South Fork Flathead watershed westslope cutthroat trout conservation program : environmental impact statement : record of decision

2006·0.72 MB·English

by  Montana. Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks

639.97757
F2SFFW
2006
SOUTH FORK FLATHEAD WATERSHED
WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT
CONSERVATION PROGRAM
Environmental Impact Statement
hftriiMPNTSCOLLECTION
Record ofDecision
JUN 22 2006
MONTANA8TATELI3RARY
HELEN1A5.15MEO.N6TtAhNAAVE5,9S20
cJVloT\taT\a
‘Wildlife C81‘ParKs
Region 1
490NorthMeridianRoad
Kalispell,MT.59901
May2006
MontanaStateLibrary
3 0864 1003 8487 7
ExecutiveSummary
AninterdisciplinaryteaminvolvingMontanaFish,Wildlife&Parks(MFWP),
BonnevillePowerAdministration(BPA)andtheUnitedStatesForestService(USFS)
completedtheEnvironmentalImpactStatementfortheSouthForkFlatheadWatershed
WestslopeCutthroatTroutConservationProgram.AfterareviewoftheEIS,public
correspondence,andMFWPstatutesandpolicies,1havemadeadecisiontoimplement
theSouthForkFlatheadWatershedWestslopeCutthroatTroutConservationProgram,as
describedintheEnvironmentalImpactStatement(EIS)andthisRecordofDecision
(ROD),astheappropriatestrategyforconservingthewestslopecutthroattroutinthe
SouthForkFlatheadRiverdrainage.
TheSouthForkFlatheadWatershedWestslopeCutthroatTroutConservationProgram
decisionadoptsthepreferredalternativethatwasdescribedandevaluatedintheEIS,
datedJuly2005,andiswithinthescopeofthatanalysis.MFWPwillproceedto
implementthisconservationprogramaccordingtotheEIS.Implementationofthe
programbyMFWPiscontingentupondecisionsbythecooperatingfederalagencies
(BonnevillePowerAdministrationandForestService)toimplementthoseagency’s
respectivedecisionsasdescribedintheEISandtheassociatedRODsforthoseagencies.
TheeffectivedateoftheConservationProgramisimmediateuponissuanceofthis
decisionandthefederalagencies’decisionsdescribedherein.InsofarastheConservation
ProgramandEISstatesorelaboratesuponthereasonsfororthemethodologiesusedto
reachthisdecision,thosedocumentsareincorporatedintothisRODbythisreference.
RationalefortheDecision
ThewestslopecutthroattroutisavitalcomponenttothefishingheritageofMontana.The
specieshasbeenreducedtoabout9percentofitshistoricrange.TheSouthForkFlathead
Riverdrainageisastrongholdforthisspecies,representingnearlyhalfofthelarge,
interconnectedwestslopecutthroathabitatinMontana.Thisareaisalsoanimportant
recreationalfisheryforthepublic.ForsometimetheSouthForkFlatheadcutthroattrout
populationhasbeenfacingthethreatofhybridizationfromnon-nativetroutthatresidein
headwaterlakesandstreams.TheissueofhybridizationwasfirstrecordedinMFWPfile
documentationinthelate1950’sandwasaddressedatthattimeprincipallybychanging
fishmanagementpracticestostockingnativetroutonly.
In1973,theMontanaLegislaturepassedtheNon-gameandEndangeredSpecies
ConservationActthatestablishedthe“speciesofinterestorconcern”policytopreserve
sensitivespecieswiththehopethatnoMontanafishspecieswouldbelistedatthreatened
orendangeredunderthefederalEndangeredSpeciesAct.Thewestslopecutthroattrout
wasamongthefirstspeciestobeplacedonthestateslist. In1977,GovernorThomas
JudgesignedthelawdesignatingthewestslopecutthroattroutasMontana'sofficialstate
fish,recognizingitaspartofournaturalheritage.Partofthepurposewastobring
attentiontothespecies,soconditionsforthesefishcouldbeimproved.Inthe1980’s
MFWPsteppedupitscommitmenttoconservingthisspeciesintheFlatheadbasinby:1)
developingageneticallypureandgeneticallydiversehatcherystockofwestslope
cutthroattroutsuitabletorconservationpurposes,2)implementingmanagementconcepts
suchasgeneticswampout,3)institutingmorerestrictiveanglingregulations,and4)
activelyremovingnon-nativetroutusingpiscicides.Thesemeasuresareprincipally
responsiblefortheslowrateofprogressionandinsomecasesthereductionof
hybridization;neverthelessthethreatstillexists.
In1996,GovernorMarcRacicotconvenedacutthroattroutsummittoidentifythestatus,
distribution,threatsto,andconservationneedsofthewestslopecutthroattroutin
Montana.In1999aMemorandumofUnderstandingandConservationAgreementfor
WestslopeCutthroatTroutinMontana(ConservationAgreement)wasdevelopedand
signedbyMontanaFish,Wildlife&Parks,U.S.Fish&WildlifeService,BureauofLand
Management,ForestService,NaturalResourcesConservationService,Montana
DepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality,MontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesand
Conservation,WestslopeCutthroatTroutTechnicalCommittee,MontanaChapterof
AmericanFisheriesSociety,andMontanaWildlifeFederation.Thegoalofthe
ConservationAgreementistoensurethelongterm,selfsustainingpersistenceofthe
specieswithineachofthefivemajorriverdrainagestheyhistoricallyinhabitedin
Montana,andtomaintainthegeneticdiversityandlifehistorystrategiesrepresentedby
theremaininglocalpopulations.Theagreementlistsfiveobjectivestoachievethisgoal;
primaryamongthemistoprotectallgeneticallypurewestslopecutthroattrout
populations. In1999the“speciesofconcern”liststatusofthewestslopecutthroattrout
waselevatedtocategoryS2meaningthatthespeciesisimperiledbecauseofrarityor
becauseofotherfactorsdemonstrablymakingitveryvulnerabletoextinctionthroughout
itsrange. Thisprojectwillbecarriedoutinaccordwiththeguidelinesofthemost
recentConservationAgreementinconsultationwiththeCutthroatTechnicalteam.
From1997through2005thewestslopecutthroattrouthasbeenthesubjectofnumerous
petitions,analyses,decisions,appealsandrulingsforconsiderationforprotectionunder
thefederalEndangeredSpeciesAct(ESA).Despitetheseactionsbyplaintiffs,this
specieshasnotbeenlistedundertheESAand,atthetimeofthisROD,remainsunderthe
grmeaasnmpaeognaseinmbdelnnetofnojr-u,rgiaasnmddeicmtaainonindmaaoltfsetdhienbsaytmastateantonufteeMroMtnhCtaatAnpar8.e7v-Me1on-tn2st0a1thn[ea9aniFe]iestdho,,fWmoiralnldialsigtfienegw&iulndPdlaeirfrke,sMfCiissAh,
87-5-107orunderthefederalEndangeredSpeciesAct,and[ii]managelistedspecies,
sensitivespecies,oraspeciesthatisapotentialcandidateforlistingbythestate(87-5-
107)orunderthefederalEndangeredSpeciesActinamannerthatassistsinthe
maintenanceorrecoveryofthosespecies.
ItisthereforemydeterminationthatimplementingtheSouthForkFlatheadWatershed
WestslopeCutthroatTroutConservationProgramwould;1)substantiallyreduceor
completelyeliminatethethreatofhybridizationtothewestslopecutthroatpopulationsin
theSouthForkFlatheadRiverdrainage,2)ensurethelong-termpersistenceofthe
westslopecutthroattroutthroughoutamajorportionofitsrange,thusisconsistentwith
Montana’scommitmenttothe ConservationAgreementbyprotectingthegenetically
purepopulationsintheSouthForkFlatheadRiverdrainage,3)fulfillstatutorymandate
underMCA87-1-201[9ai],4)aidthestateofMontanainmaintainingmanagement
authorityforthespecies,and5)maintainqualityanglingthroughouttheSouthFork
FlatheadRiverdrainage.
ContextForTheDecision
InJanuary2003,MFWPcompletedaspecialistreportthatanalyzedpotentialmethodsof
addressingwestslopecutthroattrouthybridizationintheprojectarea.Thisreportwas
usedtohelpformulateaproposedaction.In2003MFWPmetwithvariousgroupsand
individualstodeterminetheissuesthepublichadwiththeproposedaction.Fromthat
processcommentswereusedtoformulatethescopeoftheDraftEISuponwhichMFWP
soughtpubliccommentin2004.Thosecommentsdidnotidentifyanyotherreasonable
alternativesthatwerenotidentifiedintheDraftEIS,oralternativesthatcouldbe
reasonablyimplementedtomeettheobjectives.However,informationandsuggestions
gatheredfromthescopingprocesswereusedtocompletetheEIS.
AlternativesConsidered
TheEISevaluatedthreeactionalternativesthatcouldlikelybeimplementedtoaddress
theproblemofhybridizationintheSouthForkFlatheaddrainage,aswellasafourth“No
Action”alternative:
• AlternativeA:(NoAction)StatusQuoManagement
• AlternativeB:(PreferredAction)Piscicides-CombinedDeliveryandApplication
Methods
• AlternativeC:Piscicides-Motorized/MechanizedDeliveryandApplication
Methods
• AlternativeD:SuppressionTechniquesandGeneticSwamping
Inaddition,theEISdisclosedseveralissuesandalternativesthathadbeensuggestedby
commentersduringthescopingprocess,butwerebeyondthescopeoftheproposalor
couldnotreasonablymeettheobjectivesoftheproposalandthereforewereprecluded
fromfurtheranalysis.TheEISbrieflyexplainedtherationaleforthatdetermination.The
EISdisclosedandevaluatedadditionalalternativesthatweresuggestedduringpublic
commenttotheEIS.
AdvantagesandDisadvantagesoftheAlternatives
TheEISliststheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthealternatives.Thepreferred
alternative,whilecontroversialtosome,offersthegreatestprobabilityofsuccessat
achievingtheobjectives,whilebalancingandminimizingenvironmentalandsocial
impacts.
AlternativeConsideredEnvironmentallyPreferable
WithinthedecisionspaceofMFWP,theNoActionalternativeistheenvironmentally
preferredalternativebecauseitwouldhavetheleastamountofimpactintheshortterm.
Thestatusquomanagementwouldcontinueandnopiscicidewouldbeappliedtothe
lakesorstreams,nomotorswouldbeusedinwilderness,nofisherieswouldbeimpacted,
outfitters,clients,andotheranglerswouldnotbedisplacedtoadjacentfisheries.
However,hybridizationofthewestslopecutthroattroutwouldcontinue,morerestrictions
wouldlikelybeplacedonangling,andcouldcontributetothelossofmanagement
authorityforthestate.Theprojectobjectiveswouldnotbemet.
UndertheguidanceofARM12.2.431,MFWPconsideredthesignificanceofimpacts
associatedwiththeproposalandmadethedeterminationthattheproposalhadbasisfor
necessitatingandpreparinganEIS.Therefore,indevelopingthealternativesand
decidinguponapreferredalternativetheagencyconsideredmanyoftheitemslistedin
ARM12.2.431includingenvironmentalresources,humanenvironment,importanceto
thestateandsociety,thevalueofaspecies,andimpactstoeachthatmaybebeneficial,
adverseorboth.
Usingpesticidestokillcertainorganismscanbecontroversialandoffensivetosome,but
canresultinlong-termbenefits.MFWPbelievesthatthelong-termbenefitsofthis
projectwilloutweightheshort-termimpactsassociatedwiththepreferredalternative,or
thelongtermandperhapspermanentimplicationsoftheNoActionalternative.
MFWPconsideredpubliccomment,socioeconomicissuesandenvironmentalissues
whendraftingalternatives,selectingthepreferredalternative,andmakingthisdecision.
Nearlyone-halfoftheprojectareaislocatedinwilderness.Wildernessareaspromote
certainintrinsicvaluessuchasminimalinfluencebyman,naturalecosystems,andrefuge
fornativespeciesoffish,wildlifeandplants.Wildernessareasalsopromotecertain
socialvaluesandattractrecreationistsforfishing,hunting,trapping,camping,hiking,
horsebackriding,photography,scenicviewingandwatersport.Managementdecisionsin
wildernessareasmustconsiderawiderangeofissuesandstrivetofindabalancein
affectorimpact,whichmayresultinminorimpactstomanyvaluecategoriesratherthan
majorimpactstoafewvaluecategories.MFWPbelievesthatthepreferredalternative
strikesthisbalancebyreducing,tothegreatestextentpossible,impactstocertain
environmentalandvaluecategoriesinamannerthatwillallowtheobjectivestobemet.
Implementingtheactioninthefallisdesignedtominimizeuserconflicts,thesequenceof
laketreatmentsarespatiallyseparatedtominimizecumulativelocalizedsocialand
environmentalimpacts,restockingwithfishwillberapidandinsomecasesinvolve
stockinglargerwestslopecutthroattrouttorestorerecreationalfishingandnatural
reproductionquicker,neutralizingpiscicideswillhelpcontainthetreatmentsto
designatedareas,andmonitoringthetreatmentswillhelpminimizeimpactstonon-target
organismsandmayprovideabasisformodifyingsubsequenttreatments.
Inwilderness,thepreferredalternativeincorporatestraditionaltransportationmethods,as
muchaspossible,tomaintaincertainvaluestandards.Thepreferredalternativerequired
consideringawiderrangeofpiscicidesanddevelopingnewtechniquesforapplication.
Usinghelicoptersandairplanestotransportmaterialsandequipmentinnon-wilderness
areaswillminimizegroundimpactstotrailsthatarenotdesignedforheavytransport
withlivestock.Aircraftandmotorizedequipmentwillfacilitateexpeditingtheproject,
thusminimizingthedurationofthismanagementactivityineachdrainage.Removing
graylingfromHandkerchiefLakepriortotreatmentandreplacingthemafterwardswill
reducetheimpactstothatfishery.
EffectsoftheDecision
Theeffectsofthisdecisionmaybeadverse,beneficialorbothbutareintendedtobe
beneficialinconservingthewestslopecutthroattrout.Thedecisionwillhavebothshort
termandlong-termimpactstotheenvironment,socioeconomicresources,andwilderness
values.AlthoughthepreferredalternativeisreferredtoinvariousplacesintheEISand
thisdocument,themajoreffectsare:
• Thepreferredalternativewillresultinalongtermbenefittothewestslope
cutthroattroutbyremoving,tothegreatestextentpossible,sourcesofhybridtrout
intheprojectarea,
• Thepreferredalternativewillresultinshorttermlossofanglingopportunityand
anglingqualityinlocalizedareas.Spatiallyseparatingthetreatments,restocking
westslopecutthroattrout,andstockinglargercutthroatinsomelakeswillmitigate
thisandrestorenaturalreproductionandangling.Anglersmayutilizeneighboring
fisheriesduringtherecoveryprocess,
• Thepreferredalternativewillcauseshort-termimpactstowildernessvaluessuch
assolitudeandnaturalprocesses,butwillhavelong-termbenefitsbyincreasing
thetrendtowardnaturalnessinwildernessbyusinganativefishandreducingfish
stocking,
• Thepreferredalternativewillcauseshort-termimpactsbydisplacingsome
recreationistsandoutfitterstoadjacentareasforfishingandotherrecreation
duringimplementationandrecoveryprocesses.
PolicyConsiderations
ImplementingthisprogramfulfillsMFWP’sstatutoryobligationunderMCA87-1-
201[9ai,ii].
PracticalMeasurestoMinimizeEnvironmentalHarm
Asintended,aprojectthatincorporatestheuseofpesticidestoachieveitsobjectivewill
killcertainorganisms.However,theSouthForkFlatheadWestslopeCutthroatTrout
ConservationProgramincludesthefollowingpracticalmeasurestominimizethe
potentialforenvironmentalimpactswhilestillbeingconsistentwiththepurposeandneed
fortheproject:
• Hybridtroutremovalswilloccurduringthefallwhenrecreationuseislowto
minimizeuserconflicts.Somerecreationistswillbedisplacedduring
implementation.Falltreatmentswillminimizeimpactstosomenon-target
organisms.
• Theimmediateprojectareawillbeclosedduringthetreatmentstominimize
exposuretorecreationists.
• Applicatorswillusepropersafetyequipmenttoreduceexposuretothepesticides.
• Inadditiontorotenone,theprojectincludestheuseofantimycin,whichdetoxifies
morerapidlyinflowingsystems.Thiswillallowforgreatersafeguardingof
downstreamnon-targetorganismssuchasthebulltrout.
• Detoxificationstationsusingpotassiumpermanganatewillbeusedtoensurethe
treatmentiscontainedwithinthespecifiedboundaries.
• SingleEngineAirTanker(SEAT)airplaneshavebeentestedandwillbeusedto
transportandapplylargequantityofmaterialtosomelakestominimizeground
disturbanceandminimizetheamountoftimenecessaryforapplicationatsome
lakes.
• Asmuchaspossible,deadfishwillbesunkand/orremovedfromlakeshoresand
streamsegmentstominimizepotentialforanimalconflictsandsecondary
exposure.
• Four-cycleengineswillbeusedinthewildernessportionoftheprojectto
minimizeairemissionsandnoise.
• Livestockwillbeusedtotransportmaterialsandequipmenttomostofthe
wildernesslakestoconformtowildernessvalues.Projectsitesthathaveno
systemtrailswillbeaccessedusingaircraftsononewtrailswillbecreatedasa
resultofthisaction.
• On-siteassayswillbeperformedtodeterminetheproperamountofpiscicideand
neutralizingagentnecessarytoaccomplishtheobjectives.
ImplementationPlans,MonitoringandMitigation
TheEISprovidesaframeworkforimplementationplanning.Aplanwillbedevelopedfor
eachtreatmentthatincludesalistingofaclearchainofcommand,communication
network,objectives,milestones,measurementsandcalculations,spillcontingency,and
emergencyresponse.Thisplanwillbereviewedbeforeeachtreatmentandwillbe
prefacedbyplanningsessions,assigningareasofresponsibilityforeachpersoninvolved
intheimplementation,andeducation,safetyandtrainingsessions.
TheEISprovidesaframeworkforprojectmonitoring.Byitsnature,aprogramthatuses
adaptivemanagementrequiresmonitoringandadjustmentsasnewinformationis
obtained.TheEISidentifiesthefactorsthattheagencieswilluseinmonitoringto
determineiftheprojecthasmetthedesiredobjectives,thestatusofnon-targetorganisms,
andifthebiologicalandsocialobjectivesofthewestslopecutthroattroutrestockinghave
beenachieved.MFWPwillevaluatethemonitoringfactorsannuallytodetermineifthey
canbereasonablymetormeasuredandifthegoalsoftheprojectweremet.MFWPwill
holdapublicinformationalmeetingeachyearworkingthroughtheRegion1Citizens
AdvisoryCommitteetopresentthestatusoftheproject,toevaluatetheimplementation
andresultsofeachyear’sprogress.
PartofprojectmonitoringincludescoordinatingwithandreportingtotheMontana
DepartmentofEnvironmentalQualityandtheMontanaDepartmentofAgriculture.
Decisionstoliberalizedailyandpossessionfishlimitspre-treatmentareunderthe
jurisdictionoftheFish,WildlifeandParksCommissionwithrecommendationsfromthe
MFWPFisheriesandEnforcementdivisions.TheCommissionhasbeenwillingonpast
occasionstoallowanglerstoremoveasmanyfishaspossible.Regulationchangeswould
berecommended1-2seasonspre-treatmenttoallowanglerstoaccessremotelocations.
Asummaryofimplementationplans,monitoring,andmitigation,thatwillbethe
responsibilityofMFWPinwholeorinpart,isprovidedattheendofthisdocument.Both
theUSFSandBPAROD’ScontainsimilarsummariescalledMitigationActionPlansand
areincludedinthisRODbyreference.
EndangeredSpeciesConsiderations
Therearesevenspeciesoffish,wildlifeandplantsunderprotectionoftheESAthatdo
occur,orcouldoccurintheprojectarea.OnApril19,2002MontanaFish,Wildlife&
ParksandBonnevillePowerAdministrationsubmittedabiologicalassessmenttothe
U.S.FishandWildlifeService[Service]incompliancewithSection7oftheEndangered
SpeciesActthatevaluatedthelikelyimpactstheproposedprojectmayhaveonthese
species.ThebiologicalassessmentconcludedthatthepreferredalternativeintheEISwas
notlikelytoadverselyaffectthebaldeagle(Haliaeetusleucocephalus),grizzlybear
(Ursahorribilis),Canadalynx(LynxCanadensis),graywolf(Canislupus),andbulltrout
(Salvelinusconfluentus),andwouldhavenoeffectontheWaterHowellia(Howellia
aquatilis)andSpaldingCampion(Silenespaldingii)duetonoknownoccurrencesandno
suitablehabitatidentifiedwithintheprojectarea.
OnMay15,2002,theFieldSupervisorfortheServiceconcurredwiththedetermination
of“notlikelytoadverselyaffect.”Fromthetimebetweenthe2002biologicalassessment
tothisRecordofDecision,subtlechangestotheproposedprojecthavewarranted
updatingthebiologicalassessment.MontanaFWPandBPAwillupdatetheService
annuallythroughouttheprogramimplementation,includingreportingactivitiesthatmay
resultinincidentaltakeunderSection6ESAreporting.
DecisiontoRestockLakes
Ihavedecidedthatre-stockingthelakesandsomestreamsegmentswithgeneticallypure
westslopecutthroattroutwillservethebestinterestinmeetingtheprojectgoals,maintain
establishedsocialpracticesandrecreationopportunity,andminimizesocioeconomic
impacts. TheM012westslopecutthroattrout,currentlytheonlycertifiedsourceforstate
restorationprojects,willbeplantedinmostlocations. CommentsreceivedontheEIS
requestedthatMFWPdevelopwithin-drainagestocksforuseincertainlocationswhere
theaboriginalstockdiffersfromtheMO12stocktopreservegeneticdiversityinSouth
ForkFlatheadRiverdrainagepopulations. MFWPiscommittedtodevelopingwithin-
drainagestockswherefeasible. Geneticconservationmeasureswillbedesignedwith
inputfromfisheriesgeneticistsandadvicefromtheCutthroatTechnicalCommittee.
Methodologiesandfacilitiesrequiredtoproducealternativestocksarecurrentlyunder
development.Implementingthepreferredalternativewillallowforachangeinthestatus
quomanagementandmovetowardreducingthenumberandfrequencyoffishstocking
insomewildernesslakes,andmovetowardatrendofnaturalnessinwilderness.
—
JamesSatterfield s/s. 52-1/2QQ4
JamesR.SatterfieldJr.,PhD. Date
Region1Supervisor