Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences
CHAPTER 3 – AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES Introduction The Affected Environment describes aspects of the environment in and near the Project Area. It focuses on the physical, biological and social conditions that may be affected by implementation of the Proposed Action and No Action Alternatives. Familiarity with the Affected Environment is essential to understanding the Proposed Action and the potential environmental consequences. The Environmental Consequences disclose the impacts of implementing each of the alternatives. The consequences are directly related to the resource elements described in the Affected Environment
About the Project Area The St. Vrain Project Area occurs within the North St. Vrain Geographic Area and Middle St. Vrain Geographic Area, located in the northeastern part of the Boulder Ranger District in Boulder County, Colorado (see Project Area Map). The Project Area spans 36,590 acres, with 22,725 acres managed by the USDA Forest Service and 13,865 non-National Forest System lands.
The Project Area extends from an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet near Peak-to-Peak Highway (State Highway 7) close to Lyons to 9,331 feet near the Ironclads southwest of Allenspark. Most of the area is in the forested montane climatic zone and features the Middle and North St.Vrain Rivers with steep canyon walls and talus slopes, narrow valley bottom with a cascading high gradient stream channel and small areas of flood plain. Forested ridge-tops and hill-slopes occur outside these areas.
The vegetation contains a mix of foothills and montane plant communities composed of ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, limber pine, Douglas-fir, aspen, grassy meadows and hillsides, shrublands, rock outcrops, willow carrs and other riparian communities.
Primary access is the Peak-to-Peak Highway (State Highway 7). State Highway 7 is a National and State Scenic and Historic Byway, traversing 55 miles from Estes Park in the north to US Highway 6 in the south. State Highway 7 bisects most of the Project Area, and is managed primarily to accommodate recreation-oriented traffic.
SOILS
Affected Environment Generally, the St. Vrain Project Area soils occurring on forested hill-slopes and ridge-tops (uplands) are shallow and rocky. Additionally, they have thin surface layers, and low water and nutrient holding capability. These sites are not usually highly susceptible to deep compaction but they have high potential for erosion if protective ground cover is removed and are particularly susceptible to loss of productivity if the organic (dark) portion of the surface layer is
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displaced or removed. Riparian area soils and vegetation are highly susceptible to damage caused by operation of heavy equipment or other vehicular traffic. A full description of project area soils, their properties, capabilities, limitations, and predicted response to the proposed management activities is contained in the affected environment section of the St. Vrain Soil Resources Specialist Report.
Existing Condition of Project Area Soil Resources Ground cover was high (commonly above 90%) within proposed treatment areas and occurrences of active uplands erosion was low except for roads and other highly disturbed sites. This is because proposed treatment units are usually in areas where tree density is high, providing adequate needle-cast. There have been few past timber management activities in the SVPA and detrimental compaction was generally limited to highly disturbed sites such as roads, mines, etc. Soil mapping indicates the surface horizon is generally thin and has a sandy-loam texture. Sub-soils are generally rocky and rock outcrops are common. Past debris flows, possibly associated with post fire runoff, were also observed but other forms of mass wasting (landslides, slumps, etc) were not. Adequate amounts of large downed wood and slash, providing for nutrient cycling, were present in most areas. A range of decay classes of large downed wood was present but highly decomposed wood was not common.
Expansion of user created travel routes in the Johnny Park and Bunce School Road areas has impacted soil and watershed resources. Removal of protective ground cover, erosion, compaction, and diversion and concentration of overland flow are commonly occurring on the existing and expanding road and trail network. Several trails in and adjacent to Unit 7 are also in an entrenched and eroding condition. Horse riding and hiking is the main activity on those trails.
Soil Sensitivity and Limitations Soil sensitivity to disturbance (soil potential for erosion, compaction, displacement or impairment of nutrient cycling) is influenced by soil type and properties. Re-vegetation and recovery from disturbance depends on soil type, climatic conditions and the severity of the disturbance. Following soil disturbance, natural re-vegetation and recovery is a slow and difficult process in uplands soils of the St. Vrain Project Area, particularly on dry south-facing slopes. Additionally, wetland soils are highly susceptible to disturbance, difficult to manipulate, and present special problems for re-vegetation. Due to the resilient nature of soils, disturbance commonly lowers, but does not permanently destroy, site productivity.
Environmental Consequences Environmental impacts to soil resources are assessed according to their effect on long-term soil productivity and soil hydrologic function. Soil is a highly variable and complex medium that serves to support plant growth and ecosystem diversity. Soil also functions as a “sponge and filter”, affecting watershed hydrologic response, water quality and stream channel health. Impacts to soil resources are described by the degree and extent of erosion, compaction, displacement, and impacts to nutrient cycling within designated activity areas (See Soils Specialist Report for more information.)
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Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, No Action There are no known direct effects to the soil resources that would occur. Natural recovery of previously impacted areas would continue. Litter and large downed woody material would continue to accumulate and decompose at current rates.
The extensive road and off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail network may be affecting soil productivity and watershed function, particularly in the Johnny Park and Bunce School areas. OHV activity is likely to remain at current levels or increase, which may lead to additional erosion, compaction, and sedimentation.
In the absence of wildfire, coarse and fine downed fuels would continue to accumulate and stand density may increase over time. In the event of a wildfire, the hazard for a large higher intensity and severity burn is greater (Elliot and Robichaud, 2001). However, high intensity or severity fire may occur regardless of treatment, when extreme conditions of low fuel moistures and high winds occur (Graham, 2003; p11). Also, wildfires typically result in a mosaic of burn severities with a relatively low percentage of severely burned ground.
If a large high severity fire were to occur, there would be a risk of severe erosion due to removal of large areas of protective ground cover and reduction of needle cast potential. In severely burned areas, consumption of litter, duff, large downed woody material and volatilization of soil humus and associated plant available nutrients would detrimentally impact site productivity. Removal of canopy and protective ground cover, and formation of hydrophobic soils by high severity wildfire can alter watershed response to rainfall events. If a significant proportion of the watershed is affected, increased up-land erosion, run-off, sediment delivery to stream channels, and in-channel erosion are likely. A large high severity fire would increase flood hazard and increase the risk of detrimental impacts to aquatic resources, beneficial uses of water, and other downstream values. Following wildfire, the probability of mass wasting, particularly debris flows, would also increase. Reduction of vegetation increases soil moisture because evapo- transpiration is reduced. Large-scale reduction of vegetation through large wildfires can increase soil moisture and shallow ground water to the point where mass failure potential also increases. However, slope failure of this kind is unlikely in the Project Area due to rapidly draining soils and low average annual precipitation.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative A, the No Action No additional direct soil impacts would result from project implementation. Past measurable detrimental impacts to soils associated with wildfires, historic mining, timber harvest, dispersed camping, and OHV use would still exist on the landscape. Natural recovery of previously compacted or eroded areas would continue. Based on field reconnaissance, review of aerial photography and limited management activities in the past 20 years, the extent of past detrimental impacts to soil resources is estimated to be low for project activity areas. If the project were not implemented, recovery of impacted areas would continue at current rates.
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Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action
Direct Effects of Mechanical Treatments In thinning and patch cut units, environmental effects to soil resources result from ground disturbance caused by operation of heavy equipment. Development of a network of skid-trails and landings is expected to occur in all mechanically treated units. Generally, a designated landing and primary skid-trail system is expected to cover between 12-25% of an activity area. This range is based on past monitoring and spatial calculations. Several research papers, summarized in the Soil Resources Specialist Report, support these numbers.
Detrimental compaction, displacement, and removal of ground cover are expected to occur on landings and skid-trails where multiple passes with heavy equipment occurred. As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, this could occur over 12-25% of the activity area. However, because the St. Vrain Project soils are not highly susceptible to compaction or the unit may be completed over snow or frozen ground, de-compaction mitigations are recommended only for detrimentally compacted landings and detrimentally compacted portions of skid-trails within 100 feet of the landing.
In mechanically treated units, heavy equipment (skidders, feller-bunchers, harvesters, masticating equipment, etc) operation off designated skid-trails is necessary to get to marked trees and achieve fuels reduction objectives. In these areas, removal of protective ground cover and disturbance of the surface layer of soil may occur but, generally, detrimental compaction is not expected to occur. In a thinning unit, surface disturbance is likely to occur on approximately 40-50% of the unit. In a patch cut area, surface disturbance is likely to occur on approximately 80-100% of the unit. Based on monitoring of similar projects, increased levels of soil disturbance (removal of ground cover, mixing and removal of the A horizon) occur on patch cut units. The exact spatial extent of these impacts depends on size of activity area, topography, soil type, equipment used, ground conditions during implementation, other physical constraints such as rock outcrops, prescription and layout. De-compaction mitigations are not generally recommended for these areas but scattering slash and/or large logs on the landings is recommended where necessary to provide ground cover and material for nutrient cycling.
Whole tree removal on patch cut units increases potential for excessive nutrient export by lowering needle cast or recruitment of fine organic materials (<3 inches), important for nutrient cycling and prevention of erosion. This raises a concern, especially on sites characterized by coarse textured (sandy), rocky, shallow soils with low organic matter content. This potential impact is mitigated by retention of 5-10 ton/acre of slash, as described in the Mitigations section of this report.
Direct Effects of Hand Treatments Hand treatments would be done by hand crews with chainsaws. Boles, limbs and slash would scattered or hand piled in the unit and burned at later date. With the exception of hand burn pile effects (discussed below), there are minimal adverse impacts to soil resources associated with hand treatments. However, it is important to scatter some slash to retain protective ground cover
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-4 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences for erosion control and fine slash for nutrient cycling, particularly where slash is hand piled and burned.
Direct Effects of Lopping and Scattering Slash Lopping and scattering 10 tons/acre of slash would benefit Project Area soil resources by providing organic material for decomposition and nutrient cycling. Additionally, this action provides protective ground cover to lower erosion potential. In Aspen Enhancement units, the slash requirement is only 5 tons/acre to promote Aspen regeneration.
Direct Effects of Pile Burning Pile burning is the primary method of slash disposal for St. Vrain treatment units. In mechanically harvested units (thinning and patch cut units), burn piles shall be located on the landings. Landing burn piles, constructed using heavy equipment, are variable in size. Based on previous projects, piles are expected to be 15-20 feet high 20-80 feet in diameter. In hand treated units, piles are constructed by hand and are typically 10 feet high and 6-7 feet in diameter.
Each acre of mechanical treatment may remove enough hazardous fuel to create a pile 33 feet wide x 33 feet long x 18 feet high. A pile of this size creates a footprint of 1089 square feet or 2.5% of an acre. Hand treatments are expected to generate approximately 60 hand-piles per acre. Based on a typical hand-pile footprint of 6 x 7 feet, total ground area covered by hand-piles is calculated to be 2520 square feet or 6% of an acre. Estimations of pile sizes and number of piles, described above, are derived from field observations by District Planning and Implementation Personnel, St.Vrain Air Quality Specialist’s Report and SASEM runs submitted to apply for State Smoke Permits on previous projects.
The exact spatial extent of burn piles depends on the size of the unit, amount of material removed, amount of material the contractor takes, pile height, density and shape. Burn pile effects on soils range from beneficial to severe, depending on burn severity, soil type, and site history. Adverse fire effects increase as burn severity increases, and the effects are proportional to the residence time of the fire and the amount of heat generated.
Physical Effects: • Loss of litter layer, soil and soil organic matter • Loss of soil structure • Hydrophobicity (formation of water repellent layer) • In extreme cases, destruction of clay minerals
The physical effects, described above may occur to the extent of the burn pile site. However, due to the relatively low proportion of the activity area (approximately 2-6% of the activity area) impacted and the dispersed arrangement of burn piles within an activity area, little increase in erosion potential is expected on an activity area basis. Scarification and addition of slash are recommended to accelerate burn pile recovery, and mitigate hydrophobic soils and erosion concerns.
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Chemical Effects: • Increase in pH • Loss of cation exchange capacity • Loss of nutrients by volatilization, in fly ash, or by leaching • Increase plant available N (ammonia) under low severity burns
When organic matter is burned, nutrients are either lost into the atmosphere or released into the soil and made more readily available to plants. Nutrients released are potentially subject to leaching but are usually taken up by plants or re-absorbed by the soil.
Biological Effects: • Direct mortality of soil organisms and loss of their habitat • Fire may sterilize soils although natural recovery is expected to occur over time • Hot burns on moist soils may increase the mortality of soil organisms by driving steam into the soil • Post fire changes in soil organism populations are invertebrate and fungi decrease and bacteria increase. These changes generally last a year or two.
Fire effects on soil biota and microbial habitat are associated with maximum temperatures and duration. Threshold temperatures for different groups of soil micro-organisms and mitigation measures to promote burn pile recovery are summarized in the Soil Resources Specialist Report.
Indirect Effect: Reduced Potential for Adverse Effects of High Severity Wildfire The proposed treatments reduce the potential for adverse effects of high severity wildfire. Detrimental effects to soil resources, associated with high severity wildfire, are described in the “Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, No Action” section of this report.
Potential for Increased Potential for Access by Recreational Forest Users Following implementation of the proposed fuels reduction activities, forest access is expected to remain at the current level or increase in thinned areas, which may lead to additional erosion and sedimentation.
Potential for Introduction of Noxious Weeds Following project implementation, there is a higher potential for introduction of noxious weeds on highly disturbed sites such as skid-trails, landings and burn piles. Some species of noxious weeds promote site degradation, affecting long-term soil productivity. The Invasive Plants Report, in the project file, contains a full analysis of noxious weed impacts and issues.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Roads and Trails There are no new temporary roads proposed for this project. The existing extensive road and OHV trail impacts soil productivity, soil hydrologic function, watershed hydrologic response, and fisheries habitat. These effects are fully described in the Soil Resources Specialist Report.
The “designated” transportation system consists of roads and trails that are used for access to private property, forest management, fire suppression, recreation, and many other functions.
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Within treatment units, land area designated as roads and trails does not count towards the 15% maximum allowable disturbance within treatment units. Non-designated roads and trails such as skid-trails and user created roads and trails are identified and counted as disturbed sites within the treatment unit.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Past measurable detrimental impacts to soils, associated with wild fires, historic mining, timber harvest, dispersed camping, roads and OHV use, still exist on the landscape. Present effects are direct effects associated with project implementation. Foreseeable future effects are associated with other projects scheduled to occur in the activity area.
Areas that were compacted or eroded are in various stages of recovery. Based on field reconnaissance, review of aerial photography and limited management activities within the past 20 years, the extent of past detrimental impacts is estimated to be low for project activity areas. Through prevention or mitigation, the sum of past (existing) impacts and project related direct effects would be kept within 15% of any given activity area (FSH 2509.18 and FSH 2509.25).
Summary of Environmental Effects The potential environmental effects of the proposed fuels reduction and slash disposal actions are based on the treatment (prescription, type of equipment) and number of acres treated (extent of the impact). For the purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that operation of heavy equipment will be limited to slopes less than 30% and hand treatments may occur on slopes up to 50%. Actual treated acres will be fewer than acres proposed for treatment because many of the units have steep slopes, rock outcrops and other natural openings where treatment is not required.
Table 3-1: Summary of Acres of Proposed Treatments for the St. Vrain Project Proposed Activities Proposed Treatment Units Soil Action Impacts* (Acres) Heavy Equipment: Thinning (slash 1369 3, 5d, 5h, 5i, 6e, 6g, 6h, 6i, 1,2,3 disposal by machine pile and burn at 13c, 13d, 13f, 13h, 14c, landing or in unit) 15a Heavy Equipment: Patch Cuts 6 14c 1,2+,3 Manual Thin (slash disposal by lop/ 1282 1, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6f, 7, 12d, 4 scatter and hand pile and burn) 13b, 13e, 13g, 14a, 14c, 15b Total Proposed Treatments 2657
Soil Impacts* Apply to Table (above) 1. Skid-trails and Landings 2. Ground Disturbance in Unit 2+. More Ground Disturbance is expected in patch cuts than thinning units 3. Machine Burn Pile Effects 4. Hand Burn Pile Effects
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Note: The soil impacts, summarized here, are fully described in the Environmental Effects section of this report (above.)
AIR QUALITY Affected Environment The Front Range Airshed includes most of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and all of the Pawnee National Grassland. The Front Range Airshed includes Boulder, Weld, Denver, Jefferson, Douglas, Arapaho, Adams and Broomfield Counties. Elevations in this airshed range from 5,000 to 14,000 feet above sea level at the Continental Divide. The nearest air-quality Class I and Class II Areas are Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks Wilderness, respectively, and Niwot Ridge Biosphere Reserve. These areas are included due to their proximity to the Project Area but smoke generated from this project is not expected to adversely affect them.
Major cities in the Front Range Airshed include Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder and Fort Collins. The main transportation corridor within the Project Area is the State Highway 7.
The receptors identified in this analysis were the towns and communities that may be affected by pile burning operations. Because burning is done when smoke dispersal conditions are good, it is unlikely these towns and communities would be affected. Areas within 0-1 miles of burn piles include: Allenspark, Meeker Park, Ferncliff, Riverside, Raymond, Peaceful Valley, Big Elk Meadows, Tahosa Valley, Pinewood Springs, Overland, Pine Valley, Arrowwood, Rock Creek Summer Homes, Meeker Park Summer Homes, Camp Dick Campground, Olive Ridge Campground, Meeker Park Picnic Ground, and parts of Rocky Mountain National Park. Other places, located 3-20 miles from the burn pile sites include: Nederland, Lyons, Estes Park and parts of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Topographic and Climatic Influences Topography and weather patterns determine the extent to which airborne particulate matter accumulates within the Front Range Airshed. One of the more critical elements relating to emissions is wind. The prevailing winds are variable but are primarily from the west with southerly influences during El Niño/La Niña events. Because the area is mountainous, topographic features affect the heating and cooling of the air masses that cause localized rising and falling of air. Temperature inversions may occur at any time of the year, but are more common during the winter months in canyons. During inversions, emissions can be trapped in a layer of cold surface air until the air is warmed and the inversion breaks.
Nonattainment/Attainment Maintenance Designation The St. Vrain Project Area is designated as an attainment area for five out of six National Ambient Air Quality Standards criteria pollutants. This means that Boulder County currently meets National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Other counties to the south and east of the project boundary are in attainment areas for Particulate Matter 10 (PM10), and ozone emissions include: Denver, Douglas and Jefferson.
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As of April 15, 2004, the EPA changed the national ozone standards from 1-Hour to 8-Hour Ozone Standards. Until the EPA can implement the new 8-Hour Ozone Standards, the Front Range Airshed counties, which include Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson and portions of Larimer and Weld, were designated as Nonattainment Deferred. The maximum attainment date set for these counties by the EPA is December 2007.
The de minimis level is 100 tons for PM10 non-attainment areas (USDI and USDA Forest Service, 2001). The PM10 de minimis level is the amount of PM10 that can be emitted from one contiguous site. A full conformity analysis would be needed if the predicted annual PM10 emissions produced from this project exceeded 100 tons annually. The estimates provided in this analysis are based on maximum annual emissions possible with treatment. Since market values of small diameter wood products are variable and there were recent additions of local energy plants that depend on wood products, it is likely that less slash would be piled and burned than this analysis predicts. These conditions, therefore, make it very likely that emissions in this analysis are overestimated. Since the Project Area is within an attainment area and individual burn projects will be modeled and analyzed for smoke management pursuant to Colorado State Regulation 9, full conformity with Federal Air Quality Standards is anticipated.
Air Quality/Pollution in the Front Range Airshed The EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI) generally rates air quality in the vicinity of the Project Area as “good.” The AQI is a system for measuring and rating pollution levels for five of the six “criteria” pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act. Criteria pollutants included in the Pollution Standard Index (PSI) are total suspended particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and volatile organic compounds; lead is the single criteria pollutant not included in the AQI. The AQI range is from “good to unhealthful.” The EPA determines the index value on a daily basis for each of the measured pollutants. Table 3-2 displays the index values that have been recorded for Boulder County.
Table 3-2: Pollutions Standard Index (PSI) for Boulder County Year Number of Days Good Moderate Unhealthful for sensitive Unhealthy receptors 2005 to date 111 10 0 0 2004 345 21 0 0 2003 311 52 2 0 2002 321 43 1 0 2001 330 34 1 0 2000 326 40 0 0 EPA 2002 AIRData, http://www.epa.gov/air/data/monaqi.html
The Front Range airshed has existing air quality impacts and potential for further impacts from pollutants such as sulfur dioxides, oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and ozone. Many of the documented impacts are associated with external sources (those outside Forest boundaries and jurisdiction). Major mobile and area sources from the Fort Collins, Denver and Colorado
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Springs areas include emissions from vehicles and eleven large power plants. Other local area sources include urbanization and associated use of wood burning stoves and fireplaces.
Current Air Quality Monitoring Colorado’s Air Pollution Control Division measures ambient air quality throughout the state with a network of pollution monitors. There are several monitors within 100 kilometers of the Project Area. Monitoring data from the EPA 2003 AIR Data summaries indicate that PM10 annual averages are well below the EPA Standard of 50 micrograms per cubic meter. The general trend shows that PM10 levels have been decreasing over the last six years for Boulder County. Figure 1 displays the annual mean concentrations of PM10 for Boulder County from 1998-2003.
Figure 3-1: Annual Mean Concentrations of PM10 for Boulder County (1998-2003)
Boulder
25 24 23 22 Boulder 21 20 19 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
http://www.epa.gov/air/data/monaqi.html
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action There would be no direct or indirect effects on air quality or human health under the No Action Alternative due to management actions. Impacts from dust, vehicle emissions and other sources would not change from current conditions.
A potential wildfire anywhere within the Front Range Airshed, however, would have a direct and indirect effect on air quality under the No Action Alternative. Potential wildfires occurring are expected to range from manageable to unmanageable depending on a number of factors, but most importantly on weather trends. Under severe summer burning conditions, a wildfire similar to those seen in other stands exhibiting similar fuel loadings within the Front Range Airshed could occur within the Project Area within the next decade. A large wildfire has the potential to emit large amounts of smoke that could remain in the local airshed for a few days to several weeks, depending on the size and intensity of the fire. This smoke could occur when dispersion is poor and would likely produce larger amounts of smoke and particulate matter, and last longer than prescribed fires. The Overland, Hi Meadow, Buffalo Creek, and Hayman fires provide local
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-10 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences examples of smoke effects from wildfire. These wildfires consumed from 10,000 to 137,000 acres of forest vegetation. Based on SASEM modeling, the resultant emissions from a wildfire of these sizes could release from 15,646 to over 15,838 tons of PM10 and between 13,234 to 13,401 tons of PM2.5 over a period of just a few days.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action The direct and indirect effects of the Proposed Action are based on predicted smoke emissions. The Simple Approach Smoke Estimation Model 4.0 (SASEM) (USDI-BLM, 1993) was used to predict emissions. This is the same smoke-modeling program the State of Colorado requires for smoke permit applications. Modeling fire emissions and dispersions to predict compliance with the NAAQS is a difficult and complex process, and is subject to a variety of uncertainties in the choice of input data and assumptions.
A maximum estimate of 27,030 slash piles is expected to be generated and burned under the Proposed Action. Based on the SASEM computer model, an estimated total of 119 tons of PM10 and 100 tons of Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is expected be released annually based on the same assumptions discussed earlier. These burns are likely to be implemented over a 5 to 8 year period.
According to the SASEM model, no violations of PM10 or PM2.5 annual allowances are expected; therefore, no violation of the annual NAAQS is anticipated. Emissions within a 24 hour period following implementation may cause temporary irritation or respiratory problems to smoke sensitive persons, however, only if the number of burning days per year is 20 or fewer. However, since no annual violations are predicted, this would also indicate health hazards are unlikely. Although no impacts to identified receptors are expected based on SASEM model outputs, this alternative is expected to have a moderate impact on the airshed.
Table 3-3 summarizes the quantitative direct and indirect effects of prescribed fire operations for the No Action and the Proposed Action.
Table 3-3: Comparison of Estimated PM10 Emissions Annually by Alternative Hand Pile Burning Mechanical Pile Burning Estimated Total Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated Annual Alt. Sum Number Total Annual Total Annual Compliance Annual of Number Tons of Number Tons of with Burning Acres of Piles PM & of Piles PM & 10 10 NAAQS Days Treated Burned PM2.5 Burned PM2.5 Alt A: 0 No NA 0 0 0 0 NA Action Alt B: Proposed 20 2657 20,600 48 & 40 6,430 60 & 60 Yes Action SASEM 4.0 model outputs
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Under the Proposed Action, effects on air quality are expected to be short term. Although prescribed burning is expected to occur only when weather conditions are conducive to good dispersal conditions, short-term effects may include localized reduced visibility, which may settle in low-lying areas during the evening hours. Smoke trapped in low-lying areas would be expected to dissipate once morning temperatures rose and the nighttime inversion lifted. Senstive receptors used in SASEM model calculations and the effects are shown on Table 3-4.
Table 3-4: Possible Affected Receptors from Smoke Production Receptor Distance from Direction from Id Affected Communities Source Source Impacted? Meeker Park, Meeker Park Campground, Meeker Park Recreational Residence Group, Olive 1 Ridge Picnic Area, Peak to Peak Scenic < 1 mile West No Byway, Rocky Mountain National Park (Class 1), Indian Peaks Wilderness (Class II) Allenspark, Ferncliff, Pine Valley, 2 < 1 mile Southwest Arrowwood 3 Big Elk Meadows, Pinewood Springs < 1 mile North No Riverside, Raymond, Overland, Peaceful 4 Valley, Camp Dick Campground, Rock < 1 mile South No Creek Recreation Residence Group 5 Nederland 20 miles South No Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National 6 12 Northwest No Park 7 Lyons 3 miles Northeast No SASEM 4.0 model outputs
The Class I and Class II areas and the Niwot Ridge Biosphere Reserve would not be impacted. Decreased visibility along travel corridors such as State Highway 7 and 72 is expected to occur temporarily during prescribed fire implementation and residents that live adjacent to treatment units with prescribed burning may be impacted temporarily. Dispersed smoke is not expected to drift into Boulder or Nederland; thereby not impairing visibility. Since the amount of burning conducted within any one airshed is monitored and controlled by the State of Colorado, the Proposed Action is expected to be in compliance of air quality standards.
The risk of landscape size wildfires that have occurred and would occur within or outside of the St Vrain Project Area would have a negative cumulative effect on the Front Range Airshed.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Project activities are expected to affect the air quality of the local area as well as downwind communities. Dust and smoke that may be generated from these activities contribute pollutants to the local airshed.
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Dust Particulate emissions in the form of dust occur when vehicles travel on unpaved roads. The force of the wheels on an unpaved road surface causes pulverization of the surface material. Dust is lifted and dropped from the rolling wheels and the road surface is exposed to strong air currents in turbulent shear with the surface. The turbulent wake behind the vehicle continues to act on the road surface after the vehicle has passed. The amount of particulate matter emitted from a given road varies proportionally with the amount, weight, and speed of traffic. Silt content of the road surface and weather conditions also affect the amount of dust generated. Dust would be produced as a result of project activities on unpaved roads and soil disturbing sites.
Prescribed Burning Present and reasonably foreseeable activities that will have cumulative effects on the Front Range Airshed quality are outlined by Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest fuels reduction targets. The Forest target is approximately 6,500 acres of prescribed fire treatments annually for the next fiscal year (Dan Len, pers. comm. 2005). On the local level, the Boulder Ranger District fuels reduction target is approximately 500 acres per year for the next fiscal year. For the purposes of predicting cumulative effects, it is recognized that this target is highly dependent on many factors, one of which is availability of suitable burn days. It is likely that existing constraints will limit fuels reduction accomplishments, so actual cumulative air quality effects are likely to be less than predicted. Currently, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests burn approximately 4,000 acres annually in pile or broadcast burns.
Numerous other agencies contribute pollutants to the Front Range Airshed annually with prescribed fire programs. Agencies that directly impact air quality in Boulder County with prescribed fire programs include: Boulder County, the City of Boulder, Cherryvale Fire Department, Colorado State Forest Service, and Rocky Mountain National Park. These agencies treat approximately a combined total of 300 acres with broadcast burning and approximately 41,000 cubic feet of piles per year that also contribute emissions to the airshed. Other land management agencies outside of Boulder County also have active prescribed fire programs that will have cumulative effects on the Front Range Airshed. However because the State of Colorado regulates emissions productions for all entities contributing pollutants to the airshed, those contributions were considered but eliminated from this analysis.
Other Pollution Sources The entire Project Area is in the Front Range Airshed and within 40 miles of several potential air pollution sources such as coal-fired power plants and major population centers.
WATERSHED RESOURCES Affected Environment The St. Vrain Project Area treatment units are located in seven 6th Level Watersheds (within the St. Vrain Sub-basin and Platte River Basin), these include: 1) WF of Little Thompson Creek (HUC # 101900061004); 2) Cabin Creek (HUC # 101900050206); 3) North St. Vrain Creek
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(HUC # 101900050202); 4) North St. Vrain Creek Composite (HUC # 101900050210); 5) Rock Creek (HUC # 101900050204); 6) Dry St. Vrain Creek (HUC # 101900050208); and 7) Middle St. Vrain Creek (HUC # 101900050402.)
Watershed Condition Classes During the 1997 Forest Plan Revision, a Watershed Condition Assessment was conducted to examine watershed sensitivity and disturbances and stream channel conditions. Direct impacts are impacts that change the stream channel; indirect impacts are impacts to the landscape in the watershed that may contribute to changes in the channels. The North St. Vrain Creek and North St. Vrain Creek Composite were classified as Condition Class I watersheds, good condition. All other watersheds were classified as Condition Class II, functional at risk.
See Hydrologic Specialist Report for more information.
Table 3-5 displays the current road and trail densities per watershed within the Project Area.
Table 3-5: Watershed Condition and Road/Trail Densities for each 6th Level Watershed. Road & Trail Watershed Watershed Percent of Density w/in Road/Trail Watershed Condition Area w/in Watershed Project Area Stream Miles Crossings Name Project Area Area within (miles/sq. w/in 150’ of per Mile of (acres) Project Area mile) Road/Trail Stream Cabin Creek II 2,660 0.18 1.04 4.2 0.77 Dry St. Vrain Creek II 4,634 100 4.33 6.7 1.14 Middle St. Vrain Creek II 4,301 0.21 1.15 9.0 1.47 North St. Vrain Creek I 2,151 0.09 0.74 1.9 0.7 North St. Vrain Creek I 16,332 0.61 1.20 10.7 1.63 Composite Rock Creek II 2,693 0.29 2.47 5.2 0.77 WF of Little Thompson II 448 2.8 0.18 0.5 0.22 River
Water Quality The State of Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) has designated many streams in the Project Area in the following categories, with some a combination: Cold Water Aquatic Life Class 1, Warm Water Aquatic Life Class 2, Recreation Class 1a, and Water Supply, and Agriculture. This indicates that the waters within these seven watersheds can sustain a wide variety of cold-water biota, including sensitive biota. They are also suitable for direct contact recreation activities such as swimming and boating, as well as direct agricultural irrigation and potable water supplies following standard treatment (CDPHE, 2004.) Many stream segments in the Platte River Basin are found on the Status of Water Quality in Colorado (2004) 303(d) List of Impaired Streams. The stream segments in the St. Vrain Sub- basin listed as impaired are shown in Table 3-6.
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Table 3-6: Colorado 303(d) List of Impaired Waters in the Platte River Basin Waterbody Pollutant/ Identification Waterbody Concern Sources St. Vrain Creek from NH3, Aquatic Municipal Point Sources & COSPSV03 Hygiene Road to S. Life Unknown Causes Platte River
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Selection of this alternative could have both beneficial and adverse consequences for hydrologic and aquatic resources.
Under the No Action Alternative, existing conditions and trends toward recovery and degradation on the landscape would continue. The No Action Alternative would not impose additional risks with water, soil and aquatic resources. The No Action Alternative would avoid the adverse impacts of vegetation management using mechanized, ground-based equipment, including treatment of slash and the risks associated with escaped prescribed fire.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Past, present, foreseeable future activities in the Project Area and the watersheds that are impacted, including urban/rural development, off-highway vehicle use, dispersed camping, fuel reduction projects, wildfire, fire suppression, temporary and permanent road and trail building, would continue to contribute to watershed impacts. Some of these activities are of particular importance to watersheds. The Big Elk Fire is expected to continue to increase flood risk and greatly increase sedimentation for another two to three years. Effects should begin to return to pre-fire conditions as vegetation continues to recover within the burned areas. The Johnny Park Road and Bunce School Road areas, and Taylor Mountain area (including the area near Unit 7) would continue to have watershed, soil, and aquatic habitat resources impacts due to dispersed camping, OHV, target shooting, hiking and horseback riding use in these areas.
Lack of treatment may contribute greater impacts from wildfires within the treatment units. Treatment is unlikely to affect risk of fire ignition (except from human caused fires) within the units, however, lack of treatment may allow larger, more severe fires with effects to erosion and sedimentation, and elevated peak flows within the treatment units.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Fuels reduction and vegetation management has direct and indirect effects to the watershed condition and water quality across the treatment units. The Proposed Action would treat approximately 2,657 acres in seven 6th Level Watersheds.
Potential effects include potential impacts to water yield, sedimentation in stream channels, and connectivity between the stream network and the road and trail network.
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Water Yield It has been shown from several studies that if less than 25% basal area were removed across the entire 6th level watershed there would not be a measurable water yield (Troendle and King, 1985, Troendle and King, 1987; and Hornbeck, et al. 1987), nor a measurable increase in annual water yield and sediment transport (Troendle and Olsen, 1994).
As shown in Table 7, the actual amount of the watersheds treated is very small. The Dry St. Vrain Creek watershed has the greatest percentage of treatment proposed with only 8.5%. The small percentage of watershed affected, different thinning treatments and the size of patch cuts would not have a measurable effect on water yield in any of the watersheds within the Project Area.
Sedimentation in Stream Channels Sediment in stream channels may come from several sources. Most of the sediment in the stream channels comes from natural erosion within the channel as the stream comes in contact with different soil types. Roads, trails, landings, and areas with disturbed soils located near streams may also deliver sediment to stream channels during runoff events. Roads can impair the ability of the watershed to absorb water and filter sediment; therefore roads are a primary source of increased runoff and sediment for stream channels. Under the Proposed Action, additional sedimentation of stream channels, resulting from erosion from treatment activities, could also degrade water quality. However, mitigation measures would alleviate these types of short-term disturbances and negative effects. (See section on mitigations -Chapter 2.)
Watershed Impacts of Roads for the Project Area Forest Service Level 1 roads that are currently closed would be reopened and where needed would be widened, which would result in minor disturbance. Forest Service Level 2 roads (open 4wd roads) would receive maintenance where needed; benefiting water resources. No temporary roads would be constructed.
No new permanent roads would be constructed. As a result, there would not be an increase in road density, number of roads located next to streams or an increase in the number of stream crossings. See Table 3-7.
Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines and Water Conservation Practices would be incorporated into project design criteria and mitigation measures and would meet or exceed State Best Management Practices. These practices include locating roads on upper slopes, installing adequate drainage; using existing roads where possible, not encroaching fill into streams, wetlands or lakes, utilizing designated stream crossings, etc. (Forest Service Handbook 2509.25.)
With project design criteria and/or mitigation measures in place, the impacts of roads to sediment production and increases in runoff for the Proposed Action would be minor.
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Table 3-7: Acres of Treatment within the Project Area for each 6th Level Watershed
% Total % Wshed % Total Acres Cumulative Total Wshed Treatment Wshed w/in Wshed Treated Acres Wshed Wshed Area per Wshed Area Project Area to in Estes Proposed Name Area w/in (acres) within Area to be Valley for St. Vrain (acres) Project Project be Treated Project & Estes Area Area Treated per Valley (acres) Wshed Projects (% (% of of wshed wshed area) area) 653 834 Cabin 14,506 2,660 181 0.18 6.73 1.23 (4.5%) (5.7%) Creek Dry St. 369 Vrain 4,634 4,634 369 100 8.5 8.5 0 (8.5%) Creek Middle 348 St. Vrain 20,613 4,301 348 0.21 8.1 1.68 0 (1.7%) Creek North 255 St. Vrain 24,227 2,151 255 0.09 11.76 1.1 0 (1.1%) Creek North St. Vrain 26,780 16,332 676 0.61 4.31 2.63 294 970 Creek (1.1%) (3.6%) Comp 481 Rock 9,422 2,693 481 0.29 17.86 5.11 0 (5.11%) Creek WF of Little 16,211 448 374 2.8 83.5 2.3 3427 3701 Thomps (21%) (23.4%) on R.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action The Estes Valley Fuels Project on the Canyon Lakes District includes fuels treatment in three 6th Level Watersheds that cross both the Estes Valley and the St. Vrain Project Areas. The West Fork of the Little Thompson River, North St. Vrain Creek Composite, and Cabin Creek watersheds are impacted by both fuels reduction projects. Table 7 above shows the number treatment acres cumulatively for both projects within these three watersheds. These watersheds would have approximately 23.4% (WF of Little Thompson River), 3.6% (North St. Vrain Creek Composite), and 5.7% (Cabin Creek) of their watershed areas treated if both projects are implemented. Together, treatment acres in watersheds for both projects have not crossed the 25% threshold for producing measurable water yield increases. These projects would not cumulatively affect the annual water yield of these three watersheds.
The Big Elk Fire of 2002 burned approximately 2,600 acres in the WF of the Little Thompson River watershed. Cumulatively with the acres planned for treatment in the Estes Valley and St. Vrain Fuels Projects approximately 6,301 acres of this watershed would have the number of trees reduced. Currently, there has been increased flooding and sedimentation of the WF of the Little Thompson River due to the Big Elk Fire. These impacts are localized to the burned area and directly downstream of the burned area. The combination of treatments with the Estes Valley,
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St. Vrain Fuels Projects, and the Big Elk Fire would affect approximately 39% of the watershed. The planned treatments for both fuels reduction projects focuses on the removal of small trees and would not be exceeding the 25% basal area removal. Therefore, there would not be a measurable change in annual water yield for the WF of the Little Thompson River watershed.
As ground disturbance and vegetation removal (from wildfires, treatments, roads, etc) accumulates in a watershed over time, the “sponge and filter” function of the watershed may decrease. In other words, soil hydrologic function, particularly water infiltration, is expected to decrease, and runoff, timing and magnitude of peak flows, sediment delivery to stream channels, and in-channel erosion is likely to increase. In turn, this may degrade water quality and fisheries habitat.
AQUATIC RESOURCES Affected Environment Federally-listed or Proposed, Threatened and Endangered Species The St.Vrain Project Area contains potential habitat for one federally-listed or proposed threatened and endangered fish species: the greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki stomias.)
Habitat requirements for the greenback cutthroat appear to be similar to those of other cutthroat subspecies, and similar to the habitat requirements of other native North American trout. Typical of all cutthroat, greenback cutthroats live in clean, cool mountain streams preferably of moderate (6% or less) gradient. Potential habitat is present in the North St. Vrain Creek, Cabin and Rock Creeks, and the upper Middle St. Vrain Creek.
Populations of greenback cutthroat trout on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests are known and carefully monitored. Population data for the Forest are shown in Appendix A of the St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Aquatic Biological Evaluation. No populations occur in or downstream of the Project Area. Surveys of the fish species found in area streams have not indicated the presence of individual greenback in or downstream of the Project Area.
Forest Service Sensitive Species (Region 2) The St.Vrain Project Area contains potential habitat for one Forest Service Sensitive Species: lake chub (Couesius plumbeus.)
Information about lake chubs is limited but in Wyoming where populations are considered secure, lake chubs are found mostly in stream habitat. Cool, clear water with clean cobble or gravel substrate is preferred. Lake chub eat aquatic and terrestrial insects and zooplankton. This species is a spring spawner.
It is unlikely that lake chubs persist in the streams in the Project Area; they are believed to be extirpated from the Platte River system. However, habitat for this species is found in the Project Area.
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Management Indicator Species (ARNPPG) Management Indicator Species include three fish species: Greenback cutthroat trout, (Oncorhynchus clarki stomias), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), and, brown trout (Salmo trutta).
All three trout species can be found inhabiting the same reaches of streams in various locations on the Forest. For this reason, the effects to all three species will be described together. Brook and brown trout were selected to indicate the effects of management activities in the Project Area because they are common trout in area streams and are found within the proposed project boundaries. Greenback cutthroat trout are not known to be in the Project Area, but like brook and brown trout, their habitat requirements include cool, well-oxygenated freshwater streams. All three trout species have a primary diet that consists of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates.
Opportunity for the recovery of greenback trout in the Project Area is unlikely due to the presence of non-native trout, whirling disease and fragmented land ownership pattern. Many of the area streams are whirling disease positive so greenback cutthroat trout would not be likely to persist in these streams.
(See Specialist Report and St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Aquatic Biological Evaluation for more information.)
Environmental Effects The potential direct, indirect and cumulative effects are similar for both the No Action (Alternative A) and the Proposed Action (Alternative B). For example, a reduction of pool habit resulting from increased sediment entering the pool may occur with either alternative. And, increased water yield and changes in peak flows are not expected as a result of the project.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action With the No Action Alternative, changes resulting from natural processes and both historic and ongoing project activities would continue, including existing conditions and trends toward recovery and degradation on the landscape. As a result, Alternative A would have both beneficial and adverse consequences for watershed and aquatic resources.
Aside from the potential increase in fire effect, the No Action Alternative would not impose additional risks with water, soil or aquatic resources. Habitat conditions would improve as recovery of existing impacts occurred, although habitat fragmentation and stream dewatering would continue to prevent certain fish populations from establishing in the area.
The benefits of the No Action Alternative are the avoidance of adverse impacts related to vegetation management using mechanized, ground-based equipment to treat slash and perform other tasks. This Alternative would also eliminate risks associated with escaped prescribed fire.
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Cumulative Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Past, present, and anticipated future activities in the Project Area include urban and rural development, off-highway vehicle use, grazing, camping, wildfire, timber harvest, fuel reduction projects, fire suppression activities and the continuation of water supply and road maintenance. Combined, these activities contribute to the fairly high level of cumulative impacts of watersheds within the Project Area.
Some of activities in the Project Area are of particular importance to watersheds. For instance, damage caused by the Big Elk fire will most likely continue to increase flood risk and greatly increase sedimentation for two to three years. Effects should begin to return to pre-fire conditions as vegetation start to recover within the burned areas.
Erosion from cut and fill slopes and winter sanding operations along county roads within the Project Area provide a continuous source of sediment in many of the drainages throughout the Project Area. Johnny Park Road is a good example of sections that have extensive erosion.
Although treatment is unlikely to affect the risk of fire ignition in the Project Area, a lack of treatment may allow larger, more intense fires with effects of erosion, sedimentation, and elevated peak flows.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action The small percentage of watershed affected and the types of thinning treatments and size of patchcuts would not have a measurable effect on water yield in any of the watersheds. (See Hydrologic Specialists Report for more information.)
Vegetation management has the potential to adversely effect streams and aquatic habitats. Those effects include increases in erosion and sedimentation, compaction and vegetation loss in wetlands and riparian areas, along with extension of the channel network through access and skid trails, which connect upstream disturbances to streams. Upland soil and slope stability can be decreased during harvesting, and for a short time following it. Typically, it is not tree cutting that produces adverse effects, but rather the creation of trails required for access to the treatment areas. In addition, landings and haul routes also contribute when wood products are removed.
Potential adverse effects to fishery management indicator species (MIS) and their habitat are expected with the Proposed Action Alternative. These effects would most likely result from increased water or sediment yield from harvest and road repair disturbances in relation to efforts intended to reduce fuels and from removal of ground vegetation and organic debris associated with pile burning activities to manage slash.
Sedimentation can adversely affect fishery resources by clogging spawning gravels, reducing pool depth for over winter habitat, and reducing macroinvertebrate production for fish food. In the Project Area, many of the streams are not currently supporting a fishery. However, aquatic invertebrates and amphibians are likely using aquatic habitat. The effects described above reduce the quantity and quality of aquatic habitats, and may change the species of invertebrates toward those more tolerant of poor habitat conditions.
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Most treatment units are located in upland areas from creeks. To protect aquatic and riparian habitat, buffer zones would be provided along perennial and intermittent streams located adjacent to or within treatment areas. These buffer zones would have a minimum width of 100 feet from the top of each bank as stated in the Watershed Conservation Practices (1999.) They will prevent ground-based equipment from entering the riparian zones and eliminate fire ignition in the riparian zones. (See Hydrologic Specialist Report for more information.)
The implementation of the Watershed Conservation Practices and mitigation measures listed in the Forest Plan and this document would minimize erosion and sedimentation and the direct, indirect and cumulative effects would be minimal. The effectiveness of Best Management Practices (also known as Watershed Conservation Practices and mitigations measures) in meeting the Clean Water Act, Forest Plan Standards and water quality goals have been evaluated and indicate that proper implementation is effective in reducing impacts to the watershed and water quality (Dissmeyer, 1994). The overall effects of the proposed action is expected to have minimal short-term impacts to water quality in the West Fork of Little Thompson, Little Thompson River, Cabin Creek, North St. Vrain Creek, North St. Vrain Creek Composite, Rock Creek, Dry St. Vrain Creek, and Middle St. Vrain Creek watersheds.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action The Project Area of this cumulative effects discussion for greenback cutthroat trout and other management indicator species (brown and brook trout) would include not only the proposed Project Area, but extend downstream into the lower South Platte River system. The additional Project Area is needed to account for populations with migratory life history patterns and the threatened and endangered species that live downstream, but may be affected by actions higher in the watershed.
Past, present and future activities would likely continue to affect watersheds as described under the No Action Alternative. Proposed vegetation management on approximately 2,657 acres would add to those effects. There is an increase in risk of soil erosion and sedimentation because of ground disturbance. Effects can be mitigated through application of Watershed Conservation Practices, but increasing the area subjected to vegetation management inevitably heightens the risk that measure would not be completely effective.
Fuels reduction treatments may reduce the impacts of large wild fires. While treatment is unlikely to reduce the risk of fire ignition, it may reduce the extent and severity of a wildfire, particularly in ponderosa pine ecosystems. Smaller, less intense fires would lead to smaller increases in erosion, sedimentation and peak flows caused by fires.
Adjacent to the St. Vrain Project Area, two other large fuels reduction projects are also being planned over the next several years. The same direct and indirect effects to water, soil and aquatic habitats would be expected from these projects, adding to the cumulative impacts to these resources. These other large projects are in distinctly different drainages.
Implementation of the Proposed Action would have minimal cumulative effects to fish and aquatic species due to the small project scale and associated low levels of direct and indirect
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-21 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences effects. By treating the proposed Project Area for fire hazard reduction, fuels loads would be reduced. The reduction of heavy fuel loads prior to the event of a stand-replacing wildfire lowers the potential for excessive levels of sediment reaching streams within the proposed Project Area and downstream. Implementation of the WCPs and mitigation measures is expected to reduce the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts for the Proposed Action.
Management Indicator Species Population trends on the Forest for brook, brown and trout are currently stable. (See Appendix A of St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Aquatic Biological Evaluation for population data on the Forest.) Trends for rainbow trout cannot currently be determined, although additional monitoring data is being collected. Greenback cutthroat trout trends are also stable on the Forest although none occur in the Project Area. As any impacts to these fish or their habitat would be slight, short term and confined to the immediate Project Area, none of the alternatives are expected to change these trends. Therefore, there is no change in population trends of the aquatic MIS related to project implementation.
Federally Listed, Endangered, Threatened and Sensitive Species Populations of greenback on the Arapaho/Roosevelt National Forest are known and carefully monitored. (See Appendix A of St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Aquatic Biological Evaluation for population data on the Forest.) Surveys of fish species found in area streams have not indicated the presence of individual greenback in or downstream of the Project Area. Therefore, there would be no effect to the species as a result of the St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project.
Table 3-8: Summary of Effects Determinations for Federally-listed, Region 2 Sensitive aquatic species and MIS aquatic species. Determinations/Estimation of Effects Common Name Species A1ternative A (No Alternative B (Proposed Action) Action) Oncorhynchus clarki Greenback stomias No effect No effect cutthroat trout
Lake chub couesius plumbeus No impact No impact Brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis No change No Change Brown trout Salmo trouta No change No change
WILDFIRE and FUELS Affected Environment This project considers passive and active crown fires that may occur at or below the 90th percentile weather conditions (low fuel moistures with high temperatures and winds) and associated fuel conditions. (Please see the Wildfire and Fuels Specialist Report for more discussion.)
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Existing Fire Environment –the Fireshed The Forest Service has a high level of concern regarding the existing fire environment (topography, weather patterns and fuels) of the St. Vrain Project Area. The fireshed, also known as the boundary analyzed for wildfire, extends through the entire North St.Vrain Geographic Area and a small portion of the Middle St.Vrain Geographic Area as identified in the Forest Plan and the North St.Vrain Landscape Assessment.
Topography The individual proposed treatment units are characterized by gentle to moderate slopes with varying aspects. These units are, however, surrounded by complex valleys, deeply incised canyons and narrow ravines with that run from the western to eastern portion of the St. Vrain Project Area that strongly influence fire behavior.
Weather Weather patterns in the St. Vrain Project Area are a result of climatic conditions interacting with the local topography. During summer months, cumulus cloud formation is common in the afternoons as the cold air masses from the western mountains hit the warm air masses from the plains along the front range of the mountains. Lightning activity occurs across throughout the Project Area, but is especially concentrated near Button Rock Reservoir as a result of this cumulus build up. In addition, cumulus cloud formation is uplifting of air masses, creating atmospheric instability and sudden wind shifts of varying velocities and turbulent patterns.
The varied mountainous terrain of this fireshed is conducive to temperature inversions, which trap cooler air masses below warmer ones during early morning. A thermal belt of warm air may occur at mid-slope under these conditions, causing active fire behavior even during nighttime operations when fire activity is usually low. As diurnal heating occurs, the inversion breaks, causing abrupt wind shifts, atmospheric instability and active fire behavior.
Wind and pressure system patterns in the St. Vrain Project Area are also greatly influenced by the topography. The dominant wind patterns move from west/northwest to east/southeast, parallel to the dominant canyons and river systems. The numerous canyons and chimneys channel westerly winds, often increasing their velocities, while saddles create wind eddies.
Changes in the diurnal heating patterns of air masses complicated with convective heating cause winds to move upslope or downslope, depending on the time of day. Chinook winds, very strong downslope winds, have been recorded on the eastern slopes in every month except July in the Boulder area (UCAR, 2000). These are the result of oscillating air patterns as larger air masses move from the west through the canyons and over ridges of the fireshed toward the east. This foehn wind moderates temperatures as air subsides to the surface and is associated with extreme fire behavior.
Upslope conditions occasionally occur when counterclockwise low-pressure systems coming from the east dump high amounts of moisture along the Colorado Front Range. The upper montane and lower subalpine forest conditions in the western-most proposed treatment units
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generally receive more moisture and strong winds due to their proximity to the Continental Divide.
Most stands in St. Vrain Project Area are susceptible to split fire seasons as a result of oscillating precipitation patterns throughout the year. Late winter and early spring conditions often incur a dry spell that supports fast moving fires through dry fuels. When heavier precipitation occurs in mid to late spring, fuels usually regain their moisture content until summer weather patterns dry fuels again through fall.
Fuels Fuel conditions in the Project Area are similar to those found in other Colorado Front Range stands. Most stands currently exhibit uncharacteristically high canopy bulk densities, which create continuous canopies and shading that support shade tolerant encroachment of ladder fuel species with full crowns. Surface fuel loads vary, but an increase in live high flammable fuels, a steady accumulation of dead and down woody fuels, and duff and litter are expected to increase as wildfires continue to be suppressed and trees become increasingly susceptible to disease and insects.
Table 3-9 shows the number of acres within proposed treatment units that currently have fuel conditions that would support crown fire behavior when weather is at the 90th percentile. In general, the treatment areas have moderate to high surface fuel loads, low canopy base heights and high canopy bulk densities.
Note: Though no data is currently available for 12% of the acres proposed for treatment, field reconnaissance of the area show similar fuel conditions that would support crown fire behavior.
Table 3-9: Existing Fuel Conditions for St. Vrain Project Area Fuel Conditions Number Percent of of Acres Project Area Would Support Crown Fire 1724 66% Would not Support Crown Fire 490 19% No Data Available 388 15% Total 2602 100% Note: Plot data taken and simulated using FVS-FFE.
Ground and Surface Fuels The St.Vrain Project Area has a variety of fuels. These include: Live volatile fuels, dead and down woody fuels, duff and litter, isolated pockets of grasses and shrubs under a contiguous layer of conifers, and noxious weeds. Fire suppression, insect attack, and disease have influenced the existing condition of hazardous fuels in St. Vrain Project Area units and accumulation of fuels is expected to continue or increase over time.
Within St.Vrain Project Area units, the spatial arrangements, loadings, spread patterns, depths and types and volatility of fuels is highly variable. Units 3, 4, 6c, and 11b have areas where low amounts of dead and down wood is present and duff /litter layers are thin. Conversely, there are areas within these units that have very high fuel loadings. Other units have areas with high
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-24 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences concentrations of live fine fuels, live fuels that have volatile oils, and high accumulations of dead and downed fuels, indicating that fire has not disturbed those sites recently. Crown fire initiation is very likely in areas of the units where surface and ground fuels are concentrated and continuous or where large clumps of horizontally spreading common juniper occur.
Existing Canopy Fuels Conifer stands have mostly mixed species composition: Ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir with declining aspen stands or Ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir/aspen/lodgepole pine/limber pine/Englemann spruce. Species with full crowns that extend close to the forest floor, such as Englemann spruce, Rocky Mountain juniper, Blue spruce, Douglas-fir and Limber pine generally are of greater concern because they serve the dual purpose of ladder fuels and canopy fuels and contribute to fire growth. Limber pine, however, generally grows on rocky sites and Blue spruce generally grows in moist sites, so these species are of lesser concern as far as flammability is considered. Conifer forests in treatment units are mostly contiguous. Few stands are open or have meadows or healthy large aspen patches. This horizontal arrangement combined with the range of trees that have full crowns makes crown fire easy to start and spread.
The depth and horizontal continuity of canopy fuels the St.Vrain Project Area units were evaluated. Canopy fuels constitute any vegetation, live or dead, in the air above the forest floor. The depth of ladder fuels are quantified in (Vegetation Specialist Report) in the column titled “Average Canopy Base Height”. Crown fuels are quantified as a volume in the “Canopy Bulk Density” column. Many of the treatment units have enough ladder fuels and trees with low lying branches that canopy base heights are low. As a result, in most of the proposed treatment stands, it only takes wind speeds under 10 miles an hour or less to start a crown fire. Every unit in St. Vrain has canopy conditions that could easily start crown fire except units 3, 4, 10a, 10b 11a, 15a, and 15b.
Fire Behavior The overwhelming majority of units in the St. Vrain Project Area have fuel conditions that make the start and/or spread of crown fire very likely given 90th percentile weather conditions. The units that are not expected to exhibit crown fire behaviors are aspen clones or open grown Ponderosa pine stands with meadows, those specifically being units 6f, 6g, 11a, and 15a. Units that show in the Expected Fire Type column with “passive” have conditions that would start vertical crown fire, but not spread it horizontally through the canopy. Those listed as “active” have conditions that would start vertical movement and spread crown fire horizontally. Those listed as surface have conditions that would spread crown fire horizontally, but would not start vertical movement. (See Vegetation Specialist Report).
Existing Landscape Patterns The St. Vrain Project Area basically has three major landscape patterns: dense continuous conifers, deep rocky barren canyons and rocky open grown Ponderosa pine. Generally, the landscape within the Project Area has a mosaic pattern of these three main landscape patterns, though 61% of the entire Project Area has a canopy closure greater than 40 percent. The general mosaic pattern would be expected to slow or divert fire spread in the rocky portions at 90th percentile weather conditions; however the steep and channeled topography and sea of
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contiguous conifers would accelerate fire spread. Three moderately sized fires occurred immediately surrounding the SV Project Area: the Ouzel Fire, Overland Fire and Big Elk Fire. Collectively these fires burned 9,309 acres. The fragmentation of the existing landscape as the result of land ownership patterns creates challenges and sometimes prevents direct fire suppression and effective initial attack action. Likewise, land ownership fragmentation exacerbates the change in fire behavior and fire regimes since it often renders large portions of the landscape untreated while fires continue to be suppressed.
Recent Fire Activity Few fires have recently occurred within the St Vrain Project Area. Using Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest fire history data, from 1930 to 2003, the Boulder Ranger District responded to 19 fires within the proposed treatment units and 148 fires in the St.Vrain Project Area. Most of the ignitions within the St. Vrain Project Area occurred in along Johnny Park Road, in the eastern and southeastern portions. An overwhelming ninety-eight percent of all ignitions in the Saint Vrain Project Area boundary were suppressed to ¼ of an acre or smaller in size. Only three fires within the St. Vrain Project Area boundary grew larger than ten acres in size in the past 73 years.
The 2002 Big Elk Fire, located approximately one mile to the north of the St. Vrain Project Area is a recent local example of crown fire behavior on the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest. That fire burned a total of 4,413 acres. On July 18th, the second day of fire activity sustained “intense continuous crown fire runs with spotting up to ¼ to ½ mile ahead” (Big Elk Fire Documentation, 2002). That crown fire run led to a 900 acre increase in fire size. Fire behavior from Day 3 brought extended crown runs in both divisions of the fire yielding an 1,800 acre increase in size. Fuel conditions within Big Elk Fire were comparable to fuel conditions currently found in St Vrain.
Existing Fire Size of Concern The Fire Size of Concern is the amount of land that a potential fire is likely to cover in a given geographic area. It is based solely on local large fire sizes, existing fuels, and topography and weather trends. Based on all major Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest fires larger than 700 acres and occurring within Boulder and Larimer Counties, it was determined that the average fire size of concern for the Boulder Ranger District, including the St.Vrain Project Area, is 3,297 acres. That is approximately equal to the size of Overland Fire on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest lands that occurred immediately to the southeast of the St. Vrain Project Area on the Boulder Ranger District. Fires greater than this in size, however, are very possible in SV, as seen with other fires such as the Hayman, Schoonover, Snaking, and Buffalo Creek on the Pike San Isabel National Forest.
Existing Fire Regime Condition Class Fire Regime Condition Classes (FRCC) is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the amount of departure from reference condition vegetation, fuels and disturbance regimes. In other words, it uses fire history and forest developmental stages to look at existing conditions compared with the historic range of variability (Hann et.al, 2003). The amount of departure is based on a comparison and measure of fire regime attributes (vegetation characteristics, fuel composition, fire frequency, severity and pattern) to the central tendency of the natural historical
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fire regime. Low departure is within the natural historical range of variability while moderate and high departures are outside of it.
Fire Regime and Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) were determined in 2004 at the Geographic Area scale for the North Saint Vrain Geographic Area using the Landscape Scorecard of version 1.0.4 of the FRCC software (Hann et al.., 2003) in July of 2004. (See Wildfire and Fuels Specialist Report for more discussion.)
Four main vegetative strata were analyzed: Ponderosa Pine with encroachment, Ponderosa Pine/Douglas-fir, and Mixed Conifer, and Aspen with Encroachment. Inputs into the Project Scale Fire Regime and Condition Class (FRCC 1.0.4) Model data determined the following Fire Regimes and Fire Regime Condition Classes for the North Saint Vrain Geographic Areas as found in Table 3-10:
Table 3-10: North St. Vrain Geographic Area Fire Regime Condition Class Summary Fire Regime Condition Acres Percent of Fire FRCC % Fire Class Strata Geographic Regime Departures Regime Area Veg/Fire Condition Class Ponderosa Pine with 20,800 72% I 42/76 3 Encroachment Douglas-fir/Ponderosa Pine 3312 12% III 53/74 3 Low Elevation Mixed Conifer 4561 14% IV 68/23 3 Aspen with Conifer 529 2% III 76/86 3 Encroachment Total NSVGA 32,828 100% III 48/69 3 USDA Forest Service CVU Data and FRCC Outputs, Hann et al.., 2003.
According to the FRCC model, the North St.Vrain Geographic Area, which includes most of the St. Vrain Project Area, is currently in Fire Regime Condition Class 3. This indicates a high departure from historic conditions heavily influenced by uncharacteristic vegetation and fuel conditions, along with atypical fire frequency and severities. These conditions are significant enough that key ecosystem components may be lost because of the lack of disturbance or activation of irregular disturbances, including intense and severe wildfires.
Values at Risk There are several values at risk from crown fire within and surrounding the St Vrain Project Area. The safety of recreational visitors and the local communities and infrastructures of Allenspark, Peaceful Valley, Raymond, Riverside, Ferncliff, Pine Valley, Tahosa Valley, Pinewood Springs, Arrowwood, Overland, Meeker Park, Big Elk Park & Meadows, and surrounding Button Rock Preserve. Public facilities, administrative units and other infrastructure at risk include: Button Rock Reservoir, the drinking water from all the watersheds, North Saint Vrain Creek, North St. Vrain Research Natural Area, Button Rock Preserve, Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway, US Highway 36, Olive Ridge Campground, Meeker Park Picnic Ground, trailheads, trails, roads, rocks, other creeks of scenic and recreational value. There are several archeological sites of importance and permitted Recreational Residences along with several businesses such as
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Meadow Mountain Ranch Girl Scout Camp and permitted Outfitter Guide Services. Natural resource values at risk include old growth Ponderosa pine stands, limber pine, aspen, long term soil productivity, and riparian soils that are in low quantities. Several wildlife and botany species and their habitats, such as Mexican Spotted Owls, Flammulated Owls, Mountain Bluebirds, Northern Goshawks, Pygmny Nuthatches, Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, rare and Forest Service Sensitive plant species would be at risk to crown fire.
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action
Fuel Conditions Fuel quantities are expected to increase over time within the project units under the No Action Alternative. Ground and surface fuel loads are likely to increase due to continuous needle casting, insect and disease mortality and other forest dynamics that cause needles, branches and trees to die and fall. The arrangement of surface fuels would be expected to become more jackstrawed and fuel beds would become more continuous. Canopy base heights are expected to lower due to the increased canopy closure that would occur, promoting full crown, shade tolerant species like Douglas-fir and Englemann spruce. Canopy bulk densities are likely to increase until stands fall apart and start self thinning. Contributing live understory fuels would continue to increase in biomass and horizontal spread in most cases, except where shading from increased canopy cover would prevent sunlight from reaching the forest floor and live fuels would start to decay.
Fire Behavior Under the No Action Alternative, surface fire behaviors within the units are expected to become more intense and more severe due to the expected increase of surface and contributing live understory fuels. The torching index (wind speed necessary to cause torching) is expected to decrease. This would be due to the expected decrease in canopy base heights in conjunction with increased surface fire activity. A decrease in the torching index would mean that slower wind speeds would make crown fire more likely to start. The crowning index is also expected to decrease as canopy bulk densities increase under this alternative. The spread of crown fires would be more possible at slower wind speeds. Once crown fires initiate and spread, their rates of spread would likely increase greatly, generating flame lengths similar to those in other recent crown fires (100-200 feet). Accelerated rates of spread and increased flame lengths would very likely produce multiple spot fires in adjacent canyons or stands. Crown fire runs could be miles long given the steep and gullied terrain of the interior of the Project Area and its current fuel conditions. The severity and intensity of expected fires would be comparable to other recent Colorado crown fire events, such as Big Elk Fire, located in untreated stands. Crown fire consequently would have nothing in its path to slow fire spread, divert fire spread, minimize its effects or cause it to drop to and stay on the surface of the forest floor. The effects would be severe due the high intensity and unlimited range of spatial spread.
Fire Regime Condition Class Under the No Action Alternative, the Fire Regime Condition Classes within the units would be expected to continue to depart from the Historic Range of Variability in the absence of
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management action and disturbance. Vegetation structural stages and fire regimes are so lopsided, that it is unlikely that natural disturbances could occur frequently enough for the units to regulate themselves back to Condition Class 1 under this alternative. Since all strata analyzed within the spatial scale of St. Vrain Project Area were characterized as in Condition Class 3, these would be expected to continue to depart further in Condition Class 3.
Fire Size of Concern It is expected that without any fuel reduction treatments, the fire size of concern would continue to get larger than the current 3,297 acres. This is due to the expected continuous accumulation of surface fuels, increased canopy bulk densities and decreased canopy base heights, which combined would make crown fire initiation and spread more likely to occur. Crown fires spread rapidly and consume greater numbers of acres each year in the past 15 years alone.
Impacts on Suppression Resources Local wildfire suppression capabilities would likely be compromised under the No Action Alternative if a crown fire at the 90th percentile were to occur. This is likely due to the expected increase in the Fire Size of Concern and to the fact that passive and active crown fires are more difficult to contain and control in untreated stands than surface fires. Additional suppression resources would be required, taxing not only local and regional suppression resources, but possibly also national resources. It is highly likely that when SV has a crown fire event under the No Action Alternative, other land management agencies would be experiencing similar events and suppression demands simultaneously due to the extreme weather.
Economic Suppression Costs The economic costs of crown fire within the units are expected to continue to rise without treatment. In crown fire situations, the only suppression resources that are effective at direct attack under these types of conditions are aerial resources, such as helicopter, air tankers and SEATs (single engine air tankers). Aerial resources are extremely expensive, are often assigned on regionwide basis, are in high demand and difficult to receive and retain.
Fire Fighter and Public Safety Fire fighter safety would continue to be at risk equal to or greater than current levels. The complex and steep topography and chunky land ownership patterns within the Project Area boundary combined with present fuel loads and expected fuel loads are likely to exceed local fire fighting efforts under 90th percentile weather conditions under the No Action Alternative. Likewise, public safety would continue to be at risk at or exceeding present levels. Many roads in the project are improperly marked, are difficult to find since they appear to be private, traverse steep slopes and go through dense stands of trees and ladder fuels that could make escape by vehicle very difficult and possibly life threatening. Dense amounts of smoke and fire activity immediately adjacent to the road would be possible with the No Action Alternative.
Prescribed Burning & Wildland Fire Use Prescribed fire and wildland fire use are important fuel reduction tools. Not only are these tools relatively less expensive than mechanical and manual treatments, but they improve wildlife habitat, maintain scenic integrity and promote more natural responses in vegetation. Without
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-29 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences treatment, it would be expected that future prescribed fire and wildland fire use would not be plausible fuel reduction tools for the project units or the interior of the North St.Vrain Geographic Area due to the high fuel loads near plausible containment boundaries. This would make it unlikely that Forest Plan direction would not be met in the near future for areas that call for Prescription Controlled and Perimeter Controlled Fire Management Strategies. The risk of escaped fire without treatment in the St. Vrain units would be very high. Many of the units lie on the perimeter of the North St. Vrain Geographic Area and currently are too densely vegetated to burn. Likewise, the interior has very dense pockets that without strong buffers along the perimeter would be expected to become difficult to control. This is especially the case given the fragmented land ownership patterns and natural boundaries along topographic features in the Project Area.
Landscape Pattern If the No Action Alternative is chosen, then the existing landscape pattern would be expected to remain the same, with the exception that a large scale disturbance event becomes more plausible. This large disturbance event could be from insect or disease mortality or a large crown fire event. A large fire event would cause greater loss of habitat in the short term for some resources, and long term loss for others, depending on the type, severity and intensity of the disturbance event. For instance, a number of moderately sized fire events (a few hundred acres) would likely add to the landscape mosaic, thereby increasing the resistance of the landscape to a large crown fire event. Even cumulatively, the fire scars left from the Big Elk Fire, the Ouzel Fire and the Overland Fire, and the existing landscape pattern would not be expected to reduce the potential for a large disturbance event to occur within the Project Area due to the quantity, size and quality of fragmented pieces if the No Action Alternative is chosen.
Changes to Surface Fuels Due to Exposure Changes to surface fuel moisture regimes from exposure to wind and sun would not be expected to change abruptly or substantially with adoption of the No Action Alternative. The stand structures would change without treatment only due to growth, succession and disturbance within each stand. If insect, disease, windthrow, fire or other natural disturbance occurs, wind patterns and the amount of sunlight hitting surface fuels would increase and cause surface fuels to dry quicker. On the contrary, growth and succession of stands would cause a decrease in the exposure levels to wind and sunlight.
Windthrow Adoption of the No Action Alternative could slightly alter wind patterns in stands and make them more vulnerable to windthrow (see Silviculture Report for details). Windthrow would increase surface fuel loads in stands where some natural disturbance would occur: insect mortality, disease or fire. With the No Action Alternative, lodgepole pine dominated stands would be the most vulnerable to natural windthrow. Large increases in the amounts of blow down would increase surface fuel loads and would create conditions that would make crown fire more likely to start and spread.
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Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative B, the Proposed Action
Fuel Conditions Because various treatments are proposed across the polygons in the Proposed Action, different components of the fuel strata are targeted for treatments. Across all mechanical and manual treatments, surface fuel loads would either remain near current levels or would slightly increase under the Proposed Action. In mechanically implemented treatments, canopy base heights would increase and canopy bulk densities would greatly decrease. In manually implemented treatments, canopy base heights would be increased; however canopy bulk densities are expected not to be substantially decreased. Changes would be expected to occur over a five to eight year time span, though variation in this schedule may occur due to available funding, availability of contractors and biomass market fluctuations. Subsequent maintenance treatments would be needed.
Fire Behavior Just as there is expected to be variability in changes to fuel loads relative to treatment types, fire behavior is expected to illustrate a range of variability as well. The Torching Index is expected to increase in treated stands. This means crown fires would be less likely to start. With the exception of manually thinned stands, treatments in the Proposed Action are expected to have an increased Crowning Index. With increases in the Torching and Crowning Indices, wind speeds of at least 27 miles per hour would be needed to initiate and spread crown fire in most units. Isolated torching in mosaic patches may occur, but in treated stands torching should be less likely after treatment. The number and frequency of spot fires should decrease in treated stands and therefore across the landscape. Flame lengths would be lower. The severity and intensity of fires in tr Treatments would affect fire behavior not only in treated units but in a U-shaped wake downwind from treated units. Though these stands would be expected to burn and may result in tree mortality, they would not be expected to be involved in crown fire behavior. Therefore, the potential for crown fire initiation and spread should be drastically reduced within treated stands and immediately surrounding treated stands.
Fire Regime Condition Class The Fire Regime Condition Class for the St. Vrain Project Area and the North St.Vrain Geographic Area and for the four dominant strata analyzed are expected to move closer toward Historic Range of Variability (Fire Regime Condition Class 1), but are not expected to reach it in the Proposed Action. Expanding aspen, decreasing canopy closure and restoring montane grasslands would moderately affect vegetation structural stages on approximately 37 percent of the acres treated. Even under the Proposed Action, due to the lopsided habitat structural stages (see Silviculture Report for details), it is expected that it will take several generations of trees and subsequent treatments to move the landscape and species mixes back to Fire Regime Condition Class 1. Furthermore, unless fire is allowed to return to the landscape on a larger scale, either by repeated application of prescribed fire or wildland fire use, it is unlikely that the St. Vrain Project Area or the North St. Vrain Geographic Area would ever reach its historic range of variability, thereby making Fire Regime Condition Class 1 difficult if not impossible to obtain.
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Fire Size of Concern The Fire Size of Concern under the Proposed Action would be expected to decrease slightly, depending on location of ignition in treatment units. Under the Proposed Action, the western portion of the Project Area would be the most effective at reducing the Fire Size of Concern. The northern, eastern and southern portion of the St. Vrain Project Area would remain at risk of a large fire event. The proximity of treatment units to natural fuel breaks in the forms of rocks, aspen, meadows and past fires would work collectively to reduce fire size.
Impacts on Suppression Resources Wildfire suppression under the Proposed Action Alternative would be more effective, easier to implement and less expensive than under the No Action Alternative. Local resources would likely be able to perform safely with existing resources and be effective at catching fires during the initial attack phase of suppression. If transfer to extended attack were needed, treatment would provide more time, making the transition itself safer.
Economic Suppression Costs Effective initial attack on fires as the result of the Proposed Action Alternative would save money and would create fewer demands on local, regional and national suppression resources. Altered fuel conditions and fewer crown fires in treatment units would reduce the need for aerial resources and lower the cost of local fires.
Fire Fighter and Public Safety The impacts the Proposed Action Alternatives has on suppression capabilities would affect fire fighter and public safety. Though torching and crowning on untreated lands, including private land is possible under the Proposed Action, it provides a lesser threat to fire fighter and public safety due to the amount of land treated, the types of treatments proposed and their relative strategic location near residential communities. Travel would be safer for the public and fire fighters since many of the proposed treatments surround likely evacuation routes in the Geographic Area. Because the safety of suppression personnel would be the least compromised under the Proposed Action, it would create the best opportunity for suppression personnel to provide protection of values and resources in a fire environment under 90th percentile weather conditions.
Prescribed Burning & Wildland Fire Use With treatment, prescribed burning and wildland fire use would be a more plausible fuel reduction tool both within treated units and in the interior of the North St.Vrain Geographic Area in the future. Treatment would increase the ability for the Boulder Ranger District to meet the Forest Plan Fire Management Strategies for Prescription and Perimeter Controlled fires. Proposed action treatments would enhance possible containment lines in the northern portion of the Project Area. Much more work would be needed along private property boundaries in some areas. Fuel conditions within units would be ready for such an application with a lower risk of escape if the Proposed Action is chosen.
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Landscape Pattern Landscape patterns would be expected to change as a result of implementation of the Proposed Action. Patches of aspen and grasslands would increase in size and be free of conifers. Conifer canopies closures would decrease. Large scale disturbance events with high intensities and severities would become less likely. Treatment units would be located in areas where contiguous conifer stands extend, thereby breaking up the continuity and creating gaps in the canopy. Existing fire scars, natural fuel breaks and treatment units would provide more variability in the landscape pattern than currently exists, thereby reducing the overall ability for crown fire to initiate in spread.
Changes to Surface Fuel Moisture Regimes Due to Exposure Altering the structure of the forest by reducing canopy bulk densities and raising canopy base heights could influence shading and wind patterns through stands. A possible result could be increased wind speeds that could cause surface fuels to dry quickly. Increased exposure of fuels to sunlight could also accelerate drying of surface fuels. Although surface fuels could dry quicker under Alternatives B when compared to the No Action Alternative, it is unlikely that these predicted effects on moisture levels of surface fuels would be increased enough to increase the likelihood of crown fire initiation and spread within the units.
Windthrow It is possible for the Proposed Action to alter wind patterns in stands and make stands more vulnerable to windthrow (see Silviculture Report for details). Windthrow would increase surface fuel loads in affected stands. Some amount of windthrow as a result of treatments would be expected in lodgepole pine dominated stands. Patches of windthrow resulting from treatments would be acceptable since they create spatial heterogeneity across the landscape. Extensive amounts of windthrow would not be acceptable however. Expected levels of windthrow would be unlikely to be large enough to jeopardize treatment objectives. Excessive quantities of blow down as a result of mechanical treatments occurring within five years of implementation may be evaluated by the Fuels Specialist if they jeopardize project objectives. In such an event, mitigation measures may be employed to address any fuels concerns.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action This section addresses past, present and foreseeable future actions taken by multiple agencies or individuals and the impacts of them that are associated with the Proposed Action.
Action: Continued Suppression of Fires Effect: Long Term Maintenance Needed The suppression of all wildfires would be expected to continue within the Project Area with or without treatment. This action is expected to have mixed effects. A negative impact of this action would be that fire would not be allowed to maintain changes made from the Proposed Action to fuel conditions. Consequently, these units would have to be maintained with mechanical or manual treatments in the future. Mixed impacts from this effect would mean that public and fire fighter safety would continue to be at risk to a lesser degree than with the No Action Alternative, and would remain the highest priority during fires.
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Action: Increase Dispersed Recreation Effect: Increased Human Caused Ignitions Thinning in dense stands that currently deter dispersed recreational uses would likely increase use and invite visitors to use the interior of units. Increased use that would have a negative impact on wildfire and fuels conditions includes target shooting, dispersed campfires, smoking, and off road driving. All four of these activities would increase the possibility for human caused ignitions. Target shooting live trees is a common practice in the Bunce School and Johnny Park Road areas would increase surface fuel loads as the trees fall when riddled with multiple bullet holes. It would be unlikely that human caused ignitions within treated units would start a crown fire, however, if access to untreated areas increases from thinning, crown fire outside of treated areas would be possible.
In contrast, if thinning results in increased access and dispersed recreational use, then thinning would simultaneously enhance the ability for fire personnel to access human caused wildfire starts as well. Treated stands would be less likely to have crown fires start as the result of dispersed recreational uses than untreated stands. Additionally, implementation of the Proposed Action would improve the fuel conditions and facilitate fire suppression in treated stands.
Action: Fuel Reduction Projects Effect: Connectivity and Increased Effectiveness Past and current events and projects within or adjacent to the St Vrain Project Area that are likely to collectively connect treatments and increase their effectiveness include: the Overland Fire, the Big Elk Fire, the Ouzel Fire, and Cook Fire. The James Creek Fuel Reduction Project is expected to reduce 6,300 acres of fuels and borders the St. Vrain Project Area to the south. The Estes Valley Fuel Reduction Project that is located immediately to the north and shares the Johnny Park Road border is planned to treat approximately 7,000 acres. The Colorado State Forest Service completed fuel mitigation projects near Button Rock Reservoir for local residents and the City of Longmont on the eastern portion of the Project Area. A defensible space treatment surrounding the three recreational residence groups on the Boulder Ranger District is planned in the foreseeable future.
Collectively, these events and projects combined with the Proposed Action Alternative would be expected to influence fire behavior patterns at a larger scale. As mentioned in Section 4.3, the Proposed Action Alternative would have localized effects on fire behavior and little to no effect on crown fire behavior in the interior of the Project Area boundary. However, the effectiveness of fuels reduction in the Project Area would be magnified when combined with the effects of projects strategically located across the landscape. Strategic connectivity on a landscape scale to past, present and foreseeable future projects and natural events mentioned earlier would be best met under the Proposed Action Alternative.
VEGETATION Affected Environment Ponderosa pine forest and woodland dominate the St. Vrain Project Area. On the eastern slope of the Colorado Front Range, the structure of ecosystems with heavy ponderosa pines varies with
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elevation, ranging from open forests at the ecotone with plains grasslands to dense mixed stands consisting of Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine.
With increased elevation, heightened occurrence of aspen and limber pine exists. Generally, lodgepole pine stands are found along the western edge of the Project Area. Throughout the elevational range of ponderosa pine, north-facing moister slopes tend to be more densely forested and characterized by greater relative abundances of Douglas-fir (Marr, 1961).
Although approximately 75% of the vegetation in the St. Vrain Project Area is in a sapling/pole structural stage, other seral stages occur in the area. Grassy meadows and shrublands are present in the Project Area but are less common in proposed treatment units. Several areas of old growth ponderosa forests and woodlands occur in proposed treatment units
According to Veblen and Brown (2001), stand structure and fire regimes were historically highly variable and dense ponderosa pine stands were often intermixed with meadows and relatively open woodlands. However, with fire exclusion, conifers have spread into adjacent openings and reduced acres of grasslands and meadows across the landscape. The forest structure across the landscape is now more homogeneous (dominated by one structural stage) compared to the historic structurally diverse forest. Dense continuous stands are also more subject to the spread of disease, insect attacks, and the stress of competition for light and water.
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) The ponderosa pine vegetation type dominates the St. Vrain Project Area (see Table 3-11). It is the dominant tree species and often occurs with Douglas-fir, especially on north-facing slopes. Ponderosa pine is tolerant of heat, drought and fire.
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Table 3-11: Vegetation Cover Types in the St. Vrain Project Area Percent of Percent in St. Vrain Cover Type Acres Forest Project Area Area Barren 223 <1% -- Rock 1,417 4% -- Forb 149 <1% <1% Grass 1,705 5% <1% Shrub 631 2% 1% Spruce/fir 106 <1% 25% Douglas-fir 3,398 9% 6% Aspen 758 2% 4% Lodgepole pine 2,464 7% 50% Ponderosa pine 22,594 67% 14% Limber Pine 111 <1% <1% Cottonwood 19 <1% <1% Willow 383 1% <1% Pinyon/Juniper 13 <1% <1% Unclassified 255 1% -- Total 36,542 100% 100%
On south-facing slopes, ponderosa pine grows in relatively open stands. Ponderosa pine requires full sunlight to grow well, and when stands are dense and trees shade one another, the shaded trees grow slowly, often develop poor form and may ultimately die. In pure stands of ponderosa pine, the level of understory reproduction depends on the overstory density.
Historically, ponderosa pine forests were a mosaic of forested areas and clearings (Peet, 1988), unlike the homogeneous forest common today. Disturbances (e.g. fires) with variable effects created a complex mosaic of stands of different ages across the landscape. Without these disturbances, ponderosa pine has become more mixed with Douglas-fir on sites where it was found in pure stands. Current ponderosa pine forests have large fuel loads, are prone to insect outbreaks and are more susceptible to large catastrophic fires (Covington, 1994.)
Douglas-fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii) Douglas-fir trees are now more numerous in the Front Range than they were historically (Kaufmann et al., 2000). While Douglas-fir has always shared the montane zone with ponderosa pine, many younger Douglas-fir trees survive now than when fire was more frequent. Young Douglas-fir trees have thin bark and a long proportion of live crown to the height of the tree (live crown ratio) that make them susceptible to fire. Old Douglas-fir trees are resistant to fire. They self prune as ponderosa pines do and have very thick bark. The species composition of montane forests is now shifting toward dominance by Douglas-fir (Huckaby et al., 2003).
Douglas-fir does not suffer as much from shading as ponderosa pine. Young Douglas-fir trees actually benefit from shaded conditions where the soil surface is not as hot as in open stands.
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However, through the lack of disturbance especially on south aspects, Douglas-fir has begun to establish itself on some slopes.
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) Lodgepole pine is generally regarded as an even-aged, single storied forest, varying in age from place to place but uniform in age within any given stand. In lodgepole stands, crowns of trees are continuous with very little seral stage variation. Lodgepole pine forests within the St. Vrain Project Area contain an abundance of middle-aged stand conditions (saplings/poles) that resulted from decreased stand-replacing events such as fires. Some of these stand conditions are found along western portion of Johnny Park Road and the Meeker Park area.
Lodgepole pine stands are generally pure over much of the occupied area, but some stands are mixed with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir at lower elevations. Lodgepole pine stands are now more connected to the denser ponderosa pine and mixed conifer stands creating a higher percentage of extremely flammable acres across the landscape.
Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) Limber pine ecosystems are unique and unusual. Ecologically, limber pines play critical roles in maintaining the resilience and integrity of Rocky Mountain ecosystems. Limber pine has large wingless (or near wingless) seeds and has mutualistic relationships with certain bird species, including Clark’s nutcracker. These birds feed on seeds and serve to disperse them (Lanner and Vanderwall, 1980). Rocky ridges are the most obvious habitat occupied by limber pine, but these trees are also scattered throughout the high-elevation forested areas. Limber pine acts as a nurse tree, mitigating the harsh open environment after disturbances and facilitating the establishment of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir in the subalpine and of Douglas-fir at the lower treeline (Schoettle, 2004).
Limber pine is generally found intermixed with other conifers and aspen in the St. Vrain Project Area. The loss of it in more mesic areas would alter successional trajectories and future forest composition (Schoettle, 2004).
Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America. It is a disturbance-dependent species that adapted well to the frequent fire regimes that existed in western landscapes prior to European settlement. Aspen is very intolerant to shade, requiring full sunlight to thrive. Because of this, it is very sensitive to competition from shade tolerant species like spruce. Although aspen produces abundant crops of viable seed, it reproduces primarily by root suckering throughout most of its western range. In a properly functioning condition, aspen will often have multi-aged stems in the stand, adequate regeneration to perpetuate the stand, age classes less than 100 years old in most cases, and good undergrowth beneath the canopy (Campbell and Bartos, 2001).
The productivity and development of aspen in the Front Range depends upon available moisture, which in turn is related to weather patterns, elevation, physiographic position, and soil characteristics. Younger stands of aspen are rare and found only where there has been a recent disturbance or disease outbreak to kill the overstory and trigger reproduction. Aspen is self-
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-37 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences thinning and susceptible to disease infections that enter through wounds in the bark. Suckering is usually proportional to the amount of overstory disturbance and will be heaviest within three years after disturbance.
Most aspen clones that occur in the Project Area are in the sapling pole stage of development (see Table XX below) and intermixed with conifer species. One of the larger aspen clones (9 acres) occurs in Treatment unit 6.
Disturbance The pattern and distribution of cover types are affected by natural and man-made disturbance. Disturbance affects landscape diversity by creating different successional and habitat structural stages within a landscape (see Table 3-12). Disturbance mechanisms known to occur in the St. Vrain Project Area include insects and disease infestations, fire, and wind events. Several diseases and insects attack Front Range forests including dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum subs. Cryptopodium), mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), western spruce budworm (Chorisoneura occidentalis) and the pine engraver beetle (Ips pini.)
Table 3-12. Vegetation Habitat Structural Stages in the St. Vrain Project Area Percentage in St. Percentage of Structural Stage Acres Vrain Project Area Forest Area Grass/forb (1M) 1,853 5% 1% Shrub (2S) 1,014 3% <1% Seedlings (2T) 77 <1% <1% Sapling/pole <40% crown closure (3A) 7,475 20% 11% Sapling/pole 40-70% crown closure 3B) 17,617 48% 17% Sapling/pole >70% crown closure (3C) 2,468 7% 11% Mature <40% crown closure (4A) 1,829 5% 15% Mature 40-70% crown closure (4B) 2,175 6% 29% Mature >70% crown closure (4C) 138 <1% 15% Unclassified 1,895 5% -- Total 36,542 100%
Human alteration of fire regimes has had profound effects on the structure, composition and function of forest ecosystems, especially in the ponderosa pine forests. Changes in ponderosa pine forests are seen when the photographic time series by Veblen and Lorenz (1991) are examined. They used repeat photography to assess changes in vegetation over the last 50 to 100 years, proving that tree densities have increased substantially.
Past logging practices and fire suppression have shifted some ponderosa pine cover type stands into a mixed conifer cover type. Fire suppression has allowed many aspen stands to be encroached upon and replaced by conifers. Due to techniques used to classify and map cover types, less dominant species are often under-represented. For example, even though aspen within the St. Vrain Project Area is about 2%, additional aspen are dispersed throughout other stands.
Disturbance is inherent in ponderosa pine forests. Low and mixed-severity fires helped maintain open conditions and species composition over time. In the case of ponderosa pine forests,
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exclusion of disturbance such as fire is itself a disturbance, one that shifts species composition away from ponderosa pine.
Dwarf mistletoe affects both ponderosa and lodgepole pine in the St. Vrain Project Area. Generally the infected areas are at low to moderate levels, though locations of higher severity infections exist in both species (specifically ponderosa pine in the Johnny Park and Button Rock units). Damage to trees includes a reduced growth rate, diminished wood quality, poor tree form, reduction in seed production, predisposition to insect and disease infestations and increased mortality due to drought. Dwarf mistletoe disperses most effectively from overstory trees to smaller understory trees of the same species.
Mountain pine beetle and the pine engraver beetle are evident in pockets throughout the Project Area, but not in epidemic proportions at this time. This pest is the most prolific in Colorado, often killing large numbers of trees during annual outbreaks (Leatherman and Cranshaw, 1998). Insect mortality is increasing, especially in older and larger ponderosa pine. Most Ips populations are associated with logging slash and blowdown material.
The western spruce budworm is the most widely distributed defoliating insect in western North America. Several outbreaks have occurred in Colorado, affecting primarily Douglas-fir trees. The Douglas-fir snags located south of Raymond and Riverside are a result of a western spruce budworm outbreak that occurred about 20 years ago.
Although wind is not a primary cause of damage to ponderosa pine in the St. Vrain Project Area, it can be damaging locally, especially in mature to overmature stands during windstorms accompanied by heavy precipitation. High wind risk areas generally are located on ridgetops, upper windward slopes and saddles in ridges with shallow soils. Stands with many trees having defective tree boles and root systems are also susceptible to windthrow, as are and dense stands growing on sites with a high water table.
White pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) is currently threatening Limber pine and bristlecone pine (both five-needle pines) in the vicinity of the St. Vrain Project Area, specifically 11 miles north of Rocky Mountain National Park. This non-native pathogen is a branch and stem canker disease of five-needled pines. Damage includes mortality, topkill, branch dieback and predisposition to attack by other agents, including bark beetles. The pathogen is exotic and has not co-evolved with its hosts. As a result, five-needle pines have nearly been eliminated in some areas and their numbers seriously reduced in others. Because of the importance of five-needle pines as elements of forest diversity, interest is high in managing white pine blister rust.
The vast majority of acres comparing cover type to habitat structural stage are ponderosa pine in the sapling/pole stage with 40% to 70% canopy closure (see Table 3-13) Habitat structural diversity has been altered in the absence of disturbance throughout the cover types within the St. Vrain Project Area.
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Table 3-13. Structural Stage Acres1 by Vegetation Cover Type in the St. Vrain Project Area2 Cover Type/HSS 1M 2S 2T 3A 3B 3C 4A 4B 4C Total Grass, forb 1,853 ------1,853 Shrub -- 631 ------631 Spruce/fir ------20 -- -- 42 43 105 Douglas-fir ------71 1,543 1,168 85 474 58 3,399 Aspen -- -- 77 117 401 4 84 75 -- 758 Lodgepole pine ------123 1,190 895 -- 224 32 1,313 Ponderosa pine ------7,040 14,447 402 1,657 1,359 6 24,911 Pinyon/juniper ------13 ------13 Cottonwood ------16 -- 3 -- -- 19 Limber pine ------111 ------111 Willow -- 383 ------383 Total 1,853 1,014 77 7,475 17,617 2,469 1,829 2,174 139 1Due to the mixed ownership patterns and the classification techniques, some variability exists between total acres when comparing tables. 2Not restricted to National Forest Land 3Structural stages are as follows: 1M=Grass, forb, 2S=Shrubs, 2T=Seedlings, 3A=Sapling/pole <40% crown closure (cc), 3B=Sapling/pole 40-70% cc, 3C=Sapling/pole >70% cc, 4A=Mature <40% cc, 4B=Mature 40-70% cc, 4C=Mature >70% cc
Desired Future Condition The desired condition for forested stands in the Project Area includes those broadly identified in the Forest Plan and North St. Vrain Landscape Assessment. The plan stresses the management of ponderosa pine to follow conditions representative of a nonlethal understory fire regime. The plan further directs the restoration of natural processes through human-induced activities. These include prescribed fire or mechanical treatments of vegetation to improve wildlife habitats, restore forest health, assist in the recruitment of old-growth ponderosa pine, reduce fuel loading and maintain or restore natural ecological conditions.
To achieve the desired condition in the Project Area, silvicultural prescriptions are designed for specific stands and treatment sites. On low- to mid-elevation areas and on hotter, drier, south slopes, sites would be dominated with ponderosa pine. The desired stand condition would be a mosaic of trees (between 30 and 120 per acre) with both horizontal and vertical structure. Trees within these stands would be unevenly spaced across the area, sometimes in small groups with enough space between individual trees or groups of trees so that tree crowns are not interlocked. Open grass areas and meadows would be larger than they currently are with zero to little conifer encroachment.
Stands on cool, moist, north-facing slopes would be predominately ponderosa pine and Douglas- fir with a mixture of other tree species including aspen and lodgepole pine. These stands would be denser than stands on south slopes due to aspect and increased moisture levels. Healthy limber pine stands and individual trees would be sustained along ridgetops and interspersed within suitable stands.
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In lodgepole stands found in the western and northwestern part of the Project Area, the desired condition would be varying seral stages distributed so that discontinuous crown closure conditions would be dispersed across the landscape.
Aspen clones would be a healthy and sustainable component of all the aforementioned cover types. Stands would range from 10 to 100-plus acres in size distributed across the landscape on suitable soil types.
Conifer mortality from insects and diseases would be at low levels with enough natural mortality occurring to maintain suitable snag and down-log habitat for wildlife and to maintain healthy populations of soil organisms.
OLD GROWTH Affected Environment Historically, old trees were a major component of montane forests in the Colorado Front Range and an integral part of the spatial and temporal heterogeneity that is inherent in the ecosystem. Today, old trees are relatively scarce and those that have survived are stressed by competition from dense in growth of younger trees and are in danger from insect outbreaks and stand- replacing fires (Huckaby et al., 2003).
Ponderosa pine is a long-lived species. The oldest known ponderosa pines in the Front Range are a little over 600 years old. However, ponderosa pines that old are uncommon in the Front Range. Trees between 300 and 500 years old are frequent, and trees more than 200 years old are common throughout the Front Range above about 6500 feet elevation (Huckaby et al., 2003). Stands of old growth ponderosa pine are relatively rare because of past logging and wildfire; however, individual trees older than 200 years are not uncommon and trees that were too small to cut during the Euro-American settlement period are now around 200 years old
Old growth forests within the St. Vrain Project Area are distinguished by groups of old trees and the related structural features such as snags, down logs and gaps in the canopy layers, including understory patches. Large, declining live trees are considered a necessary part of old growth stands. Multiple canopy layers are generally not present in lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine old growth stands in the Project Area.
The Forest Plan divides old growth into three distinct categories (see Table 3-14): existing old growth (inventoried), old growth retention and old growth development. Inventoried old growth areas are those that have been inventoried and meet the definition used in the Forest Plan. Management is generally allowed to retain the character of these inventoried stands; however, treatments are not allowed in inventoried lodgepole pine or spruce-fir old growth stands in areas with a Forest Plan management designation of Forested Flora and Fauna Habitats (3.5) (USDA Forest Service 1997). Old growth retention areas are identified within the timber suitability analysis and have specific limitations for treatment. Developing old growth areas are estimated to become old growth stands within the next century in the absence of a stand-replacing event.
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Management is allowed in developing old growth areas as long as the treatment objective supports old growth development.
On the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee Grassland, inventoried old growth was identified, as a minimum rule, as large live trees, some of which were old and declining; either snags or fallen trees; and greater than 20 percent overhead canopy closure (Lowry, 1992).
Table 3-14: Old Growth Classification in the St. Vrain Project Area Old Growth Classification Acres in Project Area
Existing Old Growth (Inventory) 1,133 Old Growth Retention 1,349 Old Growth Development 8,100
In ponderosa pine stands, many of the designated old growth development stands within the Project Area are lacking a ponderosa pine regeneration component (seedlings) that allows the stand to perpetuate over time. The stands are even-aged and lack the open spaces needed for seedlings to establish. Aggressive fire suppression practices for the past 100 years have removed the natural disturbance mechanism that has sustained a healthy, dynamic cycle of stand development.
Because of fire exclusion and dwarf mistletoe, Douglas-fir has established in the understory and further increased competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight. Over time, without any fire or management, ponderosa pine stands may convert to Douglas-fir. These stand conversions often result in a less fire resistant stand that is prone to crown fire.
Instead of a healthy, sustainable condition of multi-aged trees, many stands have an overstory of mixed conifer species with a dense understory of shade tolerant seedlings and saplings that provide ladder fuels to the crowns of larger trees. If or when a fire passes through one of these stands and rises into the crowns, it may set the stand back 150 to over 300 years to an early stand-age condition.
Where persistent old growth stands exist, there are very old trees with no evidence of a stand- initiating event. They are characterized by a continuum of tree ages, including trees more than 400 years of age, old trees dying from micro-scale disturbances such as dwarf mistletoe, windthrow, or lightning strike, and coarse woody debris on the ground. Fire scars are sometimes present, indicating that surface fires have burned in the stands without killing all of the trees.
Desired Future Condition The desired condition for old growth stands that is identified in the Forest Plan emphasizes old growth recruitment and retention. Old growth stands would have the presence of a population of old trees and their associated structures (i.e. dead trees, tree canopy gaps, large downed woody material). On a landscape scale, it is desirable to re-create the historical mosaic of forest age and size structure, including sizeable openings.
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Old growth development designated stands would continue to mature and develop the characteristics of old growth within the next century. The percentage of old growth and their associated structures would increase across the landscape. Regardless of how restoration is accomplished, old trees would benefit from a reduction of forest density in the montane zone of the Front Range (Huckaby et al, 2003).
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Under this alternative, treatments would not occur within the St. Vrain Project Area. A direct effect of not thinning would be a reduction in vigor and growth rate of conifers and the continued decline of hardwoods (i.e. aspen). The habitat structural stages would generally remain the same across the Project Area except as a result of natural processes or a crown fire event. Continuous tree canopies would increase the risk of a sustained crown fire, and competition for water, sunlight, and nutrients would cause both ponderosa and lodgepole pine to self-thin and self-prune over time adding dead material to the forest floor. Douglas-fir would compete on the site as well, and over time would begin to dominate both the overstory and understory of the stand.
Aspen sprouting would be minimal, conifer encroachment would increase, and aspen clones would continue to slowly decline until a landscape disturbance such as a wildfire or insect epidemic occurs.
Old growth ponderosa pine and associated stands would likely lose a majority of the large tree component. As the younger trees grow, competition for moisture and other resources would increase resulting in suppression mortality in the smaller stems and gradual loss of larger trees. Bark beetles would be the main contributor to the large tree mortality as stress makes larger trees more susceptible to successful insect attack.
Old growth status for lodgepole pine is short-lived, and lodgepole old growth would decline at a faster rate than ponderosa pine old growth. Typically, lodgepole grows as even-aged stands, with most trees reaching maturity at about the same time. At maturity lodgepole pine has a diameter and phloem thickness that is suitable for the mountain pine beetle to successfully attack and reproduce. Currently, mountain pine beetles are operating at an endemic level in lodgepole pine, killing individual trees and small groups of trees in mature stands each year, allowing small pockets of reproduction to become established.
Levels of insects such as mountain pine beetle would be expected to increase, causing more beetle related mortality and thinning of the stand especially if precipitation levels fall below normal. Density related mortality would increase the number of snags in the stands and the amount of dead material on the ground. The larger diameter, older trees would be attacked first, followed by the smaller trees. Initially the stands would experience high levels of mortality, but prior to self-thinning there would be an increased risk of a wildfire moving through the crowns of the stands.
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Pine engraver beetles (Ips pini) are non-aggressive and breed in damaged ponderosa pine trees and slash generally greater than 2 inches in diameter. Unless severe drought, weather damage or fire damage occurs within the area, the probability of a major buildup of these insects is very unlikely. Other insects and diseases are expected to remain at current levels barring a large natural disturbance.
Dwarf mistletoe infection centers would increase in size, and openings would be created due to tree mortality. Overstory infected trees would likely infect same-species understory trees. On south-facing slopes, where ponderosa pine historically was the dominant species, and in locations where dwarf mistletoe mortality in ponderosa and lodgepole pine is high, Douglas-fir would continue to encroach and become the dominant species.
Understory shrubs, forbs and grasses would decline as conifers continue to utilize limited site resources and where openings in the canopy exist, the canopy cover would gradually increase resulting in a reduction of grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Meadow diversity and size would decline as juniper and conifers continue to encroach on these areas.
The indirect effects of no treatment would become most apparent after the next drought period when insect and disease activity, primarily in heavily stocked areas, would increase, resulting in extensive mortality in some stands within the Project Area. Sapling and pole sized vegetation would continue to dominate the landscape with little stand structure differentiation. Tree growth would continue at progressively reduced rates in heavily stocked stands.
Regeneration of conifers would most likely continue to favor shade tolerant species (i.e. Douglas-fir) due to existing stand densities and lack of openings that allow light to the forest floor. A large, stand-replacing fire would change these assumptions because these stand conditions would no longer exist.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Past, present, and anticipated future activities in the Project Area include urban and rural development, off-highway vehicle use, grazing, camping, wildfire, fuel reduction projects, fire suppression activities, water supply and road maintenance would be expected to continue and contribute to the cumulative impacts of vegetation within the Project Area.
There are no major activities (i.e. fuel reduction projects) occurring, at present, on National Forest lands within the Project Area. A range of very little to some treatment has occurred on private land within the Project Area. Fuel reduction projects conducted by private landowners, however, generally reduce surface fuels and open tree canopies in localized areas. Effects resulting from private fuel reduction projects are expected to be minimal with very little change in the existing species mix or canopy cover.
Cumulative effects would include a reduction in the rate at which old-forest characteristics develop. There would be an increased chance that the development of old-forest conditions may suffer a setback in all or part of the St. Vrain Project Area due to a wildfire occurring in a setting that contains more live and dead fuel than currently exists.
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There are no known irreversible effects to vegetation from Alternative A. Alternative A would have an increased risk of irretrievable effect to vegetation over Alternative B because of the increased risk of a stand-replacing wildfire occurring in the area.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action The following is a summary of the direct and indirect effects of thinning conifers and slash treatments for fuel reduction:
1) Fewer diseased, damaged, and overcrowded trees resulting from thinning would lead to: - More water and soil nutrients available for remaining trees and other vegetation - Less mortality during the current and next period(s) of below-normal precipitation - Increased fire tolerance in the residual trees due to more water in the foliage - Increased resistance to crown fire due to the removal of ladder fuels - Larger, healthier trees - Reduced mortality from insect attacks and disease - Development of better height-to-diameter ratios in young, fast-growing trees, enabling them to tolerate snow loads without breaking - Increased resistance to wind events
2) An increase in sunlight penetrating stands as a result of thinning and reduced canopy cover would lead to: - Warmer and drier conditions on the forest floor - Increased chances of plant germination, particularly in the stands that contain small openings between trees and groups of trees - Increased growth rate of understory conifers, shrubs, and aspen on sites where soil moisture is not limiting growth
3) The increased growing space resulting from thinning and burning would lead to: - The development of broader and taller crowns on the trees, with more foliage leading to more food production (photosynthesis) and faster growth - The development of old-forest attributes, such as large trees, and possibly large snags and down logs, in less time - The development of fire tolerance in a shorter time due to faster-developing bark thickness - Increased longevity of existing large trees due to reduced competition and stress
4) Disturbing the forest floor as a result of thinning trees would lead to: - Exposure of mineral soil - Mixing of forest litter (needles, twigs, etc.), duff (partially decomposed litter), and mineral soil - Increased likelihood of the survival of seeds that germinate
5) Damaging the residual vegetation as a result of thinning and burning slash would lead to: - Increased chance of spreading pathogens in residual trees
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- Increased sprouting of hardwoods and shrubs - Killing of some small trees and the initiation of fire scars on larger trees
Thinning is perhaps the most critical silvicultural treatment available to restore individual tree health within a stand. However, increased health and vigor is usually not an immediate response. In the short term, thinning places an additional stress on residual trees, similar to other management activities. Therefore, thinning during non-drought periods would be advocated rather than waiting until mortality is detected (Smith, 1997).
Alternative B proposes to treat 2,657 acres utilizing a combination of mechanical equipment and manual (hand) labor to reduce the potential for crown fire initiation and spread by reducing fuel loadings within unit boundaries. Thinning and burning would reduce stand canopy bulk densities in all of the mechanical units and increase canopy base height in units that would be hand treated and/or underburned. The residual species composition would reflect a somewhat smaller percentage of lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir, as these stands appear to be the most crowded. This alternative would maintain stands of trees in a healthy condition, continuing to progress toward a late-seral stage where thick bark provides more protection from fire damage.
Forested stands would have increased resistance to insect attacks in the long term. In the short term, residual trees could be susceptible to insect attacks (specifically Ips) as a result of slash piles created from project implementation. Residual trees would have more available nutrients, sunlight, growing space and moisture, and this would allow the trees to be more resistant to ips beetle attacks if they occur. Mortality of residual trees from windthrow or snapoff would be possible in the short term, but as trees become more resistant to wind over time, there would be a lower probability. Tree regeneration within thinned stands would be more susceptible to dwarf mistletoe if dense concentrations exist in the overstory.
As a result of these proposed treatments, the habitat structural stage (HSS) within the Project Area would be expected to change. The pre and post treatment habitat structural stages of all the treatment units are summarized in Figure 3-1. Specific units and the criteria used to classify changes in HSS are summarized in Appendix A. Cover type is not expected to change with the proposed treatments. Aspen clones may become larger, but the overall size would not be immediately discernible as a result of implementing these treatments. Some montane grasslands would increase in size as a result of removing encroaching conifers, but the overall change in size would not be discernible after treatment.
On the treated acres, varying ages and size classes of ponderosa pine stands would be represented, and Douglas-fir would be mainly limited to northerly aspects. In the mechanically treated stands, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir regeneration would be expected to occur within 3 to 10 years after treatment, depending on cone crops and climatic conditions. Dense regeneration of lodgepole pine in patch cut units would begin to occur soon after treatment (generally within 3 to 5 years). Where aspen exists it would be released to become a major stand component. Residual conifers would be arranged singly and in clumps at a variety of densities to increase stand complexity.
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Figure 3-1: Changes in Habitat Structural Stages
Habitat Structural Stages
Unclassified 34 34 0 4C 0 173 4B 227 4A 282 99 Stage 144 3C 181 632 3B 1032 3A 1078 846 2T 36 0 53 2S 53 1M 226 186 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Acres Pre-Treatment Post-Treatment
Natural succession of aspen stands with the encroachment by conifers would be slowed or set back. If adequate soil moisture and sunlight are made available through implementation of the proposed treatments, sprouting may occur. Generally, aspen clones would become larger in size and more numerous as a result of treatments.
Patch cut stands would have an increased risk of windthrow as compared to stands that are not thinned. Edges of patch cut units would be feathered and scalloped to create a near natural appearance and comply with retention / partial retention visual requirements from the Forest Plan. These feathered edges of the patch cuts would be at greater risk to windthrow than straight-line edges would be.
Lodgepole pine stands would be more susceptible to windthrow than ponderosa pine stands or mixed stands. Lodgepole pine trees do not have a tap root like ponderosa pine or Douglas-fir which reaches generally straight down into the soil and provides more stability to the tree. This, in combination of shallow soils that are generally associated with lodgepole pine stands, makes lodgepole pine trees more susceptible to windthrow.
Stands identified to be manually treated would also have leave trees with live branches pruned up to 6 feet to increase the clearance between the ground and crowns of trees. Treatments would be conducted by manual labor using chainsaws and pruning saws; therefore, no ground disturbance would take place. Post treatment stand composition after thinning would favor ponderosa pine and aspen over other species.
Stands of dense, young regeneration (approximately 2 to 15 feet tall) would be thinned to a range
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of 14 to 18 foot spacing to maximize residual tree growth. Trees with the greatest live crown would be left to take advantage of growing space, available water, sunlight, and nutrients. Thinning these young stands would allow the diameters of the residual trees to grow quicker and reduce the risk of snow breakage.
Pathogen spread would be minimized within the treated stands. Thinned stands would be healthier, and residual trees would have less competition for sun, water, and nutrients; thus, mountain pine beetle infestations would be lessened. Ips populations would increase in the short term and would be centered on slash pile locations. Fewer trees infected with dwarf mistletoe would be present within the treatment areas.
No temporary roads would be constructed under this Alternative, and landings up to 1 acre in size would be created to implement the mechanically treated units within the Project Area. Approximately 1 landing for every 10 to 30 acres of treated area would be needed and created to complete the operations.
Maintenance of existing roads within mechanical unit boundaries would need to be completed to implement this project. Openings of up to 12 feet (projected road width prism) would be created in the stand crown as a result of road maintenance if the condition of the road is not already set to this standard. Although minimal damage to trees adjacent to system roads that have overgrown or are not currently at the forest standards, the maintenance (including roadbed preparation and soil compaction) may damage tree roots. Tree injuries related to road maintenance and landing sites may provide entry points for pathogens. These effects would be expected in trees immediately adjacent to system roads and adjacent to landings.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Proposed thinning would improve tree health and vigor resulting in an increased resistance to insects and disease, improved growth rates, and less density related mortality in the residual trees.
Through the suppression of wildfires, vegetation and stand structure diversity has been altered. It is expected that wildfires would continue to be suppressed in the future to protect other resource values and uses. Consequently, the vegetation and stand structure in both treated and untreated areas within the Project Area would become less diverse over time.
A small percentage of the landscape on private lands has received fuel reduction treatment. Fuel reduction projects conducted by private landowners, however, generally reduce surface fuels, open tree canopies, and create defensible space around structures in localized areas. Effects resulting from private fuel reduction projects are expected to be minimal with very little change in the existing species mix or canopy cover.
The wildland fire management strategy for the St. Vrain Project Area is expected to be direct control. Because of increased development on private lands, there has been an increase in fire suppression activities, limiting the number of stand-replacing events. Wildfires would continue to be suppressed to protect property and other resource values and uses. As a result of fire
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suppression activities and the fire size history (see fuels specialist report), vegetation structure changes would generally be unchanged except in specific areas when weather conditions are conducive for a fire that is not contained in initial attack.
Individual stands impacted by large fires currently exhibit a mosaic of vegetation development stages (stand initiation, stem exclusion, and understory re-initiation) within the fire perimeter. The resulting pattern generally offers a diversity of tree size, density, species mix, and spatial arrangement on the landscape. Large fires that occurred within close proximity to the St. Vrain Project Area include the Overland Fire (3,861 acres) in 2003, the Big Elk Fire (4,350 acres) in 2002, and the Ouzle Fire (1,098 acres) in 1978.
In the mid-to-late 1980s, approximately 200 acres (within Treatment Units 1, 5h, 6b, 6h,6i, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a, and 15a ) were thinned in fuelwood and salvage contracts. A strip was thinned approximately 50 feet wide on both sides of the Johnny Park Road (specifically near units 13e and 13b). Stand structure within these areas has been altered in relation to adjoining stands as a result of the treatment.
There are no major activities (i.e. fuel reduction projects) occurring, at present, on National Forest lands within the Project Area.
Fuel reduction work (mechanical and manual treatment and prescribed burning) would be implemented in the James Creek Geographic Area (6,204 acres) within the next one to seven years. Due to the intensity of planned treatments within this project, there would be changes to tree density and stand canopy within some units.
Rocky Mountain National Park continues to implement fuel reduction projects (manual thinning and piling) along its eastern boundary. The City of Longmont (Buttonrock Reservoir) is in the process of reducing fuels on their lands and can be expected to continue their efforts for at least the next five years. All of the completed work to date (approximately five acres) has been accomplished using manual treatment and a combination of handpiling and chipping for slash disposal. This type of treatment would be expected to reduce small tree density and have a minimal change in the tree canopy.
Fuel reduction projects conducted by the Colorado Forest Service and private landowners within the St. Vrain Project Area would be expected to continue on private lands. These efforts would generally reduce surface fuels and open canopies in localized areas.
The following projects are currently being planned adjacent to or within the St. Vrain Project Area and would be expected to be implemented over the next seven years:
o Estes Valley Fuels Reduction Project (Canyon Lakes Ranger District, ARNF) – This project plans to implement approximately 7,100 acres of fuel reduction projects utilizing mechanical and manual treatments and prescribed burning. This project would reduce tree density and in specific areas change crown closure.
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o Boulder Recreational Residence Defensible Space Project (Boulder Ranger District, ARNF) – This project plans to create defensible space around individual residences in the Meeker Park, Rock Creek, and Beaver Reservoir recreational residence tracts. Approximately 70 acres would be treated utilizing a combination of mechanical and manual treatment. This project would reduce tree density and in specific areas change crown closure.
Cumulative effects would include a reduction in the rate at which old-forest characteristics develop. There would be an increased chance that the development of old-forest conditions may suffer a setback in all or part of the St. Vrain Project Area due to a wildfire occurring in a setting that contains more live and dead fuel than currently exists.
There are no known irreversible effects to vegetation from the action alternatives. The risk of irretrievable effects to vegetation is reduced within the treatment units in Alternative B because of the reduced risk of crown fire. Areas outside of the treatment units would have an increased risk or irretrievable effect to vegetation if a stand-replacing wildfire occurred in the Project Area.
WILDLIFE Affected Environment General Habitat The St. Vrain Project Area consists mostly of ponderosa pine with smaller portions of Douglas- fir and lodgepole pine. There are also large areas of rock outcroppings, steep canyon walls and open meadows throughout the central portion of the Project Area. Habitat structural stage is considered mainly to be in the 3B category, in other words sapling/pole sized trees 5.0-9.0 inches dbh with 40-70% canopy cover. Button Rock Reservoir is in the east central portion of the Project Area and is the largest body of water available. The North, Middle, Dry, and South St. Vrain Creeks and Cow Creek are the main perennial creeks in the Project Area. (For a more in depth review of vegetation and habitat conditions, please see Vegetation Specialist Report).
There are seven management areas that make up the St. Vrain project area. Two of these management areas, 3.5 Forested Flora and Fauna and 1.41 Existing Core Habitats deal directly with wildlife.
Management Area 1.41 makes up approximately 6363 acres or 18% of the project area. Forest Plan direction for this management area emphasizes “maintaining existing habitats which are shaped primarily through natural processes.” There are no treatment units that occur within this management area.
Management Area (MA) 3.5 makes up approximately 9473 acres or 27% of the project area. Forest Plan direction for this management area emphasizes “providing adequate amounts of quality forage, cover, escape terrain, solitude, breeding habitat, and protection for a wide variety of wildlife species and associated plant communities.” Proposed treatment units 1, 6, 7, 11, 13 and 15 all fall within this management area.
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“Effective habitat” is defined as: “the degree to which habitat is free of human disturbance and available for wildlife to use. Effective habitat is mostly undisturbed land area which is buffered (at least 300 feet in essentially all situations) from regular motorized and non-motorized use of roads and trails (11 more people or vehicle trips per week).” According to the forest plan seventy five percent of the St. Vrain Project Area is considered existing effective habitat with 0.7 miles of open road per square mile, and 0.4 miles/sq. mile of open trails in the North St. Vrain Geographic Area. However, the current Roads Analysis for this project puts the actual road density for this area at 1.6 miles/sq mile. In addition, outside of management area 3.5 it is a forest plan guideline that “additional open roads and trails should not reduce effective habitat below 50% by geographic area, or further reduce effective habitat in geographic areas that are already at or below 50% on NFS lands.” All proposed treatment units except unit 8 have some portion of effective habitat. Units 7 and 15 are considered to be entirely within effective habitat and MA 3.5.
Another important component of wildlife habitat in the Forest Plan is Interior Forest. Interior forest is defined as “Areas of relatively dense (40 percent or more crown closure) and large trees (mature or old growth) that are buffered at least 300 feet from temperature, light and humidity, differences of sizable openings, and also from human disturbance of regularly used roads and trails (11 or more people or vehicle trips per week).” Areas of interior forest are found throughout the Project Area.
Species Considered and Evaluated The complete list of all Federally Threatened, Endangered, and Proposed, Region 2 Sensitive, and Arapaho-Roosevelt Forest Management Indicator Species were considered in this evaluation. The following list of species was identified as being within the Project Area, or having habitat that occurs within the Project Area. Any species not listed below will not be discussed further, but a complete listing of all species can be found in the Wildlife Specialist Report.
Table 3-15: Summary of species included in project analysis Threatened / Project Sensitive Species Endangered Species Management Birds Mammals Amphibians Indicator Species Bald eagle Bighorn sheep American peregrine American marten Boreal toad1 Canada lynx Elk falcon Fringed myotis Northern leopard Mexican spotted owl Mule deer American three- North American frog Preble’s meadow jumping Hairy woodpecker toed woodpecker wolverine mouse Golden-crowned kinglet Black swift Townsend’s big- Pygmy nuthatch Flammulated owl eared bat Mountain bluebird Lewis’ woodpecker Warbling vireo Northern goshawk Wilson’s warbler Northern harrier Olive-sided flycatcher 1 SENSITIVE SPECIES ALSO ANALYZED AS MIS
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Federally Listed Proposed, Threatened And Endangered Species: The St.Vrain Project Area contains potential habitat for four federally listed threatened species; the Bald eagle, Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, Mexican spotted owl and the Canada lynx.
No known nesting Bald eagles are present in the project area and/or surrounding vicinity. Foraging habitat is present among the fish bearing lakes and rivers, primarily Button Rock Reservoir.
No known nesting Mexican spotted owls are present in the project area and/or surrounding vicinity. However, potential nesting and foraging habitat is present among the steep walled canyons with perennial streams and nearby dense and shady forests. No actions are proposed within potential nesting habitat.
Habitat for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse is present in the central and southern portion of the project area, along Rattlesnake gulch, Coulson gulch, North St. Vrain creek, N. Sheep Mountain Trail drainage, Dry St. Vrain creek, Middle St. Vrain creek and the confluence of Cow and N. St. Vrain creeks. There will be no treatment within 300 feet of potential habitat.
The Project Area contains 2.5 acres of the St. Vrain Lynx Analysis Units (LAU). The Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy (LCAS) require that an LAU maintain at least 10% in denning habitat and that no more than 30% be in an suitable condition. The St. Vrain LAU meets these requirements. Unit 12 has 2.5 acres of non habitat (areas that are currently, and likely never will be, capable of supporting lynx) in the St. Vrain LAU that may include roads, bodies of water, rocks, open areas, and those areas under 9,000 feet elevation.
Region 2 Sensitive Species: There are small pockets of habitat for the Three-toed woodpecker and Olive-sided flycatcher within the project area although surveys revealed no evidence of occurrence in any of the proposed units. The Northern harrier is found near ponds and marshy areas. Repeated visits and bird surveys within all proposed units have shown no occurrence of Northern harriers within or surrounding any proposed units.
The American Peregrine falcon and Black swift require steep cliff and canyon habitat that is found throughout the Project Area. While there are historic records of Peregrine falcons in this area, none have been documented in the area for the past 8 years. The Black swift requires high perennial waterfalls and have been known to occur along North St. Vrain creek. There are no proposed actions that would occur in or affect Black swift or American Peregrine falcon habitat.
There is potential travel corridor habitat for the American marten and the North American wolverine, although the elevation and predominance of ponderosa pine habitat precludes the area from being considered quality foraging or breeding habitat for either species. There is also potential roosting habitat for the Townsend’s Big-eared bat and Fringed myotis although there are no records of either species occurring in the area.
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There is also potential habitat for the Boreal toad, and Northern Leopard frog although there are no records for either of these species. All riparian and wetland areas will be buffered by a minimum of 100 feet.
Arapaho-Roosevelt Management Indicator Species: The Pygmy nuthatch, Hairy woodpecker, Mountain bluebird and Warbling vireo have all been confirmed breeding throughout the project area and with in proposed treatment units. The Wilson’s warbler is a riparian obligate species and is likely to occur in the project area for both breeding and migration but has not been detected within any proposed treatment areas.
Elk and Bighorn sheep are found throughout the project area and the proposed units. The area is considered a core breeding and wintering area for bighorn sheep and a prime winter and severe wintering area for elk. Mule deer are found throughout the area but prime habitat occurs outside the Project Area.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, No Action The No Action Alternative was viewed from both standpoints of conditions remaining relatively unchanged and the possibility of a severe, stand-replacing wildfire.
There are no direct or indirect effects to any species as a result of no action.
Cumulative Effects for Alternative A, No Action Cumulative effects of the No Action could include the continued loss of large, mature trees to bark beetles as a result of dense, over-crowded stands. If the bark beetles occur in a patchy mosaic it could benefit many species by increasing snags, wood-boring insects and down woody material. These patches of dead trees would also provide openings with increased herbaceous and shrub vegetation. However, if the bark beetles reached epidemic proportions the short-term benefits would be offset by the long-term loss of mature forest stages.
The No Action Alternative in the event of a wildfire may cumulatively benefit many species in the long term by creating snags, increasing openings and herbaceous forage and providing a greater variety of forest structural stages. Yet for species that rely on dense, close-canopied or old-growth forests a large wildfire may decrease the amount of available habitat for a significant amount of time. For other species that utilize open meadows, aspen, and herbaceous forage the long-term effects of a large wildfire would be beneficial. However, because the proposed action is designed to help mitigate effects of wildfire to the urban interface and not protect species habitat, the effects to species would be the same for both alternatives in the event of a severe wildfire.
Direct and Indirect effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Of the 27 species analyzed 18 had no effect to the species due to the Proposed Action. Of the remaining nine species the Proposed Action would affect individuals or would affect individual breeding seasons while implementation is ongoing but there are not enough individual or cumulative effects to have an effect to the species population. No MIS population trends were changed by the Proposed Action.
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Some direct effects to individuals are expected as a result of tree felling activities, increased human disturbance, and prescribed fire. Indirectly fuels reduction activities within the treatment units should increase diversity of habitat structural stages, and maintain or enhance old-growth stands, but would also reduce canopy cover and reduce the amount of dead and down wood on the forest floor. In addition, the project may increase accessibility to off-road vehicles and other forms of recreation by improving existing roads and opening up the tree density, making it easier to navigate across the landscape and reducing habitat effectiveness. The Proposed Action will have no effect on other habitats not within treatment units or the rest of the Project Area.
Cumulative effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Cumulative effects may include: continued suppression of fires; human caused ignitions; increased dispersed recreation (especially camping, off-road vehicles, shooting, horseback riding); Outfitter Guide use, past Forest Service vegetation treatments (in Treatment Units 1, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14); past Rocky Mountain National Park vegetation treatments; Fuels reduction projects including: CSFS Community Protection Plan, CSFS-Button Rock Reservoir Defensible space, Recreation Residence Defensible space, Estes Valley, and James Creek. These efforts would generally reduce surface fuels, increase temporary and permanent roads and trails, and open canopies in localized areas. Reasonably foreseeable actions within the Project Area include increased residential development on private land, increased recreation use and tourist visitation (leading to more unmanaged use and unauthorized routes), and continued fuels reduction activities by the US Forest Service, the Colorado State Forest Service, private landowners, and the National Park Service on, adjacent to, or near the St. Vrain Project Area. Active wildfire suppression can be expected throughout the area. All of these activities have likely resulted in reduction of interior forest and effective habitat, wildlife displacement, changes in habitat use and migration patterns, soil disturbance, native vegetation removal, and modification of hydrology. The overall number of proposed treatment acres is approximately 7% of the total Project Area, contributing an additional 2,657 acres to these effects.
Summary of Effects to Habitat The current road density in the North St. Vrain Geographic Area is outside of the sideboards set by the Forest Plan. There are no new or temporary roads proposed for this project. However, effective habitat may be further reduced within treatment units by re-opening some closed roads during implementation. All of these roads would be re-closed upon completion of the project ensuring that the Proposed Action will not contribute to moving the road densities further outside the sideboards set by the Forest Plan.
The No Action Alternative would maintain existing effective habitat. However, in the event of a severe wildfire the No Action alternative may decrease habitat effectiveness by not providing a base for firefighting efforts in the treatment units perhaps increasing the likelihood that new firefighting roads and bulldozer trails would need to be created in previously un-roaded areas.
Areas of interior forest are found throughout the Project Area and also in portions of units 4, 6, 7, 11, 14 and 15. Treatments will likely reduce interior forests in these areas by reducing the canopy below 40%. However, there are still approximately 5690 acres of interior forest within
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-54 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences the central portion of the Project Area that will be unaffected by any treatments. The No Action Alternative would maintain interior forest. In the event of a wildfire it is not anticipated that treatments would prevent fire from burning into the untreated portion of the Project Area as the main goal is to protect the urban interface. Therefore, both the proposed action and no action are likely to have the same effect to interior forest in the event of a severe wildfire.
All old-growth ponderosa pine in treatment units will be maintained or enhanced as a result of the Proposed Action. By removing ladder fuels and opening up canopy gaps between clumps the Proposed Action should help reduce the complete loss of old-growth ponderosa pine stands inside treatment units to wildfire. The Proposed Action should also enhance these stands by removing smaller trees that compete with old-growth for water and nutrients. The No Action Alternative would maintain the old-growth stands within the treatment units in their current state, but would leave them more susceptible to loss by bark beetles or wildfire. The Proposed Action is not designed to help protect old growth stands outside of treatment units in the event of a wildfire. No old-growth lodge-pole or spruce-fir is proposed to be treated.
Table 3-16: Summary of Determinations (For complete rationale on determinations please see Wildlife Specialist Report).
Determination Common Species Status Name Proposed No Action No Action Action (without (with wildfire) wildfire) Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Threatened No effect No effect No effect
Canada lynx Lynx canadensis Threatened NLAA1 No effect No effect
Mexican NLAA1 No effect No effect Strix occidentalis lucida Threatened Spotted Owl Preble’s No effect No effect No effect Meadow Zapus hudsonius preblei Threatened Jumping Mouse American No impact No impact No impact three-toed Picoides dorsalis Sensitive woodpecker American No impact No impact No impact peregrine Falco peregrinus Sensitive falcon Black swift Cypseloides niger Sensitive No impact No impact No impact Flammulated MAII No impact No impact Otus flammeolus Sensitive owl Lewis’ MAII No impact Beneficial impact Melanerpes lewis Sensitive woodpecker Northern MAII No impact No impact Accipiter gentilis Sensitive goshawk Northern No impact No impact No impact Circus cyaneus Sensitive harrier Olive-sided No impact No impact No impact Contopus borealis Sensitive flycatcher American MAII No impact No impact Martes americana Sensitive marten
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Fringed myotis Myotis thysanodes thysanodes Sensitive MAII No impact No impact North MAII No impact No impact American Gulo gulo luscus Sensitive wolverine Townsend’s MAII No impact No impact Plecotus townsendii Sensitive beg-eared bat Boreal toad Sensitive and No impact No impact No impact Bufo boreas boreas Project MIS No change3 No change No change Northern No impact No impact No impact Rana pipiens Sensitive leopard frog Bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis Project MIS No change No change No change Elk Cervus elaphus Project MIS No change No change May increase Mule deer Odocoileus hemionus Project MIS No change No change May increase Golden- No change No change May decrease crowned Regulus satrapa Project MIS kinglet Hairy No change No change May increase Picoides villosus Project MIS woodpecker Mountain No change No change May increase Sialia currucoides Project MIS bluebird Pygmy No change No change May increase Sitta pygmaea Project MIS nuthatch Warbling vireo Vireo gilvus Project MIS No change No change May increase Wilson’s No change No change May decrease Wilsonia pusilla Project MIS warbler 1 May affect, not likely to adversely affect (NLAA) 2 May adversely impact individuals (MAII), but not likely to result in a loss of viability on the Planning area, nor cause a trend to federal listing or a loss of species viability rangewide. 3 No change to ARP MIS populations but habitat changes vary by species (see specialist report for details).
Summary Of Effects To Species: The Mexican Spotted owl (MSO) utilizes steep shady canyons for nesting habitat and dense forests for foraging. There are no documented occurrences of the MSO in the project area, however the South and Dry St. Vrain creeks have the potential for suitable nesting habitat. Therefore any dense, shady forests up to 6 miles from these areas may provide potential foraging habitat. Treatments in these forests may affect individuals through increased human activity or foraging habitat by opening up the canopy and changing the kind of prey species that occupy the area. Proposed treatments would not affect nesting habitat and are only proposed to treat approximately 7% of the forested acres available in the project area. Because the proposed action is not designed to protect MSO habitat the effects of both alternatives in the event of a wildfire are expected to be similar.
The Northern goshawk uses cool shady draws for nesting and preys on a variety of bird and mammal species. Surveys revealed the presence of one pair near unit 14 but nesting activity was unconfirmed. Mitigation measures will protect any nest site found within or near the treatment units. Proposed actions may change foraging habitat increasing some prey species such as rabbits but decreasing other prey species such as red squirrels. Use of an area for foraging may decrease during implementation. Because the proposed action is not designed to protect Goshawk habitat the effects of both alternatives in the event of a wildfire are expected to be similar.
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The Pygmy nuthatch, Flammulated owl and Hairy woodpecker are bird species that make their nests in a cavity of a dead or dying tree. The nuthatch and woodpecker are known to be present across the project area, including the treatment units while surveys have shown the owl to only occur along the northern boundary. Individuals may be impacted during the implementation, and nesting trees may be lost during thinning operations. However, the overall goal of retaining and enhancing old-growth forest characteristics within treatment units will have a beneficial effect to individuals over the long term. A wildfire under both alternatives would benefit these species in the short term by increasing the amount of snags available for nesting as well as increasing the amount of woodboring insects (a major food source) following a fire. However, depending on the scale of the fire it may also decrease habitat as canopy cover and mature forests are decreased.
The Mountain bluebird, Elk and Mule deer are all species that benefit from high amounts of “edge habitat”. In other words, the interface between forested habitat that they use for hiding and thermal cover, and open meadows with high volumes of shrubs and grasses. The proposed action would impact individuals during implementation, mainly from increased human disturbance and the potential loss of some nesting trees for the bluebird. However, the long term effects of either the Proposed Action or a wildfire should benefit these species by providing more open foraging areas and increased “edge habitat”.
The Fringed myotis and Townsend’s big-eared bat both utilize caves, mines, cliffs and snags for breeding and roosting. The proposed action may impact individuals by increasing human disturbance which can have a detrimental effect especially during birthing, and by removing snags and trees with their associated insect populations. However, in the long term, the enhancement of existing and future old growth within the treatment units should have positive effects to some individuals. Wildfire either with or without treatment will likely cause an increase in the amount of snag habitat available but may also temporarily decrease prey availability.
Bighorn sheep utilize the Project Area as primary winter and breeding habitat, and occur throughout the steep canyon habitat year round. Treatment units have been mitigated and buffered to ensure that there will be no effect to the species. Individuals may still be precluded from using treatment units during implementation but not during key winter or lambing times.
The warbling vireo is a bird species that primarily nests in aspen trees. The bird is fairly common and occurs throughout the project area and treatment units. Treatments may impact individuals during implementation but should help enhance habitat by increasing the amount of aspen available. The no action alternative could benefit the species in the long run if a wildfire were to occur and increase the amount of aspen across the landscape.
The American marten and North American wolverine are both reclusive carnivores that require large areas of undisturbed high elevation forests. However, these species will also sometimes utilize lodgepole pine and high elevation riparian areas as travel routes. No riparian areas will be treated but there are 238 acres of lodgepole scheduled to be treated. Because the proposed action
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-57 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences would reduce the amount of interior forest by reducing canopies below 40% on approximately 465 acres there is the potential for an effect to an individual trying to travel through this area.
BOTANY Affected Environment Federally-listed or Proposed, Threatened and Endangered Species No federally proposed, threatened, or endangered plant species or their habitats are known to occur in the Project Area, and no downstream effects will occur to any federally proposed, threatened, or endangered plant species or their habitats. One intermittent stream in potential Treatment Unit 15 was surveyed for Ute ladies’-tresses orchid or its habitat. No plants and no habitat were found.
Forest Service Sensitive Species (Region 2) There are no known occurrences of Forest Service sensitive plants in the Project Area. Potential habitat occurs in the Project Area for species listed in Table 3-17.
Table 3-17: Forest Service Region 2 Sensitive Species possibly occurring in the St. Vrain Project Area SPECIES HABITAT¹
Adder’s-mouth (Malaxis brachypoda) Shaded streamsides, mossy areas. 7200-8000 ft.
Autumn willow (Salix serissima) Marshes or fens. 7800-9300 ft. Willow carrs, mossy streambanks, wet areas in forests. Dwarf raspberry (Rubus arcticus) 8600-9700 ft. Lesser bladderpod (Utricularia minor) Subalpine ponds. Peat mats, pond edges, hummocks in open shrub or sedge Lesser panicled sedge (Carex diandra) meadows. 6100-8600 ft. Livid sedge (Carex livida) Rich fens, graminoid-dominated wetlands. 9000-10,000 ft. Sedge-grass meadows, swales, hummocks, wetlands, aspen Park milkvetch (Astragalus leptaleus) glades, streamside willow thickets. 6500-9500 ft. Thin gravelly granitic soils, often with ponderosa pine. 6900- Rocky Mountain cinquefoil (Potentilla rupincola) 10,500 ft. Roundleaf sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) Floating peat mats, margins of ponds and fens. 9100-9800 ft. Cold mountain forests, moist woods and thickets. 8500- Selkirk violet (Viola selkirkii) 9100 ft. Hummocks in nutrient-rich fens, edges of ponds, river Silver willow (Salix candida) terraces. 8800-10,600 ft. Slender cottongrass (Eriophorum gracile) Fens, wet meadows, and pond edges. 8100-12,000 ft. Highly variable. May be in aspen, openings in conifer forests, Slender moonwort (Botrychium lineare) roadsides, disturbed areas. 7900-alpine tundra Seeps, alluvium, usually in spruce-fir or aspen forests. 8500- Weber monkeyflower (Mimulus gemmiparus) 10,500 ft. Aspen groves, ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forests. 7400- Yellow lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) 8500 ft. ¹Spackman et al. 1997
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The desired condition for sensitive plants is to maintain and/or establish an upward trend through management activities that recognize habitat needs across all levels or scales. Rare plants are a component of biodiversity and thus a component of the goal of managing the Forests and Grassland to assure productive, healthy ecosystems (USDA 1997).
Plant Species and Communities of Local Concern Habitat occurs in the Project Area for species of emphasis or concern on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests or for which the Forest has insufficient information. Species of local concern not known to occur but considered in the analysis include: Botrychium spp. (moonworts), Carex leptalea (bristle-stalked sedge), Cornus canadensis (dwarf dogwood), Cypripedium fasciculatum (purple lady’s-slipper), Cystopteris montana (mountain bladder fern), Goodyera repens (rattlesnake-plantain), Ligularia bigelovii var. hallii (Hall’s groundsel), Listera borealis (northern twayblade), Lycopodium spp. (clubmoss), Pellaea atropurpurea (purple cliff brake), and Pyrola picta (pictureleaf wintergreen).
Rare plants and plant communities (tracked by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program) known to occur in the Project Area include:
Larimer aletes (Aletes humilis) Forked spleenwort (Asplenium septentrionale) Wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum) Ponderosa pine / Weber spike fescue woodland (Pinus ponderosa/Leucopoa kingii The main ponderosa pine matrix in this part of the Colorado Front Range, but limited in extent. Vulnerable on global and state scales (G3S3). Douglas-fir/American waxflower forest (Pseudotsuga menziesii/Jamesia americana) Locally fairly common, but vulnerable on a global and state scale (G3G4S3). Narrowleaf cottonwood/alder woodland (Populus angustifolia/Alnus incana) A riparian association considered vulnerable across its global and state range (G3S3). Engelmann spruce-Subalpine fir/Bluejoint reedgrass forest (Abies lasiocarpa-Picea engelmannii/Calamagrostis canadensis) A riparian association, secure on a global level, vulnerable in Colorado (G5S3). Beaked hazelnut lower montane forest (Corylus cornuta) A riparian association, vulnerable on a global scale, critically imperiled in Colorado (G3S1). Parry oatgrass grassland (Danthonia parryi) Montane grassland, vulnerable globally and statewide (G3S3).
Environmental Consequences
Federally-listed or Proposed, Threatened and Endangered Species No federally listed or proposed, threatened, or endangered plant species or their habitats are known to occur in the Project Area, and no downstream effects will occur to any federally proposed, threatened, or endangered plant species or their habitats.
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Forest Service Sensitive Species (Region 2) In order to streamline the effects analysis for Region 2 sensitive plants covered in this document, species have been grouped according to similar habitat requirements and analyzed collectively for potential effects associated with the No Action and Proposed Action Alternatives. Separate species descriptions and environmental baselines are provided for each individual Region 2 sensitive species within a group in the Biological Report for Plants (see project file); however, effects discussions are consolidated because effects to individual species within a group are anticipated to be similar. Region 2 sensitive species that may be affected by the No Action and Proposed Action Alternatives are grouped below by primary habitat. Species and habitats do not necessarily have a one-to-one correspondence; one species may occur in more than one habitat type. Group 1: Rock outcrops Rocky Mountain cinquefoil (Potentilla rupincola) Group 2: Riparian areas, stream banks, springs, and seeps (sometimes fens) Adder’s-mouth (Malaxis brachypoda) Park milkvetch (Astragalus leptaleus) Lesser bladderwort (Utricularia minor) Autumn willow (Salix serissima) Silver willow (Salix candida) Weber monkeyflower (Mimulus gemmiparus) Dwarf raspberry (Rubus arcticus ssp. acaulis) Group 3: Fens Lesser-panicled sedge (Carex diandra) Livid sedge (Carex livida) Slender cottongrass (Eriophorum gracile) Roundleaf sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) Group 4: Forests and meadows Yellow lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) Slender moonwort (Botrychium lineare) Selkirk violet (Viola selkirkii)
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, No Action No sensitive species are currently known to occur in potential treatment units. No effects to sensitive species are expected. However, since a single survey may fail to locate rare plants, possible effects of the project to sensitive species are considered. Potential direct effects relate to sensitive species that are not likely to, but may occur in treatment units. Indirect effects are applicable if any sensitive species or potential habitats are present. Without vegetation management or wildfire, forest density is expected to increase in the St. Vrain Project Aarea. Increased forest density is likely to increase the risk of severe fire that may destroy all vegetation, contribute to erosion and sedimentation, and threaten homes and other structures. In addition, conifers will continue to extend into meadows and riparian areas, eventually reducing the size of aspen stands, meadows, and grasslands and possibly reducing the
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amount of habitat for several sensitive plants. Slender moonwort is vulnerable to shading and loss of meadow and grassland habitat (Beatty et al. 2003.) The effect of intense wildfire on most sensitive species is not known. Rocky Mountain cinquefoil occurs mainly on granite outcrops where significant increases in canopy cover are not expected to occur and where fires may not be as intense. Although riparian and wetland species would be affected by severe fires, habitat conditions are typically wet enough to minimize effects to these species except in the most severe burns or under extremely dry conditions.
If a large wildfire were to occur in these watersheds, water quality could be affected downstream. In these watersheds where streams and riparian areas have been impacted by recreation use and road construction and maintenance, the effects of a large wildfire could be more severe than the effects of fuels treatments.
Although the No Action Alternative would increase the risk of a high-intensity, high-severity wildfire, the actuality of a wildfire occurring is uncertain and unpredictable. If wildfire did not occur through implementation of the No Action Alternative, conifer encroachment into aspen stands and fuel loading in ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forest would be expected to increase. Increased tree density could cause alteration of light, hydrological and soil regimes, degrading habitat and potential occurrences of forest species (Group 4) over time. Insect invasion within conifer forest could also affect suitable habitat for forest species due to weakened, dead trees falling into potentially occupied habitat.
In the absence of wildfire, the current condition of suitable habitat for rock outcrop, wetland, riparian, and fen species is expected to be maintained, and no impacts to these species are anticipated. Although fuel loading would continue to increase in mixed conifer stands and insect invasion would continue to pose a risk to upland overstory vegetation, suitable habitat for Groups 2 and 3 species would not be expected to be affected, because these habitats are not typically susceptible to insect attack and would not support heavy fuel loading. Modifications in light, temperature, and moisture regimes are possible through increased tree density and canopy cover as fuels in adjacent mixed conifer forest accumulate. While this could result in minor habitat degradation over time, these effects would not be of a magnitude sufficient to impact the long-term viability of Groups 1, 2, and 3 species.
Cumulative Effects for Alternative A, No Action No federally-listed or Forest Service sensitive plant species are currently known to occur within the proposed Project Area, so impacts are not likely to have occurred to this point. However, the overall landscape has been changed considerably from pre-settlement conditions. Past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future activities that could affect plants and habitat include past and ongoing motorized and non-motorized recreation, past cattle grazing and mining, past and ongoing road building and maintenance, past and ongoing recreational use and construction of recreational facilities, past timber harvest, past and ongoing commercial outfitter use, and past and ongoing residential use. All of these activities may adversely affect rare and sensitive plants or their habitats directly through disturbance of individual plants and indirectly through habitat degradation.
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Reasonably foreseeable actions within the Project Area include increased residential development on private land, increased recreation use and tourist visitation (leading to more unmanaged use and unauthorized routes), and continued fuels reduction activities by the US Forest Service, the Colorado State Forest Service, private landowners, and the National Park Service on, adjacent to, or near the St. Vrain Project Area. Active wildfire suppression can be expected throughout the area.
Cumulatively, past and ongoing activities have resulted in soil disturbance, native vegetation removal, modification of hydrology, and the establishment of noxious weed infestations throughout the Project Area. Given the projected continuation and increase of current land uses, it is also reasonable to expect that these environmental impacts, will continue to increase in the future.
Implementation of the No Action Alternative would maintain current conditions and current levels of impact to potential occurrences of TEPS species of concern or habitat within the Project Area. If implementation of the No Action Alternative led to severe fire, impacts could be much greater. Under this scenario, upland species like Rocky Mountain cinquefoil and the three taxa in Group 4 would potentially experience a slightly higher net increase in cumulative impacts than Group 2 and 3 species, because fire intensity and subsequent damage would be expected to be lower in wetland, riparian, meadow, and fen habitats. Wildfire is expected to have a beneficial effect on autumn willow and silver willow, if present, by promoting vigorous resprouting after fire, as seen in several other willow species (Barro, et al. 1989)
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Alternative B proposes treatment on 2657 acres, with a variety of fuel management activities planned around site-specific terrain features, existing fuel levels, and vegetation type. Treatment would include mechanical thinning, manual thinning, patch cuts, and aspen and meadow enhancement. No temporary road construction is planned for this project.
Under the Proposed Action, mitigations mandate that any occurrences of R2 sensitive species located prior to or during project implementation would be excluded from treatment. In addition, all riparian areas, isolated wetlands, seeps, and springs would be excluded from mechanical fuels reduction treatment. For these reasons, no effects from project activities are expected for sensitive species. However, unintentional direct and indirect impacts would occur to undetected populations, if present. These include crushing of plants by felled trees, trampling by implementation personnel, dragging of slash material through an occupied site, modification of light, temperature, and moisture regimes associated with removal or reduction in canopy cover, habitat degradation involving soil disturbance and associated native vegetation removal, increased risk of noxious weed invasion and native plant displacement in disturbed areas, and changes in water quality due to increased erosion and sedimentation loads.
Fuels reduction activities throughout the St. Vrain Project Area, including aspen enhancement, and overstory and understory thinning by hand and mechanical treatment could be indirectly beneficial to R2 sensitive species and suitable habitat by reducing the risk of high-intensity, high-severity wildfire.
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Although direct and indirect effects to R2 sensitive species are possible as a result of the proposed action, these potential impacts are not considered of a sufficient magnitude to threaten the local or regional viability of the species, in the short- or long-term
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action No federally-listed or Forest Service sensitive plant species are currently known to occur within the proposed Project Area, so impacts are not likely to have occurred to this point. However, the overall landscape has been changed considerably from pre-settlement conditions. Past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future activities that could affect plants and habitat include past and ongoing motorized and non-motorized recreation, past cattle grazing, past mining, past and ongoing road building and maintenance, past and ongoing recreational use and construction of recreational facilities, past timber harvest, past and ongoing commercial outfitter use, and past and ongoing residential use. All of these activities may adversely affect rare and sensitive plants or their habitats directly through disturbance of individual plants and indirectly through habitat degradation.
Reasonably foreseeable actions within the Project Area include increased residential development on private land, increased recreation use and tourist visitation (leading to more unmanaged use and unauthorized routes), and continued fuels reduction activities by the US Forest Service, the Colorado State Forest Service, private landowners, and the National Park Service on, adjacent to, or near the St. Vrain Project Area. Active wildfire suppression can be expected throughout the area.
Cumulatively, past and ongoing activities have resulted in soil disturbance, native vegetation removal, modification of hydrology, and the establishment of noxious weed infestations throughout the Project Area as well as high risk for invasion in areas not currently occupied. Given the projected continuation and increase of several of these land uses, it is also reasonably foreseeable that these environmental impacts, especially noxious weed infestations, will also continue to increase in the future and could impact sensitive plant habitat in the Project Area.
Implementation of the Proposed Action would mitigate cumulative effects of management actions to sensitive species and habitats across the landscape by reducing the potential for a high- severity, high-intensity wildfire, slowing increases in forest density and conifer encroachment into grasslands and aspen stands, and improving forest health. These beneficial effects could reduce cumulative impacts, by slowing or reversing the degradation of habitat for sensitive species.
Determination of Effects Table 3-18 summarizes anticipated impacts to one federally-listed species (Spiranthes diluvialis) and Region 2 sensitive plants for the No Action and Proposed Action Alternatives. In several cases, long-term effects to species may be beneficial. See individual species discussions in the Biological Report for Plants for detailed effects analyses.
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Table 3-18: Summary of Effects Determinations for Federally-listed and Region 2 Sensitive plants. Determinations/Estimation of Effects Common Name Species A1ternative A (No Alternative B (Proposed Action) Action) Ute ladies’-tresses Spiranthes diluvialis No effect No effect Park milkvetch Astragalus leptaleus MAII1 MAII Slender moonwort Botrychium lineare MAII MAII Lesser-panicled sedge Carex diandra MAII MAII Livid sedge Carex livida MAII MAII Cypripedium Yellow lady’s-slipper MAII MAII parviflorum Roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia No impact No impact White adder’s-mouth Malaxis brachypoda No impact No impact Slender cottongrass Eriophorum gracile No impact No impact Weber monkeyflower Mimulus gemmiparus MAII MAII Rocky Mountain Potentilla rupincola MAII MAII cinquefoil Rubus arcticus ssp. Dwarf raspberry MAII MAII acaulis Silver willow Salix candida MAII MAII Autumn willow Salix serissima MAII MAII Lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor MAII MAII Selkirk violet Viola selkirkii MAII MAII 1 May adversely impact individuals, but is not likely to result in a loss of viability on the Planning Area, nor cause a trend to federal listing or a loss of species viability rangewide.
Habitat for four species (Ute ladies’-tresses, roundleaf sundew, white adder’s-mouth, and slender cottongrass) does not occur or is so marginal in the Project Area that determinations of No Effect are made for those species. None of the remaining species were found in the Project Area, but adequate habitat exists and in some cases, plants are difficult to locate and could have been missed in surveys. For those species, the determination of May adversely impact individuals, but is not likely to result in a loss of viability on the Planning Area, nor cause a trend to federal listing or a loss of species viability range wide. See the Environmental Consequences for more detailed analyses of effects.
INVASIVE SPECIES Affected Environment Invasive plants (weeds) have established themselves in the St. Vrain Project Area. They are found around old homestead sites, towns and reservoirs. These noxious weeds also grow along roads, trails and drainages, as well as in native ecosystems.
An inventory of potential habitat for non-native plants was conducted in the North St. Vrain Geographic Area in 2000. Results indicate that non-native plants exist in all prospective treatment units. Non-native species of highest concern include those that are newly established
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but difficult to control. If treated in the early stages, these species are more likely to be eliminated or contained.
In potential treatment areas species of high concern found during the inventory include: diffuse knapweed, yellow toadflax, Dalmatian toadflax, oxeye daisy, and leafy spurge. Most of these species are concentrated along South St. Vrain Creek and SH 7 and along SH 36; they are scattered in other areas. The inventory included four other high priority species (yellow starthistle, meadow hawkweed, orange hawkweed, and Russian knapweed) that were not found in the assessment area. Orange hawkweed was later discovered along the South St. Vrain Trail. Plants were treated, and the area will be monitored periodically.
Species of secondary concern include: cheatgrass, hoary cress, musk thistle, Canada thistle, purple loosestrife, Scotch thistle, myrtle spurge, sulfur cinquefoil, and Dame’s rocket. From this list, cheatgrass, musk and Canada thistle and sulfur cinquefoil were found during the inventory. Cheatgrass is widespread and in places, especially around Buttonrock Reservoir, forms large patches. Sulphur cinquefoil occurrences are few and scattered; the species may still be eradicable in this area.
All potential treatment units have been inventoried for weeds. Weeds were found in all potential units except 5d, 6 b, c, f, i, 12c,d, and 3h. Occurrences range from a few plants to large patches to individuals scattered over a large area depending on species, location, site disturbance, and plant growth habit.
Treatment of noxious weeds on the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland (ARP) is based on the concept of integrated weed management (IWM, USDA 1997). The goal of IWM is not total eradication of noxious weeds, but successful long-term management through a combination of biological, chemical, cultural, and physical methods.
Although they cover less area, yellow toadflax, oxeye daisy, and orange hawkweed, and Dalmatian toadflax are the highest priorities for treatment. At current levels of infestation, it is possible that oxeye daisy and orange hawkweed can be eradicated. Yellow toadflax may be eliminated or controlled with treatment. Dalmatian toadflax is widely scattered in some units (especially in Treatment Unit 15); treatment and control will be difficult. Infestations of Canada and musk thistles are already so large that it may not be possible to completely eradicate them from the Project Area. It will be important to avoid working in and spreading infestations of these two species as much as possible during treatment implementation. Several treatments will be necessary for all species since seeds in the ground will continue to sprout even after current plants are removed.
Environmental Consequences
Most noxious weeds invading the U.S. originated in Europe and Asia and were introduced beginning in the 1800s. These plants entered the U.S. by a variety of means, including ship ballast soil, contaminated animal feed and crop seed, and intentional introductions as ornamental
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or medicinal plants (Sheley and Petroff 1999). Some nonnative ornamental plants introduced for gardening and landscaping escape and become invasive (CWMA 2000).
Noxious weeds and other nonnative invasive plants threaten biodiversity and ecosystem stability. They are aggressive and capable of out-competing native plants for moisture, nutrients and sunlight. They alter soil properties and plant community composition, which can affect forage for wildlife species and result in changes in animal communities that depend on the affected ecosystems. In extreme situations, negative effects on water quality can occur due to increased erosion and runoff. Noxious weeds become established in areas disturbed by motorized and non- motorized recreation, road construction and maintenance, timber harvest, and other activities and by natural disturbances such as fire, and are spread by people, vehicles, wind, water, and wild and domestic animals.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Fairly dense forest currently covers much of the St. Vrain Project Area. Over time, without vegetation management or wildfire, surface and canopy fuel loads will continue to increase and the potential for extreme fires, capable of destroying all of the vegetation and negatively impacting the soil.
Accurate assessments of the amount of the Project Area covered by weeds are not currently available. It is clear from mapped occurrences that most weeds are widespread and some cover large areas. Large polygons (approximately 20 – 100 acres) of weed infestations are mapped in potential Treatment Units 13, 14, and 15, but may occur in other units as well. Without treatment all occurrences are expected to continue to spread into disturbed areas and native ecosystems. The presence of weeds in many cases increases the risk of intense fire. The rate of weed spread under Alternative A would most likely be less than the rate of spread under Alternative B. The exception would be if no fuel reduction occurs, and the increasingly dense forests experience extreme wildfire; in that case openings for weed establishment would be created and weed spread is expected to be more rapid than spread resulting from proposed fuel reduction activities.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative A, the No Action For cumulative impacts on invasive plant infestations, the time period is the remainder of the Forest Planning period, or about the next ten years. Past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future activities impacting invasive plant infestations include past and ongoing motorized and non-motorized recreation, past cattle grazing and mining, past and ongoing road construction and maintenance, past timber harvest, past and ongoing commercial outfitter use, and past and ongoing residential use. All of these activities have the potential to introduce and spread invasive plants. Increasing recreational pressure is expected. Residential use would likely increase on private lands. Future cattle grazing is unlikely.
According to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the ARP Forest Plan (FEIS 1997), it is reasonable to expect that, left unchecked, noxious weeds will increase at an annual rate of 10 to 15 percent. Weed management programs have been initiated or improved in the past few years on the ARP, including the Boulder Ranger District, and on adjacent county, National Park Service, and private lands. In general, invasive plant infestations can be expected to increase
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over time, unless all landowners and managers implement and maintain proactive, integrated weed management programs.
Direct and Indirect Effects for Alternative B, the Proposed Action Vegetation management activities under the Proposed Action are expected to increase the risk of introduction and spread of invasive plants. This risk is greater where: a) weeds, especially high priority species, already occur in or near potential treatment units; b) project activities involve use of ground-based equipment versus hand crews; c) project activities involve creation (including temporary) of skid roads, fire lines, landings, and other areas of soil disturbance; and d) treatments will open up the forest canopy the most, as most weed species grow well in open areas. Project design criteria and/or mitigations are expected to reduce the risk of weed invasion and spread under this alternative.
Cumulative Effects for Alternative A, the Proposed Action For cumulative impacts on invasive plant infestations, the Project Area is the area within the St. Vrain Geographic Area boundaries, project boundaries in the Middle St. Vrain Geographic area, and major roads surrounding and leading to the area. The time period is the remainder of the Forest Planning period, or about the next ten years. Past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future activities impacting invasive plant infestations include past and ongoing motorized and non-motorized recreation, past cattle grazing, past mining, past and ongoing road construction and maintenance, past timber harvest, past and ongoing commercial outfitter use, and past and ongoing residential use. All of these activities have the potential to introduce and spread invasive plants. Increasing recreational pressure is expected. Residential use is expected to increase on private lands. Future cattle grazing is unlikely.
According to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the ARP Forest Plan (FEIS 1997), it is reasonable to expect that, left unchecked, noxious weeds will increase at an annual rate of 10 to 15 percent. Weed management programs have been initiated or improved in the past few years on the Arapaho and Roosevelt national Forest, including the Boulder ranger District, and on adjacent county, National Park Service, and private lands. In general, invasive plant infestations are expected to increase over time, unless all landowners and managers implement and maintain proactive, integrated weed management programs.
SCENERY Forest Plan Direction As per Forest Service 2380 – Landscape Management, effective May 2003, the Scenery Management System will be used to describe the scenic condition and the effects of alternatives. A cross-walk of definitions translates Visual Quality Objectives (VQO) used in the Forest Plan into Scenic Integrity Objectives (SIO) terms; see Table 3-19, below.
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Table 3-19: Crosswalk to Scenery Management System VQO Existing Scenic Condition Scenic Integrity (SIO) Retention Appears Unaltered High Partial Retention Slightly Altered Moderate Modification Moderately Altered Low
Scenic Integrity
• High - refers to landscapes where the valued landscape character “appears” intact. Deviations may be present but must repeat the form, line, color, texture, and pattern common to the landscape character so completely and at such a scale that they are not evident.
• Moderate - refers to landscapes where the valued landscapes character “appears slightly altered.” Noticeable deviations must remain visually subordinate to the landscape character being viewed.
• Low - refers to landscapes where the valued landscape character “appears moderately altered.” Deviations begin to dominate the valued landscape character being viewed but they borrow valued attributes such as size, shape, edge effect and pattern of natural openings, vegetative type changes or architectural styles outside the landscape being viewed. They should not only appear as valued character outside the landscape being viewed but compatible or complimentary to the character within.
Affected Environment Per the Forest Plan, most of the area has a high SIO, while the foreground areas along Johnny Park Road, the Button Rock Preserve and the Bunce School Road area have a moderate SIO. Management to protect and enhance scenery is the focus for Forest Plan Management Area 4.2 located along Highway 7. Within Forest Plan Management Areas 3.1 and 3.5, dispersed recreation and wildlife habitat objectives predominate, with scenery as an important but subordinate objective
Existing Scenic Integrity The suppression of natural fire cycles, past management actions and natural disturbance (including fire, insects and diseases) has had the greatest influence on existing vegetative patterns in the St. Vrain Project Area. Scenic views include gently sloping grassy meadows, clumps of Douglas-fir, aspen stands, even-aged stands of lodgepole pine, and even-textured ponderosa pine stands at higher elevations and ridgelines. Forested stands are often interrupted with large grassy or rocky natural-appearing openings at mid elevations. These remnant rocky openings are the dominant attribute of this area. Openings (both rocky and grassy) as well as aspen stands are scenic values at risk in the current landscape.
The overall desired landscape character is a predominantly natural appearing forest with scenic quality that is sustainable over the long-term.
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Field review of the Project Area resulted in the Existing Scenic Integrity (ESI) levels shown in the table below. The primary impacts to scenic integrity within the planning area include slash and stumps from past harvest activities; OHV use, private land development; and indirect effects of fire suppression that has changed the density and extent of ponderosa pine forests.
(See Scenery Specialists Report for more information.)
The following table summarizes the scenic integrity (Forest Plan Management) objectives for the St. Vrain Project Area and the existing scenic integrity and sustainability.
Table 3-20: Scenic Integrity Objectives (Forest Plan) and Existing Scenic Integrity (ESI) Viewpoint SIO ESI Johnny Park Road/intersection near Parachute Hill to M/H1 M Bright Trail Extension Johnny Park Road/ Bright Trail Extension to North M/H M Sheep Mountain Trail Johnny Park Road/ North Sheep Mountain Trail to M/H H Johnny Park Johnny Park Road/ Coulson Gulch M/H M Button Rock Preserve M/L H Peak-to-Peak Highway/ (Meeker Park Lodge) H/M H/M Peak-to-Peak Highway/ in vicinity of Allenspark H/M H Peak-to-Peak Highway/ in vicinity of Pine Valley H/M H Subdivision Olive Ridge Campground H/M M Peak-to-Peak Highway/ (the Narrows) H/M H 1 Forest Plan Secondary Objectives
The following landscape character objectives are recommended.
• Mimic natural appearing openings such as meadows and rock outcrops. • Thin ponderosa pine to reduce density and create a natural appearance • Rejuvenate and enlarge aspen clones and meadows. • Enhance visibility of rock outcrops and aspen. • Thin to a natural spacing the dense lodgepole regeneration in old cut units.
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action In its current state and without treatment, the Project Area, over time, would lose more of its valued and desired landscape character attributes; conifers would encroach further into rocky natural-appearing openings, and aspen meadows.
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Under the No Action Alternative, scenic integrity would remain moderate to high. The indirect effect to the scenic integrity would be lower as landscape character attributes are affected by these existing trends in the Project Area
Further, as stand density increases, the landscape would eventually move further from existing landscape conditions, as the risk of events such as insect and disease epidemics or stand replacement fire increases. Scenic sustainability would be lowered.
The suppression of natural fire has increased the risk of losing natural openings to encroachment by conifers as shown in a comparison of historic and recent aerial photos. If this trend continues, the large natural-appearing scenic openings would eventually be replaced with dense even- textured ponderosa pine stands with very little variety or interest, resulting in a lower scenic integrity and sustainability.
Aspen are also threatened in areas of the Project Area as lodgepole pine continues to regenerate, grow and encroach on aspen clones. Again, these risks to the scenic integrity are due to the suppression of natural fire cycles. If this trend continues, the much-desired aspen stands eventually would be replaced with dense lodgepole pine stands with very little variety and interest. The scenic integrity and scenic sustainability would then be lower.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Under Alternative B the proposed treatments are expected to bring the existing landscape character to a desired future state that is a predominantly a natural-appearing forest with scenic quality that has long-term sustainability.
Thinning, both hand and mechanical would ultimately increase natural-appearing openings that once dominated the landscape. In addition, removal of undesired tree species from meadows and aspen stands would ensure that these landscape elements would continue to thrive in the St. Vrain Project Area.
Mechanical thinning and patch cuts would result in temporary direct effects to scenic quality, including visible slash piles, log decks, equipment staging areas, and tree stumps. Manual thinning of conifers would result in the formation of temporary slash piles, and tree stumps. These effects are unavoidable during the implementation phase, and except for tree stumps, would be short term (about three to five years.)
Mechanical thinning would also enlarge existing openings and create new openings. In some areas, created openings would expose natural rock outcrops and enhance views. This treatment type would actually mimic the natural-appearing openings that currently exist in many of these areas.
In some units, particularly those along the Johnny Park Road, thinning would add visual depth and diversity to the existing stands.
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Patch cuts would enlarge existing openings and create new openings. In some areas, created openings would expose natural rock outcrops. Although patch cuts would be evident in the landscape, their form and line would be repeated at the same scale as the natural openings common in this area. In most areas grass and small plant species would cover the exposed ground after two or three growing seasons.
For all units, with design measures and mitigations in place, the direct effects to scenic integrity would be minimal, maintaining moderate to high scenic integrity. Indirect effects would show improvement to the scenic integrity and increase the fire resiliency of the treated areas.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Over time, thinning would have created a natural mosaic pattern in many areas of the Forest, with more rocky natural-appearing openings and potentially increase small plant understory. Overall, the landscape would have an increase in diversity and distribution in the Project Area.
The scenic integrity and sustainability of the treated areas would increase from moderate to high scenic integrity and increase from moderate to high scenic sustainability in these areas in the Project Area.
Table 3-21: Direct/Indirect effects of treated Areas on Scenic Integrity Viewpoint SIO/1 No- Proposed Action Action Johnny Park Road/intersection near M/H M/L M/H Parachute Hill to Bright Trail Extension Johnny Park Road/ Bright Trail Extension M/H H/M M/H to North Sheep Mountain Trail Johnny Park Road/ North Sheep Mountain M/H H/M M/M Trail to Johnny Park Johnny Park Road/ Coulson Gulch M/H M/L M/H Button Rock Preserve M/L H/M M/H Peak-to-Peak Highway/ (Meeker Park Lodge) H/M H/L H/H Peak-to-Peak Highway/ in vicinity of H/M H/M M/H Allenspark Peak-to-Peak Highway/ in vicinity of Pine H/M H/M M/ Valley Subdivision Olive Ridge Campground H/M M/L M/H Peak-to-Peak Highway/ H/M H/M H/H 1 Forest Plan Secondary Objectives
ECONOMICS Affected Environment A financial analysis for the project was prepared according to FSH 2409.18-95-4 33.22 and the results are displayed in Table 3-22. The consequences of implementing the alternatives on resources for which non-monetary benefits and costs could possibly occur are discussed in the
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-71 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences specific resource write-ups such as air, soil or recreation. The assumptions related to the analysis and the results are contained in the specialist reports found in the project analysis file. Non- monetary benefits associated with implementation of the Proposed Action relates to the risk of fire and the effects of a wildland fire on resources such as water, air, and scenic values.
Activities associated with the Proposed Action may generate various economic benefits and costs (i.e. fuelwood, chips, mulch, and buck and rail fence materials) depending on the design. The economic values associated with any products or other commodities that may result from project implementation would be less than the associated costs. Agency costs associated with planning and administration are not included in this economic analysis, but are expected to be similar under all action alternatives.
This project is objective driven, meaning that the overall intent of fuel reduction was the primary goal during project development. The treatments would not be designed to provide forest products, but if products become available as a result of the treatment activities, they would be reflected into the overall contract bid. The minimal value from revenue associated with product removal was not included in this analysis because of the uncertainty of markets and lack of a local industry to process the material. Some material may be processed on site, but the amount would be expected to be very small. Some material may be used to generate power at a local biomass conversion power plant in the future.
Table 3-22: Cost/Benefit Analysis Alternative A Alternative B Revenue/Cost Ratio 0.00 0.00 Investment Length (years) N/A 8 Net Annual Equivalent ($) N/A. -$385,455 Present Net Value ($) N/A -$2,595,172 Present Value-revenues ($) $0.00 $0.00 Present Value-Costs ($) $0.00 -$2,595,172
It is anticipated that implementation of any alternative would not affect the economic well being of local residents or visitors. Some new employment may occur as a result of these projects.
Although these alternatives individually or cumulatively are not anticipated to effect industry production levels or other aspects of the local economy, events with uncertainty could cumulatively affect those items. Some short term impacts may occur to individual outfitter guides and recreationists that use the area due to project implementation. Large-scale wildfire in excess of past treatments could reduce opportunities for future recreation uses and private land development and increased sedimentation could have economic impacts downstream from the project area. Management activities, which incur costs and generate impacts, can also change the risk and intensity of wildfires and their associated costs and impacts.
Costs and benefits associated with reducing the risk of crown fire initiation and spread are not assigned a dollar value though there would likely be changes in resource values such as increases
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or decreases in wildlife habitat, scenic value and recreation use, and other ecosystem services, and costs associated with wildfire suppression.
The economic relationship between the forest in its current condition and the biophysical structure it provides are values that are difficult to quantify. Ecosystem services are typically non-quantifiable attributes of a given landscape. They can include the purification processes of air and water, the generation and preservation of soils, and the perpetuation of aesthetic beauty of a functioning forest. While some ecosystem services may be on a much larger scale than would be measurably affected by this project, such as global warming, some of the proposed activities, on a local scale, can affect certain ecosystem services, and are discussed under the other resources in this chapter.
The purpose of this project is to reduce the potential for crown fire initiation and spread. It is important to consider the costs associated with impacts from a potential wildfire and the related suppression costs. There is a considerable range for suppression costs depending on the variety of conditions in which the fire exists. There are many factors that affect suppression costs related to weather, topography, and accessibility. Costs per acre for suppressing small wildfires can be significantly greater than the costs of suppressing large fires, but the total cost would typically be much less for the small fires. It is assumed that firefighters would be better able to control wildfires under the alternatives that reduce ladder fuels and stand density, and raise crown base heights, keeping the overall size of wildfires smaller and minimizing the potential for crown fire initiation and spread resulting in lower total costs for suppression. Suppression costs associated with several recent Colorado fires are displayed below (Table 3-23). These costs do not include costs associated with property and private home losses, loss of natural resources and restoration or recovery expenditures. These costs are shown for comparison purposes, and may not reflect actual suppression costs of a future wildfire in the project area.
Table 3-23: Suppression costs and acreages of recent Colorado wildfires. Colorado Wildfire Fire Size Suppression Cost Overland Fire (2003) 3,861 acres $400,000. Missionary Ridge Fire (2002) 70,485 acres $39,800,000. Hayman Fire (2002) 137,760 acres $31,700,000. Schoonover Fire (2002) 3,862 acres $2,400,000. Bobcat Fire (2000) 10,599 acres $2,800,000. High Meadow Fire (2000) 10,500 acres $4,100,000.
LANDS/SPECIAL USES Affected Environment Over half the acreage in the North St. Vrain Geographic Area is National Forest System lands (NFSL). Sixty-six percent of the land in the Middle St. Vrain geographic area is NFSL. Several private in-holdings are mountain subdivisions and there are many year-round residents.
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The private land is fairly contiguous, with the exception of an isolated 40-acre parcel in the Big John Mountain area. These private parcels include large blocks of land that can typically be defined in aliquant parts. There are fewer mining claims in this area compared to the rest of the District. Several of the mining claims overlap, and there are a few (approximately six) land locked parcels of NFSL, only one of which has access. Access to private land is provided through State and County roads, public dedicated access roads, forest system and/or non-system forest roads.
Towns and subdivisions within the Project Area include: Allenspark, Ferncliff, Raymond, Riverside, Big Elk Meadows, Pinewood Springs, Arrowood, Pine Valley, Post Hill, Rock Ledge Park and Walz. There are also many rural homes scattered throughout the private land adjacent to the Forest.
Special Use Permits Permits issued within the fuels treatment units include isolated recreation residences, outfitter guide permits (offering horseback riding, rock climbing, backpacking, snowmobiling, cross- country skiing, etc.), road easements, utility lines, an environmental monitoring station, water transmission lines, and a well.
Land Adjustments There are several applications for easements and small tract act applications on file, but none of these are actively being worked on at this time.
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Under the No Action Alternative, there would be no changes to land use on NFS lands and no new posting of boundary lines would occur. Existing encroachments and pending road access proposals would be addressed as part of the regular lands program activities, but would be a low priority due to the current backlog. The need to acquire right-of-ways to access NFSL within the Project Area has not been eliminated, only postponed until another proposed project occurs within the area. This lack of access would continue to affect our ability to manage NFSL in an efficient manner.
The continued absence of fire in the area would result in the accumulation of ground cover and fuels, which could eventually lead to a crown wildfire. The indirect effect of this occurrence could be an impact to the adjoining private land if a fire spread from NFS land on to private. This could result in lawsuits against the Forest Service if this should happen. A large fire on NFSL can affect the aesthetics of adjacent private land and thereby, market determined values on a short-term basis. Likewise, a fire could start on private land and spread on to NFSL. Forest users and permit holders would be affected by a wildfire, and power outages could result if utility lines were affected.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Two right-of-ways (ROW) are needed for access through private land to treatment units #11 and 7. Acquiring right-of-ways on existing roads rather than building new roads is more cost
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-74 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences effective and reduces impacts to the resources. These right-of-ways would also provide access for future management activities. Table 3-24 lists the right-of-ways that are needed to access fuel treatment units. If additional right-of-ways are identified at a later date, they will be addressed in a separate NEPA document.
Table 3-24: Right-of-Way Acquisition Needs within the Project Area. FSR # Legal General Road Access to Forest Plan Location Area Improvement Treatment Mgmt Area Needed? Unit FSR 521 T3N R73W Olive Ridge no 11A, 11B 3.5 Sec. 24 FSR 204.1 T3N R73W Allenspark no 7 3.5 Sec. 25 & 26
For this proposal, we are primarily considering a reciprocal easement for FSR 521 and a right-of- way acquisition for FSR 204.1. The easements through private land along FSR 521 and FSR 204.1 could be limited easements, in accordance with the landowner’s wishes.
Legal access is required before a contract for fuels reduction work can be advertised and awarded. If a right-of-way cannot be obtained, vegetation management for fuels reduction might not be done in treatment areas #11 and #7. This could put adjacent property owners, nearby towns, utility lines, etc. at higher risk.
Table 3-25: Treatment Unit and Access Treatment Unit Access Road(s) Remarks #1 Highway 7 and a Subdivision Walz Subdivision Road #2 N/A Unit dropped #3 & #4 Highway 7 #5 Highway 72 #6 Hwy 7, Subdivision Road and Pine Valley Subdivision previously acquire right-of-way #7 Access needed through private Pursuing Right-of-way with land landowner #8 & 9 N/A Units dropped #10 Highway 7 #11 Need legal access Pursuing a Reciprocal easement with landowner #12 County Road 82 & previously acquired right-of-way #13 & 14 County Road 82 & previously acquired right-of-way #15 County road #16 & 17 N/A Units were dropped * Roads within most subdivisions are dedicated public right-of-ways.
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Lands and minerals uses are not an issue under the Action Alternative. Forest Service fuels reduction projects are not driven by requests from the public for land use transactions (i.e. special uses proposals, small tracts act applications, land exchange proposals, mining operations).
Permitted uses within the Project Area would continue. Through project design, these uses would not be impacted from implementation of this alternative, other than possibly some short term increased traffic and noise. Cabins, utilities, wells, utility lines and monitoring station would be protected by avoidance. Road easements would be kept open and if damage occurs to the road through activities associated with fuels treatment, the roads will be restored.
New boundary lines would be posted that had not been considered a high priority prior to the proposed treatment. Any encroachments identified during boundary posting would be resolved by following established Forest Service procedures. Right-of-ways would be pursued that would grant the public and/or Forest Service permanent access to NFSL instead of building new roads around private land. Inability to acquire the appropriate access where needed may result in not treating some of the proposed units.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action
Past Lands Activities There have been several active mining claims within the Project Area. All of these claims are either closed or outside the treatment areas. Several land exchanges have occurred in this area, with the Forest Service primarily gaining land within the Project Area.
Present Lands Activities There are many diverse uses of National Forest System land within the Project Area. Permits are issued for 24 recreation residences, four isolated recreation residences, four outfitter guides, two fences, one sign, one solid waste disposal site, four privately owned residences, one residence encroachment, two utility lines, ten FLPMA easements or permits, one cable TV line, one environmental monitoring station, one water transmission line > 12” diameter, three water transmission line < 12” diameter, three wells and two utility lines. These permits range in duration from one year to in perpetuity.
Any private in-holdings using non-system roads require an easement to cross the Forest. There are several easements issued to private landowners and road associations within the Project Area.
There are approximately 15 Small Tract Act applications within this Project Area on file. There are over 200 applications for the District. Due to funding and higher priorities, it is unlikely this backlog will be dealt with in the next few years.
Boulder County has acquired over 1,000 acres in the last 15 years. The City of Longmont owns approximately 2400 acres for their water supply (Buttonrock Reservoir).
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There are two mining claimants with four active claims filed with the Bureau of Land Management. These claims are located in T2N R72W Section 11 and T3N R72W Section 18. However, these claims are outside the treatment areas.
Future Activities Access: Landowners with no legal access are required to obtain an easement from the Forest Service. While most private parcels are accessed off system roads, there may still be some non- system roads being utilized for access across NFSL that are not under easement. No snowplowing or road maintenance is allowed on Forest roads by the landowner without a permit.
Utility Lines: Utility lines will remain, with possibly more requests for various types of lines in the future.
STA’s: There are a few good opportunities for consolidating some boundary lines through the mineral fraction small tract act authority.
Special Use Permits: Permits authorized in this area tend to be long term permits. Some permits should be phased out if the opportunity arises, such as the solid waste disposal site, wells, isolated cabins, encroachment residence and signs.
Private Land Development: Boulder County appears to have an active lands acquisition program, and they have been purchasing blocks of land and conserving these for open space, similar to conservation easements. This has retained land in natural condition that would otherwise have been subdivided and developed.
Land Exchanges: The Forest Plan identifies several areas to consider for acquisition, such as 760 acres near Dry St. Vrain and 160 acres at Cook Mountain. It also identifies areas to consider for conveyance of federal land into private ownership, such as 80 acres near the intersection of Hwy 7 and 72, 75 acres northwest of Allenspark, 80 acres northeast of Allenspark, 25 acres at East Olive Ridge and a seven acre inholding by Hydraulic Lab (located in T3N R73W Section 24). Whether these land exchanges will proceed depends on funding, opportunity and interest.
ROADS Affected Environment The St. Vrain Project Area includes approximately 30 miles of system roads and trails and 100 miles of county and state system roads, mostly unpaved gravel roads under Forest Service Jurisdiction. Eleven county roads are found within the Project Area, as are State Highways 7 and 72, which will be used as main access routes to the treatment units.
The existing system road and trail density within the St. Vrain Project Area are approximately 85 miles, which includes roads closed to public use. According to the inventoried road database for
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-77 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee Grassland, non-system roads and trail density is approximately 1.6 miles per square mile.
Extensive non-system roads and trails throughout the Project Area show signs of motorized vehicle use within a non-motorized area of the Forest. Some of these roads and trails have been mapped or delineated, but do not exist within the Forest Service databases. Private travel routes, OHV roads, high-clearance vehicle roads, bike trails, hiking trails and unauthorized, user-created trails account for many of the non-system travel-ways.
The Boulder Ranger District developed a scope of recommendations to focus on the roads analysis portion of fuels planning. When specialists look at the inventoried roads, they will base recommendations on the future of roads on risk factors to the resources. These risk factors include resource damage, user conflicts, user/neighbor conflicts, safety, multiple routes to the same destination, long-term maintenance approaches, and potential long-term management of treatment units.
There are several forest system roads (Table 3-25) that have been identified, based on the above risk factors. As a minimum, these roads should be brought up to their appropriate maintenance level in order to reduce risk factors. Most identified roads are at a level 2, which are 4-wheel drive roads. However, within the Taylor Mountain area FR 330.1 is classified as a level 4 road, which is a well-graded road with minimal grade. At present, this road is steep and highly eroded and is being used as a trail.
Some of these roads and trails may also be recommended for decommissioning in the database following project completion to reflect the actual condition of the roads on the ground - either in portion or in total. See the Roads Analysis Report for more details on specific recommendations for trails.
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Table 3-26. Forest Road Number, Name, Recommendation and Miles Road Number Road Name Recommendation Miles 186.1A Big Mountain Decommission/ 0.28 Remove from INFRA 186.1B XX Decommission/ 0.10 Remove from INFRA 186.1D Big John Mountain Decommission/ 0.42 Remove from INFRA 186.1E Big John Mountain Decommission/ 0.10 Remove from INFRA 186.1F Big John Mountain Decommission/ 0.10 Remove from INFRA 186.1H Big John Mountain Decommission/ 0.60 Remove from INFRA 186.1I Big John Mountain Decommission/ 0.16 Remove from INFRA 205.1A Buck Creek Loop Convert to Trail/ 0.64 Identify as Trail in INFRA 205.1B Buck Creek Spur Convert to Trail/ 0.21 Identify as Trail in INFRA 204.1A Lazy H Loop Decommission/ 0.21 Remove from INFRA 204.1B Lazy H Spur Decommission/ 0.21 Remove from INFRA 207.1 NW Lazy H Decommission/ 0.37 Remove from INFRA H186.1 W. Conifer Hill Remove from INFRA 0.14 H186.1B Big John Mountain Remove from INFRA 0.28 H264.1 Raymond PLS Remove from INFRA 0.68 H330.2 Taylor Mountain Remove from INFRA 0.76
Table 3-27: Forest Trail Number, Trail Name, Recommendations and Miles Trail Number Trail Name Recommendation Miles 850.1 Lazy H Horse Trail Decommission 0.12 850.2 Fox Creek Spur Decommission 0.12 850.3 Lazy H Horse Trail Decommission 0.50 850.4 Fox Creek Trail Decommission 0.85 850.5 Fox Creek Trail Decommission 0.31
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Under the No Action Alternative, road maintenance would continue to be deferred unless a situation developed that required immediate attention. There would be no new effects to the existing transportation system, including county, state and forest service system roads and, no changes to existing road density. Road relocation, closure, or construction would not occur in
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the area in relation to this project. Motorized access on roads to dispersed recreation sites would not change.
Overtime, the effects of not maintaining forest system roads would increase deterioration of the road surface and drainage structures, e.g., soil would erode to bedrock, culverts would fill with debris. Most roads would gradually return to a forested condition, unless there was continued motorized use. Vegetation would continue to encroach on roadsides and the number of hazard trees would increase. The longer maintenance is deferred, and as road use increases, forest system roads would become costly to reconstruct and would no longer protect resources at risk.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative A, the No Action There would be little change to the road surfaces, drainage structures, and roadside vegetation. The roads that continue to be used, where maintenance is deferred, would deteriorate, potentially degrading soils and water quality. Occasional roads that are unused would return to a forested condition. Deferring maintenance on a substantial portion of the road system within the Project Area would be less safe for motorized users.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Under Alternative B, road maintenance would be performed as a result of fuel reduction service contract requirements. Ditches, cross-drains, culverts, and road surfaces would be maintained and structures repaired on all roads that require access for mechanical equipment. Vegetation encroaching on the roadway would be removed and hazard trees would be felled.
Maintaining roads for mechanical fuels treatment would increase the potential for off-road use and the illegal creation of new unclassified roads. Motorized use in these areas would affect the soil and water resource. Wildlife would be impacted in effective habitat areas. Additionally, improved existing roads may encourage increased motorized recreational use and discourage non-motorized recreation opportunities.
Over time, the indirect effects of increased traffic on roads would increase the chance of vehicle encounters. Presently, vehicle encounters are infrequent, and low-standard roads in the Project Area are low-speed, native –surface roads on which collisions rarely occur. The chance for accidents on native-surface roads should decrease as a result of the maintenance that would be required prior to using any road for fuel reduction efforts.
Motorized use on some county and state roads would increase temporarily during mechanical fuels treatment. The increase in traffic on county roads would last from one to several weeks on any given road, while the increase in traffic on major roads would last a few months per year for up to five years.
Over time, maintenance and repair of road surfaces and drainage structures would improve drainage, and channel run-off water, away from watercourses, while increasing water quality downstream. The effects of road maintenance activities would last from one to several years, depending on the location of the maintenance or repair and how much use the road gets during, and immediately after, a rain event.
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The removal of roadside vegetation and hazard trees would increase sight distance and traveler safety. Roadside vegetation would gradually return and some roadside trees would become hazards.
Long-term positive effects are possible through increased accessibility to different recreation settings, increased interpretive opportunities and reconstruction of existing roads.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Cumulatively, road maintenance associated with the Proposed Action would result in a safer driving experience for motorized users, in spite of a period of increased traffic due to fuel reduction project implementation. The maintenance of roads associated with fuel reduction implementation would reduce water quality degradation developing from deferred maintenance of the road system.
RECREATION Affected Environment Recreation Opportunity Spectrum The Forest Plan identified five classifications of recreation experience in the St. Vrain Project Area. The classifications are based on the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS), an inventory system that recognizes the quality aspects of recreation experience. The Project Area includes the following settings: Rural (R) – 2979, Semi-Primitive Motorized (SPM) – 8624, Roaded Natural (RN) – 1,120, Primitive (P) – 11,633 and Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized (SPNM) - 988. (See glossary.)
The St. Vrain Project Area provides a variety of recreational opportunities in a wide range of landscape settings. Certain areas are developed recreation sites designated for activities while others within the St. Vrain area use the natural landscape as part of its recreational enjoyment. Generally, activities include hiking, road and mountain biking, horseback riding, camping, rock climbing, target shooting, fishing, hunting, driving for pleasure, viewing scenery, off-highway vehicle (OHV) travel and winter use.
Developed Recreation Two developed campgrounds are found within the St. Vrain Project Area: Olive Ridge and Meeker Park Overflow Campgrounds. Olive Ridge Campground provides paved vehicle access and parking, tent pads, picnic tables, fire-rings and toilet facilities, and accommodates recreational vehicles to 40 feet. Meeker Park Overflow Campground is a reduced-service campground with un-paved roads and campsites, and no-running water. Meeker Park accommodates recreational vehicles to 30 feet. It includes fire-rings and vault toilets. Table 3-28 lists the capacity and use of each campground.
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Table 3-28: Developed Campgrounds Location Capacity Use (per year) 2001 2002 2003 2004 Olive Ridge 56 Tent/RV 3,527 3,193 3,664 3,211
Meeker Park 29 Tent/RV 1,016 880 927 823 Overflow
The recreation season for developed campgrounds is 110 to 150 days long, and the peak season is the 110-day period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Occupancy during peak season is between 40 and 50 percent for both campgrounds, with most use occurring on weekends and holidays.
Camping, picnicking, and hiking are the most popular activities in the campgrounds. The campgrounds serve as overnight facilities for visitors en route to the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP.)
Major access is the Peak-to-Peak Highway (State Highway 7.)
Meadow Mountain Ranch Girls Scout Camp is a 200-acre private camp located in Allenspark. The Mountain Prairie Council owns the camp. It includes a lodge, and tent cabins that the girls stay in during an 8-week period in the summer. Camping, hiking, horseback riding, cross- country skiing and snowshoeing are the most popular activities in the camp. Major access to the camp is State Highway 7.
The campgrounds are located within the Roaded Natural ROS.
Trailheads, Trails/Roads The St. Vrain Project Area includes four developed trailheads. The four trailheads have trails leading north or south into the North St. Vrain Geographic Area. The trails are open year-round with peak season during the summer, and holidays. The trailheads are located within the Roaded Natural and Semi-Primitive Motorized ROS settings with hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, wildlife viewing, fishing, and dispersed camping and winter use, as the most popular activities. Currently, these trailheads and trails are closed to all forms of motorized use, and are non-accessible to people with disabilities.
The Bright Trail (921.1) is 1.59 miles one way. It begins on a relatively level hilltop, and descends steeply into the North St. Vrain Canyon. Bright Trail Trailhead is accessed from Taylor Mountain Road. Use is low to moderate. The trailhead includes parking for 10- to - 12 cars.
Bright Trail Extension (921.2) is 1.28 miles one way. For the first mile, the trail drops gently across a wooded plateau. Then it leads down a steep drainage on an open, south- facing slope, and continues to the North St. Vrain Creek. The trailhead is accessed from
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Johnny Park Road. Use is low. Parking facilities are not available at the trailhead, although cars can park at a “pullout” further north along Johnny Park Road.
Coulson Gulch Trail (916.0) is 1.62 miles and connects to several other trails in the North St. Vrain Geographic Area. The trail follows the Coulson Gulch drainage, until it joins with the Button Rock Preserve Road system. It is accessed from the south side of Johnny Park Road. Use is low to moderate, as a result of local use by horse riders (The trail is used illegally by OHVers.) The trailhead is also a major destination point for hunters and/or ATV users.
Dry St. Vrain Trail (920.0) is 1.48 miles one way downhill and follows an intermittent tributary of North St. Vrain Creek (The trail was at one time an historic road that accessed the Cook Mountain Reservoir, however the reservoir no longer exists.) The trailhead is accessed from Conifer Hill. Use is moderate. The trailhead includes an 8- to 10-car parking area. The trailhead shows signs of disrepair.
Other trails in and adjacent to the Project Area: Taylor Mountain Trail (932.0), a historic road converted into a trail is accessed along the north side of Peak-to-Peak Highway. The trail, leads into the Bright Trail Trailhead. Taylor Mountain Trail receives low to moderate use as a result of local use by horse riders and outfitter/guides. Other trails in the general area include, and Fox Creek Spur (850.2), Lazy H Horse Trail (850.0, 850.1 and 850.3) and Fox Creek Trail (850.4 and 850.5.) Lazy H Loop (204.1) and Olive Lake (521.1) are roads, but used as trails. North Sheep Mountain Spur (828.1) and Trail (828.0), Lookout Mountain Trailhead, The Allen Park Trail and Wild Basin Trail, Sandbeach Lake Trail, The Buchanan Pass Trail and the St. Vrain Mountain Trail and the Sleepy Lion Trail.
These trails are located within the Roaded Natural and Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized ROS setting.
Over the years, horseback riders, hikers, and bikers have created many user-created trails in the St. Vrain area. A proliferation of “user created trails” can be found in the Fox and Rock Creek area, and just south of the Meeker Park Overflow Campground. Most of these trails are located within the Roaded Natural and Semi-Primitive Motorized ROS setting.
Button Rock Preserve Button Rock Preserve is a reservoir watershed that is located in the St. Vrain Valley, seven miles west of Lyons, on U.S. Highway 38. The watershed is managed by the City of Longmont to provide storage for the City’s Water Utility, preserve natural resources, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities. Recreation activities include hiking, viewing wildlife, rock climbing, and fly fishing.
The Button Rock Preserve receives recreational use all year, however most use occurs April through October. A trail counter located on Longmont Dam Road (County Road 80) leading into Button Rock Preserve recorded an average of 15,000 recreation users over a period of one year (Fisher, 2005.)
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The Preserve and/or Trailhead are accessed from County Road 80 and include a 50-car paved parking area.
Scenic Drives Peak-to-Peak Highway (State Highway 7) is the main travel route into the St. Vrain Project Area, serving as a main route for people heading to Rocky Mountain National Park. Established in 1918, the highway became the first designated National Scenic Byway and is today one of the most-used recreation travel corridors on the Boulder Ranger District. A traffic counter located at the intersection of Allenspark and State Highway 7 counted 2,027 vehicles, on one day in 2003.
The road is a two-lane, paved highway, with one major overlook (Meeker Mountain Overlook), three developed picnic areas along the South St. Vrain Creek, and access to rock climbing, hiking, fishing, scenic viewing opportunities, Allenspark and other communities.
Special Uses Currently, three outfitter/guides operate under a special use permit in the St. Vrain Project Area. (See the Lands section for more information.)
Meeker Park Lodge located in the northwest section of St. Vrain and Lane Guest Ranch in Estes Park, offer guided tours on horseback along Deer Ridge and west of the Peak-to-Peak Highway into Rocky Mountain National Park. Allenspark Livery located in Allenspark offer guided tours on horseback east and west of Rock Creek drainage in the Taylor Mountain area.
Kent Mountain Adventure Center located in Estes Park offer rock-climbing tours in the Ironclads (just outside the Project Area.) Highlands Presbyterian Retreat Center located in Allenspark offer guided tours on horseback in the Ironclads, Peaceful Valley Campground, and Sourdough trails (just outside the Project Area.) Many of these outfitters/guides have been using the same trails for over 20 years.
Note: Alpine Mountain Ranch, a new outfitter located in Allenspark, recently, has requested a permit to use the same horse trails that the previous owner (Lazy H Ranch Outfitter/Guide) had used.
Summer Recreation Residences Three groups of summer homes exist in or near the Project Area. These include, Meeker Park, Rock Creek and Beaver Lake. Summer Recreation homes will be addressed later with a separate Planning document.
Dispersed Recreation/Undeveloped Recreation Areas Several dispersed recreation activities occur in the St. Vrain Project Area. Most of the dispersed recreation use is concentrated on 4-wheel drive roads, including Johnny Park Road/Big Elk Meadow, and Bunce School Road. Use is considered moderate to high during summer months, weekends and holidays. Hunting occurs from October to mid-January.
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Most dispersed recreation use takes place in Roaded Natural and Semi-Primitive Motorized settings.
Johnny Park Area/Big Elk Park Johnny Park Road (Forest Service Road 118.0), a popular destination for OHV enthusiasts, is a 5.35-mile dirt road, beginning at Pierson Park Road (County Road 82E) and ending on Larimer County Road 47 (Forest Service Road 118.2.) Johnny Park Road is one lane or wider. It is generally flat, with a few hills and short stretches of exposed rock. For most of the way, the road follows a ridgeline that provides intermittent distant views of the surrounding landscape. It is considered an “easy” trail for OHV users.
Major access to the Johnny Park/Big Elk Park area is from State Highway 7 or North St. Vrain Drive (U.S. Highway 36.) Big Elk Park is a “Natural Landmark”, adopted by the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan for its outstanding scenic qualities and other attributes (Boulder County Land Use Department.) The area is also a popular setting for hiking, mountain bikes, horseback riding, dispersed camping, cross country skiing, hunting and target shooting.
OHV users along Johnny Park Road also illegally access Coulson Gulch, North Sheep Mountain Trails and un-roaded areas adjacent to Larimer County Road 47 to enjoy their sport. This use conflicts with current ROS classifications.
Bunce School Road Area The Bunce School Road (County Road 115.0) intersects with State Highway 7 in the southern- most section of the Project Area. Ironclads (Forest Service Road 216.1) and Cave Creek (Forest Service Road 217.1) well-known 4-wheel drive roads intersect with Bunce School Road.
Other public access routes for dispersed motorized activities in this area include several spurs off Cave Creek and the Ironclads.
Rock climbing is also a popular activity in the Bunce School Road area, with the Ironclads as the most visited destination for visitors to this area. The Ironsides, Mt. Boner, Poachers Rock, and Quartz’s Garden, are climbing rocks often used by visitors. While Poacher’s Rock offers climbing opportunities, it is least attractive to rock climbing enthusiasts because it is often includes trash left by other recreation users.
Highest use for rock climbing in the Bunce School Road area occurs in summer and on weekends and holidays. Other recreation activities include dispersed camping, hiking, horseback riding and target shooting.
Major access is the Bunce School Road and State Highway 7. (Bunce School Road is closed during the winter, but because the gate is located two miles west of State Highway 7, much of the area remains accessible year-round.)
A proliferation of user-created trails has become evident in and around the Bunce School Road area and Miller Rock. These areas have experienced resource damage as a result of the OHV
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activity along these trails. Additionally, residents in this area have voiced concerns with the Forest Service over OHVers illegally accessing private property to enjoy their sport.
South St. Vrain Canyon The South St.Vrain Canyon is located north and south of State Highway 7 along the southern boundary of the North St.Vrain Geographic Area. It is very steep; with dissected exposed rock cliffs that rise above the South St.Vrain Creek and State Highway 7. Three developed picnic areas and several pullouts are located along the highway. The canyon receives many visitors during the spring and summer months, with some visitation occurring in the winter. Recreation activities include camping, hiking, picnicking, viewing scenery, rock climbing, and fishing.
Hundreds of rock-climbing opportunities are accessed from State Highway 7 in the South St. Vrain Canyon. Over 15 major rock formations offering dozens of individual climbing destinations are located within the canyon. A few popular climbing rocks include the North Narrows Slab, the Left Infirmary Slab, the Lower Infirmary Slab and Monkey Skull.
Fishing and Hunting Most fishing occurs just outside the Project Area, in the Button Rock Reservoir (Button Rock Preserve), and the South and Middle St. Vrain Creeks, some sections of the North St. Vrain Creek, and the West Fork of the Little Thompson River. The North St. Vrain Creek and Button Rock Reservoir are moderately fished. In many of these creeks Colorado Fish and Wildlife (CDOW) is involved with fish and fish habitat restorative efforts for greenback cutthroat trout
Hunting for elk and deer (CDOW Hunting Unit 20) is of high demand. Most of the North St. Vrain Geographic Area is included in Hunting Unit 20 and is used by hunters, but a few areas are typically used more than others, such as Taylor Mountain Road (330.2D) area, the Bright Trail area, Big Elk Meadows north of Johnny Park Road and other areas adjacent to the Project Area. Road closures in effect on Taylor Mountain Road, Johnny Park Road and Pierson Park Road, usually coincide with hunting seasons.
Target Shooting - Peak-to-Peak Highway One area just south of the intersection of State Highways 72 and 7 on the north side of State Highway 7 is a popular target shooting area. Vehicle access to the area is blocked with a 3-foot high berm and rock, adjacent to the Peak-to-Peak Highway. Parking usually occurs on the pullout in front of the berm or on the shoulders of the Highway. The site is visited year-round. Dispersed camping also occurs in the same general area.
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Under Alternative A, stand density would continue to increase, as would the risk of events such as insect and disease epidemics or stand replacement fire. The “scars” left by a large stand replacement fire would have direct and indirect effects on recreation acceptability. Such a fire would create massive areas of blackened ground and scorched standing tree trunks and branches. The results of an uncontrolled fire would most likely be visible from many locations of the Project Area. Scenic values would be lost and recreational acceptability of the area would be
St. Vrain Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment 3-86 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences lowered. The effects from a large stand replacement fire on recreation would include tree-fall, and loosened rocks that may be long-term safety hazards to recreationists.
Additionally, indirect effects from a large stand replacement fire would also affect recreation users as roads and trails would be closed due to fire.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Under the No Action Alternative, there would be no opportunities for increased access and use from forest visitors. Eventually, as the recreating population increases, the demand for new roads or trails for motorized and non-motorized recreation use would exceed the supply.
Direct and Indirect Effects for Alternative B, the Proposed Action The proposed treatments under Alternative B are expected to meet the Forest Plan direction, goals, and standards for recreation use in the Project Area over time. Meanwhile, recreation users would experience short-term effects to the quality of their experience.
During fuels treatment activity, wildland fire engines, logging trucks and equipment traveling along roads, would impact forest visitors and recreationists within the St. Vrain Area. Increased traffic would create congestion along some sections of the Johnny Park Road. For example, currently, parking facilities are not available for the Bright Trail Extension Trailhead and cars are parking farther north along the Road. Additionally, noise would increase during fuels treatment activities from wildland fire engines, logging trucks, and equipment, such as chainsaws, chippers, portable water pumps or feller bunchers.
In Semi-Primitive Motorized, Roaded Natural and Rural recreation settings, forest visitors and recreationists seeking this setting and experience would expect higher levels of noise when compared to lower levels of noise expected in more remote or primitive settings. These effects would be short term.
The smoke from prescribed pile burning would impact visibility and visitor enjoyment in some localized areas of the St. Vrain Project Area. These effects would be temporary (see air quality section for more specific information.)
Mechanical thinning and patch cuts would enlarge existing openings and create several new openings. Opening up stands in foreground areas along major recreation roads, such as Johnny Park Road would most likely lead to illegal access by both non-motorized and motorized recreation users, possibly resulting in a proliferation of new “user-created trails” -on both public and private land.
Improved existing roads may encourage increased motorized recreational use and discourage non-motorized recreation opportunities. Visitors, who used these roads because they were less developed, would be affected, including those who like to mountain bike, horseback ride, hike, and view wildlife. These types of users would most likely find other areas to enjoy their activities.
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Over the years, horseback riders, hikers and bikers have created many user-created trails in the St. Vrain Project Area. Many of these unauthorized trails lead through proposed treatment areas, and would be impacted by associated fuels activities. However, user-created trails are not authorized and would not be restored after treatment.
Over time, existing roads that are obliterated under the Proposed Action would blend with the surrounding landscape. Grass and forbs would grow and in three to five years, the roadbed would not be noticeable to the casual forest visitor.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Over time, recreationists would be affected by the extent of new and existing road construction and/or maintenance, access to roads and trails: including user-created trails, and the timing of management activities in certain areas of the St. Vrain Project Area.
Treatment activities would result in the displacement of recreationists in certain parts of the St. Vrain Project Area. Upgraded existing roads would possibly affect horseback riders, hikers and bikers who have used these roads because they were not maintained and less developed. These types of users would most likely look elsewhere to experience the same setting, i.e., a low standard road.
Along Johnny Park Road, many OHV users would be displaced by road upgrades and maintenance. Johnny Park Road is considered an “easy” trail for OHV users. Upgrading the road for project activities would impact this challenge level and these recreation users would look elsewhere to enjoy their sport, such as, closed roads, illegally accessing public or private lands, or other areas of the St. Vrain Project Area. OHV use would possibly increase in the Bunce School Road area.
OHV use and potential conflicts would likely continue into the future as the demand for motorized access to Colorado’s mountain landscapes continues. In Colorado, according to the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) 2003, OHV use registrations have increased 223% from 1995 to 2003.
Additionally, the development of private lands in the St. Vrain Project Area would possibly displace recreationists who traditionally have used these lands to access the Forest. Denied access would possible result in access issues between the Forest Service and property owners, and pressure from recreationists to provide more access elsewhere.
HERITAGE Affected Environment Prehistoric Period The evidence of the earliest human use of the Saint Vrain Project Area is from the Archaic period, which spans the time period from approximately 8,000 to 1,500 years ago. The Button Rock site (5BL4838) is located on a broad open slope overlooking the Button Rock Reservoir.
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The site consists of the remains of two different camping events two thousand years apart. The first event took place approximately 7,000 years ago when a group of people associated with the Mount Albion culture camped at the site. While they camped at the site they produced stone tools, prepared game, and gathered local plant materials. All that remains of that occupation are two projectile points, the ashes from a hearth (from which the C14 date was derived) and the flake debitage that was produced as the people made stone tools. The second event took place approximately 5,400 years ago when a group of Middle Archaic people camped at the same spot. Like the people before them they produced stone tools. They also prepared or processed game and plants. In the process of camping at this site, the Middle Archaic group created a very large stone hearth. This hearth was rapidly buried by sediment and therefore survived the following 5,400 years well enough to be excavated in 1997.
The Ute occupied the Arapaho National Forest during the later prehistoric and contact periods, and may have migrated to this area as early as A.D. 1300, based on linguistic evidence (Miller 1986). The Arapaho, Shoshone, Cheyenne, and possibly Kiowa also utilized the mountains of this area to a lesser extent beginning in the 17th and 18th centuries, until the removal of all tribes in the late 19th century. Thus, the Saint Vrain Project Area lies in the lands that many Indian Tribes claimed as traditional homelands. All of these tribes had access to the horse and lived a mobile lifestyle following the large herds of bison on seasonal migration patterns throughout the Great Plains region. As subsistence hunters and gathers the Native Americans who inhabited the Saint Vrain area would have been in the area seasonally and would have moved throughout the area in search of resources. Because their subsistence relied on the natural environment, Native Americans paid close attention to where necessary resources were located, followed game as they hunted it, and set camps near plant resources that would be gathered. In search of mineral resources such as tool stone or minerals for paints, they would travel to wherever these materials might be located. Consequently, there are several isolated finds of fragmentary projectile points or lithic flakes that are associated with this period of use within the Saint Vrain Project Area. There is also the potential for finding other Native American sites throughout the area.
Historic Period In the mountains of north-central Colorado, the historic period begins in the early to mid-1800, when Euro-American explorers first began to venture into the area. Unfortunately, most of the earliest Euro-Americans in the area were explorers and trappers, who left little to trace their visits. The most visible historic activities in the St Vrain area relate to early mining and an early recreation or hunting lodge economy.
Mining The early mining period that first warranted the rush to the Boulder area began with the discovery of gold near the town of Gold Hill in 1859. Although the gold rush area is generally limited to the region south of Highway 7, a few mines are known to be located within the Saint Vrain Project Area. With the exception of a number of isolated prospecting features, most mines in the area are located along Fox Creek, including the Big Jim, Cashier, Etta #7, Majestic, and Gen/Hancock mine sites.
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Tourism The history of Allenspark began in 1864 when Alonzo Allen first homesteaded the area that now bears his name. The same year Joel Estes settled in the area now known as Estes Park. Early homesteaders were generally drawn to the area in the 1860’s in the hope of becoming wealthy through mining. With the fall of the precious metals market, pioneers tried many different ways to make a living off of the land. The real wealth of the Allenspark and Estes Park area was determined to be tourism. Small camping resorts were developed around the Estes Park and Allenspark area. At the turn of the century the basic mode of transportation switched from horse drawn vehicles to motorcars, which expanded the role of tourism in the area. Rocky Mountain National Park opened in 1915, which increased the number of tourists seeking to view the natural beauty of the Rockies and increased the demand for small cabin resorts and summer homes. Consequently, most of the inventoried historic structures in the Project Area date to this period of intense mountain recreation from 1900-1945.
Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects for Alternative A, the No Action This alternative would have no immediate direct or indirect effects on significant cultural resources. No mitigation or monitoring activities would be necessary. However, the continued accumulation of fuel wood and failure to reduce hazardous conditions in the Project Area would increase the likelihood of intense wildfires. This could result in the increased risk of loss of a number of cultural resources regardless of property ownership boundaries in the event of a wildfire.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative A, the No Action Archaeological sites are non-renewable resources that are being lost with an increasing frequency to alteration or destruction. The failure to reduce the continuous accumulation of fuelwood in the Project Area could subject an unknown number of undiscovered cultural resources to potentially destructive wildfires, thus reducing their contribution to the overall knowledge of our cultural heritage
Direct and Indirect Effects for Alternative B, the Proposed Action Under the Proposed Action, several historic and prehistoric sites would be impacted. Primary impacts to prehistoric cultural resources include the displacement, alteration, and destruction of surficial artifacts and cultural features, as well as disturbance to site soil deposition through mechanical ground disturbance with heavy equipment. Impacts to historic sites include the destruction of wooden structures and organic materials by means of fire, machinery or tree felling and the displacement and alteration of metal and glass surficial artifacts. Road construction and obliteration could disturb subsurface cultural deposits or earthen features. Mitigations should be followed in order to prevent adverse affects to important cultural resources within the proposed treatment units.
According to the 2004 revised regulations [36 CFR 800.4(d) (1)] for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f), sites considered not eligible to the NRHP may be directly affected once adequately recorded and evaluated, and concurrence is received from the
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State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) regarding NRHP eligibility. Sites that are listed on the NRHP, eligible for the NRHP, or have not been adequately evaluated would be avoided in order to prevent potential adverse effects to cultural resources. As of July 6, 2005, one site that is eligible for the NRHP, 5BL7894, has been identified within a proposed treatment unit. Mitigations would be followed to avoid adverse impacts to this site. If subsequent survey uncovers eligible sites or if an Indian Tribe identifies sites that are of cultural significance, these sites would also be avoided by project activities.
A number of private and county designated historic sites within the Project Area fall within close proximity to the proposed treatments and could be affected by treatments. Changes to the historic character of the area through the alteration of viewsheds and other visual characteristics of a site could adversely affect sites that are located on land other than those managed by the Forest Service. A review of privately held sites was made due to the possibility of impacts extending beyond the project area. Consequently, the potential effects of the proposed treatments are not likely to adversely impact any historic properties in the area regardless of ownership boundaries.
The removal of timber also has the potential to indirectly impact cultural resources by increasing surface soil erosion. Exposure of subsurface cultural deposits could result in artifact displacement and deterioration of delicate organic materials. Exposure could also result in increased potential for vandalism of sites. However, removal of down and dead timber, and excess fuels would reduce the potential for crown wildfire, limiting the possibility of site destruction and alteration within and around the proposed treatment units.
Cumulative Effects of Alternative B, the Proposed Action Archaeological sites are non-renewable resources that are being lost with an increasing frequency to alteration or destruction. The accumulated loss of numerous individual cultural resources has the potential to limit our understanding of broader patterns of human history essential to the overall knowledge of our national cultural heritage. The proposed activities have the potential to impact individual cultural resources with various mechanical vegetation treatments.
Past, Present and Foreseeable Future Activities or Projects Past activities in the St. Vrain Project Area have ranged from a moderate amount of grazing and mining to the road building and urbanization that continues today. Some vegetation management has occurred in the Project Area. Vegetation removal has occurred related to mining, road building and development throughout the Project Area.
Present projects and activities in and near the project include continued development on private lands and extensive recreational uses by visitors and residents, especially in and near Johnny Park and the Bunce School Road areas. Roads and trails are used heavily by a variety of users and vehicles types. There are many system and non-system roads in a variety of conditions that are used heavily on weekends. Many residents and visitors in the Project Area use trails that have been illegally established by use and not by design.
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Currently, vegetation management near the St. Vrain Project Area is planned or occurring. The Sugarloaf Fuels Reduction Project was planned in 2003 and proposed nearly 5,000 acres of treatments, the James Creek Fuels Reduction Project was planned in 2005 and proposed approximately 6,200 acres of treatments, and the Estes Valley Fuels Reduction Project was planned in 2005 and proposed 7,100 acres of treatments.
Rocky Mountain National Park continues to implement fuel reduction projects along its eastern boundary, and implementation would continue through the next three to five years. The City of Longmont (Button Rock Preserve) has begun implementing fuel mitigation projects on their land. Recreation management in the Project Area occurs in the form of monitoring use and law enforcement patrols.
Large fires that occurred within close proximity to the St. Vrain Project Area include the Overland Fire (3,861 acres) in 2003, the Big Elk Fire (4,350 acres) in 2002, the Canyon Fire (3,156 acres) in 1988, and the Ouzle Fire (1,098 acres) in 1978.
The St. Vrain Project Area currently receives considerable recreation use. Developed recreation and outfitter operations are expected to remain at or near current levels. Effects of current uses include dispersed camping, user created trail establishment and use, and off-road vehicle use, all of which may disturb native vegetation, impact wildlife, increase habitat fragmentation, and increase soil erosion. The extensive road and off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail network is a source of sediment, and may be affecting water quality, and riparian areas. OHV activity is likely to remain high in the future. More detailed analysis of watershed and water quality impacts of roads and recreational use is in the Soil, Watershed, and Aquatic Specialists’ Reports located in the Project Analysis File at the Boulder Ranger District.
A complete roads analysis to address access, potential road and trail closures, and designation of non-system roads and trails will be conducted sometime in the future by the Boulder Ranger District. No State or County road construction or reconstruction is planned for this area but routine maintenance would continue.
Residential use may increase some on private lands in the Project Area. Over 38% of the land area within the project boundary is non-federal land surrounded by National Forest System (NFS) lands. There are several small subdivisions within the project boundary.
Potential Conflicts with Plans and Policies of Other Jurisdictions The No Action and Proposed Action Alternatives would be consistent with other federal, state, regional, or local land use plans, policies, and controls within the St. Vrain Project Area.
Heritage The laws and policies that govern cultural resource protection on Federal Lands are coordinated with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of Colorado, who serves in an advisory capacity. The policies for USFS and SHPO are consistent. The Forest Service has informed and consulted with the appropriate tribes on these proposed activities, site information and potential impacts.
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Water Quality Section 313 of the Clean Water Act requires Federal Agencies to comply with all Federal, State, interstate and local requirements, administrative authority, and process and sanctions with respect to the control and abatement of water pollution. Executive Order 12088 also requires the Forest Service to meet the requirements of the Act.
The Proposed Action Alternative would comply with the Clean Water Act and Colorado State Water Quality Control Commission standards. This alternative would incorporate reasonable Soil and Water Conservation Practices, avoid channel degradation, and comply with the Forest Plan.
Air Quality The slash treatments under the Proposed Action Alternative have the greatest potential to affect local air quality. This activity would be conducted in accordance with the State of Colorado Memorandum of Understanding and the EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Potential conflicts occasionally exist between the National Forest concerns for meeting land management goals and the emissions limits for clean air.
Probable Environmental Effects That Cannot Be Avoided Implementation of the No Action or the Proposed Action may result in some adverse environmental effects. The severity of the effects can be minimized by adhering to the features of the alternatives such as the Best Management Practices and mitigation measures. If management activities occur, however, some effects cannot be avoided. Even the No Action Alternative has effects related to wildfire potential and effective wildlife habitat.
Heritage There is no assurance that every cultural resource site would be located in advance of all planned management activities. Some ground-disturbing activity may affect an undiscovered historic or prehistoric site. Sites discovered in this manner would be immediately protected from further disturbance.
Scenic Resources The introduction of vegetation management units would add line, form, color, and texture to the landscape. Although the effects are expected to be minimal from established viewpoints, the effects cannot be analyzed from all viewpoints in the landscape. The treatment areas would appear different depending on the view. Where treatment is applied, recreation visitors may see a modified forest in the foreground, middleground, and/or background distance zones (see Scenery Specialist Report) as viewed from viewpoints not identified in the analysis.
Wildlife Increasing visitor use and activities in the Project Area would provide lower habitat effectiveness, security and increased vulnerability for larger animals such as elk or northern goshawks. The Proposed Action and No Action would have an effect on the cover/forage relationships in the Project Area. Species requiring old forest habitat would experience a short-
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term reduction in available and/or suitable habitat. Successional vegetation conditions would change over time to provide a variety of habitat stages. Prescribed spring burning could result in mortality to some species of nesting birds, small mammals, and reptiles.
Air Quality Temporary seasonal effects on air quality are unavoidable under any of the action alternatives. Prescribed fire is an integral part of ecosystem management and fuel reduction treatments. These activities would be scheduled when conditions are conducive to smoke dispersal.
Relationship between Short-Term Use and Long-Term Productivity Short-term uses are those uses that generally occur annually. Long-term productivity refers to the ability of the land to produce a continuous supply of a resource.
Soil Resources As described in the Soil Resource section of this chapter, proposed activities would result in a decrease in long-term soil productivity for areas of detrimentally disturbed soils. Detrimentally disturbed soils are expected to be less than 15% of any treatment area.
Water Quality The results of effects analysis indicated that stream channel conditions would be protected, and water quality would not be adversely impacted by proposed activities. Short-term effects may occur as described in the Watershed Resources section of this EA; however, no impacts to long- term productivity and water quality are anticipated.
Aquatic Species and Habitats The results of the effects analysis indicated that risks to fishery and aquatic habitats are proportional to the risk of degradation due to erosion and sedimentation caused by ground disturbance including wildfires. With the riparian buffer zones around the streams and water bodies designed into the project, the potential for short-term and long-term impacts to aquatic species and habitats are minimal; therefore, this project is not expected to have long-term adverse impacts to aquatic species productivity and/or aquatic habitat quality.
Wildlife Key habitat requirements for wildlife species include feeding habitat or foraging areas interspersed with nesting or denning habitat and thermal and hiding cover. As the foraging areas experience successional changes and stands regenerate, they would again provide cover.
Vegetation Managed forest stands often produce healthier and more sustainable conditions through time than unmanaged stands. Regeneration, stocking control to reduce competition and improve growth of individual trees, and intermediate treatments to maintain the health and vigor of stands are silvicultural means of maintaining the long-term productivity of forest stands.
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Air Quality The temporary impacts of smoke from prescribed debris burning and road dust from vehicles associated with proposed activities would have minor, short-term effects on visual quality and recreation use. Minimizing the risks from wildfire offsets the short-term impacts and long-term increased site productivity.
Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments of Resources An irreversible commitment of resources refers to the loss of production or use of a resource due to a land use decision that, once executed, cannot be changed. An irretrievable commitment of resources applies to losses of production or use of renewable resources for a period of time.
Soil Productivity Watershed Conservation Practices would be used to avoid soil productivity losses from vegetation management and associated road/skid trail construction.
Air Quality The impact of prescribed burning and road dust would have temporary seasonal impacts on the air quality in the Proposed Action. Reduction of air quality would constitute a short-term irretrievable resource impact.
Scenic Resources Changes in the existing appearance of the landscape would occur under the Proposed Action Alternative. These changes would become progressively less noticeable as vegetation recovered in treatment areas and along roads and trails.
Wildlife The loss or modification of habitat for certain wildlife species is an irretrievable commitment of resources. As vegetation recovers, this habitat would recover. However, the time frame for this to occur may be as long as several decades for mature and old-growth-related species.
Heritage Any activity that would disturb a cultural resource is an irreversible commitment. Project activities would not disturb any site known to exist in the Project Area.
Specifically Required Disclosures Endangered Species Act Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to ensure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any threatened or endangered species, or for the proposed action result in the destruction or adverse modification of their critical habitats.
Interagency cooperation between the Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding proposed, threatened, or endangered species is described in Section 7 of the
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Endangered Species Act. Definitions relating to “consultation” and “conference” are given in FSM supplement 2600-90-6.
An updated list of Federally Listed and Candidate Species for Colorado was received from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Colorado Field Office; Lakewood, Colorado dated August 22, 2003. The letter and list are on file in the project analysis file. The species list was used as a basis for the analysis of threatened, endangered, and proposed species for this project.
Effects of Alternatives on Social Groups There would be no overall differences between alternatives in effects on minorities, Native American Indians, women, or the civil liberties of any American citizen.
Effects on Floodplains and Wetlands To meet the goals of Executive Order 11988, the project must not significantly increase flood hazards and must preserve the resource values of floodplains. To meet the goals of Executive Order 11990, the project must preserve the resource values of wetlands. Both floodplain and wetland values are preserved by this project, meeting the intent of the executive orders and through the implementation of the Watershed Conservation Practices design criteria.
Energy Requirements and Conservation Potential of Alternatives The energy required to implement the alternatives in terms of petroleum products would be insignificant when viewed in light of the production costs and effects of the national and worldwide petroleum reserves. The Proposed Action may serve to reduce overall petroleum product use if some of the bi-products of the treatments are processed into wood chips and are used for co-generation of electricity and heating.
Effects of Alternatives on Prime Rangeland, Forest Land, and Farm Land The alternatives presented are in compliance with Federal Regulations for prime lands. The definition of prime forestland does not apply to lands within the National Forests. The Project Area contains no prime farmlands or rangelands. In all alternatives, Federal lands would be managed with the appropriate consideration to the effects on adjacent lands.
Environmental Justice Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations directs federal agencies to integrate environmental justice considerations into federal programs and activities. Environmental justice means that, to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law, all populations are provided the opportunity to comment before decisions are rendered on, are allowed to share in the benefits of, are not excluded from, and are not affected in a disproportionately high and adverse manner by government programs and activities affecting human health or the environment (E.O. 12898 and Departmental Regulation 5600-2).
The action alternative would not have a discernible effect on minorities, American Indians, or women, or the civil rights of any United States citizen. No alternative would result in a disproportionate adverse impact on minorities or low-income individuals.
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Roads Analysis Any project decision signed after January 12, 2002, that involves road construction or reconstruction including temporary roads, must have a completed Roads Analysis. A Roads Analysis has been completed for the St. Vrain Fuel Reduction Project and is located in the Project Analysis File.
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