Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation ...

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project
would be offset by correction of drainage concerns that would benefit the area for the long-term.
This alternative provides an opportunity to correct road drainage concerns by disconnecting
runoff from streams and/or direct runoff through buffer or filter strips. Also, artificial
reforestation will allow watershed recovery from harvest to occur more quickly, thereby
reducing the amount of time harvested areas would be susceptible to erosion.
With any timber harvest operation there is a chance of impacting streams, but with full
compliance with standards and guidelines found in the Forest Plan and Watershed Conservation
Practices Handbook, and additional protection from specific project design criteria, impacts to
the streams and associated trout populations are expected to be minimal. Some individual trout
may be impacted for short periods of time due to possible increases in runoff and siltation, but
the impacts are not expected to result in loss of wide-scale aquatic habitat in the area or the
viability of the existing trout populations. The correction of existing drainage concerns and
reforestation will help reduce the affects on the stream habitat.
Alternative 3 – Reduced Salvage Harvest
In this alternative, approximately 607 acres and up to 9.9 MMBF would be harvested. This
alternative would cause less surface disturbance than Alternative 2 because less area would be
accessed with equipment due to some areas being dropped from harvest consideration. Impacts
to stream health resulting from surface disturbances are not expected, or would be minimal, as
long as S & G’s and the project design criteria are adhered to. Some individual trout may be
impacted for short periods of time due to possible increases in runoff and siltation, but the
impacts are not expected to result in loss of wide-scale aquatic habitat in the area or the viability
of the existing trout populations.
The main difference between this alternative and Alternative 2 is that Unit 1 and portions of
Units 2 and 5 would not be entered for timber harvest. The influence of this alternative on the
trout population would be similar to Alternative 2, but any potential impacts from timber harvest
would expect to be less due to the decrease in total disturbance area.
Cumulative Effects:
Effects from livestock grazing, road construction and previous timber sales in the general area
have recovered well and there are no significant impacts noted. Some riparian zones within the
analysis area do receive recreational use such as hiking, camping, vehicle use, and fishing.
These activities can lead to loss of riparian vegetation and increased sedimentation resulting
from this use, especially camping and vehicle use within riparian areas, and can result in
degraded fish habitat.
Increased sediment into streams from timber harvest and associated activities, can impact
instream fish habitat as well as provide suitable habitat for fish disease and disease vectors such
as whirling disease. Colorado Division of Wildlife has implemented an extensive outreach
program informing anglers about aquatic nuisance species and diseases which is aimed at
reducing the spread of the species/diseases by outdoor users. Currently, whirling disease is not
Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-65