United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Big Sugar Project Environmental Assessment American River Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest, Placer County, California June 2019 For More Information Contact: District Trails Officer, Matt Brownlee American River Ranger District 22830 Foresthill Road Foresthill, CA 95631 Phone: (530) 478-6254 Responsible Official, Eli Ilano Tahoe National Forest 631 Coyote Street Nevada City, CA 95959 Phone: (530) 265-4531 Cover photo: mechanized new trail construction. Credit: Devin Erickson, 2017. 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Contents Contents .......................................................................................................................................... iii Chapter 1 Need for the Proposal ..................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 5 Proposed Project Location ....................................................................................................... 5 Need for the Proposal .............................................................................................................. 6 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................................... 7 Public Involvement and Tribal Consultation .............................................................................. 8 Proposal Development............................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 2 Proposed Action and Alternatives .................................................................................. 9 Alternative 1 – Proposed Action ................................................................................................. 9 Implementation Strategy ....................................................................................................... 10 Alternative 2 – No Action ......................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 3 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action and Alternatives ................................ 19 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 19 Effects Relative to the Finding of No Significance (FONSI) Elements .................................... 20 Incorporation by Reference ................................................................................................... 20 Context .................................................................................................................................. 21 Intensity ................................................................................................................................. 21 Chapter 4 Agencies and Persons Consulted .................................................................................. 65 Individuals including: ............................................................................................................... 65 Tribes: ....................................................................................................................................... 65 Agencies and organizations: ..................................................................................................... 65 Chapter 5 References Cited ........................................................................................................... 66 Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 69 Appendix A: Maps of Alternative 1 (8 Maps) .......................................................................... 69 Appendix B: Travel Regulation Minimization Criteria Addressing Trail Designated for Motorcycle Use ......................................................................................................................... 78 China Wall to Robinsons Flat Connector Trail ..................................................................... 78 List of Tables Table 1. Updates to the Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 8 Table 2: Acres of overlap between proposed project activities and suitable CRLF habitat. ......... 23 Table 3. Motorized recreation opportunities ................................................................................. 38 Table 4. Effects on permitted special use event routes .................................................................. 40 Table 5. Acres of California Wildlife Habitat Relationship1 types larger than 4M, 4D, 5M, 5D, and 6 within 0.25-mile of proposed trail actions. .................................................................. 45 Table 6. Proposed Removal of Seasonal Closures on Trails that Intersect Spotted Owl PACs .... 46 Table 7. Proposed New Trails or Re-Routed Trails that Intersect Spotted Owl PACs ................. 47 Table 8. Proposed Trail Components in Northern Goshawk PACs .............................................. 48 Table 9. Existing Road and Trail Mileage in the Inventoried Roadless Areas .............................. 54 Table 10. North Fork American River IRA and CIRA Mileage ................................................... 54 Table 11. North Fork of Middle Fork American River IRA and CIRA Mileage .......................... 55 Table 12. Duncan Canyon IRA and CIRA Mileage ...................................................................... 55 Table 13. Cumulative Watershed Effects within project 7th field watersheds .............................. 60 List of Figures Figure 1. Vicinity and overview map .............................................................................................. 5 iii Big Sugar Project 4 American River Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest Chapter 1 Need for the Proposal Introduction The Forest Service is proposing motorized trails management actions under the Big Sugar Project. These actions would: remove fixed wet weather seasonal closures and replace them with a wet weather operating plan in the lower elevations of the Big Sugar Project area; construct 24 miles of motorized single track trail; reroute 46 miles and decommission 30 miles of unsustainable motorized trail segments; construct 11 short narrow bridges; install gates, barriers and fencing; and allow for motorized mixed use on 0.25 miles of National Forest System (NFS) road 43. The Forest Service prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to determine whether implementation of the Big Sugar Project may significantly affect the quality of the human environment and thereby require the preparation of an environmental impact statement. By preparing this EA, agency policy and direction are being fulfilled to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). For more details of the proposed action, see the Proposed Action and Alternatives section of this document. Proposed Project Location These actions are proposed to be implemented on NFS lands located north and east of the community of Foresthill within Tahoe National Forest on American River Ranger District. In addition, Tahoe National Forest (TNF) is working with partners to coordinate trail connections across private lands. Elevations within the Project area range from 3,000 feet to 7,000 feet. An overview map of Big Sugar is displayed in Figure 1. Figure 1. Vicinity and overview map 5 Big Sugar Project Need for the Proposal The purpose of the Big Sugar Project is to reduce impacts