Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. cs Z> // cy f\9-Z USDA Indian River United States Department of Timber Saies Agriculture Forest Service Tongass Final Environmental Impact Statement National Forest R10-MB-374C Summary and Record of Decision October 1999 r->f Jon '•V. <•• * • •/>' United States Forest Alaska Region 204Siginaka Way Departmentof Service Tongass National Forest Sitka, Alaska 99835 Agriculture Fax (907) 747-4331 Phone (907) 747-6671 File Code: 1950 Date: September 29, 1999 Dear Reader: Attached is the Record ofDecision (ROD) for the Indian RiverTimber Sale(s) Project. Ifyou requested complete documentation ofthis decision, the following items should be found in the package: 1. Final Environmental Impact Statement (Volume I) 2. Final EIS Appendices A - O (Volume II) 3. Record ofDecision, Summary, and Selected Alternative Map (Volume III) 4. Alternative Map Pack (six large scale maps) Ifyou elected to receive the summary set ofdocuments, the package should include only Volume in and the Alternative Map Pack. Copies ofthe entire Final EIS are available for review at Forest Service offices in Sitka, Juneau, and Hoonah. Copies have also been sent to the library in Tenakee Springs and other Hbraries throughout Southeast Alaska. The ROD documents my final decision on the selection ofan alternative, and the factors considered in reaching the decision. The effective date ofimplementation for the decision and the Notice ofRights ofAppeal are also specified in the ROD. I want to thank those ofyou who took the time to review and comment on the Draft Envi- ronmental Impact Statement and also those who participated in the Subsistence Hearing. Your interest in the management ofthe Tongass National Forestis appreciated. Sincerely, FRED SALINAS S. Assistant Forest Supervisor Caringfor the Land and ServingPeople PrintedonRecycledPaper t V'' Summary Summary Project Overview In compliance with Federal regulations, theForestService has prepared this Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) forproposed timberharvestand related activities in the Indian RiverProjectArea (SeeFigure S-I forProjectArea location). ThisEIS follows the formatestablished in theCouncil on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40CFR 1500-1508). Itdiscloses thephysical, biological, economic, and social consequences offiveharvest alternatives and ano-action alternative. Purpose and Need TheIndianRiverTimberSale(s)Projectisproposedatthis timetorespond tothegoalsand objectives identifiedfortheProjectAreabythemodified 1997TongassLand andResource ManagementPlan(TLRMP, alsoreferredtoasthemodified 1997ForestPlan), andtomove theProjectAreatowardthedesiredconditiondescribedinTLRMP. Themodified 1997ForestPlanidentifiedthefollowingForest-widegoalsandobjectives (TLRMP 1997 [modified 1999],pp. 2-3 to2-4): 1) improvetimbergrowth andproductivityonsuitabletimberlandsmadeavailablefor timberharvest, andmanagetheselandsforalong-termsustainedyield oftimber; 2) contributeto atimbersupplyfromtheTongassNationalForestthatseeks tomeetannual andTLRMPplanningcyclemarketdemand; and 3) provideopportunitiesforlocalemploymentin thewoodproductsindustry, whichinturn contributeto thelocal andregionaleconomiesofSoutheastAlaska. TheForestPlanalsoidentifiedadesiredconditionforlandsonwhichtimberharvestis allowed, whichincludesmanagingsuitabletimberlands fortheproductionofsawtimberand otherwoodproductsandallowingavarietyofsuccessional stagesthatprovidearangeof wildlifehabitatconditions (TLRMP1997 [modified 1999],pp. 3-135 to 3-136, and 3-144). Asstated above,theIndianRiverTimberSale(s)ProjectrespondstotheTLRMPgoalsand objectives, as wellas thedesiredconditionfortheProjectArea. Timber Growth and Productivity Lossesto thetimberresourcecausedby agedecayanddisease areconsiderablein old-growth forests. Itis notuncommonforover30percentofthetimbervolume inold-growthstands to bedefectiveandthusunusableforwoodproducts. Tree vigortendstodecreasewith maturity, causingan increasein susceptibilitytodiseaseanddecayfungi. Diseaseanddecayprocesses areanaturalpartofforestecosystems, andplayakeyroleinprovidingwildlifehabitatin old-growthforests. Harvestingagingstands, includingthoseindeclininghealth, on landsthat allowtimberharvestandreplacingthemwithfastergrowing, healthystands willreducethe volume lossassociatedwithdecayanddiseaseandincreasethegrowth andyield ofthe managedforestland. Themodified 1997ForestPlanallocatedapproximately72.2percentofthe land within the IndianRiverTimberSale(s)ProjectAreatotheTimberProductionLand UseDesignation (LUD). Thedesiredconditionforthese lands, as identifiedbythemodifiedForestPlan, states Indian RiverTimberSale(s) Summary • 1 Summary thattheyaretobemanaged fortheproductionofsawtimberandotherwoodproductson an even-flow, long-termsustainedyield basis (TLRMP [modified 1999],p. 3-144). Anadditional 0.1 percentofthelandwithintheIndian RiverTimberSale(s) ProjectAreais allocatedtothe ModifiedLandscapeLUD. Thedesiredconditionfortheselands statesthattheywillproduce ayield oftimberthatcontributes totheForest-widesustainedyield (TLRMP 1997 [modified 1999],p. 3-135). Theremaining27.7percentoftheProjectAreaisallocatedtotheOld-growthHabitatLUD. Thedesiredcondition fortheselandsstatesthatall forestedareasinthisLUD willhave attainedold-growthforestcharacteristics,providingadiversityofold-growthhabitattypes and associated species andsubspeciesandecologicalprocesses. TimbervolumefromthisLUD (suchas salvage)does notcontributetotheForest-wideallowable salequantity. Westernhemlockcurrently makesupabout83 percentoftheold-growthforests intheProject Area. Thisspecies issusceptibletodwarfmistletoe, adiseasethatdoes notinfectAlaska yellow-cedarandrarely infects Sitkaspruce. Westernhemlockalsoappearstohavemore insectenemiesthan Sitkaspruce. Inaddition, ithasthe lowesteconomic valueofthe three majorcommercial tree species in theProjectArea. Harvestingexistingstandsdominatedby westernhemlockcanencouragethegrowthofSitkaspruceandyellow-cedar,creatingamore diversespeciesmixandminimizinglossesduetoinsects anddiseasesthatarespecies-specific. Usingclearcutharvestmethods andcableyardingsystems willmore likelyprovidefavorable conditionsforspruceandcedarregeneration,ascomparedto harvestmethodsthatuse helicoptersforyarding. Market Demand Section 101 oftheTongassTimberReformAct(TTRA)directs theForestServiceto “seekto provideasupplyoftimberfromtheTongassNational Forestwhich(1)meetsthe annual marketdemandfortimberfromsuchforestand(2)meetsthemarketdemand fromsuchforest foreachplanningcycle,”totheextentconsistentwiththe multipleuseandsustained yieldof all renewableforestresources. MarketdemandforTongasstimberisderivedfromfactors including SoutheastAlaska’stimberindustrymillcapacity; local, national, and international timbermarkets; andprojectedlocal, national,and worldwidetimbersupplies. TheAlaskaRegionusestheprojectionsofRegionalEconomistKathleenMorsetohelp determinedemandforTongasstimber. Inaddition, thelatestPacificNorthwestResearch (PNW) Stationwasalsoconsulted (Brooks andHaynes 1997). The latestmarketdemand estimates forTongasstimberthroughtheyear2007 arebasedonthreeprojections, or scenarios, ofdemand (low, medium, andhigh). Average annual demand overthe 1998 to 2007 timeframeisestimated tobe 112.8 mmbfunderthe lowscenario, 132.6mmbfunderthe mediumscenario, and 182.2 mmbfunderthehigh scenario (USDA 1999). Thetimberdemand study alsoevaluatedtherangeofexpectedtimberpurchasesforFY 1999. Accordingtothe study, expectedpurchases inalowmarketscenario wouldrangefrom86mmbfto 136mmbf In amediummarketscenario, therangewouldbe99mmbfto 188 mmbf Thehighmarket scenario(whichisunlikelytooccur)rangewouldbe 128 mmbfto 256mmbf(USDA 1999). TheForestServiceintentistoprovidetheopportunityforthetimberindustryas awholeto acquireasupplyofpurchased, butunharvestedtimberequaltoaboutthreeyearsoftimber consumption, consideringtheaverageannualdemand generatedin thetimberdemand study. This supplyisameans ofprovidingforstabilityinrelation tofluctuatingmarketdemand. Itis estimatedthatathree-yearsupplyoftimber, basedon mediumdemand projections, is 399 mmbf As ofApril 30,1999, therewere 372 mmbfofunharvested timbervolumeunder contracttothetimberindustry(AutomatedTimberSalesAccountingSystemReport907-01, April 30, 1999). Thus, in orderto meetthe intentofhaving athree-year supply, approximately 27 mmbfoftimber volume needs to be cleared through theNEPA process and offered to prospective bidders. TheTongass National Forest also has a goal ofoffering approximately 153 mmbfannually to prospectivebidders (Appendix A). Appendix A 2 • Summary Indian RiverTimberSale(s)