SPOTTED BEAR RIVER PROJECT REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 PURPOSE AND NEED I. INTRODUCTION.. 1-1 II. PROJECT AREA....... 1-2 III. PURPOSE AND NEED.. 1-2 IV. PROJECT SCOPE..... 1-9 V. RELATIONSHIP TO FOREST PLAN.... 1-10 VI. DECISIONS TO BE MADE....... 1-11 CHAPTER 2 ALTERNATIVES I. INTRODUCTION... 2-1 II. ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS..... 2-1 III. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED IN DETAIL... 2-6 IV. DESIGN CRITERIA (FEATURES COMMON TO ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES)... 2-35 V. COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES.... 2-47 iii
CHAPTER 3 - AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES I. INTRODUCTION.... 3-1 II FOREST VEGETATION.... 3-7 III. FIRE AND FUELS....... 3-85 IV. THREATENED, ENDANGERED AND SENSITIVE PLANT SPECIES. 3-103 V. NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES. 3-115 VI. WILDLIFE............... 3-137 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.. 3-144 3-166 3-187 3-193 3-204 3-212 3-217 3-224 3-227 3-233 3-238 3-251 VII. HYDROLOGY 3-267 VIII. FISHERIES...... 3-329 IX. SOILS........... 3-347 X. FOREST HERITAGE RESOURCES....... 3-371 XI. RECREATION 3-375 XII. INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS. 3-387 XIII. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER. 3-397 XIV. SCENIC RESOURCES... 3-407 XV. AIR QUALITY......... 3-419 XVI. ECONOMICS.. 3-427 GLOSSARY LITERATURE CITED AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE RECEIVING THE EA DOCUMENT LIST OF PREPARERS iv
LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1 Summary of Alternative 2 components 2-7 Table 2-2 Harvest treatments by unit for Alternative 2 2-7 Table 2-3 Sapling thinning treatments by unit for Alternative 2 2-9 Table 2-4 Selective thinning treatments by unit for Alternative 2 2-10 Table 2-5 Prescribed burning treatments by unit for Alternative 2 2-10 Table 2-6 Summary of Alternative 3 components 2-19 Table 2-7 Harvest treatments by unit for Alternative 3 2-19 Table 2-8 Summary of Alternative 4 components 2-26 Table 2-9 Harvest treatments by unit for Alternative 4 2-26 Table 2-10 Prescribed burning treatments by unit for Alternative 4 2-28 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 3-106 Table 3-20 General locations of RFSS plants 3-107 Table 3-21 Non-native invasive plants found within the Spotted Bear River project area 3-118 Table 3-22 Number of non-native species infestations and infested acres in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-120 Table 3-23 Retention description and estimated remaining canopy cover of proposed activities 3-129 v
Table 3-24 Non-native invasive species found forest-wide and in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-130 Table 3-25 Cumulative effects summary of soil disturbance and light availability 3-132 Table 3-26 Sensitive species analysis 3-141 Table 3-27 Existing conditions within grizzly bear subunits potentially affected 3-147 Table 3-28 Amendment 19 existing situation 3-148 Table 3-29 Grizzly bear habitat effects by alternative 3-151 Table 3-30 Potential increases in huckleberry by alternative 3-153 Table 3-31 Potential increases in serviceberry by alternative 3-153 Table 3-32 Grizzly habitat security with respect to Flathead Forest Plan Amendment 19 3-155 Table 3-33 Disturbance/displacement due to helicopter use 3-156 Table 3-34 Grizzly bear cumulative effects of past, present and foreseeable activities 3-159 Table 3-35 Compliance with IGBC guidelines for Timber and Fire Management 3-162 Table 3-36 Compliance with IGBC guidelines for Recreation Management 3-163 Table 3-37 Canada lynx critical habitat Primary Constituent Element (PCE) 3-169 Table 3-38 Modeled habitat components: Existing situation within the entire Lynx Analysis Unit (LAU) boundary 3-171 Table 3-39 Modeled habitat components within project area: Existing situation within critical habitat boundary 3-174 Table 3-40 Alternatives 2, 3, and 4: Changes in critical habitat through precommercial thinning in each LAU 3-175 Table 3-41 Alternatives 2, 3 and 4: Proposed changes in critical lynx habitat through prescribed burning in each LAU 3-176 Table 3-42 Alternatives 2, 3 and 4: Summary of proposed changes in critical lynx habitat through tree harvest in each LAU 3-176 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 3-178 Table 3-44 Alternative 2: Cumulative effects of all proposed treatments - VEGS1/VEGS2 3-181 Table 3-45 Northern Rockies lynx management direction standard and guideline compliance 3-183 Table 3-46 Consistency with Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan direction 3-191 Table 3-47 Consistency with Flathead National Forest Plan 3-192 Table 3-48 Changes in key habitat within 100 meters of mapped riparian land types 3-199 Table 3-49 Changes in mid-seral to late-seral moist habitat: Effects by alternative 3-200 Table 3-50 Proposed timber harvest/prescribed fire in high-potential habitat for Flammulated Owls 3-221 Table 3-51 Alternatives 2, 3 and 4: Potential treatment effects by unit in potential Flammulated Owl habitat 3-221 Table 3-52 Acres proposed for regeneration harvest 3-230 Table 3-53 Existing ungulate cover and forage on designated winter range 3-241 Table 3-54 Thermal cover by subunit 3-241 Table 3-55 Acres of thermal cover in MA13/13A reduced by timber harvest 3-245 Table 3-56 Acres of forage in MA13/13A created by timber harvest 3-245 Table 3-57 Acres of forage in MA 13/13A created by burning 3-245 Table 3-58 Acres and percentage of forage as a result of past, present, and proposed activities 3-248 Table 3-59 Acres and percentage of thermal cover as a result of past, present, and proposed activities 3-249 Table 3-60 Birds detected on 10 point counts within the project area: 1994 to 2004 3-252 vi
Table 3-61 Birds of conservation concern in the Flathead Basin (BCR10) 3-253 Table 3-62 Species that are not MIS but are assessed at project level 3-254 Table 3-63 Acres of old growth and old growth impacted by edge 3-257 Table 3-64 Treatments in shrublands surrounded by Douglas-fir 3-262 Table 3-65 Example output from the Disturbed WEPP model for a typical hillslope in the project area 3-269 Table 3-66 Analysis watersheds and acreage 3-271 Table 3-67 Summary of typical landforms, stream types, and relative nutrient yield potential in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-276 Table 3-68 Existing condition summary for project area analysis watersheds 3-282 Table 3-69 Alternative 2 Modeled water yield data for analysis watersheds 3-288 Table 3-70 Alternative 2 - Estimated sediment yield for stream crossings 3-295 Table 3-71 Alternative 2 Culvert upsizing and resulting potential sediment yield 3-296 Table 3-72 Alternative 2 Modeled potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds 3-297 Table 3-73 Alternative 3 Modeled water yield for analysis watersheds 3-300 Table 3-74 Alternative 3 Modeled potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds 3-303 Table 3-75 Alternative 4 Modeled water yield data for analysis watersheds 3-305 Table 3-76 Alternative 4 Modeled potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds 3-308 Table 3-77 Alternative 2 Cumulative potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds 3-317 Table 3-78 Alternative 3 Cumulative potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds 3-320 Table 3-79 Alternative 4 Cumulative potential sediment yield for analysis watersheds 3-323 Table 3-80 Modeled potential water yield increase for each alternative by watershed 3-324 Table 3-81 The cumulative potential sediment yield by alternative 3-324 Table 3-82 Summary of genetic sampling of westslope cutthroat trout in project area streams 3-334 Table 3-83 Physical habitat features for South Creek 3-335 Table 3-84 Physical habitat features for Whitcomb Creek 3-336 Table 3-85 Physical habitat features of Bent, Upper, and Lower Twin Creeks 3-337 Table 3-86 Proposed treatment unit DSD surveys 3-350 Table 3-87 Mapped landtypes in the Spotted Bear River project area 3-353 Table 3-88 Special soil features by unit 3-354 Table 3-89 Cumulative effects summary 3-365 Table 3-90 Detrimental disturbance summary by alternative 3-367 Table 3-91 Comparison of Scenic Integrity Levels to Visual Quality Objectives 3-407 Table 3-92 Management areas and associated SILs, VQOs 3-408 Table 3-93 Visual Quality Objective of the treatment units 3-411 Table 3-94 Alternative 2 - Air quality emissions 3-424 Table 3-95 Alternative 3 - Air quality emissions 3-424 Table 3-96 Alternative 4 - Air quality emissions 3-424 Table 3-97 Project feasibility and financial efficiency summary (2010 dollars) 3-432 vii
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 3-146 Map 3-2 Lynx analysis units for the Spotted Bear River Project 3-167 Map 3-3 Watershed analysis areas 3-272 Map 3-4 Recreation, Wild and Scenic River, and Inventoried Roadless Areas 3-377 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 3-126 species infestation within the project area. Figure 3-5 Median streamflow - South Fork Flathead River above Twin Creek 3-274 Figure 3-6 Annual peak streamflow South Fork Flathead River above Twin Creek (1964-2007) 3-275 viii