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

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project
The action alternatives, when taken in context of this specific project and added to the sum total
of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable environmental, social, and economic effects of land
management activities, would have little effect upon the conditions and trends of resources and
values within the project area and adjacent area of influence. The minor impacts anticipated
would be mitigated through project design criteria, which are incorporated into all action
alternatives.
The action alternatives would continue to provide for a wide diversity of recreational and scenic
activities within the Analysis Area. Areas of beetle-killed trees would be noticeable and foot
access into these specific areas may be more difficult as dead trees begin to fall to the ground.
However, salvaging a portion of the infested acres would improve foot access into these units.
Suitable habitat for wildlife species would continue to be present regardless of the action
alternative. The distribution and amount of older mature spruce fir would be reduced, but more
as a result of beetle activity than the action alternatives themselves. Temporary road construction
would be rehabilitated following management activities and would have little additional impact
upon wildlife species. Minimal or no effects are expected for TES, MIS, migratory birds, or
their habitat.
Soils and watersheds would remain in healthy condition. Project design criteria are in place for
all action alternatives, with specific criteria in place for the proposed temporary roads. The
vegetative community would continue to contain a diversity of plant communities, well
distributed across the landscape. The risk of fire intensity and severity in these vegetative
communities would be decreased, due to the harvest proposed by the action alternatives reducing
the amount of dead fuels present.
Heritage and social resources would remain limited. Economic values would be increased and
improved through harvest and planting activities, in addition to the other forest products
retrieved.
If current spruce beetle infestation rates continue as expected, the overall appearance and forest
condition of the Analysis Area would be impacted. Forest condition in the Analysis Area as a
whole would rebound more quickly, however, due to limited, localized control of beetle
populations and artificial regeneration.
3.23 Other Disclosures
Global Climate Change
The Forest Service acknowledges that global climate change is an important emerging concern
worldwide. However, there is no established scientific methodology to measure the effects of
small-scale projects such as this project on global climate. This analysis briefly addresses global
climate change in two ways: 1) effects of climate change on a proposed project, and 2) effects of
Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-103