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Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. Alaska Pulp Forest Service Corporation Long-Term Tongass National Forest Timber Sale Contract R10-MB-206 January 1993 North and East Kuiu Final Environmental Impact Statement Volume I ) L yj Alaska Pulp Corporation Long-Term Timber Sale Contract North and East Kuiu Final Environmental Impact Statement Tongass National Forest - Stikine Area USDA Forest Service Alaska Region Lead Agency; Tongass National Forest, Stikine Area 15-12th Street P.O. Box 309 Petersburg, Alaska 99833 Cooperating Agency: U.S. Coast Guard P.O. 00x25517 Juneau, AK 99802 Responsible Official; Abigail R. Kimbell, Forest Supervisor Tongass National Forest, Stikine Area For Further Information Bob Gerdes, Team Leader Contact: Tongass National Forest, Stikine Area P.O. Box 309 Petersburg, Alaska 99833 (907) 772-3841 Abstract: The U.S. Forest Service proposes a range ofalternatives for making tim- bervolume available to the Alaska Pulp Corporation Long-term Timber Sale Con- tract. Alternative 1 is the no action alternative. Alternative 2 focuses activities in areas ofprevious timber harvest (north Kuiu) while Alternative 3 focuses activities away from areas ofrecent timber harvest (east Kuiu). Alternative 4 disperses activi ties across the study area. Table of Contents Table of Contents Purpose and Need 1-1 Introduction 1-1 Background 1-2 ProposedAction 1-3 ProjectArea 1^ PurposeandNeed 1-7 SelectionofProjectArea 1-7 ManagementDirection 1-8 CurrentManagement 1-8 DesiredFuture Condition 1-9 DesiredFutureEnvironmental Condition 1-9 DesiredFutureEconomic Conditions 1-10 DesiredFuture Social Conditions 1-11 DecisiontobeMade 1-11 PublicReview andComment 1-12 Scope ofthe Analysis 1-12 IssuesOutsidethe ScopeofthisAnalysis 1-14 No ActionAlternative 1-15 ApprovalsRequiredFromOtherAgencies 1-16 MajorLegislationRelatingtotheEIS: 1-17 CoastalZoneManagementActof1976 (CZMA): 1-17 Alternatives 2-1 Introduction 2-1 AlternativeDevelopmentProcess 2-1 Alternatives ConsideredButEliminatedFromDetailed Study 2-9 DirectionCommonto All Alternatives 2-10 Alternatives ConsideredinDetail 2-12 AcresManagedtoProvide Old-GrowthHabitatConditions 2-24 MitigationMeasuresUsedinAll ActionAlternatives 2-29 ComparisonofAlternatives 2-30 Effects Comparison 2-31 Issue Comparison 2-40 IdentificationoftheForest ServicePreferred Alternative 2-51 Environment and Effects 3-1 Introduction 3-1 Setting 3-3 ThreatenedandEndangeredPlant Species 3-3 Management 3-4 North and East Kuiu Final EIS Contents i Table of Contents Socio-Economic Setting 3-5 ImpactArea 3-5 Population 3-5 MajorIndustries 3-5 Community Profiles 3-6 Land Status 3-8 Facilities 3-8 Transportation 3-8 LogTransferFacilities 3-10 LoggingCamps 3-10 Administrative Sites 3-11 CulturalResources 3-12 AffectedEnvironment 3-12 EnvironmentalEffects 3-17 CumulativeEffects 3-21 Economics 3-22 AffectedEnvironment 3-22 Economic Impacts 3-22 Efficiency Analysis 3-23 EnvironmentalEffects 3-25 Economic Impacts 3-26 CumulativeEffects 3-29 Fisheries 3-31 AffectedEnvironment 3-31 ManagementIndicatorSpecies (MIS) 3-31 FishProductionandHarvest 3-32 PriorTimberHarvest 3-34 Class I Streams 3-34 Class n Streams 3-36 RoadCrossings 3-39 FishHabitatEnhancement 3-39 EnvironmentalEffects 3^1 TimberHarvestEffects 3-41 Roads 3^7 HabitatCapabilityforFishManagement IndicatorSpecies (MIS) 3^8 CumulativeEffects 3-49 ii Contents North and East Kuiu Final EIS Table of Contents MarineEnvironment AffectedEnvironment 3-50 EnvironmentalEffects 3-54 .. Recreation 3-59 AffectedEnvironment 3-59 Supply 3-60 RecreationPlaces 3-61 Wildand ScenicRivers and Special InterestAreas 3-69 EnvironmentalEffects 3-70 Supply 3-70 ImpactstoRecreationPlaces 3-72 EffectstoUse andDemand 3-77 Effectsto Wildand ScenicRivers and SpecialInterestAreas 3-78 CumulativeEffects 3-79 Soils 3-82 AffectedEnvironment 3-82 WeUands 3-84 Floodplains 3-84 Caves 3-84 EnvironmentalEffects 3-85 SoilProductivity 3-85 SoilErosion 3-85 Wetlands 3-87 Floodplains 3-88 CumulativeEffects 3-89 Subsistence 3-90 AffectedEnvironment 3-90 HistoricalTlingitClanHuntingBoundaries 3-91 Communities WithSubsistenceUses WithinThe ProjectArea.. 3-92 EnvironmentalEffects 3-100 ANILCA Section810 SubsistenceEvaluationProcess 3-100 FEIS Evaluation 3-101 FEIS Findings 3-102 SubsistenceUse Area 3-103 DeerEffects andEvaluation 3-105 WildlifeEffects andEvaluation 3-110 Fishand ShellfishEffectsandEvaluation 3-114 North and East Kuiu Final EIS Contents iii Table of Contents OtherFoodsEffectsandEvaluation 3-116 MarineMammalsEffects andEvaluation 3-118 TimberEffects andEvaluation 3-118 Direct, Indirect, andCumulativeEffects 3-118 Displacement ofSubsistenceUsers 3-120 SubsistenceDeterminations 3-120 FinalEIS Conclusions 3-122 ANILCA810Hearing Summary andMeeting withSoutheastNative Subsistence Commission 3-123 Timber 3-124 AffectedEnvironment 3-124 PlantCommunities 3-124 NaturalForest Succession 3-126 CommercialForestLand 3-127 ProportionofVolume Classes 6 and 7 3-129 Operable andInoperable CFL 3-129 StandManagement 3-130 ExistingCondition 3-130 TimberHarvested 3-130 EnvironmentalEffects 3-131 StandHarvest 3-131 SuccessionofManaged Stands 3-136 YardingMethods 3-137 ProportionofHarvest Acresby Volume Class Strata 3-140 Regeneration 3-143 PrecommercialThinning 3-143 CommercialThinning 3-143 StandGrowthandYield 3-143 ProjectedHarvestThroughYear2011 3-143 TongassTimberReform Act 3-144 Visual Resource 3-146 AffectedEnvironment 3-146 VisualManagement System 3-146 Sensitivity Levels 3-146 Variety Class 3-146 DistanceZones 3-147 VisualQuality Objectives (VQOs) 3-147 ExistingVisual Condition(EVC) 3-148 iv Contents North and East Kuiu Final EIS