Decision Memo Special Forest Products Sales. USDA Forest Service Detroit Ranger District, Willamette National Forest Marion & Linn County, Oregon

Transcription

1 Decision Memo Special Forest Products Sales USDA Forest Service Detroit Ranger District, Willamette National Forest Marion & Linn County, Oregon 1

2 Table of Contents 1. Purpose and Need Proposed Action Scoping and Public Involvement Categorical Exclusion Concideration of Extrodinary Circumstances Decision and Rational Findings Required by Other Laws Administrative Review and Implementation Date Contact Person

3 Purpose and Need The purpose of this project is to allow the public to harvest Special Forest Products (SFP) that are marketable and re-sprout or re-grow easily, and to allow for the collection of transplants, furniture, fencing and building products as well as driftwood and rocks. The need for this project is generated by demand from the public for various forest products. Product uses from the proposed harvest species are floral, landscaping, furniture building, fencing, building construction and Christmas season greenery. Gathering and use of special forest products provide a variety of economic, social and cultural benefits to both individuals and communities. These products can support a variety of cottage industries in rural communities and help to diversify and strengthen rural economies. Where employment opportunities from traditional industries are declining, such as the logging industry in the current economic market, people who are looking for alternative income sources often turn to collection of these products from nearby forests for income opportunities. Offering sales of special forest products and free use permits will: a. Reduce uncontrolled illegal harvest of SFP on the landscape and protecting those areas that are sensitive to disturbance. There will be an expected reduction in garbage, poaching and illegal campsites, associated with uncontolled harvest. b. Promote forest health by utilizing special forest product permit contracts to remove products in a manner that promotes ecosystem health of the proposed project areas. c. Assist road management objectives for maintaining safe site distances by utilizing SFP permit contracts along roadways to remove encroaching vegetation and rocks. d. Reduce fuel loading build up by removing the ground level natural fuels and boughs. e. Provide valuable forest products to promote a healthy local economy. Proposed Action The proposed action is to implement the sale of SFP in a contracted personal permit which regulates activities and manage the forest environment and meet the demand for these products by the public. Harvesting of these products will be from within established district road prisms, young managed stands and gravel pits. Beargrass harvest would be tied to harvesting within 150 feet of existing roads. These proposed activities are not ground disturbing in nature with the exception of transplants and rock gathering. Gathering of products will be restricted to hand digging or hand gathering methods only. The primary removal method for these products will be by hand carrying products to existing roads. Types of SFP to be harvested: a. Floral and landscaping products consisting of transplants, plant clippings and decorative landscaping and wood chunks. Species to be collect are manzanita, madrone, vine maple, California hazel, Oregon boxwood, rhododendron, chinquapin, bear grass, salal, sword fern, willow, oregon grape, pearly everlasting, princess pine Pipsissewa, Oregon stonecrop Sedum Oreganum, hardwoods & conifer seedlings. Decorative wood chunks would also be collected from existing logging landing sites, and the Detroit Lake Reservoir corral sweeping disposal site. b. Christmas season products consist of all species of bough and Christmas trees. To provide for a sustainable harvest over time, tipping would be used to remove boughs from the bottom half of the height of the tree for all species, except for western white pine. By taking only the tips of the branches and leaving the remainder, it allows for regeneration of the boughs that can be used in future harvests. In addition, removing boughs from the lower half of the height of the tree keeps the tree alive and helps to minimize declines in plant growth and vigor. c. Furniture, fencing and building products are used in the construction of multiple types of furniture, fencing and building construction. Conifer and hardwood trees utilized for these types of products would be 7.0 inches and less at the small end and no longer than 15 feet in length. d. Landscape rock products for uses in gardens and walk-ways would be collected from existing rock pits and from existing road system ditchlines. 3

4 Scoping and Public Involvement This project was listed in the Winter 2012 Forest Focus, the Willamette National Forests, Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA). A scoping letter seeking comments was mailed on February 10, 2012 to the Interested Parties on the Detroit Ranger District mailing list. No public scoping comments were received. Under internal scoping, Detroit Ranger District specialist raised no issues and found no effects in relation to implementing these projects upon following guidelines and rescrictions in the individual harvest areas. All specialist reports and documentations are located in the project file. Categorical Exclusion The proposed action can be categorically excluded from further analysis and documentation in an environmental impact statement (EIS) or environmental analysis (EA) because there are no extraordinary circumstances and it falls into the category described in Forest Service Handbook Chapter 30 section (2) and section 32.2(6). Based on past experience, the effects of implementing this action will be of limited context and intensity and will result in little or no environmental effects to either the physical or biological components of the environment. The action does not involve significant affects to any extraordinary circumstances (see Table 1). Therefore, this action can be categorically excluded from documentation in an EA or EIS. Table 1: Consideration of Extraordinary Circumstances Resource Conditions Considered Federally-listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat, or Forest Service sensitive species. Flood plains, Wetlands, or Municipal Watersheds. Congressionally designated areas such as Wilderness, Wilderness study, or National Recreation areas. Present or Not Yes Yes Cause-Effect Relationship between Proposed Action and Potential Effect on Resource Conditions? All proposed project activities are designed to protect TE&S Species. None - No hydrologic disturbing activities will occur. All riparian areas will be buffered 100 feet following regulations. No None Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs). No None - This project does not involve any activities that could affect IRA characteristics. Research Natural Areas. No None Native American religious or cultural sites, archeological sites, or historic properties or areas. Yes None - No project activities occur on American Indian or Alaska Native religious or cultural sites. Special Forest Products harvest is not ground-disturbing in nature and known cultural sites will be avoided, so no heritage resources would be affected by this project. 4

5 Decision and Rational It is my decision to implement the sale of personal use and free use permits of special forest products on the Detroit Ranger District. The primary need for this project is provide special forest products to the public and to help manage the forest environment. A secondary need is for economic stimulus, providing products to the public create jobs and economical growth for local communities. The primary harvest method would be by hand and considered non ground disturbing. The possible use of chainsaws in the harvest and transportation of special forest products such as Christmas trees and boughs would be seasonally restricted to avoid disturbance of wildlife or disturbance of recreational opportunities such as hunting seasons. Findings Required by Other Laws I find that this project complies with all laws, regulations and policies regarding special forest products. The table below outlines the major laws with respect for special forest products and displays how this project complies with those laws. Year Enacted Title Summary How applied in this project 1897 Organic Act Gives the Forest Service the authority to develop and administer rules governing forest occupancy, use, and related activities Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA) 1976 National Forest Management Act (NFMA) Directs the Forest Service to manage the national forests for multiple uses on a sustained yield basis. The uses explicitly stated in the law include timber, range, watershed protection, fish and wildlife, wilderness, and recreation. Creates the environmental impact statement (EIS) and environmental assessment (EA) as instruments of environmental policy. Requires public participation. Council on Environmental Quality regulations allow federal agencies to exclude certain categories of actions from documentation in EA or EIS. Establishes a formal procedure for federal agencies to classify plant and animal species as threatened or endangered and provide for their protection. Directs the Forest Service to integrate renewable resource management into its planning processes. Requires national For this project, activities such as buying and camping on national forest lands follow these regulations. This project provides protection for threatened and endangered species, and ensures long-term sustainable harvest of these renewable special forest products. Scoping was conducted as required by NEPA. This project follows FSH Chapter 30 requirements for categorically excludable activities. ESA consultation was done according to requirements - see FY NLAA Biological Assessment for Disturbance and Letter of Concurrence from US Fish and Wildlife Service ref I-0127 This project was developed in full compliance with the NFMA via compliance with the Willamette National Forest Land and 5

6 Year Enacted 1992 Memo from Chief (Robertson 1992) 1993 Special Forest Products EA for Willamette National Forest 2000 Consolidated FY 2000 Appropriations Act, Sec. 339 of P.L National Strategy for Special Forest Products 2002 Forest Service Handbook Chapter 80 effective Title Summary How applied in this project forests to develop forest-wide plans by using procedures designed to encourage public participation. Established ecosystem management as the guiding policy for managing lands in the National Forest System. Calls for managing for biological sustainability while simultaneously taking into account human needs and values. Amends Willamette National Forest Plan (1990) with Standards and Guidelines and monitoring strategy for Special Forest Products. Rider entitled Pilot Program of Charges and Fees for Harvest of Botanical Products requires the FS to charge fair market value fees for NTFPs and conduct analyses to ascertain whether NTFP harvesting levels are sustainable. This strategy constitutes the agency s overarching policy statement with respect to NTFP management Added new direction for NTFP management on national forests, including requirements that national forests manage NTFP sustainably, incorporate NTFPs into forest plans, and subject NTFP Resource Management Plan 1990, as amended. The project follows appropriate standards and guidelines and management direction for the Management Allocations in the project area. Proposed bough harvest done in sustainable manner while also taking into account human needs to use these products. This project follows applicable standards and guidelines for special forest products outlined in this document. Special Forest Product permits will be in compliance with the provisions of this requirement. Project is consistent with this strategy by offering SFP s within the limitations of ecosystem sustainability for people to pursue their economic, social, and cultural wellbeing. It follows standards and guidelines in the Forest Plan that are based on ecologically sound principles. Proposed harvest practices foster sustainability and a conservation ethic. Special Forest Product harvest as proposed follows requirements for sustainability. Harvesting activities follow appropriate NEPA analysis (for CEs). 6

7 Year Enacted Title Summary How applied in this project December 16, 2002 harvesting activities to NEPA analyses. The directive also encourages forests to conduct inventories to assess impacts of management actions on NTFPs and collaborate in local partnerships to manage NTFPs. Administrative Review and Implementation Date Implementation and administrative review opportunities will be determined upon completion of the legal comment period pursuant to 36 CFR Contact Person For additional information concerning this decision or the Forest Service appeal process, please contact: Susan Crowder Special Forest Products Coordinator HC 73 PO Box 320 Mill City, Or Responsible Official: Grady McMahan District Ranger Date 7