W Fk Humptulips EA Final
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Environmental United States Department of Assessment for Agriculture Forest West Fork Service Pacific Northwest Humptulips Region Thinning Project September 2009 Olympic National Forest The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, 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 TTY). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. i Contents CHAPTER 1 – PURPOSE AND NEED ...............................................................................1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................1 Project Location................................................................................................................1 Background .......................................................................................................................3 Purpose and Need for Action ...........................................................................................5 Proposed Action ...............................................................................................................6 Decision Framework .........................................................................................................7 Management Direction......................................................................................................8 Public Involvement ...........................................................................................................13 Issues.................................................................................................................................14 CHAPTER 2 – ALTERNATIVES.........................................................................................18 Introduction.......................................................................................................................18 Process Used to Develop Alternatives ............................................................................18 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated From Further Analysis...................................19 Alternatives Considered in Detail ....................................................................................20 Project Design Criteria Applicable to All Action Alternatives........................................22 Mitigation Common to All Action Alternatives................................................................45 Comparison of Alternatives..............................................................................................60 CHAPTER 3 – AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES..............................................................................................................62 Introduction.......................................................................................................................62 Discussion of Direct, Indirect and Cumulative Impacts .................................................62 Silviculture and Forest Stand Development....................................................................66 Soils and Site Productivity ...............................................................................................77 Fisheries and Water Quality .............................................................................................107 Northwest Forest Plan Aquatic Conservation Strategy..................................................128 Wildlife ...............................................................................................................................136 Botany and Invasive Plants..............................................................................................186 Recreation, Lands and Minerals ......................................................................................196 Economics.........................................................................................................................212 Fire and Fuels....................................................................................................................213 Global Climate Change.....................................................................................................215 Heritage .............................................................................................................................218 Other Effects .....................................................................................................................221 ii CHAPTER 4 – LIST OF PREPARERS AND AGENCIES CONSULTED ............................226 CHAPTER 5 – LIST OF REFERENCES .............................................................................228 APPENDICES.....................................................................................................................243 APPENDIX A - Maps..........................................................................................................244 APPENDIX B - Acronyms..................................................................................................245 APPENDIX C – Road Definitions ......................................................................................247 APPENDIX D – Road Use Summary.................................................................................249 APPENDIX E – Response to Comments..........................................................................255 iii List of Tables Table 1-1. Project 5 th , 6 th and 7 th Field Watersheds………………………………………………....11 Table 1-2. Forest Strategic Plan ratings for Planning Area 6 th field watersheds……………............13 Table 2-1. Alternative A (Proposed Action) Summary……………………………………………..34 Table 2-2. Alternative B Summary………………………………………………………………….39 Table 2-3. Alternative C Summary………………………………………………………………….43 Table 2-4. Prioritization of Humptulips Stands for seasonal restrictions...........................................52 Table 2-5. Priority candidate unclassified roads to be decommissioned……………………………57 Table 2-6. Priority candidate ML1 roads to be treated.......................................................................58 Table 2-7. Priority candidate ML2 roads to be treated……………………………………………...58 Table 2-8. Priority candidate road culverts to be replaced………………………………………….58 Table 2-9. Comparative Summary of Alternatives - General Information ……………………….....60 Table 2-10. Comparative Summary of Alternatives - Key Issue……………………………………..60 Table 2-11. Comparative Summary of Alternatives - Other Issues…………………………………..61 Table 3-1. Planning Area by 6 th Field Watershed…………………………………………………. 107 Table 3-2. Miles of Stream - Fish Presence Within Planning Area……………………………….. 107 Table 3-3. Acres of Riparian Reserve in Planning Area………………………………………….. 109 Table 3-4. Near-term LWD recruitment by sub-watersheds in the West Fork Humptulips …….…110 Table 3-5. Current riparian canopy cover impact ratings summary by sub-watershed…………… 111 Table 3-6. Quality of rearing habitat of selected reaches in the West Fork Humptulips…………. 112 Table 3-7. Current road densities in 6 th field watershed/Planning Area…………………………... 113 Table 3-8. Erosion Calculations/Hazard Rating for West Fork Humptulips……………………… 114 Table 3-9. Channel Gradients……………………………………………………………………... 114 Table 3-10. Planning/Proposed Thinning Acres by 6 th Field Watershed………………………….. 116 Table 3-11. Alternative A Comparison of Road Density by Watershed…………………………. 120 Table 3-12. Alternative A Percent Thinning of 6 th Field Watershed ……………………………… 120 Table 3-13. Alternative B Comparison by Road Density………………………………………… 123 Table 3-14. Alternative C Comparison by Road Density………………………………………… 124 Table 3-15. R6 Regional Forester's Sensitive Fish Species List for Olympic National Forest…… 126 Table 3-16. Summary table of impacts of proposed activities on general wildlife habitat…………140 Table 3-17. Summary table of proposed logging systems and early season harassment………….. 140 Table 3-18. Federally listed wildlife species………………………………………………………. 140 Table 3-19. History of the Northern spotted owl activity centers………………………….……….144 Table 3-20. Summary of Acres treated in Relation to Spotted Owl Activity Centers…………….. 252 Table 3-21. Mapped Murrelet Sites and Associated Habitat……………………………………….149 Table 3-22. Summary of Acres Treated in Relation to Mapped Murrelet Detection Sites………... 252 Table 3-23. Prioritization of Humptulips Stands for seasonal restrictions………………………… 155 Table 3-24. Regional Forester's Sensitive Species and their potential presence…………………... 161 Table 3-25. Sensitive Mollusks with potential habitat in the project area………………………… 168 Table 3-26. Forest Management Indicator Species………………………………………………… 172 Table 3-27. Road Information for 7 th Field sub-watersheds………………………………………. 252 Table 3-28. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species of Concern………………………………….. 180 Table 3-29. Sensitive Vascular Plants with Habitat in Project Area………………………………. 188 Table 3-30. Sensitive Bryophytes with