Sierra Nevada Framework update

[mhagen]

Larry Harrell wrote:
> lhfotoware at hotmail.com (Larry Harrell) wrote in message news:<7a90c754.0405010605.4e0175ec at posting.google.com>...
> 
>>April 30, 2004   Greenwire
>>
>>Opponents appeal Sierra Nevada logging plan 
>>
>>by Dan Berman
>>
> 
> 
> <snip>
>  
> 
>>The 2001 framework was designed to protect old-growth stands and
>>habitats for the California spotted owl, Pacific fisher, Yosemite
>>toad, frogs, willow flycatcher, northern goshawk and other species.
>>The Forest Service says 96 percent of the 1,321 protected acres for
>>the California spotted owl will be maintained with the new plan,
>>however, the plan also calls for reducing forest canopy in old-growth
>>stands from 80 percent to 50 percent (Greenwire, Jan. 23).
>>
> 
> 
> Hmmm...Looks like a typo. There must be 1,321 protected AREAS, which
> include generous buffers. For example, a goshawk nest gets 40 acres of
> NO TREATMENT. In addition to that, they also get a 1200 acre limited
> operating period where nothing goes on during nesting season. Owls
> have similar protections. Many endangered species habitats fall within
> the expanded streamcourse buffers present in both versions of the SNF.
> These 50-300 foot buffers trouble me somewhat because careful
> salvaging of dead and dying trees in these streamcourses might improve
> some of those areas at risk to catastrophic fire, despite the less dry
> conditions. Of course, those should be taken on a site specific basis,
> like all good forestry should.
>  
> 
>>Larry,     cutting through government "green tape"

Salvage and careful management inside riparian buffers is probably going 
to happen in washington too.  At first glance it would seem another grab 
for old growth, since some riparian buffers contain some remnant old and 
impressive timber. However, the real life situation is that most 
riparian buffers are not in OG stands but are in second and third 
generation timber. These were mostly set in the 60's, and 70's when 
buffers were minimal or in the 80's when they were up to (gasp) 100 feet 
for a major salmon bearing river such as the Solduc.

Present buffers are base on site tree height. So a site class three 
buffer on a western washington stream is 140 feet from ordinary high 
water. This span may include up to 110 feet of small reprod - since old 
buffers for a three may have been as low as 30 feet and in many places, 
that blew down. PCT and commercial thins in the present large buffer are 
not a bad idea if we hope to accelerate old growth appearance in 
wildlife and fisheries corridors.