United States Department of Environmental Assessment Agriculture Forest Service Tennessee Creek Project December 2013 Leadville Ranger District, San Isabel National Forest Lake County, Colorado Eagle - Holy Cross Ranger District, White River National Forest Eagle County, Colorado Mt. Zion looking towards Turquoise Lake. Photo by J. Windorski For More Information Contact: Tami Conner, District Ranger Leadville Ranger District 810 Front Street Leadville, CO 80461 719-486-0749 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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Table of Contents Chapter 1 – Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 Document Structure .................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 2 Location and Setting ................................................................................................................... 3 Management Direction ............................................................................................................... 5 Purpose and Need for Action ...................................................................................................... 9 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................................... 9 Decision Framework.................................................................................................................. 10 Public Involvement and Tribal Consultation ............................................................................. 10 Issues ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2 – Alternatives ....................................................................................................... 13 Alternatives ............................................................................................................................... 13 Alternatives Considered but not Analyzed in Detail ................................................................. 38 Comparison of Alternatives ...................................................................................................... 38 Monitoring ................................................................................................................................ 39 Chapter 3 – Environmental Consequences ............................................................................ 40 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 40 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................. 42 Fire / Fuels ................................................................................................................................. 53 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................. 60 Recreation and Wilderness ....................................................................................................... 64 Lands Uses (Non-Recreation) and Minerals .............................................................................. 67 Wildlife ...................................................................................................................................... 69 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................................. 104 Fisheries .................................................................................................................................. 107 Hydrology/Soils ....................................................................................................................... 117 Botany ..................................................................................................................................... 125 Specifically Required Disclosures ............................................................................................ 130 Chapter 4 – Consultation and Coordination ........................................................................ 132 Literature Cited and References ......................................................................................... 133 Glossary............................................................................................................................. 140 Appendix A – Law and Regulation....................................................................................... 145 Appendix B – Southern Rockies Lynx Amendment (SRLA) Analysis ....................................... 148 i List of Figures Figure 1.1 Tennessee Creek Project Vicinity Map Figure 1.2 Management Areas within the Project Area Figure 2.1 Map of Alternative 1 (Proposed Action) Figure 2.2 Map of Alternative 2 Figure 2.3 Locations of Halfmoon Creek Watershed Restoration and Habitat Improvement Projects Figure 3.1 Vegetation Condition Class Within and Adjacent to the Project Area CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION Document Structure ____________________________________ The Forest Service has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations. This Environmental Assessment discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts that would result from the proposed action and alternatives. The document is organized into four parts: Chapter 1 – Introduction: This section includes information on the history of the project proposal, the purpose of and need for the project, and the agency’s proposal for achieving that purpose and need. Chapter 2 – Comparison of Alternatives, including the Proposed Action: This section provides a more detailed description of the agency’s proposed action as well as an alternative method for achieving the stated purpose. These alternatives were developed based on significant issues raised by the public and other agencies. Chapter 3 – Environmental Consequences: This section describes the environmental effects of implementing the proposed action and other alternatives. This analysis is organized by resource area. Within each section, the affected environment/existing condition is described first, followed by the effects of the No Action Alternative that provides a baseline for evaluation and comparison of the other alternatives that follow. Chapter 4 – Agencies and Persons Consulted: This section provides a list of preparers and agencies consulted during the development of the environmental assessment. Appendices: The appendices provide more detailed information to support the analyses presented in the environmental assessment. Additional documentation, including more detailed analyses of project-area resources, may be found in the project planning record located at the Leadville Ranger District Office in Leadville, Colorado. Introduction ___________________________________________ The Forest Service is proposing to complete vegetation management (both mechanical and prescribed fire treatments), wildlife habitat improvement, and watershed improvement projects on 16,450 acres. The majority of the project area is within the Leadville Ranger District of the San Isabel National Forest in Colorado. A minor part of the project area is located at the Ski Cooper Ski Area (Ski Cooper) within the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District of the White River National Forest in Colorado. This action is needed to create forest conditions that are more resilient to outbreaks of insect, disease and wildfire; to improve habitat for threatened, endangered and sensitive species and other important wildlife species; and to provide for sustainable watershed conditions. The proposed action would create short term impacts that would provide long term benefits for the project area. Short term impacts would include modifications to the visual scenery, smoke from prescribed fire, and temporary shifts of visitors and wildlife from project implementation. 1 Draft Environmental Assessment Tennessee Creek Project December 2013 Background ___________________________________________ During the late 19th and early 20th centuries