Black Butte Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive River Management Plan Environmental Assessment Recreation & Visual Resource Report Prepared by: Shannon Pozas For: Covelo Ranger District Mendocino National Forest Service 1 August 2017 Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Project Description .............................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Purpose and Need................................................................................................................ 4 1.3 Overview of Issues & Issue Indicators ................................................................................... 4 1.4 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 4 1.5 Mendocino National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan – LRMP .............................. 5 1.6 Forest Niche ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................ 6 2.1 Black Butte River and Cold Creek Segments .......................................................................... 6 2.2 Recreation Opportunity Spectrum ...................................................................... 6 2.3 Visual Quality Objectives ................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Scenery……………………………………………………………………………………………..9 2.4 Desired Landscape Character and Condition……………………………………………………...14 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES…………………………..………………………………14 3.1 Alternative 1 – No Action Alternative………………………………………………………. ……14 3.2 Alternative 2 – Proposed Action…………………………………………………………………..15 4.0 REFERENCES ………………………………………..………………………………19 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Description In 2006, Congress passed the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (HR233) that included 18.5 miles of Black Butte River (16 miles wild, 3.5 miles scenic) and 1.5 miles of Cold Creek (all wild designation) into the National Wild and Scenic River System. The Black Butte River and Cold Creek are free flowing, without past or present major diversions. The Black Butte River watershed is located on the west side of the California Coast Range approximately 150 miles north of San Francisco Bay, and several miles east of Covelo, California. Parts of Mendocino, Lake, and Glenn counties lie within the watershed boundaries, though Wild and Scenic designation for Black Butte River and Cold Creek lies entirely within Mendocino County. Over 98 percent of the Black Butte watershed is within the administrative boundary of the Mendocino National Forest. The Black Butte River originates at “The Basin” in the very south end of the watershed, and flows northwest for almost 36 miles before draining into the Middle Fork Eel River. The highest peak in the watershed is Black Butte at an elevation of 7,448 feet. A Comprehensive Management Plan for the Black Butte and Cold Creek Wild and Scenic (WSR) is to be developed to establish programmatic management direction for the WSR corridor. Its development will guide in implementing the direction of the Wild and Scenic River Act (WSRA). The WSR Act established a system for preserving outstanding free-flowing rivers. A defined section in Section 1(b) of the WSR Act: “certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreations, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values, shall be preserved in free- flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations” (PL 90-542, 1968). The WSR Act requires the Forest Service to develop a comprehensive WSR Management Plan for the Black Butte and Cold Creek to protect and enhance the outstandingly remarkable fish, cultural/historic and geologic values. 3 Figure 1 Project Area 1.2 Purpose and Need The purpose of this proposal is to: 1) adopt a comprehensive river management plan to protect and enhance the values for which the river was designated (free-flowing, water quality, and outstandingly remarkable values), and 2) identify and implement Forest Service management actions needed to protect these values within the Black Butte River and Cold Creek corridor. Section 3 of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 USC 1274, as amended) specifies that a comprehensive management plan will be developed for the designated river corridor. Planning is needed to integrate management of multiple resources, resource designations, and activities in the planning area. Management of uses on public lands is necessary in this congressional designated area to address private, public, and administrative access needs; protect resources, promote public safety; and minimize conflicts among uses of public lands. Based upon the review of the public input, evaluation of corridor conditions and need for action, the comprehensive river management plan will focus on the following: As required by law, develop a comprehensive river management plan that addresses resource protection, land use, user capacities, and other management practices. Protect outstandingly remarkable values. Ensure free flowing conditions and water quality is maintained. The purpose of this environmental assessment is to provide a basis for comparing management alternatives and adopting a management plan for the Black Butte River and Cold Creek corridor. 1.3 Overview of Issues & Issue Indicators Although there were no recreation or visual resource issues identified through the external scoping process or through analysis of the proposed action, both resources were discussed during project development. The existing environment has been described below for the purpose of establishing a 4 baseline in which to identify change to the resources. The following indicators will be used to assess the effects of the Proposed Action and a No Action Alternative: Compliance with the LMP’s Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) Compliance with the LMP’s Visual Quality Objectives (VQO’s) Effect on Scenery 1.4 Methodology The scope of the analysis is the Black Butte Wild and Scenic Project boundary as it relates to the proposed action. Both recreation and visual resources were evaluated to determine if current LRMP direction is consistent with WSRA. The recreation opportunities for the Mendocino NF (MNF) have been analyzed and defined in the Mendocino National Forest Land Management Plan (LRMP) (USDA Forest Service, 1995) by what is called the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS). This spectrum is used to classify and select the desired experience level for individual recreation sites. These experience levels are based on physical, social, and managerial settings. This analysis for the recreation resources uses the ROS to determine consistency of the LRMP with the WSRA. The visual resources for MNF have also been analyzed and defined in the LRMP by what is called the Visual Quality Objectives. This analysis for the visual resources uses the VQO’s to determine consistency of the LRMP with the WSRA. These methodologies will be used to document to what extent the current Forest Plan protects the recreation and visual resources are consistent with the WSR Act. All national forest landscapes have value as scenery. Scenery is analyzed by classifying variety classes, determining the landscape visibility, and by establishing viewsheds. Key viewing points will be used in this analysis as points of references from where the effects on scenery can be analyzed. 1.5 Mendocino National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan – LRMP The Mendocino National Forest Land Management Plan (LRMP) was completed in 1995. The goals outlined in the Forest Plan are to maintain attractive landscapes and recreation quality around major lakes and within other areas of concentrated recreation use. The Forest Plan provides management direction for designated Wild and Scenic River corridors. The Black Butte River and Cold Creek segments are located within the Grizzly Management Area (MA17), Twin Rocks (MA 26), and Brushy Mountain (MA 39). The management area direction requires that the Forest “provide protection to the outstandingly remarkable values found along the Black Butte River pending determination of the suitability of the Black Butte River for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic River System” (Forest Plan, page IV-150). The Forest Plan was then amended in 2007 (Amendment 2007-01) to incorporate the newly designated Black Butte River and Cold Creek segments. That amendment also changed the management direction for the segments of the Black Butte River and Cold Creek to Management Prescription 10 – Wild and Scenic River (Forest Plan, pages IV-76 to IV-77). The purpose of this prescription is “to preserve the free flowing condition of designated Wild and Scenic Rivers and their outstanding river values” (Forest Plan, page IV-76). 1.6 Forest Niche Starting in 2007, recreation facility analyses (RFAs) were conducted nation-wide to address growing concern about the agency’s ability to maintain recreation sites to meet the needs of the public. The goal was to align management of recreation sites and facilities with the forest’s recreation program