United States Department of Agriculture Bull Run Land Exchange Preliminary Assessment Forest Service Mt. Hood National Forest Zigzag Ranger District June 2017 For More Information Contact: Bill Westbrook, District Ranger Zigzag Ranger District Mt. Hood National Forest 70220 E. Highway 26 Zigzag, Oregon 97049 503-622-3191 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. We make every effort to create documents that are accessible to individuals of all abilities; however, limitations with our word processing programs may prevent some parts of this document from being readable by computer-assisted reading devices. If you need assistance with this document, please contact the Zigzag Ranger District at 503-622- 3191. Bull Run Land Exchange Preliminary Assessment Table of Contents Chapter 1. Purpose and Need for Action ......................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Location of the Proposed Project Area ....................................................................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 2 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................ 4 Cooperative Agreement ............................................................................................................ 4 Public Interest Promoted by the Exchange ............................................................................... 4 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................................... 5 Management Direction ................................................................................................................ 5 Forest Plan Direction Applicable to this Project ...................................................................... 6 Forest Service Management Direction ..................................................................................... 8 What will be Decided? ................................................................................................................ 9 Public Involvement ..................................................................................................................... 9 Issues ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Issue 1: Institutional Effects ................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2. Alternatives .................................................................................................................. 13 Alternative 1: No Action ........................................................................................................... 13 Alternative 2: Proposed Action ................................................................................................. 13 Intended Future Management ................................................................................................. 15 Proposed Action Assumptions and Project Design Features .................................................. 17 Alternatives Considered but not Analyzed in Detail ................................................................. 18 Deed Restrictions.................................................................................................................... 18 Direct Purchase ....................................................................................................................... 19 Inclusion of Additional Parcels in the Exchange .................................................................... 19 Comparative Summary of Alternatives Analyzed in Detail ...................................................... 19 Chapter 3. Environmental Consequences ...................................................................................... 25 How We Considered Potential Cumulative Impacts ................................................................. 25 Consideration of Past Actions ................................................................................................ 26 Consideration of Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ..................................................... 26 How Specialist Reports Were Used .......................................................................................... 27 Aquatic Species and Habitat ..................................................................................................... 27 Resource Indicators and Measures ......................................................................................... 27 Affected Environment ............................................................................................................ 27 Existing Condition .................................................................................................................. 28 Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects ................................................................................ 31 Summary of Effects ................................................................................................................ 38 Botanical Resources .................................................................................................................. 39 Analysis Assumptions ............................................................................................................ 39 Existing Condition .................................................................................................................. 40 Environmental Effects ............................................................................................................ 43 Heritage Resources ................................................................................................................... 46 Existing Condition .................................................................................................................. 46 Effects Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 48 Hydrology ................................................................................................................................. 49 Wetland and Floodplains Analysis Requirements for Land Exchanges ................................. 49 Existing Condition .................................................................................................................. 50 Direct and Indirect Effects ...................................................................................................... 57 Cumulative Effects ................................................................................................................. 61 i Bull Run Land Exchange Preliminary Assessment Wildlife Species and Habitat ..................................................................................................... 61 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Candidate Species .................................................. 61 Region 6 Sensitive Species ..................................................................................................... 70 Management Indicator Species ............................................................................................... 71 Survey and Manage Species ................................................................................................... 75 Migratory