United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Marshall Woods Restoration Project Environmental Assessment Missoula Ranger District, Lolo National Forest, Missoula County, MT February, 2015 For More Information Contact: Tami Paulsen Missoula Ranger District 24 Fort Missoula Road Missoula, MT 59804 Phone: 406-329-3731 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.) 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TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 5 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ 5 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 1 Purpose and Need for Action ..................................................................................................... 10 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Ongoing Projects Within the Marshall Woods Project Area .................................................................. 12 Purpose and Need for Action .................................................................................................................. 13 Proposed Action ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Regulatory Direction ............................................................................................................................... 20 Decision Framework ............................................................................................................................... 23 Public Involvement ................................................................................................................................. 23 Marshall Woods Project Public Involvement Summary ..................................................................... 24 Key Issues ........................................................................................................................................... 25 Chapter 2 Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 27 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 27 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated From Detailed Study ............................................................... 27 Alternatives Considered in Detail ........................................................................................................... 27 Alternative A – No Action .................................................................................................................. 29 Actions Common to All ACTION Alternatives (Alternatives B, C, and D) ...................................... 29 Alternative B – Proposed Action ........................................................................................................ 33 Alternative C ....................................................................................................................................... 39 Alternative D ....................................................................................................................................... 41 Resource Protection Measures ................................................................................................................ 44 Monitoring .............................................................................................................................................. 81 Forest Plan Monitoring and BMP Audits ........................................................................................... 81 Marshall Woods Project-Specific Monitoring .................................................................................... 81 Chapter 3 Existing Condition and Environmental Consequences .............................................................. 85 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 85 Forested Vegetation ................................................................................................................................ 86 Existing Condition .............................................................................................................................. 86 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................................................. 97 Fire and Fuels ........................................................................................................................................ 126 Existing Condition ............................................................................................................................ 126 Environmental Consequences ........................................................................................................... 139 Air Quality ............................................................................................................................................ 146 Environmental Consequences ........................................................................................................... 146 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................................. 150 Analysis Area Description For Wildlife (Including Past Activities) ................................................ 150 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed Species – Existing Condition ................................................... 155 Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (Threatened) ................................................................................................. 155 Canada Lynx (Threatened)................................................................................................................ 155 Grizzly Bear (Threatened) ................................................................................................................ 173 Sensitive Species ............................................................................................................................... 185 North American Wolverine ............................................................................................................... 185 Gray Wolf ......................................................................................................................................... 189 Northern Rocky Mountain Fisher ..................................................................................................... 190 Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat ............................................................................................................... 192 Peregrine Falcon ............................................................................................................................... 193 Bald Eagle ......................................................................................................................................... 193 Black-Backed Woodpecker ............................................................................................................... 195 Flammulated Owl .............................................................................................................................. 198 Harlequin Duck ................................................................................................................................. 207 Boreal (Western) Toad ...................................................................................................................... 208 Bighorn Sheep ................................................................................................................................... 209 Management Indicator Species ......................................................................................................... 211 Old Growth Forest Habitat ...............................................................................................................