Sierra Pacific Industries to log out the home of California’s only known Wolverine.

PANORAMIC Photo By pauliesmit

THP 2-16-030 SIE (Bridge THP) Sierra Pacific Industries, 2,718 acres; 70% group selection, 8% sanitation salvage, 7% aspen/meadow restoration, 6% selection, 5% fuelbreak, 3% no-harvest, 1% clearcut, misc seed tree and roadside logging. Jones Valley (MD: T19N R13E Sec.9, 11, 13, 15, 23; T19N R14E Sec.19).  Winter operations, moderate erosion hazard, slopes up to 65%, 8 road drainage work sites, meadow and aspen restoration, herbicides, CA spotted owl, wolverine, marten, fisher, goshawk, osprey, bald eagle, red tailed hawk, subalpine fireweed, Donner Pass buckwheat, trees up to 44" dbh.  Estimated public comment deadline: 08/15/16. VIEW  

This THP is about 13 miles NW of the I-80 Donner Summit Pass, near Jackson Meadows Reservoir, a popular high elevation recreation area and the Pacific Crest Trail.  Sierra Pacific Industries is planning a tractor based logging operation in red fir, white fir, white pine, mountain hemlock, Jeffrey pine and lodge pole pine forests at an elevation of 6,560 to 7,640 feet.  The only know wolverine to live in California was spotted here in 2009 (within the THP in section 23), within .34 mi of the THP in section 11, and in 2013 was spotted in section 34.  22 aspen restoration areas, and 15 meadow restoration areas are planned where encroaching conifers will be removed.  Sierra Pacific Industries is planning to use feller bunchers for aspen/meadow restoration (conifer removal) inside class I (year round), class II (mid sized) and class III (intermittent) watercourses within sections 13,15, 19 and 23.  They also are planning to use 5 existing landings inside class III (intermittent) watercourses in sections 11, 15 and 19.  Eight road drainage sites are planned for work including 7 sites along old county road 301a with failed culverts, and 1 road crossing that diverts water into a class III (intermittent) watercourse.  Significant wildlife sightings include: a pair of osprey located on USFS land just west of section 23, northern goshawk sightings in sections 07, 15, 22, 27, pacific fisher sightings in sections 19, 21, 25, 29, american marten sightings in sections 18, 23, 26, 28, a badger sighting in section 1, and a bald eagle sighting in section 13.  There are CA spotted owl nesting territories in sections 24 and 25.  Three occurrences of subalpine fireweed were reported, and 1 occurrence of Donner Pass buckwheat was reported.
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