8.4.10 Noise The impacts of noise intrusiveness would steadily increase until the decade when a reduction in timber management activity is expected. 8.4.11 Ecologically Significant Areas Impacts would be the same as those of the proposed action. 8.4.12 Socioeconomic Conditions Average annual timber harvest within the Medford timbershed would be expected to be about 3 percent less than with current management both in the short term and the long term. Annual local employment and personal income generated by the annual harvest would be about 9 percent less than with current management while public revenues would be about 14 percent less. By the 1990's, these respective annual differences would amount to about 7 percent and 13 percent. Social impacts would be approximately equal to those of the proposed action. 8.4.13 Health This is a Herbicide use is planned on 27,220 acres under this alternative. significant increase over the present situation where no herbicides are used, and an 8 percent decrease from the proposed action. The impacts to human health would be expected to be similar in nature in nature to those of the proposed action. Total energy consumption would be approximately 1.376 trillion Btu's. 8.5 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE NO. 5 This alternative specifies continuation of the current level of timber management. That means continuation of the present allowable cut of 21.93 MM cu. ft. (128 MM bd.ft.) which was computed in 1970 from a commercial forest base of 327,270 acres. As shown in Figure 8-6, the combined JKS YUS can maintain this level of harvest for 10 decades. This alternative assumes continuation of the same level of management and, except for road construction, the same management practices as projected in 1970. For this alternative the level of Figure 8-6 Cut with Comparison of Proposed Annual Allowable road construction expected to take place during the next 10 years is assumed to be the same as that of the proposed action since the major road systems have already been completed in the JKS YUS. This alternative carries the assumption that the 70,360 acres removed from the base through timber production capability classification (TPCC) in the development of the proposal will not satisfactorily regenerate commercial timber when the existing timber is removed. Further, it is assumed that timber harvest activities would take place uniformly over the JKS YUS with equal emphasis on all commercial forest lands in the old base, including those which would not regenerate. The forest simulation model, using 1970 management assumptions and commercial forest bases, showed markedly different responses in the two SYUS. In the Klamath SYU the current harvest level of 25 MM bd.ft. is less than that called for in the proposed action. Accordingly, it could be maintained indefinitely. By the end of the sixth decade all harvestable timber would be removed from the 6,320 acres identified as incapable of sustained yield timber production. 40 In the Jackson SYU the current cut level of 103 MM bd.ft. could be maintained for 10 decades before the sustainable harvest level drops to 99 MM bd. ft. At the end of the sixth decade all harvestable timber would have been removed from the 64,040 acres identified as incapable of sustained yield timber production. Pro rata harvest from all acres during that period would place substantially less load on the acreage capable of sustained yield production. The sustained yield base at that time would exhibit a better distribution of age classes and contain a greater greater volume of standing merchantable timber than would occur under the proposed action. Thus, four additional decades at the 103 MM bd.ft. level would be possible. Primary reforestation emphasis would rely on natural regeneration with planting assumed for approximately one-third of the harvested area. Precommercial thinning, where appropriate, would begin in the second decade. There would be no use of herbicides, mechanical scarification, gopher control or fertilization under this alternative. 8.5.1 Air Quality Because no burning is proposed, air quality would not be significantly impacted. About 63,415 tons of soil would erode as a result of yarding, disposal, and road construction activities. This is 65 percent less than the amount of soil eroded from treated lands in the JKS YUS presently. Site-specific impacts would still be expected on some areas, such as low-fertility sites. 8.5.3 Water Resources 8.5.3.1 Water Yield Increased water yield from the BLM-administered lands would be 5,400 acre-feet per year. This is 50 percent less than increases from present activities and 20 percent more than would occur with the proposed action. Streambank erosion would be reduced and channel stability and channel stability improved when compared compared to present conditions, with subsequent improvement in water quality. Overall yield from major watersheds, however, would not be significantly reduced. 8.5.3.2 Water Quality ALTERNATIVE NO. 5 Sediment Yield Sediment yield from yarding, transportation, gross yarding, and mechanical scarification activities would impact streams by adding 13,360 tons of sediment to them. This is 53 percent below the present situation, and 11 percent less than the proposed action. This alternative would have significant adverse impacts on water quality in localized areas. Chemical Quality An additional 11,655 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 these activities, an insignificant amount overall, but may have significant localized impacts. 8.5.4 Vegetation Continuation of the current level of timber management would result in the following significant impacts to vegetation during the first decade: (a) Early successional stages would be initiated on approximately 33,300 acres based on clearcut and regeneration cut acres. (b) Removal of timber in the 70-200 year age classes would approximately 7,580 acres. This constitutes about 6 percent existing timber in these age classes on high intensity lands. (c) (d) Occur on of the Old-growth timber (200+ years) would be removed on about 32, 200 acres. This accounts for approximately 33 percent of existing oldgrowth timber on high intensity lands. Destruction of surface vegetation due to yarding methods would occur on about 6,100 acres. This could lead to an increase in soil erosion on these acres. about (e) Complete long-term elimination of vegetation would occur on 1,770 acres based on new road construction with continued maintenance of these roads. 8.5.5 Animals During the initial decade about 82,000 acres would be subjected to habitat modification through harvest, road building and thinning practices. In most cases, the modifications would be great enough to change the animal composition and density on those acres. Clearcutting and shelterwood regeneration harvest would cause about 203 percent increase in early successional stage vegetation. This would be beneficial to those species adapted to exist in this type of habitat (see Table 2-6), and potentially could result in a 203 percent increase in animals that use this habitat. About 33 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 33 percent reduction in old-growth dependent species such as the northern spotted owl, northern flying squirrel 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. Worst case analysis discloses a total of 13,360 tons of sediment (see Section 8.5.3.2) could be deposited on the streams of the JKSYUs. This could be detrimental to an individual stream and its fishery resources 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. This 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). 8.5.6 Recreation Continuing the current level of timber harvest in the JKSYUs would result in a number of adverse impacts for recreationists. Significant degradation of the recreational experience and limitation of quality recreational opportunities would result. Hunting, camping, and ORV use would probably increase slightly; general sightseeing, fishing, and miscellaneous use would decrease. The destruction of small, undeveloped pristine areas would be noticeable. Approximately 34,148 acres of land proposed for timber harvest would be in undisturbed areas. 8.5.7 Cultural Resources The chance of unidentified unidentified cultural sites being inadvertently damaged or Impacts would be the same type destroyed would occur under this alternative. as those of the proposed action. |