CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION WORKSHEET: RESOURCE CONSIDERATIONS

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1 CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION WORKSHEET: RESOURCE CONSIDERATIONS Soil Resources Windy-Shingle Project Salmon River Ranger District Nez Perce Clearwater National Forests Summary of Analyses Proposed activities will not create negative long term effects for soil resources in the project area. There are 32 proposed timber harvest units. Thirty of 32 will not result in an increase in detrimental soil disturbance that exceeds the regional standard, and all units will be below the Nez Perce standard for soil disturbance. Due to existing conditions, units 11 and 12B are estimated to exceed the regional soil disturbance standard, post activity. Machine traffic will be confined to existing skid trails and previously compacted areas in units 11 and 12B to mitigate against new soil disturbance. Additionally, skid trails and compacted areas that were utilized during project implementation will be obliterated in order to reduce soil compaction and decrease soil disturbance to values less than existing condition. New and existing temporary roads that are utilized for project implementation will also be decommissioned through obliteration. Approximately 5.3 miles of existing roads will be decommissioned by obliteration; approximately 0.7 miles of existing road will be decommissioned through abandonment. Areas that were identified as landslide prone will be appropriately buffered from proposed vegetation management activities and no roads will be constructed in field verified landslide prone areas. The proposed activities will not increase the rate at which landslides occur within the project area. Postactivity coarse woody debris areal density values will be 7-15 tons/acre in order to facilitate nutrient cycling and site recovery. Introduction The proposed Windy-Shingle vegetation management project (Project) is located in Idaho County, Idaho. The proposed project area encompasses two different areas of project activity, northern and southern, which are separated by the main stem of the Rapid River. The northern extent of the project area is located approximately five miles west of Riggins, Idaho; the southern extent of the project area is located approximately three miles southwest of Pollack, Idaho. The proposed project area is approximately 24,000 acres, however, vegetation management activities are only proposed for 2,804 acres. The proposed project area (Figure 1) is located on National Forest System (NFS) lands within the following Township and Ranges (Boise Meridian):

2 Township 24 North, Range 1 West, Sections 9-17, 20-29, T23N, R1W, Sec 1-10, 12, 13, 24, 25, 26, 36 T23N R1E, Sec 7, 19, T22N, R1W Sec 5 and 6 A small area of private land exists within the project area, but not within one mile of any treatment area., and no activities are proposed on private lands. The project area is adjacent to private land, and lands managed by: the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Hells Canyon Wilderness, the Bureau of Land Management and Idaho Department of Lands. This report summarizes the existing soil conditions within the Windy-Shingle Project Area and describes the potential direct, indirect and cumulative effects to soil resources created by the Windy-Shingle Project. Description of the Proposed Action The proposed Windy-Shingle project area was designated as part of an insect and disease treatment program in accordance with Title VI, Section 602, of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA), as amended by Section 8204 of the Agriculture Act (Farm Bill) of To be designated, areas must be: 1) Experiencing declining forest health, based on annual forest health surveys conducted by the Secretary; 2) At risk of experiencing substantially increased tree mortality over the next 15 years due to insect or disease infestation based on the most recent National Insect and Disease Risk Map published by the Forest Service; or 3) In an area in which the risk of hazard trees poses an imminent risk to public infrastructure, health or safety. Table 1: Summary of Preliminary Proposed Vegetation Management Activities Proposed Vegetation Management Activity Activity/Treatment Size (Acres; rounded to nearest whole #) Fuel Break 29 Regeneration Harvest 1,257 Intermediate Harvest 1,348 Rehabilitation 44 Prescribed Burning 126 TOTAL (acres) 2,804 Road Management Activities for Project Implementation Miles; rounded to nearest tenth) Road Maintenance Proposed 31.3 Road Improvement Proposed 18.3 Road Reconstruction 3.0 Road Decommissioning Proposed 5.3 Temporary road construction Proposed 4

3 Figure 1. The proposed Windy-Shingle Project area, HUC 6 watersheds and major creeks.

4 Regeneration harvest with prescribed burning and/or slash piling: The proposed vegetation management activities include approximately 1,257 acres of regeneration harvest intended to address forest health issues including insect and disease control and fire hazards. Within regenerated areas, irregularly spaced live and dead trees, pockets, stringers (connecting patches of trees) and islands of untreated vegetation would be retained to provide wildlife habitat, maintain visual quality, provide shelter for seedlings, provide a seed source for natural regeneration, and contribute woody debris for long-term site productivity. Generally, a maximum of 30 percent of the trees would remain in areas proposed for regeneration harvest. After harvest is completed, slash and pre-existing natural fuels would be broadcast burned under controlled conditions in order to reduce fuel loading, recycle forest nutrients, and create favorable sites for the establishment of western larch and/or ponderosa pine. Mechanical piling of fuels would occur as needed prior to burning along property boundaries, open roads, leave areas, and some control lines to reduce risk and achieve prescribed fire objectives. Following burning, open areas would be planted with western larch and ponderosa pine seedlings. Both seed from leave trees and the sprouting of hardwoods would contribute additional diversity to the newly established stands. The composition and structure of these stands would increase their resilience and resistance to insects, disease and fire, both in the short and long term. The size of the proposed regeneration units reflects the extent and scope of declining forest health and increasing fire hazard in the project area. Openings greater than 40 acres may result from the regeneration treatments and prescribed burning with units ranging in size from approximately five to 200 acres. Following treatment, the size of open, early seral vegetation patches within the project area will be better aligned with the range of historic variability and would also result in large areas of reduced fire hazard. Within these regenerated areas, green retention trees, snags and coarse wood would be present. In addition, a new generation of desirable, potentially long-lived, early seral tree species including larch and white pine would be established. Conditions in these areas would resemble those that were common in the project area prior to in the 20th century. Intermediate Harvest (Selective Harvest) with Prescribed Burning and/or Piling: The proposed action includes 1,348 acres of intermediate treatments including thinning and improvement harvests. This type of treatment would remove trees in areas where there is the opportunity to maintain or enhance the growth of western larch or ponderosa pine and move stands towards desired structural stages. The trees selected for removal would 1) generally be smaller or less dominant in the stand 2) be species not desired for future stand composition, or 3) diseased or dead trees that are not needed to meet future stand objectives. The removal of these trees would provide growing space for the remaining trees. These stands would generally not contain sufficient openings to allow for the successful establishment of seedlings of desired species. Depending upon site conditions and tree species left after treatment, fuel hazard would be reduced by use of fire or mechanical methods as appropriate.

5 Rehabilitation treatments: Where there are already large openings created by root disease and insect attack, fuels reduction without commercial harvest may be implemented. This treatment would involve cutting and pile burning small, undesirable trees and reforestation with desirable species. No commercial timber harvest would occur in this 44 acre unit. Fuel Breaks: Fuel breaks exist where dead, diseased and dying trees and small-diameter live trees, and brush, are removed by hand with chainsaws. Fuel breaks are established by reducing the connectivity of vertical and horizontal fuels by felling trees and brush, cutting them into lengths, and piling/burning in place in early spring or late fall. This treatment is proposed on approximately 29 acres. Fuel breaks would be created along some private land boundaries in the area of Road 517 in Unit 5. The fuel breaks would act to slow advancing fires and provide firefighters and the public with improved ingress and egress opportunities in the event of a wildfire. It is anticipated that fuel break width will be approximately 200 feet, but the exact width would be determined on a site-specific basis taking into account slope, stand density and fuel loading. The thinning of larger live trees within the 200 foot fuelbreak would potentially occur during commercial harvest in Unit 5. Landslide prone areas identified as inclusions in other units may also be treated as fuel breaks to manage fuel loading without commercial harvest. Underburning Without Harvest: Underburning without harvest includes the introduction of fire to a forested area without prior modification of stand structure. This treatment is proposed in areas with desirable, fire-resistant species such as Ponderosa Pine and Western Larch. This is a low intensity burn and is intended to consume surface fuels and ladder fuels, without consuming the overstory canopy. Ignition in underburns would progress slowly to ensure survival of the overstory. The 126 acre unit where this is proposed primarily consists of open ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir with a grassy understory. Road management: A variety of road work is necessary to implement the project such as: maintenance, reconditioning, reconstruction, and temporary road construction. The construction of approximately four miles of temporary roads is proposed, including two miles of existing temporary road, 1.2 miles of new temporary road and 0.7 miles of new temporary swing road. Temporary swing trails would resemble skid trails more than engineered road prisms. These temporary roads will be decommissioned within three years of project completion. No new permanent roads would be constructed for the Windy- Shingle project. Approximately 5.3 miles of existing system roads will be decommissioned within the project area through obliteration or abandonment. Road obliteration would consist of recontouring the road template back to the natural grade; all culverts would be removed. Roads that do not contain culverts and that have begun to revegetate will be decommissioned through abandonment. We anticipate roads 2056C1, 2056C2 and 2056C3 (approximately 0.7 miles) will be decommissioned by abandonment; the remaining roads to be decommissioned will be obliterated.

6 Road Treatment Explanations Road Maintenance: Road maintenance is typically performed on roads used for harvest activities and log haul to minimize erosion and provide proper drainage. The existing templates of the road are typically safely passable by vehicles and require little work for safe log haul. Road maintenance work consists of surface reshaping and blading, typically light roadside brushing, installation of drainage dips and ditch, repairing small slides and slumps and culvert maintenance. Surface reshaping, installation of drainage dips and functioning ditches and repairing small slides and slumps and culvert maintenance can greatly reduce potential for sedimentation and/or erosion and rutting from roads and would likely improve exiting watershed conditions and water quality to project area streams. Road Improvements: Road improvements are typically performed on roads that require more work than road maintenance to bring up to a safe standard for log haul and vehicular passage. Roads that require improvements may have some drainage and slope/sluff issues that make passage difficult. These roads may also have thicker vegetation on the shoulders or growing within the road prism. Activities may include grading and shaping of the road surface, cleaning and reshaping ditches, catch basins and culvert inlets/outlets to achieve positive drainage; replacement or new installations of culverts, repairing soft or unstable roadbed, roadside brushing or clearing and grubbing, minor cut slope and fill slope stabilization, surface gravel placement, and surface compaction. Improving drainage (proper sized culverts and added dips) and unstable road bed can reduce potential for road failure, sedimentation, erosion and rutting. Road Reconstruction: Road reconstruction will have similar effects as road improvements. Clearing, grubbing, and brushing will be implemented to improve sight distance and proper widths and curve widening will be implemented to improve safety for log hauling operations. Access may be restricted during the implementation of road reconstruction activities to protect the public. Road Decommissioning: Road decommissioning can be done in two ways, through road obliteration or abandonment. Descriptions of each are as follows. o o Road obliteration would include recontouring of the road template. All perennial and intermittent stream channel crossings (culverts) would be removed. Disturbed soils would be revegetated with local native transplants and/or seed. Decommissioning roads by obliteration would directly improve soil conditions by decompacting soils and adding wood and other organic matter to the existing road surface. Slope stability and hydrologic function would improve, reducing the potential risk of mass erosion from culvert or fill failures. If a road is currently revegetated and stable with no culverts, it may be abandoned. Roads proposed for decommissioning by abandonment are often ridgetop roads on

7 gentle slopes with few, if any, culverts and where road surveys show exiting hydrological stability and minimal risk of soil erosion or mass failure. These roads generally have a narrow disturbed width, have adequate plant and organic cover, and have cut and fill slopes of no more than two feet in height. Abandonment would leave the road in place but inaccessible to any vehicle use and would eventually become naturally rehabilitated. McClinery Pit Development McClinery Pit exists off of an unnamed side road that is connected to the 517F road and is located on McClinery Ridge. The pit was originally developed in 1990 to support the Shingle Forks Timber Sale and currently has room for expansion. Crushing surface and base aggregate sources at this site would provide a source for future aggregate placement projects in the area and for maintenance needs on the nearby roads. The area of disturbance, including stockpile areas and pit excavation, would be approximately 3 acres. Disturbance would include: clearing and grubbing source areas, crushing and sorting operations during production, reserving topsoil where available and reclaiming the pit area with topsoil, seeding and placing slash where appropriate. The short term effects would be increased traffic during crushing operations, some increase in noise levels from crushing activities and some potential dust development. The long term benefits would be a local source of aggregate that would be applied to roads to reduce sediment runoff. Sediment Reducing Watershed Improvement: As part of the proposed action, roads used for log haul would be either be improved, receive road maintenance treatments or would be permanently decommissioned miles of road would be improved, 41 miles of road would receive maintenance treatments and over 6 miles of existing road would be decommissioned. This work would improve overall water quality within the project area streams and would help to continue upward trends in terms of Forest Plan fish habitat and stream water quality objectives. The proposed road work would reduce potential for sedimentation and/or erosion and rutting from roads, and could reduce risk of road or culvert failure. Exiting watershed conditions and the water quality of project area streams would benefit from proposed road work. Required Design Features The following design features are required to ensure compliance with the regulatory framework for soils as a resource and/or to reduce the risk of adverse impacts to soils. A description is provided as to when, where and how the design feature should be applied and/or what conditions would trigger the need to apply the design feature. 1. PACFISH buffers will be applied to field verified landslide prone areas and no construction of roads or skid trails, or use of heavy ground-based machinery, is allowed. No harvest activities will occur in landslide prone areas, however, prescribed fire may creep into the buffer but will not be ignited therein. If landslide prone features are identified during unit layout, those areas exhibiting landslide prone features will be avoided. Landslide prone areas should be considered as locations for tree

8 retention to provide sufficient living trees to uptake water and reduce subsurface lateral flow associated with mass wasting events. Anticipated Effectiveness: Data from Forest Plan monitoring indicates PACFISH buffers have a high effectiveness (USDA Forest Service 2016) 2. Ground-based yarding may operate on slopes up to and note exceeding 35 percent. All new skid trails would be designated and laid out to take advantage of topography and existing road prisms and minimize disruption of natural drainage patterns and depressions in the landscape which may have higher moisture content. Skid trail spacing would be a minimum of 80 feet apart, except where they converge. Anticipated Effectiveness: Ground based harvest on shallower slopes reduces rutting and compacting along equipment trails and avoids areas of potential unstable slopes. Proper design of the skid trail system minimizes impacts from skidding 3. Coarse woody debris (diameter greater than 3 inches) and fine organic matter (all organic matter less than 3 inches) would be retained on the ground for sustained nutrient cycling. A. Coarse woody debris will be retained at a rate of 7-15 tons per acre. B. Leave all flush cut stumps and roots in place following tree removal to provide soil cohesion and support. C. Regeneration harvest areas will retain 8-12 green trees and 4-6 snags per acre on a acre basis. Snags and Leave trees will be clumped, and selected for larger and more persistent trees for future down wood recruitment. D. Non-merchantable snags or other designated retention trees felled for safety reasons would be left in the unit. See the Vegetation design features for a more detailed description of snag and green tree retention. Anticipated Effectiveness: Large woody material is essential for maintaining ecosystem function by supporting moderate soil temperatures, improved soil water availability, and biodiversity (Page- Dumroese et al. 2010, Page-Dumroese et al. 1998, Highland et al 2008). 4. Prescribed burning will only occur when conditions ensure light to moderate fire severity. This will be achieved through appropriate timing such as to minimize the blackened surface duration, litter/duff/soil moisture conditions that limit the loss of litter and duff. Additionally, the ignition techniques employed will promote a mosaic burn pattern in order to limit continuous burned areas on erodible slopes and promote establishment of erosion-minimizing vegetation. Pile burning will be limited to occur only when conditions will minimize detrimental burning of soils, such as when the ground is frozen or soil moisture is sufficiently high (Frandsen and Ryan 1986). Anticipated Effectiveness: Frandsen and Ryan (1986) demonstrated that implementing prescribed burning and pile burning under the described conditions can reduce soil impacts.

9 5. Timber harvest operations would be limited to periods when soils have dried sufficiently (Page- Dumroese et al 2007), or limited to periods when ground is frozen or covered by approximately 6 inches of snow (Page-Dumroese et al 2007; Reeves et al. 2011). Harvest operations will be suspended during wet or thawing conditions. Anticipated Effectiveness: Page-Dumroese et al (2007) found the above practices to be the most effective at controlling compaction from timber harvest activities. 6. Due to the high existing detrimental soil disturbance in units 11 and 12B, specific mitigation to prevent exceeding the Regional Soil standard for detrimental soil disturbance must be implemented. Existing temp roads, skid trails, or compacted areas in units 11 and 12B will be reused. Additionally, these skid trails and compacted areas will be restored by decompacting the affected areas. Anticipated Effectiveness: These design features are common ways of mitigating detrimental soil disturbance Region 1 and Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest. Implementing these design features will ensure that no new detrimental soil disturbance is created. Post-project detrimental soil disturbance levels should be less than the existing conditions in units 11and 12B. Cause-Effect Relationship Using heavy, ground-based equipment to harvest and skid timber can have direct and indirect adverse effects on soil resources (NCASI 2004). Direct effects to soils include compaction or rutting of surface soil layers. These effects can reduce the soil s ability to transmit air and water to plant roots, limit the volume of pore space available to store water, and inhibit root growth. Detrimental soil disturbance (DSD) may occur as a result of mechanical timber harvest and related work such as road building, landing creation, skid trail construction, or the use of scarification to enhance conifer regeneration. Depending on properties of the underlying soil resource, the removal of surface mineral soil layers can potentially cause long term degradation of the soil. Indirect effects include the potential for accelerated soil erosion and/or loss of soil productivity. Broadcast burning and the burning of slash piles can cause detrimental soil disturbance by severely heating the soil temporarily sterilizing surface soil horizons and/or creating hydrophobic properties. Soil sterilization commonly occurs when the soil is exposed to high temperatures for a prolonged period, which is more likely to occur when piles of larger sized material burn for an extended time. Additionally, the post-burn residual ash layer and fire-caused hydrophobic soil properties effectively seal the soil surface, restricting air and water movement into the soil. This scenario creates a poor medium for vegetation reestablishment. Coarse woody debris (CWD) is a natural component of forested ecosystems and is essential for maintaining ecosystem function by supporting moderate soil temperatures, improving soil water availability, and biodiversity (Page-Dumroese et al. 2010). Removal of CWD and surface litter can reduce

10 soil nutrient cycling and fertility. Research by Graham et al (1994) is commonly cited when approximating the necessary areal density of CWD according to habitat types. Maintaining the appropriate areal density of CWD and leaving flush cut stumps and roots in situ will reduce erosion and mass wasting potential. Detrimental Soil Disturbance Soil productivity is defined as the inherent capacity of the soil to support the growth of specific plants, plant communities, or a sequence of plant communities (Miller et al. 2010). Vegetation management activities proposed in the Windy-Shingle project may result in detrimental soil disturbance (DSD); these effects are primarily associated with ground-based yarding and harvest systems. When added to preexisting levels of detrimental disturbance, new disturbance may result in areas exceeding the Regional Soil Quality Standards for DSD. In order to estimate detrimental impacts and their effects to site productivity, this analysis considered the distribution, duration, extent and degree of disturbance. The Regional Standard (USDA 1999) specifies a maximum 15% allowable detrimental soil disturbance (DSD) following implementation and restoration for all treatment units having ground-disturbing activities. The Nez Perce National Forest Plan allows a maximum DSD of 20%. DSD can be a result of ground-disturbing activities typically associated with vegetation management including: constructing landings, skid trails and roads, and harvesting with ground based machinery. Skyline systems generally have low DSD and helicopter systems have even less. In units 11 and 12B, where existing DSD is already high and proposed vegetation management may increase DSD above the regional standard, existing skid trails and/or compacted areas will be reused to mitigate additional disturbance. Additionally, these skid trails and compacted areas will be restored by decompaction. Reeves et al. (2011) provides an estimate of the anticipated DSD increase for a variety of timber harvest methods (Table 2). For the timber harvest activities proposed in the Windy-Shingle project, the highest expected increases in DSD are anticipated to result from the use of ground-based tractor skidding. The anticipated DSD increase for skyline skidding is approximately half that of ground-based skidding and helicopter skidding has a negligible increase to DSD. The Forest Soil Disturbance Monitoring Protocol (Page-Dumroese et al. 2009) has been found to overestimate the amount of detrimental disturbance and provides a conservative estimate of existing disturbance (Page-Dumroese et al. 2006; Miller et al. 2010). For this reason, existing and modeled values for detrimental soil disturbance values are not absolute and are best used to compare alternatives. The calculation of additional disturbance from a given activity is an estimate based upon a combination of factors including: existing ground cover, soil texture, timing of operations, equipment used, equipment operator skill, the amount of wood removed, and sale administration (Page-Dumroese et al 2009).

11 Table 2. Detrimental soil disturbance coefficients used for various logging scenarios (Reeves et al. 2011). Harvest/Yarding Method Detrimental Soil Disturbance Coefficients (percent) Tractor; Tractor/Jammer 8 Cable 4 Helicopter 0 Regulatory Framework The proposed action has been reviewed and is determined to be in compliance with the management framework applicable to this resource. The laws, regulations, policies and Forest Plan direction applicable to this project and this resource are as follows: Forest Service Manual Chapter 2550 Soil Management (USDA 2010) FSM 2500 R-1 Supplement R Soil and Water Conservation Practices (USDA 1988) and National Water Quality BMPs (USDA 2012) The National Forest Management Act (USDA 1976) 2550 Watershed and Air Management Manual (November 2010) - The Forest Service Soils Management Manual (USDA 2010) and Region 1 Soil Quality Standards (USDA 2010) provide guidelines and methods to show compliance with NFMA. The Forest Service Soils Manual, FSM 2550, has an objective to Manage resource uses and soil resources on National Forest System Lands to sustain ecological processes and function so that desired ecosystem services are provided in perpetuity (page 4). Soil policy states that the use of soil properties to assess the condition and potential effects on soils, when planning and implementing project activities is to occur and include soil function and processes in addition to soil disturbance (page 5). The FSM identifies Page-Dumroese et al. (2009) as a method for assessing soil disturbance in forested landscapes (page 9). Region 1 FSM Soil Supplement (effective 11/12/99) - The objectives of the R1 Soil Quality Standards (R1 SQS) include managing NFS lands without permanent impairment of land productivity and to maintain or improve soil quality ; similar to the National Forest Management Act of Region 1 SQS s are based on the use of six physical and one biological attribute to assess current soil quality and project effects. These attributes (compaction, rutting, displacement, severely-burned soils, surface erosion, soil mass movement, and organic matter (the biological attribute) are easy to measure in the field and when interpreted by journey level soil scientists provide reasonable assessment of soil quality (Powers 2002). The analysis standards address basic elements for the soil resource: (1) soil productivity (including soil loss, porosity; and organic matter), and (2) soil hydrologic function. The soil productivity direction

12 identifies a value of 15% detrimental soil disturbance as a guideline for maintenance or loss of soil productivity and to show compliance with NFMA. Region 1 FSH Watershed Conservation Practices Handbook (USDA 1988) and the National Water Quality BMPs (USDA 2012) provides direction for the implementation of Watershed Conservation Practices or Best Management Practices (BMPs). Implementation of BMPs minimizes effects of management activities on soil and water resources and protects water-related beneficial uses. Best Management Practices are designed to assure compliance with the Clean Water Act (Sections 208 and 319 Non-point Source Pollution) and State of Montana Water Quality Standards (MOU National Forest and State of Montana, Jan 30, 1987). National Forest Management Act of Renewable Resource Program. Section 6(g)(3)(C) states that harvest cuts shall be carried out in a manner consistent with the protection of soil resources and that soil, slope, or other watershed conditions will not be irreversibly damaged. In addition NFMA refers to soil and land productivity with the following statement without substantial and permanent impairment of the productivity of the land. And to maintain or improve soil quality (USDA 1976). Soil productivity is defined as the inherent capacity of the soil resource, including the physical, chemical, and biological components, to support resource management objectives. It includes the growth of specific plants, plant communities, or a sequence of plant communities (FSM 2550). Site productivity is the species-specific response to the entire ecosystem. Site productivity includes all the ecosystem processes, including the effect of climatic, physiographic, and vegetative characteristics of a specific site as well as the soil. Nez Perce Forest Plan The Nez Perce Forest plan states: A minimum of 80 percent of an activity area shall not be detrimentally compacted, displaced, or puddled upon completion of activities. This effectively limits detrimental soil disturbance to 20% of the activity area or less, although the plan also states that this direction does not apply to permanent facilities such as roads or permanent recreation facilities. Spatial Boundary Regional soil standards are based on the premise that productivity is site specific and effects should not be analyzed at a watershed scale (Page-Dumroese et al. 2006). Given the premise that soil productivity is site specific, protocols outlined in the Region 1 Approach to Soils NEPA Analysis (USDA 2011) require an evaluation of predicted Detrimental Soil Disturbance (DSD) for specific activity areas; in this case harvest units are considered activity areas. The areas assessed for soils concerns are the individual treatment units (variable acres) and temporary roads within the project area. Temporal Boundary The temporal scale is dependent on the specific issues being addressed, with no one scale being appropriate for all issues. The analysis may need to evaluate the effects of proposed management over all seasons for several days, years, and even decades. This is complicated by data constraints that require constant monitoring to detect change though data is often insufficient to identify trends or

13 trajectories of change until the impact is large enough or has been occurring for sufficient time. Furthermore, there is often a lag between some actions and the observed effect. This is particularly true for soils. This analysis strives toward an integrated approach to soil processes and function to project future trends in response to proposed management options to the best abilities. Existing Conditions The Island Ecosystem Analysis at the Watershed Scale (EAWS) analyzed the portion of the Nez Perce National Forest that is located between the Salmon and Snake Rivers, known as the Island. The Windy- Shingle project is located in the southern portion of the Island and the Island EAWS states the following for soil resources (USDA 2008A): Soil productivity in the Island area is moderate to high due to nutrient rich geological materials Soil surface layers and substrata are relatively resistant to erosion High landslide hazard areas are fairly widespread and have played a large role in shaping the local landscape Compaction effects are long lasting due to fine soil texture Existing compaction is primarily from ground based timber harvest, and is acute on the existing network of roads, skid trails and unregulated ATV trails The inherent modest erodibility has mitigated erosional effects from the many older roads designed with few erosion controls Fire suppression since the 1930 s and fine fuel reduction earlier due to heavy grazing have reduced the rate of soil and soil nutrient loss from fire, but areas of multiple departures from their natural fire interval may be susceptible to more severe fire and erosional response The Island EWAS described the general geology within the project area (Figure 2, in Appendix; USDA 2008B). The geology of the S. Creek and Lower Rapid River watersheds generally varies by elevation with the higher elevation areas dominated by metavolcanic rock types, mid-slope areas are generally limestone and the lower elevations are generally basalt with some areas of metavolcanics. The geology of the Sheep Creek Little Salmon River watershed is generally metavolcanics with pockets of schist occurring in the Northern portion of the watershed and in the area of Indian Creek. Weathering of these rock types results in medium to fine textured soils. Columbia River flood basalts in the project area occur primarily in the lower reaches of S. Creek and P. Creek. The Imnaha and Grande Ronde formations dominate these million year old basalts. Weathering of basalts results in fine textured soils with coarse angular rock fragments that may contain subsoil clay layers. Soils derived from basalts are inherently nutrient-rich and exhibit a relatively low to moderate erosion hazard (USDA 2008B). Volcanic ash influenced loess derived from Mt. Mazama was deposited on the area about 6700 years ago and is commonly found in the highest elevations of the project area. In the Island Ecosystem Analysis area, ash deposits may be thin or mixed with subsoil material. They are not always readily

14 differentiated from the similarly textured subsoil horizons. These ash deposits increase the available water capacity and nutrient retention in these soils, increasing soil productivity. Limestone geology is generally found in the middle elevations of the project area, lower than volcanic deposits and higher than basalt deposits. Some patches of limestone geology is found in higher elevations in the Lower Rapid River Watershed, just south of the south fork of Shingle Creek. Several faults transect the project area, and they generally trend from south to north. Areas of intense faulting or contact zones between limestone and other rock types show higher incidence and size of mass wasted landforms. Old landslides on gentle to moderate slopes are often predominantly stable today. Relatively recent glacial activity (perhaps about 20,000 years ago) scoured the slopes around the Seven Devils peaks and in upper elevations of the Rapid River subwatersheds. These areas have shallow soils with abundant rock outcrop and rock fragments. Most of the rock types found in the project area form medium to fine textured soils with high amounts of angular rock fragments. Inherent nutrient content is likely to be good and erosion hazard is low to moderate because of stable soil aggregates and high rock content. The majority of the project area was determined to have moderate risk of soil erosion with some areas of high risk which are predominately located in the higher elevation glaciated terrain where volcanic ash influenced soils may be thin or mixed and the more erodible residual material exposed. The dominant erosion processes that have shaped the project area have been influenced by geology, landform, vegetation, climate and episodic fire or climatic disturbance. Soils in the project area generally have some component of ash cap (Table 3), however the majority of these soils have a minor influence from the ash cap. Approximately 719 acres have soils that are considered thin pure mantle of ash cap, and an additional 478 acres have soils with a think pure mantle of ash cap. Approximately 348 acres are considered to be rock outcrop and an additional 23 acres did not have digital data available. Table 3. Ash capped soils in the project area. Ash Cap Status Total Amount in Project Area (Acres) In Treatment Units (Acres) Thick Pure Mantle Thin Pure Mantle Minor Influence Rock Outcrop No data 23 0

15 Detrimental Soil Disturbance During the 2016 field season, field crews collected data for existing detrimental soil disturbance (DSD) and verified landslide prone areas. Existing DSD (Table 4) in the project area varies from a minimum 0% to a maximum of 10% and is generally lower in the northern portion of the project, where the maximum value was 8.3% but the majority of existing DSD is less. No proposed units occur on areas where existing DSD values exceed Regional guidance or the Nez-Perce Forest Plan. Existing DSD in units 11, 12A and 12B is exceptionally high; surveys indicate that existing DSD in these units is 10%. GIS data available through FACTS indicates that portions of unit 12A were harvested in 1961 and Approximately 1 acre of unit 12A was part of an approximately 7 acre clearcut harvest performed in In 1991 approximately 3 acres of unit 12A was part of a 15 acre seed tree harvest and 14 acres of 12A was part of a 17 acre clearcut. This same FACTS GIS data indicates that previous timber harvest in unit 12B includes an approximately 9 acre clearcut performed in 1991 affected approximately 0.4 acres of unit 12B. Field surveys did not specify the cause of the soil disturbance in unit 11 other than indicating the presence of compacted soils and thin organic horizon. Existing stumps indicate that at some point the unit was logged, possibly over multiple entries, but it is unknown when the activities occurred. Existing detrimental soil disturbance in unit 11 consists of compacted soils exhibiting platy or massive soil structure in areas. No topsoil disturbance, erosion, rutting or burning was noted as contributing to soil disturbance. Direct/Indirect Effects The majority of proposed vegetation management activities will occur on soils with a moderate erosion hazard rating. Approximately 2204 acres of proposed vegetation management will occur of soils with a moderate erosion risk rating, while approximately 273 acres occur on soils with a low erosion risk rating and approximately 320 acres on soils with a high erosion risk rating. The majority of the high erosion risk soils are located in the northern portion of the project area, with units 10A and 10B composed entirely of soils with a high rating; timber harvests in these units have been proposed to utilize cable skidding. Other units in the northern portion of the project area with highly erosive soils present include: 1A, 5A, 5B and 8B. Timber harvest in units with highly erosive soils will be achieved using cable skidding systems. The exceptions are unit 5B (helicopter skidded) and unit 1A (tractor/jammer skidded). All other soils in the northern portion of the project area are considered to have moderate erosion risk. In the southern portion of the project area the majority of soils have either a moderate or low erosion risk rating. Approximately 1.5 acres are rated as having high erosion risk, these are found near the ridgetops in units B2 and 14A.

16 Vegetation management would occur on approximately 300 acres of soils with a thin pure mantle of ash capped soils; none would occur on soils with a thick pure mantle of ash cap (Table 3). The remainder of proposed vegetation management would occur on soils with a minor influence of ash cap. Approximately 0.6 miles of existing temp road is on soils with a thin pure mantle of ash capped soils; the remaining temp roads are located on soils that have a minor influence from ash cap. Following implementation of vegetation management activities, coarse woody debris would be left onsite at the appropriate density for the habitat type as established in Graham et al (1994). The quantity of coarse woody debris left onsite would generally range between 7-15 tons per acre. This quantity of coarse woody debris will facilitate appropriate nutrient cycling and ensure continued site productivity. Approximately 5.3 miles of existing road will be decommissioned, the majority of which (approximately 4.7 miles) will be decommissioned by obliteration. Roads 2056C1, 2056C2 and 2056C3 (approximately 0.7 miles) are the only roads expected to be decommissioned by abandonment. Detrimental Soil Disturbance The estimated detrimental soil disturbance that would be created by proposed vegetation management activities will be below Regional standard for the majority of the proposed units and all units will remain below the Forest standard. Without mitigation, three units (7, 8E and 12A) approach or reach the Regional Standard, while two units (11 and 12B) exceed the Regional standard. All proposed units, including Units 11 and 12B, remain below the Forest standard. Implementing specific design features in Units 11 and 12B is necessary to satisfy the Regional standard for soil disturbance. Approximately 4.7 miles of existing roads will be decommissioned by obliteration, which will reduce the amount of detrimental soil disturbance from legacy compaction in the project area. Field surveys from 2016 indicate that existing detrimental soil disturbance in unit 11 and 12B is due to previous timber harvest. Design features to be implemented in these units include utilizing existing skid trials and compacted areas which will be decommissioned through obliteration following completion of vegetation management activities. If existing skid trails and compacted areas are exclusively used, no new additional disturbance would occur within these units. Furthermore, if existing skid trails and compacted areas are subsoiled and obliterated, detrimental soil disturbance following completion of project activities would likely be less than the existing level of soil disturbance.

17 Table 4. Detrimental Soil Disturbance for the existing condition and proposed action. Unit Proposed Treatment Skidding Method Existing DSD (%) Cause of Existing DSD Proposed Action DSD Increase (%) Cumulative DSD (%) 1A Regeneration Tractor/Jammer 0 N/A 8 8 1B Slash, Rx N/A Tractor/Jammer 0 burn, Plant 8 8 1C Regeneration Tractor/Jammer 0 N/A Intermediate Tractor/Jammer 0 N/A 8 8 3A Regeneration Tractor/Jammer 2 Intensive grazing, cattle trails B Intermediate Tractor/Jammer 2 Intensive grazing, cattle trails Intermediate Tractor/Jammer 0 N/A 8 8 5A Intermediate Cable 0 N/A 4 4 5B Regeneration Helicopter 0 N/A 0 0 5C Fuel Break Hand 0 N/A 0 0 5D Regeneration Cable 0 N/A 4 4 6A Intermediate Tractor 4 Skid trails; cattle B Regeneration Tractor 4 Skid trails; cattle C Intermediate Cable 4 Skid trails; cattle 4 8 6D Regeneration Cable 4 Skid trails; cattle 4 8 6E Intermediate Tractor 4 Skid trails; cattle Intermediate Tractor 7 Skid Trails B Regeneration Cable 7 Skid Trails C Regeneration Cable 7 Skid Trails D Regeneration Cable 7 Skid Trails E Intermediate Tractor 7 Skid Trails F Regeneration Cable 7 Skid Trails Regeneration Helicopter 0 N/A A Intermediate Cable 8 Bare ground, sheet erosion, 4 12 some rutting 10B Regeneration Cable 8 Bare ground, sheet erosion, 4 12 some rutting 11 Intermediate Tractor 10 Unknown A Intermediate Cable 10 Skid Trails, compaction B Regeneration Tractor/Jammer 10 Skid Trails, compaction A Intermediate Cable 0 N/A B Regeneration Tractor 0 N/A A Regeneration Cable 2 Non-system road B Intermediate Cable 2 Non-system road 4 6

18 Cumulative Effects Timber Harvest Timber most recently occurred in the Windy-Shingle project area in 2005; approximately 195 acres of intermediate harvest was used to treat mistletoe infection. Prior to 2005, the last timber harvest occurred in The most recent, noteworthy vegetation management activity to occur on NFS lands in the Shingle Creek watershed was the Shingle Forks Timber Sale timber sale. Nearly nine million boardfeet of timber was harvested on 447 acres adjacent to the 517 road system in the early 1990 s. Of that, 177 acres were clearcut and 166 acres were shelterwood cut. Roads used for timber harvest were stabilized and maintained afterwards, and 278 acres were replanted (IDEQ, 2006). The areas that were harvested under this sale are generally trending toward desirable, target stand conditions. Harvest units of the Shingle Forks Timber Sale have been successfully regenerated with desirable species primarily ponderosa pine and western larch. After implementation of the Shingle Forks timber sale, the quantity and distribution of coarse woody debris is sufficient to moderate any potential increase in water or sediment yield (see Vegetation Report). Existing detrimental soil disturbance in the Shingle Creek watershed is mostly a result of previous vegetation management. No future timber harvest is predicted to occur within the Windy-Shingle project area. Fire The most recent wild fire to occur in the Windy-Shingle project area occurred in 2011 (Table 5). Post-fire sediment and water yields were generally short term and were highest immediately following the wildfire, recovering to a stable rate after about 5 years depending on post-fire conditions and management. The most recent wildfire occurred in 2011 and sufficient time has passed for the negative effects to water and sediment yield from the burned area to have fully recovered. Additionally, the most recent wildfires were of small enough scale for their effects to be undiscernible, with the exception of the Green Acres Fire in 2006 which burned approximately 626 acres. Within the project area, the Green Acres fire impacted approximately 624 acres of the Lower Rapid River HUC 6 near the ridgeline, the other 2 acres were on the ridgeline in the S. Creek HUC 6. Table 5. Wildfires that have occurred within the project area since Recent Fires in the Project Area Fire Name Year Size (Acres) Narrow Rough Creek Green Acres Boodry Mission Rapid River Prescribed burning has been implemented in and around the Windy-Shingle project area concurrent with the Forest Service Blue Mountain Fuels Reduction project (Table 6). Units 3, 4 and 5 are located within the S. Creek Watershed and Units 1 and 2 are located within the P. Creek watershed; Unit 6 is

19 located outside of the Project area to the north in the Race Creek watershed. Monitoring during the 2016 field season made no mention about detrimental soil disturbance as a result of any type of fire. Due to the generally low intensities of prescribed fire and the length of time that has passed since implementation has occurred, the negative effects to soil resources from the Blue Mountain Fuels Reduction Project are likely to be indiscernible. Table 6. Prescribed burning implemented during the Blue Mountain Fuels Reduction Project. Prescribed Burning Unit Year Acres Watershed P. Creek S. Creek 5 & S. Creek 5 & S. Creek The effects of past fire in and around the Windy-Shingle project area will not result in detrimental cumulative effects to soil resources. Areas affected by wildfires and prescribed fire in and around the project area have had sufficient time to recover. The prescribed burning activities proposed for the Windy-Shingle project may result in short-term sediment generation which will be immeasurable after 1 to 5 years; BMP s and design features will mitigate most of the potential negative effects. Livestock Grazing Livestock grazing has likely occurred in the project area since the area was settled by European Americans; permitted grazing began in the 1930 s and continues to be the most spatially widespread activity. Virtually the entire project area is part of one of three grazing allotments (Table 5). Effects from grazing are typically compaction and trampling and are most present in areas of concentrated use, typically in areas where animals water but also on trails, pickup/drop-off locations, feeding locations and other areas where animals congregate. Developed watering sites such as troughs are typically installed near springs or stream channels but are located sufficiently away from the water resource to protect it. Undeveloped watering sites are irregularly distributed throughout grazing allotments along streams and at springs. Grazing management has resulted in localized detrimental soil disturbance from compaction, but these effects are minor and dispersed and are negligible over the project area. Proposed Action Al of the proposed vegetation management units will meet the Nez Perce standard for soil disturbance and most will meet the Regional standard with units 11 and 12B being the exception. By implementing design features such as reusing existing skid trails in units 11 and 12B, the impacts to soil from proposed activities can be mitigated. Furthermore, restoring impacted areas, such as ripping/obliterating any skid trails and landings utilized, will negate new soil disturbance that may occur during project implementation. Coarse woody debris would be left at an appropriate areal density to stabilize surface soil horizons and promote site recovery and nutrient cycling in the project area.

20 Conclusion The proposed Windy-Shingle project will not increase detrimental soil disturbance beyond Regional and Forest standards for 30 of the 32 analyzed units. Post-activity soil disturbance in units 12B and 11 is estimated to exceed the Regional standard, however, utilizing existing skid trails and compacted areas should prevent any new soil disturbance. Obliterating these skid trails/compacted areas will likely result in an overall reduction in soil disturbance within these units. Newly constructed skid trails and landings will also be obliterated following completion of the proposed vegetation management activities, which will likely reduce detrimental soil disturbance values below those modeled in this analysis. Coarse woody debris will be left at an appropriate areal density and will provide sufficient nutrients to promote site recovery, as well as reduce erosion of surface soil horizons. The proposed vegetation management and related activities will not create adverse direct, indirect or cumulative impacts soils. Extraordinary Circumstances All of the proposed units will remain below the Nez Perce Forest standard for detrimental soil disturbance, and 30 of the 32 of the proposed units will remain below the Regional standard without mitigation or restoration. Detrimental soil disturbance in units 11 and 12B will remain below the Regional standard with implementation the design feature/mitigation measure requiring the reuse of existing skid trails and/or compacted areas during proposed activities. Coarse woody debris will be left at aa areal density sufficient to provide adequate ground cover, stabilize the soil surface, and promote site recovery. As a result, no extraordinary circumstances exist for soil resources in the project area. Nathan Millet, Hydrologist/Soil Scientist 7/18/2017

21 References Frandsen, W. H. and Ryan, K.C., Soil moisture reduces belowground heat flux and soil temperature under a burning fuel pile. Graham, T.G., Harvey, A.E, Jurgensen, M.F., Jain, T.B., Tonn, J.R, Page-Dumroese, D.S, Managing Coarse Woody Debris in Forests of the Rocky Mountains. Highland, L.M., Bobrowsky, P The Landslide Handbook A Guide to Understanding Landslides. Miller, R.E., McIver, J.D., Howes, S.W., Gaeuman, W.B., Assessment of Soil Disturbance in Forests of the Interior Columbia River Basin: A Critque. National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), Dynamics of Coarse Woody Debris in North American Forests: A Literature Review. Page-Dumroese, D.S., Harvey, A.E., Jurgensen, M.F., Amaranthus, M.P., Impacts of soil compaction and tree stump removal on soil properties and outplanted seedlings in northern Idaho, USA. Page-Dumroese, D.S., Jurgensen, M., Abbott, A., Rice, T., Tirocke, J., Farley, S., DeHart, S., Monitoring Changes in Soil Quality from Post-fire Logging in the Inland Northwest. Page-Dumroese, D.S., Johnson, L.R., Han, H., Effects of Machine Traffic on the Physical Properties of Ash-Cap Soils. Page-Dumroese, D.S., Is Woody Residue Part of Your Plan for Sustainable Forestry? Reeves, D., Page-Dumroese, D.S., Coleman, M., Detrimental Soil Distrubance Associated with Timber Harvest Systems on National Forests in the Northern Region. USDA Forest Service, National Forest Management Act. USDA Forest Service, FSH Soil and Water Conservation Practices Handbook R-1/R-4 Amendment No. 1. USDA Forest Service, FSM 2500 Watershed and Air Management, R-1 Supplement No USDA Forest Service, 2008A. Island Ecosystem Analysis at the Watershed Scale, Functional Themes: Synthesis, Interpretations and Recommendations. USDA Forest Service, 2008B. Island Ecosystem Analysis at the Watershed Scale, Pre-Settlement and Existing Conditions. USDA Forest Service, Forest Service Manual Chapter 2550 Soil Management. USDA Forest Service, National Best Management Practices for Water Quality Management on National Forest System Lands.

22 USDA Forest Service, PACFISH Buffer and Temporary Road Monitoring and Miscellaneous Timber Sale Observations Report. USDA Forest Service, Summary of BMP Audits. Nez Perce Clearwater National Forests

23 Appendix Figure 2: Geologic types of the Island area, the Windy-Shingle project area is located in the southern portion, between Riggins and Pollock.