Spruce Beetle and Aspen Decline EIS Stakeholder Meeting

Spruce Beetle and Aspen Decline EIS Stakeholder Meeting January 25, 2017 Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests East Zone – Gunnison Ranger District

Integrated Planning Areas – East Zone (Timber, Fuels, Wildlife) 2017 • Skeleton* • Nutras* • Willow Mesa* • Pauline* • Small Sales* 2019 • Hall’s Gulch* • Buffalo Fork* • Mill Creek IV* • Alpine Plateau* (3 sales) • Millswitch* • Monchego* • Lujan* • Rambo Leftovers* • Small Sales* • One Mile (noncommercial) 2018 • Divide* • Quill* • Cooler* • Sargents Mesa* • Small Sales* • Willow Creek (noncommercial) 2020 • Antelope • Bear Creek • Rainbow • Ohio Pass • Small Sales* *Recovery Treatment

Integrated Planning & Implementation • Fuels removal and fuel loading reduction • Identify strategic locations to reduce fuel loading and create discontinuous fuel continuity to enhance protection of values at risk. • Increase public and firefighter safety through reducing fuels along priority egress routes. • Increase firefighter safety by reducing fuel loading to create safer locations from which firefighters can plan and initiate tactical actions. • Wildlife habitat objectives • Identify key areas to provide snowshoe hare, pine marten, and lynx habitat • Identify areas where high amounts of regeneration are expected posttreatment • Retain snags by implementing design features • Landscape-scale habitat connectivity • Promote aspen regeneration • Post-harvest site preparation and tree planting in areas where stocking does not meet minimum standards • Road maintenance

Non-commercial Treatment Areas Willow Creek and One Mile • Resiliency Treatments • Prescribed fire and mechanical • Desired Conditions • Reduce surface fuel loading • Promote aspen age class diversity and stimulate regeneration • Enhance big game habitat • Natural fuel breaks • Design Feature Triggers • Potential for flammulated owl and goshawk occupancy/nests

Willow Creek & One Mile Treatment Areas

Commercial Treatment Areas

Los Pinos Pass/Big Meadows • Recovery treatments • Desired Future Condition • Uneven age stand structure • Diversify tree species • Reforestation • • • Known Design Feature Triggers Wilderness Boundary Wetland areas—Willow Mesa Stream Crossings (temp roads) Maintain habitat connectivity (lynx; American marten) Raptor nest sites (4 species) American marten

Cochetopa • Recovery treatments • Desired Future Condition • Uneven age stand structure • Diversify tree species • Reforestation Known Design Feature Triggers • Wetland areas • Goshawks • Flammulated and boreal owls • American marten • Habitat connectivity considerations – lynx • Elk & Moose winter habitat – Lujan Creek • Colorado Roadless Area

Sargents Mesa & Millswitch • Recovery treatments • Desired Future Condition • Uneven age stand structure • Diversify tree species • Reforestation • • • Known Design Feature Triggers Continental Divide NST American marten Goshawks - Millswitch Wetland areas (buffer) Hydrology emphasis (headwaters of Tank 7 Creek) Colorado Roadless Area

Alpine Plateau & Slumgullion • Recovery treatments • Desired Future Condition • Uneven age stand structure • Diversify tree species • Reforestation Known Design Feature Triggers • American marten • Habitat connectivity - lynx • Wetland areas (buffer) • Arrowhead Subdivision snowmobiling

Gunnison North • Resiliency treatments • Desired Future Condition • Uneven age stand structure • Diversify tree species • Reforestation Known Design Feature Triggers • American marten • Goshawk - Bear Creek • Flammulated owl - Rainbow • Overlap w/lynx use area – Bear Creek • Wetland areas (buffer)

Questions?