White Mountain National Forest

Transcription

1 White Mountain National Forest United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Eastern Region Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Final Environmental Assessment Townships of Albany and Mason Oxford County, ME Androscoggin Ranger District March 2010 For Information Contact: Gail Wigler Androscoggin Ranger District White Mountain National Forest 300 Glen Road Gorham, NH Telephone FAX

2 Cover photo: View from Brown s Ledge, Albany Township, Maine. This document is available in large print. Contact the Androscoggin Ranger District Phone TTY The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA s TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Printed on Recycled Paper

3 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Contents Chapter One Purpose and Need Introduction Purpose of the Action and Need for Change Decisions to be Made Public Involvement Issues Projects and Alternatives Considered but Not Analyzed in Detail...22 Chapter Two Alternatives Alternative 1: No Action Alternative 2: Modified Proposed Action Alternative Design Features Comparison of Alternatives Chapter Three Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences Introduction Air Quality Heritage Resources Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) Recreation Riparian and Aquatic Habitat Scenery Management Socio-economics Soil Productivity Transportation Vegetation Water Resources Eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers Wilderness Wildlife Federal, Threatened, Endangered and Proposed Species and Regional Forester Sensitive Species (TES/RFSS) Species and Habitats of Concern Chapter 4 Preparation and Consultation Interdisciplinary Team Members and Forest Service Contacts

4 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Other Agencies and Individuals Contacted for Professional and Technical Assistance Appendices Appendix A Project Maps Appendix B Alternatives 2 and 3 Stand Treatments Appendix C Response to Comments from the 30-day Public Comment Package Appendix D Literature Cited Appendix E Glossary

5 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 1.1 Introduction The Forest Plan Chapter One Purpose and Need Projects presented in the following site-specific analysis have their roots in the White Mountain National Forest s Land and Resource Management Plan, also known as the Forest Plan. Our Forest Plan was approved in 2005 after several years of extensive environmental analysis and collaboration with the public. Thousands of people representing a variety of interests, sciences, and specialties joined in the effort by way of public meetings, discussions, document reviews and comments, and scientific study to create what is now our 2005 Forest Plan. The Plan is a programmatic framework which documents the agreed-upon balance of multiple uses that meet society s needs while protecting, restoring, and enhancing our natural resources. The 2005 Forest Plan guides our land management activities for about 15 years, when it will be revised again. Until then we will use the management framework of the 2005 Forest Plan to achieve our goals, objectives, and vision of the desired conditions for the White Mountain National Forest. Process for Selecting a Project Area to Implement Forest Plan Goals and Objectives The Four Ponds Project is the result of collaborative planning at the District level to manage public lands and implement the Forest Plan in a comprehensive and integrated fashion. The starting point for selecting a potential Project Area is a review by District program managers of the existing ground conditions, the desired condition of the land as identified in the Forest Plan, and an examination of needs and opportunities across the District. Managers work with their teams to identify near- and long-term priorities, which then serve as the basis for annual and out-year programs of work. Once an area has been identified, other resource managers and specialists become more directly involved to ensure a broad examination of needs and opportunities. This also allows for early review of project proposals to identify any preliminary issues or alternatives. Through field review and interdisciplinary meetings, proposals are adjusted, options are considered, and concerns are evaluated. All of this occurs as part of a site-specific, resource-based evaluation of existing conditions and Forest Plan direction. In the case of the Four Ponds project, District managers met to conduct our initial review of program priorities. It quickly became evident that several needs and opportunities existed for several resource areas in the vicinity of Crocker Pond, Round Pond, Broken Bridge Pond, and Patte Marsh in the Townships of Albany and Mason, Oxford County, Maine. The result of our process identified projects related to wildlife habitat, recreation management, forest management, watershed restoration, prescribed fire, fisheries management, and transportation. 5

6 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Albany Habitat Management Unit (HMU) and Four Ponds Project Area The Forest s land base is divided into Habitat Management Units (HMUs) which serve as tools to ensure that habitats are well distributed across the Forest. HMUs contain a variety of habitat and land types in a mix of Management Areas (MAs) and provide a framework for analyzing project impacts to wildlife habitat at a local scale. Within each HMU, the Forest Plan allocated Management Area (MA) designations that emphasize particular goals, objectives, and desired conditions. Each MA also has a set of standards and guidelines that set parameters on activities to ensure protection of the character of the land and the goals assigned. For this project, we focused on the Albany HMU which is approximately 14,720 acres located in the Townships of Albany and Mason, Oxford County, Maine. It is allocated into the Management Areas detailed below. All but one of the projects is located in MA 2.1. The proposed prescribed burning atop Farwell Mountain is located in MA 6.2. MA 2.1: General Forest Management allows for a range of uses and activities, including timber harvest, roads, motorized recreation such as snowmobiling, and developed areas such as campgrounds. MA 2.1 is described in the Forest Plan on pages 3-3 through 3-8. MA 5.1: Wilderness is managed as part of the National Wilderness Preservation system in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Eastern Wilderness Act, and individual Wilderness enabling legislation. It provides a range of Wilderness values, including social, scientific, ecological, and recreational. MA 5.1 is described in the Forest Plan on pages 3-9 through MA 6.1: Semi-Primitive Recreation emphasizes non-motorized recreation, but allows motorized trail use in winter. Development levels are kept low, and scheduled commercial timber harvest and new Forest Roads are not allowed. MA 6.1 is described in the Forest Plan on pages 3-19 through MA 6.2: Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized Recreation maintains a sense of remoteness in a relatively undisturbed landscape. Prescribed fire may be used to maintain viability of fire- adapted communities such as pine, oak, and oak-pine. Timber harvest and roads are prohibited. MA 6.2 is described in the Forest Plan on pages 3-23 through Table 1-1. Management Areas within the Albany HMU. Management Area (MA) Acres MA suitable for timber harvest - unsuitable for timber harvest 9, MA 5.1 2,294 MA MA Inholdings and Waterbodies 1,104 6

7 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Map 1-1. The Four Ponds Project Area Within the Albany HMU. Four Ponds Project Area The Four Ponds Project Area is approximately 47 percent of the Albany HMU and consists of compartments 313, 324, 325, 327, 328, 329, and 331. It is located within the Pleasant River and Crooked River watersheds. Habitats within this area include a mix of northern hardwoods, oak-pine, mixedwoods, hemlock, and spruce-fir with perennial and intermittent streams, small seeps, and wetlands occurring throughout the area. The terrain ranges from relatively flat to moderately steep with elevational ranges of 700 to 2,100 feet. Recreational areas within the project area include the Crocker Pond campground, dispersed campsites, ponds and marshes (Patte Marsh, Round Pond, Crocker Pond, Sunken Pond, and Broken Bridge Pond), snowmobile trails (Crocker and Sunken Pond), and hiking trails (Miles Notch, Red Rock, Albany Notch, Albany Mountain, Albany Brook, Albany Notch Spur, and Round Pond). The Albany HMU contains both the 2001 and 2005 Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) and the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. There is one project action located in an IRA: the decommissioning of a 0.9 mile section of the Albany Notch Trail. 7

8 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Tiering to the Forest Plan The analysis for this project is tiered to the Record of Decision (ROD, USDA- Forest Service 2005c) for the Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan, USDA-Forest Service 2005a) and the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS, USDA-Forest Service 2005b). Tiering is encouraged in implementing regulations and policy for the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR , ; 36 CFR 220; FSH 22.31, 22.33). Tiering is used when information and analysis in those programmatic documents applies to this project-level analysis and can be incorporated by reference. This eliminates repetitive discussion so that the analysis can remain focused on site-specific issues. Specifically, this analysis tiers to: The resource goals and objectives described in Chapter 1 of the Forest Plan; Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines in Chapter 2 of the Forest Plan; Management Area direction consisting of Purpose, Desired Condition of the Land, and Standards and Guidelines described in Chapter 3 of the Forest Plan; and Resource information and effects analyses in the FEIS. 1.2 Purpose of the Action and Need for Change Recreation Recreation management goals of the Forest Plan include providing a range of recreation opportunities to help meet public demand for motorized, nonmotorized, and developed and dispersed recreation. To help attain these goals, information gathered from field reconnaissance, public comments and input, and specialist reviews was used to define the purpose and need for actions in the Four Ponds Analysis Area. The purposes of the projects are to maintain and improve dispersed and developed camping opportunities at Crocker Pond Campground, Site 10, Broken Bridge Pond, and Patte Marsh; improve the Crocker Pond and Sunken Pond Bypass Snowmobile Trails; eliminate an un-sustainable hiking trail through a wetland on the Albany Notch Trail; and improve accessibility on a portion of the Albany Brook Trail around Crocker Pond. Need for Change Recreation Hiking Trails Albany Notch Trail There is a need to abandon the northern section of the Albany Notch Trail below the height-of-land. This section s poor location has resulted in drainage and erosion problems that have affected long-term trail sustainability. There is also a need to abandon a section of trail that has been completely flooded by extensive beaver activity. 8

9 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Figure 1-1. One of several beaver dams that have caused extensive flooding on the Albany Notch Trail. Albany Brook Trail The Forest Service is committed to incorporating universally accessible recreational opportunities in balance with the setting and desired recreation experience. During Forest planning, public comment identified the need to increase outdoor recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. Snowmobile Trails There is a need to relocate a portion of the Crocker Pond snow machine trail near the Harriman Brook Road to avoid passing through several poorly drained wet areas. This section of trail does not freeze in winter, creating perpetual wet spots that are prone to resource damage as riders create inappropriate bypass trails. They also pose a potential risk should riders become stuck. There is also a need to relocate the permanent snowmobile trail from Crocker Pond Road and a portion of Patte Mill Brook Road to the Sunken Pond Bypass Trail. The rationale is to minimize dual use where possible and not disrupt or hinder snowmobile passage through the Project Area during this and future harvest operations. There are some potential risks and resource concerns on Sunken Pond Bypass trail that need to be addressed, such as relocating trail sections away from wet areas, widening spots to improve machine passage, realigning curves for improved sight distance, and lessening steep grade pitches. 9

10 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Dispersed and Developed Camping There is a need to maintain, and improve dispersed and developed camping opportunities. Expanding the capacity at Crocker Pond Campground would help meet public demand and use, and improve vehicle access at several existing campsites. There is also a need to address resource impacts at dispersed camping sites, and address conflicts between day users (picnickers and boaters) and overnight campers. Watershed Restoration Studies show that streams within old growth riparian forests have an abundance of down wood in the channel, higher in-stream habitat diversity, and more pools compared to streams within second growth riparian forests (FEIS). Portions of the White Mountains were intensively logged during the late 19th century and logging practices during that time disturbed riparian areas. While the forests have matured, and sustainable forestry is now practiced, dead and down wood accumulations have still not reached their potential (FEIS). Monitoring of stream habitats on the Forest has found that wild trout productivity is higher in streams with greater than 30 percent pool habitat (unpublished White Mountain National Forest monitoring data). The purpose of the stream restoration projects is to enhance fish habitat through the addition of wood and improved fish passage. This project would achieve the Forest Plan goal of restoring and improving self-sustaining populations of eastern brook trout and their habitats (Forest Plan). Need for Change Watershed Restoration Stream Restoration Wild brook trout depend upon pools in cold-water streams to sustain them during drought periods. Stream habitat inventories (unpublished White Mountain National Forest data) and field visits identified four brooks and their tributaries in the project area that need additional in-stream wood to create pool habitat. This habitat would enhance trout productivity and return streams to natural flow. These streams are Miles Brook, East Branch of the Pleasant River, New England Brook, and Mosquito Pond Brook. We would also add wood to the inlet brooks of Round Pond and Crocker Pond to increase survival of naturally reproduced brook trout that could over-winter in these ponds. A stream crossing inventory in the project area identified two undersized culverts in New England Brook Road, left in place after the last timber sale to provide access to a permanent wildlife opening (PWO). Today, this PWO is not maintained and periodic vehicle access is no longer necessary. Thus, there is a need to remove these culverts to restore the natural flow of water in this stream. In the Harriman Brook watershed, two culverts will have backwater pools created at the outlet to improve fish passage. This will allow brook trout access to the upper stream reaches. 10

11 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Transportation The purpose for our Forest Roads is to provide a safe, efficient, and seamless transportation and parking network that allows for current, continued, and projected management, use, and enjoyment of the Forest. Roads not needed to meet management objectives would be decommissioned, and those retained would be maintained to meet Forest standards and the requirements of the Highway Transportation Safety Act (Forest Plan). Need for Change Transportation Roads Analysis An analysis of the existing transportation system in the Four Ponds project area was conducted to determine the need for roads, road segments, trails, and trail segments for long-term management. Roads needed to meet long-term management objectives would be retained and included as Forest Roads in our Forest Roads database, while roads not needed would be decommissioned through natural re-vegetation (grasses and trees) and removed from the Forest Roads database. With regard to trails, some segments may be relocated or abandoned to address resource concerns. The analysis also examined the need to improve/ replace/remove culverts and bridges to maintain stream passage and prevent flooding and washouts of roadways. Gravel Pit Development There is no operating gravel pit within the Albany HMU, and gravel for periodic surfacing and resurfacing has been supplied from the Bull Brook gravel pit (located on Route 113 in Gilead, Maine) or purchased from private off-forest sources. The Bull Brook gravel site is almost depleted of suitable material and there is a need to: 1) develop an on-forest supply that is strategically placed near upcoming projects to keep project costs down; 2) have an on-forest supply to address emergency road repair and administrative use; and 3) provide safe access for the public and for the continuation of projects and activities (Forest Plan). This proposal would also contribute to national goals for Forest Roads based on the Forest Service Manual objective statement for the Transportation System (FSM ). This objective is to minimize the total transportation present value costs, including user maintenance, construction, restoration, realignment, and betterment costs. It is also consistent with the National Transportation Policy and Rule (36 CFR 212) which emphasizes making the existing Forest road system safe, responsive to public needs, environmentally sound, affordable, and efficient to manage. Vegetation The purpose of vegetation management is to accomplish a variety of resource goals and objectives for forest management, wildlife habitat, recreation management, riparian and aquatic habitat, and visual quality. Vegetative treatment (i.e. clearcut, group selection cut) provides a sustainable yield of high quality forest products such as sawtimber, provides pulpwood for biomass energy and 11

12 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District firewood, increases species diversity, and improves long-term forest health and vigor. It also creates a diverse range of wildlife habitat and moves stands toward forest community types consistent with land capability. Wildlife also benefits through the creation of browse and young aspen stands along riparian areas that provide building material for beaver dams. Vegetation management meets recreational needs by reducing risk and creating opportunities in recreational areas (i.e. campgrounds) by removing hazard trees; creating trails that become ideal places for skiers, hikers, snowmobilers, and bikers; and expanding hunting opportunities. Encouraging a variety of tree age classes within riparian areas ensures that woody material is available now and in the future for in-stream habitat. In addition, scenic vistas are created through the removal of trees at key locations. Need for Change Vegetation Commercial Treatments Field examinations by resource specialists identified harvest opportunities that would promote the desired conditions for healthy forests while providing a mix of sawtimber and pulp volume for local markets and generating income. Throughout the project area, there are many hardwood and mixedwood stands where past harvesting has resulted in dense understories dominated by shade tolerant species such as beech and striped maple saplings. Within these areas, there is a need to encourage a diversity of both shade tolerant and intolerant species. Silvicultural treatments such as group selection (about ½- to 2-acre openings) would create small gaps in the overstory that would encourage regeneration of intolerant, intermediate and shade tolerant species (i.e. white birch, yellow birch, and sugar maple) and create a wider diversity of species within the newly created open spaces (Leak et al. 1987). Smaller gaps (less than ½ acre) would be utilized in hemlock and spruce-fir stands where regeneration is desirable or already exits. Smaller groups are appropriate in these forest community types because they are intermediate in shade tolerance (Lancaster 1985; Frank et al. 1973). Many of the silvicultural treatments proposed in this project would continue treatment objectives that were initiated in the past, thus perpetuating a diversity of age classes in uneven-aged stands. For example, final entry harvest is scheduled in selected proposed mature stands that had past shelterwood treatments. Because of over-shading by mature trees, growth on young trees in the midstory established during previous harvests has slowed. Thus there is a need to harvest mature trees to obtain economic value while releasing young healthy trees, so they are free to grow. There is a need to maintain oak and pine forests across the Albany HMU. This requires the introduction of younger trees or regeneration-age trees to promote a diversity of age classes so that all stages of growth and vigor can be perpetuated and thus minimize losses to natural disturbances (i.e. wind, insect, and defoliation). Both oak and pine regeneration are disturbance oriented, requiring partial to full sunlight to obtain quick growth necessary to compete with more shade tolerant species. Lack of large openings which provide sunlight to the forest floor within oak and pine stands has resulted in a species change to 12

13 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment beech, maple, and striped maple in the under- and midstories. Shelterwood treatments would open up the forest canopy for sunlight to reach the forest floor, encouraging establishment of oak and pine regeneration. There is also a need to promote forest health and stand quality. Silvicultural treatment would occur in mature stands with a component of high risk and poorly formed trees. We have observed many trees in stands with wind and ice damage to crowns, insect damage, fungal infestations, and bole damage from past management activity and natural occurrences (Albany HMU stand exams). Removing poorly formed and damaged trees would provide younger trees the space needed to grow faster and remain healthy. All the stands have site-specific objectives and harvest prescriptions to meet desired conditions for wildlife habitat, vegetation, or in many instances, both resources. The stands, harvest treatments, and management objectives are described in Appendix B. Pre-Commercial Treatments We are proposing pre-commercial treatments to maintain and improve growing conditions for young and regeneration-age softwood and hardwood trees following various silvicultural treatments. 1. Softwood and Mixed Wood Group Selection Treatments: On sites where plant communities naturally develop into mixedwood and softwood climax forests, hardwood saplings often out-compete softwood regeneration after harvest treatments. This trend has been observed during stand examination exercises (Project Record). This is especially true when moderate to open stand conditions have been created through larger canopy gaps or open shelterwood treatments. Many of the proposed harvest treatments are in areas where past operations have initiated hardwood and softwood regeneration of the same age class. The hardwood component is clearly overtopping the softwood regeneration even in areas suited to softwood plant communities. Thus there is a need to increase the amount of sunlight available to the desired softwood regeneration by removing the overtopping, less desirable hardwood stems of the same age class. The removal of hardwoods would promote the softwood component currently suppressed in the understory before it would likely be replaced by shade tolerant hardwoods. Our intent is to remove non-commercial size hardwood sapling within groups (after commercial treatment) to encourage growth and regeneration of softwoods. 2. Hardwood Group Selection Treatments: Shade tolerant hardwood species, largely beech and striped maple, have dominated the understory size classes after past harvest treatments on sites suited to hardwood plant communities. Our observations have noted this is especially true on treatment areas operated during the winter months, which encourages root and stump sprouting (Project Record). There is a need to maintain tree species diversity within hardwood stands currently dominated by beech and striped maple understories. Pre-commercial treatments after group selection harvest would remove shade tolerant species and poor quality saplings to allow a full array of tree species (shade tolerant, intermediate in shade tolerance, and shade intolerant species) to regenerate in these canopy gaps, including red 13

14 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District spruce, balsam fir, hemlock, sugar maple, red maple, beech, yellow birch, red oak, and white pine (Leak et al. 1987). 3. Red Oak Shelterwood Treatments: There is a need to maintain less common, intermediate shade tolerant species such as oak within stands. Many of the mature oak/pine stands have dense understories of beech and striped maple which inhibit regeneration and reduce wildlife values (Smallidge and Nyland 2009). To accomplish this, pre-commercial treatments would focus on removing non-commercial size trees around mature oak after the commercial shelterwood harvest is complete. This would create ground conditions immediately adjacent to mature red oak temporarily free of midstory and understory shading. However, high shading from mature residual stems would foster red oak establishment while suppressing shade intolerant species. Open ground around mature trees would allow increased sunlight to reach the forest floor increasing resource availability (i.e. nutrients, water, space) for established oak seedlings (Dey et al. 2007). 4. Clearcut and Patch Cut Treatments: Many of the stands selected for clearcut and patchcut have a similar understory condition to those areas proposed for group selection described above; a beech and striped maple-dominated understory. There is a need to remove the majority of the saplings in the understory to create a regeneration age class. Without pre-commercial treatment, the stand would not likely have a well-stocked, diverse array of newly initiated vegetation which defines the regeneration age habitat. If a residual sapling size class were to remain after treatment, these stands would be classified as young (mid-aged) and lack the desirable, regeneration stand characteristics. 5. Red Oak Non-Commercial Treatments: There is a need to maintain red oak, an intermediate shade tolerant species in stands 328/66 and 328/68 to meet forest plan objectives. This project proposes only non-commercial treatment in these stands. Past harvest in these stands has regenerated dense understories of beech and striped maple which inhibit red oak regeneration, a tree species important for wildlife values. To secure red oak establishment, pre-commercial treatments would focus on reducing the midstory and competing understory hardwoods immediately adjacent to mature red oak trees where red oak seedlings have been documented. This would create areas of open ground around mature trees allowing increased sunlight to reach the forest floor, as well as remove competing vegetation to increase resource availability (i.e. nutrients, water, space) for established oak seedlings and to establish oak regeneration (Dey et al. 2007). 6. Softwood Non-Commercial Treatments: Stand 331/47, a site suited to softwood plant communities, would receive non-commercial treatment only. Hardwood and softwood stems were initiated during the last harvest treatment; however, hardwoods are overtopping and competing with desired softwood species including hemlock. Thus there is a need to shift this area back to a softwood-dominated stand by reducing competing hardwood vegetation. After completing the proposed pre-commercial treatment, the growth rate of hemlock and other softwoods will increase and are more likely to occupy the site. 14

15 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Figure 1-2. A mature northern hardwood stand with a dense understory of beech and striped maple. Figure 1-3. Donahue Field permanent wildlife opening. Prescribed Fire Permanent Wildlife Openings Less than 1 percent of the Albany HMU is maintained as shrubby/grassy openings that are distributed across the landscape. These openings are called 15

16 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Permanent Wildlife Openings (PWOs) and provide habitat for wildlife species for all or part of their life cycle. One of the habitat objectives in the Forest Plan is to maintain PWOs within the management area at existing levels and increase the acreage where possible. To accomplish this objective, prescribed fire is an effective tool to temporarily reduce woody vegetation in areas that are managed as PWOs. A wide variety of birds, insects, and mammals use these areas the first several years after a burn and take advantage of the berries, grasses, and other low-growing vegetation that flourish in them. Farwell Mountain Lightning-caused fires on rocky outcrop mountaintops in the Forest historically occurred on a year interval and created a red pine/woodland community type atop Farwell Mountain. Prior to the 2005 Forest Plan, these fires were aggressively suppressed as soon as detected, leaving little opportunity for a fire to create the bare ground required for red pine and blueberry regeneration; thus this community type is slowly being replaced by spruce-fir. To maintain and enhance the viability and resiliency of this unique community, there is a need to use prescribed fire as a tool to mimic the historic fires that played a vital role in creating this ecosystem. Burning under controlled conditions would reduce the woody material (both live and dead) suppressing blueberry and red pine regeneration. There is also a need to reduce the risk that the next naturally-ignited wildfire could be a stand-replacing fire that eliminates the overstory red pine. Oak and Pine Stands One of the wildlife goals in the Forest Plan is to maintain less common habitat types, such as oak-pine, where ecologically feasible. The project area provides one of the best opportunities on the Androscoggin Ranger District to perpetuate northern red oak, white pine, and oak-pine habitats. These communities provide valuable habitat for many species such as ruffed grouse, turkey, black bear, squirrels, mice, and chipmunks. In turn, raptors feed on small mammals and find nesting and perching sites in the canopy of white pines. Northern red oak trees are especially valuable because they provide acorns (hard mast), an important food source for a variety of wildlife. During field reconnaissance of oak-pine stands, we noted that there is inadequate regeneration of oak and pine seedlings, and thus a need to treat the stands with prescribed fire to maintain these community types over time so they don t succeed to other forest habitat types (i.e. mixedwoods or northern hardwoods) which don t provide as rich a food supply as acorns. There is also a need to reduce competing northern hardwood saplings/trees in the under- and midstories, and to scarify the ground to expose mineral soil for a suitable seedbed for oak and pine regeneration (Abrams 1998; Dey et al. 2007; Pohl 2003; Leak et al. 2003; Weyrick 2003). Prescribed fire is one method that can be used to create this condition. Oak trees are relatively resistant to fire and are able to sprout from stumps after a burn, so prescribed burning would help maintain a component of oak in the forest. The oak stand selected for prescribed burning has a heavy understory of striped maple and beech, of which a portion would be removed by pre-commercial 16

17 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment treatments. A monitoring trip of Forest Service fire specialists and Dr. Richard Weyrick (September 2004) visited a similar oak stand after it had been burned in They found that the beech had reestablished in the understory and successive burns may be required to regenerate oak (USDA Forest Service 2004). During this same monitoring trip, the team visited two white pine stands (with an oak component) along Harriman Brook Road that had site preparatory burns in 2004 and 2005, the objective of which was to increase oak and pine regeneration by removing competing hardwood saplings, reducing the organic duff layer to expose mineral soil, and foster re-sprouting of existing oak regeneration. Because of different burn intensities (light to moderate), stocking levels of oak and pine regeneration varied throughout the stands. Though these burns were successful in meeting oak regeneration objectives (Spradlin and Spradlin 2006), subsequent prescribed burns are required to further reduce competing hardwoods, and increase oak and pine regeneration. Wildlife Habitat Purpose for Wildlife Habitat Regional literature and experts indicate that maintaining populations of wildlife and plant species native to northern New England means providing a wide variety of habitats across the landscape, including various forest types, age classes, and non-forested openings. All these forest habitat types (e.g. softwoods, northern hardwood) and structural characteristics (mature forest, brushy openings etc) provide essential habitat for various wildlife species in New England (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001). The Forest Plan established Forest-wide habitat composition and age-class goals and objectives that provide habitat diversity. These goals and objectives are based on an interdisciplinary discussion about the natural history and habitat requirements of the wildlife species that inhabit the Forest and the land capability and disturbance patterns that influence forest habitat across the Forest. A detailed description of wildlife natural history and the ecological perspective used during Forest Plan revision to develop habitat goals and objectives is available in WMNF Ecological Approach (USDA Forest Service 2002a) and the Forest Plan FEIS. More specifically, the objectives of wildlife habitat management across the Forest are to: Manage forest composition for the broad habitat types of northern hardwood, mixed hardwood-softwood, and spruce-fir forest, consistent with ecological land type capability. Maintain less common habitat types, such as aspen-birch, and oak-pine, where ecologically feasible and desirable to provide for native and desired non-native wildlife and plant species. Maintain high quality mature forest and old forest habitats on a majority of the forest. Provide regeneration age forest and open habitats to sustain biological diversity and support species that prefer those habitats. 17

18 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The Forest uses Habitat Management Units as a tool to ensure that there is a connection between landscape-level goals and objectives and project-level ecological conditions during project development. Input from internal and external forestry and wildlife experts supported the HMU approach as a reasonable way to help the Forest achieve our habitat objectives. A more detailed discussion of the role of HMUs in achieving the desired future condition is available in the Terrestrial Habitat Management Document (USDA Forest Service 2007). Need for Change Wildlife Habitat A preliminary review of the Albany HMU historical records, vegetation databases, and maps found differences between the current distribution and abundance of forest types and age classes compared to the ecological potential (Albany HMU Table and Albany HMU Rational, available in the project file). Within this HMU, there is a lack of regeneration forest habitat for all habitat types (where most trees are 0 9 years old with less than 30 square feet of basal area in the mature overstory), an abundance of young habitat, and a lack of mature northern hardwoods. This data also provides information on land capability in the Albany HMU. This analysis found that there is an abundance of northern hardwood and mixedwood forests growing on soils that favor softwood. The Albany HMU is unique in that hemlock is more abundant than spruce-fir on many of the sites that favor softwood. The Forest Plan indicates that we should strive to have habitat type match land capability on a majority of our lands. This HMU also has a substantial component of oak-pine compared to the ten other HMUs across the District. Finally, the Albany HMU also has an existing component of less common forest habitats, including aspen-birch and permanent wildlife openings. As a result, the desired condition for this HMU is to increase regeneration forest habitat, increase softwood habitat (spruce-fir and hemlock), maintain and increase the quality of permanent wildlife openings, and, where ecologically feasible, maintain existing hemlock, oak-pine, and aspen-birch. Field reviews in the Four Ponds project area found habitat conditions where silvicultural treatments could be used to meet some of the desired habitat goals for the Albany HMU, including 1) increasing regeneration forest habitat for all habitat types; 2) increasing the amount of softwood by favoring hemlock and spruce-fir within northern hardwoods and mixedwood stands with softwood ecological land types; 3) maintaining existing spruce-fir, hemlock, oak-pine, and aspen-birch habitat; and 4) expanding existing, and creating some new, permanent wildlife openings. Regeneration Forest Habitat Numerous scientific studies in the Northeast have found that a wide variety of wildlife use regeneration forest habitat structure for all or part of their lives (Chandler 2006; Dettmers 2003; DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2003; Fuller and DeStefano 2003; King et al. 2001; Litvaitis et al. 1999; Schlossberg and King 2007; Thompson et al. 2001). This habitat condition is ephemeral as forests in the Northeast regenerate quickly, and within a decade or so the structural characteristics favored by these species would no longer exist. Changes in land use patterns across the Northeast have greatly reduced the 18

19 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment availability of this habitat, resulting in declines in scrub/shrub birds that require this habitat structure for suitable nesting habitat, including brown thrasher, chestnut-sided warbler, and magnolia warbler (Schlossberg and King 2007). The goal in the Albany HMU is to increase forest regeneration habitat in northern hardwoods by approximately 200 acres, in mixedwood habitats by 30 acres, in spruce-fir habitat by approximately 5 acres. Clearcut, patchcut, and, in some cases, overstory removal harvests, as well as maintenance or expansion of permanent wildlife openings, would create habitat structure (defined as regeneration forest habitat in the Forest Plan glossary) that is similar to what is created by natural disturbance factors (i.e. windthrow and disease) in the Northeast. Non-commercial treatments to remove a dense understory of beech and striped maple saplings would be necessary in select clearcuts and patch cuts to create habitat for wildlife species that favor regeneration forest habitat. Mixedwood and Softwood Habitat Mixedwood and softwood stand types are essential habitat components for a wide variety of wildlife species (golden-crowned kinglet, blackburnian warbler, purple finch, deer mice, snowshoe hare, American marten), providing food and cover for all or part of the year. Softwood habitat is lacking in the Albany HMU and across the Forest due to the intensive harvest practices of the late 1800s and early 1900s which favored northern hardwood regeneration on sites that were previously dominated by spruce-fir or hemlock. The northern portion of the Albany HMU contains a large area of hemlock, spruce-fir, and mixedwoods in the Harriman Brook watershed (Harriman Brook Deer Wintering Area) that historically supported up to 100 deer in the winter months. Mature softwood and mixedwood habitat is necessary to provide thermal cover in winter for species such as white-tailed deer (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001). Surveys in this area over the past decade have found some deer wintering in this area but much reduced from historical use. The goal in the Albany HMU is to maintain the existing acres of hemlock and increase mixedwood or softwood habitat to match ecological capability. Group selection and shelterwood preparation harvests would maintain existing mixedwood and softwood habitats (spruce-fir and hemlock) while increasing the softwood component in hardwood or mixedwood stands on sites that favor softwoods. Hemlock would likely only regenerate if harvested in the snow-free season. Any treatments in the Harriman Brook Deer Wintering Area would have a goal of maintaining a component of softwood cover while initiating hemlock and spruce-fir regeneration for future cover, and increasing hardwood browse within and along the periphery of the deeryard as a food source. Aspen-Birch Aspen-birch is an early-successional habitat that will succeed to late successional habitat without frequent disturbance (DeGraaf et al. 2006). Regeneration age class aspen-birch provides high quality cover for many wildlife species, including ruffed grouse, while mature aspen-birch is important for other species of wildlife such as the broad-winged hawk (DeGraaf et al. 2006). Clearcuts would also regenerate aspen-birch where it exists, while group selection would perpetuate a component of aspen-birch as a small inclusion in northern hardwood or spruce-fir habitat. 19

20 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The goal of the Albany HMU is to maintain the existing acres of aspen-birch. Some of the existing aspen-birch type is in the mature age class and will start to phase out over the next decade. Treatments in stands with an aspen-birch component will maintain this habitat type across the landscape. Oak-Pine Oak-pine stands provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species associated with both softwoods and northern hardwoods. The oak component of this habitat, in combination with beech in northern hardwood areas, also provides hard mast that is essential to a variety of wildlife species (i.e. black bear) that rely on a fall food component (DeGraaf et al. 2006). The goal in the Albany HMU is to maintain the existing component of oak-pine. Group selection and shelterwood preparatory harvests that are implemented in existing oak and pine stands in the snow-free season would have a goal of increasing oak and pine regeneration. Treatments in oak-pine are encouraged during the snow-free season to allow scarification of the soil, increasing the chances for oak and pine seedlings to grow and out-compete other saplings in the understory. 1.3 Decisions to be Made The District Ranger examined this environmental analysis and considered public input to make an informed decision about which alternative, if any, to implement. She considered the following: 1. Are there additional issues and/or alternatives that should be analyzed in detail? The District Ranger considered this question at several points throughout the analysis. Any early resource concerns or issues raised by the interdisciplinary team were addressed in the original proposed action. Alternative 3 was developed in response to public and Forest Service issues related to expansion of the Crocker Pond campground, dispersed campsites, hemlock management, permanent wildlife opening management, and gravel pit development. Public review and comments also included requests for several additional alternatives and project proposals. These are as follows: Develop Pingree Ledge Quarry. Construct a snowmobile trail from Crocker Pond to Ikie Fields. Construct a hiking trail around Round Pond. Improve mountain bike opportunities. Maintain a portion of Albany Notch Trail that passes through a beaver complex. No clearcutting. No winter harvest. Limit summer/fall harvest. Eliminate stands that border Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. 20

21 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 1.4 Public Involvement 1.5 Issues The District Ranger considered these potential issues and project proposals but did not conduct detailed studies because they would either cause unreasonable environmental harm, cannot be implemented at this time due to funding, can be addressed with design features, are addressed by policy, or would not meet the purpose and need for the project as identified in Section Which of the alternatives would best move the Four Ponds project area toward the desired condition of the land as outlined in the Forest Plan? Which of the alternatives best addresses relevant issues raised by the public and the Interdisciplinary Team? 3. Would the Proposed Action and its alternatives pose any significant environmental impacts to warrant the need for further study in an environmental impact statement? The Four Ponds Project was first published on the quarterly Schedule of Proposed Actions in July Early scoping for this project was conducted with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine State Historic Preservation Office, local snowmobile clubs, and Maine Land Use Regulation Commission. We also conducted an open house at the Evans Notch Visitor Center in Bethel, Maine, on July 24, 2008, to seek public input. Approximately forty people attended this event and eight individuals who could not attend requested project proposals via mail or . In response to the Open House and documents posted on the Forest projects website, we received eleven written or oral comments to the project proposals. We also conducted a public field trip of the project area on May 16, 2009, that seven people attended. We discussed expansion of the Crocker Pond campground, cultural resource surveys, improvements to the Albany Brook Trail, oak management, the role of permanent wildlife openings and their maintenance using prescribed fire, road restoration on Round Pond Road, gravel pit development, dual use of roads between log traffic and dog sleds, beaver habitat along the Albany Notch Trail, and non-native invasive species at Pingree Fields permanent wildlife opening. All the comments generated during early scoping were used to define the analysis, develop alternatives, and formulate design features. Using internal and external comments from the public and other agencies, the interdisciplinary team developed a list of issues to address from the approximately 30 comments received during the field trip, and the scoping and formal comment period. Issues were separated into two groups: key and non-key issues. Key issues are defined as points of disagreement, debate, or dispute that are directly or indirectly caused by implementing the proposed actions. Non-key issues are defined as those 1) outside the scope of the proposed actions; 2) already decided by law, regulation, Forest Plan, or other higher level of decision; 3) irrelevant to the decision to be made; or 4) conjectural and not supported by scientific or factual evidence. These are addressed in Appendix C Response to 21

22 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Comments. The Forest Service identified eight key issues raised during scoping and seven non-key issues (project record). Five key issues were combined to form Alternative 3; the remaining three issues, along with projects proposed by the public, were considered but were not analyzed in detail. Key Issues Used to Generate Alternative 3 Redesign the Broken Bridge Boat Launch/Dispersed Campsite Constructing a short spur road and campsite at Broken Bridge would cause ground disturbance and be more costly than retaining the campsite near its current location. (Internal) Maintain Crocker Pond Campground at its current size Increasing camp sites within the Crocker Pond campground would increase noise levels and additional sites are not needed since the campground is rarely full. (Public) No construction of gravel pits Gravel pit development will have negative impacts on visual quality, soil productivity, and cultural resources, and is not cost effective. (Public) Construction of a larger Permanent Wildlife Openings (PWOs) Some of the existing smaller PWOs may not best meet PWO objectives compared to newer, larger PWOs located at more ideal sites. (Internal) Even-aged Management in Hemlock Stands There are numerous silvicultural treatments and management strategies to maintain and perpetuate hemlock on the landscape. Uneven-aged management treatments such as group selection are commonly used, especially in deer wintering areas, to improve light and growing conditions for young and regeneration-age hemlock trees in the mid- and understories. These treatments, however, do not optimize stand vigor or crown development on residual mature trees. (Internal) 1.6 Projects and Alternatives Considered but Not Analyzed in Detail The first four bullets are projects proposed by the public during the scoping phase of project development. Improvement to Pingree Ledge Quarry (Non-Key) An individual suggested improving access at the Pingree Ledges Quarry site. (Public) Response: This issue was determined to be non-key because it is not a point of disagreement, debate, or dispute that is caused by implementing the proposed actions. The interdisciplinary team visited the quarry site to evaluate the feasibility of improving site access and parking, and to determine if the trail could be upgraded to meet the Universal Accessibility standards. Because of several steep grade pitches (over 20 percent) and an uneven and sloping treadway, it did not meet Universal Accessibility standards. Formal site development could create a concern for public safety and undesirable 22

23 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment resource impacts and would require extensive work and trail relocation to meet these standards. For individuals that have difficulty accessing this site, there is a nearby private mine that provides vehicle access to collection sites and has similar types of rocks and minerals. Snowmobile trail construction from Crocker Pond to Ikie Fields (Non-Key) An individual suggested that the Forest Service provide access to the northwestern portion of the project area that is currently inaccessible by snowmobile. Another individual opposes this proposal because snowmobiles might disturb wildlife in the Ikie fields and would bring snowmachines closer to the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness, possibly allowing access into the wilderness area. (Public) Response: This issue was determined to be non-key because it is not a point of disagreement, debate, or dispute that is caused by implementing the proposed actions. At this time, our goals are to address potential risk and resource concerns on existing snowmobile trails within the project area. In addition, the Forest Plan discourages new trail construction except in limited circumstances. Construct a hiking trail around Round Pond (Non-Key) An individual suggested that the Albany Brook Trail be extended to loop around Round Pond to provide greater recreational opportunities. (Public) Response: This issue was determined to be non-key because it is not a point of disagreement, debate, or dispute that is caused by implementing the proposed actions. Though a trail around the pond would be very picturesque, the ground is extremely wet and swampy and would not be a sustainable trail location. Again, the Forest Plan discourages new trail construction except in limited circumstances. Increase mountain biking and cross country skiing opportunities (Non-Key) An individual suggested re-configuring roads and skid trails to provide looping opportunities for mountain biking and cross country skiing. (Public) Response: This issue was determined to be non-key because it is not a point of disagreement, debate, or dispute that is caused by implementing the proposed actions. Location of transportation routes are determined by topography, ground conditions (i.e. boulders and wet areas), and existing roads/trails. Our goal when designing roads and skid trail systems is to minimize ground disturbance. For this project, we intend to create only skidding and haul routes that are necessary, and once the harvest is completed, these roads/trails would be available for recreational opportunities. Roads would continue to be maintained at their design levels and not specifically for recreation use. Maintain Albany Notch Trail (Non-Key) An individual suggested that the Forest Service maintain the section of Albany Notch Trail that passes through a beaver created wetland complex for wildlife interpretation purposes. (Public) 23

24 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Response: This issue was determined to be non-key because it is not a point of disagreement, debate, or dispute that is caused by implementing the proposed actions. As mentioned in the in the Section 1.1 (Need for Recreation), maintenance is very difficult on this section of the trail because of the large beaver complex which includes numerous dams and ponds. Eliminating this portion of the trail would not change access to Albany Mountain nor the rest of Albany Mountain Trail. Also, abandoning this section of trail would reduce habitat disturbance to the beaver living in this area. Within the project area there are at least two other opportunities to view beaver complexes; one along Patte Mill Brook Road and another along Harriman Brook Road. Informal access will still be available. Prohibit Winter Harvest (Key Issue) Two individuals did not want winter harvesting because it limits areas of peace and quiet in the winter and reduces the amount of unplowed roads. (Public) Response: This was determined to be key issue because it is a disagreement caused directly by implementing the proposed actions. We did consider this issue, but did not analyze it in detail or create an alternative because there are some stands where the majority of the area is too wet to harvest in the fall and can only be accomplished during frozen ground conditions. Harvesting during frozen ground conditions would minimize soil disturbance and not cause unreasonable environmental harm. Our goal is to actively manage stands on a 15 to 20 year cycle. All of this area, with the exception of some stands in compartment 329, has not been harvested in the past 15 years. By deferring treatment of stands proposed for winter harvest, we would miss an opportunity to 1) improve growing conditions on residual trees; 2) improve stand health and vigor by removing diseased trees; 3) provide free to grow conditions for overtopped young softwood saplings; 4) increase structural and species diversity; and 5) move stands toward their natural forest community type. Excessive summer and fall harvesting (Key Issue) An individual felt that harvest activities will disrupt recreational users by increasing noise, dust and commercial traffic on narrow roads and would pose safety concerns. (Public) Response: This was determined to be a key issue because it is a disagreement caused directly by implementing the proposed actions. We did consider this issue, but did not analyze it in detail or create an alternative for the following reasons. Many of the issues raised can be addressed through design features or project design. To minimize disturbance and disruption to recreational users in the project area, timber sale contract provisions would restrict log hauling on weekends when recreational use is highest. It would also address safety issues by requiring signs informing the public of logging activities, and, if needed, set speed limits and specify dust abatement measures. Most Forest Roads in the Four Ponds area are designed for maximum speeds of 15 MPH and logging trucks tend to travel slower than these speeds when loaded (Jay Sylvester, personal comm.). 24

25 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Recreational data for the Project Area showed that Crocker Pond campground is mainly used on the weekends, thus restricting hauling on week-ends would minimize disruption to campers when use is at its highest. Also, Albany Brook, Albany Notch, Albany Mountain, Miles Notch, Great Brook, and Red Rock trails are all rated as low use trails (0 6 people per day). Though hikers traveling to trails may encounter logging vehicles, recreational use of this area is low when compared to much of the Forest. Many of the roads within the project area will require some level of maintenance, which would include removing encroaching vegetation along roadways. This will result in improved sight distances and driving conditions for greater safety. Also, any gravel development and extraction would not occur on the weekends to reduce noise disturbance and dual use of the roads. The silvicultural benefit of summer and fall harvesting is that it would scarify the ground and expose bare mineral soil, which is an ideal seed bed for oak, pine, and hemlock germination. Within clearcuts and group selection cuts, harvesting on bare ground (during summer and fall) would reduce beech and striped maple saplings which dominate the understory, and allow a wider diversity of regeneration-age hardwood and softwood seedlings to become established. As for the socio-economic benefits, harvesting in summer and fall not only provides loggers with nearly year-round employment but loggers would also receive higher prices for sawlogs at local mills (stumpage rates are lower in the winter months). (See Section 3.9.) No Clearcutting (Key Issue) Two individuals requested that no clearcutting be permitted in this project. Response: This issue was determined to be key because it is a disagreement caused directly by implementing the proposed actions. We did consider this issue, but did not analyze it in detail or create an alternative because early successional habitat created by clearcutting provides a balanced mix of wildlife habitats envisioned in the Forest Plan. Clearcutting is the optimal method for creating regeneration forest habitat, browse for large mammals, and habitat for numerous bird species. Eliminating this treatment option would not meet our Forest goal of providing regeneration forest habitat, nor would it meet the Need for Change in the Albany HMU. 25

26 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Chapter Two Alternatives This Environmental Assessment evaluates the differences between the proposed action and two possible management alternatives for the Four Ponds Project Area. Each alternative could be implemented if selected, and together they provide a framework for analyzing different ways to meet the purpose and need stated in Chapter 1. This chapter includes: A description of alternatives considered in detail. Design features. A comparison of alternatives. 2.1 Alternative 1: No Action This alternative is required by regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). There would be no change to the existing condition except from natural occurrences. 2.2 Alternative 2: Modified Proposed Action The modified proposed action is designed to respond to the Purpose and Need for action by: promoting the desired vegetative, terrestrial, and aquatic habitat conditions outlined in the Forest Plan; providing a wide range of recreational opportunities; providing a sustained yield of high quality sawtimber and other forest products; and managing the transportation system to meet administrative and public needs. Changes to the original 30-day Public Comment package proposal are noted in the following nine bullets: Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail In the 30-day comment package, we proposed replacing a deteriorating snowmobile bridge over Harriman Brook with a new one. An opportunity to move this project forward by replacing the bridge became available in 2009 and a separate analysis was completed for this project. Broken Bridge Dam Reconstruction and Road Construction In the 30-day comment package, the Broken Bridge Dam was proposed for reconstruction along with construction of an access road. This project was selected to receive funding from the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act in June 2009, and a separate environmental analysis and decision was completed to meet funding deadlines. Patte Mill Brook Road In the 30-day comment package, approximately 3.5 miles of the Patte Mill Brook road (FR 7) was proposed for road restoration. In June 2009, this project was selected to receive funding from the America Recovery and Re-investment Act. To meet the short timeframe to accomplish the work, a separate environmental analysis and decision was completed. Upgrading this road will improve the overall transportation system. 26

27 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Construction of Farwell Mountain Road In the 30-day scoping package, we proposed road construction from Farwell Mountain road to FR Based on public comment and site visits, we decided not to pursue this project because of slope and soil moisture concerns at the proposed road location. Acre and Prescription Changes to Proposed Stands In the 30-day comment package, we proposed gross stand acres based on GIS mapping of stand boundaries. Continued field reconnaissance has led us to better delineate stand boundaries, which has resulted in acreage adjustments, especially in compartments 313, 324, and 325. Additional field review has also led us to change the prescription for compartment/stand 324/20. The southern portion of the stand was relatively steep and is dropped from this proposal. The remaining portion was better suited for uneven-aged management. We also deferred treatment of stand 325/26 because it was not cost efficient to improve FR 54 beyond the junction of FR 3344 just to access this stand. Ikie Fields Permanent Wildlife Opening (PWO) In the 30-day comment package, we proposed development of a 30 acre PWO in Ikie Fields. Additional field review determined that the topography, and a nearby perennial stream and wetland, limited the size of development to 16 acres. Three of the 16 acres are currently in an open condition as it was used as a log landing in Gravel Pit Development In the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009, test pits were dug at four potential gravel sites (Harriman Brook gravel pit, a pit on the Patte Mill Brook across from Harriman Brook Road, Ikie Fields, and along Sunken Pond Road) to evaluate the extent and quality of gravel. Three of these sites (Harriman Brook, Patte Mill Brook, and Ikie Fields) did not have sufficient gravel for surfacing roads in this project and were dropped from development. The site along Sunken Pond Road does have sufficient gravel and is analyzed in this EA. Expansion of the Sunken Pond Permanent Wildlife Opening (PWO) The five acre expansion of this existing PWO would be deferred under Alternative 2, but remain in Alternative 3. The reason for dropping it from Alternative 2 is that it would encompass the Sunken Pond gravel site. Replace/rebuild an old, deteriorating stone culvert on FR 765 (Bell Mountain) This stone culvert is located on a road that is not required for this project and is dropped from analysis. 27

28 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 28 Patte Marsh Dam Campsite Recreation Dispersed and Developed Campsite Management There are two dispersed campsites near the Patte Marsh Dam, one directly adjacent to the dam and the other approximately 150 feet from the dam on the northwest shoreline of the pond. Overnight use of the site adjacent the dam often creates a conflict with day-use access to the pond. This project would move the campsite adjacent to the dam approximately 20 feet up hill and rehabilitate the existing site. This would reduce conflicts between day and overnight users and allow improved access to the dam site. The campsite would be cut and filled to create an inviting, level, well-drained approximately 12 x 12 area for a tent. Up to 18 of rock or log cribbing may be needed on the downhill side for soil retention. As with all tent and table pads, organic topsoil will be scraped back from the pad area, roots and rocks removed, and well drained soil added to elevate and slightly crown an area to the desired level. A path from the launch area to this campsite would be defined Broken Bridge Pond Campsite This site was designed to provide parking for boat access to Broken Bridge Pond but over time has evolved into an informal dispersed camping site. Due to the size and design of the parking facility, day visitors are often displaced when the site is occupied by campers. A new dispersed campsite site would be located on the hillside approximately above the parking lot within view of the pond. A short, dead-end spur (approximately 200 ) would be constructed to accommodate a parking spot for one vehicle. The spur would leave the boat access road just past the fork where it diverges from Sunken Pond Road and terminate above the parking lot at the new campsite. The tent site would be cut and filled to create a level, well drained, 12 x 12 area for a tent. Rock or log cribbing may be needed on the downhill side for soil retention. Signs would be installed indicating the current site is for day-use parking only and would be subject to enforcement. Site 10 Campsite This very large campsite on the western shore of Broken Bridge Pond has traditionally been used by large groups, and is known as something of a party site. During the summer, it requires frequent visits by Forest Service personnel to clean up trash left by campers. The project would install rock barriers and delineate a parking area at the entrance to the site near FR 18. It would change access from drive-in to foot traffic only, and actively rehabilitate the perimeter of the site to decrease the impacted area. Gravel may be added to level the current parking area, but it would not be expanded. Below the barrier rocks, impacted soil may be aerated and small trees transplanted from the surrounding area to combat erosion and better define the camping area.

29 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Crocker Pond Campground This small campground has excellent occupancy rates and is popular with many return visitors. There is an informal dispersed campsite near the entrance to the campground, and visitors at this location often make use of campground amenities such as water, restrooms, and trash receptacles. The project at this site would incorporate the existing campsite near the entrance into the campground and construct two new sites between the entrance and the hand pump. The existing gate at Round Pond Road (FR 320) would be moved closer to Crocker Pond Road to manage vehicle access to campsites. Parking at sites 5, 6, and 7 would be improved. Trail Management Albany Notch Trail A sizeable segment of this low-use hiking trail has been flooded by beavers. Additionally, much of the northern section of trail below the height-of-land is poorly located, causing drainage, erosion, and other management issues. The project would abandon the 0.9 mile segment of Albany Notch Trail located between the junction of Albany Mountain Trail and the spur trail on the west side of Albany Mountain. This configuration would allow hiking to continue, but would route hiking through-traffic over Albany Mountain rather than through the notch. Albany Brook Trail This project would improve approximately 0.3 miles of hiking trail from the trailhead along the western shore of Crocker Pond to meet universal accessibility standards. This would require relocating a short segment at the trailhead to reduce the trail grade, installation of two stream crossings, minor trail widening, some small tree removal, and surface improvement. Sunken Pond Bypass Snowmobile Trail This project would relocate approximately 0.7 miles of trail (near the Harriman Brook intersection) higher up on the hillside to avoid wet, poorly drained areas and move it away from Patte Mill Brook. The trail would be relocated along a side hill alignment just to the south of its current location. It would be constructed during the timber harvest since the location is suited for a skid trail, and then used for snowmobile travel thereafter. Additional shorter stretches of the trail would be relocated or widened to improve sight distance and make two-way travel safer along tight corners and steep pitches. Following completion of the work, this location would become part of the primary trail. Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail This project would relocate approximately 0.3 miles of the Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail between the National Forest boundary and Harriman Brook Road (FR 59) from a low, wet area onto adjacent high ground. The new relocation would connect onto FR 59A (Harriman Brook Spur A). 29

30 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Figure 2-1. The relocation of the Crocker Pond snowmobile trail would move it away from wet areas onto higher and drier ground. Figure 2-2. Below. A culvert on New England Brook Road that is blocking fish passage and restricting access to the higher stream reaches Increase Wood in Streams Watershed Restoration Stream Restoration Trees would be dropped into streams and unnamed tributaries to create approximately 30 percent pool habitat. The source of trees would be any tree growing within 75 feet of the treated area. Sufficient canopy cover would be retained in the riparian area to maintain cold stream temperatures. Hand crews using chain saws and hand tools would perform this work during snow-free periods of the year. 30

31 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Culvert Removal To restore natural stream flow within the headwaters of New England Brook, we would remove two undersized culverts, one at the start of New England Brook Road (FR 319) and one near the end of the road. Removal of the culverts would occur during road closure following the completion of a commercial timber harvest. In addition, to allow unimpeded movement of the brook trout population in the headwaters of the Harriman Brook watershed, backwater pools would be created at the outlet of two culverts along Harriman Brook Road (FR 59). These pools would raise water levels and slow water flows at the base of the culvert so fish can easily pass to upper stream reaches. Transportation System Travel Analysis It was determined during the 2005 Forest Plan revision that the Forest Service would use project level roads analysis in conjunction with environmental analysis to determine the final disposition of the remaining miles of unclassified (unauthorized) roads on the Forest. Decisions would be made through project NEPA whether to add these roads to the Forest classified road system, decommission them, or convert them to trails (Forest Plan FEIS). The Four Ponds Travel Analysis aided in evaluating long term objectives for roads within the project area. It resulted in proposals to classify or decommission roads in the Four Ponds Project Area. It also identified roads that need to be constructed, reconstructed, or restored to facilitate hauling of wood products and equipment. Terminology for Forest roads: Decommissioned Roads are closed permanently and allowed to naturally revegetate. Forest Roads (or Classified Roads) are maintained for long term vehicle access and may be open year-round or intermittently. Unauthorized Roads are generally existing roads that are closed and not maintained for long-term vehicle use. Our goal is to eliminate unauthorized roads by deciding whether they should be classified as Forest Roads or decommissioned and removed from the Forest Roads database. Road Reconstruction upgrading an existing system road, or section of road, to a higher standard. Existing older roads could be redesigned and reconstructed to accommodate larger equipment and existing winter roads could be upgraded for three season use. Road Restoration Bringing an existing road back to its original standard, design or the use condition for which is was intended. Table 2-1 displays only those roads within the project area that require Forest Road database changes and maintenance activities. 31

32 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 32 Table 2-1. Classification and Proposed Actions to Roads within the Albany HMU Forest Road (Name & Number) Total Road Length (Miles) Current Road Classification Post Analysis Classification Proposed Action Farwell Mountain (FR 54) 0.8 Classified Classified Reconstruction Harriman Brook Spur A (FR 59A) 0.2 Classified Classified Reconstruction Round Pond (FR 320) 1.5 Classified Classified Reconstruction FR Unauthorized Classified Reconstruction FR *** 0.4 Unauthorized Classified Reconstruction FR Unauthorized Classified Reconstruction FR Unauthorized Classified Reconstruction Crocker Pond Spur C (FR 18C) 0.1 Classified Classified Restoration Harriman Brook Spur B (FR 59B) 0.5 Classified Classified Restoration Sunken Pond (FR 62) 0.5 Classified Classified Restoration Donahue (FR 305) 0.3 Classified Classified Restoration New England Brook (FR 319) 1.0 Classified Classified Restoration Brown s Ledge (FR 329) 0.1 Classified Classified Restoration Mosquito Pond (FR 765) 0.9 Classified Classified Restoration Mosquito Pond Spur A (FR 765A) 0.6 Classified Classified Restoration FR Unauthorized Classified Restoration FR 2016xx** 0.3 Unauthorized Classified None FR Unauthorized Classified None FR Unauthorized Classified None FR Unauthorized Classified None FR Unauthorized Classified None Patte Hill (FR 328)* 0.06 Classified Shorter than 500 Remove from Forest Roads database FR U-1020* 0.1 Unauthorized Shorter than 500 Remove from Forest Roads database FR 2016A 0.1 Unauthorized Not needed Decommission *Roads less than 500 feet that lead to a landing are considered part of a landing and would be removed from the Forest Roads database. **Road was missed during the previous road inventory, but exists on the ground. It was formerly used as a haul road and would be added to Forest Roads Database. ***This road is located on recently purchased land (Haystack Notch parcel, US Tract #2008). Road Classifications and Decommissioning Approximately 5.6 miles of unauthorized roads (FR 2016, 2019, 3314, , , , , , and 3344) and 0.3 miles of a previously unidentified road (FR 2016xx) would be converted to Forest Roads. These roads have a defined roadbed and were used for past management access and hauling wood products. They continue to be needed for long-term forest management. FR 2016A (0.1 miles) is an unauthorized road that would be removed from the Forest Roads database. This road does not require any actions since it is currently vegetated with grasses and young tree seedlings. Access would remain unchanged and would be open for non-motorized use only.

33 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Map 2-1. Four Ponds Transportation Proposals. Other Road Activities A short 200 spur road would be constructed to access a dispersed campsite at Broken Bridge pond. Because of its short length, this road would not be added to the permanent Forest Roads database. Vegetation and Wildlife Habitat Table 2-2 shows the different silvicultural treatments that would be employed to diversify habitat types and age classes, maintain forest community types, improve forest health, and provide forest products within the Four Ponds Project Area. Stand acres are defined by the GIS stand database. Treated acres are those acres where harvesting would occur. Acres may be adjusted (downward) during sale layout to account for specific ground conditions, such as wet areas, inoperable terrain, and forest type changes. Acres will also be reduced to account for reserve patches of uncut trees in final-harvest stands and protective buffers around vernal pools, cultural sites, nest trees, along riparian zones, and other special interests. See Appendix B for a list of stands, prescriptions, volume, season of operation, and objectives. 33

34 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 34 Table 2-2. Silvicultural treatments to meet habitat management objectives, improve forest health and provide forest products (acres are approximate) Silvicultural Treatment Stand Acres Treated Acres Even Aged Final Harvest Regeneration harvest (clearcut, patch cut and overstory removal) Northern hardwood regeneration (clearcut and patchcut) Aspen/birch regeneration (clearcut) Mixedwood regeneration (clearcut) Young age-class hardwood/softwood (overstory removal) Expansion of Permanent Wildlife Openings Establishment of a new Permanent Wildlife Opening at Ikie Fields Even-Aged Intermediate harvest Maintain or manage for oak-pine habitat Maintain hemlock/pine Maintained mixedwood habitat Maintain or manage for spruce-fir Uneven-Aged (10-20% of stand acres) Group Selection to maintain or manage for hemlock Group Selection to maintain or manage for spruce-fir Group Selection to maintain or manage for mixedwood habitat Group Selection to maintain or manage for hardwoods Group Selection to maintain increase oak-pine Group Selection to maintain aspen-birch within another habitat type 224 Pre-Commercial Treatment Pre-Commercial Stand Improvement (to regenerate and improve growing conditions for northern hardwoods, spruce-fir, hemlock, and oak-pine) Commercial and non-commercial treatments would include harvesting on approximately 1,700 acres, expansion of four Permanent Wildlife Openings (PWOs), and construction of a new PWO at Ikie Fields. Fire lines would be constructed manually or with mechanical equipment around PWOs maintained with prescribed fire. Brush piles created by hand or mechanical brushing would be burned. PWOs managed by mowing would be stumped prior to mowing. Season of Operation To encourage oak, pine, and hemlock regeneration in mature stands, soil scarification (preferably in the fall or prior to snowfall in winter) would create a mineral seedbed for germination. Harvesting during snow-free soil conditions would also remove a portion of shade tolerant saplings (striped maple and beech) in the understory and allow additional sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor. This would allow hemlock, oak, and pine seedlings an opportunity to compete with other saplings in the understory. Clearcuts would also be harvested during snow-free conditions (preferably summer and fall) to encourage regeneration of a variety of native tree species while discouraging stump sprouting of certain tree species, and for ground scarification to expose mineral soils.

35 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Connected Actions to Vegetation and Wildlife Habitat Road and Landing Reconstruction, Restoration and Maintenance Round Pond Road and FR 2019 (extension of Round Pond Road) would require 2.7 miles of road reconstruction to improve alignment and road width for today s equipment and dual use with snowmobiles. Permanent drainage structures would be installed at selected perennial stream crossings for snowmobile use. Temporary drainage and stream crossing structures would be installed at selected intermittent and perennial stream crossings. Surfacing the road would permit three-season harvest. Farwell Mountain Road (FR 54), Harriman Brook Spur A (FR 59A), and unauthorized roads , and 3344 would also require road reconstruction to improve alignment and width, improve drainage, and permit three-season harvest by surfacing the road. Approximately 4.6 miles of road would require road restoration: brushing and shaping of the road surface, ditch cleaning, surfacing, and installing temporary culverts and bridges to prepare them for forest products hauling. Upon completion of timber harvest, roads that were previously closed (barricaded) or not drivable would remain closed. This means that temporary culverts and bridges would be removed, waterbars would be installed, and roadbeds may be seeded with native grasses. Approximately 26 existing, and four new, landings would be required for timber harvest activities. Gravel There is a site at the end of Sunken Pond Road that contains a minimum of 10,000 20,000 cubic yards of crushable material. This would be used for road surfacing, administrative use, and stockpiled. District roads proposed for surfacing are FRs , , 54, 3344, 319, 62, 18C, 320, 2019, 59A, and 59B. Other district roads within the project area may be spot-rocked based on their current condition. The gravel site would be approximately two to three acres and would comprise a pit and a processing area. The excavated material would be crushed, screened, possibly mixed with other materials to obtain a consistent product, and stockpiled for road maintenance or later use. Equipment would consist of a crusher, loader, dozer, grader, dump trucks, and a water tender (for dust abatement if needed). This equipment is required only when the pit is in operation. It is expected that the material produced from this site could act as a source for the Forest for up to 20 years. This site would have a Gravel Pit Management Plan, including site-specific design features, and would detail the efficient and orderly removal of material and measures for rehabilitation. 35

36 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Permanent Wildlife Opening Maintenance PWOs would be maintained by prescribed fire, hand brushing, or mowing. Fire lines would be constructed manually or with mechanical equipment around PWOs maintained with prescribed fire. Brush piles created by hand or mechanical brushing would be burned. PWOs would be stumped prior to mowing. Pre-Commercial Treatments Pre-commercial treatments would maintain and improve growing conditions for young and regeneration age softwood and hardwood trees following approximately 290 acres of shelterwood, group selection, patch cut and clearcut silvicultural treatments. We are also proposing approximately 20 acres of non-commercial treatments in two red oak stands and one softwood stand in which no commercial treatments are planned. These treatments would involve hand tool, chainsaw, or brushsaw cutting to remove undesirable, competing woody vegetation. 1. Softwood and Mixed Wood Group Selection Treatments: Proposed precommercial treatments in softwood and mixed wood group selection harvest would cut competing woody vegetation to release suppressed softwoods in the group openings after commercial harvest. Group sizes will range from approximately 1/10 to 1/2 acre in size, depending on shape, aspect, site, and mature tree height along the group edge. 2. Hardwood Group Selection Treatments: Proposed pre-commercial treatments in hardwood group selection harvest would cut competing woody vegetation to create an open growing condition after commercial harvest. Group sizes would range from approximately 1/4 to 2 acres in size, depending on shape, aspect, site, and mature tree height along the group edge. Smaller group openings favor shade intolerant and shade intermediate species, while larger openings favor white birch and aspen. By removing most competing woody vegetation from the treatment area, tree species regenerating from seed would have a better opportunity to become established in the area. 3. Red Oak Shelterwood Treatments: These treatments specifically target mature red oaks as the center of the non-commercial cutting activity. Given that acorns are relatively heavy seeds, regeneration opportunities are limited to the zone in close proximity to the tree canopy unless dispersed by wildlife. This proposal includes non-commercial treatments around each mature oak tree, as this area has the highest probability to regenerate red oak seedlings. Open ground around mature trees would allow increased sunlight to reach the forest floor, increasing resource availability (i.e. nutrients, water, space) for established oak seedlings (Dey et al. 2007). Retaining mature trees provides an element of high-shade, allowing moderate amounts of light to filter through the canopy to the forest floor and promote shade intermediate species such as red oak. 4. Clearcut and Patch Cut Treatments: These post-harvest treatments propose cutting the non-commercial size beech and striped maple saplings during 36

37 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment the end of the growing season (July through mid-september) when root reserves are depleted. By removing most competing woody vegetation from the treatment area, tree species regenerating from seed will have a better opportunity to become established in the area, while root and stump sprouting opportunity would be reduced compared to treatments during the winter months. Without pre-commercial treatment, the stand would likely not have the well-stocked, diverse array of newly initiated vegetation necessary to classify it as regeneration age habitat. Without pre-commercial treatment, the established beech and striped maple saplings would likely occupy the clearcuts and patch cuts into the foreseeable future. 5. Red Oak Non-Commercial Treatments: The red oak non-commercial treatments are proposed in stands 328/66 and 328/68 in an effort to establish an oak regeneration age class. Commercial harvests are not proposed in these stands. The red oak treatments would be very similar to the Red Oak Shelterwood Treatments described above. The proposal specifically targets mature red oaks as the center of the non-commercial cutting activity. Treatment expectations are also similar, as our proposal hopes to establish red oak seedlings at a higher occurrence than past harvest. 6. Softwood Non-Commercial Treatments: This softwood treatment would only occur in stand 331/47; no commercial treatment is proposed here. A single age class of hardwood and softwood was initiated during the last harvest. The hardwoods have out-competed the softwoods by achieving taller heights and fuller crowns and thus have created a shaded, suppressed softwood understory. By cutting the non-commercial size hardwood stems, the established softwood would be free to grow and have a better chance of occupying the site which is suited to a softwood community. Prescribed Fire Prescribed fire is an effective tool to mimic natural disturbance as well as to create and maintain open, grassy conditions. Prior to burning, Forest fire Figure 2-3. A 2008 WMNF prescribed fire in a red pine stand located near Conway, New Hampshire. 37

38 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 2.3 Alternative 3 personnel would develop a burn plan, and trained and qualified personnel would implement the burn. Prescribed burning projects include: Burn approximately 18 acres of the newly-expanded portions of the existing permanent wildlife openings. Burn approximately 16 acres of the new permanent wildlife opening at Ikie Fields. Burn approximately 20 acres on Farwell Mountain top (red pine, oak, blueberries, and pockets of spruce-fir). A 105-acre area surrounding the mountain top would serve as a holding area containing both natural and humanmade barriers (i.e. road and steams) that would halt the fire s progress should it extend beyond the intended 20 acres. Re-burn two white pine stands: Harriman Brook 1 (compartment 328, portions of stands 2 and 41) totalling 8 acres; and Harriman Brook 2 (compartment 328/stand 24) which is 21 acres. Burn approximately 22 acres of an oak stand (compartment 328/ stand 40). Alternative 2 was developed to optimize the purpose and need for the project with the most current information at that time. Additional interdisciplinary team analysis and public comments revealed several issues that address specific recreation, transportation, wildlife, and vegetative concerns. Alternative 3 was developed as a result. It is the same as Alternative 2, but with the following revisions: Recreation Broken Bridge Campsite To reduce cost and ground disturbance at the Broken Bridge boat launch/dispersed campsite, the following actions would occur: stabilize the boat launch to minimize erosion, widen and slightly expand the parking area, and install signs to accommodate and delineate both day-use and overnight-use areas. Crocker Pond Campground The campground would be maintained at its current size. The dispersed campsite adjacent to the Crocker Pond campground (intersection of Round Pond and Crocker Pond roads) would be closed, the gate at the Round Pond road would be moved further to the east and boulders would be placed along the road edge to discourage vehicle access and camping at this site. Parking at sites 5, 6, and 7 would be improved. Site 10 Dispersed Campsite Vehicle access to the site would be maintained. 38

39 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Gravel Pit Transportation The proposed gravel site on Sunken Pond Road would not be developed and gravel would be supplied from private sources. Vegetation/Wildlife Forest Management Five hemlock stands (325/10, 329/12, 329/15, 331/59 and 331/66), totaling 73 acres would have their prescription changed from group selection (uneven-aged management) to commercial thinning (even-aged management). Low vigor, mid-canopy, and overstory trees would be targeted for removal while ensuring a well-stocked stand of trees after harvest. Resources would then be reallocated to the remaining trees to enhance overall stand health and growth. Studies have shown that hemlock respond well to thinning treatments even after being suppressed in dense stands for many decades. After release, residual trees have better stem form and faster growth rates compared to open-grown hemlock of similar size (Marshall 1927). Since no openings are created in commercial thinnings, establishment of regeneration in the understory would be sparse. Wildlife Habitat A new 30 acre permanent wildlife opening (Miles Brook PWO) would be constructed within the newly-acquired Haystack Notch parcel in Mason Township. The Sunken Pond PWO would be expanded by five acres. These two PWOs would be maintained by prescribed fire, and fire lines would be constructed manually or with mechanical equipment around them. Brush piles created by hand or mechanical brushing would be burned. Prescribed Fire Prescribed fire atop Farwell Mountain would be dropped. 2.4 Design Features All actions in the Four Ponds project have been designed to meet particular management goals while protecting resources. There are three types of protective measures integrated into the Four Ponds project design: Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines (Forest Plan Chapters 2 and 3), State of Maine Best Management Practices, and design features. Design Features define how and where particular Forest Plan standards and guidelines are applied to the project. They may also be management activities that are not directly associated with standards and guidelines but would be implemented on the ground to address site-specific safety or resource needs. Design features are applied only if the affected area or stand is included in the alternative ultimately selected by the District Ranger. Air Quality Notify adjacent landowners and nearby fire stations prior to ignition of prescribed burns. 39

40 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Reduce dust from trucking on Patte Mill Brook and Crocker Pond roads, and from gravel extraction, if air quality problems arise (as identified by the Forest Service Timber Sale Administrator) by either spraying water or applying calcium chloride or water to the road, a proven method of reducing road dust. Gravel Pit Development Complete a Gravel Pit Development and Rehabilitation Plan prior to pit development. Minimize crushing or hauling gravel on week-ends or holidays to reduce noise and encounters between Forest visitors and gravel trucks. Post signs informing visitors of crushing and hauling activities. Prohibit excavation within 5 feet of the seasonal high water table. The maximum excavation depth would be determined by site survey, including the elevation of the seasonal high water table (April-May water level) at Sunken Pond. If the maximum excavation depth is approached (within 3 feet), the depth to water table would be verified with a test pit or monitoring well. Mining only above the water table prevents impacts on groundwater flow to nearby wetlands (Green et al. 2005). Leaving a buffer of soil above the water table protects water quality due to the filtering capacity of the soil layer (Peckenham et al. 2009; Hatva 1994). Conduct refueling operations, oil changes, and other maintenance activities requiring the handling of fuels, petroleum products, and hydraulic fluids, as well as other on-site activity involving the storage or use of products that, if spilled, may contaminate groundwater, in accordance with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection s spill prevention, control, and countermeasures plan (SPCC). Petroleum products and other substances that may contaminate groundwater must be stored and handled over impervious surfaces that are designed to contain spills. Operator contract or pit management plan must include an SPCC plan. Prohibit operation or vegetation removal between the current location of Sunken Pond Road and Sunken Pond, creating a 250-foot buffer from the mapped edge of the pond and a 100-foot buffer from the edge of the mapped wetland. An intact, vegetated buffer mitigates the risk of surface water contamination from overland flow from the gravel pit site (Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) 2003). Direct drainage from the gravel pit, road, and pit development area away from Sunken Pond, and disperse it through well-vegetated areas. Stockpiles of topsoil must be seeded, mulched or otherwise temporarily stabilized. Maine best management practices for erosion and sedimentation control must be employed on access roads, disturbed areas, and in site reclamation so that no sediment enters nearby water bodies. These practices will minimize turbidity or water chemistry effects from disturbed or impervious areas (MDEP 2003). If using calcium chloride or other chemicals for dust abatement, consult with the Forest hydrologist to ensure proposed use is consistent with protection of water resources. 40

41 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Heritage Resources Protect known heritage sites located in or near proposed activities with reserve areas where harvesting and equipment is not allowed. Evidence from other harvest activities on White Mountain National Forest timber sales shows that heritage site locations are maintained when this design feature is applied. Plants and Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) To minimize the spread of NNIS, skidding and hauling will be prohibited through areas known to be infested with NNIS. Known infested areas are the Pingree Fields and Bell Mountain PWOs. Travel on existing roads within these two PWOs is permitted. The NNIS species do not occur in the roadbeds and travel poses a minimal risk of spreading NNIS. Maintain a fifty foot buffer between the exemplary oak community adjacent to the proposed gravel development site (Alternative 2) or the proposed Sunken Pond PWO expansion (Alternative 3). This forested buffer will help maintain existing sunlight penetration, species composition, and protect the root system of tree species within the exemplary community from the activities proposed for the adjacent forested area (gravel development or PWO expansion). Botany program staff will undertake control efforts prior to project inception at several small infestations of NNIS known to occur in the vicinity of the Donahue Field PWO in accordance with the Forest wide NNIS Control Environmental Assessment and its associated prioritization strategy. Botany program staff will, for a period of five years from sale close-out, annually monitor log landings, main skid trails, and haul roads within 1/2 mile of the Bell Mountain and Pingree Field PWO for dispersal or expansion of NNIS plants. Recreation Post safety and speed limit signs on snowmobile trails during harvest activity. In the past ten years, there have been no reported accidents between logging trucks and equipment, and recreationists. Also, visual observations by Forest Service personnel show that log truck drivers are obeying speed limits and that loggers are aware of snowmobilers and allowing them safe passage through sale areas. The Timber Sale Administrator would post signs informing visitors of harvest activities. Minimize log hauling on snowmobile trails (during snowmobiling season) on weekends or holidays to reduce contact between log trucks and snowmobilers. Minimize slash on trails to allow safe passage of snowmobiles and hikers. This design features has been incorporated into a timber sale provision which states that the purchaser is responsible for cleaning up skid trail crossings at the end of each day. Visual observations of skid trail crossings by Forest personnel show that this is occurring. 41

42 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Establish a minimum 25 foot slash removal zone next to all campsites to maintain campground aesthetics. This design feature would be a provision in timber sale contracts and enforced by the Timber Sale Administrator. The Timber Sale administrator and Purchaser would lay out skid trails prior to operations that minimize crossings in order to protect the existing trail tread as much as possible and reduce contact between hikers and logging equipment. Riparian and Aquatic Habitats Forest Plan guidelines applicable to perennial streams would also be applied to the following unmapped perennial streams: Upper Kings Brook (compartment 313, stands 44, 60, and 45) Perennial tributaries to Miles Brook (compartment 324, stands 12, 32, 5, 16, 19, and 12) Bowl Brook (compartment 325, stands 46 and 48) Perennial tributaries to Harriman Brook (compartment 328, stands 9, 59, 75) Donahue Brook (compartment 328, stands 90, 64, 29) Browns Brook (compartment 328, stands 33, 89, 87) Bend Brook (compartment 328, stands 84 and 85) Tributaries to Albany Brook between Crocker Pond and Round Pond; reaches below Round Pond Road (25-foot no cut only) Tributary to Crooked River 3 (compartment 329, stand 20) Scenery Management For stands that exceed the guidelines for Scenic Integrity Objectives, design features such as larger, employ coordinated reserve areas and adjustments to stand boundaries to reduce seen acres. The Forest Landscape Architect may be consulted on stand and reserve area layout. Soil Resources Limit the area subject to soil compaction by making log landings the minimum size necessary to meet the requirements of the equipment, the quantity and type of forest products, and safety (Oregon State University Ext 1983; Martin 1988; BMP ME 2004). This limitation minimizes the area on which soil disturbance and compaction would occur. Upon completion of operations at a landing, blade and stabilize the area of disturbance as needed to prevent erosion before the site can revegetate, and to accelerate recovery from temporary soil compaction (BMP ME 2004). Even though these surfaces are nearly flat, this action insures that runoff from the landing would not erode soils. Limit the operating period of timber sale activities to specific season of harvest and ground conditions specified in the timber sale contract to minimize adverse soil and water environmental effects. This would be monitored 42

43 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment by the Timber Sale Administrator (Martin 1988), and ensures that erosion and compaction is minimized and contained within the immediate area, with no long-term soil productivity effects occurring. Design skidding patterns to fit the terrain in order to control the volume, velocity, concentration, and direction of runoff water in a manner that would minimize erosion and sedimentation. This prevention practice would be achieved by minimizing the length of skid trails, locating the skid trails in advance, adding drainage features such as waterbars, and designing skid trails to cross streams at right angles. This would be implemented by the Timber Sale Administrator (Oregon State University Ext 1983; Martin1988; BMP Maine 2004). Harvested trees may be skidded whole to landings. Scatter some tops and limbs on landings and skid trails to reduce compaction and erosion during and after operations, during snow-free season and otherwise as needed; and return and scatter remaining tops and limbs on all harvested stands to retain soil nutrients (Forest Plan, Forest-wide Vegetation Management, exceeds G-5, p 2-30 and Water Resources, exceeds S-1). This design feature works because placing logging slash in the skid trails reduces compaction (Martin 1988). Slash collected on the skid trail will cushion the effects of compaction. (Oregon State University Extension Service 1983). To minimize compaction, operate on a cushion of slash, or over snow. A surface layer of 2 or greater will provide protection from compaction (Poff 1996). Upon completion of harvesting operations, close skid trails and seed bare ground as needed in areas where soil erosion potential occurs. The Timber Sale Administrator would designate the areas of disturbed soils that must be treated and monitor effectiveness of the treatment (BMP Maine 2004). Water-barring and seeding needed sections of skid trails has proven to work on the White Mountain National Forest, and in other places implementing Maine and NH BMPs (see NCASI 2000 Handbook of Control and Mitigation Measures for Silvicultural Operations, and USFS Handbooks and ) Water Resources Leave 10 percent reserve areas in Compartment 325, stands 8 and 22, to protect water chemistry. Remove no more than 30 percent of basal area in Compartment 328, stands 26, 30, 64, and 90, and leave 10 percent in reserve areas in stand 28 to meet basal area threshold in Donahue Brook subwatershed. Skid trails in the headwaters of Miles Brook watershed will not run parallel to stream channels, due to the high density of stream channels in this area. Headwaters of New England Brook have low fish productivity and existing beaver influence. In stands 21 and 29, even-aged management may be used to promote beaver habitat in riparian areas. If managing for beaver, riparian no-cut and partial cut zones would not apply. Restore proper drainage on Albany Brook Trail, where an intermittent tributary to Round Pond crosses the trail. 43

44 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District During reconstruction of FR 320, replace an undersized, perched culvert on a perennial tributary to Albany Brook with a structure meeting Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines. If a temporary crossing on the Crooked River is necessary, a bank-spanning structure that will not disturb banks and will accommodate the 25-year flood should be used. This structure should be removed before spring high flow periods. Wildlife To maintain minor species within stands, where possible, reserve small hemlock inclusions that are within other forest habitat types, especially adjacent to streams. Exceptions may include hazardous trees and trees located where parts of skid trails or landings cannot be moved because of land features (Forest Plan; FEIS). To maintain hard mast component as a food source for wildlife, where possible, beech trees with abundant bear claw marks or having clumps of branches in the crown should not be marked for cutting unless the tree is expected to die in the near future. Favor trees that have recent bear claw marks. Trees that are reserved should be managed to maintain healthy crowns to improve mast production. Exceptions may include hazardous trees, trees located where parts of skid trails or landings cannot be moved because of land features, and trees with >75 percent crown damage since there is a high probability they will die in the near future. In areas with a heavy concentration of bear trees, patches of habitat will be reserved to minimize damage to the trees (Forest Plan). Prescribed burning of the permanent wildlife openings will follow guidelines outlined in an authorized prescribed burn plan to ensure that resource objectives are met (Forest Plan). Stumping and mowing (if used for maintenance) of the permanent wildlife openings will occur during late summer or fall (outside nesting season) when ground conditions are operable for heavy equipment (dry and snowfree) (Forest Plan). Where possible, do not cut cedar as a tree source for watershed improvement project since cedar is a minor species in the area (Forest Plan). To maintain and enhance hemlock and spruce-fir habitat, restrict skid trail widths to protect existing softwood regeneration, and minimize the amount of light entering the stand. Too much light in spruce-fir and hemlock stands may favor hardwood regeneration (Forest Plan). Reserve large softwood flat that is shallow to the water table and adjacent to the riparain zone in Compartment 328/Stand 6. This area is within the Harriman Brook deeryard. Consult with District Biologist during stand layout (Forest Plan). Reserve area of dense hemlock patch on the western edge of Compartment 328/Stand 36 as this is part of a historical deeryard. Consult with District Biologist during 328/Stand 36 layout (Forest Plan). Reserve any known small patches of cedar seepage forested habitat. 44

45 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment In historic deer wintering areas, maintain a component of balsam fir in the stand (recommended as approximately 40 percent fir in spruce/fur stands (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 2009) as fir is a favored source of browse for in deer wintering areas. Reserve large red pine bear security tree in Compartment 328/Stand 100 and large hemlock bear security tree in Compartment 328/Stand 28 (Forest Plan). Reserve bird listening trees in Compartment 328 for long-term bird monitoring project conducted by the Northeast Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Durham, NH. Consult with District Biologist during stand layout. 2.5 Comparison of Alternatives Table 2-2 is a summary table comparing the proposed activities by alternative. Table 2-3 is a summary table comparing effects by alternative. Numbers are approximate for both tables. Table 2-2. Proposed Activities by Alternative (Numbers are approximate). Measure Unit Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Recreation Dispersed and Developed Campsites Improvements to dispersed campsites: Patte Marsh Broken Bridge Site 10 (installation of rock barriers and site rehabilitation) Sites added to Crocker Pond campground (new and existing) Closure of dispersed campsite adjacent to Crocker Pond Campground Improvement to parking at sites 5, 6 and 7 in Crocker Pond campground Snowmobile Relocation Yes/No No No No Yes Ye Yes Yes Yes No # Yes/No No No Yes Yes/No No Yes Yes Sunken Pond Bypass Trail Miles Crocker Pond Snowmobile Miles Trails Abandonment of a section of the Albany Notch Trail Miles Improvements to the Albany Brook Trail to bring up to Miles ADA standards Watershed Restoration Placement of wood into perennial streams Miles Removal of culverts in New England Brook road # Backwater pools created on Harriman Brook road (at the outlet of culverts) #

46 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Measure Unit Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Transportation System Road Restoration Miles Road Reconstruction Miles Road Construction Miles Unauthorized/unidentified roads classified to Forest Miles Roads Road Decommissioning Miles Established/New Landings # 0 26/4 26/4 Development of Sunken Pond Gravel Site Yes/No No Yes No Vegetation Management Treatments Even-Aged Final Harvest Regeneration age-class Acres (clearcut and patchcut) Even-Aged Final Harvest Young age-class (overstory Acres removal) Even-Aged Intermediate Harvest (commercial thinning Acres and shelterwood prepatory cut) Uneven-Aged Intermediate Harvest (group selection) Acres 0 1,998 1,925 Expansion of existing Permanent Wildlife Openings Sunken Pond Donahue Field Harriman Brook Spur Bell Mountain Acres Round Pond Development of PWO at Ikie Fields New Permanent Wildlife Opening Miles Brook PWO Acres Total Stand Acres (net acres treated) Acres 0 2,979 (1,347) ,014 (1,377) Harvest Volume (Million Board Feet MMBF) MMBF Pre-Commercial Treatment Removal of non-commercial trees (<5 removal) Acres Prescribed Fire Farwell Mountain Top (Holding Area) Acres 0 20 (105) 0 Expand and construct new Permanent Wildlife Acres Openings Regeneration of oak and pine stands Acres Wildlife Stump Removal in Permanent Wildlife Openings (Donahue Fields and Round Pond) Acres

47 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Table -3. Summary Comparison of Effects by Alternative. Resource Criteria Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Air Resources Heritage Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) Particle Emissions from Proposed Activities Protection to Cultural Resources Introduction of NNIS Emissions from vehicles would continue to occur. Increase fuel loading atop Farwell Mountain could potentially lead to a large wildland fire. No measurable effects to heritage resources from ongoing management activities; however, location of a dispersed campsite adjacent to Crocker Pond campground may continue to compromise a nearby stone foundation. Low risk of introducing NNIS into Project Area. Recreational use, PWO management, roads and trails may spread NNIS into unoccupied areas. Slight and temporary decrease in air quality due to prescribed burning and development of a gravel pit. Would meet NAAQS and all federal, state and local regulations. Reduction of fuel loading would decrease potential for large wildland fire atop Farwell Mountain. Adherence to Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines and site specific design features would result in no appreciable changes to heritage resource sites. Relocating a dispersed campsite near Crocker Pond campground would reduce impacts to a stone foundation. Adherence to Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines and site specific design features would result in low risk of introducing NNIS into Project Area. Slight and temporary decrease in air quality due to prescribed burning. Would meet NAAQS and all federal, state and local regulations. Increase fuel loading atop Farwell Mountain could potentially lead to a large wildland fire. Adherence to Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines and site specific design features would result in no appreciable changes to heritage resource sites. Closure of a dispersed campsite adjacent to Crocker Pond would reduce impacts to a stone foundation. Adherence to Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines and site specific design features would result in low risk of introducing NNIS into Project Area. 47

48 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Resource Criteria Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Poorly located portions of the Albany Notch hiking would continue to cause resource damage and disrupt beaver habitat. Decommissioning an unsustainable and impassable section of the Albany Notch trail would still maintain access to Albany Mountain as well as protect beaver habitat. Decommissioning an unsustainable and impassable section of the Albany Notch trail would still maintain access to Albany Mountain as well as protect beaver habitat. Sections of poorly located snowmobile trails (Sunken Pond Bypass and Crocker Pond) would continue to pass through wet areas and have reduced sight distances. Relocation of unsustainable and impassable sections of snowmobile trails (Sunken Pond Bypass and Crocker Pond) would reduce resource damage and improve sight distances. Relocation of unsustainable and impassable sections of snowmobile trails (Sunken Pond Bypass and Crocker Pond) would reduce resource damage and improve sight distance. Would not expand recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. A portion of the Albany Brook trail would be improved for universal accessibility. A portion of the Albany Brook trail would be improved for universal accessibility. Recreation Improve and expand recreational opportunities Conflicts between day and overnight users would continue to exist at Broken Bridge and Patte Marsh dam dispersed campsites. Reduce conflicts between day and overnight users at Broken Bridge and Patte Dam dispersed campsites by moving sites away from parking area. Reduce conflicts between day and overnight users at Patte Marsh dam dispersed campsite by moving site away from parking area. The parking lot at Broken Bridge would be delineated for day and over-night users. Conflicts may still arise between users. Crocker Pond would continue at its current size. Increased demand would not be met and vehicle access at three sites would be difficult. Resource damage and trash left by large parties would continue to impact Site 10. Expansion of the Crocker Pond campground would meet increased demand and improve vehicle access at three sites. Restricted vehicle access to Site 10 would reduce soil compaction. Amenities would be added and the site would be better defined to limit use area. Crocker Pond would continue at its current size and increased demand would not be met. Improved parking at three sites. Resource damage and trash left by large parties would continue to impact Site

49 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Resource Criteria Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Recreation Riparian and Aquatic Habitat Improve financial efficiency at Crocker Pond campgroun Opportunity for Solitude Risk tree management within in recreational facilities Stream Thermal Classifications Stream Connectivity Campers at a dispersed campsite adjacent to Crocker Pond would continue to use campground facilities without contributing to upkeep. No change in solitude; noise would still be heard from nearby roads, campground, dispersed sites, and snowmobile trails. Risk trees would be evaluated prior to campground opening. Felled trees would remain on-site and no income would be received. No changes to stream thermal classes. Fish populations may remain isolated above culvert barriers. Income generated by the addition of three new sites at Crocker Pond campground would support costs generated by additional sites, including the adjacent dispersed site that was using campground. Activities within two miles of Wilderness boundary (timber harvesting, stream restoration, road work, gravel extraction) would generate short term, localized noise in addition to existing sources. Risk trees in Crocker Pond campground and around dispersed campsites would be removed through timber harvest. Forest Service would receive economic value from harvested trees. No changes to stream thermal classes. Provide isolated fish populations unimpeded stream passage and access to higher steam reaches by removing barriers on New England Brook road. Additional income would not be generated at Crocker Pond campground. The dispersed campsite near the campground would be decommissioned which would eliminate use of campground resources. Activities within two miles of Wilderness boundary (timber harvesting, stream restoration, road work) would generate short term localized noise in addition to existing sources. Risk trees in Crocker Pond campground and around dispersed campsites would be removed through timber harvest. Forest Service would receive economic value from harvested trees. No changes to stream thermal classes. Provide isolated fish populations unimpeded stream passage and access to higher steam reaches by removing barriers on New England Brook road. In-stream Habitat Stream habitat would remain similar to current situation, localized changes due to random tree falls. Increased pool habitat, in-stream cover, fish productivity and biomass through the addition of in-stream wood. Increased pool habitat, in-stream cover, fish productivity and biomass through the addition of in-stream wood. 49

50 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Resource Criteria Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Scenery Socioeconomics Visual changes in scenery Net Timber Receipts On-Forest gravel source Employment and Timber Products Little change from present. Forest will continue to age and be viewed as a mature forest. Openings would be created through natural disturbance events. Some change from the present with small canopy gaps and larger opening created by clearcuts and PWOs. Variations in texture and color on the landscape due to overstory removals. Forest would continue to be viewed as a mature landscape. One PWO and one stand proposed for aspen-paper regeneration would not meet SIO objectives because of the need to meet wildlife habitat goals. Some change from the present with small canopy gaps and larger opening created by clearcuts and PWOs. Variations in texture and color on the landscape due to overstory removals. Forest would continue to be viewed as a mature landscape. Two PWOs and one stand proposed for aspen-paper regeneration would not meet SIO objectives because of the need to meet wildlife habitat goals. ($177,450) $216,560 $149,052 Gravel supplied by private sources. Higher surfacing costs for periodic road maintenance and repairs. No commercial timber products or jobs generated. On-forest gravel source would improve cost efficiency for road maintenance, reconstruction, and restoration and for emergency use. Employment for local loggers. Consistent flow of timber products to mills. Higher stumpage prices in summer. Road closure work could occur soon after harvest completion (in summer and fall) reducing logging cost. Gravel supplied by private sources. Higher surfacing costs for road maintenance, reconstruction and restoration. Employment for local loggers. Consistent flow of timber products to mills. Higher stumpage prices in summer. Road closure work could occur soon after harvest completion (in summer and fall) reducing logging cost. 50

51 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Resource Criteria Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 No soil disturbing activities. Short term disturbance to soils due to most proposed activities. Short term disturbance to soils due to proposed activities. Sunken Pond gravel site would have a Gravel Pit Management Plan to address localized soil erosion and compaction. Soils Soil Productivity Continued soil compaction and erosion issues at Site 10 dispersed campsite. Improved soil productivity by improving drainage flow and eliminating vehicles access to Site 10. Continued soil compaction and erosion issues at Site 10 dispersed campsite. Transportation Use of Forest Roads Road construction restoration and reconstruction Vegetation Forest Health No changes to road system or increased traffic No change to current condition of road surfaces. Routine road maintenance. Damaged and infected trees would naturally die and economic value would be lost. Adherence to Maine BMPs, Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines, and site specific design features would result in no appreciable changes to soil productivity of the land. An estimated 300 days of logging truck traffic may occur over the life of the project (5-10 years). Tyler, Patte Mill Brook, Harriman and Crocker Pond roads would be the primary transportation system used during the summer, fall and winter seasons. Improve user comfort and safety. Minor road construction (200 ) to access a new dispersed campsite at Broken Bridge pond. Harvesting trees infected with beech bark disease, sugar maple borer, pine blister rust and pine weevil would capture economic value and improve overall forest health. It would also reduce the spread of infection to healthy trees. Adherence to Maine BMPs, Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines, and site specific design features would result in no appreciable changes to soil productivity of the land. An estimated 300 days of logging trucks may occur over the life of the project (5-10 years). Tyler, Patte Mill Brook, Harriman and Crocker Pond roads would be the primary transportation system used during the summer, fall and winter seasons. Improve user comfort and safety. No road construction. Harvesting trees infected with beech bark disease, sugar maple borer, pine blister rust and pine weevil would capture economic value and improve overall forest health. It would also reduce the spread of infection to healthy trees. 51

52 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Resource Criteria Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 No opportunities to perpetuate oakpine, spruce-fir, aspen-birch and hemlock community types A combination of silvicultural treatments would provide for a diversity of species and perpetuate oak-pine, spruce-fir, aspen-birch and hemlock community types. A combination of silvicultural treatments would provide for a diversity of species and perpetuate oak-pine, spruce-fir, aspen-birch and hemlock community types. Species Composition Shade tolerant species will continue to dominate the understory. Growth of intermediate and shade intolerant hardwood and softwood species inhibited. Provide diverse understory and vertical structure by increasing opportunities for shade intermediate and shade tolerant species to become established. Provide diverse understory and vertical structure by increasing opportunities for shade intermediate and shade tolerant species to become established. Vegetation Oak-Pine community type Overtopped young softwoods would continue to be suppressed in the understory. Oak and pine seedlings will continue to be suppressed in understory. Increased shade tolerant species occupying understory and inhibiting growth of intermediate and shade intolerant species. Create Free to grow conditions for young softwoods by removing overtopping mature trees. Reduce competing vegetation and create mineral seed bed to foster oak and pine regeneration through the use of prescribed fire. Increase growth on shade intolerant and shade intermediate species through removal of shade tolerant hardwood saplings Create Free to grow conditions for young softwoods by removing overtopping mature trees. Reduce competing vegetation and create mineral seed bed to foster oak and pine regeneration through the use of prescribed fire. Increase growth on shade intolerant and shade intermediate species through removal of shade tolerant hardwood saplings. Precommercial Treatments Oak seedlings would continue to be overtopped by fast growing hardwoods which limits light and out-competes oak seedlings for resources. Non-commercial treatments around mature oak tree would increase the probability of red oak regeneration by allowing increased sunlight to reach the forest floor and increase resource availability (i.e. nutrients, water, space) for established oak seedlings Non-commercial treatments around mature oak tree would increase the probability of red oak regeneration by allowing increased sunlight to reach the forest floor and increase resource availability (i.e. nutrients, water, space) for established oak seedlings 52

53 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Resource Criteria Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Vegetation Water Commercial thinning in hemlock stands Red pine/ woodland community Water Quantity and Quality Wildlife Habitat Dense stocking impedes optimum tree and crown development due to competition for limited resources. Limited hemlock regeneration due to shade conditions. Without prescribed fire, Farwell Mountain top would convert over time to a spruce-fir community type. Would not occur under this alternative, only group selection treatments. Hemlock regeneration encouraged in group openings. Use of prescribed fire would mimic historic fires and create open growing conditions that favor red pine and blueberry regeneration. No changes from present. Adherence to Maine BMPs, Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines, and site specific design features would result in no appreciable short term or long-term changes in water quality/ quantity. No creation of early successional habitat or maintenance of unique forest community types. Some mature stands converted to early successional (northern hardwoods and aspen-birch) and herbaceous habitat to meet HMU desired conditions. Improve stand vigor, crown development and growth through the removal of low quality trees (mid and overstory). Reduces competition for resources. Limited hemlock regeneration opportunities as compared to group selection. Without prescribed fire, Farwell Mountain top would convert over time to a spruce-fir community type. Adherence to Maine BMPs, Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines, and site specific design features would result in no appreciable short term or long-term changes in water quality/ quantity. Some mature stands converted to early successional (northern hardwoods and aspen-birch) habitat to meet HMU desired conditions. An additional 30 acres of herbaceous habitat would be created. Wildlife Browse Increase spruce-fir understory Less species habitat diversity. Reduced feeding opportunities for deer wintering in Harriman Brook deer yard. Spruce-fir would continue to stagnate in the midstory as they are out-competed for growing space and resources by shade tolerant northern hardwoods. Increased wildlife habitat diversity. Increased browse for deer wintering in Harriman Brook deeryard. Improved habitat for species associated with dense softwood cover such as snowshoe hare; an important prey species on the Forest. Increased wildlife habitat diversity. Increased browse for deer wintering in Harriman Brook deeryard. Improved habitat for species associated with dense softwood cover such as snowshoe hare; an important prey species on the Forest. 53

54 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Resource Criteria Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 TES/RFSS No impacts to TES/RFSS Potential for occurrence of TES/ RFSS is low. Habitat may be improved for Bailey s sedge, Autumn coralroot, Nodding pogonia and Canada mountain ricegrass as these species tolerate or favor disturbance. Potential habitat for Northern adder s tongue would increase due to new openings. No impacts to Species and Habitats of Concern Outstanding Natural Communities No effects since none are proposed for harvest. Potential for occurrence of TES/ RFSS is low in the Project Area. Habitat may be improved for Bailey s sedge, Autumn coralroot, Nodding pogonia and Canada mountain ricegrass as these species tolerate or favor disturbance. Potential habitat for Northern adder s tongue would increase due to new openings. Outstanding Natural Communities No effects since none are proposed for harvest. Vernal Pools/Seeps Known areas would be protected. Vernal Pools/Seeps Known areas would be protected. Wildlife Species and Habitats of Concern Bear Claw Beech Potential loss of bear-claw beech due to timber harvesting, trail relocation and stream restoration work. Deer Winter Areas Increase browse from tops and limbs in deer wintering areas. Possible loss of secondary cover Development of softwood understory would provide a wind break. Bear Claw Beech Potential loss of bear-claw beech due to timber harvesting, trail relocation and stream restoration work. Deer Winter Areas Increase browse from tops and limbs in deer wintering areas. Possible loss of secondary cover Development of softwood understory would provide a wind break. Bats Minimal disturbance to bats because they prefer to roost in snags. Most stand treatments would leave 70-80% of the mature trees available as roost trees. Bats Minimal disturbance to bats because they prefer to roost in snags. Most stand treatments would leave 70-80% of the mature trees available as roost trees. 54

55 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Chapter Three Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences 3.1 Introduction This chapter addresses the site-specific effects of proposed activities on the resources in the Four Ponds Project Area. Field work, monitoring data, published science, and public input played a key role in this analysis. It is important to note that findings regarding potential effects differ among environmental analyses depending on the land features, project proposals, new science, and results of public scoping. Each resource section includes: A description of Affected Environment Relevant elements of each resource and how effects on those elements are measured Analysis of Direct and Indirect Effects on the Resource (By Alternative): Direct Effects occur at the same place and time as the proposed activity. Indirect Effects are later in time or farther removed in distance, but are still clearly a result of the proposed activity. Analysis of Cumulative Effects on the Resource (By Alternative): Cumulative Effects result from the incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions, regardless of which government agency or individual undertakes such other actions. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) prepared for the Forest Plan is the program-level analysis for all resource discussions in this chapter and serves as the foundation for all project-level analysis. The proposed activities in Alternatives 2 and 3 are typical management actions on the White Mountain National Forest, each falling within the range of actions anticipated and included in the conclusions reached in the FEIS. This project-level analysis is tiered to the FEIS, and where it is appropriate to do so, the FEIS is incorporated by reference, with project information summarized here. Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions Cumulative effects analysis requires consideration of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions in the analysis area for each resource. The geographic area and the temporal scope for cumulative effects analyses are identified for each resource based on potential effects of this action in its sitespecific context. The boundaries are the same for some resources and different for others. In all cases, the rationale for the area and time period is noted in individual resource sections in this chapter. Activities and effects on private lands are considered when they are within the spatial and temporal cumulative effects analysis area. Below are descriptions of actions considered in cumulative effects analyses in various geographic areas associated with the Four Ponds project. 55

56 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Most resource specialists used a timeframe of ten years in the past and into the future for cumulative effects analyses, thus the activities listed below are within that span of time. Specialists who use a different timeframe (longer) considered additional activities that occurred or will occur within that specific timeframe. Albany Habitat Management Unit (HMU) Past Projects (10 years): Within the past ten years, Farwell Mountain Timber Sale occurred in the HMU. Silvicultural treatments occurred on 294 acres or 2 percent of the area. They included 214 acres using uneven-aged management, such as group selection and individual tree selection, and 80 acres using evenaged management, such as patchcut, clearcut and seed tree cut. There are about 30 acres of private in-holdings in this HMU. Other activities that occurred in this HMU in the last ten years include ongoing maintenance of permanent wildlife openings and roads, backcountry campsite and trail maintenance, and prescribed burning. Other past projects in this HMU are discussed in other resource sections because they occurred beyond the ten-year timeframe. The 667 acre Haystack Notch parcel was acquired in Prior to Forest Service ownership, this area was heavily harvested by the private landowner and is now considered young forest with areas of regeneration-age trees. Three landowners harvested approximately 320 acres (20 acres along Patte Mill Brook Road and 300 acres along King s Highway) using single tree selection and commercial thinning treatments. Last year, the Forest Service decommissioned and rehabilitated a 0.5 mile section of FR 756 near the east Branch of the Pleasant River. A new, permanent snowmobile bridge was installed over Harriman Brook on Harriman Brook Spur A Road. This bridge accommodates the heavy equipment necessary for trail grooming and will facilitate access for future management activities on FR 59A. Present or Ongoing Projects: Along with the alternatives analyzed in this EA, on-going projects include: 1) Patte Mill Brook Road reconstruction; 2) Broken Bridge Dam reconstruction and associated road reconstruction and construction (3.5 miles total) to access the dam site; and 3) stabilization of a 0.25 mile section of the Old Mud City road at washout locations near the East Branch of the Pleasant River. Reasonably Foreseeable Future Projects (10 years): The definition of reasonably, foreseeable, and future actions is federal or non-federal activities not yet undertaken, for which there are existing decisions, funding, or identified proposals (36 CFR 220.3). Management activities in the next ten years include ongoing maintenance of permanent wildlife openings through prescribed fire or mechanical methods, road maintenance, on-going prescribed fire in previously burned oak-pine stands, ongoing invasive plant eradication, and ongoing maintenance of trails and recreational facilities. 56

57 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 3.2 Air Quality Affected Environment The analysis area for potential effects to air quality generated by the proposed activities is the airshed that includes the Pleasant River watershed and the Crooked River watershed. This is assessed by considering the amount and locations of proposed prescribed burning, the wind patterns, and the low elevational (1,000 2,200 feet) mountains and valleys in the area. The Four Ponds project area is about 20 miles east and northeast (downwind) of the Class I air quality areas on the Forest. The unincorporated Townships of Albany and Mason have some homes, roads, and other infrastructure that exist in the vicinity of the proposed project area. However, no smoke-sensitive areas have been identified. Measurement Indicators Particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter (PM 2.5 ) can cause health problems, affect visibility in an area, and is of most concern for this project. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection considers baseline PM 2.5 levels in Maine good. None of the air pollutants considered harmful to the environment currently exceed Maine air standards or the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The closest locality where fine particulates exceed the NAAQS standards is in Connecticut. The closest locality where any pollutant exceeds the standards is in Merrimack County for ozone, located 80 miles south of the project area. The majority of air emissions that contribute to ozone formation (nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds) appear to originate around large urban centers and migrate northward to the White Mountain region during times of high temperature and high levels of solar radiation. Ground level ozone data from south of Gorham, NH, 20 miles west of the project area, rarely exceeds air quality standards in summer months due to weather and air flow, and is not frequent enough to exceed standards. This same pattern is expected for the Four Ponds project area since it is not located near any large emissions sources and has the same regional air flow patterns. Direct and Indirect Effects The major pollutants of concern for direct and indirect effects to health are mostly related to the amount of PM 2.5 in smoke from the fire (USDA Forest Service 2002) and from the gravel pit (Air and Waste Management Association 2000). Other pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations which are part of smoke emissions (US Environmental Protection Agency 2001) and a number of air toxics. Potential health effects of high exposure to PM 2.5 emissions include respiratory symptoms and aggravation of heart or lung disease (USDA Forest Service 2002b). Each air toxic chemical has its own unique potential health effect. The computer model First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM) was used to estimate the emission levels that would be produced by prescribed fires from the alternatives 57

58 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District (< mid=31>). Emission factors from EPA were used to calculate emissions from the gravel pit operations (AP-42, < Alternative 1 No activities are proposed, so no emissions related to the proposed Four Ponds project would occur. Forest Service classified roads will continue to receive their scheduled level of maintenance. Vehicle use will continue in the project area. These existing emissions are currently contributing to the air quality condition described in the affected environment as well as the larger scale air quality issues discussed in the cumulative effects section of this report. Under the No Action Alternative, fuel levels in the permanent wildlife openings and atop Farwell Mountain would continue to accumulate and could support a wildfire that may be difficult to suppress and could emit more pollutants per acre than prescribed fire. These emissions could reduce visibility along roads, and increase health concerns for segments of the population. Alternatives 2-3 The proposed activities which have the potential to effect air quality are the prescribed burns and the new gravel pit. In Alternative 2, a total of 85 acres (190 acres including a holding area atop Farwell Mountain) are proposed for burning; in Alternative 3, a total of 120 are proposed. The effects of prescribed burning on air quality in Alternatives 2 and 3 would be short and localized. Due to the short-term nature of the emissions and their low concentration, it is unlikely that the amount of acres of prescribed fire set in the proposed project area would cause nonattainment of NAAQS (Table 3.2-1). Table Total Proposed Four Ponds Project Emissions Estimates (tons)*. Emission Type Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 PM CO 2 **(should the 105 acre holding area atop Farwell Mountain burn) (1,434) 993 *Emissions are for the first burn rotation. Second and third rotations will produce fewer emissions. **Co 2 does not have a NAAQS, emissions calculated for informational purposes (burning only). Fine particulate emissions from the gravel pit under two different operating scenarios were both insignificant (61 and 32 pounds per day) when compared to the emissions from the prescribed fires. These activities inherently yield particles that are predominately larger than PM 2.5, which settle faster and therefore don t travel as far from their emission point. Studies have shown that particulate matter emissions from unpaved roads are attenuated by ~90 percent within only 50 meters from the roadside (Air and Waste Management Association 2000). Using conservative assumptions and a conservative EPA dispersion model (< the farthest downwind distance smoke could be a concern for smoke sensitive people is 5.5 miles. This is the worst case situation for this project and would only last for the few hours when there is active smoke production from the burn. 58

59 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Adverse effects of smoke produced by prescribed burning would be mitigated by restricting the burns to periods when wind, weather, and fuels cause smoke to quickly disperse. By choosing when, where, and how to ignite the units, emission levels are reduced. In the case of a wildfire, emissions would be higher and there would be no control over burn conditions. In addition, public notification of the proposed prescribed burn would be given prior to the start, whereas wildfires start unexpectedly. Prescribed fire is usually scheduled in the spring or fall, when ozone is not a concern. An additional concern to air quality is the use of heavy equipment and gasoperated tools. Emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds often travel more than 100 miles downwind before forming ozone. However, these emissions are a very small fraction of the total contributing to the problem; timber harvesting activities would occur on approximately 1,400 acres during the summer, fall, or winter. Because of the limited duration of operation, and the relative amount of this emission-generating equipment, it is unlikely that the proposed operations would cause the NAAQS to be exceeded. Ground level ozone is worst during summer months, so fall or winter harvest would further minimize this effect. Increased vehicle traffic has the potential to increase dust in the air. If dust becomes a problem due to trucking in the summer and fall, the contractor could mitigate these effects by applying calcium chloride to the surface of the road. Table also shows the emissions of carbon dioxide from prescribed burning by alternative. As a point of reference, in 2005 stationary sources in the State of Maine emitted over 23 million tons of carbon dioxide (including emissions from biomass combustion). Cumulative Effects The cumulative effects area for air quality is the same as for the direct and indirect effects. This was selected because, at this scale, the effects of multiple uses within the airshed could become additive and result in cumulative effects. The timeframe analyzed is from and includes any activities in the past which could add to cumulative effects, as well as looking far enough into the future so that the effects of the project and any known future activities are fully considered. According to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection all stationary sources of air pollution within Oxford County are a distance away from the project area to the east, and since prevailing winds are westerly, it is unlikely that pollution from these sources would intermix within the project area airshed. Also, there are no other projects in the general vicinity of the proposed project area that would contribute to cumulative effects. Existing air pollution in the airshed is mostly related to regional and industrial sources. Local sources, such as vehicle emissions and dust from roads, are a small source of emissions associated with carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides. Wildland fire contributes particulates, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide to the air. Dust from roads and the gravel pit contribute particulates. All combustion sources emit air toxics. Wildland and prescribed fire do not occur in the area on a regular basis. However, on occasion fires 59

60 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District have exceeded 100 acres in size and the proposed project area contains what is considered to be fire prone habitat. Prescribed fires on the White Mountain National Forest are generally small and short-lived. Thousands of miles away in the Midwest, large coal burning plants and other industrial emission sources contribute oxides of sulfur and nitrogen that have resulted in a multitude of effects such as the formation of fine particulates and acid rain. One-half to two-thirds of the fine particulate in New England is due to upwind emissions of sulfur dioxide (MANE-VU 2006). Acid rain has led to the acidification of ponds and streams across the forest where the buffering capacity is low. Some large sources within the state and region also contribute to these effects. Smoke from wildfires in the Western US and Canada may also occasionally contribute emissions. Ozone levels are expected to decrease in the future as the New England states take measures to reduce emissions that contribute to ozone formation to comply with newly lowered ozone standards. These actions will result in less ozone moving into the White Mountains from the urban areas, which should minimize the potential for exceedances to occur in the project area. Alternative 1 The existing condition and trends, as described in the affected environment, would remain much the same since no local emissions related to the proposed action would occur. Future vehicle emissions are likely to increase as more visitors come to the White Mountain National Forest, and this would contribute to ground level ozone when conditions are suitable. As fuel loads in the project area increase, the potential for wildfire would also increase. Any subsequent wildfires would release more emissions per acre than prescribed fires, since they burn under drier conditions and consume more fuel. Alternatives 2-3 If the project objectives for oak and pine regeneration are not met by the initial prescribed burns, further burn rotations (up to three in a 15 year period) may be necessary. The emission levels of the first round of proposed burns were shown to have minor impacts to air quality, and the emissions of any second or third burns would be lower since repeated burns would have reduced fuels. Since the project area is currently in attainment of the NAAQS, the project has been shown to have minimal effects, and the New England states are taking measures to further reduce emissions, it can be seen that the effects of activities both on and off Forest System lands are not expected to cause NAAQS to be exceeded within the timeframe analyzed. The project, under either alternative, was shown above to have minimal impacts to air quality; therefore, the cumulative impacts would be equivalent to the background or existing air quality. 60

61 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 3.3 Heritage Resources Methods Background Pre-field research, consultation with local sources, and field surveys were performed by Forest Heritage resources staff in order to assess the current condition of known sites and to search for sites not previously discovered. All known sites are managed as if they are eligible for National Register of Historic Places inclusion and are afforded protection from damage during project implementation. The protection method most often used on the Forest is avoidance: timber sale units are laid out so that known historic and archaeological sites lie outside flagged unit boundaries, or, if this is not possible, by flagging site buffers within timber sale units to avoid damaging cultural resources. The results of the survey, maps, and recommendations are compiled into a Cultural Resource Reconnaissance Report (CRRR) and reviewed by the District Ranger, the Forest Archaeologist, and the Maine State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). All parties must agree with the report s findings in order to proceed with the project. Prior to fieldwork, the Forest Service conducted a detailed examination of survey files for known archaeological sites and relevant literature. During the summer of 2009, intensive cultural resource surveys were conducted on over 3,000 acres within the project area. Known historic sites were revisited by Forest Service para-professionals in consultation with Heritage program staff to see if any had incurred damage by human or natural agents. In addition, areas not previously surveyed were evaluated and two unknown historic sites were located. Survey and testing for prehistoric sites was conducted under an agreement with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. Areas of high sensitivity were subjected to intensive survey and subsurface testing. Affected Environment The Four Ponds project area contains examples of a variety of land use activities, historic and modern. In the past 25 years, five timber sales have occurred in the proposed project area. The majority of known sites are foundations and cellar holes of old homesteads. Additional sites include a logging camp, a stone quarry, stone bridge abutments, several mills, dam sites, rock cairns, and stone walls. A Cultural Resource Reconnaissance Report (CRRR#09-2-2) was completed for the project area. A clause in the timber sale contract states that if any previously unknown cultural resources are discovered during project activities, work will cease in that area and the Forest Archaeologist or District heritage resources paraprofessional will make an assessment of the finds and offer suggestions for line officer consideration to protect or mitigate for the loss of any cultural or scientific values present. All known cultural resources would be identified on the ground with flagging prior to timber marking. On January 11, 2010, the SHPO concurred with the Forest s determination of No Effect and issued a written statement that use of site avoidance as the protection method would prevent adverse effects to the cultural resources in the Four Ponds project area. 61

62 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Direct & Indirect Effects The analysis area for potential direct and indirect effects on cultural resources is the project area because it encompasses all locations where project implementation may affect cultural resources. Direct effects of project implementation may include ground disturbance of unknown cultural resources. Indirect effects of project implementation may include increased risk of vandalism or looting of historic or archaeological sites due to increased use of the area by the public. Effects may also include discovery and protection of previously unknown cultural resources. A design feature requires that known cultural sites be flagged and avoided and that operations cease when new sites are discovered until an archaeologist or paraprofessional can evaluate the findings and determine how to proceed (see Section 2.3, Design Features). The temporal scope for direct and indirect effects on cultural resources is fifteen years in the past to account for the last ground disturbing activities in the project area and ten years in the future to account for any planned ground disturbing activities associated with this EA. Alternative 1 The No Action alternative would have no effect on heritage resources because there would be no ground disturbance activities to affect discovered or undiscovered cultural resources. Alternatives 2-3 All known historic and archaeological sites within the project area have been identified and would be avoided during project operations. Possible direct and indirect effects to undiscovered sites when equipment is operating on bare ground during summer and fall could include destruction or damage to historic and prehistoric sites, features and artifacts. Design features for Alternatives 2 and 3 would lessen or eliminate any impacts to undiscovered sites caused by timber harvesting, road work, log landing restoration and construction, campsite construction and improvements, trail relocations, watershed restoration projects, or prescribed burning. The timber sale contract also provides protection to cultural resources through cancellation or modification of the contract if significant cultural resources are identified during timber harvest operations. Implementation of Alternatives 2 and 3 would change the forested environment and may temporarily increase recreation use around known and unknown cultural resources. Some vandalism or looting by the public could occur. Portions of the project area considered high sensitivity for prehistoric archaeology had shovel test pits dug. The new proposed dispersed campsite locations at Broken Bridge and Patte Dam, and the gravel site at Sunken Pond were surveyed. No cultural resources were noted. The proposed three new sites at the Crocker Pond campground were also evaluated for potential impacts to prehistoric sites; subsurface testing found no prehistoric sites in the vicinity. Relocation of snowmobile trails, abandonment and improvement of hiking trails, and proposed stream restoration projects would have little or no potential to affect cultural resources because no sites were found in the vicinity of these projects and design features would protect any nearby sites. Stream bank stabilization through placement of woody debris is generally seen as beneficial to the preservation of historic properties because it deters bank 62

63 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment erosion, thus protecting archaeological remains that might be buried in the floodplain or terrace. Cumulative Effects The analysis area and temporal scope for cumulative effects are the same as for direct and indirect effects, for the same reasons. Alternative 1 Under this alternative, there would be no change to cultural resources in the project area. Alternatives 2-3 Neither Alternative 2 nor 3 would negatively affect cultural resources in the long term. The protection method of avoidance would minimize indirect impacts to the sites. The sites would be re-evaluated during the next earth-disturbing activity, which could occur within twenty years. White Mountain National Forest land management activities have occurred in the analysis area since the 1950s, and the majority of the sites described in CRRR# have been present since the mid-1800s. The cumulative effects of Alternatives 2 and 3 allow known (those previously known and those discovered as a result of this project) cultural resources to be identified, evaluated, preserved and protected. 63

64 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.4 Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) Background As part of the revision of our Land and Resource Management Plan in 2005, the Forest Service conducted an inventory of roadless areas across the WMNF. Identifying and evaluating roadless areas is a planning process rather than a formal management area designation. In essence, it is a tool designed to assist planners in making recommendations as to how the land should be managed for the future. To conduct the inventory and evaluation, we first considered the characteristics of the land and whether or not areas met specific criteria from the Forest Service Handbook to be identified as an IRA. Once the inventory was complete, we were then able to evaluate additional characteristics of the land (again, according to specific criteria from the Handbook) in order to recommend whether some or all of the IRA should be designated by Congress as Wilderness, or managed for other goals and objectives. We started by looking at lands identified through previous evaluations. In the early 1970s, the Forest Service had conducted an examination of all National Forests as part of the Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE I). This was revised in 1979 (RARE II), and the results were documented in a final environmental impact statement for that national process. In the late 1990s, the agency was directed to analyze new management direction for inventoried roadless areas (those identified in RARE II and subsequent inventories, such as our 1986 Forest Plan) as part of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (RACR). This rule was finalized in 2001, and set specific management direction to limit road building and timber harvest on lands included in the inventory, except in special circumstances. The inventory for the Roadless Area Conservation Rule specifically included 241,000 acres on the WMNF. Recognizing that the White Mountain National Forest is a constantly-changing landscape, and that in many locations previous human activities including forestry and road construction have become less evident over time, a new inventory was conducted and presented to the public in our 2004 Draft EIS for Forest Plan revision. Through public involvement, further analysis, and extensive field verification, additional adjustments were made to the inventory for the Final EIS. This new 2005 inventory resulted in 27 inventoried roadless areas totaling 403,000 acres. Following our planning handbook direction, each area was then evaluated for its capability, availability, and need as Wilderness. Ultimately, we recommended to Congress in the 2005 Forest Plan that 34,500 acres be designated as Wilderness in the Wild River valley and around the existing Sandwich Range Wilderness. Congress followed these recommendations closely with passage of the New England Wilderness Act in December 2006, creating the 24,000-acre Wild River Wilderness and adding 10,800 acres to the Sandwich Range Wilderness, bringing the total Wilderness acreage in the WMNF to 148,800 acres. The remaining lands in the roadless area inventory were assigned in the Forest Plan and FEIS to other management areas, consistent with Forest Service 64

65 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Handbook direction (FSH Chapter 70). Most of the land in IRAs was allocated to management areas that emphasize semi-primitive conditions and recreation use; other lands were assigned to management areas that emphasize timber harvest and wildlife habitat creation. Allocations were made based on a wide variety of factors, all with the goal of providing a balanced mix of uses across the Forest (Forest Plan and FEIS). On lands that were part of the Forest Plan revision inventory, but were not part of the RACR inventory, management needs to be consistent with Forest Plan direction for the particular management area into which those lands were allocated. Our analysis of effects to inventoried roadless areas for the Four Ponds project area is based on the inventory criteria and the wilderness capability criteria from the Forest Service Handbook, the same criteria used in the Forest Plan. We first considered whether the proposed activities would alter the degree to which lands included in an IRA would meet the inventory criteria from the FSH ( chapter 70, section 71) during and following project implantation. Table shows the inventory criteria and the method used to measure project-level effects on each criterion. Table Inventory Criteria and Measurement Methods. Criteria Description Method for Measuring Effects 1 The land is regaining a natural, untrammeled appearance. Measured by acres of harvest and miles of new road construction. 2 Improvements in the area are being affected by the forces of nature rather than humans and are disappearing or muted. 3 The area has existing or attainable National Forest System (NFS) ownership patterns, both surface and subsurface, that could ensure perpetuation of identified wilderness values. 4 The location of the area is conducive to the perpetuation of wilderness values. Consider the relationship to the area to sources of noise, air, and water pollution, as well as unsightly conditions that would have an effect on the wilderness experience. 5 The area contains no more than ½ mile of improved road for each 1,000 acres, and the road is under Forest Service jurisdiction. 6 No more than 15 percent of the area is in non-native, planted vegetation. 7 Twenty percent or less of the area has been harvested within the past ten years. 8 The area contains only a few dwellings on private lands and the location of these dwellings and their access needs insulate their effects on natural conditions of Federal lands. Measured by miles of new road construction. Measured by total acres of NFS ownership. Measured by total acres of harvest and total miles of new road construction. Measured by total miles of existing improved road and total miles of proposed new road construction. Measured by total acres of non-native planted vegetation Measured by total acres of harvest and acres of regeneration harvest. Measured by total number of private dwellings After taking a hard look at the above criteria and considering whether our proposed actions would affect an area s inclusion in the roadless inventory, we 65

66 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District evaluated the project s effect on any wilderness characteristic of the IRA. To conduct this analysis we looked at how the project would affect the wilderness capability criteria from the FSH and the FEIS for the revised Forest Plan: Table Wilderness Evaluation Criteria (Capability) and Measurement Method. Criteria 1 Natural Integrity Natural Appearance 2 Opportunities for Experiences Often Unique to Wilderness: Solitude Challenge Primitive Recreation Method of Measure A measure of whether the long-term ecological processes of the area are intact and operating. Addressed by describing the effects a project may have on natural processes in the area. A measure of the degree of environmental modification that will occur because of a project. Addressed by describing the extent of modification that will occur in the area (e.g. length of roads built, facilities constructed) and how apparent the impact will be to the visitors of the area in both the short-term and the long-term. Measured by the opportunity to be isolated from the sights, sounds, and evidence of humans, and experience a high degree of challenge and risk while using primitive outdoor skills. Addressed by describing how project activities might affect the size of the area, the number and type of primitive recreation opportunities available, the opportunity to experience natural quiet, and the addition or absence of facilities. 3 Special Features Addressed by describing the effect proposed activities would have on other values of ecological, geologic, scenic or historical or cultural significance. 4 Description/Boundary Conditions/Manageability as Wilderness A measure of the ability to manage an area as wilderness, the resulting configuration of the potential wilderness, and the interaction of the other elements above. Addressed by discussing how proposed activities may affect the boundary location, size, shape, and access to the area. Affected Environment Caribou-Speckled Inventoried Roadless Areas The Caribou-Speckled Mountain 1 and Caribou-Speckled Mountain 2 IRAs were identified in the Forest Plan inventory and are located in the towns of Stoneham, Gilead, Stowe, Mason, and Batchelder s Grant, Maine. The IRAs include 9,306 and 3,987 acres respectively and nearly encircle the Congressionally-designated Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. Caribou-Speckled Mountain 1 lies north, west, and southwest of the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. Caribou-Speckled Mountain 2 lies east/southeast. There is an area totaling 850 acres that lies just east of the Wilderness that was identified in the 2001 RACR inventory but not in the 2005 Forest Plan inventory. For the purpose of this analysis, this 2001 area will be grouped together with, and referred to as part of, the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. The only proposed component of the Four Ponds Project that would occur on lands included in any roadless inventory is the abandonment of 0.9 miles of the Albany Notch Trail. No portion of these IRAs was recommended for wilderness designation in the Record of Decision for the revised Forest Plan. Lands in the IRAs were allocated 66

67 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Map 3-1. Caribou-Speckled Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area. 67

68 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District to Management Areas 2.1, 5.1, and 6.2. There are currently 5.83 total miles of roads within the IRAs, resulting in a road density of 0.5 miles per 1,000 acres in Caribou 1 and 0.3 miles per 1,000 acres in Caribou 2. There has been no timber harvest within the IRAs in the past 15 years. Recreation use includes overnight camping, hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and other day uses. The areas contain 16.2 miles of hiking trails and 2.3 miles of snowmobile trails. There are no major peaks or prominent topographic features in the IRAs. Albany Mountain is a lesser peak, easily accessible from Crocker Pond in the eastern portion of the Caribou 2 IRA. Vegetation found in the IRAs is typical of the White Mountain National Forest, with high quality northern hardwoods and white pine in the lower and mid-slopes, and spruce and fir at higher elevations. Exposed mountaintops exhibit a wide variety of plants, including mountain blueberry, cranberry, and others. There are off-forest noise and visual intrusions, including highways, towns, motorized recreation, and timber operations. A fuller description of the Caribou- Speckled Mountain IRAs is available in Appendix C of the Forest Plan FEIS. Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on inventoried roadless areas is the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs, selected because the expected direct, indirect, and cumulative effects are localized and would not extend into any other IRA. The temporal scope for the analysis is We examine activities over the past decade because the Forest Service Handbook uses this period of time as a basis for evaluating whether lands meet IRA inventory criteria. The analysis looks 20 years into the future because the 2005 FEIS states that it takes about 20 years for signs of timber harvest activities to become essentially unnoticed by the casual observer. All other direct and indirect effects will last only for the actual duration of the actions proposed in the Four Ponds analysis, expected to be approximately three to ten years depending on the selected alternative, the timing of implementation of various components of the proposed action, and the duration of timber sale operations and other projects. Alternative 1 As demonstrated below, selection of Alternative 1 (No Action) would result in no direct or indirect effects to lands in the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. Direct and Indirect effects on the degree to which lands would meet IRA inventory criteria: Inventory criteria 1 and 2: Because the proposed actions would not occur, the area would continue to regain a natural, untrammeled appearance and appear to be largely affected by the forces of nature. Inventory criterion 4: There would be no change in the relationship of the area to sources of noise, air or water pollution, or other effects on wilderness experience. Inventory criteria 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8: There would be no increase or decrease in miles of improved road, and the IRA would remain at 0 percent of the area 68

69 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment harvested since Ownership patterns would not change, no planting would occur, and no dwellings or access would be constructed. If Alternative 1 is selected, the lands identified as the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs would continue to meet the criteria for inclusion in a future inventory of roadless areas. Direct and Indirect effects on the degree to which lands would meet wilderness capability criteria: Capability criteria 1 and 2: Because the proposed actions would not occur, the area would retain the current degree of natural integrity and natural appearance, and the present opportunities for experiences often unique to wilderness would remain. Capability criteria 3 and 4: There would be no change to the special features of the area, and the ability to manage the area as wilderness would remain the same. Because the project would not take place, selection of Alternative 1 would not preclude any future land use options, including the possibility of recommending some or all of the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs for potential future wilderness designation. Alternatives 2 and 3 As demonstrated below, selection of Alternatives 2 or 3 would have minor direct and short-term indirect effects to certain lands within the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. The direct and indirect effects of Alternatives 2 and 3 on these lands are very similar and will be described together. These alternatives propose a variety of activities on lands adjacent to, but not within, the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. The only activity to occur within the IRAs under either alternative would be the abandonment of 0.9 miles of the Albany Notch Trail. Direct and Indirect effects on degree to which lands would meet IRA inventory criteria: Inventory criteria 1 and 2: Because no timber harvest or road construction would occur, the area would continue toward the appearance of a natural, untrammeled area largely affected by the forces of nature. Decommissioning the 0.9 miles of Albany Notch Trail would increase this natural appearance over time. Inventory criterion 4: Timber harvest in stands outside the IRAs would result in indirect, short-term, and localized noise that could be audible in a section of the IRA within 1 2 miles of harvest operation (approximately 5,400 acres within the IRAs at maximum), and the possibility of minor air pollution associated with vehicle and machinery exhaust. These effects would occur primarily during fall and winter when human use of the IRAs is lowest, and would cease with completion of harvest operations in these stands. Noise would also be audible during implementation of certain aspects of the road reconstruction, gravel pit development, watershed restoration, recreation management, and wildlife habitat projects, including prescribed burning. The effect of these activities would be less in Alternative 3 than in Alternative 2 because fewer activities would occur. In contrast to a project that would create a permanent noise source 69

70 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District (such as construction of a highway or airport) none of the sources in the Four Ponds project are permanent and all will occur in the context of current and ongoing use of local roads by cars, trucks, and snowmobiles, and other sources of noise such as airplane over-flights. Due to the temporary nature of the mechanized activity and the context with other noise sources in proximity to the area, and because no harvest operations or road construction activities would occur on lands within the IRAs, these lands would continue to meet this criterion for inclusion in a future roadless area inventory. Inventory criteria 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8: There would be no change in the current road density or percentage of the area harvested since Ownership patterns would not change, no planting would occur, and no dwellings or access would be constructed. If either Alternative 2 or 3 were selected, the lands identified as the Caribou- Speckled Mountain IRAs would continue to meet all criteria for inclusion in a future inventory of roadless areas. Direct and Indirect effects on the degree to which lands would meet wilderness capability criteria: Capability criterion 1: Because the majority of actions would occur outside the IRA, the area would retain the current degree of natural integrity and natural appearance. Trail decommissioning activities would have a temporary effect on natural appearance during implementation, but the intent of this activity is to remove constructed features which would enhance long-term restoration of the natural appearance of the area. Capability criterion 2: Localized noise associated with machines and vehicles used for implementation of timber harvest, gravel extraction, road reconstruction, watershed restoration, and prescribed burning would be audible within approximately 1 2 miles of these activities. This could affect the opportunity to experience solitude on, at most, approximately 38 percent or approximately 5,400 acres of the IRAs (Timerson 1999; Neitzel and Yost 2003). Noise associated with harvest operations would occur primarily during fall and winter when human use of the area is lowest, and primarily in areas away from trails. Only visitors traveling in the area during fall and winter when operations are in progress in this specific portion of the IRA would experience effects to the opportunity for solitude. This effect would cease following operations. Opportunities for challenge and primitive recreation would increase by decommissioning 0.9 miles of Albany Notch Trail and would not change as a result of any other activity. Hunting opportunities could be affected during harvest operations due to mechanized noise and activity. Effects to this capability criterion are limited in area, are temporary in nature (approximately 2 10 years), and the majority of the projects would occur during the lowest-use times of the year. They must also be viewed in the context of other ongoing sources of noise, such as vehicle use on nearby and adjacent Forest roads. In this context, the limited and temporary nature of the effects associated with Alternatives 2 and 3 would not preclude any future land use option, including the possibility of wilderness recommendation, as a result of implementation 70

71 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Capability criterion 3 and 4: Because of the limited scope of the trail decommissioning project, there would be no change to the special features of the areas, and the ability to manage the areas as wilderness would remain the same. Because the majority of proposed activities would take place outside the IRAs, and the effects would be temporary and limited to the duration of the projects, implementation of Alternatives 2 or 3 would not preclude any future land use options, including possible wilderness recommendation, of lands within the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects on inventoried roadless areas is the Caribou-Speckled IRAs. This is the same as the analysis area for direct and indirect effects, and the rationale for using this area is the same. The temporal scope for the analysis is the past decade, the present, and the foreseeable future (20 years). We examine activities over the past decade because the Forest Service Handbook uses this period of time as a basis for evaluating whether lands meet IRA inventory criteria. The analysis looks 20 years into the future because the 2005 FEIS states that it takes about 20 years for signs of timber harvest activities to become essentially unnoticed by the casual visitor. This allows consideration of the cumulative effects of foreseeable activities on conditions and opportunities in the IRA. Past, ongoing, and foreseeable future projects are identified in Section 3.1. The only activity listed in this section that occurs within the analysis area is the past and ongoing maintenance of four permanent wildlife openings through prescribed burning or mechanical methods, which occurs once every 3 5 years at each site. Cumulative effects on the degree to which lands would meet IRA inventory criteria Alternative 1 Because no proposed activities would occur under Alternative 1, there would be no cumulative effects associated with this project on the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. Alternatives 2 and 3 Inventory criteria 1 and 2: Because the maintenance of the existing four permanent wildlife openings is an aspect of the current condition of the IRAs, the cumulative effect of decommissioning 0.9 miles of the Albany Notch Trail would be the same as the direct and indirect effect for these criteria. Inventory criterion 4: As stated in the direct and indirect effects section, it would be possible to hear mechanical noise within 1-2 miles of certain project activities occurring outside the IRAs. The maintenance of existing permanent wildlife openings within the IRA could cumulatively add to noise or emissions resulting from these activities should they occur simultaneously. Inventory criteria 3, 5, 6 and 7: Because there would be no direct or indirect effects associated with these criteria, there would be no cumulative effects either. Even in combination with past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions, following selection of Alternative 2 or 3 lands within the Caribou- Speckled IRAs would continue to meet all criteria for inclusion in a future roadless inventory. 71

72 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Cumulative effects on the degree to which lands would meet wilderness capability criteria Alternative 1 Because no proposed activities would occur under Alternative 1, there would be no cumulative effects associated with this project on the wilderness capability characteristics of the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. Alternatives 2 and 3 Capability criterion 1: Because the maintenance of the permanent wildlife openings is an aspect of the current condition of the IRAs, the effect of decommissioning the 0.9 mile section of the Albany Notch trail would be the same as the direct and indirect effects on this criterion. Capability criterion 2: There could be a cumulative effect to the opportunity for solitude in a portion of the IRAs within 1 2 miles of project activities in combination with the sound effects of the permanent wildlife opening maintenance if these projects were to occur simultaneously. The direct and indirect effects of the activities in this alternative would not alter opportunities for challenge and primitive recreation; thus there would be no cumulative effects on these opportunities either. Due to the temporary nature of the effects from mechanized noise and minor air pollution on the opportunity for solitude, selection of Alternative 2 or 3 would not preclude any future land use options, including possible wilderness recommendation, for lands within the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. Capability criteria 3 and 4: Decommissioning 0.9 miles of the Albany Notch Trail would not cumulatively affect special features because there would be no direct or indirect effects on these features. The cumulative effects on boundary and management considerations are the same as the direct and indirect effects. As demonstrated above, implementation of either Alternative 2 or 3 would not preclude any future land use options, including possible wilderness recommendation, of lands within the Caribou-Speckled Mountain IRAs. 72

73 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 3.5 Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) Roads Skid Trails Affected Environment The White Mountain National Forest has been working with The New England Wild Flower Society and other organizations to determine locations of nonnative invasive plant species, resulting in a list of invasive species that exist on or near the National Forest. The majority of locations observed have been on the perimeter of the National Forest, primarily along roads, highways, and in developed areas such as towns and residential and recreation areas. Roads increase the amount of forest-edge habitat on the landscape. The resulting road-effect zone can alter microclimates (e.g. increases in light and temperature and a decrease in relative humidity) and create frequent and intense disturbance activities (maintenance and traffic), the combined effects of which tend to favor the growth of opportunistic NNIS (Parendes and Jones 2000; Forman and Deblinger 2000). Roads can also serve as major corridors for the dispersal of invasive plants through the spread of seed propagules (seeds or vegetative fragments) that attach to vehicle tires and undercarriages (Westbrooks 1998; Parendes and Jones 2000; Lonsdale and Lane 1994). Resulting weed infestations can extend from the road s edge to 250 meters into the adjacent forest or beyond (Saunders et al. 1991; Primack 2000; Forman and Deblinger 2000). A Wisconsin study found that non-natives were most prevalent within 15 meters of the road; however, a few species penetrated up to 150 meters into the adjoining hardwood forest (Watkins et al. 2003). Skid trails and haul roads within timber sales can serve as primary conduits for non-native species for the same reasons outlined above. A study on managed forest landscapes in upper Michigan found that understory plant richness was significantly greater in haul roads than in skid trails and forest, due in large part to a greater percentage of introduced species (Buckley et al. 2002). This increase in non-natives was due predominantly to elevated levels of photosynthetically active radiation (a measure of light intensity), soil moisture, and compaction along the road edges. The discrepancy between haul roads and skid trails is likely due to improved conditions (e.g. graded and graveled) and increased traffic along the former. A study in Utah supports this reasoning, finding that roadside habitats adjacent to paved and improved surface roads contain a greater cover of both exotic and native species than similar habitats adjacent to less-impacted four-wheel-drive tracks, a trend that extended well beyond the road cut into adjacent, interior plant communities (Gelbard and Belnap 2003). Riparian Areas Several studies found that riparian areas having high native species richness also have high non-native species richness, due to the availability of virtually unlimited resources (i.e. high levels of light and nutrients), as well as a relatively constant state of intermediate disturbance (via flooding and bank scouring) that results in continual structural and compositional changes (Stohlgren et al. 2001; 73

74 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Stohlgren et al. 1998; Planty-Tabacchi et al. 1996). Also, streams and rivers form a connected network throughout the landscape, thus facilitating the spread of both native and non-native species at a large geographical scale. Disturbance in and around riparian areas would greatly increase the risk of introducing and spreading non-natives to these vulnerable ecological communities. NNIS Species Known to Occur Within the Four Ponds Project Area A small number of discrete infestations of multiple invasive species were located during project surveys, including Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), Morrow s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), and a non-native weedy species (soon to be added to the WMNF list), false spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) (Mattrick 2008; Schori, 2007). These documented locations and other site-specific field reviews were used to evaluate the likelihood of NNIS spreading into the project area, and the environmental consequences of their potential establishment. Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) This member of the buckwheat family is a creeping perennial with bamboo-like stems and creamy white flowers. The creeping rhizomes spread rapidly, and new plant colonies can grow from small plant fragments carried by water. The roots provide poor erosion control making this plant a threat to riparian areas. This species is the most abundant NNIS on the Forest and in the surrounding landscapes. It primarily occupies roadsides and river and stream banks. Asiatic Honeysuckles (Lonicera tartarica, L. morrowii, L. x bella) At least two of the three species of Asiatic honeysuckle occur in woodlands, on the edge of the woods, and in shade under a forest canopy. The leaves stay green well into fall, making that an ideal time to treat because they are easily recognized and most native plants are dormant. This is the second most widespread species on the Forest. Many private lands within and around the WMNF have larger infestations. Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) These plants are often used as ornamentals and therefore are frequently found adjacent to former or current residential areas. These species are commonly found at cultural sites such as old homesteads. Barberrys have also invaded mixed deciduous/coniferous forest on the WMNF. They spread vegetatively and by birds carrying seeds. 74

75 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) Bittersweet is a climbing vine with orange berries in clusters at the leaf axils. This native of Asia can overrun native vegetation, overtopping other species and weighing the limbs and crowns of trees, making them susceptible to wind and snow damage. The seed is spread by birds. This species is increasing rapidly in areas surrounding the White Mountain National Forest, but distribution is limited to wildlife openings and edges on the Forest. Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) This highly aggressive, vegetatively spreading perennial grass invades wetlands, roadsides, and open lands. It is ubiquitous on the Forest and in New England and is widely dispersed due to its use in conservation seed mix. It is suspected to have both native and non-native gene strains. Status as an invasive plant species on the White Mountain National Forest is questionable, and widespread control is not feasible. However, site-specific control efforts are desirable when specific resources are threatened by this species, but no control is planned in the Four Ponds project area because individuals of the species pose no threat to ecological process or forest resources. Individual plants are scattered in areas along Patte Mill Brook Road. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) Coltsfoot is a member of the Aster family (Asteraceae). The flowers of this species strongly resemble those of dandelion, and it is one of the earliest blooming plants in the spring. The large deltoid-shaped leaves arise after the flowers. This species is ubiquitous on the Forest along stream banks, in seeps, and along roadway edges. Its impact on native plants and native plant habitats is in question. Widespread control on the Forest is not feasible; however, site- specific control efforts are desirable when specific resources are threatened. No control is planned in the Four Ponds project area because individuals of this species pose no threat to ecological process or forest resources. Individual plants are scattered along an old skid road in Compartment 331, Stand 67. Direct and Indirect Effects Determination of Risk Forest Service Manual outlines the process to determine the risk of NNIS introduction or spread as part of the NEPA development of proposed actions. Given the implementation of the 2005 Forest Plan standards and guidelines for controlling the introduction or spread of NNIS, and the known NNIS populations in and around the project area, the overall risk rating assigned for the Four Ponds project is low (USDA Forest Service 2009e; Project NNIS Risk Assessment 2009). The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on non-native invasive plants is the project area, because this is where vehicles and equipment associated with 75

76 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District the proposed project actions would have access and operate on the ground. These, as well as any gravel, seed, and mulch brought to the project area from off-site, are the most likely entry vectors for non-native invasive species. Newly created or expanded forest openings, gravel pits, camping areas, trails, wildlife openings, roads, and log landings are also potential entry sites. Alternative 1 Continued recreation use and management of wildlife openings, roads, and trails would continue at historic levels. These activities may spread NNIS into currently unoccupied habitat. The two wildlife openings with infestations of invasive plants, and other known sites of NNIS, would receive treatments to control these species under the authority of the 2007 White Mountain National Forest Forest-wide Invasive Plant Control Project (USDA Forest Service 2007d). Until existing infestations are completely eradicated, they would continue to persist and potentially spread vegetatively and via seed. Alternatives 2 and 3 All project activities will implement the 2005 Forest Plan standards and guidelines related to NNIS. This reduces but does not eliminate the possibility of introducing NNIS. The 2007 White Mountain National Forest Forest-wide Invasive Plant Control Project (USDA Forest Service 2007d) and WMNF Monitoring and Evaluation Guide (USDA Forest Service, Monitoring and Evaluation Guide, 2006b) require novo monitoring (looking for new sites), as well as follow-up monitoring at active control locations. Control and monitoring activities reduce the likelihood of project activities spreading invasive plants and ensure compliance with Forest Plan direction relating to NNIS. However, these measures likely would not eliminate all potential for spreading invasive plants within the project area. Under these alternatives, soil and vegetation disturbance associated with project activities has the potential to spread NNIS. This potential is greatest in the vicinity of existing infestations, but could occur in other areas due to long-distance seed dispersal via vehicles, equipment, wildlife, and wind. Direct effects are most often associated with propagules, or plant parts, lodged in equipment being transported to the site, or with fill and seed mixes that contain NNIS propagules being used during the project activities (i.e. forestry, wildlife, and recreation). These direct effects are typically mitigated through the implementation of the Forest Plan standards and guidelines related to NNIS. The most likely locations of these effects include areas of culvert removal, wildlife opening expansion, road construction and restoration, gravel development, campsite development and relocation, trail (i.e. snowmobile and hiking) construction, the development of new of log landings, haul roads, skid trails, and stands prescribed for regeneration harvest. These effects are the greatest during, and for one to two years after, the time the activity takes place, when native plant species are just starting to revegetate the sites. The effects decrease dramatically in subsequent years. Indirect effects are most often associated with propagules and plant parts being moved by wildlife, wind, or human activity once project activities have ceased. The indirect effects of NNIS are greatest when ground-disturbing activity is combined with large areas of substantial canopy removal. This would occur with wildlife opening expansion, even aged regeneration harvests (i.e. clearcut, patch 76

77 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment cut), and development of a gravel site. Foot and vehicle traffic visiting newlydeveloped trails, campsites, and roadways provides new migration routes for NNIS via tire and footwear treads. Campers at new or relocated campsites may transport NNIS propagules from other areas via camping gear. These actions may allow for the introduction of new species infestations into previously uninfested locations. The effects of the introduction and spread of NNIS could include crowding out native plant species. This competition can reduce species diversity and abundance of native plants. If infestations occur at undiscovered (no known populations occur within the project area) threatened, endangered, or sensitive species locations, competition from invasives could lead to a reduction in vigor or loss of individuals or populations. Additionally, impairment of ecosystem function and reduction of preferred food and cover sources for various wildlife species can occur. Effects to recreational opportunities and enjoyment can occur if invasive plants become established along trail corridors and in campgrounds. Trails and campsites can become overrun and impassable if infestations remain uncontrolled. The use of prescribed fire to manage newly-expanded or created wildlife openings could contribute to the spread or exacerbation of an existing NNIS infestation, if present. Two permanent wildlife openings contain known NNIS infestations, Bell Mountain and Pingree Fields, but only Bell Mountain is proposed for expansion. At this location, fire is being used as a preparatory tool prior to the implementation of other control efforts, thereby mitigating any potential negative effects of NNIS from fire activities. There is a slight chance that prescribed fire on Farwell Mountain and in the regeneration of oak and pine stands may create suitable conditions for NNIS to become established. Fire can be a mechanism of spread for some invasive plants species by stimulating the growth of dormant portions of the root systems. Fire can also be a useful tool in efforts to control invasive plant species. As the areas immediately adjacent to these sites are not currently infested, the chances of any direct or indirect effect is miniscule. The abandonment of sections of the Albany Notch, Sunken Pond Bypass, and Crocker Pond Snowmobile trails and subsequent revegetation will decreased the risk of NNIS introduction, since the number of trail miles (open areas) would decrease. This would also lessen the risk of introduction of NNIS which could occur during trail maintenance. No direct or indirect effects are expected from the watershed restoration projects (wood placement in perennial streams and backwatering two culverts). These activities would not cause a significant change in landscape condition or increase ground disturbance, and would move these locations toward a natural condition. Also, none of the watershed restoration projects are near known areas of NNIS infestation. The potential for direct and indirect effects of NNIS in Alternative 3 are similar to those for Alternative 2, except for the creation of a 30-acre PWO at Haystack Notch parcel, expansion of the Sunken Pond PWO (5 acres), only one new dispersed campsite (at Patte Marsh), and elimination of a gravel site. Under Alternative 2, there is a higher risk of NNIS introduction from the gravel pit due to the extended period of exposed soil and the longer rehabilitation time. 77

78 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The potential for NNIS introduction or migration is somewhat reduced in Alternative 3, mainly due to the elimination of the gravel site development and associated vegetation removal and site disturbance. Though there are 35 acres of new PWO created, these would be immediately revegetated (in a different form) so the risk of NNIS introduction would be reduced, but still present. The long-term maintenance of these acres in an open state provides an increased risk of wildlife or wind introducing NNIS propagules in comparison to Alternative 2. Other project activities are so similar as to cause no significant change in direct or indirect effects. Due to the low level of NNIS infestation with the project area and on-going control efforts, direct and indirect effects related to NNIS are expected to be negligible under either alternative. Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects of non-native invasive species is the lands within the Albany HMU and the adjacent public and private land in the surrounding towns of Albany, Mason, and Stoneham, Maine. The private property includes a mix of upland hardwoods, softwood, and mixedwood, intermixed with lakes, ponds, wetlands, perennial and intermittent streams, and residential development. The temporal scope for cumulative effects of nonnative invasive species is the past and future ten years (2000 to 2020). This considers temporary ground disturbance by project activities (anything over ten years will have re-established a canopy and/or re-vegetated areas of soil disturbance making it unlikely that new infestations would be introduced by wildlife or human activity.) This timeframe also allows consideration of the forest-wide invasive plant inventory conducted by the New England Wild Flower Society ( ) that covered 220,000 acres across the National Forest and adjacent lands, including portions of the cumulative effects analysis area (Forest Plan FEIS). While there are few known locations of NNIS within the cumulative effects analysis area, there is a greater likelihood that NNIS could be introduced or spread within this area as a result of activities on private lands rather than actions on National Forest lands. The Forest-wide NNIS inventory (USDA- Forest Service 2009e) found that two-thirds of the invasive plant occurrences were on private land outside the National Forest, and almost half of all occurrences were intentionally planted (FEIS). There are no restrictions on introducing non-native invasive species on private lands in Maine, particularly in residential development where NNIS often show up in landscape plantings. Even though there are known NNIS populations within the cumulative effects analysis area, the low levels of infestation, and incorporation of the Forest Plan standards and guidelines, mean that the cumulative effect of implementing the proposed action or one of the action alternatives would incur only a minor risk of introducing NNIS. Alternative 1 Under the No Action alternative, existing infestations outside the National Forest boundary would continue to persist and spread vegetatively and via seed. Seed and propagule dispersal to new locations would occur over time, creating additional infestations at currently un-infested locations. It is expected 78

79 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment that these NNIS infestations would become source populations for additional infestations within the analysis area both on and off the WMNF. The effects to National Forest lands from this continued growth and spread of invasives is considered to be minimal based on the lack of ground disturbing activities in Alternative 1. Furthermore, monitoring and subsequent control of NNIS infestations on National Forest lands would continue under the authority granted by the 2007 White Mountain National Forest Forest-wide Invasive Plant Control Project. No known NNIS control activities of any size or scope are known to be occurring on infestations on state and private lands within the analysis area. Nationally, the rate of spread has been estimated at three percent per year (National Invasive Species Council 2001) and at 8 12 percent per year (USDA- Forest Service 1999), but given the climate and landscape condition of the Forest and surrounding landscape, and the comparably low level of current infestation, it is anticipated that the rate of spread for the NNIS in the analysis area would be on the lower end of the national scale. At a rate of spread of 3 percent per year, if no control was undertaken on state and private lands these infestations would increase by roughly 50 percent in ten years. Even with on-going control efforts on the Forest, it is certain that the number of acres infested would likely grow both on and off the National Forest. Since 2005, roughly two acres of NNIS control per year has taken place on the Forest within the analysis area and an unknown (but likely smaller amount) on private lands. It is anticipated that control efforts on the National Forest will increase to roughly five acres per year over the next ten years, based on new discoveries and on-going control projects in the analysis area. There are no known control projects that have or will take place on non-federal lands within the analysis area, and it is reasonable to conclude that NNIS would continue to spread. The uncontrolled spread of NNIS from sources on and off the Forest would allow for an increase in NNIS infestation and a potential decrease in ecological function within the analysis area. Alternatives 2 and 3 The greatest potential effect of the Four Ponds project in regard to NNIS is the possibility of migration and establishment of NNIS in the project area. This effect would add to the effects of past activities that may have caused introduction and spread of invasives, including timber management, wildlife opening management, recreation opportunity developments, road construction both on and off National Forest, and residential development and traditional agriculture on private lands. Information on the NNIS introductions resulting from these past events is not available. However, the current distribution of invasives both on and off the National Forest strongly supports this assumption. Any effects of the Four Ponds project would be additive to the effects of any future activities within the cumulative effects boundary. Present and on-going projects include the Patte Mill Brook Road construction project and the Broken Bridge Dam reconstruction project. Foreseeable management actions and projects over the next ten years include ongoing wildlife opening maintenance, road maintenance, on-going prescribed fire in previously burned oak-pine stands, on-going maintenance of trails and backcountry campsites, continued use of the area for recreation, and on-going NNIS treatment. Roads and skid trail trails 79

80 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District associated with timber management activities may open new travel routes for mountain bikes, hikers, and horseback riders, thereby increasing the potential for NNIS migration. These risks would continue once measures to mitigate any direct and indirect effects of the project cease. The same types of activities that may have caused past invasions on private land will likely continue to spread NNIS. Most project activities (i.e. road reconstruction, forestry, fire) would have negligible effects on NNIS in the analysis area. The application of Forest Plan standards and guidelines related to NNIS would dramatically reduce, but not eliminate, the possibility of introducing NNIS into the analysis area. The cumulative effects of the Four Ponds project would be nearly identical under both Alternatives 2 and 3, although Alternative 2 has a slightly greater contribution to cumulative effects due to the inclusion of gravel site development that would maintain an area in a vegetation-free state for an extended amount of time. Cumulative effects under the action alternatives likely would be measurable, but cannot be accurately quantified due to the percentage of private land holdings within the analysis area. Climate change may have some affects on the distribution and abundance of NNIS in the longer term. A recent literature review conducted by WMNF resource specialists included documented potential impacts to botanical resources (Mattrick 2009). This literature summary looked at a small but wideranging portion of the available literature on the effects of a changing climate on native plants, natural communities, rare plant species, and invasive plant species, although NNIS are little studied at present and what information can be gathered must be extrapolated from other studies. Additional information can be gathered from various sources such as the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England, which maintains an online database of NNIS locations throughout the region (Invasive Plant Atlas of New England 2008). Although several invasive plant species appear to be spreading northward, there does not seem to be any correlation to these expansions and climate change; rather, the expansions appear to be due to mechanical transport by human and wildlife activity. At this time, based upon the recent literature review, available data, and project surveys, there do not appear to be any effects to NNIS from climate change, especially within the cumulative effects analysis timeframe. 80

81 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 3.6 Recreation Trails Camping Affected Environment The Four Ponds project area provides a mix of dispersed and developed recreation opportunities. Though not as heavily visited as other areas on the White Mountain National Forest, it is used by hikers, campers, anglers, hunters, wildlife watchers, and pleasure drivers. Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and crosscountry skiing are popular winter activities. Historical photos and harvest maps of the Four Ponds project area show land use dating back to the early 1800s and traditional coexistence of recreation and timber management. This is often evidenced through existing vegetation types and stand structure, old roads, and timber roads, some of which now function as hiking or snowmobile trails. When hiking on many of the area s trails, evidence of past vegetation management is present generally in the form of young stands or old stumps. A keen visitor with knowledge of the area s extensive cultural history may also notice features such as the remnants of abandoned farmsteads, mill sites, logging camps, and residences. Historical harvest maps display many units along these old roads and trails that have been treated in the past 30 years. There are six non-motorized trails within, or partly within, the project area: Albany Brook, Albany Notch, Albany Mountain, Red Rock, Miles Notch, and Haystack Notch. These are all rated as low use trails (0 6 people per day (ppd)). There are three snowmobile trails that lie within the project area: Patte Mill Brook, Sunken Pond Bypass, and Crocker Pond. They receive moderate to high use (7-50 ppd) and serve as part of a larger trail system that connects Maine with New Hampshire. Crocker Pond Campground is a small, seven site campground that provides campers a remote but developed camping experience. The campground offers fire rings, picnic tables, a vault toilet, potable water, and trash collection. A fee is charged for camping. It is used mainly on weekends. Numerous dispersed campsites are available along open roads within the area. Popular sites are located at Patte Marsh Dam, Broken Bridge Pond boat access, a site along Crocker Pond Road known informally as Site 10, and a site near the entrance to Crocker Pond Campground. Other Recreation Activities Scenic driving is a popular activity on the White Mountain National Forest, and Forest roads allow visitors to view mountains, small ponds and lakes, overlooks, and historic sites. The area is used generally by hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers, mountain bikers, and others during the spring, summer, and fall. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities are available in the winter. While recreation use is relatively low compared to some other areas on the Forest, local and 81

82 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District regional visitors value the area for its scenic beauty and variety of recreational opportunities. Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) The recreation setting for this area is described by the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS). ROS defines a range of recreation experiences as Primitive, Semi-Primitive Non-motorized, Semi-Primitive Motorized, Roaded Natural, and Roaded (Forest Plan). The MA 2.1 lands within the project area fall into three ROS experiences: Roaded Natural, Semi-Primitive Motorized, and Semi- Primitive Non-Motorized. Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects is defined as the Four Ponds project area and the timeframe is 2 to 20 years. The analysis area and time duration were selected because once the management action ceases, so do the majority of the effects, with the exception of scenery modification that may be recognizable to certain visitors for up to twenty years, and ongoing wildlife opening maintenance which would occur in each location one day every three to five years. Alternative 1 Because the proposed actions would not occur, Alternative 1 would neither alter nor enhance current recreation opportunities and infrastructure. Trails Due to flooding of a sizeable trail segment just north of Albany Notch by beavers, hikers on the Albany Notch Trail would continue to travel off-trail to avoid this section. Travel on, and maintenance of, other portions of the 0.9 mile segment between Albany Mountain Trail and the Albany Mountain connector would be challenging due to lack of drainage and poor layout and location. Because the action would not occur, recreation opportunities for people with disabilities would not increase on the Albany Brook Trail. Relocation of a portion of the Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail between FR 59A and the Forest boundary would not occur. Riders would continue to travel through several low and poorly drained sections which results in resource damage and a poor riding experience. The trail would also not relocate from the Crocker Pond and Patte Mill Brook Roads to the Sunken Pond Bypass Trail between FRs 59 and 62. Riders would continue to face potential future dual use of these roads. Several sections of the Sunken Pond Bypass Trail between FR 59 and FR 62 would not be relocated. When in use, riders would continue to face steep grades, sharp corners, and a long stretch of wet, poorly drained trail in close proximity to Patte Mill Brook that often results in resource damage and a poor riding experience. Because none of the proposed actions associated with timber harvest, transportation, gravel extraction, prescribed fire, or watershed restoration would occur, there would be no direct or indirect effects on trails as a result of selection of Alternative 1. 82

83 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Camping The current capacity and parking layout at Crocker Pond Campground would remain the same. The informal dispersed campsite near the entrance to the campground would remain available and free of charge and developed amenities. Occasional conflict between day and overnight users at Patte Marsh Dam Campsite would continue, as campers would continue to occupy the boat/ fishing access point for the marsh. Because the actions would not occur, day visitors to Broken Bridge Pond boat access would continue to be displaced when the site is occupied by campers. Use at Site 10 Campsite would continue as-is, and resource impacts from large parties and their vehicles would remain. Because none of the proposed actions associated with timber harvest, transportation, gravel extraction, prescribed fire, or watershed restoration would occur, there would be no direct or indirect effects on camping opportunities as a result of selection of Alternative 1. Other Recreation Activities and ROS Classification Because none of the proposed activities would occur there would be no direct or indirect effect on other recreation activities or on the ROS classification for lands within the project area. Alternative 2 Selection of Alternative 2 would result in short- and long-term direct and indirect effects to recreation opportunities and infrastructure within the analysis area. Trails A 0.9 mile section of Albany Notch Trail would be closed by placing brush and rocks at the Albany Mountain Trail and Albany Mountain connector junctions and stabilizing certain sections of trail with rock structures and brush. Hikers seeking to travel through Albany Notch would be directed over the top of Albany Mountain, slightly increasing use of this trail. Informal access to the beaver pond area would be available for visitors wishing to travel off-trail. Universal access would be provided along a section of the Albany Brook Trail from Crocker Pond Campground to a point overlooking Crocker Pond. This would allow access for people that otherwise would have not been able to walk on this segment of trail. Minor disruptions in trail use would occur during reconstruction. Riders on the Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail would no longer travel through several poorly drained, wet and muddy spots between FR 59A and the Forest boundary. The relocation would place the snowmobile trail on higher, better drained, more stable ground. The abandoned segment of trail would be stabilized and allowed to naturally rehabilitate over time. Moving the permanent snowmobile trail location from Crocker Pond and Patte Mill Brook roads to the Sunken Pond Bypass would avoid potential dual-use situations from future timber harvest. Due to timing of implementation, this benefit would be realized in future sales rather than those proposed in the Four Ponds project. 83

84 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Relocation of certain segments of the Sunken Pond Bypass Snowmobile Trail would improve riding quality and reduce risk by softening grades and improving sight distances over hills and around corners. Resource concerns and poor riding quality would be resolved by placing the trail on higher and better drained ground away from Patte Mill Brook. There are approximately 800 acres of timber proposed for silvicultural treatment in proximity to hiking and snowmobile trails. Harvest activities have previously occurred in the project area; therefore, the long-term trail-based recreation experience would not be expected to change as a result of vegetation management. The majority of harvest activity would be in the fall and winter when non-motorized use is lowest in the area. Some short-term exposure to noise and truck traffic for the duration of the harvest activities (2 10 years) is expected under this alternative. These effects are temporary in nature, ceasing at the close of operations. Foreground and distant views from portions of trails would change following harvest. However, the effect would gradually become muted as regeneration of vegetation occurs and tree canopies fill in the gaps. Effects of harvest disturbance are further muted through the use of design features, such as a 50-foot slash disposal zones, minimizing trail crossing by skidders, and having the crossings perpendicular to trail corridors. The Miles Notch Trail lies adjacent to five stands, and approximately 1.9 miles (starting at Ikie Fields and measuring just beyond stand 324/5) would be directly impacted by harvest operations. Harvesting of these stands would occur in the fall and winter, and noise and visual intrusions from group selection harvests may be observed by hikers. Hikers would also observe a 13-acre clearcut along this trail (stand 324/5). The beginning portion of Miles Notch Trail is an unclassified road (FR ) that would be used as a haul route during fall and winter. Hikers would encounter log trucks. Beyond that point, the haul road and trail separate, and hikers would encounter only skidding equipment. Skid trails would cross the trail at strategic places, but considerate skid trail layout and placement of landing locations should minimize these crossings. Signs would be posted at the trailhead notifying hikers of logging operations. The Albany Notch Trail lies adjacent to five stands, and approximately 4,700 feet would be impacted by harvest activity. The Albany Brook Trail lies adjacent to four harvest units, and approximately 3,000 feet would be impacted by harvest activity. Harvesting along both these trails would occur in the fall and winter season, reducing some direct effects since use is lower than in summer. Noise and visual intrusions from group selection harvests would be observed by hikers during the fall and winter seasons. Skid trails would cross the trails at strategic places, but considerate skid trail layout and placement of landing locations should minimize these crossings. Signs would be posted at the trailhead notifying hikers of logging operations. Design features, such as a 50-foot slash disposal zone along trails, would minimize visual impacts to hikers. It is anticipated that, within a decade, treatments would be largely unnoticeable because of their relative positions on the landscape, the use of group selection which harvests up to 20 percent of the stand, and the rapid growth of vegetation on the Forest. 84

85 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment The Crocker Pond and Sunken Pond Bypass Snowmobile trails would be affected by winter operations. Approximately miles of the Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail, where it is co-located on the Patte Mill Brook and Crocker Pond roads, would be affected by harvest activities during the winter season. A number of harvest units (with various silvicultural prescriptions), expansion of a PWO, and the use of four landings (FR 2019, FR 320, and FR 18) have been proposed along this snowmobile trail. In total, approximately five miles of the trail would be affected by harvest operations. When the Crocker Pond and Patte Mill Brook roads are used for hauling, snowmobilers would be directed to the Sunken Pond Bypass trail. Once the harvest is completed around the Sunken Pond Bypass, this would then be used as the permanent trail location. Harvest of the units adjacent to snowmobile trails would temporarily alter trail character, though it is anticipated that within a decade the treatments would be largely unnoticeable as a result of relative position on the landscape, natural terrain features,and the rapid growth of vegetation in harvested areas. Harvest boundaries along the trail and road corridors would leave uncut trees to provide visual barriers, and group placement would not span trails or roads. Rapid growth of vegetation in these areas, combined with residual trees left along hiking trails and roads, would reduce visibility of harvest activities. A 50-foot slash disposal zone would reduce impacts to views along trails. Dual use would occur on segments of all snowmobile trails within the project area during harvest operations. Restricting hauling on the week-ends would minimize disruption to snowmobilers when use is highest. Trails would be temporarily closed if sale administrators or the District Ranger determine that harvest activities or equipment pose a safety hazard to the public. Recreationists would be alerted to logging operations by signs in the project area as well as postings on the Forest website. Proposed changes in the transportation system include restoration and improvements on FRs 59A, 320/2019, and These road segments are co-located with the Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail (FRs 59A and 320/2019) and the Miles Notch Trail (FR ). During reconstruction and harvest operations, recreation use on these routes would be affected by the sight and sound of machinery and traffic. Reconstruction work would improve sustainability of these road/ trail alignments over the long term. Because it would be built to a road standard, the section of Miles Notch Trail co-located with FR would not meet trail design standards (primarily due to width) for primary-use hiking trails. Watershed restoration work involving chainsaws used to drop trees along the banks of Miles Brook, New England Brook, and Crocker and Round Pond inlets would generate noise disturbance during implementation that could be audible from hiking trails. To minimize disturbance, work would occur during weekdays when recreational use in the area is lowest. Gravel pit development and use would generate mechanized noise within an approximate one- to two-mile radius of operations, and therefore could be audible from certain hiking trails within the project area. Extraction activities would be intermittent and short-term, and would occur over the lifespan of the gravel pit. Additionally, the pit could be visible from snowmobiles using the Sunken Pond Bypass. A Gravel Pit Management Plan would detail the efficient 85

86 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District and orderly removal of material and measures for rehabilitation and prescribe mitigation measure to lessen impacts to recreation visitors hiking or snowmobiling within the nearby areas. The prescribed fire treatment areas are generally located away from developed trails. However, hikers using the project area in the spring or fall may encounter Forest Service employees and vehicles engaged in prescribed burning, and could view smoke from a variety of locations during the active burn period. This activity would occur infrequently (one day at each location every three to five years) and often during the spring, which is a very low-use time of year. Camping Under Alternative 2, the current capacity at Crocker Pond Campground would be increased from seven sites to ten, allowing for additional use of the campground. The dispersed site at the entrance would be incorporated into the campground (as one of the three new sites) and thus the free, informal use of this site would discontinue. Any additional income generated by the addition of these sites would help cover operation and maintenance costs within the campground. Conflicts would be reduced between day and overnight users at Patte Marsh Dam by creating a desirable campsite away from the dam, thus allowing dayusers access for fishing and paddling. Similarly, relocating the dispersed campsite to the north of the Broken Bridge Pond parking area and providing a separate entrance and parking space would reduce user conflicts by allowing day visitor/boater access to the pond when the campsite is occupied. Alternative 2 would change use patterns at Site 10 by restricting vehicle access. Visitors would be required to carry camping equipment and supplies from vehicles parked near Crocker Pond Road to the campsite. This may reduce noise from vehicle radios and large groups, and reduce certain resource impacts such as tree damage that often occur at larger party sites. This may also shift certain large groups to other locations where they may camp closer to their vehicles. Rehabilitation work around the perimeter of the campsite would define and reduce the area of the site. Timber harvest would occur adjacent to and within the Crocker Pond Campground in stands 328/1, 328/5, 331/49, and 331/50. Harvest in 331/49 and 331/50 is planned with the intent of improving the existing stand condition where currently there are a number of dead, dying, or poorly formed trees that would be removed in to reduce risk, protect facilities, and maintain a healthy and productive stand over the long term. Campground infrastructure would be protected during project implementation, and consideration will be given to the retention of trees for screening. A 25-foot slash removal zone would be used next to all campsites and campground roads to maintain campground aesthetics (Recreation Management Design Feature). The tree tops and much of the slash left on-site would be moved to other portions of the stand or chipped in place. Restricting hauling on weekends would minimize disruption to campers when use is at its highest. 86

87 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment There are no harvest units directly adjacent to other roadside dispersed campsites within the project area. The sights and sounds of vehicle traffic on nearby Forest Roads would be apparent to visitors in direct proximity, and the sounds of harvest operations could be audible within one to two miles of activity depending on the season and timing of operations. The opportunity to camp at either the developed campground or at dispersed sites within the area would continue to be available following harvest operations. Proposed changes in the transportation system, implementation of the watershed restoration projects, gravel pit development and operation, and implementation of prescribed fires would not directly affect camping opportunities. Depending on the season and timing of implementation of these activities, the sound of machinery and traffic could be audible within one to two miles of operations, and smoke could be visible during prescribed burning operations. Other Recreation Activities and ROS Classification Proposed trail improvements would increase opportunities for mountain bikers, winter hikers, and cross-country skiers. Changes in camping opportunities would not have a direct or indirect effect on other recreation activities. Timber harvest would affect other recreation activities in similar ways to the effects on trails. The sights and sounds of traffic and harvest activity could be evident to visitors engaging in biking, skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or driving for pleasure, and access to certain areas could be limited during harvest. The project area is regularly used by hunters. The effect of proposed harvest on hunting depends on the timing of logging. If harvest occurs during hunting seasons, increased activity in the area could temporarily displace animals (see Wildlife Resources section) and reduce the quality of the hunting experience. Once harvest is complete, however, hunting opportunities would likely improve in harvested stands. When stands are young, they provide additional habitat and browse for game species, and this habitat change could improve hunting opportunities in the area for approximately ten years during times when logging and the hunting season don t overlap. Watershed restoration projects could improve habitat for fish species and may improve angling opportunities in certain streams. Other recreation activities would only be affected by the sound of machinery during project implementation. The effect of transportation projects, gravel pit development, and prescribed burning on other recreation activities would be similar to the effects on trails and camping, and would be related to the sights and sounds associated with implementation of these activities. None of the proposed activities are inconsistent with the ROS classification for lands within the project area. Alternative 3 This alternative would have similar direct and indirect effects to Alternative 2. However, certain recreation, timber, and wildlife opening projects have been modified and the gravel pit would not be developed. 87

88 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Trails Proposed changes to the trail system are the same as Alternative 2 and the direct and indirect effects would be the same. The effects of timber harvest under Alternative 3 are very similar to Alternative 2 because the season of harvest is the same and the harvested acres are almost identical, with the exception of an increase of 35 acres for permanent wildlife opening creation and expansion. The change of prescription for five hemlock stands would not change recreational opportunities compared to Alternative 2, since they are not located near any trails or recreational facilities and recreationists would still see visual evidence of harvest activities. Expansion of the Sunken Pond PWO and construction of the Miles Brook PWO should not have an effect on recreation, since they are not near any trails or infrastructure and Sunken Pond PWO is behind a locked gate at the end of a dead-end road. The effects of transportation projects, watershed restoration, and prescribed burning would be the same as under Alternative 2. Because the gravel pit would not be developed, the effect would be the same as under Alternative 1. Camping The dispersed campsite at the entrance to Crocker Pond Campground would be closed, the gate at the Round Pond road would be moved further to the east, and boulders would be placed along the road edge to discourage vehicle access and camping at this site. By implementing Alternative 3, users of this site would be displaced to other dispersed sites or into the campground itself. The campground would be maintained at its current size continuing the current camping opportunity. Vehicle access at sites 5, 6, and 7 would be improved to provide additional parking space. At Broken Bridge Pond, the parking area would be expanded to allow a designated campsite and separate day-use parking within the footprint of the lot. This would likely accomplish the separation of day and overnight uses, but could require regular patrols to ensure compliance with signing. Because no changes would occur at Site 10, the direct and indirect effects of implementing Alternative 3 would be the same as Alternative 1. The effects to camping from timber harvest, watershed restoration, and transportation projects would be the same as in Alternative 2. The effects to camping from prescribed burning would be less than under Alternative 2 because no treatment would occur on Farwell Mountain. Because the gravel pit would not be developed, the effects to camping would be the same as under Alternative 1. Other Recreation Activities and ROS Classification The direct and indirect effects to these activities would be identical to Alternative 2, with the exception of the effects related to gravel pit development and prescribed burning on Farwell Mountain. The ROS classification would remain the same. 88

89 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Cumulative Effects The cumulative effects analysis area is the Albany Habitat Management Unit, bounded on the eastern side by private lands and Maine Route 5; on the northern side by private lands adjacent to the Forest boundary; on the southern side by private lands, the nearby Town of East Stoneham, Route 5, and Keewaydin Lake; and on the east boundary by the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness Area, Miles Notch Trail, and segments of the Caribou-Speckled IRA. This area was chosen to include all activities occurring within the Four Ponds Project. It also includes private inholdings. The timeframe is the past (10 years); present, including ongoing activities; and the foreseeable future (20 years). The timeframe was chosen because it is a reasonable length of time for measuring past effects and for projecting upcoming projects. Alternative 1 Because the proposed actions would not take occur, the cumulative effects of implementing Alternative 1 would be the same as the direct and indirect effects. Alternatives 2 and 3 The cumulative effects of implementing Alternative 2 or 3 are very similar and will be described together. Trails, Camping, Other Recreation Activities, and ROS Classification In combination with the recent installation of the new snowmobile bridge over Harriman Brook, the proposed relocation of the Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail between FR 59A and the Forest boundary would cumulatively improve riding quality and reduce resource impacts on this trail. Other recreation users would benefit from the cumulative improvements to the trail system. There would be no cumulative effect on camping because there are no campsites in proximity to this completed project. Because neither the completed Farwell Mountain Timber Sale nor timber harvest on private lands were in the vicinity of any maintained Forest trails or campsites, there would be no cumulative effect to trails or camping in the analysis area due to implementation of either Alternative 2 or 3. Because the Farwell sale created various habitat types favored by certain game species, hunting opportunities may improve cumulatively over time in the area. Acquisition of the Haystack Notch parcel had a beneficial effect to the Forest trail system by placing the Haystack Notch and Miles Notch trailheads onto National Forest System lands, thereby ensuring availability for public use. It also increased acres of public lands that are available for camping or other recreation uses. This acquisition, in combination with proposed activities designed to improve the trail system and camping opportunities, generates a beneficial cumulative effect to all recreation opportunities. Two actions originally in this proposal and subsequently included in separate NEPA projects for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would have cumulative effects on this project. The Broken Bridge dam reconstruction project would maintain Broken Bridge Pond as a cold water fishery, which would cumulatively improve this angling opportunity in combination with proposed watershed improvement projects. The dam reconstruction and 89

90 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District the Patte Mill Brook Road reconstruction projects could cumulatively add to the sights and sounds of motorized activity should implementation occur simultaneously with proposed activities such as timber harvest, transportation system changes, watershed restoration, or prescribed fire. These effects would be shortterm and would cease upon completion of these projects. Due to proximity to the dam project, overnight and day-users at Broken Bridge Pond would experience the greatest effect should projects be implemented concurrently. Ongoing management activities in the area could cumulatively affect recreation users should they encounter project activities and other management activities simultaneously. Because ongoing management is part of the current condition of the project area, the cumulative effects would be the same as the direct and indirect effects on trails, camping, and other recreation activities. The ROS classification of lands within the project area would not change due to implementation of Alternative 2 or 3 in combination with past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions. The potential for climate change to affect recreation is primarily associated with potential changes in ecosystem conditions, such as longer, hotter summers, shorter winter seasons, reduced snow levels, and less dramatic fall foliage (Bloomfield and Hamburg 1997). Though the seasons for certain activities may be shortened or lengthened, there is no indication that demand for outdoor recreation opportunities that are currently available and popular within the project area would be reduced or altered as a result of climate change. It is expected that people would continue to visit the Forest in all seasons to enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, pleasure driving, and winter sports. Therefore no notable effects to recreation are expected from climate change during the analysis timeframe. Motorized equipment used to implement proposed recreation projects would generate emissions that may contribute to climate change. Additionally, recreational use of snowmobiles and passenger vehicles used to access trails and campsites and for scenic driving generate similar emissions. However, there is no indication that implementation of proposed recreation projects or continued recreation use within the project area would have a measurable effect on climate change as a result of these emissions because there is no indication that these vehicles would not be otherwise used should the proposed activities not occur. 90

91 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 3.7 Riparian and Aquatic Habitat Affected Environment The Four Ponds project area contains a mix of streams, many connected to ponds and wetlands, representing a diverse range of thermal classes. Some of these ponds and wetlands are formed by natural landforms, some by beaver dams, and others by man-made dams and roads. Miles Brook and the East Branch of the Pleasant River are coldwater White Mountain streams in which the stream bottoms are very stable. In the headwaters of these streams, very cold, clear water lined with mossy covered rocks provides ideal habitat for wild brook trout. Abundant mature hemlock along the streams results in high shading, but lower wood loadings due to the long-lived nature of the tree species. In these streams, below average in-stream cover in pools generally limits overall trout abundance, despite the pristine nature of the streams. Within the White Mountain National Forest boundary, there are no known barriers to aquatic organisms in the Miles Brook watershed, and only one at an unnamed perennial brook into the East Branch of the Pleasant River. Past intensive harvest in the lower portion of Miles Brook removed most of the mature forest and altered some riparian habitat along the tributaries. Water temperature measurements taken at the mouth of Miles Brook reflect this, as well as the effects of more recent timber management on the newly-acquired land. Mid-summer water temperatures, ranged from the mid-50s to 60s, and are within optimum ranges for brook trout and other coldwater species. Patte Mill Brook and Albany Brook originate and flow through a mix of ponds and wetlands. Patte Mill Brook, just below the Patte Mill Dam, is a warmwater stream based on water temperature data collected in 2008, but cools as it flows through forest canopy downstream. Further downstream, near the FR 59 bridge crossing, water temperatures have cooled to within thresholds of coldwater fish species. Sunfish species have been noted just below the Patte Mill dam, while brook trout, suckers, shiners, and dace are common near FR 59. Brook trout have been observed in all of the small unnamed perennial streams flowing into Patte Mill Brook, indicating these are coldwater streams. Currently, crossings of these tributaries on the Patte Mill Brook Road appear to be fish barriers, although fish can be found above and below them. These populations may have become isolated in the past as the undersized crossings created impassable stream conditions over time. Aquatic organism passage will be restored at four crossings of perennial tributaries of Patte Mill Brook in 2010 as part of a recent decision to reconstruct the Patte Mill Brook Road. Patte Marsh is regulated by a water control structure and creates warmwater fish habitat for pickerel, horned pout, and a variety of minnow species. The structure has long created a fish barrier, although Patte Mill Brook upstream of the impoundment probably always had significant beaver activity creating both physical and thermal barriers to aquatic life movement. Beaver activity is common between the marsh and Broken Bridge Pond, located at the headwaters of the Patte Mill Brook. 91

92 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District New England Brook flows into Patte Mill Brook upstream of Patte Marsh. It is a coldwater stream providing habitat primarily to brook trout. The headwaters drain small wetlands and beaver meadows, giving the brook an amber water color. Brook trout are found below the FR 319 culvert after headwater tributaries merge. A large beaver meadow can be found further downstream, and creates open, flat stream habitats. Below the meadow, forest canopy over the brook is dense, and wild brook trout occur much more commonly. Water temperatures are ideal for coldwater species, fluctuating between the high 50s and low 60s throughout the summer. Pool habitat and large woody debris in the channel are not common, resulting in below average habitat quality. New England Brook flows into Patte Mill Brook shortly after the Forest Road 18 culvert crossing. This crossing may be a barrier to movement of some aquatic life at some flows, but the need for movement between warmwater habitat and coldwater habitat is less of a concern. Harriman Brook is also a coldwater stream flowing into Patte Mill Brook. Brook trout are very common in the lower reach up to the beaver meadow. It is one of the only perennial brooks flowing into Patte Mill Brook where stream crossings do not impede aquatic life movement from Patte Mill Brook into Harriman Brook. Wood loadings are above average in this reach, resulting in some high quality habitat utilized by spawning brook trout. Culverts on Forest Roads 59 and 59B impede movement of aquatic life in two headwater streams where high quality spawning habitat occurs. Albany Brook, originating from Crocker Pond, is a slow-moving brook that meanders through a wide valley. Beaver use alder thickets along the brook to create a series of meadows and floodings. Maintaining forest canopy cover over Albany Brook is not of concern, as the brook provides a natural mixture of coldwater and warmwater habitats created by Crocker Pond, Round Pond, beaver meadows, and the small inlet streams. Measuring Effects to Riparian and Aquatic Habitats The relevant elements for the Four Ponds project are stream thermal class, stream connectivity, and in-stream habitat quality and productivity. The thermal class of a stream is dependent on the temperature range that a stream naturally encounters throughout the growing season in a forested setting. Stream thermal classes are coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater. Changes in thermal class represent a threshold for when changes in riparian forest structure result in changes in the composition of the aquatic faunal community. Measuring effects to thermal class is a qualitative prediction based on known temperature ranges documented on the Forest and on the responses of stream temperature from various forest canopy treatments reported in the literature. Stream connectivity is a description of the ability of water, organisms, stream sediments, and in-stream wood to move freely within the natural capacity of the stream network. The occurrence of both man-made (culverts and dams) and natural (waterfalls, beaver dams, landslides) barriers influence stream connectivity within a watershed. In-stream habitat quality and productivity is a description of those variables that have the most influence over stream productivity in the White Mountains: 92

93 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment risk of aluminum toxicity from episodic acidification, sedimentation from roads and logging activity, and the current status of in-stream large woody debris and pool habitat area. Stream Thermal Class Studies in the White Mountains have shown that timber harvest can increase summer stream temperatures and widen diurnal stream temperatures (Burton and Likens 1973). A more recent study examined the effectiveness of different buffer widths on the effect of timber harvesting on headwater stream temperatures in western Maine (Wilkerson et al. 2006). This study documented an increase of approximately 3 8 F in average maximum stream temperatures from timber clearcuts with no stream buffers. The study found that streams with selection harvest applied to the stream edge (no clearcuts), and also streams where clearcuts were applied with 36 or 75 partially harvested buffers, did not show significant increases in stream temperatures as compared to nonharvested control streams. The best available science regarding stream buffers would suggest that implementation of Forest Plan standards and guidelines for riparian and aquatic habitats would prevent significant changes in summer stream temperatures and therefore maintain the integrity of coldwater streams. Stream Connectivity Stream connectivity refers to the ability of a stream to move water, organisms, stream sediments, and in-stream wood freely within the natural capacity of the stream network. It generally includes passage of aquatic organisms but it also includes linkages of biotic and physical processes and materials between upstream and downstream reaches. Physical processes include the movement and distribution of woody debris, sediment, and the migration of channel patterns. It is important that woody debris and bed material be allowed to pass unhindered through the stream crossing structure. When debris is trapped at the inlet of a structure, aquatic organism passage barriers are created, and habitat may be degraded both above and below the stream crossing. In addition, when structures constrict stream channels, trapped debris and sediment can reduce the capacity of the structure and stream flows may overtop the road surface, initiating a suite of erosional consequences that include impacts to water quality, stream habitat, and aquatic life (Flanagan, 2005). Streams in the White Mountains that can be crossed with culverts are typically coldwater or coolwater habitats. Most of the impacts associated with culverts in the White Mountains will affect coldwater fish populations salmonids (brook trout), cyprinids (minnows and dace), catastomids (suckers), and cottids (sculpin). Aquatic salamanders associated with these habitats may include spring, two-lined, and dusky salamanders. In-Stream Habitat Quality and Productivity Hakala (2000) found that fine sediment, of sizes generally documented from logging roads, can negatively impact the abundance of newborn brook trout. This study also found that fine sediment did not reach threshold levels in brook trout spawning sites in steeper gradients or where high stream flows are encountered. Marschall and Crowder (1996) modeled the population responses 93

94 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District of various anthropogenic effects on brook trout populations and determined that, while severe sedimentation could have potentially strong negative effects from an extreme increase in the egg to larva mortality, this effect was not likely to result in local extinction. Curry and MacNeill (2004) found that the effect of high sedimentation on egg mortality was reduced when discharging groundwater was present. The authors could not detect an effect at the population level, as young brook trout apparently dispersed from habitat areas saturated with young to areas that were not saturated. Research has shown the effects of both acid deposition and clean air regulations on soil and surface water chemistry within the White Mountains (Likens et al. 1996). Reductions in emissions have resulted in some improvement in the chemistry of New England surface waters (Driscoll et al. 2001). Full chemical and biological recovery has been delayed from the leaching of soil base cations, therefore episodic acidification still occurs in sensitive areas. Studies have shown that episodic acidification can have detrimental effects to fish species in mountain streams of the northeastern United States (Baker et al. 1996; Baldigo and Lawrence 2000; Baldigo and Lawrence 2007). Baker et al. (1996) demonstrated that downstream fish movement, fish mortality, and fish community composition were all strongly correlated to stream acidity and inorganic monomeric aluminum concentrations during episodic events. Warren et al. (2008) suggest the extirpation of at least two fish species occurred during a period of chronic acidification during the early 1970s in the Hubbard Brook watershed. Impacts to non-fish species are less researched in the Northeastern U.S., but a study in France found drastic reduction in stream invertebrate species diversity with decreasing ph from samples from 41 headwater streams where acidification of streams has been documented (Guerold et al. 2000). The interaction of land use and episodic acidification is less researched. Intensive timber harvest worsened the effects of acid deposition on stream chemistry and brook trout survival in the acid-sensitive waters of the Catskill Mountains, while more moderate partial harvest treatments did not (Baldigo et al. 2005). In this study, 5 14 percent basal area removal had no effect on brook trout survival, while 73 percent basal area removal caused 100 percent mortality in this acidsensitive drainage of the Catskills. It has been well established by the scientific community that downed trees, or large woody debris (LWD), influences stream habitat formation and stream productivity in forested streams around the world (Naiman et al. 2002). The link between LWD, pool habitat, habitat diversity, and the native eastern brook trout is becoming well-established in the eastern U.S. Studies have documented what many successful anglers already knew: adult brook trout occupy areas with more cover and depth than juvenile trout. Over-yearling brook trout select areas of low water velocity in the spring, but prefer deeper stream habitats with more cover in the summer and autumn (Johnson and Dropkin 1996). Flebbe and Dolloff (1995) found higher accumulations of LWD in old growth forested streams than in second growth forested streams in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. The authors also found higher trout densities in streams with more LWD. More recently, Keeton et al. (2007) found in-stream LWD volumes were nearly six times greater in old growth forest compared to second growth forest in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Pools created by LWD were 94

95 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment more common than boulder-formed pools in streams flowing through old growth forest. The density of large downed logs, the density of woody debris jams, the density of in-stream boulders, and the width of the stream, when considered together, predicted stream pool density in this study. Monitoring of LWD additions into the Great Brook watershed in the WMNF documented increases in habitat diversity, pool habitat area, and brook trout biomass (USDA Forest Service 2008a). Analysis Methods Stream thermal classifications are based upon stream temperatures logged hourly during the summer months at selected stream locations within the project area. Professional judgement is used to classify some streams where data was not recorded. This judgement is based upon landforms, elevations, and data collected at similar streams throughout the WMNF. Stream connectivity will be based on stream crossing inventories and assessments of fish passability. Numbers of crossings improved will serve as a measure of improved stream connectivity and will be compared across alternatives. Inventories of stream crossings and fish passability are not available from private lands. Counts of crossings on GIS maps are used as estimates of potential barriers for cumulative effect analysis. The effects to in-stream habitat quality and productivity will be based on potential for changes in sedimentation, stream chemistry, and in-stream wood loadings and pool habitat. Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area includes the following stream areas: the West Branch of the Pleasant River, the East Branch of the Pleasant River, Patte Mill Brook and its tributaries, Albany Brook (to the Forest boundary), all unnamed tributaries of the Crooked River draining National Forest lands, and the Crooked River (to the FR765 bridge over the Crooked River on private land). This area was chosen because it includes all of the drainage areas within the project area where management activities are proposed in the Four Ponds project. The temporal scope for direct and indirect effects is up to five years after the proposed activities occur on the ground. This time period was chosen because it represents the maximum time that short-term water quality effect returns to pre-treatment conditions. Alternative 1 No trees would be cut nor vegetation disturbed for timber harvest, expansion or development of gravel pits, road reconstruction, trail relocations, campsite improvements, or stream restoration work. Stream Thermal Class Forest canopy along and over streams would remain much like the current situation. Only natural tree falls or hazard tree management would create openings in the canopy that would allow sunlight on surface waters. There would be no 95

96 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District measurable changes in stream temperatures or changes in stream thermal class other than those driven by changing weather patterns. Stream Connectivity There would be no new permanent culverts, new temporary crossings, or removal of existing fish barriers in this alternative. In some streams, fish populations may remain isolated above culvert barriers. If extreme water events such as floods or drought occurred, isolated populations could become extinct and barriers would prevent re-colonization of these stream habitats. Stream connectivity could improve if undersized culverts wash out. In-stream Habitat Quality and Productivity Stream habitats would remain similar to the current situation. Very localized changes may occur due to random tree falls. Aquatic productivity would also remain similar. Extreme weather events such as floods, wind storms, ice storms, or droughts could cause very dramatic effects that alter habitat quality and productivity if they occur in the Four Ponds project area. Alternative 2 Stream Thermal Class In the West Branch of the Pleasant River watershed, there would be no change in stream thermal class in either Kings Brook or Miles Brook (and its tributaries) from vegetation management activities, road restoration, and road reconstruction. Only two even-aged prescriptions and one wildlife opening are proposed in the watershed. The majority of commercial harvest would be group selection, an uneven-aged treatment. Forest Plan guidelines and project design features prescribe no commercial cut buffers along both mapped and unmapped perennials (some were mapped as intermittent and others were not mapped at all). The best available science suggests that no significant changes in stream temperatures should occur from these types of vegetation treatments (Wilkerson et. al. 2005). The Patte Mill Brook watershed consists of a mix of coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater tributaries and stream reaches. With the exception of Donahue Brook, vegetation treatments in drainages of the Patte Mill Brook watershed are dominated by group selection prescriptions. On commercial timber sale contracts, forested buffers would be left on all mapped and unmapped perennials, with the exception of the headwater tributaries of New England Brook. These small headwater streams of New England Brook appear to drain surface wetlands and flow into a large beaver meadow on the brook. The reason for not leaving a buffer would be to promote beaver habitat in riparian areas. Based on the best available science, there should be no shift in thermal classification of streams of New England Brook, Patte Mill Brook and its tributaries, and Harriman Brook. Donahue Brook is a perennial stream, incorrectly mapped as an intermittent channel by United Stated Geological Service (USGS). A design feature was added to the project that would leave a non-harvested forest buffer along the stream. Vegetation treatments in this small watershed are mostly even-aged prescriptions. No water temperature data was collected in this brook but coldwater fish were observed near Patte Mill Brook Road. Based on the best available science, a 96

97 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment no-cut buffer, combined with vegetation treatments that remove less basal area then clearcuts, would not cause significant changes in stream temperatures or thermal class to be observed. The addition of wood to Miles Brook, tributaries of Miles Brook, East Branch Pleasant River, New England Brook, and Mosquito Pond Brook would be accomplished by cutting trees from within 75 of the stream, including the 25 no commercial cut zone. Removal of selected trees would create temporary openings in the canopy adjacent to and above the stream. While this would increase sunlight reaching the water surface, there would not be a sufficient number of new openings to increase stream temperatures high enough to alter the stream thermal class. Monitoring of hourly water temperatures of Mill Brook (Carroll, NH) in the summer of 2009 upstream and downstream of a wood addition stream reach of approximately a half-mile found no difference in the downstream temperature change noted at the same sites in 2005 (M. Prout 2009b). Wood additions made in small streams of the Great Brook watershed increased biomass of the coldwater-loving brook trout, indicating that wood loading projects that utilize trees within the riparian area do not significantly alter stream temperatures (USDA Forest Service 2008a). Prescribed burning, wildlife opening expansion, campsite and parking relocations, trail relocations, and gravel pit development near Sunken Pond are not expected to have any effect on temperatures of any streams in the project area given the location and small magnitude of these activities. Stream Connectivity No permanent stream crossings would be installed that would create barriers to aquatic life. Many temporary roads will be used to access forest stands with logging equipment and to haul wood out to mills. The majority of temporary crossings are in place for less than one year. Generally, they are pulled during road rehabilitation when sale units are closed. Timbered bridges are generally used on wide crossings, while culverts are used on smaller crossings. Culverts may impede the movement of aquatic organisms, downed wood, and stream sediments, but given the short duration of their use, long-term effects to populations are not expected. Overall stream connectivity of the project area will be improved after sale activity is complete by the removal of three permanent culverts and improvement of two permanent culverts. Two stream crossings within the New England Brook watershed will be removed after harvesting is completed. Two crossings in the headwaters of Harriman Brook will be backwatered using stream stone, improving connectivity for stream life. One culvert in the Mosquito Pond drainage will be upgraded before timber hauling begins. Upgrading of this culvert would result in improved stream connectivity as the current stone culvert is blocked. The addition of wood to Miles Brook, tributaries of Miles Brook, East Branch Pleasant River, New England Brook, and Mosquito Pond Brook could create debris jams in some areas. Cole et al. (2006) found that debris jams were the dominant feature determining the upper boundary of fish distributions in the Pacific Northwest in 48 percent of streams sampled. The structure and location of debris jams is much more transient than a culvert or waterfall, suggesting that these debris jams are not permanent barriers, especially at lower elevations where 97

98 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District stream valleys may not be fully constricted. Debris jams have not been identified as limiting upstream fish distribution in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains (Warren et al. 2008). Debris jams may actually create side channels that serve as both refuge during high velocity flows and provide access around the jams. One of the primary benefits of in-stream wood is the creation of scour pools. These pools can also provide increase depth that fish can use to jump over barriers. Burford et al. (2009) found that culvert drop was the most important factor affecting fish passage, but plunge pool depth below the culvert influenced successful passage relative to culvert drop. Once a fish makes the leap over a debris jam, it does not have to navigate through excessively high water velocities generally found within culverts. The best available science suggests that wood loadings do not function as barriers in the same fashion as culverts or man-made dams. Prescribed burning, wildlife opening expansion, campsite and parking relocations, trail relocations, and gravel pit development near Sunken Pond are not expected to have any effect on stream connectivity in the project area given the location and small magnitude of these activities. In-stream Habitat Quality and Productivity No significant effects on acidity and aluminum mobilization are expected in this alternative, as discussed in the Water section of this environmental analysis. Design features limit the total amount of basal area removed from any perennial stream watershed, and provide streamside buffers, ensuring that forest removal does not worsen the effects of acid deposition by releasing inorganic monomeric aluminum that can be toxic to aquatic life. Studies have shown that logging can increase the presence of fine sediments into stream substrates. Ground disturbance from the development and use of skid trails, road reconstruction, stream crossings, and log landings results in some fine sediments washing into the stream network. Ultimately, the extent that sedimentation degrades stream productivity is based on the magnitude of sediment inputs and how long they remain within stream habitats. Design features for soil resources reiterate techniques outlined in Maine s Best Management Practices to control both the spatial and temporal magnitude of erosion and sedimentation. Concern regarding sedimentation would be higher in some streams than others. Coldwater streams generally have aquatic life more sensitive to fine sediments than warmwater species. Miles Brook, East Branch of the Pleasant River, New England Brook, Harriman Brook, and Mosquito Pond Brook are coldwater brook trout streams that could be affected by sedimentation in the short term. Skid road and temporary road access over headwater tributaries increases the risk in Miles Brook and the East Branch of the Pleasant River. Since logging operations would generally last one year within each of these watersheds, sedimentation would not be chronic. Proper implementation of BMPs during closeout of these areas will allow soils to stabilize. Fine sediments would be flushed further downstream and eventually into floodplain environments. Given the stream slopes and stream power in these watersheds, the effects of sedimentation on coldwater species and their habitats is expected to be highest in year one and then return to pre-entry levels within three to five years (LaChance et al. 2008). 98

99 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Stream habitat structure would improve dramatically in Miles Brook, East Branch of the Pleasant River, New England Brook, and Mosquito Pond Brook from wood additions. Trees dropped into stream channels would increase the amount of pool habitat and in-stream cover. The quality of this new habitat would increase each year for the first few years as new pools scour and wood pieces stabilize in the channels. Aquatic productivity is expected to increase, as observed in the Great Brook stream restoration project, where higher biomass of brook trout was found after wood additions (USDA Forest Service 2008a). Habitat diversity, increased overhead cover, and deeper pools are believed to be the reason for this increased productivity. Prescribed burning, wildlife opening expansion, campsite and parking relocations, trail relocations, and gravel pit development near Sunken Pond are not expected to have any effect on stream habitat quality and aquatic productivity in the project area given the location and small magnitude of these activities. Alternative 3 Stream Thermal Class Under this alternative, effects would be similar to those described in Alternative 2. Implementing even-aged vegetative treatments rather than uneven-aged treatments in five hemlock stands in three watersheds would not have any measurable effect on stream temperatures. Prescribed burning of a permanent wildlife opening in the newly-acquired Mason Tract of land would not have any effect on stream temperatures, given that the opening is not adjacent to Miles Brook. Stream Connectivity Effects are identical to Alternative 2 as the number and location of stream crossings installed, retrofitted, or removed is identical. In-stream Habitat Quality and Productivity Effects would be similar to those described in Alternative 2. Implementing evenaged vegetative treatments rather than uneven-aged treatments in five hemlock stands in three watersheds would not have any measurable effect on aquatic habitats or productivity. Prescribed burning of a permanent wildlife opening in the newly-acquired Mason Tract of land would not have any effect on in-stream habitat or productivity, given that the opening is not adjacent to Miles Brook Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects on riparian and stream habitats includes watersheds of the West Branch of the Pleasant River, the East Branch of the Pleasant River, Patte Mill Brook, Albany Brook (down to Kneeland Pond), and the Crooked River intershed (from the beaver meadow along Highway 5 to the bridge crossing of FR765). This includes approximately 13,685 acres of private land within Albany and Mason Townships. This area was chosen because it includes the watershed of the largest stream order where proposed activities occur, and it considers activities on private lands that are adjacent to the project area. 99

100 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The temporal scope for cumulative effects on riparian and stream habitats is ten years past and ten years into the future ( ) from when the proposed harvest will begin. Ten years was chosen because all management activities should be implemented within this timeframe, and the indirect effects of proposed activities such as increased sedimentation from roads and skid trails, and increased solar radiation from forest canopy openings will no longer be evident. Alternative 1 Stream Thermal Class Given that there are no industrial timber landowners, or any major developments planned in any of these watersheds, no major changes in stream thermal classes are expected in any watershed in this alternative. If any major private land developments or large scale logging efforts occur, some perennial coldwater streams could be altered to coolwater or warmwater classes. Streams in the project area would not be expected to change thermal class unless extreme weather results in severe drought. Stream Connectivity There is no comprehensive inventory of stream crossings on private lands within the analysis area. A cursory count of road stream crossings from GIS data estimates the following number of perennial stream crossings in the analysis area: Crooked River 21 crossings; Patte Mill Brook 17 crossings; West Branch Pleasant River 13 crossings; East Branch Pleasant River 12 crossings; and Albany Brook 10 crossings Some of these crossings are bridges; therefore, this is an overestimate of potential barriers to aquatic organism passage. In this alternative, minor impacts to stream connectivity remain in the New England Brook watershed and upper reaches to Harriman Brook. Despite the recent reconstruction of Patte Mill Dam and a recent decision to reconstruct the dam at Broken Bridge Pond, overall stream connectivity will be improved with the installation of larger culverts on Patte Mill Brook Road. Four perennial coldwater streams will be connected to the coolwater reach of Patte Mill Brook and the coldwater Harriman Brook. Despite reducing overall stream connectivity, the two dam structures isolate warmwater environments from coldwater environments, where movement of populations in the short term is less critical. In-stream Habitat Quality and Productivity Changes in stream habitat conditions in the Four Ponds project area would remain similar to today s conditions. Stream chemistry would largely be a function of acid deposition rates, rainfall events, and snowmelt conditions. In-stream habitat conditions would be a function of tree mortality rates and weather related tree falls, which occur generally at a very slow rate. Many streams in the project area would still not have complex habitats influenced by high large woody debris (LWD) inputs from riparian forests. While these mature forest stands continue to age, longer-lived tree species, such as hemlock, would not yet reach over-mature stages. 100

101 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Within private lands of the analysis area, we may see a small number of local extinctions of headwater stream communities, where culverts act as barriers to aquatic organism movement. A combination of riparian forest removal and drought conditions would most likely cause these extinctions, again assuming worst case scenarios of climate change are realized by Alternatives 2 and 3 Stream Thermal Class Cumulative effects on stream thermal class would similar to those described for Alternative 1. Design features and Forest Plan standards and guidelines mitigate any effects within the WMNF boundary. Stream Connectivity The only difference in cumulative effects from the No Action alternative is the removal of barriers in New England Brook, Harriman Brook, and a tributary of Mosquito Pond Brook. Within the cumulative effects analysis area, increases in stream connectivity would be very small given that the majority of stream miles in the watershed are connected. The largest gains in connectivity would occur from the previous decision to reconstruct Patte Mill Brook Road. Habitat Quality and Aquatic Productivity In the short term, downstream areas from logging activity could see some increased fine sediments. Overall habitat quality and stream productivity would be improved within the WMNF boundary. Increases in productivity within the project area may saturate habitats, resulting in movement of individuals to habitats outside of the WMNF in the analysis area. The effects of climate change on stream habitats would be similar to Alternative 1 with the exception of increased stream connectivity in Alternatives 2 and 3. Removal of two crossings in the New England Brook watershed, and improved aquatic passage at crossings in the Harriman Brook watershed and at a Mosquito Pond Brook tributary, would allow unimpeded movement. In the cumulative effects analysis area, this represents a small increase of total stream habitat connected. Climate change predictions for the northeast U.S. suggest a worst case scenario of a 2 degree Fahrenheit increase in stream water temperatures by 2025 (M. Prout 2009a). If the worst case situation did occur within 2020, only stream reaches near the thresholds of thermal classes may begin to experience shifts in aquatic fauna. In the Four Ponds project area, we might see Patte Mill Brook shift completely to a warmwater fish community. Nonetheless, tributaries of Patte Mill Brook would remain coldwater streams, and new culverts on the Patte Mill Brook Road would allow fish to move freely between Patte Mill Brook and its tributaries. Coldwater habitat in Harriman Brook, however, could shrink if drought conditions eliminate trout populations in headwater streams above impassable culverts. The ability of brook trout to survive droughts would be based on the quantity and quality of pool habitat. 101

102 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.8 Scenery Management Affected Environment The project area is located on the eastern side of the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness and extends east to Route 5, south of Bethel and north of North Waterford, Maine. It includes two geographically divided sections located on opposite sides of Farwell Mountain. The western section spans the mountainsides, hillsides, and lower terrain between Caribou Mountain and Farwell Mountain. The eastern section, with more than twice the density of proposed treatment as the western section, is comprised of mountainsides, hillsides, and lowlands and is encompassed by Albany Mountain to the west, Browns Ledge to the north, Keewaydin Lake to the south, and Route 5 to the east. A blanket of softwood trees covers the highest elevations, sharing the lower tops and ridges with a mixture of softwood and northern hardwood. Draping over the slopes and extending into the lower elevations are similar fields of softwood and hardwood trees, as well as a mixture to the two. Other features include the granite outcrops interspersed throughout the upper elevations and the numerous ponds, particularly in the lower areas east of Albany Mountain. Vegetation textures stem from the underlying geology and soils that determine forest types. Influencing the mosaic pattern of color and texture is the history of forest agriculture upon these slopes. Older harvest openings (clearcuts) require a keen eye in some circumstances to delineate and partial harvests (group selection), which are even more difficult to detect, influence the visible pattern. More recent clearcuts are noticeable on the landscape and their patterns, textures, and shadow lines are reminiscent of the cleared agricultural lands of days past as well as those still in use beyond the boundary of the project area in the more distant views. The heaviest recreational use is concentrated along the six hiking trails, three snowmobile trails, Patte Mill Brook Road, and Crocker Pond Road. Other local roads provide views and access to the project area, but their use is mostly limited to those living and working in those areas. The seen area changes according to vantage points due to the angle of repose, foreground vegetation, and aspect of the viewed landscape. Within the project area, views of stands proposed for treatment are predominately blocked by vegetation from trails and roads. The surrounding summits and those within the projects boundaries provide the most distinct views of the proposed stands. The project area is dominantly viewed by recreational visitors and local property owners. Limited, stationary, and short-duration traveler s views of the project area are seen from the east on Route 5 moving north or south and looking west. The longest duration and most dramatic traveling views of the project area are while driving on Patte Mill Brook and Crocker Pond roads. The most significant stationary and direct views into the project area are from Caribou, Speckled, and Albany Mountains, and Brown s Ledge. This is where analysis will be concentrated due to the superior and direct views. 102

103 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Alternative 1 Direct and Indirect Effects With this alternative, there would be little or no change in the visual environment from the existing conditions; any changes that did occur would result from natural causes. As areas harvested during earlier sales reach maturity, the existing mosaic pattern resulting from those activities would be replaced by a consistent vegetative texture with few naturally-occurring openings. Without new openings in the canopy, either from human manipulation or natural occurrences, the vegetation would not offer as much diversity of tree species (paper birch and aspen) or age classes as there would be if openings were present. There would be no direct and indirect effects on scenery. Overstocked stands reduce the visual interest by reducing sight distances, restricting light from reaching the forest floor, prompting trees to grow shorter crowns, and reducing the variety of color, line, and form. Alternatives 2 and 3 Background for the Analysis The analysis area for the direct and indirect effects is the project area because this is the zone where management activities would alter the scenery. The viewshed for a majority of the views does not extend beyond the project area due to the area s overall scale (what can be seen with the normal cone of vision), the distance from the project area to a viewpoint, and the project area s viewsheds being largely contained by several mountainsides. The amount of visible opening, or seen acres, is the result of treatments proposed within the project area and the distances from which they are viewable. The project area includes a few foreground viewsheds (0 to 1/2 mile), many middleground viewsheds (1/2 to 4 miles), and some background views (4 miles to the horizon). The relationship of distance and size of visible openings dictates that the further into the background the opening exists, the less it is visibly significant. Significance is reduced with distance, and eventually the opening may cease being a noticeable attraction to the eye. For this project area, middleground viewsheds are the most prevalent and therefore the most important. It should be noted that many of the middleground viewsheds may appear to be foreground views to the observer because of the superior viewpoint, angle of repose, and the treatment proposed, but actual distance is the measurement analyzed for data uniformity per the Scenery Management System supported by the Forest Plan. The scenery analysis selected viewpoint locations that provided the broadest range of view, the most direct views, and views that are from different distances and angles. The four viewpoints selected for final analysis were chosen because they best represent all of the longest duration and focused superior views within the analysis area. They also represent areas with the highest potential usage, thus providing an increased viewing opportunity. The viewpoints selected for analysis are designated as points 001, 002, 003, and 005. Viewpoint 001 is located on the summit of Caribou Mountain. It provides a spectacular superior viewshed to the east, southeast, and northeast across and 103

104 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District into nearly the entire project area. Viewpoint 001 provides middle to background views of the project area. Viewpoint 002 is located on the summit of Speckled Mountain. It provides an open view of the western facing mountainsides of the project area and beyond. Viewpoint 002 provides mostly background views. Albany and Farwell Mountains shield the majority of the stands in the project area from view. Thus, there is only one middleground view of the project area from Viewpoint 002. Viewpoint 003 is located on the south-facing rock outcrop of Brown s Ledge. It provides an open, panoramic view predominantly of the lower lying areas of the eastern portion of the project area and the northern and northeastern faces of Albany Mountain. This superior viewpoint provides very close foreground and middleground views. Although viewpoint 003 s location is not as frequented as some of the other viewpoints (there is no formal trail to the ledge), it provides excellent views, including the project s only foreground views, and has a different perspective from the others (southern focus). This allows the analysis to be all-encompassing, with the best range of distance zones and view angles sampled. Viewpoint 005 is located at the summits of Albany Mountain. Due to Albany Mountain bisecting, and having a wide viewshed of, most of the project area, as well as being in close proximity to most of the stands, both northeastern and northwestern viewsheds were combined as one. They technically are geographically separated by the crown of the summit and are approximately 100 yards apart. The northwestern view did not provide any seen acre data because the stands were not visible. With the vast majority of stands to the east and northeast of Albany Mountain, the eastern viewshed of Viewpoint 005 provides relatively close (nearly foreground) and undisturbed middleground views of the project area. Alternate views from within the analysis area on trails and from peaks or openings were discarded after initial analysis. They did not provide much, if any, views because they were not within the correct viewing direction or viewshed, or foreground topographic or vegetative barriers obstructed potential views. Management prescriptions analyzed include clearcuts, patch clearcuts, and overstory removals that take a significant portion of canopy from the stand. Thinning, shelterwood seed tree cut, and single tree selection treatments result in naturally-appearing stands; they are barely noticeable from most foreground views and are not noticeable from further middleground and background views. Therefore these treatments are not further analyzed. Group selection openings are not expected to be as noticeable from the majority of viewpoints due to the angle of the line of site (repose) combined with the leading edge of untreated vegetation concealing the small-scale openings (< 2 acres). When considering the distances from the three of the four viewpoints analyzed, these small openings should be more difficult to detect except where directly below the viewpoint. This analysis, therefore, concentrates on the scenic effects of the alternatives in which clearcut and overstory removal treatments (including shelterwood) are proposed, and which are visible from the viewpoints. The guidelines of the Forest Plan emphasize analysis of openings greater than four to five acres or more, depending upon the Scenic Integrity Objective 104

105 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment for that stand and its viewshed. The Forest Plan states that where group cuttings are used, they should be laid out with an informal distribution pattern and varied in size. The timeframe for effects is 20 years in the past and 20 years into the future ( ), as it allows all of the harvest openings to fully restock, put on a full canopy of vegetation, and reach a height of enough significance to allow the shadow and textural differences to begin to blend with the adjacent surroundings as seen from a typical viewing distance by the casual observer. Visibility of Treated Areas and Landscape Features Views differ according to their location, elevation, proximity to the units, and the project area s aspect of the slope. The intensity of scenic impact of a view is affected by the duration of viewing while traveling along a route or standing stationary at a superior viewpoint. From a stationary viewpoint, the intensity effects from new visible openings are a function of distance and the size (acres) of the opening seen. The intensity of scenic impact diminishes with distance. Where there are openings, the leading edge of the trees along the opening and reserve patches would block some to all of the opening from view (depending on the size and size ratio of reserve). Again, viewsheds blocked with leading edge vegetation depend greatly on the viewpoint, elevation of the viewpoint, and the aspect of slope the opening is on. For example, stand 327/12 is one mile distant from viewpoint 005 (atop Albany Mountain). Due to the elevation of the viewpoint, compared to the elevation of the stand, topographic relief, angle of the slope, direction of the slope, and the leading edge vegetation, less than three of the 15 acres of the clearcut would be visible. For all stands and viewpoints, estimates of visible (seen) acres will always be less than the total acres treated (even if only slightly) due to natural screening by topographic features, leading edge vegetation of the viewed opening, and reserve areas, all of which create visual barriers. Field observations, photographs, and GPS points were taken from viewpoints during the summer and fall of 2008 and GIS and photographic computer image modeling were then used to create a simulated environment from which to begin the analysis. Visibility modeling was applied to each GPS viewpoint in order to provide a base reference as to what stands in the project area would be visible from that given point. This GIS-created map (visibility model) was produced with contrasting colors representing areas of visibility and those blocked from view. The stand boundaries were overlaid to allow further analysis as to which of the proposed openings (clearcuts, overstory removals, and shelterwood seed tree) fall within the visible area for that particular viewpoint (Visibility Maps are located in the project file). Viewpoint photographs and GPS points were then analyzed, cross referenced, and coordinated with simulated terrain models. The areas evaluated by the models closely match the viewshed, elevation, and distance of those in the photographs (depiction was matched as closely as technologically possible). The stand boundaries were then overlaid onto the terrain of the three dimensional model and colored to allow a simulated view of the proposed treatment 105

106 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District on the simulated landscape from the viewpoint. With the data assembled, it was possible to visualize the view from the viewpoints and to determine how the landscape would appear in the future following the proposed treatments in each action alternative. We did look at other viewpoints within the project area, but these were not analyzed as they provided little difference in distance zones from analyzed viewpoints, had limited to no visibility into the project area, and were repetitive of other viewsheds. Meeting Scenic Integrity Objectives of the Forest Plan All lands on the Forest are assigned one of five Scenic Integrity Objectives (SIOs): Very High, High, Moderate, Low, and Very Low (Forest Plan Glossary). Within the project area, SIO levels are classified as High (H), Moderate (M), and Low (L). Stands that have more than one SIO are analyzed by the acreage that falls into each SIO. Forest Plan guidelines for High sensitivity levels suggest that a maximum observed size of 4 5 acres are visible for created openings from key vantage points. In Moderate sensitivity levels, the guideline states that observed acreages of approximately 10 acres normally achieve a Moderate Scenic Integrity Objective as long as it fits in the scale with the observed landscape. The Forest Plan further states that observed opening acreages will vary under different situations and in relationship to the viewing position. In other words, depending on the distance of the opening from the viewpoint, combined with the angle at which the stand lays on the landscape and its proximity to past openings (that still produce a noticeable change in color, texture, or shadow), a more conservative approach than that of the guidelines or a more relaxed approach than that of the guidelines may be appropriate. Each stand needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Stands that are prescribed as clearcuts and overstory removals for Alternatives 2 and 3 are the focus of the analysis, as these treatments create the most visual disturbances to the landscape for the longest duration of time. Using GIS ArcMap to aid in the visual analysis, proposed stands were overlaid on lands with designated SIOs. Eleven treated areas did not meet SIOs and are listed in the table below (the full analysis is in the project record). In some cases, employing design features such as larger, coordinated reserve areas or stand boundary adjustments would reduce visible acres, thus meeting Forest Plan guidelines for allowable seen acres. In other cases, meeting both wildlife habitat objectives and SIOs was not possible, and a decision had to be made as to which objectives would take precedence. 106

107 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Table Stands with Scenic Integrity Objective Concerns. Mgmt (Management) CC (Clearcut >10 acres), P-CC (Patchcut 2-10 acres), WO-CC (Permanent Wildlife Opening), SCC (Shelterwood seed cut) and OR (Overstory Removal). Distance Zones FG (foreground), MG (middleground), and BG (background). SIO (Scenic Integrity Objective) H (High) and M (Moderate). Comp / Stands (viewpoint 001) 324 Miles Brook PWO (viewpoint 001) 324 Ikie Fields PWO (viewpoint 001) (viewpoint 001) 328 Harriman Brook PWO (viewpoint 001) Mgmt* Canopy Remove 0-100% Dist from Viewpoint (miles) Distance Zone Visible SIO Alt 2 Acre Alt 2 Acre Seen Alt 3 Acre CC 100% 3.3 MG Full M / H 13 <9 13 <9 Alt 3 Acre Seen Of the thirteen acres, two acres in the southern portion of the stand have a high SIO rating. To meet SIO guidelines, a reserve area would be placed in the high rated area and the southern boundary edge would be adjusted as necessary. The remaining treated portion of the stand would then have a moderate rating and meet SIOs. WO-CC 100% 2.25 MG Full H <25 Under Alternative 3, the area proposed for creation of a new PWO was heavily harvested and is mostly composed of sapling size trees. There are instances where two resource objectives are in direct conflict. Under Alternative 3, providing wildlife habitat through the creation of a new PWO supersedes meeting scenery integrity objectives. This opening would likely not have reserve areas since there are no mature trees to retain. The Forest Plan provides scenery management guidelines for MA 2.1 lands and permits larger-sized openings at lower elevations (USDA Forest Service 2005a, pg. 3-8, G-6). The rationale is that agriculture use tended to occur at lower elevations, thus historically larger openings occurred in flat valley areas. Under Alternative 2, this PWO is not created. WO-CC 100% 2.3 MG Partial H 16 <8 16 <8 Under Alternative 2 and 3, the area where the new Ikie Fields PWO would be situated is largely composed of sapling-sized trees. The rationale for creating a 16 acre PWO is to meet wildlife habitat goals by creating an open, grassy, herbaceous condition. This opening would not meet SIOs. However, the Forest Plan provides an additional scenery management guideline for MA 2.1 lands which allows larger-sized openings at lower elevations (USDA Forest Service 2005a). The rationale is that agriculture use tended to occur at lower elevations, thus historically larger openings tended to occur in flat valley areas. CC 100% 2.8 MG Full H / M 15 <9 13 <9 This is one of the few areas in the Project Area where there is an opportunity to create aspenpaper birch regeneration and meet HMU needs. A two acre reserve area would be placed along an intermittent stream that bisects the stand. An additional reserve area may be placed in the treated area to reduce visible acres. Under both Alternative 2 and 3, this is a site where wildlife habitat goals were selected over scenery management objectives. This area is also in a flat valley bottom and the Forest Plan makes allowances for larger openings at low elevations when it is in context with historical use and local surroundings. WO-CC 100% 6.8 BG Full M 15 <11 15 <11 The expansion of the PWO is to provide wildlife habitat. It is located in a flat valley bottom and the Forest Plan makes allowances for larger openings at low elevations when it is consistent with the local surroundings. A reserve area strategically placed would allow this stand to meet SIOs. 107

108 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Mgmt (Management) CC (Clearcut >10 acres), P-CC (Patchcut 2-10 acres), WO-CC (Permanent Wildlife Opening), SCC (Shelterwood seed cut) and OR (Overstory Removal). Distance Zones FG (foreground), MG (middleground), and BG (background). SIO (Scenic Integrity Objective) H (High) and M (Moderate). Comp / Stands (viewpoint 003 and 005) (viewpoints 001, 003, and 005) 328/27 (viewpoints 001, 002, 003, and (viewpoints 001, 003, and (viewpoints 001, 003, and 005) (viewpoints 001, 003, and 005 Mgmt* Canopy Remove 0-100% Dist from Viewpoint (miles) CC 100% 1.3 (VP (VP 5) Distance Zone Visible SIO Alt 2 Acre Alt 2 Acre Seen MG Partial H 15 <13 <3 Alt 3 Acre Alt 3 Acre Seen 15 <13 <3 Within the project area, there were few northern hardwood stands identified for final harvest to benefit future forest health, productivity and wildlife habitat. This is one of the few stands selected to meet HMU objectives for northern hardwood regeneration. The Landscape Architect will assist in placement of reserve areas and/or boundary adjustments to meet SIOs. Again this stand is located in a flat valley bottom and the Forest Plan makes allowances for larger openings at low elevations. The greatest visible acres are from Brown s Ledge and there are no formal hiking trails to access this area. CC 100% 6.2 (VP1) 1.4 (VP3) 1.5 (VP5) BG MG MG Partial M / H 23 <13 <8 <10 23 <13 <8 <10 The western boundary of the stand would be adjusted. One acre rated as high SIO would be removed from treatment; the remaining stand has a moderate SIO rating. The Landscape Architect will assist in placement of reserve areas and/or additional boundary adjustments to meet SIOs. OR 67% 8.0( VP 2) 5.8 (VP 1) 1 (VP 3) 2.8 (VP 5) BG BG MG MG Partial H / M 18 <6 <4 <10 <6 The Landscape Architect will assist in placement of reserve areas and/or additional boundary adjustments to meet SIOs. CC 100% 5.8 (VP1) 1 (VP3 2.0 (VP5) BG MG MG Full Partial Full M / H 12 <8 <11 <2 18 <6 <4 <10 <6 12 <8 <11 <2 The northern tip of stand boundary would be adjusted and approximately 1.0 acres rated as high SIO would be removed from treatment; the remaining stand has a moderate rating and will meet SIOs. OR 100% 5.0 (VP 1) 0.4 (VP 3) 1.9 (VP 5) BG MG FG Partial H 13 <10 <10 <10 13 <10 <10 <10 This stand would have an overstory removal treatment which would complete the shelterwood system begun several years ago. There is a young stand established in the understory and the opening would be seen as a color/textural/shadow difference in the landscape. The Landscape Architect will assist in placement of reserve areas and/or additional boundary adjustments to meet SIOs. OR 100% 5.1 (VP 1) 0.3 (VP 3) 2.1 (VP 5) Same as stand 328/92. BG FG MG Partial H 13 <9 <12 <9 *WO- CC clearcutting to create/expand permanent wildlife opening; CC- clearcut; OR overstory removal 13 <9 <12 <9 108

109 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Table displays the total project acres seen from each viewpoint and the visible openings seen within that viewshed. Table Acres of Visible Openings from Each Viewpoint. Viewpoint Alternative 2* Total viewshed acres/ Open acres visible within viewshed 001- Summit of Caribou Mountain 002 Summit of Speckled Mountain 003- Summit of Brown s Ledge 005 Summits of Albany Mountain *Does not account for visible acres beyond the Project Area % of openings visible in the viewshed Alternative 3* Total viewshed acres/ Open acres visible within viewshed % of openings visible in the viewshed 7,100/ ,100/ ,750/ ,750/ ,500/ ,500/ ,400/ ,400/ There are no effects on Scenic Integrity under Alternative 1, thus it is not listed nor analyzed. Based on a visibility analysis, less than four percent of the total visible project acres seen from a viewpoint would be in openings. Openings would be located in foreground, middleground, and background views distributed across the landscape. Their variability in location, shape, size, and position on the landscape (i.e. mid slope, valley bottom) would provide a mosaic of textures, shadows, and designs that add dimension to the landscape and create a diversity of views. Aside from openings generated by commercial timber harvest, openings in the form of roads, homesteads, and agricultural lands also exist across the 35,000 acre project area viewshed. Alternative 2 shows a 17 percent reduction in total seen acres from Viewpoint 001 due to dropping the development of the Miles Brook permanent wildlife opening. Viewpoint 001 has the most visibility acres due to its elevation and superior aspect on which the project area is viewed, angles and aspects of the stands, and overall topography of the project area. The reason Viewpoint 002 shows the least amount of visible acres is because of its proximity to the stands (distant) and the topographic interruptions in the viewshed (Farwell and Albany Mountains). One would naturally assume the closer the viewpoint to the stands, the more that would be visible. But this is not true in some cases because the foreground vegetation acts as a natural visual barrier and openings are hidden by the leading edges of the stands. These closer opening are also less visible due to the viewing angle and the aspect of the slope in which the stands are situated on the landscape. This is demonstrated with Viewpoint 003. The stands with proposed prescriptions other than clearcuts, overstory removals, shelterwood seed cut, or large group opening are not significantly contributing to the overall seen open acres of the two action alternatives, and are therefore analyzed only briefly in the following sections. 109

110 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Effects on Scenery from Viewpoints Clearcuts would be present as a proposed treatment within this project area; however, their effect would be partially mitigated in Alternatives 2 and 3 from the superior viewpoints due to the angle of repose, the foreground topography, and vegetation blocking a portion of the visible harvest openings. The clearcut units most noticeable and visible to the recreationist would be seen from Viewpoint 001 on Caribou Mountain peering directly toward and looking east-southeast and from viewpoint 003 on Brown s Ledge peering south, southwest, and southeast. The same is true for Viewpoint 005 on Albany Mountain looking east, northeast. Although there are other clearcuts and overstory removals present, they meet the guidelines because the stands fall at or below the maximum allowable acreage seen. The visibility of these stands would be greatest for the first five years as the color and texture begin to return. The shadow lines and lighting differences would be evident depending on the time of day and season for much longer into the future. The casual observer would probably stop noticing the opening as a distinct feature after approximately years of regeneration. This has been verified by personal interviews with visitors to Mt Washington, Iron Mountain, and Attitash Ski Area during 2003 to 2006; and from the UNH Trail and Sugar Hill Overlook in 2008 during research for the Kanc7 Vegetation Management Project. None of the interviewed visitors considered the 15 to 30-year-old viewed openings as an unnatural scene, despite the changed color, texture, and shadows, nor could they explain what they were seeing once the texture change was pointed out. The keen eye may notice a shadow created by the difference in height between the top of canopy of the newly grown vegetation and the far edge of the previously existing (taller) timber. Sun angles or certain kinds of weather may fade these shadow lines and they may go generally unnoticed to the casual observer with a quick glance. Individual tree selection is the least visually invasive of all the treatments. It results in a naturally-appearing stand with a mosaic of size classes and species of trees. Diseased trees are often removed to favor thriving mature and young trees, reducing the number of trees competing for sun and water and resulting in improved health. Most recreationists would perceive the treated areas as nearly the same as they had been, and the harvest would probably go unnoticed by all but the very keen observer. Within a few years the treated areas would present the appearance of healthy mature trees and young thrifty understory regeneration where sunlight reaches the forest floor. Views of the forest in the treated areas would be of a more open forest condition until the developing regeneration attains a height of twenty feet. Within the 20 year analysis timeframe, this regeneration would include a variety of species with continuity of color, shadow, and texture, blending into the existing vegetative mosaic. The traveler would not experience noticeable adverse effects related to visual quality. Within the first season, these areas would benefit from a slightly more open, healthier overall appearance. There would be continuity of color, shadow, and texture blending with the existing vegetative mosaic. Due to the visual disturbances being mitigated by design features and practices, there would also be no significant adverse affects to the overall Scenic Integrity. Some people may 110

111 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment actually prefer the slightly more open appearance of the treated stands to that of the existing condition, if they notice at all. Commercial thinning treatments would remove approximately one-third to one-half of the stocked trees and produce a uniform looking stand. Again, the design practices would leave stands appearing as they have been improved for forest health by reducing stand density. After a short-term disruption, the area would have a very clean, attractive appeal. The stands would barely appear to have been treated, except to the keen eye, for several years following the stand density treatment from a middleground to background distance. As with individual tree selection, thinning stands draws positive attention from those that prefer the slightly more open appearance of the treated area to that of the high density in the existing condition. Foreground vegetation in all likelihood would obscure a good portion of the treatment in the lower, flatter areas. For those in closer proximity and more than likely on foot, the feeling of openness created by this treatment would also add to the scenic quality and interest of the landscape. These treatments should have little to no bearing on the overall visual quality in the action alternatives, as they would mostly go unnoticed (at a distance). Group selections are small openings, so the scenic impact is greater than that of an individual treatment or commercial thinning. Most stands that are outside the road corridor and in far middleground to background viewsheds should not be overly noticeable. Roadside groups should be avoided unless a specific feature would be opened for viewing. Following the second to third year of growth, the openings partially visible or noticeable would provide the benefit of diversity to the landscape in this area from the ground view. From the superior viewpoints, the re-growth period would be similar to that of a clearcut. When properly located and laid out in combination with the other groups in the project area, the visual impacts can be relatively small. The alignment of the groups should be coordinated such that the casual observer would only notice a change in lighting, shadowing, and openness but not see it as a significant disturbance. Care has to be taken in the foreground and close to mid-middleground from the superior viewpoints or else groups will appear as chunks taken from the landscape. Group stands in a middleground and distant viewshed would not likely have great visual impact from the viewpoints. Due to the distance from the observer and the angle of repose, the majority of these openings may not be overly apparent to the casual observer. If noticed, they may appear more as textural and shadow differences rather than openings on the landscape. Larger groups may be more apparent and create a stronger impression than smaller groups (similar to that of a clearcut). Shelterwood seed cut treatments that retain a fair amount of basal area and canopy may not appear as stark a change on the landscape as an overstory removal but may appear more open compared to individual tree and thinning prescriptions. In stands where prescribed fire would be applied, the combination of remaining canopy and remaining basal area of vegetation would mask most of the ash and charring left below (provided there is no over-burn). The viewsheds should not be significantly affected, nor should these treatments present anything more than a slight to moderate change to the overall appearance of 111

112 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District the landscape from a middleground distance and beyond. Again, care should be taken and a reduction in basal area removed would improve the visual quality of stands in closer proximity (foreground to middleground) to superior viewpoints. Within the 20 year analysis timeframe, regeneration would obscure the blackened trunks and replace ground cover, blending into the existing vegetative mosaic of neighboring stands. Transportation Driving for scenic enjoyment is very popular among visitors to the White Mountain National Forest. Views of the forest and mountains, exposed rock faces, and water features account for this popularity. Fall foliage, viewed from along the roads of the Forest, is considered by some to be second to none. The scenery changes throughout the year, creating beautiful seasonal highlights and accentuating the colors and patterns of the views. When assessing the effects on scenery from the vehicular traveler s visual perspective, the major factors include the angle of repose (perspective from driving or riding positions in a vehicle), direction of the view (direct or indirect to the viewer), and the duration of the view resulting from movement and speed. For this section, all of the Route 5, Patte Mill Brook Road, and Crocker Pond Road viewpoints are taken into account. The overall visual experience for the casual observer while driving through the project area is an attractive pattern of vegetation, colors, shading, shadows, and textures, combined to create a vegetated mosaic. Unique and visually interesting features within the project area include the Patte Mill Brook Auto Tour and the views of the mountains, ponds, lakes, and historic sites. The traveler may occasionally notice extended views of adjacent landscapes beyond the road corridor, where limited distant views of upper elevation mountains become evident. With roadside vegetation fairly close to the pavement in most areas, the sensation experienced by those in vehicles is that of a partial enclosure. This vegetated corridor is considered by some to be a trademark of New England landscapes. The visual experience might be somewhat different from the roadside; some of the treatments and features related to harvesting are visible as they border some roads. The majority of silvicultural treatments (group selection) along roadway types would retain a substantial portion of the existing stand and would not greatly reduce stand density. Therefore, treated stands would not be overly noticeable from the windshield viewsheds at their distances in three to five years. Clearcuts and overstory removals do not share borders with roads. Gravel Pit Development Visitors who walk near the end of Sunken Pond Road (a closed road) would directly observe the active pit. They would find that the expanded pit site contrasts with the natural surrounding landscape due to disturbed ground, dust, and stockpiling material during active operations. Stockpiles of rock would exist for several years until used up, when visual impacts would be lessened. The site is only visible from viewpoint 005 (Albany Mountain) and meets SIOs 112

113 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment since it is less than five acres (less than that would be seen acres). Once gravel extraction was completed, the gravel site would be rehabilitated. Visitors currently can observe existing gravel pits along open roads, such as the Harriman Brook gravel pit, which is revegetating, and small areas mined for gravel along the Harriman Brook and Tyler roads. Recreation The discussions above regarding the effects and appearances of various proposed silvicultural prescriptions along roads and from viewpoints apply also to experiences that hikers might have along trails. Section 3.6, Recreation, provides additional detail on the expected outcomes of the proposed treatments on affected trails. These descriptions support that scenic effects of the harvest treatments on the user experience would be acceptable. While evidence of harvesting and an occasional skid trail crossing a hiking trail to reach a landing may occur, re-growth would begin to obscure the changes in approximately three years after treatment. Since most of the harvest along trails is group cutting, the affect on foreground scenery along trails would be a more open forest condition. Within approximately three years, evidence of the harvest would begin to be muted by natural processes that occur as forest vegetation grows back. Forbs and new trees would begin to obscure any previously visible skid trails and stumps, and tree crowns would fill openings in the canopy. Overall, appearance of the forest adjacent to the trails would be of a healthy, vigorous, and more open forest for fifteen to twenty years. Ground foliage and young trees growing into the middle layer of the forest after this period would return appearances along these trails to a condition similar to that presently experienced. The recreation analysis shows that harvest of adjacent areas would temporarily alter the character of the affected portion of each trail. It is anticipated that within 20 years the treatments would be fairly unnoticeable due to their relative positions on the landscape, the use of uneven harvest boundaries along a trail, and the rapid regrowth of vegetation in harvested areas. A minimum 50 foot slash disposal zone (depending on slope and remaining basal area) around a trail would reduce scenic impacts. Beyond the areas proposed for harvest, the character of the other portions of these trails would remain unchanged. Prescribed Fire Farwell Mountain It is estimated that the proposed 20-acre burn would produce an effect similar to that of a commercial thinning, except with black char left over. Farwell is within the High SIO and therefore no more than four to five seen acres should be treated. Provided the fire doesn t destroy the overstory, it should remain within the guidelines. Care should be taken to avoid over-burn as the side slopes are very visible from viewpoints 001, 003, and 005. Viewpoint 005, Albany Mountain, is a mere 0.75 mile distant (barely out of the foreground) while Brown s Ledge, Viewpoint 003, is not far behind at 1.5 miles distant. Caribou Mountain, Viewpoint 001, is 4.25 miles distant but has a clear view of the entire mountain top. 113

114 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The visual effects of a prescribed fire on Farwell Mountain, provided the fire does not burn beyond the intended area and does not destroy the overstory, should fit within the present and historic character of the mountain top. Fire ignited via lightening strike has been present in this area before and is generally accepted as part of the natural ecology of the area. The mosaic pattern and textural change left by fire will have a much more natural edge effect and overall feathered appearance in comparison to mechanical harvesting. Permanent Wildlife Openings and Oak-Pine Underburnings Moderate intensity fires require greater healing time than a low intensity fire in a forested environment, and the immediate impact can be quite strong. Underburning oak-pine stands has the potential to blacken tree trunks, low branches, and the ground, and to turn low-hanging tree foliage orange. The effect can be visually dramatic immediately following the burn, but the effect becomes less as scorched foliage drops and understory vegetation re-grows, usually within a few seasons after the burn. The visual effects of underburning are usually minimal to the casual observer in five years or less. Hand line and machine line placed to control prescribed fires are very necessary but can create a line of disturbed soil and vegetation that detracts from the natural setting. Hand lines can be evident for one to five years, but these results are often not necessary. Prescribed burning of permanent wildlife openings would consist of burning non-commercial vegetation which would create pockets of scorched bare ground. These affects would be of a short term due to the rapid re-growth of herbaceous vegetation. With the exception of the Pingree Fields PWO, all the PWOs are located behind locked gates and can only be accessed by foot travel; thus people traveling through the project area by vehicle would not see the effects. At the foreground viewing distance, the visual effects of prescribed burning are as described above. As the viewing distance increases, the visual effects become less evident. At the middleground viewing distance, one is likely to see only occasional black or orange tree crowns widely scattered through the green forest canopy; the result of trees that were torched or became excessively heated/scorched during the burn. At the background viewing distance, little if any visual effect should be discernible. Watershed Restoration There would be minimum affects to scenic quality from the watershed projects because of their small size in comparison to the landscape. The stream projects are not located near any road or trail. Recreationists would unlikely be able to view the felled trees through the woods, especially during leaf-on. The stumps from cut trees would be overgrown with vegetation within three years time and may possibly include stump sprouts, thus reducing their visibility and providing the stream banks with a more natural look. The woody debris that was intentionally placed in the channel would age during that period as well, and would appear as if it had naturally migrated into the waterway from storm damage or other natural decomposition processes. 114

115 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Removal of culverts (on New England Brook Road) would not be visible from foreground views since they are located off and away from main roads and are shielded by tall herbaceous vegetation. They are also not located near any trails. The work would not be visible from any of the superior viewpoints because of the very small area being disturbed and also due to shading from the overstory. Cumulative Effects Scenery from Viewpoints The cumulative effects analysis area includes landscape views into the project area from the same viewpoints mentioned above, and analysis of existing harvested openings and wildlife openings within the project area. The timeframe is the same as direct and indirect effects for the same reasons. Existing openings are included, as some are intended to be maintained in an open condition for wildlife purposes. The new growth s green color and texture conceals evidence of past harvest to the average forest visitor, the young tree leaves already providing a lush layer of green foliage and thick stem density. Texture, color changes, and shadow lines throughout the viewshed are a result of natural features, variety in vegetation types, rocky outcrops and slides, and from aspect of slope. Based on forest condition observations, management actions quickly re-forest, returning to a green color within two to three years. The proposed clearcuts would be very noticeable to the casual observer primarily during that period. Other man-made features noticeable from the viewpoints include various sections of roads, surrounding agricultural lands, structures, and previous timber harvests. These openings appear as normal features and add to the diverse landscape. Existing openings from past harvests are marginally evident when viewed from distances of over three miles. The textures of the foliage of these older harvest units are smooth, and leaf color may be a lighter green. Although there is a shadow line evident, the vegetation looks natural to most casual observers. Closer than three miles, these former openings are quite noticeable, especially in the winter. But they appear as texture and shadow changes that mostly blend with the existing historic landscape during the rest of the seasons. Openings that pose a cumulative effect include 1980s and 1990s clearcuts harvested on the slopes and lowlands in and near the project area that can be seen from the surrounding viewpoints. These openings are most noticeable from the closer superior viewpoints. There are no cumulative effects under Alternative 1 because there would be no direct or indirect effects. Total acres viewed for Alternatives 2 and 3 fall below the Forest Plan s recommended threshold of four percent. Under the action alternatives, cumulative scenic effects of newly created openings would eventually blend with the existing landscape to an extent, becoming nearly unnoticeable when leaves are on the hardwoods. Finally, the ability of new forest regeneration to grow and occupy the newly created openings, along with careful placement on the landscape (via use of the design features mentioned), would ensure that the scenery will remain significantly intact under either of the alternatives. 115

116 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The cumulative effects to scenery along the trails and roads mentioned previously are the same for each alternative as the direct and indirect effects disclosed above. No other projects are known or planned on the National Forest, or on adjacent private land, that would cause new or additional cumulative effects with this proposed action. 116

117 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 3.9 Socio-economics Affected Environment The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Forest Plan details the social environment of the White Mountain National Forest in terms of populations, demographics, partnerships, values, uses of the Forest, and attitudes toward land management. While many of the communities surrounding the National Forest share a history of reliance on natural resources and tourism for their livelihoods, it is recognized that social and economic patterns are now changing, with marked differences between the south and north. Populations and the economy are growing in the communities surrounding the southern portions of the Forest, while, communities in the north have slower economic growth, some decline in populations, and a greater dependence on traditional natural resource-based manufacturing industries. The Four Ponds project area is located in the unincorporated townships of Mason and Albany, Oxford County, Maine, along the eastern boundary of the White Mountain National Forest. Mason Township covers about 23 square miles of land, with 68 percent in National Forest System (NFS) lands; Albany Township covers approximately 50 square miles, with 20 percent in NFS lands. While recreation use is relatively low when compared to other parts of the National Forest, local residents value the numerous hiking and snowmobile trails, as well as the many ponds for camping and fishing. The Forest Service recognizes the WMNF s support to local and regional economies, and strives to provide both healthy ecosystems and a sustainable yield of high quality forest products, with special emphasis on sawtimber and veneer (Forest Plan). Forest product manufacturers are within viable hauling distance to the project area, and it is reasonable to assume that products from the Four Ponds timber harvest would supply some of these businesses. Forest products for local markets are also available from industrial timberlands, private land, and state and town forests. There is a demand for National Forest timber products, and bidding on our timber sales over the past year has been very competitive, with multiple bidders and substantial overbids on recent sales. There has also been a trend in bidders from greater distances now routinely bidding on sales. The Forest s high value sawtimber, especially, represents a key niche in the region, and has impacts on the local economy (FEIS). Planning costs for the Four Ponds project include planning and analysis as documented in this EA, field surveys and examinations, literature reviews, surveys, public involvement, and preparation of documents. If a decision is made to move forward with either Alternative 2 or 3, additional costs would be incurred. These include timber sale and contract preparation, contract administration, maintenance of wildlife opening, watershed restoration, hiking and snowmobile trail relocation and maintenance, improvements to dispersed campsites, expansion of Crocker Pond campground, road maintenance, gravel pit development and prescribed fire. Funding options for some of the proposed work includes money authorized by Stewardship Contracting or Knutson-Vandenberg (KV) laws, which allows retention and use of timber receipts to accomplish restoration and improvement 117

118 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District projects in and near the project area. For the Four Ponds project, prescribed fire, watershed restoration, eradication of invasive plants, trail relocations and other projects may be considered for funding. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act Reauthorization and Amendment of 2008 (SRSCSDA) offers counties an opportunity to receive annual payments that do not fluctuate with National Forest revenues. Oxford County opted to receive full payment under this law: approximately $89,600 in Payments are calculated without regard to current timber sales and other receipts collected on the White Mountain National Forest. The amount changes based on an annual calculation (FEIS). Standing timber values for both sawlogs and pulpwood are starting to increase following a period of low prices, and the demand for high quality sawlogs, especially red oak, white pine, and maple is especially strong. The project area has a higher than average percentage of red oak and white pine, which makes timber sales in this area attractive to potential bidders. Measuring Socio-Economic Effects On a project level, examination of social and economic effects is required if they are important to a reasoned decision. Also required is the consideration of effects to particular natural resources and low income and minority populations, as well as un-quantifiable environmental amenities and values relevant to the proposed actions (FSH Section 15). Social impacts analyzed in the Forest Plan were in the context of what people value about the Forest, and the effects of National Forest management on the quality of life and rural character of the Forest Region. Effects were based primarily on assessments of trends across the four counties in which the WMNF is located (FEIS); however, these elements and others can be measured at the project level as follows. Rural character may be measured by changes in human activity because of changes in development levels and access. Quality of life may be measured by the changes in safe drinking water, recreational opportunities, healthy ecosystems, scenic beauty, and the natural and cultural heritage of the area. Public health and safety is an important social element when proposing: timber harvest and other activities using large equipment and public travel ways; trail relocations to minimize dual use and improve travel conditions; campsite relocations to reduce user conflicts; and prescribed fire to create and maintain a diversity of forest community types. Environmental Justice may be measured, as required by Executive Order 12898, by analyzing the potential for minority and low-income populations to be disproportionately affected by the proposed activities. Economic elements analyzed in the FEIS included regional employment and labor income as affected by an array of factors such as timber harvest, road 118

119 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment construction and maintenance, recreation management and trends, state and local government activities, and the structure of the forest products industry (FEIS). The Forest Service is not required to select the alternative with the highest timber volume or revenue. Many social and economic effects are not tangible and cannot be quantified; and are recognized as either beneficial or not, depending on one s values and perspectives. For example, clearcuts may have adverse visual effects to some, but may be viewed as valuable wildlife habitat by others. Overall, the Forest Service strives to preserve and enhance natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of all as part of its mission in serving the public. The Four Ponds proposals that could have a quantifiable measurable effect on socio-economics are timber harvest; seasons of operation; road reconstruction, restoration, and maintenance; gravel pit development; prescribed fire; upgrading the Albany Brook trail; expanding the Crocker Pond campground; and improving dispersed campsites. Environmental Consequences Table displays the calculated values to compare the economic efficiency and economic impacts estimated by alternative. A brief explanation follows related to each of these measures. The Quick-Silver Forestry Investment Analysis program (developed by Vasievich 1998) was used to address economic efficiency by calculating the present value of costs, the present value of revenues, the present net value, and revenue/cost ratio of implementing each alternative. The economic efficiency analysis will provide a reasonable and consistent comparison of costs and revenues with which to compare the alternatives. Economic Efficiency Estimated Revenue: An economic indicator of revenue generated through timber harvest Estimated Cost: The costs generated by the planning and analysis, sale preparation, sale administration, road work, and reforestation surveys. The cost of the environmental analysis is viewed as a fixed cost and is the same across all alternatives. Net Value: The estimated costs subtracted from the estimated revenue. Revenue-Cost Ratio: A measure of economic efficiency computed by dividing the economic revenues by the total economic costs. Economic Impact Commodity Production: The amount of timber and wood products produced by each alternative. Income Generated: Timber and wood products are a source of income to the local economy. Jobs are created through the harvest, hauling, processing, and manufacturing of wood products. Secondary jobs, such as transportation and service-related occupations, are also affected by the processing of wood. A multiplier of $140,500/mmbf is being used in this analysis to estimate the 119

120 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District expected income generated under each alternative. The source of this multiplier is Appendix B, Table B-21 of the FEIS. Jobs Created/Sustained: As noted above, the harvest of timber generates income in the local communities. It logically follows that employment is also generated. A multiplier of approximately six jobs/million board feet of timber is used for this analysis to estimate the number of jobs created/sustained. The source of this multiplier is Appendix B, Table B-23 of the FEIS. Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on socio-economics is Oxford County because it will be the beneficiary of any economic activity generated by the proposed action or its alternatives. The temporal scope for direct and indirect effects is the present through the completion of activities proposed in this analysis. Effects to the economic and social environment are not expected to last beyond 2020, or approximately 10 years. That would be the extent of the time period from when the record of decision is signed and vegetation, wildlife, recreation, and watershed projects are completed. Timber volumes were calculated by District Foresters based on average volumes per acre by forest type, and from plot data entered into the FSVeg stand exam program. The harvests proposed in this project are the same type of harvests used in the past on the Forest. Table 3.9-1: Estimated Economic Characteristics Alternative (numbers are approximate) Economic Indicators Alt. 1 Alt. 2 Alt 3 Economic Efficiency associated with timber harvest Estimated Revenue from timber 1 $798,110 $809,110 Estimated Costs: 2 $177,450 $581,548 $660,058 Environmental Analysis and Project Planning $177,450 $177,450 $177,450 Timber Sale Preparation $0 $ 84,217 $ 84,217 Timber Sale Administration $0 $34,755 $34,755 Reforestation Surveys $0 $19,688 $18,812 3 Road Costs $0 $258,938 $343,948 4 Gravel Pit Development $0 $6,500 $0 Net Value -$177,450 $216,560 $149,052 Revenue/Cost Ratio Economic Impact Estimated Commodity Produced MMBF (million board feet) Income Generated $0 $1,296,112 $1,296,112 Jobs Provided/Sustained Payment to Oxford County (FY 2008) $89,600 $89,600 $89,600 1 Net Stumpage Values were generated from sold timber sales within the Albany HMU over a ten- year period. 2 Costs for Planning, Preparation, and Administration are based on average costs per acre in Table B-11 of the FEIS (USDA Forest Service 2005b. p. B-20). 3 Commercial thinning treatments do not require stocking surveys 4 Includes purchase of gravel from off-forest source 120

121 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Alternative 1 Under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2008, Oxford County chose to receive a share of the Secure Rural Schools state payment in lieu of a share of the 25-percent rolling average payment. Oxford County will receive an annual payment regardless of whether timber is harvested in the project area. The cost of project planning and environmental analysis is approximately $177,450 regardless of the alternative selected. Business in Albany and Mason Townships and Oxford County would not receive revenue through indirect economic activity associated with a logging operation, such as equipment mechanics and truckers. This alternative would not meet the Forest Plan Forest-wide goals of recognizing the Forest s support to local economies and managing the vegetation to provide both healthy ecosystems and sustainable yield of high quality forest products, with special emphasis on sawtimber and veneer. There would be no changes in rural character or public health and safety because no activities would be implemented. The recreational component contributing to quality of life would be slightly affected because: 1) hunting opportunities that would have been available in newly harvested areas would be foregone, 2) conflicts would still exist between day users and campers at Broken Bridge Pond, and 3) a universally accessible trail would not be developed. Also, additional revenue would not be generated to cover the operating expenses of Crocker Pond campground if it remains at its current size. Scenery and views would remain unchanged. Alternative 2 As with Alternative 1, Oxford County would receive an annual payment of approximately $89,600 regardless whether timber is harvested in the project area. The National Environmental Policy Act regulations 40 CFR (b) require that all analyses consider economic factors. The law does not require a quantitative, monetary analysis of non-commodity resources. The cost of stream restoration, improvements to and relocation of dispersed sites, trail relocations, prescribed fire, permanent wildlife opening maintenance, and pre-commercial vegetative treatments are considered resource enhancements with non-commodity benefits. There are also non-commodity benefits associated with timber management, such as removing poor quality and suppressed trees so that future economic value of the residual stand will reach sawlog size in a shorter period. The economic analysis, however, will not focus on these non-commodity benefits. Direct and indirect effects to quality of life and rural character are expected to be minimal because the proposals mirror traditional activities occurring on private lands in the townships and region. Water and soil resources would be enhanced with road maintenance and watershed restoration, while healthy ecosystems would be promoted through timber harvest and creation of diverse habitats. Vegetation Due to soil and ground conditions in the project area, many of the proposed stands have the option of a summer, fall, and winter operating season, allowing loggers nearly year-round employment and higher stumpage prices. Analyzing 121

122 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District stumpage values reported from Maine mills for spring, summer, autumn, and winter quarters (2005 through 2009), 65 percent of the time, sawlogs prices (ash, beech, sugar and red maple, paper and yellow birch, cherry, oak, hemlock, pine, and spruce-fir) were lower in the winter months. On a five year average, loggers received approximately 7 percent less value in the winter for their wood products than in the other three seasons. For example, ash sawlogs averaged $247/mbf in the winter versus $291/mbf in the summer. Mill reports showed that stumpage values were highest in the spring and summer (Northern Woodlands Magazine 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009). For areas that are harvested in the winter, the loggers must return in the dry season to rehabilitate skid trails and remove selected culverts. By offering a three season operating period, they can rehabilitate skid trails soon after harvest completion, which may reduce logging costs. Within recent years, there has been increased interest in Maine s forest biomass resources in response to supply/demand changes in the global market for petroleum products. Maine was recently identified by Milbrandt (2005) as one of the highest biomass-producing locations in the United States (Laustsen 2008). To bring this within context of the Four Ponds project, Gould Academy (a private school) in Bethel Maine recently applied for Forest Service funding to convert their current heating system to a biomass system. Should this be installed, harvesting on nearby Forest Service lands could provide a local and sustainable source of wood chips. Transportation The road reconstruction and improvements are long-term capital investments that would improve the Forest transportation infrastructure and benefit all Forest users. Though road improvement and reconstruction costs are deducted from timber sale revenue, since the work is funded from timber receipts, these infrastructure improvements provide significant non-commodity benefit in terms of improved sight distance, efficiency for managing natural resources and recreation, and long term viability of our roads. Upgrading existing roads would not affect the rural character of the area by increasing human activity. These roads are already in place, and once the proposed activities are completed access (motorized and non-motorized) would revert to its previous condition. A road proposed for decommissioning would not change public access because it is not currently open for public vehicle use. Human activity would be increased only for the duration of project operations as work crews and Forest Service personnel implement the proposed activities, but not to the level of having a noticeable effect on the rural character of the area. There would be some increased traffic on the following roads: Patte Mill Brook, Harriman Brook, Crocker Pond, Bell Mountain, Pleasant River, King s Highway, and Route 5. Visitors would notice increased use by trucks, trailers, and large equipment, as would travelers on Route 5 and Route 2. These noticeable traffic increases are not without precedent due to the traffic associated with timber harvest over the past years (see Section 3.11, Transportation). 122

123 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment The proposed construction of the Sunken Pond gravel pits would not affect the rural character of the area by increasing human activity in the area. This gravel pit is a point feature on the landscape and is not an area of interest that would draw people to the area. The Forest Service would incur the cost of constructing the Sunken Pond Gravel Pit and crushing material for gravel. This cost would be offset by having an on-forest supply of aggregate material for District road maintenance and reconstruction compared to purchasing and hauling material from a private supplier at more considerable cost. It would be beneficial to the communities and visitors by providing local materials for district road surfacing and maintenance for improved access to their public lands. Development of an on-forest gravel source would cost approximately $6,500, based on two acres of clearing, grubbing, removal and stockpiling the topsoil, and miscellaneous site prep. Once the crushable material is exposed, crushing costs would be approximately $4.50 per cubic yard, based on 1) current estimated average cost of $4.00/cubic yard, increased +5 percent/year (+$0.20) for two and a half years; 2) equipment and labor; and 3) move-in/move-out of equipment (i.e. crusher, loader) required to excavate, crush, and stockpile material (J. Sylvester, personal comm.). The cost to haul material to the work site would be an additional $4.00/cubic yard. The hauling cost would be considerably less compared to a private source because of the close proximity to proposed reconstruction projects and a quick turn-around time since there would be no loading delays. This year, approximately 15,000 cubic yards of material was crushed at the Fifield Brook gravel pit over a two and a half weeks time period. This is about the same quantity required for road reconstruction and improvement projects within the Four Ponds project area, so the duration of rock crushing at the Sunken Pond site should be about the same. To minimize disturbance (i.e. noise, dust, traffic) to recreational users, gravel extraction and crushing would be limited to weekdays and dust abatement measures may be taken. Noise and dust are an inevitable consequence of extracting minerals and their effect would be primarily during crushing operations. When crushing ceases, so would associated noise and dust. Noise could be heard by campers at Crocker Pond campground, Site 10, Broken Bridge, and Patte Marsh, and by hikers on Albany Notch and Albany Brook trails. While it is difficult to find noise studies pertaining to gravel pits, a 1999 study conducted by Minnesota Pollution Control and a 2005 noise survey by Sound Transit found that sound levels for a point source decreased by 6 decibels (db) per doubling of distance. For instance, if a snowmobile generated 70 db at 50 feet, it is anticipated that it would generate 64 db at 100 feet, 58 db at 200 feet, and 52 db at 400 feet. Two models of rock crushers that were used in the past and likely will be used for this project are the Nordberg LT95 and LT105. Both are very similar in size, capacity, and noise levels. An equipment specification sheet for a Nordberg LT95 rated the noise level at 90 db at a distance of 15 feet. As a comparison, normal conversation is rated as 60 db and secluded woods are rated at 30 db. Table shows the approximate sound ratings based on the above study. If more than one piece of equipment is used simultaneously, the ratings will increase by 3 decibels, a change considered barely perceptible. The total decibel rating for the analysis is 99 db, to include a dozer, loader, and dump truck. 123

124 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Site Table Approximate decibel ratings at nearby recreational areas and trails from gravel manufacture Distance to Sunken Pond Gravel Site (feet) Decibels (db) Equivalent Activity and Decibel levels (db)* Crocker Pond Campground 3, Library (50) Site 10 Campsite 2, TV at 10 feet (60) Broken Bridge Campsite 1, Conversation (60) Patte Mill Dam Campsite 2, TV at 10 feet (60) Albany Notch Trail Trailhead 2, TV at 10 feet (60) Albany Brook Trail Trailhead 3, Refrigerator at 3 ft (50) Round Pond 6, Library (50) *A rating of db is considered quiet to slightly intrusive. Noise levels at the recreation sites would likely be even less than those listed in the table because trees and topography (ridges) act as a sound buffers to reduce sounds carried across the landscape. Noise levels will also be affected by the operating season: levels would be lower in summer since leaves intercept sound. Crocker Pond Campground has seven sites, each of which can hold a maximum of eight people for a total of 56 campers during full occupancy. The decibels generated by a fully occupied campground can be compared to a business office, which has a decibel rating of At all recreation sites it is not unusual to hear people talking, children playing, dogs barking, radios, vehicles, and small motorized boats. These sounds are in much closer proximity to campers and would be more prominent than sounds from the gravel pit operation. Recreation Harvest operations would disrupt hunting in active logging areas; however, since Alternative 2 would establish early successional habitat and expand and maintain permanent wildlife openings, future habitat and browse for certain game species would increase following timber harvest. Access to some areas may be temporarily impacted by dual use or trail relocations during harvest operations. Expansion of Crocker Pond Campground would add three campsites, one of which is currently used as a dispersed campsite. The other two sites would be constructed to allow for RV parking, expanding recreational opportunities for people who enjoy additional amenities while camping. It is expected that the additional sites would generate approximately $1,400 in annual revenue. Noise levels may increase, but most occupants are families that observe quiet hours in the evenings. Relocation of two dispersed sites (Patte Marsh and Broken Bridge) would not have an effect on quality of life or rural character since these sites would be relocated within 150 feet of their present location. Public safety would be improved by addressing conflicts that arise between day users and campers at Broken Bridge Pond. Currently, campers set up their tents in the parking lot, blocking access to the boat launch. Construction of a dispersed campsite and a parking place above the parking area would separate campers from day users and allow each user group a better defined area for recreating. Improvement to a portion of Albany Notch Trail (0.3 miles) to make it universally accessible would expand recreational opportunities for individuals with 124

125 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment disabilities by allowing access to Crocker Pond and the surrounding forested area. It is not anticipated that the level of use on this trail would be increased due to these improvements. Prescribed Fire Carbon emitted from prescribed burning in the form of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 and smaller) makes up only 5 percent of that emitted by all anthropogenic causes in the eastern US (Monroe, M. 1999). Minimal amounts of PM 2.5 would be emitted during the prescribed burning proposed in this project. The Environmental Protection Agency sets a pollutant standard index category of good when PM 2.5 is 40 µ/m 3 or less. There has been no indication that prescribed burns of the PWOs, oak and pine stands, or atop Farwell Mountain would cause us to exceed this standard (see Section 3.2, Air Quality). Prescribed burns are controlled by fire managers, so the timing, location, and intensity of the burns are moderated. This reduces hazards to public safety, limits property damage, and minimizes adverse effects on air quality. Action will be taken during a prescribed fire to reduce smoke exposure to sensitive receptors. Public notification of elevated air pollutants helps sensitive persons minimize their exposure. Alternative 3 The effects would be very similar to Alternative 2, with several exceptions. Gravel under this alternative would be purchased from an off-forest source; there is a local quarry in the area that charges $7.30/cubic yard. The hauling cost would be approximately $12/cubic yard because the source is located farther from most proposed road reconstruction projects. The turnaround time is longer, since there is often a waiting time to get loaded. This estimate is consistent with gravel purchased for the Farwell Mountain timber sale, where we paid $15.50/cy in Comparing the costs from a private source versus having an on-site source, the Forest Service could pay approximately 50 percent, more for gravel and not have a source on-forest for future road repairs, road improvements, and emergency use. It should be noted that, depending on location of road reconstruction projects, it may be more economical to purchase gravel from an off-forest source. The rural character of the landscape would be less disturbed due to a decrease in noise and dust levels generated by extraction equipment at the Sunken Pond gravel pit. Though the dispersed campsite at Broken Bridge would be better delineated for the various users, there would still be only one shared parking lot, and conflicts would likely continue to occur. Prescribed burning atop Farwell Mountain would not occur, which would reduce the emission of carbon and fine particulate matter into the atmosphere. Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects on socio-economics is the same as direct and indirect effects. This area was chosen because Oxford County would benefit from economic activity generated by the proposed actions. The temporal scope 125

126 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District is ten years past and ten years into the future ( ), which coincides with the vegetation timeframe for cumulative effects. Of all other past, present, and planned projects in the area, timber harvest activity has the greatest potential for social and economic effects. Alternative 1 There would be no cumulative changes to the existing rural character, quality of life, or public health and safety since none of the proposed activities would occur. Alternatives 2 and 3 Vegetation management would not generate additional timber harvest receipts for Oxford County since they elected to receive an annual payment under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2008 regardless of whether timber is harvested. Job opportunities associated with timber harvest may be viewed as a beneficial effect in this area where employment relies somewhat on the forest products industry. Based on 1990 census data, approximately three percent of Oxford County is directly employed in the forestry industry. This does not take into account other professions, such as large equipment mechanics, truckers, builders, construction workers, and carpenters that rely on wood products and the wood industry for all or a portion of their livelihood. Snowmobile trail relocations are within several hundred feet of existing travelways, and no new trails are proposed so no cumulative effects to the rural character are anticipated. Access to Albany Mountain would be by Albany Mountain Trail after implementation, and there are no future plans for other trail abandonment in the project area. The effects from prescribed burning are short-lived, and once the burns are extinguished, the effects will dissipate. None of the adjacent landowners have used large-scale fire to manage their lands in the past and are unlikely do so in the future. Burning of slash piles on private land may occur, but the effects are localized and short-lived. Forest Plan standards and guidelines, Best Management Practices, and design features are integrated into all past and planned Forest Service timber harvests to protect soil, water, scenery, and heritage resources, so there would be no cumulative effects to those aspects of the existing quality of life in Oxford County. Timber harvest prescriptions are site-specific and designed to promote healthy ecosystems, so no adverse cumulative effects are anticipated as a result of National Forest timber harvests. 126

127 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Environmental Justice Less than two percent of Oxford County is considered to be minority populations. About 14.1 percent of Oxford County s population is below the poverty level, compared to 12.2 percent for the State of Maine (2008 US Census Bureau). No concerns about these populations were raised during scoping, and because minorities comprise a small percentage of the overall population in the towns, there is little potential for minority and low-income populations to be disproportionately affected by the proposed activities. 127

128 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.10 Soil Productivity The Forest Service defines soil productivity as the inherent capacity of the soil to support the growth of specified plants, plant communities, or sequences of plant communities. Soil productivity may be expressed in a variety of ways, including volume or weight/unit area/year, percent plant cover, or other measures of biomass accumulation (USDA Forest Service, FSH ). Soil Erosion and Compaction Affected Environment The project analysis area lies almost entirely within the Crooked River and Pleasant River watersheds. The analysis area has soils common to the White Mountain National Forest, which are, on average, moderate to well-drained fine sandy loam or sandy loam. The project area is too low on the landscape and gentle in slope to have dry debris slides that would lead to mass movement of shallow gravelly soils. However, it is low enough on the landscape to have deep soil slumps although field review of the units proposed indicates that this potential soil hazard does not exist here (Colter 2009a). Thus, soil erosion and compaction are the most likely physical hazards that could result from the proposed actions. The project area is a mix of northern hardwood and softwood Ecological Land Types (ELTs). Ecological Land Typing is useful for making management decisions about which treatment to use (even- or uneven-aged management) and in which seasons harvesting should occur to minimize soil disturbance. Where past clearcutting has occurred, regenerated stands clearly show adequate stocking. Effects are analyzed in terms of Forest Service Soil Quality Standards (USDA Forest Service Handbook, Supplement R9RO ). The standards define thresholds for soil characteristics that are used as indicators of detrimental soil disturbance. Soil Erosion Surface soil erosion is typically a concern related to roads, skid trails, and hiking trails. Skid trails are defined as temporary trails receiving more than three passes with equipment. Past monitoring has shown that fewer than three passes in the same spot on a piece of land with logging equipment does not produce measurable detrimental results (Lull 1959; Martin 1988). Past monitoring includes an extensive review of the best available science and regeneration exams of previous clearcuts with no loss in biomass accumulation on this forest (stocking surveys 2007, 2008, 2009; USDA Forest Service 1993, 2000, 2008a, 2009a; Millen 2004). The 2005 Final Environmental Impact Statement states that research findings and on-the-ground experience of previous timber projects confirm that accelerated soil erosion due to roads and skid trails can be reduced and its effects on streams largely eliminated by timely application of well-known best management practices (BMPs). The State of Maine has published monitoring data supporting the conclusion that properly applied BMPs would mitigate effects from soil erosion (Maine Department of Conservation, Maine Forest 128

129 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Service 2005; Maine Forestry Best Management Practices Use and Effectiveness , 2006). Roads and skid trails are a concern for soil erosion because they may expose mineral soil (Patric 1976) which can cause detrimental soil disturbance. The act of cutting trees is not a source of soil erosion because it does not expose mineral soil (Stone et al. 1978). Classified all-season roads in the stand area are maintained to Forest Service standards that help prevent the concentration of water on the road surface. BMPs would be followed to minimize erosion on skid trails during and after harvest operations. Slash from de-limbing trees at the log landings would also be spread on skid trails, where needed, to reduce potential for erosion (and compaction). Harvesting timber during winter months and during frozen soil conditions would reduce the potential for soil erosion because less mineral soil would be exposed. Previously used temporary roads and landings that were observed on this project have stabilized, and several are revegetated, indicating no detrimental disturbance. Waterbars are in place on skid trails and there is no evidence of detrimental accelerated soil erosion on those skid trails (USDA Forest Service 1993, 2000, 2008a, 2009a; Millen 2004; district stocking surveys 2007, 2008, 2009; Colter 2009a). Soil Compaction Improper harvesting operations have the potential to reduce forest productivity of subsequent timber stands by compacting soils to the extent that germination and root growth are inhibited. It could also create nutrient deficiencies. However, other than compaction from skid roads, this is seldom a concern on properly managed logging operations (Hornbeck and Leak 1992). Although more intensive mechanized harvesting systems can cause soil disturbance over more of a harvest unit (Martin 1988), the timber sale administrator would monitor mechanized systems for evidence of increased compaction and take measures to mitigate this effect if it appears likely to occur (see Section 2.3, Design Features). Soil compaction can also become more of a concern if skid trails are used while wet. BMPs recommend planning harvest operations during appropriate soil and weather conditions. Slash from de-limbing trees at the log landings would also be spread on skid trails to reduce potential for compaction (and erosion). Research shows that immediately following winter harvesting, increases in bulk density occur in the upper 8 cm of soil on skid trails, but bulk density in these areas was not significantly different from control values three years following logging (Donnelly et al. 1991). Holman et al. (1978) worked in areas near a spruce-fir site in Maine and concluded that the top three inches of mineral soil were compacted to a greater degree than the three-to-six-inch depth. They also concluded that compacted soils can be restored to their original bulk density by freezing and thawing, wetting and drying, root penetration, and animal activity. They found that in non-skid trail areas of the harvest area, bulk density returned to pre-cut levels within one year. Bulk density of skid trails in winter harvest areas returned to normal after two winters. Field investigation on the Four Ponds project, using the shovel test method for compaction on some of the previous skid trails, confirmed these results in the analysis area: none of 129

130 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Forest Soil Scientist digging soil profile pits on FR 2019 to evaluate soil compaction from past logging operations. the main skid trails exhibited residual detrimental effects of compaction from harvesting activity in the mid 1990s, which was the last time some of these skid trails were used (Colter 2009a). Existing log landings looked at from previous sale activity are well located and stabilized, and field inspection of some of the landings found little sign of soil erosion or effects from soil compaction as a result of harvest activity in the mid 1990s, indicating no detrimental soil disturbance (Colter 2009a). Landings are not considered a significant source of soil erosion (Stone et al. 1978), but may sometimes present concerns about soil compaction. However, research reveals that bulk density of soil returns to pre-harvest levels two to three years after harvest (Donnelly et al. 1991). Soil Quality Standards for the Eastern Region of the Forest Service require that soil disturbance (exposure of mineral soil) should be limited to no more than 15 percent of a land unit scale area (USDA Forest Service Handbook, Supplement R9RO , Section 2.2). Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on soil erosion and compaction is the areas proposed for treatment in the Four Ponds Project, because this is where the expected effects would occur. Under Alternatives 2 and 3, the stand analysis area totals approximately 3,200 acres. Part of analyzing the direct and indirect effects on soil erosion and compaction is to consider how the soils have responded to the effects of similar past actions. Table displays ground disturbance due to proposed actions by alternative. 130

131 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Table Ground Disturbance by Alternative. Activity Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 New Landings (acres) Gravel Pit (acres) Spur road to new Broken Bridge campsite (ft/acres) 0 200/ Campsite Construction (acres) 0/ Skid Trails (miles/acres) 2 0/0 45/ /108.0 Snowmobile trail relocation; (miles/acres) 3 0/0 1.0/ /2.4 Total Acres of disturbance Total % of Disturbance 0% 3.8% of 3,200 acres 1 Landing size = 0.75 acres 2 1 mile of road/skid trail/ski trail at an average disturbance width of 20 = 2.4 acres of disturbance/mile 3 Hiking trail width = 5 ft = 0.61 acres of disturbance/miles Alternative 1 3.6% of 3,200 acres In the absence of activities such as timber harvest, campsite construction, prescribed fire, gravel pit development, trail relocation, or watershed restoration, no increase in surface soil erosion or soil compaction is expected since none of these actions would occur. Alternatives 2 and 3 Approximately 14.7 miles of existing road is proposed for maintenance activities under these alternatives. Maintenance would improve drainage and surfacing on the roads, and may involve cleaning culverts, blading of the road surface, and road resurfacing. Although road maintenance may initially cause ground disturbance, improving and maintaining roads to their level of anticipated use can prevent future soil erosion. Research has shown that maintenance, such as resurfacing roads with a layer of gravel, reduces sediment losses (National Council for Air and Stream Improvement 2000). Road resurfacing and replacing culverts would help maintain the road and prevent future soil erosion problems (Moll et al. 1997). This is also true for access to log landings. Following use, previously closed roads and areas adjacent to dispersed campsites would be rehabilitated to BMP standards, which have proven effective in preventing soil erosion (Maine BMPs 2004; Maine Forest Service 2002 and 2006; Stafford et al. 1996). Approximately 0.10 miles of an unclassified road and 0.9 miles of hiking trail would be decommissioned, which would put soil back into productivity. The majority of the activity area is gently to moderately sloped and harvesting and other activities would occur largely on slopes less than 35 percent. The lengths of these slopes are short enough to limit potential for notable soil erosion. The combination of moderately sloped terrain with post-harvest measures in accordance with Forest standards and guidelines and BMPs, such as soil stabilization and waterbars, should prevent soil erosion and promote revegetation (Maine BMPs; Maine Forest Service 2005 and 2006; Stafford et al. 1996). Some units would be harvested only in the winter months, while others have the option of summer/fall harvesting. With frozen soils, proper skid trail location, 131

132 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District and careful closeout at the end of operations, minimum surface soil erosion or soil compaction is likely to occur (BMPs; Maine Forest Service 2005 and 2006; Stafford et al. 1996). Frozen ground operations should produce very little compaction since operations would not have direct contact with mineral soil and any effects from compaction should disappear by the following winter. Harvesting and skidding on stands during summer or fall would most likely expose mineral soil, particularly on the main skid trails, and it is likely there would be site-specific instances of surface soil erosion and compaction from loss of organic cover. Planned layout and management of skid trails, using breaks in terrain and avoiding steep slopes in accordance with Forest Plan standards and guidelines (Forest Plan, p 2-30), and limiting operations to dry soil conditions (BMPs) would largely minimize or avoid detrimental soil erosion. Some temporary compaction would be expected on main skid trails, but this would be minimized by design features, and the soils should fully recover from any compaction within three years of the end of operations (Donnelly et al. 1991). In Alternatives 2 and 3, thirty log landings (26 existing and 4 new) are proposed for use during harvest. The log landings are well placed because of their gentle terrain. Although truck traffic and skidder operation would churn the soil surface and expose mineral soil leading to on-site soil erosion within the boundary of the log yard, the combination of careful site selection and management of the log yard during use would limit the extent of erosion and prevent longterm soil erosion impacts. At the time of sale closeout, the log landings would be graded and stabilized to prevent erosion before they can revegetate, and to accelerate recovery from temporary soil compaction (FSH , Section 6.38). Approximately 105 stand acres would have prescribed fire in Alternative 2 and 120 acres in Alternative 3. Prescribed burning would occur either in late spring, when the snow cover has melted, or in late summer/early fall, when temperatures have cooled. While some surface soil organic matter may be lost, actual experience indicates that prescribed burning does not affect rainfall infiltration rates. This is because most of the site continues to remain covered by organic matter and mineral soil aggregation is not changed. The magnitude of the potential effects after prescribed fire is less than those of wildfires, since the prescribed fire is typically of a lower severity (Landsburg and Tiedemann 2000). Based on past monitoring, the fires on this forest do not get hot enough to burn all of the surface organic material. In fact, these units may need to be burned more than once to achieve the desired results. A fire line may be constructed up to 18 inches wide around the perimeter of the burn area, consisting of a break-up of the organic matter layer. However, this would be designed to have minimal impact, and no erosion is expected. Recreation Crocker Pond, Broken Bridge and Patte Mill Dam Campsites Campsites have a localized detrimental impact on soils from compaction. Alternative 2 would create better defined campsites and rehabilitate areas around the campsites. 132

133 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Site 10 Dispersed Campsite Closing this site to vehicles and rehabilitating the area adjacent to the campsite would reduce soil compaction and improve productivity. Albany Notch Trail Decommissioning 0.9 miles of this trail would not affect soil compaction or erosion since this area has turned into a beaver-created wetland. Albany Brook Trail By following BMPs, minimal soil erosion is expected. No detrimental effects are expected from this project because it is an existing trail. Sunken Pond Bypass and Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trails Approximately 1.0 miles of trails would be relocated to avoid wet, poorly drained areas and move Sunken Pond Bypass trail it away from Patte Mill Brook. This will avoid disturbing soils in natural wet areas and reduce sedimentation entering Patte Mill Brook. No detrimental effects are expected from this project because the decommissioned portions of the trails would revegetate with herbaceous plants and trees. The new relocation areas would also revegetate with herbaceous plants and would only be used during frozen conditions with a snow pack suitable for snowmobiling. Gravel Pit Development The project area would be approximately three acres and would be composed of a pit and a processing area. There would be a loss of soil productivity due to excavation of the gravel pit. Implementation of a pit rehabilitation plan and interim rehabilitation would help restore soil productivity, promote re-vegetation, and minimize any potential surface erosion that may result from excavation activities. The use of Forest Plan standard and guidelines, design features, and BMPs would minimize the chance of on-site erosion reaching any stream system. Transportation Indirect effects of soil erosion or compaction are based on the rate and success of revegetation of skid trails and log landings. Studies in Maine and Vermont found that soil compaction on log landings and skid trails lasts two to three years after operations cease (Donnelly et al. 1991; Holman et al. 1978). Restocking surveys and field reviews on the White Mountain National Forest indicate that skid trails and log landings are revegetating rapidly and naturally (Millen 2004; stocking surveys 2007, 2008, 2009). Well-distributed rainfall, abundant seed sources, and favorable seedbeds all contribute to rapid revegetation. Log landings typically revegetate first with raspberries and other herbaceous species, and then with forest tree species. Skid trails typically revegetate with forest tree species because the trails are narrow enough that sunlight is limited, so herbaceous plants do not invade these locations (Millen 2004; USDA Forest Service 1993). We are working closely with the Natural Resource Conservation Service and research organizations to protect long-term productivity. Measurement of northern hardwood forest plots since 1931 at the nearby Bartlett Experimental Forest has not seen statistically-distinguishable change in forest productivity due to 133

134 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District human impacts, even including the impacts of acid deposition (Nuegenkapian 1998; FEIS, p 3-13). All former clearcuts in the project area have regenerated since previous harvests and would be expected to do the same following implementation of Alternatives 2 or 3. Sometimes there is a concern that organic matter may be lost, causing indirect nutrient consequences. However, it has been found that soil organic matter is not lost but rather is redistributed in the upper mineral layers during harvest (Johnson et al. 1991; Johnson et al. 1997). This project does not have an effect on forest productivity. Watershed A watershed project is proposed in Alternatives 2 and 3 that would remove two culverts on New England Brook Road, and two culverts on Harriman Brook Road with backwater created. Wood would also be placed into stream channels to create aquatic habitat. Maine BMPs would be followed to reduce chances of sedimentation to the streams (see Section 3.13, Water Resources). Few, if any, soil effects are anticipated with any of the watershed projects. Alternative 3 This alternative is similar to Alternative 2, but with several modifications: Recreation Crocker Pond Campground The dispersed campsite adjacent to the Crocker Pond campground would be closed and the site rehabilitated to restore soil productivity. Since no new campsites would be constructed, no soil compaction would occur in the campground. Site 10 Dispersed campsite The site would still be accessed by motor vehicles, and soil productivity would be an issue as vehicles continue to compact the soil and reduce soil productivity. Gravel Pit Development There would be no loss of soil compaction or erosion at this site since it would remain in a vegetative condition. Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects on soil erosion and compaction is the Crooked River and the Pleasant River watersheds, with a total acreage of approximately 44,443 acres. This scale is not so large that it spatially dilutes the cumulative sum of the effects on soil resources, nor is it so small that it fails to identify and consider current and potential use on both National Forest and private lands relative to the proposed project. The temporal scope for cumulative effects on soil erosion and compaction is ten years in the past and ten years beyond the proposed action and its alternative. This period was chosen to incorporate the last timber harvesting operations on National Forest lands within the analysis area. It takes into consideration present effects on soil resources resulting from any past soil disturbing actions, to allow time for the proposed activities to occur and be completed, and to consider any 134

135 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment other foreseeable soil disturbing activities. This timeframe allows consideration of multiple uses, and provides enough time for the expected recovery of soils from erosion and compaction resulting from timber harvesting, as well as the projected recovery time from future activities. Evidence of erosion and compaction beyond the expected timeframe would imply that the soil is not recovering as expected, and effects from this and future activities could be additive and cumulative. Alternative 1 There would continue to be localized erosion related to ongoing maintenance of Forest roads, recreational trails, and private roads, and timber harvesting on public and private lands. Alternatives 2 and 3 Compaction can accumulate on the ground due to repeated activities. However, there is little or no evidence of compaction from previous harvesting activities using the shovel test method to check some of the harvest units (timber harvest that occurred in 2007 Farwell Mountain Timber Sale) on National Forest lands (Colter 2009a), implying that the soil has effectively recovered from this activity. Use of Forest Plan standards and guidelines and BMPs would minimize the hazard and duration of effects due to soil erosion and compaction (Forest Plan; Maine Forest Service 2005 and 2006; Stafford et al. 1996). By using existing skid trails and landings, activities would occur where the soil has already demonstrated the ability to recover quickly from short-term effects of harvesting, due possibly to location, soil type, or post-harvest treatments. Use of BMPs during timber harvest on private lands adjacent to the National Forest within the analysis area is expected to limit areas of soil disturbance and soil erosion and compaction. Impacts of residential development depend on the amount of clearing, excavation, and landscaping for each site. Given the gentle to moderately-sloped terrain of the cumulative effects analysis area, the potential for steep, erosive access roads and building lots is less than might be encountered elsewhere within and adjacent to the National Forest. Landscaping and erosion control measures would determine whether effects of residential development are short- or long-term. Land management activities such as harvesting, prescribed fire, and permanent wildlife openings typically result in site-specific soil erosion that is generally limited to the area of impact. However, since the effects of soil erosion are often of greatest concern in streams and rivers, this analysis of cumulative effects considers cumulative incremental impacts on watersheds. The Four Pond project would result in a short-term increase in the amount of the analysis area that has disturbed soils. Table shows soil disturbance on approximately acres, or 3.8 percent of the 3,200-acre analysis area, under Alternative 2, and acres, or 3.6 percent under Alternative 3. The cumulative effects watersheds (Crooked River and Pleasant River) total approximately 44,443 acres, with privately-owned lands within it totaling approximately 27,000 acres, or 61 percent of the watersheds. For adverse impacts to occur (15 percent disturbance of the land), approximately 6,666 acres would need to show disturbance over the life of the cumulative effects period. The Four 135

136 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Ponds project would cumulatively affect approximately 145 acres of ground disturbance under Alternative 2 (121.4 acres from Four Ponds; 14 acres from the Farwell Mountain sale, which is included because it was completed in 2009 and most of the skid trails have not yet revegetated, and 9.6 acres for the Patte Mill Brook Road relocation project). Thus, 3,886 acres of private land could be disturbed and the watershed would still be under the disturbance threshold in ten years. Given what we know of the plans of private land owners, this level of ground disturbance is unlikely to happen. Alternatives 2 and 3 would cause some cumulative effects from soil erosion and compaction, but these are likely to be site-specific, limited in magnitude and duration, and not severe enough to be detrimental. They are also well within the soil disturbance limits established by the Soil Quality Standards for the Eastern Region of the Forest Service (USDA Forest Service Handbook, Supplement R9RO , Section 2.2) as well as within the scope of effects anticipated and analyzed in the Forest Plan FEIS. Site productivity is a crucial element in forest resistance, resilience, and adaptation. Therefore, maintaining favorable soil structure, organic matter, and nutrient availability should always be a focus of silviculture, particularly in a changing climate. For this reason, whole-tree harvesting may be inadvisable because it may lead to nutrient depletion (Akselsson et al. 2007). While the impact of management and harvesting practices on soils is site specific, the research supports some general guidelines. It is important to avoid soil compaction so maintaining a permanent skid trail network may benefit forest health (Horn et al, 2007). In the Northeast, timber harvests often are timed to occur when soils are frozen to minimize compaction. Harvesting timber on frozen soil may become more difficult because of warmer winters (Frumhoff et al. 2007). However, forest soils may freeze more often due to reduced snow coverage and reduced insulation caused by climate change (Groffman et al. 2001). Thus far, research suggests that harvest operations have no effect on soil carbon in the Northeast (Johnson et al. 2001; Horn et al. 2007). However, on sensitive sites low-impact logging techniques, such as directional felling or careful trail layout, protect soil nutrient resources. (Hallett et al. 2000) Climate change was researched and analyzed in regards to erosion and compaction with no detrimental effects expected within the cumulative effects time period (Colter 2009b). Soil Nutrient Productivity The Forest Service defines soil productivity as the inherent capacity of the soil to support the growth of specified plants, plant communities, or sequences of plant communities. Soil productivity may be expressed in a variety of ways, including volume or weight/unit area/year, percent plant cover, or other measures of biomass accumulation (USDA Forest Service, FSH ). The Forest Plan FEIS identifies a general concern and analyzes in detail the potential impacts of acid deposition and timber harvest on soil productivity, including the cumulative impacts of these factors. Based on research on watershed studies (Federer 1989; Likens et al. 1998; Bailey et al. 2003), experimental watershed acidification (Fernandez et al. 2003), and retrospective soil analysis 136

137 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment (Lawrence et al. 1997; Bailey et al. 2005), the main focus of this analysis is on soil calcium. The analysis for Alternatives 2 and 3 incorporates, by reference, the soil productivity analysis in the FEIS. In measuring effects, the FEIS states that estimated losses of soil calcium may be attributed to acid deposition, declining contributions of calcium from atmospheric deposition, and forest harvesting. Losses are buffered by mineral weathering in the soil and some continuing calcium deposition. Biochemical modeling reveals that atmospheric deposition (especially sulfate) had the greatest effect on estimated calcium loss, while forest harvesting led to only a slight decrease in exchangeable soil calcium. The direct effect of timber harvesting is the removal of calcium with forest products. In general, harvest that removes only the bole of a tree removes only a portion of the calcium in the tree. Tree species vary in amount and distribution of calcium. Sugar maple is one of the most calcium rich; and the tops, limbs, and leaves equal about 35 percent of the calcium within a tree (FEIS, p 3-17). Forest harvest removes calcium that would otherwise be recycled to the forest floor. Whole-tree clearcut harvest removes the most calcium from a site (FEIS). The indirect effect of timber harvesting includes possible changes in available (exchangeable) soil calcium, base saturation, and possible impacts on forest health, tree mortality and decay, productivity, or species composition that are attributed to forest harvest (as compared to acid deposition). No impact is expected on forest health or productivity related to the timber harvest program across the forest during the next two decades (FEIS). The cumulative effects are the impact of past, present, and foreseeable future actions, which in this case includes consideration of early land use (forestry, agriculture), long-term changes in atmospheric deposition (sulfate, nitrate, particulate matter), and future land uses (FEIS). No impact on long-term soil productivity is expected given ; 1) the available evidence on exchangeable soil calcium impacts from timber harvest; 2) long-term observations about forest productivity; 3) long-term evidence about forest species composition; 4) the absence of inciting factors that affect forest health; 5) no link made on the White Mountain National Forest between forest health and soil calcium; and 6) the indications that long-term impacts are not irreparable, though it would take time. (FEIS) The driving force in possible change is atmospheric deposition, due to the fact that the best modeling available indicates that harvesting is a small factor. (FEIS) Affected Environment The analysis area for direct, indirect, and cumulative effects on soil productivity is the location of the actual proposed activities, since site-specific impacts related to soil or forest productivity are not likely to extend further. The temporal scope for cumulative effects on soil productivity is from early harvesting in the early 1990s to ten years into the future, which is the reasonable planning horizon for a future harvest. Early harvesting is considered because land use may affect soil nutrients, including soil calcium (Hornbeck 1990). Future harvest and acid deposition are considered for the same reason. Other Four Ponds projects would happen within this same timeframe. 137

138 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 138 The Four Ponds project has soils common to the White Mountain National Forest: shallow to ledge and moderately deep, well and moderately-well drained, fine sandy loams on 0 to 30 percent slopes. For the most part, soils are a mix of shallow to ledge and well and moderatelywell drained sandy loam and fine sandy loams (see Ecological Land Types). Historically, there have been conventional, bole-only harvests in this vicinity (the tops and limbs of the trees have been left in the forest), which means that approximately 35 percent of the calcium that could be taken from the forest through harvest has been left on-site. Field examinations indicate that all stands previously harvested to regenerate new forest have met agency requirements for adequate stocking of forest regeneration three years post-harvest (USDA Forest Service 1993, 2000a, 2008a, 2009a; district stocking surveys 2007, 2008, 2009). This is consistent with Forest-wide stocking surveys, which monitor stocking levels of regeneration-age trees in clearcut and selection harvests on a variety of soils, aspects, and topographic positions. This is important because stand restocking is the first step in the re-accumulation of biomass, which is the measurement used by the Forest Service to assure that long-term soil productivity has not been foregone. It is also indicative that the forest response to harvest treatment is consistent with the expectations of silvicultural guides referenced in the Forest Plan. Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 The No Action alternative has no direct impact on long-term soil productivity or forest health. The indirect impact of no timber harvest includes no possible changes in available (exchangeable) soil calcium, base saturation, and possible impacts on forest health, productivity, or species composition that are attributed to forest harvest (as compared to acid deposition). (FEIS) Given that acid deposition is the primary mechanism affecting soil acidification, deferring treatment is likely to exert little impact on soil productivity or forest health. Alternatives 2 and 3 Vegetation With respect to indirect impacts, research has shown no change in exchangeable soil calcium and soil base saturation, and no change in biomass accumulation as a result of timber harvest. Research is underway to determine additional sources of calcium (possibly deep rooting reserves or non-exchangeable reserves or calcium oxalate) not accounted for in existing studies that could replenish the exchangeable calcium reserve that is removed in the short-term by timber harvest (FEIS). The quantity of calcium removed in a harvest varies by area and by harvest method. Proposed harvesting in the Four Pond project is bole-only. Estimates of calcium removed in forest products indicate that, in general, clearcuts have a greater potential direct impact on calcium removed. Thinning and selective harvest have less impact than clearcutting. Over time, however, even-age harvests remove the same amount of forest as uneven-age methods, so the cumulative impact is nearly the same, although there are instances when uneven-age harvest actually removes more (Adams et al. 1996).

139 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Bole-only, clearcut harvest would remove an estimated 2 percent of the calcium from a site. The other bole-only harvest methods would remove up to 1 percent of the calcium when compared to the total calcium that resides in the soil (FEIS). Based on these measurements, Alternative 3 would remove more calcium than Alternative 2. With respect to indirect impacts, based on actual on-site measurements at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest over a period of fifteen years at sixty soil pits, soil exchangeable calcium was not lost due to forest harvest (FEIS). There is no peer-reviewed evidence that soil buffering capacity has declined on the White Mountain National Forest. From the perspective of Forest Service requirements for assessment of soil productivity, based on biomass accumulation, research evidence does not indicate any change in observable trends in biomass accumulation since the early 1930s (FEIS). Also, recent measurements related to forest productivity at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and elsewhere on or in the vicinity of the White Mountain National Forest, reveal similar results for both hardwoods and softwoods (FEIS). Therefore, indirect effects from harvest are not expected under either alternative. Prescribed Fire Prescribed burning proposed in the action alternatives would occur either in late spring, when the snow cover has melted, or in late summer/early fall, when temperatures have cooled. Some surface soil organic matter would be lost due to burning, but some nutrients are not affected. For example, soil calcium would not be reduced by burning, but it can be removed from a site by erosion. Some soil nitrogen would be lost when the organic matter burns, but nitrogen is not considered to be a limiting factor in tree growth on the White Mountain National Forest. Recreation The recreation projects listed in the two alternatives are not expected to result in a loss in soil nutrient productivity because the nutrients would still be in the soil would just be covered up. If the sites are ever decommissioned and rehabilitated, vegetation would once again be able to use those nutrients remaining in the soil. Watershed Restoration A watershed project proposed in Alternatives 2 and 3 would remove two culverts on New England Brook Road and two culverts on the Harriman Brook Road with backwater pools created. Wood would also be placed into streams to create aquatic habitat. BMPs would be followed to reduce chances of sedimentation to the streams (see the Water Resources section). Negligible soil nutrient effects are anticipated with this project. Gravel Pit Development The gravel pit development proposed in Alternative 2 would have a detrimental effect on soil nutrient productivity because the soil would be excavated and moved elsewhere. The site would stay unproductive until the implementation of a pit rehabilitation plan restoring soil nutrient productivity. 139

140 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Cumulative Effects The percent of total loss takes into account calcium depletion for the last 59 years, foreseeable calcium depletion for the next 10 years, previous harvests, and harvest proposed in this project. Climate change was researched and analyzed in regards to soil productivity, with no detrimental effects expected within the cumulative effects time period (Colter 2009b). Alternative 1 Early land use is estimated to have removed calcium from harvested forest stands (Hornbeck 1990). Within the analysis area, early forest harvest appears to have been a mix of silvicultural treatments (i.e. groups, shelterwood, clearcutting). Based on soil nutrient depletion tables, this may have removed <1 percent of the calcium per acre of harvest (Fay 2003). Atmospheric deposition may also remove calcium from the soil irrespective of timber harvest. The most recent small watershed studies suggest that the cumulative loss of calcium due to atmospheric deposition, considering the buffering effect of mineral weathering, is about four percent over 120 years (FEIS). Over the past 75 years, it is possible that up to three percent of the total soil calcium may have been removed during that time due to atmospheric deposition, and another <1 percent due to early harvesting methods. Atmospheric deposition may continue to deplete soil calcium. A review of the literature seems to show that soil and streams are recovering from the possible impacts of acid deposition (FEIS, p 3-26). On-site evidence during timber and other inventories has not revealed any unusual dieback or mortality. Stands previously harvested in this vicinity have adequately regenerated (Four Ponds 2008 and 2009 stand exams). As previously noted, no change in biomass accumulation has been documented at the nearby Bartlett Experimental Forest. Thus, based on on-site evidence and the previously discussed research on biomass accumulation, it does not appear there are issues with soil productivity. Alternatives 2 and 3 Effects of atmospheric deposition would be no different than under Alternative 1. Alternatives 2 and 3 have the potential to add new harvest impacts with the removal of trees and their biomass. Alternative 3 would remove more calcium, because it proposes 1,020 acres of clearcut and shelterwood, bole-only harvest and 1,925 group selection/ thinning bole-only harvest acres; Alternative 2 proposes 947 acres of clearcut and shelterwood bole-only harvest and 1,998 group selection/thinning bole-only harvest acres. However, modeling of soil exchangeable calcium and base saturation for a northern hardwood forest at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest has shown little long-term effect on these factors as a result of timber harvesting. Changes in exchangeable soil calcium and soil base saturation from 1850 to 2000 were nearly the same with and without forest harvesting (FEIS). By applying Forest Plan standards and guidelines, tiering to the FEIS, and using best available science, detrimental effects on soil nutrient productivity are anticipated with Alternative 2 only because the gravel pit would stay unproductive until implementation of a pit rehabilitation plan to 140

141 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment restore soil nutrient productivity. There would be no detrimental effects from timber harvest, watershed restoration, or recreational projects. There are no detrimental effects with Alternative 3. Table Estimated Calcium (Ca) Removal Cumulative Effect Total Loss by Harvest Practice. Harvest Practice Ca loss (%) No Action with One Previous Bole-only Clearcut Harvest 5.5% Estimated Ca loss Bole-only Clearcut and One Previous Clearcut Harvest 8.7% Estimated Ca loss Bole-only Thin and One Previous Bole-only Clearcut Harvest 5.6% Estimated Ca loss Bole-only Uneven-Age and One Previous Bole-only Clearcut Harvest 6.3% Estimated Ca loss The percent of total loss takes into account calcium depletion for the last 59 years, foreseeable calcium depletion for the next 10 years, previous harvests, and the proposed harvest. Climate change was researched and analyzed in regards to soil nutrient productivity, with no detrimental effects expected within the cumulative effects time period. (Colter, 2009) 141

142 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.11 Transportation Affected Environment Access and roads within and adjacent to the White Mountain National Forest have a long history dating back to Native American tribes and early explorers and settlers (FEIS, p D-3). Within the Four Ponds project area, there is an established system of county, private, and Forest roads that provides access for resource management such as timber harvesting, facilities maintenance, watershed restoration, wildlife habitat maintenance, and access to private homes and properties. Roads also make it easier for people to access recreational areas for hiking, mountain biking, camping, hunting, and fishing. Public use of the roads within the project area is light to moderate, even during the peak summer season. Of the 34.1 miles of roads (classified and unauthorized) within the Albany HMU, 20.9 miles are maintenance level (ML) 1 or 2. These roads are either closed or managed for high clearance vehicles. They usually receive maintenance when work is required to correct or prevent resource damage or to meet recreational needs. There are five roads, for a total of 13.2 miles, that are ML 3 (Patte Mill Brook, Harriman Brook, Patte Mill Dam, Bennett School, and Crocker Pond), and are suitable for passenger cars. Forest funds allow annual maintenance on approximately percent of ML 2 roads and approximately percent of ML 3 to 5 roads. The transportation goal of the WMNF is to provide a road system that is structurally adequate, safe, environmentally sound and appropriately located to provide transportation that is responsive to public and management needs. The Forest also has a goal to satisfy the demand for geological and mineral resources through environmentally sound development. The development of a gravel pit in an environmentally sound manner would facilitate meeting the transportation goal. All road miles are estimates based on current data in the White Mountain National Forest s Geographical Information System (GIS) and the Forest infrastructure database (INFRA). Some adjustment of estimated miles may occur in order to protect resources, reconcile GIS and INFRA mileage differences, and provide for the application of sound engineering judgment when implementing the proposed road projects on the ground. Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects for transportation is lands within Management Area 2.1 of the Four Ponds project area. This area was chosen because it contains the transportation system that will be used for this project. The temporal scope for direct and indirect effects is the duration of the project activities because any direct or indirect effects would occur during or soon after operations. Alternative 1 The 34.1 miles of existing roads (Forest and unauthorized) would continue to provide access for resource management and public enjoyment of the area. No 142

143 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment classification changes would be made to unauthorized roads, nor would any new roads be constructed. Routine maintenance would continue. The public would continue to use the current roads and have motorized access throughout the project area. There would be no public displacement due to road/trail reconstruction or restoration work. The Crocker Pond snowmobile trail would continue to pass through several poorly drained wet areas, and resource damage would continue as riders create inappropriate bypass trails to avoid them. In addition, driving conditions (wet areas, narrow passing spots, short sight distances, and steep grade pitches) that present potential risk to riders on the Sunken Pond Bypass would not be addressed. The Forest Service would continue to use private sources to supply gravel for on-going and emergency road maintenance. Alternative 2 Transportation Unauthorized roads that already exist on the ground and which are necessary for long-term management of the project area would be added to the Forest Roads database as permanent Forest Roads. The intent of road reconstruction and restoration is to provide long-term access into an area with the least possible amount of disturbance. Road reconstruction and restoration would result in minor soil movement and compaction, primarily from use of equipment. Implementation of Maine s Best Management Practices (BMPs) would limit erosion until vegetation is re-established and the road surface hardens. Other effects include loss of vegetation by clearing and grubbing, temporary increase in noise and traffic, and temporary displacement of users due to reconstruction activities. Reconstructed and restored roads would be safely used by Forest Service personnel to accomplish resource work and would also shorten seasonal access restrictions because of the improved surface condition and drainage. Pre-haul maintenance activities would stabilize the road surface and minimize disturbance to surrounding resources. Periodic road maintenance extends the useful life of the road, reduces surface erosion and wear and tear on vehicles, and provides a safe roadway for traveling. Both road restoration and maintenance activities would result in safer road surface conditions (i.e. repair of ruts and wet spots) and improved sight distance. Following project implementation, there would be no permanent road access changes as a result of harvest activity; roads that were closed to public vehicle traffic prior to implementation would be closed upon completion of projects. However, these roads may be used by Forest Service personnel for administrative purposes (e.g. maintain road surface, permanent structures and permanent wildlife openings, and conduct stand exams and reforestation surveys). There is no indication that proposed road reconstruction, restoration, or maintenance would alter the amount of public motorized use. Once timber harvest and other projects are complete, road access would revert to pre-harvest conditions. 143

144 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District A new, short spur road (approximately 200 feet) would be constructed to access a relocated dispersed campsite at Broken Bridge pond (see Recreation, below). Vegetation Road access may be restricted during active timber sale activity, and there would be dual use on portions of the Crocker Pond and Sunken Pond Bypass snowmobile trails. Signs would be placed on motorized roads and designated trails to warn traffic of harvesting activities in the area. Speed limits may also be imposed on selected roads. Recreation Relocating portions of the Crocker Pond and Sunken Pond Bypass snowmobile trails away from wet, seepy areas would protect hydrologic functions and eliminate inappropriate bypass trails over young vegetation. It would also address concerns by improving machine passage, sight distance, and lessening steep grade pitches. A short dead-end spur (approximately 200 feet) would be constructed solely to access a new dispersed campsite above the Broken Bridge parking lot; it is not intended to be used for general traffic. This would separate campers and day-users who park in the lot after launching their boats into Broken Bridge Pond. It would not be added to the permanent Forest roads database because it is shorter than 500 feet. This road would enhance recreational opportunities by reducing conflicts between various recreational users. A guideline in the Forest Plan states that trails (or sections of trails) would be removed from the Forest Trail system if continued use causes unacceptable impacts that cannot be mitigated. This is the case of a 0.9 mile section of the Albany Notch Spur trail that would be closed and removed from the District trail mileage due to its un-sustainability caused by a beaver complex which has flooded this section of the trail. Watershed Restoration Removal of two undersized culverts on FR 319 (New England Brook) would reduce possible flooding and washouts of the roadway that could cause sedimentation and costly road repair (see Section 3.7, Riparian and Aquatic Habitat, and Section 3.13, Water Resources). Wildlife Habitat The treatment of roads and increased road use from logging traffic may disturb and displace wildlife during operations, but the effects would be short-term (see Section 3.16, Wildlife). Gravel Pit Development Gravel supplied by the development of an on-forest pit would be used to improve roads on Forest Service lands within Maine and New Hampshire. Without gravel and general maintenance, roads tend to deteriorate over time and become rough and at times potentially hazardous. A centrally-located gravel pit would also allow Forest road crews to respond more quickly to emergency 144

145 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment road repair. The proposed gravel source is well situated off main access roads behind a closed gate. Traffic A traffic analysis was completed for the Project area. The analysis relied on the following assumptions: 1) the average capacity of log truck load is 6.5 thousand board feet (mbf); 2) the average capacity of a pulpwood truck is 12 cords; and 3) on average, a log truck will make 4 trips/day (mechanical logging operations, hauling to local markets) There are seven main access routes to the proposed stands and projects: FR 765 (Mosquito Pond), King s Highway, FR 3340 (Miles Notch), FR 54 (Farwell Mountain), FR 18 (Crocker Pond), FR 7 (Patte Mill Brook), and FR 59 (Harriman Brook). Based on the estimated volumes for stands that will be accessed by these roads and the assumptions listed above, the analysis of the estimated total of logs trucks and days are listed in Table Table Traffic Plan for the Four Ponds Project Area Road Number and Name Estimated Number of Trucks (total) Estimated Number of Days for Hauling (total) King s Highway FR 7 (Patte Mill Brook) FR 18 (Crocker Pond) FR 54 (Farwell Mountain) FR 59 (Harriman Brook) FR 765 (Mosquito Pond) FR (Miles Notch) Forest Roads 18 and 59 are arterial roads off FR 7, so log trucks from these roads will travel on FR 7 either easterly or westerly to access state highways. Combining the number of trucks on these three roads results in 811 truckloads of wood products over 203 days. These three roads experience the most passenger traffic in the project area, and users will experience additional logging traffic, noise, and dust from log trucks. These effects are temporary; they will occur during active logging operations and dissipate once the sale is temporarily shut-down (due to seasonal restrictions) or completed. Designated haul times may be implemented depending on season of operation, and dust abatement measures may be employed. When evaluating the frequency of logging traffic, we chose the Farwell Mountain timber sale (the most recent sale in Albany HMU) as a comparison for potential timber sales generated by the Four Ponds project. This is because of their similar timber types, volume/acre amounts, silvicultural prescriptions, and season of operations. For Farwell Mountain timber sale, about four loads of wood were hauled off-site per day during active harvest operations. Examination of timber sale inspection reports showed that over the approximate three year life of the sale (approximately 970 days), about 260 days incurred active logging and hauling operations. This equated to approximately 27 percent of the three year 145

146 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District period being actively logged which resulted in an increase of traffic on Forest roads in the area. Prescribed Fire The relationship between the road system and the fuels program is related to the ease of getting to a unit, the type of equipment that can be used, and the type of treatment that can be accomplished. Improving roads and access would reduce the hiking distance by firefighters to the prescribed fire thus reducing fatigue. Along with using roads to access prescribed fires, roads increase safety when used as escape routes. Alternative 3 Effects would be the same as under Alternative 2 with the exception of gravel pit development, which would be dropped in this alternative. Road maintenance and emergency repairs would be more costly because gravel would be purchased from off-forest sources (see Section 3.9, Socio-economics). In some instances, such as catastrophic natural events (i.e. flooding or wind storms) gravel may not be available in a timely manner, which could lead to road closures and limited access. Cumulative Effects The Four Ponds project area is the cumulative effects roads boundary for transportation for the same reason as for direct and indirect effects. The temporal scope would be 10 years, which is the reasonable expected time period for the activities to occur. The majority of the system roads needed for resource management and public access are in place. Under a separate, approved American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project, a new road approximately 0.5 miles in length would be constructed, largely along an existing skid trail corridor. This will allow access to the Broken Bridge Dam for reconstruction of the impoundment structure and spillway. Upon completion of work, this access road will be closed to public motorized vehicles; there will be intermittent administrative use for dam maintenance and law enforcement. The Forest Plan allows for an estimated 10 miles of new road construction during the first decade of implementation; approximately 1.5 miles of new road has been constructed on the Forest to date. Motorized travel within the Four Ponds project area would have improved sight distances and be more efficient as a result of road reconstruction and restoration on Forest Service roads. Aside from road activities proposed in this project, approximately 3.5 miles of Patte Mill Brook Road would also be restored under the ARRA project mentioned above. If, under Alternative 3, the decision is made not to develop the Sunken Pond gravel site, and because the Bull Brook Gravel Pit (off of Route 113 in Gilead, Maine) is nearly depleted, further investigation of a new on-forest gravel site in Maine may be required to meet future gravel demands. However, this is speculative and no other sites have been identified or proposed. Measures currently employed following the Forest Plan standards and guidelines (e.g. revegetation of disturbed soils, ground operating restrictions) ensure that the integrity of the roads is maintained. Roads used in the past will likely 146

147 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment be used again. In addition to the annual road budget, road maintenance deposits collected through commercial activities (such as timber harvesting) have been used for surface blading and roadside mowing and limbing. Periodic road maintenance activities would provide a safe and efficient transportation system within the Four Ponds project area. 147

148 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.12 Vegetation Affected Environment From the 1940s to 1995, the majority of Forest System lands within Maine (approximately 43,000 acres) were managed by the Evans Notch District Office in Bethel. These forested lands were actively managed for wood products, wildlife/aquatic habitat, forest health, and recreational opportunities. Surrounding private lands were also actively managed with similar silvicultural goals. Past timber sale records show that vegetation management activities (sometimes multiple operations) frequently occurred in this HMU until the mid-1990s. This is when the Evans Notch District was incorporated into the Androscoggin Ranger District and the land base expanded to include both Maine and New Hampshire. Due to sustainable forest management practices by both the Forest Service and surrounding private landowners, over 76 percent of the landscape remains as mature forest. Though timber harvesting is not as intense as in the past, visitors have seen continuing vegetation management projects such as prescribed burning of oakpine stands and permanent wildlife openings and timber harvest. Though there can be short-term impacts, such as increased traffic, noise, and slash, recreationists have received long-term benefits through the creation of trails (hiking and snowmobile), hunting areas, scenic vistas, dispersed campsites, and road improvements. Many of the stands in the project area are even-aged, second growth stands that originated from a series of cuts that occurred from the late 1880s to the early 1900s. Though many are even-aged, there is diversity in terms of age and structure due to past management practices. There is no documentation or evidence that the project area was considered prime farmland, though some of the more level areas near streams and ponds were once grazed by livestock. The current forest cover types consist of a mosaic of spruce-fir, hemlock, northern hardwoods, aspen/paper birch, and oak-pine. The majority of the non-forested areas include grassy and shrubby openings, ponds, wetlands, and rock outcrops. This patchwork of vegetation is a result of landforms, soils, plant succession, disturbances, and forest management practices. The rationale for applying silvicultural treatments on the White Mountain National Forest is based largely on classic research conducted by Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and the Northeastern Research Station. Much of this research is documented in the Silvicultural Guide for Northern Hardwood Types in the Northeast (Leak et al. 1987), A Silvicultural Guide for Spruce-Fir in the Northeast (Frank and Bjorkbom 1973), Managing Eastern Hemlock: A Preliminary Guide (Lancaster 1985), The Ecology and Silviculture of Oaks (Johnson et al. 2002), and Silvicultural Guide for Paper Birch in the Northeast (revised) (Safford 1983). Silvicultural prescriptions for this EA were also based on Four Ponds field review, past land management practices, review of current literature, scientific research from research institutions, and discussions with university researchers. Approximately 72 percent of the stands within MA 2.1 lands in the Albany HMU are in the mature age class. Trees and stands in this age class are more vulnerable 148

149 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment to insect and disease infestations than younger age classes. Field reconnaissance (Albany HMU stand exams 2008 and 2009) identified signs of sugar maple borer, white pine blister rust, fungus and conks on aspen and yellow birch, and beech bark disease. These agents affect tree growth and quality and commercially treating these stands would improve the quality and vigor of remaining trees. Historically, seasons of operation were defined by dates established by seasonal weather patterns and resource or silvicultural requirements. For example, fall and winter operations generally require dry or frozen ground conditions to protect soil and water resources, or in partial cuts where frozen conditions are necessary to minimize bark damage on residual trees (trees are more susceptible to bark damage in the active growing season). Summer is assigned when operations on bare ground are required to create a seedbed necessary to establish regeneration of particular tree species or where harvest prescriptions would remove all trees from a site (i.e. clearcuts and patch cuts there are few residual trees so there is low potential for bark damage), and where soils can support equipment without adverse effects. Operations are allowed when site conditions are considered normal for the season: winter harvest would require weather suitable for freezing skid trails and landings or frozen ground; fall and summer would require unsaturated soil conditions. Operations may also be limited to protect nesting wildlife. As in the past, harvesting operations would be overseen by the Timber Sale Administrator, who has the authority to cease operations at any time to protect resources. Measuring Effects to Vegetation Effects in the Four Ponds project area are analyzed in terms of forest health and productivity. This refers to the mix of stand conditions such as age, density, diversity, and land suitability that contribute to the stand s susceptibility to damage and disease and its ability to thrive with optimum growth. Measuring effects to forest health and productivity is a qualitative prediction based on the typical vegetative responses of various silvicultural treatments, other proposed activities, or natural forces, as described below. Analysis Methods Choosing the optimum harvest method for regenerating a particular stand is influenced by the silvicultural requirements of the species on the site, existing stand conditions, issues raised during the analysis, prior experience in the area, and direction from the Forest Plan. The methodology for determining optimality follows. First, a silvicultural treatment is assigned to each stand after a field examination by professional foresters who are knowledgeable of field conditions, local resources, and the response of various types of timber stands to silvicultural treatments. This initial stand prescription is based primarily on the biological requirements of the stand in the context of the objectives of Management Area (MA) 2.1 lands as set forth in the Forest Plan. Stand prescriptions are then subject to interdisciplinary analysis, and may be modified after special consideration is given to wildlife habitat needs as guided by the HMU objectives for the area. The Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) also considers the issues raised by the public during scoping, other site specific resource considerations, 149

150 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Two members of the Interdisciplinary Team and the Deputy Forest Supervisor discuss silvicultural treatment for a proposed softwood stand to meet habitat needs and match forest type with ecological land types. and the alternatives developed. In some cases, stand prescriptions may be modified in order to address site-specific resource concerns such as visual quality or water quality. Regardless of the alternative types of actions proposed in the analysis, the proposed harvest method for each stand is always sufficient to ensure adequate regeneration stocking of the stand (USDA Forest Service 1993, 2000, 2008a, 2009a; district stocking surveys 2007, 2008, 2009; Four Ponds stand exams 2008 and 2009). The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on timber resources is MA 2.1 lands within Compartments 313, 324, 325, 327, 328, 329, 330, and 331 of the Albany HMU. The analysis area encompasses 6,840 acres, of which 81 percent are in closed canopy forest of mature age class with even-aged and uneven-aged stands. The amount of closed and open canopy helps describe the structural diversity in the analysis area. This area was chosen because these lands are suitable for timber harvest and any noticeable direct and indirect effects on timber resources would be in and near harvested stands. The temporal scope for direct and indirect effects is up to three years after the proposed activities occur on the ground. This time period was chosen because it represents the length of time for a stand to be certified as regenerated. Direct and Indirect Effects One of the goals of MA 2.1 lands is to provide high quality sawtimber and other timber products on a sustained yield basis. This is accomplished by maintaining a healthy, vigorous forest through forest management. Forest management is also used to influence the species composition of forest stands to improve diversity and enhance the quality of timber products being grown. The use of 150

151 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment various silvicultural treatments, such as group selection, shelterwood, overstory removals, clearcutting, and individual tree selection influence the outcome for creating the desired species mix. Alternative 1 Under the No Action alternative, all stands in the project area would continue to grow and mature; however, the opportunity to enhance growth, yield, and forest health would be foregone and no forest products would be available to local markets. Some trees would die from natural forces related to size, competition, or age stress. Other similar or more shade-tolerant individuals would replace these trees. Over many decades, the stand would begin to resemble a climax vegetation type. There would be a species shift from stands that may contain paper birch, red maple, white and red pine, red oak, ash, and aspen to stands dominated by beech, red and sugar maple, and spruce. Natural disturbances such as wind, rain, and ice events would influence succession by temporarily providing smaller forest openings, encouraging establishment of fewer shadetolerant species. Older trees would die out and the remaining healthy trees would grow larger. As shorter-lived species (aspen, paper birch, balsam fir) grow older they become more susceptible to ice damage, windthrow, forest insects, and disease. Over time, these agents contribute to tree mortality that may occur in small pockets or over larger areas. Overall, stand vigor may decline because the opportunity to reduce competition among trees would be foregone. Dominant and co-dominant red oak and white pine would continue to control site conditions; however, without periodic disturbance and silvicultural treatments to reduce competition there would be too much shade for oak and pine regeneration and for seedlings to become established in the midstory. Instead, seedlings would stagnate in the understory for years and eventually die out. The indirect effect of no action would be a continuing conversion of oak and pine stands to northern hardwood stands. Untreated stands dominated by small-diameter beech would likely become infected with beech bark disease as they age, and would subsequently incur early mortality. Once these infected trees die, they sprout numerous shoots from the roots which perpetuate the disease, leading to unhealthy and unproductive stands. These numerous sprouts create dense stand conditions that crowd out other species from regenerating. Over time there would be a loss of species and age-class diversity within these stands (i.e. oak-pine and mixedwoods) as they gradually convert to northern hardwood stands with the main tree component being beech. Due to past fire suppression, the red pine/woodland community atop Farwell Mountain is slowly reverting to a spruce-fir stand. This progression will continue without prescribed burning. The Forest Plan goal of providing high quality sawtimber and other timber products on a sustained yield basis would not be met. No trees would be cut nor vegetation disturbed for the expansion or development of a gravel pit, road reconstruction/restoration, trail relocations, campsite development and improvements, or stream restoration work. 151

152 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Alternative 2 Implementing the proposed action would maintain a mosaic of vegetative conditions and improve species composition by increasing the amount of oak-pine, aspen-birch, and softwoods, which is a desired future condition. Much of the vegetation in the Four Ponds project area has been actively managed, most recently in the mid-1990s, using a variety of harvest methods. Even-Aged Management Clearcutting is the optimal method for removing mature, damaged stands to promote regeneration of a healthy new stand of regeneration-age trees. It also would create conditions where sunlight reaches the forest floor causing hardwood seeds to germinate and seedlings to grow rapidly. Clearcutting also stimulates the germination of raspberries, blackberries, pin cherry, and various forbs and grasses whose seeds respond to the abundance of light and warming of the forest floor. Monitoring of past clearcut harvest units on similar sites has shown rapid establishment of hardwood and softwood regeneration with the same species mix found in pre-cut mature forests within three to five years (stocking surveys 2007, 2008, 2009). Herbaceous cover would increase significantly following harvest and remain a significant component of these sites until the canopy of the new trees begins to close. Stands 313/62, 324/5, and 325/999 have a component of mature paper birch and aspen that we want to perpetuate into the future. Because these species are very shade intolerant, they require open sunlight for regeneration and development, and clearcutting is the optimum method for creating those conditions. Clearcutting also stimulates root suckering, which is the major source of reproduction for aspen. Clearcutting proposed in stands 327/12, 327/29, 327/48, 328/4, 328/27, and 328/73 would promote northern hardwood regeneration. These stands are generally of poor quality, were affected by ice damage, and have declining growth rates. The time is right to harvest these stands to provide regeneration forest habitat while salvaging timber value and promoting new stands of vigorous growing trees that effectively use the site. Small patch clearcuts (<10 acres) in stands 328/4, 328/10, 328/11, and 328/78 would enhance feeding opportunities for deer and moose by creating browse. This is the optimum method for producing a wide variety of vegetation for browse. Expansion of the four permanent wildlife openings (PWOs) would convert tree production areas to a shrubby, herbaceous habitat condition. These areas would be maintained by mowing, prescribed burning, or mechanical treatment every three to five years to discourage growth of woody vegetation and favor herbaceous plant species such as goldenrod and raspberries. For clearcuts, patchcuts, and expansion of PWOs, uncut patches totaling five percent of the harvest area would be retained to serve as wildlife trees per Forest Plan standards A direct effect of clearcutting in northern hardwood is the promotion of stump sprouts in species such as aspen and red maple. According to a study on four sites in New England, Whole-tree Clearcutting in New England: Manager s Guide 152

153 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment to Impacts on Soils, Streams, and Regeneration (Pierce et al. 1993), stump sprouting and germination of new seedlings began in the first growing season after harvest. Within five years after cutting, young, dense stands were established on all four sites. Changes in micro-climate conditions in the perimeter of stands adjacent to evenaged regeneration cuts (i.e. increased sunlight, lower humidities, and increased evapo-transpiration) would occur. Commercial thinning would focus on reducing the number of trees in heavily stocked, even-aged stands. A portion of the stands would be harvested to stimulate regeneration and remove suppressed, defective, or declining trees. Approximately one-third of the stocking would be removed to create space and light for seeds to germinate and for young trees to grow. Generally, the poorer quality trees would be harvested, leaving a stand of well-spaced dominant to codominant trees with an understory of tree regeneration and other woody plants. Over time, residual tree growth and in-growth returns the stand to full stocking. The residual stand restricts sunlight so that the treatment would favor more shade tolerant plants and trees. Commercial thinning in stands would improve or maintain growth and utilize volume which may be lost due to overstocking. Shelterwood harvests create growing conditions for species that are moderately intolerant of shade. Low quality and mature softwood and northern hardwood trees would be harvested while white pine and oak of good form and quality would be retained. By removing approximately percent of the stand, additional sunlight would accelerate growth on existing young pine, oak, spruce, and fir saplings and seedlings, allowing them to move into the midstory. New oak and pine seedlings would also become established due to disturbance of the leaf litter and exposure of bare mineral soil. Stands would still remain in a high-canopy forested condition. A study conducted in the Ozarks found that red oak needs considerably more light in order to recruit into the overstory than is afforded by single tree selection or a combination of single tree and group selection (Kabrick et al. 2008). The amount of light reaching the crown is critical in oak development, as reduced light affects the acorn crop by inhibiting floral initiation, fruit set, and fruit development (Lassoie et al. 1980). Because both seed number and size can be reduced by inadequate direct sunlight, oaks in suppressed and intermediate crown positions usually produce negligible seed crops (Kittredge et al. 1929; Moody 1953; Gysel 1956). Removing approximately half the tree stems (mainly suppressed and low quality trees) would open the forest canopy, stimulate acorn development, and release existing oak seedlings. The interruption of the natural fire regime in oaks has been cited as the main reason for their decline in the East. Northern red oak is not an aggressive colonizer like aspen, nor a slow growing, shade tolerant species like sugar maple. Red oak relies on advance regeneration to take advantage of gaps that appear in the canopy through windthrow, fire, or logging. The treatment goal is to create these conditions with an initial shelterwood cut and, for selected stands, follow this with a prescribed burn. The initial shelterwood cut would increase light in the understory, improving conditions for oak establishment and regeneration without stimulating growth in more shade intolerant species. Studies 153

154 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District have shown that thinnings or shelterwood treatments combined with multiple prescribed fires, timed correctly can stimulate the development of oak advanced regeneration (Iverson et al. 2008). The shelterwood treatment in stands 313/45, 325/4, 325/31, and 328/15 would remove pockets of paper birch, aspen, and northern hardwoods to release young softwoods in the understory and promote oak regeneration. The overstory removal proposed for stands 325/8, 325/22, 328/28, 328/92, and 329/100 would harvest mature trees while protecting and releasing young established spruce-fir so it is free to grow. These stands were previously harvested using preparatory shelterwood treatments and now is an opportune time to complete the final phase in the shelterwood system. Uneven-aged Management Group selection would create small groups to release existing regeneration-age or young softwoods and release and regenerate intermediate shade tolerant hardwood species. Approximately percent of the stand would be harvested in groups that range in size from a tenth of an acre up to two acres. Group placement would be favored adjacent to existing softwood/mixedwood advanced regeneration to promote growth on these young trees, and within areas of poor quality trees to promote northern hardwood regeneration. Noncommercial treatment would follow in selected stands to remove undesirable saplings to release regeneration-age softwoods and hardwoods. Herbaceous cover would also increase following harvest and remain a component until the canopy of the new trees closes. Group selection would continue to be practiced in these stands in future management entries. Pre-commercial Treatment Within selected stands, pre-commercial treatments would remove a portion of the dense midstory (consisting mostly of beech and red maple saplings) within harvested groups and around residual mature oak to provide free to grow conditions for regeneration-age and young oak, white pine, and softwoods. Research found that mechanical controls (removing beech saplings with brush and chain saws) limited stump sprouting and suckering, and led to the development of desirable advanced hardwood seedlings beneath the overstory (Smallidge and Nyland 2009). Forest Health and Productivity There is evidence of insect and fungus infestations within stands that contain balsam fir, sugar maple, aspen, pine, and beech. These agents suppress growth, reduce stand vigor and health, impact tree quality, and eventually lead to tree mortality. Balsam fir at all ages is subject to insect and disease attack (Frank and Bjorkbom 1973). Balsam fir in many of the stands is over-mature and susceptible to pathogens and rot, and many are showing signs of infection. This includes bore holes in tree trunks, butt rot, and defoliation of crowns, indicating weakened trees and suppressed tree growth. Because balsam fir is shallow rooted, as they weaken they become more susceptible to wind damage and windthrow, which is evident in some of the proposed stands. Damaged trees would be removed through 154

155 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment timber harvest to improve stand health and capture economic value. Release of damaged trees not only increases growth on residual healthy fir, but also can reduce incidence of rot. The majority of the beech within all of the proposed stands suffers from beech bark disease (Nectria ditissima). This disease affects the quality and quantity of beech sawlogs and reduces beechnut production, limiting its contributions as a wildlife food source (Smallidge and Nyland 2009). To improve the health of these stands, some diseased trees will be removed and disease-resistant beech trees would be retained for the propagation of genetically resistant offspring. This would increase the level of resistance in the Forest and lead to a healthier beech population in the future (Burns and Houston 1987). Many of the over-mature aspen show signs of a fungus commonly called conk rot which appears in the upper bole of the tree at the base of limbs. Since the rot appears in the upper portion of the tree, there may still be sawlog quality logs within the lower portion. Now is an opportune time to harvest aspen in proposed stands to obtain economic value of this species while regenerating aspen through root suckers while it is still vigorous. Pine infected with white pine blister rust and white pine weevil is characterized by crooked and multiple stems which result in a loss of merchantable volume and lumber grade. To reduce damage caused by these vectors, there needs to be a balance of sufficient shade, which is detrimental to the weevil survival, and adequate sunlight to maintain tree growth (Katovich et al. 1993). To achieve this balance, percent crown closure is recommended, which is the goal of a shelterwood seed tree cut. White pine blister rust was noted in all pine stands, most notably in stand 329/9. This white pine stand is unusual in that it is growing high quality sugar maple and yellow birch saplings in the midstory. A patch clearcut in this stand would remove infected pine trees and promote growth on the sugar maple and yellow birch, thereby creating a healthy and vigorous new hardwood stand. Summer harvesting (June October) would be permitted in clearcuts, patchcuts, and seed tree cut stands where bark damage would not be an issue since no or few residual trees would remain (aside from reserve areas). These areas would provide habitat for herbaceous species that require disturbance. Many plants have adapted to survive in clearcuts or can quickly re-colonize these areas a short time afterwards (Whitman and Hagan 2000). There would be some species of plants that cannot tolerate direct sunlight and would die; however, these would be replaced by species that are sun tolerant. Harvesting in the fall may damage portions of the understory due to repeated passes of logging equipment. Winter harvesting over a snow pack can minimize damage to understory vegetation from repeated passes of logging equipment. Regardless of season of operation, existing skid trail locations would be used where feasible, and new trails would be laid out prior to operations, limiting the area affected by harvest operations and minimizing impacts to the harvest area. All skid trails would be located, developed, and used in accordance with Forest Plan standards and guidelines and Maine s Best Management Practices. Indirect effects may include an increased risk of windthrow in the partially cut stands, and to trees adjacent to clearcuts, patch clearcuts, and group selection 155

156 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District areas. Trees exposed to the wind on wet sites are susceptible to windthrow until crowns expand to fill the canopy and the roots become windfirm. Some residual tree damage would occur from harvesting operations, but skid trails are planned adjacent to trees marked for removal in order to provide adequate working space for logging equipment. Mortality of stressed trees due to insect, disease or damage may be increased. By removing low quality trees, future harvesting in these stands should lead to a higher percentage of quality sawlogs. Permanent Wildlife Opening Maintenance Expansion and construction of the PWOs would convert about 40 acres of forested land into a non-forested condition consisting of shrubs, grasses, forbs, and berry bushes. Regular maintenance of these sites will discourage growth of woody vegetation and favor herbaceous plant species such as goldenrod and raspberries. The direct and indirect effects of removing this land from timber production would be the lack of opportunity to maintain a forested environment; however, these areas provide a diversity of herbaceous species and tree seedlings valuable for wildlife. Prescribed Fire Prescribed burning atop Farwell Mountain would reduce the amount of young spruce-fir growing in the understory of scattered mature red pine. This would create pockets of open growing conditions favored by red pine and blueberries. Prescribed burning of the permanent wildlife openings would establish herbaceous and shrub diversity, and structure and discourage regeneration of tree species. Prescribed fire would be applied to portions of stands 328/2, 24, 40, and 42. These stands contain oak-pine habitat types that require periodic disturbance, such as fire, to regenerate or maintain their dominance in a stand. Prescribed burning would reduce the understory shade and remove accumulated leaf litter and logging slash from the ground. A spring burn would also help to control white pine cone beetle larvae incubating in dead cones on the forest floor. The prescribed burn would be timed to take advantage of a good white pine cone or acorn year so a maximum amount of seeds/acorns would be available to regenerate. Several low intensity fires may need to be applied to the site. Similar burns in other locations on the Forest have proved effective at reducing the overstory and preparing a seedbed while minimizing damage to mature white pine and oak (Spradlin and Spradlin 2006; USDA Forest Service 2004). Past burn experience has shown relatively low mortality (less than 20 percent) in the mature red oak and white pine (Spradlin and Spradlin 2006; USDA Forest Service 2004), but some damage and crown scorch would be expected. Mortality of trees stressed by insect, disease, or damage may be increased as a result of prescribed burning. Several applications of fire would be needed for optimal results in these stands. 156

157 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Transportation Road reconstruction and restoration would likely result in the removal or trimming of vegetation in some areas to accommodate equipment. Curve widening on FR 54, 59A, 320, 2019, and would require removal of some trees and vegetation to improve sight distance. Road maintenance would trim some lower, overhanging tree limbs, but higher limbs would continue to occupy space above the road surface and maintain a closed in forested feel. Construction of the Sunken Pond gravel pit would remove approximately two to three acres of shrubby vegetation and trees, and reduce the suitable timber base. Once gravel extraction activities were permanently completed, the site would be rehabilitated and stabilized. Watershed Restoration Watershed restoration projects would remove scattered, mature trees within 75 feet of the designated stream channels. This would be similar to an individual tree harvest (though percentage of removal would be lower) and the area would be maintained as mature forest. The additional sunlight would encourage regeneration and promote a multi-age riparian zone along these areas. Thus as mature trees die out, younger trees would be present to take their place and provide future channel stability. The residual canopy cover would meet Forest Plan standards and guideline for Riparian and Aquatic Habitats. Recreation Relocation of the snowmobile trails would require removal of some trees to bring the trail up to design specifications. Improvements to the Albany Brook Trail may require removal of trees, and vegetation may be disturbed due to trail widening and improvements to stream crossings. For expansion of the Crocker Pond campground, one of the campsites is already established and would not require removal of trees or vegetation. The other two campsites would be placed in natural openings and may require removal of some trees. The effects on vegetation would be minimal. As for the other dispersed campsites, some trees would be removed to construct a short road to the new dispersed site at Broken Bridge, as well as for the new campsite at Patte Mill dam. The effects would be minimal since the goal is to maintain a feeling of seclusion at these sites and as few trees as possible would be removed. Alternative 3 This alternative is similar to Alternative 2, but with several modifications. Hemlock stands 325/10, 329/12, 329/15, 331/59, and 331/66 would be commercially thinned to reduce stand density, improve stand vigor, and promote crown development. Following treatment, these stands would continue to have limited sunlight in the understory, which would limit regeneration of shade intolerant softwood and hardwood species compared to group selection. An additional permanent wildlife opening (30 acres) would be constructed in the Haystack Notch parcel, and the Sunken Pond PWO would be expanded by 157

158 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District five acres. The new opening is located in an area classified as young habitat, and few commercial-size trees would need to be harvested. These 35 acres would be removed from the timber production land base and would be maintained in a non-woody, early successional condition. The direct and indirect effects of removing this land from timber production would be the lack of opportunity to maintain a forested environment; however, these areas would provide a diversity of herbaceous species and tree seedlings valuable for wildlife. Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects on timber resources encompasses National Forest lands within the Albany HMU, the newly acquired Haystack Notch parcel, and adjacent private land within the National Forest proclamation boundary. It is approximately 28, 700 acres. This includes 15,387 acres (14,720 acres in Albany HMU and 667 acres in Haystack Notch parcel) and approximately 13,300 acres of private land within Albany and Mason Townships. This area was chosen because 1) the habitat objectives for the Albany HMU provide a measurable assessment of how the proposed action and its alternatives contribute to the habitat objectives of the White Mountain National Forest, as defined in the 2005 Forest Plan; 2) it takes into account vegetation management on newly-acquired land that was formerly managed for timber production; and 3) it considers activities on private lands that are adjacent to the project area. The temporal scope for cumulative effects on timber resources is ten years past and ten years into the future ( ) from when the proposed harvest is planned. Ten years represents the length of time an even-aged stand is considered in the regeneration phase of growth after harvest. A look at the existing condition of the Albany HMU shows a deficiency in the regeneration age class (0 9 years) for all habitat types. With an open canopy, early-successional, shade intolerant species such as aspen and paper birch and intermediate shade tolerant species such as sugar maple and yellow birch can become established both at the stand level, and as a component in stands of other habitat types. Alternative 1 This alternative would not contribute incrementally to the effects of timber harvest or land clearing over the 20-year period from 2000 to Without proposed timber harvest, stands would move toward older age classes and structural conditions and early successional species such as aspen, paper birch, oak, and pine would be replaced by later climax species such as beech and red maple. The oak and pine component within stands would be reduced over time without timber harvesting, pre-commercial treatments, or prescribed fire. Shade tolerant species such as beech and red maple would shade out these species and reduce biological diversity on the Forest. Diversity may be enhanced by natural disturbance such as a weather event, fire, disease, or an infestation that can create forest openings and provide some limited opportunities for shadeintolerant plant species. However, on National Forest lands, regenerating and young stands would age and grow closer to the surrounding canopy of mature stands. Sunlight to the forest floor would diminish and so would shade-intolerant species. Mature stands of the short-lived (50 60 years) paper birch and aspen community types would continue to age toward mortality, many to be replaced by shade-tolerant species now growing in the understory of these stands. 158

159 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Deferring prescribed fire atop Farwell Mountain would lead to fewer red pine seedlings and blueberries because they would be shaded out by young sprucefir trees. Over time, the pine/woodland community would revert to spruce-fir stands if fire is not re-introduced. Should a natural wildfire occur, it would burn hot due to the accumulation of surface fuel and would remove a greater portion of the existing trees on the mountain top and surrounding hillsides compared to a controlled burn. Alternative 2 and 3 The effects of Alternatives 2 and 3 are consistent with those anticipated and analyzed in the FEIS. Even-aged harvests and the additional acres of permanent wildlife openings would have the effect of reducing the acres in closed-canopy forest and contributing to age class and species diversity in the forested landscape. Data regarding timber harvests in the cumulative effects area was collected from National Forest databases, roadside assessments, town office records, and inspection of aerial photos taken every decade from the 1950s to the present. In addition, information was gathered through conversations with landowners. As expected, a variety of activities are taking place in the analysis area, including timber harvest in the form of group and individual tree selection. The following information is known. Past Harvesting: In the past ten years, 294 acres (2 percent) of National Forest lands were harvested in the Albany HMU (14,720 acres): 214 acres using uneven-aged management such as group and individual tree selection, and 80 acres using even-aged management such as patchcut, clearcut, and seed tree cut. These treated areas continue to support a variety of tree species in various age classes. On private lands in the past ten years, three landowners harvested about 320 acres within the analysis area. Harvest methods were similar to those used by the Forest Service and included individual tree selection and commercial thinning. All harvested land has remained in a forested condition. Also, approximately 667 acres on private lands were heavily harvested by clearcutting or final shelterwood removals. This area is now in Forest Service ownership and is composed of a diversity of northern hardwoods and softwood species, mostly in the young-age class with patches of regeneration-age trees (approximately 50 acres). The cumulative effects would be the same as direct and indirect effects. The majority of the northern hardwood and softwood stands are at least 80 to 90 years old and growth is slowing. By harvesting with a variety of treatments now, younger, more rapidly growing trees would be released and therefore the average future growth per acre would increase (FEIS). The result of removing diseased, damaged, and low quality trees would be a healthy, vigorous future forest that increases in value over time due to higher quality residual overstory and understory trees. Overall, lands within the analysis area would remain predominantly forested with a range of age classes and a diverse composition of tree and herbaceous species. With respect to stand conditions, the proposed timber harvest would 159

160 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District result in uneven-aged conditions and reductions in high risk, low quality, and mature conditions. Regarding species composition, there would be an increase of softwoods (spruce-fir) and hemlock within mixedwood and softwood stands, and an increase of oak and pine seedlings in stands with a component of these species due to ground scarification and non-commercial treatments. Herbaceous understories would respond favorably to regeneration and group selection harvests and prescribed burning activities. Regarding vegetation management on private lands in the analysis area, there is known timber harvesting occurring on acreages surrounding Forest System lands, and silvicultual treatments are similar to those practiced by the Forest Service. Harvesting is expected to continue in the townships of Mason and Albany, although types and amounts of harvests are not known. Conversations with landowners reveal that harvest decisions will be based on market conditions, but none intend to convert their land to other uses. Thus the cumulative effects area would remain in a vegetative/forested condition with a diversity of timber types, stand structure, and age classes spaced across the landscape Climate change would have an influence on vegetation, water, disturbance frequencies, and forest pests. These changes would influence one another, making it difficult to predict what changes would occur and when. Within the 10-year period of our cumulative effects analysis, climate change should have little if any measurable effect on our local forests. The exceptions might be isolated pest infestations, if those are related to climate change, and slight changes in the location of some forest species at higher elevations. Within a few decades, we could begin to see measurable changes, but the extent of those changes is uncertain (Millen 2009a). Maintaining optimal forest and tree health is widely supported as a means to buffer climate changes. Monitoring of regeneration as required by National Forest Management Act at the project and Plan level would certainly lead to reconsideration of harvest techniques if climate-related influences are detected. It is important to improve forest resiliency to better withstand stressors such as climate change. The diversity of species composition, age, and structure are several factors that affect resiliency. For example, forests that are less likely to have insect outbreaks and contain greater species diversity may have greater resiliency in the face of climate change (USDA Forest Service 2008e). Management actions such as thinning, prescribed fire, or altering species composition through final harvest and planting could create characteristics that increase resiliency in the face of climate change (Millen 2009a; Millen 2009b; USDA Forest Service 2009b). We expect that we will be successful in regenerating the treated stands. The time scale for regeneration is shorter than the time scale over which species distributions change in response to climate (5 10 years, vs. the 90-year endpoint of the tree distribution models). (Shugart et al. 2003) Stocking surveys (stocking surveys 2007, 2008, 2009) indicate that we can establish the desired species, after which they would be relatively resilient to longer-term trends, especially if stands are maintained and insect and disease outbreaks are treated 160

161 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 3.13 Water Resources Water Quantity The Four Ponds project area is 3,200 acres and is in the Crooked River and Pleasant River watersheds. The Crooked River watershed is approximately 28,456 acres (44.5 sq. mi.) and ultimately drains into Sebago Lake. The Pleasant River watershed is approximately 15,987 acres (25.0 sq. mi.) and drains directly into the Androscoggin River. These watersheds were delineated into smaller subwatersheds of first and second order perennial streams to analyze potential localized effects in closer detail. Analysis of direct, indirect, and cumulative effects on water resources is based on observation of conditions in the field by watershed specialists. These include observations recorded in field notes, photographs, and measurements of parameters such as water temperature and chemistry. An effort has been made to collect data at representative sites within the project area. This information is analyzed in the context of best available science, which considers a compilation of peer-reviewed studies and professional publications. Comparisons are also made to Forest Plan standards and guidelines or Maine Best Management Practices, which rely on science and past results to identify conditions that are likely to mitigate environmental effects. Affected Environment The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on water quantity is the subwatersheds directly draining the project area and the streams and water bodies within them. This includes portions of the West Branch of the Pleasant River (5,486 acres), East Branch of the Pleasant River (2,037 acres), the Crooked River to the confluence of Albany Brook (17,012 acres) watersheds, and tributaries within them. The watersheds were broken into smaller subwatersheds of all first and second order perennial streams to analyze potential localized effects in greater detail. The analysis period for direct and indirect effects is ten years, and was chosen because increases in water yield due to timber harvesting become greatly reduced three to four years post-harvest and undetectable after seven to nine years (Hornbeck et al. 1993). Direct and indirect effects on water quantity related to prescribed fire, recreation, transportation, and watershed restoration would be expected to appear within the first years after implementation. Water quantity in streams in the project area is directly related to the amount of precipitation that occurs throughout the year. The Androscoggin River basin receives approximately 40 to 45 inches of precipitation each year, with an estimated 25 inches of runoff per year contributing to streamflow (ENSR Corporation 2007). This is similar to the forested watersheds of Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, where research shows 62 percent of precipitation becomes streamflow and most of the remainder is lost to evapotranspiration (Likens and Bormann 1995). Research has shown that removal of vegetation through timber harvesting can alter evapotranspiration rates, resulting in changes in streamflow. The magnitude of this change depends on the extent of change in the vegetation (Hornbeck et al. 1997). Research at Hubbard Brook indicates that when reductions in basal 161

162 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District area reach 25 percent, a measurable response in annual water yield may be seen (Hornbeck et al. 1993). Most of the increase in water yield occurs during summer low flow periods, and channels with increased discharge adjust by changing their bankfull width and depth (Hornbeck et al. 1997). Removal of less than 25 percent of the basal area is a Best Management Practice for limiting the effects from harvesting on water quantity. Change is calculated on a subwatershed basis, based on proposed treatment type and area treated. Stream channels adjust their shape based on flow (volume of water over time) and sediment load (including particles from silt to boulders). If stream flow increases over historic levels, it will tend to carry more sediment and scour the stream bottom and banks. If stream flow decreases, the stream will tend to deposit sediment. Thus, changes in water quantity affect streambed and bank stability. Flow is regulated by dams on several streams in the analysis area. Dams are present on Patte Marsh (Patte Mill Brook Pond) and Broken Bridge Pond, both on the Patte Mill Brook mainstem. There is one public drinking water supply well (Crocker Pond Campground) in the project area. The next nearest public water supply is at least three miles away from the project area boundary. Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 There would be no new direct or indirect effects on water quantity from implementation of Alternative 1. Current and ongoing management activities would continue, consistent with the Forest Plan, but no new management activities would be initiated as a result of this proposal. Streams and riparian areas would continue to function much in the same way as present. Alternatives 2 and 3 Vegetation and Wildlife Management Basal area removal does not exceed the 25 percent threshold found by Hornbeck and others (1993) in the subwatershed of any perennial stream or pond under either action alternative (Table ). Because of this, and as described in the Forest Plan FEIS and Record of Decision, no measurable increase in water yield is expected in the channels associated with any of these perennial subwatersheds. Therefore, there would be no change in stream stability in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order steam channels resulting from an increase in discharge from the proposed timber harvest activities (FEIS). 162

163 Table Percent Basal Area Removed in Analysis Area Subwatersheds. Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Subwatershed Name Total Acres % BA % BA % BA Removal Removal Removal Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 Portions of East and West Branch of the Pleasant River Watershed Kings Brook % 8.9% 8.9% Tributary to Miles Brook downstream % 7.8% 7.8% Short Brook % 4.7% 4.7% Miles Brook Headwaters % 0.8% 0.8% Tributary To Miles Brook East % 0.4% 0.4% Tributary to Miles Brook Mid % 13.6% 13.6% Tributary to Miles Brook West % 2.3% 2.3% TOTAL MILES BROOK* 1, % 6.8% 6.8% Tributary to West Branch % 16.7% 16.7% Tributary to W Branch % 1.8% 1.8% Tributary to W Branch % 2.1% 2.1% W Branch headwaters 3, % 0.0% 0.0% WEST BRANCH TO WMNF BOUNDARY* 5, % 2.6% 2.6% Tributary to E Branch % 7.7% 7.7% E Branch Headwaters % 1.5% 1.5% Tributary to E Branch % 0.0% 0.0% EAST BRANCH TO WMNF BOUNDARY* 2, % 4.5% 4.7% Crooked River to Albany Brook Watershed Tributary to Harriman Brook % 9.7% 9.7% TOTAL HARRIMAN BROOK* % 12.4% 12.4% Bowl Brook % 9.6% 9.6% Beaver Brook % 4.3% 4.3% New England Brook headwaters % 2.5% 2.5% TOTAL NEW ENGLAND BROOK* % 6.6% 6.6% Donahue Brook % 14.5% 14.5% Flat Brook % 6.0% 6.0% Browns Brook % 10.6% 10.6% Sunken Brook % 10.0% 10.0% Broken Bridge Pond % 12.0% 12.5% TOTAL PATTE MILL BROOK* 3, % 11.1% 11.2% Three Peaks Brook % 2.9% 2.9% Tributary to Albany Brook % 1.2% 1.2% Crocker Pond % 8.5% 8.5% ALBANY BROOK TO PROJECT BOUNDARY* 1, % 3.2% 3.4% Mosquito Pond Brook % 12.6% 14.1% Bend Brook % 16.2% 16.2% Tributary to Crooked River % 5.6% 5.6% 163

164 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Subwatershed Name Total Acres % BA Removal Alt 1 % BA Removal Alt 2 % BA Removal Alt 3 Tributary to Crooked River % 15.2% 15.2% Tributary to Crooked River % 1.4% 1.4% Tributary to Crooked River % 5.5% 5.5% Tributary to Crooked River Lower % 0.4% 0.4% CROOKED RIVER TO ALBANY BROOK* 17, % 3.4% 3.5% *Includes tributaries listed above as well as partial watersheds (intersheds) between perennial tributaries. Subwatersheds with no proposed vegetation management are not listed. GIS maps of the subwatersheds and spreadsheet data calculations are in the Four Ponds Project File. There would be no cutting or skidding in any known seep/spring in the project area. This protection measure would reduce the potential for rutting and water quantity changes to occur in known seeps/springs. There are approximately 110 acres of prescribed burning activity proposed in Alternative 2 and 120 acres proposed in Alternative 3. In both action alternatives, prescribed fire would occur within less than 8 percent of the subwatersheds where they are located (Table ). These activities are intended to maintain openings for wildlife, reduce wood loading, restore red pine-woodland community type, and regenerate oak and pine species. Like timber harvest, fire has the potential to increase water quantity by decreasing canopy interception and evapotranspiration. However, research indicates that a successful prescribed burn is designed to consume only part of the forest floor fuels and little canopy material, and thus does not significantly affect streamflow regimes if properly implemented (Baker 1990). The understory burns prescribed for oak-pine stands in the Harriman Brook subwatershed would not be expected to consume canopy material except for some smaller trees in dense stands. Furthermore, prescribed burns would be implemented during cooler, wetter periods such as spring or fall to avoid an overly intense burn. Since burns vary in intensity, it is difficult to estimate additive effects of harvesting and burning in a watershed. Because of the factors described above, an acre of prescribed burning would be expected to have less effect on the water cycle than an acre of complete basal area removal. In no case would this addition be expected to result in more than 25 percent basal area removal in a subwatershed. Therefore, no effect on water quantity is expected under either alternative. For the Farwell Mountain burn prescribed in Alternative 2 only, an additional 105-acre holding area is designated to halt the fire s progress should it escape from the intended area. It is not intended to burn this area, but estimated holding area acreage in each subwatershed is listed in parentheses in Table to evaluate this contingency. Though the East Branch Headwaters subwatershed would have 23.8 percent of its area burned, the burn would likely be low intensity in the holding area due to fire suppression efforts. Since only 1.5 percent of the subwatershed s basal area is being harvested, even the most intense scenario would not be expected to cause a change in water quantity due to vegetation removal. For the Farwell Mountain burn in Alternative 2, water may be pumped from a small, nearby stream for fire suppression, and this may have a short-term, 164

165 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Subwatershed Name localized effect on water quantity. Since burns are not conducted in the driest parts of the year and are short in duration, the impact would likely be less than, or comparable to, natural changes in streamflow. Table Areas Treated with Prescribed Fire in Subwatersheds Total Acres Acres Burned Alt 2 % Burned Alt 2 Acres Burned Alt 3 % Burned Alt 3 Sunken Brook % 5 3.5% Donahue Brook % 2 1.2% Harriman Brook % % Bend Brook % % Mosquito Pond Brook % 3 0.7% Round Pond % 2 0.3% Miles Brook 1, % % West Branch Upper 3, % % East Branch Headwaters* (59) 5.7% (23.8%) % Tributary to E Branch 1* (44) 0.5% (5.7%) 0 0.0% New England Brook headwaters* (42) 0.5% (11.4%) 0 0.0% Total 8, (215) 120 *Areas in parentheses are a holding area which would only be burned if fire extends past intended burn boundary. Subwatersheds not listed have no prescribed fire proposed. Recreation Proposed recreation activities in Alternatives 2 and 3 would improve two dispersed campsites, relocate 1 mile of snowmobile trail, abandon 0.9 miles of trail, and improve 0.3 miles of trail to meet ADA standards. None of these activities would be expected to significantly increase recreational use, therefore no significant increase in water use by visitors would be expected as a result. Alternative 2 would also install rock barriers on one campsite and add three new sites to Crocker Pond Campground. The addition of three new campsites (one of which is already a user-created site) would result in a slight increase in visitor use under Alternative 2 (see Recreation Resources). Any associated increase in water use would not be expected to significantly affect the resource due to current low level of use and small size of any potential increase. Transportation Development of a gravel pit at the end of Sunken Pond Road is proposed in Alternative 2 only. The greatest potential for impacts to water quantity is from indirect effects on Sunken Brook, a groundwater-fed pond. The proposed pit area is in the Sunken Pond subwatershed and is 250 ft from its nearest edge. Impacts to Patte Mill Brook and Patte Marsh, over 500 feet from the proposed pit, are less likely, particularly since they have regulated water levels and are in a different subwatershed. Excavation would not occur within 5 feet of the water table and no pumping would occur, minimizing the probability of impacting groundwater flow to nearby water bodies (Green et al. 2005). Due to the well-drained nature of the gravel deposit and surrounding soils, overland flow outside compacted areas would likely be minimal. Dispersing road and processing area drainage 165

166 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Water Quality through a well-vegetated area would avoid gully formation and channelized flow into the pond. Reshaping the land surface, compacting soil, and removing well-drained material may affect the hydrology of the area by reducing groundwater recharge which feeds Sunken Pond, decreasing infiltration and increasing runoff either to Sunken Pond or Patte Mill Brook/Patte Marsh. This would affect at most 2 percent of the Sunken Brook subwatershed. Because of rehabilitation measures and the small area affected, only small changes in the timing or direction of flow would be expected, with no significant impacts to water bodies. No effects to water quantity are expected from road maintenance and decommissioning. Watershed Restoration Alternatives 2 and 3 propose placement of large woody material in 11 miles of perennial stream to create additional (up to 30 percent) pool habitat in streams. This would cause short-term redirection of flow and shifts in channel shape similar to those that occur naturally as riparian trees age and fall into streams. The addition of this relatively stable woody material would be expected to dissipate energy during high flows and stabilize stream banks in the long term. In Alternatives 2 and 3, two culverts on Harriman Brook Road would be backwatered (pools created on downstream end) to slow flow through the culverts, and two undersized culverts on New England Brook Road would be removed. All of these actions would alleviate past effects on stream stability due to harvest, road location, and culvert installation. Stream stability would be expected to increase over time. Affected Environment The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on water quality is the subwatersheds directly draining the project area and the streams and water bodies within them. This includes portions of the West Branch of the Pleasant River, East Branch of the Pleasant River, the Crooked River to the confluence of Albany Brook, and tributaries to these waters. These watersheds were broken into smaller subwatersheds of all first and second order perennial streams to analyze potential localized effects in greater detail. The analysis period for direct and indirect effects is ten years, chosen because changes in water quality due to timber harvesting become greatly reduced three to five years post-harvest and undetectable in subsequent years (Martin et al. 2000). Direct and indirect effects on water quantity related to prescribed fire, recreation, and transportation would be expected to abate within this period as disturbed areas revegetate. Water Quality Classification and Standards The State of Maine designates the Pleasant River (including East and West Branch) and its tributaries as Class A waters (State of Maine 2009a). This classification indicates that these waters are considered suitable for the designated uses of drinking water supply after treatment, fishing, recreation in and on the water, industrial process and cooling water supply, hydroelectric power 166

167 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment generation, navigation, and habitat for fish and other aquatic life (State of Maine 2009b). The Crooked River and its tributaries are designated as Class AA waters by the State of Maine (State of Maine 2009a). Class AA waters are considered suitable for the designated uses of drinking water after disinfection, fishing, agriculture, recreation in and on the water, navigation, and as habitat for fish and other aquatic life. The habitat must be characterized as free-flowing and natural (State of Maine 2009b). The State of Maine designates waters on the White Mountain National Forest as outstanding natural resources, in which water quality must be protected and maintained under state anti-degradation provisions (State of Maine 2009b). Aquatic life, dissolved oxygen, and bacteria should be at naturally-occurring levels, and discharge of pollutants to these waters should not occur, with the exception of storm water discharges in compliance with state and local requirements or as allowed under a discharge permit. Surface waters in project area watersheds are not currently used as a public water supply source. There is one public drinking water supply well (Crocker Pond Campground) in the project area. The Crooked River watershed is upstream of Sebago Lake, which is a public water supply. A small portion of the project area, along the mainstem of the Crooked River, is in the Surface Water Intake Direct Watershed for this water supply (Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) 2009). In accordance with the Forest Plan, temporary and short-term degradation shall only be allowed after all practical means of minimizing such degradation are implemented (Forest Plan, p 2-30). Forest Plan standards and guidelines, Best Management Practices, Soil and Water Conservation Practices, and other mitigations elsewhere in this EA which are designed to protect and maintain designated uses and prevent degradation would be used should an action alternative be selected. Water Quality Status Basic water quality data and water samples were collected from streams in several subwatersheds in the project area on August 18, A complete record of locations and conditions on these data is in the Four Ponds project record. The results are summarized in Table These values are within the range of values typically seen on the White Mountain National Forest (Hornbeck et al. 2001). The combination of lower ph and slightly higher alkalinity, apparent color, and turbidity in Donahue Brook is likely related to high organic matter input from wetlands around and upstream of the sample point (Johnson 2009). The Patte Mill Brook sample point is downstream of Patte Marsh, a likely reason for the higher temperature. 167

168 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Former Forest Hydrologist taking a water quality sample within the Project Area. Stream ph Alkalinity (mg/l) Table Stream Water Quality Data. Specific Conductance (us/cm) Apparent Color Turbidity (NTU) Water Temperature (º F) Harriman Brook New England Brook Donahue Brook Patte Mill Brook As the low turbidity values above indicate, streams in the project area are generally free of suspended sediment. Sedimentation is generally limited to a localized area near a disturbance source. Current or potential sediment sources identified in the course of field investigation for this project include: A stretch of Patte Mill Brook Road located within the riparian zone of Patte Mill Brook; Around two undersized culverts on New England Brook; Around one undersized culvert on a perennial tributary to Albany Brook; An intermittent tributary crossing on Albany Brook Trail; Erosion on the northern section of Albany Notch Trail; 168

169 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Wet areas on Sunken Pond Bypass Snowmobile Trail; and Wet areas on Crocker Pond Snowmobile Trail. No streams or lakes in the analysis area are listed as impaired on Maine s 303(d) list (MDEP 2008). All freshwaters in Maine have an impaired Fish Consumption Use due to mercury from acid deposition; these waters are listed in Category 4A due to development of a Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load for New England states in 2007 (MDEP 2008). Direct and Indirect Effect There are three primary aspects of water quality that may be affected by activities in the project area. There may be effects on water chemistry from changes that occur in streams after trees are cut or pollutants are introduced through human use. The second aspect is sedimentation related to the roads, skid trails, and other disturbed surfaces that cause erosion and subsequent transport of sediment into water bodies. The third aspect is temperature change from increased exposure of water to sunlight. Alternative 1 There would be no new, increased direct or indirect effects on water chemistry, temperature, or sediment from implementation of Alternative 1 (No Action) within the project area. The current condition would remain. Ongoing forest activities would not change water quality or impact existing uses through the use of Maine BMPs, Forest Plan standards and guidelines, and site-specific Soil and Water Conservation Practices. Existing channel alteration and sedimentation from undersized culverts would continue. Hiking and snowmobile trails in wet areas would continue to contribute to erosion directly or through formation of unauthorized bypass trails. Alternatives 2 and 3 Water Chemistry Vegetation and Wildlife Management Timber harvesting has the potential to affect water chemistry at the localized scale. The Forest Plan FEIS stated that impacts to temperature and water chemistry are minimized through the use of standards and guidelines and BMPs. These include the use of riparian buffers, watersheds being only partially harvested, and staggering harvest activities ( FEIS, p 3-51). Riparian buffers are considered to be the most effective factor for preventing nutrients and sediment from reaching water resource features (Gilliam 1994). Research at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest has indicated that intensive forest harvesting practices, such as clearcutting an entire watershed, have the potential to lower the ph in water (Lawrence and Driscoll 1988). Other research reports a similar effect during less intensive harvest treatments, though most studies focus on a higher level of basal area removal than that proposed in this project (Wang et al. 2006; Baldigo et al. 2005). Acidity has been shown to mobilize chemicals such as nitrate and inorganic aluminum in the soils, which then enters stream water (Lawrence and Driscoll 1988). Inorganic aluminum 169

170 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District in particular has negative effects on existing uses, such as coldwater fisheries (Baldigo et al. 2005). A compilation of research on water quality effects of timber harvesting in the Northeast showed no change in downstream water chemistry when as much as 15 to 19 percent of the basal area within a watershed was removed (Martin et al. 1986; Wang et al. 2005; Baldigo et al. 2005; Lawrence and Driscoll 1988). Because the sampled streams have a ph slightly above the median for the White Mountain National Forest and moderate alkalinity values (Hornbeck et al. 2001), a 17 percent threshold for basal area removal was selected for this project area. This is a conservative value which can be applied to most watersheds with confidence that this level of harvest would maintain water quality. It is possible that higher levels of basal area could be removed from a watershed without causing water chemistry changes, but without additional information and analysis it is difficult to predict which watersheds those are. Forest Plan monitoring is being implemented to further refine thresholds for vegetative harvesting in watersheds. As shown in Table , under Alternatives 2 and 3 all the subwatersheds would have less than 17 percent of their basal area removed. The highest percentage of basal area removal in any perennial subwatershed under either action alternative is 16.7 percent, with most watersheds proposed for a much lower level of vegetation removal. No significant effect on acidity, nitrate, or aluminum mobilization is expected in watersheds with less than 17 percent basal area removal, based on the literature described above. In Alternatives 2 and 3, prescribed fire would occur within less than 8 percent of the subwatersheds where they are located (Table ). Fire can cause releases of nutrients into stream water, but properly conducted prescribed fire is unlikely to produce a detectable change (Richter et al. 1982). The risk of excess nutrients entering stream water due to erosion has been minimized by locating wildlife openings and other proposed burns away from streams, leaving at least a 100- foot riparian buffer to filter sediment. It is difficult to estimate additive effects of harvesting and burning in a watershed, but prescribed burns are expected to remove only a portion of vegetation and forest floor material (see Water Quantity section). In no case would the addition of proposed burns be expected to result in more than 17 percent basal area removal in a subwatershed. For the Farwell Mountain burn proposed in Alternative 2 only, an additional 105-acre holding area is designated to halt the fire s progress should the fire escape from the intended area. It is not intended to burn this area, but estimated holding area acreage in each subwatershed is listed in parentheses in Table to evaluate this contingency. Though the East Branch Headwaters subwatershed would have 23.8 percent of its area burned, the burn would likely be low intensity near the perimeter due to fire suppression efforts. Since only 1.5 percent of its basal area is being harvested, even the most intense scenario would not be expected to cause a change in water quality. Therefore, no effect on water quality due to prescribed burning is expected under either alternative. Recreation Harmful bacteria and other pathogens are associated with human waste, and may be present in recreation areas; however, research shows levels of coliform 170

171 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment bacteria (indicators of fecal contamination) were low in day-use areas and backcountry camping areas, and were comparable to levels in the wilderness (Derlet et al. 2008). Alternatives 2 and 3 would relocate existing campsites adjacent to Patte Marsh and Broken Bridge dams. Maintaining the same number of sites and moving them away from the water would leave the risk of fecal contamination slightly lower or unchanged. Alternative 2 includes installing rock barriers to limit vehicle traffic to Site 10 and adding three dispersed sites into Crocker Pond Campground. Neither alternative would place a campsite close to a water body. Also, toilet facilities are available at Crocker Pond Campground where use is higher. Therefore, the risk of fecal contamination is minimal. A drinking water source at the campground would continue to be monitored for bacteria, in compliance with state requirements. Transportation There is a small chance of leakage or spills of lubricants or fuel from vehicles and harvesting and construction equipment. The risk to water resources is minimized by implementation of riparian buffers, moving recreation sites away from riparian areas, and using construction BMPs such as erosion control measures. Work will follow all applicable Forest Plan standards and guidelines and State of Maine BMPs. Gravel Pit Development Since this activity would be for administrative use only, new gravel pit development may occur within a public water supply watershed under the 2005 Forest Plan (p 2-5). Nevertheless, the gravel pit would be located outside the direct intake watershed for Sebago Lake (34.1 miles away), the nearest public water supply watershed. It is also outside the 1,000-foot wellhead protection area for the only nearby public water supply well. Specifically, it would be over 0.5 miles from the nearest drinking water well. Based on available literature, the 100-foot buffer on wetlands and a 5-foot elevational buffer on the water table would be expected to protect water chemistry (Hatva 1994). A study of a Maine aquifer with almost 25 percent of its area affected by gravel mining found no connection between gravel mining and major changes in groundwater or surface water quality, indicating that current statutes are sufficiently protective (Peckenham et al. 2009). The proposed action and design features described in this document provide guidance that meets or exceeds all applicable water-related performance standards for excavations described under 38 MRSA 490-D, which applies to excavations greater than five acres. Therefore, no change in water chemistry would be expected. Watershed The watershed restoration projects proposed in both action alternatives would not be expected to significantly affect water chemistry. Risk of contamination during construction would be minimized through use of BMPs such as erosion control and working in streams only during low flow. Addition of large wood to streams would use material already in the watershed. Since there is no evidence culverts are affecting water chemistry at present, their removal or backwatering would not be expected to significantly affect chemistry. 171

172 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Sediment Vegetation and Wildlife Management Research has shown that the type of harvesting practices and BMP implementation used on the White Mountain National Forest minimize sediment movement and do not pose a risk to water quality (see Soil Resources section; Martin and Hornbeck 1994 ). Riparian buffers are an effective means of minimizing sedimentation from timber harvest (Aust and Blinn 2004; Gilliam 1994). Implementation of the Forest Plan standards and guidelines and the additional buffers on designated streams listed in the Water Chemistry sub-section of this report would minimize opportunities for sediment to reach the banks of any stream. There would be no cutting or skidding in any known seep/spring in the project area. This protection measure would reduce the potential for rutting and water quality changes to occur in known seeps/springs. Most forestry-related sedimentation and increases in stream turbidity are associated with transportation systems (Martin et al. 1994). The magnitude of effects caused by sediment transport is related to area of disturbance. Areas which lack vegetation and have disturbed soils become the source for sediment transport, particularly near stream crossings. The area of disturbance associated with transportation systems and recreational sites is shown in Table Under Alternative 2, approximately acres of ground-disturbing activities are proposed, with acres under Alternative 3. This covers 0.72 percent of the analysis area (5.5 percent of the 3200-acre project area) for Alternative 2 and 0.69 percent of the analysis area (5.3 percent of the project area) for Alternative 3. The difference between alternatives is a result of gravel pit development, spur road construction, and additional campsite improvements in Alternative 2. These numbers differ slightly from those in the Soil Resources report in that they include road maintenance, which may affect streams more than soils. No effect of prescribed burning on sediment is expected, because prescribed burns would leave unburned riparian areas to filter sediments and burn only part of the forest floor materials. Recreation Alternatives 2 and 3 would relocate campsites adjacent to Patte Marsh and Broken Bridge dams, disturbing approximately two acres. Alternative 2 would also install rock barriers to limit vehicle traffic to Site 10 and incorporate three dispersed sites into Crocker Pond Campground, disturbing three additional acres. The small area of disturbance and increased distance of relocated campsites from streams or ponds make an increase in sedimentation unlikely under either action alternative. Alternatives 2 and 3 would relocate one mile of snowmobile trail to avoid wet areas and riparian zones. Since the trail mileage would remain the same, disturbed areas would be near pre-project levels within a few years. Relocation of the trails would reduce sedimentation in seep areas and Patte Mill Brook. Both Alternatives 2 and 3 propose abandonment of 0.9 miles of Albany Notch Trail, which would decrease disturbed ground and observed erosion problems in the New England Brook headwaters. Both alternatives propose improvement of 0.3 miles of the Albany Brook Trail to meet ADA standards. A slight relocation of 172

173 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Table Ground Disturbing Activities. Ground disturbing activities Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Existing and New Landings (acres) Gravel Pit (acres) Spur road construction to Broken Bridge dispersed 0/0 200/0.1 0/0 2 campsite (ft/acres) Road Maintenance (miles/acres) 0/0 14.7/ /35.3 Skid Trails (miles/acres) 1 0/0 45/ /108.0 Snowmobile trail relocation; (miles/acres) 0/0 1.0/ /2.4 Campsite improvements (acres) Total Disturbed Acres Total % of Analysis Area Disturbed 0% 0.72% of 24,535 ac. 0.69% of 24,535 ac. Restorative or minimal disturbance activities Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Roads Decommissioning (miles/acres) 2 0/0 0.10/ /0.2 Hiking trail decommissioning (miles/ acres) 3 0/0 0.90/ / Landing size =0.75 acres 2 1 mile of road/skid trail/ski trail at an average disturbance with of 20 = 2.4 acres of disturbance/mile 3 Hiking trail width =5ft=0.61 acres of disturbance/miles the trailhead would disturb soil initially, but create no net increase in disturbed area after rehabilitation of the old trail. It would also provide an opportunity to improve drainage in the area of an intermittent stream, which appears to be washing out the current trail. The improvement would not move the trail closer to the edge of Crocker Pond or provide additional access that may disturb the shoreline. Transportation The activities listed in Table pose varying levels of short- and long-term risk of sedimentation. The 26 existing landing sites appear to be well-drained, stable, and in appropriate locations. In accordance with Forest Plan guidelines, landings will not be located within 100 feet of a perennial stream or pond as a default (Forest Plan, p 2-25). If a landing needs to be within 100 feet, additional measures will be taken in consultation with soil and/or water specialists to avoid sedimentation. Construction of a 200 foot spur road is proposed in Alternative 2 only and would disturb approximately 0.1 acres. This would not be expected to significantly increase sedimentation because of the small area and the surrounding vegetation. In both action alternatives, 14.7 miles of road maintenance, consisting of 4.0 miles of road restoration, 5.1 miles of road reconstruction, and 5.6 miles of unauthorized road reclassification, are proposed (see Chapter 2.2 Alternative 2 Transportation section for definitions). While road maintenance and increased use may mobilize sediment on a short-term basis, activities such as resurfacing and improving drainage reduce sediment loss (National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. 2000). The 0.1 miles of road decommissioning proposed in Alternatives 2 and 3 would further reduce long-term sedimentation by allowing road beds to revegetate. 173

174 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Approximately 45 miles of skid trails are proposed for use in Alternatives 2 and 3. New skid roads will not be located within the stream or pond management zone (within 50 feet of the bank, or a greater distance in high slope areas), as defined in Forest Plan, Riparian and Aquatic Habitat guideline G-5 (p 2-25), except in the immediate vicinity of stream crossings. If skid roads must be in the stream management zone, additional sedimentation measures must be taken. State BMPs such as water bars, ditches with cross drainage, erosion barriers, properly sized stream crossings, and slope limitations would be used to prevent water from draining down skid trails and carrying sediment to streams (see Soil Resources section for further description of BMPs). Skid trails would be expected to revegetate within two to three years and have no more than a temporary impact. The roads proposed for use in Alternatives 2 and 3 involve approximately 20 perennial stream crossings, some of which already have crossing structures (culverts or bridges) in place. Stream crossings can increase sediment in streams during installation or if they are undersized. Two existing undersized crossings on New England Brook would be removed under both action alternatives. An undersized culvert on a tributary of Albany Brook would also be properly sized to reduce sedimentation. New or replacement crossing structures on perennial streams would be designed to pass bankfull flows, expected flood flows, sediment, and wood loads in accordance with Forest Plan guidelines (p 2-31). To minimize sedimentation during installation, disturbed areas would be isolated from stream flow or crossings would be installed during low flow periods. Both road and skid trail stream crossings would be as close to perpendicular to streams as possible and would occur at designated locations. This would keep the stream bed and banks intact and minimize sediment input. Following harvest, temporary crossing structures would be removed, stream banks restored (graded and seeded) as necessary, and temporary sediment inputs (e.g. soil falling through bridge slats) would cease. In summary, minimizing new road construction and using existing road beds as proposed in Alternatives 2 and 3 would minimize increases in impervious area. Under both action alternatives, BMPs related to location and design of landings, roads, skid trails, and stream crossings would be implemented and monitored by the timber sale administrator (Forest Plan; MDEC 2004). The effectiveness of Maine s Water Quality BMPs has been monitored and documented (Maine Forest Service 2005 and 2009). Monitoring in 2008 indicated that of the 615 opportunities to observe soil conditions, 87% showed no sediment reached the waterbody (p. 2), and most cases of sedimentation were trace or minor (MDEC 2009). The Forest Plan standards and guidelines require larger Riparian Management Zones (pp 2-24 and 2-25) than the Maine BMP filter areas (Maine Forest Service 2004). They also impose additional requirements for stream crossing size and design (Forest Plan, p 2-31). It is therefore likely that the Riparian Management Zones will be more effective at avoiding soil deposition into surface waters than the overall success rate of the Maine BMPs. Gravel Pit Development A gravel pit is proposed in Alternative 2 only. The greatest potential for impact to water resources is from indirect effects on Sunken Pond, a groundwater-fed 174

175 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment kettle pond. The pit and processing area would occur on the west side of Sunken Pond Road, no less than 250 feet from the edge of the pond and 100 feet from the surrounding wetland. No activity would occur within 500 feet of Patte Mill Brook or Patte Marsh. Excavation would not occur within five feet of the water table, minimizing the probability of impacting groundwater quality. Sediment and rock fragments may be mobilized by excavation, heavy equipment traffic, and crushing, and could enter the pond during operation. Due to the welldrained nature of the gravel deposit, overland flow outside compacted areas would likely be minimal. Dispersing road and processing area drainage away from nearby water bodies, preferably through a well-vegetated area, would avoid gully formation and sediment loading into the pond. Because of the disturbance in proximity to the pond, some sediment or dust deposition is possible during periods of active operation. With proper site management and rehabilitation, sedimentation should be minimal at other times. Watershed In Alternatives 2 and 3, adding large woody material and removing culverts has the potential to indirectly create small, short-term releases of sediment as channels adjust. Use of BMPs would minimize any direct effects on sedimentation during construction. However, a long-term decrease in bank erosion and sedimentation in streams would be expected due to dissipation of energy by wood and the removal of a culvert of New England Brook. Sediment Summary In summary, any increase in sedimentation of streams would be expected to be short-term and localized, related to specific sediment sources rather than widespread watershed disturbance. Alternative 2 would likely result in slightly higher sediment mobilization than Alternative 3, due to development of a gravel pit near Sunken Pond. If an increase occurs, it would likely be limited to this pond and its surrounding wetland, and to intermittent periods of active extraction and processing during the lifetime of the gravel pit. Temperature When timber harvesting reduces canopy shading along water resource features, the potential exists to increase water temperatures. Such increases in water temperature can be eliminated through the use of riparian area buffers of uncut trees along the edges of streams and other water bodies (Brown and Binkley 1994). Forest Plan guidelines for mapped perennial streams and their riparian areas provide for a 25-foot no cut zone unless prescribed to benefit hydrological or ecological functions associated with perennial streams or their riparian areas. In addition, no subwatershed would be entirely harvested, thereby reducing the potential for temperature increases in intermittent or ephemeral channels without a buffer. Since these channels are likely to be dry or have subsurface flow in the warmest parts of the year, they are unlikely to have a major impact on temperatures downstream. These practices have been shown to be effective in maintaining cold temperatures in water resource features during timber harvest activities in New Hampshire and Maine (Pierce et al. 1993). No effects would be expected on temperature from proposed recreation, transportation, gravel pit, or watershed actions under either alternative because these 175

176 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District activities would not reduce canopy cover or add warmer water to any water body. No effect on stream temperature is expected from prescribed burning because the burns would not be expected to affect canopy cover. This is due to their location away from streams, as there is no intent of burning riparian areas. Cumulative Effects The cumulative effects analysis area for both water quantity and quality is the Crooked River watershed to North Waterford Dam (28,456 acres) and the Pleasant River watershed (15,987 acres). These 6th-level hydrologic unit code (HUC) watersheds were selected because they include all the headwaters of the streams that flow through the project area and extend to a downstream point at which dilution with other waters is likely. At this scale, the effects of multiple uses within the watershed could become additive and result in cumulative effects. The temporal scope for cumulative effects on both water quantity and quality is 10 years into the past and 10 years into the future, 2000 to Ten years is adequate for water quantity analysis because research at Hubbard Brook has shown that increases in water quantity following timber harvest became undetectable seven to nine years after harvest (Hornbeck et al. 1997). This analysis period was chosen for water quality because changes in water quality due to timber harvesting become greatly reduced three to five years after timber harvesting, and undetectable in subsequent years (Martin et al. 2000). Effects on water quantity or quality related to prescribed fire, recreation, transportation, and watershed restoration would be expected to occur within the first years after implementation. Effects from permanent structures (e.g. roads and culverts) may persist for longer periods, but would show a clear trend within ten years that could be used to assess cumulative effects. Approximately 54 percent of the 44,443-acre analysis area is private land; the rest is White Mountain National Forest. It is possible that activities such as additional harvest or land clearing for development could occur on private land within the analysis area, but these are not reasonably foreseeable activities that can be considered in this effects analysis. The analysis will note any areas where known activities are near a threshold or likely to have effects extending onto private land. Alternative 1 There would be no cumulative effects on water resources from implementation of Alternative 1. Current and ongoing management activities would continue, consistent with the Forest Plan, but no new management activities would be initiated as a result of this proposal. Streams and riparian areas would continue to function much in the same way as present. Existing channel alteration and sedimentation from undersized culverts would continue. Ongoing road maintenance would contribute a small amount of sediment to streams. Hiking and snowmobile trails in wet areas would continue to contribute to erosion directly or through formation of unauthorized bypass trails. None of these would be expected to result in a loss of beneficial uses. 176

177 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Alternatives 2 and 3 Vegetation and Wildlife Management Past projects on National Forest land include an additional 294 acres of harvest in the East Branch Pleasant River subwatershed, which removed an estimated 3.6 percent of the basal area in that subwatershed according to the Farwell Mountain Environmental Analysis (USDA Forest Service 2006). Harvest on the recently-acquired Haystack Parcel removed at most 667 acres (assuming the entire area was clearcut in the last ten years) in the West Branch Pleasant River subwatershed. In combination with harvest proposed in Alternatives 2 and 3, this would result in a maximum of 5.6 percent basal area removal in the entire Pleasant River subwatershed. Including foreseeable future activities on private land increases this to a maximum of 7.9 percent basal area removal in the 15,987-acre Pleasant River watershed. This is well below the 25 percent threshold at which timber harvest may begin to affect water quantity and the 17 percent threshold for effects on water chemistry. The addition of foreseeable future harvests on private land in the Crooked River subwatershed would lead to a cumulative basal area removal of approximately 3.4 percent in the 28,456- acre watershed, assuming 50 percent of the basal area was removed on average. This is also well below the threshold for water quantity and quality effects. This harvest would not be likely to occur within the 1st and 2nd order subwatersheds encompassed the Four Ponds project. Full analysis of cumulative basal area removal is in the Four Ponds project record. The Forest Plan specifies that no more than 15 percent of the area of watersheds of first and second order perennial streams should be treated with even-aged regeneration methods in a five year period due to concerns with effects of evenage harvest on water quality (FEIS). No subwatershed exceeded this threshold for the Four Ponds project. Past and foreseeable activities are not located in the same subwatersheds as Four Ponds, thus the Forest Plan guideline will be met. Under the unlikely assumption that the 667-acre Haystack Parcel underwent complete even-aged harvest within five years of the project, only 12.4 percent of the subwatershed containing this parcel would have even-aged regeneration. Analysis of cumulative effects for other subwatersheds and combined watersheds in the cumulative effects area reflects lower percentages than this. The prescribed fire proposed in this project would, at most, be expected to have a short-term, localized impact on water quality, which would be unlikely to have any effect outside the immediate subwatershed containing the burn. With one exception, all subwatersheds with proposed burns are entirely or almost entirely on the National Forest. No additional burns are proposed in these subwatersheds. The small amount of burning proposed in the Tributary to East Branch 1 subwatershed (in Alternative 2 only) would occur high in the watershed, making it unlikely that there would be any effect on this stream. Therefore, unforeseen burning, harvest, or other activities on private land would be unlikely to lead to a cumulative effect. Based on WMNF monitoring and State of Maine studies, implementation of Forest Plan and state BMPs would result in no major movement of sediment to streams from forestry or forestry-related transportation systems (MDEC 2005). State of Maine BMP evaluations, which included private land, found 177

178 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District these practices prevented any sedimentation 82 percent of the time, taking into account imperfect implementation rates (MDEC 2005). Any sediment loading would be expected to be short-term in duration and limited to the vicinity of sediment sources. Therefore, the potential for these effects to overlap in space or time with impacts from other activities would be very low, and no cumulative effect on sedimentation is expected. High levels of vegetation removal have been found to increase stream temperature (Pierce et al. 1993). Such an increase would be avoided through implementation of Forest Plan standards and guidelines, state BMPs, and sitespecific measures that leave uncut and partial-cut buffers on streams. On the National Forest, new openings such as landings, wildlife openings, campsites, roads and trails, and a gravel pit would also be located outside this buffer to maintain canopy cover. Maine forestry BMPs prescribe filter strips, which would likely be applied on private land and prevent a cumulative temperature increase (MDEC 2004). Unforeseen land clearing for residential or commercial development near streams would have a more measurable impact, but the activities proposed in this project would not be expected to contribute to such an impact. Transportation, Recreation, and Watershed Runoff and sediment transport has been found to increase with disturbed area in a watershed. Table indicates that acres would be disturbed under Alternative 2 and acres under Alternative and 0.38 percent of the 44,443-acre cumulative effects area respectively. This indicates that additional disturbance under either action alternative is a small portion of the watershed. In addition, disturbed areas such as skid trails, landings, decommissioned roads and trails, and restored campsites would be expected to return to a natural state within two to three years due to revegetation, restoring infiltration capacity and preventing lasting effects. Runoff and sedimentation are also related to the amount of impervious surface in a watershed. Watersheds with less than 10 percent disturbed area are unlikely to have water quality impaired by impervious surfaces (Morse and Kahl 2003). Because 54 percent of the cumulative effects area is National Forest with little infrastructure, there is likely less than 10 percent impervious area at present. Since the action alternatives propose only 0.04 miles of road construction and decommission 0.1 miles of road and 0.9 miles of trail, they would not be expected to contribute to cumulative effects due to impervious areas. Approximately 0.5 miles of road were decommissioned in the Farwell Mountain project. An ongoing project involves construction of 0.5 miles of road. Though the extent and change in impervious area on private lands in the watershed is unknown, activities on the National Forest would tend to offset any increase. Localized sediment delivery to streams has been noted at stream crossings and on trails in the cumulative effects analysis area. Both action alternatives involve removal or upgrade of three culverts, backwatering two culverts, and relocating trails to avoid erosion. The Patte Mill Brook Road reconstruction project involves increasing the size of four culverts to accommodate bankfull flow and relocating sections of road that are delivering sediment to Patte Mill Brook. The Farwell Mountain project included watershed restoration to eliminate streamflow over 178

179 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment a road. All of these activities have the positive cumulative effect of reducing human-caused sedimentation in the watershed. Any effect from gravel pit development under Alternative 2 would likely be localized in the subwatershed where it is located and not interact with other activities. If this gravel source increases the Forest Service s ability to maintain roads, there may be a small reduction in sedimentation where it is applied. Addition of large woody material to streams would be expected to increase stream stability and reduce sedimentation from bank erosion within the cumulative effects period. No other effects on water resources are expected, as described in direct and indirect effects analysis. Therefore, no negative cumulative effect is expected. Effects of climate change on water quantity and quality are likely to be small within the cumulative effects period. Downscaled climate models for New England predict an increase in the quantity of overall annual precipitation, with a greater proportion of rain relative to snowfall, and more intense storms (Hayhoe et al. 2006). Higher temperatures would also lead to earlier timing of snowmelt and ice break-up, a trend which has already been observed (Huntington et al. 2009). Historic data show an increase in precipitation and spring streamflow for the region as a whole, but some individual weather stations yield conflicting results (Huntington et al. 2009). No cumulative effect would be expected from an increase in precipitation, since harvest in the analysis area would not affect water yield. Though existing infrastructure may be impacted by intense storms, activities such as increasing culvert size in the action alternatives would reduce such impacts. Harvesting in frozen or dry conditions and implementation of BMPs to prevent erosion would continue to be emphasized and monitored to avoid erosion due to early thaw or intense storms. The current practice of monitoring conditions on the ground during timber sale activities to ensure they are sufficiently frozen or dry for harvest would serve as an adaptive management tool in case of earlier thaws or wetter conditions. The most likely change in water quality is a tendency for stream temperatures to increase. Vegetation treatments are designed to maintain canopy cover near streams, vernal pools, and edges of ponds, as well as to avoid excessive harvest in any watershed. This is likely to buffer temperature changes for some time on the National Forest. Areas already subject to warming, such as beaver habitat and wetlands, may experience temperature increases but would be expected to have biota adapted to warmer conditions. See 3.7, Riparian and Aquatic Habitat and climate change literature reviews in the project record for further information on the potential for temperature change to affect aquatic life. Other changes in water quality would be related to the small or uncertain changes in water quantity, particularly high flows during intense storms. Because high flows tend to scour streams, erode banks, and increase runoff, sedimentation and turbidity in streams could increase at certain times of the year. The analysis of water quantity and sedimentation in this report does not indicate that the proposed activities are likely to impact either parameter on a long-term basis. Therefore, a cumulative effect on water quality is unlikely. In summary, no significant, negative cumulative effects are expected under either action alternative. 179

180 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.14 Eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers Affected Environment There are no designated or eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers within the Four Ponds project area. However, the West Branch of the Pleasant River is located approximately 0.5 miles from the project area, and the uppermost two mile segment was identified in the Forest Plan, Appendix C, as eligible for designation by the U.S. Congress as a Wild and Scenic River. The eligible segment extends to a point 1.3 miles downstream from the boundary of the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. All activities proposed as part of the Four Ponds project would take place downstream of the eligible segment. Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects is the bed and banks and 1/4 mile from the ordinary high water mark along the eligible segment, because it defines the stream corridor (Forest Service Handbook , section 82.14). The timeframe is the actual duration of the Four Ponds project, expected to be three to ten years, depending on the alternative selected and timing of implementation. This duration was selected because the majority, if not all, of the direct and indirect effects would cease when management activities ended. Because all activities including timber harvest, transportation system work, watershed restoration, gravel pit development, prescribed fire, and recreation projects would occur downstream of and away from the analysis area, there would be no direct or indirect effects to the free-flowing condition, the classification criteria, or potential outstandingly remarkable values of the West Branch of the Pleasant River. Cumulative Effects The analysis area and timeframe for cumulative effects is the same as for direct and indirect effects and the rationale is the same. Because no direct or indirect effects would result from other proposed activities, no cumulative effects would result either. 180

181 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 3.15 Wilderness Introduction The Four Ponds project does not propose any actions within any designated Wilderness (MA 5.1). No issues related to designated wilderness were identified by the IDT or the public. Affected Environment The nearest Wilderness to the Four Ponds project area is the 12,000-acre Caribou- Speckled Mountain Wilderness, located near the eastern boundary of the project area. Designated by act of Congress in 1990, the Caribou-Speckled is the largest of three units of the National Wilderness Preservation System in the state of Maine, and the only White Mountain National Forest Wilderness in Maine. The Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness generally has a natural-appearing landscape. Typical of the rugged terrain of the White Mountains, the topography varies from lower hardwood slopes to exposed rocky peaks. The highest point is Speckled Mountain at 2,906 feet; other peaks include Caribou Mountain at 2,840 feet and Ames Mountain at 2,680 feet. Like much of the eastern U.S., it has a long history of human use including logging, homesteading, and recreation. Evidence of human activity may be observed at locations such as the summit of Speckled Mountain, where evidence of a fire tower remains, and the slopes of Caribou Mountain, where a recreational shelter was located. However, there are no maintained structures other than the recreation trails within the area. The open summits of Caribou and Speckled Mountains offer views toward the mountains and coast of Maine to the east, and the slopes of the Carter and Presidential Ranges to the west. Certain roads, towns, and other human developments are observable from these vantage points, and the sounds of vehicles and other mechanized noise may be perceptible from locations closest to ME 113 and US 2, as well as from commercial and military airplane over-flights. National Forest lands surrounding the Wilderness are primarily within Management Area (MA) 2.1, which provides for a variety of uses and management activities including wildlife management, timber harvest, developed recreation, snowmobile use, and road construction. There are small areas of MA 6.2 managed as Semi-Primitive Winter Motorized Recreation. Recreation use is concentrated along a small number of trails primarily used by day-hikers. Access to the area is primarily via ME Route 113, where the principle trailheads for Caribou and Speckled Mountains the most popular hiking destinations are located. The Bickford Brook Trail also provides access to the Bickford Slides, a series of popular swimming holes favored by local residents. The area is also used for hunting, particularly in off-trail areas. Because of limited passenger vehicle access in winter, the area sees even lower use during that season. Snowmobile trails pass around the Wilderness at varying distances on all sides. Opportunities for solitude, challenge, and primitive recreation are available, especially along several low-use trails and in off-trail areas. 181

182 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Wilderness Characteristics Wilderness character is not defined in the Wilderness Act or its meaning discussed in the legislative history of this Act. It is often best described as the combination of biophysical, experiential, and symbolic ideals that distinguish wilderness from all other lands. The definition of Wilderness from Section 2(c) of the 1964 Wilderness Act was used to identify four qualities of wilderness related to wilderness character (Monitoring Selected Conditions Related to Wilderness Character: A National Framework, RMRS-GTR-151, 2005). These four qualities of wilderness are: Untrammeled: Wilderness is essentially unhindered and free from modern human control or manipulation. Natural: Wilderness ecological systems are substantially free from the effects of modern civilization. Undeveloped: Wilderness is essentially without permanent improvements or modern human occupation. Outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation: Wilderness provides outstanding opportunities for people to experience solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation, including the values of inspiration and physical and mental challenge. These criteria are used to analyze the effects of the Four Ponds project, to determine if proposed actions would affect the wilderness characteristics of the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. Use of these criteria is consistent with the national framework for monitoring wilderness character (Monitoring Selected Conditions Related to Wilderness Character: A National Framework, RMRS-GTR-151, 2005) and the Technical Guide to Monitoring Selected Conditions Related to Wilderness Character (USFS-GTR-WO-80, 2009). Table describes the methods and indicators drawn from these documents that were used for measuring project-level effects for each component of wilderness character. Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects for designated Wilderness is the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. This area was chosen because it is the closest wilderness to the project area and the direct and indirect effects are localized and would not extend into any other wilderness. The next closest designated area is the Wild River Wilderness, more than 8 miles from the project area as the crow flies. The timeframe for the analysis is the duration project activities, approximately 3 5 years, depending on the timing of implementation of the various actions, and was selected because, with the exception of periodic, ongoing maintenance of permanent wildlife openings, once the management actions cease so do the direct and indirect effects. Alternative 1 Because the proposed actions would not occur there would be no direct or indirect effects to the wilderness characteristics of the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. 182

183 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Table Wilderness Characteristics Wilderness Characteristic Method for Measuring Project-level Effects Indicator Criterion 1 Untrammeled A measure of whether the wilderness area is free from modern human control or manipulation. Determined by level of improvements and management controls used to manipulate the components or processes of ecological systems inside the wilderness. Criterion 2 Natural A measure of whether the long-term ecological processes of the wilderness area are intact and operating. Addressed by describing the effects a project may have on natural processes in inside the wilderness. Criterion 3 Undeveloped A measure of whether the wilderness area is without permanent improvements or human habitation. Determined based on whether the project will affect evidence of structures, construction, habitations, or other forms of human presence, use, and occupation inside the wilderness. Criterion 4 Opportunities for Experiences Often Unique to Wilderness: Solitude Challenge Primitive Recreation Measurement of the opportunity to be isolated from the sights, sounds, and evidence of humans, and experience a high degree of challenge and risk while using primitive outdoor skills. Addressed by describing how project activities might affect the number and type of primitive recreation opportunities available, the opportunity to experience natural quiet, and the addition or absence of facilities inside the wilderness. Number of actions to manage plants, animals, pathogens, soil, water, or fire inside the wilderness. Level of pollutants that degrade air quality and air quality related values such as plants, animals, soil, and water inside the wilderness. Developments that degrade the free-flowing condition of streams. Non-native species that alter the composition of natural plant and animal communities. Number of actions to manage physical evidence of development inside the wilderness. Number of actions with the capacity to increase public access. Number of actions to manage the primitive recreation opportunities inside the wilderness. Number of actions to manage the extent and magnitude of intrusions on the natural soundscape inside the wilderness. The area would retain its current degree of freedom from human control or manipulation (Criterion 1), no increase in pollutants affecting air quality would occur (Criterion 2), and physical evidence of development and existing access would remain the same (Criterion 3). There would be no change to the current opportunities for primitive recreation, challenge, and solitude (Criterion 4). Alternatives 2 and 3 The effects of Alternatives 2 and 3 are very similar and will be described together. Please refer to specific resource sections of this chapter for additional information on effects to physical or biological resources. Neither alternative would actively manage plants, animals, pathogens, soils, water, or fire within the Wilderness. The area would retain its current degree 183

184 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District of freedom from human control or manipulation. Wildlife species that occupy lands both within and adjacent to the Wilderness may experience short-term disturbance during project implementation; wildlife populations are expected to experience an overall benefit as a result of implementation of vegetation management activities outside the Wilderness (Criterion 1). Temporary sources of emissions and particulate matter related to machinery used in implementation of the various proposed actions, as well as smoke from prescribed fire, would occur within the project area adjacent the Wilderness in the context of pre-existing and ongoing sources such as vehicle use on Forest, state, and county roads; operation of local and regional business and industry; and snowmobile use within the project area and Wilderness periphery. A complete discussion of effects from transient air quality can be found in 3.2, Air Resources. There are no proposed actions that would affect the free-flowing condition of streams, or that would introduce non-native species that would alter the composition of native plant or animal communities within the Wilderness. The limited scope of this project is not expected to have any effect on the longterm ecological processes within the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. Specific ecological effects of the project are discussed in the pertinent resource analyses sections within this chapter (Criterion 2). Because there are no proposed actions within the Wilderness, there would be no direct or indirect effects to its developed features. Restoration and classification of FR where it is co-located with the Miles Notch Trail outside the analysis area is not designed or expected to increase public access to the Wilderness, as the trail currently follows an unclassified road feature. None of the other proposed actions would improve current access to the Wilderness and as such are not expected to increase public access (Criterion 3). Neither alternative proposes changes to the primitive recreation opportunities available within the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness, or to the opportunity to find challenge. Both alternatives could have short-term indirect effects to the opportunity to experience natural quiet within certain areas within the Wilderness for the duration of management activities where machinery and vehicles are used (see 3.9, Socio-economic). Harvest activities, transportation system work, gravel pit development and operation, watershed improvement, and recreation project implementation may increase the noise level in areas within 1 2 miles of these activities (approximately 2,990 acres (26 percent) of the Wilderness at most) and have short-term effect on the opportunity for solitude within these low-use areas at certain times. This estimate is based on data and analysis gathered by a forestry noise study that measured decibel levels of various harvesting machinery; and professional experience specific to field observations in New England (Forestry Vibration and Noise Study-University of Washington, p 15). The distance is generally based on the average decibels produced by machinery and measured over distance from the specific source. The sound-to-distance estimate does not take into account the buffering effects of vegetation, wind, or topography, which would further reduce the sound (Timerson 1999). The effects on the existing opportunity for solitude resulting from mechanical noise would be short term, limited to the area surrounding mechanized activities, limited to the actual duration of project activities, and limited in scope due to the relatively small portion of the Wilderness within 184

185 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment proximity to the project area. Effects to solitude should be viewed in the context of the existing condition and would be very similar to other mechanical noise that may be heard within this Wilderness. The Four Ponds project would be short-term in nature and these effects would not persist. Existing opportunities for solitude would be restored at the close of operations (Criterion 4). Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects is the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness, the same as for direct and indirect effects; the rationale for using this area is the same. The temporal scope for the analysis is the past decade, the present, and the foreseeable future (10 years). This timeframe was chosen because it represents a reasonable length of time for measuring past effects of prior and ongoing projects and for anticipating future activities. Past and ongoing projects within the analysis area include trail maintenance, and regular wilderness patrols. Outside the analysis area, the Settler s hazard tree removal project within and adjacent to Hastings Campground was implemented in January 2009, and the Patte Mill Brook Road and Broken Bridge Dam reconstruction projects are planned for implementation in the near future. These projects are mentioned because noise effects from implementation could be experienced within the analysis area. Alternative 1 Because there were no direct or indirect effects associated with implementation of Alternative 1 there would be no cumulative effects. Alternatives 2 and 3 Because none of the past, present, or future projects would take place within the Wilderness, the effects on Criterion 1 and 3 would be the same as the direct and indirect effects. Minor emissions associated with machinery used in the Patte Mill Brook Road and Broken Bridge Dam projects may add cumulatively to emissions resulting from implementation of the Four Ponds project. Detailed cumulative effects related to emissions are available in the Air Quality section in this chapter. Because there were no direct or indirect effects related to free-flowing condition of streams or introduction of non-native species within the Wilderness, there would be no cumulative effects either. Additional information is available in the Water Resources and Non-Native Invasive Species sections of this chapter (Criterion 2). The Patte Mill Brook Road and Broken Bridge Dam projects could add cumulatively to noise generated from implementation of the Four Ponds project should activities be implemented simultaneously. As with the direct and indirect effects to Criterion 4, these effects would be limited in duration and scope and would cease upon project completion. 185

186 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.16 Wildlife Affected Environment During development of the 2005 Forest Plan, the White Mountain National Forest used the best available science to develop goals, objectives, standards, and guidelines to manage wildlife species and their habitats. Dividing the Forest into discrete Habitat Management Units allowed management activities to more effectively provide a range of habitat types and forest age classes across the Forest as mandated by the Forest Plan. This analysis tiers to the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Forest Plan, its FEIS and supporting documents and incorporates them by reference (USDA Forest Service 2002; Forest Plan; FEIS; ROD; USDA Forest Service 2007a). Additionally, current literature, site specific monitoring, and field reviews (cited throughout this report) also were used to assess effects to wildlife in the project area. The rationale that describes how HMU boundaries are delineated is described in USDA Forest Service 2007b. The project area is within the Albany HMU. Albany HMU Figures and display the existing and potential habitats based on Ecological Land Types (ELTs) in the Albany HMU on MA 2.1 lands. Figure Existing Habitat in Albany HMU MA 2.1. Figure Potential Habitat in Albany HMU MA 2.1. Table displays the current habitat conditions in the Albany HMU. 186

187 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Habitat Current Condition Acres in MAs 5.1 and 6.22 Table Albany HMU 2008 Habitat Condition Current Condition Regeneration (0 9 years old) Age Class1 Young Mature Acres in Management Area 2.1 Unsuitable for Harvest3 Hardwood Mixedwood Spruce-fir Aspen-birch Oak-pine Hemlock Wildlife 0 58 n/a n/a n/a n/a Opening Non-forest n/a n/a n/a n/a TOTAL , Age classes for habitat types are defined in Appendix D of the Forest Plan. 2 Most acres outside of MA 2.1 are mature forest, regardless of type, though natural disturbance may result in small amounts of regeneration and young age forest. 3 Unsuitable for harvest = Forest land not managed for timber production because of various reasons (see FEIS) Acres of land unsuitable for harvest are shown in separate column for clarity, but are also included in the age class break out to the left. 4 The existing regeneration and young northern hardwood acres in the Haystack Notch Parcel are not included in this table because this tract is recently purchased. Of the 667 acres in this tract, approximately 50 acres are in regeneration age class with most of the rest considered young age class due to the large number of non-commercial trees still standing. Some of the northern hardwood and mixedwood forest (including some of the stands proposed for treatment) are on spruce-fir ecological land types (ELTs) but were converted from spruce-fir to northern hardwood or mixedwood after intensive past management and currently have spruce-fir in the understory. These stands support wildlife species that prefer hardwood forest habitat, though stands with a thick spruce-fir understory may have additional species using the understory for food and cover. The oak-pine stands in the project area are mature, with little regeneration of oak or pine in the understory. Most of these stands occur on outwash soils that are sandy and dry. Most of the existing hemlock habitat in the Albany HMU occurs within the project area. Much of this habitat occurs on soils that favor softwoods or mixedwood habitats including outwash soils. Some hemlock occurs on soils that favor hardwoods. These sites likely converted to hemlock as a result of past agriculture practices and will be difficult to maintain as hemlock in the future. The existing aspen-birch habitat in the HMU is predominantly young. The mature aspen and paper birch trees are starting to die. Most of the aspen-birch in MA 2.1 is on hardwood ELTs. The opportunity to expand existing managed permanent wildlife openings or add new ones within the Albany HMU is dependent on site-specific factors such as soils, diversity of herbaceous shrub cover, amount of woody saplings, soft 187

188 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District mast, proximity to roads (for maintenance), potential productivity, topography, and proximity to softwood cover. The actual acreage will be dependent on the quality of potential sites, determined on a site-specific basis (USDA Forest Service 2007a). Currently, there are fifteen permanent wildlife openings in the Albany HMU that are maintained in an open condition using prescribed fire and mechanical treatment. None of the mature habitat in the Albany HMU is old growth forest as defined in the Forest Plan. The top of Farwell Mountain is a rocky ridge at approximately 1,900 feet and is characterized by areas of bedrock intermixed with areas of red pine, white pine, spruce, and balsam fir. A lightening strike burned a small portion of the mountaintop in 2001, resulting in the establishment of red pine regeneration and blueberries. The habitat surrounding the mountaintop is mature spruce-fir intermixed with some northern hardwoods. Management Indicator Species (MIS) The White Mountain National Forest uses Management Indicator Species (MIS) to track five major habitats Forest-wide. MIS were chosen to evaluate how wildlife was affected by timber harvest. These species, their corresponding habitats, Forest-wide monitoring, and population trends are discussed in detail in the Forest Plan FEIS). Table discusses the White Mountain National Forest MIS (USDA Forest Service 2007a;) that have potential to occur, or have documented occurrence within, suitable habitat of the project area at various times of the year. Measuring Effects to Wildlife The relevant elements of wildlife and habitat for the Four Ponds project are: HMU objectives: effects measured by changes in habitat types and age classes. Species/individuals: effects are qualitative expectations based on activity and operating seasons. Although MIS trends and changes to MIS habitats are noted in this analysis, conclusions regarding timber harvest effects on wildlife habitat are based on Forest-level monitoring of management indicator species. Project-level discussions in this document are tiered to the FEIS. Project activities that could have a measurable effect on one or more of the wildlife elements above are harvest, skidding, prescribed fire, road and landing work, gravel pit development, recreation projects, creation of PWO maintenance by mechanical treatment, and watershed restoration. Any activity that uses heavy equipment could affect wildlife. 188

189 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment MIS Chestnutsided warbler Scarlet Tanager Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Ruffed Grouse Table WMNF MIS in the Albany HMU and Project Area. Representative Habitat Regenerationage northern hardwood (NH) (predominantly sapling stages of NH but could include some scattered softwood. Mature hardwoods (predominantly NH but could include mixedwood) Regenerationage softwoods (predominantly spruce-fir but could include some hardwoods. Mature softwoods (predominantly spruce-fir but could include some hardwoods. All ages of Aspen-Birch Population Trends Bird breeding surveys (BBS) shows a decline in population. Forest monitoring shows a significant decline. BBS shows a stable population. Forest monitoring shows a declining trend. BBS shows stable populations. Forest monitoring shows a declining trend. BBS shows stable populations. Forest monitoring shows a declining trend. BBS shows a gradual decline. Forest monitoring shows a declining trend. Probability of Occurrence in the Albany HMU and Project Area Chestnut-sided warblers are present in the Albany HMU and Project Area. There are 0 acres of regeneration hardwood habitat present in MA 2.1 lands in the Albany HMU. However there are at least 50 acres of regeneration age class in the newly acquired Haystack Notch Parcel that has not been added into the Forest-wide database yet. Chestnut-sided warblers have been detected in the Project Area during routine field visits. Scarlet tanagers are present in the Albany HMU and Project Area. There are 2,888 acres (57% of total hardwood in MA 2.1) of mature hardwood habitat and 2,715 acres (83% of total mixedwood in MA 2.1) of mature mixedwood habitat present in MA 2.1 land in the Albany HMU. Scarlet tanagers have been detected in and adjacent to the Project Area during routine field visits. Magnolia warblers are present in the Albany HMU and Project Area. There are 0 acres of regeneration age softwood habitat present in MA 2.1 land in the Albany HMU. However patches are present as inclusions in the Albany HMU and project area. Magnolia warblers have been detected in and adjacent to the Project Area during routine field visits. Blackburnian warblers are present in the Albany HMU and Project Area. There are 219 acres (85%) of mature softwoods and 2,715 acres (88%) of mature mixedwood present in MA 2.1 land in the Albany HMU. Blackburnian warblers have been detected in and adjacent to the Project Area during routine field visits. Ruffed grouse are present in the Albany HMU and Project Area. There are 165 acres (1% of MA 2.1 lands in HMU) of aspen-birch present in the Albany HMU. Ruffed grouse have been detected in and adjacent to the Project Area during routine field visits. A ruffed grouse survey route that has been conducted once each spring from 2005 to 2009 along Forest Roads 7 (Patte Brook Road), 18 (Crocker Pond Road), 59 (Harriman Brook Road), and 756 (Mud City Road) has recorded very few grouse drumming events (USDA Forest Service 2009c). BBS = Breeding Bird Survey. BBS data from USDA Forest Service 2007a; Forestwide Breeding WMNF bird surveys data results ( ) from USDA Forest Service 2008a. 189

190 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on wildlife includes stands proposed for harvest, road and landing reconstruction, restoration and maintenance, gravel pit development, watershed restoration projects, recreation projects to improve dispersed and developed camping opportunities, relocation of portions of snowmobile trails, managing some segments of existing hiking trails, and proposed prescribed fire to maintain permanent wildlife openings, stimulate oak-pine regeneration, and encourage red pine regeneration and blueberries on a rocky ridge top. The temporal scope for direct and indirect effects on wildlife is the time period that encompasses active harvest operations and connected actions, because this is when wildlife would most likely be affected by the proposed activities. Alternative 1 There would be no direct effects that would displace or, interrupt established territories or travel patterns within the project area, nor indirect effects to wildlife species or habitat from timber harvest or other proposed activities that would cause openings in the forest canopy, tree removal, residual tree damage, snow or soil compaction, prescribed fire, noise from heavy equipment, or increased human use. Wildlife Habitat Only natural processes would influence changes in existing habitat conditions. Forest openings would result from mortality of individual trees or disturbance from other natural events (e.g. storm, fire, and insect infestation). The project area would continue to provide a mix of mature and young mixedwood, mature oak-pine and hemlock, intermixed with young and mature northern hardwood and mature spruce-fir. Patches of mature aspen-birch that occur would start to die out over time. As aspen-birch die out, spruce-fir or hardwoods, depending on soil type, would start to dominate these sites. Over time, there is a greater potential for development of large diameter cavity trees and accumulation of downed woody material for wildlife habitat compared to the harvest units proposed for treatment under the action alternatives. This alternative would not make progress toward the desired condition in the Albany HMU for regeneration age class for all habitat types, would not stimulate regeneration of hemlock in hemlock stands and regeneration of oak and pine in oak-pine stands, would not increase the amount of spruce-fir, and would not maintain an aspen-birch component in stands where there currently is aspenbirch. In addition, there would be a lost opportunity to increase the quality of permanent wildlife opening habitat. We would not be able to provide wildlife habitat diversity in managed lands as identified in the Forest Plan. Alternative 1 would not meet the Purpose and Need and would not meet the Forest Plan goals of providing habitat diversity for wildlife. Alternative 1 would result in an adverse indirect effect due to declining habitat diversity. Management Indicator Species This alternative would favor wildlife species associated with mature northern hardwoods, mixedwoods, and spruce-fir, including scarlet tanagers and 190

191 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment blackburnian warblers (Table ). Without regeneration forest habitat created by the proposed clearcuts, species that favor aspen-birch and regeneration forest habitat, such as chestnut-sided warbler, magnolia warbler, and ruffed grouse, might start to decline in the project area. Transportation No roads, landings, or skid trails would be reconstructed, restored, or authorized, and no roads would be decommissioned. There would be no change to public access to the project area and no effects to wildlife from increased human presence. Gravel Pit Development There would be no development of a gravel pit near Sunken Pond, so there would be no disturbance to wildlife from an increase in noise during gravel pit operations. Watershed Restoration The watershed restoration projects would not be implemented. Water flows would not be restored to more natural conditions. Over time, the quality of in-stream habitat might be lowered for macro invertebrates and other aquatic species such as amphibians and fish. The culverts would not be removed from New England Brook and backwater pools would not be created in the Harriman Brook drainage, limiting passage of fish and aquatic life in these drainages. Prescribed Fire Wildlife Openings There would be no opportunity to increase the size of some of the managed permanent wildlife openings and maintain them with prescribed fire. Increasing the size of existing wildlife openings and creating some new openings would benefit wildlife species associated with regeneration habitat, such as chestnutsided warblers. Oak-Pine Underburning Oak-pine areas are usually burned later in the spring when the vegetation has leafed out, or during the fall. If the oak-pine areas are not burned, there would be no disturbance to nesting birds in the spring or to other wildlife using these areas in the spring and fall. An indirect effect of not burning these areas is that there could be less oak and pine regeneration, making it difficult to maintain these areas as oak and pine communities in the future. This would not meet the Forest Plan goal of maintaining oak-pine where ecologically feasible. Both oak and pine habitats are minor habitat components of the HMU that provide special features for wildlife such as hard mast (DeGraaf et al. 2006). Farwell Mountain If the top of the Farwell Mountain is not burned, there would be no disturbance to nesting birds in the spring or to other wildlife using these areas in the spring and fall. There would likely be no increase in abundance of blueberries or grasses that would provide a source of forage for some wildlife species. 191

192 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Recreation Campsites There would be no increase in campsites near Crocker Pond Campground or relocation of dispersed sites. There would not be any disturbance of wildlife from increased human use at the new campsites. Trails Portions of Crocker Pond and Sunken Pond Bypass snowmobile trails and the Albany Notch hiking trail would not be abandoned through sections of wet, seepy habitat. Seeps are important habitat for wildlife (DeGraaf et al. 2006). Ongoing disturbance of these areas would continue. Alternatives 2 and 3 Active timber harvest operations, connected actions, and other proposed activities under both alternatives could have direct effects to wildlife species and habitat. Negative effects would include disturbing or displacing wildlife that use trees for nesting, roosting, or foraging, or altering travel corridors and mobility of some species such as amphibians, small mammals, and large mammals. Beneficial effects could be increased mobility for some species on snow compacted by skidders and additional browse and hiding places for wildlife from residual limbs and treetops left on-site after logging. Wildlife Habitat Both alternatives would increase habitat diversity for wildlife in the project area (Table ). Habitat diversity would be enhanced as even-aged regeneration harvests increase the horizontal patchiness of the forest. Partial cuts (all but clearcut, patch cut, and overstory removal) would create disturbance, open the canopy to partial sunlight, and release the understory. It is expected that this greater diversity would increase the number of species using the forest (DeGraaf et al. 2006). Both alternatives would create a similar amount of forest openings using even-aged regeneration harvests (clearcuts, patchcuts, and permanent wildlife openings). This would benefit wildlife species favoring open habitats and displace species favoring mature habitats. Many of the proposed clearcuts and patch cuts have a dense understory of striped maple and beech. Proposed non-commercial treatments of these stands after commercial timber harvest would create the structural conditions favored by wildlife species that favor open habitats and displace species favoring mature habitats. If the non-commercial treatments are not implemented after the harvest, many of the proposed clearcuts and patch cuts would favor wildlife species associated with young habitat. The amount of regeneration forest habitat would increase under both alternatives for approximately ten years post-harvest. Permanent wildlife openings would be maintained in an open state using prescribed fire or mechanical treatments. Slightly more open habitat would be created under Alternative 3 because the Sunken Pond Wildlife Opening would be expanded by 5 acres and an additional 30-acre wildlife opening would be created in the newly-acquired Haystack Notch Parcel (Table ). 192

193 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Table Albany HMU: Existing (E) and Desired (D) Habitat Types and Forest Age Classes and changes that would occur to Existing Condition from the action alternatives Habitat Type Total Acres in other MAs Total Acres in MA 2.1 (approximate) E=existing P = potential acres based on ELT capability D=desired maximum acres. Regeneration Acres Young Acres Mature Acres MA 2.1 lands unsuitable for harvest Changes from Alternatives Changes from Alternatives Changes from Alternatives E E P E D Alt 2 Alt 3 E D Alt 2 Alt 3 E D Alt 2 Alt 3 NH Mxd S-F * 163* Asp-bir Oak-pine na na Hemlock na na TOTAL , (approx.) PWO Note: Existing northern hardwood acres based on estimated regeneration acres in newly acquired Haystack Notch Parcel. Alt. 2 and Alt 3 equal existing acres plus acres affected from Action Alternatives. Desired acres are maximum acres. NH = Northern Hardwood, Mxd = Mixedwood, S-F = Spruce-fir, Asp-bir = Aspen and Paper Birch, PWO = Actively Managed Permanent Wildlife Openings (The acreage of PWOs will be increased dependent on the quality of potential sites as defined in USDA Forest Service 2007a). * The increase in young softwood habitat is primarily due to overstory removal in mixedwood or hardwood habitat to young softwoods. 193

194 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Table Acres of regeneration harvest (0-9 year old age-class) or permanent wildlife opening created by Action Alternatives in Albany HMU. Forest Type Existing Objective Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Northern Hardwoods (50 acres from Haystack Notch parcel) (50 acres from Haystack Notch parcel) Mixedwood Aspen-Birch Managed PWOs 62 n/a TOTAL Wildlife species favoring regeneration habitat, such as chestnut-sided warblers, would benefit from these treatments. Site conditions in openings would be hotter and drier for about 2 to 4 years after cutting (Fay et al. 1994). This could adversely affect some species of amphibians, such as red-backed salamander (DeMaynadier and Hunter 1998). Individual salamanders in large unshaded openings would not likely survive. Amphibians and small mammals in newly created openings also might be more vulnerable to predation. This would be partially mitigated by leaving reserve patches of trees (Forest Plan). Increased browse and soft mast (berries) in clearcuts would attract species within a few years after harvest. There would likely be an increase in insects, small mammals, and certain species of birds; mammals such as fox, white-tailed deer, black bear, and moose would inhabit these areas for all or part of the year (Costello et al. 2000; Fuller and DeStefano 2003; King et al. 2001; Thompson III et al. 2001). Of the approximate 190 acres of overstory removal, about 124 acres would release dense softwood understory and increase young spruce-fir forest habitat. This would favor species associated with dense softwood cover such as snowshoe hare (DeGraaf et al. 2006). The other approximate 65 acres of overstory removal would release young northern hardwoods favoring species such as veery, American redstart, and rose-breasted grosbeak (DeGraaf et al. 2006). While most of these stands are typed as mature, portions of them have been heavily harvested. They currently are providing a combination of mature and young habitat. These treatments would favor species that favor young habitats and displace species associated with mature habitat. Partial cuts (group selection, commercial thinning, and shelterwood) proposed under both alternatives would create disturbance, open the canopy to partial sunlight, and release the understory in northern hardwood, mixedwood, hemlock, oak-pine, spruce-fir, and aspen-birch. Both alternatives would treat approximately 2,600 acres. Most treated stands would still be favored by wildlife species associated with mature age class; however, there would be fewer species associated with closed canopy forest under this regime and more species that favor partial canopy closure (DeGraaf et al. 2006). Increased understory vegetation would provide more nesting habitat for certain bird species, increase hiding cover for some species of wildlife, and increase browse availability for wildlife that forage on young saplings or soft mast such as raspberries. Larger group cuts up to 2 acres used to regenerate northern hardwoods would result in small patches of regeneration habitat intermixed with patches of mature habitat. While these patches might be used by bird species that favor regeneration habitat, some

195 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment research has shown that small patches of regeneration habitat do not provide quality habitat for this group of species (King et al. 2001; King and DeGraaf 2004). Group selection also might increase edge habitat within mature forest, resulting in higher predation rates on nests of forest birds (King et al. 1998, 2001). Dead and Down Wood In stands with proposed clearcuts, there would be lower recruitment of large dead and down wood (>11 DBH) between 10 and 60 years (Fay et al. 1994). This could result in a decrease in the number of wildlife trees present in clearcut units during this timeframe. Both alternatives propose the same amount of regeneration harvest (Table ). This effect would be minor as Forest Plan standards and guidelines require that reserve areas with snags, wildlife cavity trees, and downed logs be retained in clearcuts. Moreover, residual trees in all other harvest units would continue to supply a component of standing and down woody material as trees die, branches break, and annual litter builds up on the ground. This should ensure that adequate dead and down wood is available to wildlife species upon completion of timber harvesting activities under both action alternatives. Whole tree harvesting would not be allowed under either alternative. Trees would be dragged to the landing, limbed, and the tops dragged back in the woods. Unless tops are placed along skid trails and compacted, they would provide a one-time input of treetops and branches for species such as moose and white-tailed deer that would make use of this browse during the winter months. Operating Seasons Both alternatives propose a majority of the proposed harvests to occur in the fall and winter (Table ). The season in which a unit is harvested may directly affect wildlife, especially during critical times in the life cycle of a species. Breeding, young rearing, feeding, and winter survival are critical times for wildlife. Individuals could be potentially be displaced or die during any season of operation. Summer harvest (June August) could affect species that use trees for nesting, roosting, cover, and foraging, such as breeding birds, bats, and ground dwelling animals (mammals, amphibians, and reptiles). Fall harvest (August October) would affect fewer nesting species but could potentially affect autumn breeding species, including some amphibians, species that feed on fall mast (acorns and beechnuts) such as black bear, roosting bats (although many leave their summer roosts and start to swarm near winter hibernacula), and small ground-dwelling mammals. Certain species could be affected by winter harvest (December March): some species, including owls, breed in winter; white-tailed deer gather, or yard, in areas of lowland conifers in the winter, where cover and warmer temperatures provide protection from the elements and where they would also be vulnerable to disturbance during this time of year. Species that use cavities in winter, such as chickadees and nuthatches, or species that den, such as squirrels and raccoons, could be affected if roost or cavity trees were harvested. Raptors start to breed in February and March, with young fledging in June and July (Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) 1997), so they could be affected by both winter and summer harvest. These effects would only occur on a small portion of the project area during any given season. 195

196 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Table Acres of Harvest by Season. Season of operation Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Summer/Fall/Winter Fall/Winter 2,494 2,499 TOTAL 3,026 3,031 Prescribed Fire Permanent Wildlife Opening Maintenance Under Alternative 2, four existing permanent wildlife openings would be expanded through timber harvest in adjacent stands, and an existing log landing in the newly-acquired Haystack Notch parcel would be expanded to create a new, 16-acre Ikie Fields PWO (Table ). Under Alternative 3, an additional wildlife opening would be expanded (Sunken Pond) through timber harvest in adjacent stands from three to eight acres, and a new 30-acre PWO (Miles Brook) would be designated in an area of existing regeneration habitat in the newly-acquired Haystack Notch parcel in Mason Township. PWOs would be maintained in the future every three to five years by prescribed fire, mowing, or with mechanical equipment such as chainsaws and brushsaws. A prescribed burn plan would be developed for these stands that would include site-specific mitigation measures for resource protection, fire management, and safety of firefighters. Fire lines would be constructed manually or with mechanical equipment around PWOs maintained with prescribed fire. Brush piles created by hand or mechanical brushing would be burned. PWOs managed by mowing would be stumped prior to mowing. Table Permanent Wildlife Opening Expansion and Creation in the Project Area PWOs Existing Acres New acreage under Alternative 2 New acreage under Alternative 3 Donahue Fields (328/35) Harriman Brook Spur (328/62) Bell Mountain (329/21) Round Pond (331/54) Sunken Pond (328/14) Ikie Fields (new PWO) Miles Brook (new PWO) 0 30 Prescribed burns would cause a temporary disturbance to wildlife species occupying wildlife openings in early spring; however, burning usually occurs before most wildlife species start to nest in these areas. Wildlife species disturbed and temporarily displaced by these treatments would likely return upon completion of the work. Direct effects of prescribed fire in the expanded wildlife openings may vary for different species and conditions (Anderson 1994). In general, while some evidence of vertebrate mortality has been reported, the most common opinion is that vertebrates are rarely killed in fires (Lyon et al. 1978). Stumping and mechanical treatments would occur in the late summer and fall when birds have finished nesting. Prescribed fire and mechanical treatments would cause 196

197 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment a temporary loss of understory, resulting in a temporary loss of habitat for wildlife species associated with understory vegetation (including regenerating hardwood, spruce-fir, hemlock, shrub layers, herbaceous ground vegetation, and soft mast). The loss of understory vegetation would be temporary, as herbaceous and shrubby vegetation would grow back quickly (Schlossberg and King 2007). Effects would be greater under Alternative 3 because more wildlife opening habitat would be created. Oak-Pine Underburning Effects would be similar to those described for permanent wildlife openings. Since these burns would be planned later in the spring after green up, there might be increased disturbance to nesting birds. There would be a temporary loss of understory vegetation from underburning which would result in a temporary loss of habitat for wildlife species associated with understory vegetation, including regenerating hardwood, spruce-fir, hemlock, shrub layers, herbaceous ground vegetation, and soft mast. This would not be uniform across the treated area because the effects of the burn are often patchy, resulting in some areas undisturbed by fire. Effects would be similar for both alternatives. Farwell Mountaintop Prescribed Burn (Alternative 2 only) Direct effects to wildlife would be similar to those described under oak-pine underburning. Indirect effects in the prescribed burn area would be a loss of spruce-fir and associated understory and a subsequent increase in red pine, grasses, and blueberries. The increase in soft mast and grasses would provide forage for some wildlife species. The surrounding holding area is mostly mature spruce-fir habitat. If the fire did escape into the holding area, there could be a loss of some or all of this habitat. Currently, there is a lack of spruce-fir habitat in this HMU. These effects would only occur under Alternative 2, as this treatment would be dropped under Alternative 3. Transportation Human presence in the project area would increase during project activities, resulting in possible effects to wildlife movements. Species could be disturbed or displaced when roads, skid trails, and landings are being constructed and used; however, these could increase mobility for some species, and this benefit could offset some of the disturbance from the presence of people and heavy equipment. All roads on Forest System lands that are currently barricaded would remain closed after completion of proposed actions, so any disturbance of wildlife from increased human presence in the area would be temporary. Decommissioning 0.1 mile of roads under Alternatives 2 and 3 may decrease human presence slightly in the project area as these roads slowly revert to a vegetated state; however, this effect would be minor because such a small distance of road would be decommissioned. Gravel Pit Development (Alternative 2 only) Direct effects from clearing the area for the proposed gravel pit would be that wildlife species in the vicinity would be disturbed or displaced. Indirect effects would be increased noise, human presence, and heavy machinery operation that would disturb or displace wildlife species in the vicinity. Gravel pit operations would likely be active for approximately two weeks to collect the desired 197

198 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District amount of gravel for this project, and the pit may be active for other projects intermittently over the years. There would be a three-acre loss of mature oakpine habitat to develop this pit. The open condition of this area may be favorable to some wildlife species, such as bats, who like to forage over open areas. These effects would occur only under Alternative 2 because this treatment would be dropped under Alternative 3. Watershed Restoration In the long term, implementation of the proposed watershed project would benefit species associated with instream and riparian habitats. In areas where wood is placed in a stream, some species would benefit from increased pool habitat and instream cover. It is expected that abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrates would increase in the streams, providing an additional source of food for amphibians and fish. Large pieces of down wood in the riparian area may benefit some wildlife species by providing denning habitat and cover. Removing culverts and creating backwater pools would increase instream passage, allowing increased movement of fish, amphibians, and other aquatic life in New England Brook and Harriman Brook drainages. Effects would be similar for both action alternatives. Recreation Campsites Direct effects of campsite construction would be minor disturbance of wildlife species in the vicinity of the campsites from increased noise and human presence. There would be no indirect effects from re-configuration of the dispersed campsites, as human use would not change from what currently exists. Indirect effects from adding campsites at Crocker Pond Campground would be a slight increase in disturbance to wildlife from increased human presence in this area, as well as a potentially greater incidence of wildlife nuisance problems as more campers could mean more residual food and garbage. There would be no effects to wildlife from widening the parking areas in the existing campground as the area is already disturbed and human use is ongoing in this area. Effects of re-configuring the dispersed campsites would be similar between alternatives. Effects of expanding campsites at Crocker Pond would only occur under Alternative 2; this action would be dropped under Alternative 3. Trails Direct effects of trail construction for the Albany universally accessible trail and relocation of the snowmobile trails would be minor disturbance of wildlife species from increased noise and human presence. Abandoning the Albany Notch hiking trail would reduce disturbance of wildlife as there would be decreased human presence in this area. Indirect effects of relocating portions the Sunken Pond Bypass and Crocker Pond snowmobile trails out of wet, seepy habitat would be that wildlife species associated with aquatic and riparian habitats could reoccupy these areas as they slowly revegetate. Moreover, there would be less likelihood of sedimentation into Patte Mill Brook from the current location of the Sunken Pond Bypass trail. This would benefit aquatic species that inhabit Patte Mill Brook. Permanently relocating the existing Sunken Pond snowmobile trail from the Patte Mill Brook Road to the newly-located Sunken 198

199 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Pond Bypass snowmobile trail would likely cause more disturbances to wildlife wintering in the oak-pine and hardwood stands adjacent to Harriman Brook and Patte Marsh from increased noise of snowmobiles in the area. Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects to wildlife is National Forest lands within the Albany HMU, the newly-acquired Haystack Notch parcel in Mason Township, and adjacent private land within the National Forest proclamation boundary. This includes 15,384 acres (14,720 acres in Albany HMU and 664 acres in Haystack Notch parcel) and approximately 14,000 acres of private land within Albany and Mason Townships adjacent to the project area. This area was chosen because 1) the habitat objectives for the Albany HMU provide a measurable assessment of how the proposed action and its alternative contribute to the habitat objectives of the White Mountain National Forest, as defined in the Forest Plan; 2) it considers other activities occurring in the HMU; 3) it takes into account past vegetation management on newly-acquired land that was formerly managed for timber production; and 4) it considers activities on private lands that are adjacent to the project area. The temporal scope for cumulative effects on wildlife is ten years in the past and ten years into the future, (2000 to 2020), because this is the expected duration of the Forest Plan, and therefore the time that many actions are foreseeable. For wildlife, desired habitat goals are based on the HMU and have a goal of providing a diversity of habitat conditions for wildlife species that inhabit the Forest (Forest Plan). One of the habitat goals of the HMU is to create regeneration forest habitat (0 9 years old with basal area less than 30). The benefits of this habitat for certain wildlife species starts to diminish after 10 years, so 10 years in the past and 10 years in the future is an appropriate temporal scope for this cumulative effects analysis area. Alternative 1 Wildlife Habitat A mixture of young and mature northern hardwoods and mixedwoods intermixed with oak-pine, hemlock, spruce-fir, and aspen-birch would continue to dominate the Albany HMU with just < 1 percent of the MA 2.1 lands in regeneration habitat. Mature habitat intermixed with patches of young habitat is present on adjacent private lands. Without the proposed timber harvest, habitat diversity would not be increased with regeneration harvests, additional acres of permanent wildlife openings, or increased oak-pine, softwood, and aspen habitat. Dead or dying trees or small groups of trees may continue to fall to the ground and open limited portions of forest floor to sunlight and regeneration. Early successional habitat types such aspen-birch would still be present in 10 years, but would begin converting towards northern hardwoods or softwood types. This alternative would add to the cumulative effect of a declining trend of regeneration habitat in the analysis area. It does not preclude future options for creating early successional habitat or diversifying community types in the future; however, the ability to meet HMU goals outlined in the Forest Plan in the reasonably foreseeable future is somewhat uncertain. For age class diversity, the 199

200 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Forest is well below Forest Plan objectives. There also is a concern that the Forest may lose much of the existing aspen-birch without some type of disturbance (USDA Forest Service 2008a). Past timber harvests in the Albany HMU and on adjacent private land may have resulted in some wildlife habitat diversity in the analysis area, but meeting the Forest wildlife habitat goals outlined in the Forest Plan in the Albany HMU would be foregone. Over time, interior forest dwelling species such as scarlet tanager and blackburnian warbler would be expected to increase in numbers in the Albany HMU. Most of the land in this HMU would provide a combination of young and mature habitat. Species associated with aspen-birch, including ruffed grouse, and species associated with forest regeneration habitat, including chestnut-sided warbler and magnolia warbler, would decline in the Albany and HMU. There would be a lost opportunity to regenerate oak and pine and to maintain this habitat type across the landscape into the future. Transportation and Gravel Pit Development The transportation corridor that has been established over the years on national forest and private lands may have resulted in some increased human presence to the area which might have affected wildlife movements. There are no other gravel pits in the analysis area that have been used or are planned for use in the analysis area within the temporal scope of this project. Watershed Restoration Implementation of a watershed project adjacent to the East Branch Pleasant River and a planned future watershed project to decommission a road adjacent to the East Branch Pleasant River in the Albany HMU should reduce the potential of erosion of unstable roads adjacent into the river and restore the river and adjacent riparian habitat to more natural conditions. These projects would benefit in-stream habitat for fish and other aquatic life, and would improve riparian habitat for wildlife species. The opportunity to restore watershed conditions elsewhere in the Albany watershed would be lost. Over time, the quality of in-stream habitat might be lowered for macro-invertebrates and other aquatic species such as amphibians and fish. Less denning and cover would be created for wildlife and there would be fewer benefits to species associated with riparian and aquatic habitat. Recreation Ongoing maintenance of trails and recreation facilities in the cumulative effects analysis area would have minimal effects on wildlife because existing habitat conditions would not change. Prescribed Fire The existing managed permanent wildlife openings in Albany HMU would continue to be maintained every three to five years with prescribed fire or mechanical treatments. There would be no cumulative effects of prescribed fire and mechanical treatments on wildlife because there would be no change from existing condition. 200

201 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Alternatives 2 and 3 Wildlife Habitat Under both action alternatives, mature and young northern hardwoods and mature mixedwood intermixed with oak-pine and hemlock would continue to dominate the analysis area; however, some of the objectives for providing wildlife habitat diversity would be met, including establishing regeneration forest habitat, maintaining aspen-birch, increasing opportunities for oak-pine regeneration, expanding and creating highly-ranked existing permanent wildlife openings, and favoring spruce-fir and hemlock on softwood sites. Harvesting on adjacent private lands has resulted in some increased structural diversity from intermediate harvests in northern hardwood and pine habitats in the past ten years, but most of the area still remains in mature age class. Effects of uneven-aged or intermediate treatments on oak-pine The Forest objective is to maintain less common types such oak-pine on the Forest where ecologically feasible (Forest Plan; USDA Forest Service 2002). Oak/ pine stands provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species associated with both softwoods and northern hardwood. The oak component of this habitat, in combination with beech in northern hardwood areas, also provides hard mast that is essential to a variety of wildlife species that rely on it as a fall food component (i.e. black bear). Mature oak/pine is used by approximately 150 species of wildlife (DeGraaf et al. 2006). There are approximately 915 acres of existing oak-pine habitat in the MA 2.1 portion of the Albany HMU, mostly concentrated in the Patte Mill Brook area. Approximately 470 acres of existing oak-pine would be treated with a harvest prescription of group selection or shelterwood to encourage regeneration of oak and pine over existing northern hardwoods or spruce-fir/hemlock regeneration. Proposed treatments in 70 acres of existing mature northern hardwood and mixedwood stands have a long term goal to convert these stands to oak-pine based on ecological capability of these sites. Treatments would occur in the snow-free season, allowing scarification of the soil. This would increase the chance of oak and pine seedlings to grow and out-compete other existing saplings in the understory. Some of the recent harvesting on adjacent private land also will likely result in regeneration of pine in existing pine habitats. There would be a temporary loss of understory vegetation in stands with proposed site preparation treatments (underburning, noncommercial treatment), resulting in a temporary loss of habitat for wildlife species associated with understory vegetation including regenerating hardwood, spruce-fir, and hemlock, shrub layers, herbaceous ground vegetation, and soft mast. Effects of creating northern hardwood and mixedwood regeneration habitat The Forest objective is to maintain approximately three to four percent of northern hardwoods habitat and one percent of mixedwood in regeneration age (Forest Plan). There are currently approximately 50 acres (< 1 percent) of existing northern hardwood regeneration and no acres of mixedwood regeneration in the HMU. In the past two years on private lands, a minimal amount of harvesting has occurred along Patte Mill Brook Road to harvest some ice damaged trees, but this has not resulted in any regeneration habitat. 201

202 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The Albany HMU has an objective of approximately 200 acres of northern hardwood regeneration and 30 acres of mixedwood regeneration; this project would create 109 acres of northern hardwood regeneration and eight acres of mixedwood regeneration. The proposed regeneration harvests in the Albany HMU would move the landscape closer to HMU and Forest-wide habitat goals. The current level of northern hardwood and mixedwood regeneration forest habitat on the WMNF is well below Forest Plan objectives. Approximately 150 species will use regeneration habitat for all or part of their life cycle (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf et al. 2006), including chestnutsided warbler. Numerous scientific studies in the Northeast have found that a wide variety of wildlife use this type of habitat structure for all or part of their life (Chandler C. 2006; Chandler R. 2006; Dettmers 2003; DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2003; Fuller and DeStefano 2003; King et al. 2001; Litvaitis 2001; Schlossberg et al. 2007; Thompson et al. 2001). This habitat condition is ephemeral on the landscape as forests in the Northeast regenerate quickly, and within a decade or so the structural characteristics favorable to this suite of species no longer exist. Changes in land use patterns across the Northeast have greatly reduced the availability of this habitat, resulting in declines in scrub/ shrub birds that require it for suitable nesting habitat, including brown thrasher, chestnut-sided warbler, and magnolia warbler (Schlossberg et al. 2007). Forest-wide bird surveys and Regional breeding bird survey data indicate chestnut-sided warblers are declining (USDA Forest Service 2007a; USDA Forest Service 2008a). The proposed increase in regeneration age habitat at the project scale would not be dramatic enough to change population trends at a landscape scale, but might help slow the decline. Effects of treatments on mature northern hardwood The Forest habitat objective is to maintain approximately 80 percent of northern hardwood in mature age class (Forest Plan; USDA Forest Service 2002a). There are approximately 2,900 acres (57 percent) of existing mature northern hardwoods habitat in the MA 2.1 portion of the Albany HMU. Approximately 560 acres of existing northern hardwoods would be treated with a group selection prescription to encourage regeneration of northern hardwood tree species. Over the long term, uneven-aged management would maintain the mature character of the treated stands. Wildlife species preferring mature northern hardwoods would be favored by these uneven-aged treatments. All of these treatments would create disturbance and would open the canopy to partial sunlight. There would be minor changes to shading of the forest floor. The result would be to diversify stand structure and increase understory vegetation and browse availability for wildlife. Mast trees such as beech and red oak would be able to develop larger crowns. Intermediate or uneven-aged treatments in northern hardwood habitat on adjacent private land have likely retained the mature character of this habitat type. Proposed treatments in 150 acres of mature northern hardwood stands have a long-term goal to convert approximately 150 acres of existing mature northern hardwood to mixedwood, softwoods, and oak-pine, based on ecological capability of these sites. These stands would still likely provide mature habitat for the suite of species that inhabit northern hardwood stands during the timeframe 202

203 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment considered for this project as conversion from one type to another would not occur until young regenerating tree species become part of the forest canopy. Up to 150 species of wildlife use mature northern hardwoods for all or part of their life cycle, including MIS scarlet tanager (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf et al. 2006). Regional population trends for scarlet tanagers have declined over the past four decades, with populations declining in some years and increasing in others (FEIS). Breeding bird survey data collected on the Forest show a declining population trend for scarlet tanagers (USDA Forest Service 2008a). There are approximately 180 acres of even-aged management (clearcut, patch cut, and overstory removal) proposed in existing mature northern hardwoods. The effects of creating 109 acres of regeneration northern hardwoods habitat through clearcuts and patch cuts are described above and would meet the goal of increasing regeneration habitat in this HMU. Overstory removals in mature northern hardwoods would increase the existing young age class by 65 acres for northern hardwoods in this HMU. Numbers of wildlife species decrease in young northern hardwoods as shade reduces the understory, and species that favor larger trees are not present. There are some species that favor young northern hardwoods, such as veery, American redstart and rose-breasted grosbeak (DeGraaf et al. 2006). Currently, there is an abundance of young age class (43 percent) in this HMU. Approximately 60 percent of the existing young age class will move into the mature age class within twenty years. While the proposed clearcut, patchcut, and overstory removals harvests would reduce the existing amount of mature northern hardwood in this HMU to approximately 52 percent, there is an abundance (81 percent) of mature age class across the WMNF landscape (FEIS) available as habitat to MIS scarlet tanager and woodland bats. Effects of uneven-aged and intermediate treatments on mature mixedwood and softwood (spruce-fir and hemlock) habitats The Forest objective is to maintain less common types, such as hemlock, where ecologically feasible, and to maintain mixedwood and softwoods habitat consistent with ecological capability on the ground (Forest Plan; USDA Forest Service 2002a). There are approximately 700 acres of hemlock, 3,300 acres of mixedwood, and 259 acres of spruce-fir in the Albany HMU. There is ecological capability for approximately 3,000 acres of softwood (pine, spruce-fir, or hemlock) in this HMU. Approximately 840 acres of existing mixedwood and 85 acres of existing sprucefir would be treated in the project area. Additionally, some of the proposed treatments have a long term goal to convert approximately 65 acres of existing mature northern hardwood to mixedwood and 85 acres of mature northern hardwood and mixedwood to spruce-fir, based on ecological capability of these sites. Approximately 350 acres of existing mature hemlock would be treated with group selection or an intermediate treatment if pine is present in the stand. Additionally, some proposed treatments have a long-term goal to convert approximately 90 acres of existing mature mixedwood to hemlock, based on an existing component of hemlock and the ecological capability of these sites. 203

204 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Treatments would occur in the snow-free season to allow scarification of the soil, which would increase the chance of hemlock seedlings to grow and out-compete other existing saplings in the understory. Past agricultural practices in this area have resulted in some dense hemlock stands growing on sites where ecological capability favors hardwood species. Harvest treatment in these areas could result in hardwood regeneration that could out-compete softwood regeneration. Small groups and narrow skid trails might reduce the potential for this effect. Intermediate or uneven-aged treatments on adjacent private lands have not affected mixedwood of softwood habitat in the analysis area. Over the long term, uneven-aged and intermediate treatments would maintain the mature character of these habitats, and the long term goal of converting some stands to mixedwood and softwood would result in some small gains in the amount of softwood habitat in this HMU. Wildlife species preferring mature mixedwood, spruce-fir, or hemlock would be favored by these treatments. Mixedwood and softwood (spruce-fir and hemlock) habitat is an essential habitat component for a wide variety of wildlife species for food and cover for all or part of the year, including golden-crowned kinglet, MIS blackburnian warbler, purple finch, deer mice, snowshoe hare, and American marten (DeGraaf et al. 2006; Yamasaki et al. 1999). Softwood habitat is lacking in the Albany HMU and across the Forest due to past intensive harvest practices in the late 1800s and early 1900s which favored northern hardwood regeneration on sites that were previously dominated by spruce-fir or hemlock. Mature softwood and mixedwood habitat is necessary to provide thermal cover in winter for species such as white-tailed deer (see the Deer Wintering Areas subsection in 3.18 Species and Habitats of Concern). Effects would be similar between alternatives, with the exception that 73 acres of hemlock would be treated with a thinning instead of group selection under Alternative 3. Thinning would be used to improve growth on residual trees, whereas group selection would encourage hemlock regeneration. Thinning may reduce the winter cover values of these hemlock stands for wildlife depending on existing site conditions, whereas group selection would most likely maintain winter cover value for wildlife (Reay 1999). Effects of creating aspen-birch regeneration age class and maintaining this habitat type The Forest goal is to maintain the current level of aspen-birch habitat, which is about 5 percent for the Forest (Forest Plan). Currently, there are approximately 165 acres of aspen-birch in the Albany HMU, of which 43 acres are mature. The remaining 122 acres are in the young age-class. There are approximately 30 acres of existing of mature aspen-birch habitat (two stands) in the Four Ponds project area, and 13 acres (two stands) in the Farwell Mountain project area. After field reviews, it was determined that only one stand was suitable for silvicultural treatment; the rest were not proposed for treatment because one stand is too steep and will be removed from the suitable timber base, one stand is adjacent to a wetland, and one stand is being managed as spruce-fir. Mature aspen-birch in the untreated stands will likely die out over time. The one suitable aspen-birch stand proposed for treatment is located adjacent to both a road and the Albany Brook Trail and is within sight of Crocker Pond 204

205 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Campground. Because of visual concerns, we did not consider a patch or clear cut silvicultural prescription for final harvest. A component of paper birch would be maintained in this stand using group selection. However, approximately 34 acres of existing northern hardwoods and mixedwood habitat with an aspen-birch component would be converted to the aspen-birch type in this project area and the recent Farwell Mountain timber sale. These treatments would meet the goal of maintaining aspen-birch type in the HMU. Although the amount of aspen-birch habitat on private lands is unknown, it is assumed that it exists and that a component of it would be maintained through ongoing harvest activities. Aspen-birch provides valuable habitat: the high stem densities of aspen-birch regeneration provide protection, while mature aspen-birch buds and catkins are an important food source for may wildlife species including ruffed grouse (MIS) (DeGraaf et al. 2006). Early-successional aspen and paper birch is used by approximately 150 wildlife species, while approximately 125 wildlife species use mature aspen-birch for all or part of their life cycle (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf et al. 2006). Regional breeding bird survey data show a decline in ruffed grouse populations to the north of the Forest and an increase to the south (USDA Forest Service 2007a;). Breeding bird survey data collected across the Forest show a declining population trend for ruffed grouse Forest-wide (USDA Forest Service 2008). Very few ruffed grouse have been recorded on a driving survey route that passes through the project area (USDA Forest Service 2009c). With limited regeneration acres created by past and proposed activities, this habitat type will decline in the analysis area over time, as will species favoring it such as ruffed grouse. Effects of overstory removal to increase young spruce-fir The Forest objective is approximately three to six percent young spruce-fir (Forest Plan; USDA Forest Service 2007a); Forest-wide, there is approximately six percent. The effects of an overstory removal is that 15 acres of mature spruce-fir, 45 acres of mature northern hardwoods with a dense spruce-fir understory, and 79 acres of mature mixedwoods with a dense spruce-fir understory would increase young spruce-fir forest habitat. Overstory removal treatments in spruce-fir would favor species associated with dense softwood undergrowth. Upon completion of the proposed harvest, there would be an increase in young spruce-fir in the HMU. Most of this would occur from conversion of other habitat types to spruce-fir, which meets the desired goal of increasing softwood habitat in this HMU. Past harvest on adjacent private lands has not likely increased the component of young spruce-fir. Up to 100 species of wildlife will use young softwoods for all or part of their life cycle (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf et al. 2006,), including snowshoe hare and magnolia warbler. Regional population trends have been stable for magnolia warbler on and adjacent to the Forest (USDA Forest Service 2007a), but like the scarlet tanager, there have been some years where populations declined and other years where populations increased. Forest-wide breeding bird survey data show magnolia warbler to have a declining population trend (USDA Forest Service 2008a). 205

206 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Magnolia warbler would gain habitat from the overstory removal treatments in the Albany HMU and on adjacent private lands. The 124 acres of increased young spruce-fir habitat provided by either action alternative probably is not enough to affect population trends in the analysis area. Effects of expanding and creating permanent wildlife openings There are fifteen managed permanent wildlife openings in the Albany HMU. While there is open habitat on adjacent private land, there are no known managed PWOs. Expanding or creating permanent wildlife openings would provide higher quality habitat because studies show that early successional birds favor larger openings (Schlossberg and King 2007; Chandler et al. 2009). Maintenance activities would increase the percentage of grass, forbs, and soft mast such as blueberries, providing a source of browse, hiding cover, and nesting habitat for some species of wildlife. Research has found that a wide variety of wildlife species are associated with these areas for all or part of their life cycle, including chestnut-sided warblers (Chandler C. 2006; Chandler R. 2006; Chandler et al. 2009; DeGraaf et al. 2006). This effect also would be similar for the proposed permanent wildlife opening expansions in the Albany HMU, which would continue to be maintained every three to five years with prescribed fire or mechanical treatments. The effects of prescribed fire on wildlife are the same as under direct and indirect effects because no additional prescribed fire is reasonably foreseeable in the analysis area. Transportation Effects on the transportation system would be as described under direct and indirect effects. Gravel Pit Development Development of a gravel pit under Alternative 2 should not result in any cumulative impacts to wildlife species or habitat in conjunction with past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future projects in the Albany HMU. There would be minor disturbance of wildlife species during development and operation of the pit, and only three acres of mature oak-pine habitat would be cleared to create the pit. In the long term after gravel extraction has been completed, this pit could be reclaimed and become part of the Sunken Pond wildlife opening, providing additional habitat for species that favor openings. There are four former gravel pits in the analysis area, each less than an acre in size, that are slowly re-vegetating and may provide some early successional habitat for wildlife species. On occasion they are used as shooting ranges, which might cause temporary displacement of wildlife. Watershed Restoration Past and present watershed projects in the Albany HMU would reduce the potential for sedimentation from unstable roads into rivers, enhance in-stream habitat for fish and other aquatic life, improve aquatic passage, and provide benefits to wildlife species associated with riparian and aquatic habitat. 206

207 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Recreation It is unlikely that any of the proposed changes to recreation facilities, in combination with other existing recreational trails and facilities, would have a cumulative effect on wildlife species and associated habitat in the analysis area. Ongoing maintenance of trails and developed and dispersed campsites in the cumulative effects analysis area would have minimal effects on wildlife as existing habitat conditions would not change. Prescribed Fire There are no areas maintained with prescribed fire on adjacent private lands. Effects of prescribed fire on wildlife would be the same as those described for direct and indirect effects. In recent years, the WMNF has managed for a variety of habitats across the landscape to provide habitat for the array of wildlife species that occur on the Forest (Forest Plan; USDA Forest Service 2002; USDA Forest Service 2007a, USDA Forest Service 2008a). Current scientific information indicates there are not likely to be substantive changes to habitats or species populations from climate change within the analysis timeframe (summarized in USDA Forest Service Prout 2009a). Therefore climate change is not expected to affect wildlife species or how well these alternatives achieve the desired outcomes. 207

208 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.17 Federal, Threatened, Endangered and Proposed Species and Regional Forester Sensitive Species (TES/ RFSS) Affected Environment A Biological Evaluation (BE) for Federally Threatened, Endangered, and Proposed Species (TES), and Regional Forester Sensitive Species (RFSS) was completed on November 19, 2009 (BE, Project Record). Conclusions about whether threatened, endangered, proposed, and sensitive species and their habitat are known or suspected within the project area are based on best available science, which includes a review of literature on habitat requirements and known occurrences for each species. Recent sources of information on species considered in the Biological Evaluation include information on habitat, occurrence, threats, and limiting factors evaluated for the Species Viability Evaluation (SVE) and the Biological Evaluation conducted for the WMNF FEIS (FEIS, Appendices F and G; USDA Forest Service 2005e). Additionally, current literature, site-specific monitoring, and field reviews (cited in BE) were used to assess effects to TES/RFSS in the project area. General habitat condition of the project area was determined from past field reviews of stand condition, stored in District compartment records. Field reviews of general habitat condition also were conducted in the Project Area between 2007 and 2009 by Forest Service staff for planning this project (Project Record). No surveys of wildlife species of concern were conducted specific to this project. Common loons have been recorded at Crocker Pond during routine field visits to the project area. Botanical field surveys were conducted through most of the project area by the Forest Botanist and a botanical technician (USDA Forest Service 2009d). No TES or RFSS were observed in the project area. There is potential habitat for some RFSS species, including Corallorhiza odontorhiza, Listera convallarioides, Listera cordata, Petasites frigidus var. palmatus, and Triphora trianthophora within some stands of the project area. Plant surveys of the five existing permanent wildlife openings in the project area were conducted in 2005 by a botanical technician (USDA Forest Service 2005f). No TES or RFSS were observed in these openings. There is potential habitat for several other RFSS species including Carex baileyi, Ophioglossum pusillum, and Piptatherum canadensis in other locations within the project area to be disturbed by project activity. Based on a review of all available information, it was the Forest Service Biologist s and Botanist s determination that potential habitat may occur within the project area for thirteen Regional Forester Sensitive Species: a. Eastern small-footed myotis (Myotis leibii) b. Northern bog lemming (Synaptomys borealis sphagnicola) c. American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) d. Brown s Ameletus mayfly (Ameletus browni) e. Third Ameletus mayfly (Ameletus tertius) f. Bailey s sedge (Carex baileyi) 208

209 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment g. Autumn coralroot (Corallorhiza odontorhiza) h. Broadleaf twayblade (Listera convallarioides) i. Heartleaf twayblade (Listera cordata) j. Sweet coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var palmatus) k. Canada mountain ricegrass (Piptatherum canadensis) l. Northern Adder s-tongue (Ophioglossum pusillum) m. Nodding pogonia (Triphora trianthophora) Direct and Indirect Effects The analysis area for direct and indirect effects on TES/RFSS is the project area, since the impact of the proposed action and its alternative on TES/RFSS is dependent on the presence of individuals and specific habitat where the activity occurs. The temporal scope for direct and indirect effects on TES/RFSS is the duration of active harvest operations and other proposed activities, because this is when TES/RFSS species would most likely be affected. The BE details direct and indirect effects to the thirteen RFSS that may occur in the project area. Under Alternatives 2 and 3, there may be minimal direct or indirect effects to eastern small-footed myotis foraging and roosting habitat. Tree removal could displace a bat, although this is unlikely since they prefer to roost in rocky outcrops and talus slopes. Treatments that open up forested habitat or maintain travel corridors would maintain or enhance foraging habitat for eastern small-footed myotis. Alternative 3 creates slightly more opening habitat than Alternative 2. There is a slight potential for the action alternatives to displace northern bog lemming, although the potential for presence of this species in the project area is low. There would be no direct effect to peregrine falcons, as there are no active eyries in the project area. The combination of clearcuts and expansion of permanent wildlife openings may diversify the prey base for peregrines foraging in the area, with Alternative 3 creating slightly more openings than Alternative 2. There may be some minimal direct effects to Brown s and third Ameletus mayfly habitat from potential sedimentation entering streams during active harvesting operations, trail relocations, and watershed improvement projects. A no harvest buffer zone along perennial streams would minimize this effect. Also, adding wood to some streams may increase forage material for this species. The potential for presence of Bailey s sedge, Autumn coralroot, Northern Adder s-tongue, Broadleaf and Heartleaf twayblade, Sweet coltsfoot, and Canada mountain ricegrass in the project area is low. Favorable habitat exists for Nodding pogonia in the project area. Botanical surveys did not locate any of these species in the project area. Timber harvest and connected actions, watershed improvement projects, trail relocations, and prescribed fire during the snow-free season could eliminate some individuals. No-harvest buffers along streams and the protection of springs and vernal pools would minimize potential effects to these species, as well as for broadleaf twayblade, heartleaf twayblade, and sweet coltsfoot, which favor wet, seepy habitats. In the long 209

210 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District term, habitat would be maintained or enhanced for Bailey s sedge and Canada mountain ricegrass as these species favor disturbed habitat. Autumn coralroot and Nodding pogonia also can tolerate some disturbance and most selective harvest areas would still provide suitable habitat for these species. Potential habitat for Northern Adder s- tongue would increase from the creation of openings, especially in sandy soils around Sunken Pond and the newly-acquired Haystack Notch tract. Cumulative Effects The analysis area for cumulative effects for TES/RFSS species encompasses National Forest lands within the Albany HMU, the newly-acquired Haystack Notch parcel in Mason Township, and adjacent private land within the National Forest proclamation boundary. This includes 15,384 acres (14,720 acres in Albany HMU and the newly-acquired 667 acres in Haystack Notch parcel) and approximately 14,000 acres of private land within Albany and Mason Townships adjacent to the project area. This area was chosen because 1) the habitat objectives for the Albany HMU provide a measurable assessment of how the proposed action and its alternative contribute to the habitat objectives of the White Mountain National Forest, as defined in the Forest Plan; 2) it considers other activities occurring in the HMU; 3) it takes into account past vegetation management on newly-acquired land that was formerly managed for timber production; and; 4) it considers activities on private lands that are adjacent to the project area. The temporal scope for cumulative effects for TES/RFSS species is ten years in the past and ten years into the future (2000 to 2020) because this is the expected duration of the Forest Plan and, therefore, the time that many actions are foreseeable. Effects Determination and Rationale Regional Forester Sensitive Species (RFSS) Eastern smallfooted myotis The No Action alternative would have no impact on eastern small-footed myotis. Both action alternatives may impact individual eastern small-footed myotis, but would not likely cause a trend toward federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) Harvesting trees should have minimal impact on summer roosting habitat because recent literature indicates that eastern small-footed myotis roost under rocks or hillsides and open ridges, in cracks and crevices in rocky outcrops, and on talus slopes, as well as in buildings (Forest Plan; Veilleux 2005, 2006, 2007). 2) Periodic maintenance of permanent wildlife openings with prescribed fire would cause minimal disturbance to bats, as this activity occurs when bats are migrating between winter hibernacula and summer roost sites. Other types of prescribed fire that occur later in the season when bats might be present could cause some temporary disturbance to roosting bats. Smoke could directly affect a roosting bat if it was in or near the burn area by 210

211 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment displacing an individual or causing direct mortality. Effects would be of minimal duration as the fire would last less than one day. 3) The implementation of Forest Plan standards and guidelines (Forest Plan, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2) to maintain a diversity of habitat conditions welldistributed across the Forest, reserve large wildlife trees, retain standing dead trees where possible, and maintain riparian habitats in areas managed for vegetation should ensure that high quality summer habitat is maintained for eastern small-footed myotis to find adequate food, cover, roost sites, water, and other needs to survive and successfully reproduce on the Forest. 4) Forest staff are working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife agencies to monitor the occurrence and distribution of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) and to obtain new information as it develops. Until more is known about WNS, the Forest will continue to manage for high quality habitat for bats (USDA Forest Service 2008d). Northern bog lemming The No Action alternative would have no impact on northern bog lemming. Both action alternatives may impact individual northern bog lemmings, but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) Northern bog lemmings are extremely rare in New England. The likelihood of an individual occurring in the project area or cumulative effects analysis area is considered low. 2) Identifiable riparian habitat or wet areas are usually protected minimizing the risk of disturbing an individual northern bog lemming or associated habitat (Forest Plan, Chapter 2). 3) The implementation of Forest Plan standards and guidelines (Forest Plan, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2) to maintain a diversity of habitat conditions well-distributed across the Forest should ensure that adequate habitat is maintained for northern bog lemming. 4) State guidelines (< provide sustainable management recommendations to private landowners managing their lands for timber. These guidelines should provide protection for wetlands on private lands for habitat that might be used by northern bog lemming. American peregrine falcon The No Action alternative would have no impact on American peregrine falcon. Both action alternatives may have a beneficial impact on individual peregrine falcons by diversifying the prey base in the area. Rationale 1) There are no active or historical eyrie sites in the project area. There are two active peregrine falcon eyries on private land within five miles of the project area. 211

212 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 2) The implementation of Forest Plan standards and guidelines (Forest Plan, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2) to maintain a diversity of habitat conditions welldistributed across the Forest may increase availability of different types of prey for this species over time and ensure that a suitable prey base is available for falcons should they occupy the cliff sites in the future. Some types of harvest on private land also might diversify the prey base for this species. 3) Occupied eyries have increased on or near Forest lands in Maine and have successfully fledged young. 4) The level of timber harvest and associated activities that have occurred on the Forest and adjacent private lands in this area have not had an adverse effect on occupancy and nesting of peregrine falcons in the area. Brown s Ameletus mayfly and Third Ameletus mayfly The No Action alternative would have no impact on Brown s Ameletus mayfly or Third ameletus mayfly. All action alternatives may impact individual Brown s Ameletus mayfly and Third Ameletus mayfly but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) Ameletus tertius may occur in larger perennial streams in the project area. Ameletus browni would occur in the upper faster moving, colder upper headwater streams in the project area. 2) Adding wood to streams under both action alternatives is expected to increase the vegetative cover and the amount of dead and dying material contained in the stream as wood created debris dams collect leaf litter and other vegetative material. This would increase the amount of forage material for both species over the long term. 3) The implementation of Forest Plan standards and guidelines (Forest Plan, Chapter 2) protects perennial streams from increased sedimentation by maintaining a 25-foot no-harvest buffer, a wider Riparian Management Zone with limited harvest, and by following appropriate soil and water conservation measures. 4) The State of Maine (< also provides guidelines to private landowners to protect wetlands. Bailey s sedge The No Action alternative would have no impact on Bailey s sedge. All action alternatives may impact undiscovered individual plants of Bailey s sedge but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) There are three records of Bailey s sedge on the Forest; one historic and one current in NH, and one undocumented observation in ME. None of these locations are in the project area. The likelihood of this species occurring in the project area is low. Plant surveys that occurred at various times of the year did not identify this species in the project area. 212

213 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 2) Past, present, and future timber harvests, road and landing construction and re-construction, as well as ongoing maintenance of existing roads in the cumulative effects analysis area may have negatively affected Bailey s sedge by displacing individuals, but also may have benefited this species by maintaining disturbed habitats, which it favors. 3) Forest Plan standards and guidelines maintain a diversity of habitats (Forest Plan, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2) and protect wetlands (Forest Plan, Chapter 2). Roadside ditches, log landings, and wildlife openings would continue to provide potential suitable habitat for this species. 4) The State of Maine also provides guidelines to private landowners to protect riparian habitats. (< Autumn coralroot The No Action alternative would have no impact on Autumn coralroot. All action alternatives may impact undiscovered individual plants but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability for Autumn coralroot. Rationale 1) The WMNF is on the northern edge of the range for autumn coralroot and the Four Ponds project area may be outside of its range. 2) Autumn coralroot is considered rare in New England, so the potential for it to occur in the project area is low. 3) Heavy equipment use in the snow-free season in suitable habitat could impact individuals. 4) This species is tolerant of disturbance and has been recorded in an area with selective harvest. 5) Forest Plan standards and guidelines maintain a diversity of habitats across the Forest, which should maintain adequate habitat for autumn coralroot (Forest Plan, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2). Northern Adder stongue The No Action alternative would have no impact on Adder s tongue. Both action alternatives may impact undiscovered individual Northern Adder s-tongue but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) Suitable habitat does exist in multiple locations in the project area, primarily along overgrown skid trails, wildlife openings, log landings, and portions of the margins of Forest Roads. This species has never been documented in the project area. Plant surveys in the project area did not discover any new populations (USDA Forest Service 2005f; USDA Forest Service 2009d; MNAP 2007). 2) Roadside ditches, log landings, and permanent wildlife openings would continue to provide suitable habitat for this species. 213

214 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Broadleaf twayblade and Heartleaf twayblade The No Action alternative would have no impact on broadleaf twayblade and heartleaf twayblade. Both action alternatives may impact undiscovered individual plants of broadleaf twayblade and heartleaf twayblade but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) The likelihood of these species occurring in the project area is low. The project area was searched by qualified individuals at an appropriate time of year to identify this species. No individuals were located. Small pockets of un-surveyed habitat may occur in the project area. 2) Identifiable vernal pools and seeps are usually excluded from the project area, minimizing the risk of disturbing individual plants or associated habitat 3) Forest Plan standards and guidelines protect wetland habitats, including springs and vernal pools (Forest Plan, Chapter 2) and northern white cedar seepage forests (Forest Plan, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3). 4) Forest Plan standards and guidelines (Forest Plan, Chapter 2) protect perennial streams from increased sedimentation by maintaining a 25-foot no-harvest buffer, a wider Riparian Management Zone with limited harvest, and by following appropriate soil and water conservation measures. 5) The State of Maine also provides guidelines to private landowners to protect riparian habitats. (< Sweet coltsfoot The No Action alternative would have no impact on sweet coltsfoot. Both action alternatives may impact undiscovered individual plants of sweet coltsfoot but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) There are no documented occurrences of this species in the Maine portion of the WMNF (MNAP 2007) and no individuals were discovered in project surveys (USDA Forest Service 2009d). It is possible that the small stature of this species and the discreet nature of some habitat locations may have caused it to be overlooked. 2) Most large and significant cedar areas have been reserved from treatment, but some of the small cedar seepage forests occur within stands to be treated. 3) Forest Plan standards and guidelines protect wetlands (Forest Plan, Chapter 2) and northern white cedar seepage forests (Forest Plan, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3). 4) The State of Maine also provides guidelines to private landowners to protect riparian habitats. (< 214

215 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Canada mountain ricegrass The No Action alternative would have no impact on Canada mountain ricegrass. Both action alternatives may impact undiscovered individual plants of Canada mountain ricegrass but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) There are no documented occurrences of this species in the Maine portion of the WMNF (MNAP 2007) and no individuals were discovered in project surveys (USDA Forest Service 2009d). 2) Past, present, and future timber harvests, road and landing construction and re-construction, as well as ongoing maintenance of existing roads in the cumulative effects analysis area may have negatively affected Canada mountain ricegrass by displacing individuals, but also may have benefited this species by maintaining disturbed habitats, which it favors. Nodding pogonia The No Action alternative would have no impact on nodding pogonia. Both action alternatives may impact undiscovered individual plants of Nodding pogonia but would not likely cause a trend to federal listing or loss of viability. Rationale 1) The area was surveyed by a qualified individual but at a time of year when this species may already have gone dormant (unpublished WMNF data). No individual plants were observed during survey efforts, but it is possible this species may occur in or adjacent to some stands in the project area. 2) Suitable habitat will still exist in the project area after completion of harvest activities. 215

216 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 3.18 Species and Habitats of Concern There are four types of habitat of concern: 1) outstanding natural communities; 2) vernal pools/seeps; 3) bear-clawed beech trees; and 4) deer wintering areas (deer yards); there is one group of species of concern: bats. Measuring the Effects to Species and Habitats of Concern The relevant element of measure for Habitats of Concern is changes to habitat or wildlife species. The element of measure for Species of Concern (bats) is changes to summer roosting habitat and foraging habitat. The project area and temporal scope for direct, indirect and cumulative effects are the same as for Wildlife (Section 3.16). Outstanding Natural Communities Affected Environment Field surveys found pockets of northern white cedar seepage forest scattered throughout the project area (USDA Forest Service 2005f and 2009d; Mattrick 2009). These areas ranged in size from one-quarter acre to many acres. This community type is designated as an outstanding natural community in the Forest Plan (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3,). The larger areas of this community type have been reserved from any type of management. No other previously unknown unique or outstanding natural communities were found during these surveys (Mattrick 2009). A review and field analysis by Maine Natural Areas Program verified one exemplary natural community in the project area, a 70-acre oak stand adjacent to Patte Hill (MNAP 2008). Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 The No Action alternative would have no direct or indirect effects on outstanding natural communities. Alternatives 2 and 3 There would be no direct effects to the larger areas of northern cedar seepage forest or the Patte Hill exemplary natural community, as they are not being actively managed (Mattrick 2009). Selective timber harvest would occur adjacent to these areas. Other project activities that also would occur adjacent to the Patte Hill oak community include gravel pit development under Alternative 2 and maintenance of an expanded permanent wildlife opening (three acres to eight acres) through prescribed fire under Alternative 3. A design feature would provide a buffer between the proposed gravel development area and the exemplary community (under Alternative 2) and the wildlife opening expansion (Alternative 3). It is not anticipated that any of the activities proposed in the Four Ponds project would have any lasting or negative effects on any outstanding or exemplary natural community types (Mattrick 2009). 216

217 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Small patches of northern white cedar seepage cedar forest in the Project Area have been identified and would be avoided during project activities including timber harvest, skidding to landing sites, and relocation of trails; however unidentified patches of these areas may be affected. Ruts and excessive slash in unknown small patches of northern white cedar seepage forest could change hydrologic characteristics causing them to dry up or increase siltation. The proposed watershed restoration projects, recreation proposals, and prescribed fire in oak-pine areas and on top of Farwell Mountain would have no effect on any natural communities since none exist in or adjacent to these areas. Cumulative Effects Past, proposed, and future project activities, including timber harvest, skid trail layout, and trail relocations, could impact small unidentified northern white cedar seepage forests by skidding through or dropping slash in or near these areas, which could change their hydrologic characteristics. Timber harvest operations and associated landing and road construction on private lands may result in the loss of outstanding natural communities, including northern white cedar seepage forest, within the analysis area, but the action alternatives would not contribute to that loss. Potential effects to northern white cedar seepage forests are minimized by implementing Forest Plan standards and guidelines to protect this community type as an outstanding natural community (Forest Plan, Chapter 2). Smaller wetland areas are protected through Forest Plan standards and guidelines (Forest Plan, Chapter 2). Vernal Pools/Seeps Affected Environment Vernal pools are valuable habitat to certain species of amphibians and reptiles; seeps provide a source of water for wildlife during winter months, as well as providing habitat for rare plants (Calhoun and demaynadier 2004). Seeps are often valuable habitat for certain plants and provide a source of water and food for a variety of wildlife (Flatebo et al. 1999). Seeps and vernal pools most likely would form in low lying areas with compacted sediments or underlying ledge where drainage is poor. During field visits by White Mountain staff, wet seep areas and vernal pools were identified throughout the project area. Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 The No Action alternative would have no direct or indirect effects on vernal pools or seeps. Alternatives 2 and 3 There could be direct and indirect effects from Alternatives 2 and 3. Known vernal pools and seeps would be protected during project activities, including timber harvest, skidding to landing sites, and relocation of trails; however, unidentified vernal pools and seeps may be affected. Ruts and excessive slash in or near a vernal pools and seeps could change hydrologic characteristics, 217

218 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Figure A vernal pool located in a hemlock stand that would be protected under Forest Plan guidelines. causing them to dry up, interfere with migration of amphibians to vernal pools, or increase siltation. This could adversely affect available breeding habitat for some species of amphibians and reduce the habitat quality of seeps for wildlife and plants (Flatebo et al. 1999). Abandoning a section of the Albany Notch hiking trail that intersects wet, seepy areas and relocating the Crocker Pond and Sunken Pond Bypass snowmobile trails away from wet seeps would be beneficial. The proposed watershed improvement projects, campsite re-configurations, gravel pit development, and maintenance of permanent wildlife openings would have no effect on vernal pools and seeps since none exist in those areas. It is unlikely that units to be treated with prescribed fire would affect seeps or vernal pools as most of these units are dry. However, if an unidentified seep or vernal pool occurred in a burn unit, staff experience on the White Mountain National Forest has found that prescribed fire is unlikely to burn through this habitat. The ongoing restoration or reconstruction of roads would not affect vernal pools as these facilities are already in place. Cumulative Effects Past, proposed, and future project activities, including timber harvest, skid trail layout and trail relocations, could impact unidentified vernal pools and seeps by skidding through or dropping slash in or near these areas, which could change their hydrologic characteristics. Timber harvest operations and associated landing and road construction on private lands may result in the loss of vernal pools and seeps within the analysis area, but the action alternatives would not contribute to that loss. 218

219 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Potential effects to vernal pools are minimized by implementing Forest Plan standards and guidelines. The Forest Plan requires a 25 no-harvest buffer around naturally-occurring vernal pools and seeps; further protection is given by requiring an additional 75-foot Riparian Management Zone with limited harvest; and, finally, slash should not be left in vernal pools and vernal pools should not be altered during skidding or construction. Any vernal pools and seeps identified in the Four Ponds project area will be protected (Forest Plan; FEIS). Bear-clawed Beech Trees Affected Environment Black bear forage in a variety of habitats to obtain a source of green vegetation in the spring, berries and insects during the summer, and hard mast, such as acorns or beechnuts, during the fall (Rogers and Allen 1987). The project area contains a component of beech, which is the one of two trees that produces hard mast in this area. Oak also provides a source of hard mast in the project area. Many other species also rely on hard mast as a high quality food source (DeGraaf et al. 2006, p 83). Concentrations of bear-clawed beech are considered an important habitat feature for black bear and other species that rely on hard mast as a high-quality food source. Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 Alternative 1 would have no direct or indirect effects on bear-clawed beech trees. Alternatives 2 and 3 Both alternatives could directly affect bears feeding in beech trees during the fall. All stands proposed for harvest have potential for a fall harvest season, including areas where bears might be present. Most likely, bears would be temporarily displaced during active harvest operations, moving to nearby hardwood stands until harvesting activities end. Operation of the gravel pit during the fall might temporarily displace a bear from the area, but because it would only operate for short periods of time and because of its small size (approximately two acres), the effects to potential habitat would be minimal. Both alternatives could result in a slight reduction in fall foraging habitat through the removal or loss of some bear-clawed beech trees from proposed timber harvest, cutting trees to add wood to streams, or relocating snowmobile trails. Reserving bear-clawed beech trees would minimize this effect. Fall foraging habitat is likely available in the abundant mature northern hardwoods habitat in the Albany HMU outside of proposed harvest areas, so no measurable effects to this habitat is anticipated. It is unlikely that other proposed activities under the action alternatives would affect bear clawed beech trees. 219

220 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Cumulative Effects Albany HMU has an abundance of mature northern hardwoods and mixedwood intermixed with oak-pine, which will continue to provide a source of hard mast for wildlife including black bear. Cumulatively, past, present, and future timber harvest may have resulted, or could result, in some loss of bearclawed beech trees within this HMU. Project design features on National Forest lands would reserve bear-clawed beech trees where possible. It is unknown to what extent bear-clawed beech trees have been affected by timber operations or residential development on private lands in the analysis area, but there has likely been some loss of these trees with more likely to happen due to future harvest and development. Deer Wintering Areas (DWA) Affected Environment The State of Maine recommends managing deer wintering habitat by interspersing mature softwoods with small openings to perpetuate critical softwood cover, maintaining high quality browse production, and ensuring deer mobility throughout an area during the harsh winter months (MDIFW 2009, Draft Guidelines). Providing good thermal cover and travel ways through the DWA are the most important components. Winter food from browse may be helpful but does not maintain deer through the winter. Hemlock, cedar, and litter-fall from fir and lichen provide key winter browse. Herbaceous plants that would provide early spring foods also are important (MDIFW 2009, Draft Guidelines). The Harriman Brook Deer Wintering Area is the largest documented deeryard within the project area (USDA Forest Service 1978). Softwood cover is provided primarily by hemlock interspersed with spruce, balsam fir, and pine. Some small historical pocket yards also occur in the area near Donahue Fields and Round Pond (USDA Forest Service, 1978). In the late 1970s, approximately 100 deer were wintering in the Harriman DWA; in the early 2000s, approximately 15 deer were observed wintering there (Field Notes, Project File). Severe winters in 2007 and 2008 resulted in a decline in deer numbers across the State of Maine. In the past two years, no deer have been observed wintering in the Harriman Brook, Sunken Pond, or Round Pond DWAs (Field Notes, Project File). The Harriman DWA encompasses approximately 800 acres. Approximately 200 acres are in primary winter cover for deer (greater than 70 percent canopy closure) and 300 acres are in secondary winter cover (50 70 percent canopy closure). The rest of the area is hardwoods and mixedwood habitat. Very little browse habitat is available within or adjacent to the deer wintering area. Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 Alternative 1 would have no direct or indirect effects on existing deer wintering habitat in the project area. There would be no opportunity to increase winter browse or availability of early spring food. Ongoing maintenance of the existing permanent wildlife openings in and adjacent to the Harriman DWA would continue to provide a source of early spring food. 220

221 Tex t Text Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Map 4: Harriman Brook Deer Yard Harriman Brook Deer Wintering Area, Albany TWP, Maine. Patte Mill Brook Rd Harriman Brook 0 Harriman Brook Rd Mason Tract Patte Brook Harriman Brook Spur B Sunken Pond Rd Crocker Pond Rd Legend road_routes snowmobile_trails_83 existing_4_ponds_wlos HarrimanDWA_Streams HarrimanDWA_reserves Harriman_Secondary_cover Harriman_Primary_cover HarrimanBrook_DWA wm_waterbodies Miles Alternatives 2 and 3 There would be minimal to no direct effects on white-tailed deer as few deer have been observed wintering in this area in recent years. If any deer are wintering in the cumulative effects analysis area, they may be attracted to recently harvested areas to feed on downed tree tops and limbs. The State of Maine recommends that more than 50 percent of a DWA be in primary or secondary cover (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) 2009). More than 50 percent of the Harriman DWA meets this goal (Table ) with hemlock being the primary cover species. Hemlock provides the best winter cover for deer (Reay 1999). Under both action alternatives, approximately 60 percent of the areas providing cover would receive some type of treatment. Most of the treatments (primarily group selection) would occur in secondary cover. It is likely that treated areas would continue to provide secondary cover, although there would likely be some loss of cover value in these areas. Minimizing size of groups and skid trail widths should minimize the loss of cover, as well as encouraging softwood regeneration. The development of a softwood understory in areas that provide cover would increase protection for wintering deer by providing a wind break. Past agricultural practices in this area have resulted in some dense hemlock stands growing on sites that 221

222 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District favor hardwood species. Harvest treatment in these areas might result in hardwood regeneration that could out-compete softwood regeneration. Over time, this could reduce the cover value of these areas for wintering deer. Snow-free harvests in these areas might reduce this effect by scarifying soils and favoring hemlock regeneration. Small groups and narrow skid trails also might reduce the potential for this effect. A travel corridor would be maintained through the core of the yard, as most of the stands adjacent to the main stem of Harriman Brook are not identified for harvest. Under both alternatives, hardwood browse would be created adjacent to the Harriman DWA cover areas, including five patch cuts ranging from four to eight acres for a total of 32 acres, a 23 acre clearcut, and an expansion of the Harriman Brook Wildlife Opening from three to 14 acres. These treatments would result in increased winter browse from regeneration of trees and shrubs. Over time, ongoing maintenance of the expanded PWO, as well as re-growth on roads once they are closed after harvest operations, would increase herbaceous plants in and adjacent to the DWA, providing a source of early spring food. Table Harriman Brook Deer Wintering Area Cover Value Primary Cover Hemlock/spruce-fir/cedar Secondary Cover Hemlock/spruce-fir/mixedwood Non-cover Hardwood/oak/pine/wildlife openings Existing (approximate acres) Action Alternatives (acres and % of cover type) 200 acres 46 acres (23%) group selection 300 acres 254 acres (89%) group selection and shelterwood 300 acres 11 acres(1%) WLO 32 acres (11%) patchcut 23 acres (8%) clearcut 83 acres (28%) group selection 35 acres (12%) shelterwood The proposed relocation of the snowmobile trail from Patte Mill Brook Road to the Sunken Pond Bypass route might cause some minor disturbance to deer wintering in the Harriman Brook DWA should deer start to reoccupy this yard. While the proposed snowmobile reroute is not in the deer wintering area, it would pass closer to the yard than the current location. The proposed relocation of the Crocker Pond snowmobile trail is close to its present location and would not likely result in any increased disturbance to deer wintering in the area. Two unauthorized roads existing in the Harriman DWA would be classified, but this would have no effect on the existing habitat conditions. One of the roads would be restored for use to haul timber during active harvest operations. Proposed treatments in the historic Round Pond pocket yard would favor softwood regeneration using non-commercial treatments. Over time, the winter cover value of this area would increase. A large area of dense hemlock which would likely provide primary cover would be reserved in the vicinity of the historic Donahue deer wintering area. Harvesting surrounding these pocket yards also would create hardwood browse Other proposed projects would have no direct or indirect effects on deer wintering areas as they do not occur in these areas or would occur during the 222

223 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Bats non-winter season. These include road reconstruction, road restoration, campsite re-configurations, abandoning a section of the Albany Notch hiking trail, watershed restoration projects, prescribed fire, gravel pit development, and creation of the Albany Brook ADA trail. Cumulative Effects The Forest Plan contains guidelines that would ensure deer wintering habitat is maintained Forest-wide. Any individual or group selection harvests on private lands in the analysis area in hemlock, spruce-fire, or mixedwood stands would enhance deer wintering habitat. However, even-aged harvest in softwood or mixedwood on private lands could diminish the amount of wintering habitat available to white-tailed deer. Past, present, and future harvests on National Forest land in the analysis area have a goal of increasing spruce-fir habitat and maintaining existing hemlock on the Forest, releasing existing spruce-fir and hemlock understory in softwood and mixedwood habitats intermixed with pockets of browse. All of these actions would benefit deer wintering habitat. Group selection harvest is emphasized in deer wintering areas on the Forest to provide cover intermixed with pockets of browse (Forest Plan). As a result, harvest proposed under both alternatives in the deer yard should not add to any negative effects that might occur on private land. All other proposed activities and ongoing maintenance activities would not affect deer wintering habitat. Affected Environment Several woodland bat species have been recorded across the Forest during bat surveys in the early 1990s and 2000s (Krusic et al. 1996; Sasse 1995; Chenger 2002, 2004). Recent bat surveys across the Forest also recorded several species of bats including little brown bat, big brown or silver-haired bat, red bat, and hoary bats (USDA Forest Service 2009g). White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a new condition recently found in northeastern bats (USDA Forest Service 2008d) that potentially could affect woodland bat species occurring in the project area. Bat species that have been affected by WNS include little brown bat, northern long eared bat, eastern small-footed myotis, and eastern pipistrelle. These bat species commonly roost in trees (most often snags and partially dead trees near foraging habitat) or buildings. Affected bats may have a white fungus on their noses and occasionally other hairless parts of their bodies, including arms, wings, and ears (< The exact cause of WNS is still being investigated, but it has been associated with high mortality rates at some sites. WNS was first identified in 2006, and has since been confirmed in hibernating bats in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and New Hamsphire (Turner and Reeder 2009). The Northeast Region of the USFWS is maintaining a web site on WNS with some 223

224 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District of the most recent scientific information on this syndrome (< northeast/white_nose.html>). The vast majority of bats with WNS have been found during the winter in caves where the bats hibernate. No bat hibernacula are known to exist on the WMNF, although there are several small ones throughout New Hampshire. To date, no confirmed cases of WNS have been found on or near the WMNF or in Maine. However, there have been some reports of WNS in New Hampshire (see above USFWS website). At this time, the only recommendations developed by the USFWS and their partners are aimed at preventing the spread of WNS. Efforts focus on human visitation or research in affected hibernacula, human visitation between affected and unaffected caves and mines, and human handling of affected bats (see above USFWS website for details). Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 The No Action alternative would have no direct or indirect effects on summer roosting habitat. There would be a lost opportunity to increase foraging habitat for bats as roads would not be re-opened and new openings would not be created. Alternatives 2 and 3 Proposed summer/fall harvests under both alternatives could disturb individuals bats if they were occupying a roost tree that was cut. Winter harvests would not disturb roosting bats as they would have left the Forest for their winter hibernacula (usually a cave or old mine site). Harvest during any season could remove suitable roost trees. Under both action alternatives, approximately 3,000 acres of the proposed harvest could occur in the summer/fall season. Other proposed projects under both action alternatives that might result in a small number of trees being cut in the non-hibernation season include gravel pit construction, the stream portion of the watershed project, establishing new campsites, widening the parking areas at Crocker Pond Campground, creating a new trail corridor for a portion of the Crocker and Sunken Sunken Pond snowmobile trails, and road construction. Despite potential for summer or fall harvest, the likelihood of disturbance of individual bats and loss of summer bat roosting habitat from timber harvest proposed under either action alternative is minimal for several reasons. First, most of the common woodland bats that summer roost in trees prefer to use snags (Sasse 1995). Forest Plan standards and guidelines protect snags and retain wildlife trees to minimize the potential loss of roost habitat (USFWS 2005; USDA Forest Service 2008d). Second, approximately 90 percent of the area proposed for harvest under either action alternative has uneven-aged or intermediate harvests where only 20 to 30 percent of the mature trees would be cut. This would leave 70 to 80 percent of the mature trees in a stand unharvested and available as roosting habitat. Third, about 30 percent of the MA 2.1 lands in the Albany HMU ( approximately 3,000 acres of 10,000 acres total in MA 2.1) are proposed for harvest at this time, leaving mature forest available as bat roosting habitat. Upon completion of harvesting, the residual stand condition of most harvest units (except those proposed for clearcuts, patch cuts, and 224

225 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment wildlife opening expansion), as well as surrounding forest in the HMU, would still retain adequate numbers of live and dead trees that could provide roosting habitat for bats. Finally, some of the proposed harvests may benefit bats by enhancing roosting habitat and increasing foraging habitat. Proposed selective and intermediate harvests in the project area may benefit roosting bats because potential roost trees in these areas may be exposed to more sun. Bats oftentimes select roost sites in open areas that receive ample solar radiation (Sasse 1995). Some bat species rely on solar radiation to help keep warm (e.g. bats are often found in home attics or in snags in openings where they are exposed to direct sunlight for much of the day). Much of the forest habitat proposed for harvest in the Four Ponds project area has a closed canopy and would not provide suitable roosting habitat sites for bats seeking a site that is exposed to the sun. Additionally, some of the activities proposed under both action alternatives (clearcuts, expanding and maintaining permanent wildlife openings, gravel pit development, and reconstruction or restoration of roads, landings and trails) would benefit woodland bats by providing additional food sources. Research on the WMNF has found that bats often forage near water bodies, trails, roads, and forest openings (Krusic et al. 1996), presumably because insect prey may be more abundant in open habitats and maneuvering in the air is easier. Cumulative Effects Past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future timber harvest and other project activities that cut trees could disturb individual bats that summer roost in trees, could cause a loss of potential summer roosting habitat, and could result in an increase in foraging habitat where openings are created or roads or trails are opened up. The potential for disturbance of individual bats, or loss of potential summer roosting habitat from timber harvest or other activities that harvest trees in the cumulative effects analysis area, would be minimal for the following reasons: Forest Plan standards and guidelines protect snags and wildlife trees (although there may be a greater loss of potential roost trees on private lands where harvest may not follow the same guidelines); bats seek summer roost sites in more open habitat that has ample solar radiation and most of the proposed harvest units are in closed canopy forest; a large portion of mature trees are left in harvest units with intermediate or uneven-aged harvests that are providing, or could provide, summer roost habitat for bats, especially if an area has been opened up by timber harvest; and only a percentage of the Albany HMU as well as the forest on private land are harvested at one time. WNS has been confirmed in southern New Hampshire. Given the limited potential for impacts to roosting bats and large amount of roosting and foraging habitat that will remain in the area, cumulative effects from this project should not substantially impact any bat species. There are many unknowns about WNS, although more is being learned every day. The Forest is very concerned about White Nose Syndrome in bats. We are in close communication with the USFWS, the lead agency for WNS, because of the potential effects to federally listed bats elsewhere. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is working in close cooperation with the states and many university and research laboratories to identify the cause and possible mechanisms in which WNS may be spread. The Forest will 225

226 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District follow the lead of the USFWS and take appropriate action as needed. Currently, it is difficult to predict what the potential threats might be to bat populations on the Forest and there are no known strategies to limit the spread of this disease except at hibernacula. 226

227 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Chapter 4 Preparation and Consultation Interdisciplinary Team Members and Forest Service Contacts The following individuals participated in development of the proposed action, connected actions, and other proposed activities and all alternatives, and the subse quent analysis necessary to prepare the environmental assessment. Interdisciplinary Team (IDT): Katherine Stuart... District Ranger Gail Wigler...Forester, IDT Leader Lesley Rowse... District Wildlife Biologist Jeffrey Williams...Assistant District Ranger Forest Management/District Silviculturist Robert Colter...Forest Soil Scientist Sheela Johnson...Forest Hydrologist Tom Moore...District Recreation Planner Mark Prout... Forest Fisheries Biologist Ken Allen... Forest Landscape Architect Terry Fifield...Forest Archeologist Chris O Brien...Forest Fire Technician and Cultural resource para-professional Jay Sylvester... Forest Engineer Chris Mattrick...Forest Botanist Forest Service Personnel consulted for professional and technical assistance: Reginald Gilbert...District Timber Sale Administrator Dave Neely... Assistant District Ranger Recreation Randy Harrington... District Forest Technician Jay Milot...Forest Fisheries Technician Ralph Perron... Air Quality Specialist, Green Mountain, Finger Lakes, White Mountain and Alleghany National Forests Trent Wickham.Air Resource Management, Great Lakes National Forests Eastern Region Erin Small...Forest Fire Planner Richard Dow... Forest Writer/Editor and Webmaster Stacy Lemieux... Forest Planner and NEPA Coordinator 227

228 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Other Agencies and Individuals Contacted for Professional and Technical Assistance Francis Brautigan.Fisheries Biologist, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Scott Lindsay... Wildlife Biologist, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Don Cameron...Maine Natural Areas Program Arthur Spiess...Senior Archaeologist, Maine Historic Preservation Commission Erle Townsend... Maine Land Use Regulatory Commission 228

229 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Appendix A: Project Maps Appendices Appendix B: Proposed Stands Appendix C: Response to Comments Appendix D: Literature Cited Appendeix E: Glossary 229

230 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Appendix A Project Maps 230

231 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 231

232 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 232

233 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 233

234 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 234

235 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 235

236 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 236

237 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 237

238 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 238

239 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Appendix B Alternatives 2 and 3 Stand Treatments Appendix B Alternative 2 and 3: Stand Treatments Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) (6) hardwood 152 F/W softwood 131 F/W (4) softwood 152 F/W Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments (2) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain aspen component (3) mixedwood 152 F/W (6) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain mixedwoods hardwood 111 F/W hardwood 113 S/F/W (4) hardwood 152 F/W (12) hardwood 152 F/W Improve stand quality and encourage northern hardwood regeneration in groups. Manage for young softwood and aspen, non-commercial treatment. Release established regeneration and manage for mature softwood Regenerate aspen in southern portion of stand and groups for mixedwoods in northern portion Patch cut 9 acres for aspen and northern hardwood regeneration, non-commercial treatment. Regenerate paper birch, ice storm damage, non-commercial treatment. Merge softwood portion of stands 11, 12, 32, 33, and 16 and manage for softwoods. Merge northern hardwoods portions of stands 11, 12, 32, 33, and 34 and manage for hardwoods (17) hardwood 152 F/W Merge softwood portion of stands 11, 12, 32, 33 and 16 and manage for softwoods (11) hardwood 152 S/F/W Manage for northern hardwoods, potential for small patches for aspen regeneration (7) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain type hardwood 152 F/W Groups to manage for aspen/paper birch, non-commercial treatment to encourage paper birch/aspen regeneration (3) hardwood 152 F/W Merge northern hardwoods portions of stands 11, 12, 32, 239

240 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments 33, and 34 and manage for hardwoods (1) hardwood 152 F/W Merge northern hardwoods portions of stands 11, 12, 32, 33, and 34 and manage for hardwoods (1) hardwood 152 F/W Merge northern hardwoods of portion of stands 11, 12, 32, 33, and 34 and manage for hardwoods (2) mixedwood 152 F/W Manage for mixedwood (9) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain mixedwood (hemlock), and release softwood regeneration (7) hardwood 152 S/F/W Maintain northern hardwoods hardwood 131 S/F/W Maintain northern hardwoods (4) mixedwood 152 F/W Manage for mixedwoods (22) hardwood 141 S/F/W (4) mixedwood 152/220 F/W (18) mixedwood 141 S/F/W mixedwood 131 F/W (14) mixedwood 152 F/W Manage to maintain young softwood understory. Treat up to 50% of stand. Defer areas around cultural resource sites and mature hardwoods with no softwood understory. Manage for mixedwood (hemlock). Under Alternative 3 this stand will be commercially thinned. Manage to maintain young softwood understory. Treat up to 50% of stand. Midstory removal to increase softwood and oak regeneration Goal is to maintain mixedwood type. Ice storm damage. Harvest with Stand 4. Groups to release hemlock and sugar maple regeneration. Put small groups adjacent to hemlock inclusions hardwood 113 S/F/W Aspen-birch regeneration, non-commercial treatment (2) hardwood 152 S/F/W pine 121 F/W Manage to regenerate pine Groups to regenerate northern hardwoods. Non-commercial treatment to encourage oak and pine regeneration, 240

241 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments (1) mixedwood 152 F/W Manage for mixedwood. Non-commercial treatment (12) mixedwood 152 F/W mixedwood 113 F/W Maintain mixedwood type, encourage softwood and pine regeneration. Clearcut for northern hardwood regeneration, noncommercial treatment a 8 mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain mixedwood type with group selection (2) hardwood 152 F/W Manage for mixedwood type, encourage softwood regeneration pine/hemlock 131 F/W Manage with stand 32 and maintain type (5) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain mixedwood type hardwood 111 F/W Remove overstory to release young mixedwood and regenerate aspen. Ice storm damage to residual overstory, non-commercial treatment hardwood 111 F/W Maintain type, non-commercial treatment (1) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain type (1) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain type pine 131 F/W Combine with stand 14 to manage for pine Pine/hemlock 131 F/W Oak-pine 131 F/W Maintain type (8) mixedwood 152 S/F/W Harvest poor quality, diseased pine and maintain hemlock, non-commercial treatment Maintain type, combine northern hardwood portion with stand 12. Small groups to established softwood regeneration. Light harvest in between groups (2) mixedwood 152 S/F/W Maintain type. Non-commercial treatment (2) hardwood 152 F/W a 6 mixedwood 111 F/W Maintain type, paper birch component. Non-commercial treatments in groups to foster oak and softwoods. Merge with stand 63 and regenerate 11 acres of northern hardwoods, non-commercial treatment. 241

242 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments (6) mixedwood 152 F/W Manage for hemlock and perpetuate pine (6) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain type mixedwood 111 S/F/W Merge with stand 48 to regenerate northern hardwoods, reserve hemlock patches. Non-commercial treatment (7) hardwood 152 F/W Release softwood regeneration pine 131 F/W Maintain type (7) hardwood 111 S/F/W mixedwood 111 S/F/W Patch cut for northern hardwood regeneration for deer browse. Seven acres will be patchcut for inclusion into Harriman Brook permanent wildlife opening. Manage stands 4, 10, 11, and 78 for hardwood for patches. Noncommercial treatment Patchcut for inclusion into Harriman Brook permanent wildlife opening Spruce-fir 131 F/W Manage for spruce-fir and pine (8) hemlock 152 F/W Small groups to regenerate hemlock (4) mixedwood 111 S/F/W (7) hardwood 111 S/F/W Small patch cut for deer browse in northern portion of stand. Manage with stands 4, 11 and 78. Non-commercial treatment Patch cut for northern hardwood regeneration to create deer browse. Manage with stands 4, 10 and 78 to create additional patches for deer browse. Non-commercial treatment mixedwood 131 F/W Maintain as mixedwood type, release softwood regeneration (6) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain type (oak, ash, sugar maple, aspen, hemlock) hardwood 113 S/F/W Clearcut for northern hardwood regeneration, noncommercial treatment (6) hemlock 152 F/W Groups within hemlock for regeneration pine 131 F/W Manage for young pine 242

243 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments pine 131 F/W Manage for pine/oak, treat with stand (13) hemlock 152 F/W Place groups to improve growing conditions for young softwoods pine 131 F/W Maintain pine mixedwood 141 F/W Release young softwoods hardwood 141 F/W Release young trees in stand, non-commercial treatment (5) mixedwood 152 F/W pine 131 F/W (3) mixedwood/ hemlock 152 F/W Maintain type (3) hemlock 152 F/W Maintain type pine 131 F/W Release young trees in stand, non-commercial treatment. One acre will be cut and incorporated into permanent Donahue wildlife opening Maintain pine. 1.5 acres will be cut and incorporated into Donahue permanent wildlife Maintain type. Reserve hemlock inclusion in northern portion of stand pine/hemlock 131 F/W Maintain type pine 220 F/W Maintain forest health and type (7) hemlock 152 F/W Manage for hemlock type (5) hardwood 152 S/F/W pine 131 F/W Maintain pine (6) oak-pine 152 F/W Maintain type mixedwood 220 F/W (4) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain type (8) hemlock 152 F/W Manage for hemlock type. Manage for young oak/hardwoods/pine/hemlock, merge with western portion of stand 74. One acre will be incorporated into Round Pond Permanent wildlife opening Manage for oak and maintain softwoods. One acre will be incorporated into Round Pond Permanent wildlife opening 243

244 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments pine 131 F/W Maintain pine pine 131 F/W Maintain pine/oak, treat with stand (7) oak NCT S/F/W Non-commercial treatment (3) oak NCT S/F/W Non-commercial treatment (6) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain mixedwood (4) hemlock 152 F/W Maintain mixedwood (oak/hemlock) (6) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain mixedwood type hardwood 113 S/F/W Northern hardwood regeneration, non-commercial treatment a 10 mixedwood 131 F/W Merge western portion with stand 40 and treat with shelterwood to release young oak and pine (3) mixedwood 152 F/W Merge eastern portion with stand 22 and treat with groups to regenerate hemlock (8) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain oak-pine habitat (6) hardwood 111 S/F/W Patch cut for northern hardwood regeneration to create deer browse. Manage with stands 4, 10 and 11 to create additional patches. Non-commercial treatment (5) hardwood 152 S/F/W Release softwood in understory, manage with stands (3) mixedwood 152 F/W Release softwood in understory, manage with stands oak-pine 131 F/W Maintain type. Five acres will be patch cut for inclusion into Sunken Pond permanent wildlife opening under Alternative (5) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain mixedwood (2) mixedwood 152 F/W Manage for spruce-fir (3) mixedwood 152 F/W Release young understory (5) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain type and perpetuate pine mixedwood 131 F/W Maintain pine (4) hemlock 152 F/W Maintain hemlock. 244

245 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) mixedwood 141 F/W Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments mixedwood 131 F/W Manage for mixedwoods (2) oak-pine 152 F/W Maintain for oak-pine mixedwood 111 S/F/W (13) mixedwood 141 F/W Release spruce-fir regeneration, combined with stand 100. Non-commercial treatment to remove hardwood saplings Northern hardwood regeneration, non-commercial treatment. Release spruce-fir regeneration. Combine with stand 92. Non-commercial treatment to remove hardwood saplings (2) pine/hemlock 152 F/W Maintain hemlock (4) oak-pine 152 F/W Release regeneration-age softwoods, and treat oak-pine pine 131 F/W Manage for pine (2) oak-pine 152 F/W Maintain type (2) hardwood 152 F/W Manage for oak, non-commercial treatment (1) hardwood 152 F/W (2) hardwood 152 F/W mixedwood 131 F/W mixedwood 131 F/W Release young understory oak-pine 111 F/W Groups in areas where can release sugar maple seedlings, non-commercial treatment to encourage sugar maple and yellow birch. Release oak-pine, and spruce regeneration. Ice storm damage. Manage for mixedwood. Release mature oak-pine and softwood regeneration. Harvest diseased pine and release sugar maple and ash regeneration. Will be incorporated into Bell Mountain permanent wildlife opening (3) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain type, opportunities for aspen regeneration (3) hemlock 152/220 F/W Manage for hemlock, treat with stand 15. Under Alternative 3, this stand will be commercially thinned 245

246 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments (2) hardwood 152 S/F/W (5) mixedwood 152/220 S/F/W (4) hemlock 152 F/W (2) hardwood 152 S/F/W (6) mixedwood 152 F/W (4) hardwood 152 F/W hardwood 141 F/W Manage as young stand hardwood 152 F/W Group around paper birch to encourage regeneration, noncommercial treatment Release young hemlock in understory. Under Alternative 3, this stand will be commercially thinned to improve growth and vigor on residual trees. Manage for hemlock, non-commercial treatment to encourage hemlock regeneration in groups. Perpetuate hemlock, non-commercial treatment to encourage hemlock regeneration in groups. Maintain mixedwood type and improve growing conditions for spruce, hemlock, and oak regeneration. Release ash and sugar maple regeneration, non-commercial treatment in groups. Manage operable portions for oak and ash regeneration with group selection. A 5-acre patch cut would be placed in mature aspen to promote regeneration. Non-commercial treatment to promote aspen regeneration (1) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain type (4) mixedwood 152 S/F/W Manage for oak-pine and release existing regeneration mixedwood 111 S/F/W Will be incorporated into Bell Mountain permanent wildlife opening (2) mixedwood 152 F/W Release oak, pine, hemlock regeneration. Ice storm damage. Non-commercial treatment (3) mixedwood 152 S/F/W Maintain type. Manage for oak-pine. Non-commercial treatment oak-pine 131 F/W Maintain type and encourage oak-pine/hemlock regeneration pine 131 F/W Manage for pine. 246

247 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments pine 131 F/W Manage for pine (5) aspen-birch 152 F/W Manage for paper birch. Would create a patch cut for aspen/ birch regeneration. Remainder of stand would be treated with groups to maintain aspen/birch component (7) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain type and encourage oak and hemlock regeneration (2) hardwood 152 F/W Manage for softwoods (4) mixedwood 152 F/W Manage for hemlock (2) hardwood 152 F/W (2) oak 152 F/W Maintain type (2) hardwood 152 S/F/W Maintain type mixedwood NCT F/W Maintain high quality sugar maple, oak and ash. Areas of low stocking densities. Non-commercial treatment to encourage hemlock regeneration in groups (6) oak 152 F/W Maintain type (2) mixedwood 152 F/W Encourage paper birch regeneration (1) hardwood 152 F/W Manage for softwoods and paper birch (5) hardwood 152 F/W Manage for hardwoods (4) mixedwood 152 F/W Maintain type (2) hemlock 152/220 F/W (1) hemlock 152 F/W Maintain type (2) hemlock 152 F/W Maintain hemlock type. Under Alternative 3, this stand will be commercially thinned Maintain hemlock, non-commercial treatment to encourage hemlock regeneration in groups (3) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain type, and improve growing conditions for regeneration (3) hardwood 152 F/W Maintain type, and improve growing conditions for regeneration (1) mixedwood 152/220 F/W Manage for softwood. Under Alternative 3, this stand 247

248 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Mgmt (Management) (Clearcut >10 acres), 111 (Patchcut 2-10 acres), 152 (Group Selection < 2 acres) 220 (Commercial thinning), 121 (Shelterwood preparatory cut), 131 (Shelterwood seed cut) and 141 (Overstory Removal). NCT (Non-Commercial Treatment) - removal of trees <5 at diameter of breast height. SO (Season of Operation) - season of operation is S - Summer, F- Fall and W-Winter. Operations could begin early or extend beyond the normal season if ground conditions allow (i.e., ground is dry or frozen). Stands that have different prescriptions for Alternative 2 and 3 are bolded. Compartment Stand Stand Acres (Treated Acres) Forest Type Mgmt SO Objectives and Comments will be commercially thinned (2) hardwood 152 F/W Manage for mixedwood. 248

249 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Appendix C Response to Comments from the 30-day Public Comment Package We appreciate the time all respondents spent reviewing and commenting on the Four Ponds Integrated Management Project 30-day Public Comment Package. Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Each comment received during the 30-day comment period was reviewed to identify site specific issues and concerns related to this project. Comments and questions relevant to this site-specific analysis were considered in detail. Each comment or group of similar comments includes a response and where appropriate, identifies where supporting information can be located in the EA. Comments were reviewed by an Interdisciplinary Team and led to both minor modifications in Alternative 2 and the development of Alternative 3. Along with comments that are project-specific and helpful, some respondents asked questions or requested information not relevant to this project-level analysis. The Comment Period document asked for specific comments about the proposed action. Unrelated comments, rhetorical questions, and requests for information at a Forest-wide scale are not responded to in this document. Respondents who have Forest-level questions or concerns should contact the Forest separately with those concerns. Comments are organized into subject categories. Similar comments (issues) are given a single response. Comments are often summarized to narrow the discussion to the key point(s) and represent the gist of the concern. Where possible, the commenter is quoted directly. Readers are encouraged to follow up with references in this Appendix to obtain the full documentation and citations related to a given issue. In these instances the provided response is a shortened or summarized version, with additional detail located in the EA and/or Project File. This reduces redundancy and document length. The names of persons who responded to the 30 Day Public Comment Package for the Four Ponds Integrated Resource Project are listed here. Robert Gilbert Kenneth Zerbst Richard Hesslein Al Lovejoy Cameron Wake Kirk Siegel Pat Nasta Nancy Parker Celina Adams Serena Williams The Wilderness Society (Mary Kreuger) Forest Ecology Network (Jonathon Carter) Ray Ellis Jr. Lewis Parker Caroline Blair-Smith Andy Bartleet Robert Cavanaugh Center for Biological Diversity (Mollie Matteson) Frank Robey Greg Frangoulis Barbara Sachau James Pellerin Steve Wingate 249

250 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District All correspondence is filed and available for public inspection in the Four Ponds Integrated Management Project file located at the Androscoggin Ranger Station in Gorham, New Hampshire. Comments and responses are grouped by category as follows: 1. Project Support 9. Wildlife t 2. Project Planning 10. Prescribed Fire 3. Fish and Aquatic Habitats 11. Mapping 4. Recreation 12. Monitoring 5. Socio-Economic Assessmen 13. NEPA Process t 6. Soils 14. Forest Plan 7. Transportation System 15. Climate Change 8. Vegetation 16. Gravel Pit Development 1. Project Support 1. New Hampshire Timber Owner s Association is in support of the Four Ponds Forest Vegetation Management Project, Alternative 2. This Alternative achieves many goals highlighted in the new Forest Plan. This timber sale is important to the Regional and local economies. Vegetative management is a key tool identified in the Forest Plan to achieve the desired future condition on the various Habitat Management Units. It is important for forest visitors to understand the role of forest management in the maintenance of wildlife habitats, production of renewable resources, and storage of carbon. Signs should be place on road and trail locations where forest visitors will view management activities. This would help explain the values provided by the work. Also, this is a shared resource, managed in the best traditions of multiple use. (Wingate) Thank you for your support of Alternative A commenter supports Alternative 2. This individual sent an article on past railroad logging in the Wilde River area (Maine) and believes that any lands in the WMNF should be called Wild lands, not Wilderness. The wilderness ended with the extensive logging in the 1850 s thru (sic) approximately (Kavanaugh) Thank you for your support of Alternative 2 and the article on logging history in the Wild River area. 2. Project Planning 1. A commenter states that the projects should be implemented with gaps of time in between to allow recovery of the land and periods of undisturbed access by the public. (Nasta) About five or six timber sales would be generated from wildlife and vegetation proposals, of which one to three timber sales could be sold in a fiscal year. Should we offer multiple sales in one year, our intent is to spread these sales geographically across the Project Area. This would distribute the harvest area and road usage across a greater area. 250

251 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Most sales have a three year completion date; however it is difficult to predict when sales would be active during that three year period. Factors such as market conditions, weather, operator and equipment availability, operating season, and other timber sales owned by the purchaser all influence when a sale is active. Looking at harvest operations from past timber sales on the District, there are often long periods of inactivity, which allows the public undisturbed access. For the Farwell Mountain timber sale which is in the general vicinity of Four Ponds, during the three year sale contract period, active timber harvest operations occurred during 27% of the three year time period (see Section 3.11 Transportation). 3. Fish and Aquatic Habitat 1. A commenter stated that by not harvesting timber, the forest would recover and the Forest Service wouldn t have to add wood to streams. Down wood in streams would occur naturally as stands matured. (Robey) A commenter stated that the aquatic restoration program should be decoupled from vegetation management because the long-term benefits of the stream projects will be undone by the long term impacts of continued logging and the presence of roads. (CBD) The analysis for not harvesting timber and the effects to riparian and aquatic habitat is addressed by the No Action alternative. Small increases in large (>12 diameter) would occur naturally by not harvesting timber in the next decade. Downed wood > 12 in diameter is less abundant in mature stands compared to over-mature forest stands and it would be many decades before riparian stand decadence leads to large tree mortality. Though there would be a small input of wood naturally over time, the amount of in-stream wood would not be sufficient to address the issue of trying to maintain and restore cold water streams and create pool habitat for indigenous fish and other aquatic species planned under the 2005 Forest Plan (USDA Forest Service, 2005a). Maintaining and restoring wild brook trout habitat is not only a goal of the WMNF, but a goal for other conservation agencies (state and federal). In 2004, seventeen state agencies, five federal agencies, and numerous conservation organizations initiated a regional collaborative effort to maintain and restore native eastern brook trout populations throughout watersheds of its native range. A state by state assessment of the species status and threats to the future of populations was conducted for thousands of watersheds in the eastern U.S. In the state of New Hampshire, biologists identified the following threats to native brook trout and its habitats: sedimentation from roads, stream fragmentation from road culverts and dams, naturalization of non-native fish species such as rainbow trout, increases in stream temperatures, and reduced stream productivity from acid deposition. Stream habitat structure and water temperatures could improve dramatically in Miles Brook, East Branch of the Pleasant River, New England Brook, and Mosquito Pond Brook from wood additions. Trees dropped into stream channels would increase the amount of pool habitat and in-stream cover. The quality of this new habitat would increase each year for the first few 251

252 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District years as new pools scour and wood pieces stabilize in the channels. Aquatic productivity is expected to increase as observed in the Great Brook stream restoration project, where higher biomass of brook trout was found after wood additions (USDA Forest Service 2008a). Habitat diversity, increased overhead cover, deeper pools, is believed to be the reason for this increased productivity. We plan for a holistic, landscape approach to managing lands on the district. When we chose the northern portion of the Albany HMU as our Project Area, we looked at resources concerns in the area (i.e. wildlife, water, recreation, fisheries, soils, watershed) to determine if we could formulate integrated proposals to accomplish multiple Forest Service goals in one planning area. For example, how could vegetation management proposals meet not only economic goals, but wildlife recreation and watershed goals simultaneously? By integrating multiple projects into the Four Ponds project, it allows resource specialists to evaluate how all the projects interact when analyzing resource effects. A benefit of combining watershed and vegetation management projects is that there is one NEPA decision for multiple, integrated projects. Further, when we develop a timber sale contract, we can potentially use timber sale receipts to finance watershed restoration projects through stewardship contracts or KV funds. It may also allows us to link a watershed project to a timber sale and possibly have a purchaser accomplish the work since they have the equipment, knowledge of felling trees, and doing road restoration work. 2. A commenter states that the Four Ponds Project area includes many wetlands and ponds that are covered under Maine s Natural Resources Protection Act. He questions if we were in touch with Maine DEP and will be staying out of these places? (Robey) Unincorporated lands within the State of Maine are under the jurisdiction of the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC). We sent both the Augusta and Rangeley offices our proposal and received correspondence that stated, The Resource Protection Plan (the Forest Plan) for the National Forest says you can do all the stuff you have planned, so LURC has no objections/comments on the proposal. (E. Townsend 2009) 3. A commenter stated that increasing obstructions in stream will help the fish. Fish need a place to hide from predators and those areas can hold feed. When you fish a stream you look for these obstructions because you know that they will hold fish. (Gilbert) Thank you for your comment. 4. Recreation 1. A commenter would like to keep the Albany Notch Trail to access and view beaver habitat. He suggested some trail relocation, above and below the pond area, to avoid excessively wet spots as well as posting the area against trapping and perhaps hunting within a reasonable area. (Hesslein) 252

253 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment This existing trail location is not conducive for long term trail sustainability and would be removed from the Forest trails database; however informal access would remain available. It is not feasible to construct new trail around the beaver complex since it is a dynamic system and we cannot be assured that a new trail location would also not flood. Access to Albany Mountain is still available by using the Albany Notch Spur trail (see Section 3.6 Recreation). Hunting and trapping within this area is regulated by the State of Maine. Posting No Hunting or No Trapping signs is outside the scope of this project. It is recommended however, that the commenter discuss beaver hunting and trapping concerns with the State of Maine. 2. A commenter states that at Patte Marsh Dam Campsite there is a potential conflict of somebody camping by the dam and hindering a person wanting to launch a canoe or boat. By moving the site it would take away the possibility of conflict between two parties. The Broken Bridge Pond Campsite was designed for boat launching only and over time people started using it for camping. Again if people have their camp set up it is about impossible to launch anything for a watercraft. At Site 10 Campsite, if people can t take care of the site then only foot traffic might help. At Crocker Pond Campground, people are already camping in areas that are not official so you might as well make them a legal site. (Gilbert) Thank you for your comments. 5. Socio-Economic 1. A commenter states that economic and social concerns must be thoroughly analyzed and disclosed for the Four Ponds Project in order to assess the trade-offs of the habitat management work proposed, the goal to provide high quality hardwood sawtimber and other forest products, proposed changes to recreation resources and the transportation system, the effects to local and county governments and the trade-offs in impacts to other sectors of the local economy including the recreation and tourism industries. The housing mortgage crisis is having a number of effects on the timber market that must be analyzed in addition to the data on Forest Service costs and revenues which we believe should always be disclosed. (The Wilderness Society) Forest Service internal policy and guidance manuals provide direction on economic analysis. The Forest Service Manual (FSM) states, An economic efficiency analysis is not required, but may provide important information to the decision process particularly where the sale is designed primarily to achieve forest stewardship objectives or where effects on non-market costs and benefits are substantial. FSM states, The Responsible Official determines the scope, appropriate level, and complexity of economic and social analysis needed. The Responsible Official clearly has considerable discretion in determining the appropriate level and type of economic analysis required for the project decision. A socio-economic assessment (Section 3.9) was completed for this project which considered forest products, traffic, on-site gravel source for use on 253

254 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Forest roads, and recreational issues. The assessment looked at current and recent past markets because we can not predict what the wood or housing markets will do in the future. Both of these markets are cyclical and can rise and fall in a relatively short period of time. We looked at at wood stumpage rates at Maine sawmills for the past three years and past timber sale values to make our best effort in analyzing economic effects. Forest Service timber sales are offered for bid to a wide variety of interested timber purchasers and are ultimately awarded to the highest bidder (in a conventional contract or most responsive bidder (in a stewardship contract) who can prove financial solvency and competent performance in meeting all of the contract provisions. 2. A commenter states that the economic effects to the townships of Albany and Mason, as well as Oxford County must be assessed and disclosed. In addition, the differential effects on the two townships must be disclosed. They must not be lumped together and treated as though the management activities and associated impacts are the same for each. The effects on each town are not likely to be the same, from the Twenty-Five Percent Fund payments to the increased road maintenance costs each town might have. (The Wilderness Society) We did not separate the effects to Albany and Mason Townships because they are both unincorporated townships under the management and administration of Oxford County. Oxford County opted to change from the Twenty-Five Percent Fund payment to receive the Full Payment amount under the provisions of the Secure Rural School and Community Self Determination Act of The County receives this payment regardless of receipts earned from timber sales or other revenue generated on the White Mountain National Forest (USDA Forest Service 2005b). We signed a cooperative road agreement with Oxford County to share road maintenance duties for a portion of Tyler road in Mason Township. The Forest Service maintains (and will be reconstructing several sections) of the Patte Mill Brook road which is used by many local residents. A more complete analysis relative to these concerns is found in the Socio-Economic section (3.9) and the Transportation section (3.11) 6. Soils 1. A commenter was concerned that large clearcuts would cause increased soil erosion and soil drying, and damage to soil structure and fungal and microbial composition. (Hesslein) The choice of using clearcutting and patch cutting harvest as tools to achieve wildlife habitat management goals was determined through the development of the Forest Plan (USDA Forest Service, 2005a and 2005b), to provide regeneration age forest and open habitats to sustain biological diversity and support species that prefer those habitats. In accordance with the Forest Plan, wildlife habitat goals for the Four Ponds Integrated Resource project identified that within the Albany HMU, there was a lack of regeneration forest habitat and Alternatives 2 and 3 include proposals for clearcutting and patch cutting to meet those goals. 254

255 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment With regard to large clearcuts, national Forest Service policy allows clearcuts of up to 40 acres while the White Mountain National Forest Plan allows temporary openings such as clearcuts up to 30 acres (USDA Forest Service, 2005a). For this project, the largest clearcut is 23 acres which is less than the allowable limit. Further, reserve areas equaling 5% of the harvested area are required in all clearcuts. Although, clearcutting can raise the temperature of the soil in the newly created opening for a short time, research and monitoring has shown there has been no loss in soil productivity by the measure of biomass when BMPs are implemented. The biochemical recovery of a deforested ecosystem is dependent on the re-establishment of biotic ecosystem functions such as uptake of nutrients and water, nutrient storage, decomposition, nitrification, mineralization, and erosion. Rapid recovery of these ecosystem characteristics, typical of a northern hardwood forest are promoted by temperature, moisture, and nutrient conditions favorable to plant growth, which occur promptly in the forest floor after clearcutting (Likens et al. 1978). Research conducted by Johnson et al at Hubbard Brook Experiential Forest, demonstrated that both natural process and logging disturbance alters the soil environment by redistributing the total pool of organic matter within the soil profile. Researchers studying the effects of whole tree harvesting found that the total soil organic-matter pool was unchanged indicating long-term fertility and productivity had not been compromised. Also, the act of cutting trees is not a source of soil erosion because it does not expose mineral soil (Stone et al. 1978). Also see Section 3.10 Soils for more discussion on erosion and soil structure. 7. Transportation 1. A commenter questions the high number of log landings and why several are located right next to streams or along the edges of wetlands. (Robey) Twenty-six landings already exist on the ground and we plan to re-use them. The existing landings were used over ten years ago and currently support herbaceous vegetation such as grasses, berries, shrubs and regeneration-age trees. No erosion, mass movement, or other resource concerns were identified by resource specialists. The four new landings proposed for construction would be away from streams. According to GIS-ARCMAP and field review, all the existing landings are at least 100 feet from mapped perennial streams and designated wetlands. All the streams located near landings are classified as intermittent, with the exception of one mapped perennial stream. 2. A commenter does not want the Tyler Road to be widened because it would take land from her ownership. (Parker) The parcel in question is located on the section of Tyler road where it is Oxford County s responsibility to perform seasonal maintenance. In August, 2009, the Forest Service signed a road maintenance agreement to share responsibility with Oxford County for the Tyler road in Mason Township so that federal funding could be expended on upkeep and maintenance of 255

256 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District the road. Our plans include roadside brushing, mowing, culvert and ditch line cleaning, and installation of new culverts, to address erosion concerns and allow safe passage of forestry traffic and private vehicles. We do not intend to relocate or widen existing roadways. 3. A commenter feels that the Forest Service failed to identify or analyze future or long-term use of the road system. (CBD) Road management direction is outlined in the Transportation Rule and Policy published in the Federal Register (36 CFR 212). Section 212.5b1 outlines the process for: identifying the minimum road system needed for safe and efficient travel and for administration, utilization, and protection of National Forest lands The minimum system is the road system determined to be needed to meet resource and other management objectives adopted in the relevant land and resource management plan (36 CFR 219), to meet applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, to reflect long-term funding expectations, to ensure that the identified road system minimizes adverse environmental impacts associated with road construction, reconstruction, decommissioning, and maintenance. There is no requirement, that a site-specific analysis be conducted within the Roads Analysis Report. Forest Service Manual direction (FSM ) clearly states that travel analysis, (i.e. the Roads Analysis Report), is not a decision making process and thus not subject to NEPA. Rather it is designed to inform decision makers of options in identifying proposals for changes in travel management direction. However, an analysis of the existing road system in the Four Ponds project area was conducted to determine the need for retaining or decommissioning roads or road segments. Appendix C of the Four Ponds Roads Analysis report displays the needs of specific roads, including long-term use (Project file). Roads needed to meet long-term management objectives will be retained and included as Forest Roads in our Forest database, while unneeded roads will be decommissioned and removed from the Forest Roads database. Our analysis considered approximately 34 miles of road in the project area. In this analysis, we presented classification and decommissioning proposals to the public that indicated a need to retain most roads for long-term management, and to decommission about 0.1 miles of existing road. Part of this effort will be to adjust the Forest Roads database to reflect what exists on the ground as well as any changes in road classifications. The transportation system proposal and analyses are discussed in detail in Sections 2.1, 3.9, and 3.11 of the EA, although all resource sections in Chapter 3 address the transportation system. 4. A commenter was concerned that new proposed roads and trails will only further erode the beaver s historic role in the ecosystem if not planned and engineered carefully with is awareness. (Hesslein) The only new road proposed for construction is a short 200 spur road to access a dispersed campsite at Broken Bridge boat launch. This new road is not near areas of historic or current beaver use. As for trails, relocation of snowmobile trails away from wet areas and streams and decommissioning.9 miles of the Albany Notch Trail in the vicinity of beaver ponds would 256

257 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment benefit beaver habitat by decreasing the chance of sedimentation entering streams and reducing human disturbance. This commenter is concerned that motorized use would compromise beaver habitat, yet wants to relocate/maintain a portion of the Albany Notch trail so hikers can access a beaver complex (see comment #1 under Recreation). Both motorized and human use effect beaver habitat and for this project we evaluated opportunities to reduce human caused disturbance to beavers. 5. A commenter did not want maintenance of motorized trails in the Farwell Mountain and Ikie Fields area. (Parker) There are no authorized motorized trails on Forest Service lands within the Farwell Mountain and Ikie Fields area nor are any proposed in the Four Ponds Project Area. Once the Haystock Notch parcel was acquired, the trailhead location for the Miles Notch and Haystock Notch hiking trails was moved back and away from the Ikie Fields area to a small formerly existing gravel pit and the road is now gated just beyond the trailheads, closing Ikie Fields to public motorized use. The trailheads are now in public ownership, allowing traditional uses such as hiking, sightseeing, fishing, hunting, and access to the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. 6. A commenter did not support road construction in the area of Farwell Mountain and Ikie Fields because it would disrupt wildlife and wildflower habitat. (Parker) Based on a field review of the proposed road construction site by resource specialists, it was decided to drop this proposal because of slope and soil moisture concerns at the proposed road location. Further, adequate road access already exists (see Section 2.1 Modified Proposed Action). 7. A commenter stated that improvements to the Round Pond road would be beneficial to people who snowmobile and those who take care of the trails. As for gravel, utilize the gravel on the various sites. Once the projects are complete, pits can be reclaimed so they will fit into the natural surroundings. I would hope with material available on the property, money wouldn t be spent to purchase it elsewhere. (Gilbert) Thank you for your comment. 8. Vegetation 1. A commenter would prefer smaller clearcut openings (<10 acres) as opposed to larger ones. (Williams) To meet Habitat Management Unit (HMU) objectives for regeneration-age habitat in the Four Ponds Project Area we evaluated all the northern hardwood and aspen-paper birch stands to identify which stands are of poor quality and/or have declining growth. Those that met all or some of these criteria were proposed for clearcutting to regenerate new, healthy, and vigorous northern hardwood and aspen-birch stands. In this project, we found few stands that met our criteria for clearcutting. Thus, we could not keep the acreage below 10 acres per area while simultaneously meeting HMU objectives for northern hardwood regeneration habitat and visual objectives for scenic integrity. Proper design of the clearcut on the landscape and placement of reserve areas will limit the acres visible. 257

258 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The National Forest Management Act and the associated planning regulations direct the Forest Service to maintain species viability for all species that occur on the White Mountain National Forest. Our current Forest Plan (USDA Forest Service 2005a) was developed to provide an array of habitat conditions for these species. Wildlife species that occur on the White Mountain National Forest (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001) are associated with an array of habitat types including mature softwoods, hardwoods, wetlands, and cliffs. Wildlife species also are associated with different successional stages ranging from open fields to mature forests. Successional stages of vegetation occur as a result of some type of disturbance including natural events such as wind or ice storms or as a result of human activities such as clearcutting. Some of the species that depend on regenerating forest or openings are declining in New England (Schlossberg and King 2007). One of the goals of the Forest Plan is to provide habitat for these species slightly above natural disturbance levels to mitigate some of these losses in surrounding landscapes (USDA Forest Service 2002a). Clearcutting (10-30 acres), patch cuts, and maintenance of permanent wildlife opening are all tools the Forest uses to provide this habitat type for early successional wildlife. Some research has suggested that a greater number of bird species will occupy larger openings up to approximately 50 acres in size and larger patches may provide higher quality habitat for early successional bird species (Costello et al. 2000; Lehnen and Rodewald 2009; Rudnicky and Hunter 1993; Schlossberg and King 2007; USDA Forest Service 2002d). For this reason we try to provide a variety of sizes of openings to benefit the full range of wildlife species that prefer early successional habitat. While most of our clearcuts average approximately openings 10 to 15 acres in size, where possible we try to create some openings up to 30 acres in size to provide these additional benefits to wildlife. 2. A commenter questioned why we don t use a proposed timber harvest at Bartlett Brook called Bartlett Softwood Regeneration/Wildlife Research Project as a test to evaluate softwood regeneration. Also, the EA for that project mentions softwoods are important habitat features for a variety of wildlife; and are difficult to regenerate successfully and consistently which seems to directly contradict the statement within the Four Ponds Comment Package which says Studies show that hemlock respond well to thinning treatements (sic) p 21. He questions the contradicting information. (Robey) In the 30-day comment document, we indeed state Studies show that hemlock responds well to thinning treatments. We have observed this in the Four Ponds Project area during reconnaissance and stand examination. The focus of the Bartlett Softwood Regeneration/Wildlife Research Project is to study several methods for regenerating softwood species (particularly hemlock and red spruce) A regeneration method is described as a cutting procedure by which a new age class is created (Helms 1998) while a thinning is defined as a cultural treatment (the controlling of stand composition or structure) made to reduce stand density of trees to primarily improve growth, enhance forest health or recover potential mortality 258

259 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment (Helms 1998). The distinction between these two treatments is a regeneration treatment seeks to establish regeneration through seed or advance (established prior to harvest) regeneration while a thinning does not seek regeneration as an objective. A thinning only works with the existing stocking in a stand. Alternative 3 proposes hemlock thinning to improve stand health and therefore these statements do not contradict one another. 3. A commenter requested deferring stands that border the Caribou- Speckled Wilderness Boundary (324/5, 324/12, 324/32, 324/33). (Robey) The stands near the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness boundary are proposed for treatment to meet silvicultural, forest health, and wildlife objectives. Stand 324/5 is a hardwood site with a component of aspen-paper birch. This stand incurred ice storm damage and many of the crowns are damaged or have die-back. The proposed clearcut prescription would salvage trees before they lose their economic value, regenerate aspen-birch while there remains a viable seed source and foster a new healthy, productive stand. The group selection treatments for stands 324/12, 324/32 and 324/33 would create gaps in the canopy to promote regeneration of intermediate shade tolerant species such as ash, sugar maple and yellow birch. Currently the understory is composed mostly of shade tolerant hardwoods such as beech and striped maple. Harvest boundaries will not border the Caribou-Speckled Wilderness boundary, but would be located approximately 150 to 400 feet from it. FSM Wilderness Management Policy directs: Because wilderness does not exist in a vacuum, consider activities on both sides of wilderness boundaries during planning and articulate management goals and the blending of diverse resources in forest plans. Do not maintain buffer strips of undeveloped wildland to provide an informal extension of wilderness. Do not maintain internal buffer zones that degrade wilderness values. Use the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (FSM 2310) as a tool to plan adjacent land management. The ROS classes were used during FP revision to assist in the identification of MAs. The project activities occur in MA 2.1 in roaded natural and semi-primative motorized ROS classes. The Plan sets forth a broad framework to guide future actions, including the desired future condition. The Four Ponds project is designed to be consistent with the Plan s articulation of the desired condition for this Forest during this planning cycle. 4. A commenter stated that thinning would allow new tree growth and employment for people who harvest timber. In addition, timber harvesting would create new vegetation for wildlife. He believes responsible timber harvesting and wildlife go hand in hand. (Gilbert) Thank you for your comment. 5. A commenter stated that a study shows that under a variety of potential greenhouse gas emission scenarios, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid will likely spread into the entire western mountain region of Maine, primarily as a results of warmer minimum winter temperatures (Paradis et al. 2008). This could have devastating effects on stands of Hemlock across the region. Every effort should be made to enhance the resilience of hemlock stands to eventual Hemlock Woolly Adelgid infestations. (Wake) 259

260 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District We agree that every effort should be made to enhance the resilience of hemlock due to the ecological importance of hemlock trees, inclusions and pure stands in our forest ecosystem. According to the Forest Botanist, there is general agreement Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is likely to spread into the WMNF over a period of time. The objective of treatment proposals in Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 is to enhance the resilience of hemlock stands. Alternative 2 seeks to diversify the age and size classes of select hemlock stands (see Appendix B, Stand Treatments). Although all ages of hemlock are known to be attacked by HWA, a younger, free to grow age class will be thrifty and vigorous. Evidence from Rentch (2007) demonstrates a positive correlation between increased live-crown ratio (the ratio of crown length to total tree height) and hemlock survivorship to HWA attack. Light, nutrient and water resources around the group edge will also be shifted largely to the mature trees, thus increasing vigor to a portion of the mature stand as well. The intent of the proposed group selection silvicultural treatment is to create age class and structural diversity to perpetuate hemlock into the future as well as to reduce stresses that can exacerbate the effects of climate change particularly from insect and disease. Alternative 3 seeks to conduct group selection treatments in some stands while implementing thinning prescriptions in other hemlock stands in the project area (see Appendix B, Stand Treatments). In dense, pure hemlock stands, self-thinning is very slow given hemlock is the most shade tolerant of all trees species in the northeast. Research from Orwig and Foster (1998) shows during moderate infestations, trees in the dominant and co-dominant canopy positions had increased survivorship compared with less vigorous hemlocks in the mid-story and understory. Another factor we considered in the thinning proposal was soil quality. Moderately-well drained soils with consistent moisture contributed to increased survivorship during HWA attack (Mayer et. al. 2002). The thinning treatments would initially reduce stand density until crowns expand both in height and breadth and reallocate resources to the residual trees remaining after harvest. Together, lower density and resource reallocation would increase overall stand vigor. The benefits of the group selection treatment are listed in the previous paragraph. 9. Wildlife 1. A commenter asked why the 667 acres from the Haystack Notch Trail purchase was left out of the calculation for early successional habitat? (Robey) We are considering the habitat condition of the recently acquired lands in Mason Township. While we have not conducted formal stand exams of these newly acquired lands yet, we have reviewed recent aerial photography of this area and completed a walk-through field review of the area. These reviews estimated that approximately 50 acres of the 667 acres in the Mason Tract would be classified as northern hardwood regeneration habitat. While much of the remaining 667 acres has been recently harvested, these acres are most likely classified as young northern hardwood habitat. 260

261 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment The current Albany HMU analysis indicates a need for 154 to 206 acres of northern hardwood regeneration habitat. Our scoping document stated that we would create 116 acres of northern hardwood regeneration habitat. If we add the approximately 50 acres of existing northern hardwood regeneration habitat in the Mason Tract that would total approximately 166 acres of northern regeneration habitat in Albany HMU if we implement the modified proposed action. This is well within our desired goal of 154 to 206 acres of northern hardwood regeneration habitat in the Albany HMU. 2. A commenter expressed concern with the use of the HMU model and did feel it is an appropriate model to use in setting various forest goals and objectives. They would like to better understand the White Mountain NF insistence on using this model and further description of and access to this tool. (The Wilderness Society) Every Forest has some mechanism for ensuring that landscape-level goals and objectives are met and that habitats are distributed across the Forest in a way that is ecologically appropriate. Some Forests accomplish this through extensive standards and guidelines; others divide the Forest into many small Management Areas with unique management goals and objectives; still other Forests leave it to specialists to determine the best approach during project development and then explain their rationale in each environmental analysis. The HMU framework is specific to the WMNF. Input from internal and external forestry and wildlife experts, (including input from research), supported the HMU approach as a reasonable way to help the Forest achieve our habitat objectives (USDA Forest Service 2002a and 2007a). The FEIS addresses and analyzes vegetation management for wildlife habitat for all Alternatives, including Alternative 2, which was selected as the revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the White Mountain National Forest (USDA Forest Service 2005b, Chapter 3). The role of the HMU model and how it fits into an ecological setting on a local and regional scale is described in the WMNF Ecological Approach (USDA Forest Service 2002a), which is a supporting document of the Forest Plan. 3. A commenter believes that the proposed burning to create wildlife openings is far too limited to make a difference. (Ellis) We believe that the permanent wildlife openings we maintain on the Forest do make a difference for wildlife. The goal for wildlife habitat on the Forest is to maintain permanent wildlife openings at existing levels (USDA Forest Service, 2005a). Clearcut harvests and maintenance or expansion of permanent wildlife openings create habitat structure (defined as regeneration age forest habitat in Forest Plan glossary (USDA Forest Service 2005a, Glossary, page 23) that is similar to what is created by natural disturbance factors in the Northeast such as such as wind and disease. Numerous scientific studies in the Northeast have found a wide variety of wildlife use this type of habitat structure for all or part of their life (Chandler C. 2006; Chandler R. 2006; DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf et al. 2006; King et al 2001; Litvaitis et al. 1999; Schlossberg and King 2007; Thompson et al. 2001). Regeneration habitat condition is ephemeral on the landscape as forests in the Northeast regenerate quickly and within a decade or so the structural characteristics 261

262 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District favorable this suite of species no longer exist. Changes in land use patterns across the Northeast have greatly reduce the availability of this habitat resulting in declines in scrub/shrub birds that require this habitat structure for suitable nesting habitat including brown thrasher, chestnut-sided warbler, and magnolia warbler (Schlossberg and King 2007). Permanent wildlife openings are one way to maintain a small component of this habitat type on the forest over time. Most of the existing wildlife openings on the Forest are between one and five acres. Where possible we try to expand the size of existing permanent wildlife openings as larger openings provides higher quality habitat for species associated with this habitat (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2003). There are seven existing permanent wildlife opening in the Four Ponds project area and fifteen existing permanent wildlife openings in the Albany HMU. After field reviews of terrain surrounding these openings, we feel it is possible to expand five of the seven openings and create two new permanent wildlife openings in the Project Area. Wildlife openings are not created or expanded by prescribed burns. They are usually created during a timber sale operation using a clearcut prescription to clear all of the mature trees from an area. These areas are then maintained in an open condition every three to five years using mechanical treatments or prescribed fire. The Forest staff works aggressively to maintain this level of maintenance and has pursued various sources of funding to accomplish this work. Any landings that are used in the timber sale also will provide habitat for species associated with early successional habitat once they start to revegetate. While these areas will not be actively managed to be open, they often provide early successional habitat for a number of years upon completion of harvest activities. 10. Prescribed Fire 1. A commenter felt that prescribed burning causes damage to forest and wildlife openings, is visually unpleasing, and is more costly than mechanical treatment. (Zerbst) Early successional habitat is beneficial to wildlife. Numerous scientific studies in the Northeast have found a wide variety of wildlife use this type of habitat structure for all or part of their life (Chandler C. 2006; Chandler R. 2006; DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf et al. 2006; King et al 2001; Litvaitis et al. 1999; Schlossberg and King 2007; Thompson et al. 2007) (Also see Comment #3 under Response to Comments for Wildlife). Maintaining permanent wildlife openings using prescribed fire or mechanical treatments is one mechanism to provide this type of habitat for wildlife across the Forest. If these areas are not maintained through prescribed fire or mechanical treatments, they would revert to mature forest. Oak-pine habitat is also valuable for wildlife. Mature oak-pine stands are used by approximately 150 species of wildlife (DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001; DeGraaf et al. 2006). Both beechnuts and acorns provide a critical fall food for many wildlife species such as black bear. It is difficult to regenerate this habitat type. Prescribed fire has been used as a tool to kill of competing hardwood saplings and scarify soil which can result in successful regeneration of oak-pine habitat. 262

263 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Both mechanical and prescribed burning treatments will produce visual effects. Mechanical treatment of a wildlife opening creates stumps (of varying sizes), down woody debris (piled or scattered), chainsaw marks on down material, and a uniform arrangement of residual vegetation (i.e. most saplings would be cut and only herbaceous vegetation would remain). The visual effects of prescribed fire are blackened trees and a diversity of residual standing vegetation (pole and sapling size trees and herbaceous material) distributed across the stand due to varying fire temperatures. The temporal scope of visual effects from prescribed fire can vary depending on the quantity and size of material. Effects can last for only one season in the case of burning light fuels (i.e. leaf litter) or be much longer as seen by charcoal which can be found in soil decades after the burn. In most cases however, the visual effects disappear over several years due to the rapidness of natural regeneration of native plants. The visual benefit of using prescribed fire over mechanical treatment is the natural element of fire versus chainsaws. Fires are naturally ignited by lightning and historically Maine farmers and Native Americans used fire to create, maintain, and promote wildlife openings, grazing areas, fields, berry production and mast trees. Studies have shown that from a purely financial standpoint, prescribed fire is usually more cost effective than other types of fuel reduction or timber stand improvement methods (Fight and Barbour 2005). Many of the PWOs are located off non-maintained roads and trails, and access is limited to ATV s use. Because of restricted access, it is not possible to use a mower or brush hog to maintain many of our PWOs. 2. A commenter stated that prescribed fire management is loading the air with pollution. Burning vegetation releases microscopic fine particulate matter which can travel thousands of miles, causing lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, asthma and allergies, as well as pneumonia. It also releases mercury which causes brain damage in kids. your govt (sic) at ugly work day by day. (Sachau) Mercury content in forest vegetation is a result of atmospheric deposition. Studies show that mercury is released in gaseous and particulate smoke when plants burn. The mercury does not originate from the burn, it exists in the forest; the fire contributes to the process of cycling mercury (Friedli et al. 2003). Research suggests that the re-emission of mercury due to prescribed fire accounts for less than 1% of total anthropogenic emissions in the United States (DiCosty et al. 2006). See Section 3.2 Air Quality for specific effects analysis. Adverse effects of smoke produced by prescribed burning would be mitigated by restricting prescribed burning to periods when wind, weather and fuels cause smoke to quickly disperse. Public notification of the proposed prescribed burn would be given prior to the start of the prescribed burn whereas, wildfires start unexpectedly. By choosing when, where, and how to ignite prescribed fire units, emission levels are reduced and managed according to a burn plan. In the case of a wildfire, emissions would be higher and there would be no control over burn conditions. In addition, prescribed fire most often occurs in the spring or fall, when ozone is not a concern. 263

264 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District 11. Mapping 1. Three commenters stated the portions of several of stands were within the Caribou-Speckled 2 Inventoried Roadless Area as well the boundaries of the Caribou-Speckled- Wilderness Area. (Robey, Center for Biological Diversity and The Wilderness Society) It was stated in the 30-day comment package at this phase of development, entire stands were being proposed (pg. 30). The boundaries of several stands were re-delineated to remove portions within the 2001 Caribou-Speckled 2 Inventoried Roadless Area. It was never our intent to harvest trees within the 2001 IRA for this particular project. 12. Monitoring 1. Based on the article The role of silviculture Thinning in Eastern Forest Threatened by Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, a commenter felt that this type of treatment belongs in one of the Experimental Forests. He states that the WMNF does not have the resources to monitor how hemlock thinnings are doing in a remote area like Four Ponds nor to fulfill one of the objectives of the study, To monitor the effects of thinning it is critical in this study that the approximate time of arrival and subsequent spreading of HWA in these stands be monitored. (Robey) The Silviculturist for this project corresponded with Dr. Mary Anne Favjan (2009), the author of the article you cited. It is important to note much of the supporting research referenced in this study is peer reviewed and supports the hemlock treatments proposals in the Four Ponds projects area listed in Appendix B, Stand Treatments. Please read the response to comment 5 listed under Vegetation. The objective of the proposed thinning treatment in hemlock is to initially reduce stand density allowing crowns expand both in height and width and reallocate resources to the residual trees remaining after harvest. Together, lower density and resource reallocation would increase overall stand vigor. We agree monitoring is critical to not only our silvicultural treatments but to documenting our on the ground activities. District staff and interdisciplinary teams make area monitoring recommendations and participate in trips for that purpose each year to evaluate project implementation. This is a very important part of the Forest Service mission. In 1930 Congress enacted the Knutson-Vandenberg (K-V) Act to set aside receipts from timber sales to fund qualifying projects within the sale area. One of the activities we include in K-V projects is Post Treatment Stand Monitoring, an activity which funds monitoring studies and resulting documentation. Regarding remoteness, the project area is designated in the White Mountain National Forest 2005 Land and Resource Management Plan as General Forest Management is MA 2.1. Our goal for Transportation Systems in MA 2.1 is to provide a safe, efficient and seamless transportation network that allows for current, continued, and projected management (USDA Forest Service 2005a). Existing transportation systems in MA 2.1 of the Four Ponds Project Area facilitate access by Forest staff to conduct management efforts such as monitoring and this area of the forest is not considered remote. 264

265 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment 13. NEPA Process 1. The Forest Service s Four Ponds Public Comment Package does not provide adequate information to enable the public to understand the proposed project and its environmental impacts. You have not provided a complete draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for us to provide substantive comments during the official 36 CFR day comment period. As a result, we will not be able to provide meaningful informed comments on the potential adverse environmental impacts from the proposed project. The materials provided within the comment package offer no analysis of the many issues involved and needed for a complete EA. (Center for Biological Diversity) The Forest Service must provide an opportunity for public comment on real NEPA documents, not just proposed actions. The new noticecomment-appeal regulations say that the Forest Service can provide public comment on proposed actions, but the FS regulations do not give the Forest Service authority to ignore the CEQ regulations and voluminous case law which requires all federal agencies to provide public comment on Environmental Assessments. The proposed action generally does not include any description of the affected environment or any analysis of environmental effects upon which the public can base their opinions and comments. Failure to provide information about the affected environment and failure to provide comment on the analysis of effects undermines a core purpose of NEPA which is to inform the public. Without an informed public, the decision-maker is denied the benefit of informed comments from the public, and the quality of final decisions will suffer. (Robey) Overall, we strongly object to the process used. Offering only this abbreviated public comment package for public comment sets a poor precedent for public involvement in the implementation of the forest plan. Denying the public an opportunity to meaningfully comment on the EA before a decision is made violates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). (The Wilderness Society) We request that you provide a 30-day comment period under the 36 CFR 215 regulations at a later date. The rationale for our request is as follows: 1) Under your current approach, the only opportunity for us to comment after you disclose the final details and effects of your proposals will be through the formal 36 CFR 215 appeals process. This places an undue burden on the public, the taxpayers, and on Forest Service staff at several levels, and doesn t promote public collaboration. 2) There is not enough information in the comment package for us to understand the scope and effects of your proposals and therefore provide you with informed and thoughtful comments. The proposals are general in nature, several are still not developed, and others are not clearly documented in the maps and tables. Specifically, it was emphasized by several specialists at several points during the field tour that you still have much work to do in determining the details of your proposed action and that you were waiting for research, land acquisition, field surveys, and the work force necessary to further develop your proposed action. We respectfully 265

266 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District request that you take the time to fully develop your proposed action, and then conduct a 30-day comment period under 36 CFR 215. Providing the thorough effects analysis prior to the comment period would be valuable as well. (Nasta) Early scoping for this project was conducted with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine State Historic Preservation Office, local snowmobile clubs, and the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission and at a public Open House held in Bethel Maine. Approximately forty people attended this event and eight individuals who could not attend requested projects proposals via mail or . In April of 2009, public comments for this project were sought and over eighteen commenters responded with site-specific concerns and support. We also conducted a public field trip of the Project Area on May 16, 2009, that seven people attended. We discussed expansion of the Crocker Pond campground, cultural resource surveys, improvements to the Albany Brook trail, oak management, role of permanent wildlife openings and their maintenance using prescribed fire, road restoration on the Round Pond road, gravel pit development, dual use of roads between log traffic and dog sleds, beaver habitat along the Albany Notch Trail, and non-native invasive species at Pingree Fields permanent wildlife opening. The 30-Day Public Comment Package (4/2009) was not intended to provide a full environmental analysis. It is in complete accordance with requirements defined in 36 CFR 215. The regulations provide for one official comment period in which the public is given the opportunity to comment on a pro posed action implementing the land and resource management plan. It directs that the Responsible Official shall determine the most effective timing for publishing the legal notice of the proposed action and opportunity to comment. 36 CFR 215.5(a). The regulations do not require the completed EA be provided, only the proposed action. Our public comment package was designed to provide sufficient site-specific detail, a proposed action, and an alternative that we determined through scoping would address likely issues. We believe the streamlined package is easier to understand, yet sufficiently detailed for the public to provide substantive comments. This then allows for a more focused EA and effects analysis that can best zero in on the issues most important to the public. The public involvement process, authorized under planning regulations (36CFR 215 dated June 4, 2003), is designed to provide the public with a concise Public Comment Package for review. Based on 36 CFR 215, we sought comments at a point in the process when a detailed project proposal was available. The regulations provide for one official comment period in which the public is given the opportunity to comment on a proposed action implementing the land and resource management plan 36 CFR 215.5(a)(1) It directs that the Responsible Official shall determine the most effective timing for publishing the legal notice of the proposed action and opportunity to comment. 36 CFR 215.5(a)(2) The regulations do not require the completed EA be provided, only the proposed action. Our public comment package was designed to provide sufficient site-specific detail, a proposed action, and an alternative that we determined through scoping would 266

267 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment address likely issues. The content of the site specific comments received bears witness to the detailed proposal sent out for comment. A wide range of public concerns and interests, and many helpful suggestions were brought forth. The Forest Service Handbook (FSH) states that an environmental assessment may be prepared in any format useful to facilitate planning, decisionmaking, and public disclosure as long as the requirements of FSH (Chapter 40) are met. The chapter has no further requirements for comment periods, or for responding to comments in the environmental assessment. ( , Chapter 41.2) FSH Chapter does have requirements for documentation of decisions based upon an environmental assessment; these state that the Responsible Official shall identify how issues were considered and provide a brief summary of how the public was involved in the analysis. CEQ regulations require a Responsible Official to consider comments and respond through one or more of the following: 1) modify alternatives including the proposed action, 2) develop and evaluate alternatives not previously given serious consideration, 3) supplement, improve, or modify an analysis, 4) make factual corrections, and/or 5) explain why the comments do not warrant further response. (40 C.F.R ). 2. A commenter stated that there are only two alternatives in the package. Given the size of the area proposed for logging, including clearcutting, and the highly controversial nature of this activity on the Forest, this is not an adequate range of alternatives under NEPA. (Center for Biological Diversity) What constitutes a reasonable range of alternatives depends on the nature of the proposal and the facts in each case. Alternatives should fulfill the purpose and need and address unresolved conflicts related to the proposed action (FSH section 14). According to the Council on Environmental Quality s 40 Most Asked Questions The range of alternatives includes all reasonable alternatives which must be rigorously explored and objectively evaluated, as well as those alternatives, which are eliminated from detailed study with a brief discussion of the reasons for eliminating them. As established in case law interpreting the NEPA, the phrase all reasonable alternatives has not been interpreted to require that an infinite or unreasonable number of alternatives be analyzed, but does require a range of reasonable alternatives be analyzed whether or not they are within Agency jurisdiction to implement (40 CFR (c)). For further guidance, see questions 1, 2, and 3 of the NEPA s 40 Most Asked Questions and in section We solicited public input and comments through a public open house, field trip and 30-day comment period. We also were available to respond to people s comments, questions and requests from May 2008 through mid/ late Over 45 people attended the two public events and we received 18 letters (electronic and paper) during the 30-day comment period. Based on public and internal comments (Appendix C Response to Comment) we developed two alternatives that responded to five key issues raised by the 267

268 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District public and Forest Service personnel (see Section 1.4). We also considered three key issues and five non-key issues that for reasons described in Section 1.5 were eliminated from detailed analysis. 14. Forest Plan 1. A commenter believes the process used in the Forest Plan for determining the suitability of lands for timber management was flawed, and that land in the project area was improperly allocated to MA 2.1, which allows commercial timber harvest. (The Wilderness Society) The NFMA Section 1604 (g)(2)(a), in setting forth the process of developing Forest Plans, requires the preparation of regulations to require identification of the suitability of lands for resource management. Paragraph (E) requires timber harvesting to be limited to lands where soil, slope, or other watershed conditions will not be irreversibly damaged, there is reasonable assurance of restocking in five years, where there is protection of streams and water from detrimental effects of harvesting, and the harvesting system is not selected primarily because it will give the greatest dollar return. The Planning rule used to develop the 2005 Forest Plan, 36 CFR (a) requires lands not forested, where harvesting would result in irreversible resource damage, where adequate restocking cannot be assured, or lands are withdrawn by Act of Congress, the Secretary of Agriculture, or the Chief of the Forest Service, be identified as unsuited. Paragraph (b) directs the remaining lands to be stratified into groups with similar costs and benefits. The regulations state factors such as physical and biological conditions, and transportation requirements should be considered in this stratification. In developing the revised Plan, the Forest used slope, among other physical attributes, to determine inoperable lands and removed them from the suited land base (PC (Public Comment) USDA Forest Service 2005b, Appendix A-64). The remaining lands were determined to have similar logging methods and costs not dependent on slope; therefore, slope was not a factor in the analysis of management activities on suitable lands. Other lands removed from the suited land base in accordance with this Rule requirement are shown in Forest Plan FEIS, Appendix E. They include lands with inadequate information or lands where management would result in irreversible damage. During Plan revision the WMNF stratified the remaining land base according to factors that affected cost efficiency. One of these factors was Land Suitability Class, which included information about slope (USDA Forest Plan 2005b, Appendix B-4). Lands with inoperable slopes or other inoperable physical characteristics were removed from the suited land base. Other factors used to stratify the land base in Plan revision include Ecological Land Classification (ELC) which accounts for distinct product/cover type mixes, and age class which accounts for current and future value of the land (USDA Forest Service 2005b, Appendix B-4, B-17, and B-18). The Forest s consideration of physical attributes such as slope, elevation, and threat of irreversible damage is in accordance with NFMA. The remaining lands were stratified according to similar costs and benefits. Therefore, the 268

269 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment Forest Plan correctly follows the required procedures in considering factors such as physical and biological conditions, and transportation requirements when determining suitable land for timber management. 2. A commenter is concerned with failure to consider physical, biological and transportation conditions in Stages II and III of the suitability determination, use of inaccurate stumpage values, and the accuracy of the Spectrum modeling results. (The Wilderness Society) The NFMA Section 1604 (g)(3)(b) requires specification of guidelines for Plans to achieve goals of the program which insure consideration of the economic and environmental aspects of various systems of renewable resource management, including related systems of silviculture and protection of forest resources to provide outdoor recreation (including wilderness), range, timber, watershed, wildlife, and fish. No specific connection is made between logging systems, such as cable logging or rubber tired skidder logging, to economics except in the (g)(3)(e)(iv) prohibition of selecting a harvesting system primarily because it will give the greatest dollar return or greatest output of timber. The planning regulation used during revision of the WMNF Plan, 36 CFR (g)(3) (1982 Planning Rule) addresses financial efficiency and requires an estimation of the present net value of direct benefits and costs, discounted to present value, of each alternative. Benefits and costs for this analysis, in normal practice, include market-value recreation costs and receipts, mineral costs and receipts, and any other programs, including timber management, with cash flows. Economic efficiency analysis (FSH , Chapter 10, Section 11.1) includes market and non-market benefits for which values have been assigned. The regulations used in Plan revision, 36 CFR (b) (1982 Planning Rule) addresses suitability and requires stratification into categories of land with similar management costs and returns. 36 CFR (b) requires identification of management intensities which result in the largest excess of discounted benefits less discounted costs of growing and harvesting trees. Paragraph (b)(2) describes that direct costs include the anticipated investment, maintenance, operating, management, and planning costs attributable to timber production activities, including mitigation measures necessitated by impacts of timber production. Logging methods used on the WMNF are discussed in Forest Plan FEIS to and include chainsaw and mechanical harvesting with most recent harvesting done by mechanical means. Rubber tired skidders are the primary tool for removing wood from the site and tractor trailer trucks are most commonly used to transport logs to processing facilities. Costs incurred from the use of the different logging methods are incurred by the logger and are assumed inherent in the stumpage value. Silvicultural systems included in the model were clearcut, uneven-aged management, and thinning. For each system, costs were identified for sale administration, sale preparation, and sale planning (USDA Forest Service 2005b, Appendix B-20, Table B-11). Sale planning and preparation costs were assumed to include mitigation costs incurred by the Forest (USDA Forest Service 2005b, Appendix A-54 A-55, Bullet #4). 269

270 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The WMNF incorporated mitigation measures into its cost calculations using two methods:1) during the suitability analysis, and 2) in timber prices. Measures considered during the suitability analysis included lands that were not suitable, a 100-foot riparian buffer to exclude timber harvest, a ¼ mile Wild River and Potentially Wild River buffer, and inaccessible lands (Forest Plan FEIS, Appendix B-16). Mitigation measures considered in timber prices included such items as seeding, slash disposal, road improvements including construction/reconstruction, bridging, and erosion control measures (USDA Forest Service 2005b, Appendix A-54, Bullet 2). It was assumed the bidder considered the cost of these mitigation measures in the price paid for the timber. Prices paid for timber were used in the Spectrum model. The WMNF considered revenues that included average stumpage prices for the seven product groupings indicated in Table B-10 in the Forest Plan FEIS, (USDA Forest Service 2005b, Appendix B-19). The table s footnote indicates these were average prices calculated from statistics kept by the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration in The Spectrum model indicates that these were the only revenues included in the present net value (PNV) analysis conducted by the Spectrum model. In the third stage of land suitability analysis, portions of the remaining tentatively suitable lands were considered for other potential uses along with their traditional uses. This varied according to the design of each alternative and resulted in the various amounts of lands identified as suitable for timber resource management (Table E-1, line 10). This statement in the programmatic EIS prepared for the Plan is in accordance with 36 CFR (c) (1982 Planning Rule) which states, [C] ombinations of resource management prescriptions shall be defined to meet management objectives for the various multiple uses of the forest. 36 CFR (c)(3) identifies lands not tentatively appropriate for timber production to meet the objectives of the alternative if the lands are not cost-efficient, over the planning horizon, in meeting forest objectives, which include timber production. There is no requirement outlined in NFMA to remove negative present net value area lands from the suitable timber base. This rationale is supported by Douglas W. MacCleery, former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment (1985) in a review of appeals of the San Juan and Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests Plans. The NFMA regulations provide that the lands identified as suitable for timber production are those which are the most cost efficient in achieving the goals of the selected alternative lands that are uneconomic for producing timber on the basis of timber values and costs alone can nonetheless be identified as suitable for timber production. It would be inappropriate for the Forest Service to evaluate timber suitability based on the economic efficiency of lands solely for the production of timber. The WMNF Spectrum model formulation was, in fact, a lexicographic goal programming model used in development of the revised Plan. This model is used by many National Forests to determine desired conditions. The WMNF 270

271 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment used Spectrum to determine a feasible level of timber harvest and a feasible level of aspen-birch regeneration. These desired conditions were then used in a cost-efficiency analysis (maximize PNV). (ObjectiveFunctionDescription. doc, Inspection of the Spectrum model, Forest Plan (USDA Forest Service 2005b, Appendix B-27 27). 15. Climate Change 1. Two commenters stated that the effects of climate change on the area must be analyzed and disclosed. The Forest should focus on the likelihood of meeting its project regeneration goals and the role of large unroaded landscapes as a place for vegetative and wildlife species to adapt to changes in climate. Other changes associated with an altered climate should be examined in terms of cumulative impacts to the area s species, water, soils, forests, and other resources. (Center for Biological Diversity and The Wilderness Society) Nowhere in the management plan is the issue of addressing the region s changing climate addressed (i.e. low-flows in cold-water streams during drought periods, spread of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, winter recreation, trees, birds, ecosystem processes). (Wake) The Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project 30 Day Public Comment Package is a scoping document for notifying the public of a project proposal and is not intended to examine project effects. These are analyzed later in the Environmental Assessment (EA) which addresses issues and concerns brought up by the public and the interdisciplinary team of resource specialists during the analysis process. Thus we did not mention climate change in the 30-day comment package because we were not analyzing effects in that document. Specialists on the White Mountain National Forest have been gathering information to increase our understanding of climate change (USDA Forest Service 2009f). Recently we initiated a more comprehensive, coordinated approach to addressing climate change in our NEPA analyses. Our strategy and literature reviews continue to be refined with input from Forest and Regional resource specialists and researchers. Our objective is to ensure that resource management activities proposed on the White Mountain National Forest are sustainable and consistent with the best available science regarding climate change. The effects of climate change are analyzed in the environmental analysis in each resource section. Many things related to climate change are uncertain; however, the WMNF Forest Plan was developed with sustainability and ecosystem conservation as primary goals (USDA Forest Service 2005a). Therefore planning and implementation of projects consistent with the Forest Plan should maintain conditions that will allow our natural resources to adapt to climate change as it occurs. We will continue gathering and evaluating information on climate change and how it affects our resources and is affected by our management, and will use the best science available to inform project development and our decision making efforts. 271

272 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District The White Mountain National Forest is incorporating the best available science in order to address the global climate change. Forest Plan direction is moving project-level decisions toward the desired conditions of providing diverse, healthy and sustainable forests, that are resilient to natural and human-caused disturbances; providing healthy watersheds that are resilient to natural disturbance events such as floods; and providing aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitats on National Forest System lands that contribute to ecosystem sustainability and biological diversity. The Four Pond EA is tiered to the Forest Plan, and is guided by the direction of the Forest Plan. One of the Forest Plan goals is to grow healthy, vigorous forests. Areas designated for General Forest Management (MA 2.1), will manage vegetation using an ecosystem approach to provide both healthy ecosystems and a sustained yield of high-quality timber. In the short term following carefully planned harvests, it takes some time for the ecosystem carbon to recover to pre-harvest levels. Over a longer time frame, models suggest that adequately long rotations with periodic harvests can sequester more carbon than not harvesting timber (Birdsey 2009). 2. FEN opposes the proposed plan and its huge carbon footprint. The plan proposed for the Four Ponds area complete ignores the carbon question. Indeed, the plan as outlined would significantly reduce current carbon storage and would damage the capacity of the area to store carbon for decades. The document states that by harvesting mature trees, economic value would be captured while releasing young healthy trees, so they are free to grow. Mature trees, not only store huge amounts of carbon, indeed, clearcuts give off more carbon than is absorbed for up to twenty years. The best way to maximize carbon storage is to protect mature forest not destroy mature forests. (Forest Ecology Network) At the stand level, the best available science shows that harvesting results in carbon emissions over the short term, followed by longer-term sequestration (Krankina and Harmon 2006). The commenter states that mature forests store huge amounts of carbon and have far more carbon sequestrating capacity than young trees. Carbon storage in trees is proportional to tree biomass weight; traditional silviculture practices intended to increase volume for wood products are compatible with increasing carbon storage capacity of trees. As such, managed stands will store carbon at a faster rate than slower growing natural stands of the same species (Birdsey 1992). Clearly the effects of harvesting, or not, on carbon levels depends on a lot of variables. Carbon accounting at the stand or project level is still at a conceptual stage (Cathcart and Delaney 2007), and a subject of on-going research. Landscape-scale (or larger) analyses may be more meaningful. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2007) states that Landscape-level carbon stock changes are the sum of stand level changes, and the impacts of forest management on carbon stocks ultimately need to be evaluated at landscape level. Increasing harvest rotation lengths will increase some carbon pools (e.g. tree boles) and decrease others (e.g. harvested wood products). The White Mountain National Forest is currently working with the University of New Hampshire to identify the carbon 272

273 Four Ponds Integrated Resource Management Project Environmental Assessment storage from, and establish a carbon budget based on, the activities approved in the 2005 Forest Plan, but this larger-scale analysis is not complete. At this time, what we do have are national data on sequestration. As required by the cited section of the U.S. Code, the Forest Service has prepared regular summaries of the effects of global climate change on forest and rangeland conditions. The most recent (2007) summary is available in the Interim Update of the 2000 Renewable Resource Planning Act Assessment (see especially pages 69-72, 74, 77 and 83-85; with the latter summarizing forest sequestration of carbon and avoidance of emissions through the use of wood products). The assessment and related studies underlie EPA greenhouse gas inventories for the forestry sector, which conclude that improved forest management practices, afforestation, and timber harvesting and use have resulted in net increases in sequestration of carbon each year from 1990 through In 2005, land use, land-use change, and forestry activities resulted in a net carbon sequestration of Tg CO2 equivalents. This represents an offset of approximately 14 percent of total U.S. CO2 emissions. Total land use, land-use change, and forestry net carbon sequestration increased by approximately 16 percent between 1990 and 2005, primarily due to an increase in the rate of net carbon accumulation in forest stocks (United States Environmental Protection Agency 2007a: 7-1 to 7-2). These estimates include consideration of above and below ground biomass, dead wood, litter and soil organic carbon, and include the effects of forest fires (United States Environmental Protection Agency 2007). The Forest Service s Northern Research Station is investigating soil carbon storage and carbon litter cycling on the White Mountain National Forest. The pattern of net sequestration reflected in the EPA inventory is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, although at a reduced rate because of factors such as forest maturation and clearance of private land for development (USDA Forest Service 2007e). We do not believe it is realistic or necessary to pursue a carbon accounting at the project level for two reasons. First, the best available science indicates that sustainable harvest practices result in net sequestration of carbon over time, even when harvest operations, transportation, stand-tending and manufacturing are taken into account. Markewitz (2006) concluded that a high-intensity pulpwood management scheme would result in little or no long-term sequestration, while carbon storage in wood products due to accelerated growth of trees to a sawlog size class might exceed the incurred emissions by 3-fold (i.e., 35 Mg ha 1). His calculations showed that there is a net carbon benefit to all but the most intense, shortest-rotation management systems. The Forest Plan does not support pulpwood rotations or high-intensity pulpwood management schemes. Our management is based on longer rotations than those modeled by Markewitz. Gower and Ahl (2006) concluded that whether forest management results in a net source or sink of carbon is dependent on many factors, especially the size of the area examined. At the harvest site level, there was a net loss of CO2 over 1-5 years because of decomposition of harvest residuals (slash, etc.). Over the longer term, the extent of the area used in the calculations influenced whether the area was a source or sink. The National Forest studied (the 273

274 White Mountain National Forest Androscoggin Ranger District Chequamegon-Nicolet) was a net carbon sink. They concluded that The normal harvest with climate change had the largest net biological and industrial carbon sequestration (p. 46). Scientific evidence is quite solid that when forests are clearcut, carbon is lost from the ecosystem and it will take some decades for the ecosystem carbon stocks to recover to the pre-harvest level. The time it takes to recover is highly variable, depending on site productivity, regeneration success, species, climate, and other factors, but the forest will eventually recover the emitted carbon. Referring to Tables A2, page 49 and Figure C1, page 152 in Smith et al. (2006), recovery of non-soil carbon to pre-harvest levels after clearcut harvest of a 65-year old maple-beech-birch forest in the Northeast with 158 metric tonnes carbon/hectare (MtC/ha) of non-soil carbon would take between 55 and 65 years. Figure C-1. Net Carbon Sequestration: Maple-Beach-Birch Forest Type. A typical harvest of 65-year-old maple-beech-birch in the Northeast containing 158 MtC/ha of non-soil carbon removes 96 MtC/ha from the forest, of which 35 MtC is initially sequestered in the wood products, 40 MtC is used as biofuel, and 22 MtC is emitted (Smith et al. 2006). Carbon left in the forest ecosystem in down dead wood and forest floor pools is released over the next few decades. The harvested carbon that remains in wood products and landfills is released slowly over a period of 100 years or more. The second reason project level carbon accounting is not appropriate is because there is no reason to believe that the carbon benefits from the selection of any alternative (including no action) would be realized. Wood from other sources, or products that are more carbon-intensive could readily be substituted for products that would be made available through implementation of the proposal (Cathcart and Delaney 2007). For example, if the pulp products were obtained from industrial forestlands with shorter rotations, carbon sequestration potential would be less. The potential carbon benefits of foregoing action, or choosing a particular action alternative, are too tenuous to be useful in decision-making. All in all, we believe that the information presented and cited in our response to scoping comments 274