NOXIOUS WEED RISK ASSESSMENT PROJECT: City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Permit (46690) FOREST: Stanislaus National Forest RANGER DISTRICT: Groveland Ranger District PREPARED BY: DATE: mMarch 8, 2018 Wendy Fisher, Botanist/Plant Ecologist Live Oak Associates, Inc. PO Box 2697 Oakhurst, CA 93644 (559) 642-4880 Introduction Forest Service Manual 2903(4) requires the Forest to “determine the risk of introducing, establishing, or spreading invasive species associated with any proposed action, as an integral component of project planning and analysis, and where necessary provide for alternatives or mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate that risk prior to project approval.” The Stanislaus National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) as amended, and the Pacific Southwest Region Noxious Weed Management Strategy require that a noxious weed risk assessment be conducted to “determine risks for weed spread … associated with different types of proposed management activities” (USDA, USFS 2010). Noxious weeds are defined in FSM 2905 and the Plant Protection Act of 2000 as “any plant or plant product that can directly or indirectly injure or cause damage to crops (including nursery stock or plant products), livestock, poultry, or other interests of agriculture, irrigation, navigation, the natural resources of the United States, the public health, or the environment.” Under Executive Order 13112, the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines an invasive plant species as a plant that 1) is non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem and 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) developed and maintains the State noxious weed list which the Stanislaus National Forest referenced in developing the Noxious Weeds and Non-native Invasive Pest Plants of Concern for the Forest (Appendix A). The weed ratings assigned by CDFA “reflect CDFA's view of the statewide importance of the pest, the likelihood that eradication or control efforts would be successful, and the present distribution of the pest within the state” (CDFA [n.d.]b). CDFA defines their noxious weed ratings as follows: “A” - A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and is either not known to be established in California or it is present in a limited distribution that allows for the possibility of eradication or successful containment. ... A-rated pests are subject to state (or [County Agricultural] commissioner when acting as a state agent) enforced action involving eradication, quarantine regulation, containment, rejection, or other holding action. “B” - An pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is of limited distribution. ... At the discretion of the individual county agricultural commissioner they are subject to eradication, containment, suppression, control, or other holding action. “C” - A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is usually widespread. … If found in the state, they are subject to regulations designed to retard spread or to suppress at the discretion of the individual county agricultural commissioner. Inventories for weeds in support of Forest Service projects are conducted using the Noxious Weeds and Non-native Invasive Pest Plants of Concern for the Forest list (Appendix A) as a guide. The list was generated from several sources including the Forest Plan (Table 3.6a, 2001 SNFPA Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), V.2, Chpt 3, part 3.6, pages 310-311), the CDFA list of State-rated noxious weeds (CDFA [n.d.]a), new weed discoveries in the Forest, Live Oak Associates, Inc. 2 City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Permit (46690) Noxious Weed Risk Assessment information provided by local County Agricultural Commissioners, occurrence records at CalFlora (a web-based botanical database), published technical references (Baldwin, et. al. 2012, Bossard, et.al. 2000, Whitson, et.al. 1996), and personal observations. The California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) also maintains a list of invasive, non-native pest plants (Cal-IPC 2006). Cal-IPC defines their ratings of invasive species as follows: “High” – These species have severe ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities, and vegetation structure. Their reproductive biology and other attributes are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal and establishment. Most are widely distributed ecologically. “Moderate” – These species have substantial and apparent – but generally not severe – ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities and vegetation structure. Their reproductive biology and other attributes are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal, though establishment is generally dependent upon ecological disturbance. Ecological amplitude and distribution may range from limited to widespread. “Limited” – These species are invasive but their ecological impacts are minor on a statewide level or there was not enough information to justify a higher score. Their reproductive biology and other attributes result in low to moderate rates of invasiveness. Ecological amplitude and distribution are generally limited, but these species may be locally persistent and problematic. This noxious weed risk assessment evaluates the risk for weed introduction and spread by project activities in the City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Permit (46690) project (hereafter referred to as BTC Project). Project Location and Description The Berkeley Tuolumne Camp (Camp) is a family camp operated by the City of Berkeley since 1921 on land leased from the United States Forest Service (USFS). The portions of the Camp under consideration for this analysis include the Camp proper and the proposed expanded parking area, which total approximately 12 acres. The Camp is located along the South Fork of the Tuolumne River south of Highway 120 and approximately seven (7) miles west of Yosemite National Park (Figure 1). The South Fork Tuolumne River flows through the Camp and is a prime component of the Camp’s setting, layout and programs. The analysis area can be found on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Ascension Mountain 7.5’ quadrangle in the northwest ¼ of Section 31, Township 1S, Range 19 East, Mount Diablo Base Meridian (MDBM) (Figure 2). The BTC Project includes construction of buildings, parking lots, recreational areas, trails, and other camp facilities, removal of existing structures within an archaeological site, revegetation and restoration efforts, and removal of hazard trees, as described below. Live Oak Associates, Inc. 3 City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Permit (46690) Noxious Weed Risk Assessment Site Location Map mne River Special-use olu u T Permit Area f o k r o F . o S Study Area Tuolumne Co. Mariposa Co. 0 2.5 5 miles approximate scale Regional Map Vicinity Map See Site Location Map (above) See Vicinity Map San (left) Francisco Project location San Jose Merced Madera Live Oak Associates, Inc. Fresno Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Master Plan Site / Vicinity Map Date Project # Figure # Not to scale 7/07/2015 1127-04 1 Special-use Permit Area Live Oak Associates, Inc. Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Master Plan U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 1/2 mile 0 1/2 mile SOURCE: Date Project # Figure # approximate scale U.S.G.S. Ascension Mtn 7-1/2' quadrangle, 1990 3/02/2018 1127-05 2 In the absence of a project, the Camp would not be rebuilt, existing structures would be retained within the archaeological site, and no revegetation, restoration efforts, or noxious weed removal would occur. Description of Alternatives The BTC Project has developed two alternatives. Alternative 1, the Proposed Action, includes a Forest Plan Amendment expanding the developed recreation site and allowing the Special Use Permit to encompass 30 acres including the Small Falls and Sugar Pine Trails extending away from the main camp. Alternative 1, allows the City to reconstruct and operate BTC much as it was prior to the Rim Fire. Reconstruction of BTC includes construction of buildings, parking lots, recreational areas, trails, and other camp facilities, removal of existing structures within an archaeological site, revegetation and restoration efforts, and removal of hazard trees, as described below within an expanded permit area. Under Alternative 2, a 30-year Term SUP allowing the City to reconstruct and operate BTC much as it was prior to the Rim Fire would not be issued and the City of Berkeley would abandon its efforts to reconstruct BTC. No Forest Plan Amendment would be necessary and current forest-wide standards and guidelines (USDA 2010, p. 33-64) and management area direction (p. 165-167) that apply within or directly adjacent to the existing SUP area would remain unchanged. The City would remove within a reasonable time all structures and improvements except those owned by the United States, and would restore and stabilize the site. Project implementation would begin in the spring of 2019 with initial construction to rebuild the majority of the Camp infrastructure and facilities. Overall construction of initial facilities is anticipated to last for approximately 1 to 2 years. Minor construction and/or facility renovation activities may occur throughout the permit period. The proposed action does not include the reconstruction of the Hardin Flat Road bridge across the South Fork Tuolumne River that would be undertaken by Tuolumne County. The alternatives are further described in Appendix B.