6. NEPA Report.pdf

For Actions Not Requiring a Decision Memo

June 5, 2017 Project: Hirz Mountain Lookout Tower Repair

This letter to the project file documents my decision to repair and preserve1 the Hirz Mountain Lookout Tower (Lookout) so that it is once again safe for human use. The Lookout is located atop Hirz Mountain at the west side of the upper McCloud River arm of Shasta Lake (T35N, R3W, SE ¼ of the SE ¼ of Section 7, MDM).

Hirz Mountain Lookout has been recorded as a historic site (CA-SHA-1762-H; FS# 05-14-58-270) and determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The Lookout was constructed in 1940 and represents one of the last Civilian Conservation Corps era towers to be built. It is a 20-foot tall steel K-brace tower and with a live-in cab on top. This unique tower and cab combination in the only one found in California.

Until recently, the Lookout has been available for public rental and was also used by Forest Service (FS) fire personnel during wildfires and other emergencies. Currently, the steel tower frame appears to be in good to excellent shape, but the live-in cab is in very poor shape and is unsafe for use due to structural integrity and mold/mildew issues. Water is infiltrating through the roof, windows and walls. The south wall is particularly degraded due to winter storms damage and is at risk of spontaneously blowing out in a wind event. The storm shutters are no longer in place as the rafter ends are rotted-off.

Inspection by FS recreation maintenance staff revealed that the following repairs and/or replacements are needed:

• Repair or replace cab floor

• Repair or replace cab door and frame

• Repair or replace cab shutters

• Replace the 24 exposed rafter tails and the 32 exposed braces which support the shutters

• Rebuild and reinstall all 19 cab window frames

• Replace upper and lower cab siding

• Replace exterior and water table trim

• Repair or replace cab roof

• Repaint the entire cab exterior

• Repaint the catwalk and superstructure

1 Preservation is defined as the act or process of applying measures necessary to sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials of an historic property. Work, including preliminary measures to protect and stabilize the property, generally focuses upon the ongoing maintenance and repair of historic materials and features rather than extensive replacement and new construction. (The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, 1995)

NEPA DOCUMENTATION

All work on the Lookout will be in accordance with the Department of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards.htm).

Because of the poor condition of the last ¼ mile section of road to the lookout, normal 4WD construction vehicles cannot be used. Therefore, materials will be hauled to worksite by UTV/ATV, hand, pack animal, or helicopter.

The following resource protection measures will be implemented as part of the project:

RPM

ID Resource Protection Measure (RPM) Purpose of RPM

B Botanical Resources

B1 Any seed, mulch, rock or other imported materials will be weed-free.

To prevent the spread of invasive weeds.

B2 Any vehicle or equipment to be used off-road in the project area will be cleaned (all plant parts and soil removed) before moving it to or from the project site.

To prevent the spread of invasive weeds.

B3 If pack animals are used, they will be on a weed-free diet for at least 3 days prior to their use on the project site.

To prevent the spread of invasive weeds.

H Heritage Resources

H1 Repair or replacement of floor coverings will be done in-kind to match historic material and design.

To protect the historic character of the lookout.

H2 Repair or replacement of doors will be done in-kind to match historic material and form.

To protect the historic character of the lookout.

H3

Repair of window frames or shutters will be done by patching, splicing, consolidating, or otherwise reinforcing or replacing in-kind those parts that are either extensively deteriorated or are missing.

The same historic configuration of panes will be retained.

To protect the historic character of the lookout.

H4 Replacement of window frames will match historic material and design. The same configuration of panes will be retained.

To protect the historic character of the lookout.

H5 Repair or replacement of siding, trim, or hardware will be done in-kind to match historic material, design, and color.

To protect the historic character of the lookout.

H6

Repair or replacement of roofs or parts of roofs that are deteriorated will be done in-kind or by matching historic material and design. In areas of high fire danger, fire retardant roofing is allowed. If fire retardant materials are used, the materials must match the original roofing color and be as compatible with the design and character of the building as possible. Adequate anchorage for roofing material to guard against wind damage and moisture penetration will be provided.

To protect the historic character of the lookout.

H7

When painting interior or exterior surfaces, the new paint will match the existing or historic color. Damaged or deteriorated paint may be removed to the next sound layer by hand-scraping or hand-sanding. Abrasive methods, such as sandblasting, will not be used.

To protect the historic character of the lookout.

W Wildlife Resources

W1 If helicopters will be used, the project leader will coordinate with the District wildlife biologist to ensure bald eagle nesting season protections are in place prior to project implementation.

To protect nesting bald eagles.

https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards.htm

ATTACHMENT 1 – PROJECT LOCATION MAP

ATTACHMENT 2 – ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTOS OF HIRZ MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT

Hirz Tower South Side

Hirz Tower Attic with Mold, Water Damage, Hole to Outside and Wasp Nests

Hirz Tower Exterior showing Dry Rot, Water Infiltration Points, and Broken Shutter Brackets

Hirz Fire Tower showing Floor Rot, Mold, Delamination, and Water Damage

ATTACHMENT 3 – REVIEW FOR EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES

Project Name: Hirz Mountain Lookout Tower Repairs

The purpose of this form is to provide documentation of environmental compliance for projects categorically excluded under NEPA. It documents that there are no extraordinary circumstances related to the proposed action that warrant further analysis and documentation in an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

Review for Extraordinary Circumstances (36 CFR 220.6(a))

Resource Conditions (36 CFR 220.6(b))

Resource Condition Present?

For Resource Conditions that are Present, the following Findings are made:

Reference material used to suport finding of no extraordinary circumstance

Yes No

Proposed, threatened, or endangered terrestrial wildlife species or their designated or proposed critical habitat, or FS sensitive wildlife species

X No P, T, E or S wildlife species or critical habitats will be significantly affected by this proposal. No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

Terrestrial Wildlife Review by Todd Johnson, Wildlife Biologist, dated 3/28/17.

Proposed, threatened, or endangered aquatic species or their designated or proposed critical habitat, or FS sensitive aquatic species

X

No P, T, E or S fish, amphibians or macroinvertibrates or critical habitats will be significantly affected by this proposal.

No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

Aquatic Wildlife Review by Joe Zustak, Fisheries Biologist, dated 4/11/17.

Proposed, threatened, or endangered plant species or their designated or proposed critical habitat, or FS sensitive plant species

X No P, T, E or S plant species will be significantly affected by this action. No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

Botanical Review by Martin Lenz, Botanist, dated 3/28/17.

Floodplains, wetlands or municipal watersheds X

No floodplains, wetlands or municipal watersheds will be significantly affected by this action. No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

Map(s)/GIS. Municipal Watershed memo, Forest Supervisor, 6/9/86.

Aquatic Wildlife and Botanical Reviews.

Congressionally designated wilderness, wilderness study areas, or national recreation areas

X No Congressionally designated areas will be significantly affected by this action. No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

STNF Land and Resource Management Plan.

Public Law 89-336.

Map(s)/GIS.

Inventoried roadless areas or potential wilderness areas X

IRAs or potential wilderness areas will not be significantly affected by this action. No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

Forest GIS data.

Research natural areas X RNAs will not be significantly affected by this action. No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

Forest GIS data.

American Indians and Alaska Native religious or cultural sites X

Implementation of the Proposed Action would not significantly affect American Indian religious or cultural sites. No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

Approved Standard Protection Measures Form, Infra # R2017051400057 prepared by Pete Schmidt, Archaeologist, approved 6/3/17.

Archaeological sites, or historic properties or areas X

No archeological sites or sites eligible for National Historic Register listing will be significantly affected by this proposal. No extraordinary circumstances exist for this resource condition.

Approved Standard Protection Measures Form, Infra # R2017051400057 prepared by Pete Schmidt, Archaeologist, approved 6/3/17.