MONITORING AND EVALUATION REPORT UNITED STATES FISCAL YEAR 2012 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012) FOREST SERVICE ANIEL OONE ATIONAL OREST SOUTHERN REGION D B N F DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST KENTUCKY September 2013 Dog Slaughter Creek, London Ranger District For Information Contact Daniel Boone National Forest 1700 Bypass Road Winchester, KY 40391 859-745-3100 [email protected] http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/dbnf/home 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 a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. MONITORING AND EVALUATION REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2012 DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST KENTUCKY FOREST SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATION ........................................................................................... ii INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 1 FOREST PLAN MONITORING QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 2 1. Are rare communities being protected, maintained, and restored? .......................... 2 2. Are landscape-level and stand-level composition and structure of major forest communities within desirable ranges? ................................................................ 2 3. (a) Are high-elevation habitats being provided? ...................................................... 8 3. (b) Are permanent grassy openings being maintained? .......................................... 8 3. (c) Are key successional stage habitats being provided? ........................................ 9 4. How well are key terrestrial habitat attributes being provided? .............................. 14 5. What is the status and trend in aquatic habitat conditions in relationship to aquatic communities? ................................................................................................... 18 6. What are status and trends of forest health threats on the forest? ......................... 18 7. What are the status and trends of federally listed species and species with viability concerns on the forest? .................................................................................... 29 8. What are the trends for demand species and their use? ....................................... 33 9. Are high quality, nature-based recreation experiences being provided and what are the trends? ....................................................................................................... 36 10. What are the status and trends of recreation use impacts on the environment? .... 37 11. What is the status and trend of wilderness character? .......................................... 37 12. What are the status and trend of Wild and Scenic River conditions? ..................... 38 13. Are the scenery and recreation settings changing and why? ................................. 38 14. Are heritage sites being protected? ...................................................................... 38 15. Are watersheds maintained, and where necessary restored, to provide resilient and stable conditions to support the quality and quantity of water necessary to protect ecological functions and support intended beneficial uses? .............................. 39 16. What are the conditions and trends of riparian area, wetland and floodplain functions and values? ...................................................................................... 39 17. How do actual outputs and services compare with projected? ............................... 40 18. Are silvicultural requirements of the Forest Plan being met? ................................. 43 19. Are Forest Plan objectives and standards being applied and accomplishing their intended purpose? ........................................................................................... 43 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................................... 45 Appendix A: Forest Plan Amendments ................................................................................. 45 Appendix B: Research Activities........................................................................................... 45 Appendix C: Daniel Boone National Forest land by District and by County ............................ 46 Appendix D: Payments to States and Counties..................................................................... 47 Appendix E: Forest Plan Implementation using an Integrated Resource Management Strategy (IRMS) 48 Appendix F: Management Reviews ...................................................................................... 48 Appendix G: Appeals and Litigation Activity .......................................................................... 48 Appendix H: Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................................ 49 Appendix I: Report Preparers ............................................................................................. 50 i MONITORING AND EVALUATION REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2012 DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST KENTUCKY INTRODUCTION This report covers the Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) May 24, 2004 - Implementation of the Forest Plan period from October 1, 2011 through September begins. 30, 2012. This report is structured to address the July 2004 - Two appeals were filed; one appeal was nineteen (19) monitoring questions described in filed on behalf of Kentucky Forest Industries Appendix D of the Forest Plan. Association, East Kentucky Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, Daniel Boone Forest Plan Forest Alliance, and the Southern Appalachian Multiple Use Council; and a second appeal was The Forest and Rangeland Renewable filed on behalf of Heartwood, Kentucky Resources Planning Act (RPA), as amended by Heartwood, Cumberland Chapter of the Sierra the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), Club, Wild South, and Wildlaw. directs that each national forest develop a comprehensive forest management plan, and July 25, 2006 - An Appeal Decision from the Washington Office was rendered affirming the that these plans be reviewed and updated every Regional Forester’s April 16, 2004 decision. 10 to 15 years, or earlier if conditions change significantly. In addition to the RPA and the April 23, 2007 – A revised Biological Opinion was NFMA, the National Environmental Policy Act of released by the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, 1969 (NEPA), Government Performance and after reinitiating of consultation to incorporate and consider new information regarding the Results Act of 1993 and the 2000 Revision of Endangered Indiana bat. the USDA Forest Service Strategic Plan guided the revision process. August 26, 2008 - The Forest Plan is amended to establish a 9,867-acre area of land within the The first Forest Plan for the Daniel Boone State-designated Redbird Wildlife Management National Forest was approved in September Area to the 3.H.1 Ruffed Grouse Emphasis 1985. That plan was amended fourteen (14) prescription area. This is Amendment #1. times over the years as new information became April 2, 2012 – The Forest Plan is amended to available, and issues and conditions changed. include a new marina on Lake Cumberland within Even so, an analysis of the current management the 3.A Developed Recreation Area prescription situation identified a need to revise the Forest area. Plan to better reflect changing conditions, Monitoring and Evaluation evolving public values, new scientific findings, new laws and regulations, and current agency Nineteen (19) monitoring questions were policy. The following is a summary of the identified in Appendix D of the Forest Plan. milestones and dates that occurred in revising Addressing these questions is accomplished by the Forest Plan: evaluating the results of annual monitoring activities. The Leadership Team for the Daniel June 21, 1996 - Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an Boone National Forest (DBNF, or Forest) environmental impact statement was published in prioritizes monitoring activities based on the Federal Register. recommendations from forest resource April 2003 - The Draft Environmental Impact specialists, and consideration of available Statement (DEIS) was released. funding and personnel. There are eighty-seven (87) monitoring tasks (Forest Plan, Appendix D), November 6, 2003 - A Biological Assessment was prepared and formal consultation occurred but not all are monitored each year. Monitoring between the Forest Service and the USDI Fish and evaluation is documented on task sheets and Wildlife Service as required by the that are used to address the nineteen monitoring Endangered Species