Small Project Proposal

Transcription

1 Scoping Document Small Project Proposal USDA Forest Service Fishlake National Forest Beaver Ranger District Beaver County, Utah The purpose of this document is to inform you of a new individual small project we are proposing to implement on the Beaver Ranger District. The environmental effects of the proposed project are being analyzed by Forest resource specialists (including water, wildlife, cultural resources, and fisheries) individually and cumulatively in relation to one another. We welcome your comments, concerns, and suggestions regarding this proposal. The Beaver Ranger District has made a preliminary assessment that this proposal falls within categories of actions listed in 36 CFR Part 220 (and Forest Service NEPA Handbook ) that can be excluded from documentation in an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement, and that no extraordinary circumstances exist that would preclude use of the categories. The following information provides a description of the project. Additional information on this project is available from the Beaver Ranger District. North Fork of North Creek Fish Barrier The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) has proposed construction of a fish barrier on the Beaver Ranger District, Fishlake National Forest (FNF) to improve the security of an existing native Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT) population. The fish barrier is proposed for construction on the lower end of the North Fork of North Creek. The purpose and need of the proposed fish barrier is to protect North Fork of North Creek from invasion by non-native trout species to protect BCT. The barrier would support the objectives of the interagency Bonneville cutthroat trout Conservation Agreement and Strategy (CA/CS), of which both the UDWR and Forest Service are signatories. Past, current, and planned projects under this CA/CS were instrumental in preventing the need for listing of BCT as a threatened species. BCT currently occupy about 13% of their historic habitat in the UDWR southern region. Implementation of this project will also help the FNF meet fisheries improvement targets. The stream channel itself dictates suitable fish barrier locations and designs. Constructed fish barriers have a five foot vertical drop on the downstream side. They temporarily pond a small amount of water for a short distance upstream of the structure. These ponds usually silt in within 1-2 years, creating a natural stream channel up to the structure. The hydrological effects are similar to a small beaver pond, which naturally occur in the North Fork watershed. A small area is disturbed during construction, but generally rapidly regrows with vegetation. Fish barriers have a type of geotextile liner within the structure to help seal it and a concrete plunge pad below. These features generally blend into the environment once vegetation becomes reestablished, giving the appearance of a small waterfall. Figure 6 shows a typical loose rock fish barrier design.

2 North Fork North Creek has always held remnant BCT but portions of the lower stream have been renovated after past invasion by rainbow trout. Restoration of BCT in the lower portion of the North Fork of North Creek was included in the 2007 Native Trout Restoration and Enhancement Projects in Southwest Utah EA and approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and UDWR Wildlife Board. This EA states that where feasible, two barriers will be constructed near the downstream end of project stream reaches to help insure their effectiveness. North Fork North Creek currently has only one barrier, a culvert that has been converted to a fish migration barrier (figure 1). This barrier has been damaged by post-twitchell Canyon fire flooding, which accentuated the need for construction of a second barrier to fully protect this conservation population of BCT. There is a zone of potential barrier construction areas on lower North Fork of North Creek. The two most suitable sites within this zone have been identified and mapped. The final site chosen and the best access route between the site and the road will be decided based upon archeological surveys, specialist input on the least disturbance routes, and scoping responses. Figure 1 shows a map of the general location of the proposed North Fork of North Creek fish barrier. Figure 2 shows a close up map of the specific proposed location, while Figure 3 shows the same view on an aerial photograph. Figure 4 shows the streamside view of the upper potential barrier site. Figure 5 shows the streamside view of the lower potential barrier site. The stream itself is screened from view by the topography and vegetation. After construction the barriers would generally be unnoticeable. The barrier would be built using large rock and boulders that are trucked in. The rock would be moved from the storage area just off Forest Road 591 to the barrier site using a front end loader. Access would utilize open areas as much as possible to reduce vegetation disturbance. The barrier would be about 25 feet across (flowing channel), with a 5 foot drop on the downstream side similar to Figure 6. Some natural material salvaged from the barrier site would be utilized for fill behind the wing walls and the upstream side of the barrier. Some rock would also be salvaged from the site during excavation. A concrete plunge pad would be poured within the wing walls below the barrier drop. A small amount of native riparian and upland vegetation would need to be removed for barrier construction and access. Smaller riparian shrubs or young trees would be replanted around the structure as needed. All disturbed sites would be blended with the natural site topography and reseeded with a district approved seed mix if necessary. The barrier would be constructed in a suitable low stream flow time in No changes in existing land management activities are proposed or required for this fish barrier project. There are no threatened, endangered, or sensitive plant species that occur in the project area. The proposed barrier sites and access routes were previously field surveyed by an archaeologist for other projects and based on this we do not anticipate concerns with either site. Weather conditions precluded a fall visit but the project area will be revisited by the Forest archaeologist in the spring. If any archeological resource concerns are found, the alternative site or an immediately adjacent area would be selected. The final site selection will consider scoping responses, the archeologist survey, and specialist input. No other issues have been identified with the proposal. The proposed action is a routine activity as defined in FSH Section 32.2 and fits Category 7: Modification or maintenance of stream or lake aquatic habitat improvement structures using native materials or normal practices.

3 For maps and detailed information about the project visit: Public Involvement The USDA Forest Service (USFS) is no longer required to offer notice, comment, and appeal opportunities pursuant to 36 CFR 215 or 36 CFR 218 for categorically excluded projects. However, such legislative ruling does not limit the public s ability to comment on USFS projects activities. By soliciting public comments the USFS ensures that a wide range of interests and perspectives are considered and that site specific natural resource concerns are identified and meeting the NEPA requirements for public scoping with an opportunity to comment prior to a decision by the responsible official. Comment Process Please submit your detailed project specific comments within 14 days of publication in The Beaver County Journal. Comments received, including names and address of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record for this project, and may be made available for public inspection. Comments can be submitted to the Beaver Ranger by facsimile, hand-delivery, post office mail delivery or . ed comments need to be in Word (.doc or.docx), rich text format (.rtf), text (.txt), or portable document format (.pdf) and addressed to: comments-intermtn-fishlake-beaver@fs.fed.us. Please address post office mail comments to: Kathy Johnson, District Ranger, Beaver Ranger District, P.O. Box E, Beaver, Utah Hand delivered comments are welcomed at the Ranger Station front desk on weekdays, 8:00 am 4:30 pm, excluding holidays. If submitting comments via FAX send to:

4 Figure 1: General overview map showing the two possible locations of the proposed North Fork of North Creek fish barrier (red), the existing culvert/barrier (green), and the existing barriers on South fork North Creek (blue) on the Beaver Ranger District in relationship to the Fishlake National Forest boundary (green line).

5 Figure 2: Close up map of the two possible locations of the proposed North Fork of North Creek fish barrier (red). Forest boundary is designated by the green line.

6 Figure 3: Google Earth aerial photograph of two possible locations of the proposed North Fork of North Creek fish barrier.

7 Figure 4: Photograph of the proposed upper North Fork of North Creek fish barrier location looking downstream. Figure 5: Photograph of the proposed lower North Fork of North Creek fish barrier location looking upstream. The barrier sites are screened from view by the topography and vegetation. After construction the barriers would generally be unnoticeable.

8 Figure 6: Sketch of typical loose rock fish barrier design.