United States Department of AgrlcuHUre Record of Decision ,Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region Land and Resource 1989 Management Plan Ochoco National Forest Reprinted 1991 and Crooked River National Grassland Caring for the Land ... RECORD OF DECISION FOR THE LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OCHOCO NATIONAL FOREST CROOK, GRANT, HARNEY, AND WHEELER COUNTIES, OREGON AND CROOKED RIVER NATIONAL GRASSLAND JEFFERSON COUNTY, OREGON USDA FOREST SERVICE AUGUST 1989 APPROVAL PAGE RECORD OF DECISION For The LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OCHOCO NATIONAL FOREST Crook, Grant, Harney, and Wheeler Counties, Oregon and CROOKED RIVER NATIONAL GRASSLAND Jefferson County, Oregon USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region The decision represents a selection, and forthcoming implementation of the Land and Resource Management Plan for the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland, pursuant to regulations of the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), Title 36, CFR Pt. 219 and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Council of EnvironmentalQuality, Title 40, CFR Pts. 1500-1508.The Plan approved and adopted by virtue of this decision document is Alternative I which is identified as the preferred alternative in the Final Environmental Statement. The Plan decision(s) represents a series of interdependent, but separable, judgements, which are generally of a complex, technical or political nature. The decisions relate primarily to programmatic land and resource management allocations and accompanying standards and guidelines, which when viewed in total comprise the Forest and Grassland Plans. Basic elements of the process and resultant decisions are summarily set forth herewith as a Record of Decision (ROD). These include. planning process, authorities. and requirements . issues, including public responses ~ identification of decision(s) and the decision rationale . alternatives considered ~ modlficatron of final alternames . rationale for nonselection of alternatives . compatibillty with other agency goals and plans ~ implementation schedules . mitigation and monitoring processes far plan change or amendment . appeal rights A decision may be subject to administrative appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 217. Notice of appeal and statement of reasons must be in writing and submitted to the Chief of the Forest Service within 90 days from the date of publishment of Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on September 15, 1989. I encourage anyone who is concerned about the Ochoco National Forest or Crooked River National Grass- land Plan, or decisions contained therein, to first see if concerns or misunderstandingsmay be resolved with the Forest Supervisor in Prineville, Oregon (Phone 503 447-6247) before submitting an appeal. 8-1-89 FSF. TORRENCE Date Regional Forester - USDA Forest Service Paclfic Northwest Region 319 SW Pine, P.O. Box 3623 Portland. OR. 972043623 Ochoco National Forest Plan Corrected Page, October 6,1989 TABLE OF CONTENTS Decision Approval Page . i Table of Contents. Il-IV List of Tables. .... .. V List of Figures. , . V I. INTRODUCTION . , . r0d-1 Process and Chronology for the Preparation of the Forest and Grassland Plans . , . ROD-I PurposeandNeed ... ....... ......... ..... ..... r0d-1 Authorities and Purpose . ROD-I Tiering .... .. ... ..... ... ...... .... .. ... ROD-I What the Plans Are. r0d-2 Amendments . r0d-2 What the Plans Are Not . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. r0d3 Consistency . r0d-3 Relationship of Other Plans . , . , .. .. .. r0d-3 11. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION . , . , . r0d-4 Issue Identification . , . r0d-4 Public Involvement on Draft EIS/Plan . r0d-5 Interest Group Methods . r0d-5 Summary of Public Comment on Supplement to the DEIS. r0d-6 Issue and Public Response Summary.. , . r0d-6 Timber Supply and Forest Management. , . .. .. r0d-6 Timber Supply and Sustained Even-flow Yield . .. r0d-7 Ponderosa Pine Management r0b7 Uneven-aged vs Even-aged Silviculture . .. r0d4 Departure r0d-8 Clearcutting , ..I .. .. r0d-8 Social and Economic Wants and Needs of Local Communities . r0d-9 Lwestock Grazing and Allotment Management . r0d-9 Riparian Area Management . r0d-9 Transportation System . , , . .. .... ROD-I0 Big Game Habitat. , , . , . ROD-IO Roadless Areas and Wilderness Study Areas . .. ROD-IO Scenic or Visual Resources . .... .. ROD-I1 Old Growth Forest. , . .... .. .... .. ROD-11 Fuelwood Supply . .. ... ROD-I 1 Snag Dependent Wildlife . , . , . .. .. ROD-I I Winter Sports. , . , . , . .. .. ,.. ... ROD-I 1 Additional Issues Not Identified in Original KO’s . ROD-I2 Anadromous Fish. , . , . I . I . .. .. ROD-I2 Historic Trail Preservation ~ Summit Trail . .. ROD-I2 Off-road Vehicle (ORV) Use . , , .. .. ., ROD-I2 Round Mountain . , , . , . .. .. ROD-I2 Validation of Public Participation Process . ROD-I2 II 111 . DECISIONS .................................. ROD-1 3 Summary of the Decision ................... ... r0d-13 Establishment of Forest and Grassland Multiple Use Goals ....... r0d-13 Standards and Guidelines ...................... r0d-14 Land Allocations and Plan Structures ................... r0d-15 Summary Description of Management Areas .............. r0d-18 Decisions Related to Planning Issues (ICO’s) and Decision Rationale ROD-20 Timber Supply and Forest Management .................. ROD-20 Social and Economic Wants and Needs of Local Communities ......... ROD-22 Livestock Grazing and Allotment Management ........... ROD-23 Riparian Area Management .......................... ROD-25 Transportation System ....................... ROD-26 Big Game Habitat .......................... ROD-27 Roadless Areas and Wilderness Study Areas ................... ROD-28 Scenic or Visual Resources ........................ ROD-32 Old Growth Forest ............................. r0d53 Fuelwood Supply ............................ ROD-37 Snag Dependent Wildlife .................................... ROD-37 Winter Sports ............................... ROD-37 Other Multiple Use Decisions ..................... ROD-38 Recreation . ROD-38 Research Natural Areas ROD38 Anadromous Fish ROD-39 Eagle Roosting Areas ROD-39 Wild and Scenic Rivers . ..I ROD39 ORV Use .. ROD-39 Compatibility With Other Agency Goals and Plans ............. ROD-39 IV . CHANGES FROM DRAFT PREFERRED AND RATIONALE .............................. ROD-40 Plan Structures and Allocations ...................... ROD-40 Forest Management and Forplan Modeling .............. ROD-41 Economic Analysis .......................... ROD-42 Wild and Scenic Rivers ................................. ROD-42 Wilderness Study Areas ......................... ROD-42 Roadless Areas .................................. ROD-43 Lookout Mountain ................................. ROD-43 Visual/Scenic Resources .............................. ROD-44 General Recreation ........................... ROD-44 Wildlife ........................................ ROD-45 Old Growth .................................. ROD-45 Winter Range .......................................... ROD-45 SummerRange ..................................... r0d46 Snags ................................... r0d46 Eagle Roosts ................................. r0d46 HammerCreek ................................ r0d46 RoadDensity ................................. r0d46 Modeling Assumptions for Habitat Effectiveness ............ ROD-46 iii Grazing Management . ROD-47 Travelflransportation Planning . ROD-47 Riparian . ROD-48 Utility Corridors . , . ROD-48 Land Adjustments . ROD-49 National Forest Ownership . , . ROD-49 Minerals and Energy. ROD-49 V. ALTERNATIVES . ROD-50 Alternatives Analyzed and Resultant Disposition in the Final . ROD-50 Summary Description of Final Alternatives . , . ROD-50 State of Oregon Alternative . , . ROD-54 State Recommendations . , . ROD-54 Forest Service Rationale and Findings . ROD-54 Riparian Management r0d54 Road Densities .. .. RODS Dispersed Recreation Sites r0d55 Visual Management ROD-55 Additional Indicator Species Suggested r0d55 Ponderosa Pine Harvest Level Over Time ROD-56 Harney County Timber Supply r0d56 Timber Volume Measurement r0d56 Uneven-aged Management ROD-56 Additional RNA's Suggested ROW VI. REQUIRED COMPARISONS OF ALTERNATIVES. ROD-58 Present Net Value (PNV) of Alternatives . ROD-58 Environmentally Preferable Alternative & Nonselection Rationale . ROD-58 VII. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULES . ROD-59 Schedules and Implementation . ROD-59 Amendment and Revision Process . ROD-59 VIII. MONITORING AND MITIGATION . ROD-60 Monitoring and Evaluation . ROD-60 Mitigation . , . ROD-62 IX APPEAL RIGHTS . ROD-62 IV LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 Revised or Superseded Planning Documents ................. r0d-4 TABLE 2 Summary of Agency Efforts to Obtain Public Participation .......... r0d-5 TABLE 3 Respondents Preference for Particular Alternatives ............. r0d-5 TABLE 4 Estimated Number of Comments by Resource or Issue .............. r0d-5 TABLE 5 Ochoco National Forest Management Areas .................. ROD-I6 TABLE 6 Crooked River National Grassland Management Areas ............ ROD-17 TABLE 7 Resource Emphasis by Acres and % of Forest. ...................... ROD-I8 TABLE 8 Resource Emphasis by Acres and % of Grassland ............. ROD-I8 TABLE 9 Planned Harvest for 1990.1999 ...................... ROD-22 TABLE 10 Riparian Forage Utilization ................................... ROD-24 TABLE 11 Primary Range (except Riparian) ......................... ROD-24 TABLE 12 Watershed Sensitivities and Threshold Guidelines ..............