Deadwood Creek Restoration Project #55601

This is a landscape-scale restoration project in the Deadwood Creek watershed area. Activities include: plantation thinning, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, invasive plant treatments, and road improvements.

File Code:           1950

Date:                   February 5, 2020

Dear Interested Neighbor, Partner, or Patron:

I am pleased to announce that the Central Coast Ranger District – Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (CCRD-ODNRA) has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) for the Deadwood Creek Restoration Project and it is now available for 30-day public review and comment. Your engagement has been incredibly valuable in helping us design and move the project forward. The Draft EA, appendices, and digital maps are available for review online at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55601. Printed copies of the Draft EA are available at the Corvallis, Eugene, Siuslaw (Florence), Mapleton, Newport, Waldport and Yachats public libraries; the CCRD-ODNRA Ranger District Office at 1130 Forestry Lane, Waldport, OR; the Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor’s Office at 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR.

The Deadwood Creek Restoration Project area is located about 16 air miles northeast of Florence, Oregon (Error! Reference source not found.), in Lane County and encompasses about 43,004 acres. Digital maps for the Project are available for review at the http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55601.

In order to meet the intent of the Siuslaw Forest Plan (as amended by the Northwest Forest Plan), the Deadwood Creek Restoration Project has two main purposes, terrestrial and aquatic habitat restoration for the enhancement of wildlife and fish habitat. The Project’s proposed actions were developed to achieve these objectives while providing economic benefits to local communities.

The Draft EA provides analysis of three alternatives; Alternative 1 — the No Action alternative, Alternative 2 — the Proposed Action discussed in the scoping letter dated March 12, 2019, and Alternative 3 — developed to address issues identified during the scoping process. The following provides a general summary of the Project’s proposed actions. More details of the proposed action can be found in the Draft EA at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55601.

Alternative 2 Proposed Actions

1. Terrestrial Proposed Actions

   1. To achieve the desired condition of functional late-successional forest conditions, this project seeks to fulfill short- and long-term goals through the implementation of a variety of proposed actions.

·Commercially thin (CT treatments) approximately 8,532 acres (~94% skyline, ~3% ground based, and ~3% helicopter operations). Timber harvest is expected to produce up to approximately 106 MMBF. ·About 63% of the total commercial thinning acreage is proposed for maintaining at least 60% canopy cover, for short-term protection of spotted owl habitat; and for murrelet habitat. ·About 35% of the total commercial thinning acreage is proposed for at least 40% canopy cover post-implementation to maintain Northern Spotted Owl dispersal habitat and / or within the 300-foot buffer habitat for marbled murrelet. ·Regenerate 2 stands from alder to conifer mix. ·Non-commercially radial release 5 stands. ·Treat residual logging slash on landings and up to 25 feet from county and key (open) forest roads. Treatment methods may include burning piles, scattering, chipping, or mastication.

1. 1. In order to accommodate short-term goals of maintaining key habitat features on the landscape:

·Leave a portion of existing deformed trees and create up to 4 snags per acre within the CT unit, and up to 10 snags per acre within the un-thinned stand margins. ·Leave hazard trees needing to be cut on site, and create 2 pieces of down wood per acre within the CT units, as well as up to 4 pieces per acre within the un-thinned stand margins. ·Inoculating, topping, or high girdling up to 1 snag for every 5 plantation acres thinned in natural stands. ·In select stands with sensitive wildlife concerns, non-commercially radial release 10-14 dominant trees per acre by topping, felling, and/or girdling up to 42 trees per acre in up to 148 acres, followed by underplanting. ·In stands that average more than 2 pieces of dead wood creation per acre that are >14 inches in diameter, treat with the Douglas-fir beetle anti-aggregate pheromone called MCH. ·Opportunities for snags and down wood to be naturally created are expected on the acres of forest that are not proposed for treatment including natural stands and deferred plantations in the Project area.

1. 1. Late-successional forests

Late-successional forests are not necessarily made up of contiguous old, large trees evenly spaced apart from each other. Rather, they tend to have variable spacing between them and have open areas within forested areas. Fine-scale disturbances have created patches of early seral across the landscape. These patches provide diversity and habitat for a variety of plant and animal species. In order to replicate this somewhat mosaic pattern the following activities are proposed to increase early seral habitat: ·Maintain six stand in early seral condition. ·Treat up to 2.5 acres of existing early seral meadow habitat for invasive weeds, replant with native species, and no maintain in the future. ·Treat and maintain up to 1.5 acres of existing early seral meadow habitat. ·Protect these early seral habitats with 3 gates. ·Convert two stands that are currently alder or very young conifer to early seral habitat. ·Plant landings, decommissioned road, and stored roads with native grasses and forbs and left as transitory early seral habitat. ·Create approximately 204 acres of gap (no greater than 1 acre) and/or radial tree release where slope stability is not a concern. ·Treat selected stands with low intensity prescribed fire to reduce accumulations of fuels and enhance and maintain wildlife habitat.

1. 1. Noxious Weed Control

      An integrated weed management approach is designed to meet the need of controlling or eliminating existing infestations and preventing their spread into un-infested areas using various methods (below) in order to maintain and promote native plant communities, and the habitats they provide for pollinators and wildlife species: ·Manual methods include pulling, cutting, or digging weeds by hand or using hand tools. This method is proposed to occur on up to 650 acres of primarily linear features along existing and historic roads throughout the project area. ·Mechanical techniques such as weed-trimmers, power saws, and mowers can be effective on most roadside weeds, except knotweeds and Canada thistle. This method would occur interspersed on the same 650 acres as the manual proposal. Cutting/mowing may be used in conjunction with herbicide application. ·Herbicide treatments using ground applied spot treatments are proposed on about 50 acres on species that cannot be eliminated or controlled with manual/mechanical methods – knotweeds and Canada thistle. No aerial or boom (tractor) application of herbicides is proposed for this project. ·In addition to treating areas that are already infested, an “early detection-rapid response” (EDRR) strategy would be used to apply treatments in newly discovered infestations throughout the project area.

2. Aquatic Proposed Actions

1. 1. To achieve the desired condition of higher quality habitat conditions that function more effectively for aquatic-dependent species, this project seeks to fulfill the following needs through the implementation of a variety of proposed actions.

      ·Plant up to ten species of conifer and hardwood trees to restore shade along 7.3 miles of Deadwood, Panther, Elk, Buck, West Fork Deadwood, Misery, and Green creeks. ·Create log jams, or structures, at approximately 500 strategic locations along of Deadwood, West Fork Deadwood, Fawn, Panther, Elk, Buck, Misery, and Green creeks (about 18 miles total) using approximately 3,480 plantation trees (18-28” diameter at breast height; dbh) and 700 mature trees (28-36” dbh). ·Conduct floodplain reconnection on approximately 11 acres of West Fork Deadwood and Deadwood Creeks to restore the natural hydrologic processes involved with deposition of sediment. ·Cut and drop approximately 4,200 plantation conifer trees along Project area streams into the creeks to improve instream and riparian habitat conditions.

   2. Roads

      Forest roads with poorly maintained or failing drainage features are a common anthropogenic source of fine sediment to streams. Abandoned roads that are already undergoing self-decommissioning and are not currently or not likely to negatively impact soils, slope stability, and hydrology are not proposed for treatment. Roads that currently or could potentially negatively impact soils, slope stability, or hydrology and can be treated without causing unacceptable resource concerns have been identified for removal from the landscape. To meet these needs, this project proposes several types of road-related activities:

·Replace aging, failing and undersized culverts to reduce fine sediment input to streams, allow for species passage and restore stream connectivity in the watershed. ·Maintain, replace and add drainage features and improve road surfacing to minimize sediments input to streams. ·Store (close) about 11.6 roads needed for long term management. ·Decommission roughly 1.7 miles of roads that are not needed for future management. ·Decommission approximately 34 miles of non-system roads (including 23 culverts) which were constructed for timber harvest in preceding decades, left untreated and/or abandoned after use. ·Maintain or reconstruct about 74 miles of roads used in the implementation of this project to minimize impacts to resources and provide a safe user experience. ·Reopen approximately 26 miles existing non-system roads and construct 0.36 mile of new temporary use roads for implementation of this project and then decommission after use. ·Replace approximately 3.8 miles of previously decommissioned roads to the system, which received no treatment and are needed for long-term management. ·Remove 2 failing bridges over Green Creek On the 3279 and 3289 Roads. · Administratively close road 3269 with a gate for elk habitat protection and meadow maintenance access. ·Relocate a portion of NFS Road 6300 away from its current valley floor location to promote natural stream processes, reduce sediment delivery to Upper Deadwood Creek, and allow for habitat restoration efforts to occur in this reach without threatening the road. ·Primary materials used for roadwork would be sourced from the Klickitat Quarry (located along NFS road 5800-530 in T15S, R10W, in section 29) and/or Saddle Mountain quarry (located along NFS road 1055 in T16S, R11W, in section 13).

Alternative 3 Proposed Actions

1. Terrestrial Proposed Actions

   As noted in the Issues section, Chapter 1 of the Draft EA, concerns about impacts to interior forest habitat are considered a key issue. As such, Alternative 3 was developed and fully analyzed in addition to the no action alternative (Alternative 1) and Alternative 2. Alternative 3 has the same purpose and need as Alternative 2 – terrestrial and aquatic restoration.

   For Alternative 3, no-cut buffers are proposed in 27 young plantations (see Table 1; Appendix B-2 for details). This alternative is identical to Alternative 2, except that an additional 145 acres of young plantation would be deferred from treatment in the 27 stands identified.

   In comparison to Alternative 2, Alternative 3 would: ·Commercially thin approximately 150 acres less. ·Use about 5 less landings. ·Create about ½ acre less gaps. ·Remove about 2 MMBF less timber volume. ·Generate about $189,125 less revenue. ·Upland plant about 59 acres less. ·Maintain about 2 acres less as early seral habitat. And, ·Create 9 less mature snags, about 580 less snags in plantations, and about 290 less snags in the unthinned edges of the plantations.

2.  Aquatic Proposed Actions

   In comparison to Alternative 2, Alternative 3 would cut and fell roughly 200 less plantation conifer trees along Project area streams to improve instream and riparian habitat conditions. All other aquatic actions proposed under Alternative 2 are also proposed under Alternative 3.

   How to Comment

   The comment period is scheduled to begin when the legal notice of the opportunity to comment is published in the Eugene Register-Guard. The legal notice is expected to be published on Friday, February 14^th, 2020. However, in the event the legal ad is published on a different date, that actual publishing date will constitute the legal start of the 30-day comment period. The Forest Service will accept comments on this proposal for 30 days following publication of the legal notice of the opportunity to comment which is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period. When the comment period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal Holiday comments shall be accepted until the end of the next Federal working day (36 CFR 218.25 (2)). It is the commenter’s responsibility to ensure timely receipt of comments (36 CFR 218.25).

   This project is subject to objection pursuant to 36 CFR 218, Subparts A and B. Only those who submit timely project-specific written comments during a public comment period are eligible to file an objection. Individuals and entities wishing to be eligible to object must provide the following during the comment period (36 CFR 218.25(a)(3)):

• Name and postal address.
• Title of the proposed project or activity.
• Specific written comments as defined in 36 CFR 218.2 regarding the proposed project or activity, along with supporting reasons.
• Signature or other verification of identity upon request and identification of the individual or entity who authored the comment(s). For comments listing multiple entities or multiple individuals, a signature or other means of verification must be provided for the individual authorized to represent each entity and for each individual in the case of multiple names. A scanned signature or other means of verifying the identity of the individual or entity representative may be used for electronically submitted comments. Names of commenters will be part of the public record subject to the Freedom of Information Act. (Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those who only submit anonymous comments will not have standing to object per 36 CFR Part 218.)

• Individual members of an entity must submit their own comments to establish personal eligibility; comments received on behalf of an entity are considered as those of the entity only.

  Written comments should be submitted electronically in common formats (.docx, .doc, .pdf, .rtf, .txt) to comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-centralcoast@usda.gov. Please include “Deadwood Creek Restoration Project” in the subject line. They can also be mailed to the Central Coast District Ranger – Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Michele Jones, District Ranger, P.O. Box 400, Waldport, OR 97394-0400; faxed to (541) 563-8449; or hand delivered during business hours (M-F 8:00am to 4:00pm) excluding legal holidays to the CCRD-ODNRA District Office located at 1130 Forestry Lane, Waldport, OR. For additional information, contact Donni Vogel, Project Leader, by phone (541) 563-8416 or by emailing at the email address above.

Sincerely,

/S/ Michele Jones
Michele Jones	Date
District Ranger

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