Upper Applegate Road Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project

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Amie McKenzie
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1 United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service March 2008 Environmental Assessment Upper Applegate Road Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest R.4W. R.3W County Road Legend Roads 19 Streams Project Boundary National Forest Miles Star Ranger Station T.39S. T.40S Applegate Lake Under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003, a hazardous fuels reduction project is being proposed on ~4,0 acres in the Wildland Urban Interface communities of McKee Bridge, Boulder City, and others along the Upper Applegate Road (County Road 859) in Jackson County, Oregon, within T. 40 S, R. 4 W., sections,, and 36: T. 40 S., R. 3 W., sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, and 31; T. 39 S., R. 3 W., sections,, 28 and 32, W. M. 36

2 OREGON Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest High Cascades Powers 5 Grants Pass Gold Beach Wild Rivers Wild Rivers Siskiyou Mountains Medford OREGON CALIFORNIA Upper Applegate Road Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project Area Vicinity The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 3-W, Whitten Building, th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

3 Environmental Assessment Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION - PURPOSE AND NEED... I-1 A. Background...I-1 B. Basis of the Purpose and Need...I-4 C The Project Area...I-6 1. CURRENT CONDITONS... I-8 2. DESIRED CONDITONS AND OBJECTIVES... I- D. Purpose and Need for Action...I- E. Decision Framework...I- F. Management Direction...I- 1. RRNF LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN... I- 2. NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN... I- G. Other Forest Service Current & Proposed Policies...I HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT... I INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS (IRAS)... I-18 H. Other Relevant Studies...I THE APPLEGATE FIRE PLAN (2002)... I APPLEGATE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AREA GUIDE... I APPLEGATE RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT... I APPLEGATE AMA ECOSYSTEM HEALTH ASSESSMENT... I WATERSHED ANALYSES... I-20 I. Public Involvement (Scoping)...I ISSUES... I- a. Relevant Issues... I- b. Out of Scope Issues... I- II. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED... II-1 A. Introduction...II-1 B. Specific Objectives of Treatments...II-2 C. Confidence of Planning Level Data...II-2 D. Alternatives Considered in Detail...II-3 1. THE PROPOSED ACTION... II-3 a. Function of the Proposed Action... II-3 b. Description of the Proposed Action... II-3 Density Management... II-4 Surface Fuel Treatments... II-4 Broadcast Burning... II-4 c. Implementation... II-5 PROPOSED ACTION SUMMARY... II-5 d. Project Design Criteria... II-7 Conifer Thinning... II-7 Fuel and Vegetation Manipulation... II-9 Prescribed Fire... II- Riparian Reserves... II- i

4 Connected Actions... II- Logging Systems... II-16 Road (Access) Systems... II-17 e. Mitigation Measures and Management Requirements... II-19 f. Methodology for Application of Treatments... II- g. Monitoring... II THE NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE... II-41 a. Function of No-Action... II-41 b. Description of No-Action... II-41 E. Actions Considered But Eliminated From Detailed Study...II-42 III. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES... III-1 A. Introduction...III-1 1. SCALES OF ANALYSIS... III-1 B. Attainment of Purpose and Need...III-1 1. INTRODUCTION... III-2 2. FIRE BEHAVIOR MODELS... III-2 a. FlamMap... III-3 b. FireFamily Plus... III-3 c. BehavePlus... III-3 3. MODELING ASSUMPTIONS... III-3 a. Fuels and Fuel Models... III-3 b. Weather... III-8 c. Other Analysis Assumptions... III-9 4. FIRE BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS... III-9 a. Potential for High Severity Wildland Fire... III-9 Crown Fire Potential... III- Historical Fire Severity... III- b. Reduction of Hazardous Fuels... III- Distribution of Fuel Models... III- Horizontal and Vertical Fuel Continuity... III- c. Fire Suppression Effectiveness... III- Potential Flame Length... III-16 Access for Initial Attack... III-18 Fire Control Lines... III-19 d. Firefighter Safety... III-20 C. Effects of Implementation Associated With Relevant Issues...III TREE SURVIVAL AND VIGOR... III-21 a. Background... III-21 b. Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III- c. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III- 2. INCREASED FIRE SEVERITY... III- a. Background... III- b. Direct Effects of the Proposed Action... III- c. Indirect and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III- d. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III-28 ii

5 3. INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS... III-28 a. Background... III-28 b. Direct Effects of the Proposed Action... III-29 c. Indirect and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-30 d. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III VISUAL CHARACTER... III-31 a. Background... III-31 b. Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-32 c. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III AIR QUALITY... III-33 a. Background... III-33 b. Direct Effects of the Proposed Action... III-33 c. Indirect and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-35 d. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III RECREATION/PUBLIC SAFETY... III-35 a. Background... III-35 b. Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-35 c. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III NOISE DISTURBANCE... III-37 a. Background... III-37 b. Direct Effects of the Proposed Action... III-37 c. Indirect and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-37 d. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III ALTERATION OF SOILS... III-38 a. Background... III-38 b. Direct Effects of the Proposed Action... III-40 c. Indirect and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-45 d. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS - CUMULATIVE WATERSHED EFFECTS... III-46 a. Background... III-46 b. Direct and Indirect Effects of the Proposed Action... III-50 Channel Morphology - Coarse Sediment... III-50 Peak Flows... III-50 c. Cumulative Watershed Effects... III-51 d. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III-52. WATER QUALITY ODEQ 303(d) LISTED WATERBODIES... III-53 a. Background... III-53 b. Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-56 Water Quality - Stream Temperature... III-56 Water Quality - Fine Sediment and Turbidity... III-58 Water Quality - Biological Criteria... III-60 Water Quality - Dissolved Oxygen... III-61 Water Quality - Hazardous Materials... III-61 c. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III-61. AQUATIC CONSERVATION STRATEGY... III-62 a. Background... III-62 b. Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-62. BOTANICAL SPECIES AND HABITAT... III-65 a. Background... III-65 b. Direct and Indirect Effects of the Proposed Action... III-69 c. Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-70 d. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III-70 iii

6 . NON-NATIVE (NOXIOUS) PLANT SPECIES... III-70 a. Background... III-70 b. Direct and Indirect Effects of the Proposed Action... III-71 c. Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-72 d. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III-72. THREATENED OR ENDANGERED TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE SPECIES... III-72 a. Background... III-72 Northern Spotted Owl... III-73 b. Direct and Indirect Effects of the Proposed Action... III-74 c. Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-76 d. Determinations Under ESA... III-76 e. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III-76. FOREST SERVICE SENSITIVE WILDLIFE SPECIES AND HABITATS... III-77 a. Background... III-77 Terrestrial Salamander Species... III-80 Riparian Dependent Species... III-81 Bald Eagle... III-83 Bat Species... III-84 Fisher... III-85 Chace Sideband Snail... III-87 b. Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-87 Terrestrial Salamander Species... III-87 Riparian Dependent Species... III-88 Bald Eagle... III-88 Bat Species... III-89 Fisher... III-89 Chace Sideband Snail... III-90 c. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE MIS SPECIES, FOREST PLAN SPECIES, AND OTHER RARE OR UNCOMMON SPECIES... III-92 a. Background... III-92 b. Management Indicator Species (MIS)... III-93 Black Tailed Deer and Roosevelt Elk... III-93 American Marten, Pileated Woodpecker... III-96 Woodpecker Species, Down Wood and Snags... III-98 c. Standard and Guideline Species - Osprey and Goshawk... III-0 d Rare or Uncommon Species - NW Forest Plan... III-2 Great Gray Owl... III-2 Red Tree Vole... III-3 e. Neo-tropical Migratory Birds... III AQUATIC SPECIES AND HABITAT... III-5 a. Background... III-6 b. Direct Effects of the Proposed Action... III-0 c. Indirect and Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action... III-0 d. Determination Under ESA... III-1 e. Effects of the No-Action Alternative... III-2 E. Other Effects...III-2 iv

7 IV. CONSULTATION WITH OTHERS... IV-1 V. REFERENCES... V-1 APPENDICES Appendix A - Soils Report Appendix B - Hydrology Report Appendix C - Botanical Reports Appendix D - Wildlife Reports Appendix E - Fisheries Report Appendix F - Heritage Determination v

Final Decision Memo. Murphy Meadow Restoration Project. USDA Forest Service Willamette National Forest McKenzie River Ranger District

Final Decision Memo. Murphy Meadow Restoration Project. USDA Forest Service Willamette National Forest McKenzie River Ranger District Final Decision Memo Murphy Meadow Restoration Project USDA Forest Service Willamette National Forest McKenzie River Ranger District T19S, R5E, Sec. 23, 24. Lane County Oregon BACKGROUND The Murphy Meadow