Mower Tract United States Department of Agriculture Restoration And
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Mower Tract United States Department of Agriculture Restoration and Forest Recreation Enhancement Service Project May 2016 Environmental Assessment Greenbrier Ranger District, Monongahela National Forest Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (Voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C.20250-9410; (2) fox: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender Photo on the cover is of the Mower Basin, Old Strip Mine, 2015. Although this picture does not look like an old strip mine, what you are seeing is a densely compacted landscape of non-native grasses and conifers that do not provide quality habitat for wildlife and do not exhibit a naturally functioning hydrology system. More details about this area’s history is included in Chapter 1 - Background. For Information Contact: Jack Tribble Monongahela National Forest 7409 Staunton-Parkersburg TPK, PO Box 67 Bartow, WV 24920 304-456-3335 x 116 [email protected] Table of Contents Table of Contents ...................................................................................................... i List of Tables ............................................................................................................ ii Table of Figures ...................................................................................................... iii Chapter 1 – Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 Regulatory Framework .............................................................................................. 1 Summary ................................................................................................................. 1 Location .................................................................................................................. 1 Forest Plan Direction ................................................................................................. 5 Purpose & Need ........................................................................................................ 6 Public Involvement ................................................................................................. 8 Issues ..................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 – Alternatives ........................................................................................ 10 Alternative 1: No Action ........................................................................................ 10 Alternative 2: Proposed Action ............................................................................. 10 Chapter 3 – Affected Environment and Environmental Effects ......................... 20 Soil Resource ....................................................................................................... 22 Aquatic and Hydrology Resources ....................................................................... 35 Vegetation Resources .......................................................................................... 46 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plant Species ....................................... 50 Non-native Invasive Plant Species ....................................................................... 62 Threatened, Endangered Terrestrial Wildlife Species .......................................... 65 Other Wildlife Species of Concern ........................................................................ 72 Herbicide Use and Public/Worker Risk ................................................................. 90 Heritage Resource ................................................................................................. 94 Recreation, Roadless Areas, Scenic Quality, Wild and Scenic Rivers and Wilderness Resources .................................................................................. 98 Transportation Resource .................................................................................... 106 Economic Impacts Resource .............................................................................. 109 Chapter 4 – Project Preparation and References .............................................. 113 References ......................................................................................................... 114 Appendix A: Alternative 2 Activity Maps .......................................................... 122 Appendix B: Recommended Design Features and Mitigation Measures ....... 128 Appendix C: Applicable Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines .................... 138 i List of Tables Table 1. Alternative 2: Summary of Proposed Activities ................................................ 11 Table 2. Design Features associated with the Alternative 2, brought forward from Lambert Run project. ............................................................................................... 17 Table 3. Summary of Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Activities. ............. 20 Table 4. Geologic groups found within the project boundary. ....................................... 24 Table 5. Sensitive soils and associated acreage found within the project area. ........... 24 Table 6. Soil erosion hazard (Road/Trail) summary by rating value by acres within the project area. ............................................................................................................. 25 Table 7. Slope Ranges across the project area. .......................................................... 25 Table 8. Sensitivity to acid deposition within the project area. ..................................... 26 Table 9. Soil Sensitivity Limitations for proposed trail system. ...................................... 30 Table 10. Slope ranges that proposed trail system will cross. ....................................... 30 Table 11. Sensitive Soils Rating for the proposed connector road. .............................. 32 Table 12. Slope ranges that proposed connector road will cross. ................................ 32 Table 13. Acres of forest types by age class for the NFS land within the project area. 47 Table 14. Effects Determination to Threatened and Endangered plant species within the project area. ....................................................................................................... 53 Table 15. Rock habitat RFSS plants that could or are known to occur within the project area. ......................................................................................................................... 54 Table 16. Mesic forest RFSS plants that could or are known to occur within the project area. ......................................................................................................................... 54 Table 17. Wetland and Riparian Habitat RFSS plants that could or are known to occur within the project area. ............................................................................................. 55 Table 18. Regional Forester Sensitive species known to occur or with potential habitat within the project area. ............................................................................................. 73 Table 19. Limiting Factors for RFSS riparian habitat species. ....................................... 73 Table 20. Limiting factors for RFSS wetland species. ................................................... 74 Table 21. Limiting factors for RFSS rocky habitat species. .......................................... 75 Table 22. Limiting factors for RFSS of spruce-influenced mature forest habitats. ......... 76 Table 23. Summary of Effects Determination for RFSS habitat types. ......................... 80 Table 24. Acres of potential herbicide treatment within the project area. ..................... 90 Table 25. Herbicide concentrations for TSI activities associated with