Environmental United States Department of Assessment Agriculture Forest Rogue-River Siskiyou National Service June 2009 Forest Gold Beach and Powers Ranger Districts Invasive Plant Treatment Project For Information Contact: Gold Beach Ranger District 29279 Ellensburg Avenue 541-247-3600 http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/ 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.) 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Gold Beach and Powers Invasive Plant Treatment Environmental Assessment Table of Contents Introduction .....................................................................................................................4 Document Structure .....................................................................................................................4 Background..................................................................................................................................4 Purpose and Need for Action.......................................................................................................5 Management Direction................................................................................................ 6 Proposed Action.........................................................................................................................10 Decision Framework..................................................................................................................10 Public Involvement ....................................................................................................................11 Alternatives, including the Proposed Action..............................................................12 Alternative 1 - No Action..........................................................................................................12 Alternative 2 - The Proposed Action ........................................................................................12 Project Design Features (PDFs)............................................................................ 15 Table 4. PDFs relating to the proposed action...................................................... 15 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study...................................................19 Environmental Consequences.....................................................................................20 Treatment Area Information ......................................................................................................20 Herbicide Risk Assessments and Layers of Caution ................................................ 22 Additives, Impurities and Inert Ingredients .......................................................... 23 Herbicide Toxicology Terminology ..................................................................... 24 Layers of Caution Integrated Into Herbicide Use................................................. 24 Public and Worker Health and Environmental Justice...............................................................25 Botany........................................................................................................................................26 Affected Environment............................................................................................... 26 Environmental Consequences................................................................................... 27 Alternative 1: No Action....................................................................................... 27 Alternative 2: Proposed Action............................................................................. 28 Soils and Water ..........................................................................................................................29 Introduction............................................................................................................... 29 Affected Environment............................................................................................... 30 Aquatic Conservation Strategy ............................................................................. 30 Geology and Soils................................................................................................. 32 Riparian Condition and Water Quality ................................................................. 33 Floodplains............................................................................................................ 35 Municipal Watersheds and Domestic Water Supplies.......................................... 35 Environmental Consequences................................................................................... 35 Aquatic Conservation Strategy ............................................................................. 35 Geology and Soils................................................................................................. 36 Effects on Riparian Condition and Water Quality................................................ 36 Floodplains............................................................................................................ 38 Municipal Watersheds and Domestic Water Supplies.......................................... 38 Cumulative Effects................................................................................................ 38 Fisheries .....................................................................................................................................38 Affected Environment............................................................................................... 38 Southern Oregon/Northern California Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).... 38 Gold Beach and Powers Invasive Plant Treatment Environmental Assessment Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).................................................... 39 Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)........................................................................ 39 Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Onchorhyncus clarkii) .................................................. 39 Effects of No Action ................................................................................................. 40 Effects of the Proposed Action ................................................................................. 40 Direct and Indirect Impacts................................................................................... 40 Cumulative Effects................................................................................................ 41 Terrestrial Wildlife.....................................................................................................................42 Summary................................................................................................................... 42 Effects on Northern Spotted Owl.............................................................................. 44 Affected Environment........................................................................................... 44 Effects of the Alternatives on Northern Spotted Owl........................................... 45 Effects on Marbled Murrelet..................................................................................... 45 Effects on Marbled Murrelet................................................................................. 47 Sensitive Species....................................................................................................... 47 Lewis’ Woodpecker.............................................................................................. 47 Northwestern Pond Turtle..................................................................................... 48 California Slender Salamander ............................................................................. 49 Mardon Skipper .................................................................................................... 49 Management Indicator Species (MIS) ...................................................................... 51 Landbirds .................................................................................................................. 51 Cumulative Effects to Wildlife ................................................................................. 51 Cultural Resources .....................................................................................................................51 Consultation and Coordination....................................................................................53 ID TEAM MEMBERS: ........................................................................................ 53 FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AGENCIES: ..............................................