1 Medicine Lake Caldera Vegetation Treatment Project Scenic Report Prepared by: /s/gary Kedish Natural Resources Specialist for: Big Valley and Doublehead Ranger Districts Modoc National Forest February 1, 2016 Introduction This report focuses on the Visual Quality Objectives (VQOs) within the Medicine Lake Caldera Project area and discusses the existing and desired conditions, and addresses the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of the proposed alternative for meeting VQOs in regards to scenery management. VQOs are a set of measurable goals for the management of forest visual resources. VQOs concern the scenic resource management standards for all National Forests, which is specified in the Land and Resource Management Plan. These objectives were developed for all forest lands as a method to ascertain the Visual Absorption Capability of those lands. Post treatment determinations will use guidelines for the VQOs to evaluate the results and meet the desired visual conditions for the project area. VQOs for the project area include retention, partial retention, or modification. Specific VQOs for the project area will be described in more detail throughout the report (Modoc LRMP 1991). The Medicine Lake Caldera Vegetation Treatment Project (Caldera project) is located in the Medicine Lake MA 61 which lies to the southwest of Lava Beds National Monument. Elevations within the project area range between 6,600 and 6,900 feet. The watershed sub-basin that encompasses the Medicine Lake caldera is approximately 13,000 acres. Approximately 4,200 acres of pure lodgepole pine and lodgepole pine - mixed conifers are being proposed for treatment. The Medicine Lake area has several developed recreation sites: four campgrounds, picnicking and day use areas, a swimming beach, and a boat launch. Approximately 50 summer homes are near the lake Methodology for Analysis Sources of information and data used in this analysis include: VQO map for the specified project area (provided by Celia Yamagiwa-GIS Specialist, see Figure 1); Modoc 1
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (1991); Visual Management System (VMS), (USDA 1974); Visual Mangement System of the Forest Service, USDA, (USDA 1979); aerial photography; Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and the Fire and Fuels Extension (FFE) model (USDA 2004); drive-by analysis; and professional judgment and experience were also applied. Desired levels of scenic quality in the Modoc LRMP are expressed in VMS terminology as VQOs. Scenery disturbances are measured on the Modoc National Forest through Visual Quality Objective/VQO levels, defined by the USFS Visual Management System (Chapter 1, USDA Handbook # 462). Table 1. A more in-depth description can be found below in the desired conditions section. VQO's-Scenic Integrity objectives Retention (R) High Partial Retention (PR) - Moderate Modification (M)- Low Maximum Modification (MM) Table 1 VQO Descriptions. Description Refers to landscapes where the valued landscape character "appears" natural. Changes may be present but must repeat form, line, color, texture and pattern common to the character so completely that they are not evident. Refers to landscapes where the valued landscape character, "appears slightly altered." Noticeable changes must remain visually subordinate to the landscape character being viewed. Refers to landscapes which appear moderately altered. Changes begin to dominate the viewed area, but they borrow attributes such as size, shape, edge effect and the pattern of natural openings. They should be compatible or compliment the landscape character. Refers to landscapes which appear altered. Changes dominate the viewed area. When viewed as background they must borrow attributes such as size, shape, edge effect and the pattern of natural openings. When viewed as foreground or middleground they may not appear to completely borrow from naturally established form, line, color or texture. The analysis looks at the existing scenic condition for the portions of the project area with proposed management activities to determine whether or not the existing condition meets Visual Quality Objectives (VQO s) for the affected management area. The analysis addresses how the action would modify the scenic condition and whether or not the resulting landscape would meet the VQO for the same area. 2
Figure 1 Existing Condition Visual Quality Objectives in the project area are retention in areas adjacent to Medicine Lake, partial retention farther from the lake shore, and a portion of modification in the background (Fig. 1). The existing infrastructure of roads, recreation facilities, and private residents are located adjacent to or within the area designated for VQO of retention along a portion of the lake shore, which distracts from the natural appearance to some degree. The topographic features in the project area are mild to moderate slopes that decrease viewing of the middle ground from travel routes and Medicine Lake Background views are outside the project area. 3
Mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation has caused high mortality in lodgepole pine in the Medicine Lake basin area since 2005. This ongoing mortality has led to high numbers of standing dead trees in many locations and has resulted in some past fuel reduction and harvest within the project area to address forest health and safety. Past activities included recent removal of hazard trees and windthrow in the campgrounds and along the road ways. The Scenic Quality Objectives as defined in table 1 are currently being met. Desired Condition The following guidelines (LRMP 1991): Manage visual resources to prevent unacceptable alteration of landscapes by designing and implementing management activities to meet or exceed adopted Visual Quality Objectives (VQOs). Allow temporary departures of less than 10 years and VQO class to protect long term visual values, such as timbered areas highly susceptible to insect and disease epidemics. The retention, partial retention and modification VQOs exist within the project area. A description of each follows (USDA 1979): RETENTION (R) This visual quality objective provides for management activities which are not visually evident. Under Retention, activities may only repeat form, line, color, and texture which are frequently in the characteristic landscape. Changes in their qualities of size, amount, intensity, direction, pattern, etc., should not be evident. Duration of Visual Impact Immediate reduction in form, line, color, and texture contrast in order to meet Retention should be accomplished either during operation or immediately after. It may be done by such means as seeding vegetative clearings and cut-or-fill slopes, hand planting of large stock, painting structures, etc. PARTIAL RETENTION Activities may repeat form, line, color, or texture common to the characteristic landscape but changes in their qualities of size, amount, intensity, direction, pattern, etc., remain visually subordinate to the characteristic landscape. Activities may also introduce form, line, color, or texture which are found infrequently or not at all in the characteristic landscape, but they should remain subordinate to the visual strength of the characteristic landscape. Duration of Visual Impact: Reduction in form, line, color, and texture to meet partial retention should be accomplished as soon after project completion as possible or at a minimum within the first year. 4
MODIFICATION (M) Under the modification visual quality objective management activities may visually dominate the original characteristic landscape. However, activities of vegetative and land form alteration must borrow from naturally established form, line, color, or texture so completely and at such a scale that its visual characteristics are those of natural occurrences within the surrounding area of character type. Additional parts of these activities such as structures, roads, slash, root wads, etc., must remain visually subordinate to the proposed composition. Activities which are predominately introduction of facilities such as buildings, signs, roads, etc., should borrow naturally established form, line, color and texture so completely and at such scale that its visual characteristics are compatible with the natural surroundings. Duration of Visual Impact Reduction in form, line, color, and texture should be accomplished in the first year or at a minimum should meet existing regional guidelines. Mitigation (Design Features) Shape timber harvest units to blend with existing openings. Avoid straight edges and feather edges to existing landscape. Emphasize visual resource management in areas where visual quality is important to recreation activities. Avoid creating openings in the foreground. Use foreground vegetation to screen background disturbances. Construct temp roads, skid trails and landings in a manner to minimize visual impacts. Environmental Consequences Alternative 1 - Proposed Action Alternative 1 proposes utilization of silviculture treatments to modify the habitat for the MPB and reduce the risks and impacts of outbreaks over the long-term. A variety of harvest prescriptions (described in Chapter 2 of the EA) would be used. Additionally, piling, chipping, pruning, and mastication are proposed in some areas; with temporary road and landing establishment (see Silviculture report). These activities are likely to directly impact Scenic Resources in the proposed treatment areas to some degree. Direct and Indirect Effects The proposed treatment is for thinning by removing approximately 30 percent basal area in the majority of the retention area with some areas north and west having thinning treatments that would remove 50 percent basal area with some group selections that would be less than 5 acres. Fuel breaks would be the most noticeable because of the removal of understory vegetation along the roadways and treatment of fuels. This treatment would be up to 200 feet in width. Direct and indirect effects from treatment in the areas of retention would be noticeable and degrade the scenic values during treatment and post treatment until revegetation of treatment areas. Treatment prescriptions for 30 to 50 percent basal area removal include mitigation measures that buffer riparian areas and will reduce the impact to the foreground around Medicine 5
Lake. The treatment and mitigation measures will reduce the impacts and help to sustain the visual quality in the long term. Areas of partial retention are designated for most of the project area and with the exception of roadways would be considered in the middle or background. The foreground along roadways would be impacted in the short term with creation of the fuel break and fuels removal. Treatment units may be noticeable but will blend into the exiting vegetation within ten years after implementation. Temporary roads and lands will be designed and placed to minimize impacts to scenic values. Direct and indirect effects would be minimal and would not change the partial retention status over the long term. Areas of Modification encompass a smaller portion of the project area and would be treated the same as retention and partial retention. Direct and indirect effects of treatments may be noticeable, but would blend into the landscape and meet the criteria of modification. Retention, partial retention, and modification visual quality guidelines would be met after implementation. Treatments will help to sustain the scenic values in the long term by reducing wildfire risk and improving forest health and resilience. Cumulative Effects Past, present and reasonably foreseeable activities were reviewed to determine cumulative effects of forest vegetation management activities on the impacts to VQOs (EA appendix 3). There would be no additional reasonably foreseeable federal vegetation and fuels activities that would occur within the project area. Private land ownership, recreation sites, and roads within the project area, will continue to exist and be maintained. Past treatments in the area are visually present to a minor degree, but have recovered to a point of appearing natural and stand characteristics that have met VQOs. Alternative 2 - No Action Under the No Action alternative, the current LRMP, as amended, would continue to guide management within the project area. No treatment activities would be implemented to accomplish project objectives. The No Action alternative provides a baseline for comparative analysis of the action alternatives. Although there would be no action to treat vegetation under this project, other activities in the project area such as road maintenance, fire suppression, fuelwood cutting, recreation, hunting, and OHV/OSV riding would continue. Direct and Indirect Effects The direct and indirect effects of the no action alternative would be the continued tree mortality and fuel loading that increases the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Scenic resources will continue to change with natural events. 6
Cumulative Effects Mountain pine beetle will continue to cause tree morality and increased fuel loading that enhances the potential for wildfire. These natural events that change the appearance of the landscape may be perceived by some forest visitors as changes in scenic values. The history of fire suppression, fuel accumulation, large wildfires, fire suppression activities, and rehabilitation of fire areas have the potential to alter the VQO designation. Compliance with the Forest Plan and Other Regulatory Direction The VQOs for this project area comply with the Modoc LRMP guidelines. The visual resources would comply with VQO guidelines for the landscape since they protect long-term visual values. Literature Cited Bacon, Warren R. 1979 The Visual Management System of the Forest Service, USDA, Technical Report Pacific Southwest Research Station 035. Modoc National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 1991. USDA Forest Service 1974. National Forest Landscape Management. Vol. 2, ch. l (The visual management system). U.S. Dep. Agric., Agric. Hand-book 462, 47 p., illus. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington 7