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<br />Oll(9~/t <br /> <br />I. DESCRIPTIDN <br /> <br />A. Proposed Action, <br /> <br />This Environmental Statement describes the effects whicn would result from implementing a <br />revised TimBer Management Plan for the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado. <br />The objective of the plan is to manage the acres of forested lands in the Standard, Special, <br />and Marginal components to enhance tne key values of wildlife, recreation, and scenic beauty <br />in the long run while at the saMe time contrinuting to the economic stability and growth of <br />local communities, the region, and the Nation by providing a high level flow of renewable <br />resources. <br /> <br />The proposed action will provide for silvicultural practices to be applied on 380,900 acres <br />during the next 10 years. An immediate tangible commodity benefit will be the annual pro- <br />duction of 125 million board feet of sawtimber and 46 M cU~rts from: (1) topwood of the <br />sawtimber trees; (2) trees five inches to eight inches DBH- where the excess numbers in <br />these diameter classes should be removed along with the appropriate sawtimber trees. The <br />proposed action also provides for planting and thinning on an additional 60,700 acres. <br />In addition, about 8 million board feet of dead sawtimber annually will be removed concurrent <br />with the removal of the above live sawtimber. <br /> <br />The harvest treatment portion of the proposed action is displayed in Table 1. Figure 1 displays <br />estimated road development funds needed to achieve various levels of management, and Table 2 <br />displays a summary of several management levels. <br /> <br />Until economic or marketing constraints are modified and other limiting factors such as advanced <br />logging techniques are improved, silvicultural techniques will probably be applied to only <br />11,100 acres annually within the 216;000 acres of forested lands in the Standard and Special <br />(but not Marginal) components. The immediate tangible benefits of/this action will be the pro- <br />duction of up to 35 million board feet of sawlogs and 14 M cunits- of roundwood each year. <br /> <br />However, at current fundi ng 1 eve 1 s ;'" the Forest Servi ce a 1 so intends to program for sa 1 e an <br />average of about 35 million board feet of sawtimber each year from the Marginal component <br />in addition to the 35 million board feet in the Standard and Special components. Continuation <br />of the program is subject to land use studies, and may be adjusted following the completion <br />of these studies. <br /> <br />As suitable, economically feasiBle logging systems are developed for these areas, and as access <br />roads are built, the Marginal-due-to~logging land will he reclassified into Standard or Special <br />components. Most of this component is relatively undeveloped and remote. Critical soils, long, <br />steep slopes and tne requirements for the protection of other valuable associated resources <br />limit the amount of-roads tnat can Be Built. Consequently, logging systems that will transport <br />logs long distances to roads are needed to properly manage the available lands in this component. <br />Some logging systems, sucn as helicopters and 5alloons, are suitable and available now but are <br />not economically feasi5le. <br /> <br />Many of the total 320,200 acres receiving a harvest treatment will also receive a thinning treat- <br />ment, and a minor amount will be reforested by planting small .trees. <br /> <br />In addition to the 320,200 acres scheduled for a harvest treatment, an estimated 15,000 acres <br />will be thinned only and about 45,700 acres will be planted only. These 60,700 acres are not <br />classified by components. <br /> <br />II DBH: (Diameter breast high) - The diameter of a standing tree 4 feet, 6 inches from ground level. <br /> <br />11 Cunits: A unit of wood containing lOa cubic feet of solid volume. <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />