Scoping Packet. Pre Commercial Thinning CE Contact: Greg Roberts Wrangell Ranger District P.O. Box Bennett St. Wrangell, AK 99929

Transcription

1 Scoping Packet Pre Commercial Thinning CE 2014 Contact: Greg Roberts Wrangell Ranger District P.O. Box Bennett St. Wrangell, AK 99929

2 Introduction The Wrangell Ranger District is proposing to pre-commercially thin and improve timber production and habitat for fish and wildlife as part of a Timber Stand Improvement project. These activities would take place in previously harvested stands and would be completed by a combination of government employees and forestry contractors. The Wrangell Ranger District is scoping to identify any significant issues related to this project. Rationale for Categorically Excluding This Project This activity falls within a category of actions established by the Chief of the Forest Service that normally do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment and, therefore, may be categorically excluded from documentation in an Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment. This category of actions is identified in FSH to 36 CFR , as timber stand and/or wildlife habitat improvement activities that do not include the use of pesticide or do not require more than one mile of low standard road construction. Project Locations The project stands are located on Alaska mainland, accessed from the Frosty Bay LTF. Purpose and Need The purpose and need for the project is to respond to the following Standards and Guidelines identified by the Forest Plan and move the project area toward the desired condition: Beach and Estuary Fringe Wildlife habitat restoration of young-growth conifer stands is encouraged to accelerate development of advanced seral stand structure. Treatments should accelerate old-growth characteristics in order to increase connectivity for wildlife. Treatments may include thinning of young stands, release and pruning. Thinning slash may be lopped and scattered to allow it to make contact with the ground and provide wildlife ease of travel.

3 Riparian Management Areas Maintain or restore natural and beneficial quantities of Large Woody Debris (LWD) over the long-term. Maintain or restore anadromous, alluvial, and high value resident fish habitat capability by providing for natural and beneficial volumes of LWD for rearing and spawning, stream energy dissipation, and sources of organic matter to the stream ecosystem. Pre commercial thinning in OGR and Beach Buffers will have an approximate spacing of 16x16. Thinning gaps or circles may also be created to promote understory growth. Unthinned strips may be left in units as travel corridors. Thinning slash may be untreated, lopped, and or travel corridors may also be created to allow wildlife to travel through thinned areas. Thinning will increase the amount of light reaching the forest floor. This maintains or increases the amount and type of understory available to wildlife as forage. Treatment prescriptions will be developed with consultation from the district fish biologist. Timber Production Activities include those treatments that improve the composition, health, value and growth of a timber stand for the production of saw timber and other wood products. Pre commercial thinning in timber production Land Use Designations (LUD s) will have an approximate spacing of 14x14 feet. Spacing may vary according to best available science. Slash will generally not be treated. Wildlife Continue a young-growth management program to maintain, prolong, and/or improve understory forage production and accelerate forest succession to achieve old growth characteristics in young-growth timber stands for wildlife. Activities would include thinning, release and weeding to promote accelerated development of old-growth characteristics. Pre commercial thinning in OGR and Beach Buffers will have variable spacing between 16 and 24. Thinning gaps or circles may also be created to promote understory growth for Sitka black tailed deer. Site-specific objectives and analysis should identify the gap size. Unthinned strips may be left in units as travel corridors for wildlife. Thinning slash would generally be untreated but may be lopped and scattered, and or travel corridors through slash may also be created to allow wildlife to travel through thinned areas. Thinning trees will increase the amount of light reaching the forest floor. This maintains or increases the amount and type of understory available to wildlife as forage. Treatment prescriptions will be developed with consultation from the district wildlife biologist.

4 The Proposed Action The proposed action would treat approximately 1,000 acres of previously harvested stands. Work would be completed dependent upon available funding and prioritized with assistance from the district Silviculturist. All work would be completed by a combination of government employees along with forestry contractors. Work would be accomplished with power and or hand tools as necessary. No heavy equipment would be used in this project. See attached maps for stand locations. We Request Your Input Information on this project will be posted on our website at: You can send comments by to: comments-alaska-tongasswrangell@fs.fed.us, include PCT in the subject line. Or send written comments to: Wrangell Ranger District C/O Jason Johnson P.O. Box 51 Wrangell, AK Your comments would be most helpful if received before January 15, Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposed action and will be available for public inspection. If you have any questions, please contact Greg Roberts at the Wrangell Ranger District Office (907)

5

6