Tripoli Road Campsite Relocation and Roadside United States Hazard Tree Removal Project Department of Agriculture Towns of Thornton, Livermore, and Forest Service Eastern Waterville Valley, Grafton County, NH Region 30-Day Comment Report Pemigewasset Ranger District February 2016 For Information Contact: Heather McKenny White Mountain National Forest 71 White Mountain Drive Campton, NH 03223 Phone: 603 536-6135 White Mountain National Forest Fax: 603 536-3685 www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain This document is available in large print. Contact the Pemigewasset Ranger District White Mountain National Forest 603-536-6100 For TTY call 711 to be connected to a Forest Service Number 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] . USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. Printed on Recycled Paper Cover photo: Eastman Brook adjacent to Tripoli Road, White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire (WMNF photo). Tripoli Road Campsite Relocation & Roadside Hazard Tree Removal Project Table of Contents Table of Contents....................................................................................................................................................... i List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................................ ii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................................ iii Chapter 1 — Proposed Action ................................................................................................................................. 1 Summary ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Tripoli Road .............................................................................................................................................................. 2 Purpose of and Need for this Project ......................................................................................................................... 6 WMNF Land and Resource Management Plan ...................................................................................................... 12 Decisions to be Made ............................................................................................................................................... 13 Public Participation ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Issues ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2. Alternatives ........................................................................................................................................... 20 Alternatives Considered in Detail ........................................................................................................................... 20 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated from Detailed Study ............................................................................... 31 Chapter 3—Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ........................................................ 34 Water and Soil Resources ........................................................................................................................................ 34 Heritage ................................................................................................................................................................... 50 Recreation................................................................................................................................................................ 52 Wildlife .................................................................................................................................................................... 79 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed Species and Sensitive Species ......................................................................... 98 References ............................................................................................................................................................... 107 List of Preparers ..................................................................................................................................................... 112 Local, State, and Federal Agencies Consulted .................................................................................................. 112 Glossary of Terms .................................................................................................................................................. 113 Appendix A: Conceptual Designs ..................................................................................................................... A-1 i 30-Day Comment Report List of Figures Figure 1. Tripoli Road Campground is located in the towns Thornton, Livermore, and Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. ....................................................................................................... v Figure 2. The Project Area includes Tripoli, Mack Brook, Hix Mountain, Hix Mountain Spur A Roads. ......................................................................................................................................................... vi Figure 3.Tripoli Road on a quiet mid-week day in June. ..................................................................... 2 Figure 4. Many campsites are located in riparian areas and are compacted and with much of the understory vegetation removed. Improper human waste and trash disposal in and adjacent to the water is also evident. ........................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 5. Poor conditions along Mack Brook Road, including deep gullies and protruding rocks, make it difficult for standard passenger vehicles to safely navigate the road. ............................... 10 Figure 6. A typical weekend on Tripoli Road with numerous vehicles parked along the road leaving only one lane open for travel. The vehicles are not associated with a particular site and could belong to campers staying at one of several sites in this area. ............................................... 10 Figure 7. Vehicles stop in the road at the welcome station leaving one lane open for travel. ...... 11 Figure 8. The current location of roadside campsites and portable toilets under the No Action Alternative. ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 9. The proposed action includes 38 campsites and up to 10 toilets. Existing sites would be rehabilitated as necessary. ...................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 10. Riverside campsite before (top) and after (bottom) decommissioning.......................... 24 Figure 11. The project area was used to define the subwatersheds used in the analysis of effects of the alternatives on water and soil. Water quality was monitored at four sites on Eastman Brook and one site on Mack Brook. ....................................................................................................... 36 Figure 12. Subwatersheds were used to analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the project on soil and water resources. ...............................................................................................