United States Department of Agriculture Red Hill Restoration Forest Service Preliminary Assessment November 2012 Hood River Ranger District Mt. Hood National Forest Hood River County, Oregon Legal Description: T1S R8-9E; T2S, R8E; Willamette Meridian West Fork Hood River Watershed United States Department of Agriculture Red Hill Restoration Forest Service Preliminary Assessment November 2012 Hood River Ranger District Mt. Hood National Forest Hood River County, Oregon Legal Description: T1S R8-9E; T2S, R8E; Willamette Meridian Lead Agency: U.S. Forest Service Responsible Official: Chris Worth, Forest Supervisor Mt. Hood National Forest Information Contact: Jennie O'Connor Card Hood River Ranger District 6780 Highway 35 Mount Hood/Parkdale, OR 97041 (541) 352-6002 [email protected] Project Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda- pop.php/?project=35969 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ................................................................................................................. i Summary ............................................................................................................................ iii CHAPTER 1 – Introduction ......................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Document Structure ............................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Background .......................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Purpose and Need for Action ............................................................................... 1-4 1.3.1 Management Direction ................................................................................ 1-4 1.3.2 Desired Future Condition / Land Allocations ............................................. 1-5 1.4 Proposed Action ................................................................................................. 1-12 1.5 Decision Framework .......................................................................................... 1-14 1.6 Public Involvement ............................................................................................ 1-14 1.6.1 Collaboration ............................................................................................. 1-14 1.6.2 Scoping/Publication Involvement ............................................................. 1-16 1.7 Issues .................................................................................................................. 1-16 CHAPTER 2 – Alternatives, including the Proposed Action .................................... 2-1 2.1 No Action Alternative .......................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Proposed Action ................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2.1 Vegetation Treatments ................................................................................ 2-2 2.2.2 Variable Density Thinning .......................................................................... 2-3 2.2.3 Economics ................................................................................................... 2-8 2.2.4 Temporary Roads ........................................................................................ 2-9 2.2.5 Riparian Prescriptions ............................................................................... 2-11 2.2.6 Road Decommissioning and Road Closures ............................................. 2-14 2.2.7 Road Reconstruction/Maintenance ........................................................... 2-17 2.3 Project Design Criteria/Mitigation Measures .................................................... 2-19 2.3.1 Design Criteria/Mitigation Measures for Vegetation Treatments ............ 2-19 2.3.2 Design Criteria/Mitigation Measures for Road Decommissioning .......... 2-27 2.4 Monitoring Requirements .................................................................................. 2-29 2.5 Alternatives Considered, but Eliminated from Detailed Study ......................... 2-30 2.6 Mt. Hood Land and Resource Management Consistency .................................. 2-32 CHAPTER 3 –Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-1 3.1 Vegetation Resources ........................................................................................... 3-2 3.2 Transportation System ....................................................................................... 3-18 3.3 Geology .............................................................................................................. 3-32 3.4 Soil Productivity ................................................................................................ 3-36 3.5 Water Quality ..................................................................................................... 3-46 3.6 Fisheries and Aquatic Fauna .............................................................................. 3-70 3.7 Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives ...................................................... 3-129 3.8 Wildlife ............................................................................................................ 3-132 3.9 Botany .............................................................................................................. 3-157 3.10 Invasive Plant Species.................................................................................... 3-170 Hood River Ranger District Mt. Hood National Forest i 3.11 Recreation and Visual Quality ....................................................................... 3-175 3.12 Fuels Management and Air Quality ............................................................... 3-182 3.13 Cultural Resources ......................................................................................... 3-192 3.14 Climate Change .............................................................................................. 3-195 3.15 Environmental Justice and Civil Rights ......................................................... 3-197 3.16 Conflicts with Plans, Policies or Other Jurisdictions ..................................... 3-198 CHAPTER 4 – Consultation and Coordination .......................................................... 4-1 4.1 Federal, State, and Local Agencies ...................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 Consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service ....................... 4-1 4.1.2 Consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service ............................... 4-1 4.1.3 Consultation with the Oregon SHPO ....................................................... 4-2 4.1.4 Consultation with City of Hood River ..................................................... 4-2 4.2 Tribes ................................................................................................................... 4-2 4.3 List of Preparers ................................................................................................... 4-3 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... Ref-1 APPENDIX 1 – COLLABORATIVE GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS Hood River Ranger District Mt. Hood National Forest ii SUMMARY The Red Hill Restoration project is located on the Hood River Ranger District within the West Fork Hood River Watershed. The project area includes approximately 12,000 acres. About 90% of the project area is within C1 (Timber Emphasis) land allocation, with the majority (80%) in Matrix lands. The stand composition, structure and densities in the project area have been altered by fire suppression efforts over the past 100 years; favorable climatic conditions for vegetation growth; and, increased presence and scale of native and non-native insects and diseases. This high density of the stands contributes to mortality of trees because of competition for nutrients, water and sunlight. Insects and diseases are more likely to kill trees that grow in dense, crowded conditions. Also, stand structure changes from lack of small and large-scale disturbance events, such as fire and wind events, have resulted in higher stocking level of fire-intolerant species, an increase of shade-tolerant species in the intermediate layer, an increased density of the shrub and young tree component, and fewer openings normally associated with natural stands. The Red Hill Restoration proposal is to improve overall forest conditions in the Upper West Fork Hood River