Summary: The Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) and the interagency Late-Successional Reserve (LSR) Work Group have concluded the review of the documents provided by the Bureau of Land Management, Medford District regarding the proposed hazardous fuel reduction treatments proposed in the Middle Cow LSR Landscape Planning Project within South Umpqua River/Galesville Late-Successional Reserve. The REO, based upon the review by the LSR Work Group, concurs with the Medford District in its findings of consistency with the Standard and Guidelines (S&Gs) under the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP).

Basis for the Review: Silviculture Risk reduction treatments in LSRs are subject to REO review under the NWFP S&Gs (C-12, C-13). The South Umpqua River/Galesville Late-Successional Reserve Assessment identifies the need for future REO reviews (pages 65-66 "Treatments to reduce long-term risks would be subject to future REO review."). The South Umpqua River/Galesville LSRA review (REO memo dated July 2, 1999) provided an exemption from future REO reviews ("The only risk reduction treatment management activities exempt from future REO review are, treatments to reduce short-term risks. Risk reduction actions as described on pages 65-66 will target activity fuels less than 3 inches diameter following treatment activities.").

Background and Project Description: The proposed activity is hazardous fuel reduction treatment in conjunction with non-commercial density management within the South Umpqua River/Galesville LSR (LSR #R0223). Approximately 2,501 acres in the LSR are proposed to receive hazardous fuels treatments. Units proposed for non-commercial density management/ hazardous fuel reduction within this project generally consist of older, entered and unentered stands where vegetation (live and dead) up to 7-inches in diameter would be cut. In addition to the treatment of cut materials less than 3-inches in diameter, it is proposed to treat slash 3- to 7-inches in diameter to further reduce the risk of large scale habitat loss from catastrophic fire. Limited underburning is proposed, primarily as a future follow-up treatment to maintain desired fuel levels. These treatments are part of the Middle Cow LSR Landscape Project. Treatment of activity fuels up to 3-inches in diameter has been previously reviewed by the REO and was exempted from further review. These smaller activity fuels have been generally associated with younger (precommercial thinning-sized) managed plantations.

Review of the Project: The activities reviewed by the LSR Work Group were those proposed in LSRs under Preferred Alternative of the EA: Middle Cow LSR Landscape Planning Project. The LSR Work Group reviewed proposal documents, and other documents provided by the Medford District, which included:

The Work Group’s review was based on the information within these documents, briefings, and conference calls.

The LSR Work Group concurred with the Resource Area’s findings that the proposed actions are consistent with objectives for managing LSRs. This conclusion was reached in part for the following reasons:

• S&Gs C-12 and C-13 describe silvicultural treatments permitted within LSRs which includes Guidelines to Reduce Risks of Large-Scale Disturbance (large-scale loss of late-successional habitat) in the Oregon and California Klamath Provinces. In LSRs where levels of risks are particularly high, management activities designed to reduce risk are encouraged "even if a portion of the activities must take place in currently late-successional habitat."
• As proposed, the treatment of fuels between 3-to 7-inches in diameter is consistent with Late-Successional Reserve Assessment (LSRA) guidelines for fuel reduction.
• Management is designed to accelerate and not impede the development of late-successional forests and focuses on long-range objectives that are based on desired future condition of the forest (C-13 and C-14). Non-commercial density management/fuels reduction treatments proposed meet the S&G criteria (C13). The treatments are designed to retain the current function of the stands while reducing the amount of fuel. The goal of these treatments is to reduce the risk of large-scale, late-successional habitat loss from wildfires. Should a wildfire occur, these treatments should make the wildfire easier to control, and as a result, minimize acres lost. Treatments are designed so that stands will retain their current function and that the objectives (for which the LSR was established) will not be prevented.
• The proposed action will not result in the degeneration of suitable northern spotted owl habitat or other late-successional conditions (C-13). Areas within the units would be left untreated.
• Dead wood retention levels in LSR treatment units meet or exceed guidelines specified in the South Umpqua River/Galesville LSRA. These conditions include meeting or exceeding Interim/Average Standards for snags and down logs listed in Table 2 (p. 43) and Table 3 (p. 45) of the LSRA. Stands would retain both standing- and down-dead wood after treatment. Areas within the units would be left untreated. In units proposed to be handpiled with later burning of the piles, down woody material on the site would remain constant. Naturally occurring down woody material would not be piled.
• The LSR treatments recommended for this project are designed to meet LSR objectives and promote the development of late-successional conditions (C-14). Growth rates on retained stems should remain steady or increase. Stem diameters and subsequent snag and down woody material diameters should also increase.

Conclusion: Based upon the interagency REO LSR Work Group’s review, the REO concurs with the Grants Pass Resource Area, Medford District’s conclusion that the proposed hazardous fuel reduction treatments proposed in conjunction with non-commercial density management of the Middle Cow LSR Landscape Planning Project treatments are consistent with the NWFP S&Gs which provide for silvicultural risk reduction treatments within LSR boundaries to protect and maintain late-successional forest conditions.

cc: Tim Reuwsaat, BLM District Manager
Jim Brimble, BLM
Jeannette Griese, BLM
LSR Work Group