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NFs in Alabama Transportation System Analysis Process (TAP) Report July 9, 2015 Recommended by: Odell Sanders and Shantae Guy, Team Leaders Revised August 2016 Reviewed by: Carl Petrick, Forest Supervisor NFs in Alabama USDA Forest Service Southern Region NFs in Alabama Unit Scale Transportation System Analysis Process (TAP) Report Table of Contents I. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 4 Objectives of Forest-Wide Transportation System Analysis Process (TAP) 4 Analysis Participants 4 Overview of the NFs in Alabama’s Road System 4 Key Issues, Benefits, Problems, Risks, and Management Opportunities Identified 5 Comparison of Existing System to MRS as Proposed by the TAP 6 Next Steps 6 II. Context..................................................................................................................................... 7 Alignment with National and Regional Objectives 7 Coordination with Forest Plan 7 Budget and Political Realities 8 Anticipated 2012 Transportation Bill Effects 8 Alignment with Watershed Condition Framework (WCF) 9 Alignment with NFs in Alabama Core Restoration Area Analysis 9 III. Overview of the NFs in Alabama and the supporting Transportation System ...................... 12 General Description of the NFs in Alabama Land Ownership Patterns, Land Use and Historic Travel Routes 12 Description of the NFs in Alabama’s Transportation System 13 Road Maintenance Funding 15 IV. Cost of Operating and Maintaining the NFs in Alabama’s Roads and Bridges .................... 16 Operations Costs 16 Road Maintenance Costs 16 Bridge Maintenance and Replacement Costs 17 Total Cost of Operating and Maintaining the NFs in Alabama’s Roads and Bridges to Standard 18 V. Assessment of Issues, Benefits and Risks ............................................................................. 19 Financial 19 Environmental and Social 19 Safety and Function 19 NFs in Alabama –Travel Analysis Report Page 2 Measurement and Rating 19 VI. Recommendations and Proposed Mitigation Measures ......................................................... 20 Rationale Used to Arrive at Proposed Minimum Road System 20 Suggested Conversion of Existing Road System to Minimum Road System 21 Best Management Practices (BMPs) Applicable to the NFs in Alabama 21 VII. Description of Pubic Involvement to Date, and Proposed Future Public Interactions .......... 22 VIII. ................................................................................................................................ Appendices 23 Appendix A – Map of Proposed Unneeded Roads 24 Appendix B – Motor Vehicle Use Maps 326 Appendix C – Existing Road System Benefits and Risks Assessment Data 32 Appendix D – NFs in Alabama Proposed Unneeded Roads Lists 39 Appendix E – Chief’s Letter of Direction 40 Appendix F – Southern Region Expectations 53 Appendix G – 6th Level HUC Watershed Condition Classification 59 Appendix H – District Level Travel Analysis Reports 60 INDEX OF TABLES Table 1: MRS miles by Core Area and District ............................................................................................. 11 Table 2: NFs in Alabama road system mileage by Operation ML ............................................................... 14 Table 3: NFs in Alabama Road Maintenance Costs by ML .......................................................................... 17 Table 4: Total Cost of NFs in Alabama Transportation System ................................................................... 18 Table 5: Proposed Unneeded Roads in Impaired Watersheds ................................................................... 21 Table 6: Risk & Benefits of Existing Road System by ML ............................................................................ 38 Table 7: Minimum Road System Mileage by District .................................................................................. 39 Table 8: Total Costs of MRS by District ....................................................................................................... 39 Table 9: Proposed Unneeded Roads List .................................................................................................... 40 Table 10: WCC by District ............................................................................................................................ 59 NFs in Alabama –Travel Analysis Report Page 3 I. Executive Summary Objectives of Forest-Wide Transportation System Analysis Process (TAP) The objectives of Forest-Wide TAP conducted over the past several years was to: - identify key issues related to the NFs in Alabama’s transportation system, in particular affordability and cumulative effects; - identify benefits, problems and risks related to the NFs in Alabama’s transportation system; - identify management opportunities related to the existing transportation system to suggest for future consideration as National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decisions (examples included items such as road decommissioning within priority watersheds and needed aquatic passage improvement projects); - create a map to inform the identification of the future Minimum Road System (MRS); - indicate the location of roads likely not needed and possible new road needs. (Note: Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR 212.5(b)(1) requires the Forest Service to identify the minimum road system needed for safe and efficient travel and for administration, utilization, and protection of National Forest System (NFS) lands.) This report is the first step towards identifying the minimum road system. Analysis Participants The Forest Leadership Team decided to form an interdisciplinary team to conduct the TAP. There was also some participation by partners and the general public. The primary participants were: - Erika L. Davis, P.E., Team Lead - Odell Sanders, III, Staff Officer and Recreation Program Manager - John Moran, Ryan Shurette, Art Goddard, Wildlife and Fisheries Specialist(s) and Soil and Water Specialist(s) - James Flue, Fire Specialist, succeeded by Michael Heard - Charles Blake, Law Enforcement, succeeded by Anthony Bolton - Doug Massaro, Engineering - Eugene Brooks, Silviculture Specialist - Stanley Glover, GIS Specialist Overview of the NFs in Alabama’s Road System NFs in Alabama –Travel Analysis Report Page 4 The NFs in Alabama’s road system currently comprises some 2000 miles, providing access to approximately 670,000 acres of national forest, as well as to interspersed private tracts and nearby local communities. The system supports both recreation and resource management. It is comprised of a combination of old “public” roads, roads constructed to access timber sales and subsequent silvicultural activities, roads constructed to access recreation areas, and a variety of other routes. These range from double lane paved roads to single lane gravel or native surface roads that may be useable by passenger cars, to high clearance routes, to travel ways that are closed for periods of time greater than one year. Funding for the construction or reconstruction of all types was generally provided either by congressional appropriations, or authorized as a component of a timber sale. Maintenance funding is primarily by congressional appropriations, although timber sales generally funds any maintenance required during the life of a particular sale operation. Key Issues, Benefits, Problems and Risks, and Management Opportunities Identified - Current appropriations and supplemental revenue sources are not sufficient to adequately maintain the NFs in Alabama’s 2000 mile road system as currently configured. Without changes, the existing transportation system requires an annual expenditure of approximately $ 3,200,596. Only about $838,288 is currently available, (FY12 road maintenance budget), resulting in a shortfall of about $ 2,362,308 or 26% of the total $ needed. - There is some system mileage which primarily serves either as access to private inholdings, or as general access to adjacent communities (approximately 24 miles, or 1% of the total). As opportunities allow, jurisdiction and maintenance costs should be considered for transfer to the most appropriate entity in order to allow the limited maintenance funding to be applied most effectively to the system roads of the NFs in Alabama. - Certain roads, particularly those located relatively low in the watersheds, may be causing undue stress to water quality and associated aquatic organisms, especially if they cannot be regularly and properly maintained. This is particularly the case in watersheds that are classified as “impaired.” There are 88 miles of forest roads located on impaired watersheds on the NFs in Alabama. Overall there are 139 miles of roads found to be likely not needed. See Appendix E, Table 9 for a complete list. In some cases there appear to be opportunities to decrease the total system maintenance costs, while at the same time better protecting water quality by decommissioning those roads with the highest risk and least benefit. Less than a mile has been identified by the TAP to be considered for decommissioning. - There are a number of roads that will most likely be needed at some time in the future, but which do not appear to be needed for actions currently being proposed. Storage of these roads (closure for at least a year, with only custodial maintenance provided) should be strongly considered. The TAP analysis suggests that NFs in Alabama –Travel Analysis Report Page 5 about