What direction does the Draft EIS provide for old-growth timber/habitat retention?
The term “old growth” was not used as an ecological descriptor, and the Draft EIS does not state objectives for “old growth.” The Draft uses “mature” and “old” multi-story and mature and old single story structural stages to refer to mature and old forest conditions. These are illustrated in the UCRB Draft EIS, table 2-6 and figure 2-4; Eastside table 2-9 and figure 2-7. Current and historical amounts of these structural stages are shown in figures 2-5 through 2-7, UCRB, and figure 2-8, Eastside. These structural stages may or may not contain the various characteristics sometimes identified with “old growth.” Therefore, there is not, nor was there intended to be, a direct correlation between the two in this Draft EIS.
