Appendix G:

United States Deadwood Department of Agriculture Assessment

Forest Service Indian Creek

December 21, Landscape 2017 Management Project

Draft Environmental Assessment

Central Coast Ranger District-Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Siuslaw National Forest, Lane County, Oregon

Introduction and Methods To provide support for project planning on the Siuslaw National Forest, we used information from the analytical tool DecAID (Mellen-McLean et al. 2012) to compare estimated current and reference quantities of deadwood (snags and down wood) by watershed. Interpretation of deadwood information from DecAID is most appropriately done at spatial scales large enough to include variability in stand structure and wildlife habitat, typically 5th-field watersheds or other areas of at least 20 square miles (Mellen-McLean et al. 2012). Thus, we carried out the analysis for all 5th-field watersheds on the Forest with at least 12,800 acres within one of the habitat types defined in DecAID.

DecAID takes advantage of the spatially-comprehensive dataset of vegetation structure developed for Oregon and Washington by a team from the Pacific Northwest Research Station and Oregon State University using the statistical imputation method Gradient Nearest Neighbor (GNN) (LEMMA 2015). DecAID includes a process (“Distribution Analysis”) that allows use of GNN data to evaluate the current frequency distribution of different densities of snags and amounts of cover of down wood within geographic areas such as watersheds selected by users. By using inventory plot data from unharvested areas and information on historic disturbance regimes, the process also allows estimation of reference conditions for both snags and down wood (Mellen-McLean et al. 2012).

GNN uses spectral data from satellite remote sensing as well as physical environmental data to relate inventory plots to the vast majority of forested portions of Oregon and Washington lacking field measurements (LEMMA 2015). The use of remote sensing data, which are collected frequently, permits periodic updating of the GNN dataset to capture current conditions. A GNN dataset incorporating remote sensing data from 2012 has recently been released, and incorporated into DecAID. Major disturbances since 2012 would not be captured in the latest DecAID dataset. However, the DecAID team has developed an algorithm to exploit RAVG (Rapid Assessment of Vegetation Condition after Wildfire) data for wildfires of at least 1000 acres (U.S. Forest Service 2015) in ArcMap to estimate effects on density of snags (C. Belongie and K. Mellen-McLean, pers. comm.). In addition to querying RAVG for wildfires in 2013 and 2014, we examined data from the Aerial Detection Surveys (ADS) of the Forest Service Forest Health Protection program to look for patches of at least 1000 acres attributed to mortality agents (i.e., insects or diseases) in either of the two years. There were three fires mapped by RAVG in 2013 and 2014 on National Forests in northwest Oregon, none affecting the Siuslaw National Forest. We found no patches on the Forests of at least 1000 acres attributed to mortality agents in either of the two years.

To assess snag densities and down wood cover for the Indian Creek watershed we employed the datasets and methods detailed by Kim Mellen-McLean, Regional Wildlife Ecologist, U.S. Forest Service, in documents describing the “DecAID Regional Analysis.” The datasets developed for this process are strictly limited to Forest Service ownership, within the limitations of the best available GIS data for Region 6 (C. Belongie, pers. comm.). That is, any land in private ownership or public ownership other than Forest Service within National Forest boundaries is excluded from analysis. Distribution analyses for the Indian Creek watershed were performed for the Westside Lowland Conifer-Hardwood Forest habitat type, which occupies 24,157 acres in the watershed. The individual steps of data processing for the distribution analyses are recorded in the file DecAID2012_SIU_process_log.xlsx, in the folder O:\NFS\Siuslaw\Program\Ecology\Projects\deadwood\DecAID2012\. Results

The histograms on the following pages illustrate the estimated density of snags for two size classes and cover for two size classes of down wood for the Westside Lowland Conifer-Hardwood Forest habitat type (the acronym ‘WHT’ on the histograms refers to Wildlife Habitat Type). Current conditions are generally similar to reference conditions, except for down wood with a minimum diameter of 5 inches.

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For snags with a minimum diameter of 10 inches the portion of the landscape lacking snags is almost three times the area estimated for reference conditions. For snags with a minimum diameter of 20 inches, the portion of the landscape lacking snags is more than twice the area estimated for reference conditions. The portion of the landscape with at least 18 snags/acre is more than 1.5 times the area estimated for reference conditions.

For down wood with a minimum diameter of 5 inches, the portions of the landscape under current conditions lacking down wood and with 0-2% cover of down wood are both more than 1.5 times reference conditions. The portion of the landscape with at least 10% cover is much less than half reference conditions. For down wood with a minimum diameter of 20 inches, the portion of the landscape with at least 8% cover of down wood is much less than half the area estimated for reference conditions.

The table following the histograms contains tolerance levels for wildlife species associated with snags in the Westside Lowland Conifer-Hardwood Forest habitat type as a whole (i.e., coastal Oregon other than southwest Oregon, coastal Washington, and the west slope of the Cascade Range in both states). The information is excerpted from table WLCH_L.sp-22, which is a component of the DecAID query results for Westside Lowland Conifer-Hardwood Forest OR Coast, Larger Trees Vegetation Condition.

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Excerpt from Table WLCH_L.sp-22 (component of DecAID query results for Westside Lowland Conifer-Hardwood Forest OR Coast, Larger Trees Vegetation Condition). Synthesized data used to create the cumulative species curves for wildlife use of snag densities from various studies for the Westside Lowland Conifer-Hardwood Forest Wildlife Habitat Type and Larger trees Structural Condition Class. Where data are reported for the same species or species group for more than 1 study, weighted means and tolerance intervals are given. Snag size: > 25 cm (includes >30 cm) (i.e., ~10 in)

Species 30% t.l. 30% t.l. 30% t.l. 50% t.l. 50% t.l. 50% t.l. 80% t.l. 80% t.l. 80% t.l. Snag Sample # of Snag Sample # of Snag Sample # of Density size studies Density size studies Density size studies (#/acre) (#/acre) (#/acre) Brown 0 0 13.6 143 1 0 0 creeper Bushy- 4.7 10 1 13.0 8 1 24.5 10 1 tailed woodrat Cavity- 5.2 8 1 18.4 8 1 36.6 8 1 nesting birds Douglas 4.2 20 1 10.2 20 1 18.9 20 1 squirrel Northern 4.2 20 1 10.2 20 1 18.9 20 1 flying squirrel

Snag size: > 50 cm (includes >51 cm and >40 cm) (i.e., ~20 in)

Species 30% t.l. 30% t.l. 30% t.l. 50% t.l. 50% t.l. 50% t.l. 80% t.l. 80% t.l. 80% t.l. Snag Sample # of Snag Sample # of Snag Sample # of Density size studies Density size studies Density size studies (#/acre) (#/acre) (#/acre) Big brown 2.2 42 1 6.1 42 1 11.9 42 1 bat Cavity- 3.6 276 1 7.6 276 1 13.8 276 1 nesting birds Long-eared 0.0 24 1 4.0 24 1 11.8 24 1 myotis Long-legged 0.6 105 1 6.1 105 1 14.3 105 1 myotis Northern 0 0 7.9 1065 2 0 0 flying squirrel Pileated 4.7 169 2 7.0 169 2 10.4 169 2 woodpecker Pileated 7.6 86 1 12.1 86 1 18.8 86 1 woodpecker (foraging)

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Literature Cited LEMMA. 2015. LEMMA--Landscape Ecology, Modeling, Mapping, and Analysis. http://lemma.forestry.oregonstate.edu/ viewed <31-March-2015>

Mellen-McLean, K., B.G. Marcot, J.L. Ohmann, K. Waddell, S.A. Livingston, E.A. Willhite, B.B. Hostetler, C. Ogden, and T. Dreisbach. 2012. DecAID, the decayed wood advisor for managing snags, partially dead trees, and down wood for biodiversity in forests of Washington and Oregon. Version 2.20. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region and Pacific Northwest Research Station; USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon State Office; Portland, Oregon. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/nr/wildlife/decaid/index.shtml

U.S. Forest Service. 2015. Post-Fire Vegetation Conditions on the National Forests. http://www.fs.fed.us/postfirevegcondition/index.shtml. Viewed <25-Mar-2015>

Species codes, common names, and scientific names of species referred to in DecAID

Species Common Name Scientific Name Code ACWO Acorn woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus AMKE American kestrel Falco sparverius AMMA American marten Martes americana ANTS Ant species VARIOUS BATS Bats VARIOUS BBBA Big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus BBWO Black-backed woodpecker Picoides arcticus BCCH Black-capped chickadee Parus atricapillus BLBE Black bear Ursus americanus BOOW Boreal owl Aegolius funereus BRCR Brown creeper Certhia americana

BRYO Bryophytes BTWR Bushy-tailed woodrat Neotoma cinerea BUHE Bufflehead Bucephala albeola CAAS Cavity associates VARIOUS CAMY California myotis Myotis californicus CBCH Chestnut-backed chickadee Parus rufescens CHICK Chickadees Parus spp. CLSA Clouded salamander Aneides ferreus CNB Cavity nesting birds VARIOUS COME Common merganser Mergus merganser

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COMO Coast mole orarius CRIC Cricket Arthropod CRVO Creeping vole Microtus oregoni CSSA California slender salamander Batrachoseps attenuatus DEMO Deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus DNSA Del Norte salamander Plethodon elongatus DOSQ Douglas squirrel Tamiasciurus douglasii DOWO Downy woodpecker Picoidies pubescens DUSA Dunn's salamander Plethodon dunni DUSH Dusky monticolus ENSA Ensatina Ensatina eschscholtzii ERMI Ermine Mustela erminea EUST European starling Sturnus vulgaris FISH Fisher Martes pennanti FLOW Flammulated owl Otus flammeolus FOSH Fog shrew Sorex sonomae FRMY Fringed myotis Myotis thysanodes FUNGI Ectomycorrhizae & Hypogeous VARIOUS fungi GMGS Golden-mantled ground squirrel Spermophilus lateralis GOEY Goldeneye Bucephala spp. GOSN Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer HAWO Hairy woodpecker Picoides villosus HOWR House wren Troglodytes aedon LANT Ants (carpenter and formica) Camponotus spp. & Formica spp. LBMY Little brown myotis Myotis lucifugus LEMY Long-eared myotis Myotis evotis LEWO Lewis woodpecker Melanerpes lewis LICHEN Various species VARIOUS LLMY Long-legged myotis Myotis volans LTSA Long-toed salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum LTVO Long-tailed vole Microtus longicaudus LYNX Lynx Lynx canadensis MOBE Mountain beaver Aplodontia rufa MOBL Mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides MOCH Mountain chickadee Parus gambeli MOVO Montane vole Microtus montanus NFSQ Northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus NOFL Northern flicker Colaptes auratus NGHA Northern goshawk Accipitergentilis

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NPOW Northern pygmy-owl Glaucidium gnoma NSWO Northern saw-whet owl Aegolius acadicus NUCH Nuthatches and chickadees VARIOUS

NWDM Northwestern deer mouse NWGS Northwestern garter snake Thamnophis ordinoides NWSA Northwestern salamander Ambystoma gracile OSSA Oregon slender salamander Batrachoseps wrighti PABA Pallid bat Antrozous pallidus PASH Pacific shrew Sorex pacificus PCE Primary cavity excavators VARIOUS PGSA Pacific giant salamander Dicamptodon tenebrosus PIWO Pileated woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus PJMO Pacific jumping mouse Zapus trinotatus PLETH Plethodontid salamanders Plethodon sp. PTFR Pacific tree frog Pseudacris regilla PWSH Pacific water shrew Sorex bendirii PYNU Pygmy nuthatch Sitta pygmaea PYSH Pygmy shrew Sorex hoyi RBNU Red-breasted nuthatch Sitta canadensis RBSA Red-breasted sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber RNSA Red-naped sapsucker Sphyrapicus nuchalis RSNE Roughskin newt Taricha granulosa RTVO Red tree vole Phenacomys longicaudus RUGR Ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus SALI Southern alligator lizard Elgaria multicarinata SANT Ants (small) VARIOUS SCNB Secondary cavity-nesting birds VARIOUS SHBA Silver-haired bat Lasionycteris noctivagans SHMO Shrew-mole gibbsii SMMA Small VARIOUS SNAIL Snail Haplotrema SPFR Oregon spotted frog Rana pretiosa SPOW Spotted owl Strix occidentalis SQUIR Squirrels VARIOUS SRBV Southern red-backed vole Clethrionomys gapperi SSHY Sapsucker hybrid Sphyrapicus ruber X S. nuchalis TOCH Townsend's chipmunk Tamias townsendii TOVO Townsend's vole Microtus townsendii TRSH Trowbridge's shrew Sorex trowbridgii TRSW Tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor

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TTWO Three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus VASH Vagrant shrew Sorex vagrans VASW Vaux's swift Chaetura vauxi VDSA Van Dyke's salamander Plethodon vandykei VGSW Violet-green swallow Tachycineta thalassina WAVO Water vole Microtus richardsonii WBNU White-breasted nuthatch Sitta carolinensis WEBL Western bluebird Sialia mexicana WFLI Western fence lizard Sceloporus occidentalis WFVO White-footed vole Phenacomys albipes WHWO White-headed woodpecker Picoides albolarvatus WISA Williamson's sapsucker Sphyrapicus thyroideus WIWR Winter wren Troglodytes troglodytes WJMO Western jumping mouse Zapus princeps WOPE Woodpeckers VARIOUS WPGO Western pocket gopher Thomomys mazama WRBV Western red-backed vole Clethrionomys californicus WRSA Western redback salamander Plethodon vehiculum WSSK Western spotted skunk Spilogale gracilis

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