TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1 ONE Characterization .............................................................................................................1-1 Section 2 TWO Issues and Key Questions.............................................................................................2-1 Section 3 THREE Current Conditions.........................................................................................................3-1 3.1 Erosional Processes.................................................................................. 3-1 3.1.1 Geology........................................................................................ 3-1 3.1.2 Mass Wasting Features ................................................................ 3-2 3.1.3 Soils ............................................................................................. 3-4 3.2 Water Resources ...................................................................................... 3-6 3.2.1 Phyiographic Setting.................................................................... 3-6 3.2.2 Stream Channel Conditions ......................................................... 3-6 3.2.3 Hydrology .................................................................................... 3-8 3.2.4 Water Quality............................................................................. 3-12 3.3 Human Use and Heritage Resources...................................................... 3-14 3.4 Vegetation.............................................................................................. 3-15 3.4.1 Landscape Ecology .................................................................... 3-17 3.4.2 Description of Vegetative Types ............................................... 3-17 3.6 Wildlife Habitat ..................................................................................... 3-19 3.5 Fish Habitat............................................................................................ 3-22 3.6 Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive, Survey and Manage, and Protection Buffer Species ...................................................................... 3-25 3.6.1 Plant and Fungi Species............................................................. 3-25 3.6.2 Wildlife Species......................................................................... 3-33 3.7 Fire and Fuels......................................................................................... 3-42 3.7.1 Fire Hazards and Risks .............................................................. 3-44 3.7.2 Effects of Fire Exclusion ........................................................... 3-47 3.7.3 Plantations.................................................................................. 3-47 3.8 Transportation........................................................................................ 3-48 Section 4 FOUR Reference Conditions.....................................................................................................4-1 4.1 Erosional Processes.................................................................................. 4-1 4.1.1 Geology........................................................................................ 4-1 4.1.2 Soils ............................................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Water Resources ...................................................................................... 4-1 4.2.1 Hydrology .................................................................................... 4-1 4.2.2 Stream Channels .......................................................................... 4-1 4.2.3 Water Quality............................................................................... 4-2 4.2.4 Riparian Reserves ........................................................................ 4-2 4.3 Human Use and Heritage Resources........................................................ 4-2 4.3.1 Prehistory ..................................................................................... 4-2 4.3.2 Historic......................................................................................... 4-3 i TABLE OF CONTENTS 4.4 Vegetation................................................................................................ 4-4 4.4.1 Forest Health Trends.................................................................... 4-4 4.5 Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive, Survey and Manage, and Protection Buffer Species ........................................................................ 4-5 4.5.1 Noxious Weeds ............................................................................ 4-6 4.6 Wildlife / Biodiversity ............................................................................. 4-6 4.6.1 Fisheries ....................................................................................... 4-7 4.7 Fire and Fuels........................................................................................... 4-8 4.8 Commercial Timber................................................................................. 4-9 Section 5 FIVE Synthesis and Interpretation .........................................................................................5-1 5.1 Riparian Management.............................................................................. 5-1 5.1.1 General Trends............................................................................. 5-1 5.1.2 Key Questions.............................................................................. 5-2 5.2 Water Quality and Watershed Enhancement ........................................... 5-2 5.2.1 General Trends............................................................................. 5-2 5.2.2 Key Questions.............................................................................. 5-5 5.3 Fire and Fuels........................................................................................... 5-6 5.3.1 General Trends............................................................................. 5-6 5.3.2 Key Questions.............................................................................. 5-7 5.4 Commercial Wood Production – Forest Vegetative Dynamics............... 5-9 5.4.1 General Trends............................................................................. 5-9 5.4.2 Key Questions............................................................................ 5-10 5.5 Late Successional Habitat Protection and Enhancement....................... 5-11 5.5.1 General Trends........................................................................... 5-11 5.5.2 Key Questions............................................................................ 5-12 5.6 Threatened and Endangered, Forest Service Sensitive, Forest Service Endemic, and Survey and Manage or Protection Buffer Plant and Fungi Species......................................................................... 5-13 5.6.1 General Trends........................................................................... 5-13 5.6.2 Key Questions............................................................................ 5-14 5.7 Noxious, Invasive and Exotic Weeds .................................................... 5-14 5.7.1 General Trend ............................................................................ 5-14 5.7.2 Key Questions............................................................................ 5-14 Section 6 SIX Recommendations .........................................................................................................6-1 6.1 Management Recommendations.............................................................. 6-1 6.1.1 Riparian Management.................................................................. 6-1 6.1.2 Water Quality and Watershed Enhancement ............................... 6-1 6.1.3 Fires and Fuels ............................................................................. 6-2 6.1.4 Commercial Wood Production – Forest Vegetative Dynamics ..................................................................................... 6-3 6.1.5 Late Succession Habitat and Enhancement ................................. 6-5 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS 6.1.6 Threatened and Endangered, Forest Service Sensitive, Forest Service Endemic, and Survey and Manage or Protection Buffer Plant and Fungi Species.................................. 6-6 6.1.7 Noxious Weeds ............................................................................ 6-6 Section 7 SEVEN References ......................................................................................................................7-1 Appendices Appendix A Fire Family Plus data Appendix B Descriptions of Fuel Models Appendix C List of Preparers List of Figures 1-1 Land Allocations 3-1 Topographic Map 3-2 Riparian Reserves 3-3 Vegetation Size and Density 3-4 Dispersal Habitat 3-5 Northern Spotted Owl Habitat 3-6 Fish Bearing Streams 3-7 Fires Greater Than 100 Acres 3-8 Fires Less Than 100 Acres 3-9 Fuel Models 3-10 Roads and Trails List of Tables 1-1 Land Allocation 1-2 List of Federally Threatened and Endangered, Forest Service Sensitive, Forest Service Endemic, and Northwest ROD “Survey and Manage” Plant Species Know or With the Potential to Occur in the Middle Hayfork/Salt Creek Analysis Area 1-3 List of Federally Threatened, Special Concern, Forest Service Region 5 Sensitive, Northwest ROD “Protection Buffer,” and “Survey and Manage” Wildlife Species Known or Suspected to Occur in the Middle Hayfork/Salt Creek Analysis Area