DECISION MEMO Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort 2011 Maintenance Projects September 2011

Transcription

1 DECISION MEMO Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort 2011 Maintenance Projects September 2011 USDA Forest Service, Mt. Hood National Forest Hood River Ranger District Hood River County, Oregon In January 1997, the Forest Service issued the Record of Decision (ROD) for Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Area Master Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement (Master Plan), including Forest Plan Amendment No. 10. The ROD and Master Plan defines the desired future condition for an expanded permit area; provides general direction for future development at Mt. Hood Meadows; and establishes winter sports design capacity and summer use maximum capacities. The approval for future development does not authorize specific facilities or uses, define the exact location of facilities, nor stipulate a timeline for development. Rather, it conceptually approves the number and approximate locations of lifts, additional ski terrain, base area expansions, other winter facilities and uses, access and service roads, and summer uses. Implementation requires additional site-specific environmental analysis pursuant to requirements in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Hood River Ranger District will be completing a Decision Memo for the five maintenance projects as required by the Master Plan ROD. These projects are: 1) Repair of Ski Trail Signs and Posts; 2) Installation of the Terminal Chute Winch Anchor; 3) Installation of a Fiber Optic Cable; 4) Installation of two Water Study Flumes; and 5) Installation of the Mozat Composting Toilet. All projects are located within the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort Permit Area, located at T3S R9E Section 4. Each project is described separately below. Purpose and Need for Action The overall purpose of these projects is to complete maintenance projects within Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Permit Area in order to ensure the safe and enjoyable winter recreation experience for employees and visitors. As such there is any underlying need to complete routine maintenance projects and to provide for additional services to visitors and employees. Projects #1 to 4 are considered routine maintenance projects, and Projects #2, 3 and 5 will improve visitor services. Proposed Action Project #1 Repair of Ski Trail Signs and Posts: Repair of ski trail signs and posts that have been damaged by snow loading and wind. Damaged wood posts will be replaced with steel posts set six to eight feet deep with concrete backfill. If mechanized equipment is used away from established roads, access to the site will be over snow. Ground disturbance will be less than 25

2 Mt. Hood Meadows 2011 Maintenance CE 2 square feet at each post and the site will be restored with native seed and jute erosion control matting. Work will be completed by hand if repairs are necessary in riparian areas. Project #2 Terminal Chute Winch Anchor: In order to provide an anchor to tie off a winch cat, an 8-foot long I-beam will be buried in a 5-foot deep trench in previously disturbed ground at the top of the old Texas lift. This will allow winch grooming of the Terminal Chute run. Presently, Mt. Hood Meadows anchor to another snow cat which decreases operational efficiency because the snow cat and driver are inoperable during the grooming process. All work will be completed over snow. There is no vegetation or surface water in the project area. Project #3 Fiber Optic Cable: To provide improved ticket checking experience to visitors, a 24- inch deep trench will be dug in order to install a conduit. After the conduit is installed, the trench will be backfilled. Trenching will occur between Hood River Meadows Skier Services Building and the bottom of Hood River Express; lift operations building and bottom of Mt Hood Express; Mountain Shop and Buttercup Lift; and bottom of Vista Express Lift to bottom of Easy Rider. The aerial fiber on Hood River Express lift towers will be installed by hand. Footings (four by six foot) will be installed along with support structure for ticket checking gates at Hood River Express, Stadium, Mt Hood Express, Blue, Daisy, Buttercup, Vista Express, and Easy Rider Lifts. Seven whitebark pines may need to be relocated, depending on equipment used. As much as possible, Mt. Hood Meadows will route around the trees. If excavator is used, it is more feasible to relocate trees to edge of ski trail. Project #4 Water Study Flumes: In order to determine water availability for diversion to snow making, two flumes and water flow instruments will be installed just downstream of two culverts on the service road near the top of Easy Rider lift on two branches of Mitchell Creek. Flumes will be installed in stream reaches below a pool where the pressure transducers will collect stage data. Staff gauges and barometric pressure loggers will also be used in the pool/vicinity for data correction purposes. The flume installation will be covered below the snowpack with a 1/2 section of 60-inch diameter pipe approximately 6-feet in length. The installations will be completed in the fall and allowed to reside under the snowpack until accessible in the early summer months when the data will be retrieved. Equipment will preferably be left in place yearround, but will be removed if field conditions warrant. All materials will be mobilized by hand from the nearest vehicle access. Flumes will be installed within a relatively level stream reach using native materials where possible. If the installations need to be reinforced, a combination of epoxy, concrete and all-thread steel will be fabricated to pin the flumes in place. The functional success of the flume installation requires a stable, level installation. A pool upstream of the flume will be used to measure stage with a pressure transducer and recorded with a datalogger. The pool will also contain a staff gauge for manual readings. If a natural pool cannot be identified, one will be created in-stream using natural materials as available. If required, Biologs and/or Bentonite materials will be used in the stream channel to facilitate the pool formation. Once installed, the flume location will be covered with a 1/2 section of pipe to prevent damage from the winter snowpack 2

3 Mt. Hood Meadows 2011 Maintenance CE 3 Project #5 Mozat Composting Toilet: There are currently no restrooms near the Mazot food outlet, some guests use the trees rather than ski down to the lodge leading to unsanitary conditions. To improve visitor services and to mitigate this condition, a composting toilet will be installed near the food outlet. To install the toilet, footings will be excavated; composting units will be constructed in the basement; toilet rooms will be constructed; and an electrical closet on main floor will be installed. The electrical equipment will be moved out of existing electrical shack and the shack and associated footings will be removed. A small drainfield will be installed down slope of building (composting toilets produce about 1 gallon of tea per 20 to 25 uses). On peak days, it is estimated that there will be 40 gallons of tea production (400 guests served at Mazot and 400 guests passing by). After the toilets have been installed, the grade will be finished and the disturbed ground will be revegetated. Jute matting will be laid over all disturbed areas. Building construction needs to meet Hood River County code and also be reviewed by US Forest Service Engineering. Project Design Features/Mitigation Measures The National Environmental Policy Act defines mitigation as avoiding, minimizing, rectifying, reducing, eliminating or compensating project impacts presented in the proposed action. These project design features are used to minimize the environmental impacts of the proposed actions. The following are a required component of the proposed action to address resource management concerns and to guide the removal of trees for restoration projects. Any impacted whitebark pine trees should be transplanted to a known area with high survival rate, if feasible. The trees should be recovered with a root ball sufficient to ensure survival. Transplanting should occur in the fall after soil-saturating rain. If it is not feasible to transplant the impacted whitebark pine, a new rust resistant seedling will be planted within the permit area. Prior to project activity a Forest Service botanist will review the site for construction activities and will flag the perimeter of the Calamagrostis breweri population to ensure machinery and vehicles avoid streamside habitat. A Forest Service botanist will monitor the sensitive plant site project during and after construction activities. In accordance with FSM # , Engineering Special Project Specification R6/SPS and logging contract clause BT6.35 will be included as standard provisions in all project contracts. If soil/gravel is needed for proposed projects, the source must be certified weed-free by the county weed and pest control division or a Forest Service weed specialist. Within Riparian Reserves, implement erosion control measures aimed at eliminating sediment introduction from ground disturbing activities. Application with Hood River County Health Department, Environmental Health Department will be made for the composting toilet and associated drain field. All 3

4 Mt. Hood Meadows 2011 Maintenance CE 4 provisions of the permit(s) will be followed. This will address concerns over potential chemical contaminates. All work off the existing road prism associated with installation of the flumes will be done by hand. Disturbance to the natural stream channel will be held to the minimum necessary to allow for proper function of the flumes. Any excavated material will not be placed within the stream channel or within the ordinary high water mark and will be put in a stable area away from the stream. Protection will be provided where the flume outlet spills back into the creek to discourage channel scour. This could be either bedrock or having the water hit a large cobble or boulder. When the flumes are removed, disturbed areas will be stabilized using jute netting. Follow the appropriate Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) guidelines for timing of in-water work. Exceptions to ODFW in-water work windows must requested and granted from the appropriate state agency. Exceptions can be approved through documented phone conversations or messages with the state agencies. East Fork Hood River and tributaries in-water work window is from July 15 through August 31. Follow the appropriate Oregon Department State Lands (ODSL) guidelines for fill removal permit on all instream projects. Minimize stream bank and stream channel disturbance as much as possible while installing the two water flumes and fiber optic cable. Scoping and Pubic Involvement The Forest Service conducted public scoping to identify any concerns with the proposed activities. These projects were published on the Mt. Hood National Forest website in July 2011 and included in the Summer 2011 Schedule of Proposed Action (SOPA). No comments were received through these efforts. The projects also were discussed with the stakeholder (Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort) and other interested citizens. All the projects received support to move forward. Lastly, a scoping letter describing these projects was distributed to approximately 50 organizations and individuals, including environmental organization; local, state, and federal government agencies; tribal government; and local residents. No comments were received through this effort. Decision I have decided to implement these projects as proposed. It is my decision to implement the five projects as described above to conduct routine maintenance and improvement projects within the permit area. The projects will repair ski trail signs and posts; install a terminal chute winch anchor; install a fiber optic cable; install water study flumes; and build a composting toilet. 4

5 Mt. Hood Meadows 2011 Maintenance CE 5 Reasons for Categorical Exclusion I find the proposed action for Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort 2011 Maintenance projects can be categorically excluded from documentation in an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact State because the action fits into Category [36 CFR 220.6(e)(3)], described in Forest Service Handbook , April 17, This category states: Approval, modification, or continuation of minor special uses of NFS lands that require less than five contiguous acres of land. I find the proposed actions can be categorically excluded because there are no extraordinary circumstances identified by the interdisciplinary team of resource specialists that analyzed this proposal. Resource conditions that were considered in determining whether extraordinary circumstance related to the proposed action warrant further analysis and documentation are listed below (A-F). As stated in Section 30.3 of the handbook, the mere presence of one or more of these resource conditions does not preclude use of a categorical exclusion. It is the degree of the potential effect of a proposed action on these resource conditions that determines whether extraordinary circumstances exist (FSH ). A. Federally listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat, species proposed for Federal listing or proposed critical habitat, or Forest Service sensitive species. The Endangered Species Act requires that federal activities do not jeopardize the continued existence of any species federally listed or proposed as threatened or endangered, or result in adverse modification to such species designated critical habitat. Biological Evaluations were prepared for sensitive, threatened or endangered wildlife, fish and botanical species. These are available in the project record, located at the Hood River Ranger District in Parkdale, Oregon. The following rare, uncommon, federally listed, and special status wildlife species are in or adjacent to the project area: wolverine, peregrine falcon, and great gray owl. Since wolverines are highly sensitive to human presence, the disturbance associated with maintenance activities could temporarily displace foraging or denning wolverines. As such, the proposed projects may impact individuals, but is not likely to impact populations, nor contribute to a potential loss of viability of this species. Since peregrine falcons are sensitive to human presence, the disturbance associated with maintenance activities could temporarily disturb foraging birds. The disruption will only take place during maintenance activities and potentially impact no more than one breeding pair. As such, the proposed projects may impact individuals, but is not likely to impact populations, nor contribute to a potential loss of viability of this species. Sincer great gray owls are sensitive to human presence, the disturbance associated with maintenance activities could temporarily displace nesting birds. The disruption will only take place during maintenance activities and potentially impact no more than one breeding pair. As such, the proposed projects may impact individuals, but is not likely to impact populations, nor contribute to a potential loss of viability of this species. Consultation is not required for wildlife species. Within the permit area, there are no Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed fish present. There are two aquatic special status species found within the project area: Columbia duskysnail and Scott s apatanian caddisfly. There will be no impact to the Columbia duskysnail as a result 5

6 Mt. Hood Meadows 2011 Maintenance CE 6 of these projects. For Scott s apatanian caddisfly, the proposed installation of the temporary water flumes and placement of the fiber optic cable could result in short-term (while the project is being implemented and less than 2 hours after project is completed) plumes of increased turbidity to the stream channel from disturbing the stream banks and instream channel. This increased turbidity could disturb or impair feeding and/or cause individual Scott s Apatanian caddisflies to try to escape the area by moving downstream. As scuh, the project projects may impact individuals and individual habitat, but is not likely to contribute to a trend towards Federal listing or loss of viability to the population or species. Lastly, there will be no effect Essential Fish Habitat established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Consultation is not required for aquatic species. Also, there is on botanical sensitive plant species (Calamagrostis breweri) present in the project area. All known sites will be avoided during proposed maintenance activities; therefore, the proposed projects will have no impact to the species. Consultation is not required for botanical species. B. Floodplains, wetlands, or municipal watersheds. Analysis for the effects of the project on floodplains, wetlands and municipal watersheds is included in the Fisheries Biological Evaluations contained in the project record. The proposed project will not impair floodplain function as no work is proposed with an active floodplain. There are no municipal watersheds or wetlands in the action area. C. Congressionally designated areas, such as wilderness, wilderness study areas, or national recreation areas. The project is not located in congressionally designated areas. D. Inventoried roadless areas. The project is not located in inventoried roadless areas. E. Research natural areas. The project is not located in research natural areas. F. American Indians and Alaska Native religious or cultural sites / Archaeological sites, or historic properties or areas. A complete heritage resource inventory survey was performed for the proposed projects. The heritage resource survey followed protocol established in the 2004 Programmatic Memorandum of Agreement between the Region 6 USDA Forest Service, the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. No heritage resources will be negatively affected by the project. Findings Required by Other Laws National Forest Management Act: The interdisciplinary team reviewed the applicable Standards and Guidelines of this proposal. The analysis demonstrated that this decision is consistent the Mt. Hood Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended by the Northwest Forest Plan, as required by the National Forest Management Act. Aquatic Conservation Strategy: I find that this project is consistent with the Aquatic Conservation Strategy (ACS) objectives. The ACS analysis is contained in the Fisheries Biological Evaluation, located in the project record. I have also considered the existing condition of riparian reserves, including the important physical and biological components of the fifth-field watersheds and the effects to riparian resources. I find that the proposed action is consistent with 6

7 Mt. Hood Meadows 2011 Maintenance CE 7 riparian reserve standards and guidelines and will contribute to maintaining or restoring the fifthfield watersheds over the long term. Clean Water Act and State Water Quality Laws: The Fisheries Biological Evaluation have determined that this project complies with the Clean Water Act and state water quality laws, which will protect beneficial uses. With project design criteria and Best Management Practices, water quality will be maintained through implementation of this proposed action. Invasive Plants: By considering the prevention of invasive plant introduction, establishment and spread of invasive plants, the planning process is consistent with the Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Program Preventing and Managing Invasive Plants Record of Decision issued in 2005 and the Site-Specific Invasive Plant Treatments for Mt. Hood National Forest and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Oregon, including Forest Plan Amendment #16 Record of Decision issued in A noxious weed risk assessment was prepared for these projects. Other Laws or Requirements: Finding associated with the Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and National Historic Preservation Act are discussed under the Reasons for Categorical Exclusion section of this document. The proposed action is consistent with all other Federal, State, or local laws or requirements for the protection of the environment and cultural resources. Implementation Implementation of this decision may occur immediately. Implementation for these projects will occur in the Fall/Winter While this decision is not subject to appeal pursuant to Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR 215.8(a)(4), I encourage you to discuss this project with either of me if you have any concerns about implementation. Contact Person Detailed records of this environmental analysis are available for public review at the Hood River Ranger District. For further information about this decision or the Forest Service appeal process, please contact Jennie O Connor Card at the Hood River Ranger Station, 6780 Highway 35 Parkdale, Oregon 97041; Phone: ; Fax: ; or jennieoconnorcard@fs.fed.us. SIGNATURE OF DECIDING OFFICER /s/ Michael J. Hernandez September 26, 2011 Michael J. Hernandez Date Acting District Ranger, Hood River Ranger District 7

8 Mt. Hood Meadows 2011 Maintenance CE 8 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (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 TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 8