Inventoried Roadless and Unroaded Areas

Transcription

1 Inventoried Roadless and Unroaded Areas Introduction Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) are those areas identified in a set of inventoried roadless area maps, contained in Forest Service Roadless Area Conservation, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Volume 2, dated November, 2000 (RACR). This FEIS is held at the National headquarters of the Forest Service, with any update, correction, or revision of those maps. The project area boundary includes the East Fork Elk #678, Lone Cliff West #674a and West Fork Elk #692 IRAs for a total of 17,194 acres. There are four IRAs adjacent to the Elk Rice project area. In Montana the Lone Cliff Smeads #674 at 5,114 acres is to the south east. There are three IRAs in Idaho to the west of the project area that total 49,925 acres. East Cathedral Peak #131 at 22,347 acres, Spion Kop #136 at 22,391 acres and Teepee Creek #133 at 5,187 acres. There is no harvest, road building or natural fuels activities proposed in any of the above mentioned IRAs. Regulatory Framework and Forest Plan Direction In 1964, Congress passed the Wilderness Act, creating the National Wilderness Preservation System. In addition to designating nine million acres of National Forest land as Wilderness, the Act directed the Secretary of Agriculture to complete a study of 34 administratively designated primitive areas and determine their suitability for Wilderness designation. In 1971, the Forest Service expanded the scope of the inventory, review, and evaluation to include all roadless areas. This process was known as the Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE). The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for RARE was released in The FEIS identified 247 roadless areas to be further studied for possible wilderness status as part of the multiple-use planning process. The National Forest Management Act of 1976 (NFMA) replaced the multiple-use planning process with the requirement for an integrated Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) for each Forest. By June 1977, concerns were expressed that the NFMA land management planning process would be too slow to allow timely review of the study of areas identified in RARE. Concerns were also raised that some areas might be overlooked, and that RARE did not adequately inventory the National Grasslands and the Eastern National Forests. In response to these concerns, the Secretary of Agriculture initiated a nationwide administrative study of roadless areas referred to as RARE II. The FEIS of RARE II was released in January In response to a lawsuit, in 1983 the Department of Agriculture revised the NFMA regulations regarding evaluation of roadless areas in forest planning. The Kootenai National Forest Revised Land Management Plan Goal GOAL-IRA-01states that Inventoried roadless areas will be managed to protect values and benefits of roadless areas. While managing these areas the Forest Plan sets standard FW-STD-IRA-01 which states that the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (36 CFR 294 Subpart B, published at 66 Fed Reg.) shall apply. FW-GDL-IRA-01 is the Forest Plan guideline which states Wilderness potential will be maintained on 16 percent of the inventoried roadless areas on the Forest. Analysis Area The analysis area for effects to the roadless resource includes the IRAs within, or adjacent to the project area. The area selected for analysis is the IRAs, the project area and unroaded areas together. Encompassing a total of 100,157 acres, the analysis area is of a scale suitable for the recognition of cumulative effects on the resource. A map showing the analysis area is in Appendix A and the project file; IRAs within and adjacent to the project area include those shown in Table 59. Elk Rice Environmental Assessment 211

2 Table 59. Roadless Designation Acres IRA Name IRA# Acres 1987 Forest Plan IRA 2001 RACR IRA 2015 Inventoried Roadless Area Recommended Wilderness Lone Cliff West (KNF) East Fork Elk (KNF) 674a 5, ,311 5, ,766 5,000 6,400 6,766 0 West Fork Elk 692 5,117 4,800 5,117 5,117 0 Adjacent IRAs Lone Cliff Smeads (KNF) East Cathedral Peak (IPNF) Spion Kop (IPNF) Teepee Creek (IPNF) 674 5,114 6,600 5,114 5, ,347 22,300 22,900 22, ,391 23,700 22,500 22, ,187 5,100 5,400 5,187 0 KNF = Kootenai National Forest; IPNF = Idaho Panhandle National Forest Initial inventories started with RARE I and RARE II. In preparation for the revision of the 1987 Forest Plan, the inventory of roadless areas was updated. In 1999 an updated evaluation and inventory effort was included in the 2001 RACR as Inventoried Roadless Areas. These areas were then evaluated as potential wilderness in Appendix C of the Kootenai NF Forest Plan FEIS. The RACR and 2015 Forest Plan included the East Fork Elk, Lone Cliff West and West Fork Elk areas as IRAs. The East Fork Elk, Lone Cliff West and West Fork Elk IRAs were not rated as suitable in the Kootenai NF Forest Plan FEIS, and were not recommended as wilderness in the final record of decision. During the evaluation effort, IRA boundaries and adjacent areas were re-evaluated for roadless characteristics. East Fork Elk, Lone Cliff West and West Fork Elk IRAs were adjusted during the evaluation to correct mapping errors and boundaries due to finer scale criteria within the evaluation process (Project File). Through this exercise the Lone Cliff West area was identified and added as an IRA. East Fork Elk IRA acres increased from 5,000 to 6,400 and the West Fork Elk IRA increased from 4,800 to 5,117. Again in 2005, the IRA boundaries were evaluated for the continuing 1987 Forest Plan revision (Project File) and the boundaries remained consistent with where they were set in 1999 for Lone Cliff West and West Fork Elk while the East Fork Elk acres increased again to 6,766 acres. Analysis Methods The following pages describe the process followed in evaluating IRAs for capability, availability, and need, and the results of these analyses. The process for the final determination of wilderness recommendations is included. When revising forest plans, national forests are required to evaluate roadless areas, consider their wilderness characteristics, and to make recommendations to Congress regarding areas suitable for inclusion into the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Forest Service can only recommend potential wilderness allocations to Congress via forest plans, and only Congress can designate wilderness through the legislative process. 212 Elk Rice Environmental Assessment

3 Criteria for determining whether an area of NFS land qualifies as an IRA are provided in Forest Service handbook , Chapter 70, which states: Areas qualify for placement on the potential wilderness inventory if they meet the statutory definition of wilderness. Include areas that meet either criteria 1 and 3, or criteria 2 and 3 below. Criteria 1: Areas contain 5,000 acres or more. Criteria 2: Areas contain less than 5,000 acres, but can meet one or more of the following criteria: Areas can be preserved due to physical terrain and natural conditions; Areas are self-contained ecosystems, such as an island, that can be effectively managed as a separate unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System; and Areas are contiguous to existing wilderness, primitive areas, administration-endorsed wilderness, or potential wilderness in other federal ownership, regardless of their size. Criteria 3: Areas do not contain forest roads (36 CFR 212.1) or other permanently authorized roads, except as permitted in areas east of the 100th meridian (sec ). This evaluation of potential wilderness identified and inventoried all areas within NFS lands that satisfy the definition of wilderness found in section 2(c) of the 1964 Wilderness Act (FSH , Chapter 70, 2007). The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Kootenai National Forest Revised Land Management Plan, Appendix C (2015) contains an evaluation of the wilderness character of the forest Inventoried Roadless Areas. This evaluation assessed the wilderness suitability of each IRA using the characteristics identified in the Wilderness Act of 1964 to define wilderness. This evaluation tiers to that analysis as it assesses the effects of the Elk Rice project on the IRAs that have a portion within the Elk Rice project area. The capability of a potential wilderness is the degree to which that area contains the basic characteristics that make it suitable for wilderness recommendation. The Kootenai NF evaluation process (capability, availability, and need) and the suitability evaluation of the roadless areas for potential wilderness are outlined; these evaluations indicate the inherent wilderness quality of each roadless area. The IRAs were evaluated for suitability for potential wilderness with the test of capability, availability, and need Capability The capability of a potential wilderness is the degree to which that area contains the basic characteristics that make it suitable for wilderness recommendation without regard to its availability for or need as wilderness. This includes environmental as well as manageability considerations. Availability The determination of availability is conditioned by the value of and need for the wilderness resource compared to the value of and need for other resources. Other resource demands and uses were evaluated. Constraints and encumbrances were also reviewed to determine the degree of Forest Service control over the surface and subsurface area. Need This is an analysis of the degree to which the potential wilderness area would contribute to the overall national Wilderness Preservation System. This evaluation was conducted at the regional level. The purpose of this analysis on the roadless resource is to disclose potential effects to the roadless characteristics (Table 61) and wilderness attributes (Table 62) of the IRAs and adjacent unroaded areas and determine if, or to what extent it might affect future consideration for wilderness recommendations. This analysis focuses on the potential effects of project activities on wilderness characteristics as defined Elk Rice Environmental Assessment 213

4 in the Forest Service Handbook (FSH) (72.1). Table 60 shows the crosswalk between the wilderness attributes identified in Forest Service Handbook and the 1964 Wilderness Act; and the roadless area characteristics defined in the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (36 CFR Subpart B ). Guiding the evaluation were characteristics of inventoried roadless area found in 36 CFR 294 Subpart B, published at 66 Fed Reg , referred to in Forest Plan standard FW-STD-IRA-01 and listed in Table 61. The analysis for the effects on other roadless resource attributes such as water resources, soils, and wildlife habitat may be found in the appropriate sections of this NEPA document. Activities that could affect, or have affected, potential wilderness characteristics of the IRA include miles of road construction, acres of timber harvest, and ecosystem burning. The analysis covers short- term effects in the first 5 years and long-term for the next 5-10 years for direct, indirect, and cumulative effects and includes the IRA as well as the adjacent unroaded areas. Table 60. Crosswalk between Wilderness Attributes 1 and Roadless Area Characteristics 2 Wilderness Attributes Natural (ecological systems are substantially free from the effects of modern civilization and generally appear to have been affected primarily by forces of nature) Roadless Area Characteristics High quality or undisturbed soil, water, and air; Sources of public drinking water: Diversity of plant and animal communities; Habitat for threatened, endangered, proposed, candidate, and sensitive species and for those species dependent on large, undisturbed areas of land; Reference landscapes Unroaded (degree to which the area is without permanent improvements or human habitation) Natural appearing landscapes with high scenic quality Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Solitude: opportunity to experience isolation from the sights, sounds, and presence of others from the developments and evidence of humans Primitive and unconfined recreation: opportunity to experience isolation from the evidence of humans, to feel a part of nature, to have a vastness of scale, and a degree of challenge and risk while using outdoor skills. Primitive, semi-primitive non-motorized and semi- primitive motorized classes of dispersed recreation Special Features and Values (capability of the area to provide other values such as those with geologic, scientific, educational, scenic, historical, or cultural significance) Manageability (the ability of the Forest Service to manage an area to meet size criteria and the elements of wilderness) Traditional cultural properties and sacred sites; and Other locally identified unique characteristics. No criteria 1 Wilderness attributes identified in Forest Service Handbook , Chapter 70 that describe the basic characteristics that make an area suitable for wilderness recommendation. These principal wilderness characteristics originate from the definition of wilderness in the 1964 Wilderness Act. 2 Roadless area characteristics defined in the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (36 CFR Subpart B ) 214 Elk Rice Environmental Assessment

5 Table 61. Roadless Characteristics and Descriptions Roadless Characteristics High Quality or undisturbed soil, water, and air Sources of public drinking water Diversity of plant and animal communities Habitat for threatened, endangered, proposed, candidate, and sensitive species, and for those species dependent on large, undisturbed areas of land Primitive, Semi-Primitive Non- Motorized, and Semi-Primitive Motorized classes of dispersed recreation Reference landscapes Description These three key resources are the foundation upon which other resource values and outputs depend. Roadless areas within the National Forest System contain all or portions of 354 municipal watersheds contributing drinking water to millions of citizens. Roadless areas are more likely than roaded areas to support greater ecosystem health, including the diversity of native and desired nonnative plant and animal communities due to the absence of disturbances caused by roads and accompanying activities. Roadless areas function as biological strongholds and refuges for many species. Roadless areas often provide outstanding dispersed recreation opportunities such as hiking, camping, picnicking, wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, crosscountry skiing, and canoeing. Reference landscapes of relatively undisturbed areas serve as a Barometer to measure the effects of development on other parts of the landscape. Natural appearing landscapes with high scenic quality Traditional cultural properties and sacred sites High quality scenery, especially scenery with natural-appearing landscapes, is a primary reason that people choose to recreate. Traditional cultural properties are places, sites, structures, art, or objects that have played an important role in the cultural history of a group. Other locally identified unique characteristics Examples include uncommon geological formations, which are valued for their scientific and scenic qualities, or unique wetland complexes. Unique social, cultural, or historical characteristics may also depend on the roadless character of the landscape. Table 62. Wilderness Characteristics and Descriptions Wilderness Characteristics Description The degree to which the area generally appears to be affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprints of man s work substantially unnoticeable (naturalness). Consider such factors as: Natural The composition of natural plant and animal communities. The extent to which the area reflects ecological conditions that would normally be associated with the area absent human intervention. The extent to which improvements included in the inventory represent a departure from naturalness. Elk Rice Environmental Assessment 215

6 Wilderness Characteristics Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Sufficient Size Description An area s capability of providing solitude or primitive and unconfined types of recreation. The word or means that an area only has to possess one or the other. The area does not have to possess outstanding opportunities for both elements, nor does it need to have outstanding opportunities on every acre. Consider impacts that are pervasive and that influence a visitor s opportunity for solitude. Factors that may be considered include topography, presence of screening, distance from impacts, degree of permanent intrusions, and sights and sounds from outside the area. Consider the opportunity to engage in primitive-type or unconfined recreation activities that lead to a visitor s ability to feel a part of nature. Factors that may be considered include the degree of challenge or risk while using outdoor skills. Examples of primitive-type recreation activities include wildlife observation, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, floating, kayaking, cross-country skiing, camping, and enjoying nature. Evaluate how an area less than 5,000 acres is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition. Evaluate the degree to which the area may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value. These values are not required to be present in an area for the area to be recommended for inclusion in the NWPS, but their presence should be identified and evaluated where they exist. Such features or values may include: Special Features and Values Rare plant or animal communities or rare ecosystems. Rare can be determined locally, regionally, nationally, or within the system of protected designations. Outstanding landscape features such as waterfalls, mountains, viewpoints, water bodies, or geologic features. Historic and cultural resource sites. Potential or existing research natural areas. High quality water resources or important watershed features. Evaluate the degree to which the area may be managed to preserve its wilderness characteristics. Consider such factors as: Manageability Shape and configuration of the area; Legally established rights or uses within the area; Specific federal or state laws that may be relevant to availability of the area for wilderness or the ability to manage the area to protect wilderness characteristics; and The presence and amount of non-federal land in the area. Affected Environment Table 63 displays the Kootenai NF Management Area Designations for the IRAs and unroaded areas within the Elk Rice project area. Eight unroaded areas, designated as A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H, were analyzed and each is within MA 6 (See Map 7 in Appendix A). Lone Cliff West s 5,311 acres are entirely in the project area. Adjacent to this IRA are three unroaded areas; B-207 acres, C 609 acres and H 249 acres. To the west is the 6,766 acre East Fork Elk IRA and it is entirely within the project area. There are two unroaded areas adjacent to the East Fork Elk IRA; D 216 Elk Rice Environmental Assessment

7 836 acres and E 137 acres. The West Fork Elk IRA s 5,117 acres all fall within the project area with two adjacent unroaded areas; F 348 acres and G 1,095 acres. The East Fork Elk and West Fork Elk IRAs are separated from the East Cathedral Peak IRA of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest in Idaho by a road running along the ridge and boundary between the two states and forests. Unroaded area A, at 2,365 acres, is adjacent to the Lone Cliff Smeads IRA which is situated to the east of the Elk Rice project area. This unroaded area straddles the project boundary with 1,335 acres lying within the project area. Table 63. Kootenai NF Management Area Designations for IRAs or Unroaded Areas IRA or Unroaded area Acres Kootenai NF Management Area Designation Lone Cliff West 5,311 5b East Fork Elk 6, c 5a West Fork Elk 5,117 5a Unroaded A 2,365 6 Unroaded B Unroaded C Unroaded D Unroaded E Unroaded F Unroaded G 1,095 6 Unroaded H The Lone Cliff West IRA is completely within the project area. The IRA is located in the East Fork Elk Creek drainage. Adjacent to the IRA are three unroaded areas, Areas B, C and H. The unroaded areas are almost completely surrounded by roads. The unroaded areas have timbered slopes with varying, but generally steep terrain, and are managed by MA 6 direction in the 2015 Forest Plan. MA 6 allows motor vehicle use, MA6-GDL-AR-01, as well as mechanized use (e.g., mountain bikes and other wheeled equipment). Full descriptions of the MAs are found in Chapter 1 of this EA and in Chapter 3 of the 2015 Forest Plan. East Fork Elk IRA is 6,766 acres and completely within the project area. Unroaded Areas D and E are adjacent to the IRA. MA 6 is the designation of the unroaded areas. The West Fork Elk IRA is also within the project area. Next to this IRA are two unroaded areas (Area F and G) totaling 1,443 acres. Roads and private property encompass almost 80 percent of these unroaded areas perimeter. Generally forested, steep terrain characterizes the unroaded areas. Both Unroaded Area F and G are within MA 6. To the east and outside of the project area is the Lone Cliff Smeads IRA. This IRA has unroaded area A adjacent to it with 1,350 acres of the unroaded area in the project area and 1,015 acres outside of the project area. Unroaded Area A is within MA 6. In Idaho on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest (IPNF), there are three IRAs adjacent to the Project area. East Cathedral Peak, Spion Kop and Teepee Creek IRAs totaling 49,925 of contiguous acres on the IPNF. Elk Rice Environmental Assessment 217

8 Both the natural integrity and apparent naturalness within the IRAs in the project area is moderate to high, with little evidence of man s activities within the IRAs boundaries. Opportunities for solitude and remoteness are moderate to high as a person would venture farther from roads and trails. Backcountry hunting is the primary recreation opportunity offered by the area. The IRAs lack any special features compared to the surrounding landscape and were rated low to moderate. Evidence of logging and historic mining activities can be found within the unroaded areas that include stumps, skid roads, mine excavations, decommissioned access roads, timber harvest activities, and fire wood gathering is obvious. The interiors of the areas may appear natural and unroaded with some remnants of past wildfire and mining activities. Opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation as described in the Wilderness Act are not available in any of the unroaded areas. The sense of solitude is limited within this relatively small and narrow blocks of land. A person may find a sense of isolation from other humans within the interior of the areas, however, the noise from intermittent vehicle traffic on the surrounding roads can still be heard. In some portions of these area, the surrounding roads can be seen. Opportunities for challenge and adventure are low due to the small size of the areas. A person could walk across either area (approximately 1.5 miles from road to road) in about an hour or less. The unroaded areas contain no special features or values and there are no outstanding scenic qualities or unique geologic features. The unroaded areas are comprised of forested slopes that contain dead and dying lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir, with a mix of western larch and other tree species, similar to the surrounding landscape. The ability of the Forest Service to manage the unroaded area to meet the elements of wilderness is low. None of the adjacent IRAs were considered for wilderness and the unroaded areas are narrowly shaped and nearly surrounded by existing roads. None of the unroaded areas are contiguous with any wilderness. Environmental Consequences Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 Alternative 1 does not propose management activities in the IRAs or the unroaded areas. On-going use by the public and potential fire suppression may occur in the IRA, but there would be no effects to the wilderness attributes and roadless characteristics of this area. Alternative 2 There are no activities proposed in the IRA therefore there are no effects to the IRA. In Alternative 2 approximately 799 acres of harvest activities in the unroaded areas are proposed. These acres would be treated to improve resiliency and trend the stand to species more resistant to insects and disease and/or fuels management to reduce hazardous fuels and return the sites to more historical fire regimes. Proposed activities include 21 acres of slashing and burning, regeneration harvest that includes 579 acres of clearcut, 49 acres of Seed-tree harvest and 150 acres of intermediate harvest. Treatments to the activity fuels generated by the harvests would include underburning or piling of slash material then burning of those piles. Table 64 details the timber harvest by unit within the unroaded area and Map 1 Map 6 in Appendix A shows the locations of those activities. Road work in the unroaded areas for this alternative includes the 1 mile re-route,.8 miles of permanent NFSR and 2.0 miles of temporary road construction. Short-term effects to the unroaded areas from harvest activities would be the sights and sounds of the related activities, including increased traffic on NFS roads. Scenic values may be diminished for a period 218 Elk Rice Environmental Assessment

9 of time because of the skyline corridors, roads and harvest units. Because of the selected silvicultural methods to improve forest health and vigor, the effects to wilderness values are more related to skyline corridors, stumps, and roads which may be more apparent but would blend into the landscape over time as vegetation becomes reestablished. Long-term effects of road development and vegetation management activities would slightly reduce the current level of the unroaded area s natural and unroaded characteristics and the existing sense of solitude. There would be no effect on the existing condition for manageability or special features. The unroaded areas currently do not meet the criteria for wilderness area designation, and they would continue to remain unsuitable after project implementation. Table 64. Harvest Unit Description Relevant to Unroaded Areas Unit Prescription MA 6 (acres) Unroaded Area Acres by Alternative Proposed Action 8A Regeneration 22 A B Improvement cut 34 A C Regeneration 39 A D Regeneration 14 A E Regeneration 15 A Improvement cut 29 A Improvement cut 38 A B Regeneration 11 B A Improvement cut 12 B B Improvement cut 4 B A Regeneration 10 B B Regeneration 8 B A Regeneration 20 C B Regeneration 28 C C Regeneration 60 C E Regeneration 40 C Regeneration 33 D Improvement cut 34 D Regeneration 34 D B Regeneration 6 D C Regeneration 28 D Regeneration 36 E Regeneration 81 E T Regeneration 15 E Regeneration 4 G Regeneration 1 G 1 1 Alt 3 Elk Rice Environmental Assessment 219

10 Unit Prescription MA 6 (acres) Unroaded Area Acres by Alternative Proposed Action Alt 3 41 Regeneration 38 G Regeneration 23 G A Nat Fuels 21 G Regeneration 31 H Regeneration 40 H Alternative 3 There are no activities proposed in the IRA therefore there are no effects to the IRA. In Alternative 2 approximately 581 acres of harvest activities in the unroaded areas are proposed. These acres would be treated to improve resiliency and trend the stand to species more resistant to insects and disease and/or fuels management to reduce hazardous fuels and return the sites to more historical fire regimes. Proposed activities include 21 acres of slashing and burning, 8 acres of Aspen restoration, regeneration harvest that includes 334 acres of clearcut, 49 acres of Seed-tree, 129 acres of shelterwood harvest, and 40 acres of intermediate harvest. Treatments to the activity fuels generated by the harvests would include underburning or piling of slash material then burning of those piles. Table 64, above, details the timber harvest by unit within the unroaded area and Map 1 Map 6 in Appendix A shows the locations of those activities. Road work in the unroaded areas for this alternative includes the 1 mile re-route, and 1.5 miles of temporary construction. Short-term effects from harvest activities would be the sights and sounds of the related activities, including increased traffic on system roads. Scenic values may be diminished for a period of time because of the skyline corridors, roads and harvest units. Because of the selected silvicultural methods to improve forest health and vigor, the effects to wilderness values are more related to skyline corridors, stumps, and roads which may be more apparent but would blend into the landscape over time as vegetation becomes reestablished. Long-term effects of road development and vegetation management activities would slightly reduce the current level of the unroaded area s natural and unroaded characteristics and the existing sense of solitude. There would be no effect on the existing condition for manageability or special features. The unroaded areas currently do not meet the criteria for wilderness area designation, and they would continue to remain unsuitable after project implementation. Cumulative Effects The Current and Reasonably Foreseeable Actions listed in Table 18 were considered for cumulative effects. Timber harvest, mining, road building, watershed restoration, and wildfire suppression are a few of the activities that have occurred in the project area. The effects of past management have diminished over time and current conditions in the IRAs meet the natural, unroaded, opportunity for solitude, special features, and manageability characteristics. Proposed activities within the unroaded area are not anticipated to create a cumulatively significant impact. Currently the unroaded areas have low value as wilderness and do not meet the criteria for inventoried roadless designation and this would not change with the reasonably foreseeable actions. 220 Elk Rice Environmental Assessment

11 Regulatory Consistency 2015 Forest Plan The Forest Plan Goal for Inventoried Roadless Areas (GOAL-IRA-01) states that IRAs will be managed to protect values and benefits of roadless areas. The action alternative does not propose any activities within the IRA or any closer than 1.5 miles from the IRA. Forest Plan Standard (FW-STD-IRA-01) makes clear that within inventoried roadless areas, outside of the state of Idaho, the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (36 CFR 294 Subpart B, published at 66 Fed Reg ) shall apply. Neither alternative proposes activities within the IRA so this standard is not applicable to this project. Guideline FW-GDL-IRA-01 has the forest maintain Wilderness potential on 16 percent of the inventoried roadless areas on the forest. Those areas were recommended as wilderness in the 2015 Forest Plan. The Maple Peak IRA #141 was not recommended as wilderness. All Alternatives are consistent with the Forest Plan goals, standards and guidelines. All alternatives are consistent with current national interim direction on managing roadless areas. Elk Rice Environmental Assessment 221