Snag and Wildlife Tree Prescriptions. The Applicants will provide other conservation measures related to snag and wildlife tree development intended to enhance the foraging component of owl habitat on the Covered Lands in Oregon and Washington by providing structure for owl prey species utilizing the unique mosaic of conifer and hardwood tree species available on the landscape as follows: Commercial thinning (select one of the following prescriptions): – Prescription 1: Two defective trees per acre will be retained. Defective trees are defined as, but not limited to, conifer snags, hardwood trees greater than 10 inches diameter, and damaged or deformed live conifer trees in the management unit with characteristics such as broken or multiple tops, bayonet or candelabra tops, or having sinuosity characteristics, i.e., Type 1 wildlife reserve trees described in the Washington Forest Practices Rules (WAC 222-16-010).
Snag and Wildlife Tree Prescriptions. The Applicants will provide other conservation measures related to snag and wildlife tree development intended to enhance the foraging component of owl habitat on the Covered Lands in Oregon and Washington by providing structure for owl prey species utilizing the unique mosaic of conifer and hardwood tree species available on the landscape as follows: Commercial thinning (select one of the following prescriptions): – Prescription 1: Two defective trees per acre will be retained. Defective trees are defined as, but not limited to, conifer or hardwood snags, and damaged or deformed live conifer or hardwood trees in the management unit with characteristics such as broken or multiple tops, bayonet or candelabra tops, or having sinuosity characteristics, i.e., Type 1 wildlife reserve trees described in the Washington Forest Practices Rules (WAC 222-16-010). When selecting defective trees for retention, preference will be given to larger diameter defective trees over smaller, and secondarily to conifers over hardwoods, as available. – Prescription 2: One defective tree per acre will be retained and one snag per acre will be left or created using mechanical topping at or above 12 feet or girdling or chainsaw boring. When selecting defective trees for retention, preference will be given to larger diameter defective trees over smaller, and secondarily to conifers over hardwoods, as available. When selecting trees for snag creation, priority will be given to residual leave trees from the previous regeneration harvest, and/or already defective trees. Preference will be given to larger diameter trees over smaller, and secondarily to conifers over hardwoods, as available. – Prescription 3: Two snags per acre will be left or created using mechanical topping at 12 to 18 feet, girdling, or chainsaw boring. When selecting trees for snag creation, priority will be given to residual leave trees from the previous regeneration harvest, and/or already defective trees. Preference will be given to larger diameter trees over smaller, and secondarily to conifers over hardwoods, as available. Regeneration harvest (select one of the following prescriptions). Washington Forest Practices Rules require two green recruitment trees and two wildlife reserve trees per acre when they are available (WAC 222-30-020), and the Oregon Forest Practices Rules requiring retention of two snags or two green trees per acre (ORS 527.676). The Applicants will augment these rules by instead selecting ...
