United States Department of REDD BULL Agriculture Forest Service Environmental Assessment June 2020 Superior Ranger District, Lolo National Forest Mineral County, Montana For More Information Contact: Project Leader Pat Partyka ([email protected]) Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District P.O. Box 429 Plains, MT 59859 Telephone: 406-826-3821 Superior District Ranger Carole Johnson ([email protected]) Superior Falls Ranger District P.O. 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Redd Bull Environmental Assessment Contents CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION .......................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background and Setting ................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Purpose and Need for Action ........................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Original Proposed Action .............................................................................................................. 7 1.4.1 Design Criteria ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.5 Public Involvement ........................................................................................................................ 8 1.5.1 Issue Resolution ...................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2: ALTERNATIVES .......................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 3: ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS .................................................................................... 29 3.1 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ........................................................ 29 3.2 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................... 31 3.2.1 Resilient Vegetative Conditions ........................................................................................... 31 3.2.2 Old Growth ........................................................................................................................... 37 3.2.3 Weeds ................................................................................................................................... 42 3.3 Fire and Fuels .............................................................................................................................. 44 3.4 Soils ............................................................................................................................................. 56 3.5 Hydrology .................................................................................................................................... 62 3.6 Fisheries ...................................................................................................................................... 72 3.7 Wildlife ........................................................................................................................................ 79 3.8 Transportation System ............................................................................................................... 114 3.9 Economics ................................................................................................................................. 118 3.10 Roadless................................................................................................................................... 122 3.11 Recreation ................................................................................................................................ 145 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................................... 151 Appendix A: Maps Appendix B: Detailed Vegetation Treatments Appendix C: Resource Protection Measures and Monitoring Appendix D: Science Basis for Vegetation Restoration Treatments i Redd Bull Environmental Assessment ii Redd Bull Environmental Assessment CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION 1.1 Introduction Redd Bull is a collaboratively-developed, integrated restoration project designed to restore native fish habitat, improve the health and resiliency of forest vegetation, reduce forest fuels, enhance big game habitat, provide diverse recreation opportunities, and support the economic structure of local communities within an 85,000-acre landscape south of St. Regis (see Figure 1.1). The Lolo National Forest is proposing vegetation, road, and recreation management activities to achieve these objectives. Figure 1.1: Vicinity Map This Environmental Assessment (EA) discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the proposal and its alternatives to determine whether they may significantly affect the quality of the human environment and thereby require preparation of an environmental impact statement. Preparation of this EA fulfills agency policy and direction to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Lolo Forest Plan, 40 CFR 1508.9, 36 CFR 220.7, and other relevant federal and State laws and regulations. The reports cited in this EA and additional project documentation are contained within the project file located at the Superior Ranger District office in Superior, Montana. These documents are available upon request. 1.2 Background and Setting The Redd Bull project area is situated between Interstate 90 and the Montana/Idaho border within the Dry, Cold, Little Joe, Twomile, and Ward Creek watersheds. Dry and Cold Creeks are tributary to the 1 Redd Bull Environmental Assessment Clark Fork River and the remaining watersheds are tributary to the St. Regis River, which flows into the Clark Fork River at St. Regis. The project area primarily consists of National Forest System (NFS) land (95 percent). The remaining lands are mostly private, located along the river valley bottoms. In 2015, the Forest Service began field assessments in the Redd Bull project area to determine the existing condition of the various resource components (e.g. wildlife and aquatic habitat, vegetation, soil, recreation, etc.) and identify opportunities to achieve desired conditions outlined in the Lolo Forest Plan1. After gaining an understanding of project area conditions, the Forest Service initiated a public collaborative process in 2016 to identify public use patterns, items and/or areas of importance, and desired management outcomes. During this process, the Forest Service sponsored 2 fieldtrips and 6 meetings that were open to everyone and were well-attended. The result of field assessments and public engagement was the development of an integrated management action plan (Proposed Action) that addressed various resource needs and opportunities within the project area. The Lolo Forest Plan uses management areas (MAs) to guide management on NFS lands within the Lolo National Forest. The Forest has been divided into 28 MAs, each with different management goals, and resource potential and limitations. Most land within the project area is allocated to Forest Plan management areas that emphasize forest health. Approximately 12 percent is allocated to big game winter and summer range, and 11 percent emphasizes riparian and stream values. About 26 percent of the NFS land within the project area is located within 3 inventoried roadless areas2 (IRA): Marble