South River Bureau of Land Management Rabbit Mountain Fire LSR Recovery Field Office Environmental Assessment Bureau of Land Management Roseburg District Office South River Field Office DOI-BLM-OR-R050-2014-0004-EA – Roseburg District Roseburg Rabbit Mountain Fire LSR Recovery Environmental Assessment – Chapter 1 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Roseburg District Office 777 NW Garden Valley Blvd. Roseburg, Oregon 97471 This environmental assessment analyzes proposed hazard tree safety treatments, roadside fuels reduction, habitat restoration, and road decommissioning designed in conformance with management direction provided in the 1995 Roseburg Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan (ROD/RMP), as amended prior to December 30, 2008. The BLM is providing a 30-day period for public review and comment on the documents, and will accept comments until the close of business (4:30 PM, PDT) on November 13, 2014. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment be advised that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. If you choose to submit any written comments, they should be directed to Steven Lydick, South River Field Manager, at the above address. In keeping with Bureau of Land Management policy, the Roseburg District posts Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, Findings of No Significant Impact, and Decision Records/Documentations on the district web page under Plans & Projects at www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg on the same day on which an electronic notice of availability is transmitted to those individuals and organizations on the District’s NEPA mailing list who have expressed an interest in project planning and analysis. Individuals desiring a paper copy of such documents will be provided one upon request. Individuals with the ability to access these documents on-line are encouraged to do so. Internet use reduces paper consumption and administrative costs associated with copying and mailing. ii Rabbit Mountain Fire LSR Recovery Environmental Assessment – Chapter 1 Table of Contents Chapter 1. Purpose and Need for Action ................................................................................. 7 1.1. Background .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Project Area ................................................................................................................... 1 1.3. Purpose (Objectives) ..................................................................................................... 1 1.3.1. Roadside, Railroad Right-of-Way, and Quarry Safety ................................................ 2 1.3.2. Roadside Fuels Reduction ................................................................................................ 2 1.3.3. Habitat Restoration ............................................................................................................ 2 1.3.4. Road Decommissioning.................................................................................................... 3 1.4. Need ................................................................................................................................ 3 1.4.1. Roadside, Railroad Right-of-Way, and Quarry Safety ................................................ 3 1.4.2. Roadside Fuels Reduction ................................................................................................ 4 1.4.3. Habitat Restoration ............................................................................................................ 4 1.4.4. Road Decommissioning.................................................................................................... 5 1.5. Decision Factors ............................................................................................................. 5 1.6. Scoping ........................................................................................................................... 5 1.6.1. Internal Scoping ................................................................................................................. 5 1.6.2. External Scoping ............................................................................................................... 6 1.6.3. Public Meetings and Workshops ....................................................................................13 1.7. Issues for Analysis ....................................................................................................... 14 1.7.1. Safety .................................................................................................................................14 1.7.2. Forest Vegetation .............................................................................................................14 1.7.3. Fire and Fuels Management, and Air Quality ..............................................................14 1.7.4. Wildlife ..............................................................................................................................14 1.7.5. Soils ....................................................................................................................................15 1.7.6. Fish, Aquatic Habitat and Water Resources .................................................................15 1.7.7. Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................15 1.7.8. Carbon Storage and Release ...........................................................................................15 1.7.9. Cumulative Effects ...........................................................................................................15 1.8. Issues Considered but not Analyzed in Detail ........................................................... 16 1.8.1. Environmental Justice ......................................................................................................16 1.8.2. Native American Religious or Ceremonial Sites .........................................................16 1.8.3. Areas of Critical Environmental Concern and Natural Areas ....................................16 1.9. Conformance ................................................................................................................ 16 1.9.1. Applicable Planning Documents ....................................................................................16 1.9.2. Applicable Laws and Regulations ..................................................................................17 1.9.3. Survey and Manage ..........................................................................................................18 Chapter 2. Discussion of the Alternatives .............................................................................. 20 2.1. Terminology and Definitions ...................................................................................... 20 2.2. Alternative One - No Action ....................................................................................... 22 2.3. Alternative Two – Proposed Action ........................................................................... 22 2.3.1. Roadside, Railroad Right-of-Way, and Quarry Safety ...............................................23 2.3.2. Roadside Fuels Reduction ...............................................................................................24 iii Rabbit Mountain Fire LSR Recovery Environmental Assessment – Chapter 1 2.3.3. Habitat Restoration ...........................................................................................................25 2.3.4. Road Decommissioning...................................................................................................25 2.3.5. Project Design Features of the Action Alternatives ....................................................26 2.4. Alternatives Considered but not Analyzed in Detail ................................................ 31 2.4.1. Salvage and Restoration on All Affected Land ............................................................31 2.4.2. Restoration-only Treatment ............................................................................................31 2.4.3. Apply Recommendations by Beschta and others (1995) ............................................32 2.4.4. Close all BLM Roads within Project Area ...................................................................32 2.4.5. Broadly Define and Remove Hazard Trees along all BLM Roads within Project Area....................................................................................................................................33 2.4.6. Reduce Snag Retention and Downed Wood in High Fire Risk Areas ......................34 2.4.7. Strategic Fuel Breaks .......................................................................................................34 2.5. Resources not Present or Affected ............................................................................. 34 2.5.1. Cultural Resources ...........................................................................................................34 2.5.2. Botany ................................................................................................................................35