Appendix B Adaptive Management Strategy

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1 Adaptive Management Strategy This appendix identifies the adaptive management strategy that would be implemented as part of the proposed action. This strategy and the processes contained and described within it allow the Forest Service to monitor, assess and manage the allotments contained within the to ensure compliance with forest plan standards. Livestock grazing has the potential to affect water quality and the Forest Service strategy for control of nonpoint source pollution is to apply appropriate BMPs using adaptive management principles. This strategy involves applying approved BMPs, monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the BMPs, and using the monitoring results to inform and improve management activities. The monitoring of Best Management Practices helps establish a means of adaptive management. By monitoring specific resource concerns, BMPs support the identification of adaptive management actions that can be taken to reach the desired standard. Proposed Effectiveness Monitoring by Resource Area Effectiveness monitoring identifies the long-term effectiveness of the range management program in maintaining and restoring riparian and aquatic systems within the allotments of the. The main purpose of effectiveness monitoring is to identify and quantify the direction and intensity of change for a given resource through time (Hellawell 1991) in order to evaluate changes in condition and progress towards meeting management objectives (Jones 2005). Best Management Practice effectiveness monitoring evaluates whether the BMPs were effective in meeting management objectives and protecting designated uses. Monitoring monitoring would be accomplished as identified in the table below. The information from these methods of rangeland monitoring will provide the Forest Service with information for both upland and riparian sites. These selected methods would allow the Forest Service to assess riparian and upland vegetation, stream dynamics, stream bank stability as well as compliance with grazing permit terms and conditions and Forest Plan standards

2 Monitoring Objective Method Standard Administration Riparian Use To determine bank alteration, stubble height, browse use and green line to green line width MIM BA 1 = 20%, SH 2 = 4 WB 3 = 40% Specialist or range staff Visuals To determine trend in vegetation composition Permanent Photo Points Browse Removal To indicate levels of shrub use Cole Browse Compliance To indicate proper administration Livestock Observations and Improvement Inspections None WB 3 = 40% None Specialist or range staff Timing Every 5 years Every 5 years Results Proposed Locations indicates a downward trend would be made in livestock management or range improvements Cabin Creek, Dry Creek or Goat Creek, South Fork Boulder Creek or Bulldog Creek, South Fork St. Peters indicates a downward trend would be made in livestock management or range improvements Green Spring, Slide Creek, Yellow Jacket, Shorthorn, Strandberg 2- way, Snowcap Corral Riparian Area, Dry Creek, Bulldog Cabin Crossing, Granite Spring, Specialist or range staff When approaching standards indicates a downward trend would be made in livestock management or range improvements Dry Creek, Upper Bulldog Creek, Along Boulder Highway Specialist or range staff Annually or based on allotment rotation indicates a downward trend would be made in livestock management or range improvements As needed for program administration and in response to observations Utilization To determine how much of forage base has been used Residual Measureme nt 45% Forest 55% Meadow Specialist or range staff Annually or based on allotment rotation indicates repeated instances of exceeding standards, to allotment management would be made Within each pasture 1 BA = Bank Alteration 2 SH = Stubble Height 3 WB = Woody Browse Utilization

3 Boulder Highway Stream crossing, Trio Creek, MJB Creek monitoring would take place within the project area in several locations depending on the specific type of monitoring required. There is a goal of having at least one permanent photo monitoring site in each pasture of the allotments. Currently one MIM site is established at Cabin Creek and other sites would be established within the project area at Dry Creek or Goat Creek, South Fork Boulder or Bulldog Creek, and South Fork St. Peters. Hydrology and Best Management Practices Monitoring Water Quality Sampling Permanent Hydrologic Surveys Best Management Practices Monitoring (see Proposed Monitoring Sites Table below) Hydrology Monitoring Objective Water Quality Sampling To determine fecal coliform contamination Permanent Hydrologic Surveys To determine change in stream morphology Method Grab Sample Method Rosgen Level 3 Administration Timing Results Hydrologist and/or Hydrology Crew 3 times per year (Pre, During, Post) If fecal levels do not meet standards, then additional sites will be monitored, and corrective action will be Hydrologist and/or Hydrology Crew Conducted before project implementation, 3 years after, then every 5 years If surveys indicate not-properlyfunctioning conditions, then the source of the issue(s) BMP Monitoring To determine effectiveness of proposed Best Management Practices National BMP Protocol Hydrologist, Specialist and critical members of the IDT During implementation and after implementation If proposed projects do not indicate resource improvements, then adaptive

4 Proposed Locations conducted. At any site, if fecal levels have met standards for 5 years in a row, the sampling interval will change to every 5 years. Cabin Creek, South Fork St. Peters Creek, North Fork St. Peters Creek, South Fork Boulder Creek, North Fork Boulder Creek, Main stem Boulder Creek will be identified, and steps will be taken to modify management actions. Throughout the seven watersheds identified in the project area management actions will be implemented to rectify the concerns. At all proposed project locations listed in the table below The projects in the proposed action were analyzed, discussed and prioritized for monitoring. The selections are listed in the table below. The National BMPs call for the random selection of sites for monitoring thus making it unnecessary to monitor all activities. BMP Monitoring Sites Allotment Project Name Project Description BMP Water Development WatUses-3 Short Horn North Fork St. Reconstruction-Trough Relocation Peters Allotment WatUses-3 Strandberg 2-Way Trough Reconstruction Green Spring 1 Water Development WatUses-3 Reconstruction-Trough Relocation AqEco-4 Green Spring 2 Riparian Exclosure South Fork St. Peters Allotment Water Development WatUses-3 Slide Creek Reconstruction-Trough Relocation Yellow Jacket Water Development WatUses-3 Reconstruction-Trough Relocation Corral Riparian Area 1 Water Development - New WatUses-3 Construction Corral Riparian Area 1 Riparian Exclosure AqEco-4 AqEco-4 Snowcap Dry Creek 1 Brush Barrier Allotment AqEco-4 Dry Creek 2 Brush Barrier Bulldog/Cabin Road Create New Pasture Granite Springs Water Development - New WatUses-3 Construction

5 Bulldog Allotment Boulder Highway Bulldog/Cabin Road 240 Junction Trio Creek MJB Creek Stream Crossing Improvement Stream Crossing Improvement Water Development - New Construction Water Development - New Construction Road-7 Road-7 WatUses-3 WatUses-3 Recreation Monitoring New salting areas located within ¼ mile of designated system trails will be field reviewed by recreation staff in an attempt to minimize damage to the trail system resulting from additional cattle use. Existing salting areas near designated system trails will also be field reviewed if trail damage or braiding exists or occurs in the future as a result of cattle us. Where possible, terrain features and linear distance would be used to limit potential impacts to the trail system resulting from the placement of salt. In addition, salt would not be placed within ¼ mile of identified dispersed campsites or developed recreation areas such as trailheads, including sno-parks, and campgrounds unless approved by the District Recreation Staff. New water developments located within ¼ mile of designated system trails will be field reviewed by recreation staff in an attempt to minimize damage to the trail system resulting from additional cattle use. Existing water developments near designated system trails will also be field reviewed if trail damage or braiding exists or occurs in the future as a result of cattle use. Where possible, terrain features, distance from designated trails, and piping may be used to limit potential impacts to the trail system resulting from the use of water developments. Cattle will be excluded from the Deer Creek Forest Camp Campground at the top of Deer Creek Summit on County Road 602 by maintaining the existing fencing around the campground and by maintaining the existing cattle guard on Forest Road If monitoring indicates that unauthorized motorized access by the general public is occurring on closed or non-motorized routes maintained by the range permittee to access range improvements, then appropriate management action would be taken in order to discourage or prevent continued unauthorized use. Where braiding of the designated trail system occurs as a result of cattle use, attempts will be made to limit the number of cattle trails connecting with the designated trail through placement of brush, logs, and rocks on the paths most likely to recover quickly with native vegetation. If brushing does not limit the

6 number of cattle trails, trail designation markers will be installed on the primary system trail to reassure trail users they are headed in the correct direction. Monitor the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail to ensure that the presence of cattle is not causing damage to the trail to the extent that the trail becomes unusable for the purpose for which it was designated. Noxious Weeds Monitoring Periodic monitoring and inventory of invasive plants would occur within the areas of, including the recreation trail system and trailheads. Follow-up treatment activities would be accomplished as needed. Areas around and adjacent to range improvement projects would be monitored for the presence of invasive plants while range improvement project inventories are conducted. Follow-up treatment activities would be accomplished as needed. Sources that are to be used for aggregate and barrow material would be monitored by Forest range management/invasive plants personnel to ensure that they are free of noxious weed seed, or have been treated. Soils Monitoring Forest Service staff will monitor a representative sampling of known problem areas. Standard sampling techniques and photo monitoring will be conducted to determine the proposed action is meeting Regional or Forest Plan standards. Sampling will be conducted prior to, during, and post grazing season at an interval determined by resource specialists. If activity areas are found not to comply with Regional or Forest Plan Standards then treatments will be implemented to comply with the above standards. Treatments could include livestock dispersal, fencing, or reduction in stocking levels. Implementation and other monitoring by resource area Heritage Monitoring Monitoring by a qualified archeologist or a currently certified Cultural Resource Technician is required for those locations containing an archeological site

7 Sensitive Plants Monitoring If sensitive plant species are found in the planning area while project activities and treatments are occurring, the Forest Botanist or their designee would be consulted as to measures required to protect the species and its essential habitat. Techniques employed to improve resource conditions The following is a list and description of techniques that would be used to accomplish management objectives. Brush Barriers - The use of debris such as brush barriers within the Boulder Grazing Complex would be used to detour, improve distribution of livestock, protect resources, and provide a tool to manage livestock on the landscape. Adaptive management protects resources identified by specialists in site specific locations to maintain a specified level of land health to ensure the proper function and structure of the vegetation components. Resource protection would be accomplished by the use of brush barriers. Brush barriers should be approximately 6 feet high and 6 feet wide to offset any compaction or decomposition. These sites would need to be maintained every 2 years. Another technique used when brush fencing is to build a brush mattress that acts like a cattleguard. These are locally placed structures to cover small seeps, springs, or wetlands. Plantings of riparian vegetation may be incorporated into the projects to speed up the recovery time. Other range improvements used for resource protection may include new water developments and drift fencing. This applies not only to uplands, but also any areas lying within a riparian zone regardless of it being fish bearing, perennial, intermittent, seasonal stream, spring or standing water. Drift fencing generally directs cattle to the areas intended for use while pasture fencing and cattleguards are used to keep cattle in the areas they are meant to be in and reduce the number of cattle that return to the sensitive areas. Water developments would be used to draw cattle out of the riparian areas or concentrate their use to those areas where the troughs are located. This would not retard or prevent attainment of Riparian Management Objectives or adversely affect inland native fish. One exception is the Green Springs trough which would be placed on top of the stream. The creek will flow underneath the trough. Fencing would be in place to keep cattle out of the rest of the Green Springs riparian area and the approaches would be hardened to reduce erosion. This site would be monitored as part of the adaptive management strategy and if the site does retard or prevent attainment of riparian management objectives or adversely affect inland native fish, modifications would be identified that are consistent with the adaptive management strategy

8 Adjustments in the number of permitted livestock, changes in the period of use and the use of resource protection tactics are all subject to change under this process and would be based on monitoring results. Changes would be identified and discussed in an interdisciplinary team setting and approved by the line officer. If utilization is consistently less than identified standards and no other resource impacts are occurring, livestock numbers may be increased or changed during the livestock period of use. This may include changes in allotment management or modifications to the term-grazing permit. Exclosure Fencing would provide a long-term solution to keep cattle out of the sensitive areas. Any barbed wire fencing installed would use the wildlife friendly project design features listed in Chapter 2. Wood rail fencing may be used when fence placement is in an area where trees are likely to fall and damage the fence or where the shape is so irregular as to make a barbed wire fence unfeasible. Plantings of riparian vegetation may be used to speed the recovery time. In general, fences would be placed so that the site s potentially wetted area is protected. There may be situations where site conditions do not allow for this such as locations with trails or roads within the wetted area. In past projects, wetlands have extended beyond the exclosure during wet years and undesirable impacts have occurred in these areas. Possible extension of the boundaries may be needed to protect wetlands during wet years. Hardened crossings would be used where existing crossings are in place, but are eroding into the stream channel. These sites would be armored with rock placement. Fencing may be installed to reduce livestock trailing up or down the stream as needed. These sites are usually located at culverts. Discussions would be held between the IDT members when standards are exceeded. Possible management as a result of the monitoring would be developed and implemented. Possible management may include changing salting locations, adjusting timing of grazing use, etc. Adjustments would then be incorporated into the Annual Operating Instructions