Sierra Pacific Industries to clearcut log SE of Trinity Dam and Trinity Lake.

PANORAMIC Photo By KenHal

THP 2-16-059 SHA (Five East THP) Sierra Pacific Industries, 344 acres; 99% clearcut, 1% roadside logging.  Deadwood Creek, Eastman Gulch, Fivemile Gulch, Dutch Gulch (MD: T33N R7W Sec.5; T33N R8W Sec.1; T34N R7W Sec.21, 27, 29, 31).  Winter operations, moderate erosion hazard, steep slopes up to 70%, 3 unstable areas, road failure sites, oversized units, herbicides, spotted owls, pacific fisher, townsend's big eared bat, shasta salamander, 6 sensitive plant species, trees over 32" dbh.   Estimated public comment deadline: 11/24/16. VIEW

This THP is about 3 miles SE of Trinity Dam at Trinity Lake and about 5 miles NW of French Gulch, CA at an elevation of 3,200 to 4,880 feet.  Sierra Pacific Industries is planning a clearcut tractor and cable logging operation on steep and unstable slopes in ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, sugar pine and incense cedar forests.  There are 3 unstable areas including a 30 foot long fill slope failure in unit 1A, a 90 foot long fill slope failure in unit 31A, and a 75 foot slump near the top of unit 5A.  Deadwood Creek and Eastman Gulch watersheds are listed as impaired watersheds for sediment and siltation.  Four Pacific fisher sightings were reported between 1994 and 2006 ranging from 291 feet from unit 27D to 3.4 miles from unit 1D.  There is an historic (1980's) sighting of a wolverine within unit 31C in section 31, and Townsend's big eared bats were reported to be located 1.7 miles from unit 5D in section 18, and 1.3 miles from unit 5C in section 16.  In 2012, a pair of Shasta salamanders were reported to be 2 miles from unit 5C in section 15.  Six sensitive plant species were reported including: Shasta agrarian near unit 7D, Northern clarkia in unit 7D, Blushing wild buckwheat in unit 7C, Slender Goldbanner in units 1A, 5I and 31A, Klamath mountain catchfly in units 5A and 5C, and English peak greenbriar in unit 5C.  There are 3 spotted owl nesting territories within 1.3 miles of the THP area.
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