Final Environmental Impact Statement

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Summary At this time, there are larger pockets of MPB activity in the northern and western parts of the project area. The southern parts of the project are less impacted at this time, but beetle activity is occurring there at a rapidly growing rate on both National Forest and private lands. Approximately 17,693 acres (40%) of the project area is private land with over 7,000 of those acres being forested. Private landowners are experiencing MPB caused mortality on their property and many are taking actions such as thinning, sanitation, cut and chunk, and individual tree spraying. Many private landowners are worried about the potential spread of MPB from National Forest lands to their own. This project would reduce MPB risk on National forest lands and would reduce the potential for MPB spread onto private lands. The Hell Canyon Ranger District held a public meeting to discuss the Vestal project on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at the Custer High School, Custer, SD. The proposed action was described in a scoping document (April 20, 2011) and mailed to approximately 149 individuals, tribal representatives, groups, government entities and other interested members of the public. The proposed action includes vegetation treatments, prescribed fire, and fuel treatments on National Forest lands only. The Forest Service evaluated the following alternatives: ii Alternative 1 – No Action: The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the study of the ‘No Action’ alternative as a basis for comparing effects of the proposed action and other alternatives. The ‘No Action’ alternative assumes no implementation of any elements of the proposed action or other action alternatives would take place within the Vestal project area. This alternative represents no attempt to actively respond to the purpose and need for action or the issues identified during scoping. For example, there would be no effort to modify existing vegetation or related fuels conditions in the project area; current timber sales, fire suppression efforts, noxious weeds treatments and regular system road maintenance would continue on National Forest lands. Alternative 2 – Proposed Action: The proposed action is designed to address the purpose of and need for action. Strategies proposed to reduce mountain pine beetle caused mortality include, mechanical thinning to reduce density, and sanitation which removes green trees that have live beetle brood in them. This alternative would be most effective if implemented immediately. In the Black Hills, stands that are less than 80 ft 2 /acre basal area are at a reduced risk. Therefore, reducing stand basal area is a preventative treatment. Sanitation is considered a suppression strategy because it directly removes beetle larvae from the forest, directly reducing beetle populations. A total of up to 25,449 acres, which includes pine encroachment, hardwood release, hardwood conversion, and sanitation, of the project area would receive vegetation treatments under this alternative. Fuel treatments, including thinning, deadfall (mechanical treatment of down logs and branches), and prescribed burning, would occur on up to 25,634 acres. The proposed action includes the following
Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Summary modifications to the transportation system in the project area: 0.6 miles of unauthorized road is needed for access and would be converted to a system road then closed following use; and 0.9 miles of system road would be closed to protect resources either with physical closures or gates. Refer to Appendix A for proposed action maps for both vegetation treatments and fuels treatments, as well as the transportation map noting proposed adjustments to the transportation system. The deciding official will review the environmental analysis, all supporting documents and public input in order to make the following decisions: (1) Whether or not active management is appropriate in the Vestal project area at this time and if so, what actions should occur. (2) Whether the information in this analysis is sufficient to make a reasoned decision. iii
Page 1 and 2: VESTAL PROJECT United States Depart
Page 3 and 4: Vestal Final Environmental Impact S
Page 17: OHV Off Highway Vehicle POL Product
Page 71 and 72:
Vestal Final Environmental Impact S
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
show all

Final Environmental Impact Statement

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?