Draft supplemental environmental impact statement to remove or modify the survey and manage mitigation measure standards and guidelines : Forest Service national forests in regions 5 and 6 and Bureau of Land Management districts in Washington, Oregon, and

358 Pages·2003·85.6 MB·English

by  United States. Forest Service

BLM LIBRARY
88070567
USDA
U.S. Department ofAgriculture
Forest Service
333 SW 1st Avenue, P.O. Box 3623
OR
Portland, 97208
U.S. Department ofthe Interior
Bureau ofLand Management
333 SW 1st Avenue, P.O. Box 2965
OR
Portland, 97208
April 2003
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
To Remove or Modify the
Survey and Manage Mitigation Measure
Standards and Guidelines
Forest Service NationalForests in Regions 5 and 6
andBureau ofLandManagementDistricts
in Washington, Oregon, and California
Within the Range ofthe Northern Spotted Owl
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Cover artwork compliments ofElizabeth I. Gayner. Drawing includes the Great gray owl (Strix nebulosa), an orchid
(Cypripedium montanum), a mushroom {Gyromitra californica), and a snail (Monadeniafidelis).
BLM/OR/WA/PL-03/023+1792
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United States Forest R-6 OR/ Bureau of United States
WA
Department of Service Land Department of
Agriculture Management Interior
Reply Refer To:2670 (FS)/ 1736 (BLM) (OR-935) Date: April 15, 2003
Dear Reader:
This letter announces the release ofthe Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to
remove or modify the Survey and Manage Mitigation Measure Standards and Guidelines. The Forest
Service and Bureau ofEand Management (BLM) (the Agencies) prepared this Draft SEIS to present
the environmental consequences of undertaking different strategies for conserving rare and little
known species that are associated with late-successional and old-growth forests within the range ofthe
northern spotted owl. This Draft SEIS supplements the analyses contained in the Final SEIS (2000) for
Amendment to the Survey and Manage, Protection Buffer, and other Mitigation Measures Standards
and Guidelines, and the Final SEIS (1994) for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau ofLand
Management Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl (the Northwest Forest
Plan).
The underlying need for this SEIS is to achieve the objectives originally established in the Northwest
Forest Plan, to the extent those objectives are frustrated by the Survey and Manage Standards and
Guidelines. The purposes of the SEIS are to:
1. Continue to provide for diversity of plant and animal communities in accordance with the
National Forest Management Act and conserve rare and little known species that may be at risk of
becoming listed under the Endangered Species Act.
2. Reduce the Agencies’ cost, time, and effort associated with rare and little known species
conservation.
3. Restore the Agencies’ ability to achieve resource management objectives that were established
under the Northwest Forest Plan.
Three alternatives, including no action, are considered in detail in the Draft SEIS. The preferred
alternative is Alternative 2 with mitigation. The preferred alternative would remove the Survey and
Manage Mitigation Measure and the Agencies would rely on their existing Special Status Species
Programs to conserve rare species. A decision to select one of the action alternatives would amend the
BLM
management direction in all 28 Forest Service land and resource management plans and resource
management plans in the Northwest Forest Plan area.
The Agencies are soliciting comments on the Draft SEIS. Comments will be accepted via hardcopy mail,
facsimile, and the internet. Comments should be sent to:
Survey and Manage
Argonne National Laboratory
EAD/900
9700 South Cass Avenue
BLM
Argonne, IE 60439 Library
Denver Federal Center
Facsimile: 1-866-542-5904 (toll free) Bldg. 50, OC-521
RO. Box 25047
Internet: http://web.ead.anl.gov/surveyandmanage
Denver, CO 80225
The 90-day comment period begins on May 9, 2003, and closes on August 8, 2003. The Agencies ask
that those submitting comments on the Draft SEIS make them as specific as possible with references to
page numbers and chapters of the document. Comments should address the adequacy ofthe statement
and the merits of the alternatives discussed (40 CFR 1503.3).
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses, will be considered
part of the public record on this proposal and are available for public inspection. Comments, including
names and addresses, may be published as part of the Final SFIS. Ifyou wish to withhold your name
or address from public review, or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), you
must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comments. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR
1.27(d), any person may request that submissions be withheld from the public record by showing how
the FOIA permits such confidentiality. Persons requesting such confidentiality should be aware that
under FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very limited circumstances, such as to protect trade
secrets. The requester will be informed of the agencies’ decision regarding the request for confidentiality.
Where the request is denied, the comments will be returned to the requester and the requester will be
notified that the comments may be resubmitted with or without name and address. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and considered. Anonymous comments do not create standing or a record
of participation. All submissions from organizations and business, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public
inspection in their entirety.
For further information on this SFIS, contact Jerry Hubbard, Survey and Manage SFIS Team Fogistics
Coordinator, at P.O. Box 2965, Portland, OR 97208; via telephone at 503-326-2355; or via facsimile at
503-326-2396.
Sincerely,
RICHARD PRATHFR
C.
SFIS Team Deader
Interagency Survey and Manage SEIS Team
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
To Remove or Modify the
Survey and Manage
Mitigation Measure
Standards and Guidelines
ForestService National Forests in Regions 5 and 6
andBureau ofLandManagementDistricts
in Washington, Oregon, and California
Within the Range ofthe Northern Spotted Owl
April 2003
Lead Agencies: Forest Service - U.S. Department ofAgriculture
Bureau ofLand Management - U.S. Department ofInterior
Responsible Officials: Ann Veneman, Secretary ofAgriculture
Gale Norton, Secretary of Interior
Information Contact: Jerry Hubbard
P.O. Box 2965
Portland, OR 97208
503-326-2355
Send comments to: via mail: Survey and Manage
Argonne National Eaboratory
EAD/900
9700 South Cass Avenue
Argonne, IE 60439
via facsimile 1-866-542-5904
via the internet http://web.ead.anl.gov/surveyandmanage
Comments must be received by August 8, 2003.
Reviewers should provide their comments during the review period ofthe draft environmental impact statement.
This will enable the Agencies to analyze and respond to the coments at one time and to use information acquired
in the preparation ofthe hnal environmental impact statement, thus avoiding undue delay in the decisionmaking
process. Reviewers have an obligation to structure their participation in the National Environmental Policy Act
process so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency to the reviewer’s position and contentions. Vermont Yankee
NRDC
Nuclear Power Corp. v. . 435 U.S. 519, 552 (1978). Environmental objections that could have been raised
at the draft stage may be waived ifnot raised until after completion ofthe final environmental impact statement.
City ofAngoon v. Hodel (9th Circuit, 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages. Inc, v. Harris. 490 E. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D,
Wis. 1980). Comments on the draft environmental impact statement should be specific and should address the
adequacy ofthe statement and the merits ofthe alternatives discussed (40 CER 1503.3).

Notice
Readers should note that the Secretary ofAgriculture and the Secretary ofInterior are the
responsible officials for this proposed action. Therefore, no administrative review (appeal)
through the Forest Service will be available on the Record ofDecision under 36 CFR 217, and
no administrative review (protest) through the Bureau ofLand Management will be available on
the Record ofDecision under43 CFR 1610.5-2. Because there is no administrative review ofthe
decision, the Record ofDecision will not be signed until 30 days after the Notice ofAvailability
for the Final SEIS appears in the Federal Register (see 40 CFR 1506.10(b)).

Abstract
This Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement examines the environmental effects ofa
proposal by the Forest Service and BLM to eliminate or modify the Survey and Manage Standards
and Guidelines ofthe Northwest Forest Plan. Alternatives considered in detail are: (1) Alternative
1, No-Action; (2) Alternative 2, an alternative that would amend agency land and resource
management plans by removing the Survey and Manage mitigation measure; and, (3) Alternative
3, an alternative that would amend agency land and resource management plans by modifying
the Survey and Manage Standards and Guidelines. The need for the proposal was generated by
concerns that the Survey and Manage Standards and Guidelines are frustrating Forest Service
and BFM efforts to accomplish resource management objectives ofthe Northwest Forest Plan.
The 304 Survey and Manage species affected by this proposal were analyzed to determine the
environmental consequences under the 3 alternatives. Analyses show that the Survey and Manage
Standards and Guidelines and the Special Status Species Programs add protection and reduce
risk to species. Recognizing there is much that remains unknown about many ofthe species, 141
species remain at high risk ofextirpation under all alternatives due to factors beyond the control
ofthe Forest Service and BFM. When compared to Alternative 1, there are 47 and 7 species
that would be at high risk ofextirpation under Alternatives 2 and 3, respectively. These species
are not at high risk ofextirpation under Alternative 1. The analysis also showed annual timber
MMBF MMBF
harvest would be 100 higher under Alternative 2 and 75 higher under Alternative
3 compared to Alternative 1, No-Action. Cost ofthe No-Action Alternative was projected to
be $25.9 million annually for the next 10 years, dropping to $15.3 million annually thereafter.
Short-term annual costs ofAlternatives 2 and 3 were $7.5 million and $11.8 million, respectively.
After 10 years, those annual costs fall to $7.1 million and $9.2 million, respectively. Alternatives
2 and 3 showed increases in annual employment and annual hazardous fuel treatment acreage
relative to Alternative 1, No-Action. The preferred alternative is Alternative 2 with mitigation
that eliminates the high risk ofextirpation for47 species mentioned above. It is preferred because
it best meets the purpose and need. Specifically, Alternative 2 conserves rare and little known
species, reduces cost and effort, and allows for achievement ofhealthy forests and timber outputs.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
ACEC Areas ofCritical Ecological Concern
BLM Bureau ofLand Management
CEQ Council on Environmental Quality
CER Code ofFederal Regulations
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
ESA Endangered Species Act
FEMAT Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team
ELPMA Eederal Land Policy and Management Act
ER Federal Register
ESM Forest Service Manual
FWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
GIS Geographic Information System
ISMS Interagency Species Management System
MMBF
million board feet
MUSY
Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NFMA
National Forest Management Act
NOAA
Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service
NWFP
Northwest Eorest Plan
ONHP Oregon Natural Heritage Program
ONHIC Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center
PCEFA Pacific Coast Eederation ofEishermen’s Association
PSQ Probable Sale Quantity
PM
particulate matter
REO Regional Ecosystem Office
RIEC Regional Interagency Executive Committee
ROD
Record ofDecision
SEIS Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
U.S.C. United States Code
USDA United States Department ofAgriculture
USDI United States Department ofInterior