Newport/Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts

Transcription

1 United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Newport/Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts 315 North Warren Newport, WA FAX: File Code: 1950/2630 Date: October 18, 2012 Dear Planning Participant: The Newport-Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts, in coordination with the Pend Oreille County Public Utility District (PUD), are proposing to enhance/restore aquatic habitat within the LeClerc Creek watershed. The proposed project restoration work is located on National Forest System (NFS) lands including White Man Creek and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek (see Vicinity Map attached). Analysis of the proposed White Man Creek/Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek restoration will be documented in an Environmental Assessment (LeClerc Fish Habitat Improvement EA). The purpose of this letter is to give the public an opportunity to provide early and meaningful participation on a proposed action prior to a decision being made by the Responsible Official (USDA Forest Service). Further information of project proposals is available on the World Wide Web at: Location The proposed project is located on tributaries to the Pend Oreille River in Northeast Washington State, approximately 100 miles north of the City of Spokane, and more specifically, within the LeClerc Creek watershed. The Project includes in-stream and upland areas along White Man Creek, and upland area along Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek. The analysis area includes about 140 acres of National Forest land within the LeClerc Creek watershed. Project work will include approximately 10 acres of potential disturbance. The proposed White Man Creek Project area encompasses 3.7 miles along the mainstream of White Man Creek, from its confluence with West Branch LeClerc Creek. The analysis area is located at the upper end of Section 8 and Section 5 of T36N, R44E and Sections 32 and 29 of T37N, R44E and consists of Reaches RW1 and WM1-6 (see attached map). Elevations in the White Man Creek Project area range from 3,200 feet at its confluence with Red Man Creek to 4,800 feet at the upstream end (NW1/4 of Section 29). The Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek analysis area (surveyed areas) includes uplands within NFS lands, Section 10, R36N, R44E; and lands within private property (Sections 11 and 15 of R36N, R44E) including the NW portion of Reach R12 (Section 15), and R17 through R18. The NEPA Environmental Assessment will address only the NFS lands (R12, within Section 10, and Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper

2 R13-16: see attached map). Elevations at the Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek Project area range from 3,200 feet at the lower end of the Project area, to over 4,400 feet at the nearby peaks. Primary access to White Man Creek and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek analysis areas is from LeClerc Creek Road, East Fork LeClerc Creek Road and NFS Road At the junction of NFS-1935/NFS , NFS veers NE to the analysis area and the headwaters of Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek, and NFS-1935 continues NW to NFS-1936 and the White Man Creek analysis area. Purpose and Need for Action The Trout Habitat Restoration Program (THRP, 2010) requires the PUD to restore and maintain 164 miles of tributary habitat over 25 years. The THRP includes streams within LeClerc Creek, Calispell, Cee Cee Ah, Indian, Ruby, Cedar, Tacoma, and Mill Creek watersheds. The proposed White Man Creek (tributary of the West Branch LeClerc Creek) and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek restoration will fulfill a part of the THRP requirements. The purpose of this proposed project is to restore habitat within White Man Creek and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek. The restoration efforts are needed and required under Revised 4(e) Condition 6 of the Box Canyon License and associated THRP. Actions implemented to address the White Man Creek and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek restoration work include the following: Identify key watersheds (i.e. LeClerc) Conduct general surveys to identify stream limiting factors Identify streams and areas that need improvement Conduct in-field target surveys Identify restoration sites based on desirable stream habitat and a minimum threshold of 85% of the desirable condition. The Reaches surveyed within White Man Creek include RW1 and WM1-WM6, and the Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek surveys include Reaches (see attached map). Produce a design report that identifies the work to be done. Project restoration work is needed to restore and enhance aquatic habitat in-stream, and provide upland access to restoration sites, including staging areas and access routes. Trees within the project area may be cut to use for restoration activities. Connection to the Forest Plan This analysis will be tiered to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Colville National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan FEIS) and Record of Decision (Forest Plan ROD) as amended and revised; the Inland Native Fish Strategy (INFISH); and the Trout Habitat Restoration Program, Appendix A, Revised 4(e) Condition 6 of the Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project License. These documents provide direction for management of the Forest and associated environmental impacts. The Forest Service is initiating this EA, in coordination 2

3 with the PUD, to meet restoration enhancement requirements of the Box Canyon License and THRP. Management Areas The following addresses the management areas related to the White Man Creek and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek restoration projects. The current Colville National Forest Plan was prepared in The Forest Plan provides direction for each Management Area (MA) and describes the goals, objectives, standards, guidelines, and management prescriptions (Forest Plan Chapter 4, 1988). Based on the existing 1988 Forest Plan and associated management prescriptions, White Man Creek, starting at Section 8 and heading north through Section 5, T36N, R44E, includes Winter Range, Wood/Forage, and adjacent Old Growth Dependent Species Habitat. Further north, through Sections 32 and 29, T37N, R44E; Management Areas along White Man Creek are designated as Wood/Forage, Scenic Timber and Semi-Primitive Non-Motorized Recreation. The Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek project area, Section 10, T36N, R44E, is designated as Wood/Forage. About 140 acres of NFS land lie within the analysis areas. No federal actions are proposed on any non-nfs lands. White Man Creek Management Area 1: Old Growth Dependent Species Habitat 5: Scenic Timber Acres Percent of Analysis Area 5.6 6% % 7: Wood/Forage % 8: Winter Range % 11: Semi-Primitive, Non- Motorized Recreation % Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek Management Area Acres Percent of Analysis Area 7: Wood/Forage % There are five MAs in the White Man Creek analysis area. The Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek includes one MA. Analysis areas are based on stream surveys including in-stream and upland areas along White Man Creek, and upland areas along Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek. This table shows the MAs, and the estimated percent of NFS land allocated to each Management Area within White Man Creek and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek. Management Prescriptions related to the White Man Creek and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc project areas including the goals of each MA are briefly described below. Management Area 1 (Old Growth Dependent Species Habitat): Provide essential habitat for wildlife species that require old growth forest components, and contribute to the maintenance of diversity of wildlife habitat and plan communities. 3

4 Management Area 5 (scenic/timber): In general, management prescriptions include goals to provide a natural appearing foreground, middle, and background along major scenic travel routes while providing wood products. Management Area 7 (Wood/Forage): Management prescriptions include goals to provide optimum production of timber products while protecting basic resources. Management Area 8 (Winter Range): Management goals meet the habitat needs of deer and elk to sustain carrying capacity at 120 percent of the 1980 level, while managing timber and other resources consistent with fish and wildlife management objectives. Management Area 11 (Semi-Primitive, Non-Motorized Recreation): These areas are managed to protect the existing unroaded character and to provide opportunities for dispersed, non-motorized recreation. Proposed Trout Restoration Actions The proposed action is to restore and maintain the physical parameters of stream habitat within White Man Creek and Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek. The analysis area includes around 100 acres along White Man Creek Reaches RW1 and WM1-WM6; and approximately 40 acres within Forest Service lands along Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek, Reaches R12-R16. White Man Creek The White Man Creek analysis area is located on Forest Service lands. Stream surveys on White Man Creek were completed by the PUD in the summer of Survey protocols and limiting factor criteria are described in separate reports (EESC 2011b; 2011c). Results of the surveys indicated a lack of fine sediment and insufficient Large Woody Debris (LWD) (EESC 2011a). Surveys by the Kalispel Tribe (Maroney et al. 1996; Andersen and Olson 2002) indicate that both Brook trout and Westslope Cutthroat trout inhabit the Project Area. Brown trout have not been observed in White Man Creek; however, this species have been found in the lower section of West Branch LeClerc Creek. Survey results, within Reaches RW1 and MW1-MW6, determined that five (5) out of seven (7) Reaches, RW1 and WM3-WM6, meet all habitat attributes; Reaches WM1 and WM2, however, require restoration efforts. Based on the surveys, the restoration work at White Man Creek (Reaches WM1-WM2) is proposed in year Reach WM1 would include fifteen stream restoration sites and WM2 would include four (4) stream restoration sites. Both Reaches WM1 and WM2 sites would be spread out, with wide distances between each restoration site. Light gear would be used to minimize impacts related to access roads and staging areas. The light gear would include hand carried winches with block and tackle and chainsaws, and perhaps pack mules or horses, as needed. No loaders of excavators would be used. The Project work would include approximately 213,750 sq-ft or 4.9 acres of potential disturbance. The EA analysis will include both in-stream and upland areas. 4

5 Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek Upper MB LeClerc Creek includes portions of Reach 12 and Reaches 13-16, that are located within National Forest lands (see attached map). Stream surveys on Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek Reaches were completed by the PUD in the summer of Survey protocols and limiting factor criteria and results are described in separate reports (EESC 2011a; 2011b). Habitat inventories in Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek were also conducted in 1999 by the Kalispel Tribe and indicated that only Brook trout inhabit the fish-bearing waters of the Project Area. The Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek analysis will include the upland area only. The instream analyses and associated reaches were already covered under the Hanlon EA (2010); therefore, in-stream reaches will not be addressed in this document. The Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek Project work, within National Forest lands, includes the southwest corner of Reach 12, Section 10; and Reaches (see attached map). Project work would be initiated in 2013 for the upland work. At Reach 12, the Project work would include upland staging areas and three pathways to access five in-stream restoration sites (see attached map inset). At this site, wood (trees) would need to be imported, and staging areas and paths required to drag and winch the logs to the stream for placement of LWD. Project work at Reach 12 would include potential disturbance of approximately 20,000 sq-ft or 0.48 acres. Trees would be felled within Reaches 13, 14, 15, and 16. Reaches R13 thru R16 sites would be spread out, with wide distances between each restoration site. As with White Man Creek, light gear would be used to minimize impacts related to access roads and staging areas. The gear would include hand carried winches with block and tackle and chainsaws, and perhaps pack mules or horses, as needed. No loaders of excavators would be used. Project work in these reaches would include potential disturbance of approximately 172,500 sq-ft or 4.0 acres. Resource Concerns Preliminary issues may include aquatic resources, cultural resources, rare plants and potential recreational impacts. These issues may result in the formulation of alternatives. At this time, it is assumed that the Alternative Analysis would consist of a No-action and Action alternative(s). Decision Needed The decision needed is whether to implement the trout restoration work proposed on White Man Creek (in-stream and upland areas), and the upland work on the Upper Middle Branch LeClerc Creek. Response To Request Please notify us if you would like to stay on the mailing list for this project as well as let me know if you have any comments or questions regarding this project. You may provide responses to this project by letter, phone call, or to either me or Amy Dillon, District Environmental Coordinator. 5

6 Written comments regarding this project may be sent to me at the address listed on the front page of this letter. Comments may also be submitted via phone at (509) or via to or to Any comments provided will become a matter of public record and should include: the name, address, and telephone number of the provider as well as the title of the document (LeClerc Fish Habitat Improvement EA). Also, comments should include specific items, along with supporting facts, you believe the Responsible Official should consider in reaching a decision. We would appreciate receiving your response by November 9, Sincerely, /s/ Gayne Sears GAYNE SEARS District Ranger Enclosure cc: Amy L Dillon Brian J Peck Debbie Howe (McMillen LLC) 6

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