634.98 N7dgs 2003 Vol. 2 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ,rAT£ documents collection crp 2 2001 DepartmentofNaturalResourcesand Conservation Swan RiverStateForest L,BRARv 1 1m||j||j||| 3 01 64 0014 Soli's dcah. WILDERNESS O o on <s> ..1 C=—0 on on Cl 0 O) 1; ^'.-o0t: IT L2Ll LU S01o<. < .11 QC Z IT Cl o LU O UL, ID o 3 z! 3 CD o .ir < rpHort USFS CondonAirport 209 Airport Ronan .-o-.ro «®=ccon 2^ ( 01 ts 3 CD T3 c 3 O DC " DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION — JUDYMARTZ,GOVERNOR OF MONTANA STATE NORTHWESTERN LANDOFFICE Telephone: (406) 751-2240 2250HIGHWAY93NORTH FAX: (406)751-2288 KALISPELL, MONTANA 59901-2557 GOAT SQUEEZER TIMBER SALE PROJECT DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT January 21, 2003 Enclosed is a copy of the Goat Squeezer Timber Sale Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) I encourage you to carefully review . the information presented in the DEIS and provide comments to Karen Jorgenson, Project Leader, Swan State Forest, 58741 Highway 83 South, Swan Lake, Montana 59911. Comments must be received by February 21, 2003. Along with your comments, please include your name, address, telephone number, and the title of the DEIS for which you are providing comments. The proposed project is located approximately 9 miles southeast of Swan Lake, Montana in Swan River State Forest. The Department does not present a preferred alternative of the two action alternatives analyzed in the DEIS. Proposed harvest volumes range from 0 million board feet (MMBF) in No-Action Alternative A, to 13.4 MMBF in Action Alternative B, and 10.2 MMBF in Action Alternative C. The DEIS was designed to address Swan River State Forest's primary commitment to Montana's mandated timber-harvest levels over a three-year period. This approach does a better job of analyzing cumulative effects to valuable resources and improves project-planning coordination within active subunits scheduled by the Swan Valley Grizzly Bear Conservation Agreement. The DEIS is written in the format that can be understood by any interest level and incorporates pictures in the Summary to promote project understanding. The DEIS consolidates Chapters III and IV into one section that plainly summarizes the analysis. The bulk of the scientific analysis is located in the tabbed appendices. The information in the appendices must be used for scientific, technical, or legal review. This format has improved our ability to communicate with all individuals interested in the management of State lands. I welcome your thoughts and comments. Robert L Sandman Unit Manager Stillwater/Swan State Forests 58741 Highway 83 South Swan Lake, Montana 59911 (406) 754-2301 RLS :mb KALISPELLUNIT STILLWATERSTATE FOREST LIBBYUNIT PLAINSUNIT SWANRIVERSTATEFOREST 2250Highway93North POBox 164 14096USHighway37 POBox219 58741Highway83South Kalispell,MT 59901-2557 Olney,MT 59927-0164 Libby,MT 59923-9347 Plains,MT 59859-0219 SwanLake.MT59911 Telephone(406)751-2240 Telephone(406)881-2371 Telephone(406)293-2711 Telephone(406)826-3851 Telephone(406)754-2301 Fax(406)751-2288 Fax(406)881-2372 Fax(406)293-9307 Fax(406)826-5785 Fax(406)754-2884 "ANEQUAL OPPORTUNITYEMPLOYER . ,. . . , GOAT SQUEEZER TIMBER SALE PROJECT <1 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT PREFACE «S| <4 <4 A Ik The Goat Squeezer Timber Sale alternative development and Project Draft Environmental Impact environmental effects analyses. Statement (DEIS) format is similar Chapter II describes the to others written on the Swan River alternatives that were analyzed and Stillwater State Forests. This and compares their effects. preface explains the format and how to use it to obtain the information Chapter III displays the existing of your interest The key reasons environment and the environmental . for using this format are: effects to each resource for each alternative. The effects - to present an easily read analyses are summarized and document condensed so that the proposal promote understanding of the and its effects can be easily major effects and conclusions in understood. For a more detailed the analyses without the explanation, the Resource extensive and complex scientific Appendices should be read. details RESOURCE APPENDICES to present a document that The Resource Appendices contain includes the necessary scientific the full technical and scientific detail to be legally sound. discussions of: To accomplish these goals, the DEIS -the analysis methods and areas, is split into the following 3 separate, but related, parts. -the existing conditions, and -the direct, indirect, and EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • cumulative effects of the This portion summarizes the DEIS proposed actions on the by briefly describing: environment The discussions include citations -the proposed action and data from research documents, -the issues connected with each environmental assessments (EA) analysis and database analyses Each -the alternatives that were Interdisciplinary Team. (ID Team) considered, and member prepared the analysis for -the environmental effects of his/her individual specialty each alternative. (fisheries, water, wildlife, etc.) The appendices provide The written information has the basis for the information and supporting photographs and maps conclusions that are displayed in to promote understanding. the DEIS and Executive Summary. DEIS The analyses are summarized in • the DEIS; therefore, for Chapter I describes the purpose scientific, technical, or legal and need of the proposed action reviews the information in the and the issues that guided the appendices need to be utilized. TABLE OF CONTENTS VICINITY MAP (BACK OF FRONT COVER) PREFACE CHAPTER 1 - PURPOSE AND NEED Introduction to the Proposed Actions 1 Purpose 1 1 Proposed Objectives 2 Relationship to the SFLMP 2 ElS Process 2 Proposed Schedule of Activities 4 Other Environmental Reviews Related to the Project 4 Other Agencies with Jurisdiction/Permit Requirements 4 Permits that may be Required to Implement the Proposed Actions 4 Concerns/Issues 4 CHAPTER II - ALTERNATIVES Introduction 1 Development of Alternatives 1 Descriptions of Alternatives 1 Table II -4—Summary of the Environmental Effects 10 CHAPTER III - EXISTING ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES Introduction 1 Project Area Description 1 Vegetation Analysis 2 Hydrology Analysis 12 Fisheries Analysis 16 Wildlife Analysis 22 Soils Analysis 30 Economics Analysis 34 Recreation Analysis 38 Air Quality Analysis 40 Aesthetics Analysis 42 Irretrievable and Irreversible Commitments 46 PREPARERS AND CONTRIBUTORS REFERENCES GLOSSARY ACRONYMS (front of back cover) The Resource Appendices are bound separately Digitized by the Internet Archive 2016 in https://archive.org/details/goatsqueezertimb2003mont . : . . kAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.J GOAT SQUEEZER TIMBER SALE PROJECT CHAPTER kAAAAAAAAA I rTTTTTTTTl PURPOSE AND NEED ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffWWWfWffffffffffffffffTfl INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPOSED Montana in trust for the support of ACTION specific beneficiary institutions. These include public schools, State Swan River State Forest, Montana colleges and universities, and other Department of Natural Resources and specific State institutions, such as Conservation (DNRC) proposes the the School for the Deaf and Blind , Goat Squeezer Timber Sale Project. Enabling Act of February 22, 1889; Its primary activities include: 1(972 Montana Constitution, Article - timber harvesting, X, Section 11) . The State Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) and - new road construction, DNRC are required by law to - road improvements, ponderosa pine restoration, and administer these trust lands to - - changes in forest covertypes to a produce the largest measure of reasonable and legitimate return desired future condition. over the long run for these This proposal includes a no-action beneficiary institutions, (Section alternative and 2 action 77-1-202 Montana Codes Annotated alternatives. If an action [MCA]). ,DNRC released the Record of alternative were selected, 10 to 14 Decision for the State Forest Land million board feet (MMBF) would be Management Plan (SFLMP) on May 30, treated on 1,865 to 2,444 acres. By 1996. The State Board of Land selecting an action alternative Swan Commissioners approved the River State Forest's primary implementation of the SFLMP on June commitment to the state's mandated 17, 1996. The SFLMP outlines the harvest level would be met for the management philosophy of DNRC in next 3 years . The harvest volume managing State forested trust lands would be split into approximately 3 and sets out specific Resource contracts for 2003, 2004, and 2005. Management Standards for 10 resource Under an action alternative, 1.7 to categories 4.0 miles of road construction, The Department will manage the lands either permanent or temporary, and 3.3 miles of road reconstruction involved according to the philosophy would occur. Several roads within and standards in the SFLMP, which states the project area would be improved to meet Montana BMP standards for Our premise is that the best way forestry to produce long-term income for the trust is to manage The project area is located intensively for healthy and approximately 12 miles southeast of biologically diverse forest. Our Swan Lake, Montana, within the understanding is that a diverse following State-owned Sections 4, 8, forest is a stable forest that 10, 16, 20, 22, 26, 28, 30, 32, and will produce the most reliable 34, T23N, R17W, and Sections 32, 33, and highest long-term revenue and 34, T24N, R17W stream.... In the foreseeable . future, timber management will PURPOSE continue to be our primary source of revenue and our primary tool The lands involved in the proposed for achieving biodiversity project are held by the State of objectives Goat Squeezer Timber Sale Project Page 1-1 . . . : . PROPOSED OBJECTIVES Resource Management Standards have been incorporated into the design of In order to meet the goals of the the proposed actions. The Goat management philosophy adopted Squeezer Timber Sale Project through a programmatic review of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) SFLMP, DNRC has set the following is not intended as a programmatic or specific project objectives: area plan and is limited to Promote biodiversity by managing addressing specific proposed actions • for appropriate stand structures in reference to issues that were and compositions based on identified through public ecological characteristics (eg., involvement and input by the ID Team land type, habitat type, disturbance regime, unique RELATIONSHIP TO PROPOSED NEW characteristics) For threatened, . RULES endangered, and sensitive species, a fine-filtered approach would be DNRC is in the process of adopting used that focuses on habitat administrative rules for forest requirements of single species. management activities, including the management of old-growth stands • Provide 10 to 14 MMBF in 3 or more Adoption is scheduled for March of contracts, prepared and sold in 2003. Timber sales would comply 2003, 2004, and 2005, to meet the with the following implementation Northwestern Land Office (NWLO) schedule proposed in the rules volume contribution of the annual timber harvest volume on State Sales associated with • trust lands that is required by environmental documents scoped State law (77-5-221 through 223, after rules adoption would be MCA required to comply with the ) . rules • Ensure that all project roads, including haul routes to Highway • Sales associated with this EIS 83, meet BMPs. would not be required to comply with the rules, given how far Address insect and disease • along in the MEPA process the problems identified by the DNRC- project is. contracted pathologist. EIS PROCESS • Include easement exchanges with U. S. Forest Service (USFS) and Plum EIS Development Creek Timber Company in the This EIS was prepared in compliance analyses, if applicable. with the Montana Environmental RELATIONSHIP TO THE SFLMP Policy Act (MEPA) which requires , State government to include The SFLMP is a programmatic plan consideration of environmental that provides field personnel with impact in its decisionmaking consistent policy, direction, and process. It also requires agencies guidance for the management of State to inform the public and other forested lands. It contains the interested parties about proposed general philosophies and management projects, the environmental impacts standards that will provide the that may result, and alternative framework for proj ect-level actions that could achieve the decisions project objectives. The planning of the proposed Goat Squeezer Timber Sale Project was guided by the SFLMP. The SFLMP philosophy and its appropriate Page 1-2 Draft Environmental Impact Statement