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Applegate River – Mckee Bridge Legacy Roads

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Applegate River – Mckee Bridge Legacy Roads Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact Applegate River – McKee Bridge Legacy Roads USDA Forest Service Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District, Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest Jackson County, Oregon T39S to T40S and R2W to R4W I. Introduction This Decision Notice (DN) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) document describes my decision and the reasons behind my decision regarding the Applegate River – McKee Bridge Legacy Roads Project within the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District of the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest. My decision and findings are based on the Environmental Assessment (EA) – Applegate River – McKee Bridge Legacy Roads Project dated October 2009, which documents the results of an environmental analysis of Alternative A (Preferred Action), Alternative B (Public Response), and Alternative C (No Action). The document is available on the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest website: www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue- siskiyou/projects/planning/index.shtml. The project is being initiated at this time because funds have become available through the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative (Legacy Roads). The project will take place within the 52,301 acres of the Applegate River – McKee Bridge 5th field watershed. The overall Need (EA page I-7) for action is to implement watershed restoration direction from the Northwest Forest Plan (B-31), which lists control and prevention of road-related runoff and sediment production as one of the most important components for watershed restoration. The Purpose (EA page I-7) of the action is to aid in the recovery of water quality in the Applegate River-McKee Bridge 5th field watershed by reducing road and trail related runoff and sediment production in the watershed. Specifically to: Retain roads required for public access and land management while providing those roads with much needed maintenance; Decommission or close roads that are no longer required; Reduce sediment input to stream channels; Maintain a 5th field transportation system that serves the needs of users in an environmentally sound manner; and Provide for important ecological functions such as aquatic organism passage, hydrologic function and sediment regime while remaining consistent with state and federal regulations. Applegate River – McKee Bridge Legacy Roads Project Page DN - 1 Decision Notice and FONSI II. The Decision As the Responsible Official, it is my decision to implement Alternative B with eleven modifications. Under my decision the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest will decommission roads on 28.33 miles, close roads on 6.86 miles, and stormproof 44.15 miles within the Applegate River – McKee Bridge 5th field watershed within the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District. Elements of the selected action, Alternative B with modifications, are listed by road number with treatment type (decommissioning, closure or stormproofing) as stated in Table 1 and displayed in Maps 1, 2, and 3. The Alternative B with modifications changes a portion of Alternative B actions from decommissioning to either closure, stormproofing or no action. The definition of the activities within the project area may be found in EA I-7 and EA I-10-12. The following Table 1 displays Alternative B with modifications (texted in bold and italic font) and the associated current operational maintenance level and road length. Table 1. Alternative B with Modifications Current Current Road Operational Road Length Alternative B Number Road Name Maint. Level (miles) with Modifications in bold/italic Water Gulch/ 1000600 2 1.98 Stormproof Applegate R Water Gulch/ 1000605 2 0.80 Closure Applegate R 1010300 Palmer Ck 2 1.21 Decommission 1010500 China Gulch 2 2.75 Decommission 2.20 mi; Leave As Is 0.55 mi 1010545 China Gulch 2 0.10 Decommission 1010550 Flume Gulch 2 0.34 Decommission 1010558 China Gulch 2 0.55 Decommission 1090200 Flume Gulch 1 1.41 Stormproof 1090250 Flume Gulch 1 1.00 Decommission Across from Alt. C (No Action) instead of decommission; 1090280 3 0.05 Jackson CG recreation needs - paved picnic area road. 1090400 Kinney Ck 2 0.31 Stormproof 1090500 Kinney Ck 2 1.14 Decommission Alt. A (Closure) instead of decommission; 1090800 Kinney Ck 2 1.16 vegetation management needs. 1095000 Palmer Ck 2 7.57 Stormproof Lower Palmer Non-system 1095301 0.50 Stormproof Ck road Sourdough 1095350 2 1.19 Decommission Gulch 1095500 Lime Gulch 2 3.92 Stormproof Sourdough 1095525 2 0.23 Stormproof Gulch Sourdough 1095528 2 0.47 Stormproof Gulch Applegate River – McKee Bridge Legacy Roads Project Page DN - 2 Decision Notice and FONSI Current Current Road Operational Road Length Alternative B Number Road Name Maint. Level (miles) with Modifications in bold/italic 1095530 Flume Gulch 2 0.59 Stormproof 1095650 Bailey Gulch 2 1.47 Closure 1095655 Bailey Gulch 1 0.99 Closure 1095657 Bailey Gulch 2 0.67 Decommission 1095665 Bailey Gulch 2 0.27 Closure 1095750 Dark Canyon 2 1.13 Decommission 1095760 Palmer Head 2 0.88 Decommission Nine Dollar 1095770 2 0.46 Decommission Gulch 1095800 Dark Canyon 2 0.52 Decommission 1095860 Dark Canyon 2 0.66 Decommission Alt. A & C (Leave As Is/No Action) instead of 2000839 Pete's Camp 2 0.51 decommission; vegetation management needs. 2000843 Beaver Head 1 0.46 Decommission Upper Beaver 2000850 2 1.43 Stormproof Ck Upper Beaver 2000851 2 0.93 Stormproof Ck 2.25 (decom 0.25 m and Decommission 0.25 miles (after private land access) 2000860 Pete's Camp 2 stormproof 2.0 and stormproof 2.0 miles m) Upper Beaver 2000864 2 0.23 Decommission Ck Alt. C (No Action) instead of decommission); 2000865 Pete's Camp 1 0.31 vegetation management needs. 2000867 Pete's Camp 1 0.54 Decommission 2000868 Pete's Camp 2 0.73 Stormproof 2000873 Pete's Camp 2 0.32 Stormproof 2000880 Pete's Camp 2 0.83 Stormproof 2000889 Pete's Camp 2 0.03 Decommission Decommission to NFSL boundary mm 56+80 to 2000890 Pete's Camp 2 2.88 139+00 Alt. C (No Action) instead of decommission; 2000904 Haskins Gulch 2 0.22 vegetation needs. 2000905 Haskins Gulch 2 1.29 Stormproof 200906 Haskins Gulch 2 0.90 Decommission 2000907 Haskins Gulch 1 1.13 Decommission 2000910 Haskins Gulch 2 0.27 Decommission Armstrong 2000915 2 0.47 Decommission Gulch Alt. C (No Action) instead of decommission; Armstrong 2000920 2 2.42 recreation, range, fire, and vegetation Gulch management needs. Alt. C (No Action) instead of decommission; Armstrong 2000926 2 0.45 recreation, fire, range, and vegetation Gulch management needs. Decommission 0.75 miles and stormproof 2.52 2000940 Charlie Buck 2 3.27 miles Applegate River – McKee Bridge Legacy Roads Project Page DN - 3 Decision Notice and FONSI Current Current Road Operational Road Length Alternative B Number Road Name Maint. Level (miles) with Modifications in bold/italic 2000943 Charlie Buck 2 1.40 Stormproof 2010000 Squaw Mtn 2 11.62 Stormproof Non-system 2010001 Hanley Gulch 0.15 Decommission road Alt. A (Stormproof) instead of decommission; 2010100 Hanley Gulch 2 1.97 vegetation management needs. Alt. A (Closure) instead of decommission; 2010140 Hanley Gulch 2 1.32 vegetation management needs. Alt. A (Closure) instead of decommission; 2010142 Hanley Gulch 2 0.85 vegetation management needs. 2010200 Hanley Gulch 2 2.20 Decommission 2010220 Hanley Gulch 2 0.43 Stormproof 2010250 Hanley Gulch 2 0.89 Decommission (at junction w/ road 2010252) Decommission (at junction roads 2010250- 2010252 Hanley Gulch 2 1.23 2000905) 2010255 Hanley Gulch 1 0.70 Decommission 2010300 Hanley Gulch 2 1.90 Decommission 0.54 mi; Leave As Is 1.36 mi Alt. C (No Action) instead of decommission; 2010310 Hanley Gulch 1 0.46 vegetation management needs. Decommission 0.61 miles (decom after .04 miles for 2010330 Hanley Gulch 2 0.65 recreation needs). 2010332 Hanley Gulch 1 0.15 Decommission 2010340 Hanley Gulch 2 0.63 Stormproof 2010350 Hanley Gulch 2 1.07 Stormproof 2010700 Pete's Camp 1 0.50 Decommission In making this decision, it was necessary to weigh the relative merits and consequences of the alternatives as well as to consider the resource issues and concerns, and public comments. No single factor determined the decision; rather, all factors were considered in reaching the decision. This decision, along with the specified mitigation and monitoring measures, provides the best combination of physical, biological, social, and environmental benefits with acceptable resource effects, while attaining the stated Purpose and Need. Additionally, I have chosen to implement the Alternative B with modifications, for the following reasons: The authorized actions under my decision are consistent with the Forest Plans goals, objectives, and Standards and Guidelines for this area; The authorized actions under my decision meet the stated Purpose and Need and have acceptable environmental effects in regard to the Relevant Issues identified in the EA; and The authorized actions will maintain adequate access for administrative and public use, including, access for fire protection, recreation, and resource management activities occurring within the watershed. Access will also be maintained to private land. Applegate River – McKee Bridge Legacy Roads Project Page DN - 4 Decision Notice and FONSI III. Other Alternatives Considered Alternative A (Preferred Action) The Alternative A was generated from the interdisciplinary team (IDT) scoping and includes most of the roads within the selected action, Alternative B with modifications. It includes 12.33 miles less of decommissioning (16 miles), 2.84 more of roads closures (7.5 miles), and 8.08 more miles of stormproofing (52.23 miles) as depicted in Table 2. Alternative A road treatments would have reduced sediment by 64% (1,848 cubic yards per year) from the No Action alternative. This alternative was not selected because: The alternative does not fully meet the purpose and need as compared to the selected action, Alternative B with modifications, to the extent desired.
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