Attachment_2_EA_Case_Mountain_Vegetation_and_Forest_Health_Plan.pdf

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Bakersfield Field Office

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management

Case Mountain Vegetation and Forest Health Plan

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3801 Pegasus Drive

Bakersfield, CA 93308

Environmental Assessment/Initial Study

DOI-BLM-CA-C060-2018-0030-EA

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Contents

Chapter 1. Project Information and Purpose and Need

Project Information

Purpose and Need

Conformance with BLM Land Use Plans

Relationship to Statutes, Regulations and Other Plans

Issues and Scoping

Chapter 2. Proposed Action and Alternatives

Alternative 1: Proposed Action (Preferred Alternative)

Implementation

Project Design Features/Environmental Mitigation Measures

Air Quality and Climate Change

Soils, Productivity, and Water Quality – All Actions

Water Quality Riparian Areas

Biological Resources

Cultural Resources

Recreation

Visual Resources

Wilderness Study Areas (WSA)

Livestock Management

ALTERNATIVE 2: NO ACTION

ALTERNATIVE 3: Fuels Reduction without Salt Creek Road Repair

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED ANALYSIS

Chapter 3. Affected Environment

Air Quality

Biological Resources

Climate Change

Cultural Resources

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Fire/Fuels

Livestock Management

Native American Values

Recreation and Visitor Services

Soils

Visual Resources

Water Quality

Wilderness Study Areas

Chapter 4. Environmental Impacts

Air Quality

Biological Resources

Climate Change

Cultural Resources

Native American Values

Fire/Fuels

Livestock Management

Recreation and Wilderness Study Areas

Soils

Visual Resources

Water Quality

Cumulative Impacts

Chapter 5. Consultation and Public Involvement

Native American Consultation

Persons, Groups and Agencies Consulted

Summary of Public Participation

Public Review

List of Preparers

Chapter 6. References

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Chapter 1. Project Information and Purpose and Need

Project Information

Multiple years of drought, overly dense forests, and the invasion by bark beetle have caused unprecedented tree mortality throughout California, especially along the western slopes of the southern

Sierra Nevada. Decades of fire suppression and decreased vegetation management contribute to natural over-stocking of fuels, which threaten forest stands as competition and stress lead to die off.

When combined with drought, which weakens trees and makes them more susceptible to insect and pathogen attack, already stressed stands are at extreme risk for rapid mortality. Historical logging practices and livestock grazing have also played a role in poor forest stand health in the region, where clear-cutting has resulted in dense, even-aged stands of smaller trees and grazing has removed ground fuels that supported low-intensity understory fires. Tree mortality and overly dense stands increase the risk of high heat and crowning during a wildland fire, which has catastrophic results on the landscape and within Wildland Urban Interfaces (WUIs). This same high-intensity fire would threaten groves of

Giant sequoia managed by the Bakersfield Field Office and neighboring private landowners, which are of high environmental value to the public, the Bureau, and the larger ecological system of groves under the management of other public agencies and private landowners. Without active vegetation management within the Case Mountain area, the Field Office could incur loss of Giant sequoia due to poor forest health and catastrophic fire.

Case Mountain is located adjacent to the community of Three Rivers, California – approximately three miles west of the Sequoia National Park and 30 miles east of Visalia, California. The project site is accessed from California Highway 198 via Skyline Drive and Craig Ranch Road. The entire project is located in Tulare County within Township 17 South, Range 29 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian. A project map is included as Attachment II.

This project requires a NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) for the federal lands and a subsequent

CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) analysis for any work on private lands. The NEPA lead is the

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) while the CEQA lead would be CalFire in the event that funds become available through the grant. The current document was prepared by BLM as a single combined

‘Environmental Analysis’/‘Initial Study’ (EA/IS) that is intended to satisfy NEPA and CEQA respectively pursuant to CEQA Article 14, ‘Projects Also Subject to the National Environmental Policy Act’, Sections

15220 to 15229 (http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/guidelines/art14.html). To comply with requirements under the CEQA, this Initial Study (IS) and proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) has been prepared (per CEQA Guidelines Sections 15070 to 15075) to identify and address potential environmental effects and management requirements during implementation activities of the proposed project. This IS/MND includes the BLM’s understanding of applicable environmental regulatory review processes and required mitigation measures for implementing the proposed project activities (see

Appendix I).

Purpose and Need http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/guidelines/art14.html

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Figure 1. Conditions under Current

Management Practices

The BLM proposes to implement a suite of vegetation and fuels treatments on approximately 1,632 acres of public and private lands within Case Mountain to maintain a forest structure that supports lower intensity fires and promotes giant sequoia survival and growth. The purpose of the BLM action is to protect the large legacy sequoia trees from high intensity wildfire, restore a more diverse and resilient forest structure, and return the role of fire to the ecosystem within Case Mountain, consistent with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)

(FLPMA). Due to significant tree mortality in this area caused by drought and insects, there is a need to remove hazard trees within 200 feet of the access roads within the project area, specifically alongside

Salt Creek Road. In addition, there is a need to conduct road maintenance on Craig Ranch Road, Skyline

Drive and Salt Creek Road due to unsuitable access conditions. There is evidence of tractor logging that was conducted in the 1960’s in the form of existing skid trails and sequoia stumps that have been mapped throughout the groves. After this logging, there was abundant natural regeneration of pine, fir, cedar, and sequoia trees creating a dense mid-story layer of trees that surround the large legacy sequoia trees. The high tree densities within and adjacent to the sequoia groves create conditions favorable to high intensity fire that would result in a stand replacing event in the entire forested area surrounding the groves. There is a need for thinning the mid-story with a special emphasis of removing trees within 100 feet of each sequoia tree, either by mastication of small trees and brush in the understory or hand piling followed by pile burning, and returning low intensity fire by underburning the surface fuels after these thinning treatments are accomplished. In addition, the BLM action is needed to streamline the process for managing and improving conditions within Case

Mountain while also considering other forestland resources and ecosystem services, including cultural resources, biological resources, wilderness values, recreation, and rangeland. The BLM will decide whether to implement this vegetation and forest health plan, and under what conditions.

Conformance with BLM Land Use Plans

Figure 2. Desired Conditions under Proposed

Management

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The proposed action has been reviewed for conformance with the Bakersfield Resource Management

Plan approved on December 22, 2014; it has been determined that the proposed action conforms with the land use plan, terms, and conditions as required by 43 CFR 1610.5. The proposed action and modifications were specifically provided for in the following land use plan goals and decisions:

[AC-11- G] “Provide suitable habitat for sensitive species and protection for various natural processes, geologic formations, and cultural resources.”

[AC-11- O] “Protect the Case Mountain giant sequoia groves, limestone caves and other karst features, riparian areas, and cultural resources. Manage habitat to support populations of California spotted owl, Pacific fisher, and Kaweah monkey flower.”

[AC-D-11-i] “Protect the giant sequoia groves and mixed conifer forest through implementation of fuels reduction techniques including prescribed burning and vegetation thinning, and removal of ladder fuels.”

[BR-G-1] “Contribute to maintaining the biotic diversity within the Planning Area. Ensure public lands provide for a diversity of native species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes.”

[BR-D-17] “Allow removal of dead and downed woody materials from public lands only with administrative approval. Except in developed recreation sites and areas, or where prohibited and posted (43 CFR 8365.1-5), collection of fire wood from dead and down woody material for on-site campfires is permissible provided woody material is less than four inches in diameter.”

[BR-D-27] “Implement a variety of measures (such as controlling weeds, seeding native species, performing prescribed burns, applying mechanical and chemical vegetation treatments, improving water availability, prescribed grazing, reducing raven nesting structures and the installing artificial dens or structures) to enhance or restore habitat conditions.”

[WF-G-3] “Recognize fire as an essential ecological process and use wildland fire (both planned and unplanned ignitions) to restore or sustain ecosystem health, where appropriate.”

[WF-O-2] “Prevent, to the extent possible, the movement of wildfires from the wildlands into the

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) area, and out the WUI area into the wildlands.”

[WF-D-8] “Implement, as appropriate, the full range of wildland fire and fuels management practices, including prescribed fire, mechanical, chemical, biological, and cultural treatments that will support hazardous fuels reduction in coordination with vegetation and habitat management objectives and resource protection needs.”

Relationship to Statutes, Regulations and Other Plans

Clean Air Act

The San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District has local air quality jurisdiction within the project area. Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) and regulations under 40 CFR part 93, subpart W, with respect to conformity of general Federal actions to the applicable State Implementation Plan (SIP) apply to projects within nonattainment and maintenance

8 | P a g e areas. Under those authorities “no department, agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government shall engage in, support in any way or provide financial assistance for, license or permit, or approve any activity which does not conform to an applicable implementation plan.” Under CAA 176(c) and 40 CFR part 93 subpart W, a Federal agency must make a determination that a Federal action conforms to the applicable implementation plan before the action is taken.

Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act of 1977 establishes authority to regulate any action where pollutants may be discharged into waters of the United States. Section 303 of the federal Clean Water Act requires states to adopt water quality standards that “consist of the designated uses of the navigable waters involved and the water quality criteria for such waters based upon such uses.” In California, these water quality standards and the administrative policies and procedures for protecting state waters are disclosed in regional water quality control board basin plans. Hence, California’s basin plans serve as regulatory references for meeting both State and federal requirements for water quality control (40 CFR Parts 130 and 131). These basin plans establish standards for ground waters in addition to surface waters, unlike the federal program.

Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) requires federal agencies to complete formal consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for any action that “may affect” federally listed species or critical habitat. The ESA also requires federal agencies to use their authorities to carry out programs for the conservation of endangered and threatened species. BLM completed formal consultation with the FWS for the Bakersfield RMP; the proposed action is in accordance with provisions of the Bakersfield RMP Biological Opinion.

National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires agencies to make a reasonable and good faith effort to identify historic properties that may be affected by an agency’s undertakings and take those effects into account in making decisions. The BLM process for implementing this NHPA requirement is set forth in the State Protocol Agreement Among the California State Director of the

Bureau of Land Management and the California State Preservation Officer and the Nevada State Historic

Preservation Officer (2014).

Wilderness Act of 1964

The Wilderness Act created the National Wilderness Preservation System which allows congress to set aside suitable areas as wilderness for the purpose of preserving their wilderness character and directed each agency to manage those areas for recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation and historical use.

Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA)

Section 603 of FLPMA directed the BLM to review roadless areas greater than 5000 acres for wilderness characteristics as defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964 and report the suitability of those areas for

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Wilderness Study Areas are to be managed consistent with FLPMA in a manner so as not to impair the suitability of such areas for preservation as wilderness.

BLM Manual 6330 Management of Wilderness Study Areas.

Section 1.6.C.1. defines the non-impairment standard of Section 603 of FLPMA and states that the BLM

“will review all proposals for uses and/or facilities within WSAs to ascertain whether the proposal would impair the suitability of the WSA for preservation as wilderness.” The non-impairment standard states the use will be both temporary and not create new surface disturbance. While the proposed action is temporary, it will create new surface disturbance and this does not meet the non-impairment standard but it is provided for under 1.6.C.2.

Section 1.6.C.2. lists seven classes of allowable exceptions to the non-impairment standard. Section

1.6.C.2.f. states “Actions that clearly benefit a WSA by protecting or enhancing these characteristics are allowable even if they are impairing, though they must still be carried out in the manner that is least disturbing to the site.”

The proposed action and alternatives meets the exception criteria because it protects the giant sequoia groves, which have significant ecological, scientific, educational, scenic and historic values. By restoring the groves and the surrounding forests to a more natural condition, the action enhances the wilderness characteristics found in the WSA. The proposed action and alternatives is also temporary and the impacted areas will be fully restored as part of the project.

Issues and Scoping

Internal scoping for this plan began in September 2016 among BLM Bakersfield specialists. The BLM hosted a public scoping meeting on December 14, 2017, which was announced through a BLM news release on December 1, 2017 (CA-CC-17-56). The news release also announced that a 30-day scoping period would begin on December 1, 2017. Scoping packages were sent to neighboring residents in Three

Rivers via certified mail and other interested parties were notified via email on December 1, 2017. In addition, scoping materials were posted on the BLM E-Planning webpage at:

https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do. Another news release was issued on December 29, 2017 (CA-CC-17-61), formally notifying recipients that the public scoping period was extended to February 2, 2018. During the public scoping meeting, participants were invited to share ideas and concerns regarding the proposed action and it’s potential impacts on elements of the human environment at five breakout sessions: Forestry and Fuels, Access Route Alternatives, Cultural

Resources, Botany and Biological Resources and Recreation and Wilderness. Participants and other members of the public were encouraged to provide written comments to the BLM during the formal scoping period (December 1, 2017 to February 2, 2018). The BLM received 17 written comments through email and comment letters; these comments were compiled, reviewed and analyzed for incorporation into this Environmental Assessment.

Key issues generated during scoping included:

https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do

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1. How would the Proposed Action and Alternatives contribute to emissions of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases in the San Joaquin Valley air basin?

2. How would BLM mitigate the potential impacts to air quality and climate change from the

Proposed Action and Alternatives?

3. What impacts would the Proposed Action and Alternatives have on the Kaweah Area of Critical

Environmental Concern?

4. How would the Proposed Action and Alternatives affect habitat of special status species including Giant Sequoia, California spotted owl, Pacific fisher, and Kaweah monkey flower.

5. How would the Proposed Action and Alternatives impact historic and prehistoric cultural sites within Case Mountain?

6. How would the Proposed Action and Alternatives affect fire behavior within Case Mountain, surrounding landscape, and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)?

7. What affect would the Proposed Action and Alternatives have on livestock grazing operations and opportunities within the Case Mountain project area?

8. How would the character of the viewshed from key observation points (KOPs) in the Milk

Ranch/Case Mountain WSA be modified by the Proposed Action and Alternatives?

9. How would the Proposed Action and Alternatives affect the quantity and quality of surface water within and downstream of Case Mountain?

10. How would the Proposed Action and Alternatives affect traffic and tourism in the town of Three

Rivers?

11. How would the Proposed Action and Alternatives affect recreation within the Case Mountain

Extensive Recreation Management Area and the Case Mountain/Milk Ranch Peak Wilderness

Study Area?

12. How would the Proposed Action and Alternatives affect characteristics of the Milk Ranch/Case

Mountain Wilderness Study Area?

Chapter 2. Proposed Action and Alternatives

Alternative 1: Proposed Action (Preferred Alternative)

Proposed Action

The vegetation and fuels treatments proposed for this project would be completed on up to 1,632 acres of BLM managed lands and private lands in the Case Mountain ERMA over the next 10 years in a phased approach. Phase 1 would be the removal of hazard trees along the access road, followed by phase 2 of thinning within the interior of the sequoia groves. Phase 3 would be returning fire to the groves and reducing fuels by either pile burning or underburning in small burn blocks as weather and fuel moisture windows allow.

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Hazard Removal and Roadside Thinning

In order to eliminate overhead hazards (i.e. dead and dying trees in high public use areas), hazard tree removal is proposed within 200 feet of the roads in the forested area of Case Mountain (Appendix II).

For this EA, a dying tree is defined as a standing tree that has been severely damaged by forces such as fire, wind, ice, insects, or disease, and that in the judgment of an experienced forest professional or someone technically trained for the work, is likely to die within a few years. Green trees within 200 feet of the roads would also be thinned to accomplish the same goals as stated below for the interior of the sequoia groves. This would be done as the first priority in order to remove overhead hazard and create a thinned fuel break to protect against wildfire.

Thinning of the Sequoia Groves

Stand density, structure (vertical and horizontal) and composition are three characteristics typically manipulated in vegetative treatments to restore forest stands and ecosystems. In forested stands, density and composition affect individual tree growth, health, and resistance to drought. High density stands would be thinned mainly in the mid and lower layers. Some codominant trees may also be removed to meet stand heterogeneity objectives. Variation, arrangement, and intensity of thinning levels would be applied by carefully considering the age and developmental trajectory of the stand.

Young and mid-sized stands (less than21 inches average stand dbh) would be thinned more to accelerate the growth of these smaller trees since these areas need to develop into structurally diverse, more open stands dominated by large trees that are resilient to fire, insects, disease, wind, etc. Post-treatment canopy closure of young and mid-sized stands would be greater than 40%. Mature sized stands (average stand size based on dominant basal area of large trees) that are greater than 21 inches dbh would be lightly thinned to protect the large overstory tree layer from stand replacing fire.

Maximum size of trees chosen for removal would be dependant of information collected during biological surveys for threatened and endangered species Post-treatment canopy closure of mature sized stands would be greater than 60%. The thinning would also target trees in direct competition with large legacy sequoia trees by removing small and mid-sized trees within 50 to 100 feet of the trunks of these trees. Piles would be constructed under the dripline of the large legacy tree in order to promote seed fall from the sequoia tree as a result of burning the pile.

Fuels Treatments

Where feasible (on slope <40%), a low ground pressure masticator would be used to thin small understory trees and brush in order to decrease fuel loads and/or change the arrangement of ladder and surface fuels that contribute to high intensity wildfire. In other areas, the small trees and brush would have to be hand piled and these piles would be burned during the wet season when smoke and weather is conducive to consumption of the piles. Underburns would be initiated after enough of the understory is treated to facilitate a cool, backing fire that would target the consumption of fine fuels on the forest floor.

Implementation

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Implementation of the treatments described above would include a variety of manual and mechanical treatments for removal of biomass (e.g., trees, other vegetative material), and treatment of activity-generated fuels. These implementation actions are described below.

Vegetation Removal:

Biomass Utilization: Biomass is any dead or live materials that have been identified in the vegetative prescription to be cut or removed. The purpose of biomass extraction is to reduce hazardous fuels, reduce smoke emissions, and utilize the biomass to benefit the local economy as well as reduce the costs of treatments. Ground-based and cable-based extraction methods may be used to remove biomass. Actual acres of extraction would be determined based on environmental factors, and economics, safety, and access limitations.

Ground based extraction: On slopes < 35%, woody biomass and saw log material created from thinning operations would be cut, skidded, hauled or chipped to landings or road sides using low ground pressure machinery. To reduce ground disturbance and soil compaction, equipment would be limited to the smallest size necessary. Skidding machinery would be equipped to obtain one end log suspension during skidding and would be restricted to approved skid trails. This method requires narrow skid trails

(about 7 to 9 feet wide). Existing skid trails would be used when possible. Skid trail locations would be approximately 150 feet apart, but vary depending on the site-specific terrain, and would be pre-located and approved by the BLM contract administrator, thereby, minimizing soil disturbance. Skidding and hauling on skid trails would be suspended when soil moisture content at a 4-6 inches depth exceeds 25% by weight or when the BLM determines high levels of soil moisture are leading to unacceptable erosion or other impacts.

Cable based extraction: On slopes ≥35%, woody biomass and saw log material created from thinning operations would be yarded to landings or road sides. Cable yarding drags trees with one end suspended and one end on the ground. Corridors would be generally less than 15 feet wide, depending

Figure 3. Chipping biomass Figure 4. Removing biomass from unit in whole tree form

Figure 5. Removing biomass from unit in whole tree form with one end suspension using roadside cable system

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Firewood: Dead and down hardwoods or conifers could be made available for firewood collection if snag and down wood requirements are met for the land allocation in which the project is located. Collection by hand within 100 feet of designated roads would be permitted. Specific areas for firewood collection would be identified by resource area specialists and site-specific PDFs would be stipulated for each designated firewood collection area. Access would be on specific times and days and permit holders would be escorted in and out of the site by BLM employees or their designee.

Activity Fuel Disposal: Where biomass extraction is not warranted, the treatment unit would be appraised for its potential fire risk, hazard, and values at risk, and treated accordingly. Activity fuel disposal methods to be considered would include lop and scatter, handpile and burn, or understory burn. In some instances the resultant fuel hazard may be low, resulting in no fuel hazard reduction treatment. The overall objective would be to return fuel loading and arrangement to levels characteristic of a low and mixed- severity fire regime.

Prescribed Fire:

The use of prescribed fires depends upon a wide range of variables and is specific to each situation and plant community species composition. Prescribed fire can be an effective treatment option and management tool to achieve specific resource management objectives. Prescribed fire in suitable spotted owl habitat would retain key habitat characteristics (e.g., large snags, coarse woody debris).

Prescribed fires would mimic natural fire patterns in ecosystems that evolved with fire as a natural disturbance. A written, approved Prescribed Fire Plan would be completed prior to prescribed fire ignition.

Hand piling and burning : Woody material such as limbs, stems, cut boles and other slash 1–6 inches in diameter and greater than two feet in length would be placed in piles and then covered with polyethylene plastic or alternate material. Pile size would be a maximum of 8 feet in diameter by 8 feet in height. Piles would be placed outside the drip lines of leave trees and away from large logs or stumps.

Hand piles within riparian reserves would be located in accordance with the PDFs. Piles would be burned during the first wet season after they have cured or dried when the risk of fire spread (scorch or mortality) to nearby residual trees and shrubs is minimized; and environmental and air quality conditions are conducive to burning.

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Understory Burning: Understory burning is used to reduce dead and down woody material, shrubs, and small trees in the understory, and live and dead branches close to the ground. This results in a low- to moderate- intensity ground fire that consumes surface fuel but not the canopy. Flame heights are generally < 4 feet. Fire is applied by lighting strips of fire perpendicular to the slope at pre-determined widths based on fuel loading and moisture content. Understory burning is conducted primarily during the spring and fall months when fuel, weather, and soil conditions permit. Low intensity understory burning following the initial fuel reduction helps to maintain desired fuel conditions.

Access and Landing Construction:

Road and landing construction may be needed where extraction of timber products is proposed. All new access and landings constructed under this EA would be temporary and would be constructed to allow operators temporary access to harvest units. All temporary spur roads would be located on stable areas not hydrologically connected to streams. Temporary roads and associated landings would be decommissioned in the season when all contractual obligations are completed on that road. Temporary spur roads and associated landings would be ripped, seeded with native grasses, mulched, and blocked.

Existing Access Route Maintenance:

Salt Creek Rd is about 11 miles in length and will be the main access route to get trucks and equipment to the groves from the main highway in Three Rivers. A water truck would be utilized to wet the road in front of incoming trucks to prevent dust particles from degrading air quality and polluting the neighboring private landowner’s air. Routine annual road maintenance occurs in the spring and includes grading (blading) of the road bed, and occasional culvert clean out and replacement, as well as ditching in the inner edge of the road bed for drainage. Future improvements to the road may include adding road base with clay mixture compacting to the surface to provide a more stable hard surface and better drainage. Future road improvement may also include blasting around tight switchbacks and lowering of steep turn slopes. Future plans also include the installation of an electric gate and small public parking lot with vault toilet facility to improve public access and recreational use of the area. No large logging trucks will be utilized along this route due to the steep slopes and tight curve radii along the road.

Figure 6. Hand piles in a treatment unit Figure 7. Understory burning in an oak woodland

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Temporary Route Construction:

A temporary route is an access road constructed to minimum standards on undisturbed terrain.

Construction includes clearing, grubbing, removing, and disposing of vegetation and debris from within established clearing limits. Work also includes construction of a minimum width subgrade by excavating, placing embankment, leveling, grading, and outsloping. Road location, construction and maintenance would follow the PDFs in this document. After use, the route would be obliterated by ripping, water barring, seeding, mulching and blocking.

Reconstruction of Existing Routes:

Reconstruction of existing routes including Craig Ranch Road, Skyline Drive, Salt Creek Road and skid trails would occur on existing road prisms that were previously blocked, closed, or decommissioned, or are overgrown, and have not received periodic road maintenance. Access from Craig Ranch Road through Salt Creek Roads (approximately 14 miles) would be improved to enable logging trucks to access the project area. The roads would be made suitable for timber hauling by removing encroaching vegetation, repairing narrowed sections, and blading the road surface. It may include installation of cross-drain culverts. The routes may be obstructed by various stages of overgrowth from sparse low growing shrubs to a nearly closed forest canopy. The routes would be made suitable for log haul by clearing, grubbing, and disposing of vegetation along with excavating and grading operations to establish a minimum width road prism. After use, some routes may be decommissioned by ripping, water barring, seeding, mulching and blocking.

Project Design Features/Environmental Mitigation Measures

Project Design Features (PDFs) are integral to project activities and incorporated to prevent or reduce environmental effects. Additional PDFs may be identified during the life of this project. Any changes or additional PDFs incorporated into projects under this EA in the future would reduce environmental effects and result in a lower level of effects than disclosed in this EA.

Air Quality and Climate Change

Prescribed fire activities must conform with the applicable smoke management plan and be conducted during “permissive-burn” days as defined by the California Air Resources Board.

Soils, Productivity, and Water Quality – All Actions

The Project Design Features with an asterisk (*) are Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce nonpoint source pollution to the maximum extent practicable. BMPs are considered the primary mechanisms to achieve California Water Quality standards and RMP guidelines, and comply with the

Clean Water Act. BMPs would be monitored and, where necessary, modified to ensure compliance with

California Water Quality Standards.

1. No harvest or yarding equipment would be permitted within distance of the first site-potential tree in riparian areas unless approved during site-specific analysis by the project hydrologist or soil scientist. Any skid trails within riparian areas would be ripped, waterbarred, native seeded and mulched in the same season after use and prior to October 15.*

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2. No treatment within unstable riparian areas*

3. Waterbar skid trails, tractor, and hand fire-lines based on gradient and erosion class according to following guidelines:

Table 1. Water bar spacing

Gradient Water Bar Spacing (feet)*Erosion Class **

High Moderate Low

2-5% 200 300 400

6-10% 150 200 300

11-15% 100 150 200

16-20% 75 100 150

21-35% 50 75 100

> 36% 50 50 50

*Spacing is determined by slope distance and is the maximum allowed for the grade

**The following guide lists rock types according to erosion class:

High: granite, sandstone, andesite porphyry, glacial or alluvial deposits, soft matrix conglomerate, volcanic ash, pyroclastics;

Moderate: basalt, andesite, quartzite, hard matrix gonglomerate, rhyolite;

Low: metasediments, metavolcanics, hard shale

4. Use the following techniques to construct waterbars:

1. Open the downslope end of the waterbar to allow free passage of water.

2. Construct the waterbar so that it will not deposit water where it will cause erosion.

3. Compact the waterbar to prevent water from breaching the berm.

4. Skew waterbars no more than 30 degrees from perpendicular to the centerline of the trail or road.

5. Sufficiently block fire containment lines at all access points to preclude OHV use. This would include such measures as placing boulders, logs and slash; falling trees less than 8” dbh; or other actions as necessary.

6. Block main skid trails where they intersect roads and landings with an approved barricade and/or scattered slash to preclude OHV use.

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7. Skid trail crossings through dry draws would be limited and approved by the authorized officer or COR; vehicles or equipment would not drive up the draw bottoms.*

8. Previously closed roads that have been identified and analyzed for use shall be adequately blocked at the entrance and if applicable along its length to preclude vehicle use.*

9. Roads and spurs in use or in standby (contractual obligations not completed) would be protected from erosion. Temporary roads not obliterated prior to the wet season would be waterbarred and blocked to stabilize soils and prevent OHV access.

10. Temporary road and landing construction and decommissioning, and road maintenance would not occur during the wet season (generally October 15 through May 15) when the potential for soil erosion and water quality degradation exists. This restriction could be waived under dry conditions and a specific erosion control plan (e.g., rocking, waterbarring, seeding, mulching, barricading). All ground-disturbing activities would be suspended if projected forecasted rain would saturate soils to the extent that there is potential for movement of sediment from the road to wetlands, floodplains or streams. Cover (e.g., straw mulch or slash) or temporarily stabilize exposed soils during work suspension.*

11. All natural surface roads would be closed during the wet season to protect roads from damage and to decrease the potential for off-site sediment movement. Some variations in these dates would be permitted dependent on weather and soil moisture conditions on roads.*

Soils and Productivity - Ground based yarding

1. Use designated skid roads to limit soil compaction to less than 12% of the project area.

2. For stands previously logged with tractors, utilize existing skid roads. If new skid trails are needed, do not exceed the overall 12% compaction standard.

3. Locate skid trails to minimize disturbance to coarse woody debris. Where skid trails encounter large coarse woody debris, a section would be bucked out for equipment access. The remainder would be left in place and not disturbed.

4. Require mechanized equipment to be capable of reaching 20 feet.

5. Mechanized equipment would be restricted to designated skid trails for high traffic areas.

6. Mechanized equipment may be allowed to operate off of designated skid trails if the conditions meet the following parameters and it would not result in detrimental compaction of over 12% of the unit area as determined by the project soil scientist. This may be achieved by several ways based on site-specific assessment and includes, but is not restricted to, operation in dry (less than 15 percent soil moisture) conditions; walking mechanized equipment on slash; avoiding soil series at inherent risk to detrimental compaction; or the use of “ghost trails,” skid trails that have had only one or two passes. Operations would be suspended when these conditions no longer exist. The 15% Soil moisture standard could be modified based on moisture content at which specific soil is the most resistive to compaction

7. Soils series at inherent risk to detrimental compaction would be avoided.

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8. Require low psi, wide-track vehicles or one-pass operations (one round trip, in and out) for all mechanical harvester (includes felling and bunching) operations. For multiple passes, equipment must walk on 12 inches of slash for equipment greater than 6 pounds per square inch or 8 inches of slash for equipment less than 6 pounds per square inch.

9. Mechanized equipment would be restricted to designated skid trails for high traffic areas.

10. No ground-based equipment on fragile soils.

11. Recommendations to reduce compaction:

1. Restrict ground-based equipment to slopes less than 40 percent

2. Mechanical harvesting equipment (e.g. excavators, loaders, forwarders, and harvesters) may be used on short pitch slopes of greater than 40 percent but less than 45% when necessary to access benches of lower gradient (length determined on a site-specific basis, generally less than 50 feet).

3. Additionally, if the amount of available slash is not enough or if there is a need to reduce the percent of detrimentally compacted area in the unit, the authorized officer may stipulate mechanical decompaction of site-specific areas identified by the resource specialist. Post-harvest assessments would be conducted to determine where soil ripping is most beneficial to ameliorate compaction and improve soil productivity while minimizing root damage to residual trees.

Soils and Productivity - Cable yarding

1. On non-fragile soils:

1. Restrict non-suspension yarding distances to less than 300 feet.

2. On non-suspension yarding corridors, place slash over any areas where 50% of the top soil is removed at a width of 5 feet or more.

2. On fragile soils:

1. Use full or partial suspension

2. Construct hand waterbars in cable yarding corridors on FM soils where gouging occurs immediately after use according to guidelines in Table 1.

3. Restrict yarding and hauling to dry season (generally May 15 to October 15)

Soils and Productivity - Fuels Treatments

1. Low-intensity underburns would be implemented only in the spring on fragile surface erosion

(FM) and fragile slope gradient (FG) soils.

2. Firelines for underburns would be constructed manually.

3. Piles would be dispersed across treatment areas. Understory and broadcast burns would be conducted only when a light to moderate burn can be achieved (spring-like conditions when soil and duff are moist).* The objective is intent is to retain no more than 50% of the mound depth / duff layer around trees, minimize tree stress, and adverse effects on tree roots and foliage

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4. No hand pile burning on FG and FM unless there is adequate vegetation between piles to intercept sediment displaced from piles. On FG soils, light piles from upper slope so fire backs into pile wherever possible. Limit handpiles on slopes that are greater than 65 percent.

Soils and Productivity - Slope Stability

1. Road construction and landings

1. No new permanent roads or landings.

2. Proposed location of new temporary roads and landings would be field checked for geologic and geotechnical suitability.

3. All temporary spur roads would be located on stable areas not hydrologically connected to streams.

4. Roads and associated landings would be decommissioned in the season when all contractual obligations are completed on that road. Temporary spur roads and associated landings would be ripped, seeded with native grasses, mulched, and blocked.

2. No burning or storing materials (e.g., chips, slash, logs) in road ditchlines or on cut slopes above ditchlines.

Water Quality Riparian Areas

Riparian areas widths in the project area are determined based on the following five stream or waterbody categories:

Fish-bearing streams

Permanently flowing nonfish-bearing streams

Seasonally flowing or intermittent streams, wetlands less than one acre, and unstable and potentially unstable areas.

Constructed ponds and reservoirs, and wetlands greater than one acre

Lakes and natural ponds

Intermittent streams are defined as any nonpermanent flowing drainage feature having a definable channel and evidence of annual scour or deposition. This includes what are sometimes referred to as ephemeral streams if they meet these two criteria. Streams categorized as intermittent, but with ephemeral flow (only flows during storm or heavy precipitation events) are identified as short-duration intermittent streams. Streams categorized as intermittent with intermittent flow (flows seasonally, usually drying up during the summer) are identified as long-duration intermittent streams. Dry draws have ephemeral flow but do not have a definable channel and evidence of annual scour or deposition.

Dry draws do not require are not considered riparian areas.

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Vegetation management options within riparian areas are determined in part based on site-potential tree height. Site-potential tree height is the average maximum height of the tallest dominant trees (200 years or older for a given site).

Water Quality Riparian Areas - Extraction

No treatment within primary shade zone of fish-bearing and perennial streams, springs, seeps, ponds and wetlands with a minimum of 60 feet from ordinary high water line.*

No treatment within primary shade zone of intermittent streams with a minimum of 35 feet from ordinary high water line.*

Retain a minimum of 50% (60% in late-successional habitat) overstory canopy closure outside the no treatment area.*

No removal of riparian hardwood species such as willow, ash, maple, alder, etc. *

No removal of trees with dbh greater than 20 inches. If operationally necessary to fell trees of this size, fell towards the stream and leave on the ground. *

Trees would be directionally felled away from the no treatment area.*

No logging slash would be piled within the no treatment area.*

Cable corridors across no treatment areas would have a maximum clearing width of 12 feet and spaced a minimum of 150 feet apart. Full suspension would be required for any logs yarded through the no treatment areas.*

When operationally feasible, all units would be yarded in such a way that the coarse woody material remaining after logging would be maintained at or greater than current levels in order to protect the soil surface.*

Wherever trees are cut to be removed, trees would be directionally felled away from dry draws and irrigation ditches. Trees would be felled toward skid trails. Irrigation ditches in the project area would be protected from damage and kept free from slash.*

Ground-based equipment operations would occur during the dry season, generally May 15 through

October 15, or on approval by the authorized officer or contracting officer’s representative (COR).

Variations in these dates would be dependent upon review of weather and soil moisture conditions by the project soil scientist or hydrologist.

The BLM would immediately shut down all harvest and yarding operations if there is potential for sediment movement to waterways due to weather or soil moisture conditions.*

Water Quality Riparian Areas - Fuels & Prescribed Fire

1. No treatment (including hand piles) within 60 feet of fish-bearing and perennial streams, springs, seeps, ponds and wetlands.*

2. No treatment (including hand piles) within 35 feet of intermittent nonfish-bearing streams.*

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3. No treatment of riparian hardwood species such as willow, ash, maple, alder, and black oak.*

4. No ignition for understory burning within 100 feet of fish-bearing and perennial streams, springs, seeps, ponds and wetlands.*

5. No ignition for understory burning within 50 feet of intermittent nonfish-bearing streams.*

6. No tractor firelines.*

7. No mechanical piling.*

8. Firelines for understory burns would be constructed manually on all slopes greater than 35 percent.*

9. Vegetation would be thinned using manual techniques. Slash created by the project would be hand piled or lopped and scattered.*

10. Old skid trails would not be opened or driven on without the approval of the authorized officer or COR.*

11. Old skid roads not used for operations would not be treated near the intersections with system roads to provide a visual screen and discourage vehicular access.*

12. Piles would be burned when soil and duff moisture are high.*

Water Quality Riparian Areas - Roads and Landings

1. No new road construction within riparian areas.*

2. No construction of new landings or expansion of old landings would be allowed in riparian areas.*

3. No reconstruction of existing roads or opening blocked roads within riparian areas.*

4. Existing landings within riparian areas used during project implementation would be treated to reduce soil erosion.

5. Treatment of the running surface would be dependent on site conditions and may include subsoiling, which would lift and fracture the compacted surface in place to a depth of 18 inches.

6. Mulch and seed with native grasses or other approved material is required.

7. If practical, the landings would be blocked sufficiently to preclude vehicle access.*

8. Locate temporary roads and landings on stable locations (e.g., ridge tops, stable benches or flats, existing footprints, gentle-to-moderate side slopes), and construct with no hydrologic connectivity.*

9. Rip all landings to a depth of 18 inches using a subsoiler or winged-toothed ripper, apply mulch, and block upon completion of use. *

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10. New temporary roads would be obliterated upon completion of use.

Obliteration would include placing logs, slash, boulders, berms, and other material so the entrance is camouflaged and vehicle use is precluded along its entire length.*

11. New temporary landings would be treated to reduce soil erosion. Treatment of the running surface would be dependent on site conditions and may include subsoiling, which would lift and fracture the compacted surface in place to a depth of 18 inches.

12. Mulch and seed with native grasses or other approved material is required.

13. If practical, the landings would then be blocked sufficiently to preclude vehicles.*

Water Quality Riparian Areas - Hauling

1. No hauling or landing operations would be allowed on native surface or rocked roads during the wet season (October 15–May 15) to protect the road from damage and decrease the potential for off-site sediment movement. Some variations in these dates would be permitted dependent upon weather and soil moisture conditions of the roads.*

1. Allow road or landing use on adequately rocked roads between those dates only during periods of dry weather (i.e., restrict use when soil moisture conditions or rain events could result in road damage or the transport of sediment to nearby stream channels)

2. Winter hauling would be allowed on paved roads or any road when at least 4 inches of packed frozen snow is present on hauling roads. Snow plowing would maintain at least 4 inches of packed snow on hauling roads. Provide drainage through the snow bank at periodic intervals to allow for snow melt to drain off the road surface.*

3. Apply water or approved road surface stabilizers/dust control additives to reduce surfacing material loss and buildup of fine sediment that can enter into waterways. Prevent entry of road surface stabilizers/dust control additives into waterways during application.*

Water Quality Riparian Areas - Oil and Hazardous Materials & Emergency Response

During operations described in the Proposed Action, the operator would be required to have a BLM approved spill plan or other applicable contingency plan. In the event of any release of oil or hazardous substance into the soil, water, or air, the operator would immediately implement the site’s plan. As part of the plan, the operator would be required to have spill containment kits present on the site during operations. The following would be required:

1. Equipment refueling would be conducted within a confined area outside riparian areas.*

2. Store all hazardous materials and petroleum products in durable containers outside of riparian areas.

3. Equipment…