United States Department of Agriculture Final Record of Decision for the Flathead National Forest Land Management Plan Flathead, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Missoula, and Powell Counties, Montana “. for the greatest good of the greatest number for the longest time.”—Gifford Pinchot, founding Chief of the Forest Service, 1905 Forest Service Northern Region December 2018 Cover (images described clockwise from upper left): • South Fork of the Flathead River, Spotted Bear Ranger District • Forwarder working on the Paint Emery Resource Management Project, Hungry Horse- Glacier View Ranger District • Two hikers • Snowmobiler • View from trail to Pentagon Cabin in the Bob Marshall Wilderness (photo by Peter Borgesen) • Fireweed • White-tailed deer (photo by John Littlefield) Flathead National Forest Record of Decision for the Land Management Plan Final Record of Decision for the Flathead National Forest Land Management Plan Flathead, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Missoula, and Powell Counties, Montana Lead agency: USDA Forest Service Responsible official: Chip Weber, Forest Supervisor Flathead National Forest 650 Wolfpack Way Kalispell, MT 59901 406-758-5204 i Flathead National Forest Record of Decision for the Land Management Plan 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). 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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. ii Flathead National Forest Record of Decision for the Land Management Plan Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Forest Setting .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose and Need and Proposed Action ....................................................................................................... 3 Engagement of State and Local Governments, other Federal Agencies, and Indian Tribes ............................. 4 Public Engagement ...................................................................................................................................... 4 My Decision .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Rationale for the Decision ............................................................................................................................ 6 Alternatives Considered ............................................................................................................................... 8 Environmentally Preferred Alternative ....................................................................................................... 10 Components of the Land Management Plan ............................................................................................... 12 Role of Science .......................................................................................................................................... 26 Findings Required by Other Laws and Regulations ...................................................................................... 28 Conflicts with Other Agency or Government Goals or Objectives................................................................. 48 Implementation ............................................................................................................................................ 48 Project, Activity, Occupancy and Use Authorization, and Resource Plan Consistency with the Land Management Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 48 Maintaining the Land Management Plan and Adapting to New Information .............................................. 49 Amending the Land Management Plan ...................................................................................................... 49 Station Director Concurrence ..................................................................................................................... 49 The Effective Date of the Plan Revision ...................................................................................................... 49 Administrative Review and Objections ......................................................................................................... 50 Modifications Made in Response to Instructions......................................................................................... 50 Contact Person .......................................................................................................................................... 56 Responsible Official ................................................................................................................................... 57 List of Tables Table 1. Management area acres and percent .............................................................................................. 13 Table 2. Management area allocation for wilderness inventory area ............................................................ 21 Table 3. List of eligible wild and scenic rivers and their segments, preliminary classification, outstandingly remarkable values, and length ............................................................................................................. 23 Table 4. Recommended special areas on the Flathead National Forest ......................................................... 25 iii Flathead National Forest Record of Decision for the Land Management Plan Terms and Abbreviations Term Full name 1986 plan Flathead National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (USDA, 1986) 2012 planning rule National Forest System land management planning rule (36 CFR Part 219; effective 2012, amended 2016) assessment Assessment of the Flathead National Forest (USDA, 2014) amendment forests collective term for the Helena-Lewis and Clark, Kootenai, and Lolo National Forests draft Grizzly Bear Draft NCDE Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy (USFWS, 2013) Conservation Strategy NCDE Conservation Conservation Strategy for the Grizzly Bear in the Northern Continental Divide Strategy Ecosystem (IGBC, 2018) the Forest Flathead National Forest land management plan Flathead National Forest Land Management Plan (USDA, 2018b) Northern Region USDA Forest Service Northern Region (also known as Region 1) List of Abbreviations CFR Code of Federal Regulations d.b.h. diameter at breast height DC desired condition (land management plan component) DCA demographic connectivity area EIS environmental impact statement FW forestwide (land management plan component) GA geographic area GDL Guideline (land management plan component) GIS geographic information system INFISH Inland Native Fish Strategy MA management area mi mile mmbf million board feet mmcf million cubic feet MFWP Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks NCDE Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NFS National Forest System NRLMD Northern Rockies Lynx Management Direction PACFISH Pacific Fish Strategy PCA primary conservation area PIBO PACFISH/INFISH Biological Opinion STD standard (land management plan component) TMDL total maximum daily load USDA United States Department of Agriculture USFS United States Forest Service USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service iv Flathead National Forest Record of Decision for the Land Management Plan Introduction This record of decision (ROD) documents my decision and rationale for selecting alternative B modified as described in the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the 2018 revision of the Flathead National Forest Land Management Plan (USDA, 2018b), hereinafter referred to as the “land