Attachment_5_Forbestown_Marking_Rx.docx

DRAFT January 15, 2016 DRAFT

Forbestown Community Protection and Fuels Reduction Project

Silvicultural Prescriptions and Marking Guidelines

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prescription

1. Prescription for Hazard Tree Removal / Mechanical Thinning

2. Prescription for Hazard Tree Removal (PAC)

3. Prescription for Mastication (Plantations)

4. Prescription for Hand cut and Pile (Hand or Grapple) and Burn Piles

5. Prescription for Prescribed Underburning

6. Non-Treatment or Deferred Stands

7. Appendix A - Figures

Page

1) Prescription for Hazard Tree Removal and Mechanical Thinning

UNITS

Hazard Tree Removal – no dbh limit.

Units: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 20

Mechanical Thin –30.0 dbh limit, maintain 40 percent canopy cover averaged throughout stand

Units: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 20

OBJECTIVES AND DESIRED CONDITIONS

1) Reduce the number and severity of accidents and decrease the potential for accidents on National Forest Systems roads and designated routes by removing hazardous trees falling onto Forest system roads and/or facilities that could cause personal injury and/or property damage to the general public, contractors, and Forest Service employees.

2) Ensure public safety and forest resource values are protected.

3) Fuel treatments are intended to reduce, surface, ladder, and crown fuels.

4) Crown fuels are modified to reduce the potential for spread of crown fire.

5) Increase stand heterogeneity, promote hardwoods, and reduce risk of loss to wildland fire.

6) Overstory crowns are spaced at a distance that reduces potential for crown fire spread.

7) Crowns thinned to meet less than 20 percent probability of crown fire initiation under 90th percentile weather conditions.

8) Surface fuels able to carry no more than 4 feet flame length surface fires (90th percentile weather conditions);

9) Fuel loading of fuels less than 3 inch diameter not exceeding 5 tons per acre.

10) Surface and ladder fuels removed to meet less than 20 percent mortality in dominant and codominant trees under 90th percentile weather and fire behavior conditions.

11) Moderately open canopies for mechanical access, prescribed burning and reduction of crown fire potential.

12) Relatively irregular tree spacing, crown density and species mixtures to promote landscape diversity.

13) Prevent or reduce the spread of insects and disease due to overstocking. Remove diseased and suppressed trees.

14) Develop older forest conditions by releasing trees capable of large diameter growth.

AREA OF TREATMENT WITHIN UNIT

Hazard tree removal and mechanical thinning will occur throughout the area delineated on the map.

PRESCRIPTION #1 - Hazard Tree Removal and Mechanical Thinning Hazard Tree Removal and Mechanical Thinning

Stand-wide

1) Retain trees all live trees >30” DBH, except for operability or safety.

2) Retain at least 40% of the existing basal area, generally comprised of the largest trees.

3) Canopy Cover: Retain an average of 40% canopy cover for each unit (Figure 1).

a) Canopy cover is measured only for trees 6” DBH and greater.

b) Canopy cover should include reductions from skid trails, temporary roads and should not include major roadway canopy cover.

c) Canopy cover within 200 feet of roadways would average 30-40%.

d) Away from roads, canopy cover would average 40-50% or higher.

4) Species preference for the residual trees are shade intolerant species where they exist. Preference order is: sugar pine, ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, Douglas-fir, black oak, incense-cedar and true fir. Retain healthy sugar pine >9" DBH (>40% crown, not suppressed) that are visibly free of white pine blister rust where possible.

Merchantable Sawlog-sized trees

5) Cut tree mark. No diameter limits for hazard tree removal. Sawlog diameter limits for thinning range from 10.0” to 29.9” DBH.

a) Hazard tree removal and Thin from below guidelines used within 200 feet of roadway.

b) Away from roadway, use radial thin and variable density marking guidelines.

6) Hazard tree removal would include dead or dying trees, dead parts (i.e., dead tops or limbs) of live trees, or unstable live trees that are likely to fail in the near future and are within the striking distance of people, facilities, or roads.

7) Hazard tree marking guidelines would follow the Plumas National Forest “Roadside/Facility Hazard Tree Guidelines and Identification Criteria” (April 2008) as amended by the “Hazard Tree Guidelines for Forest Service, Facilities and Roads in the Pacific Southwest” (Forest Health Protection, Pacific Southwest Region, Report #RO-12-01, April 2012).

8) Thin from below. Concentrate on removing diseased, suppressed, intermediate and some codominant trees with crowns underneath and adjacent to healthy larger trees.

9) Leave some deformed (crooks, bends, sweeps), damaged, forked tops, standing culls as wildlife tree and for future snag recruitment.

10) Radial thin around legacy trees - large shade intolerant conifers (PP/ JP & SP >30” DBH) (Figure 4)

a) Remove trees within a determined distance from legacy trees (Diameter plus 10 feet; i.e., 30”DBH+10‘= 40’)

b) Remove shade tolerant conifers (i.e., white fir, red fir, incense cedar) that have interlocking crowns.

c) Retain healthy codominant and dominant shade-intolerant conifers (sugar pine, ponderosa, and Jeffery pine) in clumps around the legacy trees.

11) Radial thin around larger black oaks (>15”DBH) (Figure 4)

a) Remove trees within a determined distance from larger black oaks (Diameter plus 10 feet; i.e., 15”DBH+10‘= 25’)

b) Remove overtopping conifers, specifically on southern, south-east and south-west aspects.

c) Retain codominant and dominant shade intolerant conifers on northern aspects.

PRESCRIPTION #1 - Hazard Tree Removal and Mechanical Thinning

12) Where feasible and available, leave all black oaks greater than 9" DBH to provide future recruitment of black oaks that is necessary to achieve 25-35 square feet of basal area per acre within the matrix.

13) Variable Density Thinning (Figures 2 &3). Residual basal area would vary between stands and within stands (i.e., gaps, low-density and high density areas (see table below). These are guidelines only and will vary throughout the stand depending on species and average tree size. Ultimately, minimum canopy cover averaged across the treatment unit must be achieved.

a) Gaps: Gaps are open areas from ¼ to ½ acre in size where basal area may be less than 50 square feet.

b) Low Density Matrix: These areas would be located near the upper slopes and ridge tops or adjacent to roads and structures. For example, basal area would vary from 95 square feet to 135 square feet (see table below). These areas would consist primarily of dominant, codominant, and intermediate trees.

c) High Density Matrix: These areas would be located on the lower slopes near the drainages, or away from roads and structures. Basal areas would range from average basal area (i.e., BA=135) to high density basal area (i.e., BA=176) (see table below).

d) Retention Areas: These areas are located within control areas and riparian conservation areas (RCAs) where no trees are harvested.

Basal Area for CWHR 4/5 Stands

Marking Guidelines for Basal Area Retention

Notes: BA = Basal Area (Sq Ft); BT_BA= Before Thin Basal Area; AT_BA= After Thin Basal Area

Sub-merchantable biomass trees

14) Sub-merchantable material may be treated by biomass removal; mastication; hand cut, hand pile, and burn; hand cut, grapple pile, and burn; or underburning treatments.

15) Treat trees up to 9.9" DBH at a spacing of 18-24 feet apart, except where holes would be created in canopy cover. Treat trees that contribute to ladder fuels and are directly underneath the drip line of an overstory leave tree.

16) Retain sub-merchantable trees in openings or gaps in the overstory. In these areas, space residual trees or tree clumps approximately 18-24 feet apart.

17) Treat all brush and small dead or dying trees <9.9” DBH.

PRESCRIPTION #1 - Hazard Tree Removal and Mechanical Thinning

Snags

18) Not applicable within striking distance of roads and/or facilities that could cause personal injury and/or property damage.

19) Away from roads and facilities, leave 4 - 6 large snags (>15” DBH) per acre where available and where safety provides. Snag retention levels would be evaluated on a 10 acre basis and should be clumped and irregularly distributed across the unit.

20) Where snags are not present, retain at least 2 of the largest green trees per acre (where available and averaged on a 10 acre basis) for snag recruitment.

a) Use large dominant or codominant trees with desirable wildlife characteristics such as forks, multiple tops, broken tops, bayonet tops, crooks, existing cavities, large basal scars, and/or evidence of rot to meet these objectives.

b) Trees greater than 30 inches DBH could be used to fulfill these retention levels where appropriate wildlife structures are present.

CONSTRAINTS

1) Perimeter Roadways in Retention and Partial Retention Zones: Mark only cut trees and on the unseen side of the tree.

2) Roadside stumps that are visible within 50 feet of the Forbestown Road and Old Forbestown Road should be cut to within eight inches of the ground (or as low as possible considering obstacles and safety) and the cut should slope away from travel way.

3) Unit as a whole (including skid trails and temporary roads, but not including major roadways) will have no less than an average of 40% canopy cover after mechanical treatment.

4) Minimize logging damage to residual >30" DBH trees and boundary trees.

5) Mechanical equipment operation is limited to 35% slope.

6) Limit ground-based equipment to slopes less than 25% within all Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs).

7) Establish a 50-foot “equipment exclusion zone” along each side of perennial streams and special aquatic features, 25-foot “equipment exclusion zone” along each side of intermittent and ephemeral streams. No harvest or ground based equipment is allowed in equipment exclusion zones unless agreed to by the District Hydrologist.

ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS

1) Units will be whole-tree removal and tractor logged.

2) Follow-up may include underburning after treatment to reduce slash, naturally occurring surface fuels and residual ladder fuels. Piling activity slash and burning piles may occur before the underburn if post-thinning slash levels would not allow fuels officers to meet prescribed fire objectives.

2) Prescription for Hazard Tree Removal (PAC)

UNITS

Hazard Tree Removal

Units: 21

OBJECTIVES AND DESIRED CONDITIONS

AREA OF TREATMENT WITHIN UNIT

Hazard tree removal will occur throughout the area delineated on the map.

Hazard Tree Removal

Stand-wide

1) Retain trees all live trees >30” DBH, except for operability or safety.

Merchantable sawlog-sized trees

2) Hazard tree removal would include dead or dying trees, dead parts (i.e., dead tops or limbs) of live trees, or unstable live trees that are likely to fail in the near future and are within the striking distance of people, facilities, or roads.

3) Hazard tree marking guidelines would follow the Plumas National Forest “Roadside/Facility Hazard Tree Guidelines and Identification Criteria” (April 2008) as amended by the “Hazard Tree Guidelines for Forest Service, Facilities and Roads in the Pacific Southwest” (Forest Health Protection, Pacific Southwest Region, Report #RO-12-01, April 2012).

4) Cut tree mark hazard trees. No sawlog diameter limits for hazard tree removal.

PRESCRIPTION #2 - Hazard Tree Removal (PAC)

Sub-merchantable biomass trees

5) Sub-merchantable material may be treated by follow up hand cut, hand pile and burn; hand cut, grapple pile, and burn; or underburning treatments.

6) Treat trees up to 9.9" DBH at a spacing of 18-24 feet apart, except where holes would be created in canopy cover. Treat trees that contribute to ladder fuels and are directly underneath the drip line of an overstory leave tree.

7) Retain sub-merchantable trees in openings or gaps in the overstory. In these areas, space residual trees or tree clumps approximately 18-24 feet apart.

8) Treat all brush and small dead or dying trees <9.9” DBH.

Snags

9) Not applicable within striking distance of roads and/or facilities that could cause personal injury and/or property damage.

CONSTRAINTS

1) Roadways in Retention and Partial Retention Zones: Mark only cut trees and on the unseen side of the tree.

2) Roadside stumps that are visible within 50 feet of the Forbestown Road and Old Forbestown Road should be cut to within eight inches of the ground (or as low as possible considering obstacles and safety) and the cut should slope away from travel way.

3) Minimize logging damage to residual >30" DBH trees and boundary trees.

4) Mechanical equipment operation is limited to 35% slope.

5) Limit ground-based equipment to slopes less than 25% within all Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs).

6) Establish a 50-foot “equipment exclusion zone” along each side of perennial streams and special aquatic features, 25-foot “equipment exclusion zone” along each side of intermittent and ephemeral streams. No harvest or ground based equipment is allowed in equipment exclusion zones unless agreed to by the District Hydrologist.

7) For California spotted owl PACs: Maintain a limited operating period (LOP), prohibiting vegetation treatments within approximately ¼ mile of the activity center during the breeding season (March 1 through August 1), unless surveys confirm that California spotted owls are not nesting.

ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS

1) Units will be whole-tree removal and tractor logged.

2) Hand cut the ladder fuels. Hand pile the activity slash.

3) Follow-up treatments would include underburning after treatment to reduce slash, naturally occurring surface fuels and residual ladder fuels. Piling activity slash and burning piles may occur before the underburn if post-thinning slash levels would not allow fuels officers to meet prescribed fire objectives.

APPENDIX A. FIGURES

Figure 1. Averaging canopy cover within a treatment unit that is within a spotted owl home range core area (HRCA) and outside the HRCA. The averaged canopy cover for the treated HRCA meets 50 percent. The averaged canopy cover for outside the HRCA meets 40 percent.

40 foot radius radius Schematic for radial release (DBH” + 10 Feet) = Radius 30” dbh SP WF 26” dbh IC 22” dbh BO 12”dbh IC 10”dbh 30” DBH + 10 feet = 40 foot radius radius radius

· Radial release corresponds to tree DBH” + 10 feet up to a maximum of 40 feet.

· Oaks greater than 9 inches dbh would be retained

· Remove shade tolerant conifers (i.e., white fir, red fir, incense cedar) that have interlocking crowns.

· Retain healthy codominant and dominant shade-intolerant conifers (sugar pine, ponderosa, and Jeffery pine) in clumps around the legacy trees.

· For black oaks, remove overtopping conifers, specifically on southern, south-east and south-west aspects.

Figure 4. Schematic for radial release

APPENDIX B. TREATMENTS TABLE

Lumpkin Fire

Forbestown Project Silvicultural Prescriptions and Marking Guidelines Page 1 image3.jpeg image4.jpeg image1.png image2.jpeg