Ouachita National Forest

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Landscape Assessment

For

Upper Sugar Creek Ecological Management Unit Compartments 259-263 Scott County, Arkansas

Poteau-Cold Springs Ranger Districts

October 2012

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Introduction

Landscape assessments are not decision making processes. The results of landscape assessments inform project development and subsequent decision making processes in order to implement the Revised Forest Plan. Landscape assessments should provide a:

Consistent process across the Forest for mid-scale analysis Concise and efficient documentation of the process Basis for site-specific NEPA documents

This assessment generally follows the six step process provided in the Ecosystem Analysis at the Watershed Scale (USDA Forest Service, 1995). These steps were adapted to the Ouachita National Forest and are as follows:

1) Describe the Landscape 2) Identify Ecological Systems and Management Areas 3) Describe Desired Conditions 4) Describe Existing Conditions 5) Compare Desired and Existing Conditions (identify site-specific needs) 6) Recommend Possible Management Activities

Step 1 - Landscape Description

LOCATION

Upper Sugar Creek is located in Scott County, approximately 8 miles northeast of Waldron, AR and 11 miles south of Booneville, AR. See map on following page. It is directly south of White Oak Mountain and east of Square Rock and Lake Waldron. Forest Service Road 178 is the east-west thoroughfare in the center of project area, which intersects with Forest Service Road 19 on the east side of the management unit. There is no private land within the boundaries of this watershed. The project area is mostly in: T4N, R28W, S25, 26, 27, 34, 35, 36; T4N, R27W, S29, 30, 31, 32; T3N, R28W, S1, 2, 3; and T3N, R27W, S5, 6.

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Table 1 -- Existing Road System Conditions

Matrix for Existing Roads in Upper Sugar Creek Road Road Name Segment Jurisdiction Length Current Future Maintenance Reconst. Number Miles Management Management miles Status Status 178 White Oak 1 FS 4.60 Open Open 3 0.75 Rec 178A White Oak Tower 2 FS 2.7 (2.13) Open Open 3 2.26 Rec 186 Sugar Bee 3 FS 4.0 (3.05) Open Open 1 2.40 Rec (1.60 PHM) S59 Honey Comb 4 FS 0.20 Closed Closed 1 0.10 Rec S59A Bee Hive 5 FS 0.70 Closed Closed 1 (0.70 PHM) S62 Sugar Bee Spur 6 FS 1.10 Closed Closed 1 (1.10 PHM) 290 Boiler Hill 7 FS 0.80 Seasonal Seasonal 1 0.40 Rec (0.10 PHM) S62A Darty Ridge 8 FS 1.93 Seasonal Seasonal 1 0.50 Rec (1.43 PHM) S63 Boy 9 FS 3.20 Closed Closed 1 (PHM 3.20) S63A Boy Spur 10 FS 0.40 Closed Closed 1 (PHM 0.40) 19 Freedom Gap 11 County 1.75 Open Open 3 -- (0.88) S61B Old Blood 12 FS 0.50 Closed Closed 1 (0.50 PHM) 3006 Sheppard 13 County 2.0 (1.0) Open Open 1 --

20.49 O = 11.66 O = 11.66 ( ) = boundary road, ½ length.

Current Open Road Total Ac = 5,819 acres / 640 Open Roads = 11.66 Open Road Density = Density ac = 9.09 sections mi 1.28 mi/ per section

Future Open Road Density Open Roads = 11.66 Open Road Density = mi 1.28 mi/ per section

Roads that provide direct access to the Project Area

State Highway 80 and US Highway 71 provide the main access to the Upper Sugar Creek Ecosystem Management Unit (EMU) project area. US Highway 71 runs north and south to the west of the EMU and AR Highway 80 runs east and west, south of the Upper Sugar Creek EMU. A combination of county and Forest Service Roads provide access to this EMU

Roads within the Analysis Area – Upper Sugar Creek Ecosystem Management Unit

Forest Service Road 178 (Segment 1) –This is a single lane, ditched and graveled road under Forest Service jurisdiction, with Forest Service maintenance. The variety of users include: hunters, recreation and forest administration. This road is in very good condition, except for the area between FS Road 178 and the bridge that crosses Upper Sugar Creek. This section tends to wash out in flood situations. This road is open to year round use per the MVUM (Motorized Vehicle Use Map).

Forest Service Road 178A (Segment 2) - This is a single lane, ditched and graveled road under Forest Service jurisdiction, with Forest Service maintenance. This road accesses the tower site on top of White Oak Mountain. The variety of users include: hunters, recreation and forest administration. The lower portion of this road is in very good condition; however the upper section has erosion problems. This road is open to year round use per the MVUM. 30

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Forest Service Road 186 (Segment 3) – This is a single lane, ditched, gravel surfaced and native surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction, The variety of users include, hunters, recreation, and forest administration. The first 2.4 miles is mostly ditched and piped with several rusted out pipe, as well as having brush encroaching in the road way. The back 1.60 miles is all out slope with dips. This road is open to year round use per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road S59 (Segment 4) – This is a single lane, ditched, and surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction, The variety of users include, hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road is closed per the MVUM. This road has a slab that is in need of minor repair but is otherwise in fair condition.

Forest Service Road S59A (Segment 5) – This is a single lane, ditched and surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road is in fair condition except for 0.40 mile of a south slope that has several rusted out pipe. This road is closed to year per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road S62 (Segments 6) – This is a single lane, ditched, surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction and Forest Service maintenance. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road segment is in good condition but has brush growing in on the side of the road. This road is closed per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road 290 (Segment 7) -This is a single lane, ditched, surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction and Forest Service maintenance. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road has some surface and ditch erosion problems, a few rusted out pipe and two slabs that need minor repairs. This road is seasonally open per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road S62A (Segment 8) – This is a single lane, ditched, and native surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction and maintenance, The variety of users include hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road is in fair condition except for one area that has several rusted out pipe. The entire road has brush growing in on the road bed. This road is seasonally open per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road S63 (Segment 9) – This is a single lane, ditched, native surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction and Forest Service maintenance. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road is in poor condition due to an extensive amount of pine seedlings that have grown up in the road bed, however there are very few pipes that need replaced. This road is closed per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road S63A (Segment 10) – This is a single lane, ditched, native surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road is in poor condition due to an extensive amount of pine seedlings that have grown up in the road bed, however there are very few pipe that need replaced. This road is closed per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road 19 (Segment 11) – This is a single lane, ditched, native surfaced road under County jurisdiction and Forest Service maintenance. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road is in very good condition as it was rebuilt several years ago. This road is open per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road S61B (Segment 12) – This is a single lane, ditched, and native surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction and maintenance. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road is in fair condition with only a small amount of brush growing in the road bed. This road is closed per the MVUM.

Scott County Road 3006 (Segment 13) – This is a single lane, ditched, and native surfaced road under County jurisdiction and maintenance. This road accesses one small piece of private land on White Oak Mountain. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation, and forest administration. A portion of this road is also on the Sugar Creek Trail System. This road is in poor condition because it is very overgrown with brush and seldom maintained. This road is open per the MVUM.

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Roads outside the Analysis Area – Upper Sugar Creek EMU

Matrix for Existing Roads outside Upper Sugar Creek EMU Road Road Segment Jurisdiction Length Current Future Maintenance Reconstruction Number Name (Miles) Management Management Miles Status Status S61B Old 12 FS 0.20 C C (0.20 PHM) -- Blood S35 Young 14 FS 0.20 O O (0.20 PHM) -- Blood 19 Freedom 15 County 16.77 O O -- -- Gap 178 White 16 FS 2.40 O O -- -- Oak 20 Girard 17 County 5.5 O O -- --

Forest Service Road S35 (Segment 14) – This is a single lane, ditched, and surfaced road under Forest Service jurisdiction. The varieties of users include hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road is in good condition as it was rebuilt several years ago. This road is open per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road 19 (Segment 15) Not shown on map - This is a single lane, and double lane ditched, gravel surfaced road under County jurisdiction. The varieties of users include hunters, recreation, and forest administration. This road was reconstructed last entry and is in good condition. This road accesses the Sugar Creek EMU from Arkansas Highway 80

Forest Service Road 178 (Segment 16) Not Shown on map. - This is a single lane, ditched and graveled road under Forest Service jurisdiction. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation and forest administration. This road is in very good condition and is open to year round use per the MVUM.

Forest Service Road 20 (Segment 17) Not shown on map. - This is a single lane, ditched and graveled road under County jurisdiction. The variety of users includes hunters, recreation and forest administration. This road is in very good condition, and is open to year round use per the MVUM.

Fish Passage Crossings

The road analysis inventory showed 15 fish passage crossings, (6 culverts, 6 slabs, and 3 bridges). Out of these stream crossings the data showed that only one has a fish passage problem. All fish passage culverts to be replaced will be designed to meet fish passage guidelines.

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Step 2 - Ecological Systems and Management Areas

Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest This subsystem represents the closed-canopy, somewhat fire-dependent, more densely forested component of pine-oak dominated systems on the Forest. The defining characteristic of this subsystem is canopy closure in excess of 70 percent. This habitat supports 25 animal and 4 plant species of viability concern.

Desired Condition: The pine-oak forest subsystem should constitute 40-65 percent of all pine-oak dominated systems on the Forest. Currently, the pine-oak forest subsystem constitutes approximately 71 percent of all known pine-oak dominated systems and approximately 50 percent of the Forest. The desired condition for vertical structure is 6-14 percent in grass/forb or seedling/sapling/shrub condition and 60-90 percent in the mature forest condition, with an average canopy closure of greater than 70 percent (Basal Area 60 or greater). Old growth pine-oak forests will develop naturally in a range of patch sizes within research natural areas (MA 4), riparian areas (MA 9), wilderness (MA 1), portions of semi-primitive areas (MA 17), and other parts of the Forest outside the “lands suitable for timber production” in MAs 14, 15, and 16 (see other pine-oak subsystems for descriptions of fire maintained old growth). At least 50 percent of the spatial extent of the pine-oak forest is treated with prescribed fire every 5-7 years with an occasional growing season fire. Figure 2 represents the current condition and range of desired vertical structure and fire regime conditions for the pine-oak forest community.

Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest This system is found throughout the Ozark and Ouachita Highlands. It occurs on dry mesic to mesic sites and gentle to moderately steep slopes. Soils are moderately drained to well-drained and more fertile than those associated with drier, more open oak woodlands. A closed canopy of oak-hickory species typifies this system. Maples may occur on more mesic sites. Wind, drought, lightning, and occasional fires influence this system. This habitat supports 20 animal and four plant species of viability concern.

Desired Condition: The desired condition for vertical structure is 4-10 percent in grass/forb and seedling/sapling/shrub and 60-90 percent in the mature forest condition. Old growth conditions will develop and go through regeneration cycles naturally on most of the acres in the dry-mesic oak forest community, which is represented by the complete range of patch sizes. To mimic natural fire regimes, many of these communities will receive prescribed burns. Prescribed fire is applied to at least 50 percent of this community every 5-7 years with an occasional growing season fire. Figure 6 represents the current condition and range of desired vertical structure and fire regime conditions.

Ouachita Riparian

This system is found along streams and small rivers within the Ozark and Ouachita regions. In contrast to larger floodplain systems, this system has little to no floodplain development and often contains cobble bars and steep banks. Ozark-Ouachita Riparian communities are typically higher gradient than larger floodplains and experience periodic, strong flooding. These communities are often characterized by a cobble bar with forest directly adjacent and little or no marsh development. Canopy cover can vary within examples of this system, but typical trees include sweetgum, sycamore, river birch, maple species, and oak species. The richness of the herbaceous layer varies from species-rich to species-poor. Likewise, the shrub layer can vary considerably, and small seeps can often be found within this system, especially at the headwaters and terraces of streams. These areas are typically dominated by wetland-obligate species of sedges, ferns, and other herbaceous species.

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Flooding and scouring strongly influence this system and prevent the floodplain development found on larger rivers. This habitat supports 24 animal and 11 plant species of viability concern.

Desired Condition: The desired condition for this system is a largely undisturbed, mature or old growth community with intact hydrologic functions and processes within a minimum protective buffer of 100 feet on each side of perennial streams and 30 feet on each side of defined channels. Water quality is good to very good and riparian vegetation remains intact during and after vegetation management activities, such as harvesting, prescribed burning, road or fireline construction, and pesticide application.

Management Area 14. Ouachita Mountains-Habitat Diversity Emphasis Management Area 14 consists of extensive blocks of upland (non-riparian) forest located throughout the Ouachita Mountains. The primary community types, each of which also occurs in other MAs, are Ouachita Pine-Oak Forest; Ouachita Pine-Oak Woodland; and Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest. The Ouachita Mountains- Habitat Diversity Emphasis MA includes all National Forest System lands in the Ouachita Mountains not assigned to special areas. These lands are available for varied intensities of ecosystem management and roaded- natural recreational opportunities. Management Area 14 includes areas suitable and unsuitable for timber production, available for oil and gas exploration and leasing with standard stipulations, and suitable for livestock grazing.

Desired Condition: This Management Area is a mosaic of shortleaf pine-hardwood (including pine-dominated, hardwood-dominated, and evenly mixed forests and woodlands). Forest-wide desired conditions by structural class and community are presented in Part 1 for these communities. Within this MA, grass-forb and seedling-sapling conditions are well represented, particularly in the portions suitable for timber management, where they make up at least 6 percent of the landscape. These “early successional” conditions exist primarily under partial canopies of overstory pines and/or hardwood trees. Mid-successional and mature forests and woodlands are even more widespread, making up at least 70 percent of the landscape. Adequate amounts of all forest conditions needed to sustain viable populations of many of the plant and animal species native to the Forest are available. The habitat needs of other native species with specialized habitat needs are met in other appropriate MAs. Deer and turkey habitat capability remain near 2004 levels; habitat capability for prairie warbler and northern bobwhite, among other indicator species, are higher than 2004 levels. Visitors and managers have access to a moderately extensive transportation system. Visitors find non-motorized recreation opportunities available on a seasonal and shifting basis, depending on road closures and the scheduling of resource management activities. The main road system is well maintained, but visitors may see timber harvest equipment and encounter logging traffic. A portion of the road system is available for low clearance vehicle travel. Some portions are designated and available for OHV use. The remainder of the road system is closed seasonally or long-term. Recently cut areas with logging slash, stumps, and some areas of disturbed soil are evident on a short-term and continuing basis, as are signs of prescribed burning and roadwork. Where such active management activities take place, appropriate scenery management techniques are practiced.

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Step 3-6

Desired Conditions Existing Conditions Site Specific Needs Possible Management Activities Improve or maintain soil There are pockets of high Need to ensure Best Mitigation quality (Revised Forest Plan compaction and erosion Management Practices are pp.74). concerns on soils followed and use mitigation throughout the project area. where necessary. Improve or maintain water This project area falls within Need to ensure that Forest Plan Standards resources (Revised Forest one 6th level watershed. management activities exceed Maintain roads and trails Plan pp. 74). (25,867 acres) considered Revised Forest Plan standards to decrease soil run-off. “low risk”.111102040201 for water quality and follow Arkansas Best Management Practices (BMP’s) To allow development of Midstory is too dense to Need to reduce the midstory. Wildlife Stand grasses and forbs in the allow development of Improvement (WSI) project area grasses and forbs & Prescribed Burning To provide at least one Existing ponds (18) Reconstruct existing ponds. Pond construction & permanent water source per currently need some type of reconstruction 160 acres for wildlife reconstruction/rehabilitation. objectives (Revised Forest Plan, WF010, pp. 79) To have sufficient numbers There are insufficient Need to increase numbers of Install nest boxes @ of nest structures numbers of nest structures nest structures pond sites and in regeneration stands To have the understory and Many stands have dense Need to ensure that the Prescribed burning and midstory more open, & midstories understories and midstories WSI treatments dominated by herbaceous maintain open condition vegetation To have a reliable and Hardwood crowns are not Need to develop hardwood Commercial Thinning abundant hard mast crop. developed to produce a crowns so that residual WSI treatments reliable and abundant hard hardwoods will produce a more mast crop. reliable & abundant mast crop To achieve open road density There are 5,819 acres in Strive to achieve total open road Road closure, seasonal (open road per square mile) the project area (0 ac pvt.) density identified in the Forest closure, or obliteration objective (1.0) driven by in 35pprox.. 9.09 sq. miles. Plan. wildlife concerns (Revised Open road density is 1.28 Forest Plan, pp. 59, 67, 90- mi./rd. per sq. mile. 92) To provide a safe Current road system is used Need to access harvest units and Road Reconstruction transportation system that by hunters, sightseers, provide safe road system. Prehaul Maintenance meets the minimum needs of Forest Service personnel, Need to repair rusted-out drains Temporary Roads the various resources and and other forest visitors. and road surface and ditch Continued Seasonal their users, minimizes wildlife erosion. Closing habitat disturbance, and Ensure safe road conditions satisfies some public demand through periodic maintenance for motorized recreation (Revised Forest Plan, pp. 67).

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

Desired Conditions Existing Conditions Site Specific Needs Possible Management Activities To supply firewood areas to There are no firewood Need to provide sites for Allow firewood permits the local community. permit areas in Upper firewood areas to allow (accessed seasonally) Sugar Creek permitting. To supply rocks to the local There are not rock permit Need to provide sites for rock Allow rock permits, community. areas in Upper Sugar Creek permits where feasible. Issue Special Use Permit to Electric poles and line are in Need to improve poles and line Relocate portions of the Arkansas Valley Electric poor condition and are while creating easier access for power line for easier difficult to access for maintenance; remove access. Replace poles maintenance. unnecessary poles and lines. and lines that are in poor condition. Remove old lines and poles. Manage complex of special There are two existing Reconstruct last one mile of Improve road conditions use communication towers towers with four special use tower site access Forest Service to protect resources on atop White Oak Mountain. permits. Road 178A. FS Road 178A. Reduce or eliminate landline There is no private land No landlines to maintain No action problems in project area. within or on the boundary of this EMU thus no landlines There is a need to follow the The Poteau/Cold Springs Need to meet the requests for oil Coordinate with Bureau Revised Forest Plan for Oil Ranger District has and gas exploration. of Land Management on and Gas Exploration. received approximately 6 exploration activities. applications for permits to drill in the past few years for oil and gas exploration. To provide a quality visual Heavily traveled roads and Maintain roads to standard and Road maintenance opportunity. mostly mature forest manage the project area to meet contract and monitor conditions are present. habitat requirements. forest management There are no scenic level I practices. or II roads. There is a need to provide Heavy public use of interior Need to ensure that Road and trail recreation and visual roads and trails system for driving/sightseeing is enhanced maintenance and opportunities in the project various recreational and the roads and trails are safe vegetation management area. activities. to drive or hike To provide adequate Particularly, there are 6 Need to use protective measure Identify the other sites protection of heritage archeological sites that are to ensure that these sites are on the ground for resource sites. currently being protected protected. protection. If any grave sites are discovered, they will be fenced and protected. To reduce wildfire hazards. Natural fuel buildup and Need to create conditions where Prescribed Burning, heavy visitor use, increase a wildfire would not become too commercial thinning, wildfire hazards in Upper hot to kill the overstory and a pre-commercial Sugar Creek. threat to adjacent private thinning, and WSI properties. treatments.

Upper Sugar Creek Landscape Assessment

List of Preparers

Silviculturist Keith Hotubbee* Engineering Technician Larry Shores Environmental Protection Assistant Donna Reagan* Cartographic Technician Linda Myers Timber Management Assistant Scott Saunders* Forestry Technician James Hill Other Resources Assistant John Strom* Timber Marker Foreman Benny Mitchell Wildlife Biologist Frances Rothwein* Forester Russell Oakes Fire Specialist Tim Nutley Recreation Technician Melissa Bingham Archeologist Lexi Rue-Harris FACTS Specialist Rebecca Billings Heritage Resource Technician Raymond McGrath Program Analyst Dava Bauer* *Primary Authors

References

USDA Forest Service. 1995. Federal Guide for Watershed Analysis, Ecosystem Analysis at the Watershed Scale, Forest Service, Region 6, Portland, Oregon.

USDA Forest Service. 2005. Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Forest Service, Southern Region, Management Bulletin R8- MB 124 A.