United States Department of Agriculture Aerial Application of Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management Washington, DC Fire Retardant Draft Environmental Impact Statement May 2011 Cover photo by Kreig Rasmussen, Fishlake National Forest, 2005. The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. The 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.) 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Fire Retardant DEIS Fire Retardant DEIS Contents Abstract 2 Summary 4 Significant Issues 4 Proposed Action and Alternatives 5 Alternative 1: No Aerial Application of Fire Retardant 5 Alternative 2 (Proposed Action): Continued Aerial Application of Fire Retardant Under the 2000 Guidelines, Including 2008 Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives 5 Alternative 3 (Preferred Alternative): Continued Aerial Application of Fire Retardant, Using 2011 Guidelines and Adopting the 2008 Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives 5 Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Study 7 Major Conclusions of the Environmental Impact Statement 8 Air Quality 8 Aquatic Vertebrates and Invertebrates 8 Cultural Resources 8 Hydrology 8 Plant Species 9 Public Health and Safety 9 Scenery Management 9 Social and Economic Considerations 10 Soils 10 Wilderness Character 10 Wildland Fire Management 11 Wildlife Species and Habitats 12 Chapter 1. Purpose and Need for Action 16 Document Structure 16 Project Background 16 Fire Management Background 17 Fire Occurrence 17 Threats from Wildfire 18 Fire Suppression Capability 18 Fire Retardant DEIS Contents Purpose of and Need for Action 19 Scope 19 Proposed Action 20 Decision Framework 20 Public Involvement 20 Issues 21 Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action 24 Introduction 24 Alternatives Considered in Detail 24 Alternative 1: No Aerial Application of Fire Retardant 24 Alternative 2 (Proposed Action): Continued Aerial Application of Fire Retardant Under the 2000 Guidelines, Including 2008 Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives 24 Alternative 3: Continued Aerial Application of Fire Retardant, Using 2011 Guidelines and Adopting the 2008 Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives 24 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study 26 Alternative 4: Allow Use of Fire Retardant in an Unrestricted Manner 26 Alternative 5: Prohibit Aerial Application of Retardant in Areas Within One-Quarter Mile from Waterways, in Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas, and in Other Withdrawn Land Allocation Areas 27 Alternative 6: Use Only Water for Aerial Suppression of Fires 27 Alternative 7: Restrict the Use of Retardant to Those Exceptional Situations Where the Benefits Far Outweigh the Risks 27 Alternative 8: Use Retardant Only Where Proven Safe and Effective 27 Alternative 9: Do Not Use Retardant Until a New, Less Toxic Retardant is Developed 28 Alternative 10: Increase the Size of Protections for Waterways and Increase Protection for Some Specially Designated Areas 28 Comparison of Alternatives 28 Fire Retardant DEIS Contents Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental 32 Consequences Introduction 32 Air Quality 33 Affected Environment 33 Environmental Consequences 34 Aquatic Vertebrates and Invertebrates 35 Affected Environment 35 Environmental Consequences 35 Cultural Resources 46 Affected Environment 46 Environmental Consequences 46 Hydrology 50 Introduction 50 Affected Environment 50 Environmental Consequences 55 Plant Species 65 Introduction 65 Affected Environment: Federally Listed Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, Candidate, and Forest Service Sensitive Plant (TEPCS) Species 66 Environmental Consequences: Federally Listed Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, Candidate, and Forest Service Sensitive Plant Species 66 Affected Environment: Noxious and Non-Native Invasive Plant Species 75 Environmental Consequences: Noxious and Non-Native Invasive Plant Species 76 Summary of Effects on Federally Listed TEPCS Plant Species and Noxious and Non-Native Invasive Plant Species 79 Public Health and Safety 80 Affected Environment 80 Environmental Consequences 83 Scenery Management 84 Affected Environment 84 Environmental Consequences 85 Fire Retardant DEIS Contents Social and Economic Considerations 86 Introduction 86 Affected Environment 86 Environmental Consequences 87 Environmental Justice 95 Soils 97 Introduction 97 Affected Environment 97 Environmental Consequences 98 Wilderness Character 103 Introduction 103 Affected Environment 103 Environmental Consequences 104 Wildland Fire Management 106 Introduction 106 Affected Environment 106 Current Implementation of the 2000 Guidelines 120 Environmental Consequences 121 Wildlife Species and Habitats 127 Introduction 127 Affected Environment 127 Environmental Consequences 128 Chapter 4. Consultation 136 Preparers and Contributors 136 Distribution of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 136 Agencies 136 Tribes 136 Organizations 146 Businesses 146 State Government Agencies 146 Local and Regional Government Agencies 146 Individuals 147 Fire Retardant DEIS Contents ID Team Members 147 Others 147 Glossary 150 Literature Cited 156 Appendices 170 Appendix A – 2000 Guidelines for Aerial Delivery of Retardant or Foam 170 Appendix B – Implementation of the Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives 174 Appendix C – Fire and Retardant Use Information 180 Appendix D – Misapplication of Fire Retardant Data Analysis 194 Appendix E – National Screen for Federally Listed Species and Critical Habitat Impacts 197 Appendix F – Fish and Aquatic Invertebrate Species List and Effects 205 Appendix G – Plants 269 Appendix H – Fire Retardant Soil Risk Rating Indicators 329 Appendix I – Wildlife 332 Appendix J – Suppression Chemicals and Delivery Systems 345 Appendix K – Retardant Avoidance Maps for Alternative 5 350 Appendix L – Forest Service Wildland Fire Chemical Program and Process 352 Appendix M – Guidance for Pilots 355 Fire Retardant DEIS Contents List of Tables Table 1 Comparison of Alternatives 28 Table 2 Fish Toxicity to Long-Term Retardant Concentrates 36 Table 3 Peak Fire Seasons by Forest Service Region 41 Table 4 Recorded Misapplication Aerial Fire Retardant Drops in Aquatic Habitats or Buffer Areas 42 Table 5 Miles of Stream and Acres Within 300 Feet of Streams, by Region. Source: Forest Service GIS 51 Table 6 Lakes, Wetlands, and Other Water Features. Source: Forest Service GIS 51 Table 7 Intrusions Into Water or Buffers, by Region 54 Table 8 National Primary Drinking Water Standards 55 Table 9 Fires and Retardant Use by Forest Service Region, 2000–2010 62 Table 10 Comparison of Potential Impacts, by Alternative 64 Table 11 Current Average Suppression and Retardant Costs for Forest Service Fires (2000–2010) (2010$) 86 Table 12 Components of Cost Efficiency 88 Table 13 Annualized Costs, by Alternative (2010$) 89 Table 14 Summary of Direct and Indirect Effects 94 Table 15 Summary of Effects on Soils 102 Table 16 Proportion of total National Forest System acres (excluding Alaska and Puerto Rico) in each fire regime 106 Table 17 Coverage level, fuel models, and flow rate range for fire retardant drops 116 Table 18 Comparison of Effects of the Alternatives on Wildlife Species and Habitats 133 Table C-1. Estimated Area of Fire Retardant Application on USFS Lands. 180 Table C-2. Estimated area of Fire Retardant Application on USFS Lands by Forest. 181 Table C-3. Total Retardant Drops and Fires, 2000–2010. 188 Table C-4. Representative Ecoregions for Retardant Application. 193 Table D-1. Misapplication of Fire Retardant Data, 2008–2010. 194 Table E-1. National Screening Process. 197 Table F-1. Federally Listed Threatened, Endangered and Proposed Aquatic Vertebrate and Invertebrate Species Known or Suspected to Occur on or Near Forest Service Lands with the Potential for Aerial Application of Fire Retardant (Under Both FWS and NOAA Jurisdiction). 205 Table F-2. Likely to Adversely Affect (LAA) Determinations for Fish Species by National Forest Based on Retardant Use (Under Both FWS and NOAA Jurisdiction). 212 Table F-3. No Effect (NE) Determinations for Fish Species by National Forest Based on Retardant Use (Under Both FWS and NOAA Jurisdiction). 222 Table F-4. Likely to Adversely Affect (LAA) Determinations for Invertebrate Species by National Forest Based on Retardant Use. 223 Fire Retardant DEIS Contents Table F-5. No Effect (NE) Determinations for Invertebrate Species by National Forest Based on Retardant Use. 226 Table F-6. Forest Service Sensitive Aquatic Vertebrate & Invertebrate Species (Including Candidate Species) Known or Suspected to Occur on or Near Forest Service Lands With the Potential for Aerial Application of Fire Retardant. 229 Table F-7. Retardant Effects