Giant Sequoia National Monument, Draft Environmental Impact Statement Volume 1 1 Chapter 3 Affected Environment
United States Department of Giant Sequoia Agriculture Forest Service National Monument Giant Sequoia National Monument Draft Environmental Impact Statement August 2010 Volume 1 The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (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 USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Chapter 3 - Affected Environment Giant Sequoia National Monument, Draft Environmental Impact Statement Volume 1 1 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Volume 1 Giant Sequoia National Monument, Draft Environmental Impact Statement 2 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Chapter 3 Affected Environment Chapter 3 describes the affected environment or existing condition by resource area, as each is currently managed. This is the baseline condition against which environmental effects are evaluated and from which progress toward the desired condition can be measured. Vegetation, including Giant Sequoia Groves Vegetation within the Giant Sequoia National Monument can be grouped into ecological units with similar climatic, geology, soils, and vegetation communities. These units fall within three categories: oak woodlands/grasslands, shrublands/chaparral, and forestlands. The forested category between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation, spanning the Monument from north to south, is dominated by mixed conifer and its variants.
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