Forest Service Highway 28 West Boyce, LA / United States Department of Agriculture

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1 United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Kisatchie National Forest Calcasieu Ranger District 9912 Highway 28 West Boyce, LA / ` File Code: 1950 Date: July 1, 2016 Dear Friend of the Kisatchie National Forest, The Calcasieu Ranger District of the Kisatchie National Forest is proposing the Government Pond Project (Fig. 1). We are inviting you to submit comments to help refine the proposed activities disclosed in this letter. In addition, the Responsible Official is currently preparing an environmental analysis of this proposal and needs your assistance to better identify issues, concerns, and opportunities. Pursuant to 36 CFR 218.7(a)(2), this proposed project implements the 1999 Revised Land and Resource Management Plan of the Kisatchie National Forest as ammended (RLRMP) and is subject to 218 subparts A and B. Fig. 1. Vicinity map. The Government Pond Project is located in Compartments 111, 114, 115, 116, and 120 on the Vernon Unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District in Vernon Parish approximately 13 miles southeast of the city of Leesville, LA and 10 miles northwest of the town of Pitkin, LA. The legal description of the project area is Township (T) 1 North, Range (R) 7 West (W) section 31 ; T 1 South (S), R 7 W, sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 22 ; also T 1S, R 8W sections 12,13,14, and 24. It is comprised of approximately 5,733 acres. These compartments are located within Management Area 6 (red-cockaded woodpecker and wildlife habitats, RLRMP pgs to 3-24). Management Area 6 emphasizes management of redcockaded woodpecker (RCW) habitat and provides for a wide range of favorable habitats for all

2 native wildlife. Within this management area are special allocations for the management of old growth forests and uneven-age forest management (See Fig. 2). These management areas and special allocations describe the desired future condition for this area as detailed in the Forest Plan. Fig. 2. Old Growth and Uneven-age Management Designations. PURPOSE AND NEED The Calcasieu Ranger District Interdisciplinary Team (ID Team) identified the need for the proposed action by comparing the desired future conditions (DFC) identified in the Forest Plan to the existing conditions in the Government Pond Project. The stand inventories completed in 2016 indicate that 49% of the area is in longleaf pine, 30% is in loblolly pine, and 21% of the area is in hardwood or hardwood pine. While loblolly is suitable on the lower elevations, longleaf pine is more suitable for the upland sites. This presents opportunities to restore longleaf ecosystems where through past management loblolly has replaced it. To maintain the open parklike conditions favored by RCW as described in the 2003 Second Revision Red-cockaded Woodpecker Recovery Plan, also referred to as the RCW Recovery Plan, most of the pine stands need to be thinned. 2

3 PROPOSED ACTION Restoring the forest to the historic vegetation entails converting loblolly pine stands to longleaf pine. The old growth and uneven-age designation of the project area allows even-age regeneration up to 25 acres in size for the purpose of restoring longleaf pine to the ecosystem (RLRMP pgs and 2-53). Even-age regeneration is further restricted based on its location to active RCW clusters (RLRMP pgs.3-17) as it must be outside of one quarter mile from each cluster. The District Interdisciplinary team with collaboration from forest specialists developed the following proposal to bring these compartments in line with the Forest Plan desired future condition with these restrictions considered. Fig. 3. Proposed Stand Treatments Longleaf Restoration Even-age Three loblolly pine stands totaling 75 acres are proposed for longleaf regeneration (Fig. 3). Once the stands are clearcut, site preparation would involve herbicide application and/or prescribed fire and mulching or chopping if remaining slash from the timber harvest necessitates it. The areas would then be planted with containerized superior longleaf pine seedlings. Herbicides, manual tools, and/or prescribed fire would be applied to reduce hardwood and loblolly pine competition. The seedlings would be in the ground at least one year before prescribed fire is applied. 3

4 The photograph in Fig. 4 depicts the current condition of a loblolly stand (Compartment 114, stand 11) to be regenerated to longleaf pine. Figure 5 is what the eventual desired future condition for this stand would look like. Fig. 4. Current condition Compartment 114 Stand 11 Photo by C. Fontenot 2016 Fig. 5. Desired Future Condition. Photo by B. Bell

5 Longleaf Restoration Uneven-aged Compartment 114 stand 6 and compartment 116 stand 1 accounting for approximately 189 acres would be reduced to basal area (BA). This prescription would promote uneven-aged management within the designated area (Fig 3). The desired outcome is a stand with multiple aged longleaf pine with multiple species habitat potential which can be seen in Fig 6. Fig 6. Desired Condition Compartment 35, stand 8. Photo by K. Duncan Commercial Thinning Approximately 3,514 acres of pine forest would be commercially thinned to approximately square feet of basal area (BA). The project would also include 452 acres of commercially thinned forest to an approximate square feet of basal area. This lower basal area is proposed to occur in active RCW stands and would promote open park-like stand conditions that are needed for healthy RCW populations. These are all indicated on the proposed treatment map in Fig. 3. Roads The condition of the existing road surface described in the motor vehicle use map (MVUM) is not up to Forest Service standard. Reconstruction and maintenance will be required and includes but is not limited to: FS 475, FS 444, V111G, V115O, V115L, V115M, and V111L. The roads listed and temporary roads will be used to harvest timber. Temporary roads would be obliterated by seeding and fertilizing road beds and blocking them with dirt berms after use. 5

6 Wildlife There are 10 RCW clusters within the five compartments (Fig 7). Maintenance in each cluster would involve controlling midstory vegetation by mowing, bushhogging, or using a wood gator (mulcher). Inserts within the clusters would be replaced as needed. The areas are currently being prescribed burned on a 2 to 5 year cycle. Thinning the overstory pine forests to a 50 to 70 BA combined with the prescribed burning would maintain the open park-like stand conditions in the RCW foraging areas. Fig. 7. Current RCW cluster locations. 6

7 Recreation- Trails The Big Branch and Whiskey Chitto OHV/Horse trail systems are both inside the project area (Fig 8). Fig. 8. Trail Systems in Project Area. These trails would be maintained by brush hogging approximately four feet on either side of the path annually or as needed. Trail markers and signs would be replaced as needed. Any snags along the trail that would endanger the safety of the trail users would be cut and left in place. Trees that fall across the trail would have a section cut out to allow passage. Recreation- Campgrounds Hunter and Government Pond primitive campgrounds are within the project area. The areas will continue to be maintained as primitive campgrounds. This would involve: mowing, trash pickup, restocking of bathrooms, snag removal, etc. 7

8 Non Native Invasive Plant Species Nonnative invasive plant species (NNIPS) are located throughout these compartments. The most obvious species are tallow tree and Japanese climbing fern. The NNIPS would be treated with a combination of herbicides, prescribed fire, and hand tools where appropriate. Herbicides would be used to target individual species and their use would conform to Forest Service rules and regulations and to the manufacturers label specifications. Natural Plant Community Restoration There are approximately 45 bogs within the project area (Fig 9). Since these plant communities require direct sunlight and minimal amounts of competing vegetation in order to thrive, we are proposing to remove overstory and competing vegetation where needed. All work will be done with hand tools and or herbicide treatments. Fig 9. Plant Communities Boundary Maintenance Property Boundary maintenance is inadequate in numerous locations, Making it difficult to determine ownership. Because of the approximate 20 miles of private and NFS land interface in the project area, boundary lines need to be maintained or reestablished to prevent encroachment. 8

9 HOW TO COMMENT This proposal is being defined by 36 CFR 218 regulations. This scoping will be followed by the analysis during with the environmental assessment will be written. The draft EA would then be available for a 30-day comment period. After comments are received and reviewed, the EA would be updated and a draft decision notice made available to all who commented for a 45 day objection period. For objection eligibility ( 218.5), only those who have submitted timely, specific written comments during any designated opportunity for public comment may file an objection (CFR ). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project and attributed to the objector, unless the issue is based on new information that arose after a designated opportunity to comment ( 218.8(c)). After any objections are reconciled, the final decision may be signed. The Government Pond Project is in the beginning of this process, scoping. Specific written comments as defined by should be within the scope of the proposed action, have a direct relationship to the proposed action, and must include supporting reasons for the responsible official to consider. It is the responsibility of all individuals and organizations to ensure that their comments are received in a timely manner. Please submit your comments to scoping on or before July 30, Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record on these proposed actions and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent environmental documents. A 30-day Notice and Comment period will be provided at a future date ( ). Specific written comments must be submitted to: Lisa W. Lewis, 9912 Hwy 28 West, Boyce, LA 71409, phone (318) or fax (318) The office business hours for persons submitting hand-delivered comments are: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. In addition to the postal mail option, you may submit comments electronically. Electronic comments may be submitted in a format such as an message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc,.docx) to comments-southern-kisatchiecalcasieu@fs.fed.us. Please state Government Pond Project in the subject line when providing electronic comments or on the envelope when replying by mail. 9

10 Additional information on this Project is available on the webpage at: If you would like more information or have questions relating to this proposal, please contact Charles Fontenot, Prescription Forester, by or by phone (318) Sincerely, /s/ Douglas Rhodes for Lisa W. Lewis, DISTRICT RANGER USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 10