Environmental Assessment United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Elk Smith Project Preliminary Analysis Rocky Mountain Ranger District Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Lewis and Clark County, Montana Responsible Official: Michael Muñoz, District Ranger August 2016 1 Environmental Assessment For More Information Contact: Michael Muñoz Rocky Mountain Ranger District Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest PO Box 340 or 1102 Main Avenue NW Choteau, MT, 59422 Phone: (406) 466-5341 Fax: (406) 466-3214 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 for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please 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, SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720- 6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 2 Environmental Assessment Table of Contents Purpose and Need for Action ................................................................................................... 7 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 7 Purpose Statement ............................................................................................................... 7 Proposed Action and Alternatives ........................................................................................... 8 Alternative 1 ........................................................................................................................ 8 Alternative 2 ........................................................................................................................ 8 Forest Vegetation ....................................................................................................... 11 Sensitive Plants .......................................................................................................... 12 Range Report ............................................................................................................. 13 Noxious Weeds .......................................................................................................... 13 Soils ........................................................................................................................... 13 Watershed .................................................................................................................. 14 Fisheries ..................................................................................................................... 19 Recreation .................................................................................................................. 20 Heritage ...................................................................................................................... 20 Wildlife ...................................................................................................................... 21 Inventoried Roadless and Visuals Report .................................................................. 24 Roadless ..................................................................................................................... 24 Visuals ....................................................................................................................... 25 Effects Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 27 Fire, Fuels, and Air Quality Report ................................................................................... 27 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................ 37 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................... 43 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 48 Air Quality ................................................................................................................. 49 Forest Plan Consistency ............................................................................................. 54 Forest Vegetation Report ................................................................................................... 56 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................ 60 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................... 62 Forest Plan Consistency ............................................................................................. 64 Sensitive Plant Report and Biological Evaluation ............................................................. 65 3 Environmental Assessment No Action Alternative ................................................................................................ 68 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................... 69 Forest Plan Consistency ............................................................................................. 70 Range Report ..................................................................................................................... 71 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................ 71 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................... 72 Forest Plan Consistency ............................................................................................. 72 Noxious Weed Report ........................................................................................................ 72 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................ 74 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................... 74 Forest Plan Consistency ............................................................................................. 75 Soils Report ....................................................................................................................... 79 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................ 83 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................... 84 Watershed Report .............................................................................................................. 89 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................ 91 Proposed Action ......................................................................................................... 92 Cumulative Effects .................................................................................................... 93 Forest Plan Consistency ............................................................................................. 95 Fisheries Specialist Report and Biological Evaluation ...................................................... 97 Alternative 1 – No Action ........................................................................................ 106 Alternative 2 – Proposed Action .............................................................................. 107 Conclusions by Alternative ...................................................................................... 110 Biological Evaluations ............................................................................................. 111 Westslope Cutthroat Trout ....................................................................................... 111 Recreation Report ............................................................................................................ 114 No Action Alternative .............................................................................................. 115 Proposed Action ....................................................................................................... 116 Heritage ............................................................................................................................ 117 Alternative 1 ............................................................................................................ 121 Alternative 2 ............................................................................................................ 121 Summary .................................................................................................................. 122 4 Environmental Assessment Wildlife Report and Biological Evaluation ..................................................................... 122 Grizzly