Environmental Assessment

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AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3 To measure the impacts of the proposed actions under each of the two action alternatives, or in the case of the No Action Alternative, the lack of action, the following issue measures were applied. 1) Change in extent of detrimental soil conditions following proposed harvest and mitigation treatments within the individual activity areas proposed for vegetation and fuel reduction treatments. 2) Amount of coarse woody material (CWM) and surface organic matter that would likely be retained to protect mineral soil from erosion and provide both short and long-term nutrient supplies for maintaining soil productivity on treated sites (Soils Report page 4). Scope of the Analysis The soil resource may be directly, indirectly, and cumulatively affected within each of the activity areas proposed within the project area. An activity area is defined as “the total area of ground impacted activity, and is a feasible unit for sampling and evaluating” (FSM 2520 and Forest Plan 4-71). Activity area boundaries are considered to be the smallest identified area where the potential effects of different management practices would occur. Thus, the discussion of soil effects and soil quality standards focuses primarily on the units proposed for silvicultural and fuel reduction treatments (Soils Report page 4). Quantitative analyses and professional judgment were used to evaluate the issue measures by comparing existing conditions to the anticipated conditions which would result from implementing the action alternatives. This analysis also considered the effectiveness and probable success of implementing the management requirements, mitigation measures, and Best Management Practices (BMPs) which are designed to avoid, minimize or reduce potentially adverse impacts to soil productivity. For the purposes of this analysis and discussion, short-term effects are defined as changes to soil properties that would generally revert to pre-existing conditions within 5 years. Long-term effects are those changes that would remain for periods of five (5) years or longer (Soils Report page 5). <strong>Environmental</strong> Effects Alternative 1 - There would be no change in current levels of detrimental soil impacts present in the planning area. Such impacts are primarily associated with timber management activities that occurred between 1974 and 1997. During that time period, 5,248 acres were treated with a variety of silvicultural treatments. This included the construction and use of temporary roads, log landings, and primary skid roads. The amount of detrimental impacts associated with these existing logging facilities is estimated at approximately 956 acres. This alternative would defer opportunities for soil restoration treatments that reduce the extent of existing impacts and help move conditions toward a net improvement in soil quality (Soils Report, page 22). The amount of detrimentally disturbed soil associated with existing logging facilities is included in estimated amounts of detrimental soil conditions in Table 3-28. The planning area was originally ground-based railroad logged during the 1930s; visual evidence of logging facilities from that period is difficult to locate due to the abundance of vegetation and forest litter. The low bulk density and low compaction potential associated with volcanic ash soils has resulted in natural processes – freeze thaw cycles, revegetation, etc. – having restored or continuing to restore soil quality on these sites over time. Therefore, these impacts are not included in the estimated impacts of past activities (Soils Report page 9). There are approximately 297 miles of system roads occupying an estimated 474 acres which have converted soils to a non-productive condition. No new roads would be constructed and no system roads would be closed or decommissioned under this alternative. There would be no change in either the number of miles of roads or the number of acres converted to a non-productive condition. 3-94
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3 Detrimental soil conditions associated with recreation use, livestock grazing, and special use permit areas are relatively minor when compared to the current road system and logging facilities. There are 115 dispersed sites, one developed campground and approximately 100 miles of designated OHV trails. This equates to approximately 91 acres of detrimentally impacted soils. This includes 72 acres of OHV trails and associated facilities (staging areas, etc.), 16 acres associated with dispersed sites including Sand Springs Campground, approximately one (1) acre associated with the Pine Mountain Campground, and one to two (1-2) acres associated with existing or proposed facilities and infrastructure within the Pine Mountain Observatory special use permit area. There would be no change in the number of acres of detrimentally impacted soils associated with these facilities under this alternative. An additional approximately 29 miles of non-designated roads and trails have been identified within the planning area. Assuming an average width of approximately six (6) feet, this results in approximately 21 acres of detrimentally disturbed soils. As there is currently no formal inventory of non-designated roads and trails, this is a conservative estimate of the number of miles of such roads and trails and the amount of detrimentally impacted soils. This alternative would not close any of these roads and trails. There would be no change in the number of acres of detrimentally impacted soils associated with these facilities. There are six (6) rock or cinder pits in the planning area ranging in size from approximately one (1) to three (3) acres for a total of nine (9) acres. No changes would occur under this alternative. Detrimental soil impacts associated with livestock grazing are primarily associated with water sets. There are 13 water sets within the planning area totaling 13 acres of detrimentally impacted soils. No changes would occur under this alternative. Alternatives 2 and 3 - The level of detrimental soil impacts associated with timber harvest activity would increase under both Alternative 2 and Alternative 3. On moderately flat ground with small timber, research found that skid trail spacing of 100 feet would account for approximately 11 percent of the unit area (Soils Report, page 16). The primary skid trails are not constructed trails when the terrain is gentle to moderately sloping as in the planning area. Therefore, surface organic layers are not scraped away by equipment blades or removed off site. The Forest average for log landings is one landing (100 feet by 100 feet) for every 10 acres of harvest. This averages approximately two (2) percent of the unit area. Disturbed area calculations for log landings are added to the acreage estimates for main skid trails to determine the overall soil disturbance. In unmanaged portions of the proposed activity areas where slopes are less than 30 percent, the development and use of new logging facilities would result in approximately 13 percent of the harvest unit areas (11 percent in skid trails plus two (2) percent in log landings). This amount was used to analyze the proportionate extent of detrimental soil conditions which are expected to occur in unmanaged portions of activity areas proposed for mechanical harvest treatments Soil productivity monitoring has shown that detrimental soil conditions increase each time a stand is treated with mechanical equipment (Soils Report, page 10) with the degree and intensity of impacts depending on a variety of factors including conditions prior to entry, the reuse of existing facilities such as landings and skid trails, the type of equipment and/or harvesting system used, the amount of material removed, operator experience, and contract administration. Each successive entry into a stand is expected to result in a five (5) to 10 percent increase in detrimental soils conditions with even the most careful planning and implementation of project activities (Craigg, 2000). For this analysis, an average increase of seven (7) percent in additional logging facilities was used to analyze the proportionate extent of activity areas proposed in previously managed areas. 3-95
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United States Department of Agricul
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Abstract: The Opine Planning Area i
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PROJECT LOCATION CHAPTER 1 Figure 1
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PLANNING DIRECTION - MANAGEMENT ALL
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OTHER PLANNING DIRECTION & STRATEGI
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ANALYSIS ISSUES CHAPTER 1 Soils The
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ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTIONS CHAPTER 2
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AGENCIES AND PUBLICS CONSULTED CHAP
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Environmental Assessment

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