Appendix 2 Proposed Forest Plan Amendments Sawtooth National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan Chapter III Sawtooth WCS Appendix 2 Chapter III. Management Direction Table of Contents Management Direction......................................................................................................... III-1 Forest-Wide Management Direction ................................................................................ III-1 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Candidate Species ....................................... III-1 Air Quality and Smoke Management .......................................................................... III-4 Wildlife Resources ....................................................................................................... III-5 Vegetation .................................................................................................................... III-9 Non-native Plants ....................................................................................................... III-13 Fire Management ....................................................................................................... III-14 Timberland Resources ............................................................................................... III-16 Rangeland Resources ................................................................................................. III-17 Minerals and Geology Resources .............................................................................. III-18 Lands and Special Uses ............................................................................................. III-19 Facilities and Roads ................................................................................................... III-20 Recreation Resources ................................................................................................. III-21 Common Management Prescription Category (MPC) Management Direction ............. III-22 Management Area Direction .......................................................................................... III-25 Forest Plan Appendix A Vegetation ................................................................................ A-1 Forest Plan Appendix E Terrestrial Wildlife Resources .................................................... E-1 Figures Management Area 02. Upper Salmon River Valley Location Map................................... III-27 Management Area 03. East Fork Salmon River/White Clouds Location Map.................. III-34 Management Area 04. Big Wood River Location Map ..................................................... III-40 Management Area 05. Little Wood River Location Map .................................................. III-49 Management Area 06. Upper South Fork Boise River Location Map .............................. III-56 Management Area 07. Little Smoky Creek Location Map ................................................ III-63 Management Area 08. Middle South Fork Boise River Location Map ............................. III-69 Management Area 09. Lime Creek Location Map ............................................................ III-76 Sawtooth WCS Appendix 2 Management Area 10. Soldier Creek/Willow Creek Location Map.................................. III-81 Management Area 11. Rock Creek Location Map ............................................................ III-87 Management Area 12. Cottonwood Creek Location Map ................................................. III-92 Management Area 13. Trapper Creek/Goose Creek Location Map .................................. III-97 Management Area 14. Shoshone Creek Location Map ................................................... III-102 Management Area 15. Albion Mountains Location Map ................................................ III-106 Management Area 16. Howell Creek Location Map ....................................................... III-111 Management Area 17. Independence Lakes Location Map ............................................. III-116 Management Area 18. Raft River Location Map ............................................................. III-121 Management Area 19. Black Pine Location Map ............................................................ III-127 Management Area 20. Sublett Location Map .................................................................. III-133 Sawtooth WCS Appendix 2 Sawtooth Forest Plan Chapter III Management Direction Management Direction FOREST-WIDE MANAGEMENT DIRECTION THREATENED, ENDANGERED, PROPOSED, AND CANDIDATE SPECIES As shown below, the following proposed changes would be made to the Forest-wide management direction for Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Candidate Species, pp. III-8 through III-15, in Chapter III, Management Direction, of the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan (revised) for the Sawtooth National Forest. New direction: None Modified direction: • Goals TEGO01, TEGO02, TEGO03, TEGO04, TEGO05 and TEGO06 would be modified for clarity and/or to describe the condition desired, rather than imply an action. • Objectives TEOB03, TEOB14 and TEOB24 would be modified to correct reference or typographical errors. • Standards TEST17, TEST18, TEST19 and TEST20 would be modified to reflect current terminology. Deleted direction: • Objectives TEOB15, TEOB16 and TEOB17 would be deleted because they refer to species that are no longer listed under ESA; Bald Eagle and Gray Wolf. • Guideline TEGU09 would be deleted because Standard TEST22 already requires avoidance. Other direction in this section would remain as presented in the 2003 Forest Plan and consequently, is not included below. Management Direction for Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Candidate Species Type Number Direction Description Habitat within the respective ranges of species listed under ESA contributes to their TEGO01 survival and recovery. Habitat within the respective ranges of Proposed or Candidate species contributes to TEGO02 keeping them from becoming listed under ESA. Restorative actions to address the long-term threats to listed and proposed species are Goals TEGO03 balanced with the short-term need to protect listed and proposed species and their habitats. Environmental conditions and habitat components support reproductive needs important TEGO04 to sustainable populations of Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Candidate (TEPC) species. III-1 Sawtooth WCS Appendix 2 Sawtooth Forest Plan Chapter III Management Direction Type Number Direction Description Well-distributed habitat capable of maintaining self-sustaining, complex interacting TEGO05 groups of TEPC species exists within their respective ranges across the planning unit. Habitat capable of maintaining stable or increasing trends in abundance of TEPC TEGO06 species in all recovery units within the planning unit exists. See also Goals for Soil, Water, Riparian and Aquatic (SWRA) Resources (09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15); Vegetation (04); Botanical Resources (04, 05, 06); and Recreation Resources (04). Wildlife Resources Identify and reduce road-related effects on TEPC species and their habitats using the TEOB03 Watershed and Aquatic Recovery Strategy (WARS), the Vegetation and Wildlife Habitat Restoration Strategy and Source Environment Restoration Strategy, and other appropriate methodologies. During mid- or project-scale analysis, identify and prioritize opportunities for restoration of habitat linkage zones for terrestrial TEPC species to promote genetic TEOB14 integrity and species distribution (refer to Wildlife Source Environment Restoration Strategy Map in Appendix E). TEOB15 Deleted, as part of 2011 proposed Forest Plan amendment for WCS. TEOB16 Deleted, as part of 2011 proposed Forest Plan amendment for WCS. TEOB17 Deleted, as part of 2011 proposed Forest Plan amendment for WCS. Mineral Resources Objectives Continue coordination with the State of Idaho in determining areas that should be considered available for suction dredge mining. Determinations concerning availability should consider: a) Avoid suction dredge mining in bull trout and chinook salmon habitat after August 15 and through the remainder of the calendar year where it will TEOB24 adversely affect spawning and rearing fish and associated redds. b) Seasonal closures should also be considered for other fish species as necessary to protect spawning adults, rearing juveniles and incubating redds, including steelhead trout, especially during drought years. c) Avoiding adverse effects from suction dredging to occupied TEPC plant habitat. See also Objectives for SWRA Resources (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18); Wildlife Resources (08, 09); Botanical Resources (03, 04, 08, 11, 12, 13, 14); Non-native Plants (06, 08); Mineral and Geology Resources (08); Facilities and Roads (10, 11, 12); and Tribal Rights and Interests (03). Fire Management Once a Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) decision is approved , heavy equipment shall not be used to construct fire lines within occupied TEPC plant habitat unless: a) The line officer or designee determines that imminent safety to human life or protection of structures is an issue; OR Standards TEST17 b) The incident resource advisor determines and documents an escaped fire would cause more degradation to occupied TEPC plant habitat than would result from the disturbance of heavy equipment. In no case will the decision to use heavy equipment in occupied TEPC plant habitat be delayed when the line officer or designee determines safety or loss of human life or protection