Habitat Conditions
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Environmental Assessment United States Department of Agriculture Grassy Fire Salvage Forest Service Lakeview Ranger District April 2005 Fremont-Winema National Forests Lake County, Oregon For Information Contact: Rick Elston 65600 Highway 31 P.O. Box 129 Silver Lake, OR 97638 (541) 576-7569 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (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 USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Table of Contents Summary Alternative 1 – No Action....................................................................................S-1 Alternative 2 – Proposed Action..........................................................................S-1 Alternative 3.........................................................................................................S-2 Document Structure .............................................................................................S-2 Chapter 1 Purpose of and Need for Action Background.......................................................................................................... 1-2 Purpose of and Need for Action........................................................................... 1-2 Lakeview Federal Sustained Yield Unit ..............................................................1-6 Proposed Action................................................................................................... 1-6 Management Areas and Management Direction.................................................. 1-8 Relationship Between Purpose, Underlying Needs, and Actions...................... 1-14 Relationship Between Underlying Needs and Proposed Action (Discussion) .. 1-16 Scope of the Project, Analysis, and Decision Framework................................. 1-22 Public Involvement ............................................................................................ 1-24 Key Issues .......................................................................................................... 1-27 Analysis Issues and Other Issues ....................................................................... 1-29 Chapter 2 Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action Introduction.......................................................................................................... 2-2 Alternative Development (Background).............................................................. 2-2 Alternatives.......................................................................................................... 2-2 Precision of Information ...................................................................................... 2-3 Alternative 1 – No Action.................................................................................... 2-3 Design Elements of Alternative 1 -...................................................................... 2-3 Alternative 2 – Proposed Action.......................................................................... 2-5 Design Elements of Alternative 2 –..................................................................... 2-6 Alternative 3....................................................................................................... 2-11 Design Elements of Alternative 3 –................................................................... 2-12 Mitigations and Resource Protection Measures................................................. 2-14 Alternatives and Design Elements Eliminated from Detailed Study................. 2-19 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated from Detailed Study.......................... 2-19 Mitigations and Other Measures Considered But Not Adopted ........................ 2-24 Summary Comparison of Alternatives............................................................... 2-34 Chapter 3 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences Chapter 3 Introduction.................................................................................................. 3-2 Forest Vegetation ...........................................................................................................3-3 Purpose and Need / Key Issues............................................................................ 3-3 i Analysis Area....................................................................................................... 3-3 Analysis Methods................................................................................................. 3-3 Regulatory Framework ........................................................................................ 3-4 Existing Condition ............................................................................................... 3-8 Environmental Consequences.............................................................................. 3-9 Consistency with the Forest Plan and Other Regulatory Direction ................... 3-15 Fire and Fuels...............................................................................................................3-16 Introduction........................................................................................................ 3-16 Purpose and Need / Key Issues.......................................................................... 3-16 Regulatory Framework ...................................................................................... 3-17 Additional Background Information.................................................................. 3-18 Existing Condition ............................................................................................. 3-17 Analysis Method ................................................................................................ 3-20 Environmental Consequences............................................................................ 3-21 Consistency with Forest Plan and Other Laws .................................................. 3-31 Wildlife..........................................................................................................................3-32 Purpose and Need / Key Issues.......................................................................... 3-32 Regulatory Framework ...................................................................................... 3-32 Environmental Consequences............................................................................ 3-33 Snag and Downed Wood Dependant Species:................................................... 3-33 Draft Klamath Tribes Forest Management Plan Snag Retention Levels...........3-36 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species/Management Indicator Species (MIS) ................................................................................... 3-44 Biological Evaluation for Forest Service Sensitive Species..............................3-48 Management Indicator Species (MIS) ...............................................................3-59 Other Wildlife Species of Interest......................................................................3-84 Partners In Flight Focal Species ........................................................................3-89 Fisheries and Watershed .............................................................................................3-91 Introduction........................................................................................................ 3-91 Purpose and Need .............................................................................................. 3-93 Regulatory Framework ...................................................................................... 3-93 Soils.................................................................................................................... 3-94 Water Quality................................................................................................... 3-100 Stream Channel, Riparian Vegetation, and Fish Habitat Conditions............... 3-103 Proposed, Endangered, Threatened and Sensitive (PETS) Fish Species within the Affected Subwatersheds ............................................................... 3-110 Region 6 Sensitive and Management Indicator Aquatic Species within the Affected Subwatersheds................................................................................. 3-110 Environmental Consequences.......................................................................... 3-111 Determination of Effects to Sensitive Fish Populations .................................. 3-129 Mitigation and Resource Protection Measures Common to All Action Alternatives.................................................................................................... 3-129 Consistency with the Inland Native Fish Strategy (INFISH) – Alternatives 2 and 3 ....................................................................................... 3-130 ii Economics ...................................................................................................................3-131