Recreation Resources Report

Transcription

1 United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service June 2017 Recreation Resources Report Horse Creek Community Protection and Forest Restoration Project Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District, Klamath National Forest Siskiyou County, California For Information Contact: Karl Dietzler 1711 South Main Street, Yreka, CA (530)

2 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C ; (2) fax: (202) ; or (3) program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

3 Table of Contents Recreation Resources Report... 3 Introduction... 3 Methodology... 4 Analysis Indicators... 4 Measures... 4 Spatial and Temporal Bounding of Analysis Area... 5 Affected Environment... 5 Environmental Consequences... 6 Alternative Direct and Indirect Effects... 7 Cumulative Effects... 7 Alternative Direct and Indirect Effects... 7 Cumulative Effects... 8 Alternatives 3 & Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects... 9 Comparison of Alternatives... 9 Compliance with law, regulation, policy, and the Forest Plan... 9 Literature Cited Appendix A Developed and Dispersed Recreation Sites and Project Boundary Appendix B Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Settings Appendix C Alternative Appendix D Alternative Appendix E Alternative List of Tables Table 1: Relevant Forest Plan goals per management area in project area Table 2: Recreation features Table 3: Compatibility of visual quality objectives and recreation opportunity spectrum classes in the project area Table 4: Comparison of alternatives List of Figures Figure 1: Developed and dispersed recreation sites Figure 2: Recreation opportunity spectrum i

4 Figure 3: Alternative 2 recreation sites and recreation opportunity spectrum settings Figure 4: Alternative 3 recreation sites and recreation opportunity spectrum settings Figure 5: Alternative 4 recreation sites and recreation opportunity spectrum settings ii

5 Recreation Resources Report Introduction The purpose of this report is to analyze the effects of the Horse Creek Community Protection and Forest Restoration Project (the project) and alternatives on recreation resource values. The focus for the project as it relates to recreation resource values, is ensuring the recreation opportunity class (ROS) settings designated within the project area will be maintained to meet the general direction for recreation management. The recreation opportunity spectrum is based on the premise that recreational opportunities exist in a continuum of time, and with a variety of social motivations and place-based settings, ranging from completely undeveloped, to highly developed. Direction for this resource includes: Applicable Klamath National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) Standards and Guides for recreation management provide direction for achieving designated recreation opportunity spectrum place-based settings for recreational opportunities offered on the Klamath National Forest. Per the forest-wide standards and guidelines, there is some flexibility, as specific recreation opportunity spectrum criteria and conditions can be subject to adjustment in order to achieve desired conditions. Table 1: Relevant Forest Plan goals per management area in project area. Management Area Special Habitat, Late Successional Reserve (MA 5) Special Interest Areas (MA 7) Riparian Reserves (MA 10) Retention Visual Quality Objective (MA 11) Designated and Recommended Recreational Rivers (MA-13) Partial Retention Visual Quality Objective (MA 15) General Forest (MA 17) Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Settings Standards and Guidelines Manage recreational settings to generally achieve semiprimitive or roaded natural ROS conditions. Manage recreational settings to generally achieve semiprimitive or roaded natural ROS conditions. Manage recreational settings to generally achieve semiprimitive or roaded natural ROS conditions. Manage recreational settings to generally achieve semiprimitive or roaded natural ROS conditions. Manage recreational settings to generally achieve semiprimitive or roaded natural ROS conditions. Manage recreational settings to generally achieve Semiprimitive or roaded natural ROS conditions. Develop recreation sites compatible with area goals. Allow OHV use. Manage recreational settings to generally achieve Semiprimitive or roaded natural ROS conditions. 3

6 The Recreation Opportunity Spectrum User s Guide The Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Primer and Field Guide The Klamath National Forest Recreation Facility Analysis: Five Year Program of Work Recreation resources in the project area include Klamath National Wild and Scenic River (WSR), including the Rocky Point and Blue Heron River Access points, and Sarah Totten Developed Campground. O Neil Creek Campground has been closed for approximately ten years, and is not projected to reopen in the reasonably foreseeable future. Therefore, it will not be included in this analysis. Other recreational features in the project area identified for analysis: Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM)-designated roads that lead to dispersed camps (no formal improvements, such as water, fire rings, vault toilets, and garbage service) 51D015, 51D014, 51D004, and 51D006. Methodology Assessments included an analysis of the appropriate recreation opportunity spectrum place-based settings by definition and within the context of the project area. Additionally, the recreation opportunity setting was compared to the Forest Plan Management Area designations. Fieldwork, available literature review, professional judgement, and the use of geospatial information system software were tools used throughout the analysis. Assumptions All human use within the project area is assumed to have some recreational motivation. This may not be the case for those associated with the private inholdings in the project area. The recreation-oriented public visiting National Forest Lands has an image of what they expect to see. Images are generated by an individual s past experiences with a specific landscape, a landscape associated with a region, or landscape similar in appearance to the one being viewed. Images can represent knowledgeability, expectedness, romanticism, and emotionalism associated with features in an area. Several images may exist simultaneously, yet a geographic region tends to have an identifiable image association. Aesthetic preferences vary among the public, based on culture, past experiences, and many other factors. Each landscape unit has its individual capacity to accept alteration without losing its inherent visual character. This may be expressed in the screening ability of vegetation and landforms, variety of vegetative cover, geologic forms, and water features, and its ability to for vegetation to recover after disturbances. Landscapes with little or no variety may be enhanced by alteration. Analysis Indicators The analysis indicator for recreation is determining if the proposed project activities will alter the Forest Plan-designated recreation opportunity spectrum settings within the project boundary. Measures 4

7 Designated Forest Plan recreation opportunity spectrum classes for the project are recommended to generally achieve: Rural: Area is characterized by substantially modified natural environment. Resource modification and utilization practices are to enhance specific recreation activities and to maintain vegetative cover and soil. Sights and sounds of humans are readily evident and the interaction between users is often moderate to high. A considerable number of facilities are designed for use by a large number of people. Facilities are often provided for special activities. Moderate densities are provided far away from developed sites. Facilities for intensified motorized use and parking are available. Roaded Natural: An area characterized by predominantly natural-appearing environments with moderate evidences of the sights and sounds of man. Such evidences usually harmonize with the natural environment. Interaction between users may be low to moderate, but with evidence of other users prevalent. Resource modification and utilization practices are evident, but harmonize with the natural environment. The recreation opportunity experience level provided will be characterized by the equal probability for experiencing affiliation with individuals and groups and for isolation from sights and sounds of humans. Opportunities for both motorized and non-motorized forms of recreation may be provided. Spatial and Temporal Bounding of Analysis Area The spatial bounds for analyzing direct, indirect, and cumulative effects for recreation resources are the designated boundaries of the project area. Since the recreational opportunity spectrum standards are closely tied to visual quality objectives for scenery, the same temporal bounds apply. The temporal scale is defined as three years for short term effects, as defined by the Forest Plan, where projects are required to meet defined visual quality objective thresholds (retention, partial retention, and modification), except for maximum modification, which must meet the threshold immediately upon project completion. Long term effects are defined as between three and approximately seventy five years. Affected Environment Within the project area, the 2007 Klamath National Forest Recreation Facilities Niche Analysis identified two recreational settings: Travel-ways and Siskiyou Crest. The Travel-ways setting primarily encompasses the recreational public traveling the State of Jefferson Scenic Byway/California State Route 96, and the Klamath Wild and Scenic River corridor. Key recreational experiences within the project area in this setting include driving for pleasure, viewing scenery and/or wildlife, hunting and fishing, camping, collecting forest products, hiking and backpacking, whitewater kayaking, rafting, or canoeing, and access to higher elevation recreational experiences. Thirteen miles of the Klamath Wild and Scenic traverse the project area. The Siskiyou Crest setting primarily encompasses hikers and backpackers traversing the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), which is a Congressionally-designated National Scenic Trail. Approximate use numbers along this stretch of the PCT were estimated using an unofficial hiker s register kept in Seiad Valley,

8 California. Between April and October of 2016, 891 north- and south-bound through hikers signed the register. The numbers may have been greater, as not all through-hikers might have signed the register. Use numbers are assumed to contain greater accuracy for through-hikers, since day hikers along the PCT will not likely register in Seiad Valley, California. The PCT traverses approximately two miles within or nearby the project area boundary. Road networks interlace public and private timber lands. Overall, recreational settings are naturally appearing, with low traffic levels, social encounters, visitor impacts, and site management. Industrial activities, such as logging evidence, haul traffic, and active timber sales intermittently reduce naturalness, solitude and feeling of remoteness. These recreation settings conditions are consistent with the project area s recreation opportunity spectrum class thresholds of Roaded Natural and Rural. Recreation Features are listed in Table 2. Table 2: Recreation features. Recreational Feature Feature Description Blue Heron River Access Klamath River Access Rocky Point River Access Klamath River Access O Neil Creek Campground Developed Campground Closed* Sarah Totten Campground Developed Campground 51D004 Dispersed Campsite, on Motor Vehicle Use Map** 51D006 Dispersed Campsite, on Motor Vehicle Use Map** 51D014 Dispersed Campsite, on Motor Vehicle Use Map** 51D015 Dispersed Campsite, on Motor Vehicle Use Map** Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail National Scenic Trail *O Neil Creek Campground will not be included in the analysis; it is not expected to reopen in the reasonably foreseeable future. **From the 2012 Oak Knoll Area Motor Vehicle Opportunity Guide. Does not include additional dispersed camps not designated on the Motor Vehicle Use Map. The recreation opportunity spectrum physical settings of Roaded Natural and Rural are consistent with the project area. The majority of the project area is designated Roaded Natural has a largely natural appearing environment. Resource modifications and utilization practices are prevalent. There is a moderate evidence of the sights and sounds of humans, especially on private inholdings or along traveled roads. The recreation opportunity spectrum experience setting is consistent with the equal probability of experiencing other individuals and groups, or experiencing isolation from the sights and sounds of humans away from traveled roads within the motorized recreational context. Concentrated areas of the Rural recreation opportunity spectrum physical setting are consistent with substantially modified natural environments, resource modification, and utilization. The experience setting is also consistent with the sights and sounds of humans being readily evident and interactions with others visitors ranging from moderate to high, within the motorized recreational context. Environmental Consequences During implementation, Alternatives 2, 3, 4 will have noticeable localized short-term direct effects at all recreation sites in the project area. Effects will be largely associated with harvesting

9 activities, including logging, hauling, noise, dust, and congestion along haul routes. There will be localized effects associated with post-harvest activities, such as slash disposal, site preparation, and revegetation. All localized short-term effects in intensity, depending on proximity to the activity. Alternative 1 Direct and Indirect Effects In those areas affected by the 2016 Gap Fire (roads and designated Motor Vehicle Use Map dispersed campsites) roadside hazard trees will remain untreated, and will create safety and access issues for the public. Forest Order temporary closures may be issued to mitigate hazards, and may restrict public access to some, but likely not all recreation locations. Temporary closures will displace the public to other available areas either within or outside of the project area. Potential loss of tree cover in fire affected areas combined with safety hazards will affect the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum setting and may likely affect the recreational experience, and subsequently displace recreation use to other available areas temporarily until the area becomes shaded and safe to inhabit. Recreational use or Recreation Opportunity Spectrum settings and experiences will not change along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, developed and river access sites along the Klamath Wild and Scenic River as a result of this alternative. Settings were not affected by the fire to the degree that perceptions associated with developed camping, river rafting, and hiking pursuits will be expected to change. Cumulative Effects Private industrial forest lands within the project area have been or are proposed for salvage timber harvesting, in response to the 2014 Beaver and 2016 Gap Fires. Operational impacts from project activities, such as increased haul traffic, noise, and dust offer impacts to recreational users during the time of implementation. Increased haul will be most noticeable along State Route 96. Safety signing is posted during active logging operations to alert the public. Ongoing and future foreseeable Forest Service projects include the following vegetation treatments: roadside salvage, site preparation and tree planting, fuels management and reduction, commercial thinning, mastication, hand thinning and piling, and underburning (DEIS, Appendix C). Operational impacts from Forest Service projects are expected to be similar to private lands impacts but less intense. Two active livestock grazing allotments are located within the project boundary. Livestock grazing is an ongoing, seasonal use. Public perception of livestock grazing varies. Rangeland improvements tend to be minimal and typically have little effect on recreation resources. Alternative 2 Direct and Indirect Effects The recreating public will see and experience varying degrees of proposed management activities in the project area. Effects to the recreation setting and experience are measured using the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum standards. Setting effects are in the Recreation Opportunity

10 Spectrum are compatible with the Visual Quality Objectives outlined in the Scenic Resources report. Table 3 displays compatibility between the two. Table 3: Compatibility of visual quality objectives and recreation opportunity spectrum classes in the project area. Visual Quality Objectives Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Class Retention Partial Retention Modification Maximum Modification Roaded Natural Appearing Normal Normal Normal Inconsistent Rural Fully Compatible Normal Normal Inconsistent Some recreation settings will be adversely affected in the short-term from project activities not meeting Visual Quality Objectives. The combination of the 2016 Gap Fire, salvage harvest and/or roadside hazard tree removal may affect the short-term setting quality at dispersed campsites 51D004 and 51D006. Hazard tree removal along the quarter-mile segment of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail adjacent to Forest Road 47N81 is not expected to affect the Roaded Natural Recreation Opportunity Spectrum standard in the short term. The combination of the Gap Fire, harvest, fuels, and restoration treatments in the Horse Creek Special Interest Area will have adverse short-term effects on the Roaded Natural Recreation Opportunity Spectrum standard at dispersed campsite 51D014, as the combination of operations will likely make the camp unusable from a safety standpoint until the projects are completed. The Recreation Opportunity Spectrum setting may be adversely affected for Klamath Wild and Scenic River recreational users viewing the combination of proposed salvage harvest, ridgeline fuel management zone and property buffer treatments in the vicinity of salvage unit The Rural Recreation Opportunity Spectrum standard that applies to the stretch of river from where the public will be viewing. The standard is defined as having a substantially modified natural environment with a moderate to high expectation of encountering other humans on the landscape. However, the area where the treatments are occurring is classified as Roaded Natural, which is predominantly a naturally-appearing environment and moderate evidence of other humans is expected. Forest Plan Standards and Guideline 11-7 allows extended times for landscape (i.e., recreation setting) recovery following catastrophic events, such as wildfire. Roaded Natural Recreation Opportunity Spectrum standards are not expected to be affected at Sarah Totten Campground, Rocky Point or Blue Heron River Access sites, or dispersed camp 51D015. Cumulative Effects The cumulative effects will overall be similar to Alternative 1. However, the public may notice an increase in short-term operational impact intensity (haul traffic, noise, dust) when private action and additional ongoing and future foreseeable Forest Service projects and being implemented during the same timeframe as this project. Safety signing will be posted to advice the public for all projects. Alternatives 3 & 4

11 Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects The direct, indirect, and cumulative effects for Alternatives 3&4 will be the same as Alternative 2. Comparison of Alternatives Alternative 1 may not meet public perceptions of setting and experience in the long term. Alternatives 1, 2, and 3 may not meet public perceptions of setting and experience in some locations in the short term, but may meet them in the long term. Table 4: Comparison of alternatives. Indicator Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Alternative 4 Roaded Natural Appearing Rural May not meet public perceptions of setting and experience in long term. May not meet public perceptions of setting and experience in long term. May not meet public perceptions of setting and experience in some locations short term, may meet perceptions in long term. May not meet public perceptions of setting and experience in some locations short term, may meet perceptions in long term. Same as Alternative 2. Same as Alternative 2. Same as Alternative 2. Same as Alternative 2. Compliance with law, regulation, policy, and the Forest Plan This project will help achieve Forest Plan direction to maintain existing Recreation Opportunity Spectrum standards. Refer to the Forest Plan consistency checklist for applicable standards and guidelines.

12 Literature Cited U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, The Klamath National Forest Recreation Facility Analysis: Five Year Program of Work and Programmatic Results of Implementation. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Land and Resource Management Plan. Klamath National Forest. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Users Guide. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Recreation Opportunity Spectrum: Primer and Field Guide. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service ROS Book. 10

13 Appendix A Developed and Dispersed Recreation Sites and Project Boundary Figure 1: Developed and dispersed recreation sites. 11

14 Appendix B Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Settings Figure 2: Recreation opportunity spectrum. 12

15 Appendix C Alternative 2 Figure 3: Alternative 2 recreation sites and recreation opportunity spectrum settings. 13

16 Appendix D Alternative 3 Figure 4: Alternative 3 recreation sites and recreation opportunity spectrum settings. 14

17 Appendix E Alternative 4 Figure 5: Alternative 4 recreation sites and recreation opportunity spectrum settings. 15