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San Juan National Forest Forest-Scale Roads Analysis Report

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San Juan National Forest Forest-Scale Roads Analysis Report 15 Burnett Court Phone (970) 247-4874 San Juan National Forest Durango, CO 81301 Fax (970) 385-1243 Roads Analysis Report San Juan National Forest Forest-Scale Roads Analysis TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 Background ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Process ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 This Report------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 Setting up the Analysis --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 Background ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Objectives of the Analysis----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Interdisciplinary Team Members and Participants---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Information Needs--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Analysis Plan --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Current Planning Efforts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 San Juan National Forest Plan Revision---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Northern San Juan Basin Coal Bed Methane Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Northern San Juan Basin EIS)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 Roadless Areas Review Task Force --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Public Involvement-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Forest Plan Revision-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Northern San Juan Basin EIS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Recreation Interviews ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 Describing the Situation----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Existing Road and Access System Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 Meeting Forest Plan Objectives --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16 Federally Designated Forest Highways ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------17 Budget -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18 Identifying Issues -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Process ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20 Issue Summary -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20 Status of Current Data --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20 Assessing Benefits, Problems, and Risks ---------------------------------------------------------- 22 Current Road System Benefits, Problems, and Risks----------------------------------------------------------------------22 Ecosystem Functions and Processes (EF)------------------------------------------------------------------------------23 Aquatic, Riparian Zone, and Water Quality (AQ)-----------------------------------------------------------------------26 Terrestrial Wildlife (TW)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------33 Economics (EC)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------38 Timber Management (TM) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------39 Minerals Management (MM) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------41 Range Management (RM) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------44 Water Production (WP) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------44 Special Forest Products (SP)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 Special-Use Permits (SU)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 General Public Transportation (GT) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------46 Administrative Use (AU) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------50 Protection (PT) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------51 I TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Recreation - Unroaded Recreation (UR) and Road-Related Recreation (RR)---------------------------------52 Social Issues (SI) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------57 Civil Rights and Environmental Justice (CR)----------------------------------------------------------------------------61 Cultural and Heritage (CH)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------62 Winter Use (WU)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------63 Describing Opportunities and Setting Priorities -------------------------------------------------- 64 Problems and Risks Posed by the Current Road System-----------------------------------------------------------------64 Opportunities for Addressing Important Problems and Risks-------------------------------------------------------------66 Water Resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------66 Soils/Geologic Hazards -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------66 Right-of-way Needed ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------67 Mixed Use ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------68 Deferred Maintenance---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------68 Minimum Road System -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------70 Assessment of Building Roads in a Currently Unroaded Area-----------------------------------------------------------70 NEPA Analysis Needs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------71 Report Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 72 Key Findings---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------72 Funding----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------72 Right-of-Way Easements-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------72 Jurisdiction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------72 OHV Demand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------72 Access-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------72 Upcoming Events --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------73 II Forest-Scale Roads Analysis San Juan National Forest Introduction Background In August 1999, the Washington Office of the USDA Forest Service published Miscellaneous Report FS-643 titled “Roads Analysis: Informing Decisions about Managing the National Forest Transportation System.” The objective of roads analysis is to provide decision-makers with critical information to develop road systems that are safe and responsive to public needs and desires, are affordable and efficiently managed, have minimal negative ecological effects on the land, and are in balance with available funding for needed management actions. The Roads Analysis report, FS-643, provides guidance for the roads analysis process that aids forests in meeting this objective. In October 1999, the agency published Interim Directive 7710-99-1 authorizing units to use, as appropriate, the road analysis procedure
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