United States Department of Environmental Agriculture Forest Assessment Service January 2018 Cooper Creek Watershed Project Blue Ridge Ranger District, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Union County, Georgia Responsible Official: Andrew L. Baker, District Ranger 2042 Highway 515 West, Blairsville, GA 30512 (706) 745-6928 Lead Agency: USDA Forest Service Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Blue Ridge Ranger District 2042 Highway 515 West, Blairsville, GA 30512 Responsible Official: Andrew L. Baker, District Ranger (706) 745-6928 Project Contact Information: Jim Wentworth, District Wildlife Biologist (706) 745-6928 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (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, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Environmental Assessment Cooper Creek Watershed Project Table of Contents APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................... iv Summary ........................................................................................................................ i CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE AND NEED ............................................................................ 1 1.1 Document Structure .............................................................................................................1 1.1.1 Planning Record............................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Background ..........................................................................................................................1 1.3 Purpose and Need for Action ..............................................................................................2 1.4 Proposed Action ..................................................................................................................3 1.5 Forest Plan Direction ...........................................................................................................3 1.6 Incorporation by Reference and Use of Science ..............................................................5 1.7 Decision Framework ............................................................................................................5 1.8 Public Involvement ..............................................................................................................5 1.9 Issues ....................................................................................................................................6 CHAPTER 2: Alternatives, including the Proposed Action ........................................ 9 2.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................9 2.2 Alternatives Considered in Detail .......................................................................................9 2.2.1 Alternative 1: No Action ........................................................................................................ 9 2.2.2 Alternative 2: The Proposed Action ................................................................................... 9 2.2.3 Alternative 3 ........................................................................................................................... 18 2.3 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detail Study .......................................... 27 2.4 Project Design Features and Mitigation for Resource Protection ............................... 28 2.5 Monitoring and Evaluation ............................................................................................... 30 2.6 Comparison of Alternatives ............................................................................................. 30 CHAPTER 3: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................................................................................................... 32 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 32 3.2 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ....................................... 32 3.3 Soils .................................................................................................................................... 33 3.4 Water .................................................................................................................................. 59 3.5 Air ....................................................................................................................................... 77 3.6 Climate Change ................................................................................................................. 81 3.7 Major Forest Communities ............................................................................................... 85 3.8 Successional Stage Forests and Habitats ...................................................................... 92 3.9 Old Growth ......................................................................................................................... 95 3.10 Snags, Dens, and Downed Wood ................................................................................ 100 3.11 Aquatic Habitats (including TES Aquatics) ................................................................ 102 3.12 Forest Interior Habitats ................................................................................................. 114 3.13 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, Sensitive Species and Locally Rare Species ................................................................................................................................................. 117 3.14 Management Indicator Species ................................................................................... 131 3.15 Non-native Invasive Plant Species .............................................................................. 152 3.16 Recreation and Scenery ............................................................................................... 155 3.17 Economic Analysis ....................................................................................................... 160 3.18 Heritage Resources ...................................................................................................... 162 3.19 Public Health and Safety .............................................................................................. 164 3.20 Transportation ............................................................................................................... 165 3.21 Consistency with Laws ................................................................................................. 172 Chapter 4: REFERENCES CITED ............................................................................. 173 CHAPTER 5: CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION ............................................ 184 APPENDICES Appendix A- Maps (Found on-line under supporting Documents) Appendix B - Cooper Creek Watershed Assessment Appendix C- Cooper Creek Ecological Classification System Appendix D – Cooper Creek Departure Analysis Appendix E – Stand-level Treatments by Alternative Appendix F – Results of the Risk Assessment Appendix G – Emergency Spill Plan Appendix H - Standard Mitigation Measures for Herbicide Use Appendix I – Monitoring Plan Appendix J – Scenic Integrity Objectives Mitigation Measures iv Environmental Assessment Cooper Creek Watershed Project SUMMARY The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests proposes the following activities: a) Vegetation Management (commercial timber harvest, prescribed burning, stand improvement, site preparation, and reforestation treatments); b) Road Access (System Road reconstruction, temporary road construction, seasonal and year-round closures and changes to road maintenance levels). The project area is located in the Cooper Creek watershed and the adjacent Coosa Creek and Youngcane Creek watersheds, in Union County Georgia and is within the Blue Ridge Ranger District, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Georgia. This action is needed, because many of the stands in the project area are dense and overcrowded, with limited understory or ground cover diversity. In addition to the proposed action, the Forest Service also evaluated 2 other alternatives (No Action alternative and Alternative 3). Based upon the effects of the alternatives, the responsible official will decide whether the proposed action will proceed as proposed, as modified, or not at all, and if it does proceed, decide what mitigation measures and monitoring requirements will be applied to the proposed action. i Environmental Assessment Cooper Creek Watershed Project CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE AND NEED 1.1 Document Structure The Forest Service has prepared this Environmental Assessment in compliance with the National Environmental