United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Swift Thin Environmental Assessment Mt. St. Helens Ranger District Gifford Pinchot National Forest Skamania County, Washington August 2015 For More Information Contact: Chris Donnermeyer, Swift Thin Project Leader Mt. Adams District 2455 Hwy 141 Trout Lake, WA (509) 395-3421 [email protected] Fax: (509) 395-3424 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] . ii Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................................ i Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Proposed Project Location .......................................................................................................... 1 Physical and Biological Setting .................................................................................................. 2 Need for the Proposal ...................................................................................................................... 5 Existing Condition ...................................................................................................................... 5 Desired Condition ....................................................................................................................... 7 Public Involvement and Tribal Consultation ................................................................................. 10 Proposed Action and No Action Alternative ................................................................................. 10 Proposed Action ........................................................................................................................ 10 Commercial Thinning ............................................................................................................ 11 Regeneration Harvest to Create Early Seral .......................................................................... 12 Logging Systems, Temporary Roads, and Landings ............................................................. 16 Road Reconstruction and Maintenance ................................................................................. 16 Other Vegetation Enhancement or Restoration Projects ....................................................... 17 Implementation ...................................................................................................................... 17 No Action Alternative ............................................................................................................... 18 Other Alternatives Considered .................................................................................................. 19 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action and Alternatives................................................. 20 Vegetation Management ........................................................................................................... 20 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 20 Environmental and Social Consequences .............................................................................. 22 Soil Resources ........................................................................................................................... 34 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 34 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................................... 44 Wildlife Species and Habitat ..................................................................................................... 51 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences (By Species) .............................. 51 Aquatic Resources ................................................................................................................... 108 Affected Environment ......................................................................................................... 108 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................................. 113 Botanical Resources ................................................................................................................ 141 Affected Environment ......................................................................................................... 141 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................................. 143 Invasive Plants and Noxious Weeds .................................................................................... 146 Financial and Economic Analysis ........................................................................................... 150 Recreation and Other Social Considerations ........................................................................... 153 Affected Environment ......................................................................................................... 153 Environment and Social Consequences ............................................................................... 157 Other Disclosures Required by Law, Policy, and Regulation ................................................. 163 Clean Water Act .................................................................................................................. 163 National Historic Preservation Act ...................................................................................... 163 Endangered Species Act ...................................................................................................... 164 Environmental Justice ......................................................................................................... 164 Wetlands and Floodplains ................................................................................................... 164 Effects on Prime Farm Land, Range Land, and Forest Land .............................................. 164 Potential or Unusual Expenditures of Energy ..................................................................... 164 Conflicts with Plans, Policies, or other Jurisdictions .......................................................... 164 Consistency with the Gifford Pinchot Forest Plan, as Amended ......................................... 164 i Consumers, Civil Rights, Minority Groups, and Women ................................................... 165 Other Applicable State and Federal Laws ........................................................................... 165 References ................................................................................................................................... 166 List of Tables Table 1. Application of Variable Density Thinning. ..................................................................... 12 Table 2. Stands Proposed for Cutting. ........................................................................................... 13 Table 3. Non-vegetation Management Activities and Potential Funding Sources. ....................... 18 Table 4. Swift Planning Area Tree Species. .................................................................................. 20 Table 5. Disturbance History in the Planning Area. ...................................................................... 22 Table 6. Total Stand Volumes Present and at Culmination of Mean Annual Increment (CMAI). 32 Table 7. Comparison of Alternatives to the Purpose and Need. .................................................... 34 Table 8. Selected Soil Mapping Interpretations.