Lab Bay project area draft environmental impact statement : Ketchikan Pulp Company long-term timber sale contract. V. 1

554 Pages·1995·36.9 MB·English

by  United States. Forest Service

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

United States Lab Bay Area
Project
Department of
Agriculture
Forest Service
Environmental
Draft
Tongass
National
Forest
Impact Statement
R10-MB-296a
Company
Ketchikan Pulp
Long-Term Timber Sale Contract
July 1995
Volume
1
Preparedby
MARZA
Northwest, Inc.
NE
2353 130th Ave.
Bellevue, Washington 98005
Contract No. 53-0109-2-00344
Lab Bay Environmental Impact Statement
Lab Bay Area
Project
Environmental
Draft
Impact Statement
Ketchikan Area - Tongass National Forest
U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Alaska
Lead Agency U.S.D.A. Forest Service
Tongass National Forest
Responsible Official Forest Supervisor
Ketchikan AdminstrativeArea
Tongass National Forest
Federal Building
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
For Further Information Contact DaveArrasmith, Planning Staff Officer
Ketchikan AdministrativeArea
Tongass National Forest
Federal Building
Ketchikan, AK 99901
907-225-3101
Abstract
The USDA Forest Service proposes to harvest approximately 85 million board feet (MMBF) of
timberintheLabBayProjectArea,ThomeBayRangerDistrict, KetchikanAdministrativeArea,
Tongass National Forest. Timber volume would be offered to the Ketchikan Pulp Company
(KPC)undertheKPCLong-termTimberSaleContract(A10fs-1042)inaseriesofseparateoffer-
ings. The actions analyzed in this EIS are designed to implement direction contained in the
TongassLandManagementPlan(TLMP 1979,as amended)andtheTongassTimberReformAct.
They also propose management consistent with the TLMP Draft Revision (1991a). The Draft
EISdescribesfivealternativesthatprovidedifferentcombinationsofresourceoutputsandspatial
locations of harvest units. The alternatives include: 1) No Action, proposing no new harvest
from the Project Area for the KPC Long-term Sale Contract at this time; 2) maximizes harvest
volume by including all units that are feasible to harvestat this time under federal and state law
and forest-wide standards and guidelines; 3) Modified Proposed Action, emphasizes retaining
timberon highvulnerabilitykarstgeologyandwithinDraftInterimHabitatConservation Areas;
4) emphasizes retaining old-growth blocks and corridors by maintaining the integrity of the
Project-defined HabitatConservation Areas; and 5) emphasizes harvest oflogical groupings of
units within common geographical areas.

Table of Contents
Chapter Introduction 1-2
1
Decision to be Made 1-2
Purpose
Document Organization 1-2
and Need
ProjectArea 1-3
The Proposed Action 1-5
Purpose andNeed for Action 1-5
KPC Long-term Timber Sale Contract 1-5
Why theLab BayProject Areawas Selected 1-5
RelatedNEPA Analyses 1-6
The Planning Process 1-7
Land Use Designations 1-8
Desired Future Condition 1-8
TLMP, As Amended 1-8
TLMP Draft Revision 1-10
Scoping and Public Participation 1-14
Initial Scoping 1-16
Ongoing Public Involvement 1-16
Upcoming Public Involvement Opportunities 1-17
Issues 1-17
Issues Addressed in This EIS 1-17
Issues Outside the Scope ofThis EIS 1-19
Legislation Related to This EIS 1-20
Federal and State Permits 1-22
Agencies and Responsibilities 1-22
Availability ofthe Planning Record 1-22
Chapter 2 Introduction 2-1
Development ofAlternatives 2-2
Alternatives
Field Verification and Analyses 2-3
Preliminary Alternatives 2-3
Unit Pool and Alternative Refinement.... 2-3
Final Unit Pool and Alternatives 2-5
Management Direction Common to All Actions 2-6
LabBayDraftEIS CONTENTS
i
Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis 2-7
Preliminary Alternative B 2-7
Preliminary Alternative D 2-7
Alternatives Considered in Detail 2-7
Alternative 1 (No Action) 2-8
Alternative 2 2-9
Alternative 3 (Preferred Alternative) 2-10
Alternative 4 2-12
Alternative 5 2-13
Comparison and Evaluation ofAlternatives 2-15
Mitigation Measures 2-24
Monitoring 2-28
Implementation Monitoring 2-29
Effectiveness Monitoring 2-29
Validation Monitoring 2-30
Project-Specific Monitoring 2-30
Chapter 3 Introduction 3-1
Available Information 3-2
Affected
Analyzing Effects 3-2
Environment and
Land Divisions 3-3
Effects of the
Alternatives
Air Quality
Affected Environment 3-4
Climate 3-4
Air Quality 3-6
Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-6
CumulativeEffects 3-6
Monitoring 3-7
Geology, Minerals and Karst Resources
Affected Environment 3-9
Geologic Setting 3-9
Mineral Resources 3-9
Mining Claims 3-10
Karst Resources 3-10
Origin ofKarst Features 3-12
Components ofKarst Systems 3-14
ii CONTENTS LabBayDraftEIS
1
KarstEcosystems 3-15
Paleontological and Cultural Values 3-17
Recreational Values 3-17
Karst Areas ofHigh Value 3-17
Effects ofAlternatives 3-20
Direct and Indirect Effects 3-20
CumulativeEffects 3-24
Mitigation 3-28
Monitoring 3-30
Soils
Affected Environment 3-3
Soil Productivity 3-32
Surface Erosion and Mass Movement 3-32
Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-35
Direct and Indirect Effects 3-35
CumulativeEffects 3-40
Mitigation Measures 3-42
Monitoring 3-42
Water Resources
Affected Environment 3-43
Water Yield 3-43
FlowRegime 3-45
WaterQuality and Use 3-46
Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-48
Water Quality 3-49
CumulativeEffects 3-56
Mitigation Measures 3-57
Monitoring 3-57
Floodplains, Riparian Areas, and Wetlands
Affected Environment 3-59
Floodplains 3-59
Riparian Areas 3-60
Wetlands 3-62
Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-65
Direct and Indirect Effects 3-65
LabBayDraftEIS CONTENTS iii
A
Cumulative Effects 3-68
Riparian Management Areas 3-68
Wetlands 3-69
Monitoring 3-69
Fisheries
Affected Environment 3-71
The Fisheries Resource 3-71
Project Area Watersheds and Stream Networks 3-72
Stream and Channel Classification 3-74
Riparian Management Areas 3-77
Management Indicator Species 3-78
Fish Habitat Protection Standards 3-81
Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-81
Direct and Indirect Effects 3-81
Harvest in Riparian Management Areas 3-82
Roads 3-83
CumulativeEffects 3-85
Mitigation Measures 3-87
Monitoring 3-88
Silviculture, Timber, & Vegetation
Affected Environment 3-90
Desired Future Condition 3-90
Ecosystem Management 3-91
Forestland Classification 3-91
Silvical Characteristics ofTree Species 3-94
Forest Plant Communities 3-96
Nonforested Vegetation Communities 3-97
Forest Health 3-98
Timber Classifications 3-100
Silviculture 3-103
Silvicultural Systems 3-104
Even-agedSystems 3-105
Uneven-agedSystems 3-108
Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-109
DirectEffects 3-109
Timber Classifications 3-110
iv CONTENTS LabBayDraftEIS