DECISION RECORD & CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION REVEIW

Project Name: Cantrell Fuels (OR-M060-2009-0015-CX)

BLM Office: Ashland R.A., Medford District. Phone # (541) 618-2200

DESCRIPTION & LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to reduce hazardous fuels by slashing and handpile burning non-commercial vegetation on BLM-administered lands in the Applegate watershed, within an area classified as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). The objective is to create defensible space around homes and compliment hazardous fuels treatment areas on private lands as part of a larger fuel break system. The project area is located adjacent to National Fire Plan projects on private land currently being treated to reduce hazardous fuels. The project area combined is approximately 550 acres of timber and brushlands in T. 39 S., R. 3 W. Sections 3, 4, 5, 8; and T. 38 S., R. 3 W., Section 32. (See map). All work will be done manually (slash, handpile and burn) with follow up underburning for maintaining treatment areas. This work will help to reduce the threat of wildland fire from burning across public lands and threatening surrounding private lands and structures. This work has been coordinated with private land owners and Rural Fire District #9

Required Project Design Features:

Special Status Plants The project area has been surveyed for federally listed, state listed and bureau special status vascular and non-vascular plant species. Three sites of Cypripedium Jasciculatum, a Bureau Sensitive Species, were located during surveys of the project area. Variable width protection buffers (25 to 100 feet) will be installed to eliminate the potential for effects to these plant sites.

Noxious weeds One site each of scotch broom and spotted knap weed were located near roads in the project area. These infestations were treated in 2008, and will be treated again in 2009 according to the Medford District Integrated Weed Management Plan and EA to ensure eradication ofthese noxious weed sites.

Protection of residual vegetation Piles will be located and burned in a manner to minimize damage to leave trees.

Wildlife • All snags will be retained unless they need to be felled for worker safety. • Avoid placing handpiles, to the extent possible, on talus/rocky substrate. • Bum the handpiles in the winter when temperatures are below freezing so salamanders are not likely

to be near the surface.

Watershed Protection (soils, water quality, hydrologic function, and aquatic habitat) • For the shrubland units included in this CE, vegetation treatments would not be allowed within 25

feet of long-duration intermittent streams or within 50 feet from the edge of springs, seeps, and wetlands.

• Handpiles and handpile burning would not be allowed in the channel bottom of short-duration intermittent streams, or within the draw bottom of dry draws.

• Firelines will be waterbarred according to specifications outlined in the 1995 Medford RMP (pg. 167). These specifications include recommendations for spacing distance based on site specific slopes and soil types.

• Waterbar construction will use the following techniques: 1.) Open the dO\VIlslope end of the waterbar to allow free passage of water. 2.) Construct waterbars in locations that will disperse and filter water so as to miminize erosion potential. 3.) Compact the waterbar berm to prevent water from breaching the berm. 4.) Skew waterbars no more than 30 degrees from perpendicular to the centerline of the trail.

• Fire Lines that cross channels must be rehabbed as well as waterbarred, utilizing appropriate techniques such as pulling downed vegetation over the line, mulching and/or reseeding the line to decrease the potential of erosion, rutting, and routing of water and displaced sediment towards stream channels.

Cultural Resource Protection • Implement buffers as outlined in by Cultural Resource Technician to avoid any impacts to cultural

resources.

PLAN CONFORMANCE The proposed action is in compliance with and is tiered to the 2008 Medford District Record ofDecision and Resource Management Plan (RMP) and associated Environmental Impact Statement. The 2008 Medford District RODIRMP allows for projects to be implemented consistent with the direction of either the 1995 or the 2008 RMP to allow for the transition from an old to a new resource management plan. The proposed action and alternatives are in conformance with the direction given for the management of public lands in the Medford District by the Oregon and California Lands Act of 1937 (O&C Act), Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, the Clean Water Act of 1987, Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 (as amended 1986 and 1996), Clean Air Act, and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979.

CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION REVIEW Department of the Interior Manual 516 DM 2, Appendix 2 provides for a review of the following criteria for categorical exclusion to determine if exceptions apply to the proposed action based on actions which may:

Yes No Categorical Exclusion Exception ( ) (X) 1. Have significant adverse effects on public health or safety. ( ) (X) 2. Have significant impacts on such natural resources and unique geographic

characteristics as historic or cultural resource; park, recreation, or refuge lands; wilderness areas; wild or scenic rivers; national natural landmarks; sole or principal drinking water aquifers; prime farmlands; wetlands (Executive Order 11990); floodplains (Executive Order 11988); national monuments; migratory birds; and other ecologically significant or critical areas.

( ) (X) 3. Have highly controversial environmental effects or involve unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources [NEPA Section 102(2)(E)] not already decided in an approved land use plan.

.( )( X) 4. Have highly uncertain and potentially significant environmental effects or unique or unknown environmental risks.

( )(X) 5. Establish a precedent for future action or represent a decision in principle about future actions with potentially significant environmental effects.

( )(X) 6. Have a direct relationship to other actions with individually insignificant, but significant cumulative environmental effects. (40 CFR 1508.7 and 1508.25(a)).

( )(X) 7. Have adverse effects on properties listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

( )(X) 8. Have significant impacts on species listed, or proposed to be listed, on the List of Endangered or Threatened Species, or have significant impacts on designated Critical Habitat for these species.

( )(X) 9. Violate a Federal law, or a State, local, or tribal law or requirement imposed for the protection of the environment.

( )(X) 10. Have disproportionate significant adverse impacts on low income or minority populations (Executive Order 12898).

( )(X) 11. Limit access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites on Federal lands by Indian religious practitioners or significantly adversely affect the physical integrity of such sacred sites (Executive Order 13007).

( )(X) 12. Contribute to the introduction, continued existence, or spread ofnoxious weeds or nonnative invasive species known to occur in the area or actions that may promote the introduction, growth, or expansion of the range of such species (Federal Noxious Weed Control Act and Executive Order 13112).

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

The proposed action has been reviewed against the twelve criteria for an exception to a categorical exclusion and does not fall under any exception as identified in 516 OM 2, Appendix 2.

I J

Title Date

Re~iewed by 0 Title Date

DECISION

Based on the NEPA CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION REVIEW above, I have determined that the proposed action qualifies as a categorical exclusion under 516 DM 11, Section 11.9, D (10) and C (4), involves no significant impact to the human environment, and that no further environmental analysis is required.

G tsma d Manager; Ashland Resource Area

Date

/ Administrative Remedies This decision involving the forest management action described in this categorical exclusion is subject to protest under 43 CFR subpart 5003. Under 43 CFR 5003.3 subsection (a), protests may be filed with the authorized officer within 15 days of the notification date of a decision. The date this Decision Record is published on BLM's Website serves as the effective date of this decision. Under 43 CFR 5003.3 (b), protest filed with the authorized officer shall contain a written statement of reasons for protesting the decision. A decision on a protest would be subject to appeal to the Interior Board of Land Appeals, although, under 43 CFR 5003.1 subsection (a), filing a notice of appeal under 43 CFR part 4 does not automatically suspend the effect of a decision governing or relating to forest management under 43 CFR 5003.2 or 5003.3.