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<br />002~_57 <br /> <br />and slow or desynchronize runoff. Associated with vegetation <br />removal and alteration in mountainous terrain is the increased <br />potential for erosion. <br /> <br />Impacts to the remaining vegetation along the cleared areas will <br />include sunscald in aspen and windfall risk in all species. <br /> <br />Opportunities for vegetation management will be available to <br />enhance the visual resource and wildlife habitats in the timbered <br />areas between ski runs. The majority of these opportunities will <br />be specific to each individual timber stand. Depending upon the <br />age, species composition and structure of each stand, the Forest <br />Service will be able to specify the kind of silvicultural <br />management desired to meet visual or wildlife objectives. These <br />determinations would be made at the time the Master Developnent <br />plan is made and in annual operating plans. Aspen will be the <br />primary species to work with. Vegetation mmagerrent prescriptions <br />that take into account timber, insect and disease, wildlife needs, <br />soils, and aesthetic values would be employed. <br /> <br />'I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />c. 1Ilternative Three <br /> <br />Table IV-15 summarizes the impacts on vegetation types and Table <br />IV-16 estimates the timber volLnnes to be expected to be produced <br />from public lands under this alternative. The estimate is 8.9 <br />MMBF of sawtimber or 19M cords of firewood. <br /> <br />Ninety-two percent (92%) of the impacted public lands acreage is <br />forested with a mosaic of aspen and conifer-daminated stands. <br />This alternative proposes to clear the most acreage in the aspen <br />vegetation type. Cleared area would total 249 acres. Aspen could <br />be expected to regenerate along the perimeter of corridors in all <br />timber vegetation types. Strip-cutting for trail, lift and road <br />corridors will increase snow catchment in the cleared openings. <br /> <br />The spruce-fir and Douglas fir types would have 244 and 27 acres <br />cleared, respectively. <br /> <br />In general, envirol'Ullental consequences to vegetation within the <br />Wolf Creek Valley area will be limited to replacing the overstory <br />vegetation with structures, service roads and ski trails. The ski <br />trail vegetation will probably resemble mixed shrub-grassland <br />vegetation type currently found in the Wolf Creek Valley area. <br />These grass-forb daninated types will appear as islands and <br />finger-like strips interspersed with the various existing timber <br />types on the mountain. <br /> <br />The vegetation alteration associated with this alternative will <br />potentially increase runoff because of decreased shading and the <br />loss of litter and downed timber, which can increase infiltration <br />and slow or desynchronize runoff. Associated with vegetation <br /> <br />197 <br />