Fontana Project Scoping Record August 2013 The Cheoah Ranger District, Nantahala National Forest, is conducting an interdisciplinary analysis of a proposed project, called the Fontana Project, in Graham County, North Carolina. INTRODUCTION: The analysis area for the project is generally located in the Fontana Dam area of Graham County (Figure 1). The area is bounded by Fontana Lake and Cheoah Lake to the north, approximately the Tennessee North Carolina state line to the west, the Yellow Creek Mountains ridgeline to the south and by Stecoah Creek to the east. The analysis area also includes a segment of the Appalachian Trail, Fontana Village and Fontana Dam. The area encompasses approximately 12,376 acres of National Forest land located in Compartments 17-24, 119-121, 123, 125 and 128. Proposed management activities include silvicultural prescriptions that would result tree harvesting through commercial timber sale, site preparation for forest regeneration, stand improvements, wildlife and fisheries habitat improvements and temporary road reconstruction. Figure 1. Fontana Project Vicinity Map 1
PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION: The project is designed to improve, or maintain, wildlife habitat, species diversity of stands, soil & water resources, and forest health through vegetation management and other treatments. The project would implement direction set forth in the Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) 1986-2000 for the Nantahala/Pisgah National Forests (USDA, March 1987) as amended in 1994, in a manner which moves the existing natural resources toward desired future conditions. This proposal also addresses the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Ecological Restoration Focus Areas. The proposed activities address the following restoration focus areas: 1. Restore Stream Systems and Watersheds to a Healthy Condition. 2. Restoration of Rare Native Communities; Threatened and Endangered Species. 3. Restore Fire-Dependent Ecosystems. 4. Restoration of Diversity in Low-Diversity Forest Stands. 5. Restoration of Viable Native Plant Communities by Controlling Invasive Species. 6. Wildlife Habitat. EXISTING CONDITION Forest types in the compartments are predominantly upland and cove hardwoods, with some mixed oak-yellow pine stands, and white pine-upland hardwood stands. Management Areas (MAs) in the compartments include MAs 1B, 2A, 2C, 3B, 4A, 4C and 14. Embedded within these is management area 18 (riparian areas around perennial water bodies). Management areas 1B, 2A, 3B and 4A are suitable for vegetation management through silvicultural treatments. MAs 2C, 4C and 14 are not suitable for vegetation management. These unsuitable management areas are included in the analysis area to project wildlife effects. DESIRED FUTURE CONDITION: Complete descriptions of desired conditions for each management area are contained in the LRMP. A brief summary of desired conditions for the management areas contained in the compartments is as follows: MA 1B: Emphasize a sustainable supply of timber and provide motorized access into the forest for traditional forest uses such as hunting and gathering, firewood cutting, fishing, and recreational activities including ORV use and camping. The land will produce a sustained yield of sawtimber and other wood products. MA 2A: Provides visually pleasing scenery for forest visitors. Roads are generally open with the adjacent forest land managed to provide that pleasing visual experience. Timber production is permitted, but modified to meet visual quality objectives. MA 2C: Also provides visually pleasing scenery. Roads are generally open with adjacent forest land managed to provide a quality visual experience. This land is not suitable for timber 2
production because either timber activities could not be conducted in a manner to assure a highly visual experience, or the land is not cost efficient in the long term for timber production. MA 3B: A regulated forest which provides for a sustainable supply of timber and for the habitat needs of wildlife species (particularly wild turkey) which benefit from a managed forest with limited motorized access (closed roads). MA 4A: Permit timber production, modified to emphasize visual quality and wildlife habitat. MA 4C: Emphasize visually pleasing scenery and habitats for wildlife requiring older forests. This land is not suitable for timber production at this time in order to meet visual quality objectives, or the lands are not cost efficient for timber production. MA 14: Appalachian National Scenic Trail and its foreground zone, as mapped through the Visual Management System, characterized by a predominantly natural-appearing environment. This land is not classified as suitable for timber management during the current LRMP planning period. MA 18: Predominantly undisturbed riparian areas (adjacent to streams) with conditions strongly influenced by the accumulation of woody materials from mature trees, but with a diverse assemblage of species and stand structures. PROPOSED ACTION: This scoping record includes a summary of the proposed actions for this project. Detailed maps are available to download from the National Forests in North Carolina internet site by following the Land and Resources Management and Projects links at www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc. This Proposed Action and alternatives analyses will be documented in the project Environmental Assessment (EA), to be developed later in 2013. Shelterwood with Reserves A total of 32 predominantly hardwood stands, totaling 689 acres, would be regenerated using the two-aged regeneration method of shelterwood with reserves. The average size of these stands is 21.5 acres. This treatment would be implemented by a commercial timber harvest (ground-based skidding as well as skyline yarding) in which the majority of the timber would be cut and removed while approximately 25 ft 2 of basal area would remain through the next rotation. These residual trees would be left in a clumped or dispersed fashion depending on site specific characteristics. The result of this treatment is the creation and maintenance of a two-aged stand in which one of the age classes is the regenerating trees and the other is the mature trees that remain after the harvest is complete. Manual and herbicide methods would be used to prepare the stands for regeneration as well as follow-up cultural treatments (streamline release), to ensure that the desired species are present in the regenerating age class. Non-native invasive species (NNIS) would also be treated, if present, during these treatments. 3
Temporary road construction would be needed to access some of the stands. Stand Acres MA Temporary Road Construction (miles) 17-19 28 3B 0 18-20 17 3B 0 19-01 17 3B 0.4 19-05 22 3B 0 19-05 21 3B 0.2 19-05 36 3B 0.3 19-11 16 3B 0.3 20-04 39 3B 0.5 21-12 37 3B 0.1 21-17 25 3B 0.4 21-22 12 3B 0.8 21-26 10 3B 0.3 22-04 39 3B 1.0 22-04 11 3B 1.0 22-09 14 3B 0.5 22-17 38 3B 0.5 22-25 23 4A 0.3 23-26 21 4A 0 4
Stand Acres MA Temporary Road Construction (miles) 23-32 15 4A 0.5 24-09 22 4A 0.5 119-16 25 3B 0 119-17 8 3B 0 119-25 13 3B 0 120-02 25 3B 0 120-30 19 3B 0 120-35 18 3B 0 120-36 23 3B 0.1 120-39 21 3B 0 121-02 21 1B 0 121-07 12 3B 0 123-08 25 3B 0 123-21 16 1B 0 Total 689 acres 7.7 miles Free Thinning A free thinning treatment would be implemented by a commercial timber harvest on one 32 acre young (~35 years) white pine stand. This treatment would be implemented by a commercial timber harvest (ground-based) in which approximately half of the white pine trees would be cut and removed. Trees would be selected for removal in order to allow the residual trees to increase in vigor and to increase the species diversity of the stand by preferentially removing white pine trees. 5
Stand Acres MA Temporary Road Construction 119-20 22 3B 0 Stand Improvement Stand improvement activities would be implemented in 42 stands, totaling 419 acres. These stands range from about 8 to 15 years old and the average size of these stands is 10 acres. These stands are entering, or are already in, what is termed the stem exclusion stage of stand development. Many tree species we manage for, e.g. oaks, yellow pines, etc, require a considerable amount of sunlight to fully develop into the canopy of a regenerating stand. As a result of this requirement, stands in this age range can often lose a large proportion of species we manage for. Therefore, a cleaning treatment would be implemented in these stands to release desirable species from being overtopped by less desirable, and often faster growing, species, e.g. yellow poplar, red maple, etc. This treatment would be implemented by slashing (with a chainsaw) the overtopping trees to release approximately 75 desirable trees per acre. As part of this cleaning treatment, vines would also be treated that are climbing into the released trees. NNIS would also be treated in the stand, if present, at this time. Vines and NNIS would be treated manually or by herbicide, depending on the species and nature of the infestation. Comp. Stand Acres 17 19 1.2 17 20 13.4 17 21 4 17 23 4 17 24 7.5 17 25 9.1 17 27 4.9 17 28 2.4 17 31 1.0 17 32 1.0 17 33 3.2 20 14 11.8 20 15 8.8 20 16 4.3 20 17 3.7 20 18 4.2 21 6 34.7 120 48 23.7 6
Comp. Stand Acres 120 49 12.0 120 52 5.5 120 53 18.1 120 54 15.2 120 55 15.0 120 56 11.7 120 57 9.5 120 58 16.9 120 59 3.8 120 60 2.3 120 61 1.5 120 63 2.4 120 64 6.4 121 10 43.4 121 14 9.1 121 18 25.4 123 22 10.8 123 23 18.3 123 24 7.3 123 25 12.8 123 26 4.5 123 27 6.1 123 29 8.4 123 30 9.8 Total 419 acres Road Daylighting Select sections of roads would be daylighted in select areas to improve road conditions by allowing roads to remain dry for longer durations. Daylighting would be accomplished by cutting and removing trees within approximately 15 feet of the roads edge. Wildlife Opening Maintenance/Improvement Existing wildlife openings would be maintained and improved through various methods. Non-Native Invasive Species Treatments The treatment of NNIS is ongoing and authorized under a separate NEPA decision. Treatments are currently being performed to reduce the risk of NNIS spreading if this project is implemented. 7
PLANNING TEAM DESIGNATION: District Ranger Lauren Stull is the responsible official who will decide on a course of action based on the alternatives and analyses presented by the interdisciplinary planning team. The core team will consist of: Steverson Moffat, Nantahala NF NEPA Planner (Team Leader) David Casey, Cheoah and Tusquitee RD Silviculturist (Team Co-leader) Le Andra Smith, Nantahala NF Wildlife Biologist Jason Farmer, Nantahala NF Fisheries Biologist April Punsalan, Botanist / Ecologist Trainee, National Forests in North Carolina Jeremy Waite, Acting Cheoah RD Recreation Program Manager The following individuals will support the core team: Gary Kauffman, Botanist / Ecologist, National Forests in North Carolina Karl Buchholz, Engineer, National Forests in North Carolina Erik Crews, Landscape Architect, National Forests in North Carolina Brady Dodd, Hydrologist, National Forests in North Carolina PUBLIC NOTIFICATION: A notice of this scoping record will be sent to interested parties, planning team members/consultants, and Forest Supervisor s Office staff. Their comments will be used to identify other issues and further shape the environmental analyses to be conducted. Planning information on this project will be reported in NFsNC Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA, distributed by the Forest Supervisor s Office, Asheville, NC). The scoping record with accompanying maps is posted under the Land and Resources Management and Projects links at www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc. If you would like hard copies, please notify Steverson Moffat at the Tusquitee Ranger District office, 828-837-5152 ext 108. Please provide your comments by the close of business on September 20, 2013. 8