Purpose and Need - 1 Chapter 1 Purpose and Need

Transcription

1 Purpose and Need - 1 Chapter 1 Purpose and Need Introduction 1-1 Project Area 1-1 Proposed Action 1-3 Purpose and Need for Action 1-3 Existing versus Desired Conditions 1-4 Management Direction 1-7 Purpose and Need/Key Issues 1-9 Issues Not Analyzed in Detail 1-11

2 1 Purpose and Need

3 Purpose and Need - 1 Chapter 1 Purpose and Need Introduction The Forest Service has prepared this Environmental Assessment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA), and other relevant federal and state laws and regulations. Section 102(a) of HFRA directs the Forest Service to implement authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects on Federal land in wildland-urban interface areas. Adams County has developed two mitigation plans for addressing a variety of potential hazards and wildfire mitigation; the Adams County, Idaho All Hazard Mitigation Plan (Adams County, December 2004) and Adams County, Idaho, Wildland-Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Plan (Adams County, January 2004). The community of Cuprum has been identified as an at risk community. With the at-risk community designation and the project boundary within 1½ miles of Cuprum, the HFRA does not require analysis of alternatives beyond the proposed action. The Wildland-Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Plan identifies the core area of Cuprum and the surrounding area at high risk from wildfire, as most of the homes are located in the wildland urban interface. The vegetation around the roads and structures in Cuprum is primarily timber and dense forest shrubs (Adams County, Idaho, Wildland-Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Plan p. 64). This Environmental Assessment discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts that would result from the proposed action to determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement or Finding of No Significant Impact. Additional documentation, including more detailed analyses of project-area resources, may be found in the Project Record located at the Council Ranger District Office in Council, Idaho. Project Area The Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project Area comprises approximately 9,000 acres within the Indian Creek Watershed approximately 22 air miles northwest of Council, Idaho in Adams County. The project area can be reached by taking Forest Road #002 (Council-Cuprum Road). The project area as displayed on the enclosed map consists of National Forest System lands located in T20N, R3W, Sections 2, 3, 9,10, 11, 15, 16, 21, and 28, Boise Meridian, as displayed on the Payette National Forest Travel Map (Figure 1-1). Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-1

4 1 Purpose and Need Figure 1-1: Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project Area 1-2 Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project

5 Purpose and Need - 1 Proposed Action The proposed action is to treat approximately 1,644 acres on National Forest System lands adjacent to the Community of Cuprum and throughout the Indian Creak Watershed to decrease the risk of uncharacteristic and undesirable wildfire, loss of property, and resources using a combination of activities. The proposed action is described in detail as Alternative B in Chapter 2, Alternatives Considered in Detail section. Purpose and Need for Action Purpose: The Cuprum Fuels Reduction project is proposed to respond to goals and objectives of the National Fire Plan and the Payette National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) (USDA Forest Service 2003), as well as implement recommendations of the Adams County, Idaho, Wildland-Urban Interface, and Wildfire Mitigation Plan. The Cuprum Fuel Reduction Project proposes to reduce fuels in this area in order to protect the at-risk community, homes, structures, forest resources, and provide for public and firefighter safety. This project area falls within a watershed identified as at-risk in the County Mitigation Plan. This watershed requires treatment to reduce the risk from an uncharacteristic wildland fire. The community of Cuprum, Idaho is an identified Wildland-Urban Interface Community within the vicinity of federal lands that are at high risk from wildfire (Federal Register August 2001). The Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project contributes to the accomplishment of the following Forest Plan Fire Management Goals and Objectives. Goal FMGO03: Use fire alone or with other management activities to restore or maintain desirable plant community attributes including fuel levels, as well as ecological processes. Goal FMGO04: Use fire alone or with other management activities to treat natural and activity fuels to a level that reduces the risk of uncharacteristic or undesirable wildland fires. Goal FMGO05: Provide for protection of life, investments, and valuable resources through appropriate vegetation, fuel, and wildland fire management Objective 0271 Use prescribed fire and mechanical treatments within and adjacent to wildland-urban interface areas to manage fuels to reduce wildfire hazards. Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-3

6 1 Purpose and Need Need for the Proposal The Cuprum project area contains wildland/urban interface in which the current vegetation and fuel conditions are outside natural conditions, placing human lives, property, and natural resource values at risk. This dry forest-type historically consisted of a diverse understory of grasses, forbs, and low shrubs with a large diameter ponderosa pine overstory. This condition was maintained over time by frequent low intensity fire. The Cuprum Project Area has departed from this past condition due to management practices excluding fire. The surrounding area of Cuprum now contains dense stands with significant canopy and surface fuels, which facilitates crown fire and propagates high fire intensities. The risk of losing key ecosystem components is high; there is increased wildfire threat to the town of Cuprum; and firefighter effectiveness is decreased. Existing versus Desired Condition The purpose and need for action reflects the difference between the current conditions and the desired condition outlined in the Forest Plan. The following summarizes these differences for this proposal. Purpose and Need Statement: Reduce understory fuel laddering and increase the crown spacing to lower the risk of uncharacteristic or undesirable wildland fires. Purpose and Need Statement: Promote fire resistant tree species in open stands that can be maintained in a low fire hazard condition by prescribed fire. Existing Condition The majority (90%) of the Cuprum Project area lies with potential vegetation groups that historically experienced high frequency low intensity fires. The mean fire return interval within the majority of the project area was every 15 years. The remaining 10% of the project area would fall into a fire regime III, which has a mean fire return interval for this area of every 100 years, with a mixed fire severity result. The project area has missed numerous fire return intervals, placing the area in a moderate to high risk of losing key ecosystem components. The stand composition and structure has been altered resulting in unnatural tree densities and canopy closure. There is an increase in horizontal and vertical fuel loading and continuity beyond historic levels. The result of this change can result in wildfires with uncharacteristic fire intensity and severity. 1-4 Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project

7 Purpose and Need - 1 Desired Condition The Forest Plan identifies desired conditions related to disturbances, fire and hazardous fuels including: Maintaining ecosystems that are dynamic in nature and resilient and resistant to natural and man-caused disturbances (Forest Plan page III-6) Disturbance processes--such as fire, insects, disease, floods, and landslides--contribute to functioning ecosystems. Fire plays its natural role where appropriate and desirable, but is suppressed where necessary to protect life and resources. Fire is used to manage vegetation where appropriate to enhance ecosystem resiliency and lower hazardous fuel levels (Forest Plan page III- 7). The Forest Plan describes the following goals to assist in achieving desired fuel conditions including: Use fire alone or with other management activities to restore or maintain desirable plant community attributes including fuel levels, as well as ecological processes (Forest Plan page III-38). Use fire alone or with other management activities to treat natural and activity fuels to a level that reduces the risk of uncharacteristic or undesirable wildland fires (Forest Plan page III-38). The Payette National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) describes desired forest vegetation conditions as; Forested vegetation reflects a combination of successional development, disturbance regimes, and management activities. Forested lands exhibit variable patterns of size classes, densities, structural stages, and species composition. Seral tree species such as ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, aspen, and whitebark pine have increasing species composition in areas where fire and mechanical vegetation treatments are the primary tools. Where vegetation development is dominated by plant succession, climax species composition is increasing, canopy cover densities are moderate to high, and late successional structure develops. Snags and coarse woody debris are present in sufficient quantities to provide for habitat diversity and long-term soil productivity (Forest Plan page III-29). Additionally, the forest plan outlines an overall desire to: Manage sustainable ecosystems to provide a variety of sustainable products and services for current and future generations alike. Timber, range, recreation, minerals, and special use programs offer opportunities for economic development, and contribute to local community needs, while maintaining ecological integrity (Forest Plan page III-7). Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-5

8 1 Purpose and Need To assist in achieving desired forest vegetation conditions the Forest Plan includes goals to: Maintain or restore vegetation conditions as described in Appendix A to reduce frequency, extent, severity, and intensity of uncharacteristic or undesirable disturbances such as fire, insects, and pathogens (Forest Plan page III-30). Maintain or restore desired plant community components, including species composition, size classes, canopy closures, structure, snags, and coarse woody debris as described in Appendix A (Forest Plan page III-30). Maintain or restore distribution and abundance of habitats that contribute to viable populations of existing native and desirable non-native plant, fish, and wildlife species (Forest Plan page III-30). Maintain or restore a representation of native plant communities throughout the Forest (Forest Plan page III-30). Facilitate regeneration of desirable plant species, particularly those that are currently identified as declining (Forest Plan page III-30). Maintain or restore elements of vegetative spatial pattern, such as amount, proportion, size, inter-patch distance, variation in patch size, and landscape connectivity important to the achievement of vegetation or other resource goals and objectives in the Forest Plan (Forest Plan page III-30). In addition, to achieve desired timberland resource conditions the Forest Plan describes goals to promote: Conditions that are resilient and resistant to uncharacteristic fire, insect, and disease damage, and contribute to desired vegetative conditions, including, distribution of tree sizes, species composition, and canopy cover (Forest Plan page III- 41). Suited timberlands provide sustainable and predictable levels of forest products, both now and continuing in the future (Forest Plan page III-41). 1-6 Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project

9 Purpose and Need - 1 On MPC 5.2 lands, emphasis is on achieving sustainable resource conditions that support commodity outputs, particularly timber production in forested settings, and forage production in non-forested settings. Management activities are also designed to maintain and restore forest ecosystem health to reduce potential for long-term impacts from uncharacteristic disturbance events. Goods and services are provided within the productive capacity of the land, and may or may not fully meet demand (Forest Plan page III-87). In summary, the desired condition for this proposal is to maintain and restore desired vegetation and fuel conditions to improve overall ecological resiliency, allow for continued ecological processes, promote sustainable resource conditions and provide for protection of private property and important forest resources. The desired conditions described for the Forest Plan management areas, in conjunction with the other Forest Plan direction, provide the parameters for identifying and defining project-specific desired conditions. The following desired conditions will help guide management of the project consistent with the Forest Plan, the significant issues (described below), and the ecological conditions of the project area. The desired condition of the Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project Area is one of moving towards historic conditions. This will consist of species composition that is more fire resilient and in the early seral open condition. Species will be represented by larger diameter ponderosa pine intermixed with a few large diameter Douglas-fir and western larch. The fuel loading and horizontal and vertical fuel continuity would be much less in these managed stands. These conditions would represent Condition Class one, the ecosystem would be functioning within historic range and the risk of losing key ecosystem components would be low. The project area, after implementation of management activities, would be moving towards historic conditions and could be maintained in this condition with the reintroduction of low intensity fire. The stands, in managed conditions, would decrease wildfire resistance to control and would give firefighters increased success in fire suppression operations. Fire intensity and severity would be less in these stands under managed conditions. Management Direction Payette National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan This analysis is tiered to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 2003 Payette National Forest Land and Resource Plan (Forest Plan). Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-7

10 1 Purpose and Need The Forest Plan guides natural resource management activities on lands administered by the Payette National Forest and describes management goals and objectives, resource protection methods, and desired resource conditions. The Forest Plan divides National Forest System (NFS) lands into management areas based on resource needs and opportunities. The Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project is located in Management Area 2 Snake River, and lands within the project area have been identified as Management Prescription Category (MPC) 5.1 Restoration and Maintenance Emphasis within Forested Landscapes; MPC 5.2 Commodity Production Emphasis within Forested Landscapes; and MPC 4.1c Undeveloped Recreation: Maintain Unroaded. Chapter 2, Table 2-4 lists mitigation measures/project design features that have been incorporated to ensure compliance with Forest Plan requirements, and the project record contains additional information on pertinent Forest Plan direction applicable to this project. Decision to be Made The Responsible Official for this proposal is the Forest Supervisor of the Payette National Forest. The Forest Supervisor will make the following decisions and document them in a Decision Notice following the completion of the environmental analysis and the Pre-decisional Administrative Objection Review Process. Should the Forest Service manage vegetation on National Forest System Land to protect adjacent communities, residences, private property, and natural resources from the risks associated with wildland fire? If so: What vegetation treatment methods should be used? Which areas should be treated? If timber harvest is a selected method, where and how should timber harvest be conducted? Should some roads be improved, constructed or maintained to provide access for fuel reduction activities? If so, which? What roads may be decommissioned upon completion of activities to reduce watershed and soil impacts while maintaining recreational and administrative access needs? What design features and mitigation measures should be required to meet Forest Plan standards and guidelines and to achieve desired resource objectives? What monitoring requirements are appropriate to evaluate implementation of this project? 1-8 Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project

11 Purpose and Need - 1 Project Record and Specialist Reports This EA incorporates by reference the project record (40 CFR ). The project record contains specialist reports and other technical documentation used to support the analyses and conclusions in this EA. Relying on specialist reports and the project record helps implement the CEQ Regulations provision that agencies should reduce NEPA paperwork (40 CFR ), and that NEPA documents be analytic rather than encyclopedic, kept concise, and no longer than absolutely necessary (40 CFR ). The objective is to furnish enough site-specific information to demonstrate a reasoned consideration of the environmental impacts of the alternatives and how these impacts can be mitigated, without repeating detailed analysis and background information available elsewhere. The project record is located at the Council Ranger District, Council, Idaho. Fire and Fuels Management Purpose and Need Statements and Key Issues Two analysis factors were formulated for this project. The first, Purpose and Need Statements, address the proposed action and were developed based on desired conditions and overall resource goals and objectives outlined by the Forest Plan. The second, Key Issues, are defined as points of discussion, debate, or dispute about environmental effects. Key issues are used to develop alternatives, assess appropriate mitigation measures, analyze environmental effects, and provide a basis for comparison of alternatives. These factors are summarized below and analyzed in Chapter 3. For each factor, one or more measurement indicators are provided to help quantify effects of the alternatives. Issues not Analyzed in Detail are discussed in this chapter with a brief discussion of why each was not analyzed in detail. Further documentation is found in the Project Record. These issues are not discussed further in this document. Purpose and Need Statement Reduce understory fuel laddering and increase the crown spacing to lower the risk of uncharacteristic or undesirable wildland fires. Measurements: Changes in predicted fire behavior (flame length, rate of spread, and potential fire type). Acres treated to restore more fire-resilient forest structure. Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-9

12 1 Purpose and Need Vegetation Resource Fisheries Resource Water Resource Soil Resource Purpose and Need Statement Promote fire resistant tree species in open stands that can be maintained in a low fire hazard condition by prescribed fire. Measurements: Acres of stands thinned to increase overstory tree crown separation to 15 to 20 feet between crowns. Acres of stands maintained in or moved toward fire resistant tree species dominance. Acres of stands treated to create an open understory condition that can be maintained with low intensity prescribed fire. Issue Effects of proposed fuels reduction activities, and associated road construction and decommissioning, on fish habitat. Indicators Change in sediment and embeddedness. Riparian Conservation Area Function. Issue The proposal may increase erosion and sedimentation within the analysis area and potentially, impair beneficial uses and affect aquatic habitat. Indicators: Predicted percent over natural sediment from fuel reduction treatments, harvest activities, road actions, and road use as modeled by BOISED. Road actions within 200 feet of stream channels. Issue Proposed harvesting, fuel reduction and road activities may affect soil productivity through physical impacts to the soil and reductions in levels of woody debris Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project

13 Purpose and Need - 1 Indicators Is the Forest Plan standard, SWST02, for Detrimental soil Disturbance (DD) met? Is the Forest Plan standard, SWST03, for Total Soil Resource Commitment (TSRC) met? Is Forest Plan direction for Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) met? Wildlife Resource Roads and Access Management Issue Proposed management activities may affect the habitats of federally-listed Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate species; PNF Management Indicator Species; Region 4 Sensitive Species; migratory birds; and PNF Species of Special Interest, in and adjacent to the Project Area. Indicators Degree of modification of habitat for federally-listed Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate species; PNF Management Indicator Species; R4 Sensitive Species; migratory birds; PNF Species of Special Interest, found in the Project Area, Indian Creek Watershed, and in the designated Action Area. Big Game Habitat (Elk) vulnerability potential (open road densities and changes in cover), and security areas. Issue The effects of the proposed action on road access. Indicators: Miles of road construction Miles of road maintenance Miles of road obliteration Miles of road open to the public Issues Not Analyzed in Detail These non-key issues will not be analyzed in Chapter 3 because they do not constitute a key issue as defined above. A brief discussion of expected effects summarizes each non-key issue. Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-11

14 1 Purpose and Need Economics Costs of the proposed fuel treatment activities in relation to potential economic benefit. Implementing the proposed treatments in the Cuprum Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project is expected to have a total value of about $108,000 to the Federal government. Overhead, planning, and environmental analsysis costs are not considered implementation costs since these cost have already occurred prior to the decision and would apply equally to action and no action alternatives. The sale of the commercial timber resulting from thinning stands to prevent the spread of crown fire has enough estimated value to pay for the other activities associated with the project. The value of the commercial timber could change with market conditions, either up or down, when the contracts are let. The project will treat about 1,644 acres for fuel reduction and make about $108,718. This is an average treatment value (revenue) of $66/acre. The total assessed value of private lands and property is $1,388,061. The total project value is $108,718, which is 7.8% of the accessed value. Economically the Cuprum Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project is a winwin situation. The project reduces fuels in the wildland-urban inferface, while covering implementation costs as well as making some additional monies. Treatment/Activity Cost or Value/Unit of Measure* Units of Measure Total Cost or Value Tractor Logging $2,118/acre 348 acres $736,890 Cable/Jammer Logging $2,008/acre 75 acres $150,563 Skyline $1,375/acre 231 acres $317,625 Helicopter -$2,640/acre 79 acres -$208,560 Machine Pile/Burn -$500/acre 271 acres -$135,500 Handpile/Burn -$1,050/acre 47 acres -$49,350 Thin from Below/Pile and -$700/acre 60 acres -$42,000 Burn Underburn Harvest Units -$600/acre 466 acres -$279,600 Natural Fuels Broadcast -$112.50/acre 770 acres -$86,625 Burn Road Construction -$26,000/mile 2.9 miles -$75,400 Temp Road Construction -$17,500/mile 2.3 miles -$40,250 Heavy Road Maintenance -$12,000/mile 4.7 miles -$56,000 Light Road Maintenance -$6,000/mile 6.9 miles -$41,400 Reclaim Roads -$8,000/mile 9 miles -$72,000 Precommercial Thinning -$225/acre 17 acres -$3,825 Tree Planting -$650/acre 9 acres -$5,850 Total Project Value $108, Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project

15 Purpose and Need - 1 Air Quality Prescribed burning (understory and pile) in the project area has the potential to affect air quality in Adams County and the local vicinity. Prescribed burning in the project area has the potential to affect air quality in the town of Cuprum as well as Adams County, Valley County, and some limited areas of northern Washington County. The Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (Class I Airshed) is approximately six miles northeast of the proposed burn sites. There are no non-attainment areas or sensitive areas in close proximity to the proposed burn sites. All prescribed burning would be subject to approval from the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group. Although the action alternative incorporates prescribed burning for fuels reduction, careful planning (prescription development) and participation in the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group would reduce the impacts of prescribed burning on air quality by restricting prescribed burning to conditions when smoke dispersal would be optimal. The No Action Alternative carries a risk of large-scale wildfire, while the Proposed Action would reduce that risk. Although wildfires are not subject to air quality regulations, they nevertheless have major impacts on air quality. A wildfire within the project area would have a different unpredictable impact than would a controlled prescribed burn. Prescribed fire effects usually last for a short time, are managed, and air quality impacts can be mitigated. Smoke from wildfires is unmanageable. Wildfires can occur when dispersion is poor, is likely to occur in larger quantities with abundant particulates, and lasts longer than planned ignitions. The duration and severity of air quality degradation from a wildfire is difficult to predict. In general, a wildfire occurring in a previously untreated area would be expected to produce more particulate matter at one time than prescribed burning because of the greater amount of fuel consumed. Air quality impacts from wildfire would normally occur during the summer and fall months when visitor use in the airshed is highest. Prescribed burning, as proposed in the action alternative, is subject to air quality regulations. Forest Plan management direction would be adhered to by the action alternative, and would minimize smoke impacts by reducing total emissions and managing smoke drift. Smoke from prescribed burning would temporally reduce air quality. Burning would likely occur in the spring and fall months and would be scheduled to occur when fuel moistures and atmospheric conditions are conducive to meeting resource objectives and minimizing impacts to air quality. Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-13

16 1 Purpose and Need The Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project analysis area lies within Montana/Idaho Airshed 14, which covers the west side of the Council Ranger District of the Payette National Forest. The proposed action would have short-term direct impacts (1-3 days/burn) on air quality standards, but the air quality levels would comply with State and Federal air quality regulations. To insure compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards, Smoke Impact Spreadsheet (SIS) Model was used to estimate smoke production, dispersion, and potential impacts to receptors within the analysis area, based on common weather and fuel moisture conditions used when burn activities would occur. Smoke from other prescribed fires could combine with the Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project smoke and result in reduced visibility, but this visibility reduction would not be as noticeable as the smoke coming directly from the project burning. Prescribed fire burn plans would be developed according to the Interagency Prescribed Fire Management Handbook, and Forest Service Manual direction 5140, to address prescribed fire mitigations for air quality, contingency, safety, and environmental effects (fire behavior). Requirements of the Montana/Idaho Airshed Group would be adhered to on any given burn day. Prescribed fire burn plans would specify weather parameters necessary to insure that air quality impacts are within desired ranges and monitoring of the impacts to the airshed would continue throughout the implementation of all burns. Rangeland Resource Vegetation manipulation through timber harvest, prescribed fire, road decommissioning, and construction has the potential to alter the available quantity, quality, and composition of vegetation, and possibly contribute to new infestations of noxious weeds. The proposed action is expected to improve vegetation available for livestock over time. Noxious weeds are addressed in Chapter 2, Table 2-4, Mitigation Measures, Rangeland Resource. Grazing management is outside the scope of the project and will continue as currently permitted under the Payette National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) and Term Grazing Permits (see Rangeland Resources Specialist s Report, project record). Recreation and Visual Resources The proposal may affect visual quality in the project area. The project area has a mix of visual quality objectives of retention, partial retention, and modification. The sensitive travelways identified for this project are Council-Cuprum Road #002, Forest Road #105, and Forest Road # Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project

17 Purpose and Need - 1 Council-Cuprum road #002 There is approximately ½ mile of this road adjacent to National Forest Lands in the project area. The road is located within the Huntley Gulch drainage and due to the surrounding landforms, the view area is limited. Much of the immediate foreground falls within the riparian area of Huntley Gulch, which will not be altered. In some areas the stands will be altered with thinning and ground disturbance will be visible during the first year following treatment with fire and mechanical harvesting, but with herbaceous and shrub regrowth in the following years, the visual evidence of management would diminish. It is expected that there will be minimal short or long-term visual change from the proposed action. There will be a reduction in tree densities and a transition to a more open stand condition. The visual quality objective of Partial Retention would be met. It is expected that there will be minimal short or long-term visual change from the proposed action. There will be a reduction in tree densities and a transition to a more open stand condition. The visual quality objective of Partial Retention would be met. Forest Road 105 There is approximately 2 miles of Forest Road 105 that runs through the northeastern portion of the project area. The riparian area along Indian Creek will have treatments that will result in minor visual change. Views generally are limited in the lower and middle elevations of this road. The commercial thin prescriptions will have temporary visual impacts from piles or scattered non-commercial trees until such material is burned. There will be short-term effects in pile burn locations from remaining residue. There will be temporary visual effects from burned material in the areas of broadcast burning. Along the mid and upper elevation portions of the project area adjacent to Forest Road 105 are primarily commercial thinning. It is expected there will be visible evidence of the harvest activities from ground disturbance, harvest residues, and fire effects. Most of these visual effects will last for the temporary period only, with some lasting for the short term in the foreground areas. Visual effects in the middleground areas will be subtle with a reduced tree density. Visual quality objectives of partial retention and retention would be met within the areas viewed from forest road 105. Forest Road 106 This road runs north of the units where activities will take place. Visual effects in the middleground areas will be subtle with a reduced tree density. Visual quality objectives of partial retention and retention would be met within the areas viewed from forest road 106. Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-15

18 1 Purpose and Need The proposal may affect recreation use in the Project Area Most recreation use is motorized recreation, including pleasure driving, firewood cutting, ATV use and hunting. The proposed action would affect recreation use and experiences to varying degrees. Specifically, recreation use patterns would change where non-system roads, traveled by off-road vehicles, are decommissioned. The proposed action may provide new opportunities for motorized recreation activities for the short-term if some roads are opened to the public for firewood gathering. These roads would be closed after completion of sale activities. The area these roads accessed would be less visually attractive because of the harvest activities. Recreation Opportunity Spectrum classifications would remain unchanged with the proposed action. Any road decommissioning associated with the proposed action may affect recreation trail opportunities. The affects could occur if any of the roads that are proposed to be decommissioned are commonly used by motorized recreationists. This should have minimal effects because many other similar roads exist in this area. See Chapter 2, Table 2-4 Mitigation Measures/Project Design Features for recreation mitigation measures regarding public safety and log haul. Botanical Resources Threatened, Endangered, Candidate, Proposed and Sensitive (TECPS) Plant Species Ground-disturbing activities associated with this project could affect habitat and/or populations numbers of sensitive plant species. There are no known populations of rare plants (TECPS) within the project area. Review of vegetation types within the project area indicate that potential habitat for the Forest sensitive plan Tolmie s onion (Allium tolmiei var. permsimile) and the Forest watch species Bankmonkey flower (Mimulus clivicola) could occur within the project. Botanical surveys were conducted in July of No populations of any sensitive plant were found during the survey. Potential habitat for the forest sensitive plant Mimulus clivicola (bank monkeyflower) was found during the survey. No other TECPS plants or habitat were found in the project area. The Biological Evaluation covering Listed, Proposed, Candidate, Sensitive, Proposed Sensitive and Forest Watch Species for the project is found in the Project Record and is hereby incorporated by reference. Key findings based on botanical surveys and communications with FWS follow: No Listed of Proposed Listed species populations or habitat is known to occur on the PNF. There would be no effect (NE) to habitat for any FWS Listed or Proposed Listed plant species Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project

19 Purpose and Need - 1 There would be no cumulative effects to any populations or potential habitat for any Listed or Proposed Listed species due to this project. This project may impact individuals or habitat or Tolmie s onion (Allium tolmiei var. persimile) and Bankmonkey flower (Mimulus clivicola) but would not likely contribute to a trend towards Federal Listing or cause a loss of viability to the population or species (MIIH). There would be no impacts to potential habitat for any other Candidate, Sensitive, or Proposed Sensitive plant species. Cultural Resources The effects of the proposed action on cultural properties. Survey within the 9,280 acre project area has recorded ten cultural properties inside the project boundaries. No eligible properties will be affected by this project. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) concurred with this determination on August 4, Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project 1-17

20 1 Purpose and Need 1-18 Cuprum Fuels Reduction Project