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Environmental Assessment United States Department of Agriculture Environmental Assessment Forest Service Silverado Fuel Break March 2013 Trabuco Ranger District, Cleveland National Forest Orange and Riverside Counties, California For More Information Contact: Jacob Gipson Trabuco Ranger District Cleveland National Forest 1147 East 6th Street, Corona, CA 92879 Phone: 951-736-1811 Non-Discrimination Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment Complaint If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_file.html. To File a Program Complaint If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at [email protected]. Persons with Disabilities Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). Silverado Fuel Break Environmental Assessment Table of Contents Summary .......................................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1- Purpose & Need for Action .........................................................................................................2 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................2 Background ...............................................................................................................................................5 Forest Plan & Management Direction .......................................................................................................5 Purpose and Need for Action ....................................................................................................................7 Public Involvement ...................................................................................................................................7 Issues .........................................................................................................................................................8 Chapter 2- Alternatives..................................................................................................................................9 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................9 Alternative One- No Action ......................................................................................................................9 Alternative Two- Proposed Action ...........................................................................................................9 Alternative Two Treatment Actions and Design Criteria .......................................................................10 Design Criteria ........................................................................................................................................10 Comparison of Alternatives ....................................................................................................................16 Chapter 3- Environmental Consequences....................................................................................................17 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................17 Air Quality ..............................................................................................................................................18 Fire & Fuels ............................................................................................................................................22 Heritage Resources .................................................................................................................................31 Hydrology & Soils ..................................................................................................................................35 Invasive Nonnative Plants .......................................................................................................................43 Plants .......................................................................................................................................................50 Scenery ....................................................................................................................................................59 Wildlife ...................................................................................................................................................65 Consultation & Coordination ......................................................................................................................77 Acronyms & Definitions .............................................................................................................................78 Interdisciplinary Team Members ................................................................................................................80 References ...................................................................................................................................................81 List of Tables Table 1- Project Area & Communities ..........................................................................................................4 Table 2- Summary of Best Management Practices (BMPs) ........................................................................13 Table 3- Waterbar Spacing Guidelines ........................................................................................................13 Table 4- Comparison of Alternatives ..........................................................................................................16 Table 5- Recent Activities on the Trabuco Ranger District ........................................................................17 Table 6- Designated Non-Attainment Areas for Criteria Pollutants ...........................................................19 Table 7- Total Project Emissions ................................................................................................................21 Table 8- Significance Tess/Conformity Test (Tons per Year of Emissions Produced)...............................21 Table 9- Fire Hazard & Percentage in the Analysis Area ...........................................................................24 Table 10- Vegetation Types in the Analysis Area .......................................................................................25 Table 11- Fuel Model Category, Description, Acres in the Analysis Area .................................................25 Table 12- Comparison of Alternatives for Fireline Intensity, .....................................................................27 Table 13- Properties & Ratings of Soils within the Project Area ................................................................37 Table 14- Equivalent Roaded Areas for Proposed Fuel Break & Threshold of Concern for 6th Code HUC Subwatersheds .....................................................................................................................................42 i Preliminary Silverado Fuel Break Environmental Assessment Table 15- Occurrences of Nonnative Invasive Plant Species in the Silverado Project Area & in other Fuel Breaks in the Vicinity ......................................................................................................................... 45 Table 16- Potential Invasive Species .......................................................................................................... 46 Table 17- Forest Service Sensitive (FSS) Plant Species Habitat in the Project Area ................................. 52 Table
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