Summary of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement 

Spears Vegetation 

Management Project 

Lookout Mountain Ranger District 

Ochoco National Forest 

Crook and Wheeler Counties, Oregon 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

Forest 

Service 

July 2007 
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Summary 

SUMMARY. SPEARS VEGETATION 

MANAGEMENT PROJECT FINAL EIS 

Introduction 

The Ochoco National Forest has prepared this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 

compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant Federal and 

State laws and regulations. This EIS analyzes a proposal to use commercial timber harvest, 

precommercial thinning, prescribed fire, grapple piling, and hand piling in the Marks Creek 

Watershed and Veazie Creek Subwatershed, on the Lookout Mountain Ranger District of the 

Ochoco National Forest. The EIS analyzes four additional alternatives (including the No Action 

Alternative); the significant issues associated with the proposal; and the direct, indirect, and 

cumulative effects of implementing any of the alternatives. 

The Spears Project Area is located 20 miles northeast of Prineville, Oregon, and encompasses 

approximately 39,200 acres. The Spears Project Area includes National Forest System (NFS) 

lands in the Marks Creek Watershed and Veazie Creek Subwatershed. Elevations range from

5,985 feet above sea level on Wildcat Mountain (western edge of project area) to 3,360 feet 

above sea level where Marks Creek joins Ochoco Creek. There are several tracts of private land 

(2,325 acres) within the project area boundary. 

Why is the Action Being Proposed? 

The Spears Vegetation Management Project is being proposed for several reasons. 

Late and Old Structure (LOS) 

First, the project area is deficient in late and old structure (LOS). LOS is the vegetative stage in 

which large trees are common. Large trees are 21 inches in diameter at breast height (dbh) or 

larger. Historically, the amount of LOS within the project area would have ranged from 

approximately 10,600 to 20,200 acres. Today, there are too many areas dominated by trees from

5 to 20.9 inches dbh and not enough areas dominated by large trees (greater than 21 inches dbh). 

Today, the amount of area classified as LOS is approximately 5,650 acres, which is well below 

the historic range of variability (HRV). Therefore, there is a need for maintaining and increasing 

the abundance of LOS within the project area. Removing smaller, understory trees would 

maintain existing large trees and would encourage increased growth rates allowing the remaining 

trees to become large trees more rapidly. 

Early-seral Species Composition and Infestations by Insects and Disease 

Secondly, fire exclusion over the past 90 years has encouraged the establishment and 

development of late-seral, shade-tolerant understory trees such as grand fir within what were 

once open stands of primarily early-seral large trees. Historically stands were less dense, 

contained a higher percentage of fire-tolerant species such as ponderosa pine and western larch, 

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Summary 

and had more open understory conditions. When stands become denser, additional competitive 

stress is placed on the remaining large trees. Trees under competitive stress are less vigorous, 

grow slower, and are more prone to being killed by insects and disease. Dense multi-strata 

stands are also more prone to stand replacement wildfire due to the presence of ladder fuels and 

increased canopy density. There is a need for reducing stand density and reducing the 

susceptibility of large-scale infestations by insects and disease. Thinning would reduce stand 

densities, decrease competition, and improve stand health by increasing vigor and reducing 

susceptibility to insects and disease. There is also a need for increasing the amount of the area 

dominated by early-seral species such as ponderosa pine and larch. Thinning and underburning 

would favor the retention of species which were more abundant historically. Ponderosa pine and 

larch are more likely to survive future wildfires. 

Fuels 

Historically, the dominant disturbance factor in the project area was frequent, low-intensity fire 

that eliminated the majority of seedlings and saplings. Frequent, low-intensity fires helped to 

maintain open stands of large trees, dominated by ponderosa pine. These frequent fires resulted 

in low levels of surface fuels. In the absence of frequent, low-intensity fires, forest stands in the 

project area have developed multi-canopy conditions, stocking levels have increased, ladder 

fuels have increased, surface fuels have increased, and the abundance of late-seral, fire-intolerant 

species (such as grand fir) has increased. These changes from historic conditions have left 

forested stands susceptible to high-intensity wildfire. Therefore, there is a need for reducing 

fuels and for reducing the area susceptible to high-intensity wildfire. Fuel reduction activities 

remove both surface and ladder fuels while thinning activities reduce multi-canopy conditions 

and stocking levels. These activities would decrease the area that is susceptible to high-intensity 

wildfire. Also, there is a need for maintaining conditions that would currently support lowintensity fires. Underburning activities would reduce the amount of surface fuels, seedlings, and 

saplings. This would prevent the buildup of fuels and maintain areas that would burn at low 

intensity. 

Hardwood Plant Communities 

Within the project area, conifer trees are encroaching into aspen and cottonwood stands in the 

project area. Both cottonwood and aspen grow in self-perpetuating clones in areas of locally high 

moisture such as meadows, seeps, and adjacent to streams. The encroaching conifers are

competing with the hardwood trees for light, moisture, and growing space. Since the hardwood 

trees are not shade tolerant, they can be shaded out by the conifers, which results in loss of vigor 

for the hardwoods in the short term, and can lead to loss of the clone(s) in the long term. There 

is a need for more vigorous aspen and cottonwood stands. Removing conifer trees within and 

adjacent to aspen and cottonwood stands would reduce competition for light, moisture, and 

growing space. Removing conifers would also improve the vigor of hardwood stands and 

prevent a decline in the abundance, distribution, and extent of hardwood communities within the 

project area. 

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Summary 

Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas (RHCAs) 

Finally, the amount and type of vegetation in riparian areas plays an important role in 

maintaining and improving both water quality and fish habitat. The increasing amount of 

conifers in RHCAs prevents woody vegetation such as alder, willow, aspen, and shrubs from

expanding. Conifers within RHCAs compete with these species for nutrients. Throughout the 

project area conifers are shading these brushy, shrubby species, and they are losing vigor. Large 

trees are needed in RHCAs because they become large woody material when they fall. There is 

a need for fewer conifers within RHCAs. Reducing the amount of conifers within RHCAs 

would (1) encourage alder, willow, aspen, and other broadleaf species to expand, and (2) 

increase the growth rates of remaining conifers in RHCAs so they grow larger and can 

eventually provide future large wood to streams. 

What Would It Mean Not to Meet the Need? 

LOS, Early-Seral Species Composition, and Infestations by Insects and 

Disease 

Stands in the project area would continue growing and the amount of LOS would increase. 

However, much of the future LOS would tend towards mid or late-seral species composition and 

multi-strata characteristics. The rate at which stands develop large tree character would be 

hampered by over-stocked conditions. On drier sites, such as the ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir 

Plant Association Groups, stand stagnation may preclude the attainment of additional large trees. 

Existing large trees would continue to be susceptible to mortality from competition with 

understory trees and the accompanying increase in risk to loss due to insects, disease, and 

wildfire. Acres dominated by grand and Douglas-fir (late-seral species) would steadily increase, 

while acres dominated by ponderosa pine and western larch (early-seral species) would steadily 

decrease. 

Fuels 

In the absence of frequent, low-intensity fires, forest stands in the project area have developed 

multi-canopy conditions, stocking levels have increased, ladder fuels have increased, surface 

fuels have increased, and the abundance of late-seral, fire-intolerant species (such as grand fir) 

has increased. These changes from historic conditions have left forested stands susceptible to 

high-intensity wildfire, with an increased potential for the unwanted loss of trees, water quality, 

soil productivity, wildlife habitat, and other forest resources. These trends would continue. The 

amount of the project area that is in condition class 1 would decrease over time as both surface 

and ladder fuels increase. The amount of the project area in condition classes 2 and 3 would 

increase as fuels accumulate and departures from reference conditions increase. Over time, the 

amount of area with the potential for high-intensity wildfire would increase while the amount of 

area that would support low-intensity fire would decrease. Fuel conditions within the area 

currently support potentially high fire intensities, high rates of spread, and a large amount of 

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Summary 

potential crown fire behavior (80%). Continued stand growth, successional changes, and 

continued fire exclusion would result in these indicators increasing over time. 

Hardwood Plant Communities 

Conifer trees would continue to encroach into aspen and cottonwood stands in the project area. 

These conifers compete with the hardwood trees for light, moisture, and growing space. Since 

the hardwood trees are not shade tolerant, they would continue to be shaded out by the 

encroaching conifers. Aspen and cottonwood trees would continue to lose vigor and, in the longterm, clones may shrink or die out. 

RHCAs 

In many places, high densities of conifers within the RHCAs would continue to inhibit the 

growth of deciduous, broadleaf species such as alder, willow, aspen, and cottonwood. The 

existing conifers in RHCAs would continue to compete for nutrients with broadleaf species and 

other conifers. Because of competition, conifers would grow at slower rates and trees (future 

large woody debris) would be smaller in diameter than would be expected in less dense stands. 

In some areas, the amount of large woody material would increase as a result of fire-killed trees 

in the Hash Rock fire perimeter and bug-killed trees. Over time this increase in large woody 

material would also cause an increase in the number of pools. 

What Action is Proposed? 

The Lookout Mountain Ranger District is proposing to manage vegetation through commercial 

timber harvest, precommercial thinning, and fuel reduction activities to meet the purpose and 

need. Alternative 2 is the proposed action. The proposed action includes an estimated 6,172 

acres of commercial harvest and 11,160 acres of precommercial thinning. Fuel reduction 

activities include approximately 15,464 acres of prescribed fire, 3,015 acres of grapple piling, 

and 718 acres of hand piling. Hardwood thinning activities are proposed on 196 acres. 

Commercial harvest includes tractor, skyline, and helicopter logging systems. Areas identified 

as tractor logging are areas where heavy equipment, such as logging tractors/skidders, will be

used to remove a commercial product. Road construction activities include 18.0 miles of new 

road construction, and 12.0 miles of reconstructing roads on an existing road bed. Newly 

constructed roads and roads that are reopened would be closed after harvest activities are 

complete. The proposed action includes three Forest Plan amendments. 

Are There Other Alternatives that Would Meet the Need? 

Three other alternatives were identified that would meet the need. 

Alternative 3 was developed to address the purpose and need without the use of commercial 

harvest. This alternative focuses on activities that reduce hazardous fuels and the risk of stand 

loss due to high fuel loadings, maintain existing desired fuel levels, increase forested stands’ 

resiliency to insects and disease, and increase growth rates in smaller diameter stands. 

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Summary 

Generally, trees greater than 9 inches dbh would not be cut, except juniper. In isolated cases of 

damaged or diseased trees, trees up to 12 inches dbh would be cut. Alternative 3 includes 

underburning on 13,926 acres and hand piling on 856 acres. Precommercial thinning is proposed 

on 9,703 acres and hardwood thinning on 196 acres. This alternative does not include 

commercial timber harvest, grapple piling, or road work. This alternative includes one Forest 

Plan amendment. 

Alternative 4 was developed based on the purpose and need and the significant issue related to 

road construction. Alternative 4 included the objective of minimizing the amount of new road 

construction. This alternative focuses on using existing roads whether open or closed and 

includes reconstruction. Even though this alternative emphasizes use of existing roads it does 

include some new road construction. Alternative 4 includes 4,935 acres of commercial harvest 

and 10,935 acres of precommercial thinning. Fuel reduction activities include approximately 

15,162 acres of prescribed fire, 2,490 acres of grapple piling, and 793 acres of hand piling. 

Hardwood thinning activities are proposed on 196 acres. Commercial harvest includes tractor 

and helicopter logging systems. Road construction activities include 4.4 miles of new road 

construction, and 11.0 miles of reconstructing roads on an existing road bed. Alternative 4 

includes three Forest Plan amendments. 

Alternative 5 was developed based on the purpose and need and the significant issue related to 

wildlife. This alternative includes variable density thinning within some wildlife habitats, and 

leaving higher densities in moister areas such as draw bottoms and RHCAs. Timber harvest and 

precommercial thinning is designed to maintain clumpiness within some wildlife habitats. 

Alternative 5 includes an estimated 3,942 acres of commercial harvest and 10,952 acres of 

precommercial thinning. Fuel reduction activities include approximately 14,205 acres of 

prescribed fire, 2,150 acres of grapple piling, and 881 acres of hand piling. Hardwood thinning 

activities are proposed on 196 acres. Commercial harvest includes tractor and helicopter logging 

systems. Areas identified as tractor logging are areas where heavy equipment, such as logging 

tractors/skidders, will be used to remove a commercial product. Road construction activities 

include 3.2 miles of new road construction, and 10.1 miles of reconstructing roads on an existing 

road bed. Alternative 5 includes two Forest Plan amendments. 

The complete descriptions of these alternatives, along with the proposed action (Alternative 2) 

and the no action alternative (Alternative 1) can be found in Chapter 2 of the Final EIS.

What are the Effects of the Alternatives? 

LOS 

Under all of the action alternatives, the amount of LOS would increase over time. Activities in 

each of the action alternatives would remove understory trees to reduce stand density, to 

maintain existing large trees, and to enhance the development of additional large trees. Thinning 

activities would encourage the development of large structure at an accelerated rate. No live 

trees 21 inches dbh or larger, except those trees considered hazardous to the logging/hauling 

operation, would be cut. Activities would generally move stands in a multi-strata condition to or 

towards a single-strata condition. Many stands would continue to be in an uneven-aged 

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Summary 

condition. The abundance of early-seral species would be maintained and enhanced in the longterm; however, late-seral species would continue to be present in stands where they exist prior to 

treatment. In addition, reducing stocking density would increase tree vigor and reduce insect and 

disease hazard. 

Alternative 2 would result in the greatest increases in LOS over time, followed by Alternatives 4, 

5, and then 3. The projections indicate that Alternative 2 would result in 12,065 acres of LOS 

after 50 years. Alternative 4 is projected to result in 12,011 acres. Alternative 5 is projected to 

result in 11,938 acres. Alternative 3 is projected to result in 11,644 acres. These projections do 

not include any future management such as continued underburning, thinning, or other standtending activities that may occur in the future. Thus, the predicted amounts of multi-strata LOS 

tend to increase with time as succession and stand growth continue without further management 

activities other than continued fire suppression. 

Early-seral Species Composition 

The proposed activities (commercial harvest and precommercial thinning) included in each of the 

action alternatives are designed to reduce tree density and improve growth and vigor of the 

residual trees and reduce susceptibility to insects and disease. These activities would more 

quickly restore historic seral/structural stage conditions and improve growing conditions for 

larger trees than either no action or prescribed fire alone. The abundance of early-seral species 

would be maintained and enhanced in the long-term; however, late-seral species would continue 

to be present in stands where they exist prior to treatment. 

Alternative 2 reduces the acres dominated by grand and Douglas-fir the most of any alternative, 

followed by Alternatives 5, 4, and then 3. Alternative 2 would result in an additional 650 acres 

dominated by ponderosa pine and western larch. Alternative 5 would increase the amount of 

area dominated by these early-seral species by about 425 acres. Alternative 4 would result in an 

additional 400 acres dominated by ponderosa pine and western larch. Alternative 3 would 

increase the amount of area dominated by early-seral species by about 300 acres. 

Infestations by Insects and Disease 

The proposed activities in every action alternative would reduce susceptibility to insects and 

disease by decreasing tree density, favoring early-seral species, and moving towards single-strata 

conditions which were more abundant historically. Decreasing tree density would result in 

increased growing space and less competition for the remaining trees. This would increase their 

vigor and lessen the risk of tree mortality caused by bark beetles and root diseases. The 

susceptibility to western spruce budworm and dwarf mistletoes would also be reduced. 

Alternative 2 reduces the high-risk stages by more than 3,000 acres; the most of all the 

alternatives. All four action alternatives bring the amount of high-risk stages into the range at 

which it historically occurred. Alternative 3 reduces the high-risk stages by almost 800 acres; 

the least of the action alternatives. Alternatives 4 and 5 reduce the high-risk stages by almost 

2,700 acres and 2,400 acres, respectively. 

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Summary 

Fuels 

All of the action alternatives include fuel reduction activities (thinning, activity-fuels 

underburning, natural fuels underburning, piling, and jackpot burning) that would be used alone 

or in combination with other activities. The amount of each fuel reduction activity varies by 

alternative and would occur both within and outside the wildland-urban interface. In the absence 

of frequent, low-intensity fires, forest stands in the project area have developed multi-canopy 

conditions, stocking levels have increased, ladder fuels have increased, surface fuels have 

increased, and the abundance of late-seral, fire-intolerant species (such as grand fir) has 

increased. These changes from historic conditions have left forested stands susceptible to highintensity wildfire. All of the action alternatives reduce both surface and ladder fuels and the 

amount of the project area that is susceptible to high-intensity wildfire. 

Fire Regime I includes the ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir PAGs and comprises about 35 

percent of the project area. Currently, areas within this fire regime exhibit a moderate amount of 

departure (43%) from reference conditions. Alternatives 2, 4, and 5 reduce the amount of 

departure and move this fire regime into condition class 1. Alternative 3 reduces the amount of 

departure, but not enough to change the condition class. Fire Regime II is a minor component in 

the project area. There is little if any treatment proposed for Fire Regime II under any of the 

alternatives and this fire regime remains in condition class 2 for all alternatives. Fire Regime III 

comprises 61 percent of the project area and this fire regime is in condition class 1. Alternatives 

2 through 5 reduce the amount of departure. 

All action alternatives include activities that would modify fire behavior by reducing ground 

fuels, reducing ladder fuels (small understory trees), and removing activity-generated fuels 

following commercial harvest and precommercial thinning. All action alternatives would result 

in reducing areas that support higher flame lengths and faster rates of spread. All action 

alternatives reduce the amount of area which could potentially support crown fire by 

approximately 30 percent. Under all action alternatives, there is approximately a 50 percent 

increase in the amount of low-burn probability over that predicted for Alternative 1. 

Hardwood Plant Communities 

Thinning would occur in 196 acres of hardwood stands. The amount of hardwood thinning 

activities is the same in all four action alternatives. These thinning activities would result in 

cutting or girdling conifer trees up to 15 inches dbh. Removing conifer trees within and adjacent 

to aspen and cottonwood stands would reduce competition for light, moisture, and other nutrients 

and maintain hardwood plant communities. Cottonwood and aspen would become more 

vigorous, increasing sprouting and the longevity of mature trees. 

RHCAs 

Several activities have been proposed within RHCAs to increase the vigor of riparian vegetation 

and contribute to recruitment of future large woody material. The amount of activity within 

RHCAs varies by alternative. Under Alternatives 2, 4, and 5, commercial harvest and 

precommercial thinning within the RHCAs would reduce conifer tree density; under Alternative 

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Summary 

3 precommercial thinning would be used to reduce conifer tree density. Removing conifers 

would result in more sunlight to deciduous vegetation which, in turn, would result in more 

vigorous deciduous vegetation. The growth rate of residual trees would increase, promoting 

future recruitment of large woody debris. Thinning would also reduce the competition between 

riparian-associated species and conifers resulting in more woody, shrubby species in RHCAs. In 

the future, when large trees fall into streams they would increase pool numbers and help reduce 

stream temperatures. Increases in riparian vegetation would contribute to bank stability and 

capture sediments, contributing to narrower streams and decreased width-to-depth ratios. 

Prescribed fires are proposed under the action alternatives and are expected to burn in a mosaic 

pattern in the RHCAs with an objective of burning about 20 percent of the area at a low-intensity 

level. Burning within the RHCAs would reduce stand density and remove ladder fuels by killing 

small seedling and sapling sized trees. Burning is also expected to consume surface fuels such as 

leaves, needles, limbs, and branches that have fallen. Like the other activities, the reduced 

competition is expected to rejuvenate riparian-associated species, increasing riparian species 

composition and abundance. Increased riparian species would improve bank stability and shade 

which would promote attainment of RMOs in the future, particularly the RMOs for width-todepth ratio and stream temperature. 

All four action alternatives include activities that promote future attainment of RMOs; however, 

none of the proposed activities would immediately result in meeting RMOs for pool frequency, 

water temperature, large woody debris, or width-to-depth ratio. 

What Factors Would be Used in Making the Decision Between 

Alternatives? 

The Responsible Official for this proposal is the Forest Supervisor of the Ochoco National 

Forest. The Responsible Official will decide whether to: 

1. Select the proposed action, or 

2. Select an action alternative that has been considered in detail, or 

3. Modify an action alternative, or 

4. Select the no-action alternative, and 

5. Identify what mitigation measures and monitoring will apply. 

The responsible official will decide whether to conduct commercial timber harvest, 

precommercial thinning, hardwood thinning, and fuels reduction activities in the Spears Project 

Area. The decision will be determined by how well each alternative provides the best mix of 

prospective results in regard to the purpose and need, the significant issues, and public 

comments. 

What Monitoring is Necessary? 

Implementation monitoring is necessary to assure the selected alternative and mitigation 

measures are implemented as designed and achieve the desired results. Monitoring that is 

necessary includes: 

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Summary 

1. Conducting post-project surveys of noxious weed infestations, including mineral material 

sources, to evaluate the effects of the project on noxious weeds. Post-project surveys would 

identify new noxious weed infestations while they are small. 

2. Measuring water temperatures on selected stream reaches such as Marks, Peterson, and Little 

Hay Creeks. 

3. Measuring shade both before and after thinning activities take place on at least one aspen 

stand to ensure that this activity does not increase water temperatures. 

4. Measuring discharge, TSS (total suspended solids), and turbidity to ensure water quality 

standards are met. Three water quality monitoring stations have been established in the Marks 

Creek Watershed, one on Marks Creek above Little Hay Creek, one on Peterson Creek at the 

lower 500 road crossing, and the other on Wildcat Creek above U.S. Highway 26. 

All necessary monitoring activities have been included in the proposed action or alternatives. 

Which Alternative is Preferred? 

Based on the purpose and need for action, public comments, and the analysis of environmental 

consequences Alternative 4 is the preferred alternative. 

Alternative 4 includes an estimated 4,935 acres of commercial harvest and 10,935 acres of 

precommercial thinning. Fuel reduction activities include approximately 15,162 acres of 

prescribed fire, 2,490 acres of grapple piling, and 793 acres of hand piling. Hardwood thinning 

activities are proposed on 196 acres. Commercial harvest includes tractor and helicopter logging 

systems. Road construction activities include 4.4 miles of new road construction, and 11.0 miles 

of reconstructing roads on an existing road bed. Newly constructed roads and roads that are 

reopened would be closed after harvest activities are complete. Three Forest Plan amendments 

are needed to implement this alternative. 

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