Review Environmental United States Department of Assessment Agriculture Forest Clear Creek Integrated Project Service Boise National Forest July 2013 Lowman Ranger Districts Boise County, Idaho 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, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795- 3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Clear Creek Integrated Project Environmental Assessment Contents Table of Contents Chapter 1 —Purpose and Need.................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Introduction..................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Relationship of This Project to the 2010 Forest Plan .............................. 1-1 1.3 Project Background....................................................................................... 1-3 1.4 Project Area Description .............................................................................. 1-3 1.4.1 Land Management History of the Project Area ................................ 1-4 1.5 Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action ............................................. 1-6 1.6 Proposed Action .......................................................................................... 1-12 1.7 Decisions to Be Made................................................................................. 1-14 1.8 Forest Plan Direction Relative to the Project Area ................................ 1-15 1.8.1 Management Prescription Category 5.1—Restoration and Maintenance Emphasis within Forested Landscapes ................... 1-17 1.8.2 Management Prescription Category 4.1c—Maintain Unroaded Character with Allowance for Restoration Activities. ..................... 1-30 1.9 Regulatory Requirements and Required Coordination ......................... 1-17 1.9.1 Clean Air Act ........................................................................................ 1-17 1.9.2 Clean Water Act .................................................................................. 1-17 1.9.3 Endangered Species Act.................................................................... 1-17 1.9.4 Idaho Forest Practices Act................................................................. 1-18 1.9.5 Executive Order 13186 and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act ........... 1-18 1.9.6 National Forest Management Act ..................................................... 1-19 1.9.7 National Historic Preservation Act .................................................... 1-23 1.9.8 Idaho Stream Alterations Act and Section 404 Permit .................. 1-23 1.9.9 Idaho Roadless Rule .......................................................................... 1-23 1.9.10 Floodplain Management (Executive Order 11988) ........................ 1-24 1.9.11 Protection of Wetlands (Executive Order 11990)........................... 1-24 1.9.12 Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation (Executive Order 13443) .................................................................... 1-24 1.9.13 Prime Farmland, Rangeland, and Forest Land (USDA Regulation 9500-3) .................................................................................................. 1-25 1.9.14 Environmental Justice (Executive Order 12898) ............................ 1-25 1.9.15 Travel Management Rule................................................................... 1-25 1.9.16 National Environmental Policy Act.................................................... 1-26 1.9.17 Other Disclosures ................................................................................ 1-28 1.10 Public Involvement ...................................................................................... 1-32 1.11 Tribal Notification/Consultation ................................................................. 1-32 1.12 Identification of Issues ................................................................................ 1-32 1.12.1 Significant Issues and/or Concerns .................................................. 1-33 1.13 Document Organization.............................................................................. 1-33 i Clear Creek Integrated Pr oject Conte nts Environmental Assessment Chapter 2 —Alternatives .............................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Introduction..................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Development of Alternatives........................................................................ 2-1 2.3 Alternatives eliminated from detailed study .............................................. 2-1 2.3.1 Treatment of the National Forest System Road 545 Ford of Clear Creek ....................................................................................................... 2-1 2.4 Alternatives analyzed in detail..................................................................... 2-2 2.4.1 Alternative A: No Action ....................................................................... 2-2 2.4.2 Alternative B: Proposed Action ........................................................... 2-5 2.4.3 Alternative C......................................................................................... 2-23 2.4.4 Design Features Common to All Action Alternatives..................... 2-26 2.4.5 Monitoring Elements for the Clear Creek Integrated Restoration Project ................................................................................................... 2-40 2.4.6 Other Federal, State, or Local Approvals Potentially Applicable to All Action Alternatives ......................................................................... 2-41 2.5 Comparison of Alternatives........................................................................ 2-41 2.5.1 Comparison of Alternatives by Proposed Activity .......................... 2-42 2.5.2 Comparison of Alternatives by Purpose and Need ........................ 2-44 2.5.3 Comparison of Alternatives by ISSUE ............................................. 2-46 2.5.4 Comparison of Alternatives by Resources Addressed in Detail .. 2-46 Chapter 3 —Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences .............. 3-1 3.1 Introduction..................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.1 Purpose and Content ............................................................................ 3-1 3.1.2 Analysis Calculations ............................................................................ 3-1 3.1.3 Incomplete or Unavailable Information .............................................. 3-2 3.1.4 Resources Not Evaluated in this Chapter ......................................... 3-2 3.2 Vegetation ...................................................................................................... 3-3 3.2.1 Analysis Methodology and Scope ...................................................... 3-4 3.2.2 Silvicultural Prescriptions ................................................................... 3-10 3.2.3 Low- to Mid-Elevation Forests (Potential Vegetation Groups 1, 2, and 3) .................................................................................................... 3-14 3.2.4 Mid- to Upper-Elevation Treatment Stands (Potential Vegetation Groups 3 and 7)................................................................................... 3-23 3.2.5 Landscape Patch and Pattern Macrovegetation ............................ 3-29 3.2.6 Snags and Coarse Woody Debris .................................................... 3-46 3.3 Fire and Fuels .............................................................................................. 3-57 3.3.1 Analysis Methodology and Scale ...................................................... 3-57 3.3.2 Introduction........................................................................................... 3-58 3.3.3 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-59 3.3.4 Existing Conditions.............................................................................. 3-65 3.3.5 Direct and Indirect Effects .................................................................. 3-69 ii Clear Creek Integrated Pr oject Environmental Assessment Contents 3.3.6 Cumulative Effects .............................................................................. 3-86 3.4 Wildlife........................................................................................................... 3-88 3.4.1 Methodology......................................................................................... 3-89 3.4.2 Wildlife Habitat Indicators .................................................................