Fremont-Winema National Forests

Chemult Ranger District: Three Creek Fuel Reduction and Habitat Protection Project

The Three Creek project area is designated as bald eagle nest sites and replacement habitat. Project emphasis is for retention and protection of mature and old growth ponderosa pine stand structures and individual large ponderosa pine trees. The project would thin trees from stands containing more trees than the sites can sustain over time. Many small and middle-sized trees in the stands provide ladder fuels and compete with large trees for nutrients and water. Thinning and slash disposal would produce conditions that more closely resemble natural fire regime conditions. Two decisions are anticipated. The first will address its objectives with precommercial thinning, the second will address its objectives with removal of larger trees. The first project (Three Creek Precommercial Thinning) does not rely on completion of the second project to meet its objectives.

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Final Decision

• December 6, 2005: Legal Notice for Decision [DOC - 26K] [RTF - 10K] [PDF - 10K]

Comment Period
Comment period ends November 25, 2005

• Project Map
• October 25, 2005: Legal Notice for Comment Period [DOC - 26K] [RTF - 10K] [PDF - 14K]

Decision

• September 15, 2005: Three Creek Precommercial Thinning Decision Memo [DOC - 40K] [RTF - 40K] [PDF - 42K]

Scoping

Three Creek
Fuel Reduction and Habitat Protection Project
Chemult Ranger District
Fremont-Winema National Forests
T29S, R9E, Sections 9, 13, 15, 16, 21, 22, and 28

The Three Creek project area is designated as bald eagle nest sites and replacement habitat (Management Areas 9A and 9B in the Winema National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan). The emphasis for the project is for retention and protection of mature and old growth ponderosa pine stand structures and individual large ponderosa pine trees. The project would thin trees from stands containing more trees than the sites can sustain over time. Many small and middle-sized trees in the stands provide ladder fuels and compete with large trees for nutrients and water. Thinning and slash disposal would produce conditions that more closely resemble natural fire regime conditions.

The project area is rated as fire regime condition class 3. A fire regime condition class is a way of classifying how current conditions in a particular area differ from natural fire regime conditions. A natural fire regime is the role fire would have played across a landscape in the absence of modern human influences. With condition class 3, the effects of insects, disease, or fire may cause significant loss of ecosystem components such as the mature and old growth ponderosa pine stands that provide high quality eagle habitat.

The Three Creek project is being planned in collaboration with the Klamath Tribes and Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge staff. Specific stands and prescriptions for treatment have not yet been determined.

For further information, please contact Terry Simpson (541-365-7073) or Faith Brown (541-365-7038).

You may send your comments to Jayne Goodwin, Environmental Coordinator, at Chemult Ranger District, PO Box 150, Chemult, OR, 97731. Electronic Comments: If you would like to comment electronically, please use the following e-mail link: comments-pacificnorthwest-winema-chemult@fs.fed.us. Please submit your comments on this proposed project by June 17, 2005.

USDA Forest Service - Fremont-Winema NF's
Last Modified: Wednesday, 30 November 2005 at 19:11:03 EST