Environmental Assessment

More documents

Recommendations

Info

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3 Fuel Treatment Unit No. (Assoc. Veg Treatment Unit No. (Alt 2/Alt 3)) 3-46 Post Treatment Fire Behavior Potential Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 F14 (SD04, P13, P14, P15, P19, H24, H27 / P328, P329, P331, P333, P338, C320, C324, C325) Extreme Moderate Moderate F15 (SD08, P14, P15, H12, H13 / P331-333, C309, C310) Extreme Moderate Moderate F16 (P08, H10, H11 / P316, P321, C307) Mod-Extreme Moderate Moderate F17 (SD08, P07 / P315, P316, P320, P321, C307, C339) Mod-Extreme Moderate Moderate F18 (SD08 / P314, C308) Mod-Extreme Moderate Moderate F19 Mod-Extreme Moderate Moderate F20 (SD07, P15, P16, H16-25 / P333, P335-337, C311-321, C328) Mod-Extreme Low Low F21 (P18, H27 / P338, P339, C325) Mod-Extreme Low Moderate F22 (H42 / P322) High Low NA F23 (P19, H22, H24, H26 / C320, C322-324) Extreme Low Low F24 (H22 / C322) Extreme Low Moderate-High F25 (0 / NA) High-Extreme High-Extreme NA F26 (0 / NA) Low-Moderate Low-Moderate NA F27 (0 / 0) Moderate Moderate Moderate F28 (H28 / C327) Extreme Low High F29 (0 / 0) Low-Extreme Low Moderate F30 (-- / C331) Low-Moderate Low NA F31 (H34, H35 / C331, C333) Moderate Low Low F32 (H38-41 / C336, C337) Low-Moderate Low Low F33 (SD04 / P328) Mod-Extreme Moderate Moderate F34 (P12 / P13 / P329) Mod-Extreme Low High F35 (P06, P08, H09-11 / P311, P312, P315, P316, P346, C305, C339) Mod-Extreme Low Low F36 (P06, H06, H07 / P311, P305, C339) Extreme Moderate Moderate F37 (0 / P305, P325) Low-Moderate Low Low-Moderate F38 (SD01, P04, P05, H0305, H08 / P303-307, P323, C304, C305) Mod-Extreme Moderate Moderate F39 (0 / P312) Mod-Extreme Moderate Moderate F40 (SD04, SD05, H12 / P328, P330, C309) Extreme Moderate Moderate F41(P13 / P328, P329) Mod-Extreme Moderate Moderate F46 Low-Moderate NA Low R1A, R1B, R2A, R2B, R3A East, R3A West Moderate Low Low Alternative 1 would result in no change in the number of acres in the high to extreme fire behavior potential. Both action alternatives decrease the number of acres rated as high to extreme for fire behavior potential. Treated acres under both action alternatives would move to moderate or low fire behavior potential result in reduced fire severity, low risk, easier control, and better protection for improvements, other resource values, the public, and firefighters. Under Alternative 1, there would be no change in fire behavior potential; approximately 85 percent of the planning area acres would remain at moderate to extreme/high fire behavior potential. Based on the BEHAVE runs, flame lengths would be expected to be at least 6.8 to seven (7) feet in length with rates of spread of 36 to 38 chains per hour (approximately 0.5 miles per hours). This makes control more difficult. Direct attack using hand crews is difficult or impossible; control usually requires use of retardant and/or mechanized equipment such as dozers. More acres would transition towards increased fuel loading under this alternative. This would result in increased fire intensities and rates of spread. Fuels reduction would only occur during wildfires. All forested acres would remain at risk for a stand replacing fire. Fire intensities would be higher than historic fires due to the additional fuel buildup resulting from fire suppression. Fuels (i.e. tree needle and limb cast, bark slough, ground vegetation, overstocked stands and dead trees) would continue to
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3 accumulate. These accumulations can result in morality of trees that would usually not be killed by low to moderate intensity fire events. The buildup at the base of trees can result in fire starts that burn with such intensity that root systems are damaged and the tree cambium destroyed thus killing the tree. Nearly all existing old growth stands contain continuous vertical fuels; wildfires in such stands would result in crown fires and subsequent mortality. The height from the ground to the base of the live crown would remain between five (5) and 31 feet. This would maintain the risk of a surface fire climbing into the canopy and becoming a crown fire. Tree crowns would also be closer together allowing a crown fire to spread more easily at lower wind speeds. Crown fires would also increase mortality levels. In mixed pine stands (lodgepole and ponderosa), similar fuel accumulations and conditions would continue to exist. Dense lodgepole pine regeneration would continue to create undesirable stand densities (ladder fuels) that pose continuing and increasing risks to the survival of the larger ponderosa pine during a wildfire event. The effects of uncharacteristic wildfire on forest health, wildlife habitat, soils, water quality and recreational values and as well as the safety of firefighters and the public, would continue to increase. No safety corridors would be established along Roads 18, 2017, 23, 25, or 2510. Fuels would continue to accumulate adjacent to or near high use/value special use developments and recreational use areas such as the Pine Mountain Observatory, the BPA Sand Springs compensation station, and the EFR OHV trail system. The risk of wildfire with the potential for loss of critical mule deer winter forage and both hiding and thermal cover would remain high and increase over time under this alternative. It would forgo the opportunity to reduce the risk of wildfire occurring in big game hiding and thermal cover which is at high risk of loss in the event of wildfire. Additionally, uncharacteristic wildfire would also likely result in habitat losses within OGMA areas as well as the loss of wildlife habitat associated with old growth ponderosa pine. Continued transition to an infrequent and intense fire regime would occur in fire dependent ecosystems that historically experienced frequent, low intensity fire events. In these areas, fire starts that escape initial suppression action would cycle a high portion of the landscape to an early seral stage. This includes most of the planning area except areas dominated by lodgepole pine. No natural fuel reduction activities would be implemented under Alternative 1 and the risk to important resources and resource values would continue and would increase over time with increasing fuel loadings. Suppression actions would continue to be hazardous for firefighters. Suppression options would be eliminated due to lack of escape routes and safety zones. Fireline intensity would prevent direct attack with ground forces. The effectiveness of aerial delivered retardants would be limited due to long range spotting. Dozer rather than hand line construction would be necessary due to fire intensity. Public safety would be compromised due to limited evacuation routes. The increased risk and probability of a high intensity, uncharacteristic wildfire associated with increasing fuel loadings would result in the increasing likelihood of the complete lost of understory and overstory vegetation. Large contiguous areas of dense shrubs, needle cast and grasses have developed in the absence of the low intensity wildfire historically characteristic of the planning area. These highly flammable shrubs have the potential for flame lengths of up to 20 to 30 feet. With existing shrub conditions, the potential exists for fire spread into the canopy of trees allowing for high intensity, stand replacement crown fire. Although past fuel treatments (i.e. mechanical shrub treatments, mowing, and prescribed fire) have occurred in the planning area, large contiguous areas of dense shrubs remain. 3-47
Page 1 and 2:
United States Department of Agricul
Page 3:
Abstract: The Opine Planning Area i
Page 6 and 7:
PROJECT LOCATION CHAPTER 1 Figure 1
Page 8 and 9:
PURPOSE AND NEED CHAPTER 1 commerci
Page 10 and 11:
PLANNING DIRECTION - MANAGEMENT ALL
Page 12 and 13:
PLANNING DIRECTION - MANAGEMENT ALL
Page 14 and 15:
OTHER PLANNING DIRECTION & STRATEGI
Page 16 and 17:
OTHER PLANNING DIRECTION & STRATEGI
Page 18 and 19:
ANALYSIS ISSUES CHAPTER 1 The Opine
Page 20 and 21:
ANALYSIS ISSUES CHAPTER 1 overstock
Page 22 and 23:
ANALYSIS ISSUES CHAPTER 1 Soils The
Page 24 and 25:
ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTIONS CHAPTER 2
Page 26 and 27:
ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTION - ALTERNATI
Page 28 and 29:
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47:
Page 48 and 49:
ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTIONS - ALTERNAT
Page 50 and 51:
Page 52 and 53:
Page 54 and 55:
Page 56 and 57:
Page 58 and 59:
Page 60 and 61:
Page 62 and 63:
COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES CHAPTER
Page 64 and 65:
COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES CHAPTER
Page 66 and 67:
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES CHAPTER 2
Page 68 and 69:
Page 70 and 71:
Page 72 and 73:
Page 74 and 75:
Page 76 and 77: IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES CHAPTER 2
Page 82 and 83: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTA
Page 130 and 131: ISSUE 3 - WILDFIRE RISK - DIRECT &
Page 162 and 163: OTHER EFFECTS - CUMULATIVELY SIGNIF
Page 176 and 177:
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTA
Page 178 and 179:
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
Page 192 and 193:
Page 194 and 195:
Page 196 and 197:
Page 198 and 199:
Page 200 and 201:
Page 202 and 203:
Page 204 and 205:
Page 206 and 207:
Page 208 and 209:
Page 210 and 211:
Page 212 and 213:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
Page 228 and 229:
Page 230 and 231:
Page 232 and 233:
Page 234 and 235:
Page 236 and 237:
Page 238 and 239:
Page 240 and 241:
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
Page 246 and 247:
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
AGENCIES AND PUBLICS CONSULTED CHAP
show all

Environmental Assessment

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?