Project Management Indicator Species Report, Terrestrial Wildlife

Rim Fire Recovery

Supervisor’s Office

Stanislaus National Forest

Prepared By: Ryan S. Kalinowski

Wildlife Biologist

Stanislaus National Forest

08/04/2014

and

Karen S. Harville

Wildlife Biologist

Lassen National Forest 

08/04/2014
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Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................................2

Selection of Project Level MIS........................................................................................................4

Bioregional Monitoring Requirements for MIS Selected for Project-Level Analysis ....................7

Description of Proposed Project ......................................................................................................7

Effects of Proposed Project on the Habitat for the Selected Project-Level MIS...........................10

-Late Seral Closed Canopy Coniferous Forest Habitat (California spotted owl, American 

marten, and northern flying squirrel).................................................................................12

-Snags in Green Forest Ecosystem Component (Hairy woodpecker) ....................................21

-Snags in Burned Forest Ecosystem Component (Black-backed woodpecker) ......................31

1. Introduction

The purpose of this report is to evaluate and disclose the impacts of the Rim Fire Recovery

(hereafter, Rim Recovery) Project on the habitat of the thirteen (13) Management Indicator 

Species (MIS) identified in the Forest (NF) Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP)

(USDA 1991) as amended by the Sierra Nevada Forests Management Indicator Species 

Amendment (SNF MIS Amendment) Record of Decision (USDA Forest Service 2007a). This 

report documents the effects of the proposed action and alternatives on the habitat of selected 

project-level MIS. Detailed descriptions of the Rim Recovery Project alternatives are found in 

the Rim Fire Recovery FEIS (Final Environmental Impact Statement) (USDA Forest Service 

2014). 

MIS are animal species identified in the SNF MIS Amendment Record of Decision (ROD) 

signed December 14, 2007, which was developed under the 1982 National Forest System Land 

and Resource Management Planning Rule (1982 Planning Rule) (36 CFR 219). Guidance 

regarding MIS set forth in the Stanislaus NF LRMP as amended by the 2007 SNF MIS 

Amendment ROD directs Forest Service resource managers to (1) at project scale, analyze the 

effects of proposed projects on the habitat of each MIS affected by such projects, and (2) at the 

bioregional scale, monitor populations and/or habitat trends of MIS, as identified in the 

Stanislaus NF LRMP as amended.

1.a. Direction Regarding the Analysis of Project-Level Effects on MIS Habitat

Project-level effects on MIS habitat are analyzed and disclosed as part of environmental analysis 

under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This involves examining the impacts of 

the proposed project alternatives on MIS habitat by discussing how direct, indirect, and 

cumulative effects would change the habitat in the analysis area. 

These project-level impacts to habitat are then related to broader scale (bioregional) population

and/or habitat trends. The appropriate approach for relating project-level impacts to broader 

scale trends depends on the type of monitoring identified for MIS in the LRMP as amended by 

the SNF MIS Amendment ROD. Hence, where the Stanislaus NF LRMP as amended by the 
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SNF MIS Amendment ROD identifies distribution population monitoring for an MIS, the 

project-level habitat effects analysis for that MIS is informed by available distribution population 

monitoring data, which are gathered at the bioregional scale. The bioregional scale monitoring 

identified in the Stanislaus NF LRMP, as amended, for MIS analyzed for the Rim Recovery

Project is summarized in Section 3 of this report.

Adequately analyzing project effects to MIS generally involves the following steps:

□ Identifying which habitat and associated MIS would be either directly or indirectly 

affected by the project alternatives; these MIS are potentially affected by the project.

□ Summarizing the bioregional-level monitoring identified in the LRMP, as amended, for 

this subset of MIS.

□ Analyzing project-level effects on MIS habitat for this subset of MIS. 

□ Discussing bioregional scale habitat and/or population trends for this subset of MIS.

□ Relating project-level impacts on MIS habitat to habitat and/or population trends at the 

bioregional scale for this subset of MIS.

These steps are described in detail in the Pacific Southwest Region’s draft document “MIS 

Analysis and Documentation in Project-Level NEPA, R5 Environmental Coordination” (May 25, 

2006) (USDA Forest Service 2006a). This Management Indicator Species (MIS) Report 

documents application of the above steps to select project-level MIS and analyze project effects 

on MIS habitat for the Rim Recovery Project.

1.b. Direction Regarding Monitoring of MIS Population and Habitat Trends at the 

Bioregional Scale. 

The bioregional scale monitoring strategy for the Stanislaus NF’s MIS is found in the Sierra 

Nevada Forests Management Indicator Species Amendment (SNF MIS Amendment) Record of 

Decision (ROD) of 2007 (USDA Forest Service 2007a). Bioregional scale habitat monitoring is 

identified for all twelve of the terrestrial MIS. In addition, bioregional scale population 

monitoring, in the form of distribution population monitoring, is identified for all of the 

terrestrial MIS. The current bioregional status and trend of populations and/or habitat for each of 

the MIS is discussed in the 2010 Sierra Nevada Forests Bioregional Management Indicator 

Species (SNF Bioregional MIS) Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a).

● MIS Habitat Status and Trend. 

All habitat monitoring data are collected and/or compiled at the bioregional scale, consistent with 

the LRMP as amended by the 2007 SNF MIS Amendment ROD (USDA Forest Service 2007a).

Habitats are the vegetation types (for example, early seral coniferous forest) or ecosystem 

components (for example, snags in green forest) required by an MIS for breeding, cover, and/or 

feeding. MIS for the Sierra Nevada National Forests represent 10 major habitats and 2 

ecosystem components (USDA Forest Service 2007a), as listed in Table 1. These habitats are 

defined using the California Wildlife Habitat Relationship (CWHR) System (CDFG 2005, 

CDFW 2008). The CWHR System provides the most widely used habitat relationship models 

for California’s terrestrial vertebrate species (ibid). It is described in detail in the 2010 SNF 

Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a). 
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Habitat status is the current amount of habitat on the Sierra Nevada Forests. Habitat trend is the 

direction of change in the amount or quality of habitat over time. The methodology for assessing 

habitat status and trend is described in detail in the 2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA 

Forest Service 2010a). 

● MIS Population Status and Trend. 

All population monitoring data are collected and/or compiled at the bioregional scale, consistent 

with the LRMP as amended by the 2007 SNF MIS Amendment ROD (USDA Forest Service 

2007a). The information is presented in detail in the 2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA 

Forest Service 2010a).

Population monitoring strategies for MIS of the Stanislaus NF are identified in the 2007 Sierra 

Nevada Forests Management Indicator Species (SNF MIS) Amendment ROD (USDA Forest 

Service 2007a). Population status is the current condition of the MIS related to the population 

monitoring data required in the 2007 SNF MIS Amendment ROD for that MIS. Population trend 

is the direction of change in that population measure over time.

There are a myriad of approaches for monitoring populations of MIS, from simply detecting 

presence to detailed tracking of population structure (USDA Forest Service 2001, Appendix E, 

page E-19). A distribution population monitoring approach is identified for all of the terrestrial

MIS in the 2007 SNF MIS Amendment (USDA Forest Service 2007a). Distribution population 

monitoring consists of collecting presence data for the MIS across a number of sample locations

over time. Presence data are collected using a number of direct and indirect methods, such as 

surveys (population surveys), bird point counts, tracking number of hunter kills, counts of 

species sign (such as deer pellets), and so forth. The specifics regarding how these presence data 

are assessed to track changes in distribution over time vary by species and the type of presence 

data collected, as described in the 2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 

2010a).

2. Selection of Project level MIS

Management Indicator Species (MIS) for the Stanislaus NF are identified in the 2007 Sierra 

Nevada Forests Management Indicator Species (SNF MIS) Amendment (USDA Forest Service 

2007a). The habitats and ecosystem components and associated MIS analyzed for the project 

were selected from this list of MIS, as indicated in Table 1. In addition to identifying the habitat 

or ecosystem components (1st column), the CWHR type(s) defining each habitat/ecosystem 

component (2nd column), and the associated MIS (3rd column), the Table discloses whether or not 

the habitat of the MIS is potentially affected by the Rim Recovery Project (4th column).
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Table 1. Selection of MIS for Project-Level Habitat Analysis for the Rim Recovery Project.

Habitat or Ecosystem 

Component

CWHR Type(s) defining 

the habitat or ecosystem 

component1

Sierra Nevada 

Forests

Management 

Indicator Species

Scientific Name

Category 

for 

Project 

Analysis 2

Shrubland (west-slope 

chaparral types)

montane chaparral (MCP), 

mixed chaparral (MCH), 

chamise-redshank chaparral 

(CRC)

fox sparrow

Passerella iliaca

2

Oak-associated 

Hardwood & 

Hardwood/conifer

montane hardwood (MHW), 

montane hardwood-conifer 

(MHC)

mule deer

Odocoileus hemionus

2

Riparian montane riparian (MRI), 

valley foothill riparian 

(VRI)

yellow warbler

Dendroica petechia

2

Early Seral Coniferous

Forest

ponderosa pine (PPN), 

Sierran mixed conifer 

(SMC), white fir (WFR), red 

fir (RFR), eastside pine 

(EPN), tree sizes 1, 2, and 3, 

all canopy closures

Mountain quail

Oreortyx pictus

2

Mid Seral Coniferous

Forest

ponderosa pine (PPN), 

Sierran mixed conifer 

(SMC), white fir (WFR), red 

fir (RFR), eastside pine 

(EPN), tree size 4, all 

canopy closures

Mountain quail 

Oreortyx pictus

2

Late Seral Open Canopy 

Coniferous Forest

ponderosa pine (PPN), 

Sierran mixed conifer 

(SMC), white fir (WFR), red 

fir (RFR), eastside pine 

(EPN), tree size 5, canopy 

closures S and P

Sooty (blue) grouse

Dendragapus obscurus

2

Late Seral Closed Canopy 

Coniferous Forest

ponderosa pine (PPN), 

Sierran mixed conifer 

(SMC), white fir (WFR), red 

fir (RFR), tree size 5 

(canopy closures M and D), 

and tree size 6.

California spotted owl

Strix occidentalis 

occidentalis

3

American marten

Martes americana

northern flying squirrel

Glaucomys sabrinus

Snags in Green Forest Medium and large snags in 

green forest

hairy woodpecker

Picoides villosus

3

Snags in Burned Forest Medium and large snags in 

burned forest (standreplacing fire)

black-backed 

woodpecker

Picoides arcticus

3
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1 All CWHR size classes and canopy closures are included unless otherwise specified; dbh = diameter at breast 

height; Canopy Closure classifications: S=Sparse Cover (10-24% canopy closure); P= Open cover (25-39% 

canopy closure); M= Moderate cover (40-59% canopy closure); D= Dense cover (60-100% canopy closure); Tree 

size classes: 1 (Seedling)(<1" dbh); 2 (Sapling)(1"-5.9" dbh); 3 (Pole)(6"-10.9" dbh); 4 (Small tree)(11"-23.9" 

dbh); 5 (Medium/Large tree)(>24" dbh); 6 (Multi-layered Tree) [In PPN and SMC] (Mayer and Laudenslayer 1988). 

2 Category 1: MIS whose habitat is not in or adjacent to the project area and would not be affected by the project.

 Category 2: MIS whose habitat is in or adjacent to project area, but would not be either directly or indirectly 

affected by the project.

 Category 3: MIS whose habitat would be either directly or indirectly affected by the project.

The following species have habitat in or adjacent to the Rim Recovery Project area but will not 

be discussed in detail because they would not be directly or indirectly affected by the project

(identified as Category 2 in Table 1): fox sparrow, mule deer, yellow warbler, mountain quail,

and sooty grouse.

 

Fox sparrow will not be discussed in detail because the Rim Recovery Project alternatives would

not change acres of shrub habitat, ground shrub cover class, or shrub size class (see Section 4 for 

alternative details). The project alternatives focus on salvage logging dead trees and removing 

hazard trees. The Rim Fire itself was the primary event responsible for changing acres of shrub 

habitat.

Mule deer will not be discussed in detail because the Rim Recovery Project alternatives would

not change acres of oak-associated hardwood or hardwood/conifer habitat, hardwood canopy 

cover, or hardwood size class. The project action alternatives have management requirements 

intended to protect oaks, and in some cases improve oak habitat by removing dead conifers and 

biomass treating small material. Any increase in oak habitat, however, would not occur 

immediately and is beyond the timescale and scope of this document.

Yellow Warbler will not be discussed in detail because the Rim Recovery Project alternatives 

would not change riparian habitat acres, deciduous canopy cover, total canopy cover, or CWHR 

size class. Rim Recovery Project alternatives would not alter canopy cover because the action 

alternatives propose removal of dead trees, and dead trees do not notably contribute to canopy 

cover. Some green trees could be removed if they were roadside hazards, but removal of green 

hazard trees would be minimal and would not change acres, size class, or canopy closure class of 

riparian habitat.

Mountain quail will not be discussed in detail because the Rim Recovery project alternatives 

would not change acres of early or mid seral coniferous forest, CWHR tree size class, or 

understory shrub canopy cover. Project action alternatives would remove dead trees and 

roadside hazard trees. The removal of green hazard trees would be minimal and would not 

change acres, size class, or canopy closure class of green trees, or understory shrub canopy 

closure. 

Sooty grouse will not be discussed in detail because the Rim Recovery project action alternatives 

would remove dead trees and green hazard trees. The removal of green hazard trees would be
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minimal and would not change acres, size class, or canopy closure class of green trees, or 

understory shrub canopy closure class.

The MIS whose habitat would be either directly or indirectly affected by the Rim Recovery

Project, identified as Category 3 in Table 1, are carried forward in this analysis, which will 

evaluate the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the proposed action and alternatives on the 

habitat of these MIS. The MIS selected for project-level MIS analysis for the Rim Recovery

Project are: California spotted owl, American marten, northern flying squirrel, hairy 

woodpecker, and black-backed woodpecker. 

3. Bioregional Monitoring Requirements for MIS Selected for Project-Level 

Analysis

3.a. MIS Monitoring Requirements.

The Sierra Nevada Forests Management Indicator Species (SNF MIS) Amendment (USDA 

Forest Service 2007a) identifies bioregional scale habitat and/or population monitoring for the 

Management Indicator Species for ten National Forests, including the Stanislaus NF. The habitat 

and/or population monitoring requirements for Stanislaus NF’s MIS are described in the 2010 

Sierra Nevada Forests Bioregional Management Indicator Species (SNF Bioregional MIS) 

Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a) and are summarized below for the MIS being analyzed for 

the Rim Recovery Project. The applicable habitat and/or population monitoring results are also 

described in the 2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a) and are 

summarized in Section 5 below for the MIS being analyzed for the Rim Recovery Project.

Habitat monitoring at the bioregional scale is identified for all the habitats and ecosystem 

components, including the following analyzed for the Rim Recovery Project: late seral closed 

canopy coniferous forest; snags in green forest; snags in burned forest. 

Population monitoring at the bioregional scale for California spotted owl, American marten, 

northern flying squirrel, hairy woodpecker, and black-backed woodpecker: distribution 

population monitoring. Distribution population monitoring consists of collecting presence data 

for the MIS across a number of sample locations over time (also see USDA Forest Service 2001, 

Appendix E).

3.b. How MIS Monitoring Requirements are Being Met.

Habitat and/or distribution population monitoring for all MIS is conducted at the Sierra Nevada

scale. Refer to the 2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a) for details

by habitat and MIS. 

4. Description of Proposed Project.
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Rim Fire Recovery alternatives and wildlife-related management requirements are described here 

briefly; refer to the Rim Fire Recovery EIS for in depth discussion on the alternatives. 

Alternative 1 (Proposed Action) 

The Forest Service proposed action, within the Rim Fire perimeter in the Stanislaus National 

Forest, includes: salvage of dead trees, removal of hazard trees and dead trees along roads, and 

fuel reduction for future forest resiliency to fire. Implementation is expected to begin summer 

2014 and continue up to 5 years. Dead trees in timber units will be designated for removal based

on “no green needles visible from the ground.” 

Proposed treatments in the project area include: 

 Salvage of dead trees and fuel reduction (28,326 acres) including ground based mechanized 

equipment such as harvesters and rubber tired skidders (24,127 acres) and aerial based 

helicopter (2,930 acres), skyline treatments (1,253 acres), or ground based/skyline swing 

treatments (16).

 Removal of hazard trees, salvage of dead trees and fuel reduction along existing forest roads 

(341 miles or 16,315 acres).

 Road reconstruction (319.9 miles) and road maintenance (216.1 miles) for proper hydrologic 

function and stream protection.

 New road construction (5.4 miles) to allow for salvage removal and long-term access for 

future activities.

Management Requirements Specific to Alternative 1:

1. Consider additional snags and downed logs to meet habitat needs in Old Forest Emphasis 

Areas (OFEA), Spotted Owl Home Range Core Areas (HRCA), and forest carnivore 

connectivity corridor (FCCC). 

2. Consider avoiding new landings and skid trails within Protected Activity Centers (PACs). 

3. Consider avoiding road construction within 0.25 miles of nest roost sites. 

4. Consider mitigating areas where roadside hazard treatments are within PACs and HRCAs by 

adding acreage to the PAC and/or HRCA equivalent to the treated acres of the most suitable 

habitat available.

Alternative 2 (No Action) 

Under Alternative 2, current management plans would continue to guide management of the 

project area. General salvage tree removal would not occur. No hazard tree removal would 

occur adjacent to Level 2 roads. No new permanent road construction, road maintenance, 

reconstruction, or temporary road construction would occur. 

Alternative 3 

Alternative 3 responds to resource concerns and research needs by proposing additional 

treatments and requirements for wildlife habitat enhancement, soil and watershed protections, 

reduction in the miles of new road construction, and inclusion of several research projects within 

and outside of treatment units. Under Alternative 3, the Stanislaus National Forest proposes: 

 Salvage of dead trees and fuel reduction (30,399 acres) including ground based mechanized 

equipment such as harvesters and rubber tired skidders (26,252 acres) and aerial based 

helicopter (3,035 acres), skyline system treatments (1,096 acres), or ground-based/skyline 

swing treatments (16).
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 Removal of hazard trees, salvage of dead trees and fuel reduction along existing forest roads 

(314.8 miles or 15,253 acres).

 Road reconstruction (323.6 miles) and road maintenance (200.6 miles) for proper hydrologic 

function and stream protection.

 New road construction (1 mile) to allow for salvage removal and long-term access for future 

activities.

Forest Plan Amendment:

The Stanislaus National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan would be amended to 

manage a four mile wide habitat connectivity corridor for old-forest associated species, 

particularly forest carnivores. The corridor would lead from Yosemite National Park and the 

North Mountain roadless area west to the Clavey River. 

Management Requirements Specific to Alternative 3:

1. In OFEA, HRCA and FCCC units: (1) Retain all hardwood snags greater than or equal to 12 

inches diameter at breast height (dbh); and (2) Retain conifer snags at the rate of 30 square 

feet basal area per acre on a unit basis (a minimum of the four largest). In OFEA, HRCA, 

FCCC, and in roadside hazard units within PACs, retain the largest size classes of down woody 

material at a rate of 15 to 20 tons per acre on a unit basis. In all units, emphasize down woody 

material retention greater than 100 feet from roadsides.

2. Where roadside hazard treatments are within PACs and HRCAs, add acreage to the PAC and/or 

HRCA equivalent to the treated acres of the most suitable habitat available.

3. Within suitable post-fire PACs, flag and avoid current and historic nest trees and avoid 

altering screening vegetation within 500 feet; if hazard abatement is deemed immediately 

necessary, coordinate with a wildlife biologist and with other disciplines (e.g. recreation) as 

needed to identify options for the deciding official.

4. Flag and avoid hardwood aggregations and meadows and seeps within units. Aggregations 

are 1/10 to 1/2 acre groups of sprouting hardwood or of meadow/seep vegetation. Groups or 

meadows/seeps may be linear along drainages. Reaching in and end lining allowed. 

Ground-based equipment prohibited. Exceptions should be limited but may be made for 

operability in consultation with the sale administrator and project biologist.

Alternative 4 

Alternative 4 responds to public concerns regarding new road construction and protection of 

black-backed woodpecker habitat. Proposed activities under Alternative 4 are the same as 

described under Alternative 3 except: this alternative proposes no new permanent road 

construction and drops approximately 2,500 acres of salvage logging in highly suitable blackbacked woodpecker habitat. 

Management Requirements Specific to Alternative 4:

Same as those listed under Alternative 3 above.

Management Requirements Common to All Action Alternatives 

1. In all units retain:

- All large hardwood snags greater than or equal to 12 inches dbh.
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- A minimum of 4 snags (in the largest size class available) per acre on a unit basis in 

mixed conifer forest type.

- A minimum of six snags per acre in red fir forest type.

- The largest size classes of dead and downed logs greater than or equal to 12 inches in 

diameter at the midpoint at a rate of 10 to 20 tons/acre.

2. Provide for a forest carnivore connectivity corridor for fisher and marten, linking Yosemite 

National Park and the North Mountain inventoried roadless area west to the Clavey River.

3. Do not salvage harvest within PACs unless a biological evaluation determines that the areas 

proposed for harvests were rendered unsuitable by the Rim Fire for the purpose they were 

intended. 

4. For any new permanent road construction within PACs, HRCAs, forest carnivore 

connectivity corridors or winter deer range, designate the route as blocked Level 1 or Level 2 

gated year round.

Terrestrial MIS Habitat Acres Before and After Each Proposed Alternative

Table 2. Summary of pre-fire, post-fire, and post-treatment terrestrial MIS habitat acres in Stanislaus 

National Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area.

MIS Habitat

PreFirePostFirePost-Action, 

Alternative 1

Post-Action, 

Alternative 2

Post-Action, 

Alternative 3

Post-Action, 

Alternative 4

Shrubland (west-slope 

chaparral types) 27,132 53,189 53,190 53,190 53,190 53,190

Oak-associated 

Hardwood & 

Hardwood/conifer

35,494 35,494 35,494 35,494 35,494 35,494

Riparian 6 6 6 6 6 6

Early Seral Coniferous 

Forest 12,767 7,556 7,556 7,556 7,556 7,556

Mid Seral Coniferous 

Forest 47,147 30,520 30,520 30,520 30,520 30,520

Late Seral Open Canopy 

Coniferous Forest

10 1,481 830 830 830 830

Late Seral Closed 

Canopy Coniferous 

Forest

17,863 12,574 12,574 12,574 12,574 12,574

Snags in Green Forest 85614 50,857 50,857 50,857 50,857 50,857

Snags in Burned Forest Few* 27,614 10,153 27,614 10,981 12,354

*Acres of snags in burned forest prior to the Rim Fire could not be calculated. Snag retention from previous fires 

and the associated projects were based on numbers of snags, not acres of snag patches. However, only low snag 

densities were retained and many of those snags have likely fallen. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that there 

were very few acres of burned forest suitable for black-backed woodpeckers prior to the Rim Fire. 

5. Effects of Proposed Project on the Habitat for the Selected Project-Level MIS.

The following section documents the analysis for the following ‘Category 3’ species: California 

spotted owl, American marten, northern flying squirrel, hairy woodpecker, and black-backed 
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woodpecker. The analysis of the effects of the Rim Recovery Project on the MIS habitat for the 

selected project-level MIS is conducted at the project scale. However, the analysis areas in this 

MIS report are larger than the project footprint to account for MIS habitat within the entire fire 

perimeter, and to accomplish cumulative effects analyses. The “analysis area” is Stanislaus 

National Forest land within the Rim Fire perimeter and within a few small hazard tree treatment 

areas that extend just outside the fire perimeter. The “cumulative analysis area” is all land 

ownerships within the Rim Fire perimeter and the few small hazard tree treatment areas that 

extend just outside the fire perimeter. 

Detailed information on the MIS is documented in the 2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report 

(USDA Forest Service 2010a), which is hereby incorporated by reference. Cumulative effects at 

the bioregional scale are tracked via the SNF MIS Bioregional monitoring, and detailed in the 

2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a). 

California Wildlife Habitat Relationships (CWHR) vegetation classifications are used in this 

MIS report. Pre-fire information was derived from the 2005 Stanislaus National Forest 

vegetation layer. Post-fire information was created after the Rim Fire (see Appendix A for 

methodology). Burn severity was determined using Basal Area Loss from the Rapid Assessment 

of Vegetation Condition after Wildfire (RAVG) product created by the USDA Forest Service 

October 22, 2013. The data was derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, or alternative 

satellite imagery, when Landsat was not available. The pre-fire image date was October 29, 

2011, and the post-fire image date was October 18, 2013. Though pre-fire information is 

displayed in this report, post-fire habitat is the existing condition and the basis for analysis. 

Snag density and down wood tonnage were estimated using common stand exam data 

downloaded from the Natural Resources Management Natural Resource Information System 

(NRM NRIS) Field Sampled Vegetation Database (FSVeg). All data were collected between 

2005 and 2013 (prior to the 2013 Rim Fire). A total of 1,183 plots were processed using the 

Western Sierras variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) (Dixon 2002). Plots are 

assumed to be representative of the CWHR classes within the Rim Fire perimeter. Post-fire 

information was achieved by simulating fire with the following basal area mortalities: 0% 

(representing pre-fire conditions and/or post-fire conditions with no mortality), 10%, 25%, 50%, 

75%, 90%, and 100%. Though models are never 100% accurate, the simulation results were the 

best available information for this report. Snag density and down wood tonnage were averaged 

for each basal area loss category appropriate for the habitat for each MIS. Zero, 10, and 25% 

basal area loss were used for late seral closed canopy coniferous forest; 0, 10, 25, and 50% for 

snags in green forest; 50, 75, 90, and 100% for snags in burned forest (see individual MIS 

sections for further explanation of habitat parameters used for each MIS).

Some snag retention requirements in the Rim Recovery Project action alternatives require basal 

area retention, while others require a number of snags per acre. For consistency in this analysis, 

basal area retention was converted to a number of snags per acre by dividing the basal area 

retention requirement by the average basal area per snag for each MIS habitat. 
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Late Seral Closed Canopy Coniferous Forest Habitat (California spotted owl, 

American marten, and northern flying squirrel) 

Habitat/Species Relationship.

California spotted owl. The California spotted owl was selected as an MIS for late seral closed 

canopy coniferous forest (ponderosa pine, Sierran mixed conifer, white fir, and red fir) habitat in 

the Sierra Nevada. This habitat is comprised primarily of medium/large trees (equal to or 

greater than 24 inches dbh) with canopy closures above 40% within ponderosa pine, Sierran 

mixed conifer, white fir, and red fir coniferous forests, and multi-layered trees within ponderosa 

pine and Sierran mixed conifer forests. The California spotted owl is strongly associated with 

forests that have a complex multi-layered structure, large-diameter trees, and high canopy 

closure (CDFG 2005, USFWS 2006). It uses dense, multi-layered canopy cover for roost 

seclusion; roost selection appears to be related closely to thermoregulatory needs, and the species 

appears to be intolerant of high temperatures (CDFG 2005). Mature, multi-layered forest stands 

are required for breeding (Ibid). The mixed-conifer forest type is the predominant type used by 

spotted owls in the Sierra Nevada: about 80% of known sites are found in mixed-conifer forest, 

with 10% in red fir forest (USDA Forest Service 2001).

American Marten. The American marten was selected as an MIS for late seral closed canopy 

coniferous forest (ponderosa pine, Sierran mixed conifer, white fir, and red fir) habitat in the 

Sierra Nevada. This habitat is comprised primarily of medium/large trees (equal to or greater 

than 24 inches dbh) with canopy closures above 40% within ponderosa pine, Sierran mixed 

conifer, white fir, and red fir coniferous forests, and multi-layered trees within ponderosa pine 

and Sierran mixed conifer forests. Martens prefer coniferous forest habitat with large diameter 

trees and snags, large down logs, moderate-to-high canopy closure, and an interspersion of 

riparian areas and meadows. Important habitat attributes are: vegetative diversity, with 

predominately mature forest; snags; dispersal cover; and large woody debris (Allen 1982). Key 

components for westside and eastside marten habitat can be found in the Sierra Nevada Forest 

Plan Amendment FEIS (USDA Forest Service 2001), Volume 3, Chapter 3, part 4.4, pages 20-

21. 

Northern flying squirrel. The northern flying squirrel was selected as an MIS for late seral 

closed canopy coniferous forest (ponderosa pine, Sierran mixed conifer, white fir, and red fir) 

habitat in the Sierra Nevada. This habitat is comprised primarily of medium/large trees (equal 

to or greater than 24 inches dbh) with canopy closures above 40% within ponderosa pine, Sierran 

mixed conifer, white fir, and red fir coniferous forests, and multi-layered trees within ponderosa 

pine and Sierran mixed conifer forests. The northern flying squirrel occurs primarily in mature, 

dense conifer habitats intermixed with various riparian habitats, using cavities in mature trees, 

snags, or logs for cover (CDFG 2005). 

Project-level Effects Analysis – Late Seral Closed Canopy Coniferous Forest Habitat.

Habitat Factor(s) for the Analysis: (1) Acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous 

forest (ponderosa pine, Sierran mixed conifer, white fir, and red fir) habitat [CWHR 

ponderosa pine (PPN), Sierran mixed conifer (SMC), white fir (WFR), red fir (RFR), tree 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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size 5 (canopy closures M and D), and tree size 6]. (2) Acres with changes in canopy 

closure (D to M). (3) Acres with changes in large down logs (greater than 12 inches in 

diameter at midpoint; USDA 2001) per acre or large snags (greater than 24 inches) per 

acre. Twenty-four inches dbh was used to separate medium from large trees rather than 

30 inches dbh because common stand exam data available for this project was separated 

at 24 inches dbh.

Current Condition of the Habitat Factor(s) in the Project Area: Prior to the Rim 

Fire, there were 17,863 acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat in Stanislaus 

National Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area. The Rim Fire reduced late seral 

closed canopy coniferous habitat by 5,288 acres resulting in a total of 12,574 acres postfire (Table 4). Within the Rim Recovery cumulative analysis area, there were 46,636 

acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat before the Rim Fire and there are 

31,008 acres post-fire.

Data Used for the Effects Analysis: The following tables will be used in the 

discussions of effects of Alternatives 1-4 on late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat:

Table 3. Post-fire late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat proposed for treatment in Stanislaus 

National Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area. 

Salvage Hazard Tree

Total 

Treatment

Acres % of Treatment Acres % of Treatment Acres

Alternative 1 1,310 42 1,821 58 3,131

Alternative 2 0 0 0 0 0

Alternative 3 1,326 43 1,776 57 3,102

Alternative 4 1,231 41 1,783 59 3,014

Table 4. Summary of late seral closed canopy coniferous acres in Stanislaus National Forest within the 

Rim Recovery analysis area.

CWHR Pre-Fire Post-Fire

Post-Treatment 

(Alternative 1-4)

PPN 5 D 1,106 634 634

PPN 5 M 3 0 0

RFR 5 D 21 21 21

RFR 5 M 0 0 0

SMC 5 D 15,955 11,275 11,275

SMC 5 M 166 127 127

WFR 5 D 594 505 505

WFR 5 M 18 13 13

Total 17,863 12,574 12,574

Change From 

Pre-Fire: -5,288

Change From 

Post-Fire: 0
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Table 5. Estimates of pre-fire, post-fire, and post-treatment snags per acre in late seral closed canopy 

coniferous habitat within the Rim Recovery analysis area (Stanislaus National Forest only). 

Snag Size

PreFirePostFire

Alt. 1 

PostAction

Alt. 2 

(No 

Action)

Alt. 3 

PostAction

Alt. 4 

PostAction

Snags/ac. 15-24" dbh 10 14 0 14 0 0

Snags/ac. >24" dbh 4 7 4 7 6 6

Post-action estimates were derived from acres within salvage units only. We assumed no snags would 

remain in hazard tree areas, so estimates of snags per acre would be lower if hazard tree areas were 

included. In salvage units, we assumed that only the number of snags given in the management

requirements for mixed conifer would remain post action (red fir only represented 4% of all the CWHR 

types in late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat so we used the snag retention requirements for 

mixed conifer to obtain estimates). Analysis of common stand exam data (1,183 plots prior to the Rim 

Fire, between 2005 and 2013, within the Rim Recovery analysis area) showed that there are more snags 

with greater than 24 inches dbh than what would be required for retention in all action alternatives. 

Therefore we assumed trees with greater than 24 inches dbh would be selected to meet snag retention 

requirements (see management requirements in Section 4) and no snags less than 24 inches dbh would 

remain within salvage units or hazard tree areas.

Table 6. Acres of salvage and hazard tree removal in late seral closed canopy coniferous (LSCCC) 

habitat within the Rim Recovery cumulative analysis area. 

Post-Fire 

LSCCC Acres in 

Rim Recovery 

Cumulative 

Analysis Area

LSCCC Acres 

Proposed for 

Salvage or 

Hazard Tree

Removal in Rim 

Recovery 

Project

LSCCC Acres 

in All Other 

Salvage or 

Hazard Tree 

Projects*

Total LSCCC 

Acres Salvaged 

or in Hazard 

Tree Projects

% LSCCC Acres 

Salvaged or in 

Hazard Tree 

Projects

Alternative 1 31,008 3,131 1,653 4,784 15

Alternative 2 31,008 0 1,653 1,653 5

Alternative 3 31,008 3,102 1,653 4,755 15

Alternative 4 31,008 3,014 1,653 4,667 15

*288 acres of LSCCC habitat in Yosemite National Park hazard tree areas.

*433 acres of LSCCC habitat in private land.

*932 acres of LSCCC habitat in the Rim Hazard Trees project.

For the cumulative salvage and hazard tree analysis, we assumed no acres would be salvaged in 

Yosemite National Park except for 817 acres of hazard tree removal (288 acres within late seral closed 

canopy coniferous habitat), and all acres would be salvaged in private land (see Rim Fire Recovery FEIS 

(USDA Forest Service 2014) for full list of projects). Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) 

treatments were considered but did not count towards acres of habitat affected because only 

immediate hazards were felled and there was no way to accurately calculate acres affected.
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Alternative 1 (Proposed Action)

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. In Alternative 1 of the Rim Recovery Project, 

the primary effect to late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat would be the removal of 

snags in hazard tree areas and salvage units. Alternative 1 would affect the most acres of 

late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat of all the alternatives in this report. Within 

late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat, Alternative 1 proposes approximately 1,310

acres of salvage harvest (42% of total treatment) and 1,821 acres of hazard tree treatment 

(58% of total treatment; Table 3). Total treatment would be 3,131 acres out of the 12,574 

acres (25%) of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat in Stanislaus National Forest 

within the Rim Recovery analysis area (Tables 3 and 4). 

In treatment areas, acres of habitat and canopy cover would not change. Alternative 1 

only proposes the removal of dead trees in salvage units, and only hazardous green or 

dead trees would be removed in hazard tree areas. Late seral closed canopy coniferous 

habitat is largely a green tree habitat type, as opposed to a burned forest type, so the 

treatments described above would not change acres of habitat. The Rim Fire itself was 

the primary event responsible for reducing acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous 

habitat. However, the number of snags per acre would be reduced by Alternative 1.

In salvage units, we assume that only 4 snags per acre would remain post-action because 

that is the retention level specified for mixed conifer in the management requirements. 

We also assume trees with greater than 24 inches dbh would be selected to meet snag 

retention requirements and no snags less than 24 inches dbh would remain within salvage 

units or hazard tree areas (see Table 5 for rationale). Medium sized snags would be

reduced from approximately 14 per acre to 0 per acre. Large snags would be reduced 

from approximately 7 per acre to 4 per acre (Table 5). For this analysis we assume no 

snags per acre would remain in hazard tree areas, although some snags would likely not 

be hazardous and could be left standing. If some snags remained standing, they could 

potentially provide additional snags per acre to the numbers presented in this report. 

Common stand exam data show large down logs are generally deficient in late seral 

closed canopy coniferous forest. Management requirements in Alternative 1 would 

require retention of 10 to 20 tons of large down wood per acre, so large down wood 

would not be reduced by the action.

There would be no acres of new road construction within late seral closed canopy 

coniferous habitat outside of salvage units and hazard tree removal areas; all other new 

road construction would be within salvage units or hazard tree removal areas so would 

not count towards additional acres of affected habitat. 

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. The primary recent impact to late 

seral closed canopy coniferous habitat was the Rim Fire (as opposed to the Rim Recovery 

Project and other present and foreseeable actions). The Rim Fire reduced this habitat 

from 46,636 acres to 31,008 acres. This loss of habitat from fire is considered in this 
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cumulative effects analysis, but the existing post-fire condition is the baseline for 

analysis.

Salvage and hazard tree projects within late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat that 

would be additional to the Rim Recovery Project include: the Forest Service’s Rim Fire 

Hazard Trees (932 acres affected), Yosemite National Park hazard trees (288 acres 

affected), and private land salvage/hazard trees (433 acres affected). Total acres affected 

by salvage and hazard tree projects including the Rim Recovery Project would be 4,784

(15%; Table 6). 

For this analysis we assume no snags per acre would remain in the areas described above, 

although in hazard tree areas, some snags would likely not be hazardous and could be left 

standing. We also assume all snags in private land would be removed, although nontimber industry owned private land would likely leave some snags standing. Therefore, 

4,784 acres (15%) is a high estimate of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat 

affected by salvage and hazard tree removal. There would be 26,224 acres (85%) of late 

seral closed canopy coniferous outside of salvage and hazard tree areas.

In addition to salvage and hazard tree actions, there are 1,538 other acres of present and 

foreseeable actions within late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat in the cumulative 

analysis area. Green thinning projects account for 1,483 of those acres. Green thinning 

would not change acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat because the focus 

of those projects would be to thin the forest without converting vegetation type, size, or 

canopy cover. Snag removal would be minimal and would generally only occur for 

safety concerns. Down wood removal would generally be minimal and management 

requirements for large down wood retention would be in effect. There are 55 acres of 

restoration activities within late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat that would not 

change snag density, down wood, or vegetation type, size, or canopy cover. For a full list 

of the projects described above and justification regarding the consideration of past 

projects, see Rim Fire Recovery FEIS (USDA Forest Service 2014). 

In total, 24,686 acres (80%) of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat would be 

outside of all salvage, hazard tree removal, and other present and foreseeable actions.

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: Under Alternative 1, acres of late seral closed 

canopy coniferous habitat would not change from the existing post-fire condition. 

Some reduction in snags would occur, but the snag retention requirements would 

ensure that Alternative 1 would not alter the existing trend in the habitat, even 

after considering all other present and foreseeable actions. 

Alternative 2 (No Action)

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. There would be no removal of trees, road 

construction, or any other activities associated with the Rim Recovery Project under the 

no action alternative. Potential negative effects of no action would be high fuel loads and 

risk of future high severity fire adjacent to remaining habitat or within regenerating 
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habitat. Positive effects would include the total retention of snags, which are important 

habitat features, within remaining late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat.

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. Under Alternative 2, no removal 

of trees, road construction, or any other project activities would occur as part of the Rim 

Recovery Project. We assume all of the other projects described in Alternative 1 

cumulative effects would still occur. This would result in 1,653 acres (5%) of late seral 

closed canopy coniferous habitat affected by other salvage and hazard tree projects

(Table 6), and 1,538 acres (5%) in other present or foreseeable actions; there would be 

27,817 acres (90%) of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat outside of all present 

and foreseeable projects. 

If no snags were removed, the accumulation of surface fuels could increase the risk of 

high severity fire in remaining or regenerating habitat (Rim Fire Recovery FEIS, chapter 

3, fire and fuels section 3.05 (USDA Forest Service 2014)). The green thinning projects 

described under Alternative 1 cumulative effects could possibly mitigate a small amount 

of the risk if implemented.

The total retention of snags and down wood under Alternative 2 would ensure the 

existence of numerous snags and abundant down wood across the landscape. This would 

benefit late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat. 

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: Late seral closed canopy coniferous forest 

would not change from the existing post-fire condition under Alternative 2. Even 

after considering all other present and foreseeable actions, Alternative 2 would 

not alter the existing trend in the habitat. 

Alternative 3

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. Snag removal in hazard tree areas and salvage 

units would be the primary effect to late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat in 

Alternative 3 of the Rim Recovery Project. Alternative 3 would affect less total acres 

than Alternative 1, but more acres than the other alternatives in this report. Within late 

seral closed canopy coniferous habitat, Alternative 3 proposes approximately 1,326 acres

of salvage harvest (43% of total treatment) and 1,776 acres of hazard tree treatment (57% 

of total treatment; Table 3). Total treatment would be 3,102 acres out of the 12,574 acres 

(25%) of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat in Stanislaus National Forest within 

the Rim Recovery analysis area (Tables 3 and 4).

As described in the effects analysis for Alternative 1, the acres of habitat and canopy 

cover would not change. Alternatives 1 and 3 only propose the removal of dead trees in 

salvage units, and only hazardous green or dead trees would be removed in hazard tree 

areas. The number of snags per acre would be reduced in Alternatives 1 and 3, but 

Alternative 3 has additional snag retention requirements:
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4 snags per acre would remain post-action in general forest; 30 square feet of snag basal 

area in Old Forest Emphasis Area, Home Range Core Area, Forest Carnivore 

Connectivity Corridor, and high salvage study units of the USDA Forest Service Pacific 

Southwest Research Station (PSW); and 120 square feet of snag basal area in PSW’s low 

salvage study units. For this analysis, we assume only the snag retention amounts 

described above would remain post-action. Of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat 

within salvage units, 33% is in general forest, 60% is in the 30 square foot basal area 

category, and 7% is in the 120 square foot basal area category. For consistency in this 

report, snag basal area was converted to snags per acre using the methods described in 

Section 5 of this document. Results show that in salvage units under Alternative 3, 

medium sized snags would be reduced from approximately 14 per acre to 0 per acre. 

Large snags would be reduced from approximately 7 per acre to 6 per acre (Table 5). For

this analysis we assume no snags per acre would remain in hazard tree areas, although 

some snags would likely not be hazardous and could be left standing. If some snags 

remained standing, they could potentially provide additional snags per acre to the 

numbers presented in this report. 

Common stand exam data show large down logs are generally deficient in late seral 

closed canopy coniferous forest. Management requirements in Alternative 3 would 

require retention of 10 to 20 tons of large down wood per acre in general forest and 15 to 

20 tons of large down wood in Old Forest Emphasis Area, Home Range Core Area, 

Forest Carnivore Connectivity Corridor, and hazard tree areas within Protected Activity 

Centers, so large down wood would not be reduced by the action.

There would be no acres of new road construction within late seral closed canopy 

coniferous habitat outside of salvage units and hazard tree removal areas; all other new 

road construction would be within salvage units or hazard tree removal areas so would 

not count towards additional acres of affected habitat. 

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. We assume all of the present and 

foreseeable actions described in Alternative 1 cumulative effects would occur. Total 

acres affected by salvage and hazard tree projects including the Rim Recovery Project

under Alternative 3 would be 4,755 (15%; Table 6). Acres within other present and 

foreseeable actions would be 1,538 (5%); there would be 24,715 acres (80%) of late seral 

closed canopy coniferous habitat outside of all present and foreseeable projects. 

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: Acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous 

habitat would not change from the existing post-fire condition under Alternative 

3. Some reduction in snags would occur, but the snag retention requirements 

would ensure that Alternative 3 would not alter the existing trend in the habitat, 

even when considering all other present and foreseeable actions. 

Alternative 4

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. In Alternative 4 of the Rim Recovery Project, 

the primary effect to late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat would be the removal of 
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snags in hazard tree areas and salvage units. Alternative 4 would retain the most acres of 

late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat of all action alternatives in this report. Within 

late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat, Alternative 4 proposes approximately 1,231

acres of salvage harvest (41% of total treatment) and 1,783 acres of hazard tree treatment 

(59% of total treatment; Table 3). Total treatment would be 3,014 acres out of the 12,574

acres (24%) of late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat in Stanislaus National Forest 

within the Rim Recovery analysis area (Tables 3 and 4).

As described in the effects analyses for Alternatives 1 and 3, the acres of habitat and 

canopy cover would not change under Alternative 4. Alternatives 1, 3, and 4 only 

propose the removal of dead trees in salvage units, and only hazardous green or dead 

trees would be removed in hazard tree areas. 

Alternative 4 requires the same snag retention per acre as Alternative 3, but would have a 

different number of acres in each land allocation/retention category. Of late seral closed 

canopy coniferous habitat within Alternative 4 salvage units, 31% is in general forest, 

61% is in the 30 square foot basal area category, and 8% is in the 120 square foot basal 

area category. In salvage units under Alternative 4, medium sized snags would be 

reduced from approximately 14 per acre to 0 per acre. Large snags would be reduced 

from approximately 7 per acre to 6 per acre (Table 5). For this analysis we assume no 

snags per acre would remain in hazard tree areas, although some snags would likely not 

be hazardous and could be left standing. If some snags remained standing, they could 

potentially provide additional snags per acre to the numbers presented in this report. 

Management requirements pertaining to large down wood in Alternative 4 are the same 

as Alternatives 3, so as stated in Alternative 3, large down wood would not be reduced.

There would be no acres of new road construction within late seral closed canopy 

coniferous habitat outside of salvage units and hazard tree removal areas; all other new 

road construction would be within salvage units or hazard tree removal areas so would 

not count towards additional acres of affected habitat.

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. We assume all of the present and 

foreseeable actions described in Alternative 1 cumulative effects would occur. Total 

acres affected by salvage and hazard tree projects including the Rim Recovery Project 

under Alternative 4 would be 4,667 (15%; Table 6). Acres within other present and 

foreseeable actions would be 1,538 (5%); there would be 24,803 acres (80%) of late seral 

closed canopy coniferous habitat outside of all present and foreseeable projects. 

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: Under Alternative 4, acres of late seral closed 

canopy coniferous habitat would not change from the existing post-fire condition. 

Some reduction in snags would occur, but the snag retention requirements would 

ensure that Alternative 4 would not alter the existing trend in the habitat, even 

when considering all other present and foreseeable actions. 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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Summary of Status and Trend at the Bioregional Scale

California spotted owl, American marten, and Northern flying squirrel. The Stanislaus NF 

LRMP (as amended by the SNF MIS Amendment) requires bioregional-scale habitat and 

distribution population monitoring for the California spotted owl, American marten, and northern 

flying squirrel; hence, the late seral closed canopy coniferous forest (ponderosa pine, Sierran 

mixed conifer, white fir, and red fir) habitat effects analysis for the Rim Recovery Project must 

be informed by both habitat and distribution population monitoring data. The sections below 

summarize the habitat and distribution population status and trend data. This information is 

drawn from the detailed information on habitat and population trends in the 2010 SNF

Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a), which is hereby incorporated by 

reference.

Habitat Status and Trend. There are currently 1,006,923 acres of late seral closed 

canopy coniferous forest (ponderosa pine, Sierran mixed conifer, white fir, and red fir) 

habitat on National Forest System lands in the Sierra Nevada. Over the last two decades, 

the trend is slightly increasing (changing from 7% to 9% of the acres on National Forest 

System lands); since the early 2000s, the trend has been stable at 9%.

Population Status and Trend - California spotted owl. California spotted owl has 

been monitored in California and throughout the Sierra Nevada through general surveys, 

monitoring of nests and territorial birds, and demography studies (Verner et al. 1992; 

Gutierrez et al. 2008, 2009, 2010; USDA Forest Service 2001, 2004, 2006b; USFWS 

2006; Sierra Nevada Research Center 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010). Current data at the 

rangewide, California, and Sierra Nevada scales indicate that, although there may be 

localized declines in population trend [e.g., localized decreases in “lambda” (estimated

annual rate of population change)], the distribution of California spotted owl populations 

in the Sierra Nevada is stable.

Population Status and Trend – American marten. American marten has been 

monitored throughout the Sierra Nevada as part of general surveys and studies since 

1996 (e.g., Zielinski et al. 2005, Moriarty 2009). Since 2002, the American marten has 

been monitored on the Sierra Nevada forests as part of the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan 

Amendment (SNFPA) monitoring plan (USDA Forest Service 2005, 2006b, 2007b, 2009, 

2010b). Current data at the rangewide, California, and Sierra Nevada scales indicate that, 

although marten appear to be distributed throughout their historic range, their distribution 

has become fragmented in the southern Cascades and northern Sierra Nevada, 

particularly in Plumas County. The distribution appears to be continuous across highelevation forests from Placer County south through the southern end of the Sierra 

Nevada, although detection rates have decreased in at least some localized areas (e.g., 

Sagehen Basin area of Nevada County). 

Population Status and Trend – northern flying squirrel. The northern flying squirrel 

has been monitored in the Sierra Nevada at various sample locations by live-trapping, 

ear-tagging, camera surveys, snap-trapping, and radio telemetry: 2002-present on the 

Plumas and Lassen National Forests (Sierra Nevada Research Center 2007, 2008, 2009, 

2010), and 1958-2004 throughout the Sierra Nevada in various monitoring efforts and 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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studies (see USDA Forest Service 2008, Table NOFLS-IV-1). These data indicate that 

northern flying squirrels continue to be present at these sample sites, and current data at 

the rangewide, California, and Sierra Nevada scales indicate that the distribution of 

northern flying squirrel populations in the Sierra Nevada is stable. 

Relationship of Project-Level Habitat Impacts to Bioregional-Scale Trends. 

California spotted owl. Acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous forest would not change 

under any alternative of the Rim Recovery Project. Some snag reduction would occur, but the 

management requirements for snag retention would minimize impacts. The reduction in snags 

on up to 3,131 acres out of the 12,574 acres of habitat within the analysis area would not alter the 

existing trend in late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat, nor would it lead to a change in the 

distribution of California spotted owl across the Sierra Nevada bioregion.

American marten. Acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous forest would not change under 

any alternative of the Rim Recovery Project. Some snag reduction would occur, but the snag 

retention requirements would minimize impacts. The reduction in snags on up to 3,131 acres out 

of the 12,574 acres of habitat within the analysis area would not alter the existing trend in late 

seral closed canopy coniferous habitat, nor would it lead to a change in the distribution of 

American marten across the Sierra Nevada bioregion.

Northern flying squirrel. Acres of late seral closed canopy coniferous forest would not change

under any alternative of the Rim Recovery Project. Some snag reduction would occur, but the 

snag retention requirements would minimize impacts. The reduction in snags on up to 3,131 

acres out of the 12,574 acres of habitat within the analysis area would not alter the existing trend 

in late seral closed canopy coniferous habitat, nor would it lead to a change in the distribution of 

Northern flying squirrel across the Sierra Nevada bioregion.

Snags in Green Forest Ecosystem Component (hairy woodpecker) 

Habitat/Species Relationship.

The hairy woodpecker was selected as the MIS for the ecosystem component of snags in green 

forests. Medium (diameter breast height between 15 to 30 inches) and large (diameter breast 

height greater than 30 inches) snags are most important. The hairy woodpecker uses stands of 

large, mature trees and snags of sparse to intermediate density; cover is also provided by tree 

cavities (CDFG 2005). Mature timber and dead snags or trees of moderate to large size are 

apparently more important than tree species (Siegel and DeSante 1999). Within the project area, 

stands that produce these sizes of snags include CWHR: 4S, 4P, 4M, 4D, 5S, 5P, 5M, 5D, and 6. 

 

Project-level Effects Analysis – Snags in Green Forest Ecosystem Component

Parameters Used to Identify Snags in Green Forest Ecosystem Component for the 

Analysis:
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• CWHR types: aspen (ASP), blue oak-digger pine (BOP), blue oak woodland 

(BOW), Douglas-fir (DFR), Jeffrey pine (JPN), lodgepole pine (LPN), montane 

hardwood conifer (MHC), montane hardwood (MHW), ponderosa pine (PPN), 

red fir (RFR), subalpine conifer (SCN), Sierran mixed conifer (SMC), white fir 

(WFR).

• CWHR sizes 4 and 5.

• CWHR canopy closures S, P, M, and D.

• Basal area loss less than or equal to 50%.

Habitat criteria were determined from the forest habitats listed for hairy woodpecker in 

CWHR (CDFG 2008). Forest with greater than 50% basal area loss was not identified as 

green forest because visual inspection of post-fire imagery (pan-sharpened Worldview 

8bit, 9/28/13) and field checks indicated that these areas exhibited more burned forest 

characteristics. Burned forest is covered in this document in the section “Snags in 

Burned Forest Ecosystem Component (Black-backed woodpecker).” We recognize 

that forest with approximately 50% basal area loss may be a transition habitat, but chose 

the parameters listed above using best available information. 

Habitat Factor(s) for the Analysis: (1) Medium (15-24 inches dbh) snags per acre. (2) 

large (greater than 24 inches dbh) snags per acre. Twenty-four inches dbh was used to 

separate medium from large trees rather than 30 inches dbh because common stand exam 

data available for this project was separated at 24 inches dbh. 

Current Condition of the Habitat Factor(s) in the Project Area: Prior to the Rim Fire, 

there were 85,615 acres of green forest (hairy woodpecker habitat) that could produce 

medium to large snags, in the Stanislaus National Forest, in the Rim Recovery Project 

analysis area. Within the analysis area, the Rim Fire reduced this type of green forest by 

34,757 acres resulting in a total of 50,858 acres of green forest with medium to large 

snags, post-fire. Table 7 below describes the existing CWHR habitat types in the analysis 

area.

Table 7. Summary of snags in green forest (hairy woodpecker habitat) habitat acres

pre and post-fire in Stanislaus National Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area.

CWHR Pre-Fire Post-Fire

BOP 4,5 S,P,M,D 764 437

BOW 4,5 S,P,M,D 53 38

JPN 4,5 S,P,M,D 286 229

LPN 4,5 S,P,M,D 402 105

MHC 4,5 S,P,M,D 10382 5,408

MHW 4,5 S,P,M,D 8708 3,598

PPN 4,5 S,P,M,D 13119 7,264

RFR 4,5 S,P,M,D 60 58

SMC 4,5 S,P,M,D 50951 32,936

WFR 4,5 S,P,M,D 891 785

Total 85,615 50,858
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Change from 

pre-fire: -34,757

Data Used for the Effects Analysis: The following tables will be used in the 

discussions of effects of Alternatives 1-4 on snags in green forest habitat (also referred to 

as hairy woodpecker habitat in this report): 

Table 8. Post-fire hairy woodpecker habitat proposed for treatment in Stanislaus National Forest 

within the Rim Recovery analysis area. 

Salvage Hazard Tree Total Treatment

Acres % of Treatment Acres % of Treatment Acres

Alternative 1 6,400 47 7,434 53 13,834

Alternative 2 0 0 0 0 0

Alternative 3 6,464 47 7,238 53 13,702

Alternative 4 5,908 45 7,315 55 13,223

Table 9. Summary of hairy woodpecker habitat acres in Stanislaus National Forest within the Rim 

Recovery analysis area.

CWHR Post-Fire

Post-Treatment 

(Alternative 1-4)

BOP 4,5 S,P,M,D 437 437

BOW 4,5 S,P,M,D 38 38

JPN 4,5 S,P,M,D 229 229

LPN 4,5 S,P,M,D 105 105

MHC 4,5 S,P,M,D 5,408 5,408

MHW 4,5 S,P,M,D 3,598 3,598

PPN 4,5 S,P,M,D 7,264 7,264

RFR 4,5 S,P,M,D 58 58

SMC 4,5 S,P,M,D 32,936 32,936

WFR 4,5 S,P,M,D 785 785

Total 50,858 50,858

Change from 

post-fire: 0
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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Table 10. Estimates of pre-fire, post-fire, and post-treatment snags per acre in hairy woodpecker 

habitat within the Rim Recovery analysis area (Stanislaus National Forest only). 

Snag Size

PreFirePostFire

Alt. 1 

PostAction

Alt. 2 

(No 

Action)

Alt. 3 

PostAction

Alt. 4 

PostAction

Snags/ac. 15-24" dbh 6 15 2 15 7 8

Snags/ac. >24" dbh 3 8 2 8 4 4

Post-action estimates were derived from acres within salvage units only. We assumed no snags would 

remain in hazard tree areas, so estimates of snags per acre would be lower if hazard tree areas were 

included. In salvage units, we assumed that only the number of snags given in the management

requirements for mixed conifer would remain post action (red fir represented less than 1% of all the 

CWHR types in hairy woodpecker habitat so the snag retention requirements for mixed conifer were 

used to obtain estimates). Because hairy woodpecker habitat included tree size class as small as 4, we 

could not be certain what size class would be available to achieve snag retention requirements. So, 

when estimating post-action estimates of snags per acre, we allocated half of the snag retention 

requirement to the medium (15 to 24 inches dbh) snags category, and half to the large (greater than 24 

inches dbh) snags category. 

Table 11. Acres of salvage and hazard tree removal in hairy woodpecker (HAWO) habitat within the 

Rim Recovery cumulative analysis area. 

Post-Fire 

HAWO Acres 

in Rim 

Recovery 

Cumulative 

Analysis Area

HAWO Acres 

Proposed for 

Salvage or 

Hazard Tree 

Removal in Rim 

Recovery 

Project

HAWO Acres 

in All Other 

Salvage, 

Hazard Tree, 

or Green 

Thinning

Projects*

Total HAWO 

Acres in

Salvage, 

Hazard Tree, or 

Green Thinning

Projects

% HAWO 

Acres in

Salvage, 

Hazard Tree, 

or Green 

Thinning

Projects

Alternative 1 96,755 13,834 14,966 28,800 30

Alternative 2 96,755 0 14,966 14,966 15

Alternative 3 96,755 13,702 14,966 28,668 30

Alternative 4 96,755 13,223 14,966 28,189 29

*550 acres of HAWO habitat in Yosemite National Park hazard tree areas.

*7,095 acres of HAWO habitat in private land.

*3,742 acres of HAWO habitat in the Rim Hazard Trees project.

*3,579 acres of HAWO habitat in Forest Service green thinning projects

For the cumulative salvage and hazard tree analysis, we assumed no acres would be salvaged in 

Yosemite National Park except for 817 acres of hazard tree removal (550 acres within hairy woodpecker

habitat), and all acres would be salvaged in private land (see Rim Fire Recovery FEIS (USDA Forest 

Service 2014) for full list of projects). Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) treatments were 

considered but did not count towards acres of habitat affected because only immediate hazards were 

felled and there was no way to accurately calculate acres affected.

Alternative 1 (Proposed Action)
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Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. Of the 50,858 acres of suitable hairy 

woodpecker habitat within the Rim Recovery analysis area, there would be 13,834 acres 

(27%) treated in Alternative 1. Alternative 1 would not result in a change in green forest 

acres (Table 9), but would reduce snag abundance in hairy woodpecker habitat (Table 

10). Of the 13,834 acres of hairy woodpecker habitat that would be treated, 7,434 acres 

(53%) would be in hazard tree treatments, and 6,400 acres (47%) would be in salvage 

units (Table 8). 

Salvage within Snags in Green Forest Habitat: Potential direct effects of salvage to habitat

would include removal of fire-killed trees. No green trees would be removed within 

salvage units, so there would be no change in green tree basal area and no change to the 

CWHR type. Snag recruitment would be higher in areas with 10% to 50% basal area loss 

(3,283 acres, approximately 50% of the treatment area), as some remaining green trees 

could die due to stress from the fire. As green trees would not be taken, snag recruitment 

would not be reduced overall within salvage units. 

In Alternative 1, snag retention within salvage units would be either 4 (mixed conifer 

stand retention level) or 6 (red fir stands) snags per acre regardless of the land allocation. 

Red fir represents less than 1% of all the CWHR types in hairy woodpecker habitat so the 

snag retention requirements for mixed conifer were used to obtain estimates of snags per 

acre. Table 10 shows that Alternative 1 would reduce the average number of snags in 

hairy woodpecker habitat, post-fire, from approximately 23 snags per acre to 

approximately 4 per acre (83% reduction). 

In addition to the conifer snag requirements, all oak and other hardwood snags greater 

than 12 inches in diameter would be retained. There are 9,481 acres of hardwood forest 

(primarily oak) in CWHR types BOW, BOP, MHC, and MHW that could contribute 

additional snags to the estimate of snags per acre described above.

Hazard Tree Removal in Snags in Green Forest Habitat: Snags would primarily be removed 

in the moderate and high severity areas (greater than 50% basal area loss), but habitat that 

is less than 50% burned and unburned areas would also be assessed for hazard tree

treatment. 

Hazard tree removal would not affect the canopy cover of hairy woodpecker habitat, but 

would reduce the density of existing snags. Hazard tree removal could also reduce the 

future recruitment of snags because green hazard trees that are likely to die within a few 

years could be removed. Of the hazard tree treatment road buffer that encompasses hairy 

woodpecker habitat, 2,849 acres would be within low (up to 25% basal area loss) to 

moderate (up to 50% basal area loss) burned habitat and 4,585 acres would be in 

unburned habitat. Unburned acres would not contribute additional snags in the form of

fire damaged trees that die within the next few years, whereas burned areas could have 

additional die-off/snag recruitment post-action.

Snag deficiencies (i.e. less than the minimum of 4 snags per acre) created by the removal 

of hazard trees adjacent to units would be compensated for by leaving additional snags 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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within the units. Roads adjacent to units would comprise less than 10% of the hazard tree 

portion of the project, so the majority of the snag removal on level 2 roads would not be 

compensated for. Areas adjacent to the hazard tree treatment areas that contain burned 

habitat will likely have more tree mortality over time, and potentially increase snag

numbers and compensate for those lost along roadsides.

Road Construction: Under Alternative 1 there would be less than one acre of new road 

construction within hairy woodpecker habitat outside salvage units and hazard tree areas.

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. The largest impact to hairy 

woodpecker habitat was the Rim Fire, which removed 34,757 acres of habitat. 

Unplanted, hairy woodpecker habitat within the Rim Fire perimeter would take many 

years (possibly over a hundred) to reach a CWHR size class 4 tree that would become a 

medium snag. 

 

There are several present and foreseeable actions within the cumulative analysis area. 

These include various private owners, Stanislaus National Forest, and Yosemite National 

Park. See the Rim Fire Recovery FEIS (USDA Forest Service 2014) for a complete 

listing of projects associated with these areas.

There are 83 acres of Forest Service restoration projects such as soil rehabilitation, 

meadow restoration, culvert removal/replacement, and weeds removal that would have 

minimal to no long-term cumulative impacts on woodpecker habitat, because habitat 

would not be removed, green tree removal would not change the CWHR type, and/or 

snags would not be targeted for removal. Recreation and livestock grazing would have 

little to no impact on hairy woodpecker habitat. 

Table 11 shows the projects that affect suitable hairy woodpecker habitat, present and 

future, for each alternative. There are 7 green thinning projects associated with the 

Stanislaus National Forest comprising 4,394 acres within the analysis area, of which 

3,579 acres are within suitable habitat. Green thinning projects would not change acres 

of hairy woodpecker habitat because the focus of those projects would be to thin the 

forest without converting vegetation type or size. Snag removal would be minimal and 

would generally only occur for safety concerns. 

Within the cumulative analysis area, there would be 67,955 acres of hairy woodpecker 

habitat that would not be impacted by salvage or other projects, if all actions occurred as 

described. Of the 28,800 acres of habitat impacted by project activities, it is assumed that 

3,579 acres (4% of post-fire habitat) would have minimal effects from green thinning, 

7,095 acres (7% of post-fire habitat) would be totally removed on private lands, and 

18,126 acres (19% of post-fire habitat) would have reduced capacity for supporting hairy 

woodpecker from salvage and hazard tree removal. 

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: Alternative 1 would minimally impact snags 

within hairy woodpecker habitat because dead trees would be removed primarily 

from areas that burned at high/moderate severity rather than green forest. Within 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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27

salvage units, no green trees would be taken so CWHR types would not change. 

In hazard tree areas with green forest, hazardous trees would be removed, but 

CWHR types would not change and approximately 50% of this habitat is adjacent 

to burned areas that would recruit snags over the next several years. Although 

19% of post-fire habitat would have a reduced capability to support the hairy 

woodpecker, that habitat would remain and have the capacity to regenerate snags 

over time. There would be no direct habitat reduction as a result of Alternative 1 

and there would be no alteration to the existing trend in this ecosystem 

component. 

Alternative 2 (No Action)

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. Under Alternative 2, salvage, hazard tree 

abatement and removal, and road construction would not occur. There would be no 

direct effects resulting from implementation of this alternative. However, if no fuels 

reduction occurred, hairy woodpecker habitat would remain vulnerable to future standreplacing fire.

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. As there would be no direct 

effects to hairy woodpecker habitat from Alternative 2, cumulative effects would be

largely limited to the non-Rim Recovery projects described in Alternative 1. However, 

because Alternative 2 proposes to not remove snags, the accumulation of surface fuels 

could increase the risk of high severity fire in remaining or regenerating habitat (Rim Fire 

Recovery FEIS, chapter 3, fire and fuels section 3.05 (USDA Forest Service 2014)). The 

green thinning projects described under Alternative 1 cumulative effects could possibly 

mitigate a small amount of the risk if implemented.

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: Alternative 2 would not alter the structural 

components of hairy woodpecker habitat. There would be no direct habitat 

reduction as a result of Alternative 2 and there would be no alteration to the 

existing trend in this ecosystem component.

Alternative 3

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. There would be 13,702 acres of suitable hairy 

woodpecker habitat treated in Alternative 3. Alternative 3 would not result in a change in 

green forest acres (Table 9), but as with the other action alternatives, would result in a 

reduction in snags (Table 10) and reduce the capability of hairy woodpecker habitat. 

Alternative 3 would treat 132 acres less than Alternative 1 (less than 1% change). There 

would be 7,238 acres (53%) in the hazard tree treatment area, and 6,464 acres (47%) in 

salvage units; a slight increase in salvage acres, and a decrease in hazard tree acres 

compared to Alternative 1 (Table 8). There would be no difference in the percentage of 

hairy woodpecker habitat treated in each type of treatment. 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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Salvage within Snags in Green Forest Habitat: The primary difference between Alternative 

1 and Alternatives 3 and 4 would be the management requirements for snag retention. 

For alternative 3 and 4, it is assumed that in salvage units only 4 snags per acre would 

remain post-action in general forest; 30 square feet of snag basal area in Old Forest 

Emphasis Areas, Home Range Core Areas, the Forest Carnivore Connectivity Corridor, 

and high salvage study units of the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research 

Station (PSW); and 120 square feet of snag basal area in PSW’s low salvage study area. 

Table 10 shows the number of snags per acre pre and post-fire and for all alternatives in 

salvage units. Alternative 3 would reduce the average number of snags within hairy 

woodpecker habitat from approximately 23 snags per acre to approximately 11 snags per 

acre (52% reduction). This would retain 7 snags per acre more than Alternative 1, so the 

effects of Alternative 3 on the structural component of suitable habitat would be less than 

Alternative 1. In Alternative 3, as in Alternatives 1 and 4, oak and other hardwood snags 

greater than 12 inches in diameter would be retained, which would increase the amount 

of snags per acre. 

Hazard Tree Removal in Snags in Green Forest Habitat: Of the hazard tree areas that 

encompass hairy woodpecker habitat, 2,753 acres would be within low (up to 25% basal 

area loss) to moderate (up to 50% basal area loss) burned habitat and 4,485 acres would 

be in unburned habitat. The amount of burned habitat outside the hazard tree treatment 

zone that is available for snag recruitment is similar to Alternative 1. 

Direct and indirect effects of hazard tree removal under Alternative 3 would be the same 

as Alternative 1 except there are 196 more acres of habitat that would be impacted in 

Alternative 1. 

Road Construction: Under Alternative 3 there would be less than one acre of new road 

construction within hairy woodpecker habitat outside treatment areas.

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. The percentage of habitat 

retained long-term in Alternative 3 would be the same as for Alternative 1, but there 

would be 28,668 acres within project footprints in Alternative 3 and 28,800 acres in 

Alternative 1 (Table 11).

 

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: The cumulative effects conclusion is the same 

as for Alternative 1. There would be no direct habitat reduction as a result of 

Alternative 3 and there would be no alteration to the existing trend in this 

ecosystem component.

Alternative 4

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. There would be 13,223 acres of suitable hairy 

woodpecker habitat treated in Alternative 4. Alternative 4 would treat 611 acres of 

suitable hairy woodpecker habitat less than Alternative 1 (5% less), and 479 acres less 

than Alternative 3 (4% less), so overall there would be a smaller effect on suitable habitat 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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capability for Alternative 4 compared to Alternatives 1 and 3. The difference in total 

habitat capability reduction between all three alternatives would be minimal, so there 

would be little difference in the scale of effects on green forest habitat. See Table 8 for a 

comparison of acres affected by Alternatives 1-4.

Salvage within Snags in Green Forest Habitat: There would be 5,908 acres planned for 

salvage in hairy woodpecker habitat. This would be 492 fewer acres than Alternative 1 

and 556 fewer acres than Alternative 3. Alternative 4 would have the least effects from 

salvage on suitable hairy woodpecker habitat of all action alternatives.

Alternatives 3 and 4 would have the same management requirements for snag retention, 

but would have different numbers of acres in each land allocation/retention category; 

Alternative 1 would retain 4 snags per acre regardless of the land allocation. Alternative 

4 salvage units would reduce the number of snags in hairy woodpecker habitat from 

approximately 23 snags per acre to approximately 12 snags per acre (48% reduction). 

This would retain one more snag per acre than Alternative 3 and 8 more snags per acre 

than Alternative 1 (Table 10). After implementation of Alternative 3 or 4, there would 

still be greater numbers of snags than were present pre-fire (22% and 33% greater

respectively). As with Alternatives 1 and 3, oak and other hardwood snags greater than 

12 inches in diameter would be retained.

Hazard Tree Removal in Snags in Green Forest Habitat: There would be 7,315 acres of 

roadside hazard tree treatments within Alternative 4, which is similar to Alternatives 1 

and 3 (within 2%). Therefore the effects would be similar to Alternatives 1 and 3. 

Of the hazard tree treatment footprint that encompasses hairy woodpecker habitat, 2,824

acres would be within low (up to 25% basal area loss) to moderate (up to 50% basal area 

loss) burned habitat and 4,491 acres would be in unburned. The amount of burned 

habitat outside the hazard tree treatment zone that would be available for snag 

recruitment would be similar to Alternatives 1 and 3.

Direct and indirect effects of hazard tree removal on habitat and snags would be similar 

under all action alternatives as the percentage of habitat acres affected would be the

same. In Alternative 4 there would be 77 more acres of hairy woodpecker habitat in 

hazard tree treatments than Alternative 3, and 119 acres less than Alternative 1. 

Road Construction: Under Alternative 4 there would be less than one acre of new road 

construction within hairy woodpecker habitat outside treatment areas.

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. The percentage of habitat 

retained long-term in Alternative 4 would be similar to Alternatives 1 and 3, but there 

would be 28,189 acres within project footprints in Alternative 4 compared to 28,800 

acres in Alternative 1, and 28,668 acres in Alternative 3 (Table 11).

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: The cumulative effects conclusion is the same 

as for Alternatives 1 and 3. There would be no direct habitat reduction as a result 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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of Alternative 4 and there would be no alteration to the existing trend in this 

ecosystem component.

Summary of Hairy Woodpecker Status and Trend at the Bioregional Scale

The Stanislaus NF LRMP (as amended by the SNF MIS Amendment) requires bioregional-scale 

habitat and distribution population monitoring for the hairy woodpecker; hence, the snag effects 

analysis for the Rim Recovery Project must be informed by both habitat and distribution 

population monitoring data. The sections below summarize the habitat and distribution 

population status and trend data for the hairy woodpecker. This information is drawn from the 

detailed information on habitat and distribution population trends in the 2010 SNF Bioregional 

MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a), which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Ecosystem Component Status and Trend. The current average number of mediumsized and large-sized snags (> 15" dbh, all decay classes) per acre across major 

coniferous and hardwood forest types (westside mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, white fir, 

productive hardwoods, red fir, eastside pine) in the Sierra Nevada ranges from 1.5 per 

acre in eastside pine to 9.1 per acre in white fir. In 2008, snags in these types ranged 

from 1.4 per acre in eastside pine to 8.3 per acre in white fir (USDA Forest Service 

2008).

Data from the early-to-mid 2000s were compared with the current data to calculate the 

trend in total snags per acre by Regional forest type for the 10 Sierra Nevada national 

forests and indicate that, during this period, snags per acre increased within westside 

mixed conifer (+0.76), white fir (+2.66), productive hardwoods (+0.35), and red fir 

(+1.25) and decreased within ponderosa pine (-0.16) and eastside pine (-0.14) 

Detailed information by forest type, snag size, and snag decay class can be found in the 

2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a).

Population Status and Trend. Monitoring of the hairy woodpecker across the ten 

National Forests in the Sierra Nevada has been conducted since 2009 in partnership with 

PRBO Conservation Science, as part of a monitoring effort (USDA Forest Service 2010a, 

http://data.prbo.org/partners/usfs/snmis/). Hairy woodpeckers were detected on 15.1%

of 1659 point counts (and 25.2% of 424 playback points) in 2009 and 16.7% of 2266 

point counts (and 25.6% of 492 playback points) in 2010, with detections on all 10 

national forests in both years. The average abundance (number of individuals recorded 

on passive point count surveys) was 0.116 in 2009 and 0.107 in 2010. These data 

indicate that hairy woodpeckers continue to be distributed across the 10 Sierra Nevada 

National Forests. In addition, the hairy woodpeckers continue to be monitored and 

surveyed in the Sierra Nevada at various sample locations by avian point count and 

breeding bird survey protocols. These are summarized in the 2008 Bioregional 

Monitoring Report (USDA Forest Service 2008).Current data at the rangewide, 

California, and Sierra Nevada scales indicate that the distribution of hairy woodpecker 

populations in the Sierra Nevada is stable. 

Relationship of Project-Level Habitat Impacts to Bioregional-Scale Hairy Woodpecker 

Trend. There would be no change in CWHR stand type acres in any of the green forest habitat
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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that provides medium to large-sized snags under all Rim Recovery Project alternatives. There 

would be a short-term loss of snags within the analysis area which would add to the deficit of 

snags in suitable snag producing habitat. Over time, there could be an increase in the number of 

snags in green forest if trees that were stressed from the Rim Fire die within hairy woodpecker 

habitat.

The potential reduction in medium to large-sized snags per acre on up to 13,834 acres out of the 

approximately 50,858 acres of habitat within the analysis area would not alter the existing trend

in hairy woodpecker habitat, nor would it lead to a change in the distribution of hairy 

woodpeckers across the Sierra Nevada bioregion.

Snags in Burned Forest Ecosystem Component (black-backed woodpecker) 

Habitat/Species Relationship.

The black-backed woodpecker was selected as the MIS for the ecosystem component of snags in 

burned forests. Recent data indicate that black-backed woodpeckers are dependent on snags 

created by stand-replacement fires (Hutto 1995, Kotliar et al. 2002, Smucker et al. 2005). The 

abundant snags associated with severely burned forests provide both prey (by providing food for 

the specialized beetle larvae that serve as prey) and nesting sites (Hutto and Gallo 2006). 

Project-level Effects Analysis – Snags in Burned Forest Ecosystem Component

Parameters Used to Identify Burned Forest for the Analysis: 

• CWHR types: Douglas-fir (DFR), Jeffrey pine (JPN), lodgepole pine (LPN), 

ponderosa pine (PPN), red fir (RFR), subalpine conifer (SCN), Sierran mixed 

conifer (SMC), and white fir (WFR). 

• CWHR sizes greater than or equal to 3.

• CWHR canopy closures M and D. 

• Basal area loss greater than or equal to 50%. 

Habitat criteria were determined from CWHR (CDFG 2008), scientific literature (e.g., 

Russell et al. 2007, Hanson and North 2008, Vierling et al. 2008, Forristal 2009, Bond et 

al. 2012, Siegel et al. 2013) and USDA Forest Service Region 5 Regional Office 

guidance. The CWHR sizes and canopy closures listed above were included in the 

analysis because black-backed woodpeckers are known to nest and/or forage in these size 

and canopy closure classes (Bond et al. 2012). Forest with less than 50% basal area loss 

was not chosen to represent burned forest (black-backed woodpecker habitat) because 

visual inspection of post-fire imagery (pan-sharpened Worldview 8bit, 9/28/13) and field 

checks indicated that these areas burned at lower intensities, and black-backed 

woodpeckers are primarily associated with higher burn severities (Russell et al. 2007, 

Hanson and North 2008, Vierling et al. 2008, Forristal 2009, Bond et al. 2012, Siegel et 

al. 2013). We recognize that forest with approximately 50% basal area loss may be a 

transition habitat, but chose the parameters listed above using best available information

and USDA Forest Service Region 5 Regional Office guidance. 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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Habitat Factor(s) for the Analysis: (1) Medium (15-24 inches dbh) snags per acre

within burned forest created by stand-replacing fire. (2) large (greater than 24 inches 

dbh) snags per acre within burned forest created by stand-replacing fire. Twenty-four 

inches dbh was used to separate medium from large trees rather than 30 inches dbh 

because common stand exam data available for this project was separated at 24 inches 

dbh.

Current Condition of the Habitat Factor(s) in the Project Area: Prior to the Rim 

Fire, there were very few acres of burned forest suitable for black-backed woodpeckers 

within the Rim Recovery analysis area. Exact acres could not be calculated because snag 

retention from previous fires and the associated projects were based on numbers of snags, 

not acres of snag patches. However, only low snag densities were retained and many of 

those snags have likely fallen. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that there were very 

few acres of burned forest suitable for black-backed woodpeckers prior to the Rim Fire. 

The Rim Fire increased snags in burned forest habitat to 27,614 acres in Stanislaus 

National Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area. Most of the burned forest habitat 

created by the Rim Fire is in the Sierra mixed conifer habitat type (Table 13). Within the 

Rim Recovery cumulative analysis area, there are now 51,170 acres of snags in burned 

forest habitat.

Data Used for the Effects Analysis: The following tables will be used in the 

discussions of effects of Alternatives 1-4 on snags in burned forest:

Table 12. Post-fire black-backed woodpecker habitat proposed for treatment in 

Stanislaus National Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area. 

Salvage Hazard Tree

Total 

Treatment

Acres % of Treatment Acres % of Treatment Acres

Alternative 1 16,099 92 1,362 8 17,461

Alternative 2 0 0 0 0 0

Alternative 3 15,311 92 1,322 8 16,633

Alternative 4 13,640 89 1,621 11 15,261

Table 13. Summary of snags in burned forest (black-backed woodpecker habitat) acres in 

Stanislaus National Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area.

CWHR Post-Fire

Alternative 1 

Post-Action

Alternative 2 

(No Action)

Alternative 3 

Post-Action

Alternative 4 

Post-Action

JPN 3 M,D 15 12 15 9 11

JPN 4,5 M,D 29 21 29 21 22

LPN 3 M,D 86 43 86 32 32

LPN 4,5 M,D 287 130 287 100 100

PPN 3 M,D 1,843 1,286 1,843 1,231 1,237

PPN 4,5 M,D 5,759 2,066 5,759 2,171 2,230
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RFR 3 M,D 0 0 0 0 0

RFR 4,5 M,D 1 1 1 1 1

SMC 3 M,D 1,747 1,138 1,747 1,138 1,222

SMC 4,5 M,D 17,757 5,445 17,757 6,260 7,473

WFR 3 M,D 0 0 0 0 0

WFR 4,5 M,D 91 12 91 18 27

Total 27,614 10,153 27,614 10,981 12,354

Change From 

Post-Fire: 

-17,461

Change From 

Post-Fire: 

0

Change From 

Post-Fire: 

-16,633

Change From 

Post-Fire: 

-15,261

Table 14. Estimates of pre-fire, post-fire, and post-treatment snags per acre in blackbacked woodpecker habitat within the Rim Recovery analysis area (Stanislaus National 

Forest only). 

Snag Size

PreFirePostFire

Alternative 

1 PostAction

Alternative 

2 (No 

Action)

Alternative 

3 PostAction

Alternative 

4 PostAction

Snags/ac. 15-24"dbh 6 38 4 38 7 7

Snags/ac. >24" dbh 3 21 4 21 4 4

Post-action estimates were derived from acres within salvage units only. We assumed no snags would 

remain in hazard tree areas, so estimates of snags per acre would be lower if hazard tree areas were 

included. In salvage units, we assumed that only the number of snags given in the management

requirements for mixed conifer would remain post action (red fir only represented 2% of all the CWHR 

types in black-backed woodpecker habitat so snag retention requirements for mixed conifer were used 

to obtain estimates). Because black-backed woodpecker habitat included tree size class as small as 3, 

we could not be certain what size class would be available to achieve snag retention requirements. So, 

when estimating post-action estimates of snags per acre, we allocated half of the snag retention 

requirement to the medium (15 to 24 inches dbh) snags category, and half to the large (greater than 24 

inches dbh) snags category.

Table 15. Acres of black-backed woodpecker habitat by land ownership within the Rim Recovery 

cumulative analysis area.

Stanislaus NF Yosemite NP BLM* Private Total

Acres Post-Fire 27,614 17,479 17 6,060 51,170

*Bureau of Land Management
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Table 16. Acres of salvage and hazard tree removal in black-backed woodpecker (BBWO) habitat 

within the Rim Recovery cumulative analysis area. 

Post-Fire 

BBWO Acres 

in Rim 

Recovery 

Cumulative 

Analysis Area

BBWO Acres 

Proposed for 

Salvage or Hazard 

Tree Removal in 

Rim Recovery 

Project

BBWO Acres 

in All Other 

Salvage or 

Hazard Tree 

Projects* 

Total BBWO 

Acres Salvaged 

or in Hazard 

Tree Projects

% BBWO 

Acres 

Salvaged or 

in Hazard 

Tree Projects

Alternative 1 51,170 17,461 8,473 25,934 51

Alternative 2 51,170 0 8,473 8,473 17

Alternative 3 51,170 16,633 8,473 25,106 49

Alternative 4 51,170 15,261 8,473 23,734 46

*43 acres of BBWO habitat in Yosemite National Park hazard tree areas.

*6,060 acres of BBWO habitat in private land.

*2,370 acres of BBWO habitat in the Rim Fire Hazard Trees project.

For the cumulative salvage and hazard tree analysis, we assumed no acres would be salvaged in 

Yosemite National Park except for 817 acres of hazard tree removal (43 acres within black-backed 

woodpecker habitat), no acres would be salvaged in BLM land, and all acres would be salvaged in 

private land (see Rim Fire Recovery FEIS (USDA Forest Service 2014) for full list of projects). Burned 

Area Emergency Response (BAER) treatments were considered but did not count towards acres of 

habitat affected because only immediate hazards were felled and there was no way to accurately 

calculate acres affected.

Alternative 1 (Proposed Action)

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. Removal of snags in salvage units and hazard 

tree areas would be the primary effect to black-backed woodpecker habitat in Alternative 

1 of the Rim Recovery Project. Alternative 1 would negatively affect the greatest amount 

of black-backed woodpecker habitat of all the alternatives in this report. Within blackbacked woodpecker habitat, Alternative 1 proposes approximately 16,099 acres of 

salvage harvest (92% of total treatment) and 1,362 acres of hazard tree treatment (8% of 

total treatment; Table 12). Total treatment would be 17,461 acres out of the 27,614 acres 

(63%) of black-backed woodpecker habitat in Stanislaus National Forest within the Rim 

Recovery analysis area (Tables 12 and 13). 

In salvage units, we assume that only 4 snags per acre would remain post-action because 

that is the retention level specified for mixed conifer in the management requirements. 

Medium sized snags would be reduced from approximately 38 per acre to 4 per acre. 

Large snags would be reduced from approximately 21 per acre to 4 per acre (Table 14). 

For this analysis we assume no snags per acre would remain in hazard tree areas, 

although some snags would likely not be hazardous and could be left standing. If some 

snags remained standing, they could potentially provide additional acres of habitat and 

snags per acre to the numbers presented in this report. 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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35

There would be less than 1 acre of new road construction within black-backed 

woodpecker habitat outside of salvage units and hazard tree removal areas; all other new 

road construction would be within salvage units or hazard tree removal areas so would

not count towards additional acres of affected habitat. 

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. Black-backed woodpecker 

habitat within the Rim Recovery cumulative analysis area is displayed by ownership in 

Table 15. These acres form the baseline of the cumulative effects analysis.

Salvage and hazard tree projects within black-backed woodpecker habitat that would be 

additional to the Rim Recovery Project include: the Forest Service’s Rim Fire Hazard 

Trees (2,370 acres affected), Yosemite National Park hazard trees (43 acres affected), and 

private land salvage/hazard trees (6,060 acres affected). Total acres affected by salvage 

and hazard tree projects including the Rim Recovery Project would be 25,934 (51%; 

Table 16). 

For this analysis we assume no snags per acre would remain in the areas described above, 

although in hazard tree areas, some snags would likely not be hazardous and could be left 

standing. We also assume all snags in private land would be removed, although nontimber industry owned private land would likely leave some snags standing. Therefore, a 

high estimate of black-backed woodpecker habitat removed following Alternative 1 and 

all other present and foreseeable actions would be 25,934 acres (51%). There would be 

25,236 acres (49%) of black-backed woodpecker habitat remaining.

There are 115 acres of present and foreseeable green forest projects within black-backed 

woodpecker habitat (see Rim Fire Recovery FEIS (USDA Forest Service 2014) for a full 

list of projects and justification regarding the consideration of past actions). Green 

thinning projects account for 97 of those acres. Green thinning would not change acres 

of burned forest habitat because the focus of those projects would be to thin green forest 

without converting vegetation type, size, or canopy cover. Snag removal would be 

minimal and would generally only occur for safety concerns. There are 18 acres of 

restoration activities within black-backed woodpecker habitat that would not change snag 

density, vegetation type, size, or canopy cover. 

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: The Rim Fire created approximately 51,170 

acres of black-backed woodpecker habitat. Although Alternative 1 in 

combination with all other present and foreseeable actions would reduce suitable 

habitat by 25,934 acres (51%), there would be 25,236 acres (49%) remaining. 

Due to the large amount of black-backed woodpecker habitat retained, Alternative 

1 would not alter the existing trend in the ecosystem component. 

Alternative 2 (No Action)

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. There would be no removal of trees, road 

construction, or any other project activities under the no action alternative. Because 

black-backed woodpeckers are positively associated with high densities of snags
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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36

(Vierling et al. 2008, Forristal 2009), the no action alternative would benefit blackbacked woodpecker habitat more than all other alternatives discussed in this report. 

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. Under Alternative 2, no removal 

of trees, road construction, or any other project activities would occur as part of the Rim 

Recovery Project. We assume all of the other salvage and hazard tree projects described 

in Alternative 1 cumulative effects would still occur. This would result in a loss of 8,473 

acres (17%) of black-backed woodpecker habitat (Table 16). There would be 42,697 

acres (83%) of black-backed woodpecker habitat remaining. 

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: Because of the large amount of black-backed 

woodpecker habitat retained (42,697 acres; 83%), Alternative 2 would not alter 

the existing trend in the ecosystem component. 

Alternative 3

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. Snag removal in salvage units and hazard tree 

areas would be the primary effect to black-backed woodpecker habitat in Alternative 3 of 

the Rim Recovery Project. Alternative 3 would negatively affect less black-backed 

woodpecker habitat than Alternative 1, but more than the other alternatives discussed in 

this document. Alternative 3 proposes approximately 15,311 acres of salvage harvest 

(92% of total treatment) and 1,322 acres of hazard tree area (8% of total treatment) within 

black-backed woodpecker habitat (Table 12). Total treatment would be 16,633 acres out 

of the 27,614 acres (60%) of black-backed woodpecker habitat in Stanislaus National 

Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area (Tables 12 and 13). 

In salvage units, we assume that only 4 snags per acre would remain post-action in 

general forest; 30 square feet of snag basal area in Old Forest Emphasis Area, Home 

Range Core Area, Forest Carnivore Connectivity Corridor, and high salvage study units 

of the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW); and 120 square 

feet of snag basal area in PSW’s low salvage study units. These are the retention levels

specified in the management requirements for Alternative 3. Of black-backed 

woodpecker habitat within salvage units, 54% is in general forest, 41% is in the 30 square 

foot basal area category, and 4% is in the 120 square foot basal area category. For 

consistency in this report, snag basal area was converted to snags per acre using the 

methods described in Section 5 of this document. Results show that in salvage units 

under Alternative 3, medium sized snags would be reduced from approximately 38 per 

acre to 7 per acre. Large snags would be reduced from approximately 21 per acre to 4 

per acre (Table 14). For this analysis we assume no snags per acre would remain in 

hazard tree areas, although some snags would likely not be hazardous and could be left 

standing. If some snags remained standing, they could potentially provide additional 

acres of habitat and snags per acre to the numbers presented in this report. 

Outside of salvage units and hazard tree removal areas, there would be no acres of new 

road construction within black-backed woodpecker habitat; all new road construction 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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37

would be within salvage units or hazard tree removal areas so would not count towards 

additional acres of affected habitat. 

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. We assume all of the present and 

foreseeable salvage and hazard tree projects described in Alternative 1 cumulative effects 

would occur. Total acres affected by salvage and hazard tree projects including the Rim 

Recovery Project under Alternative 3 would be 25,106 (49%; Table 16). There would be 

26,064 acres (51%) of black-backed woodpecker habitat remaining. 

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: The Rim Fire created approximately 51,170 

acres of black-backed woodpecker habitat. Although Alternative 3 in 

combination with all other present and foreseeable actions would reduce suitable 

habitat by 25,106 acres (49%), there would be 26,064 acres (51%) remaining. 

Due to the large amount of black-backed woodpecker habitat retained, Alternative 

3 would not alter the existing trend in the ecosystem component. 

Alternative 4

Direct and Indirect Effects to Habitat. Removal of snags in salvage units and hazard 

tree areas would be the primary effect to black-backed woodpecker habitat in Alternative 

4 of the Rim Recovery Project. Alternative 4 would retain the most black-backed 

woodpecker habitat of all action alternatives in this report. Under Alternative 4, 

approximately 13,640 acres would be proposed for salvage harvest (89% of total 

treatment) and 1,621 acres would be proposed for hazard tree treatment (11% of total 

treatment) within black-backed woodpecker habitat (Table 12). Total treatment would be 

15,261 acres out of the 27,614 acres (55%) of black-backed woodpecker habitat in 

Stanislaus National Forest within the Rim Recovery analysis area (Tables 12 and 13). 

In salvage units, we assume that only 4 snags per acre would remain post-action in 

general forest; 30 square feet of snag basal area in Old Forest Emphasis Area, Home 

Range Core Area, Forest Carnivore Connectivity Corridor, and high salvage study units 

of the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW); and 120 square 

feet of snag basal area in PSW’s low salvage study units. These are the retention levels 

specified in the management requirements for Alternative 4. Of black-backed 

woodpecker habitat within salvage units, 54% is in general forest, 41% is in the 30 square 

foot basal area category, and 5% is in the 120 square foot basal area category. For 

consistency in this report, snag basal area was converted to snags per acre using the 

methods described in Section 5 of this document. Results show that in salvage units 

under Alternative 4, medium sized snags would be reduced from approximately 38 per 

acre to 7 per acre. Large snags would be reduced from approximately 21 per acre to 4 

per acre (Table 14). For this analysis we assume no snags per acre would remain in 

hazard tree areas, although some snags would likely not be hazardous and could be left 

standing. If some snags remained standing, they could potentially provide additional 

acres of habitat and snags per acre to the numbers presented in this report. 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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No new road construction would take place within black-backed woodpecker habitat 

outside of salvage units or hazard tree removal areas; all new road construction would be 

within salvage units or hazard tree removal areas so would not count towards additional 

acres of affected habitat.

Cumulative Effects to Habitat in the Analysis Area. We assume all of the present and 

foreseeable salvage and hazard tree projects described in Alternative 1 cumulative effects 

would occur. Total acres affected by salvage and hazard tree projects including the Rim 

Recovery Project under Alternative 4 would be 23,734 (46%; Table 16). There would be 

27,436 acres of black-backed woodpecker habitat remaining.

Cumulative Effects Conclusion: The Rim Fire created approximately 51,170 

acres of black-backed woodpecker habitat. Although Alternative 4 in 

combination with all other present and foreseeable actions would reduce suitable 

habitat by 23,734 acres, there would be 27,436 acres remaining. Due to the large 

amount of black-backed woodpecker habitat retained, Alternative 4 would not 

alter the existing trend in the ecosystem component. 

Summary of Black-backed Woodpecker Status and Trend at the Bioregional Scale

The Stanislaus NF LRMP (as amended by the SNF MIS Amendment) requires bioregional-scale 

habitat and distribution population monitoring for the black-backed woodpecker; hence, the 

snags effects analysis for the Rim Recovery Project must be informed by both habitat and 

distribution population monitoring data. The sections below summarize the habitat and 

distribution population status and trend data for the black-backed woodpecker. This information

is drawn from the detailed information on habitat and distribution population trends in the 2010 

SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a), which is hereby incorporated by 

reference.

Ecosystem Component Status and Trend. The current average number of mediumsized and large-sized snags (> 15" dbh, all decay classes) per acre across major 

coniferous and hardwood forest types (westside mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, white fir, 

productive hardwoods, red fir, eastside pine) in the Sierra Nevada ranges from 1.5 per 

acre in eastside pine to 9.1 per acre in white fir. In 2008, snags in these forest types 

ranged from 1.4 per acre in eastside pine to 8.3 per acre in white fir (USDA Forest 

Service 2008). 

Data from the early-to-mid 2000s were compared with the current data to calculate the 

trend in total snags per acre by Regional forest type for the 10 Sierra Nevada national 

forests and indicate that, during this period, snags per acre increased within westside 

mixed conifer (+0.76), white fir (+2.66), productive hardwoods (+0.35), and red fir 

(+1.25) and decreased within ponderosa pine (-0.16) and eastside pine (-0.14). 

Detailed information by forest type, snag size, and snag decay class can be found in the 

2010 SNF Bioregional MIS Report (USDA Forest Service 2010a).
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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39

These data include snags in both green forest and burned forest. Between 2000 and 2007, 

211,000 acres underwent severe burn and 176,000 acres underwent moderate burn in the 

Sierra Nevada. 

The table below displays information from the Forest Service regional cumulative effects 

analysis for black-backed woodpeckers in California (USDA Forest Service 2013):

Table 17. Amount of burned suitable Black-backed Woodpecker habitat that has been subsequently 

treated (tree removal) or untreated (no tree removal) within the range of the Black-backed 

Woodpecker in California from fires occurring in 2005-2012 of different burn severity categories (high, 

moderate, and low). Treated acres from 2012 fires are estimated based on proposed salvage work 

occurring in 2013 on 12,398 acres in suitable Black-backed Woodpecker habitat. Data are broken 

down by landowner (Forest Service, National Park Service, and Other) or summed for “all” lands. 

Treated Untreated Total Percent Treated

Burn 

severity

Hi/M/ 

Lo

Hi/M Hi/M/ 

Lo

Hi/M Hi/M/ 

Lo

Hi/M Hi/M/ 

Lo

Hi/M

FS lands a 41,326 38,100 743,106 390,446 784,432 428,546 5.3% 8.9%

NPS lands b 0 0 40,744 23,448 40,744 23,448 0.0% 0.0%

Other 

lands c 124,590 91,591 0 0 124,590 91,591 100.0% 100.0%

All lands d 165,916 129,690 783,850 413,894 949,766 543,584 17.5% 23.9%

a Treated values include 12,398 acres that burned in 2012 and are proposed for treatment in 2013. The burn severity is 

not known for the 12,398 acres, so they are included in BOTH burn severity categories.

b For NPS lands we assumed no burned acres were treated. Only fires that burned on both Forest Service and NPS lands 

are included (see text) so we likely underestimate untreated acres.

c For Other lands we assumed that all of the burned acres were treated. 

d For All lands we summed values for FS, NPS, and Other lands.

Population Status and Trend. Monitoring of the black-backed woodpecker across the 

10 National Forests in the Sierra Nevada has been conducted since 2008 in partnership 

with the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) (USDA Forest Service 2010a, 

http://www.birdpop.org/Sierra/bbwo.htm). In 2008, black-backed woodpeckers were 

detected at 68 survey stations distributed across 10 of the 19 fire areas surveyed. In 2009, 

black-backed woodpeckers were detected at 169 survey station distributed across 28 of 

the 51 fire areas surveyed. In both years, occupied sites were well distributed across the 

Sierra Nevada national forests, included burned areas of a variety of sizes, and included 

areas 1 to 10 years post-fire. These data indicate that black-backed woodpeckers 

continue to be distributed across the 10 Sierra Nevada National Forests. Additionally, 

mean occupancy probability for stations surveyed during 2009 was 0.253 (95% credible 

interval: 0.222 – 0.289); applying this probability across the 10 national forests yields an 

estimate that approximately 81,814 ha (25.3%) (range of 71,921 – 93,610 ha) of the 

323,358 ha of burned forest (burned between 1999 and 2008) on the ten national forest 

units within monitoring area was occupied by Black-backed Woodpeckers in 2009. In 
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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40

addition, the black-backed woodpeckers continue to be surveyed in the Sierra Nevada at 

various sample locations by avian point count, spot mapping, mist-net, and breeding bird 

survey protocols. These are summarized in the 2008 Bioregional Monitoring Report 

(USDA Forest Service 2008). Current data at the rangewide, California, and Sierra 

Nevada scales indicate that the distribution of black-backed woodpecker populations in 

the Sierra Nevada is stable.

Relationship of Project-Level Habitat Impacts to Bioregional-Scale Black-Backed 

Woodpecker Trend. As described in the effects analyses under each alternative, a large 

amount of black-backed woodpecker habitat would be retained under all alternatives. The 

reduction in black-backed woodpecker habitat on up to 17,461 acres out of the 27,614 acres of 

habitat within the analysis area would not alter the existing trend in black-backed woodpecker

habitat, nor would it lead to a change in the distribution of black-backed woodpeckers across the 

Sierra Nevada bioregion.
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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Appendix A

The table below displays the method used for converting pre-fire CWHR (2005) to post-fire 

CWHR for the Rim Recovery Project. The U.S. Forest Service Region 5 Regional Office 
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provided guidance on this methodology based on the habitat types that occur within the Rim 

Recovery Project cumulative analysis area. 

CWHR Vegetation

Type

% Basal 

Area

Mortality

Post-Fire Typing Convention

Sierran Mixed Conifer 

(SMC)

Douglas-Fir (DFR)

White Fir (WFR)

Red Fir (RFR)

Ponderosa Pine (PPN)

Jeffrey Pine (JPN)

Lodgepole Pine (LPN)

Subalpine Conifer (SCN)

0-25 No change

25-50 No change in type or size but, density D or M to P, P 

to S, and S stays S

50-75 No change in type or size class but, density D or M or 

P to S, and S stays S

75-90 Change type to MCP, but size to 1 and density to 

“null”

> 90 Change type to MCP, but size to 1 and density to 

“null”

Montane HardwoodConifer (MHC)

0-25 No change

25-50 No change in type or size, but density D to M, M to P, 

P to S, and S stays S

50-75 No change in type or size, but density D or M to S, P 

or S to S

75-90 No change in type, but size to 1 and density D or M or 

P to S

> 90 No change in type, but size to 1 and density D or M or 

P to S

Perennial Grassland 

(PGS)

Cropland (CRC)

Mixed Chaparral (MCH)

Montane Chaparral 

(MCP)

Wet Meadow (WTM)

Pasture (PAS)

Annual Grassland (AGS)

Barren (BAR)

Urban (URB)

Water (WAT)

0-100 No Change

Blue Oak Woodland 

(BOW)

Blue Oak-Foothill Pine 

(BOP)

Montane Riparian (MRI)

Montane Hardwood 

(MHW)

0-25 No change

25-50 No change in type or size, but density D or M to P, P 

to S, and S stays S

50-75 No change in type or size, but density D or M or P to 

S, S stays S

75-90 No change in type, but size to 1 and density D or M or 

P to S
Stanislaus National Forest, Rim Fire Recovery, Management Indicator Species Report 

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Aspen (ASP) > 90 No change in type, but size to 1 and density D or M or 

P to S