(Draft) Angeles National Forest San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Travel Analysis Report April, 2018 1 (Draft) 2 (Draft) Table of Contents STEP 1: SETTING UP THE ANALYSIS ....................................................................... 5 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................... 5 OBJECTIVES OF SUBPART A ................................................................................. 5 Scale of Sub Part A ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Scope of Sub Part A ....................................................................................................................................... 6 TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS TEAM MEMBERS ................................................. 7 PRODUCTS ............................................................................................................... 8 STEP 2: DESCRIBING THE SITUATION ..................................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 9 CURRENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM .............................................................. 10 Geographic and Biological Settings.............................................................................................................. 11 CURRENT MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ................................................................ 12 2005 Land Management Plan (LMP) and 2005 Roads Analysis Process (RAP) ......................................... 12 Summary of Important 2005 RAP Findings .................................................................................................. 16 ROAD MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ....................................................................... 16 OTHER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS ................................................................ 18 STEP 3: IDENTIFYING ISSUES ................................................................................. 24 ROAD SYSTEM MANAGEMENT ............................................................................ 24 ROAD SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY ......................................................................... 25 Financial Resources ..................................................................................................................................... 25 Budget Constraints-Current and Projected .................................................................................................. 27 FUTURE TRANSPORTATION TRENDS ................................................................. 28 STEP 4: ASSESSING BENEFITS, EFFETCTS AND RISKS ..................................... 30 BENEFITS OF NATIONAL FOREST ROADS ......................................................... 30 3 (Draft) Administrative Needs for NF Roads ............................................................................................................. 30 Fire and Fuels Management......................................................................................................................... 30 Ecological Restoration .................................................................................................................................. 30 Recreation .................................................................................................................................................... 31 Communities and Private Property Access .................................................................................................. 32 Mineral Access ............................................................................................................................................. 33 Hydroelectric Power Generation................................................................................................................... 33 EFFECTS AND RISKS FROM ROADS ................................................................... 33 Effects on Wildfire Protection ....................................................................................................................... 34 Risks to Terrestrial and Avian Species ......................................................................................................... 34 Risks to Aquatic and Riparian Species ........................................................................................................ 35 Risks to Botanical Resources ....................................................................................................................... 35 Heritage and Cultural Conflicts ..................................................................................................................... 36 Watershed Effects ........................................................................................................................................ 36 Effects on Air Quality .................................................................................................................................... 38 Social-Economics ......................................................................................................................................... 38 STEP 5: DESCRIBING OPPORTUNITIES AND SETTING PRIORITIES ................... 39 PROJECTED ACCESS NEEDS .............................................................................. 39 Opportunities to Change Existing Road System .......................................................................................... 39 Resource Specific Recommendations.......................................................................................................... 41 Road System Management Recommendations ........................................................................................... 42 STEP 6: REPORTING ................................................................................................. 43 LIKELY NEEDED/LIKELY NOT NEEDED SUMMARY ............................................ 43 4 (Draft) STEP 1: SETTING UP THE ANALYSIS BACKGROUND September 2005, the Record of Decision for the Angeles National Forest Land Management Plan was published. In November of 2005, the Forest Service issued the final Travel Management Rule (36 CFR 212). The Travel Management Rule revised Forest Service directions concerning the management, use, and maintenance of the National Forest Transportation System. In order to designate a sustainable transportation system, halt cross country motorized travel and to provide consistent over snow motorized use. The Travel Management Rule was broken down into three subparts: Subpart A Identify roads likely not needed for future use Subpart B Designate the NF Transportation System; roads, motorized trails and areas Subpart C Designate an over snow vehicle system The Angeles National Forest completed the analysis portion of Subpart A during the 2005 planning process and this Travel Analysis Report (TAR) documents what have changed since the Land Management Plan was completed and also identifies roads that today are not likely needed in the future. The overall goal is to provide a financially and environmentally sustainable road system, to meet the expectation for utilization for the National Forest Lands and to maintain a safe road system for all users of the Angeles National Forest. The Angeles NF completed Subpart B in 2011. The Forest plans to review designated routes (Subpart B) in the future and will revisit the capability to complete this project on an annual basis. Subpart C will not be completed. The Angeles National Forest currently does not have an over snow vehicle system and does not plan on a system in the future. OBJECTIVES OF SUBPART A The objective of this analysis is to inform future decisions for a sustainable and safe road system. The primary goal is to list roads “likely not needed” for future use and suggest recommendations for a sustainable road system. 5 (Draft) Scale of Sub Part A The Forest completed a detailed Roads Analysis Process (RAP) in 2005 as part of the Land Management Plan. Over 10,000 road-related comments were received from the public during the 2005 RAP process. The natural resource concerns and risks are similar today to those identified in the RAP and subsequent studies since 2005. The issues identified by the public were economic and natural resource sustainability of the existing road system, the effects of roads in watersheds and on species of animals and plants. Other major issues were too much, or too little public motorized access, and the need for more public rights-of-way. The Record of Decision was published September 2005 just prior to the issuance of the new Travel Management Rule issued on November 9, 2005. This Travel Analysis utilized the GIS resource analysis that was completed as part of the RAP. The proposed Minimum Road System was determined using the Forest Service RAP and the Forest Service multidisciplinary teams listed below validated the data as a group and confirmed or changed conclusions accordingly. The Travel Analysis Process does not lead to a management NEPA decision. It is intended to inform and focus future detailed analysis towards making site specific road decisions. Scope of Sub Part A The scope for this Subpart A Travel Analysis is the Angeles NF road system where the Forest Service has primary jurisdiction. The scope of this analysis utilized the existing spatial and natural resource data