Goose Project. Final Environmental Impact Statement

Transcription

1 United States Department of Agriculture Goose Project Final Environmental Impact Statement Legal Location: T16S R5E: 1-4, 9-15; T16S R6E Sec: 7-11, 14-18, Willamette Meridian; Lane County, Oregon for the greatest good August 2015

2 for the greatest good Non-Discrimination Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religión, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment Complaint If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency s EEO Counselor (click the hyperlink for list of EEO counselors) within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_file.html. To File a Program Complaint If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at or at any USDA office, or call (866) to request the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C , by fax (202) or at program.intake@usda.gov. Persons with Disabilities Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) or (800) (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by . If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA s TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD).

3 Final Environmental Impact Statement Goose Project Willamette National Forest Lane County, Oregon August 2015 Lead Agency: USDA Forest Service Responsible Official: TERRY BAKER McKenzie River District Ranger Willamette National Forest McKenzie Hwy McKenzie Bridge, OR For Information Contact: ELYSIA RETZLAFF NEPA Planner McKenzie Highway McKenzie Bridge, OR Website: Abstract: This final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) contains the Willamette National Forest s proposal to provide a sustainable supply of timber products, reduce hazardous fuels in the McKenzie Bridge Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), and actively manage stands to improve stand conditions, diversity, density and structure in 2,452 acres on the Willamette National Forest. The proposed project is located along Highways 126 and 242, near the community of McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. Three alternatives have been analyzed in this FEIS, a no action alternative (Alternative 1) and two action alternatives (Alternative 2 and Alternative 3). Alternative 2 proposes 2,452 acres of treatment; 1,592 acres of timber harvest, 502 acres of skips, and 358 acres of WUI fuels treatment. In Alternative 3 the Forest Service proposes 1,069 acres of treatment; 610 acres of timber harvest, 134 acres of skips, and 325 acres of WUI fuels treatment. Alternative 2 is the Forest Service proposed action and preferred alternative. i- Goose Project Final EIS

4 Readers Guide Reader s Guide The McKenzie River Ranger District has prepared this final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations. This FEIS discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts that would result from the proposed action and alternatives. The document is organized as outlined below: Summary Chapter 1. Purpose and Need: This chapter describes the scope and objectives of the proposal as well as defines why the proposal is being made at this location and at this time. Chapter 2. Alternatives Including the Proposed Action: This section describes the proposed action as well as alternative methods for achieving the project s purpose. Alternatives are designed to meet the project s purpose and need and to address one or more significant issues related to the proposed action. This chapter also includes mitigation measures and a summary table of the environmental consequences associated with each alternative. Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences: This chapter describes the environment that would be affected by the proposed action as well as the environmental consequences of implementing the proposed action and other alternatives. The analysis is organized by resource area. Chapter 4. List of Preparers: This section lists the names, together with their qualifications (expertise, experience, professional disciplines), of the persons who were primarily responsible for preparing the environmental impact statement. Chapter 5. List of Agencies, Organizations, and persons to whom copies of the statement are sent Appendices: The appendices provide more detailed information to support the analyses presented in the draft environmental impact statement. References Glossary Index Additional documentation, including more detailed analysis of project area resources, can be found in the project planning record located at the McKenzie River Ranger District Office on the Willamette National Forest. ii- Goose Project Final EIS

5 List of Acronyms List of Acronyms ACS... Aquatic Conservation Strategy AMA... Adaptive Management Area ARP... Aggregate Recovery Percentage B/C Ratio... Benefit / Cost Ratio BE... Biological Evaluation BLM... Bureau Of land Management BMP... Best Management Practices BO... Biological Opinion C:N... Carbon:Nitrogen ratio CFR... Code of Federal Regulations CH... Critical Habitat CWPP... Community Wildland Protection Plan DBH... Diameter Breast Height (4.5 feet above ground) DEIS... Draft Environmental Impact Statement DEQ... Department of Environmental Quality DNA... Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid DTR... Dominant Tree Release EFH... Essential Fish Habitat EIS... Environmental Impact Statement ESA... Endangered Species Act FEIS... Final Environmental Impact Statement FL... Flame Length FM... Fuel Model FR... Fire Regime FRCC... Fire Regime Condition Class FS... Forest Service FSH... Forest Service Handbook FSM... Forest Service Manual FSVeg... Forest Service Vegetation database FVS... Forest Vegetation Simulation GIS... Geographic Information System GPS... Global Positioning System HE... Habitat Effectiveness HH... Harvest Habitat HUC... Hydrologic Unit Code IRA... Inventoried Roadless Area iii- Goose Project Final EIS

6 List of Acronyms LAA... Likely to Adversely Affect LMRP... Land and Resource Management Plan LSR... Late Successional Reserve LWM... Large Woody Material MA... Management Allocation MBF... Thousand Board Feet MIS... Management Indicator Species MMBF... Million Board Feet MNRT... McKenzie National Recreation Trail MSA... Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act MSNO... Master Site Number MVUM... Motor Vehicle Use Map NEPA... National Environmental Policy Act NFF... National Forest Fund NHPA... National Historic Preservation Act NLAA... Not Likely to Adversely Affect NMFS... National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA... National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NPV... Net Present Value NRHP... National Register of Historic Places NRIS... Natural Resource Information System NRT... National Recreation Trail NSO... Northern Spotted Owl NWFP... Northwest Forest Plan ODF... Oregon Department of Forestry OFRI... Oregon Forest Resources Institute OHV... Off-Highway Vehicle PETS... Proposed Endangered Threatened and Sensitive species PFMC... Pacific Fishery Management Council PNW... Pacific Northwest PWA... Potential Wilderness Area Q Year Flood Flows RA32... Recovery Action 32 ROD... Record of Decision ROS... Rate Of Spread (Fire and Fuels) ROS... Recreation Opportunity Spectrum SDI... Stand Density Index iv- Goose Project Final EIS

7 List of Acronyms SDImax... Maximum Stand Density Index SIA... Special Interest Area SMS... Scenery Management System TL... Tolerance Level TMDL... Total Maximum Daily Load UMR... Upper McKenzie River USDA... United States Department of Agriculture USFWS... United States Fish and Wildlife Service VMS... Visual Management System VQO... Visual Quality Standard WCS... West Cascades South WEPP... Watershed Erosion Prediction Project model WMU... Wildlife Management Unit WUI... Wildland-Urban Interface v- Goose Project Final EIS

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9 Table of Contents Table of Contents Summary... 1 Chapter 1 - Purpose and Need Introduction History of the Goose Project Purpose and Need for Action Proposed Action Forest Plan and Management Direction Tribal Consultation Public Involvement Efforts Consultation with other Agencies Issues Derived from Public Comments Decision Framework Chapter 2 - Alternatives Alternative 1 No Action Alternative 2 Proposed Action Alternative 3 No Harvest or Underburn in Fire Regenerated Stands Comparison of Alternatives Project Design Features Common to Alternatives 2 and Mitigation and Enhancement Common to Alternatives 2 and Monitoring Common to Alternatives 2 and Chapter 3 - Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences Forest and Stand Structure Fire and Fuels Soils Water Quality and Aquatic Resources Wildlife Botany and Invasive Plants Roads and Access Heritage Resources Scenic Quality Recreation Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) and Wilderness Air Quality Economics Climate Change Unavoidable Adverse Impacts Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments of Resources Short-Term Effects versus Long-Term Productivity Chapter 4 List of Preparers Chapter 5 List of Agencies, Governments, Organizations, and Individuals Given Notice of Availability Appendix A Proposed Treatment Descriptions for the Action Alternatives Appendix B Detailed List of Project Activities by Unit for the Proposed Action Appendix C Compliance with Laws, Regulations and Executive Orders vii- Goose Project Final EIS

10 Table of Contents Appendix D Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions Relevant to the Cumulative Effects Analysis Appendix E Evaluation for Consistency with the Aquatic Conservation Strategy Appendix F Effects to Known Owl Sites Appendix G Response to Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Appendix H Changes between Draft and Final EIS References Glossary Index List of Tables Table 1. Comparison of the Alternatives... 2 Table 2. Summary of Direct Effects on Resources for Alternative 2 and Alternative Table 3. Changes to the Proposed Action since the 2010 Analysis Table 4. Proposed Action Treatments and Connected Actions Table 5. Land Management Areas (MA) in Project Area and Proposed Treatment Acres (Alternative 2) Table 6. Summary of Proposed Treatments and Connected Actions Alternative Table 7. Summary of Forest Age Classes and Treatment Acres Alternative Table 8. Summary of Proposed Treatments and Connected Actions Alternative Table 9. Summary of Forest Age Classes and Treatment Acres Alternative Table 10. Comparison of Alternatives Table 11. Treatments Proposed in Riparian Reserves with Alternative Table 12. Treatments Proposed in Riparian Reserves with Alternative Table 13. Design Features Common to Alternatives 2 and Table 14. Wildlife Tree Mitigation and Enhancement Recommendations Common to Alternatives 2 and Table 15. Down Wood Mitigation and Enhancement Recommendations Common to Alternatives 2 and Table 16. Survey and Manage Species Buffer Recommendations Common to Alternatives 2 and Table 17. Special Habitat Buffer Mitigation Recommendations Common to Alternatives 2 and Table 18. Harvest Units by Alternative and Stand Age Classification Table 19. Average Stand Characteristics of Trees at Least 7 inch DBH Table 20. Comparison of Treatments (acres) by Alternative Table 21. Existing Fire Behavior Table 22. Comparison of Fuels Treatments by Alternative Table 23. Management Indicators for Assessing Effects to Soils Table 24. Nutritional Quality of Various Types of Organic Matter (based on Murphy and Meehan 1991) Table 25. Riparian Reserve Management on Federally Managed Lands Table 26. Stream Temperatures in the Goose Project Area Table 27. Estimated Recovery Levels in the Florence Creek- McKenzie River and Lost Creek Sub-watersheds Postimplementation (2020) viii- Goose Project Final EIS

11 Table of Contents Table 28. Estimates of Sediment Production Rates for the Goose Project Area Table 29. Approximate Culvert Replacements in Perennial and Intermittent Streams by Alternative Table 30. Spotted Owl Habitat Type Distribution by Acres and Percent in Goose Project Area Table 31. Age Class Acres by Treatment Type Alternative Table 32. Treated Acres by Spotted Owl Habitat Type and Activity Alternatives 2 and Table 33. Current and Alternative 2 Post-Treatment Condition of Suitable Habitat in Northern Spotted Owl Home Ranges in the Goose Project Area Table 34. Alternative 2 Proposed Activities in Spotted Owl Habitat within 0.5 miles and 1.2 miles of Known Owl Sites in the Goose Project Area Table 35. Alternative 2 Effects to NSO Habitat as a Result of Habitat Modification by the Goose Project Table 36. Summary of Adverse Effects due to Spotted Owl Habitat Modification from the Goose Project Table 37. Summary of Northern Spotted Owl Site Effects from the Goose Project for Alternatives 2 and Table 38. Northern Spotted Owl Sites that may be Adversely Affected (harmed) Due to Disruption with the Goose Project Table 39. Treated Acres by Spotted Owl Habitat Type Alternative Table 40. Summary of Effects of Alternatives 2 and 3 for Proposed Threatened and Sensitive Species Table 41. Wildlife Management Indicator Species for the Willamette National Forest Table 42. Wildlife Habitat Types in the Upper McKenzie River Watershed Table 43. Current Percentages of Landscape in Large Snags (>20inches dbh) in the Upper McKenzie River 5 th Field Watershed for the WLCH_OCA Wildlife Habitat Type Table 44. Large Snags/Acre at Various Tolerance Levels for the WLCH_OCA Habitat Type Table 45. Current Levels of the Landscape Containing Various Levels of per Acre Large Logs (>20 inches dbh) in the Upper McKenzie River 5th Field Watershed for the WLCH_OCA Wildlife Habitat Types Table 46. Estimated percent of Forest Habitat Type (WHT) Meeting Snag Density Tolerance Levels for Key Wildlife Species Table 47. Percent of Forest Habitat Meeting Downed Log Cover Tolerance Levels for Key Wildlife Species Table 48. HEI Analysis for Elk Habitat in the Goose Project Area-Current Condition Table 49. Survey and Manage Botanical Species in the Goose Project Area Table 50. Special Habitats in the Goose Project Area Table 51. Invasive Plants in the Goose Project Area Table 52. VMS and SMS Objectives and Proposed Treatment Acres in Alternative Table 53. Management Areas and ROS Allocations Goose Project Table 54. Goose Project Area ROS Allocation Summary and Desired Conditions Table 55. Estimated Economic Alternatives (1) (2) List of Figures Figure 1. Project Vicinity Map Figure 2. Goose Project Area Figure 3. 6 th Field Watersheds within the Project Area Figure 4. Willamette Forest Plan Management Areas in the Goose Project Area Figure 5. Northwest Forest Plan Management Areas in the Goose Project Area Figure 6. Map of Alternative 2 (West Half) Figure 7. Map of Alternative 2 (East Half) ix- Goose Project Final EIS

12 Table of Contents Figure 8. Map of Alternative 3 (West Half) Figure 9. Map of Alternative 3 (East Half) Figure 10. Stand Age Classification in the Goose Project Area Figure 11. Visualization of Stand Before (left side) and After (right side) Thinning Figure 12. Visualization of Thinning with Gaps Figure 13. Visualization of Single vs Multiple Tree Dominant Tree Release Figure 14. Visualization of Shelterwood with Reserves Pre (left side) and Post (right side) Treatment Figure 15. Fire Regimes in the Goose Project Area Figure 16. Waterbodies, 6th Field HUC Sub-watersheds, and ESA-Threatened Bull Trout and Spring Chinook Salmon Critical Habitat within the Project Area Figure 17. Desired Conditions for Late-seral Riparian Reserves Figure 18. Vegetation Classification of the Upper McKenzie Watershed* Figure 19. Vegetation Classification within Riparian Reserves of the Project Area* Figure 20. Overstocked, Conifer-Dominant Stand in Riparian Reserves in the Project Area Figure 21. Properly Functioning Riparian Reserves in the Project Area Figure 22. Source Distance Curves for Study Area (Brenda and Bigelow 2014) Figure 23. Treatment within Riparian Reserves in Alternative 2 (west) Figure 24. Treatment within Riparian Reserves in Alternative 2 (east) Figure 25. Projected Acres in Age Classes Figure 26. Comparison of Current Large (>19.9" DBH) Snag Densities in Westside Oregon Cascade Lowland Conifer/Hardwood Forests in the Upper McKenzie River Watershed to Reference Conditions Figure 27. Comparison of Current (>9.9" DBH) Snag Densities in Westside Oregon Cascade Lowland Conifer/Hardwood Forests in the Upper McKenzie River Watershed to Reference Conditions Figure 28. Comparison of Current % Cover of Large (>19.9" DBH) Downed Logs in Westside Oregon Cascade Lowland Conifer/Hardwood Forests in the Upper McKenzie River Watershed to Reference Conditions Figure 29. Comparison of Current % Cover of Total (>4.9" DBH) Downed Logs in Westside Oregon Cascade Lowland Conifer/Hardwood Forests in the Upper McKenzie River Watershed to Reference Conditions Figure 30. Forest Vegetation Simulation (FVS) Showing Short and Long Term Changes to Snags >10 inches in the Goose Project Area Figure 31. Figure 10 Forest Vegetation Simulation (FVS) Showing Short and Long Term Changes to Snags >20 inches in the Goose Project Area Figure 32. Goose Project Area Elk Emphasis Areas Figure 33. Visual Quality Objectives Alternative Figure 34. Visual Quality Objectives Alternative Figure 35. Recreation Sites and Management Areas in Goose Project Area x- Goose Project Final EIS