After identifying the issues relevant to the proposal the interdisciplinary team developed a range of alternatives to the proposed action. The alternatives are responsive to the issues and are based on specialists' input, information gathered during field trips, and from direction in the Forest Plan. The range of alternatives is limited by the physical resources and opportunities available in the project area. The ID team considers the following to be a reasonable range of alternatives for the proposal.

The proposed action and alternatives to it involve treatments of both the spruce-fir and lodgepole types. Within each alternative, the information is displayed separately for each forest type to distinguish more clearly the differences between types and their respective silvicultural treatments.

Alternative 1 includes the research, experimentation, and demonstration of alternative silviculture systems in the spruce-fir and lodgepole pine types on the T.W. Daniel Experimental Forest, as proposed by Utah State University (click here for map). The proposed action is intended to recapture the basic elements of the historic reference conditions for these two types, including the patterns of ecological disturbance that shaped these stands. The proposal is intended to allow for adaptive strategies over time, as the treatments are monitored for effectiveness following implementation. The range of these adaptive modifications is covered within the proposed action.

The following describes the specific treatments under alternative 1 for the spruce-fir and lodgepole pine types, respectively.

Spruce-fir

The large, contiguous area of spruce-fir forest under consideration in this analysis encompasses about 1000 acres and lies mostly within Section 21 of T. 13 N., R. 4 E., with smaller portions in Sections 15, 16, 20, 22. Under alternative 1, the treatments in the spruce-fir would take place on a portion of the stands contained within the Daniel Forest, in the area between and adjacent to the old and new Sinks roads within Sections 21 and 22.

Relative to the spruce-fir type there are five basic elements to the proposed action:

1) a  series of six 20-acre regeneration research units established to demonstrate alternative silviculture systems in the spruce-fir type. The regeneration units would include:

a) 40 acres (two 20-acre units) of single tree selection (individual trees removed from throughout the 20-acre units);

b) 40 acres (two 20-acre units) of small group selection (groups of trees removed up to 1/4 acre in size within the 20-acre units);

c) 40 acres (two 20-acre units) of shelterwood with reserves (leaving about 50% of the overstory as reserves).

2) 20 acres of "push-over logging" (two 5-acre patches and 10 acres of small group selection) for the purpose of studying its effectiveness on the suppression of root disease. In push-over logging, the trees are pushed over by mechanical means (e.g., tractor) rather than cut. As the trees are pushed over the root system is pulled from the ground, exposing the roots to the drying air. They no longer are in contact with roots from other trees, thereby slowing the spread of root disease-causing fungi from tree to tree.

3) 80 acres in the area between and around the regeneration units would be thinned to a variable density (120 to 150 square feet basal area) to monitor the effects of reduced density and a potential decrease in risk and susceptibility to spruce beetle.

4) integrated spruce beetle suppression activities (e.g., removal of individual beetle-infested trees and trap trees) would continue throughout the spruce-fir stands on and adjacent to the Experimental Forest through fall of 1998, under the existing Decision Memo signed November 5, 1996 (excluding the control area").

5) silvicultural practices in the "control area" (approximately 200 acres in the western third of Sec. 21) would be limited to basic beetle suppression activities (e.g., the felling and treatment of infested and trap trees, but no removal of trees).

The openings created by the small group selection and shelterwood harvests would be planted with containerized Engelmann spruce seedlings. Any other small openings resulting from the recent removal of spruce beetle infested trees would also be planted.

There would be no site preparation done in the regeneration research units, outside of what is accomplished by the logging and mechanical scattering of slash.

Under alternative 1, the spruce-fir area would be accessed by the following roads:

4.0 miles of the Sinks road (FR 055);
1.2 miles of intermittent service road (reconstruction of a portion of Road D, the old Sinks road in Section 21);
0.5 mile of temporary road

Lodgepole pine

The proposed action would implement alternative silvicultural systems for lodgepole pine on the Doc Moore-Jebo unit, at the northern end of the Daniel Forest. Approximately two thirds of this unit is within stat6-owned Section 16. The other third is to the east in the Jebo drainage on National Forest.

Based on what is known about historic fire regimes in these lodgepole pine communities, the reference condition for this type includes a mixed-severity fire regiie (non-lethal fires as often as every 12 years and stand-replacing fires on an average of 50-120 years. Historic fires were of various sizes, but were generally large (300-600 acres). Across these large acreages the fires burned with varying intensity, burning hot in some areas and less severely in others.

Regeneration research in the lodgepole pine type, as proposed under alternative 1, is designed to mimic these historic disturbances through the following alternative silvicultural systems:

1) the Doc Moore-Jebo Unit of lodgepole pine (600 acres) would be regenerated over a 20-year period, resulting in a nearly even-aged patch;

2) a given entry (every 7 years) would treat one third of the area, as follows, to allow for monitoring of effects and mid-course corrections, if needed, in the subsequent entries.

a) Subunit I - 200 acres in year 1
b) Subunit II - 200 acres in year 7
c) Subunit III - 200 acres in year 14

3) within each subunit of 200 acres each, three regeneration methods would be used to mimic the range of disturbance represented by the mixed-severity fire regime -

a) 160 acres - representing a moderate intensity fire - 80% of the subunit would be clearcut with reserves (individual trees to groups of trees up to one acre in size, reserves would comprise about 30 acres total);
b) 20 acres - representing a high intensity fire where all trees burn - 10% of the subunit would be clearcut with no leave trees;
c) 20 acres - representing a light intensity fire - 10% of the subunit would be shelterwood cut with reserves (leaving 50% of the overstory).

The first 200-acre subunit to be entered (entry 1) would be the western one-half of Section 16, all of which is on state-owned land. The second and third 200-acre subunits (entries 2 and 3) would move progressively to the east in the large lodgepole pine patch referred to as the Doc Moore-Jebo unit.

Treating the large patch in 3 entries rather than all at once would allow for mid-course adjustments or adaptations, as needed, based on monitoring results. If monitoring indicates adjustments are needed to obtain desired results, the second and third entries could be modified to meet those needs.

Since age class variation of up to about 20 years is still considered even-aged, the treatments can be spread over a 14 year period and still achieve the desired structure of an even-aged patch. The regeneration period is assumed to be about 5 years, which is the time it typically takes regeneration to become successfully established. Therefore, within 20 years from the initial entry the entire large patch would be regenerated and essentially even-aged.

There would be no site preparation done in the units, outside of what is accomplished by the logging and mechanical scattering of slash.

Under alternative 1, the Doc Moore-Jebo lodgepole pine area would be accessed by the following roads:

Subunit I (entry 1 - year 1)

           3.5 miles of the Sinks road (FR 055)
           2.1 miles of intermittent service road (FR 238, the "Doc Moore" road in Sections 9, 15, and 16)
           0.5 mile of temporary road

Subunit II (entry 2 - year 7)

3.5 miles of the Sinks road (FR 055)
1.0 mile of intermittent service road (FR 238, the "Doc Moore" road in Sections 9. 15, and 16)
0.5 mile specified road construction (Road A in Section 10)
0.5 mile of temporary road

Subunit III (entry 3 - year 14) -

3.5 miles of the Sinks road (FR 055)
1.0 mile of specified road construction (Road B in Section 15)
0.5 mile of temporary road

Newly constructed roads would be intermittent service roads. They would remain in place for future use, but would be stabilized (drained and revegetated), gated, and managed as closed to traffic.

Alternative 2. No action.

Under the No Action alternative, the research and experimentation proposed for the permitted sections of the Daniel Forest would not be carried out. Other research projects currently underway could continue. None of these involve applied research in alternative silvicultural systems in spruce-fir or lodgepole pine forests.

There would be no timber harvest as proposed and no roads would be constructed. Current management programs in the area would continue (such as the spruce beetle suppression project under separate decision). The extent of that decision is through the fall of 1998 and allows for the individual tree removal of beetle killed and trap trees only.

Alternative 3. Modified research proposal.

Spruce beetle activity has shown a dramatic increase over the past 2-3 years reaching near epidemic levels in the spruce forests in and adjacent to the Daniel Forest.

This alternative (click here for map)  looks at a longterm management strategy for maintenance and restoration of the 1000-acre spruce-fir forest in this area and addresses its susceptibility to continued spruce beetle infestation. It includes the research units as proposed in alternative 1. In addition, alternative 3 includes treatment of a greater area within the spruce-fir type for regeneration purposes, and thinning over a greater area to reduce susceptibility to spruce beetle infestation.

In the lodgepole pine type, this alternative addresses the concern about forest fragmentation and the breaking up of large blocks of forest into smaller and possibly disjunct stands. This is of particular concern in some of the large patches of lodgepole pine found within the analysis area. A portion of the Slideout drainage is under timber sale contract which includes 16 small clearcuts (each less than 10 acres in size), designed according to recommendations in the Forest Plan.

The small patch clearcuts created "holes" in an otherwise large, continuous patch of lodgepole pine. This breaking up of the large 600-acre patch is considered detrimental to large-patch dependent, interior wildlife species. In response to this concern, alternative 3 looks at reentering one area of lodgepole pine with a series of harvests to "block up" these small clearcuts into one large, relatively even-aged patch of lodgepole pine, which more closely resembles the historic reference.

Spruce-fir

1) 140 acres of regeneration research units as described under alternative 1 would also be implemented under alternative 3. These would include:

a) 2 units (20 acres each) of single tree selection;
b) 2 units (20 acres each) of small group selection;
c) 2 units (20 acres each) of shelterwood cutting with reserves;
d) 1 unit (20 acres) of push-over logging (group selection).

2) 250 acres of regeneration treatment would be implemented under alternative 3, in addition to the research units. Small group selection cuts would be made over an additional 250 acres of the spruce-fir type (excluding the 200-acre control). This would create openings for spruce regeneration over a greater area than the proposed action, and yet, would maintain some non-regenerated area for future research in the spruce-fir type.

This treatment would be in the eastern half of Section 21 and the western half of Section 22. The 1/4-acre group selection patches would be distributed across 250 acres at 1 opening per 2 acres, for a total of 125 small openings. Where possible, use would be made of openings already created through the spruce beetle suppression project, where individual trees or small clusters (3-5 trees) have been removed.

3) 800-acres in the spruce-fir type would be thinned. Dense clumps of large diameter spruce trees within the entire spruce-fir area (excluding the control) would be thinned, for the purpose of reducing density and the associated susceptibility to spruce beetle outbreaks. Within this 800 acres, clumps of trees exceeding 120-150 square feet of basal area would be thinned down to that level.

4) integrated spruce beetle suppression activities, such as the removal of infested trees, use of trap trees (standing baited trees or felled trees), and removal of trap trees within necessary time frames, would continue to take place as begun in fall of 1996. These beetle suppression treatments would continue throughout the spruce-fir area (outside of the control, as described below).

5) silvicultural practices in the control area would take a three-staged approach as follows:

a) if current treatments are successful in the suppression of spruce beetle activity, as determined by monitoring in the fall of 1998, current practices (trap trees or baited trees, but no trees removed), would continue under this EA decision.

b) if beetle-caused mortality increases in the control area by 25% or greater, as determined in fall of 1998, infested trees will be removed (along with removal of trap trees);

There would be no site preparation done in the regeneration units, outside of what, is accomplished by the logging and mechanical scattering of slash.