May-June 09 Goat Rocks Wilderness Evaluation

WILDERNESS EVALUATION Goat Rocks Adjacent - 617036 5,326 Acres

OVERVIEW

History The original area was analyzed and studied under RARE II as D6036 and was recommended for further planning. It was re-analyzed as part of the 1984 Washington State Wilderness Act of 1984 legislative activity, and 11,173 acres were added to the existing Goat Rocks Wilderness under that act. Considerable fragmentation of the parcels has occurred since 1990 from roading and timber harvest activities. There are now eight separate adjacent parcels of varying sizes. The 2006 inventory removed approximately 1,734 acres from previous inventory due to nonconforming uses such as road construction and logging; 709 acres were added to the previous inventory as they met the criteria for a potential wilderness area (PWA) as described in Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.12, Chapter 70. The following chart depicts the 1990 Wenatchee National Forest Land and Resources Management Plan direction for the 2007 potential wilderness area.

Table 1--Management area percentages (rounded) Wenatchee National Forest GF RE1 RE2B ST1 ST2

47% 3% 21% 3% 26%

Location and Access These areas are immediately adjacent to the eastern boundary of the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Yakima County on the Naches Ranger District. Access is by way of U.S. Highway 12 and the North Fork, South Fork, and main Tieton River roads in addition to the Pinegrass road.

Geography and Topography The slopes are mostly convex and reasonably uniform. The parcels all occur in the middle to lower slope positions. Elevations range from 3,300 to 6,200 feet.

Current Uses The current use is primarily for dispersed recreation. There is a short 4x4 trail north of the Section 3 lake area. It is not connected to any other 4x4 trails. The parcel in the White Pass area includes approximately 2 miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail from U.S.

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Highway 12 running south to where it enters the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Big game hunting is popular in all of the adjacent parcels.

Appearance and Surroundings The area has low to moderate visual variety in landforms and vegetation, and low variety in rockforms and waterforms (lakes and streams). The area has highly textured side slopes. Rock formations and prominent landforms are not dominant. The vegetation is a mixture of patterns with some fall colors occurring. The area is primarily viewed as middle ground from the North and South Fork Tieton roads and background from the Goat Rocks Wilderness.

Key Features The Cascade crest and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail are key features in the White Pass area.

CAPABILITY FOR WILDERNESS

Level of natural and undeveloped environment: While the adjacent areas have retained much of their natural appearance and function, roading and timber harvest since 1990 has reduced the size of most of the adjacent parcels from their original RARE II status. Overall, in conjunction with the currently established Goat Rocks Wilderness, there are opportunities for solitude and a sense of experiencing a remote and natural environment. Roading and timber harvest activities are evident in the vicinity of many of the roadless parcels. This activity dates from the 1960s on into the 1990s depending on the roadless parcel. Very little activity has occurred in the area around the southernmost parcel other than construction of road access to adjacent private land parcels. The Goat Rocks PWA is partially impaired by light pollution from Yakima, Naches and the White Pass ski area. The southern portion of the PWA (77 percent) rates a Class 2 on the Bortle Scale, whereas the northern portions (23 percent of the PWA) rates as a Class 3. A Class 2 Typical Truly Dark Sky represents the darkest skies viewed in the continental United States. 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. A Class 3 Rural Sky has some indication of light pollution on the horizon. Clouds may appear faintly illuminated in the brightest parts of the sky near the horizon, but are dark overhead. The Milky Way still appears complex. Light domes from population centers may appear on the horizon (10-15 degrees above horizon). Visual observing is still relatively unimpaired. Time lapse photography could be impaired by light pollution. Water quality data is not available for the PWA; however, due to the relatively low level of disturbance water quality is assumed to be high. There are no surveyed noxious weed species within this PWA.

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Level of outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation: With limited existing trails for access, the roadless parcels would be challenging for cross- country travel. The rugged cliffs west of Pinegrass Ridge would be a prime example of rocky and rugged terrain that would provide a very challenging opportunity for cross country travel.

Outdoor Recreation Opportunities In conjunction with the adjacent classified Goat Rocks Wilderness, the opportunities for primitive recreation experiences are very high. There are extensive opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing and mushroom/berry picking. At present, the adjacent potential wilderness areas offer limited motorized trail opportunities–the one trail being a short 4x4 trail in the Section 3 Lake area.

Special features There have been sightings of peregrine falcon reported. Excellent habitat is available in the cliff areas of Pinegrass Ridge and in the Clear Creek area. There is northern spotted owl habitat plus some known nest sites. No other listed threatened or endangered species have been located in the area, though there is a bald eagle nest at nearby Rimrock Lake. The extent of use of the area by sensitive species is unknown. The area also provides source habitat for the wolverine.

Manageability of Boundaries In general, there are few natural features that could be used to establish an identifiable and manageable wilderness boundary for the adjacent parcels. However, in many areas the existing Goat Rocks Wilderness also lacks easily identifiable boundary features. The addition of portions of the adjacent roadless parcels would not diminish the current ability to manage established wilderness. With few exceptions, the edges of roads and harvest units would have to be used as boundaries. Pinegrass Ridge is one prominent feature that could be utilized, in part, as a boundary although the slope break would only apply to one edge of the parcel. The southernmost parcel follows section lines for much of its boundary and is adjacent to the Yakama Indian Reservation to the south and private land parcels to the north and east.

AVAILABILITY FOR WILDERNESS

Recreation Wilderness designation would preclude motorized use of the 4x4 trail in the Section 3 Lake area. Loss of this short trail would not be a major impact to the overall motorized trail system as it does not connect to any other system trails. The use level is considered to be low to moderate. There are extensive opportunities for dispersed recreation such as hunting and mushroom and berry picking, and these opportunities would be retained with wilderness designation. At present, trail opportunities in the roadless parcels are limited to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail segment in the White Pass area.

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Tourism marketing in the Yakima and Naches area emphasizes agrotourism and visiting wineries. The Naches Valley Chamber of Commerce website portrays the area as offering scenic drives on Highways 410 and 12, snow skiing, river rafting, hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, and bird watching. Links are provided to Forest Service web-based information. Use of the Goat Rocks PWA is not directly promoted. Other than the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and use of the White Pass Ski Area, use of this area is not strongly tied to non-local visitors.

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

Wildlife Wildlife populations in the area include deer, elk, and black bear as well as mountain goats in the Round Mountain area. Game birds such as blue, ruffed, and spruce grouse are present. In addition the area provides habitat for the northern spotted owl, wolverine, and American marten. The PWAs provide varying levels of habitat for focal wildlife species. To help evaluate habitat that these areas provide, 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 the PWA.

Table 3--Availability of habitat for federally listed Threatened and Endangered wildlife species and R6 Focal Species Wildlife Species Acres Habitat Habitat Priority %Total Forest Ranking (1=high, 2- Habitat In mod, 3=low) Evaluation Area Wolverine 4,334 2 <1 American Marten 1,521 1 <1

A key issue relative to the sustainability of wildlife habitats is the identification of the amount of dry forest that is in a late-successional habitat area (LSHA). LSHAs that occur in dry forests can be at high risk of high severity wildfire, insects and disease that reduce the sustainability of the late-successional habitats. Active management such as prescribed fire and thinning may be needed to restore these habitats and enhance their sustainability.

Table 4--Acres of dry forest habitats that are present within the evaluation area and also within a late-successional habitat area Late Successional Habitat Area Acres of Dry Forest Not applicable Not applicable

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Water and Fish This potential wilderness area (PWA) is divided between two sub-watersheds, the North Fork and South Fork Tieton Subwatersheds (6th HUCs). The North Fork sub-watershed covers 68,281 acres, with 96 percent of that acreage managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 3276 acres of PWA in the North Fork Tieton equals five percent of the subwatershed. The other 2051 acres in this PWA cover four percent of the 51,811-acre South Fork Tieton sub-watershed. About 89 percent of the South Fork Tieton is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Stream reach conditions in the North Fork Tieton and South Fork Tieton subwatersheds that respond to natural and human-caused disturbances were evaluated as fair because collected stream data values were lower than expected values measured in high functioning stream habitat elsewhere on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Subwatershed vegetation conditions were somewhat altered from expected natural forest conditions; analyzed road effects were moderate. Vegetation condition and road effects considered cumulatively were rated fair. When vegetation condition and road effects were combined with measured stream responses to summarize overall subwatershed conditions, these subwatersheds were rated fair. Numerous stream segments are located within these segregated roadless units. Cold Creek is occupied by westslope cutthroat trout. Bear Creek (South Fork Tieton tributary) is an important bull trout spawning and rearing stream. About 10-15 percent of the total bull trout redds in the South Fork Tieton River occurs in Bear Creek within the potential wilderness area. Phantom Lake is stocked with rainbow trout. Several headwater streams of the South Fork Tieton come steeply off of Klicton Divide, but likely are non fish- bearing. Hell and Miriam Creeks (N. Fork Tieton) are occupied by westslope cutthroat trout and potentially provide rearing habitat for bull trout. There are no known water related encumbrances or planned projects within the area. The Goatrocks PWA has a water source protection area totaling 1,119 acres that contributes to a community water system for the City of Yakima Water Division.

Range Commercial allotments are currently inactive. The potential wilderness area is made up of eight parcels along the edge of the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Three areas lie within portions of the North Fork and South Fork Recreation Stock Allotments are on an annual approval basis for recreation purposes and do not fall under the commercial cattle and sheep grazing permits.

Figure 5--Grazing suitability and current allotments Percent area Percent area Percent area Percent area suitable for cattle currently in cattle suitable for sheep currently in sheep grazing allotments grazing allotments 9 3 10 0

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Vegetation and Ecology The major species at high elevation is mountain hemlock, lodgepole pine, pacific silver fir, whitebark pine, and subalpine fir. Western larch, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, ponderosa pine, and western red cedar occupy the lower elevations. False azalea, sedges, and huckleberry species are common understory plants. Pine grass occurs in association with sedges on lower Pinegrass Ridge. Annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 70 inches, mostly as snow. Snow depths can range to 15 feet. Cliffs and open rocky areas, primarily restricted to parcels along the west boundary of the Goat Rocks Wilderness. The successional stage is generally mid-to-late. With wilderness recommendation, 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, mesic forest groups. Because WUI represents only one eighth of the potential wilderness area, the prohibition on restorative treatments is not a concern. The concern is not increased because dry or mesic forest occupies only seven percent of the area. However, there may be a need to respond to needs in small portions of the WUI. The Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) authorizes direction to implement fuel reduction projects in the WUI. The HFRA prohibits authorized projects in wilderness areas.

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. Soil, slope, or other watershed conditions will not be irreversibly damaged (based on soil attributes for erosion, instability, or compaction potential, slopes >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 <5,500 feet) Economic and technologic viability (<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.

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Table 5--Stand data percentages Suitable for Forest Groups WUI Timber Harvest Parkland 37 Total WUI 12% 0% Cold Dry 0% WUI in Dry and 11% Mesic Forest Cold Moist 56% Mesic 5% Dry 2% Non-forest 0%

Fire Fire occurrence within the Goat Rocks Adjacent Area is moderate for the twenty-five years of suppression records on file. Lightning is the primary ignition agent for the six parcels on the east and southeast boundary of Goat Rocks Wilderness, and human-caused for the two northern-most parcels. Fires greater than one acre in size are common, with the largest fire since 1970 growing to 60 acres. The eastern and southeastern areas would mostly be described as Fire Regime 3, Condition Class 3. Fire Regime 3 describes a fire return interval of 35-100 or more years with mixed severity. Landscapes portray a mosaic of fire severity. Some areas have not departed from historical condition, but many areas have become more homogenous. Condition Class 3 describes a condition where the vegetation composition, structure and fuels have a high departure from the natural and predispose the system to high risk of loss to fire of key ecosystem components. The two northern areas are best described as Fire Regime 5, Condition Class 1. Fire Regime 5 experiences a fire return interval of 200 or more years, with fires burning at stand replacement or mixed severity. In Condition Class 1, the vegetation composition, structure, and fuels are similar to those of the natural regime and do not predispose the system to fire loss.

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 identifying genetically resistant plant species”, and finally, “to control insect and plant disease epidemics that threaten adjacent lands or resources.” An aerial survey of this PWA was completed in the vicinity of this PWA in 2007. There are high levels of stem decay and root disease, with heavy fuel loadings in the White Pass area. Moving south from White Pass there is heavy western spruce budworm defoliation (since 2000) with top kill and mortality present, pockets of fir engraver mortality, high levels of root disease and dwarf mistletoes as well as heavy fuel loadings.

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The most extensive damaging agent reported was fir engraver in grand fir. About 4,500 acres were mapped throughout Tieton. This high level of activity can be attributed to repeated defoliation of grand firs by western spruce budworm. Extensive areas of Douglas-fir beetle damage to Douglas-firs were reported. About 3,000 acres were mapped. The largest pockets were southeast of the Tieton River, the same areas where fir engraver was mapped. This can also be attributed to repeated defoliation of Douglas-firs by western spruce budworm. An estimated 45,000 lodgepole pines were reported killed by mountain pine beetles. Pockets ranging in size from 12 to 600 acres were mapped throughout the analysis area, for a total of about 4,000 acres. Twelve pockets of damage to whitebark pines were mapped. Whitebark pine mortality due to mountain pine beetles has been increasing in many places, due to the combined effects of white pine blister rust and generally warmer winter temperatures (Gibson et al 2008). Pockets of beetle-killed whitebark pines were mapped around all of the potential wilderness areas. Western spruce budworm is still active in the analysis area. About 5,000 acres of defoliation were mapped. Western balsam bark beetle activity was mapped on about 1,000 acres. Western balsam bark beetle attacks subalpine firs that are stressed by drought or other damage. Western balsam bark beetles are thought to build up high populations in subalpine fir blowdown (McMillin et al 2001). When beetle populations are high, they can more easily attack and kill healthy trees. Removing blowdown may be a way of reducing tree-killing by these beetles. Decline of subalpine fir has been noted in many places in eastern Washington. Some of the damage attributed to western balsam bark beetles or balsam woolly adelgids has been caused by other agents, including Pityoktines minutus beetles and cytospora canker. Firs that have been stressed by factors such as drought or root disease become susceptible to secondary bark beetles and weak pathogens. Field verification may be necessary to determine the causes of subalpine fir decline and mortality

Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plant Species There are no known records of rare plant species at this location.

Noxious Weeds There are no surveyed noxious weed species within this PWA.

Minerals and Soils The area is generally underlain by pre-Tertiary metavolcanic rocks. However, the area is dominated by Quaternary and Pliocene volcanic and intrusive rocks. The Goat Rocks Wilderness and adjacent potential wilderness areas have been investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Bureau of Mines (Church, S.E. and others, Map MF-1653-A). As a result of their study, it does not appear that the subject land has any known mineral potential. The area has, however, been classified prospectively valuable for geothermal resources, and a small part has been classified prospectively valuable for coal. In addition,

DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 8 of 12 May-June 09 Goat Rocks Wilderness Evaluation based upon magnetotellurics and gravity surveys, there is a possibility for the occurrence of oil and gas in the sedimentary rocks lying east of the Goat Rocks plutonic formation. According to the Bureau of Land Management claim recordation data (2/11/2005), there are no mining claims located within the area. During the 1980s two geothermal lease applications were received but leases did not issue. During the same general time portions of the area were leased for oil and gas resources. However, no significant exploration occurred and the leases were terminated. There are no current leases and no recent expressions of interest. About 80 percent of the area is made up of soils that have formed in basaltic materials, about 15 percent of soils have formed in pyroclastic materials, and the remainder in either granitic material or glacial till. The basaltic and pyroclastic soils tend to be slippery and sticky when wet and easily compacted when moist. Soil depths for the basaltic soils generally range from 20 to about 40 inches, and soil depths for the pyrocalstic soils usually range from about 30 to 60 inches. The granitic and glacial till soils, on the other hand, are coarser textured so are usually not slippery or sticky when wet. Soil compaction is less of a problem with these soils. Soil depths for both the granitic soils and the glacial till soils usually range from about 24 to 36 inches.

Cultural and Heritage Resources The lands within the proposed Goat Rocks addition were peripheral to most historic events and developments in the Naches and Yakima Valleys. Yakama Indians traveled to the Goat Rocks Wilderness for resource collection, travel and possibly religious uses. Several documented lithic scatters attest to prehistoric use of the lands. Historic uses included grazing and trapping, and several cabin remains have been identified. Though few archaeological sites have been documented, archaeological survey in this area is limited. Future research and field reconnaissance will undoubtedly identify additional properties, and augment our limited knowledge of prehistoric and historic uses of the area. Cultural sites are protected by law; therefore, a wilderness designation or a roadless designation would afford additional protection to cultural sites from ground disturbing activities.

Land Uses and Special Uses The adjacent parcels have no authorized special land uses other than incidental use that may occur in conjunction with authorized outfitter guide operations within the Goat Rocks Wilderness. The Goat Rocks Adjacent areas fall entirely within lands ceded to the U.S. Government under the Yakama Treaty. Indian tribes hold rights reserved under treaty and recognized in statutes, executive orders and policies. Generally, these include rights to fish at usual and accustomed grounds and stations, the right to hunt and gather on open and unclaimed lands, the right to erect temporary houses to cure fish, and the right to pasture horses and cattle on open and unclaimed lands.

Private Lands There is no private land within the roadless parcels however there are private parcels immediately adjacent to the southernmost roadless parcel. Management of those private lands is not dependent on national forest access.

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NEED FOR WILDERNESS

Location and size of other wildernesses in the general vicinity, and distance from proposed area and population centers: These roadless parcels are adjacent to Goat Rocks Wilderness (107,018 acres). The William O. Douglas Wilderness (168,232 acres) is within one mile to the north. Highway 12 runs between these two wildernesses. The area is roughly two hours driving time from the Puget Sound basin (Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia) and one hour from Yakima. In ranking this PWA for its potential to provide a high quality wilderness recreation setting it ranked as high due to adjoining the Goat Rocks Wilderness. A number of trails entering the wilderness pass through this PWA enroute. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail passes through a portion of the PWA. The PWA and wilderness combined provide high quality scenic destinations that would attract wilderness users. In addition, interconnected trail systems would facilitate both day trips and overnight use.

Present visitor pressure on other wildernesses, and trends and changing patterns of use: Overall use in the nearby wildernesses is generally moderate with some high use areas in the White Pass area. The majority of use is by hikers/backpackers with significant amounts of stock use in both wildernesses. Moderate but steady increases in use are predicted for the near future.

Extent to which non-wilderness lands provide opportunities for unconfined outdoor recreation experiences: These adjacent areas provide considerable opportunities for primitive and unconfined forms of recreation in conjunction with the adjacent Goat Rocks Wilderness. A segment of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail is within the roadless parcel at White Pass. Wilderness designation would preserve the primitive recreation experience on the trails that enter the Goat Rocks Wilderness from the PWA. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest provides varied potential wilderness areas that are not designated wilderness. Some portions of these areas allow motorized use, whereas other areas are non-motorized. Other potential wilderness areas in the vicinity that provide opportunities for unconfined recreation include Blue Slide, Bethel Ridge, Norse Peak Adjacent, and William O. Douglas adjacent.

The need to provide a sanctuary for those 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 This area provides habitat for a number of species that require primitive surroundings including peregrine falcon, gray wolves and wolverines. Preservation of the area as

DRAFT Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee Plan Revision Product Page 10 of 12 May-June 09 Goat Rocks Wilderness Evaluation wilderness would contribute to providing sanctuary for these species. The wildlife sustainability index is 3.7 (a low relative ranking) and the habitat connectivity index is 4.2 (also a low relative ranking).

Fish This area provides habitat for a number of species that require primitive surroundings including westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout. Preservation of the area as wilderness would contribute to providing sanctuary for these species. 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 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 low for this PWA. The second factor, which also ranked as low 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 low. Finally, a composite score was assigned to each PWA based on combining each of the rankings described above. This PWA ranks overall as low 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: This area represents the East Cascades Ecoregion using Bailey's Ecoregion Classification System. This ecoregion type is well represented in existing wilderness lands in the Cascade Range. 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 five percent of the vegetative cover of this PWA (260 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 low for the portion of this area with underrepresented cover types, and also as low 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 cottonwood and quaking aspen. None of the underrepresented cover types listed above would make a significant contribution within the eastern Washington planning area.

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