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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project Objective ALLO1 Maintain or restore lynx habitat connectivity in and between LAU’s and in linkage areas. • Connectivity will be maintained within the project area and LAU through unharvested WIZ areas dispersed throughout the Analysis Area, in addition to trees left standing (which include understory vegetation, fir trees of all sizes, and snags left standing (38-60 trees per acre). Standard VEG S1 If more than 30 percent of the lynx habitat in an LAU is currently in a stand initiation structural stage that does not yet provide winter snowshoe hare habitat, no additional habitat may be regenerated by vegetation management projects. • All treatments are consistent with VEGS1. Under current conditions, only 2% of the Rito-Archuleta LAU is in a stand initiation structural stage (SISS). Treatment under either of the action alternatives would not result in an increase in the percent of habitat in a SISS. Standard VEG S2 Timber management projects shall not regenerate more than 15 percent of lynx habitat on NFS lands within an LAU in a ten-year period. This 15 percent includes the entire stand within an even-aged regeneration area, and only the patch opening areas within group selections. Salvage harvest within stands killed by insect epidemics, wildfire, etc. does not add to the 15 percent, unless the harvest treatment would cause the lynx habitat to change to an unsuitable condition. • Implementation of this project would be expected to change a very small amount (28 -29 acres) of lynx habitat into a currently unsuitable (SISS) condition. This does not change the percent (currently 2%) of unsuitable lynx habitat within the Rito-Archuleta LAU. Therefore, this project easily meets the standard. Standard VEG S6 Vegetation management projects that reduce winter snowshoe hare habitat in multistory mature or late successional conifer forests may occur only (VEG S6 Exceptions): 1. Within 200 feet of administrative sites, dwellings, outbuildings, recreation sites, and special use permit improvements, including infrastructure within permitted ski area boundaries; Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-40
Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project or 2. For research studies or genetic tree tests evaluating genetically improved reforestation stock; or 3. For incidental removal during salvage harvest (e.g., removal due to location of skid trails); or 4. Where uneven-aged management (single tree and small group selection) practices are employed to maintain and encourage multi-story attributes as part of gap dynamics. Project design must be consistent with VEG O1, O2 and O4, except where impacts to areas of dense horizontal cover are incidental to activities under this exception (e.g., construction of skid trails). Exceptions 2 and 4 may not occur in any LAU in which VEG S1 is exceeded. • Items #1, 2, and 4 do not apply to this project. • All proposed units are a salvage prescription with small, modified patch cuts (where all trees 8” dbh and below) are left unharvested. All of the treatments involve salvage harvest operations described under VEGS6, Exception #3. While all possible efforts will be made to minimize understory impacts to snowshoe hare habitat, it is recognized that there will be some incidental removal during salvage harvest. Incidental impacts associated with salvage harvest are recognized under Exception #3, and consistent with the SRLA. Guideline VEG G1 Vegetation management projects should be planned to recruit a high density of conifers, hardwoods, and shrubs where such habitat is scarce or not available. Priority for treatment should be given to stem-exclusion, closed-canopy structural stage stands to enhance habitat conditions for lynx or their prey (e.g. mesic, monotypic lodgepole stands). Winter snowshoe hare habitat should be near denning habitat. • A complete focus on stem-exclusion, closed canopy stands could not be provided given the existing condition of the stands within the analysis area and the purpose and need of the proposed action. Under any of the alternatives, the understory vegetation is expected to experience a release, promoting a high density of live conifers. Under the two action alternatives, areas where Forest Plan regeneration standards are not met will be planted. Much of this area is expected to be converted to winter foraging habitat (adjacent to nearby denning habitat). Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-41
Page 1 and 2:
United States Department of Agricul
Page 3 and 4:
Final Environmental Impact Statemen
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26: Final Environmental Impact Statemen
Page 75: Final Environmental Impact Statemen
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157:
Page 161:
µ Unit 3 Unit 4 Rio de los Pinos -
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
Page 168 and 169:
Page 170 and 171:
Page 172 and 173:
Page 175 and 176:
Jack Lewis Conejos Peak RD 15571 CR
Page 177 and 178:
Colorado Wild Page 3 Under alternat
Page 179 and 180:
Colorado Wild Page 5 to help provid
Page 181 and 182:
Colorado Wild Page 7 it is difficul
Page 183 and 184:
Colorado Wild Page 9 be avoided to
Page 185:
Colorado Wild Page 11 USDA Forest S
Page 188 and 189:
2-3 2-4 2-5 2-6
Page 190 and 191:
2-7 2-8
Page 192 and 193:
2-10 2-11
Page 194 and 195:
2-12 2-13 2-14
Page 196 and 197:
2-15
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?