Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper

Logo Department Name Agency Organization Organization Address Information

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest

Service

Deschutes National Forest

Bend/Fort Rock Ranger District 63095 Deschutes Market Road

Bend, OR 97701

541-383-5300

File Code: 1950 Date: November 17, 2015

Greetings:

The Bend/Ft. Rock Ranger District, Deschutes National Forest would like to share our plans for forest management and restoration in the Kew project area. The Kew project area totals approximately 10,215 acres and lies about five miles southwest of the city limits of Bend, Oregon (see Figure 1). The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway forms the northern boundary. The entire project area lies within the range of the northern spotted owl. The project area is relatively small, but provides a variety of mixed conifer stand types. Special features include a number of seeps and springs, and buttes where large old trees persist.

What is the Purpose and Need for Action?

Past timber harvest practices and fire exclusion have had a dramatic effect on the structure and composition of the forests in the Kew area. Current research into mixed conifer forests such as those in the Kew project area shows that mixed conifer forests are considerably denser than they were prior to fire exclusion and that ponderosa pine were more prevalent (Oliver et al. 2014). Departure from the historic conditions has resulted in forested stands that are not as resilient to fire or insects and disease, that may not be sustainable in the long term, and that are lacking structural components that wildlife depend on such as large trees and snags.

The Deschutes National Forest is interested in approaching restoration of these forests on a landscape scale. The purposes of taking action are to:

Restore more resilient forest density and species composition on a stand and landscape scale.

Increase forest resilience to insect mortality through increased vigor.

Increase forest resilience to fire through fuels reduction, promotion of fire-resistant trees with larger diameters and restoring fire processes to the forest.

Increase the amount of stand structure with potential to grow into large tree structure.

Maintain or increase the amount of ponderosa pine on the landscape.

Restore unique habitats and other resources such as aspen, fens, and springs.

Other objectives include increasing wildlife habitat effectiveness by reducing the number of roads open to vehicle use, restoring the hydrologic function of seeps and springs, and restoring unique stands of aspen that have been encroached by conifer trees.

The project area provides limited amounts of suitable nesting, roosting, or foraging (NRF) northern spotted owl habitat. Where is does exist, it will not be entered with this project. Most of the project area provides dispersal habitat for northern spotted owls. Critical Habitat was designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2013. The Critical Habitat overlaps about 97% of the Kew project area. This unit of Critical Habitat is expected to function primarily for demographic support to the overall population as well as north/south connectivity between subunits and critical habitat units. Objectives for the northern spotted owl are to retain any existing NRF habitat and provide for connectivity between habitat patches while focusing on maintaining and promoting large tree structure.

2

Collaboration and Research

The Kew project falls within the larger Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project area (DCFP). The DCFP was established in 2010 as part of a program to restore forests at a landscape scale through collaboration, use of best science, local economic development, reduction of wildfire management costs, and sustainability. A diverse group of stakeholders meet regularly to discuss and deliberate on forest management issues and provide recommendations for action where common understanding and agreement area reached.1

This project involves a unique partnership between the collaborative group and researchers from the Forest Service and Oregon State University.

A study is being conducted in the project area intending to answer the following questions: 1) what was the historical establishment pattern, structure, and composition of mixed-conifer forest in the Kew Study area? 2) What was the fire frequency and size distribution of fire and how did fire frequency vary with environment? And 3) How did the historical drivers of fire (e.g. climate, topography, and vegetation) vary with landscape context? The study results will refine our knowledge of how mixed conifer forests developed and will help the Deschutes Forest Collaborative develop recommendations for restoration and management in mixed conifer forest.

1 For more information on the Collaborative, visit the web page at: www.deschutescollaborativeforest.org.

Figure 1. Vicinity of the Kew Project Area within the Deschutes National Forest

3

What is the Basis for Forest Management in the Project Area?

The Deschutes Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) as amended by the Northwest Forest Plan, guides all natural resource management activities.2 The Forest is divided into management areas that have specific goals and objectives and these provide the basis for vegetation management as well as standards and guidelines. The following table shows LRMP management areas and Northwest Forest Plan allocations (Table 1). Key Elk Areas overlap a portion of the project area (Figure 2). The LRMP provides additional management direction for providing habitat conditions to support a certain number of elk and for minimizing conflict with recreation uses.

Table 1. Deschutes LRMP Management Areas and NWFP.

Deschutes LRMP Northwest Forest Plan Allocation Acres in

Project Area

General Forest Matrix 7,935

Scenic Views Matrix 1,753

Old Growth Administratively Withdrawn 518

Other Ownership 9

Total 10,215

General Forest: Within the General Forest MA, timber production is to be emphasized while providing forage production, visual quality, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities for public use and enjoyment. This makes up the majority of the project area. General Forest MA corresponds to Matrix under the Northwest Forest Plan which envisioned this would be where “most timber harvest and other silvicultural activities would be conducted....”

Scenic Views: The project area contains retention and partial retention scenic views in foreground and middleground. The goal of scenic views management areas is to provide high quality scenery representing the natural character of central Oregon. The general theme and objectives of scenic views is for landscapes seen from selected travel routes and use areas are to be managed to maintain or enhance their appearance. In the Kew project, the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway is a foreground scenery area.

Old Growth: The goal is to provide naturally evolved old growth forest ecosystems for 1) habitat for plant and animal species, 2) representations of landscape ecology, 3) public enjoyment of large, old-tree environments, and 4) the needs of the public from an aesthetic spiritual sense. The Forest does not propose entering the Old Growth Management Areas in this project.

NWFP: The entire project area is west of the northern spotted owl range line and will follow management direction of the Northwest Forest Plan. The project area falls within two allocations of the Northwest Forest Plan: Administratively Withdrawn areas and Matrix (Table 1). Administratively Withdrawn Areas are areas where existing Forest Plan direction would preclude scheduled timber harvest (i.e. that portion of the land base was not used to develop the Forest Plan’s allowable/probable timber sale quantity; it does not prohibit timber harvest), and corresponds to LRMP Old Growth. The matrix consists of lands outside of designated areas; most timber harvest and other silvicultural

2 Forest Plan documents are located on the Deschutes National Forest web page at:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/landmanagement/planning.

4

activities would be conducted in that portion of the matrix with suitable forest lands, according to standards and guidelines. Matrix corresponds to LRMP General Forest and Scenic Views in this area.

Figure 2. Map showing LRMP management areas and Northwest Forest Plan allocations.

5

Proposed Action

To meet the purpose and need, the District proposes to conduct forest management activities across the project area using silvicultural techniques, fuel reduction treatments, and other restoration activities. The following table provides a summary of the actions (Table 2). The activities are displayed in maps in Figures 3, 4, and 5. Connected actions to this proposal include the development of temporary road access where access is lacking and controlling gophers where seedling survival is at risk.

Table 2. Acres of each proposed activity. Acre figures should be considered estimates and do not reflect retention areas that may be incorporated.

Proposed Activities* Approximate

Acres

Commercial Thinning

(Thinning from below favoring largest and healthiest ponderosa pine) 2,603

Selection Cut

(Removal of mostly lodgepole pine and white fir and thinning of ponderosa pine to release ponderosa pine; about 15% in openings to be planted to ponderosa pine)

3,159

Final Removal

(Even-aged regeneration in a previously established seed tree or shelterwood unit, understory may not yet be fully developed)

473

Shelterwood Harvest (HSH)

(Release large old remnant ponderosa pine by removing white fir and lodgepole pine)

122

Overstory Removal (HOR)

(Final removal of overstory lodgepole pine to release established immature understory)

139

Clearcut / Clearcut with Reserve Trees

(Cut lodgepole pine to develop new understory. The incoming understory would be managed as a single aged stand)

202

Improvement Cut

(Manage stands along Cascade Lakes Highway for various scenic, safety and forest health objectives)

17

Total commercial timber harvest 6,242

Precommercial Thinning 3,250

Whip Falling 166

Ladder Fuel Reduction 1,712

Mechanical Shrub Treatment 5,255

Prescribed Underburning 4,579

*Many of these actions occur in combination.

Forest Plan Amendment: The Key Elk Habitat Area (KEHA) does not currently meet Forest Plan standards for providing hiding cover to elk. Any thinning and fuels reduction in the KEHA would require a site-

6

specific amendment to the Forest Plan because it has potential to reduce hiding cover. Road closures are included in the proposed action to mitigate the lack of cover.

A Forest Plan Amendment would also be required to conduct prescribed underburning on areas of more than five acres as is proposed along Highway 41 and the Cascade Lakes Highway (46).

Road Closures: About 6 miles of road are proposed for closure in order to reduce open road density, and improve wildlife habitat effectiveness. The Forest also proposes to address maintenance of existing road closures.

User-created Road and Trail Closures: User-created roads and trails, primarily single track from motorcycles have been created throughout the project area, and this unauthorized activity is on-going. Non-system trails are not properly located or constructed to Forest Service specifications, create resource damage, and reduce wildlife habitat effectiveness. In addition, motorized use off of designated roads and trails does not comply with the Travel Management Rule. To deter this kind of use and restore the land to a productive condition, user-created trails will be obliterated.

Invitation to Comment on the Proposal

We are informing you about this proposal so that you can provide comments to us. Your comments will be considered and used to identify issues associated with the proposal, which could lead to alternatives or mitigation measures, so please keep them as specific as possible. They will also become a matter of public record. The planning process will include considering input we receive, as well as conducting any necessary surveys for wildlife, sensitive plants, heritage, or other resources. This is also an opportunity to participate in the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 process. We expect to have an environmental assessment available for review and a formal public comment period in the summer of 2016. There will be an opportunity to comment again at that time.

This is a project implementing a land management plan, not authorized under the HFRA, which is subject to subparts A and B of 36 CFR 218 (Project-level Predecisional Administrative Review Process).

Written or verbal comments are both welcome and should be returned to us by December 21, 2015. Written comments should be sent or delivered to: Kevin Larkin, District Ranger, Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District, 63095 Deschutes Market Road, Bend, Oregon 97701. We will also accept correspondence at the following email address: comments-pacificnorthwest-deschutes-bend-ftrock@fs.fed.us. Please put “Kew Scoping Comments” in the subject line of your email. If you have any questions, additional information can be provided by Beth Peer, Environmental Coordinator, at 541-383-4769.

Sincerely,

/s/ Kevin Larkin KEVIN LARKIN District Ranger

Reference Cited

Oliver, Marie; Spies, Thomas; Merschel, Andrew. 2014. Reality check: Shedding new light on the restoration needs of mixed-conifer forests. Science Findings 168. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 6 p.

7

Figure 3: Kew Project Proposed Overstory Treatment

8

Figure 4: Kew Project Proposed Understory Treatment

9

Figure 5: Kew Project Proposed Fuels Reduction Treatment