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Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. Pacific Northwest Research Station United States l Department of the i) Interior Bureau of Land Management PNW-GTR-406 '' “V'rai United States Department of Agriculture ■ r vj National Agricultural Library United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management s Coiumbia Basin Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project This is not a NEPA decision document Evaluation of EIS Alternatives by the Science Integration Team Volume I This volume contains pages 1-536 s M. Quigley, Kristine M. Lee, and Sylvia J. Arbelbide Technical Editors Thomas M. Quigley is a range scientist/economist with the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Walla Walla, WA 99362 Kristine M. Lee is a biologist with the USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Ogden, LIT 84401 Sylvia J. Arbelbide is a geologist with the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco, CA 94111 May 1997 United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Portland, Oregon Abstract Quigley, Thomas M.; Lee, Kristine M.; Arbelbide, Sylvia J., tech. eds. 1997. Evaluation of the Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives by the Science Integration Team. 2 Vols. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-406. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 1094 p. The Evaluation of EIS Alternatives by the Science Integration Team describes the outcomes, interac¬ tions, effects, and consequences likely to result from implementing seven different management strate¬ gies on Forest Service (FS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered lands within the Interior Columbia Basin and portions of the Klamath and Great Basins. Two environmental impact statement teams developed seven alternative approaches to the management of forest, rangeland, aquat¬ ic, and watershed systems of FS- and BLM- administered lands. The alternatives varied from continua¬ tion of current management, to managing biodiversity within a network of large reserves, to actively managing to restore ecosystem health and integrity. Continuing with current management direction, in the absence of interim protection measures, results in continued declining trends in ecological integrity and increasing risk to species. No single alternative was found to result in improved outcomes for all species, reduced risk to ecological integrity, and improved resiliency for social and economic systems. Alternatives that prioritize activities to restore and/or maintain ecological integrity and simultaneously provide desired goods and services within the capability of the ecosystem appear to have favorable trends in most species outcomes, landscape functions, and resiliency in social and economic systems. The Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements are expected to differ to some extent from the preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement analyzed for this evaluation. ' V- Keywords: Ecosystem management; ecological integrity; socioeconomic resiliency; management and goals; risk management U Preface This document is one of three primary products from the Science Integration Team (SIT) of the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP). The first is a Framework for Ecosystem Management (Haynes and others 1996); the second is the compilation of detailed reports from each sci¬ ence team staff, referred to as the Assessment of Ecosystem Components (Quigley and Arbelbide, in press). In addition to the products from the SIT, the Upper Columbia River Basin Environmental Impact Statement and the Eastside Environmental Impact Statement comprise the other primary products of the ICBEMP. Jointly they represent the information gathered for the purpose of adopting a scientifically sound, ecosys¬ tem-based management strategy for Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands within the inte¬ rior Columbia River Basin and portions of the Klamath and Great Basins. The Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) were developed under the leadership of Jeff Blackwood, Steve Mealey, Pat Geehan, Linda Colville, Jim May, Jeff Walter, Cathy Humphrey and George Pozzuto. A complete listing of all EIS team members would include several dozen individuals. Critical to the content of the alternatives was the involvement of the Executive Steering Committee and other Regional Executives including: Elaine Zielinski, Martha Hahn, Larry Hamilton, Robert Williams, Hal Salwasser, Dale Bosworth, Thomas Mills, Denver Burns, William Stelle, Michael Spear and Chuck Clarke. All members of the Science Integration Team participated in discussions and contributed to analysis or writing early versions of this report. This document has evolved from a rough draft in late 1995. Charles Philpot and Thomas Mills have been particularly influential in helping define and protect the role of sci¬ ence within this science and management partnership. Integral to this work was the development of con¬ cepts related to and estimates of integrity, resiliency, and risk. James Sedell, Danny Lee, Paul Hessburg, Bruce Rieman, Mark Jensen, Brad Smith, Jeff Jones, and Wendel Hann developed the ecological integrity elements and the forest and range clusters. The material related to composite ecological integrity was developed by James Sedell, Danny Lee, Richard Holthausen, Bruce Marcot, Wendel Hann, Jeff Jones, and Thomas Quigley. Richard Haynes, Amy Horne, and Jim Burchfield developed measures of socioeconomic resiliency. Richard Haynes, Wendel Hann and Thomas Quigley developed the risk ratings for ecological integrity and risk to human assets from wildlands. The chapters include individual acknowledgments of contributions to the completion of this document. Literally hundreds of individuals have made specific contributions. We are certain to have failed in recog¬ nizing everyone’s contribution. We apologize for any oversights. SCIENCE TEAM MEMBERS Team Leaders Thomas M. Quigley, Range Scientist, Science Integration Team Leader. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Walla Walla, WA. Sylvia J. Arbelbide, Geologist, Deputy Science Integration Team Leader. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco, CA. Russell T. Graham, Research Forester, Deputy Science Team Leader. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Moscow, ID. Aquatics James Clayton, Soil Scientist. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Boise, ID. Lynn Decker, Biologist, Aquatic Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco, CA. Robert Gresswell, Fisheries Biologist. USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, detailed to Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR. Robert House, Fisheries Biologist. USDI Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, Boise, ID. Danny C. Lee, Research Biologist, Aquatic Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Boise, ID. Kristine M. Lee, Biologist, Aquatic Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Ogden, UT. Shaun McKinney, Fisheries Biologist. USDA Forest Service, Umatilla National Forest, Pendleton, OR. Tracy Noel, Biological Technician. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR. C. Kerry Overton, Technology Transfer Specialist. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Boise, ID. iv Bruce E. Rieman, Research Fisheries Biologist. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Boise, ID. James R. Sedell, Research Biologist, Aquatic Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR. Russell E Thurow, Fisheries Research Scientist. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Boise, ID. Ken Tu, Forester. USDA Forest Service, LImatilla National Forest, Walla Walla, WA. Jack E. Williams, Aquatic Scientist, Aquatic Team Co-Leader. USDI Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, Boise, ID. Economics Richard W. Haynes, Research Forester, Economics Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR. Amy L. Home, Research Forester, Economics Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR. Wendy McGinnis, Economist. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR. Nicholas Reyna, Forest Economist. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station,Walla Walla, WA. Landscape Ecology Ann L. Acheson, Air Program Manager. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Missoula, MT. Car! Almquist, Geologist. USDI Bureau of Mines, Western Field Operations Center, Spokane, WA. Kenneth Brewer, Landscape Ecologist. USDA Forest Service, Flathead National Forest, Kalispell, MT. Sue Ferguson, Research Climatologist. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Seattle, WA. Gary L. Ford, Soil Scientist. USDA Forest Service, Idaho Panhandle National Forest, Coeur d’Alene, ID. Thomas P. Frost, Research Geologist. USDI Geological Survey, Western Mineral Resources Branch, Spokane, WA. Iris Goodman, Research/Landscape Hydrologist. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Landscape Characterization Research and Development, Las Vegas, NV. V Wendel J. Hann, Landscape Ecologist, Landscape Ecology Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Missoula, MT. Colin Hardy, Supervisory Research Forester. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Missoula, MT. Paul F. Hessburg, Research Plant Pathologist/Entomologist, Landscape Ecology Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Wenatchee, WA. Mark E. Jensen, Landscape Ecologist/ Landscape Ecology Team Co-Leader. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Missoula, MT. Jeffrey L. Jones, Wildlife Biologist. USDA Forest Service, Beaverhead National Forest, Dillon, MT. Lynn Kaney, Silviculturist. USDA Forest Service, Colville National Forest, Newport, WA. Michael G. (Sherm) Karl, Rangeland Management Specialist/Ecologist. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Walla Walla, WA. Robert E. Keane, System Dynamics/Research Ecologist. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Missoula, MT. Steve Leonard, Range Conservationist. USDI Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, Reno, NV. Don Long, Forester. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Missoula, MT. Mary E. Manning, Ecologist. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Missoula, MT. Cecilia McNicoll, Ecological Analyst/Inventory. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Missoula, MT. Janies P. Menakis, Forester. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Missoula, MT. John Nesser, Soil Scientist. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Missoula, MT. Roger Ottmar, Research Forester. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Seattle, WA. David Powell, Forest Silviculturist. USDA Forest Service, Umatilla National Forest, Pendleton, OR. Bradley G. Smith, Quantitative Community Ecologist. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Bend, OR. Mike Stimak, Forester. USDI Bureau ol Land Management, LIpper Columbia-Salmon and Clearwater Districts, Coeur d’Alene, ID. vi