United States Department of Agriculture. Hellroaring Project. Environmental Assessment. Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

Transcription

1 United States Department of Agriculture Hellroaring Project Environmental Assessment Forest Service Idaho Panhandle National Forests Bonners Ferry Ranger District July 2014

2 For More Information Contact: Doug Nishek Bonners Ferry Ranger District 6286 Main St. Bonners Ferry, ID 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 where 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 derived from any public assistance program. (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 TTY). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC , or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

3 Environmental Assessment Contents Introduction...1 Where the Project is Located...1 Why are we proposing this project?...1 Our Need for the Project...2 Changing Forest Vegetation to Improve Landscape Resiliency...2 Reducing Forest Fuels and Promoting Resilient Tree Species...3 Other Resource Objectives We Want to Accomplish...3 Management Direction from the Forest Plan...5 Details of Our Proposed Actions...5 Vegetation Management Prescriptions...5 Fuel Reduction Activities...7 Other Resource Management Activities...7 Measures Designed to Avoid, Minimize or Mitigate Adverse Effects...9 Public Comments, Concerns and Issues...9 Alternatives...10 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated...11 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Actions and Alternatives...12 Effects to Forest Vegetation...12 Effects to Fuels...18 Effects to Soils...24 Effects to Watersheds, Hydrology and Aquatic Resources...28 Effects to Wildlife Species and Habitat...36 Effects to Rare Plants...53 Effects to Invasive Plants...55 Effects to Recreation...57 Effects to Scenic Quality...60 Economic Contributions...64 Agencies and Persons Consulted...65 The Interdisciplinary Team...65 Federal, State, and Local Agencies, Tribes, and Others:...65 References...67 Appendix A - Maps...73 Appendix B Management Indicator Species Considerations for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.79 Introduction...79 Appendix C Measures Designed to Avoid, Minimize, or Mitigate Adverse Effects Appendix D Unit Prescriptions Alternative 2 Prescriptions Alternative 3 Prescriptions Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests i

4 Hellroaring Project List of Tables Table 1. Alternative treatment summary Table 2. Existing and proposed road management in alternatives 2 and 3 in the project area (miles) Table 3. Principal issues and indicators for vegetation resources* Table 4. Principal issues and indicators for fire and fuels Table 5. Fuel characteristics by alternative* Table 6. Acres and effectiveness rating of canopy bulk density and canopy base height treatments by alternative Table 7. Acres of potential rate of spread over or under 5 chains/hour burning under severe conditions within the Hellroaring Project Area by alternative Table 8. Acres of potential crown fire activity under severe conditions within the Hellroaring project area Table 9. Principal issues and indicators for soil resources Table 10. Mass failure potential for alternatives 2 and Table 11. Surface erosion potential for alternatives 2 and Table 12. Sensitive landtype rating for alternatives 2 and Table 13. Principal issues and indicators for aquatic resources Table 14. FS WEPP sediment delivery estimates (average annual tons/year) for alternatives 2 and 3. Values are calculated as the difference from the existing condition (alternative 1) Table 15. Acres of harvest activities on high mass failure potential landtype Table 16. Road densities and road densities within riparian habitat conservation areas for Hellroaring analysis units for each alternative Table 17. Principal species analyzed and issue indicators for wildlife resources Table 18. Wildlife species analyzed in detail Table 19. Acres of Canada Lynx Habitat in the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit affected by proposed activities and subsequent effects on forest plan Standards VEG S1 and S Table 20. Cumulative effects of ongoing and proposed projects on Standards VEG S1 and VEG S2 in the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit Table 21. Percentage of mid- and late-seral forest in the Hellroaring Project Area under all alternatives. 45 Table 22. Vegetation structural stage (VSS) percentages in the Round Prairie northern goshawk home range Table 23. Vegetation structural stage (VSS) percentages in hypothetical northern goshawk home range (HR) Table 24. Principal issues and indicators for rare plants Table 25. Principal issues and indicators for invasive plants Table 26. Principal issues and indicators for recreation resources Table 27. Issue and indicators for the scenic quality resource Table 28. Effects of harvest units and proposed treatments on scenic quality in alternative Table 29. Effects of harvest units and proposed treatments on scenic quality in alternative Table 30. Copy of Table IV-2 Monitoring Requirements from IPNF Forest Plan p. IV-11 for Wildlife item F-1 only Table 31. Selecting Indicator Species on the IPNF Documented Presence on IPNF Table 32. Alternative 2 prescriptions Table 33. Alternative 3 prescriptions ii Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

5 Environmental Assessment List of Figures Figure 1. Where the Hellroaring Project is located... iv Figure 2. Graphic simulations showing what vegetation prescriptions would look in about 5 to 10 years..6 Figure 3. Current forest composition as compared to historical composition of the Kootenai subbasin...13 Figure 4. Current and historic composition of white pine compared to alternatives 2 and Figure 5. Current and historic composition of larch compared to alternatives 2 and Figure 6. Changes in forest structure compared to historic structure in Kootenai subbasin...16 Figure 7. Historic, existing, and predicted equivalent clearcut area (ECA) water yield increases in Round Prairie Creek...30 Figure 8. Alternative comparisons in ECA water yield increases for Round Prairie Creek. Values represent the percent increase above "natural watershed conditions."...30 Figure 9. Comparison of historic water yields in Round Prairie Creek compared to alternative 2 (since it estimates the largest increase in water yield)...30 Figure 10. Hellroaring Project cumulative effects areas for wildlife species analyzed...39 Figure 11. Hellroaring Project northern goshawk nest stands, home ranges and post-fledging family areas (PFAs)...49 Figure 12. Existing harvest opening on lower slopes of Hellroaring Creek drainage, looking southwest..62 Figure 13. Proposed harvest units located adjacent to existing openings would be designed to emulate natural openings with a variety of harvest prescriptions...62 Figure 14. Simulated appearance of proposed harvest in alternative Figure 15. Population trend graph for pileated woodpecker from 1968 through 2006 in the Northern Rockies, including Idaho, based on USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center North American Breeding Bird Surveys (USDI Geological Survey 2010) Figure 16. Population trend graph for pileated woodpecker from 1968 through 2006 in Idaho based on USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center North American Breeding Bird Surveys (USDI Geological Survey 2010) Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests iii

6 Hellroaring Project Figure 1. Where the Hellroaring Project is located iv Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

7 Environmental Assessment Introduction We are proposing to conduct a variety of forest resource management activities on National Forest System lands within and around the Hellroaring and Little Hellroaring Creek drainages in the Bonners Ferry Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Our proposed activities include vegetation management and fuel reduction activities, as well as activities to manage noxious weeds, roads, motorized trails, big game forage, fish passage, and scenery. The purpose of this environmental assessment is to briefly provide sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an environmental impact statement or a finding of no significant impact. Where the Project is Located The project area is located in the Bonners Ferry Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It lies on the south side of U.S. Highway 95 about 4 linear miles southwest of Eastport, Idaho and the U.S.-Canada border (see figure 1). The project area boundary encompasses about 9,600 acres surrounding the Hellroaring and Little Hellroaring Creek drainages. Why are we proposing this project? The Hellroaring Project is part of a broader collaborative forest landscape restoration program (CFLRP) proposal occurring in the lower Kootenai River Watershed. In 2011, a group called the Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative (KVRI) 1 developed the Lower Kootenai River Watershed Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Proposal. 2 That document identified the need for holistic ecological restoration across all land ownerships in the watershed. KVRI s desired condition for the lower Kootenai River Watershed is a landscape that maintains natural processes, patterns and functions, and is more resilient to unforeseen disturbances. We designed the Hellroaring proposal to support the CFLRP goals that are relevant to the National Forest System lands in the Hellroaring area. Conditions in the Hellroaring project area are consistent with conditions described in the CFLRP proposal, as well as with broader scale landscape conditions described in the Upper Columbia River Basin Assessment, and the Idaho Panhandle National Forest s North Zone Geographic Assessment. 3 These assessments verify current ecosystem conditions described in the KVRI CFLRP and those that exist in the Hellroaring project area. Our primary focus of the Hellroaring Project is to manage the forest stands in the project area to maintain or improve their resilience to disturbances such as drought, insect and disease outbreaks, and wildfires. We are also concerned about areas where forest fuel accumulations are high and could contribute to a severe wildfire; making suppression difficult near private lands or causing resource damage such as a post-fire debris flow downstream into valley areas. Other resource objectives we would like to accomplish while working in this area include improving big game forage, fish passage under roads, treating noxious weeds, providing parking for motorized trail recreation, and enhancing scenic integrity. 1 The KVRI collaborative consists of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Boundary County, City of Bonners Ferry, private citizens, landowners, Federal and State agencies, conservation/environmental advocacy groups, and representatives of business and industry. 2 Further information regarding the KVRI CFLRP can be found on the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho s website 3 Quigley and Arbelbide 1997; USDA Forest Service [no date]. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 1

8 Hellroaring Project Our Need for the Project Changing Forest Vegetation to Improve Landscape Resiliency Forest vegetation in the Hellroaring project area has changed over time due to a combination of fire suppression, introduction of white pine blister rust and past management practices. Before the introduction of blister rust, white pine was a more significant component of the landscape. Historically, larch stands regenerated in the sunny openings created by wildfires. Today, nearly 50 percent of the Hellroaring landscape is composed of mature forests dominated by Douglas-fir, grand fir, western hemlock, lodgepole pine, and subalpine fir; species that have replaced white pine and larch. These forest stands, which historically would have had fewer of these species due to wildfires, have very little structural diversity and are at higher risk of succumbing to insect and disease infestations. Larch and white pine need open sunny areas to regenerate in because their seedlings do not grow well in the shade. In other parts of the Hellroaring project area, some lodgepole pine stands are considered a high hazard for bark beetle attacks, a trend that is expected to continue in the near future. Where aspen stands are found, they are often competing with conifer trees for light, water and nutrients, which limits their ability to regenerate. Mature forest stands that are close to meeting old growth characteristics need to be retained. For these reasons, we want to maintain and improve forest landscape resiliency by providing for forest composition and structure that best resist insects and disease. More specifically, we want to: Increase the acreage of stands where western white pine and western larch are significant components Regenerate, maintain and expand dispersed aspen clones where feasible Retain mature forests not scheduled for treatment that have the potential to become old growth in the future Reduce the acreage of lodgepole pine at risk from bark beetle attacks Increase the patch size of forest openings What is landscape resiliency? In ecology, resilience is the capacity of an ecosystem to withstand a disturbance by resisting damage and recovering over time to its original state. Such disturbances can include events such as fires, flooding, windstorms, insect population explosions, and human activities such as fire suppression and the introduction of exotic plant or animal species. 2 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

9 Environmental Assessment Reducing Forest Fuels and Promoting Resilient Tree Species Fire suppression policies from the early 1900s have had an effect on our current forest structure and composition found in the project area. While well intended, fire suppression has effectively removed the natural role of fire, which periodically cleaned the forest of accumulated debris ( forest fuels ) and created a diversity of tree sizes, species, and open patches. Today, the forests in the project area are generally dominated by stands of similar size, age, density, species composition, and structure. From a wildfire standpoint, these overcrowded stand conditions create more of a continuous fuelbed across the landscape; generally placing the area at a higher risk of succumbing to a large severe fire, which can burn more easily through continuous stands of trees that have decades of accumulated dead branches and forest debris. Why is a diversity of tree species so important? Because a forest with a mix of different tree species will be more resilient to events like fires and insect attacks than a forest dominated by very few species. Species such as Douglasfir and lodgepole pine are very susceptible to insects and diseases, whereas white pine and larch are less susceptible. Larch is also the most fire-resistant conifer species in the Northern Rockies. Increasing the percentage of these species and overall species diversity will improve landscape resilience. Where the Hellroaring project area borders private lands (the wildland-urban interface), there are stands of trees with high fuel loading (dead trees, branches, and forest litter), and areas where tree crowns are dense with interlocking branches. If a wildfire were to occur in these areas, these conditions could cause a severe fire that is difficult to control or could spread onto private lands. If such a fire were to kill expansive areas of trees across drainages, heavy rains could cause large flash floods and debris flows, affecting private landowners downstream. For these reasons, we want to promote forest conditions that reduce fire hazard on National Forest System lands, aiding fire suppression efforts to reduce the potential impacts of wildfire in order to protect resource values and private lands adjacent to the project area. More specifically, our fuel reduction objectives are: Reduce surface fuels and canopy densities to create a lower intensity and severity fire environment Develop and maintain stand compositions and structures associated with more fire-tolerant species (such as western larch) over fire-intolerant species (such as grand fir) Other Resource Objectives We Want to Accomplish In addition to the objectives described above we want to accomplish the following objectives to benefit other forest resources in the project area. Controlling Invasive Plants Boundary County and other jurisdictions have partnered to manage and control noxious weeds across boundaries. In the Hellroaring project area, we want to contain or control existing noxious weed populations along road and trail systems, and minimize potential for new weed infestations, especially in areas not accounted for in the Bonners Ferry Ranger District Weed Management Record of Decision (USDA Forest Service 1995). Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 3

10 Hellroaring Project Improving Forage for Big Game More than 80 percent of the Hellroaring area consists of relatively closed canopy conifer stands, where forage for big game such as deer and elk is limited because there are few palatable shrubs or herbaceous species available. Another nearly 15 percent of the area is old harvest units, where forage has declined due to regenerating trees taking over and the remaining shrubs growing woody and unpalatable. Openings and prescribed burning would help improve forage for big game in the Hellroaring drainage. Improving Fish Passage in Hellroaring Creek Fish and aquatic habitat surveys indicate that streams in the project area are functioning properly and require very little restoration. However, one culvert passing Hellroaring Creek under Road 2266 was deemed a barrier to upstream fish passage. Replacing this culvert with a structure that will allow fish access to beneficial aquatic habitat upstream of this location would benefit all life stages of fish species in the project area. Providing Parking at Trailheads and Managing the Road System The Hellroaring project area contains trails popular with motorcycle and off-highway vehicle (OHV) users and horseback riders. The two main trailheads located on National Forest System (NFS) Roads 2485 and 2259 are currently brushed in and not large enough to accommodate vehicles with trailers. Improving these trailheads would provide safe and accessible areas for trail users. The upper section of NFS Road 2485 is currently impassible with a full-size vehicle because the road surface is very eroded and brushed in. This part of the road is currently being managed as an ATV trail because it connects to an existing motorized trail. Because we don t have funds to make this road drivable for full-sized vehicles, we propose to convert it to an OHV trail for vehicles less than 50 inches wide. There are also roads in the project area that are brushed in and not drivable by standard-sized vehicles. About 5 miles of these are designated open roads, and just less than 2 miles are designated as closed year round. Because these roads are either gated or brushed in, they are not being used. We do not have funding to clear and maintain those that are designated as open. In these situations, it is best to put the roads in storage 4 so they remain stable over time and can be used with minimal reconstruction work when needed in the future. Enhancing the Scenic Integrity of the Area About 1,400 acres of the project area was harvested in the 1980s, back when stands were cut with little consideration for how the result would appear when viewed at a distance. Natural vegetation patterns, which historically were shaped by events such as wildfire, are not typically so obvious and geometric. Burn patterns tend to result in irregular shaped openings and patches. As we complete our restoration work, we want areas viewed from forest trails and road systems to reflect a natural-appearing landscape and healthy, resilient vegetation conditions. 5 Contributing to the Local Economy In addition to other landscape restoration work happening in the Lower Kootenai River Watershed, the Hellroaring Project can help contribute to local economic growth. This project will help maintain and support natural resource-related jobs through a commercially viable timber sale contract and other restoration service contracts. 4 Road storage means keeping a road on the transportation system for potential future use, but closing it to public and administrative use. It means features that require regular maintenance such as culverts may be removed, and portions of the roadbed that could erode over time would be stabilized. 5 Although proposed treatment areas look geometric on map 1, they would be designed on the ground to avoid the appearance of straight lines and hard edges. 4 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

11 Environmental Assessment Management Direction from the Forest Plan The 1987 forest plan for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests provides overarching guidance for managing the lands within the national forest boundaries. These lands are divided into management areas, which specify standards and guidelines for managing the resources in each area. We have designed the Hellroaring Project to achieve direction in the forest plan that also complements the goals of the KVRI Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Proposal. The following management area direction from the forest plan is applicable to the Hellroaring project area. Management Area 1 (85% of the area): Manage those lands suitable for timber production for the long-term growth and production of commercially valuable wood products in a cost effective manner and: protect soil productivity, meet or exceed state water quality standards, provide wildlife habitat provide opportunities for dispersed recreation, and meet visual quality objectives. Management Area 4 (2% of the area): Manage big game winter range to provide sufficient forage to support projected big game habitat needs, through scheduled timber harvest and permanent forage areas. Management Area 9 (13% of the area): Maintain and protect existing improvements, resource productivity potential and meet visual quality objectives. Details of Our Proposed Actions Vegetation Management Prescriptions We are prescribing several different methods to manage the vegetation in the Hellroaring project area. See figure 2 on page 7 and attached maps 1, 2, and 3 in appendix A. Seedtree with Reserves This prescription is designed to encourage the growth and regeneration of white pine and larch by cutting most of the trees except those needed for seed production. These areas would appear very open with 5 to 10 trees per acre and would include reserves of tree groups in various areas of the stand. Shelterwood with Reserves This prescription is designed to encourage the growth and regeneration of white pine and larch. These areas would appear moderately open with an average of 10 to 20 trees per acre and include reserves of tree groups in various areas of the stand. Group Selection This prescription removes groups of trees in 1- to 3-acre patches, creating sunny openings in areas where we want to regenerate white pine and larch. Between the openings, we would use commercial thinning to remove the less desirable understory trees to provide the remaining trees more growing space and less competition for water and nutrients. In general, we would leave about 10 larger overstory trees per acre in the openings and 70 to 130 trees per acre in thinned areas. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 5

12 Hellroaring Project Precommercial Thinning 6 In old harvest areas where the regenerating trees have grown dense and are beginning to compete with each other for light, water and nutrients, we would thin out the smaller suppressed trees and primarily select larch and white pine as leave trees with a target density of about 200 to 300 trees per acre. Example of a precommercial thinning. This management technique helps reduce competition among young trees so they get more light, water and nutrients. Seedtree Shelterwood Group selection Commercial thinning Figure 2. Graphic simulations showing what vegetation prescriptions would look in about 5 to 10 years 6 The term precommercial indicates that the cut material is not yet merchantable for sawlog products. 6 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

13 Environmental Assessment How Trees would be Removed (Logging Systems) Where trees to be removed have commercial value, we would use various types of equipment based on the terrain and access constraints. Helicopter yarding would be used in areas not easily accessible by roads. Skyline yarding would be used on steep terrain. Tractor yarding would be used on flat to gentle slopes, and a combination of skyline and tractor yarding would be used where slopes vary. In areas of precommercial thinning, small trees and large shrubs would be cut by hand with a chainsaw. See table 1 on page 11 for a list of removal systems by acreage. Fuel Reduction Activities Preexisting forest fuels and those created by debris left from logging activities would be treated through prescribed underburning, machine piling, whole-tree yarding, or a combination of these treatment options. In machine-piled units, only fuels in excess of what is desired to meet coarse woody debris and soil productivity objectives would be piled. In precommercial thinning units, fuels would be allowed to decompose naturally over time. 7 See table 1 for a list of fuel treatment methods and acres of treatment. Other Resource Management Activities Producing Forage for Deer and Elk In most treatment areas (1,079 acres), we propose to use low-severity prescribed underburning, not only to reduce forest fuels, but also to stimulate the regrowth of browse plants for big game forage. On one 73-acre area on Tungsten Ridge (unit 180), burning for forage production is the only prescription. Controlling and Managing Spread of Invasive Plants Some areas within the Hellroaring project area are currently under weed management direction as prescribed in the Bonners Ferry Ranger District Weed Management Record of Decision (USDA Forest Service 1995). However, many of the roads proposed as haul routes and trails in the project area are not currently covered under any management direction. Substantial weed populations occur in the project area, particularly adjacent to roadways. Therefore, as part of the Hellroaring Project, we propose to pretreat weed populations along trails and roads (including haul routes, landings, and roads proposed for storage) using accepted herbicides and weed management practices. Methods of weed containment or control may include biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical management practices (our analysis will cover use of accepted herbicides and weed management practices in the project area, as well as all National Forest System (NFS) roads leading into or going out of the project area). We would also provide follow-up weed treatments (by contractor or Forest Service) to keep existing weed populations and potential new weed invaders in check. 7 Exceptions may occur where precommercial thinning units abut private property. In those locations, a small amount of machine piling of the slash and pile burning may occur to reduce the fuel hazard. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 7

14 Hellroaring Project Improving Fish Passage in Hellroaring Creek The outlet of the 4-foot-diameter culvert that passes Hellroaring Creek under NFS Road 2266 is raised more than 36 inches above the water level of the pool below it. This likely is preventing fish and other aquatic organisms from accessing upstream habitat. We would like to replace this culvert with a crossing structure that will improve upstream passage for all life stages of fish species in the Hellroaring Creek drainage. The existing culvert would be removed and replaced with a structure large enough to accommodate natural stream substrate materials (gravel and cobble) throughout the length of the crossing. This design would better mimic the existing stream channel, improve upstream fish passage, and pass higher stream flows and debris. Improving Trail Parking Facilities On NFS Roads 2485 and 2259 we propose to create better parking facilities for the trailheads on these roads. This work would entail widening and brush clearing to accommodate OHV and stock trailers with ample room for turning around. Managing the Road System Road Reconstruction and Maintenance To support large trucks and equipment, we would need to perform road reconstruction and maintenance on about 30 miles of existing roads. These activities would include clearing brush from the road shoulders to improve sight distance, blading and shaping the road, cleaning ditches, improving drainage structures, and adding gravel to the road surface. The existing gravel pit located on Gillon Creek, NFS Road 273 just north of the project area would be used as a gravel source for this project. Crushing and hauling activities would occur for a few months while the project roads are being reconstructed. Placing Roads in Storage We will be using many of the roads in the project area to accomplish our proposed activities. Some roads that are currently brushed in and not drivable are designated as open year-round or are gated for administrative or permitted use only. To use these roads to accomplish the project would require some reconstruction and maintenance. Due to a lack of funding to keep these roads maintained following their use for the project, we are proposing to put them into storage so they could still be used if needed in the future. We are not proposing to construct any new roads or decommission any existing roads. Table 2 on page 11 shows miles of roads by management designation, and how we propose to manage them after the Hellroaring Project is complete. Also refer to maps 2 and 3 in appendix A. Converting Road Segments to Motorized Use Trails On about 1.8 miles of NFS Road 2485, a designated open road, there is a brushed-in segment that has been receiving OHV use because it connects to OHV Trail 32. We propose to keep this section of road as-is and convert it to an OHV trail. On NFS Road 2259 where we want to improve parking for trail users, we propose to manage about 0.2 mile of the road as a motorcycle trail to span the section between the parking area and existing motorcycle trail Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

15 Environmental Assessment Enhancing Scenic Integrity Natural vegetation patterns, which historically were shaped by events such as wildfire, are not typically so obvious and geometric. Burn patterns tend to result in irregular shaped openings and patches. With the help of a landscape architect, we plan to incorporate edge treatments to past harvest units most visible from forest trails, road systems and U.S. Highway 95 to create a more natural-appearing landscape. Measures Designed to Avoid, Minimize or Mitigate Adverse Effects Our proposed activities are designed with a variety of measures intended to avoid, minimize, or mitigate known or potential adverse effects to various resources. Please refer to appendix C for a list of detailed measures. Public Comments, Concerns and Issues To inform the public, interest groups, tribes and agencies of this project, we used different methods of communication. We listed the Hellroaring Project in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest s Quarterly Schedule of Proposed Actions, sent a letter or our proposal to interested parties, and posted information on our Forest Service internet site. We had several meetings with the KVRI collaborative group as we developed the proposal, we met with people out in the project area, and we spoke with individuals on the phone. The National Environmental Policy Act directs the agency to focus on a full and fair discussion of issues, and identify and eliminate from detailed study the issues that are not significant. Primary public concerns we identified are listed below. Other concerns raised were either not relevant or site-specific to the project, or we were able to address them through design of the project. Please refer to the project record for a complete description of issues and how we resolved them. Effects of cutting trees on water flows There were concerns from private landowners downstream of Hellroaring Creek that timber harvest would increase water yield and cause flooding in the Round Prairie drainage. Based on these concerns, we designed the proposed action to have fewer harvest units than what we originally planned. See Alternatives Considered but Eliminated on page 12. Openings larger than 40 acres There were concerns that timber harvest would create large openings across the landscape that could affect a variety of resources. The National Forest Management Act and Forest Service policy (36 CFR (d)(4)) require openings created by regeneration or even-aged timber harvest to be no larger than 40 acres, unless otherwise approved by the Regional Forester. This issue led to the development of alternative 3 described in the next section. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 9

16 Hellroaring Project Alternatives We are analyzing the potential effects of three alternatives in this environmental assessment, including the proposed action. Alternative 1 is no action. Existing approved management of the Hellroaring project area would continue but none of the activities proposed for this project would occur. Including this alternative in our analysis helps us compare environmental conditions and trends that exist in the project area with how they would change if we actively manage the area. Alternative 2 is our proposed actions as described above. Alternative 3 treats less acreage. We developed this alternative to address concerns about the amount of openings greater than 40 acres that would occur with the proposed actions. To address these concerns, alternative 3 proposes more commercial thinning than alternative 2 and the size of regeneration units are limited to 40 acres or less. The precommercial thinning units, road and trail proposals in alternative 3 remain the same as in the proposed action. For a comparison of the alternatives, please refer to table 1. For a unit-by-unit comparison with maps and prescriptions, please refer to appendix A. Table 1. Alternative treatment summary Vegetation Treatment Alternative 1 (acres) Alternative 2 (acres) Alternative 3 (acres) Silvicultural Treatments Shelterwood (with reserves) Seed Tree (with reserves) Group Selection Commercial Thinning Total Commercial Harvest 1, Precommercial thinning 0 1,412 1,412 Total Vegetation Treatments 0 2,765 2,111 Logging System Tractor Skyline Combination (skyline and tractor) Helicopter Total 0 1, Fuels Treatments Regeneration harvest and prescribed burning* 0 1, Commercial Thinning and whole-tree yarding/pile burning Prescribed burn to improve wildlife browse Total 0 1, *Prescribed burning in regeneration units: primarily underburning, but some pile burning or a combination of both. 10 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

17 Environmental Assessment Table 2. Existing and proposed road management in alternatives 2 and 3 in the project area (miles) Road Management Designation Existing Miles Road Number Description of Proposed Change Open yearlong* Storage; (0.9 mile) Convert use to motorcycle trail (0.2 mile) Open seasonally (Nov 1-Oct 6) Restricted public access (gated yearlong) Closed yearlong with earthen barrier 1374A , 2266C, 2266F Storage (1.8 miles) 2485 Convert from brushed in road to ATV trail (1.8 miles) Miles of Proposed Change Miles After Change No change A Storage Storage * 3.5 miles of these roads proposed for changes are brushed in and not drivable Alternatives Considered but Eliminated We considered two other alternative ways of accomplishing this project, but eliminated them from detailed consideration as described below. 1. Before we sent our proposed project out for public comments, we analyzed all the possible forest stands in the project area where we could accomplish our vegetation restoration goals. This proposal included about 2,600 acres (69 treatments units) located in and around the Hellroaring Creek drainage. Timber harvest, prescribed burning, mechanical treatments, and precommercial thinning would have been some of the tools used to achieve our objectives. Knowing there were existing concerns from private landowners downstream of the Hellroaring Watershed related to the effects of timber harvest on potential flooding of their lands, our hydrologist conducted a preliminary analysis to determine a threshold of harvest levels (acres of open areas) that would not cause detrimental impacts downstream. Upon completing that analysis, our planning team decreased the acreage of proposed vegetation treatments to be within that hydrologic threshold and we proceeded to develop the proposed actions as described in alternative The interdisciplinary team also considered an alternative that would use prescribed burning, in lieu of timber harvest, to accomplish goals identified in the purpose and need for the project. Two methods were considered to accomplish this, both of which introduced fire back into these stands. The first one involved burning the stands in a controlled manner, without any site preparation work, at temperatures hot enough to kill the majority of the seedling and sapling-sized trees and about one-quarter of the pole and sawlog sized trees. For a burn like this to be effective, the weather and fuel conditions would have to be very dry. The second method would have included some felling of the unwanted trees, followed up with prescribed burning. This could be done under moister conditions than the first method; however, with the acres involved and the proximity to private lands, this would still be very risky. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 11

18 Hellroaring Project Both of these methods, regardless of success rates, would risk burning up the forest floor duff (organic layer), which is relatively shallow in places and could damage the soil. This alternative would also forgo the opportunity to retrieve wood products from the stand (such as lumber, pulp, and biomass energy) and provide economic stimulus. Without a source of revenue, it is unlikely that we would receive funding to accomplish these activities based on budget projections. In addition, these methods would not contribute measurably to accomplishing our goals and objectives. For these reasons, this alternative was eliminated from detailed study. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Actions and Alternatives This section summarizes the potential impacts of the proposed action and alternatives on various forest resources. Each section describes what issues are relevant to the resource under discussion, and how they are measured. Detailed analysis discussions are available from individual specialist reports for each resource, located in the project file. Effects to Forest Vegetation The forest vegetation across the Hellroaring project area is constantly changing because of the interaction of plant succession and the influence of disturbances (both natural and human disturbances). This analysis focuses on the vegetation composition, structure, patterns and processes that affect change to forests and how each alternative maintains or improves resilience. Although the analysis is centered on the conifer tree component, it is recognized that associated layers of vegetation are important parts of the plant communities in the area. Table 3. Principal issues and indicators for vegetation resources* Vegetation Issue Effects of proposed harvest on forest composition Effects of proposed harvest on forest structure Issue Indicators Acres trended toward dominance of long-lived seral species (i.e., western larch and western white pine) that better resist insects and disease. Acres of moderate and high hazard lodgepole stands converted to early successional forests. Acres of health and vigor improved, or maintained, through stocking control Increased patch size of forest openings (seedling/sapling) Maintenance of existing old growth retention of mature forests not scheduled for treatment that have the potential to become old growth in the future * The analysis area for the vegetation resource encompasses old growth management unit 23. Assessing the effects on vegetation at the old growth management unit level allows for an analysis that can directly address effects on forest structure and composition as they relate to Idaho Panhandle National Forests old growth standards. 12 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

19 Environmental Assessment Effects to Forest Composition Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 would increase the percentage of long-lived seral 8 species (western larch and white pine) across the landscape and decrease the percentage of shade-tolerant species like Douglas-fir and the shorter-lived seral species, lodgepole pine. Both alternatives would also help restore aspen. This would create more stands in the project area that have a greater diversity of species, and greater resiliency to insects, diseases, and the effects of wildfires. Alternative 2 would accomplish these objectives on about 65 percent more of the Hellroaring project area than alternative 3. Direct and Indirect Effects Historically, fire was the primary disturbance process that determined forest composition in most of the northern Rockies (Hessburg and Agee 2003). Since fire has essentially been removed from the ecosystem for approximately 100 years, forest composition has been determined mostly by fire suppression and timber harvest. As a result, significant changes in forest composition have occurred in the Hellroaring project area as displayed in figure 3. The most dramatic changes have occurred with respect to long-lived seral species, western white pine, ponderosa pine, and western larch. These species have been replaced across the landscape by more shade-tolerant climax species, Douglas-fir, grand fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock as well as lodgepole pine, a shade-intolerant species. Figure 3. Current forest composition as compared to historical composition of the Kootenai subbasin (C = western redcedar; DF = Douglas-fir; GF/WH = grand fire and western hemlock; L = western larch; LP = lodgepole pine; PP = ponderosa pine; SAF = subalpine fir; WP = western white pine) 8 A seral community (or sere) is an intermediate stage found in ecological succession in an ecosystem advancing towards its climax community. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 13

20 Hellroaring Project Without treatment (alternative 1), existing trends in forest species composition would continue, resulting in a continued decrease in the percent composition of western white pine, western larch and ponderosa pine. In lodgepole pine forests, species composition would trend toward dominance of Douglas-fir, grand-fir, cedar, hemlock, and subalpine fir (Smith and Fischer 1997) as mature lodgepole succumbs to pine beetle and other natural disturbances such as wind. In mixed conifer stands, there would be a continued decrease in the percent composition of western white pine and western larch and an increase in species such as Douglas-fir and grand fir that are more susceptible to insect and disease problems. Harvey and others (1994) state that with continued overcrowding of Douglas-fir and grand fir, the competition for water and nutrients would increase, ultimately increasing the susceptibility of these forests to lethal fires and losses in productivity. Changes in composition would be accomplished through either even-aged regeneration harvests (shelterwood or seedtree prescriptions) that convert entire stands to long-lived seral species, or through intermediate harvests, which focus on retaining these species where they currently exist in proposed treatment areas. Alternatives 2 and 3 would increase the percentage of the landscape where white pine is the dominant species by 550 and 190 percent, respectively (figure 4), and western larch by 31 and 11 percent (figure 5), respectively. In total, alternative 2 would restore nearly 1,100 acres to long-lived seral species and alternative 3 would restore about 390 acres. Alternative 2 would restore aspen on 235 acres and alternative 3 would restore aspen on 90 acres. Figure 4. Current and historic composition of white pine compared to alternatives 2 and 3 14 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

21 Environmental Assessment Figure 5. Current and historic composition of larch compared to alternatives 2 and 3 Cumulative Effects In the absence of fire, past timber harvest has been the primary mechanism affecting changes in forest composition. The majority of stands in the area that are currently dominated by larch and white pine are a result of past regeneration harvesting. Both action alternatives, through evenaged and uneven-aged regeneration harvesting, would add to the total acres of stands dominated by larch and white pine. Increasing the percentage of long-lived seral species on the Hellroaring landscape would improve overall ecosystem health by reducing the percentage of Douglas-fir, grand fir, and lodgepole pine, which are more susceptible to insect and disease. Additionally, ponderosa pine and western larch are more resistant to fires than the species they would be replacing (Harvey and others 1994). Finally, developing mixed species plantations would increase the diversity of tree species composition and structure, which helps create forests that are more resilient to ongoing climaterelated changes (Hubbard and others 2007). Effects to Forest Structure Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 would increase diversity of forest structure on the landscape by increasing forest openings. Historically, forested openings ranged from 15 to 50 percent of the landscape; today they are at 18 percent. Alternative 2 would increase openings to 25 percent of the analysis area; alternative 3 would increase them to 20 percent. Average patch size would increase the most with alternative 2, but would not measurably change with alternative 3 due to limits on regeneration harvest size. Alternative 2 would more effectively treat the mountain pine beetle hazard in lodgepole pine on a stand-by-stand basis than alternative 3. Thinning the same amount of crowded young stands in alternatives 2 and 3 would improve health and vigor. All alternatives would maintain enough mature trees throughout the project area to contribute to future old growth stands. None of the alternatives would change the current old growth allocation of the area, because no treatment would occur in allocated old growth. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 15

22 Hellroaring Project Direct and Indirect Effects Currently, trees in the mature size class account for 48 percent of the total forest structures on the Hellroaring landscape. Without treatment in the short term (less than 10 years), these forest structures are expected to continue to dominate the landscape. There would be no change in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests old growth allocation in the short term. In the absence of large-scale landscape disturbances (such as fire, insects, disease, or timber harvest) that interrupt natural succession, the amount of mature and old growth forests would increase in the long term (50 or more years). However, given the dynamic nature of ecosystems, stand densities and natural forest fuels are expected to increase vertically (standing live and dead trees) and horizontally (dead trees on the forest floor), which would increase the likelihood of landscape disturbance events such as fire, insects, or disease over time. Certainly, these types of processes played a major role in shaping the Hellroaring landscape and the Kootenai River subbasin. Large-scale disturbances would be the major factors that affect changes in forest structure in the absence of active forest management. Given the mixed-severity fires that formed the subbasin landscape, the estimated historic range of forested openings was quite variable at 15 to 50 percent (USDA Forest Service 2000a). Fischer and others (2006) suggest a landscape that has a diversity of forest species, structures, patches and openings is one of the keys to ecosystem resilience. Currently, the total acreage in forest openings (18 percent) is within the estimated historical range of variability, but near the lower end (figure 6). Figure 6. Changes in forest structure compared to historic structure in Kootenai subbasin 16 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

23 Environmental Assessment Alternative 2 would increase landscape structural diversity by increasing forest openings from more than 3,100 acres to more than 4,300 acres; or from 18 percent of the old growth management unit 9 to 25 percent. Additionally, the average patch size of forest openings would increase from about 28 acres to 48 acres. Alternative 3 would increase the total forested openings to about 3,500 acres, or to about 20 percent of the old growth management unit. Alternative 3 would increase the total acreage of forest openings, but would not measurably change the patch size. Compared to the estimated Kootenai River subbasin levels, alternative 2 would move forested openings more toward the middle of the range while alternative 3 would maintain forest openings closer to the lower end of the range Both alternatives would maintain mature forests above the upper end of the estimated historic Kootenai River subbasin range and maintain an abundance of stands on the landscape that have the potential to become old growth in the future. Neither alternative would change the current forest plan old growth allocation. Alternative 2 would more effectively treat the mountain pine beetle hazard on a stand-by-stand basis as the size of treatment units in this alternative would not be arbitrarily constrained. Constrained by a 40-acre limitation, alternative 3 would leave portions of mountain pine beetle hazard stands untreated. Both alternatives include 127 acres of a group selection prescription. These group selection treatments would improve structure and composition of the residual stand by retaining the largest and most vigorous trees available. Small openings of 1 to 3 acres would be created on about onequarter to one-third of the treatment stands. In the remaining two-thirds to three-quarters of the treatment area, trees would be thinned from below to reduce canopy base height. 10 Additionally, some crown thinning would occur to further reduce canopy bulk density 11 and crown-to-crown contact. Based on implementing similar prescriptions on the ranger district, the within-stand variability could range from as low as 40 trees per acre to over 100 trees per acre in these thinned areas. The majority of removed trees are expected to be less than 11 inches d.b.h. Alternative 3 includes 197 acres of commercial thin-sanitation salvage prescriptions. These intermediate harvest prescriptions represent a less than optimal silvicultural alternative for these stands, which would be an even-aged regeneration system. These prescriptions were developed to compare potential effects of limiting opening sizes to no more than 40 acres as opposed to what is prescribed for alternative 2. Prescriptions in alternative 3 would be designed to improve structure and composition in mature forest stands by maintaining the largest and most vigorous trees available as these stands proceed toward rotation age. A diversity of tree species would be retained, although thinning would favor retaining western larch, ponderosa pine, and white pine. Sanitation cutting (Helms 1998) would focus on improving stand health by stopping or reducing anticipated spread of insects and disease. Precommercial thinning (meaning the cut trees are too small for commercial products) would occur under both alternatives 2 and 3 on 1,412 acres. These treatments would be designed to reduce the number of trees per acre in treated stands and improve overall health and vigor of the treated stands. In particular, young western larch stands respond rapidly and substantially to early (generally, before age 15) thinning, and there are nearly always enough conifer species present to develop a diversified stand. 9 Old growth management unit 23 is 17,190 acres. 10 The height on stem of the tree that represents the bottom of the live crown. In a fire context canopy base height represents the vertical position of canopy fuel that is available to burn. 11 The bulk property of a group of trees, not of an individual tree. Canopy bulk density is used to predict whether an active crown fire is possible. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 17

24 Hellroaring Project Cumulative Effects Analysis of vegetation changes over time shows that the amount of mature and old growth forests is expected to increase through time, without large landscape fires. However, continued fire suppression that would contribute greatly to an increase in mature and old growth forests, would also increase the long-term risk of stand-replacing fire, and the eventual loss of some existing allocated old growth and potential old growth. In the absence of fire, past timber harvest has been the primary mechanism affecting changes in forest structure through the conversion of mature stands to forest openings through regeneration harvesting. Both action alternatives, through even-aged regeneration harvesting, would add to the total acreage of forest openings. Effects to Fuels The fire and fuels analysis for the Hellroaring Project describes the fuel characteristics and the associated potential fire behavior that could be expected under severe conditions (97th percentile weather and fuel conditions) 12 and how this affects severity of fire within the project area for three alternatives. Manipulating fuels and vegetation can allow for greater protection of human life, property and safety of firefighting resources. Vegetation treatments that reduce fuels will not stop wildfires (Finney and Cohen 2003). However, modifying or removing fuels that contribute to high fire severity, such as heavy dead and down wood, ladder fuels, and dense canopy fuels, while incorporating fire back into the system can reduce potential mortality in residual, large mature trees and help create fire-resilient stands (Agee and Skinner 2005). Not every acre needs to be treated to modify fire behavior. Graham and others (2004), describe that the arrangement of vegetation pattern changes fire behavior by forcing a fire to repeatedly flank around patches of treated fuels. Thus, the rate of growth of a fire is slowed and its overall intensity and severity reduced. Further, research has shown that treatments to reduce fuels can alter fire behavior and severity both at the treated areas and for a limited distance downwind of treated areas (Finney and others 2005). Landscape-scale stand-replacing fires have occurred in and adjacent to the Hellroaring project area; however fire suppression has been successful in this area from the mid-1930s to the present. Since 1940 all recorded fires were less than 1 acre in size. Thus, successful fire suppression has modified this area to some degree. Fuel accumulation, probability of ignition, and fuel characteristics can alter fire behavior and severity. Table 4 displays the issues relevant to fire behavior, for the Hellroaring project area and the indicators used to measure effects. 12 Percentiles are used to define climatological conditions. The 97 th percentile weather is defined as the most severe 3% of the historical fire weather, such as hot, dry, windy conditions occurring in fire season. 18 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

25 Environmental Assessment Table 4. Principal issues and indicators for fire and fuels Fire and Fuels Issue The accumulation of forest fuels and the characteristics and relationship of canopy fuel along with existence of potential ignition sources could result in large impacts from severe fire activity. The forest fuels in all layers (surface, ladder, and canopy or crown fuels), which contribute to extreme fire behavior, and its effect on firefighter safety and suppression effectiveness. Issue Indicators Fuel accumulation Wildfire ignition Fuel characteristics Canopy base height Canopy bulk density Flame length (feet) Rate of spread (chains/hour) Risk of crown fire Potential crown fire across the landscape Probability of torching Crowning index Effects to Fuel Accumulations, Fuel Characteristics, and Potential for Ignition Summary: Treating fuel accumulations in the treatment areas, would reduce the potential impacts of wildfire by reducing surface fuels, and canopy densities and lowering flame length, rate of spread and fire crown fire activity. Wildfires would continue to occur in the project area regardless of which alternative is chosen as potential ignition sources would not change. Direct and Indirect Effects Fuel Accumulation Without treatment, fuels would continue to accumulate in the project area with the continued growth and death of vegetation and increase the risk of extreme fire behavior. Both alternatives 2 and 3 would address fuel accumulation in portions of the project area, although the proposed action would treat the greatest percentage of the landscape. Alternatives 2 and 3 would reduce fuels on 2,849 and 2,195 acres respectively. Wildfire Ignition There is a risk of ignition from human-caused sources and lightning. Lightning is the cause of nearly 72 percent of fires on the Bonners Ferry Ranger District, whereas human-caused fires account for 28 percent of fires. Probability of ignition is strongly related to fine fuel moisture, air temperature, shading of surface fuels, and an ignition source (Graham and others 2004). Alternatives 2 and 3 would see a short-term increase in risk of ignition during harvest-related activities; opening a stand increases surface temperatures and reduces surface-level humidity and there is generally a warmer and dryer microclimate in more open stands (Graham and others 2004, Agee and Skinner 2005). None of the alternatives are likely to alter the source of ignition. Fuel Characteristics Canopy base heights (the distance between the lowest tree branches and the ground) and canopy bulk density (how dense the tree canopy is) are critical factors in determining crown fire potential and rate of fire spread. Treatments to reduce fire hazard would focus on removing some or all of the ladder fuels and other vegetation that contributes to a low canopy base height, especially where reducing crown fire initiation is a priority (Agee and Skinner 2005). Without fuel Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 19

26 Hellroaring Project treatments, the risk of a crown fire would continue to increase over time due to a continued increase in surface fuels and crown bulk density, and an overall lower than desired canopy base height. Alternatives 2 and 3 would both include actions designed to reduce surface fuel loadings, increase canopy base height, and decrease canopy bulk density (table 5). Reducing the risk of crown fire requires that canopy bulk density be reduced, canopy base height be increased, and surface fuels be reduced to decrease spread rate and intensity (Scott and Reinhardt 2001). The canopy base height increases substantially on treated areas to 20 feet and higher. The canopy bulk density decreases on treated acres in both alternative 2 and 3 to lower levels than if left untreated (alternative 1). Table 5. Fuel characteristics by alternative* Alternative Canopy Base Height (feet) Canopy Bulk Density (kg/m3) 1 (existing conditions) and * Alternatives 2 and 3 assume treatments have been completed Treated stands have the potential to alter canopy base height and canopy bulk densities to varying degrees depending upon the type of treatment. Regeneration harvest (seed tree and shelterwood) have the greatest positive effect related to fuels for canopy base heights and canopy bulk densities. These treatments receive a high rating in their effectiveness (table 6). Group selection and commercial thinning have a similar effect but not to the magnitude of the regeneration harvest and receive a moderate rating. Prescribed fire only treatments mostly reduce surface fuels but there is also a measurable reduction in canopy bulk density and an increase in canopy base height as smaller trees in the understory are consumed by the fire. However this improvement is at a low level. Precommercial thinning has a measurable effect but the response is delayed as it takes 5 to 7 years following treatment before the slash generated by the treatment decays enough to have a benefit. Precommercial thinning immediately increases the spacing between trees and their crowns and as the remaining trees grow, the canopy height increases. Table 6. Acres and effectiveness rating of canopy bulk density and canopy base height treatments by alternative Alternative High Moderate Low Delayed Alternative Alternative 2 1, ,412 Alternative ,412 Changes in Flame Length Summary: The flame lengths in treatment areas proposed in alternatives 2 and 3 would be reduced to levels below 4 feet. Alternative 1 would not reduce flame lengths to less than 4 feet. Flame length is a useful tool to understand firefighting capabilities in safely suppressing wildfire. Flame lengths of 4 feet or less is the threshold at which firefighters on the ground can safely attack a fire by creating a direct line. As flame lengths increase, so does fire intensity. 20 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

27 Environmental Assessment Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1, with environmental conditions at or above the 97 th weather percentile, would have predicted flame lengths surpass the 4-foot threshold at which crews can directly attack a fire. There would also be no reduction in the flame lengths near values such as Forest Service developments, homes, private property, and infrastructure. The number of acres with flame lengths greater than 4 feet would most likely increase over time. This means more acres could burn with higher intensities near those values as stands continue to accumulate fuel over time. The no-action alternative would allow the stands to continue in succession until some disturbance process takes place; if fire continues to be successfully excluded, forest insects and disease would assume the primary disturbance process of the stands. The accumulation of biomass on the forest floor would contribute to higher flame lengths and subsequently greater fire intensities in the event of a wildfire. For alternatives 2 and 3 flame lengths would increase in treated units immediately following harvest, mainly due to an increase in slash. Once the slash is treated, flame lengths would decrease to levels below 4 feet. The prescribed fire only unit would see a decrease in flame lengths to below 4 feet for several decades. Depending on which alternative is implemented, most untreated areas in the 9,583-acre project boundary would continue to have flame lengths greater than 4 feet. Effects to Rate of Spread Summary: Rate of spread of a surface fire is a basic measure used by initial attack firefighters and fire resource planners to predict the effectiveness of fire suppression strategies and tactics. Fires that are moving less than 5 chains (330 feet) per hour would have a higher likelihood of being contained than fires with a higher rate of spread. Under severe conditions, alternative 1 would have rates of spread over 5 chains per hour across more of the project area than alternatives 2 and 3. Alternative 2 would create the greatest area with a rate of spread less than 5 chains per hour. Direct and Indirect Effects Under severe conditions, the rate of fire spread without treatment (alternative 1) has the potential to be higher than with treatment. Using the rate of spread threshold of 5 chains per hour shows that 2,108 acres of the project area is predicted to have slower moving wildfires that initial attack crews would be able to suppress within the first few hours after discovery under severe conditions (table 7). As forest successional processes continue and more of the area becomes susceptible to faster moving fires, the area expected to have slower moving fires would decrease as well. This places more values at risk to fire because there would be a higher likelihood that a fire would escape initial attack and threaten those values. With no action there would be no reduction in the rate of spread on National Forest System lands near the identified areas of concern, which includes several types of values such as travel routes, Forest Service developments, private property, and homes. Over time, the accumulation of fuels due to forest succession and the potential increase in crown fire activity would lead to faster moving fires, thus placing more of the values at risk to fire in a shorter time period. Rate of spread on the landscape is predicted to decrease with the implementation of either alternative 2 or 3 (table 7). Alternative 2 would have the highest reduction in rate of spread due to more treatment acres. The proposed treatment units in alternatives 2 and 3 would disrupt fire Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 21

28 Hellroaring Project movement across the landscape. Lower rates of spread increase the time at which a fire can be expected to reach a given location which allows firefighters more options in fighting a wildfire. This could include the arrival of additional resources and the ability to use more fire suppression tactics. Treatment areas are expected to interrupt fire movement, which is where alternatives 2 and 3 would have lower potential rates of spread than alternative 1. Table 7. Acres of potential rate of spread over or under 5 chains/hour burning under severe conditions within the Hellroaring Project Area by alternative Alternative Rate of spread less than 5 chains/hour Rate of spread greater than 5 chains/hour 1 2,108 acres 7,475 acres 2 3,067 acres 6,516 acres 3 2,683 acres 6,900 acres Effects to Crown Fire Activity Summary: Seventy-eight percent of the project area currently exhibit fuel characteristics with a high potential for crown fire activity. Alternative 2 would reduce the potential of crown fire on approximately 13 percent of these higher risk stands. The proposed action has the least amount of acres in the project area that have potential for crown fire activity, and alternative 1 has the most acres with potential crown fire activity. Crown fire is a fire that occurs in the elevated canopy fuels; that is, it spreads among the trees through the branches (Scott and Reinhardt 2001). Reducing the risk of crown fire in the wildlandurban interface is a necessity to reduce risk of unwanted fire effects such as loss of human values (Graham and others 2004). Along with the probability of crown fire activity across the landscape, indicators used were the probability of torching and the crowning index. The probability of torching is the probability that a trees crown will burn in given weather conditions. The crowning index is the 20-foot wind speed at which active crown fire is possible. Crowning is a function of the density of canopy fuels, slope steepness, and fuel moisture content. The higher the probability of torching and lower crowning index means that a crown fire could be initiated and/or sustained at a lower wind speed. A lower index means a higher hazard. Direct and Indirect Effects With no action, fuel buildup over time in the Hellroaring project area would most likely lead to an increased probability of a large, uncontrollable wildfire due to increased fire intensity associated with higher fuel loads, which would hamper fire suppression efforts. The acres for potential crown fire activity in the project area, is summarized in table 8. Table 8. Acres of potential crown fire activity under severe conditions within the Hellroaring project area Alternative Acres of Surface Fire Acres of Crown Fire Alternative 1 2,108 acres 7,475 acres Alternative 2 3,067 acres 6,516 acres Alternative 3 2,587 acres 6,996 acres 22 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

29 Environmental Assessment The probability of torching, for alternative 1, is close to 100 percent for about 20 years. The potential for crown fire remains relatively high due to the lower wind speeds necessary to initiate crowning and sustain active crown fire. This is due to the lower denser crowns that would be left over the landscape which are more susceptible to crown fire. The crowning index remains relatively low, at 20 miles per hour, for several decades. With alternatives 2 and 3, the removal of fuels would help reduce the probability of a large, uncontrollable wildfire due to a decrease in fire intensity associated with lower fuel loads on some of the acres within the project area. Along with changes in surface fuels, crown fuels would be reduced through the removal of overstory. Treatments would lower the probability of torching in treated areas. The potential for crown fire would be reduced with alternatives 2 and 3 as higher wind speeds are necessary to initiate crowning and sustain active crown fire compared to alternative 1. This is due to the vegetation treatments creating higher, less dense crowns on the landscape. The potential crowning index increases with treatment types for the simulation period, which lowers the risk. The probability of torching is reduced under alternatives 2 and 3 over the next 20 years. Under alternative 2, 68 percent of the project area is still susceptible to crown fire compared to the existing condition as displayed under alternative 1 where 78 percent of the area is susceptible to crown fire (table 8). Wildfires will continue to ignite in the future within and near the project area. Treatments may be effective at reducing fire behavior and severity, but not necessarily a reduction in occurrence (Reinhardt and others 2008). Fire suppression will continue because the area is within the wildland-urban interface, and is a continuation of current management. This management strategy means that the effects of 80 years of suppression would continue on their current trend in untreated areas. Additional vegetation treatments would be necessary to mitigate hazardous fuels and crown fire potential into the future. Forest succession adds to the fuel structure of stands as trees grow and die and decay. Without a means for fuels reduction (natural or prescribed), the normal cycles of forest growth and development would ensure the accumulation of fuels into the future. These activities can include precommercial thinning, biomass utilization, piling and burning, and prescribed fire, along with many other activities not proposed for this project but could be considered in the future (mastication, chipping, etc.). Cumulative Effects Current and future harvest activities on both private and National Forest System lands would decrease crown fire potential and, if the surface fuels are treated sufficiently to reduce fire intensity, overall fire behavior would be lowered. Those areas where surface fuels are not disposed of would result in more intense surface fire. Previous and future harvest activities by the Forest Service have and would reduce fuel in the project area. The fuel modification has effects on how fire will burn through an area. As fire moves from stand to stand, fire intensity and crown fire potential either increase or decrease depending on stand characteristics. If a crown fire moves into a stand not having crown structures that can support crown fire, the fire would be forced to drop to the surface fuels (such as in recent past thinnings). The North Zone Roadside Salvage Project will involve removal of trees from the along roadsides across the Bonners Ferry District. This removal of trees will result in some fuel reduction along open roads, which are prone to fire starts. This would help slow fire spread into adjacent Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 23

30 Hellroaring Project woodlands if a fire were to start along the road. Kreist Creek is a proposed project currently in the planning stages. It proposes commercial harvest and fuels treatments. This project is located southeast of the Hellroaring area. If this project were to be implemented as proposed, it would decrease fuel loading across the larger landscape when combined with fuel reduction in the Hellroaring area. The project area is likely to have increases in development on private lands and subsequent increases in people using the area. This means that more values will be present in the project area and the likelihood of human caused ignitions may increase. But, programs such as Boundary County s FireSafe program or other defensible space programs would continue to benefit those landowners who implement them. Landowners that treat fuels within their home ignition zone as well as other areas would create safer conditions for more landowners. Those landowners who do not treat around their homes would be further at risk since most of the developments would be occurring within close proximity to National Forest System land, which are not scheduled to be treated. If the Forest Service treats land adjacent to private property, it would work in combination with fuels reduction on private land to reduce risks. If fuels are not reduced within the home ignition zone there would be a higher risk of home loss from fire due to untreated fuels near the structure (Cohen 2001). Although, by reducing potential fire behavior away from the values (with either alternative 2 or 3) the likelihood of a fire spreading and reaching the value would be reduced. Effects to Soils Effects of the Hellroaring Project on soil productivity and function are potential concerns for the soil resource. The analysis of the soil resource addresses existing soil disturbance from past activities within the proposed units and the potential direct, indirect and cumulative effects of proposed treatments within the units. Soil productivity and function is potentially affected by treatments through erosion, compaction, rutting, displacement and burning. Removal of woody material has the potential to interfere with soil and ecosystem function. Table 9. Principal issues and indicators for soil resources Soils Issues The effect of harvest activities and other soil disturbance activities on soil productivity and capability and the ability of soil conditions to achieve forest plan and regional soil quality standards. The effect of harvest activities on levels of large woody debris within treatment areas. The effect of timber harvesting and road activities on mass failure potential areas within the project area. Issue Indicators Detrimental soil disturbance: Amount of area resulting in compaction, rutting and soil displacement. Percent of treated areas maintained in a condition of acceptable productivity potential for trees and other managed vegetation. Levels of woody debris that remain on treated areas. Amount of area with high ratings for mass failure potential, surface erosion and sensitive landtypes. 24 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

31 Environmental Assessment Effects to Soil Productivity Summary: The Hellroaring Project would not cause detrimental impacts that exceed the forest plan (1987) or Northern Region standards for soil quality. A minimum of 85 percent of each unit would maintain full productivity as evaluated under Northern Region standards and at least 80 percent as evaluated under the forest plan. Direct and Indirect Effects Timber harvest activities that may affect soils include approximately 1,437 acres for alternative 2 and 783 acres for alternative 3 using a combination of ground-based and skyline harvest methods (see tables 11 and 12 in the soil specialist report). These vegetation management activities have the potential to cause both direct and indirect effects to soil. Examples of direct effects would be detrimental soil disturbance, such as compaction and displacement. In most units the detrimental soil disturbance is limited to skid trails and landings for ground-based operations. Indirect effects are reductions in productivity. The level of soil disturbance increase depends primarily on the amount or lack of existing skid trails. Activity units that have had little prior disturbance would show a greater incremental increase in potential detrimental disturbance than those units that contain a network of already existing skid trails (tables 11 and 12 in the soil specialist report). Existing skid trails would be used for the proposed harvest whenever possible). Proposed skyline units that were previously yarded with the same logging system have little to no additional impacts because existing corridors would generally be reused. Soil compaction effects can last for decades but are reversible. For the Hellroaring Creek project area the soils with existing disturbance show very little impact from past harvest. These soils appear to be very resilient. For this reason the existing design features are expected to be sufficient to protect the soils. Potential for Mass Failure and Surface Erosion Summary: A majority of the units in the Hellroaring project area contain soils with low potential for mass failure and low landtype sensitivity. Both these factors are indicators of the potential for erosion. Four units have portions of the unit rated as high; however, no evidence of mass failure was found in these units during field work. No acres in either alternative rate high for surface erosion. Direct and Indirect Effects Mass failure potential is the relative probability of down-slope movement of masses of soil material. Besides natural failure, landslides or slumping can be triggered by a number of mechanisms including harvest activities, severe burning, and related road building. Mass failures detrimentally disturb soils because organic matter, the productive ash layer, and even subsurface layers of the soil can be carried down slope during a failure. Within proposed treatment areas for all alternatives, the majority of soils have a low mass failure potential. Two percent of the area in proposed units of alternative 2, and 3 percent of treatment areas in alternative 3 contain soils with high mass failure potential. Units containing high mass failure potential are very small areas and the risk of a mass failure event is very low because there would be buffers protecting wet areas (through units 14 and 15) that are high risk areas and the other area, in units 11 and 13, have had past harvest activities that have not resulted in any failure or signs of failure (table 10). Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 25

32 Hellroaring Project Table 10. Mass failure potential for alternatives 2 and 3 Mass Failure Potential Alternative2 Alternative 3 Acres Area (%) Acres Area (%) Low 1, High Rounding may produce small variations in numbers Surface erosion potential is a rating of the relative susceptibility of exposed soils to sheet and rill erosion. Surface erosion potential within proposed treatment areas for both alternatives is predominately rated as low (table 11). There are no treatment units in either alternative with a high potential for surface or subsurface erosion. Table 11. Surface erosion potential for alternatives 2 and 3 Surface Erosion Potential Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Acres Area (%) Acres Area (%) Low 1, Moderate High Rounding may produce small variations in numbers Landtype sensitivity is a rating that incorporates mass failure, surface erosion, sediment delivery potentials, and average slope gradient to determine a rating of low, moderate, or high sensitivity to soil movement. Within the proposed treatment areas, the majority of soils are rated low for landtype sensitivity potential in alternatives 2 and 3 (table 12). In general, the soils in both alternatives are low to moderate sensitivity and are expected to do well with the recommended design features. Table 12. Sensitive landtype rating for alternatives 2 and 3 Sensitive Landtype Rating Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Acres Area (%) Acres Area (%) Low 1, Moderate High Rounding may produce small variations in numbers Permanent system roads are considered dedicated lands and not considered for soil detrimental disturbance under the Northern Region standards. They are considered a disturbance for evaluation of the standards in the forest plan. Proper maintenance of roads is important to limit the amount of sediment that is derived from them. No additional soil impacts would occur from proposed road maintenance activities such as blading, drainage improvements, and surfacing on existing dedicated roads. No road construction is planned for this project. Cumulative Effects Past disturbances within these activity areas are recovering in areas where ground-based yarding occurred or have recovered with little evidence to show harvest had occurred except for the decaying stumps left behind. Past monitoring of skyline yarding operations have found disturbance is localized and tends to recover in a very short period of time. Seven of the proposed 26 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

33 Environmental Assessment treatment units currently have measureable levels of detrimental disturbance. At the current time, there are no detrimentally disturbed soils from wildfire within the analysis area. Wildfire has occurred in the past in the Hellroaring Creek planning area. It has historically burned at regular intervals. Since about 1931, fires have been relatively small due to successful fire suppression efforts. Even considering past activities within the harvest units, full productivity potential would be maintained on at least 85 percent of the activity area under the Regional soil quality standards and 80 percent under the forest plan standards in every activity area after all activities are complete. Alternative 2 treatments would maintain productivity on 93 percent of the activity area, and alternative 3 would maintain productivity on 92 percent of the area receiving treatment. Both alternatives 2 and 3 would meet Northern Region soil quality standards and the standards in the 1987 forest plan in 100 percent of the units following all activities as planned (tables 11 and 12 of the soils report). Roads are not expected to contribute to the cumulative effects within the project area. Road maintenance activities would not go beyond the existing road prism, and no new system roads or temporary roads are proposed; therefore, roads would not increase detrimental disturbance in the project area. Maintenance of Coarse Woody Debris Summary: Coarse woody debris would be maintained in units that are currently within the recommended ranges and raised in units that are below. Units in excess of those recommended levels would be lowered through fuel reduction activities. Direct, Indirect and Cumulative Effects The distribution of coarse woody debris is varied throughout the project area. Most of the project area has sufficient levels of coarse woody debris, as recommended by Graham and others (1994). There are 4 units that are currently below recommended levels. Eleven of the proposed treatment units are currently above the recommendations for coarse woody debris as they contain between 40 and 71 tons per acre. Alternative 1 would maintain these high levels of coarse woody debris. Harvesting the tree bole, tops and limbs may cause indirect effects to vegetation as nutrient sources are removed from site. All proposed units with yarding of tops and limbs are in commercial thin prescriptions. Therefore, the impacts to productivity are not expected to be measurable because the canopy cover remaining will continue to add nutrients to the site and design features are in place to increase organic material, cycle nutrients and achieve the recommended levels of coarse woody debris. Logging slash from breakage, which could include tree limbs, tops, and unmerchantable pieces, would remain within all harvest units to overwinter to maintain nutrient levels. Coarse woody debris would be maintained and/or elevated to recommended levels in all units so that preservation of ecological function is expected. In units with excessive accumulations, the coarse woody debris would be reduced through fuels treatments associated with alternative 2 and 3 but would still remain above recommended levels upon completion. Using Regional guidance for coarse woody debris retention these units would also comply with the forest plan standard to maintain sufficient microorganism populations for site productivity. Design features, including nutrient management recommendations, would ensure compliance with the standards to maintain sufficient nutrient capital. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 27

34 Hellroaring Project Since direct and indirect effects on soils are measured within the activity areas, the cumulative effects analysis area for the soil resource is very localized. In regards to coarse woody debris there are no other foreseeable management activities that would alter the amount of debris on the treated acres. Effects to Watersheds, Hydrology and Aquatic Resources Effects of the Hellroaring Project on stream health, function and form are potential concerns for watershed resources. Hill slope conditions are reflected in stream channels, which in turn are the formative features of aquatic habitat. The analysis of direct and indirect effects is based on how the various components of the project are expected to affect Round Prairie Creek and its tributaries. Table 13 displays the issues relevant to aquatic resources in the Hellroaring project area and the indicators used to measure effects. Table 13. Principal issues and indicators for aquatic resources Aquatics Issues The effects of harvesting and resulting canopy openings on water yield increases, sediment delivery to streams, stream channel morphology, and water temperature throughout the analysis area watersheds. The effects of road construction, reconstruction, decommissioning, maintenance and trail work activities on sediment delivery to streams throughout the analysis area watersheds. The effect of timber harvesting and road work activities on mass failure potential areas within the project area. The effects of proposed activities on fish and fish habitat Issue Indicators Percent change in the magnitude, intensity and duration of water yield from the existing condition. Percent change in the magnitude and duration of sediment delivery to waterbodies within the project area. Total estimated sediment delivered over the duration of the project to waterbodies within the project area. Percent change in the magnitude of sediment yields from the existing condition. Change to the road density on sensitive landtypes. Change or improvement to the miles of roads within riparian areas. Change in the miles of proposed stored roads and the benefits associated with road storage. Risk of mass failure potential and the resulting effects on increases in soil erosion and sediment delivery. Changes in sedimentation, water temperatures, habitat complexity, instream large wood, habitat fragmentation, and riparian zone function. Effects to Water Yield and Peak Flows Summary: The Hellroaring Project would not produce measureable peak flow increases above natural background conditions because the percent of vegetation cover removed under alternatives 2 or 3 would be below a level where a significant change in water yield can be detected. Predicted water yield is within the historic range of variability. Any small increases in water from proposed activities would not be measurable within Round Prairie Creek. 28 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

35 Environmental Assessment Direct and Indirect Effects Historical fluctuations in water yields can provide a good basis for the reference condition (figure 7), and frame the total range of variation and current trends. Large increases in the magnitude of water yield can be responsible for major changes in channel morphology and habitat function. The Equivalent Clearcut Area (ECA) calculator was used to understand changes and fluctuations in historic water yield conditions and to estimate and compare the effects of the proposed timber harvest, road prescriptions, and site preparation treatments among alternatives. For Round Prairie Creek and its tributaries, the estimated difference in water yield increases between alternatives 2 and 3 is small. Figure 8 compares the percent increase in equivalent clearcut area from alternatives 2 and 3 with alternative 1 (no action). Under alternative 1, water yield values would continue to recover from the existing value of 10 percent above normal. Alternative 2 would raise the equivalent clearcut area value to 14 percent, an additional 4 percent increase over the existing condition. Alternative 3 would raise the equivalent clearcut area value to 11 percent, an additional 1 percent increase. Increases in peak flow under either of the alternatives would probably not be detectable in the main Round Prairie Creek channel and could not be differentiated from normal climatic fluctuations. Because runoff is quite variable from year to year, the general conclusion is that approximately 20 percent of the basal area of the vegetation must be removed before a statistically significant change in peak flows can be detected (Bosch and Hewlett 1982, Stednick 1996). Modeled water yield increases for alternatives 2 and 3 recover back to current trend levels by around Additionally, water yield values displayed in figure 8 represent conditions if all timber harvest activities occurred simultaneously in However, timber harvesting would occur over a period of several years, which means changes in water yield would likely be less and distributed over time. None of the alternatives would place the structures and agricultural developments on private lands at an increased risk of being impacted by flood events. Cumulative Effects Mean annual flow for Round Prairie Creek at the confluence with the Moyie River is estimated to be approximately 60 cubic feet per second using U.S. Geological Survey Streamstats. Figure 9 displays the estimated changes in magnitude, duration and pattern of increased water yield from past fires, road construction and timber harvest activities between 1880 and 2040 in the entire Round Prairie cumulative effects analysis area. The large spike in 1889 is attributed to a large fire that burned over 20 percent of the cumulative effects analysis area. The spikes occurring between 1920 and 1960 are also from fires that ranged from 50 to 2,200 acres. The period starting around 1980 to the peak of 19 percent in 2000 is due primarily to timber harvest activities on National Forest System and private lands. With either alternative 2 or 3, the direct and indirect effects of increased peak flows combined with the effects from past, present and reasonably foreseeable activities would not result in any detrimental cumulative effects to Round Prairie Creek. Estimated water yield increases are within the historical range of variability for magnitude, intensity and duration when compared with estimates from past natural events. Proposed activities in the project area could theoretically result in a slight increase of peak flows to Round Prairie Creek, but these increases would not be measurable and would also remain within the historical range of variability. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 29

36 Hellroaring Project Figure 7. Historic, existing, and predicted equivalent clearcut area (ECA) water yield increases in Round Prairie Creek Figure 8. Alternative comparisons in ECA water yield increases for Round Prairie Creek. Values represent the percent increase above "natural watershed conditions." Figure 9. Comparison of historic water yields in Round Prairie Creek compared to alternative 2 (since it estimates the largest increase in water yield) 30 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

37 Environmental Assessment Effects to Sediment Delivery Summary: Sediment delivery and the likelihood of large sources of sediment reaching streams would be reduced under alternatives 2 and 3 because they correct several current and potential erosion and delivery sources. In addition timber harvest would not occur within riparian habitat conservation areas, which would help prevent sediment from entering streams. Direct and Indirect Effects Forest roads can be chronic sources of sediment because road construction, use, and maintenance tend to compact soils, reduce infiltration, intercept and concentrate surface and subsurface runoff, and limit growth of vegetation. Alternative 1 would maintain the existing condition of roads in the project area. There are specific concerns on several segments of Road 2266 where it crosses tributaries to Hellroaring Creek and sediment from the road reaches the stream. This segment is about 1.5 miles in length and is contributing an estimated 1.5 tons of sediment per year into Hellroaring Creek (see the Hydrology section of the project file). Alternative 1 would not address the risk of sediment delivery on this segment thus the delivery rate would remain constant. Alternatives 2 and 3 are predicted to have the same reduction in sediment delivery, due primarily to the reconditioning of segments of Roads 2266 and Best management practices would be incorporated into all road work since they have been shown to protect water quality and beneficial uses (Seyedbagheri 1996). Alternatives 2 and 3 propose to store approximately 5.4 miles of roads which would result in a reduction in sediment risk over the existing condition as captured in alternative 1. Road storage would remove high risk drainage structures and install additional drainage structures, such as waterbars, to make the road stable and reduce hydrologic risks. Primary differences regarding sediment delivery between alternatives 2 and 3 would be most affected by proposed road and trail prescriptions. A soil erosion model known as FSWEPP provided estimates of sediment delivery from the proposed project activities compared to the existing condition; these are displayed in table 14. Table 14. FS WEPP sediment delivery estimates (average annual tons/year) for alternatives 2 and 3. Values are calculated as the difference from the existing condition (alternative 1). Alternative Timber Harvest Activities Road Reconditioning Trail Reconstruction Alternative Alternative Total Modeling projections indicate a reduction in sediment delivery of 1 ton per year can be achieved from reconditioning Road 2266, installing ditch relief culverts before each perennial stream crossing, and graveling the driving surface over the crossings. Installing ditch relief culverts before stream crossings disconnects the ditch from the stream and allows sediment to filter out across the forest floor. Alternatives 2 and 3 also propose to upgrade the Hellroaring Creek stream crossing under Road Increasing the size of culverts would reduce the risk of failure as a result of insufficient capacity and blockage. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 31

38 Hellroaring Project Because all timber harvest would include design features to protect soil and water, and no activities besides precommercial thinning would occur within riparian habitat conservation areas, sediment delivery from these units would likely be negligible. Potentially sensitive areas, including areas near known past mass failures, were excluded from units during project preparation and layout phase. As depicted in table 15, most areas would be skyline or helicopter logged, which creates minimal ground disturbance. Ground skidding would be completed using measures such as slash mats and designated skid trail locations to reduce compaction (see the Soils analysis) Table 15. Acres of harvest activities on high mass failure potential landtype Vegetation Prescription Logging Method Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Seed Tree Skyline/Helicopter Tractor Group Selection Skyline Commercial Thin Tractor Skyline Sediment modeling data in addition to research studies and monitoring results conducted on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests verify that when riparian habitat conservation areas are incorporated into timber sales, sediment delivery to stream channels is not measurable or is negligible (Reid and Hilton 1988; Belt and others 1992; USDA Forest Service 2000b). Under alternatives 2 and 3, Trail 225 would be rerouted to a more suitable location with lesser grades and away from streams, which would reduce erosion potential. The old segment of trail would then be closed and rehabilitated. Additionally, converting Road 2485 to motorized trail would result in a reduction of approximately 1 ton per year (average annual amount) by adding drivable dips uphill of stream crossings. Alternative 1 would perpetuate the existence of sediment sources along these routes. Road densities can provide a relative measure of road-stream interaction and the relative risk for increased flows and sediment input into the hydrologic system. Table 16 illustrates that road densities would decrease with the implementation of either alternative 2 or 3. The decrease is due to proposed storage of 5.4 miles of road. This lower road density within riparian habitat conservation areas would help decrease the probability of modifying flows and decrease the likelihood of contributing sediment into stream networks. Both action alternatives would yield lower road densities on areas with high mass failure potential upon project completion. Table 16. Road densities and road densities within riparian habitat conservation areas for Hellroaring analysis units for each alternative Analysis Unit Road Density (mi/mi²) Road Density in riparian habitat conservation areas (mi/mi²) Alt. 1 Alt. 2 and 3 Alt. 1 Alt. 2 and 3 Project Area Cumulative Effects Area Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

39 Environmental Assessment Cumulative Effects The combination of direct and indirect effects of alternatives 2 and 3 with past, present and reasonably foreseeable activities within the cumulative effects area would result in an overall net decrease in sediment yield to the Round Prairie Creek watershed upon project completion. As calculated, both alternatives 2 and 3 would have the same net reduction in sediment of approximately 2 tons per year (average annual amounts). These reductions would occur primarily from proposed road reconditioning. Road storage treatments would also reduce the risk of sediment delivery due to road failures but this amount is not included in the sediment modeling results. Alternative 1 would provide no sediment reductions since none of the identified road segments would be addressed. Within Round Prairie Creek, ongoing activities and reasonably foreseeable projects, such as proposed timber harvest on state and private lands are not expected to increase sediment contributions to this watershed. Projects on state and private lands would include the use of best management practices per the Idaho Forest Practices Act requirements. The North Zone Roadside Salvage project would remove hazard trees and blow down along selected open National Forest System roads. This project is not expected to cause additional effects to aquatic resources due to designed protection measures and the fact no equipment would travel off the road surface. Sediment reductions are predicted to occur with either alternative 2 or 3 proposed by this project. Effects to Stream Channel Morphology Summary: Stream channels would not be affected because channels in the project area are stable and increases to peak flows would not be measureable. Reductions in sediment delivery that would occur from alternatives 2 and 3 would also improve stream channel conditions. Direct and Indirect Effects Changes in the magnitude, intensity, or duration of peak flows and sediment yields have the potential to change stream channel characteristics. Both alternatives 2 and 3 modify the equivalent clearcut area value, with alternative 2 having the largest increase. However, this increase in equivalent clearcut area would not create a detectable increase in peak flows over alternative 1. Therefore, the undetectable increase in peak flows, slight reduction in sediment yields, and the potential increases in flows from rain-on-snow events would not affect stream channel morphology from either of the alternatives. Stream survey data from 2012 indicate that woody debris recruitment levels are high in Hellroaring Creek. Large woody debris creates pool features and dissipates stream energy. Stream channels where the substrate is composed of bedrock and boulders that have a good portion of large woody debris jams, and are more confined within a valley bottom are more stable with respect to fluctuations in flow and sediment yields (Chamberlin and others 1991, Grant and others 2008). Cumulative Effects Since the estimated increases in water yield and peak flows associated with both action alternatives 2 and 3 incorporated with other activities occurring in the cumulative effects analysis area would not be measureable and are within the historic range of variation, there would not be any cumulative effects to changes in stream channel morphology. Long-term reductions in sediment yield associated with road reconditioning and storage proposed by both action alternatives would also improve stream channel conditions in the Round Prairie Creek drainage. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 33

40 Hellroaring Project The stream segments in the agricultural areas would continue to be impacted by the drainage maintenance, but would also benefit from reductions in sediment delivery. Effects to Stream Temperatures Summary: Required riparian habitat conservation areas would retain canopy cover provided by trees along the stream and prevent degradation of water quality with respect to temperature. Direct and Indirect Effects Currently, Round Prairie Creek is 303(d) listed as impaired for temperature from the source to the confluence of Gillon Creek in the 2010 IDEQ Integrated Report. Until a Total Maximum Daily Load is created by the State of Idaho for Round Prairie Creek, the pollutant of concern (water temperature) should remain constant or decrease in these streams. Within Hellroaring Creek tree canopy cover providing shade is generally greater than 70 percent and stream temperature measured in October 2012 was 4.5 ºC which is excellent for cold water aquatic life. Sunlight is the dominant energy input for increasing stream temperatures with shade being the single most important variable to reduce this heat input (Cobb 1988, Gravelle and Link 2007, Krauskopf et.al. 2010). Of the proposed actions, timber harvest is the only activity that could potentially increase the amount of sunlight reaching the streams. By implementing requirements of the Inland Native Fish Strategy (USDA Forest Service 1995a) and incorporating riparian habitat conservation areas along streams in the Hellroaring project area, the proposed activities would not further degrade water quality with respect to temperature. Field reviews of project area streams documented dense, intact overstory and understory vegetation providing canopy cover. All alternatives would keep these riparian areas intact. Riparian habitat conservation areas would retain the canopy cover that prevents sunlight from warming the stream. Gravelle and Link (2007), also found that the use of riparian buffers effectively negated the effects of timber harvest impacts on stream temperatures in the reaches directly below harvested areas. Cumulative Effects Because there would be no direct or indirect effects of proposed activities on stream temperature from alternatives 2 and 3, there would be no cumulative effects associated with activities from this project. Effects to Fish and Fish Habitat Summary: Based on the hydrology analysis regarding the effects of activities proposed in alternatives 2 and 3 on water yield, peak flows, sediment, channel morphology, and stream temperature, there would be no measurable adverse impacts to aquatic habitat. Use of best management practices in proposed activities and protection measures in riparian habitat conservation areas would help streams and riparian areas remain intact and functioning properly. This would benefit fish populations and aquatic habitat by protecting streams and water temperatures from solar radiation, providing effective filtration from upland sediment sources, and maintaining stream complexity by continuing to provide a source of large wood recruitment into the streams. Additionally, project activities would reduce fish habitat fragmentation by removing a culvert that blocks fish passage to upstream habitat. 34 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

41 Environmental Assessment Direct and Indirect Effects There are no threatened or endangered species in the Hellroaring Creek Watershed. Westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi), a Northern Region sensitive species, has suitable habitat and is known to occur in the watershed. No other species of concern were collected in survey efforts or are known to occur in the area. If the Hellroaring Project did not occur, the culvert on NFS Road 2266 would continue to be a fish passage barrier to upstream habitat. Also, as mentioned previously in the section Effects to Sediment Delivery, there are chronic sediment sources associated with NFS Roads 2266 and 2485 that would continue to contribute sediment to streams. Unburned fuels in the project area would continue to accumulate leading to greater potential for cumulative effects of sediment delivery to aquatic habitat should a high-intensity wildfire burn through the project area. Effects of Road and Trail Activities on Sediment Delivery: Road and trail-associated activities proposed in alternatives 2 and 3 would be identical and would have the potential to initially generate sediment that may reach streams in the project area. However, employing the use of best management practices would greatly reduce the quantity and duration of sediment generated (Seyedbagheri 1996). Further, the short-term impacts to aquatic habitat as a result of road reconstruction, maintenance, and cross-drain installation would be far outweighed by the longterm benefits of reducing chronic sediment to project area streams. As a result, even though aquatic habitat and fish could be initially impacted by road-associated project activities, it is unlikely that the sediment levels generated by these activities would be long lasting or great enough to jeopardize the existence of fish species and beneficial aquatic habitat in project area streams. Effects of Timber Harvest on Sediment and Water Yields: Research and monitoring results verify that when appropriate riparian habitat conservation area buffers are applied to stream corridors in project areas and best management practices are correctly applied, sediment delivery to the stream channel as a direct result of vegetation treatment is not measurable or is negligible (Reid and Hilton 1998; Belt and others 1992; USDA Forest Service 2000b). Further, sedimentation caused indirectly from increased water yields generated by vegetation treatment would likely not be great enough, or of enough duration, to have a noticeable impact on fish populations or aquatic habitat in the project area. Effects of Prescribed Burning on Sediment Delivery: Best management practices, design features, and riparian habitat conservation area buffers would all be incorporated into planned burning activities and would greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the possibility of sediment reaching streams and substantially impacting, both directly and indirectly, associated aquatic habitat and fish populations. However, sedimentation associated with an unplanned high intensity wildfire would still be a reasonable threat even with implementation of either alternative 2 or 3. Effects of Timber Harvest on Water Temperatures: Following required best management practices, design features, and Inland Native Fish Strategy riparian habitat conservation area guidelines would help maintain and enhance the canopy cover over streams in the project area and thus help maintain or reduce water temperatures in streams. This, in turn, would help maintain or improve existing conditions of the fisheries resource and aquatic habitat in the project area. As a result, increased water temperatures are not expected to occur as a result of project activities and therefore would not impact fish populations and aquatic habitat in the project area. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 35

42 Hellroaring Project Effects of Thinning on Riparian Zone Function: A limited amount of management activities (precommercial thinning) would be allowed in the riparian habitat conservation areas of several proposed units. The thinning of high-density smaller trees in these units would lead to accelerated growth of desirable trees. The resulting larger trees would then provide more shade and better recruitment potential for large wood into nearby streams. As a result, riparian zone function should be improved in these units and would be maintained in all other project areas due to protection provided by excluding activities in riparian habitat conservation area buffers. Therefore, negative impacts to fish populations as a result of compromised riparian zone function are not expected. Effects of Weed Treatments on Fisheries: Noxious weed treatment using herbicides would occur as part of the proposed action along all haul routes and turn-outs used for vegetation treatments in the Hellroaring Project area. Weed treatments would be conducted according to the guidelines, priorities, approved herbicides, methods, and required best management practices established in Bonners Ferry Noxious Weeds Environmental Assessment (USDA Forest Service1995a), as well as guidelines provided in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest Pesticide Discharge Management Plan (USDA Forest Service 2012). Given the limitations of approved chemicals and associated use near waterways, as identified in these documents, no adverse effects to water quality or the fisheries resource are expected. Cumulative Effects Past, present, and reasonably foreseeable activities that may have, or had, the greatest impact on the fisheries resource in the cumulative effects area include wildfire, fire suppression activities, road construction and maintenance, timber harvest, and private land activities (wetland modifications). Based on the hydrology analysis, there would be no adverse cumulative effects to fish and fish habitat, and there would be a net beneficial effect due to removal of the fish barrier and reduction in sediment delivery to streams. Effects to Wildlife Species and Habitat The distribution and abundance of wildlife is primarily a function of habitat conditions (i.e., vegetation type and successional stage). Disturbances that arise from natural processes or human actions can alter these landscape patterns and wildlife habitat, influencing wildlife abundance and composition. This section summarizes the Hellroaring Project Wildlife Report, which discusses in detail the effects of the proposed alternatives on affected threatened, endangered, sensitive and management indicator species and their habitat. Potential effects, by relevant species, are analyzed based on habitat relationships, scientific literature on effects associated with vegetation management, and the nature of the proposed alternatives. Table 17 displays the indicators that will be used to measure effects on wildlife species. Indicators for each species vary and are based on those factors that could result in measurable effects (positive or negative) to the species. For most species being analyzed, appropriate habitat parameters were measured to distinguish potentially suitable habitat. A discussion of the changes in potentially suitable habitat for each relevant species and subsequent effects on species are discussed in further detail in the Wildlife Report. 36 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

43 Environmental Assessment Table 17. Principal species analyzed and issue indicators for wildlife resources Species Issue Indicators Canada lynx Amount of lynx habitat in a lynx analysis unit currently in a stand initiation structural stage that does not yet provide winter snowshoe hare habitat Amount of lynx habitat regenerated in the previous 10-year period Impacts to multi-storied mature or late-successional forests Amount of lynx habitat in a stand initiation structural stage currently providing winter snowshoe hare habitat affected by thinning 1 Grizzly bear Changes in linear road miles 2 Fisher Changes to potentially suitable denning habitat Changes to mature forest habitat Effects on large snag habitat Changes in linear road miles Northern goshawk Pileated woodpecker Impacts to potentially suitable nesting habitat and effects on forest structural stages Changes to potentially suitable nesting habitat and mature forest habitat Big game Effects to white-tailed deer critical mid-winter range Changes in linear road miles (displacement) and forage production for whitetailed deer, moose, and elk. 1. Indicators address applicable vegetation management standards from Northern Rockies Lynx Management Direction (USDA Forest Service 2007) 2. Indicator addresses applicable design element from forest plan appendix JJ - Motorized Access Management Direction Idaho Panhandle National Forests (USDA Forest Service 2011a) Species Relevancy Screen Species considered in this analysis were identified from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species List provided to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, the Regional Forester s Sensitive Species List, and the management indicator species list from the forest plan applicable to the Bonners Ferry Ranger District. Some wildlife species do not have suitable habitat or are not regularly present or expected to be in or near the proposed activity area, are affected at a level that does not increase risk to the species, or effects have been adequately mitigated by altering the design of the project. For these reasons, these species were not analyzed in detail. Preliminary analysis information and effects determinations for species not analyzed in detail are located in appendix A of the Wildlife Report. Table 18 summarizes the wildlife species and wildlife habitat components analyzed in more detail, the rationale for analysis (and conditions that influence the scope of analysis), and a brief description of their habitats. Scope of Analysis The geographic scope of potential effects on wildlife for this analysis was determined based on the spatial extent of proposed Federal actions. The appropriate scale or geographic bounds for wildlife effects analysis varies on a species by species basis and may include review at multiple scales (figure 10, page 39). Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 37

44 Hellroaring Project Table 18. Wildlife species analyzed in detail Species Preferred Habitat Rationale for Detailed Analysis Threatened and Endangered Species Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) Sensitive Species Fisher (Martes pennanti) Higher elevation spruce/ fir forests with adequate prey base of snowshoe hares, its primary food. Habitat generalist. Denning areas isolated and remote from human development. Mesic mature forest habitats Management Indicator Species Indicator Species Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) Mature to old growth forest with relatively closed canopies for nesting, variety of forested habitats for foraging. Forests with tall, large diameter dead or defective trees for nesting; variety of forested habitats for foraging. The project is within a designated lynx analysis unit (LAU) and potentially affects lynx habitat. The project is within an area of recurring use adjacent to the Cabinet- Yaak Recovery Area and would result in changes to linear road miles. Potentially suitable denning and foraging habitat is present and may be impacted within the analysis area. Potentially suitable habitat for goshawk nesting and foraging is present and may be impacted within the analysis area. Potentially suitable nesting and foraging habitat is present and may be impacted within the analysis area. Management Indicator Species Species Commonly Hunted, Fished or Trapped White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Moose (Alces alces) Mosaic of habitat types that provide open parks for foraging and forested areas for thermal and security cover. Forested habitats, shrub fields preferred during winter. Other Wildlife Species Species Commonly Hunted, Fished or Trapped Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus elaphus) Habitat generalist. Suitable arrangement of cover and forage interspersed with secure areas. Critical mid-winter range habitat affected. Potential short-term displacement during implementation, improved forage after harvest. Potential short-term displacement during implementation, improved forage after harvest. Potential short-term displacement during implementation, improved forage after harvest. Varying scales that were considered include the southern portion of the Round Prairie Creek 13 6 th - level watershed (about 9,674 acres), the Round Prairie Canada Lynx Analysis Unit (about 39,086 acres), the Mission-Moyie BORZ (bears outside recovery zone) area (about 58,472 acres), the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (2,500,000 acres), and the Northern Region of the Forest Service. The temporal scope of the analysis is a function of the nature of the proposal, the geographic scope of the analysis, ongoing management goals and actions, and natural events. The analysis assesses effects based on both existing conditions at the time of the analysis and potential conditions (e.g., capable habitat that may or may not be currently suitable) at some undetermined time in the future. The time period that project-related disturbance may be present is expected to be from 5 to 8 years based on a 5-year timber sale contract and additional post-sale fuel treatments. The effects of vegetation management from this project may be still apparent 50 or more years beyond this, barring other natural or artificial disturbance in the area. 13 referred to in IPNF GIS layers as Round Meadows Creek 38 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

45 Environmental Assessment Figure 10. Hellroaring Project cumulative effects areas for wildlife species analyzed Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 39

46 Hellroaring Project Effects to Canada Lynx Summary: All alternatives would be consistent with all standards and guidelines in the Northern Rockies Lynx Management Direction (see below). Neither alternative 2 nor 3 would result in greater than 30 percent of lynx habitat in the affected lynx analysis unit being in a seedling-sapling stage that does not yet provide winter snowshoe hare habitat. Also, no more than 15 percent of lynx habitat in the lynx analysis unit will have been regenerated within a 10-year period. Direct and Indirect Effects For Canada lynx, the effects analysis area is the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit (figure 10). Lynx Analysis Units were delineated following standards outlined within the Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy (LCAS; Ruediger and others 2000) because they provide the appropriate scale at which specific lynx habitat parameters can be measured. Lynx analysis units are not intended to represent actual lynx home ranges, but their scale approximates the size of a female lynx home range (USDA Forest Service 2007). The Hellroaring project would harvest up to 372 acres of lynx habitat in the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit, including as much as 361 acres of regeneration harvest. Treated stands are expected to begin to provide high quality lynx foraging (snowshoe hare) habitat within approximately 16 to 20 years following harvest, and more than 87 percent of the project area would not be affected by timber harvest. All alternatives would be consistent with standards and guidelines in the Northern Rockies Lynx Management Direction (NRLMD; USDA Forest Service 2007), and the 1987 forest plan (USDA Forest Service 1987). The project would not affect designated Canada lynx critical habitat. Under alternative 2 (which proposes the most activity in lynx habitat), 14 percent of lynx habitat in the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit (table 19) would be in a stand initiation (seedlingsapling) structural stage that does not yet provide winter snowshoe hare habitat (NRLMD Standard VEG S1 does not allow more than 30 percent of lynx habitat in a lynx analysis unit to be in this condition; see table 3). Approximately 4.5 percent of lynx habitat in the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit would have been regenerated on National Forest System lands within the previous 10-year period (NRLMD Standard VEG S2 limits this to no more than 15 percent of lynx habitat per lynx analysis unit). Table 19. Acres of Canada Lynx Habitat in the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit affected by proposed activities and subsequent effects on forest plan Standards VEG S1 and S2 Alt. 1 (existing) acres Alt. 2 acres Group selection harvest n/a Regeneration harvest n/a Alt. 3 acres Precommercial Thinning n/a Early Successional Habitat 1 (acres / % of LAU) Change in Previous Decade 2 (acres / % of LAU) 1,623 / ,984 / ,636 / / / / Lynx habitat in a stand initiation structural stage not yet providing winter snowshoe hare habitat (Standard VEG S1). 2. Lynx habitat regenerated by timber management in the previous 10 years (Standard VEG S2). 40 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

47 Environmental Assessment Alternatives 2 and 3 would also conduct precommercial thinning on approximately 316 acres of lynx habitat within the wildland-urban interface. Precommercial thinning can reduce horizontal structure in early successional stands, which provide preferred habitat for snowshoe hares, a prime food source for lynx. If snowshoe hares decrease, it could potentially have an adverse effect on individual lynx. However, precommercial thinning is expected to result in forest stands that are more ecologically stable in the face of potential disturbances, longer-lived and less susceptible to stand-replacement wildfires. As a result, the short-term potential for adverse effects (loss of early-successional hare habitat) would be somewhat offset by establishing stand conditions that are more resilient in the face of future disturbance, and subsequently more likely to produce quality late-successional hare habitat (mature multi-storied stands) in the future than untreated stands. While NRLMD Standard VEG S5 generally prohibits precommercial thinning outside the wildland-urban interface, precommercial thinning would not affect lynx at the population level because the cumulative acres of fuel treatment projects within the wildlandurban interface that do not meet Standards VEG S1, VEG S2, VEG S5 and VEG S6 across the Idaho Panhandle National Forests would be about 0.2 percent (NRLMD Standard VEG S6 limits this total at 6 percent). While mature or late-successional multi-storied forests have been identified as important lynx foraging (snowshoe hare) habitat year-round, these habitats are uncommon in the Hellroaring project area (only one such stand of 49 acres was identified during field evaluation of more than half of the lynx habitat in the project area). There would be no direct effects to this habitat component due to project activities. In the absence of mechanical treatments (alternative 1), habitat conditions would continue to change in the lynx analysis unit. Lodgepole pine is eventually expected to die off and be replaced by subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce in most lynx habitat stands. This may be a slow process; and in the meantime insects, disease and competition for sunlight and nutrients would continue to cause trees to die and trigger increases in down woody material. More lynx denning habitat would likely be produced, and existing denning habitat would be enhanced. The occasional mature, multi-storied stand would likely improve, while some winter snowshoe hare habitat would grow beyond the stand initiation stage and lose its value as preferred hare habitat. The Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit currently contains enough forest stands greater than 10 inches diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) that the proposed timber harvest would not considerably reduce denning opportunities or have substantial effects to alternate lynx prey species (such as red squirrels) that require forest cover. Adequate continuous forest cover would remain intact under all alternatives so that lynx travelling through the project area would not be impeded. There would be no increases in motorized routes, and alternatives 2 and 3 would result in a reduction of 4.5 miles of drivable routes that would reduce potential incidental trapping mortality for lynx. The Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit is an identified linkage area that may provide connectivity between the Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges. It is unlikely that timber harvest on the scale of this proposal would substantially impede movement of wide-ranging carnivores in the foreseeable future. While regeneration harvest of up to 1,237 acres may appear considerable, more than 87 percent of the project area would not be affected. Densely forested north-south corridors would remain intact through the project area along Hellroaring Creek, Little Hellroaring Creek, and an unnamed tributary of Round Prairie Creek in the western portion of the project area; and forested cover would allow east-west travel along Tungsten Ridge at the south end of the project area. Since lynx prefer to travel along ridges and riparian areas, preservation of cover in these areas would continue to provide for lynx movement through the project area. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 41

48 Hellroaring Project Proposed trail relocation and weed treatment activities are not risk factors for lynx and therefore would have no effects. Cumulative Effects The Hellroaring Project would take place in the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit, which does not include designated critical habitat. This lynx analysis unit is approximately 39,086 acres in size, less than half of which (14,062 acres) are considered lynx habitat. The Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit may have as many as 1,623 acres (663 acres Federal lands plus up to 960 acres private), or 11.5 percent of lynx habitat in the lynx analysis unit, in an early successional stage not yet providing lynx habitat (Standard VEG S1). Again, this estimate reflects the highest amount of acres possible in this stage, and the actual amount is likely lower. Approximately 276 of these acres (2.0 percent of lynx habitat) have been regenerated on National Forest System lands in the previous 10 years (Standard VEG S2) (table 20). Potential lynx denning in the form of mature forest lynx habitat is abundant (approximately 8,000 acres) and well-distributed throughout the lynx analysis unit. Table 20. Cumulative effects of ongoing and proposed projects on Standards VEG S1 and VEG S2 in the Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit Ongoing and Proposed Projects VEG S1 acres (%) VEG S2 acres (%) Existing - Federal 663 (4.7) 276 (2.0) Existing - Private 960 (6.8) n/a Existing - Total 1,623 (11.5) 276 (2.0) Mission-Brush 343 (2.4) 343 (2.4) Northern Prairie 99 (0.7) 99 (0.7) East Fork Meadow 1 (<1) 1 (<1) Hellroaring (alternative 2) 361 (2.6) 361 (2.6) TOTAL 2,427 (17.3) 1,080 (7.7) 1. Lynx habitat in a stand initiation structural stage not yet providing winter snowshoe hare habitat. 2. Lynx habitat regenerated by timber management on NFS lands in the previous 10 years. Activities authorized under the Mission-Brush, Northern Prairie, East Fork Meadow, and North Zone Roadside Salvage project decisions are currently ongoing in the Round Prairie LAU. These projects would collectively harvest approximately 520 acres of lynx habitat in the Round Prairie LAU, 443 acres of which will be regeneration harvested. Consequently, the total amount of lynx habitat in an early successional stage not yet providing winter snowshoe hare habitat in the Round Prairie LAU would be 343 (Mission-Brush) + 99 (Northern Prairie) + 1 (East Fork Meadow) (alternative 2, if selected) + 1,623 (current maximum) = 2,427 acres, or 17.3 percent of lynx habitat (see table 20). Approximately 1,080 of these acres (7.7 percent) would have been regenerated by timber harvest on National Forest System lands in the previous 10-year period (listed projects plus 276 acres existing) (table 20). Even with this level of timber harvest, the Round Prairie LAU would remain compliant with NRLMD Standards VEG S1 (no more than 30 percent of lynx habitat in a stand initiation structural stage that does not yet provide winter snowshoe hare habitat) and VEG S2 ( no more than 15 percent of lynx habitat regenerated in a 10-year period). The Round Prairie Lynx Analysis Unit currently contains about 1,300 acres of seedling-sapling stands that may be providing early successional high quality hare habitat (the size classes 42 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

49 Environmental Assessment potentially affected by precommercial thinning). The approximately 316 acres of proposed precommercial thinning of juvenile stands within the wildland-urban interface would count toward the 6 percent of lynx habitat across the Idaho Panhandle National Forest excepted 14 from Standard VEG S1, VEG S2, VEG S5 and VEG S6. Other planned projects on the Forest using exceptions to these standards are Stateline Whitebark Pine Release project on the St. Joe Ranger District (25 acres), East Fork Meadow Creek project (12 acres), the North Zone Juvenile Tree Thinning project (524 acres) and the proposed Twentymile Creek project (308 acres). These projects, along with proposed alternatives, together add up to approximately 1,185 acres of habitat excepted from these standards. Since there are approximately 582,981 acres of lynx habitat on the national forest, about 0.2 percent of this habitat has been applied toward exceptions to the NRLMD vegetation management standards. Given the history of active fire suppression and existing high fuel loads in many stands, it is reasonable to assume that the area would be affected by wildfire at some point in the future. While alternatives 2 and 3 would not completely remove the risk of uncontrollable wildfire, they would reduce the probability of this occurring (see Fire and Fuels Report). The magnitude of this fire would depend upon area accessibility, available suppression resources, weather and other environmental factors. A mixed-severity fire would not likely alter large portions of available habitat, but a large stand-replacing fire would convert mature stands to a stand initiation phase, which may take 20 or more years to mature to the point where they could support high densities of snowshoe hares. Effects to Grizzly Bear Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 would temporarily increase linear road miles during project implementation but would reduce linear road miles long term in the Mission- Moyie Bears Outside Recovery Zone area. Alternative 2 would result in more acres of potential forage and hiding cover would remain on at least 70 percent of the project area under any alternative. Prescribed burning would be the only project activity that would take place during the grizzly bear spring season (April 1-June 15), a sensitive time period for grizzly bears. Direct and Indirect Effects The Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993) recognized that grizzly bears would occur outside recovery zones, and that the mere presence of these bears is not sufficient reason to change the recovery zone boundaries. These areas were subsequently termed Bears Outside Recovery Zones (BORZ) for the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear ecosystems, and were incorporated into the amendments to the Kootenai, Idaho Panhandle, and Lolo National forest plans in 2011 (USDA Forest Service 2011a). The effects analysis area for grizzly bears is the Mission-Moyie BORZ area (figure 10). The appropriate size of a cumulative effects analysis area for grizzly bears is generally considered to be an approximately 100 square mile (64,000 acre) area, which roughly represents the size of a female grizzly bear home range. Both alternatives 2 and 3 would reduce road miles in the BORZ area by placing approximately 2.8 miles of open roads, and 1.7 miles of currently restricted roads, into long-term storage. Additionally, approximately 0.6 mile of National Forest System Road 2484 would require reconstruction and be used as a haul route. Following completion of project activities, this road would be placed into long-term storage. Since none of these roads would be available to public 14 See wildlife report in project file. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 43

50 Hellroaring Project use during implementation, they would not permanently increase linear road miles in the Mission- Moyie BORZ area. Under alternative 1 road miles would remain unchanged and there would be no additional disturbance to grizzly bears above the existing condition. However, there would be no road storage or decommissioning under alternative 1, thus no decrease in motorized road miles or the subsequent incremental increase in relatively undisturbed habitat for grizzly bears. Timber harvest and post-harvest fuels treatments (grapple piling and burning) on up to 1,365 acres, including up to 1,098 acres using ground-based (tractor) or skyline cable yarding systems and up to 266 acres of helicopter yarding, could potentially disturb or displace grizzly bears that may use the project area. Approximately 491 acres of harvest units would be tractor yarded during the winter (denning) period, so activities within these units and time period would not affect grizzly bears during the timber harvest phase. With the possible exception of some underburning, all other timber harvest, road reconstruction, road storage and decommissioning, grapple piling and slashing activities would take place outside of the grizzly bear spring season (April 1 to June 15). Spring is a particularly sensitive time period for grizzly bears (their fat reserves have been severely depleted and foraging to rebuild energy reserves is their primary focus) and the consequences of disturbance or displacement can be severe (including potential loss of cubs-of-the-year). Timber harvest (and to a lesser extent 73 acres of prescribed burn only) would initially reduce hiding cover somewhat, but would ultimately increase production of high-quality forage plants (mainly huckleberries) in treated areas. Within about 10 years after treatment, hiding cover in regeneration units is expected to further increase through growth of shrubs and regenerating conifers. Timber harvest and subsequent fuels treatments may temporarily inhibit berry production in treated stands where they currently exist, but would likely result in increased berry production within 10 to 15 years after treatment. Noxious weed (herbicide) treatments may affect small amounts of palatable plant species, but would not considerably reduce availability of bear forage. Alternatives 2 and 3 also propose precommercial thinning on approximately 1,412 acres. This activity would cause minor vegetative changes to grizzly bear habitat, and would result in disturbance of relatively short duration emanating from drivable roads. The project also proposes trail improvement activities consisting of trail relocation, trailhead construction, and conversion of road to trail, that would make inconsequential changes to habitat and have minor disturbance effects on grizzly bears. Cumulative Effects There are several planned and ongoing timber sales that overlap at least in part with Hellroaring within the Mission-Moyie BORZ area. Mission-Brush, Northern Prairie, and Ruby-Copper projects are winding down and should begin decommissioning roads during the summer of 2014 and complete this process by This reduction in open roads, along with reductions proposed in the Hellroaring Project, would contribute to the recent trend of reducing road densities on this part of the Bonners Ferry Ranger District. As of 2012 the Mission-Moyie BORZ area had miles of total roads, including miles of open roads, on National Forest System lands (USDA Forest Service 2013). The Mission-Brush and Northern Prairie projects would collectively decommission or store approximately 10.7 miles of currently drivable road in the BORZ area, along with about 14.8 miles of undrivable roads. Similarly, the Ruby-Copper project would decommission or store about 8.7 miles of currently drivable roads and more than 18 miles of undrivable roads. The net effect of these three projects would be to reduce linear road miles in the BORZ area by more than 52 miles, including about 19.4 miles of drivable roads. 44 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

51 Environmental Assessment The Kreist Creek Project proposes vegetation treatments on up to approximately 2,130 acres and would decommission 1 mile of existing open road and store approximately 0.45 mile. North Zone Roadside Salvage proposes salvage of standing dead, down and live hazard trees on about 3,000 acres in the Mission-Moyie BORZ area. The proposed activities would take place along currently drivable roads and would not increase linear road miles. The majority of the activities within the Mission-Moyie BORZ area associated with these projects, with the possible exception of prescribed burning, would take place outside the grizzly bear spring season (April 1 June 15). Therefore are not expected to result in substantial impacts to grizzly bears in the Mission-Moyie BORZ area. All alternatives would be consistent with forest plan standards for grizzly bear management. The proposed alternatives, in conjunction with other ongoing and reasonably foreseeable activities in the Hellroaring area, are not expected to adversely affect grizzly bears. Effects to Fisher Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 would reduce suitable denning habitat for fisher by 511 and 233 acres respectively due to regeneration harvest. These would not likely cause fisher populations to trend towards Federal listing or cause a loss of viability to the population or species due to the overall abundance and future availability of habitat within the area and maintenance of travel corridors. Direct and Indirect Effects As a solitary, low density carnivore, the fisher typically has much larger home ranges than other comparable-sized mammals, reported by Jones (1991) as ranging from approximately 10,000 to 22,000 acres. National Forest System lands within the southern portion of the Round Prairie Creek watershed (displayed in figure 10 as the project area ) account for approximately 9,572 acres, which is within the range of what other researchers have reported for fisher home range sizes elsewhere. Approximately 60 percent of the project area is currently in mid- and late-seral forest stages (table 21) which are important habitat characteristics. This area contains about 1,529 acres of potentially suitable denning and resting habitat. Table 21. Percentage of mid- and late-seral forest in the Hellroaring Project Area under all alternatives Recommendation1 Alt. 1 Alt. 2 Alt. 3 mid- / late-seral forest content 42-72% 60% 49% 57% 1. From Raley and others (2012) Changes to forest structure due to natural and human-caused disturbances can negatively impact habitat for fisher, particularly when it affects late-seral mesic forest types and forested riparian areas. While alternative 1 may provisionally provide somewhat better habitat than alternatives 2 and 3 in the near future, this habitat is not expected to persist over time. Some of the unsuitable acres in the analysis area currently contain high amounts of lodgepole pine and, based on field validation, are lacking in large snags and down woody debris. These areas may take a considerable time (more than 100 years) to reach suitable habitat. Alternative 2 proposes regeneration timber harvest of up to 511 acres of potentially suitable fisher denning and resting Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 45

52 Hellroaring Project habitat and up to 768 acres of other habitat. Alternative 3 would regenerate 233 of potentially suitable fisher denning and resting habitat. Despite potential negative effects for the first few decades following implementation, treated stands would be more resilient to disturbance and would remain in suitable condition for a longer time period than untreated stands. Untreated stands would be more vulnerable to insect infestations, disease, and stand-replacing wildfire. Although treatment may temporarily reduce fisher habitat at the local scale, habitat would be expected to improve for this species with time and would be maintained on a landscape scale. Alternatives 2 and 3 would leave forest stands that are more than 100 years old on nearly half of the analysis area (table 21), and would maintain habitat connectivity by linking all areas of potentially suitable habitat with contiguous pole-sized or larger forest cover. Both alternatives would slightly reduce the risk of trapping mortality by reducing overall linear miles of drivable roads by approximately 4.5 miles. Thinning young, small diameter trees on approximately 1,412 acres would temporarily reduce densities of prey species such as snowshoe hares, but would potentially create improved fisher denning habitat when these stands fully mature by producing lower densities of large-diameter trees. Potential effects of fuels treatments (burning and piling) would be minor since fishers are not particularly sensitive to disturbance, and regenerated units are unlikely to be used by this species following harvest. The Purcell/Boulder Landscape Area, which includes the Hellroaring project area, currently contains 2.0 snags per acre greater than 20 inches diameter at breast height. Commercial thinning under alternatives 2 and 3 would reduce large snags and woody debris to some extent, but would maintain some of these habitat features and adequate canopy cover (at least 40 percent) to remain potentially suitable. Alternatives 2 and 3 would temporarily reduce suitable denning habitat; however, fisher habitat on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is likely being replaced faster than it is being reduced. This is because there is a high incidence of mature (more than 100 years old) stands across the forests, timber harvest has not occurred in moist-site old growth stands here for more than 20 years (and very little has been affected by wildfire), annual timber harvest on the Bonners Ferry Ranger District is currently about one-fourth of annual growth, and riparian areas, which provide potentially suitable habitat and important travel corridors, are protected by Inland Native Fish Strategy buffers (USDA Forest Service 1995a) and best management practices. Similarly, noxious weed treatments would not cause changes in important fisher habitat components, so these would have only minor (if any) impacts on fisher. Trailhead development and trail relocation would also have minor impacts on this species since these activities would make inconsequential changes to habitat. Cumulative Effects The Idaho Panhandle National Forests currently contain about five times the level of habitat needed to maintain a viable fisher population, and large snag habitat (used for denning) is generally abundant (Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data estimate about 1.9 snags per acre of 20 inches or larger) on the North Zone. Additionally, there is currently an estimated 11.8 percent of forested lands allocated as old growth on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, with the Bonners Ferry Ranger District contributing 15.9 percent (USDA Forest Service 2010). Based on these estimates, old growth and large snag presence are being maintained on the Forests. 46 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

53 Environmental Assessment The North Zone Salvage project would harvest small pockets of dead and dying or down trees on about 940 acres in the project area, including up to 219 acres of potentially suitable habitat. However, all but about 46 of these 219 acres are within proposed Hellroaring harvest units, and effects are included in the alternative 2 analysis above. On these 46 acres, salvage could reduce fisher denning, resting and foraging habitat by removing snags and down woody material in treated areas. Nonetheless, due to the current abundance of habitat and relatively small amount of habitat impacted, alternatives 2 and 3, in conjunction with the past, present and reasonably foreseeable actions would not likely cause fisher populations to trend towards Federal listing or cause a loss of viability to the population or species. Effects to Northern Goshawk Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 would improve vegetation structural stage distribution over time by converting mature large size class trees to grass-forb and seedling-sapling stages. Alternative 1 would retain more potentially suitable nesting habitat in the short term (up to 10 years); however, within a few years of finishing all project activities, both alternatives 2 and 3 would result in a more desirable vegetation structural stage distribution in the two goshawk home ranges than no action. All alternatives would continue to provide at least three suitable nesting stands in all goshawk home ranges within the Hellroaring project area. Direct and Indirect Effects The northern goshawk uses a wide variety of forest age classes, structural conditions, and successional stages, inhabiting mixed conifer forests in much of the northern hemisphere (Reynolds and others 1992). Based on size, the Hellroaring Project area can reasonably be divided into two northern goshawk home ranges, one of which contains an active territory ( Round Prairie ) (figure 11). In 2012, this previously undocumented goshawk territory was discovered in the northwestern portion of the analysis area during field surveys. Brewer et al. (2009) suggest a project-level analysis process that focuses on two key elements of goshawk habitat: (1) description of the forest environment on the basis of tree size (termed vegetation structural stages by Reynolds and others (1992); and (2) maintenance of adequate suitable and replacement nest areas within each home range, including minimization of human disturbance, to provide for goshawk occupancy. Under alternatives 2 and 3, vegetation structural stage (VSS) distribution would improve over time through conversion of mature/large size class (VSS 5) acres to grass-forb and seedlingsapling stages (VSS 1 plus VSS 2). Timber harvest would convert forest structure to the seedlingsapling size class on approximately 1,275 acres under alternative 2 and approximately 425 acres under alternative 3. Alternative 1 would retain more potentially suitable nesting habitat in the short-term (up to 10 years). However, untreated stands would generally trend away from suitability due to increasing vegetation growth in the understory, and vegetation structural stage distribution would continue to move below historic lows for young forest and above the historic range for mature forest if there is no stand-replacing event such as a large fire. Within a few years of project completion, both alternatives 2 and 3 would result in a more desirable vegetation structural stage distribution in the two home ranges than no action would (table 22, table 23). Under alternative 1, deteriorating stand health would result in large, uniformly spaced trees being replaced by more numerous, densely packed smaller trees. The high amount of ladder fuels in these stands reduces the likelihood that low intensity fire would clear out this understory. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 47

54 Hellroaring Project Table 22. Vegetation structural stage (VSS) percentages in the Round Prairie northern goshawk home range VSS Size Class Recommended Percentages 1 Current Condition Alt. 1 2 Alt. 2 Alt. 3 1 Open 10% 1% 1% 1% 1% 2 Seedling / Sapling 10% 18% 2% 11% 7% 3 Pole 20% 21% 20% 19% 20% 4 Immature 20% 13% 25% 25% 25% 5 Mature 20% 41% 45% 37% 40% 6 Old 20% 7% 7% 7% 7% 1. Based on Reynolds and others (1992) 2. Current Condition aged 10 years Table 23. Vegetation structural stage (VSS) percentages in hypothetical northern goshawk home range (HR) 2 VSS Size Class Recommended Percentages 1 Current Condition Alt. 1 2 Alt. 2 Alt. 3 1 Open 10% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2 Seedling / Sapling 10% 21% 4% 22% 8% 3 Pole 20% 4% 17% 17% 17% 4 Immature 20% 18% 4% 0% 3% 5 Mature 20% 56% 75% 61% 72% 6 Old 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1. Based on Reynolds and others (1992) 2. Current Condition aged 10 years The Hellroaring project area currently provides 734 acres of potentially suitable nesting habitat in the analysis area in nine different stands ranging in size from approximately 42 acres to over 150 acres Alternative 2 would harvest 195 acres of potentially suitable nesting habitat and fragment one of the current nest stands (nest stand 3) in the Round Prairie home range. Alternative 3 would regenerate approximately 151 acres of potentially suitable nesting habitat and reduce the nesting suitability in one of the nest stands (nest stand 4) in the Round Prairie home range. Under both alternatives 2 and 3, each of the home ranges would still contain at least three currently suitable nest stands and at least 240 acres of suitable nesting habitat. In addition to these nest stands, both home ranges contain adequate amounts of mature stands greater than 40 acres in size that would not be affected by proposed timber harvest, to provide replacement nest areas over time (approximately 546 acres in nine stands in the Round Prairie home range, and approximately 915 acres in 14 stands in home range 2). A minimum of 40 acres of currently suitable nesting habitat would remain undisturbed in the active nest stand, and timing restrictions (April 15 to August 15) on mechanized off-road activities within up to one-half mile of an occupied nest would reduce potential disturbance to nesting goshawks. 48 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

55 Environmental Assessment Figure 11. Hellroaring Project northern goshawk nest stands, home ranges and post-fledging family areas (PFAs) After harvest, conditions associated with alternatives 2 and 3 would continue to meet Reynolds and others (1992) and Brewer and others (2009) recommendations for goshawk habitat. Alternative 1 would also meet these recommendations; however, the presence of long-lived seral species would continue to decline in the mature stands, potentially reducing nesting habitat as well. Cumulative Effects Based on the best available science summarized in the Management Indicator Species Considerations for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (appendix B), the northern goshawk population trend appears to be stable and their habitat is abundant and well-distributed across the region. Additionally, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests contains substantially more habitat distributed throughout the Forests than needed to support a minimum viable population of northern goshawk. Northern goshawks and active nest sites are documented across the Forests, including territories that have had multiple years of documented occupancy and reproductive success, and surveys periodically locate new territories and nest sites. Alternatives 2 and 3, in conjunction with the past, present and reasonably foreseeable actions, would maintain adequate conditions within the home range and post-fledging family area; and would continue to support the same general distribution and population numbers of northern goshawks. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 49

56 Hellroaring Project Effects to Pileated Woodpecker Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 could reduce nesting habitat in the analysis area in the short term (up to 20 years), but treatment would trend stands toward larger size classes and older age classes of trees that would provide future nesting habitat for pileated woodpeckers. Direct and Indirect Effects Pileated woodpeckers occur throughout the Bonners Ferry Ranger District. During woodpecker drumming and habitat validation surveys in 2011 and again in 2012, wildlife personnel documented multiple pileated woodpecker occurrences in the Hellroaring area. Pileated woodpeckers are relatively common in both cut and uncut mid-elevation forests, and appear to do well in a matrix of forest types (Hutto 1995). They nest in mature and old-growth forests and in previously harvested stands that contain remnant large trees and snags. Alternative 2 would conduct regeneration harvest on 476 acres of potentially suitable nesting pileated woodpecker habitat, causing these acres to lose suitable nesting structure for some indeterminate amount of time due to potential loss of large snags in regenerated units. Additionally, up to 126 acres of selective harvest of potentially suitable nesting stands is expected to retain adequate canopy cover and large snags so that these stands would remain in potentially suitable condition. Alternative 3 would conduct regeneration harvest on 161 acres of potentially suitable nesting habitat. This represents temporary loss of between 8 and 10 percent of the likely nesting habitat in the analysis area. While the immediate effects on potential pileated woodpecker nesting habitat would be less than those described under alternative 2, the longer-term (20 years or more) benefits would also be reduced as there would be a continued decrease of long-lived seral tree species (particularly western larch), which are more likely to attain larger sizes and provide future nesting opportunities. Alternatives 2 and 3 would trend stands toward larger size classes and older age classes of trees that would provide future nesting habitat for pileated woodpeckers, while alternative 1 would ultimately result in the decline of long-lived, early seral shade-intolerant species (such as ponderosa pine and western larch) that provide these nesting structures. Precommercial thinning and underburning would ultimately result in greater availability of largediameter snags of desired tree species, and are not expected to cause short-term (during implementation) harmful effects. Spraying herbicides to control noxious weeds would not have any impacts on this species. Trailhead development and trail relocation would have only minor effects to pileated woodpecker habitat. Cumulative Effects The proposed North Zone Roadside Salvage could salvage small pockets of dead and dying or down trees on about 940 acres in the project area. Approximately 286 of these acres are mature or old (but not old growth) mixed-conifer forest, thus potential nesting habitat, which are outside proposed Hellroaring harvest. All of these acres are assumed to be available to personal-use firewood cutters and consequently are not expected to provide long-term snag habitat, since in many areas the types of snags preferred for nesting (large-diameter larch) would have already been removed by woodcutters. Based on the best available science summarized in the Management Indicator Species Considerations for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (appendix B), the pileated woodpecker population trend is increasing and their habitat appears to be abundant and well-distributed across 50 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

57 Environmental Assessment the region. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests contains far more large snag habitat than is required by the forest plan and recommended by the scientific literature to support a minimum viable population of pileated woodpeckers. Pileated woodpeckers and evidence of their foraging are commonly seen and documented across the Forests. In fact, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests contains more nesting and winter foraging habitat than any of the other Northern Region forests, with winter habitat adequate to support 7,291 pileated woodpecker pairs. The temporary loss of up to 476 acres of suitable nesting habitat represents an inconsequential amount of the available nesting habitat on the Forests. Given the abundance of pileated woodpecker habitat on the Forests, the inconsequential amount of habitat that would be temporarily lost through treatment, and the fact that treatments are designed to foster larger diameters of seral tree species pileated woodpeckers prefer for nesting, the proposed alternatives would not affect the viability of this species. Effects to Big Game Habitat Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 would result in a temporary reduction of 28 acres of white-tailed deer critical winter range. Alternatives 2 and 3 would improve forage quantity and quality in the Hellroaring area during other seasons. Alternatives 2 and 3 would reduce motorized access. As a result, alternatives 2 and 3 would have long-term beneficial effects to varying degrees for all ungulate species 15 currently occupying the area. Direct and Indirect Effects White-tailed deer and moose are designated management indicator species on the North Zone of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests as species commonly hunted, fished or trapped because they represent important economic species that are of common public interest. Although Rocky Mountain elk are not designated as management indicator species on the North Zone, they will be discussed in this document along with white-tailed deer and moose because of the public and internal interest in the potential effects of the Hellroaring Project on elk. Under alternative 1, road densities would remain unchanged and there would be no additional disturbance to big game above the existing condition. While the no-action alternative would have no direct effects, indirect effects would include a continued trend of stands in the project area away from open, early seral conditions that provide abundant and succulent big game forage. The existing condition of big game habitat is directly related to disturbance factors that have influenced vegetation patterns. Since the advent of fire suppression policies, past timber harvesting has been the primary disturbance factor that has interrupted the successional creep, reinitiating the early stages of forest development and creating forage areas. The natural tendency for these open stands is to progress toward later stages of forest development that become dominated by mixed conifer trees, shading out an important forage component. Without periodic disturbance, the production of forage on a meaningful scale would be unsustainable. Approximately 28 acres of white-tailed deer critical winter range would be regenerated under both alternatives 2 and 3. However, this reduction is expected to have very minor effects on populations of this species, which are currently prospering in north Idaho. Timber harvest would decrease overstory canopy cover and create more growing space around residual trees, and so is expected to improve the amount of palatable plants (herbaceous and woody shrub species) 15 Ungulates are hoofed mammals such as deer, elk, and moose. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 51

58 Hellroaring Project available in the project area after the project, thereby increasing both quantity and quality of forage. Moose would similarly benefit, as regeneration harvest would create temporary shrub fields in affected areas. This would also result in a mosaic of forest and shrub fields, providing both high quality forage and cover for moose (Smucker and others 2011). Elk forage would also be improved by proposed timber harvest. By creating openings of various sizes in otherwise heavily forested areas, the availability of herbaceous species (grasses and forbs) in affected areas would be substantially increased. Alternatives 2 and 3 would do little to improve winter range conditions for white-tailed deer and elk (although moose winter habitat would be improved as discussed above). However, recent research (Cook 2011) has demonstrated that availability of nutrition on summer range is far more important than in winter in controlling population dynamics of elk, and likely other ungulates in the northern hemisphere as well. Although conventional wisdom held that winter nutrition limited ungulate population increase, this and other research collectively offer convincing evidence that summer nutrition is likely the key factor in population growth (Cook 2011). While the Hellroaring Project would have minor effects to elk winter range (and may even slightly deteriorate white-tailed deer winter range), it would ultimately benefit both species by increasing forage quality and quantity during other seasons. While implementation may displace some animals during project activities, this would be a temporary effect. Displaced big game animals would reoccupy affected areas relatively quickly, and palatable plant species (particularly grasses and forbs) would be present as soon as the spring following fuels treatments. Motorized access would be reduced (and human-caused mortality risk lowered) under alternatives 2 and 3. As a result, alternatives 2 and 3 would have long-term (postimplementation) beneficial effects, to varying degrees, for all ungulate species currently occupying in the area. Cumulative Effects The North Zone Roadside Salvage would not result in consequential effects to critical whitetailed deer winter range, and would have minor effects to moose or elk habitat. While big game may be temporarily displaced by project activities, there is abundant displacement habitat in adjacent areas and ungulates would readily reoccupy areas after project activities cease. The Hellroaring Project would not increase other uses of the area and would likely decrease their effects to some extent through reduction of drivable road miles. Consistency with Forest Plan for all Species Analyzed All alternatives are consistent with applicable goals, direction, standards, and guidelines from the forest plan for the management of wildlife habitat and species populations. All alternatives comply with other direction and recommendations regarding management of the various components of wildlife habitat, and comply with applicable conservation strategies for wildlife species. All alternatives are consistent with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and other laws providing direction and requirements for the management of wildlife species and habitat. For species-specific discussions on this compliance, refer to the wildlife report for detailed analysis on Canada lynx, grizzly bear, fisher, northern goshawk, pileated woodpecker, and big game species. 52 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

59 Environmental Assessment Effects to Rare Plants This section discusses the potential environmental effects of the Hellroaring Project on threatened, endangered and sensitive plants, as well as Idaho Panhandle National Forests plant species of concern (collectively called rare plants). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently does not list any threatened or endangered plant species as suspected to occur in Boundary County, Idaho, in which the Hellroaring project area occurs. Additionally, activity areas in the Hellroaring project area were field surveyed in 2012, and no potentially suitable habitat for, or occurrences of, threatened or endangered plants were found. Therefore, this analysis focuses on potential effects to sensitive species and forest species of concern. 16 Fifty-six sensitive species are known or suspected to occur in the north zone of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, and suitable habitat for some of these sensitive species occurs within the Hellroaring project area. Potentially suitable habitat for pine broomrape (Orobanche pinorum), a species of concern, also occurs within the Hellroaring project area. Table 24. Principal issues and indicators for rare plants Rare Plants Issue The effect of harvest activities and other ground-disturbing activities on rare plants or suitable habitat Issue Indicators Relative amount of canopy opening and/or ground disturbance in and next to documented rare plant occurrences or suitable rare plant habitat Effects to Rare Plants or Suitable Habitat Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 would have no measurable effects to rare plants or suitable habitat within dry forest habitat. Within moist forest and wet forest habitats, proposed treatments could have low to moderate effects (individual plants or habitat may be impacted, but would not result in a loss of population viability) to rare plants or suitable habitat. Without proposed activities (alternative 1) there would be no direct effects to rare plants or suitable habitat. Although a severe fire could occur with any alternative due to fuel accumulations in untreated areas, it would likely cause the least amount of damage to rare plant habitat and populations where fuels treatments occur. Effects to rare plant species and suitable habitat from proposed activities are generally described as very low, low, moderate, or high, with the following definitions: very low = no measurable effect on individuals, populations or habitat low = individuals, populations and/or habitat not likely affected moderate = individuals and/or habitat may be affected, but populations would not be affected, and habitat capability would not over the long term be reduced below a level which could support sensitive plant species high = populations would likely be affected and/or habitat capability may over the long term be reduced below a level which could support sensitive plant species 16 Sensitive species are determined by the regional forester as those species for which population viability is a concern, as indicated by a current or predicted downward trend in population numbers or habitat capability that would reduce the species' existing distribution. A forest species of concern is generally not at risk on a rangewide, regionwide, or state level, but may be imperiled within a planning area, such as a National Forest. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 53

60 Hellroaring Project Direct and Indirect Effects If the Hellroaring Project does not occur (alternative 1), there would be no direct impacts to rare plants or their habitat. However, there could be indirect impacts of not treating accumulated forest fuels if a severe wildfire were to occur. Such a fire could extirpate documented occurrences or undetected rare moonworts and other rare plants in the project area, particularly those associated with moist forest and wet forest habitats. Canopy removal and disruption of soil mycorrhizae are a concern for many sensitive and rare plants. These issue indicators were determined based on the affinity of moist forest moonworts for relatively closed-canopy conditions (Evans and Associates 2005) and their dependence on soil mycorrhizae, which may be destroyed during ground-disturbing activities. Canopy removal and disruption of soil mycorrhizae are also a concern for some dry forest habitat-dependent rare plants, as is disruption of natural fire regimes in drier forest types. Even where thorough floristic surveys were conducted, undetected individual rare plants and/or suitable moist forest, wet forest, and dry forest habitat may be directly impacted by project activities. During botanical surveys of proposed activity areas, several new occurrences of Botrychium species and one new population of Buxbaumia viridis (within moist forest habitat and wet forest microsites) were identified. However, these plants would not be affected by project activities because the project is designed to avoid all occurrences of rare plants by providing protective buffers or excluding them from treatment areas. Because there is always a chance that undetected individual plants could be directly affected by proposed activities or soil mycorrhizae could be disturbed, the risk of direct effects to rare plants within the moist forest and wet forest habitat guilds, as a result of implementing alternatives 2 or 3, are predicted to be low to moderate. Dry forest habitat, which is marginally-suitable habitat for pine broomrape, occurs within areas proposed for treatment under both alternatives 2 and 3. Although this area was surveyed intensively for dry forest guild rare plants, no populations of pine broomrape (Orobanche pinorum) were found. Even with intensive surveys, some pine broomrape individuals could have been missed because they often do not exhibit above-ground growth every year. Therefore, some suitable dry forest habitat for rare plant species and/or undetected rare plants suited to this habitat may be impacted by the proposed activities. The impacts of proposed treatments to suitable dry forest habitat for this species cannot be predicted with certainty because the species' ecology is poorly understood. However, over time proposed treatments would likely enhance oceanspray, which is the preferred host species. Oceanspray is considered to be an early to mid-seral plant species and well adapted to disturbance by fire, usually responding to a low-intensity burn by root crown and rhizome sprouting (Young 1983). The proposed activities under both alternatives 2 and 3 would, to some degree, trend the treated areas toward historical conditions and would reduce the risk of large, stand-replacing fires, which could be more intense and has the potential to destroy root crowns and rhizomes of the host species. Furthermore, some proposed activities would likely emulate low-intensity wildfires (through regeneration harvest, followed by prescribed burning). There is no aquatic, deciduous riparian, or subalpine habitats in or adjacent to proposed treatment units or proposed road locations for either action alternative. Because these guilds would not incur ground disturbance or changes in canopy coverage, no direct or indirect impacts would occur to these habitat guilds or species of these guilds under either alternative. Although some cold forest habitat and microsites of peatland rare plant habitat occur within the project area, no proposed treatment areas in either action alternative contain such habitat. Because 54 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

61 Environmental Assessment these guilds would not incur ground disturbance or changes to canopy coverage, no direct or indirect impacts would occur to these habitats or rare plants that occur within these habitats under either alternative. Cumulative Effects Past wildfires, mining, timber harvest on National Forest System lands, as well as road and trail construction or maintenance may have affected rare plants and rare plant habitat through ground and vegetation disturbance and canopy removal. Few floristic surveys were conducted on National Forest System lands before 1990, so the extent of, and the effect on, rare plant populations of older projects is unknown. Timber harvest on National Forest System lands after 1990 occurred with protections for rare plants. Road, trail and helispot maintenance, as well as noxious weed treatment activities associated with roads would occur in areas with low suitability as rare plant habitat. Therefore, no effects to rare plants or suitable habitat are expected to occur. When combined with and considering past, present, and reasonably foreseeable activities, alternatives 2 and 3 would have very low to low cumulative effects to rare plants and/or suitable habitat within dry forest habitats and low to moderate cumulative effects to rare plants and/or suitable habitat within moist forest and wet forest habitats. Proposed treatment areas within the different forest habitats vary slightly between alternatives; however, impacts would be similar. No cumulative impacts to rare plants or habitat in cold forest, deciduous riparian, aquatic, peatland, or subalpine habitats would occur, because these habitats would not incur either direct or indirect effects from either alternative 2 or 3. Effects to Invasive Plants The invasive plants analysis discusses the potential risk for invasive plant establishment or expansion resulting from proposed activities. Effects of proposed actions on invasive plant (or noxious weed) spread or establishment are based primarily on two factors: forest canopy cover changes and soil disturbance. Soil disturbance (compaction, rutting, or displacement) can result in exposed, bare, mineral soil or changes to soil structure or productivity, both of which tend to allow noxious weed establishment on a site. Decreases in forest canopy cover or understory vegetation disturbance (caused by mechanical equipment, logging, skidding, yarding, burning, etc.) can result in more sunlight reaching the forest floor, which also provides the high light conditions that most noxious weeds require to germinate or expand. Table 25. Principal issues and indicators for invasive plants Invasive Plants Issue The effect of proposed activities on weed spread and establishment Issue Indicators Reduction in forest canopy cover Soil disturbance Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 55

62 Hellroaring Project Effects to Weed Spread and Establishment Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 (which include noxious weed treatments in proposed activity areas) are expected to result in low risk for new weed invaders to establish and moderate risk for existing infestations of spotted knapweed, thistles, common tansy, oxeye daisy, meadow hawkweed and goatweed to spread. With no action, some limited road systems would continue to be treated under existing ranger district weed management. However, current authority does not allow most of the project area to be treated, which means weed populations would continue to expand in those areas, and new invaders could become established. Effects with regard to noxious weeds from proposed activities are generally described as very low, low, moderate or high, with the following definitions: very low = no measurable effect on existing weed infestations or susceptible habitat low = existing weed infestations and/or susceptible habitat not likely affected; establishment of new invaders not likely moderate = existing weed infestations or susceptible habitat affected, with the potential for expansion into uninfested areas and/or establishment of new invaders high = weed infestations and/or susceptible habitat affected, with a high likelihood of expansion into uninfested areas and/or establishment of new invaders. Direct and Indirect Effects With no action (alternative 1), there would be no change from current management activities on National Forest System lands in the project area. Noxious weed management would continue to occur as the Bonners Ferry Ranger District Noxious Weed Control EIS and Record of Decision (USDA Forest Service 1995) allow, which for the Hellroaring project area is very limited. As a result, some existing weed infestations along primary access roads in the project area would remain. Although some weeds would be treated resulting in some direct effects to weed populations, the lack of comprehensive weed management throughout the area would indirectly allow weed populations to continue to expand, as well as potentially allow new invaders to become established within the project area. Because there would be no new road construction, timber harvest or underburning, there would be no management induced changes to forest canopy cover or soil disturbance. Therefore, there would be no direct impacts to noxious weed spread and establishment. The short-term risk of weed spread would not change from current levels, and the majority of the weed spread or expansion would continue to occur adjacent to existing roads and trails. Because both alternative 2 and alternative 3 include timber harvest, fuels treatment, road reconstruction, maintenance, improvements, and road storage, there is a greater short-term risk of weed introduction and spread than with no action. The risks and potential for direct and indirect effects on weed spread associated with proposed activities are discussed below. The risk of spread of existing weed infestations from project activities would vary based on the proximity of a weed seed source to areas of disturbance. A moderate to high risk of weed spread would likely be associated with regeneration (even-aged) silvicultural treatments and groundbased logging systems. Moderate risk of weed spread would likely be associated with skyline type harvest systems, thinning (uneven-aged) silvicultural treatments, prescribed burning and 56 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

63 Environmental Assessment road maintenance, improvement, reconstruction, or storage activities. Very low to low risk of weed spread might be associated with precommercial thinning activities. Project design features would reduce but would not eliminate those risks. Preventive seeding (using source-identified, site-appropriate, locally-adapted, native and desired non-native species) for disturbed sites (such as landings and roads proposed for storage) would also reduce but not eliminate the risk of introduction of new weed invaders. Contract requirements to clean off-road harvest and road construction equipment prior to entry into the sale area would also reduce but would not eliminate the risk of introduction of weeds. Monitoring and treatment of new weed infestations discovered on National Forest System lands would further reduce the risk that any new weed infestations would become established. The risk of establishment of new weed invaders to the project area is expected to be low with implementation of the required design features. Cumulative Effects In the short term, the no-action alternative would contribute a very low level of cumulative effects to the risk of weed spread. The no-action alternative does not provide for improved noxious weed treatment in the project area. Therefore, weed spread of existing weed populations along road and trail corridors will likely continue along those corridors. Over the long term, the no-action alternative could further increase the risk of widespread stand-replacing fires. Should such a fire occur, it would likely cause existing infestations to spread to previously uninfested areas. It would also provide the disturbance that would allow dormant weed seeds in the soil to germinate. However, the occurrence and intensity of a future wildfire in the project area is difficult to predict. The areas proposed for treatment are already influenced substantially by the adjacent uses and recreation on public lands. Heavily traveled roadways are already conduits for established weed infestations. Weed infestations within the Hellroaring project area are moderate to high, and the activities associated with both alternatives 2 and 3 would increase the potential for existing weed populations to spread outward away from roads into adjacent treatment areas (particularly those planned for regeneration or underburning). The introduction of disturbance to the project area also increases the risk of new weeds becoming established in the area. However, the additional proposed action of weed treatment in the project area would help to reduce the existing weed populations and help to somewhat reduce the potential for existing weed spread or new weed establishment. When combined with all of the past, current and reasonably foreseeable activities (as described in the noxious weeds report), overall cumulative effects of alternatives 2 and 3 with regard to noxious weeds are expected to be low risk for new weed invaders to establish and moderate risk for existing infestations of spotted knapweed, thistles, common tansy, oxeye daisy, meadow hawkweed and goatweed to spread. Effects to Recreation Proposed management activities in the Hellroaring Project have the potential to affect recreation use and visitor experiences. The effects of management activity in the Hellroaring Project on developed and undeveloped recreational opportunities are measured in changes to the recreation opportunity spectrum and the degree to which the activities complement or conflict with use of recreation sites and visitor experiences. Table 26 shows the principal issues related to recreation and the issue indicators used to measure potential effects. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 57

64 Hellroaring Project Table 26. Principal issues and indicators for recreation resources Recreation Issue The effect of proposed activities on recreation uses and experiences. Issue Indicators Changes to recreation opportunity spectrum. Changes to recreation use and experiences. Recreation Opportunity Spectrum The recreation opportunity spectrum is a system for defining the types of outdoor recreation opportunities the public might desire as well as identifying the portion of opportunities a given area provides. It is used for planning and managing the recreation resource and recognizes recreation activity, setting and experience opportunities. The summer season recreation opportunity spectrum classes within the analysis area include roaded natural and roaded modified settings. Trails and some roads in the area meet the social and physical descriptors for semiprimitive recreation, yet do not meet the 2,500-acre size requirement for the semiprimitive designation. Characteristics of the landscape change seasonally with recreation opportunity spectrum classes generally reflecting more semiprimitive characteristics during the winter. Winter changes the recreation environment from a motorized, roaded experience to a more nonmotorized experience. Snow softens the physical edges of human activity and disturbance, reduces the social interaction, and muffles sound. Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Classes in the Hellroaring Project Area Semi-Primitive Motorized lands are characterized as lands that may have subtle modifications, which would be noticed, but would not draw the attention of an observer wandering through the area. The sight and sound of human activity other than the immediate visitor, is generally distant. In this analysis area, summer season semi-primitive lands follow trail routes and some road routes that are open to motorized use. Social encounters are low and the recreational activities are associated with trail use, berry picking, hunting and firewood gathering. Lands within this planning area do not meet the physical acre requirements for Semi-Primitive lands, yet meet the social and experiential description. Roaded Natural lands are generally characterized as natural settings that may have modifications that range from being easily noticeable to strongly dominant to observers in the area. Alterations and structures are unnoticed and visually subordinate from sensitive travel routes. Access via designed roads and highways is the norm. Motorized trail use is common. The density of recreational use is low to moderate. Roaded Modified lands are a subclass of setting features within the Roaded Natural class. This subclass occurs where human modification is locally dominant or co-dominant with a natural appearing landscape. There may be numerous highly developed roads in the area yet there is a sense of remoteness due to the distances from major travel ways. The density of recreational use is moderate. Motorized trail use is common. Camping is not confined to developed campsites. 58 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

65 Environmental Assessment Effects to Recreation Setting, Use, and Experience Summary: Trailhead parking area improvements would offer safer turn-around areas and adequate parking as well as safer ATV and nonmotorized experience with replacement of a dangerous road section (upper 1.8 miles of Road 2485). The Danquist trail (Trail 225) segment reroute would help eliminate steep and unsustainable grades. All other existing trails would be retained. Because no new permanent roads would be added, current road restrictions would remain after harvest activities, and there would be minimal road improvements, it is unlikely there would be an increase in recreational use. Therefore, there would not be a change in recreation opportunity setting to a more developed level. Direct and Indirect Effects Current recreation activities include driving for pleasure, hunting, camping, hiking, and gathering forest products such as berries, firewood, and mushrooms. If the Hellroaring Project did not occur (alternative 1), these activities would continue and recreation opportunity spectrum classes would remain unchanged. However, existing trailheads would continue to provide limited parking and there would continue to be rutting and erosion issues on road segments and trails that are receiving motorized use. Alternatives 2 and 3 would provide trailhead parking area improvements and offer safer turn around areas, adequate parking and a safer ATV and nonmotorized experience with replacement of a dangerous road section (upper 1.8 miles of Road 2485). Both alternatives propose the development of trailheads for each of Trail 225, Trail 415 and Trail 32. These trailheads would help achieve the desired condition for recreation in the planning area. All existing trails would be retained in both alternatives. The existing type of trail use would remain as it is presently. Trail recreational experiences would be would remain very similar to what they are currently. Under alternatives 2 and 3, Danquist Trail 225 would be rerouted to a more suitable location with lesser grades and away from streams, which would reduce erosion potential. The old segment of trail would then be closed and rehabilitated. During timber harvest activities, the recreational experience would be diminished to some degree for the length of the proposed activities. Alternatives 2 and 3 would create modifications that are readily noticeable from all major travel routes. Long range vistas developed by harvest activities from within the area of interest may bring rural sights and sounds closer to the recreational user. Work activities in addition to truck traffic may disturb the generally quiet character of the lands in the analysis area. Depending on the road spur and campsite location, some dispersed camping sites may not be as available as is typical for about five years which is the typical logging contract term. Roadside activities such as berry picking and firewood gathering may be interrupted temporarily. With no new permanent roads being added, minimal road improvements, and a return to current restrictions after harvest activities, there would not be a change in recreation opportunity setting to a more developed level. Cumulative Effects The conversion of the upper 1.8 miles of Road 2485 to an ATV trail would have no noticeable impact to the overall recreation experience of users as this section of Road 2485 is curently Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 59

66 Hellroaring Project overgrown with vegetation and not accessible to full size vehicles. Motorized recreation users would continue to have the same access to the overall trail system as they currently experience. The North Zone Salvage project would have some temporary interruptions to some dispersed recreation opportunities and noise inclusions that may proceed or overlap with the effects associated with Hellroaring. As with Hellroaring these interruptions and disturbances will be short term and will not change the overall recreation opportunity setting. The Danquist Trail receives moderate, long season use and is an important component of the District trail system because it is open to two-wheeled motorized use as well as all nonmotorized recreation and has gained substantial popularity as a mountain bike trail in recent years.the Danquist Trail has been reconstructed in phases beginning in 2004 largely due to Idaho Parks and Recreation grants which have supported this work. A condemned road bridge over Hellroaring Creek was removed several years ago leaving the trailhead inaccessible by passenger vehicle. All the alternatives would meet funding and use obligations made to Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Effects to Scenic Quality Effects of the Hellroaring Project on the scenic quality of Round Prairie Creek and its adjacent hillsides as viewed from the U.S. Highway 95 travel corridor and other designated travel routes is a potential concern for the scenic resource. Scenic quality is measured by the degree to which the landscape appears to be intact, reflecting the inherent landscape character of the surrounding area. The analysis of the direct and indirect effects is based on how the proposed activities are expected to affect the scenic quality of the landscape surrounding Round Prairie and Little Hellroaring Creek drainages. Visual quality objectives provide the measurable standard for scenic quality analysis. The forest plan standard relevant to the Hellroaring Creek project would be to meet the visual quality objectives from designated travel corridors within the area of interest. Visual quality objectives that apply to this project are retention for areas within ¼ mile of U.S. Highway 95, partial retention for areas viewed between ¼ mile to 4 miles from the highway and trails within the area, and modification for areas viewed from less sensitive roads and trails, found mostly in the Little Hellroaring Creek drainage. Table 27. Issue and indicators for the scenic quality resource Scenic Issue The effect of harvest activities on the appearance of the landscape and forest plan standards for visual quality. Issue Indicators Ability to achieve visual quality objectives assigned by the forest plan to various scenic viewpoints 60 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

67 Environmental Assessment Summary: Harvest activities proposed in both alternative 2 and 3 for the Hellroaring Creek project would be visible from several viewpoints, but visible units would be designed to emulate the openings created by natural processes within the area. Units would be designed to eliminate straight edges and geometric shapes from past harvest activities and would improve the appearance of openings created by past harvest over the long term. While the openings would be apparent, they would not dominate the existing landscape character of the area and would improve the health and resilience of the forest landscape over time. Given the design measures outlined for all visible units, both alternatives would meet the forest plan visual quality objectives. Alternative 2 would achieve the purpose and need to enhance the scenic integrity of the area the most, alternative 3 to a lesser extent, and alternative 1 would not achieve it at all. Direct and Indirect Effects There are a number of existing openings visible from scenic viewpoints that currently have a man-made appearance. While these areas continue to regenerate, they still have straight-edged boundaries that are clearly visible from the highway corridor and road systems within the Little Hellroaring Creek drainage. Without timber harvest (alternative 1), the project area would still meet visual quality objectives, but the scenic character of the area would continue to have straight-edged openings from past harvest units. Over time, the landscape would be affected by increases in dead and dying vegetation due to insect and disease, and possible visual changes if a large-scale wildfire burned substantial portions of the landscape. Harvest activities proposed for this project would be visible from several viewpoints (table 28, next page) but would be designed to emulate the openings created by natural processes within the area. Units would be designed to eliminate straight edges and geometric shapes that were created by past harvest activities and to improve the health and resilience of the forest in the long term. While the openings would be apparent they would not dominate the existing landscape character of the area and would improve the appearance of past harvest (see figure 12 through figure 14, next page). Given the design measures outlined for all visible units, alternative 2 would meet the forest plan visual quality objectives found in the forest plan, appendix D. Although activities would be visible, the harvest and burning proposed will meet the visual quality objective of partial retention in the foreground and modification in the Little Hellroaring drainage with the use of design measures to emulate the effects of natural processes. With alternative 2, 75 percent of the existing geometrically shaped openings from past harvesting would be improved through edge treatment and by retaining groups of vegetation. Long-term goals of a more healthy and resilient forest would also improve the scenic character over time. Openings larger than 40 acres, included in alternative 2, would be designed to emulate natural processes, such as fire. Unnatural appearing harvest boundaries from past timber harvest would be removed for all of the existing openings. Edges between existing and proposed openings would be feathered to appear more like natural openings. After harvest, the landscape would have the appearance of large openings caused by natural fire rather than man made activities. Openings larger than 40 acres are necessary to create these conditions and meet the desired condition for the visuals resource. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 61

68 Hellroaring Project Figure 12. Existing harvest opening on lower slopes of Hellroaring Creek drainage, looking southwest Figure 13. Proposed harvest units located adjacent to existing openings would be designed to emulate natural openings with a variety of harvest prescriptions Figure 14. Simulated appearance of proposed harvest in alternative 2 Table 28. Effects of harvest units and proposed treatments on scenic quality in alternative 2 Units 6, 7, 25, 30, 35, 36, 40, 41, 75, and 78 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 5, 10, 20, 81, 82, 85 and 86 Proposed Treatment Range of Canopy Cover (percent) Seen from Viewpoint? Seed Tree 5-10 Yes; all from Highway 95, 40 and 41 from Robinson Lake Group Selection Yes; all from Highway 95. Shelterwood Yes; all would appear as natural openings 65 Shelterwood No; low angle and canopy retention 125, 130, 131, 136, 137, 140, 145, 150, 151, 155, 160, 165, 170, 171, 175, and 176 Small shelterwood and seed tree 5-30 Yes; Little Hellroaring drainage and from limited viewpoints from Trail 35 Forest Plan Visual Quality Objective Partial Retention Partial Retention Partial Retention Retention Partial Retention and Modification 62 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

69 Environmental Assessment Effects for alternative 3 are similar to alternative 2 with a reduction in the number of overall units proposed, but also a reduction of the number of past harvest units that are naturalized (table 29). Proposed harvest in alternative 3 would improve approximately 25 percent of the existing geometrically shaped openings. Harvest activities would be visible from all the viewpoints, but proposed units would have design measures to insure that openings have the appearance of openings created by natural processes. Table 29. Effects of harvest units and proposed treatments on scenic quality in alternative 3 Units Proposed Treatment Range of Canopy Cover (percent) Seen from Viewpoint? Forest Plan Visual Quality Objective 6, 7, 30, 35, 41, and 78 13, 14, and 15 Group Selection Seed Tree 5-10 Yes; all from Highway 95 and 41 from Robinson Lake Yes; all from Highway 95 5, 10, 20, 81, and 85 Shelterwood Yes; all would appear as natural openings 65 Shelterwood No; low angle and canopy retention 125, 137, 140, 150, 151, 155, 160, 170 and 171. Precommercial Thinning 145, 165, and 175 Small shelterwood and seed tree Yes; Little Hellroaring drainage Yes; Little Hellroaring drainage and from limited viewpoints from Trail 35 Partial Retention Partial Retention Partial Retention Retention Partial Retention and Modification Partial Retention and Modification Cumulative Effects Past harvest activities are visible throughout the area of interest and are viewed from U.S. Highway 95, residences found along Round Prairie Creek and from trails and roads within the Hellroaring and Little Hellroaring drainage. The proposal would blend existing units with the proposed units, emulating the appearance of areas that have undergone changes through the natural processes of fire and insect and disease. Thinning is proposed for the previously harvested areas, with new harvest to be designed to blend into the proposed harvest areas so that unnatural geometric openings are not created. Given the aspect and growing history of the area, the openings created by this proposal would no long appear as openings within 25 to 30 years, but should appear as an area that has experienced the natural process of wild fire rather than manmade, geometric openings that are evident today. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 63

70 Hellroaring Project Economic Contributions The Hellroaring Project was initiated as part of the Lower Kootenai Valley River Watershed Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Proposal. As one of several landscape restoration projects in the Lower Kootenai River Watershed, the Hellroaring Project is designed to provide wood products produced from our vegetation management prescriptions to help contribute to the local economy. Summary: Alternatives 2 and 3 would help provide some jobs and income to the local economy during the life of the project. Alternative 2 would produce more wood products and generate more revenue than alternative 3. Direct, Indirect and Cumulative Effects Alternative 2 is more economically feasible than alternative 3. Alternative 2 is estimated to produce about 13 to 15 million board feet and alternative 3 is estimated to produce 8 to 10 million board feet. Consequentially, alternative 2 would generate more total revenue that may be used to fund other restoration projects not included in the timber sale design criteria (such as aquatic habitat improvement). Many factors influence and affect the local economies, including changes to industry technologies, economic growth, international trade, adjacent private and State forest management, and the economic diversity and dependency of the counties. Past, present and reasonably foreseeable activities on national forest and other lands within the project area are not predicted to have a measurable effect on the economic issues for these alternatives. Therefore, there would be no cumulative effects. However, the jobs and income associated with alternatives 2 and 3, especially alternative 2, are expected to bring the local economy some increased relative stability during the life of the project. 64 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

71 Environmental Assessment Agencies and Persons Consulted The Interdisciplinary Team The following individuals contributed to the analysis and preparation of this environmental assessment: Behrens, Patrick - Certified Silviculturist Costich-Thompson, Jennifer Botanist Glaza, Brandon Hydrologist Hanson, Anita Appraisal Specialist Hart, Patricia Recreation Specialist Hixson, Luke Sale Preparation Specialist Howlett, Geraldine GIS Specialist Jones, Diana Landscape Architect Kertis, Nancy Planning Knauth, Kevin District Ranger Lyndaker, Brett Wildlife Biologist Neils, Chandra - Soil Scientist Nelson, Josh - Engineering Nishek, Doug Interdisciplinary Team Leader Pahr, Nancy - Archeologist Petesch, Steven - Recreation Specialist Seesholtz, David - Pacific Northwest Research Station Sink, Sarah - Fire and Fuels Specialist Stash, Sean Fisheries Biologist Tymrak, Michael Timber Sale Administrator York, Judy Writer/editor Federal, State, and Local Agencies, Tribes, and Others: Various staff members of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests consulted the following individuals, organizations, and Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies during the development of this environmental assessment: Alliance for the Wild Rockies Associated Logging Contractors Avista Corp. Blue Sky Broadcasting Boundary County Commissioners Boundary County Fire Safe Boundary County Translator Board Fodge Pulp Forest Capital Partners Idaho Conservation League Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Surface Water Section Idaho Department of Fish and Game Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Environmental Quality Idaho Department of Lands Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Idaho Forest Group Idaho Women in Timber Kootenai Environmental Alliance Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative Local Landowners (66) Natural Resource Conservation Service North Idaho Post & Pole Northern Lights, Inc. Office of Senator Crapo Office of Senator Risch Ponderay Valley Fibre Selkirk Conservation Alliance The Lands Council U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Vaagen Brothers Wildwest Institute Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 65

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73 Environmental Assessment References Agee, James K., and Skinner, Carl N Basic principles of forest fuel reduction treatments. Forest Ecology and Management. 211: Baker, T.G., G.M. Will, and G.R. Oliver Nutrient release from silvicultural slash: leaching and decomposition of Pinus radiata needles. For. Ecol. and Mgmt, 27: Belt, G., J. O Laughlin, and T. Merrill Design of forest riparian buffer strips for the protection of water quality: analysis of scientific literature. Idaho forest, wildlife and range policy analysis group. Rep. no. 8. Bosch, R., J. Hewlett A review of catchment experiments to determine the effect of vegetation changes on water yield and evapotranspiration. J. of Hydrology. 55: Brewer, L.T., R. Bush, J.E. Canfield, and A.R. Dohmen Northern Goshawk Northern Region Overview, Key Findings and Project Considerations. USDA Forest Service, Missoula, MT. 57 pp. Chamberlin, T., R. Harr, F. Everest Timber Harvesting, Silviculture, and Watershed Processes. In: Influences of forest and rangeland management on salmonid fishes and their habitats. American fisheries society special publication19: Cobb, Jill Influences of shade on controlling maximum stream temperatures. Humboldt State University. Masters Thesis. Cohen, Jack D Wildland-Urban Fire A Different Approach. Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service. Cook, R.C A multi-regional evaluation of nutritional condition and reproduction in elk. Ph.D. Dissertation. Washington State University, Pullman, WA. 159 pp. Cooley, Patrick; Dickerson, Gary; Maffei, Tom; Novak, Lis Scenic Resource Mitigation Menu & Design Considerations for Vegetation Treatments. [Unpublished] Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Region. 8 p. Drlik, T.; I. Woo and S. Swiadon, editors Integrated vegetation management guide. Bio- Integral Resource Center. Berkeley, California. 16 pp. Evans, David and Associates Conservation assessment of eleven sensitive moonworts (Ophioglossaceae; Botrychium subgenus Botrychium) on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Spokane, Washington. Finney, M.A., Cohen, J.D., Expectation and evaluation of fuel management objectives. In: USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-29. Pages Finney, Mark A., McHugh, Charles W., and Grenfell, Isaac C., Stand- and landscape-level effects of prescribed burning on two Arizona wildfires. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 35: Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 67

74 Hellroaring Project Fischer, J. D. B Lindenmayer, and A. D. Manning Biodiversity, ecosystem function, and resilience: ten guiding principles for commodity production landscapes. Frontiers in Ecology 2006; 4(2): Graham, R.T., A.E. Harvey, M.F. Jurgenson, T.B. Jain, J.R. Tonn and D.S. Page-Dumroese Managing coarse woody debris in forests of the Rocky Mountains. USDA Forest Service Intermountain Research Station. Research paper INT-RP-477. Graham, Russell T., Harvey, Alan E., Jain, Theresa B., Tonn, Jonalea R The effects of thinning and similar stand treatments on fire behavior in western forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-463. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 27 p. Graham, Russell T.; McCaffrey, Sarah; Jain, Theresa B., tech. eds Scientific basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-120. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 43 p. Available online at: Grant, G., S. Lewis, F. Swanson, J. Cissel, J. McDonnell Effects of Forest Practices on Peak Flows and Consequent Channel Response: A State-of-Science Report for Western Oregon and Washington. Gen. Tech. Report PNW-GTR-760 USDA Forest Service. Gravelle and Link Influence of timber harvesting on headwater peak stream temperatures of a northern Idaho watershed. Forest Science 53(2) Harvey, A.E., P.F. Hessburg, J.W. Byler, G.I. McDonald, J.C. Weatherby, and B.E. Wickman Health Declines in Western Interior Forests: Symptoms and Solutions. Symposium Proceedings of Ecosystem Management in Western Interior Forests. May 3-5, 1994, Spokane, WA; Washington State University, Cooperative Extension. Helms, John A The Dictionary of Forestry. The Society of American Foresters. 210 p. Hessburg, P.F. and J.K. Agee An environmental narrative of Inland Northwest United States forests, Forest Ecology and Management. 178(2003) Hubbard R., W. Shepperd, and L. Joyce Climate Change and Silviculture. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Hutto, R.L USDA Forest Service Northern Region Songbird Monitoring Program Distribution and Habitat Relationships. USDA Forest Service contract #R Second Report. Division of Biological Sciences. University of Montana. 21 pp. Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Integrated Report. Available online at: Jones, J.L Habitat use of fisher in North Central Idaho. M.S.Thesis, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho. 147 pp. Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, City of Bonners Ferry, and Boundary County Lower Kootenai Valley River Watershed Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Proposal. Available online at: 68 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

75 Environmental Assessment al pdf Krauskopf, P., J. Rex, D. Maloney, P. Tschaplinski Water temperature and shade response to salvage harvesting in mountain pine beetle affected small streams in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Streamline Watershed Management Bulletin. Vol.13/No.2 Mace, R.D., J.S. Waller, T.L. Manley, K. Ake, and W.T. Wittinger Landscape evaluation of grizzly bear habitat in western Montana. Conservation Biology 13: Maj, M Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis atricapillus): Assessment of monitoring and management in the Northern Region. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region. 32 pp. Reid and Hilton Buffering the Buffer. Paper presented at the conference on coastal watersheds: the Caspar Creek story. Reinhardt, Elizabeth D., Keane, Robert E., Calkin, David E., and Jack D. Cohen Objectives and considerations for wildland fuel treatment in forested ecosystems of the interior western United States. Forest Ecology and Management. 256: Reynolds, R.T., and B.D. Linkhart Flammulated owls in ponderosa pine: pp in Old-growth forests in the southwest and Rocky Mountain regions; proceedings of a workshop. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Report RM-GTR-213. Ruediger, B., J. Claar, S. Gniadek, B. Holt, L. Lewis, S. Mighton, B. Naney, G. Patton, T. Rinaldi, J. Trick, A. Vandehey, F. Wahl, N. Warren, D. Wenger, and A. Williamson Canada lynx conservation assessment and strategy. U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. National Park Service. Forest Service Publication #R , Missoula, MT. Scott, Joe H.; Reinhardt, Elizabeth D Assessing crown fire potential by linking models of surface and crown fire behavior. Res. Pap. RMRS-RP-29. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 59 p. Seyedbagheri, K Idaho Forestry Best Management Practices: Compilation of Research on Their Effectiveness. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-339. Ogden UT: USDA, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 89 p. Sheley, Roger; Mark Manoukian and Gerald Marks Preventing noxious weed invasion. MONTGUIDE MT AG 8/2002. Montana State University Extension Service. Bozeman, MT. 3pp. Smith, J.K, and W.C. Fischer Fire Ecology of Forest Habitat Types of Northern Idaho. General Technical Report. INT-GTR-363. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. Smucker, T., B. Garrott and J. Gude Synthesizing moose management, monitoring, past research and future research needs in Montana. Unpublished report. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks; and Montana State University. 50 pp. Stednick, J Monitoring the effects of timber harvest on annual water yield. Journal of Hydrology. 176: Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 69

76 Hellroaring Project Sullivan, T.P., D.S. Sullivan, P.M.F. Lindgren and D.B. Ransome If we build habitat, will they come? Woody debris structures and conservation of forest mammals. Journal of Mammalogy 93(6): Pettit, N.E., and R. J. Naiman Fire in the riparian zone: characteristics and ecological consequences. Ecosystems 10: Poff, Roger J Effects of Silvicultural Practices and Wildfire on Productivity of Forest Soils. project file Document. p Quigley, T. M.; and S.J. Arbelbide (eds.) An assessment of ecosystem components in the Interior Columbia Basin and portions of the Klamath and Great Basins. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-405. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 310 p. USDA Forest Service National Forest Landscape Management, Volume 2, Chapter: The Visual Management System. Agric. Handbook Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 47 p. USDA Forest Service Forest Plan. Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Available from Idaho Panhandle National Forests Supervisor s Office, Coeur d Alene, ID. USDA Forest Service Soil and Water Conservation Practices Handbook. FSH R1/R4 5/88. USDA Forest Service Bonners Ferry Ranger District Noxious Weed Control Project Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision. Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Bonners Ferry Ranger District. Available at the district office. USDA Forest Service. 1995a. Inland Native Fish Strategy Environmental Assessment: DecisionNotice and Finding of No Significant Impact. Idaho Panhandle National Forest, Coeur d'alene, ID. USDA Forest Service. 1995b. Landscape Aesthetics: A Handbook for Scenery Management. Agric. Handbook Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 246 p. USDA Forest Service Northern Region (Region 1) Soil Quality Standards R1 Suppl p. USDA Forest Service. 2000a. North Zone Geographic Assessment (Draft): Historic Vegetation Data. U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region, Idaho Panhandle Forests. March USDA Forest Service 2000b. Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Forest Plan. Monitoring and evaluation report. USDA Forest Service Guide to noxious weed prevention practices. Version 1.0. Available online at USDA Forest Service Final Environmental Impact Statement Northern Rockies Lynx Management Direction. Missoula, MT. 71 pp. 70 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

77 Environmental Assessment USDA Forest Service Idaho Panhandle National Forests Forest Plan Monitoring Reports 2007, 2008 and Supervisor s Office. Coeur d Alene, ID. 150 pp. USDA Forest Service IPNF Monitoring Report. (Available from the Idaho Panhandle National Forests headquarters office, Coeur d Alene, ID) USDA Forest Service. 2011a. Forest plan amendments for motorized access management within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear recovery Zones. USDA Forest Service, Kootenai, Lolo and Idaho Panhandle National Forests. USDA Forest Service Idaho Panhandle National Forests Pesticide Discharge Management Plan. Idaho Panhandle National Forest, Coeur d'alene, ID. USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Missoula, MT. 181 pp. USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Final Rule to Reclassify and Remove the Gray Wolf From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in Portions of the Conterminous United States; Establishment of Two Special Regulations for Threatened Gray Wolves; Final and Proposed Rules. Federal Register 68: USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion on the Forest Plan Amendments for Motorized Access Management within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones on the Kootenai, Idaho Panhandle, and Lolo National Forests. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Montana Field Office Kalispell, Montana and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northern Idaho Field Office Spokane, Washington. 227 pp. Young, Richard P Fire as a vegetation management tool in rangelands of the Intermountain Region. In: Monsen, Stephen B; Shaw, Nancy, compilers. Managing Intermountain rangelands - improvement of range and wildlife habitats: Proceedings; 1981 September 15-17; Twin Falls, ID; 1982 June 22-24; Elko, NV. General Technical Report INT-157. USDA Forest Service Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Ogden, UT. pp In: Fire Effects Information System, species profile for oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), online database at Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 71

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79 Appendix A - Maps Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 73

80

81 Map 1. Vegetation treatments in the Hellroaring project area as proposed in alternative 2 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 75

82 Map 2. Vegetation treatments in the Hellroaring project area as proposed in alternative 3 76 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

83 Map 3. Existing roads, trails, and management in the Hellroaring project area Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 77

84 Map 4. Road and trail management in the Hellroaring project area as proposed in alternatives 2 and 3 78 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

85 Appendix B Management Indicator Species Considerations for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests Introduction The purpose of this white paper is to provide recommendations for analyzing management indicator species (MIS) on projects on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests in light of recent court decisions; Native Ecosystems Council et al v. Leslie Weldon (Case: ) and Lands Council v. Jane Cottrell (Case:2:09-CV-164-EJL-REB). Background The National Forest Management Act (NFMA) requires the Idaho Panhandle National Forests to provide for and maintain diversity of plant and animal communities to meet overall multiple-use objectives stated in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests Forest Plan (USDA Forest Service 1987). On December 18, 2009 the Department of Agriculture issued a final rule reinstating the National Forest System Land and Resource Management Planning rule of November 9, 2000, as amended (2000 rule) (74 FR 242 [ ]). The 2000 rule states: Projects implementing land management plans must comply with the transition provisions of 36 CFR , but not any other provisions of the planning rule. Projects implementing land management plans and plan amendments, as appropriate, must be developed considering the best available science in accordance with (a). Projects implementing land management plans must be consistent with the provisions of the governing plans. These requirements are not new; our NEPA analyses have always required a sound technical basis. Projects proposed and carried out must show consideration of best available science, be consistent with the forest plan, and support maintaining diversity of plant and animal communities. Management Indicator Species Overview The 1982 planning rule provided direction for implementing the NFMA when the Idaho Panhandle National Forests Forest Plan was adopted in The 1982 rule directed forests to manage fish and wildlife habitat to maintain viable populations and directed forests to select MIS as a method to help ensure species viability (36 CFR ). Although the 1982 rule is not applicable now, it is discussed here in order to provide a background and better understanding of how the IPNF MIS were developed. MIS were defined as plant and animal species, communities, or special habitats selected for emphasis in planning, and which are monitored during forest plan implementation in order to assess the effects of management activities on their populations and the populations of other species with similar habitat needs which they may represent (FSM ). The role of MIS and the criteria to select MIS were described in 36 CFR (a)(1) of the 1982 rule as follows: In order to estimate the effects of each [Forest Plan] alternative on fish and wildlife populations, certain vertebrate and/or invertebrate species present in the area shall be identified and selected as management indicator species and the reasons for their selection will be stated. These species shall be selected because their population changes Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 79

86 Hellroaring Project are believed to indicate the effects of management activities. In the selection of management indicator species, the following categories shall be represented where appropriate: Endangered and threatened plant and animal species identified on State and Federal lists for the planning area; species with special habitat needs that may be influenced significantly by planned management programs; species commonly hunted, fished, or trapped; non-game species of special interest; and additional plant or animal species selected because their population changes are believed to indicate the effects of management activities on other species of selected major biological communities or on water quality. Forest Plan Direction for MIS Wildlife Goals The Forest Plan identified goals which are concise statements directed to the future, with no timeline or specific date attached. Specific goals related to MIS are as follows: Provide for a diversity of plant and animal communities (Forest Plan, p II-1-A(8)). Manage vertebrate wildlife habitat to maintain viable populations of all species (Forest Plan, p. II-1-A(9)). Manage big game habitat toward achieving the goals of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (Forest Plan, p II-1-A(10)). Wildlife Objectives The forest plan identified objectives that are time specific, measurable, and respond to the goals stated above. Objectives are limited by budget. Specific objectives related to MIS are as follows: To help provide for a diversity of plant and animal communities, habitats, and species, standards for old growth maintenance will be established. Approximately 10 percent of the Forest will be maintained in old growth to provide for viable populations of oldgrowth dependent and management indicator species (Forest Plan, p. II-5(g)). Habitat for vertebrate populations, other than TES, will be managed to maintain viable populations (greater than 40 percent of maximum potential). In order to maintain viable populations of all species, the habitat will be managed for selected indicator species. Habitat for species harvested (big game, small game, and furbearers), except elk, will be managed to meet goals outlined by the Regional Guides (Forest Plan, p. II-5(g)). Wildlife Standards The forest plan identified standards, when used with prescriptions for the management area (MA); these standards set the overall management direction for the IPNF. Specific standards related to MIS are as follows: 7. Other Wildlife a. Maintain at least minimum viable populations of management indicator species distributed throughout the Forest (see Appendix L for indicator species selection process Forest Plan, p. II-28). b. Maintain habitat for cavity nesting species and foraging substrates by implementation of the IPNF Snag and Woody Down Timber Guidelines (Appendix X). 80 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

87 Environmental Assessment Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and evaluation comprise the management control system for the Forest Plan. They provide information on the progress and results of implementing the Forest Plan. Monitoring and evaluation entail comparing the end results being achieved to those projected in the Plan. When changes occur, they will be evaluated as to their significance (Forest Plan, p. IV-7). Monitoring requirements for this forest plan are outlined in Table IV-2 (see Table 30 below). Other monitoring items are more applicable to broad areas or are Forest-wide in nature, and will be evaluated from such sources as the data base, Forest attainment reports, public involvement processes, and non-forest Service sources. These items include: F-1 (wildlife) (Forest Plan, p. IV-8). The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is identified in the forest plan as the data source for monitoring population trends of MIS on the Forest. However, IDFG focuses their monitoring efforts mostly on commonly hunted, fished or trapped species and information from IDFG regarding other MIS is limited. Consequently, population trend information for MIS other than those commonly hunted, fished or trapped consists of the best available science drawn from a variety of sources such as Forest Service inventorying and monitoring information, scientific papers, research, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state natural heritage programs, NatureServe, the U.S. Geological Survey, Avian Science Center and others. Table 30. Copy of Table IV-2 Monitoring Requirements from IPNF Forest Plan p. IV-11 for Wildlife item F-1 only Standards, Practices, Activities, Outputs or Effects to be Monitored Data source Estimated Precision Expected Reliability Frequency of Measurement Reporting period Threshold to initiate further action WILDLIFE Population trends of indicator species State Fish and Game Moderate Moderate Annually 5 years Downward population trends Forest Plan MIS Selection Important characteristics used for selecting MIS in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests Forest Plan were: they were considered to be sensitive to management activities, they were capable of being effectively monitored, habitat requirements could be quantitatively assessed on the gross scale of Forest planning, and they were larger, more wide-ranging species rather than smaller animals. The assumption was that component elements of the habitat of large animals would produce viable populations of smaller animals (Forest Plan, p. L-2). Under the 1987 Idaho Panhandle National Forests Forest Plan, Appendix L identified a total of 13 potential MIS that had documented presence on the IPNF (forest plan p. L-3). Of these 13 species, 11 were actually selected as IPNF MIS (Forest Plan, p. L-4 through L-6). Table 31 lists potential indicator species with documented presence on the IPNF and shows with a check mark those species that were selected as MIS in the 1987 Forest Plan. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 81

88 Hellroaring Project Table 31. Selecting Indicator Species on the IPNF Documented Presence on IPNF Threatened or endangered species on federal or state lists Species commonly hunted, fished, or trapped which have special habitat needs that are affected by planned management activities Other species whose population changes are believed to indicate effects of management activities on a major biological group or on water quality Bald Eagle Elk Pileated woodpecker Grizzly Bear White-tailed deer Goshawk Woodland caribou Moose Gray Wolf Marten Cutthroat trout Rainbow trout Bull trout Indicates that the species was selected by the IPNF and reason for selection is identified in the forest plan on pages L-4 through L-6 Those species listed under threatened or endangered are protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and by definition have viability concerns. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is committed to ensuring their protection and recovery through compliance with ESA and the forest plan (forest plan, pp.ii-27-28, III-7-16, IV-8-11, V-3, Appendix N, U, and W). Bald Eagle population trends increased over time, recovery goals were met and this species was delisted in 2008, and is now designated as a regional sensitive species. Grizzly bear and woodland caribou continue to be federally listed. Gray wolf was not selected as a MIS; however, this species has been included as an MIS in past forest plan monitoring reports because of its federally listed status. The population trend of this species in North Idaho is increasing. Bull trout, a species that was originally chosen because it was commonly fished for, was listed as threatened under ESA in The species listed under species commonly hunted, fished, or trapped represent important economic species that are of common public interest and are monitored by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The species listed in this category are not a proxy for other species. IDFG is responsible for setting the harvest regulations for the species in this category. By having populations that support harvest levels, viability is not a concern for these species. The data source for monitoring these species comes from IDFG (forest plan, p. IV-11). Elk, white-tailed deer, and moose continue to be commonly hunted in North Idaho. Population trends for elk and white-tailed deer are stable to increasing (IDFG 2008a, IDFG 2008b); while the population trend for moose is increasing (IDFG 2008c). Federal listing of westslope cutthroat trout was determined to be not warranted in 2000 and This species continues to be commonly fished for in North Idaho. Cutthroat trout population trends on the IPNF overall tend to be stable to increasing (USDA Forest Service 2010a). The vast majority of rainbow trout found on the IPNF are non-natives. There is no longer legal harvest of bull trout; however, overall population trends on the IPNF are stable to increasing, except in the Priest River drainage (USDA Forest Service 2010a). Marten are listed under the heading of species commonly hunted, fished, or trapped yet they were not selected as an Idaho Panhandle National Forests indicator species (see table 31). Although marten were not specifically identified as an MIS in the forest plan, the IPNF has treated them as one in the past. The IPNF will no longer identify marten as MIS, but will continue to analyze the effects of projects on marten as a species that is commonly hunted, fished, or trapped. 82 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

89 Environmental Assessment Because marten are ranked G5 globally and S5 in Idaho, which is defined as Secure: common, widespread, and abundant (IDFG 2005) their population is not a concern. Current marten information from Idaho Fish and Game indicates the species to be stable throughout North Idaho and there continues to be a trapping season on them (IDFG 2008d). Based on DNA and remote camera surveys conducted over the past seven years in North Idaho (e.g. over 400 verified marten detections), marten appear to be abundant and well-distributed across the Forest (Albrecht 2009) 17. Species included under other species whose population changes are believed to indicate effects of management activities on a major biological group or on water quality are listed because it was thought that their populations would be affected by management activities at the forest level, not at the project level. The species listed in this category are considered a proxy for other species. These species are pileated woodpecker and northern goshawk. While these species met some of the characteristics for selecting MIS, they pose difficulty in surveying and monitoring on a meaningful basis and may not respond to direct habitat changes locally but rather are influenced by many other factors such as predation, weather and competition. The reasons for selection of pileated woodpecker and northern goshawk stated in Appendix L of the 1987 forest plan are as follows: G. Pileated woodpecker 3. Pileated woodpeckers are the largest primary excavator in the IPNF. They are dependent on large snags for nesting sites. Although past fires have left a temporary abundance of snags on the IPNF, standard logging practice is to cut these snags. As more of the forest comes under timber management, available and suitable nest trees may be severely reduced. 4. Pileated woodpeckers are also generally regarded as old-growth indicators because of their dependence on large old snags for nesting and downed logs for feeding. Snags and down rotten logs are characteristic elements of decadent stands. 5. A wide variety of small mammals and birds are dependent on holes excavated by pileated woodpeckers for denning or nesting. H. Goshawk 1. Goshawks are proposed as indicators of old-growth habitats. Goshawks prefer multilayered mature and old-growth stands of about 30 acres on flattish, northern aspects for nesting. 2. Despite their preference for nesting in old-growth stands, goshawks feed largely on seral species. Thus, they are more diverse and interspersion dependent than pileated woodpeckers. It is important to note that the IPNF no longer conducts timber harvest or any other management that removes allocated old growth stands and has not done so for many years (USDA Forest Service 2010a). However, old growth distribution is not static because forests are living, dying and changing as part of natural communities. Disturbances such as fire, insects, disease and weather events may reduce the amount of old growth in some areas while other areas will grow and age into old growth. The IPNF contains almost 700,000 acres of mature forest (canopy 17 The marten data was provided by the Coeur d'alene Tribe as a courtesy and are not on file with the USDA Forest Service. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 83

90 Hellroaring Project dominated by trees over 100 years old), substantial amounts of which have the potential to develop into old growth in the next few decades (USDA Forest Service 2010a). Equally important to note is that in contrast to what was stated in the 1987 forest plan, snag removal is no longer a standard logging practice. In fact, design features based on Regional guidance, such as the Northern Region Snag Management Protocol (USDA Forest Service 2000) and the Estimates of Snag Densities for Northern Idaho Forests (Bollenbacher and others 2009) have greatly improved the retention of quality snags and live trees to serve as future snags. Specifications contained in timber sale contracts also typically require the retention of all or most snags, particularly large diameter ones, except those needing to be removed for safety purposes due to Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) guidelines. Additionally, any larger snags felled per OSHA guidelines must be left on site after they are felled, which provides large downed logs needed for pileated woodpecker foraging and habitat for northern goshawk prey species. The remainder of this paper centers on the northern goshawk and pileated woodpecker. Management Indicator Species Step Down Process General Considerations The Ninth Circuit Court has upheld the use of habitat analysis to determine the effects on species from management activities (Lands Council v. McNair). Wildlife surveys conducted within project areas are designed to document species presence, rather than abundance. MIS status is a Forest-level evaluation that requires reconciling disparities in the geographic scale between the management actions and the scale of ecological and species-specific responses. For instance, population viability and trend information is not scientifically feasible, or even appropriate, at smaller scales such as a project area, particularly for species with relatively large home ranges such as the northern goshawk and pileated woodpecker (Beissinger 2002, Samson 2006a). Instead, the IPNF uses habitat as a proxy for population data of MIS, and MIS habitat suitability assessments are conducted within project areas. In addition, species presence surveys do not determine absence of a species. Many variables impact the ability to detect a species even if they are present such as secretiveness, large home ranges, seasonal detectability, and temporal movements of the species (Bull and others 1990, Woodbridge and Harris 2006). Therefore, again, a more meaningful and credible approach in conducting an analysis is to assess habitat suitability based on biophysical attributes, using species survey information to help validate suitability of habitats. In many cases, surveys can also identify key habitats (e.g., breeding or nesting sites) that can be protected through project design features. An important concept in discussing habitat suitability for some species is the distinction between capable habitat and suitable habitat. Capable habitat refers to the inherent potential of a site to produce the necessary biotic and abiotic components to support a given species. Suitable habitat refers to habitat that is currently providing the necessary components to support a species. Therefore, habitat that is unsuitable is capable habitat that has the potential to develop into a suitable condition, but currently does not meet the habitat requirements for a species. Habitat that is not capable has no potential to develop into a suitable condition. Complex relationships exist among the variables that define the use of suitable habitat by a wildlife species (Pulliam 2000). Among other factors, the size and configuration of habitat, dispersal ability of individuals and interspecific competition can play into the ability of a species 84 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

91 Environmental Assessment to occupy suitable habitat. Consequently, it would not be expected that every acre of suitable habitat will be occupied by a particular wildlife species at any given point in time. Populations of wildlife species that are abundant and well-distributed across the landscape do not occupy every acre of suitable habitat across a variety of spatial scales. For species that are less common, the likelihood of suitable, but unoccupied, habitat is high, regardless of population status. Clearly, competition, dispersal, niche size and the distribution of environmental conditions in space and time all play some role in determining species distributions in relationship to the distribution of suitable habitat (Pulliam 2000). However, this does not diminish the importance of recognizing an area as suitable habitat and managing it accordingly. Whether or not the potentially suitable habitat is currently occupied by the species in question, suitable habitat may be occupied by that species in the future so it is important to manage, particularly if it is a habitat that is limited across the landscape. The Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR ) directs that impacts be discussed in proportion to their significance. Some wildlife species require a detailed analysis to determine effects of an action on them. Other wildlife species may not be impacted or impacted at a level that does not increase risk to the species. Some species may be adequately protected by altering the design of the project. Generally, these species do not require a detailed discussion and analysis. The appropriate methodology and level of analysis needed to determine potential effects are influenced by a number of variables including presence of a species or its habitat within the project area, the scope and nature of the activities associated with the proposed action and alternatives, and the risk to factors that could ultimately result in a meaningful adverse or favorable effect on the species or habitat being analyzed. National Overview The northern goshawk and pileated woodpecker are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Executive Order of 2001 clarified the responsibilities of Federal agencies regarding migratory bird conservation, and these responsibilities include inventory and monitoring. In December 2008, the Forest Service entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that further clarified the Forest Service s commitment to bird conservation during forest and project-level planning (USDA Forest Service and USDI Fish and Wildlife Service 2008). Within the National Forest System, conservation of migratory birds focuses on providing a diversity of habitat conditions at multiple spatial scales and ensuring that bird conservation is addressed when planning for other land management activities. National forest managers design and collaborate on projects that provide for bird conservation in accordance with numerous laws, agreements and collaboratively-developed comprehensive planning documents. As part of the MOU, the Forest Service agreed to consider the most up-to-date Fish and Wildlife Service list of Birds of Conservation Concern and to evaluate the effects of agency actions on migratory birds within the NEPA process, focusing first on these species of concern along with their priority habitats and key threats. The northern goshawk and pileated woodpecker are not on either the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service s current list of Birds of Conservation Concern or Birds of Management Concern for the Northern Rockies, which includes northern Idaho (USDI Fish and Wildlife Service 2008, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service 2009). Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 85

92 Hellroaring Project In 2004, Partners in Flight published the North American Landbird Conservation Plan to identify birds of concern along with recommendations on how to protect these species and their habitat. As part of the Plan, they developed a Species of Continental Importance in the Intermountain West Avifaunal Biome list, which includes all of Idaho. The northern goshawk and pileated woodpecker were not included on the list of over 30 bird species warranting special concerns within this region (Partners in Flight 2004). Northern Region Overview In 1990, the Avian Science Center (ASC) designed a monitoring program to help biologists and managers better understand the habitat relationships and population trends of landbirds breeding in the Northern Region, including northern goshawks and pileated woodpeckers. ASC coordinated efforts to survey birds at permanently marked points on an every-other-year basis. Preliminary ASC analyses suggest that most landbird populations have remained fairly stable during the 12-year period from 1994 to 2006 (Avian Science Center 2009). In 2006, the Northern Region of the Forest Service released a conservation assessment, which included northern goshawk and pileated woodpecker, to provide a synthesis on the best available science regarding habitat and populations and to analyze the availability of habitat for these species across the region and on the individual Forests (Samson 2006a; updated estimates in Bush and Lundberg 2008). The conservation assessment considered peer-reviewed literature, non-peerreviewed publications (particularly master s theses and PhD dissertations), research reports and Forest Service data. Peer-reviewed literature published in professional journals was emphasized where possible since they are the accepted standard. Additionally, literature published since 2000 was emphasized since these more recent publications review previously published literature and provide for the best available science. The conservation assessment is based on a principle-based approach to population viability analysis (PVA). This method uses point observation data and vegetation inventory information based on the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data to build wildlife habitat relationship models to analyze short-term viability (less than 100 years). It also discusses the use of dispersal distance to assess the distribution of habitat and long-term viability based on the principles of Representation, Redundancy and Resiliency. The FIA program provides a congressionally mandated, statistically-based, continuous inventory of forest resources. The FIA program is administered through the Research branch of the Forest Service, making it administrated independently of the National Forest System. FIA inventory design is based on the standardized national grid of inventory plots that covers all forested areas of the United States. Both sample plot location and data collection standards are strictly controlled by FIA protocols. The sample design and data collection methods are scientifically designed, publicly disclosed and repeatable. There are also stringent quality control standards and procedures, carried out by FIA personnel. All of this is designed to assure that all measurements are accurate and that there is not bias in sample design, plot location, trees selected for measurement or the measurements themselves. Using FIA data allows the Forest Service to base habitat condition assessments on an unbiased, statistically sound, independently designed and implemented representative dataset. FIA data provides statistically reliable estimates at the Regional and Forest levels. Estimates of habitat from FIA data provide broad-level cumulative effects information. This information is useful in setting the context for the possible effects of a project. However, finer-level vegetation analysis, such as can be done with stand exam data, is necessary to quantify and map northern 86 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

93 Environmental Assessment goshawk and pileated woodpecker habitat at the project level using parameters similar to those of the FIA model (Samson 2006a). See Samson (2006a) for a detailed description of the methods used to determine the amount of habitat available for each species in question. The Forest Service Northern Region developed these documents to satisfy the requirements of NFMA and Forest Service regulations. The Forest Service s focus for meeting the requirement of NFMA and its implementing regulation is to assess habitat and provide species diversity (Brewer and others 2009). Although the forest plan requires maintaining minimum viable populations of MIS at the Forest level, larger scale inventory and monitoring efforts for MIS population trends and habitat suitability at the regional or ecosystem level provide a vital backdrop on which to assess these species. Efforts, such as those described above, undertaken by the Forest Service, other governmental agencies (Federal and State) and other organizations (e.g. Partners in Flight) provide the best possible accumulation of information for determining the population trends for a species by providing a broad context. They are also better able to account for broader scale ecosystem functions such as disturbance processes (e.g. insect and disease outbreaks) and climate change. Forest Overview The IPNF considers Samson (2006a, 2006b, and updated habitat estimates in Bush and Lundberg 2008) to be the best available science addressing viability for northern goshawk and pileated woodpecker for the Northern Region. These references are a synthesis and evaluation of available research and information applied to specific management questions relevant to this and other agency decisions and management issues. Wildlife analyses on the Forest appropriately evaluate and consider works like these, along with more recent research and information (much of it peer reviewed), in analyzing and disclosing potential effects of the proposed actions on these species. The analyses use a variety of reliable sources of information including peer-reviewed literature, published reports, monitoring of the forest plan and specific projects, General Technical Reports from the Forest Service research branch, and conservation strategies that are based on peer reviewed science and bridge research with resource management. The amount of mature/old growth habitat on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is within the historic range of variability, albeit on the low end of the range (USDA Forest Service 2011), and may represent reduced pileated woodpecker nesting habitat compared to historic conditions. More importantly from a goshawk habitat standpoint, the within-stand species composition has changed even more substantially from the historic condition, replacing mature stands dominated by early seral species with dense stands of mid/late seral species and congested understories that diminish both nesting and foraging habitat for goshawks. Additionally, white pine-dominated stands likely made considerable contributions to goshawk habitat historically (due to the presence of largediameter individual trees, continuous overstory canopy and relatively open understories), but these stands are all but eliminated from today s landscape due to white pine blister rust (Harvey and others 2008). Many of the stands now dominated by mid/late successional shade-tolerant species are unlikely to mature into old growth if left alone due to their susceptibility to insects and disease, and other stands that may still contain remnant large early seral fire-adapted individuals have accumulated fuel loads to the point that merely discontinuing fire suppression in these stands is more likely to result in a stand-replacing fire than to recreate the more open stand conditions dominated by large individuals that existed historically. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 87

94 Hellroaring Project Consequently, it can generally be assumed that northern goshawk and pileated woodpecker nesting habitat was more prevalent on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests prior to settlement than it is now due to the clearing of land for agriculture, large scale wildfires in 1910, logging, fire suppression, and the introduction of white pine blister rust. Availability of mature and old growth forests probably reached its lowest level at some point in the years after the late 1970s, when logging reached its peak. Since the late 1980s, the decline in timber harvest has been precipitous. Over the last 10 years, the Forest Service has harvested less than 2 percent of the forested acres on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (USDA Forest Service 2010b). In the early 1990s, timber harvest of old growth effectively ended on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests and the blister rust epidemic had largely run its course. The preponderance of forested acres has gradually been maturing since that time. Based on current FIA data, the estimated percent of old growth on the forested lands of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is 11.8 percent (USDA Forest Service 2010a). Additionally, based on field examination and assessment at the stand-level to determine how well they meet the old growth definitions in the forest plan and Green and others (2008), the acres of mapped stands allocated and retained for old growth on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is 12.4 percent (USDA Forest Service 2010a). The stand-level old growth allocation allows the Idaho Panhandle National Forests to distribute old growth across the Forest and landscapes in ways that make ecological sense at the landscape scale. Northern Goshawk Background In 1991 (Babbit and others 1991, Silver and others 1991) and in 1997 (USDI Fish and Wildlife Service 1998), the northern goshawk was petitioned to be listed as threatened or endangered in the western United States. On June 29, 1998 (63 FR 35183), in response to the 1997 petition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) concluded based on the best available science that the listing of the northern goshawk was not warranted because: There was no evidence of a declining population trend for goshawks in the western United Sates. There was no evidence that goshawk habitat is limiting the population, or that significant curtailment of the species habitat or range is occurring. The goshawk continues to be well-distributed throughout its historical range. There are no significant areas of extirpation. While the goshawk uses stands of mature and older forests it is not dependent on oldgrowth, and uses a variety of forest habitats in meeting its life history requirements. In 2009, Brewer and others released a report for the Forest Service Northern Region that summarized the best available scientific information about the ecological status of northern goshawks: the estimated amounts and distribution of goshawk habitat in Region One (Samson 2006a; estimates updated in Bush and Lundberg 2008); the results of the 2005 R1 grid-based inventory of the species (Kowalski 2006); and a consistent methodology for conducting habitat analysis. The methods used to classify goshawk habitat at multiple-spatial levels follows the architecture supported by the R1 Multi-Level Classification, Mapping, Inventory and Analysis System (Berglund and others 2009). This system provides a consistent methodology to classify vegetation dominance type, tree size class and tree canopy cover for R1-VMap and data inventory 88 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

95 Environmental Assessment information residing in FSVeg. See Brewer and others (2009) for a detailed description of the methods used. Species Description and Habitat Associations The northern goshawk is a forest habitat generalist that uses a wide variety of forest age classes, structural conditions and successional stages, inhabiting mixed-conifer forests in much of the northern hemisphere (Reynolds and others 1992). Nesting habitat appears to be the most critical and limiting factor for goshawks. Throughout North America, goshawk nest sites have typically been associated with the later stages of succession (mature and old growth forests) having relatively closed canopies (50 to 90 percent) with open understories located on the lower onethird or bottom of the hill slope and in most cases in areas with less than a 40 percent slope (Hayward and Escano 1989, Warren 1990, Squires and Reynolds 1997, Graham and others 1999). They nest in a variety of forest types throughout their range and typically nest in one of the largest trees within the nest stand (Squires and Reynolds 1997, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service 1998, Samson 2006a, Squires and Kennedy 2006). The nest area vegetative and structural composition represent a much narrower range of characteristics than the surrounding postfledgling area (PFA) and foraging areas (Brewer and others 2009). In contrast to what is suggested in the forest plan, no evidence exists that goshawks depend on large, unbroken tracts of mature forest or old growth or that they specifically select for old growth forests (Whitford 1991, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service 1998, McGrath 2003). However, although goshawks are not considered to be old growth dependent, old growth can be important for goshawks, not only for prey species habitat, but also for the large trees that provide substrate for their substantial nest structures. The nest area size for goshawks documented in scientific literature ranges from one acre to 148 acres based on local conditions and can include multiple alternate nests (Reynolds and others 1992, Squires and Reynolds 1997, Patla 1997, Clough 2000, McGrath and others 2003). Thirty acres was recommended as the minimum nest stand sizes by Reynolds and others (1992) and was the guideline adhered to by the Idaho Panhandle National Forests for over a decade. However, based on more recent research conducted in Montana and the subsequent recommendations in Brewer and others, nest stands on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests are currently delineated at a minimum of 40 acres in size (Clough 2000, Brewer and others 2009). Goshawk territories contain a post-fledgling area surrounding the nest site that is used by the family group from the time the young fledge until they are no longer dependent on the adults for food (Reynolds and others 1992, Kennedy and others 1994, Kennedy and Ward 2003). The PFA and the home range (which includes the nest area, post-fledgling area and foraging area) both contain a more heterogeneous mix of forest age and structural components than the nest area itself (Reynolds and others 1992). The size of the PFA ranges in the literature from 198 acres to 494 acres. The size, shape, habitat composition and functional importance of the PFA may vary with local conditions, such as disturbance history, prey availability and risk of predation (Squires and Kennedy 2006). Research indicates the goshawk home range or foraging area varies depending on prey abundance/availability, habitat conditions and other factors, but has been shown to range from approximately 1,400 acres to 8,600 acres (Reynolds and others 1992, Kennedy 2003, Brewer and others 2009). These areas typically have one to five nest sites within them. Based on Brewer and others (2009), a foraging area size of 5,000 to 6,000 acres is used on the Idaho Panhandle Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 89

96 Hellroaring Project National Forests to delineate potential goshawk territories and to provide an adequate cumulative effects area for project-level analysis. Foraging habitat entails a much wider range of forest age classes and structures that provide a relatively open forest environment for unimpeded movement or flight through the understory. One factor influencing goshawk habitat is the amount of understory vegetation. Because northern goshawks require a combination of adequate overstory to provide prey species and adequate clearance for flight maneuverability, some stands that historically were suitable for foraging are no longer suitable due to an increased density of understory vegetation largely as a result of fire suppression. Threats The primary threats to northern goshawk that may result from forest management activities on public land include a reduction in the amount of mature forests and their associated structures (e.g., large-diameter snags and logs) along with the transition of older forests from being dominated by shade-intolerant tree species to being dominated by a dense structure of shadetolerant tree species, primarily due to fire exclusion (Wisdom and others 2000). This increase in shade-tolerant species has increased the forest s susceptibility to stand-replacing fires, and has adversely affected habitat suitability by 1) obstructing flight corridors used by goshawks to obtain prey, and 2) reducing herbaceous understory that supports prey species (Wisdom and others 2000). Fire exclusion, insects, and diseases have changed the species composition and structure of many stands, reducing their suitability for goshawk habitat. Some capable habitat on the Forest consists of younger, more immature stands that do not contain larger diameter trees used by goshawks for nesting or they are more mature stands, but contain a high density of smaller stems in the understory. As the secondary canopy layer becomes more congested, these stands lose their effectiveness as goshawk habitat. The primary threats to the northern goshawk that could occur as a result of activities on private land, thus out of the control of the Forest Service, include the conversion of forested habitats to young forest (e.g. regeneration harvest on private timber industry land) or non-forested habitat (e.g. conversion of forest habitat to residential or agricultural development) and human disturbance in close proximity to goshawk nest sites. Difficulties in Monitoring Goshawk detectability is highly variable within a breeding season, and nest sites can be difficult to locate. During certain times of the nesting season, goshawks actively defend the nest stand. Additionally, adults and nestlings are vocal in and around nest sites during the later stages of the nesting season and at times will respond to auditory surveys in close proximity to the nest stand. Consequently, if a goshawk survey occurs during this time frame and in close proximity to the nest, the chances of detecting this species are good. Outside of the breeding season, goshawks are largely silent (Woodbridge and Hargis 2006). However, when monitoring a species with a large home range of potentially more than 6,000 acres, such as the goshawk, locating the nest stand within that territory can be very difficult. Adding to the difficulty of locating an active nest is the goshawk s propensity of maintaining multiple nest sites within their home range and to use different nests from year to year, as well as to create new ones. Although known for aggressively defending their nests, breeding goshawks are typically secretive and nest sites are often difficult to locate (Woodbridge and Hargis 2006). 90 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

97 Environmental Assessment Visual and auditory detectability varies greatly during the reproductive cycle. During incubation and the early nestling stage, adult goshawks tend to remain quiet and do not typically respond to auditory surveys (Woodbridge and Hargis 2006). During these times, detecting goshawks can be extremely difficult, even if you are standing at the base of tree with an occupied nest. Additionally, if a nest failure occurs during the incubation and early nestling stage, surveys initiated after goshawks become more vocal would likely not be able to determine that the stand or a particular nest site had been active. Topography (e.g. slope and elevation) and habitat structure (e.g. horizontal cover and vegetation density) can also substantially impact the ability of surveyors to hear auditory responses, track the movements of individual goshawks and ultimately locate and verify nest sites. For instance, habitats on gentle slopes with a more open canopy and less dense understory provide favorable conditions for locating goshawks and their nests. However, in North Idaho, the steep slopes and denser stands characterized by closed canopies increases the difficulty in locating and monitoring northern goshawks and their nest sites. Another factor affecting the timing of detection is the correlation of the nesting season with seasonal and climatic weather patterns. Late winter and spring weather that is cool and moist, as is typical in North Idaho, hampers early season goshawk surveys that are used to determine if territories are occupied and snow conditions limit access to many areas making completion of transects difficult. Additionally, a late winter can delay the nesting time frame in some areas on the Forest, but may not in all areas, or an early spring can lead to earlier nesting. These differences in the start of nesting season in turn alter the timing on when goshawks are likely to respond to auditory surveys and be detected. These fluctuations make it more difficult to locate and survey a nest stand within the window of time when responses would be expected and goshawk detection is more likely to occur. In the Northern Goshawk Inventory and Monitoring Technical Guide, Woodbridge and Hargis (2006) surmise that when compared to surveys for songbirds, goshawk auditory responses, which rely on eliciting defensive responses, vary greatly and depend highly on the reproductive chronology and status of the goshawk pair. As a result, while it can be difficult to monitor known, recently occupied goshawk territories from year to year, it is substantially more difficult to locate and confirm goshawk presence in areas with no previously documented territories. This is particularly true since based on the factors discussed above; systematic auditory surveys within suitable nesting habitat may not always be effective in locating active nests. Consequently, conducting goshawk surveys with sufficient intensity on thousands of hectares of suitable goshawk habitat Forestwide for a period of time adequate to establish a statistically sound population trend would be extremely difficult and likely infeasible. Existing Condition According to NatureServe (2009) the northern goshawk has a global conservation status rank of G5. This indicates the species is common, widespread, abundant, and therefore secure across its range. Although the vast majority of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is within Idaho, it also includes some portions of Washington and Montana. All three states list the status of the northern goshawk as S3, which indicates there are some factors posing moderate risks to the species or its habitat, such as insect and disease outbreaks in Montana. The northern goshawk is not a species of greatest conservation need in either Idaho or Montana (IDFG 2005, MNHP 2010). In 2011, the State of Idaho will be reviewing the conservation status of this species and the state rank will be adjusted, if necessary, to reflect information that has become available since the last revision in Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 91

98 Hellroaring Project 2005 (Dixon, pers. comm. 2011). Concerns in Washington appear to stem from declines in goshawk populations in the western portions of the state (WDFW 2005). According to the Partners in Flight Population Estimates Database, there are approximately 62,000 northern goshawks in the Northern Rockies Bird Conservation Region (BCR), which includes North Idaho. Within just the North Idaho portion of the BCR the population is estimated to be approximately 4,000 northern goshawks (Partners in Flight 2007). The North Idaho estimate has a lower data quality rating than the data for the Northern Rockies and therefore a lower accuracy due to a more limited amount of data. See Guide to the PIF Population Estimates Database: North American Landbird Conservation Plan 2004 for a detailed description of the data used and limitations of these population estimates (Blancher and others 2007). Northern Region Based on methodology discussed briefly in the Northern Region Overview section above and described by Samson (2006a) and updated in Bush and Lundberg (2008) using FIA data, the North Rocky Mountain Ecological Province (NRMEP); comprised of the Idaho Panhandle, Clearwater, Flathead, Kootenai and Lolo National Forests, contains approximately 126,349 acres of goshawk nesting habitat, approximately 400,104 acres of habitat for utilization as postfledgling habitat and approximately 3,779,928 acres of foraging habitat. Samson (2006b) concluded, based on the synthesis of the best available science, that to maintain a minimum viable population of the northern goshawk across Region One, there would need to be a minimum of 30,147 acres of PFA habitat, based on a net effective population size of 110 individuals (55 pairs) using an approximately 545 acre PFA per pair. Bush and Lundberg s updated FIA data results in 2008 for northern goshawk habitat indicates that the NRMEP alone provides more than 13 times more acres of habitat than needed for the entire Region to maintain a minimum viable population of the northern goshawk (Samson 2006b, Bush and Lundberg 2008). Samson (2006b) also determined using a dispersal distance method developed for birds (Bowman 2003) that suitable habitat for the northern goshawk was within the species-specific dispersal distance, indicating that well-distributed habitat is not an issue in the Northern Region. In 2005, the Northern Region conducted goshawk surveys throughout the region based on the Northern Goshawk Inventory and Monitoring Technical Guide (Woodbridge and Hargis 2006). The primary purpose of the surveys was to estimate the frequency of goshawk presence within grids that approximated a territory size and to better define the geographic distribution of goshawk across the Northern Region. Based on the results of the survey and goshawk nest information provided by the Forests, the frequency of goshawk presence in the accessible portions of the Northern Region suggests they are relatively common and well distributed across the region (Kowalski 2006). Samson (2006a) concluded the following with regard to the short-term viability of the northern goshawk in the Northern Region of the Forest Service based on his review of the pertinent literature and synthesis of the best available science, as well as his habitat assessments: No scientific evidence exists that the northern goshawk is decreasing in numbers. Increases in the extent and connectivity of forested habitat have occurred since European settlement. Well-distributed and abundant northern goshawk habitat exists on today s landscape. 92 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

99 Environmental Assessment Level of timber harvest is insignificant in the Northern Region (in 2009, 4,854 ha of 9,045,255 ha or 0.05% of the forested landscape) and on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (551 ha of 999,733 forested ha or 0.06% of the forested landscape; USDA Forest Service 2010c). Over the last ten years, the Northern Region harvested 76,649 ha or 0.85% of the forested landscape and the Idaho Panhandle National Forests harvested 15,367 ha or 1.54% of the forested landscape (USDA Forest Service 2010b). These figures include all types of harvest and does not indicate that all harvested hectares resulted in habitat loss or degradation for northern goshawks. Until 2007, the northern goshawk was listed as a Sensitive Species in the Northern Region of the Forest Service. Forest Service Manual states that Sensitive Species are those for which there is a significant current or predicted downward trend in population numbers/density and a similar downward trend in habitat capability that would reduce distribution of the species. Regional data collection and analyses demonstrates that neither condition exists for the northern goshawk; therefore in 2007, the species no longer met the definition for sensitive and was removed from the list (USDA Forest Service 2007). Forest Based on the analysis performed by the Northern Region, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests contain approximately 32,967 acres of goshawk nesting habitat, approximately 148,354 acres of habitat for utilization as post-fledgling habitat and approximately 918,379 acres of foraging habitat (Samson 2006a, Bush and Lundberg 2008). Based on Samson habitat thresholds for maintaining a minimum viable population across the Region and the updated FIA information provided by Bush and Lundberg (2008), the Idaho Panhandle National Forests contain just under five times more PFA habitat on this Forest alone than is needed to provide viability at the Region level. Over the past ten years, there have been 114 documented active goshawk breeding territories on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (see project file). This figure is additive because it accounts for a single territory potentially being active in multiple years within that time frame. However, there have been a minimum of 41 different territories active over the past ten year period (see project file). Although some level of known goshawk territory monitoring occurs on an annual basis across the Forest, all known territories are not surveyed every year. Consequently, the documented number of active territories represents the minimum number of active goshawk territories for a given year when in reality it is likely higher. Some surveys of potentially suitable goshawk nesting habitat are typically conducted on an annual basis in an attempt to locate, document and protect newly found active goshawk territories. Additionally, some suitable goshawk nesting habitat occurs in remote areas within designated roadless and wilderness areas that are not subject to surveys. Based on information in field notes and nest survey forms for northern goshawk nest sites documented on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests over the past 10 years, the known nest sites are generally located in forested stands that fall within the habitat parameters considered to be suitable goshawk nesting habitat in the scientific literature (e.g. more open understory, larger diameter trees) (Hayward and Escano 1989, Warren 1990, Reynolds and others 1992, Squires and Reynolds 1997, Graham and others 1999). If there are any disparities between the literature and nest sites on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests it would be the occurrence of some nest sites within fairly dense stands of smaller diameter trees and/or on steeper slopes. However, even within these types of stands goshawks appear to select microsites that contain the largest diameter trees and/or benches with a gentler slope. Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 93

100 Hellroaring Project During that same ten year time frame there have been 298 documented sightings of goshawks on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (see project file). Although some of these sightings are associated with nest sites (e.g. breeding adults, young), some represent individuals present outside the breeding season, transient individuals or sightings outside of known breeding territories. Goshawk sightings and active territories have been documented throughout the Forest over the past ten years. Project Level See project level analysis located in project specific NEPA documents. Forest Plan Compliance The Idaho Panhandle National Forests forest plan (USDA Forest Service 1987) selected the northern goshawk as a management indicator species of old growth habitats and established guidance for managing old growth in part to provide for viable populations of this species. It states, Approximately 10 percent of the Forest will be maintained in old growth as needed to provide for viable populations of old growth dependent and indicator management species. Although it has been shown since the 1987 forest plan that northern goshawks are not old growth dependent, old growth is addressed to illustrate continued compliance with the forest plan. To obtain the desired distribution, each designated old growth unit is managed to maintain approximately five percent old growth where it exists. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is meeting and exceeding the forest plan standard that calls for maintaining 10 percent of the forested portion of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests as old growth (USDA Forest Service 2010a). FIA data and stand-level allocated old growth also provides evidence that the old growth is well distributed across the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (USDA Forest Service 2010a). Applicable Forest Plan Standard 7. Other Wildlife a. Maintain at least minimum viable populations of management indicator species distributed throughout the Forest. Based on the best available science discussed in the Existing Condition section for this species, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests contains substantially more than enough habitat distributed throughout the Forest to support a minimum viable population of northern goshawk. In addition, the best available science suggests that the goshawk population is, at a minimum, stable if not increasing slowly, and there has been no scientific evidence that the goshawk population is in decline. Pileated Woodpecker Background The pileated woodpecker was originally designated as a MIS because it was generally regarded as an old growth indicator due to its need for large dead trees (snags) for nesting (Bull and others 1990). Pileated woodpeckers are no longer considered to be a good indicator of old growth, although the importance of large snags remains a key component of their habitat regardless of the stand age. Prior to the implementation of the 1987 forest plan, timber harvest activities on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests would have likely reduced snag densities in most cases. The long term impacts of these activities were the reduction of snags in all size classes. However, following the implementation of the forest plan and more recently the adoption of the Northern Region Snag Management Protocol (USDA Forest Service 2000) and Regional guidance on snag 94 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

101 Environmental Assessment densities in North Idaho (Bollenbacher and others 2009), snag retention and snag recruitment (leaving higher densities of green trees to produce good quality snags in the future) in harvested areas has risen dramatically. Snag habitat on the Forest has been strongly influenced by vegetation succession, fire suppression, firewood cutting and insect and disease, along with natural fire events to a lesser degree. Most of the snags created by past wildfires have since fallen. Since 1910, much of the landscape has progressed and is now dominated by a high density of Douglas-fir, which are more susceptible to insect and disease at a younger age and therefore do not create larger, longer-lived snags. Snags are an ephemeral resource that varies greatly throughout the life cycle of a forest stand. Most snags remain standing from a few years to a few decades. How long snags remain standing is a function of the structure, species composition, age of the stand, cause of tree mortality (e.g. fire, insects), size of the snag and site characteristics such as soil type and slope. Once they fall, snags become down wood that provide habitat for many wildlife species. Pileated woodpeckers often forage on down wood that is being heavily utilized by insects. Snag numbers and size distribution can vary considerably within a stand. This high variability makes it more difficult to characterize the snag situation at the individual stand level. However, at large spatial scales the factors regulating snag numbers are more likely to balance out for longer periods of time. Therefore, it is important to look at mid and larger scale snag information to provide context for the snag situation for a specific area (USDA Forest Service 2010a). Species Description and Habitat Associations Pileated woodpeckers are relatively common in both cut and uncut mid-elevation forests, and appear to do well in a matrix of forest types (Hutto 1995). They nest in both previously harvested stands that contain remnant large trees and snags, and in mature and old growth forests. The presence of large trees for nesting appears to be more important than the age of the stand (Kirk and Naylor 1996, Giese and Cuthbert 2003). The pileated woodpecker is able to do well in young and fragmented forests that retain abundant remnant structure, such as large diameter snags and down woody debris (Mellon and others 1992). Home range size for pileated woodpeckers varies considerably from approximately 200 acres to over 3,000 acres (Samson 2006b). However, studies in habitats most similar to those on the Northern Region show a home range size of approximately 1000 acres (Samson 2006b, Bull and others 1992). Dead trees are preferred over live trees for nesting and roosting, and nest trees are usually over 20 to 25 inches in diameter. The minimum canopy cover selected by pileated woodpeckers for nesting stands ranges in the scientific literature from 15 to 60 percent depending on the habitat type (Bull 1989, Bull and others 1990, Warren 1990, Bull and Holthausen 1993, Bonar 2001). A large tree is needed because the cavity is typically 10 inches wide and up to 24 inches deep at heights of 20 to 60 feet above ground level (Bull 1989, Warren 1990). Live or dead western larch, and dead ponderosa pine, aspen, or black cottonwood are preferred nest tree species in the northern region (Warren 1990). New nest cavities are excavated each year in stands of approximately 50 to 100 acres of mature/old forest habitat with a relatively closed canopy (Warren 1990). Most foraging occurs in logs and dead trees at least six inches in diameter, although large diameter (i.e., greater than 12 ) dead wood is used most frequently (Bull and others 1990). Since foraging habitat occurs in a wider ecological range of forest age structures, nesting habitat is Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 95

102 Hellroaring Project considered the most critical and limiting feature for pileated woodpeckers. Natural disturbances such as insect outbreaks, disease, wind and fire are the primary mechanisms that insure a continuum of snags, downed dead wood and live, decaying trees which pileated woodpeckers depend on (Parks 2009). Pileated woodpeckers forage for insects by gleaning insects from the surface of trees and plants, pecking into bark or by excavating into the interior portions of a tree. Although hairy woodpeckers dig smaller holes less than two inches in diameter or depth, pileated woodpecker excavation are distinguishable from them because they dig large excavations into a tree s interior wood. Because this foraging behavior is exclusive to pileated woodpeckers, it can be readily used to identify the presence of pileated within a stand (Bull and others 1990). Large chip size (one to three inches) can also be used to indicate pileated woodpecker foraging since no other woodpecker in this area can produce such large chips (Bull and others 1990). Recent foraging is distinguished from previous years by the condition of the exposed wood and chips. The wood chips and exposed wood in the excavation from recent foraging are lighter and brighter in color than older foraging sign (Bull and others 1990). The older the excavation, the duller in color the interior of the excavation and the associated wood chips, as well as chips being more likely to be covered by debris on the ground. To determine the presence of pileated within an area, Bull and others (1990) recommends walking transects in areas with the appropriate habitat characteristics and look for signs of recent foraging. In a report outlining pileated woodpecker surveys conducted by the Coeur d Alene Audubon Society on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests in 2003, it was noted that pileated woodpecker responses correlated very tightly with observations of pileated foraging sign. Although based on a relatively small sample size, the presence or absence of pileated foraging sign appeared to closely predict pileated presence (Coeur d Alene Audubon 2003). The pileated woodpecker is ecologically important as a keystone species and primary cavity nester because it excavates nest cavities in large diameter trees, which are later used by more than four dozen other species of migratory birds, bats and other mammals. Threats The primary threats to pileated woodpeckers that may be a result of forest management activities on public land include a reduction in the amount of mature forests and their associated structures (e.g., large-diameter snags and logs), forest fragmentation and removing downed wood generated by timber harvest activities. The transition of older forests from being dominated by shade-intolerant tree species to being dominated by a dense structure of smaller diameter, shade-tolerant tree species, primarily due to fire exclusion (Wisdom and others 2000) can also negatively impact pileated woodpeckers. The change in species composition resulting from fire exclusion has slowly and methodically replaced such species as ponderosa pine, white pine and western larch, trending stands toward smaller and younger size and age classes that are more susceptible to insects and disease before reaching maturity. Consequently, snag production has somewhat shifted from the larger, longerlived species to smaller, shorter-lived species. The primary threats to pileated woodpecker that could occur as a result of activities on private land, thus out of the control of the Forest Service include 1) the conversion of forested habitats to young forest (e.g. regeneration harvest on private timber industry land) or non-forested habitat 96 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

103 Environmental Assessment (e.g. conversion of forest habitat to residential or agricultural areas), 2) short rotation, even-age forestry (e.g. commercial harvest on private timber industry lands), and 3) forest fragmentation. Difficulties in Monitoring Pileated woodpeckers have large home ranges (over 1,000 acres) and individuals can be located a couple of miles away from their location the previous day (Bull and others 1990 and 1992; Samson 2006b). Consequently, this makes it more difficult to determine if it is the same individual that was previously documented unless you are able to cover an entire area (e.g. home range, subwatershed, patch of contiguous forest) during each survey, which can be difficult in areas such as the Idaho Panhandle National Forests with large patches of continuous forest that are suitable for pileated woodpeckers. Pileated woodpeckers will respond to recordings or human imitation of their calls. However, it must be a very good imitation of the territorial call or the birds will not respond. Additionally, the call of the northern flicker is very similar and can easily be mistaken for a pileated woodpecker (Bull and others 1990). Pileated woodpeckers can also be located and identified by listening to their drumming. The drumming of the northern flicker and hairy woodpecker has similar characteristics to pileated and can easily be misidentified. Consequently, it is imperative that the surveys be conducted by people who have been trained and are experienced at distinguishing the difference between pileated woodpecker vocalizations and drumming and woodpecker species with similar characteristics (Bull and others 1990). Because so many other species of birds and mammals use nesting holes created by pileated woodpeckers, observing an adult or juvenile pileated woodpecker in the nest is the only totally reliable verification that it is an active pileated nest (Bull and others 1990). Locating pileated foraging holes can also be a reliable way to document pileated woodpecker presence. However, determining the age of the foraging, particularly if it is not recent can be more difficult in areas with a lot of precipitation, such as North Idaho, because moisture increases the speed at which the excavated wood and wood chips darken in color (Bull and others 1990). Topography and habitat structure, such as horizontal cover and vegetation density, can also substantially impact the ability of surveyors to hear auditory responses, track the movements of individual pileated woodpeckers and consequently to locate and verify nest sites. Forested habitats typical of North Idaho comprised of fairly dense stands with high canopy closure on steeper slopes, increases the difficulty in locating, verifying and monitoring pileated woodpeckers and their nest cavities. Existing Condition According to NatureServe the pileated woodpecker has a global conservation status rank of G5. This indicates the species is common, widespread, abundant, and therefore secure. Although the vast majority of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is within Idaho, it also includes some portions of Washington and Montana. The pileated woodpecker is listed S4 by Idaho and Washington and S3 by Montana, which indicates the species is apparently secure, but in Montana there may be some factors posing a potential risk (IDFG 2005, WDFW 2005, MNHP 2010). However, the pileated woodpecker is not a species of greatest conservation need in either Idaho or Montana. In 2011, the State of Idaho will be reviewing the conservation status of this species and the state rank will be adjusted, if necessary, to reflect information that has become available since the last revision in 2005 (Dixon, pers. comm. 2011). Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 97

104 Hellroaring Project According to the Partners in Flight Population Estimates Database, there are approximately 71,000 pileated woodpeckers in the Northern Rockies Bird Conservation Region (BCR), which includes North Idaho. Within just the North Idaho portion of the BCR the population is estimated to be approximately 9,000 pileated woodpeckers (Partners in Flight 2007). The North Idaho estimate has a lower data quality rating than the data for the Northern Rockies and therefore a lower accuracy due to a more limited amount of data. See Guide to the PIF Population Estimates Database: North American Landbird Conservation Plan 2004 for a detailed description of the data used and limitations of these population estimates (Blancher and others 2007). Northern Region Based on methodology discussed briefly in the Northern Region Overview section above and described by Samson (2006a) and updated in Bush and Lundberg (2008) using FIA data, the Northern Rocky Mountain Ecological Province, of which the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is a part, contained approximately 1,052,905 acres of pileated woodpecker nesting habitat and approximately 1,674,119 acres of foraging habitat. Samson concluded (2006b), based on the synthesis of the best available science, that to maintain a minimum viable population of pileated woodpecker across Region One, there would need to be 95,382 acres of habitat, based on a net effective population size of 180 individuals (90 pairs) using an approximately 1,005 acre territory per pair. Even if only nesting habitat is used to meet the criteria for habitat to maintain a minimum viable population, Bush and Lundberg s updated 2008 FIA data results shows that the NRMEP alone contains over 11 times more acres of habitat than needed for the entire Region to maintain a minimum viable population of pileated woodpecker (Samson 2006b, Bush and Lundberg 2008). Samson (2006b) also determined using a dispersal distance method developed for birds (Bowman 2003) that suitable habitat for the pileated woodpecker was within the species-specific dispersal distance, indicating that well-distributed habitat is not an issue in the Northern Region. Samson (2006a) concluded the following with regard to the short-term viability of the pileated woodpecker in the Northern Region of the Forest Service based on his review of the pertinent literature and synthesis of the best available science, as well as his habitat assessments: No scientific evidence exists that the pileated woodpecker is decreasing in numbers. Increases in the extent and connectivity of forested habitat have occurred since European settlement. Well-distributed and abundant pileated woodpecker habitat exists on today s landscape. Level of timber harvest is insignificant in the Northern Region (in 2009, 4,854 ha of 9,045,255 ha or 0.05% of the forested landscape) and on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (551 ha of 999,733 forested ha or 0.06% of the forested landscape) (USDA Forest Service 2010c). Over the last ten years, the Northern Region harvested 76,649 ha or 0.85% of the forested landscape and the Idaho Panhandle National Forests harvested 15,367 ha or 1.54% of the forested landscape (USDA Forest Service 2010b). These figures include all types of harvest and does not indicate that all harvested hectares resulted in habitat loss or degradation for pileated woodpeckers. Population information based on the Breeding Bird Surveys compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey show a clear increase in the population trend for pileated woodpecker over the past 38 years both at the scale of the Northern Rockies and specific to Idaho. See figure 15 and figure 16 for a graph displaying this information. The time frame covered by this data is significant in that 98 Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests

105 Environmental Assessment it covers a minimum of 4 to 5 generations of pileated woodpeckers over almost four decades including the time period where the most intensive timber harvest activities occurred, and consistently reflects an increasing trend in their population (Bull and Jackson 1995, USDI Geological Survey 2010). Figure 15. Population trend graph for pileated woodpecker from 1968 through 2006 in the Northern Rockies, including Idaho, based on USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center North American Breeding Bird Surveys (USDI Geological Survey 2010). Figure 16. Population trend graph for pileated woodpecker from 1968 through 2006 in Idaho based on USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center North American Breeding Bird Surveys (USDI Geological Survey 2010). Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forests 99