United States Department of Agriculture NATIONAL FOREST PREFACE This National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) was developed to direct the management of the Toiyabe National Forest. The goal df the Plan is to provide a management program reflective of a mixture of management activities that allow use and protection of Forest resources; fulfill legislative requirements; and address local, regional, and national issues and concerns. To accomplish this, the Forest Plan: SPECIFIES THE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES AND THE APPROXIMATE TIMING AND VICINITY OF THE PRACTICES NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THAT DIRECTION; AND ESTABLISHES THE MONITORING AND EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THE DIRECTION IS CARRIED OUT AND TO DETERMINE HOW WELL OUTPUTS AND EFFECTS WERE PREDICTED. The Forest Plan will be reviewed (and updated if necessary) at least every five years. It will be revised on a IO- to 15-year cycle. Preparation of the Forest Plan is required by the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) as amended by the National Forest Management Act (NFMA). Assessment of its environmental impacts is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the implementing regulations of NFMA (36 WR 219). The Forest Plan replaces all previous resource management plans prepared for the Toiyabe National Forest. Upon approval of the Forest Plan, all subsequent activities affecting the Forest must be in compliance with the Forest Plan. In addition, all permits, contracts and other instruments for the use and 0 occupancy of National Forest System lands mst be in conformance with the Forest Plan. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANNINC LEVELS Development of this Forest Plan occurs within the framework of Forest Service regional and national planning. The RPA Program sets the national direction and resource levels for National Forest System lands, based on suitability and capability information for each Forest Service region. Each regional disaggregation is based on the information gathered at the Forest level. Each Forest Plan validates or provides a basis for changing the production levels assigned by the Region through the Regional Guide. Activities are planned and implemented by the Forest to carry out the direction developed in the Forest Plan. PUBLIC REVIM Aw) APPEAL RIGHTS The opportunity to request an administrative review of a Forest Plan and Environmental Impact Statement is limited to after issuance of a record of decision. i If any particular provision of this proposed action, or application thereof to any person or circumstances, is held invalid, then the remainder of the proposed action and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. Comments regarding this plan should be sent to the: Forest Supervisor 1200 Franklin Way Sparks, Nevada 89431 FOREST .TABLE OF CONTENTS Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan Table of Contents raze Preface i Table of Contents iii Lists of Tables iv I . Introduction ....................... 1-1 Purpose ofthe Plan .................... 1-1 Relationship of Forest Plan to the FEIS ..........1-1 Relationship of Forest Plan to Regional Guide .......1-2 Structure of the Plan ..................1-2 Location ......................... 1-3 Of-ganization and Headquarters Location ...........1.3 Management Structure .................... 1.3 I1 . Analysis of the Management Situation Summary ....... 11-1 Physical and Biological Environment .........11-1 Social and Econmic ................. 11-24 Benchmark Definitions ................ 11-27 Demand Conditions .................. 11-30 Research Needs ................... 11-33 Minerals Management .................11-33 I11 . Forest Plan Responses to Issue. Concerns and Opportunities 111-1 IV. Forest Management Direction ............... 1v-1 Management Goals and Desired Future Condition of the Forest .............. 1v-1 Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines ........ 1v-13 Recreation ................... 1v-13 Fire and Fuels Management ........... 1v-15 Wilderness ................... 1v-32 Timber ..................... 1v-33 Soil and Water ................. 1v-40 Riparian Areas ................. 1v-42 Wildlife and Fish ............... 1v-47 Threatened. Endangered. and Sensitive Plant Species ............1v-51 Human Resources .................1v-51 Cultural Resources ............... 1v-51 Lands ..................... 1v-54 Transportation System and Facilities ...... 1v-55 Law Enforcement ................ 1v-56 Minerals .................... 1v-57 Special Uses .................. 1v-62 Air Quality .................. 1v-64 Research Natural Areas ............. 1v-65 iii Introduction to the Management Areas of the Forest Management Areas ................... TV-71 . Management Area I-Dog Valley .......... iv-ij Management Area 2-Carson Front ......... iv-78 . Management Area 3-Alpine ............ iv-86 Management Area &-Walker ............ 1v-95 Management Area 5- Existing Wilderness ............. IV-106 Management Area 6- Bridgeport Pinyon/Juniper .......... IV-112 Management Area 7-ParadiseShoshone ....... IV- 120 Management Area 8-Toiyabe ............ IV-123 Management Area 9-Toquima ............ IV-129 Management Area IO-Monitor ........... IV-134 Management Area 11- Mount Charleston Developed Canyons ......IV-142 Management Area 12- Proposed Wilderness ............. 1v-151 V . Implementation of the Forest Plan ............ V-1 Implementation ................... V-I Direction ...................... V-I Monitoring Plans .................. V-6 Action Plans .................... V-18 VI. Glossary ......................... v1-1 VI1. Appendices A Administrative Sites ................ A-I - B Special Mineral Stipulations ............ B-1 C Resource Summaries ................. C-I D Change in Composition of Timber Types on the Forest Over Time .............. D-1 E Prescription Description. and Standards and Guidelines .................. E-1 F Biological Evaluation ................ F-1 G Description of Las Vegas Developed Canyon Areas ... G-I H MineraL/Gas/Geothermal Impacts by Management Area . H-1 LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 11-1 Recreation Use in Public Sites as a Percentage of Theoretica Capacity ......... 11-3 11-2 Trail Maintenance Guide ............... 11-4 11-3 Supply and Demand Comparison for the Toiyabe National Forest .............. 11-34 11-4 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Study ....... 11-37 11-5 Electronic/Antenna Sites .............. 11-40 - IV-1 Slash Treatment Standards .............. 1v-17 IV-2 Predicted Crown Scorch ............... 1v-19 - iv IV-7... Pinyon/Juniper Slash Treatment ........... IV-20 IV-4 Proposed Precomercial Thinning Slash Quantitative Treatment Standards ......... iv-22 0 IV-5 Guide for Rating Soils According to their Relative Suitability for Range Seedings inNevada .................... 1v-25 IV-6 Maximum Forage Utilization Standards ........ iv-29 IV-7 Mineral Lease Stipulations for Lands of the National Forest System Under the Jurisdiction Department of Agriculture ............. 1v-60 IV-8 Annual Yields, Activities. Costs. and Benefits ... IV-68 c-1 Land Classification ................. c-1 c-2 Acreage Physically Unsuitable for Timber Production by Management Area ........... C-2 c-3 Toiyabe Tentatively Suitable Forest Land Distribution ................... c-2 c-4 Allowable Sale Quantity ................ c-3 c-5 Timber Sale Programed Quantity ........... c-3 C-6 Vegetation Management Practices ........... c-3 c-7 Timber Productivity Classfication .......... c-4 C-8 Allowable Quantities of other Products ....... c-4 c-9 Programed Quantities of other Products ....... c-4 c-10 Relationship Between Fire Intensity Levels. Fire Occurence and Acres Burned on the Toiyabe National Forest ...................... c-7 D-1 Present and Future Forest Conditions ........ D-1 D-2 Timber Age-Class of the Toiyabe National Forest ... D-2 D-3 Species and Age Class Composition of the Forest after the First Planning Period .......... D-3 D-4 Species and Age Class Composition of the Forest after the Fifth Planning Period .......... D-4 D-5 Species and Age Class Composition of the Forest for the Twentieth Planning Period ......... D-5 E-1 Acres by Management Area Prescription ........ E-3 V This chapter presents a sumnary of the . QLJ- -. -. NFMA regulations C36 CFR 219.12(e)I require that an analysis of the management situation be made to determine the ability of the Forest to supply goods and services in response to society’s demands. This determination provides the basis for decisions to change management emphasis and guides the direction and extent of those changes. This chapter includes the following sections: 1. The Physical and Biological Environment a. Availability of goods, services, and uses under existing conditions (current management) b. Resource use and development opportunities c. Production potential for major resources 2. The Social and Economic Environment 3. Definitions of the Benchmarks Used for Analysis 4. Demand Conditions 5. Supply and Demand Comparison 6. Research Needs THE PHYSICAL AM, BIaOGICAL ENvIm” THE FOREST The planning unit consists of all National Forest System lands on the Toiyabe National Forest, with the exception of those Toiyabe National Forest lands within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. In 1973, by Presidential proclamation, a portion of the Toiyabe with in the Lake Tahoe Basin became part of a special management area, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), along with portions of the Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests.