Mountain City, Ruby Mountains and Jarbidge Ranger Districts Combined Travel Management Project Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences 3.1. Introduction This chapter summarizes the physical, biological, cultural, social, and economic environments that are affected by the alternatives and the effects on that environment that would result from implementation of any of the alternatives. This chapter also presents the scientific and analytical basis for comparison of the alternatives presented in chapter 2. 3.1.1. Analysis Process Most of the data used in the following analysis are from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest corporate GIS layers. There is a certain amount of error in the location and alignments included in this GIS data. For example, the road layer overlying the stream layer may show more stream crossings than actually exist on the ground because of the various sources from which the different layers were obtained. Some perennial streams may show up on the map as being intermittent. This may also create some inaccuracies as to the exact location and extent of riparian zones. The Forest is constantly working to improve map accuracies and the corporate GIS layers. For the purposes of this analysis, the best available data was used. The data in the tables below and in the project record depict with a reasonable amount of accuracy what would be occurring on the ground for each alternative, within the limitations described above. The changes between alternatives remain relative to each other. 3.1.2. Cumulative Effects According to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, “cumulative impact” is the impact on the environment which results from the incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency (federal or non-federal) or person undertakes such actions (40 CFR 1508.7). The cumulative effects analysis area is described under each resource, but in most cases includes the entire area of the Mountain City, Ruby Mountains, and Jarbidge Ranger Districts including private and other public lands that lie within the district boundaries. Past activities are considered part of the existing condition and are discussed in the Affected Environment (existing condition) and Environmental Consequences section under each resource. The CEQ issued an interpretive memorandum on June 24, 2005, regarding analysis of past actions, which states, “agencies can conduct an adequate cumulative effects analysis by focusing on the current aggregate effects of past actions without delving into the historical details of individual past actions.” In order to understand the contribution of past actions to the cumulative effects of the proposed action and alternatives, this analysis relies on current environmental conditions as a proxy for the impacts of past actions. This is because existing conditions reflect the aggregate impact of all prior human actions and natural events that have affected the environment and might contribute to cumulative effects. 37 Mountain City, Ruby Mountains and Jarbidge Ranger Districts Combined Travel Management Project Final Environmental Impact Statement 3.1.3. Recent, Current, and Planned Activities to be Considered for the Cumulative Effects Analysis To avoid repetition in individual resource discussions, potential projects or activities considered for the cumulative effects analysis are detailed here and referenced, as appropriate, in the individual resource effects analysis. Road Maintenance: Every year roads on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest are selected and maintained based on concern for public safety, environmental impacts, and volume of use. Forest-wide, about 75 percent of current National Forest System (NFS) roads are level 2 roads, which means they are suitable for high-clearance vehicles. While road maintenance budgets vary yearly, the 2009 targets for the Forest are illustrative. In 2009, the Forest planned for 10 miles of road decommissioning; 4 miles of improvements and 83 miles of maintenance for level 2 maintenance roads; and 4 miles of improvement and 496 miles of maintenance for higher maintenance level roads (passenger vehicles). The Forest has substantially more high-clearance vehicle roads than roads designed for passenger vehicles. The Forest has no plans at this time to change the overall character of the existing road system, which is a low-density system of mostly more primitive, lower maintenance level roads. The Forest concentrates both maintenance and improvements on the small majority of higher maintenance level, passenger vehicle roads. All roads are evaluated to ensure they are not causing unacceptable environmental effects. Problem areas are prioritized and best management practices are implemented to prevent or minimize adverse road-related resource impacts. Livestock Grazing: Livestock grazing is an ongoing activity across the three ranger districts. Permittees manage livestock within the limits of the term grazing permits and allotment management plans. Permittees may travel on NFS roads and cross-country to meet their obligations under the permits. These actions are expected to continue. Mineral Exploration, Mining, and Reclamation: The majority of locatable mineral exploration and development is expected on the Mountain City Ranger District with limited activity on the Jarbidge and Ruby Mountains Ranger Districts. Mining, exploration, and reclamation operations are expected to continue at the Jerritt Canyon Mine. Exploration activities are expected at other smaller properties on the three districts. Reclamation activities are ongoing at the Big Springs Mine and Wood Gulch Mine on the Mountain City Ranger District. During an average year there may be up to six small exploration projects ongoing or in reclamation. Temporary roads may be constructed as a part of exploration and mining operations. Fuels Projects/Wildfire: Three fuels reduction projects have been proposed for the districts: North Fork on the Mountain City Ranger District, and Warm Springs and Overland on the Ruby Mountains Ranger District. Wildfire can and has occurred on these districts. The effects of fire are dependent on many factors including fuel type and continuity, topography, fuel moisture, temperature, humidity, and wind speed/direction. Roads and trails, as well as natural fuel breaks, are at times used to control fire spread if they are strategic to the suppression effort. Roads can also exacerbate wildfire occurrence and behavior due to the vegetation type conversions they contribute to with the introduction and spread of certain weed species. 3.1.4. Key Features of the Alternatives The system used to determine road and trail miles is based on geographic information system (GIS) data. To provide a realistic expression of the transportation system, without overstating its precision, acreages and miles have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Conversely, some of the resource analyses expressed mileages to a tenth of a mile. These numbers are rounded to 38 Mountain City, Ruby Mountains and Jarbidge Ranger Districts Combined Travel Management Project Final Environmental Impact Statement the nearest mile, unless detailed figures better display comparison among the alternatives. For example, road densities are displayed as calculated. 3.1.5. Overall Approach to Effects Analysis The following analysis framework is established for this project. • While roads do cause effects to the environment, this travel management project does not propose any new road construction, but rather analyzes alternatives to adding existing unauthorized roads and trails to the current forest transportation system (FTS). • This analysis will not compare the action alternatives to a pristine, untouched environment but rather to Alternative 1 (No Action), which includes the existing NFS roads, unauthorized roads and trails, and the cross-country motorized travel currently allowed on much of the project area. • The effects of the proposed action and alternatives presented in this chapter will include discussion of the overall effects of the 969 miles of unauthorized roads and trails proposed for addition to the FTS. These roads and motorized trails already exist on the ground, but are not currently part of the FTS; no previous environmental analysis been completed on these routes. • This analysis will also discuss social, economic, and environmental effects of some specific roads and motorized trails. Specific roads and motorized trails that may cause effects are discussed individually so the public and the Forest Service can consider any trade-offs associated with the addition of these routes. 3.1.6. General Assumptions for Resource Effects Analyses Regardless of the alternative selected (excluding no action), violations involving travel off designated roads and motorized trails will most likely occur during the first few years. The number of violations should decline as users understand and comply with the restrictions. Publication of the motor vehicle use maps, combined with signage, user education programs, and enforcement will reduce the number of violations. The analysis of effects includes all NFS roads and trails and all unauthorized routes on NFS lands regardless of access. This would allow decisions to be made regarding designation of these roads and trails as access becomes available. Cross-Country Travel: Some areas