Rio Grande Draft Forest
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United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Rio Grande National Forest Draft Revised Land Management Plan Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, and San Juan Counties, Colorado September 2017 Rio Grande Pyramid in the Weminuche Wilderness USDA Forest Service Acronyms and Abbreviations AIR – Air quality ATI – Area of Tribal importance CCF – One hundred cubic feet CDT – Congressionally designated trail CFR – Code of Federal Regulations CRT – Cultural resources CWD – Coarse woody debris DBH – diameter at breast height DC – Desired condition FISH – Fisheries FIRE – Fire management FP – Forest products FSH – Forest Service Handbook G – Guideline GDE – Groundwater-dependent ecosystem HUC – Hydrologic Unit Code INFR – Infrastructure INDS – Insects and disease LAND – Lands LYNX – Canada lynx MA – Management area MIN – Minerals NNIS – Aquatic and terrestrial nonnative invasive species and noxious weeds OBJ – Objective PAOT – Persons at one time PLTR – Pollinators REC – Recreation management RNG – Range management ROS – Recreation opportunity spectrum RMZ – Riparian management zones S – Standard SCC – Species of conservation concern SOIL – Soils TEPC – Threatened, endangered, proposed, and candidate species USDA – U.S. Department of Agriculture VEG – Vegetation management WA – Watershed WCF – Watershed Condition Framework WLDF – Wildlife and plants Rio Grande National Forest Draft Revised Land Management Plan Rio Grande National Forest Draft Revised Land Management Plan Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, and San Juan Counties, Colorado Lead agency: USDA Forest Service Responsible official: Dan Dallas, Forest Supervisor 1803 W. Highway 160 Monte Vista, CO 81144 For more information, contact: Erin Minks, Forest Planner 1803 W. Highway 160 Monte Vista, CO 81144 719-852-5941 Planning documents are posted at: Forest Plan Revision Webpage i USDA Forest Service In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected] (link sends e-mail). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. ii Rio Grande National Forest Draft Revised Land Management Plan Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... ii Contents ...................................................................................................................................................... iii Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of this Land Management Plan ................................................................................................... 1 Desired Conditions................................................................................................................................. 1 Objectives .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Standards ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Guidelines .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Suitability of Lands ................................................................................................................................. 2 Consistency of Projects with the Forest Plan ............................................................................................ 2 Strategic Planning Framework .................................................................................................................. 2 Vision Domain ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Goal 1 .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Goal 2 .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Goal 3 .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Strategic Domain ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Tactical Domain ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Monitoring Domain .................................................................................................................................... 5 Adaptive Management Domain ................................................................................................................. 6 Management Approaches ...................................................................................................................... 6 Background, Roles, and Contributions of the Forest ................................................................................ 6 Relationship to Other Strategic Guidance ............................................................................................... 10 Chapter 2. Forestwide Direction .............................................................................................................. 11 Aquatic Ecosystems ................................................................................................................................ 11 Fisheries (FISH) ................................................................................................................................... 11 Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems (GDE) ..................................................................................... 13 Riparian Management Zones (RMZ) ................................................................................................... 14 Watershed (WA) .................................................................................................................................. 15 Native Animals and Plants ...................................................................................................................... 17 Pollinators (PLTR)................................................................................................................................ 17 Species of Conservation Concern – Animal and Plant (SCC) ............................................................. 18 Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive, Proposed, and Candidate Species ........................................... 21 Canada Lynx (LYNX) ........................................................................................................................... 21 Other Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Candidate Species (TEPC) ..................................... 24 Wildlife and Plants (WLDF) .................................................................................................................. 25 Aquatic and Terrestrial Nonnative Invasive Species and Noxious Weeds (NNIS) ................................. 30 Desired Conditions............................................................................................................................... 31 Objectives ............................................................................................................................................ 31 Guidelines ............................................................................................................................................ 31 Management