Bear Knoll
Microsoft Word File (DOC), 146 Kb
6/10/05
Bark has succssefully negotiated this sale so that all old growth units and all native stands were removed from this proposal. Bark was also able to visit the area with the Hood River Ranger District and protect pockets of valuable habitat within the units. There was also a road closure placed along road 2640230 which ORVs had been using to enter a Late Successional Reserve.
General Info
- District: Hood River
- Total Acres: 531
- Watershed: White River
- Sub-Watersheds: Frog CreekClear CreekWhite River Gorge
- Basic Location: Highway 26 - twelve miles past Govt Camp take right onto Skyline Road (which is 6.5 miles past the Chevron station) and take first left into large parking lot. Walk back to highway 26 cross over and follow trail into Bear Knoll sale area. This is the closest access for the northern and western units. Or in summer months you can bypass Skyline Road go another mile on 26 and take the next left onto road 4300 (closed when there 's snow, but sometimes there 's enough room to park at the very beginning of the road) which will get you into the southern and eastern units of the sale a lot quicker.
- Driving Directions: North and west of the junction of Hwy 26 and road 43, along the 2640, 2610 and 4320 road networks
- Legal Description: R9E, T4S, sect. 25-27, 33-36 R9E, T5S, sect. 2, 3
- Northwest Forest Plan Classification: Tier 2MatrixAdmin w/drLSR
- LMRP (Forest Plan) Land Management Classification: B2C1
- Total MMBF: 4.4
Prescriptions
- Total Commercial Thin Acres: 531
- "Purpose & Need:" According to the USFS the purpose of this projectd is to, provide wood fiber for local and regional economies increase health and vigor and enhance growth of selected stands and provide for wildlife security while maintaining limited public and administrative access.'
- Bark's Comments: The EA states there are between 400 and 600 trees per acrs and that their action will reduce these numbers to 220 to 293 trees per acre. The trees are supposedly in 70-95 years os age range yet on recent trips we are finding many trees that far exceed this designation. Also, many of the units along Frog Creek are on slopes 10 to 35 .
Roads
- Road Comments: Open road density is now 3.22 miles per square mile. The standard for Mt. Hood should not exceed 2.5 miles per square mile. Bear Knoll is in a Tier 2 Watershed, which means this watershed should be managed to ensure a high quality of water with an emphasis on road removal. Yet their decision is to gate 4.85 miles of road during the summer and allow snowmobiles winter access. For the road mileage to be reduced these roads should be obliterated not recieve ineffective gates seasonally. Furthermore, we are conserved about the proposed temporary ' roads as all evidence indicates that there is nothing temporary about temporary roads. The net effect will be the same as if the open road density was increased.'
- Reconstruction Miles: 3.6
- Temporary Miles: 1.46
- Closure Miles: 4.85
- Obliteration Miles: 0.62
Habitat & Species
- S&M Species: Columbia Duskysnailbridgeoporus nobillisimus
- T&E Species: Northern Spotted OwlLycopodium annotinum (fern)Lycopodum selago (fern) Interior Redband Trout
- Other Species: lynxWolverineColumbia OregoniumRedband Trout
- Additional Species Info: Two 100 acre stands of old-growth located in the area are associated with spotted owl pairs. Many of these units contain Nesting, Roosting and Foraging, and dispersal habitat that would be degraded. This plan also calls for the removal of all optimal cover for deer and elk
Restrictions
- March 1st-July 15. Restricted Units: 146 and 211
Updated 5/7/09
