Santa Ana Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Design Criteria

Transcription

1 Santa Ana Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Design Criteria Front Country Ranger District, San Bernardino National Forest San Bernardino County, California September 16, 2010 DESIGN CRITERIA Various measures (or criteria) will be implemented that guide the project through the implementation phase. These criteria are integral to the project and provide details on the way in which specific aspects of the project will be implemented to ensure resources are protected and project objectives are met. Below is a list of initial design criteria for this project. Additional criteria may be developed as the project progresses and will be fully analyzed in the Environmental Assessment (EA). The detailed design criteria are posted on the following webpage, 1. Common Design Criteria a. Mitigation measures or design criteria should assure that treatment levels protect resources as defined in the Forest Plan, including threatened, endangered, and sensitive plants and wildlife. b. A prescribed burn plan will be developed and approved prior to initiating any burning operation. A burn plan generally includes unit description, specific prescribed burn objectives, public notification procedures, coordination with other resource agencies (e.g., Air Quality Management District), hazard analysis, contingency plans, firing procedures, risk assessment, mitigation measures, estimated fire behavior, acceptable weather variables, and prescribed burn organization. 2. Road Design Criteria a. No new permanent roads will be established. Ground-based equipment will primarily use existing NFS roads and skid trails. All skid trails will be closed and water barred by the end of the project; skid trails will be covered with slash and barriers sufficient to prevent Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use. b. Road maintenance or reconditioning may be needed for project operations. This may include minor earthwork, cross drain reshaping, surface blading and reshaping, ditch cleaning and reshaping, catch basin reshaping, roadside brush removal, and dust abatement. c. Temporary roads or skid trails (for yarding trees removed from plantations) opened for project use will be closed upon project completion, water barred, covered with slash, and blocked with sufficient material to prevent OHV use. Santa Ana Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Design Criteria Page 1

2 3. General Wildlife Design Criteria a. Sensitive wildlife areas will be flagged, and all treatment fuels generated will be piled and burned 100 feet from these areas. b. If buffer or sensitive areas are not flagged on the ground prior to treatment implementation, a biological monitor will be provided on site when treatments are done. c. Crew will be trained in the identification of key sensitive animals and in what actions to follow if these species are encountered, including aquatic two-striped garter snake, San Bernardino ringneck snake, San Bernardino kingsnake, and mountain yellowlegged frog. d. When possible, piles of brush will be removed and burned as soon as possible after piling in order to minimize colonization by wildlife. e. Prohibit, to the extent practicable, use of equipment over downed logs or rock outcrops. f. To comply with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, project activities will be conducted outside of the breeding season between March 1 and August 31 to the extent possible. If treatment must occur during this time period, project administrator should coordinate with district wildlife biologist to determine any alternative methods to reduce impacts to breeding birds. 4. Wildlife Design Criteria for Individual or Groups of Species a. Burn piles or wood chips will not be located on rock outcrops or large downed logs in order to protect habitat for sensitive reptiles and amphibians. b. Active raptor nest areas will be identified and treatments avoided within 0.25 mile of active nests during the breeding season. c. Treatment will not occur during the nesting season for the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), February 1 to July 1, within one mile of the Keller Cliffs area. d. Suitable southwestern willow flycatcher habitat will be considered occupied unless protocol surveys are conducted and it is found to be unoccupied. e. Treatments within 500 feet of suitable habitat will be avoided during the breeding season for southwestern willow flycatcher (May1 through August 31) unless protocol surveys are conducted annually and it is found to be unoccupied during that season. Treatments within suitable habitat in Alder Creek and Keller Creek riparian areas will be conducted via hand methods only. f. No more than one week prior to start of project implementation, a biologist will survey stream crossings. Stream crossings will also be surveyed after rain events during active implementation activities. g. Fuels generated will be piled and burned at least 30 meters from intermittent streams and 100 meters from perennial streams. h. Wood rat nest sites that are in and adjacent to spotted owl habitat will be identified and excluded from treatment. Fuels will be raked away from wood rat nests when they are at risk of being burned. i. Treatments within 500 feet of suitable habitat will be avoided during the breeding season for mountain yellow-legged frogs (February 1 through August 31) unless extensive surveys are conducted and it is found to be unoccupied during that season. Treatments within suitable habitat in Alder Creek and Keller Creek will be conducted via hand methods only. Santa Ana Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Design Criteria Page 2

3 5. Wildlife Design Criteria for California Spotted Owl a. Project areas will be surveyed for nesting California spotted owls prior to project implementation to determine whether nest locations are occupied. b. Maintain a limited operating period (LOP) prohibiting activities within approximately 0.25 mile of each nest site during the breeding season (February 1 through August 15), unless surveys confirm that California spotted owls are not nesting (LMP S-20). Where nest sites are not known (e.g., only centroids have been identified or current nest tree information is lacking), the 0.25-mile buffer should be used around the nest stand rather than the nest tree. Follow the Forest Service (1993, 1994) protocol to determine whether owls are nesting. c. No nighttime treatments (and use of artificial lighting) will be authorized, with the exception of necessary mop-up activities after prescribed burning. Nighttime is defined as the period between sunset and sunrise. d. Where snags do not pose a falling threat to life or property, trees with signs of wildlife and visible cavities (such as acorn woodpecker storage-trees, sapsucker feeding holes, and squirrel denning holes) should be considered for snag retention. If present in plantations, leave 10 to 15 hard snags per 5 acres (minimum 16 inches diameter at breast height and 40 feet tall, or next largest available). e. If removal of hazard trees is necessary within spotted owl nest stands, minimize habitat disturbance within 200 feet of nest trees. Directionally fell trees away from the 200-foot perimeter around the nest tree. Known nest trees will not be cut unless they are considered imminent threats to life and/or property and are cut in coordination with district wildlife biologist. f. Treatments will not occur within the single California spotted owl nest stand within the project boundaries (CASPO Conservation Strategy, p. 23, table 2). There is one nest stand located in East Fork Plunge Creek where it crosses with Forest Road 1N09. g. Unless no alternative sites are feasible, landings will not be created in nest stands, Protected Activity Centers (PACs), and Home Range Core (HRCs). If avoidance is not possible, the project manager will coordinate with the biologist to find the best possible location for landings that provides for both protection and project needs. h. Spotted owls often use perch sites located 15 to 20 feet off the ground in the midstory for foraging. Retention of some low branches in PACs, nest stands, and HRCs for perch sites is important during ladder fuel treatments and will be considered where it does not compromise the integrity of fuels reduction efforts. This objective will be included in marking guidelines for nest stands, PACs, and HRCs. i. Retain a minimum of six downed logs per acre (minimum 12 inches diameter and 120 total linear feet). Exceptions will be allowed in Wildland-Urban-Interface Defense Zones and fuelbreaks, and where they pose a safety hazard (S-14, LMP, Part 3, p. 6). 6. Botany Design Criteria a. Some discrete large populations of Forest Service sensitive plant species will be flagged and treatments avoided in those areas. b. All treatment fuels generated will be piled and burned 25 feet from flagged populations of sensitive plants. Santa Ana Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Design Criteria Page 3

4 7. Watershed Design Criteria a. Riparian conservation areas (RCAs) with a width of 30 meters (98 feet) from bankfull stage will be established along designated intermittent streams, and 100 meters (328 feet) along designated perennial streams, within the project area. All ground-based equipment will be prohibited in the RCA except on designated roads. b. Trees (including fuel wood) will be removed only within RCAs when an assessment determines that present and future woody debris needs are or would be met and other riparian management objectives are not adversely affected, except for health and safety or community protection. c. Best management practices (BMPs) described in the Forest Service field guide will be followed in order to minimize soil erosion. d. Minimum effective ground cover in RCAs post treatment will be based on the calculated Erosion Hazard Rating (EHR) guidelines. e. The new National Forest Soil Disturbance Monitoring Protocol will be used to monitor post-treatment effectiveness of soil conservation measures. 8. Visual Quality Design Criteria a. Treatment activities will be blended with natural landscape features such as natural openings and rock outcrops to create vegetative shapes that mimic natural patterns. b. Fuels resulting from treatments will be piled and burned at least 50 feet from main travel routes and recreation areas. 9. Air Quality Design Criteria a. All burning will be conducted within the State of California air quality regulations administered by permit through the South Coast Air Pollution Control District as described in California s Agricultural Burning Guidelines in Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. 10. Cultural Resource Design Criteria a. All historic properties will be flagged and avoided by project actions. b. Cultural sites will be identified, flagged, and avoided. Handline will be constructed as needed to protect sites. c. If additional cultural resources are discovered during project activities, work will stop in that area immediately until archaeologist can evaluate the site. 11. Noxious Weeds Design Criteria a. A noxious weed assessment will specify areas where disturbance from equipment, fire, and project-related weed vectors will be mitigated. b. Spanish broom treatment may include the following: i. Hand-pulling seedlings and young plants, where possible. ii. Pulling out large plants with a pry-bar-type tool (weed wrench) where feasible and effective. iii. Applying mulch or solarization covers in some locations to block light and/or to heat the soil to prevent germination of the broom seed bank and to kill broom seedlings. iv. Cutting shrubs with hand saws and/or chainsaws leaving roots in place, then applying herbicide to the cut-stumps immediately using paintbrush-type or Santa Ana Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Design Criteria Page 4

5 wick applicators with aquatically labeled glyphosate (such as Rodeo or the equivalent) as the only herbicide, at full strength with no surfactants added. A short-lasting colorant (such as Hi-Light Blue or the equivalent) will be added to the herbicide as an indicator of treated stumps. c. Pulling, cutting, and chipping in the area infested with Spanish broom will not occur when the plants contain seed, or cut biomass will remain in place and burned, or chipping will direct chips back into infested areas only. d. All equipment including hand equipment such as chainsaws and all vehicles taken off road will be cleaned after working in areas infested with Spanish broom before moving to areas that are not currently infested with Spanish broom. e. Herbicide application would be consistent with the Forest Service Pesticide Use Policy, would be in compliance with state and federal regulations, and would follow Region 5 Best Management Practices for Water Quality and Vegetation Manipulation and the Region 5 supplement No to 2150 on Pesticide-Use Management and Coordination. f. Re-treating Spanish broom plants that re-sprout may occur using the same techniques. 12. Recreation Design Criteria a. For public safety, areas with fuel removal activities, prescribed burning, or other fuel treatments may be temporarily closed to public use. Closures could be implemented by use of signs, travel barriers, or temporary gates. b. A buffer of standing vegetation will be maintained in strategic places along Forest Road 1N09 to discourage illegal OHV access, reduce erosion on steep slopes, and achieve scenic objectives. c. A combination of natural barriers (rocks, logs, etc.), screening, fencing, berms, etc., may be used to prevent and/or discourage illegal vehicle activity during and after project treatment. Fire Prevention Technicians and other staff should monitor the area, and, if and when problem areas arise, remedial and preventative actions should be taken as appropriate. Santa Ana Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Design Criteria Page 5

6 Map 1. Proposed Santa Ana hazardous fuels reduction project location. Santa Ana Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Design Criteria Page 6