Environmental Assessment Forest-Wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuels Reduction
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Environmental Assessment United States Department of Agriculture Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal Forest and Fuels Reduction – Healthy Service Forests Restoration Act Project August 2010 Helena National Forest 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 USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720- 2600. 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Table of Contents 1.0 Purpose and Need for Action ................................................................................. 1 1.1 Summary 1 1.2 Introduction 2 1.3 Purpose and Need 10 1.4 Proposed Action 12 1.5 Location 14 1.6 Scope of the Decision 14 1.7 BScoping & Public Involvement 14 1.8 Issues 16 2.0 Alternatives .......................................................................................................... 21 2.1 How Alternatives Were Developed 21 2.2 Description of Alternatives Analyzed in Detail 21 2.3 1Alternatives Eliminated From Detailed Study 22 2.4 Comparison of the Alternatives 23 3.0 Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences ........................................ 25 3.1 Effects to Heritage Resources 26 3.2 Effects to Unauthorized Off-Road Travel 28 3.3 Effects to Soil Productivity 29 3.4 Effects to Hydrologic Resources 31 3.5 Effects to Fisheries 40 3.6 Effects to Recreation 52 3.7 Effects to Scenic Values 63 3.8 Effects to Snags 68 3.9 Effects to Wildlife 74 3.10 Effects to Sensitive Plants 159 3.11 Effects to Weeds 166 3.12 Effects to Availability of Firewood 173 3.13 Effects to Socio-economics 174 3.14 Effects to Fuels 176 4.0 Consultation and Coordination ........................................................................... 187 4.1 ID Team Members 187 4.2 Federal, State, and Local Agencies 187 4.3 Tribes 188 Appendix A Scoping Comments Appendix B Roads, Campsites, and Administrative Sites to be Treated Appendix C Design Criteria, Mitigation Measures, and Best Management Practices Appendix D Wildlife Analysis Approach Appendix E Summary of Effects to TES and MIS Species Appendix F Cumulative Effects 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION 1.1 Summary The Helena National Forest is proposing to fell and remove hazardous trees that are within approximately 125 feet (1 ½ tree lengths) of the edge of National Forest System Roads (NFSRs) open to public travel on the Lincoln Ranger District; and to fell and remove hazardous trees that are within approximately 100 feet (1 ½ tree lengths) of the edge of NFSRs open to public travel on the Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts. The proposal also includes felling and removing hazardous trees in and adjacent to Forest Service campgrounds, recreation areas, administrative sites, and trailheads. These distances should meet the goal of reducing public hazard; however some variation is anticipated during implementation. Please see page 12 for further detail on what this variation is. Healthy live trees, clumps of regeneration, and dead and dying Douglas fir and ponderosa pine trees leaning (greater than 30 degrees) away from roads/trails, would be retained unless the trees pose a safety hazard in the tree removal process. The analysis area includes National Forest System lands on the Helena, Townsend, and Lincoln Ranger Districts in Montana. An Environmental Assessment (EA) is not a decision document. It is a document disclosing the environmental effects of implementing a proposed action and alternatives to that action. This EA describes and compares the environmental effects of implementing a proposed action and a no action alternative. The EA was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant federal and state laws and regulations, including the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA). The HFRA was signed by President Bush in 2003 and contains a variety of provisions to complete an environmental analysis and treatment of lands that are at risk of wildland fire, have experienced wind-throw or blow-down, or are impacted by insect and disease epidemics. On October 6, 2008, the Forest Supervisor of the Helena National Forests determined that the Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuel Reduction Project is an “authorized project” under the HFRA because of an ongoing mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic. Projects authorized under the HFRA are subject to a “Pre-decisional Administrative Review Process” (36 CFR 218). The objection-filing period, which is specific to the 218 process, begins the day after a legal notice announcing the availability of the EA is published in the Helena Independent Record. The objection filing period for this project ended on April 27, 2010. Three objections were filed. A Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact (DN/FONSI) for this project will be issued by the Forest Supervisor of the Helena National Forest. The DN/FONSI will specify which alternative is selected for implementation and the rationale for the decision. Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuels Reduction Project EA Page 1 1.2 Introduction On October 6, 2008, Kevin Riordan, Forest Supervisor, of the Helena National Forest, made the following determinations for the Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuels Reduction Project: 1) Ecosystem components associated with Helena National Forest are threatened by the mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation. Between 2004 and 2007, aerial survey data showed that over 118,300 acres on the Helena National Forest were impacted by MPB. By 2009, acres impacted by the beetles had escalated to almost 600,000 acres on the Helena NF (approx 63% of the Helena NF landbase). This widespread loss of lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine stands has the potential to impact physical and biological resources. 2) Tree mortality from the beetle infestation poses a significant threat to public safety along travel corridors and in and adjacent to developed recreation sites and administrative sites. Hazard trees increase the potential for: a) persons or property being struck by falling trees; and b) trees falling and blocking roadways, thus preventing both emergency and non- emergency ingress and egress travel. 3) The number of hazard trees has the potential to pose a significant threat for more catastrophic fire events due to increased fuel loads. Based on these determinations, the Forest Supervisor concluded that the Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuels Reduction Project is an authorized project under Section 102(a)(4) of the HFRA. Accordingly, the environmental analysis for the project was completed under the HFRA, Title I, Section 104. The Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) recognizes healthy forests or forest health as an important part of forest management. This project responds directly to forest health objectives as described in the HFRA. Its purpose is to reduce threats to public and firefighter safety by felling and/or removing hazard trees impacted by the mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic along roads, trails, and in and adjacent to recreation sites and administrative sites. Additionally it treats the hazardous fuels created by the falling dead trees. The Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuels Reduction Project was determined to meet the definition of a project authorized or covered under HFRA because: • Section 102(a)(4) of HFRA authorizes expedited vegetation management projects where there is the existence of an insect epidemic. The Responsible Official determined that the dead trees pose a significant threat to the public and that if untreated, the fuel buildup from the falling trees present an increased risk of wildfire starts with an increased resistance to control. • It meets the criteria for the Insect and disease Test in the Decision Diagram 2 of the Guide. • Because the project consists of insect killed trees, it is exempt from the old-growth and large-tree retention requirements of HFRA. Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuels Reduction Project EA Page 2 • A collaborative process involving Federal, State, and local governments, tribes, community-based groups, landowners, and other interested persons was included in the process. • The Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuels Reduction Project was selected because of the identified hazards to the public and agency personnel resulting from the MPB epidemic. Across the Forest, the bark beetle epidemic is now in its fifth or so year in some areas, with the majority of the trees having died over the past two to three years. Once a tree dies from a beetle attack, its roots begin to lose their holding capability and eventually the tree falls to the ground, or breaks off at weakened parts of the tree (e.g., cankers and sap rot). The rate of tree fall is especially exacerbated in older trees which are prone to butt rots. Studies have shown that on a stand basis for lodgepole pine, some of the dead trees begin to fall