Environmental Assessment

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3
activities throughout the project area (Scenic Resources Report page 3). These would include paint,
flagging, and signs on trees, the presence of slash, disturbed ground associated with skidding activities
and landing areas, and the presence of stumps. Proposed mitigation measures, specifically flush cutting
stumps, using low impact machinery or hand piling of slash within 300 feet of recreation sites and main
travel routes, locating skid trails and landings 300 feet or more from recreation sites and Road 2017, in
addition to others described in the Scenic Resources Report (pages 6-7) would help to minimize both the
extent and duration of those impacts.
Additionally, vegetation and fuel reduction treatments that open forest stands and shrub communities
slash piles and concentrations, and burning and mowing activities may all be visible to the viewer for at
least the short-term, up to five years or so. Mitigation measures such as removal of slash piles and
locating landings and skid trails away from main travel corridors would help to minimize these impacts,
especially if cleanup is completed within two years. Within 5 to 10 years, the visible aspects of both fuel
reduction and vegetation treatment activities would become increasingly less noticeable due to natural
changes across the landscape such as vegetative growth and regrowth. Improvements in forest health and
reductions in the risk and intensity of large, stand replacing wildfire would also help to improve scenic
quality across the landscape.
There would be no closure of the area to OHV use under Alternative 2. The effects would be the same as
those described under Alternative 1. OHV use would be restricted to designated roads and trails under
Alternative 3 and cross-country travel prohibited. There would be no designated OHV routes on Pine
Mountain under either action alternative. This would result in reduced levels of noise and dust in addition
to reduced levels of use.
The closure or decommissioning of 19 miles of system roads under Alternative 2 and 42 miles of system
roads under Alternative 3 would also serve to reduce dust and noise concerns and result in improved
recreational experiences associated with views from roads. Alternative 3, with the combination of road
closures/decommissioning and the proposed OHV travel restrictions would result in a greater
improvement because of the greater potential reduction in both noise and dust levels.
Both Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 would maintain large tree canopy cover by thinning from below.
This would serve to feature the larger diameter ponderosa pine and moving treated stands toward the
desired future condition. Alternative 2 would retain approximately 10 percent of each unit in an untreated
condition and Alternative 3 would retain approximately 20 percent. These prescriptions would help to
maintain longevity, particularly of the larger pine, on the landscape by reducing ladder fuels and stress on
larger trees (Scenic Resources Report pages 4 and 5). They would also help to maintain vertical and
horizontal diversity on the landscape and help to create and maintain a more naturally appearing and
visually appearing landscape.
Both alternatives would meet the Visual Quality Objectives of Partial Retention and the Scenery
Management Objectives of Moderate Scenic Integrity for the north and northeast slopes of Pine
Mountain visible from US 20 to the north, views along FR 2017, and the south facing slopes of Pine
Mountain below the observatory (Scenic Resources Report, pages 5 and 6). The resultant landscapes in
these areas would appear slightly altered but the noticeable deviations would remain visually subordinate
to the viewed landscape character.
Both the MA-7 and MA-8 land allocations have a scenic quality objective of Modification although
higher levels may be prescribed. Under this objective activities may dominate the surrounding landscape
but would appear natural. Created openings would be shaped and blended to the natural terrain to the
extent possible. In MA-7, S&G M7-20 requires projects on high traffic volume roads to meet the
Modification or higher objective. There is no high traffic volume roads located within the planning area
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