Mt. Hood Meadows 2013 Maintenance Projects Categorical Exclusion Checklist Mt. Hood National Forest May 14, 2012

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1 Mt. Hood Meadows 2013 Maintenance Projects Categorical Exclusion Checklist Mt. Hood National Forest May 14, 2012 Project Description Project Name: 2013 Mt. Hood Maintenance Projects Description of Project Location: (legal description; attach a map) T3S R9E Section 4 Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort Permit Area. See attached map for specific project locations. Purpose and Need: 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. All projects are considered routine maintenance projects a. See the attached project map for all 2013 maintenance projects, including those that require documentation in a Decision Memo. Proposed Action: (Describe all operations and activities, including any connected actions. What is the end result? How will it be accomplished?) The 2013 maintenance projects that do not require documentation in a decision memo include the following three projects: Project #1 Trail Sign Replacement: Repair ski trail signs that have been damaged by weather, snow pressure. Five signs will be relocated to provide improved information to skiers. 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 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 Nordic Trail Maintenance (stump grinding and downed tree clean-up): Improve early season and low snow skiing ability on Mt. Hood Meadows Nordic trail system by moving downed trees to the side of the trails with rubber tracked mini-excavator and grinding stumps. Project #3 Kinnikinnick Stump Grinding: Improve early season skiing ability on Kinnikinnick and allow better access at the bottom of Hood River Meadows (HRM) lift by grinding stumps. All projects are required to implement the following project design criteria. Additional project design criteria are incorporated as part of the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort Operating Plan and Permit. All project design criteria will be implemented by the permittee and monitored by the permit administrator. 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 1

2 the impacted whitebark pine, a new rust resistant seedling will be planted within the permit area. If equipment is needed from outside the Mt. Hood Meadows permit area Forest Service policy requires the cleaning of all heavy equipment (bulldozers, skidders, graders, backhoes, dump trucks, etc.) prior to entering National Forest System Lands. A forest Service officer (Permit Administrator) will inspect off-road equipment prior to start of work to ensure it is free of all soil, seeds, vegetative matter, and other debris that could hold or contain seeds. This requirement does not apply to service vehicles, water trucks, pickups, cars, and/or similar vehicles (R6/SPS Work). Apply seed from native sedges and forbs collected from plants within the Mt. Hood Meadows Permit area (seed may be collected during August-September and sowed directly on-site); or consult with a Forest Service employee for a supply of local native Forest Service grass seed. Erosion control material must be certified weed-free. Consult with the Forest Service for native seed supply and sources of weed-free mulch. The Mt. Hood Meadows Annual Operating Plan (AOP) requires Mt. Hood Meadows to mitigate and monitor invasive plant species (AOP Vegetation Management Item #23). Mt. Hood Meadows should continue to monitor the presence of knapweed in the flower beds around the Mt. Hood Meadows Day Lodge (with the help of the Forest Service) and should pull or dig plants before they are in full bloom to ensure the species does not spread into disturbed areas within the permit area. Due to the vicinity of the Northern Spotted Owl nest to this project, there is a seasonal restriction from March 1st to July 31st within a disruption distance of 65 yards of the nest patch for chainsaws and heavy machinery. Specifically, Nordic trail stump grinding and downed tree clean up. Beyond that disruption distance, work can occur earlier then July 31st. Brushing will occur after July 31st to allow for the end of nesting season for Neotropical migrants. Within Riparian Reserves, implement erosion control measures aimed at eliminating sediment introduction from ground disturbing activities. Maintain compliance with Mt. Hood National Forest Industrial Fire Precautions Levels. Conduct a complete fire inspection within the first week of operations during the fire precautionary period. Fire extinguishers are to be provided for use with each internal combustion engine and must be serviceable and readily accessible. All extinguishers must be rated at least 5 B, C or larger and have been rated by the Underwriter's Laboratory. In addition to the extinguisher each power driven piece of equipment, except portable fire pumps, shall be equipped with one "D" handled or longer rounded point shovel, size 0 or larger and a double-bit axe or Pulaski, weighing at least 3 ½ pounds. CE Category: Projects will be completed under 36 CFR 220.6(d)(4): Repair and maintenance of roads, trails, and landline boundaries. 2

3 Implementation: (Dates of implementation, direction, time of year) Spring, Summer and/or Fall The sign replacements will be completed over-snow and the other trail maintenance projects will be implemented after the snow has melted. Equipment Needs: (List project construction activities and anticipated types of equipment needed. Include all sources of load noises.) The trail signs require a snow cat and rubber-tracked excavator. The trail maintenance projects will require a stump grinder, mini-excavator and tracked dozer. None of the other projects will require any unusual equipment. Impacted Area: (How many acres/miles of ground disturbance are associated with this project?) The signs will impact approximately 200 square feet each for a total of approximately 1000 square feet. The signs are along the ski trails in previously disturbed areas. The trail maintenance will occur on the existing Mt. Hood Meadows Nordic trails within the permit area, including Kinnikinnick trail. No new ground disturbance is associated with the trail maintenance projects. Land Use Allocations What are the impacted Forest Plan LUAs? A11 Winter Recreation use Are these activities planned within LSR? If yes, please describe: Are these activities planned within any Congressional Designated Areas (such as Wilderness, National Recreation Area, and Wild and Scenic River corridors)? If yes, please describe: Are these activities planned within any inventoried roadless areas? If yes, please describe: Are these activities planned with previously disturbed areas? If yes, please describe: Yes, the maintenance activities are all within previously disturbed areas as described above. Resource Questions Is any part of the project within 300 feet of a perennial stream or lake/reservoir? If yes, what is the name of the closest water body? How close to the water body is the closest project activity? Please describe the specific activities adjacent to the water body? Yes. The Meadow Creek trail is adjacent to Meadow Creek. Stump grinding will take place on these trails. All work will be completed on the existing trail. Based on the project design criteria and location of the projects, there are no impacts to water quality. The aquatics biological evaluation provides more details. Is any part of the project within 150 feet of an intermittent stream, pond, or wetland? If yes, what is the name of the closest water body? How close to the water body is the closest project activity? Please describe the specific activities adjacent to the water body? Yes. There are several intermittent streams near the existing Nordic ski trails. Stump grinding will take place on these trails. All work will be completed on the existing trail. Based on the project design criteria and location of the projects, there are no impacts to water quality. The aquatics biological evaluation provides more details. Is in-channel work proposed? If yes, what is the name of the water body? Please describe the specific activities: Will any trees be cut? If yes, please describe in as much detail as possible (size and species): 3

4 Scoping Is the project/activity likely to be controversial? Why? The proposal is for routine maintenance and is done every year. Who was contacted? (Include name, method of contact, relevant comments) Mt. Hood Meadows proposed these projects as part of their routine maintenance as required by their permit. The Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort 2013 Maintenance Projects was published on the Mt. Hood National Forest website in January A legal notice was published in The Oregonian (Newspaper of Record) on March 6, A letter was distributed to approximately 70 individuals and organizations, including local, state, tribal and federal governmental agencies; environmental groups; and local non-profits organizations including watershed groups. Summary of scoping results: Through these efforts, two comments were received from the Friends of Mt. Hood and one individual. Friends of Mt. Hood were supportive of the maintenance projects. The individual requested additional maintenance to the Hannel Loop trail: The problem is that there is usually some point in the season when the trail ends up being closed because of water problems. Puncheon is needed to elevate the trail and allow water to pass under so it doesn t wash out and is strong enough to support a groomer. This repair should be included in the trail maintenance proposal. The Forest Service considers this comment outside the scope of this project because it is not routine trail maintenance. This comment has been shared with Mt. Hood Meadows for consideration in future trail enhancement projects. Consistency Checklist: Is the proposed action consistent with the following? Title Yes No N/A Comments Mt. Hood National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan See specialist reports. Northwest Forest Plan Aquatic Conservation Strategy Survey and Manage (2001 ROD) See specialist reports. See completed Fisheries BE. See the completed Fisheries, Wildlife and Botany BE Regional Invasive Plant EIS See completed Botany BE Watershed Analysis Name: East Fork Hood River WA LSR Assessment Name: 303(d) List State of Oregon Smoke Management Plan Regional Forest Restoration Exemptions Other (specify): 4

5 Extraordinary Circumstances Indicate yes if an extraordinary circumstance is present. If present, then describe in the comments the nature of effects of the proposal. If no extraordinary circumstances are present, then state in the comments the name/reference for tracking purposes. Extraordinary Circumstance Yes No N/A Native American Religious/Cultural Sites, Archaeological Sites or Historic Properties, National Register Eligible Sites, Structures or Districts Steep Slopes or Highly Erosive Soils Federal, State or Local Park land Prime Farm Land Prime Forest Land Wetlands E.O Flood Plains E.O Designated or Proposed Wilderness Designated or Proposed Wild and Scenic River Corridors National Recreation Areas Inventoried Roadless Areas and Potential Wilderness Research Natural Areas Comments Identify by name. Include discussion of nature of effects of proposal. See completed Heritage Reports. Endangered or Threatened Plants, Animals or their critical habitat Species proposed for listing Forest Service Sensitive Species Municipal Watersheds See the completed Fisheries, Wildlife and Botany BE. See the completed Fisheries, Wildlife and Botany BE. 5

6 Is this a routine project/activity? Has a similar project/activity been documented in an EA or EIS? If so, why does this project meet the Categorical Exclusion criteria? Precedence Yes No N/A Comments NEPA Authority This action may be excluded from documentation in an EA or EIS because it falls within 36 CFR 220.6(d)(4), which is identified in Forest Service Handbook, , Chapter 30, Section Also, this action is not subject to the Sequoia ForestKeeper v. Tidwell order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California judicial ruling issued on March 6, 2012 since these projects fall under a CE category not requiring documentation in a decision memo. I have concluded that this decision is appropriately categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment as it is a routine activity within a categorical exclusion and there are no extraordinary circumstances related to the decision that may result in a significant individual or cumulative effect on the quality of the human environment. My conclusion is based on information presented in this document and the entirety of the Project Record. Prepared by: Jennie O Connor Card Title: Natural Resource Planner Date: May 1, 2013 Responsible Official: /s/ Joy Archuleta Joy Archuleta Title: Acting Hood River District Ranger Date: May 14,