DECISION MEMO Prescribed Burn and Commercial Thinning ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

VIII. MITIGATION MEASURES The Interdisciplinary Team discussed the potential impacts to soil productivity and wildlife from prescribed burning. While there are potential risks to impact soil productivity, the dormant season burns should not reduce soil productivity. The recommended mitigation measures developed would ensure a cooler burn, which reduces litter and duff removal. Relevant mitigation measures that limit impacts to soil and water include, but are not limited to: 1. Water bar and seed all fire lines after the burn is complete. 2. Use hand tools when it is necessary to tie a fireline into stream channels. 3. Ensure that no more than 15% of an area will have mineral soil exposed as a result of the burn. 4. Construct water bars at frequent intervals to slow surface runoff (See BMPs for recommended spacing for water bars). 5. Construct firelines in the floodplains with tracked equipment only when soil moisture conditions are not excessively wet and rutting is not occurring. 6. Consolidate blocks for burning, where feasible, to limit the number of fire lines constructed, which reduces erosion and sedimentation. 7. Limit fire in riparian areas. Fire entering these areas will be backing fires of low intensity. (Under dormant season burning conditions, riparian areas are usually damp and fire does not carry in these areas.) 8. No burning on weekends in Compartments 63 to protect forest visitors that might be utilizing State Highway 176. 9. Use wet lines or backfires adjacent to private lands to protect private property from hot fires that might damage facilities. The District Zone Wildlife Biologist, along with consultation with US Fish and Wildlife Service, identified mitigation Measures that limits the impacts to wildlife species, including PETS species (USDA, 2011): 1. If a bald eagle roost site or nest occurs within the project area, the following protective measures shall be followed: Sumter National Forest biological staff shall delineate a protection zone around the roost site or nest that extends a minimum of 660 feet. Activities that modify the forest canopy within this zone are prohibited. All management activities not associated with bald eagle management and monitoring are prohibited within this zone during the periods of use. (Roost use periods are determined through site-specific monitoring; breeding use periods are defined from October 1 through June 15.) 14
2. If a bald eagle roost site or nest is observed within a burn block prior to prescribe burning, suspend burning operations and notify Sumter National Forest biological staff. If a roost site or nest is observed during prescribed burning, notify biological staff immediately and implement the following protective measures: a. Protect the roost or nest tree from fire by raking or clearing the vegetation from around the tree a sufficient distance to prevent crown fire or fire climbing the tree; b. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft shall not operate within 1,000 feet of active roosts or nests; and c. If possible, smoke shall be directed away from roost or nest trees. 3. Georgia aster sites shall be designated by Sumter National Forest biological staff prior to prescribe burning or timber operations, and the following protective measures shall be implemented: a. Avoid Georgia aster sites during dozer and/or handline construction; b. During the timber sale in compartment 63, stand 11, directionally fall trees away from Georgia aster sites; and c. Keep logging and other heavy equipment outside of Georgia aster sites. 4. The following protective measures shall be implemented with the construction of all firelines: a. Handlines shall be used for fireline construction within riparian corridors for all perennial, intermittent, and channelized ephemeral streams (see Forest Plan for riparian corridor minimum widths); and b. Water bars or other water diversion structures shall be installed on firelines on slopes that exceed 2%. Firelines shall be smoothed and revegetate promptly after the prescribed bum is completed. 15
Page 1 and 2: DECISION MEMO Prescribed Burn and C
Page 3 and 4: c. If possible, smoke will be direc
Page 5 and 6: Total Area 312 Gross Acres D. Fores
Page 7 and 8: II. REASONS FOR CATEGORICALLY EXCLU
Page 9 and 10: Municipal Watersheds: Municipal wat
Page 11 and 12: Endangered Species Act - See Sectio
Page 13: The U.S. Department of Agriculture

DECISION MEMO Prescribed Burn and Commercial Thinning ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?