Table Of Content

Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. Reserve aTD883 DEPARTMENT"' AIR RESOURCE S. .5 AGRICULTURE A14A57 . MANAGEMENT 1992 RESTSERVICE )CKY MOUNTAIN REGION PROGRAM ASSESSMENT Air pollution can travel long distances to impact sensitive wilderness components such as pristine mountain views, lake chemistry, lichens, and a host of other resources. RESTSERV|q f0 . . . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This document was created as a team effort by individuals throughout Region 2 of the Forest Service. This group included the following Dennis Haddow, Re- : gional Office; Tamara Franklin, Regional Office; Les Dobson, Rio Grande NF; Kirk Wolff, Routt NF; Malcolm Edwards, Medicine Bow NF; and Kathy Foster, San Juan NF Input and feedback for the "Priority Assessment" section of this document was also provided by Dan Ely and Jim Geier of the Colorado State Health Department - Air Pollution Control Division, and by Bernie Daly of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Air Quality Division - Helpful editing comments on an earlier draft of this document were made by John McCarthy, White River NF; Robert Sprentall Nebraska NF; Christie Gordon, Pike , & San Isabel NF; and Scott Maki Shoshone NF , Technical editing was tirelessly carried out by Tom Harris, San Juan NF. We also wish to thank Bob Rossntan, Shoshone NF, for his "vision" of this project. ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION AIR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ASSESSMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Purpose of Plan 1 Purpose 3 Format 3 Chapter 2: Opportunities and Legal Responsibilities for Protecting National Forests from Air Pollution Impacts 5 Introduction 7 The Federal Clean Air Act 7 The Wilderness Act 9 Wilderness Air Resource Management Philosophy 10 Other Land Management Acts 11 Protecting Class II Wilderness and Non-Wilderness. 11 Control of Pollutants from Forest Service Land Management Activities 12 The Prevention-of-Significant-Deterioration Permit Process 12 Colorado PSD Permitting Program 12 Wyoming PSD Permitting Program 14 Forest Service PSD Permit Recommendations 15 Program Analysis 16 Summary 16 Table 2-1: Allowable PSD Increments 18 Table 2-2: Air-Quality-Related Values and Potential Air-Pollution- Caused Changes 19 Table 2-3: Colorado Wilderness Areas Administered by Rocky Mountain Region, Forest Service 20 Table 2-4: Wyoming Wilderness Areas Administered by Rocky Mountain Region, Forest Service 22 Table 2-5: South Dakota Wilderness Areas Administered by Rocky Mountain Region, Forest Service 23 Table 2-6: Nebraska Wilderness Areas Administered by Rocky Mountain Region, Forest Service 23 Chapter 3: Priority (Risk) Assessment 25 Introduction 27 The Background and Purpose of Priority Assessment 27 Airsheds 27 The Matrix Combination Process 27 Table 3-1: An Example of the Matrix Combination Process 29 Table 3-2: How Emissions Trend and Available Info Are Combined 30 Table 3-3: How Resource Trend and Resource Sensitivity Are Combined 31 Assumptions 32 t Results of the Priority-Assessment Process: Region 2 Airshed Summaries....33 Bighorn Airshed 33 Canon City Airshed 33 Four Corners Airshed 34 Front Range Airshed 34 Granby Airshed. 35 Grand Junction Airshed 35 Greater Yellowstone Airshed 36 Gunnison Airshed 37 La Junta Airshed 38 La Sal Airshed 38 Medicine Bow Airshed 38 . . Plains Airshed 39 Red Desert Airshed 40 Thunder Basin Airshed 40 Wheatland Airshed 41 Priority Assessment Summary 41 Forest Uses for Priority Assessment 41 Regional Office Uses for Priority Assessment 41 Monitoring Recommendations 42 Staffing Recommendations 43 Appendix 3-la: Region 2 Airshed Overview 44 Appendix 3-lb: Region 2 Airsheds: Wyoming Area 45 Appendix 3-lc: Region 2 Airsheds Colorado Area 46 : Appendix 3-Id: Region 2 Airsheds Plains Area 47 : Appendix 3-2: Pollution Sources Potentially Affecting R2 Wilderness Areas.48 Chapter 4: Region 2 Air Resource Monitoring 49 Introduction 51 Establishing a Forest Monitoring Program 52 Monitoring the Air Pollution Impacts of Fire 53 Terrestrial Ecosystems 53 Lichen 53 Vascular Plants 54 Recommended Priorities from the Estes Park Screening Meeting: Terrestrial Ecosystems 55 Aquatic Ecosystems 55 FIora and Fauna 56 Plankton 56 Amphibians 56 . Soils 57 Water 57 Lake and Stream Chemistry 58 Snowpack Chemistry 59 Snowmel 59 Recommended Priorities from the Estes Park Screening Meeting: Aquatic Ecosystems 59 Visibility 60 View Monitoring 61 Atmospheric Optical Monitoring 61 Particle Monitoring 61 Recommended Priorities from the Estes Park Screening Meeting: Visibility 62 0 Supporting Information Atmospheric Deposition and Meteorology 62 : Footnotes 64 Appendix 4-1: Critique of ANC Models 68 Table 4-1: Region 2 Existing Air-Quality-Related Value and Air-Chemistry Monitoring 70 Chapter 5: Training and Expertise Needed for Air Resource Specialists 75 Introduction 77 Working-Level Knowledge 77 GS-5 Trainee 78 GS-7 Advanced Trainee 78 GS-9 Air Specialist 79 GS-11 Air Specialist 79 GS-12 Air Specialist 80 GS-13 Air Specialist 81 Developmental Training for Air Resource Specialists 81 Additional Training Recommendations 82 Appendix 5-1: Air Resource Information Sources. 83 Chapter 6: Limits of Acceptable Change for Sensitive Receptors 87 Introduction 89 Visibility 90 Aquatic Ecosystems (Lakes and Streams) 91 Terrestrial Ecosystems 93 Chapter 7 Data Management, Analysis & Reporting 97 ; Introduction 99 Atmospheric Deposition 10 Visibility 100 Particulate Sampling 101 Surface Waters - Lake Chemistries 101 Aquatic Biota: Plankton & Macroinvertebrates 102 Terrestrial Biota: Lichens 102 Chapter 8: Air Resource Management Glossary 103