Cove Fire Salvage and Restoration Project Environmental Assessment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Cove Fire Salvage and Restoration Project Environmental Assessment Big Valley Ranger District, Modoc National Forest, Modoc County, CA April 2018 For More Information Contact: Chris Christofferson, District Ranger Big Valley Ranger District, Modoc National Forest 505 South Main Street PO Box 159 Adin, CCA 96006 Phone: 530-299-3215 Email: [email protected] Fax: 530-299-8409 Cover photo: Area of high-intensity fire and 100% mortality within the Cove Fire Salvage and Restoration Project Area. (photo taken by Garrett Costello, December 19, 2017) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................................ i Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Proposed Project Location .......................................................................................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose and Need for the Proposal ............................................................................................. 4 Public Involvement and Tribal Consultation ................................................................................... 7 Issues Analysis and Alternative Development ............................................................................ 7 Decision to be Made ................................................................................................................... 8 Alternative 1: Proposed Action ................................................................................................... 9 Area Salvage Harvest .............................................................................................................. 9 Roadside Hazard Tree Removal ............................................................................................ 10 Fuel Treatments ..................................................................................................................... 12 Reforestation ......................................................................................................................... 12 Transportation Management .................................................................................................. 13 Integrated Design Features .................................................................................................... 15 Alternative 2: No Action ........................................................................................................... 21 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action and Alternatives................................................. 22 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................ 23 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 23 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 23 Botanical Resources .................................................................................................................. 23 Noxious Weeds ...................................................................................................................... 23 Region 5 Sensitive Plant Species .......................................................................................... 24 Threatened and Endangered Plant Species ............................................................................ 25 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................................... 25 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 25 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 26 Fire and Fuels ............................................................................................................................ 26 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 26 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 27 Hydrology ................................................................................................................................. 28 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 28 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 31 Range ........................................................................................................................................ 32 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 32 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 33 Recreation and Visual Resources .............................................................................................. 35 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 35 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 35 Silviculture ................................................................................................................................ 36 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 36 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 37 Socioeconomics ........................................................................................................................ 38 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 38 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 39 Soils ........................................................................................................................................... 40 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 40 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 41 i Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Resources .............................................................................. 42 Migratory Landbirds .............................................................................................................. 42 Management Indicator Species (MIS) ................................................................................... 43 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive (TES) Wildlife Species .......................................... 51 Transportation ........................................................................................................................... 67 Alternative 1 .......................................................................................................................... 67 Alternative 2 .......................................................................................................................... 68 References ................................................................................................................................. 69 Appendix A: Past, Ongoing and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions Summary Cove Fire Salvage and Restoration Project Analysis Area ........................................................................ 72 Appendix B: Supplemental Black-backed Woodpecker Information ...................................... 75 List of Tables Table 1. Number of acres and percent area burned by basal area mortality