Sitka Sound Landscape Assessment
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Sitka Sound Landscape Assessment U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Tongass National Forest Sitka Ranger District Sitka, Alaska September 2004 Team: Martin Becker Team Leader; Hydrology, Fisheries, Wetlands, Soils, Geology Pat Bower Heritage Resources Kevin Buckley Watershed, Water Quality, Fisheries Jackie Groce Writer-Editor Patrick Heuer Silviculture, Vegetation Mike Johnson Lands Ginny Lutz GIS Mary Beth Nelson Recreation, Special Uses Ryan Nupen Roads JT Stangl Wildlife Resources, Subsistence Terry Suminski Fish Subsistence Table of Contents Chapter 1 – Introduction Management Direction for Landscape Assessments ....................................................... 1-1 The Purpose of the Sitka Sound Landscape Assessment................................................. 1-1 The Assessment Area....................................................................................................... 1-2 Relationship to the Forest Plan ........................................................................................ 1-7 Chapter 2 – Issues and Key Questions Regarding the Physical Characteristics of the Assessment Area..................................... 2-1 Regarding the Biological Characteristics of the Assessment Area.................................. 2-2 Regarding the Human Dimensions of the Assessment Area ........................................... 2-4 General Comments........................................................................................................... 2-6 Chapter 3 – Assessment Area Description Physical Characteristics ................................................................................................... 3-1 Geographic Location.................................................................................................. 3-1 Climate....................................................................................................................... 3-2 Landscape Processes.................................................................................................. 3-3 Geology / Soils........................................................................................................... 3-5 Ecological Classification ......................................................................................... 3-11 Hydrology ................................................................................................................ 3-14 Biological Characteristics .............................................................................................. 3-26 Fisheries ................................................................................................................... 3-26 Vegetation................................................................................................................ 3-32 Biological Diversity................................................................................................. 3-42 Human Dimensions........................................................................................................ 3-61 Heritage Resources and Current Human Use .......................................................... 3-61 Water Supply ........................................................................................................... 3-68 Power ....................................................................................................................... 3-69 Transportation and Facilities.................................................................................... 3-70 Recreation Use and Facilities................................................................................... 3-97 Subsistence............................................................................................................. 3-103 Chapter 4 - Trends and Interpretation Physical Trends and Interpretation .................................................................................. 4-1 Soils............................................................................................................................ 4-1 Hydrology .................................................................................................................. 4-2 Biological Trends and Interpretation ............................................................................... 4-3 Fisheries ..................................................................................................................... 4-3 Vegetation................................................................................................................ 4-11 Wetlands .................................................................................................................. 4-13 i Biological Diversity and Management Indicator Species........................................ 4-17 Human Use Trends and Interpretation........................................................................... 4-23 Heritage Resources .................................................................................................. 4-23 Transportation and Facilities.................................................................................... 4-23 Recreation Use and Facilities................................................................................... 4-28 Subsistence............................................................................................................... 4-34 Chapter 5 – Recommendations Introduction...................................................................................................................... 5-1 Watershed Rehabilitation................................................................................................. 5-1 Wetlands .......................................................................................................................... 5-3 Vegetation........................................................................................................................ 5-4 Biological Diversity......................................................................................................... 5-7 Heritage Resources .......................................................................................................... 5-9 Roads.............................................................................................................................. 5-10 Recreation Facilities and Use......................................................................................... 5-18 Recommendations by VCU ........................................................................................... 5-20 Chapter 6 – Glossary and References Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 6-1 References...................................................................................................................... 6-12 Appendix A – Public Comments Appendix B – Water Quality Appendix C – Roads Appendix D – Subsistence Appendix E – Wetlands Appendix F – Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Classes ii List of Tables Chapter 1 – Introduction Table 1-1. VCUs within the Assessment Area............................................................ 1-2 Table 1-2. Land Ownership for the Assessment Area................................................. 1-7 Table 1-3. Land Use Designations for the Assessment Area...................................... 1-8 Chapter 3 – Assessment Area Description Table 3-1. Distribution of High Hazard Soils (MMHAZ 3 and 4) in the Assessment Area and the Extent of Management Activities on Such Soils by Watershed .................................................................................................. 3-8 Table 3-2. Gage Station Data for the Sitka Sound Landscape Assessment Area ..... 3-17 Table 3-3. Assessment Area Watersheds by Number and Name (Key to Figure 3- 5). ............................................................................................................. 3-18 Table 3-4. Stream Miles by Class and Process Group and Drainage Densities for Key Watersheds in Assessment Area ...................................................... 3-24 Table 3-5. Most Common Fish Species in the Assessment Area.............................. 3-26 Table 3-6. Acres of National Forest System (NFS) Lands and Forested Acres by VCU in the Vegetation Analysis Area..................................................... 3-32 Table 3-7. Acres by Volume Strata, Stand Structure, and Forest Productivity on NFS Land within the Vegetation Analysis Area...................................... 3-35 Table 3-8. Harvest History within the Vegetation Analysis Area............................. 3-36 Table 3-9. Acres of NFS Land within the Vegetation Analysis Area Suitable and Available for Timber Harvest by Volume Class and VCU ..................... 3-41 Table 3-10. Amount of Productive Old-growth Habitat (POG) in Old-growth Habitat Reserves (OGR) and Other Non-Development LUDs on National Forest System (NFS) Land in the Biodiversity Analysis Area . 3-47 Table 3-11. Acres of National Forest Land (NFS), Small Old-growth{ XE "old- growth" } Habitat Reserves (OGR), and Productive Old-growth Habitat (POG) in Value Comparison Units (VCU) in the Assessment Area ....... 3-51 Table 3-12. Proportion of Highly Productive Old-growth (HPOG) and Coarse Canopy Habitat (VC 5N and VC 6&7) within the Productive Old- growth (POG) in the Biodiversity Analysis Area.................................... 3-52 Table 3-13. Percentage of Productive Old-growth