Steam Donkey Echo EA
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The Siuslaw Resource Area, Eugene District BLM Office is bringing one Environmental Assessment (EA) forward for 30 day public review. Steam Donkey Echo EA project encompasses approximately 1,300 acres and is located within late successional reserve, general forest management area (GFMA) and riparian reserve land use allocations. Project actions may include timber harvest, snag and coarse wood creation , road construction , renovation, improvement, and decommissioning. This EA is available for public review during business hours (8:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. ) at the BLM office, 3106 Pierce Parkway, Springfield, Oregon. Public notice of this proposed action has been published in the Eugene Register Guard on September 23, 2015. The 30 day review period for the EA ends on October 23, 2015. Steam Donkey Echo comments may be submitted by email to BLM_OR_EU_Mail@blm .gov. Comments submitted in hard copy should be submitted to: Eugene District Office Sharmila Premdas 3106 Pierce Parkway Suite E. Springfield, OR, 97477 As you are aware, annual finding for the Government expires on September 30th, 2015. The Administration strongly believes that a lapse in funding should not occur and that there is enough time for Congress to prevent a lapse in appropriations. However in the event that such a funding lapse were to occur and the Government were to shut down, we request that you download the documents available for 30 day public 1 review for your convenience, prior to September 30 h, 2015. Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents will be available for public review at the district office, 3106 Pierce Parkway, Springfield, Oregon, during regular business hours (8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday, except holidays and may be published as part of the EA or other related comments. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. Thank you for your interest in your public lands . If you have questions regarding the project please contact Sharmila Premdas at (541 ) 683-8794. Sincerely, Michael J. Kom Field Manger Siuslaw Field Office Bureau of Land Management 1 1792A EA2013-0006 STEAM DONKEY ECHO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOI-BLM-OR-E050-2013-0006-EA Steam Donkey Echo Bureau of Land Management 2 1792A EA2013-0006 Contents 1.0 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................................4 1.1 General Information ..........................................................................................................................................4 1.2 Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................................................4 Matrix lands ........................................................................................................................................................4 Late Successional Reserve lands ......................................................................................................................5 Riparian Reserve lands ......................................................................................................................................5 Decision factors to be considered in alternative development ...........................................................................6 1.3 Scoping and Public Involvement ......................................................................................................................6 1.4 Conformance ....................................................................................................................................................7 1.5 Survey and Manage .........................................................................................................................................7 For areas where regeneration harvest is being considered ...............................................................................7 For areas where thinning is being considered ....................................................................................................8 1.6 Issues ...............................................................................................................................................................9 1.7 Issues considered but not analyzed in detail ....................................................................................................9 2.0 Description of the Alternatives ........................................................................................................................... 11 No Action Alternative 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Action Alternatives 2, 3, and 4 ............................................................................................................................. 12 Untreated Areas ............................................................................................................................................... 12 LSR land use allocations in section 9 .............................................................................................................. 12 Matrix land use allocations: ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.0 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................................................ 15 3.1 Aquatics – Issue 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Fisheries .......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Hydrology ......................................................................................................................................................... 16 3.2 Silviculture – Issues 2, 3 and 4 ...................................................................................................................... 19 3.3 Carbon Storage – Issue 3 .............................................................................................................................. 21 3.4 Botany Issue 2 ............................................................................................................................................... 21 3.5 Wildlife – Issues 2, 5 and 6 ............................................................................................................................ 22 Habitat complexity – Issue 2 ............................................................................................................................ 22 Marbled murrelet habitat – Issue 5 .................................................................................................................. 23 Northern spotted owl habitat – Issue 6 ............................................................................................................ 24 4.0 Environmental Consequences ........................................................................................................................... 27 4.1 Issue 1: What are the effects of timber harvest and associated activities on the attainment of aquatic conservation strategy (ACS) objectives?............................................................................................................. 27 4.2 Issue 2: W hat is the effect of harvest, prescribed fire and reforestation on the persistence and complexity of early seral habitat? .............................................................................................................................................. 38 Steam Donkey Echo Bureau of Land Management 3 1792A EA2013-0006 4.3 Issue 3: What effect do the actions have on carbon sequestration?................................................................... 44 4.4 Issue 4: How would reforestation alternatives affect future growth and yield? ............................................. 48 4.5 Issue 5: How would management actions benefit Marbled Murrelet habitat? ............................................... 50 4.6 Issue 6: How would management actions affect northern spotted owls and their designated critical habitat? ............................................................................................................................................................................. 53 5.0 Tribes, Individuals, Organizations, and Agencies Consulted ............................................................................ 57 6.0 List of preparers ................................................................................................................................................. 59 List of Citations .......................................................................................................................................................