2017… Program of Work
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2017… PROGRAM OF WORK. Umatilla National Foresttt View from Oregon Butte - Pomeroy Ranger District United States Department of Agriculture FOREST SERVICE 1 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 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 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. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Umatilla National Forest 2017 Program of Work 2016 Forest Staff and Accomplishments………………....…….. Page 5 South Zone Program of Work: Heppner Ranger District.………..…………………………..……….….. Page 7 North Fork John Day Ranger District………………………….…..….… Page 21 North Zone Program of Work: Pomeroy Ranger District …………………………..…………………… Page 33 Walla Walla Ranger District…………….……………………………..... Page 41 Forest-Wide Program of Work: Forest-wide projects…………………………………….…………….… Page 55 2016 Program Accomplishment Reports: Botany/TES Program………………………………………………….… Page 67 Invasive Plant Program……………………………………………….… Page 68 Native Plant Program……………………………………………....…… Page 69 Hydrology Program…………………………………………………...… Page 70 Recreation Program…………………………..………………………… Page 72 Wildlife Program …………………………………………..……………. Page 74 Youth/Community/Conservation Education………………….…..….… Page 75 3 4 Umatilla National Forest Fiscal Year 2016 Forest Facts, Figures and Accomplishments FOREST LEADERSHIP TEAM TIMBER OUTPUTS Forest Supervisor, Genevieve Masters Timber Volume Target: 31.88 MMBF Fire & Fuels Staff, Brett Thomas-Acting Timber Volume Accomplished: 31.76 MMBF Natural Resource, Planning *MMBF - Million Board Feet and Administration Staff, Brian Goff Operations Staff, Wynn Avocette BOTANY / SILVICULTURE (see accomplishment reports) Heppner District Ranger, Ann Niesen Tree/ Shrub Planting 319,214 seedlings North Fork John Day Ranger, Ian Reid Native Seed/Forb Planting 2,000 lbs Pomeroy District Ranger, Monte Fujishin TES Plant Surveying 1,500 acres Walla Walla District Ranger, Mike Rassbach Invasive Plant Treatments 6,561 acres Forest Archaeologist, Allen Madril Public Affairs Office, Joani Bosworth Executive Assistant, Myrna Neil RANGE MANAGEMENT Number of Grazing Permits 33 Sheep Allotments 4 TOTAL FOREST ACRES 1,406,245 Sheep Permitted 18,877 Oregon Acres 1,095,048 Cattle Allotments 29 Washington Acres 311,197 Cattle Permitted 32,476 Range Vegetation Acres Improved 18,577 ENGINEERING - Forest System Roads Roads Designated Motorized 2,266 Miles Closed Roads (Non-Motorized) 2,358 Miles AQUATICS AND WILDLIFE Total Existing Roads 4,624 Miles Number of Wildlife Species 324 Sensitive Wildlife & Fish Species 24 RECREATION MANAGEMENT Threatened & Endangered Species 6 Campgrounds 39 Miles of Stream Habitat: Cabin Rentals 13 Chinook Salmon 158 Designated Wilderness Acres 319,409 Steelhead 900 Maintained Trailheads 38 Resident Trout 1,600 Miles of Trails: Major Fish Passage Improvement Projects 2 Motorized 256 Fish Habitat Improvement 23 miles Non-motorized use 578 Confirmed wolf packs 6 Marked Nordic Ski 33 Habitat improvement, 18,250 acres Snowmobile 181 (Prescribed-wildfire, noxious weed treatment,) Recreational Residences 98 Organizational Camps 7 FIRE AND FUELS MANAGEMENT Downhill Ski Areas 2 Acres of hazardous fuels treated: Nordic Ski Areas 3 Prescribed Fire 5,542 acres SnoParks 7 Natural Fire *59,000 acres Information/Interpretive Sites 14 Mechanical 4,633 acres Visitor Center (Tollgate) 1 Total acres treated 10,175 acres *Grizzly Bear Complex acres reported in 2016 CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT New acres surveyed in 2016 150 Wildfire Management: Acres resurveyed 200 Lightning/undetermined caused wildfires 14 Total number of acres surveyed 765,493 Acres Burned 208 New sites recorded in 2016 0 Number of human caused wildfires 7 Total archaeological sites recorded 2000 Acres Burned 44 Sites stabilized, rehabilitated, monitored or protected in 2016 6 5 6 Heppner Ranger District Umatilla National Forest 2017 District Ranger: Ann Niesen Program of Work Program (541) 676-9187 DISTRICT PROJECT MAP District Map Pg. 9 Ongoing Project Updates Pg. 11 AQUATICS, WATERSHEDS, FISHERIES Upper Swale Meadow Restoration Pg. 13 INTEGRATED VEG. MANAGEMENT – Fire, Fuels, Timber, Silviculture Bull Prairie Fuels Reduction Pg. 14 Mountain Top Fuels Reduction Pg. 15 Morphine Burn Reforestation Pg. 17 Potamus Prescribed Fire Pg. 18 RECREATION and SPECIAL USES Penland Lake Campground Redesign Pg. 19 FAA Line of Sight Pg. 20 7 8 9 10 2017 Heppner Ranger District Program of Work Ongoing Project Update (presented in past year’s POW packets) Ann Niesen, District Ranger (541) 676-9187 NEPA Process Project Status and Timeline Aquatics and Watershed Big Wall Creek Road Aquatic EA: NEPA Implementation in 2017 Organism Passage-Forest Rd. 2402 completed in 2012 Range Comment period on the draft EA EA: Expected completed January 2017—finalizing decision in 2017 Tamarack Grazing Allotment the EA for objection period anticipated for March 2017 Integrated Vegetation Management - Fire, Fuels, Timber and Silviculture Project proposed to reforest the CE: signed July burned area by planting 20 to 25 2016 Collins Butte Fire Restoration thousand ponderosa pine seedlings. Status: Implementing Spring 2017. Project proposed to 1) increase the EA: decision signed amount of old forest with a pre- December 2009; dominance of large trees in a single Implementation strata; 2) shift dry upland forests to a planned 2017 more historic species composition; 3) Long Prairie Landscape Burn reduce stand densities; and 4) modify current vegetative stand structures to maintain or move the landscape toward Fire Regime Condition Class I. Status: Implementation planned 2017 Rimrock & Sunflower Bacon EIS: NEPA Continued Implementation 2017 Prescribed Burn completed 2005 EIS: NEPA Rankin Timber Sale / Bull Prairie CG Continued Implementation 2017 completed 2005 Kahler Dry Forest Project- EIS: NEPA Strawberry Timber Sale, Whiskey Continued Implementation 2017 completed 2016 Timber Sale Cat Stew Fuels and Vegetation EA: NEPA Continued implementation 2017 Management Project completed EA: NEPA Integrated Vegetation Restoration completed in 2010 Continued implementation 2016 Thin and Pile CE; NEPA completed in 2009 11 12 Project Name: Upper Swale Meadow Restoration Program Area: Aquatics, Fish, and Watershed Project Contact: Hugo A. Magaña, (541) 427-5305, [email protected] Decision Estimated Estimated Project Type: Decision Date: Implementation Year: Wall Creek Road and March 2012 2017 Watershed Improvement EA Location: The Upper Swale Creek Meadow is located approximately 20 miles southeast of Heppner, OR. T5S R28E Sec. 30 & 31. Lat. and Long; 45.097894 -119.376124 Affected Counties: Morrow Brief Description of Project: Currently, Swale Creek has incised as it passes through a meadow downstream of the 2107 Rd culvert. Erosion has down-cut the stream bed five to six feet below the bank. For the treatments we will be placing whole logs into the stream channel to dissipate stream energy and velocity. This in turn causes sediment to drop out and start accumulating at the log head. After a short period of time (weeks to months) the logs get buried and in turn the water table level rises. We will be installing wells around the meadow and will be measuring water level with a Peizometer prior to initiation and post-project. Impacts to tribal resources: Enhancing nursery and natural habitat by raising the surface of the channel and increasing water storage duration will enhance habitat for First Foods. 13 Project Name: Bull Prairie Fuels Reduction Program Area: Integrated Vegetation Management – Fire, Fuels, Timber and Silviculture Project Contact: Scott Schwartz, (541) 676-2116, [email protected] and Kristen Marshall, (541) 676-2130, [email protected] Decision Estimated Estimated Project Type: Decision Date: Implementation Year: CE 01/2018 2018 Location: This project area is located roughly 26 miles south of Heppner, Oregon. The project area straddles both Wheeler and Grant counties in Township 7 S Range 25 E Sections 1,2,3,10,11,12,13,14 and Township 7S Range 26 E Sections 2,6,7,8,9,10,16,17,18. Primary HUC 10 watershed is Wall Creek and the HUC 12 sub-watershed is Wilson Creek. Affected Counties: Wheeler and Grant Brief Description of Project: The Bull Prairie Project has been identified as priority area for fuel reduction due to its proximity to Morrow County OHV Park, Bull Prairie Campground, and private lands. The project focuses on public and firefighter safety by lowering the potential for undesirable fire behavior and improving public evacuation routes. The primary activity is an underburn of up to 4,600 acres. Pre-commercial thinning will be used intermittently throughout the entire project area and include the cutting of trees less than 8” DBH, including treatment in the RHCA areas (hand thinning). Stand composition would be altered enough