Specific Metrics. The Southern Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Conservation Strategy (Version 1.0, February 2016) amended by Changed Circumstances and Implementation of the Southern Sierra Nevada Xxxxxx Conservation Strategy, Note from the Authors (2017) contain a number of recommendations for vegetation management in xxxxxx habitat, including: Within suitable habitat (which the conservation strategy puts in hexagons based on the average size of the home range of female fishers in other areas): • Goal 3. Restore and maintain high quality and resilient xxxxxx habitat conditions. Objective 3.1. Improve xxxxxx habitat resiliency and restore fire as a key ecological process. Conservation measures. Reduce hazardous fuel conditions and increase habitat heterogeneity patterns that reflect how topography, soil, and other factors affect vegetation characteristics and fire behavior; implement ecological restoration concepts described in GTR 220/237 to promote conditions that allow fire to serve its natural ecological role in maintaining resilient and heterogeneous forest conditions; maximize use of prescribed fire or wildfire managed for resource benefits at large scales and under conditions that promote resiliency and xxxxxx habitat values. Objective 3.2. Maintain or increase important xxxxxx habitat elements. Conservation measures. Retain and promote recruitment of large trees, coarse woody debris (large snags and logs), trees with cavities and other defects, large black oaks, dense tree clusters and gaps at fine (<0.5 ac) resolution, and clumps of multi-storied tree canopies. The following should be considered where mechanical treatments are planned in and around remaining high value reproductive habitat (CWHR 4D, 5M, 5D, and 6): • Design treatments to limit disturbance from mechanical treatments to <13% of each affected cell within a 5-year period (Xxxxxxxxx et al. 2013b), providing resilience goals for remaining high value reproductive habitat are achievable. Where remaining high value reproductive habitat is at significant risk of loss or isolation due to lack of resilience, design treatments to limit disturbance from mechanical treatments to <30% of each affected cell within a 5-year period (Xxxxxxxxx et al. 2013b, Xxxxxxx et al. 2015). Where remaining high value reproductive habitat is at significant risk, and resiliency goals cannot be met while limiting treatment disturbance to these rates, conduct a cost-benefit assessment to determine if benefits to xxxxxx habitat conservation in the long-...
Specific Metrics. We evaluated the consistency of the Hazard Tree Clean-up Project with the goals, objectives and recommendations in the Southern Sierra Nevada Xxxxxx Conservation Strategy (Xxxxxxx et al. 2016, 2017). The project area is within what the strategy labels as Xxxxxx Core Area 3, which includes the area from south of the Kings River to near Mountain Home State Forest. There are no “linkage areas” near the project area. The Hazard Tree Slash Clean-up Project is in alignment with the Southern Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Conservation Strategy goal to “restore and maintain… resilient xxxxxx habitat conditions.” Vegetation management where critical habitat elements for fishers are maintained can both preserve existing habitat and increase the resiliency of the habitat to future losses from tree mortality and wildfires. The project reduces the risk of stand replacing fire while maintaining large trees, oaks, and canopy cover on the landscape. Hexagonal grid cells about the size of an average female breeding home range or territory (10 km2, ~4 mi2) were overlaid on the project analysis area. The Hazard Tree Slash Clean-up project area overlaps 18 individual hexagons within Core Area 3. An analysis of cumulative effects for these 18 hexagons was conducted using the Sierra Nevada Xxxxxx Conservation Strategy guidelines shown above. The five-year window from 2018-2022 was used to assess the percentage of each hexagon treated. Implementation of the Hazard Tree Slash Clean-up Project is expected in 2018. This five-year window accounts for any mechanical vegetation treatment activities expected to occur within each hexagon (both this project and the proposed Xxxxx Area Fuel Break Project). Results are shown in Table 2. One of the hexagons exceeds the 13 percent treated Conservation Strategy guideline limit (16%). This hexagon includes the Xxxx Lake area, including private property that is the site of the Xxxx Lake Xxxxxxxxx Camp. In that specific area, the safety of the community outweighs the need to optimize xxxxxx habitat in the short-term. The remaining 11 hexagons are all under 13 percent treated mechanical during that time period (Range of less than 1% to 11%) meeting the Sierra Nevada Xxxxxx Conservation Strategy guideline for limiting disturbance to fishers. The project requires retention of the three to five largest down trees (large end diameter of 30+ inches) per acre treated. This is expected to meet the Sierra Nevada Xxxxxx Conservation Strategy recommendation of 3-5 tons of ...
Specific Metrics. Photocure may terminate this Agreement with immediate effect upon written notice to Salix as follows:
