Travel Analysis Report
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Travel Analysis Report BIGHORN NATIONAL FOREST United States Department of Agriculture Responsible Official: Bill Bass, Forest Supervisor Abstract: This Travel Analysis Report documents a route‐by‐route analysis of all Forest System Roads on the Bighorn National Forest and recommends the minimum Forest Service road system needed for public access and forest management. The project is within the Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming. July 2015 Location: Bighorn National Forest Big Horn, Johnson, Sheridan, and Washakie Counties, Wyoming Portions of Townships 33‐39 North, Ranges 1‐3 East and Ranges 1‐5 West, N.M.P.M. For More Information Contact: Jason Ruybal or Dave McKee Bighorn National Forest 2013 Eastside Second Street Sheridan, WY 82801 307‐674‐2600 [email protected] or [email protected] Version 1.0 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.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDAs 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, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250‐9410, or call (800) 795‐3272 (voice) or (202)720‐6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Bighorn National Forest Travel Analysis Report Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Summary of Issues 1 Analysis Performed 1 Key Results and Findings 1 How the Report Will Be Used 2 Introduction 2 Travel Management Rule 2 Travel Analysis Process 3 Forest Plan Direction 3 Compliance with Forest Plan Direction 4 Step 1: Setting up the Analysis 4 Purpose 4 Analysis Area 4 Objectives 4 Interdisciplinary Team 5 Core Team 5 Extended Team 5 Analysis Plan 5 Information Needs 6 Step 2: Describing the Situation 7 Purpose 7 Road Management 7 Geographic Information System and Corporate Database 8 Existing Direction 8 Existing Condition 9 Forest Plan Infrastructure Guidelines 10 Step 3: Identifying Issues 11 Purpose 11 Key Issues 11 Step 4: Assessing Benefits, Problems, and Risks 12 Purpose 12 The Analysis Process 12 i Bighorn National Forest Travel Analysis Report Criteria and Rankings Used in the Risk and Benefit Analysis 12 Results of the Risk and Benefit Analysis 16 Step 5: Describing Opportunities and Setting Priorities 18 Purpose 18 Opportunities for Roads 18 Recommendations for Roads 19 Minimum Road System 21 Process Used to Develop the Minimum Road System 22 Bighorn National Forest Minimum Road System 22 Future Actions 24 Appendix A: Excerpts from Current Forest Plan for Management Areas 26 Forestwide General Direction 26 Appendix B: Road Maintenance Costs 37 Appendix C: Risk/Benefit Analysis Rationale and Methodology 41 Risks 41 Benefits 46 Appendix D: Road System Maps 49 Appendix E: Recommended Changes to Roads 52 Appendix F: Risk and Benefit Assessment for Forest Roads. 64 Appendix G: Public Involvement and Comments 124 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of the existing road system on the forest. 49 Figure 2. Map of opportunities to change the road system on the forest. 50 Figure 3. Map of the proposed minimum road system on the forest. 51 List of Tables Table 1. Original system roads data on the Bighorn National Forest. 9 Table 2. Current system roads data on the Bighorn National Forest 9 Table 3: Forest plan infrastructure direction by management area. 10 ii Bighorn National Forest Travel Analysis Report Table 4. Road risks and benefits. 12 Table 5. Road risk guidelines. 13 Table 6. Road benefit guidelines. 14 Table 7. Miles of system roads in each risk/benefit category. 16 Table 8. Mileages of minimum road system compared to existing road system. 22 Table 9. Annual maintenance costs for existing road system. 39 Table 10. Annual maintenance costs for minimum road system. 40 Table 11. Deferred maintenance costs. 40 Table 12. Roads with recommended changes on the Powder River Ranger District. 52 Table 13. Roads with recommended changes on the Medicine Wheel/Paintrock District. 57 Table 14. Roads with recommended changes on the Tongue Ranger District. 61 Table 15. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 1 roads, Powder River Ranger District. 64 Table 16. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 2 roads, Powder River Ranger District. 75 Table 17. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 3 roads, Powder River Ranger District. 83 Table 18. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 4 roads, Powder River Ranger District. 86 Table 19. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 5 roads, Powder Ranger District. 86 Table 20. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 1 roads, Medicine Wheel/Paintrock Ranger District 86 Table 21. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 2 roads, Medicine Wheel/Paintrock Ranger District 93 Table 22. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 3 roads, Medicine Wheel/Paintrock Ranger District 102 Table 23. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 4 roads, Medicine Wheel/Paintrock Ranger District 102 Table 24. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 5 roads, Medicine Wheel/Paintrock Ranger District. 102 Table 25. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 1 roads, Tongue Ranger District. 103 Table 26. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 2 roads, Tongue Ranger District. 110 Table 27. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 3 roads, Tongue Ranger District. 120 Table 28. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 4 roads, Tongue Ranger District. 122 Table 29. Risk/benefit assessment for maintenance level 5 roads, Tongue Ranger District. 122 iii Bighorn National Forest Travel Analysis Report Executive Summary This document is the Travel Analysis Report (TAR) for the Bighorn National Forest planning area. This report documents a route‐by‐route analysis of all national forest system (NFS) roads on the forest and recommends the minimum road system needed for public access and forest management. This report does not address the motorized trail system on the forest. The outcome of the travel analysis is a set of science‐based recommendations for changes to the forest transportation system to meet current and future management objectives. These recommendations are based on an analysis of the physical, biological, social, and economic risks and benefits of every system road. Travel analysis is intended to inform subsequent National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes, allowing individual projects to be more site‐specific and focused, while still addressing cumulative impacts. The travel analysis process (TAP) neither produces decisions nor allocates NFS lands for specific purposes. It merely provides the analytical framework from which to make recommendations that may then be examined in the NEPA process. It describes current conditions, risks, benefits, opportunities (needs for change), and priorities for action. Future NEPA analyses that include public involvement may carry forward, reject or change the recommendations in this report, and provide the basis for making specific transportation‐system‐related decisions. Summary of Issues The following issues were identified using previous public involvement and internal Forest Service input. Issues are discussed in more detail in chapter 4. Insufficient resources for maintenance of the existing system of roads. Access needs, including motorized recreation use, access and connectivity to a variety of non‐motorized recreation uses, access for timber management, access for permitted activities such as livestock grazing or recreation residence use, and emergency access. Environmental impacts or risks from motor vehicle use including impacts to water resources, soil erosion and risks from geologic hazards (e.g., landslides), concerns about fragmentation and wildlife security, impacts to vegetation (specifically introduction and spread of noxious weeds), and impacts to cultural resources. Inappropriate jurisdiction. Analysis Performed A risk‐benefit assessment was used to rank system roads on the forest. The categories chosen to rank risks and benefits were based on issues identified in chapter 4 and by the criteria discussed in chapter 5. Criteria were set by the members of the core and extended interdisciplinary teams (IDTs). Key Results and Findings Through the travel analysis process, the IDT ranked routes based on their risks to natural, social, economic, and cultural resources and their benefits to recreation use, stakeholder access, timber 1 Bighorn National Forest Travel Analysis Report management access, and emergency access. Each road was then further evaluated to determine if it was needed as part of the minimum road system. Opportunities for changes to roads were identified. A summary of these findings follows: . 175 miles of roads in the current system have a greater risk than benefit and should be considered for decommissioning, closure, or mitigated to reduce resource risk. 726 miles of roads in the current system have high to medium benefits and should be considered for regular maintenance to mitigate and prevent resource risk. 153 miles of system roads are recommended to be decommissioned