Request for Comments

Transcription

1 Logo Department Name Agency Organization Organization Address Information United States Forest Chattahoochee-Oconee National 3941 Highway 76 Department of Service Forests Chatsworth, GA Agriculture Conasauga Ranger District FAX: Request for Comments File Code: 1950 Date: April 26, 2016 Armuchee Healthy Forests Project Dear Interested Citizen: The Conasauga Ranger District of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests is proposing the Armuchee Healthy Forest Project located on National Forests System lands in Chattooga, Floyd, Walker and Whitfield Counties, Georgia. The project is designed to reduce the risk for southern pine beetle (SPB) infestations in over-crowded pine stands and restore the ecological integrity of those stands by moving them towards a more ecologically appropriate composition that is more resilient to future insect and disease outbreaks. We have been working very closely with local interest groups, agencies and individuals over the last few months to develop this proposed action. To date, district staff and our collaborative partners have gathered for two workshops and a field trip to formulate the various components of this proposal. I would like to thank those who have actively participated in this collaborative process thus far and I look forward to our continued partnership as we approach project implementation. I am considering using the authorities recently amended to the Healthy Forest Restoration Act to implement this project. Under these authorities, my decision would be categorically excluded from further documentation in an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. Before reaching this decision, however, I am seeking additional input to identify concerns that may not have been raised during the initial collaborative phase of this project. I encourage you to participate by providing your comments on this proposed action. Your comments will be used to identify relevant issues and help guide the environmental analysis. Activities included in this proposal would likely begin during 2017 and would be implemented over the next three to five years. Background Section 8204 of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (Public Law ) (also referred to as Farm Bill) amended Title VI of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA) (16 U.S.C et seq.) to add Sections 602 and 603 to address qualifying insect and disease infestations on National Forest System lands. The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture delegated authority to implement the provisions of the Farm Bill to the Chief of the Forest Service on March 6, Section 602 provides, in part, the opportunity for Governors to request designation of areas in their State that are experiencing, or at risk of, an insect or disease epidemic. The Forest Service received letters from 35 states requesting designations. These requests were reviewed to ensure they met at least one of the following eligibility criteria outlined in the Farm Bill: experiencing forest health decline based on annual forest health surveys; at risk of experiencing substantially increased tree mortality based on the most recent Forest Health Protection Insect and Disease Risk Map; or contains hazard trees that pose an imminent risk to public infrastructure, health, or safety. Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper

2 2 Upon reviewing the States requests, the Chief designated approximately 45.6 million acres of National Forest System lands across 94 national forests in 35 States. Over 700,000 acres were designated on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, including nearly 60,000 acres on the Armuchee unit of the Conasauga Ranger District. Information on the request and designation process, by state, can be found at Section 603 establishes a categorical exclusion (CE) for qualifying insect and disease projects in designated areas on National Forest System lands. An insect and disease project that may be categorically excluded under this authority is a project that is designed to reduce the risk or extent of, or increase the resilience to, insect or disease infestation in the areas (HFRA, Sections 602(d) and 603(a)). In order to utilize the available categorical exclusion under this section, projects must: Maximize old-growth and large trees, as appropriate for the forest type, to the extent the trees promote stands that are resilient to insect and disease threats; Consider best available scientific information to maintain or restore the ecological integrity, including maintaining or restoring structure, function, composition and connectivity; Be developed through a collaborative process that includes multiple interested persons representing diverse interests and is transparent and nonexclusive; Not exceed 3,000 acres; Not include construction of permanent roads; Be consistent with applicable Land and Resource Management Plans; Be located within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) or applicable condition class/fire regimes. Project Area Location and Description The project area includes National Forest lands on the Armuchee unit of the Conasauga Ranger District in Chattooga, Floyd, Walker and Whitfield Counties, Georgia within the HFRA section 602 designated treatment area. Project stands are located in parts of management compartments 903, 905, 907, 915, 916, 917, 918, 925, 931, 932, 935, 938, and 948 (see Project Maps). All treatment areas are considered WUI and/or can be described as condition class 2 or 3 within Fire Regime II. Project area stands are located across three (3) Management Prescriptions. Project activities are not planned for the embedded Riparian Corridor Management Prescription. Management Prescription Acres Percent of Project Area 7.A Scenic Byway Corridor 126 8% 7.E.1 Dispersed Recreation Areas 46 3% 9.H Management, Maintenance, and Restoration of Plant 1,394 89% Associations to Their Ecological Potential Total 1, % Purpose and Need Purpose: The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk for southern pine beetle infestations and restore the ecological integrity of overstocked pine stands within the project area. Actions included in this proposal are in conformance with the following Goals and Objectives described in the Chattahoochee- Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan):

3 3 Objective 3.6: Within the first 10 years of Plan implementation, restore oak or oak-pine forests on 1,250 acres on the Chattahoochee and 550 acres on the Oconee on appropriate sites currently occupied by pine plantations or other hardwood species such as gum and maple. Objective 40.1: Maintain forest-stocking levels at no more than fully stocked for the species, age, and site quality with priority for treatment given to those vegetation communities at highest risk of insect or disease attack. o Reduce stem density on an annual average of 1,500 acres of overstocked loblolly pine stands on the Chattahoochee during the first 10 years of Plan implementation. o Reduce stem density on an annual average of 1,500 acres of overstocked shortleaf pine stands on the Chattahoochee during the first 10 years of Plan implementation. Need: The Armuchee unit of the Conasauga Ranger District is marked by a history of active timber management that has resulted in thousands of acres of even-aged pine stands. As in other areas across the South, early even-aged management on the Armuchee unit emphasized reforestation of regenerated areas to loblolly pine because of its rapid growth rates, ease of establishment and adaptability to a broad range of site conditions. Reforestation of areas to loblolly pine during that time period often displaced native mixed oak-yellow pine forests. Later, during the 1990s, even-aged management practices shifted away from the earlier emphasis on loblolly pine timber production and towards concepts of restoration. Cleared areas created from evenaged management were frequently reforested with shortleaf pine to establish mixed oak-shortleaf pine forests. Inherently slower juvenile growth rates and poor survival of shortleaf pine prompted experimental plantings of pitch pine on some sites based on its performance in other areas of the Forest. Today, these even-aged stands have grown crowded. Overstocked stand conditions reduce the vigor of individual trees because site resources (water, nutrients, light) become very limited. Competition for limited site resources causes stress, decreasing the resilience of trees to insect and disease outbreaks, such as southern pine beetle. These trees are further stressed and at additional risk, because they were planted on sites outside of their native range of habitats. Southern pine beetle (SPB) is considered the most destructive native insect pest in southern pine forests. The frequency and severity of SPB outbreaks have increased region-wide over the last four decades. Such events have been attributed to increases in acreage of pine growing stock, the presence of larger and older pine trees, and changes in forest structure (Belanger et al ). While all yellow pine species are susceptible to SPB, loblolly and shortleaf pines are considered the most vulnerable. During the last major SPB episode on National Forest lands in north Georgia ( ), nearly 300 individual SPB spots were identified on the Armuchee unit alone. Initial SPB infestation and subsequent spot growth are most commonly associated with slow-growing, overstocked pine stands where individual tree vigor is low due to stress caused by competition for limited site resources (Nebeker and Hodges ). Pine stands where stocking levels exceed 120 ft 2 per acre in basal area are considered highly vulnerable to attack by SPB and to subsequent rapid spot development. Susceptibility to SPB also increases with stand age. Mature and over-mature pine stands are considered at a higher risk for SPB infestation than younger stands due to declining vigor associated with tree age 1 Belenger, B.P., R.L. Hedden and P.L. Lorio, Jr Management strategies to reduce losses from the southern pine beetle. So. J. Appl. For 17(3): Nebeker, T.E. and J. D. Hodges Thinning and harvesting practices to minimize site and stand disturbance and susceptibility to bark beetle and disease attacks. In Branham, S.J. and R.C. Thatcher (eds). Proceedings of integrated pest management research symposium. Gen Tech. Rep. SO-56, USDA Forest Service, pp

4 4 and because they offer more suitable feedings sites (larger boles) for the beetle. Based on observed conditions within the project area and input provided by participants during the collaborative process, there is a need to reduce the risk of, or increase the resilience to, SPB infestations by decreasing stocking levels in overcrowded pine stands. Current management recommendations to prevent and/or limit SPB infestations and subsequent spread include altering stand structure through thinning. Thinning reduces competition among trees, increases tree vigor, removes weaker individuals more susceptible to SPB and increases distance between hostsusceptible trees. Current thinning guidelines recommend thinning stands to stocking levels at or below 80 ft 2 per acre (Nowak et al ). Other preventive methods include regeneration of mature pine forests and conversion of sites to more resistant species (Belanger et al. 1993). Managing for mixed stands of hardwood and yellow pine has also been suggested because SPB prefers stands with a uniform and continuous composition of host susceptible species. Mixed stands break this continuity, which can limit spot spread. Ecological concepts, such as ecosystems, habitat, and stand dynamics, also indicate that these stands are highly departed from their reference condition as mixed-aged, native oak-pine forests. Departure can be considered in terms of forest structure, composition, function, and connectivity (FSM Ch ). Forest structure has transitioned from multi-leveled canopy with many openings to a single, continuous canopy layer. Forest composition has transitioned from native oak-pine forests to planted monocultures of loblolly pine or pitch pine that are not native to these sites, and these stands are generally very low in diversity. These changes have reduced ecological function, including the loss of wildlife habitats such as snags and loss of wildlife food resources such as acorns and grass seeds. These stands also reduce connectivity by creating a barrier for many species between patches of native forest on either side of the stands. The Forest Service Manual defines restoration as: The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Ecological restoration focuses on establishing the composition, structure, pattern, and ecological processes necessary to facilitate terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem sustainability, resilience, and health under current and future conditions (FSM Ch ). Based on observed conditions within the project area and input provided by participants during the collaborative process, there is a need to restore stands in the project area to a more ecologically appropriate condition. Management activities under this project will promote ecological restoration by reducing departure of non-native, overstocked, even-aged pine plantations by beginning transition of these stands towards their site-specific reference condition of native oak-pine forest. These transitions will lead to more resilient ecological systems capable of absorbing negative effects associated with various natural and human-caused stresses. Proposed Action This proposed action has been collaboratively developed with the help of interested groups and individuals through a series of public workshops, field trips and other forms of information sharing. The proposed action contains two key elements: (1) vegetation management, which includes a variety of silvicultural practices designed to meet the purpose and need; and (2) road management activities needed for project implementation. 3 Nowak, J., C. Asaro, K. Klepzig, and R. Billings The southern pine beetle prevention initiative: working for healthier forests. Journal of Forestry July/August,

5 5 Vegetation Management Proposed vegetation management activities include commercial thinning, commercial regeneration harvest, and non-commercial thinning. Collectively, these activities would reduce the potential for SPB infestations in treatment areas, decrease the presence of off-site loblolly pine, limit natural regeneration/perpetuation of loblolly pine, and trend or restore treatment areas to more ecologically appropriate species composition with greater resilience to insect and disease outbreaks. The proposed vegetation management actions are more fully described below. Commercial Thinning Tree density in areas proposed for commercial thinning currently exceeds stocking levels recommended for preventing major SPB outbreaks and infestations and is departed from reference conditions. To reduce the risk for SPB, these areas would be commercially thinned to residual stocking levels below 80 ft 2 per acre. This treatment would provide additional growing space and access to site resources for residual trees, improving their vigor and resilience to SPB, while also trending the forest towards a lessdeparted species composition. Most stands included in this treatment are single species plantations established post Planted species include loblolly, shortleaf and pitch pines. In some of these areas, other species such as oak, hickory, yellow poplar, sweetgum, red maple and Virginia pine have co-developed with the planted species. In general, these areas average more than 300 stems and 140 ft 2 per acre in trees greater than 5 inches dbh (diameter at breast height or 4.5 feet). Thinning would be applied from below in these young stands, removing weak or suppressed pine trees most susceptible to initial SPB attack. Based on sitespecific conditions, thinning of trees other than pine may occur in areas where specific species are uncharacteristically abundant and/or areas where pine thinning alone would be insufficient to move the stand towards reference structural conditions. For example, if site-specific characteristics indicate that yellow poplar is uncharacteristically dense, thinning may be used to move the forest towards reference conditions. s and hickories would be favored as leave trees. Treated areas would average trees per acre after treatment. The treatment should begin transitioning these areas from single species plantations to native oak-pine forest that are less departed from their reference condition. A few stands included in this treatment are older (50 to 100 yrs. old), and perhaps were thinned during earlier management entries. In these areas, thinning from below would be prescribed in combination with free thinning (i.e. removal of trees from all canopy positions) to remove weaker trees susceptible to SPB and to regulate species composition and residual stand quality. These stands are dominated by loblolly pine, but may contain other desired species that could be featured as leave trees in the post-thinned stands (e.g. shortleaf pine, oak and hickory) to restore the stand to more appropriate species composition given site-specific characteristics. These areas typically average from 130 to 150 trees per acre (120 to 150 ft 2 per acre). Post-treatment, these areas would average 45 to 70 trees per acre. Commercial thinning is proposed on 1,465 acres. Young (post-1970) pine stands account for over 80 percent of the commercial thinning included in this proposal. Commercial thinning would be implemented under two prescribed levels of thinning. Commercial Thinning - Minimum Residual Basal Area of 60 ft 2 per acre Under this method, treatment areas would be thinned to a target residual basal area averaging 60 ft 2 per acre. This method would be employed in areas contained within existing prescribed burn units where periodic surface fires could be used to limit the undesired natural regeneration of loblolly pine in the understory of post-thinned stands. s and hickories, where present, would be retained during the

6 6 commercial thinning to increase stand diversity and trend the areas towards a more ecologically appropriate composition. Areas within stand boundaries where hardwoods comprise more than 50 percent of the overstory basal area would be excluded from treatment, except where such exclusion would make treatment of other areas of stand grossly impractical or impossible. Commercial Thinning - Minimum RBA of 70 ft 2 per acre This method would be prescribed in areas where controlled burning could not be used to limit natural regeneration of loblolly pine in the understory of post-thinned stands. Loblolly pine does not readily establish beneath overstory densities in excess of 60 ft 2 per acre (Shelton and Cain ). Retaining a higher average RBA of 70 ft 2 per acre, instead, would be utilized to deter the establishment of loblolly pine reproduction in post-thinned areas. As described for the 60 ft 2 /ac RBA treatment, oaks and hickories, where present, would be retained to improve diversity and shift species composition towards the reference condition. Likewise, areas dominated by hardwoods would be excluded from the prescribed treatment. Treated areas would feature fewer trees with greater access to site resources (water, nutrients, light), which would improve individual tree and stand-level health and decrease the risk for SPB infestations. Treated areas would also feature proportionally fewer loblolly pine trees, allowing for a gradual shift in species composition to be realized. The following areas are proposed for commercial thinning: Compartment Stand Acres Forest Type Prescribed Treatment Management Prescription Map Reference Loblolly Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Shortleaf Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Shortleaf Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 7.A Loblolly Pine- 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 7.A Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H 5 4 Shelton, M.G and M.D. Cain. Regenerating uneven-aged stands of loblolly and shortleaf pines: current state of knowledge. Forest Ecology and Management 129:

7 Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H 8 Sub-total 60 ft 2 /ac RBA 790 Compartment Stand Acres Forest Type Prescribed Treatment Management Prescription Loblolly Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 7.A Shortleaf Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Pitch Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Pitch Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Pitch Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H Loblolly Pine- 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 9.H 9 Sub-total 70 ft 2 /ac RBA 675 TOTAL 1,465 Commercial Regeneration This activity is prescribed for areas where restoration to the desired reference condition could be accelerated through removal of the existing overstory using a regeneration harvest method. Areas included under this activity have been previously thinned or prescribed burned in earlier management entries (1980s-1990s). The referenced treatments have promoted the development of large advance oak reproduction in the understory. Removal of the existing loblolly pine overstory would release the oak reproduction, allowing for the sites to naturally regenerate to the reference native oak-pine forest type.

8 8 The regeneration harvest would also supply early-successional forest habitat, which is generally lacking across the Forest. A two-aged regeneration harvest method would be applied in areas proposed for commercial regeneration. This method would create large openings for oak seedlings to develop within, while retaining a desired component of the parent overstory to meet other compatible benefits such as structural diversity, regeneration sources and scenic integrity. The existing overstories in areas proposed for commercial regeneration are dominated by loblolly pine, but also contain a varying component of other species, including shortleaf pine, oaks, hickories, Virginia pine, red maple, yellow poplar and sweetgum, among others. Loblolly pine would be targeted for removal under this regeneration treatment. Other species with a high propensity to seed, which if retained, could create unfavorable competition for oak seedlings, would also be harvested from the site (Virginia pine, red maple, yellow poplar, sweetgum). The two-aged condition would be formed by retaining a desired portion of the parent overstory (15-30 ft 2 or trees per acre). s, hickories and shortleaf pine would be selected as reserve trees to be retained. These trees would be retained in a non-uniform and variable pattern according to their distribution within the regeneration treatment areas and would remain on site indefinitely. Incidental amounts of these species would be removed for operational purposes (landings, skid trails) or to reduce reserve tree stocking to the target levels to ensure adequate growing space for the newly regenerating oak stand. Connected site preparation treatments, including a manual slash-down of un-harvested trees in submerchantable size classes (1-8 inches dbh) and a growing season prescribed burn would be applied following the commercial regeneration harvest to prepare the sites for natural regeneration. To supplement the natural oak regeneration if necessary, areas would be hand-planted with white oak seedlings on a wide spacing. Planted and naturally regenerated oak seedlings would be released from competition one or more times during the first 10 years using manual methods to maintain the desired oak composition. The following areas are proposed for commercial regeneration: Compartment Stand Acres Forest Type Management Prescription Map Reference Loblolly Pine 9.H Shortleaf Pine 9.H 3 55 Non-Commercial Thinning This activity would be prescribed in areas previously impacted by southern pine beetle, leaving areas of young loblolly pine that have not yet attained merchantable sizes. Non-commercial thinning would consist of manually felling a portion of the small diameter trees in an area (trees between 1 and 6 inches at breast height) and leaving them on site. Specific areas of this stand are in need of the prescribed treatment, because they cannot be protected from southern pine beetle by treating adjacent areas. Native shortleaf pine, oak, hickory and desirable soft mast producing hardwoods would be favored as the primary leave trees to increase species diversity. An approximate six-foot radius would be cleared around the selected leave trees. A residual stocking of approximately trees per acre would be retained. The non-commercial thinning would be applied by contract hand-crews using chainsaws or other handtools.

9 9 Non-commercial thinning would be applied in the following areas: Management Map Reference Compartment Stand Acres Forest Type Prescription A Bottomland Harwood-Yellow Pine 7.E.1 5 A This area was previously impacted by southern pine beetle which killed most overstory loblolly pine - hence the current forest typing. Loblolly pine has naturally regenerated beneath the canopy in some areas of this stand. An estimated5 acres of non-commercial thinning is proposed in these areas. Location of prescribed treatment is on western side of stand in areas immediately adjacent to Forest Service Road 226. If other suitable areas are located, additional acres would be treated within the boundary of stand 07. Road Access Management The following road management activities would be needed to implement the proposed vegetation management actions: Road No. Road Maintenance Miles Reconstruction Miles B A A Total Temporary Roads Miles 8.4 An estimated 24.5 miles of Forest Service Roads would be needed to access proposed vegetation management treatment areas. These roads would be maintained during project implementation by timber harvest contractors. Road maintenance activities could include road surface grading, repair and maintenance of drainage structures (dips, culverts), brushing of road-side vegetation, and spot placement of gravel. Roughly one-third, or 7.6 miles, of the roads needed for project implementation would require minor reconstruction to correct drainage, recondition road surfaces, and to widen narrow curves. Typical activities for road reconstruction work includes road surface blading and/or reconditioning, brushing/removal of vegetation on road shoulders, excavation of road cut banks at entrance and exits of curves to straighten ingress and egress for log trucks in curves, erosion control (revegetation, silt barriers), and resurfacing of road with gravel. An estimated 8.4 miles of temporary access roads would be used to gain direct access to project areas. Most treatment areas contain existing routes established from previous management. These would be re-

10 10 opened for access during project implementation. Temporary roads would be decommissioned after use by ripping and planting road surfaces with grass and forbs, construction of water diverting structures, and placing barriers at entrance of roads to effectively block illegal motorized access. A summary of the proposed action is presented in the table below: Vegetation Management Proposed Action Acres Management Prescription Forest Plan Goals and Objectives Commercial Thinning 1,465 7.A, 9.H Obj. 40.1; Obj. 3.6 Commercial Regeneration Harvest 55 9.H Obj. 3.6 Pre-commercial Thinning 46 7.E.1 Obj. 40.1; Obj. 3.6 TOTAL 1,566 Road Access Management for Project Implementation Proposed Action Miles Road Maintenance 24.5 Road Reconstruction 7.6 Temporary Road Construction 8.4 Project Monitoring Monitoring of the project actions would occur to ensure that various aspects of the project adhere to the standards of the Forest Plan, the applicable State Best Management Practices, the mitigation measures set forth in the project s decision document, and to measure whether the restoration goals of the project are being achieved. Due to the collaborative nature of the project development, we envision conducting monitoring trips with the public prior to, and throughout implementation of the activities within the project. Specific monitoring commitments include: Reviewing the project prior to implementation to ensure that the locations of any access routes, sale boundaries, and the silvicultural prescriptions are carried out as described by the decision document; Field inspection of timber sale activities during implementation to ensure State BMPs, Forest Standards and project specific mitigations are being met; Survey forest structure and composition in the understory, midstory, and overstory 5 years postharvest to evaluate progress towards stated project objectives. Consider additional management activities if stands are not trending towards reference conditions; Survey stands during project implementation and 2 years post-harvest to monitor control needs for non-native invasive plants; Monitor temporary road locations, landings, and bladed skid roads following sale closure to ensure sites are stable and adequately re-vegetated. Project Design Features Project design features to be incorporated into the implementation of the proposed action would include, but are not limited to, the following: Resource Soil and Water Design Feature Temporary roads would be constructed on previous exiting routes (old woods roads or skid trails) where possible to minimize the need for new temporary road construction. Temporary roads would follow the general contour as practical and will generally not exceed sustained grades over 10%.

11 11 Resource Riparian and Aquatic Habitats Heritage Resources Recreation Visual Non-native Invasive Species (NNIS) Design Feature The travel way of temporary roads would generally not exceed feet except at turnouts and landings. Drainage structures, such as outsloping and waterbars, would be installed along temporary roads when the use of the road is no longer needed. Once the temporary roads are no longer needed, they would be decommissioned and closed to normal vehicle traffic and so that illegal ATV use is discouraged. The closures may include such things as the installation of an earthen barrier, re-contouring, placement of logging debris along the road surface, or placement of boulders. Skid trails will be closed at their junction with landing sites by placing slash on the skid trail in order to discourage illegal ATV use. Log landings and skid trail locations would be evaluated and approved by the Forest Service prior to harvesting in order to ensure that they are placed in locations with adequate drainage and away from sensitive soils or riparian areas. Skidding and decking would be limited to designated and approved routes along ridges and gentle slopes to protect sensitive soils. Skidding would not be allowed on sustained slopes over 35%. Operation of ground-based equipment would only be allowed when soils are dry. Soil moisture would be assessed during harvest operations to determine periods when equipment should be halted to minimize compaction and rutting. Skid trails, log landings, temporary roads, or other areas of exposed soil, would be seeded and fertilized as soon as practical after harvest activities have been completed in order to restore vegetative cover and reduce the potential for erosion. Use brush barriers, silt fencing, or hay bales to prevent visible sediment from entering stream courses as needed. Revegetate all exposed cut and fill slopes within 30 days of initial disturbance. Revegetate and/or mulch disturbed soil at stream crossings the same day. Water bars would be installed on skid trails and temporary roads at the completion of the project to minimize the potential for erosion. Compacted soils on skid trails, temporary roads, and log landings would be ripped or tilled in areas of detrimental soil compaction to maintain soil quality standards and increase water infiltration. Sensitive soils discovered during timber sale layout would be protected by restricting access or activities in these areas. A protective buffer would be established to exclude activities adjacent to perennial and intermittent stream channels. Buffer width would vary based on slope steepness and would be applied to both sides of the stream using the following Forest Plan Standards: 100 ft. buffer for slopes < 11%; 125 ft. for slopes 11-45%; and 150 ft. for slopes >45%. To protect ephemeral stream channels, a minimum 25 ft. protective buffer would be established on both sides of ephemeral streams to exclude management activity. Skidding would not occur within riparian corridors or ephemeral streamside zones except for at designated crossings. Heritage resources subject to direct or indirect effects resulting from the activities associated with this project would be avoided and protected from project effects as needed. Heritage resource sites would have a minimum protective buffer of 50 feet as needed. The buffer would be marked on the ground and excluded from project activities. In the following stands, harvest activity and hauling would be prohibited on all weekends and on federal holidays during the summer recreation season (Memorial Day, July 4 th, Labor Day), unless otherwise agreed: C932 S02, C918 S38, S40, S48, C925 S04, S05, C916 S34, C915 S20, S917 S07, C935 S12, S31, S32, S34. Within treatment areas located in Management Prescription 7.A- Scenic Byway Corridor, all slash and other logging debris created from treatment activities shall be lopped to an average height of 2 feet, when visible, for a distance of 100 feet of the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway and other open Forest Roads. Significant infestations of NNIS along planned access routes or in treatment areas would be pretreated in order to prevent the spread of NNIS into new areas. Subsequent follow-up treatments would be applied as necessary to eradicate NNIS populations.

12 12 Resource Wildlife Habitat Standards Category Design Feature Equipment cleaning would be required in order to minimize the spread of NNIS and to minimize the potential to introduce new NNIS to the area. Skidding through known populations of NNIS should be avoided, where possible, to reduce the potential for spread. Non-harvest buffers should be established in areas where avoidance is impossible. Many of the known populations of NNIS in the project area are within riparian corridors. Skidding in riparian corridors is prohibited, except at designated crossings, to minimize the potential for spread. No cutting of snags >6 inches DBH. In all silvicultural treatments, retention priority is given to the largest available trees with favorable characteristics as bat roost trees (yellow pines and oaks with crevices, cracks, or hollows). Protect known bat roosts from cutting or modification as long as suitable. A preliminary assessment indicates that the actions proposed for this project fall within a category of action authorized under Section 603 of the amended Healthy Forest Restoration Act that is excluded from documentation in an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. The applicable category is also identified in agency procedures Forest Service Handbook , Chapter 30, Section 32.3 Categories Established by Statute, #3 Insect & Disease Infestation. The Insect & Disease category is applicable to this project because: Proposed treatments are in an area designated in accordance with Section 602 (b) and (c) of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. Proposed treatment areas are located within the Wildland Urban Interface and/or can be described as Conditional Class 2 or 3 within Fire Regime II. Proposed treatment areas are not located within: congressionally designated Wilderness or Wilderness Study Areas; in areas where the removal of vegetation is prohibited by statute or by Presidential proclamation; or in areas where the activities described above would be inconsistent with the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan. The proposed treatment acreage does not exceed 3,000 acres. The project does not include establishment of permanent roads. Additionally, if temporary roads are constructed they will be decommissioned no later than three years after the project is complete. The project is being developed and would be implemented through a collaborative process that includes multiple interested persons representing diverse interests and is transparent and nonexclusive. The best available scientific information is being considered in prescribing treatment methods and design features. The project would maximize the retention of old growth and large trees, as appropriate for the forest type, to the extent that the trees promote stands that are resilient to insect and disease. The project maintains or restores the ecological integrity, including maintaining or restoring structure, function, composition, and connectivity. Public notice and scoping is being conducted. How to Provide Comments: Please make your responses as specific as possible so that we can be sure they are adequately addressed. This would include the following information:

13 13 Your name and address Title of Project Specific substantive comments (215.2) on the proposed action, along with supporting reasons that the Responsible Official should consider in reaching a decision. Your signature or other means of identification verification. For organizations, a signature or other means of identification verification must be provided for the individual authorized to represent your organization. Comments must be post marked or received by May 31, 2016 You may send your comments and suggestions as follows: Comment Format Contact Information Hard Copy Letter Conasauga Ranger District 3941 Highway 76 Chatsworth, Ga Attn: Armuchee Healthy Forests Project comments-conasauga@fs.fed.us Fax Danny Skojac, Phone , ext.104 Phone or hand delivered comments may be made at the Conasauga Ranger District office during normal weekday business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed 12:00-1:00 p.m.). In accordance with regulations, all written comments received, including those submitted electronically, will be placed in the project file and will become a matter of public record. Electronic versions of the information provided in this scoping notice are available on-line at the Forest s website at: If you have questions or need additional information concerning this project, please contact Danny Skojac, Timber Management Assistant, at x 104. Thank you for your interest in the management of the Conasauga Ranger District. Sincerely, /s/ Jeff Gardner JEFF GARDNER District Ranger Enclosures: Armuchee Healthy Forests Project maps