A fuel wood timber sale of 500,000 board feet of quaking aspen and mixed conifer is being considered by officials of the Fishlake National Forest, who are seeking public comment about the proposal.
Plans for two saw timber sales involving about 2.5 million board feet on Cove Mountain in the Richfield Ranger District have also been announced.The board footage in the fuel wood sale would amount to about 1,000 cords of wood, forest officials said. It is at an elevation of 9,600 feet.
The sale would be at Forked Flat about 26 miles east of Beaver on the Beaver Ranger District. Forked Flat is northwest of LaBaron Lake, west of Straight Creek and east of Dry Hollow.
Forest officials said the fuel wood is on about 150 acres, and the successful bidder would be required to construct about a quarter-mile of temporary road.
The aspen stands are decaying and show little evidence of reproduction, according to Danny Pollock, who will accept comments at the Beaver District office until Jan. 8. These may be addressed to his attention and mailed to P. 0. Box E, Beaver UT 84713.
The aspen also fails to meet the desired condition as described in the Fishlake National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.
To meet the desired condition, Pollock said the district proposes to integrate aspen management into the timber management program to perpetuate and improve the aspen quality and diversity.
Comments on the saw timber sales will be received until Jan. 7 by Allen Henningston at the Richfield District office, 115 E. 900 North, in Richfield.
He said the sales are in a management area where foresters are emphasizing wood-fiber production and use of large roundwood of a size and quality suitable for saw timber. Artificial regeneration methods are used to achieve increased production.
The timber is at elevations between 9,600 and 11,100 feet, containing over mature fir that is highly susceptible to insect and disease, Henningson noted. Some mortality of englemann spruce has been occurring due to the spruce bark beetle.
The aspen, particularly at lower levels, is being replaced by conifer, Henningson said. "The sales are in the Monroe Mountain Big Game/ Livestock Demonstration Area and represent important big game habitat that needs to be improved."
Officials are developing an environmental analysis, considering such preliminary issues as forest health, insect and disease, wildlife and declining aspen stands.