Kootenai_Fuels_2018_Contract_Silv_Rx.pdf

PROJECT NAME: Kootenai Fuel Reduction ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: Kootenai Fuel Reduction DM

PROJECT UNITS: 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, 13, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 21A, 22A, 22C, 23A, 23B, 24A, 24B, 25A, 25B, 26C, 26D, SILVICULTURAL PRESCRIPTION: Fuelbreak

I. PROJECT AREA AND PRESCRIPTION HISTORY

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) values and associated infrastructure are at risk to wildfire in Kootenai County, including highly valuable communication facilities permitted on NFS lands on nearby Canfield Butte. A significant portion of Kootenai Counties’ population live within 5 miles of National Forest lands along the western edge of the Coeur d’ Alene Ranger District, including the communities of Hayden, Hayden Lake, Dalton Gardens, Fernan, and Coeur d’Alene. The significant threat of wildfire to values at risk, provide the rationale and need for this fuels reduction project.

Initial work on the CE began in 2017 and a scoping letter was sent to interested parties in early January 2018.

Intent of this silvicultural prescription is to focus on mitigating surface and ladder fuels within the treatment area.

II. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES

The units in this prescription are within Management Area 6 (General Forest) and Management Area 7 (Primary Recreation Area). The desired vegetation condition and guideline for fire in MA-6 and MA-7 from the IPNF Forest Plan are:

MA6-DC-VEG-01. In much of this MA, vegetation management activities have a dominant role in affecting the composition, structure, and pattern of vegetation. These management activities trend the vegetation towards the desired conditions. Although natural ecological processes and disturbances are still present, they are influenced more by human activity in this MA than in others.

MA6-GDL-FIRE-01. Fuels are reduced, particularly within the wildland urban interface, to reduce the threat of wildland fire.

MA7-DC-VEG-01. Vegetation alterations are made while considering the natural-appearing landscape and timber may be harvested to enhance recreational values, mitigate safety concerns (e.g. hazardous tree removal), or for fuel reduction.

MA7-GDL-FIRE-01. Planned, as well as natural, unplanned ignitions may be used to meet resource objectives.

However, due to the values that could be put at risk, the use of unplanned ignitions is rare.

The objectives of the Kootenai Fuel Reduction Project are to:

1. Reduce surface and ladder fuels in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) of Kootenai County in order to reduce potential wildfire behavior. Fuel reduction will:

• Limit the spread of uncontrolled wildfires across ownerships which threatens values-at-risk

• Enhance and facilitate future suppression actions within the WUI, therefore protecting public safety

• Protect highly valuable communication infrastructure located on National Forest System

Lands

2. Collaborate and engage with local partners to reduce impacts from wildfire to the community

The specific objectives of this prescription are to:

• Reduce surface and ladder fuels thus reducing potential fire behavior and facilitating fire suppression in the WUI.

• Maintain fire resistant stand structure by removing understory regeneration

III. EXISTING SITE AND STAND CONDITIONS

The units are located in the English Point Recreation Area and near Canfield Mountain, both of which are within the WUI, adjacent to private property and other values-at-risk. These areas are portions of larger units to be implemented in a series of phases. The first phase at English Point is to create an approximately 300 foot wide fuelbreak adjacent to the private property line around the parcel. In the Canfield Mountain area, a fuelbreak will be completed around the communication site on West Canfield Butte. A fuelbreak will also be completed adjacent to the private property line around the mountain. Once the initial phase is complete adjacent to property lines and the communication site, fuel reduction work will proceed within the larger units.

These units encompass a wide variety of aspect, elevation, habitat type and past activities. Because of these differences, there is a wide range of stand conditions within the units. The commonality of these units is their location within the WUI and the accumulation of fuels during the modern era of effective fire suppression.

A complex of root diseases is found scattered through many stands; the most prevalent root diseases are Armillaria (Armillaria spp.), laminated root disease (Phellinus sulphurascens), fir-type Heterobasidion (Annosus) root disease (Heterobasidion occidentale), and Schweinitzii root and butt rot (Phaeolus schweinitzii). Mortality from insects and diseases is a major factor in the ongoing fuel accumulation and fire hazard within these stands.

LANDFIRE data shows the following fuel models as the most prevalent within the units:

• GS2 (122) Moderate Load, Dry Climate Grass-Shrub

• TU5 (165) Very High Load, Dry Climate Timber-Shrub

• TL8 (188) Long-Needle Litter

In addition, the following fuel models are present, but in much smaller amounts:

• GR2 (102) Low Load, Dry Climate Grass

• TU1 (161) Low Load Dry Climate Timber-Grass-Shrub

• SH7 (147) Very High Load, Dry Climate Shrub

The existing surface and ladder fuels could result in flame lengths and rates of spread that are resistant to control by hand crews (greater than 4 foot flame lengths) and would require either indirect attack or the use of equipment such as engines, dozers, helicopters, or air tankers to suppress. The potential fire behavior in these stands could threaten public and firefighter safety, compromise access/egress routes, and put nearby structures and communications infrastructure at risk.

IV. DESIRED STAND CONDITIONS

These stands are located within the Wildland-Urban Interface, immediately adjacent to private land with various structures, access/egress routes and infrastructure present. The primary driver of the desired stand condition in this situation is the geographic location (adjacent to private lands), the nearby values at risk (communication infrastructure, homes and improvements on private land) and the potential threat that wildfire poses to those resources.

In order to reduce the threat of fire to adjacent private property, the desired stand condition is one with a very low level of surface fuels comparable to a Fuel Model 181 (Low Load Compact Conifer Litter) which exhibits a very low flame length and spread rate, even in drought conditions. In addition to a very low level of surface fuels, the surface fuel layer would be well separated from the canopy fuel layer (i.e. minimal ladder fuels) in order to preclude the transition of a surface fire into the tree crowns (torching and crowning). Maintaining low quantities of surface and ladder fuels would also significantly reduce the ability of an active crown fire to maintain itself, causing a crown fire to drop to the surface if it were to enter these stands. These stands would exhibit easily controllable fire behavior in virtually all fire weather conditions. Fire suppression would be efficient and risks to firefighters posed by fuel conditions would be minimal.

The desired stand condition is based on meeting both the management objectives identified for this management area(s) in the IPNF Land Management Plan (2015), as well as the more specific objectives presented in the Kootenai Fuel Reduction DM and associated project file documents.

Unit 13 is within Stands 30909101 30909099, which are designated Old Growth. The Desired Condition (FW-DC- VEG-03) is that the amount of old growth increases at the Forest-wide scale. In addition, within old growth stands, vegetation management activities shall not be authorized if the activities would likely modify the characteristics of the stand to the extent that the stand would no longer meet the definition of old growth (FW-

STD-VEG-01).

V. TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES

Stand Diagnosis Matrix Does stand currently meet desired condition?

No. The stand has surface and ladder fuels that exceed those described in the desired condition.

Can treatment be deferred? No. Deferring treatment would result in unacceptable risk to public and firefighter safety, infrastructure and private values.

Modify with intermediate treatment to meet desired conditions?

Yes. The creation of a fuelbreak would reduce fuels and fire hazard and would improve the stands’ resiliency to a fire disturbance. Leaving the existing overstory intact will reduce the quantity of natural regeneration, prolonging the effects of fuel reduction. Planting of long-lived serals in openings will increase stand resiliency in the long-term.

Clearcut? No. This treatment would not meet visual quality objectives and would not maintain desired stand structure.

Seed Tree? No. This treatment would not meet visual quality objectives and would not maintain desired stand structure.

Shelterwood? No. This treatment would regenerate the stand which is not necessary to meet the objectives stated in the prescription.

Uneven-aged management? No. Group selection, single tree selection, or irregular selection, if coupled with underburning of the entire stand, would reduce the current surface fuel loading throughout the stand. However, abundant shade tolerant regeneration would likely occur within openings, minimizing the effective longevity of the fuel reduction. In addition, commercial harvest is not necessary to obtain the desired fuel reduction and stand structure stated in the desired conditions.

VI. Selected Treatment:

Fuelbreak: This treatment would reduce surface and ladder fuels for approximately 20 years. Surface and ladder fuels would be reduced while the existing overstory is left largely intact. Although the retained overstory will provide a seed source for natural regeneration it will slow the establishment rate of seedlings and reduce the growth rate of seedlings that do establish, thus prolonging the effects of the fuel reduction. The selected treatment will facilitate fire suppression, decrease potential mortality due to wildfire and retain overstory. Tree cover and visual quality will be maintained. Where openings exist and fuel reduction activities result in acceptable site preparation, planting of Management options in the future for the composite stand will not be limited by this treatment.

VII. Applicable Design Features

Soils:

1. Suspend operations under wet or thawing conditions.

2. Heavily impacted equipment trails may be required to be decompacted or scarified following fuel reduction activities, in order to reduce compaction and potential for erosion.

3. Machinery should avoid excessive pivoting in order to prevent soil displacement.

4. Where material is available, ground disturbance associated with equipment trails would be covered with randomly placed logs (on the contour), slash, or seeded with Forest approved seed mix to help increase the microtopography needed to reduce runoff and erosion.

5. Equipment shall not be operated when ground conditions are such that excessive damage will result.

VIII. DETAILED SILVICULTURAL PRESCRIPTION SUMMARY

UNITS: Kootenai Fuel Reduction 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, 13, 20A, 20A, 20B, 20C, 21A, 22A, 22C, 23A, 23B, 24A, 24B, 25A, 25B, 26C, 26D, 31

PRESCRIPTION: Fuelbreak

Activity Code

Year DESCRIPTION DETAILS

4331 2018 Silvicultural Rx

1160 2018 Thinning of Hazardous Fuels

Cut all woody understory vegetation (alive or dead ) less than 6 inches DBH. Stumps and stobs created from severing will be less than 6 inches in height. Snags that have potential to fall on private property shall be felled. In areas where no overstory exists, stand should be thinned to 20 x 20 foot spacing with leave tree preference of WL, PP, WP, DF, WRC, GF. Overstory is defined as coniferous trees greater than 6” dbh. Protect all blaze trees and survey monuments. No Cutting of WP in English Point.

1136 2018 Pruning to Raise

Canopy Height and Discourage Crown Fire

Leave trees greater than 12 feet in height should have all lower branches pruned to a height of 8 feet.

1153 2018 Piling of Fuels, Hand or Machine

Pile all slash between 0.25 and 8 inches in diameter. Slash that is less than 0.25 inches or greater than 8 inches in diameter shall be left on the ground to decompose. All material greater than 6 inch diameter that is left to decompose shall be limbed to help decomposition (severed limbs shall be piled). Pile any existing down material less than 8 inches in diameter. All material shall be bucked to lengths less than 6 feet prior to piling. Slopes greater than 35% must be hand piled.

Orient the piles 15 – 25 feet away or out from under the canopy of trees that are to remain on site (whichever is greater). Build the piles in a conical shape without significant gaps in the center.

Piles will have a fine fuels component in order to initiate the burning of the pile when operations are planned. Piles shall be greater in height than in width, and have a maximum height of 8 feet.

Material to cover the piles shall be provided by the contractor. Cover material shall be thick craft paper or 4-mil polyethylene plastic such that at least 50% of the pile’s surface area shall be covered. Favor the downhill side of the pile for covering.

Piles should not be placed within 15 feet of Forest improvements (e.g. signs) or any private improvements such as fencelines. Piles should not be places on NFS Trails; avoid damage to trail tread and repair if necessary.

1130 2019 Burning of Piled

Material

Piled material shall be burned when the top ½ inch of mineral soil is at least 25% moisture content. Soil that is moist enough to form a ball in the hand with defined finger marks meets this requirement. Piles shall be burned in temperatures that minimize scorching of the residual stand.

4346 2020 Post Treatment Monitoring

Monitor effectiveness of treatments relative to prescription objectives.

4314 2020 Pretreatment Exam for Reforestation

4431 2021 Plant Trees Where openings exist and adequate site preparation has been completed through fuel reduction activities, plant WL and PP at 12x12 spacing (303) tpa at a 50:50 ratio. A minimum of 200 tpa is required for certification, at least 100 tpa of which should be WL/PP.

4341 2022 Stocking Survey

4341 2023 Stocking Survey

4341 2025 Stocking Survey

4310 2035 Silvicultural Stand Exam Determine existing stand condition and diagnose future management needs.

Prepared by: 7/3/2018

Approved by:

Jason Jerman, Certified Silviculturist Date