Table Of Content

Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. United States Lab Bay Area Project Department of Agriculture Forest Service Environmental Draft Tongass National Forest Impact Statement R10-MB-296a Company Ketchikan Pulp Long-Term Timber Sale Contract July 1995 Volume 1 Preparedby MARZA Northwest, Inc. NE 2353 130th Ave. Bellevue, Washington 98005 Contract No. 53-0109-2-00344 Lab Bay Environmental Impact Statement Lab Bay Area Project Environmental Draft Impact Statement Ketchikan Area - Tongass National Forest U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Alaska Lead Agency U.S.D.A. Forest Service Tongass National Forest Responsible Official Forest Supervisor Ketchikan AdminstrativeArea Tongass National Forest Federal Building Ketchikan, Alaska 99901 For Further Information Contact DaveArrasmith, Planning Staff Officer Ketchikan AdministrativeArea Tongass National Forest Federal Building Ketchikan, AK 99901 907-225-3101 Abstract The USDA Forest Service proposes to harvest approximately 85 million board feet (MMBF) of timberintheLabBayProjectArea,ThomeBayRangerDistrict, KetchikanAdministrativeArea, Tongass National Forest. Timber volume would be offered to the Ketchikan Pulp Company (KPC)undertheKPCLong-termTimberSaleContract(A10fs-1042)inaseriesofseparateoffer- ings. The actions analyzed in this EIS are designed to implement direction contained in the TongassLandManagementPlan(TLMP 1979,as amended)andtheTongassTimberReformAct. They also propose management consistent with the TLMP Draft Revision (1991a). The Draft EISdescribesfivealternativesthatprovidedifferentcombinationsofresourceoutputsandspatial locations of harvest units. The alternatives include: 1) No Action, proposing no new harvest from the Project Area for the KPC Long-term Sale Contract at this time; 2) maximizes harvest volume by including all units that are feasible to harvestat this time under federal and state law and forest-wide standards and guidelines; 3) Modified Proposed Action, emphasizes retaining timberon highvulnerabilitykarstgeologyandwithinDraftInterimHabitatConservation Areas; 4) emphasizes retaining old-growth blocks and corridors by maintaining the integrity of the Project-defined HabitatConservation Areas; and 5) emphasizes harvest oflogical groupings of units within common geographical areas. Table of Contents Chapter Introduction 1-2 1 Decision to be Made 1-2 Purpose Document Organization 1-2 and Need ProjectArea 1-3 The Proposed Action 1-5 Purpose andNeed for Action 1-5 KPC Long-term Timber Sale Contract 1-5 Why theLab BayProject Areawas Selected 1-5 RelatedNEPA Analyses 1-6 The Planning Process 1-7 Land Use Designations 1-8 Desired Future Condition 1-8 TLMP, As Amended 1-8 TLMP Draft Revision 1-10 Scoping and Public Participation 1-14 Initial Scoping 1-16 Ongoing Public Involvement 1-16 Upcoming Public Involvement Opportunities 1-17 Issues 1-17 Issues Addressed in This EIS 1-17 Issues Outside the Scope ofThis EIS 1-19 Legislation Related to This EIS 1-20 Federal and State Permits 1-22 Agencies and Responsibilities 1-22 Availability ofthe Planning Record 1-22 Chapter 2 Introduction 2-1 Development ofAlternatives 2-2 Alternatives Field Verification and Analyses 2-3 Preliminary Alternatives 2-3 Unit Pool and Alternative Refinement.... 2-3 Final Unit Pool and Alternatives 2-5 Management Direction Common to All Actions 2-6 LabBayDraftEIS CONTENTS i Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis 2-7 Preliminary Alternative B 2-7 Preliminary Alternative D 2-7 Alternatives Considered in Detail 2-7 Alternative 1 (No Action) 2-8 Alternative 2 2-9 Alternative 3 (Preferred Alternative) 2-10 Alternative 4 2-12 Alternative 5 2-13 Comparison and Evaluation ofAlternatives 2-15 Mitigation Measures 2-24 Monitoring 2-28 Implementation Monitoring 2-29 Effectiveness Monitoring 2-29 Validation Monitoring 2-30 Project-Specific Monitoring 2-30 Chapter 3 Introduction 3-1 Available Information 3-2 Affected Analyzing Effects 3-2 Environment and Land Divisions 3-3 Effects of the Alternatives Air Quality Affected Environment 3-4 Climate 3-4 Air Quality 3-6 Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-6 CumulativeEffects 3-6 Monitoring 3-7 Geology, Minerals and Karst Resources Affected Environment 3-9 Geologic Setting 3-9 Mineral Resources 3-9 Mining Claims 3-10 Karst Resources 3-10 Origin ofKarst Features 3-12 Components ofKarst Systems 3-14 ii CONTENTS LabBayDraftEIS 1 KarstEcosystems 3-15 Paleontological and Cultural Values 3-17 Recreational Values 3-17 Karst Areas ofHigh Value 3-17 Effects ofAlternatives 3-20 Direct and Indirect Effects 3-20 CumulativeEffects 3-24 Mitigation 3-28 Monitoring 3-30 Soils Affected Environment 3-3 Soil Productivity 3-32 Surface Erosion and Mass Movement 3-32 Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-35 Direct and Indirect Effects 3-35 CumulativeEffects 3-40 Mitigation Measures 3-42 Monitoring 3-42 Water Resources Affected Environment 3-43 Water Yield 3-43 FlowRegime 3-45 WaterQuality and Use 3-46 Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-48 Water Quality 3-49 CumulativeEffects 3-56 Mitigation Measures 3-57 Monitoring 3-57 Floodplains, Riparian Areas, and Wetlands Affected Environment 3-59 Floodplains 3-59 Riparian Areas 3-60 Wetlands 3-62 Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-65 Direct and Indirect Effects 3-65 LabBayDraftEIS CONTENTS iii A Cumulative Effects 3-68 Riparian Management Areas 3-68 Wetlands 3-69 Monitoring 3-69 Fisheries Affected Environment 3-71 The Fisheries Resource 3-71 Project Area Watersheds and Stream Networks 3-72 Stream and Channel Classification 3-74 Riparian Management Areas 3-77 Management Indicator Species 3-78 Fish Habitat Protection Standards 3-81 Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-81 Direct and Indirect Effects 3-81 Harvest in Riparian Management Areas 3-82 Roads 3-83 CumulativeEffects 3-85 Mitigation Measures 3-87 Monitoring 3-88 Silviculture, Timber, & Vegetation Affected Environment 3-90 Desired Future Condition 3-90 Ecosystem Management 3-91 Forestland Classification 3-91 Silvical Characteristics ofTree Species 3-94 Forest Plant Communities 3-96 Nonforested Vegetation Communities 3-97 Forest Health 3-98 Timber Classifications 3-100 Silviculture 3-103 Silvicultural Systems 3-104 Even-agedSystems 3-105 Uneven-agedSystems 3-108 Effects ofthe Alternatives 3-109 DirectEffects 3-109 Timber Classifications 3-110 iv CONTENTS LabBayDraftEIS