CUSTER GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN REVISION Reviewing Officer Response to Eligible Objections USDA Forest Service, Northern Region April 2021 1 Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 5 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ...................................................................................................................... 6 Programmatic NEPA Review ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Response to Comments .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Range of Alternatives .................................................................................................................................................. 8 Environmentally Preferable Alternative ...................................................................................................................... 9 Public Engagement .................................................................................................................................................... 10 Plan Framework ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 Plan Component Sufficiency ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Monitoring ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Statutory Compliance ................................................................................................................................................ 16 Best Available Scientific Information ........................................................................................................................ 19 Coordination with Other Planning Efforts ................................................................................................................. 20 Areas of Tribal Importance ........................................................................................................................................ 21 Treaty Rights ............................................................................................................................................................. 23 Compliance with United States Department of Agriculture Memorandum ............................................................. 25 Management Activities ................................................................................................................................................. 26 Timber ....................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Lands Suitable for Timber Production ................................................................................................................... 27 Calculation of Sustained Yield Limit and the Budget Limited Projected Timber Sale Quantity ............................ 28 Harvest Volumes and Number of Acres Treated ................................................................................................... 29 Timber Harvest Economics .................................................................................................................................... 31 Fire and Fuels ............................................................................................................................................................ 32 Livestock Grazing ....................................................................................................................................................... 33 Adequacy of Baseline Assessment and Plan Components .................................................................................... 34 Amount of Livestock Grazing ................................................................................................................................. 36 Monitoring ............................................................................................................................................................. 38 Transportation System and Travel Management ..................................................................................................... 39 Minimizing Motor Vehicle Use Impacts ................................................................................................................ 39 Mix of Motorized, Non-Motorized, and Mechanized Transport (Mountain Biking) Recreation Opportunities ... 40 Timeliness of Addressing Site-specific Travel Planning ......................................................................................... 44 Access for Disabled Persons .................................................................................................................................. 45 Minimum Road System ......................................................................................................................................... 46 Plan Components for System, Temporary, and Unauthorized Routes ................................................................. 47 Effects to Valid Access Rights per Reserved Statute 2477 .................................................................................... 49 Airfields.................................................................................................................................................................. 49 Sustainable Recreation .............................................................................................................................................. 50 Recreation Opportunity Spectrum ........................................................................................................................ 51 Population Growth and Increased Recreation Demand ....................................................................................... 54 Effects of Dispersed Camping ................................................................................................................................ 55 Emerging Recreation Technologies ....................................................................................................................... 57 Recreational Pack Goat Use .................................................................................................................................. 58 National Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Guidance ......................................................................................... 61 Ecological Integrity ........................................................................................................................................................ 62 2 Old Growth ................................................................................................................................................................ 62 Aquatic Integrity ........................................................................................................................................................ 64 Soils ........................................................................................................................................................................... 67 Invasive Species ......................................................................................................................................................... 68 Plan Component Sufficiency .................................................................................................................................. 68 Grazing as a Weed Control Measure ..................................................................................................................... 70 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................................................. 71 Species Diversity ............................................................................................................................................................ 72 Persistence of Native Species .................................................................................................................................... 72 Recreation Impacts ................................................................................................................................................... 75 Connectivity .............................................................................................................................................................. 77 Elk and Big Game ....................................................................................................................................................... 79 Bighorn Sheep ........................................................................................................................................................... 80 Bison .......................................................................................................................................................................... 81 Plan Component