Decision Memo Tongass National Forest. Wrangell Ranger District. Pre-Commercial Thinning CE 2010

Transcription

1 Decision Memo Tongass National Forest Pre-Commercial Thinning CE 2010 Decision It is my decision to authorize pre-commercial thinning (PCT) on approximately 7,500 acres of overstocked young-growth forest to enhance timber and wildlife habitat values. This project will occur in stands years old on the on the Tongass National Forest. This decision allows pre-commercial thinning on lands suitable for timber harvest, in Old Growth Reserves, and within beach buffers. This project will improve tree growth and increase wildlife forage by reducing the number of trees per acre. The PCT is also designed to improve species composition and accelerate the stand through the stem exclusion stage. PCT promotes maintenance of understory vegetation and shortens the timeframe for the stand to attain old growth characteristics. No pesticides will be used and no roads will be constructed. The work will be performed by tree thinning contractors using chainsaws and will not involve the removal or sale of any forest products. Access to these stands will be by ATV or full size vehicles on existing roads and boats when necessary to access beach buffers. Heritage reviews for this project have been completed. No direct, indirect or cumulative effects on cultural resources are anticipated. Biological Evaluations were completed for sensitive plants and animals. No sensitive species will experience impacts that would cause or contribute to a trend towards federal listing, or cause a loss of viability to the population or the species. Thinning activities will not occur within 330 feet of bald eagle nests between March 1 and May 31. The contractor shall notify the Forest Service promptly should an eagle, other raptor or heron nest be found in or adjacent to a thinning stand. The following timing restrictions shall be applied: 1. Activities can occur between June 1 and August 31 if bald eagle nests are surveyed and it is determined that the bald eagle nests are not occupied. 2. If bald eagle nests are occupied or surveys are not completed, then thinning activities will not occur within 330 feet of the bald eagle nest until after August If an active goshawk nest, other raptor nest, or heron rookery is found within 600 feet of thinning activities, all actions within that distance should be discontinued, and FS should be consulted to determine course of action. Trees will be felled away from roads, ditches, road banks, sinkholes, established game and recreation trails, ponds, and streams, unless a thinning prescription to improve wildlife or fish habitat has been developed with appropriate resource specialists that specifically requires a different action. Current average contract cost for pre-commercial thinning is approximately $350/acre, which is the estimated per acre cost for the 7,500 acres included in this decision. Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 1

2 Areas included in this decision will be thinned beginning in the spring of See Appendix A for a list and maps of stands included in this decision. Stands are listed by management priority, wildlife or timber emphasis. Standard treatments will be summarized for each type of thinning. Specific treatments for each stand will be determined by a silviculturist and/or a wildlife biologist. Fish habitat improvement prescriptions will involve an aquatics specialist or a fisheries biologist. Public Involvement A scoping notice in the Wrangell Sentinel newspaper was published on March 4, 2010 to solicit comments regarding this project and announce that detailed information (PCT CE Scoping Packet) was available at the. No comments have been received. The PCT CE is listed on the April Schedule of Proposed Actions and the Scoping Packet is also posted on the web at: Rationale for Categorically Excluding This Project This activity falls within a category of actions established by the Chief of the Forest Service that normally do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment and, therefore, may be categorically excluded from documentation in an Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment. This category of actions is identified in the Forest Service Handbook , Chapter 30, Section 31.2, Category 6, as timber stand and/or wildlife habitat improvement activities that do not include the use of pesticide or do not require more than one mile of low standard road construction. The has been pre-commercially thinning young-growth stands since 1979 to enhance timber production and improve wildlife and fish habitat. Pre-commercial thinning has evolved over the past 25 years to incorporate new knowledge to accomplish these objectives. No extraordinary circumstances exist that would result in additional impacts. No irreversible or irretrievable commitments of resources are anticipated. Supporting analysis for this project is included in the project Planning Record. Findings Required by Other Laws 2008 Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan This decision is consistent with the 2008 Tongass Land Management Plan (TLMP) and the Forest-wide goals and objectives for timber, fish, and wildlife listed in the TLMP (pp ). The project sites are located in areas that have been assigned the following Land Use Designations: Timber Production Manage the area to maintain and promote industrial wood production. These lands will be managed to advance conditions favorable for the timber resource and for long-term timber production. Roads are permitted. Manage to ensure that recreation opportunities are available and a variety of wildlife habitats is present. Scenic Viewshed Management activities are not visually apparent to the casual observer in the near distance from visual priority travel routes and use areas. In the middle to background distance, activities Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 2

3 are subordinate to the landscape character of the area. Timber harvest is allowed and roads are permitted. Old Growth Habitat Management emphasis is to maintain areas of old-growth forests and their associated natural ecological processes to provide habitat for old-growth associated resources. Silvicultural treatments such as thinning, release and weeding, and pruning are allowed that accelerate forest succession to achieve old-growth forest structure. ANILCA Section 810, Subsistence Evaluation and Finding The effects of this project have been evaluated to determine potential effects on subsistence opportunities and resources. There is no documented or reported subsistence use that would be restricted as a result of this decision. For this reason, this decision would not result in a significant restriction of subsistence use of wildlife, fish, or other foods. Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended Under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), Federal agency activities within the coastal zone must be consistent with the Alaska Coastal Management Program (ACMP). This is a Federal agency activity as defined in 15 CFR (a). The Forest Service/State of Alaska Memorandum of Understanding on Coastal Zone Management Act/Alaska Coastal Management Program Consistency Reviews (MOU) lists activities normally requiring a consistency determination (MOU, Section 202.B.1.). This activity is authorized under a categorical exclusion (FSH , Section ) rather than EA or an EIS, and is not listed in Section 202.B.1 as normally requiring a consistency determination. Therefore, unless the State of Alaska requests and is granted permission from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to review this permit, no consistency certification or review will be required. Endangered Species Act of 1973 Biological evaluations have been completed for this action, which indicates no federally listed threatened or endangered species will be affected by this activity (Planning Record). National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 The Forest Service program for compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) includes locating, inventorying and evaluating all historic properties (cultural sites) that may be directly or indirectly affected by scheduled activities. Regulations (36 CFR 800) implementing Section 106 of the NHPA requires that Federal agencies consider the effects of their actions on such properties. A Forest Service archaeologist reviewed all Tongass National Forest cultural resources files and atlases, the Tongass Site Database and the Alaska Heritage Resource Survey database, for information on previous work, or known historic properties in the project area. There are no known sites in the activity areas. The proposed activities have no potential to affect historic properties. Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 3

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5 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and w here applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual' s income is der ived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons w ith disabilities w ho 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, w rite to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C , or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 5

6 Appendix A The following tables list stands on the that need pre-commercial thinning. These stands are in Land Use Designations (LUDS) that allow timber harvest. Wrangell Island TM Compartment Stand Acres Total Acres 587 Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 6

7 Bradfield TM Compartment Stands Acres Total Acres 1478 Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 7

8 Zarembo Island TM Compartment Stands Acres Total Acres 1231 Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 8

9 Etolin Island TM Compartment Stands Acres Total Acres Bushy/Shrubby Islands Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 9

10 TM Compartment Stands Acres Total Acres 668 Woronkofski Islands TM Compartment Stands Acres Total Acres 380 The intent of this treatment is to improve wildlife habitat and restore old growth characteristics. Reducing the stocking levels of conifers will allow browse species to be established and increase growth rates on remaining trees which will provide future habitat. Each stand will be evaluated by wildlife and silvicultural specialists to determine the appropriate treatments. An approximate spacing of 18x18 will be used, but may be adjusted for individual site conditions. Girdling trees over 7 inches will be done if needed to reduce slash loading and provide snags for habitat. Stands treated may include a slash free travel corridor and an unthinned buffer strip along roads. The following tables list those stands that are located within Old Growth Reserves/Beach buffers and are anticipated to need pre-commercial thinning (PCT) in the near future on the. Wrangell Island TM Compartment Stand No# Acres OGR OGR OGR OGR OGR 4 27 Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 10

11 47900 OGR OGR OGR OGR 22 8 Total acres 386 Zarembo Island TM Compartment Stand No# Acres Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer OGR OGR OGR OGR OGR OGR OGR Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer Beach buffer OGR OGR OGR 6 86 Total acres 824 Etolin Island TM Compartment Stand No# Acres Beach Buffer Beach Buffer 6 13 Total Acres 33 Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 11

12 Bushy/Shrubby Islands TM Compartment Stand No# Acres Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Woronkofski Island Total Acres 256 TM Compartment Stand No# Acres Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Rynda Island Total Acres 103 TM Compartment Stand No# Acres Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Total Acres 60 Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 12

13 Deer Island TM Compartment Stand No# Acres Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Beach Buffer Total Acres 466 Grand Total Timber and Wildlife Stand Improvement Decision Memo - Page 13

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