Monongahela National Forest Forest-wide Travel Analysis Report Appendix H Monongahela National Forest Forest-Scale Roads Analysis 2003 September 2015 Appendix H 200 Sycamore Street Phone 304-636-1800 Monongahela National Forest Elkins, WV 26241 Fax 304 636 1875 Roads Analysis Report Forest Scale Roads Analysis Monongahela National Forest January 13, 2003 Version 2.0 Page 1 of 160 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page OVERVIEW OF ROADS ANALYSIS GUIDANCE…………………………………… 5 INTRODUCTION Background………………………………………………………………………. 7 Process…………………………………………………………………………… 7 Products………………………………………………………………………….. 8 This Report………………………………………………………………………. 8 STEP 1: SETTING UP THE ANALYSIS Purpose and Products……………………………………………………………. 9 Objectives of the Analysis………………………………………………………. 9 Interdisciplinary Team Members and Participants……………………………… 10 Information Needs………………………………………………………………. 10 Analysis Plan……………………………………………………………………. 10 STEP 2: DESCRIBING THE SITUATION Purpose and Products……………………………………………………………. 11 The Analysis Area………………………………………………………………. 11 Existing Road and Access System Description…………………………………. 13 Forest Plan Goal…………………………………………………………………. 17 Forest Plan Objectives…………………………………………………………… 17 Meeting Forest Plan Objectives…………………………………………………. 20 Budget……………………………………………………………………………. 22 Road Inventory…………………………………………………………………… 22 Human Population in the Analysis Area…………………………………………. 30 Road Definitions…………………………………………………………………. 45 Basic Data Needs………………………………………………………………… 50 STEP 3: IDENTIFYING ISSUES Purpose and Products…………………………………………………………….. 51 Issue Summary…………………………………………………………………… 51 Status of Current Data……………………………………………………………. 52 STEP 4: ASSESSING BENEFITS, PROBLEMS, AND RISKS Purpose and Products…………………………………………………………….. 53 Current Road System Benefits, Problems, and Risks Ecosystem Functions and Processes (EF) ……………………………….. 53 Aquatic, Riparian Zone, and Water Quality (AQ) ………………………. 67 Terrestrial Wildlife (TW) ………………………………………………... 81 Economics (EC) …………………………………………………………. 87 Commodity Production (TM, MM) ………………………………........... 89 Range Management (RM)………………………………………………… 101 Water Production (WP) ………………………………………………….. 104 Special Products (SP) ……………………………………………………. 105 Page 2 of 160 Special Use Permits (SU) ………………………………………………... 105 General Public Transportation (GT) ……………………………………... 109 Administrative Use (AU) ………………………………………………… 113 Protection (PT) …………………………………………………………… 114 Recreation………………………………………………………………… 115 Passive-Use Values ………………………………………………………. 118 Social Issues……………………………………………………………… 120 Civil Rights and Environmental Justice…………………………………… 124 Ability of the Road System to meet Objectives………………………………….. 124 STEP 5: DESCRIBING OPPORTUNITIES AND SETTING PRIORITIES Purpose and Products…………………………………………………………….. 125 Problems and Risks Posed by the Current Road system…………………………. 125 NEPA Analysis Needs…………………………………………………………… 126 STEP 6: REPORTING Purpose and Products…………………………………………………………….. 127 Report…………………………………………………………………………….. 127 Maps……………………………………………………………………………… 127 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………… 128 Appendices APPENDIX A: Maintenance Level 3, 4, 5 Road Maps…………………………………. 129 APPENDIX AQ: Aquatics Maps………………………………………………………… 137 APPENDIX WP: Water Production Map………………………………………………… 149 APPENDIX D: Road Matrix……………………………………………………………... 151 List of Tables TABLE 1: Interdisciplinary Team Members…………………………………………….. 10 TABLE 2: Roadway Summary by District and Maintenance Level …………………….. 15 TABLE 3: Monongahela National Forest Road Totals in 1986………………………….. 18 TABLE 4: Road Activities since the Forest Plan was Completed in 1986……………… 20 TABLE 5: Summary of Funds Needed for Road Maintenance………………………….. 22 TABLE 6: Populations of Cities and Towns throughout the Forest……………………... 30 TABLE 7: Population of Counties throughout the Forest……………………………….. 31 TABLE 8: Management Prescription Summary…………………………………………. 34 TABLE EF 2a: LTAs with agricultural land…………………………………………....... 61 TABLE EF 2b: Forest system roads open to year-round public travel………………..…. 61 TABLE EF 2c: Resource Management Value and Risk rankings……………………….. 62 TABLE EF 4: LTAs suitable for prescribed fire…………………………………….…… 65 TABLE AQ 1: Ranking 5th Level Watersheds Based on Road Densities………………… 69 TABLE AQ 2: Ranking 5th Level Watersheds Based on Amount of Erodible Soils…….. 71 TABLE AQ 4: Ranking 5th Level Watersheds Based on the Number of Road Crossings.. 74 TABLE AQ 7: Ranking 5th Level Watersheds Based on Municipal Water Supplies……. 76 TABLE AQ 10: Ranking 5th Level Watersheds Based on the Total Number of Fish Species Reported in the Watershed……………………………………. 78 Page 3 of 160 TABLE AQ 14: Ranking 5th Level Watersheds Based on the Presence of Sensitive Fish Species……………………………………………………………. 81 TABLE EC 1a: Maintenance Activity Usually Performed Depending on Maintenance Level……………………………………………………………………. 88 TABLE EC 1b: 2001 Maintenance Summary……………………………………………. 88 TABLE EC 1c: Rates of Collection………………………………………………………. 88 TABLE TM 3a: Access to Opportunity Areas Available for Timber Harvest…………… 94 TABLE TM 3b: Resource Management Value Rankings………………………………… 95 TABLE RM 1a: Current Access to National Forest Grazing Areas……………………… 102 TABLE RM 1b: Resource Management Value Rankings………………………………... 103 TABLE WP 2: Ranking of 5th Level Watersheds Based on Municipal Water Supplies….. 104 TABLE SU 1: Summary of Current Special Use Permits and Applications……………… 106 TABLE GT 3: Shared Maintenance Roads……………………………………………….. 111 List of Figures FIGURE 1: Major Roads through West Virginia…………………….………………….. 13 FIGURE 2: Major Roads through the Monongahela National Forest...…………………. 14 FIGURE 3: Monongahela National Forest Ranger Districts…………………………….. 15 FIGURE 4: District Totals (ML 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)…………………………………………….. 16 FIGURE 5: Operational Maintenance Level Totals…………………………………….. 16 FIGURE 6: District Totals of ML 3, 4, 5 Roads…………………………………………. 17 FIGURE 7: Roadway Mileages on the Monongahela in 1986 …………………………. 19 FIGURE 8: Roads on the Monongahela in 1986.……………………………………….. 19 FIGURE 9: Road Construction since 1986……………………………………………… 20 FIGURE 10: Road Reconstruction since 1986………………………………………….. 21 FIGURE 11: Roads Abandoned/Decommissioned since 1986………………………….. 21 FIGURE 12: Cities and Towns Within and Near the Proclamation Boundary …………. 30 FIGURE 13: Counties throughout the Monongahela…………………………………….. 31 FIGURE 14: Total Persons – 2000: U.S. by State………………………………………. 32 FIGURE 15: Total Persons – 2000: W.V. by County…………………………………... 32 FIGURE 16: Persons per mi2 – U.S. by State………………………………………….… 32 FIGURE 17: Persons per mi2 – W.V. by County………………………………………… 32 FIGURE 18: Management Prescriptions…………..…………………………………….. 33 FIGURE 19: Wildernesses…...……………….………………………………………….. 39 FIGURE EF 2: LTAs Primarily in Farmland…………………………………………….. 60 FIGURE EF 4: LTAs Suitable for Prescribed Fire………………………………………. 66 FIGURE TM 3a: Distribution of Land to Management Prescriptions...…………………. 93 FIGURE TM 3b: Management Prescriptions Suited to Timber Management...…………. 97 FIGURE GT 1: Forest and State Routes………………………………………………….. 110 List of Images IMAGE 1: Dolly Sods Wilderness………………………………………………………. 39 IMAGE 2: Maintenance Level 1 Road…………………………………………………… 47 IMAGE 3: Maintenance Level 2 Road…………………………………………………… 48 IMAGE 4: Maintenance Level 3 Road…………………………………………………… 48 IMAGE 5: Maintenance Level 4 Road…………………………………………………… 49 IMAGE 6: Maintenance Level 5 Road…………………………………………………… 49 Page 4 of 160 OVERVIEW OF ROAD ANALYSIS GUIDANCE Federal Register Volume 66, Number 9 Friday, January 12, 2001 Notices Pages 3234-3235 7712.1 – Roads Analysis “The Responsible Official shall incorporate an interdisciplinary science-based roads analysis into multi-forest, forest-scale, and watershed or area-scale analyses and assessments to inform planners and decision-makers of road system opportunities, needs and priorities that support land and resource management objectives. Conducted by an interdisciplinary team, the science-based roads analysis process provides Responsible Officials with critical information needed to identify and manage a minimum road system that is safe and responsive to public needs and desires, is affordable and efficient, has minimal adverse effects on ecological processes and ecosystem health, diversity, and productivity of the land, and is in balance with available funding for needed management actions.” “Units are to use an authorized science-based roads analysis process, such as that described in the report Roads Analysis: Informing Decisions About Managing the National Forest Transportation System (USDA Forest Service, 1999, Misc. Report FS-643). …” 7712.1 – Outcomes “The roads analysis results in a report and accompanying maps that document the information and analysis methods used to identify social and environmental opportunities, problems, risks, and priorities for future road management. The report documents the key findings of the analysis and contains graphical, tabular, and geospatial displays of the transportation system options, including a minimum road system. It is important that the roads analysis identify access needs and opportunities that are based on current budget levels and realistic projections of future funding. Analysts should locate, interpret, and use relevant scientific literature in the analysis and disclose assumptions on which the analysis is based. …” “While the report contains factual information concerning the transportation system, road management decisions are not a product of roads analysis. Rather, road management