McCrillis Path United States Department of Agriculture Relocation Project Forest Service Eastern Region 30-Day Comment Report Town of Sandwich Grafton County, NH Saco Ranger District July 2010 For Information Contact: Rod Wilson Saco Ranger District White Mountain National Forest 33 Kancamagus Highway Conway, NH 03818 Telephone: 603 447-5448 Ext. 120 FAX: 603 447-8405 White Mountain National Forest This document is available in large print. Contact the Saco Ranger District Phone: 603 447-5448 TTY: 603 447-3121 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 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Printed on Recycled Paper McCrillis Path Relocation Project — 30-Day Comment Report Contents Chapter 1 Purpose and Need . .5 1.1 Introduction . .5 1.2 Background . 5 1.3 Purpose of the Action and Need for Change . 7 1.4 Proposed Action . 9 1.5 Decision to be Made . 10 1.6 Public Involvement . 10 1.7 Issues . 10 Chapter 2 Alternatives . 12 2.1 Introduction . 12 2.2 Description of Alternatives . 12 2.3 Alternatives Considered But Not Analyzed In Detail . .13 2.4 Comparison of Alternatives . .14 Chapter 3 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences . 15 3.1 Recreation . 15 3.2 Wilderness . 17 3.3 Heritage . 21 3.4 Wildlife . 22 3.5 Endangered, Threatened, and Proposed (TEP) Species and Regional Forester Sensitive Species (RFSS) . 26 3.6 Rare Plants and Invasives . .27 3.7 Soil and Water . .28 Chapter 4 Preparation and Consultation . 31 ID Team Members and Forest Service Contacts . .31 Agencies Consulted . .31 Appendix A How to Comment and Timeframe . .32 3 White Mountain National Forest — Saco Ranger District d R Ch urc h c h t Po F nd o a McCrillis Path Relocation Sp Project N ll ur r P C a o il n d ra Figure 1.1 Be R T d R O d re r le l l il l i i o lk i ra v o T e o h il rm F ra as ri T t e ra a Ü Po v k t T n i n L o u o h Bro il M n Bro U ra o T y k s a T T d d ri ra n p a Ke y b i ra l Po m b t y t id l Sa le e L e s o l o i P p a re h T r t a G a C ra T t f h a il f P s o r c t l e a u i d d l e il C ra u y T Pa ra a T s Bo t w e h k l a l o n T o Ka Bo ri Bro c p a te s s o e s l Sl n i D L a R w Pa Sn e o l i w e i c ren d o D e c p ra e w e T y Tra s r ' i Bro s s l T n ra i M W o ll ald i o i en k l l T l ra R R il l d T i d l ra i R ra i T ra k Sa l o T s ro n T u o d B d m g w a y W u i Bl o il rd 9 c ig h g R a -4 u i ra Pa n t H M e T H T s b d N t ra l n e a y il e rry l O T M l ra C d i L l Ke h l e a t l O b i d Pa ra g i T G n F e rd k M T o o l o f a T k ro c ra B t ra Ke rd c c s M h ' i o i Bi r t l l IAl l e Pa e i k y n o l ra l Pa R u i D s s d Pa n li s l t t T i a r u t r c re i h a c n Ferncroft i M P l P } o } a l n t k i } h o ra d } ro T } B T } 's in ra art u q i } n } Sm o Gl l og ea Al so n Tra W il H I T Benne E tt Street IA F AC Bl E a c k Whiteface-Intervale M t n Po d n R G er d iv U R d T ol I C ra N EA i l H I L ail L Tr nd M Po e ea a uin d G T ra il N H-113 25 y Hw e D at Legend IAM St O NH ND } } L McCrillis Path Relocation WilEdeDrness Zone A GE Roads Wilderness Zone B Hiking Trails Wilderness Zone C N H White Mountain National Forest Wilderness Zone D -1 0 0.5 1 2 Miles 09 Sanwich Range Wilderness Map created June 18, 2010 4 McCrillis Path Relocation Project — 30-Day Comment Report Chapter 1 Purpose and Need 1.1 Introduction The Saco Ranger District of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) is seeking public comments on a proposal to relocate the McCrillis Path, in the Sandwich Range Wilderness in the Town of Sandwich, New Hampshire. This document is our invitation for interested persons to review the proposed action and, if interested or concerned, provide your written comments to us for our consideration. This report includes the Purpose and Need for the project, a description of the Proposed Action, a description of the Decisions to be Made, and information on how you can submit comments to the Forest Service. The enclosed map displays the proposed project area. 1.2 Background The Sandwich Range Wilderness (Management Area 5.1) is approximately 35,800 acres, located in Carroll and Grafton Counties, New Hampshire. This Wilderness contains several dominant peaks including the Tripyramids, Mt Whiteface and Mt. Passaconaway as well as several mountain ponds. The Sandwich Range has long been popular with hikers and backpackers. There are approximately 57 miles of trails within the Sandwich Range Wilderness. Like most Eastern Wildernesses, the Sandwich Range Wilderness includes lands that have been modified through past logging, historical trail uses, and other past human actions. All Wilderness Areas in the WMNF are managed in accordance with the Wilderness Management Plan, from the WMNF Land and Resource Management Plan (2005). That Plan directs that Wilderness is managed to allow natural ecological processes to dominate while managing human uses. The WMNF uses a zoning approach to manage Wilderness among many com- peting wilderness values. To do so, each Wilderness includes up to four zones ranging from low-use areas to high use areas. The WMNF Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP Appendix E) describes these zones as follows: • Zone A, defined as areas 500 feet or more from all trails. • Zone B, defined as areas within 500 feet of low-use trails. • Zone C, defined as areas within 500 feet of moderate-use trails. • Zone D, areas within ¼ mile of developed facilities or within 500 feet of high use trails. Areas without a designated trail or facility have been identified as Zone A. The McCrillis Path by definition is located in Zone B, with the surrounding area identified as Zone A (see Figure 1.1). Zone A lands are the least impacted lands, affording the greatest degree of solitude. They by definition do not contain trails. 5 White Mountain National Forest — Saco Ranger District l rai in T igg W McCrillis Path Relocation ProjecTotm Figure 1.2 D i c e y ' s ÜM i l l T ra i l Bl u e b e rry L e d g e T ra il F la t M o un ta in P on d Tra il h t } } } } } } Pa s i l } } l i Mc } r cril c lis } c Tra il } } } M }} } } } Trail Closed } } 89: } } } } } IA W H I T Benne E tt Stre F et AC E 11«¬3-A Legend } } McCrillis Path Relocation Wilderness Zone A 100 foot contour Wilderness Zone B Roads Wilderness Zone C Streams Wilderness Zone D 0 0.25 0.5 1 Miles White Mountain National Forest Hiking Trails Map created June 18, 2010 6 McCrillis Path Relocation Project — 30-Day Comment Report 1.3 Purpose of the Action and Need for Change Need for a Trail Relocation The McCrillis Path is located in the south central portion of the Sandwich Range Wilderness, in the town of Sandwich, New Hampshire. Historically, the McCrillis Path was a dirt road used to travel between the towns of Wonalancet and Sandwich. It follows old roads in use since 1825 to travel between Ferncroft and Whiteface Intervale.