Common use of Alternative 2 Clause in Contracts

Alternative 2. PROPOSED ACTION ALTERNATIVE‌ Under the Proposed Action Alternative, the proposed SHA would be implemented over approximately 212,443 acres and USFWS would issue a Permit to Applicant that would expire June 5, 2056. An approximate 40-year timber-harvest rotation (range of 35 to 70 years) would be implemented. When forest stands, or appropriately sized polygons of forest, reached 35-45 years of age and stand conditions are suitable for harvesting, the stands would be harvested for regeneration. For USFWS to issue the Permit, the SHA must contain voluntary conservation measures that provide a net conservation benefit to covered species. The SHA must identify the baseline that will be maintained over the term of the agreement. The USFWS’s SHA policy is available at ▇▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇▇/endangered/laws-policies/policy-safe-harbors.html. The following section briefly describes conservation measures outlined in Applicant’s SHA. For a detailed discussion of these elements, please refer to the SHA. Under the proposed SHA, existing Occupied Sites will continue to be managed in a manner that is consistent with the existing regulations, including no timber harvest or road construction within Occupied Sites (except as permitted for salvage purposes), application of 300-ft managed Occupied Site Buffers around Occupied Sites, and the application of daily timing restrictions to avoid forest practices during marbled murrelet daily peak activity periods during the marbled murrelet nesting season. In addition, Occupied Sites would be protected for the term of the SHA, including in the event of species downlisting or removal from the list of threatened and endangered species protected under the ESA. In addition to the protection of Occupied Sites, Applicant would voluntarily agree to protect forest stands classified as Presumed Habitat (453 acres) for the term of the proposed SHA. Applicant will not be required to survey for marbled murrelet presence or occupancy during the term of the proposed SHA on Enrolled Lands only. Any Potential Nesting Habitat that occurs within portions of Forests & Fish Buffers that are subject to selective timber harvesting or Adjacent Forests that is not identified as Presumed Habitat would be available for timber harvest without a survey. USFWS may request permission from Applicant to conduct surveys on Enrolled Lands, at USFWS’s sole expense. USFWS will not conduct surveys on Applicant’s Enrolled Lands without express written approval of Applicant. Any Occupied Sites that are documented after the date of the authorization of the proposed SHA would be classified as “SHA Occupied Sites”. Applicant will cooperate with USFWS to verify the status and location of any SHA Occupied Site. Once verified, Applicant will minimize noise disturbance and avoid habitat modification during the nesting season (April 1 to August 31). Applicant may conduct selective timber harvest otherwise permitted under the Forest Practices Rules subject to the retention of nest trees and other key habitat elements (see Appendix D of the SHA), with the goal of increasing complex canopy growth relative to no harvest. Applicant may permit USFWS to collect information regarding the surrounding habitat and use of the SHA Occupied Site to help inform development of conservation and recovery strategies. Once a decade, Applicant will provide a report to USFWS on the age and distribution of forests stands in Conservation Lands, the identification and persistence of any SHA Occupied Sites, and trends in habitat development on Conservation Lands and SHA Occupied sites. At the termination of the proposed SHA and subject to any requirements of the Forest Practices Program and other applicable state and federal laws, Applicant may return Enrolled Lands to baseline conditions (i.e., continued protection of Occupied Sites, RMZs, CMZs, Wetland Maintenance Zones (WMZ), and Unstable Slopes to the same extent required by state forest practices rules and other applicable regulations). Upon termination, Applicant may harvest any forest stands that are not identified as a baseline condition that existed at the commencement of the SHA, including SHA Occupied Sites and Presumed Habitat, but no take assurances are provided for harvest of Presumed Habitat. In other words, SHA Occupied Sites and Presumed Habitat that occur in Conservation Lands or Adjacent Forests may be harvested, but only in compliance with existing Forest Practices Rules that are in place at the end of the proposed SHA term.

Alternative 2. PROPOSED ACTION ALTERNATIVE‌ Under the Proposed Action Alternative, the proposed SHA would be implemented over approximately 212,443 637,021 acres and USFWS would issue a Permit to the Applicant that would expire June 5, 2056. An approximate 40-year timber-harvest rotation (range of 35 to 70 years) would be implemented. When forest stands, or appropriately sized polygons of forest, reached 35-45 70 years of age and stand conditions are suitable for harvesting, the stands would be harvested for regeneration. For USFWS to issue the Permit, the SHA must contain voluntary conservation measures that provide a net conservation benefit to covered species. The SHA must identify the baseline that will be maintained over the term of the agreement. The USFWS’s SHA policy is available at ▇▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇▇/endangered/laws-policies/policy-safe-harbors.html. The following section briefly describes conservation measures outlined in the Applicant’s SHA. For a detailed discussion of these elements, please refer to the SHA. Under the proposed SHA, existing Occupied Sites will continue to be managed in a manner that is consistent with the existing regulations, including no timber harvest or road construction within Occupied Sites (except as permitted for salvage purposes), application of 300-ft managed Occupied Site Buffers around Occupied SitesSites that can be harvested in compliance with the prescriptions set forth in the definition of Occupied Site Buffers, and the application of daily timing restrictions to avoid forest practices during marbled murrelet daily peak activity periods during the marbled murrelet nesting season. In addition, Occupied Sites would be protected for the term of the SHA, including in the event of species downlisting or removal from the list of threatened and endangered species protected under the ESA. In addition to the protection of Occupied Sites, the Applicant would voluntarily agree to protect forest stands classified as Presumed Habitat (453 494 acres) and Murrelet Habitat Development Areas (64 acres) for the term of the proposed SHA. The Applicant will not be required to survey for marbled murrelet presence or occupancy during the term of the proposed SHA on Enrolled Lands only. Any Potential Nesting Habitat that occurs within portions of Forests & Fish Buffers that are subject to selective timber harvesting or Adjacent Forests that is not identified as Presumed Habitat would be available for timber harvest without a survey. USFWS may request permission from the Applicant to conduct surveys on Enrolled Lands, at USFWS’s sole expense. USFWS will not conduct surveys on the Applicant’s Enrolled Lands without express written approval of the Applicant. Any Occupied Sites that are documented after the date of the authorization of the proposed SHA would be classified as “SHA Occupied Sites”. .” the Applicant will cooperate with USFWS to verify the status and location of any SHA Occupied Site. Once verified, the Applicant will minimize noise disturbance and avoid habitat modification during the nesting season (April 1 to August 31). Applicant may ) and will not conduct selective any timber harvest otherwise permitted under the Washington Forest Practices Practice Rules subject to the retention of nest trees and other key habitat elements (see Appendix D of the SHA), with the goal of increasing complex canopy growth relative to no harvestwithin SHA Occupied Sites. The Applicant may permit USFWS to collect information regarding the surrounding habitat and use of the SHA Occupied Site to help inform development of conservation and recovery strategies. Once a decadeevery five years, the Applicant will provide a report to USFWS on the age and distribution of forests forest stands in Conservation Lands, the identification and persistence of any SHA Occupied Sites, and trends in habitat development on Conservation Lands and SHA Occupied sitesSites. At the termination of the proposed SHA and subject to any requirements of the Forest Practices Program and other applicable state and federal laws, the Applicant may return Enrolled Lands to baseline conditions (i.e., continued protection of Occupied Sites, RMZs, CMZs, Wetland Maintenance Zones (WMZ), and Unstable Slopes to the same extent required by state forest practices rules and other applicable regulations). Upon termination, the Applicant may harvest any forest stands that are not identified as a baseline condition that existed at the commencement of the SHA, including SHA Occupied Sites and Presumed Habitat, but no take assurances are provided for harvest of Presumed HabitatHabitat or Murrelet Habitat Development Areas. In other words, SHA Occupied Sites Sites, Presumed Habitat, and Presumed Murrelet Habitat Development Areas that occur in Conservation Lands or Adjacent Forests may be harvested, but only in compliance with existing Forest Practices Rules that are in place at the end of the proposed SHA term.