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Eastside Chapter 2 Affected Environment

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Eastside Chapter 2 Affected Environment Eastside Chapter 2 Affected Environment Contents Purpose and Organization of This Chapter ........................................................................................................... 1 Historical Conditions ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Positive Ecological Trends............................................................................................................................. 4 Ecological Reporting Units, Hydrologic Unit Codes, and Clusters................................................................. 6 Humans and Land Management: Snapshots in Time .................................................................................. 10 Physical Environment ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Geology and Physiography........................................................................................................................... 15 Soils and Soil Productivity .......................................................................................................................... 18 Climate ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................................. 26 Terrestrial Ecosystems ........................................................................................................................................ 32 Change on the Landscape ............................................................................................................................. 34 Vegetation and Wildlife Classifications ....................................................................................................... 38 Forestlands ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 Summary of Conditions and Trends ............................................................................................................ 45 Forested Potential Vegetation Groups .......................................................................................................... 45 Rangelands ..................................................................................................................................................... 90 Summary of Conditions and Trends ............................................................................................................ 90 Rangeland Potential Vegetation Groups ...................................................................................................... 91 Aquatic Ecosystems ........................................................................................................................................... 116 Hydrology and Watershed Processes ........................................................................................................... 117 Streams, Rivers, and Lakes ......................................................................................................................... 118 Riparian Areas and Wetlands .................................................................................................................... 126 Fish. ................................................................................................................................................... 133 Summary of Conditions and Trends .......................................................................................................... 133 Current Conditions ................................................................................................................................... 134 Key Salmonids........................................................................................................................................... 142 Native Species Richness, and Biotic and Genetic Integrity ......................................................................... 160 Human Uses and Values .................................................................................................................................. 167 Summary of Conditions and Trends .......................................................................................................... 169 Population ................................................................................................................................................ 169 Land Ownership and Uses ......................................................................................................................... 172 Overview of Employment .......................................................................................................................... 188 Communities ............................................................................................................................................. 193 Role of the Public ...................................................................................................................................... 207 American Indians ............................................................................................................................................. 209 Integrated Summary of Forestland, Rangeland, and Aquatic Integrity .............................................................. 226 Measuring Integrity .................................................................................................................................. 227 The Clusters. ............................................................................................................................................. 228 Forest Clusters ................................................................................................................................... 234 Range Clusters ................................................................................................................................... 236 Introduction Key Terms Used in This Section Historical range of variability (HRV) ~ The natural fluctuation of components of healthy ecosystems over time. In this EIS, refers to the range of conditions and processes that are likely to have occurred prior to settlement of the project area by people of European descent (approximately the mid-1800s), which would have varied within certain limits over time. Historical conditions and processes portrayed in this EIS include such variables as: vegetation types, compositions, and structures; fish and wildlife habitats and populations; and fire regimes. For purposes of comparison to current conditions, historical conditions in this EIS represent an estimated mid-point within the historical range of variability. HRV is discussed only as a reference point, to establish a baseline set of conditions for which sufficient scientific or historical information is available to enable comparison to current conditions. Ecological integrity ~ In general, ecological integrity refers to the degree to which all ecological components and their interactions are represented and functioning; the quality of being complete; a sense of wholeness. Absolute measures of integrity do not exist. Proxies provide useful measures to estimate the integrity of major ecosystem components (forestland, rangeland, aquatic, and hydrologic). Estimating these integrity components in a relative sense across the project area helps to explain current conditions and to prioritize future management. Thus, areas of high integrity would represent areas where ecological function and processes are better represented and functioning than areas rated as low integrity. Planning area ~ Refers to either the Eastside EIS area or the Upper Columbia River Basin EIS area. Project area ~ Refers to the entire Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project area, encompassing both EIS planning areas. Regional ~ Generally refers to either the planning area or the project area. In watershed discussions, also refers to 1st field Hydrologic Unit Codes; such as the Columbia Basin. ◆Lay the foundation for understanding and Purpose and evaluating the alternatives discussed in Organization of This Chapters 3 and 4. Chapter Where possible, information is organized by potential vegetation group and summarized by Ecological Reporting Units (ERUs). At the end of The purpose of this chapter is to describe the the chapter this information is integrated and existing environment, including conditions and reorganized into geographical clusters of areas trends, that will be affected by management within the project area where overall ecological alternatives in Chapter 3. Descriptions focus on conditions, opportunities, and risks are similar. lands administered by the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in eastern This chapter focuses on portions of the Oregon and Washington (the planning area); environment that are directly related to however, discussion of the entire project area conditions addressed in the alternatives (see (covered by both the Eastside and Upper Chapter 3). The description of the affected Columbia River Basin [UCRB] EISs) is often environment is not meant to be a complete necessary to provide context. portrait of the project area. Rather, it
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