Environmental Assessment United States Department of Miller Canyon OHV Staging Area Project Agriculture Forest Service September 2013 Mountaintop Ranger District, San Bernardino National Forest San Bernardino County, California For More Information Contact: David Kotlarski, District Recreation Officer [email protected] 909-382-2815 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.) 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Environmental Assessment Miller Canyon OHV Staging Area Project Table of Contents Document Structure .................................................................................................................................. ii Chapter 1 – Need for the Proposal ................................................................................................................ 1 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need for Action .................................................................................................................... 4 Decision Framework ................................................................................................................................. 4 Public Involvement ................................................................................................................................... 4 Issues ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2 – Alternatives ............................................................................................................................... 5 Proposed Action ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Alternative 1 (Upland East Alternative) ................................................................................................... 9 Alternative 2 (Upland West Alternative) .................................................................................................. 9 Alternative 3 (Full Restoration) ................................................................................................................ 9 Alternative 4 (No Action) ......................................................................................................................... 9 Avoidance/Minimization and Environmental Protection Measures ....................................................... 10 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study ................................................................ 16 Comparison of Alternatives .................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 3 - Environmental Consequences .................................................................................................. 20 Methodology ........................................................................................................................................... 20 Environmental Consequences ................................................................................................................. 21 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................................................. 21 Environmental Consequences - Recreation and OHV Opportunities ................................................. 25 Environmental Consequences – Watershed (Soil and Water) ............................................................ 28 Environmental Consequences - Wildlife ............................................................................................ 32 Environmental Consequences - Botanical Resources ......................................................................... 52 Environmental Consequences - SBNF Management Indicator Species ............................................. 54 Environmental Consequences - Non-Native Species .......................................................................... 56 Environmental Consequences - Heritage Resources ........................................................................... 57 Chapter 4 – Agencies and Persons Consulted ............................................................................................. 58 Consultation and Coordination ............................................................................................................... 58 Federal, State and County Officials and Agencies .............................................................................. 58 Tribes .................................................................................................................................................. 58 Page i Environmental Assessment Miller Canyon OHV Staging Area Project Others .................................................................................................................................................. 58 List of Preparers .................................................................................................................................. 59 Literature Cited ........................................................................................................................................... 60 Document Structure The Forest Service has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations. This EA discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts that would result from the proposed action and alternatives. The document is organized into five parts: Chapter 1 – Need for the Proposal: The section includes information on the history of the project proposal, the purpose of and need for the project, and the agency’s proposal for achieving that purpose and need. This section also details how the Forest Service informed the public of the proposal and how the public responded. Chapter 2 – Alternatives: This section provides a more detailed description of the agency’s proposed action as well as alternative methods that were considered for achieving the stated purpose. This discussion also includes project design features to minimize the potential for adverse impacts. The alternatives are summarized in comparative form, defining the differences between each alternative and providing a clear basis for choice among options by the decision maker and the public. Chapter 3 - Environmental Consequences: This section describes the environmental effects of implementing the proposed action and the effects of alternatives. This analysis is organized by resource areas that have the potential to be affected by implementation of the proposed action and alternatives. Within each resource area, the affected environment is described first, followed by the effects of the action. Chapter 4 – Agencies and Persons Consulted: This section provides a list of preparers and agencies consulted during the development of the EA. Page ii Environmental Assessment Miller Canyon OHV Staging Area Project Chapter 1 – Need for the Proposal The section includes information on the history of the project proposal, the purpose of and need for the project, and the agency’s proposal for achieving that purpose and need. This section also details how the Forest Service informed the public of the proposal and how the public responded. Background The project area is located approximately two miles east of Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area, within the Mountaintop District of the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) (Figure 1). The current OHV trailering site is approximately 2 acres in size between National Forest System (NFS) road 2N37 and the East fork of the West fork of the Mojave River (hereafter referred to as Mojave River), in Section 10 of Township 2 North, Range 4 West. The Miller Canyon/Pilot Rock area is a popular Off -Highway Vehicle (OHV) riding area. Setting: Currently, there is an unofficial user-created OHV trailering site located just east of Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area in Miller Canyon on NFS road 2N37. The unofficial Miller Canyon OHV trailering site is connected to about 20 miles of OHV routes open to non- street legal vehicles, including the Pilot Rock, Rock Camp, and Pinnacles areas. Non-street legal vehicles are not permitted on Forest Service routes west or south of the unofficial Miller Canyon trailering site (towards Lake Silverwood and Highway 138). Overnight camping is permitted, however open fires (wood and charcoal) are never permitted.