Klamath Falls Record of Decision: Matrix (General Forest Management Area)

Matrix (General Forest Management Area) - East Side

Note: The following Objectives and Management Actions/Direction will apply to east side forest Matrix lands. They will be in effect until and unless otherwise amended by the record of decision on the pending Eastside Ecosystem Management Project Environmental Impact Statement.

Objectives

Produce a sustainable supply of timber and other forest commodities to provide jobs and contribute to community stability.

Provide connectivity between biological communities.

Provide habitat for a variety of organisms associated with both late-successional and younger forests.

Provide for important ecological functions such as dispersal of organisms, carryover of some species from one stand to the next, and maintenance of ecologically valuable structural components such as down logs, snags, and large trees.

Land Use Allocation

In the Matrix on the east side, there are approximately 8,750 acres of BLM-administered land in the General Forest Management Area (see Map 3).

Management Actions/Direction

Apply the management actions/direction in the Special Status and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Special Attention Species section.

Conduct timber harvest and other silvicultural activities in that portion of the Matrix with suitable forest lands, according to management actions/direction summarized below and in the Timber section.

Provide a renewable supply of large down logs well distributed across the Matrix landscape in a manner that meets the needs of species and provides for ecological functions. Down logs will reflect the species mix of the original stand and at the historical levels that existed prior to attempted fire exclusion.

Leave 50 linear feet of logs per acre greater than or equal to 12 inches in diameter and 8 feet long. Decay class 1 and 2 logs will be credited toward the total. Down logs will reflect the species mix of the original stand. Where this management actions/direction cannot be met with existing coarse woody debris, merchantable material will be used to make up the deficit.
Retain historic levels (prior to fire exclusion) of coarse woody debris already on the ground and protect it to the extent compatible with ecosystem processes of the site, from disturbance during treatment (for example, underburning and yarding) that might otherwise destroy the integrity of the substrate.
Retain 5 to 10 of the largest (greater than 16 inches diameter at breast height) and healthiest green trees per acre. In addition, maintain a sustainable uneven-aged understory so that there is a variety of different sized trees and species represented throughout the stand available for recruitment.
On lands available for timber harvest, retain snags, live green cull trees, and green merchantable trees to provide nest sites for a minimum of 60 percent of optimal cavity nester populations, both for present needs and long-term sustainability. This retention level corresponds to approximately 1.9 snags per acre (or 190 snags per 100 acres) on west side and 1.4 snags per acre (or 140 snags per 100 acres) in forested habitat on the east side.
Meet the 60 percent minimum throughout the Matrix with the requirements met on the average for areas no larger than 40 acres.
When an area is regeneration harvested, limit patch size to 3 acres and retain 5 to 10 green trees per acre in the patch.

Modify site treatment practices, particularly the use of pesticides, and modify harvest methods to minimize soil and litter disturbance. Plan and implement treatments to:

Minimize intensive burning, unless appropriate for certain specific habitats, communities, or stand conditions. Prescribed fires should be planned to leave the appropriate amount of litter and coarse woody debris for the site.
Minimize soil and litter disturbance that may occur as a result of yarding and operation of heavy equipment.
Reduce the intensity and frequency of site treatments to the extent compatible with ecosystem management.
Manage range and riparian-wetland areas in the Gerber Block for a mosaic of native plant communities. This mosaic will allow for migration and dispersal of organisms between BLM-administered lands and adjacent U.S. Forest Service lands. Reintroduce fire as a natural disturbance factor through prescribed burning.