Opinion ID: 793847
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Fuel Loading

Text: 96 Both the Power and Freds FEISs state that a goal of the restoration projects is to reduce fuel loading on the ground so as to reduce the risk of future catastrophic fires, and to avoid safety hazards to workers and recreation visitors. Specifically, the Power FEIS rejected an alternative that would have retained four large snags per acre outside PACs for the California spotted owl. The Freds FEIS rejected an alternative that would have retained four to eight large snags per acre outside PACs. Earth Island challenges the FEISs' rejection of these alternatives, arguing that retaining this number of large snags would not impede the goals of reducing long-term fuel loading and safety hazards. 97 According to the Power FEIS, in areas where four large snags per acre would be retained, fuel levels 25 years after the fire would be approximately 38 to 40 tons per acre. According to the Freds FEIS, in areas where four to eight snags per acre would be retained, fuel loads would be 16 to 50 tons per acre by year 25. The USFS contends that these levels of fuel loading would provide significant fuel, contribute to severe soil heating, and impede effective fire suppression efforts. 98 As with soil cover, above, we cannot confidently discern from the present record whether Earth Island's contentions about fuel-loading have validity. We therefore cannot say, at this point, that the USFS has acted arbitrarily and capriciously in rejecting the alternatives that would have retained four snags per acre in the Power Fire area and four to eight snags per acre in the Freds Fire area. 99