Ranch Creek Watershed United States Department of and Riparian Improvement Agriculture Forest Service Project Intermountain Region Environmental Assessment Dixie National Forest Escalante Ranger District January 2017 Environmental Assessment Title Page Photo Description: For More Information Contact: Terry DeLay Escalante Ranger District P.O. Box 246 Escalante, UT 84726 Phone: (435) 826-5401 Email: [email protected] Fax: (435) 826-5491 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. 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Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 1 Contents Chapter 1. Purpose of and Need for Action .................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Background ................................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Existing and Desired Conditions ................................................................................................. 10 1.4 Purpose and Need for Action ...................................................................................................... 31 1.5 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................................... 32 1.6 Decision Framework ................................................................................................................... 33 1.7 Compliance with Other Laws, Regulations, and Policy ............................................................. 33 1.8 Public Involvement ..................................................................................................................... 34 1.9 Issues ........................................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action............................................................................. 37 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 37 2.2 Alternatives Considered in Detail ............................................................................................... 37 2.3 Transportation Plan ..................................................................................................................... 39 2.4 Design Features Common to All Action Alternatives ................................................................ 42 2.5 Comparison of Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 47 Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ........................................................ 55 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 55 3.2 Cultural Resources ...................................................................................................................... 55 3.3 Fire and Fuels .............................................................................................................................. 56 3.4 Fish, Amphibian and Aquatic Habitat ......................................................................................... 59 3.5 Hydrology and Soils ................................................................................................................... 70 3.6 Range .......................................................................................................................................... 73 3.7 Recreation ................................................................................................................................... 74 3.8 Scenery ........................................................................................................................................ 77 3.9 Silviculture and Vegetation ......................................................................................................... 81 3.10 Wildlife and Plants ...................................................................................................................... 99 3.11 Other Disclosures ...................................................................................................................... 111 Chapter 4. Contributors ............................................................................................................................. 119 4.1 Federal, State, and Local Agencies ........................................................................................... 119 4.2 Tribes ........................................................................................................................................ 119 4.3 Others: ....................................................................................................................................... 119 Appendix A - MAPS ................................................................................................................................. 120 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................. 129 List of Tables Table 1. Management area and acres within the Ranch Creek project area .................................................. 5 Table 2. Existing and desired conditions for riparian areas ........................................................................ 16 Table 3. Species Composition of Shrublands in Project Area ................................................................... 18 Table 4. Existing and desired condition for shrublands .............................................................................. 20 Table 5. Existing and desired conditions for woodlands* .......................................................................... 23 Table 6. Existing and desired condition for forests..................................................................................... 25 Table 7: Current VSS Distribution by Northern Goshawk Home Range ................................................... 29 Table 8. Existing and desired conditions for the wildland urban interface ................................................. 30 Table 9. Existing System Roads used by Proposed Action ........................................................................ 40 Table 10. Proposed Temporary Road System ............................................................................................ 41 2 Environmental Assessment Table 11. Project design features for all action alternatives ....................................................................... 42 Table 12. Effects comparison for Alternative 1 (No Action) and Alternative 2 (Proposed Action) ........... 48 Table 13. Aquatic biota that are Dixie National Forest Management Indicator Species (MIS) and/or Intermountain Sensitive Species, whether they have suitable habitat within the project area, and if not why................................................................................................................................................ 61 Table 14. Riparian Level III monitoring study sites within the CEA ......................................................... 63 Table 15. Stream, location and bank stability and bank cover measurements collected using Multiple Indicator Monitoring methodology (Burton and others 2011) ............................................................ 63 Table 16. The percent of fine sediments (< 3.2 mm) covering larger substrates (percent fines) found