Mt. Hood National Forest. Clackamas River Ranger District. The proposed action is to do variable density thinning on approximately 70 acres.

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1 Summit Thinning Mt. Hd Natinal Frest Clackamas River Ranger District The purpse f this initiative is t thin t reduce the risk f mrtality frm insects, t enhance grwth and t prvide frest prducts cnsistent with the Nrthwest Frest Plan gal f maintaining the stability f lcal and reginal ecnmies nw and in the future. This actin is needed because this natural secnd-grwth stand is experiencing elevated risk due t vercrwding. The stand cntains primarily ldgeple pine with a cmpnent f Duglas-fir. Ldgeple pine acrss the District is being killed by muntain pine beetle. Thinning reduces the ptential fr insect attack. The prject is lcated in sectins 13, 14, 23, and 24 f T. 6 S., R. 8 E., WM, Clackamas Cunty, Oregn. The prpsed actin is t d variable density thinning n apprximately 70 acres. Stands are apprximately 70 years ld and were created after a frest fire. Trees t be cut are generally smaller than 12 inches in diameter with an average f apprximately 10 inches. Thinning wuld generally remve the smaller trees, leaving apprximately 80 t 140 variably spaced trees per acre. N rads wuld be cnstructed. Grund based lgging systems wuld be used.

2 The prject is in the C1 Timber Emphasis land allcatin. N Riparian Reserves wuld be thinned. Variability Thinning will generally remve the smaller trees, but the bjective is t intrduce structural and bilgical diversity thrugh variable spaced thinning. Diversity and variability will be intrduced in several ways: Leave tree spacing will vary frm trees per acre. Leave trees will include minr species. Small gaps wuld be created. Leave trees will include sme trees with the elements f wd decay. Leave trees will include sme live trees where their crwns tuch certain key snags. All nn-hazardus snags will be retained. All existing dwn lgs will be retained and key cncentratins f wdy debris in the lder decay classes wuld be prtected. Rads - N new rads wuld be cnstructed. Prject File Other details f the prject can be fund in the prject file. This includes a list f standard practices such as seasnal restrictins, snag management, ersin preventin measures, and practices t reduce the risk f spread f invasive plants. Ptential fr Categrical Exclusin The prpsed actin is cvered by categry , described in Frest Service Handbk , July 6, This categry is fr harvest f live trees nt t exceed 70 acres, requiring n mre than ½ mile f temprary rad cnstructin. The prpsed actin may include incidental remval f trees fr landings, skid trails, and rad clearing. Examples include but are nt limited t: cmmercial thinning f verstcked stands t achieve the desired stcking level t increase health and vigr. This prpsal is t thin up t 70 acres f secnd-grwth. N new rads wuld be cnstructed.

3 N extrardinary circumstances have been identified by the interdisciplinary team f resurce scientists that analyzed this prpsal. The fllwing resurces were cnsidered: threatened, endangered r prpsed species r their critical habitat r sensitive species; fld plains, wetlands r municipal watersheds; Cngressinally designated areas such as wilderness, wilderness study areas r natinal recreatin areas; inventried radless areas; research natural areas; American Indian religius r cultural sites; archaelgical sites r histric prperties r areas. Bilgical Evaluatins were prepared fr sensitive, threatened r endangered wildlife, fish and btanical species. Frmal cnsultatin with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service cncerning the nrthern sptted wl has been cmpleted fr this prject. The Bilgical Opinin written by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and dated March 29, 2005 cncluded that this prject is nt likely t jepardize the cntinued existence f the nrthern sptted wl r result in the destructin r adverse mdificatin f designated critical habitat. The prpsal is nt in nesting/rsting/fraging habitat but it is in dispersal habitat, which will be temprarily degraded by thinning. The unit is in Critical Habitat Unit OR-11. The effects determinatin fr habitat mdificatin wuld be Nt Likely t Adversely Affect. Lng-term benefits will utweigh shrt-term effects. The new infrmatin that has been recently published abut nrthern sptted wls has been cnsidered. The new infrmatin wuld nt lead t a change in the effects determinatin. The prpsal will have n effect n threatened r endangered anadrmus fish r Essential Fish Habitat established under the Magnusn-Stevens Fishery Cnservatin and Management Act. Cnsultatin is nt required. There will be n impacts t sensitive species r survey and manage species that wuld cause a trend t federal listing r lss f viability fr any prpsed r sensitive species. The prject wuld have n adverse effects n fld plains, wetlands r municipal watersheds; Cngressinally designated areas such as wilderness, wilderness study areas r natinal

4 recreatin areas; inventried radless areas; research natural areas; American Indian religius r cultural sites; archaelgical sites r histric prperties r areas. Frest Plan The prpsed actin is cnsistent with the Standards and Guidelines f the Mt. Hd Natinal Frest Land and Resurce Management Plan as amended by the Nrthwest Frest Plan (Frest Plan). Aquatic Cnservatin Strategy The prject is nt in riparian reserves and is therefre cnsistent with the Frest Plan as amended by the 2004 Recrd f Decisin t Clarify Prvisins Relating t the Aquatic Cnservatin Strategy. It is cnsistent with standards fr threatened, endangered and sensitive species; management indicatr species, nxius weeds, hydrlgy, water quality, air quality, heritage resurces, scenery and timber management. It is cnsistent with the Natinal Frest Management Act regulatins fr vegetative management. There will be n regulated timber harvest n lands classified as unsuitable fr timber prductin (36 CFR ) and vegetatin manipulatin is in cmpliance with 36 CFR (b). Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Design Criteria 1. Nrthern Sptted Owl: N activity wuld take place within sptted wl nesting/rsting/fraging habitat during the March 1 t July 15 critical nesting perid. This applies t nise generating activities but des nt include rad use, lg hauling r hazard tree remval t prtect public safety. This restrictin may be waived if the area is fund t be unccupied r there is n nesting activity, as determined by a survey t prtcl. This is a standard requirement frm the Bilgical Opinin. 2. Sils: N peratin f ff-rad grund-based equipment wuld be permitted between Nvember 1 and May 31. This restrictin applies t the grund-based prtins f harvest

5 units. It als applies t grund-based equipment such as harvesters r equipment used fr fuels treatment, rad recnstructin r landing cnstructin. This restrictin may be waived if sils are dry r frzen r if peratrs switch t skyline r ther nn-grund based systems. This is a BMP and it implements Frest Plan standards and guidelines FW-022 and FW Snags and wildlife trees: Snags wuld be retained where safety permits. T increase the likelihd that snags wuld be retained, green trees wuld be marked as leave trees where their live crwns tuch certain key snags. Certain live trees wuld als be selected as leave trees that have the elements f wd decay as described in the DecAid advisr. This may include trees with features such as dead tps, brken tps and heart rt. Sixteen live trees per acre greater than 10 inches diameter with elements f wd decay wuld be retained. Of these trees, 8 per acre shuld be greater than 20 inches diameter where available. This implements Frest Plan standards and guidelines as amended. 4. Dwn Wdy Debris: Dwn lgs currently n the frest flr wuld be retained. Additinal dwn wdy debris wuld be generated by the timber sale. This wuld include the retentin f cull lgs, tree tps, brken lgs and any snags that wuld be felled fr safety reasns. Sme trees with rt disease wuld be retained that wuld eventually fall prviding anther surce f dwn wd. Where feasible, key cncentratins f wdy debris in the lder decay classes wuld be prtected frm disturbance by aviding mving lgs r yarding ver them. Tree tps and limbs wuld generally be retained in the unit. This restrictin may be waived after cnsideratin f ptential residual tree damage, sil cver, nutrient cycling, fuel lading and wildlife habitat. This implements Frest Plan standards and guidelines as amended. 5. Other Elements f Diversity - This implements Frest Plan standard and guideline FW a. Leave trees wuld include minr species. Cnifers and deciduus trees that are present in small numbers in the stand wuld be retained where feasible. b. Small gaps wuld be created in stands. The size and psitin f gaps wuld vary by unit based n site-specific factrs. 6. T reduce ersin frm timber sale activities, bare sils wuld be revegetated. Grass seed and fertilizer wuld be evenly distributed at apprpriate rates t ensure successful

6 establishment. Mulch may be used n slpes greater than 20%. Effective grund cver wuld be installed prir t Octber 1 f each year. This is a BMP and it implements Frest Plan standard and guideline FW-025. Native plant species wuld be used t meet ersin cntrl needs and ther management bjectives such as wildlife habitat enhancement. Apprpriate plant and seed transfer guidelines wuld be bserved. Nn-native species may be used if native species wuld nt meet site-specific requirements r management bjectives. Nn-native species wuld be gradually phased ut as cst, availability, and technical knwledge barriers are vercme. Undesirable r invasive plants wuld nt be used. This implements Frest Plan standard and guideline FW-148. Grass seed wuld preferably be certified by the states f Oregn r Washingtn r grwn under gvernment-supervised cntracts t assure nxius weed free status. In certain cases nn-certified seed may be used if it is deemed t be free f State f Oregn listed nxius weeds. This implements Frest Plan standard and guideline FW-148. When straw is utilized, it wuld riginate frm the state f Oregn r Washingtn fields which grw state certified seed, r grwn under gvernment-supervised cntracts t assure nxius weed free status, r riginate in annual ryegrass fields in the Willamette Valley. In certain cases, straw r hay frm nn-certified grass seed fields may be used if is deemed t be free f State f Oregn listed nxius weeds. This implements Frest Plan standard and guideline FW Lgging Systems These are BMPs and implement Frest Plan standard and guideline FW-022. Mechanical harvesters and frwarders wuld be required t wrk n a layer f residual slash and the peratr wuld place slash in the harvester path prir t advancing the equipment. 8. Rads These are BMPs. During the wet seasn, lg haul wuld nly be permitted n asphalt and rcked rads when cnditins wuld prevent sediment delivery t streams.

7 9. Invasive plants - All ff-rad equipment is required t be free f sil, seeds, vegetative matter, r ther debris that culd cntain r hld seeds prir t cming nt Natinal Frest lands. Timber sale cntracts and service cntracts wuld include prvisins t minimize the intrductin and spread f invasive plants. Invasive plants are any plant species nt native t a particular ecsystem that are likely t cause ecnmic r envirnmental harm, r harm t human health. These prvisins cntain specific requirements fr the cleaning f ff-rad equipment. This implements Executive Order dated February 3, Firewd wuld be made available t the public at landings where feasible. This is an pprtunity t cntribute t Frest Plan - Frest Management Gal #19, and prvide frest prducts cnsistent with the NFP gal f maintaining the stability f lcal and reginal ecnmies. 11. Mnitring: This Implements Frest Plan and NFP mnitring requirements. Prir t advertisement f a timber sale, a crsswalk table wuld be prepared t check the prvisins f the Timber Sale Cntract and ther implementatin plans with this dcument t insure that required elements are prperly accunted fr. During implementatin, Timber Sale Administratrs mnitr cmpliance with the Timber Sale Cntract which cntains prvisins fr resurce prtectin including but nt limited t: seasnal restrictins, snag and carse wdy debris retentin, stream prtectin, ersin preventin, sil prtectin, rad clsure and prtectin f histrical sites. Pst harvest reviews wuld be cnducted where needed prir t pst harvest activities such as slash treatment and firewd remval. Based n these reviews, pst harvest activities wuld be adjusted where needed t achieve prject and resurce bjectives. Mnitring f nxius weeds and invasive plants wuld be cnducted where apprpriate t track changes in ppulatins ver time and crrective actin wuld be prescribed where needed. Mnitring is als cnducted at the Frest level. Fr example, water quality is mnitred fr bth temperature and turbidity at several lcatins acrss the Frest. Cmments

8 Please submit cmments by September 7, Fr further infrmatin cntact Jim Rden. Address: 595 NW Industrial Way, Estacada OR Phne: (503)