GLOSSARY
Changes Between Draft and Final Environment Impact Statement

Added a few words

Made minor editorial and spelling corrections.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-1 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

GLOSSARY

ACS Aquatic Conservation Strategy

AMP Allotment Management Plan

AU Animal Unit

AUM Animal Unit Month

AVD Animal Visitor Day

BAER Burned Area Emergency Response

BMP Best Management Practice

CWA Clean Water Act

DOE Washington State Department of Ecology

EO Element Occurrence

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ESA Endangered Species Act

HUC Hydrologic Unit Code

ISSSSP Interagency Special Status Sensitive Species Program

LCAS Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy

PNV Potential Natural Vegetation

LRMP Land and Resource Management Plan

LWD Large Woody Debris

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act

NOAA National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

PACFISH Decision Notice and Environmental Assessment for the Interim Strategies 

for Managing Fish-producing Watersheds in Eastern Oregon and Washington, 

Idaho, and Portions of California (USDA and USDI 1995)

PCT Pacific Crest Trail
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-2 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

RHCA Riparian Habitat Conservation Area as defined under the PACFISH

RMO Riparian Management Objective

ROD Record Of Decision

TES Threatened Endangered or Sensitive

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USDI United States Department of Interior

USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service

WDFW Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

WNHP Washington Natural Heritage Program

303(d) List – A list of impaired water bodies that do meet state water quality standards or other 

water quality criteria. This list is updated every two years to reflect completed water quality 

restoration plans or total maximum daily load plans, or further explanations of past collected 

data. 

5

th Field HUC – Watershed that is 40,000 to 250,000 acres. These are normally divided into 

smaller subwatersheds (6th Field HUCs).

6

th Field HUC – Watershed that is 10,000 to 40,000 acres. These may or may not be divided into 

small units.

A

Alpine – A zone: the part of a mountain above the tree line. Also refers to plants that grow in 

that environment. By definition there is no such thing as an alpine tree because alpine means 

"above the tree line."

Allotment – Area designated for use by a prescribed number and kind of livestock for a prescribed 

time period.

Allotment Management Plan (AMP) – A livestock grazing management plan dealing with a 

specific area of rangeland (allotment) and based on multiple use resource management 

objectives. An AMP establishes the seasons of use, the number of livestock to be permitted on 

rangelands, the actions to be taken to reach the management objectives and the rangeland 

improvements needed.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-3 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Amphibian larvae – Early form of an amphibian which at birth or hatching is unlike its parent 

and must metamorphose before assuming adult characteristics.

Animal Unit (AU) – Considered to be one mature dry cow of approximately 1000 pounds based 

upon an average daily forage consumption of 26 pounds dry matter per day.

Animal Unit Month (AUM) – The amount of dry forage required by a 1000 pound dry cow for 

one month. Not synonymous with head month.

Animal Visitor Day (AVD) – One animal for one day

Arboreal – Living in the canopy of trees.

Arid – Dry.

Assigned Site – A site that is designated and authorized for occupancy and use by a holder, and 

closed to use by the general public.

B

Barren Core – The area within a campsite with no vegetation and bare, compacted mineral soil 

as a result of human or stock activity. Term used interchangeably with “vegetation loss” and 

“compacted, bare mineral soil”. All barren core measurements throughout this document are 

approximate. Barren core was calculated using measurements of barren areas within 

campsites, taken in the field during 2011 and 2012. These measurements were converted to 

square feet, and are the best data available. The bare areas are never straight-sided shapes 

where repeated measurements are likely to generate consistent results. Rather they are 

typically odd-shaped, with more than one area occurring within a single campsite. Repeat 

measurements of barren core will fluctuate from one year to the next based on use patterns, 

weather (influencing vegetation growth), and accuracy and pattern of actual measurements.

Base Camp – Permanent camps near trailheads where outfitter-guides can keep stock, meet 

clients and base operations. Base camps have corrals and other facilities for stock handling and 

care, in addition to parking areas for clients and employees.

Base Flows – Stream flows that are entirely from ground water seepage into a surface water 

body. It does not include surface water flow from snow melt or runoff from precipitation.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-4 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Bear attractants – Food, garbage, soaps, perfumes or other human substances with an odor 

that would attract a bear.

Best Management Practice (BMP) – A practice designed to protect or minimize effects on water 

quality. The BMP concept is directed in recent Clean Water Act amendments.

Biological Control Agent – A living organism, usually an insect, used to control a target weed 

population. 

Boreal - Forest of high northern latitudes that is dominated by conifer trees.

Bryophyte – All embryophytes ('land plants') that are non-vascular. They have tissues and 

enclosed reproductive systems, but lack vascular tissue that circulates liquids. They neither have 

flowers nor produce seeds, reproducing via spores. Mosses are bryophytes.

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) – A process of evaluating values at risk in a post-fire 

landscape with the following objectives (FSM 2523): 

1. To determine if emergency resource or human health and safety conditions exist.

2. To alleviate emergency conditions following wildfire to help stabilize soil; to control 

water, sediment, and debris movement; to prevent permanent impairment of 

ecosystem structure and function; and to mitigate significant threats to health, safety, 

life, property, or downstream values.

3. To monitor the implementation and effectiveness of prescribed emergency treatments. 

C

Carnivore - An animal that feeds primarily on the flesh of other animals.

Carrion - Dead and decaying flesh.

Class A Noxious Weed - consist of those noxious weeds not native to the State that are 

of limited distribution or are unrecorded in our State and pose a serious threat to the State. 

Weeds in this Class are of Eradication category.

Class B Noxious Weed - those noxious weeds that are either absent from or limited in 

distribution in some portions of the state but very abundant in other areas. The goals are to 

contain the plants where they are already widespread and prevent their spread into new areas.

Clean Water Act - (Federal Water Pollution Control Act) Federal act passed in 1948 with 

objective to eliminate or reduce pollution of ground or surface water. It has been amended in 

1961, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1977 and 1987.

Client – Individual paying an outfitter-guide for services.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-5 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Compacted, Bare Mineral Soil – The area within a campsite with no vegetation and bare, 

compacted mineral soil as a result of human or stock activity. Term used interchangeably with 

“vegetation loss” and “barren core”.

Critical habitat – Under the Endangered Species Act critical habitat is defined as the specific 

areas within the distribution of a federally listed species that are essential to the conservation of 

the species.

D

Day Rides/Hike – Horseback riding or hiking with pack support for a portion of, or an entire day. 

Day rides range from 1⁄2 hour to all day, with the majority lasting one hour.

Deciduous – Plants that shed their leaves seasonally.

Down Wood – Boles or large tree limbs on the ground, generally > 10 cm diameter

Drop Camps –- Clients and gear are transported to a location and dropped off. The outfitter 

returns to pick them up on a prearranged day. The majority of drop camps occur during high 

and general hunt.

E

Ecological condition –- The sum total of the physical, chemical, and biological components of 

ecosystems and how they interact. Ecological condition is a measure of condition compared to 

a climax or pristine plant community. Often referred to as Excellent (pristine or near pristine 

condition), Good, Fair, or Poor (highly altered compared to pristine).

Element Occurrence (EO) – A number given to a Sensitive, Endangered, or Threatened plant 

population that is assigned by the Washington Natural Heritage Program..

Essential Fish Habitat – Waters and substrate necessary for fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, 

or growth to maturity.

Established Invaders – Invasive plant species whose population levels and distribution are such 

that seed production cannot be prevented.

Extirpated – Species lost from one or more specific areas but not all areas.

F

Fecal Coliform – Bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of mammals. Their presence in water is 

an indicator of pollution and possible contamination by pathogens. Bacteria concentration in 

water samples are intended to be an indicator of fecal contamination in water bodies.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-6 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Forage – All browse and herbaceous foods that are available to grazing animals.

Forage utilization – Proportion of current year’s forage production consumed by grazing 

animals. It can refer to the use of a pasture or individual species.

Forb – A broad-leaved herb other than a grass, especially one growing in a field, prairie, or 

meadow.

Forest Plan – Okanogan or Wenatchee National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan

Full-Service Hiking Trips – Guided trips with meals, cook, and most or all camping gear provided. 

The trips may be progressive or base camp type. Clients hike, rather than ride.

Full-Service Pack Trips – Guided horseback riding trips with meals, cook, and most or all 

camping gear provided. The trips may be progressive or base camp type. Progressive trips 

move from one campsite to another during the trip, while base camp trips stay at one campsite 

for the entire trip and day ride to attractions. These trips vary from two days to ten days or 

more. 

Fungi – Multicellular hyphae which form a mycelium; some fungal species also grow as single 

cells. Sexual and asexual reproduction is commonly via spores, often produced on specialized 

structures or in fruiting bodies like mushrooms. Some fungal species have lost the ability to form 

specialized reproductive structures, and propagate solely by vegetative growth. Yeasts, molds, 

and mushrooms are examples of fungi.

G

Grass / Grass like Plant – Members of the family Poaceae (formerly Gramineae) and plants of 

the Cyperaceae or Juncaceae families which vegetatively resembles a true grass of the 

Gramineae family.

Grazing Systems –

Early Season. Livestock grazing occurs in the spring of the year following green up and 

continues to mid-summer. 

Deferred. A delay of livestock grazing on an area for an adequate period of time to provide 

for plant reproduction, establishment of new plants, or restoration of vigor. 

Rotation. A grazing scheme where animals are moved from one grazing unit in the same 

group of grazing units to another without regard to specific graze:rest periods or levels of 

plant defoliation. No specific dates. 

Deferred Rotation. A grazing system that provides for a systematic rotation of the 

deferment among pastures. 
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-7 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

H

Habitat – A place or type of environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or 

grows. 

Habitat Type – Defined originally by R. Daubenmire (1968) to mean: "All the area the now 

supports, or within recent time has supported, and presumably is still capable of supporting, 

one plant association..." An aggregation of all land areas capable of supporting similar plant 

communities at climax (Pfister and others 1977).

Herb – A flowering plant whose above ground stem does not become woody. It has a fleshy 

stem that dies back to ground level each year.

Highline – a line strung between two trees or poles to which stock are tied.

Hybridize/Hybridization – the act of mixing genetically different species (native bull trout and 

non-native brook trout) that produces an offspring cross (hybrid). 

Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) – Any geographic area drained by a river or stream system, a reach 

of a river and its tributaries in that reach, a closed basin(s), or a group of streams forming a 

coastal drainage basin. Hydrologic unit codes are divided into size classifications, or fields, as 

defined by US Geological Survey codes.

Hypogeous fungi – underground mushrooms, truffles.

I

Increaser – A native plant that increase under disturbance (usually grazing). It carries a negative 

connotation for determination of plant community health.

Intermittent Stream – streams that flows seasonally but not year around.

Invasive Plant – An introduced non-native plant that increases after its introduction into a site, 

generally after some type of disturbance. Invasive species often displace native species or 

potentially native plant communities once established. Invasive plants are likely to cause 

economic harm, environmental harm or harm to human health.

L

Landscape – All the natural features such as grasslands, hills, forest, and water, which 

distinguish one part of the earth's surface from another; usually that portion of land which the 

eye can comprehend in a single view, including all its natural characteristics.

Landtype – A recognizable, naturally formed feature on the Earth's surface. Landforms have a 

characteristic shape and can include such large features as plains, plateaus, mountains, and 

valleys, as well as smaller features such as hills, eskers, and canyons.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-8 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Landtype Association – A classification of a landscape attribute based on geomorphic processes, 

geologic formations, surficial geology, local climate, soil series and potential natural vegetation 

or or plant associations.

Large Woody Debris – Large wood within stream channels that provide for aquatic needs. 

Forestwide Standard and Guideline 3-5 in the Okanogan Forest Plan provides for at least 20 

pieces of large wood per 1,000 lineal feet of stream channel on fish bearing streams 

Class I & II streams (intermittent/perennial fish bearing) – Minimum length 35 feet and 

average diameter of 12 inches with at least 20 percent over 20 inches.

Class III streams (perennial streams not meeting higher class criteria)- Diameters the same 

as above but minimum length is based on one and half times the channel width. 

Channel morphology Standard and Guideline 3b on page !V-86 of the Wenatchee Forest Plan 

provides for at least 20 pieces of large wood per 1,000 lineal feet of stream channel on fish 

bearing streams.

Class, II streams and Class III fish-bearing – Minimum length 50 feet and minimum diameter 

of 12 inches with at least 20 percent over 20 inches.

Class III streams with no fish – Diameters the same as above but minimum length is based 

on two times the bankfull channel width and numbers apply as an average condition for 

non-fish bearing, perennial streams in a subdrainage. 

Legal Wilderness – Modifications permitted by the Wilderness Act, such as recreation and 

outfitter-guides, in addition to others, that tend to lessen the opportunities to reach absolute 

wilderness. A management term used in the Wilderness Management Model.

Lichen – The mutualistic symbiotic association of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium, or 

both. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and 

provides a suitable environment for the alga or cyanobacterium. These live protected among the 

dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. This results 

in a composite organism that characteristically forms a crust-like or branching growth on rocks, 

soil, or wood. Owing to this partnership, lichens can thrive in harsh environments such as 

mountaintops and polar regions.

Local Eradication – Total elimination of an invasive plant species from a specific site.

M

Mature/old growth – a forest stand which has not experienced intense or widespread 

disturbance for a long time; usually associated with high diversity of species, specialization, and 

structural complexity.

Mesic – A relative term used with xeric and hydric to denote the wetness of a site. Xeric-mesichydric indicates dry to wet conditions. Mesic is intermediate between dry and wet.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-9 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Microsite – A small area, usually only a few square feet, of different site or habitat conditions 

from that surrounding it. (e.g. a small concave area within a large area of convex slope). 

Mistletoe broom – a branch in a tree that was deformed from dwarf mistletoe parasitism, often 

forms dense clump that resembles a broom.

Mitigation – Measures designed to counteract environmental impacts or make impacts less 

severe.

Monitoring – A process of collecting information to evaluate whether or not objectives of a 

project and its mitigation activities are being realized.

N

Natal den – protected area selected by a female animal for bearing and nursing young.

Natural Quality – Wilderness ecological systems are substantially free from the effects of 

modern civilization; a component of wilderness character.

New Invaders – Invasive plant species that occur sporadically on the Forest and that may be 

controlled by preventing seed production and early treatment.

No Action Alternative – The most likely condition expected to exist in the future if management 

practices continue unchanged.

Non-Degradation Policy– The policy of managing a designated Wilderness area to ensure 

wilderness character is on a stable or upward trend, measured against the conditions at time of 

wilderness designation.

Noxious weed /Invasive plant – “Noxious weed” is a more general term that includes all 

invasive, aggressive, or harmful non-indigenous plant species. The more recent term used by 

the Forest Service is “Invasive Plants”, which are defined as nonnative plants likely to cause 

economic harm, environmental harm or harm to human health. The terms “invasive plant 

species”, “noxious weeds” and “weeds” are used interchangeably in this document. 

Nursery colony –a number of female bats that aggregate in the same sheltered area for the 

purpose of bearing young.

O

Oligotrophic – water bodies having poor nutrient supply and relatively little production of 

organic material (leaf litter, twigs, etc.)

Open Grazing – The grazing technique where pack and saddle stock are turned loose to graze 

near campsites.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-10 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Outfitter-Guide – a person or company who holds a special use permit for outfitting and 

guiding. Used interchangeably with “permittee”.

P

Pack and Saddle Stock – Domesticated animals used to transporting people and/or supplies. In 

this analysis, the animals are horses, mules, llamas and burros.

Party Size – the allowed number of people and animals per party. The current party size for the 

Pasayten and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth wilderness areas is 12 people and 18 head of stock.

Pasture (or Unit) – A grazing area within an allotment separated from other areas by fencing or 

natural barriers

Pelletized feed -- Feed pellets are made by finely grinding the ingredients, heat treating, and 

then compressing into pellets. This process kills a very high percentage of viable weed seed that 

may be in the source ingredients.

Perennial Stream – stream that flows year around. 

Peri-glacial – Landscape condition created in the Pleistocene. Landscapes and geological 

conditions that were moulded by frost action; the repeated freezing and thawing of material 

over many years. Periglaciation results in a variety of ground conditions but especially those 

involving irregular, mixed deposits created by ice wedges, solifluction, gelifluction, frost creep 

and rockfalls. The resulting ecological community is known as tundra.

Permittee – A person or company who holds a special use permit for outfitting and guiding. 

Used interchangeably with “outfitter-guide”. 

or

A livestock operator with a permit to graze within an allotment on National Forest.

Plant Association – A unit of a vegetation classification based on the projected climax 

community type. 

Plant Community – A general term for an assemblage of plants living together and interacting 

among themselves in a specific location; no particular successional status implied. 

Plasticity – In plant ecology, a state in which one plant is less restricted by habitat requirements 

than another in where it is capable of growing. A plastic plant grows over a wide range of areas 

or habitats.

Potential Invaders – Invasive plants that occur on lands adjacent to the project area but have 

not been documented on lands administrated by the Forest. However, the potential for 

infestation is imminent.
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-11 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Potential Natural Vegetation – a vegetation classification system that provides a means to 

stratify climatic conditions and vegetation dynamics. It infers local climate and soil climate and 

provides an insight into vegetation dynamics that are driven by climate and soil conditions.

Predator – an animal that lives by preying on other animals.

Primary cavity excavator – woodpeckers that use their beaks to create a nesting hole in the 

trunk of a tree.

Primitive and Unconfined Recreation – Recreation that includes travel by non-motorized and 

non-mechanized means and encompasses attributes such as self-discovery, exploration, and 

freedom from societal or managerial controls; a component of wilderness character.

R

Redd – a salmon redd is the space at the bottom of a stream that a spawning fish makes for its 

eggs usually in a nest of rocks or scattered among the ground. 

Rendezvous site – sheltered area where adult wolves leave their weaned pups while they hunt.

Reserved Site – another term for an Assigned Site.

Resistant – a plants ability to hold up under trampling or other physical damage before showing 

signs of declining vigor or dieing.

Re-supply/ Supply Trips – Outfitter transports only supplies to a prearranged location.

Rhizome – A root-like horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground that sends 

out roots and shoots from its nodes. 

Riparian – Interacting system between aquatic and terrestrial conditions, identified by soil 

characteristics and distinctive vegetation that requires or tolerates free or unbound water.

Riparian Goals – goals that define characteristics of healthy, functioning watersheds, riparian 

areas, and associated fish habitats. 

Riparian Habitat Conservation Area – Portions of watersheds where riparian-dependent 

resources receive primary emphasis, and management activities are subject to specific 

standards and guidelines. These areas include traditional riparian corridors, wetlands, 

intermittent streams, and other areas that help maintain the integrity of aquatic ecosystems by 

(1) influencing the delivery of coarse sediment, organic matter, and woody debris to streams, (2) 

providing root strength for channel stability, (3) shading the stream, and (4) protecting water

quality. 

Riparian Management Objectives – Landscape-scale interim stream characteristics for 

anadromous fish habitat that includes target levels for pool frequency, large wood debris, 

stream bank stability and lower stream bank angle, and channel width to depth ratio that 
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-12 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

represent quality habitat conditions. PACFISH Riparian Management Objectives are numerical 

habitat features that provide criteria against which attainment or progress toward attainment of 

the Riparian Goals are measured. 

S

Sedge – A grasslike plant of the family Cyperaceae that resembles a grass but has solid and often 

triangular stems without nodes. 

Sedimentation – The process of deposition of sediment in stream channels or downstream 

reservoirs.

Sediment Delivery – Sediment delivery represents the soil that is eroded (detached) from the 

soil surface and transported to a stream by surface runoff. The amount of soil delivered to 

streams through surface delivery is less than the amount of soil detached from the soil surface 

through erosion.

Sediment Yield – The amount of sediment outflow from a watershed in a stream.

Sensitive Plant – A plant that is globally either very rare or locally restricted in its range (21 to 

100 occurrences) and within the state or province is imperiled (6 to 20 occurrences), very 

vulnerable to extirpation or critically imperiled (5 or fewer occurrences). Indications for concern 

include significant current or predicted downward trends in population numbers or density or in 

habitat capability that would reduce an existing species distribution. 

Service Day – A day or any part of a day on National Forest system lands for which an outfitter 

or guide provides goods or services, and including transportation, to a client.

Snag – A standing dead tree at least 23 cm (9 in) DBH and at least 2 meters (6 feet) tall.

Soil Compaction – Reduction of pore space in a soil profile by tamping or repeated vehicle trips 

on the same soils. Compacted soils have lower soil-water infilteration rates and store less water 

for plant use. Compacted soils may also reduce plant growth by contraining plant root growth.

Soil Displacement – Movment of soil form one location in a soil profile to another location. 

Displacement can be by equipment such as a plow, or it could by repeated use by animals or 

humans from the center of a trail to the margins of the trail tread. 

Soil Function – The characteristic physical and biological activity of soils that influences 

productivity, capability, and resiliency.

Soil Mass Movement – The process where cohesive masses of soil are displaced by downslope 

movement driven by the force of gravity of soil, rock, and debris masses. This movement might 

be rapid (landslides) or relatively slow (creep).
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-13 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Soil Productivity – Reflects the capabilities of a watershed for supporting sustained plant growth 

and plant. The capacity of a soil to produce a specific crop. Productivity depends on adequate 

moisture and soil nutrients as well as favorable climate.

Solitude – Separation from people and civilization, inspiration, and a sense of timelessness; 

opportunities for solitude are a component of wilderness character.

Standard Hiking Trips – Same as Full-Service Hiking Trips, except clients provide and prepare 

their own food.

Standard Pack Trip – Same as Full-Service Pack Trips, except clients provide and prepare their 

own food.

Stolon – Shoots that grow horizontally above the ground and produce roots and shoots at the 

nodes.

Streambank Alteration – Direct breakdown of streambanks, which can be caused by large 

herbivores walking along streambanks or across streams causing shearing and exposure of roots 

and/or bare soil by breaking or cutting through the vegetation. 

Subalpine – A forested zone just below the treeless (alpine) zone.

Subwatershed – A smaller portion of a hydrologic unit where all of the surface waters within its 

boundaries flow to a common point. For example, Middle Fork Salmon Creek is a subwatershed 

of the Salmon Creek watershed. Similarly, Boulder Creek is a subwatershed of the Lower 

Chewuch watershed, which is part of the Chewuch subbasin.

Succession – the replacement of one type of plant community or plnat species by another.

Surface Erosion – Movement of soil particles down or across a slope caused by the actions of 

falling raindrops, thin films of water flowing on the soil surface, concentrated overland flow or 

the erosive power of wind.

Surface Runoff – Precipitation in the form of rain or snow can follow many different paths on its 

way to streams. If the precipitation is captured by trees, it can evaporate back into the 

atmosphere without ever reaching the ground. For the water that does make landfall, if it occurs 

at a rate that is less than the infiltration rate of the soil, it will soak into the ground either be 

used by plants and respired to the atmosphere, or become, naturally enough, groundwater. If, 

on the other hand, the rainfall or melt rate is greater than the infiltration rate, the water that 

does not soak into the soil flows over the surface as surface runoff. Eventually this water makes 

it to a stream to become streamflow.

T

Transitory Range – Land which produces forage or has inherent forage producing capabilities 

and can become available on a temporary basis as a result of partial or complete removal of the 

overstory vegetation through fire, logging, or other events
Pack and Saddle Stock Outfitter-Guide Permit FEIS Glossary-14 February 2013

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

U

Undeveloped – Wilderness retains its primeval character and influence, and is essentially without 

permanent improvement or modern human occupation; a component of wilderness character.

Ungulate – Cloven-hoofed animals.

Untrammeled – Wilderness is essentially unhindered and free from modern human control or 

manipulation; a component of wilderness character.

V

Vegetation Loss – the area within a campsite with no vegetation and bare, compacted mineral 

soil as a result of human or stock activity. Term used interchangeably with “barren core” and 

“compacted, bare mineral soil”.

Visitor Day – One person for one 24-hour day.

W

Wetland – a distinct ecosystem that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally. 

The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms is the characteristic 

vegetation that is adapted to its unique soil conditions: 

Wilderness – Areas designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by law.

Wilderness Character – The unique combination of a) natural environments that are relatively 

free from modern human manipulation and impacts, b) opportunities for personal experiences 

in environments that are relatively free from the encumbrances and signs of modern society, 

and c) symbolic meanings of humility, restraint, and interdependence in how individuals and 

society view their relationship to nature. Wilderness character is comprised of four qualities: 

untrammeled, undeveloped, natural, and opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined 

recreation.