Panther Fire Salvage Project -...

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Panther Fire Salvage Project

Scenery, Recreation, Wild & Scenic River

Analysis

Prepared by: Jerry Mosier

Landscape Architect Klamath National Forest

May 4, 2009

Photo of Elk Creek, Norcross Trailhead, portion of proposed unit 120

Panther Fire Salvage Project Scenery/Recreation/Wild & Scenic River Report

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Abstract The Panther Project Area is a recreational gateway to the adjacent Marble Mountain

Wilderness. Recent wildfires almost completely consumed the mixed conifer forest canopy, affecting popular recreation settings along the Bear Creek/Kelsey National Recreation Trail, the Elk Creek Trail and its potential National Wild and Scenic River corridor, several Marble Mountain Wilderness vistas and the Norcross and Bear Creek Trailheads. Scenic quality is also the primary public recreation value potentially affected by the Panther Project. Public safety considerations also require the temporary closure of recreational road and trail segments during potentially hazardous project activities.

The scenery/recreation/WSR analysis area comprises the immediate project area, adjacent areas typically 1-2 miles beyond the project area boundary which are parts of scenic views which overlook the project area, and several more distant viewpoints. These are typically 2-6 miles beyond the project boundary. They are recognized by the Klamath Forest Plan as having public concern for scenery (Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Johnson’s Hunting Ground Trail, other Marble Mountain Wilderness locations).

The project area’s steep terrain combines with its widespread barren, high intensity burn areas result in human alterations becoming easily noticed from several sensitive recreation locations. The Klamath Forest Plan scenery goal of a dominantly natural appearance within these sensitive views is not possible in the short term, primarily due to existing road contrasts that are now prominent and unscreened. To minimize additional unavoidable scenery contrasts necessary to promptly re-establish the conifer-dominant scenic character of these views, the Panther project proposes largely natural-appearing shapes and patterns for its treatment activities, and other measures.

The Panther project Scenery Analysis applies Klamath Forest Plan Visual Quality Objectives to describe and measure degrees of expected visual disturbance. It also applies USFS Scenery Management System principles to track changes in overall Scenic Character/image, and the relative sustainability of that scenic character. Research indicates over 90% of the public support “careful” salvage logging, where scenery is seen as a primary benefit of salvage logging and replanting, if some significant trees are left on site. A minority of individuals and groups feel such efforts are counterproductive and cause more damage than benefit9.

The No Action Alternative would not create direct scenery effects, nor would it indirectly support a timely re-establishment of important conifer forest scenery attributes. It could increase the intensity and likelihood of future wildfires, and further delay re-establishment of a conifer-dominant forest scenic character. In contrast, the Proposed Action would create numerous short-term, moderate-intensity visual disturbances through its treatments, yet it would also support a timely re-establishment of conifer forest scenery attributes throughout much of the project area. The likelihood and intensity of future wildfires and their scenery effects would also be decreased by the Proposed Action’s fuels reductions. The Proposed Action would also result in a temporary closure of project area recreation trails and their road access, in order to protect public visitors from safety hazards associated with project activities. Scenery, Recreation and WSR effects of the Panther Project are not considered significant. While they may be moderately adverse in the short term, they are also moderately beneficial in the long term.

Panther Salvage Project Scenery/Wild & Scenic River Report

Panther Project Proposed Action fully satisfies law, regulation, policy and Klamath Forest Plan direction for Scenery, Recreation and Wild & Scenic River resources. It does so by minimizing scenery disturbances within allowable thresholds of the Klamath Forest Plan, while initiating re-establishment of a conifer-dominant characteristic scenery which enhances wilderness/backcountry recreation settings in and near the Marble Mountain Wilderness.

Refer to this report as: Panther Fire Salvage Project - Scenery, Recreation, Wild & Scenic River Analysis, May 4, 2009 by Jerry Mosier, Klamath National Forest landscape architect

Introduction With the viewing of scenery being one of the most popular recreation activities on the Klamath National Forest1, scenic quality within the Panther project area is particularly important to users of nearby recreation trails and wilderness2. The Panther project area is adjacent to the Norcross Trailhead access point for visitors entering the Marble Mountain Wilderness, and offers views from the wilderness and its access trails. Now under reconstruction after being consumed in the Panther Fire of 2008, this trailhead is a staging area and departure point for recreationists entering the wilderness through the Elk Creek and Bear Creek trails. High quality scenery contributes to local quality of life, recreation based tourism and its local economic benefits, the Forest’s scenic heritage, and a positive impression of Forest Service stewardship for all resources. Integration of this scenery analysis assures the Panther project is consistent with legal requirements, USFS policy and Klamath National Forest direction for scenery, recreation and Wild and Scenic River resources.

Regulatory Framework A. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 Sec. 101 [42 USC § 4331] “assure for all Americans safe, healthful, productive, and aesthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings;”, “utilize a systematic, interdisciplinary approach which will insure the integrated use of the natural and social sciences and the environmental design arts in planning and in decisionmaking which may have an impact on man's environment;” B. Forest Service Manual 1020.21 – “The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation's forest and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations."

2380. 3.1 – It is Forest Service policy to: Inventory, evaluate, manage, and, where necessary, restore scenery as a fully integrated part of the ecosystems of National Forest System lands and of the land and resource management and planning process.

2380.43.4-5: “Conduct and document a scenery assessment for all activities that may affect scenic resources and that require analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act. Ensure application of the principles of landscape aesthetics, scenery management, and environmental design in project-level planning.”

2380.14.1 – Wild and Scenic Rivers: “The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 U.S.C. 1271) directs the United States, in its administration of components of the national wild and scenic rivers system, to give primary emphasis to protecting “its aesthetic, [and] scenic . . . features.””

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C. Klamath Forest Plan Forest-wide Standard & Guideline 11-1: The VQOs apply to site-specific projects visible from the Forest's inventoried Moderate and High Sensitivity Viewpoints. The VQOs are minimum conditions to be achieved as soon as possible in all management areas and within 3 years for all VQOs. Forest-wide Standard & Guideline 11-3: Maintain the VQOs as designated. Where possible, and where compatible with other resource objectives, strive for higher visual quality standards. Visual objectives may be foregone in the short-term, following extreme natural events, in order to revegetate the area. Forest-wide Standard & Guideline 11-4: Perpetuate the ecologically established landscape (scenic) character when implementing management activities. Manage activities in accordance with VQOs to reflect the form, line, color, and texture of natural occurrences.

Forest-wide Standard & Guideline 11-7: In the case of recovery activities after extreme catastrophic events such as intense wildland fires, time periods to achieve the VQOs stated in Forest-wide and Management Area Standards and Guidelines may be extended. This would be necessary where previously unnoticed scenery alterations are exposed to view due to loss of vegetative screening, or during timber salvage activities where recovery of forest vegetation is determined to be of greater importance than achievement of VQOs within the time periods established.

Management Area 10 Riparian Areas

MA 10-21: Manage these areas to meet the intent of the Forest VQO map. As a minimum, manage for a Partial Retention VQO.

MA10-26: Manage recreational settings to generally achieve semi-primitive or roaded natural ROS conditions.

Management Area 13 - Designated and Recommended Recreational Rivers

MA13-6: Design management activities to meet a Partial Retention VQO within the WSR Corridor, in the foreground beyond the Corridor and in the middleground beyond the Corridor.

Management Area 15 Partial Retention Visual Quality Objective

MA15-5: Project activities should meet a Partial Retention VQO as soon after project completion as possible, and at the maximum, within 3 years of project completion.

MA15-6: In some cases, because of fire salvage efforts, past management activities and changing management objectives, the existing visual conditions may not currently meet the desired visual goal of Partial Retention. Such areas should be rehabilitated over time to the Partial Retention visual quality. This should be accomplished in 5 to 10 years. Rehabilitation may be achieved through alteration, concealment, or removal of obtrusive elements. Such rehabilitation efforts might include:

1) Vegetative alterations to reduce effects of obtrusive edges, shapes, patterns, and colors (for example, revegetation of cuts and fills).

2) Terrain alterations to blend better with natural slopes.

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3) Alteration, concealment, or removal of structures containing obtrusive form, texture, color, or light-reflective characteristics.

4) Alteration, concealment or removal of slash, root wads, and debris.

MA15-7: In areas needing scenic rehabilitation, any new management activities that are undertaken should:

1) Be conducted to meet Partial Retention VQO.

2) Be conducted in a way that assures that the activity shall not delay the period it would otherwise take to "recover" the area to a Partial Retention visual condition.

MA15-8: Manage recreational settings to generally achieve semi-primitive or roaded natural ROS conditions.

Methodology for Analysis This evaluation focuses primarily on Scenery resource issues for the Panther project, as well as its associated Recreation and Wild/Scenic River values, which are primarily dependent upon scenery for functionality of their recreation settings.

National Forest Scenery Management methodology is applied to achieve Klamath Forest Plan direction3. This includes scenery sustainability concepts described in SMS Handbook 701 Appendix J4 and the R5 SMS Implementation Process5. This analysis also relies on field studies and photography from inventoried sensitive viewpoints, information from project team members, and consideration of public preferences for scenic quality. Cumulative scenic quality was evaluated within the geographic scope of sensitive recreation trails, roads and viewpoints within and adjacent to the Panther Project area.

The Panther project will help achieve the Klamath Forest Plan’s desired conditions to perpetuate ecologically established scenery and minimize visible disturbances (meet Forest Visual Quality Objectives/VQOs). Two scenery indicators are applied to identify effects: Scenic Integrity/VQOs to identify degrees of visible disturbance, and Scenic Stability to identify degrees of sustainability of the valued scenic character. Based on the experience and typical informal scenery monitoring by Klamath NF landscape architects, predictions for these levels are about 85-95% accurate.

Recreation resource effects indicators focus on recreation setting & attraction conditions established through Klamath Forest Plan “Recreation Opportunity Spectrum” class designations. Project changes to recreation setting/attraction factors may involve visible evidence of humans, and access restrictions imposed for public safety reasons.

Indicators for effects upon Wild and Scenic River values include the above scenery and recreation indicators, as well as compliance with Klamath Forest Plan direction for Water Quality, Fish and Cultural Heritage resources. This report will identify compliance of potential project effects with WSR direction associated with Elk Creek. This river segment immediately adjacent to the Panther project area’s west boundary is protected by the Klamath Forest Plan as a “recommended” Recreational WSR, eligible for formal WSR designation by Congress or the Secretary of the Interior. Detailed Water Quality, Fisheries, Cultural Heritage, Recreation and Scenery resource information is available within their respective sections and reports of the Panther project documentation.

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Affected Environment

Existing Condition A. RECREATION: the Panther Project is within the “Wilderness/Backcountry” Recreation Setting of the Klamath Recreation NICHE. This uncrowded and natural appearing setting is highly valued for recreational hiking, fishing, backpacking and equestrian touring. The Norcross Trailhead, now under reconstruction after the Panther wildfire of 2008, is located along Elk Creek immediately adjacent to the project’s proposed salvage logging and fuels reduction areas. The trailhead provides access to the Marble Mountain Wilderness via the Elk Creek Trail and Bear Creek Trail (which is a segment of the Kelsey National Historic Trail). Trail settings within the project area are largely natural in appearance, now displaying almost continuous views of fire-killed conifer forest with almost no live green vegetation. Independent of the Panther project, public access to the Norcross Trailhead is currently closed for post-fire site reconstruction, scheduled to be completed for the 2010 recreation season. Recreation activities such as hiking, equestrian travel and camping associated with the Norcross Trailhead will not be possible during this period, including use of the lower 2 miles of the Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail. USFS staff will continue to remove extreme safety hazards resulting from the Panther wildfire throughout the project area, independent from the Panther Project. Safety hazard removals will balance public safety and maintenance of the wilderness/backcountry recreation setting appropriate to this wilderness portal area. Figure 1. Panther Project location within Klamath National Forest Recreation Settings Map B. WILD & SCENIC RIVERS: The Panther project area is above and slightly overlaps with Elk Creek Recommended WSR Segment El02, which is eligible for classification as a "Recreational" WSR. In and near the project area, Elk Creek contains two "outstandingly remarkable" river values to emphasized and protected as part of the project: Fisheries (water quality and fish habitat important to populations of steelhead, coho and chinook salmon) Historic/Cultural (Sulphur Springs and other areas near the project area were used both prehistorically and now contemporarily by members of the local Karuk Tribe). Other pertinent WSR values for the Panther project are the river’s recreation settings, and their scenery as viewed from within the river’s generic 1/2 mile wide corridor adjacent to the project area. This eligible WSR corridor overlaps and contains the Norcross Trailhead site. C. SCENERY Existing Scenic Character

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Steep, dissected mountain landscape overlain with a 98% fire-killed mixed conifer and hardwood forest, interspersed with occasional brushfields, rocky barren slopes and isolated green conifer patches and individual trees. Severe and Moderate intensity burn patterns also surround much of the project area including large portions of the adjacent Elk and Bear Creek drainages. Inventoried sensitive viewpoints along nearby trails, Norcross Trailhead, and elevated viewpoints nearby in the Marble Mountain wilderness view the project at foreground, middleground and background distances (0-10 miles). The two Major positive scenery attributes of the Panther project area are its steep mountain landforms and its diverse vegetation, presently displaying an unusually widespread and almost complete fire-killed condition. Patterns of the vegetative mosaic are typically moderate to large in scale (25-125 acres), displaying conifer stands in varying degrees of fire-consumed condition, as broad areas and stringer patches reaching up and down the slopes. Minor scenery attributes include perrenial streams, rocks and outcrops, hardwood and winter snowfall accents, wildlife sightings of birds and mammals, and a consistently high atmospheric clarity. Research shows that such diversity of scenery attributes supports a positive viewing experience for people traveling through or recreating within the project area, and supports the quality of life for local residents and visitors6. Ecosystem Context In October 2008 the wind-driven Panther Fire quickly passed through the Panther Project area along with thousands of adjacent acres of montane forest. The fire resulted in an unusually high proportion of high intensity burn and consumption of the forest canopy within the project area. This large geographic extent and continuity of high intensity burns is exceptional and beyond the range of this ecosystem’s historic variability (based on ecological norms within the past century, per Clint Isbell, KNF Fire Ecologist). Thus the historic “native” scenic character that people valued has been modified, with vegetation pattern sizes increasing substantially. This results in a powerful scenery impression overall, and a more continuously strong scenery influence for Norcross Trailhead/Bear Creek Trail foreground views that exist within the burn area. Due to the completeness of the burn in these views, the duration of time until live forest canopy scenery attributes will be enjoyed again has been extended at least several decades. The Existing project area vegetation offers significant challenges and opportunities for scenery and ecosystem improvements. Numerous scenery attributes (live trees and other vegetation) have been eliminated altogether throughout the entire project area. The remaining dead vegetation is a hazardous wildfire fuels concentration which threatens the project area and vicinity with additional strong wildfire changes to the ecosystem.

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Figure 2. Northward aerial view of central Panther Project area (Buckhorn Creek at right and Bear Creek just below photo). Other independent scientists have similarly concluded that global warming is continuing to influence forest ecosystems, including the following effects described by James Hansen in 20087:

“Regional climate impacts. Global warming causes intensification of both extremes of the hydrologic cycle. On the one hand, stronger heat waves, droughts and forest fires, are associated with the generally higher temperature. On the other hand, because a warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor, there will be heavier rains and greater floods. Stronger storms fueled by latent heat, including thunderstorms, tropical storms and tornados will be experienced in a warmer world.

Theory and models indicate that subtropical regions expand poleward with global warming. Data reveal a 4-degree latitudinal shift already, larger than model predictions, yielding increased aridity in southern United States, the Mediterranean region, Australia and parts of Africa.”

“Species extermination. Plants and animals are accustomed to climate fluctuations. What has changed recently is the steady global warming, at a rate of about 0.2°C per decade, which has brought global temperature close to the peak level of the current interglacial period. This trend is shifting climate zones and isotherms (lines of a given average temperature) poleward, at a rate of about 50-60 kilometers per decade, and upward. Given that the strong warming trend is only about 30 years, so far, it has not yet had a big impact on species extinction. However, business-as-usual scenarios would have this warming rate continuing through the century and even increasing in its rate.”

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Figure 3. 1880-2003 Global Observed Temperature Change (Degrees Centigrade)7

Thus, changes in climate is expected to alter the scenery expressed by ecosystems including the Panther project area, especially given a continuation of society’s current “scenario” of climate-altering activities: “Such a business-as-usual scenario surely would lead to a great increase of extinctions and the possibility of ecosystem collapse. The Earth’s history shows that past global warmings of several degrees caused mass extinctions of more than half the species on the planet, even though the natural climate changes were generally slower than the human-made change. Of course new species came into being over paleoclimate time scales, but mass extinctions now would leave our descendants with a much more desolate planet for as many generations as we can imagine.”7

The above informatiuon implies that changes in the scenery of global ecosystems could be widespread, with the Panther project area becoming subject to possible shifts in vegetation canopy density, pattern and species, along with increased wildfire size intensity.

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Figure 4. Northeasterly aerial view of Project area, from near the Johnsons Hunting Ground Trail viewpoints in the Marble Mountain Wilderness. Visibility Due to its billboard-like steep terrain, the project area and its proposed treatment areas are prominently viewed from several sensitive locations recognized by the KNF Forest Plan. Sensitive Foreground views (0-1/2 mile distant) include scenery viewed from Norcross Trailhead, the Bear Creek/Kelsey National Recreation Trail, and the Bear Creek Trailhead access road (# 15N06). Existing scenery within these Foreground views, often within 300 feet, is dominated by details of the fire-killed forest canopy, underlying exposed soil and rock, and the emerging regrowth of forest floor vegetation and hardwood stump sprouts. Middleground and Background views ½-10 miles) are available from the Marble Mountain Wilderness 4-8 miles away, primarily along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and the Johnson’s Hunting Ground Trail. These views display the project area in its broader landscape context, currently featuring patterns of black and brown burned forest canopy patches that now only partially cover the steep, highly dissected and otherwise barren landforms.

Scenic Integrity Scenic Integrity is the degree to which the scenery is free from visible disturbances that detract from the natural, socially valued appearance of the landscape. Scenic Integrity is measured on the Klamath National Forest through Visual Quality Objective levels defined by the USFS Visual Management System’s Chapter 1 USDA Handbook # 462. Evidence of wildfire is not considered a visible disturbance when it is consistent with the ecosystem’s historic range of variablity. However the Panther Fire, due to its exceptionally low moisture/high wind/high fuel conditions, departed from the historic range of the past century, according to Clint Isbell, KNF Fire Ecologist (this October 2008 fire intensely burned 8 square miles of forest in a single day). Since this fire resulted in an unusually large proportion of hot, intensively burned canopy across the landscape, a

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scenic integrity reduction due to the wildfire itself has been assigned to the current condition, in addition to other more direct human disturbances such as roads, stumps, logging patterns, etc. Scenic integrity levels and descriptors of how people perceive them visually are shown below.

Scenic Integrity as described by VQO levels

Levels of Scenic Integrity/Disturbance

(Visual Quality Objectives/VQOs)

The Forest’s Scenic Integrity

as people perceive it

Preservation Unaltered, complete

Retention Unnoticeably altered

Partial retention (most common Forest Plan objective for Panther’s sensitive views)

Slightly altered (Natural Character

remains dominant, minor

disturbances are evident)

Modification Moderately altered (Natural

Character is dominated by

noticeable disturbances)

Maximum modification Heavily altered (Natural Character

is dominated by strong

disturbances appears natural when

viewed beyond 5 miles)

Unacceptable modification (is never an objective on National Forest Lands)

Unacceptably altered

The Panther Project’s existing cumulative scenic integrity as viewed from Norcross Trailhead and Bear Creek Trail is Partial Retention, due to the minor noticeable disturbance present (occasional stumps and short segments of road cut/full slopes) plus the unusually widespread extent of very hot, intensively burned and consumed forest canopy that is considered to be beyond the historic range of variability for this area. Existing cumulative scenic integrity as viewed from the Bear Creek Trailhead access road is Modification, due to several prominent roadside cut/fill contrasts, occasional past logging evidence (stumps, skid patterns), and the widespread uncharacteristically intensively burned forest canopy. Existing cumulative scenic integrity from Marble Mountain Wilderness viewpoints is Maximum Modification, due primarily to several prominent and now unscreened horizontal linear roadway cut/fill contrasts crossing the project area’s steep, angular mountainsides, as well as some scattered blocky plantation patterns, and the uncharacteristically widespread and intensively burned forest canopy.

Scenic Stability Scenic Stability is the degree to which the Desired Scenic Character can be sustained through time and ecological progression. For the Panther project area, the existing Scenic Stability analysis focuses on the single Major scenery attribute of vegetation and its current ecosystem conditions and stresses identified by field observation. The dramatic presence and diversity of dead trees including large 36”+ dbh specimens is an attractive element of this ecosystem’s phases, however there is currently an uncharacteristic overabundance of this single form of vegetation for many hundreds if not thousands of continous acres. There is also a corresponding absence of

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living vegetation attributes, as well as characteristic wildlife sightings within to forests with live vegetation. While an initial flush of post-fire emergence of grasses, forbs, shrubs and hardwood sprouts will soon supplement the current almost lifeless appearance, the presence of large living trees and canopy (the primary scenic attribute of this ecosystem) which will be absent from the project area for at least 50-150 years. There remains a substantial risk that newly established vegetation throughout the project area may also be consumed by future wildfires generated within adjacent burned forest areas where fuels reduction activities cannot be performed. Scenic stability of other scenery attributes such as landform, rock outcrops and winter snowfall are not at risk of loss to the project’s scenic character, since these attributes change relatively little over time, regardless of fire ecosystem changes and human activities. Based on the above existing ecosystem conditions and lack of scenic vegetation attributes, the Existing Scenic Stability for the Panther project area is classified as Low to Very Low (see definitions below).

Scenic Stability Level Definitions 1. VERY HIGH STABILITY—All dominant and minor scenery attributes of the valued

landscape character are present and are likely to be sustained.

2. HIGH STABILITY—All dominant scenery attributes of the valued landscape character are present and are likely to be sustained. However, there may be scenery attribute conditions and ecosystem stressors that present a low risk to the sustainability of the dominant scenery attributes.

3. MODERATE STABILITY—Most dominant scenery attributes of the valued landscape character are present and are likely to be sustained. A few may have been lost or are in serious decline.

4. LOW STABILITY—Some dominant scenery attributes of the valued landscape character are present and are likely to be sustained. Known scenery attribute conditions and ecosystem stressors may seriously threaten or have already eliminated the others.

5. VERY LOW STABILITY—Most dominant scenery attributes of the valued landscape character are seriously threatened or absent due to their conditions and ecosystem stressors and are not likely to be sustained. The few that remain may be moderately threatened but are likely to be sustained.

6. NO STABILITY—All dominant scenery attributes of the valued landscape character are absent or seriously threatened by their conditions and ecosystem stressors. None are likely to be sustained, except relatively permanent attributes such as landforms.

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Desired Condition Desired Scenery Conditions The short-term desired Scenic Character (0-50 years) would display a largely reduced number of fire-killed pole and intermediate-sized trees, replaced with areas of live seedling/sapling/pole conifer and hardwood trees mixed with large fire-killed trees and downed logs as accents. Vegetation would be distributed in a mosaic of irregularly shaped patches and groupings consistent with historic pre-fire conditions, avoiding blocky shapes that reinforce existing roadway contrasts. Conifer and hardwood stands would display a more open spacing, and with fewer small trees, to better provide foreground views to attractive understory vegetation, wildlife, rockforms, and distant views outward from the forest canopy. Species composition would favor wildfire resilience, including ponderosa and sugar pine, incense cedar, douglas fir, madrone and various oaks. The ideal, aesthetically optimal long-term scenic character (50-200+ years) for the Panther project area would display a more open and diverse live forest canopy and irregular vegetative mosaic, including mixed conifer/oak woodlands that contain large (36”+ dbh) specimen trees, scattered brush-fields and rock outcrops. Road contrasts would again be largely screened by a widespread conifer canopy. These scenery attributes would be distributed irregularly through time and space in natural appearing patterns, offering increased immediate foreground attractiveness within Norcross Trailhead and Bear Creek Trail views, in terms of vegetative forms, colors, canopy texture and spatial variety. These conditions would offer greater ecological resilience throughout the project area’s sensitive views, and support long-term stability of the desired scenery. Such conditions and scenery attributes have been identified through social science research as preferable scenic quality within National Forests6. Desired Scenic Integrity would be to minimize visible disturbances to the degree that they remain minor and allow the natural appearance to remain dominant scenery impression.

Desired Recreation Conditions The project area’s recreation settings reflect a natural appearance, provide a future conifer forest canopy for shade and shelter, and a renewed and durable forest floor with native understory vegetation, duff and litter cover, in an overall condition that supports resiliency of the local ecosystem. These conditions achieve Klamath Forest Plan direction to meet the “Semi-Primitive” or “Roaded Natural” ROS class specifications.

Desired Wild and Scenic River Conditions There are little to no adverse impact on the fisheries and cultural resource values which caused Elk Creek to be recommended for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic River system. The physical and biological integrity of the aquatic system is maintained. Habitat for anadromous and resident fish species remain in good condition, capable of supporting viable populations of indigenous species. Cultural heritage values are fully protected. The river corridor remains generally natural in appearance. Klamath Forest Plan direction to protect Elk Creek WSR values is fully satisfied.

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Environmental Consequences

Mitigation See Appendix A: Recreation & Scenery Project Design Features

Monitoring No post-project monitoring of scenery, recreation or WSR resources is required. However, site level adjustments and integration of the above measures and the project area treatments is highly recommended, with assistance of the project landscape architect.

No Action Effects

Scenery Effects The No Action Alternative would have mixed results in terms of scenery, both overall and as viewed from the Project area’s numerous sensitive viewpoints. Direct visual disturbances would not be created by the project (no direct change to the existing Scenic Integrity). The existing burned wildfire appearance and its Scenic Character/identity would gradually evolve, as a vegetation cover of live brush and hardwood trees establishes over 10-50 years, and then is likely to slowly become occupied by conifer trees and a conifer-dominant forest canopy across much of the project area (50-200+ years). Existing widespread hazardous fuels conditions due to standing dead vegetation within and adjacent to the project area poses a substantial risk to the successful establishment of significant conifer stands, making a brush and hardwood-dominated scenery more likely. This result reflects a continuation of impaired Scenic Character and Scenic Stability, since important scenic vegetation attributes such as large live trees and a living conifer forest canopy will be absent for an extended period of time (50-200+ years). A recurring wildfire event could result in additional future visual disturbances to Scenic Integrity, associated with potential ecosystem recovery and reforestation actions. Depending upon the conditions of such a recurring wildfire, Scenic Stability may be improved through further reduction of dead vegetation fuels (including some live trees with 90% likelihood of mortality), and/or impaired through elimination or damage to scenic vegetation attributes. Klamath Forest Plan scenery direction for scenic character and scenic integrity would easily be achieved, since no activities are proposed to directly create visible disturbances or directly impair valued scenic character attributes.

Scenic Integrity Effects of No Action within Sensitive Viewsheds Norcross Trailhead/Elk Creek WSR Corridor/Bear Creek Trail, Foreground Views – While

some new, typically minor visible disturbances would be visible, these views (except for Norcross Trailhead,) would still remain dominantly natural appearing no change from existing levels of visible disturbance, Partial Retention VQO would be achieved (Natural Character remains dominant, minor disturbances are evident). Existing strong disturbances within the Norcross Trailhead site would remain, meeting Maximum Modification for about 10 years, Modification for 10 years, and Partial Retention thereafter. Klamath Forest Plan VQO of Partial Retention is satisfied by current scenery conditions except for the Norcross Trailhead site.

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Bear Creek Trailhead Road (#15N06), Foreground Views – no change from existing levels of visible disturbance, Modification VQO would be achieved (Natural Character is dominated by noticeable disturbances). Klamath Forest Plan VQO of Partial Retention is not satisfied by current conditions, primarily due to Panther wildfire consumption of forest canopy screening which concealed existing road-associated visual disturbances.

Marble Mountain Wilderness Viewpoints, Middleground & Background Views (Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Johnson’s Hunting Ground Trail, etc) – no change from existing levels of visual disturbance, Maximum Modification VQO would be achieved (Natural Character is dominated by strong disturbances except when viewed beyond 5 miles). Klamath Forest Plan VQO of Partial Retention is not satisfied by current conditions, primarily due to Panther wildfire consumption of forest canopy screening which concealed existing road-associated visual disturbances.

Scenic Stability Effects of No Action across the project area The No Action Alternative would perpetuate the existing scenery with its uncharacteristic overabundance of dead conifer trees within hundreds to thousands of continous acres, along with the conspicuous absence of scenic live conifer forest canopy vegetation. An initial flush of post-fire grasses, forbs, shrubs and hardwood sprouts will soon supplement the current almost lifeless appearance, but the presence of large living trees and conifer canopy (the primary scenic attribute of this ecosystem) will be absent from the project area for at least 50-150 years. A substantial wildfire risk to the establishment of scenery with large living trees and a conifer forest canopy would also remain, since many fuels reduction activities would not be performed within the project area, and expanses of untreated fuels outside the area further increase that risk. Based on these ecosystem conditions and the almost complete lack of important conifer canopy scenery attributes, the existing Low to Very Low Scenic Stability conditions would very likely persist thoughout the Panther project area for many decades (many dominant scenery attributes of the valued scenic character are absent or seriously threatened, yet some are likely to be sustained).

Cumulative Scenery Effects of No Action Road construction and intensive timber harvesting which occurred 1955-1995 have moderately impaired scenic quality (Scenic Character, Scenic Integrity and Scenic Stability) within the project area and vicinity. These effects include strong horizontal linear road contrasts and scattered blocky geometric interruptions to the natural appearing vegetation patterns characteristic to this ecosystem. The Stanza and Panther wildfires of 2002 and 2008, as largely natural appearing events, still have changed the scenery. They have significantly altered its Scenic Character from live forest to a severely burned forest, and reduced the presence and stability of valued live conifer forest scenery attributes, and eliminated the conifer canopy which helped screen strong horizontal road disturbances. Fuels reduction activities that have followed these wildfires immediately west of the Panther project area (Norcross Trailhead & Elk Creek WSR corridor) have also moderately reduced scenic quality through fire-killed vegetation removal and minor soil exposure/disturbances.

Foreseeable future fuels reductions associated with the Black Panther project (due to planting, slashing, site preparation, broadcast burning adjacent to Panther project treatment areas) would also result in mixed scenic quality effects. These include important benefits to long term (15-200+ years) scenic character and stability, through conifer re-establishment within portions of the Panther project area. In addition, the Black Panther project would create mostly minor and short

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term (0-15 years) adverse scenery effects, through removal of some natural appearing fire-killed vegetation and scattered soil disturbance contrasts

Recreation Effects of No Action The No Action Alternative would not directly or indirectly affect the Panther project area’s recreation settings, Wilderness/Backcountry recreation values, or the availability of the area’s recreation activities. However, independent of the Panther project, public access to the Norcross Trailhead and lower Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail will be temporarily closed for post-fire trailhead site reconstruction, with re-opening scheduled for 2010. Recreation activities such as hiking, equestrian travel and camping associated with the Norcross Trailhead will not be possible during this period. Future foreseeable effects upon recreation settings are described within the Cumulative Scenery Effects section above.

Wild and Scenic River Effects of No Action The No Action Alternative would not directly or indirectly affect Elk Creek’s eligibility for inclusion in the national Wild and Scenic River system. Water Quality, Fisheries and Cultural Heritage values will continue to be maintained and protected according to the Klamath Forest Plan and other applicable direction. Refer to these sections of the Panther analysis for more specific information about these resources. Future foreseeable recreation setting effects to the WSR corridor in the Norcross Trailhead area are described within the Cumulative Scenery Effects section above.

Proposed Action Effects

Scenery Effects of the Proposed Action The Action Alternative would have mixed results in terms of scenery, overall and as viewed from the Project area’s numerous sensitive viewpoints. Direct visual disturbances would be created throughout the project area, moderately impairing the existing Scenic Integrity in the short term (0-25 years). Scenic Character would also be moderately diminished in the short term through reduction of natural appearing dead vegetation and that influence on natural appearing vegetation patterns. The existing severely-burned wildfire dominated Scenic Character/identity would gradually evolve, through re-establishment of a vegetation cover of live conifers, hardwoods and brush over about 10-50 years, and then is most likely to gradually become dominated again by the aesthetically valued mixed conifer-dominant forest canopy (50-200+ years). The No Action Alternative would not provide this important scenery benefit. With the Action Alternative, existing widespread hazardous fuels conditions due to standing dead vegetation within project area treatment areas would be removed by the Project, slightly reducing the current overall wildfire risk for the project area, which threatens successful establishment of significant conifer stands, and increases the likelihood of brush and hardwood trees dominating the Scenic Character. These outcomes would reflect a minor to moderate improvement to the existing impaired Scenic Character and Scenic Stability, through the most prompt and widespread re-establishment of important scenic conifer vegetation attributes. The Action Alternative would also make recurring wildfire events less destructive to valued scenery attributes within and beyond the project area, therefore future visual disturbances to Scenic Integrity associated with ecosystem recovery and fire reforestation actions would be less likely. Depending upon the conditions of such a recurring wildfire, Scenic Stability may be further impaired through additional reduction or damage to scenic vegetation attributes.

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Klamath Forest Plan scenery direction for scenic character and scenic integrity would be achieved by the Proposed Action. Activities proposed would increase the likelihood and timeliness to re-establish scenic conifer canopy vegetation. Short term visible disturbances created may be strong and inconsistent with long term scenic integrity achievement of a dominantly natural appearance (Partial Retention VQO). However, these strong disturbances are permitted within Forest Plan scenery direction which specifically applies to wildfire recovery activities.

Scenic Integrity Effects of the Proposed Action within Sensitive Viewsheds

Norcross Trailhead/Elk Creek WSR Corridor/Bear Creek Trail, Foreground Views – minor to moderate visual disturbances would slightly reduce scenic integrity from the existing levels of visible disturbance. The Klamath Forest Plan VQO of Partial Retention VQO would easily be achieved within 5 years or less, as vegetation renewal softens existing and project-created scenery contrasts. After that time, the natural scenic character would again remain dominant, with typically only minor disturbances being evident. This satisfies Klamath Forest Plan scenery direction following wildfire events (S&G 15-6 recommends VQO achievement within 5-10 years after wildfire events).

Figure 5. Eastward view from Norcross Trailhead into lower slopes of proposed unit 120.

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Bear Creek Trailhead Road (#15N06), Foreground Views – minor to strong visual disturbances would further reduce scenic integrity from existing levels. However the existing Modification VQO condition would still be achieved overall, within 10 years or less. Vegetation renewal within that time would cause the strong disturbance to be reduced to slight or moderate disturbances. The Klamath Forest Plan’s VQO of Partial Retention would be satisfied (S&G 15-6 recommends VQO achievement within 5-10 years after wildfire events).

Figure 6. Northward view from Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail into lower slopes of proposed unit 120, and typical trailside views within project area.

Marble Mountain Wilderness Viewpoints, Middleground & Background Views (Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Johnson’s Hunting Ground Trail, etc) – minor to strong visual disturbances associated with the Panther project would further reduce scenic integrity. The existing Maximum Modification VQO condition (Natural Character is dominated by strong disturbances except when viewed beyond 5 miles) would still be achieved overall within about 5 years. Newly created patterns on the landscape from this project’s clearing of fire-killed vegetation would appear largely irregular in shape due to scenery protection measures, similar to the irregular wildfire re-burn openings shown in photo below, created by the Stanza Project, which overlaps into Panther Unit 120, at far right). The Klamath Forest Plan’s VQO of Partial Retention would be satisfied for these views within about 10-20 years, after road cut/fill slope contrasts become visually softened and then largely screened by forest revegetation. Klamath Forest Plan Forest-wide S&G 11-7 allows unlimited time extensions for VQO achievement “where previously unnoticed scenery alterations (such as the existing roads within the Panther Project area) are exposed to view due to loss of vegetative screening, or during timber salvage activities where recovery of forest vegetation is determined to be of greater importance than achievement of VQOs within the time periods established.”

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Figure 7. Southeasterly aerial view of recent Stanza clearing and plantings, upper northern portion of proposed unit 120 at lower right.

Scenic Stability Effects of the Proposed Action across the project area The Proposed Action would promote a timely re-establishment of the primary scenery attribute of this ecosystem, live conifer vegetation, for hundreds of acres within the project area. In addition, the overabundance of natural appearing dead vegetation (potential wildfire fuels) would be moderately reduced, and the overall future risk of wildfires that could further impair scenery attributes in and near the project area would be slightly reduced. Based on this reduced fire risk, along with re-introduction of conifer vegetation attributes in the project area, the existing Low to Very Low Scenic Stability conditions would slightly improve, to the Low level (some dominant scenery attributes of the valued scenic character are present and are likely to be sustained).

Cumulative Scenery Effects of the Proposed Action Previous and foreseeable future effects combine with the Proposed Action to create mixed cumulative effects to scenic quality (Scenic Character, Scenic Integrity and Scenic Stability) within the project area and vicinity. These effects include pre-existing horizontal linear road contrasts and blocky geometric interruptions to natural appearing vegetation patterns characteristic to this ecosystem. The Stanza and Panther wildfires of 2002 and 2008 have significantly altered Scenic Character from a live forest to a severely burned forest, and reduced the presence and stability of live conifer forest scenery attributes. Fuels reduction activities following these events, located immediately north and west of the Panther project area, have also moderately reduced scenic quality through fire-killed vegetation removal and minor soil exposure/disturbances. Foreseeable future actions associated with the Panther and Black Panther projects (salvage logging, slashing, fuels reduction, site preparation and planting) would result in mixed scenic quality effects. All Black Panther treatments will be within old plantations that have been recently wildfire-killed. Both projects provide very important benefits to long term (15-200+ years) scenic quality scenic character and stability, through conifer re-establishment

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cumulative effects would be the same as described for the Panther Project above.

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ry public closures are very minor since similar alternative settings are available nearby.

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O requirements, and WSR protection are discussed within the above sections of this analysis.

within the Panther project area. In addition the Panther and Black Panther projects wouldmostly minor short term (0-15 years) adverse scenery effects through removal of natural appearing fire-killed vegetation and scattered soil disturbance contrasts. The Black Paproject would perform treatments shaped as natural vegetation patterns, which would cumulatively result in only minor additional visible disturbances in relation to those describedthe Panther project. Scenic Integrity/VQO achievement and Scenic Stability levels

Recreation Effects of the Proposed Action The Proposed Action would directly affect the Panther project area’s Wilderness/Backcourecreation settings, and the availability of the area’s recreation activities. As specifically described in the scenery effects section above, views from Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail, Bear Creek/Kelsey Trailhead access road 15N09 and Norcross Trailhead would adversely affect therecreation settings to a minor to moderate degree. In order to protect the safety of recreation visitors, public access to Norcross Trailhead, Bear Creek/Kelsey Trailhead access road 15N09and the lower 2 ½ miles of Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail would be closed to the public until 2010 when fire recovery activities will be completed. Recreation activities such as hiking, equestrian travel and camping associated with these areas will not be possible during this period. Alternativnearby access into the Marble Mountain Wilderness will remain available through the Elk Trailfrom Sulphur Springs Campground, and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail from the Cold Springs Trailhead. These effects, both direct and cumulative for all foreseeable actions, are fully consistent with Klamath Forest Plan direction for Recreation resources, including semi-primitiveand roaded natural ROS class requirements. Potential indirect recreation effects to local qof life and local economies from tempora

Wild and Scenic River Effects of the Proposed Action The Proposed Action would not directly or indirectly affect Elk Creek’s eligibility for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic River system. Water Quality, Fisheries, Cultural Heritage and Scenery values would continue to be maintained and protected per Klamath Forest Plan and other applicable direction. R

Regulatory Direction Both the Panther Project’s No Action and Proposed Action alternatives comply with Forest Pstandards and guides as well as relevant state or federal regulatory direction for recreation, scenery and WSRs. Specific effects regarding Klamath Forest Plan Recreation ROS class requirements, Scenery VQ


References 1 National Visitor Use Monitoring Report, for the Klamath National Forest,

August 2002, prepared by Kocis, English, Zarnoch, Arnold and Warren, USDA Forest Service, p. 12-13.

2 Klamath National Forest Recreation Facility Analysis NICHE Statement, July 2007.

3 Klamath National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, USDA

Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, 1995

4 Appendix J – Recommended SMS Refinements, Appendix to Landscape Aesthetics, a Handbook for Scenery Management, USDA Handbook 701, October 2007.

5 Landscape Aesthetics - SMS Implementation Process, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, May 2008.

6 Social Science to Improve Fuels Management: A Synthesis of Research on Aesthetics and Fuels Management, Robert L. Ryan, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, published by USDA Forest Service in 2005. (http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/viewpub.asp?key=3514)

7 In Defense of Kingsnorth Six: James Hansen, Columbia University, New York, NY, particularly page 9 on global climate change effects within ecosystems, testimony for criminal trial in Kent, United Kingdom, 9/10/2008 (http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2008/20080910_Kingsnorth.pdf)

8 Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC), Fire Regime Condition Class (Vegetation Structure and Fire Return Interval) information generated by Pacific Southwest Region Ecologist Hugh Stafford et al, June 2006.

9 Wildland-Urban Interface Communities’ Response to Post-Fire Salvage Logging, Robert L. Ryan and Elisabeth Hamin, Western Journal of Applied Forestry, 24(1) 2009.

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http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/viewpub.asp?key=3514

http://www.columbia.edu/%7Ejeh1/mailings/20080910_Kingsnorth.pdf


Appendix A: Recreation & Scenery Project Design Features Recreation Design Features for the Panther Project In order to protect forest visitors from hazards associated with the proposed Panther activities, public access to some recreation sites, roads and trails within and adjacent to the project area shall be temporarily closed until project completion by 2010. These closures include Norcross Trailhead/Campground, Bear Creek Trailhead, Bear Creek Trailhead access road 15N06 (at intersection of Elk Cr Rd 16N05 gate), Bear Creek/Kelsey Trail (lower 2.5 miles). Alternative access routes to the Marble Mountain Wilderness would continue to be available via the Elk Creek Trail at Sulphur Springs Campground, the Pacific Crest Trail at Cold Springs Trailhead, and Paradise Trail at the Paradise Trailhead. Access information would also be made available to assist recreationists in planning their wilderness travels.

In order to meet ROS/Recreation Opportunity Spectrum direction of the Klamath Forest Plan which would minimize the evidence of humans in project Backcountry/Wilderness recreation settings, the following Scenery design features would be applied.

Scenery Design Features for the Panther Project Primary emphasis is for the salvage and fuels reduction treatments to achieve natural appearing shapes and vegetation patterns, as viewed from viewsheds protected by the Klamath Forest Plan (Norcross Campground, Bear Cr/Kelsey Historic Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Johnson’s Hunting Ground Trail, Elk Cr Trail/WSR, and the Bear Creek Trailhead Access Road). The prominent burned areas across Elk Creek from Norcross Trailhead (formal “Roadless” area to remain unaltered) will offer a long-term comparison of the project activities with unaltered, “natural” scenery (Fig. 3 photo lower right).

These measures limit the shape of treatments within several units proposed on the 1-21-2009 Panther Project map and describe necessary retention of vegetation within them. Any changes needed to accommodate other project objectives shall be approved by the project Landscape Architect. The following images (overlaid upon Google Earth terrain models and pre-fire satellite photography), show the 1-21-2009 map unit boundaries outlined in blue, along with light colored areas indicating where salvage and fuels reduction activities would have very few scenery restrictions (5% retention of existing vegetation, primarily near ridges, gullies and remaining live vegetation), and dark colored areas requiring either 50% retention of vegetation, or NO TREATMENT/unit exclusion areas in units 120 and 30, as specified. Immediately below is a project overview image of these measures. Following pages show details (KMZ unit files for these images, usable in Google Earth or ArcGIS, are at J:\fsfiles\fstmp\jmosier\PantherScenery).

Thirty years of informal KNF Scenery monitoring indicates these measures to be very effective in reducing adverse scenery effects to recreation and W&SR settings.

To reduce scenery contrasts resulting from cable yarding corridor soil disturbances that often occur below cable yarder locations, where available, slash will be spread continuously to a 3-5” depth upon soil-disturbed cable corridors within 50 feet below each cable yarding location of selected units below.

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Figure 8. Aerial view of Scenery Protection Measure locations, and view from Norcross Trailhead across Elk Creek to burned area just outside of project area.

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Unit 120 Norcross Trailhead View: Unit 120 is very prominent. About 20-30% or more of the visible portions of this unit should include “leave patches” that retain about 50% of the standing dead vegetation in irregular densities (darker shaded areas recommended in Figure 4, on the southwest lower face opposite Elk Creek). These patches should contain all tree sizes. Darker patches below main road mitigate Johnson’s Hunting Ground trail views. Lighter shaded areas can remove up to about 95% of existing vegetation, retaining the rest in scattered irregular, natural appearing clumps of varied tree sizes.

Bear Creek Trail Views: The southeastern lower edge of unit 120 abuts two segments of the trail. To soften foreground trail view impacts, a NO-TREATMENT zone is necessary within 100-150 feet of the trail (dark shaded unit on the southeast lower edge of 120, opposite Bear Creek). Above this trailside zone in the light colored area, 95% removal of trees is allowed, and the remaining 5% shall be retained in natural appearing, irregular clumps containing all tree sizes.

Distant sensitive views from MMW trails will be benefited by irregularity of salvage patterns proposed by treatment areas. To reduce scenery contrasts resulting from cable yarding corridor soil disturbances that often occur below cable yarder locations, where available, continuously spread slash to a 3-5” depth upon soil-disturbed cable corridors within 50 feet below each cable yarding location.

To reduce scenery contrasts resulting from cable yarding corridor soil disturbances that often occur below cable yarder locations, where available, spread slash continuously to a 3-5” depth upon soil-disturbed cable corridors within 50 feet below each cable yarding location.

Figure 9. Unit 120 boundary in blue, dark and light shaded areas locate scenery protection measures.

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Unit 10 Bear Creek Trail passes approximately 75 feet below portions of unit 10, which are visible up through a steep draw in the center of the unit (the horizontal landform in the Figure 5 trailside photo below is in unit 10). Retention of 50% of the standing dead vegetation within this draw and other areas indicated by the dark colored zones in Figure 5 upper right image below, will help achieve a largely natural appearance for this trail view, and more distant wilderness views (PCT and Johnsons Hunting Ground trail, etc) and the Bear Creek Trailhead access road. The light colored area can have up to 95% of the trees removed, with the remaining 5% retained in random, irregular clumps of varied tree sizes.


Figure 10. Upper right: Unit 10 boundary is shown in blue, and dark and light shaded areas locate scenery protection measures. Lower left: Bear Creek Trail view into unit 10 (horizontal landform on skyline).

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Units 40 and 50 To achieve natural appearing patterns as seen within wilderness viewsheds (Pacific Crest Trail, Johnson’s Hunting Ground, etc), “leave patches” retaining 50% of existing trees in all sizes are identified as the dark shaded areas, around the perimeter of these units. Within the light shaded areas, 5% of the trees must be retained in scattered natural appearing, irregularly shaped clumps containing all tree sizes.


Figure 11. Unit 50 upper left, Unit 40 lower right, boundary lines in blue. Dark shaded and light shaded areas locate scenery protection measures.

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Units 70 and 90 To achieve natural appearing patterns as seen within wilderness viewsheds (Pacific Crest Trail, Red Rock, etc), “leave patches” retaining 50% of existing trees in all sizes are identified as the dark shaded areas, around the perimeter of these units. Within the light shaded areas, 5% of the trees must be retained in scattered natural appearing, irregularly shaped clumps containing all tree sizes.


Figure 12. Unit 70 left, Unit 50 right, boundary lines shown in blue. Dark shaded and light shaded areas locate scenery protection measures.

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Unit 105 “Leave patches” retaining 50% of existing trees in all sizes are needed within the dark shaded areas at the top of unit 105, to achieve natural appearing patterns as seen within wilderness viewsheds (Pacific Crest Trail, Red Rock, etc). No “leave patches” are necessary for units 80, 100 and 115. Within the light shaded areas of all the units below (80, 100,105 and 115), 5% of existing trees must be retained in scattered natural appearing, irregularly shaped clumps that contain all existing tree sizes.


Figure 13. Unit 105 left, boundary line shown in blue. Dark shaded and light shaded areas locate scenery protection measures.

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Unit 30 This unit is surrounded by sensitive viewing locations: the Bear Creek Trailhead access road at its upper boundary, the Bear Creek Trail 50-100 feet below its lower boundary, and more distant wilderness viewpoints (Red Rock, Johnson’s Hunting Ground trail & trailhead). To achieve natural appearing patterns viewed from these locations, “leave patches” retaining 50% of existing trees in all sizes are indicated as dark shaded areas in the image below, around the perimeter of unit 30. Within the light colored areas, 5% of the trees must be retained in scattered natural appearing, irregularly shaped clumps containing all tree sizes. In addition, at the two end-points of the originally proposed unit 30, in its southwestern and southeastern lower corners, two small NO-TREATMENT areas are needed to soften trailside scenery effects. These two areas are to be excluded from treatment by modifying the unit 30 boundary interiorly, about 40 feet and 75 feet respectively. These two areas were each flagged with two orange “killer tree” flags to indicate the adjusted boundary location.


Figure 14. Unit 30, original proposed boundary line shown in blue. Dark shaded and light shaded areas locate scenery protection measures.

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