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Chapter One Introduction, Proposed Actions(S), and Consultation History

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Chapter One Introduction, Proposed Actions(S), and Consultation History Spring Creek Vegetation Management Proposal UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE Biological Assessment and SOUTHERN REGION Evaluation DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST Redbird Ranger District KENTUCKY Clay County, Kentucky July 29, 2011 For Information Contact: Kim Tarter Redbird Ranger District Daniel Boone National Forest 91 Peabody Road Big Creek, KY 40914 (606) 598-2192 www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/ 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 a 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 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 1 Chapter One Introduction, Proposed Actions(s), and Consultation History Introduction This Biological Assessment and Evaluation (BAE) will address and evaluate the effects of the actions proposed for the “Spring Creek Vegetation Management Proposal” on federally threatened, endangered, proposed species and designated critical habitats within the action area.1 The objectives of this BAE include, but are not limited to: • Providing a standard method to fully consider federally listed proposed, endangered, threatened (PET) species and their habitats; and federally designated critical habitat in the decision-making process; • Evaluating the potential effects of the action on listed and proposed species; designated and proposed critical habitat(s); • Determining whether any such species or habitats are likely to be adversely affected by the action; • Determining whether formal consultation or a conference is necessary; • Ensuring that Forest Service actions do not contribute to loss of viability of any native or desired non-native plant nor contribute to trends toward Federal listing of any species; • Complying with the statutory requirements to use the best scientific and commercial information available when assessing the risks posed to listed and proposed species; designated and proposed critical habitat by proposed federal actions. Additional information regarding the objectives, standards, and procedures used in this BAE process is found in section 2672.4 of Forest Service Manual 2600. The Daniel Boone National Forest defines vegetation management as any activity that is designed primarily to alter or modify vegetation to meet desired conditions on land or water (USFS 2004a). Activities proposed to meet desired conditions, as defined in the 2004 Land and Resource Management Plan for the Daniel Boone National Forest would improve forest health, promote oak regeneration, provide for a variety of wildlife habitat and reduce woody debris build-up through the use of commercial timber harvest, mechanical and chemical site preparation. Area Description The proposed project activities are located on National Forest System lands within the drainage system of Spring Creek, Little Spring Creek, the head of Rocky Fork and the head of Panther Branch of Clay County, Kentucky. Spring Creek and Little Spring Creek are small perennial streams that drain into the Red Bird River; Rocky Fork and Panther Branch are also small perennial streams that drain into Flat Creek, which drains into the Red Bird River; these streams, except the Red Bird River, are located approximately 0.1 mile west of State Highway 66 and 1 The action area encompasses all areas to be affected directly or indirectly by the Federal action and not merely the immediate area involved in the action. [50 CFR §402.02] 2 approximately 0.5 mile south of State Highway 2000. The action area for this project is approximately 6,000 acres; it comprises the entire Spring Creek, Rocky Fork and Panther Branch drainage systems, and a small portion of the Flat Creek drainage system. The average width of these streams is approximately ten feet and depth of two feet, and gradient is approximately three percent. The substrate is predominantly gravel (human fingernail to fist-sized) and cobble (fist to head-sized) in riffles; and sand, cobble, boulder (larger than a human head) and sandstone/slate bedrock in pools. The footprint2 areas (eleven sites totaling approximately 410 acres) are also located in the previously mentioned drainage system, and are located in Clay County, Kentucky (see Appendix for map). The action area is predominately forested (i.e. ≥70%) with sugar maple, red oak, white oak, hickory and yellow-poplar. The average overstory3 basal area4 (BA) is about 80 square feet, with average height of 75 feet and average diameter of 18 inches; the average midstory5 BA is about 60 square feet, with average height of 65 feet and average diameter of eight inches. The proposed harvest units (approximately 161 acres) are primarily comprised of red oak, white oak, yellow-poplar, and hickory; and vegetation data plots in these units indicate approximately 140 BA of overstory, midstory and understory6. Vegetation data plots indicate approximately 43,000 hardwood seedling and sapling (1-5 inch diameter) size trees located in the proposed crop tree release units. Land use along the privately owned portion of the action area includes subsistence farming, home/road constructions, and gas/mineral extraction. The total land area for such features is approximately 100 acres; the rest is forested land (≈1,800 acres). Land use on National Forest System (NFS) land in the action area includes recreation (e.g. the multiple use Redbird Crest Trail, hunting, wildlife viewing), watershed improvement (e.g. riparian area protection, erosion control structures/waterbars), vegetation management, and privately operated gas/mineral well sites. Proposed Management Actions Proposed Action 1 - Thinning by Commercial Timber Harvest (≈ 81 ac.) The proposed action would cut a portion of trees from the overstory and midstory in two units totaling approximately 81 acres of NFS lands. This activity would reduce the basal area of these units by approximately half, leaving around 70 square feet of basal area. The proposed thinning by commercial timber harvest would take place during the normal operating season (i.e. March 15 through December 15), could take from 10-16 weeks to complete both units, and would consist of the following activities: 2 Footprint - the immediate area involved in the proposed treatment(s)/action(s). 3 Overstory - the trees that provide the upper crown cover in a two or multi layered forest. 4 Basal Area - the cross-sectional area of a single stem (tree), including the bark, measured at breast height (4.5 feet above the ground); the cross-sectional area (at breast height) of a group of stems within an area (such as a stand), usually expressed in square feet per acre. 5 Midstory - a vertical layer in a forest considered to be in the middle; usually defined as ›15′ in height, but shorter in height than the dominant trees whose crowns comprise the canopy, or highest layer. 6 Understory - trees and other vegetation that grow beneath the overstory. 3 • Sale area layout/designation of timber to be harvested - A crew of 2-4 Forest Service employees would take periodic measurements to determine timber volume, apply adequate amount of water-based paint to the stumps and the bole of designated trees to be visible from twenty feet, and record forest condition data. Water-based paint is used to mark trees, and marking would generally be done when the leaves have fallen for increased visibility. Paint or flagging would be used to mark unit boundaries, designate buffer zones (e.g. cliffline, riparian, archaeological, leave strips) and designate immediate roost trees for the Indiana bat. This activity could take up to three days per unit. • Felling - The cutting of trees would be done by the contractor or contractor’s employees using a gasoline-powered chain saw and aided by felling wedges and possibly cables with block and tackle rigs. Though rarely used, other methods may include (but not limited to) sheers, handsaws and/or pushing. • Cable logging and winching - A winch attached to a dozer or skidder would be used to move cut trees from the stump to a skid road. The cable is walked through the woods then attached by the operator to the cut tree. • Skidding - Cut trees would be moved to the log landing along skid roads that are constructed between the cut trees and the log landing within each harvest unit. Skid roads are generally constructed with a dozer or a blade on a skidder. The movement of logs, by dragging, from stump to a log landing is typically done using rubber-tire heavy equipment or a small dozer along the constructed skid road. Cables are attached to cut trees for transporting them along the skid road to a log landing. The Forest Service approves the location of skid roads and actions used to close skid roads following use. Skid roads are generally closed with dips, water bars, and seeded to grasses following the completion of harvesting activities. • Log landings - These are areas where logs are temporarily stored before loading onto trucks for transport. Landings are generally cleared of standing trees, stumps, and leveled with a dozer or rubber tire skidder to form the equivalent of a small parking lot for the commercial logging operation. Log landings are accessible by roads and are generally large enough to park a log truck, pickup truck, and have room for cut trees to be piled for loading onto log trucks.
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