Initially, average annual public revenues to O&C counties would be an estimated $2.9 and $2.2 million less than from continued current management or the proposed action respectively. By the 1990's, the respective differences would be $3.8 million and $2.4 million. Local residents would perceive a loss of social and economic well-being. Opposition would be expected from local government and organizations that benefit from O&C payments. Limited revenues would cause certain government projects and programs to be reduced or eliminated while greater demands for social aid would come from those unemployed from those unemployed or under employed in the timber industry. This would support the view that there is a need for more and faster local economic diversification. BLM policies and management decisions would be more strongly opposed and BLM could be accused of treating local input as irrelevant. The BLM's ability to efficiently manage timber would certainly lose credibility among foresters and others in the timber industry. Those opposed to herbicide spraying because of health concerns would perceive improved social well-being. However, those whose opposition to herbicides is based on their preference for substituting manual labor for chemical control of competing vegetation wouldn't realize any improved social or economic well-being. 8.1.13 Health Possible adverse impacts to human health caused by herbicides would not occur since no herbicides would be used under this alternative. 8.1.14 Energy Use Total energy consumption would be approximately 1.148 trillion Btu ́s. 8.2 LIMITED INVESTMENT IN TIMBER PRODUCTION ALTERNATIVE NO. 2 This alternative differs from the proposal in that management practices would be limited to those associated with final timber harvest and artificial reforestation. Planned practices would include road construction, shelterwood harvest and clearcutting, slash disposal, site preparation (with herbicides where warranted), and planting. On high intensity lands the sustainable allowable cut resulting from this alternative would be 17.80 MM cu. ft. (104 MM bd. ft.), as shown in Figure 8-2. The additional 0.86 MM cu. ft. (5 MM bd. ft.) harvested on low intensity lands would bring the total planned harvest for Alternative No. 2 to 18.66 MM cu. ft. (109 MM bd. ft.). Figure Comparison of Proposed Annual Allowable Cut with 8.2.1 Air Quality Burning is proposed on 21,520 acres. Maximum levels of particulate and carbon monoxide pollutants would be 50 to 51 percent above present levels, and particulates would have significant adverse impact upon air quality locally for short periods throughout the year. About 63,885 tons of soil would erode as a result of yarding, slash disposal, and road construction activities. This is 64 percent below the amount of soil eroded from treated lands in the JKSYUS presently. Site-specific impacts would still be expected on some areas such as low-fertility sites. 40 8.2.3 Water Resources 8.2.3.1 Water Yield Increased water yield from the disturbed lands would be 3,650 acre-feet per year. This is 66 percent less than increases from present activities and 19 percent lower than would occur with the proposed action. Streambank erosion would be reduced and channel stability improved when compared to present conditions, with subsequent improvement in water quality. Overall yield from major watersheds, however, would not be significantly reduced. 8.2.3.2 Water Quality Sediment Yield Yarding, transportation, gross yarding, and mechanical scarification activities would impact streams by adding 14,010 tons of sediment to them. This is 50 percent below the sediment added presently from BLM-administered lands and 9 percent lower than the proposed action. This alternative would have significant adverse impacts on water quality in localized areas. Chemical Quality An additional 20,245 pounds of nitrogen would be added to streams as a result of clearcutting, shelterwood harvest, and slash burning. This represents an increase of less than 1 percent of that added from the areas prior to disturbance, an insignificant amount overall, but may have localized, significant impacts. 8.2.4 Vegetation Timber management with limited emphasis on forest development practices would produce the following impacts to vegetation during the first decade: (a) Early successional stages would be initiated on approximately 28,300 acres based on clearcut and regeneration cut acres. (b) Removal of timber in the 70-200 year age classes would occur on approximately 6,865 acres on high intensity land. This constitutes about 5 percent of the existing timber in these age classes. (c) Old growth timber (200+ years) would be removed on about 29,700 acres on high intensity lands. This accounts for approximately 30 percent of existing old-growth timber on high intensity lands. (d) Short-term destruction of surface vegetation due to yarding methods (including gross yarding) would occur on about 9,700 acres. This could lead to an increase in soil erosion on these areas. ALTERNATIVE NO. 2 (e) Complete long-term elimination of vegetation would occur on about 1,770 acres based on new road construction with continued maintenance of these roads. 8.2.5 Animals During the first decade about 60,500 acres would be subjected to habitat modification through harvest, road building, and thinning practices. In most cases modification would be great enough to change the animal composition and density on those acres. Clearcutting and shelterwood regeneration harvest would cause about a 158 percent increase in early successional stage vegetation. This would benefit those species adapted to exist on this type of habitat (see Table 2-6), and potentially could result in a in a 158 percent increase in animals that use this habitat. Existing and newly created early successional stage habitat would be modified on 16,000 acres where herbicides would be used to eliminate competition with favored conifers. This would reduce the value of these acres to many animal species by reducing plant structure, diversity, and density. About 30 percent of the old growth currently existing on the high intensity lands of the JKSYUS would be harvested during the first decade. This could mean a 30 percent reduction in old growth dependent species occurring on those lands. Old growth would be eliminated on the high intensity lands of the JKS YUS by the year 2028 if this alternative were implemented. Worst case analysis discloses a total of 14,010 tons of sediment (see Section 8.2.3.2) could be deposited in the streams of the JKS YUs. This could be detrimental to an individual stream and its fishery resources but it would be insignificant to the JKS YUs as a whole. No adverse impacts are expected to occur to any Federally listed threatened or endangered species. The Siskiyou Mountain salamander and the river otter (which are currently undergoing status review) and the northern spotted owl (a species considered threatened by the State of Oregon) could have their habitat reduced and/or degraded. While individuals may be affected, the species are not expected to be adversely impacted (see 3.6.4). Impacts resulting from the implementation of this alternative would be similar to those of the proposed action. Elimination of thinning would mean less alteration of the recreational experience than under the existing situation. Fewer areas and opportunities for hiking would be created. Sightseeing and miscellaneous use would slightly decrease, insofar as thinning could not be used to enhance the environment by increasing depth of view or by changing form, line, texture, color, and vegetative groupings. Water quality degradation and related impacts upon fish populations and fishing success would not be as widespread as under existing situation. Fishing use would slightly increase. With the elimination of commercial thinning, some hazard trees might remain standing and endanger recreationists. With approximately 58,930 acres proposed for harvest under this alternative, about 29,465 acres would be new ground, previously undisturbed, and possessing opportunities for solitude and serenity. Unidentified cultural resources could be inadvertently damaged or destroyed. 8.2.8 Visual Resources This alternative would result in some short-term adverse impacts and would also hinder long-term enhancement effects resulting from changes in form, line, texture, color, and/or vegetative groupings. 8.2.9 Wilderness Impacts would be the same as those delineated in Chapter 3. 8.2.10 Noise Some noise intrusiveness would occur. 8.2.11 Ecologically Significant Areas Impacts would be the same as those of the proposed action. Impacts occur primarily during harvest and include disruption of vegetation, soil compaction, erosion, and in some cases disturbance of unique animal or plant species. Average annual timber harvest within the timbershed would be about 3 percent less than expected from continued current management. During the first decade, annual direct local employment, as well as total (direct plus indirect) employment, generated by BLM timber harvest would be about 10 percent less than from continued current management. The magnitude |