ALTERNATIVE NO. 3 of corresponding differences among income income impacts would be similar (Table 8-2). However, public revenues would be about 15 percent less. Although the amount of employment, income, and public revenues would change by the 1990's, the relative differences between this alternative and annual impacts from continued current management would be about the same (Refer to Table 8-3). This alternative would also be generally perceived as reducing local social welfare. The initial average reduction in harvest would contribute to the instability of the timber industry. Since average annual 0&C payments would decline, opposition could be expected from local governments. BLM would be perceived by many as inefficiently managing timber for adopting a "weak" management plan with no purpose or direction. Local residents would generally feel that their concerns and welfare were either ignored or considered irrelevant in the decisionmaking process. 8.2.13 Health Herbicide use is planned on 15,925 acres under this alternative. This is a significant increase over the present situation where no herbicides are used, and a 46 percent decrease from the proposed action. The impacts to human health would be expected to be similar in nature to those of the proposed action. 8.2.14 Energy Use Total energy consumption would be approximately 1.34 trillion Btu ́s. 8.3 UTILIZATION OF SURPLUS INVENTORY ALTERNATIVE NO. 3 This alternative differs from the proposal in that surplus growing stock which contributes nothing to the attainable level of sustained yield allowable cut would be harvested at an accelerated rate. Surplus growing stock is in excess of that needed in allowable cut calculation to provide constant or increasing timber supply over time (see Section 1.2.6.2). Utilization of the surplus on a shorter timeframe would only slightly hasten achievement of a regulated forest in the JKS YUS due to the present distribution of age classes. The alternative has two options: utilization of the surplus inventory during a) one decade, or b) two decades. Under either option the forest could still sustain a harvest of 19.69 MM cu. ft. (115 MM bd. ft.) per year in the future decades. The objective would be to assist in meeting anticipated short-run national housing needs. The allowable cut on high intensity lands for Alternative No. 3a would be 26.67 MM cu. ft. (156 MM bd. ft.) for one decade as shown in Figure 8-3. With the additional harvest of 0.86 MM cu. ft. (5 MM bd. ft.) on low intensity lands, the total planned harvest for this option would be 27.53 MM cu. ft. (161 MM bd. ft.). If the accelerated harvest were extended over two decades, the allowable cut on high intensity lands expected to result from option 3b would be 22.33 MM cu. ft. (131 MM bd. ft.) for two decades as shown in Figure 8-4. The additional 0.86 MM cu. ft. (5 MM bd. ft.) harvested on low intensity lands would bring the total planned harvest for the first decade of this option to 23.19 MM cu. ft. (136 MM bd. ft.). 8.3a UTILIZATION OF SURPLUS INVENTORY WITHIN ONE DECADE 8.3a.1 Air Quality Burning is proposed on 31,750 acres. Maximum levels of particulate and carbon monoxide pollutants would be 74 to 75 percent above present levels, and particulates would have significant adverse impact upon air quality locally for short periods throughout the year. 8.3a.2 Soils 8.3a.2.1 Erosion Yarding, slash disposal, and road construction activities would cause about 65,635 tons of soil to erode. This is 63 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. Increased water yield from the disturbed lands would be 5,700 acre-feet per year. This is 47 percent less than increases from present activities and 27 percent higher than would occur with the proposed action. Streambank erosion would be reduced and channel stability improved when compared to present conditions with subsequent improvement of water quality. Overall yield from major watersheds, however, would not be significantly reduced. 8.3a.3.2 Water Quality Sediment Yield Yarding, transportation, gross yarding, and mechanical scarification activites would impact streams by adding 19,695 tons of sediment to them. This is Figure Comparison of Proposed Annual Allowable Cut with 31 percent below the sediment added presently from BLM-administered lands and 31 percent above the proposed action. This alternative would have significant adverse impacts on water quality in localized areas. Chemical Quality An additional 29,865 pounds of nitrogen would be added to streams as a result of clearcutting, shelterwood harvest, and slash burning. This represents an increase of only 1 percent of that added from the areas prior to disturbance, an insignificant amount overall, but a significant localized impact. 40 8.3a.4 Vegetation Utilization of surplus inventory during a period of one decade would produce the following significant impacts to vegetation: (a) Early successional stages would be initiated on approximately 41,800 acres based on clearcut and regeneration cut acres. (b) Removal of timber in the 70-200 year age classes would occur on approximately 10 110 acres on high intensity land. This constitutes about 8 percent of the existing timber in these age classes. 42 percent (c) Old-growth timber (200+ years) would be removed on about 41,200 acres on high intensity lands. This accounts for approximately of existing old-growth timber on high intensity lands. (d) Short-term destruction of surface vegetation due to yarding methods This (e) Complete long-term elimination of vegetation would occur on about 8.3a.5 Animals During the initial decade about 112,000 acres would be subjected to habitat modification through harvest, road building, and thinning practices. In most cases, modifications would be great enough to change animal composition and density on those acres. Clearcutting and shelterwood regeneration harvest would regeneration harvest would cause about a 280 percent increase in early successional stage vegetation that would benefit those species using those habitats (See Table 2-6), and potentially could lead to a 280 percent increase in animals that use this habitat type. Herbicide use on about 40,000 acres of existing and newly created early stage habitat would lower the value of these habitats by reducing plant structure, diversity and density. About 42 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 42 percent reduction of old-growth dependent species such as the northern spotted owl, redback vole, pileated woodpecker and Vaux's swift on those lands. Old growth would be eliminated on the high intensity lands of the JKSYUS by the year 2018 if this alternative were implemented. The use of poison bait for gopher control would have an adverse impact to gophers on the 12,000 acres so treated. ALTERNATIVE NO. 3 Worst case analysis discloses a total of 19,695 tons of sediment (see Section 8.3a.3.2) could be deposited in the streams of the JKSYUs. This could be detrimental to an individual stream and its fishery resource, but it would be insignificant to the JKSYUs 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 would not be adversely impacted (see Section 3.6.4). 8.3a.6 Recreation Impacts resulting from the implementation of this alternative would be similar to those of the proposed action. Forest visitors and recreationists who enjoy viewing old-growth specimens would be adversely affected by this alternative. A slight reduction in visitor days associated with general sightseeing and miscellaneous use would occur. Water quality degradation would result in decreased fishing use. Increased old-growth harvest would result in the loss of some opportunities to experience solitude and isolation in primitive-type areas. Hunting, camping, and ORV use would slightly increase. The destruction of small, undeveloped pristine areas could occur since an estimated 43,473 acres proposed for harvest under this alternative are presently undisturbed. Impacts would be the same type as those of the proposed action. The intensified cutting of old growth during the first decade would adversely affect those people who regard specimens of old growth as examples of "living history." Increased timber cutting in the first decade would probably cause some unidentified cultural resources to be inadvertently damaged or destroyed. 8.3a.8 Visual Resources During the first decade this alternative would result in significant landscape alteration and contrast. Impacts would be identical to those of the proposed action. Forest visitors who extol the virtues and grandeur of old-growth and who enjoy viewing these specimens would be especially prone to adverse impacts during the first decade. |