Chapter 3 – Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................3-1 EFFECTS ANALYSIS INDICATORS AND ANALYSIS METHODS..................................................................3-1 DIRECT, INDIRECT AND CUMULATIVE EFFECTS—PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT.................................3-2 SOILS .........................................................................................................................................................................3-2 WATER RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................................3-7 AIR QUALITY...........................................................................................................................................................3-26 MINERALS ...............................................................................................................................................................3-28 TRANSPORTATION ...................................................................................................................................................3-30 DIRECT, INDIRECT AND CUMULATIVE EFFECTS—BIOLOGICAL.........................................................3-37 VEGETATION ...........................................................................................................................................................3-37 TIMBER RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................................3-73 NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES .............................................................................................................................3-86 NATIVE PLANTS AND PLANTS OF MANAGEMENT CONCERN....................................................................................3-97 WILDLIFE ..............................................................................................................................................................3-105 RIPARIAN SPECIES OF VIABILITY CONCERN ..........................................................................................................3-164 FIRE MANAGEMENT ..............................................................................................................................................3-169 SPECIAL INTEREST AREAS .....................................................................................................................................3-173 RESEARCH NATURAL AREAS.................................................................................................................................3-178 DIRECT, INDIRECT AND CUMULATIVE EFFECTS—RECREATION, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................................................3-182 HERITAGE RESOURCES ..........................................................................................................................................3-182 RECREATION..........................................................................................................................................................3-185 SOCIAL ..................................................................................................................................................................3-198 ECONOMIC EFFECTS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES......................................................................................................3-208 OTHER DISCLOSURES........................................................................................................................................3-224 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHORT-TERM USES AND LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY ...................................................3-224 IRRETRIEVABLE OR IRREVERSIBLE COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES.........................................................................3-225 UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE EFFECTS AND MITIGATION............................................................................................3-226 List of Tables TABLE 3-1. 5TH LEVEL WATERSHEDS WITHIN THE OTTAWA ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARY.........................................3-9 TABLE 3-2. OTTAWA NATIONAL FOREST ROADS INFORMATION BY OBJECTIVE MAINTENANCE LEVEL .....................3-18 TABLE 3-3. ALTERNATIVE COMPARISON OF OHV USE FOR WATERSHED RESOURCES ...............................................3-19 TABLE 3-4. COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES FOR ASQ AND ROAD SEDIMENT YIELD ON WATERSHED RESOURCES ..3-23 TABLE 3-5. SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE OWNERSHIP WITHIN THE OTTAWA ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARY ...............3-29 TABLE 3-6. AVERAGE ROAD MILE POTENTIAL ON THE OTTAWA (MILES) ...................................................................3-36 TABLE 3-7. FOREST COMPOSITION, ACRES OF FORESTED LAND .................................................................................3-40 TABLE 3-8. NORTHERN HARDWOOD FOREST TYPES ....................................................................................................3-41 TABLE 3-9. NORTHERN HARDWOODS ON THE OTTAWA, ACRES OF FORESTED LAND .................................................3-42 TABLE 3-10. ASPEN/PAPER BIRCH FOREST TYPES .......................................................................................................3-44 TABLE 3-11. ASPEN/PAPER BIRCH ON THE OTTAWA, ACRES OF FORESTED LAND .......................................................3-45 TABLE 3-12. ACRES OF SHORT-LIVED CONIFER FOREST TYPE ON THE OTTAWA..........................................................3-46 TABLE 3-13. SHORT-LIVED CONIFER FOREST TYPES....................................................................................................3-46 TABLE 3-14. LONG-LIVED CONIFER FOREST TYPES .....................................................................................................3-48 TABLE 3-15. LONG-LIVED CONIFERS ON THE OTTAWA, ACRES OF FORESTED LAND ...................................................3-49 TABLE 3-16. ESTIMATED MIX OF EVEN AND UNEVEN-AGED MANAGEMENT IN NORTHERN HARDWOOD STANDS ......3-56 TABLE 3-17. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF SUITABLE ACRES MANAGED FOR NORTHERN HARDWOODS*...........................3-57 TABLE 3-18. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF ACRES MANAGED FOR ASPEN/PAPER BIRCH*..................................................3-59 TABLE 3-19. EXISTING AND DESIRED AGE CLASS DISTRIBUTION OF ASPEN ON SUITABLE ACRES* ............................3-60 TABLE 3-20. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF SUITABLE ACRES MANAGED FOR SHORT-LIVED CONIFERS* ............................3-61 TABLE 3-21. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF SUITABLE ACRES MANAGED FOR LONG-LIVED CONIFERS*..............................3-62 TABLE 3-22. LAND OWNERSHIP BREAKDOWN OF THE WESTERN UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN ............................3-69 TABLE 3-23. 50-YEAR HARVEST TRENDS ON THE OTTAWA .........................................................................................3-74 TABLE 3-24. AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH, MORTALITY, AND REMOVALS, 1980-1992 (MCF) ...................................3-75 TABLE 3-25. AVERAGE ANNUAL ACRES SOLD BY METHODS OF CUT, 1987-2003 .......................................................3-75 TABLE 3-26. AVERAGE ANNUAL REFORESTATION AND TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, 1987-2001 (ACRES)..............................................................................................................................................................3-76 TABLE 3-27. AVERAGE ANNUAL TIMBER SOLD BY TIMBER SPECIES PRODUCT GROUP, 1987-2001............................3-76 TABLE 3-28. SPECIAL FOREST PRODUCT GATHERING ON THE OTTAWA, 5-YEAR AVERAGE .........................................3-78 TABLE 3-29. ACRES OF LAND SUITABLE FOR TIMBER PRODUCTION BY ALTERNATIVE*..............................................3-78 TABLE 3-30. SUITED ACRES ALLOCATED TO FOREST TYPE (ACRES ROUNDED TO NEAREST THOUSAND) ....................3-79 TABLE 3-31. PROJECT ANNUAL ACRES AND PERCENT OF TOTAL ACRES OF TIMBER HARVEST BY CUTTING METHOD* 80 TABLE 3-32. PROJECT ANNUAL ACRES OF REFORESTATION AND TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT*.............................3-80 TABLE 3-33. PROJECTED ANNUAL HARVEST BY PRODUCT GROUP FOR THE FIRST AND SECOND DECADE AND THE TWO DECADE AVERAGE (MMCF)* ............................................................................................................................3-82 TABLE 3-34. AVERAGE ANNUAL ALLOWABLE SALE QUANTITY (ASQ) FOR THE FIRST FIVE DECADES BY ALTERNATIVE* ...........................................................................................................................................................................3-83 TABLE 3-35. NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS OF HIGH CONCERN...............................................................................3-88 TABLE 3-36. NON-NATIVE INVASIVE ANIMALS KNOWN TO OCCUR ON THE OTTAWA .................................................3-90 TABLE 3-37. NON-NATIVE INVASIVE ANIMALS THAT PRESENT IMMINENT THREATS ..................................................3-91 TABLE 3-38. SPECIES OF MANAGEMENT CONCERN (PLANTS OR PLANT GROUPS) .......................................................3-97 TABLE 3-39. PROPOSED ACRES OF ASPEN/PAPER BIRCH MAINTAINED ON SUITED LANDS........................................3-108 TABLE 3-40. ESTIMATED ACRES OF MANAGEMENT AREAS 1.1 AND 1.1A