PUBLIC INFORMATION

MEETING

Corvall is, MTApril 18, 2017

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GOLD BUTTERFLY PROJECT

BITTERROOT NATIONAL FORESTSTEVENSVILLE RANGER DISTRICT

6:30-6:45

7:15-7:25

7:25-7:35

7:35-7:45

7:45-7:50

7:50-8:30

Introduct ions & Meeting Objectives

Introduct ion to the Gold Butter f ly Project Area Existing Condition Purpose and Need

Healthy Forest Restorat ion Act Designation of Gold Butter f ly as Insect & Disease Treatment

Area

Collaborat ion Process

Next Steps

Available for Quest ions

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AGENDA

• Better understanding for public of the project area and restoration needs and how you can engage to collaboratively develop and implement the project.

• Better understanding for Forest Service of who wants to participate in the collaborative process to develop and implement this project.

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OBJECTIVES

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EXISTING PROJECT AREA CONDITIONS

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GOLD BUTTERFLY PROJECT OVERVIEW

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EXISTING VEGETATION CONDITIONS

Western spruce budworm

Dwarf mistletoe

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EXISTING VEGETATION CONDITIONS

Bark beetle hazard

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EXISTING VEGETATION CONDITIONS

Fuel loading hazard

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EXISTING VEGETATION CONDITIONS

Bull trout is a threatened species and is present in Gold and Willow Creeks, Burnt Fork, and potentially in St. Clair Creek

Water quality is an issue in St. Clair Creek and Willow Creek; these two creeks are “functioning at unacceptable risk”

Willow Creek is a 303d listed stream and has a TMDL (total maximum daily load) for sediment and temperature on Willow Creek

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EXISTING HYDROLOGY AND FISHERY CONDITIONS

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EXISTING ROAD CONDITIONS

Sedimentation from Willow Creek Road will likely be a significant effect

Issues include:• High sediment load

from normal visitor traffic

• TMDL designation• Impacts from

proposed log hauling

• Limited habitat available for bull trout

• Improve landscape resilience to disturbances (such as fire, insects, and disease) by modifying forest structure and composition and fuels

• Provide timber products and related jobs

• Reduce erosion sources in Willow Creek and Burnt Fork of the Bitterroot River watersheds to improve water quality and bull trout habitat

• Restore or improve key habitat areas of meadows, aspen, and whitebark pine

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PURPOSE & NEED

Dominic Point Fire, 2010

Harvest, thin, and prescribe burn units with Douglas-fir beetle, mountain pine beetle, western spruce budworm, or dwarf mistletoe

Harvest, thin, and prescribe burn in key habitat areas; To remove conifers colonizing natural meadows To remove conifers in aspen areas, enhancing aspen clones To improve conditions for whitebark pine

Relocate two trai lheads to reduce the current sedimentation impacts from their exist ing location

Construct specified and temporary roads to support t imber removal from the forest

Upgrade current road conditions Relocate shor t sections of road that currently encroach and impact

streams; construct alternative routes away from impacted streams Implement decisions in the Travel Plan within the project area,

especially where there are impacts to streams

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PRELIMINARY PROPOSED ACTIONS

Healthy Forests Restoration Act

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HFRA AUTHORITY

HFRA provides the FS the opportunity to partner with the State in acquiring implementation grants.

HFRA focuses attention on four types of land: The wildland-urban interfaces of

at-risk communities, At-risk municipal watersheds, Where threatened and endangered

species or their habitats are at-risk to catastrophic fire and where fuels treatment can reduce those risks, and

Where windthrow or insect epidemics threaten ecosystem components or resource values.

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HFRA (HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION ACT )

HFRA Title I (Section 102(a)(4); Insect and Disease (I&D) “Federal land on which windthrow or blowdown, ice storm damage, the existence of an epidemic of disease or insects, or the presence of such an epidemic on immediately adjacent land and the imminent risk it will spread, poses a significant threat to an ecosystem component, or forest or rangeland resource, on the Federal land or adjacent non-Federal land.”

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HFRA (HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION ACT )

Title VI 602(d), Insect and Disease (I&D) Infestation Allowed Governors to request

lands to be designated as part of a national insect and disease treatment program Lands shall be experiencing

declining health based on forest health surveys or

At risk of experiencing substantially increased tree mortality due to insect and disease infestation

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HFRA(HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION ACT )

9,500 acres are designated within the Gold Butterfly Project area

Designated Pr ior i ty Area

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GOLD BUTTERFLY

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COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

Focused, results-oriented process

Transparent, non-exclusive and includes multiple interested persons representing diverse interests

Open and respectful sharing by participants

Give options and reasons for Responsible Official to consider when developing the project and making the decision

Responsible Official equitably values insights from each participating individual and organization

Will not rely solely on any single individual or group perspective

Not seeking consensus decision/recommendation

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OBJECTIVES OF THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

See handout for more information on objectives of the collaborative process

What is the role of participants in the collaborative process? Provide input for the Responsible Of ficial to consider regarding

refinement of the purpose and need and proposed action

Help define the treatments areas/types and design features/mitigation measures, especially in regard to alternative development; as informed by local knowledge/experience and incorporation of best available science

Provide the rationale/reasoning behind suggestions or options presented

Assist with monitoring (based on needs identified during project development and analysis)

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COLLABORATIVE PROCESS ROLES

See handout for more information on role of participants in the collaborative process

What constrains and/or guides the decision space throughout the collaborative process?

The project must be in compliance with all laws, regulations and policies, to include the Forest Plan Applicable law/regulation/policy will be discussed during project

development Forest interdisciplinary team members can provide clarification

on the feasibility/legality of suggestions and options presented

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COLLABORATIVE PROCESS & DECISION SPACE

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WHAT’S NEXT

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COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TIMELINE

OPEN HOUSE – MAY 17TH

Preliminary Proposed Action

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OPEN HOUSE

Preliminary proposed action available by May 1st at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/bitterroot/landmanagement/projects

Look for Gold Butterf ly

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QUESTIONS