May-June 2009 Tiffany Wilderness Evaluation

WILDERNESS EVALUATION TIFFANY - 608019 22,954 acres OVERVIEW The Tiffany Potential Wilderness Area (PWA) was originally inventoried as roadless during RARE I. The 1979 RARE II process allocated the area to non-wilderness management. Between 1979 and 1984, approximately 1,000 acres were impacted by roads and logging. The 2006 inventory removed approximately 1,006 acres from previous inventory due to road construction and logging; 1,904 acres were added to the previous inventory as they meet the criteria for a potential wilderness area as described in Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.12, Chapter 70. The following chart depicts the 1989 Land and Resource Plan allocations.

Table 1--Management Area Percentages (rounded)

Okanogan National Forest 04 05 08 12 18 25 Semi-primitive Recreation/ Research Lynx Designated Timber/ Non-motorized Scenery Natural Habitat/ Botanical Range Recreation Area Wood Area

54% 9% 2% 9% 10% 16

Location and Access The PWA lies within T. 36 and 37 N., R. 22 and 23 E., Okanogan County, northwest of Conconully. The Tiffany PWA is situated on the western portion of the Tonasket Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. From Conconully, access is provided over county and National Forest System roads near the North Fork and Middle Fork of Salmon Creek. Access is also afforded by National Forest System roads #37, #38, #3820 and #39, and by several popular hiking and horseback riding trails.

Geography and Topography Forested areas interspersed with high-elevation meadows are typical of the area. Lower slopes around the “Tiffanies” are covered with mixed-conifer and lodgepole pine forests. Some of the south-facing slopes are more open. All the high peaks within the PWA are sparsely vegetated and rocky with relatively steep slopes.

Current Uses The entire area is grazed under livestock permits. The area is a very popular recreation area for snowmobile users in the winter. Through summer months the area is popular with hikers and horseback riders.

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Appearance and Surroundings The mountains in the PWA are the most prominent features. The high, rocky summits, which are covered with snow all winter long and into the spring, are quite scenic. Much of the area has been burned over due to the Isabel, McCay and Tripod Complex fires. Despite the fires, there are still large areas of dead and dying Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine due to years of drought and beetle infestations.

Key Attractions Tiffany Lake, Rock Mountain, Tiffany Mountain, Middle Tiffany Mountain, Clark Peak, and Mount McCay are key attractions along with various meadows and small lakes. The ease of winter access from Conconully is also a key attraction.

CAPABILITY FOR WILDERNESS

Level of Natural and Undeveloped Environment The area encompasses a cluster of mountain peaks on the major ridge dividing the Chewuch River and Okanogan River drainages. The area includes five peaks over 7,000 feet. Small streams radiate in all directions from this cluster of mountains. Elevations range from 4,000 feet near Salmon Meadows to approximately 8,245 at the top of Tiffany Mountain. Most of the area appears as natural and undeveloped. Livestock grazing activities are apparent during the months of June through September. The most substantial impacts upon the natural integrity of the area include the old Bernhardt Mine site, several pasture fences and system trails, beetle-killed trees, and overstocked stand conditions. The area is dominated by the five peaks; barren, rocky tops surrounded by heather meadows, with conifer forests all around lower elevations. Eastern brook trout have been introduced to the Chewuch watershed. Few if any noxious weeds have been introduced to the area. Water quality data is not available for the PWA; however, due to the relatively low level disturbance water quality is assumed to be high. There may be localized disturbances due to grazing activities. The Tiffany PWA is minimally impaired by light pollution. The entire PWA rates as Class 2 on the Bortle Scale. A Class 2 Typical Truly Dark Sky represents the darkest skies viewed in the continental . The summer Milky Way is highly structured to the unaided eye. Any clouds in the sky are visible only as dark holes or voids in the starry background. No light domes from population centers are visible.

Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation No portion of the area is over three miles from a road, and most sites can be easily reached in less than one day thus providing limited opportunities for challenge. The area is popular for the primitive activities of hiking, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding in the summer months. The area is also used by mountain bikers. During the winter, the area is a very

DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 2 of 12 May-June 2009 Tiffany Wilderness Evaluation popular snowmobiling site. Thus, opportunities for solitude are limited. Tiffany Lake gets the most use, and is very popular with anglers.

Special Features The area is within the core recovery area for the Canada lynx and the Grizzly Bear Recovery Area, and provides source habitat for wolverine. The gray wolf is both federally and state listed as endangered. These species have very limited distributions in the region. In addition, these areas provide examples of boreal forest ecosystems, which also have limited distribution in the region. The Tiffany PWA, in conjunction with expansive contiguous habitat outside the PWA, supports the largest population of lynx in the lower 48 states. Freija’s fritillary and long-dash skipper are both butterflies on the state’s monitor list. Columbia spotted frogs and northern goshawks are on the state’s sensitive list. All of these species are reported to occur in or near the area. The Rogers Lake Research Natural Area and the Tiffany Botanical Area are within the PWA. The Cultural Resource Overview of the Twisp-Winthrop-Conconully Planning Unit (Bennett, 1979) identified evidence of several old lookouts and past mining activity in the area.

Manageability of Boundaries The area is a compact unit except for a long narrow finger on the southeast corner. Boundaries for virtually the entire area would need to be located on contour lines to maintain an area large enough to be managed as wilderness. Because it is surrounded by open roads and snowmobile routes, managing non-conforming uses entering the area would be difficult. The long, narrow southern finger has a shape and size where it would be difficult to protect the wilderness character.

AVAILABILITY FOR WILDERNESS

Recreation The area provides semi-primitive, non-motorized recreation opportunities in the summer and provides winter motorized recreation. The primary recreation features in the area are the easily-accessed lakes and the visually appealing open ridges and mountain peaks. Several hiking, horseback riding, and snowmobile trails provide access through the area. Use in the area is moderate to high because of relatively easy access and close proximity to communities. Day hiking and horseback riding make up most of the use during the summer season. The area is very popular for snowmobiling in the winter and becomes a popular spot for hunters in the fall. Most recreation use occurs around Tiffany Lake, which is a remarkably fertile lake for such a high elevation. It produces good catches of trout during its ice-free period.

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Table 2--Miles of recreation trails Motorized Trails Non-motorized Trails Snowmobile Trails 0 22 8

Wildlife Canada lynx is federally listed as threatened. Freija’s fritillary and long-dash skipper are both butterflies on the state’s monitor list. Columbia spotted frogs and northern goshawks are on the state’s sensitive list. The gray wolf is both federally and state listed as endangered. All of these species are reported to occur in or near the area. The entire area is part of a larger contiguous expanse of prime Canada lynx habitat, which has the highest reported concentration of lynx in the 48 contiguous states. Grizzly bears, federally listed as threatened, may occur within the area. This PWA lies within the North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone. The Tiffany PWA is part of a series of potential wilderness areas along the western edge of the Tonasket Ranger District that combine with the to provide important habitat for wide ranging carnivores. Each of these areas is located in close proximity to another PWA or the Pasayten Wilderness, increasing the importance of these areas as security habitat due to the relative ease of carnivore movement between these areas. Wide-ranging carnivores, such as wolves, wolverines, and grizzly bears, need secure habitats free from human interference, and the Tiffany PWA adds to the availability of these habitat on the west side of the Tonasket Ranger District. Additionally, this area connects with wide-ranging carnivore habitat through the other potential wilderness areas, into the Pasayten Wilderness, and then into Canada. The higher elevations, particularly any cirque basins, may provide habitat for wolverines. Approximately 580 acres of mixed-conifer old growth have been field verified, providing some of the most productive habitat types for wildlife. Snag numbers for cavity dwellers are estimated to be high in mixed-conifer stands and low in the lodgepole pine stands. Seven ridges are identified as providing winter habitat for blue grouse. Numerous other wildlife species common to the national forest inhabit the area. About 4,500 acres of Canada lynx habitat were burned in the 2003 Isabel Fire and even more acres were burned during the Tripod Fire of 2006. Declining forest health and the large fires that have occurred (McCay, Isabel and Tripod) and are expected to continue are the most substantial impacts on wildlife in the area. Potential wilderness areas provide varying levels of habitat for focal wildlife species. To help evaluate the habitat this area provides, the following information was provided: the focal species emphasized in the area, the amount of habitat for each focal species, the priority ranking for the habitat (based on conservation assessments and recovery plans), and the proportion of the total habitat available on the Forest that is within this particular PWA.

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Table 3--Availability of habitat for federally listed Threatened and Endangered wildlife species, and R6 focal species Wildlife Species Acres of Habitat Habitat Priority %Total Forest Ranking (1=high, Habitat in 2=mod., 3=low) Evaluation Area Grizzly bear 19,300 1 1 Canada lynx 3,904 1 <1 Wolverine 18,749 2 1 American marten 930 3 <1

Water/Fish The Tiffany PWA contains lands in the Methow and Okanogan Subbasins (4th HUC). In the Methow subbasin, the PWA is located in the Chewuch watershed (5th HUC). Sizable acreage is located in Twentymile Creek and North Fork Boulder Creek subwatersheds (6th HUC). Twentymile Creek has vegetation conditions within the historic range of variability, and analyzed road effects are low. When vegetation conditions and road related effects are considered cumulatively, these subwatersheds were rated good. North Fork Boulder subwatershed has some changes in expected vegetation conditions and some road effects. When vegetation conditions and road related effects are considered cumulatively, this subwatershed was rated fair. The Chewuch watershed (5th HUC) supports federally threatened bull trout and Columbia River summer steelhead and endangered Columbia River spring Chinook salmon. Bull trout, summer steelhead, spring Chinook, and lamprey use the upper Chewuch River for spawning and rearing. Summer steelhead use the lower section of Boulder Creek for rearing and the lower section of Twentymile Creek for spawning and rearing, below natural falls. Westslope cutthroat trout and eastern brook trout are also present. In the Okanogan subbasin (4th HUC), most of the acreage in the PWA is located in North Fork Salmon Creek (6th HUC). North Fork Salmon Creek subwatershed has some changes in expected vegetation conditions and some road effects. When vegetation conditions and road related effects are considered cumulatively, this subwatershed was rated fair. The small streams within the Okanogan portion of the PWA drain into Salmon Creek. Native trout species have been found in some of the area’s streams. From an aquatic viewpoint, the Tiffany PWA contains some properly functioning ecological processes that are essential to the recovery of listed fish species located within the Methow subbasin. Wilderness designation would protect these ecological functions. However, that objective could be accomplished without wilderness designation so long as the Tiffany PWA remained unroaded. A substantial portion of the area drains into Salmon Creek, an important stream to downstream users. Salmon Creek provides high quality water for Conconully Reservoir, a popular fishing lake and site of Conconully State Park. Water is used for recreational, domestic, and irrigation purposes. Most of the remaining portion of the area drains into Twentymile Creek. A small portion drains into Boulder Creek. Both of these streams drain into the Chewuch River where water is important for recreation, irrigation, water for stock,

DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 5 of 12 May-June 2009 Tiffany Wilderness Evaluation and domestic purposes. Water draining from the area is of high quality and is not limited for any current use. There are no existing power withdrawals, proposed impoundments or known Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permits or licenses outstanding. There is potential for small, intermittent hydro projects, if power rates increase to high enough levels to support the long distance transfer of electricity.

Range Portions of the BS, Ryan, Clark, Mutton, and Deadhorse Cattle Allotments are incorporated. About 50 percent of the BS Allotment, 10 percent of the Ryan Allotment, 60 percent of the Clark Allotment, 90 percent of the Mutton Allotment, and 80 percent of the Deadhorse Allotment are classified as unsuitable for grazing. These allotments are managed under unit rotations, but control between units is generally natural barriers, such as dense timber, rock, steep slope etc. In some cases, short drift fences are used.

Table 4--Percentage of grazing suitability areas and current allotments Percent Area Percent Area Percent Area Percent Area Suitable for Currently in Cattle Suitable for Sheep Currently in Cattle Grazing Allotments Grazing Sheep Allotments 29 75 55 0

Vegetation and Ecology All the higher peaks in the area exhibit alpine zone characteristics and are nearly void of trees, supporting only grass and heather. At lower elevations, trees occur in wet areas. North-facing slopes support dense tree stands, with more open areas on drier southern slopes. There are large stands of Douglas-fir, with spruce and lodgepole pine adjacent to draws and lower elevation sites. The majority of the area supports mature lodgepole pine and mixed-conifer timber stands. Subalpine fir is present in association with Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine. Some western larch is also present. Quaking aspen stands were regenerated by the Tripod Fire. Options to utilize mechanical treatments to manage vegetation would be precluded. Generally, the priority for restoration treatments occurs within the wildland urban interface (WUI) or within the dry and mesic forest groups. Because WUI represents less than one quarter of the PWA, the prohibition on restorative treatments is a concern. The concern is decreased, however by recognizing that dry and mesic forest represents only 12 percent of the acreage of the area.

Timber Harvest Suitability The underlying criteria for determining timber harvest suitability are found in the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, 36CFR219.12, and Forest Service Handbook 1909.12, Chapter 60. For the Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests, the general criteria for timber suitability that will be used for timber harvest suitability are: Is it forest land (10 percent crown cover minimum, productivity >20 ft3/ac/yr). The area has not been withdrawn from timber harvest or production.

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Soil, slope, or other watershed conditions will not be irreversibly damaged (based on soil attributes for erosion, instability, or compaction potential, slopes more than 65 percent, and certain land types) Reforestation can be assured within five years (lack of shallow soils, low frost heave potential, low surface rock, plant community type, certain land types, and elevation less than 5,500 feet) Economic and technologic viability (less than 0.5 miles from existing transportation system, species value or condition, volume availability, logging systems)

In consideration of all the criteria for determining timber harvest or timber production suitability and not just the fact that harvestable species can grow at a specific location, it appears this PWA does not have conditions that pass all the criteria. The main criterion for failure is that unacceptable resource impacts would likely occur due to road construction activities. This does not preclude helicopter operations that could fly material over sensitive areas to adjacent road systems. However, in most if not all cases helicopter logging and the associated expenses (such as manual slash treatments) would not be an economically viable option. Table 5--Stand data percentages Suitable for Forest Groups WUI Timber Harvest Parkland 25% Total WUI 22% 0% Cold Dry 38% WUI in Dry 16% and Mesic Forest Cold Moist 24% Mesic 1% Dry 11% Non-forest 1%

Fire More than 80 fires starts have been recorded in the area since 1935. Most were caused by lightning, but at least six were human-caused. Lodgepole pine stands in the area are at the age that is most susceptible to mountain pine beetle attack. Likewise, most of the mature Engelmann spruce trees are being attacked by spruce beetles and have been killed. The dead fuels were a major factor in the spread of the 175,000-acre Tripod Complex fires during 2006. Much of the PWA was burned during the Isabel Fire of 2003 and Tripod fires. The presence of fire has been principally responsible for the ecosystem found at the higher elevations and in those stands dominated by Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine.

Insects and Disease The Wilderness Act of 1964 allows for the control of insects and disease, but taking such actions in wilderness is rare. Forest Service wilderness policy (Forest Service Manual 2324.11) directs the agency “to allow indigenous insect and plant diseases to play, as nearly as possible, their natural ecological role”. Policy also directs the agency to “protect the scientific value of observing the effect of insects and disease on ecosystems and

DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 7 of 12 May-June 2009 Tiffany Wilderness Evaluation identifying genetically resistant plant species”, and finally, “to control insect and plant disease epidemics that threaten adjacent lands or resources.” A large portion of this PWA is comprised of a parkland forest group and is known to support stands of whitebark pine. Due to a combination of anthropogenic causes (introduced white pine blister rust, global warming, and fire suppression leading to high severity wildfires) coupled with predation from native mountain pine beetles, whitebark pine stands are at risk across their range. These whitebark pine stands are of inherent value as a plant community, for providing important habitat for wildlife including the federally listed grizzly bear, and for their aesthetics in contributing to the social setting. Wilderness designation would limit restoration options for these stands. Manipulations would only be considered in order to protect the composite wilderness resource, and only as a last resort to preserve naturalness at the expense of trammeling. Low levels of mortality in lodgepole pine were observed during annual surveys in the 1970s and 1980s. More recently, many of the lodgepole pines were killed by mountain pine beetles, while Engelmann spruce has succumbed to spruce beetle attacks. This mortality has been caused by epidemic populations of spruce and mountain pine beetles. The remaining stands of mature, live lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce are highly susceptible to beetle attacks. In 1982, Dolph predicted major mortality rates in lodgepole pine stands for the next two decades; that prediction proved most accurate. Dwarf mistletoes are common in Douglas-fir stands. The nature and extent of root rot diseases is not known.

Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plant Species The following rare plants occur within the area: Slender crazyweed (Oxytropis campestris var. gracilis), blackened sedge (Carex atrata var. atrosquama), erect blackened sedge (Carex atrata var. erecta), hair-like sedge (Carex capillaris), scalloped moonwort (Botrychium crenulatum), tall agoseris (Agoseris elata), Kotzebue’s grass-of parnassus (Parnassia kotzebuei), boreal bog sedge (Carex magellanica spp. irrigua), sparseflower sedge ( Carex tenuiflora), dwarf raspberry ( Rubus acaulis), glacous willow (Salix glauca), nodding saxifrage ( Saxifraga cernua), pygmy saxifrage ( Saxifraga rivularis), Canadian single spike sedge (Carex scirpoidea var. scirpoidea), valley sedge (Carex vallicola), snow cinquefoil (Potentilla nivea), and Tweedy’s willow (Salix tweedyi). The Rogers Lake Research Natural Area and the Tiffany Botanical Area both lie within the Tiffany PWA where many of the sensitive species occur. This PWA has the highest concentration of rare plant species of all the PWAs in the planning area.

Noxious Weeds Very few, if any, noxious weeds have established themselves within the potential wilderness area. If present, the populations are still isolated and small at this time.

Minerals and Soils Soils are composed of glacial outwash and tills overlain by volcanic ash of various thicknesses. Outwash soils near streams are often poorly drained because of high water tables. Soils generally have very high infiltration rates, except in areas with year-round high water tables. Soils with surface litter cover have low erosion hazards and are

DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 8 of 12 May-June 2009 Tiffany Wilderness Evaluation considered generally stable for management activities. Where soils are not covered with litter or large rock fragments, erosion hazards are high. Mass erosion hazards are low throughout the area. The Tiffany PWA is underlain by Jurassic and Cretaceous mixed metamorphic and igneous intrusive rocks. This area includes approximately 3,800 acres having a moderate to high potential for locatable minerals in upper Bernhardt Creek drainage and north of Rock Mountain. The former offers prospective value for gold and lead-silver vein deposits, and the latter for post-glacial, surficial uranium occurrences. Two patented mining claims comprising the Bernhardt Mine, which explored a lead-silver vein, are present on Clark Peak. In the extreme southeastern part of the area near Muckamuck Pass, a very small part of the area has a high potential for the occurrence of porphyry copper-molybdenum mineralization. At present (6/2008), there are no active claims within the Tiffany PWA. The area has not been the subject of expressions of interest, lease applications, or leases for coal, oil and gas, or geothermal resources. The area has no potential for the occurrence of coal and oil and gas resources and a low to moderate potential for geothermal resources.

Cultural and Heritage Resources The Cultural Resource Overview of the Twisp-Winthrop-Conconully Planning Unit (Bennett, 1979) identified evidence of several old lookouts and past mining activity in the area.

Land Uses and Special Uses The area is grazed by cattle during the months June through September under a term grazing permit. Stock outfitter-guides operate under a special use permit within the PWA.

Private Lands There are approximately 200 acres of private land within the area around the Bernhardt Mine. Access is by trail.

NEED FOR WILDERNESS

Location and size of other wildernesses in the general vicinity, and distance from the proposed area and population centers: The area is about 10 air miles south of the 529,477-acre Pasayten Wilderness, 15 air miles north of the 151,435-acre Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, and approximately 35 air miles northeast of the 570,573-acre Wilderness. The Tiffany PWA is about six hours driving time from the Seattle and Spokane areas. A separate analysis identified where the PWAs could contribute to the wilderness recreation setting either by preserving the primitive recreation setting adjacent to existing wilderness, or by contributing accessible and attractive day use destinations (which are under heavy pressure in existing wilderness). The analysis also examined which PWAs would contribute either a unique landform to the wilderness system, or where trails access vegetation types that are underrepresented in wilderness at a regional scale.

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In ranking this PWA for its potential to provide a high quality wilderness recreation setting it ranked as high. The area has extraordinary scenic values and botanical values that attract educational uses. An interconnected trail system with several hikes is likely to be popular for day use. Several small lakes in the area attract overnight use. The PWA also has areas of vegetation cover types that are underrepresented in designated wilderness at a regional scale. This high ranking is tempered by the fact that the area is more remote and less likely to draw use from major population centers.

Present visitor pressure on other wildernesses, and trends and changing patterns of use: Overall, there is a continuous, slight increase in the number of people visiting wilderness areas. The user groups showing the most increase are day-hikers in the Pasayten and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wildernesses and day horse users in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. There also appears to be a slight increase in off trail travel to specific destinations within these wilderness areas. There is also a trend to shorter multiple-day trips. The addition of this area as wilderness would likely draw increased use due to the lakes, peaks, and interconnected trail system which supports both day and overnight use.

Extent to which non-wilderness lands provide opportunities for unconfined outdoor recreation experiences: There are approximately 900,000 acres of National Forest System land outside of wilderness on the Methow Valley Ranger District, which is adjacent to the Tiffany PWA. In the summer, non-wilderness portions of the district draw hikers, stock users, mountain bikers and more limited motorcycle use. Certain portions also offer regionally significant rock climbing and mountaineering. In the winter the area features outstanding cross- country, backcountry skiing, and snowmobiling. The area is within four to six hours driving time from the greater Puget Sound area and two hours from Wenatchee.

The need to provide a sanctuary for biotic species that have demonstrated an inability to survive in less than primitive surroundings or the need for a protected area for other unique scientific value or phenomena.

Wildlife The Tiffany PWA provides important habitat for a number of wildlife species that are either unique or require large blocks of continuous habitat. Species include grizzly bear, gray wolf, wolverine, and lynx. In addition, Tiffany is part of a larger expanse of continuous lynx habitat that has the highest reported concentration of lynx in the lower 48 states. For American marten (Martes americana), grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), wolverine (Gulo gulo), and Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) the wildlife sustainability index is 32.9 (a high relative ranking) and the habitat connectivity index is 21.1 (also a high relative ranking). Additional species that are unique or require unmodified habitat include Freija’s fritillary and long-dash skipper, which are both butterflies on the state’s monitor list. Columbia spotted frogs and northern goshawks are also on the state’s sensitive list.

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Fish Several native species in the interior Columbia River Basin have demonstrated an inability to survive in less than primitive surroundings, especially the bull trout. In addition to habitat changes on National Forest System lands, other factors off-forest such as hydropower generation, hatchery programs, harvest, and changing ocean conditions further challenge the persistence of some far-ranging native species. Broad-scale assessments have demonstrated a positive correlation between unroaded areas and persisting native fish stocks. Often, assessments like these don’t differentiate between wilderness and roadless areas; rather they combine the two into an “unroaded” category. These assessments show current strongholds (most secure and robust populations) are dependant on wilderness and roadless areas. Some of the more resilient native fish populations in the Interior Columbia Basin are located in unroaded areas on National Forest System lands. For the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, PWAs were assigned an aquatic ranking based on federally listed and sensitive fish species that are sensitive to human disturbances. A high ranking was assigned when listed fish species occur in the PWA or when ecological process including high quality water help sustain listed fish species downstream of the PWA. All other PWAs are ranked low. This PWA is assigned a high ranking based on these factors.

Rare Plant Species The 431-acre Rogers Lake Research Natural Area and the 2,408 acre Tiffany Botanical Area are within the Tiffany PWA. Roger Lake, several permanent and ephemeral streams, and impoundments created by beaver activity lie within the Rogers Lake Research Natural Area. Rogers Lake has an extensive sphagnum zone. Tiffany Lakes, a series of fenn-carrs (bogs), Tiffany Mountain and Middle Tiffany Mountain, and Freezeout Ridge are within the Tiffany Botanical Area. The ecosystems represented in the natural and botanical area support at least fourteen species of sensitive plants. An analysis was completed to prioritize which PWAs would contribute the most to providing refugia for those plant species on the species of interest/species of concern (SOI/SOC) list. The analysis ranked three factors. The first factor, the total number of sites occurring within the PWA, ranked as high for this PWA. The second factor, which also ranked as high for this PWA, examined the degree of rarity of any SOI/SOC species present, and also recognized the importance of individual PWAs in supporting a high incidence of populations relative to Washington State as a whole. PWAs are generally unsurveyed for rare plants due to a relative lack of projects occurring in these areas. Thus an additional factor examined the potential for the PWA to support SOI/SOC species. Based on databases, first the SOI/SOC plant species were identified that are present within a five-mile radius of the PWA, but are not known to occur within the PWA. Then the PWA was analyzed to see if the potential habitat for these species occurs within the PWA. Based on this analysis, this PWA ranks as moderate. Finally, a composite score was assigned to each PWA based on combining each of the rankings described above. This PWA ranks overall as high priority for preserving rare plant refugia with a wilderness designation.

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Ability to provide for preservation of identifiable landform types and ecosystems: Using Bailey’s Ecoregion Classification system, the Tiffany PWA is classified as Eastern Cascades Ecoregion. This ecoregion is well-represented in the wilderness system. An analysis compared vegetative cover types that are under-represented in wilderness on the National Forest System in Region 6 with those same cover types present in the PWA. Large-scale cover types were available through existing data layers and represent approximately 12 percent of the vegetative cover of this PWA (approximately 2,830 acres). These types include forb lands, non-alpine meadows, alpine meadows, and ponderosa pine. Taken as a whole, the contribution of underrepresented vegetation types ranks as moderate for the portion of this area with underrepresented cover types, and also as moderate for the number of acres that are represented within this PWA relative to the other PWAs in the planning area. Some under-represented cover types fill microhabitats such as riparian areas or perched water tables. Such finer scale cover types represented in this PWA include sparse amounts of aspen. No single under-represented cover type present within this PWA would make a significant contribution within the eastern Washington planning area.

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