Decision Memo. North Fork Calispell Creek Restoration Project

Transcription

1 Project Description Decision Memo North Fork Calispell Creek Restoration Project USDA Forest Service Newport-Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts Colville National Forest Pend Oreille County, Washington Surveys conducted on the North Fork of Calispell Creek have found that there is an insufficient amount of wood located within the stream channel. Large wood provides complex habitat for fish through increased cover from predators and also scours pools, which fish use for resting, foraging, and hiding. In additioh, sediment is deposited at pool tailouts, which provide suitable spawning areas. Westslope cutthroat trout and brook trout are found within the project area. This project will place wood at approximately 170 locations throughout 5.9 miles of North Fork Calispell Creek. Instream habitat complexity will increase where wood is placed, thereby benefitting the fisheries resources in North Fork Calispell Creek. The North Fork of Calispell Creek restoration project is located upstream from Power Lake. The project area starts upstream from Power Lake and ends just upstream from the mouth of Gletty Creek, at a waterfall on North Fork Calispell Creek. The project is located in T32N, R42E, Sections 11, 12, 15 and T32N, R43E, Sections 18, 19, 20, 21, and 28 (Figure 1). Decision I have decided to approve the installation of wood structures within North Fork Calispell Creek to improve fish habitat. Wood placement within North ForkCalispell Creek will increase instream cover and habitat complexity. Approximately 700 wood pieces will be placed at approximately 170 sites along 5.9 miles of the North Fork Calispell Creek. The addition of wood will create hydraulic conditions favorable for pool formation, with the idea of using deflection or other associated scouring to help create or maintain 144 pools. Large wood placement will also provide cover. All large wood used for this project will be brought in from offsite. There will be no adjacent or riparian wood (standing or down) used as a wood source for placement material. Wood will be transported to the site by an excavator, which will avoid contact with the wetted perimeter of the stream at all times. The only exceptions are the chains, hooks, winches, and buckets that are used to directly place the wood in the stream.. Logs will be placed on the stream bed without excavation of the bed and there will be limited excavation of the banks. For some deflector structures, there may be some digging into the bank to make certain the logs are in contact with the bed to better ensure flow deflection. At sensitive

2 sites, log placement using deflector pools will be accomplished with little or no digging into the banks. In order to increase the stability of the wood structures, wood will be stacked on top in order to help fix the lower pieces into place. After construction, any sites that have been disturbed during placement activity or have bare ground exposed will be covered with slash, straw, and/or re-seeded, as deemed appropriate for the local conditions. Straw and seed will be from certified noxious weed free sources. This decision falls within 36 CFR 220.6( e )(7), modification or maintenance of stream or lake aquatic habitat improvement structures using native materials or normal practices. Figure 1. North Fork Calispell Creek Restoration Project North Fork Calispell Creek Restoration Project DM pg.2

3 Design requirements included as part of this decision include: 1. If sensitive plant species are found in the planning area while project activities are occurring, the Forest Botanist or their designee would be consulted as to measures required to protect the species and its essential habitat. 2. Prior to implementation of this project, a qualified archaeologist must field review onthe-ground treatment locations to insure earlier cultural inventory efforts were adequate. 3. Contract provisions would provide for cleaning of equipment (to remove noxious weed plant parts and seeds) prior to move in and use off roads. 4. Noxious weed prevention would be conducted as prescribed in the Colville National Forest Weed Prevention Guidelines. This document sets forth the practices to be followed to minimize the introduction of noxious weeds and minimize conditions that favor the establishment and spread of noxious weeds. 5. To minimize effects to forest recreation activities, on-the-ground operations will not occur during the following holiday weekends: Memorial Day, Fourth of July (considered to be a minimum of July 3-5), and Labor Day due to the high level of recreation use during these times. Exceptions to operating on holiday weekendsmay be granted by the Recreation Staff Officer or District Ranger on a case-by-case basis depending on type of activity proposed and weather conditions. Operations during noimal weekends would need to be carefully coordinated with the Recreation Staff to mitigate impacts to recreationists (i.e., treatments around dispersed sites should be implemented during weekdays when possible). Scoping and Public Involvement The project was listed in the Colville National Forest's Projects Publication "Schedule of Proposed Actions", starting on April!, Consultation with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians was started March 14, 2011, in coordination with the Power Lake Vegetation Management environmental assessment process. Additional discussion with the Kalispel Tribe and Pend Oreille County Public Utility District #1 (PUD) occurred between May 2011 and April2012. The Kalispel Tribe and PUD expressed support for the project. A 30-day comment period for this project was initiated on April4, 2012, with publication of a legal notice in the Newport Miner (the newspaper of record for the Newport-Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts (36 CFR 218.9(2)). The Forest Service received no comments, questions or concerns related to the project. Findings I have decided to implement the proposal described above based on the following findings: 1. No extraordinary circumstances were found to exist that would cause the proposed action to have significant environmental effects: North Fork Calispell Creek Restoration Project DM pg. 3

4 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 - A biological evaluation of the potential impacts of the project on threatened, endangered, and sensitive species was completed on January 25, The biologist determined that the project may affect, but would not be likely to adversely affect grizzly bears. The project would have no affect on any other federally listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat, species proposed for Federal listing or proposed critical habitat. The USDI Fish and Wildlife Service concurred with these findings in a letter dated June 11, The biologists concluded that the project would not be likely to cause a trend to federal listing of any USDA Forest Service (Region 6) sensitive wildlife or plant species. b. Flood plains, wetlands or municipal watersheds- The project will not adversely impact wetlands or flood plains. The proposal will have no effect on municipal watersheds, or impaired watersheds. c. Congressionally designated areas - The project will occur outside of congressionally designated areas such as wilderness, wilderness study areas, or national recreation areas, and will have no impacts. on these areas. d. Inventoried roadless areas or potential wilderness areas - The project will not be located in any inventoried roadless areas or potential wilderness areas. e. Research natural areas - The project will not be located in an existing or proposed research natural area, and will have no impacts on these areas. f. Native American religious or cultural sites, archeological sites, or historic properties or areas- The proposed action will not affect Native American religious or cultural sites, or historic properties or areas. This project is a "No Effect" undertaking and may proceed as planned, as per Section 106 compliance, dated February 20, National Forest Management Act of October 22, 1976 (NFMA): Provisions ofnfma applicable to all projects require the following: (a) resource plans and permits, contracts, and other instruments shall be consistent with the land management plan; (b) insure consideration of the economic and environmental aspects of management, to provide for outdoor recreation, range, timber, watershed, wildlife, and fish; and (c) provide for diversity of plant and auimal communities. All of these considerations and requirements are addressed in the Decision Memo and the various resource documents in the project file. Therefore, project actions are consistent with these provisions ofnfma. 3. Colville National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan): The project is consistent with standards and guidelines in the Forest Plan. The North Fork Calispell Creek restoration project is located within management area 3A, which emphasizes recreation opportunities, and management area 7, which emphasizes wood and forage production. Habitat improvements are permitted on this land designation. The project is consistent with the Environmental Assessment for Integrated Noxious Weed Treatment, Colville National Forest. North Fork Calispell Creek Restoration Project DM pg. 4

5 4. Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): The project complies with the requirements of these acts (see Project File, Hydrology report). 5. Inland Native Fish Strategy (INFISH): INFISH requires that Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas be delineated and that Standards and Guidelines found in INFISH Decision Notice Attachment A, pages A-6 through A-13 be followed. The proposed action is consistent with INFISH direction (see Project File, Hydrology and Fisheries reports). 6. Environmental Justice (Executive Order 12898) -This Order requires consideration of whether projects would disproportionately impact minority or low-income populations. This decision complies with this act. Public involvement occurred for this project, the. results of which I have considered in this decision-making. Public involvement did not identify any adversely impacted local minority or low-income populations. This decision is not expected to adversely impact minority or low-income populations. The action does not pose a violation of Federal, State or local law requirements imposed for the protection of the environment. It does not, individually or cumulatively, have a significant effect (40 CFR ) on the quality of the human environment. This project does not constitute a major Federal action. It will have limited context and intensity (40 CFR ), individually or cumulatively, to the biological, physical, social or economic components of the human environment. It will have no adverse effect upon public health or safety, consumers, civil rights, minority groups and women, prime farm land, rangeland and forest land, roadless areas, or to old growth forest options. Implementation. Date Implementation of this decision may begin immediately. I expect the earliest implementation of this project to be in June Administrative Review or Appeal Pursuant to 36 CFR (f) the action is not subject to a higherlevel of review or appeal because no comment or other expression of interest or concern was received. The project record is available for public review at the Newport-Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts, 315 North Warren, Newport, WA (phone ) North Fork Calispell Creek Restoration Project DM pg. 5

6 . Contact Person Questions regarding this decision should be addressed to the District Ranger; questions regarding specific aspects of the project should be addressed to Brian Peck, Fisheries Biologist. Both individuals can be contacted at Newport Ranger District, 315 North Warren, Newport, WA yne S ars istrict Ranger Newport-Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts t X\ UA. -e... )0 I )..; Date 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, purental 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 TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S. W., Washington, D.C , or call (800) (voice)_ or (202) (I'D D). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. North Fork Calispell Creek Restoration Project DM pg.6