Shasta-Trinity National Forest Outfitter and Guide Program (2019-2028)
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Shasta-Trinity National Forest Outfitter and Guide Program (2019-2028) 1 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................2 Background .................................................................................................................................................................2 Proposed Action (Guiding Locations for Each Activity) ..............................................................................................3 Purpose and Need ....................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Trends .........................................................................................................................................................................9 Analysis for Capacity ................................................................................................................................................ 11 Current Resource Protection Measures/Site Specific Requirements ...................................................................... 13 Introduction and Purpose and Need Outfitter and guide services provide a great opportunity for people of all ages to get outdoors and recreate on their National Forests. The total amount of visitor days that are spent outfitting or guiding on the National Forest amounts to only a small fraction of the overall recreational use that is occurring but it remains an important part to the visitor, the agency, the resources, and the economy of the communities where outfitters and guides are based. The reasons to allow outfitters and guides in an area are to assure that the public has reasonable access to National Forest opportunities, that the use resulting from it is of the highest quality, that the resources are protected, and that the client learns the unique attributes of the environment. Outfitters and guides include businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions that facilitate recreational experiences for individuals or groups by providing services, assistance, supplies, and/or equipment on National Forest Lands. If these businesses/organizations charge an entry or participation fee for their goods or services, regardless of whether the activity is intended to produce a profit, they are considered commercial users and require special use permits for operation on National Forest Lands (FSH 2709.11). Agency policy and guidelines direct managers to permit outfitting and guiding operations where there is a demonstrated agency and public demand for these operations in order to meet the following objectives: 1. Provide for outfitting and guiding services that address concerns of public health and safety and that foster successful small businesses consistent with the applicable land management plan. 2. Facilitate greater participation in the outfitting and guiding program by organizations and businesses that work with youth and educational groups. 3. Encourage skilled and experienced individuals and entities to conduct outfitting and guiding activities in a manner that protects environmental resources and ensures that national forest visitors receive high-quality services. 4. Create an efficient outfitter and guide permit process that will allow us to issue permits in a timely manner. Background The Shasta-Trinity National Forest (STNF) is updating its process for authorizing outfitter and guide permits beginning in calendar year 2019. Under the current process, outfitters and guide services apply for Special Use Permits to operate on STNF during annual Open Seasons (January 1-31 for activities that occur spring-fall and September 1-30 for activities that occur in winter). Review of these applications is then completed by STNF staff 2 pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and other applicable environmental laws, and permits are issued in the spring or winter of each calendar year. Under the new process for authorizing outfitter and guide permits, beginning in calendar year 2019, STNF will complete a review of the outfitter and guide program every 10 years, which would include a review of potential locations and activities that might be requested and subsequently permitted under the program. Under the new process, two types of permits will be issued by STNF: Priority Use Permits - Authorization of use for up to 10-years, based on the holder's past use and performance and applicable programmatic or project decisions to allocate use. Except as provided in 36 CFR Part 251, Subpart E, authorizations providing for priority use are subject to renewal. Temporary Use Permits - Short-term, non-renewable outfitting and guiding use that is authorized in increments of 50 service days, up to a maximum of 200 service days in a 180-day period. Priority use permits will be issued to outfitters and guides that intend to operate annually at the authorized location(s) and have completed a minimum of two years probationary period as a temporary permit holder. These permits would be valid from the date of issue (2019) through December 2028. Temporary use permits would be issued to outfitter and guide businesses who apply during one of the open seasons and intend to operate for a short-term duration. These permits would be valid for the duration of the guided activity, not to exceed one year. In order to improve efficiency, any outfitter and guide service that applies to operate on STNF and also intends to operate at locations on the Klamath (KNF), Lassen (LNF), or Six Rivers National Forests (SRNF) may be issued a single permit by STNF that authorizes outfitter and guide activities at STNF, KNF, LNF, and/or SRNF locations. This situation is dependent on approval from the National Forest’s authorized officer and must have a delegation letter assigning the STNF as the lead Forest for issuing that permit. There are currently several permits that the KNF, LNF and SRNF have delegated the STNF as the lead Forest to issue those permits. This NEPA document takes into consideration these areas for guided activities we currently authorize use on. Proposed Action (Guiding Locations for Each Activity) The STNF has several outfitter and guide opportunities which vary based on the management unit: • The Shasta McCloud Management Unit currently hosts the following types of guide operations: mountaineering, backcountry skiing/split boarding, metaphysical/spiritual tours, fly fishing, rafting, backpacking/hiking, photography workshops, horseback riding, outdoor education and sight-seeing bus tours. • The Trinity River Management Unit currently hosts the following types of guide operations: rafting, fly fishing, backpacking/hiking, dunnage/packing, and outdoor education. • The South Fork Management Unit currently hosts the following types of guide operations: dunnage/packing, backpacking/hiking, and fly fishing. • The National Recreation Area currently hosts the following types of guide operations: lake fishing, boat tours, lake kayaking, wakeboard/waterskiing, and other lake sport activities. The outfitter and guide activities that occur and future activities that could be authorized do not include any ground disturbing activities and they also occur where non-commercial/non-guided use of these activities already exists. The STNF is proposing the following: 3 1. Issue a priority permit “renewal” (to expire in 2028) for temporary outfitter and guide permits that currently exist on the forest and have expired as of December 31, 2018 or will expire within the next 10 years for locations listed below. 2. Issue temporary permits for any walk-in requests that are made between now and 2028 as long as the request falls within the scope of this NEPA review. The locations these permits could be issued for are listed below. 3. Issue a priority permit to a business that requests a priority permit between now and 2028 as long as the guide company has performed acceptably for two years under a temporary outfitter and guide permit. The priority permit in this case would not be a ten year permit but would be issued for the duration of period remaining up to 2028 (i.e. a new guide company can request a permit in 2020, receive a one-year temp permit in 2020, obtain another one-year temp permit in 2021, and then in 2022 obtain a permit lasting until 2028). 4. There is no capacity for the number of permits allowable for outfitter and guide operations except for four locations on the Forest that a capacity was deemed necessary (i.e. Trinity River, Trinity Alps, Mount Shasta Wilderness, and Deadfall Lakes area). Outside of these four areas there is no proposed capacity limit although issuance of a permit will still be discretionary based on the Authorized Officer. A pool of service days above and beyond which will be allocated to the priority permits will be open for temporary permits to apply for during the open season on a first-come first-served basis until the pool of service days are depleted. Further information on the capacity limits for these locations and the amount of service days available for request can be found in Analysis for Capacity below. 5. The STNF has a desire to continue to allow outfitter and guide activities at the locations listed below. These locations are areas that outfitter and guide operations currently occur or could occur in the future if requested. Shasta-Trinity