Management Indicator Species Review

First 48 Roadside Fuelbreak Collaborative Project

Mad River Ranger District

Six Rivers National Forest

November 14, 2017

Under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), the Forest Service is directed to “provide 

for diversity of plant and animal communities based on the suitability and capability of the 

specific land area in order to meet overall multiple-use objectives” (PL 94-588, Sec 6 (g) (3) 

(B)). The 1982 regulations implementing NFMA require that “Fish and wildlife habitat shall be 

managed to maintain viable populations of existing native and desired non-native vertebrate 

species in the planning area.” (36 CFR 219.19) Management Indicator Species (MIS) is a 

concept used by the agency to serve as a barometer for species viability at the Forest level. 

Population changes of MIS are believed to indicate the effects of management activities. 

The Forest Land Management and Resource Plan for the Six Rivers National Forest uses 

Management Indicator Species (MIS) to assess potential effects of project activities on the 

various habitats and habitat assemblages with which these species are associated. Forty-one fish 

and wildlife species have been selected as MIS or assemblages for a variety of habitats that are 

potentially affected by resource management activities on the Forest (LRMP IV-97). For the 

analysis associated with this project, specific MIS were addressed based on their potential to 

occur within the project area and the potential for suitable habitat to be affected by project 

activities. Table 1 lists the MIS and assemblages occurring on the Six Rivers National Forest, 

and those known or thought to occur within the project area based on habitat suitability, survey 

results, or incidental sighting records. Habitat suitability evaluations were made using the 

California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System, Version 8.2 software, developed by the 

California Department of Fish and Wildlife. In addition habitat evaluations were made utilizing 

Six Rivers National Forest Wildlife Sighting Database, Six Rivers National Forest Vegetation 

Layer, field reviews, and Forest GIS Vegetation Layers.

Table 1. Management Indicator Species and Habitat Assemblages – Six Rivers NF

MIS Species and Habitat 

Assemblages

Habitat is Affected by the 

Project

Habitat is in or adjacent to 

the project areas, but is not 

directly or indirectly 

affected by the project

Habitat is not in or 

adjacent to the project 

area and is not directly 

affected by the project

Individual Species

Northern Spotted Owl

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Pileated woodpecker

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Black Bear

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

American marten 

No Detections of American 

Marten on MRRD

Fisher

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects
MIS Species and Habitat 

Assemblages

Habitat is Affected by the 

Project

Habitat is in or adjacent to 

the project areas, but is not 

directly or indirectly 

affected by the project

Habitat is not in or 

adjacent to the project 

area and is not directly 

affected by the project

Black-tailed deer

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Southern torrent salamander

Habitat is in or adjacent to the 

project area, but will not be 

directly or indirectly affected

Marsh/ Lake/ Pond/ Assemblage

California red-legged frog

No suitable habitat present in 

project area

Western pond turtle

No suitable habitat present in 

project area

Wood duck

No suitable habitat present in 

project area

River/Stream/Creek Assemblage

Cutthroat trout

No suitable habitat present in 

project area

Steelhead/rainbow trout

Suitable habitat for resident 

rainbow trout – minor 

sedimentation but no adverse 

effects.

Tailed frog

No suitable habitat present in 

project area

Summer steelhead

No suitable habitat present in 

project area

Common merganser

No suitable habitat present in 

project area

Ruffed grouse

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Winter wren (now known as the 

pacific wren)

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

American dipper

Habitat is in or adjacent to the 

project area, but will not be 

directly or in directly affected

Yellow-breasted chat

Habitat is in or adjacent to the 

project area, but will not be 

directly or in directly affected

Tanoak/Madrone Assemblage

Hammond's Flycatcher

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Western Tanager

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Black-headed grosbeak

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Snag Assemblage

Flammulated Owl

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Western screech owl

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Red-breasted sapsucker

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Downy woodpecker

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Hairy woodpecker

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects
MIS Species and Habitat 

Assemblages

Habitat is Affected by the 

Project

Habitat is in or adjacent to 

the project areas, but is not 

directly or indirectly 

affected by the project

Habitat is not in or 

adjacent to the project 

area and is not directly 

affected by the project

White-headed woodpecker

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Vaux's swift

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Brown creeper

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Western bluebird

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Douglas squirrel

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Down Woody Debris Assemblage

Arboreal salamander

Habitat will not be affected by the 

project

Clouded salamander

Habitat will not be affected by the 

project

Blue grouse

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Dusky-footed wood rat

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Western fence lizard

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Black Oak/White Oak Assemblage

Acorn woodpecker

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Scrub jay

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Lazuli bunting

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

Western gray squirrel

Suitable habitat - No adverse 

affects

The majority of the project area is forested habitat. Seral stages range from pole to mid-mature 

stands with small patches of late-mature and old growth. 

Project Summary

Approximately 821 acres of conifer/hardwood stands, through hazard fuel reduction, oak 

woodland restoration, and plantation thinning. Specifically, this project consists of 

approximately 215 acres of fuel reduction treatments (unshaded fuelbreak); 461 acres of shaded 

fuelbreak, 37 acres of oak woodland maintenance; and 108 acres of plantations. 

The Proposed Action represents an opportunity for the Forest Service and members of the Trinity 

County Collaborative (TCC) to co-develop, establish, and maintain shaded roadside fuelbreaks 

along Forest Service roads (FSRs) classified as Maintenance Level (ML) 2 and 3, open to the 

public, visitors, and firefighters during a wildfire.

The Proposed Action would alter live and dead surface, ladder and crown fuels on approximately 

821 acres on national forest land over the next 15 years. Implementation would be phased 

beginning with application of mechanical treatments (thin from below and mastication), 
following by manual (hand) cutting and piling, pruning, and/or lopping and scattering woody 

debris, periodic prescribed jackpot burning and underburning in oak woodlands between three 

(3) to five (5) years apart. Fuelbreak maintenance using primarily mastication would occur as 

needed to cut and shred vegetative sprouting, accumulated forest litter, and natural regeneration 

(tree seedlings).

The fuelbreak treatments would primarily occur within 150 feet on each side of National Forest 

Transportation System (NFTS) roads (02S02, 2S47, 2S48, 2S49, 2S50, 2S51, 2S52, and 2S53) 

and one motorized trail (8E20); and within 300 feet of FSR 1S23 on the SRNF side of South 

Fork Mountain, the boundary between the SRNF and Shasta-Trinity National Forest (STNF). 

Width of the buffer on either side of the road may vary based on topography, vegetative types 

and distribution and recent fire history, but generally would not exceed 300-feet total width (e.g., 

if conditions lend to a wider treatment on the uphill side, the uphill side may be treated up to 275 

feet from the road and the downhill side would be treated 25 feet from the road). The minimum 

treatment area along either side of the road would be 25 feet.

In areas where the roadside fuelbreaks intersect plantations and oak woodland stands, treatments 

would be applied to the entire oak woodland and plantation stands. As high tree densities in 

plantations tend to torch at high intensities, an additional 150-foot fuelbreak buffer or flank 

treatment would be established around them.

In the areas burned by high-intensity wildfire in 2011, proposed treatments target hazardous fuels 

reduction to decrease post-fire, jackstraw snags and dead woody material.

The proposed treatments considered in this project are designed in accordance with the TCC’s 

“proof of concept” criteria as follows:

 Thin existing stands to retain the best, healthiest trees that have a high canopy capacity 

(those with the strongest crown to bole ratio, have the highest needle or leaf cover and 

provide the most shade to the forest floor), capable of maintaining those objectives for a 

long period of time.

 Designate for removal suppressed, intermediate, and codominant conifer trees that 

compete with the best, healthiest trees that have a high canopy capacity, retaining trees 

per acre (TPA) objective by stand type.

 Reduce fuel loading to consistent with the Six Rivers National Forest (SRNF) Land and 

Resource Management Plan (LRMP or forest plan), including brush and down logs, 

maintaining largest downed wood to meet soil and terrestrial wildlife standards and 

guidelines incorporated into the project design features (PDFs).

 Outside the dripline of larger trees designated for retention, provide for crown 

separation to prevent torching, while retaining vigorous clumps of healthy intermediate 

mixed conifer trees to provide for more complex stand diversity and a source of future 

mature trees.
 Retain hardwood trees. Thin hardwood clumps to one to three dominant stems where 

appropriate.

 Trees that provide valuable wildlife structures would be considered as part of the shade 

retention objective.

 No new temporary road construction is permitted. Reuse of existing skid trails, 

temporary roads and Forest Service roads classified ML 1, closed roads opened 

temporarily to expedite operations, would be prioritized.

 Directional tree felling and cable end lining would occur in areas requiring limited 

skidding.

 Where fuel reduction prescriptions result in utilizable material, products such as 

sawlogs, post and poles, commercial and personal firewood would be offered.

 Roadside decking and reuse of existing landings and turnouts would occur. New 

landings on roads would be considered on a limited basis, but would not be located in 

riparian reserves.

 Retain all snags greater than 20-inch dbh (diameter at breast height), unless the snag 

would jeopardize the effectiveness of the fuelbreak or could be considered a hazard 

tree. Hazard trees that meet the Region 5 Hazard Tree Guidelines (April 2012 Report # 

RO-12-01) would be felled and removed or, if unmerchantable, would be left on-site 

for coarse down wood retention. Snags not considered a hazard that are located greater 

than 100 feet from a road may be left standing to be utilized by wildlife, or felled and 

left onsite limbed with bole unbucked.

Developing, Establishing and Maintaining Shaded Fuelbreaks

The proposed treatments apply to a diverse range of fuel conditions associated with variable fuel 

profiles, vegetative types, tree densities and age, and crown classes. The following presents the 

proposed treatment methods under two overarching categories—shaded fuelbreaks and unshaded 

fuelbreaks.

Project Design Features, Wildlife:

 Shaded fuelbreak construction may occur in suitable threatened, endangered and sensitive 

species habitat. All predominant or dominant trees would be retained. Canopy closure would 

be maintained at 60 percent or greater in all treatment areas.

 The project would not remove potential threatened, endangered, and sensitive species nest 

trees (predominant or dominant trees) or affect the canopy around potential nest trees in 

suitable nesting/roosting habitat.

 Treatments in suitable NSO habitat within 0.5 miles of AC 347 will maintain all overstory 

trees, existing snags (20′′ dbh or greater) unless they pose a safety hazard, and downed logs 

(20′′ dbh or greater and 10 feet long). Only understory brush and small diameter trees less 
than 8-inch dbh maybe manually cut. Snags felled for safety reasons would be left on site. 

These restrictions apply to the following units: 413, 414. 415. 416, 419, the eastern half of 

420 and the southern half of 806.

 Directional falling away from “leave trees” would be required to protect them from 

incidental breakage during felling operations.

 Snags and logs would be retained as per SRNF LRMP, S&Gs Table IV-8, and Appendix L 

(Treatments within Late Successional Reserves (LSRs)), riparian reserves, units within 

Critical Habitat, and suitable northern spotted owl habitat (regardless of land allocation) 

would maintain snags (20-inch dbh and greater or the largest available in younger seral 

stages) and downed logs (20 inches and greater and at least 10 feet long or the largest 

available) at the 80 to 100 percent level, unless they pose a safety hazard or would not meet 

fuel treatment objectives.

 Surveys for the northern spotted owl (NSO) have been conducted to determine occupancy 

and nesting status. Prohibit all timber harvest, heavy equipment use, chainsaw use, and 

smoke producing activities within 0.25 miles of known NSO activity centers (AC) from 

February 1 through July 31 (Appendix A). Surveys to protocol would continue for the life of 

the project or additional seasonal restrictions would be imposed on any treatment in or within 

0.25 miles of nesting/roosting habitat. A September 15 LOP would be used in occupied 

(breeding pair) or nesting/roosting habitat if no surveys are conducted.

 One mapped NSO AC, #237, within this project occurs near FSR 2S48, where a nest tree is 

located approximately 75 feet outside the treatment unit. Although no NSO detections have 

been recorded since 1992, in order to protect the nest tree and maintain the effectiveness of 

the fuelbreak, hazardous fuel reduction treatments would limited to within 50 feet of the 

road, following the standard fuelbreak prescription described above.

 Surveys for goshawk in the project have been conducted, with no detections. If nesting 

goshawks are subsequently found within 0.25 miles of any treatment units, prohibit all timber 

harvest, heavy equipment use, chainsaw use, and smoke producing activities within 0.25 

miles of the occupied site between March 1 and August 31.

 Surveys for fisher, marten and wolverine have been conducted and fishers have been detected 

in three (3) areas. Although no den sites have been located, prohibit all timber harvest 

activities including heavy equipment use, chainsaw use, and smoke producing activities 

within 0.25 miles of fisher suitable denning habitat around detection areas from February 1 to 

May 31 (Appendix A).

 In early seral-stage stands lacking downed woody debris (shrub and pole seral stages), small 

diameter slash would be piled and left on site to provide cover for small mammals, birds, 

reptiles and amphibians. The size of the piles would vary depending on the availability of 

slash; however, the preferred size is at least 6 feet in diameter and 4- to 6-feet tall. Small 

diameter debris decomposes quickly, so large piles may have greater longevity. The number 

of piles per acre would be dependent on the location and potential fire risk. In high public-
use areas, only one (1) or two (2) piles per acre would be left in the stand. In other areas, 

three (3) to four (4) piles per acre would be left in the stand. No piles would be left within 

100 feet of roads.

Effects of the Proposed Action on MIS

The project will not adversely impact MIS. The project is designed to improve habitat 

conditions through the acceleration of late-successional habitat characteristics, while still 

maintaining current functional habitat. Potential impacts to MIS species would be minimized 

through the Design Features listed in this document and adherence of LRMP Standards and 

Guidelines including: 1) Retention of snags and downed logs would be retained at 80-100% of 

the average numbers found within mature and old growth stands within the Forest; any snag 

felled for safety reasons will be left on site as downed woody debris; 2) limited ground 

disturbance; 3) canopy closure will be maintained at 60% or greater in late-successional habitat; 

and 4) vegetation species diversity and composition will be maintained. 

Reduction in canopy density in may result in small local changes in microclimate in the short 

term prior to remaining tree crown improvement, but the changes will not increase overall stream 

and ambient air temperatures. Removal of a portion of the conifer stand is expected to result in 

the establishment of hardwoods and a multi-story canopy in the even-aged conifer stands, 

improving the canopy density and shade for MIS. These indirect effects will lead to improved 

habitat function in the riparian and upland habitat areas. 

Because of the projects proximity on ridge tops the “riparian areas” are predominantly 

intermittent and ephemeral stream courses and do not have true riparian habitat; therefore, there 

is limited habitat for riparian obligates within the project with the exception of the lower reaches 

of Littlefield and Johnathon creeks which provided intermittent habitat to aquatic species. Due to 

limited project activities in riparian reserves and 60-plus percent canopy outside of riparian 

reserves, stream temperature would not be affected. Some small amount of sediment may be 

generated by road maintenance and decommissioning activities during project implementation, 

but these activities are expected to reduce sediment production in the long term thereby 

maintaining and slightly improving stream habitat for resident rainbow trout. 

In addition, although the winter (Pacific) wren is listed within the riparian assemblage; suitable 

habitat also exists outside the riparian. There will be minor habitat degradation for understory 

species within the project areas through the removal of brush and small diameter (less than 8” 

dbh) trees; however in the long term, reduction of fuel ladders in these areas will improve 

adjacent habitat areas resilience to fire disturbance. Canopy closure will be maintained at 60-

70% or greater, vegetation species diversity and composition will be maintained, and retention of 

snags and downed logs would be retained at 80-100% of the average numbers found within 

mature and old growth stands within the Forest. 

Jackpot burning may also cause short-term habitat degradation through the loss of small woody 

debris; however, burning will occur under specific weather and moisture condition designed to 

minimize damage to the residual stand, maintain large woody debris, and maintain at least 50% 

of the duff layer. Some minor local increases in fuels may occur from slash, but due to the low 
level of harvest and proposed post-harvest fuel treatments, fuel loading will not be a threat to the 

RRs or upland areas. 

Historical records and fire evidence show that fires regularly occurred in this area with a variety 

of fire frequencies and intensities. Both wildfires and their exclusion through aggressive 

suppression affect plant and animal habitat, including stand structure, number of standing snags, 

amount of large woody debris, soil organic matter content, nutrient availability, and erosion 

hazard. 

The dramatic reduction in wildfire burn acreages over the last 80 years appears to have resulted 

in unnatural fuel profiles that are more continuous, both horizontally and vertically. Given this 

increased conifer density, future wildfires could become larger and more destructive than in the 

past. 

The high stem densities in plantations and younger stands also results in greater fire risk. Fire 

suppression activities have significantly reduced the amount of fire over the past 80 years leaving 

high fuel loads in places which threaten the resiliency of the upland and riparian habitats in the 

event of a wildfire. In addition to these past activities, road building has cut across numerous 

riparian reserves and fragmented habitat in multiple locations throughout the project area which 

has the potential to alter the sediment routing within the riparian reserve. 

Post treatment monitoring was conducted on the Beaverslide Vegetation Management Project, as 

well as on similar projects elsewhere on the Forest. All the units exceeded canopy closure 

requirements, and protected predominant trees, snags, and downed logs. The units are still 

functional habitat and should respond well to the treatments. It was determined that these types 

of treatments will have a beneficial effect on the future habitat conditions of the area.

All treatment areas in all vegetation management projects in the action area will remain suitable 

immediately post project. Although treatments may cause short-term habitat degradation, in the 

long-term the project is expected to improve habitat conditions for MIS release of conifer and 

hardwoods/shrubs through thinning prescriptions, generating a secondary canopy, and protecting 

existing habitats from stand-replacing fire. Treatments were designed to maintain and restore 

habitat function in low to moderate quality habitat in all project areas.

Cumulative Effects:

Timber harvest activities and the suppression of wildfire in Mad River RD have led to changes in 

seral stages and increases in fuels. This shift in seral stage distribution is highest in the tanoak 

and Douglas-fir series, due to harvest of commercially valuable old growth Douglas-fir stands 

that began in the late 1950s. There has been a reduction in old-growth forests and an increase in 

shrub, pole, and early mature forests.

The First 48 Project will improve habitat conditions through thinning even-aged plantations as 

well as protect existing habitat through fuels reduction. Accelerating the development of latesuccessional characteristics, and protecting existing habitat, will move the area toward the 

historic range of variability of seral stages and reduce fragmentation of habitat, improving habitat 

conditions for MIS species.
Regarding all the past impacts from land uses (mining, timber harvest, and road constructions), 

the 1st 48 Project will facilitate restoration by thinning plantations and young natural stands, and 

reduce hazardous fuels. The beneficial cumulative effects include the reduction of habitat 

fragmentation and the development of late-seral conditions and protection of existing late 

successional habitat. 

Krista Smith

District Wildlife Biologist

Mad River Ranger District

Six Rivers National Forest

Karen Kenfield

Fisheries Biologist

Six Rivers National Forest