SPOTTED BEAR RIVER PROJECT REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Transcription

1 SPOTTED BEAR RIVER PROJECT REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 PURPOSE AND NEED I. INTRODUCTION II. PROJECT AREA III. PURPOSE AND NEED IV. PROJECT SCOPE V. RELATIONSHIP TO FOREST PLAN VI. DECISIONS TO BE MADE CHAPTER 2 ALTERNATIVES I. INTRODUCTION II. ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS III. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED IN DETAIL IV. DESIGN CRITERIA (FEATURES COMMON TO ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES) V. COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES iii

2 CHAPTER 3 - AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES I. INTRODUCTION II FOREST VEGETATION III. FIRE AND FUELS IV. THREATENED, ENDANGERED AND SENSITIVE PLANT SPECIES V. NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES VI. WILDLIFE GRIZZLY BEAR CANADA LYNX. GRAY WOLF.. FISHER WOLVERINE.. TOWNSEND S BIG-EARED BAT.. FLAMMULATED OWL BALD EAGLE. BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER... BOREAL TOAD. UNGULATES. BIRD SPECIES OF CONCERN VII. HYDROLOGY VIII. FISHERIES IX. SOILS X. FOREST HERITAGE RESOURCES XI. RECREATION XII. INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS XIII. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER XIV. SCENIC RESOURCES XV. AIR QUALITY XVI. ECONOMICS GLOSSARY LITERATURE CITED AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE RECEIVING THE EA DOCUMENT LIST OF PREPARERS iv

3 LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1 Summary of Alternative 2 components 2-7 Table 2-2 Harvest treatments by unit for Alternative Table 2-3 Sapling thinning treatments by unit for Alternative Table 2-4 Selective thinning treatments by unit for Alternative Table 2-5 Prescribed burning treatments by unit for Alternative Table 2-6 Summary of Alternative 3 components 2-19 Table 2-7 Harvest treatments by unit for Alternative Table 2-8 Summary of Alternative 4 components 2-26 Table 2-9 Harvest treatments by unit for Alternative Table 2-10 Prescribed burning treatments by unit for Alternative Table 2-11 Timing of harvest activity and its associated activities (Exceptions to the July 1 November 30 Dates) 2-36 Table 2-12 INFISH Buffers 2-42 Table 2-13 Comparison of features of the alternatives 2-47 Table 2-14 Comparison of alternatives by key issue 2-48 Table 2-15 Comparison of alternatives by effects indicator for each affected resource 2-49 Table 3-1 Past, present, and reasonably foreseeable activities in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-3 Table 3-2 Past harvesting by decade within the Spotted Bear River project area 3-16 Table 3-3 Acres and percent of forest cover types in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-24 Table 3-4 Acres and percent of tree size classes in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-30 Table 3-5 Acres and percent of tree age classes in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-30 Table 3-6 Western Montana zone old growth type characteristics within habitat types found in the proposed treatment areas 3-34 Table 3-7 Acres and percent of forest canopy cover in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-36 Table 3-8 Description of unit groups 3-39 Table 3-9 Acres treated by silvicultural method in each unit group by alternative 3-50 Table 3-10 Acres of logging/treatment method by unit group by alternative 3-51 Table 3-11 Acres of fuels/site preparation method by unit group by alternative 3-51 Table 3-12 Acres of reforestation method by unit group by alternative 3-52 Table 3-13 Historical natural fire regime 3-87 Table 3-14 Fire regime condition classes 3-87 Table 3-15 Fuel treatment principles 3-91 Table 3-16 Percentile weather by energy release component 3-94 Table 3-17 Expected fire behavior by fuel category 3-96 Table 3-18 Treatment acres by fuel category 3-96 Table 3-19 RFSS plants and other rare plants within the analysis area Table 3-20 General locations of RFSS plants Table 3-21 Non-native invasive plants found within the Spotted Bear River project area Table 3-22 Number of non-native species infestations and infested acres in the Spotted Bear River project area Table 3-23 Retention description and estimated remaining canopy cover of proposed activities v

4 Table 3-24 Non-native invasive species found forest-wide and in the Spotted Bear River project area Table 3-25 Cumulative effects summary of soil disturbance and light availability Table 3-26 Sensitive species analysis Table 3-27 Existing conditions within grizzly bear subunits potentially affected Table 3-28 Amendment 19 existing situation Table 3-29 Grizzly bear habitat effects by alternative Table 3-30 Potential increases in huckleberry by alternative Table 3-31 Potential increases in serviceberry by alternative Table 3-32 Grizzly habitat security with respect to Flathead Forest Plan Amendment Table 3-33 Disturbance/displacement due to helicopter use Table 3-34 Grizzly bear cumulative effects of past, present and foreseeable activities Table 3-35 Compliance with IGBC guidelines for Timber and Fire Management Table 3-36 Compliance with IGBC guidelines for Recreation Management Table 3-37 Canada lynx critical habitat Primary Constituent Element (PCE) Table 3-38 Modeled habitat components: Existing situation within the entire Lynx Analysis Unit (LAU) boundary Table 3-39 Modeled habitat components within project area: Existing situation within critical habitat boundary Table 3-40 Alternatives 2, 3, and 4: Changes in critical habitat through precommercial thinning in each LAU Table 3-41 Alternatives 2, 3 and 4: Proposed changes in critical lynx habitat through prescribed burning in each LAU Table 3-42 Alternatives 2, 3 and 4: Summary of proposed changes in critical lynx habitat through tree harvest in each LAU Table 3-43 Modeled habitat components within Spotted Bear River Project: Cumulative effect of acres treated by thinning, burning, and harvest within critical habitat boundary Table 3-44 Alternative 2: Cumulative effects of all proposed treatments - VEGS1/VEGS Table 3-45 Northern Rockies lynx management direction standard and guideline compliance Table 3-46 Consistency with Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan direction Table 3-47 Consistency with Flathead National Forest Plan Table 3-48 Changes in key habitat within 100 meters of mapped riparian land types Table 3-49 Changes in mid-seral to late-seral moist habitat: Effects by alternative Table 3-50 Proposed timber harvest/prescribed fire in high-potential habitat for Flammulated Owls Table 3-51 Alternatives 2, 3 and 4: Potential treatment effects by unit in potential Flammulated Owl habitat Table 3-52 Acres proposed for regeneration harvest Table 3-53 Existing ungulate cover and forage on designated winter range Table 3-54 Thermal cover by subunit Table 3-55 Acres of thermal cover in MA13/13A reduced by timber harvest Table 3-56 Acres of forage in MA13/13A created by timber harvest Table 3-57 Acres of forage in MA 13/13A created by burning Table 3-58 Acres and percentage of forage as a result of past, present, and proposed activities Table 3-59 Acres and percentage of thermal cover as a result of past, present, and proposed activities Table 3-60 Birds detected on 10 point counts within the project area: 1994 to vi

5 Table 3-61 Birds of conservation concern in the Flathead Basin (BCR10) Table 3-62 Species that are not MIS but are assessed at project level Table 3-63 Acres of old growth and old growth impacted by edge Table 3-64 Treatments in shrublands surrounded by Douglas-fir Table 3-65 Example output from the Disturbed WEPP model for a typical hillslope in the project area Table 3-66 Analysis watersheds and acreage Table 3-67 Summary of typical landforms, stream types, and relative nutrient yield potential in the Spotted Bear River project area Table 3-68 Existing condition summary for project area analysis watersheds Table 3-69 Alternative 2 Modeled water yield data for analysis watersheds Table 3-70 Alternative 2 - Estimated sediment yield for stream crossings Table 3-71 Alternative 2 Culvert upsizing and resulting potential sediment yield Table 3-72 Alternative 2 Modeled potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds Table 3-73 Alternative 3 Modeled water yield for analysis watersheds Table 3-74 Alternative 3 Modeled potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds Table 3-75 Alternative 4 Modeled water yield data for analysis watersheds Table 3-76 Alternative 4 Modeled potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds Table 3-77 Alternative 2 Cumulative potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds Table 3-78 Alternative 3 Cumulative potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds Table 3-79 Alternative 4 Cumulative potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds Table 3-80 Modeled potential water yield increase for each alternative by watershed Table 3-81 The cumulative potential sediment yield by alternative Table 3-82 Summary of genetic sampling of westslope cutthroat trout in project area streams Table 3-83 Physical habitat features for South Creek Table 3-84 Physical habitat features for Whitcomb Creek Table 3-85 Physical habitat features of Bent, Upper, and Lower Twin Creeks Table 3-86 Proposed treatment unit DSD surveys Table 3-87 Mapped landtypes in the Spotted Bear River project area Table 3-88 Special soil features by unit Table 3-89 Cumulative effects summary Table 3-90 Detrimental disturbance summary by alternative Table 3-91 Comparison of Scenic Integrity Levels to Visual Quality Objectives Table 3-92 Management areas and associated SILs, VQOs Table 3-93 Visual Quality Objective of the treatment units Table 3-94 Alternative 2 - Air quality emissions Table 3-95 Alternative 3 - Air quality emissions Table 3-96 Alternative 4 - Air quality emissions Table 3-97 Project feasibility and financial efficiency summary (2010 dollars) vii

6 LIST OF MAPS Map 1-1 Spotted Bear River project area and vicinity 1-8 Map 2-1 Alternative 2 Treatment Units 2-17 Map 2-2 Alternative 3 Treatment Units 2-23 Map 2-3 Alternative 4 Treatment Units 2-33 Map 2-4 Timing of logging activities 2-37 Map 3-1 Grizzly bear subunits within project area Map 3-2 Lynx analysis units for the Spotted Bear River Project Map 3-3 Watershed analysis areas Map 3-4 Recreation, Wild and Scenic River, and Inventoried Roadless Areas LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 One of the legacy ponderosa pine trees in the project area. 1-3 Figure 1-2 High mortality in the stand and Douglas-fir dominated regeneration will result in a 1-4 decline in ponderosa pine and western larch. Figure 1-3 Dense Douglas fir stand susceptible to mortality from insects, disease, and fire. 1-5 Figure 1-4 Current stand conditions at Beaver Creek Campground 1-6 Figure 3-1 Mountain pine beetle activity in and near Spotted Bear River project area 3-19 Figure 3-2 Douglas-fir beetle and root disease activity in and near Spotted Bear River project 3-21 area Figure 3-3 Fuel category change paths pre- and post-treatment 3-92 Figure 3-4 Total miles of road and miles of road within ¼ mile of a non-native invasive plant species infestation within the project area. Figure 3-5 Median streamflow - South Fork Flathead River above Twin Creek Figure 3-6 Annual peak streamflow South Fork Flathead River above Twin Creek ( ) viii