Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Suppression Enviromental Assessment
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United States Forest National Forests in North Carolina 160A Zillicoa Street Department of Service Supervisor’s Office P.O. Box 2750 Agriculture Asheville, NC 28802 828-257-4200 File Code: 1950-1/3400 Date: November 1, 20042004 Dear Interested Members of the Public and Forest Users: Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Suppression of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) Infestations on Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests in North Carolina. Three alternatives have been considered in detail: Alternative A – No Action, Alternative B – The Proposed Action to treat HWA infestations with releases of predator beetles and with limited use of insecticide, and Alternative C – to treat HWA only with releases of predator beetles. One- hundred-fifty-nine areas have been identified for potential treatment, including 22 in congressionally designated Wilderness. I am seeking your input on this EA before recommending a decision to the Regional Forester. This decision comes under the authority of the Southern Region Regional Forester due to proposed actions in Wilderness. Your comments need to be as specific as possible and you must provide the following information: 1) Your name and address; 2) Title of the Proposed Action; 3) Specific substantive comments (26 CFR 215.2) on the proposed action, along with supporting reasons that the Responsible Official should consider in reaching a decision; and 4) Your signature or other means of identification verification. For organizations, a signature or other means of identification verification must be provided for the individual authorized to represent your organization. In accordance with 36 CFR 215.6(2)(4), comments must be postmarked or received within 30 days beginning the day after publication of this notice in The Asheville Citizen-Times. Oral or hand-delivered comments must be received within our normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Comments may be mailed electronically, in a common digital format, to: comments- [email protected], or by regular mail to: National Forests in North Carolina P.O. Box 2750 Asheville, NC 28802 Or faxed to 828-257-4263. Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper 2 Please contact Ruth Berner, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, at 828-257-1862 if you have questions concerning this proposal. Thank you for your continued interest in management of the National Forests in North Carolina and the Southern Region, USDA Forest Service. Sincerely, /S/ Monica Schwalbach for JOHN F. RAMEY Forest Supervisor Environmental United States Department of Agriculture Assessment Forest Service October, 2004 Suppression of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestations Pisgah National Forest: Haywood, Madison, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Buncombe, Henderson, Mitchell, Transylvania, and Yancey Counties, North Carolina Nantahala National Forest: Graham, Swain, Jackson, Macon, Cherokee, and Clay Counties, North Carolina Responsible Official ROBERT T. JACOBS Regional Forester 1720 Peachtree Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30309 For Information Contact: National Forests in North Carolina 160A Zillicoa Street Asheville, North Carolina 28801 (828) 257-4200 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. Environmental Assessment Draft HWA Suppression Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need ..................................................... 3 1.1 Proposed Action ...................................................................3 1.2 Need for the Proposed Action................................................5 1.3 Project Objectives ................................................................7 1.4 Decision to be Made .............................................................8 1.5 Scoping ..............................................................................8 1.6 Significant Issues Related to the Proposed Action ...................8 1.7 Other Issues ........................................................................8 Chapter 2 – Alternatives Including the Proposed Action............ 11 2.1 Alternative Considered in Detail ...........................................11 Alternative A .................................................................11 Alternative B..................................................................11 Alternative C .................................................................13 2.2 Alternatives Considered But Not Evaluated in Detail ..............14 Chapter 3 – Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ....................... 17 3.1 Botanical Resources............................................................18 3.2 Terrestrial Wildlife Resources ..............................................25 3.3 Aquatic Resources ..............................................................36 3.4 Management Indicator Species Population Trend Information 42 3.5 Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive and Forest Concern Species.........................................58 3.6 Scenery and Recreation .................................................... 104 3.7 Wilderness....................................................................... 107 3.8 Heritage Resources .......................................................... 113 3.9 Road Management ........................................................... 114 3.10 Soil Resources................................................................ 114 3.11 Human Health and Safety ............................................... 115 3.12 List of Preparers and Agencies/Persons Consulted ............. 116 Appendix A – Hemlock Areas Selected for Treatment.......................... 119 Appendix B – Hemlock Conservation Design....................................... 131 Appendix C – Hemlock Frequency Information ................................... 151 Appendix D – Biological Evaluation.................................................... 153 Appendix E – Wilderness Considerations ............................................ 167 Appendix F – Economic Assumptions................................................. 173 References...................................................................................... 177 Environmental Assessment Draft HWA Suppression Environmental Assessment HWA Suppression ABSTRACT: The National Forests in North Carolina are proposing to treat selected hemlocks in Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests (hereafter referred to as “the Forests”), including designated wilderness, to suppress infestations of the non-native insect pest Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). The treatments would focus on the release of biocontrol agents such as predatory beetles on up to 159 hemlocks areas across the Forests. The purpose would be to limit some current infestations of HWA while helping to establish reproducing populations of these predators in the wild. Long-term, the hope is these beetles would gain a permanent foothold in the Forests, continue to eat large quantities of HWA and thereby effect an overall reduction in hemlock death from HWA. Up to half of these areas would also have different groups of trees treated with a systemic insecticide to ensure a portion of the hemlock population remains alive until effective biocontrol is established. This project would begin in 2005. Project objectives are to: (1) Reduce hemlock mortality from HWA by establishing reproducing populations of predator beetles that feed on HWA; (2) Maintain reproducing populations of Eastern Hemlock and Carolina Hemlock throughout the historical geographic and elevational range across the Forests, and; (3) Ensure survival of certain ecologically and culturally important groups of hemlocks. Use of insecticides as a control measure for HWA would be a significant issue related to the proposed action. A total of five alternatives were considered; three alternatives are analyzed in detail. These three are a No Action alternative (Alternative A), the Proposed Action (Alternative B), and one alternative developed to address potential impacts from using insecticide (Alternative C). Two alternatives were considered but eliminated from detailed study. These were an alternative that utilized spraying trees with insecticidal soaps and oils, and an alternative that did not include treatments in wilderness. The activities in the three alternatives considered in detail are summarized in Table A-1. Table A-1. Activity Summary for Each Alternative Considered in Detail Activities Alt. A Alt. B Alt. C Release of predator beetles in as many as 159 NO YES YES areas Treatment of groups of trees with a systemic NO YES NO insecticide in as many as 79 areas Each alternative is evaluated in regard to how well it meets the purpose and need for the proposed action, and according to environmental