Fish Specialist Report for the Sawmill Canyon Vegetation Management Project Lost River Ranger District Salmon-Challis National Forest Custer County and Lemhi County, Idaho T12N, R25E, Sections 1 and 2; T12N, R26E, Sections 5-8; T13N, R25E, Sections 25 and 36; T13N, R26E, Sections 30 and 31 (Boise Meridian) Prepared by: Signature: Date: March 21, 2015 Bart L. Gamett South Zone Fish Biologist Salmon-Challis National Forest Signature: Date: March 21, 2015 Caselle L. Wood Fish Technician Salmon-Challis National Forest 0 1. Introduction The Sawmill Canyon Vegetation Management Project is located in the Sawmill Canyon drainage approximately 35 miles northeast of Mackay (Figure 1). This document is a specialist report that addresses fish related topics associated with this project. The report is organized into the following sections: 1. Introduction 2. Alternatives 3. Issue Analysis 4. Effects to Fish Species with Special Designations 5. Compliance with the Forest Plan and INFISH 2. Alternatives This section of the specialist report describes each of the alternatives associated with the project. The Forest is analyzing three alternatives for this project: 1) no action alternative (with wildfire), 2) the proposed action, and 3) helicopter logging alternative. Each of these is described in detail below. A. No Action Alternative Under this alternative, the Forest Service would not implement the Sawmill Canyon Vegetation Management Project. Natural and man caused processes would continue until an agent of change disrupts the vegetation patterns across the management area. Since 2000 the Salmon- Challis National Forest has experienced many agents of change including a mountain pine beetle epidemic, a spruce bud worm epidemic, loss of subalpine fir through a defoliator, and several fires of over 5,000 acres including one that was over 160,000 acres. Fire behavior modeling of site specific data collected in the Sawmill Canyon watershed indicates a wildfire under a hot summer day will transition into an active plume dominated crown fire. These crown fires were indicated by modeling in nearly every timbered unit proposed to be treated. Although this would suggest 100 percent lethal burn severity across the drainage, differing winds and weather conditions throughout any given 24-hour period would lessen the percent of lethal burn severity. A review of past wildfires in similar terrain, vegetative conditions, and similar burning conditions indicate that 40-50% of the forested ecosystems would incur a lethal stand replacing fire, 18-19% of the forested ecosystem would incur a mixed severity fire (50%+ of the conifers would survive), 16-21% of the forested ecosystem would incur a low severity burn (generally a ground fire with instances of tree torching), and 10-21% of the forested ecosystem would remain unburned. Shrub steppe communities and riparian zones associated with the forested ecosystems would likely experience high intensity, short duration burns as wildfire moved quickly through these fine fuels. Roads and natural fuel breaks would limit burning to those areas ignited from the spotting and running associated with the wildfire in the forested community. B. Proposed Action The proposed action involves implementing the Sawmill Canyon Vegetation Management Project using ground based logging techniques. The project includes two primary components: vegetation treatment and road/trail decommissioning. The vegetation treatment component involves the use of six types of treatments in 29 units covering 420 acres (Table 1, Figure 2). These include: 1 1. Precommercial thinning in 18 units (94 acres) 2. Commercial thinning with aspen release in 2 units (77 acres) 3. Commercial thinning in 2 units (29 acres) 4. Overstory removal in 1 unit (106 acres) 5. Sanitation-salvage in 4 units (81 acres) 6. Group selection in 2 units (33 acres) None of these vegetation treatments would be within the Riparian Habitat Conservation Area (RHCA) of perennial streams as defined by INFISH. Approximately 7 to 13 tons per acre of slash would be retained within the timber sale treatment units in order to maintain soil organic material and long-term site productivity as recommend for Douglas-fir and lodgepole forest types. The slash created during mechanical thinning in excess of these amounts would be treated either by piling and burning at the landing or at other locations where machine or hand piles were created within the units. Approximately 7 to 13 tons per acre of slash will be retained within the pre-commercial thinning units as well to provide additional soil organic material by limbing and scattering felled trees. No additional treatment to dispose of excess slash is required on the pre-commercial units because of current existing fuel loading. The road/trail decommissioning component involves decommissioning 13 sections of road/trail totaling 4.21 miles (Table 2, Figure 3). Road/trail decommissioning will involve a variety of techniques including ripping and seeding, placement of barriers, and full bench obliteration. This component of the project also involves removing two small culverts on Redrock Creek that are no longer needed (Table 2, Figure 3). C. Helicopter Logging Alternative The helicopter logging alternative involves implementing the Sawmill Canyon Vegetation Management Project with emphasis on helicopter logging techniques. The project includes two primary components: vegetation treatment and road/trail decommissioning. The vegetation treatment component involves the use of six types of treatments in 28 units covering 401 acres (Table 3, Figure 2). These include: 1. Precommercial thinning in 18 units (94 acres) 2. Commercial thinning with aspen release in 2 units (77 acres) 3. Commercial thinning in 2 units (29 acres) 4. Overstory removal in 1 unit (106 acres) 5. Sanitation-salvage in 4 units (81 acres) 6. Group selection in 1 unit (14 acres) None of these vegetation treatments would be within the Riparian Habitat Conservation Area (RHCA) of perennial streams as defined by INFISH. At least two helicopter landings would be required with one of them providing a fueling and service staging zone. Landing locations identified will be straight from the 1AR and 2AR unit off Forest Road #40844. The second location will be up on the flat in the old timber sale off of Forest Road # 40465. Any yarding over major travel routes including Timber Creek Road and Sawmill Canyon Road would require flaggers to stop traffic as the helicopter crosses the road. Flight paths would avoid flying over any private land and the Timber Creek Campground. Minimum landing sizes for processing and yarding would have to be approximately two acres. If a service area and staging is included this area, the landings would be at least two acres but no more than three acres. Approximately 7 to 13 tons per acre of slash would be retained within the timber sale treatment units in order to maintain soil organic material and long-term site productivity as recommend for 2 Douglas-fir and lodgepole forest types. Approximately 7 to 13 tons per acre of slash will be retained within the pre-commercial thinning units to provide additional soil organic material by limbing and scattering fell trees. No additional treatment to dispose of slash more than 13 tons is anticipated on the pre-commercial units because of current existing fuel loading. The road/trail decommissioning component involves decommissioning 9 sections of road/trail totaling 2.75 miles (Table 4, Figure 3). Road/trail decommissioning will involve a variety of techniques including ripping and seeding, placement of barriers, and full bench obliteration. This component of the project also involves removing two small culverts on Redrock Creek that are no longer needed (Table 4, Figure 3). The major differences between the proposed action and the helicopter logging alternative are as follows: The helicopter logging alternative would not treat one 19 acre group selection unit (Unit 1GS) which would reduce the total area treated from 420 acres to 401 acres The helicopter logging alternative would treat nine of the units with helicopter logging instead of ground based logging The helicopter logging alternative would require fewer roads to be reopened The helicopter logging alternative would require fewer temporary roads to be constructed The helicopter logging alternative would require fewer landings The helicopter logging alternative would require fewer skid trails The helicopter logging alternative would involve decommissioning 9 sections of road totaling 2.75 miles instead of 13 sections totaling 4.21 miles 3. Issue Analysis This section of the specialist report is intended to evaluate the effects of the alternatives on fish related issues. However, no issues, including issues associated with fish resources, were identified. 4. Effects to Fish Species with Special Designations This section of the specialist report evaluates the effects of the alternatives on fish with special designations. These are fish designated as endangered, threatened, or proposed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA); fish designated as sensitive by the Regional Forester; and fish designated as management indicator species by the Salmon-Challis National Forest. A. Analysis Area The analysis area is the area where the proposed action will result in direct or indirect effects to fish or fish habitat. Analysis indicates that the project has the potential to effect fish or fish habitat in the following areas: the area within the units, an area extending