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

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project
SUMMARY
The Rio Grande National Forest proposes to salvage Engelmann spruce trees that have been
killed or are infested with spruce beetle and to regenerate areas heavily impacted by the beetle by
planting Engelmann spruce seedlings in the Rio de los Pinos Analysis Area. The proposed
treatments would contribute toward providing a sustained yield of forest products from the Rio
Grande National Forest and would ensure meeting or moving toward Forest Plan and projectspecific
Desired Conditions.
The Analysis Area is located approximately two miles northwest of Cumbres Pass, Colorado.
The Analysis Area falls within Conejos County, Colorado and encompasses approximately 1379
acres.
This area was recently analyzed under the County Line Vegetation Management Project EIS,
signed July 18, 2005. Under the County Line analysis, the area was planned for a preventative
thinning treatment, in hopes of reducing the impacts of the spruce beetle. A much more severe
infestation than predicted has occurred, and the actions proposed for this area under the County
Line EIS would no longer be preventative.
The need for action is tied to recovering the economic value of dead and dying trees, and
regenerating heavily impacted areas through artificial regeneration with Engelmann spruce. By
maintaining a vegetative structure on the Forest that is capable of sustaining timber harvesting
activities and at the same time contributing to the biodiversity of those forested areas, this project
helps achieve the Forest-wide Desired Conditions identified in the Forest Plan. This project
strives to meet the needs of the people of the San Luis Valley and surrounding areas for forest
and wood products, while protecting resources for future generations.
Three alternatives were developed in detail for this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Each
action alternative was designed to be viable and consistent with Forest Plan direction.
Alternatives developed were based on the following themes: 1) No Action, 2) Full Salvage
Harvesting, and 3) Reduced Salvage Harvesting. Alternative 2 is the Forest Service proposed
action.
This EIS discloses the environmental consequences of implementing the proposed action and
alternatives to that action. A Record of Decision (ROD), signed by the Responsible Official, will
explain the management and environmental reasons for selecting the alternative to be
implemented. The ROD will disclose the rationale for choosing the selected alternative; discuss
the rationale for rejecting other alternatives; and disclose how the decision responds to the
relevant Key Issues. Based on the effects of the alternatives, the Responsible Official will decide
whether or not to authorize some level of timber harvesting on all, part, or none of the Analysis
Area given considerations of environmental consequences and other multiple-use goals and
objectives. If the decision is made to authorize timber harvesting activities, the management
framework will be described (including standards, guidelines, project design criteria, and
monitoring) to ensure that Desired Condition objectives are met or that movement occurs toward
those objectives in an acceptable timeframe.
Chapter 1 – Purpose & Need Page 1-iii