Tenmile – South Helena United States Department of Agriculture Project Forest S ervic e Draft Environmental Impact Statement February 2016 Helena Ranger District, Helena - Lewis and Clark National Forest Helena, Montana 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. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. 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. Draft Environmental Impact Statement Tenmile – South Helena Project Tenmile – South Helena Draft Environmental Impact Statement Lewis and Clark County, Montana Powell County, Montana Jefferson County, Montana Lead Agency: USDA Fore st Service Helena National Forest Service Helena Ranger District Cooperating Agencies: US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Butte Field Office Responsible Official: Bill Avey, Forest Supervisor 2880 Skyway Drive Helena, MT 59602 For Information Contact: Heather Degeest, Helena District Ranger 2880 Skyway Drive Helena, MT 59602 (406) 449-5201 Abstract: This draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) was developed by the US Forest Service Helena – Lewis and Clark National Forests and the Bureau of Land Management as a cooperating agency (36 CFR 1501.6). The DEIS considers three alternatives in detail. Alternative 1 is the no action alternative, which provides a baseline for comparing the magnitude of environmental effects of the action alternatives. Alternative 2 would treat approximately 24,308 acres in the project area with a combination of improvement harvest (2,483 acres), precommercial thinning (471 acres), regeneration harvest (4,234 acres), Shaded fuel Break (1,415 acres), Private Land Buffers (2,091 acres) and prescribed fire (13,614 acres). Connected actions for alternative 2 would include 43 miles of temporary road construction (all temporary road construction would be decommissioned when harvest activities have been completed), 15 miles of road decommissioning, 32 miles of road reconstruction, and 6 miles of road maintenance. Alternative 3 would treat approximately 18,112 acres in the project area with a combination of improvement harvest (1,382 acres), precommercial thinning (445 acres), regeneration harvest (2,450 acres), Shaded Fuel Breaks (1,282 acres), Private Land Buffers (2,283 acres) and prescribed fire (10,270 acres). Connected actions for alternative 3 would include 24 miles of temporary road construction (all temporary road construction would be decommissioned when harvest activities have been completed), 15 miles of road decommissioning, 28 miles of road reconstruction, and 4 miles of road maintenance. It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in such a way that they are useful to the Agency’s preparation of the Final EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer’s concerns and contentions. The submission of timely and specific comments can affect a reviewer’s ability to participate in subsequent administrative review or judicial review. Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the respondent with standing to participate in subsequent administrative or judicial reviews. Abstract i Tenmile – South Hel ena Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement SUMMARY Introduction _____________________________________ The Helena Ranger District of the Helena – Lewis and Clark National Forest (HLCNF) is proposing the Tenmile – South Helena Project. The Project is intended to maintain consistent quantity and quality of water within the City of Helena’s Tenmile municipal watershed, as well as improve conditions for public and firefighter safety across the landscape in the event of a wildfire. Additionally, the project is meant to move the resource area toward desired conditions and designed to respond to the goals and objectives outlined in the Helena National Forest Plan as amended (USDA, Forest Service 1986) as well as the Bureau of Land Management lands - Butte Field Office Resource Management Plan (RMP) (2009). The Tenmile – South Helena Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is a site-specific effects analysis of management activities proposed in the Tenmile – South Helena landscape on the Helena Ranger District of the Helena – Lewis & Clark National Forest and portions of the Butte Field Office Bureau of Land Management lands (BLM) publicly administered lands. The Forest Service in cooperation with the BLM (40 CFR 1501.6) has prepared this DEIS in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations. This DEIS discloses the direct, indirect, and Figure S -1. Tenmile - South Helena Project Vicinity Map cumulative environmental impacts that would potentially result from proposed activities on Forest Service and BLM lands under each alternative in addition to determining any irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources that would result from the actions proposed to address forest health, watershed restoration, and fuels management goals of the Helena National Forest Plan, as amended (1986) and the BLM – Butte Field Office – Resource Management Plan (2009). This DEIS is prepared according to the format established by Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations to implement the NEPA found in 40 CFR 1500-1508. This includes ii Helena – Lewis and Clark National Forest Draft Environmental Impact Statement Tenmile – South Helena Project establishing the Butte Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management as a cooperating agency as specified by 40 CFR 1501.6. The Tenmile—South Helena Project area covers approximately 61,395 acres in Lewis and Clark, Powell, and Jefferson Counties. This includes approximately 49,546 acres of National Forest System (NFS), 1,043 acres of public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and remaining acres are private lands or other state and local jurisdictions. No treatments are proposed on private land or other jurisdictions in this project. The project area is also defined by two contiguous areas on the landscape: the western half of the project area, the Upper Tenmile watershed and the eastern half of the project area, the South Hills area of Helena, Montana. This proposal describes activities on Helena National Forest Service lands in the following drainages: Upper Tenmile Creek, Middle Tenmile Creek, Lower Tenmile Creek, Lump Gulch, Last Chance Gulch and Middle Prickly Pear Creek; and on BLM lands in Colorado Gulch and south of Helena in Last Chance Gulch. The project is located within all or part of sections T10N, R6W Section 36; T10N, R5W Section 31; T10N, R4W Sections 31, 32, 34, 35, 36; T9N, R6W Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35, 36; T9N, R5W Sections 1, 6-36; T9N, R4W Sections 1-24, 26-35; T8N, R6W Sections 1, 2, 11-14, 23-26; T8N, R5W Sections 1-12, 14-22, 29, 30; T8N, R4W Sections 5-8. Statutory and Regulatory Framework Several important laws, executive orders and policies form the statutory and regulatory framework applicable to managing the Helena National Forest and the Butte Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a partial list for both agencies follows. While most pertain to all Federal lands, some of the laws are specific to Montana. This framework is also an integral part of the purpose and need for action. In addition to the following laws and documents, each specialist report identifies the regulatory framework that is applicable to their analysis. Disclosures and findings required by these laws and orders are contained within each resource specialist report and in the project file. The National Forest