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III C. Wildlife and Fishe~ies The improvement and maintenance of wildlife and fish habitat are major objectives of this National Forest. An excellent opportunity for enhancing this habitat exists by close coordi- nation in the planning phase of timber management activities. Many birds and small mammals thrive on variations in forest canopies. Fishing streams can be benefitted by managing stream- sides to increase or decrease shade, depending upon the circumstances. Big game species thrive on "edges" or openings adjacent to heavily wooded areas. 1. Wildl He Big game species herd sizes are generally limited by the amount of winter range,. which mostly lies off the Forest on private land. However. when animals are in good condition in the fall as a result of good summer range, adult-young ratios are higher than when Summer range is marginal. Big game herds' numbers can increase rapidly after years of high winter kill losses, if summer ranges are kept in good condition. The timber management program will help keep the Summer habitat in good condition. Openings created in dense forests through application of silvicultural systems cause changes in the understory vegetation. Relatively short-term responses can be anticipated. Rather minor increases of understory vegetation occur under the Shelterwood system compared to the Clearcut system. In both, the herbaceous increase begins to decline in two to five years. This is believed to be a reaction to increases in the density of shrubs and the establishment of new tree seedlings. . New vegetative growth is more palatable to many herbivores and increases in low growing plants improve escape COVer for small animals. Small clearcuts in large continuous stands of coniferous forests help to create habitat diversity which in turn greatly benefits many species of wildlife. Properly designed, the. utilization of small clearcuts establishes a correlation of food and cover in serial sequence throughout the stand. In overmature stands, harvesting frequently reduces or rearranges the natural accumulations of dead material which allows easier movement by big game animals. Harvest areas produce large amounts of leaves, needles, twigs, and small -branches necessary to the welfare of many small mammals such as voles. shrews, and deer mice. Small wildlife species will also benefit from the 9rass and forbs seeding of roads and other disturbed areas. 2. Fisheries. The established upper limit for cold water fisheries is 68 degrees Fahrenheit for optlmum production of trout and 55 degrees Fahrenheit for spawning and egg development. Aquatic insect requirements are generally similar to those of trout. Temperatures of many streams on the San Juan National Forest are colder than the optimal range for trout. Properly executed, cutting of trees along streams can increase stream temperatures and thus improve the conditions for fish populations. o. Domestic Livestock Forage availability and palatability to livestock will be increased, particularly in the ponderosa pine type, by removing trees and opening up the site as proposed. New roads will provide better access for cattle to move around the Forest. The removal of excessive, natural dead material, particularly in the old spruce-fir stands, will also improve access for cattle and sheep and make additional forage available. The overall effect of the timber harvest program will provide opportunity for increased livestock production. E. Aesthetics Landscapes on the San Juan National Forest have a high degree of visual variety and thus offer great potential for the enjoyment of scenery. The vegetative variety includes open parks of grass, flowers, sage and shrubs, large stands of aspen, spruce-fir stands', ponderosa pine, some lodgepole pine and mixtures of the above. Textures and colors from this variety of vegetation combine with a variety of landforms ranging from flat parks to steep, rugged mountains to establish the landscape character for the Forest. (See Appendix S.) 22