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Forest Plan Amendment

Finger Mountain Timber Sale

This amendment to the Forest Plan modifies the Small Old Growth Reserves in VCUs 231 and 232 to better meet size, location and habitat composition criteria.

The decision to amend the Forest Plan was documented in the Record of Decision for the Finger Mountain Timber Sale signed by the Forest Supervisor on June 20, 2003.

June 20, 2003
Sitka Ranger District

Small Old Growth Habitat Reserve Adjustments in VCUs 231 and 232
Non-significant Forest Plan Amendment

Based on the project-level analysis process as described in the old-growth management prescriptions and Appendix K of the Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (1997 Forest Plan), the Old-growth Habitat Reserves located in Value Comparison Units (VCUs) 231 and 232 in the Finger Mountain Project Area have been adjusted to better meet size, location, and/or habitat composition criteria in these VCUs.

The Secretary of Agriculture’s implementing regulation indicates the determination of significance to be “…based on an analysis of the objectives, guidelines and other contents of the forest plan” (36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 219.10(f)). The Forest Service has issued guidance for determining what constitutes a “significant amendment” under the National Forest Management Act. This guidance, in the Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.12, Chapter 5.32, identifies four factors to be used in determining whether a proposed change to the 1997 Forest Plan is significant or not significant. These four factors are: (1) timing, (2) location and size, (3) goals, objectives, and outputs, and (4) management prescriptions. The Alaska Region issued a Supplement to FSH 1909.12, Chapter 5.32, effective October 17, 1990 that includes an additional factor that can be considered in determining the significance of a Forest Plan Amendment. This additional factor deals with technical changes. An analysis of the factors is presented below.

Timing - The Forest Plan revision was completed in 1997. The old-growth habitat management prescription in the 1997 Forest Plan indicates that small and medium mapped reserves have received differing levels of field verification and integration of site-specific information in their design. During project level environmental analysis, for project areas that include or are adjacent to mapped Old-growth Habitat Reserves, the size, spacing, and habitat composition of mapped reserves may be further evaluated.

Location and Size - The boundaries of the reserves in VCUs 231 and 232 have been adjusted (refer to Figure BD- 1 in Chapter 3 of the Finger Mountain Timber Sale(s) FEIS to view this adjustment). An additional 476 acres were added to the small OGR in VCU 231, and 117 acres were added to the small OGR in VCU 232. A complete analysis of the Old-growth Habitat Reserve boundary adjustments may be found in the Finger Mountain Timber Sale Final EIS, Chapter 3, Biodiversity and Old-growth Section.

Goals, Objectives, and Outputs

Goals - The 1997 Forest Plan goal for biodiversity is to maintain healthy forest ecosystems and maintain a mix of habitats at different spatial scales (i.e., site, watershed, island, province, and Forest) capable of supporting the full range of naturally occurring flora, fauna, and ecological processes native to Southeast Alaska. The adjustments to the small Old-growth Habitat Reserves are consistent with the goals of the 1997 Forest Plan.

Objectives - The following objectives are included in the Forest Plan: (1) to maintain a Forest-wide system of old-growth forest habitat (includes reserves, non-development land use designations [LUDs], and beach, estuary, and riparian corridors) to sustain old-growth associated species and resources, and (2) to ensure that the reserve system meets the minimum size, spacing, and composition criteria described in Appendix K of the 1997 Forest Plan. The adjustments to these small and medium Old-growth Habitat Reserves were specifically designed to meet the 1997 Forest Plan objectives.

Outputs - Adjustments to the small Old-growth Habitat Reserves in VCUs 231 and 232 will have relatively minor effects on 1997 Forest Plan outputs on a forest-wide basis.

Management Prescriptions - None of the standards and guidelines associated with the management prescriptions has been changed as a result of this amendment. The changes to the two mapped small Old-growth Habitat Reserves apply only to this specific situation. These changes also would apply in future management; however, this action does not preclude future modifications so long as the standards and guidelines for the management prescription are achieved. The proposed amendment fulfills the desired future condition for the Old-growth Habitat LUD Management Prescription as defined in the 1997 Forest Plan and would not significantly affect the goods and services produced.

Technical Changes - Technical changes to a plan's management direction may be made on the basis of new information about the actual resource characteristics of the area. This category does not apply to this case.

Cumulative Changes - The Finger Mountain Timber Sale(s) is one of 16 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decisions (as of May 2003) to make non-significant amendments to the 1997 Forest Plan by modifying LUD boundaries. The Niblack Environmental Assessment (EA) changed a Wild River non-development LUD to Old-growth Habitat and Timber Management LUDs. The remainder of the amendments involved enlargement or reduction of Old-growth Habitat LUDs, usually exchanging acres with one of the resource development LUDs in order to more effectively meet 1997 Forest Plan objectives. Usually, wherever an Old-growth Habitat LUD expanded, it caused a corresponding reduction of acres suitable for timber harvest. Likewise, and Old-growth Habitat LUD size reduction usually meant an increase in suitable acres.

While the LUD changes within each project decision constituted non-significant Forest Plan amendments, Table A1-1 displays the accumulated effect on suitable acres for all projects. For each project, the table displays suitable acres that were changed from a non-development LUD to a resource development LUD or from a development LUD to Old-Growth Habitat. The net change in suitable acres represents less than one percent of the suitable land base.

Table A1-1. Effects of Forest Plan Amendments on Acres Suitable for Timber Harvest as of May 2003

Conclusion - Based on a consideration of the factors above, I conclude adoption of this amendment is not significant in a National Forest Management Act context. This amendment is fully consistent with the 1997 Forest Plan goals and objectives. The amendment provides added detail on implementation of the old-growth habitat management prescriptions of the 1997 Forest Plan.

I hereby amend the 1997 Forest Plan with this non-significant amendment by adjusting the small Old-growth Habitat Reserves in VCUs 231 and 232 as shown on the map titled Existing and Additions to Old-Growth Reserves Proposed for the No Action and Action Alternatives for the Finger Mountain Project Area (i.e., Figure BD-1, Chapter 3, Finger Mountain Timber Sale(s) FEIS) and as documented in the project planning record for the Finger Mountain Timber Sale(s) Final EIS.

USDA Forest Service - Tongass National Forest
Last Modified: February 06, 2006