Environmental Assessment for Upper Lake Winona Project Responsible Agency: US Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest Jessieville-Winona-Fourche Ranger District Responsible Official: Megan Moynihan, District Ranger PO Box 189 – 8607 Hwy 7 N Jessieville, AR 71949 For Further Information Contact: Paula Homan, NEPA Planner (501) 984-5313 ext. 107 This project is subject to subparts A and B of 36 CFR Part 218 Project-Level Predecisional Administrative Review Process (objection process); it is not authorized under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA). 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April 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 ...................................................................................................................... 1 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION ................................... 1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of and Need for the Action ................................................................................ 3 Scope of This Environmental Analysis ........................................................................... 6 Relevant Planning Documents ........................................................................................ 6 History of the Planning and Scoping Process ................................................................. 6 Issues .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Decisions to Be Made ........................................................................................................ 7 CHAPTER 2 ...................................................................................................................... 8 ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION ................................... 8 Alternative Design ............................................................................................................. 8 Alternatives to be Documented in Detail ........................................................................ 8 Technical Requirements................................................................................................ 12 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated from Detailed Study ..................................... 16 Other Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ............................ 16 Summary Comparison All Alternatives........................................................................ 17 CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................................... 19 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .... 19 Analysis Methods ............................................................................................................ 19 Cultural and Historical Resources ................................................................................ 22 Recreation, Scenery, Wilderness, Roadless Areas ....................................................... 23 Local Economy and Financial Efficiency ..................................................................... 25 Transportation and Infrastructure ............................................................................... 26 Soil Resource ................................................................................................................... 28 i Water Quality .................................................................................................................. 31 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................ 34 Management Indicator Species and Habitat (MIS) ..................................................... 36 Proposed, Endangered, Threatened and Sensitive Species (PETS) ........................... 56 Public Health and Safety ................................................................................................ 77 Climate Change ............................................................................................................... 80 CHAPTER 4 .................................................................................................................... 83 PERSONS AND AGENCIES CONSULTED ............................................................... 83 CHAPTER 5 .................................................................................................................... 84 REFERENCES CITED .................................................................................................. 84 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................. 92 Appendix A: Activities by Compartment and Stand .................................................. 92 Appendix B: Project Maps .......................................................................................... 115 ii LISTING OF FIGURES & TABLES ULWP Vicinity Map (Figure 1) ....................................................................................... 2 Existing Conditions Contrasted to the Desired Conditions (Table 1.1) ....................... 4 Stands With a Limited Operating Season (Table 2.1) ................................................. 14 Summary Comparison of Management Activities by Alternative (Table 2.3) .......... 17 Summary Comparison of Effects on Environment by Alternative (Table 2.4)......... 18 Comparison by Financial Efficiency (Table 3.1) .......................................................... 26 Comparison of Proposed Action and Allowable Soil Loss (Table 3.2) ...................... 30 Sediment Delivery By Alternative (Table 3.3) .............................................................. 33 Current Age Class Distribution by Forest Type (Table 3.4) ....................................... 34 Post-Harvest Age Class Distribution Pine Types (Table 3.5) ..................................... 36 Potentially Affected Management Indicator Species (Table 3.6) ............................... 38 Terrestrial MIS and Associated Purposes (Table 3.7) ................................................. 39 Aquatic MIS and Associated Purposes (Table 3.8) ...................................................... 54 Herbicide LD50 and Toxicity Risk to Birds (Table 3.9) .............................................. 62 Herbicide LD50 and Toxicity Risk to Insects (Table 3.10) ......................................... 65 iii Upper Lake Winona Project Chapter 1 Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Action Proposed Action Included in this area are the Lake Winona Research Natural Area (280 acres) and the Alum Fork Experimental Forest (4,658 acres). These special areas are administered by the National Forest with scientific and educational uses coordinated through the Southern Research Station. The Jessieville-Winona-Fourche Ranger District, in collaboration with the Southern Research Station, proposes to implement the following management activities (acreages are approximate)*: Seedtree regeneration harvest – 245 acres Commercial thinning – 2,720 acres Large group selection - 252 acres (thinning between large group selection – 906 acres) Small group selection - 159 acres (thinning between groups 712 acres) Single tree selection – 899 acres Site preparation – 1,555 acres* Hand plant shortleaf pine seedlings (if necessary) – 1,555 acres Underplanting if necessary – 400 acres Pre-commercial thinning or release non-harvest areas – 2,396 acres* Stand improvement-midstory removal– 2,566 acres* Stand improvement- release – 1,555 acres* Ecosystem prescribed burning – 15,959 acres Fire line construction – 2.4 miles