Slower Rate of Harvest and Extended Harvest Rotations Provides Significantly More Suitable Owl Habitat Sample Clauses

Slower Rate of Harvest and Extended Harvest Rotations Provides Significantly More Suitable Owl Habitat. The overwhelming beneficial effect of the SHA is that it will provide appreciably greater total acres of habitat useful for spotted owls across the covered lands in the landscape management plan. Without implementation of the SHA, the Applicants will continue to reduce their exposure to regulatory impacts on future timber harvest by reducing their holdings of spotted owl habitat by the maximum allowable under current Oregon and Washington Forest Practices Rules. Habitat distribution in year 2023, with and without the SHA, is shown in Figures 4-3 and 4-4. Figures 4-5 through 4-8 show a graphic depiction of the differences (net benefit) in habitat quantity and quality that occur with and without the SHA. This habitat reduction will occur across all of Applicant’s lands, inside and outside the SOSEAs. Thus, the only owl habitat that would remain on the Applicants’ landscape Figure 4-3. Owl Habitat Distribution without the SHA in Year 2023 Figure 4-4. Owl Habitat Distribution with the SHA in Year 2023 (note: this illustration does not represent actual or expected harvest unit planning) Figure 4-5. Comparison of Baseline to Elevated Baseline with SHA within the WS SOSEA Figure 4-6. Comparison of Baseline to Elevated Baseline with SHA, All Covered Lands Figure 4-7. Baseline, Habitat by Type within WS SOSEA Figure 4-8. Elevated Baseline with SHA, Minimum Habitat by Type within WS SOSEA in future years would be that portion of the 0.7-mile circle of all owls sites within SOSEAs and portions of the best 2,605 within all owls sites in SOSEAs, totaling 4,697 acres (See Figures 3- 2, 3-5 and 3-6). Under the current conditions across the landscape (See Figures 3-3 and 3-4), forest stands aged 40 years and older provide at least dispersal habitat, and stands aged 60 years and older provide YFM habitat or better. Without the SHA, with a rotation age of 45 years, only scattered small parcels of dispersal-quality habitat (stands aged 40-45 years) would be present on the covered lands beyond the 4,697 acres of habitat currently restricted in existing spotted owl circles. Any non-habitat within existing spotted owl circles would be managed to prevent it from ever becoming habitat. With the SHA, Applicants will slow the rate of harvest and manage their commercial forest lands on longer rotations. The effects in different portions of the covered lands will be as follows: Lands Outside of SOSEAs: Applicant’s covered lands outside of SOSEAs consists of 47,523 acres (60% of which...