BURNED AREA EMERGENCY STABILIZATION PLAN CASCADE COMPLEX FIRE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Cascade Complex Fire has burned over 300,000 acres to date in southwest Idaho through private and Forest Service jurisdictions. This plan addresses emergency stabilization and rehabilitation of fire effects resulting from the Cascade Complex Fire that burned on the Boise National Forest and south of Cox Ranch near Yellow Pine. An analysis area was chosen to include only the portion (209,274 acres) on the Boise National Forest. This area consists of about 155,711 acres within the burned perimeter. The analysis was coordinated with the Payette and Salmon-Challis National Forest (see Appendix IV, Fire Perimeter and Analysis Area Map). The Cascade Complex Fire continues to grow to the north in the areas of Johnson Creek and near Yellow Pine, ID. This plan has been prepared in accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Handbook 2509.13, Burned-Area Emergency Rehabilitation Handbook (January, 1995) and Forest Service Manual 2500, Watershed and Air Management, Chapter 2523 (Revised May, 2004). The primary objectives of the Cascade Complex Fire – South End Burned Area Emergency Stabilization Plan were: • To insure the BAER team’s personal safety and provide for public safety during our assignment. • To assess the risk to human life and property from impaired watershed conditions and to recommend appropriate stabilization actions to protect the following values: o Residences and Ranches: Private residences and ranches of Johnson Creek and Lodges and residences in the Warm Lake area. o Public and Domestic Water Supplies: Public water supply for recreation residences at Warm Lake, Landmark Guard Station, Paradise Valley residences, and Warm Lake Project camp o Water Transmission Facilities: Any known spring developments or irrigation diversions and/or ditches. o Power Transmission Facilities: Determine risk to public safety and protect future loss of power transmission facilities from erosion or flooding. o Roads and Bridges: Johnson Creek Road, Warm Lake Highway, and South Fork Salmon River Road Other major or minor routes as identified. o Campgrounds, Trails, and other Recreation Facilities: South Fork Salmon River Campground, Multiple trails, Administrative sites, Recreational rental cabins, Recreational infrastructure, and iii South Fork Salmon River Fishing area. • Mine and CERCLA Sites: o Eureka Silver Mine o Other mining sites as identified • To protect threatened Chinook salmon, Steelhead, and Bull Trout and their habitat from unnatural events. • To assess the loss of the Bald Eagle nest at Warm Lake. • To assess the risk of increased infestations of noxious weeds • To assess significant historic and cultural sites • To evaluate sub-watersheds with a significant extent of high intensity burns • To coordinate with the NRCS, State, and County on private lands, if appropriate An array of treatment options and/or actions allowable by Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy has been considered to attain the above objectives. Introduction - The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team has conducted an analysis of fire effects using aerial and ground reconnaissance methods throughout the burned areas. The watershed group worked with local hydrology and soils specialists to assess and map the overall fire impacts on watershed conditions and develop a soil burn severity map. The Engineering group assessed the damages to the road infrastructure and aided the watershed and fisheries assessment groups to recommend protection of that infrastructure. The vegetation specialists worked with local vegetation, range, and foresters to evaluate and assess fire effects and wildland fire suppression impacts to vegetation resources, including mapping noxious invasive weed populations and fire induced vegetation mortality. Archeologists inventoried wildland fire suppression impacts and fire effects to known culturally significant sites to determine if these sites require emergency stabilization treatments to prevent further damage or loss. The wildlife biologist coordinated local wildlife biologists and conducted an assessment of fire effects to Federal Threatened and Endangered (T&E) wildlife and Forest Service sensitive species and their associated habitat. The biologists also evaluated suppression impacts to wildlife species and initiated emergency Section 7, Endangered Species Act consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boise Field Office as well as the Boise office of NOAA Fisheries. The Team Geographic Information System (GIS) specialists gathered data layers necessary for the plan, coordinated GIS activities, processed data calculations for other resource specialists, and produced maps for analysis, for the BAER Plan and for presentations. Resource assessments produced by these specialists can be found in Appendix I and individual treatment activities proposed for funding and implementation that have been identified in the resource assessments are located in Part F, Description of Treatments by Issue. A summary of treatment costs can be found in Part E, Cost Summary Table. The FS-2500-8 Burned-Area Report is located in Appendix VI for signature and submittal to the Intermountain Region for funding approval. Appendix II is used as a placeholder to document any future decisions or environmental compliance documentation related to analysis or recommendations within the Cascade Complex Fire perimeter. Appendix III contains photographic documentation of fire effects and Appendix IV contains BAER Plan Maps produced to assist with resource damage assessments. Appendix V contains supporting documentation for the plan including the FS-2500-8 Burned-Area Report. Cascade Complex Fire Information - The Monumental Fire began with a lightning strike near Monumental Peak on July 16, 2007, and as of September 10, 2007, has consumed 281,000 acres with about 209,282 acres within the analysis area. Due to the large geographic area of the fire, and that considerable fire activity remains in the area northern part of the complex; the fire has been divided, in terms of BAER Assessments. The South End BAER Assessment Area covers the fire perimeter, south of the Cox Ranch in the Johnson Creek Drainage, to the southern end of the fire in the Deadwood Drainage, and South of the confluence of the iv South Fork of the Salmon River and the East Fork of the Salmon River to the fires most southern point also in the Deadwood River Drainage. All land within the fire perimeter is administered by the Forest Service, with the fire currently residing on the Boise, Payette, and Salmon-Challis National Forests. The BAER team was ordered on September 1st, 2007 and arrived in Cascade and negotiated acceptance of responsibility for preparation of the BAER Plan for the Cascade Complex, on September 4, 2007. An agency in-briefing occurred on September 4th at the Cascade Ranger District office. The emphasis on safety practiced throughout the fire suppression effort continued through the BAER team’s efforts. Team members can encounter hazard trees, rough terrain, hazardous driving conditions, fire activity, and numerous other environmental hazards. A Risk Assessment/JHA was presented to the BAER Team upon arrival and all signed, acknowledging the risks associated with the assignment. Safety briefings were conducted at every nightly team meeting. The Risk Assessment and JHA can be found in Appendix V, Supporting Documentation. The BAER Team closeout was completed on Friday September 14, 2007 at the District Office. Management and Applicable Land Use Plans - The Cascade Complex Fire South End Burned Area Emergency Stabilization Plan was reviewed and it was determined that actions proposed in the Burned Area Emergency Stabilization Plan within the boundary of U.S. Forest Service lands are consistent with the management objectives established by the Boise National Forest. The existing land management plans and recent and relevant approved NEPA documents (back to 2001) were reviewed and are summarized below. • Boise National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP). Volumes 1 and 2. Boise National Forest, Boise, ID. (2003) • South Fork Salmon River Weir Reconstruction, DN & FONSI (May 2006) • South Fork Wildfire Salvage, ROD (June 2004) • South Fork Salmon River Salmon Fishing Event & Restoration Project, DM (FY 2003) Emergency Stabilization Issues - The BAER Team delegations of authority, in-briefing, subsequent meetings with FS and regulatory agency representatives, and county officials provided valuable information concerning post-fire conditions and issues that need to be addressed. A set of issues has been evaluated by this BAER team and addressed through risk evaluation and may be further addressed by treating with suppression rehabilitation, emergency stabilization, or long-term rehabilitation. This set of issues can be found in Appendix V, Supporting Documention. Resource Assessments: Soil and Water – The field data indicated that the majority (52%) of the affected acres received a low severity burn, and 36% of the area received a moderate severity burn. Many downed trees were scorched, but intact, on the soil surface and fine roots and some forest litter remained. High burn severity was of minor extent (4%) in the fire analysis area, and the rest was unburned islands (see Appendix IV). Viable grass and shrub root crowns should allow for natural re-vegetation of the low to moderate severity sites, within 2-5 years. Soils with a high