Final Environmental Impact Statement

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Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 1 Location The Vestal project area is located surrounding the city of Custer, South Dakota within Custer County (see Map 1, Appendix A). The project area includes approximately 43,516 acres; 25,823 (60%) of which are National Forest System lands and 17,693 (40%) which are private lands (including City or County properties). Given the project location around the City of Custer, there are extensive private dwellings, businesses, and government offices in this project area. The Hell Canyon Ranger District office and shop, as well as the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s Office, are also located within the project area. All state and county roads which access the City of Custer are within the project area for at least a portion of their length. Therefore, all visitors to Custer will travel through the project area. The project area includes all or portions of lands with the following legal descriptions, Black Hills Meridian. 4 Table 1. Vestal Project Area Legal Description Township Range Section 2S 3E 36 2S 4E 25-36 3S 3E 1,12,13,24,25,36 3S 4E All 3S 5E 7-10, 15-22, 27-34 4S 4E 1-3, 12, 13, 24 4S 5E 3-8, 17, 18 Management Direction The Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended (2006), provides direction for the management of the forest. The Forest Plan contains management goals and objectives, management area direction, and identifies desired future conditions for the forest. Resource specialists reviewed the current condition of the project area and compared these conditions with the desired conditions identified in the Forest Plan including applicable goals and objectives. Opportunities for improvement were identified. Management Areas The Forest Plan assigns a management emphasis to each portion of the Forest to meet multiple-use objectives. For each designated management area (MA), Chapter 3 of the Forest Plan includes a description of desired future conditions, goals, objectives, standards, and guidelines. Specific direction is provided for management of mountain pine beetle outbreaks and fuels. There are four management areas within the Vestal project area (Map 2, Appendix A). Table 2 displays the management area designations and acreage within the Vestal project area.
Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 1 Table 2. Management Area Direction in the Vestal Project Area-on National Forest System Lands Only (60% of total lands within the project boundary) Percent Acres in (%) of Management Project Project Management Emphasis and Area Area Area Management Theme Big Game Winter Range: These areas are managed 5.4 10,723 42% to provide high-quality winter and transitional habitat for deer and elk, high-quality turkey habitat, habitat for other species, and a variety of multiple uses. Resource Production: These areas are managed for wood products, water yield, and forage production, 5.1 10,325 40% while providing other commercial products, visual quality, diversity of wildlife and a variety of other goods and services. Limited Motorized Use and Forest Products (Buckhorn Mountain): These areas are managed for non-motorized recreation, while providing for timber 4.1 4,472 17% production, forage production, visual quality and a diversity of wildlife. Roads provide intermittent commercial access, but are normally closed to other than administrative use. Developed Recreation Complex (Bismarck Lake): 8.2 303 1% These areas are managed for recreational opportunities and visual qualities adjacent to developed recreation sites and bodies of water. Forest Plan Goals and Objectives The Forest Plan establishes eleven multiple use goals and associated objectives for management of the Forest. The goals and objectives, applicable to specific resource management issues needing resolution, provide the basic direction for defining the purpose and need and subsequently developing the project proposal. The eleven Forest Plan goals are discussed in Chapter I of the Forest Plan. The Responsible Official for the Vestal Project has chosen to propose resource management actions that respond to Forest Plan Goals 2, 4, and 10. Goal 2: Provide for a variety of life through management of biologically diverse ecosystems. Objective 201: Manage for a minimum of 92,000 acres of aspen, and 16,000 acres of bur oak during the life of the Plan. The highest priority for hardwood restoration is where conifers (e.g., spruce and pine) have out-competed aspen adjacent to riparian systems that once supported beaver. • Opportunity exists to increase/maintain hardwood communities by reducing pine competition within these stands. In addition, opportunities exist to enhance and expand hardwood inclusions by opening stand canopies and removing conifers. 5
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Final Environmental Impact Statement

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