs such as Sitka
alder, mountain ash, Douglas maple, white-flowered rhododendron, and Scouler's willow, bisect the area.
The steep waste rock areas are mostly barren, with scattered alder and conifer seedlings, grasses, sedges, and
forbs.
South-Aspect Coniferous Forest and Open Areas
A much drier, more open forest dominated by ponderosa pine and Douglas fir is found on the south-facing
slope.. The forest understory is predominantly Oregon boxwood and grasses. Pinegrass is common in forest
openings. Shrubs in forest openings and the subalpine areas include Douglas maple, ocean spray,
snowbrush, bitter cherry, snowberry, servicebeny, elderbeny, and willow. Quaking aspen stands are also
present in the avalanche chutes at lower elevations. Rock ferns (e.g., Cryptogramma crispa) grow in the
rocky outcrops, and lichen hangs from tall tree hunks and branches.
Upstream Riparian
Large areas of mixed (deciduous and coniferous) forest with a sparse understory are found in the upstream
riparian zone. Large cottonwood trees up to five feet in diameter dominate in some areas, and large snags
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4-105 DAMES & MOORE