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Subject: Initial Process for Completing 'Inimim Implementation Plan
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Dear YWI Board and Cooperators:

Forest ecologist, botanist and local logger Sean Kerrigan has
now completed the detailed mapping of about 60% of the 'Inimim
lands. This mapping identifies 'Inimim plant communities by
soil/plant association, Holland type, and overstory, midstory,
sapling and seedling density and species composition. This
mapping will be used, in combination with the plot data we are
about to gather, to guide what we do by way of logging and fire in
the 'Inimim plan.

I am leaving for Europe and Russia on June 23. I will return
August 18. While I am gone, I intend to turn over day to day
project management to Sean Kerrigan and Biologist David Lukas.
I would like them to complete the vegetation mapping, and initiate
and complete the plot data gathering in my absence. But first we
all must agree on goals and process. Attaining this agreement is
the purpose of this memo.

Please note: all recommendations here are initial thoughts only.
They are intended as much to stimulate thought and feedback as
to be implemented, although they do represent my initial
suggestions to the board regarding our policy.

1) Overall Goal for the Implementation Plan

a) Re-establish and maintain and overstory of pine and fir greater
than 30 inches DBH throughout the coniferous forests of the
'Inimim lands.

In 50-100 years we want all stands on the 'Inimim to contain a fire
resistant overstory, which is the source of large snags, large
logs, and premium timber. The density of this overstory will be
variable, but it should be present on every acre.

b) Facilitate fire resistant stand structure via underburning.

Through repeated strategic underburning, targeted at the most
vulnerable sites and those with greatest potential to threaten
improvements, we want to prepare the 'Inimim forest to survive
catastrophic fire.

Detailed Goals:

Re-establish stand structures (primarily overstory densities)
based on current conditions in various soil/plant associations on
Lafayette Ridge (old-growth remnant stands just north of the
'Inimim forest). Assume present overstory conditions represent
pre/post European stand conditions. Use number per acre of
overstory trees on Lafayette Ridge to create minimum thresholds
for the overstory on 'Inimim lands.

Post vegetation-mapping process

1) Create an overstory structure database from Forest Ecologist
Don Harkin's plot data from Lafayette Ridge, or establish new
plots using JoAnn Fites-Kaufmann's laser rangefinder stand
population inventory techniques. We need data separated by
soil/plant association. Several of the 'Inimim types are
represented on Lafayette Ridge in remarkably undisturbed
condition.

2) Place transects in 'Inimim vegetation polygons (mapped
regions that share many characteristics like overstory species,
age and density) to identify stands that meet Lafayette Ridge
thresholds for trees per acre greater than 30 inches DBH.

I suggest these stands be placed off limits to logging for the
initial decades or even the life of the 'Inimim Plan. We should
manage them, but only with fire.

3) Measure growth (annual increment of wood) in representative
mapped 'Inimim stands outside of our old-growth set-asides.

We need this new data so we can calculate the sustained yield
capacity of each stand, and avoid cutting faster than growth.
Note: we will not be including growth from our old-growth set-
asides when determining how much we can cut from the younger
stands. In effect, we will be assuming that our old-growth set-
asides will never be cut. This was not an assumption in the
original 'Inimim plan, but I suggest we adopt it now, following the
initial suggestions of Forest Ecologist Don Harkin and the
Institute for Sustainable Forestry staff. We have plenty of work
ahead of us in the young, cut-over stands.

4) Determine which of the stands that we are interested in
logging can be accessed without unacceptible damage to
surrounding lands.

To determine this, we will first map out our streamside/riparian no-
cut, no-road zones, inventory our old/existing road system, and
determine which of these roads we will use in the plan. I strongly
suggest that we build no new roads, and that we are very
conservative about which roads we rebuild or decide to maintain.

5) Lay out permanent compartments, landings and skid roads.

This should be done in consultation with, or largely by, an
experienced professional logger. I have approached Ski
Skoverski, but I expect he cannot work on the project until after
the close of the logging season.

6) Walk each stand or stand type and prepare a silvicultural plan
designed to shift growth to the overstory.

The plans will not apply to the whole stands, but will "miss"
patches and corridors. Our goal should be to increase the overall
biomass and rate of growth in the overstory and midstory, not to
create "safe," single story fire resistant monocultures. Also, we
want the prescriptions to be general guidelines only (with
thresholds that must be met, like fixed canopy and overstory
retention standards) so we make full use of the intelligence of the
people doing the logging. Fireman/EMT Theo Killigrew brought
this important point up at the YWI annual vision meeting.

7) Schedule logging entries for the first 50 years of the plan.

I anticipate that we will end up with 1000 to 1500 acres in our
land base that be available for chain saw management, and that
we will plan to treat all of these acres (lightly and gently!) each
once in the first 20 years, and once every 20 years thereafter.
This will mean 50-70 acres cut (thinned, understory removed, or
masticated) per year.

In our old-growth set-asides, I suggest we underburn the highly
flammable sites and leave the rest alone. I expect half our old-
growth benefit from burning, and we will plan to burn each place
once a decade. This will be 25-50 acres of understory burning per
year. This will be labor intensive because we must first clear
debris away from all the large trees want to save for sure, at least
before the first burn on each site. This preparation of old-growth
for the return of fire should be treated as an opportunity for hands-
on training of our people in sustainable natural resource
management. Let's get Grizzly Hill School kids, Nevada Union
and Sierra College folks, YWI interns and the UC Davis Nature
and Culture Program involved.

I expect this discussion document will go through at least one
more draft before I circulate the final recommendations. I look
forward to your feedback.

Warm regards,

Eric Beckwitt

==================================================================
Eric Beckwitt at home: sbihome@oro.net | (530)292-0100 voice
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