1. Introduction

This document describes activities planned on the Eastern Region state forest lands during Fiscal Year 2003 (July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003). Since the decertification of the scattered Common School Forest tracts on the Northeast and Central Oregon Districts, all the eastern region state forest lands are on the Klamath-Lake District in Klamath County. The district manages 33,739 acres of forest land, 26,912 acres of Board of Forestry lands and 6,827 acres of Common School Forest lands. Management of these lands is guided by the Eastern Region Long-Range Forest Management Plan, which was approved in October, 1995.

 

2. Integrated Forest Management

1. Commercial Forest Management Operations

1. Narrative Summary – This plan proposes three sales, two sales in Sun Pass State Forest (Hole in One and Huckleberry Hound) and one in our Yainax tract in the East Block (Triple Arc). All three sales are overstocked and have stocking reduction for forest health as one of the primary objectives. The long-range plan calls for an average of 1,190 acres of harvest each year. In general, ponderosa pine and mixed conifer stands are managed under an uneven-aged approach. Pure lodgepole pine stands are typically managed under an even-aged approach, usually clear cut or seed tree cut. However, both of the lodgepole pine stands in this operations plan contain significant amounts of ponderosa pine and white fir, and will be partial cut to retain these other species.

The Hole in One Timber Sale contains 673 acres of partial cut harvest. The sale includes 571 acres of mixed conifer stands where the standard, uneven-aged management approach described in the long-range plan will be employed. It also contains 102 acres of lodgepole pine, which will be partial cut to retain lodgepole pine seed trees as well as most of the ponderosa pine and white fir trees in the stand. This stand will also need to be surveyed for T&E plants.

The 158-acre Huckleberry Hound Timber Sale contains a very dense mix of lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine. Stocking reduction will be accomplished by removing most of the lodgepole pine. Understocked areas created by this treatment will be reforested with a mix of ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine. This sale area has been identified as a Lodgepole pine/blueberry/forb wetland plant association. A field visit occurred with Rod Krahmer from ODF’s Forest Practices Staff to determine if Forest Practices significant wetland rules apply. Rod determined that the site is not a wetland (see Appendix A).

The 184-acre Triple Arc Timber Sale contains a mix of ponderosa pine and white fir. The area has received significant fir engraver beetle mortality. This is a lower site than the Sun Pass area and is probably not suitable for long-term occupation by white fir. Stocking reduction will be accomplished by removing much of the white fir and reforesting understocked areas with ponderosa pine.

2. Tabular Summary – The attached Commercial Forest Operations and Financial Summary tables contain details for the timber sale portion of this operations plan. The long-range plan calls for treating an average of 1,190 acres per year with partial cut timber sales. The 2003 Operations Plan calls for 1,015 acres of partial cut sales totaling 6.2 MMBF with an estimated net value of $1,292,800 on Board of Forestry land, and 0.76 MMBF with an estimated net value of $138,200 on Common School Forest Lands.
3. Special Concerns – Tom Collum, ODF&W and Rick Ward, Klamath Tribes toured the proposed sale areas as well as similar recently completed sales with Ed DeBlander on November 8, 2001. Both expressed their approval of the way wildlife concerns were incorporated in the completed sales. They also expressed support for the proposed sales as presented in the operations plan. The consensus was that they had no further comments/recommendations.

1. Roads and Engineering

1. Narrative and Tabular summary – The attached Road and Engineering Summary tables for FY03 sale plan sales and projected active sales estimate the quantities of road construction, improvement, maintenance, and closure, as well as culvert replacement. All of the activities shown in these tables will be accomplished with timber sales.

The three sales in the 2003 Operations Plan will require 10.1 miles of road construction/improvement. The active sales will accomplish an estimated 5.5 miles of road improvement. Construction will involve new access spurs which will be built to minimum standards. Improvement primarily means removal of vegetation and debris from an existing road surface, blading, and shaping.

On the Klamath-Lake District, road closure involves restricting access during all of the year (Section 8, Forest Road Vacating, ODF Forest Roads Manual). Roads will be closed primarily by spreading root wads, slash, and other logging debris on the road surface. The District has identified roads important for the permanent transportation system. As sales are proposed, roads within the sale areas are reassessed and non-essential roads are closed as part of project work in the timber sale contract.

Approximately 8.1 miles of roads are planned for closure on the FY03 sale plan sales. This will leave a net of about 2 miles of construction/improvement that will not be closed. This is primarily in the Triple Arc Sale where a road that is currently in poor condition will be improved. Because this road accesses other private lands it cannot be closed. Active sales will close approximately 5.5 miles of roads during FY03. Most of these roads will be re-opened at each entry, approximately every 20 years. For the FY03 sale plan sales, road maintenance is planned on about 16.2 miles of state forest roads with the FY03 sale plan. Active sales will accomplish an estimated 8.8 miles of road maintenance during the fiscal year.

Annual Integrated Forest Management Plan Summary FY2003
District_Klamath-Lake_	ROADS AND ENGINEERING SUMMARY (FY03 Sale Plan Sales) Date__11/7/01__								Date________
Activity	Units of	Quantity	Comments
	Measure
Road Construction/ Improvement	Miles	10.1	Access spurs accomplished with timber sales
Road Closure	Miles	8.1
Road Maintenance	Miles	16.2	Haul routes on state land

Annual Integrated Forest Management Plan Summary FY2003
District_Klamath-Lake_	ROADS AND ENGINEERING SUMMARY (for FY03 active sales)
Activity	Units of	Quantity	Comments
	Measure
Road Construction	Miles	0	Access spurs accomplished with timber sales
Road Improvement	Miles	5.5	Access spurs accomplished with timber sales
Road Closure	Miles	5.5	Accomplished with timber sales
Road Maintenance	Miles	8.8	Haul routes on state land (accomplished with sales)
Culvert Replacement	#	0

 

Approximately 4.50 miles of property line needs to be run for fiscal year 2004 timber sales.

2. Special Concerns –None.

1. Reforestation and Young Growth Management (occurring during FY03 operation year)

1. Narrative and Tabular Summary – This plan proposes 122 acres of initial planting on the Overlook Timber Sale (BOF). The initial planting in this plan involves the reforestation of openings created by group selections and small patch cuts in partial cut timber sales.

Approximately 323 acres in the Overlook, Boundary Ridge, Bootheel, and Bottoms Up Timber Sales (BOF) are in Plant Communities that exhibit rapid brush and grass development following disturbance and require herbicide site prep to ensure successful reforestation. In addition, the district is working on a fuel reduction project with the US Fish & Wildlife Service along our border with the Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge. This project will involve pct and slashbusting of fuels on about 409 acres of BOF land. Federal funds will pay for this project. About 62 of these acres are in a brushfield in a failed plantation and will require herbicide site prep and replanting.

In addition, 219 acres of the Overlook Timber Sale needs slash treatment to reduce fuels and create planting spots. One of the primary objectives of this sale was to create a fuel break along Hwy. 232. The sale plan for this sale specified the use of either prescribed fire or mechanical treatment. The district has chosen mechanical treatment (slashbusting) to accomplish this objective. This technique enables ODF to break up concentrations of fuels, select which trees and seedlings survive, and preserves soil productivity by maintaining the duff layer.

The Baked Ham Timber Sale has experienced significant areas of failure of the initial planting, which was done in 1999. Vegetation control was accomplished in 2001 and the area will be replanted in Spring, 2002. About 135 acres of the area to be planted is exhibiting high pocket gopher populations. Gopher control will be accomplished using poisoned oats placed in gopher runways.

The district has started a cooperative noxious weed project with Klamath County and Jeld-Wen in the Yainax tract to reduce or eliminate musk thistle. Plans for 2003 involve spraying about 770 acres of recent timber sales adjacent to Jeld-Wen lands that are also scheduled to receive treatment. Plant populations on these recent sales are small at this time and should be relatively inexpensive to treat. Waiting will only make the project more expensive. Treatment of these noxious weeds is required by law.

2. Special Concerns – None.

1. Recreation Management Operations

1. Narrative Summary: None planned.
2. Special Concerns or Issues: None.

1. Administrative Projects: None planned at this time. The District has an ongoing exchange proposal with the Fremont National Forest, which has stalled for several years due to Fremont N. F. priorities. If this proposal were to become active again during FY03, the district would propose moving ahead with a joint cruise during the fiscal year. A joint cruise would utilize current district personnel and would not incur additional contract costs during FY03. We would postpone any proposals for third party appraisal contracts until FY04.
2. Cultural Resources: The Eastern Region Long-Range Plan contains a strategy to survey areas with a high likelihood of containing sites. The district moved ahead during Fiscal Year 2002 with a contract with the University of Oregon’s Department of Anthropology to survey approximately 2,500 acres. The district plans to survey an additional 2,500 acres of state forests during FY2003. Once sites are located by the surveyors, the district will begin to work on protection measures. Sites in locations with plans for near future management activities will be the first priority for protection plans. For American Indian sites, the district will work with The Klamath Tribes, SHPO, and the University of Oregon to determine appropriate protections. For historic sites, the district will work with SHPO and the University of Oregon to determine appropriate protection measures.
3. Wildlife Projects: The Eastern Region Long-Range Plan contains a strategy to conduct surveys for pileated woodpeckers and northern goshawks every five years. The next round of surveys for pileated woodpeckers is scheduled for April through August, 2002.

1. an option that looks at just pileated pairs in Sun Pass State Forest, and
2. an option that looks at pileateds and their habitat in Sun Pass and in surrounding federal and private lands. In taking this approach, ODF would attempt to make this a cooperative effort on the part of all the landowners.

The district plans to complete its 2004 operations plan.

The Klamath-Lake District has had a complete Stand Level Inventory in place since 1992. During the fiscal year, the district plans to complete post management cycle re-inventories on 9 stands totaling about 750 acres. This inventory work will be done with current district personnel and will require no additional resources.

5. Public Information and Education –

Continue to work with interested public as needed. The District will also conduct public involvement activities related to the Annual Operations Plan.