Environmental Assessment

More documents

Recommendations

Info

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3 Social Surrounding physical and biological environments influences human social life. This is most evident in rural areas where the variety and quality of available natural resources often determines the chief means of economic livelihood and what leisure activities people are likely to pursue and, therefore, influence local preferences for the use of public lands. From a historical prospectus it is evident that all of the local community's cultures were natural resource based and to a certain degree, especially in the more rural less populated areas, still are. Livestock, agriculture and timber were the backbone of the economic structure and as a result strongly shaped the social fabric that still defines the communities today. Since most of the surrounding land is administered by federal agencies, chiefly the Ochoco, Deschutes, Winema, Fremont National Forests and the Prineville and Lakeview Districts of the BLM, changes in federal land use policies can impact the socioeconomic and socio-cultural way of life. One needs to keep in mind that the various communities, and the individuals within them, contain a broad spectrum of perceptions and values related to the road system and use of resources on the surrounding national forests. Recreation (often roaded and/or motorized) is also an important component of the life styles for many of the people living in these communities. These same communities and individuals also have interests that span multiple geographic and political scales simultaneously. The following descriptions portray communities only in the most simplistic terms, and do not capture the full community richness. Many of the communities (rural industrial, as defined in the Deschutes NF LRMP) within Central and South Central Oregon, such as Crescent and Gilchrist, are closely tied to the Forests in work, subsistence, and play, and are directly affected by what happens on the Forests. The relationship between the Forests and these communities is based in part on access to logs so that individuals can make a living from their harvesting, manufacturing, and transportation businesses; and catering to tourists drawn to the area. People from these communities also use fuelwood, fish, and game for part of their subsistence and also recreational activities. The Sunriver destination resort community is defined by recreation opportunities and amenities and recreation residences (rural recreation and residential, as defined in the Deschutes NF LRMP). <strong>Environmental</strong> and scenic amenities and nearby recreational opportunities plays the major role in its existence. Local service-oriented businesses are the major economic driver instead of extraction-based activities. Bend (Central Oregon Urban Center, as defined in the Deschutes NF LRMP), is the dominant community in the Zone. It has a large industrial sector with wood products playing a major role, and a large service sector based on recreation and tourism. In addition its’ financial, real estate sectors, and economy as whole has increased substantially as people have moved into the area because of the amenities the surrounding area provides, much of which is associated with the national forests. It is also the major shopping and service center for most of the communities within the area. Due to its population size and density, and economic and social diversity, the health of the wood products and service sectors of the economy, along with environmental and amenity values, play an important role in defining what is important to the Bend community. Communities such as Prineville, Redmond, and Madras, from a historically perspective, better fit the “rural industrial” community described above. But with their exploding populations and diversifying economies, they are developing a more diverse set of interests more along the lines of Bend’s. With the recent weakening of the economy, it is clear that these communities are still very much tied to the woods 3-118
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3 product industries both economically and culturally. Other communities within the Zone (such as Paulina, Silver Lake) can generally be defined as ranching or farming communities. These communities are closely tied to the Forests in work, subsistence, and play, and are directly affected by what happens on the Forests. These communities are linked more economically because of the need for summer forage for livestock, not timber, and to provide services for recreation and tourists. These communities generally have no manufacturing based industries and have small, undiversified economies. Like “rural industrial communities”, the people who reside in these communities use fuelwood, fish, and game for part of their subsistence and also recreational activities. The one over-riding demographic trend in the area is that of rapid population increase through inmigration. With the general gentrification that is occurring through the area and the influx of retirees, many of who are well to do, and professionals from many specialty areas, is resulting in rapid economic and social change. Economic and Social Analysis <strong>Environmental</strong> Consequences Economic Efficiency Forest Service Handbooks 1909.17 and 2409.18 direct the evaluation of Economic Efficiency for proposed projects. To assess the economic efficiency of Alternative 2, the costs and anticipated timber volumes were entered into TEA.ECON http://www.fs.fed.us/rp/nr/fp/FPWebPage/ForestProducts/ForestProducts.htm). The timber harvest sale was evaluated for the sale as a whole with a 4 percent discount rate. TEA.ECON uses the Transaction Evidence Appraisal (TEA) system to generate basic gross timber values and estimated advertised rates. Values for timber are generated using advertised rates in the appropriate geographic area and appraisal zone. Rates were updated for the analysis and used the following cost file: version 04411, 12/31/2004. The analysis can be used to compare alternatives, not to give an absolute number for the outputs. Numbers useful for comparing alternatives include a benefit/cost ratio, discounted benefits, discounted costs and present net value. Effects on the local economy include estimated number of jobs created or maintained. Volume Estimating value and volume is dependent primarily on species and the diameter of trees. Timber volume estimates are: • Alternative 2 (Proposed action) - Total volume of 11,568 CCF (5.9 million board feet (MMBF); 5,639 CCF of ponderosa pine sawtimber; 1,880 CCF of lodgepole pine; and 4,049 CCF of fiber. • Alternative 3 - Total volume of 11,001 CCF (5.65 MMBF): 5,363 of ponderosa pine sawtimber; 1,788 CCF of lodgepole pine; and 3,850 CCF of fiber. Costs The commercial harvest operation costs were developed for Alternative 2 and Alternative 3. The net sale value would depend on the market value of the timber when sold and the actual logging costs. These figures are based on the analysis discussed above. Logging costs (Table 3-33) include stump to truck (what it costs to get the trees from the harvest unit to the landing), haul (getting the trees from the landing to the mill), road maintenance, temporary road development and slash disposal. Cost assumptions are as follows: • 2/3 of the zone average was used for both stump to truck and log haul due to short skidding distances, high production mechanized systems and mill vicinity 3-119
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:
Page 78 and 79:
Page 80 and 81:
Page 82 and 83:
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTA
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
ISSUE 3 - WILDFIRE RISK - DIRECT &
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135:
Page 136 and 137:
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 142 and 143:
Page 144 and 145:
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTA
Page 162 and 163: OTHER EFFECTS - CUMULATIVELY SIGNIF
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
AGENCIES AND PUBLICS CONSULTED CHAP
show all

Environmental Assessment

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?