accomplishment of the Army’s mission. In addition, sustainable management of forest ensuresmaintenance of biological diversity, wildlife habitat, <strong>and</strong> continued development of outdoor recreation.Details for management of timber resources are found in the <strong>Integrated</strong> Natural Resources <strong>Management</strong>Plans for each post (USARAK 2002d,e,f).Invasive species are defined as species that are either non-native to an ecosystem or whose introductioncauses or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health (per ExecutiveOrder 13112). Title 11 Chapter 34 of the Alaska Administrative Code defines noxious weeds as “…anyspecies of plants, either annual, biennial, or perennial, reproduced by seed, root, underground stem, orbulblet, which when established is or may become destructive <strong>and</strong> difficult to control by ordinary meansof cultivation or other farm practices.”The Aleutian Shield Fern (Polystichum aleuticum) is the only plant species currently listed as federallythreatened or endangered in Alaska (USFWS 2004.) This species is not found on Fort Richardson, FortWainwright, or Donnelly <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong> (USARAK 2002d,e,f).Additional information can be found in the Transformation of U.S. Army Alaska <strong>Final</strong> EnvironmentalImpact Statement (USARAK 2004).Fort RichardsonMany different vegetative communities are present on Fort Richardson, from coastal salt marsh <strong>and</strong>boreal forest types to high alpine tundra, talus slopes, shrub l<strong>and</strong>s, snow beds, heaths, <strong>and</strong> meadows. Anecological survey of Fort Richardson conducted by Jorgensen et al. (2002) indicates the installation iscovered by forest (55.3%), scrub l<strong>and</strong>s (23.7%), barren l<strong>and</strong>s (5.5%), human disturbed l<strong>and</strong>s (13.1%), bog<strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong> (1.6%), meadow (0.7%) <strong>and</strong> water (0.5%). Forest types include white spruce, paper birch,<strong>and</strong> quaking aspen in upl<strong>and</strong> sites; cottonwood <strong>and</strong> poplar along principle streams with black spruce inwetter areas; <strong>and</strong> white spruce, mountain hemlock, <strong>and</strong> balsam poplar along tree lines. A floristicinventory of Fort Richardson also conducted by Lichvar et al. (1997) included vascular plants, ferns <strong>and</strong>fern allies, the more common mosses, liverworts, <strong>and</strong> lichens. The inventory documented 561 vascularspecies (representing approximately 30% of Alaska’s vascular flora types) <strong>and</strong> 239 non-vascular species.A complete inventory of flora found on Fort Richardson can be found in Fort Richardson’s <strong>Integrated</strong>Natural Resource <strong>Management</strong> Plan (USARAK 2002e).The Alaska Natural Heritage Program (2005) tracks rare vascular plant species in Alaska, approximately21 of which are known to occur on Fort Richardson (USARAK 2002e). Some alpine <strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong> areascontain plant species that are considered rare in Alaska or globally imperiled (Lichvar <strong>and</strong> Sprecher1998b). USARAK also lists three types of vascular plants found on Fort Richardson as species ofconcern: Viola selkirkii is rare in Alaska, Taraxacum carneocoloratum is taxonomically questionable butis rare globally <strong>and</strong> in Alaska, <strong>and</strong> Saxifraga adscendens oregonensis whose status is secure globally butis considered to be rare <strong>and</strong> imperiled in Alaska. No legal protection is conferred by these listings.Fort WainwrightAn ecological survey (Jorgensen et al. 1999) of Fort Wainwright (including Main Post, Tanana Flats<strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong> <strong>and</strong> Yukon <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong>) identified 49 vegetation types <strong>and</strong> indicated the installationconsisted primarily of forest (53.4%), scrub l<strong>and</strong>s (17.5%), tundra (
willow scrub communities are common at Main Post, Tanana Flats <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong>, <strong>and</strong> Yukon <strong>Training</strong><strong>Area</strong>. Alpine tundra occurs above 2,500 feet in Yukon <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong>, with barren l<strong>and</strong>s occurring athigher altitudes. Vegetation communities found at Fort Wainwright are also described in Racine et al.(1997). Due to the variable climate, as well as physiographic <strong>and</strong> geographic patterns throughout theregion, a wide variety of forest types exist, including White Spruce, Paper Birch, Balsam Poplar, BlackSpruce, Spruce/Hardwood, <strong>and</strong> Quaking Aspen.A floristic inventory of Fort Wainwright Main Post, Tanana Flats <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong>, <strong>and</strong> Yukon <strong>Training</strong><strong>Area</strong> identified 217 non-vascular species <strong>and</strong> 561 vascular species (plants, ferns <strong>and</strong> fern allies, commonmosses, liverworts, <strong>and</strong> lichens) (Racine et al. 1997). The vascular species represent about 26% ofAlaskan vascular plants, as identified by Hultén (1968).At least 16 species of concern, as identified by the Alaska Natural Heritage Program (2005), are known tooccur on Fort Wainwright (USARAK 2002f). USARAK has listed four plants of concern that areprioritized for Army posts in interior Alaska: Apocynum <strong>and</strong>rosaemifolium is rare in Alaska,Dodecatheon pulchellum pauciflorum is taxonomically questionable but is imperiled in Alaska, Festucalenensis is rare in Alaska <strong>and</strong> globally imperiled, <strong>and</strong> Minuartia yukonensis which is secure globally butis uncommon in Alaska.Donnelly <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong>An ecological survey (Jorgensen et al. 2001) reported vegetation cover as forest (29.0%), scrub l<strong>and</strong>s(58.1%), tundra (4.4%), barren l<strong>and</strong>s/partially vegetated (3.6%), human disturbed (0.6%), <strong>and</strong> water(4.3%). Forests cover at Donnelly <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong> is diverse <strong>and</strong> includes pure st<strong>and</strong>s of spruce,hardwoods, <strong>and</strong> spruce/hardwood mixtures. The dominant types include white spruce, paper birch,quaking aspen, balsam poplar, black spruce, <strong>and</strong> spruce/hardwood. Scrub communities (typicallycomposed of alder, willow, <strong>and</strong> dwarf birch) occur at high mountain elevations, in small stream-valleybottoms, <strong>and</strong> as pioneer vegetation on disturbed sites. Dense thickets of scrub communities exist alongfloodplains or disturbed sites such as gravel pits, road shoulders, rights-of-way, <strong>and</strong> military trails(USARAK 1980). Most barren areas on Donnelly <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong> are located on gravel bars along theDelta River, the Little Delta River Delta Creek, Jarvis Creek, <strong>and</strong> Granite Creek (Jorgensen et al. 2001).Barren l<strong>and</strong>s also occur above tree line, along ridges, <strong>and</strong> adjacent to rivers <strong>and</strong> streams. Higher elevationsites along the southern portion of Donnelly <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong> support moist tundra, which grades into alpinetundra <strong>and</strong> then into barren l<strong>and</strong>.A floristic inventory of Donnelly <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong> (Racine et al. 2001) did not include all possible taxa onpost but identified 497 vascular species, representing about 26% of Alaskan vascular plants, as identifiedby Hultén (1968). At least 18 species of rare vascular plants on Donnelly <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong> are beingmonitored by the Alaska Natural Heritage Program (2005). Two plant species of concern, Carexsychnocephala <strong>and</strong> Dodecatheon pulchellum pauciflorum, are ranked in USARAK’s short list of speciesof concern for ecosystem management.3.2.2 Environmental ConsequencesAlternative 1: Continue ITAM Program without a <strong>Management</strong> Plan (No Action)Under the No Action alternative, the ITAM program would continue without a management plan. TheTRI, LRAM, SRA, RTLA, <strong>and</strong> GIS components of the ITAM program would continue to have beneficialimpacts on vegetation resources on USARAK l<strong>and</strong>s. GIS would provide spatial data <strong>and</strong> remote sensingcapabilities for vegetative information collection, analysis, presentation, <strong>and</strong> storage. GIS staff would_____________________________________________________________________________________________Environmental AssessmentUnited States Army Alaska, <strong>Integrated</strong> <strong>Training</strong> <strong>Area</strong> <strong>Management</strong> Program<strong>Management</strong> Plan 26
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CHAPTER 6: AGENCIES AND INDIVIDUALS
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Project NameBulldog TrailWidening P
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Project NameYukon TrainingArea Demo
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Project NameYukon TrainingArea Firi
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Project NameEddy Drop ZoneVegetatio
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Project Name33 Mile LoopRoad Shortc
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APPENDIX B: BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTIC
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Sediment Trap(Permanent) SeedingSil
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APPENDIX C: SAMPLE RECORD OF ENVIRO
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APPENDIX D: ITAM PROJECT ASSESSMENT
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Fire ManagementYes No□ □ Could
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APPENDIX E: AGENCY COMMENTSThe foll
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Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 5:00 PM
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Second paragraph - I do not underst
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sentence could read, "The trees are
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The third paragraph seems too speci
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USARAK does not have a current five