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

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Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project shrubs would likely occur across the landscape. Some areas may continue to provide suitable habitat for those species requiring closed-canopy forested areas and may even improve in quality as more coarse woody debris becomes available and the understory vegetation is released. Logging activities could result in limited disturbance to avian species during project implementation. There is a chance that nesting birds may be disturbed or suffer direct mortality as the result of tree felling activities, but this potential is decreased by project design criteria for protection of active bird nests and soft snags. Habitat effectiveness may be impacted but overall the analysis area would continue to provide adequate habitat for many avian species. Sensitive Mammals - The proposed salvage sale is planned in areas with existing road systems in place. Approximately 3.3 miles of currently inactive roads would be re-opened for timber operations. Up to 0.2 miles of new, temporary roads will be constructed for timber operations which would not be expected to impact wolverines or martens substantially more than reopening existing roads. If there are wolverines in the area (although none are known to occur on the Rio Grande National Forest), they would be expected to move out of the area (possibly into adjacent wilderness or backcountry areas) during logging operations to avoid human activity and increased human presence. Open roads would not be expected to have a large impact on marten habiat use although individuals could be disturbed or temporarily displaced by timber operations. Under both action alternatives, sufficient woody debris will remain available on the forest floor for wolverine and marten prey species and for marten denning habitat. The spatial distribution and concentration of trees remaining would continue to provide suitable foraging habitat for these species within the area of influence and project site. Canopy closure would decrease substantially as trees are removed and remaining spruce trees die. This could degrade habitat for martens as they prefer areas with overhead cover, however, if the cover became too sparse, they would be expected to disperse to nearby areas having more overhead cover. According to project design, 38 to 60 trees per acre, 8” dbh and larger will be left standing in the analysis area following harvest, which will provide overhead cover. Areas that currently have substantial understory/regeneration, preferred by martens, would be expected to release following treatments, improving the overall structural quality of marten habitat in this area within approximately 15-25 years. Logging activities could result in limited disturbance to wolverines and martens if present during project implementation. Removal of these trees is not expected to impact movement of these species either within their home range or into other adjacent areas should they be present. Determination for All Sensitive Species for Alternative 1: This alternative allows natural processes to occur which may result in temporary conversion of habitat or even for habitat to become unsuitable for a period of time for some species. However, as natural processes create a mosaic on the land providing a variety of habitat types, it is determined that this Alternative May Impact Individuals of some species, but is not likely to cause a trend towards Federal listing or result in loss of viability in the planning area (the Forest) for the eight species evaluated. Determination for All Sensitive Species for Alternatives 2 and 3: The action alternatives would result in a given amount of habitat conversion depending upon harvest prescriptions. For Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-50
Final Environmental Impact Statement Rio de los Pinos Vegetation Management Project this determination, the amount of acre conversion is not significant enough to warrant a different determination between the two action alternatives. Forest Plan standards and guidelines in addition to project design criteria would help reduce potential impacts to all sensitive species. It is determined that implementation of alternative 2 or 3 May Impact Individuals, but is not likely to cause a trend towards Federal listing or result in loss of viability in the planning area (the Forest) for the eight species evaluated. Cumulative Effects: The TES cumulative effects analysis for the Rio de los Pinos Vegetation management Analysis is based on past, present and future Federal, Tribal, State, or private land activities that are reasonably certain to occur within the areas analyzed for TES species which includes the LAU for lynx and for all other species, the Rio de los Pinos Analysis Area. Rito Archuleta LAU - lynx This cumulative effects analysis is based on the Rito-Archuleta LAU, in order to cumulatively address effects of this project on lynx. Potential effects to lynx habitat on private lands within the LAU have already been accounted for, and the potential changes to lynx habitat on private lands already brought forward in the baseline conditions for the LAU (see biological assessment). There will be short-term disturbances from project activities to lynx should they be present during operations, but sufficient cover and connectivity should remain to provide adequate habitat to avoid project activities. Disturbance could add cumulatively to potential disturbance from recreation activities within the area, although for the most part, recreationists would likely avoid areas being actively harvested. Habitat conversions would result in reduced denning habitat, which would decrease the likelihood of lynx establishing denning sites within the units being salvaged. However, habitat within the LAU continues to meet SRLA objectives, standards, and guidelines, and areas adjacent to the salvage units (including backcountry and wilderness areas) would continue to provide secluded areas of higher quality habitat more likely to be used by lynx. Feeding, breeding, and sheltering requirements of lynx would continue to be adequately met within the LAU and larger-scale connectivity would be retained within and between LAUs. On a landscape level, harvest of this area, in addition to adjacent wilderness and backcountry areas, would provide a mosaic of habitat conditions in time and space, likely improving lynx habitat into the future. Past projects, including harvest activities associated with the County Line EIS, have already been accounted for and this project will be accounted for and reported to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In combination with past, proposed, and foreseeable future projects within the LAU, all objectives, standards, and guidelines contained within the SRLA would be met with implementation of any of the alternatives. Chapter 3 – Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences Page 3-51
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