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

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project
located closer to Forest System Road 118.1C, and a portion of Forest System Road 118.2 along
the Rio de los Pinos will remain open to motorized use and in poor condition. There would be
no opportunity under this alternative to decommission any System roads that are no longer
needed due to location, resource issues or other factors.
Alternative 2 – Full Salvage Harvest
This alternative would have temporary effects to recreation users, especially during the active
timber sales with heavy truck traffic on the roads leading into the sale areas. There would also
be somewhat less opportunity for fuel wood gathering than the current situation (only the current
open roadways get fuel wood traffic). The Outfitter permit with the yurts would be impacted by
winter logging. Project design criteria would allow logging up until December 15. The project
design criteria would also include designated trailhead parking areas within the analysis area
during the life of the timber sale contract. The designated sites are to ensure the public safety.
This alternative also would result in increasing the length of trail 736, by decreasing the length of
road 118.2; the amount of change is 0.8 mile. This would be a benefit to non-motorized
recreation users. This road-to-trail conversion and trailhead relocation would take place
following the timber sales. Following the harvest, the area would be more open, but the
recreation use is not expected to change.
The recreation/travel management project design criteria are feasible because they would be
incorporated into the timber sale contracts to protect recreation improvements, warn visitors of
hazards, and minimize impacts to forest users during periods of heaviest use. The project design
criteria have been used on other timber sales on the Forest and should be an effective means of
minimizing negative impacts to forest users.
Currently there is a trail reroute going through the analysis area. A portion of the Continental
Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) is closed just west of the analysis area, from Cumbres
Pass to just south of the South San Juan Wilderness, due to hazardous conditions. Visitors are
rerouted onto trail 736, then onto Forest System Road 118.2 to Forest System Road 118.1C, and
finally to Forest System Road 118 which take them to the CDNST trailhead, traveling south from
the South San Juan Wilderness. It is anticipated that the conditions that warranted the trail
closure and reroute will be resolved prior to the implementation of this decision. However, if
this does not occur and the section of the CDNST is still closed, a determination will be made at
that time as to a safe route that the public should use if planning to travel through the area for the
CDNST trail.
Effects of Alternative 2 on the South San Juan Wilderness Area and backcountry experiences of
National Forest users focuses on noise from timber harvesting operations. Visual impacts have
been in section 3.11. The backcountry area to the west of the analysis area would be seperated
from noise and visual impacts by a major ridgeline, hence there would be minimal or no effects
to visuals or noise from that area. The South San Juan Wilderness Area sits north of the analysis
area and users may hear noise from trucks and/or logging equipment during operations,
depending on wind and other environmental factors.
Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-85