IMPACTS ON ANIMALS

3.6.4.4 Developmental Practices

The proposed development practices would not affect threatened and endangered species any differently than other species. When these practices are employed, the forest has been cut and therefore the major habitat modifications have already taken place.

The habitats of the river otter and Siskiyou Mountain salamander could be adversely impacted by gross yarding, accidental burning along streams, and scarification.

It has been shown by Gashwiler (1970) that populations of some small mammal species do increase after burning. Some of these are prey species of bobcats and therefore could have a local positive benefit.

Other threatened and endangered species are not expected to be impacted.

Planting may benefit river otter by improving water quality. The impacts would be difficult to assess without site specific information. Planting also may restore shade needed to reestablish any Siskiyou Mountain salamander habitat that had been temporarily degraded by other practices.

Significant impacts to threatened or endangered species are not expected from other treatments.

Conclusion

Development practices would adversely impact water quality in localized areas and therefore may significantly affect river otter habitat. They may also cause increases in some of the bobcat's prey species and have positive effects on the bobcat. Neither impact is quantifiable or expected to be significant compared with the effects of timber harvest or road building.

Consultation

Officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed, during informal consultation, that the proposed action would have no adverse effects on any species listed as threatened or endangered.

If the on-site surveys conducted prior to each individual sale uncover the presence of a threatened or endangered species, then the consultation process may be renewed.

3.6.5 Summary of Conclusions

The most significant impact to terrestrial wildlife would be the removal of old-growth timber and its replacement with early successional stage vegetation. Table 1-4 indicates that currently there are about 98,000 acres of trees that are 200 years old or older on high intensity lands.

By the end of the first decade, this acreage would be reduced to about 68,000 acres, a 31 percent decrease.

This 31 percent decrease in old-growth habitat would probably be accompanied by a 31 percent decrease in numbers of old-growth dependent species such as the northern spotted owl, Vaux's swift, and northern flying squirrel. This reduction would be significant, adverse, and permanent.

If the proposed level of harvest is continued, it is projected that by the end of the fourth decade only 19 acres of trees older than 200 years would be left on high intensity lands planned for harvest.

Currently there are about 11,000 acres of nonstocked and early stage (less than 15 years old) vegetation on the high intensity lands of the SYUS (Table 1-1). The creation of 31,200 additional early stage acres by clear cutting and regeneration cut of shelterwood harvest would be a 184 percent increase in this successional stage. Therefore, the potential exists for a theoretical 184 percent increase in early successional stage animals. It is unlikely that this large increase would occur due to limiting factors such as weather, predation and the location of the increased food supply caused by the increase in early successional stages.

In total, about 90,000 acres of habitat would be modified by cutting, thinning, and road building. This would alter animal use and species composition on those acres. It would adversely impact some species and have a beneficial impact on others.

Table 3-8 lists the impacts of the proposed action on those species discussed in Section 2.8. The effects listed are based on habitat requirements and may be subjective. In some instances, impacts are not known or there are conflicting reports in the literature. The impacts shown are for those individuals affected, not for the species as a whole.

Each action is divided into short and long-term effects. Short term is considered to be up to 10 years and long term in excess of 10 years. It is recognized that the immediate effects may be different from short term; however, immediate effects are not shown. An example of this is burning. Immediate effects are removal of all vegetation, but the short-term effects are different, e.g., good growth of grasses and shrubs and lush habitat for certain species.

Probably the most significant impact on fish is physical habitat alteration. This impact is impossible to quantify due to the non site-specificity of the proposed action and the unpredictability of sediment deposition in streams and lakes. Nonetheless it is believed that the impact would be significant and adverse because timber harvesting is known to increase stream sediment loading and the majority of stream habitats in the JKS YUs are known to be currently in poor to fair condition with the amount of available habitat decreasing. While fish may continue to use these streams, a decline in productivity and population vigor would result from increased

Mountain quail

Spotted Owl

11. Great gray owl

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sediment levels. Potential for adverse impacts would be greater in headwaters and small streams than in the mainstem of the Rogue or Klamath Rivers. The proposed action would have no significant impacts on any species listed by the Federal Government as Threatened or Endangered. Nor would there be any significant adverse impacts on any animal species on its habitat covered by International Treaty.

The northern spotted owl is the only species listed as threatened by the State of Oregon that would be adversely impacted. A decline in their numbers is possible. However, the species as a whole would only be moderately affected.

3.7 IMPACTS ON RECREATION

Most timber management activities alter those specific satisfying experiences that are desired from the chosen recreation activities. Timber harvest and accompanying road construction, traffic, and noise can severely impact some recreational values. Some recreation activities, however, can be enhanced by timber management activities.

When timber harvest activities take place near recreation sites, the recreation experience could be degraded by noise, odors, and even the sight of timber management activities. High intensity lands are within view from most of the inventoried recreation sites. Some sales proposed in the 3-year timber sale plan are near recreation sites within the ES area (see Table 3-9). In general, any activity adversely affecting the recreational experience could cause a reduction in the number of visitor days. Reductions could be temporary, occurring during actual harvest, or of many years duration if the desired recreation experience has been heavily degraded.

Recreation management opportunities (Table 2-13) for sightseeing, hiking, and backcountry experiences would be impacted when timber harvest activities are apparent. The 3-year timber sale plan indicates that evidence of timber harvest would be apparent from the Pacific Crest, Sterling Mine Ditch, Butte Creek, and other trails as well as from highways and areas of higher elevation (Table 3-9).

Inventoried potential recreation sites with high intensity timber management lands (see Figure 2-9) would be protected from timber harvest pending a review of their suitability for development (see Table 1-6, Issue VIII).

An analysis of the 3-year sale plan indicates that five potential recreation sites are within areas of proposed timber sales (see Table 3-9). These five sites contain about 530 acres of high intensity lands and about 80 acres of limited management lands. Should these sites be found not suitable for recreation development at the time of proposed timber sale, their future potential as recreation sites, if any, would be lost as a result of timber

harvest.