B08_Attachment_4_Exhibit_C_Designation_by_Prescription_for_Salvage_Logging_(Units_4-8).pdf

Case Mountain Stewardship Project Salvage Units 4-8 Logging Prescription

DESIGNATION BY PRESCRIPTION – UNITS 4-8

Within salvage units 4-8, as shown on Exhibit B, the following criteria describing the desired end results shall be used by Purchaser to designate trees and other products for cutting and removal that meet Utilization Standards:

(a) See below for Prescription

(b) Additional trees to be cut, if any, are Marked by Bureau of Land Management with BLUE tracer paint.

(c) Other trees that shall be left uncut are Marked with ORANGE tracer paint.

Purchaser is not required to mark cut or leave trees meeting the criteria in (a) in advance of felling.

As an operational convenience and upon approval of the Contracting Officer, Purchaser may mark leave trees and/or cut trees Purchaser identifies in criteria (a). Leave trees may be marked with Purchaser’s non-tracer 2/__N/A_____ paint. Cut trees may be marked with Purchaser’s non-tracer 2/__N/A_____ paint. Cut trees shall not be marked with paint applied below stump height. Purchaser shall bear all costs associated with such marking.

Bureau of Land Management will not approve or accept Purchaser’s tree marking in advance of cutting.

Prescription Associated with Cutting Units 4-8

Timber salvage would be conducted on up to 116 acres throughout the project area, see attached maps for potential harvest locations. The salvage assessment area was selected to include large stands of merchantable conifers where there is little to no anticipated survival. Dead and dying conifer trees would be felled and removed from these units. In a few small areas, green trees may be removed incidentally to allow for roads, landings, skid trails, and cable corridors to be established. Felled trees would be removed for firewood, biomass, or in a commercial timber sale.

Primary objective in cutting units 4-8 is to remove large stands of burned timber where there is little to no anticipated survival, reducing the risk of bark beetle infestation and future high severity fire. Species leave preference is sugar pine > ponderosa/Jeffrey pine > young growth Giant Sequoia (emphasis on individuals within driplines of large, legacy sequoias) > Incense Cedar > White fir retaining the healthiest fire – resistant trees.

1. Matrix

• The matrix will comprise approximately 40% of the area

• Harvest dead and dying trees over 12” dbh, prioritizing white fir and incense cedar, where “dying” is defined as >70% chance of mortality according to the R5 Marking guidelines (generally, 20-30% green canopy remaining). This could be increased up to 50% if cambium is completely dead.

• Harvest live trees up to 20 inches DBH to reduce the density of smaller shade-tolerant white fir and incense cedar, while maintaining a minimum average canopy cover of 60% where feasible

• No hardwoods, riparian species, or Giant Sequoia >29.9 inches DBH will be removed.

2. Clump/Group

• Clumps should comprise approximately 30% of the area

• Clumps will range in size from approximately 0.1 to 0.25 acre

3. Openings

• Openings should each comprise approximately 30% of the area

• Openings will range from 0.5 to 0.75 acre in size

• All Giant Sequoia trees greater than 29.9 inches DBH or 32.0 inches stump diameter shall be left un-cut regardless of basal area and tree characteristics.

• Within 100’ of the driplines of large, legacy sequoia trees thin all trees >12.0” DBH and snags except Ponderosa Pine and Sugar pine

Clumps Clumps are portions of treatment units with an increased density (higher stocking) of trees retained in groups of two or more trees. Clumps should consist of: patches of mixed size classes of healthy, fire-resistant trees and patches of healthy, fire-resistant overstory trees, where possible. Prioritize retaining clumps of large trees (> 30” dbh) that provide significant wildlife value and a higher likelihood of persistence (i.e. large size, stability, and complex structure). In areas of little to no healthy trees, retain an average of 4-5 largest snags per acre. Some thinning may occur in the clumps to reduce ladder fuels and ensure the clumps will persist through time. Where the treatment unit is adjacent (w/in 100 feet) to road(s), attempt to locate clumps in areas with trees having high canopy base heights and where there is discontinuity of canopy fuels present outside the clump. Some wildlife snags may be flagged for retention prior to the start of operations.

When selecting clumps, look for “anchors:”

1. Trees exhibiting legacy characteristics

2. Vigorous fire-resistant, dominant and co-dominant trees that have a high crown ratio

3. Wildlife trees that have non-genetic defect (cavities, broken tops, etc.)

4. Pockets of healthy regeneration or vigorous smaller diameter trees designated for retention

Openings Openings are areas/gaps with lower – than-average stocking levels. Openings should be placed in such a way as to increase the aerial extent of existing openings, disease pockets, adjacent to clumps to create areas for regeneration of fire-resistant pine, or areas with small, non-fire-resistant trees.

When selecting openings, look for these “anchors”:

1. Openings should be located in areas where there are no healthy trees over 20.0” DBH

2. Existing natural openings or areas with a well-developed herbaceous understory

3. Areas with high occurrences of mistletoe or evidence of recent insect activity

4. Root disease pockets, or groups of trees with live crown rations less than 30%, thinning or fading crowns

5. Areas with primarily overtopped or suppressed trees or trees of low vigor

Matrix

The remainder of the stand – the areas between the groups and openings – is the “matrix.” The matrix should be thinned to the prescribed basal area (BA) with an emphasis on retaining larger sized trees.

Thinning should be primarily focused on removing ladder fuels, but a portion of all age/size classes present in the stand should be retained for vertical heterogeneity. In addition, some mid- and upper story trees may be removed to protect adjacent trees targeted for retention and to break up canopy fuel continuity. Post – thinning stand densities in the matrix should be variable across the stand but meet the average BA target for that stand.

Leave Tree Criteria Use these factors (in order of priority) when selecting leave trees.

Tree Vigor

a. Retain the healthiest, largest conifers in the stand

b. Trees should have a live crown ratio of 30% or better

c. Crowns should be full and of good color

d. Tree should be free of insects and disease

Note: Remove trees with mistletoe when possible. If trees with mistletoe need to be retained, they should have a Hawksworth rating of 3 or less. In root disease pockets, remove affected species first, if possible.

Do not retain mistletoe or root disease infected trees adjacent to openings that will affect future regeneration.

Good Phenotypes

• Retain trees without genetic defect

• Trees with non-genetic defect resulting from injury may be retained as wildlife trees, including those with broken tops, forked tops, crooks, or sweeps

Species Priority

• Retain all hardwoods and riparian species, although they need not be designated with paint

• Attempt to retain a portion of all conifer species currently on site

• When conifers are of equal size and vigor, the priority for leave trees by species is:

1. Sugar pine– retain all SP that are free from Blister Rust

2. Ponderosa or Jeffrey Pine

3. Young growth Giant Sequoia (emphasis on individuals within driplines of large, legacy sequoias)

4. Incense cedar

6. White fir

Leave healthy, scattered trees, irregularly distributed with distinct openings. Leave trees should generally be ≥12.0” DBH, but the marker can use discretion around this value when stands are heavy in healthy, open spaced biomass. When leaving healthy < 12.0” DBH trees, trees shall be left on a 10’ x 10’ spacing.

Leave trees should be clumped with other leave trees that serve as “anchors”, including trees exhibiting legacy characteristics, vigorous fire-resistant trees that have a high crown ratio, and wildlife trees that have non-genetic defect.

Size Classes

• Retain all Giant Sequoia > 30” DBH

• Leave healthy, scattered trees, irregularly distributed with distinct openings. Leave trees should generally be ≥12.0” DBH, but the marker can use discretion around this value. Leave trees should be clumped with other leave trees that serve as “anchors”, including trees exhibiting legacy characteristics, vigorous fire-resistant trees that have a high crown ratio, and wildlife trees that have non-genetic defect.

Legacies and Snags

• All legacy trees, regardless of age, diameter, or condition, should be retained. Legacy trees have:

1. Platy, yellow bark on four panels (on at least ½ to ¾ of the bole)

2. Downward or outward sweeping branches (not angled upward)

3. A rounding or flat top

• Retain all snags > 24” DBH

In units with Waterway Buffers:

• No treatment will occur within 35 ft. of the high water line of intermittent streams

• No removal of riparian hardwood species such as willow, ash, maple, alder, etc.

• Trees shall be directionally felled away from the no treatment zones

• No logging slash shall be piled within the no treatment area