Tuxekan Island timber sale. V.B : final environmental impact statement

2006·9.2 MB·English

Historic, archived document

Do not assume content reflects current
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United States
Tuxekan Island
Department of
Agriculture

Timber Sale
Forest Service

Tongass National
Volume B -
Forest

R10-MB-533B
Final Environmental

October, 2006
Impact Statement
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Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or
call [phone] (voice) or [phone] (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.
United States Forest Alaska Region 648 Mission Street
Department of Service Tongass National Forest Ketchikan, AK 99901
Agriculture Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

File Code: 1950-3
Date: October 3, 2006

Dear Planning Participant:
Enclosed is your copy of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision
(ROD) for the Tuxekan Island Timber Sale Project on the Thorne Bay Ranger District, Tongass
National Forest.

The FEIS describes one no-action alternative and four action alternatives for timber harvest in the
Tuxekan Project Area. Alternative 5 was developed in response to your comments on the Draft EIS.
Responses to your comments can be found in the FEIS. The ROD explains my decision to select
Alternative 5, and the factors considered in reaching my decision.

Information concerning implementation of this decision and appeal rights are included in the ROD.
New regulations (36 CFR 215) regarding appeals of NEPA decisions became effective June 4, 2003
and contain new requirements related to appeal eligibility and appeal filing requirements.

Copies of the FEIS and ROD have been mailed to those who requested to remain on the mailing list
for this project. Additional copies are available at the Thorne Bay Ranger District, P.O. Box 19001,
Thorne Bay, Alaska, 99919, or by calling 907-828-3304.

I want to thank everyone who took time to review and submit comments on the Draft EIS and those
who participated in the Subsistence Hearings. Your comments and involvement throughout this
project have been important to me, and I appreciate your continued interest in the management of the
Tongass National Forest.

Sincerely,

FORREST COLE
Forest Supervisor
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Tuxekan Island Timber Sale FEIS and ROD
Master Table of Contents
(Click on the following headings to link to specific documents)
Summary
Volume A - Record of Decision (ROD)
Record of Decision
Appendix 1 – Unit Cards
Appendix 2 – Road Cards
Appendix 3 – ROD Maps
Appendix 4 – Non-significant Forest Plan Amendment
Volume B - Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need
Chapter 2 – Alternatives
Chapter 3 – Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Chapter 4 – Lists
Volume C - Appendices to FEIS
Appendix A – Reasons for Scheduling the Environmental Analysis of
the Tuxekan Project Area
Appendix B – Unit Cards
Appendix C – Road Cards
Appendix D – Mitigation and Monitoring
Appendix E – Other Actions and Potential Sale Area improvement Plans
Appendix F – Roads Analysis Working Paper
Appendix G – Other Supportive Information
Appendix H – Response to Comment
Appendix I – Karst Updates
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Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 – PURPOSE AND NEED...........................................................................................................1-1
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................................1-1
PROJECT SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................................1-1
PROJECT AREA..............................................................................................................................................1-2
ANALYSIS AREAS...........................................................................................................................................1-4
MODIFIED PROPOSED ACTION...................................................................................................................1-4
PROJECT BACKGROUND.............................................................................................................................1-4
2001 ROADS RULE........................................................................................................................................1-6
FOREST PLAN DIRECTION SUMMARY...............................................................................................................1-7
Timber Production LUD...........................................................................................................................1-8
Old-growth Habitat LUD (No treatments proposed in this LUD).............................................................1-8
Areas Not Available for Harvest..............................................................................................................1-9
PAST, PRESENT, FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIVITIES RELEVANT TO THE TUXEKAN ISLAND PROJECT................1-11
History of Timber Harvesting.................................................................................................................1-11
PURPOSE AND NEED..................................................................................................................................1-15
PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT..........................................................................................................................1-15
NEED FOR THE PROJECT..............................................................................................................................1-15
DECISIONS TO BE MADE............................................................................................................................1-16
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT...............................................................................................................................1-16
CONSULTATION WITH AGENCIES, COMMUNITIES, NATIVE GROUPS, AND OTHERS............................................1-17
GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION WITH TRIBES.......................................................................1-18
DRAFT AND FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT...............................................................................1-18
SUBSISTENCE HEARINGS..............................................................................................................................1-18
FEDERAL AND STATE PERMITS......................................................................................................................1-19
ISSUES..........................................................................................................................................................1-19
NON-SIGNIFICANT (RESOLVED) ISSUES AND COMMENTS.................................................................................1-19
Issues Beyond the Scope of This Project.............................................................................................1-19
Additional Comments Received During Public Involvement.................................................................1-19
SIGNIFICANT (UNRESOLVED) ISSUES USED TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVES.........................................................1-20
Issue 1 - Watershed Health and Karst System Protection....................................................................1-20
Issue 2 - Timber Sale and Local Economics.........................................................................................1-21
Issue 3 – Wildlife...................................................................................................................................1-21
Tables
Table 1-1. Summary of activities in the Tuxekan project modified proposed action........................................1-4
Table 1-2. NFS Road Location Modifications Between DEIS and FEIS..........................................................1-6
Table 1-3. Proposed NFS Road Location Modifications and Total Proposed NFS Road by Alternative........1-6
Table 1-4. Acres by suitability type................................................................................................................1-10
Table 1-5. Past harvest acres on Tuxekan Island.........................................................................................1-11
Table 1-6. Acres of precommercial thinning on Tuxekan Island by VCU and Decade..................................1-15
Table 1-7. Units of measure for Issue 1.........................................................................................................1-20
Table 1-8. Units of measure for Issue 2.........................................................................................................1-21
Table 1-9. Units of measure for Issue 3a.......................................................................................................1-22
Table 1-10. Units of measure for Issue 3b.....................................................................................................1-22
Tuxekan Island Timber Sale FEIS 1-i
Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need
Figures
Figure 1-1. Vicinity & Project Area Maps..........................................................................................................1-3
Figure 1-2. Previous management activities in the Tuxekan project area.....................................................1-13

1-ii Tuxekan Island Timber Sale FEIS
Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need
Introduction
Chapter 1 displays the proposed action, purpose and need, public involvement, and issue
development for the Tuxekan project.
Project Summary
The Notice of Intent (NOI) and subsequent public involvement for the Tuxekan Island
Timber Sale Project (referred to as the Tuxekan Project) proposed timber harvesting on
approximately 2,100 acres that would produce an estimated harvest volume of 20 million
board feet (mmbf).1
Following publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS; December,
2004) for the Tuxekan Project, further fieldwork and analysis were completed. As a result,
the proposed action (Alternative 3) was modified and renamed the Modified Proposed Action
(Alternative 3) for the FEIS. For a discussion of the history of the Tuxekan Project see the
Background section below.
Alternative 3 (Modified Proposed Action) proposes timber harvesting on a unit pool of
approximately 1,276 acres (34 units; 570 acres of harvesting; 706 acres deferred) that would
produce an estimated harvest volume of approximately 20.2 mmbf. Small old-growth
reserves as defined in the Tongass National Forest Land Management Plan (Forest Plan)
(USDA FS 1997) with some minor adjustments, would be implemented. To implement the
project approximately 9.6 miles of road construction (4.7 miles National Forest System
(NFS)2; 4.9 temporary) and approximately 2.0 miles of road reconstruction would be needed
(see the section 2001 Roads Rule on page 1-6). For a detailed list of proposed activities, see
Table 1-1 below.
In preparation of this Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), the numbers for the
FEIS were rerun using current data and the suitability process as outlined in the suitability
runs for the SEIS (2003). Therefore, there may be some minor changes from the DEIS.
Site-specific needs for the Tuxekan Project Area and potential resource effects have been
considered in the preparation of this Tuxekan Island Timber Sale Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS). The alternatives are proposed to implement management direction
as outlined in the Forest Plan and applicable state and federal laws.
If an action alternative is implemented, actual amounts of activities accomplished on the
ground (measured in acres, miles, or board feet) may differ slightly from current estimates.
Any variance would be in accordance with Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines and any
applicable laws and regulations and would be documented in the Tuxekan project file.
There are instances where roads, in order to access harvest areas, traverse across areas
deferred or reserved from harvest for goshawk and marten standards and guidelines. These
are existing or proposed new roads or temporary roads. The interdisciplinary team (IDT)

1 Information from: Tuxekan NOI, Federal Register, 3/20/2000 and Tuxekan scoping letter date, 4/1/2000
2 The term National Forest System road has replaced the term “classified” road per the OHV Rule published on Nov. 9,
effective Dec. 9: (36 CFR parts 212, 251, 261, and 295) direction.
Tuxekan Island Timber Sale FEIS 1-1