Preliminary Analysis United States Department of Agriculture Sawtooth Huckleberry Restoration Forest Gifford Pinchot National Forest Service Mt. Adams Ranger District and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Skamania County, Washington February 2009 T. 7 N., R. 8 E., Sections 1-3, 9-16, 21-27, Willamette Meridian For Information Contact : Cheryl Mack, Team Leader 2455 Highway 141, Trout Lake, WA 98650 (509) 395-3421 [email protected] 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 part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance. (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 USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (voice). TDD users can contact USDA through local relay or the Federal relay at (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (relay voice). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Table of Contents Chapter 1. Purpose and Need for Action ..................................................................... 5 Background.................................................................................................................5 Purpose of and Need for Action ..................................................................................7 Management Direction ................................................................................................9 Proposed Action........................................................................................................ 13 Decision Framework ................................................................................................. 13 Public Involvement.................................................................................................... 13 Issues ....................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action .......................................... 16 Alternative A – No Action .......................................................................................... 16 Alternative B—Proposed Action ................................................................................ 16 Alternative C—Underburning..................................................................................... 25 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study..................................... 34 Design Features/Mitigation Measures for All Alternatives.......................................... 34 Chapter 3. Environmental Consequences ................................................................. 42 Vegetation................................................................................................................. 43 Fire and Fuels ........................................................................................................... 56 Heritage Resources .................................................................................................. 63 Soils.......................................................................................................................... 68 Hydrology.................................................................................................................. 82 Fisheries ................................................................................................................. 100 Botanical Species and Invasive Plant Species ........................................................ 110 Wildlife .................................................................................................................... 127 Recreation and Social Analysis ............................................................................... 152 Economic Analysis .................................................................................................. 157 Other Environmental Consequences....................................................................... 161 Chapter 4. Consultation and Coordination .............................................................. 163 Consultation with Other Agencies and Jurisdictions ................................................ 163 List of Team Members............................................................................................. 164 References ................................................................................................................ 165 Tables Table 1. Details of Activities Proposed in Alternative B. ........................................................ 17 Table 2. Details of Activities Proposed in Alternative C. ........................................................ 25 Table 3. Comparison of Alternatives by Significant Issues. ................................................... 33 Table 4. Actions Considered in Cumulative Effects Analysis ................................................. 42 Table 5. Plant Associations in the Sawtooth Planning Area. .................................................. 44 Table 6. Sawtooth Stand Data (formal stand exams and walkthrough exams in 2007) ....... 45 Table 7. Sawtooth Stands with a Late-Successional Cohort. .................................................. 47 Table 8. Huckleberry Productivity Index Over Time Post Treatment By Alternative ........ 48 Table 9. Alternative A-No Action Current and Predicted Huckleberry Fruit Production. 50 Table 10. Alternative B – Current and Predicted Huckleberry Fruit Production ............... 52 Table 11. Alternative C – Current and Predicted Huckleberry Fruit Production ............... 54 Table 12. Selected Soil Mapping Interpretations. ................................................................... 71 Table 13. Prediction of remaining detrimental conditions of proposed road and landing construction (based on calculations and assumptions included in the Soils Report) ........... 77 3 Table 14. Magnitude, Duration and Intensity of Losses to Soil Quality ................................ 78 Table 15. Stream Temperatures monitored in the Upper Lewis River and White Salmon River watershed (USDA 2008). .................................................................................................. 82 Table 16. Categorized pre-treatment of systems roads in the Sawtooth Huckleberry Project. ......................................................................................................................................... 87 Table 17. Harvest-related road treatments for system roads in the Sawtooth Huckleberry Project. ......................................................................................................................................... 87 Table 18. Predicted Peak flow increases due to vegetation removal in the Sawtooth Huckleberry Project area. .......................................................................................................... 93 Table 19. Summary of Road Density, Stream Crossings, and Drainage Network Increase for the Sawtooth Huckleberry Project area. ............................................................................ 96 Table 20. Riparian Reserves within Sawtooth Huckleberry Project Unit areas. .................. 99 Table 21. TES and S&M Species Documented or Suspected to Occur on the GPNF and Likelihood of Presence within the Sawtooth Huckleberry Restoration Project ................. 110 Table 22. Summary of effects to threatened, endangered, proposed, and sensitive species. ..................................................................................................................................................... 128 Table 23. Acres by Structure Stage and percent of Total in Proposed Treatment Units .. 143 Table 24. Focal Bird Species .................................................................................................... 150 Table 25. Project Preparation and Administration Costs .................................................... 158 Table 26. Timber Sale Revenue and Costs ............................................................................ 158 Table 27. Service Projects ....................................................................................................... 159 Table 28. Huckleberry Value Assumptions ........................................................................... 160 Table 29. Huckleberry Benefit Over the Next 30 Years ....................................................... 160 Table 30. Economic Measures ................................................................................................ 161 Figures Figure 1. Sawtooth Huckleberry Restoration planning area vicinity map. ............................. 6 Figure 2. Photo of productive huckleberry habitat in the Sawtooth Berryfields in 1936. USFS photo by Ray Filloon. ......................................................................................................... 8 Figure 3. Photo showing productive huckleberry habitat within the Sawtooth Berrfields in 1936. Note evidence of past