Integrated Training Area Management EA and Final FNSI

Table 3.6 Summary of Impacts 1 to Fire Management.ITAM Activity Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3TRI Beneficial Beneficial ModerateLRAM Beneficial Beneficial SevereSRA Beneficial Beneficial ModerateRTLA Beneficial Beneficial MinorGIS Beneficial Beneficial Minor1Short-term and long-term impacts are expected to be similar.Cumulative ImpactsPast activities have had adverse impacts to fire management through inadvertent fire starts, both on andoff installation lands, and aggressive fire suppression. However, military fires were usually quicklycontrolled. The importance of fire to Alaskan ecosystems is recognized and decisions to control a fire orlet it burn are made on a case-by-case basis (USARAK 2004). The establishment of cooperativeagreements between the Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska Fire Service has improved firemanagement on USARAK lands.All current and planned training activities have the potential to adversely impact fire management throughincreased risk of fire. The ITAM program would help minimize this potential through ensuring firedanger is considered when training plans are created, reducing fire danger through reduction of fuel loadsand construction of fuel breaks, preventing occurrence of accidental fire starts, and monitoring for fireproneareas. The overall cumulative impact to fire management resulting from ITAM activities under theproposed action would be beneficial.3.7 PUBLIC ACCESS AND RECREATION3.7.1 Affected EnvironmentU.S. Army Alaska’s primary mission is to maintain and enhance the combat readiness of its soldiers.USARAK also recognizes the responsibility to allow public access to military lands in compliance withthe Sikes Act, which requires public access to military installations to the extent that such use isconsistent with the military mission and the protection of fish and wildlife resources. Public access issubject to requirements deemed necessary to ensure safety and military security.Military lands in Alaska provide desirable areas for recreational activities. They contain many stockedlakes and significant game populations in relatively close proximity to the more highly populated areas inAlaska. These lands include the immediate post lands and adjoining lands under military control fortraining. Recreational uses include hunting, fishing, trapping, off-road recreational vehicle use, hiking,boating, picnicking, berry picking, bird-watching, skiing, and dog sledding.The Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans (USARAK 2002d,e,f) discuss specific actions tomanage and improve public access and recreation on USARAK lands. These include implementation ofan outdoor recreation management plan to maintain and enhance recreational opportunities, outdoorrecreation monitoring to determine impacts of recreation on ecosystems, and specific measures to manageoutdoor recreation in light of increased recreational use. Updating recreational vehicle use policies andimplementing a Training Area Recovery Plan program to rest, rehabilitate, and control erosion areexamples of such measures._____________________________________________________________________________________________Environmental AssessmentUnited States Army Alaska, Integrated Training Area Management ProgramManagement Plan 49