Environmental Assessment Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and the Colorado Trail Reroute Lujan to La Garita Wilderness Saguache Ranger District, Rio Grande National Forest and Gunnison Ranger District, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests Saguache and Gunnison Counties, Colorado May, 2013 i "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 program. (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 to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.” Further Information: For more information regarding this project please contact Niccole Mortenson at [email protected] or 406-329-3163. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents iii Figures and Tables v Chapter 1. Purpose and Need and Proposed Action 1 Document Structure 1 Background 1 Purpose and Need for Action 5 Proposed Action 6 Laws, Regulation and Policy 8 Forest Plan Direction 12 Decision Framework 15 Public Involvement 16 Issues 16 Chapter 2. Alternatives including the Proposed Action 19 Alternatives Considered in Detail 19 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study 29 Comparison of Alternatives 32 Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences 35 Cumulative Actions Considered in the Analysis 35 Trail Setting 36 Trail Use & Access 55 User Experience & Trail Effects 62 Wildlife-Threatened or Endangered Species 66 Wildlife-Sensitive Species & Management Indicator Species 83 Migratory Birds 115 Plants-Threatened, Endangered or Sensitive Species 121 Watershed Conditions 129 Road/Transportation System 132 Livestock Grazing and Spread of Noxious Weeds 134 Chapter 4. Consultation and Coordination 139 References Cited or Reviewed 141 Trail Analysis 141 Wildlife 145 iii Plants 155 Heritage 160 Range 162 Scenery 163 Appendix A. Design Parameters Excerpt (Pgs 1-6) 165 Appendix B. Recommended Seed Mix 173 Appendix C. Response to Comments 175 iv FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1-1. Vicinity Map of Project. 4 Figure 1-2. Existing Route, Proposed Reroute and Access Points, CDNST Lujan to La Garita 7 Table 1-1. Proposed Action Trail Segment Descriptions. 8 Table 2-1. Key Features of Alternative 1. 19 Figure 2-1. Alternative 1 20 Figure 2-3. Alternative 2. 24 Table 2-3. Key Features of Alternative 3. 25 Figure 2-3. Alternative 3. 26 Table 2-4. Key Features of Alternative 4. 27 Figure 2-4. Alternative 4. 28 Table 2-5. Comparison of Alternatives 32 Table 3-1. Description of the Existing Trail Segments (source Tom Lorang Jones). 37 Figure 3-1a. Scenic Integrity Objectives Both Forests (roads not shown for RGNF) 41 Figure 3-1b. Existing Alignment Foreground Viewshed 43 Figure 3-2. Proposed Alignment Roadless 44 Figure 3-3. GoogleEarth (aerial) Image of Trail Routes 48 Figure 3-4. One Half Mile Buffer either Side of Trail 49 Figure 3-5. Spring near Monchego Park 52 Figure 3-6. Stock Pond 53 Figure 3-7. North Pass Topographic Map 55 Figure 3-8. North Pass Aerial Photo 56 Figure 3-9. North Pass Aerial Photo close-up for where the existing trail crosses SH 114. The existing trail follows the road labeled in white “CR31CC” 56 Table 3-2. Brief Summary of Designed Use and Trail Class Features 59 Figure 3-10. Lynx LAUs and Linkage Area 69 Figure 3-11. The utilization distribution for current lynx habitat in Colorado, with Forest Service administrative boundaries and I-70 as a reference. The CDNST Reroute Project vicinity is added for reference. Map is from Figure 7 in Theobald (2011). 72 Table 3-3. Proposed Trail Length within Lynx Suitable Habitat 73 Figure 3-12. Characterization of mapped lynx habitat associated with the CDNST Reroute Project. 74 Table 3-4. Suitable Lynx Habitat, Cochetopa Hills/North Pass Linkage Area 75 Table 3-5. Acres and Percentage of Lynx Habitat Affected by Proposed Trail v Construction 77 Figure 3-14. North Pass Area Aerial View 79 Figure 3-6. Average Snow Depth, Cochetopa Pass SNOTEL site 81 Table 3-7. Dominant Vegetation within 0.25 mile of Proposed Trail and Trailheads 84 Table 3-8. Determination and Conservation Measures Summary 102 Table 3-9. Elk Seasonal Use Areas and Project Activities within DAUs 112 Table 3-10. Mule Deer Seasonal Use Areas and Project Activities within DAU D-26. 113 Table 3-12. Priority habitats and species of the Southern Rocky Mountains province and their relationship to assessment for the CDNST Reroute Project. 118 Table 3-13. BCR Focal Species and Breeding Periods 120 Table 3-14. Species included in further analysis. 122 Figure 3-15. Road System 133 Figure 3-16. Decommission Segment 134 Table 3-15. Grazing allotments and permittees in the analysis area. 135 vi CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE AND NEED AND PROPOSED ACTION Document Structure The Forest Service has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations. This EA discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts that would result from the proposed action and alternatives. The document is organized into the following parts: • Chapter 1-This chapter includes information on the history of the project proposal, the purpose of and need for the project and the agency’s proposal for achieving that purpose and need. This section also details how the Forest Service informed the public of the proposal and how the public responded. • Chapter 2-This chapter provides a more detailed description of the agency’s proposed action as well as alternative methods for achieving the stated purpose. These alternatives were developed based on issues raised during scoping. • Chapter 3-This chapter describes the affected environment and effects of implementing the proposed action and other alternatives. This analysis is organized by resource element, as suggested by issues identified in scoping. Within each section, the affected environment is described first, followed by the effects of the No Action Alternative that provides a baseline for evaluation and comparison of the other alternatives that follow. • Chapter 4-This chapter provides a list of preparers and agencies consulted during the development of the environmental assessment. • Appendices-The appendices provide more detailed information to support the analyses presented in the environmental assessment. Additional documentation, including more detailed analyses of project-area resources, may be found in the project planning record. Background Continental Divide National Scenic Trail In 1968, Congress enacted the National Trails System Act (The Act) (P.L. 90-543) which established a nationwide trail system. The Act (16 U.S.C. 1242) describes that National Scenic Trails “will be extended trails so located as to provide for maximum outdoor recreation potential and for the conservation and enjoyment of the nationally significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural qualities of the areas through which such trails may pass.” The Act also specifically directed the study of a Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST). A study of possible trail routes along the Continental Divide was initiated in 1969 and completed in 1976. The 1976 Study Report describes the purposes of the CDNST: The primary purpose of this trail is to provide a continuous, appealing trail route, designed for the hiker and horseman, but compatible with other land uses....One of the primary purposes for establishing the CDNST would be to provide hiking and horseback access to those lands where man's impact on the environment has not been adverse to a substantial degree and where the environment 1 remains relatively unaltered. Therefore, the protection of the land resource must remain a paramount consideration in establishing and managing the trail. There must be sufficient environmental controls to assure that the values for which the trail is established are not jeopardized...The basic goal of the trail is to provide the hiker and rider an entree to the diverse country along the Continental Divide in a manner, which will assure a high quality recreation experience while maintaining a constant respect for the natural environment... The Continental Divide Trail would be a simple facility for foot and horseback use in keeping with the National Scenic Trail concept as seen in the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. In 1977, a Legislative Final Environmental Statement (FES) describing the routes was completed and filed with the Council on Environmental Quality. Using the information from the Study Report and FES, Congress enacted the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-625, 92 Stat. 3467) which established the CDNST (16 U.S.C.1244) and amended The Act (P.L. 90-543). The amendment established and designated the CDNST “a trail of approximately thirty-one hundred miles, extending from the Montana-Canada border to the New Mexico- Mexico border, following the approximate route depicted on the map, identified as 'Proposed Continental Divide National Scenic Trail' in the Department of the Interior Continental Divide Trail study report dated March l977...Notwithstanding the provisions of section 7(c), the use of motorized vehicles on roads which will be designated segments of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail shall be permitted in accordance with regulations prescribed by the appropriate Secretary….” (16 U.S.C.