United States Department of TRIPOLI EAST Agriculture Forest Service VEGETATION March 2003 MANAGEMENT PROJECT Towns of Livermore and Thornton Grafton County, New Hampshire Environmental Assessment 2.0 Prepared By Ammonoosuc/Pemigewasset Ranger District, White Mountain National Forest For Information Contact: Susan Wingate Ammonoosuc/Pemigewasset Ranger District White Mountain National Forest RFD #3, Box 15 Plymouth, NH 03264-9103 603-536-1315 www.fs.fed.us/r9/white Tripoli East Vegetation Management Project EA 2.0 Chapter 3 – page i This document is available in large print. Contact the White Mountain National Forest Supervisor’s Office 1-603-528-8721 TTY 1-603-528-8722 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status (not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). 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Printed on Recycled Paper Page ii Tripoli East Vegetation Management Project EA 2.0 TRIPOLI EAST VEGETATION MANAGEMENT EA 2.0 - DOCUMENT SUMMARY The Ammonoosuc/Pemigewasset Ranger District of The proposed action may result in the following the White Mountain National Forest National Forest, effects: New Hampshire is proposing the following • Possible short-term, localized, soil management activities in the Tripoli East project compaction; area: • Small watersheds may experience increased • Even- or uneven-aged timber management on water yields; 1087 stand acres, and • Short-term minor sedimentation may occur at • Pre-haul road maintenance on 4.5 miles of temporary stream crossings if installed during road. summer or fall; The project area is located in the towns of Thornton • Minor erosion and sedimentation may occur at and Livermore, Grafton County, New Hampshire on times of out of bank flow where dispersed the Pemigewasset Ranger District of the White campsites are located on the lower terraces Mountain National Forest. The Tripoli East project adjacent to Eastman Brook; area consists of approximately 3,000 acres, all • Areas where clearcutting and group selection federal lands (Management 2.1 and 3.1 lands in harvests occur would create temporary Habitat Management Units 416 and 417 – Maps 1- openings and allow new tree seedlings to 3). become established, create a minor reduction in the mature forest community stage, and The following list describes the “needs for change” create an over-all increase in age-class and opportunities identified for the Tripoli East diversity; project area that would meet the project’s purpose of • Indirectly the increase in regenerating habitat implementing the Forest Plan. Item 2 was identified would benefit the majority of management following Scoping and is reflected in alternatives 3-6. indicator species, and conversely where 1. There is a need to increase the regenerating openings were created, the few management forest age class. indicator species that favor closed canopy 2. There is a need to relocate dispersed camping habitat would not benefit; sites along the Tripoli Road out of the lower • There would be a very low potential for minor, terraces adjacent to Eastman Brook onto localized, and short-term direct and indirect upland sites to prevent possible future erosion effects to amphibian, reptile, and fish habitat and sedimentation during periods of out of as related to sediment, turbidity, and/or travel bank flow. impediments and displacement; • There is a potential net return to the US 3. There is a need to provide an adequate Treasury of $436,775; a 10% timber tax return transportation system for both short- and long- of $14,403 to the Town of Thornton and term access to facilitate the management of $65,612 to Grafton County (for the National Forest Lands and to provide unincorporated Town of Livermore); and a motorized recreation opportunities. return to the 25% Fund of approximately 4. There is a need to provide wood to meet $200,000. people’s demand for wood products such as furniture, paper, fiber, and construction No adverse effects are anticipated to air quality, materials. recreation, the transportation system, or heritage resources. Tripoli East Vegetation Management Project EA 2.0 Page i Table A displays the amounts of activities proposed by alternative in the Tripoli Project. Table A: Amounts of Activities Proposed in the Tripoli Project by Alternative Alt 2 Alt 1 Activity Proposed Alt 3 Alt`4 Alt 5 Alt 6 No Action Action Timber Harvesting: Even-Aged Management – Clearcutting (northern 0 Ac 141 Ac 0 Ac 111Ac 131 Ac 111Ac hardwood, paper birch) Uneven-Aged Management - Single-Tree Selection 0 Ac 165 Ac 165 Ac 47 Ac 47 Ac 0 Ac Group Selection (groups range in size from 1/10 to 2 0 Ac 781 Ac 842 Ac 811 Ac 833 Ac 554 Ac acres in size; ½ acre average Group/Single-Tree Selection 0 Ac 0 Ac 0 Ac 118 Ac 118 Ac 0 Ac Transportation Pre-haul Road Maintenance 0 Mi 4.5 Mi 4.5 Mi 4.5 Mi 4.5 Mi 3.7 Mi Recreation: 10 Opportunity to Create Upland 0 Sites 0 Sites 23 Sites 25 Sites 225 Sites Sites Dispersed Campsites 0 Ac 0 Ac 6 Ac 7 Ac 7 Ac 3 Ac Opportunity to Remove and 10 0 Sites 0 Sites 23 Sites 25 Sites 225 Sites Restore Riparian Dispersed Sites 0 Ac 0 Ac 6 Ac 7 Ac 7 Ac Campsites 3 Ac This environmental assessment will provide the 3. Does the proposed project have a significant deciding officer (Ammonoosuc/Pemigewasset impact that would trigger a need to prepare an Ranger District) with information to make informed Environmental Impact Statement? decisions on the Tripoli East Vegetation 4. What mitigation measures and monitoring Management Project and provides the basis for requirements should the Forest Service apply determining: to these activities to meet Forest Plan 1. Which actions, if any, will be approved (which standards and guidelines for all resources? alternative to implement) that will move the 5. Will a Forest Plan amendment be required to Tripoli project area towards the desired accommodate this project? condition per Forest Plan direction and addresses the needs and issues identified for If an action alternative is selected, project this project? implementation could begin in 04/03 and last for several years. 2. Is the information in this analysis sufficient to implement the proposed activities? Page ii Tripoli East Vegetation Management Project EA 2.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATION LIST ........................ VI 2.3.3 Alternative 3 ......................................... 11 DOCUMENT STRUCTURE ..................................VIII 2.3.4 Alternative 4 ......................................... 12 CHAPTER 1 - PURPOSE AND NEED FOR 2.3.5 Alternative 5 ......................................... 12 ACTION ............................................................... 1 2.3.6 Alternative 6 ......................................... 13 1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................. 1 2.4 Comparison of Alternatives ..................... 13 1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................. 1 3.0 INTRODUCTION............................................... 26 1.1.1 Programmatic documents ...................... 2 3.0.1 Forest Plan References to Cumulative 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSAL ........................... 3 Effects ....................................................... 26 1.3 NEED FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................ 3 3.0.2 General Cumulative Effects ................. 26 1.3.1 Need for Change.................................... 3 3.1 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT................................ 26 1.4 PROPOSED ACTION.......................................... 6 3.1.1 Soils...................................................... 26 1.5 DECISION TO BE MADE ..................................... 6 3.1.2 Watershed ............................................ 34 1.7 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT...................................... 6 3.1.3 Air Quality............................................ 45 1.7.1 Scoping .................................................. 6 3.1.4 Transportation Facilities ....................... 46 1.7.2 Tripoli East Vegetation Management 3.2 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT............................ 51 Environmental Assessment 1.0 30-Day 3.2.1 Vegetation ............................................ 51 Comments and Appeal (6/12/02) (see § 3.2.2 Terrestrial Wildlife Resources .............. 60 1.0.1)........................................................... 7 3.2.3 Biological Diversity ............................... 84 1.8 ISSUES USED TO FORMULATE ALTERNATIVES .. 7 3.2.4 Aquatic Resources ............................... 90 1.8.1 Cumulative Effect of Creating Additional 3.3 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT .................100 Early-Successional Habitat (Regeneration 3.3.1 Cultural Resources............................. 100 Age-Class) (Public)..................................... 7 3.3.2 Recreation .......................................... 102 1.8.2 Meeting Habitat Management unit 3.3.3 Visual Quality ..................................... 105 Desired Composition as Directed By the 3.3.4 Community,