Moonlight Fire Area Restoration

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1 Planning Process NEPA (Na onal Environmental Policy Act) guides the Forest Service decisionmaking process and provides opportuni es for interested par es to give their ideas about resource management. Input during the scoping period is important to help the Forest Service iden fy resource needs which will shape the issues and alterna ves that are evaluated in the environmental assessment (EA). Public no ce, comment, and administra ve review for this project are governed by 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B regula ons that provide for a pre decisional objec on process. NEPA Process Step Public Involvement Opportunity 1. Determine for a Project 2. Develop Project Proposal 3. Scoping 45 day comment period 4. Develop Issues and Alterna ves 5. Environmental Effects Analysis 6. EA Publica on 30 day comment period 7. Response to Public Comments 8. Dra Decision No ce 45 day Objec on Filing Period 9. Objec on Resolu on 45 day Objec on Resolu on Period 10. Final Decision No ce

2 Comments Welcome! As you review and consider the proposed land management ac on, we encourage you to let us know if you have any sugges ons, comments, or concerns we want to hear them all. Are we missing something? Comments on this proposed ac on will be most helpful if received by September 30, Please submit your comments online! You can access the online comment form by clicking on Comment on Project on the right hand side of the project website at: h p://data.ecosystem management.org/nepaweb/fs usdapop.php?project= Comments can also be mailed or hand delivered to: Mt. Hough Ranger District, Highway 70, Quincy, CA Public involvement will con nue throughout the project planning! Another opportunity to comment will be offered when the EA is published (an cipated spring 2017).

3 Moonlight and Antelope Fires Fire suppression and past management resulted in: hazardous fuels accumula ons shi to small diameter dense conifer stands These pre fire condi ons resulted in high severity, stand replacing fires, that are uncharacteris c of the historic fire regime for this area. Post fire the landscape is far departed from the desired condi on: Conversion of landscape from long lived conifer to shrublands Altered run off and flooding, impacts to watersheds Damage to roads Impassable trails, due to shrub Antelope Moonlight growth and hazard trees Con nued risk of high severity fire July 2007 September 2007 in shrub, aspen, wildlife habitat, and other unburned forests 23,000 acres 65,000 acres 13,000 high severity acres 37,000 high severity acres To restore the area affected by the Moonlight Fire we are proposing ac vi es to reduce nega ve post fire effects to, vegeta on, watersheds, and recrea on; and to enhance resiliency to future fires, droughts, insect and disease infesta ons, and climate change.

4 Fire Area Reforestation The high severity fire converted the landscape to one dominated by montane chaparral (see right). There is a need to reestablish conifers in these areas. Objec ve Restore the long term viability of appropriate forest types and reduce the poten al for vegeta on type conversion, including reforesta on of high severity fire areas and establishment of a long term seed source of desirable species. Figure: Moonlight Fire Area Pre and Post Fire Vegeta on Types Proposed Ac on 4,100 acres of reforesta on and release, which includes: Conduct site prepara on using machines to remove (pile and burn) the hazard trees and exis ng compe ng brush Plan ng of desired na ve conifer species in a variety of pa erns Conduct release treatments to enhance seedling survival, including: machine pulling, hand grubbing, or herbicide treatments. Photo: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016 Photo: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016 Photo: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016 Plumas NaƟonal Forest

5 Thinning and Fuels Reduction In forested stands and former planta ons that did not burn or that burned at low severity, there is a need to: manage stands to develop mature forests more resilient to disturbances including future fires and insects and disease, and reduce hazardous fuels, in brush, dead trees and downed fuels, par cularly near residen al developments and developed recrea on sites (Antelope Lake). Objec ve Restore landscape diversity in terms of forest type, species diversity, forest structure, and forest age. Reduce hazardous fuels in areas near residen al developments and protec ng project area resources from high severity fire. Photo: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016, area near Antelope Lake proposed for thinning Photo: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016, planta on proposed for thinning 4,830 acres of thinning and fuels reduc on, which includes: Mechanical, hand thinning or mas ca on Removal of commercial saw logs and other material removed as biomass/chips, where feasible, firewood, or pile and burn Variable density thinning to promote stand resilience, species diversity, and structural heterogeneity

6 Aspen Restoration Aspen is a disturbance dependent species that is benefited by wildfire. It is regenera ng well in the Moonlight Fire Area, however, the remaining snags and conifer trees in these areas limit new growth and regenera on and create a risk of reburning. High severity fire could damage the sensi ve root system of the young aspen regenera on. Therefore, there is a need to reduce these hazardous fuels and conifer encroachment. Photo: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016, regenera ng aspen in riparian area Objec ve Enhance and protect aspen regenera on by removing encroaching conifers and reducing hazardous fuels. 2,000 acres of aspen enhancement, which includes: removing conifer from stands with heavy encroachment, removing hazardous fuels from regenera ng aspen stands that were impacted by the fire, hinging (cu ng and or placing down trees as barriers) to reduce impacts of herbivory and grazing on regenera ng stands, and Removing mature aspen to enhance aspen regenera on, where needed. Photo: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016, regenera ng aspen stands with remaining hazardous fuels

7 California Spotted Owl Habitat Spo ed owl habitat and many nes ng sites were lost in the Moonlight Fire. Therefore, we want to retain remaining habitat within and adjacent to the fire perimeters. Therefore, there is a need to reduce hazardous fuels; to re introduce fire into these fire adapted ecosystems, and to integrate fire restora on with conserving old forests. Objec ve Reduce fuel loading in California spo ed owl protected ac vity centers (PACs) to decrease future wildlife severity and preserve long term spo ed owl habitat viability. 2,000 acres of protected ac vity centers and home range core areas would be treated with: underburn/prescribed fire to protect and perpetuate old forest ecosystems dominated by large forest structures and mul layered canopies hand thinning prior to burning to reduce hazardous fuels, only where needed to ensure the fire could be safely implemented and meet the desired condi ons thinning would be limited to trees less than 6 inches dbh (PACs) and less than 10 inches dbh (HRCAs). thinned material would be piled and burned. limited opera ng periods would reduce effects to owls during breeding and nes ng periods

8 Watershed Improvement Roads that are not properly maintained or that were originally constructed with insufficient drainage features may have the poten al to cause profound impacts to streams. In Exis ng Project Area Roads Miles Total NFS Roads 370 Roads Open to All Vehicles 250 Roads Open to Highway Legal Vehicles 82 addi on, the Moonlight Fire has changed the hydrology and resulted in impacts to roads. There is a need to remove unneeded roads and to restore roads that are needed for permanent access for management or recrea on. Objec ve Improve road drainage at loca ons that are currently causing substan al sediment delivery. Decommission and/or obliterate unneeded roads and non system roads to stabilize soil and restore natural drainage pa erns Photo: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016, spur road to le proposed for oblitera on We propose: system road decommissioning and Miles non system road oblitera on where access is no longer needed and/or System road decommissioning (OML 1 Basic Custodial Care (closed)) 17 sustainable maintain or reconstruct the exis ng System road decommissioning (OML 2 High Clearance Vehicles) 17 road system to reduce impacts to Non system route oblitera on 22 watersheds and provide safe and efficient transporta on

9 Recreational Opportunities The Moonlight Fire transi oned the area to shrub and brush, which impacted non motorized and motorized trails. Some are now unsafe or impassable in places due to hazard trees and snags and the overgrowth of shrubs. Objec ve Restore burned trail segments through brushing, removing, trimming vegeta on along the trails to safely accommodate hikers, equestrians, and bicyclists. Restore and repair trail tread for proper width, drainage, stabiliza on, and slope. Restore and improve trail safety by removing hazard trees along trails. Repair and replace fire damaged structures to support the trail system such as bridges, turnpikes and culverts. Proposed Ac on Conduct trail maintenance and remove brush and hazard trees. from non motorized trails and motorized trails have been overgrown Photos: Moonlight Fire Area July 2016 Plumas NaƟonal Forest