American and
   Crooked River
         Final
Environmental Impact Statement
       March 2005

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            American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement



 ORGANIZATION OF THIS DOCUMENT
 THIS DOCUMENT IS ORGANIZED INTO FOUR CHAPTERS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION AS FOLLOWS:
 CHAPTER 1 - DESCRIBES THE PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION, THE PROPOSED ACTION, AND THE
 SCOPE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS.
 CHAPTER 2 - DESCRIBES THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSED ACTIONS AND PRESENTS
 AND COMPARES ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED ACTION.
 CHAPTER 3 - DESCRIBES THE PHYSICAL, BIOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL SETTING OF THE ANALYSIS AREA
 AS THEY EXIST TODAY AND ARE TRENDING TOWARDS INTO THE FUTURE BASED ON IMPLEMENTATION
 OF ANY OF THE ALTERNATIVES DESCRIBED IN CHAPTER 2, INCLUDING THE NO ACTION.
 CHAPTER 4 - LISTS THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT.
 APPENDICES - PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE READER AND INCLUDES A MAP LIST,
 GLOSSARY, REFERENCES, AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING INFORMATION.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs
and activities on the basis of race, color,  national origin, sex, religion, age, disability,
political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.)   Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication of program  information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should
contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room
326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C.  20250-
9410 or call (202) 720-5964  (voice and TDD).  USDA is an equal opportunity  provider
and employer.
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            American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
                          NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST
                          RED RIVER RANGER DISTRICT
                             IDAHO COUNTY, IDAHO
LEAD AGENCY:                         USDA FOREST SERVICE

RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL:                  JANE L COTTRELL
                                     FOREST SUPERVISOR
                                     ROUTE 2 Box 475
                                     GRANGEVILLE, ID 83530
                                     208-983-1950
FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION:    SCOTT RUSSELL             OR    TERRY NEVIUS
               PROJECT MANAGER                 DISTRICT RANGER
               NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST        RED RIVER RANGER DISTRICT
               ROUTE 2 Box 475                  NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST
               GRANGEVILLE, ID 83530             P.O. Box 416
               208-983-1950                     ELK CITY, ID 83525
                                               208-842-2245
                                   Page

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              American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
                                    SUMMARY
 The  Forest  Service has  prepared this draft  environmental impact statement to disclose
 potential effects of the proposed action and the alternatives to the proposed action within and
 surrounding  the American and Crooked River project area in compliance with the National
 Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations
 The project area is located within the Red River Ranger District on the  Nez Perce National
 Forest in Idaho.  This Final Environmental Impact statement discloses  direct  indirect  and
 cumulative environmental impacts and irreversible or irretrievable commitments of  resources
 that would result from implementation of the proposed action and alternatives.

 The project area is located  in two separate areas within  the Nez Perce National Forest in
 Idaho County.  Portions of the American and Crooked River watersheds are contained in the
 project area  boundary and are located in the Clearwater  Mountains of the Rocky Mountain
 physiographic province.  The American River watershed is located north and northeast of Elk
 City,  while the Crooked River watershed is  located west and  southwest  of Elk City  The
 project area,  which encompasses approximately 39,000 acres, lies north and east of the town
 of Orogrande and includes National Forest System lands around the Elk City Township.

 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

 The purpose of the project is to reduce existing and potential forest fuels, create conditions
 that will contribute to sustaining long-lived fire tolerant tree species (ponderosa pine, western
 larch)  and contribute to the  economic and social well-being of people who use and reside
 within the surrounding area.

 The Forest Plan provides direction  for the management of the American and Crooked River
 project area  and  the desired future condition.  The purpose and need for this project was
 determined after  comparingJhe desired future condition  and the existing condition of the
 American and Crooked  River  project area.   The area's existing  condition was determined
 using field data and the findings and recommendations from the  South Fork Clearwater River
 Landscape Assessment (SFLA). It is important to note that the  South Fork Clearwater River
 Landscape Assessment is  not a  decision document and the  recommendations contained
 within  the SFLA  were  considered  as recommendations and not  direction.  This analysis
 addresses only a few of the overall  package of actions that were recommended in these
 documents.

 THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO:
 Promote the health and vigor of timber stands and improve the environment for long-lived, fire
 resistant species by reducing densities of lodgepole pine or other small diameter trees'that
 provide fuel ladders for development of crown fires,

 Increase relative  proportions  of  long-lived, fire  resistant  tree  species  by  restoring  or
 regenerating to western larch, ponderosa pine,  and by protecting  large diameter ponderosa
 pine, Douglas fir, and western larch,

 Reduce the risk of large-scale crown fire spread  by creating vegetative patterns, including fuel
 breaks and safety areas, through harvest or silvicultural treatments, that would increase fire
 suppression and management effectiveness, and

 Reduce the likelihood of severe local fire effects by removing dead, dying, and downed trees
that would otherwise result in high fuel loading.
                                      Page IV

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             American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
THE PROPOSED ACTION

The American-Crooked River Project proposes to treat up to 3,452 acres with 1,170 acres in
the American  River Watershed and  1,816 acres  in the Crooked River  watershed.   The
watershed restoration associated with this project would includes various types of restoration,
such as up to 24.6 miles of road improvement for watershed improvement of which 16.6 miles
is  required with 8 miles approved as  funding  allows.  Soil restoration on  up to 58 acres is
proposed  with 32 acres  of soil restoration  required.   The following  table is a  summary of
proposed activities associated with this project. Two numbers in the column divided by a slash
indicate the amount of required first and additional projects (dependent on  available funding)
second.

THE ISSUES

The Forest Service worked closely with the public to identify issues and concerns. A comment
period  last fall produced  20 letters from the public, and state and federal  agencies.  These
responses were  condensed into two  substantive issue areas.  These are effects  to -water
quality and fish habitat and the fuel reduction effectiveness. There are no impacts to terrestrial
threatened and endangered species, and heritage resources, but  a summary of impacts are
listed below  in the general projects impacts of interest, because  some commenters had an
interest in  these areas.

THE ALTERNATIVES

The alternatives in this document were analyzed by their effect to the substantive issue areas.
Indicators  were developed to compare the effects. A summary of the effects can be found in
the following section.  The summary table below describes the treatments. It shows the total
acres to be treated by alternative. Alternative D, (the preferred alternative) includes both
required watershed restoration actions, and additional watershed restorations actions that
have been analyzed and may be implemented if funding is available. The minimum watershed
restoration that will be completed as part of this alternative is what is displayed as required. If
funding is available, the watershed restoration could  be up to the amount in Alternative E, and
is displayed as additional.
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                 American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
  TABLE 0.1: - COMBINED ALTERNATIVE OVERVIEW FOR AMERICAN/CROOKED RIVER WATERSHEDS
Proposed Activity - Total Project
Acres of
Treatment

Cable Yard/Broadcast Burn
Roadside Salvage
Total Acres Treated
Percent Clearcut
Percent Partial Cut/Thin
Wildland Urban Interface
Miles of Temporary Road Construction^
Miles of Road Reconditioning3
AltB
1,138
945
467
2,550
42%
58%
559
8.0
79.4
AltC
1,172
1,095
477
2,744
42%
58%
731
14.3
803

1,813
1,173
466
3,452
34%
66%
1113
14.3
90.5

901
780
475
2,156
28%
72%
290
5.4
74.3
Watershed Restoration Package Improvements
Miles (acres) of Decommissioned Roads4
Miles of Watershed Road Improvement5
Number of Sites
of Watershed Road Improvement
Stream Crossing Improvements0
Miles of Instream Improvements
Miles of Recreation and Trail Improvements
Acres of Recreation and Trail Improvements
Acres of Mine Site Reclamation
Acres of Soil Restoration in addition to road
decommissioning
Access change for vehicle use - motorized trail use
(ATV) to restricted use (miles)7
Miles of Access change for vehicle use"
13.9
(56)
16.0
1
10
10.3
2.3
0.1
7
18
2.6
1.6
17.3
(69)
16.6
3
10
11.1
2.3
8.1
7
26
2.6
1.6
18.9/18.1
(73/74)
16.6/8
3
13/21
11.1/3.5
2 3/2 3
8.1
7/2
32/26
2.6
1.6
37
(147)
24.6
3
34
14.6
4.6
8.1
9
58
2.6
1.6
Employment Opportunities
Job Years9
163
188
250
152
  Alternative D has additional restoration that could be implemented if funding were available. First figure is
 required watershed improvement projects only; second figure is additional watershed improvement projects.1 This
 is an access change, which restricts use to two wheeled vehicles or snowmobiles over snow from previous all
 terrain vehicle use (ATV).                                                         '        '

  Temporary roads would be decommissioned within one to three years of construction.

 3 This category includes a range of activities, such as surface blading, drainage repair, and roadway brushing with
 occasional culvert installations, slump repairs, and stabilization work. The roadwork in this category is primarily for
 the purpose of timber removal.
 4
  Road decommissioning for this project covers a range of activities, from recontouring to abandonment due to
 grown in conditions. See Appendix D

  Some of the roadwork in this category is also included in the Miles of Road Reconditioning category in this table.
 Although this roadwork is primarily for the purpose of timber removal, it will also result in an improvement in
 watershed health.


  Stream crossing improvements include upgrading or improving culverts and bridges to improve fish passage and
 peak water flows and are listed as the number of sites.

  This is an access change, which restricts use to two wheeled vehicles or snowmobiles over snow, from previous
 all terrain vehicle use (ATV).

8 This category includes 1.5 miles of road-to-trail conversion.

9 Direct Employment Opportunities, year-long.
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American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
             TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER/SECTION
CHAPTER 1
1.0. INTRODUCTION
1.1. PROJECT AREA LOCATION
1 .2. PROPOSED ACTION
1 .3. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
1 .4. PLANNING AND DIRECTION
1.5. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
1.6. ISSUES
1.7. DECISIONS To BE MADE
CHAPTER 2
2.0 INTRODUCTION
2.1 ISSUE DEVELOPMENT
2.2 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES
2.3 COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES, OBJECTIVES SUMMARY, MITIGATION, AND MONITORING
CHAPTER 3
3.0 INTRODUCTION
3.1. SOILS
3.1.1. AMERICAN RIVER
3.1.1.1. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
3.1.1.2. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: SOIL CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
3.1.2. CROOKED RIVER
3.1.2.1. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
3.1.2.2. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: SOIL CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
3.2. WATERSHED
3.2.1. AMERICAN RIVER
3.2.1.1. INDICATOR 1 -WATERSHED CONDITION
3.2.1.2. INDICATOR 2 -WATER YIELD
3.2.1 .3. INDICATOR 3 - SEDIMENT YIELD
3.2. 1 .4. INDICATOR 4 - CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
3.2.1.5. INDICATOR 5 -WATER QUALITY
3.2.2. CROOKED RIVER
3.2.2.1. INDICATOR 1 -WATERSHED CONDITION
3.2.2.2. INDICATOR 2 -WATER YIELD
3.2.2.3. INDICATOR 3 - SEDIMENT YIELD
3.2.2.4. INDICATOR 4 - CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
3.2.2.5. INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY
3.2.3. MAINSTEM SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER
PAGE
1
1
2
2
2
4 '
8
9
11
13
13
15
19
25
37
38
44
48
54
65
70
76
87
97
103
104
106
110
116
117
118
119
121
124
129
130
132
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American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
CHAPTER/SECTION
3.2.4. WATERSHED SECTION SUMMARY
3.3. FISHERIES
3.3.1 . AMERICAN RIVER ANALYSIS OF EFFECTS
3.3.1.1. INDICATOR 1 - SEDIMENT/SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS
3.3.1 .2. INDICATOR 2 - LARGE WOODY DEBRIS ANALYSIS
3.3.1.3. INDICATOR 3 -POOL ANALYSIS
3.3.1 .4. INDICATOR 4 - WATER YIELD ANALYSIS
3.3. 1 .5. INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS (Toxics AND TEMPERATURE)
3.3.1.6. INDICATOR 6 -HABITAT CONNECTIVITY/FISH PASSAGE ANALYSIS
3.3.2. CROOKED RIVER ANALYSIS OF EFFECTS
3.3.2.1. INDICATOR 1 - SEDIMENT/SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS
3.3.2.2. INDICATOR 2 - LARGE WOODY DEBRIS ANALYSIS
3.3.2.3. INDICATOR 3 -POOL ANALYSIS
3.3.2.4. INDICATOR 4 - WATER YIELD ANALYSIS
3.3.2.5. INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS (Toxics AND TEMPERATURE)
3.3.2.6. INDICATOR 6 - HABITAT CONNECTIVITY/FISH PASSAGE ANALYSIS
3.3.3. CONSISTENCY WITH THE FOREST PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
3.3.4. CONCLUSIONS
3.4. FIRE
3.4.1. INDICATOR 1 - FIRE REGIME
3.4.2. INDICATOR 2 - FUELS
3.4.3. INDICATOR 3 - RISK/HAZARD
3.4.4. IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - FIRE REGIME, FUELS, AND
RISK/HAZARD
3.4.5. SUMMARY
3.5. AIR QUALITY
3.6. RECREATION
3.6.1. AMERICAN RIVER
3.6.1.1. INDICATOR 1 - ROS/SILS
3.6.1 .2. INDICATOR 2 - OTHER RECREATIONAL USES
3.6.2. CROOKED RIVER
3.6.2.1. I NDICATOR1 -ROS/SILS
3.6.2.2. INDICATOR 2 - OTHER RECREATIONAL USES
3.7. WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS
3.7.1. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT
3.7.2. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
3.7.3. SUMMARY
3.8. TRANSPORTATION
3.8.1. AMERICAN RIVER
3.8.1.1. INDICATOR 1 -MILES OF ROAD
3.8.1 .2. INDICATOR 2 - MILES OF TRAILS
PAGE
140
142
169
169
173
173
173
174
175
176
176
179
179
180
180
180
182
188
190
192
194
198
200
200
204
210
215
215
217
218
219
220
225
225
229
230
232
233
233
237
                       Page VIII

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American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
CHAPTER/SECTION
3.8.2. CROOKED RIVER
3.8.2.1. INDICATOR 1 -MILES OF ROAD
3.8.2.2. INDICATOR 2 -TRAILS
3.8.3. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER
3.8.4. IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER
3.8.5. SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS FOR TRANSPORTATION - AMERICAN RIVER AND
CROOKED RIVER
3.9. HERITAGE
3.10. VEGETATION
3.10.1. VEGETATION - AMERICAN RIVER
3.10.1.1. INDICATOR1 - COMPOSITION (COVER TYPE/SPECIES/LAYER/AGE)
3.10.1.2. INDICATOR 2 -DISTURBANCE PATTERNS
3.10.1.3. INDICATOR 3 -RARE PLANTS
3.10.2. CROOKED RIVER
3.10.2.1. INDICATOR 1 - COMPOSITION (COVER TYPE/SPECIES/LAYER/AGE)
3.10.2.2. INDICATOR 2 - DISTURBANCE PATTERNS (SEE SECTION 3.10.1.2.)
3.10.2.3. INDICATOR 3- RARE PLANTS (SEE SECTION 3.10.1 .3)
3.10.3. SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS FOR VEGETATION
3.10.4. WEEDS.AND NON-NATIVE VEGETATION
3.11. WILDLIFE
3.11.1. INDICATOR 1 - THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES
3.11.2. INDICATOR 2 - SENSITIVE SPECIES
3.11.3. INDICATOR 3 - OTHER MANAGEMENT INDICATOR SPECIES
3.11.4. INDICATOR 4 -OTHER SPECIES
3.1 1 .5. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS SUMMARY (ALL TERRESTRIAL SPECIES)
3.11.6. IRREVERSIBLE, IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS (ALL TERRESTRIAL SPECIES)
3.11.7. OLD GROWTH HABITAT ANALYSIS
3.12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC
3.13. WILDERNESS, INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS, AND AREAS WITH POSSIBLE
UNROADED CHARACTERISTICS
CHAPTER 4
4.1. PREPARERS
4.2. DISTRIBUTION LIST
PAGE
246
246
249
256
256
257
264
276
280
281
295
297
312
313
327
327
327
329
336
341
351
382
399
404
408
411
425
433
449
449
450
                                                               PAGE
                       Page IX

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American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: MAPS
APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY
APPENDIX C: REFERENCES
APPENDIX D: WATERSHED, FISH HABITAT
APPENDIX E: SUPPORT FOR WATERSHED, FISH HABITAT ANALYSIS
APPENDIX F: ROAD MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
APPENDIX G: FUEL MODELS
APPENDIX H: TREATMENTS BY ALTERNATIVE
APPENDIX 1: MONITORING PLAN
APPENDIX J: TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE POPULATIONS VIABILITY SUMMARY RELATED TO
THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER PROJECT
APPENDIX K: COARSE WOODY DEBRIS, SNAG, AND GREEN TREE RETENTION
GUIDELINES
APPENDIX L: CREATED OPENINGS > 40 ACRES
APPENDIX M: RESPONSE TO COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT STATEMENT
APPENDIX N: HABITAT TYPE GROUPS
APPENDIX O: NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION -
SUMMARY OF EFFECTS FOR THREATENED PLANT SPECIES - OCTOBER 2004 -
FOR THE AMERICAN RIVER/CROOKED RIVER PROJECT AREA
APPENDIX P: BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT FOR LISTED AND SENSITIVE
SPECIES (STEELHEAD TROUT, REDBAND TROUT, BULL TROUT, FALL CHINOOK
SALMON, SPRING CHINOOK SALMON, WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT, AND
LAMPREY)
APPENDIX Q - BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT FOR ESA LISTED
TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE SPECIES

A1-
39
B1-28
C1-24
D1-34
E1-30
F1-14
G1-2 .
H1-8
11-8
J1-
K1-4
L1-2
M1-
i
(
N1-
r
O1-
^
P1-
t
i
01-
r
4.
, z
                       PageX

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American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
               INDEX OF TABLES
TABLE NUMBER/NAME 1 PAGE
2.1 - Alternatives in the American River Watershed.
2.2 - Alternatives in the Crooked River Watershed.
2.3 - Project Design and Mitigation Measures
2.4 - ALTERNATIVES IN THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER PROJECT
3.1 - PROJECTS CONSIDERED FOR CUMULATIVE EFFECTS WITHIN AND ADJACENT TO
THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER PROJECT AREA
3.2- NPNF TIMBER HARVEST HISTORY IN AMERICAN RIVER
3.3 - HISTORIC ROAD CONSTRUCTION - AMERICAN RIVER
3.4 - NPNF TIMBER HARVEST HISTORY IN CROOKED RIVER
3.5 - HISTORIC ROAD CONSTRUCTION - CROOKED RIVER
3.6 - INDICATORS OF SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT - AMERICAN RIVER
3.7 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT: AMERICAN
RIVER
3.8 - INDICATORS OF SURFACE AND SUBSTRATUM EROSION
3.9 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL EROSION: AMERICAN RIVER
3.10 - INDICATOR OF MASS EROSION: AMERICAN RIVER
3.1 1 - INDICATOR OF CUMULATIVE MASS EROSION: AMERICAN RIVER
3.12 - INDICATOR OF COMPLAINCE WITH SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS: AMERICAN
RIVER
3.13- INDICATORS OF SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss: AMERICAN RIVER
3.14 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss:
AMERICAN RIVER
3.1 5 -INDICATOR OF Loss OF SOIL WOOD: AMERICAN RIVER
3.16 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL WOOD Loss: AMERICAN RIVER
3.1 7 -INDICATORS OF SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT: CROOKED RIVER
3.1 8 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT:
CROOKED RIVER
3.19 - INDICATORS OF SOIL EROSION: CROOKED RIVER
3.20 - INDICATORS OF SOIL EROSION: ALTERNATIVE A
3.21 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL EROSION: CROOKED RIVER
3.22 - INDICATOR OF MASS EROSION: CROOKED RIVER
3.23 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE MASS EROSION: CROOKED RIVER
3.24 - INDICATORS OF DIRECT SOIL EFFECTS BY ALTERNATIVE: CROOKED RIVER
3.25 - INDICATORS OF SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss: CROOKED RIVER
3.26 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss: CROOKED
RIVER
3.27 - INDICATOR OF SOIL WOOD Loss: CROOKED RIVER
3.28 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL WOOD EFFECTS BY ALTERNATIVE:
22
23
27
35
39
42
42
43
43
54
56
58
60
61
63
64
65
67
68
69
76
78
79
80
81
82
84
85
87
88
89
91
                     Page XI

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American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE NUMBER/NAME
CROOKED RIVER
3.29 - FORESTWIDE STANDARDS FOR SOILS
3.30 - NUMBER OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED WATER USES - AMERICAN RIVER
3.31 - WATERSHED CONDITION INDICATORS
3.32 - POST-PROJECT ROAD DENSITY BY ALTERNATIVE
3.33 - PERCENT (%) EGA BY ALTERNATIVE (2005)
3.34 - PERCENT (%) EGA FOR 2005 (INCLUDING EASTSIDE TOWNSHIP PROJECT)
3.35 - PERCENT (%) OVER BASE SEDIMENT YIELD BY ALTERNATIVE
3.36 - PERCENT (%) OVER BASE SEDIMENT YIELD (INCLUDING EASTSIDE TOWNSHIP
PROJECT).
3.37 - SUMMARY OF 2003 WATER TEMPERATURE DATA
3.38 - NUMBER OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED WATER USES - CROOKED RIVER
3.39 - WATERSHED CONDITION INDICATORS
3.40 - POST-PROJECT ROAD DENSITY BY ALTERNATIVE
3.41 - PERCENT (%) EGA BY ALTERNATIVE (2005)
3.42 - PERCENT (%) EGA FOR 2005 (INCLUDING WHISKEY SOUTH PROJECT)
3.43 - ESTIMATED SEDIMENT YIELD OVER BASE FOR EACH ALTERNATIVE BY
PRESCRIPTION WATERSHED IN CROOKED RIVER
3.44 - PERCENT (%) OVER BASE SEDIMENT YIELD (INCLUDING WHISKEY SOUTH)
3.45 - SUMMARY OF 2003 WATER TEMPERATURE DATA
3.46 - SEDIMENT YIELD FROM AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVERS TO THE SOUTH
FORK CLEARWATER RIVER
3.47 - SUMMARY OF WATER TEMPERATURE DATA FOR SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER
RIVER
3.48 - COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN WATER STANDARDS
3.49 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR WATER QUALITY THAT Do NOT APPLY TO
THIS PROJECT
3.50 - KNOWN AND SUSPECTED DISTRIBUTION OF TROUT, SALMON AND CHAR IN
AMERICAN RIVER
3.51 -AMERICAN RIVER EXISTING CONDITION OF FISH HABITAT INDICATORS
COMPARED TO OBJECTIVES
3.52 - EXISTING CONDITION OF SELECT FISHSED VARIABLES WHICH ARE
RELEVANT TO THE DEPOSITED SEDIMENT INDICATOR
3.53 - EXISTING STREAM CROSSINGS AMERICAN RIVER
3.54 - KNOWN AND SUSPECTED DISTRIBUTION OF TROUT, SALMON AND CHAR IN
CROOKED RIVER
3.55 - CROOKED RIVER EXISTING CONDITION OF FISH HABITAT INDICATORS
COMPARED TO OBJECTIVES
3.56 - EXISTING CONDITION OF SELECT FISHED VARIABLES WHICH ARE RELEVANT
TO THE DEPOSITED SEDIMENT INDICATOR
PAGE

97
104
104
105
107
109
110
114
117
119
120
120
121
123
124
127
130
137
139
141
142
155
160
160
161
163
166
166
                       Page XII

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American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE NUMBER/NAME
3.57 - EXISTING STREAM CROSSINGS CROOKED RIVER
3.58 - COMPARISON OF PREDICTED COBBLE EMBEDDEDNESS (CE) BY ALTERNATIVE
3.59 - COMPARISON OF SUMMER REARING CAPACITY (SRC) BY ALTERNATIVE
3.60 - COMPARISON OF WINTER REARING CAPACITY (WRC) BY ALTERNATIVE
3.61 -AMERICAN RIVER MILES OF STREAM WITH IMPROVED ACCESS
3.62 - COMPARISON OF PREDICTED COBBLE EMBEDDEDNESS (CE) BY ALTERNATIVE
3.63 - COMPARISON OF SUMMER REARING CAPACITY (SRC) BY ALTERNATIVE
3.64 - COMPARISON OF WINTER REARING CAPACITY (WRC) BY ALTERNATIVE
3.65 - CROOKED RIVER MILES OF STREAM WITH IMPROVED ACCESS
3.66 - COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN FISHERIES RESOURCE STANDARDS
3.67 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR FISHERIES RESOURCES THAT Do NOT APPLY
TO THIS PROJECT
3.68 - FIRE REGIMES ACREAGE IN THE PROJECT AREA
3.69 - CURRENT FUEL MODELS PRESENT IN THE PROJECT AREA
3.70 - PREDICTED FUEL MODELS IN YEAR 2014 BY ALTERNATIVE - AMERICAN
RIVER DRAINAGE
3.71 - PREDICTED FUEL MODELS IN YEAR 2014 BY ALTERNATIVE - CROOKED RIVER
DRAINAGE
3.72 - TREATMENT ACRES LOCATED WITHIN WILDLANDS URBAN INTERFACE (WUI)
3.73 - HAZARD ASSESSMENT FOR PROJECT AREA
3.74 - POST TREATMENT FIRE HAZARD IN YEAR 2014 BY ALTERNATIVE
3.75 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - FIRE/FUELS
3.76 - BURN TYPE ACREAGE BY ALTERNATIVE
3. 77 -APPROXIMATE ANNUAL EMISSIONS BY ALTERNATIVE, BASED ON 10 YEAR
IMPLEMENTATION
3.78 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - FIRE/FUELS
3.79 - NEZ PERCE FOREST PLAN VISUAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES, SCENIC INTEGRITY
LEVELS, AND RECREATION OPPORTUNITY SPECTRUM CLASSES FOR THE
AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER PROJECT AREA
3.80 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - RECREATION RESOURCES
3.81 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR RECREATION AND VISUAL RESOURCES THAT
Do NOT APPLY
3.82 - WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO THE SOUTH FORK
OF THE CLEARWATER
3.83 - OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUES APPLICABLE TO THE SOUTH FORK
CLEARWATER RIVER
3.84 - MANAGEMENT DIRECTION FOR ELIGIBLE RIVERS
3.85 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - WILD, SCENIC, AND RECREATION RIVERS
RESOURCES
3.86 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR WILD, SCENIC, AND RECREATION RIVERS
PAGE
167
170
170
170
175
176
176
177
181
189
190
193
195
197
197
198
198
199
203
207
208
210
214
223
224
225
228
229
231
231
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American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE NUMBER/NAME
THAT Do NOT APPLY
3.87 - CURRENT ACCESS PRESCRIPTIONS - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
3.88 - OBJECTIVE MAINTENANCE LEVELS -AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
3.89 - TRAFFIC SERVICE LEVELS - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
3.90 - ROAD SURFACE TYPE - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
3.91 - ROAD DECOMMISSIONING AND CORRESPONDING ACCESS CHANGE -
AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
3.92 - ROADWORK ACTIVITY BY ALTERNATIVE - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
3.93 - SYSTEM TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
3.94 - MILES OF TRAILS OPEN TO TRAIL USERS - AMERICAN RIVER
3.95 - ALTERNATIVE B HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
3.96 - ALTERNATIVE C HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
3.97 -ALTERNATIVE D, HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS -AMERICAN RIVER
3.98 - ALTERNATIVE E, HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
3.99 - ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E - CHANGE IN ACCESS PRESCRIPTION FOR
TRAIL 887
3.100 - CURRENT ACCESS PRESCRIPTIONS - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
3.101 - OBJECTIVE MAINTENANCE LEVELS - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
3.102 - TRAFFIC SERVICE LEVELS - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
3. 1 03 - ROAD JURISDICTION - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
3.104 - ROAD SURFACE TYPE- CROOKED RIVER ROADS
3. 1 05 - ROAD DECOMMISSIONING AND CORRESPONDING ACCESS CHANGE -
CROOKED RIVER ROADS
3. 1 06 - ROADWORK ACTIVITY BY ALTERNATIVE - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
3.1 07 - SYSTEM TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
3.1 08 - MILES OF TRAILS OPEN TO TRAIL USERS - CROOKED RIVER
3.1 09 - GROOMED SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM - CROOKED RIVER
3. 1 0 - ALTERNATIVE B HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
3.11- ALTERNATIVE C HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
3. 1 2 - ALTERNATIVE D HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
3.1 13 - ALTERNATIVE E HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
3.1 14 - ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E - CHANGE IN ACCESS PRESCRIPTION
3.1 15 -MILES OF TRAILS
3.1 16 -AMERICAN RIVER AREA -CHANGES IN TRAIL ACCESS PRESCRIPTIONS
3.117- CROOKED RIVER AREA - CHANGES IN TRAIL ACCESS PRESCRIPTIONS
3.118- UNITS AND TRAILS
3.119- FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - ROADS AND TRAILS
3.120 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR TRANSPORTATION THAT Do No APPLY
3.121 - TIMING AND AVAILABILITY OF PLANT FOODS IN NEZ PERCE TERRITORY
PAGE

234
234
234
2234
236
237
238
238
240
241
243
244
246
246
246
247
247
247
248
249
249
250
250
251
252
253
254
256
257
259
260
261
261
264
266
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American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE NUMBER/NAME
3.1 22 - A SAMPLE OF DREDGING LOCATIONS NEAR THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED
RIVER PROJECT AREA, AND THEIR DATES OF OPERATIONS
3.123 - HISTORICAL CLASSIFICATION AND CHRONOLOGY OF LAND ENCOMPASSING
THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER PROJECT
3.124 - LIST OF CULTURAL PROPERTIES WITHIN THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED
RIVER PROJECT APE
3. 1 25 - LIST OF CULTURAL PROPERTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMERICAN AND
CROOKED RIVER PROJECT THAT HAVE BEEN DETERMIEND ELIGIBLE FOR THE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
3.126- FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE- HERITAGE
3.127- FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR HERITAGE THAT DO NOT APPLY
3.128- AMERICAN RIVER PORTION DOMINANT COVER TYPES
3.1 29 - UNMANAGED STAND DENSITIES IN THE AMERICAN RIVER AREA
3.130- AMERICAN RIVER PROPORTION OF EXISTING SIZE CLASS
3.131 - KNOWN AND POTENTIAL SENSITIVE PLANTS WITH THE PROJECT AREA
3. 1 32 - COMPARISON OF POTENTIAL SENSITIVE PLANT HABITAT AFFECTED BY
ALTERNATIVE
3.133 - SENSITIVE PLANT EFFECTS DETERMINATIONS
3. 134 -CROOKED RIVER DOMINANT COVER TYPE CODES
3.135 - UNMANAGED STAND DENSITIES IN THE CROOKED RIVER AREA
3. 136 -CROOKED RIVER PROPORTION OF EXISTING SIZE CLASS
3. 1 37 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - VEGETATION
3.138 - WEED SUSCEPTIBILITY RATING
3. 139 -ACRES OF EXPANSION RISK
3.140 - DISTURBANCE BY ALTERNATIVE
3.141 - PROBABILITY OF WEED SPREAD, RATING MATRIX
3.142 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR RANGE RESOURCES
3.143- WILDLIFE SPECIES EFFECTS DETERMINATIONS
3.144 - THE No ACTION (ALTERNATIVE A) HABITAT CONDITIONS AND ACREAGE
WITHIN THE LAUS ARE LISTED BELOW
3. 1 45 - SUMMARY OF EFFECTS ON LAD 3020306 (AMERICAN RIVER)
3.146 - SUMMARY OF EFFECTS ON LAU 305001 (CROOKED RIVER)
3.147 - HABITAT ACRES WITHIN AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER WATERSHEDS
3.148 - INVENTORY/ANALYSIS DATA FOR GOSHAWK FORAGING AND NESTING
HABITAT
3.149 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF NORTHERN GOSHAWK HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH
ACTION ALTERNATIVE (AMERICAN RIVER)
3.150 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF NORTHERN GOSHAWK HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH
ACTION ALTERNATIVE (CROOKED RIVER)
3.151 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF FISHER HABITAT
PAGE
270
271
273
275
275
276
. 283
285
292
299
305
308
314
317
324
329
332
333
333
334
335
339
344
347
347
359
360
362
362
371
                       Page XV

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American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE NUMBER/NAME
3. 1 52 - DATA AT THREE SCALES FOR PERCENT FISHER SUMMER AND WINTER
HABITAT
3.1 53 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF FISHER HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION
ALTERNATIVE (AMERICAN RIVER)
3. 1 54 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF FISHER HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION
ALTERNATIVE (CROOKED RIVER)
3.1 55 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER HABITAT
3.156 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER HABITAT MODIFIED BY
ACTION ALTERNATIVE
3. 1 57 - PERCENT ELK HABITAT EFFECTIVENESS BY EAU AND ALTERNATIVE
3.158 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PILEATED WOODPECKER NESTING HABITAT
3.1 59 - FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS DATA FOR PILEATED WOODPECKER
HABITAT
3.160 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PILEATED WOODPECKER NESTING HABITAT MODIFIED
BY EACH ACTION ALTERNATIVE (AMERICAN RIVER)
3.161 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PILEATED WOODPECKER FORAGING HABITAT
MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION ALTERNATIVE (CROOKED RIVER)
3.162 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PINE MARTEN HABITAT
3.1 63 - FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS DATA FOR MARTIN HABITAT
3.164 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PINE MARTEN HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION
ALTERNATIVE
3.165- IDAHO PARTNERS IN FLIGHT HIGH PRIORITY SPECIES THOUGHT TO OCCUR
IN THE PROJECT AREA
3.1 66 - AVERAGE PATCH SIZE AND SHAPE OF LARGE TREES
3.167- LARGE TREE ACREAGE CUMULATIVE CHANGES (RETAINED ACRES)
3. 1 68 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - WILDLIFE RESOURCES
3.1 69 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR WILDLIFE RESOURCES THAT DO NOT APPLY .
3. 1 70 - SUMMARY OF OLD GROWTH QUALIFYING CRITERIA
3.171 - OLD GROWTH HABITAT IN THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER DRAINAGES
3. 1 72 - SUMMARY OF OLD GROWTH FIELD EXAMS
3.173 - ESTIMATES OF PERCENT OLD GROWTH FOR LAND MANAGED BY THE NEZ
PERCE NATIONAL FOREST, INCLUDING 90% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS
3.1 74 - SUMMARY OF PERCENT OF OLD GROWTH HABITAT, BASE DON FIA ANALYSIS
FOR AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER WATERSHEDS (WITH 90% CONFIDENCE
INTERVAL)
3.1 75 - SUMMARY OF PERCENT OF OLD GROWTH HABITAT, FOREST-WIDE, ON THE
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST, BASED ON FIA ANALYSIS (WITH 90%
CONFIDENCE INTERVAL)
3.1 75 - PERCENT HARVEST OF HISTORICAL MATURE FORESTS
3. 1 77 - ESTIMATES OF SNAGS PER ACRES FOR LAND MANAGED BY THE NEZ PERCE
NATIONAL FOREST, INCLUDING 90 PERCENT CONFIDENCE INTERVALS

372
374
374
378
379
385
389
390
391
392
395
396
397
400
406
406
409
410
411
414
415
415
416
416
419
421
                      Page XVI

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American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE NUMBER/NAME
3.1 78 - ESTIMATES OF THE NUMBER OF SNAGS PER ACRE BY DIAMETER GROUP
AND 4™ CODE HUC AND ASSOCIATED CONFIDENCE INTERVALS
3.179 - DIRECT EMPLOYMENT EFFECTS
3. 180 -TOTAL VOLUME
3.181 -DEFINITIONS
3.182 - ECONOMICS - ALTERNATIVE B
3.183 - ECONOMICS - ALTERNATIVE C
3.184 - ECONOMICS - ALTERNATIVE D
3.185 - ECONOMICS - ALTERNATIVE E
3.1 86 - SUMMARY OF ACRES AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED ACTION
3. 1 87 - NUMBER OF TREATMENT ACRES OFR EACH UNROADED AREA BY
ALTERNATIVE
3. 1 88 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR WILDERNESS RESOURCES THAT Do NOT
APPLY
A.1 - INDEX OF MAPS
D.1 - SUMMARY OF PROJECTS BY ALTERNATIVE
D.2 - MIDDLE AMERICAN RIVER- EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
D.3 - MIDDLE AMERICAN RIVER - INSTREAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
D.4 - MIDDLE AMERICAN RIVER - RECREATION AND TRAIL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
D.5 - MIDDLE AMERICAN RIVER - SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
' D.6 - UPPER AMERICAN RIVER - EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
D.7 - EAST FORK AMERICAN RIVER - EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
D.8 - EAST FORK AMERICAN RIVER- STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
D.9 - EAST FORK AMERICAN RIVER - SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
D.10 - KIRKS FORK- EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
D.1 1- KIRKS FORK- WATERSHED ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
D.1 2 - KIRKS FORK - STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
D.1 3 - KIRKS FORK - RECREATION AND TRAIL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
D.1 4 - KIRKS FORK- SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
D.1 5 - WHITAKER CREEK- EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
D.1 6 -WHITAKER CREEK -WATERSHED ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
D.1 7 -WHITAKER CREEK -STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
D.1 8 -WHITAKER CREEK- INSTREAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
D.1 9 - WHITAKER CREEK- SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
D.20 - QUEEN CREEK- EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
D.21 - QUEEN CREEK- STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
D.22 - QUEEN CREEK- INSTREAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
D.23 - QUEEN CREEK- SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
D.24 - FLINT CREEK - EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
PAGE
422
426
427
328
429
430
431
432 .
437
443
448
A-1
D-1
D-4
D-4
D-5
DOS
D-6
D-6
D-6
D-7
D-7
D-8
D-8
D-8
D-9
D-9
D-9
D-10
D-10
D-10
D-11
D-11
D-1 2
D-1 2
D-1 3
                       Page XVII

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              American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
                       TABLE NUMBER/NAME
 D.25 - FLINT CREEK - STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
PAGE
  D-14
 D.26 - FLINT CREEK - SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
  D-14
 D.27 - Box SING CREEK- EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
  D-15
 D.28 - Box SING CREEK - WATERSHED ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
  D-15
 D.29 - Box SING CREEK- STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
  D-15
 D.30 - Box SING CREEK- RECREATION AND TRAIL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
  D-15
 D.31 -Box SING CREEK- SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
  D-16
 D.32 - LOWER AMERICAN RIVER - SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
  D-16
 D.33 - LOWER CROOKED RIVER - EXISTING ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
  D-17
 D.34 - LOWER CROOKED RIVER - WATERSHED ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
  D-18
 D.35 - LOWER CROOKED RIVER- STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
  D-18
 D.36 - LOWER CROOKED RIVER - INSTREAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
  D-19
 D.37 - LOWER CROOKED RIVER - SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
  D-19
 D.38 - RELIEF CREEK- ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
  D-20
 D.39 - RELIEF CREEK - WATERSHED ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
  D-22
 D.40 - RELIEF CREEK - STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
  D-23
 D.41 - RELIEF CREEK- INSTREAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
  D-25
 D.42 - RELIEF CREEK - SOIL RESTORATION
                                                                        D-25
D.43 - MIDDLE CROOKED RIVER - ROADS TO BE DECOMMISSIONED
  D-26
D.44 - MIDDLE CROOKED RIVER - WATERSHED ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
  D-27
D.45 - MIDDLE CROOKED RIVER - STREAM CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS
  D-28
D.46 - MIDDLE CROOKED RIVER- INSTREAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
  D-29
D.47 - MIDDLE CROOKED RIVER - RECREATION AND TRAIL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
 D-30
D.48 - MIDDLE CROOKED RIVER - MINE SITE RESTORATION
 D-31
D.49 - MIDDLE CROOKED RIVER - SOIL RESTORATION PROJECTS
 D-32
E.1 - FISHERY/WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES - AMERICAN RIVER
   E-1
E.2 - FISHERY/WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES - CROOKED RIVER
   E-2
E.3 - PERCENT STREAM LENGTH BY GRADIENT CLASSES - AMERICAN RIVER
  E-7
E.4 - PERCENT STREAM LENGTH BY GRADIENT CLASSES - CROOKED RIVER
  E-7
E.5 - WATER QUALITY DATA - AMERICAN RIVER
 E-22
E.6 - WATER QUALITY DATA - CROOKED RIVER
 #-22
E.7 - AQUATIC TREND ANALYSIS - AMERICAN RIVER
 E-23
E.8 - AQUATIC TREND SUMMARY - AMERICAN RIVER
 E-25
E-9 - AQUATIC TREND ANALYSIS - CROOKED RIVER
 E-26
E-10-AQUATIC TREND SUMMARY- CROOKED RIVER
 E-29
F.1 - EXISTING CONDITION -AMERICAN RIVER
  F-3
F.2 - EXISTING CONDITION - CROOKED RIVER
  F-7
F.3 - ROADS PROPOSED FOR DECOMMISSIONING BY ALTERNATIVE - AMERICAN
 F-12
                                 Page XVIII

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             American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE NUMBER/NAME
RIVER
F.4
H.1
H.2
H.3
J.1
J-2
J-3
J-4
J-5
J-6
K-1
K-2
K-3
L-1
- ROADS PROPOSED FOR DECOMMISSIONING BY ALTERNATIVE - CROOKED
RIVER
- TREATMENTS BY ALTERNATIVES - CODES
- AMERICAN RIVER TREATMENTS
- CROOKED RIVER TREATMENTS
- ESTIMATED ACRES OF FISHER HABITAT WITHIN THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED
RIVER DRAINAGES
- FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS DATA AT THREE SCALES FOR PRECENT
FISHER SUMMER AND WINTER HABITAT, INCLUDING 90% CONFIDENCE
INTERVALS (Cl LOW AND Cl HIGH)
- FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS DATA AT THREE SCALES FOR PERCENT
GOSHAWK FORAGING AND NESTING HABITAT, INCLUDING 90% CONFIDENCE
INTERVALS (Cl LOW AND Cl HIGH)
- ESTIMATED ACRES OF PINE MARTEN HABITAT WITHIN THE AMERICAN AND
CROOKED RIVER DRAINAGES
- FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS DATA AT THREE SCALES FOR PERCENT
MARTEN HABITAT, INCLUDING 90% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (Cl LOW AND Cl
HIGH) .
- FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS DATA AT THREE SCALES FOR PERCENT
PILEATED WOODPECKER NESTING AND FORAGING HABITAT INCLUDING 90%
CONFIDENCE INTERVALS (Cl LOW AND Cl HIGH)
- RECOMMEND COURSE WOODY DEBRIS PRESCRIPTIONS
-SNAG RETENTION GUIDELINES
- GREEN TREE SNAG-REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES
- UNITS CREATING OPENINGS > 40 ACRES
PAGE

F-14
H-1
H-1
H-5
J-6
J-6
J-9
J-10
J-11
J-12
K-1
K-2
K-3
L-1
Note:  Tables not listed here for Appendices P and Q - Biological Assessments.
                                     Page XIX

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             American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
                            INDEX OF FIGURES
FIGURE NUMBER/NAME
3.1 -AMERICAN RIVER EGA 1870-2004
3.2 -AMERICAN RIVER EGA 2000-201 2
3.3 - LOWER AMERICAN RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD
3.4 - AMERICAN RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 1 870-2004
3.5 - AMERICAN RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 2000-2012
3.6 - CROOKED RIVER EGA 1870-2004
3.7 - CROOKED RIVER EGA 2000-2012
3.8 - LOWER CROOKED RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD
3.9 - CROOKED RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 1870-2004
3.10 - CROOKED RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 2000-2012
3.1 1 - SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER EGA 1870-2004
3.12 - SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER EGA 2000-2012
3.13- SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 1 870-2004
3.14 - SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 2000-201 2
3.15- IDAHO-MONTANA AIRSHEDS
3.16- SLUICE BOX AND MINER AT WORK IN NORTH-CENTRAL IDAHO
3.17- HYDRAULIC OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS AT THE OROGRANDE-FRISCO MINE
3.18 - DREDGE PROCESSING LOW-GRADE PLACER GRAVELS ON THE CROOKED RIVER
ABOUT 1938
3.19- AMERICAN RIVER VRUs
3.20 -AMERICAN RIVER PORTION - PREVIOUS HARVEST
3.21 -AMERICAN RIVER PORTION - DOMINANT SPECIES
3.22 - AMERICAN RIVER PORTION - SIZE CLASS DISTRIBUTION
3.23 - UNMANAGED STAND DENSITIES IN THE AMERICAN RIVER AREA
3.24 - AMERICAN RIVER SIZE CLASS BY ALTERNATIVE
3.25 - CROOKED RIVER VRUs
3.26 - CROOKED RIVER PORTION - PREVIOUS HARVEST
3.27 - CROOKED RIVER PORTION - DOMINANT SPECIES
3.28 - TREE SIZE CLASSES
3.29 - CROOKED RIVER PORTION - DOMINANT TYPE/SIZE
3.30 - CROOKED RIVER PORTION - PERCENT CANOPY COVER
3.31 - CROOKED RIVER PORTION - SIZE CLASS BY ALTERNATIVE
E. 1 - COMPOSITE v PURE WATERSHEDS - AMERICAN RIVER
E.2 - COMPOSITE v PURE WATERSHEDS - CROOKED RIVER
E.3 - ANNUAL HYDROGRAPH
E.4A-H - SEDIMENT YIELD - AMERICAN RIVER
E.5A-H - SEDIMENT YIELD - CROOKED RIVER
E.6A-D - AMERICAN RIVER 2003 WATER TEMPERATURE
E.7A-D - CROOKED RIVER 2003 WATER TEMPERATURE

108
109
111
113
115
122
124
125 .
127
128
133
134
135
136
205
268
268
269
281
282
283
284
285
292
312
313
314
315
316
317
324
E-3
E-4
E-9
E-13
E-16
E-18
E-20
Note: Figures not listed here for Appendices P and Q - Biological Assessments.
                                  Page XX

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                       Chapter 1 - Purpose and Need
                  1.0.  INTRODUCTION

                  1.1.  PROJECT AREA LOCATION

                  1.2.  PROPOSED ACTION

                  1.3.  PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION

                  1.4.  PLANNING AND DIRECTION

                  1.5.  PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

                  1.6.  ISSUES

                  1.7.  DECISIONS To BE MADE
1.0. INTRODUCTION

The  Forest Service has prepared this Final Environmental Impact Statement to disclose potential,
effects of the proposed action and the alternatives to the proposed action within and surrounding the
American and Crooked River project area in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations.  The project area is located within the Red
River Ranger District  on the Nez Perce  National Forest in Idaho.  This Final Environmental  Impact
Statement discloses  direct, indirect, and  cumulative environmental impacts  and irreversible or
irretrievable commitments of resources that could result from implementation of the proposed action
and alternatives.
This Final Environmental  Impact Statement is prepared  according to  the format established by
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)  regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy
Act (40  CFR  1500-1508).   Chapter 1  explains the purpose and  need for the proposed  action,
discusses how the American and Crooked River project relates to the 1987 Nez Perce Land and
Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), and identifies  issues raised driving  the development of
alternatives.  Chapter 2 identifies the significant issues driving the analysis of environmental effects,
describes and compares the proposed action, alternatives to the proposed action, and  a no-action
alternative.  It also compares the  alternatives by summarizing their environmental consequences.
Chapter 3 describes the natural and human environments potentially affected by the proposed action
and  alternatives, and discloses potential environmental effects.   Chapter 4 contains the list of
preparers,  followed  by  the Final  Environmental Impact Statement distribution  list,  appendices
(including literature cited and glossary).  The Appendices  provide additional information on  specific
aspects  of the proposed  project and alternatives.   This  Final Environmental  Impact Statement
incorporates documented analyses by summarizing and referencing them where appropriate.

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              American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The interdisciplinary team  made up of  Forest  Service resource specialists used a systematic
 approach for analyzing the proposed project and alternatives to it,  estimating the environmental
 effects, and preparing this Final Environmental Impact Statement  The planning process complies
 with the National  Environmental  Policy Act  (NEPA)  and  the CEQ  regulations.   Planning was
 coordinated with the appropriate Federal, State, local agencies, and tribes.

 1.1.  PROJECT AREA LOCATION

 American River and Crooked  River are two large watersheds  in the  upper South Fork Clearwater
 River subbasin.   The watersheds  encompass  approximately 59,000 acres and  45,000 acres,
 respectively.

 The project area is located in two separate  areas within the Nez  Perce National Forest in Idaho
 County.  Portions of the American and Crooked River watersheds are contained in the project area
 boundary and are located in the Clearwater Mountains of the Rocky Mountain physiographic province.
 The American River watershed is  located  north and northeast of Elk City, while the  Crooked River
 watershed  is located  west and  southwest  of Elk City.  The  project area, which encompasses
 approximately 39,000  acres, lies north and  east  of the town of Orogrande and includes National
 Forest System lands around the Elk City Township.

 1.2. PROPOSED  ACTION

 The Red  River District Ranger proposes to  implement fuel reduction activities  and a  range  of
 watershed  improvement activities, likely to begin  in the fall of 2005.  This project is proposing  to
 harvest or otherwise treat timber stands of dead, dying, or downed trees and trees at risk of mountain
 pine beetle attack  (primarily  lodgepole pine).   Proposed harvesting  and  associated treatments,
 including road treatments, would  be conducted  in  portions  of the American and Crooked River
 watersheds within the American and Crooked River project area on the Red  River Ranger District of
 the Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho County, Idaho.  Completion of these activities would move the
 project area towards a Desired Future Condition as defined in the Nez Perce National Forest Land
 and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan - USDA FS, 1987a).  A description of the treatments
 follows below and in more detail in Chapter 2 - Alternatives Including the Proposed Action.

 1.3. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION

 The purpose of the project is to reduce existing and potential  forest fuels, create conditions that will
 contribute to  sustaining long-lived fire tolerant tree species  (ponderosa pine, western larch) and
 contribute to the economic and  social well-being of people who use, and reside, within the local area.1
1 Based on public response to the DEIS, clarification of the economic and social well-being portion of
the Purpose and Need Statement is provided. Evaluation of alternatives considered a combination of
factors that help define economic and social well-being including:

   •   Protection of property and infrastructure from potential wildfire effects.

   •   Economic opportunities.

   •   Public use and enjoyment of the area associated primarily with:

         o   Recreation opportunities.

         o   Fish and wildlife habitat.

         o   Water Quality.


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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement


The Forest Plan provides direction for the management of the American and Crooked  River project
area and the desired future condition.  The purpose and need for this project was determined after
comparing the desired future condition and the existing condition of the American and Crooked River
project area.  The area's existing condition was determined using field data and the  findings  and
recommendations  from the South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a).
The South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment is not a decision document. This analysis
addresses only a few of the overall package of actions that were recommended in these documents.

The objectives of this project are to:
   •   Promote the health and vigor of timber stands and improve the environment for long-lived, fire
       resistant species by reducing densities of lodgepole pine or  other small diameter trees  that
       provide fuel ladders for development of crown fires,

   •   Increase relative  proportions of  long-lived,  fire  resistant  tree  species by  restoring or
       regenerating to western larch, ponderosa pine, and by protecting large diameter ponderosa
       pine, Douglas fir, and western larch,
   •   Reduce  the risk of large-scale crown fire spread by creating  vegetative patterns through
       harvest or  silvicultura! treatments, that  would increase  fire  suppression  and  management
       effectiveness, and
   •   Reduce the likelihood of severe local fire effects by removing dead, dying, and downed trees
       that would  otherwise result in high fuel loading.

CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION

In portions of the project area, the forest vegetation is  dominated by lodgepole pine  that became
established following wildfires that occurred in the early 1900s.  Extensive stands of lodgepole  pine
are now mature (80 to 130 years old) and susceptible to bark beetle attack. Aerial surveys supporting
the 2003 Zone  Entomologist report for the Nez Perce National Forest indicate that mountain  pine
beetle infestations in the project" area increased substantially between 1998 and 2002. Beetle activity
is currently intense and expanding. This bark beetle activity is resulting in an expanding number of
dead  trees with the potential to  carry a severe wildfire over a wide area  as these trees fall  and
accumulate as dry fuel over the next 10 to 20 years.
Over the past 50  years, Forest vegetation conditions within the analysis area have developed under
limited fire occurrence.  Shade-tolerant trees (for example, grand fir, Douglas-fir, and sub alpine fir, in
addition to lodgepole pine) have become established underneath many of the forest stands resulting
in multi-aged stand conditions creating a situation known as a "fuel ladder."  Given favorable weather
and fuel moisture  conditions, a ground fire could move into the  crowns in many of these areas and
result in large intense wildfires.

The proximity of this forest fuels buildup to Elk City as  well as private inholdings,  residences,  and
government facilities within the two watersheds heightens concerns for public safety and  potential
property damage if a large wildfire were to occur.  A wildfire in the project area, under the developing
fuel conditions, would be expected to have a high potential for adverse effects on natural resources as
well.  If the heavy fuel  accumulations were to burn under extreme conditions, the large  number of
roads  in the  project  area  would tend  to  exacerbate  an  increase in  run-off  and associated
sedimentation from the burned area during post-fire precipitation events.

DISCUSSION OF VEGETATION TREATMENTS

Vegetation  treatment activities, described previously, would be  implemented in patterns to achieve
landscape objectives. These treatments would meet a multitude  of integrated, compatible objectives.
They  would reduce  fuel  continuity,  vertically  and  laterally, and promote  the  regeneration  and

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               American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement


 perpetuation of more fire resistant species.  Treatments would be compatible with restoring diversity
 of patch size, internal stand diversity, and riparian habitat objectives associated with the Forest Plan
 standards.

 Activities under this proposal would be designed with provisions to mitigate and  minimize the risk of
 noxious weeds and undesirable  non-native plants that are expanding  into  previously unoccupied
 areas of the forest and, where feasible, to reduce existing weed populations.

 Activities along Road 233  (Orogrande Road) and other primary routes that service  residential  and
 recreational areas would be designed to  improve road maintenance effectiveness, create or maintain
 conditions to facilitate a safe and orderly evacuation in case of emergency, and compliment strategic
 fuel management objectives by reducing dead, dying, and defective trees as necessary.
 To facilitate treatments and mitigate, reduce, or offset the potential effects of the  proposed actions, a
 series of watershed  improvement projects and  activities would be developed to meet Forest Plan
 standards. These activities would  maintain or improve aquatic conditions in the sub-watersheds in the
 project area. Watershed improvement activities would include the following:
    •  reclaiming abandoned mine sites,

    •  restoring soils and riparian areas damaged by past activities,
    •  improving instream fish habitat, and

    •  establishing trees and other vegetation for stream shade.

 Logging systems  and fuels treatments would be dictated by topography, economics, and the need to
 protect  residual stands.   Logging systems would range  from ground-based with  hand  felling or
 mechanized felling, to cable systems with hand felling.

 Fuels reduction treatments would be designed to favor desired tree species to be regenerated or
 protected. Treatment methods include whole tree yarding, mechanized piling of slash concentrations,
 hand piling in selected areas, and broadcast  burning in openings (with fire lines constructed to contain
 prescribed fire while protecting reserve tree groups or single trees).

 This proposal would  not treat or directly modify timber stands validated  as existing old growth that
 currently meet the definition of "old growth" under the Old-Growth Forest Types of the  Northern
 Region - USDA Forest Service, R-1 SES 4/92, and the Nez Perce National Forest Plan.
 This proposal would not  mechanically treat vegetation or construct roads in existing  inventoried
 roadless areas.

 No new permanent roads would be constructed under this proposal.

 1.4. PLANNING AND DIRECTION

 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

 Development of this analysis is based on direction found in the:
•   National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and implementing regulations at 36 CFR 219;
•   National  Environmental  Policy Act (NEPA) and the  Council  on Environmental Quality and
   implementing regulations at 40 CFR 1500-1508;
•  National Historic Preservation Act and implementing regulations at 36 CFR 800;
•  Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act) and implementing regulations at 40 CFR
   130; and
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement

•  Endangered Species Action and  implementing regulations at 50  CFR  402.06  and 40  CFR
   1502.25.
Other applicable federal  laws and executive orders  pertaining  to  project-specific  planning and
environmental analysis on federal lands include the:
•  Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960,
•  Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (as amended),
•  Clean Air Act of 1970 (as amended),
•  Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) of 1974 (as amended),
•  American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978,
•  Archeological Resource Protection Act of 1979,
•  Cave Resource Protection Act of 1988,
•  Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996,
•  Executive Order 11593 (cultural resources), Executive Order 11988 (fioodplains), Executive Order
   11990 (wetlands),
•  Executive Order 12898 (environmental justice), and
•  Executive Order 12962 (aquatic systems and recreational fisheries).
While most pertain to all federal lands, some of the applicable laws are specific to Idaho, and include:
•  Idaho State Water Quality Standards,
•  Idaho Forest Practices Act,
•  Idaho Stream Channel Protection Act, and
•  National Historic Reservation Act, 1966.
Disclosures  and  findings  required by these laws and orders are contained in  Chapter 3 of this
Environmental  Impact  Statement  (EIS)  in  the  individual resource areas  under the  regulatory
framework heading.
TIERING AND INCORPORATION  BY REFERENCE
This  analysis tiers  to  the  Nez  Perce Forest  Plan  Final EIS  (USDA FS, 1987a, 1987c) and
amendments; and incorporates information from the Integrated Scientific Assessment for Ecosystem
Management in the Interior Columbia  River Basins and Portions of the Klamath and Great Basins
(Quigley, et al. 1996) and the South Fork Clearwater Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a).
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST PLAN As AMENDED
This  action responds to goals and objectives of the Nez Perce Forest Plan, and helps  move the
project area toward desired future conditions described in that plan.  The Forest Plan includes forest-
wide goals  and objectives, and area-specific  (land use  designation) goals, objectives, and desired
future conditions. The desired condition for the American and  Crooked River project area is to have
the forest components within their historic ranges of variability,  restore natural disturbance processes
where feasible, and mimic their effects in other  places.  Achieving this would ensure that ecologic
processes function  more naturally and maintain a resilient ecosystem within the area. Amendment
number 20 of the Forest Plan has added additional management direction as  it relates to fisheries and
watershed management
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               American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement

 FOREST PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
                  ,          mUSt be consistent with forest Plans prepared under authority of the
              .C  1604 3nd 36 CFR219-10]- Forest Plan implementation includes the identification
 and scheduling  of resource activities (site-specific projects) that meet the direction  provided by the
 J-orest Plan^ These resource activities are necessary to meet the desired future condition defined in
 the Forest Plan.

 The desired future conditions described for in the Forest Plan in Chapter 2 as land use designations
 in  conjunction  with  the other  Forest Plan  direction  outlined  above, provide the  parameters for
 identifying and  defining project-specific desired future  conditions.   The  following  desired future
 conditions will help guide management of the project consistent with the  Forest Plan the significant
 issues (described below), and the ecological conditions of the American  and Crooked River project
 area.                                                                                   J

    •  Resource outputs will have been provided to help support the economic structure of local
       communities (USDA FS, 1987a - 11-1, Goal 1).

    •  Habitat will have been provided to contribute to the recovery of Threatened and Endangered
       plant and animal species in accordance with approved recovery plans and habitat will have
       been provided to ensure the viability of those species identified as sensitive (USDA FS 1987a
       -  11-1, Goal 4).

    •  The intrinsic ecological and economic value of wildlife  and wildlife habitats will have  been
       recognized  and  promoted.  A high  quality  and quantity of wildlife  habitat  will  have  been
       provided  to ensure diversified recreational use and public satisfaction (USDA FS, 1987a - 11-1
       Goal 6).                                                                             '

    •   Air quality will have been maintained (Forest Plan 11-1, Goal 10).

    •   Significant historic properties will have been  located,  protected, and interpreted (USDA FS
       1987a- 11-1, Goal 11).

    •   A stable and cost-efficient transportation system will have been provided through construction,
       reconstruction, maintenance, or transportation system management (USDA FS, 1987a - 11-1
       Goal 12).

    •   Resource values will have been  protected through  cost-effective fire and fuels management
       emphasizing fuel treatment through the utilization of material and using prescribed fire (USDA
       FS, 1987a- II-2, Goal 13).

    •   Soil productivity will have been maintained and any irreversible impacts to the soil resource
       will have been minimized (USDA FS, 1987a -  II-2, Goal 18).

    •   Stream channel stability and favorable conditions for water flow will have been maintained or
       enhanced (USDA FS, 1987a - II-2, Goal 20).

MANAGEMENT AREAS

The Forest Plan defines management area goals and standards  that guide resource activities to
achieve the resource objectives for each  management area and the Forest.  The management area
objectives  in the  Forest  Plan  (FP)  provide  framework for  site-specific  project  planning  and
implementation.  The Forest Plan contains 26 Forest-wide Management Areas (USDA  FS, 1987a - pp
3-1  through 3-67). Seven are represented in the American and Crooked River project area (Table 1-
1).  Management areas are not discretely mapped.  Forest Plan Management Area maps only indicate
predominate conditions.
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              American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement


MANAGEMENT AREA 1 (EMPHASIS: MINIMUM MANAGEMENT)

Vegetation and  habitats  typical  of this  management area  are  non-forest  and low  productivity
forestlands that occur as small dispersed parcels, such as rock outcrops, scree, or areas of shallow
soils along canyons and major drainages.  The goal for Management Area 1 (MA1) is to present the
minimum management  necessary to provide for resource protection and to ensure public safety by
controlling insects, disease, and noxious weed infestation. Road construction/reconstruction and trail
reconstruction /maintenance are  permissible if deemed necessary to meet the multiple use  and
management area objectives on adjacent lands (USDA FS, 1987a - III-5).  No harvest is proposed on
these types of lands.  Restoration type activities could occur as part of the proposed action, which
would be consistent with MA1 goals.

MANAGEMENT AREA 10 (EMPHASIS: TIMBER/RIPARIAN)

Vegetation and habitats of this area consist of lakes, lakeside lands, perennial streams, seasonally
flowing streams supporting riparian vegetation,  and adjoining lands that are dominated by riparian
vegetation. The goal of Management Area 10 (MA10) is to:

    •  Manage riparian areas to maintain and  enhance their value for wildlife, fishery and aquatic
       habitat, and water quality;

    •  Manage  timber, grazing, and recreation to  give  preferential consideration to riparian-
       dependent species on that portion of the management area "suitable" for timber management,
       grazing, or recreation (USDA FS, 1987a - III-30).

No harvest is proposed on these types  of  lands.  Restoration type activities could occur in the
proposed action, which would be consistent with  MA10 goals.

MANAGEMENT AREA 12 (EMPHASIS: TIMBER)

Vegetation on this type of area consists primarily of forested lands.  The goal for Management  Area
12(MA12)isto:

    •  Manage for timber and other multiple uses on a sustained yield basis;

    •  Manage for roaded natural recreation (USDA FS, 1987a - III-37).
Harvest is proposed on this type of land and is consistent with MA12 goals.

MANAGEMENT AREA 16 (EMPHASIS: TIMBER/ELK WINTER RANGE)

Management Area 16 (MA16) is described as those lands that provide winter habitat for deer and elk.
The goal for MA16 is to improve the quality of the winter range habitat for deer and elk through timber
harvesting, prescribed burning and other management  practices (USDA FS,  1987a - III-46). Harvest
is proposed on this type of land and is consistent with MA16 goals.

MANAGEMENT AREA 17 (EMPHASIS: VISUALS)

Management Area 17  (MA17) consists of lands  that have  a high  to medium degree of visual
sensitivity.  The goal is to  manage for timber production within the constraints imposed by the visual
quality .objectives (VQOs)  of retention or partial  retention while providing for other multiple uses and
resources.  Roads  will  maintain adjacent  vegetation for screening although vistas may be created
where appropriate (USDA FS, 1987a - III-49). Harvest is proposed on this type of land in a manner
that is consistent with MA17 goals.

MANAGEMENT AREA 20 (EMPHASIS: OLD GROWTH)

At least half of the area described by  the designation of Management Area 20 (MA20) consists of
overmature saw-timber  (150 years or older).  The remainder of the area is comprised of immature
stands (40-80 years) that  will provide  for  replacement old-growth habitat.  The goal of MA20  is to

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              American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 provide "suitable" habitat (existing and replacement) for old-growth-dependent wildlife species (USDA
 FS, 1987a - 11 (-56). No harvest is proposed on these types of lands, only restoration type activities
 (such as road decommissioning) would occur in areas with this designation.   These activities are
 consistent with MA 20 goals.

 MANAGEMENT AREA 21 (EMPHASIS: MOOSE WINTER RANGE)

 Management Area 21 (MA21) is described as timber stands that are old-growth grand fir-Pacific Yew
 vegetative communities identified as moose winter range.  The goal for MA21 is to manage the grand
 fir-Pacific yew plant communities to provide for a continuing presence of Pacific yew "suitable" for
 moose winter habitat. Harvest units are to maintain at least 50 percent of the Pacific Yew
 components scattered throughout the unit in patches % to 1/2 acre in size (USDA FS, 1987a - III-58).
 Harvest is proposed on  this type of land, but it will be consistent with the goals of MA21.  Less than 50
 acres is proposed for harvest as part of this project and harvest acres will be in small scattered
 parcels that will maintain at least 50 percent of the Pacific Yew components.

 INTERIOR COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN SCIENCE ASSESSMENT AND THE
 SOUTH  FORK CLEARWATER LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT

 The Interior Columbia River Basin (ICRB) Science Assessment (Quigley,  et a/. 1996) documented the
 health of the Upper Columbia River Basin,  but did  not provide instructions for managing national
 forest lands.  The report was considered the first step in the development of a scientifically sound,
 ecosystem-based management  strategy for Forest Service and  Bureau  of  Land Management
 administered lands within the Basin.

 Nez  Perce  NF  personnel considered  the   findings from  the ICRB  Science Assessment and
 incorporated them in the South Fork  Landscape Assessment (SFLA) where appropriate.  The SFLA
 (USDA FS, 1998a) characterized the ecological and social conditions in the South Fork Clearwater
 Subbasin.  This midscale-level assessment, completed in March of 1998, provides context for forest
 management decisions  in  the South Fork Clearwater subbasin.  The findings and recommendations
 for the American and Crooked River watersheds were reviewed and applied, where appropriate  in
 preparation of this EIS.

 1.5.  PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

 SCOPING

 The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) defines scoping as "...an  early and  open process for
 determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying the significant issues related to  a
 proposed action"  (40 CFR 1501.7). Among other things, the  scoping process is used to invite public
 participation to help identify public issues and obtain public input at  various stages of the EIS
 development process. Although scoping is to  begin early, it is an  ongoing process and continues until
 a decision has been made. In  addition to the following specific activities, the American and Crooked
 River project has been listed since July 2003, on the  Nez Perce  National  Forest Schedule  of
 Proposed Actions, which was mailed to approximately 470 groups and/or individuals.  This information
 is also available on the Internet at www.fs.fed.us/r1/nezoerce.

 Chapter 2 outlines the public scoping process that led to the identification of significant issues and
development of alternatives to the proposed action.  The  issues are described  in this chapter.
 Information on other concerns raised during scoping is included in the project file.
To date, the public has been invited to participate in the project in the following ways:
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             American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
LOCAL NEWS MEDIA

Announcements about the project were sent to the Lewiston Morning Tribune and Idaho County Free
Press  via a  news  release  on September  17, 2003,  and  information  about the project was
subsequently  published in both papers.   On August 2,  2003, a public  discussion was held at
Orogrande to  provide project area information,  present  the  proposed action, and  discuss  local
concerns and  interests that  should  be addressed  in the project analysis.   Legal  notices were
published in the Lewiston Morning Tribune on  June 8, 2004, and in the Idaho County Free Press on
June 9, announcing the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

PUBLIC FIELD TRIP

A  public fieldtrip was held on August  28, 2003, to provide  project  area  information, present the
proposed action, and discuss local concerns and interests that should  be  addressed  in the project
analysis.

PUBLIC MAILINGS

On September 15, 2003, a scoping  letter providing information and seeking public comment was
mailed to  approximately 30 individuals and groups that  had previously shown interest  in Forest
Service projects on the Nez Perce National Forest.  This  included Federal and State  agencies, the
Nez Perce Tribe, municipal offices, businesses, interest groups, and individuals.  The Forest Service
received 20 responses  to this mailing.  On June 8, 2004 the DEIS was mailed to individuals and
organizations that had provided scoping comments or requested a copy of the document

NOTICE OF INTENT (NOD

A  Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register on September 25, 2003, when the Forest
Service decided to prepare an EIS for the project.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY (NOA)

A  Notice of Availability  was published in  the  Federal Register on June  10, 2004, when the Forest
Service released the Draft EIS to the Public.

1.6.  ISSUES
Issues are disagreements or debates about the potential environmental impacts of a proposed action.
As such, issues influence the design and evaluation of alternatives  to the proposed action.  Issues for
the American and Crooked River project have been identified through the public scoping process.
issues can be categorized as either non-significant or significant.  The Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ)  NEPA regulations  guide  Federal  agencies in handling  non-significant  issues by
directing them  to"...identify and eliminate  from detailed study the issues which are not significant or
which  have been covered  by prior environmental review  (Sec. 1506.3)..."  (40 CFR Part 1501.7).
Non-significant issues are those that are:
    (1) Already addressed by law, regulation, forest plan or  other higher level decision;
    (2) Beyond the scope of the purpose and need described in the  Notice of Intent;
    (3) Not connected to the proposed action;
    (4) Conjectural and not supported by scientific or factual evidence; or
    (5) Irrelevant to the decision to be made.

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               American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement


 A list of non-significant issues and reasons for their categorization as  non-significant may be found in
 the project record at the Forest Supervisors Office in Grangeville, Idaho.

 Significant issues are used to develop alternatives to the proposed action (Chapter 2 - Alternatives
 Including the Proposed Action). They can also be addressed by standards and guidelines  mitigation
 measures, or design features common to all alternatives. In addition, significant issues provide the
 basis for the analysis of environmental effects (Chapter 3).

 Issues for the American and Crooked River project were derived  from a variety of sources, including
 those  mentioned  above in "Scoping."   Similar issues  were combined into one  statement where
 appropriate.   The following issues were determined  to  be  significant and within the scope of the
 project decision.  They are presented in an  Issue/Discussion format and reflect positions and values
 related to the project objectives, possible alternatives  to consider, and environmental consequences
 that could result from a course of action.

 Many commenters discussed specific activities that were beyond the scope or outside the purpose
 and need of this project.  These activities that are reasonably foreseeable activities in the project and
 surrounding areas would be analyzed separately, and many actions  may occur in the area within a
 10-year time frame that are not analyzed because they are not completely formulated at this time.

 HAZARDOUS FUELS MANAGEMENT

 Issue:   Fire historically played a  critical  role in shaping and  maintaining healthy  resilient  and
 productive forest  stands in and around the  project  area.  Fire exclusion over the past century
 interrupted the role of fire and has contributed to development of stand structure and composition that
 are trending toward conditions that would result in large-scale crown fires. Today, many forest stands
 in the  project area  are  becoming  stocked  with  small trees and  have  high levels of dead fuels-
 conditions that would result in higher fire intensities in the event of a  wildfire. High intensity wildfire
 can result in severely burned areas that are outside historic norms and pose significant risks to human
 life and property.  There is disagreement over whether existing fuels levels in the project area warrant
 treatment.  Some  believe that fuel loadings have reached hazardous levels  and  should be treated
 while others believe fuels treatments are  not needed at this time.   Among those who feel treatments'
 are needed, there is disagreement over methods to use, the priorities for treatment, and in what kinds
 of ecosystems to allow treatments.

 Several  differing   views  related to  fire  and fuels  management were  identified  through public
 involvement and scoping. Some support actively managing vegetation and fuels in the American and
 Crooked  River project area. • Others  raise concerns that  the  project as proposed will not reduce the
 potential  for substantial adverse effects  from a  large wildfire  in  the area.  They  believe that the
 proposed project will not treat enough area (4-8 percent of the total project area) to effectively reduce
the spread of a potential wildfire. They are also concerned that treatments will be  ineffective and not
 remove enough fuels to reduce the potential for crown fires.  Another concern is that dead, dying,
leaning, and overcrowded trees pose a threat to evacuation along the Crooked  River Road in the
event of a wildfire near the Elk City Township. Many feel  that, while the American and Crooked River
project will provide some protection from  a wildfire being carried into the Township, it will only have
minimal effect on crown fire spread and fire severity.  Some believe that landscape scale fire modeling
should be used to analyze effects of the proposed treatments, including fire history and past, present,
and post fuel treatment conditions.
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
DISCUSSION:

Scoping uncovered a broad range of disagreement regarding how many acres should be treated and
what types of trees1 should be removed to meet objectives for reducing the risk of large-scale crown
fire spread.  Many indicated that insufficient area would be treated by the  proposed action, while
others  stated that the individual treatment prescriptions are  not  intense  enough to accomplish
objectives for reducing wildfire spread.

One view is that prescribed fire should be used as the primary method to reduce fire hazard. Another
view is that a variety of methods should be used, including mechanical methods such  as  timber
harvest, brush removal, and small tree thinning (biomass removal).  These views are related to the
scientific debate over whether fire surrogates2 can be used to effectively maintain and restore desired
ecosystem conditions and functions.

Many agreed with the extent of the overall project area as proposed. Some favored establishment of
a  network of "defensible fuel treatment areas,"  while others emphasized  fuels reduction around
human developments (wildland urban  interface areas or the WUI).  Proposals were also made  to
apply intense fire hazard reduction treatments in areas of high risk to humans,  along with more natural
burning in remote areas.

WATER QUALITY AND FISH HABITAT
Issue:  There is  concern about the  potential for the  project to result in early,  increased water yields.
One view is that  management activities in riparian ecosystems have the potential to degrade riparian
and aquatic health.  Another view is that management activities can be used to maintain or improve
riparian and aquatic health, and that the proposed activities will not negatively impact fish populations
or water quality.  Many believe that assessing cumulative impacts on  water quality, quantity,
temperature, and timing of flows will be  critical to informing the decision maker and public.   Many
support watershed improvement  activities to improve existing aquatic  conditions and help mitigate
potential adverse impacts on water quality and fish habitat from activities on non-national forest lands.
Some were interested in the development of a restoration only alternative.
Discussion:  Conflicts between the management of lands and  uses of natural resources  in riparian
and aquatic ecosystems have been a focus  of public interest and scrutiny. The comments received
during  scoping indicate disagreement about  levels of concern.  Water quality and fish habitat issues
are addressed in the Nez  Perce National Forest Plan  (USDA FS, 1987a) and through federal and
state laws,  rules, and regulations.  Commenters  suggest that these requirements be maintained in
project design and project implementation.  Examples  include,  but are not limited to, adherence to
PACFISH and TMDL guidelines, rules, and regulations.

1.7.  DECISIONS TO BE MADE

Within  the  regulatory framework consisting of all  applicable laws, regulations, and policies, this
decision will include:

   •   The location,  design,  amount, and scheduling of  hazardous fuel treatments, timber harvest,
       activity fuels treatment (slash), temporary  road construction,  road  reconstruction, log-transfer
       facilities, and silvicultural practices;
1 Dead and dying lodgepole pine, green lodgepole pine highly susceptible to mountain pine beetle attack, and/or
green ponderosa pine and western larch.
2 Mechanical treatments designed to create desired vegetation structures.


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       American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
The estimated timber volume, if any, to make available from the project area at this time;
Access management measures necessary  to  meet  Forest  Plan standards  and  project
objectives;                                                                     H  J
The amount,  location, and type of water quality/fish habitat restoration that needs to occur in
conjunction with other management action;
Appropriate design criteria, mitigation, and monitoring; and
Scheduling of activities, if necessary, to meet the purpose and need of the action.
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            American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
       Chapter 2 - Alternatives Including the Proposed Action
            2.0  INTRODUCTION

            2.1  ISSUE DEVELOPMENT

            2.2  DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES

            2.3  MITIGATION, MONITORING, COMPARISON OF

                 ALTERNATIVES AND OBJECTIVES SUMMARY

2.0.  INTRODUCTION
This chapter outlines the public scoping process that led to the identification of significant issues
and development of alternatives to the proposed action. The significant issues are described in
this chapter, while information on other concerns raised during scoping can be found in the
project file, located in the Nez Perce Forest Headquarters.
Several alternatives were developed in  response to the significant issues and are analyzed in
detail.  Alternatives  considered,  but eliminated from detailed study,  are summarized in  this
chapter. The chapter concludes with a tabular comparison of the alternatives analyzed in detail.
The comparison is based on indicators selected by the project interdisciplinary team (IDT) to
evaluate how each alternative" responds to the significant issues and to the purpose and need
for action.
Based on public in response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), clarification of
the economic and social well-being portion of the Purpose and Need Statement is provided.
Evaluation of alternatives considered a combination of factors that help define economic and
social well-being including:

   •   Protection of property and  infrastructure from potential wildfire effects.
   •   Economic opportunities.
   •   Public use and enjoyment of the area.
          o  Recreation opportunities.
          o  Fish and wildlife habitat.
          o  Water Quality.
In  September 2003, a scoping letter providing information and  seeking public comment was
mailed to approximately 30 individuals and groups that had previously  shown interest in Forest
Service projects on the Nez Perce National Forest. This included Federal and  State agencies,
Idaho Native groups, municipal offices, businesses, interest groups, and individuals.  The Forest
Service received 20 responses to this mailing.
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               American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
 CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED ACTION SINCE SCOPING
  nnoD      aCt'°n for the American ar)d Crooked River project was scoped in September
 2003   Because of public comment and further field review, the proposed activities have been
 refined. The result is a  change of 452 acres in the total fuel  reduction activity acres   In the
 scoping letter, the Forest proposed to treat 3,000 acres of vegetation and that has been refined
 to 3,452 acres of vegetation treatments.

 In addition, further field  review found a total of 18.9 miles of roads to be decommissioned as
 opposed to the 30 miles  identified during scoping.  These roads do not improve access to the
 area for recreation or administrative use. Some of these roads are either currently contributing
 sediment to streams  and they  will be restored or they are not contributing sediment  to the
 streams, in which case they will be abandoned (Appendix F).

 CHANGES BETWEEN  THE DRAFT AND FINAL EIS

 Alternative D of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) includes all of the hazardous
 fuel/vegetative treatment units in Alternative D of the DEIS with the following exceptions.

    •   Units 99, 99.2, 105, and 329 (about 62 acres) were identified as meeting Forest Plan
        criteria for old  growth. These  units  were dropped from  consideration for harvest in the
        ~
    •  Units 541, 542, and 543 (about 105 acres of thinning and partial canopy removal) were
       added  between  road  1810 and the top of Flatiron Ridge in order to facilitate improved
       wildfire containment and suppression effectiveness in this  strategically important area
       (FEIS Section 3.4).

 There were several minor changes to the Design and Mitigation Measures (FEIS Table 2 3) to
 add clarity or avoid duplication.  Design and Mitigation Measures list applies to all alternatives
 analyzed in detail in and FEIS.

 The reference  to creating  "fuel breaks" and "safety areas" from the objectives of the project has
 been removed because,  although the project creates  diverse vegetative patterns  through
 harvest that reduces the continuity of hazardous fuels in strategic areas, it does not propose to
 manage these areas as long-term fuel breaks.  Harvest activities will temporarily provide areas
 that provide increased safety for fire fighters conducting suppression activities.  However, safety
 zones specifically delineated for public use would more appropriately be addressed  through
 localized defensible space projects or in the Idaho County Hazard Mitigation planning process.
 Based on public input, the amount of watershed restoration in the FEIS has been substantially
 increased over and above that which was analyzed and determined in the  DEIS as sufficient to
 achieve an upward trend  in  water quality and fish habitat. The additional list of watershed
 improvements  is shown in Table R-2  of the Record of Decision and would have a maximum
 equivalent to Alternative E in the FEIS.

An error in the miles of instream improvement was displayed in the DEIS.  Part of the reason for
this error was  that some  stream  reaches were considered for instream  improvement at two
 levels of intensity, with a  higher level  of improvement in the "additional restoration" category.
The  number of  miles was  double counted for those reaches that included  both  levels  of
treatment.  These numbers have  been corrected in the FEIS for all action alternatives. The
actual watershed restoration that was originally proposed in the DEIS has not changed  only the
way the  number of miles was tabulated.
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              American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
The Recreation Opportunity Spectrum percentages in Chapter 3, Section 3.6 - Recreation, that
were listed in the DEIS were for the entire watershed, not for the project area.  These acreages
have been corrected in this FEIS.

These changes are analyzed in detail in this FEIS.

2.1. ISSUE DEVELOPMENT
The intent of the scoping process is  to notify affected Federal,  State, and local  agencies,
affected Indian tribes, and interested persons of the proposed action, to solicit input regarding
the proposed action, to identify the scope of the issues to be addressed in an  environmental
impact statement (EIS) and to  determine the relevant issues related to the  proposed action
(CFR/CEQ 1501.7).

Preliminary issues were identified through consultation with Forest Service resource specialists
and frdm issues identified from similar, past projects. A comprehensive list was developed after
the IDT and Responsible Official reviewed the comments received during scoping.
Comments were categorized as follows:
    •   Covered in the effects analysis
    •  Addressed through project mitigation or design
    •   Beyond the scope of the proposed action
    •  Already decided by law, regulation, Forest Plan, or higher level decision
    •   Considered irrelevant to the decision being made
    •   Considered a general comment, opinion or position
    •   Significant issues driving an alternative
See project file for the list of comments and issue disposition.

Significant issues that could be  resolved using mitigation measures, or addressed through the
effects analysis are discussed  in  this document.  Other significant issues drove alternative
development.  These issues are described below.

The CEQ  regulations require  federal agencies (in implementing NEPA) to  focus  on the
significant environmental issues related to the proposed action.  The regulations also require the
identification of significant environmental issues deserving study. There  are four categories  of
significant issues that drove alternative development; soils, water quality, fish  habitat, and fuel
reduction effectiveness, which follow:

FUEL REDUCTION EFFECTIVENESS
The effectiveness of the proposed activities for reducing fuels  across the landscape  has been
questioned.  Many commenters stated that the  most effective methods  involve  clearing trees
and brush away from structures.  This has been  proven to be an effective method of protecting
inholdings and structures, and this is already being done in the area.  However, the intent of this
project is to reduce the effects  of wildfire across the landscape.   Many feel  that there is no
effective method to reduce the effects  of wildfire on the landscape other than to reduce road
density (if a fire goes through an area, removing the ground cover, the roads  would intercept,
transport and  add to the sediment  reaching the streams).   Some believe  that thinning  in
lodgepole  pine would tend to allow for greater fire spread and severity and that dead trees may
present less of a fire hazard than green live trees.

There are concerns that the proposed fuel hazard reduction  activities would not reduce the
effects of large-scale fire.


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              American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
 INDICATORS OF FUEL REDUCTION EFFECTIVENESS

    •  Area and distribution of fire regime
    •  Acres of fuel hazard reduction
    •  Risk/Hazard Indicator

 WATER QUALITY
 Vegetation  treatments,   temporary   road   construction,   road   reconstruction,   road
 decommissioning,  and in-channel improvements may affect water quality in the  short and/or
 long term.  Cumulative  effects need to be considered in  the  American and Crooked River
 watersheds.

 WATERSHED CONDITION
 Watershed condition indicators are a series of metrics that can be used to  index the level of
 disturbance in  a watershed.  They are usually expressed as densities or discrete amounts of
 various disturbances within a watershed.  For example, road density expressed in miles of road
 per square mile of watershed area (mi/mi2) is a common watershed condition indicator.  Roads
 affect watershed function in a variety of ways, related to both water yield and sediment yield.
 INDICATOR OF WATERSHED CONDITION
    •  Road Density

 WATER YIELD
 A number of physical factors determine the relationship between canopy conditions  and water
 yield.  These include interception, evapotranspiration, shading  effects and  wind flux.  These
 factors affect the accumulation and melt rates of snow and how rainfall is processed in the
 watershed.  Live vegetation affects water yield in several ways.  Leaves and needles intercept
 moisture from the air; roots of live trees and other vegetation take up ground water; and ground
 cover aids infiltration of water, decreasing  runoff.   Dead  trees  and vegetation, along with
 removal of vegetation can alter water yield.

 Additional factors affecting  water yield include compacted surfaces due to roads, skid  trails, and
 landings.  They  contribute to flashy flows,  due to their impervious  surfaces, interception of
 groundwater and extension of the channel system  in the form  of  ditches.  As impervious
 surfaces increase,  increased peak flows generally result. Peak flows can result in mobilization
 of both large and  small materials, causing  increased erosion  in  steep stream  reaches and
 deposition in downstream areas.

 INDICATOR OF WATER YIELD

   •   Equivalent Clearcut  Area

 SEDIMENT YIELD
 The  American  and Crooked River watersheds have been affected by past  activities such as
timber harvest, road building, grazing, and mining.  This has resulted in high road densities in
 most subwatersheds. These  activities have affected water quality through increased sediment
 delivery to streams.

The  proposed harvest and  watershed improvement activities could affect sediment yield over
time.  Harvest  and roadwork  have the potential to increase sediment production and delivery
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              American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
into streams. Some watershed improvement projects have the potential to produce sediment in
the short-term, but are designed to result in long-term reductions in sediment yield.

INDICATOR OF SEDIMENT YIELD

   •   Sediment yield percent over base as modeled by NEZSED

CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
Water and  sediment yield can  interact to change  channel  morphology conditions through
erosion of stream  channels  or  deposition of sediment.   Channel morphology can also  be
affected  directly through  activities such  as  road  encroachment, stream crossings, and  in-
channel  improvements.  Sediment delivery and routing  processes vary  by  upland  settings,
stream types and disturbance level and type.

INDICATORS OF CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
   •   Channel geometry
   •   Substrate composition

WATER QUALITY
Water quality includes physical and chemical characteristics of water.  Parameters commonly
measured include pH, alkalinity, hardness, specific conductance, nutrients, metals, sediment,
and water temperature.  Many of these parameters are affected to only a slight degree by forest
practices. Water temperature controls the rate of biologic process, is of critical concern for fish
populations, and is a primary indicator of habitat conditions.
Water temperatures in the American and Crooked River watersheds currently  exceed Idaho
Water Quality Standards at certain  times of the year.  In part,  this is due to natural conditions,
but has  also  been affected by reductions  of streamside shade and changes in channel
morphology.

INDICATORS OF WATER QUALITY
   •   Water Temperature
   •   Canopy density in forested reaches
   •   Percent shade in non-forested reaches

FISH HABITAT

Vegetation  treatments,   temporary   road   construction,    road   reconstruction,   road
decommissioning, and in-channel improvements may affect fish habitat short-term, especially
considering cumulative effects in the American and Crooked River watersheds.
Vegetation treatments in Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas (RHCAs) could affect fish habitat
short-term.

DEPOSITED SEDIMENT

Historically,  increased sediment yield to  the American and  Crooked River  watersheds has
resulted in high levels of deposited sediment in many streams,  including mainstem American
and Crooked Rivers. The American  and Crooked River watershed has been identified  as a
priority watershed for anadromous fish.  Existing  roads produce continued  sediment yields
above the  base (natural)   rate,  reducing  the  ability  of  the  watershed to  recover  to
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              American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
 predevelopment conditions on its own. High levels of deposited sediment reduce the biological
 carrying capacity for fish and other aquatic organisms and quality of spawning habitat.

 Short-term increases in sediment yield from  proposed activities might contribute to degraded
 substrate conditions and further reduce carrying capacity and quality of spawning habitat. Long-
 term reduction in sediment yield could result in long-term improvement of substrate conditions.
 INDICATORS OF DEPOSITED SEDIMENT

    •  Cobble embeddedness
    •  Quality of summer and winter habitat carrying capacity as modeled by FISHSED

 LARGE WOODY DEBRIS

 Large woody debris in  project area streams has been reduced by historical in-channel mining
 activities,  timber harvest in streamside zones, fire suppression, and  construction of roads in
 streamside zones.  Many stream reaches in  the project area have been identified as debris-
 deficient.  Large woody debris contributes to stream productivity, creates pools, provides hiding
 cover for fish, and increases habitat complexity.

 INDICATORS OF LARGE  WOODY DEBRIS

    •  Estimated number of pieces of large wood in the channel following project activities
    •  Qualitative assessment of debris recruitment, cycling, and how the project could affect
       future riparian health concerning this element.

 POOLS HABITAT

 With reduction  in  large woody  debris, accelerated  sediment yield,  and  impacts to  stream
 channels  from instream mining  activities, road encroachment and timber harvest, there are
 fewer high quality pools in the American and Crooked River watersheds than would be expected
 under a more natural scenario.

 Some proposed  activities may result in a short-term reduction in pool quality from increased
 sediment  yield.   Other  proposed activities may result in direct improvement  in the number of
 pools.  Long-term sediment reduction may result in long-term improvement in pool quality.
 INDICATORS OF POOLS QUALITY

    •   Sediment yield (peak percent over natural or base rate),  as it would affect sediment
       deposition
    •   Pool: riffle ratios  as a measure of existing condition
    •   Number of pools

WATER YIELD

Water yield  specific to  fish  habitat  is measured  by Equivalent  Clearcut Acres (EGA),  the
indicator here of water yield. With increased timber harvest and road construction  comes
increased  water yield. Increased water yield can cause stream channel  instability.
INDICATOR OF WATER YIELD
    •  EGA threshold
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              American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
WATER QUALITY
Water quality from a fish habitat standpoint is measured by the amount of toxicants in the water.
Toxicants can be introduced as a result of fuel transport, storage, spillage, or use of herbicides
near water bodies, wetlands, and riparian zones.

INDICATOR OF Toxics
    •   Mitigated  to  discountable  by  Best  Management  Practices  (BMP)  and  State
       Requirements

WATER TEMPERATURE
Water temperatures in the American and Crooked River watersheds currently  exceed  Idaho
Water Quality Standards at certain times of the year.  This is due in part to natural conditions,
but also has been affected by  reductions  of  streamside  shade and changes  in  channel
morphology.

INDICATOR OF WATER TEMPERATURE
    •   Riparian timber harvest and riparian planting (shade).

HABITAT CONNECTIVITY/FISH PASSAGE
Existing conditions limit fish passage/connectivity by isolating fish populations and restricting
movement with undersized culverts.

INDICATOR OF HABITAT CONNECTIVITY/FISH PASSAGE
    •   Culverts improved and additional miles of stream accessible.
2.2. DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES
Section  102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) states that all Federal agencies
shall "...study, develop,  and describe appropriate  alternatives  to  recommended courses of
action in any proposal which involves  unresolved conflicts  concerning alternative  uses of
available resources".   These unresolved conflicts,  identified  by the Forest Service  and  the
public, are the NEPA issues related to the Proposed Action.

In addition to responding to unresolved conflicts, an environmental impact statement (EIS) must
"...rigorously explore and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives" [40 CFR 1502.14(a)].
The courts have established that this direction does not mean that every conceivable alternative
must be considered, but that selection and discussion of alternatives must  permit a reasoned
choice and foster informed decision making and informed public  participation.  Together, these
requirements determine the NEPA range of alternatives.

The alternatives  considered in detail were  developed in response  to the  significant issues,
discussed previously and are discussed below. Those that were considered but eliminated from
detailed  study are also discussed  below.

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED STUDY
As the team worked with the scoping and project information that was available to fine tune the
response to the  issues, and  worked through the matrix of possible  vegetative treatments,  the
following alternatives were considered, but dismissed from detailed study.
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               American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
 "RESTORATION ONLY" AND/OR "NO TIMBER HARVEST"

 Several respondents requested  this alternative.   This  alternative would  have  considered
 implementing watershed improvements, such as  road decommissioning, improving stream
 crossings, etc.  No fuel reduction activities would be considered.

 This alternative does not respond to the purpose and need of treating existing and potential fuel
 loads  to  reduce  the  effects of potential  large-scale  wildfire and  improving the  safety and
 effectiveness of firefighters in fire suppression activities.

 DEFENSIBLE SPACE

 Many  commenters responded that reducing  trees and  brush within  200 feet of structures is a
 more effective method of reducing fire effects.

 A defensible space alternative was not evaluated under this analysis because this type of action
 is currently being implemented in the American Crooked River Watersheds under the Crooked
 River Demonstration Project Decision Memo, and the  proposed  Orogrande Defensible Space
 project (on file at the Elk City Ranger Station,  Red  River Ranger District).

 EXPANDED ACTION VIA ACCESS THROUGH THE ROADLESS AREA

 Some  commenters requested we consider alternatives that either constructed roads into the
 roadless area to access the Kirks Fork and  Box Sing Creeks, or requested fuels reduction in the
 roadless areas. In order to avoid impacts to the Inventoried Roadless Area this alternative was
 dropped from detailed analysis

 EXPANDED ACTION WITH ACCESS OUTSIDE OF ROADLESS AREA

 It was  suggested that treatments be concentrated in the wildland urban interface areas or the
 WUI areas near the Elk City Township.  To access WUI areas near the township at the  Kirks
 Fork and  Box Sing Creek areas, an alternate route was suggested that did not enter the
 roadless area.  This alternate routes would likely  require crossing the public land  managed by
 the Bureau  of Land  Management (BLM).   The  BLM  has proposed the  Eastside Township
 Project, and it was determined that it would  be more appropriate to analyze the potential access
 and associated fuels treatment proposal in connection with the Eastside Township Project.

 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED IN DETAIL
 Five alternatives,  including the  No Action alternative, were considered  in detail.  A  brief
 summary is outlined below in Table 2-1: Alternatives Overview American River Watershed, and
 Table 2-2:  Alternatives Overview Crooked River Watershed.  Superscript notes explain the
 activity at the end of Table 2-2.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E - ACTION ALTERNATIVES
Alternative C was the proposed action and Alternatives B,  D, and E respond to the  significant
 issues and are alternatives to the proposed action.  Alternative D is the preferred alternative and
is discussed below in the section "Alternative D preferred alternative."

None of the action alternatives would treat fuels, harvest timber, or construct roads in old growth
areas or inventoried roadless areas.

   •   There would be no new permanent roads constructed.
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              American River/Crooked River -Environmental Impact Statement
   •   Management activities in riparian areas would be minimized.
   •   Activities in high hazard landslide prone areas would be avoided.
   •   All action alternatives would address State of Idaho TMDL limiting factors and implement
       watershed restoration activities designed to  meet the  Forest  Plan requirements to
       establish an upward trend  in water quality and fish habitat conditions that are  below
       current objectives.
   •   Each  action  alternative  implements the  restoration activities  to  meet  Forest Plan
       requirements.
   •   Alternatives address the effectiveness of fuel reduction activities by providing a range of
       acres treated.
   •   Action alternatives  would  maintain shade and  large  woody debris with PACFISH
       regulated buffers.
Table 2.1: Alternatives in the American River Watershed, and  Table 2.2: Alternatives  in the
Crooked  River Watershed displays the activities  for all the action alternatives.  See maps 2a,
2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b of the alternatives for the proposed fuel reduction areas and Map 11
for the proposed watershed improvement activities.
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                  American River/Crooked River-Environmental  Impact Statement
                    Table 2.1 Alternatives in the American River Watershed.
Proposed Activity -American River
Acres of
Treatment
Tractor Yard/Machine Pile
Cable Yard/Broadcast Burn
Roadside Salvage
Total Acres Treated
Percent Clearcut
Percent Partial Cut/Thin
Wildland Urban Interface
Miles of Temporary Road Construction2
Miles of Road Reconditioning3
AltB
409
175
135
719
41%
59%
295
3.6
30.2
Alt C | Alt D1
482
239
151
872
41%
59%
417
8.1
30.8
Watershed Restoration Package improvements
Miles (acres) of decommissioned roads4
Miles of Watershed Road Improvement6
Number of sites of Watershed Road Improvement
Stream crossing improvements"
Miles of instream improvements
Miles of Recreation and Trail improvements
Acres of Recreation & Trail improvements
Acres of Mine Site Reclamation
Acres of Soil Restoration
Access change for vehicle use - motorized trail use
(ATV) to restricted use (snowmobiles over snow)7
Miles of Access change for vehicle use"
4.9
(20)
6.6
0
3.
0
1.6
0
0
5
1.6
0
7.5
(30)
6.6
0
3
0
1.6
0
0
8
1.6
0
841
239
137
1217
29%
71%
464
8.1
33.9

8.4/1 1
(34/44)
7.4
0
3/6
0
1.6/0.8
0
0
9/12
1.6
0
AltE
283
79
138
500
15%
85%
85
1.9
25.8

19.5
(78)
7.4
0
9
0
2.4
0
0
21
1.6
0
 1 Alternative D includes required and additional restoration.  The first number is required restoration  the second is
 additional restoration contingent on available funding.  A T is displayed between the numbers.

  Temporary roads would be decommissioned within one to three years of construction.

  This category includes a range of activities, such as surface blading, drainage repair, and roadway brushing with
 occasional culvert installations, slump repairs, and stabilization work. The roadwork in this category is primarily for
 the purpose of timber removal..
 4
  Road decommissioning for this project covers a range of activities, from recontouring to abandonment due to grown
 in conditions.  See Appendix F

  Some of the roadwork in this category is also included in the Miles of Road Reconditioning category in this table
 Although this roadwork is primarily for the purpose of timber removal, it will also result in an improvement in
 watershed health.

  Stream crossing improvements include upgrading or improving culverts and bridges to improve fish passage and
 peak water flows and are listed as the number of sites.

  This is an access change,  which restricts use to two wheeled vehicles or snowmobiles over snow from previous all
terrain vehicle use (ATV).
o
  This is a roads-to-trails conversion.
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                 American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
                    Table 2.2: Alternatives in the Crooked River Watershed.
(Proposed Activity - Crooked River
Acres of
Treatment
Tractor Yard/Machine Pile
Cable Yard/Broadcast Burn
Roadside Salvage
Total Acres Treated
Percent Clearcut
Percent Partial Cut/Thin
Wildland Urban Interface
Miles of Temporary Road Construction2
Miles of Road Reconditioning3
AltB
729
770
332
1,831
43%
57%
264
4.4
49.2
AltC
690
856
326
1,872
43%
57%
314
6.2
49.5
AltD1
975
931
329
2,235
36%
64%
649
6.2
56.6
AltE I
618
701
337
1,656
32%
68%
205
3.5
48.5
Watershed Restoration Package Improvements
Miles (acres) of Decommissioned Roads4
Miles of Watershed Road Improvement5
Number of Sites of Watershed Road
Improvement
Stream Crossing Improvements6
Miles of Instream Improvements
Miles of Recreation and Trail improvements
Acres of Recreation and Trail improvements
Acres of Mine Site
Reclamation
Acres of Soil Restoration
Access change for vehicle use - motorized trail
use (ATV) to restricted use (snowmobiles over
snow)7
Miles of Access change for vehicle use8
9.0
(36)
8.6
1
7
10.3
0.7
0
7
13
1.0
1.6
9.8
(39)
9.2
3
7
11.1
0.7
4
7
18
1.0
1.6
10.5/7.0
(39/30)
9.2/8
3
10/16
11.1/3.5
0.7/1.5
8
7/2
23/14
1.0
1.6
17.5
(69)
17.2
3
25
14.6
2.2
8
9
37
1.0
1.6
  Alternative D includes required and additional restoration.  The first number is required restoration, the second is
for additional restoration contingent on available funding. A"/" is displayed between the numbers.

  Temporary roads would be decommissioned within one to three years of construction.

  This category includes a range of activities, such as surface blading, drainage repair, and roadway brushing with
occasional culvert installations, slump repairs, and stabilization work. The roadwork in this category is primarily for
the purpose of timber removal.
4
  Road decommissioning for this project covers a range of activities, from recontouring to abandonment due to grown
in conditions. See Appendix D

5 Some of the roadwork in this category is also included in the Miles of Road Reconditioning category in this table.
Although this roadwork is primarily for the purpose of timber removal, it will also result in an improvement in
watershed health. This is an access change of miles of roads to trails use.

6 Stream crossing improvements include upgrading or improving culverts and bridges to improve fish passage and
peak water flows and are listed as the number of sites.

  This is an access change, which restricts use to two wheeled vehicles or snowmobiles over snow, from previous all
terrain vehicle use (ATV).
o
  This category includes 1.5 miles of road-to-trail conversion.
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               American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
 Appendix H contains a detailed description of all the treatment types by unit by alternative. This
 is summarized for the entire project in Table 2.4:  Alternatives in the American and Crooked
 River  Project.  The  vegetation section in Chapter 3 contains  an explanation  of the existing
 conditions and environmental consequences of these alternatives.  General information on the
 developed alternatives is below.

 ALTERNATIVE A - No ACTION

 Both Forest Service  and the CEQ regulations  require the development of  the  No Action
 alternative.  This alternative serves as the baseline for comparison of the effects of all action
 alternatives.

 Under this alternative, there would be no change in current management direction or in the level
 of ongoing  management activities within the project area.   No fuel  reduction or  watershed
 improvement activities would be implemented. Work previously planned within and/or adjacent
 to the project area would  still  occur under this alternative  (Chapter 3; Table 3.1, Projects
 considered for cumulative effects).

 ALTERNATIVE B

 This alternative was developed in response to concerns that the proposed action  was treating
 too many acres. This alternative treats 2,550 acres.  It contains the watershed improvement
 activities described in Appendix D and summarized above that would provide for an upward
 trend in fish habitat and water quality.

 ALTERNATIVE C - PROPOSED ACTION

  The proposed action was developed to respond to the purpose and need and was scoped in
  June 2003. This alternative would reduce existing and potential fuel loads through removing
  dead and dying lodgepole pine and live ladder fuels.  It would treat 2,744 acres. It would
  also implement watershed  improvement activities that would provide for an upward trend in
  fish habitat and water quality.

 ALTERNATIVE D - PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

 The  preferred alternative was developed in response to significant issues raised by the public.
 This alternative looks at  more possibilities along roads than the proposed action. It would treat
 3,452 acres. Entry into mixed conifer stands is included to meet the economic objective.  It
 would  also  require concurrent watershed improvement activities that would provide  for an
 upward trend in fish  habitat and  water  quality, additional  restoration  activities,  above the
 required concurrent have been analyzed in this document so that they can  be implemented as
 funding allows.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 This  alternative proposes activities  that would reduce  impacts to  soils and aquatics  in the
 American and Crooked River watersheds. It reduces  ground-disturbing activities and includes
 the most comprehensive watershed improvement package.  This alternative addresses the soils
 and aquatics issues beyond what would be required to attain an upward trend.  It contains the
 maximum aquatics improvements package. It would  treat 2,156 acres.  The economic impact of
this alternative is discussed in Chapter 3, Section 3.12.
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             American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
2.3.  COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES, OBJECTIVES SUMMARY,
       MITIGATION, AND  MONITORING

COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES

A side-by-side comparison of alternatives is displayed in Table 2.1: Alternatives in the American
River Watershed  and Table 2.2: Alternative  in the  Crooked River Watershed summarize and
compare the alternatives based on the indicators identified for each significant issue.  More
detailed discussions follow on a resource basis in Chapter 3.

OBJECTIVES
Promote the health and vigor of timber stands and improve the environment for long-lived, fire
resistant species by reducing densities of lodgepole pine  or other small diameter trees that
provide fuel ladders for development of crown fires,
Increase relative proportions of long-lived, fire resistant tree species by restoring or regenerating
to western larch, ponderosa pine, and by protecting large diameter ponderosa pine,  Douglas fir,
and western larch,
Reduce the risk of large-scale crown fire spread by creating  vegetative patterns through harvest
or silvicultural treatments, that would increase fire suppression and management effectiveness,
and
Reduce the likelihood of severe local fire effects by removing  dead, dying, and  downed trees
that would otherwise result in high fuel loading.

MITIGATION AND MONITORING

The  rest of this chapter discusses the design and mitigation measures. The monitoring plan
that would apply to all action alternatives can  be found in Appendix I.
The  action alternatives are designed  to have  minimal long-term detrimental impacts and
substantial  long-term beneficial impacts on the environment.  Short-term  impacts may be
minimized through  mitigations measures.  The following table outlines the project  design and
mitigation measure.  This list is not all-inclusive  as the Forest Plan standards are incorporated
by reference.
Project  design measures are  applied prior  to  and  during activity implementation to reduce
potential impacts to resources (Table  2.3:  Design  Criteria and  Mitigation Measures).   The
following project design measures, mitigation measures, and Best Management Practices have
been incorporated into the action alternatives with the intent of preventing or reducing adverse
impacts to resources.

DESIGN CRITERIA COMMON TO ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES

Design  criteria associated with the  harvest, and road construction and reconstruction were
developed to avoid or reduce potential  resource impacts.  Public comments were considered
when developing these measures.   The following  measures and management requirements
were designed to apply to all action alternatives.  The sale preparation forester and the sale
•administrator would  identify the specific conditions of  the timber sale (Timber Sale Contract,
Division A). Standard provisions (Timber Sale Contract, Division B) and any specific provisions
(Timber Sale Contract, Division C) would also be applied.
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              American River/Crooked River-Environmental Impact Statement
 Best  Management Practices (BMPs) were used to plan this  project.  BMPs are the primary
 mechanism to enable the achievement of water quality standards to ensure compliance with the
 Clean Water  Act of 1972, as amended (1977 and 1987) and  Idaho State  Water Quality
 Standards. BMPs are applied  as a system of practices that are basically a preventative rather
 than an enforcement system.  BMPs are a  management and planning system in relation to
 sound water quality goals, including both broad policy and site-specific prescriptions  and  are
 designed to accommodate  site-specific conditions.   They are tailor-made to account for  the
 complexity and physical and biological variability of the natural environment. As defined in  the
 Idaho  State Water Quality Standards (IDAPA 58.01.02), BMPs  include the  Idaho Forest
 Practices Act  Rules (IDAPA 20.02.01) and Idaho Stream Alteration Rules (IDAPA 37.0307)
 BMPs also include the USDA Forest Service Northern  and Intermountain Region's  Soil and
 Water Conservation Practices Handbook (FSH 2509.22).  BMPs are also derived from  the Nez
 Perce  National Forest Plan as  amended.  BMPs specifically tailored to this project are defined
 below and will  be included in contracts or other measures used to implement the project.

 In addition, watershed and/or fish habitat improvement projects to improve water quality and
fisheries habitat in the long-term are required  in all the subwatersheds where harvest and road
construction/reconstruction activities occur at levels considered  to be an entry  (as defined in
Gerhardt,  1991b).  These projects are connected actions and mitigations for specific  existing
conditions and past activities that have negatively impacted aquatic  resources in the affected
watersheds.  They are designed to  mitigate  effects of harvest activities such  as increased
sediment yield and road densities.  Some of the watershed improvement projects are  likely to
have short-term negative impacts  on aquatic  resources during the implementation and  post-
project stabilization  phases, and long-term positive impacts.   The watershed  improvement
projects also have specific design criteria and BMPs to reduce the short-term impacts on fish
habitat and water quality. The watershed and fish improvements projects, design criteria, and
BMPs are addressed in  Watershed and Fish Habitat Improvement Projects.  Effectiveness of
BMPs  commonly used  on the Nez Perce National  Forest was described  in  Gerhardt et al
1991 b.
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                             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Table 2.3 outlines the project design and mitigation measures.  This list is not all-inclusive, as the Forest Plan standards (USDA FS,
1987a) are incorporated by reference.

                                    Table 2.3 - Project Design and Mitigation Measures.
#
Project Design and Mitigation Measure
Implementation Method
Effectiveness
Areas Excluded from Timber Harvest or Fuel Reduction Activities
1
No timber harvest or mechanical fuel reduction activities would occur in Forest
Plan existing or replacement old growth, Inventoried Roadless Areas,
streamside RHCAs, or high hazard landslide prone areas
NEPA project design,
silviculture prescription,
and field prep.
High, based available
inventory and monitoring
data
Vegetation
2
3
Falling would be done to minimize breakage and damage to residual trees.
Silvicultural prescriptions would be written for each unit, including slash
treatment and burn guidelines to meet Riparian Management Objectives
Field preparation, contract
and contract
administration/ inspection
Silvicultural prescription
High, based on sale
administrators'
observations
High, based on protocols
for Silvicultural
certification
Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas
4
5
6
No cutting of trees would be allowed in PACFISH default streamside or wetland
RHCAs, except at temporary road crossings, instream habitat improvements,
and to facilitate anchoring of cable yarding systems.
Post harvest burning will occur in harvest units to reduce slash and fuel
resulting from the harvest activities. The burning will be designed and
implemented with the intent of restricting burning to stay within the unit
boundary. Fire that moves outside the external unit boundary will be
suppressed if it poses a threat to riparian resources. On occasion fire will move
into small RHCA inclusions within the unit. Burning will not be ignited within
these areas, but may be allowed to back into these areas under conditions
where fire intensity will be low and burning will not result in extensive reduction
in canopy cover or exposure of bare soil in these RHCA inclusions.
Landslide prone areas are also considered Riparian Habitat Conservation
Areas (RHCAs). No timber harvest would occur in areas of high landslide
hazard, as described in (1) above. Timber harvest, road construction, or fuel
reduction in areas of moderate landslide risk would be modified as needed to
protect slope stability. If additional, unmapped landslide prone areas are found
during project implementation, areas would be dropped or activities would be
modified with watershed specialist oversight to protect slope stability.-
Field preparation, contract
and contract
administration/ inspection
FS Fuels management
NEPA project design,
silviculture prescription,
and field prep.
High, based on inventory
and monitoring data
High, based on
Research, PNW Lab,
Starkey Project
High, based on landslide
inventory data
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                               American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                          Project Design and Mitigation Measure
                                                                              Implementation Method
                                   Effectiveness
                                                   Soils, Water Quality, and Fish Habitat
       Planned activities would be modified in any proposed timber harvest or fuel
       reduction unit that is found to have previously unidentified significant soil impacts
       from past human-caused disturbance. The planned activities in that unit would be
       modified or dropped, or post-harvest restoration implemented to ensure that
       cumulative impacts would not exceed Forest Plan soil quality standard number 2
       (percent of area detrimentally impacted upon completion of activities). Site-
       specific review of treatment units prior to implementation would identify extent of
       detrimental soil disturbance.
                                                                             NEPA project design,
                                                                             silviculture prescription, and
                                                                             field prep.
                               Moderate, based on
                               research and forest
                               monitoring data (Cullen
                               etal., 1991,  Froelich et
                               al., 1983, USDAFS
                               1988B, 1990, 1992,
                               1999, and 2003D).
         Timber harvest and fuel reduction activities would be coordinated with soil
         restoration activities for greatest efficiency.
                                                                             Contract administration
                              Expected to be
                              moderate, little data.
         Broadcast burning would be applied in preference to excavator piling wherever
         practical to reduce physical soil damage and to encourage natural
         regeneration.
                                                                             NEPA project design,
                                                                             silviculture prescription, and
                                                                             contract.
                              High, to the degree
                              implemented; based on
                              forest monitoring data
                              (USDAFS 1988B,
                              1990, 1992, 1999, and
                              2003D).
10
Temporary roads would be built, used, and decommissioned within a 1 to 3-
year period, in order to reduce the amount of sediment production.
Coordination of temporary road use and decommissioning with the  BLM
Eastside Township project would be required.
NEPA project design and
contract administration
Moderate, based on
implementation
monitoring of timber
sale contracts and
Burroughs and King,
1989.
11
New, temporary roads would be constructed using minimal road widths and
out-sloped surface drainage. Road cuts, fills, and treads would be stabilized
with annual grass cover where roads are held more than one year.  Temporary
roads would be located to avoid live water and high-risk landslide prone terrain.
If avoidance of live water is not possible, stream crossings would be designed
consistent with criteria described below and in Forest Plan Amendment 20
(PACFISH)
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
High, based on literature
(Water/Road Interaction
Technology Series, USDA
Forest Service, San
Dimas Technology and
Development Program,
1999; Burroughs and
King, 1989)
12
Coarse woody debris greater than 3 inches diameter would be retained in
timber harvest or fuel reduction units in amounts to meet guidelines in
Appendix K.
NEPA project design,
silviculture prescription,
contract, and contract
administration.
High effectiveness,
based on Graham et
al., 1994 and Harvey et
al., 1987.
Implementation
effectiveness has not
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American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
#

13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Project Design and Mitigation Measure

Minimize whole tree yarding. Whole-tree yard boles only, leaving tops and
limbs on site, to maintain foliar nutrients. Over-winter slash at least one winter
to allow nutrients to leach into the soil.
Winter harvesting would only occur during frozen conditions. Frozen conditions
are defined as greater than 4 inches of frozen ground, a barrier of snow greater
than two feet in depth (unpacked snow), or one foot in depth (packed snow).
Timber harvest, fuel reduction, and soil and stream restoration activities would
be limited or suspended when soils are wet, such that resource damage may
occur, to reduce rutting, displacement and erosion.
Skid trails, landings, and yarding corridors would be located and designated to
minimize the area of detrimental soil effects. Tractor skid trails would be
spaced 80 to 120 feet apart, except where converging on landings, to reduce
the area of detrimental soil disturbance. This does not preclude the use of
feller bunchers if soil impacts can remain within standards.
On excavator piled units, additional trail construction would be minimized,
machines would be restricted to existing trails as much as possible, number of
passes would be minimized, and excavator piling would be minimized, to
reduce soil compaction. Numerous small piles are preferred to few large piles
to avoid nutrient losses and soil alteration that favor weed invasion.
Cable systems would use one-end or full suspension wherever possible to
minimize soil disturbance.
Excavated skid trails and landings with cut slopes of more than 1 foot would be
scarified and recontoured, replacing topsoil as feasible on all landings and trails
not needed for harvest within the next 15 years. Winged subsoiler, excavator,
or similar equipment is preferred to restore permeability and soil structure.
Fine organic matter and slash would be scattered over recontoured or scarified
areas on skid trails, decommissioned roads, and landings with a goal of
achieving 10 tons per acre of fines and 15-20 tons per acre of larger material,
up to 35 tons total where available and acceptable to fuel managers. Water
bars and seeding of approved weed-free annual or native species would be
added as needed for supplementary erosion control.
Implementation Method

NEPA project design,
silviculture prescription, BD
plan, and contract.
Contract administration
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Effectiveness
been monitored.
High (Garrison and
Moore, 1998; Moore et
al., 2004)
Moderate, based on
forest monitoring data
(1987 report in project
file)
Moderate, based on
forest monitoring
(USDAFS 1988B,
1990, 1992, 1999, and
2003D).
Moderate, based on
forest monitoring
(Froelich, et al, 1981;
USDAFS 1988B, 1990,
1992, 1999, and
2003D).
Moderate, based on
forest monitoring
(USDAFS 1988B,
1990, 1992, 1999, and
2003D).
High where
implemented (USDA
FS 2003A; Krag, 1991)
High(Plotnikoffetal.,
1999; Sanborn etal.
1999A, Sanborn etal.,
1999B)
High (Sanborn etal.,
1999A)
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American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
#
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Project Design and Mitigation Measure
Soil restoration areas would be stabilized within 14 days, using erosion
barriers, slash, or mulch as needed. Any soil restoration in an activity area
would be completed within one operating season, with allowance for additional
planting in subsequent seasons.
Non-excavated skid trails and landings not needed for harvest within the next
15 years, that have been cut, compacted or entrenched 3 inches or more would
be scarified to a depth of 4 - 10 inches, or as directed by contract
administrator, to restore soil permeability. Excavator, winged subsoileror
similar equipment is preferred, to avoid mixing surface ash layer and subsoil.
Sediment and erosion control measures such as dewatering culverts, sediment
barriers, rocking road surfaces and/or ditches, etc., would be used as needed
when constructing, reconstructing, and decommissioning roads to protect fish
habitat and water quality.
Activities including stream crossing road improvements would be conducted in
fish bearing streams between July 1 and August 1 5 to avoid sediment
deposition on emerging steelhead or Chinook redds, or disturbance to bull trout
moving to natal streams. These dates may be site-specifically adjusted
through coordination with the Central Idaho Level I team and other agencies
Stream crossing structures would provide for channel width, flow velocities,
substrate condition, and stream gradients that approximate the natural channel
and accommodate passage of streamflow, debris, fish, and other aquatic
organisms, and would use PACFISH standards. When designing new
structures, consider and give preference to open-bottom arches, bridges and
oversized culverts.
During instream habitat improvement activities, tree felling in RHCAs would
occur only where that activity would not affect Riparian Management Objectives
for shade and woody debris recruitment. Wood for instream placement would
be taken from outside the RHCA wherever feasible.
Prior to instream habitat improvement activities, heavy equipment would be
inspected to assure no leakage of oil, fuel, or hydraulic fluid.
A Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plan (40 CFR 112) would be
prepared and implemented that incorporates the rules and requirements of the
Idaho Forest Practices Act Section 60, Use of Chemicals and Petroleum
Products; and US Department of Transportation rules for fuels haul and
temporary storage; and additional direction as applicable
For instream activities in fish-bearing streams that contain listed species, fish
are expected to disperse from the activity area. If needed, additional measures
would be used to ensure fish are not harmed or killed by instream activity If
Implementation Method
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration
NEPA project design,
contract and contract
administration/inspection
NEPA project design,
contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Effectiveness
Moderate, based on past
experience.
Moderate to high (Froelich
etal., 1983; Froelich et al,
1985;Foltz and Mallard,
2004; Luce, 1997)
High, based on literature,
San Dimas, Road/Water
Interaction
Moderate to high,
based on past
experience.
High, based on literature,
San Dimas, Road/Water
Interaction
High, based on past
experience.
Moderate to high,
based on past
experience.
High, based on past
experience.
Moderate, based on
past experience.
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#

30
Project Design and Mitigation Measure
electrofishing were necessary, it would be conducted in accordance with NOAA
Fisheries electrofishing guidelines found at http://www.nwr,noaajgoy.
The State of Idaho Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Forest Service
Soil and Water Conservation Practices (SWCPs) would be applied. These are
incorporated by reference.
implementation Method

Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Effectiveness

High, based on past
experience.
Trails/Recreation
31
32
Coordination would minimize conflict with winter hauling on roads used as
groomed snowmobile routes.
Trails 820, 832, 838, 844, 848, and others as identified, would be protected
during activities.
Designate all system trails as Protected Improvements in the Timber Sale
Contract. No skidding across trails, except over snow, fall trees away from
trails, cut stumps less than 1 2" in height within 1 00 feet of trails, leave
regeneration within 100 feet of trails to create a visual buffer between treatment
areas and trails, construct firelines to protect the regeneration buffer and trail
during slash treatment, and trails are not to be used a firelines.
Project design, contract and
contract administration/
inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Moderate, based on
past experience.
High, based on past
experience.
Access/Public Safety
33
34
Temporary roads would be closed to public use, except as specifically
authorized.
Operator would be required to set up warning signs advising of equipment
operations or hazards for public safety.
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Moderate for sediment
reduction and wildlife
security, based on
monitoring
High, based on past
experience.
Air Quality
35
36
37
Procedures outlined in the North Idaho Smoke Management Memorandum of
Agreement would be followed, including restrictions imposed by the smoke
management-monitoring unit.
Prescribed burning would be conducted over several years to reduce the
amount of smoke in any one year. Priority in scheduling would be given to
units accessed by temporary roads scheduled for decommissioning
Additional restrictions, beyond those imposed by the smoke management-
monitoring unit, would be considered for prescribed burning for local air quality
reasons, including visual.
FS fuels management
FS fuels management
FS fuels management
High, based on burning
approval required daily
by smoke monitoring
unit.
High, based on past
experience, and
availability of burn
windows and/or
personnel.
High, based on past
experience.
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                                American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
  #
                   Project Design and Mitigation Measure
                                                                                        Implementation Method
                                    Effectiveness
                                                                  Wildlife
 38
 Snag and snag replacement green trees would be retained in numbers
 consistent with Regional Guidelines (Appendix K)
 Field preparation , NEPA
 project design, contracting
 and contract administration
 High except where
 safety concerns or
 wood cutting result in
 loss.
 39
 Should any of the following be sighted in the project area during project layout
 and implementation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and unit biologist would
 be notified: lynx or a lynx den, bald eagle, new wolf den or rendezvous site,
 active goshawk nest. Appropriate protection measures would be implemented
 where deemed necessary to protect these species.
 NEPA project design,
 silvicultural  prescription,
 field prep, contract
 administration/inspection,
 and USFWS monitoring
 Moderate; based on
 public sightings reports
 and ESA section 7
 consultation.
 40
 Should an active goshawk nest be discovered within a 450 feet distance of timber
 harvest or fuel reduction activities, the nest tree will be protected, as well as a 10-
 15 acre no-treatment buffer area around the nest tree, as designated by the unit
 biologist to provide for foraging and nesting sites,
 Field prep, contract and
 contract administration/
 inspection
 Moderate; based on
 IDFG, etal, 1995, State
 Conservation Effort
 41
 The integrity of existing access management restrictions would be maintained
 within the planning area for wildlife security purposes. Current access
 management restrictions would apply to existing reconstructed roads after
 implementation of activities to maintain or improve existing access and wildlife
 security. No contractor or their representatives may use motorized vehicles to
 hunt or trap animals on a restricted road.
 Contract and contract
 administration/inspection
 High except close to
 roads; based on
 standard timber sale
 contract clauses and
 past results monitoring
                                                            Heritage Resources
42
 Known historic properties or sites would be avoided or protected.
NEPA project design, field
prep, contract, and
administration/inspection
High, objective to
achieve a "no adverse
effect" on these
resources
43
If additional cultural resources are discovered during project operations, all
ground-disturbing activities in that area will be halted until such resources can
be properly documented and evaluated by the Forest. Archaeologist in
compliance with 36 CFR 800.13b3
Contract and contract
administration/ inspection
Moderate based on
recognition of resource
and contact with
Heritage personnel
                                                             Noxious Weeds
44
Desirable vegetation would be promptly established on all disturbed areas,
using native and non-native plant species, as approved by the Forest botanist.
Contract and contract
administration/inspection
Moderate based on
experience
45
All named plant cultivars used in revegetation will be certified blue-tagged. All
non-certified seed will be tested by a certified seed laboratory against the all
state noxious weed list and documentation of the seed inspection test provided
to the contract administrator. All straw and mulch would be certified as free of
Contract and contract
administration and
inspection
High, based on
experience
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                                American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
#

46
47
48
Project Design and Mitigation Measure
noxious weed seed.
All mud, soil and plant parts would be removed from all off-road equipment
associated with the project before moving into the project area to limit the
spread of weeds. Cleaning must occur off National Forest lands. This applies
to all ATVs used on and off roads in the project area, but does not apply to
service or hauling vehicles that would stay on the roadway, traveling frequently
in and out of the project area.
All private rock used for surfacing would be county-certified as free of noxious
weed seed. Forest Service rock sources will be reviewed for invasive weeds
by a forest weed specialist or botanist. Borrow pits and stockpiles will not be
used if it is determined that it is infested with an invasive plant that is not found
in the area where the material will be placed.
All small outbreaks of invasive weeds within the project risk zones (Map 16b),
and along all haul routes leading to weed risk zones will be pretreated prior to
ground disturbing activities under the existing wee management program.
Implementation Method

Contract and contract
administration and
inspection
Contract and contract
administration/ inspection
Field prep, contract
Effectiveness

High; based on past
experience
Moderate; based on
past experience
High: based on past
experience
TES Plants
49
50
Candystick, a former Region 1 sensitive plant species, occurs in some
management units. Where live lodgepole are associated with candystick,
groups of live lodgepole pine would be left to protect candystick from
management activities.
During implementation, if activities would impact previously unknown sensitive
plant occurrences, appropriate protection measures would be implemented.
Appropriate measures will vary depending upon the ecology of the species
involved and nature of the proposed action and would be directed by a botanist.
NEPA project design, field
prep, contract and contract
administration/ inspection
Silvicultural prescription,
field preparation, contract,
and contract
administration/inspection
High based on past
monitoring and
experience.
High based on
monitoring, experience,
and logic.
Roadside Salvage1
51
52
53
Roadside salvage would be limited to dead or dying trees, with no harvest of
standing trees more than 20 inches in diameter. (Windthrown trees would not
be subject to the diameter limit.)
Salvage would be limited to areas adjacent to haul roads. No tree cutting or
yarding would occur in RHCAs or in allocated existing or replacement old
growth.
All yarding would be done from the road. Areas above steep cutslopes that
cannot be protected from yarding damage would be omitted from salvage.
Contractor permit
Contractor permit
Contractor permit
High; based on based
experience and
accessibility to sites
High; based on based
experience and
accessibility to sites
High; based on based
experience and
1 Treatments would include roadside salvage within 100 feet of main haul roads. This component of the action would comply with all applicable design
criteria developed for the action as a whole.  These design criteria are not intended to limit or interfere with brushing, clearing, or hazard reduction
activities associated with routine road maintenance.
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#

54
55
56
57
Project Design and Mitigation Measure
Yarding distance would not exceed 100 feet.
No more than 80 dead or dying trees per mile (approximately 8 trees/acre)
could be designated for cutting on each side of the road.
Maximum opening size is one acre on each side of a road, or a maximum of 400
feet along the road.
Openings would be separated from other forest openings by at least 200 feet of
pole size or larger forest along the road, on both sides, to provide cover for
wildlife crossing.
Slash from salvage would be lopped and scattered, hand piled and burned in
the woods, or removed from the site at the discretion of the District Ranger
considering the Forest objective of maintaining less than 12 tons per acre of
fine fuels.
Implementation Method Effectiveness

Contractor permit
Contractor permit
Contractor permit
Contractor permit
accessibility to sites
High; based on based
experience and
accessibility to sites
High; based on based
experience and
accessibility to sites
High; based on based
experience and
accessibility to sites
High; based on based
experience and
accessibility to sites
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               American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
               Table 2.4: Alternatives in the American and Crooked River Project.
Proposed Activity - Total Project
Acres of
Treatment
Tractor Yard/Machine Pile
Cable Yard/Broadcast Burn
Roadside Salvage
Total Acres Treated
Percent Clearcut
Percent Partial Cut/Thin
Wildland Urban Interface
Miles of Temporary Road Construction2
Miles of Road Reconditioning3
AltB
1,138
945
467
2,550
42%
58%
559
8.0
89.6
AltC
1,172
1,095
477
2,744
42%
58%
731
14.3
77.8
AltD1
1,813
1,173
466
3,452
34%
66%
1113
14.3
90.5
AltE
901
780
475
2,156
28%
72%
290
5.4
94.5
Watershed Restoration Package Improvements
Miles (acres) of decommissioned roads4
Miles of Watershed Road Improvement5
Number of sites of Watershed Road Improvement
Stream crossing improvements6
Miles of instream improvements
Miles of Recreation and Trail improvements
Acres of Recreation and Trail improvements
Acres of Mine Site Reclamation
Acres of Soil Restoration
Acres of Soil Restoration
Access change for vehicle use - motorized trail use
(ATV) to restricted use (miles)7
Access change for vehicle use - road to trail8
13.9
(56)
15.2
1
10
10.3
2.3
0
7
18

1.0
2.6
17.3
(69)
15.8
3
10
11.1
2.3
4
7
26

1.0
2.6
18.9/18.1
(73/74)
16.6/8
3
12/22
11.1/3.5
2.3/2.3
8
7/2
32/26

1.0
2.6
37.0
(147)
24.6
3
35
14.6
4.6
8
9
58

1.0
2.6
Employment Opportunities
Job Years9
163
188
250
152
1 Alternative D includes required and additional restoration.  The first number is for required restoration,  the second is
additional  restoration contingent on available funding. A"/" is displayed between the numbers.

2 Temporary roads would be decommissioned within one to three years of construction.
3 This category includes a range of activities, such as surface blading, drainage repair, and roadway brushing with
occasional culvert installations, slump repairs,  and stabilization work. The roadwork in this category is primarily for the
purpose of timber removal.
4 Road decommissioning  for this project covers a  range of activities, from recontouring to abandonment due to grown in
conditions.  See Appendix F
  Some of the roadwork in this category is also included in the Miles of Road Reconditioning category in this table.
Although this roadwork is primarily for the purpose of timber removal, it will also result in an improvement in watershed
health.

6 Stream crossing improvements include upgrading or improving culverts and bridges to improve fish passage and  peak
water flows and are listed as the number of sites.

7 This is an access change,  which restricts use to two wheeled vehicles or snowmobiles over snow, from previous all
terrain vehicle use (ATV).
ft
  This is an access change of miles of roads to trails use.
g
  Direct Employment Opportunities, year-long.
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      American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
    CHAPTER 3 - AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL
       CONSEQUENCES OF IMPLEMENTING THE ALTERNATIVES
3.0.   INTRODUCTION
3.1.   SOILS
3.2.   WATERSHED
3.3.   FISHERIES
3.4.   FIRE
3.5.   AIR QUALITY
3.6.   RECREATION
3.7.   WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS
3.8.   TRANSPORTATION
3.9.   HERITAGE
3.10.  VEGETATION
3.11.  WILDLIFE
3.12.  SOCIO-ECONOMIC
3.13.  WILDERNESS, INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS,
      AND    AREAS     WITH    POSSIBLE     UNROADED
           CHARACTERISTICS
                       08 OS C3 08 (US (IS
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 3.0.    INTRODUCTION

 This chapter describes the environmental components that may be affected by implementation
 of the proposed action or an  alternative to the proposed action in the American and Crooked
 River  project  area.   This  chapter  also  describes  the  environmental  consequences  of
 implementing these alternatives and displays  the direct,  indirect,  cumulative, irreversible, and
 irretrievable effects by indicator for each resource.

 SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
 The existing condition describes the baseline condition against which environmental effects can
 be evaluated and from which progress toward the desired condition can be measured.  Data
 and analysis are commensurate with the importance of the possible impacts.

 Environmental  consequences form the  scientific  and  analytical  basis  for  comparison  of
 alternatives, including the proposed action, through compliance with Forest Plan standards and
 a summary of monitoring required by  the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the
 National Forest Management Act (NFMA).   The discussion centers on direct, indirect, and
 cumulative effects along with applicable mitigation measures.   Irreversible and irretrievable
 effects are also discussed for each resource  indicator.   Effects of the action can be neutral
 beneficial, or adverse. These terms are defined as follows:

 Direct effects are caused by the action and occur at the same time and place.

 Indirect effects are caused by the action and are later in time or  further removed in distance
 but are still reasonably foreseeable.

 Cumulative effects are those that result from the incremental impact of the action when added
 to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions.

 Irreversible effects  are  permanent or essentially permanent resource use or losses; they
 cannot be reversed, except in the extreme long-term.  Examples of irreversible effects include
 minerals that have been extracted or soil productivity that has been  lost.

 Irretrievable effects are losses of productivity  or use for a period of time; one example is road
 construction on  suitable timberlands.  Timber growth  on the land  is irretrievably lost while the
 land is used as a road, but the timber  resource is not irreversibly  lost because the land could
 grow trees again in the near future.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ANALYSIS
 Cumulative effects are discussed  for  each  indicator under each resource.  The cumulative
 effects analysis area will vary for each  resource.  Past activities (including grazing, timber
 harvest, road building,  prescribed  fire, stream and meadow restoration  in the American and
 Crooked River Wildlife Management Area, etc.) are considered part of the  existing condition and
are covered under that section.  Table  3.1 displays the recently past,  current (or present),
ongoing,  and reasonably foreseeable future  activities within the American and  Crooked River
watersheds, as  well as in the adjacent watershed  that are reasonably foreseeable within, or
adjacent to, the American and Crooked  River watersheds.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
  TABLE 3.1 - PROJECTS CONSIDERED FOR CUMULATIVE EFFECTS WITHIN AND ADJACENT TO THE
                     AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER PROJECT AREA.
Project
Blanco Burn1
Lower Red River
Meadows Restoration 1
Red River Roadside
Hazard Tree
Noxious Weed Program
Crooked River Mining
Activity (Golden Eagle
Operation)
Recreational Suction
Dredging
EMC - Newsome
Nez Perce Tribe
Watershed
improvement projects
(ongoing)
Watershed
improvement projects
(ongoing)
Crooked River Channel
Maintenance
Starbucky
20-21
806
Red River Road
Surfacing
Otter Wing TS
Blue Ridge Ridge2
McComas meadow
burning2
South Fork Corridor
Whiskey South
Upper Red River
Mill Creek
Location
Blanco and Lower
Main Stem of Red
River


Forest wide

Upper Main stem of
SF

Tribal restoration
projects on the Nez
Perce lands
Forest Service
Forest Service
Forest Service
Forest Service
Forest Service
Forest Service





Campbell Creek
Forest Service and
BLM
Tribal restoration
projects on the Nez
Perce
Tribal restoration
Activity
1 ,000 acres of rehabilitation


Spot treatments of herbicide applications
Placer Mining

Placer Mining

Improving road surface - graveling and
grading work
Improving road surface - graveling and
grading work
200 yards of channel restoration
Timber Sale
Defensible space burning project
Timber harvest with prescribed burning

T.S.
Prescribed burning project
Prescribed burning project
Prescribed burning project
Treating fuels, creating fuel breaks,
timber sale and reading
Culvert replacement & road
decommissioning
Culvert replacement
TIME PERIOD
Ongoing
Ongoing
Complete
except for
placing large
woody debris
Ongoing
Current
Ongoing
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Current
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
1 Above the mouth of Crooked/American - Upper South Fork

2 Below the mouth of Crooked/American - Upper South Fork
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American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Project

Newsome channel,
Improvement and Road
Decommissioning
School District Timber
Sale
Tract 39 (Land
Exchange - FS land for
Seminal Tribe lands)
Blacktail 2
Meadow Face2
Red River DSP
Orogrande DSP
Newsome Townsite
DSP
Crooked River
Demonstration
Red Pines E1S
Slims fireline
restoration1
Templeton
Genesis
This-is-it Placer
Eastside Township
Projects
Aquatic Restoration
Projects
Lucky Marble
East Fork Crooked
River Bridge
Bullied Grouse
Bennett Logging
Logging on Private Land
Range Allotments
Developed Recreation
Site maintenance and
Trail Maintenance
Hungry Mill1
Location
projects on the Nez
Perce
Tribal restoration
projects on the Nez
Perce




Forest Service


Forest Service


Forest Service
Forest Service
Crooked River
BLM
BLM

FS

Private land




Activity

Channel Improvement and road
decommissioning Culvert replacement
Timber removal on approximately 16
acres

Fuel reduction followed by a Rx burn

Defensible space burning project
Defensible space burning project
Defensible space burning project


Catastrophic fireline restoration
Suction Dredging
Suction Dredging



Fuels work
New bridge construction

Timber removal on approximately 640
acres and reading
Timber removal on approximately 100
acres and reading



TIME PERIOD
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Complete
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Past
Foreseeable
Future
Past
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future
Foreseeable
Future

Complete

Past
Past
Ongoing
Ongoing
Past
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Project
Red River Instream
Improvements BPA
Crooked River Instream
Improvements BPA
Newsome Creek
Instream Improvements
Mill Creek Instream
Improvements BPA
Meadow Creek Fish
Passage BPA
American River
Instream Improvements
Relief Creek Instream
Improvements
Location
Forest Service
Forest Service
Forest Service
Forest Service
Forest Service
Bureau of Land
Management
Forest Service
Activity
Instream Structures and Riparian
Planting
Instream Structures, Riparian Planting,
Side Channels, Connecting Ponds
Instream Structures, Riparian Planting,
Side Channels, Connecting Ponds
Instream Structures and Riparian
Planting
Improving Anadromous Fish Passage
Instream Structures and Riparian
Planting
Instream Structures and Riparian
Planting
TIME PERIOD
Past
Past
Past
Past
Past
Past
Past
AMERICAN RIVER HISTORIC ACTIVITIES
The post-settlement development history of American River dates to the mid-19th century.  Gold
discoveries provided the initial impetus for mining,  road  and  trail  development,  grazing,
homesteading,  and early timber  harvest.   In recent decades,  watershed and instream
improvement projects have been implemented.  These activities have affected the aquatic and
terrestrial conditions in American River.  Further description  of these activities and analysis of
their effects on various resources are provided in the. individual resource sections.

What follows in this section are summaries of specific Nez Perce National Forest (NPNF) timber
harvest projects and historic road construction in the American River watershed. These data
contributed to the cumulative effects analysis in specific resource sections.  The information
displayed in this document is a compilation of known historic data and additional historic data is
not available (40 CFR 1502.22).

Forest records were queried to determine historic timber harvest in American River. Most of the
larger timber sales also included road construction. From the NPNF Watershed Database, total
recorded timber harvest in the 1950s was 142 acres; 1960s was 2,687 acres; 1970s was 2,591
acres;  1980s was 1,977 acres; 1990s was 5,168 acres; and 2000s to date has  been  809 acres.
The watershed  database includes  activities  on  private lands within American River.   Timber
harvest occurred prior to the 1950s, associated with mining and homesteading activities.  This
data is unavailable (40 CFR 1502.22).

The NPNF Timber Stand Database (TSMRS) was queried to determine harvest area associated
with named timber sales. Table 3.2 shows  the  results of that query for timber sales by name
greater than 100 acres  in size.
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               TABLE 3.2 - NPNF TIMBER HARVEST HISTORY IN AMERICAN RIVER
1 Timber Sale | Time Period | Acres
Erickson Ridge
Little Elk
Big Elk
Haysfork Creek
Wart Creek
East Fork/Flint Creek
Box Sing
Limber Luke
Flint Creek
Kirks Fork
Wigwam
Sparky
East Fork American
Limber Meadows
Misc unnamed and small projects
Totals
1957-1966
1962-1967
1962-1969
1965-1970
1969
1972-1975
1976-1981
1978-1981
1982-1984
1983-1985
1985-1986
1992-1994
1994-1996
1998
Various

297
739
481
238
190
263
125
661
398
241
100
293
412
194
1367
5999
Road construction history in  American River was  summarized from the NPNF Watershed
Database.  The earliest road construction  recorded in the database was dated 1890. Timber
harvest and road construction history for American River are displayed on Map 14a.

               TABLE 3.3 - HISTORIC ROAD CONSTRUCTION -AMERICAN RIVER
Year
Prior to 1950
1950-1959
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-1999
2000-2004
Total to date
Miles of Road
49.40
5.70
75.00
48.40
40.40
47.10
3.30
269.30
CROOKED RIVER HISTORIC ACTIVITIES
The post-settlement development history of Crooked River dates to the mid-19th century. Gold
discoveries provided the initial  impetus  for mining,  road,  and  trail  development,  grazing
homesteading  and  early  timber harvest.   In recent decades watershed  and  instream
improvement projects have been  implemented.  These activities have affected the aquatic and
terrestrial conditions in American  River.  Further description of these activities and analysis of
their effects on various resources are provided in the individual resource sections.

What follows in this section are summaries of specific NPNF timber harvest projects and historic
road construction  in the Crooked  River watershed.  These data contributed to the cumulative
effects analysis in  specific resource sections.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
Forest records were queried to determine historic timber harvest in Crooked River. Most of the
larger timber sales also included road construction.  From the Forest's Watershed Database,
total recorded timber harvest in the 1960s was 123 acres; 1970s was 2,292 acres; 1980s was
2,671 acres; 1990s was 9000  acres; and  none has occurred in the 2000s to date.  Timber
harvest occurred prior to the 1950s, associated with mining and homesteading activities.  This
data is unknown (Title 40 CFR 1502.22).  Most of the larger timber sales also included  road
construction. No recorded timber harvest occurred in the 1950s.

The NPNF TSMRS database was queried to determine harvest area associated with named
timber sales. Table 3.4 shows  the results of that query for timber sales by name greater than
100 acres in size.

              TABLE 3.4 - NPNF TIMBER HARVEST HISTORY IN CROOKED RIVER
Timber Sale
South Wheeler
Deadwood Mountain
Relief Creek
Silver Salvage
Quartz Relief
Crooked River
Dead French
Shooting Star
Lower Crooked River
Misc unnamed and small projects
Totals
Time Period
1969-1970
1969-1971
1973-1977
1979-1983
1985-1987
1986-1988
1986-1988
1990-1993
1992
Various

Acres
280
109
1,158
102
825
664
315
368
225
885
4931
Road construction history in Crooked River was  summarized from the NPNF  Watershed
Database. The earliest road construction recorded  in the database was dated 1890.  Timber
harvest and road construction history for Crooked River are displayed on Map 14b.

               TABLE 3.5 - HISTORIC ROAD CONSTRUCTION - CROOKED RIVER
Year
Prior to 1950
1950-1959
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-1999
2000-2004
Total to date
Miles of Road
31.20
6.60
11.40
25.20
71.30
4.70
0.00
150.40
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
The discussion of affected environment  and environmental consequences is organized  by
resource. Under each resource, the existing conditions are described for each indicator,
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
followed by the environmental effects discussion, by indicator for each alternative.  Compliance
with Forest Plan Standards (USDA FS, 1987a, Chap 2 (E)) is summarized at the end of each
resource section.  Some standards may not be applicable for this project as they may be  a
forest-wide standard and are not appropriate to be analyzed at the project level. These are also
identified and an explanation of why they are not appropriate is provided.
3.1.   SOILS

SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
The scope of the analysis for soils, including landslide risk,  includes the American River and
Crooked River watersheds.  Each of the two watersheds will be addressed separately.

The temporal bounds for soil and displacement effects are 70 years or more based on recovery
curves developed on the Payette National Forest (Froelich et a/., 1985,  Geist et a/., 1989 as
cited in Page-Dumroese,  1993), and pre-project monitoring completed in 2002 for the Meadow
Face Stewardship project (USDA FS, 2002) and the Red River Watershed Assessment (USDA
FS, 2003a). Results from this field monitoring indicate little recovery over 30 to 50 years.

Temporal  bounds for recovery of hot slash pile burns are not  known,  but effects  are evident 30
years after burning.

Soil  erosion may decline to negligible within five years on burned and harvested areas.   Mass
wasting is considered to affect soil productivity for 20 years  or more, until soil  organic  matter
accumulates and colluvium fills in channels scoured by debris torrents.

Temporal  bounds for potassium  effects are indefinite since rates of geologic input of potassium
are very slow in Belt-age metamorphic rocks susceptible to potassium  loss.

Temporal  bounds for road-related effects are indefinite, because roads may continue to erode
and produce sediment throughout their life, although peak erosion is typically at construction.

Temporal  bounds for  large woody debris effects are 172 to 573 years, the time needed to
develop a new stand, generate mortality in mature trees, and then see them fall and decay into
soil wood (Harvey et al, 1987).

Soil productivity is the inherent capacity of a soil to support the growth of specified plants, plant
communities, and soil biota. Soil also performs an important role in hydrologic function: the
ability of the soil to absorb, store, and transmit water both vertically and horizontally.  Elements
selected and  indicators to evaluate and compare the alternatives in  regard to soil productivity
are associated with soil physical, chemical, and  biological properties.

SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

INDICATORS INCLUDE:

SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT

   •   Acres  of ground based  logging  and/or machine piling on soils highly  susceptible to
       compaction and displacement (USDA FS, 1987b, Page-Dumroese, 1993)

   •   Acres of road construction
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
   •   Acres of soil restoration

   •   Acres of road decommissioning through full recontouring.

SURFACE AND SUBSTRATUM EROSION

   •   Acres of harvest on soils rated as high hazard for surface soil erosion (USDA FS, 1987b)

   •   Acres of road construction on soil substrata (parent materials) rated as high hazard for
       erosion (USDA FS, 1987b)

   •   Acres of road decommissioning and soil restoration.

MASS EROSION
   •   Acres of harvest and road construction on terrain rated high for landslide hazard

COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS
   •   Number of proposed activity  areas  estimated to have sustained detrimental  soil
       disturbance in excess of forest plan standards using definitions of the Northern Region
       soil quality guidelines (USDA FS, 1999b).

SOIL CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

INDICATORS INCLUDE:

INDICATORS OF SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN LOSS

   •   Potassium  - Acres of whole tree yarding with more than 50 percent crown removal on
       metamorphic rock types susceptible to potassium deficiency.

   •   Nitrogen - Acres of whole tree yarding with more than 50 percent crown removal on any
       rock type.

INDICATORS OF POTENTIAL LOSS OF LARGE WOOD
   •   Acres of clearcut harvest and slash disposal

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
The  Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act of  1960 directs the Forest Service to achieve  and
maintain outputs of various renewable resources in perpetuity without permanent impairment of
the land's productivity.

Section 6 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 charges the Secretary of Agriculture
with ensuring  research and continuous monitoring of each management system to safeguard
the land's productivity.

The  Code of Federal  Regulations for NFMA  (Title 36  CFR  219.27, 2004)  states that all
management prescriptions shall conserve soil and water resources and not allow significant or
permanent impairment of site productivity.

The 2005 Code of Regulations for Forest Planning (Title 36 CFR 219.12) requires the Forest
Service to ensure that forest plans include the resource management guidelines required by 16
U.S.C.  1604 (g)(3)E(i). That code requires that timber will be harvested from National Forest
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 System  lands only where soil, slope, or other watershed conditions will not be  irreversibly
 damaged. The guidelines were built into the 1987 Forest Plan as standards.

 The Nez Perce Forest Plan  (USDA FS, 1987a) directs the management of soil and water
 resources at levels designed  to meet Forest  management objectives for watersheds.   The
 delineation, management, and protection of landslide prone  areas and wetland soils are
 addressed in Forest Plan Amendment 20 (USDA FS 1987a, PACFISH). "Best  management
 practices" shall be applied to all land-disturbing activities, including prevention of soil erosion
 during land management activities.  The Plan additionally directs that we  manage the soil
 resource such that  the  potential  for soil  productivity is  maintained  through the following
 standards:

    1.  Evaluate the potential  for compaction, puddling, mass wasting, and soil erosion for all
       ground-disturbing activities,

    2.  Ensure that a minimum of 80 percent of an activity area (such as a timber harvest unit) is
       not detrimentally compacted, displaced, or puddled upon completion of activities

    3.  Maintain sufficient ground cover to minimize rill erosion and sloughing on road cut and fill
       slopes and sheet erosion on other activity areas (USDA FS,  1987a, p. II-22).

 Northern Region Soil Quality Guidelines (USDA  FS, 1999b) direct us to manage National Forest
 System lands without permanent impairment of land productivity and to maintain or improve soil
 quality.

 For the two watershed project areas, the Nez  Perce  National Forest Plan soil standards will
 apply without amendment.   Any  harvest unit  found  to  exceed  the 20 percent detrimental
 disturbance threshold from past human-caused  activities will not be entered,  unless additional
 impacts do not result in any increase in area of detrimental disturbance. Where  past human-
 caused activities have resulted in detrimental disturbance below 20 percent, cumulative impacts
 upon completion of activities proposed for this project must not exceed 20 percent.

 Detrimental disturbance is defined as a 15 percent increase in natural bulk density; wheel ruts at
 least 2 inches deep in wet soils; removal of 1 or more inches depth of any surface soil horizon;
 from a continuous area greater than 100 square feet, high  intensity burns of long  duration that
 alter soil  physical  and  biological properties;  and rills, gullies, pedestals and soil  deposition
 indicative of detrimental surface erosion (USDA FS, 1999b).

 ANALYSIS METHODS
 Baseline conditions and ecosystem processes are derived from ecological land unit mapping
 and field  reconnaissance.  Soil susceptibility to compaction,  displacement, and  erosion was
 inferred from soil survey map units (USDA FS, 1987b), and field reconnaissance for this project.

 Past soil compaction and displacement were inferred from areas that have been tractor logged
 or dozer piled, as documented in the Timber Stand Management Record System (TSMRS), and
through photo interpretation or field reconnaissance.   The linkage between tractor operation,
 machine  piling, and soil compaction, displacement, and soil productivity is established through
scientific research (Cullen et a/., 1991, Froelich et a/., 1983) and Forest monitoring (USDA FS
 1988a, 1990, 1992, 1999c, 2003b, 2003c,  and 2003c).  Field surveys identified few areas of any
prior impacts. A few units had limited evidence of skidding in small portions of the unit, and are
well within Forest Plan standards (field notes on file at Forest headquarters).  Any units that had


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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
significant  prior impacts were dropped from  further consideration.   Remaining  units  are
expected to fully meet soil quality standards prior to the proposed activity.

Sensitivity to soil potassium and nitrogen loss was estimated using the  work of Garrison and
Moore, 1998.

The management strategy for landslide prone terrain is to minimize risk  of slope failure in
response to management activities.  This tiers to the three level approach of Prellwitz, et al
(1983).   At level I  (resource allocation) stability analysis delineates  areas susceptible to
landslides on  a broad scale to  identify areas  of greatest hazard.  A  landslide  inventory is
correlated to features of slope, geology, vegetation, etc. This usually uses available information
like soil surveys or geologic hazard maps developed  from  low intensity sampling. At level  II
(project planning), areas of instability are identified more specifically on the ground through
reconnaissance  or more advanced modeling.  This may use expertise  of engineers and  soil
scientists. At this level, decisions can be made to avoid or continue.  For this project, avoidance
has  been selected.  Continuance  would require  isolation of critical sites for more thorough
analysis. These are  usually road routes.  At level III, complex analyses requiring site visits and
sampling and development of road stabilization plans are required.

No harvest or road construction  will  occur on areas of high landslide hazard.  Any currently
proposed road construction or harvest on high landslide hazard terrain will be field verified and
amended to avoid areas of high risk.

Susceptibility to mass wasting was estimated using Forest protocols described in reports on file
at Forest Headquarters (USDA FS  1996a and 2002a).  Hazard rating for landslides is defined
conservatively for this Forest and  this  project. The following definition was used in mapping and
field evaluations.

Lands rated high tend to have the following properties:

Slopes generally in  excess of 60  percent with one  or more of the following features  well
expressed:

   •   High drainage dissection  indicative of debris torrent tracks, shallow soils, or  subsoil
       moisture  concentration, concave slopes, scarps or hummocks showing past landslide
      activity, steep concave lower slope positions that collect subsoil moisture, areas of jack-
      strawed trees, pistol butting, significant creep, concentrations of soil  moisture on steep
      slopes.  Landtype 50EUU is landslide derived  terrain on  steep slopes and may often
      include significant areas of high risk.

Lands mapped as moderate tend to have the following properties:

   •  Landtype 50-CUUs with little evidence of recent movement.  These are landslide derived
      terrain features. SOCUUs  should always  be evaluated on site before  dismissal.  Expect
      to find local areas of high risk within SOCUUs and other lands rated  as moderate, and
      drop these high-risk local areas from harvest.  Some areas might be determined low-risk
      after field evaluation; however, others  will require  modified  prescription to  sustain low
      risk.

   •  Steep straight or convex slopes with few other  indicators:  55-70 percent stable convex
      slopes perhaps sometimes up to 75 percent.  In the American Crooked area,  some 40-
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
       60 percent slopes were rated moderate where they were in concave slope positions, or
       appeared  to be  associated with water concentrations.    Steep slopes  may  have
       productivity issues and regeneration issues aside from stability that should be evaluated
       on  site.   To be  moderate, areas of steep slopes should show no  topographic or
       photographic evidence of debris  torrent tracks, debris avalanche scars, steep moist
       concave swales, scarps or depositional lobes, and no to very little tree creep or pistol
       butting and no jack-strawed trees.

 Lands not  mapped  as  high or moderate  are rated  low, and the likelihood of finding  unstable
 areas should be  low, but can occur.  Watershed specialists, timber sale  layout and marking
 crews are taught to recognize and mitigate for included unstable  areas through avoidance or
 preferential leave tree marking of large and deep-rooted species like ponderosa pine or Douglas
 fir.

 Field reconnaissance surveys were comprehensive over more than half of the  original project
 area (project maps and notes on file at Forest headquarters), and focused  particularly on areas
 where  preliminary indicators of slope  instability were present.  Areas of questionable stability
 were eliminated from further consideration.  Eighty-nine percent of the acres in  surveyed units
 were deemed at low risk of mass erosion by the project soil scientist.  The remaining acres were
 rated as slight or localized  risk and are addressed in the  design  and mitigation  measures.
 Instances of instability after the flood years of 1996-97 were not evident anywhere, neither on
 harvest units nor roads.  Very  little evidence of past road failures was observed since their
 construction, even on terrain mapped as high hazard, with the exception of  small road cut
 sloughing along the  main Crooked River Road 233.  Level  I Stability Analysis (Hammond ef a/.,
 1992) applied  to  representative landtypes, assuming complete  clearcuts,  yielded estimated
 factors of safety  of  1.03-1.88,  and a probability of failure of 0.000 on landtypes rated as
 moderate hazard  (USDA FS,  1987b).  In  these settings, areas of risk are  expected to be few,
 small, and readily avoidable through project layout or adjustment of prescription.  See Table 2.3,
 which includes provision  for avoiding  areas of high hazard and addressing risk through site-
 specific adjustments of treatments on areas of moderate hazard.

 3.1.1.   AMERICAN RIVER

 EXISTING CONDITION - AMERICAN RIVER

 INTRODUCTION
 The  South  Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a)  recommended,
 "Restore  aquatic processes" as the area theme for the American River watershed within which
 the project area occurs.  The  priority is high for American River.  Restoration is  to include both
 restoration of aquatic conditions and processes in the watershed and adjustments to the road
 and trail  system to support aquatic restoration and  provide for administrative and public uses
 and maintain wildlife security. The Landscape Assessment is not a decision  document,  but
 does provide important synthesis of existing condition and resource potential in the watershed.

 Soil resource management affects aquatic processes primarily through erosion,  mass wasting,
 and soil compaction or disturbance that affects subsurface slope hydrology.

 GEOLOGY, SOIL DEVELOPMENT, AND LANDFORMS
 Rocks weather to form soil parent material;  and soil texture,  chemistry, and resistance to
erosion are highly conditioned by geology.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
Metamorphic rocks or their derivatives comprise 97 percent of the rock types in the watershed.
Belt-age metamorphic rocks: gneiss, schist, and quartzite, weather to sandy loam, loamy sand,
or sand parent materials and develop into soil parent materials that are rated moderate to high
for substratum erosion hazard (USDA FS, 1987b).  Tertiary sediments and other alluvium are
important in the American River Township, and are stratified sediments derived from the same
geologic materials. They typically weather into soil parent materials that are rated moderate to
high for substratum erosion hazard (USDA FS, 1987b).  These materials typically have low
levels of inherent nutrients, and moderate to poor ability to retain nutrients (Garrison and Moore,
1998).   Potassium  deficiencies noted  in  these  rock  types  can  affect tree  growth and
susceptibility to root disease.

Granitics comprise about 3 percent of the project area.  They  are higher in certain nutrients,
including potassium, but weather to  sandy soils with low ability to retain nutrients. They typically
weather into soil parent materials that are rated high to very high for substratum erosion hazard
(USDAFS, 1987b).

Most  soils  in the project area  have  surface layers formed in volcanic ash-influenced  loess
derived from the eruption of Mt. Mazama about 6700  years ago. This material  is physically
highly favorable to root growth,  being very permeable and with a high ability to hold moisture
and nutrients. This material is very  easy to compact or displace at any moisture content (Page-
Dumroese, 1993), and is essentially irreplaceable.

Soil response to disturbance depends not only on soil type, but topographic setting and slope
hydrology.   Landforms have characteristic  slope shape,  steepness, and stream dissection,
which affect erosion and sediment delivery to streams.

   •   Rolling  hills  of low to moderate  relief  dominate the  watershed at lower and mid
       elevations  (80 percent of the watershed).   The volcanic ash influenced  soil  surface
       layers buffer against erosion except where soil  substrata are exposed, as in roads or
       mines.  Substratum erosion  hazard is moderate to high.  Slopes are gentle to moderate
       and sediment is delivered to streams with moderate efficiency.  Unstable slopes are
       uncommon, and  typically occur  as small  areas  on  lower slopes or  near stream
       headlands.  West and south facing slopes at low elevation may have thin or mixed ash
       surface layers. These soils do not hold moisture as well as ash-influenced soils and are
       more susceptible to surface erosion.

   •   Stream breaklands and steep mountain slopes are of limited extent in the watershed (8
       percent).  In comparison to  rolling hills, breaklands have steep slopes, shallower soils,
       thin  or mixed loess surface layers,  higher surface erosion risk, higher  risk of  mass
       failure, and more rapid delivery of sediment to  streams. Debris torrents  can occur in
       headwater channels after intense rainstorms or rain-on-snow events.

   •   Convex slopes are found at  upper elevations (5  percent  of the area).  In comparison to
       rolling hills, convex slopes have broader ridges,  lower drainage density, and bedrock is
       usually deeply fractured.   Volcanic ash surface  layers are typically present and buffer
       against surface erosion.   Substratum erosion hazard  is high.   Slopes are gentle to
       moderate and sediment is delivered to streams with low efficiency. Unstable slopes are
       uncommon, and  typically occur  as  small  areas  on  lower  slopes or  near  stream
       headlands.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
    •  Alluvial valleys form along low gradient stream channels (3 percent of the watershed).
       Soils are often poorly drained and subject to water transport most of the year.  Substrata
       are coarse sands with gravel and cobble.  Some  have been dredge mined and only
       coarse mine spoils remain. Sediment delivery efficiency is very high (USDA FS, 1987b);
       most of this landform is a riparian area.

 EXISTING CONDITION - AMERICAN RIVER: SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

 EXISTING CONDITION: SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT
 Road  building, mining,  tractor logging, machine piling, and  grazing have  impacted  soils  in
 American River.

 Mining effects  have  been localized but severe: soils in  dredge and placer-mined areas have
 been removed, and sterile tailing piles remain. Soil recovery has been very  slow and some  of
 these  areas still act as sediment sources. A minimum of 307 acres of this condition occurs  in
 the analysis area.

 About 11,314  acres (19 percent of the watershed)  have  been tractor logged, machine  piled  or
 displaced by mining or development, resulting  in  soil  compaction and displacement over some
 of that area. This estimate is derived from timber  stand record systems, photo interpretation,
 and field reconnaissance.  Where the volcanic ash surface  layer is compacted, displaced  or
 mixed, soil moisture holding capacity is significantly impaired (USDA FS, 1999c). Harvest units
 that were tractor logged  and dozer piled average 52 percent of the activity area damaged in the
 adjacent Red River watershed  (USDA FS, 2003a), which  has similar landforms and soils.  Units
 that were tractor logged  and broadcast burned in that watershed averaged 38 percent damaged
 (USDA FS, 2003a).  Units that were tractor logged, but not dozer  piled or scarified, sustained
 12-42  percent  damage.  Other  monitoring  data indicate  15-25 percent damage for  tractor
 logging without machine piling (USDA FS, 1990 and 1991).

 Excavator piling has been documented on 250 acres in  American River. This is usually less
 impactive than  dozer piling, but can still sometimes result in more than 20 percent detrimental
 disturbance. An estimate of total soil damage from  past ground-based logging is 35 percent  of
 the total area tractor logged, or 3,960 acres.

 About  778 acres of cable yarding have occurred in American  River.  Soil damage is  usually
 confined  to yarding corridors and landings, and accounts for about 4 percent of the activity area,
 based  on monitoring in other areas (USDA FS, 2003b).

 Road  construction  also displaces  soil,  with long-term to  permanent impairment  of  soil
 productivity. About 860 acres of documented system roads occur where topsoil and  subsoil
 have  been displaced, mixed, or lost to  erosion.   This  represents about 1.5 percent  of the
 analysis area.  Additional undocumented non-system roads occur in the Elk City Township.

 Motorized and  non-motorized trails account for an estimated 65 acres of soil disturbance. Soils
are both  compacted  and displaced.  Numerous undocumented  user-created ATV trails exist,
which add to the amount of detrimental disturbance in the project area.

The larger privately owned meadows near Elk City have been  grazed since the mining era,  and
about 700 acres are likely to have been most compacted.  Grazing after the fires of 1889, 1910,
and 1919 was probably widespread in the burned areas of the watershed. The current
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 American River allotment runs 180 cows in the  upper part  of the watershed and  over the
 watershed divide into the Selway subbasin.

 EXISTING CONDITION: SURFACE AND SUBSTRATUM EROSION
 Road building is the primary current source of erosion and sediment production in the project
 area.  Forty-two percent of the watershed is rated high for substratum erosion hazard (USDA
 FS, 1987b).  About 251 acres of past  road construction (about 63 miles) are on soil substrata
 that are rated high for erosion hazard.  Road erosion and sediment yield usually decline over
 time, but  continue at a chronic level indefinitely (Cline, et al,  1981).  Periodic large pulses of
 erosion may occur during  intense or  prolonged rainstorms or rain-on-snow events, or  after
 burning or harvest that increases water yield and overland flow in interaction with road drainage
 systems (Wemple, 1994).

 Past mining has caused  locally  severe erosion of both surface soil  and substrata,  often
 concentrated in valleys where eroded  material can reach streams:  American River, Little and
 Big Elk Creeks, and Buffalo Gulch have been most affected (USDA FS, 1998a).  A minimum of
 307 acres has been affected by dredge mining. Other upland mine sediment sources also exist,
 where soils have been displaced.

 Past fires have resulted in locally severe surface erosion, but post-fire erosion typically declines
 to negligible with vegetation recovery in about 4 years (Megahan, cited in Cline, et al, 1981; and
 Elliot, Robichaud, and Brown, 1999 as shown  in Elliot and Robichaud, 2001). The most recent
 large fire occurred in 1919.  This fire burned about 24,000 acres or 41 percent of the watershed.
 This was also the largest documented fire in American River.  Other large fires burned in  1878,
 1889, and 1910.  Human ignitions may have been a factor in these fires, but 1889, 1910, and
 1919 were severe fire years throughout the region (Barrett et al., 1997).

 Surface erosion from timber harvest has been slight.  The volcanic ash-influenced surface soil is
 rated as low surface erosion hazard (USDA FS, 1987b) and occurs over more than 75 percent
 of the project area. Excavated skid trails and temporary roads are prone to erosion because the
 surface soil  is removed. About 507 acres have been harvested in the past on soils with high
 surface erosion potential. These are on steep slopes,  usually on south aspects, or in riparian
 areas where soil is readily detached and  transported by water. Harvest has occurred on 510
 acres on soils with moderate surface erosion hazard.  They are  usually on steep slopes on north
 aspects.  Surface erosion on harvest units typically declines to negligible over time, except for
 some landings,  excavated skid trails, and temporary roads that  remain on the landscape (Cline,
 etal, 1981).

 Motorized and  non-motorized  trails  account  for 65  acres of  soil disturbance, susceptible to
 surface and  subsurface erosion.  Thirty-five acres are on soil  substrata rated high for erosion
 hazard.  Numerous undocumented user-created ATV trails exist in addition to the system trails,
 and add disproportionately to the amount of erosion  in  the project area, because they may go
 straight up slopes or cross  creeks, and  have no erosion controls.  They are often gullied or
 rutted.

 EXISTING CONDITION: MASS EROSION
 Landslide  hazard is low in most of the  analysis area, and few instances of mass erosion have
occurred in harvest units or along roads.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Mass erosion is the movement of large bodies of soil under the effect of gravity. Movement may
 be accelerated by high moisture levels, undercutting of toe  slopes, or loss of tree rooting
 strength, among other factors (Chatwin,  et al, 1991).  Landslides here include slumps, creep,
 debris avalanches or flows, debris torrents, and bedrock slides. Landslides can result in on-site
 loss of soil productivity,  as surface soils are translocated down slope.  Sediment delivered to
 streams may comprise fine sediments, which could have negative impacts,  or larger rock and
 large organic debris, which could enhance stream habitat complexity.

 About  362 acres (less than  ;6 percent of the analysis area) are mapped as high  hazard for
 landslides. These are steep slopes, especially in concave  headwalls, and features that show
 evidence of past mass wasting.  Debris avalanche, debris torrent, and shallow slumps are the
 most likely kinds of mass failures in the area, but field reconnaissance  indicates  past  mass
 wasting has  been generally restricted to small scale-events with modest  impacts.   Tertiary
 sediments are common  in the Elk City Township.  These materials are prone to small slumps
 when saturated, especially road cut failures (USDA FS, 1987b).

 Road construction in such settings may precipitate road cut or fill failures,  and occasionally loss
 of the road prism, or, by undercutting a toe slope, activate a landslide upslope.  Only 1 acre of
 road construction and  33 acres of timber  harvest have  occurred on land rated high for landslide
 risk.  No  documented landslide  response has occurred on  these areas.   During the  flood
 episode  of 1996-1997,  no  mass  erosion  was  reported  in  the  analysis area.    Field
 reconnaissance for this project found few  instances of mass wasting from roads and old harvest
 units (Gerhardt, N., 2003).

 EXISTING CONDITION: COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST AND REGIONAL SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS
 An estimated 73 percent (208) of past activity areas on FS lands in American River today would
 show detrimental soil disturbance  in excess of 20 percent.

 Soil quality standards apply to activity areas other than the dedicated transportation system and
 administrative sites. Activity  areas include temporary  roads, harvest units, mine sites, grazed
 areas,  and burned areas.  This discussion focuses on Forest Soil Standard number 2:  areal
 extent  of detrimental soil disturbance.  Refer to the  Legal Framework in the Soil Resource
 section.   Compliance is only considered here for Forest Service lands,  since  the same
 standards do  not apply to BLM or private  lands. Standards were not in place prior to 1987, but
 using the standards as a  reference helps understand existing conditions in  the analysis area.

 About 5,829 acres (287  activity areas) have been tractor-logged  or mined on FS  lands, or 14
 percent of the FS lands in the watershed.  About 90 percent of logging has been ground-based.
 Most of this logging occurred from 1960-1989. American River is considered similar in soils and
 logging history to Red River, where 80  percent of sampled tractor logged  activity areas did not
 meet Forest Plan standards.   In  many instances, these impacts  occurred prior to forest plan
 implementation, but monitoring of more  recent activities shows  inconsistent improvement in
 practices.  This degree of soil  damage is consistent both with other Forest monitoring (USDA FS
 1988a, 1990, 1992), and research (Krag, 1991; Froelich, 1978;  Davis, 1990, Alexander and
 Poff, 1985).

Cable logging typically produces relatively little soil damage (research cited in Alexander and
Poff, 1985). Two sampled cable-logging units in Red River each showed 4 percent detrimental
disturbance. About 286 acres, about 0.7 percent of the  Forest Service lands in the American
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
River watershed, have been cable-logged.  This amounts to 29 activity areas, all of which are
expected to meet current soil quality standards.

EXISTING CONDITION - AMERICAN RIVER: SOIL CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

EXISTING CONDITION: SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN
Clearcut harvest, yarding of tops and limbs, and piling and burning slash have locally affected
nitrogen and potassium reserves in about 15 percent of the watershed.

The inherent rock nutrient status of the local metamorphic gneisses, schists, and quartzites in
American River is rated as medium to  poor  (Garrison  and Moore, 1998), but no sampling
specific to the analysis area has been done.  Their expected soil nutrient status is also medium
to low (Buol, et al,  1989).  These rock types account for about 85 percent of the analysis area.
Only 130 acres of YUM yarding (yarding  unmerchantable  material) or yarding of slash has been
documented in the analysis area,  on this geologic material.   Much of this yarding may have
been bole only, but tops and limbs may also have been removed. Removal of tops and limbs is
likely to result in about twice as much potassium loss as bole-only yarding, so a few localized
areas may have sustained potassium loss.  Burning at  temperatures of 750° C or more will
volatilize potassium (Hungerford, et al, 1991).  These temperatures can  be attained in burning
slash piles (Glassy and  Svalberg,  1981),  which has been a common practice in the watershed
(1,173 acres).  This does not include undocumented acres  where  piling and burning have
occurred within the Township, or past wildfires.

Granites are rated as  having  good inherent nutrient status, but medium to low soil nutrient
status because of their poor  capacity  for nutrient retention.   Granites account for about 3
percent of the analysis area. Alluvial deposits of mixed origin comprise the remainder.

Volcanic ash surface soils have nutrient holding capacity and good moisture storage capacity,
but may not have high levels of available soil nutrients, including potassium  (Stark and Spitzner,
1982).

Of the tree species likely to be removed, grand  fir accumulates the highest foliar levels  of
potassium.  Harvesting tops of this species  is  more likely to deplete soil  potassium than
harvesting  lodgepole pine  tops, which have the lowest levels of foliar potassium (Moore, et al,
2004).

Soil  nitrogen is  typically  limiting in all rock and soil types  and whole tree yarding has similar  or
greater effects on soil nitrogen reservoirs (Shaw, 2003).  Soil nitrogen can be replenished more
rapidly through nitrogen fixation or atmospheric deposition  than can  potassium, which must
weather from rocks.

About 8,820 acres, or about 15 percent of the American  River watershed, have been clearcut
harvested with dozer  piling  or  broadcast burning.   Nitrogen losses  have  probably  been
substantial  on these sites.  Because slash disposal  burns logs on the  ground  rather than
standing trees, soil temperatures can be hotter and nitrogen loss by volatilization may therefore
be greater than with a wildfire.

EXISTING CONDITION:  SOIL WOOD
Clearcut harvest, intensive slash treatments have locally affected  coarse woody debris over
about 15 percent of the watershed.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Coarse woody  debris (CWD) is woody material derived  from  tree limbs, boles,  and roots in
 various stages of decay, here defined as that larger than 3 inches in  diameter (Graham, et a/,
 1994).  Coarse  woody debris protects the soil from erosion, contributes to wildlife and fisheries
 habitat, and moderates soil  microclimate.  Highly decayed CWD can  hold more water than
 mineral soil,  provides  sites  for nitrogen  fixation, and releases nutrients through  decay or
 burning.   Highly  decayed  wood provides sites for  ectomycorrhizal  colonization, which
 contributes to plant growth and plays a role in the food chains of many small rodents and their
 predators.

 Coarse woody debris in natural systems fluctuates with forest growth, mortality, fire, and decay.
 Harvest and slash burning can remove large wood to a degree that its soil function is impaired,
 since both standing boles and down wood may be much reduced.

 About 8,820 acres, or about  15 percent of the American River watershed, have been clearcut
 harvested with dozer piling or broadcast burning. Most of this harvest was prior to 1990, when
 the first large woody debris prescriptions might have been implemented.  Field  reconnaissance
 in the adjacent Red River watershed indicates large woody debris is deficient on such sites, in
 comparison to most natural disturbance regimes.   In addition,  very few green trees or snags
 were left on regeneration harvest units, so that very few trees are available for recruitment over
 the next 50-100 years.

 Areas of old forest in moist habitats and areas of past mortality of lodgepole pine in the beetle
 outbreak of the  1980s may have heavy loads of CWD. They are not  unnaturally high, but are
 susceptible to consumption by wildfire.  Wildfire would consume some material and create dead
 standing timber, which would be recruited as large woody debris over time.

 3.1.1.1.  ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

 SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT

 DIRECT EFFECTS

      TABLE 3.6 - INDICATORS OF SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT: AMERICAN RIVER
Activity
Acres of ground-based timber harvest on soils rated high for
compaction or displacement hazard plus new temporary road
construction
Acres of required/additional soil restoration on old harvest
units. Most are associated with roads to be decommissioned.
Acres of required/additional soil restoration through
decommissioning of old roads
Alternative
A
0
0
0
B
424
5/0
20/0
c
516
8/0
30/0
D1
764
10/10
34/44
E
251
20/0
78/0
ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Under  the  'no action' alternative,  no soil compaction  or displacement would occur  as a
consequence of road construction, timber harvest, or fuel reduction activities. Existing soil
 If all the additional soil restoration is done under Alternative D, it would be equivalent to Alternative E.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 compaction and displacement would persist with very slight natural recovery of surface layers of
 compacted soils.  No soil restoration or watershed improvement activities would occur, so the
 long-term upward trend would be slow.
 If a wildfire occurred, mechanized suppression activities and subsequent salvage logging could
 create severe soil impacts, depending on fire characteristics and administrative decisions. The
 scope of such impacts is not foreseeable, given the uncertainties of fire ignition and burning
 weather.  Because the  location, intensity, and size of future fire, or agency actions in response
i to  fire, are uncertain, with  or without implementing any  action alternative, the evaluation of
 alternatives by fire hazard is most appropriately addressed in the Fire section.

 The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased potential
 for locally  severe fire  effects on  soil,  including physical  alteration  of soil structure and
 development of hydrophobic layers, but compaction and displacement from a potential natural
 wildfire are not likely.

 ACTION ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 Alternative D  would result in the greatest direct soil compaction and displacement, Alternative
 E the least, and alternatives B and C intermediate.

 Proposed roadside salvage of dead and at risk trees would limit skidding equipment to operating
 on the road, and steep cut slopes would be protected from  damage, so the potential for soil
 disturbance is slight under any alternative.

 Soil restoration proposed in Alternative E  is greatest, Alternative B the least, and alternatives C
 and D intermediate. If all the additional soil restoration is done under Alternative D, it would be
 equivalent to Alternative E.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 Indirect effects of soil compaction and displacement include effects to vegetation and hydrologic
 processes.  Compaction and displacement can result in reduced moisture  holding capacity,
 greater drought stress,  and susceptibility to pathogens or fire. Certain species  have a greater
 competitive advantage  in disturbed soils, like weeds or lodgepole pine, so that shifts in  plant
 community composition have been noted in field inventories of harvest units (USDA FS, 2003c).
 Altered soil porosity and moisture holding capacity (USDA  FS, 1999c) could contribute to higher
 drought stress, lower ground cover, and shifts in disturbance regimes like erosion or fire. The
 relative ranking of likely persistent indirect effects by alternative is (least effect to greatest):  A,
 E,  B, C, and  D.  Although soil restoration is high in D and E, compared to  A, the total area
 impacted is still  greater in any action alternative.  All  alternatives are designed  to  meet soil
 quality standards, and monitoring prior to, during, and  after implementation (Appendix I) would
 assure this outcome or provide for needed restoration.

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 Soil compaction effects can last 70 years (Froelich  et a/, 1983).  Effects are irretrievable for that
 time period, but  not irreversible.  Decompaction can  at least partly restore  soil  porosity and
 productivity.  Soil displacement that mixes or removes the volcanic ash surface layer reduces
 soil moisture holding capacity, which may be irreversible and irretrievable.  The relative ranking
 of likely persistent soil compaction and displacement by alternative is (least effect to greatest ):
 A, E, B, C, and D. All alternatives are designed to meet soil quality standards, and monitoring
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 prior to, during, and after implementation (Appendix I) would assure this outcome or provide for
 needed restoration.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES

   TABLE 3.7 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT: AMERICAN RIVER
ACTIVITY
Acres of ground-based timber harvest on
soils rated high for compaction or
displacement hazard, plus road
construction or mining
Acres of required/additional soil
restoration on old harvest units. Most
are spatially associated with roads to be
decommissioned
Acres of required/additional soil
restoration through system road
decommissioning, assuming road
recontour
Existing Condition Plus Proposed and Foreseeable
Actions1
A
13,439
0
0
B
13,863
5/0
20/0
C
13,955
8/0
30/0
D2
14,203
10/10
34/44
E
13,690
20/0
78/0
Existing
12,546
0
0
Mitigation and restoration can confine soil compaction and displacement to within Forest Plan
standards, and reduce the likelihood of effects to productivity, diversity, and weed susceptibility.
Additional soil restoration associated with decommissioning of old roads and treating old harvest
units would also reduce the extent of cumulative effects  within the  project area.  Cumulative
effects  are directly  related  to the scope  of timber  harvest and mechanical fuel  reduction
activities, temporary road construction,  and soil restoration,  including road decommissioning.
The relative ranking  of likely cumulative effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect):  A, E,
B, C, and D. All alternatives are designed  to meet soil quality standards, and monitoring prior
to,  during, and  after implementation (Appendix I) would  assure this outcome or provide for
needed restoration.  Alternative A would  not do any soil restoration, but would avoid impacts on
a greater number of acres than would be restored under any alternative.

Activities that cause soil compaction and displacement may have cumulative effects on  soil
porosity; water  holding capacity, aeration,  and long-term productivity, with  repeated  entries.
Where we  have documentation on National Forest lands, repeated entries using ground-based
equipment have cumulatively added to soil effects. About 1,528 acres (14 percent of the tractor
logged  areas) have  documented multiple entries with ground-based equipment.  The actual
extent is likely to be more.  Of those documented, about 59 percent have been entered  three
times, and a few stands up to five times.  Big Elk, Upper American, Flint, Whitaker, and Queen
 The primary foreseeable action includes 809 acres of tractor logging, 2.3 acres of permanent road construction and
64.4 acres of temporary road construction in the Eastside Township project, and 17 acres of tractor logging in the Elk
City school timber sale.
2
 If all the additional restoration is done under Alternative D, it would be equivalent to E.  Note that Alternative D
includes required and additional restoration. The first number is the required restoration, the second is the additional
restoration that will be done if funding is available.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
Creek watersheds have been most subject to multiple ground-based  logging or slash piling.
Lower American River,  Lower Elk, and Little Elk Creek watersheds are  likely to have sustained
undocumented multiple impacts based on the logging and mining history.  No repeated entries
into harvest units affected by past harvest are proposed for this project  so cumulative effects at
the unit scale are negligible.

Cumulative effects may also occur at the landscape level, where large areas of compacted and
displaced soil affect vegetation dynamics,  runoff, and  water yield regimes in a subwatershed.
About 4,849 acres are currently estimated to have sustained  detrimental compaction  or
displacement in  the American River watershed due to logging, mining, or  road construction.
See the description of historic activities in American River at the head of this chapter. About 50
percent of the documented ground-based logging occurred in the  years  1972 through 1981,
about 14 percent from 1993 through 1996.  Undocumented  logging  was extensive  for  land
clearing and construction during the earlier mining eras.  Major locations and timing of harvest
included the late 1950s in Little Elk Creek and West Fork American river subwatersheds, 1961
in Middle American River and Flint Creek,  middle 1960s as part of the  Little Elk Creek project,
1970s in Lower  American, Upper American, and Flint Creek, 1980s in Flint Creek and Kirks
Fork,  1990s as part of multiple BLM sales in the Township in Big Elk Creek and Lower American
River, 2000 and 2002 in Lower American  River throughout the private lands in the Township.
Impacts  tended  to change  by  time  period because different equipment,  constraints,  and
silvicultural prescriptions were used.   Early logging  in the mining era was sometimes selective
and slash disposal negligible, so that effects were variable and sometimes slight.  From the mid
1950s through  1980s  impacts were  severe due  to  both, uncontrolled  skidding  and heavy
scarification for fuels and site preparation.   Broadcast burning occurred in some areas in the
1960s and 1980s and usually resulted in reduced compaction and displacement.  During the
late 1980s and 1990s some restrictions on timing of operations and skid trail spacing may have
been  employed.   Recent  use of forwarders and  fuels concerns  have prompted extensive
grapple  piling,  both of which result in  more  widely spread compaction, but  often  less
displacement (USDA FS, 2003c).

At the subwatershed scale, proposed ground based logging in  Queen Creek, Kirks Fork, Lower
American River,  Box Sing Creek,  East Fork American  River, Middle American River,  and  Flint
Creek would  add  to  the percent  of each  subwatershed  affected by  compaction  and
displacement, but by modest amounts.

Mining activity has contributed to cumulative effects  on soil displacement  primarily through
ditching in the late 1800s, which interrupted local slope hydrology and  displaced surface soils,
hydraulic  mines which washed away  both topsoil  and  subsoils,  hard  rock mining which
excavated pits and addits,  and dredging in the 1930s, which removed  valley alluvium and left
sterile mine spoils.  Dredging has particularly displaced valley soils in the American, Lower
American River,  Buffalo Gulch, and Little Elk Creek subwatersheds.  No harvest is proposed in
areas affected by past mining.

Grazing has probably occurred along the privately owned valley meadows since  the discovery
of gold in 1861  until the present.  Lower forested slopes around the meadows  have been
converted to pasture and also  grazed for many years.  This conversion  is  noted in Leiberg
(1898, p. 326).   Livestock grazing probably compacted  the  moist soils  of these  low-lying
meadows and slopes.  This has affected an estimated 1304 acres.  No harvest is proposed in
these  areas.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The alternatives will add from 61 to 195 acres of compacted or displaced soils, depending on
 alternative, but will not impact areas already affected by harvest or mining, so cumulative effects
 considered on an activity area basis would be negligible.  Considered across the watershed,
 cumulative effects of this project and the foreseeable Eastside Township project and Elk City
 school harvest, which could add an estimated  356 acres of compacted or displaced soils due to
 harvest and road construction, which would comprise about 1 percent of the American River
 watershed.

 The roadside salvage  proposed for this project  limits equipment operation to roads, and
 provides for protection of steep cutslopes so that soil compaction and displacement should be
 minimal.

 SURFACE AND SUBSTRATUM EROSION

 DIRECT EFFECTS

               TABLE 3.8 - INDICATORS OF SURFACE AND SUBSTRATUM EROSION
Activity
Acres of timber harvest on soils rated high for surface erosion
hazard
Acres of road construction on soil substrata (parent materials)
rated high for erosion hazard
Acres of required/additional road decommissioning or soil
restoration
Alternative
A
0
0
0
B
0
4
25/0
c
0
7
38/0
D1
0
7
44/54
E
0
2
98/0
ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Under the 'no action' alternative, surface and substratum erosion processes would continue on
roads, skid  trails, and landings with slight abatement  as  slow natural vegetation  recovery
occurs.    Erosion from harvest units would  continue  to  decline  to  negligible.   No  new
management sources of surface or substratum erosion would occur, so the net trend would be
reduced management-derived erosion. However,  no soil or watershed improvement  activities
would occur, so the long-term upward trend would be slow.

If a wildfire  were to occur,  consequent surface soil erosion would  range from negligible to
severe,  depending on  location,  size  and  severity of burn, soil disturbance associated  with
suppression,  salvage logging, or burn rehabilitation activities, and  interaction of watershed
response with the existing transportation system. The scope of such impacts is not foreseeable,
given  the uncertainties of fire ignition and burning weather.

The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased  potential
for locally severe burning behavior, which can increase the likelihood of surface erosion, but this
may be  similar to risks associated with logging and broadcast burning on areas proposed for
treatment. Sediment modeling assumptions derived from research (Cline, et al,  1981) suggest
that erosion  from tractor logging on gentle to moderate  slopes would be slightly  less than a
severe fire on  a steep slope,  cumulatively over  a 5-year  time span,  not  considering the
additional substratum erosion from harvest  access  roads. Alternative  evaluation would depend


 If all the additional restoration is done under Alternative D, it would be equivalent to E.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
on the reduction of wildfire size and severity in untreated areas.  Refer to the discussion of fire
hazard in the Section 3.4. - Fire.

ACTION ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

Alternative E would result in little surface erosion and the least substratum erosion, Alternatives
C and D the most, with Alternative B intermediate, considering both harvest, road construction
and restoration effects. Alternative D would be more similar to E if all the additional restoration
work were done. Road construction is more likely to result in erosion than harvest.

On the areas proposed  for possible roadside salvage of dead  and at risk trees,  skidding
equipment  is limited  to operating  on the road, and steep cut slopes would be protected from
damage, so the potential exposure to soil erosion is slight.

The soil restoration would reduce surface and substratum  erosion problems on some system
roads, and  other sites, particularly on  steep skid trails, poorly vegetated landings, and existing
temporary roads. Alternative E proposes the most  restoration and treats the most acres (10) on
highly erodible substrata.  Alternative D would be the same for restoration if all additional
restoration  were implemented.

INDIRECT -  ALL ALTERNATIVES
The relative ranking of likely indirect effects by alternative is (least to greatest effects): E, D, A,
B, and C.  All alternatives would implement design criteria and mitigation measures to minimize
rill erosion  and  sloughing on  road cut slopes, and develop burn prescriptions to  minimize
erosion on  harvest units.

Indirect effects of soil surface  and  substratum  erosion  include effects  to  vegetation  and
hydrologic  processes.  Surface erosion  removes  the soil materials with the greatest ability to
hold moisture and nutrients, potentially resulting in greater  drought stress, poorer growth, and
susceptibility to pathogens or fire. Since volcanic  ash is not easily replaced, these effects may
be very long lasting.  Certain species have a greater competitive advantage in eroded soils, like
knapweed  or lodgepole pine,  so  that shifts in plant community composition and consequent
disturbance regimes  like erosion or fire,  could occur. Eroded surface  and substratum material
may be delivered to streams  and have consequences to  water quality, stream temperature,
quality of fish  habitat, and  channel  morphology.  See  the discussions in 'Sections  3.2.  -
Watershed  and 3.3. - Fisheries.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL  ALTERNATIVES
The relative ranking of likely  soil erosion by  alternative is (least to greatest effects): E, D, A, B,
and C.  Effects of eroded  substratum material are  not irretrievable  or irreversible, although
effects as delivered sediment may be long lasting.

Eroded  surface soil, where it is derived from volcanic ash influenced loess, is irretrievable and
irreversible.  Residual soil  materials would develop  into topsoil over several decades to
hundreds of years, but this material may lack the moisture holding properties of volcanic ash.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES

            TABLE 3.9 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL EROSION: AMERICAN RIVER
ACTIVITY
Acres of timber harvest or burn on soils
rated high for surface erosion hazard
Acres of road or trail construction on
soil substrata rated high for erosion
hazard
Acres of required/additional road
decommissioning or soil restoration
Existing Condition Plus Proposed and Foreseeable
Actions1
A
507
291
0
B
507
295
25/0
C
507
298
38/0
D2
507
298
44/54
E
507
293
98/0
Existing
507
286
'0
 Cumulative effects are directly related  to the scope of timber harvest and temporary road
 construction  on  susceptible  soils,  and the  degree  of  compensation  offered  by  road
 decommissioning  and soil  restoration.   The relative ranking  of likely  cumulative  effects by
 alternative is  (least to greatest effects):   E, D, A,  C,  and B.  All alternatives would  implement
 design  criteria and  mitigation  measures to  minimize rill erosion and  sloughing  on road cut
 slopes, and burn prescriptions to minimize erosion on harvest units.

 Activities that result in soil surface and  substratum erosion may have cumulative  effects on
 water holding capacity, nutrient pools and retention, and long-term productivity, with repeated
 entries.  Past activities considered in cumulative effects are mining, timber harvest and road
 construction on soils susceptible  to  erosion.  No repeated  entries into previously  harvested
 areas are  proposed for this project so cumulative effects at the harvest unit scale  should be
 negligible.

 Cumulative effects may also occur at the landscape level, where large areas of soil exposed to
 erosion may affect vegetation dynamics, invasive species, runoff, and  sediment regimes  in a
 subwatershed.  Erosion of surface soils on most old harvest units is expected to have declined
 to zero,  but substratum erosion from roads continues on about 843 acres in the project area.
 The alternatives would add  from 2 to 7 acres of temporary road construction on soil substrata
 highly susceptible to erosion, and  the foreseeable Eastside Township project about  8 acres of
 road  construction  on highly erodible  substrata.  These source areas contribute to loss of soil
 productivity.

 Required mitigation  and restoration should maintain  current or slightly  improved  soil erosion
 levels,  because of the  road decommissioning and  soil restoration.   Control of  erosion is
 generally easier to attain than restoration of compacted or displaced topsoil.

 Existing  roads have been constructed on highly erodible substrata throughout the settlement
 history of the watershed. Some of  the most impactive were those constructed along valley
  Primary foreseeable action includes 5 acres of road construction on highly erodible substrata for the Eastside
Township Project

 If all the additional restoration under Alternative D is done, it would be equivalent to E.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
bottoms  during  the  mining eras:  in  1935 in American  River  and Lower American  River
subwatersheds, 1895 and 1930 in Buffalo Gulch, and of undocumented age up Little Elk Creek.
These roads generally  were located  and constructed with little regard  for erosion control.
Jammer roads built around  1967 for logging on steep slopes are concentrated in Big Elk Creek.
These are stacked above one another and may interact to concentrate erosion.  Other  roads
were built in the  1960s and 1970s on highly erodible  substrata in the Kirks  Fork, Upper
American River, Lick Creek, West Fork American, and Little Elk Creek subwatersheds.  These
had  low levels of design controls  for erosion control. In the 1980s and early 1990s more  roads
were built in East Fork  American River and  Flint Creek, but better road  location and design
measures for erosion  control were  implemented during these decades.  The temporary  roads
proposed for this project on highly erodible substrata are located in East Fork and Kirks Fork.
Temporary roads would contribute most to cumulative erosion in those subwatersheds, per acre
of ground disturbance, but erosion would decline to negligible after decommissioning.
Past mining impacts on at least 307 acres are likely to have resulted in localized severe erosion.
This activity was concentrated in  Lower and Main American River, Buffalo  Gulch, and Little Elk
Creek.   Proposed  harvest and  temporary  road  construction  are  most extensive  in  Main
American River, but are not on  highly erodible materials, and cumulative erosion due to the
project would be constrained by design and mitigation applied to  harvest units, new temporary
roads, and decommissioning of temporary and old roads.
Some thinning and pruning  have occurred around administrative structures  as part of defensible
space projects in the analysis area,  around the Ranger Station in Lower Elk Creek.  This work is
accomplished' by hand, with little soil exposure or likelihood of erosion.  Streamside  cattle
grazing has occurred  in privately owned meadow complexes, mostly in Lower Elk Creek and
has  resulted in stream bank failure  and localized erosion.  No activities are proposed in Lower
Elk Creek as part of this  project.
None of the harvest proposed for  the Elk city school timber sale is on erodible surface soils.

MASS EROSION
DIRECT EFFECTS
                 TABLE 3.10 - INDICATOR OF MASS EROSION: AMERICAN RIVER
Activity
Acres of road construction or timber harvest on lands
preliminarily mapped as high landslide hazard
Alternative
A
0
B
0
C
0
D
0
E
0
ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
Under the 'no action' alternative, mass erosion processes would remain a slight factor in soil
processes in the analysis area.  Mass erosion from natural causes would continue at small
scales and infrequent rates.  Mass erosion from past management activities would continue at a
very localized scale and declining rate as old roads stabilized  and harvest units revegetated.
No new management sources of mass erosion would occur from these alternatives, so the net
trend would  be reduced management-derived mass erosion.  However, no soil or watershed
improvement activities would occur, so the long-term upward trend would be slow.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 If a  wildfire occurred, consequent mass erosion could  range from negligible to  modest,
 depending on location, size, and severity of burn, soil disturbance associated with suppression^
 salvage logging, or burn rehabilitation activities, and interaction of watershed response with the
 existing transportation  system.   The scope of such  impacts  is not foreseeable,  given the
 uncertainties of fire ignition and burning weather.

 The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased potential
 for locally severe burning  behavior, which can increase the likelihood of mass erosion  in steep
 draws,  drainage headlands, and on steep, wet lower slopes, because rooting strength would be
 lost, and more moisture available. These effects are similar to clearcut logging and  broadcast
 burning. Alternative evaluation would depend on the  reduction of wildfire  size and severity in
 untreated areas, and in areas where partial canopy removal and underburn reduce likely wildfire
 severity. Refer to the discussion of fire hazard in Section 3.4. - Fire.

 ACTION ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 Mass erosion would change little from natural rates under Alternatives B, C, D, and E.  No
 harvest would occur under any alternative on lands mapped as high risk for landslides.  No
 temporary road construction is proposed on lands mapped as high risk. Extensive field reviews
 have identified most areas of risk, and these areas  were dropped from consideration (Gerhardt,
 M., 2003b).  Design and  mitigation measures address localized areas of  significant landslide
 risk  that may be identified  during project layout,  and adjustment of harvest prescriptions to
 maintain slope stability.

 Soil  restoration proposed on  existing impacted sites  can sometimes address existing  mass
 erosion problems.  Activities that include restoration of stream crossings and wetlands on roads,
 and  recontouring roads and temporary roads  can treat existing slope failure  problems and
 reduce  risk for future failures.

 No roads  proposed for decommissioning under any alternative in American River are  on land
 mapped as high landslide hazard, but local  road  and slope failures would be identified and
 treated  as  roads are decommissioned.  Alternative E  offers the  greatest  potential to stabilize
 local mass erosion sites on roads  to be decommissioned.  Alternative D would be similar if both
 required and additional decommissioning were implemented.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS -ALL ALTERNA TIVES
 Indirect effects  are  likely to be minimal, and differences among, alternatives slight, because of
 the low  landslide hazard in American River.

 Indirect effects of mass erosion include effects to vegetation and hydrologic processes.  Mass
 erosion  may affect surface or substratum materials. Mass erosion of surface soil removes the
 materials with the greatest ability to hold moisture and nutrients, potentially resulting  in greater
 drought stress, poorer growth, and susceptibility to pathogens or fire.  Since volcanic ash  is not
 easily replaced, these effects may be  very long lasting.  Certain species have  a  greater
 competitive  advantage in  eroded  soils, like  weeds or lodgepole pine, so that  shifts  in  plant
 community composition and consequent disturbance regimes, like erosion or fire, could occur.
Typically mass erosion mixes surface and substratum materials so the unique properties of the
surface  soil are lost.   Mass-eroded surface and  substratum material may be delivered to
streams and have  consequences  to water quality,  stream temperature, quality of fish  habitat,
and channel morphology. See the watershed and fisheries discussions.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 There are no irreversible or irretrievable direct effects of mass erosion, except for potential loss
 of volcanic ash-influenced topsoil. See the section of effects for surface erosion.  Anticipated
 mass erosion  processes under action or 'no action' alternatives are of slight probability, size, or
 effects, and are unlikely to exceed natural rates.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES

           TABLE 3.11 - INDICATOR OF CUMULATIVE MASS EROSION: AMERICAN RIVER
ACTIVITY
Acres of road construction or harvest
on lands preliminarily mapped as high
landslide hazard
Existing Condition Pius Proposed and Foreseeable
Actions1
A
41
B
41
C
41
D
41
E
41
Existing
Condition
34
As more  acres  are  roaded or harvested, the probability  of small,  localized slope failures  is
modestly  increased,  with some slight potential for effects  to sediment delivery and temporary
loss of on-site  productivity.   Cumulative effects  are  directly related  to  the scope  of  past,
proposed  and foreseeable timber harvest and  fuel reduction activities  and temporary  road
construction in susceptible terrain.  Likely cumulative effects are  slight due  to the overall low
hazard and design controls on activities. See Table 2.3.

Proposed activities are unlikely to have significant cumulative  effects, in the analysis  area
because of the  low incidence of significant mass wasting hazard.  Mitigation and restoration
may stabilize  localized small failures on existing roads by decommissioning, while proposed
temporary road construction would be in low hazard locations.

Past road construction in the watershed  almost  never crossed areas of high landslide hazard
(less than 0.04  miles).  Small road  cut  failures, especially associated with areas of Tertiary
sediments, occur in this moist climatic zone.  They are not documented  during  routine  road
maintenance, but can contribute to cumulative erosional losses.  Only 34 acres on high hazard
areas  have  been harvested in the past  and  no mass wasting  response  has occurred,  even
during  the flood  years of 1996-1997.  No road decommissioning is proposed for areas of high
landslide hazard.

The thinning and pruning that have  occurred  around administrative structures as  part of
defensible space projects in  the analysis area will not increase mass wasting risk, because
these are  in areas of low risk and large, deep rooted trees  that contribute to slope  stability, are
retained.

Foreseeable actions include 7 acres of timber harvest on lands preliminarily  mapped as highly
landslide prone as part of the Eastside Township project.  The intensity of canopy removal is
about 50  percent moderate to  high (shelterwood to seed  tree) and 50 percent slashing and
 Primary foreseeable action includes Eastside Township Project 7 acres of harvest proposed on lands mapped as
high landslide hazard. No road construction is proposed on high hazard areas.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 burning only.   No road construction is proposed for that project on  lands mapped  as high
 landslide hazard. Compliance with Forest and Regional Soil Quality Standards

 COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS
 DIRECT EFFECTS

   TABLE 3.12 - INDICATOR OF COMPLIANCE WITH SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS: AMERICAN RIVER
Activity
Number of proposed activity areas on FS lands estimated to
not meet Forest Plan soil quality standard 2
Alternative
A
0
B
0
C
0
D
0
E
0
ALTERNATIVE A

Under the 'no action' alternative (Alternative A) the existing condition for compliance with Soil
Quality Standards would continue to exceed Forest Plan Standards  and Regional Guidelines,
with slight amelioration as slow natural recovery of compacted surface soil occurred and surface
soil development in disturbed areas occurred.  Landings, temporary  roads, and compacted or
excavated skid trails would not recover enough within the temporal bounds of this analysis to
meet standards.

No additional lands would be subject to temporary road construction or fuel. However, no soil or
watershed improvement activities would occur that might accelerate soil recovery, so the long-
term upward trend would be slower in untreated soil restoration areas, than with soil restoration.

If a wildfire occurred, consequent damage to soil conditions from suppression activities, burn
severity, or salvage logging could range from negligible to severe, depending on location, size,
and severity of burn and subsequent administrative activities.

The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads  could contribute to increased potential
for locally severe burning behavior, but whether this might result in greater or more lasting soil
damage than road  construction or ground-based  logging operations  is  uncertain.   Wildfire
seldom results in compaction or displacement, but could result in ground cover loss and erosion
that  exacerbates the existing exceedances of  Forest Plan standards or Regional Guidelines.
Evaluation of alternatives depends on being able to compare fire size, location, and severity in
untreated areas. The scope of such impacts is not foreseeable, given the uncertainties of fire
ignition and burning weather. See the discussion of fire hazard in Section 3.4. - Fire.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, and E

Under Alternatives B, C, D, and E, the areas proposed for ground-based timber harvest  or
mechanical fuel reduction on soils  highly susceptible to  compaction  or  displacement,  are the
areas most vulnerable to detrimental soil disturbances. The  areas proposed for such harvest
have no recorded history of harvest or mechanical disturbance in the past, and no evidence of
disturbance from aerial  photo inspection and reconnaissance field sampling, and are expected
to fully meet either Regional guidelines or Forest Plan standards at this time.

Project design and mitigation measures are proposed that constrain equipment type, timing  of
operation,  location and  density of skid trails, and restoration  of mechanically disturbed areas,
with the objective of ensuring that activity areas meet Forest Plan soil standard number 2, upon
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
completion of proposed activities. These would apply to all alternatives.  Monitoring (Appendix
I) is designed to measure compliance during and after implementation, beginning early in the
course  of  activities.   This will  allow  adjustments  to  operations or additional  restoration
requirements to ensure that activity areas meet forest soil quality standards
Additional soil restoration is proposed  under Alternatives B, C, D, and E.  Recovery of soil
physical properties is not expected  to be complete on all treated  acres,  but will establish an
improving trend for soil conditions on  the treated sites.  Activities include  decompaction,
recontouring, addition of organic matter, weed control, and revegetation to restore compacted
and displaced  soils  on main skid trails,  existing temporary  roads, landings, and  newly
constructed temporary roads. The relative ranking of alternatives for soil restoration activities is
(greatest to least restoration):  E, D, C,  B, and A.  If both required and additional  restoration
activities in Alternative D were implemented, E and D would be equivalent.

INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
Indirect effects  of compliance with  soil quality standards are  more appropriately  addressed
under Soil Compaction and Displacement.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
Irreversible  and irretrievable  effects  of compliance with soil  quality  standards  are more
appropriately addressed under Soil Compaction and  Displacement.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
Cumulative effects of compliance with soil quality standards are more appropriately addressed
under Soil Compaction and Displacement.

3.1.1.2.  ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: SOIL CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss

DIRECT EFFECTS

     TABLE 3.13 - INDICATORS OF SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss: AMERICAN RIVER
Activity
Acres of whole tree yarding of more than 50 percent canopy
removal of tops and limbs on geologic materials potentially
susceptible to potassium losses.
Acres of whole tree yarding of more than 50 percent canopy
removal of tops and limbs that could contribute to nitrogen
losses.
Alternative
A
0
0
B
0
0
C
0
0
D
0
0
E
0
0
ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Under the 'no action' alternative, soil potassium and nitrogen would continue to cycle at current
rates, and not be subject to removal through harvest or prescribed fire. Accrual would continue
at low rates from rock weathering, atmospheric deposition, and nitrogen fixation.  Soil nutrients
would increasingly be bound in organic mater complexes and slowly released through decay.
The  net trend would be reduced  management-derived  nutrient loss.  However, no soil or
watershed improvement activities that might accelerate biological recovery on degraded sites
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 would occur, so  the  long-term  upward  trend  would be  slower in untreated potential soil
 restoration areas.

 If a wildfire  occurred,  consequent soil nutrient loss could range from  negligible to severe,
 depending on location, size, and  severity of burn, loss through salvage logging, and loss of
 nutrients through erosion or leaching. Fire could also make more nutrients readily available for
 plant uptake and benefit post-fire plant growth.  The scope  of such impacts is not foreseeable,
 given the uncertainties of fire ignition and burning weather.

 The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased potential
 for locally severe  burning  behavior, which  can  increase the  likelihood of nutrient loss to
 volatilization, erosion,  or leaching.  Alternative evaluation would depend on the reduction of
 wildfire size and severity in untreated areas, and  in areas where partial  canopy removal and
 underburn reduce  likely wildfire severity.  Refer to the discussion of fire hazard in Section 3.4. -
 Fire.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 Potential  for potassium and  nitrogen loss  has been constrained  by design  and  mitigation
 measures under Alternatives B, C, D, and E.  Bole-only yarding would be required, so the tops
 and limbs would be left on site. Slash would be over wintered one season so that potassium
 and other minerals would be leached from the foliage prior to burning. Mitigation specifies that
 burn piles would be small and well  distributed throughout the unit so that burn intensity would be
 reduced and redistribution  of nutrients would be minimized.   Piling would have adequate
 oversight and monitoring during implementation to ensure that adequate tops and limbs are left
 well distributed.

 The soil restoration described under soil compaction and displacement would improve potential
 for nitrogen  accretion  and  retention by accelerating soil  stabilization  and organic matter
 development.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 The design and mitigation measures reduce differences among action alternatives to slight.
 Indirect effects of loss of soil nutrients include reduced growth and yield, increased susceptibility
 to pathogens (like  root infection),  and shifting species composition as species with ability to
 sequester nutrients  (like grand fir) out compete species  less  able (like larch),  (Garrison  and
 Moore 1998). The 'no action' alternative would result in less  immediate nutrient loss, but wildfire
 could affect any  alternative by resulting in volatilization, leaching or erosion loss of nutrients, but
 also by making more nutrients readily available for plant uptake.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
There  are no irreversible or irretrievable direct effects of nutrient loss, because of the design
and  mitigation measures adopted to protect tops and limbs from removal  and from severe
burning in large slash piles.
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           American River/Crooked River— Final Environmental Impact Statement
CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
    TABLE 3.14 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss: AMERICAN RIVER
ACTIVITY
Acres of whole tree yarding with more than 50
percent canopy removal of tops and limbs on
geologic materials potentially susceptible to
potassium losses. Past activity areas were
whole tree yarded or yarded of
unmerchantable material.
Acres of whole tree yarding with more than 50
percent canopy removal of tops and limbs.
Past activity areas were clearcut with slash
disposal.
Existing Condition Pius Proposed and Foreseeable Actions1
A
467
9157
B
467
9157
C
467
9157
D
467
9157
E
467
9157
Existing
Condition
130
•8820
Mitigation and restoration are  required  that would constrain effects  to  current or  slightly
degraded levels  for potassium, and little long-lasting effect  for nitrogen.   Because  of  this
mitigation, there are few differences among alternatives. The 'no action' alternative would result
in less  immediate nutrient  loss,  but  wildfire  could affect  any alternative  by resulting in
volatilization, leaching  or erosion loss of  nutrients, but also by making  more nutrients readily
available for plant uptake.

Activities that cause soil  potassium  and  nitrogen loss  may have cumulative effects  on  soil
productivity, plant growth  and yield, susceptibility to  pathogens, and successional processes,
with repeated entries.  Past effects to potassium reserves due to management are not thought
to be significant for the proposed activities, on a  site-specific basis, because no entry into areas
with prior timber harvest is proposed.

Past  whole  tree yarding or mechanical piling and burning  are poorly documented.  Records
indicate the highest incidence of this activity occurred in Middle American River and East Fork
American River subwatersheds, but this  still  accounts for  only a small percent  (less  than 2
percent) of any subwatershed.  The piling  and burning proposed under Alternative D would  add
up to 4  percent of Middle American  River and  3 percent of Flint Creek subwatersheds,  and
lesser amounts  elsewhere,  but mitigation is  specified  to protect  potassium  and nitrogen
reserves.

Some thinning and pruning have occurred  around administrative structures as part of defensible
space projects in the analysis area. This  work is accomplished by hand. Lower branches  and
small trees were generally removed,  and  either hand piled  or burned.   Localized potential for
cumulative soil nutrient loss is possible, if treatment is  continuously sustained.

Foreseeable  actions include an estimated  320 acres of timber harvest  or mechanical  fuel
reduction as part of the Eastside Township project for which yarding of unmerchantable material
 The primary foreseeable action includes Eastside Township project, for which an estimated 320 acres of yarding
unmerchantable material and high canopy removal could occur, and the  Elk City school sale, for which 17 acres of
high canopy removal could occur with whole tree yarding or piling and burning.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 is being considered, and canopy removal is estimated to be high, and 17 acres in the Elk Citv
 school sale.                                                                          3

 Loss OF SOIL WOOD
 DIRECT EFFECTS

              TABLE 3.15 - INDICATOR OF Loss OF SOIL WOOD: AMERICAN RIVER
Activity
disposal with potential for high soil wood loss
Alternative
A
0
B
291
c
356

356

75
 ALTERNATIVE A - No ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 Under the 'no action' alternative, soil wood would continue to  accumulate and slowly decay
 through  physical and biological mechanisms.  The net trend would be reduced management-
 derived loss of soil wood. However,  no soil or watershed improvement activities would occur
 that might accelerate biological  recovery in degraded areas, so the long-term upward trend
 would be  slower.   If a  wildfire occurred, consequent loss of soil wood  could  range from
 negligible to severe, depending on location, size, and severity  of burn, and removal of dead
 standing trees associated with salvage logging. Fire could also create standing  dead trees that
 provide  recruitment for soil  wood over  the long term.  The scope of such  impacts is not
 foreseeable, given the uncertainties  of fire ignition,  burning weather, and potential  post-fire
 salvage logging.

 The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased potential
 for wood over extensive areas.   Large  historic fires burned at 26-69 percent lethality  it  is
 unlikely that any future fire would be outside this wide range, with or without treatment because
 of the existing  amount of harvest and roads. Loss of soil wood due to fire is expected to be  less
 than loss due  to removal. In general, wildfire effects could often be preferable in  large wood
 cycling and recruitment.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, and  E

 Potential for loss of large woody debris is greatest under Alternatives C and D, least for
 Alternative E,  and  intermediate for B, but mitigation  for down wood, snags, and green trees
 should provide for some wood retention and recruitment in all alternatives.

 The likelihood of soil wood loss is less on the acres proposed for precommercial thinning,
 shelterwood or group selection harvest. All of these  acres would have more than 50 percent
 crown removal, but most of  that is in smaller  diameter classes which would not  provide as
 valuable  a soil wood resource  as the larger trees left. The monitoring plan (Appendix I) requires
 adequate oversight and monitoring during implementation to ensure that soil wood,  snags,  and
 green trees are left as prescribed.

 On the areas proposed for roadside salvage of dead and dying trees, large snags would be  left,
and the intensity and extent of tree removal would be low.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
The soil restoration described under soil compaction and displacement would improve long-term
potential for soil wood accrual by accelerating soil stabilization and organic matter development.

INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
The relative ranking of likely indirect effects by alternative is (least to greatest effects): A, E, B,
C/D. All alternatives would meet current recommendations for soil wood retention.

Indirect effects of soil wood loss include altered processes of forest regeneration and growth,
favoring  species requiring  lower  soil moisture, lower nutrient levels and greater tolerance for
potential soil erosion.  Indirect effects could also include loss of habitat for species requiring soil
wood as dens or substrate for invertebrates, bacteria and fungi, which affect food availability for
small rodents and their predators.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
There are no irreversible effects due to loss of soil wood, although long-term  productivity could
be compromised through the age of the  next forest stand, until soil wood reserves begin to be
replenished.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES

         TABLE 3.16 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL WOOD Loss: AMERICAN RIVER
ACTIVITY
Acres of clearcut timber harvest and
slash disposal with potential for high
soil wood loss
Existing Condition Pius Proposed and Foreseeable
Actions1
A
9767
B
10058
C
10123
D
10123
E
9842
Existing
Condition
8820
The spatial extent of soil wood loss is increased, with increased scope of clearcut harvest, with
potential for effects to  long-term productivity over larger areas.  Mitigation and restoration are
planned  to constrain effects to current or improved  levels, and  develop a long-term  upward
trend  on some previously degraded sites.  The prescriptions for large woody debris retention,
green tree and snag retention, and controls on size and intensity of burn piles should result in
minor cumulative effects from the proposed actions.  The relative ranking of potential cumulative
effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect): A, E, B, C, and D.  All alternatives would meet
current recommendations for soil wood retention.  Wildfire might consume substantial quantities
of existing soil  wood  under any  alternative,  but would  recruit  standing  dead  trees,  in the
absence of extensive salvage logging.

Activities that cause repeated loss of soil wood may have cumulative effects on soil porosity,
water holding  capacity, aeration,  biological  activity, and long-term productivity, in the case  of
frequent  repeated entries. This is not likely to be a concern for the proposed activities because
no areas of prior harvest are targeted for a second entry.
 The primary foreseeable action includes Eastside Township project, for which an estimated 930 acres of timber
harvest with high canopy removal could occur, and the Elk City school sale, for which 17 acres of high canopy
removal could occur.
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 Activities that result in large areas of depleted soil wood may have cumulative effects at the
 landscape scale,  such  as altered  productivity  that  change  landscape  scale  vegetation
 processes.  Past activities considered in cumulative effects are regeneration timber harvest and
 slash disposal. The 8,820 acres of past clearcut harvest with dozer piling or broadcast burning
 have been widespread throughout most subwatersheds, and through  most time periods.  All
 harvest  is too  recent to have recovered  large  wood  on the  ground    As  a percent of
 subwatershed, Big Elk Creek,  Buffalo Gulch, Flint  Creek, Little Elk Creek, Queen Creek, Box
 Sing Creek, and Lower American River, have been most affected.

 Some thinning and pruning have occurred around administrative structures  as part of defensible
 space projects in the analysis  area.  This work is accomplished by hand.  Soil wood was not
 generally removed, but some snags were removed.  Localized potential for cumulative soil wood
 loss is possible if treatment is continuously sustained.

 Repeated harvest and slash disposal in  the private lands within  the Township have probably
 affected soil wood regimes.

 Foreseeable actions include a proposed 930 acres  of harvest in the Eastside Township project
 and 17 acres  in the  Elk  City school  sale that are  likely to  have a high percentage of crown
 removal and may be susceptible to soil wood loss.

 3.1.2.    CROOKED RIVER

 EXISTING CONDITION - CROOKED RIVER
 INTRODUCTION
 The South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a) identified "Restore
 aquatic processes" as the area theme  for the lower part of Crooked  River watershed, and
 "Conserve existing aquatic function", as the area theme for Upper Crooked River. The priority
 for both  is very high.  Restoration  is to include both restoration of aquatic conditions and
 processes in the watershed, the  mainstem channel,  and adjustments to the  road and trail
 system to support aquatic restoration and provide  for administrative and public uses.  The
 Landscape Assessment is not  a decision document, but does provide important synthesis of
 existing condition and resource  potential in the watershed.

 Soil resource management affects aquatic processes primarily through erosion, mass wasting,
 and soil compaction or disturbance that affects subsurface slope hydrology.

 GEOLOGY, SOIL DEVELOPMENT, AND LANDFORMS
 Rocks  weather to form  soil  parent  material; and  soil texture, chemistry, and  resistance  to
 erosion are highly conditioned by geology.

 Geology in the Crooked River watershed is about evenly divided between Belt-age metamorphic
 rocks (54  percent) and granitics (46 percent).  The  metamorphics include gneiss, schist, and
 quartzite that weather to sandy loam, loamy sand, or sand parent materials and develop into soil
 parent  materials that are  rated  moderate to high for substratum erosion  hazard (USDA FS,
 1987b).  They typically weather into soil  parent materials that are rated moderate to high for
substratum erosion hazard (USDA FS, 1987b). These materials typically have  low  levels  of
inherent nutrients, and moderate to poor ability to retain nutrients (Garrison and Moore, 1998).
Potassium deficiencies noted in  these rock types can affect tree growth and  susceptibility to root
disease.
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Granitics are higher in certain nutrients, including potassium, but weather to sandy soils with low
ability to retain nutrients.  They typically weather into soil parent materials that are rated high to
very high for substratum erosion hazard (USDA FS, 1987b).

Most soils in the project area (86 percent) have surface layers formed in volcanic ash-influenced
loess derived  from the eruption  of  Mt. Mazama about  6700 years  ago.   This  material is
physically highly favorable to root growth, being very permeable and with a high ability to hold
moisture and nutrients.   This  material  is very easy to compact  or displace at any moisture
content (Page-Dumroese, 1993), and  is essentially irreplaceable without volcanic additions.

Soil  response to disturbance depends not only on soil type, but topographic setting and  slope
hydrology.   Landforms have characteristic slope shape, steepness,  and stream dissection,
which affect erosion and sediment delivery to streams.

   •  Rolling hills of low to moderate relief occur at lower and mid elevations (14 percent  of the
       watershed).   The volcanic ash influenced  soil  surface layers buffer against erosion
       except where soil substrata are exposed, as  in roads or mines.  Substratum erosion
       hazard is moderate to high. Slopes are gentle  to moderate and  sediment is delivered to
       streams with moderate  efficiency.  Unstable slopes are uncommon, and typically  occur
       as small areas on  lower slopes or near stream headlands. West and south facing slopes
       at low elevation may have thin or mixed  ash  surface layers.  These soils do not hold
       moisture as well as ash-influenced soils and are more susceptible to surface erosion.

   •  Stream  breaklands  and steep  mountain slopes are common in the watershed  (37
       percent).  In comparison to rolling hills, breaklands have steep slopes, shallower soils,
       thin or mixed  loess  surface  layers, higher surface  erosion risk, higher  risk of  mass
       failure, and more  rapid delivery of sediment to streams.  Debris torrents can occur in
       headwater channels after intense rainstorms or rain-on-snow events.

   •  Convex slopes are found at upper elevations (42 percent of the area).  In comparison to
       rolling hills, convex slopes have broader ridges, lower drainage density, and bedrock is
       usually deeply fractured.  Volcanic ash surface layers are typically present and  buffer
       against  surface erosion.  Substratum erosion hazard is  high.  Slopes are gentle to
       moderate and sediment  is  delivered to streams with low efficiency.  Unstable slopes are
       uncommon,  and  typically  occur as  small areas on  lower  slopes  or  near stream
       headlands.

   •  Alluvial valleys form along low gradient stream channels (2  percent of the watershed).
       Soils are often poorly drained and subject to water transport most of the year.  Substrata
       are coarse sands with  gravel and cobble.  Some have been dredge mined and only
       coarse mine spoils remain.  Sediment delivery efficiency is very high (USDA FS, 1987b);
       most of this landform is a riparian area.

   • .  Alpine glaciated slopes and till deposits occur at the highest elevations (3 percent  of the
       watershed).  These landforms have exposed  bedrock or glacial till, and moderate to
       steep slopes.  Substratum erosion hazard is high.  Sediment is delivered to streams with
       moderate  to high efficiency.  Debris torrents  can occur in headwater channels after
       intense rainstorms or rapid snowmelt.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 EXISTING CONDITION- CROOKED RIVER: SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

 EXISTING CONDITION: SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT
 Road  building, mining, tractor logging and machine piling have impacted soils in the Crooked
 River watershed, mostly in lower Crooked River.

 Mining effects have been localized but severe: soils in dredge and placer-mined areas have
 been removed, and sterile tailing piles remain.  Soil recovery has been very slow and some of
 these  areas still act as sediment sources. A minimum  of 331 acres of this condition occurs in
 the watershed.

 About 3,600 acres (8 percent of the watershed) have been tractor logged and/or machine piled
 resulting in soil compaction and  displacement over some of that area.  Where the volcanic ash
 surface layer is  compacted, displaced or mixed, soil moisture  holding  capacity is significantly
 impaired (USDA FS, 1999c). Early logging practices allowed landings in riparian areas and log
 skidding was common in draws and down stream  bottoms. Some of the units were very large,
 up to 500 acres in the headwaters of Relief Creek. Tractor logging and dozer piling occurred on
 sedge meadows resulting in long-term compaction and alteration of stream channels and water
 tables.

 Past harvest units  that were tractor logged  and dozer piled average 52 percent of  the activity
 area damaged in  the adjacent  Red River  watershed  (USDA  FS,  2003a), which has similar
 landforms and soils.  Units that were tractor logged and broadcast burned in that watershed
 averaged 38 percent damaged (USDA FS, 2003a).  Units that were tractor logged, but not dozer
 piled or scarified,  sustained 12-42 percent damage.  Other monitoring data indicate  15-25
 percent damage for tractor logging without  machine  piling  (USDA  FS, 1990 and 1991).
 Excavator piling has been  documented on 92 acres In Crooked River.  This is usually  less
 impactive than dozer piling, but can still  sometimes result in more than 20 percent detrimental
 disturbance.

 About  981  acres of cable yarding have occurred in Crooked River.  Soil damage is usually
 confined to yarding corridors and landings and accounts for about 4 percent of the activity area,
 based  on monitoring in other areas (USDA FS, 2003b).

 Road  construction also  displaces soil, with  long-term to permanent impairment of  soil
 productivity.  About 567 acres of documented system  roads occur where topsoil and subsoil
 have been displaced,  mixed, or lost to erosion.   This represents about 1.2  percent of the
 analysis area.

 Motorized and non-motorized trails account for an estimated 28 acres of soil disturbance. Soils
 are both compacted and displaced.  Numerous undocumented  user-created ATV trails exist,
 which add to the amount of detrimental disturbance in the project area.

 The larger forest-meadow complexes that once existed along main  Crooked River have been
 grazed since the mining era. This  use is noted in Leiberg, 1898, page  326. About 483 acres
 are likely to have been most compacted. These effects  have been erased by dredging activity,
 so the  soils are now mostly gone.  Grazing after the fires of 1878, 1889, and perhaps 1945
 probably occurred  in the burned areas.   There has been  no active grazing allotment in  the
watershed for the last 20 years.
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EXISTING CONDITION: SURFACE AND SUBSTRATUM EROSION
Road building is the primary current source of erosion and sediment production in the project
area. Seventy six percent of the watershed is rated high or  very high for substratum erosion
hazard (USDA FS, 1987b). About 413 acres of past road construction (about 103 miles) are on
soil substrata that are rated high or very high  for erosion hazard.  Road erosion and sediment
yield usually decline over time, but continue at a chronic level indefinitely (Cline, et al, 1981).
Periodic large pulses of erosion may occur during intense or prolonged rainstorms or rain-on-
snow events, or after burning or  harvest that  increases water yield  and overland flow  in
interaction with road drainage systems (Wemple, 1994).

Past  mining has caused  locally severe erosion of both surface soil and substrata, often
concentrated  in valleys where eroded material can reach streams: mainstem Crooked River,
Relief Creek,  Baker Gulch, and East and West Forks of Crooked River (USDA FS, 1998a).  A
minimum of 331 acres has  been  affected by dredge mining.  Other upland mine sediment
sources also exist, where excavation and dozer operations have exposed erodible substrata.

Past fires have resulted in locally severe surface erosion, but  post-fire erosion often declines to
negligible with vegetation  recovery in about 4 years (Megahan,  cited in Cline, et al, 1981; and
Elliot, Robichaud, and Brown, 1999 as shown  in Elliot and Robichaud, 2001).  The most recent
large fire occurred in 1945 in the watershed. This fire burned about 5115 acres or 11 percent of
the watershed.  The largest documented fire  in American River occurred in 1889 and burned
about 5970 acres, or 13 percent of the watershed. Another large fire burned in 1878.  Human
ignitions may'have been a factor in these fires, but 1889 was a severe fire year throughout the
region (Barrett et al., 1997).  It is likely that actual burned  acres for these early fires were
greater, because areas of low and moderate severity fire were often not mapped.

Surface erosion from timber harvest has been slight. The volcanic ash-influenced surface soil is
rated as low surface erosion  hazard (USDA FS, 1987b) and occurs over more than 85 percent
of the project area.  Excavated skid trails and temporary roads are prone to erosion  because the
surface soil is removed.  About 309 acres have been harvested in the past on soils with high
surface erosion potential.  These are on steep slopes, usually on south aspects, or in riparian
areas where soil is readily detached and transported by  water. Harvest has occurred on 832
acres on soils with moderate surface erosion hazard.  They are usually on steep slopes  on north
aspects.  Surface erosion on harvest units typically declines to negligible over time, except for
some landings, excavated skid trails, and temporary roads that remain on the landscape (Cline,
etal, 1981).

Documented  motorized and non-motorized  trails account for  28 acres of soil  disturbance,
susceptible to surface and subsurface erosion.  Twenty acres are  on soil substrata rated high
for erosion hazard.  Numerous undocumented user-created ATV trails exist in addition to the
system trails,  and add disproportionately to the amount of erosion in the project area, because
they may go straight up slopes or cross  creeks, and have no erosion controls. They are often
gullied or rutted.

EXISTING CONDITION: MASS EROSION
Landslide  hazard is  low in most (76 percent) of the analysis area.  Debris avalanche, debris
torrent, and shallow slumps  are the most likely kinds of mass failures in  the area,  but field
reconnaissance indicates  past mass wasting has been generally restricted  to localized events
with small to moderate impacts.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 About 3,441 acres (about 7.5 percent of the analysis area) are mapped as high hazard for
 landslides.  These are steep slopes, especially in concave headwalls, steep,  highly dissected
 drainage areas, and features that show evidence of past mass wasting.

 Road construction in such settings may precipitate road cut or fill failures, and occasionally loss
 of the road prism, or, by undercutting a toe slope, activate a landslide upslope.  Thirty-four acres
 (8.5 miles) of road construction and 181  acres of timber harvest have occurred on land  rated
 high for landslide risk.   No  documented landslide  response has occurred on these areas.
 During the flood episode of 1996-1997,  no mass erosion was reported in the analysis  area.
 Field reconnaissance for this project found little evidence of mass wasting from  roads (Gerhardt
 M., 2003b, Gerhardt, N., 2003).

 EXISTING CONDITION: COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST AND REGIONAL SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS
 An estimated 69 percent (166) of  past activity areas on FS lands in Crooked River today show
 detrimental soil disturbance in excess of 20 percent. In many instances these impacts occurred
 prior to forest plan implementation, but monitoring of more recent activities shows  inconsistent
 improvement in practices.  This degree  of soil damage is consistent both with other Forest
 monitoring (USDA FS 1988a, 1990, 1992), and research (Krag, 1991;  Froelich 1978' Davis
 1990, Alexander and Poff, 1985).

 Soil quality standards, apply to activity areas other than the dedicated transportation  system and
 administrative sites.  Activity areas include temporary roads, harvest units, mine sites, grazed
 areas, and burned areas.  This discussion focuses on Forest Soil Standard number 2: areal
 extent of  detrimental soil disturbance.  Refer to the Legal  Framework  in the Soil Resource
 section.   Compliance  is only considered here for Forest Service lands,  since the  same
 standards do not apply to BLM or  private lands.  Standards were not in place prior to 1987, but
 using the standards as a reference helps understand existing conditions in the analysis area.

 About 4876 acres (204 activity areas) have been tractor-logged or mined on  FS lands,  or 11
 percent of the FS lands in the watershed.  About 88 percent of logging has been ground-based
 Most of this logging occurred from 1960-1989.  Most of Crooked River is considered similar in
 soils and logging history to Red River, where 80 percent of sampled tractor logged activity areas
 did not meet Forest Plan standards.

 Cable logging typically produces relatively little soil damage  (research cited in Alexander  and
 Poff, 1985). This  is consistent with findings of the Red River watershed assessment, in which
 two  cable-logged units  had  each sustained 4 percent damage.  About 635 acres, about 0.7
 percent of the FS lands in the Crooked  River  watershed, have been  cable-logged.  These
 amount to 35 activity areas, all of which are expected to meet soil quality standards.

 EXISTING CONDITION- CROOKED RIVER: SOIL CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

 EXISTING CONDITION: SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN
 Cleareut harvest, yarding of tops and limbs, and piling and burning  slash have locally affected
 nitrogen and potassium reserves in about 11 percent of the watershed.

The inherent rock  nutrient status of the local metamorphic gneisses, schists, and quartzites is
 rated as medium to poor (Garrison and Moore, 1998), but no sampling specific to the analysis
area has been done.  Their expected soil nutrient status is also medium to low (Buol et a/,
 1989).  These rock types account for about 54 percent of the analysis area. Only 126 acres of
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
YUM yarding (yarding unmerchantable material) or yarding of slash has been documented in
the analysis area, on this geologic material.  Much of this yarding may have been bole only, but
tops and limbs may also have been removed.  Removal of tops and limbs is likely to result in
about twice as much potassium loss as bole-only yarding, so a few localized areas may have
sustained potassium loss.  Burning at temperatures of 750° C or more will volatilize potassium
(Hungerford et a/, 1991).  These temperatures can be attained in burning slash piles (Glassy
and Svalberg, 1981), which has been a common practice in the watershed (1,339 acres).

Granites are rated as having good inherent  nutrient  status, but medium to low soil nutrient
status  because of their poor capacity for nutrient retention.  Granites account for about 46
percent of the analysis area.

Volcanic ash surface soils have high nutrient holding  capacity and good moisture storage
capacity, but may not have high levels of available soil nutrients, including potassium (Stark and
Spitzner, 1982).

Of  the tree species  likely to be removed,  grand fir accumulates the  highest foliar levels of
potassium, so harvesting  tops of this species  is more  likely to deplete soil potassium than
harvesting  lodgepole pine  tops, which have the lowest levels of foliar potassium  (Moore et a/.,
2004).

Soil nitrogen is typically  limiting in all rock and soil types and whole tree yarding  has similar or
greater effects on soil nitrogen reservoirs (Shaw,  2003). Soil nitrogen can be replenished more
rapidly through  nitrogen fixation  or atmospheric deposition than can potassium, which must
weather from rocks.

About 4,914 acres,  or about  11 percent of the Crooked River watershed, have  been clearcut
harvested  with  dozer  piling  ,or  broadcast burning.  Nitrogen  losses  have probably been
substantial on these sites.   Because slash disposal burns logs on the ground  rather than
standing trees, soil temperatures can be hotter and nitrogen loss by volatilization  may therefore
be greater than with a wildfire.

EXISTING CONDITION: SOIL WOOD
About 11 percent of the Crooked  River watershed has been affected by clearcut harvesting and
slash disposal resulting in likely loss of existing and recruitable soil wood.

Coarse woody debris (CWD)  is  woody material derived  from tree limbs, boles, and roots in
various stages of decay, here defined as that larger than 3 inches in diameter (Graham et al,
1994). Coarse woody debris protects the soil from erosion, contributes to wildlife and fisheries
habitat, and moderates  soil microclimate.  Highly decayed  CWD can hold more water than
mineral soil, provides  sites for  nitrogen fixation, and  releases  nutrients through decay or
burning.    Highly  decayed  wood  provides  sites  for  ectomycorrhizal  colonization, which
contributes to plant growth and plays a role in the food chains of many small rodents and their
predators.

Coarse woody debris in natural systems fluctuates with forest growth, mortality, fire, and decay.
Harvest and slash burning can remove large wood to a degree that its soil function  is impaired,
since both standing boles and down wood may be much reduced.

About 4,914 acres, or about 11 percent of  the Crooked River watershed, have  been clearcut
harvested with dozer piling or broadcast burning.  Most of this harvest was prior to  1990, when
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 the first large woody debris prescriptions might have been implemented. Field reconnaissance
 in the adjacent Red River watershed indicates large woody debris is deficient on such sites in
 comparison to  most natural disturbance regimes.   In addition, very few green trees or snags
 were left on regeneration harvest units, so that very few trees are available for recruitment over
 the next 50-100 years.

 Areas of old forest in moist habitats and areas of past mortality of lodgepole pine in the beetle
 outbreak of the 1980s may have heavy loads of CWD. They are not unnaturally high but are
 susceptible to consumption by wildfire. Wildfire would consume some material and create dead
 standing timber, which would be recruited as large woody debris over time.

 3.1.2.1.  ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
 SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT
 DIRECT EFFECTS

      TABLE 3.17 - INDICATORS OF SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Acres of ground-based timber harvest on soils rated high
for compaction or displacement hazard plus acres of new
temporary road construction
Acres of required/additional soil restoration on old harvest
units. Most are spatially associated with roads to be
decommissioned.
Acres of required/additional soil restoration through
system road decommissioning
Alternative
A
0
0
0
B
745
13/0
36/0
C
729
18/0
39/0
D1
989
23/14
39/30

618
37/0
69/0
ALTERNATIVE A- No ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Under the 'no action'  alternative,  no soil  compaction or displacement  would occur as  a
consequence of road construction, timber harvest, or fuel reduction activities.  Existing  soil
compaction and displacement would persist with very slight natural recovery of surface layers of
compacted soils.  No soil restoration or watershed improvement activities would occur, so the
long-term upward trend would be slow.

If a wildfire occurred, mechanized suppression activities and subsequent salvage logging could
create severe soil impacts, depending on  fire characteristics and administrative decisions. The
scope of such impacts  is not foreseeable, given the uncertainties of fire  ignition and burning
weather. Because the location, intensity and size of future fire, or agency actions in response to
fire,  are uncertain,  with  or  without implementing any action alternative,  the evaluation of
alternatives by fire hazard is most appropriately addressed in Section 3.4. - Fire.

The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased potential
for  locally severe  fire  effects on  soil,  including physical alteration  of  soil  structure and
 If all the additional restoration is done for Alternative D, it would be equivalent to E.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
development of hydrophobic layers, but compaction and displacement from a potential natural
wildfire are not likely.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E
Alternative D would result in the greatest soil compaction and displacement, Alternative  E the
least, and B and C intermediate.

Proposed roadside salvage  of dead and dying trees limits skidding equipment to operating on
the road, and  steep  cut slopes would be protected  from damage, so the potential for soil
disturbance is slight.

Soil restoration proposed in  Alternative E is greatest, Alternative B the least, and Alternatives C
and D intermediate.  If all the additional soil restoration is done under Alternative D, it would be
equivalent to Alternative E.   Alternative E would stabilize the most soils with high substratum
erosion hazard. Alternative D would be equivalent if the additional restoration were done.

INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
The relative ranking of likely persistent indirect effects  by alternative is (least effect to greatest):
A, E,  B,  C, and D.  Although soil restoration is high in D and E, compared to A, the total area
impacted is still greater in any action alternative.   All alternatives are designed  to meet soil
quality standards, and monitoring prior to, during, and after implementation (Appendix I) would
assure this outcome or provide for needed restoration.

Indirect effects of soil compaction and displacement include effects to vegetation and hydrologic
processes.  Compaction and displacement can result in  reduced moisture holding capacity,
greater drought stress, and  susceptibility to pathogens or fire.  Certain species have a greater
competitive advantage in disturbed soils, like weeds or lodgepole pine, so that shifts in  plant
community composition have been noted in field inventories of harvest units (USDA FS, 2003c).
Altered soil porosity and moisture holding capacity (USDA FS, 1999c) could contribute to higher
drought stress, lower ground cover, and shifts in disturbance regimes like erosion or fire.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
The relative ranking of likely persistent soil compaction and displacement by alternative is (least
effect to greatest  ):  A, E,  B, C, and D.  All alternatives  are designed to meet'soil quality
standards, and monitoring prior to, during, and after implementation (Appendix I) would assure
this outcome or provide for needed restoration.

Soil compaction effects can last 70 years (Froelich et al, 1983). Effects are irretrievable for that
time period, but not irreversible.   Decompaction can  at least partly restore soil porosity and
productivity.  Soil displacement that mixes or removes the volcanic ash surface layer reduces
soil moisture holding capacity, which may be irreversible and irretrievable.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
     TABLE 3.18-INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT: CROOKED RIVER
Activity

Acres of ground-based timber harvest
on soils highly subject to compaction
or displacement, road or trail
construction, or mining
Acres of required/additional soil
restoration on old harvest units
associated with roads to be
decommissioned
Acres of required/additional soil
restoration through system road
decommissioning, assuming road
recontour
Existing Condition Plus Proposed and Foreseeable Actions1
A

4675



0


0

B

5420



13/0


36/0

C

5404



18/0


39/0

D2

5677



23/14


39/30

E

5293



37/0


69/0



4526



0


0

 Mitigation and restoration can confine soil compaction and displacement to within Forest Plan
 standards, and reduce the likelihood of effects to productivity, diversity, and weed susceptibility.
 Additional soil restoration associated with decommissioning of old roads and treating old harvest
 units would also reduce the extent of cumulative effects within the project area.   Cumulative
 effects  are directly  related to the scope of timber harvest and mechanical  fuel reduction
 activities, temporary road construction, and soil  restoration, including road decommissioning
 The relative ranking  of likely cumulative effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect):  A, E,
 B, C, and D. All alternatives are designed to  meet soil quality standards, and monitoring prior
 to,  during, and  after implementation (Appendix I) would assure  this outcome  or  provide for
 needed restoration.  Alternative A would not do any soil restoration, but would avoid impacts on
 a greater number of acres than would be restored  under any alternative.

 Activities that cause soil  compaction and  displacement may  have cumulative effects on soil
 porosity, water  holding capacity, aeration, and long-term productivity,  with  repeated  entries.
 Repeated entries using ground-based equipment have cumulatively added to soil compaction
 and displacement effects.  About 2,376 acres have documented multiple entries with ground-
 based equipment.  Of these about 1,162 acres (49 percent)  have been entered three times.
 Most of these are in  Lower Crooked River, Silver Creek, and Relief Creek, and were part of the
 projects  listed above, and 733 acres (30 percent) have been entered only once.  No repeated
 entries are proposed for this project so cumulative effects at the harvest unit scale should be
 negligible.

 Cumulative effects may also occur at the landscape level, where large areas of compacted and
 displaced soil affect vegetation dynamics, runoff,  and water yield regimes.  About 4,526 acres
 are  currently estimated to  have  sustained detrimental  compaction or displacement in the
 The primary foreseeable action includes the Whiskey South project: 6 acres of road construction and 143 acres of
tractor logging.

 If all the additional restoration is done for Alternative D, it would be equivalent to E.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Crooked River watershed due to logging,  mining, and  road or trail construction.   See the
 discussion of historic activities in Crooked River at the beginning of this chapter.

 About 32 percent of the documented ground-based site treatments occurred in  the years 1974
 through 1976 (Silver Quartz  and unnamed projects), and about 56 percent from 1984 through
 1992 (Silver Quartz, Quartz Relief,  Dead  French,  Shooting Star,  Lower Crooked River, and
 unnamed  projects).   During  the  1950s  through  mid  1980s  few  restrictions  on  skidding
 equipment, locations, or season, occurred.  Intensive machine piling of slash was common, with
 widespread compaction  and  displacement,  and intense burning effects in the piles.  Broadcast
 burning,  which  results in lower compaction and displacement, was common in the 1980s  in
 Lower and Middle Crooked River, but then declined.  During the late 1980s  and  1990s some
 restrictions for timing of operations and skid trail spacing may have been employed.

 Mining activity  has contributed to cumulative effects on soil  displacement primarily through
 extensive ditching in the late  1800s, which  interrupted local  slope  hydrology  and displaced
 surface soils, hydraulic mines which washed away both topsoil and subsoils,  hard rock mining
 which excavated pits and addits, and dredging in the 1930s,  which removed valley alluvium and
 left sterile mine spoils.  Dredging has particularly  displaced  valley soils along the mainstem of
 Lower, Middle, and Upper Crooked River, and near the mouth of Relief Creek.

 Some thinning,  pruning and hazard tree removal have occurred around administrative sites and
 along road  233  over 24 acres as part of defensible space and hazard  tree reduction projects in
 the analysis area.  This work was accomplished by hand with  limited  machine skidding so
 ground disturbance was slight.

The alternatives will add from 161 to 263 acres of compacted or displaced soils, depending on
 alternative; and  the foreseeable Whiskey South project could add  an estimated 61 acres due to
 harvest and road construction, for a total of less than 1 percent of the watershed.

 SURFACE AND SUBSTRATUM EROSION
DIRECT EFFECTS
                TABLE 3.19 - INDICATORS OF SOIL EROSION: CROOKED RIVER  .
Activity
Acres of timber harvest on soils rated high for surface
erosion hazard
Acres of road construction on soil substrata (parent
materials) rated high for erosion hazard
Acres of required/additional soil restoration or road
decommissioning
Alternative
A
0
0
0/0
B
19
16
49/0
C
20
20
57/0
D1
20
20
62/44
E
19
12
106/0
 If all the additional restoration is done for Alternative D, it would be equivalent to E.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

                 TABLE 3.20 - INDICATORS OF SOIL EROSION: ALTERNATIVE A
Activity
Acres of timber harvest on soils rated high for surface
erosion hazard
Acres of road construction on soil substrata (parent
materials) rated high for erosion hazard
Acres of required/additional soil restoration or road
decommissioning
Alternative
A
0
0
0/0
B
19
16
49/0
c
20
20
57/0
D1
20
20
62/44
E
19
12
106/0
ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, and E

Alternatives C and D  would propose the most  activities  on highly erodible surface soil or
substrata, Alternative  E  the least and  Alternative  B  is intermediate.  The acres  of  road
construction are more likely to result in erosion than the harvest acres.

For the proposed roadside salvage, skidding equipment  is limited to operating on the road, and
steep cut slopes would  be protected from damage, so the potential for erosion is slight.

The soil restoration described under soil compaction and displacement would reduce surface
and substratum erosion problems on some existing sites, particularly on steep skid trails, poorly
vegetated landings, and existing temporary roads.  Alternative E would stabilize eroding sites on
the most acres, Alternative B the least and  C and D would be intermediate. If the additional
restoration work is done for D, it would be equal to E in restoration.  Alternative E would treat
the most acres of highly erodible substrata.

INDIRECT EFFECTS

The relative ranking of likely indirect effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect): E, D, A, B
and C. The compensation  provided by restoration activities is estimated to be more significant
for erosion than for compaction and displacement.

Indirect effects of  soil surface  and  substratum  erosion  include effects to vegetation  and
hydrologic processes.  Surface erosion removes  the soil materials with the  greatest ability to
hold moisture and  nutrients, potentially resulting in greater drought stress, poorer growth,  and
susceptibility to pathogens or fire.  Since volcanic ash is not easily replaced,  these  effects may
be very long lasting. Certain species have a greater competitive advantage in eroded soils, like
weeds or lodgepole pine,  so that shifts in plant  community composition  and  consequent
disturbance regimes like erosion or fire, could occur.  Eroded surface and substratum  material
may be delivered to streams and have  consequences  to  water quality, stream temperature,
quality of fish  habitat,  and channel morphology.   See  Sections 3.2. - Watershed and 3.3. -
Fisheries.
 If all the additional restoration is done for Alternative D, it would be equivalent to E.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
The relative ranking of likely surface soil erosion by alternative is (least to greatest effect): E, D,
A,  B, and C.  The compensation  provided  by restoration activities is estimated to be more
significant for erosion than for compaction and displacement.

Effects  of eroded substratum material are not irretrievable or irreversible;  although effects as
delivered sediment may be long lasting.

Eroded surface soil,  where  it is derived from volcanic ash influenced loess,  is irretrievable.
Residual  soil materials would develop into topsoil over several decades to hundreds of years,
but this material may lack the moisture holding properties of volcanic ash.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS

           TABLE 3.21 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL EROSION: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Acres of timber harvest or burn on
soils rated high for surface erosion
hazard2
Acres of road or trail construction on
soil substrata rated high for erosion
hazard
Acres of required/additional soil
restoration or road decommissioning
Existing Condition Plus Proposed and Foreseeable
Actions1
A
309
433
0/0
B
328
449
49/0
C
329
453
57/0
D
329
453
62/44
E
328
445
106/0
EXISTING
CONDITION
309
433
0
Cumulative effects are directly related to the scope of timber harvest and  mechanical fuel
reduction  activities,  temporary  road  construction,  and  soil  restoration,  including  road
decommissioning. The relative ranking of potential cumulative effects by alternative is (least to
greatest impacts): E, D, A, B, and C.  Erosion would be constrained under all alternatives by
road design and construction controls and harvest design and mitigation as specified in Table
2.3.

Past activities considered in cumulative effects are mining, timber harvest and road construction
on soils susceptible to erosion. Activities that result in soil surface and substratum erosion may
have cumulative effects on water  holding  capacity, nutrient pools and retention,  and long-term
productivity, with  repeated  entries. Cumulative effects may also occur at the  landscape level,
where  large  areas of soil  exposed to  erosion affect vegetation  dynamics, invasive species,
runoff,  and sediment regimes. Erosion of surface soils on old harvest units is expected to have
declined to zero, but substratum erosion from roads continues on about 567 acres in the  project
 The primary foreseeable action includes Whiskey South project, but no road construction or harvest is proposed on
highly erodible materials for that project. Approximately 3 miles of existing road would be closed but the degree of
erosion abatement is uncertain.

 Erosion from timber harvest units or burned areas has typically declined to negligible after 5 years.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 area.  The alternatives will add from 12 to 20 acres of road construction on soil substrata highly
 susceptible to erosion, while the foreseeable Whiskey South project does not propose any road
 construction on highly erodible substrata.

 Some thinning and pruning have occurred around administrative structures as part of defensible
 space projects in the analysis area.  This work is accomplished by hand, with little soil exposure
 or likelihood of erosion.  '

 Roads have been constructed on  highly erodible substrata throughout the settlement history of
 the watershed. Some of the most  impactive were those constructed along valley bottoms during
 the mining eras: in  1896 up mainstem  Crooked River,  1935 up East Fork Crooked River,  and
 1940 up Fivemile Creek. These roads generally were located and constructed with little regard
 for erosion control.  Other roads were built in the 1960s through early1980s on highly erodible
 substrata in the Silver  Creek,  Relief Creek, and on the  west side of Lower Crooked River
 subwatersheds.  These had low levels of design controls for erosion control. Stacked roads for
 jammer logging were built in the  same era in East Fork Relief Creek.  These can interact to
 concentrate erosion.   From  the  mid 1980s to early  1990s  more roads were  built  around
 Deadwood Mountain, west side of Lower Crook River,  and east side of Middle Crooked River.
 During the 1980s and  1990s improved road location and design  measures for erosion control
 were implemented.  The temporary roads proposed for  this project on highly erodible substrata
 are mostly in Silver and Relief Creek.

 Mining impacts on at least 331 acres are  likely to have resulted  in localized  severe erosion.
 This activity was concentrated in mainstem Crooked River, East Fork Crooked River, and lower
 Relief Creek.  Dredging impacts were  greatest in the  1930s.  No harvest or  road buHding is
 proposed within areas of past mine impacts.

 Proposed harvest and temporary road construction are extensive in  all but East Fork Crooked
 River. Proposed harvest on highly erodible surface soils is mostly concentrated in Silver  and
 Relief Creeks, where  slopes  are  steep.   Cumulative erosion  due  to the project would
 constrained by design  and mitigation applied to harvest units  and new temporary roads,  and
 decommissioning of temporary and old roads.

 MASS EROSION
DIRECT EFFECTS
                 TABLE 3.22 - INDICATOR OF MASS EROSION: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Acres of timber harvest on lands preliminarily mapped as high
landslide hazard. No road construction is proposed on high
hazard areas.
Alternative
A
0
B
11
C
12
D
12
E
10
ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
Under the 'no action' alternative, mass erosion processes would remain a modest factor in soil
processes in the analysis area.  Mass erosion from natural causes would  continue at  small
scales and infrequent rates. Mass erosion from past management activities would continue at a
localized scale and declining rate as old roads stabilized and harvest units revegetated.  No new
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
management sources of mass erosion would occur from these alternatives, so the net trend
would be  reduced  management-derived mass  erosion.   However,  no  soil or watershed
improvement activities would occur, so the long-term upward trend would be slow.

If a  wildfire occurred, consequent mass erosion  could  range from modest to locally severe,
depending on location, size and severity of burn, soil disturbance associated with suppression,
salvage logging, or burn rehabilitation activities, and interaction of watershed response with the
existing transportation system.   The scope of such impacts  is  not  foreseeable,  given the
uncertainties of fire ignition and burning weather.

The  continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased potential
for locally severe burning  behavior, which can increase the likelihood of mass erosion  in steep
draws, drainage headlands, and on steep, wet lower slopes, because rooting strength would be
lost,  and more moisture available. These effects  are similar to  clearcut logging and broadcast
burning.  Alternative evaluation would depend on the reduction of wildfire size and severity in
untreated areas, and in areas where partial canopy removal and underburn reduce likely wildfire
severity. Refer to the discussion of fire hazard in the Fire section.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

Mass erosion hazard would change slightly from natural rates under Alternatives B, C, D, and E.
Ten  to 13 acres of harvest are now proposed under any alternative on lands mapped as high
risk  for landslides.  They  will be dropped from harvest wherever the risk is validated  through
field  review.  Less than 1 acre of temporary road construction is proposed on lands mapped as
high risk.  Road location will be adjusted  as needed .based on field review to avoid areas of high
landslide hazard.  Extensive  field reviews  identified localized areas of risk, and these  areas
were dropped from  consideration (Gerhardt,  M.,  2003a).   Design and  mitigation  measures
address localized areas of significant landslide risk that may be identified  during project layout,
and  adjustment of harvest prescriptions to maintain slope stability.

Soil  restoration proposed on  existing impacted sites can sometimes  address existing  mass
erosion problems.  Activities that include  restoration of stream crossings and wetlands on roads,
and  recontouring roads and  temporary roads  can treat existing slope failure problems and
reduce risk for future failures.

No roads proposed for decommissioning under any alternative in  Crooked River are  on land
mapped as high  landslide hazard, but local  road and slope failures would be identified and
treated as roads are decommissioned.

INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
Indirect effects are likely to be slight, and differences among alternatives slight,  because of little
activity proposed on landslide  prone terrain, and the mitigation that would  be applied.  The
relative ranking of potential indirect effects by alternative is (least to greatest effects): A, E, B,
and C/D.

Indirect effects of mass erosion include effects to  vegetation and hydrologic processes.  Mass
erosion may affect surface or substratum materials.  Mass erosion of surface soil removes the
materials with the greatest ability to hold moisture and nutrients, potentially resulting in greater
drought stress, poorer growth, and susceptibility to pathogens or fire.  Since volcanic ash  is not
easily replaced,  these effects  may  be  very long lasting.   Certain species have  a  greater
competitive advantage in  eroded  soils,  like weeds or lodgepole pine, so that shifts  in plant
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 community composition and consequent disturbance regimes, like erosion or fire, could occur.
 Typically mass erosion mixes surface and substratum materials so the unique properties of the
 surface  soil  are  lost.   Mass-eroded surface  and substratum material may be delivered to
 streams and have consequences to water quality, stream temperature, quality of fish habitat,
 and channel  morphology.  See Sections 3.2. - Watershed and 3.3. - Fisheries.

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 There are  no irreversible or irretrievable direct effects of mass erosion, except for potential loss
 of volcanic ash-influenced topsoil.  See the section of effects for surface  erosion.  Anticipated
 mass erosion processes under action or 'no action' alternatives are of slight probability, size, or
 effects, and are unlikely to exceed natural rates.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES

           TABLE 3.23 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE MASS EROSION: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Acres of road construction or harvest
on lands preliminarily mapped as high
landslide hazard
Existing Condition Plus Proposed and Foreseeable
Actions1
A
230
B
241
C
242
D
241
E
240
EXISTING
CONDITION
215
Cumulative effects are directly related to the kind and scope of past, proposed and foreseeable
timber harvest or fuel reduction activities and temporary road construction in susceptible terrain.
The relative ranking of likely cumulative effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect):  A, E,
B, and C/D. The design and mitigation measures identified in Table 2.3 would constrain the risk
of effects to slight.

Activities that result in mass erosion are unlikely to have significant  cumulative effects in the
analysis area because of the low incidence of activities proposed on landslide prone terrain.
Mitigation and restoration may stabilize failures on existing roads by decommissioning/while
proposed temporary road construction would be in low hazard locations.

Past road construction in high hazard landslide prone areas is dominated by the construction of
the main Crooked River Road 233 in  1896, which  accounts for  54  percent  of  all  road
construction in high hazard settings.  The 311  Road up  East Fork Crooked River, built in 1935,
accounts for  an  additional  23 percent of construction in  a high hazard  setting and the 9838
Road in 1984 in the headwaters of Silver Creek accounts for 12 percent.  Field  evidence of
actual mass wasting indicates that periodic small road cut failures along the main Crooked River
Road and 9838 Road have been the predominant expression of mass wasting in the watershed,
aside from the evidence of old debris avalanches in channels, probably associated with  past
severe wildfires and localized small slumps associated with wetlands on steeper slopes.
 The primary foreseeable action includes the Whiskey South project, which harvests 15 acres on lands mapped as
high hazard for landslides.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
The thinning and  pruning  that  have occurred around  administrative structures as  part of
defensible space projects in the analysis  area will not increase  mass wasting risk, because
larger, deeper rooted trees that promote stability will be retained.  Most of these are in Lower
Crooked River, Silver Creek, and Relief Creek, and were part of the projects listed above.

Fifteen  acres of harvest are proposed  on lands mapped  as  high  landslide  hazard  for the
foreseeable Whiskey South project, but no road construction. Field review and development of
mitigation  measures  have reduced the risk of slope failure due to harvest on that terrain to
slight.

COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS

DIRECT EFFECTS

      TABLE 3.24 - INDICATORS OF DIRECT SOIL EFFECTS BY ALTERNATIVE: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Number of proposed activity areas on FS lands estimated
to not meet Forest Plan soil quality standard 2
Alternative
A
0
B
0
c
0
D
0
E
0
ALTERNATIVE A - No ACTION ALTERNATIVE
Under the 'no action' alternative,  the  existing condition for compliance with Soil  Quality
Standards  would  continue, with slight amelioration as slow  natural recovery  of compacted
surface soil occurred and surface soil development in disturbed areas occurred.   Landings,
temporary roads, and compacted or excavated skid trails would not recover enough  within the
temporal bounds of this analysis that most past activity areas would meet current standards.

No additional lands would be subject to temporary road construction or fuel reduction that would
result in soil conditions not in compliance with standards from any of the action alternatives.

However, no soil or watershed  improvement activities would occur that might accelerate soil
recovery, so the long-term upward trend would be slower in untreated soil restoration areas,
than with soil restoration.

If a wildfire occurred, consequent damage to soil  conditions from suppression activities, burn
severity,  or salvage logging could range from negligible to severe, depending on location, size,
and severity of burn and subsequent administrative activities.

The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased potential
for locally severe burning behavior, but whether this might result in greater or more lasting soil
damage  than  road construction or ground-based  logging operations  is uncertain.   Wildfire
seldom results in compaction or  displacement, but could result in ground cover loss and  erosion
that exceeds Forest Plan standards or Regional Guidelines. Evaluation of alternatives depends
on being  able to compare fire size, location, and severity in untreated areas. The scope  of such
impacts is not foreseeable, given the uncertainties of fire ignition and burning weather. See the
discussion of fire hazard in Section 3.4. - Fire.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, and E

 Under Alternatives B, C, D, and  E,  the areas  proposed for ground-based timber harvest or
 mechanical fuel reduction on soils highly susceptible to compaction or displacement are the
 areas most vulnerable to exceeding Forest Plan soil standard number 2. The areas proposed
 for such harvest have no recorded history of harvest or mechanical disturbance in the past and
 no evidence of disturbance from aerial photo inspection, and reconnaissance field sampling
 and are expected to fully meet either Forest Plan Standards at this time.

 Project  design and mitigation measures are  required that constrain equipment type  timing of
 operation,  location and density of skid trails, and restoration of mechanically disturbed areas
 with the objective of ensuring that activity areas meet Forest  Plan soil standard number 2 upon
 completion of the proposed  activities.  These  would apply  to all alternatives.  Monitoring of
 activities is required prior, during, and  post-implementation to  assure that compliance is
 achieved.  This will allow adjustments to operations or additional restoration to ensure that all
 activity areas meet forest soil quality standards.

 Additional soil restoration is  proposed under Alternatives B, C, D, and  E.   Recovery of soil
 physical  properties is not expected to be complete on all treated acres, but will establish an
 upward  trend for soil  conditions  for the treated sites.   Activities  include  decompaction
 recontounng, addition of organic matter, weed control, and revegetation to  restore compacted
 and displaced  soils on  main skid  trails,  existing temporary  roads,  landings,  and newly
 constructed temporary roads.  The relative ranking of alternatives for soil restoration activities is
 (greatest to least restoration):  E, D, C, B, and A.   Alternative  D would  be equal to E in
 restoration  if all the additional restoration is implemented.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 Indirect  effects  of compliance with soil quality standards are more appropriately addressed
 under Soil Compaction and Displacement.

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS- ALL ALTERNATIVES
 Irreversible and  irretrievable  effects of compliance  with soil  quality standards are  more
 appropriately addressed under Soil Compaction and Displacement.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 Cumulative effects of compliance with soil quality standards are more appropriately addressed
 under Soil Compaction and Displacement, because compliance is assessed  at the activity area
scale.
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3.1.2.2. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: SOIL CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss
DIRECT EFFECTS

      TABLE 3.25 - INDICATORS OF SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Acres of whole tree yarding with more than 50 percent
canopy removal on geologic materials potentially
susceptible to potassium losses
Acres of whole tree yarding with more than 50 percent
canopy removal, that could contribute to nitrogen losses
Alternative
A
0
0
B
0
0
c
0
0
D
0
0
E
0
0
ALTERNATIVE A- No ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Under the 'no action' alternative, soil potassium and nitrogen would continue to cycle at current
rates, and not be subject to removal through harvest or prescribed fire. Accrual would continue
at low rates from rock weathering, atmospheric deposition, and nitrogen fixation.  Soil nutrients
would increasingly be bound in organic matter complexes and slowly released through decay.
The net trend would be reduced  management-derived  nutrient loss.   However, no soil or
watershed  improvement activities would occur, that might accelerate  biological recovery on
degraded sites, so the long-term  upward  trend would  be slower in untreated potential soil
restoration areas.

If  a wildfire occurred,  consequent soil nutrient loss  could range from negligible to severe,
depending  on location, size and severity of burn, loss through  salvage logging, and loss of
nutrients through erosion or leaching. Fire could also make more nutrients readily available for
plant uptake and benefit post-fire plant growth. The scope of  such impacts is not foreseeable,
given the uncertainties of fire ignition and burning weather.

The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel  loads could contribute to increased potential
for locally  severe  burning  behavior, which  can increase  the likelihood of nutrient loss to
volatilization,  erosion, or leaching.  However,  whole-tree  yarding, hot broadcast burns, or hot
burns of machine-piled slash could have equal effects because of the removal of material from
the site.  Concentration of slash in piles may result in losses due to hotter fires or significant
reduction of nutrients from large areas. Alternative evaluation would depend on the reduction of
wildfire size and severity in untreated areas, and in areas where partial canopy removal and
underburn reduce likely wildfire severity. Refer to the discussion of fire hazard in Section 3.4. -
Fire.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

Potential for  potassium and  nitrogen loss  has been constrained by  design and mitigation
measures under Alternatives B, C, D, and E.  Bole-only yarding would be required, so  the tops
and  limbs would be left on site. Slash would  be over wintered one season  so that potassium
and other minerals would be leached  from the foliage prior to  burning. On grapple piled units,
slash piles would  be as small as possible and well dispersed over the  site  to reduce the
likelihood of local nutrient removal, and reduce fire intensity  that could contribute to nutrient
losses from volatilization.  See Table 2.3.
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 The acres of soil restoration described under soil compaction and displacement would improve
 potential for nitrogen accretion and retention by accelerating soil stabilization and organic matter
 development.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 The design and mitigation measures reduce differences among action alternatives to negligible
 The 'no action' alternative would result in less immediate nutrient loss, but wildfire could affect
 any alternative by resulting  in volatilization, leaching or erosion loss of nutrients  but also by
 making more nutrients readily available for plant uptake.

 Indirect effects of loss of soil nutrients include  reduced growth and yield, increased susceptibility
 to  pathogens (like root infection),  and shifting species composition as species  with ability to
 sequester nutrients (like  grand fir) out compete species less able (like larch) (Garrison and
 Moore, 1998).

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 There is little difference among action alternatives, given the design and mitigation measures.
 The 'no action'  alternative  would  result in less nutrient loss,  but wildfire  could affect any
 alternative by resulting in  volatilization, leaching or erosion loss of nutrients, but also by making
 more nutrients readily available for plant uptake.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES

   TABLE 3.26 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE  POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN Loss: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Acres of more than 50 percent canopy
removal including tops and limbs on
geologic materials potentially
susceptible to potassium losses. Past
activities were whole tree yarded or
yarded of unmerchantable material.
Acres of more than 50 percent canopy
removal that could contribute to
nitrogen losses. Past activities were
clear cut with slash disposal
Existing Condition Plus Proposed and Foreseeable Actions1
A
358
5146
B
358
5146
C
358
5146
D
358
5146
E
358
5146
EXISTING
126
4914
Past  effects to  potassium reserves due to management are  not  thought to  be significant,
because no entry into areas with prior timber harvest is proposed. Mitigation and restoration are
required that would constrain effects to current or slightly degraded levels for potassium, and
little long-lasting effect for nitrogen.  Differences among alternatives are only due to the scope of
harvesting and the relative ranking is (least to greatest effect): A, E, B, C, and D. All alternatives
meet  current recommendations for nutrient retention.  The 'no action' alternative would result in
 The foreseeable Whiskey South project does not propose any whole tree yarding, but does propose clear cutting
and machine piling and burning on an  estimated 232 acres, with no specified measures to sustain nitrogen or
potassium.
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less immediate nutrient loss, but wildfire could affect any alternative by resulting in volatilization,
leaching or erosion loss of nutrients, but also  by making more nutrients readily available for
plant uptake.

Activities that cause soil potassium and nitrogen loss may have  cumulative effects on  soil
productivity,  plant growth and yield, susceptibility to pathogens, and  successional processes,
with repeated entries.  Past whole tree yarding  or mechanical piling and burning are poorly
documented.  Records indicate  the highest incidence of this activity occurred in 1986-1987 in
isolated stands in Lower and Middle Crooked River. However, this still accounts for less than 1
percent of any subwatershed. The piling and burning proposed under Alternative D would add
up to 2 percent of Relief Creek and Middle Crooked River subwatersheds, and lesser amounts
elsewhere, but mitigation is specified to minimize whole tree yarding and reduce nutrient losses
from big burn piles.  See Table 2.3.

Some thinning and pruning have occurred around administrative structures as part of defensible
space projects in the analysis area.  This work  is accomplished by hand.  Lower branches and
small trees were generally removed, and either hand piled and burned.  Localized potential for
cumulative soil nutrient loss is possible, if treatment is continuously sustained.

Foreseeable actions include an estimated 363  acres  of  timber harvest or mechanical fuel
reduction as part of the Whiskey South project. No whole tree yarding  is proposed.  A mix of
treatments is proposed for slash disposal, with perhaps 232 acres  likely to be  machine piled,
which could contribute to redistribution and volatilization of potassium and nitrogen.

SOIL WOOD

DIRECT EFFECTS

               TABLE 3.27 - INDICATOR OF SOIL WOOD Loss: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Acres of clearcut harvest and slash disposal with potential
for high soil wood loss
Alternative
A
0
B
690
C
748
D
804
E
536
ALTERNATIVE A - No ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Under the 'no action' alternative,  soil wood would continue to accumulate and slowly decay
through physical and biological mechanisms.  The net trend would be reduced management-
derived loss of soil wood.  However,  no soil or watershed improvement activities would occur,
that might accelerate biological recovery in degraded areas, so the long-term upward trend
would  be slower.   If a wildfire  occurred, consequent loss of soil wood  could  range  from
negligible to severe, depending on location,  size  and severity of burn, and removal of dead
standing trees associated with salvage logging. Fire could also create standing dead trees that
provide recruitment for soil  wood over  the  long  term.   The scope of such impacts is not
foreseeable, given the uncertainties  of fire ignition,  burning weather, and potential  post-fire
salvage logging.

The continued accumulation of dead and down fuel loads could contribute to increased potential
for locally severe burning behavior, which can result in  loss of existing soil wood, while at the
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 same time recruiting new potential soil wood.  However, fuel reduction activities hot broadcast
 burns, or hot burns of machine-piled slash could have equal effects because of the removal of
 wood boles  from.  Concentration of slash in piles may result in losses due to hotter fires or
 significant reduction of large wood over extensive areas.  Large historic fires burned at 26-69
 percent lethality in the adjacent Red River watershed; it is unlikely that any future fire would be
 outside this wide range,  with or without treatment, and loss due to fire is expected  to be less
 than loss due to removal.  In general, wildfire effects could often be preferable in large wood
 cycling and recruitment.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D,  and E

 Potential for loss of large woody debris is greatest for Alternative D and least for E  with B and C
 being intermediate.   Provision for retention  of down wood, snags, and green' trees  should
 provide for some wood retention and recruitment in all alternatives.

 The likelihood of soil wood loss is less on the acres proposed for precommercial thinning
 shelterwood  or group selection harvest. All of these acres would have more than 50  percent
 crown removal,  but most of that is in smaller diameter classes which would  not provide as
 valuable a soil wood resource as the larger trees left. The monitoring plan (Appendix I) requires
 adequate oversight and monitoring during implementation to ensure that soil wood snags  and
 green trees are left as prescribed.

 For the proposed roadside salvage of  dead and dying trees, large snags would be left, and the
 intensity and  extent of tree removal would be low.

 The soil restoration described under soil compaction and displacement would improve long-term
 potential for soil wood accrual by accelerating soil stabilization and organic matter development.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 The relative ranking of likely indirect effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect): A, E, B C
 and D.                                                                         ....

 Indirect effects of soil wood  loss include altered processes  of forest regeneration and growth,
 favoring species requiring lower soil moisture, lower nutrient levels and greater tolerance for
 potential soil erosion.  Indirect effects could also include loss of habitat for species requiring soil
 wood as dens or substrate for invertebrates, bacteria and fungi, which affect food availability for
 small rodents and their predators.

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
There  are no irreversible  or irretrievable direct effects due to loss of soil wood, although long-
term productivity could be compromised through the age of the next forest stand, until  soil wood
reserves begin to be replenished.
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CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
    TABLE 3.28 - INDICATORS OF CUMULATIVE SOIL WOOD EFFECTS BY ALTERNATIVE: CROOKED RIVER
Activity
Acres of clearcut timber harvest and
slash disposal with potential for high
soil wood loss .
Existing Condition Plus Proposed and Foreseeable
Actions1
A
5146
B
5836
C
5894
D
595
E
5682
EXISTING
CONDITION
4914
Mitigation  and restoration are required to constrain effects to current or improved levels, and
develop a long-term upward trend on some previously degraded sites.  The prescriptions for
large woody debris retention, green tree and snag retention, and controls on size and intensity
of burn piles should result in minor cumulative effects from the proposed actions. The relative
ranking of potential cumulative effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect): A, E, B, C, and
D. All alternatives would meet current recommendations for soil wood retention.  Wildfire might
consume substantial quantities  of existing soil wood under any alternative, but would recruit
standing dead trees, in the absence of extensive salvage logging.

Activities that cause repeated loss of soil wood may have cumulative effects on soil porosity,
water holding capacity, aeration,  biological activity, and long-term productivity, in the case of
frequent repeated entries. This  is not likely to be a concern for the proposed activities because
no areas of harvest are targeted for a second entry.

Activities that result in large areas of depleted soil wood may have cumulative effects at the
landscape scale.  Past activities considered in  cumulative  effects  are  regeneration timber
harvest and slash disposal.

Activities that result in large areas of depleted soil wood may have cumulative effects at the
landscape scale.  Past activities considered in  cumulative  effects  are  regeneration timber
harvest and slash disposal.  The 4,914 acres of clearcut harvest with dozer piling or broadcast
burning  have been widespread  throughout most subwatersheds, and particularly in the 1970s
and 1980s in Middle  Crooked  River; 1970s through  1990s in Relief Creek; and  the 1980s
through  1990s in Lower Crooked River.  All harvest is too recent to have recovered large wood
on the ground.  Relief Creek has been most affected (29 percent). Alternative D would affect
large woody debris recruitment most in Relief Creek (5  percent), but the prescriptions for large
woody debris retention, green tree and snag retention, and controls on  size and intensity of burn
piles should result in minor cumulative effects from the proposed actions.

Some thinning and pruning have occurred around administrative structures as part of defensible
space projects in the analysis area.  This work is accomplished by hand.  Soil wood was not
generally removed, but some snags were removed. Localized potential for cumulative soil wood
loss is possible if treatment is continuously sustained.
1 The primary foreseeable action includes Whiskey South project
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 Foreseeable actions include a proposed 363 acres of harvest in the Whiskey South project  An
 estimated 232 acres will have high levels of crown removal and machine piling  and may be
 susceptible to soil wood loss.

 3-1.3.  EXISTING CONDITION -AMERICAN RIVER
 The  analysis area  is dominated  (96 percent) by surface soils derived from  volcanic-ash
 influenced  loess that is  highly  susceptible to compaction and displacement, and whose
 favorable moisture and nutrient holding properties  are critical to long-term productivity  These
 surface layers are relatively thin and it is hard to decompact them without mixing with underlying
 infertile substrata.  Soil substrata include  both highly erodible (42  percent) and moderatelv
 erodible (58 percent) materials.

 Detrimentally compacted and displaced soil conditions are widespread in the watershed due to
 past  mining, ground-based logging and dozer piling, and road  construction.  These conditions
 are primarily associated with harvest units (about 19 percent), system roads (about 1.4 percent)
 and localized mine sites (about .5 percent).  In addition, the major privately owned meadows ( 6
 percent) have long been  grazed, farmed,  or otherwise impacted and are expected to have
 sustained detrimental soil disturbance.

 Soil substratum erosion from a dense road network  contributes to instream effects.

 Landslide hazard is dominantly low (0.6 percent of the  area is rated as high risk) and incidence
 of  mass wasting is  infrequent,  small  in scale, and  localized  in effects.  Areas of Tertiary
 sediments within the  Elk City Township are prone  to small road cut failures, because of their
 stratified materials that perch water.

 Geologic materials thought to be susceptible to potassium loss are widespread in the watershed
 (85 percent). Nutrient losses, including potassium and  nitrogen,  are expected to  have occurred
 in areas of regeneration harvest (15 percent of the watershed), especially where whole tree
 yarding or intensive slash disposal has occurred.

 Soil wood regimes have been  interrupted on large  areas (14 percent of the watershed) due to
 regeneration harvest and slash disposal with little provision for  retaining existing soil wood or
 providing for soil wood recruitment by leaving live and dead  trees.

 An estimated 73 percent of past timber harvest activity areas exceed the 20 percent detrimental
 disturbance threshold in current Forest Plan soil quality standards.  Percent of detrimental soil
 disturbance is expected to range from 20  to 80 percent on units that have been  tractor logged
 and dozer piled, based on similarity to Red River soil types and management history.

 Widespread lodgepole pine mortality will result in locally heavy  accumulations of down wood.
 This may result in locally severe fire effects to soils  in the case of wildfire under severe burning
 conditions.  These potential  fire  effects are within  the  historic  range of variability for soils in
 these fire regimes for  severity,  although the  extent could be more widespread due to effects of
 fire suppression.

 3.1.4.  EXISTING CONDITION - CROOKED RIVER
 The analysis area is  dominated (86  percent) by surface  soils derived from  volcanic-ash
 influenced  loess  that  is  highly  susceptible to  compaction and displacement,  and whose
favorable moisture and nutrient holding properties are critical to  long-term productivity. These
surface layers are relatively thin and it is hard to decompact  them without mixing with underlying
infertile substrata. Highly erodible materials dominate (76 percent) soil substrata.


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Detrimentally compacted  and displaced soil conditions are common in the watershed due to
past mining, ground-based logging and dozer piling, and road construction.  These conditions
are primarily associated with harvest units (about 8 percent), system roads (about 1.2 percent),
and localized mine sites (a minimum of .7 percent).
Soil substratum erosion  from roads, mines and trails contributes to instream effects in  lower
Crooked River.
Landslide hazard is dominantly low (7.5 percent of the area is rated as high risk) and incidence
of mass wasting is infrequent, usually small in scale, and localized in effects.
Geologic materials thought to be susceptible to potassium  loss are  common in the watershed
(54 percent). Nutrient losses, including potassium and nitrogen, are  expected to have occurred
in areas of regeneration  harvest (11  percent of the watershed),  especially where whole tree
yarding or intensive slash disposal has occurred.
Soil wood regimes have been interrupted on  large areas (11  percent of the watershed) due to
regeneration  harvest and slash  disposal with  little  provision for retaining  existing soil wood or
providing for soil wood recruitment by leaving live and dead trees.
An  estimated 69  percent of past timber  harvest activity areas do  not meet Forest Plan  soil
quality standards.  Percent  of detrimental soil disturbance is expected to range from 20  to 80
percent on units that have been tractor logged and  dozer piled based on similarity to Red  River
soil types and management history.
Widespread lodgepole pine mortality  at  low  and  mid elevations will result  in locally heavy
accumulations of down wood. This may result in locally severe fire effects  to soils in the case of
wildfire under severe burning conditions.  These  potential  fire effects are within the historic
range  of variability for  soils in these fire regimes for  severity, but extent could be  more
widespread due to effects of fire suppression.

3.1.5. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES - AMERICAN
        RIVER/CROOKED RIVER
Soil physical properties would be most affected  by temporary road construction and use of
ground-based mechanical harvest systems.   Compliance with  Forest soil  quality standards
would  be achieved through  design  and mitigation measures, and monitoring and adjustment of
activities prior to, during, and post treatment.
Surface soil loss from roads through displacement and mixing with  infertile substrata has long
lasting consequences for soil productivity,  because  of the superiority  of the volcanic ash surface
layer  over  subsoils  and substrata.   Road decommissioning will  only  partially  recover  soil
productivity, but should markedly reduce erosion.
Soil compaction  and displacement on ground-based logging  units  may  be dispersed widely,
slow to naturally recover, and difficult to restore because the ash surface material is relatively
thin and restoration methods may  be  constrained  by technology or economic considerations.
Most soils in the project area have shallow topsoil over sterile subsoil, which will require careful
decompaction to avoid mixing (Andrus and Froelich, 1983).
Relative ranking of alternatives for effects to soil erosion is (least to greatest): E, D, A, B, and C,
while  relative ranking with  respect to soil compaction and displacement, mass erosion and
compliance with  soil quality standards is: A,  E, B, C, and D. All  alternatives would control
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             American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 erosion,  compaction, displacement, and  mass erosion through  compliance  with  road  and
 harvest design criteria and mitigation measures.

 Mitigation measures for compaction, displacement, and erosion are described in Table 2 3 and
 include items 1,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22.

 Monitoring prior to,  during,  and upon completion of activities is required for identifying areas of
 risk or prior impacts that require adjustment of activities, or effects of operations that may lead
 to unacceptable soil resource damage or non-compliance with soil  quality standards (Appendix

 Wildfire under any alternative would not likely result in extensive compaction, displacement or
 substratum  erosion, except as a consequence  of  fire suppression activities and potential
 subsequent salvage logging. Surface soil erosion would likely increase in areas of steep slopes
 with hot burns.                                                                   K    K

 Soil chemical properties would be most affected by activities that result in excessive loss of
 nutrients  where there is the potential for whole tree yarding,  machine piling and burning and
 clear cutting with  potentially hot broadcast burns.  Mitigation measures are required that will
 reduce these effects, through limiting whole-tree yarding, ensuring that slash is over wintered so
 that nutrients  can leach into  the soil, using broadcast burning  where  possible rather than
 excavator piling,  and ensuring  that machine  piling,  where  required  results  in small well-
 distributed piles that would less likely to result in loss through volatilization than large piles  See
 items 9,13, and 17 in Table 2.3.

 Wildfire under any alternative  could affect nitrogen regimes through volatilization, erosion, or
 leaching loss or through chemical transformation  making existing  nitrogen more available'for
 plant uptake. Potassium is less susceptible to volatilization losses.

 Soil biological properties could be most affected by activities that result in high levels  of loss
 or redistribution of existing coarse woody debris, and recruitable coarse woody debris  (snags
 and green trees).  Mitigation measures are required to reduce these effects, through retention of
 down wood, green trees, and snags to levels that comply with  existing guidance (Graham et al
 1994; USDA FS, 2000).  See item 12 in Table 2.3.

 Wildfire under any alternative could materially affect coarse woody debris regimes through both
 consumption and recruitment.

 Soil restoration activities are  planned as part of the watershed improvement activities, as part
 of harvest impact mitigation on  new units, restoration on some  old units, and will also accrue as
 a consequence of decommissioning of existing roads.

 Soil restoration would consist  of scarification,  recontouring,  stabilization for erosion control,
 application of organic matter, revegetation, and weed control as needed.

 Soil restoration can potentially improve infiltration, improve water and nutrient regimes, restore
 more natural water yield  regimes, reduce likelihood of runoff events: reduce potential for weed
 invasion, stabilize  slopes, and improve tree growth and  vegetation establishment (Luce  1997-
 Sanborn et al., 1999a; Plotnikoff, et al., 1999;  Andrus  and Froelich, 1983; Sanborn'ef a/'
 1999b; Foltz and Maillard, 2004; and Korb et al., 2004.)

Alternatives that maximize soil restoration and  minimize new soil disturbances achieve the
greatest level of soil resource  protection and  restoration.  Using  these  criteria, the relative
ranking  of alternatives is (least to greatest impact) A, E, B, C, and D. Alternative A is somewhat
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
problematic, because  neither restoration nor impactive management activities are proposed.
However, it is a lot easier to avoid damage than to undo it, so this alternative is ranked higher
than the action alternatives.
Treatments typically  address less  than 3 percent of each old tractor-logged unit because
dispersed areas of soil damage are often hard to  access and treat without compounding soil
resource damage.

SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - AMERICAN RIVER/CROOKED RIVER

SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

SOIL COMPACTION AND DISPLACEMENT AND COMPLIANCE WITH SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS
The relative ranking of cumulative effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect): A, E,  B, C,
and D for both watersheds. All alternatives would meet Forest Plan soil quality standards with
respect to area  of detrimental disturbance.   All alternatives would  minimize compaction and
displacement to  a similar degree using the same design criteria and mitigation  measures, and
using monitoring, adjustment of activities and post-activity restoration.
Cumulative effects due to soil compaction and displacement include altered soil porosity; water
holding  capacity, aeration,  and  long-term productivity. Effects are in proportion to the  past,
proposed  and  foreseeable area  impacted  by ground  based logging,  mining,  and  road
construction.  The total percent of each watershed with long persistent soil damage under the
past, proposed and foreseeable actions is 9-10 percent for American River and  5-6 percent for
Crooked River.  The 'no action' alternative A results in the least soil damage in each watershed.
Alternative E results in  the least cumulative  soil  damage  of the action  alternatives in  each
watershed.

SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE EROSION
The relative ranking of cumulative effects by alternative is (least to greatest effect): E, D,  A, B,
and C for both watersheds.  All alternatives would minimize erosion displacement to a similar
degree  using the same  design criteria and mitigation  measures,  and  using  monitoring,
adjustment of activities and post-activity restoration.
Cumulative effects due to  increased erosion include reduced water holding capacity, nutrient
reserves and retention,  long-term  productivity, and altered  vegetation dynamics, as well as
instream effects  of sedimentation.   Effects  are  in  proportion  to  the  past,  proposed,  and
foreseeable area impacted  by  road  building and mining on  erodible substrata, harvest on
erodible surface soils, as well as the compensation provided by road decommissioning and soil
restoration. All alternatives would minimize erosion to a similar degree using the same design
criteria and mitigation measures and using monitoring, adjustment of activities and post-activity
restoration.

MASS EROSION
Cumulative effects are expected to be negligible for American River, and slight and in proportion
to the  miles  of  road  construction  and timber harvest on moderately susceptible terrain  in
Crooked River.   The relative ranking of cumulative effects by alternative for Crooked River is
(least to greatest potential effect): A,  B/E,  and C/D.  All alternatives would  minimize mass
erosion to a similar degree using the same design  criteria and mitigation measures, and using
monitoring, adjustment of activities and post-activity restoration.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Cumulative effects due to mass erosion may include loss of more fertile topsoii delivery of large
 and fine sediment, rock, and woody debris to streams, loss of investments  such as roads or
 culverts, and shifts in  plant community composition.  Effects  are  in proportion  to the past
 proposed and foreseeable area impacted by landslides in response to road building and timber
 harvest on landslide prone terrain.  All alternatives avoid entry into  areas  of  high landslide
 hazard.

 SOIL CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

 SOIL POTASSIUM AND NITROGEN
 Differences among alternatives are only due to the scope of harvesting and the relative ranking
 is (least to greatest effect): A, E, B, C, and D. All alternatives meet current recommendations for
 nutrient retention.  Cumulative  effects are  in proportion to the scope of past,  proposed and
 foreseeable regeneration timber harvest, particularly whole tree yarding, and likelihood for piling
 and burning slash that may result in extensive nutrient redistribution and volatilization.
 Activities that cause soil potassium  and nitrogen loss  may  have  cumulative effects  on soil
 productivity, plant susceptibility to  pathogens, and successional processes.  Geologic materials
 potentially  susceptible  to potassium loss  are dominant in American River  and  common  in
 Crooked River.  Mitigation measures are required that will reduce these effects, through limiting
 whole-tree yarding, ensuring that slash is over wintered so that nutrients can leach into the soil
 using broadcast burning where possible rather than excavator piling, and ensuring that machine
 piling, where required, results in small well-distributed piles that would less likely to result in loss
 through volatilization than large piles. Other  projects proposed in  the analysis  area similarly
 limit whole tree yarding  and emphasize broadcast burning, but  local losses could occur in areas
 of machine piling followed by hot burns.  Effects would be limited by monitoring,  adjustment of
 activities and post-activity restoration.
 SOIL WOOD
 The relative ranking of  potential cumulative effects is in proportion to the area of regeneration
 timber  harvest and slash disposal and is  (least to  greatest effect): A, E, B, C, and  D.  All
 alternatives would meet current recommendations for soil wood retention.
 Activities that cause repeated or widespread loss of soil wood  may have cumulative effects on
 soil  porosity, water holding capacity, aeration, biological activity,  and long-term productivity.
 Repeated entries  are not an issue for the proposed action, but activities  that result in  large
 areas of depleted soil wood may have effects at the landscape  scale.  Mitigation and restoration
 will reduce effects. Design criteria in Table 2.3 specify retention of acting large  woody debris
 and well-distributed snags and green trees for recruiting debris.  Differences  among alternatives
 would be reduced through mitigation and through monitoring, adjustment of activities and  post-
 activity  restoration.

 Wildfire might consume substantial quantities  of existing soil wood  under any alternative, but
 would recruit standing dead trees, in the absence of extensive salvage logging.

 FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE
 Detrimental soil erosion, mass wasting,  compaction, displacement, and puddling are potential
 effects of management  activities that are addressed  in the  soil quality standards  in  the Forest
 Plan.   Such effects can contribute to long-term impairment of the  land's   productivity,  as
addressed by the  Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act of 1960.
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             American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
  Design and mitigation measures  for the American  and Crooked River project constrain such
  effects to be within Forest Plan standards.  Additional soil restoration activities will improve soil
  productivity and contribute to  hydrologic function  in the  project area.   Effects will also be
  minimized through monitoring, adjustment of activities and  post-activity restoration.  Monitoring
  must  demonstrate  that   design and mitigation  measures  are implemented  and  effective in
  ensuring that the project is consistent with the Forest Plan and environmental law, including the
  monitoring  requirement in Section 6 of the National Forest Management Act and 36 CFR 200.1,
  1987.

  The following Forestwide Standards for Soils, which include all those listed on page II-22 of the
  Forest Plan, apply to this project and will be met as follows;

                        TABLE 3.29 - FORESTWIDE STANDARDS FOR SOILS
STANDARD
 NUMBER
              SUBJECT SUMMARY
        COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
    1
Evaluate  the  potential   for  soil  displacement,
compaction, puddling,  mass wasting, and surface soil
erosion for all ground-disturbing activities	
Land type mapping  and interpretation, field
validation, and data synthesis, road and unit
field reviews.
           A minimum of 80 percent of an activity area shall not be
           detrimentally compacted,  displaced, or  puddled upon
           completion of activities.
                                                 Database, photo, field reviews and synthesis
                                                 of monitoring data to evaluate current status
                                                 of proposed activity areas.
                                                          b. Design and mitigation measures to minimize
                                                             detrimental disturbance. See Table 2.3.
                                                          c.  Monitoring  and  to  verify compliance  and
                                                             augment mitigation or restoration if needed.
                                                             See Appendix I.
                                                          d.  Supplementary  soil  restoration on  other
                                                             activity   areas   to  address  past  soil
                                                             disturbance.  See Appendix D.
            Maintain sufficient ground cover to minimize rill erosion
            and sloughing on road cut and fill slopes and  sheet
            erosion on other activity areas.
                                               a.  Design and mitigation measures to minimize
                                                  erosion. See Table 2.3.
                                               b.  Monitoring and restoration requirements, to
                                                  verify compliance and augment mitigation if
                                                  needed. See Appendix I.
                                                          c.  Supplementary  soil restoration on  other
                                                             activity  areas   to  address   past  soil
                                                             disturbance. See Appendix D.
                                         QS as as ess cs as

  3.2.  WATERSHED

  SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
  The  watershed  resources  section considers physical processes  such  as  water yield and
  sediment yield, including effects on channel morphology and water quality. It is closely linked to
  Section 3.1. - Soils and Section 3.3. - Fisheries,  generally deriving information from the former
  and contributing information to the latter.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The  geographic scope of the  analysis for  watershed  resources  includes  two 5th  code
 watersheds, American  River and Crooked River.  American River contains fifteen 6th  code
 subwatersheds (also known as prescription watersheds).  Project activities are located in nine of
 the fifteen 6  code subwatersheds in American River.   Crooked River contains five 6th  code
 subwatersheds.  Project activities are located in  four of the five  subwatersheds in Crooked
 River.  Maps 7a and  7b show the project area watersheds. The affected area for cumulative
 effects analysis  includes the American and Crooked River watersheds and the mainstem South
 Fork  Clearwater River to the Forest Boundary below the Mt. Idaho Bridge.

 The time period for the water  yield analysis from project activities is about ten years.   Full
 recovery for a regeneration harvest to recover to pre-treatment conditions in terms of water yield
 is considerably longer.  However, most effects from timber harvest should be  manifested within
 ten years.  Water yield effects from existing activities are considered since the  late 1950s, which
 is about when timber  harvest records begin.  Timber harvest activities associated with the  early
 mining period (1860s  -  1930s) are assumed to have recovered in terms of water yield. Large
 wildfires have not  occurred in American  River since 1919 and in Crooked River since 1945
 Water yield effects from  historic fires are assumed to have largely recovered.

 The time period for  the sediment  yield  analysis  from project activities is  about ten years.
 Sediment yield effects from project activities are  expected to  be  recovered within that  time
 period, since no new  permanent roads are being constructed.   Roads  are considered to  have
 sediment yield effects throughout their life. Cumulative effects of sediment yield from wildfires
 and human activities are considered since about 1870.

 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST PLAN DIRECTION
 The Nez Perce Forest Plan directs that soil and water resources be managed at levels designed
 to meet management objectives for watersheds. Water quality  is to be managed by applying
 best management practices (BMPs) and through scheduling the rate and location of activities to
 ensure that State Water Quality Standards are met or exceeded (USDA  FS, 1987a).

 Appendix A to the Forest Plan established fish/water objectives for each prescription watershed
 in the project area. The Plan recognizes that many of these watersheds do not meet fish/water
 quality objectives under existing  conditions. The Plan stipulates that an  upward trend in aquatic
 habitat carrying capacity be established in below-objective watersheds. This is accomplished
 by limiting  new  disturbances, allowing natural recovery to occur and/or implementing activities
 that would improve aquatic conditions. Discussion of aquatic trends is provided in Section  3.3 -
 Fisheries, with further detail provided in Appendix E. Guidelines for percent sediment yield  over
 base  and entry frequency per decade were also established  in the Forest Plan.  Information
from Forest Plan Appendix A for the project area watersheds is found in Appendix E (Tables E-1
and E-2).  Watershed  boundaries used in the analysis are found in Appendix E and shown in
detail  on Maps 7a and  7b.

CLEAN WATER ACT AND IDAHO STATE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
The Clean  Water Act  stipulates that states are  to adopt water quality  standards.  Included in
these   standards are  provisions for identifying beneficial  uses,  establishing the  status  of
beneficial  uses,  setting  water quality criteria,  and establishing BMPs to control  non-point
sources of pollution.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Under the Idaho Water Quality Standards, designated beneficial uses exist for American and
Crooked  Rivers (IDAPA 58.01.02).   Tributaries of American and  Crooked Rivers within  the
project area do  not have designated  beneficial uses.  However, they do support existing
beneficial uses and these are protected under the water quality standards.  There are numerous
private and two State water uses adjacent to or downstream of the project area.  Designated
and  existing beneficial  uses are detailed in Sections 3.2.1. - American River and 3.2.2.  -
Crooked River.

The  South Fork Clearwater River Subbasin Assessment  and Total Maximum Daily Loads
(TMDLs)  addresses water quality-limited streams  listed under Section 303(d)  of the Clean
Water Act (IDEQ et al, 2004).  The Assessment  and TMDLs is  a joint effort of the Idaho
Department of Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Nez Perce
Tribe. The Nez Perce National Forest participated in the assessment and TMDL development,
with  technical input and representation on the Watershed  Advisory  Group.  The  South' Fork
Clearwater River subbasin TMDLs applicable to the project area are for water temperature and
sediment and were approved by the EPA in July, 2004.

Using the currently approved  1998 list,  there are no 303(d) listed streams within the project
area. However, the entire project area contributes to the South Fork Clearwater River, which is
listed for  water  temperature  and  sediment.   TMDLs  were developed  for the South Fork
Clearwater River  for water temperature  and sediment.   The sediment  TMDL targets a 25
percent reduction in human-caused sediment yield to the  South Fork Clearwater River.   No
specific targets were set for tributaries,  but it was recognized that much of the sediment yield
reduction would need to take  place in the tributaries.  The water temperature TMDL calls for
canopy density or shade targets on a stream reach basis throughout the subbasin.  Different
analytical approaches were used for forested reaches than for the non-forested reaches and the
mainstem South Fork Clearwater River.

In June 2003, the  IDEQ issued a draft Integrated 303(d)/305(b) Report for Idaho.  The following
project area  streams were proposed  for listing  under Section 5 as impaired waters for water
temperature:  American River (below East Fork American  River), Crooked River, East Fork
Crooked  River,  Relief Creek,  and Sawmill Creek.   The South Fork Clearwater  River  was
proposed for listing for  water  temperature and sediment.  The South Fork Clearwater River
TMDLs were approved by EPA in July, 2004.  It is assumed that all of the streams above will be
moved to Section 4a, as waters having an approved TMDL.

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires permits to dredge or fill within waters of the United
States. The US Army Corps of Engineers administers these provisions.  Most of the instream
activities proposed under the  American  and Crooked River Project  will require authorization
under Section 404, through application of either nationwide or site-specific permits.

IDAHO FOREST PRACTICES ACT
The  Idaho Forest Practices Act regulates forest practices  on all  land ownerships  in Idaho.
Forest practices on national  forest lands must adhere to the  rules pertaining to the Act (IDAPA
20.02.01).  The rules are also incorporated as BMPs in the Idaho Water Quality Standards.

IDAHO STREAM CHANNEL PROTECTION ACT
The Idaho Stream Channel Protection Act regulates stream channel alterations between mean
high  water marks  on perennial streams in Idaho.  Instream activities on national forest lands
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 must adhere to  the  rules pertaining to the Act (IDAPA 37.03.07).   The  rules are also
 incorporated as BMPs in the Idaho Water Quality Standards.

 EXECUTIVE ORDERS 11988 AND 11990
 These Federal executive orders provide for protection and management of floodplains and
 wetlands. Numerous floodplains and wetlands exist within the project area.

 ANALYSIS METHODS
 Existing  condition synthesis  was  obtained from the  South  Fork  Clearwater Landscape
 Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a), South Fork Clearwater River Biological Assessment (USDA
 FS,  1999a)  and South Fork Clearwater River Subbasin Assessment and TMDLs (IDEQ,  et a/,
 2004).  Parts of the analysis relied  on the Nez Perce National  Forest Soil Survey (USDA FS!
 1987b).  Additional information was obtained from fieldwork conducted in the summers of 2002^
 2003 and  2004.   New field data  collected for this project  included watershed  condition
 inventories (e.g. road and culvert surveys), headwater channel surveys and reconnaissance fish
 habitat surveys. CIS- generated reports were also used.  This analysis compares the effects of
 the  alternatives on five watershed resource indicators,  detailed below.   Though discussed
 independently, there is considerable interaction between these indicators within the watershed
 and  stream channel system.

 INDICATOR 1 - WATERSHED CONDITION
 Watershed condition  indicators are  a series of metrics that can be used to index the level of
 disturbance  in a watershed.  They are usually expressed as densities or discrete amounts of
 various disturbances within a watershed. For example, road density expressed in miles of road
 per  square  mile  (mi/mi2)  of  watershed  area is  a  common  watershed condition  indicator.
 Extensions of that include  road density within riparian  habitat conservation areas (RHCAs) or
 landslide prone terrain (LSP).  Other indicators include various forms of timber harvest density,
 such as percent of the watershed harvested, percent of RHCAs harvested and percent of LSP
 terrain harvested.

 Various guidelines have been employed to rate watershed condition based on these indicators.
 One local version  is a matrix that rates watersheds into low,  moderate  or high condition based
 on assembling a broad array of indicators (NOAA Fisheries, et al, 1998).  Within the matrix, road
 density is one criterion used to rate watershed condition. This is used as a watershed condition
 indicator for this project.

 INDICATOR 2 - WATER YIELD
 Equivalent Clearcut Area (EGA)  analysis  is a tool  used to index the relationship between
 vegetation condition and water yield from forested watersheds.  The basic assumptions of the
 procedure are that removal of forest vegetation results in water yield increases and that  EGA
 can be used as an index of these increases.  Depending on the interaction between water yield,
 sediment yield, and stream channel conditions, such increases could have impacts on stream
 channels.

Water yield increases can be directly modeled, but equivalent clearcut area (ECA) is often used
as a surrogate.  The ECA model is  designed to estimate  changes in mean annual streamflow
resulting from forest practices or treatments  (reading, timber  harvest, and fires), which remove
or reduce vegetative  cover, and is  usually  expressed  as  a  percent of watershed area  (Belt,
 1980).  The  index  takes into account the initial percentage of crown removal and the recovery
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
through regrowth of vegetation since the initial disturbance.  For purposes of assessing effects
of this project, EGA will be used to index changes in water yield through time based on timber
harvest and reading disturbances. The EGA associated with historic wildfires is also considered
in the cumulative effects analysis.

There  are  a number of physical factors that determine  the relationship  between canopy
conditions and water yield. These include interception, evapotranspiration, shading effects and
wind flux.  These factors affect the accumulation and melt rates of snow packs and how rainfall
is processed. The EGA analysis takes into account the initial percentage of crown removal and
the recovery through vegetative re-growth since the initial  disturbance  in the case of timber
harvest or fire.  Within the habitat types being treated under this project, the time frame for
complete EGA recovery to occur is estimated  to be 65 to 85 years (USDA FS,  1974).

Additional factors affecting water yield include compacted surfaces due to roads, skid trails, and
landings.  Existing and new roads are considered as permanent openings in the EGA model.
Decommissioned roads are considered as openings, so the road decommissioning projects do
not contribute to reductions in EGA.

Various EGA thresholds of concern have been in  use in  the Northern Region since the  1960s
(Gerhardt, 2000). Early cutting guides  recommended a limit of 20-30 percent EGA within a
watershed  (Haupt,  1967).  More recently,  EGA  thresholds have been rejuvenated through
consultation under the  Endangered Species Act.   A recent Biological Opinion stipulated that
watershed analysis should be conducted prior to actions  that would increase  EGA in 3rd to 5th
order priority watersheds, where EGA exceeds 15 percent (NOAA-NMFS, 1995).

Recently, concern over water yield changes relative to stream channel condition has focused on
smaller headwater catchments.  Research in the nearby Horse Creek watershed study have
demonstrated instantaneous  peak flow  increase  up to  34 percent and maximum daily flow
increases up to 87  percent, resulting from road construction and timber harvest  in  small
catchments (King, 1989).  Recent observations have suggested that channel erosion from these
streams may be contributing  to increased  bedload sediment in the 3rd order  receiving channel
(Gerhardt, 2002).

The studies  by  Belt (1980)  and King  (1989)  have also  served as field  tests of the EGA
procedure.  Belt concluded that the EGA procedure is a rational tool for evaluation of hydrologic
impacts of forest practices.  King recommended local calibration of the model and a greater
emphasis on conditions in 1st and 2nd order headwater  streams.   Further disclosures of EGA
model assumptions, limitations and tests are found in Appendix E.

INDICATOR 3 - SEDIMENT YIELD
Sediment yield is defined as the movement of sediment past a point in the stream system over a
period  of time.  On the Nez Perce National  Forest, sediment yield is generally modeled  using
NEZSED, which is the Forest's adaptation  of the R1R4 Sediment Yield Guidelines (Cline, et al,
1981).  The model accounts  for natural background sediment  and activity sediment generated
from roads,  timber harvest, and fire.  The activity sediment is estimated from surface erosion
processes and small  mass failures (less than 10 yd3).  Sediment yield is commonly expressed
as tons/year or  percentage over baseline.  Appendix A of the  Nez Perce National Forest Plan
stipulates guidelines for sediment yield and  entry frequency on a subwatershed basis (USDA
FS, 1987a).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The proposed timber harvest, road activities and watershed improvement activities could affect
 sediment yield over time.  Harvest and road related activities  have the potential to increase
 sediment production and delivery into streams. Certain watershed improvement projects have
 the potential to produce sediment in the short-term (e.g. road decommissioning), but most are
 des.gned to result in long-term reductions in sediment yield. Sediment yield modeling is used
 as one indicator to determined trends in water quality and fish habitat conditions   Effects of
   ,T]  !! T sediment yjeld are further analyzed by applying accumulated scientific knowledge
 and field observations of erosion, delivery, transport and storage processes.

 NEZSED has been tested using locally collected sediment yield data (Gerhardt and King 1987
 Gloss, 1995,  USDA FS,  1998a,  USDA FS, 2001, Thomas and King, 2004 Gerhardt  2005)'
 Results of the individual tests varied, with predictions being over, under and close to observed
 values. The model has a general tendency to under predict, but has been determined to be a
 reasonably realistic tool for alternative assessment (Gloss, 1995, Gerhardt, 2005)  The model
 has limitations,  including  that it does not incorporate  certain  processes related to activity-
 generated  sediment yield, such as streambank erosion and mass failures greater than 10 yds3
 in size. Further disclosures of NEZSED model assumptions, limitations and field tests are found
 in Appendix E.

 Sediment yield is of concern to water quality and fisheries in terms of suspended sediment and
 turbidity.   Bedload  sediment  is  closely  associated with deposition in the  stream substrate
 Deposition of fine sediment (less than 6 mm) can affect spawning success,  winter carrying
 capacity and macro invertebrate production.  Deposition of coarse sediment can affect channel
 morphology and fish habitat.  Sediment yield is a  key parameter in the South Fork Clearwater
 River TMDL.

 INDICATOR 4 - CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
 Water and  sediment yield can  interact to change  channel  morphology conditions through
 erosion of stream channels or deposition of sediment.   Channel  morphology can also  be
 affected directly through activities such as road encroachment, stream crossings and in-channel
 improvements. Sediment delivery and routing processes vary by upland settings, stream types
 and disturbance level and type.

 Sediment routing  considers the disposition of sediment within the watershed system  including
 processes  of  erosion, deposition, storage and transport.   It  includes upslope and  instream
 components.  The upslope  component includes initial detachment,  erosion and  delivery
 efficiency.  The instream component includes suspended and bedload sediment yields, as well
 as substrate deposition and composition.  The instream component also includes consideration
 of streamflow  and channel morphology, both  of which influence the capability  of the stem to
 transport or deposit sediment.  A further discussion of sediment routing in  relation to streams in
 the project area is found in Appendix E.

 INDICATOR 5  - WATER QUALITY
Water  quality includes physical and chemical characteristics of water.  Parameters commonly
measured  include pH, alkalinity,  hardness,  specific conductance, nutrients,  metals, sediment
and water temperature.  Many of these parameters are affected only to a slight degree  or not at
all, by forest practices.  Water temperature controls the rate of biologic processes is of critical
concern for fish populations and  is a primary  indicator of habitat conditions  It is also a key
parameter in the South Fork Clearwater River TMDL.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
3.2.1.   AMERICAN RIVER

INTRODUCTION
The American River watershed is about 91.6 square miles in area, with about 15 percent private
land  and 13 percent managed by the BLM.  Major tributaries of American River include East
Fork American River, Kirks Fork and Elk Creek.  American and Red Rivers join to form the
South Fork Clearwater River.  From there, it is 62.5 miles to the confluence with the Middle Fork
Clearwater River.  Below their confluence the South Fork and Middle Fork combine to form the
Clearwater River.

The geology, soils and landforms of the watershed are described in Section 3.1.  The stream
channels in this watershed are predominately low to moderate gradient, with higher gradient
channels in the mountain uplands. Much of the mainstem  has  been dredged and the natural
vegetation community has been lost, but it was probably  predominately a grass/sedge  and
shrub meadow, interspersed with conifers.  Percent of stream gradient classes by prescription
watershed are shown in Appendix E, (Table E-3).

Elevations in the American River watershed range from 3,880 feet at the confluence with  Red
River to 6,847 feet at Anderson Butte. Precipitation ranges from 30 to 50 inches (University of
Idaho, 1993). Much of the precipitation falls as snow from November through March. Snowmelt
is the predominate factor leading to a  spring  peak in the hydrograph, which typically occurs from
mid to late May.  Springtime flows are often augmented by rains. Winter peak flows are rare,
with only about 3 percent of flood peaks occurring during the period of November through March
(USDA  FS,  1998a).   Lowest flows typically occur during the late summer and early fall.  An
annual hydrograph showing median, minimum, and maximum flows for the USGS stream gage
on the upper South Fork Clearwater River is found in Appendix E (Figure E-3). American River,
though ungaged, exhibits a similar flow regime.

BENEFICIAL USES
Under the Idaho Water Quality Standards,  designated beneficial uses in American River are
cold-water communities, salmonid spawning, primary contact recreation, domestic water supply
and  special resource water (IDAPA 58.01.02).   No  tributaries  in  the project  area have
designated  beneficial uses,  but  existing  uses generally  include cold-water  communities,
salmonid spawning and secondary contact recreation.

A search of non-federal water rights applications,  permits,  decrees,  licenses, claims  and
transfers was made for areas affected by project activities.  The  selected areas included all
lands east of American River and  downslope of the project area, as well as the mainstem of
American River from the project area to its confluence with Red River. Using these criteria, 38
private water uses were located.  Since de minimus domestic claims do not require a water
right, there are likely to be more  uses  than identified.  A summary of identified water uses
follows:
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
        TABLE 3.30 - NUMBER OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED WATER USES - AMERICAN RIVER

   Source Name
  ^^•••••••••••1
 American River
 A number of consumptive use claims have been filed in American River by the Nez Perce Tribe
 Bureau of Land Management, and  the Forest Service.  In addition, instream flow claims are
 being pursued for the mainstem  of American River by the Nez Perce Tribe and the Forest
 Service.  Tribal consumptive  and instream flow claims accrue from treaty rights that  were
 recently negotiated in a settlement under the Snake River Basin Adjudication  Forest Service
 instream  flow claims are being pursued using the State  of Idaho's process, which involves
 working through the ongoing South Fork Clearwater River State Water Plan.

 EXISTING CONDITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 This  section discusses  the  environmental  effects of implementing the  no action and action
 aKernatives.   Existing conditions  are  described under the 'no action' alternative  but  future
 effects of implementing no actions are also discussed.  Long term trends in aquatic conditions
 are discussed in Section 3.3 (Fisheries), with supporting information in Appendix E.

 3.2.1.1.  INDICATOR 1 - WATERSHED CONDITION
 Existing  watershed condition indicators were compiled for American  River using corporate
 databases and CIS overlays. They are summarized in the table below:

                     TABLE 3.31 - WATERSHED CONDITION INDICATORS
Watershed
Name

Middle American
River1
East Fork American
River1
Flint Creek
Whitaker Creek
Area
(mi2)
10.1
5.1
8.6
9.2
1.4
Road
Density
(mi/ mi)
2.0
3.0
1.0
3.1
3.9
RHCA
Road
Density
(mi/ mi2)
0.6
2.7
0.7
1.7
2.6
LSP
Roads
(miles)
0
0
0
0
0
Timber
Harvest
(% wsd
area)
11
13
6
23
27
RHCA
Harvest
(%RHCA
area)
4
5
3
13
23
LSP
Harvest
(acres)
0
0
0
0
0
 Data compiled for composite watersheds, not pure watersheds

RHCA = Riparian Habitat Conservation Area

LSP = Landslide Prone Terrain
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Watershed
Name
Queen Creek
Box Sing Creek
Kirks Fork
Lower American River1
Entire American River
Area
(mi2)
1.7
1.4
9.8
6.8
91.6
Road
Density
(mi/ mi )
4.3
3.3
0.6
2.0
2.3
RHCA
Road
Density
{mi/ mi2)
3.7
3.1 _,
0.5
3.5
1.9
LSP
Roads
(miles)
0
0
0
0
0.4
Timber
Harvest
(% wsd
area)
33
16
4
NA
NA
RHCA
Harvest
(%RHCA
area)
22
8
3
NA
NA
LSP
Harvest
(acres)
0
0
0
NA
NA
Post-project road density is shown in Table 3.32 below.  The changes in road density are the
result of road decommissioning.

                TABLE 3.32 - POST-PROJECT ROAD DENSITY BY ALTERNATIVE
Watershed Name
Upper American River
Middle American River1
East Fork American River1
Flint Creek
Whitaker Creek
Queen Creek
Box Sing Creek
Kirks Fork
Lower
American River1
Entire American River
Area (miz)
10.1
5.1
8.6
9.2
1.4
1.7
1.4
9.8
6.8
91.6
Ait A (existing)
2.0
3.0
1.0
3.1
3.9
4.3
3.3
0.6
2.0
2.3
AltB
2.0
2.5
1.0
2.8
3.5
4.3
2.9
0.6
1.9
2.2
AltC
2.0
2.5
0.9
2.8
3.4
3.2
3.0
0.6
1.9
2.2
Alt D* | Alt E
2.0
2.5
0.9
2.8
3.4
3.0
2.9
0.6
1.9
2.2
1.9
2.2
0.8
2.1
3.4
2.7
2.7
0.6
1.9
2.1
ALTERNATIVE A- No ACTION ALTERNATIVE
Various watershed road density criteria have been used to assess watershed condition. Local
guidelines have  been  developed that suggest less than 1 mi/mi2 is  one indicator of good
watershed condition, 1-3 mi/mi2 is moderate and greater than 3 mi/mi2 is low (NOAA Fisheries
et al, 1998).  With  regard to  road  density,  of  the nine project prescription watersheds  in
American River, four are in the low condition category, four are moderate and one is high.

The density  and distribution of roads within most of the subwatersheds  indicate there is a high
probability that the hydrologic regime (i.e., timing, magnitude, duration, and spatial distribution of
runoff) is substantially  altered.   Road surfaces limit infiltration, which  causes surface runoff
during storm events and snowmelt.  Insloped roads with ditches have the greatest effect.  Native
surface  roads with traffic can often  develop ruts, which cause runoff to be concentrated on the
road surface.  Roads are  also  subject to surface and mass erosion.  Surface erosion is the
1 Data compiled for composite watersheds, not pure watersheds

* Alt D post-project road densities are the same as Alt E when additional projects are included.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ™                  r°adS ln AmedCan RiVer' Reld inventories have *entified problem
 Timber harvest has affected a relatively high proportion of Queen, Whitaker and Flint Creeks
 This has  affected water yield  and timing  through reductions in forest  canopy  and soil
 compaction from skid trails and  landings.  A relatively high proportion of RHCAs  have been
 harvested  in Wh.taker and Queen Creeks.  A considerable amount of timber harvest and road
 construction have occurred in Lower American River on private and BLM land. Mass erosion is
 a relatively minor process in American River. There is a minimal amount of past roadinq and
 timber harvest on landslide prone terrain.                                            y

 ALTERNATIVES B. C. D, AND E - ACTION ALTERNATIVES

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
 The lowest road densities  result from Alternatives E, which has the  most aggressive road
 decommissioning package.  Alternative D would result in the same road density as  Alternative
 E  if the required and additional  road decommissioning projects are all implemented   Of the
 action alternatives, B decommissions the  least amount of road and  results  in the highest
 remaining road density.                  .                                         a

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
 Road construction history in  American River was summarized from the NPNF Watershed
 Database.  The earliest road construction recorded  in the database was dated 1890  The total
 length of roads in American River recorded in the Watershed Database was 269 3 miles  Road
 construction history by decade is shown in Table 3.3.  Timber harvest and road construction
 history for American River are displayed on Map 14a.

 The changes in  overall road density from foreseeable actions at the scale of the American River
 watershed are very slight.  The BLM Eastside Township Project proposes to decommission  a
 small amount of existing road.

 3.2.1.2.  INDICATOR 2 - WATER YIELD
 EGA was calculated by prescription watershed for each alternative. The calculations take into
 consideration effects of harvest and temporary road construction. Road  decommissioning was
 not modeled as decreasing  EGA  even though the roads would recover vegetation  over time
 I he EGA analysis does not include the effects of insect and disease agents.

Table 3.33 shows  the estimated peak year EGA  for each alternative for each prescription
watershed in American River.  Existing condition is represented by Alternative A Year 2005
represents the modeled peak activity year.  EGA  recovery begins the following year and occurs
gradually from then on.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                  TABLE 3.33 - PERCENT (%) EGA BY ALTERNATIVE (2005)
Watershed Name
Middle American River1
East Fork American River1
Flint Creek
Whitaker Creek
Queen Creek
Box Sing Creek
Kirks Fork
Lower American River*
Area (mi2)
23.8
18.4
9.2
1.4
1.7
1.4
9.8
91.6
Alt A (existing)
3
7
8
10
13
6
2
9
AltB
4
10
10
13
17
14
4
10
AltC
4
8
8
13
18
14
4
10
AltD
4
9
12
13
18
14
6
10
AltE
4
8
10
12
15
8
2
10
ALTERNATIVE A-NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
Under  this  alternative,  no management  actions,  including  vegetation  treatments,  road
reconditioning, or temporary road construction would  occur.  Associated restoration activities,
such as road decommissioning, soil restoration,  stream channel  enhancements, and stream
crossing improvements also would not occur.

There would be no change in flow timing and quantity associated  with roads because no road
decommissioning would occur.  Soil compaction would continue to reduce water infiltration, so
effects to water yield would remain the same.

Watershed recovery would continue at the current rate, in the absence of a large disturbance
such as  wildfire or flood.   Effects to  water  yield from a potential fire are highly variable
depending  on timing,  location, size, weather,  and  suppression activities.  Runoff timing  and
quantity would reflect the magnitude of the disturbances.  The risk of peak flows would depend
on the extent of the vegetation change, conditions of the soil, floodplain and channel conditions,
and weather following natural events.

ALTERNATIVES B. C. D. AND E- ACTION ALTERNATIVES

DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
None of the action alternatives exceeds 20 percent EGA within a watershed.  The highest levels
are found in Queen, Box Sing and Whitaker Creeks, respectively.  These are small prescription
watersheds with channels that would be considered relatively sensitive to changes in watershed
conditions.  Overall, Alternative D shows the largest increases in EGA and Alternative E shows
the smallest.

Road decommissioning and soil restoration would contribute to a reduction in compaction, thus
improving  infiltration and  reducing  surface runoff.  This effect would be most pronounced in
Alternative  E (also  Alternative D   with  required  and additional improvements) and least in
Alternative  B.  Road miles of decommissioning and  acres of soil restoration by prescription
watershed are found in Appendix D.
1 Composite watersheds were combined with upstream watersheds for EGA analysis
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
  CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
  Historic analysis of EGA conditions in American River since 1870 was conducted in the South
  Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a) and updated for this analysis
  Figure 3.1 below shows the results of those analyses.

                        FIGURE 3.1 -AMERICAN RIVER EGA 1870-2004
    o
    LLI
50.0


40.0


30.0


20.0


10.0
         0.0
                                        \
           1870
                     1890
                               1910
                                          1930
                                                    1950
                                                               1970
                                                               1111ii111111111111111111
                                                                  1990
 The peaks in  EGA prior to 1950  were caused by wildfires totaling  about 59,200  acres
 /of °-S    Qe f'reS occurred in 1878 (2'743 ac): 1889 (21,281 ac); 1910 (10,793 ac); and 1919
 (24, 266 ac).  Roads recorded as being constructed prior to 1950 also contributed to a small
 extent.  Timber harvest related to mining and homesteading also occurred prior to 1950  but is
 not quantified in the EGA analysis. The EGA starts at zero in 1870, but this is an artifact created
 by the beginning of the fire history records.   Fire history prior to 1870 is unquantified, though
 residual EGA from earlier fires likely existed. EGA increases after 1950 are associated with road
 construction and timber harvest on federal, state and private lands.

 Figure 3.1  indicates that  EGA levels resulting from wildfires prior to 1950 were  considerably
 larger than those resulting from timber harvest.  This is understandable, given the large  extent
 of these fires, which tended to be stand-replacing.

 Forest records were queried to determine historic timber harvest in American River. Most of the
 larger timber sales also included road construction. From the NPNF Watershed Database total
 recorded timber harvest in  the 1950s was 142 acres; 1960s was 2,687 acres-  1970s was 2 591
 acres; 1980s was 1,977 acres; 1990s was 5,168 acres; and 2000s to date has been 809  acres
 The  watershed database includes activities  on  private lands within  American River  Timber
 harvest occurred prior to the 1950s, associated with mining and homesteading  activities  This is
 undocumented. The NPNF Timber Stand Database (TSMRS) was queried to determine harvest
 area associated with named timber sales. Table 3.xx shows the results of that query for timber
 sales greater than 100 acres in size.  The effects of these individual, named timber sales are
 reflected in the EGA values since 1950 in Figure 3.1

The only additional foreseeable action affecting  EGA in American River is the BLM's Eastside
Township project.   Preliminary EGA  calculations were provided by the BLM for the proposed
action.   These  are  reflected in  Table 3.34  and  Figure 3.2 below.   Only those watersheds
containing both proposed Forest Service and BLM activities are shown.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
     TABLE 3.34 - PERCENT (%) EGA FOR 2005 (INCLUDING EASTSIDE TOWNSHIP PROJECT)
Watershed Name 1 Area (mi2)
Middle American
River1
East Fork American
River*
Whitaker Creek
Queen Creek
Box Sing Creek
Kirks Fork
Lower
American River*
23.8
18.4
1.4
1.7
1.4
9.8
91.6
Alt A (existing)
3
7
10
13
6
2
9
AltB
5
10
23
18
14
4
11
AltC
5
8
23
19
14
4
11
AltD
6
9
23
19
14
6
12
AltE
4
8
22
16
8
3
10
                      FIGURE 3.2: AMERICAN RIVER EGA 2000-2012
     12.0
                ^N    c
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 3.2.1.3.    INDICATOR 3 - SEDIMENT YIELD

 This section compares the existing condition to the action alternatives for effects on sediment
 "•"    The  indicator used  for sediment yield is tons per year, expressed  as a percent over
        r"\ O O £i I I 1"^ r~» O f\s4tW* n n4- \ r\ n U  P1!	_._._.!    I'll         ..              *
 yield.
 --j.,...,,! u    !•     -1-    t  • ,  ,         .,--•- •-	 ^~.  JT~.-M, b/vpiVsOOGU 00 0 pCI^CIIl UVtM
 natural baseline sediment yield.  Base or natural yield represents the tons of sediment that are
 produced and  subsequently transported out of the subwatershed  each  year under  natural
 conditions.   The  existing  sediment yield  over base  represents  activity generated  tons of
 sediment transported  annually produced by previous activities or disturbances such as roads
 timber harvest and fire.

 Sediment yield  was modeled for each prescription watershed.  The primary sediment producing
 activities  modeled   include  temporary   road  construction,  road   reconstruction    road
 decommissioning and timber harvest.  Effects were modeled for a  10-year period (2003 - 2012
 assuming project activities will  begin in 2005). Activities occurring throughout the lifetime of the
 project are modeled as occurring all in 2005. Modeling was done on a peak year basis in order
to meet the assumptions under which Appendix A of the Nez Perce Forest Plan was developed.

Table 3.35  shows the estimated sediment  yield  over base for  each alternative for each
prescription  watershed in American River.  Year 2003 represents  the existing condition  2005
represents the modeled peak activity year and 2012 represents the conditions at the end'of the
modeled  period, when sediment yield from  new  activities is  assumed to have  ceased or
stabilized.  Figure  3.3 is a  time trend  graph of  sediment yield over base for Lower American
River. Similar graphs for the remaining analysis points are found in Appendix E.

           TABLE 3.35 - PERCENT (%) OVER BASE SEDIMENT YIELD BY ALTERNATIVE
Name
Middle American
River2

East Fork
American River2

Flint Creek
t
Whitaker Creek

(mi2)
23.8

18.4

9.2


1.4


Year
2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

Alt A
(existing)
13
12
12

12
12
12

15
15
15

66
31
31

AltB
13
13
12

12
14
11

15
19
14

66
38
30

AltC
13
13
12

12
13
11

15
23
13

66
39
30

AltD1
13/13
14/14
12/11

12/12
17/17
10/9

15/15
23/23
12/11

66/66
38/36
30/30

AltE
13
13
11

12
14
9

15
20
11

66
35
30

 First figure includes required watershed improvement projects only; second figure includes required and additional
watershed improvement projects
2
 Composite watersheds were combined with upstream watersheds for sediment yield analysis
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Watershed
Name
Queen Creek

Box Sing Creek

Kirks Fork

Lower
American River2
Area
(mi2)
1.7

1.4

9.8

91.6
Year
2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012
Alt A
(existing)
37
37
37

21
21
21

5
5
5

16
15
15
AltB
37
40
37

21
34
19

5
8
5

16
16
15
AltC
37
54
32

21
37
19

5
10
5

16
17
14
AltD1
37/37
57/58
32/31

21/21
34/34
19/19

5/5
9/9
5/5

16/16
17/17
14/14
AltE
37
41
30

21
26
19

5
6
5
' , -
16
16
14
                   FIGURE 3.3: LOWER AMERICAN RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD
                                 Lower American
         2003  2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012
                  Forest Guidelines
alt a
alt b
alt c
ait d
alt e
Ai TERN A TIVE A-NO A CTION AL TERN A TIVE
Existing sediment yields in 2005 are all  15 percent over base or less, with the exception of
Whitaker, Queen and Box Sing Creeks.  Activity on  private  land resulted in a significant
modeled sediment yield peak in Whitaker Creek in 2003.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVES A. B. C, D, AND E - ACTION ALTERNATIVES
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
 Sediment yield from the action alternatives that is modeled results from temporary roads road
 reconstruction, road  decommissioning  and timber harvest.  Activities that  produce sediment
 yield that are not modeled  include  road  maintenance,  elevated road use, stream crossing
 improvements, mstream  improvement  and  post-harvest  fire.  Some sediment yield increase
 could  occur from the  channel  system related to increased water yields.   This  is also not
 modeled.

 Sediment yields in the peak activity  year of 2005 all stay below Forest  Plan sediment yield
 guidelines.  Entry frequency guidelines are also met with this action.  Peak year sediment yield
 in most watersheds is highest under Alternative D. Peak year sediment yield is lowest in either
 Alternative B or E, depending on the watershed. In most cases, the chronic sediment yield over
 base is lower in 2012 than in pre-project conditions.  This reflects the effect of decommissioning
 and improvements on existing roads.  The decreases in chronic sediment  yield are greatest
 under Alternative D, if both the required and additional improvement  projects are implemented
 and Alternative E.

 No adjustment was made in modeled  sediment yield for increased traffic associated with  project
 activities. The sediment mitigation values applied to roads in the model incorporate traffic level
 to a general degree.  Of the 43 miles  of designated log haul routes in American River about 6
 miles are located in streamside areas.  It is acknowledged that some additional sediment yield
 will likely occur due to traffic increases (Bonn and Graves, 2005). This will be mitigated through
 road maintenance, rock surfacing where needed and contract provisions to minimize resource
 damage during wet periods.

 Instream activities will also result in sediment yield increases that are not modeled.  In American
 River, this is associated with stream  crossing improvements, since no new  road crossings or
 instream habitat improvements are planned.  Removing  or replacing culverts is expected to
 have short term impacts on sediment yield below the crossing sites.  Recent studies in Horse
 Creek  suggest that these impacts are large  immediately below culvert removal  sites  but
 decrease substantially with downstream  distance.  The Idaho turbidity criterion of not to exceed
 50 ntu above background was exceeded just downstream of the sites, but not at the  mouths of
the small study catchments (Foltz and  Yanosek,  2005).

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
Historic analysis of sediment yield in  American  River since 1870 was conducted  in  the South
Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS,  1998a) and updated for this analysis
Figure 3.4 below shows the results of those analyses.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                 FIGURE 3.4: AMERICAN RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 1870-2004
    I 30
          TI rrn'TTTTri'i'TTi i rn rri 11
        1870   1880  1890
n'TTTTTTTTTI Tl

1900   1910
1920  1930  1940  1950  1960   1970  1980  1990  2000
The peaks in sediment yield prior to 1950 are the result of the same wildfires discussed above
under EGA cumulative effects.   The fire peaks associated with the 1889 and 1919 wildfires
appear to be  somewhat larger than peaks associated  with later  roads and  timber harvest.
Sediment yield associated with fire is assumed to recover relatively quickly, whereas roads tend
to produce a level of long term, chronic sediment yield.

The  sediment  yield  peaks  associated with  road  construction  prior  to  1980  are  likely
underestimated, since the road sediment mitigation values reflect current conditions, rather than
practices which were in effect at the time  of construction.  Although roads were built in the
watershed prior to 1940, the sediment yield  effects of these roads are not displayed until 1940.
Sediment yield peaks associated with historic mining activities are not reflected in Figure 3.4
and likely exceeded those associated with'other activities.

Table 3.36 shows percent over base  sediment yield by alternative.  Figure 3.5 shows the
percent over base sediment yield  for Lower American River.   These include effects of past
activities on private,  BLM and NFS lands,  with the inclusion of BLM's foreseeable Eastside
Township Project.
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             American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE 3.36 - PERCENT (%) OVER BASE SEDIMENT YIELD (INCLUDING EASTSIDE TOWNSHIP PROJECT)
Name
Middle American
River1

East Fork
American River1

Flint Creek

Whitaker Creek

Queen Creek

Box Sing Creek

Kirks Fork

Lower
American River1
(mi2)
23.8

18.4

9.2

1.4

1.7

1.4


9.8



91.6

Year
2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012

2003
2005
2012
Alt A
(existing)
13
12
12

12
12
12

15
15
15

66
31
31

37
37
37

21
21
21

5
5
5

16
15
15
AltB
13
19
12

12
14
11

15
19
14

66
72
31

37
60
36

21
60
17

5
8
5

16
24
14
AHC
13
20
12

12
17
11

15
23
13

66
73
31

37
74
31

21
62
17

5
10
5

16
25
14
AltO*
13/13
20/20
12/11

12/12
17/17
11/9

15/15
23/23
12/11

66/66
72/72
30/30

37/37
77/78
31/29

21/21
60/60
17/17

5/5
9/8
5/5

16/16
24/25
14/14
AltE
13
20
11

12
15


15
21
11

66
70
30

37
61


21
52
17

5
6


16
24
14
When the  Eastside Township and American and Crooked  Projects are combined, the larger
watersheds of Middle American, East Fork American and Lower American all remain below 30
percent over base in the peak year under all alternatives. Whitaker and Queen Creeks exceed
the Forest  Plan and BLM Forest Plan guidelines  of not to exceed 60 percent over base under
most alternatives.  Box Sing Creek reaches that guideline, with the exception of Alternative E,
 Composite watersheds were combined with upstream watersheds for sediment yield analysis

* First figure includes required watershed improvement projects only; second figure includes required and additional
watershed improvement projects
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
where it remains below. Most watersheds show a reduction in long term chronic sediment yield,
resulting from the watershed improvement projects.

                 FIGURE 3.5: AMERICAN RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 2000-2012
                   - No Action	American Crooked	American Crooked + Eastside Township
Figure 3.5 shows the trend of sediment yield for Lower American River of Alternative D from the
American and Crooked Project and the Proposed Action of the Eastside Township Project. The
effects of harvest on private lands can be seen in 2000, followed by the modeled project peaks
in 2005.  A slight long term reduction in sediment yield is  indicated  as a  result of watershed
improvements.

Historic and current sediment yield have also occurred from activities  not modeled in NEZSED.
In American River, these include grazing, mining, and residential and commercial development.

Grazing by domestic stock probably preceded European settlement, but was increased with the
onset of the mining era.  This has  mostly affected the lower elevation meadows in American
River and Elk Creek.  The primary influence op sediment yield  has probably  been through
streambank disturbance, resulting in greater bank erosion.

Mining occurred in  both upland and riparian areas.  Sediment yield from upland placer mining
has recovered to a large extent.  Instream dredge mining caused large amounts of sediment
yield during the active mining period. Some residual sediment yield from dredge mining is likely
still occurring due to destabilized streambank.

Residential and commercial development has occurred within the  Elk City  Township.  Most of
the roads associated with this development have been modeled, but the excavations for building
pads, driveways, etc., have not.

There have also been watershed and riparian improvement projects in  American River that have
served to  reduce sediment yield.  These have included erosion control on existing roads,
riparian fencing, stream stabilization and mine site stabilization projects.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 3.2.1.4. INDICATOR 4 - CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY

 ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 Headwaters stream surveys and reconnaissance fish habitat surveys were conducted in project
 area watersheds in 2003. The results of these surveys are found in the American and Crooked
 River project file.

 Channel gradients for subwatersheds in American River are found in Appendix E, Table E-3
 Following those tables is a general discussion of erosion, sediment transport  arid  sediment
 deposition processes. Channel morphology in project subwatersheds has been altered through
 three primary processes:  sediment deposition, channel  encroachment and dredge mining.

 Sediment  deposition  has occurred  in areas  subjected  to significant  development activity
 including  reading and other development.  Channel encroachment has occurred where roads'
 and other activities have  taken place adjacent to streams and their floodplains.  The highest
 road densities in riparian areas are found in the Middle American, Whitaker, Queen,  Box Sing
 and Lower American subwatersheds.  Dredge mining  has occurred primarily along American
 River and in the lower ends of its tributaries. Implementation of Alternative A would leave these
 conditions unchanged.

 ALTERNATIVES B.  C. D. AND E - ACTION ALTERNATIVES

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
 The action  alternatives are expected to have relatively little effect on  channel morphology.
 Generally, the EGA and sediment yield estimates are at levels where little  channel erosion or
 deposition is anticipated.  The highest estimated  sediment yields  are in Queen  Creek in
 Alternatives C and  D. The FISHSED analysis found in Section 3.3 (Fisheries) elaborates further
 on these effects.

 There are  no  new stream   crossings  on  temporary   roads.    Several stream  crossing
 improvements should improve channel morphology conditions in their immediate vicinity.  These
 improvements are  site-specific.  In the case of culvert  replacements, the improvements often
 result from  less backwatering upstream of the site and less scour downstream.   Similar
 improvements occur where culverts are removed, with the  additional  benefit  of enhanced
 floodplain function  through the crossing site.   Some of the road  decommissioning involves
 crossings and riparian areas. Channel morphology should be improved in  those areas.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
 Historically,  the  greatest impact to  channel  morphology  in American River was caused by
 dredge mining.  Encroachment of roads in riparian areas and floodplains also had a direct effect
 on channel morphology. Both  of these impacts occurred  largely downstream of the National
 Forest boundary.

The  addition of  the BLM's Eastside Township  Project and independent aquatic restoration
projects will  have beneficial effects on channel morphology in American River.  This will occur
due to the replacement of the inadequate culvert at the mouth of East Fork American River,
riparian restoration and reconnection of tributary channels.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
3.2.1.5. INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY

ALTERNATIVE A - No ACTION ALTERNATIVE
Water temperature was recorded at several locations in the American River watershed during
the summer of 2003.  These sites  were American River at the Forest boundary, East Fork
American River, Flint Creek, Queen Creek, Kirks Fork and American River at the mouth. These
data are shown in Appendix E.  The data show a considerable variation across the watershed.
Violations of the  Idaho salmonid  spawning criterion of not-to-exceed 13° C  were noted at all
sites at certain times.  Violations of the  Idaho cold water communities of not-to-exceed 22° C
were noted at American River at the Forest Boundary and at the mouth.  Violations of the EPA
bull trout criterion of not-to-exceed 10° C  (as a 7-day average of daily maximums) were noted at
all sites.  Some basic metrics from the 2003 data are shown in Table 3.37 below. As evidenced
in the 1993-2004 South Fork Clearwater River water temperature data (Table 3.37), 2003 was
one of the warmest years since 1993.

                TABLE 3.37: SUMMARY OF 2003 WATER TEMPERATURE DATA
STREAM NAME/SITE
American River at Forest Boundary
East Fork American River
Flint Creek
Queen Creek
Kirks Fork
American River near mouth
Number of Days > 20°C
31
0
0
0
7
46
Maximum Instantaneous (°C)
22.9
17.5
19.8
17.0
20.6
25.6
Under the 'no action' alternative, insect and disease agents may tend to reduce shade over time
in some riparian stands.  Fire could also reduce shade.  Shade in dredge-mined reaches would
tend to  increase very slowly over time as these areas are naturally recolonized by riparian
vegetation. These reaches are mostly outside the project area.

A number of water quality parameters were sampled at stream sites in American River  during
the period 1977-1981.  Summaries of data for  pH,  conductivity and  hardness for  Upper
American River, Flint Creek and Lower American  River are found in Table E.6.  These data
show that pH is near  neutral to slightly acidic, which is considered  normal for area streams.
Conductivity and alkalinity are both relatively low, indicating relatively low amounts of dissolved
constituents and also relatively low biological productivity.

ALTERNATIVES B. C. D, AND E - ACTION ALTERNATIVES

DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
All alternatives are designed to  minimize effects on streamside shade.  Timber harvest and
temporary road  construction will not occur in  Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas (RHCAs).
Under all action alternatives, insect and disease agents may tend to reduce shade over time in
some riparian stands. Fire could also reduce shade. There may be some incidental  shade
reductions at stream  crossing improvement sites.  An  example would be if some roadside
vegetation was removed during replacement of an existing culvert. This approach is expected
to be in compliance with the South  Fork Clearwater River water temperature TMDL.  Beyond
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 sediment yield described above, there would be little change in most water quality parameters
 Beneficial uses would be protected in all alternatives.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
 Historically, the greatest impact to  water quality in the American River watershed was caused by
 the impact  of dredge mining and the encroachment of roads on the  stream  channels   This
 resulted in a loss of riparian vegetation and shade along the mainstem of Crooked River with a
 presumed increase in water temperature as a result.  Heavy metals present in the valley'bottom
 materials were also mobilized.  There was likely some introduction of mercury, since it was often
 used as an amalgam in the  gold mining process.  Grazing has also altered streamside shade
 and stream bank stability. Sediment yield was increased as a result of road construction timber
 harvest, fire and residential and commercial development.

 There is expected to be little change in streamside shade as a result of the foreseeable project
 (Eastside Township) in American River.  Sediment yield effects from this project  are disclosed
 above. Residential and commercial development can be expected to continue in the  Elk City
 Township, with some effect to water quality, primarily through increase sediment yields.

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS (ALL INDICATORS!
 There are no effects to watershed resources in  American River from this project that  are
 considered to be fully irreversible  or irretrievable.  Construction and obliteration  of  temporary
 roads will leave some residual effects in terms of soil conditions and interruption of groundwater
 flow paths.  Sediment delivered to  low gradient stream reaches tends to have a long residence
 time, but  eventually will be transported or reorganized by high stream flows.  No  long term
 geomorphic changes in stream  channels are predicted from project activities.

 3.2.2. CROOKED RIVER

 INTRODUCTION
 The Crooked River watershed  is 71.3 square miles in area, with about  1 percent private land
 and 1 percent managed by the BLM.  The  East and West Forks of Crooked River form  the
 mainstem near the old Orogrande town site.  From there, Crooked River flows approximately 12
 miles to its mouth. Crooked River joins the South Fork Clearwater River at River Mile 59.5.

 The geology,  soils and landforms of the watershed are  described in Section  3.1. - Soils.
 Mainstem Crooked River is mostly contained  in an alluvial  valley,  with breaklands in the lower
 reaches and mountain  uplands in  the upper portions.  The West and East Forks start at the
 headwaters  with V-shaped valley  bottoms and have short reaches of trough-shaped  valleys
 before they flatten out just before they join.  The remaining twelve miles of the mainstem flow
 through a low gradient flat-bottom  valley,  with the exception of a more confined reach about
 three miles long, commonly known as The Narrows. Much of the mainstem has been dredged
 and  the natural  vegetation  community  has  been  lost, but it was probably predominately a
 grass/sedge and  shrub meadow, interspersed with conifers. Percent of stream gradient classes
 by prescription watershed are shown in Appendix E, Table E.4.

 Elevations in the  watershed range from 3,825 feet at the mouth to 8,127 feet on the ridge above
 Rainbow Lake.  The climate  and hydrograph  of Crooked River are similar to American River,
with some minor variations. The headwaters of Crooked River are  higher in elevation and have
a northerly aspect.  This tends to retard snowmelt from the upper watershed and contributes to
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
later streamflows  and cooler water temperatures.  An annual hydrograph showing  median,
minimum, and maximum flows for the USGS stream gage on the upper South Fork Clearwater
River is found in Appendix E (Figure E-3). Crooked River, though ungaged, exhibits a similar
flow regime.

EXISTING BENEFICIAL USES
Under the Idaho Water Quality Standards, the designated beneficial uses in Crooked River are
cold-water  communities,  salmonid  spawning  and  secondary contact recreation  (IDAPA
58.01.02).  No tributaries in the project area have designated beneficial uses, but existing uses
generally  include  cold-water  communities,  salmonid  spawning  and  secondary  contact
recreation.

A search of non-federal  water  rights  applications,  permits,  decrees, licenses, claims and
transfers was made for areas affected  by project  activities.  The selected areas included  all
lands within Crooked River that are downslope or downstream of the project area.  Using these
criteria,  seven private and State water uses were located.  Since de minimus domestic claims
do  not require a water right, there are  likely  to be more uses  than identified.   A summary of
identified water uses follows:

       TABLE 3.38 - NUMBER OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED WATER USES - CROOKED RIVER
Source Name
Crooked River
Quartz Creek
Mary Ann Creek
Unnamed Stream
Spring
Domestic/Stock

1



Domestic



1
1
Industrial
1

1


Fish Propagation
2




A number of consumptive use and instream flow claims have been filed in Crooked River by the
Nez Perce Tribe and the Forest Service.  Tribal consumptive and instream flow claims accrue
from treaty rights that were recently negotiated in a settlement under the  Snake River  Basin
Adjudication.  Forest Service instream flow claims are being pursued using the State of Idaho's
process, which involves working through the ongoing South Fork Clearwater River State Water
Plan.

EXISTING CONDITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
This section discusses  the environmental effects of implementing the no  action and action
alternatives.   Existing conditions  are described under the 'no action'  alternative,  but future
effects of implementing no actions are also discussed.  Long term trends in aquatic conditions
are discussed in Section 3.3 (Fisheries), with supporting information in Appendix E.

3.2.2.1.  INDICATOR 1 - WATERSHED CONDITION
Existing watershed condition indicators were compiled  for Crooked River using corporate
databases and CIS overlays. They are summarized in the table below:
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                      TABLE 3.39 - WATERSHED CONDITION INDICATORS
Watershed
Name
Middle Crooked River1
Relief Creek
Lower Crooked River*
Entire Crooked River
Area
(mi2)
22.6
11.7
14.8
71.3
Road
Density
(mi/
mi2)
1.8
3.3
3.2
1.9
RHCA
Road
Density
(mi/
mi2)
1.9
2.9
3.3
2.1
LSP
Roads
(miles)
1.8
0.9
4.5
8.5
Timber
Harvest
(% wsd
area)
10
30
18
12
RHCA
Harvest
(%RHCA
area)
6
21
8
7
LSP
Harvest
(acres)
69
57
40
166
 RHCA = Riparian Habitat Conservation Area

 LSP = Landslide Prone Terrain


 ALTERNATIVE A-NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 Various watershed road density criteria have been used to assess watershed condition.  Local
 guidelines  have been  developed that suggest less  than 1  mi/mi2 is one  indicator of good
 watershed  condition, 1-3 mi/mi2 is moderate and greater than 3 mi/mi2 is low (NOAA Fisheries
 et al, 1998).  Road densities are highest in Relief Creek and Lower Crooked River, with both
 exceeding  3  mi/mi2.  There are considerable amounts of road in RHCAs in all three project
 prescription watersheds.  The county road along Crooked River is located almost entirely within
 the RHCA. There are also more existing roads and timber harvest on landslide prone terrain in
 Crooked River  than  in American River, though landslide  prone terrain comprises a relatively
 small proportion of Crooked River compared to areas of steeper landscapes lower in the South
 Fork Clearwater subbasin.

                TABLE 3.40 - POST-PROJECT ROAD DENSITY BY ALTERNATIVE
WATERSHED NAME
Middle Crooked River*'
Relief Creek
Lower Crooked River*
Entire Crooked River
Area (mi2)
22.6
11.7
14.8
71.3
Alt A (existing)
1.8
3.3
3.2
1.9
AltB
1.7
2.9
3.1
1.8
AitC
1.6
2.9
3.1
1.8
AltD**
1.6
2.9
3.1
1.8
AltE
1.6
2.6
3.0
1.7
ALTERNATIVES B. C. D. AND E- ACTION ALTERNATIVES
DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
The  lowest  road densities result from Alternative E, which has  the  most aggressive road
decommissioning package. Alternative D would result in the same road density as Alternative
E, if the  required and additional road  decommissioning projects are all  implemented.  Of the
 Data compiled for composite watersheds, not pure watersheds

* Data compiled for composite watersheds, not pure watersheds

** Alt D post-project road densities are the same as Alt E when additional projects are included.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
action alternatives, Alternative B decommissions the  least amount of road and results in the
highest remaining road density.

CUMULA TIVE EFFECTS
Road construction history in  Crooked River was summarized from  the NPNF Watershed
Database. The earliest road construction  recorded in the database was dated 1890.  The total
length of roads in Crooked River recorded in the Watershed Database was 150.4 miles. Road
construction history by decade for Crooked River is shown  in Table 3.x.   Timber harvest and
road construction history for Crooked River are displayed on Map 14b.

The changes in overall road density at the scale of the Crooked River watershed are very slight.
The BLM Whiskey South Project decommissions no additional existing roads in Crooked River.

3.2.2.2.  INDICATOR 2 - WATER YIELD
EGA was calculated by prescription watershed for each alternative.  The calculations take into
consideration effects of harvest and temporary road construction.  Road decommissioning was
not modeled as decreasing EGA even  though the roads would recover vegetation over time.
The EGA analysis does not include the effects of insect and disease agents.

Table 3.41  shows the estimated per  year EGA for  each  alternative for each prescription
watershed in Crooked River.   Existing  condition is represented by Alternative A. Year 2005
represents the  modeled peak activity year. EGA recovery begins the following year and occurs
gradually from then on.

                  TABLE 3.41 - PERCENT (%) EGA BY ALTERNATIVE (2005)
WATERSHED NAME
Middle Crooked River1
Quartz Creek
Silver Creek
Relief Creek
Lower Crooked River1
Area (mi2)
44.8
4.1
4.2
11.7
71.3
Alt A (existing)
2
2
8
8
5
AltB
5
8
23
13
8
AltC
5
8
24
14
8
AltD
5
8
26
15
8
AltE
4
6
21
12
7
ALTERNATIVE A-NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
Existing EGA is highest in Silver and Relief Creeks and lowest in Middle Crooked River.  In all
cases, the existing EGA is below 15 percent of the watershed area. Under this alternative, no
management actions, including vegetation treatments, road reconditioning, or temporary road
construction would occur.  Associated restoration activities, such as road decommissioning, soil
restoration, stream channel enhancements, and stream crossing improvements also would not
occur. There would be no change in flow timing and quantity associated with roads because no
road decommissioning would occur. Soil compaction would continue to reduce water infiltration,
so effects to water yield would remain the same.
1 Composite watersheds were combined with upstream watersheds for EGA analysis.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Watershed recovery would continue at the current rate, in the absence of a large disturbance
 such  as  wildfire or flood.  Effects to water yield  from  a potential fire are highly  variable
 depending  on timing,  location, size,  weather, and  suppression  activities.  Runoff timing and
 quantity would reflect the magnitude of the disturbances.  The risk of peak flow would depend
 on the extent of the vegetation change, conditions of the soil, floodplain and channel condition
 and weather following natural events.

 ALTERNATIVES B. C. D, AND E- ACTION ALTERNATIVES

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
 Among Forest Plan prescription watersheds, the highest EGA levels are found in Relief Creek.
 Though not Forest Plan prescription watersheds, Silver and Quartz Creeks were also evaluated
 separately.  Overall, Alternative D shows the largest increases in EGA and Alternative E shows
 the smallest.  With the exception of Silver Creek, none of the action alternatives exceeds 20
 percent EGA within a watershed.  The levels  in Silver Creek are within general  thresholds of
 concern of not to exceed 20 to 30 percent.  Channel stability in Silver Creek and tributaries was
 rated fair to good, with some areas of bedload movement and bank undercutting noted during
 stream surveys. Water yield increases may result in some intensification of these conditions.

 Road decommissioning and soil restoration would contribute to a reduction in compaction, thus
 improving infiltration and reducing surface runoff.  This effect would be most pronounced in
 Alternative  E (also Alternative D  with required  and additional improvements)  and least in
 Alternative B.  Road  miles of decommissioning and  acres of soil restoration by prescription
 watershed are found in Appendix D.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
 Historic analysis of EGA conditions in  Crooked River since 1870 was conducted in the South
 Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS,  1998)  and updated for this analysis.
 Figure 3.6 below shows the results of those analyses:

                       FIGURE 3.6 - CROOKED RIVER EGA 1870-2004
     50.0
     40.0
     30.0
     20.0
     10.0
        1870
                   1890
                              1910
                                         1930
                                                     1950
                                                                1970
The  peaks  in EGA  prior to  1950 were caused  by wildfires  totaling about  13,000 acres.
Recorded large fires occurred in 1878 (1,203 ac); 1889 (5,971 ac); 1903 (430 ac); 1917 (27 ac);
1921 (213 ac); 1924 (59 ac); and 1945 (5117 ac). Roads recorded as being constructed prior to
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
1950 also contributed to a small extent.  Timber harvest related to mining and homesteading
also occurred prior to 1950, but is not quantified in the EGA analysis.  The EGA starts at zero in
1870, but this is an artifact created by the beginning of the fire history records. Fire history prior
to 1870 is unquantified,  though residual EGA from earlier fires likely existed. EGA increases
after 1950 are associated with road construction and timber harvest, primarily on federal lands.

Figure 3.6 indicates  that EGA levels resulting from wildfires prior to 1950 were similar to those
resulting from timber harvest. The fires in Crooked River were of similar total area! extent to the
timber harvests, which occurred from the 1960s  through the  1990s.  The fires tend  to be
contiguous,  whereas the timber harvests are scattered through the roaded  areas  of  the
watershed.

Forest records were  queried to determine historic timber harvest in Crooked River. Most of the
larger timber sales also included road construction. From the  NPNF Watershed Database, total
recorded timber harvest in the 1960s was 123 acres, 1970s was 2,292 acres, 1980s was 2,671
acres,  1990s was 9000  acres and  none has occurred in the 2000s to date.  Timber harvest
occurred prior to the  1950s, associated  with  mining  and homesteading  activities.   This is
undocumented.  Most of the larger timber sales also included road construction. No recorded
timber harvest occurred in  the 1950s.  The  NPNF Timber Stand  Database (TSMRS) was
queried to determine harvest area associated with named timber sales.  Table 3.42 shows  the
results of  that query, for timber sales greater  than 100 acres  in size. The effects  of  these
individual,  named timber sales are reflected in the EGA values since 1950 in Figure 3.6.

The BLM's ongoing Whiskey South Project includes timber harvest, temporary road construction
and prescribed fire treatments  in Lower Crooked River. These activities were  evaluated for
peak year EGA and the results are combined with those of the American/Crooked Project in
Table 3.41 below:

       TABLE 3.42 - PERCENT (%) EGA FOR 2005 (INCLUDING WHISKEY SOUTH PROJECT)
WATERSHED NAME
Lower Crooked River1
Area (mi2)
71.3
Alt A (existing)
5
AltB 1 AltC
8 1 8
AltD 1 AltE
9 [ 8
 Composite watersheds were combined with upstream watersheds for EGA analysis
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                       FIGURE 3.7: CROOKED RIVER EGA 2000-2012
            12.0

            10.0
             0.0
                 2000 2001 2002 2003  2004  2005 2006 2007 2008  2009  2010  2011  2012
             - No Action
                         	Whiskey South
• American Crooked + Whiskey South
The addition of 243 acres of EGA from the Whiskey South Project increased the 2005 Lower
Crooked River EGA by 1 percent in Alternative D and E.  There was no change in Alternative B
or C, once the EGA was rounded to the nearest full percent.

3.2.2.3.  INDICATOR 3 - SEDIMENT YIELD
Table  3.42  shows the estimated sediment yield over base  for  each alternative for each
prescription  watershed in Crooked River.  Year 2003 represents the existing condition, 2005
represents the modeled peak activity year and 2012 represents the conditions at  the end of the
modeled period, when annual sediment yield from all activities has ceased or stabilized.  Figure
3.8 is a time trend graph of sediment yield over  base for Lower Crooked River. Similar graphs
for the remaining analysis points are found in Appendix E.

 TABLE 3.43 - ESTIMATED SEDIMENT YIELD OVER BASE FOR EACH ALTERNATIVE BY PRESCRIPTION
                             WATERSHED IN CROOKED RIVER
| Watershed Name
Middle Crooked
River2
Quartz Creek
Silver Creek
Area (mi2)
44.8
4.1
4.2
Year
2003
2005
2012
2003
2005
2012
2003
2005
2012
Alt A (existing)
5
5
5
7
7
7
18
18
18
AltB
5
7
5
7
15
7
18
40
17
AltC
5
8
4
7
15
7
18
41
12
AltD1
5/5
7/7
4/4
111
15/15
111
18/18
42/43
12/12
AltE
5
7
4
7
13
7
18
38
12
 First figure includes required watershed improvement projects only; second figure includes required and additional
watershed improvement projects

2 Composite watersheds were combined with upstream watersheds for sediment yield analysis.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Watershed Name

Relief Creek
Lower Crooked
River2
Area (mi2)

11.7
71.3
Year

2003
2005
2012
2003
2005
2012
Alt A (existing)

17
17
17
9
9
9
AltB

17
24
15
9
12
8
AitC

17
27
15
9
13
8
AltD1

17/17
28/28
15/14
9/9
13/13
8/8
AltE

17
23
14
9
12
8
                       Figure 3.8: Lower Crooked River Sediment Yield
oc <-\n
on on
ft oc nn
QJ
on nn
V
5 -ic nn
«S in nn
*s nn
Onn

• Forej
Lower Crooked River




,^**^_^
• 	 mr^^^^M • • • • • •

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
st Guidelines — • — alt a — * — alt b x alt c — * — alt d — • — alt e










ALTERNATIVE A-NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
The highest existing sediment yields are in Silver and Relief Creek. Middle Crooked River has
the lowest existing sediment yield

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E - ACTION ALTERNATIVES

DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
Sediment yield from the action alternatives that is modeled results from temporary roads, road
reconstruction, road decommissioning and timber harvest.  Activities that produce sediment
yield that  are not  modeled include road  maintenance, elevated road use,  stream crossing
improvements, ins.tream  improvement and  post-harvest fire.  Some  sediment yield increase
could  occur from the channel  system related to increased  water yields.   This is also not
modeled.

All peak year sediment yield increases fall below the Forest Plan sediment yield guideline of 30
percent over base.  Entry frequency guidelines are also met with this action (see below under
cumulative effects).  Silver and Quartz Creeks are not Forest  Plan prescription watershed and
therefore do not  have established sediment yield guidelines.  Given  their channel types and
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
beneficial uses, these guidelines would likely be set at not to exceed 45 percent over base.  All
of the alternatives fall below that level.

No adjustment was made in modeled sediment yield for increased traffic associated with project
activities.  The sediment mitigation values applied to roads in the model incorporate traffic level
to a  general degree. Of the 60 miles of designated log haul routes in Crooked River, about 7
miles are located  in streamside areas. It is acknowledged that some additional sediment yield
will likely occur due to traffic increases (Bonn and Graves, 2005). This will be mitigated through
road maintenance, rock surfacing where  needed and contract provisions to  minimize resource
damage during wet periods.

Instream activities will also result in sediment yield increases that are not modeled.  In Crooked
River,  this  is associated  with   stream   crossing  improvements  and  instream  habitat
improvements, since no new road crossings or instream  habitat  improvements are planned.
Removing or replacing culverts is expected to have short term impacts on sediment yield below
the  crossing sites.   Recent studies  in  Horse Creek suggest  that these  impacts are large
immediately below culvert removal sites,  but decrease substantially with downstream distance.
The  Idaho turbidity  criterion of not to exceed 50  ntu above background was exceeded just
downstream of the  sites,  but not at the mouths  of the small study catchments (Foltz and
Yanosek, 2005).

Instream habitat improvements will mobilize  sediment stored in the affected  channels.  The
effect on  sediment  yield  is expected  to  be short term, largely  occurring during  active
construction phases. Turbidity sampling conducted during  instream structure  maintenance in
Ohara Creek showed no Idaho turbidity criterion exceedences below the mixing zone (Nielsen-
Gerhardt, 2003).  Instream improvement work conducted in Red River during the period 1997-
2000 showed that the turbidity criterion was  exceeded when in-channel work was done with
inadequate contingency planning.   Similar levels of instream work,  with adherence to sediment
and erosion practices, resulted in no turbidity criterion exceedences  (LRK Communications  et
a/, 2000).

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
Historic  analysis of sediment yield in Crooked River  since  1870 was conducted in the  South
Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a) and updated for this analysis.
Figure 3.9 below shows the results of those analyses.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                  FIGURE 3.9: CROOKED RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 1870-2004
      o
       1870   1880  1890  1900   1910   1920  1930  1940   1950   1960   1970  1980  1990  2000
The peaks in sediment yield prior to 1950 are the result of the same wildfires discussed above
under EGA cumulative effects. The fire peaks associated with the  1889 and 1945 wildfires are
smaller than peaks associated with later roads and timber harvest.  Sediment yield associated
with fire is assumed to recover relatively quickly, whereas roads tend to produce a level of long
term, chronic sediment yield.

The sediment yield  peaks  associated with  road  construction  prior to  1980  are  likely
underestimated, since the road sediment mitigation values reflect current.conditions, rather than
practices which were in effect at the time of construction.  Although roads were built in the
watershed prior to 1940, the sediment yield effects of these roads are not displayed until 1940.
Sediment yield peaks associated with historic mining activities are not reflected in Figure 3.9
and likely exceeded those associated  with other activities.

The selected alternative of the BLM's  Whiskey South Project includes timber harvest, temporary
road construction  and prescribed fire treatments in Lower Crooked River.  These activities were
evaluated using NEZSED and the results are  combined with those of the American/Crooked
Project in Table 3.44  and Figure 3.10  below:

     TABLE 3.44  - PERCENT (%) OVER BASE SEDIMENT YIELD (INCLUDING WHISKEY SOUTH)
WATERSHED NAME
Lower Crooked
River1
Area (mi2)
71.3
Year
2003
2005
2012
Alt A (existing)
9
9
9
AltB
9
13
8
Alt C
9
14
8
AltD
9
14
8
AltE
9
13
8
1 Composite watersheds were combined with upstream watersheds for sediment yield analysis
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                  FIGURE 3.10: CROOKED RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 2000-2012
15.0 -
12.0 -
I 9-0-
! 6.0 -
s?
3.0 -
0.0 -
<*




/' ,. —
"--- 	 |


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ J> / J> ^ / ^ ^
Mi A +' ^An • r* 	 ~ 	 1
ING Action - - wi nskey bourn 	 American Crooked + Whiskey South
 Figure 3.10 shows the trend of sediment yield for Lower Crooked River of Alternative D from the
 American and Crooked Project and the ongoing Whiskey South Project. Whiskey South has a
 relatively  minor effect on Crooked River.   A slight long term reduction in  sediment yield is
 indicated as a-result of the American and Crooked River Project watershed improvements.

 The Whiskey South activities were combined into a 2005 peak year for purposes of the analysis,
 in order to check compliance with Forest Plan sediment yield and entry frequency guidelines!
 The combined Whiskey South and American/Projects can be considered as a  single entry in the
 Lower Crooked River prescription watershed, given that the  activities are occurring in close
 proximity  in time and,  when combined, do not exceed the sediment yield guidelines of 30
 percent over base. Though analyzed in separate documents, the scope and scale of effects are
 consistent with that of a single entry.

 Historic and current sediment yield have also occurred  from activities not modeled in NEZSED.
 In Crooked River, these include grazing, mining, and residential and commercial development.

 Grazing by domestic stock probably preceded European settlement, but was increased with the
 onset of the mining era.  In Crooked River, grazing is considered to have been relatively minor
 historically and is not occurring  presently.

 Mining occurred in both upland and riparian areas. Sediment yield from upland placer mining
 has recovered to a large extent, with the exception of the pit near Orogrande.  Instream dredge
 mining caused large amounts of sediment yield during the active mining period.  Some residual
 sediment yield from dredge mining is likely still occurring due to destabilized  stream banks.

 Residential and commercial development has occurred in the vicinity of Orogrande and near the
 mouth of Relief Creek.  There  are also two fisheries facilities located within the  valley floor of
 Crooked River.  Most of the  roads associated with this development have been modeled, but
the excavations for building pads,  driveways, etc. have not.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
There have also been watershed and riparian improvement projects in Crooked River that have
served to reduce sediment yield.   These have  included erosion control on existing roads,
riparian fencing, stream stabilization and mine site stabilization projects.

3.2.2.4. INDICATOR4-CHANNELMORPHOLOGY

ALTERNATIVE A-NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

EXISTING CONDITION
Headwaters stream surveys were conducted in Silver Creek and other project area watersheds
in 2002 and 2003, and reconnaissance fish habitat surveys were conducted in 2003.  Additional
field reconnaissance was performed in Silver Creek in 2004. The results of these surveys are
found in the American and Crooked Rivers project file. Channel stability ratings in Silver Creek
were found to be fair to good

Channel gradients for subwatersheds in Crooked River are found in Appendix E, (Table E.4).
Following those tables is a general  discussion  of erosion,  sediment transport and sediment
deposition processes. Channel morphology in project subwatersheds  has been altered through
three primary processes:  sediment deposition, channel encroachment and dredge mining.

Sediment  deposition has  occurred  in areas subjected to significant development  activity,
including reading and other development.  Channel encroachment has occurred  where roads
and other activities have taken place adjacent to streams and  their floodplains.  The highest
road densities in riparian  areas are found  in the Relief Creek and  Lower Crooked River
subwatersheds. Dredge mining has occurred along most of the  mainstem of Crooked River and
in the lower ends of Relief Creek.  Implementation of Alternative A would leave these conditions
unchanged.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D. AND E - ACTION ALTERNATIVES

DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
The action  alternatives are expected to have relatively little effect on channel morphology from
increased sediment yield.  Generally, the EGA and sediment yield estimates are at levels where
little channel erosion or deposition is anticipated.  The highest estimated sediment yields among
Forest Plan prescription watersheds are in Relief Creek in Alternatives C and D. The FISHSED
analysis found in  Section 3.3. - Fisheries elaborates further on these effects.  Although  not
Forest Plan prescription  watersheds Quartz  and Silver Creeks were analyzed separately for
EGA and sediment yield.

There  are no new stream  crossings  on temporary roads.   Several  stream crossing
improvements should improve channel morphology conditions in their immediate vicinity. These
improvements  are site-specific.  In the case of culvert replacements, the improvements often
result from less backwatering upstream of the site and less scour  downstream.   Similar
improvements  occur where culverts are removed, with the additional benefit of enhanced
floodplain  function through the crossing site.  Some of the road decommissioning involves
crossings and riparian areas. Channel morphology should be improved in those areas.

In Crooked River, the project proposes instream improvement work in sections of Crooked
River, Relief Creek and Quartz Creek. Alternatives B, C, and D  propose relatively low levels of
work, involving mostly maintenance of existing improvements and riparian  planting.  The levels
of work are increased in Alternative E. Alternative E also provides for more elaborate instream
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 and floodplam improvements in about 0.5 miles of Relief Creek and 0.8 miles of Crooked River
 This is  also the  case for  Alternative  D, when both required  and additional projects are
 implemented.  These projects are listed in Appendix D.   When  implemented,  these projects
 should enhance stream function in terms of improving  channel morphology conditions and
 providing diverse aquatic habitat elements

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
 Historically, the greatest impact to channel morphology in Crooked River was caused by dredge
 mining.  Encroachment of roads in riparian areas and floodplains also had  a direct effect on
 channel morphology.

 The addition of the BLM's Whiskey South Project in Lower Crooked River is  expected to have
 little additional effect on channel morphology.  This is because is affects  a small proportion of
 the  Crooked River watershed  area  and is  in  part hydrologically disconnected from lower
 Crooked River by the County road and dredge ponds.

 3.2.2.5. INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY

 ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 Water temperature was recorded at several locations in the Crooked River  watershed during the
 summer of 2003.  These sites were Quartz Creek, Silver Creek, Relief Creek, Crooked River
 below Relief Creek and  Crooked River near the mouth. These data are shown in Appendix E
 The data show a considerable variation across the watershed. Violations of the Idaho salmonid
 spawning criterion  of not-to-exceed 13° C were noted at all sites at certain times  Violations of
 the Idaho cold  water  communities of not-to-exceed 22° C were not noted in Crooked  River
 Violations of the EPA criterion of not-to-exceed 10° C (as a 7-day average of daily maximums)
 were noted at all sites.  Some basic metrics from the 2003  data are shown in Table 3 43 below
 .As evidenced in the 1993-2004 South  Fork Clearwater River water temperature data (Table
 3.45), 2003 was one of the warmest years since 1993.

                TABLE 3.45 - SUMMARY OF 2003 WATER TEMPERATURE DATA
Stream Name/Site
Quartz Creek
Silver Creek
Relief Creek
Crooked River below Relief Creek
Crooked River near mouth
Number of
Days > 20°C
0
0
4
0
26
Maximum
Instantaneous
fC)
15.2
16.0
20.2
18.7
21.7
Under the 'no action' alternative, insect and disease agents may tend to reduce shade over time
in some riparian stands.  Fire could also reduce shade. Shade in dredge-mined reaches would
tend to  increase very slowly over time as these areas are naturally recolonized by  riparian
vegetation. Examples of this can be seen along Crooked River, where vegetation recovery has
been slow and spotty in the time period since dredging was last done in the 1950s.

A number of water quality parameters were sampled at stream sites in Crooked River during the
period 1974-1980. Summaries of data for pH, conductivity and hardness for Crooked River and
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Relief Creek are found in Table E.I.  These data show that pH is near neutral to slightly acidic,
which is considered normal for area streams.  Conductivity and alkalinity are both relatively low,
indicating  relatively low  amounts of dissolved  constituents and also relatively low biological
productivity.  Mann and Von Lindern (1988) found relatively high dissolved iron concentrations
in dredge ponds adjacent to Crooked River.

ALTERNATIVES B. C, D. AND E-ACTION ALTERNATIVES

DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
All alternatives are designed to minimize effects on streamside shade.  Timber  harvest and
temporary road construction will not occur in Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas (RHCAs).
Under all action alternatives, insect and disease agents may tend to reduce shade over time in
some riparian  stands.  Fire could also reduce  shade.  There may be some incidental shade
reductions at stream crossing  improvement  sites.  An example would  be if some roadside
vegetation was removed during replacement of an existing  culvert.  Riparian planting would
occur along Quartz Creek, Relief Creek and Crooked River. This would be less in Alternatives
B, C, and D and greatest  in Alternative  E.  Over time, shade would be  increased in these
reaches and summer water temperatures  may be slightly reduced.  This approach is expected
to be in compliance with the South Fork Clearwater River water temperature TMDL

Beyond  sediment yield described above, there would be  little change in  most water quality
parameters.  Beneficial uses would be protected in all alternatives.  There is some potential to
liberate  mercury during  instream improvement projects that involve disturbance  of substrate
materials.  This potential would be least in Alternatives B, C, and D, since the least  amount of
area would  be disturbed.   In  addition, the instream  construction work in these alternatives
involves maintenance of areas that were previously disturbed in the 1980s and 1990s, thus it is
less  likely  that  mercury exists in the substrate.  The potential to release mercury in deleterious
amounts is considered to be slight in all action alternatives.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
Historically, the greatest  impact to water quality in the Crooked River watershed was  caused by
the impact of  dredge mining and the  encroachment of roads on the stream channels.  This
resulted in a loss of riparian vegetation and shade along the mainstem of Crooked River, with a
presumed  increase in water temperature as a  result. Heavy metals present in the valley bottom
materials were also mobilized. There was  likely some introduction of mercury,  since it was often
used as an amalgam in the gold mining process. Sediment yield was also increased  as a result
of road construction, timber harvest, fire and residential and  commercial development.

There is expected to be little change  in water  quality as a result of the two ongoing  projects
(Crooked  River Defensible  Space and Whiskey South) in Crooked River.   Neither of these
projects is expected to alter streamside shade.  Sediment yield effects of the Whiskey South
Project are disclosed above.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS (ALL INDICATORS)
There are no  effects to watershed resources  in Crooked  River from  this project that are
considered to  be fully irreversible or irretrievable.  Construction and obliteration of  temporary
roads will  leave some residual effects in terms of mixed soil horizons and interruption  of
groundwater flow paths.   Sediment delivered to low gradient stream reaches tends to have a
long  residence  time, but eventually will  be transported or reorganized by high stream flows.  The
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 instream improvements are intentionally designed to be effective in the long term but can be
 removed or reconfigured in the future if warranted.

 3-2.3. MAINSTEM SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER

 BENEFICIAL USES
 Under the  Idaho  Water Quality  Standards, designated beneficial uses  in the South  Fork
 Clearwater  River  and  are  cold-water  communities,  salmonid spawning, primary contact
 recreation and special resource water (IDAPA 58.01.02).

 EXISTING CONDITION
 The South  Fork Clearwater River subbasin is about  1,175 square miles in area   Of this about
 864 square miles, or 74 percent of the area, is part of the  Nez Perce National  Forest  The
 majority of the remaining land ownership is private, with lesser amounts of BLM  State of Idaho
 and Nez Perce Tribal ownership (USDA FS, 1998a).

 The South  Fork  Clearwater  River  forms  at the confluence of American and  Red Rivers
 Crooked River enters the South Fork about three miles below that point.  The South Fork joins
 with the Middle  Fork Clearwater River at Kooskia to form the  Clearwater River  The main stem
 length of the South Fork is about 62.5 miles. In that distance, it falls about 2 700 feet for an
 average stream gradient of 0.8 percent.

 The South Fork main stem can be broken into several major  reaches.  From its origin to about
 Tenmile Creek,  it is a relatively low gradient riffle/pool channel dominated  by gravel and cobble
 substrate.  Below Tenmile  Creek, the river enters a  confined canyon characterized by steeper
 stream gradient and large substrate  dominated by boulders and cobbles.  Downstream of Mill
 Creek, the river alternates between confined and less confined reaches. Near Threemile Creek
 the river enters a less confined, flat valley floor and is characterized by low gradient, a riffle/pool
 channel and dominated by gravel and cobble substrate (USDA FS, 1998a).

 The South Fork has been highly altered by encroachment by  State Highway 14 along much of
 its length.  This has resulted in loss of floodplain function, simplification of the channel loss of
 riparian vegetation and loss of large woody debris.  The upper reaches were also dredge mined
 The lower few miles were diked after  a flood in 1964,  especially near Stites and Kooskia  Water
 temperature and suspended and deposited sediment conditions have all been determined to be
 elevated above natural conditions in the South Fork (IDEQ, etal, 2004).

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS (ALL INDICATORS)
 With the exception of transportation, direct effects to the South Fork Clearwater River would not
 occur since none of the project activities take place along the  river.  Use of State  Highways 13
 and 14 would occur for log and aggregate haul, equipment mobilization and personnel transport
 This use is subject to State and federal regulations.

 Indirect effects to  the South  Fork  Clearwater River  would need to translate downstream via
 either the main stems of American River or Crooked River.  Given the nature, magnitude  and
 location of activities proposed  in American River, it is considered highly unlikely that direct or
 indirect effects would be noticed in the South Fork Clearwater River. This is also the  case for
 most  actions being  undertaken in Crooked River, with   the exception  of  the  instream
improvement activities.  A portion of the instream improvement work would be conducted in
lower Crooked River.  It is likely that some turbidity associated with suspended sediment could
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
reach the South Fork Clearwater River during certain phases of the instream restoration work.
This work would be done in accordance with Idaho State Water Quality Standards, Section 404
Permit requirements and Stream Alteration Permit requirements.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS

INDICATOR 1 - WATERSHED CONDITION
Watershed condition indicators for the South Fork subbasin were described in the South Fork
Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a).

Fire was the primary vegetation disturbance prior to 1950, burning an average of about 45,100
acres per decade.  Although some timber harvest occurred prior to 1950, it has not been
quantified.  Since  1950, fires  have burned  about 3,400 acres per decade, whereas timber
harvest  has averaged about 17,900 acres per decade. Timber harvest records indicate 3,090
acres cut in the 1950s,  23,154 acres in the 1960s, 32,559 acres in the 1970s, 20,155 acres in
the 1980s and 10,701 acres in the 1990s.

In the general area above the Forest boundary, there are approximately 2,150 miles of roads for
an average road density of 2.5 miles per square mile.  Peak road construction occurred in the
1960s, when about 600 miles of road were built.  In the 1970s and 1980s, about 400  miles of
road were built per decade.  At the time of landscape assessment, about 100 miles of road had
been built in the 1990s.

INDICATOR 2- WATER YIELD
Historic analysis of EGA  conditions in the South Fork  Clearwater River since 1870  was
conducted in the South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a) and
updated for this analysis.  It includes EGA effects of  historic activities, including the following
recently completed timber sales:  806, Honker II, Lucky Marble Mackey Day, Middle Face, Mill
Helo, Otter Wing, Prospector Bunny, Ridge Running, Silver Quartz, Silver West, and 2021.
Figure 3.11 below shows the results  of those analyses.

               FIGURE 3.11: SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER EGA 1870-2004
     50.0

     40.0
       1870
             1880
                   1890
                        1900
                              1910
                                    1920
                                         1930
                                               1940
                                                     1950
                                                          1960
                                                                1970
                                                                      1980
                                                                            1990   2000
Figure 3.11 indicates that EGA for the South Fork Clearwater River subbasin peaked at about
20 percent in the decade of 1910, associated with the large wildfires of the era. EGA associated
with timber harvest and road construction after 1950 has not exceeded about 10 percent and
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 has been gradually recovering in recent years.  There are no EGA guidelines applicable at the
 level of a 4  code subbasin, but the general EGA trends and levels are a useful indicator  of
 overall subbasin conditions, relative to vegetation changes and water yield increases.

 Figure 3.12 shows the effect on South  Fork Clearwater River EGA of historic  ongoing and
 foreseeable projects, in addition to Alternative D of the American and Crooked River Project
 Ongoing actions  reflected  above  include  Meadow  Face, Starbucky  and Whiskey South'
 Foreseeable actions reflected above include Eastside Township and Red Pines.

               FIGURE 3.12 - SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER EGA 2000-2012
           2000  2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012
                      - No Action + Ongoing	American Crooked	Forseeable
Figure 3.12 indicates a slight increase to just over 8 percent EGA, followed by  a gradual
recovery to pre-project conditions. The Blacktail project was not modeled for EGA and sediment
yield since data were not yet available.  The project proposes fuel treatments on approximately
3,500 acres and prescribed burning on approximately 10,000 acres. Watershed improvements
such as road decommissioning are being planned such that a net reduction in sediment yield is
expected over time.  The Blacktail project will  be added to the cumulative effects analysis as
data becomes available.  Blacktail  activities will  be designed to meet State  Water Qualitv
Standards.                                                                           y

INDICATOR 3 - SEDIMENT YIELD
Historic analysis of sediment yield in  South Fork Clearwater River since 1870 was conducted in
the South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998) and updated for this
analysis.  It includes sediment yield effects of historic activities, including the following recently
completed timber sales: 806,  Honker II,  Lucky Marble Mackey Day, Middle Face,  Mill  Heio
Otter Wing,  Prospector Bunny, Ridge Running, Silver Quartz, Silver West, and 2021 Figure
3.13 below shows the results of those analyses.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
          FIGURE 3.13: SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 1870-2004
     50

     45
     40
     35

   I 3°
   fe 25
20

15

10

 5
                                                            I
                       T^7
                                                    rrrrrTnTTrr
       1870   1880  1890  1900  1910   1920   1930   1940  1950
                                                     TTT'I'I I I n'TITrr'TTT'TT'T'T'l'T I I I'M 1 t 1 I I I I I I I I I 1 1 'IT I 'I I

                                                      1960   1970   1980   1990  2000
The peaks in sediment yield prior to 1950 are the result of the same wildfires discussed above
under EGA cumulative effects.  After 1950, peaks of sediment yield occurred largely in response
to road construction.  Timber harvest affects sediment yield to a lesser degree. The peaks in
sediment yield prior to 1950 are the result of the same wildfires discussed above under EGA
cumulative effects.  After 1950, peaks of sediment yield occurred largely in response to road
construction.  It can also be seen that chronic sediment yield gradually accumulated as a result
of road construction.

The sediment  yield  peaks  associated with  road   construction  prior  to  1980  are  likely
underestimated, since the road sediment mitigation values reflect current conditions, rather than
practices which were in effect at the time of construction.   Although roads were built in the
subbasin prior to 1940, the sediment yield effects of these roads are not displayed until  1940.
Sediment yield peaks associated with historic mining  activities are not.reflected in Figure 3.13
and likely exceeded those associated with other activities.

Figure 3.14 shows the effect on South Fork Clearwater River sediment yield of historic, ongoing
and foreseeable projects, in addition to Alternative  D of the American and  Crooked  River
Project. Ongoing actions reflected above include Meadow Face, Starbucky and Whiskey South.
Foreseeable actions reflected below include Eastside  Township,  Red Pines, and the Newsome
Creek Restoration projects.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
          FIGURE 3.14: SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER SEDIMENT YIELD 2000-2012
12.0 -
9.0 -
0)
ro
fc 6.0 -
>
o
s?
3.0 -
0.0 -
*


•
.."*>.. I
	 	 '•"' ^c^ I



' ' ' ' i ' i i 	 i 	 — i 	 1 	 1 	 1
	 	 No Action + Ongoing 	 American Crooked - - Forseeable

Figure 3.14 indicates a slight increase to just over 10 percent over base, followed by a slight
reduction  in  long  term  chronic  sediment  yield  as  a  result  of  implementing watershed
improvement projects.

Actions associated with the proposed projects may contribute to and/or reduce cumulative
sediment yield in the South Fork Clearwater River downstream of project area, dependent on
the analysis timeframe.  The NEZSED model was used to calculate the predicted cumulative
effects  sediment  yield  based  on the proposed timber  harvest,  road  construction, road
maintenance, and road  reconstruction.  As  discussed in the Watershed Cumulative Effects
section, these effects are expected to  be short-term, and improvements in watershed condition
over time would contribute to improved conditions in the river, assuming concurrent negative
impacts do not occur off National Forest lands.

Several estimates of annual sediment yield  have been made for the South Fork Clearwater
River, generally covering the area upstream of the  Forest Boundary at  the Mt. Idaho  Bridge
(USDA FS,  1998a, 1999c; IDEQ et a/, 2004, Table L-2). These estimates  were made using two
methods:  1) the NEZSED model; and 2) computations from suspended sediment samples
collected during 1988 through 1992.  The range  of these estimates is from 14,600 to 17,800
tons/year.   For purposes of comparing the alternatives, a figure  of 16,000 tons/year is used.
This is very close to the  mean of the estimates. It is also very close to the figure computed in
the South Fork Clearwater TMDL, when using NEZSED at the Forest Boundary.  Thus, it forms
a benchmark for the TMDL analysis.

Additional sediment yield from ongoing and foreseeable actions totals 170 tons/year. This is the
combined peak year  figure from the Meadow Face, Red Pines and Whiskey South  projects.
Thus, the benchmark figure  to  which the American/Crooked Project is  compared is 16,170
tons/year.

The comparisons are done in terms of the sediment yield associated with  each alternative as a
percent of the estimated annual sediment yield  in the South Fork Clearwater River.  The
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
estimates from each alternative are for routed sediment yield delivered  from  American and
Crooked Rivers to the South Fork Clearwater River for the peak activity year of 2005 (Table
3.46).

   TABLE 3.46 - SEDIMENT YIELD FROM AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVERS TO THE SOUTH FORK
                                  CLEARWATER RIVER

ALTERNATIVE GENERATED
SEDIMENT YIELD
(TONS/YR)
ALTERNATIVE GENERATED
SEDIMENT YIELD
(% OF SFCR)
TOTAL ROUTED SEDIMENT
YIELD
(TONS/YR)
TOTAL ROUTED SEDIMENT
YIELD
(% OF SFCR)
Alt A (existing)
0
0
902
5.6%
AltB
33
0.2%
934
5.8%
Alt C | Ait D1
48
0.3%
951
5.9%
46/47
0.3%/0.3%
947/948
5.9%/5.9%
AltE
29
0.2%
930
5.8%
The amount of sediment estimated to be delivered to the main  stem South Fork Clearwater
River as a direct result of each action alternative ranges from 0.2 percent to 0.3 percent of the
estimated annual yield of the river. When natural, alternative and pre-existing activity sediment
are added, the estimated  contribution from American and Crooked Rivers ranges from  5.8
percent to 5.9 percent for  each action alternative.  The amounts  and differences between
alternatives are relatively inconsequential, when considered in  relation, to the total sediment
yield of the South Fork Clearwater River at the Forest Boundary.

The TMDL analysis (IDEQ et  a/, 2004) provided sediment yield  estimates at Stites, near the
mouth  of the South Fork Clearwater River. Annual sediment yield estimates ranged from about
38,000 tons/year using suspended sediment data to about 90,000 tons/year as calculated from
the TMDL sediment budget. The sediment budget used a combination of modeling (NEZSED
and RUSLE) and field inventories (mass and instream erosion). It was concluded that there  is a
large increase in human-caused sediment coming from the agricultural lands in the lower part of
the subbasin.

INDICATOR 4-CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
Historically, the greatest impact  to channel morphology in South Fork Clearwater  River was
caused by dredge mining and encroachment of Highways  13 and  14.  Channel alterations from
residential and agricultural development  have affected the river below the Forest  boundary.
Dikes constructed  after the June 1964 flood have affected the channel morphology from Stites
to the mouth. Aggradation of  the channel is also noticeable, particularly in the lower reaches
from  Butcher Creek to the mouth. The source of the material causing the aggradation appears
to be the bed and  banks of tributary streams, bank erosion along the mainstem and landslides
in the breaklands of the lower parts of the subbasin.
 First figure includes required watershed improvement projects only; second figure includes required and additional
watershed improvement projects
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Substrate data in the South Fork Clearwater River have been collected by the IDEQ, BLM and
 USDA  FS.    In 2002, the  IDEQ  contracted data collection  for surface fines  and cobble
 embeddedness. Data were collected in four reaches, from Threemile Creek to Crooked River,
 with 32 cross-sections sampled in  each reach.  Reach  mean  percent fines (less than 6mm)
 ranged from 2.2 percent to 6.0 percent and cobble embeddedness ranged from 46.6 percent to
 48.2 percent.  In 2002, the BLM collected surface fines and cobble embeddedness data at a site
 just above  Crooked River.   Surface fines  (less  than  6mm) was  5.3  percent  and cobble
 embeddedness was 29.6 percent. In 1989, the USDA FS collected surface fines at four cross-
 sections at a site just above Crooked River.  Composite surface fines (less than 6mm) was 5
 percent.

 The levels of surface fines are considered to be quite low.  This is  probably due to the relatively
 high transport capacity of the river.  The cobble embeddedness  levels are moderate to high,
 perhaps indicating that higher levels of fine material are residing below an armor surface layer
 of coarse particles.

 The American and Crooked River  project  is  expected to have negligible effects on channel
 morphology of the South Fork Clearwater  River.   The pathway for  such an  effect would  be
 transport of coarse sediment that could lead to aggradation.  Course sediments that could be
 liberated during instream activities should be attenuated within the tributary channels rather than
 transported to the South Fork.  The risk of delivery  of course sediment from landslides  caused
 by project activities is considered to be low. If such an event were to occur, the delivery would
 be to a tributary, and similarly subject to attenuation prior to reaching the South Fork.

 INDICATORS- WATER QUALITY
 Water  temperature in the mainstem South Fork Clearwater River commonly  exceeds Idaho
 State Water Quality Standards during the warm months (IDEQ, 2004). Daytime summer water
 temperatures are warmest in the lower reaches (River Mile 0 to 20), below the Forest boundary.
 This is largely because the river is wider, shallower and more exposed to  solar radiation in the
 lower reaches. The river is coolest where it runs east to west in a narrow, confined canyon (RM
 35  to 50).   It is somewhat warmer in  its  upper reaches where  it is once again wider and
 shallower, with less effective topographic  shading (River Mile 50  to  65).  Nighttime water
temperatures follow a somewhat different profile, generally increasing downstream, but with little
change below RM 25.

Table 3.47 displays data  since 1993 for three sites on the South Fork Clearwater River.   It
reflects some of the trends discussed above.   It is  also noticeable that, with the exception of
 1994, the years since 1998 have shown longer durations of warm temperatures.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
  TABLE 3.47: SUMMARY OF WATER TEMPERATURE DATA FOR SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER
Year

1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
# of Days >20° C
Upper
2
34
0
2
1
24
26
35
25
31
39
NA
Mt. Idaho
0
24
21
7
3
14
10
26
16
16
33
28
Stites
32
50
371
52
48
31
47
61
57
52
56
43
Max Instantaneous Temp
Upper
25.0
24.5
16.5
20.0
20.5
22.2
22.5
24.7
24.2
25.1
24.7
NA
Mt. Idaho
19.0
23.3
20.71
21.6
21.0
21.6
21.2
22.9
21.7
22.5
26.0
23.2
Stites
22.7
28.4
24.91
26.2
24.7
22.0
25.6
27.9
26.7
26.7
27.5
27.5
The American and Crooked River project is not expected to have a noticeable effect on water
temperature in the South Fork Clearwater River. This is because shade is not being reduced
and channel morphology changes  resulting in  a wider, shallower channel are  not anticipated.
Over  time,  shade and  channel   morphology  in  the project  area  should  improve with
implementation of the riparian and instream improvements.  The effect on water temperature
from these improvements will be subtle and occur over a long period of time.

The South  Fork  Clearwater River  was analyzed for cumulative effects, including an effort to
quantify sediment yield increases.   In  general,  sediment yield conditions  have probably
improved in recent years. This is partly because the level of activity, particularly road building
on federal lands has been  substantially  less than during  decades of the  1950s  through the
1980s. Additionally, dredge and placer mining has been substantially reduced since the 1950s.
In addition, a number of watershed- and fisheries restoration projects have occurred within the
South Fork Clearwater subbasin.  Other proposed timber sales on  national forest lands are
subject to similar mitigation and upward trend requirements as the proposed American/Crooked
Project.

If the Forest Plan guidance of upward trend in aquatic conditions for below objective watersheds
is followed,  along with the  South Fork Clearwater  River TMDLs  for  sediment  and water
temperature, aquatic conditions should continue to improve in the South Fork Clearwater River,
when considered at the Forest Boundary near Mt. Idaho Bridge. General warming of the climate
(Mote, et at,  2003) may  ultimately preclude reductions in water  temperature over the next
several decades, even though streamside shade should improve over time.
 Data started August 1
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 3.2.4.  WATERSHED SECTION SUMMARY
 This section provides an overall summary of the existing conditions and effects analysis relative
 to watershed resources in the American/Crooked Project.

 EXISTING CONDITIONS
 In American River,  subwatersheds  within  the project area mostly contain  low  to moderate
 gradient streams.   The watersheds have  a range of disturbance conditions as indexed by
 existing  road densities  ranging from 0.6 to 4.3 mi/mi2.   Stream channels have  been mostly
 affected by sediment deposition and road encroachment.

 In Crooked River,  subwatersheds  within  the project area have generally steeper  stream
 gradients.than American River.  Watershed disturbances are more evenly distributed within the
 project subwatersheds,  as indexed by existing road densities ranging from  1.8 to 3 3 mi/mi2
 Stream channels have been affected by  sediment deposition  and road encroachment   In
 addition, historic dredge mining was  conducted in the mainstem of Crooked River and  in lower
 Relief Creek. This completely altered the channel morphology, floodplain function and riparian
 vegetation.

 The mainstem of the South Fork Clearwater River has been impacted by sediment deposition
 road encroachment, dredge mining and removal of riparian vegetation.  Certain impacts such
 as the encroachment of State Highway 14 on the river, are essentially permanent in nature.

 PROJECT  EFFECTS
 In American River, the project is expected to have some short term impacts, especially in terms
 of sediment yield, followed by long term improvements.  The short term impacts are mostly in
 terms of sediment yield resulting  from temporary  road  construction, road decommissioning
 culvert removals and soil restoration.

 In American River, all of the short term impacts fall within prescribed Nez Perce Forest Plan
 sediment yield  and  entry frequency  guidelines.  Long term trends of aquatic resources  are
 discussed in Section 3.3 - Fisheries.  Alternative E has generally the widest spread between
 short term impacts and long term improvements. Alternative B, C, and D scale roughly in that
 order in terms  of the size of the short term impacts, relative to long term  improvements in
 watershed condition.  Long term improvement in Alternative D would be similar to Alternative E,
 if both the required and additional improvement projects are implemented.

 In Crooked  River, the project is also expected to have  some short term impacts, especially
 sediment yield,  followed by  long term  improvements.  The short term impacts are  mostly
 sediment yield  resulting from  temporary road construction, road  decommissioning,  culvert
 removals, soil restoration, and instream improvements.

 In Crooked River, all of the short term impacts fall within prescribed  Nez Perce  Forest Plan
 sediment yield and entry frequency  guidelines.  Long term trends of aquatic resources are
 discussed in Section  3.3 -  Fisheries.   Alternative E has generally the widest  spread between
 short term impacts and long term improvements.  Alternative B, C, and D scale roughly in that
 order in terms of the size of the short  term  impacts,  relative to long  term  improvements  in
watershed condition.  Long term improvement in Alternative D would be similar to Alternative E,
 if both the required and additional improvement projects  are implemented.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
Effects to the mainstem South Fork Clearwater River are expected to be relatively minor.  The
project is expected to produce a minor amount of short term additional sediment yield, followed
by reductions of over time. No increases in water temperature are expected as a result of this
project and an improvement in streamside should occur over time  as the effects of riparian
planting are expressed.   The project is  expected to comply with implementation guidelines
under the South  Fork Clearwater River TMDLs for sediment and  water  temperature, as
indicated in the IDEQ comment letter dated September 30, 2004.

FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE
This project  meets the requirements of Executive Orders 11988 and 11990, which apply to
protection of wetlands and floodplains. These features are protected through implementation of
BMPs and Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines.  The  riparian  restoration components of the
project are designed to improve condition of riparian areas and floodplain function.

The following Forestwide Standards for Water, from among those listed on pages 11-21  and  II-22
and in Amendment 20 of the Nez Perce National Forest Plan, apply to this project and will be
met as follows:

              TABLE 3.48 - COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN WATER STANDARDS
STANDARD
NUMBER
SUBJECT SUMMARY
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
FOREST PLAN STANDARDS
1
2
3
4
8
Apply State WQ Standards and BMPs
Use R1R4 sediment and R1 water yield guidelines
Evaluate site specific water quality effects
Complete watershed cumulative effects analysis
Meet Fish/WQ Objectives in Forest Plan Appendix A
Project design; specifically measures 1 , 4-6,
1 1 , 1.5-30, 52, 53 in Table 2.3
10,
Used in effects analysis
Field reviews
Completed
Project design; specifically measures 1 , 4-6,
11, 15-30, 52, 53 in Table 2.3
10,
FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT 20 (PACFISH)
WR-1
WR-2
WR-3
Watershed restoration projects promote ecological
integrity
Cooperate with agencies, tribes and private individuals
Restoration not a substitute for preventing degradation
Project design; specifically measures 21, 23-30
in Table 2.3
Ongoing; specifically measures 24, 28, 30
Table 2.3
in
Project design
If the Forest Plan guidance of upward trend in aquatic conditions for below objective watersheds
is  followed,  along  with the  South Fork Clearwater River  TMDLs for  sediment  and water
temperature, aquatic conditions should continue to improve in the South Fork Clearwater River,
when considered at the Forest Boundary near Mt. Idaho Bridge. General warming of the climate
(Mote,  et a/, 2003)  may  ultimately preclude  reductions  in water temperature over the next
several decades, even though streamside shade should improve over time.

The following Forest Plan Standards for Water Quality do not apply within the context of this
project.
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    TABLE 3.49 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR WATER QUALITY THAT Do NOT APPLY TO THIS
                                      PROJECT
STANDARD
NUMBER

6
7
SUBJECT SUMMARY
Evaluate hydropower, diversion, etc. facilities
Hydropower permits in Salmon River Basin
Analyze cumulative impact of hydropower
developments
CoMPLfANCE ACHIEVED BY
Not part of project
Not part of project
Not part of project
 3.3.   FISHERIES

 INTRODUCTION
 The elements addressed in this section include stream conditions and the aquatic species found
 in areas potentially affected by the project along with the affects of the project on those species
 and their habitats.  See previous sections/chapters for a complete list of projects considered
 under this action including watershed restoration, timber harvest (including roadside) and road
 work etc.

 SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
 The fisheries analysis area includes watersheds within American River and Crooked River. The
 area also includes the South Fork Clearwater River from headwaters to the confluence with the
 Middle Fork Clearwater  River.  The prescription watersheds within the project area in American
 River include;  Upper American River; (Middle) American River;  Lower American River East
 Fork American River; Kirks Fork; Whitaker Creek; Queen Creek;  Flint Creek; Box Sing Creek.
 In Crooked River they include; Lower Crooked River; Relief Creek; and Middle Crooked River.

 The upper South Fork Clearwater watershed  is primarily under Federal management including
 lands managed by the  Bureau of Land Management.  American River includes the Elk City
 Township, which has mixed ownership and a long history of development.  The lower portion of
 the South Fork Clearwater River sub-basin is of mixed ownership.

 Direct,  indirect, and cumulative effects have been analyzed for streams within the project area
 and downstream to and including the South Fork Clearwater River.

 Indicators  used to analyze  effects  on fish and their  habitat  include sediment/substrate large
 woody  debris,  pool  habitat,  water yield,   water  quality  including toxicants  and stream
temperature, and habitat connectivity/passage.  Effects on habitat from  changes in  substrate
and water yield are discussed  with frequent reference to the Watershed section,  where these
changes have been modeled and are displayed for each prescription watershed.

 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

NATIONAL FOREST MANAGEMENT ACT
The National Forest Management Act (NFMA), 1976 calls for an interdisciplinary approach to be
used in land and resource management planning for the National  Forest System.  This project
has been developed under these guidelines.
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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL (2670)
FSM  2670  directs  that  all Federal  departments  and  agencies shall  seek  to  conserve
endangered species and threatened  species and shall utilize their authorities in furtherance of
the Endangered Species Act and to avoid  actions which may cause a species to become
threatened or endangered.  This Act also calls for  the  Forest Service to maintain  viable
populations  of all native and desirable nonnative wildlife,  fish, and plant species in habitats
distributed throughout their geographic range on system lands.

NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST PLAN
The Nez Perce Forest Plan (USDA FS, 1987a)  sets out direction for management of the Nez
Perce Forest tiered to the above  direction and all other applicable direction for activities on
National  Forest lands.  The plans includes goals and objectives couples with standards and
guides which direct how actions will be carried out.

FISH/WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES
Appendix A of the  Nez Perce Forest Plan lists fish/water quality objectives  by prescription
watershed for streams in the analysis area (see Appendix E).  The plan recognizes that most of
the project area streams do not meet their objectives.  The plan  also allows  for activities to
proceed in these below objective watersheds, as long as we concurrently work toward a positive
upward  trend  in fish habitat carrying capacity.   Watersheds like American River and Middle
Crooked River pose a unique situation in that they are not  a  single complete drainage (see
Section  3.2. - Watershed above and Appendix E).

THE DESIRED FUTURE CONDITION  TABLES
To estimate natural fish habitat potential and quantify existing stream conditions as required by
the Forest Plan, the Nez  Perce National Forest is using  a  Desired Future Condition  (DFC)
Model developed on the Clearwater  National Forest (Espinosa, 1992).  This model addresses
specific  conditions  and channel types  found on the Nez Perce Forest using a habitat quality
index. Values for the habitat parameters are quantified in a set of DFC tables.  The DFC tables
list the specific fish  habitat parameter and  a value or range that a stream should  have in order to
be at a  given percentage of the streams  potential and to meet the Forest Plan Objectives for
that watershed. The DFC values, habitat parameter data and their relationships'are stratified by
channel types and  fish species. The values for the fish habitat parameters listed in the DFC
tables are considered achievable for streams under natural conditions in the absence of major
disturbances or are reflective of  what good  fish habitat should be.   Most of the habitat
parameters are consistent for each species, and they vary slightly by channel type.  Past work
has shown a need to adjust some of the elements to better-fit natural  conditions and what is
achievable.  The DFC for acting and  potential woody debris in a meadow channel  is often used
as an example of this.

UPWARD TREND
The  Nez Perce Forest Plan  provides  direction  that timber harvest in sediment-limited
watersheds that do not meet their Fish/Water Quality objectives, as listed in Appendix A, would
occur only where concurrent watershed improvement efforts result in a positive  upward trend in
habitat condition.  Many of the area  streams  do  not meet their objectives and are in this
category.
Project activities under this planning document will occur in nine prescription watersheds  in
American River and three prescription watersheds in Crooked River.
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NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT 20 (PACFISH)
The PACFISH Environmental Assessment amended the Nez Perce Forest Plan in 1995 and is
incorporated as  Amendment 20.   PACFISH establishes  riparian goals, riparian management
objectives  (RMOs), and defines  riparian  habitat  conservation areas (RHCAs)   It includes
specific  direction for land  management activities  within  riparian areas adjacent to streams
   S       dS'  and
                                  terrain. No site specific analysis has been completed to
 modify PACFISH default buffers. RHCAs will be 300 feet either side of fish bearing streams and
 150 feet either side of non-fish bearing streams.  Intermittent streams will be managed to Key
 Watershed standards. Riparian goals establish an expectation of the characteristics of healthy
 functioning watersheds, riparian areas, and fish habitat. The goals  direct the Forest to maintain
 or improve habitat elements such as water quality,  stream  channel integrity, instream flows
 riparian vegetation, and others.

 Riparian management  objectives (RMOs) for stream channel  condition provide  the criteria
 against which attainment, or progress  toward attainment, of the riparian goals is measured
 They include habitat attributes such as  number of pools, amount of large wood in the channel
 stability of the stream banks, and width-to-depth ratio.  The areas  adjacent to streams and
 wetlands  (RHCAs) were  established  in  PACFISH  to  maintain  the integrity  of  aquatic
 ecosystems.  Healthy riparian areas are essential to maintaining or improving the quality of fish
 habitat in streams.  This analysis will use a combination of DFC  and  RMO values to define
 existing conditions  in watersheds where activities occur. See Appendix E for specific direction
 contained in Forest Plan Amendment 20 (USDA FS, 1987a, PACFISH).

 RIPARIAN HABITAT CONSERVATION AREAS
 In addition, the Nez Perce Forest Plan defines standards for vegetation management in riparian
 areas (Management Area 10), which are collectively defined as lakes, lakeside lands perennial
 streams, seasonally flowing streams supporting riparian vegetation,  and adjoining lands that are
 dominated by riparian vegetation  (NPFP  III-30-33).  This area includes the  floodplains of
 streams and the wetlands associated with springs, lakes, and  ponds.  Streamside and wetlands
 will be managed under Forest Plan Amendment 20 (PACFISH).  No timber harvest will occur in
 RHCAs.   Activities  within the  RHCA will be designed  to meet  the Riparian  Management
 Objectives (RMO).   Streamside RHCAs widths  will  be 300 feet  either side of fish bearing
 streams, 150 feet either side of non fish bearing  perennial streams and 100 feet either side of
 intermittent streams.  No timber harvest will occur on high risk landslide prone RHCAs   The
 guidelines are included in Appendix E

 ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AND BIOLOGICAL OPINIONS FROM NOAA-NMFS AND
 USFWS

The American and Crooked  River  Area  have been designated as priority watersheds  as
directed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration - National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA-NMFS) for recovery of Endangered
Species Act (ESA)  listed fish  species.  These  regulatory agencies  issued Biological Opinions
(BO) for Land and Resource Management Plans 1998  (USDI NOAA-NMFS, et al, 1988) with the
following relevant guidelines for priority watersheds.

    •   Watershed analysis must be conducted prior to harvest, salvage, or thinning activities in
       RHCAs, and demonstrate that the action would not retard/prevent attainment of RMOs
       or adversely affect listed fish.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
   •   Watershed analysis must be conducted if watershed's Equivalent Clearcut Acres (EGA)
       exceeds 15 percent, if harvest activities would increase EGA.

   •   For new/proposed roads, if road density exceeds 2 miles/mi2, reduce road mileage and
       emphasize road closure, obliteration, and revegetation.

   •   The 1998 steelhead Biological Opinion added sediment RMO, incorporated by reference
       from the 1995 Biological Opinion for Chinook salmon. This RMO includes standards of
       less than 20  percent surface fines in spawning habitat or less than 30 percent cobble
       embeddedness in rearing habitat.

The  Endangered  Species Act also provides direction that federal agencies consult  on all
activities that may affect listed species and/or their habitat.

It is the policy of Congress that all Federal departments seek to conserve endangered species
and threatened species and shall utilize their authorities in furtherance of this purpose (ESA
1979 as amended, §1531.2b).

MAGNUSON-STEVENS ACT
Pursuant to section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and its implementing regulations, 50
CFR Part 600.920,  Federal  agencies  must consult with NOAA-NMFS regarding any  of their
actions authorized, funded, or undertaken, or proposed to be authorized, funded, or undertaken
that may adversely affect Essential Fish Habitat (EFH).  The Magnuson-Stevens Act, Section 3,
defines Essential Fish Habitat  as "those waters and substrate necessary for fish for spawning,
breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity."  Federal agencies may incorporate an Essential Fish
Habitat Assessment into Endangered  Species Act  Biological Assessments.  EFH  habitat for
Coho salmon is not in the project area and is limited to the mainstem Clearwater River over 50
miles downstream.

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) Essential Fish Habitat for chinook  salmon
includes all historically accessible reaches of the Clearwater drainage (except the North Fork
above  Dworshak Dam).  Essential Fish Habitat for chinook is present  in  both American River
and Crooked River.

Coho salmon  (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were once native to the  Clearwater River basin.  Their
distribution was primarily associated with tributaries of the Lower Clearwater River.   Historic
runs were extirpated and we are mostly dealing with a fish that the Nez Perce Tribe is stocking
from area hatcheries.  The  Clearwater River Coho enter the  Columbia  River in August and
September.  They  reach the  Clearwater River in October and  spawn  in  November and
December.  The juvenile fish emerge in March and April and out-migrate in May and June after
spending one to two years rearing in their natal stream. There is some  sign of movement to
mainstem habitats for winter rearing.  Clearwater Coho return in  1.5 years as adults.

HABITAT POTENTIAL AND THEMES

AQUATIC POTENTIAL/THEMES
The  South  Fork  Clearwater River  Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a),  developed
functional themes for each Ecological Reporting Unit (ERU).

American River has a high to very  high habitat for aquatic species.  Spring chinook habitat
potential is very high in Lower  American River.  Very high potential westslope cutthroat habitat


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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 exists throughout the  watershed, with the high order  streams providing high potential sub
 adult/adult rearing and spawning habitat.  Steelhead habitat potential  is rated as high for this
 watershed.  Bull trout habitat potential in this watershed is rated as high, with the higher order
 channels in the lower watershed constituting important sub adult/adult rearing. American River
 is assigned  a rating of High Priority, Restore Aquatic Process.

 The Landscape Assessment highlights historic mining in both of these drainages as a primary
 impact to fish habitat and aquatic process. American River also has a history of impacts from
 private land development, cattle grazing, timber harvest and road building.

 The Lower  Crooked River has  a rating of Very  High Priority, Restore Aquatic Process. The
 American and Crooked River project is within the Lower Crooked River Ecological  Reporting
 Unit.  The  less  disturbed Upper Crooked River is  assigned a rating of Very High  Priority
 Conserve Existing Aquatic Function.  Crooked River has less of a history of cattle grazing but
 timber harvest and road construction have impacted the Lower Crooked River as well.

 Crooked River has a very high  habitat potential  for spring chinook and steelhead in the lower
 portion, and a very high potential for bull trout and westslope cutthroat in the upper watershed.

 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED FISH SPECIES
 STEELHEAD TROUT
 Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) in the Snake River basin are listed as a
 threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (Federal Register, 1997).   Steelhead
 trout are distributed throughout the  South Fork  Clearwater sub-basin and the American and
 Crooked River watersheds (USDA FS, 1999a). It is likely that the South Fork Clearwater River
 and American and Crooked Rivers  will be included as critical habitat when the designation is
 final.

 Steelhead trout in Idaho are the anadromous form of rainbow trout, which have been further
 classified as redband trout of the Columbia River basin (Behnke, 2002).  "Anadromous" refers to
 a  life history whereby  fish spawn  and rear  in  freshwater but  migrate to the ocean before
 maturing and returning  to fresh water to spawn.  Steelhead trout and most species of salmon
 follow an anadromous life history, and adults  of  both may attain large  size as a result of time
 spent in the ocean.  Populations of redband trout in the Columbia River basin, including those in
 Idaho,  generally follow  either an anadromous or resident life history.  Some stream  systems
 may support both types of individuals.

 Steelhead trout spawning and rearing in the American River and Crooked River area generally
 enter fresh water in late summer and fall, spend the winter in the lower and middle Clearwater
 River below  Kooskia,  and migrate up  the  South  Fork  Clearwater  River  in  early  spring.
 Spawning usually occurs in April and May, in the  mainstem and lower reaches of  tributary
 streams.   Juveniles usually spend about  two years in  streams  and rivers, sometimes three,
 before  migrating  downstream  to the ocean during the spring runoff period in May and June
 (Behnke, 2002).

 In  the American   River, juvenile  steelhead  trout  and resident  rainbow trout have been
documented in Upper, Middle and Lower American River,  East Fork American River,  Flint Creek
and  Box  Sing Creek.  In Crooked River, juvenile steelhead trout have been documented  in
Lower Crooked River, Relief Creek, Middle Crooked River, Silver Creek and Quartz Creek.
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INTERIOR REDBAND
Interior Redband Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) includes both anadromous steelhead
(discussed above) and native resident rainbow trout that do not migrate to the ocean (Behnke,
2002).   They are classified as  the same species, except fish included in this category spend
their entire lives in a stream or river, often at or near their natal  area.  Both resident and the
anadromous  form  are  listed   as  threatened  under the Endangered Species  Act (Federal
Register, Vol. 69, No. 113,  p. 33119).

In most anadromous steelhead populations, a portion of the juveniles  do not migrate to the
ocean and remain as resident redbands throughout their lives (Behnke, 2002). This is the likely
scenario in the American and Crooked River watersheds. Most juveniles migrate to the ocean
but small percentages  probably remain  as resident fish.  There are no  known populations
isolated above barriers  , although  redband spawning was observed in East Fork Relief Creek
(W. Paradis personal observation, 2003).  Isolated  populations  exist elsewhere on the Nez
Perce National Forest and in the South Fork Clearwater sub-basin.

BULL TROUT
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Columbia River basin have been listed as threatened
under the Endangered Species Act (Federal Register Vol. 63, No.  111, June 10, 1998). Critical
habitat for bull trout has  been proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, October 6, 2004
(Federal Register Vol. 69/193; 59995-60076). There is no proposed critical habitat in the project
area for American River or Crooked River. Both watersheds are managed under the Nez Perce
Forest Plan, which includes Amendment 20 (PACFISH).

Bull trout are actually a char and are included in the genus Salvelinus, along with brook trout,
lake trout, Dolly Varden,  and Arctic char.  The bull trout and  Dolly Varden were long considered
the same species and are generally similar in appearance, but skeletal and  genetic analyses
have shown they are separate species (Behnke, 2002).  Large bull trout are known as voracious
predators of other fish, although small bull trout typically feed on invertebrates. Bull trout spawn
in the fall, typically in the coldest reaches of smaller tributaries.   Clean substrate (rocks), cold
water temperatures, and the presence of cover are important attributes of preferred bull  trout
habitat.

Bull trout are especially  vulnerable to human-induced factors that increase water temperature
and sediment loads, change flow regimes, block migration routes, and establish non-native
trout, particularly brook trout (Behnke, 2002).

Bull trout are present in  the South Fork Clearwater River and many of its tributaries, including
American River and Crooked River. Bull trout have been documented in American River, Upper
American River, East Fork American River and Kirks Fork.  One bull trout was observed in the
1989 survey of Flint Creek and  no bull trout have been documented using Box Sing Creek.

Crooked River is an important stream for bull trout.  The weir at the mouth  of this system is
managed by Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  They observe both  adult and juvenile bull
trout moving in and out of the system. The headwaters provide important spawning and rearing
habitat for this fish and the mainstem  is a well  used travel corridor.  Bull trout have been
observed using Lower Crooked River, Middle  Crooked River, Relief Creek, and  Silver Creek.
The  upper  Crooked River watersheds  (outside  the project area) are  recognized  as  very
important for spawning and rearing of bull trout.
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 FALL-CHINOOK SALMON

 Fall Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) is listed as a threatened species in the
 Clear-water River basin (Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 78, 14653, April 22, 1992)  Fall chinook
 salmon are not found in the American and Crooked River area, but they do occur downstream in
 the lower reaches of the South Fork Clearwater River and in the mainstem Clearwater River.

 Snake River fall chinook salmon were historically less well-distributed across the upper Snake
 River basin than spring and summer chinook, although the Snake River basin including the
 Ciearwater River, was considered to support the highest production of fall chinook salmon in the
 entire Columbia  River basin.  The historic importance of  the Clearwater  River in providing
 spawning  and  early rearing  habitat is presently unclear,  but it is assumed it sustained a
 significant component of the entire population.

 Snake River fall  chinook begin entering the Columbia River in August and continue through
 October, with peak migration occurring in early September.  Returning adults have generally
 spent three or  four years in the ocean.  Adults generally arrive  in the  Clearwater River in
 October with fish  present  from September through December.   Spawning occurs  from
 November through early December.  Fry emerge from late winter to early spring, juveniles rear
 over the ensuing  spring and  summer months, then migrate to the ocean in the fall before they
 are a year old.

 FOREST SERVICE SENSITIVE AND STATE LISTED FISH SPECIES
 In  a  letter dated  October 28, 2004, the  USDA Forest Service's  Northern Region Sensitive
 Species  list was updated to  include lamprey and other wildlife and plant species on the Nez
 Perce National Forest (USDA FS, 2004c).

 SPRING CHINOOK SALMON

 Spring  Chinook  Salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) are considered a sensitive species in
 the Northern Region, USDA Forest Service and are a species of special concern in the State of
 Idaho. They  are  not listed as a threatened species  under the Endangered Species  Act in the
 South Fork Clearwater sub-basin because indigenous populations were likely eliminated from
 the Clearwater  River by construction of Lewiston Dam in the early 20th century.  Naturalized
 populations of spring chinook salmon, however,  have been  re-established in the South Fork
 Clearwater sub-basin, including American River and Crooked River, as a result of reintroduction
 efforts by Federal  and state agencies, and the Nez Perce Tribe.

 Both  the American  River and Crooked River watersheds have a high inherent capacity to
 support  spring chinook salmon (USDA FS, 1998a), based on features  such  as climate, relief,
 and geology.  These river systems are comprised of significant lengths of low gradient, meadow
 reaches that provide optimal spawning and rearing habitat for this species; offering large areas
 of appropriately-sized spawning gravels as well as  preferred  low gradient rearing habitat for
juveniles (USDA FS, 2003a).

 Historically, significant numbers of spring chinook salmon spawned and reared in these systems
as well as other tributaries of the South Fork Clearwater River.  Currently, adult returns vary but
are generally  low.  In 2003, the weir at the  mouth of Crooked River counted  1,360 returning
adult spring chinook.  The fish habitat survey conducted by Clearwater  BioStudie's, Inc. (1990)
identified 9,810  square  meters of spawning  gravel available in the mainstem river from the
mouth to Orogrande. If this habitat were fully seeded, even in the  existing condition, there is
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
potential to produce over 500,000  spring Chinook smolts annually in Crooked River.   The
American River is a very similar system.  Both rivers have  been dredge mined using  large
floating bucket line dredges,  which  resulted  in a loss of pool habitat, removal of acting and
potential woody debris and wider more shallow streams.

Spring chinook salmon have been identified in Upper, Middle  and Lower American River, East
Fork American River, Kirks Fork, Flint Creek and Box Sing Creek.  In Crooked River, they have
been identified in Lower Crooked River and Middle  Crooked;  and are  likely to also use Relief,
Silver, and Quartz Creeks.

WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT
Westslope Cutthroat Trout  (Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi) are considered sensitive in the
Northern Region, U.S.  Forest Service  and a species of special concern by the State of Idaho.
Currently, they are not listed  or proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act.  The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has  "determined that a petition to list the westslope cutthroat
trout...presented substantial information indicating that the requested action may be warranted"
(USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, 1998).  Cutthroat trout are widely distributed across the
Clearwater basin, although the current  abundance is probably less than historic.

Westslope cutthroat trout are widespread in the project area,  and have been found in virtually
every  tributary where  surveys have been conducted.  Populations may  also  be present  in
additional areas where surveys have not been conducted or where existing  information  is
insufficient to  define species  presence or absence.  Strong populations of resident fish  have
been observed in Quartz Creek, Silver Creek, Upper Relief Creek, and upper Kirks Fork (NPNF
unpublished data).

The isolated populations in Queen  and Whitaker offer unique opportunities to study genetic
differences between isolated "fish and those subject to hybridization with  non-native rainbow
trout.  There is also the opportunity to  connect these streams to the mainstem and monitor fish
dispersal and genetic changes.

Although population status of resident  westslope cutthroat trout is thought to be strong in some
streams, the larger fluvial fish, those moving out of the tributaries and rearing in the mainstem
are showing very low densities, making this species at risk.

Primary  existing  threats to  westslope  cutthroat  trout in the  project area include  habitat
degradation, loss of connectivity among populations, competition with non-native brook  trout,
and harvest of adults by anglers.

PACIFIC LAMPREY
Pacific Lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) is considered a USDA Forest Service Northern Region
sensitive species and a  State of Idaho  species of  special concern.   Recent sampling  in the
South  Fork Clearwater River  indicated the presence of juvenile lampreys along the mainstem
river and some of the tributaries (Cochnauer and Clair, 2003).  Similar sampling conducted  in
Crooked and American Rivers in 2001 did not identify any lampreys.  (Cochnauer and Clair,
2001 and 2002).  Much of American River and the lower reaches of Crooked River were  likely
historic habitat for lamprey (Clair, 2004)
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 OTHER AQUATIC SPECIES
 Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are present throughout the American River and Crooked
 River watersheds, including most streams in the  project area.  Brook trout are not native to
 streams west of the Continental  Divide.  Brook trout can occupy a wide range of habitats and
 have the ability to compete with trout, salmon, and char that are native to streams in Idaho  In
 degraded habitats,  brook trout will often out-compete native bull trout (Clearwater Basin Bull
 Trout Technical  Advisory Team,  1998).  Where the species co-exist, brook trout are likely to
 displace native westslope cutthroat, particularly in low gradient streams.

 Brook trout are a fall-spawning species, and interbreeding with bull trout is  common in areas
 where the species coexist.  Brook trout are usually much more abundant than bull trout where
 they  occur  together,  and this distorted ratio of abundance can lead to mass  hybridization
 (Behnke, 2002).

 Surveys have documented brook trout in Mainstem  American  River, Whitaker Creek  Flint
 Creek, and  Mainstem Crooked River.  Bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout are also present
 in these areas.

 The American and Crooked River project area is also known to support various other aquatic
 species and amphibians.  Mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni), sculpins (Coitus spp.)
 and dace (Rhinicthys spp.) have been observed throughout most of the area.                '

 Tailed frogs have been documented in area streams and are believed to be widely distributed
 Other amphibians documented within the watershed include Columbia spotted frogs and Idaho
 giant salamanders.  Western toads and long-toed salamanders are also present.  Amphibians
 are discussed in greater detail in Section 3.11  - Wildlife.

 ANALYSIS METHODS

 INTRODUCTION
 This  section will describe in  general, how exiting conditions for fish and fish habitat were
 determined. The analysis will focus on six elements of fish habitat. This general discussion will
 be followed  by a detailed description of the two river  systems (American River and Crooked
 River) and how these elements will change as a result of this project.  This will be followed with
 a discussion of cumulative effects. Included in the existing condition narratives for the two river
 systems is a mix of both old and new data. The Forest is fortunate to have fisheries personnel
 in place who have been working in these systems since 1984.

 The major improvements to the dredged mine reaches in the two rivers involved the installation
 of instream structures and the  placement of large woody debris. In Crooked River, most of this
 work occurred from 1984 to 1988.  These actions were coupled with extensive riparian planting
 and seeding in an effort to increase shade and improve stream bank stability.  The data used to
 reflect existing conditions reflects some of these improvements.  Relief Creek acting woody
 debris is an example of wood being added by instream  improvements.  The mining impacts
 were  so extensive that even with  the instream work, habitat elements  remain below objective.
 Observations and recent surveys in tributaries of American and Crooked Rivers do not suggest
that major changes  in habitat conditions have occurred as a result of weather events  since
 1984.  Habitat conditions  appeared to be much like those observed in 1984 (W. Paradis, per.
comm.). The data used to describe the existing condition for this area represent the fish habitat
as observed  and surveyed in 2003.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
INDICATOR 1 - SEDIMENT/SUBSTRATE CONDITION
Substrate conditions are an important component of fish habitat and fish survival.   Cobble
embeddedness is a measure of fine-grained sand that has filled in around the cobble substrate.
The more embedded the substrate is the more reduction we see in over wintering habitat and
food production.

Cobble embeddedness and percent surface fines were used as measures of the amount of
deposited sediment present in the streambed.

Existing measured  or estimated cobble embeddedness and percent surface fines  have  been
compared to optimal stream conditions and assigned a percent. These conditions, referred to
as "desired future condition" standards, are  presented below in Tables 3.51 and 3.52, along with
the existing condition and percent of optimal.

Existing measured or estimated cobble embeddedness in analysis area streams was also used
to estimate summer and winter rearing capacities for trout and salmon, using  the FISHSED
model (Stowell et al, 1983). The FISHSED  model was then used to compare action alternatives
using both existing  cobble embeddedness  measurements and predictions of NEZSED. These
elements were used to roughly predict amount of change in summer and winter rearing capacity
among action alternatives using mathematical relationships in the FISHSED model.  These
changes  were calculated for each alternative and are an indication of the amount of sediment
expected as a result of surface sediment erosion. Modeled predictions for all action alternatives
were included.  Sediment from sources other than  surface sediment erosion, including  bank
erosion and mass movement (landslides) are not included in model estimates.

The FISHSED model  includes calculations for fish embryo survival, summer rearing capacity,
and winter rearing capacity.  Fish embryo survival is an estimate of predicted fine sediment by
depth in cobble  stream bottoms.  In general, the Nez Perce National  Forest  has not collected
substrate core data since the  late  1980s.  One reason these data are no longer collected is
research  published in  1988 suggested modeling embryo survival in egg  pockets does not
accurately reflect conditions faced by embryos or emerging fry in real-life stream situations
(Chapman, 1988).  For the American and Crooked River analysis, the model was not used to
estimate  changes in embryo survival because  percent fine by depth data, which are substrate
core data measurements, were not available. .  Summer and winter rearing capacity reflect how
the degree of fine  sediment in the stream bottom affects the  stream's ability to support fish
during these seasons.   This analysis will focus on summer and winter rearing and how these
elements are changed as a result of this Project.

Model results, as displayed below in Tables 3.51 and 3.52, are reasonable estimates and not
absolute  numbers with high statistical precision.   The capability of  the FISHSED model in
analyzing and displaying change at the  levels shown in these tables is somewhat limited. In this
case, data from FISHSED are most useful in comparing the relative effects among alternatives.
The model also  reflects short-term changes only and does not show the long term recovery,
projected in NEZSED

INDICATOR 2 - LARGE WOODY DEBRIS
Large woody debris is a component of habitat  quality and complexity and is also an important
contributor  to stream  productivity, cover,  and food production for  fish  and  other aquatic
organisms. Large wood in the streams also contributes to channel stability in small, low order
streams, and is thus an important element even in streams where fish are not present. Under
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 natural conditions, large wood is contributed to streams from the surrounding riparian areas as
 trees fall over and  may be recruited either discretely (one or two here and there) or in large
 numbers over a short period of time.  The latter often occurs in response  to a  significant
 disturbance event, such as wildfire or an extreme weather event where floods or debris torrents
 wash large amounts of material into the stream.

 The amount of large woody debris in a stream is usually measured in the field during stream
 surveys by  counting the number of large woody  pieces present in the stream.  Future woody
 debris recruitment is estimated by counting the number of trees  in the riparian area  that  could
 fall into the stream.

 Some stream reaches in the project area have been determined  to be debris-deficient; most of
 these reaches occur in the streams that have been placer mined  like mainstem  American  River
 and Crooked River as well as tributaries like Relief Creek.

 INDICATOR 3 - POOL  HABITAT
 Poohriffle ratio is an indicator of habitat quality and complexity, both of which are important
 elements for salmonid fishes  in  streams.   In addition,  the quality of pools is an  important
 consideration. Pool quality is  generally indicated by pool volume and pool depth, with larger,
 deeper pools offering greater quality.  Longitudinal spacing of pools along a stream course is
 also important.

 Stream survey data have provided estimates of the number and  quality of pools for streams in
 the American and Crooked River area that have been surveyed.  The summarized data present
 pool information  as poohriffle ratio, with a ratio of at least 50 percent or more  pools as highly
 desirable.

 The number of pools in  a stream and the quality of those pools can be affected by:

       (1) Long-term increases in sediment yield, a phenomenon that can result in pool-filling
          and eventual loss of the pool;

       (2) Increased bedload accumulation that also results in pool-filling;

       (3) Lack of large woody debris and other pool-forming structures, which can significantly
          affect streams  that are dependent on  large  wood  as the  primary pool-forming
          mechanism,  and

       (4) Altered channel structure from dredging and road encroachment.

Therefore, changes in  sediment yield and the amount of large  wood available to fall in the
stream are indicators for predicting changes in the  number and  quality of pools over time, as
well as number of trees felled or placed into streams.  In addition,  pools  may be  artificially
created during channel restoration or other habitat improvement projects.

INDICATOR 4 - WATER YIELD
Equivalent Clearcut Area (EGA) is used as a tool to assess potential  changes in water yield.
EGA is discussed in more detail in the Watershed section.  Increases in water  yield  may
indirectly affect fish  habitat through increased bank erosion, channel down  cutting, increased
accumulation of larger streambed materials, reduction in number of pools, and overall reduction
of habitat complexity.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY

Toxics
Water Quality analysis includes introduction of toxic materials.  We currently are proposing no
tools for predicting the amount of toxic materials entering streams because we are implementing
mitigation  such that the risk of toxic materials entering streams is very low, and we do not
expect a measurable effect from the use of these materials.

WATER TEMPERATURE
Potential increases in stream temperature are addressed  by assessing the degree of activities
in riparian  areas that may result in increased or decreased solar radiation to streams. No timber
harvest is  proposed in streamside RHCAs and no increase in water temperature is anticipated.
Restoration activities  include riparian planting  designed to increase stream canopy.  See the
Watershed section above for a detailed  discussion of this element.

INDICATOR 6 - HABITAT CONNECTIVITY/FISH PASSAGE
The ability for fish to move between habitats as conditions change and for individuals to move
between fish  populations  is an important  component for  short-term survival and long-term
population genetic diversity. Culvert improvement work associated with this action will focus on
both increased culvert size for better passing of flood flows and movement of aquatic biota up
and down  stream.

Overall, the presence  of  roads  is  highly  correlated  with  changes in  species  composition,
population sizes, and  hydrologic and geomorphic processes  that shape aquatic and -riparian
systems.  Research shows the importance of removal or restoration of existing roads to benefit
both terrestrial  and  aquatic biota (Trombulak and Frissell, 2000).  Roads can alter the landscape
distributions of the  starting and  stopping points of debris flows, and they can alter the balance
between the intensity of flood peaks and the stream network's resistance to  change (Jones et
al, 1999).  Road crossings can prevent  or interfere with upstream migration of adult and juvenile
salmonids, aquatic  macro invertebrates, and larval amphibians  (Furniss et al.,  1991).

Roads, culverts, and sometimes bridges act like dams,  constricting stream flow through a single
narrow outlet.  This can prevent the transportation of habitat-forming gravel and woody material
down the channel.  These constriction points also cause deposition and channel widening at the
culvert inlet (USDA FS unpublished data, 1996a, 1999f). The channels below culvert outlets are
typically down cutting  and scoured by the high velocity water caused by constriction.

Roads and stream crossings have also been shown  to function as barriers to the upstream
movement and dispersal for many fish and wildlife species (Furniss et al,  1991). Culvert outlets
not in contact with stream bottoms do not allow access  for aquatic species. Undersized culverts
constrict flows  creating high velocity barriers and eliminating substrate  from culvert bottoms.
These  barriers can isolate small aquatic populations,  limiting  or preventing genetic exchange
between populations,  and preventing the recolonization of historic or recovering habitats.

Stream crossing structures also limit or prevent seasonal upstream movement by fish.  Juvenile
salmonids  living  in rivers  often seek  refuge in  tributary streams  during  high  flow  events.
Additionally, many  culverts are in  need of repair or replacement  to  reduce risk of failure.
Historically, most culverts were sized to pass 50-year storm events.  In many cases, this sizing
is not adequate to handle large flood events or debris torrents. Culverts sized for a 100-year or
greater event are more likely to pass the water and debris associated with a large event.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ANALYSIS OF DIRECT. INDIRECT. AND CUMULATIVE EFFECTS TO THREATENED. ENDANGERED
 AND SENSITIVE (TES} FISH SPECIES. ~~                                 	'
 TES fish species present in the American and Crooked River watersheds include spring chinook
 salmon, steelhead trout, bull trout, and westslope cutthroat trout.  Changes in habitat could
 affect  these species  directly, indirectly,  and/or cumulatively and  are  collectively considered
 indicators of effect.  A Biological Assessment has been completed for threatened  endangered
 and sensitive  fish species  for the selected alternative.  Indicators used  in the Biological
 Assessment are based on accepted indicators developed by the Central Idaho Level 1 Team
 The results of the BA and any outcomes associated with consultation are included in the Record
 of Decision.

 EXISTING CONDITION OF HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS -
 AMERICAN RIVER

 AMERICAN RIVER (UPPER, MIDDLE AND LOWER)- PRESCRIPTION WATERSHEDS -#17060305-
 05-09,06,16

 American River is a  large watershed with  important aquatic values and a  high priority for
 restoration of  aquatic processes.   The  mainstem  river  is divided  into three prescription
 watersheds (Map 7a).  Upper American  River is  above  the Elk City Township and primarily
 includes lands  administered by  the Forest Service.   Middle American River extends into the
 township and has experienced extensive amounts of placer mining and fish habitat degradation
 Lower American River is within the township and has experienced similar impacts.  The Bureau
 of Land Management administers lands within this area and much of the survey data and
 background information  comes  from their work (BLM, American River BA/BE, March  1999).
 Steelhead trout, bull trout, cutthroat trout, spring/summer chinook salmon, rainbow trout, pacific
 lamprey, mountain whitefish, sculpin, and dace are present in the American River watershed.
 Their distribution is widespread,  with the exception of bull trout for which the distribution is not
 well known. Brook trout are also present and widely distributed.  Spring chinook salmon and
 steelhead trout  abundance is low.  WestsJope cutthroat trout populations vary;  some areas are
 devoid  of cutthroat trout while others have relatively high densities.  The  higher densities of
 cutthroat appear  correlated  with  relatively  undeveloped areas and  colder  streams  in  the
 American River watershed. There are very few large-sized migratory cutthroat trout.

 Migratory bull trout are present in American River, although at low levels. The extent of resident
 bull trout in American River is not well known. Currently, it appears that the East Fork American
 River provides  the only spawning  and early rearing areas for bull trout in  the watershed.
 Surveys conducted by the Forest Service in 1998 did not document occurrences of bull trout in
 upper American River.  Surveys  by BLM, FS, and IDFG (IDFG, et a/, 1996-2003) documented
 bull trout in mainstem American River, East Fork American River, and lower Kirks Fork.

The BLM surveyed Lower American River in 1992 using a modified  Hankin and Reeves (1988)
survey methodology (USDI BLM, 1999). The dominant channel type was B, average gradient
was 2 percent, and unstable stream banks averaged  2 percent.  Lower American River occurs
within the Elk City Township and a  large amount of the stream bottom has been dredge mined.
Yearlong and seasonal residences occur along some stream reaches.  Dredge mining  has
reduced quality  of pools and large woody debris is lacking.  Dredge mining activity has reduced
large woody debris recruitment along some reaches. High summer water temperatures  and
deposited sediment also reduce fish habitat quality.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
The Forest Service last did an extensive  survey  of  American River (upstream  from  BLM
boundary) in 1993 using the  Nez  Perce basin-wide  methodology.   During  the  survey
approximately 69 percent of its  length was classified as a B type stream channel (Rosgen,
1994).  The remaining portion was classified as C and  A channel types, 24 percent and 7
percent, respectively. BLM has measured habitat conditions at  fixed stations as late as 2000
and 2004. The 2000 data shows cobble embeddedness at 31 percent.  The 2004 data was not
available at this time.

The Forest Service and BLM have completed various  stream improvement projects along
several miles of the mainstem in the 1980s and early 1990s. These included installation of rock
check dams; log check dams, large woody debris, and habitat rock placement.

SUMMARY OF FISH SPECIES DISTRIBUTION
Map 8a displays fish distribution within the  analysis area.

  TABLE 3.50 - KNOWN AND SUSPECTED DISTRIBUTION OF TROUT, SALMON AND CHAR IN AMERICAN
                                        RIVER
Stream Name
Middle American
River
Upper American
River
East Fork American
River
Kirks Fork
Whitaker Creek
Queen Creek
Flint Creek
Box Sing Creek
Lower American
River
Westslope
Cutthroat
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Bull Trout
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Probably
Absent
Probably
Absent
Known Present
Probably
Absent
Known Present
Spring
Chinook
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Absent
Known Absent
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Steel head
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Probably
Present
Known Absent
Known Absent
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Brook Trout
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Status unknown
Known Present
Status unknown
Known Present
Probably Present
Known Present
East Fork American River- Prescription Watershed -#17060305-05-10
East Fork American River flows into American River at river mile 10.6, and provides habitat for
steelhead, bull trout, spring  chinook salmon, westslope cutthroat trout,  brook trout, mountain
whitefish, sculpin, and dace.  Bull trout use  the stream for adult and sub adult rearing.  Redd
surveys completed in 1999 and 2000 failed to document any confirmed bull trout redds, but
brook trout redds were found (NPNF unpublished data).  Fish population surveys of the stream
in recent years by BLM, FS, and IDFG (IDFG, et a/, 1996-2003) have documented the presence
of bull trout, however, numbers were low and most fish were  found in the middle  reach. The
stream may be used for bull trout spawning and early rearing; further investigations are needed
for verification.
The lower to  mid reaches of the  stream flow through  a timbered bottom with some stringer
meadows. A culvert installed at the mouth may be a partial/full fish passage barrier.  A private
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 residence is located near the mouth. A trail parallels the creek.  The lower reaches crossing
 BLM and Forest Service lands are not leased for grazing.
 The East Fork American River was surveyed by the BLM in  1992, from the mouth to Forest
 Service boundary (stream mile 2.33). In 1993, the Forest Service surveyed from that point to
 the  headwaters.   Both surveys  used a  modified Hankin and Reeves survey methodology
 (Hankin and Reeves, 1988).  The dominant channel type in lower reaches was B3 and unstable
 stream banks were 2 percent.
 The seven-day running average  maximum temperature  during steelhead  and  cutthroat
 spawning periods for East Fork American  River is 13.4 degrees C, and is rated high (SM  0.1 -
 1995). No data on rearing temperatures are available for the middle reach, but spot monitoring
 during bull trout distribution surveys in 1998 found cool water temperatures, which rated high for
 steelhead and bull trout rearing. The seven-day running average maximum temperature for bull
 trout spawning was 14.4 degrees C, and is rated low (SM 0.1 - 1995).  The seven-day running
 average  maximum  temperature for rearing  is 16.1  degrees C, and is  rated  moderate for
 steelhead and low for bull trout (SM 0.1  - 1995).  Primary limiting factors include high levels of
 deposited sediment and lack of good quality pools.
 Recon surveys were conducted in 2003 in support of this project.  The 2003 surveys included
 Rosgen stream channel classification with Wolman pebble count data (Rosgen, 1994), stream
 gradient  and channel profiles.  Cobble embeddedness was  measured.  R1  Stream  Reach
 Inventory and Channel Stability Evaluation  forms (Pfankuch, 1978) were completed and the Nez
 Perce Forest stream survey  was also completed (USDA FS, 1995d). The Nez Perce Forest
 Plan established a fish/water  quality objective for  this watershed of 90 percent habitat potential.
 The Plan  set the  existing condition  at 60 percent of potential, making this  stream  below its'
 Forest Plan objective.   Reduced cattle grazing  in the watershed has improved fish habitat
 conditions on the  low gradient meadow reaches.  High cobble embeddedness persists, pools
 are limited and poor in quality and acting woody debris is also below objective (Table 3.51).

 Kirks Fork - Prescription Watershed -#17060305-05-11
 Kirks Fork flows into American River at  river mile 6.9, and provides habitat for steelhead,  bull
 trout, spring chinook salmon,  westslope cutthroat  trout, brook trout, mountain whitefish, sculpin,
 and  dace. Bull trout use the stream for adult and sub  adult rearing. Fish population surveys of
 the stream in recent years by  BLM, FS, and IDFG  (1996 - 2003) have documented the presence
 of bull trout, however, numbers were low.  A fish passage barrier at all flows occurs  at stream
 mile 2.3 (18 foot falls/cascades).

 The  upper reaches of the stream consist of high  quality westslope cutthroat trout habitat.  The
 lower reaches receive light grazing use; and  roads and logging have impacted the stream to
 varying levels.  The limited amount of management activities in this watershed  and the  high
 quality fish habitat is not reflected above with the Forest Plan showing this stream well below its'
 fish/water quality objective of 90 percent of  habitat potential.  The plan shows existing conditions
 at only 50 percent, while actual conditions are likely higher. A ford crosses the stream near the
 mouth.

 BLM monitoring of  cobble embeddedness was  45 percent  (stream  mile 0.15  - 1995)  and
 spawning gravels had 30 percent fines less than  6.3 mm (1995).  Kirks Fork was surveyed by
the BLM  in 1992 from the mouth to Forest Service boundary (stream mile 0.55) (USDI BLM,
 1999).  The Forest Service surveyed from the BLM boundary upstream in 1991. Both surveys
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
used a modified Hankin and Reeves (1988) survey methodology. The Nez Perce Forest fish
habitat stream survey was completed in 2003.

The stream flows through a confined timbered stream bottom. The dominant channel type in
lower reaches was B3 and average gradient ranged from 2-3 percent, and unstable stream
banks varied from 3-5 percent.  BLM  data  shows the seven-day running average maximum
temperature during steelhead and cutthroat spawning  periods for  Kirks Fork is 13.9 degrees C,
and is rated high (SM 0.05 - 1995).  The seven-day running average maximum temperature for
bull trout spawning was 14.8 degrees  C, and is rated low (SM 0.05 - 1995).  The seven-day
running average maximum temperature for rearing was 16.7  degrees C,  and was  rated
moderate for steelhead and low for bull trout (SM 0.05 - 1995).  The 2003 water temperature
data is  displayed  in Appendix E.   Primary limiting factors include  high levels of deposited
sediment and lack of good quality pools.

The Nez Perce  Forest Plan established a fish/water quality  objective for this watershed of  90
percent habitat potential.  The  Plan set the existing condition at 50 percent of potential, making
this stream below its' Forest Plan objective. The upper watershed has not been developed and
the stream  supports a strong population of westslope cutthroat trout in these upper reaches (D.
Mays, Pre. comm.).  It is likely that this stream exists at higher than 50 percent of potential  as
stated  in the Plan.  Elements like cobble embeddedness and percent surface  fines indicate
higher quality fish habitat (Table 3.51).

Whitaker Creek - Prescription Watershed-#17060305-05-12
Whitaker Creek flows into  American River at river mile 8.5,  and  provides habitat for cutthroat
trout brook trout, dace and sculpin (Final Report YA-515-IA7-15, University of  Idaho, 1978).
Dredge mining has altered the mouth of the stream leaving no above ground channel for the
stream. The stream flows  enter American River sub-surface thus isolating the fish populations
above.  Roads,  logging, and mining  have impacted the stream to varying levels. Two private
residences occur at the mouth of the creek.  Extensive private land timber harvest has recently
(2003) impacted the watershed. Whitaker Creek  was surveyed  by the BLM in 1991 from the
mouth to FS boundary (stream mile 1.5) using a  modified Hankin and Reeves  (1988) survey
methodology (USDI  BLM,  1999).  The FS surveyed their lands upstream  in 1989 using the
same methodology.  Surveys were conducted for  this analysis in 2003.  The surveys included
R1   Stream  Reach   Inventory  and  Channel   Stability  Evaluation   and  Stream  Reach
Reconnaissance Survey (Pfankuch,  1978)., and a Fish Habitat Recon Survey (USDA FS,  2000)
The BLM has completed  surveys from the mouth to the headwaters in 2004. The stream flows
through a confined timbered stream  bottom.  The channel types starting from the  mouth are C3
(short mouth area reach), B4,  and A3;  and average gradient ranges from 1 to 12 percent, and
unstable stream banks were less than 3 percent.   Primary limiting factors include high levels of
deposited sediment, lack of good quality pools, and low flows.

The Nez Perce  Forest Plan established a fish/water quality  objective for this watershed of 70
percent habitat potential.  The  Plan set the existing condition at 70 percent of potential. Habitat
elements of cobble embeddedness and pool to riffle ratio remain in poor condition  (Table 3.51).

Queen Creek - Prescription Watershed-#17060305-05-13
Queen Creek flows into American River at river mile 9.4, and  provides habitat for cutthroat trout.
Dredge mining has altered  the mouth area and the stream flows into a dredge pond and has no
connecting channel with American River. The stream flows subsurface through dredge tailings
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 into  American River thus isolating  the  westslope cutthroat population.   This  stream was
 electrofished in 2003 and high densities of resident fish were identified (22 westslope cutthroat
 and 6 dace in a 23 square meter reach).  Mining, roads, and logging have impacted the stream
 to varying levels.  Queen Creek was surveyed by the BLM in  1991 from the mouth to FS
 mQm^lStr^nxmit°i7) USin9 3 m°dified Hankin and Reeves <1988) surveV methodology
 (UbUl  BLM, 1999). The BLM  completed  surveys from  the mouth to the headwaters in  2004
 The  FS surveyed from the BLM upstream  in 1989.  Recon surveys  were completed for this
 project in 2003 these surveys included a Stream Reach Reconnaissance Survey (USDA FS
 2000),  R1 Stream Reach Inventory and Channel Stability Evaluation (Pfankuch 1978)  Rosgen
 Stream Channel Classification  with Wolman pebble  count and channel profiles (Rosgen  1994)
 and cobble  embeddedness measurements.  The stream flows through a wide valley bottom at
 the mouth,  while  upstream  reaches flow through a confined timbered stream bottom   The
 channel types starting from the mouth are C2 (mouth area),  B3, and A3; and average gradient
 ranges from 2-7 percent, and unstable stream banks were less than 3 percent  Primary limiting
 factors include high levels of deposited sediment, lack of good quality pools, and low flows.

 The lower miles of Queen Creek indicate  that there has been  a moderate  level of disturbance
 from past dredge  mining and placer mining activities. Tailings piles are scattered in small piles
 across  the valley floor, and an old access road  parallels the stream on the  North side  Both
 Queen  Creek and Whitaker Creek offer unique  opportunities to study isolated populations  of
 westslope cutthroat trout.  These paired watersheds are similar in size and share a history  of
 land disturbing activities.

 The Nez Perce Forest Plan established a fish/water quality objective for this watershed of 70
 percent habitat potential.  The Plan set the existing condition at 70 percent.  Habitat elements in
 Table 3.24 below indicate this stream is likely at 70 percent of habitat potential.

 Flint Creek - Prescription Watershed -#17060305-05-14
 Flint Creek is a third order tributary of the East Fork American River.  Flint Creek  enters East
 Fork American  River from the  North approximately 2 miles  upstream of the confluence East
 Fork American River and American River.   Flint Creek is a low (0.5 percent) to moderate (4-6
 percent) gradient stream. Flint Creek is primarily characterized as being Rosgen stream types
 B  and C with most channel slope gradients ranging from 0.5 percent to 7 percent  There are
 a few short  sections of stream type "A" in the upper headwaters of the stream.  The stream
 flows through a "U" shaped valley formation.  The upslope environment consists of moderately
 steep (30-45 percent) mid elevation granitic uplands.  Historic stream  surveys from 1970 and
 1982 indicated that there had been a high  level of livestock grazing disturbance within the Flint
 Creek drainage.  The grazing strategies implemented as a result of the steelhead trout being
 listed under ESA have improved stream bank stability in Flint Creek. The drainage has also had
 large fire events in the 1800s and early 1900s. The Flint Creek Trail (Forest Service Trail #832)
 parallels the stream beginning approximately 0.75 miles  upstream of the confluence with  East
 Fork American River.  Flint Creek supports westslope cutthroat and steelhead trout bull trout
 and  spring/summer chinook salmon.  The  FS  surveyed Flint Creek using the  basin-wide
 methodology in  1989.  Recon surveys and basin-wide surveys were also conducted in 2003 in
 support  of the American and Crooked River Project.  The surveys included The  R1 Stream
 Reach Inventory and Channel Stability Evaluation (Pfankuch, 1978)  Rosgen Stream Channel
 Classification (Rosgen,  1994), and cobble  embeddedness.   Multiple redd  surveys  were
conducted in Flint  Creek by the Red River District in 1999 and 2000.  No confirmed bull trout
redds were observed, but brook  trout redds  were documented.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
The Nez Perce Forest Plan established a fish/water quality objective for this watershed of 90
percent habitat potential. The Plan set the existing condition at 40 percent of potential, making
this stream below its'  Forest Plan objective.  Reduced cattle grazing  in the watershed has
improved  fish  habitat  conditions on the   low  gradient  meadow  reaches.   High  cobble
embeddedness persists, pools are limited and poor in quality  and acting woody debris is also
below objective (Table 3.51).

Box Sing Creek - Prescription Watershed -#17060305-05-15
Box Sing Creek flows into American River at river mile 8.5, and  provides habitat for steelhead
and cutthroat trout.  Dredge  mining has  altered the mouth area of the stream and the lower
segment flows across the dredge mined flood plain of American River. Roads and logging have
impacted the stream to varying levels. A ford crosses the stream near the mouth.  Box Sing
Creek was surveyed by the BLM in 1991 from the mouth  to FS boundary (stream  mile 0.67)
using  a modified  Hankin and  Reeves  (1988) survey  methodology.  The FS surveyed the
upstream  reaches using the  same methodology  in 1989.  Recon surveys were conducted  in
2003  in support  to this project.   Surveys  included  Stream  Reach Reconnaissance Survey
(USDA  FS, 2000), Rosgen Stream Channel Classification with  channel profiles and Wolman
pebble count (Rosgen, 1994) and R1 Stream Reach Inventory  and Channel Stability Evaluation
(Pfankuch, 1978).  The stream flows through a confined timbered stream bottom. The dominant
channel type in lower reaches was B4 and average gradient  was 2 percent, unstable stream
banks  were less than  3 percent.  Primary  limiting factors include high levels of deposited
sediment, lack of good quality pools, and low flows.  Box Sing is approximately 5.7 miles long.
The lower 2.0 miles of  Box Sing Creek is moderately disturbed from past dredge mining and
placer mining activities.  Tailings piles are scattered in small piles across the valley floor, and an
old access road parallels the stream on the North side.

The Nez Perce Forest Plan established a fish/water quality objective for this watershed of 70
percent habitat potential. The Plan set the existing condition at 70 percent.  Habitat elements in
Table 3.51 below indicate low pool to riffle ratio and a stream lacking in acting woody debris.

Summary
Below is a summary of. conditions observed  by both the BLM and FS for streams affected by
this action. Whitaker Creek and Queen Creek do not support steelhead and therefore percent
surface fines were not  measured.  All of the project area streams  in American River accept
Whitaker Creek and Queen  Creek are below their Forest Plan fish/water quality  objectives
(Table 3.51 below).
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE 3.51 - AMERICAN RIVER EXISTING CONDITION OF FISH HABITAT INDICATORS COMPARED TO OBJECTIVES
Prescription Watershed
Upper American River
1 7060305-05-09
Middle American River
17060305-05-06
Lower American River
17060305-05-16
East Fork American River
17060305-05-10
Kirks Fork
17060305-05-11
Whitaker Creek
17060305-05-12
Queen Creek
17060305-05-13
Flint Creek
17060305-05-14
Box Sing Creek
17060305-05-15
Cobble
Embeddedness %
(Forest Plan BO
standard)

<30
<30
<30
<30
<30
<40
<40
<30
<40

51
50
31
40
32
61
42
58
44
Pool: Riffle Ratio
(DFC Standard)
Objective
45:55
45:55
45:55
45:55
45:55
30:70
30:70
45:55
30:70
Existinq
13:87
29:71
20:80
20:80
33:67
5:95
9:91
20:80
7:93
Acting Large Woody
Debris/ pieces per
100m
(DFC Standard)
Objective
45
45
45
45
45
35
35
45
35
Existing
18
22
2
28
33
51
63
20
12
Percent Surface
Fines
(Steelhead/Bull Trout
Objective
<20
<20
<20
<20
<20
NA1
NA1
<20
<20
Existing
18
34
8
51
22
30
20
20
28
 Deposited Sediment (Cobble Embeddedness and Percent Fines)
 Using the above cobble embeddedness measurements, the FISHSED model was used  to
 estimate the existing conditions of summer and winter rearing habitat in American River and its'
 tributaries affected by this action. As seen below, summer rearing is at or near objective for
 most streams.  Winter rearing however  is well below objective  and has been identified as a
 primary limiting factor.  Sediment settles  in around the cobble, rubble substrate in low gradient
 pool habitats and limits important holding  areas for fish in the winter.

  TABLE 3.52 - EXISTING CONDITION OF SELECT FISHSED VARIABLES, WHICH ARE RELEVANT TO
                           THE DEPOSITED SEDIMENT INDICATOR
Watershed Name/
Channel Type

Middle American River/ C
Lower American River/ C
East Fork American River/ C
Kirks Fork/ B
Whitaker Creek/ B
Queen Creek/ B
Flint Creek/ B
Box Sing Creek/ B
Existing Cobble
Embeddedness (%)2

50
31
40
32
61
42
58
44
Existing Summer
Rearing Capacity
83
83
94
89
93
75
88
77
87
Existing Winter Rearing
Capacity (Percent of
27
27
45
35
44
20
34
22
32
 Steelhead do not currently use this system.
 Existing cobble embeddedness was measured in the field.
3 Values derived from FISHSED Model.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
Habitat Connectivity/Fish Passage
Habitat connectivity will simply be a measure of increased stream miles displayed and perennial
or intermittent stream miles above culvert improvements.  Not all sites  involve fish passage.
Table 3.53 below displays a summary of existing stream crossings for American River.

                TABLE 3.53 - EXISTING STREAM CROSSINGS AMERICAN RIVER
Watershed Name
Upper American River
Middle American River
Lower American River
Kirks Fork
Whitaker Creek
Queen Creek
Flint Creek
Box Sing Creek
Ephemeral
Crossings

2
6
2
4 -
2
4
1
Perennial
Crossings
1
7
8
2
2
1
7
1
Fish Bearing
Crossings
1
9
10
1
2
1
4
1
TOTAL
Total
Crossings
1
9
14
4
6
3
11
2
50
Water Quality/ Stream Temperatures
American River is currently not in compliance with the Idaho State Water Quality Standards (see
Appendix E and  the Watershed  above).  Cold-water biota, salmonid spawning,  and bull trout
criteria were exceeded in 2003  at each of the  monitoring  sites.  Additionally,  temperatures
exceeded temperature standards established with Amendment 20 of the Nez Perce Forest Plan.
This included both the 18°C migration and rearing maximum and  16°C spawning maximum
(Nez Perce Forest unpublished data 2003).

EXISTING CONDITION OF HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS -
CROOKED RIVER

CROOKED RIVER
The watershed encompasses an area of approximately 45,659 acres with important aquatic
values.  Mainstem Crooked River occupies a wide valley.  Prior to development, this river likely
meandered across the valley bottom.  The  river was likely lined with abundant grasses, forbs
and woody vegetation providing stable banks and shade. The pool to riffle ratio was likely high
with complex and high quality pools providing good quality habitat.   Crooked River has been
significantly affected by human activities  primarily in the lower section (Lower Crooked  River,
Relief Creek and  Middle Crooked River). The predominant feature is the historic dredge mining
along and through the mainstem river, which has highly altered  riparian processes and function.
In an undated report titled The Mount Vernon Dredge by Sharon A.  Murray is a short history of
the  bucketline dredge that mined  Crooked River.  The details in this report are not complete. It
shows the dredge working in Crooked River in 1938 and 1939 and again in 1942.  The  "boat"
was not active again until after the war in 1946.  From 1947 until 1951 the dredge worked in
Red Horse Creek and Buffalo Gulch.   The Mt. Vernon Dredge was moved  back  to Crooked
River  in 1952 (above Relief Creek) and worked there until 1957.  The report shows that over
2,000,000  cubic yards of material were dredged  from  the valley floor, producing over 12,000
ounces of gold and over 2,000 ounces of silver.   The impact to the environment  is  still evident
today.  A streamside road for most of its length further  affects the mainstem of Crooked  River.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 This streamside road encroaches on riparian and stream process for about half of its length
 The upper half of the  watershed is  mostly unroaded with  reaches in the upper watershed
 supporting strong populations of westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout at some of the highest
 densities in the sub basin.   Steelhead spawning and juvenile rearing primarily occurs in the
 mamstem and the lower 0.5 miles of each fork of Crooked River.  The East and West Forks  of
 Crooked River are in nearly pristine condition.

 Crooked River is considered a stronghold for westslope cutthroat, a  habitat stronghold for bull
 trout, and a historic stronghold for spring chinook and steelhead (USDA 1998).

 Habitat complexity has been greatly reduced from the historic mining activities.  In addition, road
 233 parallels a 3.4 mile section of stream, within a narrow canyon. This road is a chronic' long
 term sediment source and has also reduced the large woody debris recruitment in this stretch  of
 stream.   Because of reduced habitat complexity and  elevated cobble embeddedness levels
 summer rearing and over wintering conditions are believed to be the limiting factors for fish.

 The Nez Perce  National Forest with  funding provided  by the Bonneville Power Administration
 added approximately 400 habitat improvement structures in Crooked River during the 1980s (P
 Siddall,  1992).   About  30  percent  of these  are still functioning  as  intended  (Clearwater
 BioStudies, Inc.,  1990) and  provide improved fish habitat in many areas.  Crooked River has
 been subject to intensive monitoring  (Intensive Evaluation and Monitoring of Chinook Salmon
 and Steelhead Trout Production,  Crooked River and Upper Salmon  River Sites, 1995 Annual
 Report).  In this work IDFG fisheries biologist Russ Kiefer makes the following observations:

     •   Our research indicates that in streams degraded by dredge mining, connecting off-
        channel ponds to the stream can increase the carrying capacity for chinook salmon parr
        (Kiefer and Forster,  1991), and complex instream  structures can increase the  carrying
        capacity for steelhead- trout parr (Kiefer and Lockhart, 1995a).

     •   We observed a shift in spawning areas by adult chinook salmon to cleaner gravel areas
        produced by habitat rehabilitation structures in Crooked River (Kiefer  and Lockhart,
        1993).  In streams with more  than 30% sand in spawning areas, habitat structures that
        collect cleaner gravel with less than 30% should increase smolt production.

    •   Complex habitat enhancement structures apparently can increase the carrying capacity
        for age-7+ steelhead trout in streams with low habitat complexity.  Dredge  mining has
        reduced the habitat complexity in  the upper meadow section of Crooked River (Middle
        Crooked RiverJ by forcing the channel against the canyon wall on the east side of the
        meadow.  We observed more than double the density ofage-1+ steelhead in complex
        habitat study sites than we observed in control or simple sill log habitat sites  in 1992
        (Kiefer and Lockhart,  1995).

This project will include activities designed to improve existing habitat enhancement structures,
add additional  structures and further improve riparian and stream  conditions impacted  by past
mining activities.

The aquatic habitat condition in the upper watershed is good,  supporting strong populations of
westslope cutthroat trout, and bull trout at some of the highest densities in the  sub basin.
Although the habitat condition of the  mainstem is low, it continues to support steelhead  and
spring  chinook.   Brook  trout,  present primarily  in the upper West  Fork and  in the lower
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
mainstem, pose a risk to downstream  bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout  (USDA FS,
1998a).

Idaho Department of Fish and  Game Facilities:  A weir and fish-trapping facility, part of the
Lower Snake River Compensation Project, are located on Crooked River approximately 1/2 mile
upstream from the mouth.  A rearing facility with acclimation ponds  and a settling pond  for
wastes is approximately 10 miles further upstream.

SUMMARY OF FISH SPECIES DISTRIBUTION

Steelhead trout are present in all of the prescription watersheds. Bull trout have been observed
in  Lower and Middle Crooked River,  lower Silver Creek and Relief Creek. They also use the
South  Fork  Clearwater  River for migration and rearing  from October through June  (IDFG
unpublished  data). Map 8b displays fish distribution within the analysis area.

   TABLE 3.54 - KNOWN AND SUSPECTED DISTRIBUTION OF TROUT, SALMON AND CHAR IN CROOKED RIVER
Stream Name
Lower Crooked River
Relief Creek
Middle Crooked River
Silver Creek
Quartz Creek
Westslope
Cutthroat
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Bull Trout
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Probably
Absent
Spring
Chinook
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Probably
Present
Probably
Present
Steelhead
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Known Present
Brook Trout
Known Present
Status
unknown
Known Present
Status
unknown
Status
unknown
Lower Crooked River Prescription Watershed #17060305-03-01
Landforms associated with Lower Crooked River suggest that the stream should primarily be a
Rosgen stream type "C".  Observations indicate that Lower Crooked River should have a well-
developed floodplain,  be  a  slightly entrenched stream and be relatively sinuous with channel
slopes of 2 percent or less.  Historical mining disturbance has altered floodplain development,
indicated by the presence of large mine tailings dispersed haphazardly across the valley floor.

The Lower Crooked River sub watershed is 9487 acres in size and includes the mainstem of
Crooked River and sixteen 1st order tributaries, five 2nd order tributaries and two 3rd order
tributaries.  Included in these tributaries are unnamed streams referred to  in this document as
Section 11 and Section 14.  The high pool to riffle ratio (Table 3.55) reflects the large meander
pools created by historic dredge mining. While occupying a high percentage of the stream area,
these are poor quality pools void of cover with sand  bottoms, providing limited fish habitat
(Table 3.56).

The Nez Perce Forest Plan established a fish/water quality objective for this watershed of 90
percent habitat potential.  The Plan set the existing condition at 50 percent of potential, making
this stream below its' Forest Plan objective (Table, 3.55). High cobble embeddedness persists.
Large pools have  been created at the meander bends by past dredge mining. These pools  are
sand bottom with little  to no cover. Acting woody debris is very limited in this reach. Bank cover
and potential woody debris are also very limited
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Relief Creek- Prescription Watershed #17060305-03-03
 Relief Creek is a low gradient stream encompassing 7475  acres.  Relief Creek enters Middle
 Crooked  River  6.8  miles  upstream  of the  confluence of Crooked  River and  South  Fork
 Clearwater River.  Relief Creek from its confluence with Crooked River upstream approximately
 1.4 miles is a low relief stream that has  been  highly disturbed by dredge mining activities.  The
 mine tailings from dredge activities were dispersed entirely across the valley floor.  Often times
 the tailings were mechanically piled to form long continuous pilings along one side of the valley
 floor or the other.  These  piles  are approximately 10 feet  high, and have  literally cut off the
 upslope drainage characteristics  of the lower reaches of Relief Creek. This disturbance activity
 has likely interrupted the natural  water yield and timing of the drainage.  During the mechanical
 piling process the tailings located adjacent to the stream were heavily compacted resulting in a
 loss of vegetation along the stream banks, as well as, a loss  of stream  channel sinuosity.
 Floodplam development  has also  been interrupted  because  of the high level of  disturbance
 associated with the dredge mining  activities.   Presently the lower reach of Relief  Creek  is a
 Rosgen stream type "B". Road construction and timber harvest activities have resulted in  high
 levels of cobble embeddedness, and depositional filling of the pool areas.

 In 1989, approximately 200+ rock and log weirs were installed in Relief Creek from the mouth of
 Relief Creek upstream to the confluence of the East  Fork Relief (1.4 miles). The  objective of
 this fish habitat improvement program included creation of pool habitat, establishment of flows
 conducive to deposition  of cobbles suitable  for spawning  and improved sediment transport
 capabilities.  During the 2003 field season, a preliminary field review indicates that most of the
 rock structures have been altered by high flows. The log structures are still in place according
 to the original design and placement and are creating some additional scour pools. The  existing
 high numbers of acting debris are  associated with these improvement structures.   Surveys in
 support of this project were  conducted  in 2003,  including  a  Stream Reach Reconnaissance
 Survey, Nez  Perce Forest Fish Habitat Survey, Rosgen Stream Channel Classification, cobble
 embeddedness, and R1 Stream Reach Inventory and Channel Stability Evaluation.  The water
 temperature  data is displayed in Appendix B.   The Nez  Perce Forest Plan established a
 fish/water quality objective for this watershed of 90 percent habitat potential.  The Plan set the
 existing condition at 60 percent of potential, making this stream below its' Forest Plan objective.
 Habitat alteration from  historic mining  combined with high levels of fine sediment and loss of
 connectivity are primary limiting factors  in  Relief Creek.  This project  is designed to improve
 conditions tied to these elements.

 Middle Crooked River- Prescription Watershed - #17060305-03-04
 This prescription watershed includes the mainstem  of Crooked River from the top of the narrows
 to Orogrande (see map 7b)  This is not a true watershed;  true watersheds include all lands
 draining through a stream reach.  This prescription watershed drains only the center lands of the
 Crooked River watershed.  Several  named  tributaries  enter Crooked River through this  section
 including Sawmill, Silver, Quartz,  Baker Gulch, Rainbow Gulch, Five Mile and Umatilla Creeks.
A short summary of each  of the tributaries affected by this  action is  included below.  The
existing condition  DFC and RMO analysis is  based on mainstem Crooked River fish  habitat
conditions surveyed in 1990  as  well as recon surveys conducted in  2003.  Stream  survey
information gathered in 2003 will describe conditions in Silver Creek and Quartz Creek.  Forest
Plan Appendix A  has identified  Middle  Crooked  River as  meeting  its objective with  habitat
conditions at 90 percent of optimum. This is likely an error in the plan  as it is well  recognized
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
that the dredge mining of the mainstem, combined with past reading and timber harvest, have
simplified the fish habitat well below the 90 percent level, as identified below (Table 3.55)

Sawmill Creek
Sawmill Creek enters Middle Crooked River 8.3 miles upstream of the confluence of Crooked
River and the South Fork Clearwater  River.  Sawmill  Creek is 1.89 miles  long and can  be
characterized as a  Rosgen "B" stream type.  No fish were observed  in this  small stream.
Surveys completed in 2003 include a Stream Reach Reconnaissance Survey and a R-1 Stream
Reach Inventory and  Channel Stability  Evaluation.   The R1  Stream Reach Inventory and
Channel  Stability  Evaluation (Pfankuch,  1978). found  this stream  in "fair"  condition,  cobble
embeddedness was estimated at 40 percent and water temperature was 12 degrees centigrade
on July 15 at 1130 hours.

Silver Creek
Silver Creek is a moderate to high gradient stream entering Crooked River 9.2 miles upstream
of the confluence of  Crooked  River  with  South  Fork Clearwater  River.   Silver Creek is
characterized as a Rosgen stream type "B" with channel slope gradients ranging from 1.5 to 5
percent.  There are a few short sections of stream type "C" in the lower 2.0 miles of the stream,
and some relatively short sections of stream type  "A"  in  the middle to upper portions of the
watershed. Silver Creek supports steelhead and bull trout.  The upper reaches support a strong
westslope cutthroat trout population (D. Mays per. comm.).  Surveys in support of this project
were conducted in 2003, including a Stream Reach  Reconnaissance Survey (USDA FS, 2000),
Nez  Perce  Forest Fish  Habitat Survey   (USDA  FS,  1995d),  Rosgen  Stream Channel
Classification (Rosgen, 1994), cobble  embeddedness,  and  Rl Stream Reach Inventory and
Channel  Stability  Evaluation  (Pfankuch, 1978).   Fish habitat is limited by  increased fine
sediment and poor quality pool habitat.

Quartz Creek
Quartz Creek is a low (2 percent) to high (4-20 percent) gradient stream entering Crooked River
10.2 miles upstream of the confluence of  Crooked River with South Fork Clearwater River.
Quartz Creek can be primarily characterized as a Rosgen stream type "B" with short sections of
stream type  "C" in  the upper headwaters of the stream, and  some relatively short sections of
stream type  "A" in  the middle to upper portions of the watershed.  Surveys  in support of this
project were conducted in 2003, including a  Stream  Reach Reconnaissance Survey (USDA FS,
2000),  Nez  Perce  Forest Fish Habitat Survey (USDA FS, 1995a), Rosgen Stream Channel
Classification (Rosgen, 1994), cobble embeddedness,  and  R1 Stream Reach Inventory and
Channel Stability Evaluation (Pfankuch, 1978).
Quartz Creek has experienced a history of mining  and logging activities.  The lower reach is
privately  owned, supporting several seasonal/full time residences.  The  stream inventories
identified both channel degradation and  aggradation occurring within various  reaches of the
stream.  The historic mining disturbance, coupled with past timber  harvest activities within the
drainage, appear to have contributed to channel degradation through accelerated bank erosion,
increased sediment supply and decreased sediment transport capabilities.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Summary

 Below is a  summary of the conditions inventoried for Crooked River streams affected bv this
 action.                                                                           '
TABLE 3.55 - CROOKED RIVER EXISTING CONDITION OF FISH HABITAT INDICATORS COMPARED TO OBJECTIVES
Prescription
Watershed
17060305-03-01
Relief Creek
17060305-03-03
Middle Crooked River
17060305-03-04
Silver Creek1
Quartz Creek1
Embeddedness %
(Forest Plan BO
standard)
Existing
<30
<30
<30
<30
<30
80
55
35
55
49
PoolrRiffle Ratio
(DFC Standard)
Objective
45:55
45:55
45:55
45:55
45:55
Existing
52:48
21:79
36:64
56:44
23:77
Acting Large Woody
Debris/ pieces per
100m
(DFC Standard)

45
45
45
45
45

8
51
6
87
75
Percent Surface Fines
(Steelhead/Bull Trout
Matrix Standard)

<20
<20
<20
<20
<20

Not Available
55
Not Available
15
15
 Deposited Sediment (Cobble Embeddedness and Percent Fines)
 Using the above cobble embeddedness measurements, the FISHSED model was used to
 estimate the existing conditions of summer and winter rearing habitat in American River and its'
 tributaries affected by this action. As seen below, summer rearing is at or near objective for
 most streams.  Winter rearing however is well below objective and  has been identified as a
 primary limiting factor.  Sediment settles in around the cobble, rubble substrate in low gradient
 pool habitats and limits important holding areas for fish in the winter.

  TABLE 3.56 - EXISTING CONDITION OF SELECT FISHSED VARIABLES, WHICH ARE RELEVANT TO
                           THE DEPOSITED SEDIMENT INDICATOR
Watershed Name/
Channel Type
Lower Crooked River/ C
Relief Creek/ B
Middle Crooked River/ C
Silver Creek/ B
Quartz Creek/ B
Existing Cobble
Embeddedness
<%)2
804
55
35
55
49
Existing Summer
Rearing Capacity
(Percent of
Optimal)3
56
80
92
80
84
Existing Winter
Rearing Capacity
(Percent of
Optimal)3
12
24
40
24
28
 These streams are not prescription watersheds, although they are true watersheds.
2 Existing cobble embeddedness was measured in the field
3 Values derived from FISHED Model
1 Dredge mined channel, highly altered
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Habitat Connectivity/Fish Passage
 Habitat connectivity will simply be a measure of increased stream miles displayed and perennial
 or intermittent stream miles above culvert improvements. Not all sites involve fish passage.

                TABLE 3.57 - EXISTING STREAM CROSSINGS CROOKED RIVER
Watershed Name
Lower Crooked River
Relief Creek
Middle Crooked River
Ephemeral
Crossings
15
17
9
Perennial
Crossings
8
5
24
Fish Bearing
Crossings
6
6
11
TOTAL
Total
Crossings
23
22
33
78
 Water Quality/ Stream Temperature
 Crooked River is currently not in compliance with the Idaho State Water Quality Standards for
 stream  temperatures (see Section  3.2  -  Watershed and Appendix E).  Cold-water biota,
 salmonid spawning, and bull trout criteria were exceeded in 2003 at the monitoring sites.
 Additionally, temperatures exceeded temperature standards established with Amendment 20 of
 the Nez Perce Forest Plan during 2003.  This included both  the 18°C  migration and rearing
 maximum and 16°C spawning maximum (Nez Perce Forest unpublished data 1999-2000).

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

 INTRODUCTION
 This section will describe the effects of this action on fish and fish habitat and the methods used
 to analyze the changes to this habitat as a result of the American and Crooked River project.
 This general discussion  will be followed by a detailed description  for the two river systems
 (American River  and Crooked  River).  This will be followed by a discussion of cumulative
 effects.

 INDICATOR 1 - SEDIMENT/SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS
 Predicted increases in surface sediment yield, using the NEZSED sediment model, were used
 to calculate potential increases in cobble embeddedness and corresponding decreases in
 summer and winter rearing capacity using mathematical relationships  in the FISHSED model.
 The  limitations of both the NEZSED and FISHSED models are detailed in Appendix E. These
 changes were calculated for each alternative and are a reflection of the amount of sediment
 expected as a result of surface sediment erosion. Sediment from other sources, including bank
 erosion,  mass movement (landslides),  instream improvements, and  other non road related
 improvement activities are not reflected in the model.

The  FISHSED model includes calculations  for fish embryo survival, summer rearing capacity,
and winter rearing capacity.  Fish embryo survival is an estimate of predicted fine sediment by
depth in cobble stream bottoms. Summer and winter rearing capacity reflect how the degree of
fine sediment in the stream bottom affects the stream's ability to support fish during these times
of year.  For the American and Crooked  River analysis area, the model was not used to
measure changes in fish  embryo survival because percent fine sediment by depth data, which
are measurements (substrate core data) initially collected in the field, were not available.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Model results, as displayed  below, are reasonable estimates and not absolute numbers with
 high statistical precision.  The capability of the FISHSED model in analyzing and displaying
 change at the  levels shown in these tables is somewhat limited.   In this  case,  data from
 FISHSED are most useful in  comparing the relative effects among alternatives.  The model also
 reflects short-term changes only and does  not reflect long-term benefits in sediment reduction
 as predicted by NEZSED.  The results must be used in combination with sound  professional
 judgment.

 All modeling was conducted for age 0+ steelhead trout.  The data shown for Alternative A is the
 existing condition.

 WATERSHED AND STREAM RESTORATION
 For a complete listing of the activities covered in this section, please refer to Chapter 2 and
 Appendix  D.  In general, these actions are associated with areas within streamside  riparian
 areas. In-channel work is planned for up to 14.6 miles of stream. Listed (ESA) fish are present
 in the area.  The in channel disturbance from this work would cause some previously deposited
 sediment at the work sites to be reintroduced to the stream.  This short-term impact must be
 weighed against the long-term benefit as illustrated above with road obliteration.  The NEZSED
 model is not designed for use with instream projects, soil restoration, watershed improvements
 or culvert removal/replacement.

 Mitigation  measures are designed to minimize  the short-term sediment being introduced.
 Aquatic specialists on the Forest would review project designs for all activities planned under
 this section. Forest personnel would monitor the implementation and effectiveness of this work.

 In-channel activities  may also result in disturbance to individual fish, both within the immediate
 work area and downstream.  Increased turbidity during work may locally affect individual fish but
 would not be at a magnitude where serious harm or mortality would occur. Timing restrictions
 for in-channel work would result in avoidance of spawning fish or occupied redds.

 INDICATOR 2 - LARGE WOODY DEBRIS ANALYSIS
 Most woody debris requirement in this landscape comes from the streamside zone.  Landslides
 and debris torrents are uncommon in this terrain.  No timber harvest is proposed in streamside
 RHCAs, therefore no change is expected in potential woody debris while acting woody debris
 would actually increase along with the miles of instream habitat  improvement work.

 INDICATOR 3 - POOL ANALYSIS
 Sediment impacts to  pool habitat will be discussed in the sediment analysis.  Actual pools and
 pool quality will improve along with the amount of instream habitat improvements.

 INDICATOR 4 - WATER YIELD ANALYSIS
The existing conditions  and a  detailed analysis of this  indicator are found  above  in the
Watershed  section.   Increased water yield is one indicator used to assess  potential effects
among the alternatives,  and  it is a rough predictor of  potential adverse  changes in channel
condition and instream habitat.  The concept of equivalent clearcut area (EGA) is often used as
a surrogate for  quantitative water yield analysis.  The  effect  on water yield  is estimated by
calculating the loss of forest canopy in a watershed following disturbance.
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 The National Marine Fisheries Service (USDI NOAA-NMFS, 1995) suggests that an EGA of 15
 percent is cause for concern in priority watersheds.  The Matrix of Pathways and Indicators of
 Watershed Condition (NOAA Fisheries et al, 1998) identifies less than 15 percent EGA as high
 habitat  condition; 15-20 percent EGA as moderate habitat condition; and greater than  20
 percent as low habitat condition. These thresholds were promulgated to provide a conservative
 approach to water yield that would avoid the following undesirable effects on stream habitat
 condition: accumulation of streambed materials (aggradation), channel braiding, channel  down
 cutting,  and  increased  bank  erosion.   These  phenomena  may collectively or  singularly
 contribute to increased  width/depth ratio, decreased number of pools, decreased pool quality,
 and overall simplification of instream habitat (Chamberlin et al, 1991).

 INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS

 Toxics
 Water quality in the project area could be affected by introduction of toxic materials to streams.
 Introduction of toxic materials could result in a direct adverse effect on aquatic resources, but
 this is highly unlikely due to the required design and mitigation measures designed to prevent
 spills. Stream Temperatures

 Temporary road crossings in streamside riparian areas could affect stream temperature in the
 project area, if these activities result in a significant reduction in shade to the stream. Reduction
 in stream shading is a potential indirect effect.  Further increases in stream temperature would
 adversely affect the existing  aquatic species assemblage, even though some studies suggest
 that increased solar radiation and higher stream temperatures could positively affect stream
 productivity (Farrell et al., 1996). Beneficial effects from temperature increases, however, would
 probably only occur where existing temperatures are very low.  At the  sites where data was
 collected, summer stream temperatures  in the American and Crooked River area currently do
 not meet standards (see Section 3.2 - Watershed).

 INDICATOR 6 - HABITAT CONNECTIVITY/PASSAGE ANALYSIS
 Appendix D contains information on culvert replacements included with this action. The amount
 of improvement varies by alternative.  The analysis  below will display increased stream  miles
 either accessible to fish or improved for passage of 100 year flood flows.

 3.3.1.  AMERICAN RIVER ANALYSIS OF EFFECTS

 3.3.1.1.  INDICATOR 1 - SEDIMENT/SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS
 The analysis of effects on fish habitat from  increased sediment is based on  the Watershed
 analysis of sediment in the Watershed section above.  The model results displayed  below in
 Tables 3.58-3.60 display existing conditions with high cobble embeddedness and  poor winter
 rearing capacity. The results of FISHSED show slight increases in  cobble embeddedness and
 corresponding decreases in summer and winter rearing capacity for all  fish-bearing streams
 under all action alternatives.   Modeled  activities include temporary road construction,  road
 reconstruction,  timber harvest and road decommissioning. It does not include  site treatments
for watershed restoration,, and roadside  salvage.  The  FISHSED model  showed no difference
 between Alternative D with  or without the additional restoration included from Alternative  E.
This is  a reflection of  the  models' limitations,  not the amount of actual  on the  ground
improvements.  Alternative A reflects the existing conditions.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
    TABLE 3.58 - COMPARISON OF PREDICTED COBBLE EMBEDDEDNESS (CE) BY ALTERNATIVE
Stream/Composite/Channel type
Middle American River/C
Lower American River/C
East Fork American River/C
Kirks Fork/B
Whitaker Creek/B
Queen Creek/B
Flint Creek/B
Box Sing Creek/B
Predicted Percent (%) CE by Alternative
A
50
31
40
32
61
42
47
44
B
52
34
42
33
64
46
49
47
C
52
34
43
33
65
47
49
47
D
52
34
43
33
64
47
49
47
E
52
34
42
33
64
46
49
46
       TABLE 3.59 - COMPARISON OF SUMMER REARING CAPACITY (SRC) BY ALTERNATIVE
Stream/Composite/Channel Type
Middle American River/C
Lower American River/C
East Fork American River/C
Kirks Fork/B .
Whitaker Creek/B
Queen Creek/B
Flint Creek/B
Box Sing Creek/B
Predicted Percent (%) SRC by Alternative
A
83
94
89
93
75
88
85
87
B
82
93
88
93
72
86
84
85
C
82
93
88
93
72
85
84
85
D
82
93
88
93
72
85
84
85
E
82
93
88
93
72
86
84
86
       TABLE 3.60 - COMPARISON OF WINTER REARING CAPACITY (WRC) BY ALTERNATIVE
Stream/Composite
Middle American River/C
Lower American River/C
East Fork American River/C
Kirks Fork/B
Whitaker Creek/B
Queen Creek/B
Flint Creek/B
Box Sing Creek/B
Predicted % WRC by Alternative
A
27
45
35
44
20
34
29
32
B
26
42
33
43
19
31
28
29
C
26
42
33
43
19
30
28
29
D
26
42
33
43
19
29
28
29
E
26
42
33
43
19
30
28
29
Predicted  increases in  cobble  embeddedness are not at  a magnitude where  measurable
changes would be expected to occur, and differences between the action alternatives, as
modeled, are all within  the  margin of error for the model.  The FISHSED analysis and the
numbers above do show a trend in the action alternatives with Alternative E showing the least
effect and Alternative D the most.  There is also slight difference between Alternative A (no
action) and the action alternatives, reflecting the short term spike from the actions, including the
modeled restoration activities.
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 The basic model assumption behind FISHSED is that an inverse relationship exists between the
 amount of fine sediments in spawning and rearing habitats and fish survival and abundance. In
 general, when sediment yields are increased over natural rates in Idaho batholith watersheds,
 especially on a sustained basis, fish biomass decreases.  Fine sediment is known to degrade
 salnionid spawning and  rearing  habitat (Chapman  and McCleod,  1987;  Bjornn and  Reiser,
 1991), as suggested by the FISHSED model.  Specifically,  high sediment levels can impair
 habitat for spawning and rearing by:

    (1) Trapping fry in redds when they are attempting to emerge;

    (2) Depleting intergravel oxygen levels in redds, smothering eggs contained within;

    (3) Limiting aquatic invertebrate populations used a food source;

    (4) Filling and thereby reducing the number of large pools which serve as primary  feeding
       and resting areas for juvenile salmonids; and

    (5) Filling spaces between  rocks that serve as over wintering refuge for juvenile salmonids
       (USDI NOAA-NMFS, 1998).

 We expect that changes in substrate condition from (modeled) increased surface sediment yield
 are not of an amount that effects on fish would occur.   Although, recent findings suggest that
 there is  no threshold below which increased fine-sediment delivery will be harmless  (Suttle,
 2004).  That study also found that sediment reduction  could produce  immediate benefits for
 salmonid restoration. When combining the modeled activities with the improvements, increased
 sediment is likely.

 An important concept in assessing effects  on fish habitat from increases in surface sediment
 erosion for this project is that both the FISHSED and NEZSED models represent peak sediment
 yields, which in this case are temporary. The final result of the project would be reduced road
 density and  improvement in various  existing baseline  conditions, including  a  reduction in
 sediment yield and delivery to salmonid habitat. The consequence of long-term improvement in
 watershed condition is  a short-term increase, or pulse,  in surface sediment yield, which  must
 occur in order for the long-term goal of improvement to occur. Short-term risks of increased
 sediment yields  have been considered in the context of long-term improvement in watershed
 and stream habitat condition.

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS

ALTERNATIVE A (No ACTION ALTERNATIVE)
 Under the 'no action'  alternative, the existing substrate condition would probably improve slowly
over time. Improvements in the watershed would occur as funding was available and substrate
conditions in streams would likely remain the same or slowly be reduced.  The risk  of severe,
stand-replacing wildfire would remain high or increase over time in the  absence of vegetation
treatments. With severe wildfire, there are risks of large pulses of sediment delivered rapidly to
streams, which could  adversely affect habitat already impaired  by past human activities.

Benefits of Alternative A include no further ground-disturbing activities, which would result in no
additional pulses of sediment.  However this alternative would not address the need for active
stream, watershed and soils restoration.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVES
 Under Alternative B, a pulse of sediment is expected, but this pulse is the second lowest of the
 action alternatives  and would result in the second  lowest short-term risks to fish  habitat.
 Improvements would occur under this alternative but somewhat reduced from those included in
 Alternative C, D and E.  Improvements would lead toward recovery (see Appendix E), and fish
 habitat conditions would likely improve.  This  alternative was designed to  present the least
 short-term risk to aquatic species by avoiding long sections of temporary road construction and
 avoiding timber harvest in  units posing risk to  the aquatic resources.  This  alternative would
 construct approximately 4 miles less temporary road than Alternatives C and D. Soil restoration
 activities, culvert improvements, and native vegetation  restoration,  would  improve watershed
 condition.  The  reduced baseline sediment yield resulting from road decommissioning and other
 improvement activities would aid in recovery of the watersheds.

 Since no timber harvest is proposed within high-risk landslide prone and streamside RHCAs, no
 short-term increase in  risk of mass wasting and  landslide  type disturbances is expected  to
 occur.

 ALTERNATIVE C
 Under Alternative C, the percent over base sediment would increase the second  most as a
 result of the short-term peak associated with  the  implementation  of activities.   Various soil
 restoration treatments, fish passage improvements, and native vegetation restoration, would still
 improve watershed condition.   The reduced  baseline  sediment  yield resulting  from  road
 decommissioning and other improvement activities would aid in recovery of the watersheds, and
 it is expected that fish  habitat conditions would improve over time.  The amount of sediment
 yield reduction is generally  slight with corresponding improvements in substrate  condition also
 expected  to be slight.  The most significant reduction in sediment yield'is  expected in Queen
 Creek.

 No timber harvest is proposed within streamside  and wetland RHCAs and high-risk landslide
 prone RHCAs.

 ALTERNATIVE D
 Under Alternative D, the percent over base sediment would increase the most as  a result of the
 short-term peak associated with the implementation of the modeled activities.   While this
 alternative includes  the complete aquatic restoration improvement package,  it also poses the
 greatest risk to aquatics by  building the most temporary roads and harvesting  the most acres. .
 Soil restoration  activities, fish passage improvements,  and native  vegetation restoration, would
 improve watershed  condition similar to  alternative E..  The reduced baseline sediment yield
 resulting from road decommissioning and other  improvement activities would aid  in recovery of
 the watersheds,  and it is expected that  fish habitat conditions would improve over time.  The
 amount of sediment yield  reduction is  generally slight  with corresponding  improvements  in
 substrate condition also expected to be slight. The most significant reduction  in sediment yield
 is expected in Queen Creek.

ALTERNATIVE E
 Under Alternative E, no harvest is proposed within  unroaded landscapes.  This restricted timber
 harvest is coupled  with  the  complete  restoration  package  and  provides  for  the  most
 improvement (upward trend) in fish  habitat and water quality.  This expected  reduction in activity
 related sediment yield is the greatest in Flint Creek,  East Fork  American River, and  Queen
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Creek.  Particularly in the first two prescription watersheds, Flint Creek and East Fork American
 River.  The reduction in activity generated  sediment and expected improvement in aquatic
 condition is greater than any of the other alternatives.

 No timber harvest is proposed in streamside or high risk landslide prone RHCAs.

 3.3.1.2. INDICATOR 2 - LARGE WOODY DEBRIS ANALYSIS

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS

 ALTERNATIVES A, B, C, D, AND E
 No instream  improvement work  is  planned  in American River with this project.  PACFISH
 guidance would be  applied to  streamside, landslide prone and wetland RHCAs.  Acting and
 potential woody debris would not be changed.

 3.3.1.3. INDICATOR 3 - POOL ANALYSIS

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 ALTERNATIVE A
 This  alternative would  not allow for watershed improvement projects to be  implemented.
 Existing non-point sediment  sources would slowly recover over time and  pool  habitat would
 slowly improve.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C,D,E
 No instream improvement work  is planned in American River.  Pool habitats would be impacted
 slightly, in the short term, by deposited sediment.  See sediment/substrate (FISHSED) analysis
 above for details.  Watershed improvement projects and road decommissioning  would reduce
 sediment sources and would likely improve pool habitat over time.

 3.3.1.4. INDICATOR 4 - WATER YIELD ANALYSIS

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT
 The Watershed section above discusses changes  in EGA for affected watersheds in the project
 area.  Alternative A displays the existing condition  for each watershed. None of the alternatives
 propose increases in water yield that is expected  to result in channel degradation or long term
 impacts to fish habitat.

 ALTERNATIVE A
 Under this alternative, EGA and any changes in water yield from past activities would continue
 to recover, except for areas affected by past tractor logging, dozer piling, and soil compaction.
 These areas are affected by low soil infiltration rates and may not recover in the absence of soil
 and other watershed restoration efforts.  In addition, existing roads would continue to contribute
towards EGA,  and recovery, if any, would occur extremely slowly in  the absence of road
decommissioning and  soil restoration.   Lack of vegetation  treatments may  contribute to
continued  accumulation  of fuels, potentially resulting  in  stand-replacing wildfires, which,
depending on  size,  severity, and location, could result in  significant  water yield changes!
Significant water yield changes could result in adverse effects on habitat not fully  recovered
from past impacts.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
The benefits of this alternative, with  respect to EGA and water yield, include  no short-term
changes in EGA and thus, no potential short-term changes in water yield and habitat condition.

ALTERNATIVE B, C, D, E
EGA would increase as a result of implementation of these alternatives. The rate of increase is
similar for all watersheds.  Overall,  Alternative D  shows  the  largest  increase  in EGA  and
Alternative E shows the smallest.  Road decommissioning and  soil restoration contribute  to a
reduction in compaction, thus improving infiltration  and reducing surface runoff.  This effect
would be most pronounced in Alternative E and least in Alternative B.  The  Biological Opinion
for Land and Resource Management Plans set 15 percent EGA as a threshold, which triggers a
watershed assessment.  Queen  Creek,  which supports  an isolated  population of westslope
cutthroat trout and no listed steelhead or bull trout, does exceed this threshold. However,  that
guidance was  directed at watersheds  supporting  listed fish.  Stream  surveys indicate the
channel is stable and resilient,  capable of withstanding slight increases in water yield.  Soil  and
watershed restoration activities would hasten recovery of water yield.

3.3.1.5.  INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS (Toxics AND TEMPERATURE)
DIRECT AND INDIRECT

Toxics

ALTERNATIVE A

Under this alternative, no use of herbicides, fuels, or any fire suppression chemicals is proposed
above current levels.   The risk of these  materials entering  streams would remain unchanged
from the existing condition.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, E

Toxic materials used under the action  alternatives include herbicides and fossil fuel derivatives,
including diesel fuel, hydraulic fuel, various petroleum-based lubricants, and gasoline.

The two factors determining the degree of risk from  toxic materials are the toxicity of the
chemical and the likelihood that non-target organisms would be exposed to toxic doses (Norris,
et al, 1991).  Toxicity alone does not make a chemical hazardous; exposure to a toxic dose
must also occur. Chemicals may enter water by one  or more  of the following  routes: direct
application, drift, and mobilization in ephemeral stream channels, overland flow, and  leaching
(Norris, et al, 1991).

Since no aerial application of herbicides  is proposed, and hand application of herbicides would
be  restricted in streamside  RHCAs,  all  the above  mechanisms for  delivery to  streams  are
unlikely  to occur. Given constraints on  application of herbicides, introduction of herbicides to
water, particularly in concentrations necessary to elicit an effect on aquatic organisms,  is highly
unlikely.  The toxicities  of the various herbicides proposed for use under the action alternatives,
with their respective levels of concern,  are contained in the American and Crooked River project
file.

In addition, fueling and storage of fuels is addressed with specific project design and mitigation
measures detailed  in Table 2.3 above.  Transport of fuels is regulated through mitigation  that
minimizes the  risk  of accidents  or accidental  introduction of these materials  to  streams.
Therefore, the risk of fuel delivery to streams is considered extremely unlikely to occur.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 STREAM TEMPERATURES

 ALTERNATIVE A

 Stream temperatures in American River area would remain unchanged over the short-term.
 Some improvement may occur over time as vegetation recovers in areas where shade has been
 reduced from past activities or where dredge mining has resulted  in over-widened,  shallow
 streams.

 ALTERNATIVE B, C, D, E

 Since harvest  of  timber within  streamside  RHCAs  is not proposed under  any of these
 alternatives, the risk of effect on stream temperature is discountable, or extremely unlikely to
 occur.

 These  alternatives  have about the  same effect.    Stream buffers  following  Forest Plan
 Amendment 20  would be implemented for all alternatives. This, in combination with restoration,
 should moderate current stream temperature levels, and possibly decrease stream temperature
 in the long-term if climatic conditions do not over ride the benefits.

 3.3.1.6. INDICATOR 6 - HABITAT CONNECTIVITY/FISH PASSAGE ANALYSIS
 The American  and Crooked River project area offers' limited opportunities  for increasing
 connectivity of fish populations. Exceptions to this are Queen, Whitaker and Telephone Creeks
 in American River.  Dredge mining has blocked  access to these streams from the mainstem
 American River. BLM is currently proposing to connect these systems through their Eastside
 and related Projects.  Some culverts have  been identified and are included with the restoration
 activities associated with this action.  Projects include hardening of existing fords as  well as
 replacing culverts to allow for high flows and passage of aquatic biota.  Increasing connectivity
 allows individual fish to migrate in  and  out  of tributaries to  seek cool  water.  Increased
 connectivity also promotes genetic exchange  between populations thus potentially increasing
 diversity .

           TABLE 3.61 - AMERICAN RIVER MILES OF STREAM WITH IMPROVED ACCESS.
Alternative
B
C
D
E
Perennial
1.8
1.8
3.0
3.0
Intermittent
.1
.1
1.5
1.5
DIRECT AND INDIRECT

ALTERNATIVE A

The 'no action' alternative would rely on existing road maintenance funds to replace, remove or
repair existing culverts.  Funding for the road maintenance program is currently limited and little
of this work would likely be accomplished.  Accomplished work would occur over a period of
many years due to funding limitations. Alternatives B, C,
ALTERNATIVES B, C
Road decommissioning and culvert replacement planned with these alternatives would remove
problem culverts.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
These alternatives allow for proper sized culvert installation at 3 sites, increasing fish access to
1.8 miles of stream.

ALTERNATIVE D AND £
Road decommissioning and culvert replacement planned with these alternatives would remove
ten problem culverts.   In  Alternative  D, seven of the ten culverts would  be additional and
replacement would depend on their priority in the basin coupled with available funding.  These
alternatives offer the most improved fish access of all alternatives.  The alternatives potentially
increases fish access to three miles of stream.

3.3.2.   CROOKED RIVER ANALYSIS OF EFFECTS

3.3.2.1.  INDICATOR 1 - SEDIMENT/SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS
The analysis of effects on fish resources from increased sediment  is based on the Watershed
analysis of sediment in the Watershed section above.  The model results displayed below in
Tables 3.62-3.64 display existing conditions (Alternative A) with high cobble embeddedness and
poor winter  rearing capacity.  The results of  FISHSED  show  slight  increases  in  cobble
embeddedness and corresponding decreases in summer and winter rearing capacity  for all fish-
bearing  streams under all action  alternatives.   Modeled activities include  temporary road
construction,  road reconstruction, timber harvest and road decommissioning.  It does  not
include site treatments for watershed restoration and instream  fish  habitat improvements.  The
FISHSED model showed  no  difference between Alternative D with or without the additional
restoration included from Alternative E. This is a reflection of the  models' limitations, not the
amount of actual on the ground improvement.

    TABLE 3.62: COMPARISON OF PREDICTED COBBLE EMBEDDEDNESS (CE) BY ALTERNATIVE
Stream/Composite/ Channel Type
Lower Crooked River/ C
Relief Creek/ B
Middle Crooked River/ C
Silver Creek/ B
Quartz Creek/ B
Predicted Percent {%) CE by Alternative
A
80
55
35
55
49
B
82
56
36
59
50
C
82
56
36
59
50
D
82
56
36.
59
50
E
82
56
36
58
50
      TABLE 3.63: COMPARISON OF SUMMER REARING CAPACITY (SRC) BY ALTERNATIVE
Stream/Composite/ Channel Type
Lower Crooked River/ C
Relief Creek/ B
Middle Crooked River/ C
Silver Creek/ B
Quartz Creek/ B
Predicted Percent (%) SRC by Alternative
A
56
80
92
80
84
B
54
79
91
77
83
C
54
79
91
77
83
D
54
79
91
77
83
E
54
79
91
77
83
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
       TABLE 3.64: COMPARISON OF WINTER REARING CAPACITY (WRC) BY ALTERNATIVE
Stream/Composite/ Channel Type
Lower Crooked River/ C
Relief Creek/ B
Middle Crooked River/ C
Silver Creek/ B
Quartz Creek/ B
Predicted Percent {%) WRC by Alternative
A
12
24
40
24
28
B
12
23
40
22
27
C
12
22
40
22
27
D
12
22
40
22
27
E
12
23
40
22
27
Predicted increases  in cobble  embeddedness are  not at a  magnitude where  measurable
changes could occur, and differences between the action alternatives, as modeled, are all within
the margin of error for the model.  The FISHSED  analysis and the numbers above do show
Alternatives B and E having slightly less impact to  winter rearing habitat.  There is also slight
difference between Alternative A (no action), and the action alternatives.

The basic model assumption behind FISHSED is that an inverse relationship exists between the
amount of fine sediments  in spawning and rearing habitats and fish survival and abundance.  In
general, when sediment yields are increased over natural rates in Idaho batholith watersheds,
especially on a sustained basis, fish biomass decreases.  Fine sediment is known to degrade
salmonid spawning  and  rearing habitat (Chapman and McCleod, 1987;  Bjornn and Reiser,
1991), as suggested by the  FISHSED model.  Specifically, high-sediment levels can impair
habitat for spawning  and rearing  by:

    (1) Trapping fry in redds when they are attempting to emerge;

    (2) Depleting intergravel oxygen levels  in redds,  smothering eggs contained within;

    (3) Limiting aquatic invertebrate populations used a food source;

    (4) Filling and  thereby reducing the number of large pools which serve as primary feeding
       and resting areas for juvenile salmonids; and

    (5) Filling spaces between rocks that serve as over wintering  refuge for juvenile salmonids
       (USDI NOAA-NMFS, 1998).

We expect that changes in substrate condition from modeled increased surface sediment yield
are not of a magnitude that significant effects on fish would occur.

An  important concept  in assessing effects on fish habitat from increases in surface sediment
erosion for this project is that both the FISHSED and NEZSED models represent peak sediment
yields, which in this case are  temporary, with a  final result of reduced road density  and
improvement in the  existing  baseline  condition.   The  cost  of long-term  improvement  in
watershed condition  is a short-term increase, or pulse, in surface sediment yield,  which must
occur in order for  the  long-term  goal of improvement to occur.  Short-term risks of  increased
sediment must be considered in the context of long-term improvement in watershed and stream
habitat condition.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 ALTERNATIVE A
 Under  the  'no action' alternative, the existing baseline  sediment/substrate condition  would
 probably  remain  the  same.  No  real improvement in watershed condition  would occur,  and
 deposited sediment levels in streams would likely remain the same.  The risk of severe, stand-
 replacing wildfire would remain in the absence of vegetation treatments.  With severe wildfire,
 there are risks of large pulses of sediment delivered rapidly to streams, which could adversely
 affect habitat already impaired by past human activities.

 Benefits of Alternative A include no further ground-disturbing activities, which would result in no
 additional pulses of sediment.  However this alternative would not address either the existing
 increased levels of sediment or the need for active stream, watershed and soils restoration.

 ALTERNATIVES
 Under Alternative B, a pulse of sediment is expected,  but this pulse is the second lowest of the
 action alternatives and would  result  in the second  lowest  short-term risks to  fish habitat.
 Improvements would occur under this alternative but somewhat reduced from those included in
 Alternative D and E.   Improvements would result in similar rates of recovery as Alternatives C
 (see Appendix E) and fish  habitat  conditions would likely  improve.  This alternative was
 designed  to presents the least short-term risk to aquatic species.  By avoiding long sections of
 temporary road and avoiding timber harvest in units posing risk to the aquatic resources.  This
 alternative would construct approximately 7 miles less temporary roads than Alternatives C  and
 D.  This reduced  level of activity is  represented by  a slight reduction in activity generated
 sediment  in Silver Creek, Relief Creek and Lower Crooked River (Watershed Section 3.2.2.3,
 Table  3.65).  Restoration activities like reduced soil  compaction, culvert  improvements,  and
 native  vegetation restoration,  would improve watershed condition and fish habitat.  The long
 term  reduced  baseline  sediment yield  resulting  from  road  decommissioning  and  other
 improvement activities would aid in the eventual recovery of the watersheds.

 Since no timber harvest is proposed within high-risk landslide prone and streamside RHCAs, no
 short-term increase in risk of mass wasting and landslide type disturbances is  expected to
 occur.

 ALTERNATIVES C
 Under  Alternative C the percent over base sediment would increase the most as a  result of the
 short-term peak associated with the implementation of activities in Middle  Crooked River and
 Lower  Crooked River (Table  3.65).  Restoration activities like soil restoration, fish  passage
 improvements,  and native vegetation  restoration, would still  improve watershed  condition in
Alternative C.  It is expected that fish habitat conditions would improve in 11.1 miles of stream.
 No timber harvest is  proposed within streamside and wetland RHCAs and high-risk landslide
 prone RHCAs.

ALTERNATIVE D
Under Alternative D, the percent over base sediment would increase similar to alternative C with
the model showing the highest increase between alternatives in Silver and  Relief Creek (Table
3.65).  The  reduced baseline sediment yield resulting from road  decommissioning and  other
improvement activities could  be greater with Alternative D if funding were available for  the
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 additional items included with  this alternative.   This alternative also allows for the greatest
 amount of instream improvements, improving fish habitat over a total of 14.6 miles.

 No timber harvest is proposed within streamside and wetland RHCAs and high-risk landslide
 prone RHCAs.

 ALTERNATIVE E
 Under Alternative E, no harvest is proposed within unroaded landscapes.  This restricted timber
 harvest is coupled  with the largest stream restoration  package and provides for the most
 improvement (upward  trend) in  fish habitat and  water quality.   The reduction  in activity
 generated sediment and expected improvement  in substrate condition is greater than any of the
 other alternatives.

 No timber harvest is proposed in streamside or high  risk landslide prone RHCAs.

 3.3.2.2.  INDICATOR 2 - LARGE WOODY DEBRIS ANALYSIS

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 ALTERNATIVE A
 Alternative A would see no change in acting and  potential woody debris.

 ALTERNATIVES B,C,D
 Acting large  woody debris would be increased as a result of instream improvement associated
 with the action alternatives.  Alternative B would  improve acting large woody debris numbers on
 10.3 miles of stream and Alternatives C would improve 11.1 miles. Alternative D would require
 improvements in 11.1 miles  of stream and allow for an additional 3.5 miles of improvements if
 funding  becomes available.  This work will be important in moving this stream toward the Forest
 Plan fish/water quality objective.

 ALTERNATIVE E
 Alternative E would improve the most stream miles (14.6). This work will be important in moving
 both Relief Creek and Crooked River toward their Forest Plan fish/water quality objective.

 3.3.2.3.  INDICATOR 3 - POOL ANALYSIS

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 ALTERNATIVE A
 No instream improvement work would be implemented under this alternative.  Pool to riffle ratios
 in Crooked River and Relief Creek would remain below their objective.

ALTERNATIVES B AND C
Sediment generated with these action alternatives would slightly impact pool habitat. Instream
improvement projects would  greatly increase both  the number and quality of pool habitat in
Crooked  River.   Alternative  B  would improve  pool habitat over 10.3 miles of stream  and
Alternative C would improve 11.1 miles
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVE D
 Alternative D would improve pool habitat over 10.3 miles of stream, with an additional 3.5 miles
 allowed for when and if funding becomes available.  This work will be important in moving this
 stream toward the Forest Plan fish/water quality objective.

 ALTERNATIVE E
 Alternative E would improve the most stream miles (14.6). This work will be important in moving
 both Relief Creek and Crooked River toward their Forest Plan objective.

 3.3.2.4.  INDICATOR 4 - WATER YIELD ANALYSIS
 Section 3.2 - Watershed and Table 3.15 above display changes in EGA for affected watersheds
 in the project area.

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 ALTERNATIVE A
 Alternative A displays the  existing condition  for each watershed.  No change will occur under
 this 'no action' alternative

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, E
 The increase in  EGA to the prescription watersheds does not reach a level which would pose a
 risk to fish habitat.  Middle Crooked River however, does include Silver and Quartz Creeks,
 which show a more direct response to tree removal and corresponding increases in water yield.
 These drainages and the  potential effects of increased  water yield are discussed in  detail in
 Section 3.2 - Watershed above.

 3.3.2.5.  INDICATOR 5 - WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS (Toxics AND TEMPERATURE)
 Toxics

 ALTERNATIVEA
 Under this alternative, no use of herbicides, fuels, or any fire suppression chemicals is proposed
 above current levels. The risk of these materials entering streams would remain unchanged
 from the existing condition.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, E
 Toxic  materials used under the action alternatives include herbicides and fossil fuel derivatives,
 including, diesel fuel, hydraulic fuel, various petroleum-based lubricants, and gasoline.  The two
 factors determining the degree of risk from toxic  materials are the toxicity of the chemical and
 the likelihood that non-target organisms would be exposed to toxic doses (Norris, et al, 1991).
 Toxicity alone does not make a chemical hazardous; exposure to a toxic dose must also occur.
 Chemicals may enter water by one or more of the following routes: direct application, drift, and
 mobilization in ephemeral stream channels, overland flow, and leaching (Norris, et al, 1991).

 Since no aerial application of herbicides is proposed, and hand application of herbicides would
 be restricted  in  streamside RHCAs, all the above  mechanisms for delivery to  streams are
 unlikely to occur.  Given constraints on application of  herbicides, introduction of herbicides to
water, particularly in concentrations necessary to elicit an effect on aquatic organisms, is highly
 unlikely. The toxicities of the various herbicides proposed for use under the action alternatives,
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
with their respective levels of concern, are contained in the American and Crooked River project
file.

In addition, fueling and storage of fuels is covered under the design  and  mitigation measures
detailed in Table 2.3 above.  Transport of fuels is regulated through  mitigation that minimizes
the risk of accidents or accidental introduction of these materials to streams. Therefore, the risk
of fuel delivery to streams is considered discountable (extremely unlikely to  occur).

STREAM TEMPERATURES

ALTERNATIVE A
Stream temperatures in the Crooked River area are cooler than  those in  American River and
they are unchanged as  a result of  this alternative over the short-term.  See the Watershed
section above for a more detailed discussion.  Some improvement  may occur over time  as
vegetation recovers gradually in areas where shade has been reduced from past dredge mining
or other activities resulting in over-widened, shallow streams.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D
Since harvest of timber within wetland and streamside RHCAs is not proposed under any of
these  alternatives,  the  risk  of effect  from  timber  harvest  and road  building on  stream
temperature is discountable, or extremely unlikely to occur.

Stream  improvements  included with these  action  alternatives  include  riparian planting  to
increase  stream shade.  It  can be expected that overtime; this work could  improve water
temperatures. Alternative C provides for 11.1 miles and Alternative B allows for 10.3 miles of
riparian planting. Alternative D requires treatment of 11.1 miles and allows for an additional 3.5
miles  of planting if funding becomes available.

ALTERNATIVE E
Alternative E provides opportunities for the greatest amount of improvement (23.8 miles).

3.3.2.6.  INDICATOR 6 - HABITAT CONNECTIVITY/FISH PASSAGE ANALYSIS
Culverts have been identified and are included with the restoration activities associated with this
action (Appendix D). Projects include hardening of existing fords as well as replacing culverts to
allow  for high flows and passage of aquatic biota.  Increasing connectivity allows individual fish
to migrate in and out of tributaries to seek cool water.  Increased connectivity also promotes
genetic exchange between  populations  thus  increasing diversity.  Not all stream miles listed
below are for fish  passage.  Culvert upgrades for passing  of 100-year flood flows are also
included.

           TABLE 3.65:  CROOKED RIVER MILES OF STREAM WITH IMPROVED ACCESS.
Alternative
B
C
D
E
Perennial
16.9
16.9
28.2
28.2
Intermittent
8.4
8.4
14.2
14.2
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              American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
   ALTERNATIVE A
   The 'no action'  alternative would rely on existing road maintenance funds to replace, remove or
   repair existing culverts. Funding for this program is currently limited. Little of this work would be
   accomplished.  Work would occur over a period of many years as funding becomes available.

   ALTERNATIVES B,C,D
   Alternatives B,  and C improve fish passage and passing of flood flows for approximately 17
   miles of perennial stream. Alternative D allows for an additional 11.3 miles of perennial and 5.8
   miles of intermittent stream if funding is available and if these sites are shown to be a priority in
   the basin.

   ALTERNATIVE E
   Alternative E offers the most improved stream access miles.

   3.3.3.  CONSISTENCY WITH THE FOREST PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
   The Nez  Perce Forest Plan direction and regulatory framework relevant  to fisheries was
   presented  near the  beginning of  the  Fisheries  section and  in Appendix  E.   It included a
   description of Appendix A - Nez Perce Forest Plan standards and guidelines, general guidelines
   for activities in riparian areas, a summary of relevant direction from Amendment 20 (PACFISH),
   and  direction associated with the  Endangered Species Act for listed fish species  potentially
   affected by actions in the American and Crooked River area. All alternatives are in compliance
   with the Forest  Plan and Environmental Law.  The project design  incorporates mitigation and
   design criteria designed to minimize effects to ESA listed fish.                                        •

   ALTERNATIVE A                                                                               r
   This alternative  proposes no  action.  The upward trend called  for in the Forest Plan would be         *
   restricted to slower natural recovery rates.  Stream channels not currently meeting their Forest         I
   Plan fish/water  quality objectives would improve slowly overtime in the absence of stochastic
   events, making  recovery of ESA listed fish and their habitat more difficult.
                                                                                                *
   ALTERNATIVES  B, C, D, E
   Actions proposed under these alternatives are consistent with the entry frequency and sediment
   yield guidelines in Appendix A  of the  Forest Plan.  No harvest  is proposed in wetland  or         t;
   streamside RHCAs.  No harvest is proposed in high risk landslide-prone RHCAs.                       t

   Crooked  River  and  American River have  been designated  priority watersheds  for  listed          e
   steelhead  trout  by the National Marine  Fisheries Service (NMFS),  as  per recommendation by          r
  the Nez Perce National Forest. Direction issued in the Forest Plan Biological Opinion (BO) by
   NMFS in 1998  provided additional  direction for activities  occurring in priority watersheds.  No
  watershed analysis has been completed for these watersheds and none of the proposed actions
  trigger a need for watershed analysis.

UPWARD TREND OF BELOW OBJECTIVE WATERSHEDS - ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES
  The  Nez  Perce  Forest Plan provides  direction  that  timber harvest  in  sediment-limited
  watersheds that do not meet their Fish/Water Quality  Objectives, as listed in Appendix A, would
  occur only where concurrent watershed  improvement efforts result in a  positive upward trend in
  habitat condition.   Most prescription watersheds in the  analysis area were included in this
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
category. Criteria to determine compliance with the upward trend direction in Appendix A are
detailed in a Forest Plan guidance document (Gerhardt, et al, 1991).

Given this information, consistency with this provision of the Forest  Plan is applicable to most
streams  in the analysis area.  Direct watershed improvement actions, which range from  road
obliteration, culvert upgrades, in-channel restoration, and non point  sediment stabilization, are
included with  all  action alternatives (Appendix D).   Large-scale vegetation treatments, which
include  timber harvest, are designed in part to reduce fuel accumulations and improve stand
condition over the analysis area.  The combined  vegetation treatments  and  watershed
restoration activities will result in a short-term increase in sediment but a long-term improvement
in watershed condition.

Long-term declines in surface sediment yield are displayed in Figures located in the Watershed
sediment analysis sections and  Appendix E for each prescription watershed.  These charts
display  a slight long-term improvement in baseline sediment yield  conditions expected as a
result of the action alternatives.  Of the action alternatives, Alternative E offers the most rapid
improvement versus the  least short-term  risk, while Alternatives C  and  D offer improvement;
they also presents the most short-term risk. Alternative B falls somewhere in between.

Instream improvements in Crooked River  will greatly improve fish habitat in this dredge-mined
section  of stream. Improvement actions would occur along with timber  harvest activities.  All
action alternatives are consistent with Forest Plan direction concerning upward trend in below-
objective watersheds. Appendix E includes the details of the upward trend analysis.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS
There are no known irreversible or  irretrievable effects associated with fisheries or aquatic
resources for any of the alternatives.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
Cumulative effects include past, present, reasonably foreseeable actions  within the action area
(see Table 3.1). The cumulative effects area for fisheries resources includes watersheds within
American River and Crooked River.  The  area also includes the South Fork Clearwater River
from  headwaters  to the confluence with the Middle Fork  Clearwater River.  The prescription
watersheds within the project area  in American River include; Upper American River; (Middle)
American River; Lower American River; East Fork American River; Kirks Fork; Whitaker Creek;
Queen Creek; Flint Creek; Box Sing Creek.  In Crooked River they include; Lower  Crooked
River; Relief Creek; and Middle Crooked River has been previously identified as American River
and tributaries including the mainstem below the project area.  Crooked River and its tributaries
from Orogrande to the mouth of the South Fork Clearwater River. The South  Fork Clearwater
River from the mouth of both American River and Crooked River downstream to the confluence
of the South Fork and Middle Fork Clearwater Rivers. Both American and Crooked Rivers and
the South Fork Clearwater River  are subject to cumulative sediment and temperature  impacts.
Aquatic restoration projects have  been implemented overtime in  both tributaries  and throughout
the South Fork Clearwater River.

AMERICAN RIVER
The existing condition of the watershed and streams in the project area reflect the past aquatic
restoration projects as well  as the history  of private land development, mining,  timber harvest,
road  building and cattle grazing.   Of the indicators discussed  in this section, sediment  and
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 temperature are  most  relevant in terms  of  potential  cumulative  effects for current  and
 reasonably foreseeable  future actions.  Cattle grazing  in the project area has been greatly
 reduced in the recent past.  The BLM has eliminated cattle grazing in the  project area.  The
 benefit of removing cattle from American River and tributaries is evident with  more stable banks
 and abundant grasses and shrubs along low gradient sections within the project area.

 Cumulative sediment effects in the American River watershed have been quantified through the
 NEZSED model,  which  included  sediment from  timber  harvest, road  construction,  road
 reconstruction, and road decommissioning.  Road to trail conversions,  trail reconstruction, and
 watershed improvements were not included in the model.  Sediment yield was additively routed
 to various points in the watershed, and effects of this yield to fish habitat were considered in the
 FISHSED model.  In addition to surface sediment yield, sediment from  other sources, including
 mass  movement,   bank  erosion,   culvert  removal,  livestock  grazing,  and watershed
 improvements have been addressed narratively in the Watershed Effects section.

 In summary, American River and tributaries are subject to cumulative  sediment  effects due to
 past impacts  in the  watershed and  the  existing degraded condition.  Additional  sediment,
 regardless of the source, could further impact deposited sediment and other  associated habitat
 elements.   This could  adversely  affect  listed  and  sensitive salmonids in  the  project area.
 Sediment impacts are expected to decrease, and fish habitat condition is expected to improve in
 the ensuing years, resulting in higher habitat condition than currently exists. Of the alternatives,
 Alternative D presents the greatest risk in terms  of cumulative sediment risks, and Alternative E
 presents the least risk. Alternative A, while presenting no short-term risks, would also not result
 in long-term improvement in watershed condition or the deposited sediment indicator.

 Stream temperature is also an indicator not meeting standards. This element  is affected by past
 activities on State, Federal and private lands within the project area. PACFISH default RHCA
 buffers would protect existing shade.  None of the alternatives is expected to degrade  this
 condition.

 The South Fork Clearwater River TMDL (see Section 3.2 - Watershed) for sediment and water
 temperature will govern activities on State and private lands as well as Federal lands. Under
 this guidance, aquatic conditions should continue to improve in American River.

 The BLM Eastside Project  is early in it's development, but the project was evaluated as it was
 proposed by the BLM.  Preliminary EGA and sediment yield  calculations that include  the
 proposed BLM  Eastside Township Project (see  Section 3.2 - Watershed) project increases to
 these indicators.

 CROOKED RIVER
 Past events and activities affecting Crooked River and  its tributaries have also been discussed
 at length throughout this document.  The existing condition of the watershed and streams in the
 project area reflect the past aquatic restoration projects as well as  the disturbance history
 including mining, timber harvest, road building and to  a  lesser degree cattle grazing.   Of the
 indicators discussed in this section, sediment, water temperature, pool habitat and acting large
woody debris are most relevant  in  terms  of  potential  cumulative effects for  current and
 reasonably foreseeable future actions. There has been no cattle grazing in Crooked River since
the early 1990s.
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Cumulative sediment effects in the Crooked River watershed have been quantified through the
NEZSED model, which  included sediment  from  timber harvest,  road  construction,  road
reconstruction, and road decommissioning.  Road to trail conversions, and reconstruction, and
watershed and stream improvements were not included  in the model.  Sediment yield was
additively routed to various points in the watershed,  and effects of this yield to fish habitat were
considered in the FiSHSED model.  In addition to surface sediment yield, sediment from other
sources, including mass movement, bank erosion, culvert removal, and  instream improvements
has been addressed narratively in the Watershed Effects section.

In summary, Crooked River and tributaries are subject to cumulative sediment effects due to
past impacts in the watershed and the existing condition of this indicator is below its objective.
Additional sediment,  regardless  of the source, could further impact deposited sediment and
other associated habitat elements.   Impacts are expected  to  decrease, and  condition is
expected to improve in the ensuing years,  resulting in  higher habitat condition than currently
exists.   Of the alternatives, Alternative  D presents the greatest risk  in terms of cumulative
sediment risks, and Alternative  E presents the least risk.  Alternative  A, while presenting no
short-term risks,  would also not  result in significant  long-term improvement  in watershed
condition or the deposited sediment indicator.

Stream temperature is also an  indicator at high risk of cumulative  impacts, given its existing
condition. None of the alternatives would degrade this condition.  All action alternatives would
improve stream temperatures by allowing riparian plantings to increase streamside shade.

The South Fork Clearwater River TMDL (see Section 3.2 - Watershed)  for sediment and water
temperature will govern activities on State  and private  lands as well  as Federal lands.' Under
this guidance, aquatic conditions should continue to improve in Crooked  River.

Pool habitat and acting large woody debris would  improve under all action  alternatives with
Alternative D and E providing for the most while Alternatives B, and C, provide less.

SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER
Findings for aquatic resources in American River, Crooked  River and the South Fork Clearwater
River include substantial physical changes since the initiation of human  disturbances in the 19th
century. Specific activities include but are  not limited to mainstem dams, in-channel mining in
the mainstem rivers and tributaries, timber harvest throughout the subbasin, road construction
and encroachment on  streams, domestic livestock grazing, home construction and private land
development, agriculture  and cultivation, fire  suppression, and many  others.   It is generally
accepted that water quality and  habitat in  the South Fork Clearwater  River is  in a degraded
condition, both from sediment and temperature impacts (USDA, 1998;  USDA 1999).

Table 3.1 - Projects Considered Under Cumulative Effects,  lists these activities and the possible
effects of these  actions are  described below.  Section  3.2 - Watershed  above highlights the
natural  (fire) and management  activities that have affected  the  project area.   The detailed
discussions of sediment yield and water temperature highlights these elements and how they
have changed  overtime.  Both elements have  adversely affected fish populations in  the South
Fork Clearwater River

As described in this section,  dredge mining and hydraulic  mining caused  significant erosion in
the tributaries, and accelerated sediment deposition in the mainstem river.
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 Fish passage in the South Fork Clearwater River has been impacted by mainstem dams since
 the early days of settlement.  The first dam reported in the South Fork Clearwater River was the
 Dewey Mine Dam in place by about 1895.  This dam was  reported to be 6 to 8 feet high and
 located about 3.3 miles above the Harpster Bridge. The dam was in place for a few years with
 no documentation of fish passage conditions.  Lower in  the South Fork, near the town of
 Kooskia was the site of the Kooskia Flower Mill Dam. This dam was in place from 1910 into the
 1930s. The dam was estimated to be about 6 feet high. The Washington Water Power Dam,
 was reportedly built  in 1911 (Siddall,  1992).  This dam was a  total barrier to  fish migration
 although a fish ladder was constructed in 1935 but was washed out in 1949.  This dam was
 reported to be 33 or 56 feet high depending on the source.  It was removed on August 3,  1963.
 The existing salmon and steelhead populations are a result offish stocking, likely supplemented
 by straying adults from the Clearwater River.

 Current land  uses  occurring  on  private  lands  include  livestock  grazing,  timber  harvest,
 agriculture, residence construction, road construction, sewage treatment, and water withdrawals'
 for domestic use and irrigation.  It is estimated that increases in general land uses would occur
 in the  next decade.  Additional information on private land activities is found in the South Fork
 Clearwater River Biological Assessment (USDA FS, 1999a)

 Given  all the above information, the South Fork Clearwater River is at high risk for cumulative
 impacts, especially from additional sediment and increased water temperature.  The American
 and Crooked River Project is designed to improve overall fish habitat by reducing non-point
 sediment  sources and improving  instream fish habitat. Sediment increases from road and
 harvest activities  will however, increase sediment in the short term.  In  general, the level of
 activity on federal lands is currently substantially less than in recent decades, and many federal
 actions contain watershed improvements as part of the project. Proposed  mining activities may
 contribute to the  conditions in  the subbasin, but mitigation for these projects is expected to
 reduce some of these impacts.  Proposed timber sales on National Forest lands are subject to
 similar mitigation and upward trend requirements as the American and Crooked  River Project,
 and although spikes of sediment may occur, in general stream habitat is expected to improve at
 least locally.

 Actions associated with the American and Crooked River area may contribute cumulatively to
 sediment  in the  South Fork Clearwater River downstream from the mouth of American and
 Crooked Rivers.  As discussed in the Watershed Cumulative  Effects section,  these effects
 would be short-term only, and improvements in watershed condition over time would contribute
 to improved conditions in the river.

 The South Fork Clearwater River TMDL (see Section 3.2 - Watershed) for sediment and  water
 temperature will govern activities on State and private lands as well as Federal lands.  Under
this guidance, aquatic conditions should continue  to improve in the South Fork Clearwater
 River.

 MANAGEMENT INDICATOR SPECIES AND POPULATION VIABILITY
The Nez Perce National Forest Plan (USDA FS, 1987a) identified steelhead trout, westslope
cutthroat trout, and chinook  salmon as management  indicator  species.  All three  of  these
species exist in  the  project area.  The plan calls for  monitoring of population levels  of all
Management Indicator Species (MIS) on the Forest.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
Assessment of population viability is a critical part of addressing the effects of land management
actions on both terrestrial  and aquatic species.  In  the upper tributaries  of the South Fork
Clearwater River,  the  Nez  Perce  National Forest has  proposed potentially significant land
management activities  in response both to an epidemic mountain pine beetle infestation and
compelling watershed  restoration  needs.  Significant vegetation management and  aquatic
restoration proposals in Red River, Crooked River, and American River, predicate the  need to
address population viability across the upper South Fork Clearwater subbasin.

A population viability analysis for management indicator species has been completed and is
included in the project  record  (USDA  FS,  2004).  In  summary, available data suggest widely
varying mean densities of juvenile steelhead trout and chinook salmon and an overall decline in
naturally-produced juveniles, but recent increases in adult returns (2001 - 2004).  The viability of
anadromous  fish in upper  South  Fork Clearwater  tributaries is confounded  by long-term
hatchery supplementation,  which  has occurred in both American  and Crooked Rivers  for
decades.  Hatchery supplementation  lends a  measure  of  stability and  insurance  against
declining numbers in these watersheds, although monitoring data suggest supplementation has
not improved natural production.

Westslope cutthroat trout are present in many areas of both the Crooked and American River
watersheds. Available  data for this species in these watersheds suggest annual variation in
mean densities but no  detectable trends for the year's data were collected. Known population
stronghold areas are present in the Crooked watershed  and  may be present in the American
watershed as well. These areas are generally located in lower  order, high elevation tributaries to
the mainstem and  are somewhat  isolated from the mainstem and each  other. Isolation  of
smaller populations may contribute to increased risks for this species.

The assessment of risk to these species  from ongoing  and proposed  activities is related  to
growth and survival, which could be indirectly affected through additional habitat  degradation in
areas where  spawning and rearing occur.  For chinook salmon  and steelhead trout, spawning
and rearing generally  occur throughout  mainstem areas and the  lower  reaches of larger
tributaries.  These areas could be affected  by increases in stream temperature  and deposited
sediment. Project  mitigation preventing effects to  stream  shade would prevent increases in
stream  temperature locally and  downstream. Increases  in sediment yield  are  predicted,  but
these increases are not of a magnitude where significant effects to spawning  and  rearing habitat
would occur.

Westslope  cutthroat trout  spawn  and  rear  in tributaries  in  the  American  and Crooked
watersheds potentially  affected by  the project.  Temporary increases in peak sediment yield
may result in  increases in sediment deposition in these  areas. Changes  in habitat  are not
expected  to  be significant or  measurable,  however.   In addition, these activities  are not
proposed in population  stronghold watersheds, so these areas would not be affected.

For all MIS fish species, implementation of  watershed  restoration activities is expected to result
in immediate improvements in watershed  condition and  long-term  improvement in instream
habitat. The assumption  of long-term improvement is partly predicated on the idea  that no
additional   significant   sediment-producing  events  will  occur  in   the  foreseeable   future.
Improvement in habitat condition would contribute to improvement in growth  and survival,
thereby decreasing risks. All MIS species are expected to  persist in areas potentially affected by
the project over both  the short and long  term, with possible  improvements long-term. One
objective of vegetation  management in these watersheds is a reduction in hazardous  fuels. If
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 this objective is met, presumably future fires would be of lesser intensity where hazardous fuels
 were removed, thereby decreasing the effects of a potential future fire to watershed condition.

 3.3.4.  CONCLUSIONS

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Fish habitat in the analysis area is in poor condition.  Past bucket line dredging of the mainstem
 American River,  Box Sing Creek, Whitaker  Creek, Queen Creek , Crooked River and Relief
 Creek, have left these  systems with  a very  reduced carrying  capacity  for fish.    Water
 temperatures are elevated due to the  vegetative canopy that  was removed by roads and
 dredging.  Surveyed streams  in the analysis  area  are below their Forest Plan objectives
 (existing and proposed) included in Appendix A.  Habitat elements of most concern include high
 levels of deposited sediment, low number of high quality pools, high stream temperatures, and
 an overall simplification of habitat leading to reduced carrying capacity.

 Road/stream crossings in the project area have culverts that  block or impede upstream fish
 migration.

 Migratory westslope  cutthroat trout, steelhead, and bull trout, while located in the project area
 streams, are at very  low densities and the streams are priority watersheds (USDA FS, 1998a).
 Current habitat conditions may be limiting growth, reproduction,  and survival of these species in
 the tributaries as well as in the mainstem rivers.

 Spring chinook salmon are found in  the mainstem and tributaries of American and Crooked
 Rivers as well as in the South  Fork Clearwater River.

 Non-native brook trout exist in many streams in the analysis area especially in American River.

 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
 Under the action alternatives, a limited short-term increase in sediment production is expected
 from vegetation treatments, road construction/reconstruction,  road  decommissioning  and  in
 channel improvements.

 This short-term increase in sediment yield is  not at a level where changes in  stream substrate
 (cobble embeddedness) are expected to occur.

 If Alternative A (no action) is implemented, watersheds  and streams would remain in  a poor
 condition and recover slowly over time.

 Under the action alternatives, vegetation treatments, including timber harvest, may  result  in
 lower risk of large, stand-replacing fires.  Such fires could adversely affect watershed condition
 and fish habitat.  Short-term increases in sediment yield under the action alternatives are partly
 due to watershed improvement activities, which are expected to result in long-term improvement
 in habitat condition.

 Equivalent Clearcut Area  (EGA), a predictor of changes in water yield, would increase slightly
 under all action alternatives.  This increase  is not likely to result in adverse changes  in fish
 habitat.

Of the action alternatives, Alternative  E offers  the  most  rapid improvement in  watershed
condition, with the least short-term risks.  Alternative D offers a similar rate of improvement with
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
the most short term risk. Alternatives B, and C offer a slower rate of improvement with higher
short-term risks.

Fish in the project area, including steelhead trout, bull trout,  chinook salmon,  lamprey  and
westslope cutthroat trout, may be adversely affected by potential short-term changes in habitat
condition. These species are also expected to benefit from  long-term  improvement in habitat
condition.

FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE
The following Forestwide Standards for Wildlife and Fish, from among those listed on pages II-
18-20 of the Nez Perce National Forest Plan, apply to this project and will be met as follows:

       TABLE 3.66- COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN FISHERIES RESOURCE STANDARDS
STANDARD
NUMBER
SUBJECT SUMMARY
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
FOREST PLAN STANDARDS
1
2
3
4
5
6-13
14
16-18
19
20
21
22
Maintain viable populations of existing native and
desirable non-native vertebrate wildlife species.
Cooperate with future recovery efforts for peregrine
falcon, bald eagle, gray wolf and grizzly bear.
Monitor population levels of all Management Indicator
Species on the Forest. Fish include westslope cutthroat
trout, summer steelhead, and spring chinook.
Recognize fishing and hunting rights guaranteed the
Nez Perce Tribe
Coordinate with the Idaho Department of Fish and
Game to achieve mutual goals for fish and wildlife.
Wildlife direction
Use non-protected KV to help TES species
Wildlife direction
Restore degraded fish habitat to meet Forest Plan
fish/water quality objectives.
Use "Guide for Predicting Salmonid Response to
Sediment Yield in the Idaho Batholith Watersheds" to
evaluate fish habitat and attainment of objectives.
Meet established fishery/water quality objectives
Schedule fishery habitat and watershed improvements
in below objective watersheds. Plan how objectives will
be met.
See Wildlife Section 3. 11
See Wildlife Section 3. 11
Cooperative efforts between Nez Perce Forest,
BLM, Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho Department of
Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Government to Government consultation has
occurred
Continued involvement and annual meetings
between agencies.-
See Wildlife Section 3. 11
See ROD and restoration funding
See Wildlife Section 3. 11
See FEIS Section 3.2 and 3.3
See FEIS Section 3.3 Fisheries and Appendix E
FISHSED
See FEIS Section 3.3 Fisheries and Appendix E
See ROD and FEIS Section 3.3 Fisheries and
Appendix E
FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT 20 (PACFISH)
FW-1
FW-2
FW-3
Design and implement fish and wildlife habitat
restoration and enhancement that contributes to
Riparian Management Objectives
Design, construct, and operate fish and wildlife
interpretive and other user-enhancement facilities in a
manner that does not retard or prevent attaining the
RMOs.
Cooperate with Federal, Tribal, and State wildlife
management agencies and eliminate wild ungulate
impacts that prevent attainment of RMOs or adversely
affect listed anadromous fish.
See FEIS Section 3.2 and 3.3 and Appendix D
See FEIS Appendix D Recreation and trail
Improvement Projects
See wildlife section
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
STANDARD
NUMBER

SUBJECT SUMMARY
management agencies to identify and eliminate adverse
effects on native anadromous fish related to habitat
manipulation, fish stocking, fish harvest, and poaching
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
We continue to hold regular meetings with our
partners to discuss and work toward this
objective.
  The following Forest Plan Standards for Fish and Wildlife do not apply within the context of this
  project.

  TABLE 3.67 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR FISHERIES RESOURCES THAT Do NOT APPLY TO THIS
                                         PROJECT
STANDARD
 NUMBER
             SUBJECT SUMMARY
       COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
                                    FOREST PLAN STANDARDS
   15
Consult with USFWS on livestock management.
No grazing management decisions made with
this document.
                                      08 08 OS 08 08 CSS
 3.4.  FIRE
 INTRODUCTION
 This project proposes to reduce hazardous fuels at a minimum, of two scales:

 First, at an individual site scale, the treatment of fuels at this scale is  important and is critically
 needed to address reducing wildland fire intensities. Treatments would reduce the amount and
 distribution of surface fuels, both living and dead in all size classes, and would  break  up  the
 vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels that can promote and support large wildland fire  growth
 during normal weather conditions.  On the  acres treated,  the fuel  model would change  from a
 volatile model that supports torching and crowning to a model that would moderate fire behavior
 and be more likely to restrict a wildland fire to the surface of the forest floor.

 Secondly, this project looks at the larger drainage or watershed level.  Identifying and locating
 patterns of treatments in the landscape can mitigate the potential of large to very large wildland
 fire events moving toward  and threatening areas and communities of concern.   Considering
 existing patterns of disturbance along with  the strategic placement of proposed activities near
 roads and ridge tops, along with placing them in areas of large continuous blocks of fuels, to
 break up their continuity, can  help create a pattern  that would restrict  the potential for wildland
 fires to become large to very large events that might threaten communities,  road infrastructures
 and critical resource areas.  The treatment areas will have the effect of modifying (lowering) the
 resulting fire behavior when fires burn through them during non-worst case conditions that have
 historically produced large fires.

 With these areas of modified fire behavior, fire suppression resources will be given areas where
 they can safely and more efficiently  initiate tactics  to  control  new fire ignitions in the area as
 required by the current Forest Plan and Fire Management Plan.  By having these safe areas to
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
work in firefighters will better be able to reduce the risk of large fires to "at-risk communities"
such as Elk City, Orogrande, Ericson Ridge,  Upper American  River, and Gnome town site,
along with road infrastructures, and natural resources.  An example of how these factors are
considered in the context of large wildfire events can  be found in  the  Structure Protection
Contingency Plan for the Elk City Township and Red River Area,  prepared by the Incident
Command Team for the Slim's Fire in 2003 (USDA FS, 2003d).

AMERICAN RIVER
The focus of these specific treatments is to reduce the amount of hazardous fuels on National
Forest lands immediately adjoining private and BLM lands.

The treatment and reduction of hazardous fuels serve several  purposes:

Treatments would  extend a buffer  area  that would help protect lands,  improvements  and
structures in and around this portion of the Elk City Township from the threat of wildland fire.

Treatments would break-up the continuity of existing heavy fuel loads both horizontally  and
vertically that can support high intensity wildland fires that move through surface vegetation and
into tree crowns during  periods of high fire danger. These periods of  high,  very high  and
extreme fire danger typically occur during  late  July, August, and  early September.  Conditions
have become more volatile by repeated occurrence of drought and increasing  levels of insect
mortality.

CROOKED RIVER
The focus of these specific treatments  is  to reduce  the amount of hazardous  fuel conditions
across a mid-slope zone from  Orogrande to Highway  14.   Proposed fuel treatment units,  in
combination with previous disturbance, would  create an effective pattern  that would break up
continuity  of vegetation  (fuel)",  both horizontally and vertically.  This pattern  is important  at
landscape scales to disrupt fuel available to wildland fire and  the potential for large wildland fire
growth that has become  more common over the past decade. Completion of treatments in this
project area would also lower wildland fire intensities and treated areas could be  utilized to base
effective suppression/control operations without compromising firefighter safety.

SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
The American  and Crooked River project analysis area for  fire  and  fuels includes  the entire
project area.  Fuel models, using Anderson (1982), represent the fuel profile within the project
area.  Fuel models in the project area include fuel models 1,  3, 4, 5, 8 and 10.  Descriptions  of
the fuel models can be found in Appendix G.

The amount of acres of each component of fire and fuel are used as indicators.  Indicators used
for analyzing effects on fire include Fire Regime and Risk/Fire  Hazard based on fuel model.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
The  Nez  Perce  National Forest  Plan (1987a, pp.  11-1 through II-8) established  goals  and
objectives for the management of the Forest. Specific Forest  Plan goals that apply  to fire
management in the American and Crooked River project area  are:

   •   Protect  resource values through cost  effective  fire  and fuels treatment through the
       utilization of material and using prescribed fire  (page II-2).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The  Forest Plan  also  identifies specific fire management direction in Appendix C-  Fire
 Management Direction.  This direction  is to ensure that fire use programs are cost effective
 compatible with the role of fire in the forest ecosystem and responsive to resource management
 objectives.

    •   Prescribe fire to  maintain  healthy, dynamic ecosystems that meet land management
        objectives.

    •   Emphasize  fire ecology implications when applying prescribed fire.

 Additionally the Forest  Plan  has  identified  management areas to  distinguish  differing
 management emphases  between geographic areas. The Forest Plan gives general guidelines
 goals, and standards for fire management within these management areas that can be found
 throughout Chapter Ml of the Forest Plan.

 The "Healthy Forest Restoration  Act of  2003" (citation needed) gives direction  to  conduct
 hazardous fuels reduction projects on  National Forest System lands. These projects are "aimed
 at protecting communities, watersheds, and certain other at-risk lands from  catastrophic wildfire,
 to enhance efforts  to protect watershed, and address threats to forest and  rangeland health'
 including catastrophic wildfire, across  the landscape, and other purposes"(H.R. 1904).  Specific
 direction for hazardous fuel reduction projects is found in Title 1 - Hazardous Fuel Reduction on
 Federal Land, Section 102 - Authorized hazardous fuel reduction  projects.   (16  USC 6512)
 While this  project is consistent with the intent of the Act, it was not scoped as and therefore is
 not being processed as an authorized  project defined therein.

 ANALYSIS METHODS
 Fuel model  (existing and  predicted)  and fire  regime were  modeled from the potential and
 existing vegetation conditions, based on the rule sets of  Keane, et al (1998).   Potential
 treatment units are  generally comprised  of multistoried vegetation or high amounts of standing
 or down dead material that would contribute to high intensity wildfire (fuel model 10) and would
 tend to move toward fuel  model  13  in  a short period of time without treatment.   Following
 treatment,  these units would be in the low to  moderate risk/hazard category (fuel models 5 and
 8).

 Existing condition fuel  models were then compared with what the fuel models would look like
 under all of the  Alternatives.  A hazard  assessment was done and a hazard level rating was
 assigned to the fuel models. The hazard level is based on fuel models and their associated fire
 behavior characteristics, in particular fire intensity and severity (Anderson, 1982).

 3.4.1.  INDICATOR 1 - FIRE REGIME

 EXISTING  CONDITION
A fire regime reflects the  pattern of fire frequency, size, uniformity, and severity within an area.
 Fire has been a  major force shaping landscape patterns and influencing productivity. It affects
the composition, structure, and pattern of vegetation on the landscape.  Fire  as a disturbance
process is an integral part of the concept of ecosystem management.

Presettlement fire regimes  have been described for the analysis area by their characteristic
severity (non-lethal, mixed severity, lethal),  and frequencies (very  frequent: 5-25  years,
frequent: 25-75 years, infrequent: 75-150 years, and very infrequent: 150 - 300 years), using
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
field studies, timber  stand  data, aerial photo  interpretation, and scientific literature including
Morgan, ef a/. (1996) and Kapler-Smith and Fischer (1997).  They are modeled using habitat
type group(s) and terrain setting.

Table 3.66 displays the presettlement fire regimes within the project 'area.  These fire regimes
are displayed on Maps 9a and 9b.

                 TABLE 3.68 - FIRE REGIMES ACREAGE IN THE PROJECT AREA
Fire Regime
Very Frequent, Non-Lethal
Frequent, Mixed
Infrequent, lethal
Infrequent to very infrequent, Mixed
and Lethal
Acres in American River
Project Area
99
0
9680
5779
Acres in Crooked River
Project Area
1150
2109
13366
6540
After 1930, fire incidence within the project area dropped substantially due to the effectiveness
of fire suppression activities (USDA FS, 2003g, p. 4-85).

Areas with very frequent and frequent fire regimes are missing multiple fire occurrences due to
increased time between fires.  The  missed fire occurrences have led to a buildup of fuels and
changing  of fuel conditions  such as;  replacement of fire resistant with non fire resistant tree
species, and increases in timber stand density and vertical  arrangement of fuels.  This change
in fuel and stand conditions would in turn allow for these stands to be identified as being in Fire
Regime Condition Classes 2 and/or 3 (Schmidt et al, 2002) because they are outside of their
historic  norms for a disturbance pattern.

Based on GIS mapping that incorporates the data from the Cohesive Strategy Team,  which
uses potential vegetation and the use of rule sets to derive  fire regimes, it was determined that
there are approximately 10,000 acres within the project area that can be classified as condition
class 2  (9,482 acres) or condition class 3 (512 acres). The  rules for this mapping can be found
in the fire/fuels section of the project file.  Refer to maps 10a and 10b for condition class within
project area. These changes contribute to increased fire intensity, and fire severity. •

Fire intensity is defined as the heat released along the leading edge of the fire, and expressed
as  btu/lineal  foot of fire front/second.    Fire severity  is  a qualitative assessment  of the
consumption of surface fuel and duff based on the heat pulse of a fire.  Fire severity is also used
as an indicator of fire effects on vegetation and soil,  and may or may not be closely related to
intensity.  Higher fire intensity and severity may  lead to increased mortality, and  decreased
effectiveness  of  suppression  actions,  resulting  in an  increased  chance  of  large  stand
replacement fires in the future.

Areas of infrequent and very infrequent fire regimes are little departed from their pre-settlement
fire regimes at the stand scale, but large areas free  of disturbance for the last 50 to 80 years
may be departed at the landscape scale.  The pending increase of surface fuels in the project
area as the lodgepole pine  killed by the  mountain pine beetle fall would be within the historic
norm, and the mosaic of mixed and lethal fires that might follow in these areas would also be
within the  norm. These stands can be classified as being  in Condition Class 1, for the most part
when considered stand-by-stand, because they are within their central tendency of the historic
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             American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 regime.  There may be site-specific variations from this norm,  however, and the mountain pine
 beetle epidemic occurring in the project area is creating a condition where effects from a large
 fire may not be acceptable due to the local social values and water quality concerns.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

 ALTERNATIVE A

 Under the 'no action1 alternative the stands with very frequent  and frequent fire return intervals
 would  continue to miss disturbances.  This would allow  for  continued  buildup of fuels and
 changing of fuel conditions, such as stand density and vertical  arrangement. These conditions
 would  cause a wildland fire occurring  in these  stands to burn with increased  intensity and
 severity, decrease  the  effectiveness  of  suppression  actions  and  increase  chances  for
 detrimental fire effects from a stand replacing event happening.

 Areas that have infrequent and very infrequent fire return intervals would continue to proceed as
 they would naturally.  This includes fuel buildup  as stands mature  and decline from age and
 outside agents such as beetles.  As a result of this buildup, lethal, stand-replacing fires would
 become more prevalent.

 ALTERNATIVES B. CT D AND E
 With these alternatives, stands in the very frequent and frequent fire  regimes would have some
 type of disturbance, either mechanical  and/or fire,  returned to some of them.  This would start to
 bring the treated stands back into their historic fire regime.  Bringing these stands back to their
 historic regime and Condition  Class 1 would result  in  a lower fire hazard, which would lessen
 the  effects  caused by a wildland fire.  Under Alternative  B,  450 acres  would be treated in
 Condition Class 2 and/or 3; 482  acres in Alternative  C; 632 acres  in Alternative D- and 370
 acres for Alternative E.

 In the  stands that would be treated  in the infrequent and very infrequent fire  regimes  the
 disturbance would  tend to maintain the stands' normal fire return interval, maintaining the stands
 in Condition  Class 1.  For the stands  that are not treated under these alternatives the effects
 would be similar to the effects described under Alternative A.

 3.4.2.  INDICATOR 2 - FUELS

 EXISTING CONDITION
 The increased effectiveness of fire  suppression in western  forests since the 1930s has been
 followed by a subsequent decrease in large fire occurrences. Without a natural reduction of fuel
 accumulations by fire,  litter has built up, tree density has  increased, and fuel continuity has
 increased both vertically and  horizontally in many  areas.  This can result in increased fire
 intensity when a fire does  occur.   This effect is most distinct  in fire regimes of non-lethal  to
 moderate severity, where increased fire area  is  now  burned  primarily by high severity fires
 (Agee, 1993).                                                                     *

The American and  Crooked River project area consists of a variety of fuel conditions described
by fire behavior  fuel models (Anderson,  1982).  The fuel models within the  project area were
derived  based on potential vegetation,  VMP dominance type, size class, and canopy cover for
stands located within the project area.  Six fuel models are represented in the project area and
include 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10. Descriptions of the fuel models can  be found in Appendix G  Table
3.69 displays the acreage of each fuel model currently within the  project area.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
            TABLE 3.69 -CURRENT FUEL MODELS PRESENT IN THE PROJECT AREA

American
Crooked
Total
Acres
Percentage
Acres
Percentage
Acres
Percentage
1
831
1
152
<1
983
1
2
203
<1
290
<1
493
<1
4
3504
6
6087
13
9591
9
5
6617
11
7523
16
14140
14
8
23038
39
13832
30
36870
35
10
24397
42
17724
39
42121
40
99
5
<1
11
<1
16
<1
Grass fuel models 1 and 3 occur in the meadows adjacent to the American and Crooked River
and recent clearcuts with little regrowth of shrubs or trees. Harvest in the recent past within the
American River Township has reduced hazardous fuels extensively close to the community and
much of that harvested area is fuel  model 1.  The flammability of these fuel types is dependant
on their stage of growth, with low flammability in the spring and  early summer during green up,
and increasing in flammability as the growing season continues and they begin to cure out.
While rates of spread may be high in these fuel types, the resistance to control is low.

Fuel model 5 represents shrub and saplings fuel types that are  present in the area. These fuel
types are indicative of past fire disturbances or harvest activities  in the project area. Fires in this
fuel type  area  generally not very  intense due to the light surface fuel  loading and  high
component of live fuels. Pole stands were assigned to fuel model 5 unless canopy was greater
than 70 percent, then  they were assigned fuel model 4.  Fuel model 4  burns with high fire
intensity and is fast spreading involving the foliage and live and dead fine woody material.

Timber fuel models 8 and 10 represent a majority of the project area. Fuel model 8 represents
single-story early to mid successional stands with little dead and down material or ladder fuels.
Fire spread in this fuel type is low with low intensities and little tree mortality. Only under severe
weather conditions involving high temperatures,  low humidity, and high winds do the fuels  pose
fire hazards.

Fuel  model 10 represents  more decadent, late successional,  multistoried stands with ladder
fuels  and a significant dead and down component. Due to the  heavy component of down fuel
and presence of ladder fuels, fires in this fuel types have high fire intensities, which can lead to
torching and  crowning in the overstory along with  spotting.   With  these conditions,  fires
occurring in this fuel type are generally at the upper limit of control with direct attack by hand.

Decades of fire suppression activity, has led  to changes in the spatial distribution of the fuel
models in the project area.  Stands that  were historically fuel  model 8 have transitioned to a
model 10 due to the lack of low severity fires that has allowed for the accumulation of dead fuels
and the establishment of multi-storied stands through regeneration. Wildland fires occurring in
these stands under the existing conditions (fuel model 10) will burn with increased intensity and
severity than  they would have  historically.  This results in  an increased potential for these
stands to experience a stand replacing fire. This shift in fuel models is also being compounded
by the infestation of mountain pine  beetle that the  project area is experiencing.  As these trees
are dying, they are starting to contribute to the dead fuel  loading and  shifting the fuel models to
models 10 and 13. Fuel model 10 would  have occurred in areas of infrequent mixed and lethal
fire under  natural conditions.   Fires  would have  prevented this  fuel  model from  being
widespread and common.
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 In addition to the suppression activities, harvest activities have changed the distribution of fuel
 models over time.  Fuel model 5 has recently become more prevalent over the project area  as
 stands have been harvested and regenerated, but large contiguous areas of fuel model 5 might
 have occurred under natural fire regimes in the  areas of historically infrequent mixed and lethal
 fire.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 Fuels are an integral part of most wild lands. Direct effects of fire result from the characteristics
 of the heat regime of the fire, which is controlled by the manner in which fuels burn  Managing
 fuel  quantity  and arrangement by  using  dispersed treatments  in the  landscape can  help
 moderate the heat regime of a fire in areas where it is important to affect burning behavior to
 limit  social, economic, or environmental effects. Additionally, these dispersed treatments will
 provide locations where fire suppression resources can safely and more effectively initiate fire
 control measures as required by the Forest Plan and Fire Management Plan for locations within
 the project area.

 ALTERNATIVES

 Under  the  'no action' alternative, the  fuel loadings, both  live and dead,  would continue  to
 increase.  There would be an  increase in  fuel  model  10 and  a  subsequent decrease in fuel
 model 8 as these stands age and change over time.  Additionally, with the mountain pine beetle
 infestation some of these stands will experience  high mortality, which would lead to an increase
 in the dead fuel load making these stands be best represented by fuel model 13  Fuel model 13
 is characterized as a continuous layer of slash.  Fires burning in this fuel model spread quickly
 through the fine fuels and build in intensity as the larger fuels start burning. Active flaming  is
 sustained for long periods and can generate a wide variety of firebrands that cause spotting and
 control problems.  See Tables  3.70 and  3.71 - Predicted Fuel Models In Year 2014 for fuel
 model acreage and percentages by alternative for both the American River and Crooked River
 Drainages.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E
 With  these alternatives the fuels conditions in the project area would continue to change from
 fuel model 8 to fuel models 10 and 13 as the untreated stands age and fuels  accumulate  but at
 a lesser rate than Alternative A.  Alternatives B, C, D, and E would reduce the fuel loadings and
 continuity over the project area, and thus reduce the  effects of a large scale  wildland fire  This
 is  accomplished by dispersing the treatment units over the project area and modifying the fuel
 models from fuel  models  10 and 13,  which result in  fires with high intensities and severity, to
 fuel models 1  and 8, with lower intensities and severities.  These areas where the fuels have
 been  modified will help slow fire  spread and  reduce  intensities,  which would  improve the
 likelihood of successful fire suppression.  These fuel treatments would remain effective for up to
 20  years, then as the vegetation grows  they  will  become less effective.   However  if left
 untreated the fuel buildup would remain for a much longer time  frame and would result in fires
 with high intensity and severity.

Alternatives B, C,  D, and E would help break up  horizontal fuel continuity in the landscape and
 reduce the acreage of fuel models 10 and 13.  The  effects  vary proportionally  with the acres
treated  in each alternative.  Table 2.4 - Treatment Acres, for a summary of acres treated bv
each alternative.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Alternatives B, C, D, and E would treat fuels located within the wildland urban interface (WUI)
areas within the project area.  Table 3.72 - Treatment Acres Located Within Wildland Urban
Interface, identifies the acres treated within the WUI by each alternative

Additionally, Alternatives C and  D would concentrate  a greater amount of  treated  acres  in
relative proximity to the north and east edges of the Elk City Township than Alternatives B and
E, creating opportunities for more effective and efficient coordination of proposed and possible
fuel reduction and  defensible space  efforts with adjacent landowners and the Bureau of Land
Management.

            TABLE 3.70 - PREDICTED FUEL MODELS IN YEAR 2014 BY ALTERNATIVE
                               AMERICAN RIVER DRAINAGE
FUEL MODEL
1
2
4
5
8
10
NON-
FORESTED
ALTERNATIVE
A
ACRE
s
831
203
3504
6616
2218
5
2549
5
%
AREA
1
<1
6
11
38
43
<1
B
ACR
ES
831
203
3462
6875
2218
7
2503
1
5
%
AREA
1
<1
6
12
38
43
<1
C
ACRE
s
831
203
3382
6939
2223
6
2499
8
5
%
AREA
1
<1
6
12
38
43
<1
D
ACR
ES
831
203
3346
6929
2250
2
2477
8
5
%
AREA
1
<1
6
12
38
42
<1
E
ACR
ES
831
203
3486
6688
2227
1
2511
0
5
%
AREA
1
<1
6
11
38
43
<1
            TABLE 3.71 - PREDICTED FUEL MODELS IN YEAR 2014 BY ALTERNATIVE
                               CROOKED RIVER DRAINAGE
FUEL
MODEL
1
2
4
5
8
10
13
NON-
FORESTED
ALTERNATIVE
A
ACRES
152
290
6087
7523
11365
19960
231
11
%
AREA
<1
<1
13
16
25
44
<1
<1
B
ACRES
152
289
5871
8116
11683
19266
231
11
%
AREA
<1
<1
13
18
26
42
<1
<1
C
ACRES
152
289
5892
8226
11656
19163
231
11
%
AREA
<1
<1
13
18
26
42
<1
<1
D
ACRES
152
289
5795
8313
11790
19039
231
11
%
AREA
<1
<1
13
18
26
42
<1
<1
E
ACRES
152
289
5922
7982
11685
19348
231
11
%
AREA
<1
<1
13
17
26
42
<1
<1
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
      TABLE 3.72 - TREATMENT ACRES LOCATED WITHIN WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE (WUI)

American
Crooked
Total

A
0
0
0
Acres treated
B
295
264
559
C
417
314
731
D
464
649
1,113
E
85
205
290
 3.4.3.  INDICATOR 3 - RISK/HAZARD

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Fire risk is the probability of a wildland fire ignition occurring.  These occurrences may be from a
 natural source such as lightning, or from human-caused sources such as smoking  campfires or
 industrial.  Fire hazard is a  rating that can be assigned based on various attributes of a fuel
 complex. The attributes  used may be susceptibility to ignition, the fire behavior and severity it
 would support, and/or suppression difficulties it represents (Walstad, etal, 1990).

 During a period from 1970 through 2003 there have been 86 ignitions within the project area of
 which 77 have been lightning caused ignitions and 9 human  caused.  The  natural ignitions
 during this period do not show a strong pattern of localized occurrences within the project area
 The human-caused ignitions tend to follow travel routes and would likely increase as visitor use
 to the area increases (USDA FS, 2003g)

 Fire hazard for this analysis  is based on the fuel models within the project area and how they
 relate to a fire's behavior and the resulting fire severity. By using this method the hazard ratings
 of low, moderate,  and high are assigned to fuel models and shown in Table 3.73.

                   TABLE 3.73 - HAZARD ASSESSMENT FOR PROJECT AREA
Hazard Assessment
Low
Moderate
High
Fuel Model(s)
',2,8
4,5
10
Fire Severity
Low
Moderate
High

38346
23731
42121

37
23
40
The areas described as being fuel models 1, 3, and 8 are classified as being low fire hazard.
These fuel models are composed of light fuels, which do not result in high severity fires that do
great  damage to  the resources.  They result in little damage to the soil because they  burn
quickly and  do not consume the organic material in  the soil or heat  the  soil  significantly.
Additionally these fires do minimal damage to the overstory in the stands where they occur.
Mortality in fuel model 8 is usually associated with the fire burning in small jackpots of fuels that
are uncharacteristic of the fuel model as a whole.  Areas of fuel model 8 can transition to more
intense crown fires under severe burning conditions.  Lastly because of the light fuels present in
these  fuel types, resistance to fire control is usually low, and under normal conditions these fires
are easily controlled.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
The areas described as being fuel model 4 and 5 are classified as being moderate fire hazard.
Fires occurring in this fuel type are more severe than those  in the low hazard class.  This
increased severity is due to the increased mortality of the overstory brush and seedling/saplings
that comprise the fuel type, and the increased potential for soil damage due to more removal of
organic material caused by longer fire duration.

The high fire hazard areas are those areas classified as being  fuel models,  10 and 13 .  Fires
occurring in fuel model 10 and 13 are the most severe due to the heavy fuel loadings.  With the
higher fuel loading, these fires burn hotter and longer, which increases the damage done to the
soil  by removing  the organic material from the soil.  Additionally because of the multistoried
stands in fuel model  10 there is an increased  potential for fire to transition from a surface fire up
into the overstory crowns.  This may result in the occurrence  of a stand replacing fire event.
Lastly, because of the heavy fuel loading the resistance to control for a fire in fuel model 10 and
13 is high. This fact coupled with high fire intensity, creates a condition where the fire is at the
upper limits for control by hand-forces, and a small change in weather  conditions  may result in
an escaped fire.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

ALTERNATIVE A
The 'no action' alternative would not reduce the fire hazard within the project area. If left as is,
the  fire hazard in the  project  area  would increase as more stands  transition  from low or
moderate fire .hazards to high (fuel models 10 and 13).

With a large portion of the project area moving towards fuel  models having a high hazard rating,
the potential would exist for much of the project area to experience more severe and intense
wildfires in the future.   Due to higher intensities,  these future  fires would  exhibit higher
resistance to control resulting in an increased chance for  a large, stand replacing fire event.
This could be within the historic norm for much of this landscape, but could threaten structures,
investments, and  natural resources as well as firefighter safety.

ALTERNATIVES B,C,D, AND E
These alternatives would lower, to varying degrees, the acreage of the project area that would
be classified as  a high fire hazard.   This  change in the hazard ratings results from the
modification of fuel models 10 and 13 towards fuel models 1 and 8 in the treatment units.  By
modifying the fuels,  the  hazard  of fires  occurring in these  treatment units would be lowered
based on their resulting severities, intensities, and resistance to control.  Table 3.74 displays the
post treatment fire hazard by each alternative.

           TABLE 3.74 POST TREATMENT FIRE HAZARD IN YEAR 2014 BY ALTERNATIVE
Hazard
Assessment

Low
Moderate
High

A
Acres
35,026
23,730
45,440
%
33.6
22.7
43.6
Alternative
B
Acres
35,345
24,324
44,528
%
33.9
23.3
42.7
C
Acres
35,367
24,439
44,392
%
33.9
23.4
42.5

D
Acres
35,767
24,383
44,048
%
34.3
23.3
42.2
E
Acres
35,431
24,078
44,689
%
33.9
23.1
42.8
Additionally, Alternatives C and D would concentrate a greater amount of treated acres closer to
the north and  east  edges of the Elk City Township than Alternatives B  and  E,  creating
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental impact Statement
 opportunities for more  effective  and  efficient  coordination  of proposed and possible  fuel
 reduction and defensible  space efforts with adjacent  landowners  and the Bureau  of Land
 Management.

 Alternatives B, C, D, and E will have a short term increase in fire hazard due to the post harvest
 slash. This increased fire  hazard will be greatly reduced once slash has been burned and the
 fuel loadings within the treatment units are reduced to 12 tons per acre or less as required in the
 forest plan for activity-created fuels.

 3-4-4- IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS- FIRE REGIME. FUELS. AND
        RISK/HAZARD

 COMMON TO ALL ALTERNATIVES
 No irreversible commitments are proposed  under  any of the alternatives.  Tree mortality and
 loss of other plant life due to wildfire would be irretrievable but not irreversible since these trees
 and all other plant life could be regenerated over time.

 3.5.5. SUMMARY

 EXISTING CONDITION

 FIRE REGIME

    •   Fire incidence has dropped substantially since the 1 930's, due to the effectiveness of fire
       suppression.

    •   Areas with frequent to very frequent fire regimes are missing multiple fire occurrences.

    •   Areas with infrequent and very infrequent fire regimes are little departed  from their pre-
       settlement fire  occurrences  at the stand scale, but some departure may exist at  the
       broader landscape scale where little disturbance has occurred in the last 50 to 80 years.

    •   In the areas of infrequent and very infrequent fire regimes, the fire mosaic of mixed and
       lethal fires that might  follow as a result of increasing fuel loads caused by the mountain
       pine  beetle infestation would be normal for these fire  regimes, but could pose risk to
       structures and investments.

FUELS

    •   The fuel profile  across the project area is represented by 6 fire behavior fuel models.

    •   Decades of fire suppression  and  timber harvest have changed the spatial  distribution of
       fuels  in the project area.

    •   Fuel models are transitioning to models that burn with greater fire intensity (heat output,
       used  as indicator for fire behavior) and fire severity (surface fuel and duff consumption!
       used  as an indicator for fire effects on vegetation and soil).

    •   Fuel treatments would remain effective for up to 20 years, then as the vegetation grows
      they will become less effective.

   •   If left  untreated the fuel buildup would remain for a long time frame and would result in
      fires with high intensity and severity.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
RISK/HAZARD
    •   The  fire  ignition occurrence (risk) within the project  area is  high.   Fire risk  is the
       probability of a fire ignition occurring.

    •   Due  to increases in fuel loading resulting from the mountain pine beetle infestation, fuel
       models are transitioning to models that would result with a higher fire hazard rating

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES

FIRE REGIME
Under Alternative A, stands in the  frequent and very frequent fire regimes would continue to
miss  fire  disturbances, which would  result in fuel  buildup,  and changes  in  timber stand
composition and structure.   The missed disturbances  would  continue to take  those stands
farther away from  the conditions that would have  naturally been seen in those fire regime(s).
Stands in the infrequent to and very infrequent fire regimes would continue their successional
processes as they would naturally, and would grow increasingly prone to mixed or lethal fire
Under Alternatives B, C, D, and E, multiple stands in the  frequent and very frequent fire regimes
would  have  some type of disturbance(s),  such as mechanical fuel reduction and/or prescribed
fire. This  would start to bring these  stands back into their historic fire regimes.  In  the infrequent
and very infrequent fire regimes, the proposed treatments would maintain the normal fire return
interval in the treated stands, and reduce the likelihood of locally severe  effects.

FUELS
Under Alternative A, fuel  loadings, both live and  dead, would continue to increase.   Timber
stands and other vegetation, as represented by fuel models, would eventually transition to fuel
models that burn  with higher  intensities  and severity.  There would be  a  decrease  in the
effectiveness of  suppression efforts resulting in an increased chance of large, stand replacing
fires.   There would be a decrease in firefighter and  public safety due to  fuel conditions that
exhibit a high resistance to control.
Under Alternatives B, C, D, and E, treatments would spatially fragment horizontal  fuel continuity
and reduce the predicted acreages  of fuel models 10 and 13 by varying degrees by alternative.
Areas where fuels  would  be modified would reduce fire intensity and  severity, thus contributing
to successful suppression activities. Alternatives C and D treat more acres in close proximity to
the Elk City Township, particularly in the American River watershed.

RISK/HAZARD
Under Alternative  A, the fire  hazard would  increase as  more  stands transition from low or
moderate  hazard to high (fuel models 10 and 13). A large percentage of the project area is
predicted  to  eventually transition to  high hazard, increasing the  potential for fires  that burn with
higher intensity and severity.  This may result in fires that are more difficult to control, and pose
more threat  to firefighter and public  safety, based on the changes to the fuel model(s) and their
resulting fire behavior.

Under Alternatives B, C, D, and E the acreage of the project area that would be rated as high
fire hazard is lowered in comparison with Alternative A. Treatments that modify fuel models 10
and 13 towards fuel models 1 and 8 would decrease the potential for  fires that burn with higher
intensities and severity with a high  resistance to control, while increasing firefighter and public
safety.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Alternatives C and D treat more acres in close proximity to the Elk City Township particularly in
 the American River watershed.

 Common to  all Alternatives is that fire ignition  occurrence (risk)  levels probably would not
 change over time. It can be expected that occurrence levels would remain similar to those  in
 the past.  Fire hazard in this landscape would remain.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - FIRE REGIME,  FUELS, AND RISK/HAZARD
 The cumulative effects of the alternatives considers past, present and  reasonably  foreseeable
 actions.  These actions are described earlier. The effects of the past actions are included in the
 existing  condition  by indicator.  The environmental  effects for each indicator discussed  in
 Chapter 2 and Scope of the Analysis earlier  in this section,  when  combined, show the
 cumulative effects of the alternatives.

 ALTERNATIVE A (No ACTION ALTERNATIVE)
 This alternative would have no  immediate effect on fuel conditions in  the project area. However,
 in the short to long term,  fuel loadings, both live and dead,  would continue to increase with the
 result that more of the  project  area would move toward a higher fire hazard rating.  Over time
 the  fuels and  associated hazard would  continue to  accumulate until  such time as  fire
 suppression is no longer successful in keeping fires small.

 The fuels management projects within the project area are the' Crooked River  Demonstration
 and Orogrande  defensible space projects.  The purpose of these treatments is to reduce
 available vegetation/fuels within 200 feet of private and public structures and reduce the threat
 of losing  these  structures to wildfire.  The size and scope of these treatments are small,
 designed to protect only the structures themselves, so the treatments would have little effect on
 the project area.

 The BLM is planning to implement two fuels reduction  projects (Whiskey South and Eastside
 Township) within the Elk City Township  adjacent to the American  and Crooked River project
 area. The purpose of these projects  is to reduce the risk of high intensity wildland fire to life,
 property and natural resources  in the Elk City area.

 ALTERNATIVES B. C.  D. AND E
 These alternatives all provide mechanical and prescribed fire fuel reduction treatments, differing
 in the amount and location of those treatments and the associated reduction in high  fire hazard.
 The dispersed treatment areas along with fuel reduction in past harvest and burned areas can
 reduce the intensity and severity of a fire burning through those areas.

 Observations of wildland  fire growth and behavior among age-mosaics of fuel patterns in the
 forests of the Sierra Nevada (van Wagtendonk, 1995; Parsons and van Wagtendonk, 1996) and
 on fires in the forests  of the  Northern  Rockies (Button, 2004) support  the idea that spatial
fragmentation of fuels can cumulatively  change  fire sizes and behavior.  Past harvest and
 burned areas along with proposed treatments under Alternatives B,  C, D,  and E  would provide
anchor points  (relatively  safe,  defensible locations) that facilitate  fire  suppression activities.
Since it is not known exactly where or when a fire may start, having  a dispersed  pattern of fuel
reduction  treatment can  provide  more  options  for  fire suppression by connecting these
treatment areas depending on where the fire is, how fast it is spreading, and the amount, type
and location of suppression forces (Agee, etal, 2000, Finney, et al, 1997).
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Dispersed treatments rely on the topology of the treatment units as parts of a pattern to reduce
spread rates and intensities (Martin et al, 1989,  Finney, 2001).  Dispersed treatments facilitate
all suppression tactics (direct, indirect, and  parallel attacks) by slowing overall fire growth and
allowing units to be connected by firelines at the time the fires occur. Extensive coverage by a
dispersed treatment pattern offers  the optimal strategy for multiple fire spread directions and
can change fire behavior irrespective of suppression actions.
The  BLM  is planning to implement two fuels  reduction  projects (Whiskey South and Eastside
Township) within the Elk City Township adjacent  to the American and Crooked River project
area. The purpose of these projects is to reduce  the risk of high intensity wildland fire to life,
property and natural resources in the Elk City area.
Under the other-than-worst-case weather conditions that have historically produced large and
severe fires, fire behavior can  be  modified by  changing fuels through fuel treatments.  Fire
behavior under the worst-case conditions is  rarely responsive to either treatment or suppression
effects.

FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE
Alternatives B, C, D, and E of the project are consistent with the Forest Plan (USDA FS, 1987a).
They protect resource values by using prescribed fire to accomplish fire and fuels treatments
that  are cost-effective, compatible with the role of fire in forest ecosystems, and responsive to
resource management objectives.
The  following  Forestwide  Standards for Protection  (Fire/Fuels), from  among those  listed  on
page 11-25,26 of the Nez Perce National Forest Plan, apply to this project and will be met  as
follows:
                   TABLE 3.75 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - FIRE/FUELS
STANDARD
NUMBER
SUBJECT SUMMARY
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
FOREST PLAN STANDARDS
1
2
Fire management direction in this Forest Plan shall
guide the Fire Management Analysis and the resulting
Fire Management Action Plan. The Action Plan will
give specific fire management direction.
Undertake hazard reduction treatments if activity-
created fuels exceed 12 tons per acre of materials less
than 3 inches in diameter.
Adherence to the Clearwater/Nez Perce Fire
Management Plan for fire management and
prescribed fire direction.
Design Criteria #3. Preparation and
implementation of slash disposal plan based on
needed fuels reduction and silvicultural
objectives.
FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT 20 (PACFISH)
FM-1
FM-4
Design fuel treatment and fire suppression strategies,
practices, and actions so as not to prevent attainment
of Riparian Management Objectives, and to minimize
disturbance of riparian ground cover and vegetation
Design prescribed burn projects and prescriptions to
contribute to the attainment of the Riparian
Management Objectives.
Design Criteria #3, 5.
Design Criteria #3, 5.
                                     08 08 08 Ui 08 CS
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 3.5.  AIR QUALITY

 SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS

 The area potentially affected by smoke emissions includes the project area and the airsheds
 that immediately surround it. The project area is located in Idaho Airshed No  13  Refer to map
 below for location of Airshed.

 The analysis of air quality includes identifying the adjacent and down wind airsheds of concern
 (Class I and non-attainment areas) and comparing the amounts of smoke and particulate matter
 to be produced as a result of the fuels treatment activities associated with each alternative  The
 analysis includes discussion of the consequences of wildfire in regards to air quality.

 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

 The Clean Air Act,  passed in 1963 by the US Congress and amended  several times, is the
 primary legal instrument for air resource management.  The Clean Air Act amendments of 1977
 set up a process that included designation of Class I  and II areas for air quality management
 The primary differences between  Class  I and II  areas  are in the protection  and processes
 provided in the 1977 amendments. Class I areas receive the highest levels of protection under
 the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program. This program regulates air quality in
 these areas through application of numerical criteria for specific pollutants and use of the  Best
 Available Control Technology (BACT).

 As a member of the Montana/Idaho Smoke Management Group, the Nez Perce National Forest
 adheres  to the Environmental Protection Agency Interim Air Quality Policy  on Wildland and
 Prescribed Fires.  The Operating  Guide for the smoke management group is based upon the
 interim policy, and all prescribed burning must be approved by the smoke coordinator prior to
 burning to ensure that cumulative air quality impacts are minimized.

 The Clean Air Act requires that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identify pollutants
 that have adverse effects on public health and welfare and to establish air quality standards for
 each pollutant.  Each state is also required to develop an implementation plan to maintain air
 quality.   The  EPA has issued National Ambient Air  Quality Standards (NAAQS) for sulfur
 dioxide, carbon monoxide,  ozone, nitrogen dioxide, lead  and particulate matter 10 microns in
 diameter or smaller (PM 10) and 2.5 microns and smaller (PM 2.5).

 Idaho has similar standards for these pollutants.  In general, concentrations of PM 10 greater
than 150 micrograms per cubic meter for longer than 24 hours, or greater than 50 micrograms
per cubic meter as an annual arithmetic mean, is considered a hazard to public health  and
welfare.  Similarly, concentrations of PM 2.5 greater than 65 micrograms per cubic meter for
longer than 24 hours, or greater than 15 micrograms per cubic meter as an annual arithmetic
mean, is considered a hazard to public health and welfare.

The Nez Perce National Forest Plan direction for air quality is to  cooperate with the Idaho
Department of Health and  Welfare in the  State Implementation Plan (SIP) and to meet the
requirements of the SIP and State Smoke Management Plan (NPFP, Chapter II, Page 23).
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                        FIGURE 15- IDAHO-MONTANA AIRSHEDS

                  TAKEN FROM IDAHO-MONTANA AIRSHED GROUP -1999
                                                   Numbered Airshed Boundaries
The Nez Perce National Forest is a party to the North Idaho Smoke Management Memorandum
of Agreement (MOA), which establishes procedures to regulate the amount of smoke produced
by prescribed fire.   This  MOA is  intended to  increase the efficiency and effectiveness of
communications about, and  coordination of,  prescribed  fire to avoid  adverse effects on  air
quality. This MOA can  be found in the project file.

ANALYSIS METHODS
Particulate emissions  production was  calculated  using  the  First  Order  Fire  Effects Model
(FOFEM).  FOFEM  predicts the quantity of natural or activity fuel consumed by prescribed fire
and the resultant emissions.  Fuel loadings are derived from forest cover type classifications as
represented in the analysis area.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 One major assumption made in FOFEM is that the entire area of concern experiences fire  For
 discontinuous burns, the results should be weighted by the percent of the area burned  For the
 purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that 60 percent of the acres to be treated by fire would
 actually produce particulate emissions.

 The assumptions and methods used in FOFEM for modeling emissions were taken from Hardy
 et al. (1996).  Emissions production depends both on fuel consumption and on the combustion
 efficiency of the fire.  Therefore, it is important to note that emissions quantities are derived from
 tons of fuel consumed and  not tons of fuel treated. FOFEM models emissions production not
 visibility or dispersion.  Categories of emissions estimated are PM 2.5 and PM 10  About 70 to
 80 percent of PM 10 is actually in  the PM 2.5 category.  Idaho and Montana monitor for both
 categories, therefore the amount of both are modeled in this analysis.

 A "Decision Analysis for Smoke Modeling" (Atcheson  et al., pg.  19,  20) was used to select the
 level of modeling for this analysis.  A threshold in this decision analysis  for PM emissions is
 established at  100 tons/year.  This threshold is based on  the  minimum  increase required to
 establish the existence of a  major source for non-compliance  in PSD for downwind Class  I
 areas or to exceed the NAAQS standards. Since none of the alternatives in the analysis area
 approaches or  exceeds 100 tons/year based on 10 year implementation, no further analysis is
 required.

 The model input parameters and the output values as well as the emissions worksheets can be
 found in the project file.

 EXISTING CONDITION

 PARTICULATE MATTER AND VISIBILITY
 Air quality associated with the American and Crooked River Project analysis  area  is generally
 considered good to excellent most of the year.  Local adverse effects result from dust from
 native-surfaced roads and smoke from prescribed burning, agricultural burning, and wildfires.

 Climatic conditions in this central Idaho area are governed by a combination of large-scale and
 small-scale factors.  Among the large-scale  factors are latitude,  prevailing hemispheric wind
 patterns, and extensive mountain barriers to the east and west.  Small-scale or local factors
 include  the topographic setting and  position (canyon, slope or ridge location), 'as well as
 vegetation cover (Schroeder and Buck  1970).  The average large-scale airflow is generally from
 a westerly direction throughout the year.

 The pre-settlement natural range of variability for smoke probably ranged  from very clear and
 clean in the non-fire months  (November to May) to hazy and smoky for extended periods during
 the fire months (June to October). Current air quality during non-fire months is probably close to
 the natural range of variability, while during fire  months it is probably outside the natural range
 (i.e. cleaner) because most wildfires in the area are suppressed, thus the amount of smoke has
 been reduced from historical averages.

The American and Crooked River Project analysis area is non-classified, but is considered to be
 in compliance with the NAAQS.  The closest non-attainment areas include portions of Missoula
County,  Montana  (approximately 100 air miles to  the northeast), and Boise  and  Sandpoint,
 Idaho (approximately 200 air miles to the southwest and northwest, respectively).
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, 8 air miles to the northeast, and the Hells Canyon National
Recreation Area, 44 air miles to the southwest, are the closest Class I areas to the American
and Crooked River Project analysis area.  All other areas on  the Nez Perce National Forest,
including the American and Crooked River Project analysis area, are designated Class II areas.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

PARTICIPATE MATTER AND VISIBILITY
All action alternatives would require prescribed burning to  reduce fuel  loadings to an acceptable
level.  The resulting smoke would affect air quality.  Fugitive dust generated from road related
activities and increased vehicle traffic from logging operations would  also temporarily affect air
quality.
Three methods of prescribed  burning would  be used to accomplish fuel load reduction:
Table 3.76.
See
   •   Broadcast burning  is usually  used in clearcuts.   Because  combustion is efficient,  a
       convection column forms which lifts most of the smoke above the mixing air layer.

   •   Underburninq would be used for both natural and activity created fuels. The objective  is
       to reduce fuel loading while protecting the residual overstory trees from damage due to
       heat and flames.  Since the burning is deliberately cool and slow, combustion is likely to
       be inefficient.  More particulate matter per acre of fire is often produced with this method
       of burning than with other methods.

   •   Machine  pile burning would be used for  activity created fuels.  This type of burning
       concentrates slash in specific locations to eliminate the need to broadcast or underburn.
       Slash is gathered and piled mechanically throughout the unit or at the landing.  Piles are
       burned after a season of curing when the fuel moistures are low  resulting in efficient
       combustion, thus lessened particulate matter. This type of burning has less effect on air
       quality compared to underburning.

                     TABLE 3.76 - BURN TYPE ACREAGE BY ALTERNATIVE
Type of Burn

Broadcast
Underburn
Pile burn

Broadcast
Underburn
Pile burn
ACRES BY ALTERNATIVE
ALTB | ALTC | ALT D | ALT E
AMERICAN RIVER
114
61
409

320
443
736
163
76
483
CROOKED RIVER
373
498
704
163
76
841

384
540
982
36
36
241

275
405
613
Particulate matter released into the air as  a result of prescribed burning can have  adverse
effects on visibility and public health. The emission of particulate matter is related to the method
of burning conducted, as shown above, and how much burning of each method is conducted.
The  concentrations  of particulates at locations  in the airshed is influenced  by  what other
activities are going on in the airshed, and  by current or changing climatic conditions.  Potential
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 concentrations in the airshed  at any  one time are regulated through compliance  with the
 procedures of the North Idaho Smoke Management MOA as previously described.

 The following discussion compares the direct and indirect effects of all the alternatives  A table
 displaying the PM 10 and PM 2.5 emissions expressed in tons/year by alternative is included at
 the end of the discussion.

 ALTERNA TIVE A-NO A CTION ALTERNA TIVE
 There would be  no  direct effects on the existing condition of air quality from  this alternative
 because no prescribed burning would occur.  No particulate matter would be produced and
 visibility would not be impaired due to prescribed burning.

 Indirect effects would be that fuel loadings continue to increase and wildfires would continue to
 occur. Wildfire occurrence without previous fuel reduction is likely to produce two to four times
 greater particulate matter emissions than would be generated by prescribed  fire (Quiqlev and
 Arbelbide, 1997).

 EFFECTS COMMON TO ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES
 The alternatives differ only in the amount of particulate matter produced  (Table 3 76)  Fugitive
 dust generated from road activities and increased vehicle traffic would also temporarily affect air
 quality by implementing any of the action alternatives.

 Indirect effects would  be  a long-term decrease  in  fuel loading following implementation  of
 prescribed burning.  Therefore,  there would be a decrease in particulate matter emissions and
 the impairment of visibility from wildfires when they occur.

      TABLE 3.77 - APPROXIMATE ANNUAL EMISSIONS BY ALTERNATIVE, BASED ON 10 YEAR
                                   IMPLEMENTATION
Emissions
(tons/year)
PM 10
PM2.5
Alternative
A


B
40.3
34.2
C
44.4
37.6
D
57.7
48.9
E
31.2
26.5
FULL SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS FOR AIR QUALITY
Alternative D has the greatest chance of causing adverse impacts because it treats the most
acres of fuel and produces the greatest total quantity of particulate emissions. Alternative C has
the second highest acres and second greatest total quantity of particulate emissions followed by
Alternative B.  Alternative E would have the least effect on air quality because it has the least
total acres to be treated and produces the least total quantity of particulate emissions.

EXISTING CONDITION
   •  Air quality in the American and Crooked River Project analysis area is good to excellent.

   •  Local  and  regional  climatic conditions, as  well  as topography,  influence  smoke
      concentrations and dispersal.

   •  Air quality is probably  outside its natural range  of variability  during normal  wildfire
      months.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
   •  There are no non-attainment areas for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
      in close proximity to the analysis area.

   •  The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is the only Class I  airsheds in close proximity to the
      analysis area.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
   •  There would be no direct effects on air quality by implementing Alternative A.

   •  There would  be the likelihood  of increased  particulate emissions  from  wildfires by
      implementing Alternative A.

   •  Implementation of any of the action alternatives would directly affect air quality.

   •  Implementation  of  any  of the  action alternatives would decrease  particulate  matter
      emissions from wildfires.

   •  Alternative  D would  produce the greatest amount of particulate  matter emissions,
      followed by alternatives C, B, and E..

   •  Competition in the  airshed is regulated  by the Montana-Idaho Airshed  Group to avoid
      exceeding the NAAQS.

   •  Impacts to  air quality(visability)  in the  Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness by implementing
      alternative B, C, D,  or E would be short in duration and impacts would  be minimal due to
      the relatively small burn  unit size

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS
Impacts from smoke to the air resource are  temporary; therefore there are  no irreversible  or
irretrievable effects on the air resource under any of the alternatives.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
Consideration  of cumulative effects for air quality takes a  different approach than for other
resource areas. Past activities in the analysis area don't necessarily enter consideration, except
in the sense that  use of existing roads and facilities may contribute to fugitive dust levels as
described above.  Present use of and activities in the analysis area are continuing with a current
assessment of good to excellent air quality.

All the action alternatives would affect air quality. Locally adverse and cumulative impacts to air
quality could  be  expected if extensive  prescribed burning occurred under  any of the action
alternatives, particularly if that burning  occurred in conjunction with  on-going wildfires or other
prescribed burning activities in and adjacent to the airshed.  Other potential prescribed burning
projects  that could have an impact are  the listed in the table at the beginning of this chapter
(description of the past, present and foreseeable future actions). However, mitigation measures
and procedures outlined in the North Idaho Smoke Management Memorandum of Agreement
are intended to  increase the efficiency  and  effectiveness of communications  about, and
coordination of, prescribed  burning to avoid adverse cumulative effects.
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
  FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE

  Prescribed burning under the action alternatives would  comply with the requirements of the
  Clean Air Act.  Both PM  10 and PM 2.5 emissions are quantified and modeled for their effects
  on adjacent and downwind airsheds, particularly non-attainment and Class I areas.

  The  action  alternatives  are  consistent  with Forest Plan  standards  and  guides  in  that
  implementation  would be in  cooperation with Idaho Department of Health  and Welfare bv
  complymg with the procedures outlined in the North  Idaho Smoke Management Memorandum
  of Agreement.

  The following Forestwide  Standards for Air Quality, from among those listed on page II-23 of the
  Nez Perce National Forest Plan, apply to this project and will be met as follows:
STANDARD
 NUMBER
                    TABLE 3.78 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - FIRE/FUELS
SUBJECT SUMMARY
           Cooperate with the Idaho Department of Health and
           Welfare in the State Implementation Plan (SIP). Meet
           the  requirements of the SIP and  State  Smoke
           Management Plan.
                                     COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
                              Design Criteria  #35,  36, and 37.   Follow
                              procedures outlined in  the North Idaho Smoke
                              Management MOA, and Montana/Idaho Airshed
                              Group Operating Guide.
                                          os
                                              cs ca
 3.6.   RECREATION
 INTRODUCTION

 Recreation is an important activity in the 752,000-acre South Fork Clearwater River Subbasin
 of which the project area is a small portion. The early trails and wagon roads throughout the
 South Fork Clearwater River Subbasin historically were, and remain, important access routes
 for people in nearby prairie and river communities to hunt, fish, and camp on the Nez Perce
 National Forest.  Most of the recreational uses are dispersed activities such  as big game
 hunting; picnicking; camping; berry picking; fishing; woodcutting; and driving for pleasure.

 The Forest Plan forecasted large, almost equal increases in recreation demand for all recreation
 opportunity spectrum (ROS) classes in the  next fifty years it should be noted that motorized use
 by Off Road Vehicles (ORV) is increasing  and this use  is not being limited to roads and trails
 ORV use in  areas where  access can be obtained (open ridges, firelines and open country) is
 increasing rapidly. The American River area is the only area that has designated ORV trails in
 the Southfork Clearwater River Subbasin (USDA FS, 1998a).

 SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS

 The analysis area for  recreation  and scenic  integrity that may  be directly, indirectly  and
 cumulatively affected is the  American  River and  Crooked River project area. Vegetation and
 transportation management proposals could affect recreational opportunities and use, as well as
 scenic integrity, within the area. The proposed actions would have little effect on recreation and
 scenic integrity outside the area.

 Indicators analyzed in detail include the recreation opportunity spectrum  (ROS) Visual Quality
 Objectives (VQO) and scenic integrity level (SIL) and other recreation features.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
The Nez Perce Forest Plan established goals and objectives for the management of recreation
resources  on the forest (pages II 2-4).  Specific Forest Plan goals that apply to recreation and
scenic resources in the American and Crooked River project area include:

   •   Provide  a  wide range of  dispersed and  developed  recreation opportunities  and
       experiences by  providing  access, facilities,  and education necessary to  meet public
       demand.

   •   Provide firewood for personal use.

   •   Present diverse, natural-appearing landscapes to view throughout the Forest

   •   Provide administrative sites and facilities that effectively and safely serve the public and
       accommodate the workforce.

ANALYSIS METHODS
In the initial  steps  of selecting harvest units, (during alternative  development) impacts to the
Recreation Opportunity Spectrum  (ROS) classes and Visual Quality Objectives  (VQO) were
considered and the harvest units were either dropped or modified from any of the alternatives to
assure that the ROS  and VQOs identified in the Forest Plan would not be compromised.  The
Interim Visual Quality Objectives, as identified in the Forest Plan,  were reviewed for the project
area.   Potential effects of the harvest units and road construction were determined  from the
topographic relief and proximity of harvest units to sensitive viewsheds.

An inventory of  current recreational use areas  (dispersed  campsites) was used  to  evaluate
alternatives based  on potential impacts  on recreational opportunities within the project area.
Recreation opportunities associated with  dispersed activities such as hunting, fishing, camping
and driving were used.

The  Recreation  Opportunity Spectrum  (USDA  FS, 1986) describes recreation settings and
opportunities, and is used to evaluate recreation  potential for an area. The Nez Perce National
Forest ROS inventory is described in the  Forest Plan FEIS (USDA FS, 1987c), Chapter III, p. 8-
9. The Forest has been inventoried and divided into four classes:  Primitive, Semi-primitive Non-
motorized  (SPNM), Semi-primitive Motorized (SPM) and Roaded Natural (RN).  The South Fork
Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a) mapped  the area  as Roaded
Modified rather than Roaded Natural because the area was more  intensively modified from past
timber harvest.   The  Roaded  Modified classification was developed by the Pacific Northwest
Region for areas that have  been modified from  timber harvest.  The opportunities in Roaded
Modified are similar  to those  of in Roaded Natural,  but Roaded Modified  landscapes  are
generally  more modified.  Recreational sites impose less  restrictions  and there are  fewer
sanitary facilities on average in the roaded modified definition.  This classification was applied in
the SFLA area and included the portions of the project area.  For this analysis, Roaded Modified
is a subset of Roaded Natural. . Descriptions are provided below.

       Semi-primitive  Motorized areas  are greater than 2500 acres and at least Vz mile but
       not further than 3 miles from  all  roads,  railroads or trails with motorized use.   Other
       people are  occasionally encountered.  Structures are  rare and isolated.  Within  these
       settings, there are ample opportunities to practice outdoor skills and to achieve a feeling
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
       of self-reliance.   Modifications to the landscape are subtle and would not draw the
       attention of an observer anywhere within the area. Motorized use is permitted.

       Roaded Natural includes any area within 1/2 mile of "better than  primitive" roads.  They
       are natural-appearing settings that may have modifications that range from being easily
       noticed to strongly dominant to the observers within the area; but from  sensitive travel
       routes,  these alterations  would remain  unnoticed  or  visually subordinate.  Highly
       designed  roads  or highways may be common.  Encounters with  other people are
       frequent on roads, but moderate on trails and away from roads.

       Roaded Modified  includes areas within 1/2 mile of "better than primitive" roads. There
       are likely to be areas containing large clearcuts, skid roads and landings  detracting from
       the natural appearance of the area.   There  are opportunities to get away from other
       recreationalists, but logging operations may be dominant. No facilities are provided and
       users must be self-reliant.

Some of  the  ROS  terminology includes the terms roaded and/or  motorized, this  does not
necessarily mean that that those areas are open to motorized use.  Access has  been restricted
on some roads and trails for resource protection.  See  Section 3.8.  - Transportation for more
information.

Recreational  use within the American and Crooked River project area is heavily influenced by
the presence of the existing transportation system and long history of resource management.
Scenery associated with recreational uses is an important part of that recreational experience
The  landscapes we see today are the result of both natural and  human processes that have
occurred over time.  Visual  Quality Objects  have been developed  to manage for the scenic
values within the Forest.  Visual Quality Objectives (VQOs) were mapped as part of the Forest
planning  process, using Agriculture Handbook 462 Visual  Management System  - Volume 2
Chapter 1, 1974.  VQOs refer to the  degree of acceptable alteration of  the characteristic
landscape.  Interim VQOs were established  for specific Forest  Plan management areas in
combination with other resource goals,  but  decisions on their adoption were deferred  until
Forest Plan implementation.(USDA FS 1987a, Chapter II, p.  16, as  amended  by Forest  Plan
Amendment #4).  The following definitions for interim VQOs apply  to landscapes within the -
project area:

       Retention:  "activities may only repeat form, line, color and texture which are frequently
       found  in the  characteristic  landscape,  and should not be evident to  the casual forest
       visitor."

       Partial Retention:  "Activities may repeat form,  line, color and texture which are found
       infrequently or not at all in the characteristic landscape, but remain visually subordinate
       to the visual strength of the characteristic landscape."

       Modification:   "Activities  of vegetative  and  landform  alteration  must borrow from
       naturally established line, form, color and texture so that  their visual characteristics are
       those of natural occurrences within the surrounding area when viewed  as  middle ground
       or background. Activities may visually dominate the original characteristic  landscape.

       Maximum Modification:    "activities  of  vegetative and  landform  alterations may
       dominate the  characteristic  landscape.  However,  when viewed as  background, the
       visual characteristics must be those of natural occurrences within the  surrounding area

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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
      or character type.  When viewed as foreground or middle ground, they may not appear
      to completely borrow from naturally established form, line, color or texture. Alterations
      may also be out of scale or contain detail that is incongruent with natural occurrences as
      seen in foreground or middle ground.

Since the Forest Plan was signed, the Visual Management System has been updated with
Agriculture Handbook 701 Landscape Aesthetics: A Handbook for Scenery Management, 1995
(AH-701).  The new system  utilizes  "Scenic Integrity  Levels" (SIL) as an indicator  of the
landscape completeness, or the degree of naturalness (AH-701, p. 2-4).  Scenic integrity is a
continuum ranging over five levels of integrity from Very High to Very Low.  For this analysis,
VQOs are used, but a table that displays the corresponding  SIL terminology from  the new
handbook is provided to  compare the SIL to the adopted or recommended VQOs. The VQOs
for the project area, with the corresponding SILs, are displayed in Table 3.40.

The  Scenery Management System presents a  vocabulary  for managing scenery  and  a
systematic approach for determining the relative value and importance of scenery in a national
forest.  Ecosystems provide the environmental context for this scenery management system.
The system is used in the context of ecosystem management to inventory and analyze scenery
in a national forest, to assist in the establishment  of overall resource goals  and objectives, to
monitor the scenic resource, and to ensure high quality scenery for future generations.

EXISTING CONDITION  AND  ENVIRONMENTAL  EFFECTS
The  South  Fork  Clearwater  River  Landscape  Assessment   1998  (USDA  FS,   1998a)
characterized the ecological and social conditions in the South  Fork Clearwater sub-basin, and
provided  a context  for future forest management decisions in  the area.  The assessment
recommended recreation themes for the South Fork  face drainages and Red River watershed
(USDA FS, 1998a, pp 142 and 145).

Motorized recreation is an important use in the American and Crooked River watershed areas of
the Nez Perce National Forest.  ORV use has increased over the  last decade both locally and
nationally and is  expected to continue to increase in the future.  Trails  and roads in the
watershed generally meet current recreation needs. Restructuring the roads  and trails systems
into loops while reducing overall road density in the watershed would facilitate more effective
ORV management in the future.

Maintaining current hunting and fishing resources  in the watershed is important in the  project
area.  Increasing wildlife resources and removing  roads and trails that provide easy access to
hunting areas is beneficial for wildlife species such  as elk (see Section 3.11. - Wildlife). Fishing
access and use within the watershed is moderate at this time due to the existing condition of the
watershed (see the Section 3.3. - Fisheries).

RECREATION OPPORTUNITY SPECTRUM/VISUAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES AND SCENIC
INTEGRITY LEVELS
The Recreation Opportunity Spectrum  (ROS) classification for the project area is  97 percent
'Roaded  Natural',  with the other 3 percent classified as 'Semiprimitive motorized'.  Table 3.79
displays  the Visual Quality Objectives and their corresponding 'Scenic Integrity Levels' in the
project area.  Most of the project has been designed to meet the existing VQOs, but minor
adjustments may be  made depending on the ongoing mountain pine beetle  infestation  and its
effect on  lodgepole pine.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
  TABLE 3.79 - NEZ PERCE FOREST PLAN VISUAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES, SCENIC INTEGRITY LEVELS
   AND RECREATE OPPORTUN.TY SPECTRUM CLASSES FOR THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED R,VER
                                    PROJECT AREA
                        SCENIC INTEGRITY
   VISUAL QUALITY
  OBJECTIVE (VQO)
      Retention
   Partial Retention
  ~~—-^^_^_~^__^_
     Modification
Maximum Modification
                  TOTAL:
                            Moderate
                              Low
                             ^• 	
                           Very Low
  American River
drainage (acres, %)1
     338 (2%)
    1,452(9%)
   2,586(17%)
                                              11,214(72%)
                                              15,590(100%)
  Crooked River
drainage {acres, %)1


   3,507(15%)
   7,210(31%)
  12,550 (54%)
                                                                  23,290(100%)
 OTHER RECREATION FEATURES
 Recreational use in American and Crooked River watersheds has increased steadily over the
 years   Camping, fishing, hunting, driving and Off-Highway-Vehicle are the most common uses
 Motorized use particularly ORV use, is increasing in the watershed.  Most recreaS use fs
 recreating,    f "'TT"  f^**  S^ 3S  hunting'  fishin9<   camPin9'  ^y P^9
 recreational suction dredging/gold panning and snowmobiling and  driving.   Most recreation
 fromSontren f^t™  F"™***^ f^9* in the ^ * significant percentage of hunters are
 rrom out-of-state or other parts of Idaho.
 CAMPING
                              "** Valua™e watersheds for dispersed and semi-developed
usn              ."f1 C6rltral ldaha  FadlitieS devel°Ped for dispersed camping are
usually close to water and often include an outhouse, and a fire ring.     '
HUNTING
Moose, elk and deer hunting is also an important activity in the watershed.
ROAD-ORIENTED RECREATION
  H             (ORV) use throu9nout the South Fork Clearwater subbasin is increasing on
and off the existmg roads and trails.  The  project area is used by ORVs and is  managed to
provide road-oriented recreation, with a management emphasis on reducing adverse effects
and overall road densities.  Existing trail systems are showing tread widening from ORV use
The available road and trail system have not been modified to accommodate the wider wheeled
veh.cles,  and use on closed  roads and trails has increased.  ORV use occurs throughout
summer months, and in the fall for hunting.  In winter most of the watershed is inaccessible to
motorized access, except by snowmobile.
 Acres were rounded to the nearest acre. Source: Dave Green, CIS, USDA FS.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
3.6.1. AMERICAN RIVER

INTRODUCTION
Places most often associated with the American River portion of the project area include Elk
City, ranches, homesteads, and pastures.  Scenic integrity from view points along the  Elk City
Wagon Road, Kirk's Fork trail, Flat Iron trail, Anderson Butte trail and connectors, and Limber
Luke trailhead is important. Recreation activities include big game hunting, driving for pleasure,
and various motorized and non-motorized trail uses.  The Elk City Township is a combination of
BLM,  private and some state lands.   It is  a rural, pastoral setting, with a small town  within a
remote, forested landscape. Elk City has become a  destination place on driving tours primarily
from the  Selway basin  and along the Elk City Wagon Road. Anderson Butte Lookout is a
popular destination for  trail riders, horse  users  and hikers via the  Anderson Butte  National
Recreation Trail.  Motorized and non-motorized trail use is increasing.  ORV use (specifically
ORVs) is increasing in popularity on the trail system in this area.  Non-motorized uses remain
relatively  consistent, with light to moderate numbers of local and out-of-area recreational users
during the summer and fall seasons.

3.6.1.1.   INDICATOR 1 - ROS/SILS

EXISTING CONDITION
The American River portion of the project area ROS classification is eight percent Semiprimitive
Motorized and  92 percent Roaded Natural The Semiprimitive Motorized is in the north eastern
corner of the American River project area north east of Flat Iron Ridge. The balance of  the area
is categorized as Roaded Natural.

Table 3.79 above displays the VQO classification and amount of area in the American River
portion of the project area. The VQO retention areas are between Queen Creek and Box Sing
Creek along the 1810  road east of the  Elk City  Township and  a  narrow strip  along the
northeastern boundary of the project area.  The Partial Retention VQO area  consists of a strip
facing Elk City along Flat  Iron  Ridge. The Modification  VQO area consists of a strip  along
American River north of the Elk City Township  and a strip  on the  northern boundary of the
project area. The remainder of the project area is in the Maximum  Modification VQO class.

The  most sensitive travel  route in the analysis  area is Forest Road 443, from the  Elk City
Township along American  River toward the Limber  Luke Trailhead.   In American River along
Forest Road 443, the foreground is screened by a thick growth of lodgepole  pine, and distant
landscape views (middle ground and background) are not very common.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
Recreation Opportunity  Spectrum Classifications  and Visual Quality Objectives identified in the
Forest Plan for the American River portion of the project area would  remain unchanged by the
'no action' alternative.

The transportation  system or access prescriptions  would not be changed by the  'no action'
alternative.  The 'no action' alternative would not initiate any direct human-caused changes to
existing scenic condition  of the American  River  project area.    No timber harvest,  road
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 construction,  road decommissioning, dispersed campsite improvement, or prescribed burning
 would be  scheduled.  As lodgepole trees  continue to die (from beetle infestation) and lose
 needles,  the  scenic qualities of the area  would continue to change.   Species composition
 changes will continue to occur and change the visual character.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, E

 Forest visitors traveling in the American River watershed could encounter a very slight increase
 in traffic, and  could notice the proposed activity and some of the associated noise, dust or other
 activities.  There would be more openings that are visible in the project area due to proposed
 activities.  Some temporary changes to the recreational experience are expected from project
 activities in the vicinity of some users favorite use areas or along roads and trails.

 The transportation system would be reduced by the various amounts of road decommissioning
 with the action alternatives.  This reduction could create an increased sense of remoteness for
 users in some areas over time; however contact with other users on main travel routes  would
 continue to be common.  Road decommissioning of existing roads during the decommissioning
 process may have a short-term negative effect on scenic resources, such as fresh exposed soil
 from  recontoured roadbeds.  The long-term result of road decommissioning  would create less
 modified landscapes.   In many instances, the former road prism would be gone, the slopes
 recontoured, and the scenery of the area would  eventually  be restored to a  more natural
 condition.   In most cases,  vegetative  rehabilitation  of the road prism  would  reduce  visual
 evidence  of the decommissioning within  a few  years.   Shrub regrowth and revegetation  of
 exposed soil would hasten the visual restoration of the foreground views.

 Road reconstruction is  proposed to  improve the road facilities, reduce effects of the roads on
 aquatic resources, and  provide for safer public use.  In most of thse cases, the visual changes
 would last for a few years after the work is completed and moderate as revegetation occurs.

 Temporary road construction would  be similar to road decommissioning  or would have similar
 effects as road decommissioning, except that the visual impact of a temporary road would last
 one to three years.

 No activities are  proposed in the Semi Primitive Motorized area.  Activities proposed in the
 Roaded Natural Area are consistent with that classification, and treatment units Mere-selected to
 have  no effect on existing recreational sites.  Although there will be some effects to recreational
 experiences resulting from the action alternatives, the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS)
 Classifications identified in the Forest Plan for the American River portion of the project area
would be maintained.

The harvest units were  designed so  as not to compromise VQOs identified in the Forest Plan.
Landscape  alterations   from  the  proposed  vegetation   treatments  and  temporary  road
construction would be  locally noticeable;  however, most of the harvest activities take  place
primarily in the Modification and Maximum Modification  VQO classes and would  blend in with
the existing modified areas. Treatment is proposed on approximately 83 acres in the Partial
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
Retention classification. These treatments are consistent with the partial retention objective as
seen from Elk City and other important viewpoints. In addition, there is a one half mile segment
of temporary  road and three small harvest units, approximately 24 acres in total within the
Retention classified area along the 887 trail (Box Sing trail) in insect infested lodgepole pine
stands.  This will create three small openings that will be noticeable to the casual visitor to the
trail head and along the trail that will  not meet the foreground retention VQO, however this
deviation from the VQO is allowed by the Nez Perce Forest Plan (USDA FS, 1987a) due to the
current insect infestation.  The  Forest Plan also allows a reasonable time after land disturbing
activities to meet the VQO.  From the valley floor, views of proposed roads and harvest units
would be sufficiently screened by residual vegetation to achieve the VQO.  None of the harvest
units discussed above, the  road construction nor the road decommissioning are likely to be
visible from Forest Road  443  along American River, the most visually sensitive travel route.
Watershed restoration  actions  in American River will not impact identified VQO  classifications
from important viewpoints.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
Cumulative effects are the same as the direct and indirect effects, except on a  broader scale
that would include locations of other projects.

3.6.1.2.  INDICATOR 2 - OTHER RECREATIONAL USES

EXISTING CONDITION
The area is a popular  big game hunting area for elk, moose, deer and bear.  Flint Creek and
American  River contain rainbow,  cutthroat, brook and bull trout; steelhead  and spring  and
summer Chinook salmon. The American  River portion of the project area has two developed
trailhead campsites (listed below) and scattered dispersed use by forest visitors who are usually
self-contained.  Dispersed sites are scattered  along open roads primarily at the junction of
closed gated roads by hunters who walk in on closed roads.

   •   KIRK'S FORK TRAILHEAD CAMPSITE is  located 4 miles northeast of  Elk City on
       Forest Road #1809 at an elevation of 4,300 ft.  Season of use is normally from May 15
       thru November 15.  Facilities include toilet, stock loading ramp, fire-ring, parking space
       for a camper vehicle and several horse  trailers. The site is a trailhead for Kirk's Fork
       Trail #830 a National  Recreation Trail leading to Anderson Butte.

   •   FLINT CREEK  TRAILHEAD CAMPSITE is located 6.6 miles north of Elk City on Forest
       Road #443 at an elevation of 4.240 ft.   Season of use is normally from June 1  thru
       October 31st. Facilities  include  a toilet,  fire-ring, stock  loading ramp,  for one camper
       vehicle and several horse trailers. The site is a trailhead and  parking space Flint Creek
       Trail #510.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 The  'no action' alternative would  have no effect on dispersed recreation or the developed
 trailhead campsites within the American River analysis area.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 Forest visitors traveling in the American River watershed could encounter a very slight increase
 in traffic, and could also notice the proposed activity and some of the associated noise  Anglers
 along American River could be displaced by the proposed project, due to traffic noise and /or
 watershed restoration actions. Hunters could also be displaced by activities associated with the
 action alternatives or encounter different  conditions for several  seasons.  The quality of
 experience of campers in the American River watershed could be reduced by increased activity
 during the  implementation of the proposed actions.

 The nearest timber harvest to the Kirk's Fork Trailhead campsite is approximately one-half mile
 away  and  is screened by a ridge.  The  nearest timber  harvest to the Flint Creek Trailhead
 campsite is approximately 1000 ft away.  The harvest unit is to be cable logged  and a thick
 stand  of lodgepole would screen the harvest activity from the site.  The Flint Creek Trailhead
 campsite  at  present has  an  old  harvest unit approximately 1000 feet  to the north and is
 screened by the same thick growth of lodgepole.  The direct and indirect effects would be noise
 during the implementation of the project.

 One access change is proposed in the American River analysis area, to the 1.6-mile long Box
 Sing  Lee Trail # 887.  This trail would change from "Open to all  Motorized" to "Open  to 2-
 Wheeled Motorized" and snowmobiles.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)

 Past  vegetation  and  transportation  activities  have  influenced  the  current  recreational
 opportunities and use of the American River project area, so their effects are part of the existing
 conditions  described above.  None  of the foreseeable actions (Table 3.1) are  near the two
 developed  trailhead campsites and would have no effect on their use.   There would be no
 cumulative  effects with  any of the action  alternatives  for  the  existing  array  of  recreation
 opportunities.

 IRREVERSIBLE, IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS

 No  Irreversible  or  Irrerrievable effects  are anticipated on ROS,  VQO's or other recreational
 activities for any of the alternatives.

 3.6.2. CROOKED RIVER

 INTRODUCTION
 Places most  often associated with  the  Crooked  River portion  of the project  area  include
Crooked River dredge mining, the Orogrande townsite, Gospel Hump, and  Penman  Hill access
are  a few of the places people associate with this area. Recreation activities include dispersed
camping, fishing, ORV use, and driving for pleasure. The highly altered stream channel from
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
dredge mining dominates the view of Crooked River travelers. The road is a popular travel way
for motorists on the "Gold Rush Loop Auto Tour" from Crooked River to Elk City via Penman Hill
and  Dixie.  It  is also the main motorized  access to the east side of the Gospel  Hump
Wilderness. The road accommodates heavy ORV  and snowmobile use.  Two of the fastest
growing activities in this area are snowmobiling and ORV use. The Jerry Walker cabin, a Forest
Service facility, is available to the public for rent. Private lands along Crooked River are being
developed for vacation home sites.

3.6.2.1. INDICATOR 1 - ROS/SILS

EXISTING CONDITION
The Crooked River portion of the project area ROS is classified as 100 percent Roaded Natural.

Table 3.79 above displays  the VQO and corresponding SIL in the Crooked River portion of the
project area.  The Partial  Retention VQO area consists of the area along the main Crooked
River Road to the southern end of the analysis area. The Maximum Modification  VQO area
consists  of the entire Relief Creek drainage, Silver Creek drainage and several small areas
scattered in the northwest corner.   The remainder of the area is in the Modification VQO
consisting of the area between the  Partial Retention VQO  area  buffering the Crooked River
Road from Highway14 to Relief Creek, and continuing along the Partial Retention VQO Crooked
River buffer on the west  side to the  old Orogrande townsite.   Partial Retention  VQO also
includes the ridge between  Relief Creek and Silver Creek and Upper Quartz Creek.

Modifications to the landscape have occurred in the project area since early in the twentieth
century.  The most heavily  modified locations  are found in the middle and upper portions of the
project area.  Mining, timber harvest and  road  building  throughout the project area have
contributed to  a scenic integrity of Partial Retention to  Maximum Modification.  Mining is the
most evident modification in the lower portions of the  project area.

The sensitive travel route in the analysis area is Forest Road 233, from the Highway 14 along
Crooked River to the  old Orogrande townsite and then on Forest Road 311 to Penman Hill.  In
Crooked River along  Forest Road 233 and 311, the foreground is screened steep topography
and by  a thick growth of  lodgepole pine,  and distant  landscape views (middle ground and
background) are not very common.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Impacts are the same as those identified in the American River portion of the project area, (see
section 3.6.1.1).

ALTERNATIVES B, C,  D, AND E

Effects on ROS are the same as those Identified  in the American River portion of the project
area.  Effects for VQO are similar to those identified in the American River portion of the project
area, with the following exception (see section  3.6.1.1).

The harvest units were designed so as not to compromise VQOs identified in the Forest Plan.
Landscape  alterations from  the  proposed  vegetation  treatments  and  temporary  road
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
construction would be locally noticeable; however, the harvest activities take place primarily in
the Modification and Maximum Modification VQO classes and  would blend in with the existing
modified areas. Treatment is proposed on approximately 121 acres in eight harvest units within
the Partial Retention classification. The proposed treatments will meet the partial retention VQO
from the important viewpoints.

From the valley floor, views of proposed roads and harvest units would be sufficiently screened
by residual vegetation to achieve the VQO. None of the harvest units, road construction, and
road decommissioning are likely to be visible from Forest Road 233 and 311  along the Crooked
River the most visually sensitive travel route.  Watershed restoration actions in Crooked River
would not impact identified VQO classifications.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS COMMON TO ALL ALTERNATIVES
Cumulative effects are the same as the direct and indirect  effects, except on a broader scale
that would include locations of other projects. .

3.6.2.2.  INDICATOR 2 - OTHER RECREATIONAL USES
EXISTING CONDITION
The area is a popular big game hunting area for elk, moose,  deer and bear.  Crooked River
contains rainbow, cutthroat,  brook and bull  trout; steelhead and spring and summer Chinook
salmon.  The Crooked River portion of the project area has  15 Dispersed campsites (listed
below) and scattered dispersed use by forest visitors who are usually self-contained.                   f

   •  CROOKED RIVER CAMPSITE #1 AND #2 are located 1 mile  from  State Highway 14
      each  site has parking space for two camper vehicles  and a  fire-ring.  The sites are         ?
      located at an elevation of 3,860 ft and have a season of use from May 31 thru October         t
      31.

   •  CROOKED RIVER CAMPSITE # 3 is located 2.6 miles from State Highway 14 at an         c
      elevation of 3.960 ft, with a  season of use from  May  31 thru October 31.  Facilities
      include a toilet, fire-ring and parking space for two camper vehicles.                            f:

   •  CROOKED RIVER CAMPSITE # 4 is located 2.4 miles from State Highway 14 at an
      elevation of 3.960 ft, with a  season of use from  May  31 thru October 31.  Facilities         *
      include a toilet, fire-rings, five separate camping areas and parking space for  twelve         *
      camper vehicles.

   •  CROOKED RIVER CAMPSITE # 5 is located 2.7 miles from State Highway 14 at an         :
      elevation of  3.940 ft, with a  season of use from  May 31 thru  October 31.  Facilities
      include a fire-ring and parking  space for two camper vehicles.                                 c
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     American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
RELIEF CREEK CAMPSITE is located 8.4miles from State Highway 14 at an elevation
of 4,340 ft, with a season of use from May 31 thru October 31.  Facilities include a fire-
ring and parking space for three camper vehicles.

BAKER GULCH CAMPSITE is located 9.0 miles from State Highway 14 at an elevation
of 4,380 ft, with a season of use from May 31 thru October 31.  Facilities include a fire-
rings and parking space for two camper vehicles.

FIVEMILE CAMPSITE is located  11  miles from State Highway 14 at an elevation of
4,480 ft, with a season of use from May 31 thru October 31.  Facilities include a toilet,
fire-rings and parking space for five camper vehicles.

FIVEMILE POND DAY USE SITE is located  11  miles from State Highway 14 at  an
elevation of 4,480 ft,  with a season of use from May 31 thru October  31.  Facilities
include a toilet and a fishing pond managed by Idaho  Fish and Game.

OLD DREDGE CAMPSITE is located 11.2 miles from State Highway 14 at an elevation
of 4,500 ft, with a season of use from May 31 thru October 31.  Facilities include fire-
rings and parking space for four camper vehicles. The site is the last working site of the
Mt. Vernon Dredge.

OROGRANDE CAMPSITE #1  is located  11.4  miles from State  Highway  14  at  an
elevation of 4,510 ft,  with a season of use from May 31 thru October  31.  Facilities
include a fire-ring and  parking space for two camper vehicles.

OROGRANDE CAMPSITE #2  is located  11.6  miles from State  Highway  14  at  an
elevation of 4,510 ft,  with a season of use from May 31 thru October  31.  Facilities
include a fire-ring and  parking space for two camper vehicles.

OROGRANDE CAMPSITE #3 is located 12 miles from State Highway 14 at an elevation
of 4,580 ft, with a season of use from May 31 thru October 31.  Facilities include a toilet,
fire-rings and parking space for three camper vehicles.

OROGRANDE CAMPSITE #4  is located  12.3  miles  from State  Highway  14  at  an
elevation of 4,600 ft,  with a season of use from May 31 thru October  31.  Facilities
include a toilet, fire-rings and parking space for three camper vehicles.

OLD OROGRANDE TOWNSITE is located  12.6  miles from  State Highway 14 at  an
elevation of 4,700 ft,  with a season of use from May  31st thru October 31st, the only
development is a mound of dirt that is used  as a stock unloading ramp, the site is used
by ORV users that use the site as a staging area to head up to the Buffalo-Hump or
Wildhorse Lake areas.

SUMMIT FLAT DISPERSED SITE is at the junction of Trail # 802  and  Forest Road #
478.  The  site is used by ORV users to access the  Sourdough Santiman area and  by
hikers and stock users to access the Gospel-Hump Wilderness.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT
 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 The 'no action' alternative would have no effect on dispersed recreation or campsites within the
 Crooked River analysis area.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E
 Forest visitors traveling in the Crooked River watershed could encounter an increase in traffic,
 and could also notice the proposed activity and some of the associated  noise.  Anglers along
 Crooked River could be  displaced by the  proposed project,  due to traffic,  noise  and /or
 watershed restoration actions. Hunters could also be displaced by activities associated with the
 action alternatives or  encounter  different conditions  for several  seasons.  The  quality of
 experience of campers in the Crooked River watershed could be reduced by increased activity
 during the implementation of the proposed actions.  The dispersed campsite at Relief Creek
 would be impacted by watershed improvements that would  limit camper's opportunity to camp
 further up relief Creek due to the road obliteration. None of the harvest activities proposed are
 close to any of the campsites listed above and no impacts are anticipated.

 Two access changes are proposed in the Crooked River analysis area, a  change in the access
 prescription  on Trail # 820 Porter  that would change from "Open to all Motorized" (1  mile) to
 "Open to 2-Wheeled  Motorized" and Trail  821 Silver Creek  (4.1  miles) which shares the route
 with Forest Road 9836 would be closed to highway vehicles and continue to be "Open to All
 Motorized Trail Uses".

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS FOR ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES
 Past  vegetation  and  transportation  activities  have  influenced  the  current  recreational
 opportunities and use of the Crooked River project area, so their effects are part of the existing
 conditions described  above.   None  of  the foreseeable actions  (Table 3.1) are near the 15
 dispersed campsites  and  would have no effect on their use. There would be  no cumulative
 effects with any of the action alternatives for the existing array of recreation opportunities.

 IRREVERSIBLE, IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS
 No Irreversible or Irretrievable effects are anticipated  on ROS, VQO's  or  other recreational
 activities for any of the alternatives.

 FULL SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS FOR RECREATION
 Past  vegetation   and  transportation  activities  have  influenced  the  current recreational
 opportunities and  use of the American and Crooked River project area, so their effects are part
 of the existing conditions  described above. There are no cumulative effects associated with
 Alternative A.

 The proposed alternatives would not exclude any of the existing uses, but would slightly modify
 the amount of recreational  access.  The proposed  transportation  management activities would
 reduce the level of off-highway vehicle access slightly with the least reduction in Alternative B,
Alternative C has more of a reduction than Alternative  B, and the most reduction is in
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Alternatives  D and E.   This would primarily be  through road  decommissioning which is
discussed in more detail in the transportation section. None of the foreseeable actions (Table
3.1) would alter ROS classes and would have minor effects on other recreational uses.

Past vegetation modifications  throughout the project area are in  varying  stages of recovery.
Activities that have  occurred  near sensitive travel routes, while evident, have recovered to a
point where they are dominating the landscape at a decreasing rate.  There are no expected
cumulative  effects  on visual  resources from  the proposed  vegetation  and  transportation
management activities since the  adopted visual quality objectives (scenic integrity levels) for the
area would be  met from the midground and background viewpoints. Foreground  VQOs will not
be met along Trail 887 where the trail intersects with the harvest units.

FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE
Past vegetation modifications  throughout the project area are in  varying  stages of recovery.
Activities that have  occurred  near sensitive travel routes, while evident, have recovered to a
point where they are dominating the landscape at a decreasing rate.  There are no expected
cumulative  effects  on visual  resources from  the proposed  vegetation  and  transportation
management activities since the adopted visual quality objectives (scenic integrity levels) for the
area would be met.
             TABLE 3.80 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - RECREATION RESOURCES
  STANDARD
   NUMBER
SUBJECT SUMMARY
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
                                    FOREST PLAN STANDARDS
              Manage for a full array of.
              recreation opportunities,
              from primitive to roaded
              natural, as described by
              the Recreation
              Opportunity Spectrum
              (ROS).	
                     Results of an analysis of proposed activities indicate that existing
                     ROS will be maintained
             Create additional
             opportunities for winter
             recreation where user
             needs indicate.
                    No changes are planned, if winter hauling utilize existing groomed
                    system trails, alternative route will be provided. Design Criteria # 36
             Mitigate the physical
             impacts of increased
             dispersed recreation use.
             Rehabilitation efforts will
             be based on resource
             damage to soils, water,
             and vegetation. Efforts
             may include closing the
             site for the short or long
             term, revegetation by
             seed or plants, signing,
             visitor contact, and
             printed material
                    Camp sites causing resource damage will be rehabilitated and
                    armored to prevent future damage.
                                   FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT 4
             Meet the adopted visual
             quality objectives (VQOs)
                    Analysis of alternatives indicate that no changes in VQOs will result
                    from these projects.
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
   STANDARD
    NUMBER
  SUBJECT SUMMARY
               in all land-disturbing
               activities over time
                COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
      RM-1
      RM-2
     RM-3
Design, construct and
operate recreation
facilities...use of facilities
will not prevent
attainment of Riparian
Management Objective.
                                Forest Plan Amendment 20 (PACF1SH)
Adjust dispersed and
developed recreation
practices...relocation of
facilities
Address attainment of
Riparian Management
Objectives
Decommission one-quarter mile of existing road in the bottom of
Relief Creek to prevent the expansion of dispersed recreation sites
and other disturbances in the lower portions of the Relief Creek
RHCA and confine dispersed camping to a small, limited area near
the main Crooked River road.
Trails 887 and  830 crossings of Box  Sing  Creek would be
reconstructed to reduce sediment. The current access prescription
for Trail 887 would be changed to restrict ATV use.  The trail tread
is 18" wide and does not accommodate ATV use,  but is open to
ATV's.
Approximately 1.5 miles of Road 9836 will  be converted from a
road to a motorized trail.  The project will install erosion control
structures to reduce the rutting and erosion occurring on this road.
The road/trail prism width will not change as the route is a portion
of the groomed snowmobile system and the current road width is
needed for the snowmobile grooming equipment.  Once converted
to a trail, this 1.5 mile section will be closed to highway vehicles.
NOTE:  Since the Forest Plan was signed, the  Visual Management System  has been  updated with
Agriculture Handbook 701 Landscape Aesthetics: A Handbook for Scenery Management, 1995 (AH-701).
The new system utilizes "Scenic Integrity Levels" (SIL) as an indicator of the landscape completeness, or
the degree of naturalness (AH-701,  p. 2-4).  Scenic integrity is a continuum ranging over five levels of
integrity from Very High to Very Low. For this analysis, terminology from the new handbook is used along
with the adopted or recommended VQOs

The following Forest Plan Standards for Recreation Management and Visual Resources do not
apply within the context of this project.

  TABLE 3.81 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR RECREATION AND VISUAL RESOURCES THAT DO NOT APPLY
STANDARD
NUMBER
1
2
5
7
8
9
10
SUBJECT SUMMARY
Develop and administer an operating plan, consistent with
management area goals, for each outfitter and, when appropriate, for
other recreation special use permittees.
Provide for appropriate access based on an evaluation of user needs
and a transportation analysis.
Encourage users to assist in the maintenance and development of
recreation sites and facilities.
Maintain seasonal access to wilderness portals
Encourage the private sector to help provide needed recreation sites,
services, and facilities.
Review the Forest Travel Plan annually 	 Designate areas for off-
road vehicle (ORV) 	 Manage ORV use to minimize resource
damage and to promote public safety.
Promote a "pack it in, pack it out" policy through signing and public
EXPLANATION
Project will not effect an special
use permits
No changes to access
prescriptions are planned
Sites or facilities are not being
planned - only existing site
resource damage to be reduced
Standard does not apply
No new sites, services or
facilities are being planned
Review of Forest Travel Plan is
a separate effort. ...Managing
ORV use to minimize resource
damage will continue as
declining budgets allow.
Policy is an ongoing effort
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
STANDARD
NUMBER

11
12
13
SUBJECT SUMMARY
education.
Evaluate the Nez Pence Trail for nomination to National Historic Trail
system.
Manage Papoose Cave as specified in "Management Standards for
Papoose Cave"
Continue to develop, support, and improve private and public
recreation and tourism programs.
EXPLANATION
separate from these projects
Only a short portion of the Nez
Perce Trail traverse the project
area
The Cave is not in the project
area
Policy is an ongoing effort
separate from these projects
                                    OSO3C3O8CSCS

 3.7.   WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS
 This analysis is limited to the impacts of the proposed action and alternatives on the suitability of
 South Fork of the Clearwater as a designated river under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

 3.7.1. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT

 WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT
 The Wild and Scenic River Act (Section 2(b)) specifies three  classification categories: Wild,
 scenic, and recreational. The potential classification of an eligible river is based on condition of
 the river, and the adjacent lands, as it existed at the time of assessment determination.

 The Nez Perce Forest Plan  (USDA  FS,.1987a)   determined that  the South Fork  of the
 Clearwater River be a candidate for study to be eligible under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

 Both  American and  Crooked Rivers in the project area flow into  the South Fork  of the
 Clearwater River.

TABLE 3.82 - WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO THE SOUTH FORK OF THE CLEARWATER
Attribute
Water Resource
Development
Shoreline
Development
Accessibility
Water Quality
Wild
Free of impoundment.
The presence of a few inconspicuous
structures, particularly those of historic or
cultural value. A limited amount of
domestic grazing or hay production. Little
or no evidence of past timber harvest. No
ongoing timber harvest.
Generally inaccessible except by trail. No
roads within the river corridor. A few
existing roads leading to the boundary of
river.
Meets or exceeds Federal criteria or
State standards for aesthetics; for
propagation of fish and wildlife; and for
recreation (swimming) except where
exceeded by natural conditions.
Recreational
Some existing impoundment or diversion.
Some development. Substantial evidence
of human activity. The presence of
residential development. Lands may have
been developed for a full range of
agricultural uses. May show evidence of
past and ongoing harvest.
Readily accessible by road. The
existence of parallel roads on one or both
banks as well as bridge crossings and
other river access points.
No criteria prescribed by the Wild &
Scenic Rivers Act. Rivers will not be
precluded from classification because of
water quality provided a water quality
improvement plan exists which is in
compliance with applicable Federal and
State laws.
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            American River/Crooked.River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT 1
 Forest  Plan  Amendment  1  changed Forest-wide standards for protecting streams eligible for
 inclusion in the Wild and Scenic River System.  Forest Standards outlined in Amendment 1
 were:

    1.   Maintain or enhance the recreation, visual, wildlife, fisheries, and water quality values of
        the existing and proposed Wild, Scenic, and Recreation Rivers.

    2.   No management activities will be carried out that would alter the eligibility or potential
        classification of study waterways.

    3.   The Wild and Scenic corridor is defined as an area extending the length of the river
        segment.  Boundaries may include adjacent areas needed to protect the resources or
        facilitate management of the river corridor.

    4.   In eligible  and existing wild  river  corridors, roads may occasionally bridge the river.
        Short stretches of conspicuous or long stretches of inconspicuous and well-screened
        roads could be allowed. Timber harvest can be allowed; however, the existing character
        and visual  condition  of the river corridor shall be maintained.  Special emphasis will be
        placed on visual quality for activities within seen areas outside of the river corridors. In
        eligible and existing recreational river corridors, roads are allowed.  Consideration will be
        given to the  type  of use  and protection of resource values within the river corridor.
        Timber harvest can be allowed; however, the existing character and visual condition of
        the immediate river corridor shall be maintained.

    5.   Existing  wild and  recreational rivers are closed to  mineral  entry.  Eligible  rivers  are
        subject to mineral exploration and claim location.  Mitigation and reclamation measures
        will be included in  approved plans to minimize surface disturbance, sedimentation,  and
        visual impairment to the extent possible under 36 CFR 228.'

    6.   Manage for recreation experiences in context with the existing or proposed designation,
        wild primitive or non-primitive  non-motorized, and recreation semi-primitive motorized or
        roaded natural.

    7.   Encourage participation and cooperation of public and private landholders in the study
        and implementation of river classification on non-National forest lands.

    8.   Cultural  resource surveys for location and  identification of significant  resources  are
       encouraged.

    9.   In the eligible river corridors, a  no surface occupancy stipulation will  be required in
        mineral leases.

    10.  In eligible river corridors, new dams, diversions, or hydroelectric power facilities will be
       prohibited  to  the  extent  of  Forest  Service  authority.   Existing  facilities  may  be
       maintained.

In 1989,  Associated Loggers Inc. appealed  Amendment  1  on  the  grounds that language
permitting expansion of river corridors beyond  %-mile from either bank of a stream was arbitrary
and vague.  The Forest conducted negotiations with the appellant and with American Rivers
Inc., at whose  request the amendment was made.  All  parties agreed  that the following
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
sentence  about  streamside corridors  would  be deleted from  Standard Number  3 in the
amendment:

   "Boundaries  may  include adjacent  areas needed to protect the  resources  or  facilitate
   management of the river corridor".

In 1991, a decision memo to revise Amendment #1 to the Nez Perce National Forest Plan was
approved. The revision was exactly the same as the original amendment except that the above
language was removed.

SUITABILITY STUDIES
A suitability study is an analysis of eligible rivers to determine the ones the Forest Service will
recommend  to Congress as additions to the National Wild and  River System.  Such studies
answer the questions:

   1.  What is the  best use of the river corridor?   Should the outstanding values be fully
       protected?

   2.  Assuming values are  to  be protected, what is the  best  method to protect the river
       corridor?

Suitability studies may be completed in several ways:

   1.  Separate site-specific studies for a particular river or group of rivers;

   2.  As part of a multi-resource landscape assessment;

   3.  As part of a multi-resource project analysis; or

   4.  In the draft Forest Planning process.

The  preferred  method of completing  a suitability study  is via  the  Forest Planning  process,
specifically:  "The preferred process is to proceed with determining suitability by completing a
river study in the draft forest plan.  An  alternative is to delay the suitability determination on
eligible rivers until a subsequent  separate study is carried out.  If this latter alternative is  used,
the forest plan must provide for protection of the river area until a decision is made as to the
future use of the river  and adjacent lands.  Unless the study process would be unduly delayed,
subsequent  study of eligible rivers may be coordinated with a  general revision of the forest
plan."

Rationale supporting that suitability studies are to be done as part of the revision of the Forest
Plan are:
   1.  Cost effectiveness;
   2.  Efficiency;
   3.  Customer Service;
   4.  Appeals;
   5.  Defines protection; and
   6.  Settles the question.
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 In February 2000, the Nez Perce National Forest submitted a report to the Northern  Regional
 Office stating that suitability studies of the Forest's eligible rivers  (including South Fork of the
 Clearwater) would  be conducted as  part of the  Forest  Plan revision  process.  Funding to
 complete these studies as part of the revision was also requested.

 Subsequently, a suitability study for South Fork of the Clearwater was not done as part of the
 American  and Crooked River  Project analysis.  However,  projects or activities identified in this
 FEIS  will  not  alter the eligibility  or potential  classification  of South Fork of the Clearwater
 (Revised Forest Plan Amendment #1; Standard #3).

 OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUES
 An eligible river is defined as "free flowing and possessing  natural and/or cultural features which
 are judged to be  outstanding  remarkable."  An  outstanding resource value must be a unique,
 rare, or exemplary feature that is significant at a comparative regional or national  scale   The
 outstanding resource values considered should:

    a.  Be located in the river or on its immediate shore lands (within %-mile  on either side of
        the river);

    b.  Contribute substantially to the functioning of the river ecosystem; or

    c.   Owe their location or existence to the presence of the river.

 Outstanding resource value features evaluated, when designating rivers,  include  but are not
 limited to:   Scenic,  recreational, cultural, geological,  fisheries,  wildlife, prehistoric  historic
 hydrologic, paleontologic, ecological, botanic, etc.

   TABLE 3.83 • OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUES APPLICABLE TO THE SOUTH FORK CLEARWATER RIVER
   Outstanding
    Resource
  Value Feature
                          Description of Features
     Scenic
The landscape element or landform, vegetation, water,  color, and related factors
result in notable or exemplary visual features and/or attractions.  Consider seasonal
variations  in vegetation,  scale  of cultural  modifications, and the length  of time
negative intrusions are viewed.  Scenery and visual attractions may  be highly
diverse over the majority of the river or river segment
    Fisheries
The river is nationally or regionally an important producer of or provides exceptional
habitat for resident and/or anadromous fish particularly wild stocks of TES specie;
    Geologic
 "he river or area within the river corridor contains example(s) of a geologic feature,
process, or phenomena that is rare, unusual, or unique to the region of comparison.
    Recreation
Recreational opportunities are unique  enough to  attract visitors from outside the
region.  Visitors are willing to travel long distances to use the river resources for
recreational purposes.
     Cultural
Prehistoric:  There is evidence of occupation or use by native Americans.  Sites
must have  rare or unusual  characteristics or exceptional human interest value.
Historic:  Contains  sites  or features associated  with  a significant  event,  and
important person, or cultural activity of the past that was rare or unusual.
The standards within revised Forest Plan Amendment 1, Federal and State laws (Endangered
Species  Act,  Cultural Resource Protection, etc.), and agency manual and  handbook policy
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
provide consistent management criteria for four outstanding resource values including fisheries,
geological,  recreational,  and  cultural.   However,  management  direction  for the  scenic
outstanding resource value is less clear.  It is well understood that activities that alter the scenic
values within the 1/4-mile corridor  cannot  occur.  Opinions vary on  managing visuals outside of
the corridor but which can still be observed from the corridor.
                 TABLE 3.84: MANAGEMENT DIRECTION FOR ELIGIBLE RIVERS
Scenic
Outstanding
Resource
Value
Definition
The
landscape
element or
landform,
vegetation
and related
factors result
in notable or
exemplary
visual features
and/or
attractions.
Forest Plan
Amendment #1
In eligible "Wild" river
corridors timber
harvest can be
allowed, however
special emphasis will
be placed on visual
quality for activities
within seen areas
outside of the river
corridors. Revision
explicitly removed the
language: "boundaries
may include adjacent
areas needed to
protect the resources
or facilitate mgt of the
river corridor".
Region 6 Letter
Scenery must be protected by
developing appropriate VQOs
to guide mgt within and outside
river corridors. Outside the
river corridor but within the
viewshed, management
discretion should be exercised
in determining the VQOs with
recognition of the national
status afforded by the
designation. Therefore if
scenery has been identified as
an Outstanding Resource
Value, this resource should be
protected within and as
appropriate outside the
corridor.
Upper Selway
Suitability Study
The visual resources
of the study areas
include the lands
within the 1/4- mile
corridor, as well as
some of the
adjoining lands that
are seen by users of
the study area.
These adjoining
seen areas become
important in the non-
wilderness study
area, because the
visual resource
could be affected by
other mgt activities.
Systematic
Approach to
Determine Eligibility
of Wild & Scenic
Rivers
Rare Scenic
Outstanding
Resource Value;
Views of landforms or
landscape, which is
highly unusual for the
region. Exemplary:
an especially good
example of a
landscape tvoical to
the region.
3.7.2.  ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
No developments or activities within the South  Fork of the Clearwater River Corridor will alter
the potential classification of the river into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system prior to a
suitability study.

No activities are proposed inside the river corridor.

ALTERNATIVE A (No ACTION)
None of the outstanding resource values associated with South Fork of the Clearwater River
would be affected under this alternative.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E
Effects originating outside the corridor such as minor sediment caused turbidity associated with
road building or decommissioning and vegetative treatment (fire and timber harvest) may occur.
The effect of such events  is  minimal and predicting  them is  difficult.  If such an event  did
happen, impacts would occur primarily to the fisheries and visual resources but would be short-
lived.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 GEOLOGIC OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUE
 Since no activities that could alter geologic features, such as road building, would occur within
 the South Fork Clearwater corridor, this outstanding resource values would not be affected.

 RECREATION OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUE
 Forest Plan direction (Amendment 1) outlines recreation within eligible recreation rivers to be
 managed  for a  semi-primitive motorized  or roaded natural recreation  opportunity spectrum
 (ROS).   Recreational activities outlined  in the alternatives would consist of hardening and
 stabilizing existing recreational sites.  Such activities would not push the recreation opportunity
 spectrum beyond roaded natural.

 FISHERIES OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUE
 Standards and regulation associated with listed species (salmon and steelhead) would ensure
 this  outstanding  resource value as  outlined  in  Forest Plan Amendment  1 would  not be
 compromised. For further discussion  refer to Section 3.3 - Fisheries.

 CULTURAL OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUE
 There would be  no adverse impacts  to cultural resources within the  corridor  cultural resource
 standards provided through existing state and federal laws would ensure  necessary protection.
 Refer to Section 3.9. - Heritage within this chapter.

 SCENIC OUTSTANDING RESOURCE VALUE
 There would be  no  impacts to scenic outstanding resource values within  the  South Fork
 Clearwater River corridor.

 3.7.3. SUMMARY
 No activities are proposed within or adjacent to the 1/2-mile eligible river corridor.  Therefore this
 project will  not pose any threats to outstanding resource values identified  for South Fork of the
 Clearwater River.

 Visual quality objectives outside the corridor will  also meet Forest  Plan objectives ensuring
 views of the landscape or landforms retain necessary attributes.

 Implementation of activities within any of the alternatives will  not alter the potential classification
 of South Fork of the Clearwater River  into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

 FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE
The following Forestwide Standards for Wild, Scenic, and Recreation Rivers Resources., from
among those listed on page II- 28/29  of the Nez Perce National Forest Plan and Amendment
#1 page 2, apply to this project and will be met as follows:
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 TABLE 3.85 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - WILD, SCENIC, AND RECREATION RIVERS RESOURCES
STANDARD
NUMBER
1
2
3
4
SUBJECT SUMMARY
Maintain or enhance the recreation, visual, wildlife,
fisheries, and water quality values of the existing and
proposed "Wild", "Scenic", and "Recreation" Rivers.
No management activities will be carried out that would
alter the potential classification of study waterways.
Impoundments are not permitted.
Generally, no management practices are scheduled in the
waterway corridors that are normally defined as the seen
area up to 1/4 mile either side of the channel.
New road construction and timber harvest are excluded in
"Wild" River corridors, and very limited in "Scenic" and
"Recreation" River corridors.
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
Analysis of alternatives indicates that no
changes to existing or proposed "Wild",
"Scenic", and "Recreation" Rivers will
occur.
Analysis of alternatives indicates that
management activities in the alternatives
will not alter potential classification of study
waterways.
Neither project is in any waterway corridor,
% mile either side of the channel.
Neither project is in any W&SR waterway
corridor.
The following Forest Plan Standards for Wild, Scenic, and Recreation Rivers Resources do not
apply within the context of this project.

     TABLE 3.86 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR WILD, SCENIC, AND RECREATION RIVERS
                           RESOURCES THAT DO NOT APPLY
STANDARD
NUMBER
5
6
7
8
9
10
SUBJECT SUMMARY
Existing "Wild" and "Recreation" Rivers are closed to
mineral entry. Study rivers are subject to mineral
exploration. Mitigation and reclamation measures will be
included in any approved plans. Prior to mineral
development, a study shall be completed to determine
final classification or release.
Manage for recreation experiences in context with the
existing proposed designation. "Wild" - primitive or
semiprimitive nonmotorized. "Scenic" - semiprimitive
motorized or semiprimitive nonmotorized. "Recreation" -
semiprimitive motorized or roaded natural.
Encourage participation and cooperation of public and
private landholders in the study and implementation of
river classification on non-National Forest lands.
Cultural resource surveys for location and identification of
significant resources are encouraged.
In the eligible wild, scenic or recreational river corridors, a
no surface- occupancy stipulation will be required in
mineral leases.
In eligible and existing "wild," "scenic," and "recreational"
river corridors, new dams, diversions, or hydroelectric
power facilities will be prohibited to the extent of Forest
Service authority. Existing facilities may be maintained.
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
Standard does not apply to projects
Standard does not apply to projects
Standard does not apply to projects
See Section 3.9. - Heritage
Standard does not apply to projects
Standard does not apply to projects
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement



 3.8.   TRANSPORTATION

 INTRODUCTION

 SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
 The focus of this analysis is the transportation system, which consists of both the road and trail
 systems, within the American River and Crooked River analysis areas. Each  analysis area is
 addressed separately. The current state of the transportation system is presented, followed by
 discussions of the changes resulting from the proposed action alternatives.

 Two indicators,  miles of road and  miles of trails,  are used to track  the  effects on the
 transportation  system resulting from the proposed action alternatives. The indicator miles of
 road includes road decommissioning, with corresponding travel access changes, temporary
 road construction and road reconditioning. Miles  of trails includes both summer trails  and
 winter snowmobile trails.

 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

 NATIONAL POLICY:
 Federal regulations at 36 CFR, part 212, provide direction regarding administration of the forest
 transportation system. These regulations require development of a transportation plan for each
 forest.  The plans provide  for the  construction, maintenance, and management  of forest
 transportation- facilities for the  protection, administration,  development,  and  multiple-use
 management of federally owned lands and resources, served.

 Forest Service Manual (FSM) 7710 (USDA FS, 2003e) establishes transportation system policy
 related to disclosure and decision-making issues required by the National Environmental Policy
 Act (NEPA). This policy includes requirements to perform an  area transportation analysis,  and
 to document road management objectives that include  design, operation, and maintenance
 criteria.

 Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 7709.55 (USDA FS, 1988b) defines transportation planning as
 the interdisciplinary process  of identifying access needed to effectively and  efficiently meet
 management objectives for a defined area.  For project planning, transportation analysis is used
 to identify and address needed changes in road management objectives.

 The Federal "Road Management Policy" published in the Federal Register on January 12, 2001,
 (insert citation) further defines agency policy  regarding transportation systems. Terminology
 changes announced in the policy reflect the agency's emphasis on maintaining environmentally
 sound access. Additional elements of the policy direct agency officials to identify the minimum
 transportation system needed to administer and protect National Forest System lands, and to
 document this system through the use of road management objectives.

 The Road  Management Policy requires the use of a  science-based  analysis  to identify  the
 needed  transportation facilities.(insert citation)  In an  effort  to preserve "flexibility to further
 describe science-based transportation analysis in conjunction with other ecosystem analyses,
 and to adjust the process in  response to new scientific knowledge of road and  resource
 management interactions," a  specific analysis  process was not  prescribed  through the policy.
While the policy does not establish a specific process as  the standard to be used, the agency
 has produced a document entitled "Roads Analysis:  Informing Decisions About Managing  the
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
National  Forest Transportation System" (USDA FS,  1999e) that is to  be used unless an
alternative is approved by the Deputy Chief of the Forest Service.

NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST PLAN
The Nez Perce Forest Plan (USDA FS,  1987a) contains guidance related to access and travel
management.  The primary transportation-related goal identified in the Forest Plan is to provide
a  stable  and  cost-efficient  transportation system   through  construction,  reconstruction,
maintenance, or transportation system management. The Forest  Plan also includes direction to
provide for standardized access prescriptions and to document travel management as part of
the decision making process.

The Record of Decision for the Forest Plan provides guidance related to access management
decision-making.  It specifies that if we cannot justify leaving a new road open, it will be closed
or restricted.  Forest Plan Amendment 2 provides further clarification by incorporating Appendix
Q,  which identifies  how  motorized  recreation and  road access  is to  be managed, by
Management  Area, and  specifies that roads would  be  considered open,  unless  signed
otherwise.

Forest Plan Amendment 20 (PACFISH) contains additional requirements related to road system
management  and recreation  management.  The amendment requires us to document road
management  objectives, minimize sediment delivery  from  roads, reconstruct roads where
needed to protect aquatic resources, provide for adequate flow  capacity  at culvert crossings,
and  provide for fish passage.  We must also ensure that recreation facilities and their use does
not  retard  or  prevent  attainment of Riparian  Management  Objectives  or adversely  affect
anadromous fish.

ANALYSIS METHODS
The roads information used in the development of the action alternatives was obtained from the
Forest's Infrastructure database (INFRA) and from field survey  data not previously stored in
INFRA. All of the roads proposed for decommissioning  as part of this project were identified in
a roads analysis conducted as part of this project. The roads were determined to be not needed
for future management of National Forest system lands within the analysis areas. The road
data from INFRA is in the form of road management objectives and is presented in tabular form
in  Appendix F.   Issues raised  both internally and during the public scoping  period were
considered in  the  development of the  alternatives.  Spatial data is  displayed  using  maps
generated with ArcGIS software.

3.8.1. AMERICAN RIVER

3.8.1.1.   INDICATOR 1 - MILES OF ROAD

EXISTING CONDITION
To aid in describing the current state of the road system, road management objectives for each
road are presented in tabular form in Appendix F.  Road management objectives  describe the
design, maintenance, and operational characteristics of a road.

A few road management objectives that  are of particular interest  to most users are the access
prescription code and the objective maintenance level.  Access prescription codes are used to
designate the extent to which access is allowed by  various modes of travel.  Current access
prescription codes, as well as code definitions, for the roads in the American River and Crooked
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River analysis areas are presented in  Appendix F.   In general, access restrictions on forest
roads are established for the purpose of protecting forest resources or wildlife habitat.

The objective maintenance level assigned to a particular road dictates the type and degree of
maintenance the road receives.  This term also provides an indication of the relative ease with
which a road can be traveled with various  types of vehicles.  The  maintenance levels range
between 1 and 5.  Maintenance level 1 applies to roads that are closed to all vehicular traffic
and  receive only a  minimal  degree  of maintenance.   On the other hand,  roads with a
maintenance level 5 designation receive  the highest degree  of maintenance and provide the
user with the highest degree of travel comfort.  Objective maintenance levels for the roads in the
American River and Crooked  River analysis areas are presented in Appendix F.  There are
approximately 66 miles of inventoried road in the American River portion of the analysis  area.
All of these road miles are under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service. The following four tables
summarize the current state of the road system within American River analysis area in the form
of road management objectives.  Refer to  Appendix F for definitions of these road management
objectives.

          TABLE 3.87 - CURRENT ACCESS PRESCRIPTIONS - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
Access Prescription Code
Open
Y-2
Y-3
Y-4
B
Length of Road (Miles)
6.2
5.0
32.2
21.3
1.8
Percent of Total Road Miles
9.4
7.5
48.4
32.0
2.7
          TABLE 3.88 - OBJECTIVE MAINTENANCE LEVELS - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
Objective Maintenance Level
1
2
3
D
Length of Road (Miles)
57.4
1.0
6.1
1.8
Percent of Total Road Miles
86.4
1.6
9.2
2.7
              TABLE 3.89 - TRAFFIC SERVICE LEVELS - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
Traffic Service Levels
C
D
NA
Length of Road (Miles)
18.1
46.5
1.8
Percent of Total Road Miles
27.3
70.0
2.7
               TABLE 3.90 - ROAD SURFACE TYPE - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
Road Surface Type
Aggregate
Native Material
Length of Road (Miles)
28.8
37.6
Percent of Total Road Miles
43.4
56.6
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 Regarding access prescription codes, of particular interest to many is highway vehicle access
 on roads. For the American River analysis area, the Open access prescription code is the only
 code that allows access with highway vehicles. Currently, 9.4 percent of the total miles of road
 are open to highway vehicles.  Access on the remaining length of road is restricted year-round
 for the reasons stated previously in this section.  Refer to map 12a for a display of roads in the
 American River analysis area that are open either year-round or seasonally to highway vehicles.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

 ALTERNATIVE A-No ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 With Alternative A, the road system, including the road management objectives, in the American
 River analysis area would change little from its current state.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 ROAD DECOMMISSIONING

 All roads proposed  for decommissioning under these alternatives were analyzed in  a roads
 analysis that was completed as part of this project. The analysis identified the roads proposed
 for decommissioning as not required for future management needs. These roads were selected
 for decommissioning primarily because of the resulting benefit to watershed health by returning
 the landscape to a more natural state.  Refer to Appendix F for a list of the roads proposed for
 decommissioning by alternative in the American River analysis area, and Appendix D for the
 method of decommissioning recommended for each of these roads.  Refer to maps 2a, 3a, 4a,
 5a, and 6a for graphic displays of the roads proposed for decommissioning.  A summary of the
 costs associated with the proposed road decommissioning is presented in Section 3.12. - Socio-
 Economic.

 The  physical process, or method, of decommissioning (referred to as decommissioning level in
 Appendix D) depends on the condition of the road template, the magnitude of the side slope on
 which the road is located, the proximity of the road to streams, and cost.  This process can
 range from simply abandoning the road to removing the road template completely, including
 removal  of drainage structures  and recontouring the landscape.   In general, the preferred
 method is to  remove the  road template and  recontour the landscape.  This  method is most
 effective  in removing the  road as a source of sediment and restoring  the  natural-  hydrologic
 function of the watershed.  It is, however,  the most  costly  method.  If the road is located on
 relatively flat terrain, is not close to a stream, and is substantially overgrown  with  vegetation,
 abandonment may be a better option.

 In addition to the two decommissioning methods just discussed, there is a category used in
 Appendix D to describe an intermediate level of decommissioning.  This category, called Varied
 (for  varied  treatments), can  include removal of  drainage  structures,  decompaction of the
 roadbed,  or a combination  of both.  If the roadbed is decompacted, seed and fertilizer would be
 applied to reestablish vegetative cover.  The Varied category can also include limited amounts
 of abandonment or recontouring.

 There is  public concern regarding unauthorized  incursions on decommissioned roads.  For
 roads that have been obliterated, the location where the road had previously existed is generally
well camouflaged through the obliteration process and is no longer recognizable as a road.  As
a result, unauthorized incursions are less likely.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 There is generally  not a significant concern with unauthorized incursions on roads that are
 decommissioned through abandonment.   As  stated  previously,  abandonment  is typically
 selected in cases where a road is substantially grown over with vegetation.  This condition
 indicates a lack of past vehicular  traffic.  Where we might reasonably expect to experience
 problems with unauthorized incursions, we would take steps to camouflage the entrances to the
 road.  Recontouring the road at an  entrance and for a distance in from the entrance, or placing
 natural barriers such as logs and branches are typical methods  for camouflaging entrances to
 roads.

 Road management  objectives for only the roads proposed for decommissioning in each of these
 alternatives would change.  The road  management objective of primary interest to  most road
 users is the access  prescription code, which would change a year-round restriction to use by all
 modes of travel, except travel by  foot.   The following table summarizes the length of road
 proposed for decommissioning, as  well as the effect of the decommissioning on travel access,
 for each alternative.

  TABLE 3.91 - ROAD  DECOMMISSIONING AND CORRESPONDING ACCESS CHANGE - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
Item
Road Length Decommissioned (mi)
Road Open to Highway Vehicles (mi)
Decrease in Access with Highway
Vehicles (mi)
Alternative
B
4.9
6.2
0
Alternative
C
7.5
6.2
0
Alternative
D1
8.4
6.2
0
Alternative
E
19.5
6.2
0
 For each alternative, there is no change in travel access with highway vehicles, because all of
 the road miles proposed for decommissioning are currently closed to highway vehicles.

 ROAD RECONDITIONING AND TEMPORARY ROAD CONSTRUCTION

 Field  surveys were conducted to determine the condition of the roads in the analysis area and
 the maintenance needs required to prepare the roads for access to the treatment areas.  These
 maintenance needs were placed into three categories, depending on the level of work effort
 required:     minor   reconstruction/maintenance,  moderate   reconstruction,   and  major
 reconstruction.  The primary difference between these categories is the amount of earthwork
 involved.

 Minor Reconstruction/Maintenance:  This category requires the least  level of work effort.  It
 involves grading  and shaping of the roadway and  minor drainage work (such as adding
 waterbars and replacing or adding a few culverts, generally not on live streams).

 Moderate  Reconstruction:    In  addition  to  the  activities  considered  under  minor
 reconstruction/maintenance, moderate reconstruction  may involve the  use of a  bulldozer  to
 clear  a  heavily brushed-in roadway (the bulldozer would remove  the earth to a greater depth
than simply grading the road surface), significant  drainage work (including the replacement  of
 culverts at live water crossing), and some widening along the road (not continuous).
 Miles of road listed for alternative D are associated with required projects only. With additional projects
added, the road miles are the same as alternative E.
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Major Reconstruction:   In addition to the activities considered  under the previous two
categories, major reconstruction may involve widening or realigning much of the length of a road
or substantial replacement  of drainage structures.   These  activities typically result  in new
cutslopes, fillslopes, or surfacing.
The roadwork proposed with the action alternatives would be  done either to prepare a road for
timber hauling or to improve the environmental health of the watershed. There is some overlap,
however, in that some of the road work needed for timber hauling would also benefit watershed
health.  The roadwork needed to prepare roads for timber hauling is the primary focus of this
section.  Refer to Section 3.2. - Watershed for further discussion of the roadwork proposed for
the purpose of watershed health improvement and Appendix D for descriptions and locations of
this roadwork.

No  permanent,  new road  construction  is  proposed with  any of the  action alternatives.
Temporary roads  would  be constructed where needed for  access to  treatment areas.  All
temporary roads would be decommissioned no later than three years after initial construction.
Refer to Chapter 2 for additional information regarding  measures for mitigating the effects of
temporary road construction.  The following table summarizes the roadwork required for timber
hauling and the temporary road construction by alternative.  Refer to  Section  3.12.  - Socio-
Economic for  a  summary of the costs associated with  the proposed roadwork, including  the
construction and subsequent decommissioning of temporary roads.

         TABLE 3.92  - ROADWORK ACTIVITY BY ALTERNATIVE - AMERICAN RIVER ROADS
Activity
Minor Reconstruction/Maintenance (mi)
Moderate Reconstruction (mi)
Major Reconstruction (mi)
Temporary Road Construction (mi)
Alternative B
25.0
3.7
1.5
3.6
Alternative C
24.6
4.5
1.7
8.1
Alternative D
26.0
6.2
1.7
8.1
Alternative E
21.2
3.7
0.9
1.9
3.8.1.2.  INDICATOR 2 - MILES OF TRAILS

EXISTING CONDITION
Historically,  trails in the area were  primarily developed for access to mining claims, private
lands, fire suppression activities and Forest Service administrative uses. Most trails were built
to accommodate pack and saddle stock, and were the primary access routes in the American
River drainage.

Currently, the majority of the trail system is utilized  for recreational purposes.   There are
approximately 32.5 miles of system trails within the American River portion of the project area.
The Boundary National Recreation  Trail  (NRT) is located on the  north-east  project area
boundary.  This trail is built to ATV  standards and both motorized and non-motorized users
enjoy the scenic area.  Portions of the NRT were utilized as a fireline for the Slim's fire in 2003.
During the summer of 2004,  work was completed to restore the trail to the  design standard for
ATV use, including the installation of additional  drainage structures.  In the remainder of the
American  River portion of  the  project  area,  system trails are primarily used  by ATV(s),
motorbikes, hikers, and pack/saddle stock.

The following table displays  the system trails in  the American River project area, their length,
current management objective and restrictions:
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                      TABLE 3.93- SYSTEM TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
TRAIL
NUMBER
509
510
830
831
832
835
836
846
848
852
887
Trail Name
Otto
Flint Creek
Kirk's Fork
Flatiron
Ridge
East Fork
American
River
Boundary
Trail NRT
American
River
Lower
Kirk's Fork
Red Horse
Ridge
Lower East
Fork
American
River
Box Sing
TOTAL MILES
In project area
Trail Length
6.0 miles
(1 mile in project area)
5.5 miles
(all within project area)
6.0 miles
(1 .5 miles in project area)
2.5 miles
(all miles in project area)
7.7 miles
(.5 miles in project area)
(5.7 miles in project area)
(Total 6.2 miles in project
area)
9.5 miles
(7.0 miles in project area)
12.0 miles
(2 miles in project area)
3.0. miles
(all within project area)
3.0 miles
(2 miles in project area)
2.0 miles
(1/4 miles within project
area)
1.6 miles
(all within project area)
32.5
Current Management Objective/Restriction
Open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to highway
vehicles. Managed for motorbike and snowmobile uses
Closed to all motorized vehicles, except snowmobiles over
snow. Managed for pack and saddle use
Closed to highway vehicles and ATV's. Open to trail bikes
and snowmobiles. Managed for pack and saddle and
motorbike use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to highway
vehicles. Managed for pack and saddle and motorbike
use.
From junction with Trail 835 to junction with Trail 831,
open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to highway
vehicles. Managed for ATV use.
From Trail 831 junction to Trail 510 junction, Closed to all
motorized uses. Managed for pack and saddle stock.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to highway
vehicles. Managed for ATV use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles. Managed for pack
and saddle use:
Open to all motorized trail vehicles. Managed for ATV
use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles. Managed for pack
and saddle use.
No restrictions. Managed for hiker use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles. Managed for pack
and saddle and motorbike use

Depending on trail budgets, generally these trails receive trail opening and maintenance either
annually or every other year.

Of the 32.5 miles of trail within the American River project area, the following table displays the
number of miles open to different trail users:

           TABLE 3.94 - MILES OF TRAILS OPEN TO TRAIL USERS - AMERICAN RIVER
Open to ATV
19.55 miles
Open to Motorcycles
21. 05 miles
Open to Foot and Horse
32.5 miles
Open to Snowmobiles
26.55 miles
There is an increasing demand from user groups for motorized trail opportunities.  Motorized
uses are increasing in the area.  Most of the existing trail system was designed for pack and
saddle stock or 2-wheeled motorized vehicles.  Unauthorized ATV use is currently occurring on
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Trails 510 and 830.  The increased use of 4-wheelers is widening these trails, which is causing
resource damage.

The winter trail system uses  portions  of the road system to provide a network of groomed
snowmobile trails.  This system is groomed regularly between December and April under a
cooperative agreement between Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Idaho County and
the Nez Perce Forest. The American River project area portion of this groomed system is 7.2
miles (Road 443 - American  River-Selway Falls),  and connects with  the Newsome  Creek
drainage, other portions of the American River drainage, Clearwater, Kooskia, Red River and
Dixie communities, providing a network of groomed snowmobile trails.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

The number of miles of trails  available to the public would not change under this alternative.
However, the ability to use the trail system may be physically restricted without an increase in
user maintenance efforts due to limited Agency funding for trail maintenance

As dead and dying trees fall across the  system trails, trail maintenance costs will likely increase
due to the increase in the number of  trees down  per  mile.   Even with annual  maintenance
occurring, it will be likely the trail users will need to be prepared to cut trees in order to utilize the
trail system.

Wildlife  occurrence  would increase  the cost of trail maintenance.  Trail  damage from fire
normally results in holes in the trail tread due to tree roots burning out; increase erosion due to
the lack of vegetation resulting  in the need for more erosion control structures; and increase in
the number of down trees over the  trail.  Signs and erosion control devices will need to be
replaced due to fire damage.

ALTERNATIVES

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM

Existing trail-related activities and use within the analysis area would remain the same.

Under this alternative, seven harvest units lie across Trails 510, 830, 831, 832 and 848  and
seven units are close or adjacent to these same trails.  One temporary road crosses Trail  510
and there are two temporary road crossings of Trail 848. These locations are summarized on
the following table:
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
          TABLE 3.95 - ALTERNATIVE B HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
Number

830
831
832
848
Units Across Trail
156 & 169
130
505.1, 503.9 & 505.9
510

Units Adjacent or
Close to Trail
523


506 & 507
116, 117, 121 &122
Temporary Road Crossing of Trail
Road accessing Unit 156



Access to Unit 121 off Rd 9832 and Unit 113
access off Rd 9832A
 Removal of the forest canopy through harvest activity will change the character of the trail as it
 goes through the harvest units.  The harvest activity will open up vistas from the trails in units
 that are across or adjacent to the trails.  Trail mitigation measures incorporated into the project
 design will minimize impacts to the trails.

 During harvest activity along trails, alternative trail access can be provided as follows:

    •  Trail 831 - Trail 830 can provide alternate access except for ATV use.

    •  Trail 510 - Road 9812 from the junction with Road 443 to the SW % of section 26 would
       provide an alternate temporary trailhead to avoid the section of Trail  510 with harvest
       units.

    •  Trail 830 - Road 1810 to the SW % of Section 8 would provide a temporary trailhead to
       avoid the section of Trail 830 with harvest units.

    •  Trails 832 and 848 -  No apparent alternative  routes  are available during  harvest
       activities.

    •  Trails 509, 835, 836, 846, 852 and 887 are not affected by any harvest activity.

 Under the Restoration Package  (Appendix D) for this alternative

    •  Trail 848 would be evaluated for potential improvement needs.  The trail was designed
       for pack and saddle stock use and current uses include ATV's.

    •  Trails 887 and  830 crossings of  Box Sing Creek would be reconstructed to reduce
       sediment.  The current access prescription for Trail  887 would be changed to restrict
       ATV use.  The trail tread is 18" wide and does not accommodate ATV use, but is open to
       ATV's.  This would reduce the number of miles of trail open to ATV from 19.55 to 17.95
       miles.

SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM

Nine harvest units lie adjacent  to Road 443, a groomed snowmobile route.  These are Units
151, 151.3, 151.2, 154, 530, 534, 536, 537  and 163.  Some  of these units will contribute to
future play-areas for snowmobiles until such time as regeneration is re-established.

Due to the position of Unit 536  on the slope  and its relation  to the groomed route, there is an
increased  risk  of drifting snow accumulating on the groomed route in this location.  This could
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 result in the need for the placement or construction of a  snow  drift fence to reduce the
 accumulation of snow on the trail.

 During harvest activity, if winter hauling occurs on Road 443,  it would need to be restricted for
 snowmobiling during timber sale  activities.  This would result in a short-term reduction in the
 number of miles of snowmobile trail available for use (7.2 miles).  The American River-Selway
 River Divide  portion of the groomed  system could be accessed for snowmobile  use via the
 Erickson Ridge/Table Meadows Road  283, and Elk Summit Road 1199.

 Under work proposed  with the  restoration package,  it is recommended the access prescription
 for Trail 887 be changed from  open to A TV use to closed to ATV use.  The trail has an 18-
 inch tread allowance, which does not  accommodate ATVs. ATV use has not been established
 on the trail.  The trail would remain open  for foot, stock, and motorcycle use.  Closing Trail 887
 to ATV use would not  restrict existing  use, but would reflect a reduction (under this alternative)
 in the number of miles  of trail open to ATVs by 1.6 miles, as displayed in Table 3.99.

 ALTERNATIVE C

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM

 Under this alternative, twelve harvest units lie across Trails  510,  830, 831, 832 and  848 and
 nine units are close or adjacent to these  same trails. A temporary road crosses Trail  510 and
 Trail 832 once, a temporary road is adjacent to Trail  830, and Trail 848 is crossed by temporary
 roads twice.  These locations are summarized on the'following  table:

         TABLE 3.96 - ALTERNATIVE C HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
Trail
Number
510
830
831
832
848
Units Across
Trail
156 & 169
130
503, 503.9 &
505.1,510
509,510,
510.9, 512 &
513
112
Units Adjacent or
Close to Trail

128 & 129
505, 506 & 507
506 & 507
116, 117, 121 &
122
Temporary Road Crossing of Trail
Road accessing Unit 156
At corner of Units 130 and 129

Accessing Units 509, 510.9, 512 & 513 one
crossing
Access to Unit 113 from junction with Rd
9832A and Access to Unit 121 & 122 off Rd
9832
The harvest activity will change the character of trails going through the units as the canopy is
removed.  The  harvest activity will open up  vistas  from  the trails where units are across or
adjacent  to the trails.   Trail  mitigation  measures  incorporated into  the  project design will
minimize  impacts to the trails.

During harvest activity along trails, alternative trail access can be provided as follows:

   •  Trail 831  - Trail 830 can provide alternate access except for ATV use.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
    •  Trail 510 - Road 9812 from the junction with Road 443 to the SW %  of section 26 would
       provide an alternate temporary trailhead to avoid the section of Trail 510 with harvest
       units.

    •  Trail 830 - Road 1810 to the SW 1/4 of Section 8 would provide a temporary trailhead to
       avoid the section of Trail 830 with harvest units.

    •  Trails  832 and 848  -  No apparent alternative routes are available during harvest
       activities.

    •  Trails 509, 835, 836, 846, 852 and 887 are not affected by any harvest activity

 Under the Restoration Package (Appendix D) for this alternative:

    •  Trail 848 would be evaluated for potential improvement needs.  The trail was designed
       for pack and saddle stock use and current uses include ATV's.

    •  Trails 887 and 830 crossings of Box Sing  Creek would be reconstructed to reduce
       sediment.  The current access prescription for Trail 887 would be  changed to restrict
       ATV use.  The trail  tread is  18" wide and does not accommodate ATV use,  but is open to
       ATV's. This would reduce the number of miles of trail open to ATV from 19.55 to  17.95
       miles

 SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM

 Five harvest units lie adjacent to Road 443 groomed snowmobile route.  These are Units 151,
 151.2, 151.3, 154 and 163.   Some of these  units  will  contribute to future play-areas for
 snowmobiles until such time as regeneration  is re-established.

 During harvest activity, if winter hauling occurs on Road  443, it would need to be restricted for
 snowmobiling during timber sale activities.  This would result in a short-term reduction  in the
 number of miles of snowmobile trail available for use (7.2 miles). The American  River-Selway
 River divide  portion of the groomed system could  be accessed for snowmobile use via the
 Erickson Ridge/Table Meadows Road 283, and Elk Summit  Road 1199.

 Under work proposed with the restoration package, it is recommended the access prescription
 for Trail 887  be changed from open to ATV use to  closed to ATV use. The trail has an 18-
 inch tread allowance, which does not accommodate ATV's. ATV use has not been established
 on the trail.  The trail would remain open for foot, stock, and motorcycle uses. Closing Trail 887
 to ATV use would not restrict existing use, but would reflect a reduction (under this alternative)
 in the number of miles of trail open  to ATVs by 1.6 miles, as displayed in Table 3..99.

 ALTERNATIVE D

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM

 Under this alternative, 15 harvest  units lie across Trails  510, 830, 831,  832 and 848 and ten
 units are close or adjacent to these same trails.  There a temporary road crossing  once each of
 Trail 510 and Trail 832, a temporary road is  adjacent to Trail 830, and Trail 848 is crossed by
temporary roads twice.  These locations are summarized on the following table:
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
         TABLE 3.97 - ALTERNATIVE D, HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
Trail
Number
510
830
831
832
848
Units Across Trail
156 & 169
130
501,503,503.9,
504505.1 &510
509,510,510.9,
512&513
112
Units Adjacent or
Close to Trail
523
128 & 129
505, 506 & 507
506 & 507
116, 117, 121 & 122
Temporary Road Crossing of Trail
Road accessing Unit 156
Adjacent to trail at corner of Units 130
and 129

Accessing Units 509, 510.9, 512 & 513
one crossing
Access to Unit 1 13 from junction with
Rd 9832A and Access to Unit 121 &
122 off Rd 9832
 The harvest activity will change the character of the trail as it goes through the harvest units as
 the canopy is removed.  The harvest activity will open up vistas from the trails where units are
 across or adjacent to the trails.  Trail mitigation measures incorporated into the project design
 will minimize impacts to the trails.

 During harvest activity along trails, alternative trail access can be provided as follows:

    •  Trail 831  - Trail 830 can provide alternate access except for ATV use.

    •  Trail 510 - Road 9812 from the junction with Road 443 to the SW % of section 26 would
       provide an alternate temporary trailhead to avoid the  section of Trail 510 with harvest
       units.

    •  Trail 830 - Road 1810 to the SW % of Section 8 would provide a temporary trailhead to
       avoid the section of Trail 830 with harvest units.

    •  Trails 832 and 848 -  No apparent alternative routes  are  available  during harvest
       activities.

    •  Trails 509, 835, 836, 846, 852 and 887 are not affected by any harvest activity

 Under the Restoration Package (Appendix D) for this alternative:

    •  Trail 848 would be evaluated for potential improvement needs.  The trail was designed
       for pack and saddle stock use and current uses include ATV's.

    •  Trails 887 and 830  crossings of Box  Sing Creek would be reconstructed to reduce
       sediment. The current access prescription for Trail 887 would be changed to restrict
       ATV use.  The trail tread is 18" wide and does not accommodate ATV use, but is open to
       ATV's. This would reduce the number of miles of trail open to ATV  from 19.55 to 17.95
       miles (1.6 miles less).

SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM

Ten  harvest units lie adjacent to Road 443 groomed snowmobile route.  These are Units  151,
151.2, 151.3, 154, 163,  530, 531, 534, 536 and 537.  Some  of these units will contribute to
future play-areas for snowmobiles until such time as regeneration is re-established.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 During harvest activity, if winter hauling occurs on Road 443, it would need to be restricted for
 snowmobiling during timber sale activities.  This would result in a short-term reduction in the
 number of miles of snowmobile trail available for use (7.2 miles).  The American River-Selway
 River divide  portion  of the groomed system could be accessed for  snowmobile  use via the
 Erickson Ridge/Table Meadows Road 283, and Elk Summit Road 1199.

 Due to the position of Unit 536 on  the slope and its relation to the groomed route, there is an
 increased risk of drifting snow accumulating on the groomed  route in this location.  This could
 result in the need for the placement  or  construction  of a  snow drift fence to  reduce the
 accumulation of snow on the trail.

 Under work proposed with the restoration package, it is recommended the access prescription
 for Trail 887 be changed from open to A TV use to closed to ATV use.  The trail has  an 18-
 inch tread allowance, which does not accommodate ATV's. ATV use has not been established
 on the trail.  The trail  would remain open for foot, stock, and motorcycle uses. Closing Trail 887
 to ATV use would not restrict  existing use,  but would reflect a reduction (under this alternative)
 in the number of miles of trail open to ATVs by 1.6 miles, as displayed in Table 3.99.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM

 Under this alternative, two harvest units  lie across Trails 510 and five units are close or adjacent
 to these  same  trails.  There  is one temporary road crossing  Trail 510.  These locations are
 summarized on the following table:

         TABLE 3.98 - ALTERNATIVE E, HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - AMERICAN RIVER
Trail
Number
510
831
832
848
Units Across Trail
156 & 169



Units Adjacent or
Close to Trail
523
505,506, & 507
506 & 507
115
Temporary Road Crossing of Trail
Road accessing Unit 156



The harvest activity will change the character of the trail as it goes through the harvest units as
the canopy is removed.  The harvest activity will open up vistas from the trails where units are
across or adjacent to the trails.  Trail  mitigation measures incorporated into the project design
will minimize impacts to the trails.

During harvest activity along trails, alternative trail access can be provided as follows:

    •   Trail  831 - Trail 830 can provide alternate access except for ATV use.

    •   Trail  510 - Road 9812 from the junction with Road 443 to the SW %  of section 26 would
       provide an alternate temporary trailhead to avoid the section of Trail 510 with harvest
       units.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
    •   Trail 830 - Road 1810 to the SW % of Section 8 would provide a temporary trailhead to
       avoid the section of Trail 830 with harvest units.

    •   Trails 832 and 848  -  No  apparent  alternative routes are available during harvest
       activities.

    •   Trails 509, 830, 835, 836,  846,  852 and 887 are not directly affected by any harvest
       activity.

 Under the Restoration Package (Appendix D) for this alternative:

    •   Trail 848 would be  evaluated for potential improvement needs.  The trail was designed
       for pack and  saddle stock use and current uses

    •  .Trails 887 and 830 crossings of Box  Sing  Creek would be reconstructed to  reduce
       sediment.  The current  access prescription for Trail 887 would be changed to restrict
       ATV use. The trail tread is 18" wide and does not accommodate ATV use, but is open to
       ATV's. This  would  reduce the number of miles of trail open to ATV from 19.55 to 17.95
       miles

    •   Trail 510 would receive trail tread improvement to the first 0.8 miles to decrease surface
       erosion and sedimentation.  Barriers would also be installed at the trailhead and at the
       junction with  Road 9812 to limit ATV access to this trail, which is closed to all motorized
       trail vehicles  except snowmobiles over snow.

 SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM

 Eight harvest units lie adjacent to Road 443 groomed snowmobile route.  These are Units 151,
 151.2, 151.3, 154, 530, 534, 536 and 537. Some of these units will contribute to  future play-
 areas for snowmobiles until such time as regeneration is re-established.

 During harvest activity, if winter hauling  occurs on Road 443, it would need to  be restricted for
 snowmobiling during timber sale activities.  This would result in a short-term  reduction in the
 number of miles of snowmobile trail available for use (7.2 miles). The American River-Selway
 River divide portion of the groomed system  could  be  accessed for snowmobile use via the
 Erickson Ridge/Table Meadows Road 283, and Elk Summit Road 1199.

 Due to the  position of Unit 536 on the slope and its relation to the groomed route, there is an
 increased risk of drifting snow accumulating on the groomed  route in this location.  This could
 result in the need  for the placement or  construction  of a  snow drift  fence to  reduce  the
 accumulation of snow on the trail.

 Under work proposed  with  the restoration package, it is recommended  the access prescription
for Trail 887 be changed from open to ATV use to  closed to ATV use.  The trail has an 18-
 inch tread allowance, which does not accommodate ATV's. ATV use has not been  established
on the trail.  The trail would remain open for foot, stock, and motorcycle uses. Closing Trail 887
to ATV use would  not restrict existing use,  but would reflect a reduction (under this alternative)
in the number of miles of trail open to ATVs by 1.6 miles, as displayed in Table 3.99.

The geographic boundary for cumulative effects is the same as for the American/Crooked River
Project area.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
There are no expected cumulative effects for Alternative A or the action alternatives for trail
opportunities beyond effects described under direct/indirect effects.

COMMON To ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES

 TABLE 3.99 - ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E - CHANGE IN ACCESS PRESCRIPTION FOR TRAIL 887
Alternative
Existing
Condition -
Alternative A
Alternatives
B, C, D, and E
Open to
ATV (mi)
19.55
17.95
Open to
Motorcycles
(mi)
21.05
21.05
Open to
Foot and
Horse (mi)
32.5
32.5
Open to
Snowmobiles
(mi)
26.55
26.55
Groomed Snowmobile
System (mi)
7.2
If winter hauling occurs on
Road 443, these miles will not
be available during activity
3.8.2.  CROOKED RIVER

3.8.2.1.  INDICATOR 1 - MILES OF ROAD

EXISTING CONDITION
To aid in describing the current state of the road system, road management objectives for each
road are presented in tabular form in Appendix F.  Road management objectives describe the
design, maintenance,  and operational characteristics of a road.  Refer to the American River
section for further discussion of road management objectives.

There are approximately 120 miles of inventoried road in the Crooked River analysis area. The
following five tables summarize the current state of the road system within this analysis area in
the  form of road  management objectives.  Refer to Appendix F for definitions of these road
management objectives.

          TABLE 3.100 - CURRENT ACCESS PRESCRIPTIONS - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
Access Prescription Code
Open
C2-A
Y-2
Y-3
Y-4
Length of Road (Miles)
38.1
0.6
14.3
64.4
3.3
Percent of Total Road Miles |
31.6
0.5
11.8
53.4
2.7
         TABLE 3.101 - OBJECTIVE MAINTENANCE LEVELS - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
Objective Maintenance Level
1
2
3
D
Length of Road (Miles)
78.9
17.3
23.4
1.1
Percent of Total Road Miles
65.3
14.4
19.4
0.9
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
              TABLE 3.102 - TRAFFIC SERVICE LEVELS - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
Traffic Service Levels
C
D
NA
Length of Road (Miles)
23.2
96.4
1.1
Percent of Total Road Miles
19.2
79.9
0.9
                TABLE 3.103 - ROAD JURISDICTION - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
Jurisdiction
Forest Service
County
Private
Length of Road (miles)
108.4
12.1
0.2
Percent of Total Road Miles
89.8
10.0
0.2
               TABLE 3.104 - ROAD SURFACE TYPE - CROOKED RIVER ROADS:
Surface type
Aggregate
Native Material
Length of Road (miles)
68.4
52.3
Percent of Total Road Miles
56.7
43.3
 Regarding access prescription codes, of particular interest to many is highway vehicle access
 on roads.  The Open and C2-A access prescription codes are combined to determine allowable
 access with highway vehicles for the Crooked River analysis area. Currently, 32.2 percent of
 the total road miles are open to  highway vehicles.  Access on the remaining length of road is
 restricted year-round  for the reasons stated previously in  the  subsection entitled  EXISTING
 CONDITION in Section 3.8.1.1 for American River. Refer to map 12b for a display of roads in the
 Crooked River analysis area that are open either year-round or seasonally to highway vehicles.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

 ALTERNA TIVE A-NO A CTION ALTERNA TIVE
 With Alternative A, the road system, including the road management objectives, in the Crooked
 River analysis area would change little from its current state.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, and E

 ROAD DECOMMISSIONING

 All roads proposed for decommissioning  under these  alternatives were analyzed  in a  roads
 analysis that was completed as part of this project.  The analysis  identified the roads proposed
 for decommissioning that were determined to be  not required for future management needs.
 These roads were selected for decommissioning  primarily because of the resulting benefit to
 watershed  health by returning the landscape to near its natural state.  Refer to the American
 River section for a discussion of decommissioning  methods, as well as unauthorized incursions
on decommissioned roads.   Refer to Appendix  F  for  a list  of  the roads proposed  for
decommissioning by alternative in the Crooked River analysis area, and Appendix D for the
 method of decommissioning recommended for each of these roads. See maps 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b,
and 6b for graphical displays of the roads proposed for decommissioning.  A summary of the
costs associated with the proposed road decommissioning is presented in Section 3.12 (Socio-
Economic).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Road  management objectives for the roads proposed  for decommissioning  in each  of  the
 alternatives would change. The road management objective of primary interest to most road
 users is the access prescription, which would change to a year-round restriction  for all modes of
 travel, except travel by foot.  The only exception is Road 9836.  The last 1.46 miles (nearest
 Crooked River) of this road are proposed for decommissioning in Alternatives B, C, D, and E.
 This section of road, however, would not  be closed  completely or removed from the landscape;
 it  would  be converted  to  a trail, allowing access  with trail vehicles and snowmobiles. The
 following  table  summarizes  the  length of road  proposed  for decommissioning  for  each
 alternative, as well as the effect of the decommissioning on travel access.

        TABLE 3.105 - ROAD DECOMMISSIONING AND CORRESPONDING ACCESS CHANGE
                                 CROOKED RIVER ROADS
Item
Road Length Decommissioned (mi)
Road Open to Highway Vehicles (mi)
Decrease in Access with Highway
Vehicles (mi)
% Decrease in Access with Highway
Vehicles
Alternative
B
9.0
37.1
1.6
4.0
ALTERNATIVE
C
9.8
37.1
1.6
4.0
Alternative
D
10.5
37.1
1.6
4.0
Alternative
E
17.5
37.1
1.6
4.0
Miles of road listed for alternative D are associated with required concurrent projects only.  With
additional projects added, the road miles are the same as alternative E.

 For each alternative, there is little change in travel access with highway vehicles, because most
of the road miles proposed for decommissioning are currently closed to access vehicles.

ROAD RECONDITIONING AND TEMPORARY ROAD CONSTRUCTION

The roadwork proposed with the action alternatives would be done either to prepare a road for
timber hauling or to improve the environmental health of the watershed. There is some overlap,
however, in that some of the roadwork needed for timber hauling would also benefit watershed
health.  The roadwork needed to prepare roads for timber hauling is the primary focus of this
section. Refer to the American River section for a description of the roadwork categories.  Refer
to Section 3.2. (Watershed) for further discussion of the roadwork proposed for the purpose of
watershed health improvement and Appendix D for descriptions and locations of the roadwork.

No  permanent,  new  road  construction is  proposed  with  any of the  action  alternatives.
Temporary roads would be constructed where needed for  access  to treatment areas.   All
temporary roads would be decommissioned no later than three years after initial  construction.
Refer to Chapter 2 for additional information regarding measures for mitigating the effects of
temporary road construction.  The following table  summarizes, by alternative, the roadwork
required for timber hauling  and  temporary road construction.  Refer to Section  3.12 (Socio-
Economic), for a summary of the costs  associated  with the  proposed roadwork,  including the
construction and subsequent decommissioning of temporary roads.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
        TABLE 3.106 - ROADWORK ACTIVITY BY ALTERNATIVE - CROOKED RIVER ROADS
Activity
Minor Reconstruction/Maintenance (mi)
Moderate Reconstruction (mi)
Major Reconstruction (mi)
Temporary Road Construction (mi)
Alternative B
41.6
5.1
2.5
4.4
Alternative C
39.9
8.3
1.3
6.2
Alternative D
44.3
8.8
3.5
6.2
Alternative E
40.9
5.1
2.5
3.5
3.8.2.2. INDICATOR2 -TRAILS

EXISTING CONDITION

SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM
Similar to the American River area, historically trails in the area were primarily developed for
access  to  mining claims,  private lands, fire  suppression  activities,  and  Forest  Service
administrative uses.  Most trails were built to accommodate pack and saddle stock and were the
primary access routes in the Crooked River drainage.

Currently,  the  majority of the trail system is utilized for recreation purposes.  There  are
approximately  15.1 miles  of system trails within the Crooked River project area.  The  Idaho
Centennial Trail utilizes Trails 821, 820, and portions of 508.  The Idaho Centennial Trail is a
1,200 mile north/south trail crossing  Idaho,  designated  in 1990  during  Idaho's  centennial
celebration of statehood.

The following table displays the system trails  in the Crooked River  project area, their length,
current management objective and restrictions:

                     TABLE 3.107 - SYSTEM TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
TRAIL
NUMBER
207
5081
805
817
820*
821*
844
Trail
Name
Moose
Butte
Porter's
Miner's
Ditch
Center
Star
Mountain
Porter
Spur
Silver
Creek
Relief
Creek
Trail Length
10.0 miles
(1 miles on project area boundary)
8.0 miles
(4 miles on project area boundary)
13 miles
(2.5 miles within project area)
6.0 miles
(1 mile on project area boundary)
1.0 mile
(all miles in project area)
4.1 miles
(all within project area)
1.5 miles
(all miles in project area)
Current Management Objective/Restriction
Open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to highway
vehicles. Managed for pack and saddle stock.
Open to motorbikes and snowmobiles over snow.
Managed for pack and saddle uses.
Closed to all motorized vehicles. Managed for hiker uses.
Open to motorbikes and snowmobiles over snow. Closed
to highway vehicles and ATVs. Managed for pack and
saddle stock.
Open to all trail uses. Managed for pack and saddle uses.
Open to all motorized uses. Managed for ATVs and
snowmobiles. Part of the groomed snowmobile system.
Trail 821 shares the template with Road 9836.
Open to motorbikes and snowmobiles over snow. Closed
to highway vehicles and ATVs. Managed for pack and
saddle stock and trail bikes.
 Segment of Idaho Centennial Trail
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
           Trail
           Name
   TOTAL MILES
   In project area
       Trail Length
           15.1
           Current Management Objective/Restriction
 Of the 15.1 miles of trail within the Crooked River project area, the following table displays the
 number of miles open to different trail users:

            TABLE 3.108 - MILES OF TRAILS OPEN TO TRAIL USERS - CROOKED RIVER
      Open to ATV
        6.1 miles
Open to Motorcycles
     12.6 miles
Open to Foot and Horse
                                             15.1 miles
                                                             Open to Snowmobile!
                                                12.6 miles
 WINTER TRAIL SYSTEM
 The winter trail  system uses portions of the  road system to  provide a network of groomed
 snowmobile trails.  This  system is groomed annually between December and  April under a
 cooperative agreement between Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Idaho County and
  1 *!Z ^rc:!.Forest The Crooked R'ver project area portion of this groomed system connects
 with the Elk City, Clearwater, Kooskia, Red River, and Dixie communities, providing a network
 of groomed snowmobile trails.

           TABLE 3.109 - GROOMED SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM - CROOKED RIVER
ROAD NUMBER
233
311
1803
9836
ROAD NAME
Crooked River
Orogrande-Dixie
Relief Creek
Sawmill Creek
Total Miles in project area
LENGTH GROOMED
2 miles in project area
0.1 mile in project area
7.7 miles
4.4 miles
14.2 miles
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

The number of miles of trails available to the public would not change under this alternative
However, the ability to use the trail system may be physically restricted without an increase in
user maintenance efforts due to limited Agency funding for trail maintenance

Under this alternative, as dead and dying trees fall across the system trails, trail  maintenance
costs will likely increase due to the increase in the number of trees down per mile  Even with
annual maintenance occurring, it will be likely the trail users will need to be prepared to cut trees
out in order to utilize the trail system.

Wildfire  occurrence  would  increase the cost of trail maintenance.   Trail  damage from fire
normally results in holes in the trail tread due to tree roots burning out; increase erosion due to
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
the lack of vegetation resulting in the need for more erosion control structures; increase in the
number of down trees over the trail; signs and erosion control devices will need to be replaced
due to fire damage.

The number of miles available to the public would not change under this alternative.  However,
the ability to use the trail system may be physically restricted without an increase in  user
maintenance efforts due to limited Agency funding for trail maintenance.

ALTERNATIVE B
DIRECT AND INDIRECT
SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM

Under this alternative, two harvest units lie across Trails 820 and one unit  is adjacent to  Trial
844 at the trail junction  with Road  1803. There are not any temporary road  crossing of trails in
the Crooked River Project area.  These locations are summarized on the following table.

         TABLE 3.110 - ALTERNATIVE B HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
Trail Number
820
844
Units Across
Trail
47 and 48

Units Adjacent or
Close to Trail

53
Harvest activity will change the character of the trails in the units as the canopy is removed.
The harvest activity will open up vistas from Trail 820.  Trail mitigation measures incorporated
into the project design will minimize impacts to the trails.

During harvest activity along trail 820, alternative access would be a combination of Trail 844
and Road 1809.

Trails 207, 508, 805, 817, and 821 will not be affected by any harvest activity.

    •   Trail  820 connects with Trail 508.  Trail 508 is open to motorcycles  and snowmobiles
       over  snow,  closed to ATVS.  Currently, Trail 820 is open to all motorized trail vehicles.
       Condition surveys conducted on this trail in 2002 show a 12 to 18 inch tread width, which
       indicates ATV use is not established on this trail.

       The proposed action includes implementation  of access restrictions on Trail 820 to be
       consistent with Trail 508. A new access prescription for Trail 820 will open the trail to
       motorcycles and snowmobiles over snow and close the trail to ATVs.

Under the restoration package (Appendix D) for this alternative:

    •   Approximately 1.5 miles of Road 9836 will  be converted from a road to a motorized trail.
       The  project will  install erosion control structures  to reduce  the rutting and erosion
       occurring on this  road.  The road/trail prism  width will not change as the  route is  a
       portion of the groomed snowmobile system and the  current road width is needed for the
       snowmobile grooming equipment. Once converted to a trail, this 1.5 mile section will be
       closed to highway vehicles.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM

 Seven  harvest units lie adjacent to the groomed snowmobile  route along Road  1803  These
 units are 47, 48, 50.1, 51, 52, 53, and 58.  Some of these units will contribute  to future play
 areas for snowmobile until such time as regeneration is reestablished.

 If Road 1803 is used as a haul route in winter, the Crooked  River/Orogrande area  will be
 isolated from the Elk City portion of the groomed system.  Alternative routes are  not available
 Recommended mitigation if winter hauling occurs:

    •   No hauling will occur on weekends between December 1  and March 30 on Roads 1803
        and 9836 to allow for snowmobile traffic.

 ALTERNATIVE C

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT
 SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM

 Under this alternative, two harvest units lie across Trail 820 and one unit is adjacent to Trail 844
 at the trail junction with Road 1803. There are not any temporary road crossing of trails in the
 Crooked River Project area.  These locations are summarized on the following table:

         TABLE 3.111-ALTERNATIVE C HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
Trail Number
820
844
Units Across Trail
47 and 48

Units Adjacent or Close
to Trail

53
 Harvest activity will change the character of the trails in the units as the canopy is removed
 The harvest activity will open up vistas along Trail 820. Trail mitigation measures incorporated
 into the project design will minimize impacts to the trails.

 During harvest activity along Trail 820, alternative access would be a combination of Trail 844
 and Road 1803.

 Trails 207, 508, 805, 817, and 821 will not be affected by any harvest activity.

    •   Trail  820  connects with Trail  508.  Trail 508 is open to motorcycles and snowmobiles
       over  snow, closed to ATVS.   Currently, Trail 820 is open to all motorized trail vehicles
       Condition surveys conducted on this trail in 2002 show a 12 to  18 inch tread width, which
       indicates ATV use is not established on this trail.

       The proposed action includes implementation of access restrictions on Trail 820 to be
       consistent with Trail 508. A new access  prescription for Trail 820 will open the trail to
       motorcycles and snowmobiles over snow and close the trail to ATVs.

Under the Restoration Package (Appendix D) for this alternative

   •   Approximately 1.5 miles of Road 9836 will be converted from a road to a motorized trail.
       The project will  install  erosion control structures to reduce the  rutting and erosion
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           American River/Crooked River-Final Environmental Impact Statement
       occurring on this road.   The road/trail  prism width will not change as the route  is a
       portion of the groomed snowmobile system and the current road width is needed for the
       snowmobile grooming equipment.  Once converted to a trail, this 1.5 miles will be closed
       to highway vehicles.

SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM

Seven harvest units lie adjacent to the groomed snowmobile route along Road 1803. These
units are 47, 48, 50.1, 51, 52, 53, and 58. Some of these units will contribute to future play-
areas for snowmobiles until such time as regeneration is reestablished.

If Route  1803 is used as a haul  route in winter, the Crooked River/Orogrande area will be
isolated from the Elk City portion of the groomed system. Alternative routes are not available.
Recommended mitigation if winter hauling occurs.

   •   No hauling will  occur on weekends between December 1 and March 30 on Roads 1803
       and 9836 to allow for snowmobile traffic.


ALTERNATIVE D

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM

Under this alternative,  three harvest units lie across Trail 820, seven units are adjacent to  Trail
821 and  one  unit is adjacent to Trail  844 at the trail junction with Road 1803.  There are no
temporary road crossings of trails in the Crooked River Project area.  These locations are
summarized on the following table:

         TABLE 3.112 -ALTERNATIVE D, HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
Trail Number
820
821
844
Units Across Trail
47, 48, 49


Units Adjacent or Close
to Trail

43,44,45,46,313,
313.1, and 341
53
Harvest activity will change the character of the trails in the units as the canopy is removed.
The  harvest activity will open up vistas from Trails 820 and  821.  Trail mitigation  measures
incorporated into the project design will minimize impacts to the trails.

During harvest activity along Trail 820, alternative access would be a combination of Trial 844
and road 1803.  Alternative access for Trail 821 would be Relief Creek Road 522 to Road 1803.

Trails 207, 508, 805, and 817 will not be affected by any harvest activity.

   •   Trail 820 connects with Trail 508.  Trail 508 is open to motorcycles  and snowmobiles
       over snow, closed to ATVS.  Currently, Trail  820 is open to all motorized trail vehicles.
       Condition surveys conducted on this trail in 2002 show a 12 to 18 inch tread width, which
       indicates ATV use is not established on this trail.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
       The proposed action includes implementation of access restrictions on Trail 820 to be
       consistent with Trail 508. A new access prescription for Trail 820 will open the trail to
       motorcycles and snowmobiles over snow and close the trail to ATVs.

 Under the restoration package (Appendix D) for this alternative:

    •  Approximately 1.5 miles of Road 9836 will be converted from a road to a motorized trail
       The project will  install erosion control structures to  reduce the rutting  and erosion
       occurring on this  road.  The road/trail prism width will not change  as the route is a
       portion of the groomed snowmobile  system and the current road width is needed for the
       snowmobile grooming equipment. Once converted to a trail, this 1.5 miles will be closed
       to highway vehicles.

 SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM

 Sixteen harvest units  lie  adjacent to the groomed  snowmobile route along Roads 9836 and
 1803.  These units  are 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50.1, 51, 52, 53, 58, 313, 313.1, 319, and 341
 Some  of these units will contribute to future  play areas for snowmobiles until such time as
 regeneration is reestablished.

 Due to the position of units 43 and 317 on the slope and their relation  to the groomed route,
 there is an  increased risk of drifting snow accumulating on the  groomed route  in these two
 locations. This could result in the need for the placement or construction of snow drift fences to
 reduce the accumulation of snow on the trail.

 If Road 1803 is used as a  haul route in  winter, the Crooked River/Orogrande area will be
 isolated from the Elk City portion of a groomed system.  Alternative routes are not available.
 Recommended mitigation  if winter hauling occurs:

    •   No hauling will  occur on weekends between December 1 and  March 30 on Roads 1803
       and 9836 to allow for snowmobile traffic.
ALTERNATIVE E
DIRECT AND INDIRECT
SUMMER TRAIL SYSTEM

Under this alternative, one harvest unit lies across Trail 820 and one unit is adjacent to Trail 844
at the trail junction with Road 1803.  There are no temporary road crossings of trails in the
Crooked River Project area.  These locations are summarized on the following table:

        TABLE 3.113 - ALTERNATIVE E, HARVEST UNITS AND TRAILS - CROOKED RIVER
Trail Number
820
844
Units Across Trail
47

Units Adjacent or Close
to Trail

53
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Harvest activity will change the character of the trails in the units as the canopy is removed.
The  harvest activity will open up a  small vista along  Trail 820.  Trail mitigation measures
incorporated into the project design will minimize impacts to the trails.

During harvest activity along Trail 820, alternative access would be a combination of Trail 844
and Road 1803.

Trails 207, 508, 805, 817, and 821 will not be affected by any harvest activity.

   •   Trail 820 connects  with Trail 508. Trail 508 is open to motorcycles  and snowmobiles
       over snow, closed to ATVS.  Currently, Trail 820 is  open to all motorized trail vehicles.
       Condition surveys conducted on this trail in 2002 show a 12 to  18 inch tread width, which
       indicates ATV use is not established on this trail.

       The proposed action includes implementation of access restrictions on Trail 820 to  be
       consistent with Trail 508. A new access prescription for Trail 820 will open the trail to
       motorcycles and snowmobiles over snow and close the trail to ATVs.

This alternative has the least impacts to the trail system of any of the action alternatives.

Under the Restoration Package (Appendix D) for this alternative:

   •   Approximately 1.5 miles of Road 9836 will be converted from a road to a motorized trail.
       The project will  install erosion control  structures to reduce the  rutting and erosion
       occurring on this road.  The  road/trail prism width will not change  as the route is a
       portion of the groomed snowmobile system and the current road width is needed for the
       snowmobile grooming equipment. Once converted to a trail, this 1.5 miles will be closed
       to highway vehicles.

   •   Trail  807 is adjacent to the  project area.   Under the  restoration  package, additional
       erosion  control  structures   and  measures would be   undertaken  to  reduce  the
       sedimentation produced  by the steep 1.1 mile section of this trail.  There is a need to
       survey for opportunities  to relocate this section  of  the trail to reduce grades for both
       resource concerns  and user safety.  To reduce  the grade of the trail switchbacks will
       need to be installed, resulting in the length of the steep 1.1-mile section to 1.5 miles.

SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM

Five harvest units lie adjacent to the groomed snowmobile  route along Roads 9836 and 1803.
These units are 47, 51, 52, 53, and 58.  Some of these units will contribute to future play areas
for snowmobiles until  such  time as regeneration is reestablished.

If Road 1803  is used as  a haul route in winter, the Crooked River/Orpgrande area  will  be
isolated from the Elk  City portion of the groomed system.  Alternative routes are not available.
Recommended mitigation if winter hauling occurs:

   •   No hauling will occur on weekends between  December  1 and  March 30 on Roads 1803
       and 9836 to allow for snowmobile traffic.

   This alternative has the least impact to the groomed snowmobile system of any of the action
   alternatives.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 COMMON To ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES

        TABLE 3.114 - ALTERNATIVES B, c, D, AND E - CHANGE IN ACCESS PRESCRIPTION
Alternative
Existing
Condition -
Alternative A
Alternatives B,
C, D, and E
Open to
ATV (mi)
6.1
5.1
Open to
Motorcycles
(mi)
12.6
12.6
Open to
Foot and
Horse (mi)
15.1
15.1
Open to
Snowmobiles
(mi)
12.6
12.6
Groomed
Snowmobile System
(mi)
14.2
14.2
If winter hauling occurs
on Road 1803, these
miles may not be
available during harvest
activity.
 3-8-3- CUMULATIVE EFFECTS AMERICAN RIVER AND CROOKED RIVER

 ROADS

 There  are  no  cumulative effects  for the American and Crooked River analysis  area  road
 systems with any of the alternatives considered.

 TRAILS

 The geographic boundary for cumulative effects is the same as for the American/Crooked River
 Project area. i

 There  are no expected cumulative effects for Alternative A or the action alternatives for trail
 opportunities.
 3-8-4.  IRREVERSIBLE. IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS-AMERICAN RIVER
        CROOKED RIVER
AND
 ROADS
ALTERNA TIVE A (No A CTION AL TERN A TIVE)

There would be no irretrievable or irreversible loss with respect to the road systems in the
American and Crooked River analysis areas.

ALTERNATIVES B. C. D, AND E

There would be an irretrievable loss of access on portions of the American and Crooked River
road systems due to the proposed road decommissioning in Alternatives B, C, D, and E.

In the American River analysis area, the loss of access would be small and would not affect
highway vehicles.

The road decommissioning in the Crooked  River analysis area includes the road-to-trail
conversion of the last 1.46 miles of road 9836.  As  a result of this road-to-trail conversion and
the decommissioning of the last 0.1 miles of Road  522J, there would be a 4.0 percent loss in
access with  highway vehicles.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
TRAILS

ALTERNATIVE A
No Irreversible or irretrievable effects to the trail system.

ALTERNATIVE B, C. D, E
No Irreversible or irretrievable effects to the trail system.

Trail 820 connects with Trail 508.  Trail 508 is open to motorcycles and snowmobiles over snow,
closed to ATVs. Currently, Trail 820 is open to all motorized trail vehicles. A restriction would
be implemented on Trail 820 that is consistent with the restrictions on Trail 508, i.e. closed to
ATVs, but allow motorcycles and snowmobiles over snow.  In the restoration package, similar
restriction on ATVs on Trail 887 would be implemented.

If these actions are implemented, the action alternatives would show a reduction of 1 mile of trail
open to ATVs in Crooked River from 6.1 to 5.1 miles and a 1.6 reduction of miles of trail open to
ATVs in American River.

                            TABLE 3.115 - MILES OF TRAILS
Alternative
Open to
ATV
(mi)
Open to
Motorcycles
(mi)
Open to Foot
and Horse
(mi)
Open to
Snowmobiles
(mi)
Groomed
Snowmobile System
(mi)
American River: Total Miles - Summer (32.5), Total Miles - Winter (7.2)
Existing
Condition
Action
Alternatives
19.55
17.95
21.05
21.05
32.5
32.5
26.55
26.55
7.2 '
7.2
If winter hauling occurs
on Road 443, these miles
will not be available
during activity.
Crooked River: Total Miles - Summer (15.1), Total Miles -Winter (14.2)
Existing
Condition
All Action
Alternatives
Change from
Existing
6.1
5.1
-2.6
12.6
12.6
0
15.1
15.1
0
12.6
12.6
0
14.2
' 14.2
If winter hauling occurs
on Road 1803, these
miles may not be
available
0 Long Term
3.8.5. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS FOR TRANSPORTATION -
       AMERICAN RIVER AND CROOKED RIVER

ROAD SYSTEM
The following is a summary of the  effects on the road system in the American  River and
Crooked River analysis areas resulting from the proposed action alternatives.

ALTERNATIVE A-NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
There are no effects on the road system in either analysis area with Alternative A.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVES B. C. D. and E

 •  No permanent new road construction would occur in the American River and Crooked River
    analysis areas with  any of these action alternatives.

 •  Temporary roads would be constructed where required to access treatment areas.

 •  Temporary roads would be decommissioned no later than three years after construction.

 •  The  road  management objectives for roads in the  American  River  and Crooked  River
    analysis areas would not change, except for the roads  proposed for decommissioning.

 •  Public access on roads in the American River and  Crooked River analysis areas would
    decrease slightly with each of these alternatives. Access with highway vehicles would  not
    change on roads in the American River analysis area and would decrease on roads .in  the
    Crooked River analysis area by 4.0 percent with each of these alternatives.  The decrease
    in  access  with highway vehicles in  the  Crooked  River analysis area is  a result of  the
    proposed road-to-trail conversion of the last 1.46 miles of road 9836 and decommissioning
    of the last 0.1  miles  of road 522J.

 TRAIL SYSTEM
 There  is very little change to miles of trail open  to different trail  users  between the action
 alternatives. The action alternatives display a 1.6 miles reduction in the number of  miles open
 to ATV users in American River due to closing Trial 887 to ATVs. Trail 887 is currently open to
 ATV uses, but this use  has not been established because the tread  width is 18 inches and  not
 suitable for ATVs.

 Under the 'no  action' alternative, miles of trail open  for  use  can diminish due to the number of
 trees falling  across trails as the trees fall or wildfire occurs.  The  current and expected trail
 maintenance budget  would not provide the maintenance frequency needed to keep the trail
 open for the users. Users (both summer and winter) would need to  be  prepared to open trails
 for their own use.   Under the action alternatives, the  small percentage of the area being treated
 will minimally change the impacts to the trail system compared to the  'no  action' alternative.

 The snowmobile trail  system would see some short-term reductions in miles available for use if
 winter  harvest activity were to occur on Roads 443 and  1803.  In American  River, limitations on
 snowmobile  use on Road 443 would not be overly  impactive due to an alternate route to the
 Selway/American  River divide by  the use of Road  243.  In the Crooked  River project area,
 winter  hauling off Road  1803 will greatly impact the groomed system  by isolating the  Orogrande
 area from the  Elk City area.   Alternative routes  are not available for  snowmobile traffic.
 Recommended mitigation if winter hauling is to occur, is to allow for snowmobile use during the
weekends from December  1 through March 30 by restricting log truck and highway vehicle use
on Road  1803 from midnight on Friday nights through midnight on Sunday nights.

The following tables display the changes  in the access  prescriptions for trails under the action
alternatives:
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    American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
TABLE 3.116 - AMERICAN RIVER AREA - CHANGES IN TRAIL ACCESS PRESCRIPTIONS
Trail
Number
509
510
830
831
. 832
835
836
846
848
852
887
TRAIL NAME
Otto
Flint Creek
Kirk's Fork
Flatiron
Ridge
East Fork
American
River
Boundary
Trail NRT
American
River
Lower Kirk's
Fork
Red Horse
Ridge
Lower East
fork
American
River
Box Sing
Current Management Objective/Restriction
Open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to
highway vehicles. Managed for snowmobile uses.
Closed to all motorized vehicles, except
snowmobiles over snow. Managed for pack and
saddle use
Closed to highway vehicles and ATVs. Open to
trail bikes and snowmobiles. Managed for
pack/saddle and motorbike use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to
highway vehicles. Managed for pack /saddle and
motorbike use.
From junction with Trail 835 to junction with Trail
831, open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to
highway vehicles. Managed for ATV use. From
Trail 831 junction to Trail 510 junction, closed to all
motorized uses. Managed for pack and saddle
stock.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles, closed to
highway vehicles. Managed for ATV use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles. Managed for
pack and saddle use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles. Managed for
ATV use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles. Managed for
pack and saddle use.
No restrictions. Managed for hiker use.
Open to all motorized trail vehicles. Managed for
pack/saddle and motorbike use.
PROPOSED ACCESS
MANAGEMENT
RESTRICTION
No change
No change
No change
No change
No change
No change
No change
No change
No change
No change
Open to 2-wheeled
trail vehicles and
snowmobiles over
snow. Closed to
ATVs
Total miles in project area: 32.5
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
       TABLE 3.117-CROOKED RIVER AREA - CHANGES IN TRAIL ACCESS PRESCRIPTIONS
Traii Number
207
508
(Segment of
Idaho Centennial
Trail)
805
817
820
(Segment of
Idaho Centennial
Trail)
821
(Segment of
Idaho Centennial
Trail)
844
Trail Name
Moose
Butte
Porter's
Miner's
Ditch
Center Star
Mountain
Porter Spur
Silver
Creek
Relief
Creek
Current Management
Objective/Restriction
Open to all motorized trail vehicles,
closed to highway vehicles. Managed
for pack and saddle stock
Open to motorbikes and except
snowmobiles over snow. Managed for
pack and saddle uses.
Closed to all motorized vehicles.
Managed for hiker uses.
Open to motorbikes and snowmobiles
over snow. Closed to highway vehicles
and ATVs. Managed for pack and
saddle stock
Open to all trail uses. Managed for pack
and saddle uses.
Open to all motorized uses. Managed
for ATVs and snowmobiles. Part of the
groomed snowmobile system. Trail 821
shares the template with Road 9836.
Open to motorbikes and snowmobiles
over snow. Closed to highway vehicles
and ATVs. Managed for pack and
saddle stock and trail bikes.
Proposed Access
Management Restriction
No change
No change
No change
No change
Open to 2-wheeled
motorbikes and
snowmobiles over snow.
Closed to ATVs.
Open to all motorized trail
uses. Closed to highway
vehicles. •
No change
Total miles in project area: 15.1
If any of these action alternatives were implemented, there would be a reduction of 1 mile of trail
open to ATVs in Crooked River from 6.1  to 5.1 miles and a 1.6 reduction of miles of trail open to
ATVs in American River. These changes are summarized below:

Under the action alternatives, Harvest activity will temporarily change the character of the trails
in the units as the canopy is removed.  The harvest activity will also open vistas from the trails
where units are across or adjacent to the  trails.  By adhering to the mitigation measures for
trails,  the impacts to the trail character will be minimized.

The following table displays the number of units and their location  in relation to the existing trails
system:
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                American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
                                   TABLE 3.118 - UNITS AND TRAILS
                           - 	—^^••M
                        Alternative A
                              Alternative B  \ Alternative C  \  Alternative D I Alternative F
                           AMERICAN RIVER AREA                          	"—
   Units Across Trails
 Units Adjacent to Trails
    Temporary Road
       Crossings
                                          Snowmobile Trails
   Units Across Trails
 Units Adjacent to Trails
                                       CROOKED RIVER AREA
  Units Across Trails
Units Adjacent to Trails
   Temporary Road
                                         Snowmobile Trails
  Units Across Trails
Units Adjacent to Trails
   FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE

  Ind f?^hF°M Sttde S!fdards for transportation, from among those listed  on page II-24
  and 11-25 of the Nez  Perce National Forest Plan  and Forest Plan Amendment 20
  apply to this project and will be met as follows:                         enumeni ^u

                  TABLE 3.119 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - ROADS AND TRAILS

                          SUBJECT SUMMARY
                                                                   COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
                                       FOREST PLAN STANDARDS
    3


    5
            Develop  an "Area  Transportation  Analysis" prior to
            entering drainages with land-disturbing activities.
Analyze economics of proposed access developments
using proven  tools,  and  incorporate them  into  the
project design.	
Evaluate all facilities  using the Access  Management
Analysis Worksheet to determine use restrictions and
access needs.

Maintain access facilities to a level commensurate with
use,  user  type,  user  safety,  and facility-resource
protection.
           Plan, design, and manage all access to meet land and
           resource management objectives, meet the State Water
 A roads analysis was completed for the project
 areas considered.	
 An economic analysis was completed as part of
 this project. The results of this  analysis will be
 incorporated into the project design.
 A roads analysis was completed for the project
 areas considered.  Criteria associated with this
 item were addressed in the roads analysis.
 Access  facilities will  be maintained  through
 regular maintenance  or maintenance proposed
 for  the   purpose  of   watershed   health
 improvement (FEIS Appendix  D), subject to
funding availability.
Access   needs   and    opportunities   were
addressed in the roads  analysis  completed for
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               American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
STANDARD
 NUMBER
               SUBJECT SUMMARY
        COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
             Quality  Standards,   and  meet   Best   Management
             Practices (BMPs).
                                                   this project. State Water Quality Standards and
                                                   BMPs will  be met through project design and
                                                   implementation, as outlined in FEIS section 2.3.
             Plan to  implement  post-project  activities,  including
             access prescriptions, within two field seasons of the last
             land-disturbing activity.  Minimize the total  time  that
             roads will be open for construction and timber harvest
             activities.                                    	
                                                   Will be addressed during project design.
             Minimize impacts from construction in identified key
             riparian and wildlife areas.  Develop rehabilitation plans
             for  existing  access  facilities   that  are  producing
             significant impacts on riparian-dependent resources.
                                                   Negative impacts will  be minimized through
                                                   mitigation  measures  outlined  in  FEIS section
                                                   2.3.     Road   decommissioning   and  road
                                                   improvements  are proposed  as  part of  the
                                                   watershed   improvement   package   (FEIS
                                                   Appendix D).
             Design all proposed road systems to mitigate at least
             60%  of the  sediment  predicted.    Utilize proven
             mitigation procedures in the design and construction of
             roads  to  meet  up to 90 percent  of the  sediment
             predicted,   where   needed   to    meet   resource
             manaoement objectives.
                                                   Project  activities  are  designed  to  meet  or
                                                   exceed   the  minimum   required   sediment
                                                   mitigation level.
                                          FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT 2
     10
Roads and Trails will be considered open to motorized
use unless oosted (informational sioninq) otherwise.
Roads closed as a result of project activities will
be posted as required.	^	
                                     FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT 20 (PACFISH)
    RF-1
Cooperate  with  Federal,  Tribal,  State,  and county
agencies,   and   cost-share   partners   to  achieve
consistency in road design, operation, and maintenance
necessary to attain Riparian  Management Objectives
(RMOs).
Communication  is on-going and  will  continue
through the design and implementation phases
of the project.
    RF-2
For each existing or planned road, meet the RMOs and
avoid adverse affects on listed anadromp_us fishby:	
a. Completing Watershed Analysis prior to construction
   of new  roads  or  landings  in  Riparian  Habitat
   Cpnseryatiqn Areas (RHCS).     		

b. Minimizing road and  landing locations in RHCS.
                                                                 Analysisi  was  completed  by  interdisciplinary
                                                                 team  members during  development of action
                                                                 alternative^	
                                                                 This  item  was  a  criterion   used  in   the
                                                                 development of the action alternatives.	
              c.  initiating development and implementation of a Road
                 Management Plan or a Transportation Management
                 Plan.  At a minimum, address the following items in
                 the plan:	 		

                 1)  Road design  criteria,  elements, and standards
                   that govern construction and reconstruction.
                                                    FEis section 2.3; Forest Service Handbook FSH
                                                    7709.55 - Transportation Planning Handbook;
                                                    Forest Service Handbook FSH 7709.56 - Road
                                                    Pre-construction Handbook
                 2) Road management objectives for;each road.	
                 3) Criteria that govern road operation, maintenance,
                   and management.             	 	 .
                 4) "Requirements for  pre-, during-,  and post-storm
                   inspections and maintenance.,	_.
                 5)  Regulation  of  traffic  during  wet  periods  to
                   minimize  erosion  and sediment  delivery  and
                   accomplish other objectives.			
                 6)  Implementation  and  effectiveness monitoring
                   plans for road  stability, drainageL and erosion
                                                    FEIS Appendix F
                                                         Appendix F
                                                    inspections and maintenance for storm-related
                                                    damage are conducted as necessary. ____________
                                                         section 2.3
                                                    FEIS Appendix I
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               American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
STANDARD
 NUMBER
               SUBJECT SUMMARY
        COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
                  control.
                7) Mitigation plans for road failures.
             d.  Avoiding sediment delivery to streams from the road
                surface.
                                                    We will respond to road failures as necessary^
                                                    FEISfsection 2.3~
                1) Out-sloping of the  roadway surface is preferred,
                  except in cases where out-sloping would increase
                  sediment delivery to streams or where out-sloping
                  is infeasible or unsafe.
                                                    FEIS section 2.3.
                2)  Route  road  drainage  away  from potentially
                  unstable stream channels, fills, and hill-slopes.
                                                    Road   and  drainage
                                                    projects are proposed
                                                    improvement package
             e.  Avoiding disruption of natural hydrologic flow paths.
                                                    Road   and  drainage
                                                    projects are proposed
                                                    improvement package
                      structure   improvement
                     as part of the watershed
                     (FEIS[Appendix D).
                      structure   improvement
                     as part of the watershed
             f. Avoiding side-casting of soils or snow.  Side-casting
                of  road material is prohibited on  road  segments
                within or abutting RHCAs in watersheds containing
                designated critical habitat for listed anadromous fish.
                                                    Excess materials resu
                                                    maintenance activities
                                                    locations.
                    Iting  rom construction or
                     will be placed in suitable
   RF-3
Determine the influence of each road on the Riparian
Management  Objectives.  Meet Riparian Management
Objectives  and   avoid  adverse   effects   on   listed
anadromous fish by:
                Reconstructing road and drainage features that do
                not  meet   design   criteria  or   operation  and
                maintenance standards, or that have been shown to
                be  less  effective  than designed for  controlling
                sediment delivery,  or  that  retard  attainment  of
                Riparian Management Objectives, or do not  protect
                designated critical habitat for listed anadromous fish
                from increased sedimentation.
                                                    Road  and  drainage  structure  improvement
                                                    projects are proposed as part of the watershed
                                                    improvement package (FEIS Appendix D).
                Prioritizing reconstruction based on the current and
                potential damage to listed anadromous fish and their
                designated  critical habitat, the ecological value of
                the riparian resources affected, and the feasibility of
                options  such  as  helicopter  logging  and  road
                relocation  out of  Riparian  Habitat  Conservation
                Areas.
                                                    Improvement  projects were prioritized  using
                                                    these criteria, among others (FEIS Appendix D).
                Closing and stabilizing or obliterating, and stabilizing
                roads not needed for future management activities.
                Prioritize these  actions based on the current and
                potential damage to listed anadromous fish and their
                designated critical habitat, and the ecological value
                of the riparian resources affected.	
                                                    These activities are included  in the proposed
                                                    watershed    improvement    package   (FEIS
                                                    Appendix D).
   RF-4
Construct new, and improve existing, culverts, bridges,
and other stream crossings to accommodate a 100-year
flood, including associated bed-load and debris, where
those improvements would/do pose a substantial risk to
riparian  conditions.    Substantial risk  improvements
include those that do not meet design and maintenance
criteria,   or  that   retard  attainment   of  Riparian
Management Objectives,  or  that  do   not protect
designated    critical    habitat    from    increased
sedimentation.  Base priority for upgrading on risks to
listed anadromous fish  and their designated critical
habitat  and  the ecological  value  of  the  riparian
These activities are included  in the proposed
watershed    improvement    package   (FEIS
Appendix D).
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               American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 STANDARD
  NUMBER
              SUBJECT SUMMARY
             resources affected.  Construct and maintain crossings
             to prevent diversion of streamflow out of the  channel
             and down the road in the event of failure.
                                                       COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
 STANDARD
  NUMBER
   RF-5
              SUBJECT SUMMARY
Provide and maintain fish passage at all road crossings
of existing and potential fish-bearing streams.
                                                      COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
Stream crossings were  evaluated, and those
identified as current or potential fish passage
barriers  are  included   in  the  watershed
improvement package (FEIS Appendix D).
  The following  Forest Plan Standards for transportation do not apply within the context of this
  project.

	TABLE 3.120 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR TRANSPORTATION THAT DO NOT APPLY
 STANDARD  I                             "                   "~	~i	•	
  NUMBER   |                     SUBJECT SUMMARY                     |        EXPLANATION
                                        ^^^^^—•"•"•^^^^^^^^•1^
                                         ROADS AND TRAILS
              Implement Access Management Plan to monitor and evaluate effects
              of access on forest resources and the ability of the transportation
              system to accomplish the designed use.  Use Road Density Index and
              Distribution Index as monitoring tools.
                                                            Standard   is   intended   for
                                                            application  on  a  forest-wide
                                                            basis, not at the project level.
              Permit access to a corridor if justified and consistent with management
              area goals.
                                                            Corridor access not required for
                                                            this project. 	
                                                            No new power or telephone line
             Electric power and telephone lines should generally follow established
             transportation  corridors.   Bury  power  and telephone  lines  when
             economically and technically feasible.  In canyon bottoms, power lines
             should not be run  between the  roadway and the stream or in the
             streambed. Avoid frequent crossing and re-crossing of streams.
             iiu new yuwei ui itjiepnone line
             installation  is anticipated  with
             this project.
              'Exclusion Areas," "Avoidance Areas," and "Windows" are specified by
              management area where appropriate.
                                                           No specification required for this
                                                           project.
                                         oacscsscsescs


  3.9. HERITAGE

  SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS

  Four broad  levels  of analyses have been  performed in  order to understand both American
  Indian reserved rights, and the significance and extent of heritage resources associated with the
 American  and Crooked  River  Project.  First,  a review of tribal treaty rights applicable  to  the
 project area  and the government's  inherent  trust responsibility was undertaken   Secondly
 research into the greater history of the project  area was conducted to  understand the significant
 themes or events that have transpired in time and space.  Thirdly, a heritage resource survey
 was conducted for  the project area to identify any existing  cultural properties associated with
 these themes.  Lastly, these properties were evaluated for their National Register status  The
 results and relevant rationale for each of these analyses are presented below
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
AMERICAN INDIAN RESERVED RIGHTS AND GOVERNMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Nez Perce Tribe and the Nez Perce  National Forest have long engaged in a strong and
productive government to  government  relationship concerning  the management  of National
Forest System lands.  An  example of this positive relationship  is the  continuing partnerships
between the Tribe and Forest concerning wildlife  and fish habitat  improvement.  Habitat
enhancement projects, spanning the last 10-20 years, have aided both the Tribe and Forest in
accomplishing common resource objectives, including the  planning and implementation of the
Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Program on the upper South Fork Clearwater River.

As a result of the 1855 Treaty, elements of Nez Perce culture such as tribal welfare, land and
resources were entrusted to the United States government.  Trust responsibilities resulting from
the Treaty dictate, in  part,  that the United States  government facilitate the execution of treaty
rights and traditional  cultural practices of the  Nez Perce  Indians by working with them on  a
government to government basis in  a manner that attempts a reasonable accommodation of
their needs, without compromising the legal positions of the  Nez  Perce Tribe or the Federal
government.  Because tribal trust activities often  occur in common with the public, the Nez
Perce National Forest strives to manage Nez Perce ceded land  in favor of the concerns of the
Nez  Perce Tribe, as  far as is practicable, while  still providing  goods and services to all the
people.

Today, the American  and Crooked River Project is located within that area ceded to the United
States in 1855  by the Nez Perce people.   The Treaty was subsequently ratified by Congress
and proclaimed by the President in 1859. Although the Forest Service, through the Secretary of
Agriculture, is vested with  statutory authority and  responsibility for managing resources of the
National Forests such as areas within  the  project area, no  sharing  of  administrative or
management  decision-making  power  is  held   with  the Nez  Perce  Tribe.   However,
commensurate  with the authority and responsibility to manage  resources, is the obligation to
consult, cooperate and coordinate with the Nez Perce Tribe in developing and planning projects
within the project area, and on other areas of National Forest system land, that may affect tribal
rights (Executive Order 13175; Section 3a).

Specific Nez Perce treaty rights applicable to the American and Crooked  River project area are
generally articulated in Article III of the 1855 Treaty, and include: "The exclusive right of taking
fish in all the streams where running through or bordering said reservation is further secured to
said Indians; as also the right of taking fish at all usual and accustomed places in common with
citizens of the Territory; and  of erecting temporary buildings for curing, together with the
privilege of  hunting, gathering roots and  berries, and pasturing their  horses and  cattle upon
open and unclaimed land."

The  American and Crooked River Project's affect to treaty  resources  (hunting, fishing,  and
gathering) will be returned  to below in the section  entitled  American Indian Use of the Greater
Project Area.

HISTORY OF THE GREATER PROJECT AREA
Situated within the American and Crooked River Project area, are fragile remnants of significant
cultural traditions.  These vestiges confront us and reflect centuries-old  relationships between
people  and their land.  The project area's heritage resources hold clues to  past ecosystems,
add richness and depth to the landscape, provide links  to living traditions, and help transform
our understanding of who we are as a people.
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             American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 To date three principal historical themes have  been identified for the greater American and
 Crooked  R,ver  Project area  consisting of American Indian use,  mining  settlement  and
 technology, and public domain administrative history.  These themes,  or contexts, provide the
 basis for understanding the significance  of heritage resources  situated throughout the greater
 project area. It is the combination of these themes and their associated sites and features that
 provide an  interpretive framework for defining the existing condition for heritage resources
 associated with the American and Crooked  River Project area. A review of each theme and
 associated site known for the project area is described below.

 AMERICAN INDIAN USE OF THE GREATER PROJECT AREA.
 The American and Crooked River Project is located entirely within that area encompassing the
 ^H H ,6ZtK  M6,?, cn Reservation-   The Project area and surrounding environs  were later
 ceded to the United States by the Nez Perce Tribe in 1863. The project area is also located
 near the headwaters of the South Fork Clearwater River, named Too-koo-pah by the local Nez
  riV  !?nSOhrV 1971)"  Herbert Spinden (1908) notes the  name of the Nez Perce band
 inhabiting the upper South Fork Clearwater River as the Saiksaikinpu, named after the  word for
 fireweed   In May  1861 a Nez Perce village, headed by the leader Cool-cool-snee-nee was
 noted  just downstream  from the current location of Harpster by miners traveling to the upper
 reaches of the South  Fork  (Elsensohn, 1978).   However, Alice Fletcher's  1891  review of
 traditional  village sites associated with the Nez Perce  people show  no  semi-permanent
 TfT™^5 '°Cated a'°ng the Upper reaches ofthe South Fork Clearwater River (Sappington,
 Gt a/., 1995).

 Allan Marshall (1977) has used an ecological interpretive model based largely on plant food
 avaHabihty in reporting the economic strategies employed by bands of ethnographic Nez Perce
 such as the Saiksaikinpu Band.  His model is useful to landscape analysis in that is identifies
 the cumulative uses of a watershed at the landscape level over a given year by ethnographic
 Nez Perce  Marshall combined physiographic and climatic data in producing four zones of plant
 food availability. Table 3.121 shows this relationship
       TABLE 3.121: TIMING AND AVAILABILITY OF PLANT FOODS IN NEZ PERCE TERRITORY
             indicator Species
       Scattered sagebrush (gray
       rabbitbrush shrubs)
      Timing/Scheduling
Early production of vegetable
foods (April), ending in May or
June.
                                                                   Resources Available
Twelve vegetable
plants.
       Mesic shrub species (snowberry,
       Rosa sp., and ninebark)
Begins in early summer; dormant
in winter.
Nineteen plant foods.
(plateaus and foothills
       Oregon boxwood
Production occurs in late
summer.
Nineteen plant foods.
(plateaus and foe
       Fireberry and huckleberries
Production occurs in late
summer.
6 resources appear in
late summer.
By following seasonally available plant foods, the Nez Perce were able to secure at least 35
different plant foods for up to seven  months out of the year from drainages like the greater
South Fork Clearwater River. The storage of these plant resources in addition to serviceberry
huckleberry and fireberry, generally rounded out the botanical menu of the Nez Perce  These
latter three berry species  were the most commonly stored berry by the Nez Perce (Marshall,
1977:63).
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
The American and Crooked River Project will likely have a beneficial effect on two of these berry
species.  Serviceberry generally declines with canopy closure, but is a common specie following
disturbances such as fire, logging or insect outbreak.  Huckleberries increase  in response to
overstory removal, with a slow increase in population numbers to follow.  Fireberry (hawthorn) is
not commonly  found  in  lodgepole dominated  forests such  as  those associated with  the
American and  Crooked River Project area.  Therefore no effect to fireberry is  expected from
implementing the current project (http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants).

Marshall  reports the three most utilized salmonids by the Nez Perce were silver salmon (Coho),
blueback (sockeye), and chinook.  Sockeye  reportedly  did  not  ascend the  South Fork
Clearwater  River, while Coho may have although their historical presence  has not been well
documented (personal communication,  Katherine Thompson).  Chinook salmon ascended the
South  Fork  Clearwater River to  spawn in  tributaries  such as Newsome Creek,  Red River,
American River and Crooked River (personal communication, Wayne Paradis).  Lamprey  eel,
sea-run sucker, whitefish, chiselmouth, sucker, and trout were also utilized by the Nez Perce.

The aquatic improvement packages associated with each alternative of the  current  project will
benefit these aquatic resources through habitat  improvement  projects such  as  in-stream work
within  Crooked River, and reduction of sediment through proposed road  decommissioning
activities.

Marshall  further reports the Nez Perce hunted elk,  white-tailed  deer,  mule deer, mountain
sheep, mountain  goat and moose; of  which elk, mule deer, and whitetail deer were most
important. Bison and antelope were also hunted on the open plains.  Hunting activity was most
prominent in the  late summer. . Hunting strategies generally involved ascending  one ridge
system into the mountains, while following another ridge system out. Camps  along these routes
were generally six to ten miles apart and located at the heads of drainage basins.

Resident ungulate populations within the  current project  area will benefit from  any of the
proposed project  alternatives through improved forage availability associated  with additional
canopy openings, improving security through further road  decommissioning, and maintaining
appropriate closures on roads selected for retention.

American Indians' general  use  of landscape  fire  for promoting habitat  diversity,  clearing
transportation  corridors,  or  as a hunting  tool  is well  documented (Williams, et  a/., 2001).
However, specific instances in which the Nez Perce tribe historically used fire at the landscape
level within the upper south fork drainage  has  not been established to date. The  Nez Perce
tribal archaeologist is not aware of specific instances in which fire was historically used for any
aboriginal purpose within or near the current project area.

The Southern Nez Perce Trail, one of several routes used by the Tribe to travel  to and from the
Plains, traversed through the general project area. Campsites along this greater trail corridor
may be  expected, however, to date no archaeological remains  of these or other American
Indian  affiliated sites have been  located  within the specific confines  of the  project  area
associated with the American and Crooked River Project.

MINING SETTLEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY OF  THE GREATER PROJECT AREA.
In 1861 placer gold was discovered near Elk City following initial discoveries in  other locales in
north-central Idaho the year before.  Kathryn McKay (1998:15) notes the development of placer
mining in the region  occurred in three stages:
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
1.
        Initial rush characterized by the high grading of gravels  using rockers,  long toms and
        sluice boxes.  Rockers were  used almost exclusively in 1861 and 1862  followed by
        sluices in 1863 (see Figure 3.16) once ditches had been constructed (McKay,  1998:25,
        Zy
    2.  Hydraulic giants, ditches and sluice boxes for working hillside gravels (see Figure 3.17)

    3.  Large mechanical equipment such as dredges and drag lines for processing low grade
        gravels (see Figure 3.18)                                               a     a
   vnfth              c   0978:157-180) and McKay  (1998:23-41) provide an  adequate
 review of the upper South Fork placer mining history and is summarized below.

 n" i!f6*Vh? 9°ld "T rep0rted t0 be found at a rate of $-25 a Pan near E|k City (local rate for
 gold at the time was $16 an ounce).  The greater area was organized into the Union District (in
 relation  to  the great  conflict gripping the
 United States)  and quickly reached its zenith
 in 1862  when  nearly  one  million dollars  in
 gold dust was shipped from the District. That
 year also marked the beginning of the end, as
 mineral   discoveries   elsewhere   in  the
 Washington Territory dislodged miners from
 the District (the area was technically  off-limits
 to uninvited  non-Indians  by  the  Treaty of
 1855). The District continued  fairly profitable
 placer  results   until  approximately  1872.
 Mining  ditches  continued  the  success  of
 some placer efforts thereafter.- Large ditches
 such  as  the  American River and  Elk  Creek
 ditches were notable early undertakings and
supplied  water  to areas as far away as the , _ _ _ _____ _
 Buffalo Hump mines. Located in mountainous terrain, these  ditches were built at a grade of 16'-
20 per mile by men with hand  tools or horse teams. Smaller ditches referred to as races often
brought water from the main ditch to individual claims.  Ditches were surveyed and constructed
                                                    by  both  small  groups  and  large
                                                    companies.    Sold  by the  "miner's
                                                    inch,"  the water was "measured  in a
                                                    small flume with a  headgate under a
                                                    six-inch  pressure,  at an agreed  rate
                                                    per inch  per day" (Hailey, 1910:170).
                                                    A   miner's  inch  generally   equaled
                                                    11.25  gallons  per  minute.    Ditches
                                                    generally  required   large capital to
                                                    construct.   In 1863-1864,   a hand
                                                    excavated 9-mile ditch with flumes in
                                                    the  vicinity of Elk City cost $3,400 per
                                                    mile.
                                        	       -*•"•" 	——• *•—«- WHHffi_M_^_t W_K S^T h—KHKn.!*^ **> '
                                        Figure 3.16.  Sluice box and miner at work in
                                        north-central Idaho
 Figure 3.17.   Hydraulic operations in  progress aTlhe
 Orogrande-Frisco mine
                                               Chinese  miners first came to the  Elk
                                               City area in 1865 and the vicinity had
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
largely become a  Chinese mining camp by the early  1880s,  as only eleven EuroAmerican
miners were reportedly left in the District.  In  1885, the Elk  City area  reported about 500
Chinese. Chinese miners continued to work the  placer deposits and make profits where others
had given up or failed.  It is estimated that 50 percent of all mining ditches in central Idaho were
constructed  by Chinese efforts.  By 1889, the number of Chinese miners were on the decline as
the First Judicial District of the Territory of Idaho ruled aliens could not possess mining claims
under U.S. mining laws. By 1890, only 35 Chinese remained in Elk City.

Concerning  the activities of the initial placer miners relative to the purpose and need associated
with the American and  Crooked  River Project, an  1898-1899  United  States  Geographical
                                                   Survey  report notes the  project area
                                                   then showed...

                                                   "...the results of ancient fires.   About
                                                   80  per  cent  of  it  is covered with
                                                   lodgepole pine, the growth of which is
                                                   directly traceable to the effects of fires
                                                   that  ravaged  the  section a  century or
                                                   more ago...The early settlers, or rather
                                                   prospectors that discovered the Elk City
                                                   placers in 1860 and 1861, did not spare
                                                   the  lodgepole  pine  growth that they
                                                   found covering the country,  but fired it
                                                   in    many  places..."     (Elsensohn,
                                                   1971:13).
 Figure 3.18.  Dredge processing low-grade placer gravels
 on  the  Crooked River  about  1938 (From Elsensohn
 1971:48-7)
                                                   Hydraulic mining generally followed by
                                                   a few years  the  initial  discovery of
                                                   placer gold in various  Districts.    It
                                                   required  steep terrain to build  water
pressure and dispose of waste, as well as large amounts  of water and capital.  Water under
pressure flowed through penstocks and was diverted through a nozzle referred to as a hydraulic
giant or monitor.  Ditches were often constructed to steady  or brace smaller pipes extending
from the penstock.  These smaller pipes or hoses were used  in place of the monitor prior to its
inception in 1869-1870.  Water under pressure was applied to the base of slopes thus resulting
in their erosion or collapse.  The  resulting burden was then washed through sluices to extract
gold.  Extensive hydraulic workings were under way in Idaho County during the  1890s,  and
specifically within the Orogrande area in the early 1900s.  In 1894 the American Hill and Buffalo
Hill hydraulic operations were in progress near Elk City. Both operations employed over twenty
men per 10-hour shift.  Two shifts per day were worked at each locale given the need for large
production during the high water  seasons.  Leggett Creek (just west  of the project area) also
had a hydraulic operation as of 1903 operated by Tom and Jim Surrage.

Dredges were also  employed in and around the project area to work low-grade gravels, or in
areas too flat for other forms of processing. A sample of dredge workings of the greater project
area and dates of operations are provided by Elsensohn (1971:30-35) and McKay (1998:99),
and shown in Table  3.122.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
   TABLE 3.122 - A SAMPLE OF DREDGING LOCATIONS NEAR THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER
                      PROJECT AREA, AND THEIR DATES OF OPERATIONS
Location
Red River
Little Elk Creek
Elk Creek/American River Confluence
French Gulch
Deadwood Gulch
Santiam Creek confluence
Nugget Creek
Beaver Creek
American River
Crooked River

Transported to site by 13 teams
of horses in 1 899
1909
1909
Long since completed by 1922
1936
1937
Post 1938
1938
1938
1938
 The greater Elk City vicinity saw a second rush of miners in the mid-1880s with the advent of
 quartz mining (only a few quartz lodes were developed during the initial 1860s excitement)  The
   *-,q,USJf i°fatl°n near Elk City was the Buster mine- initial|y claimed in 1870, but not worked
 until  1902 following  the construction of  the American  Eagle  mill.  The  Badger mine in  the
 Orogrande locality began work in 1896, and the Hogan Mine (later the Orogrande-Frisco mine)
 was worked in 1902 at which time a twenty-stamp mill was constructed at the mine (see Figure
 ioc2; L u-Mnno^10 °f 1893 SlOWed both quartz and ptacer ^"'"9 for tw° V^rs (McKay,
 1998). McKay (1998:58) further notes:

       "...beginning  in 1895  placer and lode mining again became active.   Quartz
       mining in Idaho County declined after 1909, reaching its low in 1920. From then
       until 1932 there was very little quartz mining activity in the county. Development
       was hampered by poor transportation (preventing the development of the large
       low-grade deposits), the short operation season, the small size of the high-grade
       veins, and incompetent management.   None of the lode mines in north-central
       Idaho were very extensive,  and  none reached a depth of more  than  a few
       hundred feet.  By far the most common  method of ore treatment was crushing in
       stamp mills followed by  plate amalgamation, resulting  in the recovery of only
       about 60 percent of the gold in the ore...During the Depression of the  1930s,
       because of higher gold prices and improved road systems, lode mining in Idaho
       County  experienced a revival.  Most of  the small veins were owner-operated at
       that time because  the veins generally were  not rich  enough to  support the
       overhead necessary for company operations. "

Exceptions to this last statement did occur, however. The Gnome Gold Mining Company built a
sawmill in the Orogrande locality in 1932.  The Orogrande-Frisco mine resumed  operations in
1933  and  built a 500-ton cyanide mill.   The  Clearwater  Concentration Company also
constructed a 60-ton mill at the mouth of the Crooked River in the late 1930s. The Orogrande-
Frisco mine was reported to be the largest open-pit mine in Idaho, and in 1938 was the largest
operating cyanide-process mill in the  Northwest (McKay, 1998).
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
PUBLIC DOMAIN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY OF THE GREATER PROJECT AREA.
In 1897 President Grover Cleveland added the 4.1  million acre Bitterroot Forest Reserve to the
existing reserve system.  Administered by the  General  Land Office of the Department of the
Interior, this new Reserve immediately became the target of critics who worked to reduce its
size or eliminate its existence, owing to the perceived mineral wealth of the region (Baird, 1999).
These efforts were partly successful, for in  1904 the Elk  City township and areas in the Buffalo
Hump country were withdrawn from  public domain. The remainder of the Reserve, however,
continued under federal management and starting in 1905, was administered by the Department
of  Agriculture after the creation of the Forest Service that year.   In  1907, public  domain
encompassing the greater project area became part of the Bitterroot National Forest, and in
1908 became part of the newly created Nez Perce National Forest, which it remains today.

The development, administration and utilization of these federal  lands  continued as timber,
mining and recreation all became important activities during the early 20th century.  Slowly,
transportation routes,  communication lines and structural  improvements were made to better
manage these functions.  Work  relief programs of the  1930s supported these endeavors. The
Civilian Conservation  Corps, for example,  contributed largely to the cultural landscape of the
greater project area, the results of which are still present  today in the form of roads, trails, guard
stations, fire lookouts etc.

    TABLE 3.123 - HISTORICAL CLASSIFICATION & CHRONOLOGY OF LAND ENCOMPASSING THE
                        AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER PROJECT
Dates
Pre 1848
1848-1855
1855-1859
1859-1863
1863-1890
1890-1897
1897-1907
1907-1908
1908-present
Classification
Indian Title
Indian Title, also included within the Oregon Territory of
1848
Included within the 1855 Nez Perce Indian Reservation
Still located within the 1 855 Reservation, but then part
of the newly formed Washington Territory
Included within the newly created Idaho Territory (no
longer part of the Nez Perce Reservation following its
size reduction associated with the Treaty of 1863)
Located within the newly formed state of Idaho
Part of the Bitterroot Forest Reserve of Idaho
Part of the Bitterroot National Forest
Included within the Nez Perce National Forest
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Section 101 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Federal Government
to preserve  important historic, cultural, and  natural aspects of our national heritage.   To
accomplish this, federal agencies utilize the Section 106 process associated with the National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).  Passed by Congress three years before NEPA, the NHPA
sets forth a framework for identifying and evaluating historic properties, and assessing effects to
these properties. This process has been codified in 36 CFR 800 Subpart B. The coordination
or linkage between the Section  106 process of the NHPA and the mandate to preserve our
national heritage under NEPA is well understood, and is formally established in 36 CFR 800.3b
and 800.8. The terminology of "...important historic, cultural, and natural aspects of our national
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             American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 K,uA~r  'n NEPA 'ncludes those resources defined  as "historic properties"  under the
 NHPA (36 CFR 800.16(0(1)).  It is thus the Section 106 process agencies utilize to consider
 manage and protect historic properties during the planning and implementation stages of federal
 undertakings.  Locally, the  Nez Perce National  Forest uses a programmatic agreement  (PA)
 signed  between Region-1  of the USDA  FS, Idaho State Historic Preservation Office  and
 Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to implement the Section 106 process.  Forest  Plan
 Standards for  heritage resources applicable  to  the current project  largely reiterate  key
 components found within Section 106 of the NHPA, and are presented at the end of this section
 in Table 3.131.

 The key components of the Section 106 process generally include:
     •   Determining the area of potential effects (APE)
     •   Identification efforts to locate historic properties within the APE
     •   Evaluating located properties for their National Register significance
     •   Assessing project effects to National  Register eligible properties
     •   Resolving adverse effects (if any) to National Register eligible properties in consultation
        with the State  Historic  Preservation Office (SHPO),  Advisory Council  on Historic
        Preservation and Tribes as needed to avoid, minimize or mitigate  adverse effects on
        historic properties

 The below discussion outlines the steps taken by the Nez Perce National Forest to comply  with
 the  above steps of the Section  106 process, as related to the American and  Crooked River
 Project.

 DETERMINING THE AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS (APE).
 The APE  is defined in 36  CFR  800.16d as the geographic area or areas within which an
 undertaking may directly  or indirectly cause alterations  in the character or use of historic
 properties.  Given the general extent  and range of activities proposed within the four action
 alternatives associated  with the American-Crooked River Project,  in addition  to the type of
 historic properties  known for the project area, the APE associated with the current project is
 generally viewed as those specific areas scheduled to receive direct ground disturbing activities
 as a result of implementing any one of the four alternatives.

 IDENTIFICATION EFFORTS TO LOCATE HISTORIC PROPERTIES WITHIN THE APE.
 Heritage resource surveys designed to locate historic properties within the APE are tiered to the
 Site Identification Strategy for the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests (Hill 2001)  and
 reflect the best available science.  Surveys of the project area were conducted during the 2003
 and  2004 field seasons  by the Nez Perce Forest Heritage Program.  As a result, 1 335 acres
 were surveyed for heritage  resources.  An  additional 73  acres  previously surveyed for  the
 Moose Butte Salvage Sale in 1996 (Fulbright, 1996) was also used to cover the  current project
 area.  All heritage  resource  identification work and  results, including recommended mitigation
 measures,  have been reported to the Idaho State  Historic Preservation Office (ISHPO) for
 concurrence. The ISHPO has concurred on all aspects of this work.

To date, twenty-five cultural  properties, or heritage  resources, have been identified within  the
APE and are described in Table 3.129.  Seven of these properties were identified by past field
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 efforts, while eighteen of these resources were located as a result of survey work conducted for
 the current project.

 EVALUATING LOCATED PROPERTIES FOR THEIR NATIONAL REGISTER SIGNIFICANCE.
 The eighteen new properties located as a result of performing heritage resource surveys for the
 current project were evaluated against the National Register Criteria, which is presented below.

                   CRITERIA FOR NATIONAL REGISTER ELIGIBILITY
The  quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and
culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity
of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association and:

   (a) That are associated  with events  that have made a significant  contribution to the
      broad patterns of our history; or

   (b) That are associated with the lives  of persons significant in our past; or

   (c) That embody distinctive characteristics of a type,  period, or method of construction,
      or that represent the  work of a master, or that possess high  artistic values, or that
      represent a significant and  distinguishable entity whose components  may lack
      individual distinction;  or

   (d)That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or
      history.
    TABLE 3.124 - LIST OF CULTURAL PROPERTIESI WITHIN THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER
                                    PROJECT APE
Site
Number
NZ-5-94
NZ-5-95
NZ-5-96
NZ-5-97
NZ-5-98
NZ-5-99
NZ-5-100
NZ-5-101
Site Type
Mining site
Trail
Mining ditch
Exploratory ditch
and prospects
Mining prospects
Mining prospects
Trail
Trail
Significance
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Nationai Register
Criteria/Justification
Site is less than 50 years old and thus not
eligible for the National Register
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
(a) and (c)
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
  The specific location of these properties is not available for public disclosure (36 CFR 296.18).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Site
Number

NZ-5-104
NZ-5-105
NZ-5-106
NZ-5-107
NZ-5-108
NZ-5-113
NZ-5-114
NZ-5-117
NZ-5-118
10IH1713
10IH2507
10IH2509 .
10IH2513
10IH2523
10IH2535
10IH2649
Site Type

Camp
Trail
Mining ditch
Kirks Fork mining
ditch
Mining ditch
Discontinuous trail
Mining ditch
Mining related
features
Mining prospects
Mining structures
Mining site
Mining adit
Dilapidated mining
cabin
Prospect pits
Prospect pits
Mining related
features
Significance
Eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Eligible
Eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Eligible
Eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
Not eligible
National Register
(d)
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
(a) and (c)
(a) and (c)
Lack of integrity
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
(a) and (c)
(a) and (d)
Recordation has exhausted its research
potential
Previously recorded sites determined not
eligible
Previously recorded sites determined not
eligible
Previously recorded sites determined not
eligible
Previously recorded sites determined not
eligible
Previously recorded sites determined not
eligible
Previously recorded sites determined not
eligible
Previously recorded sites determined not
eligible
ASSESSING PROJECT EFFECTS TO NATIONAL REGISTER ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES.
All five cultural properties determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places within
the APE have  been  identified on  the  ground.   Project  activities and/or their associated
boundaries  in the vicinity of these properties will be modified, as appropriate, to assure the
avoidance of significant elements associated with these  National Register properties.  As a
result, the agency has made a "no adverse effect" finding concerning cultural properties and the
American Crooked River Project per Stipulation V(d)(1) of the PA.  The IDSHPO has concurred
with all avoidance measures associated with this "no adverse effect" determination.

RESOLVING ADVERSE EFFECTS TO NATIONAL REGISTER ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES.
Because  of appropriate mitigation/avoidance measures (see Chapter 2 - Project Design and
Mitigation Measures), no adverse effects to National  Register eligible properties have been
identified  in conjunction with the implementation of the American and Crooked River Project.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS FOR HERITAGE RESOURCES
Five cultural properties eligible for the National  Register of Historic Places have been identified
within, or immediately adjacent to, the American and  Crooked River  project, and will be
protected from disturbance resulting from project activity (see Table 3.130).

 TABLE 3.125 - LIST OF CULTURAL PROPERTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER
 PROJECT THAT HAVE BEEN DETERMINED ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
Site Number1
NZ-5-103
NZ-5-106
NZ-5-107
NZ-5-114
NZ-5-117
Site Type
Trail
Mining ditch
Mining ditch
Mining ditch
Mining features
FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE
The following Heritage related Forestwide Standards, from among those listed on page 11-17 of
the Nez Perce National Forest Plan, apply to this project and will be met as follows.

                  TABLE 3.126 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - HERITAGE
STANDARD
NUMBER
1
2
3
4
5 (as
amended,
1990)
SUBJECT
SUMMARY
Survey areas
scheduled for land
disturbance...
Evaluate and
protect sites and
districts...
Protect American
Indian religious
and cultural
sites...
Protect and
preserve National
Register eligible
properties...
Consult with Nez
Perce Tribe...
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
An appropriate heritage resource survey has been conducted for the
project area and approved by the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office
Design criteria #42 (see Chapter 2). Evaluation of all 25 sites within the
project area has occurred and protection measures are in place for those
sites eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The Idaho State
Historic Preservation Office has approved all evaluations and protection
measures
Government-to-Government consultation has occurred
Design Criteria #42 and #43 (see Chapter 2). All National Register eligible
properties have been identified for the project area. Appropriate protection
measures for these properties have been developed and accepted by the
Idaho State Historic Preservation Office
Government-to-Government consultation has occurred
The following Heritage related Forestwide Standards, from among those listed on page ll-17_of
the Nez Perce National Forest Plan, do not apply to the current project as explained below.
1 The specific location of these properties is not available for public disclosure (36 CFR 296.18).
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
         TABLE 3.127 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR HERITAGE THAT DO NOT APPLY
STANDARD
NUMBER
6
7
SUBJECT
SUMMARY
Write a cultural
resource overview. . .
Identify maintenance
and/or stabilization
needs of historic
properties
EXPLANATION
This is an overall Heritage Program objective, and not a project specific
mandate
No historic properties requiring specific maintenance and/or stabilization
activities have been identified within the Area of Potential Effect
associated with the current project
                                    cs us as us o« e*

 3.10. VEGETATION

 SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
 The scope of the vegetation analysis for existing condition and effects of the alternatives is
 defined by stand information from the American and Crooked River planning area.  Indicators
 incorporate timber volume and stand structure characteristics, .including trees per acre, size,
 species composition,  and snag/dead  wood  components.   Direct and  indirect effects  are
 analyzed at the planning area level. Cumulative effects will include significant information from
 the planning area and adjacent areas in the watershed.

 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
 The Nez Perce National Forest Plan (USDA FS, 1987a, p. II-1-II-8)  established goals and
 objectives for the management of the Forest.  The purpose of specific  Forest Plan goals that
 apply to vegetation management in the American and Crooked River analysis area is to:

    •   Provide  a sustained yield  of resource outputs that would help  support the economic
       structure of local communities and provide  for regional and national needs (USDA  FS
       1987a, pll-1).

    •   Recognize and promote the intrinsic  ecological and economic value of wildlife  and
       wildlife habitats.  Provide high quality and quantity of wildlife habitat to ensure diversified
       recreational use and public satisfaction (USDA FS, 1987a, p. 11-1).

    •   Protect resource values  through cost-effective fire and fuels management, emphasizing
       fuel treatment through the utilization of material  and using  prescribed fire (USDA  FS
       1987a, p. II-2).

    •   Protect resource values through the practice of integrated pest management (USDA  FS
       1987a, p. II-2).

The Nez Perce National Forest  Plan  (NPFP)  identified  management area designations to
distinguish differing management emphasis between geographic areas.  The Nez Perce Forest
Plan gives general guidelines, goals, and standards for manipulation of forest vegetation within
these management areas, this information can be found throughout Chapter III of the Plan.

Amendment 20 to the Forest  Plan incorporates PACFISH standards and guidelines  into  the
Forest Plan.  Briefly, these prohibit timber harvest in Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
(RHCA)  except  for salvage  after a  catastrophic  event  or to acquire desired vegetation
characteristics where needed to attain Riparian Management Objectives.

The National Forest Management Act of 1976 states that "timber would be harvested from
National  Forest  Land only where  there  is assurance that such  lands  can be  adequately
restocked within five years after harvest." (16  U.S.C. 1604).  Additional clarification on this
subject is found in the Code of Federal Regulations, which specifies that, "When trees are cut to
achieve timber production objectives, the cuttings shall be made in a way as to assure that the
technology and knowledge exists to adequately restock the lands within five years after final
harvest.  Research and experience shall be the basis for determining whether the harvest and
regeneration  practices  planned can  be expected  to result  in adequate restocking."   The
statement, "Five years after final harvest..." means five years after clearcutting, five years after
final overstory removal in shelterwood cutting, five years after seed tree removal cut in seed tree
cutting, or five years after selection cutting" (Title 36 CFR 219.27 (c) (3)).

CLEARCUTTING AND EVEN-AGE MANAGEMENT (16 U.S.C. 1604(G)(3)(F)(i)).
When timber is to be harvested using an even-age management system, a determination that
the system is appropriate to meet the objectives and requirements of the Forest Plan must be
made,  and, where clearcutting  is used, it must be determined to be the optimum  method.  All
even-aged management proposed  in the American and Crooked River Project is appropriate to
meet the objectives and  requirements of the  Forest Plan.  The  silvicultural prescription  of
clearcut with  reserves is the optimum  treatment for the  proposed  units  because the species
composition of the existing stands is at high risk for loss to insects or disease. The silvicultural
prescriptions will further detail and clarify tree species at risk and the specific insect and disease
vectors.

FOREST SERVICE MANUAL - POLICY (FSM 2470.3)

REGIONAL FORESTER'S POLICY:
When timber production is emphasized in forest plans, silvicultural practices will ensure that
stands achieve and maintain the level of stocking, species composition and structure best suited
to meeting  short- and long-term management objectives, including those addressing volume
growth and yield.   Broad scale  factors, such as how concepts of  disturbance  ecology
complement or risk long-term sustainability of the resources we manage, should be recognized
prior to implementing silvicultura! treatments.

When  other resources are emphasized  along with timber production, it is important  that
stocking, species composition  and stand structure identified  to  meet  short- and long-term
resource management objectives also be implementable and sustainable considering concepts
of disturbance and forest ecology.   Modification of desired stand  composition and  structure
conditions should be done to complement  landscape level desired composition, structure, and
function objectives.

If timber production is  not an objective,  silvicultural  practices that maintain tree vigor and
promote resistance to damaging agents will be used.  Dysgenic practices will be avoided.

Silvicultural practices must be ecologically  sound.   Treatments  need  not duplicate natural
processes, but they must be compatible with the natural forces that create changes in the forest
ecosystem.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 OPENINGS OVER 40 ACRES

 Direction in Forest Service Manual 2400, Chapter 70, Section 2471.1 (citation) states that the
 size of openings  created by even-aged silvicultural treatments in the Northern Rockies will
 normally  be 40 acres or less,  with certain  exceptions.   One  of those  exceptions  includes
 catastrophic events such as fire, windstorms, or insect and disease attacks.  In these cases, the
 40-acre limitation may be exceeded without 60-day public review and without Regional  Forester
 approval, provided the public is  notified and the environmental analysis supports the decision.
 This documentation of the proposed creation of these openings constitutes public notification.

 Implementation of any of the action alternatives would create some  openings that are greater
 than 40 acres in  size. Average stocking levels of trees in these openings would vary from 0
 trees to as  many as 30 trees per acre, depending  on tree species and condition of individual
 trees.  Snags and green tree replacements should remain where available based on the table in
 Appendix K. All of these openings have been precipitated by the action of catastrophic events,
 in this case insect attacks and disease.  The units themselves range  in size from 1  to 81 acres
 in size. However,  some of them are adjacent to other planned or existing units, and cumulative
 opening  size will  exceed 40 acres in several instances. Table L-1 in Appendix L displays the
 maximum number of openings over 40 acres that  would  be created  with Alternative D, the
 alternative that harvests the most acres.

 ANALYSIS METHODS
 The data sources for analysis of the existing vegetation condition were stand exam information
 from the Field Sampled  Vegetation Database (FSVEG),  activities from the Forest database
 (TSMRS), Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA), Region  1  Vegetation Map (R1VMAP),  aerial
 photo  interpretation,  and field  surveys.   Additional analysis  was done using  the Forest
 Vegetation Simulator  (FVS) and Geographic Information System (CIS) coverages.  Data for
 Cover Types and structure (size class, densities and canopy layers) were analyzed where
 treatments will occur.  Projections and mathematical formulas  were used to  determine the
 changes for each alternative.

 Initial selection of potential harvest areas was based on insect and disease severity mapping,
 aerial  photograph  interpretation, and  field  review.   Forest  stand data from  Forest  Service
 databases, including acres, slope, trees per  acre (weighted average),  volume per acre,  acres of
 harvest by harvest type, habitat type, and forest type was used to determine the characteristics
 of vegetation in the analysis area. RHCA widths were identified based on stream characteristics
 and fish  populations.  Areas within RHCAs, inventoried roadless areas, high landslide prone
 acres,  and designated old growth  were identified and eliminated  from further consideration.
 Harvest systems were assigned to the potential harvest areas based on topography, slope and
 access. Percent harvest removal was based on a desired future target stand and utilized stand
 exam data, projections from FVS, aerial photograph interpretation, and field review.

 Recent scientific studies  and reports, including those from the  Science integration Team  of
 ICBEMP, point to  a loss of landscape integrity as  indicated by potential tree  mortality from
 insects and  disease at nearly twice the historical levels. The shift to more insect and  disease
vulnerable forests  can be  attributed to fire exclusion  and  past harvest practices (General
Technical Report PNW-GTR-458, by Paul F.  Hessburg, et at 1999).

The Interior  Columbia  Basin Scientific Assessment (Quigley and Arbelbide,  1997) found forest
integrity to be low  in the South Fork Clearwater River subbasin, based on the reduction  of serai
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
tree species, changes in tree size classes, and disruption to fire regimes, among other factors.
The  Interior Columbia  Basin  Scientific Assessment categorized  the  American  and Crooked
River project area as Forest Cluster 3. It states that Forest Cluster 3 has low forest integrity
with high mean departures in fire frequency and severity (Quigley, et a/., 1996, p. 96-117).

The South  Fork Clearwater Landscape Assessment (SFLA) (USDA FS 1998a)  characterized
the ecological and social conditions in the South Fork Clearwater River  subbasin and provided a
context for  future  forest management  decisions  in the area.  The assessment recommended
vegetation  themes for the  American  and Crooked River watersheds.   The recommended
vegetation theme  is to restore vegetation pattern.  More detailed descriptions of these themes
are found in the South  Fork Landscape Assessment (USDA FS 1998a, pp. 138-141 and 146-
149).

ROADSIDE SALVAGE
The purpose of this action is to use  incidental salvage to recover economic value over limited
areas immediately adjacent to haul routes. The scope of this action is  limited in extent to avoid
large  unplanned openings; and is limited in intensity to minimize loss of elk  hiding cover, to
prevent  large  areas  devoid  of snags or recruitable soil  wood,  and to avoid  continuous
accumulations  of fine slash  along roads that  may  be used as fuel breaks in fire suppression.
Proposals to treat extensive areas of  highly concentrated mortality adjacent to roadways are
either described  as  specific treatment units in  this analysis or would be addressed in
subsequent environmental analyses.

DESIGN CRITERIA:
   •  Roadside salvage would be limited to dead or dying trees, with no harvest of standing trees
      more than 20 inches in diameter. (Windthrown trees would not be subject to the diameter
      limit.)

   •  Salvage would be limited to areas adjacent to haul roads. No tree cutting or yarding would
      occur in RHCAs or in allocated existing or replacement old growth.

   •  All yarding  would be  done from the road.  Areas above steep cutslopes that  cannot be
      protected from  yarding damage would be omitted from salvage.  Yarding distance would not
      exceed 100 feet.

   •  No more than 80 dead or  dying trees per mile  (approximately 8 trees/acre)  could  be
      designated for cutting on each side of the  road.

   •  Maximum opening size is one acre on each side of a road, or a maximum of 400 feet along
      the road.

   •   Openings would be separated from other forest openings by at least 200 feet of pole size or
      larger forest along the  road, on both sides, to provide cover for wildlife crossing.

   •   Slash from salvage would be lopped and  scattered, hand piled and burned  in the woods, or
      removed from the site at the discretion of the District Ranger considering the Forest objective
      of maintaining less than 12 tons per acre of fine fuels.

   •   This  component of the action would comply with all applicable design criteria developed
      for the action as a whole.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
    •  These design  criteria  are not intended  to limit or  interfere with brushing,  clearing, or
       hazard reduction activities associated with routine road maintenance.

3.10.1. VEGETATION - AMERICAN RIVER

INTRODUCTION
Plant communities in  the analysis area can be seen as a mosaic of patches that change in
composition, size, and  position in  relation to one another  over time. Wildlife and  humans
respond  in varying ways to a particular pattern of vegetation.  In fact, processes such as fire,
plant community  succession, insect and  disease activity, drought,  and grazing all have the
ability to  change the pattern that exists at any given time. Additionally, features such as climate,
soil, slope, aspect, and elevation control the bounds within which patterns can  change.  The
terms Vegetation  Response Unit (VRUs) and Potential Vegetation Groups (HVGs), which occur
within VRUs, are  used to describe these bounds.  The VRU  is  intended to be a compilation of
lands having similar capabilities and potentials for management. As mapped areas these units
have similar patterns in potential natural communities (habitat types), soils, hydrologic function,
landform  and topography, rock formations,  climate, air quality,  and natural  disturbance
processes (fire regimes, succession, productivity, nutrient cycling). The interaction  of all these
processes creates a mosaic across the area landscape.  Within individual areas of any VRU
over time, the proportion of age and  size classes, successional stage, impacts  of fire and/or
disease will be dynamic as natural and managed disturbances occur.  Potential  Vegetation
Groups are  a grouping of  vegetative types based on similar general moisture or temperature
environments.

The VRUs for the American River portion of the  analysis are shown in figure 3.19. Within these
delineations,  presettlement processes (e.g.,  climate,  fire, insect  and disease activity) likely
operated within somewhat predictable  ranges.  Understanding  how these past disturbance
regimes worked and the pattern of vegetation change, is fundamental to current management of
ecosystems.  Furthermore, this knowledge can be used to help  design management structures
that sustain patterns of vegetation at the scale,  frequency,  and  kind of change to which native
species are adapted.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                                     FIGURE 3.19
                                AMERICAN RIVER VRU'S
                        VRU 10, 1470 ac,
                            9o/0     -\ VRU 1, 354 ac, 2%
                             [AC]

                  VRU 8, 493 ac, 3%
                  VRU 7, 3146 ac,
                      20%
                                                        |VRU
                                                   VRU 6, 10129ac,
                                                       66%
(VRU 1: Convex slopes, subalpine fir, VRU 6: Cold basins, grand fir and subalpine fir,

VRU 7: Moist uplands, grand fir and Pacific yew, VRU 8: Breaklands, cedar and grand fir, VRU
10: Uplands, alder, grand fir and subalpine fir habitat types.)

3.10.1.1. INDICATOR 1 -COMPOSITION (COVERTYPE/SPECIES/LAYER/AGE)
EXISTING CONDITION
The historic and existing condition of vegetation in the American and  Crooked Rivers Project
Area is discussed in general terms in the South Clearwater Landscape Assessment (USDA FS
1998xxx) in Chapter 3 (pp. 20, 82-98) and Chapter 4 (pp. 138-141 [American River] and pp 146-
149 [Crooked River]).

For the past decade, a mountain pine beetle  epidemic has been  causing mortality in mature
lodgepole pine in the upper reaches of the South Fork Clearwater River.  The epicenters have
been concentrated  in the Red  River drainages and  are spiraling out to adjacent drainages,
including the American River on the north and  the Crooked River to the west.  This is the most
extensive and damaging outbreak in the Northern  Region.   The highest concentrations of
beetle-caused mortality were noted around  Red River and Elk City.   Through the analysis of
field surveys and stand analyses it has been determined that lodgepole pine overstory mortality
is currently  estimated at 70 to 80 percent  in these  areas. A slight decrease in lodgepole pine
mortality in the Red River watershed was noted between 2002 and 2003, due to host depletion
(Gibson, 2003).  In  the summer of 2003, mortality  within the American and Crooked River
project area was somewhat lower at 50 to 60 percent. However, lodgepole mortality will likely
advance to the same level as in the Red River drainage during the upcoming growing season.

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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Indicators of the existing condition of vegetation and effects of various management alternatives
 to the vegetation  are  described by forest cover types  and structure (including size classes,
 canopy layers, and stand density).

 The American River portion of the project area encompasses approximately 15,600 acres.  The
 Forest Service Timber Stand Management Record System (TSMRS) indicates that previous
 harvest in  the project  area, dating from the 1950s to the present occurred on approximately
 3,082 acres.   Harvest methods  included 1,126  acres  of thinning/salvage,  742  acres  of
 shelterwood/seed tree, and 1214 acres of clearcut.

 Figure 3.20 portrays harvest by method, acres, and percentage of the analysis area.

                                      FIGURE 3.20

                                  AMERICAN RIVER PORTION
                                     PREVIOUS HARVEST
                 0,12509,81%
4113,1126,7%


 4114,88,1%

 •4131,220,1%

4132,466,3%

 4147, 57, 0%

 4210, 152, 1%

 4211. 284, 2%

 4220,80, 1%

 4230, 389. 2%

 4240,221, 1%
(Harvest codes: 0 - no harvest, 4113 - stand clearcut, 4114 - clearcut with reserve trees, 4131
- shelterwood seed cut, 4132 - seed tree cut, 4147 - seed tree final cut, 4210 - improvement
cut, 4211 - liberation cut, 4220 - thinning)

FOREST COVER TYPES
A combination of wildfire, intentional fire, timber harvest, and fire suppression have shaped the
existing pattern and composition of vegetation in the analysis area.  The greatest changes from
historic vegetation conditions include:

Declines in lodgepole pine-dominated communities due to harvest, fire suppression and forest
succession.

Increases in more shade tolerant  tree species, such as  subalpine fir and grand fir, due to fire
suppression and forest succession.

Declines in  shrubland,  riparian shrub, and  riparian  meadow due  to  forest  encroachment,
agricultural conversion, and forest  succession
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Whitebark pine has declined seriously from blister rust, fire exclusion and mountain pine beetle.
Western white pine, never abundant, has also declined from blister rust.

Early serai structural stages, including forest openings,  seedling and sapling, and pole stands,
with snags and down wood, have decreased because of fire suppression.  Medium and large
tree classes have increased in most areas except larch and ponderosa pine forests.

Figure  3.21 and  Table 3.128 display  cover types in the American River portion of the analysis
area.

                                      FIGURE 3.21
                                    American River Portion
                                      Dominant Species
                                              PICO, 4420, 29%
                          ABLA, 40, 0%
                 TGCH, 4300, 28%
                          TASH, 1042,7%

                               SHR, 264, 2%
                                                          PIEN, 45, 0%
                                                        PSME, 5211,34%
                        (KEY: DOMINANT SPECIES, ACRES, PERCENT)
             TABLE 3.128 - AMERICAN RIVER PORTION DOMINANT COVER TYPES.
Dominance
Code
ABLA
PICO
PIEN
PIPO_MMIX
PSME
SHR
TASH
TGCH
Description
Abies-lasocarpa (subalpine fir)
Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine)
Picea engelmannii (Englemann spruce)
Shade-intolerant mixed conifer (ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western larch)
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir)
Shrub Dominated
Shade-tolerant mixed conifer (ABLA/PIEN/TSME)
Shade-tolerant mixed conifer (ABGR/THPL/TSHE)
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 STRUCTURE (SIZE CLASSES, DENSITY AND CANOPY LAYERS)
 SIZE CLASSES

 Average tree  size varies depending on year of origin, tree species, and  growing conditions.
 Approximately two percent of the analysis area consists of regenerating harvest units with tree
 diameters  less than five inches and 98 percent of the area  supports trees with  five inches
 diameter at breast height (DBH) or greater.  Figure 3.22  displays existing  tree size classes in
 the project area.

                                       FIGURE 3.22
                                     American River Portion
                                     Size Class Distribution
                      Small Tree (5-9.9 in.
                      DBH), 1868, 12%
                  Shrub Dominated, 264,
                        2%

                   Seedling/Sapling Tree
                   (<5in. DBH), 12,0%
                         Medium Tree (10-14.9
                         in. DBH), 3645, 24%
                                                        Large/Very Large Tree
                                                         •= 15 in. DBH), 9532,
                                                             62%
STAND DENSITY

Stand  density, measured in trees per acre vary widely across the project area.  Variations are
due to elevation, aspect, soils and moisture, as well as disturbances such as insect activity, fire
and harvest. Stand densities in previously harvested, regenerated stands in the project  area
range  from approximately 1,000  to 4,000 trees  per acre of sapling to pole-sized trees in
unthinned stands, to approximately 435 trees per acre in thinned stands. Stand densities in the
table below have been  calculated for previously unmanaged stands in the project area.  One
consequence of increased stand  densities is  the increase in fuel loading  (tons per acre of
vegetative fuel) that could increase fire intensity, severity and resistance to control. Table 3.129
displays average stand  densities by size class for previously unmanaged stands in the project
area.
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          TABLE 3.129 - UNMANAGED STAND DENSITIES IN THE AMERICAN RIVER AREA
Size Class
Seedling/Sapling
(<5 inch DBH)
Small
(5-9.9 inch DBH)
Medium Trees
(10-14.9 inch DBH)
Large
(15 + inch DBH)
Trees/Acre
1,300
66
53
5
Acres by Size
Class
• 12
1865
3645
9532
Percent of
Project Area
0%
12%
24%
<62%
 CANOPY

 What were once relatively simple one and two story stands have transitioned to more complex
 multi-story stands. Lodgepole pine mortality will further accelerate this shift toward multi-storied
 conditions. Figure 3.23 displays canopy layers in the project area.

                                       FIGURE 3.23

                                     American River Portion
                                     Percent Canopy Cover
                    60-100%, 8956,58%
                                                    Shrub dominated
                                                    lifeform, 264, 2%

                                                      10-24.9%, 1012,7%
                                                       25-59.9%, 5089, 33%
                    (Key: Canopy cover percent, acres, percent of area)


ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
Forest succession, insect and disease activity, timber harvest, fire and fire suppression have
resulted in changed cover types and forest structure since presettlement (USDA FS,  2003a).
Changes in forest cover types and structure (size class, stand density and canopy layers) are
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 used as indicators to quantify effects on vegetation. Cumulative effects are analyzed within the
 American River Drainage.

 All action alternatives would have some direct effects to cover types and stand structure.  All
 action alternatives would reduce the potential for severe fire through fuel removal and modify
 the susceptibility of forested stands to insect or disease outbreaks. The difference between the
 alternatives is in type of treatment, number of acres treated, and amount of fuel removal.  All
 action alternatives would implement prescribed  fire  treatments  in  residual stands following
 harvest and fuel removal.  Many stands have too  much existing  dead material  and live ladder
 fuel to safely use prescribed burning without prior thinning and reduction.

 Prescribed harvests will reduce the canopy by approximately 90 percent in clearcuts, 80 percent
 in seed tree units, 70 percent in shelterwoods, and 50 -60 percent on thinned acres.

 COVE/? TYPES

 DIRECT EFFECTS - COVER TYPES

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 There are no direct effects to cover types associated with this alternative.  Cover types in the
 project area would continue to change without direct intervention of man.  Changes through time
 will vary depending on the intensity of disturbances such as fire, weather events, disease, and
 insect epidemics.

 ALTERNATIVE B

 Timber harvest  and  fuel reduction treatments would  occur on approximately  719 acres.
 Approximately 290 acres would be clearcut, 221 acres would  be shelterwood, 29 acres would
 be seed tree, 44  acres would be commercially thinned,  and 135 acres would  be  in roadside
 salvage. Direct effects would include the following changes in cover types in the harvest and
 fuel treatment areas.

 Acres of herbaceous clearcut would increase by approximately 319 acres.  This  acreage would
 decrease as trees become  reestablished on these  acres  and canopy  closure excludes
 herbaceous ground cover.   Most of these acres  would move towards short-lived intolerant
 (lodgepole pine) and mixed  conifer cover types over time. Lodgepole pine cover type would be
 reduced  by approximately 214  acres.   Mixed conifer cover types would be reduced by
 approximately 143 acres.

 ALTERNATIVE C

 Timber harvest and  fuel reduction treatments would  occur on approximately  872  acres.
Approximately 354 acres would  be clearcut, 246 acres would be  shelterwood, 29 acres would
 be seed  tree, 92 acres would be  commercially thinned, and 151  acres would  be  in roadside
salvage.  Direct effects would include the following changes in cover types in the harvest fuel
treatment areas.

Acres of herbaceous clearcut would increase by approximately 383 acres.  This  acreage would
decrease as trees  become  reestablished  on these  acres  and canopy  closure excludes
herbaceous  ground cover.  Most of these acres  would move towards short-lived intolerant
(lodgepole pine) and mixed conifer cover types over time. Lodgepole pine cover type would be
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 reduced by 227 acres.  Mixed conifer cover types would be reduced by approximately 209
 acres.

 ALTERNATIVE D

 Timber harvest  and fuel  reduction treatments would  occur on approximately  1217 acres.
 Approximately 354 acres would be clearcut, 599 acres would be shelterwood, 29 acres would
 be seed tree, 99 acres  would  be commercially thinned, and 137 acres would be in roadside
 salvage.  Direct  effects would include the following changes in cover types in the harvest and
 fuel treatment areas.

 Acres of herbaceous clearcut would increase by approximately 383 acres. This acreage would
 decrease as trees  become reestablished on these  acres  and canopy  closure  excludes
 herbaceous ground  cover.  Most of these acres would  move towards short-lived  intolerant
 (lodgepole pine)  and mixed conifer cover types over time.  Lodgepole pine cover type would  be
 reduced by 227 acres.  Mixed conifer cover types would be reduced by approximately 209
 acres.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 Timber harvest  and fuel  reduction treatments would occur on approximately  500 acres.
 Approximately 75 acres would be clearcut, 199 acres would be shelterwood, 19 acres would  be
 seed  tree, 21 acres would  be commercially thinned, and  138 acres would be in roadside
 salvage.  Direct  effects would include the following changes in cover types in the harvest and
 fuel treatment areas.

 Acres of herbaceous clearcut would increase by approximately 94 acres.  This acreage would
 decrease as trees  become reestablished on  these acres and canopy  closure  excludes
 herbaceous ground cover.  Most of these acres would  move towards short-lived  intolerant
 (lodgepole pine)  and mixed conifer cover types over time.  Lodgepole pine cover type would  be
 reduced by 81 acres. Mixed conifer cover types would  be reduced by approximately 52 acres.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS - COVER TYPES

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 Passive  management   is  a  conscious  decision  with short  and  long-term  ecosystem
 consequences.   Preservation  of  dynamic  ecosystems  requires precisely  timed,  effectively
 planned and implemented actions if desirable characteristics of those ecosystems are to remain
 intact.  Processes will take place whether at the hand of man or randomly  (as under the 'no
 action' alternative).  Anticipated effects of processes that will occur with no human intervention
 can provide a benchmark against which to measure effects of active management.

 Forest cover types in the project area would shift toward mixed conifer (primarily grand fir and
 subalpine fir) cover types.  Susceptibility to insect attacks and root diseases affecting  conifer
 species would be expected to increase.   Mountain  pine  beetle would continue to cause
 extensive mortality to lodgepole and ponderosa pine in the project area until host depletion
 results in a decline  in the  beetle population to endemic levels.  As grand fir, Douglas-fir and
subalpine fir establish and  dominate in stands previously dominated by lodgepole pine, these
species would be highly susceptible to  root disease and insect attack,  thus contributing  to
increased fuel loading in these stands.
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 Fire suppression would  continue throughout the project area, allowing fuels to build  up and
 disrupting the natural fire disturbance pattern. Low severity ground fire would not occur in the
 project area at the scale necessary to maintain ponderosa pine and western larch cover types.
 At some point, fire would likely reestablish  lodgepole pine dominance in areas where  seed
 sources  exist  and  mineral  soil  is  exposed,  creating favorable  seedbeds  for  conifer
 reestablishment.

 With current conifer stocking and growth  rates, and elevated levels of insects and disease, the
 "no action" alternative would not help attain Forest Plan goals nor meet the purpose and need of
 this project.  This alternative would not help achieve the Forest  Plan  recommendation of
 maintaining forest stands  dominated  by  relatively pest-resistant species  to  maintain  a
 sustainable condition.  Under this alternative,  no reduction would be made in total tree numbers
 or stocking  levels of pest-prone tree species.  Improvements such as reduction in susceptible
 species as  well as enhanced  growth and vigor of residual trees through timber harvest and
 prescribed burning would not be made to enhance forest health and ecosystem sustainability.

 Stocking levels of live trees  would continue to  increase while individual tree  vigor would
 decrease, increasing susceptibility to  damaging insects  and disease.   Early serai,  shade-
 intolerant trees such as ponderosa  pine and western larch would decrease in numbers while the
 shade tolerant species Douglas fir and grand fir would increase.  The shrub, forb, and grass
 component  of forest stands would continue to  decline.

 Forest stands  where the principle species is Douglas fir, true fir, or Englemann spruce are highly
 susceptible  to outbreaks of defoliators  such as western  spruce budworm and  Douglas fir
 tussock moth.  In recent years  portions of the  American  River have experienced damaging
 levels  of hemlock lopper.  The following factors make forest stands within the analysis  area
 particularly susceptible to defoliator attack.

 Many forest stands are multi-storied.  In a tussock moth, budworm or other defoliator infestation,
 the larvae feed on new growth of larger trees.  As the caterpillars  mature, they drop off the tree
 for a variety of reasons (wind,  exhaustion of food supply, etc.). Landing on foliage suitable for
 foraging (such as Douglas fir or grand fir) results in additional damage.

 Older trees  in  many forest stands are not  vigorous.  Damage from defoliators, bark beetles, and
 other insect pests could trigger eventual mortality.

 The conifers in  many of the forest stands in  the American River  Analysis Area are stagnant.
 Many of these trees are particularly vulnerable to defoliator and bark beetle attack.

 Root disease  is apparent in portions of the planning area.  During a defoliator or bark beetle
 attack mortality is often first noticed in root centers because of the weakened state of the trees.

 Precipitation in the 1990s was below average.  Over  several years,  coupled with higher  than
 historical stocking levels,  this can have a negative effect on  stand growth.  Trees become more
 likely to sustain significant damage from insects during or following drought cycles.   Forest
 stands  that  have southeasterly to westerly aspects are  particularly susceptible to problems
 associated with drought because of the drying effects of direct sunlight and the prevailing winds
on these aspects.

 Increases in other insects such as fir engraver and  Douglas fir beetle often  accompany a
defoliator outbreak.   Insects are often at  endemic levels in the forest, but become more
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 apparent and increase in numbers as a defoliator infestation progresses.  Often these insects
 will "finish off" trees previously weakened by other pests or pathogens.

 Any combination of the above listed factors could elevate the level of damage from defoliation to
 mortality. Additional mortality would add to fuel loads already outside their historic range and
 increase the risk of stand replacement wildfire.
 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, and E

 Indirect effects would include enhancement of fire resistant ponderosa pine and western larch,
 and regeneration  of lodgepole  pine cover types in the project area.  Increased vigor  and
 resistance to damage from fire, insects and disease can be expected in other forest cover types
 in the project area.  Openings created through removal and prescribed burning would create
 favorable conditions for  establishment of fire  resistant species such as ponderosa pine  and
 western  larch, as well as lodgepole pine.   Retention of ponderosa pine and western  larch for
 seed and shelter trees should increase the percentage of these species in future stands. In
 areas  usually dominated by lodgepole  pine,  this species  would be expected to reestablish
 rapidly from local seed sources.  In areas  where ponderosa pine and western larch have been
 removed these species could be  planted to assure reestablishment.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS- COVER TYPES

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 Almost every year a wildfire starts somewhere in the American River watershed.  Fire spread
 depends on weather (temperature, wind,  and  moisture primarily), topography,  and fuel.   The
 longer fire or fuel management is absent from an area the greater the total biomass quantity and
 continuous fuel. When  a wildfire starts  these  factors result in  more intense fire behavior  and
 increased resistance to control. With the higher intensity and increased area of a fire, the more
 vegetation that would be damaged or destroyed. This includes large, old trees, which may have
 withstood natural intensity fires for centuries.

 The implementation of Alternative A (No Action), with current forest conditions  (live and dead
 biomass) outside the  historic natural range of variability, provides  a greater risk of epidemic
 stand loss to diseases and  insects.  In these finite systems of moisture and'sunlight only a
 certain amount of live biomass can be supported per acre.  Consequently,  the more individual
 trees on an acre,  the smaller the allocation  of water and the necessary elements  per  tree
 resulting in subsequent  lower vigor and growth  per individual  tree. Plants produce  different
 hormones and other chemicals when growing  at various rates  that affect the potential size of
 these plants. Plants that receive more moisture and sunlight grow faster and have the potential
 to achieve a larger size.

 Insect infestation would increase  with no management action. Forest stands under stress have
 a higher potential to attract  bark beetles.   When trees are stressed they  produce chemicals
which are natural attraction signals to bark beetles.  Bark beetles are a natural  thinning agent
and  a  necessary part of the ecosystem  in creating habitat for certain wildlife species,  and
 reducing stress  for the  remaining live trees.   With  the increase in vulnerable food supplies
(stressed trees) insect populations can build to  epidemic proportions. Epidemics of beetles  can
destroy even the healthiest trees due to mass attacks.  Bark beetles can also carry spores  that
inoculate trees with saprophytic microorganisms that can weaken the bole and increases  the
rate  of bole  snap and decomposition.  This effect would cause many trees (snags) killed by
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
beetles to fall to the ground  in a relatively short time decreasing their value for cavity nesters,
and increasing the amount of fuel for high intensity wildfire.

The majority of forest stands proposed for treatment in the American River area are in a state of
relatively poor vigor. Trees are generally more susceptible to root rots and disease when at low
vigor.  With the selection of Alternative A, tree vigor would continue to decline and would likely
result in more tree deaths attributable to root rot, especially the more susceptible  grand fir and
Douglas fir.   Parasitic plant dwarf mistletoe would also contribute to decline in Douglas-fir,
lodgepole pine, and western larch.

Conifers, especially shade-tolerant species such as Douglas fir and grand fir, would continue to
invade historically open forest stands and meadows. Grasses, forbs and shrubs would become
impoverished in densely stocked forest stands.   Gene pools  of  various species of plants,
especially those dependent on frequent fire regimes, would decline and become less viable.

Reduced acres of lodgepole  pine and ponderosa pine  cover types can be expected in time due
to mountain pine beetle induced mortality  and forest  succession favoring  establishment of
climax species. Western larch cover type can also be expected to decrease over the long term.
Mixed conifer cover type could be expected to increase.

ALTERNATIVE B

Implementation would affect forest cover types on 584 acres in the drainage. Other activities
and ongoing hazard tree removal and firewood cutting also have potential to affect forest cover
types on additional acres in the drainage.

ALTERNATIVE C

Implementation would affect forest cover types on 721 acres in the drainage. Other activities in
the drainage and ongoing hazard tree removal and firewood cutting also have potential effects
to forest cover types on additional acres in the drainage.

ALTERNATIVE D

Implementation would  affect forest cover types on 1080 acres in the drainage. . Other activities
and ongoing hazard tree removal and firewood cutting also  have potential to affect forest cover
types on additional acres in the drainage.

ALTERNATIVE E

Implementation would  affect forest cover types on 362 acres in the drainage.  . Other activities
and ongoing hazard tree removal and firewood cutting also  have potential to affect forest cover
types on additional acres in the drainage.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - COVER TYPES

There  are no  irreversible or irretrievable effects to cover types associated with any of the
alternatives.  All action Alternatives would temporarily affect herbaceous cover types, short-lived
fire susceptible, and mixed conifer cover types.  However, vegetation normally present in those
types would reclaim those areas though forest succession.
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 STRUCTURE

 DIRECT EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 There are no direct effects to size classes associated with this alternative.

 ALTERNATIVE B

 Direct effects to tree size classes would include an increase in seedling/sapling size classes on
 approximately 319 acres  in clearcut and seed tree areas.   Small  through medium  size tree
 classes would be reduced on 236 acres.  Large tree (15 + inch  DBH) size classes would be
 reduced  on 84 acres. All trees greater than 21 inches DBH would remain except for incidental
 removal for temporary road construction and line corridors. Figure  3.12 displays direct effects of
 implementation of Alternative B to tree size classes in the project area.

 ALTERNATIVE C

 Direct effects to tree size classes would include an increase in seedling/sapling size classes on
 approximately 383 acres in clearcut and seed tree areas.  Small through medium size tree class
 acres would be reduced on approximately 284 acres. Large tree (15 + inch DBH) size classes
 would be reduced on 100 acres.  All trees greater than 21 inches DBH would remain except for
 incidental removal for temporary road construction  and line corridors.  Figure 3.12 displays
 direct effects Alternative C to tree size classes in the project area.

 ALTERNATIVE D

 Direct effects to  tree size  classes include an increase in  seedling/sapling  size classes on
 approximately 383 acres in clearcut and seed tree areas. Pole through medium size tree class
 acres would be reduced on 283 acres Large tree  (15 + inch DBH) size classes would be
 reduced on  100 acres.  All trees greater than  21 inches DBH would remain except for incidental
 removal for temporary road construction and line corridors. Figure 3.12 displays direct effects of
 implementation  of Alternative D to tree size classes in the project area.

ALTERNATIVE E

Direct effects to  tree size classes include an increase in  seedling/sapling  size classes on
approximately 93  acres  in clearcut and seed  tree areas.  Pole through medium size tree class
acres would be reduced on 60  acres.  Large tree  (15 + inch DBH) size classes would be
reduced on 33 acres. All trees greater than 21 inches DBH would remain except for incidental
removal for  temporary road  construction and line corridors.  Figure  3.24 below displays direct
effects of implementation of Alternative E to tree size classes in the project area.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
              FIGURE 3.24: AMERICAN RIVER SIZE CLASS BY ALTERNATIVE
                 D
                 8
                 DJ
                                  American River Portion
                                 Size Class by Alternative
                   D Small Tree (5-9.9 in.
                     DBH)	
                   P Shrub Dominated
                   D Seedling/Sapling Tree
                     (< 5 in. DBH)
                    I Medium Tree (1O-
                     14.9 in. DBH)
                   D Large/Very Large
                     Tree (>= 15 in. DBH)
                                             ALT B  ALT C  ALT D
                                                Alternative Acres
             TABLE 3.130: AMERICAN RIVER PROPORTION OF EXISTING SIZE CLASS
SIZE CLASS
Large/Very Large Tree (>= 15 in. DBH)
Medium Tree (10-14.9 in. DBH)
Seedling/Sapling Tree (< 5 in. DBH)
Shrub Dominated
Small Tree (5-9.9 in. DBH)
ALT A
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
ALTB
99%
96%
2893%
100%
96%
ALTC
99%
95%
3441%
100%
95%
ALTD
99%
95%
3441%.
100%
95%
ALTE
100%
99%
921%
100%
99%
INDIRECT EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Size class  diversity would temporarily increase as shade tolerant grand fir and subalpine fir
continue to establish in stands in the project area. Small and medium trees would dominate
creating  continuous fuel  ladders,  increasing the potential for severe fire.  Large fire resistant
ponderosa pine and western larch could eventually become extirpated due to stress induced by
competition for water and nutrients, lack of suitable conditions for regeneration, or severe fire.
In time, there is a high probability high intensity, stand replacement fire would occur, resulting in
reestablishment of single size class stands in burned areas.
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 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 Indirect  effects  associated with  harvest and fuel reduction treatments would  be increased
 growth and vigor, as well as resistance to damage from fire to remaining trees. Remaining trees
 in all size classes would benefit through reduced competition for sunlight, water, and nutrients.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 There are no cumulative effects to size classes in the American River Drainage associated with
 the 'no action' alternative..

 ALTERNATIVE B

 Size  classes would  be affected on approximately 319 acres (.5 percent) of the American
 drainage.

 ALTERNATIVE C

 Size  classes would  be affected on approximately 383 acres (.7 percent) of the American
 drainage.

 ALTERNATIVE D

 Size  classes would  be affected on approximately 383 acres (.7 percent) of the American
 drainage.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 Size  classes would be affected on approximately 94 acres (.02 percent) of the American
 drainage.

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS

 There are no irreversible  or irretrievable effects to size classes  associated with  any of the
 alternatives. Alternatives B, C, D, and E would have some effects on size classes in the project
 area,  though this would be temporary.

 STAND DENSITY

 DIRECT EFFECTS - STAND  DENSITY

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

There are no direct effects to stand densities associated with this alternative.

ALTERNATIVE B

Direct effects would be reduced stand densities on approximately 719 acres in the project area.
Stand densities would be reduced approximately 90 percent on clearcut acres, 80 percent on
seed  tree, 70 percent on shelterwood, 50-60 percent on thinning acres, and 10 percent  on
roadside salvage acres.
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ALTERNATIVE C

Direct effects would be reduced stand densities on approximately 872 acres in the project area.
Stand densities would be reduced approximately 90 percent on clearcut acres, 80 percent on
seed tree,  70  percent on  shelterwood, 50-60 percent on thinning acres, and  10  percent on
roadside salvage acres.

ALTERNATIVE D

Direct effects would be  reduced  stand densities  on approximately 1,217 acres in the project
area. Stand densities would be reduced approximately 90 percent on clearcut acres, 80 percent
on seed tree, 70 percent on shelterwood, 50-60 percent on thinning acres, and 10 percent on
roadside salvage acres.

ALTERNATIVE E

Direct effects would be reduced stand densities on approximately 500 acres in the project area.
Stand densities would be reduced approximately 90 percent on clearcut acres, 80 percent on
seed tree,  70  percent on  shelterwood, 50-60 percent on thinning acres, and  10  percent on
roadside salvage acres.

INDIRECT EFFECTS - STAND DENSITY

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Stand densities would increase in the short term as  lodgepole stands are replaced by grand fir
and subalpine fir.  Increased stand densities would result in increased fuel loading and potential
for  intense fire activity.   Barring fire, insect or disease epidemics,  stand densities would
decrease as stands mature and competition results in stem exclusion.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

Increased vigor and resistance to damage from fire,  insects and disease would be expected for
all tree species in the harvest and fuel reduction areas. Reduced  densities, and underburning
would create openings and favorable conditions for establishment of fire resistant serai species
such as ponderosa pine and western larch. In areas usually dominated by lodgepole pine,  this
species would be  expected to reestablish rapidly from local seed sources. In areas where
ponderosa  pine and western larch have been reduced, these species could  be planted to
assure reestablishment. Increased potential  for wind damage may  occur  in  some areas.
However this would be minimized through project design to protect remaining  trees in those
areas.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - STAND DENSITY

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

There are no cumulative effects to stand densities associated with this alternative.

ALTERNATIVE B

Stand densities would be reduced on  approximately 719 acres in the drainage.  This would
change stand densities in approximately 1.2 percent of the drainage
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVE C

 Stand densities would be reduced on approximately 872 acres in the drainage.  This would
 change stand densities in approximately 1.5 percent of the drainage.

 ALTERNATIVE D

 Stand densities would be reduced on approximately 1217 acres in the drainage. This would
 change stand densities in approximately 2.1 percent of the drainage.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 Stand densities would be reduced on  approximately 500  acres  in  the drainage. This would
 change stand densities in approximately .8  percent of the drainage.

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS

 There are no irreversible or irretrievable effects to stand densities associated with any of the
 alternatives.   Alternatives B,  C,  D, and E would  reduce stand densities  in the project area,
 though this effect would be temporary.

 3.10.1.2.  INDICATOR 2 - DISTURBANCE PATTERNS

 INSECTS AND DISEASE

 MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE
 Mountain pine beetle is a native bark beetle with a one- to two-year life cycle that is the prime
 insect agent affecting lodgepole pine ecosystems.  Adults select green trees of sufficient size
 and phloem thickness to nourish their larvae.  The pitch tubes on the bole'and boring dust at the
 base of the tree are evidence of beetle entry.  Beetles are  subject to mortality from parasites,
 predators such as woodpeckers, cold winters, drying of the pine following infection, and resin
 from the host tree.  Infestations tend to occur at 20 to 40 year intervals, depending on the age,
 size, and density of lodgepole stands (Cole and  Amman, 1980).  A prior beetle outbreak
 occurred in the 1980s in American and Crooked River, followed by salvage and logging. This
 approach to beetle treatment favors rapid reestablishment of lodgepole pine and renewal of the
 cycle.  Salvage, thinning and  prescribed fire, augmented by planting beetle- and fire-resistant
 species could help  interrupt  some  continuity  of dense lodgepole  pine and slightly  reduce
 susceptibility to this cycle.  Thinning can  help reduce  susceptibility to mountain pine beetle
 through both  physiological response of the remaining trees and changed microclimate within  the
 stand (Mitchell, 1994).

 Lodgepole pine is characteristic of interior  montane basins like American  and Crooked River
 where cold air impoundment favors establishment of the species.  Much  of the lodgepole in
American  and Crooked River regenerated  after fires between  1870-1898.  These trees have
 become highly susceptible to  mountain  pine beetle because the majority of these trees have
 reached an age and  size suitable for beetle reproduction. If not for fire suppression, landscape
patterns may have taken a different course of development and large contiguous areas  of
susceptible lodgepole may not have developed.

Mountain pine beetle infestations can kill 30 to over 90 percent of trees 5 inches or larger in a
stand, but trees 8 inches or larger are preferred. After each  infestation, residual lodgepole pine
and shade tolerant species like grand fir increase their growth and the trend is toward uneven-
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
age stands with multiple canopy layers and shade tolerant species. This has been observed in
response to the 1980s epidemic in American and Crooked River.  In mixed lodgepole and
ponderosa pine stands, beetles may attack both lodgepole and ponderosa pine.

WESTERN BALSAM BARK BEETLE
This beetle is a native wood-boring  insect that attacks subalpine fir,  and rarely Engelmann
spruce  (Garbutt, 1992,  as cited in Natural Resources  of Canada, 2003).  In American and
Crooked River they have been identified in the upper elevation spruce-fir stands, but numbers of
affected trees are currently relatively low.  Their successional function is to kill old subalpine fir,
favoring establishment of new subalpine fir.  This  may  not change  Cover Types, but can
contribute  to development  of more uneven-age structure, and  fuel  accumulations.    It  is
estimated that this beetle is at endemic levels and will remain so unless environmental factors
change significantly.

BALSAM WOOLLYADELGID
This is a sucking insect introduced from Europe that is now found in the American and Crooked
River watershed in a few areas, but the extent to which it may increase in population and activity
is not known.  Stem attacks can lead to eventual tree mortality.  Crown attack can ultimately
affect bud formation and upward growth and can also lead to tree mortality.  This insect more
often  attacks young trees  so  its successional effect is to  reduce stand  density and reduce
vertical  canopy layering by affecting understory fir.  Cold winters control populations, while warm
summers favor their survival.

DOUGLAS FIR BEETLE
This is a native bark beetle that is not typically very aggressive and usually attacks wind thrown,
fire-damaged trees or trees weakened by  other  pathogens or drought (Hagle  et  a/., 1987,
Schmjtz and Gibson,  1996). Where Douglas fir occurs with early serai larch or pine,  beetle
activity will help maintain the early serai species.  On grand  fir and subalpine fir habitat types,
like those  that dominate  American and  Crooked River, Douglas fir  beetle activity creates
openings where more shade-tolerant species like grand fir will grow and push the stand more
quickly  toward  late serai  conditions and  uneven  aged stand structure (Hagle et a/.,  2000).
Observed pockets  of Douglas  fir beetle in the watershed have been small and occur in areas
where past fires were not stand replacing so that large old Douglas fir remain.  Many of these
pockets are associated with old growth and will provide large Douglas fir snags.

Because of extensive fire in the late 1800s and subsequent harvest, large Douglas firs in dense
stands are not  abundant in the watershed  so the potential  for extensive  beetle outbreaks is
relatively low.

ROOT DISEASES
Root diseases are  fungi that can affect all sizes, ages and species of tree (Hagle et a/., 1987,
Hagle et a/., 2000). In the watershed, grand fir and Douglas-fir are most  highly susceptible and
the prevailing root pathogens affecting them  are armillaria and annosus root rots.  With the loss
of lodgepole pine to mountain pine beetle,  grand fir and subalpine fir will increase, and root
disease will likely also increase.  However this change is not  toward conditions that are outside
historic  ranges.  Where Douglas-fir has encroached  on ponderosa pine stands,  these will be
more susceptible to root disease.
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Fire  and root disease appear to have contributed historically to the maintenance of larch  in
mixed conifer stands.  Without fire, root disease is unlikely to sufficiently limit grand fir to keep
larch from being eventually eliminated.

Root disease has probably increased a small amount in average severity. The older stands
become and the more they shift toward grand fir, the more severe root disease will be.  Root
disease may recover a more important role if lodgepole dominance is reduced and Douglas-fir
and  grand fir increase.  It will  affect canopy cover, Cover Types, size, and age distribution  of
trees, and timber productivity. The effects will be to create forest openings,  favoring shrubs and
regeneration of more susceptible grand fir or increased dominance by less susceptible species.
Over the long term, without fife or harvest to sustain less susceptible species, more tree species
will become susceptible.

BLISTER RUST
Virtually no western white pine or whitebark pine has been inventoried in the drainage so the
potential for blister rust  is low.  The  historic potential for these tree species appears to have
been very low also.

DWARF MISTLETOE
Dwarf mistletoes are parasitic plants that extract water and nutrients from living conifer trees
(Hagle et a/., 2000). Lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe is the species most active fn the American
and  Crooked River watershed, because of the prevalence of this cover type. Initial effects are
to reduce  stand  density and size  dominance within  the  affected species  and  size  class.
Successional effects where  mistletoe  is severe are to accelerate succession toward grand fir  or
subalpine fir.  Fires that kill host species also reduce mistletoe.

Overall, dwarf mistletoes affect a relatively small proportion of the American and  Crooked River
project area.  Compared to mountain pine beetle, the effects of dwarf mistletoe  in lodgepole
pine are likely  to be  minor.   The  thinning effect of mountain  pine  beetle will reduce dwarf
mistletoe on lodgepole pine  in the American and Crooked River area.

3.10.1.3.  INDICATOR 3 - RARE PLANTS

SCOPE OF ANALYSIS
Proposed activities have the  potential to  affect threatened, endangered or sensitive  plant
species.  The effect on potentially suitable habitat and existing occurrences of sensitive plants
are the  primary indicators of this analysis.  Direct and indirect effects are  analyzed within the
context of the proposed  activities, while cumulative effects are analyzed within the watersheds
as a whole.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Threatened and endangered species  are designated under  the Endangered Species Act.  It is
the policy of Congress that all Federal departments shall seek to conserve endangered and
threatened species and shall  utilize their authorities  in furtherance of  this  purpose  (ESA
1531.2b).   According to U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  list  #1-4-04-SP-612 (letter  dated
9/01/2004), four plants  listed as Threatened or  Proposed  Threatened may occur within the
geographic extent of the Nez Perce  National Forest: These plants include Macfarlane's four-
o'clock (Mirabilis macfarlanei),  water  howellia  (Howellia  aquatilis), Ute  ladies'-tresses  orchid
(Spiranthes diluvialis) and  Spalding's catchfly (Silene  spaldingii).   According to the 90-Day


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Species list update, the four plants,  including their habitat, mentioned above are not found on
 the Red River District.  Therefore  a biological assessment for the project proposal is not
 necessary.

 Sensitive species are defined in the  Forest Service Manual (FSM 2670.5) as "those plant and
 animal species identified by the Regional Forester for which population viability is a concern as
 evidenced by significant current or predicted downward trends in population numbers  density
 or habitat capability that reduce a species/existing distribution."  In FSM 2670.22  management
 direction for sensitive species is in part, to ensure that species do not become'threatened or
 endangered, because of Forest Service actions and to maintain viable populations of all native
 species.  The  most recent update to the sensitive species list was published on October 28
 2004.  The Forest Service must evaluate impacts to  sensitive species  through a bioloaica'l
 evaluation.                                                                          a

 ANALYSIS METHODS
 Pre-field work  included review of existing records and forest  habitat data.  Individual  species
 requirements were summarized and  used in selections of modeling criteria to determine which
 species or corresponding habitat may occur in the project area.  The basic criteria used were
 Habitat  Type Groups (HTG)  and existing vegetation  layer.   HTG  are  broad  groupings of
 potential vegetation based on similar environmental conditions and ecological processes  The
 proposed project area contains several  Habitat Type Groups  (HTG) used for effects analysis
 that contain the micro-features that  are important to the rare and sensitive plants discussed
 below.  These types include: Dry Douglas Fir and Grand Fir (HTG 2), Cool and Dry Grand Fir
 (HTG 3), Moist Grand Fir (HTG 4), and Cool and moist Subalpine Fir and Spruce (HTG 7).

 These vegetation  layers were grouped into similar forest habitats  into functional  categories
 based upon existing vegetation, vegetation potential, moisture  and temperature characteristics
 These elements were useful to match species to general habitats found in the project area  In
 some cases, habitat grouping only provided an indication of the presences of microsites the
 plant requires.

 Using GIS, these habitat groupings important to sensitive plants along with known populations
 were mapped for the project area.  Locations of the proposed activities were evaluated against
 suitable habitat groupings and existing sensitive plant occurrences to determine the  impact the
 actions may have on the suitable habitat and existing populations.

 Based on the results of existing records,  fieldwork, and habitat  modeling, direct and indirect are
 discussed for each  species.  Direct impacts  include  timber harvest, prescribed fire,  road
 construction and restoration activities.  Indirect impacts for some species may include the
 expansion of weeds and the mitigating treatments of these infestations or changes to canopies
 that affect micro-conditions.  Cumulative effects are the overall  impacts to species from present
 and reasonably foreseeable future projects within the watersheds.  Historically such impacts on
 individual species was not measured  or  noted.  However, the  past impacts on general habitat
 condition can be qualified and  matched to species dependant  on a particular habitat.  For this
 reason the Habitat Type Groups are used in part for the cumulative effects discussion.

The following analysis section  incorporates both American River drainage and Crooked River
drainage.
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EXISTING CONDITION

SENSITIVE SPECIES
According to element occurrence records from the  Idaho Conservation Data Center (ICDC,
2002) and the Northern Region Sensitive Plant list dated  October 28, 2004, three designated
sensitive plant species occur in the project area.  These  are: Payson's milkvetch (Astragalus
paysonii), Idaho  barren strawberry  (Waldsteinia idahoensis) and deerfern (Blechnum spicant).
A fourth sensitive plant species, evergreen kittentail (Synthyris platycarpa) is known from areas
adjacent to the project area.

The  Northern Region  sensitive  species list was recently revised, effective October  28, 2004.
Candystick (Allotropa virgata) was dropped from the  regional list because there is no longer a
concern for population viability. The effects analysis for candystick was maintained between the
draft and final EIS because candystick  remains  a locally important plant for the Nez Perce
National  Forest.

Field surveys during the 2003 field season found additional occurrences of candystick (Allotropa
virgata) and  Idaho barren strawberry (Waldsteinia idahoensis).

In  addition,  Corydalis  caseana hastata, a regional endemic can  occasionally be found along
small streams and wetlands. Carex californica, a relatively  rare sedge,  is scattered in the upper
montane grasslands along the Anderson Butte ridge.

The following table includes the sensitive plants found within the watersheds and those that may
have potential habitat in the project area.  Sensitive species not included are not  known or
suspected to occur in the  area, nor is  suitable  habitat present.  Potential habitat  is based
primarily upon Habitat Type Groups (HTGs) and existing vegetation, but most species have at
least some more refined parameters that aid in identification of suitable habitats.  The acres of
suitable  habitat  given  are for the  project area only.   Discussions of  suitable  habitat on  a
watershed level in relation to this and other projects are found in the Cumulative Effects section.

     TABLE 3.131 - KNOWN AND POTENTIAL SENSITIVE PLANTS WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA.
Common and Latin Name
Candystick
Allotropa virgata
Payson's milkvetch
Astragalus paysonii
Deerfern
Blechnum spicant
Idaho barren strawberry
Waldsteinia idahoensis
Botrychium lanceolatum var
lanceolatum
Botrychium lineare
Botrychium minganense
Botrychium pinnatum
Botrychium simplex
PRESENCE
Known
Known
Known
Known
Potential
Habitat/Community Type
Lodgepole with beargrass on well-
drained infertile soils. Often on or
near the ridge.
Openings/gaps in mixed grand fir
and Douglas fir forests.
Moist riparian forests.
Meadow edges and open forests of
moist/cool grand fir, subalpine fir and
cedar.
Shaded moist sites under various
conifers; dry to moist meadows.
Elevation
(ft)
5,000-
6,500
4,000-
5900
2,500-
5,000
3,000-
5,500
1,500-
6,000
Potential
Habitat
11,800
5,000
3,000
15,000
3,000
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Common and Latin Name
Leafless bug-on-a-stick
Buxbaumia aphylla
Green bug-on-a-stick
Buxbaumia viridis
Clustered lady's-slipper
Cypripedium fasciculatum
Evergreen kittentail
Synthyris platycarpa
PRESENCE
Potential
Potential
Potential
Potential
Habitat/Community Type
Open parklands on moist acidic soil
in upper montane to subalpine zones
Moist grand fir or cedar forests on
large decayed logs and ash soils.
Partial shade of warm and moist
cedar, grand fir or Douglas fir.
Forest openings, partial shade of
grand fir mosaic. Sometimes in
cedar and old growth.
Elevation
(ft)
Above
5000
1,500-
6,000
1,600-
4,800
4,200-
6,000
Potential
Habitat
3000
18,000
13,500
7,000
 CANDYSTICK (ALLOTROPA VIRGATA)

 This species is a coastal disjunct that occurs in  the  Northern Region in central  Idaho and
 adjacent Montana.  On the  Nez Perce National Forest, candystick inhabits sites with mature
 (80-100 years) lodgepole pine stands  over a  beargrass/grouse whortleberry  or huckleberry
 understory with little climax  conifer regeneration.  Physical characteristics are  generally well-
 drained soils on drier, south facing ridges between 4,000 and 7,000 feet elevation  (Lichthardt
 and Mancuso, 1991). These parameters can vary slightly across its geographic range.

 Candystick is a mycotrophic plant that obtains its carbohydrates from  a mycorrhizal fungus
 associated with  its roots (Lichthardt, 1995a).   The fungal  mycelium  is  shared  with  a
 photosynthesizing plant that indirectly supplies nutrients to the mycotroph via the fungus.  In this
 case the photosynthesizing plant is lodgepole pine.  For this reason,  candystick is limited to
 forest habitats  in which lodgepole pine are dominant or in a few cases at least a significant
 component.

 The Conservation Strategy for Allotropa virgata  (Candystick) (Lichthardt,  1995a) was written to
 provide recommendations for the management of forest lands that support or adjoin populations
 of this locally rare species.  This strategy  categorizes occurrences into landscape-scale units,
 which  are  prioritized by the quality and  extent of habitat, population  size and  geographic
 location.  Populations in the Conservation Strategy category 4 contain scattered individuals that
 are not in critical  geographic locations, and are in suboptimum habitat.  General management
 recommendations for category 3-4 occurrences are  to monitor impacts to subpopulations and to
 manage for lodgepole pine over the long-term.

 In the Crooked River watershed, candystick occurrences appear to be scattered in the eastern
 portion of the project area.  Populations can be very small ranging from one stem to dozens of
 clumps spread over several acres.  There are 20 occurrences documented  in the American
 River and Crooked  River Watersheds.  Eighteen  of the 20 are  found in the Crooked River
 Watershed.

 Potential  habitat  was modeled using  habitat  type groups 3 and  9 that  contained  existing
 vegetation of mixed conifer or lodgepole pine between an elevation of 5000-6500 feet.

Approximately 11,800 acres (35 percent) of suitable habitat are found in the project area.  Much
of this area would not be considered suitable habitat for candystick, but could include microsites
that may support appropriate habitat conditions.
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 PAYSON'S MILKVETCH (ASTRAGALUS PAYSONII)
 Payson's milkvetch has an unusual range limited to western Wyoming and north central Idaho.
 On the Nez Perce National Forest it is predominantly found across the American River, Crooked
 River and Red River watersheds.  It is also found occasionally scattered from the breaks of the
 Selway River to the Breaks of the Salmon River.  The plant prefers early serai habitats, which
 are maintained by fire and other stochastic events and by human-caused disturbances such as
 timber harvest.  Lorain (1990) noted that populations are most prevalent in the grand fir habitat
 types, which are currently dominated by other serai species. In general the species seems to
 be sparsely spread through open  forests.  Upon disturbance that results in soil exposure and
 opening of the canopy, the species blooms from the  seed bank.  Historically the primary
 disturbance  would have been wildfire.  The development  of forest openings and gaps is an
 important factor in maintaining Payson's milkvetch populations across broad geographic areas.

 According to Idaho Conservation Data Center (ICDC,  2002) records, there are six occurrences
 of Payson's milkvetch in the American River watershed within Box Sing Creek, Flint Creek, Big
 Elk Creek, and Upper American River drainages. These populations are generally small in
 extent and made up  of a few individuals.  Most occur in forest openings or edges of logging
 units, usually on granitic soils.

 Potential habitat for  Payson's  milkvetch within'the project area would be characterized as
 openings and burn areas  within HTG2, HTG3 and the  dryer end  of HGT4 below 5900 feet
 elevation. Approximately 5,000 acres of suitable habitat is scattered across the project area.

 DEERFERN (BLECHNUM SPICANT)

 Deerfern is a coastal  disjunct species of maritime climates in north Idaho.  It is generally found
 in mid-elevation, moist, mineral  rich soils of shaded western red cedar and western hemlock
 habitats. Rarely the species occurs in wet areas  of other habitat series (Blake and Ebrahimi,
 1992). It has a strong affinity for draws and riparian areas where it prefers the slope above and
 adjacent to the wettest plant communities.  It rarely forms a part of these wet communities, but
 is usually associated with the slightly less mesic maidenhair fern and  wild ginger.

 One population  of Deerfern occurs in the East Fork of American River and one population is
 found in the Red River Watershed.  Both sites are found in moist  microsites associated  with
 riparian  bottoms within moist grand-fir habitat (HTG 4) with existing vegetation of mixed conifer
 or lodgepole pine.

 Potential habitat within the project area could be generally described as riparian areas in moist
 Grand-fir (HTG 4) below 5,500 feet elevation.

 LANCE-LEAF MOONWORT  (BOTRYCHIUM LANCEOLATUM),  LINEAR-LEAVED MOONWORT (fi.
UNBARE),  MlNGAN MOONWORT (B. MINGANENSE), NORTHERN MOONWORT (8.  PINNATUM),
 LEAST MOONWORT (B. SIMPLEX)

Little is known about the moonworts on the Nez Perce National Forest.  Six occurrences have
been found on the Forest,  all above 3,000 ft. elevation.  Throughout the west general habitat for
moonworts  varies  widely from dry  meadows,   grass/forb  openings, lodgepole pine  and
Englemann spruce to dry grand fir.  In  northern Idaho most moonworts are associated  with
riparian areas and moist sites under old western red cedar (Mousseaux, 1996). In general the
best habitats are typically older, moist forests and dry meadows.  In 2003, an occurrence of
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 least moonwort was in found the  Red River watershed in a slightly  raised,  dry portion of a
 meadow. Grasses and woods strawberry dominate the ground cover.

 All Botrychium species  are believed to be obligatory dependent on mycorrhizal relationships.
 The subterranean generation  depends on fungus for nutrients, while the roots of the above
 ground generation lack root hairs and probably depend on the fungus for absorption of water
 and minerals (Chadde and  Kudray,  2001).  Little is  known about the mycorrhizal fungi
 associated with Botrychium species other than their presence with the two generations.

 The mycotrophic condition  is important to the ecology of Botrychium species  in several ways.
 Nutrition supplied through a  fungal symbiont may allow the ferns to withstand repeated
 herbivory, prolonged dormancy,  or growth in dense shade (Kelly, 1994,  Montgomery,  1990).
 The fungal/fern  relationship has implications for the occurrence  of genus communities, the
 distribution of the species across the landscape,  and associations  with particular  vascular
 moonworts and  strawberries.  Botrychiums  may exist underground for many  years before an
 above ground plant develops.

 The variable  habitats and mycorrhizal associations make  predictions  on  suitable habitat
 extremely difficult.  Warm and  moist forest floors  along riparian areas, dry meadows  and
 grass/forb openings have the highest probability of containing suitable habitat for moonworts

 Potential habitat was model from warm and moist habitat type groups and  lower slope position,
 below 6000 ft elevation.   This  analysis  revealed  approximately 3000 acres (8  percent) of
 potential habitat in the project area.

 LEAFLESS BUG-ON-A-STICK (BUXBAUMIA APHYLLA)

 Leafless bug-on-a-stick  is locally rare,  but widely  distributed moss in the northern hemisphere
 across much of Canada, northern United States and Europe (Crum  and  Anderson, 1981). It has
 been described  as a  pioneer  species of disturbed,  acid, sandy or clayey soils, often on the
 banks of roads or woodland trails, sometimes on old logs or stumps, exposed or in partial shade
 in moist forests and also dry, open woods,  often successional to fire (Crum and  Anderson
 1981).

 There is a single population known in Idaho, which is on the Nez  Perce National Forest. The
 site is described as being on moist soil at approximately 5,000 feet elevation in open parkland of
 lodgepole and subalpine fir. The site is in a sheltered position, shaded by the micro-topography
 and herbaceous layer, rather than the trees (Lake, 1999).  Suitable  habitat may occur anywhere
 there is open  soil in the middle to higher elevations, but most of this potential habitat would be in
 the mountain  parklands on the edge of the project area.

 GREEN-BUG-ON-A-STICK (BUXBAUMIA VIRIDIS)

 This diminutive  moss is found across the  Pacific  Northwest and  Northern  Rockies,  but is
 relatively rare to uncommon  across its range.  In  north central  Idaho it is  found at widely
 scattered locations on moist sites under mid-to-late  serai conifer  forests.  On the Nez Perce
 National Forest occurrences are predominately under moist grand-fir canopy on large logs in
 advanced stages of decay, but may also be found on moist mineral soil derived from  volcanic
 ash.

The  most common  habitat types for this  species in the American River and Crooked River
watersheds would be grand fir/arrowleaf groundsel (Abies grandis/Senecio triangularis), grand
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
fir/bead lily (Abies grandis/Clintonia uniflora) and grand fir/wild  ginger (Abies grandis/Asarum
caudatum) of Habitat Type Group 4 (Warm and Moist Grand Fir) up to an  elevation of about
6,000 feet.  Substrate  availability and distribution and shade (humidity levels) are important
habitat  elements (Laaka,  1992).   Though  it  may occur in  microsites of suitable conditions
anywhere in the moist  forest, the large majority of desirable habitat would  be along forested
riparian areas and in mesic old growth forest.

Potential habitat was determined using moist or wet forest habitat groups 4, 7, and 8 (grand fir,
subalpine fir) and RHCAs  below 6,000 feet elevation.  Following this model, there are  18,500
acres of potentially suitable habitat in the project area.

CLUSTERED LADY'S-SUPPER (CYPRIPEDIUM FASCICULATUM)

Clustered lady's slipper is a long-lived orchid.  It is suspected  that the plant can remain dormant
underground for an extended  period of time.  Vegetative plants may live for many years before
reaching  reproductive  maturity  and  like  other  orchids  it may develop  an association with
mycorrhizal fungi.  The small seed  size and lack of endosperm indicate that fungal association
is probably necessary for germination and establishment (Lichthardt,  1995b). This may be an
important factor in controlling local distribution.

Typically, clustered lady's  slipper grows below a closed canopy in warm, moist sites under a
mid-to-late serai conifer community.  Where the overstory canopy is more open, clustered lady's
slipper is found under a secondary  canopy of hardwood shrubs or pole size conifers.  Potential
habitat  for this  species varies  widely throughout  its range.   In north  central  Idaho, most
occurrences are in western red cedar habitat types, but a significant number of populations are
in assorted Douglas fir and grand fir habitats.  Currently,  no unique habitat parameter is known
that allows biologists to predict future occurrences with more than  a very  general specificity
(Greenlee, 1997).

Broad habitat parameters that include warm Douglas fir and warm and moist grand fir (HTG 2 to
HTG 4) below 5000 feet that  have never had  significant  disturbance  should include most
potential habitat.  This model  indicates  there are  13,000  acres of potential  habitat,  which
represents 38 percent of the project area.

EVERGREEN KITTENTAIL (SYNTHYRIS PLATYCARPA)

Evergreen kittentails has a very narrow geographic range, being endemic to north-central Idaho,
where it occurs mostly in moist grand fir forests (Habitat Type Group 4), but may also occur in
cooler western red  cedar habitats. The range of evergreen kittentails is strongly associated with
the occurrence  of the grand fir mosaic, which is a zone of mid-elevation forest of mainly grand
fir,  interspersed with alder and  bracken  fern glades.   It is considered  an indicator  of this
ecosystem (Crawford, 1980).  Occupied sites  may be both mature closed-canopy forest and
forest openings, such as alder or fern glades, harvest units  and roadsides (Lichthardt, 1999).
An existing occurrence can be found in the Grand-fir mosaic zone of the upper American River
Watershed.

Suitable habitat in the upper American River Watershed is represented by 7000 acres of Grand-
fir mosaic zone of  Moist Grand  fir Habitat Type Group (HTG 4) between 4200 and 6000 feet
elevation.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 IDAHO BARREN STRAWBERRY (WALDSTEINIA IDAHOENSIS)

 Idaho barren strawberry is regional endemic to north-central Idaho and west-central Montana
 with  populations occurring from  the South  Fork of the Clearwater River, north  to the Coeur
 D'Alene River.  Within this small geographic range it is found in relatively few local areas where
 it can form extensive populations.  The upper South  Fork of the Clearwater River including
 American River, Crooked River and Red River can support relatively large populations.

 Idaho barren  strawberry  has wide ecological  amplitude  (Crawford,  1980) and is  found in
 predominately grand fir/wild ginger and grand fir/queencup  bead lily habitat types. However, it
 also may occur in other grand fir habitats (HTG3 and HTG 4) as well as western red cedar (HTG
 5).  Elevations generally vary from 2,000 to 5,000 feet (CDC 2002).  Cool, moist micro-sites
 within these general habitats  are most  favorable for its  development  (Crawford,  1980).
 Waldsteinia is tolerant of shade but responds favorably to increased light (Crawford, 1980). It
 can be found growing in stands with  open canopies,  and transition  zones between riparian
 meadows and conifer forests.

 Most local occurrences  are large and  loosely defined.  ICDC records currently  recognize 12
 occurrences scattered across the American   River and  Crooked  River Watersheds.   The
 populations are found in dry to moist Grand-fir habitat type groups  (HGT 3, HTG4) with existing
 vegetation of mix conifer to lodgepole pine.  All the occurrences are below 5,000 ft.

 Close modeling of  suitable  habitat for this  species  is  difficult  due to the broad habitat
 parameters.  However, the general criterion given above occurs  across  15,000  acres, which
 represents 44 percent of the project area.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

 ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 There will  be no management activities under Alternative A that  would alter existing canopy
 cover and  stand structure.  However, changes  in stand structure would be expected, some of
 which would alter habitats that are suitable for some sensitive plant species.  In lodgepole cover
 types, extensive forest opening may occur as the beetle infestation continues.  In more mixed
 conifer forest types  succession will continue  to progress  resulting in a decline in size  and
 frequency of small openings and forest gaps.

 The decrease in forest canopy in lodgepole forests will  cause a decline in candystick, but may
 provide for future habitat as these  forests are  reinitiated.   It is not  certain  however, how the
 species may respond to severe fire  that may damage soils.  The increased intensity of wild fire
 is possible due to the increased fuel build up in these areas from the beetle mortality.  In mixed
 conifer forests advancing succession would  cause a decline in species that require an earlier
 stage of succession such  as Payson's  milkvetch and Idaho barren strawberry,  but would
 improve habitat conditions for later serai species such as moonworts, deerfern, clustered lady's-
 slipper and green-bug-on-a-stick.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E (ACTION ALTERNATIVES)
 Fifty to seventy-eight percent of the proposed  activity units were  surveyed in  2003.  New
occurrences of Idaho barren  strawberry (Waldsteinia  idahoensis) and  candystick (Allotropa
virgata) were documented. No other sensitive plants were found in  the project area.  A number
of candy stick occurrences were found within  proposed harvest units.
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Decommissioning  and reconstruction  of existing  roads  is  viewed  as maintaining  current
conditions from the perspective of suitable  habitat for rare and sensitive plants.  Temporary
roads are a direct disturbance to suitable habitats and were included in the disturbance levels
for each alternative.  Sites of soil restoration generally are not  considered suitable habitat for
any plant species of concern, thus are not considered when determining impacts. An exception
would be Payson's milkvetch, which  does find suitable habitat in such areas. The impacts to
this species are not  quantified  because  it is benefited by ground disturbing activities  in such
environments.

Alternative D impacts the most  acres of sensitive plant species  habitat and would result in the
greatest long-term benefit for plant species favored by serai conditions in lodgepole pine.

The acres  of sensitive plant species habitat impacted by various management activities  are
summarized in the following table.  The four species of Botrychium are grouped due to habitat
similarity.

Bug-on-a-stick (Buxbaumia aphylla),  and  Deerfern (Blechnum spicant) and  Evergreen kittentail
(Synthyris platycarpa) are not included  in the effects analysis because existing information and
modeling results indicate that no suitable  habitat for these species are being affected by any of
the proposed alternatives.

TABLE 3.132 - COMPARISON OF POTENTIAL SENSITIVE PLANT HABITAT AFFECTED BY ALTERNATIVE
SPECIES
Candystick
Allotropa virgata
Payson's milkvetch
Astragalus paysonii
Moonworts
Botrychium ssp.
Green bug-on-stick
Buxbaumia viridis
Clustered lady's slipper
Cypripedium fasciculatum


Idaho Barren Strawberry
Waldsteinia idahoensis

Activity
Crooked R. harvest
American Harvest
Total
% habitat affected
Occurrences Affected
Crooked R. Harvest
American Harvest
Total
% habitat affected
Crooked R. harvest
American R. Harvest
Total
% habitat affected
Crooked R. Harvest
American Harvest
Total
% habitat affected
Crooked R. Harvest
American Harvest
Total
% habitat affected
Crooked R. Harvest
American Harvest
Total
%. habitat affected
Alternative
B
974
91
1065
9%
10
630
378
1008
20%
0
0
0
0
222
210
432
2%
272
272
544
4%
494
257
751
5%
Alternative
C
1027
173
1200
10%
11
838
569
1408
28%
0
0
0
0
263
117
380
2%
300
371
671
5%
726
388
1114
7%
Alternative
D
1370
178
• 1548
13%
11
1000
683
1683
33%
0
0
0
0
271
280
551
3%
438
548
986
7%
732
1276
2008
13%
Alternative
E
850
42
892
7.5%
8
586
146
732
14%
0
0
0
0
176
151
327
2%
215
184
399
3%
498
130
628
4%
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 CANDYSTICK (ALLOTROPA VIRGATA)

 Candystick populations would be impacted by timber harvest, road-building and fuels treatment.
 Generally, the greatest threat to candystick  in the  Idaho range  is habitat loss  due to harvest
 (Lichthardt,  1995a).  Candystick is most common  in older  lodgepole pine communities, thus
 successional processes that regenerate  lodgepole  pine on the  landscape are necessary to
 replenish  suitable  habitat.   Consequently,  altered  fire  regimes brought  about through fire
 suppression may also pose a threat to candystick populations (Lichthardt, 1995a).  The current
 extensive mortality of lodgepole pine forests will also cause a decline in  habitat  and the loss of
 populations  as the host trees die.  Field surveys in the Red River Watershed have confirmed
 some candystick losses are  occurring as a result of beetle mortality  (M. Hays,  2003). The
 proposed  alternatives will affect approximately 7-13 percent of  suitable habitat mainly  in the
 Crooked River watershed.  In addition 8-11  existing occurrences of Candystick will be directly
 impacted by timber harvest.  Overall a downward trend is expected in candystick populations in
 the Crooked River Watershed.

 The  conservation  strategy  for  Candystick  (Lichthardt,  1995a)  outlines  management
 considerations for this species.  Maintenance of well-distributed subpopulations will provide
 seed to colonize harvest or burned patches-as succession proceeds.  Guidelines to manage for
 future lodgepole pine production are given and include avoidance of impacts to subpopulations
 of 100 or more  genets. These units can also be used to test active management on a limited
 scale.

 Where low levels of beetle  infestation make it worthwhile, efforts  should  be made to place
 reserve trees or buffers where candystick plants are found within units to maintain the more
 significant subpopulations as  recommended by the  conservation strategy.   This primarily
 pertains to the  occurrences in the Crooked  River Watershed.   In addition, any occurrences
 found during implementation that fulfill the Priority 3 guidelines for significance and provide seed
 for dispersal to future lodgepole habitat created by this project should be protected.

 PAYSON'S MILKVETCH (ASTRAGALUS  PAYSONII)

 Timber  harvest or  road construction  may impact suitable  habitat in the short term but may
 provide for new  open habitat for future populations.  The elimination of disturbances and fire
 suppression that would result in a decline of early serai communities must also be considered a
 threat to serai species.  With the widespread  opening of the forest due to the beetle infestation
 and harvest activities proposed by this project, it is anticipated  that populations of Payson's
 milkvetch will expand.  Current populations can also be put at  risk from introduced species,
 chemical sprays, recreation impacts, and road maintenance (Lorain, 1990). It is anticipated that
 opening these habitats where it occurs will have a beneficial impact.

Temporary road  construction, exotic and  noxious weeds, and herbicide treatment of noxious
weeds, could impact Payson's milkvetch  through the elimination of habitat, changes to early
serai conditions, or  increased mortality (Fertig and Marriott, 1993).  Exotic species, such as
spotted  knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), Canada  thistle (Cirsium arvense), and  others that
establish in harvest units and roadways can out-compete Payson's milkvetch and occupy newly
created  openings and gaps.  Herbicide treatment would not alter suitability of habitat, but may
have a  detrimental  effect on Payson's milkvetch if invasive weeds are mixed with existing
populations.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
LANCE-LEAF  MOONWORT  (BOTRYCHIUM   LANCEOLATUM),  MINGAN  MOONWORT  (B.
MINGANENSE), NORTHERN MOONWORT (B. PINNATUM), LEAST MOONWORT (B. SIMPLE*)

Threats to species of Botrychium are  not well understood.   The only well-documented threat
resulting in a population decline was  drought combined with fire  (Johnson-Groh and Farrar,
1996).  Because these species may occur in disturbed sites, threats may include natural plant
succession and  potentially the same  human  activities that  have  also apparently  resulted  in
creation of suitable habitat. Since these species may also be found in forested areas that have
not been recently disturbed, forestry activities may affect existing populations  negatively,
although no research has been reported (Chadde and Kudray, 2001). Some threats will directly
impact the above ground sporophyte and may be less serious, since the  below ground part  of
the life cycle is so important.

Simple removal of above ground leaf tissue may be inconsequential to the ability of moonworts
to survive, although removing sporulating individuals may eventually have  an effect through the
limiting of recruitment (Johnson-Groh,  1999).  It has been suggested that photosynthesis  may
be important  and that  broad  scale  leaf removal  or  damage  could  threaten Botrychium
populations  (Chadde and Kudray, 2001).    Mycorrhizae  are the most  limiting factor for
Botrychium  establishment, distribution and  abundance  (Johnson-Groh, 1999).  Therefore
adverse  impacts  to the  mycorrhizae may be expected to also have deleterious effects on
Botrychium.

Even-aged management would have the greatest effect by opening the canopy and disturbing
the soil  surface.  Thinning would maintain enough overstory canopy to sustain suitable habitat,
however the skidding of logs and the construction of temporary roads could alter the soil surface
and damage the important below ground portion of the plant.  By buffering the  draws  and
riparian areas the moist microsites and forest floor where moonworts are most likely to occur
would be protected.   Due to' protection of RHCA's, no management proposed by the action
alternatives would occur within  suitable portions of Botrychium habitat.  For this reason the
previous table that lists  potential habitat acres affected by alternative  summarizes that no
Botrychium habitat will be affected.  The meadow portions of moonwort habitat will not be
impacted by proposed management activities.

GREEN BUG-ON-A-STICK (BUXBAUMIA VIRIDIS)

Processes,  natural or  man-caused, that open the  overstory canopy, remove  large organic
debris, or disturb the soil surface could affect Buxbaumia viridis habitat. The species is rare due
to inefficient dispersal and by difficulties in establishment (Laaka, 1992).  Thus it will not cope
well with significant impacts to suitable habitat that would change the microclimate (Laaka and
Syrjanen , 1990). Down  log recruitment, a necessary component of Buxbaumia habitat would
not occur with regeneration harvest.  When necessary, mitigation activities  should  maintain
decaying logs and greater than 70 percent  closed canopy for shade (FEMAT,  1994).  Moist
riparian  bottoms and toe-slopes have the greatest potential for maintaining large decaying  logs
within grand fir habitats.  Protecting draws and riparian areas would protect the moist microsites
where large  logs are most likely to occur.  As a result all  alternatives  affect an  insignicant
amount of suitable habitat (2-3 percent).

CLUSTERED LADY'S SLIPPER (CYPRIPEDIUM FASCICULATUM)

Clustered lady's  slipper is sensitive to ground disturbance  and canopy removal.   Apparent
population decreases have been observed where the overstory canopy  was reduced (Lake,


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 2001).  The few plants  found  growing in  full sunlight had yellowed and deformed  leaves.
 Disturbance to the duff layer that results in exposed soil may also be detrimental to established
 populations.   With  even-aged  management  practices, the  mycorrhizal fungal relationships
 believed to be necessary for seedling germination and health would be severed. In addition, the
 fungus cannot tolerate the direct sunlight that would result from such activities.  The species'has
 never been found in clearcut areas and extirpation would be the expected result of this form of
 management (Greenlee, 1997).

 Thinning would maintain  enough canopy to sustain suitable  habitat, however the skidding of
 logs and the construction  of temporary roads would alter the soil surface and physically remove
 plants.  However, plants have been found to persist after some forms of activity that avoid heavy
 mechanical disturbance  and leaves  the light, heat  and moisture regimes intact.   Some
 populations persist in areas that  have undergone low intensity wildfire (Hays 1995) and in areas
 that underwent some form of intermediate harvest that leaves the duff layer and some cover
 intact (Lichthardt, 2002).   It is possible that intermediate  harvest treatments  in grand fir and
 Douglas fir habitat types  may represent a mixture of detrimental and beneficial  effects; in the
 short term, individuals may be impacted by the  timber harvest activities or canopy reduction, but
 in the  long term populations may benefit  from  the reduced threat  of stand  replacing fire
 (Greenlee, 1997). The alternatives affect a small percentage (2-7  percent) of suitable habitat for
 Cluster lady's slipper.

 IDAHO BARREN STRAWBERRY (WALDSTEINIA IDAHOENSIS)

 Population density of Idaho barren strawberry is greater in open stands  with past harvest and in
 old burns  as compared to a more shaded closed conifer  community  (Crawford, 1980).  It is
 capable of colonizing disturbed soils where competition from shrubs and larger plants may be
 reduced, providing a temporal window for Waldsteinia (Lichthardt, 1999).  Fire also seems to
 reduce competition and stimulates both seed and rhizome production.  However, prolonged and
 intense heat that penetrates deeply into the soil may kill the  plant (Crawford, 1980).

 It is difficult to determine long-term population trends for this species.  Fire  suppression has
caused a decline in disturbance,  which would be expected to result in some decline.  However,
large areas of even-aged management, and development of dispersed campsites along  stream
and meadow margins have increased habitat. If soil surface disturbance is relatively light, Idaho
barren strawberry would benefit from the removal of overstory canopy.

                 TABLE 3.133 - SENSITIVE PLANT  EFFECTS DETERMINATIONS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Astragalus paysonii
Blechnum spicant
Botrychium lanceolatum var. lane.
Botrychium lineare
Botrychium minganense
Botrychium pinnatum
Botrychium simplex
Buxbaumia aphylla (moss)
Cypripedium fasciculatum
Species
Present
(Project
Area)
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
• N
Habitat
Present
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Effects Determination
Alt A
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
AltB
BI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
MI
AltC
BI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
MI
AltD
BI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
MI
AltE
BI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
MI
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Synthyris platycarpa
Waldstdnia idahoerisis
Allotropa virgata
Species
Present
(Project
Area)
Y
Y
Y
Habitat
Present
Y
Y
Y
Effects Determination
Alt A
NI
NI
AltB
NI
BI
AltC
NI
BI
AltD
NI
BI
AltE
NI
BI
If allotropa was designated sensitive it would have a
determination of May impact individuals or habitat but
not likely to cause trend toward federal listing or
reduce viability for the population or species
Sensitive Species Determination:  NI = No Impact;  BI = Benefical Impact; Ml = May impact
individuals or habitat but not likely to cause trend toward federal listing or reduce viability for the
population or species; LI = Likely to impact individuals or habitat with the consequence that the
action may contribute towards federal listing or result in reduced viability for the population or
species.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS
None of the alternatives described  and analyzed would implement actions  or activities that
would result in an irreversible commitment of resources as related to threatened, endangered or
sensitive plants.

With respect to irretrievable effects, loss of suitable habitat occurs when an area that was once
suitable for rare and sensitive plants is no longer available as a result of a series of actions.
The 'no action' alternative maintains current habitat conditions for plant species.  Management
activities create mainly temporary disturbances and any irretrievable effect varies by individual
plant species.  Proposed activities that affect one species or their habitat negatively may benefit
other plants.   For example, reducing late serai grand fir to an early serai stage may eliminate
clustered  lady's slipper  from  colonizing  and  making use  of the habitat.   A series  of  future
activities such as prescribed burning, thinning and other treatment could then render the area
unsuitable creating an irretrievable effect on clustered lady's slipper. The same series of action
may improve conditions for Payson's milkvetch (Astragalus paysonii) or Idaho barren strawberry
(Waldsteinia idahoensis).

CONSISTENCY WITH THE FOREST PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
As stated under the regulatory framework the objective for managing sensitive species is to
ensure population viability throughout their range on National Forest lands and to ensure they
do not become Federally  listed as threatened or endangered.  The forest plan supports this
direction but does not set  specific standards and guides for sensitive plants.  The alternatives
are consistent with  this direction to  the extent that proposed  management actions would not
adversely affect viability of existing sensitive plant populations.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
Cumulative  effects  for rare and sensitive  plants  are  addressed through consideration  of
proposed  and reasonably foreseeable actions.  All  reasonably foreseeable actions on lands
administered by the Forest Service could require protective measures to avoid negative impacts
to sensitive and rare plants.  In this analysis  cumulative effects to rare plants are discussed in
terms of general  habitats  in the project area and through quantification of modeled  habitats
potentially affected at the watershed level.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Discussion of cumulative effects for rare and sensitive plants  can be addressed through the
 general  trend of habitat type groups found  across  the American River  and Crooked River
 watersheds as a result of past, present and future management actions. The proposed project
 area contains several Habitat Type Groups (HTG) used for these discussions that contain the
 micro-features that are important to the rare and sensitive plants discussed above.  These types
 include:  Dry Douglas Fir and Grand Fir (HTG 2), Cool and Dry Grand Fir (HTG 3), Moist Grand
 Fir (HTG 4), and Cool and moist Subalpine Fir and Spruce (HTG 7).  This section focuses on
 the capability of the habitats to support rare and sensitive plants.

 DRY DOUGLAS FIR AND GRAND FIR (HTG 2)
 These dry forest habitats are often open and found on south facing slopes of in the north central
 portion of Crooked  River.  Habitat types are mostly  shrubs and pine grass  in the ponderosa
 pine, Douglas fir and grand fir series.  Generally this Habitat Type Group have seen significant
 management activity over  past decades including timber harvest  and  mining  practices.
 Decades of fire suppression have also increased forest cover in general.

 Alternative D, and C would add disturbance to this landscape through timber harvest.  So long
 as proposed management returns these slopes to a more open condition with large dominant
 pine and soil surface disturbance remains low, the  cumulative affect would be  an improving
 trend.   However, excessive  soil disturbance could  depress populations  of desirable native
 species,   while  encouraging   invasion  of weeds  such as spotted   knapweed (Centaurea
 maculosa).  Noxious weed treatment may maintain the improving trends if invasive weeds are
 treated early as  small infestations, rather than as dominant plants  in susceptible habitat.  It is
 also  likely  that Payson's milkvetch (Astragalus paysonii)  and  Idaho  barren strawberry
 (Waldsteinia idahoensis) would be benefited by management activities that maintain  an open
 stand structure.

 COOL AND DRY GRAND FIR (HTG3)
 This Habitat Type Group is very common in much of the project area and contains such habitats
 in the grand fir and Douglas fir series as beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax) and twinflower (Linnaea
 borealis) among  others that indicate relatively cool and dry sites for these forests types.  It is
 composed of the  most common forest habitats  in the  Crooked River project area  with
 approximately 42,000 acres present.

 Much of  this zone has seen significant management  activity in the past. Seedling and sapling
 forest structure are  increased due to even-aged management.  Road  densities are relatively
 high in portions  of  the  zone and some  livestock grazing  occurs  along roads  and in forest
 openings.  Exotic plants  are scattered along these roads and openings.   Mining activity  was
 once common, but is not abundant today.  Cool and dry grand  fir does not provide habitat for
 many plant species of concern, but does support habitat and populations of Payson's milkvetch
 (Astragalus  paysonii)  and Idaho  barren strawberry  (Waldsteinia  idahoensis).  Serai forests
 dominated by lodgepole pine provide the necessary habitat for candystick (Allotropa virgata).

 Disturbance to the  landscape through  timber  harvest and temporary roads  are  relatively
 common.  The overall effect on potential sensitive plant habitat would be expected to be static to
 improved conditions.  If Payson's milkvetch or Idaho barren strawberry are  present in these
 habitats,  both species are well documented to not only withstand disturbance,  but generally are
 increased by it (Crawford, 1980). As a  result, population viability  for these  species  is not  a
concern.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Occurrences of candystick are expected to decline in  the  Crooked River watershed  due to
 extensive lodgepole mortality  from  a combination of Mountain Pine  Bettle,  timber harvest,
 temporary road construction and fuels reduction. Management activity may improve candystick
 habitat in the long-term  by  providing future serai lodgepole  pine  habitats  and allowing the
 Lodgepole to develop into 60-80 year old stands.  However, candystick habitat will  continue to
 decline for the foreseeable future and it is  unknown at this time the extent of the affects on
 existing population of this unique plant.

 MOIST GRAND FIR (HTG 4)
 The Moist Grand Fir Habitat Type Group covers approximately 31,000 acres.  The majority is
 found in the upper American  River Watershed.  The Grand-fir mosaic is well represented in this
 HTG and is a common habitat in upper American River Watershed.

 Generally this zone has seen significant management activity over past decades.  Seedling and
 sapling forest structure  are  increased due  to  even-aged management.   Road  densities are
 relatively high in portions of  the zone and some livestock grazing occurs  along roads,  and in
 forb and alder glades within the Grand-fir mosaic zone. Historic mining has occurred along the
 main river bottoms of both American and Crooked River watersheds,  but this activity  is less
 common today.   Exotic plants are present  along  roads.  Moist grand fir provide habitat for
 deerfern (Blechnum spicant), moonworts (Botrychium spp.),  green bug-on-a-stick (Buxbaumia
 viridis), clustered  lady's  slipper  (Cypripedium fasciculatum),  evergreen  kittentail (Synthyris
 platycarpa),  Idaho barren strawberry (Waldsteineia idahoensis), and naked-stem rhizomnium
 (Rhizomnium  nudum) and  ridges dominated  by  serai  lodgepole  pine  support  candystick
 (Allotropa  virgata).

 Disturbance to the landscape through timber harvest, mining, grazing  and roads is relatively
 common and may continue in the future. Overall effect on potential sensitive plant habitat would
 be a slight decrease in the amount and quality  of suitable habitat. Long-term trends would be
 static to slightly downward.   A slight downward  trend in habitat quality would not lead  to
 concerns  for population  viability since moist  grand  fir habitats are common in  the  upper
 watersheds.

 COOL AND MOIST SUBALPINE FIR AND SPRUCE (HTG 7)
 These forest habitats are characterized by cool and moist site conditions and support subalpine
 fir/Menziesia  or other  moist shrub or forb communities.   Approximately 9100 acres of these
 habitats are common in the upper watersheds of Crooked River and American River. Past land
 use in these habitats would be similar to those of HTGs 4 with less harvest activity and grazing.

 Past impacts from would  be very similar to those described  in  HTG 4,  but the potential to involve
 sensitive plant species would be much reduced. In these  cooler habitats probably only  green-
 bug-on-stick (Buxbaumia viridis) and naked rhizomnium (Rhizomnium nudum) would potentially
 be present.

 Overall, species with an affinity for early serai  conditions  and  tolerance for light to moderate
disturbance,  such as Payson's  milkvetch and Idaho barren strawberry, will see some benefits
from the activities proposed in the  action  alternatives  and future  management  proposals.
Management  activities will impact suitable habitat for most of the other sensitive species, but
only  at  very  low levels.   Candystick provides the most significant botanical consideration
associated with these projects because known occurrences will be impacted along with suitable
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 habitat, and  it's low tolerance for overstory remove, soil disturbance and  changes in stand
 composition and structure.

 3.10.2. CROOKED RIVER

 INTRODUCTION
 Plant communities in the analysis area can be seen as a mosaic of patches that change in
 composition,  size, and juxtaposition over time. Wildlife and human uses respond to the existing
 pattern of vegetation.  Processes like  plant community  succession, fire, insect and  disease
 activity, drought and grazing, all change the pattern that exists at any one time.  Features like
 climate, soil,  slope, aspect and elevation, control the bounds within which patterns can change.
 Vegetation Response Units (VRUs), and Potential Vegetation Groups (PVGs), within VRUs are
 used to describe these bounds. The VRUs for the American  River portion of the analysis are
 shown' in figure 3.25.  Within these delineations, presettlement processes like climate, fire, and
 insect  and  disease activity  were likely to  operate within  somewhat  predictable  ranges.
 Understanding how these disturbance regimes worked, and the pattern of vegetation change, is
 fundamental  to management of ecosystems.  This understanding can be used to help design
 management systems that  sustain patterns  of vegetation at the scale, frequency, and  kind of
 change to which native species are adapted.

                                     FIGURE 3.25
                                CROOKED RIVER VRU'S
                           10, 1470,9%
                            ["AC]

                         8, 493, 3%
                                       1, 354, 2%
3, , 0%
                  7, 3146, 20%
                                                             VRU
                                                     6, 10129,66%
(VRU 1: Convex slopes, subalpine fir ,VRU 3: Breaklands, grand fir and Douglas-fir
VRU 6: Cold basins, grand fir and subalpine fir VRU 7: Moist uplands, grand fir and Pacific yew)
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement



 3.10.2.1.    INDICATOR 1 - COMPOSITION (COVER TYPE/SPECIES/LAYER/AGE)

 EXISTING CONDITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 The Crooked River portion of the project  area encompasses approximately  23,300  acres.
 Previous  harvest in the project area, dating from the 1950s to the present has occurred on
 approximately 5,217 acres or approximately 22 percent of the area.  Of this approximately 2,768
 acres were clearcut, 1640 acres  were seed tree cuts, 809 acres were thinning/salvage cuts.
 Figure 3.26 portrays harvest by method, acres and percentage of the analysis area.

                                      FIGURE 3.26

                                 CROOKED RIVER PORTION
                                   PREVIOUS HARVEST
            0, 18074, 77% I,
4112,23,0%




4113,2745, 12%





4131,389,2%


4132,.1251, 5%


 4211, 171, 1%

 4220, 35, 0%

 4230, 603, 3%
(Harvest codes: NO - no harvest, 4112 - strip clearcut,  4113  - stand clearcut, 4121  -
shelter-wood prep cut, 4131 - shelterwood seed cut, 4132 - seed tree cut, 4211 - liberation cut,
4220-thinning)

FOREST COVER TYPES
A combination of wild fire,  intentional fire, timber harvest and  fire suppression have shaped the
existing pattern and composition of vegetation in the analysis  area.  The greatest changes from
historic vegetation conditions include:

Declines in lodgepole pine dominated communities due to harvest,  fire suppression and forest
succession.

Increases  in  more shade  tolerant tree species, like subalpine fir  and grand fir,  due to fire
suppression and forest succession.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
Declines in shrubland,  riparian shrub, and  riparian meadow due to forest encroachment,
agricultural conversion, and forest succession

Whitebark pine has declined seriously from blister rust, fire exclusion and mountain pine beetle.
Western white pine, never abundant, has also  declined from blister rust.

Early serai structural stages, including forest openings, seedling and sapling, and pole stands,
with snags and down wood, have decreased  because of fire suppression.  Medium and  large
tree classes have increased in most areas except larch and ponderosa pine forests.

Figure 3.27 and Table 3.134 display project area cover types.

                                      FIGURE 3.27

                                    Crooked River Portion
                                     Dominant Species
                          GFB, 14, 0%

                        ABLA, 541, 2%
PICO, 8660, 39%
                  TGCH, 3270, 14%
                  TASH, 2524, 11%
      PIEN, 314, 1%


    PIPO_MMIX, 1519,7%
                        SHR, 574, 3%
                                        PSME, 5337, 23%
               TABLE 3.134 - CROOKED RIVER DOMINANT COVER TYPE CODES.
Dominance
Code
ABLA
GFB
PICO
PIEN
PIPO_MMIX
PSME
SHR
TASH
TGCH
Description
Abies-lasocarpa (subalpine fir)
Grass Forb
Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine)
Picea engelmannii (Englemann spruce)
Shade-intolerant mixed conifer (ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western larch)
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir)
Shrub Dominated
Shade-tolerant mixed conifer (ABLA/PIEN/TSME)
Shade-tolerant mixed conifer (ABGR/THPL/TSHE)
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
STRUCTURE (SIZE CLASSES, DENSITY, AND CANOPY LAYERS)
SIZE CLASSES
Average tree  size varies depending  on year of origin,  tree species, and growing conditions.
Approximately 3  percent of the project area consists of regenerating harvest units  with tree
diameters less than 5 inches and 97  percent of the area supports trees with 5 inches diameter
at breast height (DBH) or greater.  Figure 3.28 displays existing tree size classes in the project
area.

                             FIGURE 3.28 - TREE SIZE CLASSES
                                    Crooked River Portion
                                    Size Class Distribution
                                                   Large/Very Large Tree
                                                   (>=15in. DBH), 9483,
                                        	       41%
                  Grass/Forb Dominated,
                       14, 0%
                Small Tree (5-9.9 in.
                 DBH), 5208, 23%
                  Shrub Dominated, 574,
                        3%
                    Seedling/Sapling Tree_/       —-,. ——— Medium Tree (10-14.9
                    (< 5 in. DBH), 3, 0%                  in. DBH), 7470, 33%
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Figure 3.29 displays the current cover type and size class data for the forested area in the
Crooked River portion of the analysis area.

                                        FIGURE 3.29
                                     Crooked River Portion
                                      Dominant Type/Size
                        10000
     a Seedling/Sapling Tree (< 5 in. DBH)
STAND DENSITY

Stand  density, measured in trees per acre vary widely across the project area.  Variations are
due to elevation, aspect, soils and moisture, as well as disturbances such as insect activity, fire
and  harvest. Stand densities  in previously harvested, regenerated  stands  in the project area
range  from approximately 1,000  to 4,000 trees per acre of sapling to pole-sized  trees  in
unthinned stands, to approximately 435 trees per acre in thinned stands.  Stand densities in the
table below have been calculated for previously unmanaged stands in the  project area.  One
consequence of increased stand  densities is the  increase in fuel  loading  (tons per acre  of
vegetative fuel) that could increase fire intensity, severity and resistance to control. Table 3.140
displays average stand densities by size class for previously unmanaged stands in the project
area.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
          TABLE 3.135 - UNMANAGED STAND DENSITIES IN THE CROOKED RIVER AREA
Size Class
Seedling/Sapling
(<5 inch DBH)
Small
(5-9.9 inch DBH)
Medium Trees
(10-14.9 inch DBH)
Large
(15 + inch DBH)
Trees/Acre
1,300
66
53
5
Acres by
Size Class
3
5208
7470
9483
Percent of
Project Area
0
23
33
42
CANOPY LAYERS

Relatively simple one  and two  story stands have transitioned to more complex multi-story
stands.  Lodgepole pine mortality will accelerate the shift toward multi-story conditions.  Figure
3.30 displays canopy cover in the project area.

                                      FIGURE 3.30

                                   Crooked River Portion
                                   Percent Canopy Cover
                60-100%, 10815,47%
                                                      Grass/Forb dominated
                                                        lifeform, 14, 0%
                                                       Shrub dominated
                                                       lifeform, 574, 3%
                                                          10-24.9%, 2453, 11%
                                                    25-59.9%, 8898, 39%
                   (Key: Percent Canopy Cover, acres, percent of area)
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 Forest succession,  insect and disease activity, timber harvest, fire and fire suppression have
 resulted  in changed cover types and forest structure since presettlement (USDA FS, 2003a).
 Changes in forest cover types and structure (size class, stand density and canopy layers) are
 used as  indicators to quantify effects on vegetation.  Cumulative effects are analyzed within the
 Crooked River Drainage.

 All action alternatives will have some effects to forest cover types and/or stand structure.  All
 action  alternatives  would reduce  the  potential for  intense  fire  and severe  fire  effects to
 vegetation through fuel removal, as well as reduce the risk of insect or disease outbreaks. The
 differences between alternatives is number of acres treated, treatment types and amount of fuel
 removal.  All action alternatives implement prescribed fire treatments,  though many stands in
 the project area have too much existing fuel (dead material and ladder fuel) to safely allow the
 use of prescribed burning without prior thinning. Prescribed harvests will reduce the canopy by
 approximately 90 percent in clearcuts, 80 percent in seed  tree units, 70 percent in shelter
 woods, and 50 -60 percent on thinned acres.

 COVER TYPES

 DIRECT EFFECTS - COVER TYPES

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 There  are no direct effects to cover types associated with this alternative. Cover types in the
 project area would continue to change without direct intervention of man. Changes through time
 will vary  depending  on the intensity of disturbances such as fire, weather events, disease, and
 insect epidemics.

 ALTERNATIVE B

 Timber harvest and fuel  reduction treatments would occur on approximately 1,831  acres.
 Approximately 697 acres  would be clearcut, 534 acres would be shelterwood, 109 acres would
 be seed  tree, 145  acres would be commercially thinned, 332 acres would be in  roadside
 salvage,  and 17 acres would be fuel break.  Direct effects would include the following changes
 in cover types in the fuel treatment areas.

 Acres of  herbaceous clearcut would increase by approximately 806 acres.  This acreage would
 decrease as trees become reestablished on these acres and  canopy  closure excludes
 herbaceous ground cover.  Most of these acres would  move towards short-lived intolerant
 (lodgepole pine) and mixed conifer cover types over time.  Lodgepole pine  cover type would be
 reduced  by approximately  368 acres.   Mixed conifer  cover types  would be reduced  by
 approximately 480 acres.

ALTERNATIVE C

Timber harvest and fuel  reduction  treatments would occur  on  approximately  1,872 acres.
Approximately 749 acres would  be clearcut, 539 acres would  be shelterwood, 150 acres would
 be seed tree, 91 acres would be commercially thinned, 326 acres would be  in roadside salvage,
and 17 acres would be fuel break.  Direct  effects would include the following changes  in cover
types in the fuel treatment areas.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Acres of herbaceous clearcut would increase by approximately 899 acres. This acreage would
 decrease as  trees  become reestablished on these acres and canopy  closure  excludes
 herbaceous ground  cover.  Most of these acres would move towards short-lived  intolerant
 (lodgepole pine) and mixed conifer cover types over time. Lodgepole pine cover type would be
 reduced by 405 acres.   Mixed conifer cover types would  be reduced by approximately  567
 acres.

 ALTERNATIVE D

 Timber harvest and fuel  reduction  treatments would occur on  approximately 2,235 acres.
 Approximately 804 acres would be clearcut, 659 acres would be shelterwood, 212 acres would
 be seed tree,  214 acres would be commercially thinned, 329 acres would be in roadside
 salvage, and 17 acres would be fuel break.  Direct effects would include the following changes
 in cover types in the fuel treatment areas.

 Acres of herbaceous clearcut would increase by approximately 1016 acres. This acreage would
 decrease as trees  become reestablished on these acres and canopy  closure  excludes
 herbaceous ground  cover.  Most of these acres would move towards short-lived  intolerant
 (lodgepole pine) and mixed conifer cover types over time. Lodgepole pine cover type would be
 reduced by 422 acres.  Mixed conifer cover types would  be reduced by approximately  659
 acres.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 Timber  harvest and fuel  reduction  treatments would occur on  approximately 1,656 acres.
 Approximately 536 acres would be clearcut, 532 acres would be shelterwood, 88 acres would
 be seed tree,  145 acres  would be commercially thinned, 337  acres would be in roadside
 salvage, and 17 acres would be fuel break.  Direct effects would include the  following changes
 in cover types in the fuel treatment areas.

 Acres of herbaceous clearcut would increase by approximately 624 acres.  This acreage would
 decrease as trees  become  reestablished on these  acres and canopy  closure  excludes
 herbaceous ground cover.  Most of these acres would move towards short-lived intolerant
 (lodgepole pine) and mixed conifer cover types over time. Lodgepole pine cover type would be
 reduced by 283 acres. Mixed conifer cover types would be reduced by approximately'388 acres.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS - COVER TYPES

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 Passive  management  is  a  conscious  decision  with  short   and   long-term  ecosystem
 consequences.   Preservation  of dynamic ecosystems requires  precisely  timed, effectively
 planned and implemented actions if desirable characteristics of those ecosystems are to remain
 intact.  Processes will take place whether at the  hand of man or at random under the 'no action'
 alternative. Anticipated effects of processes, which will occur with no human intervention, can
 provide a benchmark against which to measure effects of active management.

 Forest cover types  in the project area would shift towards mixed conifer (primarily grand fir and
subalpine fir) cover types.   Susceptibility to insect attacks  and root diseases affecting conifer
species  would  be  expected to increase.   Mountain pine beetle would continue  to  cause
extensive mortality to lodgepole and ponderosa pine  in the project area until  host depletion
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 results  in a decline in the beetle population to endemic levels.  Aerial detection surveys have
 noted a slight decline in numbers of infected trees between 2002 and 2003, in the adjacent Red
 River watershed, due to host depletion of susceptible lodgepole and ponderosa pine. As grand
 fir, Douglas-fir and subalpine fir  establish and dominate in stands previously dominated  by
 lodgepole pine, these species would  be highly susceptible to root disease and insect attack,
 thus contributing to increased fuel loading in these stands.

 Fire suppression would continue throughout the  project area, allowing fuels to build up and
 disrupting the natural fire disturbance  pattern.  Low severity ground fire would not  occur in the
 project  area at the scale necessary to maintain ponderosa pine and western larch  cover types.
 At some point,  fire would  likely reestablish lodgepole pine  dominance in areas  where seed
 sources exist  and  mineral  soil  is  exposed  creating  favorable  seedbeds  for  conifer
 reestablishment.

 Early serai, shade-intolerant trees such as ponderosa pine and western larch would decrease in
 numbers while  the  shade  tolerant species  Douglas fir, grand fir, and  subalpine fir would
 increase.  The shrub, forb, and grass component of forest stands would  continue to decline.

 Forest stands where  the principle species is Douglas fir, true fir, or Englemann spruce are highly
 susceptible  to outbreaks  of defoliators such as western spruce  budworm  and  Douglas fir
 tussock moth.  In recent  years portions of the American River have experienced  damaging
 levels of  hemlock lopper.  The following factors  make such forest stands within the Crooked
 River analysis area particularly susceptible to attack.

 Many forest stands are multi-storied. In  a tussock moth or budworm infestation, the larvae feed
 on new growth of larger trees. As the caterpillars mature, they drop off the tree for a variety of
 reasons (wind, exhaustion of food supply, etc.).  Landing on  foliage suitable for foraging (such
 as Douglas fir or grand fir) results in additional damage.

 Older trees in many forest stands are not vigorous. Damage from defoliators, bark beetles, and
 other insect pests could trigger eventual mortality.

 The conifers in  many of the forest stands in the Crooked River Analysis Area are stagnant.
 Many of these trees are particularly vulnerable to defoliator and bark beetle attack.

 Root disease is apparent  in portions of  the  planning area.  During a defoliator or bark beetle
 attack mortality is often first noticed in root centers because of the weakened state of the trees.

 Precipitation  in the 1990s was below  average.  Over several years, coupled with  higher than
 historical stocking levels, this can have a negative effect on stand growth.  Trees become more
 likely to sustain significant damage from  insects during  or following drought cycles.   Forest
 stands  that  have southeasterly to westerly aspects are particularly susceptible to problems
 associated with drought because of the drying effects of direct sunlight and the prevailing winds
 on these aspects.

 Increases in other insects such as fir  engraver  and Douglas  fir beetle  often accompany a
 defoliator  outbreak.  Insects are often  at endemic levels  in  the forest, but become more
 apparent and increase in numbers as a  defoliator infestation progresses.  Often these insects
will "finish off1 trees previously weakened by other pests or pathogens.  Any combination of the
above listed factors could  elevate the  level of damage from defoliation to mortality. Additional
 mortality would add to fuel loads already outside their  historic  range and increase the risk of
stand replacement wildfire.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 Indirect effects would include enhancement of fire resistant ponderosa pine and western larch,
 and regeneration of  lodgepole  pine cover types in the  project area.   Increased  vigor and
 resistance to damage from fire, insects and disease can be expected in other forest cover types
 in the project area.  Openings created through removal and prescribed burning would create
 favorable conditions for establishment  of fire resistant species  such as ponderosa  pine and
 western larch, as well as lodgepole pine.  In areas  usually dominated  by lodgepole  pine, this
 species  would be expected to reestablish  rapidly from local seed sources.   In areas where
 ponderosa pine and western  larch have  been extirpated, these species  could be planted to
 assure reestablishment.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - COVER TYPES

 ALTERNATIVE A

 Every year a wildfire starts somewhere in the Crooked River watershed.  Fire spread depends
 on weather (temperature, wind, and moisture primarily), topography, and fuel. The longer fire or
 fuel management is absent from an area the greater the total biomass quantity and continuous
 fuel.  When a wildfire starts these factors result in  more  intense fire behavior and  increased
 resistance to control.  With the higher intensity and increased area of a fire, the more vegetation
 that would be damaged or destroyed.  This includes large,  old trees, which  have  withstood
 natural low intensity fires for centuries.  These  sites  did not typically have continuous areas of
 dense understories of  saplings and poles to provide ladder  fuels to the crowns,  nor the
 concentration  of  live aerial biomass associated with grand  fir and Douglas fir.   Natural fuel
 loading that is higher than historic  levels, coupled with a dense understory, can create a crown
 fire condition which is much  hotter and more damaging to  plants and soils than the historic
 natural fire regime which burned ground fuels and grasses.

 The implementation of Alternative  A (No Action), with current forest conditions (live  and dead
 biomass) outside the  historic natural range of  variability,  provides a greater risk  of epidemic
 stand  loss to  diseases  and insects. In these finite  systems  of  moisture and  sunlight only a
 certain amount of live biomass can be supported per acre. Consequently, the  more individual
 trees on an acre, the smaller the allocation of water and the  necessary elements per tree
 resulting in subsequent lower vigor and growth per individual tree.  Plants produce different
 hormones and other chemicals when growing  at various rates that affect the potential size  of
 these plants.  Plants that receive more moisture and sunlight grow faster and have the potential
 to achieve a larger size.

 Insect infestation would increase with no management action.  Forest stands under stress have
 a higher potential to attract bark beetles.  When trees are stressed they produce chemicals
 which are natural attraction signals to bark beetles.  Bark  beetles are a natural thinning agent
 and  a  necessary part  of  the ecosystem  in creating habitat for certain wildlife species, and
 reducing stress for the  remaining  live trees.  With  the increase in vulnerable food  supplies
 (stressed trees) insect populations can build to epidemic proportions. Epidemics of beetles can
destroy even the healthiest trees due to mass attacks.  Bark beetles can also carry spores that
inoculate trees with saprophytic microorganisms that can weaken the bole and increases the
rate of bole snap and decomposition.  This effect would cause  many trees (snags)  killed  by
beetles to fall to the ground in a relatively short time, decreasing their value for cavity nesters
and increasing the amount of fuel for high intensity wildfire.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
The majority of forest stands proposed for treatment in the Crooked River Area are in a state of
poor vigor.  Trees are generally more susceptible to  root rots and disease when at  low vigor.
With the selection of Alternative A, tree vigor would continue to decline and would likely result in
more tree deaths attributable to root rot, especially the more susceptible grand fir and Douglas
fir.   Parasitic plant dwarf mistletoe would also contribute to  decline in Douglas fir,  lodgepole
pine, and western larch.

Conifers, especially shade-tolerant species such as Douglas fir and grand fir, would continue to
invade historically open forest stands and meadows.  Grasses, forbs and shrubs would become
depauperate in  densely  stocked forest stands.  Gene pools of various species  of plants,
especially those dependent on frequent fire regimes, would decline and become less viable.

Reduced acres of lodgepole  pine and ponderosa pine cover types can be expected in time due
to mountain pine  beetle induced mortality  and forest  succession favoring  establishment of
climax species. Western larch cover type can also be expected to decrease over the long term.
Mixed conifer cover type could be expected to increase.

ALTERNATIVE B

Implementation would affect  forest cover types on 1,465 acres in the drainage. Other harvest
and  fuel reduction activities  in the drainage, and  ongoing hazard tree removal and firewood
cutting also have potential to  affect forest cover types on  additional acres in the drainage.

ALTERNATIVE C

Implementation would affect  forest cover types on 1,530 acres in the drainage. Other harvest
and  fuel reduction activities  in the drainage, and  ongoing hazard tree removal and firewood
cutting also have potential effects to forest cover types on additional acres in the drainage.

ALTERNATIVE D

Implementation would affect  forest cover types on 1,907 acres in the drainage. Other harvest
and  fuel reduction activities  in the drainage, and  ongoing hazard tree removal and firewood
cutting also have potential effects to forest cover types on additional acres in the drainage.

ALTERNATIVE E

Implementation would affect  forest cover types on 1,259 acres in the drainage. Other harvest
and  fuel reduction activities  in the drainage and ongoing  hazard tree removal and firewood
cutting also have potential effects to forest cover types and structure on additional acres in the
drainage.

IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - COVER TYPES

There are no  irreversible  or irretrievable effects to cover types associated with any of the
alternatives.  Alternatives  B, C,  D, and E would temporarily affect herbaceous cover types,
short-lived intolerant, and mixed conifer cover types.   However, vegetation normally present in
those types would  reclaim those areas though forest succession.  Alternative A would have no
effect on forest cover types.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement



 STRUCTURE

 DIRECT EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 There  are  no direct effects to size classes  associated with  this  alternative.   Table 3.141
 compares the percentage of resultant size class to the current for the Crooked River portion of
 the analysis area. Figure 3.31 displays Crooked River size classes by alternative.

 ALTERNATIVE B

 Direct effects to tree size classes would include an increase in seedling/sapling size classes on
 approximately 806  acres in clearcut and seed tree areas.   Pole through medium size  tree
 classes would be reduced on 607 acres.  Large tree (15 + inch DBH) size classes would be
 reduced on 187 acres. All trees greater than 21 inches DBH would remain except for incidental
 removal for temporary  road construction and  line corridors.   Table  3.136  compares the
 percentage of resultant size class to the current for the  Crooked River portion of the analysis
 area.  Figure 3.31 displays Crooked River size classes by alternative.

 ALTERNATIVE C

 Direct effects to tree size classes would include an increase in seedling/sapling size classes on
 approximately 899 acres in clearcut areas.  Pole through medium size tree class acres would be
 reduced on approximately 661 acres.  Large tree (15  + inch  DBH) size classes would be
 reduced on 231  acres. All trees greater than 21 inches DBH would remain except for incidental
 removal for temporary  road  construction and  line corridors.   Table  3.136  compares  the
 percentage  of resultant size class to the current for the Crooked River portion of the analysis
 area.  Figure 3.31 displays Crooked River size classes by alternative.

 ALTERNATIVE D

 Direct effects to tree size classes include an increase in seedling/sapling size classes on
 approximately 1,015 acres.  Pole through  medium size tree class  acres would be reduced on
 741 acres.  Large tree (15 + inch  DBH) size classes would be reduced on 267 acres. All trees
 greater than 21  inches  DBH would remain except for incidental removal  for temporary road
 construction and line corridors.  Table 3.136 compares the percentage of resultant size class to
 the current for the Crooked  River portion of the analysis area.  Figure 3.31 displays Crooked
 River size classes by alternative.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 Direct effects  to  tree size  classes include an  increase in seedling/sapling size  classes on
 approximately 624 acres. Pole through medium size tree class acres would be reduced on 463
 acres.  Large tree (15 + inch DBH)  size classes  would  be reduced on  156 acres.  All trees
 greater than 21  inches  DBH would remain except for incidental removal for temporary road
 construction and line corridors. Table 3.136 compares the percentage of resultant size class to
the current for the Crooked  River portion of the analysis area.   Figure 3.31 displays Crooked
 River  size classes by alternative.
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American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 TABLE 3.136 - CROOKED RIVER PROPORTION OF EXISTING SIZE CLASS
SIZE CLASS
Large/Very Large Tree (>= 15 in. DBH)
Medium Tree (10-14.9 in. DBH)
Small Tree (5-9.9 in. DBH)
Seedling/Sapling Tree (< 5 in. DBH)
Shrub Dominated
ALT A
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
ALTB
98%
95%
95%
26733%
100%
ALTC
98%
95%
95%
30067%
100%
ALTD
97%
94%
95%
33933%
100%
ALTE
98%
96%
96%
20833%
100%
                         FIGURE 3.31
Crooked
Size Class
100% j-mm
ono/
sn% -

K fin% -
ra
O 5QO/ .
0) OU/0
N
AT\%.
"VWn -
?o% -
m% -
0% -

m Grass/Forb
Dominated
• Shrub Dominated
Q Seedling/Sapling Tree
(< 5 in. DBH)
n Small Tree (5-9.9 in.
DBH)
D Medium Tree (10-14.9
in. DBH)
D large/Very Large Tree









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ALT A
14
574
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ALTB
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7124
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ALTC
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902
4944
7073
9251
•B


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ALTD
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1018
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7015
9216
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,
ALTE
14
574
625
5022
7193
9327
Alternative Acres
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 INDIRECT EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 Size class diversity  would temporarily increase as shade tolerant grand fir and subalpine fir
 establish and maintain in stands in the project area. Small and medium trees would dominate
 creating continuous  fuel ladders, increasing the potential for severe fire.  Large fire resistant
 ponderosa pine and western  larch would eventually be excluded  due to  stress induced  by
 competition for water and  nutrients, lack of suitable conditions for regeneration, or severe fire.
 In time, severe fire would probably occur, resulting in reestablishment of single size class stands
 in burned areas.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 Indirect effects associated with fuel reduction treatments would be increased growth and vigor,
 as well  as  resistance  to  damage from  fire to  remaining  trees in the fuel reduction areas.
 Remaining trees  in all  size  classes would benefit through reduced competition for water and
 nutrients.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - SlZE CLASS

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 There are no cumulative effects to size classes in the Crooked River Drainage associated with
 alternative one.

 ALTERNATIVE B

 Size classes would be  affected on approximately 806 acres 1.8 percent of the Crooked River
 drainage.

 ALTERNATIVE C

 Size classes would be affected on approximately 899 acres 2 percent of the Crooked River
 drainage.

 ALTERNATIVE D

 Size classes  would be  affected on approximately 1015 acres2.2 percent of the Crooked River
 drainage.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 Size classes  would be  affected on approximately 624 acres  1.4 percent of the Crooked River
 drainage.

 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS

There are no irreversible  or irretrievable  effects to size classes associated with any  of the
alternatives.  Alternatives B, C, D, and E would have some effects on size classes in the project
area, though this would  be temporary.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement



STAND DENSITY

DIRECT EFFECTS - STAND DENSITY

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

There are no direct effects to stand densities associated with this alternative.

ALTERNATIVE B

Direct  effects would  be  reduced stand densities on approximately 1,831 acres in the project
area. Stand densities would be reduced approximately 90 percent on clearcut acres, 80 percent
on seed tree acres, 70 percent on shelterwood and fuel break acres, 50-60 percent on thinning
acres,  and 10 percent on salvage acres..

ALTERNATIVE C

Direct  effects would  be  reduced stand densities on approximately 1,872 acres in the project
area. Stand densities would be reduced approximately 90 percent on clearcut acres, 80 percent
on seed tree acres, 70 percent on shelterwood and fuel break acres, 50-60 percent on thinning
acres,  and 10 percent on salvage acres..

ALTERNATIVE D

Direct  effects would  be  reduced stand densities on approximately 2,235 acres in the project
area. Stand densities would be reduced approximately 90 percent on clearcut acres, 80 percent
on seed tree acres, 70 percent on shelterwood and fuel break acres, 50-60 percent on thinning
acres,  and 10 percent on salvage acres..

ALTERNATIVE E

Direct  effects would  be  reduced stand densities on approximately 1,656 acres in the project
area. Stand densities would be reduced approximately 90 percent on clearcut acres, 80 percent
on seed tree acres, 70 percent on shelterwood and fuel break acres, 50-60 percent on thinning
acres, and 10 percent on salvage acres.

INDIRECT EFFECTS -  STAND DENSITY

ALTERNATIVE A - NO  ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Stand densities would increase in the short term as  lodgepole stands are replaced by grand fir
and subalpine fir.  Increased stand densities would result in increased fuel loading and potential
for  intense fire activity.  Barring fire, insect or disease epidemics, stand densities would
decrease as stands mature and competition results in stem exclusion.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

Increased vigor and resistance to damage from fire,  insects and disease would expected for all
tree  species in  the fuel  reduction areas.  Reduced densities and underburning would create
openings  and  favorable conditions for establishment fire  resistant serai  species  such  as
ponderosa pine and western  larch.  In areas usually dominated by lodgepole pine, this species
would be expected to reestablish rapidly from local  seed sources.  In areas where ponderosa
pine and  western larch have  been  reduced, these  species could  be planted to  assure
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 reestablishment.  Increased potential for wind damage may occur in some areas. However this
 would be minimized through project design to protect remaining trees in those areas.
 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS - STAND DENSITY
 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 There are no cumulative effects to stand densities associated with this alternative.
 ALTERNATIVE B
 Stand densities would be reduced on approximately 1,831 acres in the drainage.  This would
 change stand densities in approximately 4.0 percent of the drainage
 ALTERNATIVE C
 Stand densities would be reduced on approximately 1,872 acres in the drainage.  This would
 change stand densities in approximately 4.1 percent of the drainage
 ALTERNATIVE D
 Stand densities would be reduced on approximately 2,235 acres in the drainage.  This would
 change stand densities in  approximately 4.9 percent of the drainage
 ALTERNATIVE E
 Stand densities would be reduced on approximately 1,656 acres in the drainage.  This would
 change stand densities in  approximately 3.5 percent of the drainage.
 IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS - SIZE CLASS
 There are no irreversible  or irretrievable effects to  stand densities  associated with any of the
 alternatives.  Alternatives B, C, D, and E  would reduce stand densities in the project area,
 though this effect would be temporary.
 3.10.2.2.   INDICATOR 2 - DISTURBANCE PATTERNS (SEE SECTION 3.10.1.2.)
 3.10.2.3.   INDICATOR 3 - RARE PLANTS (SEE SECTION 3.10.1.3)
                                      OS &5VS

 3.10.3.  SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS FOR VEGETATION
VRU1
   •  Grand fir and subalpine fir have increased.
   •  Acres of early serai herbaceous shrub, sapling and small tree stands have increased.
   •  Medium  and large trees have decreased.
   •  Acreage of non-forest openings have declined.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement

 VRU3
    •   Ponderosa pine and western larch have declined.
    •   Grand fir and Douglas-fir have increased.
    •   Lodgepole pine stands have shifted towards mixed conifer.
    •   Small trees have increased.
    •   Medium and large trees have declined.
    •   Vertical canopy layers have increased, while canopy density has declined.
 VRU6
    •   Lodgepole pine dominance has decreased.
    •   Mixed conifer stands of small trees have increased.
    •   Large trees have decreased.
    •   Tree canopy density has declined.
    •   Age class and patch size diversity have declined.
    •   Old growth is estimated at 4.9 percent of the potential forested acres of this VRU in the
       American  and Crooked River watershed.  This is within the  historic range of 5 to 15
       percent that would normally be expected occupy this VRU.
 VRU 7
    •   Acres of small trees have increased.
    •   Tree canopy density has decreased.
    •   Extensive  snag patches have decreased,  except for patches associated with lodgepole
       pine mortality.
 Old growth is  estimated at  18.5  percent  of  the potential  forested acres of the VRU in the
American and Crooked River watershed.  Historically, 15-30 percent old growth would  normally
 be expected to occupy this VRU.
 FOREST PLAN STANDARDS
The following Forestwide Standards for Vegetation Resources, from among those listed on
 page 11-18 and  11-19 of the Nez Perce National Forest Plan,  apply to this project and will be met
as follows:
The following timber objective was added to the Forest Plan  by Amendment 20 (PacFish).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                   TABLE 3.137 - FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE - VEGETATION
Standard
Number

TM-1


Subject Summary
FOREST PLAN Amendment 20
Prohibit timber harvest in Riparian Habitat Conservation
Areas (RHCAs), except as described below:
a. Where catastrophic events such as fire, flooding,
wind or insect damage result in degraded riparian
conditions.
b. To require desired vegetation characteristics.
Compliance Achieved By
PACFJSH)
RHCAs were mapped in CIS using the stream
and fish occurrence coverages. These areas
were excluded from harvest units. Further
refinement will be done during unit layout. No
harvest is planned in RHCAs regardless of
vegetation conditions.
 In addition, as stated under the regulatory framework, the objective for managing sensitive plant
 species is to ensure population viability throughout their range on National Forest lands and to
 ensure they  do not become Federally listed as threatened or endangered.  The  Forest Plan
 supports this direction but does not set specific standards and guides for sensitive  plants. The
 alternatives are consistent with this direction to the extent that proposed management actions
 would not adversely affect viability of existing sensitive plant populations.

 3.10.4. WEEDS AND NON-NATIVE VEGETATION

 INTRODUCTION
 Invasive plants have been identified as a significant threat to western ecosystems.  As invasive
 plants invade and establish, native species richness and frequency may be reduced (Forcella
 and Harvey,  1983) erosion rates may increase (Lacey et. a/.,  1989), ecological  processes may
 be altered  (Whisenant,  1990) and  rare plants could  be threatened (Rosentreter, 1994).
 Bedunnah (1992) noted that exotic plants have the potential to alter ecological equilibrium to a
 point where the change is permanent.  Invasive plants can clearly alter ecosystem processes in
 the west. (Dukes and Mooney,2001).

 Significantly higher rates of sedimentation from runoff in  knapweed dominated  sites has been
 documented in  Montana (Lacey et. a/., 1989).  Cheatgrass and medusahead have altered fire
 frequencies  in  many areas of the Great Basin and intermountain region (Whisenant, 1990;
 Young, 1992).   Purple  loosestrife has significantly changed wetland vegetation  structure in
 eastern North America, and is currently expanding into the Pacific Northwest.  Plant community
 structure  along  many  canyon  slopes in the  Snake and Salmon River basins and lower
 Clearwater River basin has  shifted  from a fibrous  rooted  bunchgrass  community  to one
 dominated by tap-rooted weedy forbs, affecting habitat for chukar (Pauley,  1993) and other
 grassland  birds.

 Invasive plants  can  have an economic impact as well. In North Dakota, it  was estimated that
 leafy spurge had a direct economic impact of over $25 million, with a total direct and indirect
 impact of $87.3  million.  It has been estimated that if spotted knapweed continues to spread, the
 potential annual loss to Montana's rangelands could  reach $155 million (Lacey et. a/., 1995).  A
 recent economic  impact analysis of the effects of Tamarix in the western  United  States
 estimated  a 55 year total value lost from 7.3 to 16 billion dollars from the invasive riparian tree
 (Zavaleta,  2000).

 Invasive plants can expand following man caused or natural disturbances, and invade degraded
as well as  intact habitats (Tausch et a/., 7994; Parker, 2001; Willard, ef a/., 1988). Forcella and
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Harvey (1983)  documented  Eurasian weeds dominating relatively undisturbed  grasslands in
 Montana. Tyser and Key (1988) reported that spotted knapweed invaded and reproduced in
 rough fescue communities in Glacier National Park. Sulfur cinquefoil has been found as a co-
 dominate in an otherwise good condition bunchgrass community.

 SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
 This section  addresses the presence  of invasive plants  relative to expansion  risk  zones,
 susceptible habitats and spread pathways. The direct and indirect effects are considered within
 the Crooked River and American River watersheds.  Cumulative effects  are considered within
 the South Fork Clearwater River sub-basin.

 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
 Analysis and evaluation of Invasive plants in this EIS is based on direction contained in The
 Federal Noxious Weed law (1974) as amended, Executive Order 13112 for Invasive Species,
 Forest Service policy (2080), Northern Region Supplement (R1 2000-2001-1) Implementation of
 Integrated Weed Management on National Forest System lands in the Northern Region, and the
 Nez Perce National Forest Plan (II-7, II-20, II-26, III-6).

 In general, the Forest is directed to implement an effective weed management program with the
 objectives of preventing the introduction and  establishment of noxious weeds; containing and
 suppressing existing weed  infestations; and  cooperating with local,  state,  and  other  federal
 agencies in the management of noxious weeds.

 Section 2 (a) (3) of Executive Order 13112 for Invasive Species directs federal  agencies to "not
 authorize,  fund,  or carry out  actions that  it believes  are  likely  to cause  or promote  the
 introduction or spread of invasive species in the United States or elsewhere unless, pursuant to
 guidelines that it has prescribed, the agency has determined and made public its determinations
 that the benefits of such actions clearly outweigh the potential harm caused by invasive species;
 and that all feasible and prudent measures to  minimize risk of harm will be taken in conjunction
 with the actions".

 Section 2081.03 of Forest Service policy 2081 Management of Noxious Weeds directs Forests
 to determine the risk of introducing  or  spreading  noxious weeds as a  result of any ground
 disturbing action or activity.  For projects having moderate to high risk of spread, the  project
 must  identify  noxious  weed control  measures that  must be  undertaken during  project
 implementation.

ANALYSIS METHODS
Weed  expansion in  the  project area is greatly  influenced by  habitat susceptibility, seed
availability, seed or propagule dispersal, and  habitat disturbance. The probability that  weeds
will expand in the analysis  area depends on  the  interaction of these  four  factors.  Weed
expansion  begins  with the dispersal of seed  from existing  weed  infestations adjacent  to
 uninfested areas.

 Land use practices and resource conditions may be important factors that encourage the initial
invasion of exotic plants (Hobbs, 2000). In mountainous habitat roads and trails are the primary
means by which people and their equipment interact with the environment  and therefore may be
an important spread pathway.  These linear corridors act as dispersal conduits for exotic plants
(Gelbard and Belnap, 2003, Marcus  et a/.,  1998).   In  addition, road and trail  management
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 creates sustained levels of soil disturbance that promotes establishment of exotic plants there
 by increasing seed or propagules for ongoing dispersal  (Parendes and Jones, 2000).  From
 these small isolated infestations along  roads and  trails, invasive plants may colonize adjacent
 native habitats or may respond to periodic disturbance by spreading into previously uninvested
 areas.

 Disturbance  creates  spatial  and temporal openings where sites  become suitable for plant
 establishment, where usable  light, space, water and nutrients are available to meet the specific
 growing requirements of the plant. Disturbance may increase the susceptibility of an otherwise
 intact plant community to weed  invasion by increasing the availability of a limited resource
 (Hobbs, 1989).  Natural or human caused fires  along with  timber harvest and grazing are board
 scale disturbances that influence the amount of available habitat for weed establishment and
 may  promote invasion of exotic plants (D'Antonio, 2000; Belsky and Gelbard, 2000; Pauchard et
 a/., 2003).

 SUSCEPTIBLE HABITATS
 Susceptibility refers to the vulnerability  of plant communities to colonization and establishment
 of invasive plants. Exotic plants can be expected to colonize those sites or habitats that provide
 the necessary requirements to complete their life cycle. Those habitats that lack the necessary
 resources for specific weeds are not considered susceptible  to colonization. In these conditions
 a site or habitat may be considered as having low susceptibility or may even be closed.

 For this analysis, habitats were rated as having low, moderate or high susceptibility based on
 habitat type group (HTG) characteristics and known ability of a group of weeds to colpnize in
 these habitat types.  Highly susceptible habitats have site characteristics and plant community
 structure such that invasive plants can colonize and dominate the herbaceous layer even in the
 absence of intense and frequent disturbance.  HTGs with a low rating have plant community
 structure and or site characteristics that limit weeds from exhibiting  invasive behavior. Species
 may colonize highly disturbed sites and waste places but act as ephemeral species in the plant
 community. Closed Habitat Type Groups have characteristic such  as high elevation, extreme
 climates, substrate or existing plant community structure where the  habitat is effectively closed
 to weed colonization.

 The   habitat susceptibility analysis for  this project used  weed guilds rather than  individual
 species. Weed guilds can  be considered as groups of exotic or  invasive plants that share
 common growing requirements and generally colonize and affect similar habitats.  Many weeds
 are capable of growing across a greater range of environmental conditions. However, weeds
 have  been placed in the guild for which they have the greatest potential to impact the existing
 plant  community. The Montane Weeds group was  used for susceptibility analysis.  This  guild of
 exotic plants is capable of colonizing  and becoming  a  member  of a Dry and  warm forest
 communities. Weed species include leafy spurge,  sulfur cinquefoil,  spotted knapweed,  orange
 hawkweed, yellow toadflax and Canada thistle.  Warm Dry Douglas-Fir (HTG2)  and Warm/Dry
 Grand Fir(HTG 3), and drier portions of meadows (HTG 60)  are  often susceptible to these
 species.

As summarized  in Table 3.138, approximately  53 percent  of the  analysis area  can  be
characterized as low susceptibility or not susceptible to  invasive plants. These areas fall into
moist grand-fir  to  subalpine fir habitats.  Forcella and  Harvey (1983)  found weeds in high-
montane forest habitats restricted to roadsides even with  adjacent  native  habitat disturbance.
Highly susceptible habitat makes up approximately 3  percent of  the analysis  area  and is


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 restricted to scattered stands and south slopes characterized by relatively open dry Douglas-fir.
 The most common  Habitat Type Group, Dry  Grand-fir, rated as moderately susceptible to
 invasive plants and accounted for approximately 43 percent of the analysis area.

 In general the analysis area can be characterized as low to moderately susceptible to invasive
 plants.  The moderate and high susceptibility zones were used in the following section to assess
 the risk of spread by invasive plants.

                        TABLE 3.138: WEED SUSCEPTIBILITY RATING

Watersheds
American River
Crooked River
Totals
Weed Susceptibility Ratim
High
99
1150
1249
Moderate
5923
10942
16865
Low
8036
4636
12672
3
Closed
1533
6562
8095

Totals
15,591
23,290
38,882
 EXOTIC PLANT INVENTORY DA TA
 Our knowledge of existing exotic vegetation populations is limited in the analysis area. Although
 spot  surveys  have  been conducted for several  years they have been  of limited scope.
 Approximately 30 acres of  spotted  knapweed and  127  acres  Canada thistle  have  been
 documented within or adjacent to the proposed activity areas. Most of the infestations are small
 and scattered.  The majority of documented infestations within the analysis area have been
 found along or associated with the transportation network.

 WEED EXPANSION RISK
 The risk of weed expansion  in the analysis area was determined by assessing the following
 factors; susceptibility of Habitat Type Groups (HTGs 2 and 3), the presence of weed infestations
 within and  adjacent to the analysis area (seed source), timber harvest over the past 20 years
 (site  disturbance),  and  the  presence  and location  of existing  roads  (spread pathway).
 Geographic Information System (CIS) was used to display and  calculate acres of at risk areas.
 Table 3.183 at the end of this section summarizes the  rating matrix that was used to determine
 the probability of expansion for invasive plants.

 When  all four factors (susceptible habitat, seed source,  disturbance, spread pathway) are in
 proximity to one another the risk of invasive plant expansion is considered high. An example of
 this condition would be dry ponderosa habitat  that  has recently been disturbed, adjacent to a
 road with an existing infestation  of rush skeletonweed.  There would be a high probability that
 rush skeletonweed would spread.  If one or  more factors are missing, the likelihood of weed
 spread would decline.

 In the analysis area, the grand-fir habitat is low to moderately.susceptible to weed invasion with
 relatively few,  small weed infestations associated with the transportation  network.  However,
 human activity levels as  characterized by past timber harvest and existing roads,  is relatively
 high in portions of the watersheds.  As a result the overall risk of weed spread in the analysis
 area can be characterized as having low to  moderate probability of substantial weed spread.
The identified risk  zones within the analysis area  are generated  from the interaction  of
 moderately susceptible  habitats, recent  disturbance  and existing roads.  The tables  below
displays acres that are rated as having a moderate risk of weed expansion.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
                         TABLE 3.139: ACRES OF EXPANSION RISK
Acres of Expansion Risk
Watershed
Crooked River
American River
Moderate Risk
8796 ac
3581 ac
Percent of area
37%
22%
 This effects analysis focuses primarily on activities occurring within areas of moderate risk to
 weed expansion. The type and amount of ground disturbing and/or habitat altering activity for
 each alternative was assessed and compared to weed expansion risk zones.  Acres of activity
 adjacent to or occurring in  moderate weed expansion  risk zones were calculated  for each
 alternative.   To simplify,  only  activities associated  with Alternative  D that  occur within  or
 adjacent to weed expansion zones are displayed on maps 16a and 16b. All other alternatives
 propose less activity.

                       TABLE 3.140: DISTURBANCE BY ALTERNATIVE
Risk Area By
Watershed
ARLow
CRLow
Subtotal low
ARMod
CRMod
Subtotal Mod
Project totals
Alternative
B
Harvest
Unit
230
812
1,042
347
685
1032
2,074 ac
New
Roads
1.99
1.77
3.76
1.57
2.52
4.09
7.85 miles
C
Harvest
Units
208
792
1,000
506
781
1287
2,287 ac
New
Roads
3.94
2.65
6.59
4.19
3.52
7.71
14.3 miles
D
Harvest
Units
502
957
1,459
571
950
1521
2,980 ac
New Roads
3.94
2.65
6.59
4.19
3.52
7.71
14.3 miles
E
Harvest
Units
164
655
819
144
636
780
1,599 ac
New Roads
1.46
1.12
2.58
0.47
2.23
2.70
5.28 miles
All  action alternatives have the potential to spread weeds to some degree  because  of site
altering or ground disturbing activities within moderately susceptible habitats.  Of the action
alternatives, Alternative  D would result in the most disturbed  acres  and greatest potential for
weed expansion.  Alternative  E would have the least  potential to spread weeds.   This is a
relative ranking of alternatives based  on total acres of disturbance.   It is recognized that the
actual amount of ground disturbing activity would likely be less than the gross acres displayed.
The ground based logging system would disturb the soil surface  more so than the proposed
cable system.  Alternative D would have the most acres of ground  based system in moderately
susceptible  habitats  within HTG 3  and HTG 2.  Alternative E  would have  the least acres
disturbed by ground operations. Alternative C and B fall between the two other alternatives.

Scattered  patches of invasive plants are found along the edges and within habitats that are not
inherently susceptible to weed invasion. These plants may not represent a risk to the existing
plant community  or  pose  a threat to ecosystem  process and  function, but can  act as a
seed/propagule reservoir for future dispersal into more suitable  sites. Most weeds do not spread
across a landscape  by  a single advancing  front. Rather, weeds establish from many small
disjunct patches from independent populations (Moody and Mack, 1988). In many cases, these
outlying small patches become the founding population for further dispersal.  Small infestations
that  do  not pose  a current threat to the existing plant community may still contribute  to the
spread of the species by acting as a founder population for new disjunct patches.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
SUMMARY
Large infestations of invasive plants are found adjacent to the National Forest and along the
South Fork of the Clearwater River .  However, the analysis areas contain  relatively small
infestations of invasive exotic plants such as spotted knapweed and Canada thistle.

There are zones in both Crooked River and American River portions that have a moderate risk
of weed  expansion  due to a combination of susceptible habitats, frequent disturbances, high
road densities and scattered seed sources.

Based on the location of existing  infestations the transportation corridors are the primary spread
pathway for weed expansion within the analysis area.

Close integration of future disturbance activities will be necessary in moderate risk zones.  If the
seed sources, or pathways can  be effectively managed, then the moderate risk of expansion
from the  proposed project will be minimized through implementation of all design criteria for
noxious weeds in chapter 2 and specified monitoring protocols.

Due to the large and growing  infestations adjacent  to the National  Forest, invasive plant
management within the analysis area would  be  integrated  into the  broader weed  strategies
cooperatively developed across the Clearwater River Basin.

                TABLE 3.141: PROBABILITY OF WEED SPREAD, RATING MATRIX
Habitat
Suscept.
Rating
High
Moderate
Spread Components
Seed Source
Weeds Present or
Adjacent
Yes
No
Yes
No
Disturbance I Spread Vector
Timber Harvest (Existing Roads
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
High
Moderate
Low
High
Moderate
Low
High
Moderate
Low
High
Moderate
Low
High
Moderate
Low
High
Moderate
Low
High
Moderate
Low
High
Moderate
Low
Expansion
Probability
Rating
Extreme
High
Moderate

Hiqh
Moderate
Hiqh
Moderate
Low
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
 Invasive plant  dispersal and  colonization are  on-going  processes.   Interagency  surveys
 conducted  over the  past few  years  have revealed 15  noxious  weeds or exotic species of
 concern occupying over 30,000  acres within the South Fork  of Clearwater River subbasin.
 Individual infestations range in  size from a few square feet to hundreds of acres.  Even though
 large block have not been surveyed,  sufficient  suitable locations including travel corridors,
 burned  areas, past timber treatments, trails, and private lands have been surveyed to indicate
 an undesirable condition in the South Fork Clearwater River drainage.

 Most infestations in  the subbasin  are  associated with disturbed  habitats, the transportation
 network or  dry breaklands in the lower subbasin.  With increased disturbance within and outside
 of the analysis  area, opportunities for the spread of new invaders will increase.  As vehicles,
 equipment  and humans move through the landscape, each has the potential to carry weed seed
 to new and  currently  uninfested areas.  This  spread really has no limit other than  the
 susceptibility  of the receiving habitats and the presence of a seed source.  Given the inherent
 susceptibility  of habitats within the South Fork  Clearwater River subbasin, the  number of
 infestations in the lower subbasin and  the human activity level, spread is likely to continue.

 Past  and present disturbances associated with  vegetation treatments added to  reasonably
 foreseeable actions would create a cumulative effect on weed expansion by the combination of
 distribution  of weed seed, ground disturbance and creation of spread pathways. The degree of
 the  cumulative  effect  would   vary depending upon  the  number of  entrances  over  time,
 distribution  of disturbance across the  analysis  area and acres  disturbed.  The  impacts of
 cumulative  effects incurred by action alternatives to risk of weed expansion would be eased with
 the implementation of preventive and weed management actions.

 FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE
 Alternative  D  in the FEIS meets or exceeds Forest Plan summer habitat effectiveness objectives
 for elk, thereby working toward support of continued wolf recovery.  It adequately protects MA21
 (moose  winter  habitat) through   mitigations  and  adherence to  Forest Plan  standards.
 Throughout the project area, 13 percent overall old growth will remain unharvested, exceeding
 the minimum  10 percent Forest Plan  standard for existing old growth.  Additional replacement
 old  growth  is  also protected from harvest.  Snag  dependent species habitats are managed to
 protect adequate numbers and sizes  to ensure populations viability.  Population viability of all
 Management  Indicator Species  are maintained by this project through adherence to Forest Plan
 standards and guidelines, landscape-scale analysis  results,  and is  supported by the analysis
 and conclusions in the "Habitat-based  Terrestrial Vertebrate Populations Viability Related to the
American and Crooked River Project" (See project file).

The following  Forestwide Standards for Range Resources, from among those listed on page II-
20  of the Nez Perce  National Forest Plan, apply to this project and will be met as follows:

              TABLE 3.142: FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR RANGE RESOURCES
STANDARD
NUMBER
RA-3
SUBJECT SUMMARY
Confine present infestations and prevent
establishment of new noxious weeds.
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
Chapter 2: Design criteria
                                    (S3 08 (S3 (33 US OS
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 3.11. WILDLIFE

 INTRODUCTION

 SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS
 The scope of this analysis and extent of cumulative effects varies depending on each species'
 relative home range size.  For most wildlife species, effects  analyses will be limited to  the
 American and Crooked River watersheds. For certain species, the amount (acres) of potentially
 suitable habitat that would be modified will  be the primary  indicator for analysis and will be
 carried throughout the alternatives.  Direct, indirect, and cumulative effects will be addressed
 predominantly within the American and  Crooked River watersheds; however, where applicable,
 effects of the actions,  as well  as the affected area for cumulative effects, may extend beyond
 these two watersheds, primarily extending into the adjacent Red River watershed.

 The American River watershed encompasses an  area approximately 59,000 acres in  size and
 extends from the confluence of the South Fork Clearwater River near Elk City to an area near
 Beargrass Mountain.  The Crooked River watershed encompasses an area  approximately
 45,000 acres in size and extends south from the South Fork Clearwater River to an area near
 Orogrande Summit.  The American and Crooked River project treatment area encompasses
 approximately 27 percent of the American River watershed and 52 percent of the Crooked River
 watershed.

 REGULATORY  FRAMEWORK
 Analysis and evaluation of wildlife and terrestrial threatened,  endangered, and sensitive (TES)
 species data in this environmental impact statement (EIS) is based on direction contained in  the
 National Forest Management Act (NFMA), and its  implementing regulations at 36 CFR 219;  the
 National Environmental Policy  Act (NEPA); the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and conforms
 with direction in the relatively new National Memorandum of Understanding #MOU-11130117-
 028, which addresses Neotropical migrant land bird management.

 The Nez Perce Forest Plan Amendment #23  amended habitat objectives for Elk Analysis Units
 (EAUs).  The Crooked and American Project area contains  six EAUs with objectives ranging
 from 50-75 percent.  Refer to the effects analysis pertinent to each alternative in this section.

 This analysis for wildlife tiers  to the Nez Perce  Forest Plan and EIS (USDA FS, 1987a and
 1987c) and includes  updated  habitat information from  the  South Fork Clearwater River
 Landscape Assessment (SFLA), which is incorporated by reference. Refer to the South Fork
 Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS,  1998a)  and its accompanying Wildlife
 Technical  Report (USDA FS,  1998b) for a  synthesis and summary of existing broad-scale
 landscape habitat and terrestrial wildlife species conditions within and surrounding the  analysis
 area.  Data from the SFLA refer to Ecological Response Units (ERU) that are 13 geographic
 subdivisions of the South Fork Clearwater Subbasin, each composed of an individual watershed
 or aggregates of watersheds that help characterize place-specific units and  are  a basis  for
 relating to ecological characteristics, processes and functions within the South Fork Subbasin.
 Even though this analysis used the Timber Stand  Management Reporting System (TSMRS), it
was the best, most extensive data available at that time for this broad scale assessment.

The South Fork Landscape Assessment (SFLA) (USDA FS 1998a) used the historic range of
variability as an indicator of whether the forest is resilient and naturally functioning.  The HRV
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
concept is based on the assumption that if landscape elements are sustained or restored to
within  their HRV, viable  populations would more likely be maintained and rates of extinction
would  not exceed natural rates (See project file for further documentation of Historic Range of
Variability).

Historic Range of Variability (HRV) refers to the range of composition, structure, pattern  and
function of landscape elements like streams and aquatic communities, and terrestrial plant and
animal communities in  recent times (the last 2000 years) of relative climatic stability.  It is here
considered to include the era prior to European settlement, but concurrent with Native American
occupation. This concept is based on the assumption that if elements are sustained or restored
to within their historic range of variability, viable populations will more likely be maintained  and
rates of extinction will not exceed natural rates.  It is an oversimplification if applied at the wrong
scale or without regard for critical information like the much reduced population levels of certain
threatened  species.  Actual  information on historic conditions  is  inferred from  more recent
(1500s-early 1900s) information and available research data.

The extent of historical  habitat for various wildlife species chosen for analysis in the South Fork
Landscape Assessment  (USDA FS,  1998a) was calculated  by identifying acres of potential
habitat for each Vegetative  Response Unit and Ecological Reporting Unit (geographic areas that
provide structure for describing where conditions occur and  a sense of  place).  Since not all
acres would have supported certain wildlife species and would have possessed the preferred
vegetation and structure, the midpoint of the historic natural range of variation for various wildlife
habitat components was  multiplied by the number of potential acres within the subbasin.   The
end product was then termed "historical acres".   Habitat  for various wildlife species  has
increased  due  to fire exclusion.   While  the quantity of habitat may have increased, habitat
quality very well could have decreased due to snag losses from firewood cutting, snag loss,  and
loss of habitat  heterogeneity from fire suppression, and  loss of large diameter trees due to
timber harvest.

Analysis of effects for most  species used relative comparisons of resultant  effects  of each
alternative and any  past,  present, and  reasonably foreseeable future  actions  on the most
limiting habitat factors, habitat components,  or species sensitivities known relative to  the
analysis area or larger landscapes as appropriate.  Wildlife information related to the amount of
existing habitat  potentially available for certain sensitive and management indicator species was
modeled using the Region 1 Vegetation Mapping project (R1-VMP) to describe abundance  and
distribution of wildlife habitat for American and Crooked River  drainages. This product provided
a  consistent and  continuous geospatial database for existing  vegetation  and  associated
attributes covering the  northern Idaho and western Montana portions of the  Forest Service's
Northern Region.  Vegetation composition (habitat type and forest cover type),  structural stages
(tree size classes and canopy cover), acres, and distribution were all considered in defining the
existing condition.  These  same  criteria  were  used to determine the effects of the  different
alternatives on species  habitat.

The Nez Perce  National Forest used the 2000-2002 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) survey
to ascertain the abundance and distribution of certain wildlife, old growth and snag habitats at
the watershed (5th Hydrologic Unit Code - HUC), subbasin (4th HUC), and forest-wide.   The FIA
survey is a general purpose, national inventory  that is designed for strategic assessments  and
produces statistical reports  and  analytical information on status and trends in forest vegetation
across the  nation (Czaplewski et a/., 2003). Forest inventory and analysis data  were used to
describe existing conditions for the following species and habitats:  goshawk, fisher,  pileated


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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 woodpecker, pine marten, old growth, and snags.  Criteria used for data queries are located in
 the project file.

 In addition, this  EIS incorporates the effects on  terrestrial sensitive species (i.e., Biological
 Evaluation), per direction  pertaining to streamlining (USDA FS,  1995c).  See the table titled,
 "Wildlife  Species  Effects  Determinations"  (below),  for  a  summary  of  environmental
 consequences and conclusions for this analysis.

 Elk Habitat- Outputs from the habitat suitability index model for north  Idaho (Leege, T.A. 1984)
 were used to analyze summer elk habitats.  Very little of the analysis area occurs in elk winter
 range.

 Lynx - The analysis for Canadian lynx followed  conservation measures and  habitat criteria
 direction  from the  Canada Lynx  Conservation  Assessment and  Strategy  (LCAS,  2000).
 Analysis of effects to lynx or their habitat was done by lynx analysis units, as directed by the
 Old Growth - Stand exam data was queried for stands meeting criteria from the North  Idaho
 Zone Old  Growth methodology, as well as Forest Plan (Appendix N) definitions.  Stands
 meeting all criteria for existing old growth were reviewed using ARC/CIS system to ensure they
 have not  been harvested or thinned in  a  manner that may have compromised their habitat
 effectiveness. Stands that  met all criteria  for replacement old  growth were similarly verified.
 Unsampled stands were reviewed using  the "Large Tree 2002" ARC/CIS screen (stands with
 large trees  in- 1935  and not since harvested or burned), and  compared against known old
 growth stands using tree size,  canopy, and common canopy texture as a guide before  being
 considered old growth.  These were also  verified to be present on  the landscape using the
 ARC/CIS tool along with aerial photos.

 To  develop a basis  for estimating  the possible amount and location of current old-growth, old
 aerial photos were compared to current stand data. Areas with medium and large trees were
 mapped using circa  1930 photos.  Where harvest or fires have occurred since 1934, those
 areas were removed to get the current remaining large trees.  Those  areas that currently have
 large trees,  as well as in the 1930s (minus harvest and fires), could  potentially be considered
 old  growth today.  Both Forest Plan standards and North Idaho guidelines were used to assess
 old  growth conditions within the American  and Crooked River watersheds.   In addition,  large
trees from 1935 that have had harvest over the years were also used to assess impacts to large
trees and potential old growth areas.
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                   TABLE 3.143 -WILDLIFE SPECIES EFFECTS DETERMINATIONS
                               (Includes Summary BA/BE conclusions)
Primary
Status
Threatened and
Endangered Species
Sensitive Species



Species
and
Status
Canada Lynx
(T)1
Gray Wolf
(T/MIS)
Bald Eagle
(T/MIS)
Northern
Goshawk
(MIS)1
Boreal Toad
Harlequin
Duck
Fisher
(S/MIS)
Northern
leopard frog1
Wolverine
Townsend's
bat
Coeur d'
Alene
salamander
Flammulated
Owl
White-
headed
Woodpecker
Guild/
Priority
Habitat
Early-serai
Security
Early-serai
Security
Early-serai
Late-serai /
Old Growth
Aquatic
Aquatic
Late-
seral/Old
Growth
Security
Aquatic
Security
Caves
Aquatic
P. Pine
dependant
P. Pine
dependant
A
No Effect
Not likely to
jeopardize;
(no habitat
improvement)
May affect,
but not likely
to adversely
affect
No
measurable
effects; no
direct loss of
nesting
habitats.
No Impact
No Impact
No impacts
on old
growth; road
densities
remain
unchanged:
May impact
individuals...
No
measurable
impacts
No Impact
BCD E
May affect, but not likely to adversely affect
Not likely to jeopardize continued existence of the species; would lead
to modest improvements in longer term wolf prey habitats related to
reduced open road densities
May affect, but not likely to adversely affect; indirect effects to
downstream aquatic habitats
Old growth maintained. Minor negative impacts to habitat.
If this species were still a sensitive species, the determination would
have been may impact individuals or habitat, but would not likely result
in a trend toward federal listing or reduced viability for the population or
species.
May impact individuals or habitat, but would not I kely result in a trend
toward federal listing or reduced viability for the population or species
May impact individuals or habitat, but would not likely result in a trend
toward federal listing or reduced viability for the population or species
May impact individuals or habitat, but would not likely result in a trend
toward federal listing or reduced viability for the population or species;
additional fragmentation of landscape habitats
No measurable impacts.
If this species were still a sensitive species, the determination would
have been may impact individuals or habitat, but would not likely result
in a trend toward federal listing or reduced viability for the population or
species.
May impact individuals or habitat, but would not likely result in a trend
toward federal listing or reduced viability for the population or species
No Impact
No Impact
No Impact
No Impact
 Since the draft was released, there have been changes to the Regional Forester's sensitive species list (October 28,
2004 - USDA FS, 2004b) for the Nez Perce National Forest.  The northern goshawk, lynx, black-backed woodpecker,
and northern leopard frog have been dropped and the black swift, fringed myotis, pygmy nuthatch, and ringneck
snake have been added to the list.  The  northern goshawk, lynx (threatened), black-backed woodpecker, and
northern leopard frog are still included and discussed in this analysis.  However, an effects determination is not
necessary for the northern goshawk, black-backed woodpecker, or northern leopard frog.
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Primary
Status



















in

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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement



 EXISTING CONDITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

 3.11.1.  INDICATOR 1 - THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES
 The U.S.  Fish and  Wildlife Service species listings (File  #106.0000  1-4-04 -SP-254, dated
 March 5, 2004 and subsequent updated list December 8, 2004, #1-4-05-SP-120) were used for
 this analysis.  Listed or proposed species that may occur on the Nez Perce Forest include gray
 wolf (endangered/1 OJ),  Canadian lynx (threatened), and bald eagle (threatened). Due to lack of
 occurrence of the grizzly  bear on the Forest,  the  Fish  & Wildlife Service  has temporarily
 released the  Forest from analysis  requirements, thus grizzly bear and its habitat will not be
 discussed.

 WOLF

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Wolves were  reintroduced  into north central Idaho beginning in 1995.  Local wolf populations
 have since multiplied dramatically on the Nez Perce National Forest and throughout the state.
 Based on  most recent monitoring results, north Idaho wolf populations continue to increase to
 meet or exceed local recovery population goals.  A more complete  discussion on wolves  and
 their habitat  use  and conservation needs  on the  larger landscape  scale are  available by
 reference  in the South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS,  1998a, p
 103).  Within  the analysis area, one new pack denning site was documented  in the American
 River drainage and  a newly discovered rendezvous site in the Crooked  River drainage was
 detected by the Nez Perce Tribal Wolf Recovery  personnel in the summer of 2003.   In
 September 2003,  at least five packs were confirmed on the Red River Ranger District (Seim,
 2003).  Across the  landscape  of the Nez  Perce National Forest, wolf packs are active  and
 thriving (FY2002 Nez Perce National  Forest Plan  Monitoring  and  Evaluation Report - Wolf
 Populations).

 There are  currently a total of at least 20 active  packs in the Central Idaho Wolf Recovery Area.
 The Wolf Reintroduction Final Rule (Federal Register Nov. 22,  1994) stated that, "when six or
 more breeding pairs are established in an experimental population area, no land-use restrictions
 may be employed outside of national parks  or national wildlife refuges, unless wolf populations
 fail to maintain positive growth rates toward population recovery levels for 2 consecutive years".
 Currently, wolf populations locally are increasing.

 Based  on most recent Forest Plan populations monitoring and statewide monitoring results, wolf
 populations are at or exceed recovery  levels now. The Red River Ranger District is home to
five confirmed wolf packs:  Red River pack, O'Hara Point pack, Selway pack, Gospel Hump
 pack, and Magruder pack. Relative to the American-Crooked proposal, only one wolf den exists
 in  the  analysis area.  The nearest harvest  unit is just over two miles to the east.   Though
denning and rearing take place in early spring/summer, proximity of the harvest unit and related
activities is not expected to  interfere with denning or rearing at this location.  In addition, the "no
land-use restrictions may be employed" provision  of the Wolf Reintroduction Final Rule (Federal
Register Nov. 22,  1994) is now applicable to wolves throughout the entire Nez Perce Forest
including the project area.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
Based  on available information, the  analysis  criteria for wolves and their habitat for this project
is relative impact on ungulate prey (elk) habitat potentials.  Watershed restoration actions, and
post-harvest slash treatments using fire are  not  expected to negatively impact wolves, elk or
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 their habitats considerably regardless of alternative, except that fire use would help cycle plant
 nutrients back to the soil increasing vigor and nutritive quality  of post-burn forage plants.
 Noxious weeds that could be pioneer burned and harvested sites  would negatively impact elk
 foraging areas by displacing  desirable plants, but this would not be expected to be sufficiently
 extensive or widespread enough to be of major significance under any alternatives.

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Alternative A would have few direct effects on wolves, but moderately high levels of motorized
 access in both drainages would continue to limit elk habitat effectiveness and thus quality prey
 habitat in the short term.  Indirectly, as dead lodgepole trees begin  to  fall and  eventually
 increase fuels buildup, the indirect effect of no action in some areas may  eventually  begin to
 discourage  elk and deer prey  from  using the units because of  difficulty of travel  and the
 appearance  of these  habitats as "entrapment" areas.   In the longer term, the  'no action'
 alternative would increase the probability that untreated  sites would add  cumulatively to overall
 fuel loads, increasing total landscape  acres of fuel loading; As a result of fuel continuity, more
 extensive,  stand-replacing fires  may become more likely which may eventually put elk 'hiding
 cover in short supply (Refer to fire effects analysis for more details).

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND  E

 DIRECT AND  INDIRECT

 Action  alternatives would directly  provide  modest reductions  in motorized access in  the
 American River portion of the analysis area,  but access would remain essentially unchanged
 from Alternative A in the  Crooked River portion of the area.  Alternative D harvests the most
 acreage and alternatives  D and E reduce motorized access to the highest levels.  Therefore,
 alternative D  does the most  to improve wolf prey habitats, particularly in the American River
 portion  of the analysis area. In the Crooked River portion, the overall habitat impact is similar to
 Alternatives B and C, due principally to modest levels of motorized access  reduction.  Overall,
 prey habitat  effectiveness would remain  slightly  improved   over Alternative  A,  except for
 moderate improvements in the Kirk's Fork elk analysis area. Indirect effects would be similar to,
 but slightly less impactive than those of Alternative A.  Alternatives D and E would yield the
 highest overall wolf prey habitat effectiveness  principally due to highest levels of  motorized
 access  restrictions in both drainages, although actual harvest and ungulate forage treatment
 acres under alternative E are lowest of any action alternative.

 Timber  harvest and burning in some stands would reduce available cover  and connectivity in
 the short term. Thinned stands might enhance hiding cover quality  over the long term.  Under
 each alternative, certain portions of the project area would improve elk habitat effectiveness. In
 these areas,  habitat improvement might increase the  prey base for gray  wolf.  Because of
 disturbance and displacement, there could be a  minor effect on the  habitat use patterns of prey
 species, but  their population  levels or availability as prey would not be affected.  Other prey
 populations, such as small mammals,  would not be affected. Creating early serai communities
 could improve habitat for prey species such as elk, deer, and moose.

The temporary increase  of human activity  in the planning area associated with harvest and
vegetative  treatments could  increase the  possibility  of  human-wolf interactions.    The
construction of temporary roads and  reconstructed roads could displace wolves and/or their
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 prey during construction and use.   As  mitigation, all  current access closures  would  be
 maintained as part of the proposed project. Road decommissioning would help reduce human
 intrusion long-term.

 Based on  the nature and duration of the proposed project, the mortality  risk for wolves would
 remain low.  Key wolf habitat areas, such as den sites,  rendezvous sites, or whelping sites,
 would not be affected outside the project area.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 Alternative A would have relatively little immediate  cumulative effect on wolves or their habitats
 since no habitat-altering impacts would be directly added to the reading, harvesting,  human
 disturbances, and other vegetative  impacts imposed by past management.  However, indirect
 effects of tree deaths and unabated fuel buildups,  when  added to existing cumulative effects
 would negatively affect wolf prey  habitats  particularly during post-wildfire  recovery. An effects
 determination of "not likely  to jeopardize  the continued existence of the species or result in
 destruction or adverse modification of proposed critical habitat" is concluded.

 All action alternatives would have  moderate immediate cumulative effects because harvests
 would be directly added to the reading, harvesting, human disturbances,  and other vegetative
 impacts imposed by past management. Longer term cumulative effects may be less impactive
 than Alternative A because of modest fuel  reduction  and staged  regeneration of  harvested
 areas in the event of eventual wildfires.

 Reducing the exposure of gray wolves and ungulate prey  to humans is a factor in maintaining
 high quality big game habitat and reducing the risk of incidental wolf mortality. The project area
 contains established human  activities and developments including roads, timber harvest, home
 sites, grazing, and recreational opportunities.  In  addition, the American and Crooked River
 watershed  areas receive hunting pressure for deer, elk, and moose, which not only affects the
 wolf prey base, but increases  the  number of wolf-human interactions.  The most important
 cumulative effect to gray wolf recovery in Idaho is incidental mortalities from shooting, trapping,
 and vehicle strikes.   This  probability  increases with  increased  road  access.   Road
 decommissioning  would  take  place under  the  proposed project, and existing road  access
 closures  would remain in effect.  Human access, available cover, and public attitudes  largely
 determine mortality risk to wolves.

 Logging will likely continue on private land.  Other projects in the area could affect ungulates,
 small mammals, and their habitats.  If the end result of these activities is the restoration of more
 stable vegetative patterns and natural or prescribed fire processes, these actions could help
 restore declining  forage availability, productivity, and nutritional quality important to  big game
 species.   Alternatively,  if these actions result  in  a more fragmented landscape with poor
 interspersion of foraging and hiding  cover, big game populations could decline, reducing the
 suitability of the area for gray wolves.  Administrative uses of closed roads for reforestation  or
 road-related work may affect wolf use of the area.  These and other activities such as routine
 road maintenance, watershed improvements, trail  reconstruction, and measures to  control
weeds are  foreseeable and scheduled to occur.  Across the analysis area, recreational uses,
 including  hunting, will continue. A  Forest Service livestock allotment occurs in the southern end
of the analysis  area, and  grazing occurs on private land. There has been no indication  of
wolves preying on stock in this area, and no predator control efforts are ongoing or anticipated.
No geographic or manufactured barriers exist within the analysis area that would preclude wolf
movements to adjacent populations.
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The project proposal is consistent with the gray wolf management strategies identified in the
South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a), in that activities would
help  maintain ungulate populations  and minimize risks of human-induced wolf mortality.  It
would be unlikely that individual wolves would be impacted by project activities, and effects on
wolf populations are expected  to be small to negligible at the project,  watershed, and Forest
levels.  An  effects  determination of "not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the
species or result in destruction or adverse modification of proposed critical  habitat" is concluded
for Alternatives B, C, D, and E.

Within Central Idaho, total confirmed  wolf packs  now easily  exceed 15 (http://mountain-
prairie.fws.qov/woif/annua5reports.html The  Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery 2003 Annual
Report stated that  345 wolves  occupy the state of Idaho.  Based on local sightings, sign and
formal monitoring results, wolves are abundant, widely distributed on the Forest, and increasing
numbers of reports suggest local populations  of wolves  continue growing.  All  alternatives
support conditions  necessary to maintain local wolf subpopulation viability (See  Habitat-based
Terrestrial Vertebrate Populations Viability related  to  the American/Crooked River Project -
Appendix J).

LYNX

EXISTING CONDITION
Canada lynx have  been federally listed as a threatened species since March 2000.  Although
lynx have sometimes been portrayed as a late-successional forest species, lynx appear to be
more closely associated with  a mosaic of late- and  early-successional stages (Koehler and
Aubry 1994, pages  86-89).

No formal surveys for actual lynx occupation on the Forest or the  analysis area have  been
completed to date, but confirmed reports and unconfirmed sightings of lynx presence have been
documented within  the Forest boundary.  Lynx analysis unit (LAD) delineations and mapping of
lynx habitat  has been completed for  the entire Forest, including the project area, according to
Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy guidelines (citation).

Most of the American and Crooked river project analysis area contains  no designated lynx
habitats (refer to the updated lynx habitat map  dated January, 2004). However, the overall
project analysis area does partially  overlap portions  of two large lynx analysis units (LAUs
#3020306 and #3050401) that may be  partially affected by some of the  harvest units or project
actions (See Table 3.144 for existing habitat conditions).

TABLE 3.144 - THE NO ACTION (ALTERNATIVE A) HABITAT CONDITIONS AND ACREAGE WITHIN THESE
                               LAUS ARE LISTED BELOW:
LAU
3020306
3050401
% Denning
18
27
% Foraging
81
72
% Unsuitable
<1
<1
Total Habitat
Acres
19764
25469
Drainage
American
Crooked
The  South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment management theme  for both the
American and Crooked River drainages recommends "producing early serai habitat" as a very
high  priority, and identifies treatment objectives that include "creating forest openings by fire or
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 timber harvest."  From the perspective of the landscape assessment, the goal to benefit lynx
 habitat would be to "create dense stands of deciduous brush and young conifers, attractive to
 snowshoe hare." (USDA FS 1998a).

 Despite substantial past harvesting in the analysis area, advanced regeneration of trees and
 cover in plantations has maintained habitat connectivity and travel corridors as defined for lynx
 in  the analysis  area.   Habitat  management  for lynx  primarily addresses  maintenance  or
 improvement of vegetation structure for lynx and their prey.

 Lynx  are  considered  relatively  tolerant of  human presence  and  activities.   Preliminary
 information (Lynx Conservation Assessment & Strategy 2000, pp  7-10), suggests that lynx may
 not avoid roads, except at high traffic volumes.  Therefore, at this time, there is little compelling
 evidence to recommend management of road density to conserve  lynx.

 .Several important landscape vegetation  limitations must be followed when conducting timber
 harvest and fuel reduction actions in designated lynx  habitats in order to comply with standards
 and guidelines outlined in the Lynx Conservation Assessment and  Strategy (LCAS 2000). LAUs
 must maintain at least 10 percent denning habitat, unsuitable  acres cannot exceed the 30
 percent maximum threshold of total habitat within an  LAU, and no more than 15 percent of the
 suitable habitat can be converted to unsuitable within a decade.

 Both LAUs within the project area currently hold more  than 10  percent  denning habitat and
 neither LAU is near the 30 percent maximum  unsuitable habitat threshold.  For this  reason,
 since  denning habitat is relatively abundant, and  unsuitable habitat acres  (before planned
 harvest), are well  below LCAS  thresholds, there.is ample  opportunity  for  creation  of  lynx
 foraging habitat while staying within all LCAS guidelines.  The analysis criteria for lynx and their
 habitats will be relative amounts of suitable condition lynx habitats that are converted to early
 serai foraging habitat condition while meeting all LCAS measures.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 The analysis criteria for lynx will be related to desirable acres of mature forest within designated
 lynx habitats converted to early serai foraging  habitat for lynx.  None of the alternatives treats
 sizeable amounts of designated lynx habitats or converts sizeable acres  to foraging habitats.
 Noxious weeds,  road decommissioning, watershed restoration actions, and  post-harvest slash
 treatments using fire are not expected to impact lynx or their habitats considerably regardless of
 alternative, because of the limited  extent and amount of habitat impacted in the analysis area.

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 No vegetative treatments would occur with this alternative, and the overall existing condition
would remain unchanged, at least in the short-term.  The 'no action' alternative neither affects
 lynx directly, nor converts any acres to early serai habitat. This alternative will have relatively
 little if any indirect  effects on lynx  or their habitats.  With no action, early serai stages will
continue succeeding to older stages and fire risks will increase. Eighteen  (18) percent  and 27
percent denning habitat are maintained in LAUs 3020306  and 3050401 respectively, well above
the 10 percent required  minimum cited in the  Lynx  Conservation Assessment and Strategy
(LCAS 2000).
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
At present, some of the stands in the project area have a dead or dying overstory of lodgepole
pine, with grand fir and spruce seedlings regenerating in the understory.  In some cases, these
seedlings and saplings have become dense  enough and tall enough to provide  habitat for
snowshoe hares. With continued fire suppression and no vegetative treatments,  seedling and
sapling trees would eventually grow out of the reach of snowshoe hares, and self-pruning would
reduce the amount of horizontal cover. The amount and distribution of available  lynx foraging
and snowshoe hare habitats would continue to decline. Open patches would decrease in size
as ingrowth fills and matures in old openings.  Stands with small  to  large-sized trees would
continue to mature,  providing potential denning and travel habitat for lynx. Given enough time,
these stands could develop gaps and microsites that would provide suitable areas for hares and
therefore potential foraging habitat for lynx; but overall, succession would result in the decline of
the denning/foraging habitat mosaic important to lynx.

As the mountain pine beetle epidemic continues, areas that currently provide cover will become
too open to serve that function.   As  numerous dead trees fall to  the ground, downed logs,
shading from snags, and lack of seed sources  may delay the regeneration of new trees relative
to harvested areas.  New, early serai patches would develop in those areas in which seedlings
are able to  establish  themselves, and eventually these sites would  develop shrub and  tree
growth sufficient to  provide habitat for hares.   In mixed conifer stands with  a lodgepole pine
component, the loss of beetle-killed trees would create micro-openings and gaps in the canopy
that, through time, could provide potential foraging habitat.  Those trees that fall to the ground
would provide potential denning sites.

The long-term impacts of continued fire suppression  would lead to an increased likelihood of
stand-replacing fire. If wildfires were to occur, forage  areas could be replenished, but potential
denning habitat could be lost.

COMMON TO ALL ACTION ALTERNATIVES

In all the action alternatives, treatments would not be implemented in RHCAs or in  allocated old
growth or replacement old growth stands.  These stands would continue to  provide potential
denning and travel habitat. Succession would  continue in these areas  and these stands could
develop gaps and microsites suitable for hares and/or foraging lynx.

Timber harvest and silvicultural prescriptions would move  treated stands into a  regenerating
condition, thus increasing the amount of potential lynx foraging habitat available in each LAD.
As discussed under alternative A, many of these stands may eventually constitute snowshoe
hare habitat if succession would be allowed to continue.

In mixed conifer stands, thinning treatments  would  retain large trees and  improve  growing
conditions for those trees remaining  after harvest.  For stands with a relatively small lodgepole
pine component, silvicultural prescriptions would be designed to maintain 30-50 percent canopy
closure and  would minimize disturbance to high-stem-density, regenerating understory shrubs
and trees. Most large diameter logs would be left on site, and smaller diameter logs may be left
in select areas in some units.

Alternatives  B  and C would  modestly  improve habitat security compared to Alternative A, by
reducing  motorized access particularly in the American River portion of the analysis area; but
the Crooked River portion would remain the same as Alternative A. Alternatives D  and  E would
improve habitat  security to the highest level  and positive effects  would accrue to both the
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
American and Crooked River portions of the analysis area compared to Alternatives A, B, and
C.

Individual lynx may use the project area.  The temporary increase in human activity as a result
of project implementation would increase the  possibility of human-lynx interactions and could
disturb, displace, or disrupt individual lynx in the planning area.  However, no long-term adverse
harassment or potential for mortality is anticipated to result from project implementation.

A summary of effects on designated lynx habitat by alternative is listed below.

          TABLE 3.145 - SUMMARY OF EFFECTS ON LAU 3020306 (AMERICAN RIVER)
LAU 3020306
Acres Denning Treated
% denning retained
Acres Foraging treated
Total % converted to early serai
Total % unsuitable habitat in LAU
Ait A
0
18
0
0
<1
Alt. B
16
18
31
0.23
<1
Alt. C
16
18
117
0.67
1
Alt.D
47
17
204
1.3
2
Alt. E
5
18
14
0.09
<1
          TABLE 3.146 - SUMMARY OF EFFECTS ON LAU 3050401 (CROOKED RIVER)
LAU 3050401
Acres Denning Treated
% denning retained
Acres Foraging treated
Total % converted to early serai
Total % unsuitable habitat in LAU
Alt. A
0
27
0
0
<1
Alt. B
209
25
759
3.8
4
Alt. C
186
25
787
3.8
4
Alt. D
253
24
947
4.7
5
Ait. E
143
26
627
3.0
3
ALTERNATIVE B

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

Alternative  B harvests within 16 acres of lynx denning  habitat and  31  acres of lynx foraging
habitat, converting approximately 0.2 percent of  the  suitable  habitat in  LAU  3020306 to
unsuitable.   In  LAU  3050401,  209 acres of denning and  759 acres of foraging habitat are
targeted  for  harvest  converting less than 4 percent of the lynx  habitat  to unsuitable.
Substantially more than the minimum 10 percent denning habitat is  maintained in both LAUs.
All conservation measures cited in the LCAS are met.

ALTERNATIVE C

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

Alternative  C would harvest 16 acres  of denning and  117 acres of foraging habitat in  LAU
3020306, converting about 0.7  percent to unsuitable.  In LAU 3050401, 186 acres of denning
and  787  acres of foraging habitat would  be harvested converting less  than  4 percent to
unsuitable.   Substantially  more  than  the  10 percent  minimum denning  habitat would be
maintained  in both LAUs. All conservation measured cited in the LCAS are met.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVE D
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT
 ono          WOU'd harV6St 47 acres of dennin9  and 204 acres of foraging habitat in LAU
 3020306, converting about 1 percent of the habitat to unsuitable.  In LAU 3050401  253 acres of
 denning and 947 acres of foraging  habitat would be harvested converting a little'fewer than 5
 percent to unsuitable.  More than the 10 percent minimum denning habitat would be maintained
 in both LAUs. Alternative D effects  would overall be similar to Alternative E because of similar
 post-project access restrictions on motorized use of roads.  All conservation measures cited in
 the LCAS are met.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Alternative E  harvests within 5 acres of lynx denning habitat and  14 acres  of lynx foraging
 habitat, converting less than 0.1 percent of the suitable habitat in LAU 3020306 to unsuitable
 In LAU 3050401,  143 acres of denning and 627  acres of foraging  habitat are targeted  for
 harvest converting nearly  3 percent of the -lynx habitat to unsuitable.  Substantially more than
 minimum denning  habitat  is  maintained  in both LAUs.  All conservation measured cited in the
 LCAS are met.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 Fire,  wind, insects, and disease have  played an  important, historic role in  maintaining the
 mosaic of forest successional stages that provide  habitat  for both  snowshoe hare and  lynx
 With  the advent of fire suppression, vegetative  mosaics and species composition have been
 altered and may have reduced the quality and quantity of habitat for snowshoe  hares  Denning
 habitat is becoming more  extensive  at the expense of foraging habitat. Timber harvest in the
 project area, while  keeping pace with a typical fire regime in terms of cumulative acres of stand
 regeneration  (USDA FS  2003), has  altered  the  distribution of lynx habitat and has left
 numerous small (<40 acre), uniformly shaped patches.  Suitable denning and travel habitat has
 been  harvested  or thinned  across  national forest  and private  lands, generally  leaving low
 amounts of snags  and large downed wood.  Overmature  stands  that have  much structural
 diversity and numerous gaps and microsites, such as typically occur in old growth forests are
 less available  in the  project  area because of past timber activities that targeted older larger
 trees.  Initially, openings created in the forest have a negative impact on  both  hares and lynx
 through the reduction in cover and browse species for hares.  Eventually,  these areas produce
 good foraging and hunting habitat (after about seven  years (Koehler and Brittell 1990).

 Road  systems have  increased human access and  the potential  for human-induced  mortality
from vehicle strikes or accidental shooting/trapping.  Up until 1996, people were allowed to trap
 lynx in the project  area, potentially  impacting population sizes or demographics.   Firewood
cutting along open roads has decreased downed  logs important for lynx and their prey species
Groomed snowmobile routes overlap many of the watershed's roads and trails, and there  is  at
least some snowmobile use of non-groomed trails (USDA FS 2003).  Snowmobile tracks can
allow  other predators access into areas they ordinarily could  not use because of deep snow,
and these predators could compete with lynx for snowshoe hare or other prey.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Private and public land timber harvest and road construction, fire suppression, livestock grazing,
 home  development, and recreational activities are  likely to continue.   Cumulatively,  these
 actions have and will affect the distribution of lynx and lynx habitat across the landscape.

 The 'no  action'  alternative will not add any measurable cumulative  effects to lynx or their
 habitats since no habitat-altering impacts will be added to the reading, harvesting, human travel
 disturbances, and other vegetative impacts imposed by past and present management. The 'no
 action' alternative would temporarily protect the integrity of forested land in the project area, but
 would contribute cumulatively to habitat imbalances for lynx longer term. This alternative meets
 all LCAS measures.  The determination for lynx would be "no effect".

 Relatively minimal acres of designated  lynx habitat  are  impacted  by the action alternatives.
 Given  the current condition of the  habitat due to  past fire impacts,  harvests, reading, human
 disturbance, motorized travel and  other land-disturbing activities, these alternatives add few
 positive or negative  effects cumulatively to the habitat conditions for lynx.

 All of the action alternatives would begin to address cumulative changes in patch and landscape
 mosaics  by incrementally increasing the amount of early serai habitat in the project area while
 maintaining denning habitats, RHCAs, and old growth areas. The project would  have few
 adverse  effects  at  the project  and watershed  levels and might improve conditions for lynx
 through time. At the Forest level and across the range of the species,  project effects would be
 expected to be negligible.

 A determination of  effect for lynx as a listed species would be  "may affect, but not likely to
 adversely affect" for alternatives B, C, D, and E.

 BALD EAGLE

 EXISTING CONDITION
 No  bald eagle nesting is known to take place anywhere on the Nez  Perce  Forest or within the
 South  Fork Clearwater River subbasin.  Bald eagles use the major  river corridors at  lower
 elevations of the Nez Perce Forest primarily during winter or early  spring.  Most South Fork
 Clearwater River eagles use the lower elevations from Mill  Creek to  Lightning Creek due to
 availability  of ungulate carcasses there and relatively ice-free river conditions  during winter.
 Sites most commonly used are at least  20 miles  downstream from the analysis  area.  If
 available, bald eagles will also use fish and waterfowl on wintering areas.  Due to ice-up  of the
 South  Fork Clearwater River at higher elevations in winter and lack of fish and  waterfowl
 availability, relatively little or no use of the analysis  area drainages occurs by bald eagles during
 most winters.  A more complete discussion of bald  eagle ecology and use  of the  Forest are
 referenced  in the South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA  FS 1998a, pp
 102-103).

 Forest Plan monitoring  of  bald eagle  populations over  nearly 20  years  indicates the local
 population trends on the Forest are stable or slightly increasing (USDS FS, 2004c).

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
There are no lakes  in the analysis area large  enough to support bald eagles.  There are no
known concentrated feeding or roosting sites in the  analysis area.   Bald eagles are regularly
seen perched along  the South Fork Clearwater River during the winter season.  Bald eagles
principally utilize ungulate carrion during winter occupation of the major river corridors on the
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Forest.  Increasing and maintaining early serai habitat conditions on ungulate winter ranges is a
 high priority however very little winter range occurs within the project area.  Based on winter use
 patterns of bald eagles on the Forest, to be effective,  winter range improvements which may
 benefit eagles need to take place at elevations well below and downstream from  the analysis
 area. For this reason, there is relatively little direct relationship between planned activities in
 American or Crooked River drainages and bald eagles or their habitats.  Noxious weeds road
 decommissioning, watershed restoration actions,  and post-harvest slash treatments using fire
 are not expected to impact bald eagles or their habitats considerably regardless of alternative
 because of the extent and habitat impact in the analysis area.

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 This alternative will have no direct and few indirect effects on bald eagles or their habitats
 Indirect risks of high  intensity, broad scale fires due to  fuel-loading and high intensity fires will
 remain and could indirectly impact downstream water quality and fish habitats

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Action alternatives would have no direct impacts on bald eagles or their habitats  Downstream
 changes in water quality in the South Fork Clearwater River due to harvests, restoration actions
 roads and other actions would have relatively minimal impact on bald eagle foraging  habitats.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 The indirect and cumulative effects of planned  activities  on water quality and fish habitats
 downstream from  the analysis area are expected to impose only minor, limited  cumulative
 impacts on foraging  habitats  (i.e., potential secondary winter food sources - anadromous
 fishes), but the magnitude of these impacts are considered very limited.

 Aquatic resources  in  the American and Crooked  River  watersheds and the  South Fork
 Clearwater River have undergone substantial physical changes from human disturbances such
 as  dredge  mining,  timber  harvest, road construction,  domestic  livestock  grazing   home
 construction and  private land  development, agriculture, fires, and  fire  suppression'   It  is
 generally accepted that water quality and habitat in the South Fork Clearwater River is in a
 degraded condition, both from sediment and temperature impacts (USDA FS,  1998a).  These
 conditions have likely affected bald eagle numbers and winter use of the South Fork.

 Past  timber   harvest, fire,  fire  suppression, and mining  activity  have  altered  habitat
 characteristics in the project area  by reducing the amount and distribution of large and medium
 trees, snags, and down wood, and by creating numerous, small patches across the  landscape.
 These changes have affected bald eagle ungulate prey  species.  Prior to fire suppression and
timber management, elk  and deer populations were dependent upon natural disturbances  to
 create openings that provided  the early successional  growth they favor  for foraging.  Elk
 population numbers in the project area and  across Game  Unit 15 (which  includes the South
 Fork Clearwater River) are declining.  Other projects may also modify ungulate habitat, which  in
turn could affect population numbers on big game winter ranges thus affecting overwintering
bald eagles.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
The project proposal is consistent with the bald eagle management strategies identified in the
South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a) in that activities would
encourage restoration of anadromous fisheries.  It would be unlikely that individual bald eagles
would be impacted by project activities, and bald eagle populations are not expected to  be
affected at the project, watershed, or Forest levels.

A determination of effect for bald eagle as a listed species would be, "may affect, but not likely
to adversely affect" for Alternatives A, B, C, D, and E.

3.11.2.  INDICATOR 2 - SENSITIVE SPECIES

FLAMMULATED OWL

EXISTING CONDITION
Flammulated  owls are very small, secretive owls that are widely distributed  in western 'North
America.  They migrate seasonally to and from the tropics but return to North America during
breeding season.  They feed on aerial  insects (principally moths,  beetles,  and grasshoppers)
and are restricted to forests of mid- and large-sized trees. Flammulated owls  prefer ponderosa
pine and/or  Douglas-fir  forests and  the  insectivorous  prey available in  the  more  open,
grass/forb/shrub subcanopy layers in the understory.

High quality  flammulated owl habitat is nonexistent  within  the  American  River Ecological
Response Unit (ERU).  Flammulated owl habitat is extremely  limited in its extent (an estimated
161  acres) within the Crooked  River ERU (USDA  FS  1998b).  Habitat for flammulated owls
within Crooked River ERU is highly isolated and is not considered extensive enough to support
a distinct breeding population. The very limited extent and lack of connectedness of these small
patches to other habitat patches on the Forest, essentially preclude managing  it for this species
to any meaningful degree within the  Crooked River drainage (USDA FS  1998b  - Wildlife
Technical Report).

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
No flammulated owls have been observed or otherwise reported from within either the American
or Crooked River drainages to date. No alternatives directly  or indirectly impact low  elevation
stands of ponderosa pine that may  be considered flammulated owl habitat.  In reviewing the
amount of harvest in more a xeric, mixed conifer cover  type that this  species could potentially
occur in,  only one acre of mixed conifers  containing ponderosa pine could be harvested.  While
pockets of small-diameter ponderosa  pine trees within some mixed  conifer stands  may  be
thinned or individual dead/dying pines along haul routes may  be harvested, these components
are  not part of lower elevation pine stands suitable in elevation for this species, and no large
diameter ponderosa pine  are being considered  for harvest. No indirect or cumulative negative
effects of the project have been identified relative to this  bird or its habitats.  For this reason,  no
impacts are projected for flammulated owls under any alternative and they will not be  analyzed
or discussed further in this document. The sensitive species determination for flammulated owl
would be "no  impact" for  all  alternatives.  None of the project alternatives  negatively affect
conditions necessary for species viability  (See Habitat-based Terrestrial Vertebrate Populations
Viability related to the American/Crooked River Project, in project files).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER

 EXISTING CONDITION
 White-headed woodpeckers range from southern British Columbia to southern California and
 western Nevada.  Their preferred habitat is characterized by open-grown, fire-climax, mature to
 old growth ponderosa pine, but mixed ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forests are also used where
 pure stands  of ponderosa pine are absent.   Across the larger  landscape  white-headed
 woodpeckers are  not considered to be regular residents anywhere within the American River
 and Crooked  River drainages, or even within the larger landscape of the South Fork Clearwater
 River subbasin.  High quality white-headed woodpecker habitat is  nonexistent within  the
 American River ERU.  It is extremely limited in its extent within the Crooked River ERU (USDA
 FS 1998b). Habitat for white-headed woodpecker within Crooked River ERU  is highly isolated
 and is  not considered extensive enough  to support a distinct breeding  population  The very
 limited  extent and  lack of connectedness of these small  patches to other habitat patches on the
 Forest, essentially preclude managing it for this  species to any meaningful degree within the
 Crooked  River drainage (USDA FS 1998b).

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 No white-headed woodpeckers have been observed or otherwise reported from within either the
 American or Crooked River drainages to date.  Low elevation Ponderosa pine is not planned for
 harvest as part of the project objectives. While restoration of fire dependent conifer species (i.e.
 ponderosa pine) is a secondary  part of  the  overall  strategy of the project  in mixed conifer
 stands, these  treatments will have no impact on white-headed habitats. Individual dead or dying
 small-diameter  ponderosa pine  that may be harvested  from  along haul  routes would be
 considered components of "mixed conifer" stands, and do not constitute ponderosa pine habitat
 types.  No direct, indirect or cumulative negative effects  have been identified for any alternative
 relative to this bird or its habitats.  For this reason,  no impacts are predicted for white-headed
 woodpecker under any alternative, thus  white-headed woodpecker will  not be analyzed or
 discussed further  in this  document.   Further, the  project  does not negatively affect habitat
 conditions necessary to maintain local sub-populations  viability  (See Habitat-based Terrestrial
 Vertebrate Populations Viability related to the American/Crooked  River Project,  in project files).
 BOREAL TOAD

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Across  its range, the boreal toad  is generally found near some form of water and inhabits a
 variety  of habitats  from sagebrush desert to montane meadows.  Boreal toads are relatively
 uncommon throughout Idaho and Montana.   Global  amphibian declines and similarly timed
 region-wide declines in this species have occurred  in recent, years  and the causes are  likely
 related, but a  complete explanation of population decline causes are not completely certain.
 Substantial local evidence from Montana suggests that the Chytrid  fungus (Batrachochytrium
 dendrobatidis), acting alone or synergistically with  other stressors, is a  potential cause and
 should be regarded as a threat (Maxell, B.A., et. al. tech. paper 2003).  Available information is
 limited  concerning the abundance and  distribution of boreal  toads within  the South  Fork
 Clearwater River subbasin  or the analysis area.

At the larger scale, most reports of habitat occupation by boreal toads within the South Fork
Clearwater River subbasin have been at considerably lower elevations and in warmer, dryer
habitat types than  any of  those within the analysis area.  A 1997  amphibian survey' along
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
American River (above and below Mane's Place), found no boreal toads. Likewise, harvest-site
pre-project surveys in 2003 revealed spotted frogs in wet areas commonly, but no boreal toads
were  observed, which indicates that boreal toad  occupation  of the analysis area  is rare  or
extremely limited  at best.  However,  two lone observations of boreal toads were reported on
dryer upland locations near Elk City during May of 2001 by a Forest Service biologist (Seim,
2004).  Implementation of PACFISH riparian habitat protection standards has aided  protection
of potential breeding habitats for this toad throughout the project area.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
The analysis criteria for the boreal toad will be relative impacts on aquatic habitats, since these
are considered key to  reproduction.   Noxious  weeds, road  decommissioning,  watershed
restoration actions,  and  post-harvest slash treatments  using fire are not expected  to impact
boreal toads or their most important habitats considerably regardless of alternative, because of
riparian breeding habitat protections designed for fish species.

While aquatic environments are key to toad reproduction, boreal toads may travel through and
occupy  upland habitats during warmer portions of the year.  Research and other information is
very limited about the kinds of upland habitats preferred  by  this toad or how it uses them.
Likewise, little is known  allowing project design or mitigation to  eliminate all potential risks to
these toads when using upland habitats.   Harvest and ground-disturbing activities occurring
during spring or summer would  likely expose them to marginal risks of direct harm, since they
retreat from activity, hibernating in soft mud or other protected sites during cold seasons.  Due
to this information gap, the effects of management actions on boreal toad occupation of upland
habitats  remains a matter of relative  uncertainty.  However, based  on their probable absence
from the project area, these risks are considered negligible.

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

This alternative would have  no measurable direct or indirect  effects  on boreal toads or  their
aquatic  breeding habitats.  This alternative would have no immediate effects on boreal toads or
their habitat based  on the limited  knowledge we  have about this species.   Improvements in
overall  water quality and riparian  habitat would not be  achieved  since the  watershed
improvement projects associated with the action alternatives would  not be implemented.  Fuel
loads along streams and  RHCAs  would  continue  to increase and  may  expose these
environments to intense fires.  Large-scale fire events in RHCAs and elsewhere in the project
area could increase seasonal run-off and sediment delivery to streams, and reduce large woody
debris recruitment and stream shading. This in turn could have negative effects on boreal toads
and toad habitat.  Individual toads or tadpoles can be killed by wildland fire.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D,  AND E

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

Action alternatives would not modify  any riparian  habitat conservation areas directly,  thus no
direct impacts to toads or their breeding sites are predicted.  However, action alternatives do
treat the upland areas to varying degrees, which may place toads at some indirect risk for harm
to individuals that  may be present,  including minor potential indirect  impacts on riparian habitat
conditions from changes  due to off-site generated silt and water quality impacts.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Implementing the watershed improvement projects associated with the action alternatives would
 cause  a temporary increase in sediment short-term, but there would  also  be a  long-term
 reduction in sediment. It is not known if sediment levels affect boreal toads, but it is reasonable
 to think that improvements to  overall  watershed quality would  be beneficial to this water-
 dependent species.

 Salvaging dead and dying trees and merchantable green lodgepole pine would help reduce the
 risk of high-intensity, large-scale fires in the project area.  Fuel loading  within RHCAs would
 continue under all action alternatives and could expose toads and toad habitat to intense fires'
 however, by reducing fuel  loads outside of RHCAs, fires might not be as destructive to moist
 environments as under the  'no action' alternative.

 Proposed harvest and underburning activities are likely to alter existing non-breeding habitat for
 boreal  toads for the short-term.  Regeneration harvest with  underburning  removes  overstory
 trees and ground cover, resulting in warmer and drier exposed soils.  Intermediate harvest and
 burning would retain most of the  larger  overstory trees,  leaving ground-level  habitat more
 protected, with better daytime  refugia sites for toads.  Based on this species' ability to occupy a
 wide variety of habitats, boreal toad use could  still occur, although at lower population levels
 As vegetation recovered within a few years, habitat would become increasingly suitable and use
 would be expected to increase.  If adult boreal toads were present,  individual mortality could
 occur during harvest or underburning from heat  or consumed woody material, or by vehicles or
 machinery used for logging  or roadwork.

 Design features  that include riparian  buffers  on all streams, ponds, springs  or  seeps in
 treatment units will  protect  these suitable breeding sites.  However, roadside ditches that hold
 water long enough into the summer to provide breeding sites would not be protected by RHCAs
 unless  they were associated with  streams or other protected sites.  Individual toads or  local
 populations occupying these ditches  could be affected by seasonal dry-up or site-specific road
 reconstruction if they occurred  while tadpoles were still dependent on water availability.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 The 'no action' alternative would have no cumulative effects on the toad or its habitat cumulative
 to past harvest,  reading,  human disturbance,  recreation, minerals or other activities.  The
 sensitive species determination for boreal toads would be "no impact".

 Action alternatives would have limited, indirect cumulative effects on riparian breeding habitats
 in addition  to those  produced from past  harvest, reading, mining, public access, fire exclusion
 and other habitat impacts.

 Timber  harvest and  salvage, grazing, insect epidemics, fires, fire suppression, mining, and road
 construction and  maintenance can cumulatively affect boreal toads through soil compaction,
 changes in vegetative cover, altering stream channels, or by changing the quantity and quality
 of water flowing  into wet meadows. Past  harvest  practices that involved removing forest
 vegetation along streams and wetlands left these sites vulnerable to hydrologic and vegetative
 changes. Although fires probably rarely burn in this species' habitats, water quality and quantity
 varies after large fires upstream and could  affect local toad populations. Fire suppression has
 created  denser forests, which tend to burn  hotter, and hotter fires tend to be more destructive
 Livestock grazing is likely to continue on USDA  FS allotments and  on private lands, and may
 have  had past  effects.  Beaver  dams also provide  a  flux of  habitat availability;  past beaver
trapping may have affected habitat availability where beavers may not have recolonized.
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For boreal toads, regeneration harvest with underburning removes overstory trees and ground
cover, resulting in warmer and drier exposed soils.  Regeneration harvests have been proposed
for  this  project  and various  other projects in the American  and Crooked River drainages.
Cumulatively, several acres of potential upland toad habitat could be impacted. Individual toads
could be killed  from the vegetative changes,  prescribed fires, motor vehicles,  and heavy
machinery associated with these proposed actions.

Past, present, and future actions  can affect boreal toad habitat  in the project area as well as
across the Nez  Perce National Forest.  Although individuals or localized populations can be
affected, none of the proposed alternatives should affect  populations of  boreal toads at the
project- or Forest-level.

The sensitive species determination for boreal toads would  be  "may impact individuals  or
habitat,  but will  not likely result in a trend toward federal listing  or reduced viability for the
population or species" for alternatives B, C, D, and E.

NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG

EXISTING CONDITION
The northern leopard frog has  not been reported on the Nez  Perce  National Forest  in recent
times and, based on Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game records,  does not occur within the north
central  portion  of the state  (Idaho  Dept. of Fish and Game Nongame  Program, Idaho's
Amphibians  and Reptiles,  Nongame Wildlife  Leaflet #7,  Boise, Idaho).   A 1997 amphibian
survey along American River (above and  below Mane's Place) found only  spotted frogs.  In
addition, no amphibian surveys conducted anywhere-on the  Nez Perce Forest have ever yielded
evidence of occupation by Northern leopard frogs.  Global amphibian declines and region-wide
declines in this  species have occurred  in recent years but causes are not completely certain.
Substantial evidence  from  Montana  suggests  that the  Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium
dendrobatidis), acting alone  or synergistically with other  stressors,  is a potential cause and
should be regarded as a threat (Maxell, B.A., et. al., tech. paper 2003).

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
For reasons and rationale stated above, the project activities are expected to produce.no direct,
indirect, or cumulative impacts on the  Northern leopard frog or any occupied habitats  in the
analysis area, thus the northern leopard frog will not be analyzed or discussed further in this
document.

NORTHERN GOSHAWK

EXISTING CONDITION
On  October  28, 2004, the  northern  goshawk was dropped  from  the  Regional Forester's
sensitive species in the Northern  Region.  However, the effects  analysis for the goshawk was
maintained because it remains a locally important species for the  Nez Perce National Forest, as
it is considered  a management indicator species for old forests.  Impacts to this species are
discussed below, but as a result of the new status with regard to the Northern Region  Sensitive
Species list an effects determination is not necessary.

In Idaho,  goshawks are typically found in montane  coniferous  forest,  where they occupy
relatively large home ranges of 1,988 to 9,638 acres in size (Patla et al., 1995).  Mature to old
growth timber stands are their favored nesting habitat. In northern Idaho and western Montana,
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 goshawks nest in stands or groups of trees in the mature to over-mature age classes principally
 on the mid to lower third of slopes.  Douglas fir and Western  larch are preferred nest tree
 species (Hayward and Escano,  1989).  Goshawks prey on a variety of medium-sized forest
 birds and small mammals. Pole stage or larger stands open enough to permit unimpeded flight
 are suitable for feeding (Hayward et a/., 1990).  However, foraging habitat may be as closely
 tied to prey availability as to particular habitat composition or structure (Patla et a/., 1995).

 Data from the SFLA is referenced to gain broader scale perspective on habitat availability within
 and around the project analysis area. Within the larger landscape of the South Fork Clearwater
 River subbasin,  closed canopy old growth  comprises some 24  percent  of the  subbasin
 coniferous forests, but historically this habitat would likely have  accounted for only about 15
 percent of the  same area (USDA FS 1998a, p 104) .  Within the  American and Crooked River
 ERUs, age class distributions are currently more favorable to goshawk habitats than historically
 The current (1997) amount of goshawk  habitat is more prevalent than it was  historically  In
 American River ERU, there is currently 205  percent as much suitable  habitat as historically  In
 the Crooked River ERU, there is currently 179 percent of historic amounts  (USDA FS, 1998b)
 This can be attributable to increases in more shade tolerant tree species, like grand fir due to
 fire suppression and forest succession (USDA FS 1998a, p  83).

 Current conditions of stands in the analysis area reflect more than 80 years of fire suppression
 In the absence of fire,  conifer densities have increased substantially over pre-settlement times!
 As a result, goshawk  habitat is more prevalent in the analysis area  now than historically  A
 more complete discussion of goshawks and  their preferred habitats  is  hereby  referenced in the
 South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment - Wildlife Technical Report - Northern
 Goshawk, (USDA FS, 1998b).  While overall, habitat important  to goshawk nesting is more
 prevalent now in the American and Crooked  river drainages, the distribution and connectivity of
 late serai and old growth stands is somewhat less effective due principally to  past harvest and
 fire disturbance.   Habitat  in the American  River  drainage is  somewhat  less impacted and
 fragmented by past timber harvest than the Crooked river drainage.

 Goshawks are  relatively common and widely distributed across the Nez Perce National Forest.
 Based on  populations  monitoring information,  there are  currently at least  a dozen  known
 goshawk nest territories (fourteen known nests) widely distributed  throughout the Nez Perce
 National Forest (see Forestwide Sightings and Next Locations for Goshawk in the project file).
 Based on  formal  population  monitoring results, widely scattered incidental sightings, and
 inventoried habitat information, local goshawk population trends remain relatively stable on the
 Forest (USDA FS  2004, NPNF 15th Annual Monitoring and Evaluation Report Draft for 2002"
 Northern goshawk monitoring data - Item 10 Population Trends of Indicator Species).

 To avoid attracting nest predators, goshawks tend to remain relatively inconspicuous prior to
 and during early phases of nesting.  As a result, active nest sites are difficult and very costly in
 time and resources to locate.  Locating all alternate nests within a given pair's nesting territory
 may take five or more years of intensive, focused surveys, because each pair of goshawks
 typically alternate nest  use from year to year to avoid chick predation  by fishers, great-horned
 owls, and other predators.   From two to as many as nine alternate nests may be used in each
 nesting territory by a given goshawk pair (Woodbridge, B. and Detrich, P.J.  1994). Pre-project
 field surveys of timber  stands, watershed conditions, and other  resources by several  crews of
 resource specialists during the goshawk nesting and survey season of 2003 have  provided
 goshawk  presence  information  from  the  American  and  Crooked  Project  area  (see
American/Crooked Project  Wildlife Observations Table in the project file). Based on the pattern
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
observed from similar, nearby habitat areas on the Forest (i.e., Cove-Mallard Timber Sales),
reports of goshawk sightings and discovery of their nest locations characteristically become
more common as more intensive field work is done in an area.

No goshawk nests are known to occur within the analysis area currently, however four goshawk
sightings (one in American drainage; three in  Crooked River  drainage), were recorded during
pre-project field surveys by  the Forest Wildlife Biologist and others  (see  American/Crooked
Project Wildlife Observations Table in the project file).  Prior to these, one sighting in the Red
River drainage (east of Crooked River drainage) was reported by Jim White (Idaho Dept. of Fish
and  Game Biologist). Several planned harvest units (#39, 47, and 75 in Alternatives B, C, D,
and  E; and 49 and 141  in Alternatives C  and D), occur within  one mile of at least one of these
sightings.   Goshawk sightings during  June,  July or August  may indicate  possibility  of nest
presence  in  the  local  vicinity.    In the  event  active nests  are discovered  during  project
implementation  within or immediately adjacent to planned  harvest  units, project nest site
mitigation will protect nest trees and surrounding areas of 10-15 acres in size from harvest.

The  Habitat Conservation  Assessment (HCA) and Strategy  (CS) for  the  Northern goshawk
(Accipiter gentilis) in Idaho (Patla et a/., 1995 p  3) cites that goshawks tend to use stand clusters
greater than 61  ha (150 acres), dramatically higher than clusters less than 20 ha (50 acres) in
size.  Given  goshawk's preference for largest patch and stand  clusters as nest habitat, all
existing old growth stands  as well as  replacement old growth stands in  most immediate
adjacency  to, or those forming  connections with, existing  old  growth were selected for
designated protection from harvest in the project area.

Regional differences exist  over best management measures for goshawk  habitats  in  various
Forest Service   regions,  and  are  driven  by responsible  opposing  viewpoints.    Habitat
management direction for the goshawk as such, has become region-specific in the western U.S.
The  USDA FS Southwest Region (R3) adopted goshawk nest site  guidelines, which manage
2,428 ha (6,000-acre) areas around each nest  site. These guidelines are designed to maintain
goshawk populations in  warmer, dryer,  less  dense forests of the southwestern  U.S.,  where
subtle  changes  in  forest  structure  can  dramatically  influence prey  densities and  hunting
capability.   In southwestern forests,  dominant portions  of  the entire landscapes  (including
goshawk foraging habitats), have sometimes been  blanketed with partial harvesting, impacting
habitat quality by leaving proportionately low  amounts of residual  basal area  of living trees
(Crocker-Bedford, 1990).  In dryer, less productive habitats, limited residual  canopy cover over
the majority of habitat area  can  quickly become limiting for goshawks for multiple reasons.
Subsequent young tree and understory shrub regrowth in such circumstances can impact prey
productivity and  impede goshawk hunting  effectiveness.   Open  canopies also encourage
competing hawks and other predators. Highly productive riparian areas are considerably less
common in the southwest than in the Northern Rockies, thus are proportionately more valued
for goshawks in southwestern forest landscapes of the Southwestern Region (Forest Service
Region 3).   West-side  forests of the  Northern  Region  (Forest  Service Region 1)  have
proportionately more moist, productive riparian zones.

Some of the  most  intensively researched goshawk habitat work has  been done  in the dryer
southwestern U.S.   Much of the data suggests that extensive harvesting and canopy  density
reduction in the home range beyond the nest stand can negatively change nesting and  hunting
habitat structure  resulting  in  reduced  hunting  effectiveness  of goshawks, altered  prey
availability, and increased competition or  predation  by other raptors which result in nest losses
and  local declines  in goshawk populations.   Currently, no guidelines  for goshawk nest and


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 habitat protection similar to those for  the  Forest Service Southwestern  Region have been
 adopted  within the  Forest  Service's  Northern  Region,  or the American-Crooked  project
 Management recommendations proposed by Reynolds et a/., 1992, were developed specifically
 for the southwestern United States. Thus, it would be inappropriate to apply these guidelines to
 the moister, mtermountain west.  Given that this project will not harvest old growth stands and
 that active or newly discovered goshawk nests will be protected, goshawks nests should be
 adequately protected.

 The Nez Perce Forest is highly dissected,  being considerably more abundant in rich, prey-
 productive riparian zones, and likewise has inherent canopy densities considerably higher than
 the dryer forests of the southwest. In addition, ESA protections of all fish-bearing riparian zones
 (i.e., PACFISH) further provide numerous indirect acres of goshawk foraging habitat protection
 in the American and Crooked River project area.

 Major differences  exist in forest types, habitat productivities, availability of productive riparian
 zones, goshawk prey sizes, and prey species abundance between the contrasting precipitation
 and climate of the two regions.  These differences suggest that cross-region application of the
 "Management Recommendations for the Northern Goshawk in the Southwestern United States"
 (MRNG) guidelines cannot be justified for use in the American and Crooked River Project This
 becomes particularly important given the extent of the current mountain pine beetle infestation
 and quickly  diminishing  live canopy cover in  the  American-Crooked analysis area.   Most
 lodgepole pine in the area over six inches in diameter is now dead or predicted to be dead/near
 death within a. very few years.  Most of the existing canopy will thus disappear across thousands
 of acres  in the analysis  area.  Harvesting some lodgepole pine stands will likely cause little
 measurable harm to goshawk foraging habitats around  any nests.  Harvest activities may help
 reduce fuel levels in local areas, which in turn may help  reduce eventual fire intensities that can
 threaten important old growth stands.

 A scientific committee review of key literature related to goshawk habitat management in the
 southwest (Reynolds et a/., 2001) also concluded that goshawk home ranges should contain a
 balance of forest age classes or vegetation structural stages so that goshawk and prey habitats
 were always available within a home range.  Forest Plan standards for retention and protection
 of existing and replacement old growth will be met under all alternatives, thus the most critical
 goshawk habitats will be maintained to help ensure long term viability of local populations.

 Recent studies suggest that goshawks may not be as tied to old growth forests as previously
 understood.  McGrath, et a/.,  (2003) indicate that old growth forest structures are not useful in
 predicting goshawk nesting habitat.  In the northern Rockies, goshawks are often associated
 with mature forests, not necessarily old growth forests  (Squires and Ruggerio 1996,  Clough
 2000:67-68).

 The habitat information gathered and reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicates
 that changes have occurred in the distribution, amount, and structural characteristics of mature
 forests throughout much  of  the western United  States. The primary change has been the
 reduction of mature forest cover by logging, although other factors such as fire suppression and
 catastrophic fire have also been implicated. While timber management has been demonstrated
to affect  goshawks  at  least  at  local  levels  (Crocker-Bedford 1990), forest management
 practices,  such as  the use of controlled  fire selective thinning,  also may make habitats more
suitable to goshawks by opening up dense understory vegetation,  creating  snags, down logs,
and  woody debris, and  creating  other conditions  conducive  to  goshawks and  their  prey
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
(Reynolds et a/., 1992).  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found "no evidence that goshawk
habitat is limiting the population, or that a significant curtailment of the species habitat or range
is occurring. Goshawks remain widely distributed throughout their historic range in the western
United States" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998).

For this analysis, goshawk  nesting habitat was defined as mesic vegetation  with large trees
(greater than 10 inches in diameter at breast height or dbh) with closed canopies (greater than
60 percent). Foraging habitat consists of pole-sized trees (greater than 5 inches dbh) or larger
with  moderate  and high closed canopies (greater than  or equal to 25  percent).  The following
table shows the acres of each habitat for the two watersheds (and percent of habitat within the
two watersheds).

      TABLE 3.147 - HABITAT ACRES WITHIN AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER WATERSHEDS
Watershed
American River
Crooked River
Nesting Habitat Acres
(% wtrsd)
17,107(29%)
12,212 (27%)
Foraging habitat acres
{% wtrsd)
44,270 (76%)
30,912(68%)
By assuming an average home range size of 5,000 acres per bird (Hayward et a/., 1990), an
analytical index was developed to compare the effects of each alternative. Under the existing
condition, 44,200 acres in American River could support about 9 goshawks.  In Crooked River,
30,912 acres can support approximately 6 goshawks.  [Note: Because goshawks can forage in
the same  stands as where they nest, acres of nesting habitat are included in the foraging
figures.]  It is important to realize that this number is simply an analytical  index and in no way
attempts to  measure actual densities or numbers of goshawks on the landscape.  Goshawk
home ranges can vary in size, and  it  is not known how  much home range overlap might exist
within or between goshawks of goshawk pairs.

The  results of the  Forest-wide  Forest  Inventory and  Analysis  (FIA) indicate that, overall,
goshawk habitat is  widely distributed across the  Forest (this includes nesting and foraging
habitat).   The total potential  goshawk habitat represents approximately 38 percent of  the
forested lands forest-wide with a 90 percent confidence interval of 34 to 42 percent.  Within the
American River watershed,  total goshawk habitat (represented by foraging habitat as nesting
habitat is included  in the calculations) amounts to 69  percent of the forested  lands and 43
percent in the Crooked River watershed.  The  following table (Table 3-148) displays the  FIA
data at three scales: 1) Forest, 2) Subbasin (4th HUC), and watershed (5th HUC).  The amount
and  distribution of  habitat is both a  reflection  of the capability  and current condition of  the
landscape, as well as the number of plots  across the landscape.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
   TABLE 3-148 - INVENTORY/ANALYSIS DATA FOR GOSHAWK FORAGING AND NESTING HABITATI
Species
Goshawk
Nesting
Habitat
Goshawk
Foraging
Habitat
Nez Perce Forest
Ci
Low
••^•^••M
16
34
Mean
•••••^^••••B
I^^^^^HM
19
38
Ci
High
H^^^^BNI
.22
42
South Fork
Clearwater River
CI
Low
•MBBMMMi
•^^^^^H
22
45
Mean
28
52
CI
High
35
60
American River
Watershed
CI
Low
M^^^HM
18
50
Mean
^•^•^^^^•n
38
69
Ci
High
•N^HMI
58
88
Crooked River
Watershed
CI
Low
MH^^^HHB
MM^^^^^H
0
13
Mean
•••••MMMHM
^••^^••^^H
4
43
Ci
High
^^^^^^•MI
13
75
 Estimates of goshawk habitat based on R1VMP and the FIA data differ primarily due to the
 divisions  for size class and canopy cover categories being slightly different between the two
 datasets. R1VMP also provides a spatial context not represented by the FIA data.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 Timber harvesting at or very near goshawk  nest sites can directly disturb or displace birds,
 potentially impacting nest success and  future nesting. All existing old growth and numerous
 acres of strategically selected replacement stands have  been protected in the American and
 Crooked River Project to ensure that Forest Plan standards are met or exceeded.  Most trees
 harvested would  be lodgepole pine in intermediate size classes.   Some larger trees (various
 species),  in mixed conifer stands outside of designated old growth are planned for harvest in all
 action alternatives, but these would leave and  perpetuate key fire-related,  goshawk-preferred
 nest species (larch, Douglas fir), which would  remain intact  and  may contribute as potential
 future nest trees.  However, large diameter trees (greater than 21 inches dbh) are not targeted
 for harvest.

 All action alternatives of the American-Crooked River project  implement general conservation
 strategies from the Goshawk Habitat Conservation Assessment and Conservation Strategy for
 Idaho (citation?).  Protection of nest sites and surrounding forest vegetative conditions is done
 principally through nest site mitigation. All action alternatives will provide protection for a 10-15
 acre, no-harvest buffer around each active nest discovered (see Table 2.3, Project Design and
 Mitigations Measures).  No additional mitigations are deemed necessary to maintain goshawk
 population viability in the project area, because suitable habitat is 205 percent and 179 percent
 of historical amounts in American and Crooked drainages respectively (USDA FS, 1998b).

 Harvest sites have been designed to avoid the broader, old-growth rich areas best suited for
 goshawk  nesting within  the  analysis area  in  all  action  alternatives.  If  an active nest is
 encountered unexpectedly during harvest, a 10-15 acre no-harvest buffer will be placed around
 it to  protect the active  nest and surrounding habitat.   Noxious weeds, road decommissioning,
watershed restoration actions, and post-harvest  slash treatments using fire are not expected to
 impact goshawks or their habitats considerably  regardless of  alternative.  An estimated  30-40
 percent of total harvest acres is  expected to be in  mixed conifer stands  in all alternatives.
Alternatives with highest harvest acreages would yield the highest relative impacts.


 Forest inventory and analysis data at three scales for percent goshawk foraging and nesting habitat, including 90
percent confidence intervals (CI low and CI high).
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ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

No direct effects to old growth stands, replacement old growth stands, or any  mixed conifer
stands  will  occur, thus existing  old  growth  habitat patch sizes and connectivity will  be
maintained. Existing goshawk habitat would not be harvested under this alternative. In general,
nesting habitat  would increase and foraging  habitat would decrease as forest succession
continues to fill in  understories and increase stand canopy closure. In predominantly lodgepole
pine stands, additional trees would die as a  result of the mountain pine beetle epidemic, and
dead trees would eventually fall to the ground.  This process would create openings and gaps
that could be utilized as foraging habitat by goshawks.  High densities of downed logs, shading
from  snags, and lack of seed sources may delay the regeneration of new trees relative to
harvested areas.

Under the 'no  action' alternative, the stands with very frequent and frequent fire return  intervals
would continue  to  miss  disturbances.  This would allow for continued buildup  of fuels and
changing of fuel conditions, such as stand density and vertical arrangement.  Such conditions
could cause a wildland  fire occurring  in these stands to  burn with  increased  intensity and
severity, and increase chances for detrimental fire effects from a stand-replacing event.

Areas with  infrequent and very  infrequent fire return intervals would proceed as  they  do
naturally.  This includes fuel buildup as stands mature  and decline from age and outside agents
such as beetles.  As a result of this buildup, lethal, stand-replacing fires could become more
prevalent (refer to fire effects analysis for additional details).

Fuel build-up  resulting from fire suppression activities would continue, thereby  increasing the
likelihood of a  stand-replacing fire.  Stand-replacing fires could potentially reduce nesting habitat
across the project area.  However, the size and severity of the disturbance could eliminate or
create the various elements of goshawk habitat, depending on the size and severity of the
disturbance.

ALTERNATIVE B, C, D, AND E

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

Action alternatives  could directly  impact patches of mature  mixed conifer habitats, but would
produce  no direct  effects  to existing  old growth stands,  patch  sizes.  Old growth habitat
connectivity would remain consistent within historical patterns by retention of riparian  corridors
and replacement old growth.  Important replacement old growth stands would also be protected
from harvest.  Relatively moderate levels of harvest of mixed conifers will be harvested.

Regeneration  harvest and thinning can impact goshawks by removing  suitable nesting habitat,
although it can also create forest edges and in some  cases smaller openings that goshawks
could use for foraging. The proposed project design spreads potentially affected acres across
the entire  analysis area.  As a result,  most resident goshawks are likely to experience some
habitat loss  at a small or site-specific  scale.  Project activities  near an active nest site could
cause temporary avoidance or abandonment, depending on the length and intensity of activity.

Proposed treatments would break up the fuel patterns, which in turn could reduce the likelihood
of severe fire effects within the project area and effects to goshawk habitat.
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 The following tables show the changes in goshawk habitat by alternative. Effects of the action
 alternatives would  vary, with  Alternative  D modifying the  greatest amount of nesting and
 foraging habitat, and Alternative E modifying the least.

   TABLE 3.149- ESTIMATED ACRES OF NORTHERN GOSHAWK HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION
                             ALTERNATIVE (AMERICAN RIVER)
American River
Acres (%) Nesting Habitat treated
Acres (%) Foraging habitat treated
Alt. A
0
0
Alt. B
149(<1%)
507(1%)
Alt. C
198(1%)
643(1%)
Alt. D
384 (2%)
995 (2%)
Alt.E
92(<1%)
276 (<1%)
  TABLE 3.150 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF NORTHERN GOSHAWK HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION
                             ALTERNATIVE (CROOKED RIVER)
Crooked River
Acres (%) Nesting Habitat treated
Acres (%) Foraging habitat treated
Alt. A
0
0
Ait. B
457 (4%)
1,136(4%)
Alt, C
51 1 (4%)
1,216(4%)
Ait D
611 (5%)
1,477(5%)
Alt.E
403 (3%)
996 (3%)
 Nesting Habitat: Changes  in potential  nesting habitat acres  are  outlined  by alternative in
 Tables  3-149 and 3-150 above.   Silvicultural  treatments that encourage the development of
 large trees (greater than 21 inches dbh) over the planning area would benefit goshawk nesting
 habitat.  However, any  harvest activity that would  reduce  canopy closure below 60 percent
 would reduce the potential for those stands to be used as nesting habitat.

 None of the alternatives would harvest much  that qualifies as  nesting habitat.  Alternative E
 would modify the fewest acres of goshawk nesting habitat (less than 1 percent in American
 River and 3 percent in Crooked River of the existing habitat),  and  Alternative D would modify the
 greatest acreage (about 2 percent and 5 percent of existing habitat in American and Crooked
 Rivers,  respectively).  No harvest activities would take place in  allocated old growth areas or
 RHCAs, so these stands would remain relatively intact and available for potential goshawk nest
 sites. Temporary roads would also reduce the amount of goshawk habitat.

 Foraging Habitat:  Changes in potential foraging habitat acres are outlined by alternative in
 Tables 3-149 and 3-150.  Alternative E would modify the fewest acres of goshawk foraging
 habitat (about 3 percent of the existing  habitat),  and Alternative D would modify the greatest
 acreage (about 9 percent of existing habitat).  Using our analytical  index, under Alternatives B,
 C, D, and E, enough goshawk habitat would  remain in the project area to support about 9
 goshawks in American River and about 5-6 goshawks in Crooked  River.

 Harvesting dead, dying and merchantable green lodgepole pine  would create openings across
the project area.  Goshawks could potentially use these newly created edges  and openings as
 hunting  areas.   However,  should the  proposed  harvest  activities  create  large openings,
particularly if the new units are adjacent to other past harvest units,  the amount of foraging area
for goshawks could decrease.  Timber removal may affect  the  distribution of some goshawk
prey  species.

In mixed conifer stands, thinning understory trees such as dead, dying, and merchantable green
lodgepole pine and other conifer species, would open up the lower layer of vegetation and
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
create flyways through which goshawks could maneuver.  Thinned stands could  maintain or
create more favorable conditions over time for goshawks as these stands develop structural
diversity.  Thinned, mixed conifer stands would be particularly useable if stands are managed
for canopy closure values above 40 percent.  Silvicultural prescriptions that retain many or all of
the larger, wind-firm trees in ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and mixed xeric conifer stands, would
maintain and improve these stands as potential goshawk foraging habitat.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
The 'no action' alternative would not further contribute to harvest-related fragmentation and/or
losses of   existing or replacement old-growth habitat  stands.  As a result of widespread,
cumulative fuels buildup,  lethal, stand-replacing fires will become more prevalent with attendant
risks to old  growth habitats (refer to fire effects analysis for additional details).   Due to a
measure  of uncertainty  in estimating  intensity future  fire  risks  to  limited  habitat conditions
considered  important  for  goshawk nesting, there could be impacts to goshawk habitat with this
alternative.

Action alternatives would result in habitat losses that add to cumulative losses of existing and
potential future goshawk habitat related to previous harvests, reading,  and post-disturbance
harvest projects as well as reasonably foreseeable harvests on private and nearby BLM lands in
the analysis area.

Alternative  E would  have the least cumulative effect (followed  by  B, C,  and D) and  would
contribute   modestly  to   harvest-related  fragmentation,  adding  to  cumulative   landscape
fragmentation,  increased openings, and  human  disturbance risks from  previous  harvests,
reading, fire exclusion and other human activities.  In  untreated areas, the results would be the
same as Alternative A.

Timber harvest and road construction have reduced the amount  and continuity of  mature and
old growth habitat across the project area.  In addition, past actions frequently targeted medium
and large trees and valuable ponderosa pine and western larch snags.  These actions have left
fewer appropriate stands  and trees within stands that could be used by goshawks. At the same
time, active fire suppression since the early 1900s has allowed succession to continue in those
stands that have  not been  harvested.  Relatively simple one- and  two-story stands  have
transitioned to more complex multi-story stands with  increased canopy closure and  individual
trees have grown larger.  Some of these stands may now qualify as suitable goshawk nesting
habitat.  Increased fuel  loads from fire suppression and  the current mountain  pine beetle
epidemic increase the chance of stand-replacing  fires, which could remove several acres of
older forest habitats from the landscape.  Other projects in or near the project area  may also
alter the amount, distribution, and connectivity of older, dense-canopied stands.

Project activities would likely improve growing conditions for grasses,  forbs, and shrubs, and
seedling trees in harvest units, which may in turn improve habitat  conditions for some goshawk
prey. Similarly, other projects that open or remove canopy may create edges and clearings that
provide foraging habitat for goshawks. New harvest units or silvicultural treatments that abut old
units  or treatment areas could create openings  too large to  be used  by goshawks, thus
decreasing the acres of suitable habitat. The mountain  pine beetle epidemic is creating many,
large openings across the landscape. Projects must  consider the distribution of the  mountain
pine beetle-caused openings relative to project activities in order to prevent greatly reduced
goshawk habitat across the landscape.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Although individual birds or pairs could be disturbed by project activities, none of the proposed
 alternatives should affect populations at the local or watershed level.   Management practices
 proposed in the  American and Crooked  River Project  are considered to be consistent with
 strategies identified as part of the South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA
 FS, 1998a) in terms of maintaining high  canopy closure, old growth forest for nesting and
 maintaining diverse foraging habitat. At the Forest level and across the range of the species
 the effects of past,  present, and reasonably foreseeable future  actions  appear small  to
 negligible.

 WOLVERINE

 EXISTING CONDITION
 The wolverine is  an uncommon, wide-ranging carnivore that typically  occurs at low densities
 across, its range.  Home ranges average approximately 100,000 acres. Within the western U.S.,
 they occur principally in remote, high-elevation mountain basins and cirques, particularly during
 the breeding season (Rowland et a/., 2003).   The Conservation Strategy for Wolverine (Gulo
 gulo) in Idaho (Copeland and Hudak 1995), defined wolverine  habitat as areas associated with
 a component of  seclusion or separation  from human  influence.   Wolverines are  relatively
 intolerant of human disturbance requiring large tracts of remote mountainous habitat (Hornocker
 and Hash 1981).  Habitat of this nature is most easily defined  by existing tracts of set-aside or
 defined refugia such as RARE II land or designated wilderness.

 Wolverine have been observed on the Forest.  Most observations have been within  or adjacent
 to designated wilderness areas in  relatively  remote,  isolated  landscapes.  The edge of the
 Gospel-Hump Wilderness is  only a few  miles southwest of  the  project area. Central-Idaho
 wolverines are known to commonly cross distances  of 20 km, negotiating road systems and
 active timber sales, to reach insular subalpine habitats (Copeland and  Hudak, 1995).

 In Idaho, female wolverines use high-elevation cirque basins for natal sites, while making daily
 forays into lower montane habitats to forage (Copeland and Hudak 1995).  The high elevation
 Gospel-Hump Wilderness is less than five miles southwest of the  edge of the Crooked River
 drainage. Absence of high elevation cirque basins and boulder talus within the project area, as
 well as extensive previous development, reading, harvest, and other human activities conducted
 in the project area make it unsuitable as breeding or denning  habitat, however woh/erine may
 occasionally traverse through the analysis area in search of food. Wolverines are opportunistic
 scavengers  and ungulate carrion  is considered an important food source.   Activities that
 decrease ungulate populations may negatively affect wolverines (Copeland and Hudak 1995).

 Incidental trapping mortality is a potentially  important factor in managing wolverine populations.
Wolverine trapping is not allowed in Idaho,  but animals are occasionally caught by accident by
coyote and bobcat trappers. Within the analysis area, trapping  pressure and risks to wolverine
are relatively low due to low trapper interest (USDA FS, 1998b).

The analysis  area within the Crooked and  American  River  drainages  is  well developed,
substantially roaded and contains large amounts of ongoing vehicular  and human disturbances.'
Neither American  River  nor Crooked River ERUs hold areas  of low human disturbance and
neither are considered quality  habitat, however each may contribute foraging areas and overall
habitat potentially capable of supporting wolverines (USDA FS, 1998b).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 The analysis  area lacks  seclusion from  human influence, and the character of extensive
 roadless habitat security preferred for  natal denning.  No high elevation cirque basins occur in
 the analysis area either.  Noxious weed effects can indirectly impact overall elk habitat quality,
 which  may indirectly affect long-term  availability of carrion for wolverines where weeds may
 dominate native vegetation, but these are not considered major impacts. Watershed restoration
 actions, and post-harvest  slash treatments using fire are not expected to impact wolverine or
 their habitat considerably  regardless of alternative.   Road decommissioning  will help reduce
 human-wolverine conflict potentials.

 Sites planned  for harvests are well outside wilderness or RARE II areas considered suitable as
 wolverine habitats.   While  wolverines may  occasionally traverse  through  or across  the
 American/Crooked River analysis area, which is between three major, high elevation wilderness
 areas  (Gospel-Hump, Selway-Bitterroot, Frank Church  River of No Return), it is unlikely that
 wolverines would find the  analysis area habitats attractive except perhaps as a travel corridor.
 Harvest, reading, watershed restoration actions and other similar project activities in all action
 alternatives  would hold the potential  to disturb  or displace wolverine that may be  traveling
 through the project area, but given the wide-ranging nature of the animal and lack of seclusion
 from human intrusion in the project area, this is unlikely.

 Productivity  of habitats and related  ungulate  carrion  availability are important aspects of
 wolverine habitat management.  For these reasons,  the  analysis criteria for wolverine will be
 impacts related to ungulate (elk) summer habitat effectiveness

 ALTERNATIVE  A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 No road decommissioning would occur under this  alternative, and the  current amount of
 wolverine habitat would be maintained. However, any stand replacing fires that occur in the
 project area might reduce the amount of subalpine fir and spruce forests available to wolverines.
 Subalpine cirque habitats  would not be affected by this alternative, as they do not exist in the
 analysis area.  Summer elk habitat is declining due to  succession and the mountain pine beetle
 epidemic, and moose winter  range may be increasing  because of succession (see "Elk" and
 "Moose" discussions later  in this section). Any effects these habitat changes have on ungulate
 populations  could affect  wolverines,  as big  game  carrion is  an  important  wolverine  food
 resource during winter.

 The 'no  action'  alternative would have no meaningful direct effects on  current elk habitat
 effectiveness.  Although the longer term indirect effects of allowing unabated fuel buildups in the
 analysis area could eventually result in a more extensive imbalance of cover and forage for elk
 due to eventual  large-scale wildfires, the net impacts to wolverine,  given their extremely large
 home ranges, would likely  be relatively  immeasurable or  nil.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

Action  alternatives would provide improved wolverine habitat,  due to slightly improved habitat
effectiveness for elk over Alternative A. Big game security would be improved/as well, through
road decommissioning. Refer to the discussion on elk.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 None of the action alternatives would  harvest trees in RHCAs except for individual trees that
 would be removed during temporary road construction, road reconstruction, or while creating
 cable corridors. Connectivity along forested drainage bottoms would remain intact for all action
 alternatives, as would potential wolverine habitat inside  RHCAs.   However, fuel loads along
 streams and RHCAs would continue to  increase and may expose these environments to intense
 fires.

 Proposed harvest activities would affect summer elk habitat in the  project area. Alternative E
 would result in improved or stable elk  habitat effectiveness for most, but not all, of the project
 area.  For details on how this analysis was conducted and the conclusions that were drawn, see
 the "Elk" section later in this section.  Project activities  would also affect moose habitat.  Moose
 winter range is the most limiting aspect of moose ecology in the project area, and 32 acres of
 the  available moose winter  range in  the project  area is  proposed for treatment (for more
 information, see the "Moose" section later in this section).  If elk or moose  populations  decline
 as a result of proposed activities, wolverines may also be affected because of their reliance on
 ungulate carrion in the winter.

 Alternatives B  and C would  modestly  improve habitat security compared to Alternative A by
 reducing motorized access particularly  in the American River portion of the analysis  area, but
 the Crooked River portion would remain the same as Alternative A.  Alternatives  D and E would
 improve habitat security to  the highest level  and positive effects  would accrue to  both the
 American and Crooked River portions of the analysis area compared to Alternatives A, B,  and
 C.

 The temporary increase of human activity in the planning area associated with  harvest  and
 vegetative treatments could increase the possibility of  human-wolverine interactions short-term
 and/or cause wolverines to avoid regions within the  project  area.   As mitigation, all  current
 access closures would be maintained as part of the proposed project. Road decommissioning
 would help reduce human intrusion long-term.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 Given  all past development actions that have previously impacted overall wolverine foraging
 habitats  including  reading,   logging,  recreation activities, fire exclusion  and  others,  and
 considering  the very large  size  of  wolverine  home  ranges, Alternative  A would  have  no
 measurable cumulative effects.  The sensitive species determination for wolverine would be "no
 impact".

 Action alternatives would add additional impacts to the developed nature of the area, but overall
 effects relative to elk habitats would be improved.

 Past timber harvest, fire, fire  suppression,  and mining  activity altered habitat characteristics in
 the project area by reducing the amount and distribution of large and medium trees, snags, and
 down wood, and by creating numerous, small patches across the landscape. These  changes
 have affected wolverine  prey species  such as small  mammals and  ungulates.  Prior to  fire
 suppression and timber management, elk and  deer populations were dependent upon  natural
 disturbances to create openings  that provided the early successional growth  they favor for
 foraging.  Larger,  more connected tracts of mature and  old  growth forest provided suitable
winter  range for moose.  Elk  habitat may improve under some alternatives,  but moose winter
 range would decrease. The network of edges that the  project would create could be beneficial
to some small mammal prey species.
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
Road construction associated with past management activities has provided people relatively
easy  access into the area and has  reduced the security and  isolation the watershed once
provided for wolverines.  Human  developments;  hiking trails;  pack trails and outfitter activity;
and ATV and snowmobile use within the drainage have  had far-reaching effects.  These
activities have increased human  access  into once  remote  areas.   Roads that access high-
elevation areas probably have reduced habitat quality the most.  Snowmobile use  may also
have  had effects on winter prey species by providing pathways for other predators to access a
limited winter wolverine prey base. New roads created under this project proposal would exist
only temporarily on the landscape, and additional  roads would  be decommissioned under each
alternative.

Other projects  in  or  near  the  American  and Crooked River watersheds may also  modify
ungulate and small mammal habitat,  as well as  the large tree subalpine  fir habitat used  by
wolverines.   The project proposal is consistent with the wolverine management strategies
identified in the South  Fork Clearwater  River Landscape  Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a).
Activities will not occur around wolverine denning habitat, no new campsites or mine sites are
proposed through this project, and the project does not target coniferous  riparian forests or
mature/old  growth  mixed conifer, subalpine fir,  or grand fir  forests.   Although  individual
wolverines could be impacted at the project and watershed level, populations are not likely to be
affected at the Forest level or across the range of the  species.

The sensitive species determination for wolverine would be "may impact individuals or habitat,
but will not likely result in a trend toward federal listing or reduced viability for the population or
species" for Alternatives B, C, D, and E.

HARLEQUIN DUCK

EXISTING CONDITION
Harlequin ducks are sea ducks that migrate inland to reproduce.  Breeding habitat includes low
gradient, second order or larger streams.  They rely on river  and stream habitats with relatively
high water quality, which sustains  the aquatic invertebrates they feed upon.   The South Fork of
the Clearwater River is considered the southwestern limit of harlequin duck distribution in Idaho
(Cassirer, 1989).  No  suitable nesting habitat was observed within the South Fork Clearwater
River drainage during focused surveys, which included both the American  and  Crooked River
drainages (Cassirer, 1989).

The main American River and Crooked River are  the only potential sites that Harlequins might
use incidentally  for resting  or  feeding habitats.   Evidence for the use  of the South Fork
Clearwater River drainage during  spring migration is scant.  A review of local sightings data
found only one known (May 1988)  observation of a female on Crooked River (Cassirer, 1989, p
9).  Sediment levels,  past dredge mining, and moderate to high human and  vehicular traffic
levels along roads immediately adjacent to these main streams  have virtually eliminated local
nesting suitability.   For these  reasons,  the  habitat along  these  small rivers is  no  longer
considered  suitable as nesting habitat for this duck, but may be used occasionally for resting or
feeding.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
The analysis criteria for Harlequin duck is protection and maintenance of  riparian zones and
downstream water  quality.   Noxious  weeds, road  decommissioning, watershed restoration
actions, and post-harvest slash treatments  using fire  are not  expected to have serious impacts


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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 on  Harlequin  ducks or their habitats  considerably or for  extended  periods  regardless of
 alternative.

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 The 'no action' alternative would have no direct or indirect effects on the Harlequin duck or its
 habitat.  No predicted direct or  indirect impairments to downstream habitats or water quality
 would result.

 Improvements  in overall water quality and riparian  habitat would  not be achieved, since the
 watershed  improvement  projects  associated  with  the  action  alternatives  would  not  be
 implemented. Fuel loads along streams and  RHCAs would continue  to  increase and  may
 expose these environments to intense fires.  Large-scale fire events in RHCAs and elsewhere in
 the project area could increase seasonal run-off and sediment delivery to streams, and reduce
 large woody debris recruitment and stream shading.  This in turn could have negative effects on
 harlequin ducks and duck habitat.

 Trees killed by insects, but not cut for firewood, would fall to the ground  and into streams over
 the next few years. Downed logs, shading from snags, and lack of seed sources may delay the
 regeneration of new trees relative to harvested areas, but the recruitment  of large, woody debris
 in stream areas would continue.  Harlequin habitat benefits from the addition  of large woody
 debris by adding cover and resting sites.  The lack of reclamation for aquatic habitat could mean
 that water quality conditions for harlequin ducks and their potential prey  species would not
 improve.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Action alternatives do not modify (harvest) any riparian habitat conservation areas directly,  thus
 no direct impacts to Harlequin ducks or their breeding sites are predicted.  However, upland
 areas  will  be treated, which  may  cause minor potential  indirect impacts on downstream
 resting/feeding riparian conditions from changes due to silt and water quality impacts.

 The  watershed improvement actions that are related to the project are expected to improve
 habitat conditions for harlequins over time.   These improvements are  touched upon in  the
 discussion  below,  but for more detailed  information on these  improvements and effects
 analyses, see the Water Quality and  Fisheries Resources sections of this chapter.

 Timber harvest  can affect harlequins through destruction of nest  structures and changes in
 availability of large woody  material.  Harvest activities can  also decrease aquatic food sources
through changes in water quality, quantity, and temperature. Conversely, deciduous vegetation
 can be stimulated, which in turn provides cover, shading, and terrestrial insects.  Road and  skid
trail construction, tree removal, site preparation, and stand regeneration treatments may cause
 non-point pollution.  Sediment, fuel and fluids from logging equipment, nutrients from harvested
areas, and  applied fertilizers and  pesticides are all potential pollutants that may result from any
of the action  alternatives.  These  pollution  sources could  detrimentally affect harlequins,
harlequin habitat, and/or prey.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 No  cumulative  effects would  be  generated  from Alternative A.   The sensitive  species
 determination for Alternative A for Harlequin duck would be "no impact".

 Action alternatives would  have limited,  indirect cumulative effects on  downstream  riparian
 resting/feeding habitats in addition to those produced from past harvest, reading, mining, public
 access,  fire exclusion and other  habitat impacts.  Impacts would be  in addition to those
 produced from past harvest, reading, mining, public access, fire exclusion and other habitat
 impacts.

 Aquatic  resources in  the American  and Crooked River watersheds  and  the  South Fork
 Clearwater River have undergone substantial physical changes from human disturbances such
 as  dredge  mining,  timber harvest,  road  construction,  domestic livestock  grazing, home
 construction  and  private  land  development,  agriculture, fires,  and fire  suppression.  It is
 generally accepted that water quality  and habitat  in the South Fork Clearwater River is in a
 degraded condition, both from sediment and temperature impacts (USDA FS, 1998a).

 The low population size, restricted distribution, narrow habitat requirements, and small numbers
 of breeding pairs have led to the listing of harlequin ducks as sensitive.  Additional sediment,
 regardless of the source, could result  in more deposition, bar building, cobble embeddedness,
 and bank erosion  in low gradient reaches that  could further degrade harlequin duck  habitat.
 Implementation of watershed improvement projects would increase sediment delivery in  the
 short-term, but improve baseline habitat conditions in the long-term. -Private and  public land
 grazing, post, pole, and firewood cutting, and recreational access of streams could impact select
 reaches of low gradient streams and disturb individual ducks.  Projects within the American and
 Crooked River watersheds, as well as ongoing  road maintenance could contribute additional
 sediment, remove stream-side,shade, and/or increase water temperatures.

 In summary, the overall degraded quality of project subwatersheds could be improved  by
 watershed improvement  projects related to this  project,  but other current  and  reasonably
 foreseeable actions could further degrade water  quality and affect the quality of harlequin duck
 habitat.  At the scale of  the project, the watershed, and the South Fork Clearwater River
 subbasin, harlequins could  be impacted by cumulative effects on watershed quality,  particularly
 sedimentation.  At  the level of the Forest and the range of the species, effects of the American
 and Crooked River Project appear small to negligible.

 The sensitive species determination for Harlequin duck would be  "may impact individuals or
 habitat, but will  not likely result in a  trend toward federal listing or reduced viability  for  the
 population or species" for alternatives B, C, D, and E.

 FISHER

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Fishers are wide-ranging  forest predators that  prefer late serai habitats.   In the Northern
 Rockies,  fishers  prefer late-serai, mesic (moist)  forests  (Idaho Dept. of  Fish  & Game, et.  al.
 1995, p. 9).  Fishers are known to occur within the  South Fork Clearwater River Subbasin.  A
more complete discussion of fisher ecology and habitat needs is referenced within the South
Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a, p. 104) and in the South Fork
Clearwater River Landscape Assessment Wildlife Technical Report (USDA FS, 1998b).
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Current distribution of fishers in North America is substantially fragmented  compared to their
 historical (pre-European) distribution.  Across the species' range, fisher populations declined in
 the early twentieth century, probably due to a combination of over trapping, predator poisoning,
 and habitat loss from settlement, logging and forest fires (Heinemeyer 1995).  Fishers and their
 habitat use were studied by Jeff Jones in the adjacent Newsome drainage and surrounding
 areas near Elk City during the  late 1980s (Jones  1991). Jones concluded  that over-trapping
 and habitat loss due to extensive fires in 1910 and 1934 were most  likely responsible for the
 historical decline of fishers in Idaho.

 No fisher trapping is currently allowed in  Idaho, but animals are occasionally caught incidental to
 marten, coyote, and bobcat trapping.  Trapping pressure within the  project area and South Fork
 Clearwater River Subbasin is currently  limited due to low trapper interest (USDA FS 1998b-
 USDA FS, 2004c).

 Habitat in the American River drainage  is substantially less impacted and fragmented by past
 timber  harvest and reading than  habitats  in  the  Crooked River drainage.   The vegetative
 conditions in the American River drainage are somewhat similar to  those of Crooked River, but
 habitat conditions and relative amounts and  larger blocks of old growth and late serai habitats
 preferred by fishers are considerably more prevalent in American River. Currently, 51 percent
 of the American River drainage supports late  serai habitat (USDA FS 1998a, p 141).

 Both  drainages  are  roaded and have  been  impacted  by previous  harvesting and reading
 activities.

 Overall however, fisher habitat  has increased over historical conditions by approximately 188
 percent.  This can be attributable to increases  in more  shade tolerant tree  species, like
 subalpine fir and grand fir, due  to fire suppression and forest succession (USDA FS,1998a, p
 83).

 Suitable fisher habitat in American  River drainage  is currently 233  percent of historic amounts.
 It is 227 percent of historic amounts within the Crooked River drainage (USDA FS, 1998b). For
 both drainages, conserving the integrity of late serai habitats near the upper end of their historic
 range of variability would benefit fishers (USDA FS, 1998A, pp 140-141; 148).

 The vegetative conditions in the lower portion of the Crooked  River drainage have gentle to
 moderate slopes subject to infrequent stand replacing and  mixed  fires.  Lodgepole pine and
 Western larch were once more dominant than ponderosa pine.   Previous extensive harvest
 entries have been relatively dispersed, and more frequent than historical fire disturbance (USDA
 FS 1998b, p 148).  From a larger  landscape perspective, conserving late serai habitat would
 benefit  fisher  habitats.   Currently, 47  percent of  the  Crooked   drainage supports suitable
 amounts of late serai habitat (USDA FS 1998b, page 148).

 Due to  its relatively high elevation, the adjacent Gospel-Hump Wilderness is unlikely to  be a
 good  candidate as a fisher core area (Idaho State Conservation Effort 1995, p.49; IN: USDA FS
 1998a, p 104; and USDA FS 1998b).  The RARE II roadless areas  in the South Fork Subbasin
 (West Meadow Creek, Lick Point, Upper American River, Pilot  Knob,  and Dixie Summit) also
 likely  have limited potential as fisher core areas due to acreage  or elevation constraints (USDA
 FS 1998a and USDA FS 1998b).

 Fishers are believed to use selected suitable habitat portions of both drainages, though actual
sightings or track records are scant. Local trends in fisher populations remain stable based on:
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement



    1.  Population monitoring results,

    2.  Incidental sightings,

    3.  ICDC database records, and

    4.  Local downtrends in the two of the most commonly recognized threats to fisher and
       marten  populations  in the western U.S.  (trapping  pressure and clearcutting of late
       successional timber).

 (NPNF   15th Annual Monitoring and  Evaluation Report  Draft  -2002 Fisher/pine  marten
 monitoring data - Item 10 Population Trends of Indicator Species ,  Nez Perce National Forest,
 2004).

 The size of a male fisher's home range is  larger than  that of a female.  Fisher home ranges in
 north-central Idaho were 2 to  15 times larger than other reported fisher home ranges, and
 averaged 82.6 km2 (20,400 acres) for  males and 40.8 km2  (10,080 acres) for females (Jones
 1991,  pg.  103).  Even when home range size estimates were standardized across multiple
 studies, those in Idaho remained much larger than  estimates from other geographic areas
 (Heinemeyer and Jones 1994, p iii, 12).

 For this analysis, fisher summer habitat was defined as large trees (greater than 15 inches dbh)
 in mixed conifer and  mixed subalpine fir forests.  Mesic lodgepole pine was also determined to
 be considered summer habitat where diameters are greater than 10 inches.  Fisher use appears
 in stands with greater than 40 percent canopy cover, but our dataset does not allow us to select
 for this.  Instead, moderate to high canopy closure was selected (greater than or equal to 25
 percent).  Winter habitat was defined as summer habitat plus pole-sized trees (greater than 10
 inches dbh) with greater than 25 percent canopy cover and  drier lodgepole pine habitat types.
 The following table (Table 3.151) shows the acres of each habitat for the two watersheds (and
 percent of habitat within the two watersheds).

                    TABLE 3.151 - ESTIMATED ACRES  OF FISHER HABITAT
Watershed ',
American River
Crooked River
: Summer Habitat Acres ,
- '•" *{%wtredK T -'- '-:•
38,326 (65%)
21,727(48%)
;h Winter habitat acres
• ' ^'-fK'WftnMljiJV •
40,651 (69%)
27,328 (60%)
By assuming an average home range size of acres per female fisher (Jones 1991), an analytical
index was developed to compare the effects of each alternative.  Under the existing condition,
40,600 acres of habitat could support about 4 fisher females  in American River and  27,300
acres could support about 2.7 fisher females in Crooked  River.  It is important to realize that this
number is simply an analytical index  and in no way attempts to measure  actual densities or
numbers of fisher on the landscape.

The results of the Forest-wide  Forest Inventory and Analysis indicate that, overall, fisher habitat
is  widely distributed across the  Forest (this includes summer and winter habitat).  The total
potential  fisher habitat represents  approximately 33 percent of the forested lands forest-wide
with a 90 percent confidence interval of 29 to 37 percent.  Within the American River watershed,
total  fisher  habitat  (represented  by  winter  habitat as summer  habitat is  included  in  the
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 calculations) amounts to 53 percent of the forested lands and 11 percent in the Crooked River
 watershed.  The following table (Table 3.152) displays the FIA data at three scales:

    1.  Forest,

    2.  Subbasin (4th HUC), and

    3.  Watershed (5th HUC).

 The amount and  distribution of habitat is both a reflection of the capability and current condition
 of the landscape, as well as the number of plots across the landscape.

    TABLE 3.152-DATA AT THREE SCALES FOR PERCENT FISHER SUMMER AND WINTER HABITATI
Species
Summer
Habitat
Fisher
Winter
Habitat
NezPerce Forest
Cl
Low
17
29
Mean
20
33
Cl
High
23
37
South Fork
Clearwater River
Cl
Low
20
35
Mean
26
43
a
High
33
51
American River
Watershed
Cl
Low
13
32
Mean
28
53
Cl
High
45
75
Crooked River
Watershed
Cl
Low
0
0
Mean
7
11
Cl
High
25
27
Estimates of fisher habitat based  on R1VMP and the  FIA data  differ primarily due to  the
divisions for size class  and canopy cover categories  being  slightly different between  the two
datasets.  R1VMP also provides a spatial context not represented by the FIA data.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
The Habitat Conservation Assessment for Fisher in Idaho suggests that although fisher trapping
seasons are  closed  in  Idaho, incidental trapping mortality may limit populations in the state
(Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game, 1995, p 6).  Because old growth timber is considered important
to fishers, none of the alternatives will harvest in existing old growth timber. Likewise, protection
of RHCAs (riparian habitat conservation areas) and selected replacement old growth stands
have  been incorporated into the project design along with  retention of key replacement  old
growth stands to help  maintain patch sizes and  connectivity. A fundamental aim  of the project is
removal of fuel-loading from dead and dying lodgepole pine.  Most of the lodgepole pine of 6
inches or greater diameter in the analysis area will no  longer contribute to forest canopy cover
irrespective of alternative harvest plans.  Effects of each alternative on fishers and their habitats
should also factor in the reduced  risks (if any), for subsequent habitat losses due to future fire
impacts.

Noxious  weeds,  watershed  restoration actions,  and post-harvest  slash  treatments using
prescribed fire are not expected  to  impact fishers or their habitats  considerably, regardless of
alternative. Road decommissioning  levels would be expected to help reduce motorized access
on existing roads, contributing to reductions in fisher mortality risks from trapping.  Based  on
 Forest inventory and analysis data at three scales for percent fisher summer and winter habitat  including 90
percent confidence intervals (Cl low and Cl high).
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 best  available  information, the analysis criteria for fisher will be  the  extent to which  each
 alternative

    1. Conserves or protects the integrity of late serai habitats,

    2. The amount of habitat modified by each alternative, and

    3. The degree  to which  each  alternative provides security by limiting mortality risks from
       incidental  trapping,  because densities of accessible  roads and trails facilitates human
       access.

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 This 'no action' alternative would have no immediate, direct negative or positive impacts on the
 fisher or its habitat.  As local stands mature and decline with their attendant fuel-buildups, lethal,
 stand-replacing fire  risks would become more prevalent.   Such  risks would  increase the
 chances of late serai habitat losses to wildfires (refer to Section 3.4 - Fire for details).  No direct
 or indirect changes in access  would occur, so security would  not improve. Existing road access
 levels that facilitate potential trapping for  other furbearers  (traps  in which  fisher could get
 caught) would remain unchanged.

 Existing fisher habitat would not be harvested  under this alternative. In  general,  mature,  high-
 canopied  habitat would  increase  and  small-tree  winter habitat would decrease as forest
 succession  continues  to  fill  in  understories  and  increase stand   canopy  closure.    In
 predominantly lodgepole pine stands, additional trees would die as a  result of the mountain pine
 beetle epidemic and dead trees would eventually fall to the ground.  This process would create
 suitable habitat and niches for at least some of the small mammal species fisher prey upon.
 Fishers do not forage in openings;  therefore, areas with significant fallen lodgepole pine would
 only provide habitat along the edges of these newly opened areas.  High densities of downed
 logs,  shading from snags, and lack of seed  sources may delay the  regeneration of new trees
 relative to harvested areas and extend the length of time it would take for new small tree and
 mature habitats to develop. In RHCAs, trees killed by insects and other successional processes
 and not cut for firewood would fall to the  ground and into streams enhancing structural diversity
 in these areas.

 Fuel build-up resulting  from fire suppression activities  would continue, thereby increasing the
 likelihood of a stand-replacing fire.  Stand-replacing fires  could potentially reduce mature and
 old  growth habitat  across the  project  area, depending on the  size and severity  of the
 disturbance.  Similarly, fuel loads along  streams and  RHCAs would continue to  increase and
 may expose these environments to intense fires.  Stands of dead and dying lodgepole pine are
 particularly vulnerable to stand-replacing fires; small tree lodgepole pine winter habitat would
 likely  be lost  in a fire event.   An increase  of large logs  on  the ground due to  fire or insect
epidemics could provide denning structures and cover for fisher and several prey species, but
these areas are likely to be avoided until the  living canopy cover again exceeds 40 percent.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement



 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Treatments that include green and dead tree  harvest to improve forest health and  reduce the
 incidence of insects and disease would affect both summer habitat and winter habitat for fishers.
 The changes in habitat acres are outlined in Tables 3.153 and 3.154 by alternative.  Alternative
 E would modify the fewest acres of fisher winter habitat (less than 1 percent and about 3
 percent of existing winter habitat in American and Crooked Rivers, respectively), and alternative
 D would modify the greatest acreage (about 2 percent and 5 percent of existing winter habitat in
 American and  Crooked Rivers, respectively).  The least amount of summer habitat would be
 harvested  by alternative E (less than 1 percent and about 3 percent of existing summer habitat
 in American and Crooked Rivers, respectively); while alternative D would harvest the largest
 amounts (about 2 percent and 5 percent of existing summer habitat in American and Crooked
 Rivers, respectively).  Using our analytical index,  under alternatives B, C,  D, and  E, enough
 fisher habitat would remain in the project area to support about 3.9 female fishers in American
 River and  2.6 female fisher in Crooked  River.  Basically, a slight  reduction from the existing
 condition.

   TABLE 3.153- ESTIMATED ACRES OF FISHER HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION ALTERNATIVE
                                   (AMERICAN RIVER)
American River
Acres (%) summer Habitat treated
Acres (%) winter habitat treated
Alt. A
0
0
Ait. B
425(1%)
460(1%)
Alt. C
480(1%)
515(1%)
Ait. D
780 (2%)
823 (2%)
Alt. E
246 (<1%)
262 (<1%)
  TABLE 3.154 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF FISHER HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION ALTERNATIVE
                                   (CROOKED RIVER)
CROOKED RIVER
Acres (%) summer Habitat treated
Acres (%) winter habitat treated
Alt. A
0
0
Alt. B
827 (4%)
1001 (4%)
Alt. C
916(4%)
1105(4%)
Alt. D
1,063(5%)
1288 (5%)
AIt.E
740 (3%)
898 (3%)
In the Northern  Rockies, fishers evolved under a disturbance regime that created numerous
openings in a matrix of mature forested habitats.  The conversion of some percentage of older
age class lodgepole pine and mixed conifer habitats to younger age classes could promote a
diversity of prey species and thus have long-term benefits for fisher populations. At localized
levels, it would  also reduce the probability of fire spreading to proximate high quality fisher
habitats. Tree planting and site preparation, such as the removal of dead and downed wood
through burning, would accelerate  regeneration of green canopy  cover.  However, removing
downed woody material and canopy cover used by fisher and their prey could reduce suitable
habitat short-term.  Fishers do not forage in openings and would avoid  using newly harvested
units except perhaps along the edges of those units.

None of the action alternatives would harvest trees in RHCAs except those individual trees that
would be removed during  temporary road  construction, road reconstruction, or while  creating
cable corridors.  Connectivity along riparian habitat corridors would remain intact for all action
alternatives.  As with the 'no action' alternative, trees killed by insects and other successional
processes  and   not cut for firewood  would fall to  the ground and into streams enhancing
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 structural diversity  in these areas.  However, fuel  loads along streams and RHCAs would
 continue to increase and may expose these environments to intense fires.

 The temporary increase of human activity in the planning area associated with harvest and
 vegetative treatments could increase the possibility of human-fisher interactions.  As mitigation,
 all current access closures would be maintained as part of the  proposed project.

 Action alternatives would not harvest in any existing old growth timber. Moderate harvest levels
 would  have  limited  direct  impacts  on  fisher  habitat  due  to  increased  overall  habitat
 fragmentation. Treated  stands would provide moderate levels of on-site fuel reduction.  As local
 stands  mature and decline with their attendant fuel-buildups, lethal, stand-replacing fire risks
 would become more  prevalent with attendant risks to untreated  late serai habitats (refer to
 Section 3.4 - Fire for details).

 Security would improve slightly, particularly in the American River drainage where most of the
 large blocks of prime old growth habitat remain.  Security levels in the Crooked River portion of
 the analysis area would  remain at comparatively low levels, similar to Alternative A.

 Alternatives B and  C would modestly  improve habitat security  compared to Alternative A by
 reducing motorized access, particularly in the American River portion of the analysis area, but
 the Crooked River portion would remain the same as Alternative A. Alternatives D and  E would
 improve habitat security to the  highest level and positive effects would accrue to both the
 American and Crooked  River portions of the  analysis area compared to Alternatives A, B, and
 C.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 Risks of fire-spread losses  in old growth or other late serai stands would become cumulative to
 past and  present effects of fire exclusion in  the  analysis area.  Whether these effects would
 extend outside the analysis area is uncertain.  The 'no action'  alternative would have no certain
 cumulative effects on the fisher or its  habitat other  than fire and security risks, which would
 eventually become additive to the past effects of reading,  logging, incidental trapping risks, fire
 exclusion and other human  disturbances of normal ecosystem  processes and forest pattern.

 Principally due to cumulative  risks for future habitat losses to fire and access effects, the
 sensitive species determination for fisher under the 'no action' alternative would be "may impact
 individuals or habitat, but will not likely result in a trend toward federal listing or reduced viability
 for the population or species."

 Action alternatives would add  moderately to forest fragmentation  levels in the analysis area,
 which would be cumulative to past, present,  and other foreseeable harvest activities in these
 drainages. It would reduce  fuels at relatively moderate levels,  potentially contributing to less fire
 risks to old  growth and late serai habitats.   The action alternatives would  also moderately
 reduce potential levels of human access, thereby helping to reduce mortality risks from trapping.

 Past insect outbreaks, fires, fire suppression,  and timber harvest have left a mosaic of habitats
on the landscape, but they are not  characteristic of the patterns that occurred historically under
a more  natural disturbance regime. Most harvest units are simple, uniformly-shaped, small to
medium-sized patches (greater than 40 acres), without snags or large fire-resistant trees. Gone
in these areas are the important snag, down wood, and  residual  large tree components that
provide  the structural diversity preferred  by fishers once a stand regenerates.  Past activities
may have altered the availability of denning habitat, forested  connectivity, and  prey habitat for


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 fisher.  The loss of medium and large trees from timber harvest has reduced the older forest
 component that is important to fisher year-round. Across the analysis area, open roads facilitate
 access for trappers and  firewood  cutters, potentially  decreasing  fisher populations and the
 downed logs important for fisher and their prey species.

 This and other projects in  the area,  target dead, dying, and merchantable green lodgepole pine
 and other tree species in some capacity. Cumulatively, the loss of important small tree habitat
 for fishers  could affect fisher populations in the project area and in the American and Crooked
 River watersheds. Adding to this situation is the fact that many additional stands of small tree
 lodgepole  pine and mixed conifer  that are  not  proposed for timber  harvest or  silvicultural
 treatments are being altered  or lost by a more "natural" process of bug kill, decay, and fire.
 Projects that  do not  consider the  distribution of the mountain pine beetle-caused openings
 relative to  project activities could result in  greatly reduced fisher winter habitat  across the
 landscape. At the project and watershed levels, fisher populations could be affected. However,
 at the Forest level and across the range of the species, the effects  of past, present, and
 reasonably foreseeable future actions appear small to negligible.

 The sensitive  species determination for fisher would be "may impact individuals or habitat, but
 will not likely  result in a trend toward federal  listing  or reduced viability for  the population or
 species" for alternatives B, C, D, and E.

 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Black-backed  woodpeckers inhabit  boreal forests throughout  North America, including Idaho.
 Suitable habitats may be  found in  lodgepole pine,  ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir,  and mixed
 conifer forests, especially those experiencing insect infestations, Optimal habitat is provided  by
 sites experiencing destructive insect  infestations, such as bark beetles or recent ( greater than 5
 year old) burned-over forests.  A more thorough discussion is referenced in the South Fork
 Clearwater River Landscape Assessment Wildlife Technical Report  (USDA FS, 1998b).  Black-
 backed  woodpeckers  evolved with and have  become  dependent on natural  landscape
 disturbances,  particularly fire  but also areas experiencing insect infestations.  They are also
 relatively nomadic, displaying "irruptive dispersal" in response to habitat changes, and will move
 to large areas where fire-killed  dead and/or dying trees are infected with  bark and wood-boring
 beetles. As a  result, the species displays extensive dispersal capabilities. The most expansive
 mountain pine  beetle  outbreak documented within the Northern Region  of the Forest Service
 occurred on the  Nez Perce National Forest  where nearly  117,000 acres were identified as
 infested in 2003 alone (USDA,  Forest Insect and Disease Conditions in the United States 2003,
 August  2004d, p. 54). Similarly,  the project area and surrounding drainages  are currently
 predominantly infested with mountain pine beetle,  with pockets  of other insect damage.  Areas
 impacted by the mountain pine beetle infestation within and around the project area now total at
 least 250,000 acres conservatively.  Such  sites provide the specialized habitat conditions
 required for nesting and  feeding by this bird.   In addition,  recent wildfires  have occurred
 adjacent to the American  and  Crooked  River drainages (Slims Fire on  the Selway-American
 River divide to the north; and Wilderness Fires along the Salmon River south of Crooked River).
 Pockets of  crown fires or areas with stand-replacing fires have created high quality habitat for
this species for the next few years.

After stand-replacing fires, forests consist almost entirely of standing dead  snags.  Starting
immediately after the  fire, these snags are colonized by wood-boring  beetles, which  attract


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 woodpeckers. Black-backed woodpeckers seem to depend on one- to six-year-old burns, and
 their numbers may peak two to three years after fires (Hejl and McFadzen 1999, Murphy and
 Lenhausen 1998).  Black-backed woodpeckers will also forage in stands undergoing bark beetle
 outbreaks, but density estimates in these stands are substantially lower than in post-fire forests
 (Powell 2000).  Black-backed woodpeckers move to stands and trees following active beetles,
 and abandon sites in  which  the  trees have died.  Home  range sizes are  relatively small,
 averaging about 300 acres per bird (range:  175-810 acres) (Dixon and Saab 2000). Goggans et
 al.  (1988) state that  black-backed  woodpeckers' home range  size may be related to  the
 proportion of the range that is unlogged; the largest home range in their study had the smallest
 proportion of unlogged habitat.

 In the study  conducted  by Goggans et al. (1988), all nests were located in lodgepole pine trees,
 and live as well as dead trees were used for nests.  Smaller trees were utilized -- the mean size
 of nest trees was 11 dbh, and mean stem size of nesting stands was eight inches dbh.  Bull et
 al.  (1986) found black-backed woodpecker nests  in both ponderosa pines (67 percent) and
 lodgepole pines (27 percent).  Mean dbh of nest trees was 15 inches, and 60 percent of these
 trees were dead.  These researchers noted that black-backed woodpecker selection of smaller
 trees is unusual, as most woodpecker species nest in larger dead trees.

 SOUTH FORK LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT (USDA FS1998A):

 Up until the  recently expanded mountain pine beetle epidemic, it was acknowledged  that as a
 whole, suitable habitat for black-backed woodpeckers had likely declined more for this  bird than
 for any other wildlife  species.  In the American  River drainage, black-backed  woodpecker
 habitat was  only 88 percent of  historic  levels.  Black-backed woodpecker habitat was at 141
 percent of historic in the Crooked  River ERU (USDA FS, 1998b).  This can be attributable to
 decreases in large  patches of fire-killed trees having declined with fire suppression (USDA FS,
 1998a, p. 84).  A  more detailed  account  is referenced  in the South Fork Clearwater River
 Landscape Assessment (p. 101  and  106), however, the very wide extent and magnitude of the
 mountain  pine beetle  epidemic  has  substantially  changed  these  circumstances.    The
 management theme for wildlife (USDA FS 1998a, pp. 140, 148), identifies treatment objectives
 for black-backed woodpecker within the American and Crooked River drainages to  "produce
 post-fire early serai habitat" by applying lethal severity prescribed burns in lodgepole pine as
 well as partial harvest of mid or late serai forest followed by burning.

 Based on the extent and progression of the  current mountain pine beetle epidemic in both
 American  and Crooked River drainages  and  surrounding areas, the extent of the  beetle
 epidemic has created many thousands of new acres of suitable black-backed  woodpecker
 habitat.  In addition, lethal severity fires are a high probability outcome throughout much of the
 analysis area in years ahead.

 The South Fork Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998b) states that, "When  pre-burn harvest
 is used, approximately 50 percent  of the trees should be retained for burning with preference
 given to larger size classes."  The planned  harvest of up to approximately 3,400  acres in the
American-Crooked project will remove less than 1 percent of the total landscape affected by the
current mountain pine beetles infestation on the Nez Perce National Forest. Planned  harvests
will impact about 9  percent of the project area, leaving conservatively more than 50 percent of
the landscape (accounting for harvest-related reduced fire intensities) potentially available to be
influenced by fires.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 For this analysis, black-backed woodpecker foraging and  nesting  habitat  was  defined as
 lodgepole pine or mixed xeric conifer forest with a  lodgepole pine component with pole and
 larger sized trees (trees greater than  5 inches dbh) of any canopy closure (10-100 percent)
 The following table (Table 3.155) shows the acres of each habitat for the two watersheds (and
 percent of habitat within the two watersheds).

          TABLE 3.155 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER HABITAT
Watershed
American River
Crooked River
Habitat Acres (% wtrsd)
19,014(32%)
18,742(41%)
 By assuming a home range size of 1,000 acres per pair, an index was developed to compare
 the effects of each alternative.  Under the existing condition,  19,014 acres of habitat could
 support about 19 black-backed woodpecker pairs in the American River and 18,742 acres could
 support about 18 black-backed woodpecker pairs in Crooked River.   It is important to realize
 that this number is simply an analytical index and  in no way attempts to measure actual
 densities  or numbers  of  black-backed woodpeckers  on  the  landscape.   Black-backed
 woodpecker home ranges can vary in size according  to the amount of logged habitat and the
 continuity or disconnectedness of that habitat.  It is  also not known  how much home range
 overlap might exist within or between black-backed pairs.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 Noxious weeds, road decommissioning, watershed restoration actions, and post-harvest slash
 treatments using fire are not expected to impact black-backed woodpeckers or their habitats
 considerably (regardless of alternative).  The removal of dead, dying, and green trees would
 remove foraging and nesting  sites,  and would constitute habitat losses.  The  net  effects of
 harvest on black-backed woodpeckers  would be relatively minor  within  the context of each
 alternative  and landscape acres under  beetle attack.  Based on available information, the
 analysis criteria for black-backed woodpecker will be the relative amounts of lodgepole pine
 retained after harvest that will likely remain  in place or available to  subsequently  burn and
 become highly suitable for use. The average percentage of lodgepole pine within harvest units
 in all action alternatives ranges from approximately 60-70 percent, so alternatives with highest
 harvest acreages would yield the highest relative impacts.

 ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 The 'no action' alternative would have no direct effect  on black-backed woodpecker or  its
 habitat. This alternative would indirectly leave stands unharvested.   This would maintain  all
 predominantly lodgepole pine  stands in preparation for future wildfire impacts,  which  in turn
 could potentially become beneficial to  black-backed  woodpeckers as foraging and nesting
 habitats.

As forest succession and fire suppression occur in overstocked stands,  trees become more
susceptible to attack from insects and disease.  This increases the amount of foraging and
nesting resources available to black-backed woodpeckers.  As the insect and  disease outbreak
advances, standing and down dead material would increase, which in turn  increases the risk of
stand-replacing fires.  If a fire event were to occur, wood-boring beetle populations would spike
causing a concurrent spike in black-backed  woodpeckers for one to six  years  post burn.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Without a fire event, the insect outbreak would eventually peak and subside.  Grand fir and
 other more shade tolerant species that currently exist in the understory of stands with dead and
 dying trees would continue to grow, perhaps eventually causing the long-term  loss of the early
 serai tree species black-backed woodpeckers prefer (e.g., lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine).
 The risk of losing early serai  species does not seem as high as the risk of stand-replacing fires
 in the American and Crooked River watersheds.  Under the 'no action' alternative, the existing
 level of  patchiness  in  the  watershed would persist until a  stand-replacing  fire or other
 management action(s) take place.

 The sensitive species  determination for  black-backed woodpecker would  be "may  impact
 individuals or habitat, but will  not likely result in a trend  toward federal listing or reduced viability
 for the population or species".

 ALTERNATIVE B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND  INDIRECT

 Treatments that include  green and dead tree harvest to improve forest  health and reduce the
 incidence of  insects and  disease would reduce habitat for black-backed woodpeckers. Not only
 would the habitat they are using be modified, the patchiness of the remaining  habitat would
 increase. The changes in habitat acres are outlined in Table 3.156 by alternative.

 TABLE 3.156- ESTIMATED ACRES OF BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER HABITAT MODIFIED BY ACTION
                                      ALTERNATIVE
American River
Acres (%) Habitat treated
Crooked River
Acres (%) Habitat treated
Alt A
0
Alt A
0
Alt B
328 (2%)
Alt B
673 (4%)
Alt. C
406 (2%)
Alt. C
723 (4%)
Alt. D
519(3%)
AltD
904 (5%)
Alt. E
159(<1%)
AltE
579 (3%)
While Alternative D results in greatest loss of future foraging and nesting habitat opportunities,
the loss would still  be relatively minor and inconsequential in  both drainages, similar to other
alternatives.  The relative amounts of dead and dying lodgepole  pine in stands that will remain
unharvested  in both the American and Crooked River watersheds dwarfs the harvested  acres
many fold.

Alternative E would  modify  the  fewest acres  of black-backed woodpecker  habitat  (about
1 percent  of the existing habitat  in American  River  and 3 percent in Crooked  River), and
alternative D would modify the greatest acreage (about 3 percent  of existing habitat in American
River and 5 percent in Crooked River).  Using an  analytical index, under alternatives B,  C,  D,
and E enough foraging and nesting habitat would remain in the project area to support 18 and
17 pairs of black-backed woodpeckers in  American  and Crooked River drainages, respectively.

Scientific literature shows that the  amount of logged versus unlogged habitat on the landscape,
both pre- and post-fire, affects black-backed woodpecker distribution and home range size!
With 10 percent and 11 percent of the American  and Crooked  River drainages, respectively,
having been harvested in the last 50 years, the project area does exhibit patchiness. Additional
green and dead tree harvest from one of  the action alternatives will add to the patchiness of the
landscape.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 The 'no action' alternative would in effect, have positive cumulative effects  on black-backed
 woodpecker habitat availability.  Absence  of  fuel reduction and principally lodgepole  pine
 harvest, would add  cumulatively  to  overall  risks of  eventual  fire  spread,  but  potential
 maximization retention of habitat creation for black-backed woodpeckers would result in  both
 drainages.   Ultimately,  this alternative would  serve the local habitat needs of black-backed
 woodpeckers best and the impacts would  be positive.

 Action alternatives would result in habitat losses.  Such  losses add moderately to cumulative
 losses  of existing and  potential future black-backed woodpecker habitat related to previous
 harvests, reading, and  post-disturbance  harvest projects as well as reasonably foreseeable
 harvests on  private and  nearby BLM lands in the analysis area.  While losses of existing and
 future foraging  and nesting habitat opportunities would result from this project, the loss would be
 relatively minor and inconsequential in both drainages, but particularly  in the Crooked River
 drainage. The relative acres proposed for mechanical harvest are only a very small portion of
 the total acres that are dead and dying. These acres are likely to burn by wildfires and become
 high quality  habitat in the future, therefore the relative amount of anticipated black-backed
 woodpecker habitat predicted to be lost to. harvest is relatively minor within the analysis area
 and relatively  inconsequential.   The mountain pine  beetle  epidemic has  created many
 thousands of acres of highly suitable black-backed woodpecker habitat, making habitat losses
 to both  harvest and reduced fire incidence relatively minor.

 Activities that -reduce  the potential for wildfire and insect outbreaks reduce  habitat for black-
 backed woodpeckers, which in turn affect black-backed population levels. Projects within the
 upper South Fork  Clearwater drainages all target fuel loading and bug-infested trees in some
 capacity.    Ongoing  activities  such  as  post  and  pole gathering,  firewood   cutting,  road
 maintenance, and fire suppression also affect habitats that could be utilized  by black-backed
 woodpeckers.  Past  timber  harvest activities  have created  a patchy landscape  across the
 watershed,  which  has likely resulted in  larger black-backed woodpecker home ranges than
 would be the case in unlogged habitats.  Larger home ranges affect the energy reserves  of
 animals, as  they must travel greater distances for their daily needs. Many past timber activities
 left few snags  on  the landscape  that could  be utilized for black-backed  foraging,  nesting,  or
 drumming sites.  At the project and watershed level,  black-backed  woodpecker populations
 could decline as a  result of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions.

 Forest-wide, by far the largest and most intense insect outbreak is in and around the American,
 Crooked, and Red River watersheds.  However, other areas of the  Forest have insects  and
 disease present and large insect outbreaks are possible in these areas. In addition, other areas
 of the Forest have and will burn,  thus creating  habitat for black-backed woodpeckers. Black-
 backed  woodpeckers  are capable of responding quickly to  favorable  conditions created by
 large, intense fires and insect outbreaks, and they can move several miles to take advantage of
 such opportunities. At the Forest level, impacts of this project proposal and  other projects  in
 and around the American, Crooked, and Red River watersheds appear small.

Across  the  range  of the species, especially the Interior Columbia River Basin, moderate or
strong declines in  unburned habitats used by black-backed woodpeckers  have occurred.   The
 natural pattern  of beetle outbreaks has been altered through silvicultural and fire management
 practices. Silvicultural practices directed at  maximizing wood production by  harvesting trees
before they  are susceptible to bark beetle attacks and salvage logging of beetle-infested,  fire-
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
killed,  and wind-killed  trees  reduced the  occurrence  of  beetles  in  some  areas.    Fire
management  policies  have  lengthened  natural fire regimes  and  allowed  more  frequent
occurrences of beetles.  However, the effects of most of these past actions and events are
imbedded in the existing condition described above.  At the level of the species, impacts of the
American and Crooked River  proposal and other past,  present, and reasonably foreseeable
future actions in and around the American and Crooked River watersheds appear negligible.
With a management emphasis on returning fire (both  natural and prescribed) to the landscape,
prospects for this species appear brighter.

TOWNSEND'S BIG-EARED BAT

EXISTING CONDITION
Townsend's big-eared bats are considered true cave species, although they may occasionally
roost in lava tubes,  mines, buildings, and other human-made structures.  Known or  potential
cave and roost habitats for this bat in Idaho are believed to be restricted to the lower, warmer
elevations along the Salmon River (Idaho Dept. of Fish  and  Game, et a/.,  1995. Townsend's
Big-Eared Bat Habitat Conservation Assessment (HCA) and Conservation Strategy (CS) Draft).

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
Townsend's big-eared  bats are  not  known to occupy  any  portions of the higher elevation
habitats within either the American or Crooked  River drainages.  For this reason, there are
expected  to be "no impacts" on the  Townsend's  big-eared bat  or its habitat under  any
alternative. As a result, it will not  be analyzed or discussed further in this document.

COEUR D'ALENE SALAMANDER

EXISTING CONDITION
The  southernmost edge of the range of the Coeur d' Alene salamander extends only to the
Selway drainage (Cassirer et a/.,  1995). The Selway  drainage is north, well outside the project
area and treatment area  boundaries.   Neither the American nor the Crooked River drainages
have any record of Coeur d' Alene salamander presence or suitable habitat.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
Due to both habitat and species absence rationale listed above, no impacts are anticipated from
any alternatives on the Coeur d' Alene salamander or its  habitat. For this reason, they will not
be analyzed or discussed further in this document.

FRINGED MYOTIS BATS

EXISTING CONDITION
This  species prefers dry  coniferous forests  and  uses caves, buildings, bridges, crevices  and
large cavities for roosting.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
Fringed myotis bats are not known to occupy any portions of the higher elevation habitats within
either the American or Crooked River drainages.  For  this reason, there are expected to be "no
impacts" on the fringed myotis bat or its habitat under any alternative.  As a result, it will not be
analyzed or discussed further in this document.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 BLACK SWIFT

 EXISTING CONDITION
 This species requires moist cliff environments for nesting.  It builds nest on cliff ledges, near or
 behind waterfalls or in shallow caves.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS - ALL ALTERNATIVES
 High relief waterfalls are not present in the project area.  For this reason, there are expected to
 be "no impacts" on the black swift or its habitat under any alternative.  As a result, it will not be
 analyzed or discussed further in this document.

 PYGMY NUTHATCH

 EXISTING CONDITION
 This species shows a strong preference for mature ponderosa pine habitats. They feed on pine
 seeds and insects extracted from the bark of trees.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 No alternatives directly or indirectly impact low elevation stands of ponderosa pine that may be
 considered pygmy nuthatch habitat.  While pockets of small diameter ponderosa pine trees
 within  some mixed  conifer stands  may be thinned  or individual  dead/dying pines along  haul
 routes may be harvested, these components are not part of lower elevation pine stands suitable
 in elevation for this species.  No large  diameter ponderosa  pine are being considered for
 harvest.  No indirect or cumulative negative effects of the project have been identified relative to
 this bird  or its habitats. For this reason, no impacts are projected for pygmy nuthatches under
 any alternative and  they will not be analyzed  or discussed  further  in this document.   The
 sensitive species determination for the pygmy nuthatch would be "no impact" for all alternatives
 None of the project alternatives negatively affect conditions necessary for species viability.

 RINGNECK SNAKE

 EXISTING CONDITION
 The ringneck snake occurs in  low elevation, grassy, shrubby, or rocky canyons.  The American
 and Crooked River project does not contain habitat for this species.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 For this reason, no  impacts are projected for ringneck snake under any alternative and they will
 not be  analyzed or discussed further in this document.

 3.11.3.  INDICATOR 3 - OTHER MANAGEMENT INDICATOR SPECIES
 ELK

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Historically, elk were likely somewhat widespread but sparsely populated in most areas but fairly
 common  in the South Fork Clearwater River Subbasin's  coniferous  forests.   Early in  the
twentieth century, when large wildfires  created extensive  forage areas and  other effects of
settlement manifested themselves,  the stage  was set for elk population increases. In recent
decades, elk populations have stabilized and begun  to decline because of forest successional
advancement on winter ranges and greater hunting mortality (USDA FS, 1998b).  Due to recent
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 declines in elk herd numbers and productivity data for elk hunt units of the Clearwater subbasin,
 regional sportsmen's organizations and the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game have voiced a desire
 to increase forest vegetative treatment activities and other disturbances that will help restore elk
 forage and improve overall elk habitat productivity locally.

 Elk habitat is categorized into summer and winter range.  At the larger scale, winter range is
 considered a major habitat limiting factor for elk populations in the South Fork Clearwater River
 Subbasin.  Winter range is essentially absent in project portions of the American River drainage
 and only a very limited  amount of winter range  (along  lower  Crooked River)  exists in  the
 Crooked River drainage.   Harvest and fuel reduction treatments  of the American  and Crooked
 River Project are planned to occur outside winter ranges, at elevations considered elk summer
 range.

 The criteria for elk in the American and  Crooked  River Project will be relative adherence to
 Forest  Plan  summer elk habitat management objectives.    Summer ranges are  managed
 according to Forest Plan elk summer habitat objectives of 25, 50, 75 or 100 percent, and areas
 are subdivided  into analysis units for assessment  purposes.   The affected elk analysis  units,
 their current  habitat conditions  and Forest Plan objective percentages within American and
 Crooked River  include: Marten  Meadows 84/75; American River 72/50; Queen  Creek 77/50;
 Relief Creek 60/50; Kirks  Fork 83/75; and Deadwood  52/50.  Since these units were originally
 analyzed in the  early 1990s, some domestic livestock use in  some units has diminished.   In
 addition, more than a decade of tree growth in more recent harvest unit plantations has moved
 many units into "hiding cover" condition, which has helped improve overall habitat conditions for
 elk.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 Direct  disturbances from  harvest actions, reading, watershed restoration actions and  other
 similar  activities will temporarily disturb  or displace  elk in all action alternatives, but these
 impacts would be limited  in duration.  Elk can avoid such disturbances by using ridges and
 visual barriers.   Noxious weeds that  could pioneer burned sites would negatively impact  elk
 foraging areas by displacing desirable plants, but this would not  be expected to be sufficiently
 extensive or widespread enough to be of major significance under any action alternative.

 Noxious weeds can reduce available forage for elk and degrade long term habitat quality where
 infestations become severe.  Road decommissioning,  watershed  restoration actions, and  post-
 harvest slash treatments  using fire are not expected to negatively impact elk  or their habitats
 considerably, regardless of alternative.

 Guidelines  for Evaluating  and Managing  Summer Elk Habitat in Northern Idaho (USDA FS,
 1987c, Appendix B), is used to analyze units for potential  elk use.  In evaluating potential  elk
 use, this habitat suitability index model factors in several variables affecting elk use including
 open roads, livestock densities and other factors such as cover, forage, and  security areas.
 Summary results of Elk Analysis Units  (EAUs) are listed below.

 During field reviews and  harvest site inventories for  the American/Crooked River Project, a
 limited  number of unauthorized  and undocumented ATV trail  segments created  by  unknown
 users were discovered.  No  formal inventory of the numbers and extent of unauthorized ATV
trails in  the analysis area currently exists and thus is uncertain.  Those  unauthorized  trails
discovered  during field  inventories  were  not  considered  extensive  enough  to  result  in
considerable changes to overall elk habitat effectiveness.  Analyses included data from both


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 inventoried  roads and  trails.   Unauthorized trail  segments were  not incorporated  into the
 roads/trails analysis portion of the elk modeling results listed because they are not mapped and
 designated and were deemed immeasurable.

 Motorized travel  prevention  effectiveness  of each  road  decommissioning action  may vary
 slightly.  Effectiveness of motorized travel restrictions on decommissioned  roads will relate to
 the site-by-site conditions after decommissioning, relying specifically on road prism recontouring
 in combination with slash and/or existing vegetative barriers and camouflage or concealment of
 roadway entrances.

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Elk summer habitat effectiveness throughout the analysis area would  remain in concert with
 Forest Plan objectives in all Elk Analysis Units (EAUs).  Indirectly, this alternative would fully
 meet or exceed Forest Plan summer elk objectives in the short term, but as deadfall from fuel
 buildups continued, the attractiveness of much of the area to elk would likely decline due to
 perceived travel impairments and  predator escape difficulties.  This alternative would have the
 greatest fuel buildup and consequently the post-fire conditions and  risks in unharvested  sites
 may precipitate greater pioneering by noxious weeds.

 There would be no short-term changes to summer elk habitat under this alternative, and  road
 decommissioning  would  not occur.  Summer elk habitat potential would  be maintained as
 depicted by the  existing condition,  at  least  short-term.   As a result of fire  suppression,
 succession will continue. Open patch sizes will continue to decrease as ingrowth fills and
 matures in old openings; conifers will encroach in grasslands.  This process decreases the
 nutritional value and availability of transitional  and summer forage. If wildfires  were to occur in
 the area,  forage  areas  could be  replenished,  but existing  cover would  decrease.  As the
 mountain pine beetle epidemic continues, areas that currently provide  cover  will become too
 open  to serve that function.  As numerous dead trees fall to the ground, debris in  certain areas
 may become too deep for elk to move through.  Downed logs, shading from snags, and lack of
 seed  sources may delay the regeneration of new trees relative to harvested areas, but so too
 might the growth of grasses and shrubs be delayed.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Alternatives B  and C would slightly improve habitat conditions in the  American River portion of
 the drainage, due  mostly to modest reductions in open road access.  Conditions in the Crooked
 River portion of the area would remain the same or decline slightly due  principally  to  road
 access and  changes in cover.  Moderate levels of harvest, followed predominantly  with
 prescription fire to remove logging slash, would help stimulate regrowth of nutritious forage
 plants important to elk nutrition.

 Overall, the effects of implementing Alternative D would be similar to Alternative E, because of
 similar post-project access restrictions on motorized use of roads. With respect to creation of
foraging areas, Alternative D harvests and treats the most acres with post-logging prescription
fire, which would generate the greatest forage.
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 Alternative E would improve  summer habitat effectiveness the most, even  though harvest
 acreages and forage generation are lowest of all action alternatives. This is principally due to
 reductions in motorized access  levels on roadways resulting from road decommissioning.
 Improvements  in overall habitat  effectiveness would  be realized in both  the American and
 Crooked River portions of the project area in this alternative.

 The following table shows the new  elk  habitat  effectiveness (EHE) numbers, which were
 calculated as a measure of the effects of each action alternative on summer elk habitat.  In the
 American River Elk Analysis Unit (EAU), EHE numbers would decrease for alternatives B and
 C,  and increase above existing  condition for alternatives  D  and  E.  EHE  numbers would
 increase across all action  alternatives in  Marten  Meadows, Queen's Creek,  and Kirk's Fork
 EAUs.  In Deadwood Creek, EHE numbers would remain stable for all action alternatives except
 increase with alternative E. Alternatives D and  E would improve EHE numbers in Relief Creek,
 but decrease under the other action alternatives.

 Alternative E would result  in the most  EAUs,  with  increased  elk habitat effectiveness in six
 EHEs, followed by alternatives  D, B, and C. Under all alternatives, the risk of stand-replacing
 fires would decrease locally.  By removing dead material and conducting some burns, browse
 species could be rejuvenated and resprouting would occur.

        TABLE 3.157 - PERCENT ELK HABITAT EFFECTIVENESS BY EAU AND ALTERNATIVE
                       (Note:  Higher percentage equates to better habitat)
ELK ANALYSIS
UNIT AND NUMBER
Marten Meadows - 58121
American River- 58122
Queen Cr. -58131
Kirk's Fork -581 61
Deadwood - 38201
Relief Cr. - 3821 1
FOREST PLAN
OBJECTIVE
(%)
75
50
50
75
50
50
ALTERNATIVES
A
(EXISTING)
84
72
77
83
52
60
B
85
71
77
88
52
59
C
87
71
80
88
52
59
D1
87/92
72/81
80
88
51/52
58/61
E
92
80
80
89
55
63
As vegetative treatments are implemented in the project area, human-elk interactions are likely
to increase. As mitigation, existing access restrictions will be maintained on Forest roads in the
planning area.   Long-term, road densities would  decrease as  roads are decommissioned.
Weed treatments that reduce weed competition with or spread  into elk forage areas would be
beneficial to elk.  Moist sites, such as wet meadows, ponds, seeps, and springs, are important
to elk and would be protected by RHCA buffers as part of project implementation.

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
The  'no action' alternative would add  cumulatively  to fuel loading effects caused by past fire
exclusion and the current mountain pine beetle epidemic, but overall net effects on elk or their
habitat would be relatively minor.  Allowing continued fuel buildups in the analysis area would
 First figure includes required watershed improvement projects only; second figure includes required and additional
watershed improvement projects
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 have little effect initially, but eventual negative impact on elk habitat conditions flack-strawed
 stands, movement barriers) would be cumulative to previous  reading, public vehicular travel in
 the area, harvest activities, and other human-induced disturbances and activities on elk habitat
 security.  Other recent and foreseeable  harvests on nearby private and BLM lands would also
 help create additional forage resources  for elk, but would not likely change overall elk habitat
 effectiveness measurably.

 Action alternatives would add cumulatively to fuel loading effects caused by past fire exclusion
 and the current mountain pine beetle epidemic, but overall  net effects on elk or  their habitat
 would be relatively minor.  Modest reductions in fuel buildups in the project area would reduce
 the potential for movement barriers  (jack-strawed stands).  However,  in untreated areas the
 potential for jack-strawed stands to create movement barriers would be cumulative to previous
 reading,  public vehicular travel  in  the  area,  harvest activities,  and other  human-induced
 disturbances and activities on elk habitat security. Other recent and foreseeable  harvests on
 nearby private  and  BLM lands would also help create  additional forage resources for elk, but
 would also add to security weaknesses and cover losses.  Overall cumulative effects would be
 similar to Alternative A.

 Past fires, fire  suppression, and timber harvest across the  analysis area have resulted in a
 complex matrix of forested interior habitat, edge, ecotones, and openings in various stages of
 succession.  Past timber harvest converted  a considerable amount of the hiding  and thermal
 cover into seedling stands, some of which have progressed to sapling hiding cover.  Past timber
 harvest also narrowed or severed forested connections. Tree harvest has removed hiding and
 screening  cover  along  open  and closed  roads,  and  human population  and access  have
 dramatically increased over historical conditions.  Numerous  recreational opportunities across
 the analysis area, including big game  hunting, can cause displacement or mortality of elk.

 This project and others in the area target dead, dying,  and merchantable green lodgepole pine
 and other tree species in some capacity.  Cumulatively, the loss of small tree cover for elk  could
 affect  populations in the project area and in  the  American  and  Crooked  River watersheds.
 Adding to this situation is the fact that many additional stands of small tree lodgepole pine and
 mixed  conifer that are not proposed for timber harvest or  silvicultural treatments are being
 altered or lost by a more "natural" process of bug kill,  decay, and  fire.  Projects  that do not
 consider the distribution of the mountain pine  beetle-caused openings relative to  project
 activities could  result in greatly reduced elk cover across the landscape.  At the  project and
 watershed levels,  elk populations could be impacted by the cumulative effects of past, present,
 and  reasonably foreseeable future  actions.   Because  American  and Crooked River elk
 populations may migrate to other areas of the  Forest, these effects could be noticeable at the
 Forest level as well.  However, across the range of the species, the effects of past, present, and
 reasonably foreseeable future actions  in and around the  American and  Crooked   River
watersheds appear negligible.

 SHIRA'S MOOSE

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Shira's moose are widely distributed throughout Idaho and are relatively common in the South
 Fork Clearwater Subbasin, including the  Nez Perce National  Forest.  Moose populations  have
greatly expanded  across Idaho since the 1960s, and most populations  are currently stable or
 increasing (USDA FS, 1998b).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The recognized critical habitat for moose of the South Fork Subbasin is mature and old growth
 grand fir and subalpine fir stands that exhibit an understory of Pacific yew. This winter moose
 habitat (Forest Plan Management Area 21),  is important to moose for both cover and forage
 during the winter season.  ).  Moose habitat in Crooked River and American ERUs is now 325
 percent and 306  percent of  historic levels in Crooked and American River ERUs respectively
 (USDA FS  1998b). This can be attributable to increases in more shade tolerant tree species,
 like subalpine fir and grand fir, due to fire suppression and forest succession (USDA FS, 1998a,
 pg. 83).  American River ERU  contains disproportionately more high quality moose winter
 habitat (approximately 21,391 acres) compared to the 6,455 acres of this habitat in Crooked
 River ERU (USDA FS, 1998b).

 Maintaining high  quality moose habitat in quantities that are well beyond the historic levels
 would make little sense, especially for a species which is increasing and is a relative habitat
 generalist (USDA FS, 1998b).  In addition, attempting to maintain such conditions would  likely
 be unsustainable  over the  longer  term,  given  increasing fuel loadings and  the known fire
 disturbance patterns in the analysis area.  Fire hazard will  increase as more stands in the area
 transition from low or moderate hazard to high.  Neither American nor Crooked River drainages
 are viewed  as  high priority areas to manage for moose conservation.  Nevertheless,  the Nez
 Perce Forest Plan limits timber harvests in MA21 to a maximum of 5 percent per decade based
 on a 210 year rotation (USDA FS 1987a, page III-59).

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 Noxious weeds, road  decommissioning, watershed restoration actions, and post-harvest slash
 treatments using fire are not expected to impact moose or their habitats considerably regardless
 of alternative.

 Most MA21 habitat in the American River drainage occurs several miles west of all  planned
 harvest units.  No MA21 habitat in the American River drainage is planned for harvest by any
 alternative.  MA21 habitats  in  the  Crooked River drainage occur  mostly in the northwest
 quadrant and  away from  most harvest units,  however  32 acres of MA21   in the Crooked
 drainage will be affected by harvest  activity in  all action alternatives. Based on  this information,
 the analysis criteria for moose will be acres of MA 21 harvested.

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Overall, the existing  condition  would  not change  under this  alternative.   The  'no  action'
 alternative would  not harvest in  MA21 designated areas and would have no  direct impact on
 important moose winter habitats.  The road decommissioning associated with this project would
 not take place.  The 'no action' alternative would have uncertain indirect effects of encouraging
 continued fuel loading throughout the areas, which may indirectly increase future fire-loss  risks
 of some stands  of  moose winter habitat.  Continued fire suppression activities would result in a
 decline in younger stands  and openings used by moose during summer.  Conifer-shrub  and
 mountain shrub cover types would decline in amount and distribution, as would the size of open
 patches as ingrowth fills and matures in old openings.  Mature and old growth forests with  a
 Pacific yew  understory would remain intact  barring  a wildfire.   Considering  current moose
 habitat prevalence and moose  populations  in the analysis area, this would  not likely be
considered a major negative impact.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, and E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Direct effects would include harvest of approximately 32 acres of MA21 designated areas in the
 Crooked River drainage.  None would be harvested within the American River drainage.  Loss
 or modification of such small amounts of moose habitat would be minor. Indirect effect on future
 fire hazard reduction would also be negligible.

 Alternatives B and C would modestly improve habitat security compared to Alternative  A by
 reducing motorized access particularly in the American River portion  of the  analysis area, but
 the Crooked River portion would  remain the same as Alternative A. Alternatives D and E would
 improve  habitat security to  the  highest level and positive effects would accrue to both the
 American and Crooked River portions of the analysis area compared  to Alternatives A, B, and
 \-/.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 The 'no action1 alternative would  have no major cumulative effects on  moose or their important
 winter habitats.  This action, in concert with past and present  fire exclusion, along with other
 habitat intrusions such as reading,  harvesting, public recreation activities and other impacts on
 the land would further modify habitat outside its historic norm, but would not be likely to affect
 moose considerably.

 Planned harvest (32 acres in the Crooked  River drainage), fuel treatments,  and other related
 activities in addition to past, present and  reasonably foreseeable future activities including
 additional harvests on  BLM lands and the proposed Tract 39 exchange (35 acres in American
 River drainage),  would  amount cumulatively to  less than 1/4  of 1 percent of the MA21
 designated areas, well below  maximum Forest  Plan  5  percent  standards.   This amount of
 impact would not sufficiently break up or reduce fuels to any extent likely to have measurable
 effects on moose or protection of MA21 designated habitats from wildfire risks.

 Past timber harvest has resulted in the loss of medium and large trees as well as some grand
fir/Pacific yew moose winter range.  Active fire suppression since the  early 1900s has allowed
succession to continue, and this has resulted in an increase in the amount of moose winter
 range available  in the area in  recent time.  The  long-term effect of fire suppression could
 increase the likelihood of stand-replacing fire, which in turn could result in the loss of Pacific
yew, a fire-intolerant species.

 Road construction has resulted in increased access into the project area and reduced security
for moose. Human disturbance, as it relates to wildlife security and human-induced mortality, is
the past, present, and  reasonably foreseeable action with the greatest effect on moose in the
planning area. All action alternatives would decommission roads and  maintain current access
restrictions.  The timing of road  construction and  reconstruction, timber harvest, and burning
could .delay the effectiveness of road reconditioning.

Other projects proposed for the American  and Crooked River watersheds and  surrounding
areas could remove additional stands of biological moose winter range and MA 21 designated
habitat, and/or modify moose habitat. These projects, in combination with ongoing recreational
activities such as firewood cutting, private land timber harvest, grazing,  and recreational mining,
could disturb  moose and  increase  human-moose  interactions.  At the project  and watershed
level, removal of  important moose  winter range  could  affect individuals  and populations.


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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Modifications to moose summer habitat would be less impactive to individuals and populations,
 as summer habitat is not limiting in the project area and because present and future actions
 would tend to modify rather than remove summer habitat.  At the Forest level  and across the
 range of the species, past,  present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions would have
 negligible effects.

 PILEATED WOODPECKER

 EXISTING CONDITION
 The pileated woodpecker is widely distributed in western North America, and is a fairly common
 resident of northern Idaho's coniferous forests.  Pileateds are most commonly found in mature
 to overmature forests that have numerous, large dead or dying  trees.  It is considered an old-
 growth indicator species, and nests in large diameter snags.   Preferred foraging  habitat  is
 characterized by dense canopies, with high snag and log densities.  Grand fir forests with  at
 least two canopy layers and greater than 75 percent canopy closure are preferred for nesting
 (Bull et a/.,  1986 p. 5). Forests above 5,000 feet in elevation are generally avoided.  Lodgepole
 pine and spruce-fir forests in particular receive little use, most likely due to the scarcity of large
 diameter trees (USDA FS, 1998b).

 Territories of nesting pairs cover 500-1,000 acres  in Montana;  1,000-1,300 acres in western
 Oregon; and 320-600 acres in northeastern  Oregon (Aney and  McClelland, 1985).  Not every
 stand within a bird's home range is used as feeding habitat and the range of a nesting pair  is
 partly  determined by the  amount  of suitable feeding habitat  in proximity to the nest site.
 Information  in the South  Fork Clearwater  Landscape Assessment,  indicates that pileated
 woodpecker habitat is now more abundant than historically. Comparison of the extent of current
 (1997) versus  historic pileated woodpecker habitat acres in  the American and  Crooked River
 ERUs revealed that such habitat is 275 percent and 289 percent of historic in these respective
 drainages (USDA FS, 1998b).

 The American River ERU contains approximately  18,964  acres of high quality habitat for
 pileated woodpeckers and the Crooked River ERU contains about  12,997 acres (USDA FS,
 1998B - Wildlife Technical Report - Pileated woodpecker, 19981).  This  can be attributable to
 increases in more shade tolerant tree species, like grand fir, due to fire suppression and forest
 succession  (USDA FS, 1998a, pg. 83).

 Based data from  population  monitoring  across the  Nez  Perce National Forest,  pileated
woodpecker populations remain healthy and stable (USDA FS, 2004c)

 For this analysis pileated woodpecker nesting  habitat  was defined  as vegetation other than
 lodgepole pine and  subalpine  fir, with large trees (greater  than 15 inches dbh) and closed
canopies (greater than 60 percent).  Foraging habitat consists of nesting habitat, plus medium-
sized trees  (greater than 10 inches  dbh) or larger with canopy cover greater than 25 percent.
The following table (Table 3.158) shows the acres of each habitat for the two watersheds (and
percentage  of habitat within the two watersheds).

        TABLE 3.158 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PILEATED WOODPECKER NESTING HABITAT
Watershed
American River
Crooked River
NESTING HABITAT ACRES
(VoWTRSD)
13,398(23%)
6,213(14%)
FORAGING HABITAT ACRES
(% WTRSD)
27,593 (47%)
14,005(31%)
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 There  are  many  acres of  potential  foraging  habitat in the  project area,  and  pileated
 woodpeckers will increase  their home range  in order to find suitable foraging sites.  The
 distribution  of foraging  habitat in relation to nesting habitat likely dictates its use by  pileated
 woodpeckers more than it just being  present on the landscape.  Both nesting and foraging
 habitat are well distributed throughout the project area.

 By assuming an average  home range size of 1,000 acres per nesting pair,  an index was
 developed to compare  the  effects  of each alternative.  Under the existing  condition, 27,500
 acres of habitat could support about 27 pileated woodpecker pairs in the American River area
 and 14,000 acres could support about 14 pileated woodpecker pairs in Crooked River area.
 [Note: Because pileated woodpeckers can forage in the same stands as they nest, acres of
 nesting habitat is included in the acre figure.]  It is important to emphasize that this number is
 simply an analytical index and in no way attempts to measure actual densities  or numbers of
 pileated pairs on the landscape.  Pileated woodpecker home ranges can vary in size and it is
 not known how much home range overlap might exist within or between individual birds or pairs.

 The results of the Forest-wide Inventory and Analysis indicate that, overall, pileated woodpecker
 habitat  is widely distributed across the  Forest (this includes nesting and foraging habitat). The
 total potential pileated habitat represents approximately 41 percent of the forested lands Forest-
 wide, with a 90 percent  confidence interval of 37-45 percent.  Total pileated woodpecker habitat
 (represented by foraging habitat, as nesting habitat is included in the calculations) amounts to
 47 percent of the forested lands in the American River watershed and 21 percent  in the Crooked
 River watershed. The following table (Table 3.159) displays the FIA data at three scales:

    1.  Forest;

    2.  Subbasin (4th HUC); and

    3.  Watershed (5th HUC).

 The amount and distribution of habitat is both a reflection of the capability and current condition
 of the landscape, as well as the number of plots across the landscape.

  TABLE 3.159 - FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS DATA FOR PILEATED WOODPECKER HABITATI
Species
Pileated
Nesting
Habitat
Pileated
Foraging
Habitat
Nez Perce Forest
Cl
Low
8
37
Mean
10
41
Ci
High
12
45
South Fork
Clearwater River
Cl
Low
7
42
Mean
11
50
Cl
High
16
57
American River
Watershed
Cl
Low
0
21
Mean
3
47
Cl
High
11
72
Crooked River
Watershed
Cl
Low
0
0
Mean
0
21
ci
High
0
43
 Forest inventory and analysis data at three scales for percent pileated woodpecker nesting and foraging habitat
including 90 percent confidence intervals (Cl low and Cl high).
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Estimates of pileated woodpecker habitat based on R1VMP and the FIA data differ primarily due
 to the differences  in parameters used  in defining habitat.   The R1VMP model  uses  several
 parameters, including live tree  size (dbh),  live tree species, and canopy  closure.  The FIA
 habitat  model used  primarily a snag  diameter component, which  R1VMP  does not have.
 R1VMP also provides a spatial context not represented by the FIA data.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 No existing old growth stands will be harvested  under any alternative. An abundance of dead
 and dying lodgepole pine is present throughout the analysis area as foraging habitat and this
 will  not change  substantially, regardless of any action  alternative.  Therefore, the analysis
 criteria for pileated woodpecker  is the degree to which each alternative maintains and protects
 mature  mixed  conifer stands preferred for future nesting habitat. The removal of dead, dying,
 and green trees  would remove foraging and nesting sites and would constitute habitat losses.
 The net effects of harvest on pileated woodpeckers would be relatively minor within the context
 of each alternative because of the  limited areas treated, limited numbers of dead/dying trees
 taken, and diameter limits of 20 inches.  Noxious weeds,  road decommissioning, watershed
 restoration actions, and  post-harvest slash  treatments using fire are not expected to impact
 pileated woodpeckers or their habitats considerably regardless of alternative. An estimated 30-
 40 percent of total harvest acres is expected  to be in mixed conifer stands in all  alternatives.

 ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 The 'no action' alternative would have no direct impacts to pileated woodpeckers, old growth, or
 any of their habitats. Important replacement old growth stands would also be protected from
 harvest.  In general, nesting and foraging habitat would increase  as forest succession continues
 to fill in understories and increase stand canopy closure.   Indirect effects of the  'no action'
 alternative may slightly increase future risks of eventual fire damage or destruction to some
 individual old growth or mature mixed conifer stands (refer to Section 3.4 - Fire  for more details)
 and thus potentially reduce nesting habitat across the two drainages.

ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Regeneration harvest and thinning  can impact  pileated woodpeckers  by  removing suitable
nesting  habitat, as well as snags and down wood used for foraging.  The proposed project
design spreads potentially affected acres across most of the analysis area.  As a result, most
resident pileated woodpeckers would be likely to experience some habitat  loss at a small or site-
specific scale.

  TABLE 3.160 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PILEATED WOODPECKER NESTING HABITAT MODIFIED BY
                      EACH ACTION ALTERNATIVE (AMERICAN RIVER)
American River
Acres (%) nesting Habitat treated
Acres (%) foraging habitat
treated
Alt.
A
0
0
Alt. B
100
(<1%)
179
(<1%)
Alt. C
137(1%)
220
(<1%)
Ait. D
294
(2%)
439
(1%)
AitE
66(<1%)
121
(<1%)
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  TABLE 3.161 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PILEATED WOODPECKER FORAGING HABITAT MODIFIED BY
                       EACH ACTION ALTERNATIVE (CROOKED RIVER)
Crooked River
Acres (%) nesting Habitat treated
Acres (%) foraging habitat treated
Alt. A
0
0
Ait. B
243 (4%)
451 (3%)
Alt. C
251 (4%)
486 (3%)
Alt. D
284 (5%)
561 (4%)
Alt. E
225 (4%)
423(3%)
 Changes in potential nesting habitat acres are outlined by alternative in Tables 3.160 and 3.161
 above. Silvicultural treatments that encourage the development of large trees (greater than 21
 inches dbh) over the  planning area would benefit pileated nesting habitat.  However, any
 harvest activity that would reduce canopy closure below 50 percent would reduce the potential
 for those stands to be used as nesting habitat.

 None  of the alternatives would harvest much that qualifies as nesting habitat.  Alternatives B
 and  E would modify the fewest acres  of  pileated  nesting habitat (less than 1 percent of the
 existing  habitat in American River and  4 percent in Crooked River),  and alternative D would
 modify the  greatest acreage (about 2 percent of existing  habitat in American  River and 5
 percent in Crooked River).  No harvest activities would take place in allocated old growth areas
 or RHCAs,  so these stands would remain relatively intact and available for  potential pileated
 woodpecker nest sites.  The  disturbance from road work and the edge effects created by the
 roads would probably not be of sufficient magnitude to change the suitability of these stands for
 nesting pileated woodpeckers.

 Action alternatives would directly  impact patches of mature mixed conifer habitats, but would
 produce no direct effects to  existing old growth stands.  Important  replacement old  growth
 stands would also be protected from harvest.  Low levels of mixed conifer harvest would result
 in only minor negative  impacts, given the relative abundance of current high quality  habitat in
 both drainages compared to historical norms.  As a result of indirect effects from continued fuel
 buildups over much  of the analysis area,  despite some fuel reduction,  lethal/stand-replacing
 fires are predicted to become more prevalent with associated risks of related habitat losses
 (refer to Section 3.4 - Fire for additional details).

 Changes in potential foraging habitat acres are outlined by alternative in Tables 3.160  and
 3.161 above. Alternatives B, C, and E would modify the fewest acres of pileated foraging habitat
 (less than 1 percent of the existing habitat in American River and 3 percent in Crooked River),
 and alternative D  would modify the greatest acreage (about 1 percent of the existing  habitat in
American River and 4 percent in Crooked River).  Using our analytical  index, under alternatives
 B, C, D, and E, enough pileated woodpecker habitat would remain in the project area to support
about 27 pileated  pairs in American River and 13-14 pairs in Crooked River.

 Harvesting  dead/dying and merchantable green trees would create openings across the project
area.   Where  harvest  resulted in regenerative  cuts,  shelterwood  cuts, or  clearcuts  with
 residuals, foraging and  nesting habitat would be lost for pileated woodpeckers.  Leaving snags
and  green  tree  replacements  would  leave  structures that could   be utilized  by pileated
woodpeckers.

 In mixed conifer or other vegetation types where lodgepole pine is a component of the stand,
thinning prescriptions that leave greater  than 40 percent canopy closure and do not take snags
and  down   wood from  other  species,  would leave  foraging  opportunities for  pileated
woodpeckers. Thinned stands could maintain or create more favorable conditions over time for
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 pileated woodpeckers  as these stands develop structural  diversity.  Silvicultural prescriptions
 that retain many or all of the larger (greater than 20 inches), wind-firm trees in ponderosa pine,
 Douglas-fir,  and mixed conifer stands, would maintain and improve these stands as potential
 pileated foraging and nesting habitat.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 The 'no action' alternative would allow stands to transition to higher fire hazard conditions which
 would be cumulative to effects from past fire exclusion, reading effects, loss  of large diameter
 trees, and other human-caused impacts on habitat quality.  Harvests planned for nearby BLM
 lands would add  cumulatively to habitat losses and  prior impacts.  This  alternative would
 indirectly result in  slightly greater cumulative risks of fire damage or losses to some individual
 stands of existing old growth and/or mature mixed conifer stands.

 Timber harvest and road construction have reduced the amount and continuity of mature and
 old growth habitat across the project area. In addition, past  actions frequently targeted medium
 and large trees and valuable ponderosa pine and western larch snags. These actions have left
 fewer appropriate stands, and  trees within stands, that could be used by pileated woodpeckers.
 Past harvest left few snags or  legacy trees, and little down wood. As these older harvest units
 have begun to mature, they  are devoid  of the structures that  could be  utilized by pileated
 woodpeckers.   At  the same time, active fire suppression since  the  early  1900s has allowed
 succession  to  continue in those stands that have not been harvested.  Relatively simple one-
 and two-story stands have transitioned  to  more complex multi-story stands with  increased
 canopy closure and individual trees have  grown larger.  Some of these stands may now qualify
 as  suitable  pileated habitat.   Increased fuel  loads  from  fire  suppression  and  the current
 mountain pine beetle epidemic increases  the chance of stand-replacing fires that could remove
 several acres of older forest habitats from the landscape. Fires would create additional snags,
 but it would take many years  before a new forest would mature to levels where burnt stands
 could be used by pileated woodpeckers.   Other projects in or near the project area may also
 alter the amount, distribution, and connectivity of older, dense-canopied stands.

 The proposed  project and other projects proposed in the area could open or remove significant
 acres of canopy. When new units abut old harvest units and stands undergoing beetle kill, the
 number and/or size of the openings could  be too large to be used by  pileated woodpeckers.  If
 foraging habitat, which requires canopy closure, becomes too sparse within a pileated territory,
 that bird or  pair may expend  too  much  energy foraging to maintain their territory or to rear
 young.   The mountain  pine  beetle  epidemic is creating  many, large openings across the
 landscape.  Projects that do not consider the distribution of the  mountain  pine beetle-caused
 openings relative to project activities could result in greatly reduced pileated habitat across the
 landscape.

Although individual birds or pairs could be disturbed by project activities, none of the proposed
alternatives  should affect populations  at the local or watershed  level.  Management practices
 proposed  in the American  and  Crooked  River project  are considered  to  be consistent with
strategies identified as part  of the South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA
 FS  1998a) in  terms  of maintaining high  canopy closure, old growth forest  for nesting, and
maintaining  roost trees and foraging habitat. At the Forest  level, and across the range of the
species, the  effects of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions appear small to
negligible.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 PINE MARTEN

 EXISTING CONDITION
 Pine marten (American marten) are widely distributed in the western United States, inhabiting
 montane  coniferous forests.   In  various sites  in the northern  Rocky Mountains, marten's
 preferences for major vegetation types include mesic subalpine fir, Douglas fir, and lodgepole
 pine, but  xeric subalpine fir and lodgepole associations  are also used.   They are generally
 considered a high elevation old growth associated species with somewhat overlapping habitat
 requirements to those of the fisher.  They prefer high elevation, mature or older mesic forests
 and consistently  prefer  sites  with complex physical structure near the ground (Buskirk and
 Ruggiero  1994,  p.  22).   Complex physical structure near the ground  provides important
 protection from predators as well as important  protective  thermal  microenvironments  used
 during the winter.  Like fishers, pine marten are known to prefer riparian and streamside timber
 stands for resting and foraging (Buskirk and Ruggiero 1994, p. 22).  In some locations in the
 northern Rocky mountains, martens have preferred stands characterized by xeric subalpine fir
 and lodgepole pine.

 Logging is commonly regarded as the primary cause of observed  pine marten distributional
 losses in historic times in the western  United States.  Martens generally avoid habitats that lack
 overhead  cover, such as clearcuts, herbaceous parklands, and meadows.  In some portions of
 its range such as  the Pacific Northwest, clearcutting of old growth and overmature stands and
 habitat fragmentation has seriously affected distribution of marten.  In the Rocky Mountains and
 Sierra Nevadas, the  marten generally has a geographic range similar to that of presettlement
 times, though  population levels are not known reliably enough to compare current levels with
 those at any  earlier time (Buskirk and Ruggiero 1994,  p.  29).  Clearcutting of mature and
 overmature timber is generally considered deleterious to marten populations.  In areas where
 clearcutting is  extreme, the habitat quality for martens decreases, resulting in increased home
 range sizes. A recent study from southwest Montana (Coffin, K. et a/., 2002, p. 31) concluded
 that marten densities tended to be higher in study sites with less disturbance from logging and
 fire,  but marten were nevertheless able to occupy heavily logged and roaded areas.  While fire,
 insects, and  disease also cause tree  death  in the western  U.S., the effects of these
 disturbances on marten have been  poorly studied (Buskirk and Ruggiero 1994, p. 13).

 Pine marten are  known to  occur  within the American and  Crooked  River drainages.   Both
 sightings and tracks  have been recorded.  One pine marten was observed during daylight hours
 while conducting harvest-associated resource surveys along Road 1810 in  the American River
 drainage (See  project file).

 Currently,  the extent of available habitat for  pine marten within  American and Crooked
 drainages  respectively is 223 percent and 284 percent of historic levels (USDA FS,  1998b). A
 view of the larger landscape  indicates that current  habitat  arrangement  (in the South  Fork
 Clearwater River drainage),  allows easy connectivity for marten movement within the habitat.
 The  only barrier to marten travel within the South Fork Clearwater landscape is  the Camas
 Prairie, which does not fragment intra-subbasin  marten populations (USDA FS, 1998b).  This
 can be attributable to increases in more shade tolerant tree species, like subalpine fir and grand
fir, due to fire suppression and forest succession (USDA FS,  1998a, p. 83).  While  habitat
 quantity has increased, habitat quality has likely declined due to loss of larger snags  and  habitat
 heterogeneity from fuel-wooding, fire suppression,  and loss of large diameter trees due to past
timber harvest. A  more thorough discussion of marten habitat needs, old growth habitats, and
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 current habitat conditions is referenced in the South Fork Landscape Assessment on pages
 104, 106, 107; and within the South Fork Landscape Assessment's Wildlife Technical Report in
 the section on American Marten (USDA FS, 1998b).

 Martens breed from late June to early August, with most mating occurring in July. Births occur
 in March and April. Young martens emerge from the dens at about 50 days of age, but may be
 moved earlier among dens by the mother. A variety of structures are used for dens, with trees,
 logs, and rocks accounting for 70 percent of reported den structures.   In virtually  all studied
 cases involving standing trees, logs, and snags, dens were found in large structures that are
 characteristic  of  late-successional forests  (Buskirk and  Ruggiero  1994, p.  15).   Late-
 successional and  old growth stands are therefore considered  the primary den site habitats.
 Prescription burning of post-logging slash during  spring periods was  evaluated  relative to
 potential effects on pine marten and other denning mammals.  While there is the potential for
 disturbance and/or displacement of nesting pine marten, risks are relatively low  because larger
 structures (large trees and snags) considered most suitable, as dens occur most commonly in
 old growth habitats, which are not being impacted by any harvest treatments.  Even so, harvest
 units burned along edges of late-successional and old-growth stands would potentially disturb or
 displace  individuals.    Pine   marten  display  adaptability to low-intensity  environmental
 disturbances and  have been documented to  move offspring to  different dens  by the mother
 (Buskirk and Ruggiero 1994, p.  18). The most common means  by which humans directly affect
 marten populations is through  trapping, although  highway  accidents also cause some  direct
 mortalities.

 Since  Forest Plan  inception (USDA FS,  1987a), pine marten population monitoring track counts
 and incidental sightings indicate that marten  population trends across the Nez Perce Forest
 remain stable (USDA FS 2004, NPNF 15th Annual Monitoring and  Evaluation Report Draft -2002
 Pine marten/fisher monitoring data - Item 10 Population Trends of Indicator Species).

 For this analysis,  marten  habitat  consist of  mixed conifer, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine
 habitats with large trees (greater than 15 inches dbh; lodgepole pine dbh  greater than or equal
 to 10  inches)  and canopy cover greater  than 25  percent.  The following table (Table 3.162
 shows the acres of each habitat for the two watersheds (and percentage of habitat within the
 two watersheds).

                  TABLE 3.162 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PINE MARTEN HABITAT
Watershed
American River
Crooked River
Habitat Acres (% wtrsd)
38,497 (66%)
22,147 (49%)
By assuming an average home range size of 3,500 acres per female marten (Bull and Heater
2001), an analytical index was developed by which to compare the effects of each alternative.
Under the existing condition, 38,500 acres of habitat could support about 11 marten females in
American River and 22,000 acres could support about 6 marten females in Crooked River. It is
important to realize that these numbers are simply an analytical index and in no way attempt to
measure actual densities or numbers of pine marten on the landscape. Marten home range
sizes are not known in the project area and home range  sizes can vary between individuals and
across landscapes.

The  results  of the Forest-wide Forest  Inventory and Analysis  indicate that, overall, marten
habitat is widely distributed across the  Forest.  The total potential marten habitat represents


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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
approximately 19  percent  of the forested lands Forest-wide with  a 90 percent confidence
interval of 17 percent to 22 percent. Within the American River watershed, total marten habitat
amounts to 31 percent of the forested lands and 7 percent in the Crooked River watershed.  The
following table (Table 3.163) displays the FIA data at three scales:

    1.  Forest;

    2.  Subbasin (4th HUC); and

    3.  Watershed  (5th HUC).

The amount and distribution of habitat is both a reflection of the capability and current condition
of the landscape, as well as the number of plots across the landscape.

         TABLE 3.163 - FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS DATA FOR MARTIN HABITAT 1
Species
Habitat
Nez Perce Forest
CI
Low
17
Mean
19
CI
High
22
South Fork
Clearwater River
Ci
Low
19
Mean
25
CI
Hiqh
32
American River
Watershed
CI
Low
15
Mean
31
Ct
Hiqh
50
Crooked River
Watershed
CI
Low
0
Mean
7
CI
High
23
Estimates of marten habitat based on R1VMP and the FIA data differ primarily due to the
divisions for size class and canopy cover categories being slightly different  between the two
datasets.  R1VMP also provides a spatial context not represented by the FIA data.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
Based on available information, the analysis criteria for pine marten is the extent to which  each
alternative promotes and/or conserves late serai habitats and maintains or reduces densities of
roads and the associated potential  for mortality due to trapping. In all alternatives, all existing
old growth is protected and together with strategically selected replacement old growth stands
and protection of riparian zones, old growth  patch  size and connectivity are maintained.  The
removal of dead, dying, and green trees would remove foraging and nesting sites and would
constitute habitat losses  because of the marten's  preference for  live trees and  more dense
canopies. Noxious weeds, watershed restoration  actions, and post-harvest  slash treatments
using fire are not expected to impact pine marten or their habitats considerably, regardless of
alternative.  Road decommissioning would help reduce  facilitation of trapper access within the
analysis area.

ALTERNATIVE A - NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

DIRECT AND INDIRECT

The 'no action1 alternative would have no direct negative impact on marten or  their late  serai
habitats.   No potential den and  rest trees would be lost during temporary road construction or
logging, and the  overall existing condition would remain unchanged at least short-term. As
succession and fire suppression continue in the project area,  mosaic patterns currently on the
landscape would decline; openings would fill in and canopies would  close further. As the
 Forest inventory and analysis data at three scales for percent marten habitat, including 90% confidence intervals (CI
low and CI high).
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 mountain  pine beetle epidemic continues, dead  trees would fall to  the  ground increasing
 structural diversity at the ground level, which in turn would create suitable niches and habitats
 for marten prey.  The increase in  down and standing fuels would  increase the likelihood of a
 stand-replacing fire.  Wildfire could result in the loss of  mature and old growth stands that
 provide potential  resting, denning,  and foraging habitat for  marten.  Existing road access levels
 that facilitate potential trapping would remain unchanged.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 As displayed in Table 3.164, Alternative D would harvest or modify the greatest number of acres
 of  pine marten  habitat,  resulting  in moderate  levels of direct and  indirect fragmentation  of
 marten habitats.  Alternative E would affect the smallest amount of marten  habitat. Using our
 analytical index, under Alternatives B, C, D, and E, enough pine marten habitat would remain in
 the project area to support about 11 female martens in American River and 6 female marten in
 Crooked River. Basically, no change from the existing condition.

      TABLE 3.164 - ESTIMATED ACRES OF PINE MARTEN HABITAT MODIFIED BY EACH ACTION
                                      ALTERNATIVE
American River
Acres (%) Habitat treated
Crooked River
Acres (%) Habitat treated
Alt. A
0
Alt. A
0
Alt. B
425(1%)
Alt. B
859 (4%)
Alt. C
480(1%)
Alt. C
948 (4%)
Alt. D
781 (2%)
Alt. D
1,107(5%)
Alt. E
246 (<1%)
Ait. E
772 (3%)
 Treatments that include  regenerative harvests, shelterwood cuts,  and clearcuts with reserve
 trees would result in a loss of marten habitat.  Habitat connectivity would not be expected to be
 impacted by any of the action  alternatives.  The diversity of sizes, canopies, and landscape
 patterns would reduce the risk of stand replacing fires locally.

 Riparian corridors would  be buffered and  no trees would be harvested in these areas except
 individual trees removed during temporary road construction, road reconstruction, and/or the
 creation of cable corridors.  RHCAs would still function as potential summer habitat and travel
 corridors.  As succession continues, down wood, snags, and  gaps would  be expected to
 develop further creating the structural requirements marten prefer.  Similarly, no harvest would
 occur in areas allocated as Forest Plan old growth or  replacement old growth, so these areas
 would continue to provide potential habitat for marten.

 The temporary increase in human activity associated with project implementation could disturb
 individual martens or increase  human-marten  interactions.  As mitigation, all existing access
 closures would remain in place.

All action alternatives would produce no direct effects to existing old growth stands. As a result
of indirect effects from continued fuel buildups over much of the analysis area and despite some
fuel  reduction,  lethal,  stand-replacing  fires are predicted to  become  more prevalent with
associated risks of related habitat losses (refer to Section 3.4. - Fire for additional details).

Action alternatives would  slightly improve security through road decommissioning. Alternatives
B and C would  modestly  improve habitat security compared  to  Alternative  A  by reducing
motorized access, particularly in  the American  River portion  of the analysis area; but the
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Crooked River portion would remain the same as Alternative A.  Alternatives  D and E would
 improve habitat security to  the highest level and  positive effects would accrue to both the
 American and Crooked River portions of the analysis area compared to Alternatives A  B and
 C.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 The 'no action' alternative would  encourage continued fuel continuity and loading, which, in
 combination with effects of  past  harvest,  reading, fire exclusion actions, and other human-
 caused impacts, would add modestly to overall future habitat risks of habitat fragmentation by
 wildfire.  If wildfires occur, larger, post-fire openings  due to fuel continuity and loading, which, in
 combination with effects of  past  harvest,  reading, fire exclusion actions, and other human-
 caused impacts, would add modestly to overall future habitat risks of habitat fragmentation by
 wildfire.  If wildfires occur, larger, post-fire openings due to fuel continuity would increase habitat
 fragmentation in places,  indirectly discouraging pine marten immigration and recolonization of
 the area, and would  modestly  increase marten  home range sizes until  regrowth of suitable
 habitats were reestablished.  Refer to Section 3.4. - Fire for additional details.  No measurable
 cumulative positive or negative effects on facilitation  of trapper access would occur.

 Of the past and current activities that affect marten and their habitat, fire suppression and timber
 harvest have and will continue to alter the amount and distribution of potential habitat. With fire
 suppression, stands have increased in canopy closure and understory trees have grown into the
 mid-canopy and beyond.  Stands are more homogeneous and contain an  abundance of small-
 sized  trees (9-14  inches dbh).   Trees that have succumbed to over-crowding or shade-
 intolerance have died and possibly fallen to the  ground, creating structural diversity in these
 stands.  Timber harvest has added diversity to this homogenous landscape, although  with
 relatively uniform treatment  types (clearcuts) and  small (<40  acres  in size),  simple-shaped
 openings.  Large and  medium trees were targeted by past timber activities, and few snags,
 legacy trees,  and residual down wood were left behind.  Vertical,  horizontal, and ground level
 diversity was simplified in past  harvest areas.  These actions left a landscape that does not
 have the characteristic pattern of one under a more natural disturbance regime.

 Added to these effects are past, present, and future pine marten trapping which can modestly or
 dramatically affect local populations depending on  the magnitude of  harvest.   Currently, the
 project area is open to marten trapping and the trapping of other furbearers.  Marten can be
 caught in traps meant for other species.  Roads  have increased human access into the area
 and  have created  openings and  edges inside  stands of mature forest.   Roads have  also
 increased human-marten interactions and human-induced  mortality, primarily from trapping.

 The  current mountain  pine beetle epidemic is reducing  canopy closure  across much of the
 project area, particularly in stands that are predominately lodgepole pine. Many of these stands
 losing  a majority of their canopy and no longer provide the overstory cover with which marten
 are associated.  The dead and  dying trees  in these stands will soon start to fall, creating an
 abundance of woody debris, that may provide suitable habitat for marten and their prey should
 there be enough cover to afford protection.  Proposed treatments  in these stands could move
 them toward a forested condition faster than under succession; left untreated the level of down
wood and snags  might prevent seed establishment and/or block needed light for seedling
 development.

Action alternatives would partially  discourage continued fuel continuity and  loading, which, in
combination with effects  of past harvest, reading,  fire exclusion  actions, and  other human-


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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 caused impacts would add modestly to overall future habitat risks of habitat fragmentation by
 wildfire.  Larger, post-fire openings would cumulatively increase habitat fragmentation in places,
 indirectly discouraging immigration and recolonization of the area, and would modestly increase
 marten home range  sizes until regrowth of suitable habitats were reestablished.  Refer to
 Section 3.4. - Fire for additional details. Combined harvest impacts and impending fire risks to
 their  habitats from current and fuel loadings on the  uncharacteristically abundant  levels of
 habitat would be not substantial regardless of alternatives.

 Alternative C cumulative effects would be slightly greater than, but similar to those of Alternative
 B.  Combined harvest impacts and impending fire risks to their habitats from current and fuel
 loadings on the uncharacteristically abundant levels of habitat would be substantial regardless
 of alternatives. Alternative C would not contribute to long-term cumulative reductions in habitat
 security, because motorized access would be reduced slightly in the American River drainage.

 In addition to the proposed project, other projects  within and adjacent to  the American and
 Crooked River watersheds, may harvest or otherwise modify pine marten habitat.  At the project
 and watershed  level, individual  pine  marten  may be  affected,  but the  effect  on marten
 populations is expected to be small. At the Forest level and at the range of the species, the
 cumulative effects of the proposed project on pine marten appear negligible.

 3.11.4.  INDICATOR4-OTHERSPECIES

 NEOTROPICAL MIGRANT BIRDS
 Pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918 and Executive Order 13186 (E.G.)
 titled  "Responsibilities of Federal Agencies to Protect Migratory Birds", the  environmental
 analysis  of Federal actions are to evaluate the effects of actions and agency plans on migratory
 birds, with emphasis on species of concern.

 Additional direction comes from the  Memorandum of Understanding (MOD) between the USDA
 Forest Service and USDI  Fish and Wildlife Service, signed  January 17,  2001  (USDA FS, 2001).
 The purpose of this  MOU is "to strengthen migratory bird  conservation through enhanced
 collaboration between the Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, in coordination  with
 state, tribal, and local governments."

 Neotropical  migratory birds use all the habitats within  the  project area during  the breeding
 season.  In their Idaho Bird Conservation Plan, Idaho Partners in Flight (2000) identified several
 high priority species that  use  lodgepole pine habitats.  Idaho Partners  in Flight did not identify
 any high priority species that  use lodgepole pine forests as their primary breeding habitat,  but
this is likely an artifact of the data collected.  Those species that are thought or known to occur
in the project area and are identified as high priority species by Idaho Partners in Flight are
listed in Table 3.165 by primary breeding habitat.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
  TABLE 3.165 - IDAHO PARTNERS IN FLIGHT HIGH PRIORITY SPECIES THOUGHT TO OCCUR IN THE
                                     PROJECT AREA
Habitat Type
High-elevation Mixed Conifer
Lodgepole Pine
Low-elevation Mixed Conifer
Ponderosa Pine
Mountain Brush
Grassland
Non-Riverine Wetlands
(Marshes, Lakes, Ponds)
Riparian
Species
Three-toed woodpecker (moderate conservation priority), olive-
sided flycatcher, Hammond's flycatcher
Ruffed grouse, black-backed woodpecker, varied thrush
Sharp-shinned hawk, northern goshawk, black-backed
woodpecker, brown creeper, varied thrush, Townsend's warbler,
western tanager
Flammulated owl, white-headed woodpecker
Lazuli bunting (moderate conservation priority)
Western meadowlark
Cinnamon teal, redhead, sandhill crane, killdeer, American avocet
Rufous hummingbird, willow flycatcher, black-billed magpie,
American dipper, yellow warbler, MacGillivray's warbler
Neotropical migrant songbirds utilize coniferous forest habitats of the U.S. during the summer
breeding season, but migrate to southern latitudes to spend winters as far south as Mexico and
South  America.  Tropical  deforestation and  other  environmental effects related to wintering
grounds are thought to be largely responsible for declines in some Neotropical  migrant species
that summer in forests of the Eastern U.S.

Fragmentation of nesting  habitat is  also  theorized to increase rates of migrant bird  nest
predation and brood parasitism by other species.  Small, isolated forest patches,  particularly in
forests of the eastern U.S. are considered at greatest risk.  In contrast, natural fire regimes and
topographic diversity in the western U.S. combined in the past to produce a temporally dynamic,
naturally fragmented  landscape  compared  with  the  previously  extensive and relatively
homogenous eastern  deciduous  forests.  Timber  harvest  and fire  suppression  activity  have
nevertheless altered the natural landscape of western forests (Dobkin 1994, p. 5).

Despite these changes, Neotropical migrant bird populations in the western U.S. are recognized
as faring better than eastern North American populations.  A comprehensive review of Breeding
Bird Survey  data from 1966-85 found that Western Neotropical migrants as a  group were not
declining overall.   However, the  review found evidence  of widespread declines among 19
songbird species of native grassland and shrub steppe habitats (Dobkin 1994, pp. 4-5). None of
these habitats are represented within the American and Crooked River Project analysis area.

A three-year study by the USDA Forest Service's Northern Region Landbird Monitoring Program
(Hutto and Young 1999, p. 69), concluded that some landbird species are relatively restricted in
their habitat distribution to only one or two naturally occurring cover types that  are themselves
restricted in  spatial  content, or  at least less extensive than they  were historically.  Of the
potential cover types in the American and Crooked  Project area, providing adequate amounts
of:

    1.  Post fire standing dead forests;

    2.  Relative uncut older forest; and

    3.  Riparian environments
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 were considered important to maintaining songbird population diversity and viability in the long
 term.   Within the American and Crooked River project area,  riparian areas (RHCAs)  would
 receive protection from harvest through the application of PACFISH standards designed for fish
 habitat protection (PACFISH).  An abundance of uncut standing forest acreage will be retained
 after the project (regardless of alternative), as potential future post-fire standing dead forest.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 Noxious weeds,  road decommissioning, watershed restoration actions, and post-harvest slash
 treatments  using fire are not expected to impact Neotropical migratory birds or their habitats
 considerably, regardless of alternative.  The  removal of dead, dying,  and green trees  would
 remove foraging and  nesting sites  and would constitute habitat losses.   The net effects of
 harvest on  migratory birds would be relatively minor  within the context of each alternative and
 landscape acres under beetle attack.

 ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

 Overall, this alternative would leave bird  habitats across the project area to continue with
 relatively natural processes.  Areas with heavy tree mortality and  blowdown would provide
 structural diversity, downfall trees, and a few long-standing snags.  As beetle-killed trees fall to
 the ground, downed logs and shading from snags could delay regeneration in those stands with
 particularly  heavy mortality.   The  probability  of  stand-replacing  wildfire would   increase,
 particularly  in areas with heavy fuel loads and  in adjacent stands.  Mature mixed conifer,
 subalpine fir, and grand fir forests could potentially be lost in fire event, as could areas allocated
 as Forest Plan old growth.  Live vegetation that provides cover, foraging, and nesting habitat
 could be reduced across the project area.   Post-fire, there would be an initial shift in species
 composition to invader species and those adapted to early successional communities.  Within
 time, there  would be a gradual return of those species adapted to mid-serai, mature, and late
 successional forests.

 Watershed  improvement projects would not be implemented under this alternative.  Riparian
 forest and shrub environments are important for a variety of bird species, and the current lack of
 large woody debris and streamside shade/shrub could be diminishing the habitat  quality of
 these areas for birds.  As succession continues, large woody debris would  be expected  to fall
 into streams and riparian areas and stream shading should increase.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT

All action alternatives would alter migratory  bird  habitat through the direct removal of nesting
and/or foraging habitat (trees) by various levels of timber harvest. Timber harvest would create
openings and edges that could be used by  a  variety of bird species.   Prescribed fire, natural
regeneration and/or seed  planting,  and  other  silvicultural prescriptions could  accelerate
regeneration of canopy cover in harvest units.  By leaving large, wind-firm live trees and snags,
and pockets of down wood, feeding and nesting habitats for songbirds could be maintained.  By
reducing fuel loads and creating openings across the landscape, the risk of stand-replacing fire
would diminish locally.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Of the  harvest treatments in the American-Crooked  River Project, approximately one-third to
 one-half will be considered relatively intense regeneration harvests.  The remaining harvests will
 be variations of partial-cut or thinning aimed at removing lodgepole and other components but
 favoring retention and perpetuation of fire-adapted ponderosa pine and larch elements. Each
 harvest  type  will  change habitat  resulting  in habitat reductions  or habitat enhancements,
 depending on the bird species considered. Some Neotropical migrants will be harmed to some
 measure, while  others will benefit.  Harvested units that remove virtually all canopy and  tree
 boles typically leave no residual nesting habitat for most species, but often create openings and
 herbaceous ground cover used by aerial insect foraging  species.    Impacts  of partial cut
 harvesting on Neotropical migratory birds in conifer forests of the Northern Rockies in one study
 (Young and  Hutto, 2002), found that  5 bird  species  (brown  creeper, winter wren, golden-
 crowned kinglet, varied thrush, and Townsend's warbler), were more  abundant in uncut forest
 stands in at least one year, and 15 species were more abundant in partially cut stands.  Many of
 the  bird species  that were more  abundant  in  the partial-cut stands, such  as the hairy
 woodpecker,  mountain chickadee, yellow-rumped warbler, and western tanager, are open-forest
 species that might be expected to be more common in thinned  conifer forests than anywhere
 else. In the body of the referenced study, concern was expressed that brown-headed cowbirds
 are much more likely to occur in partially cut than in uncut forests and  the presence of this nest
 parasite may create unsuitable environments for other nesting birds.

 Few studies have  examined habitat and landscape factors affecting the distribution of Brown-
 headed cowbirds,  a nest-parasitic native bird.   Using data from a region-wide  monitoring
 program conducted across the USDA  Forest  Service's Northern Region (including the  Nez
 Perce National Forest), Young and Hutto (1999) concluded that the  presence of clearcuts does
 not draw cowbirds into forested regions.  The density of potential host species (cattle  or other
 livestock) was one of the most important  local-scale correlates of  cowbird  presence.  In  this
 study, cowbirds were so strongly associated with proximity of agricultural areas that the authors
 concluded  that many areas  of the forested mountains are probably still safe from parasitism
 pressure.

 Watershed improvement projects  that  improve  overall  water quality would benefit  many
 Neotropical and  other migratory birds.  No timber harvest or salvage is planned in RHCAs, so
 these habitats would remain  available to birds.  Similarly, seeps, springs, and wet areas would
 be buffered with  no timber harvest, leaving these areas intact for songbirds.

Timber removal would result  in the potential loss of nesting and foraging habitat currently being
 used by a variety  of Neotropical and other migratory bird species.  Given the status of the
 mountain pine beetle  epidemic in the project area, many  nesting  and foraging opportunities
would continue to exist. Individual birds or local populations could be impacted by timber cutting
 should harvest occur  during the breeding season.  Indirect effects would  be the  temporary
 displacement of individuals or potential losses of nests and/or young of some birds in those
areas where  concentrated  mechanical  and/or human  activities  are occurring  in order to
 implement  the prescribed treatment and  for  road  construction or decommissioning.  This
displacement is  expected to last as long as the disturbance, after which affected individuals
would resume use of the area(s) affected.  These effects would not be of sufficient magnitude to
 risk loss of any individual bird species in the local landscape because harvested acres would be
only a very small percentage of the forested area within the analysis area.

Snag retention would  meet or exceed Forest Plan guidelines,  and allocated old growth and
replacement old growth.would not be entered.


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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Any existing old growth or species that nests in old growth would not experience direct impacts
 from harvest as  presented in the  action alternatives.   Indirect reductions in fuels and
 intermediate aged stands at a moderate levels would occur.  Unharvested stands with lodgepole
 pine that is in the process of dying would be relatively poor nesting habitat for some Neotropical
 migrant  birds, because of  declining  live canopy cover.   A review of  ground and shrub-level
 nesting birds from the USDA Forest Service's Northern  Region Songbird Monitoring Program
 (Hutto, 1995), was conducted.  Prescription fire applied to reduce post-harvest slash, if applied
 during the  spring nesting period, would potentially impact  nests of only 2 species (MacGillivray's
 warbler and Dark-eyed junco) of the 35 or so bird species documented to inhabit the lodgepole
 pine and mixed-conifer cover types in the project area.  Both species inhabit a wide variety of
 forest cover types, and monitoring of spring  burns on the  Forest to date has not found evidence
 of such  losses.   In the long term, thinning and harvest treatments will tend to create more
 nesting habitat conditions suitable for these birds.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 Past and present actions have impacted or altered migratory bird habitat in the project area and
 surrounding watersheds.  These  actions include grazing, dredging, mining, firewood cutting,
 timber harvest,  fire suppression,  road construction and maintenance, winter trail grooming,
 dispersed  and  developed  recreation, administrative  facilities maintenance,  and  home site
 construction.  Fewer large and  medium  trees  and  more small-diameter trees  are on the
 landscape  than  would be expected under more natural disturbance patterns.  Timber harvest
 has  added successional diversity across an otherwise rather homogeneous landscape that has
 grown out of 60  years of fire suppression. Patch sizes are smaller and snags, down wood, and
 legacy trees are fewer than  in a fire-impacted landscape.  All of these past and present effects
 have contributed to the current species distribution and population sizes of Neotropical and
 other migratory birds.

 Action alternatives, in combination  with past, present,  and reasonably foreseeable  Federal
 projects would also affect bird species by potentially removing important foraging and nesting
 habitat and through the creation of early successional and/or thinned areas that might benefit
 certain bird species.  The removal of dead, dying, and green trees would remove foraging and
 nesting sites and would constitute habitat losses, but the  extent of the impacts will be limited in
 context  of each alternative due  to  limited areas  involved.   Woodpecker popuJations  and
 secondary  cavity-nesters in  particular are likely to be affected by the removal of dead and dying
 trees and fuel reduction projects.  Harvests that occur during the  nesting period would increase
 the likelihood of direct mortality to nestlings and could disturb mating and nesting behaviors.

 Action alternatives, in combination with past, present and  reasonably foreseeable future actions
 including fire exclusion in the  overall  landscape, will cumulatively add some fragmentation
 effects to the forested landscape but the net impacts to bird species would be relatively minor,
 given historical  impacts of  fire regimes, overall  insect-driven  disturbance, and  tree death
throughout  the analysis area. At the project and watershed level, the cumulative effects of the
 proposed project may affect individuals or local populations of some bird  species. At the Forest
 level and across  the range of these species, effects would  be expected to be small to negligible.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 3.11.5. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS SUMMARY (ALL TERRESTRIAL SPECIES)

 COMMON To ALL ALTERNATIVES
 Cumulative  effects  analyses for wildlife species and  habitats are summarized  within six
 generalized  species habitat guilds based on predominant habitat associations or dependency
 relationships,  (i.e.  fire/early serai  dependent, late serai/old-growth  associated,  aquatic
 dependent,  security  dependent, ponderosa pine dependent,  and cave-dependent).  Some
 species may align with more than one guild.  Cumulative effects take into account the American
 and Crooked River project as well as past,  present, and potentially foreseeable future actions
 (see complete listing referenced  in Section 3.0. - Introduction, Table 3.1).

    •  Fire/Early Serai Dependent (wolf, lynx, bald eagle, black-backed woodpecker, elk)

    •  Late  Seral/Old-Growth Associated  (goshawk, marten,  fisher,  pileated  woodpecker,
       Shira's moose, Neotropical migrant birds)

    •  Aquatic Dependent (boreal toad, Harlequin duck, Northern leopard frog, Coeur d' Alene
       salamander)

    •  Security Dependent (wolverine, elk, fisher, marten, lynx)

    •  Ponderosa pine Dependent (flammulated owl, white-headed woodpecker)

    •  Cave-dependent  (Townsend's big-eared bat): None  of  the  alternatives  produced
       cumulative effects on this species or its  habitats, because they occur at much lower
       elevations outside the analysis area.

 Collectively,  all additive impacts  would be scattered across the entire 39,000 acre project area,
 which is located within a much larger landscape.  Past harvesting and fire effects patterns have
 impacted habitats with overall  cumulative  habitat fragmentation (Tables 3.2 -  3.5, Timber
 Harvest and Road  Construction Tables),  changes in patch size  and dynamics,  increased
 reading and  related human disturbance impacts,  increased edge effects, and reductions in old
 growth habitat abundance  as illustrated and referenced  by Map # 12  of  the South  Fork
 Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS,  1998a).  In the American River portion of
 the analysis  area, most of the nearly 6,000  acres of  historical harvest (83 percent) was done
 during  the 1950s-1980s, with the remaining 17 percent being done  during the 1990s-current
 time.  Nearly 5,000 acres of harvest activity in the Crooked  River portion of the area occurred
 predominantly  (84 percent) in the 1960s-1980s with the remaining 16 percent occurring since
 the 1990s.   The effects  have impacted late serai/old  growth species and  security dependent
 species the most, however many intermediate-aged stands have since moved  into late-serai or
 old growth conditions as well.  Some species such  as  early serai associates,  have in  fact,
 benefited substantially from the harvests.   Other species  guilds were impacted moderately
 except for cave -dependent groups, which were impacted very little if at all.

 The fire history of each watershed added  further to past impacts. Historical fire-related impacts
 in  both drainages occurred before the 1950's when most harvest impacts began.  Over 13,000
 acres have  burned  in the  Crooked  River  watershed since 1878  with highest fire impacts
occurring in  1889 (46 percent of all acres), and 1945 (39 percent of all acres).  Fire impacts in
the American River watershed added over 59,000 acres of disturbance since 1878, with highest
 impact years being 1889 (36 percent of all acres), 1910 (18 percent of all acres), and 1919 (41
percent of all acres).  Cumulatively, these impacts resulted in greatest negative effects for late


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 serai/old growth associated and security-dependent species, with moderate or lesser effects on
 ponderosa pine dependent, aquatic, and cave-dependent species.  Fire/early serai-dependent
 species subsequently benefited from these harvest and fire disturbances.

 Cumulative effects of past incremental road development in the analysis area include variable
 progressive increases in wildlife effects such as direct habitat loss, disturbance, displacement,
 vehicular-induced  and  human-induced direct  and  indirect  mortalities,  increased habitat
 fragmentation,  noxious weed spread, and other similar effects.   Existing  and planned road
 decommissioning and access restrictions have mitigated some negative effects over time.  The
 analysis of progressive  road-density related effects on wildlife through time are displayed by elk
 summer habitat analysis units here. A relative index to incremental changes in road densities
 over time are provided by total miles of road in  each  elk analysis unit followed by summary
 percentage reading changes by years:

    •   Marten  Meadows  EAU #58121; (14.3  miles)  -  1975 (19 percent), 1979 (43 percent),
       1980 (61 percent), 1981 (65 percent), 1991 (91 percent).

    •   American River EAU #58122; (17.7 miles) -1935 (7 percent), 1961 (8 percent), 1963 (14
       percent), 1970 (23 percent), 1975 (28 percent), 1980  (79 percent), 1981 (84 percent).

    •   Queen Creek EAU #58131; (22.7 miles) - 1961 (33 percent), 1962 (46 percent), 1980
       (50 percent), 1982 (59 percent), 1992 (85 percent).

    •   Kirk's Fork EAU #58161; (7.2 miles)  1962 (27 percent), 1982  (59 percent), 1983 (88
       percent).

    •   Deadwood EAU #38201; (39.3 miles) - 1896 (13 percent), 1940 (18 percent), 1968 (41
       percent), 1975 (68 percent), 1985 (70 percent), 1989  (72 percent).

    •   Relief Cr.  EAU  #38211; (35.4 miles) - 1896 (3 percent),  1950 (4  percent), 1962 (7
       percent), 1968 (33 percent), 1975 (68 percent), 1985  (70 percent), 1990 (86 percent).

 By the mid-1980s, from 60 to 80 percent of the total roads in most areas had been  developed.
 At this time, principally due to concerns over elk habitat effectiveness, road closure and access
 restriction programs had begun to be implemented to reduce impacts on elk behavior. Although
 these mitigations have reduced vehicular and human disturbances, vulnerability to hunting, and
 similar impacts on other wildlife, some impacts on habitats and species still  remain  in place.
 Alternative A would  not  decommission any  roads,  thus existing  cumulative impacts  would
 remain.

 Cumulative effects analysis  of  large tree  patch  statistics  and changes  in  large  tree stand
 retention through  time was done  roughly on summary decadal intervals (1948, 1970, 1990,
 2004) (see Tables 3.166  and 3.167).  Large tree stands were identified through aerial photo
 interpretation techniques using approximations of 10-15 trees per acre in the 18-21 inch size
 classes, so this assessment was of moderate accuracy.  Tracking cumulative changes  by
 individual  project became impossible since most  project development  impacts  spanned time
 intervals up to 10 years and multiple project impacts sometimes overlapped one another.  A
summary of cumulative changes in patch size/shape statistics and large tree acreage changes
overtime are listed below in Tables 3.166 and 3.167.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
              TABLE 3.166 -AVERAGE PATCH SIZE AND SHAPE OF LARGE TREES
Year
Average Patch Size I „ ^atch|^pe , ,
1 (1.00= perfect circle)
American River
1948
1970
1990
2004
219.09
168.54
160.78
158.38
1.97
1.97
2.08
2.11
Crooked River
1948
1970
1990
2004
100.40
100.40
83.36
71.51
1.69
1.69
1.72
1.70
Patch shape definition:  Perimeter to area ratio.  Numbers higher than 1.00 indicate increased
edge effects and fragmentation. As shown by the above table, as the patch size of large trees
decreases, edge increases.

        TABLE 3.167 - LARGE TREE ACREAGE CUMULATIVE CHANGES (RETAINED ACRES)
Drainage
American
River
Crooked
River
Old Growth Analysis Area
3050504
3050505
3050506
3050509
3050510
3050511
3050516
OGAA 3050301
3050303
3050304
3050305
3050306
1948
1519
1351
508
5068
1769
244
940
1976
829
1612
328
320
1970
1015
691
472
4834
1769
244
649
1909
829
1612
328
320
1990
1003
691
472
4209
1760
211
560
1472
829
1357
328
320
2004
1003
691
472
3950
1624
211
534
1376
815
1334
328
320
As shown by the above table, most old growth analysis areas have seen some losses in the
large tree component over time.

Collectively, all  additive  impacts would be scattered across the  entire 39,000 acre treatment
area,  which is located  within a much  larger landscape.  Within this larger perspective, the
cumulative  effects, when combined with Alternatives A, B, C, D, or E, would not be expected to
yield adverse effects on any species or habitats that would threaten the  population viability of
any species discussed in the wildlife section, as well as those discussed in Appendix J.

ALTERNATIVE A- NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

Fire/Early  Serai Dependent - This alternative would allow cumulative  fuel-loading to occur
unabated.  Cumulative effects would initially be harmful to some species because fire would be
discouraged initially, but eventually the accumulations and continuity of fuels may encourage
larger acreages to  burn and regenerate which would result in  outcomes beneficial  for most
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 fire/early serai species to mixed degrees. Some of these species also require interspersions of
 live cover with early serai habitat, so benefits to some species would be limited.  Due to the
 magnitude and landscape acreages affected by the mountain pine beetle infestations, past and
 future harvests in the analysis area and on Bureau of Land Management and private lands in
 the area would likely have limited influence on overall effects to most of these species.

 Late Seral/Old-Growth Associated - This alternative would initially add no direct impacts on
 late serai or old growth habitats initially protecting habitat integrity, but would allow highest
 levels of cumulative fuel-loading to occur.  Cumulative effects would include uncertain future
 risks for fire losses of late serai and old growth habitats  in patterns and patch sizes at scales
 that may be outside historical norms. The effects may potentially be negative for some species
 in some places.

 Aquatic Dependent - This alternative would likely have no measurable cumulative impacts on
 habitats or species.

 Security Dependent - This alternative  would have  no  measurable cumulative impacts on
 critical habitats for species requiring remote, undeveloped areas, but would allow moderately
 high open road densities, access, and human intrusion effects in  some portions of the analysis
 area.  Current risk levels of wildlife disturbance, displacement and  potential mortality would
 remain unchanged in developed areas.

 Ponderosa Pine Dependent - This alternative would have no measurable impacts on habitats
 or species of this guild.

 Cave Dependent - This alternative would have no measurable impacts on habitats or species
 of this guild.

 ALTERNATIVES B, C, D, AND E

 Fire/Early Serai Dependent - Action alternatives, along with past and planned future harvests,
 would remove  relatively moderate  acreage amounts  of habitat components (standing dead
 trees) deemed  important to feeding and  nesting for at least one species.  For black-backed
 woodpecker, the overall effects would be minimal given the overall acreage now dead or dying.
 Action alternatives would have the initial  effect of potentially reducing local fire intensity risks
 where fuels are removed, resulting in uncertain levels of both positive and negative effects to
 various species of this guild.

 Late Seral/Old-Growth Associated - Action  alternatives would protect all existing old growth
 and adequate replacement old growth from direct harvest, thus direct impacts for most species
 would be avoided.  Moderate levels of partial harvest treatments in mid-serai  stands would help
 favor future development of  habitat elements (large,  fire-adapted tree  species important to
 cavity-nesting species),  important as nest/feed trees to several species.  Moderate additional
 fragmentation of mid-serai forest landscapes would occur with uncertain  negative  impacts.
 Direct losses of some nests and potential  nest trees outside of old growth would occur. Future
 risks of late serai and old growth habitat losses to fire would remain except possibly within or
 near harvested sites.

Aquatic Dependent - Action alternatives would protect moist riparian-zone habitats used  for
feeding, resting, and/or reproduction, but watershed  restoration actions would  initially add
modest levels of sediment to stream conditions impacted by cumulative past activities in the
drainages, elevating  impacts  related to sediment and water quality.   The overall  cumulative


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 effects would be relatively minimal in terms of impacts to aquatic wildlife species and their
 habitats.

 Security  Dependent - Alternative B would decommission nearly 14 miles  of road, an  11
 percent reduction, which  would  slightly reduce overall road impacts.  Alternative  C would
 decommission nearly 18 miles of road, a  13 percent reduction, which would slightly reduce
 overall road impacts.  Alternative  D would decommission up to approximately 37 miles of road,
 a  27 percent reduction, which would moderately reduce overall road impacts.  Alternative E
 would decommission approximately 37  miles of road if all required and  discretionary work is
 done, a 27 percent reduction, which would moderately reduce overall road  impacts.

 Alternatives B and C would modestly improve habitat security compared to Alternative A  by
 reducing motorized access particularly in the American River portion of the analysis area, but
 the Crooked River portion would remain the same as Alternative A. Alternatives D and  E would
 improve habitat  security to the highest level  and  positive  effects  would accrue to  both the
 American  and Crooked River portions of the analysis area compared to Alternatives A, B, and
 C.  Although temporary road construction would occur in order to access some harvest units,
 these  temporary roads  would be decommissioned  and would  not contribute  to long-term
 motorized access and security reduction.

 Ponderosa pine Dependent -  Action alternatives would  have no measurable impacts on
 habitats or species of this guild.

 Cave-dependent - Action alternatives would  have  no measurable impacts  on  habitats  or
 species of this guild.

 3.11.6. IRREVERSIBLE. IRRETRIEVABLE EFFECTS (ALL TERRESTRIAL SPECIES!

 None of the  alternatives described and analyzed would implement actions or activities that
 would result in an irreversible or irretrievable commitment of resources harmful to populations of
 any resident or migratory wildlife species. In addition, no alternative would result in  irreversible
 or irretrievable commitment of species or habitat resources that foreclose the formulation  or
 implementation of reasonable and prudent alternatives that would violate  Endangered Species
 Act Section 7 (a) (2)  leading to jeopardy.   None of the alternatives would threaten  species
 subpopulation viability at the local  level.  For a more thorough habitat-based discussion, refer to
the document titled: "Habitat-based Terrestrial Vertebrate Populations Viability related to the
American/Crooked River Project',  (see the project files), and Appendix J.

 FOREST  PLAN  COMPLIANCE
The following Forest-wide Standards for Wildlife Resources, from among those listed  on  page II-
 18 and 11-19 of the Nez Perce National Forest Plan and Forest Plan Amendment 20 (PACFISH),
apply to this project and will be met as follows:
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American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
  TABLE 3.168- FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE-WILDLIFE RESOURCES
1SSZ 1 SUB.ECTSUM^V
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED By
Forest Plan Standards
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10
13
16
Maintain viable populations of existing
native and desirable non-native
vertebrate wildlife species
Cooperate with future recovery efforts
for peregrine falcon, bald eagle, gray
wolf and grizzly bear.
Monitor population levels of all MIS on
the Forest.
Recognize fishing and hunting rights
guaranteed the Nez Perce Tribe
Coordinate with the Idaho Department
of Fish and Game to achieve mutual
goals for fish and wildlife.
Use "Guidelines for Evaluating and
Managing Summer Elk Habitat in
Northern Idaho" to manage for and to
assess the attainment of summer elk
habitat objectives in project evaluations
(Appendix B).
Provide management for minimum
viable populations of old-growth and
snag dependent species by adhering to
the standards stated in Appendix N.
Educate Forest Service employees
about wolves including habitat and prey
needs, and wolf characteristics.
Maintain or improve elk habitat at, or
near, optimum levels by applying elk
guidelines in key wolf areas outside
wilderness.
Consult with IDFG & USFWS to
determine management of known or
suspected initial wolf home sites
Consult with the IDFG & USFWS
whenever conflicts between wolves and
livestock arise.
Viable populations would continue to be maintained on the
Forest. See Wildlife Section 3. 11 and Appendix J
Continued involvement and annual meetings between
agencies. Recovery efforts have been met for most of
these species.
Management indicator species would continue to be
monitored. Cooperative efforts between the Forest; BLM,
and IDFG to monitor MIS on the Forest are occurring.
Government to Government consultation has occurred for
this project. The Forest continues to recognize the fishing
and hunting rights guaranteed the Nez Perce Tribe.
The Forest continues to work with the IDFG in managing
wildlife species and their habitat. Continued involvement
and annual meetings between agencies.
The Forest uses these guidelines to assess existing
condition and effects of the alternative of this project. The
six elk analysis units associated with this project are at or
above their management objective. See Section 3.1 1
Old growth standards would be met or exceeded with this
project.
Snag standards would be met or exceeded with this project
by implementing the Northern Region Snag Protocol.
See Section 3. 11 -old growth and snag section and
Appendix J.
Information related to wolves is disseminated to employees.
Elk forage habitat would be improved as this project is
implemented. The North Idaho Guidelines for Evaluating
and Managing Summer Elk Habitat was used to evaluate
the effects of this project in 6 elk analysis units, not just in
key wolf areas. The six elk analysis units associated with
this project are at or above their management objective.
See Section 3.11
Government-to-Government consultation continues to
occur.
Government-to-Government consultation occurs when
conflicts arise.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
STANDARD
 NUMBER
        SUBJECT SUMMARY
             COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
                               Forest Plan Amendment 20 (PACFISH)
   FW1
Design and implement fish and wildlife
habitat restoration  and enhancement
that    contributes    to     Riparian
Management Objectives
See FEIS Section 3.2, 3.3, 3.11, and Appendix D.
   FW2
Design, construct, and operate fish and
wildlife  interpretive  and other  user-
enhancement facilities in a manner that
does not retard or prevent attaining the
RMOs.
See FEIS Appendix D Recreation and trail Improvement
Projects.
  FW-3
Cooperate  with  Federal,  Tribal, and
State  wildlife  management  agencies
and eliminate  wild  ungulate  impacts
that prevent attainment of RMOs  or
adversely affect listed anadromous fish.
See wildlife section, no wild ungulate related impacts have
been documented.
The following Forest Plan Standards for Wildlife Resources do not apply within the context of
this project.

    TABLE 3.169 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR WILDLIFE RESOURCES THAT DO NOT APPLY
STANDARD
NUMBER
9
11
12
14
15
17
SUBJECT SUMMARY
Coordinate the scheduling of land-
disturbing activities with adjacent
Districts to address cumulative effects
over large areas in key wolf habitats.
Design timber harvest activities in
moderate and high elk objective
areas, when compatible with
established fish/water quality
objectives and economics, so that
units at the far end of the road will be
cut first.
Avoid logging activity on traditional big
game calving/fawning or nursery
areas from May 15-June15.
The use of non-protected KV funds to
protect or enhance habitats for
threatened and endangered species.
Consult with USFWS on allotment or
livestock class changes or grazing
period extensions in areas where
allotment boundaries overlap or are
near key wolf areas.
Develop a site-specific nest
management plan for active bald
eagles nests within 2 years after
EXPLANATION
Federal Register Nov. 22 1994, notice states that no land-
use restrictions may be employed when six or more
breeding pairs are established. See Section 3.11 for
effects analysis.
Given the difference in logging systems, it is not
economical, feasible, or practical to cut units at the far
end the road first.
No key traditional calving areas occur in the project area
(Documentation in project file). When wetland areas are
found within harvest units, appropriate Amendment 20
buffers will be applied.
The protection or enhancement of wildlife habitats for T&E
species can be accomplished other then KV funds.
Habitat enhancement projects are a part or an outcome of
the project and mitigation measures are also part of the
project to protect T&E species. See ROD and Chapter 2.
Government-to-Government consultation continues to
occur. Federal Register Nov. 22 1994, notice states that
no land-use restrictions may be employed when six or
more breeding pairs are established.
Nesting bald eagles have not been documented on the
Nez Perce National Forests.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
STANDARD
NUMBER

18
SUBJECT SUMMARY
discovery.
Continue the Raptor-Lookout Program
that was initiated to utilize lookout
towers as observation posts.
EXPLANATION

District personnel continue to report wildlife observations.
 3.11.7.   OLD GROWTH HABITAT ANALYSIS
 Old growth forests can  be defined in a variety of ways.  The most common  definition  of old
 growth is a structural stage having old trees of relatively large size, a significant presence of
 disease or decay, high  levels of dead standing and  downed  trees, and (usually) multiple
 canopies.  However, old growth definitions vary according to forest type, disturbance regime,
 site productivity, and etc (Kaufmann  et a/., 1992).  Specific definitions of old  growth and the
 attributes necessary to  meet those  definitions  must  be tailored to the forest  type  being
 considered.  For example, ponderosa pine  old growth forests are drier, have  much less
 decaying organic matter and dead material, and often have only  a single  layer  canopy. These
 attributes are very different from a  western  red cedar old growth forest, but  both may be
 classified as old growth.

 The Northern Idaho  Zone  Old Growth Type Characteristics were used  to qualify old growth
 stands for the American-Crooked Project in the Draft EIS. During the comment phase  of the
 DEIS, the issue was  raised that criteria from the North Idaho Old Growth  Guidelines (Green et
 a/.,  1992)  was used to qualify old growth rather than  using the  Forest Plan (Appendix N)
 standards. The old growth analysis has been  updated to include those areas that meet Forest
 Plan old growth standards. Both Forest Plan standards  and North  Idaho guidelines were used
 to assess old growth conditions within the American and Crooked  River watersheds.

 A brief comparison summarizing the two sets of old-growth qualifying criteria are listed below:

              TABLE 3.170 - SUMMARY OF OLD-GROWTH QUALIFYING CRITERIA
NORTH IDAHO ZONE TYPE CHARACTERISTICS (GREEN,
ETAL.) TYPE #4 (DF.GF, L, SAP, WH, WP)
AMER/CROOKTYPE
Minimum tree age of large trees = 150 yrs.
Minimum of 10 trees/acre > 21 inches dbh
Secondary Criteria: 0-28% dead/broken tops; 1-4%
decay; 1-3 snags.
NEZ PERCE NAT'L FOREST PLAN APPENDIX N (OLD GROWTH AND
SNAG} STANDARDS
No tree age criteria.
Minimum of 15 trees/acre > 21 inches dbh ; "Providing trees
of this size in lodgepole pine and subalpine fir stands may not
be possible."
Secondary criteria: >.5 snags/acre>21 inches dbh. 40+ feet
tall; signs of rot/decadence; total canopy closure = 70+%;
logs on the ground.
Old growth as  defined  by either set of  criteria is  relatively  limited in  some areas though
abundant in others.  In reality,  most of the sites, which were qualified and selected  under the
North Idaho Zone criteria, would most likely be the same as those that would qualify under the
Forest Plan Standards (Appendix N).

As a  result of updating  and applying the  Forest Plan old growth criteria, several units were
dropped from consideration for harvest where they overlapped with Forest Plan old growth.  In
order  to provide maximum protection of old growth, harvest/fuel treatment units have been
eliminated from  consideration  for treatment (See Table  2.3, project design and mitigations
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
measures Item #1).  Unit boundaries would  be adjusted as necessary during unit  layout to
protect the integrity of these old growth areas.   Refer to the Project File old growth analysis
documents for assumptions and analysis details.

ANALYSIS METHODS
An extensive overview of old growth forest conditions across the landscape within the South
Fork Clearwater River Subbasin  is referenced on pages 85-86 in the South Fork Clearwater
River Landscape Assessment Volume I (USDA FS, 1998a) and Map #44 of the SFLA Volume II.
A detailed summary of the methodology used to inventory and analyze old growth is found in
the Project Files: "Crooked/American Project - Old Growth Analysis Assumptions".

Stand exam data from FSVEG was queried for stands meeting  criteria from the  North Idaho
Zone Old Growth methodology and Forest Plan (Appendix N) definitions. Stands meeting all
criteria for existing old growth were reviewed by use of the ARC/CIS system to  ensure  they
have not  been harvested or thinned in a manner that may have compromised  their habitat
effectiveness.  Stands that met  all criteria for replacement old growth were similarly verified.
Unsampled stands were reviewed using the "Large Tree 2002" ARC/CIS screen  (stands with
large trees in  1935 and  not since harvested or burned),  and compared against known old
growth stands using tree  size, canopy, and common canopy texture as a guide before being
considered old growth.   These were also verified to be present on the landscape using the
ARC/GIS tool along with aerial photos.

To develop a basis for estimating the possible amount and location  of current old-growth, old
aerial photos were compared to  current stand data.  Areas with medium and large trees were
mapped using circa 1930 photos.  Where harvest or fires have occurred since  1934, those
areas were removed to get the current remaining large trees. Those areas that are large trees
currently, as well as in the 1930s (minus harvest and fires),  could potentially be considered old
growth today.  Both Forest Plan standards and North Idaho guidelines were used to assess old
growth conditions within the American and Crooked River watersheds.  In addition, large trees
from 1935 that have had  harvest over the years, were used to assess cumulative impacts to
large trees and potential old growth areas.

EXISTING CONDITION
Old growth habitat in the American River drainage is somewhat less  impacted and fragmented
by past timber  harvest than the Crooked river drainage.

Within  the entire South  Fork Clearwater River  (SFCR) landscape,  stands with large  trees
historically tended  to be  concentrated at the  north and west ends of the SFCR subbasin,  in
areas maintained by frequent low severity fire (Vegetative Response Units -VRUs  3 and 4), or
on moist sites where fire was infrequent  (VRUs 7 and  10).  In other parts of the subbasin
(including  Crooked River and to some extent, the American  River drainages), stands with large
trees tended to be more fragmented from one another, often associated with north slopes and
draws where fire might have bypassed them (USDA FS, 1998a, p 86).  As stated  in the SFLA
(USDA FS, 1998a, Chapter 2, p 7), "The significance of wildfire in  presettlement times can
scarcely be overestimated as a key shaping element of the landscape". This is evident in the
display of presettlement fire regimes for both  American and Crooked River areas on Map #8
(USDA FS,  1998a).   Both watersheds have been influenced  and fragmented  in  part, by
infrequent, lethal fires.  Local old  growth associated species have nevertheless maintained their
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 presence and  contribution to populations viability locally despite the historical fragmentation
 effects of previous fires.

 Past clearcut harvest patterns in the American and Crooked river project area have impacted
 some old growth complexes by further fragmenting and changing overall distribution patterns of
 old age timber stands.  While present old growth stands in the American River portion of the
 analysis area remain relatively abundant, the distribution and connectivity is not uniform, being
 concentrated principally  in the northern  half of the  drainage along the eastern and western
 sides. The  old  growth  in the Crooked River drainage has been  impacted  by previous fire
 impacts, harvesting and  reading, in addition to fire exclusion. Many stands consequently are
 now slightly smaller, more widely spaced and moderately fragmented. Aggregations (blocks) of
 old growth in the Crooked River portion of the analysis area tend to be concentrated mostly in
 the western portions of the area. While the historic  patterns and amounts of old growth have
 been  impacted by  previous management  in  some  areas, overall  distribution  and  patch
 aggregations with  large tree components important to old growth species still  remain relatively
 consistent in landscape  proximity with historical location patterns similar to 1930 (USDA FS,
 1998a; Map #44 - South Fork Clearwater Subbasin Large Trees in  1930 and  Possible Current
 Old Growth).

 Despite the accepted importance of connectedness and corridors in maintaining old growth and
 populations viability of its associated species, new and somewhat contradictory information
 suggests  that  the  importance  of connectedness  should be balanced with  risks  of natural
 disturbance events.  New theories and biodiversity studies are beginning to build a case for the
 value of heterogeneity or dissimilarity in forest stands (Dodge., 2003). Reduced connectedness
 and  enhanced  permeability  may increase  resistance to agents of  catastrophe and enhance
 resilience after  catastrophes.  The current mountain pine beetle infestation within analysis area
 drainages directly threatens lodgepole pine  components  and entire stands throughout the area,
 which indirectly raises risk uncertainty of future fire-induced old growth losses. The relative level
 of this loss risk remains uncertain due  to the  uncertainty  of future fire intensities, weather
 conditions, and suppression effectiveness during these events. Patches of old  growth that have
 become more fragmented and surrounded by areas density-rich with dying lodgepole .pine may
 be at greater fire-loss risk in the future. With respect to maintenance of species populations that
 require old growth structure as part of their key habitat needs, work by Fahrig (1997),  suggests
 that the effects of habitat loss far outweigh  the effects of habitat fragmentation.  Fahrig further
 contends that details of how  habitats are arranged cannot usually mitigate the risks of habitat
 loss  and for this reason, conservation efforts should be aimed primarily at stopping habitat loss
 and at habitat restoration. Absence of any harvesting within or around the perimeters or habitat
 connections of existing old growth patches protects patch habitat integrity in the short-term, but
 may increase loss risks for  some  patches to wildfires in the longer  term,  especially given
 continued fire exclusion.

 Intermediate-aged  stands in the  analysis area are relatively abundant and widespread. While
 some  isolated  intermediate-aged  stands that could eventually become  old growth  have
 lodgepole pine  or  mixed conifer species  components and are planned  for some measure of
 harvest, the American and  Crooked  River project old  growth planning verification process
 selected and identified future replacement old  growth stands that were in closest proximity to or
within  existing  old  growth patches.   This  selective design  for long-term  old growth helps
 maintain the most logical proximity and long-term continuity of old growth complexes  with time.
 In this way, the project planning and design  provides protection of future old growth stands.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Ensuring protection from harvest and protecting future old growth geographically aggregated is
 done  with the  intent that animal  movement  and genetic  exchange will  be  maintained
 commensurate  with historic landscape patterns  in the  area.   In  addition, riparian  habitat
 corridors are protected between these units to further maintain connectivity probability.  These
 moist habitats are particularly important to several old growth management indicator species
 (fisher, pine marten, goshawk).

 OLD GROWTH & REPLACEMENT OLD GROWTH IN THE PROJECT AREA

 PROJECT LEVEL ANALYSIS
 Current existing old growth and replacement  percentages of forested  acres within  each old
 growth analysis area (OGAA) within the overall project area are displayed (in bold type) below.
 Those in regular type face are listed here to illustrate and address cumulative effects of related
 actions,  and  to show  excess amounts  of  old growth  in  adjacent OGAAs  necessary to
 compensate for acreage-short units to ensure Forest Plan standards compliance.  See Maps
 17a and 17b for a visual representation of the distribution of old growth within the project area.

 The following table  shows the amount of old growth habitat existing within various old  growth
 units within the American and Crooked River watersheds.

     TABLE 3.171 - OLD GROWTH HABITAT IN THE AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER DRAINAGES
Drainage
American
River
Crooked
River
OGAA#
3050509
3050510
3050516
3050511
3050506
3050504
3050505
3050301
3050303
3050304
Total
Forest Plan
OG1
Acres
1787
1561
202
114
99
1378
1170
1286
741
1795
10133
%
16.06
34.73
8.30
1.94
1.31
37.2
33.89
14.84
10.27
13.04
14.68
Replacement
OG2
Acres
523
450
31
520
70
529
74
446
652
1007
4302
%
4.41
10.01
1.27
8.85
0.92
14.23
2.14
5.15
9.04
7.32
6.23
Total FP&
Replacement
OG3
Acres
2310
2011
233
634
169
1907
1244
1732
1393
2802
14435
%
19.47
44.74
9.58
10.79
2.23
51.48
36.04
19.99
19.31
20.36
20.91
North Idaho
OG4
Acres
2494
1999
235
50
264
1175
795
980
117
2163
10272
%
21.02
44.47
9.66
0.85
3.48
31.72
23.03
11.31
1.62
15.72
14.88
Overlap
FP&N
IDOG5

1494
1439
72
0
28
808
571
617
39
1088
4166
Adjacent
OGAAtf6


3050510
3050510
3050505/
3050504



3050509


 Acres and percent Forest Plan old growth in each old growth analysis area.

  Acres and percent replacement old growth in each old growth analysis area.  Replacement old growth can be
applied with either Forest Plan or North Idaho old growth.

 Total acres and percent Forest Plan old growth and replacement old growth in each old growth analysis area.
 Total acres and percent North Idaho old growth in each old growth analysis area.

5 Acres of overlap between Forest Plan and North Idaho old growth.

  Old growth analysis areas that have an  excess of old growth or replacement old growth used to compensate for
deficiencies in old growth analysis areas that are below 5% and/or 10% Forest Plan and North Idaho old growth.
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 In the American River drainage, 2 old growth analysis areas fall short of meeting the minimum 5
 percent existing old growth and none in Crooked River.  However, several adjacent old growth
 analysis areas in excess of  10 percent old growth were used and added  to the deficient old
 growth analysis areas to meet the Forest's old  growth standard by old growth analysis area.
 Approximately 15 percent of the project area is currently identified as Forest Plan old growth.

 Old  growth  validation surveys were conducted  in the  summer/fall of  2004 (See silviculture
 project file).  A stand was considered old growth if the quantitative data collected met the Forest
 Plan old growth  definition of 15 trees per acres greater than 21 inches dbh.  Approximately
 6,400 acres within  the American and Crooked River project area (39,000 acres) was identified
 as Forest Plan old growth.   Field  exams  have shown that approximately 60 percent of those
 sub-sampled stands identified as old growth do in fact meet the Forest Plan  criteria of  15+ trees
 per acre greater than 21" dbh. Table 3.172 displays the summary results of the field surveys.

                   TABLE 3.172 - SUMMARY OF OLD GROWTH FIELD EXAMS
Trees per Acre >= 21" dbh
10+tpa
14+tpa
15+tpa
Percent of sub-sampled project area
old growth that meet certain tpa criteria
79
71
60
Based on the above information and the random design of the sampling procedure, it can be
inferred that of the 6400 acres identified as old growth within the project area, 60 percent would
meet the Forest Plan criteria of having 15+ trees per acre greater than 21" dbh.

FOREST-WIDE FOREST INVENTORY ANALYSIS
The Nez Perce National Forest used the 2000-2002 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) survey
to estimate the percentage of the Forest that meets the definition of old growth both for Forest
Plan standards and North Idaho guidelines.  The FIA survey is a  general purpose, national
inventory that is designed for strategic assessments (Czaplewski et a/., 2003). FIA provides a
representative sample of all forests, regardless of their classification.  Using measurements of
field plots, definitions of old  growth were applied. The following table depicts the estimated
percentage of old growth  for the Nez Perce National Forest.  Estimated percentage of Forest
Plan old growth on all Forested lands on the  Nez Perce National Forest is 11 percent (using
trees per acre, number of canopy  layers, and percent canopy cover). Applying North Idaho
criteria to forested  lands on  the Nez Perce National Forest, the estimated percentage  of old
growth is 12 percent (See project file for more information of the distribution  of old growth, Bush
and Zeiler 2004).

   TABLE 3.173 - ESTIMATES OF PERCENT OLD GROWTH FOR LAND MANAGED BY THE NEZ PERCE
                 NATIONAL FOREST, INCLUDING 90% CONFIDENCE INTERVALS
Old growth or snag criteria
Forest Plan old growth
(15tpa>21"dbh
Forest Plan old growth
(15 tpa >21" dbh, plus canopy layer
and canopy cover criteria)
North Idaho old growth guidelines
90% confidence
interval lower bound
18%
9%
10%
Estimated
mean
21%
11%
12%
90% confidence
interval upper bound
24%
14%
15%
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
The results of the Forest-wide Forest Inventory and Analysis indicate that, overall, old growth
habitat is widely distributed across the Forest The total potential Forest Plan old growth habitat
represent approximately 11 percent of the forested land with a 90 percent confidence interval of
9 percent to 14 percent.  Within the American  River watershed, total Forest Plan old growth
habitat represents 22 percent (90 percent Cl of 6 percent to 39 percent) of the forests lands in
the American River watershed and 0 percent (90 percent Cl) in the Crooked  River watershed
(15 tpa greater than 21 inches dbh, plus canopy  layer and canopy cover criteria). The following
table displays old growth habitat based on the FIA analysis for American and Crooked River.

  TABLE 3.174 - SUMMARY OF PERCENT OF OLD GROWTH HABITAT, BASED ON FIA ANALYSIS, FOR
       AMERICAN AND CROOKED RIVER WATERSHEDS (WITH 90% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL).
Landscape Area (5th
Code HUC)

Crooked River
Forest Plan old growth 15
tpa >21" dbh {%
Landscape)
CILow

0
Mean
28
0
Ci High
50
0
Forest Plan old growth 15
tpa >21" dbh, plus canopy
layer and canopy cover
criteria % Landscape)
CILow
6
0
Mean
22
0
Ci High
39
0
North Idaho old growth
guidelines
CILow
0
0
Mean
9
4
Ci
High
21
13
Based on the  FIA data for the American River watershed, approximately  22 percent of the
watershed meets the Forest Plan old growth criteria and 9  percent meets the North Idaho old
growth guidelines. Only 4 percent of the Crooked River watershed would meet the North Idaho
old growth criteria based on the  FIA information.  This could be a reflection of the number of
Plots that fell within the Crooked River watershed and the  current condition of the landscape
(dominated by lodgepole pine, and past activities - both human-induced and natural).

For the South Fork Clearwater River/approximately 14 percent of the subbasin would meet the
Forest Plan  old growth criteria and 21 percent of the subbasin would meet North Idaho old
growth guidelines. Table 3.175 summarizes old growth habitat  from the FIA analysis Forest-
wide and by 4th HUC.

TABLE 3-175 - SUMMARY OF PERCENT OF OLD GROWTH HABITAT, FOREST-WIDE, ON THE NEZ PERCE
        NATIONAL FOREST, BASED ON FIA ANALYSIS (WITH 90% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL).
Landscape Area (4th
Code HUC}
Middle Salmon River
Lower Salmon River
Little Salmon River
Upper Selway
Lower Selway
Middle Fork Clearwater
River
South Fork Clearwater
River
Total (Forested
Landscape-Nez Perce
Nation Forest)
Forest Plan old growth 15
tpa>21"dbh{%
Landscape)
CILow
9
23
13
10
14
13
18
18
Mean
15
31
30
18
19
36
24
21
Cl High
20
42
50
26
24
60
31
24
Forest Plan old growth 1 5 tpa
>21" dbh, plus canopy layer
and canopy cover criteria (%
Landscape)
CILow
5
9
0
3
6
3
9
9
Mean
9
16
7
7
10
18
14
11
Cl High
13
25
20
13
14
35
19
24
North Idaho old growth
guidelines
CILow
10
7
3
4
7
3
6
10

16
1fi
10
10
10
21
10
12
Cl High
21
25
39
18
14
43
14
15
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 Summary

 In reviewing the project level analysis, approximately 15 percent of the project area would meet
 Forest Plan standards for existing old growth.  The amount of old growth and replacement old
 growth exceeds 10 percent for the project (approximately 21  percent).  Even though some old
 growth analysis units fall short of the 5 percent existing old growth, adjacent old growth analysis
 units are used to compensate for old growth shortages in other units (See Table 3.171 - Old
 Growth Habitat in the American and Crooked River Drainages).

 Based on the FIA information, Crooked River falls short of meeting Forest Plan standards for old
 growth while American River would exceed Forest Plan standards (See Table 3.174 - Summary
 of percent of old  growth habitat, based on FIA analysis, for American  and Crooked River
 watersheds).  The amount and distribution of old growth habitat at a small  scale like a 5th HUC
 watershed is  probably a  reflection  of the  capability and current condition  of the landscape
 (dominated by lodgepole pine, and past activities - both human-induced and natural), as well as
 the number of plots across the landscape.

 At the Forest level, approximately 11  percent of the forested landscape would qualify as Forest
 Plan old growth based on trees per acres,  diameters, and  canopy cover criteria (See Table
 3.175 - Summary of  percent  of old  growth habitat, Forest-wide, on the  Nez Perce National
 Forest,  based on FIA analysis).  Based on this information, the amount of old growth exceeds
 10 percent for the Forest.  Given that the project is designed to not harvest  in any old growth
 (Forest Plan or North  Idaho) or replacement old growth stands, it  is concluded that there is
 enough old growth in the project area and Forest-wide to meet Forest Plan old growth standards
 for existing and replacement old growth.

 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 The  American and  Crooked River Project was designed to avoid all direct harvest  impacts on
 old growth and replacement old growth stands that contribute toward large  consolidated blocks.
 Planned harvests may contribute to slightly reduced future fire loss risks of  nearby old growth in
 some situations, but a measure of uncertainty exists (refer to fire effects analysis section of this
 document). In the American and Crooked River Project area, all alternatives harvest no existing
 old growth.  Abundant replacement old growth stands are identified and protected from harvest
 and  reading.  All action alternatives are expected to have no direct measurable negative effect
 on local habitat relative to viability of species associated with old growth, but indirect effects and
 risks of fire loss remain to some degree uncertain.

 Noxious weeds, road  decommissioning, watershed  restoration actions, and post-harvest slash
 treatments using fire are not expected to impact old growth habitats considerably regardless of
 alternative.

ALTERNATIVE A-NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT
 No direct effects to old growth stands, replacement old growth stands or any mixed conifer
stands will  occur,  thus  existing old growth  habitat  patch  sizes  and  connectivity will  be
maintained.

Alternative A would not  treat any of the existing vegetation.  Fire  suppression  would still
continue, but as the vegetation grows older, a steadily  accumulation of woody fuels will  occur.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 As fuels increase, particularly those that create a ladder between the live tree canopies, the risk
 of a lethal crown fire increases.  Even if the risk of ignition remains constant, the risk of a total
 stand replacing fire increases dramatically.  Given the situation with the beetle infestation, the
 lodgepole pine mortality, and the dead fuel accumulation,  the old growth patches are at risk of
 being lost to fire.  As a result of indirect effects from continued  fuel buildups and chances for
 lethal stand-replacing fires to occur, old  growth  habitat is at risk of burning if a  lethal crown fire
 occurs in these areas.

 ALTERNATIVES B. C. D. AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT
 There would be no direct impacts to the old growth areas as no harvest would occur in these
 areas.   However, the proposed project  would harvest trees  outside  of  any old growth
 management areas, resulting  in indirect effects to existing old growth patches from additional
 fragmentation of new harvest  units adjacent to  old growth patches. Alternative D would' have
 the greatest effects in terms  of additional fragmentation  to old growth patches  followed by
 alternatives C, B, and then E.

 Forest fragmentation and  edge effects are expected to increase with the action alternatives as
 new openings are created by proposed  harvest activities, or openings would become larger as
 new harvest units are placed adjacent to existing openings from past timber harvest.

 Action alternatives would  treat vegetation, directly impacting patches of mature mixed conifer
 habitats, but would produce no direct effects to existing old  growth stands or patch sizes. There
 would be no additional impacts to streamside  vegetation from harvest activities.  Therefore,
 streamsides would be  allowed to function as they currently do  and the vegetation would be
 allowed to grow older.  Old growth habitat connectivity would remain by  retention of riparian
 corridors and replacement old  growth. Important replacement old growth stands would also be
 protected from  harvest.   Relatively moderate levels of  harvest of  mixed  conifers will be
 harvested.

 Road decommissioning will decrease some of the past fragmentation by reducing the amount of
 roads bisecting old growth patches and  revegetating old road templates.   Alternative E would
 reduce the greatest amount of road bisecting old growth patches, followed by D, C, and then B.

 Other indirect effects include the reduction  in dead fuels and the breakup  of the fuel patterns
that would contribute to a  potential, large-scale,  high intensity wildfire and reduce the effects to
old  growth associated  species.   However, this would  be  at the  expense of  increased
fragmentation and loss of snags surrounding the old growth patches.

Areas that are currently fragmented will  grow into pole or  larger  trees  in the next decade and
again provide  a contiguous forest link,  decreasing forest  fragmentation.  At  the same  time,
action alternatives would create new clearcuts, seed trees,  and shelterwoods, increasing forest
fragmentation.

In those areas that would not receive any treatment, would  have the same effects as described
in alternative A.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 CUMULA TIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE A CTIONS)

 COMMON To ALL ALTERNATIVES

 Collectively, all additive impacts would be scattered across the entire 39,000 acre project area
 within a much larger landscape.  Past harvesting and  fire  effects patterns have  impacted
 habitats with overall cumulative  habitat fragmentation, changes  in patch size and dynamics,
 increased  reading  and  related  human  disturbance  impacts, increased  edge effects, and
 reductions in old growth habitat  abundance as illustrated and referenced by Map #12  of the
 South Fork Clearwater River Landscape Assessment (USDA FS, 1998a).   In the American
 River portion of the analysis area, most of the nearly 6,000 acres of historical harvest (83
 percent) was done during the 1950s-80s with the remaining 17 percent being done during the
 1990s-current time.  Nearly 5000 acres of harvests in the Crooked River portion  of the area
 occurred  predominantly (84 percent) in the 1960s-1980s  with the remaining  16 percent
 occurring since the 1990s.  The effects have impacted late serai/old growth species and security
 dependent species the most, however many intermediate-aged stands have since  moved into
 late-serai or old growth conditions as well.

 In reviewing the 1935 large tree data set to. assess the impacts to mature forests since logging
 began in American and Crooked River watersheds, nearly half of the harvest in the American
 River watershed has possibly taken  place in mature forests. Nearly 20 percent of the harvest in
 Crooked River has possibly occurred in mature forests (See Table  3.176).

              TABLE 3.176 - PERCENT HARVEST OF HISTORICAL MATURE FORESTS.
American River
Decade
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
Total
Acres Harvest
124
2419
1014
1424
999
19
5999
1935 Large
Tree Harvest
33
1508
639
311
261
161
2913
Crooked River
Decade
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
Total
Acres Harvest
0
93
1936
2097
805
0
4931
1935 Large
Tree Harvest
0
0
338
411
145
0
894
Past  timber  harvest,  wildfire, fire suppression,  and  mining activity  have  altered  habitat
characteristics in the project area by reducing the amount and distribution of large and medium
trees, snags, and down wood, and by creating numerous, small patches across the landscape.

Timber harvest and road construction  have reduced the amount and continuity of mature and
old growth habitat across the project area (See Tables 3.2-3.5 - Timber harvest and Road
Construction History Tables). In addition,  past actions  frequently targeted medium and large
trees  and valuable ponderosa pine and western larch  snags.  These actions  have  left fewer
appropriate stands, and trees within stands, that could be used by species that require mature
or old growth forest conditions.   Past harvest left few snags or legacy trees, and little down
wood. As these older harvest units have begun to mature, they are devoid of the structures that
could  be utilized by species that require old growth conditions.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The effects have impacted  late serai/old growth species and security dependent species the
 most,  however many intermediate-aged stands have since moved into late-serai or old growth
 conditions as well.   Some  species such as  early serai associates,  have in  fact, benefited
 substantially from the harvests, while other species guilds were moderately impacted.

 At the same time,  active fire suppression since the early  1900s has allowed succession to
 continue in those stands that have not been harvested.  Relatively simple  one- and two-story
 stands have transitioned to more complex multi-story stands with increased canopy closure, and
 individual trees  have grown  larger.  Some  of these stands may now qualify as suitable old
 growth stands.  Increased fuel loads from fire suppression and the current mountain pine beetle
 epidemic increase the chance  of stand-replacing fires, which could remove several acres of
 older forest habitats from the landscape.  Fires would create additional snags, but  it would take
 many  decades  before  new forest  would  mature  to  levels where burnt stands  could  be
 considered as old growth. Other projects in or near the  project area may also alter the amount,
 distribution, and connectivity of older, dense-canopied stands.

 The fire history of each watershed added further to past impacts.  Historical  fire-related impacts
 in both drainages occurred prior to the 1950s when most harvest impacts began.  Over 13,000
 acres  have burned  in the  Crooked River  watershed  since  1878 with  highest  fire impacts
 occurring in 1889 (46 percent of all acres), and 1945 (39 percent of all acres). Fire impacts in
 the American River watershed added over 59,000 acres of disturbance since 1878 with highest
 impact years being 1889  (36 percent of all acres), 1910 (18 percent of all  acres), and 1919 (41
 percent of all acres).  Cumulatively, these  impacts resulted in greatest negative effects for late
 serai/old growth associated and security-dependent species, with moderate  or lesser effects on
 ponderosa pine dependent, aquatic and cave-dependent species.  Fire/early serai -dependent
 species subsequently benefited from these harvest and fire disturbances.

 The proposed project and others proposed in and adjacent to the American  and Crooked River
 watersheds could open or remove sufficient acres of canopy.  When new units abut old harvest
 units and stands  undergoing beetle kill, the  number and/or size of the openings may  be too
 large to  be used by some  wildlife species (Whiskey  South,  School District Timber Sale,
 Orogrande Defensible space, Crooked River Demonstration, Eastside Township projects, timber
 harvest on private land, Blanco Burn, Red River Defensible Space, Red  River Roadside Hazard
 Tree, Red Pines - Table  3.1). For species that require higher canopy closures,  the vegetation
 may become too sparse and animals may expend too much energy either  foraging  or moving
 through an area.  The mountain pine beetle  epidemic is creating many, large openings across
 the landscape.  However, these areas are not devoid of snags.  Projects that do not consider
 the distribution of the  mountain  pine beetle-caused openings relative to project activities could
 result in greatly reduced habitat across the landscape for old growth dependent and old growth
 associated species.

Action  alternatives  would contribute modestly to  harvest-related  fragmentation, adding  to
 cumulative landscape fragmentation, increased openings, and  human  disturbance risks from
 previous  harvests, reading, fire exclusion and other human activities.  In  untreated areas, the
 results  would be the same as Alternative A.

 No alternatives fragment old  growth with harvest or roadways within any existing old growth or
replacement old growth patches, thus short-term habitat  integrity  is protected in all alternatives.
Nesting and denning  habitat  components  provided by old growth will  remain  protected from
harvest related activities in all alternatives. Some clusters of planned project harvest units,  in
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 conjunction with the interruption of fuels created by previous harvest units (such as the area 5
 miles due north of Elk City), may impart some measure of fire risk reduction to large old growth
 patches. Such risk reduction could potentially allow fire fighters greater opportunity in the future
 to suppress fires before they destroy patches of valuable old growth habitats.   However, over
 most of the project analysis area, due to the accumulations of fuels from past fire exclusion
 actions and prevalence of lodgepole pine fuels in the surrounding landscape  as  well as the
 unpredictability of weather conditions when fires occur,  the  actual level of risk reduction
 attributable to planned harvests remains uncertain. Given  past fire patterns under natural fire
 conditions, post-fire retention of largest old growth patches  was good, however conditions now
 reflect decades of fire exclusion impacts, which complicates future predictions.  If old growth
 habitats  in the American  and  Crooked River watershed  happen  to completely  burn up in
 wildfires  in the near future, old growth conditions would still remain well distributed across the
 Forest in the remaining watersheds  and  habitat for old growth associated species, as well as
 other wildlife species, would be managed to maintain viable populations of wildlife species.

 SNAG HABITAT
 Snags play an important role in creating biodiversity on the landscape. They provide holes that
 are homes for birds and small mammals, and  decaying trees that are  infested with insects
 provide food for woodpeckers, other birds, and some rodents.

 Large-diameter snags of western larch, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, quaking aspen, and paper
 birch  are favored tree species for nest sites for many snag dependent, wildlife species. Large-
 diameter snags provide nest habitat  for the greatest variety of cavity nesters and stand longer
 than smaller snags.  Although most cavity nesters select for the largest snags available in a
 geographic area, a few species like the black-backed,  downy, and three-toed woodpeckers
 prefer smaller trees.  Larger and taller snags have greater volume and are more likely to have
 the appropriate amount of decay than smaller ones at the preferred heights for nest excavation
 and foraging (Bull, etal., 1997: 21-31).

 The Nez Perce National Forest used the 2000-2002 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) survey
 to estimate the percentage of the Forest that meets  snag  requirements  outline in the Forest
 Plan.  The FIA survey is a general  purpose, national inventory that is designed for strategic
 assessments (Czaplewski, et a/., 2003).  FIA provides a representative sample of all forests,
 regardless of their classification. The estimated average number of snags per acre on  the Nez
 Perce National Forest with diameter at breast height (dbh) 10  inches and larger is 11.9 and
 snags per acres greater then 20 inches dbh is 2.0 (See Table 3.177).  (See project file for more
 information of the distribution of snags,  Bush and Zeiler 2004).   Based on this information,
forest-wide, the Nez Perce National Forest is currently  meeting snag standards.  In addition, the
very wide extent and magnitude of the mountain pine beetle epidemic has substantially changed
snag habitat available to wildlife species in the Upper South Fork Subbasin.

TABLE 3.177 - ESTIMATES OF SNAGS PER ACRE FOR LAND MANAGED BY THE NEZ PERCE NATIONAL
                  FOREST, INCLUDING 90 PERCENT CONFIDENCE INTERVALS
Old growth or snag criteria
Snags per acre >10" dbh
Snags per acre >15" dbh
Snags per acre >20" dbh
90% confidence
interval lower bound
10.3 snags/ac
3.6 snags/ac
1 .5 snags/ac
Estimated
mean
1 1 .9 snags/ac
4.5 snags/ac
2.0 snags/ac
90% confidence
interval upper bound
13.6 snags/ac
5.5 snags/ac
2.6 snags/ac
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The following table  displays by 4th HUC the number of snags per acre by diameter group.
 Based on the following information, various sizes of snags seem to be well  distributed across
 the Forest.
 TABLE 3.178 - ESTIMATES OF THE NUMBER OF SNAGS PER ACRE BY DIAMETER
                       HUC AND ASSOCIATED CONFIDENCE INTERVALS.
GROUP AND 4™ CODE
4th Code HUC
Middle Salmon River
Lower Salmon River
Little Salmon River
Upper Selway
Lower Selway
Middle Fork Clearwater River
South Fork Clearwater River
90% Cl for Snags/acre
10"+dbhand larger
lower
bound
9.50
5.64
2.53
7.06
7.92
0.00
10.21
point
estimate
13.38
10.23
15.02
10.48
10.80
4.28
13.58
upper
bound
17.76
15.38
28.88
14.15
13.94
8.42
17.21
90% Cl for Snags/acre
15"+dbhand iarger
lower
bound
2.52
1.96
0.00
1.70
3.11
0.00
2.65
point
estimate
4.67
5.03
8.85
3.49
4.70
2.59
4.28
upper
bound
7.33
8.68
20.06
5.54
6.45
6.02
6.10
90% Cl for Snags/acre
20"+ dbh and larger
lower
bound
1.30
0.50
0.00
0.40
1.09
0.00
0.74
point
estimate
2.59
2.30
4.44
1.35
1.94
1.73
1.68
upper
bound
4.10
4.63
12.04
2.50
2 93
4.81
2.81
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
 Harvest activities of dead and dying trees along haul routes as well as in units will reduce the
 densities of snags across the  landscape. However, in all alternatives, all existing old growth,
 replacement old growth, and  riparian zones are protected  from  harvest activities, therefore'
 snag habitat will be maintained, as well  in other untreated areas.  Noxious  weeds, watershed
 restoration actions, and post-harvest slash  treatments using fire are not expected to impact
 snags or snag dependent species considerably regardless of alternative.  In partially thinned
 stands, post-harvest slash treatments may create snags.

 The American and Crooked River project was designed to implement the Northern Region Snag
 Protocol; therefore, Snag standards would be met or exceeded with this project.

 ALTERNATIVE A

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT
 As forest succession and fire suppression occur in overstocked stands, trees become more
 susceptible  to attack from  insects and disease. This increases the amount of resources
 available to  wildlife species.  As the insect and disease outbreak advances, standing and down
 dead material would increase which in turn increases the risk of stand-replacing fires.  If a fire
 event were to occur, wood-boring beetle populations would spike possibly causing a coincident
 spike in some wildlife species. Without a fire event,  the insect outbreak would eventually peak
 and subside.   Grand fir and  other more shade tolerant species that currently exist in  the
 understory of stands with dead and dying trees would continue to grow, perhaps eventually
 causing the  long-term loss of the early serai tree species (e.g., lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine,
 and western larch). The risk of losing early-serai tree species does not seem as high as the risk
 of stand-replacing fires in the American and  Crooked River watersheds.  Under the 'no action'
 alternative, the existing level of patchiness in  the watershed would persist until a stand-replacing
fire or other management action(s) take place.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVES B, C. D. AND E

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT
 Treatments that include green  and dead  tree harvest to improve forest health, reduce the
 incidence of insects and disease, or reduce fuel  buildup would reduce habitat for many snag
 dependent species. Not only would the habitat they are  using  be modified, it would also
 increase the patchiness of the remaining habitat.

 Numbers of snags are expected to decrease with the action alternatives as snags will be lost as
 hazard trees and through damage by logging  operations.   Many  snags  felled during  harvest
 activities for safety reasons are often ones  in an advanced state of decay. Felling these snags
 can also provide down woody material and subsequent nesting, resting, cover, and foraging
 areas  for a variety of wildlife  species.   Some  snags will be  created  from  the  burning of
 harvesting  slash where fuel loads are concentrated.  Snags can also be created during harvest
 activities by trees being damaged or the tops snapping off. However,  more snags are generally
 lost than created during harvest operations when compared to fire.  It is important that sufficient
 amounts and size classes of snags are  left in  clumps or as individuals to meet the needs of
 snag dependent wildlife species and to add diversity to the landscape.

 Alternative E would modify the fewest acres of snag habitat and alternative D would modify the
 greatest acreage.  However, Forest  Plan standards for snag  retention  would  be  met or
 exceeded by implementing the Northern  Region Snag Protocol, which is being incorporated in
 the silvicultural prescriptions.

 Public firewood gathering and reduction of snags potentially used for roosting can be expected
 to occur along roads.  However,  this is not expected to result in the loss  of species viability in
 snag dependent species since snags would still be  present in unmanaged stands away from
 roads. In addition, with the obliteration of existing roads, the impacts of snag losses along roads
 would be lessened.

 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS (INCLUDES FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS)
 Snags will  continually  be lost during harvest activities for safety reasons, as well as firewood
 cutting. Snags are also constantly being lost and created resulting from  natural wildland fires
 and other natural disturbances.   Some of these snags fall and provide much needed  ground
 structure and habitat.  With fire  suppression and  succession, the density of snags may  have
 increased, but the size of the snags has decreased, which may not be beneficial to many wildlife
 species that depend on large-diameter snags and logs.

 Approximately 10  percent  of the  American  River and  11 percent of the Crooked River
 watersheds have been harvested, including regeneration cuts or clear-cuts, with little provision
 for maintenance of soil wood or snags to recruit soil wood.  Minor  amounts of extensive  snag
 patches are present on the landscape, except for small-diameter snags associated with recent
 lodgepole pine mortality. The  current small dead trees benefit small woodpecker species and
 may provide some foraging opportunities,  but are considered short-term because many are
expected to fall in five years.

 Increased fuel loads  from fire suppression and the current mountain pine beetle  epidemic
increase the chance of  stand-replacing fires,  which could remove acres of already existing
snags across the  landscape.  Fires would also create additional snags.   Other projects  in or
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 near the project area may also alter the amount and distribution of snags within the American
 and Crooked River and adjacent watersheds.

 The mountain  pine  beetle epidemic is creating many acres of snag habitat.   However,  the
 aforementioned projects will  remove a majority of the high-risk trees and create areas practically
 devoid of snags or down wood within a given area, especially when the new units are adjacent
 to old units.

 Activities that reduce the potential for wildfire and insect outbreaks reduce habitat for many snag
 dependent species,  which in turn  affects  population levels.  Projects within and adjacent to
 American and Crooked River watersheds all target fuel loading and bug-infested trees in some
 capacity (Whiskey South, School District Timber Sale, Orogrande Defensible space, Crooked
 River Demonstration, Eastside Township projects, timber harvest on private land,  Blanco Burn,
 Red River Defensible Space, Red River Roadside Hazard Tree, Red Pines - Table 3.1). Other
 ongoing activities such as post and pole gathering, firewood  cutting, road  maintenance, and  fire
 suppression also affect habitats that could be utilized  by wildlife species. Past timber harvest
 activities have created a patchy landscape across the watershed,  which has likely resulted in
 larger wildlife home ranges than would be the case in  unlogged habitats. Larger home ranges
 affect the  energy reserves of wildlife species as they must travel greater distances for their daily
 needs.  Many past timber activities left few snags on the landscape that could be utilized  for
 foraging,  nesting/resting,  or drumming sites.   At the project  level, snag  dependent wildlife
 populations could decline as a result of  past, present, and  reasonably  foreseeable future
 actions.

 Forest-wide, by far the largest and most intense insect outbreak is in and  around the American,
 Crooked,  and  Red River  watersheds.   However, other areas  of the  forest have  insects and
 disease, and large insect outbreaks are possible in those areas. In addition, other areas of the
 Forest have and will  burn, thus creating snag habitat. Some  wildlife species are capable of
 responding quickly to favorable conditions created by large,  intense fires  and insect outbreaks,
 and they can move several miles to take advantage of such opportunities.

 The  natural  pattern  of  beetle  outbreaks  has been altered through  silvicultural and  fire
 management practices.    Silvicultural  practices directed  at  maximizing  wood  production  by
 harvesting trees before  they are susceptible to bark beetle attacks  and salvage logging  of
 beetle-infested, fire-killed, and wind-killed  trees reduced the occurrence of  beetles in some
 areas.   Fire management policies have lengthened natural fire regimes  and  allowed more
frequent occurrences of beetles.  However,  the effects of most of these past actions and events
are imbedded in the  existing condition described in the EIS.  At the level of any given wildlife
species, impacts of the American and Crooked  River proposal and other  past, present, and
 reasonably foreseeable future actions in and around these watersheds appear negligible.
                                    US C8 US (S3 (& 
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement




 3.12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC

 INTRODUCTION
 Idaho  County has approximately 15,000 people living within  its boundaries.  While it is the
 largest county in Idaho, much of the population is concentrated due to the large tracts of publicly
 owned lands.

 The Interior  Columbia  River  Basin  Ecosystem Management Project released a report  that
 examined the economic and social conditions of 543 communities in the Upper Columbia River
 Basin  (USDA  FS  -  1998i).   The analysis  looked  at geographic  isolation,  community
 specialization in different industries,  and association with  Forest Service and Bureau of Land
 Management administered lands.

 The study concluded that isolated towns such as Elk City are different from non-isolated'towns
 in that a higher percent  of the population may be more specialized in agriculture, wood
 products, mining, or Federal Government, and have a high percent of Forest Service or Bureau
 of Land  Management lands within a 20-mile radius.  Forest Service offices such as Elk  City
 Ranger Station  contribute tangible  economic and  social benefits, through jobs,  buildings,
 utilities, and community support.

 Timber dependent  communities  were defined as  those  in  which primary forest products
 manufacturing facilities  provided 10 percent or more of the total employment in the community.
 The scientific assessment for the Columbia River Basin project concluded that in the entire
 Columbia River Basin 29 communities were considered timber dependent.  Elk City is one of
 these.

 SCOPE AND METHOD OF THE ANALYSIS
 The Nez Perce National  Forest Plan Environmental Impact  Statement  (p.  IV-26 and  27)
 described the economic  impacts  of implementing  the Forest Plan.  The analysis  for  the
 American and Crooked  River Project incorporates the Forest Plan EIS Appendix B in its entirety
 and  specifically pages  B-51 through B-142 that address the  economic analysis process  and
 values placed on non-consumptive items such as recreation opportunities, community stability,
 cultural resources, habitats, and populations.  The  economic analysis for this project will not
 revisit  the information presented  in the  Forest Plan and will focus only on those costs  and
 revenues associated with  implementing any of the proposed alternatives in the project analysis
 area.  The purpose  of the economic analysis presented  here is to display revenues and costs
 associated with each alternative for comparison purposes.

 Economic conditions are constantly changing locally, regionally and nationally.  Market prices
fluctuate widely.  Current local timber market prices  are considered to be up.  Timber values
 used in this assessment are based upon January 2005 delivered log (DL) prices as  listed in the
 Idaho Department of Lands Report for the Maggie Creek Area  (IDL 1/2005).  The values used
were from the following local mills:

•  Bennett Forest Industries of Elk City,

•  Three Rivers of Kamiah, and

•  Clearwater Forest Industries of Kooskia.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The full analysis is documented in the project file.

 The  direct  impact of the action alternatives on  local employment (see Table 3.xxx)  was
 assessed using an IMPLAN  model.   IMPLAN is an economic impact assessment modeling
 system that allows the user to build economic  models to estimate the impacts of economic
 changes in their states, counties, or communities.  The Forest Service uses IMPLAN to model
 and  estimate the regional/local economic impacts of such things as forest plan  revision
 alternatives, policy changes, and management decisions.

 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
 Long term and cumulative effects of individual  projects on  the  overall social and  economic
 environment are generally difficult to  quantify with accuracy and are beyond the scope of this
 analysis.

 LOCAL EMPLOYMENT
 Local employment would be directly  supported  by  all action  alternatives and  secondary
 economic activity would be indirectly supported. Employment opportunities that may result from
 project implementation include:

 •   Restoration of roads, watersheds, fish habitat, trails, and abandoned mines;

 •   Reforestation;

 •   Fuel reduction; and

 •   Production of forest products (including harvest, hauling, and milling);

 Support business such as suppliers  of fuel, food,  repairs, lodging, etc.,  would  also  receive
 economic benefit. Such benefits are classified as indirect economic benefits.

 It is reasonable to assume contracting locally will generate local jobs and more dollars spent in
 local  communities. Conversely, there will be fewer local jobs and dollars spent  locally when
 contracts or resources are awarded or purchased  non-locally.

                       TABLE 3.179 - DIRECT EMPLOYMENT EFFECTS
Project Type
Restoration/Reforestation
Hazardous Fuel Reduction
Forest Products
Total Jobs
AltB
32
10
121
163
AJtC
37
13
138
188
AltD
55
19
173
247
AltE
39
11
102
152
Additional watershed restoration projects incorporated into alternative D are anticipated to result
in 10 additional restoration jobs.

SAWLOG VALUE
Health of the lodgepole pine proposed for treatment affects the potential revenue generated by
each alternative and subsequently the amount of funding available to implement restoration
work.  As discussed in  this final environmental impact statement, lodgepole pine is dying due to
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 mountain pine beetle attack.  The degree of mortality of this species has a direct impact on the
 amount of green sawlog volume used in calculating available revenue in the following tables.

 A portion of the total  volume listed in  each of the following economic  alternative tables is
 lodgepole pine.   A summary of the  total volume of lodgepole pine for each alternative is
 displayed in the following table.

                               TABLE 3.180 - TOTAL VOLUME
Alternative
B
C
D
E
Total Volume (mmbf)
17.8
20.3
25.4
15.1
Lodgepole Pine
Volume (mmbf)
7.7
8.1
9.6
5.8
Percent of total
volume {%)
43
40
38
38
Sawlog value is based on the quality or merchantability of the harvested material. In the case of
lodgepole,  the  value dramatically decreases one  year after the tree  is assessed as  dying
(needle color turning from healthy green color to yellow and red color).  It is anticipated that one-
third of the lodgepole pine in the area is dying this year (2005), one-third will die next year, and
the remaining third will die the following year due to attacks by mountain pine beetle.

Timely treatment must occur if the dying lodgepole is to retain enough value to support removal.

 As each year passes without harvest activity, more lodgepole will die and more value will be
lost. In addition, the issue of high fuel loading in the area will still exist.

Based on current delivered log  prices1 and other factors2, the potential  revenue available, and
therefore funds available to support restoration, are  calculated to range from a high  of $950,000
(Alternative D) to a low of $574,200 (Alternative E).  Every year that harvest is delayed potential
revenues could be reduced across this range.

PROJECTED REVENUE AND COST OF IMPLEMENTATION

Tables 3.182 through 3.185 display estimated revenues and costs associated with  each action
alternative. Table 3.181 provides definitions of items listed in tables 3.182 through 3.185.
1 $279 per MBF

2 Indications that one-third of the existing lodgepole pine volume is dying and will be dead next year.
                                       Chapter 3
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                                 TABLE 3.181- DEFINITIONS
'TEM 1 DEFINITION
HARVEST ACTIVITIES
Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Salvage Delivered
Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Salvage w/ Lop and
Scatter (mbf)
Tractor Logging (mbf)
Cable/Skyline Logging (mbf)
Broadcast Burn Fuels (acre)
Underburn Fuels (acre)
Excavator Pile & Burn (acre)
Reforestation (acre)
Reforestation Exams (3) (acre)
Temp Road Construction & Oblit
(mile)
Road Reconstruct/Recondition
(mile)
Road Decommissioning (miles)
SUBTOTAL
Value paid by local sawmills for delivered logs. Averaged by species and value
Value 70percent of delivered log price for dead/dying delivered logs.
Cost of treating slash.
Cost of tractor logging including the felling, skidding, loading and hauling of logs
Cost of cable/skyline logging including felling, yarding, loading, and hauling of
logs.
Cost of burning logging slash.
Cost of burning logging slash.
Cost of machine piling logging slash and burning piles
Cost of planting seedlings to required stocking levels keeping existing species
composition in place.
Cost of examining planted acres for planting success. Required for three years
Cost of constructing and obliterating temporary roads.
Cost of reconstructing or reconditioning roads used to support timber harvest and
hauling activities.
Cost of decommissioning roads used by timber sale
Shows total revenue generated calculated by delivered log prices as well as the
logging costs and other associated required work. Every cost included in this
subtotal is required to support the timber harvest activities
RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
Road Decommissioning (miles)
Watershed Road Improvements
(mile)
Watershed Road Improvement
(sites)
Stream Crossing Improvement
(sites)
Instream Improvement (miles)
Rec and Trail Improvements
(miles)
Mine Site Reclamation (acres)
Soil Restoration (acres)
Access Change (vehicle use)
Access Change (road to trail -
mile)
Reforestation, nonessential
(acres)
SUBTOTAL
TOTALS
Cost of design and implementation to decommission roads
Cost (design and implementation) of improving road miles not required to support
timber harvest or haul activities.
Cost (design and implementation) of improving specific sites on roads.
Cost (design and implementation) of improving stream crossings to enhance fish
passage of reduce risk of failure
Cost (design and implementation) of doing instream improvement work
Cost (design and implementation) of improving recreation sites and trails.
Cost (design and implementation) of reclaiming mining sites
Cost (design and implementation) of restoring soil properties
Cost (design and implementation) of decommissioning one-quarter mile of road to
prevent expansion of recreation site.
Cost (design and implementation) to convert road to motorized trail.
Cost of planting seedlings of species different than what is found on site.
Costs displayed are restoration activity costs or costs not required to support the
timber harvest activities.
Displays total costs of all activities and the potential total revenue generated
Each of the following tables displays work associated with implementation of Alternatives B-E
(action alternatives).  The  first half of each table  displays the expected revenue and costs
associated with harvest activities. The second displays the type of restoration work, the amount
                                       Chapter 3
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           American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
of work, and the cost of doing the work.  Further reference for this information can be found in
Appendix D, Table D-1.
Note:  The yarding costs per mbf displayed below are those incurred stump-to-mill.
ALTERNATIVE B
                             TABLE 3.182 - ALTERNATIVE B
,.„_, 1 Cost/Unit 1 ,,_,»_ 1 Costs 1 Revenue
'tem 1 ($) 1 Un'tS 1 ($) I <$)
HARVEST ACTIVITIES
Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Slvg Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Slvg. w/ Lop & Scatter (mbf)
Tractor Logging (mbf)
Cable/Skyline Logging (mbf)
Broadcast Burn Fuels (acre)
Underburn Fuels (acre)
Excavator Pile & Burn (acre)
Reforestation (acre)
Reforestation Exams (3) (acre)
Temp Road Construction & Oblit (mile)
Road Reconstruct/Recondition (mile)
Road Decommissioning (miles)
SUBTOTAL
$340
238
160
140
175
480
491
278
490
48
13,000
91,958
9,978

17,800
558
558
9,725
8,075
437
504
1,142
521
1,760
8.0
75.0
4.5



$89,280
1,361,500
1,413,125
209,760
247,464
317,476
255,290
84,480
104,000
146,872
44,901
$4,274,148
$6,052,000
132,804











$6,184,804
RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
Road Decommissioning (miles)
Watershed Road Improvements (mile)
Watershed Road Improvement (sites)
Stream Crossing Improvement (sites)
Instream Improvement (miles)
Rec & Trail Improvements (miles)
Rec & Trail Improvements (acres)
Mine Site Reclamation (acres)
Soil Restoration (acres)
Access Change (vehicle use)
Access change (road to trail - mile)
Reforestation, nonessential (acres)
SUBTOTAL
TOTALS
$7,191
2,913
10,000
12,400
17,718
6,652
20,000
2,143
2,211
10,000
3,846
490


9.4
16
1
10
10.3
2.3
0.1
7
18.0
1
2.6
517


$67,597
46,608
10,000
124,000
182,500
15,300
2,000
15,000
39,798
10,000
10,000
253,330
$776,133
$5,050,179












$0
$6,184,804
                                     Chapter 3
                                     Page 429

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American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
                 TABLE 3.183 - ALTERNATIVE C
Item I Cost/Unit 1 1 Costs 1 Revenue
1 ($) 1 UnitS 1 {$) 1 ($)
HARVEST ACTIVITIES
Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Slvg Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Slvg. w/ Lop & Scatter (mbf)
Tractor Logging (mbf)
Cable/Skyline Logging (mbf)
Broadcast Burn Fuels (acre)
Underburn Fuels (acre)
Excavator Pile & Burn (acre)
Reforestation (acre)
Reforestation Exams (3) (acre)
Temp Road Construction & Oblit (mile)
Road Reconstruct/Recondition (mile)
Road Decommissioning (miles)
SUBTOTAL
$340
238
160
140
175
480
491
278
490
48
13,000
2,309
10,000

20,300
546
546
10,490
9,810
539
530
1,198
566
1,698
14.3
80.3
5.9



$87,360
1,468,600
1,716,750
248,720
260,230
333,044
277,340
81,504
185,900
185,390
59,000
$4,913,838
RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
Road Decommissioning (miles)
Watershed Road Improvements (mile)
Watershed Road Improvement (sites)
Stream Crossing Improvement (sites)
Instream Improvement (miles)
Rec & Trail Improvements (miles)
Rec & Trail Improvements (acres)
Mine Site Reclamation (acres)
Soil Restoration (acres)
Access Change (vehicle use)
Access Change (road to trail - mile)
Reforestation, nonessential (acres)
SUBTOTAL
TOTALS
$7,605
3,500
3,667
12,400
20,045
6,652
6,420
2,143
2,573
10,000
3,846
490


11.4
16.6
3
10
11.1
2.3
8.1
7
26
1
2.6
568


$86,701
56,000
11,001
124,000
222,500
15,300
52,002
15,000
66,906
10,000
10,000
278,320
$947,730
$5,861,568
$6,902,000
129,948











$7,031,948













$0
$7,031,948
                         Chapter 3
                         Page 430

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American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                 TABLE 3.184 - ALTERNATIVE D
i*am I Cost/Unit 1 .. ..„ 1 Costs 1 Revenue
ltem 1 <$) I Unlts I'm 1 ($>
HARVEST ACTIVITIES
Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Slvg Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Slvg. w/ Lop & Scatter (mbf)
Tractor Logging (mbf)
Cable/Skyline Logging (mbf)
Broadcast Burn Fuels (acre)
Underburn Fuels (acre)
Excavator Pile & Burn (acre)
Reforestation (acre)
Reforestation Exams (3) (acre)
Temp Road Construction & Oblit (mile)
Road Reconstruct/Recondition (mile)
Road Decommissioning (miles)
SUBTOTAL
$343
240
160
140
175
480
491
278
490
48
13,000
2,614
6,997

25,400
591
591
14,900
10,500
539
530
1,556
746
2,238
14.3
90.5
7.5



$94,560
$2,086,000
1,837,500
258,720
260,230
432,568
365,540
107,424
185,900
236,645
51,778
5,930,176
$8,712,200
141,840











8,854,040
RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
Road Decommissioning (miles)
Watershed Road Improvements (mile)
Watershed Road Improvement (sites)
Stream Crossing Improvement (sites)
Instream Improvement (miles)
Rec & Trail Improvements (miles)
Rec & Trail Improvements (acres)
Mine Site Reclamation (acres)
Soil Restoration (acres)
Access Change (vehicle use)
Access Change (road to trail - mile)
Reforestation, nonessential (acres)
SUBTOTAL
TOTALS
6,945
3,934
3,667
20,692
20,045
6,652
. 6,420
2,143
2,807
10,000
3,846
490


12.4
16.6
3
13
11.1
2.3
8.1
7
33
1
2.6
908


86,113
65,304
11,000
268,996
222,500
15,300
52,002
15,000
84,805
10,000
10,000
444,920
1 ,285,952
$7,216,128












$0
$8,854,040
                          Chapter 3
                          Page 431

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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
                              TABLE 3.185 - ALTERNATIVE E
Item I Co«WJ«lt I Unjts 1 Costs 1 Revenue
HARVEST ACTIVITIES
Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Slvg Delivered Log Price (mbf)
Roadside Slvg. w/ Lop & Scatter (mbf)
Tractor Logging (mbf)
Cable/Skyline Logging (mbf)
Broadcast Burn Fuels (acre)
Underburn Fuels (acre)
Excavator Pile & Burn (acre)
Reforestation (acre)
Reforestation Exams (3) (acre)
Temp Road Construction & Oblit (mile)
Road Reconstruct/Recondition (mile)
Road Decommissioning (miles)
SUBTOTAL
$335
235
160
140
175
480
491
278
490
48
13,000
2,032
6,997

15,100
542
542
7,960
7,140
311
441
929
420
1,260.
5.4
74.3
4.3



$86,720
1,114,400
1 ,249,500
149,280
216,531
258,262
205,800
60,480
70,200
150,970
43,090
$3,605,233
$5,058,500
$127,370











$5,184,870
RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
Road Decommissioning (miles)
Watershed Road Improvements (mile)
Watershed Road Improvement (sites)
Stream Crossing Improvement (sites)
Instream Improvement (miles)
Rec & Trail Improvements (miles)
Rec & Trail Improvements (acres)
Mine Site Reclamation (acres)
Soil Restoration (acres)
Access Change (vehicle use)
Access Change (road to trail - mile)
Reforestation, nonessential (acres)
SUBTOTAL
TOTALS
$6,943
4,594
3,667
28,941
50,479
5,826
6,420
2,778
2,448
10,000
3,846
490


. 32.7
24.6
3
34
14.6
4.6
8.1
9
57
1
2.6
421


$227,024
113,012
11,000
984,000
737,000
26,800
52,002
25,000
139,533
10,000
10,000
205,800
$2,541,178
$6,146,410












$0
$5,185,870
ADDITIONAL INDIRECT EFFECTS
Recreation-based services related to activities contribute to the economy. These include, but
are not limited to, hunting, fishing, backpacking, river floating, sightseeing, gathering of berries
                                      Chapter 3
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 and mushrooms, and firewood cutting.  Studies indicate that big game hunting (primarily elk)
 and fishing (primarily salmon and steelhead) provide or have the potential to provide a major
 contribution to the local economy in and around Idaho County.

 Current levels of recreation-based economic activity would not be appreciably affected by any of
 the action alternatives in this proposal, with the possible exception of hunting and fishing. All of
 the action alternatives would result in positive trends in elk habitat and anadromous fish habitat
 potential, which in turn may result in an increase in this segment of the economy

 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

 Executive Order  12898 requires  an analysis  of the impacts of the proposed action  and
 alternatives to the proposed action  on minority and low-income populations.  The order is
 designed  in part  "...to  identify, prevent,  and/or mitigate, to the greatest extent practicable,
 disproportionately high and adverse  human health or environmental effects of United  States
 Department of Agriculture programs and activities on minority and low income populations...".

 None of the action alternatives are expected to negatively affect the civil rights of minorities,
 American  Indians, women, or any United States citizen. Subsistence activities would not have a
 disproportionate impact on minorities or low-income individuals.  The analysis area lies within
 Nez Perce Tribal  ceded lands.  The effects  to wildlife and plants utilized by tribal members
 would be  negligible, if not positive.  No environmental health hazards are expected to result
 from implementation of any alternative. This project should not disproportionately affect income
 level.

                                   C# CS 08 03 08 08

 3.13.  WILDERNESS,  INVENTORIED  ROADLESS AREAS,  AND AREAS
        WITH POSSIBLE UNROADED CHARACTERISTICS

 WILDERNESS
 There are no wilderness areas within the  American Crooked River Project area.   The closest
 wilderness areas are the Selway-Bitterroot wilderness area, north-east of the project area; the
 Frank Church River of No Return  wilderness area, east of the project area; and the Gospel
 Hump wilderness area, south-west of the project area.  The areas are not affected by the project
 and are  not discussed further.

 INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS

 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT
 The American Crooked  River Project lies near two Inventoried Roadless  Areas (IRAs). These
 IRAs are described  in the 1987 Nez Perce National Forest Plan  Final Environmental Impact
 Statement (USDA FS  1987c,  Appendices Volume 1), which contains maps of the IRAs, a
 description of each area and  an evaluation of each IRA's  wilderness capability. A brief
 description of the two IRAs near the project area follows:

West Meadow Creek Roadless Area 1845C is  located north and east of  the project area (see
 Map 11 A). The roadless area contains 107,512 acres, is the west side of the Meadow Creek
 Drainage,  and is  a  principal tributary of  the Selway River, with a few drainages into  the
American River a tributary of the South Fork of the Clearwater.


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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 The area  tends  to  be densely vegetated on steep mostly east and north  facing sloped
 topography.  Elevations range from about 1800 feet to 7,232 feet at Granite Peak. Pacific yew
 is common and thick.  The  head of Meadow Creek is open which gives the creek its name.
 Virtually all of the upper Meadow Creek Drainage burned in 1919.  Dispersed recreation is for
 the most part light with the  greatest use occurring during hunting season, when use is high.
 Recreational uses include hiking, hunting,  fishing, backpacking, camping,  horseback riding,
 snowmobiling, and sightseeing along the Montana Road.  One outfitter operates in the area.
 The areas  provide habitat for the  wildlife species including mule deer, whitetail deer, black bear,
 gray wolves, elk, bald  eagles, Shira's  moose, steelhead trout, and Chinook salmon. Meadow
 Creek is one of the few streams left on the Forest  with  very excellent water quality and a
 productive  anadromous fishery.  Other special features  are  Green Mountain Lookout, Horse
 Point Lookout site, Meadow Creek cabin, old sheep  driveways, evidence of glaciation in the
 upper Meadow-Fourmile area, Meadow Creek and Anderson Butte National  Recreation Trails,
 and the Nez Perce Trail. There are no known unique or remarkable plants  or habitats in the
 areas. Livestock use  the areas lightly along the northwestern boundary but no other areas have
 been grazed since approximately 1995.  However, effects from past sheep grazing can still be
 identified in the Meadow Creek IRA.  Stock driveways go almost straight down one side of a hill
 and straight up the other side and are cleared to a width of 50 feet.  Erosion has occurred on
 this site despite reconstruction of many of the driveways into graded trails.  Public interest in
 making this IRA wilderness has been low, and is split  between recommending it for wilderness
 by  environmental groups  and non-wilderness  by local publics. The  wilderness  assessment
 found in the Forest Plan FEIS (USDA FS 1987c, Volume I) indicates the area  is not appropriate
 and valuable for wilderness and did not assign continued roadless management.

 Dixie Summit-Nut Hill Roadless Area 1235 is  located south of the project area (see Map
 11B).  This  roadless area contains 11,943 acres.  The area is divided by. a ridge,  with the east
 side of the  ridge draining into Red River, a part of the Clearwater drainage, and the west side
 running into Big Creek and  then Crooked Creek, in the Salmon drainage.

 The Dixie Summit-Nut  Hill  Roadless Area has some steep slopes, but much of the country is
 relatively gently sloped.  Elevations range from 5,400 feet to 7,100 feet at Moose Butte.  A large
 part of this  area is a mountain meadow environment, which is grazed by both cattle and wildlife.
 The rest of the area  ranges from pure lodgepole  pine stands on southern slopes at moderate
 elevations  to alpine  fir and  Engelmann  spruce in draws and higher elevations.  Traditional
 recreation  uses include fishing, hunting,  camping, horseback riding,  snowmobiling,  and off-
 highway vehicle use. Burpee road runs through the middle of this area. Trail 207 runs south
 from Moose Butte to  Burpee. There is a passable road from Badger Summit, in the extreme
 northwest corner of the area to an old.  One outfitter operates in this area. Wildlife species in
 this area include elk,  Shira's moose, deer, bear, cougar, and  gray wolf, based on suitability of
 habitat.  The  fish in Big Creek and tributaries are not anadromous, but those  in Red River are.
 There is a 1,015 acre Research Natural Area in Moose Meadow Creek, a tributary of Big Creek,
 which is entirely within  this Roadless Area.  The  IRA  does not adjoin any existing wilderness
 areas.   There are no known threatened or endangered plant species in the  area; however, it
 does contain  a few species that are uncommon in  Idaho.  The area has not had active livestock
 use since the 1990s.  The area has approximately 53 mining claims in the area, and evidence of
 past mining is evident in the area. There is no public desire to make this area  a wilderness and
the wilderness assessment found in the Forest Plan FEIS (USDA FS 1987c, Volume I) indicates
the  area is not appropriate and valuable for wilderness  and  was not assigned continued
roadless management.  Interests center on grazing, mining, and semi-primitive recreation.  The


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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 area has unique ecological features that  are not duplicated in nearby wilderness; however,
 these values have been protected for scientific purposes through administrative classification of
 a Research Natural Area.

 Both of the areas  are little changed from the conditions described in the 1987  Forest Plan
 (USDAFS, 1987a).

 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES

 DIRECT EFFECTS
 The proposed  action does not enter or occur in either of the adjacent inventoried  roadless
 areas. There are no direct effects to inventoried roadless areas.

 INDIRECT EFFECTS
 The indirect effects vary by roadless area.

 WEST MEADOW CREEK ROADLESS AREA 1845C
 Most of the proposed treatment units in this project are separated from the Roadless Area by
 existing roads.  The values in the roadless area most at risk are those associated with apparent
 naturalness,  remoteness, solitude, and semi-primitive recreation.  The sights and sounds  of
 logging would diminish each of these for the period of logging and for some time after logging.

 It is important,  however, to  put this into proper perspective. First, there are not trails that lead
 people  into the portion of the roadless area where impacts would be  seen or felt. Second, less
 than one percent of the roadless area is immediately adjacent to the project area. In 99 percent
 of the West Meadow Creek roadless area, the American-Crooked River Project is out of sight
 and inaudible and would have little impact on remoteness. Only one  unit in the American River
 portion  of the project adjoins the West Meadow Creek Roadless Area, which will be visible from
 within the IRA.  Other near by units  are separated from the IRA  by topography that would not
 make them visible from within the IRA.  Finally, the view from the area is not currently pristine or
 near naturally appearing due  to past harvest activity,  road building, and past mining activities.
 The proposed action would not markedly diminish the natural appearing nature of the IRA.

 Based on this analysis, water quality would not be diminished by the project.  There would  be
 minimal impacts of smoke  from  burning on air quality because prevailing winds  would blow
 smoke away from the roadless area. Wildlife and TES species  would be little impacted (see
 wildlife section); additional or new motorized access is not an issue.  Non-motorized primitive or
 semi-primitive recreation is  not compromised by the  project. The project does not create new
 access into the  roadless area or change the recreation experience.

 DIXIE SUMMIT-NUT HILL ROADLESS AREA 1235
 The nearest unit to IRA 1235 is approximately one half mile away and may be visible from within
 the IRA. Other units are further away and although they may be visible from high points within
 the IRA, other disturbance is also visible within the view shed from past activities.  The values in
 the roadless area most at risk are those associated  with apparent  naturalness, remoteness,
 solitude, and semi-primitive  recreation.  The sights and sounds of logging would diminish each
 of these for the period of logging and for some time after logging. However, the view from the
 area is not currently pristine or near naturally appearing due to past harvest activity, mining, and
 road building. The proposed action would not markedly diminish the natural appearing nature of
the IRA.
                                       Chapter 3
                                       Page 435

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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement



 UNROADED ANALYSIS

 INTRODUCTION
 In addition to an analysis of the impacts of the project on Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) as
 described above, the Forest Service has also analyzed the impacts of the project on unroaded
 lands.

 For the purposes of this analysis, the Forest Service considered all areas without the presence
 of classified roads  and outside existing inventoried roadless areas as unroaded lands.  Maps
 11A and 11B provide the reader a view of the unroaded  areas.  The map shows the project
 area, in  which  the treatment is proposed, the  existing  classified roads, and the adjacent
 Inventoried Roadless Areas.

 This unroaded analysis will  consider the unique values of the unroaded area in the context of
 five important resource values:

 Natural Integrity is the extent to which long-term ecological processes are intact and operating.

 Apparent Naturalness means the environment looks natural to most people.

 Remoteness is the perceived condition of being secluded, inaccessible, and out of the way,
 and  Solitude is a  personal, subjective  value defined as the isolation from the sights  sounds,
 and presence of others and the development of man.

 Special Features are unique  geological, biological, ecological, and cultural or scenic features,
 and Special Places are those areas that cause one to visit  for pleasure or their livelihood.

 Manageability and Boundaries consider our ability to manage a roadless area to meet the
 minimum size criteria (5,000 acres) for wilderness. Additionally, the ability to allow fire to play a
 more natural role without threatening residential areas or communities and the  ability to manage
for non-motorized  access from access points or private property were also considered in this
 category.

 EXISTING CONDITION
The  unroaded lands within the project  area are easiest to describe and evaluate if they are
viewed as geographic areas. The table  below  provides a summary of the number of acres that
would be affected  by the proposed  action and alternatives and  is followed  by a description of
each unroaded area.
                                       Chapter 3
                                       Page 436

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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
           TABLE 3.186 - SUMMARY OF ACRES AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED ACTIONI
re
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American- 1
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American-2
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2b
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* ts
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3,809
1,298


5,665





10,77
2
*=• o
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5.E

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5,394
1,442
877
565
5,684
4,968
148
28
306
236
12,52
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150
148
99
49
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5,244
1,294
778
516
5,658
4,964
148
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12,19
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148
99
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231
108
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-------
            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
     Apparent naturalness again depends on scale. If a visitor were to focus on the immediate
     vicinity while in the unroaded area, it would seem  natural as described in the preceding
     paragraph,  however if the visitor looked at the question of naturalness from a landscape
     perspective, the view would be different. The presence of nearby logging along the Red
     Horse Ridge, near by privately owned clear cut lands, and the town of Elk City (1-2 miles
     away) make it less natural appearing.

     Remoteness and solitude are compromised by the proximity to the town  of Elk City, 1-2
     miles away, and the associated roads into the town.

     Special features  and special places are  not present from the standpoint of geological,
     resources. However, from a biological standpoint the Kirks Fork watershed has a high fish
     habitat value and contributes to the anadromous fish productivity.  The area is  unique from
     the standpoint  of  cultural or  historic resources.  Historically, mining occurred in AM-1a.
     Additionally, the Nez Perce trail runs along the southern boundary of AM-1a in the vicinity
     of Red Horse Ridge (see the heritage section for additional information).

     Manageability and  Boundaries:  The unroaded area  by itself  is 877 acres  and it is
     adjacent to another 565 acres in AM-1b.  These two areas are adjacent  to the 107,512
     acre West Meadow Creek IRA. The proximity to roads and past harvest units  could make
     the area difficult to manage for  wilderness, but there are not boundary issues  with  this
     area.

American - 1b (AM-1b) (See Map 11A) also lies almost completely within the Elk City Wildland
Urban  Interface.  It is north of AM-1a and is comprised  565 acres within two very small
watersheds, Box Sing Creek and Baboon Creek.  The two creeks drain into American River to
the southwest. Acres to be treated within the unroaded area range from zero to forty-nine acres
depending on the alternative.

     Natural integrity has been modified by past timber harvest and roads.  The viewshed is
     comprised of highly modified landscapes. The lodgepole  pine stands are uniformly fully
     stocked with trees and have  less open grass lands  interspersed  with the  lodgepole pine
     than might  be expected under  a  more  natural fire frequency.  Non-native  plants and
     invasives are uncommon in the area. This area currently has livestock use.

     Apparent naturalness again depends on scale. If a  visitor were to focus on the immediate
     vicinity while in the unroaded area, it would seem natural as described  in the preceding
     paragraph, however if the visitor looked at the question of naturalness from a landscape
     perspective, the view  would  be different.  The presence of nearby  logging  within and
     adjacent to the northern  boundary of the area defined by road 1809, and the  town  of Elk
     City (1-2 miles away) make it less natural appearing.

     Remoteness and  solitude are compromised by the proximity to the town of Elk City,  1-2
     miles away, and the associated roads into the town and the 1809 road to the north

     Special features and special places are not present from the standpoint of geological,
     resources. However, from a biological standpoint the Kirks Fork watershed has a high fish
     habitat value and contributes to the anadromous fish productivity.  The area is not unique
     from the standpoint of known cultural or historic resources.
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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
     Manageability  and Boundaries: The  unroaded area by itself  is 877  acres  and it is
     adjacent to another 565 acres in AM-1 a adjacent to the 107,512 acre West Meadow Creek
     IRA. These two areas are within the Wildland Urban  Interface for the Elk City community
     and management emphasis is protection of life and property. Additionally, the proximity to
     roads and past harvest units could make the area difficult to manage for wilderness, but
     there are not boundary issues with this area.

 AMERICAN-2 is west of the West Meadow Creek Inventoried Roadless  Area  (IRA) 1845C.
 This unroaded area has been subdivided along the subwatershed boundaries to  better explain
 the affects to important subwatersheds.  This unroaded area is comprised  of 5,684 acres with
 5,665 acres within the planning area.

 American - 2a (AM-2a) (See Map 11A) is west of the West Meadow Creek IRA  1845C and is
 comprised  of 4,969 acres within the East Fork  American River watershed.  The  southwestern
 most portion of this unroaded area lies within the Elk City community protection area (Wildland-
 urban  interface)  where the management  emphasis is protection  of  life  and property from
 potentially catastrophic effects of wildfire. Acres to be treated within the unroaded area range
 from zero to 109 acres depending on the alternative.

     Natural integrity is relatively high in this area,  although the  mixed  conifer stands are
     stocked higher  with trees  and have  less shrub  and open grass lands than  might be
     expected under a more  natural fire frequency.  Non-native  plants  and invasives are
     uncommon  in the area.  This area is not used by livestock. There is a  high degree  of
     Natural  Integrity  in this area.  The watershed has high importance for anadromous fish
     habitat.

     Apparent Naturalness is high except on the one and one half mile  southwestern boundary
     along the Elk City Township line  that separates the National Forest lands from  the BLM
     and private lands within the township that have been altered from their natural appearance.

     Remoteness and Solitude is increased as you get farther from  the  Elk  City Township,
     along the southwestern portion of the area. As indicated above, within the  one  and one
     half miles of the  Elk City Township line the feeling of solitude has been compromised.

     Special features and special places are  not present from the standpoint of geological,
     resources. However, from a biological standpoint the East Fork of the American River has
     a high fish habitat value and contributes to the anadromous fish productivity. The area  is
     not unique from the standpoint of known cultural or historic resources.

     Manageability and Boundaries The unroaded area by itself is 4968 acres adjacent to the
     107,512 acre West Meadow Creek IRA.  The proximity to roads  and past  harvest units
    could make  the area difficult to manage for wilderness within the one  and one half miles
    along the Elk City Township,  which comprises the southwestern boundary.  Otherwise
    there are no boundary issues with this area.

American -  2b  (AM-2b)  (See  Map 11 A)  is a small  unroaded area south of AM-2a and  is
comprised of approximate  148  acres that extend out of the East  Fork American  River into
Whittaker Creek.  The area  is bounded on the north by Flatiron Ridge, which blocks the view
other unroaded areas and the IRA.  This area is  immediately adjacent to roads and past timber
harvest units.  Acres to be  treated within the unroaded area range from  zero to forty acres
depending on the alternative
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
     Natural integrity has been modified by past timber harvest and roads. The viewshed is
     comprised of highly modified landscapes. The mixed conifer stands are stocked higher with
     trees and have less  shrub  and  open grass  lands than might be expected under a more
     natural fire frequency. Non-native plants and invasives are uncommon in  the area.  This
     area is not used by livestock.

     Apparent Naturalness depends on scale. Although small portions of the unroaded area
     might seem natural, the proximity to Forest roads nearby logging, and development within
     the Elk City Township have decreased apparent naturalness.

     Remoteness and Solitude is decreased  due to the proximity of roads and past harvest
     units in and adjacent  to the unroaded area.

     Special features and special places are not present from the standpoint of geological,
     biological, or ecological  reasons.  The area  is relatively common and  like much of the
     forested area in north-central Idaho. The area is  not unique from the standpoint of known
     cultural or historic resources.

     Manageability and Boundaries: The unroaded area by itself is 148 acres  separated from
     the West  Meadow Creek IRA 1845C by the unroaded area AM-2a that is 4968.  Flatiron
     Ridge  separates the  two unroaded areas.  The proximity to roads and past harvest units
     could make the area  difficult to manage for wilderness. Otherwise there are no boundary
     issues with this area.

American - 2c (AM-2c) (See Map 11A) is 28 acres east of AM-2b and south of AM-2a.  The
area is within one quarter mile of the 1810 road, which  runs along the southern edge of this
unroaded area. This is an extension out of the East Fork American  River into Kirks Fork Creek.
The  area  is also adjacent to  past  timber  harvest units.  Acres to be treated  within  this
subdivision  of the AM-2 unroaded area  range from one to twenty-three acres depending on the
alternative.

     Natural integrity has been modified by past timber harvest and roads.  The viewshed is
     comprised of highly modified landscapes.  The mixed conifer stands are  stocked higher
     with trees and have less shrub and open grass lands than might be expected under a more
     natural fire frequency. Non-native  plants and invasives are uncommon in  the area.  The
     Flint Creek watershed has a moderate fish habitat value and contributes to the  integrity of
     this watershed. This area is not used by livestock.

     Apparent  Naturalness depends on scale. Although small  portions of the  unroaded area
     might seem  natural,  the proximity to  Forest roads and nearby logging have decreased
     apparent naturalness.

     Remoteness and Solitude is decreased due to  the proximity of roads and past  harvest
     units in and adjacent to the unroaded area.

     Special features  and special places are not present from the standpoint of geological,
     resources. However, from a biological standpoint Flint Creek has a moderate fish habitat
    value and contributes to the anadromous fish  productivity. The area is not unique from the
    standpoint of known cultural or historic resources.

    Manageability and Boundaries:  The unroaded area is 28 acres and separated from the
    West Meadow Creek  IRA 1845C by the 1810 road.  The area abuts the 4968 acre AM-2a


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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
     unroaded area, but this is still less than the 5000 acre minimum for wilderness.  Regardless
     of size, the proximity to roads  and past harvest units could make the area difficult to
     manage for wilderness

 American - 2d (AM-2d) (See Map 11 A) consists of 306 acres on the western lobe of AM-2a,
 and encompasses a small portion of the Flint Creek. Three separate watersheds converge near
 this unroaded  area. The area has relatively high levels of past development in the form of roads
 and timber harvest. It is close to the  major road system that provides access to the area. The
 southwestern  most portion of this unroaded area lies within the Elk City township line and the
 community protection  consideration (Wildland-urban  interface)  where the  management
 emphasis is protection of life and property from potentially catastrophic effects of wildfire for the
 Ericson Ridge residential area. Acres to be treated within the unroaded area range from zero to
 forty-five acres depending  on the alternative

     Natural integrity has been modified by past timber harvest and roads.  The viewshed is
     comprised of highly modified landscapes. The mixed conifer stands are stocked higher
     with trees and have less shrub and open grass lands than might be expected under a more
     natural fire frequency. Non-native plants and invasives are uncommon in the area but may
     occur along the southern border of the area where previous disturbance has occurred.
     This area is not used  by livestock.

     Apparent Naturalness depends on scale. Although  small portions of the unroaded  area
     might seem, natural, the proximity to Forest roads nearby logging, and development within
     the Elk City Township has decreased apparent naturalness.

     Remoteness and Solitude is decreased  due to the  proximity of roads and development
     within the Elk City Township.

     Special features and special places are not present from the  standpoint of geological,
     biological, or ecological  reasons. The  area is relatively common and like much of the
     forested area in north-central Idaho. The area is not unique from the  standpoint of known
     cultural or historic resources.

     Manageability and Boundaries:  The unroaded area is 306 acres and is separated from
     the West Meadow Creek  IRA 1845C by the 4968 acre AM-2a unroaded area.   The
     community  protection emphasis, proximity to roads,  past harvest  units,  the  Elk  City
     Township  boundary,  and development would  make  the  area  difficult to manage for
     wilderness.  The complex topographic features involved with the confluence of the  three
     separate watersheds make boundary management more complex.

American - 2e (AM-2e) (See Map  11 A) consists of 236 acres  on the western lobe of AM-2a,
and encompasses  a small  portion of the American  River. The area has relatively high levels of
past development in the form of roads and timber harvest.   It is close to the major road system
that provides access to the area. The all but a tiny sliver of the unroaded area lies within the Elk
City community protection area (Wildland-urban interface) where the management emphasis is
protection  of life and property from potentially catastrophic effects of wildfire.  Acres to be
treated within the unroaded area range from zero to 102 acres depending on the alternative

     Natural integrity  has been modified by past timber harvest and  roads. The viewshed is
     comprised of  highly modified landscapes. The  lodgepole pine stands are uniformly  fully
     stocked with trees and have less open grass lands interspersed  with the lodgepole pine


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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
     than  might  be expected  under a more natural fire frequency.  Non-native plants and
     invasives are uncommon in the area but may occur along the southern border of the area
     where previous disturbance has occurred. This area is not used by livestock.

     Apparent Naturalness depends on scale. Although small portions of the unroaded area
     might seem natural, the proximity to Forest roads nearby logging, and development within
     the Elk City Township has decreased apparent naturalness.

     Remoteness and Solitude is decreased due to the proximity of roads and  development
     within the Elk City Township.

     Special features and special places are not present from  the standpoint of geological,
     biological, or ecological reasons. The area is relatively common and like  much of the
     forested area in north-central  Idaho. The area is not unique from the standpoint of known
     cultural or historic resources.

     Manageability and  Boundaries: The unroaded  area is 236  acres and is separated from
     the West Meadow Creek  IRA  1845C by unroaded are AM-2d and AM-2a.  The community
     protection emphasis, proximity  of  roads, past  harvest units,  the Elk  City Township
     boundary, and development would make the area difficult to  manage for wilderness. The
     complex topographic features  involved with the  confluence  of  the  three  separate
     watersheds make boundary management more complex.

Crooked - 1. (CR-1) (See Map 11B) is just north of the  Dixie  Summit-Nut Hill Inventoried
Roadless Area 1235 and consists of 5,394 acres,  with 3,809 acres  within the planning  area.
Acres to be treated within the unroaded area range from one to  204 acres depending on the
alternative. To the north of  CR-1  there are highly modified landscapes. All  viewsheds are
comprised  of highly modified landscapes  in  Crooked  River and  Red River  and limited
opportunity to observe the Gospel  Hump Wilderness  (6-10 miles  away).  The natural integrity
that does exist in the areas is associated with the ridge tops.  These are broad  and densely
forested and break  into 15-20 small upper tributaries to Crooked River and Red River.  There is
no whole watershed integrity associated with CR-1.

The Resource values of CR-1 could be described as follows:

     Natural integrity has been modified by past timber harvest and roads.  The  viewshed is
     comprised of highly modified  landscapes. The lodgepole pine stands are uniformly fully
     stocked with trees and have less open  grass  lands interspersed with the  lodgepole pine
     than might be  expected  under a more natural  fire frequency.  Non-native plants and
     invasives are uncommon in the area. This area is  not used by  livestock.

     Apparent naturalness depends on scale. If  a  visitor were to focus on  the immediate
     vicinity while in the  unroaded  area, it would seem natural  as described in the preceding
     paragraph,  however if the visitor looked at the question of naturalness from  a landscape
     perspective, the view would be different. The Forest road system and the  presence of
     nearby logging, and mining would decrease this  perception of apparent naturalness. The
     portion of the  unroaded  area  closer to  the IRA  is most natural appearing and the  area
     closer to the roads is least natural appearing.

     Remoteness and solitude are compromised in the unroaded area by the presence of the
     Forest road  system. In much of the unroaded  area  one can  hear the  sounds on the
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           American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
     vehicles and in some areas, one can see the road and the traffic on the road. One does not
     have the feeling of remoteness or solitude in the lower portion of the unroaded area. The
     impact of the road is somewhat lessened in certain areas because of topography.

     Special features  and special places are not present from the standpoint of geological,
     biological, or ecological  reasons. The  area  is relatively common and like much of the
     forested area in north-central Idaho. The area is not unique from the standpoint of known
     cultural or historic  resources.

     Manageability and Boundaries: The unroaded area by itself is over 5,000 acres and it is
     adjacent to a nearly 12,000 acre IRA. The proximity to roads and past  harvest units could
     make the area difficult to  manage for wilderness, but there are no boundary issues with this
     area, other than the boundaries have little relationship to natural landscape features.

 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES

 TREATMENT UNITS IN RELATION TO UNROADED LANDS
 The table below  shows the proposed number of treatment acres for each  unroaded area by
 alternative and the number of  miles  of temporary road that is associated with each alternative.

   TABLE 3.187 - NUMBER OF  TREATMENT ACRES FOR EACH UNROADED AREA BY ALTERNATIVE
n
2
•o
0)
•o
IB
2
c
AM-1a
AM-1b
AM-2a
AM-2b
AM-2c
AM-2d
AM-2e
CR-1
Total
AltB
1 «
99.39
48.98
4.1
0
23.47
0
d
149.83
325.77
•52-0
ill
i * >•
0.72
0.47
0
0
0
0
0
0.58
1.77
AltC
'-.freaied;.;;.'
^•^Acrelif!'
99.39
48.98
108.47
0
23.83
44.67
53.9
181.69
560.93
W
i * >
0.72
0.47
0.99
0
0.07
0.86
1.22
1.17
5.50
AltD
||TreatedM;':<;
jjSAcrfesWK'.
99.39
48.98
108.52
0.32
23.98
44.67
102.01
203.96
631.83
15 1*8
£ jW ^
0.72
0.47
0.99
0
0.07
0.86
1.22
1.17
5.50
AltE
*m <0
& 0)
m o
4.04
0.06
0
0
0.84
0
0
1
5.94
&.
— O (B
« ^5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS
In an effort to avoid  redundancy,  if the impacts are the same  between alternatives for an
individual unroaded area they are discussed in the first alternative and other alternatives refer
back to the alternative where they were first discussed. All roads constructed by this project are
temporary roads that will be obliterated upon completion of this action.
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 ALTERNATIVE A (No ACTION)

 Alternative A, the 'no action' alternative, would not impact the unroaded lands described in this
 section, since no treatment would occur.

 ALTERNATIVE B

 Alternative  B would  treat 150  acres  in unroaded  lands adjacent  to  Dixie Summit-Nut Hill
 Roadless Area IRA 1235 and 176 acres in unroaded lands adjacent to West Meadow Creek IRA
 1845C.  Most of the 326 acres  are separated from the IRA by topography, existing roads, or
 past harvest units.  Additionally,  access into the area would be facilitated by the construction of
 short segments of temporary road in the unroaded areas ranging from % to 1/2 mile in length for
 a total of approximately 1 % miles.

 AM-1a: There are approximately 100 acres of proposed  treatment  in  AM-1a   Proposed
 treatment would be along the  9832A road.  Approximately 3/4 miles of temporary road into the
 unroaded area is proposed under this alternative. The temporary road will be obliterated upon
 completion of the proposed action. There will be impacts on the unroaded characteristics of this
 area in the treatment areas however, the impacts are somewhat reduce due to proposed activity
 being along existing roads and the previous activities within this area.  Additionally the proposed
 activities are consistent with the  community protection of the Elk City town.  Proposed treatment
 may have an impact on the refuge aspect of fish habitat,  which is a  special  feature of  this
 unroaded area,  in the Kirks Fork watershed.  For further  discussion of effects to fish see the
 Fish section  in Chapter 3.  There will be 1,294 acres out of the 1,442 acres of this unroaded
 area that will not be changed.

 AM-1b: There  are approximately 49 acres  of proposed treatment in area AM-1b.  Proposed
 treatment would be off  the 1809 road on a 1/2 mile  piece of temporary  road  that will be
 obliterated upon completion of the proposed  action.  There  will be impacts on the unroaded
 characteristics of this area in the treatment areas however, the impacts are somewhat reduce
 due to proposed activity being along existing roads and the previous  activities within this area.
 Additionally the proposed activities are  consistent with the community protection of the town of
 Elk City. There will  be 516 acres out  of the 565 acres of this  unroaded area that will not be
 changed.

 AM-2a: There area approximately 4 acres of proposed treatment in area AM-2a.  This area has
 unroaded  characteristics  that are highly intact.  The four acres proposed in this alternative  are
 off the 1810  road.  This alternative would only minimally affect the unroaded character of this
 area due  to the minimal size  and it being along the existing road.  The  treatment does  not
 detract from  the rest of  the unroaded area.  Fish habitat, which is  a  special feature  of this
 unroaded  area, will  not be  impacted by the  proposed action  in  the East Fork of the American
 River (see Fish section in Chapter 3).  There will be 4,964 acres out of the 4,968 acres of this
 unroaded area that will not be changed.

AM-2b: There are no acres proposed in AM-2b under this alternative.

AM-2c: There area  approximately 4 acres of proposed treatment in area AM-2a.  This area has
 unroaded  characteristics that are highly intact.  The four acres proposed in this alternative are
off the 1810 road.  This alternative would only minimally affect  the unroaded character of this
area due to the minimal  size and it being along the  existing road.  The  treatment does  not
detract from the rest of the unroaded area.  Proposed treatment  may have an impact on the
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 refuge aspect of fish habitat, which is a special feature of this unroaded area, in the Flint Creek
 watershed.. There will be 4,964 acres out of the 4,968 acres of this unroaded area that will not
 be changed.

 AM-2d:  There are no acres proposed in AM-2d under this alternative.

 AM-2e:  There are no acres proposed in AM-2e under this alternative.

 CR-1: There  are approximately 150 acres proposed in CR-1 under this alternative.  Proposed
 treatment is along the 9839 road, the 1803 road, and some small areas (less than three acres)
 outside the unroaded area that cross the boundary into the unroaded area.  Approximately 1/2
 mile of temporary road into the unroaded area is proposed under this alternative, and it will be
 obliterated upon completion of the proposed action.  The proposed activity would only minimally
 decrease the unroaded character due to the action being along the boundary and along existing
 roads and previous  disturbance.   There will be 5,244 acres out of the  5,394  acres of this
 unroaded area that will not be changed.

 ALTERNATIVE C

 Alternative C  would treat 182 acres in  unroaded  lands  adjacent to Dixie  Summit-Nut Hill
 Roadless Area IRA 1235 and 379 acres in unroaded lands adjacent to West Meadow Creek IRA
 1845C.  Most of the 561  acres are separated from the  IRA by topography, existing roads, or
 past harvest units. Additionally, access into the area would be facilitated by the construction of
 short segments of temporary road in the unroaded areas ranging from % to 1 mile in length for a
 total of approximately 5 1/2 miles.

 AM-1a: Same  as Alternative B

 AM-1b: Same as Alternative B

 AM-2a:  There area approximately  108 acres of proposed treatment in area AM-2a. This area
 has unroaded characteristics that  are highly intact.  All but twenty acres  proposed in  this
 alternative  are off the 1810 road in the southern portion of the unroaded  area on % miles of
 temporary road that would be obliterated upon completion of the proposed action.  The other 20
 acres are on the extreme western boundary on an approximately 1  mile long temporary road off
 the 9812F1 road. Only % mile of this temporary road would be within this unroaded area. The
 rest of the temporary road  is within the AM-2d  area. This alternative  would only effect the
 unroaded character of this area, but is  somewhat  reduced due to proposed activities being
 limited to the extreme boundaries and along the existing roads.  Fish habitat, which is a special
 feature of this  unroaded area, will  not be impacted by the proposed action in the East Fork of
 the American River.  There will be 4,860 acres out of the 4,968 acres of this unroaded area that
 will not be changed.

 AM-2b: There are no acres proposed  in AM-2b under this alternative.

 AM-2c: Same as Alternative B

AM-2d:  There are 45  acres of proposed treatment in AM-2d.  Proposed  treatment is off the
 9812F1 and the 9812A roads. Approximately 1 mile of temporary road will be constructed from
the 9812F1 road  but only 1/2 mile is within  AM-2d.  % mile is within AM-2e and 1/4 mile in AM-2a.
Approximately  % mile of temporary road will be constructed  off the  9812A road. All Temporary
 roads will be obliterated upon completion of the proposed action.  This area  has not  retained
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            American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
 high unroaded characteristics due to past activities in the area and  is within the community
 protection area for the Ericson Ridge Subdivision within the Elk City Township.  Proposed
 treatment may have an impact on the refuge aspect of fish habitat, which is a special feature of
 this unroaded area, in the Kirks Fork watershed. For further discussion of effects to fish see the
 Fish section in Chapter 3.  There will be additional impacts to the unroaded characteristics due
 to the proposed action, but this is somewhat reduced due to previous disturbances in the area.
 Additionally the proposed activities are consistent with the community protection within the Elk
 City Township. There will be 261 acres of the 306 acres of this unroaded area that will not be
 changed.

 AM-2e:   There are 54 acres of proposed treatment in AM-2e.  Proposed treatment is off the
 9812F and 9812F1 roads.  Approximately 1  mile  of temporary road will be constructed from
 9812F and 1 mile of temporary road will be constructed from 9812F1, but only Vi mile will be
 within AM-2e the remainder is within AM-2d and AM-2a.  All temporary roads will be obliterated
 upon  completion of  the  proposed  action.    This area  has not  retained  high  unroaded
 characteristics  due to past activities in the area and is within the community protection area for
 the Ericson Ridge Subdivision within the Elk City Township. There will be additional impacts to
 the unroaded characteristics due to this activity; however 182 acres of the 236 acre unroaded
 area will not be changed.

 CR-1: There are approximately 182 acres proposed in CR-1  under this alternative.  Proposed
 treatment is along the 9839 road, the 1803 road, and some small areas (less than  three acres)
 outside the unroaded area that cross the boundary into the unroaded  area.  Approximately 1
 mile of temporary road into the  unroaded area is proposed under this alternative, and it will be
 obliterated upon completion of the proposed action. The proposed activity would decrease the
 unroaded character in this area, but this is somewhat reduced due to the action being along the
 boundary and along existing toads and previous disturbance.  There will be 5,212  acres out of
 the 5,394 acres of this unroaded area that will not be changed.

 ALTERNATIVES D

 Alternative D and F would treat 204 acres in unroaded lands adjacent to Dixie Summit-Nut Hill
 Roadless Area  IRA 1235 and 427 acres in unroaded lands adjacent to West Meadow Creek IRA
 1845C.  Most of  the 631 acres are separated from the IRA by topography, existing roads, or
 past harvest units. Additionally, access into the area would be facilitated by the construction of
 short segments of temporary road in the unroaded  areas ranging from  % to one mile in length
 for a total of approximately 5 1/2 miles.

 AM-1a: Same as Alternative B

 AM-1b: Same as  Alternative B

 AM-2a: Same as Alternative C

 AM-2b: There is  less than 1/3 acres of proposed treatment in AM-2b.  The small area is part of
 a unit outside the unroaded area that barely crosses over into the AM-2b unroaded area. This
 activity will reduced the unroaded character of this area minimally due to previous disturbance in
 the area, and the  minimal size of the proposed activity. Of the 148 acres in this unroaded area,
 less than one acre will be affected.

AM-2c: Same as Alternative B.
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                                       Page 446

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            American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
 AM-2d:  Same as Alternative C.

 AM-2e:  There are 102 acres of proposed treatment in AM-2e. Proposed treatment is off the
 9812F and  9812F1 roads.  Approximately 1 mile of temporary road will be constructed from
 9812F and  1 mile  of temporary road will be constructed from 9812F1,  but only % mile will be
 within AM-2e the remainder is within AM-2d and AM-2a. All temporary roads will be obliterated
 upon completion  of  the proposed  action.   This area  has  not  retained  high  unroaded
 characteristics due to  past activities in the area and is within the community protection area for
 the Ericson  Ridge Subdivision within the Elk City Township.  There will be additional impacts to
 the unroaded characteristics due to this activity; however 134 acres of the 236 acre unroaded
 area will not be changed.

 CR-1: There are approximately 204 acres proposed in CR-1 under this alternative.  Proposed
 treatment is along the 9839 road, the 1803 road, and some small areas (less than three acres)
 outside the  unroaded  area that cross the  boundary  into the unroaded  area. Approximately 1
 mile of temporary road into the unroaded area is proposed  under this alternative, and it will be
 obliterated upon completion of the proposed action.  The proposed activity would decrease the
 unroaded character in this area, but this is somewhat reduced due to the action being along the
 boundary and along existing roads and previous disturbance. There will be 5,190 acres out of
 the 5,394 acres of this unroaded area that will not be changed.

 ALTERNATIVE E

 Alternative E only proposed a total of approximately six acres in unroaded areas.  This minimal
 amount of proposed  treatment in the unroaded  areas  will  not change the overall existing
 unroaded characteristic the rest of the unroaded areas.  No temporary roads are proposed in
 the unroaded areas under this alternative.

 AM-1a:  There area four acres of proposed treatment in the AM-1a area along  the 9832 road.
 This area does not have highly intact  unroaded characteristics and is adjacent to  the road.
 Proposed treatment may have an impact on the refuge aspect of fish habitat, which is a special
 feature of this unroaded area, in the Kirks Fork watershed.

 OOAM-lb: There is less than 1/10th acre of proposed  treatment in AM-1b. This is only a sliver of
 a treatment unit that crosses into the unroaded area.

 AM-2c:  There is less than one acre of proposed treatment in AM-2c.  This is along the 1810
 roads.  Proposed treatment may have an impact on the refuge aspect of fish habitat, which is a
 special feature of this unroaded area, in the Flint Creek watershed.

 CR-1:  There is one acre of proposed treatment in CR-1. The proposed treatment will be next
to the 1803 road.

 Effects disclosed here relate solely to  the effects  of proposed activities  on the unroaded
character of the affected lands.  Chapter 3 contains detailed  narrative and tabular information to
understand the effects  of the alternatives on other resources, including soil, water, air, plant and
animal communities, and threatened, endangered, or sensitive species.
                                       Chapter 3
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          American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement
FOREST PLAN COMPLIANCE

The following Forest Plan Standards for Wilderness Resources do not apply within the context
of this project.


  TABLE 3.188 - FOREST PLAN STANDARDS FOR WILDERNESS RESOURCES THAT DO NOT APPLY
STANDARD
NUMBER
1-10
SUBJECT SUMMARY
Wilderness Management Direction
COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED BY
No treatment is proposed in Wilderness. No
other specific standards were developed for
Roadless areas only general Forest Plan
standards apply.
                                   Chapter 3
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   CHAPTER 4 - PREPARERS AND DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR DRAFT EIS
4.1. PREPARERS
RESOURCE
PROJECT MANAGER
INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM LEADER
SOILS
WATERSHED
FISHERIES
FIRE
AIR QUALITY
RECREATION
WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS
TRANSPORTATION
HERITAGE
VEGETATION
WILDLIFE
SOCIO-ECONOMICS
WILDERNESS, INVENTORIED ROADLESS
AREAS AND AREAS WITH POSSIBLE
UNROADED CHARACTERISTICS
APPENDIX A - MAPS
APPENDIX B - GLOSSARY
APPENDIX C - REFERENCES
APPENDIX D - WATERSHED, FISH HABITAT
APPENDIX E - SUPPORT FOR WATERSHED,
FISH HABITAT
APPENDIX F - ROAD MAINTENANCE
OBJECTIVES
APPENDIX G - FUEL MODELS
APPENDIX H - TREATMENTS BY
ALTERNATIVE
APPENDIX I - MONITORING PLAN
APPENDIX J - TERRESTRIAL
EDITOR
PREPARER
PHILIP N. JAHN/SCOTT RUSSELL
KATHERINE WORN/ESTER MCCULLOUGH
PATRICIA GREEN
NICK GERHARDT
WAYNE PARADIS
TIM THEISEN/BRIAN JENKINS/TIM BUTTON
TIM THEISEN/BRIAN JENKINS/TIM BUTTON
RANDY BORNIGER
RANDY BORNIGER
RICHARD GRAVES/LAURIE DOMAN
STEVE LUCAS
RANDALL WALKER/LEONARD LAKE
G. STEVE BLAIR/JOANNE BONN
MARK PETERSON/MICHAEL MCGEE
RANDY BORNIGER
DAVID GREEN
MONICA MCGEE
ALL
NICK GERHARDT, WAYNE PARADIS
NICK GERHARDT, WAYNE PARADIS
RICH GRAVES
TIM THEISEN/BRIAN JENKINS/TIM BUTTON
RANDALL WALKER, ESTER HUTCHINSON,
KATHERINE WORN
ESTER HUTCHINSON, KATHERINE WORN
G. STEVE BLAIR/JOANNE BONN
MONICA McGEE

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                American River/Crooked River- Final Environmental Impact Statement

   4.2.  DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR FINAL EIS
 Backcountry Horsemen
 Dennis Dailey, President
 P.O. Box 112
 Grangeville, Idaho 83530
 983-1030
 Baird, Dennis
 P.O. Box 8787
 Moscow, Idaho 83843
 208-882-8289
 dbaird@uidaho.edu
 Bennett Forest Industries
 John Bennett
 Route 1, Box 2L
 Grangeville, ID 83530
 983-0012
 Bureau of Land Management
 Greg Yuncevich, Cottonwood
 Manager Route 3, Box 181
 Cottonwood, Idaho 83522
 962-3245
 CFI Mill
 Jim Wassmuth, Manager
 Clearwater Forest Industries
 207 S.E. Madison Street
 Grangeville, Idaho 83530
 983-2056
 Clearwater National Forest Larry
 Dawson, Supervisor
 12730 Highway 12
 Orofino, Idaho 83544
 208-476-8273
 ldawson@fs.fed.us
Congressman Butch Otter
Bonnie Butler, Assistant
111 Main Street, Suite 170
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
208-298-0030
bonnie.butler(q). mail.house.
Craig-Wyden (RAC)
Andy Brunelle
304 North 8th
Room 250
Boise, ID 83702
Department of Environ. Quality
Daniel Stewart
300 West Main - Room 203
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
Friends of the Clearwater
Gary McFarlane
(208) 882-9755
fQC@wJidrockJes.org
Hingston Roach Group
Lorraine Roach
416 W. Main
Grangeville, ID 83530
983-2175
Idaho Conservation League
John McCarthy
P.O. Box 844
Boise, Idaho 83701-0844
Idaho County
Carl Crabtree
320 West Main Street
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
983-2667
Idaho County Commissioner
Alice Mattson
Idaho County Courthouse
320 West Main Street
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
983-2751
amattson@idahocounty.org
Idaho County Commissioner
Pat Holmberg, Chairman
Idaho County Courthouse
320 West Main Street
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
983-2751
pholmberg(g)idahocountv.orq
Idaho County Commissioner George
Enneking
Idaho County Courthouse
320 West Main Street
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
983-2751
genneking(g)idahocoyntv.orQ
Idaho County Free Press
David Rauzi, Publisher
P.O. Box 690
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
983-1200
drauzi@eagienewspapers.com
Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game Cal
Groen, Supervisor
1540 Warner Avenue
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
208-799-5010
cgroen@jdfg.state.id.us
Idaho Dept. of Lands
Bob McKnight, Area Supervisor
10230 Highway 12
Orofino, Idaho 83554
208-476-4587
bmcknight@idl.state.id.us
Idaho Outfitters & Guides Grant
Simmonds
Executive Director
P.O. Box 95
Boise, ID 83701
Kovalicky, Tom
Nez Perce Forest Retiree
Route 2
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
983-0281
Lewiston City Library
428 Thain Road
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
(208)743-6519
Lewiston Morning Tribune Eric
Barker, Outdoor Reporter
505 "C" Street
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
National Marine Fisheries Dale
Brege
102 North College
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
                                          Chapter 4
                                          Page 450

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                American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement
(Inter-Library Loan setup)
208-743-9411 (ext. #273)
ebarker@lmtrjbune.com
983-3859
dale.breqe@noaa.gov
Nez Perce Tribal Executive
Committee
Anthony Johnson, Chairman
P.O.  Box 305
Lapwai, Idaho 83540
208-843-2253
Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries
Ira Jones
(208)843-7144
iraj@nezperce.org
Dave Johnson (Fisheries)
davei@nezperce.org

Also Scott Althouse and Aaron
Miles from the Tribe
North Central Idaho RAC
Bob Hafer
106 North D
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
983-2747
North Idaho Conservation League
Jonathon Oppenheimer
P.O. Box 9783
Moscow, Idaho 83843
(208)882-1010
ioppenheimer@wiididaho.org
Rehfeld, Bob
Nez Perce Forest Retiree
835 South A
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
983-9189
Senator Larry Craig
Leann Wagele, Assistant
846 Main Street
Lewiston, ID 835301
208-743-0792
leann wagele@craig.senate.gov
Senator Michael Crapo
Mitch Silvers, Assistant
313 D Street, Room #105
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
208-743-1492
mitch silvers@crapo.senate.gov
Snowdrifters Snowmobile Club
Mike Murphy, President
P.O. Box 572
Grangeville, Idaho 83530
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Paul
Moroz
1387 So. VinnellWay
Boise, Idaho 83709-1657
208-378-5243
paul  rnoroz@fws.gov
University of Idaho
Bill McLaughlin, Professor
Department of Resource Recreation
& Tourism College of Natural
Resources
PO Box 441139
Moscow,  ID 83844-1139
208-885-6659
bilSm@uidaho.edu
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American River/Crooked River - Final Environmental Impact Statement


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