United States Department of Agriculture Draft Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Forest Plan Amendments to Incorporate Habitat Management Direction for the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Population Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Kootenai National Forest Lolo National Forest Forest Service Northern Region December 2017 Cover photo credit: Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 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Helena-Lewis and Clark, Kootenai, and Lolo National Forests Draft Record of Decision Table of Contents The Preliminary Decision ................................................................................................................................ 1 About This Decision ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Brief Description of the Preliminary Decision ..................................................................................................... 1 Modifications That Were Made to Alternative 2 ............................................................................................... 2 Location Where the Decision Applies ................................................................................................................. 2 Decision Authority .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Background ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Purpose and Need for Action .......................................................................................................................... 6 Rationale for Our Decision .............................................................................................................................. 6 How This Decision Best Meets the Purpose and Need ....................................................................................... 6 How Environmental Issues Were Considered ................................................................................................... 11 Other Factors That Were Considered ............................................................................................................... 13 Documents and Scientific Information Considered in Making Our Decision .................................................... 14 Public Involvement and Issues ...................................................................................................................... 14 Other Alternatives Considered ...................................................................................................................... 15 Alternative 1—No Action ................................................................................................................................. 15 Alternative 3 ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated from Detailed Study .......................................................................... 15 Findings Required by Other Laws, Regulations, and Policy ............................................................................ 16 National Forest Management Act .................................................................................................................... 16 Endangered Species Act ................................................................................................................................... 20 National Environmental Policy Act ................................................................................................................... 24 National Historic Preservation Act, American Indian Religious Freedom Act, and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act ....................................................................................................................... 25 Invasive Species (Executive Order 13112) ........................................................................................................ 25 Environmental Justice (Executive Order 12898) ............................................................................................... 25 Prime Farmland, Rangeland, and Forest Land ................................................................................................. 25 Equal Employment Opportunity, Effects on Minorities, Women...................................................................... 25 Wetlands and Floodplains (Executive Orders 11988 and 11990) ..................................................................... 26 Other Policies ................................................................................................................................................... 26 Implementation ............................................................................................................................................ 26 i Helena-Lewis and Clark, Kootenai, and Lolo National Forests Forest Plan Amendments Transition to the Direction in This Amendment ............................................................................................... 26 Delisting ........................................................................................................................................................... 26 Pre-Decisional Administrative Review or Objection Opportunities ............................................................... 27 Contact person ................................................................................................................................................ 27 Responsible Officials ..................................................................................................................................... 28 References .................................................................................................................................................... 29 Appendix 1: Forest Plan Amendments—Incorporating Habitat Management Direction for the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Population………………………………………………………………………………1-1 Appendix 2: NCDE Forest Plan Amendment Alternatives—Comparison of Forest Plan Components Under Alternative 1 (No-Action Alternative), Alternative 2 Modified, and Alternative 3……………………………………...2-1 List of Tables Table 1. Acres and percentages of NFS land included within the NCDE recovery zone/primary conservation area (PCA), zone 1 within and outside of the demographic connectivity areas (DCA), zone 2, and zone 3 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures Figure 1. The Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem vicinity map. ............................................................... 4 ii Helena-Lewis and Clark, Kootenai, and Lolo National Forests Draft Record of Decision Terms Short form used Additional information/full name Collective term for the Helena-Lewis and Clark, Kootenai, and Lolo National amendment forests Forests draft Conservation Draft NCDE Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy (USFWS, 2013) Strategy Flathead National Forest (or, in the context of the amendments, the Helena- the Forest Lewis and Clark, Kootenai, or Lolo National Forest assessment Assessment of the Flathead National Forest Flathead National Forest Revised Land Management Plan (or, in the context of forest plan the amendments, the Helena, Lewis and Clark,