McGregor Peak timber sale : environmental assessment

58 Pages·2002·2 MB·English

by  Seigmund, Pete

MONTANASTATELIBRARY
308640015 38787
DEPARTMENTOFNATURALRESOURCESANDCONSERVATION
NORTHWESTERNLANDOFFICE-KALISPELL/PLAINSUNIT
STATEDOCUMENTSCOLLECTION
'•3B 1 2002
Sussesiff™
HELENA,MONTANA59620
McGREGORPEAKTIMBERSALE
ENVIRONMENTALASSESSMENT
PreparedbyPeteSeigmund,Forester,Kalispell/PlainsUnit,NWLO
January2002
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
CkecklistEnvironmentalAssessmentandFinding
AttackementA:Maps
ProjectAreaVicinityMap
SaleandHaulRouteMap
HakitatTypeMap
AttackementB:ResourceSpecialistInputandRecommendations/Mitigations
ExistingConditionandEnvironmentalEffects
Vegetation B:1
Hydrologic,Fiskeries, andSoils B:2
Wildlife B:3
AttackmentC:MitigationstoBeImplemented
C
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DS-252 CHECKLIST ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Project Name: McGregor Peak Timber Sale
Proposed Implementation Date: Summer 2002
DPirvoipsoinoenn,t:NoDretpahrwtemsetnetrnofLanNadtuOrfafilceR,esoKuarlciesspelaln-dPlCaoinnsservUantiiton, Trust LandManagement
Type and Purpose of Action: The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
a(cDtNRiCo)n,woKualldisphealrlv-ePsltaianpsprUonxiitm,atperloypo1s.e5smitlhleioMncGrbeogaorrd Pfeeaetk T(iMmMbBeFr)ofSalweo.od pTrhoidsucptrso.posed
Approximately 3.5 miles of new road construction would be needed. The purpose of this
project is to: 1) Produce revenue for the Public School Trust 2) Promote the development
of historic stand conditions and to promote a biologically diverse and healthy forest.
The project is located in section 36, T27N, R25W approximately 25 air miles southwest of
Kalispell, Montana. This parcel is located in Flathead County. The 640 acres within the
project area are owned by the State of Montana and held in trust by DNRC. Timber sale
activities would likely begin in the summer or fall of 2002 and conclude in the year 2005.
No other revenue generating opportunities were identified during the scoping andproject
development phases of this project. As a result, only the sale of forest products was
analyzed in this EA.
Location: section 36, T27N, R25W County: Flathead
I. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
1. PUBLICINVOLVEMENT, AGENCIES, GROUPSOR LegalNoticeswereplacedintheSundayeditionof
IofNDItVheIDUsAcLoSpinCgONTaAnCdTEoDn:goiPnrgoviidnevolavebmreinetfcfohrronthoilsogy t20h0e1.DailScyopIinntgerllaekteterosnwFeerberuasreynt18on&F2e5b,ruaarnydM12a,rch20041
project. toadjacentlandowners andinterestedpartiesand
thosegroupsandindividualsontheNorthwesternLand
OfficeKalispell-Plainsmailinglist. Thoseinvolved
fromtheDepartmentofNaturalResources and
Conservationinclude: JayShepard, Wildlife
Biologist; NormMerz, WildlifeBiologist; Marc
Vessar, SoilandHydrologySpecialist; Patrick
Rennie, Archaeologist; GaryHadlock, LoggingSystems
andRoadEngineer; BeverlyO'Brien, KalispellOffice
ForestManagement Supervisor; MikeConner, Right-of-
waySpecialist. Comments andconcernswereaddressed
andincorporateduntil thecompletionofthefinal
EA.
2. OTHERGOVERNMENTALAGENCIESWITHJURISDICTION, Noothergovernmental agencieshavejurisdiction. A
LISTOFPERMITSNEEDED: roadusepermitorReciprocalAccessAgreementwill
berequiredforaccess intotheprojectarea.
3. ALTERNATIVESCONSIDERED: Tawcotioanltearlntaetrinvaetsivew=ereanddevanel>oapcetdiofnoralttheirsnaptriovjee=ct,whiach>naor-e
describedasfollows:
b1)aseNloiAncetifoonrAclotmepranraitnigvethe-Tehnivsiroanlmteenrtnaaltivceonsperqouveindceessthoefthe
actionalternative. Underthisalternative, notimberwould
beharvestedresultinginnorevenuefortheSchoolTrust.
Existinglandusessuchasroaduseandrecreationwould
continuetooccur. Approximately280acresofmixedconifer
standswouldcontinuetodevelopinappropriatewestern
larch/Douglas-firstandtypes. Historicstandconditions
wouldnotbepromoted.
h2)arAvcetsitoendAulstienrgnactoimvmeerc-iaAlpprtohxiinmnaitneglyand485shaeclrteesrwowooudldharbveest.
Expectedharvestvolumewould
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pbreomaobtoeutth1e.5cMoMnBvFer.sioSnilovficualptpurroaxlimaprteeslcyri2p8t0ioancsreswouofld
currentmixedconiferandsub-alpinetypesto
appropriatewesternlarch/Douglas-firtypes.
Historicstandconditionswouldbepromotedaswell
as improveforesthealthandstandvigor.
Approximately9.4milesofroadswouldbeusedto
accesstheprojectarea. Existing roadswillbe
upgradedandre-constructedtomeetBestManagement
rPoraadcticcoensstr(uBcMtP'iso)n.wouAlpdprobeximraetqeuilryed3.5tomialcecsessofhanrevwest
units
II. IMPACTS ONTHE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
RESOURCE [Y/N] POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION
MEASURES
N=NotpresentorNoImpactwilloccur.
Y=Impactsmayoccur (explainbelow)
4. AGrEeOLfOrGaYgiAlNeD,ScOoImLpaQcUtAiLbIlTeY,orSuTnAsBtIaLbIlTeYsAoNiDlsMOpIrSeTsUeRnEt:? a[sYwe]llAllassBpeesctialMiasntagermeecnotmmePnrdaacttiiocnessa(nBMdP’msi)tiwgialtliobnes
Are there unusual geologic features? Are there implementedtoprotectsoilresources. Logging
special reclamationconsiderations?Arecumulative operationswilloccuronlyondry, frozen, orsnow
impactslikelytooccurasaresultofthisproposed coveredconditions. Equipmentoperationswillbe
action? limitedonslopes inexcess of45%. Woodydebrisand
greenslashwillberetainedtoprovideforlongterm
siteproductivity. Nouniquelyfragileorsensitive
soilsarepresentwithintheunits. Streamside
ManagementZones (SMZ’s) andadjacentwetareaswill
beoutsidetheharvestunitboundaries. Referto
AttachmentB:2 forwatershedandsoilexisting
conditionsanddirect, indirectandcumulative
environmentaleffects. RefertoAttachmentC:
MitigationsToBeImplementedforasummaryofall
mitigations tobeimplemented. Nouniqueorunstable
geologywasobservedwithintheprojectarea.
imWpAoTrEtRantQUsAuLrIfTaYc,eoQrUAgNrToIuTnYdwaAtNeDrDrIeSsToRuIrBcUeTsIOpNr:esenAtr?e s[tYrea]mAchcaonmnperleheinnsvievnetorsyedwiamsentcomspoluercteedsiunrvethyeansdpring
Is therepotential forviolationofambientwater of2000. Nodefinablestreamswerelocatedwithin
quality standards, drinking water maximum theprojectarea. Theannualwateryieldincrease
contaminant levels, or degradation of water duetoprojectactionswillremainbelowthe
quality?Arecumulativeimpactslikelytooccuras allowablethreshold. ImplementationofBMP’sand
aresultofthisproposedaction? projectmitigationswillprotectwaterandsoil
resources. RefertoAttachmentB:2 forwatershedand
soilexistingconditionsanddirect, indirect, and
cumulativeenvironmentaleffects. RefertoAttachment
C: MitigationsToBeImplementedforasummaryofall
mitigations tobeimplemented. Thereisnota
currentgrazingleaseonthisparcel.
6. prcreuAogmIduuRullcaaeQttdUii?AovLneIsTIiYsm:potarhcWetislzplornloeijpskeoeclltlyu(tiCatnlonfaltssusoecncocuIrerdpaabasiyrrtsaaihicerrudel)sqa?uutlaetlAirboteefy pSs[rtleaYaptsaeh]raTHcthaoieznoacnrpedrnowtjiRrleaelctdtiuocbnteasirmoeenawtitiSsbhtiyannlbdouahcrraadnrtsiveendsgatwnidltuahnnniiedtncisen.gsAsiaprrisAlylhelesdsita1.end
thisproposedaction? burningwillbeunderthecoordinationoftheMontana
CooperativeAirshedGroupandwillcomplywithall
Stateairqualitystandards. Dustmaybecreated
fromloghaulingonportionsofroadsduringsummer
andfallmonths
veVgEeGtEaTtAiTvIeONcomCmOuVnEiRt,iesQUbAeNTpIeTrYmanAeNnDtlyQUaAlLtIeTrYed:?WiAlrle i[nNdus]trTihaelprfoojreecsttlaanrde.aisThesursruorurnoduneddinbgyparrievaathea,sa
c acthunimysulpartrairoevpeospeildmapnaatccsttisonolr?ikecloyvetrootcycpuersaspraesernestu?ltAroef haVireesgateotwraiytlliovfebpeacspotrmemsuaennnidttioenasgftoeitrnhagtthteiomcbcceuorrmphwlaierttvhieiosnntotfahecttiphvreiotjye.ct
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project. Spatial distributionandcompositional
characteristicsofthesecommunitieswouldbe
changed. Silviculturalprescriptionswillpromote
historicstandtypesbyconversionofmixedconifer
andsub-alpinestands towesternlarch/Douglas-fir
wsittahndisn.theThperroejeacrtenaoreao.ldRgerfoewrthtostAantdtsachlmoecnattedB:1
Vegetationforacompletedescriptionofstand
history, existingstandconditions, prescribed
treatments, direct, indirect, andcumulativeeffects.
RefertoAttachmentC: MitigationsToBeImplemented
forasummaryofallmitigations tobeimplemented.
Rareplantsorcovertypes listedbytheMontana
NaturalHeritageprogramhavenotbeenfoundwithin
theprojectarea.
AnIntegratedWeedManagementApproach (IWM) willbe
implementedtolimit thepotential forthespreadand
introductionofnoxiousweeds intotheprojectarea.
RefertoAttachmentC: MitigationsToBeImplemented
forasummaryofallmitigations tobeimplemented.
RESOURCE [Y/N] POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION
MEASURES
8. ITsERtRhEeSrTeRIsAuL,bstAaVnItAiNalANuDseAQoUfATtIhCeLaIrFeEaAbNyDHiAmBpIoTrAtTaSn:t v[arYie]tyTheofpwrioljdelcitfea.reaFpireolvdidreesconhnabaiitsastancfeoriandwiicdaeted
wildlife, birds or fish? Are cumulative impacts moderatetohighusebywhite-taileddeerandcavity
likely to occur as a result of this proposed dependentbirdspecies. Signsofmoderateuseby
action? blackbears, elk, andmoosearepresent.
Approximatelythesouthernhalfoftheprojectarea
ismappedaswhite-taileddeerwinterrangebythe
MontanaDept, ofFish, Wildlife, andParks. Referto
AttachmentB:3wildlifeforexistingconditionsand
direct, indirect, andcumulativeeffects. Referto
I AttachmentC: MitigationsToBeImplementedfora
summaryofallmitigations tobeimplemented.
9. ENUVNIIRQOUNE,MENTAELNDRAENSGOEURRECDE,S: ArFeRAaGnIyLEfedeOrRallyLIlMiIsTtEeDd s[pNeci]esNoorsfueidtearballelyhalbiisttaetdstwherreeatefnoeudndowritehnidnangtehreed
threatened or endangered species or identified salearea. Moderatetohighuseoftheprojectarea
habitatpresent? Anywetlands? SensitiveSpecies bypileatedwoodpeckerswasnoted. Maintenanceof
or Species of special concern? Are cumulative yearroundroadclosures andpromotingthe
impacts likely to occur as a result of this developmentoflargerdiameterserai specieswill
proposedaction? providebeneficialeffects topileateds. Referto
AttachmentB:3wildlifeforexistingconditionsand
direct, indirect, andcumulativeeffects topileated
woodpeckers. RefertoAttachmentC: MitigationsToBe
Implementedforasummaryofallmitigationstobe
implemented
10. hiHsItSoTrOiRcIaClA,L AaNrDchaAeRoClHoAgEiOcLaOlGICAoLr SpIaTlEeSo:ntoAlroegicaanly w[asNd]onAenbayrchthaeeolDoegpiacratlmenrtevioefwNaotfurtahlepRreosjoeucrtcesareaand
resourcespresent? Conservationarchaeologist. Nohistoricalor
archaeological resourceswerefound.
11. toApEoSgTrHaEpThIiCcS:featIusre?theWiplrlojeictt boenvaisipbrloeminfernotm i[nNdus]trTihaelprtoijmebcetrlaisndsuarndrouanpdperdoxbiymatpreilvyat2e,airmiles
pnooocpicusulerataoesrdaloirrgehsstcu?elntiAcroefarctehuaimssu?lpartWoiivpleolsetidhmepraaeccttisboenl?eixkceelsysivteo nataowrptaepyaevtamirfesarninotbcmsleetwhoifetlolntehtaenhreoetasrgteedanr.earremasalitEdixepccnuaecbslelsl.iiycv.ecThhanenoPgirepseresoctjrhoeericbteldigahrteais
willnotresult fromproject implementation.
12. AIDRE,MAONRDSENOENRGEYN:VIWRiOlNlMEtNhTeALprRoEjSeOcUtRCuEsSeOrFesLoAuNrD,cesWATtEhRa,t IN]
are limited in the area? Are there other
activitiesnearbythatwillaffecttheproject?Are
cumulative impacts likelyto occuras aresult of
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