Sonar Cabin Replacement

Transcription

1 United States Department of Agriculture Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment Forest Service Alaska Region Tongass National Forest Wrangell Ranger District R10-MB-796b November 2017

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5 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Alaska Region Lead Agency: Responsible Official: For Further Information Contact: USDA Forest Service Alaska Region Tongass National Forest Beth G. Pendleton, Regional Forester Regional Office, Alaska Region P.O. Box Juneau, AK (907) Robert J. Dalrymple, Wrangell District Ranger Tongass National Forest P.O. Box 51 Wrangell, AK (907) Abstract The Forest Service proposes to authorize Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) to replace the Sonar Cabin used to monitor salmon on the Stikine River with a new cabin at the same location. The condition of the Sonar Cabin had deteriorated to the point that it was no longer useable. The replacement cabin would continue to provide support for ADF&G crews conducting international fisheries monitoring on the Stikine River, a transboundary river flowing from Canada into the United States. The Sonar Cabin site is located within the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. This EA documents the analysis of the effects of replacing the cabin. This document is available online at

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7 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment Introduction The Sonar Cabin was built in 1983 and has been used to support Alaska Department of Fish and Game s (ADF&G) salmon fisheries research and monitoring on the Stikine River. The Forest Service proposes to authorize Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) to replace the original Sonar Cabin used to monitor salmon on the Stikine River with a new cabin at the same location. The Forest Service has prepared this EA in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It discloses the environmental effects of the project. This EA incorporates by reference the 2016 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). Additional documentation may be found in the project planning record located at the Wrangell Ranger District Office. Location The Sonar Cabin site is located about 20 miles northeast of Wrangell on the north bank of the Stikine River, midway between Andrew Slough and Shakes Slough, within the Stikine- LeConte Wilderness. See Figure 1. The Stikine River is an international transboundary river with the lower 40 miles flowing through the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. The Stikine- LeConte Wilderness is approximately 448,926 acres in size. The cabin site is within the Southwest ¼ of the Southeast ¼ of Section 35, Township 59 South, Range 84 East, Copper River Meridian. The project area includes the approximately 0.3 acre area around the cabin and associated improvements. See Figure 2. Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 1

8 Sonar Cabin Replacement Figure 1. Stikine-LeConte Wilderness 2 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

9 Environmental Assessment Figure 2. Sonar Cabin Site and Stikine River Corridor Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 3

10 Sonar Cabin Replacement Background The Sonar Cabin site is within the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness which was established under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA). The cabin site is on the Stikine River, which is a navigable river with regular motorized boat traffic. The Sonar Cabin site is accessible by shallow draft boat. The lower 40 miles of the Stikine River flow through the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. Recently, the Forest Service withdrew its objection to the State s claim of sovereignty of the main stem of the Stikine River. The beds and banks of the main stem of the Stikine River, from its mouth to the Canadian border, are considered State jurisdiction and are not part of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. Similarly, slough channels below the point of tidal influence are considered State jurisdiction as are select sloughs above the point of tidal influence per the Recordable Disclaimer of Interest filed with the U.S. District Court, Alaska District, on June 17, In 1982, the Forest Service authorized ADF&G to build and use the Sonar Cabin to provide safe and efficient shelter for crews conducting research and monitoring of salmon migrating up the Stikine River. The cabin was constructed by ADF&G in 1983 and became the property of the Forest Service under the provisions of ANILCA Section 1303(b)(4). The Sonar Cabin was an approximately 16 x 18 foot, two-story modified A-frame structure which exceeded its original design life. In the summer of 2014, substantial rot was discovered in the cabin and it was determined to be unsafe to use. The upper portions of the cabin were removed in The cabin s foundation, porch, stairs, outhouse, steel bear proof food storage locker, and boardwalk trail remain in place. As an interim measure while the cabin was not habitable, ADF&G was authorized to shelter their employees in other structures along the river. The Stikine River Chinook monitoring project is essential in meeting the State of Alaska s obligations under the international Pacific Salmon Treaty between the United States and Canada. This treaty requires ADF&G to provide in-season estimates of the abundance of Chinook salmon in the river. The data gathered by the monitoring crews is used in the sustainable management of the commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries in the United States and Canada, for the conservation of those salmon, and to protect historic use of the fish by indigenous people in Canada and the United States. The Pacific Salmon Treaty has been in place for over 30 years with no indications that it or the Stikine River monitoring will be discontinued into the future. The Stikine River Chinook monitoring project is run cooperatively between the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada and Tahltan First Nations of Canada in support of mandates of the Pacific Salmon Treaty that allows for the management, conservation and study of primarily Chinook but also other salmon populations on this transboundary river. Monitoring crews from both the ADF&G and Tahltan First Nations of Canada run drift gillnets and mark Chinook salmon. Monitoring requires two crews, each with its own boat. The full crew is on site from the last week of April through mid-july and a smaller subset are on site in August to sample Andrew Creek for Chinook salmon ages and abundance. The fisheries monitoring crew consists of up to seven individuals. Generally there are three Americans and two Canadians doing the tagging and an additional two individuals involved 4 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

11 Environmental Assessment with project oversight and scientific assessments. Since its inception, the monitoring project crews have been housed in the Kakwan Cabin (generally three employees) and in the Sonar Cabin (generally four employees). The data collected from the monitoring is transferred daily to the project biologist in Juneau by satellite internet, which is available only at the Kakwan Cabin site. The cabins have also provided secure storage for monitoring equipment. The housing quarters have been tight but generally sufficient to conduct the monitoring. Purpose and Need for Action ADF&G proposed replacement of the Sonar Cabin with a new cabin because it had deteriorated to the point where it was no longer safe for the fish monitoring crews to use. The purpose of this project is to respond to ADF&G s request to authorize the replacement of the Sonar Cabin to provide shelter for the fish monitoring crews. The need for the project is to provide safe and efficient long-term shelter for ADF&G crews conducting the fisheries monitoring and research on the Stikine River required by the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Monitoring crews need to be housed within close proximity (1/2 hour or less) to the monitoring sites in order to be efficient and ensure timely completion of the monitoring. In order for crews to be productive and safe, they need to be sheltered where they can be warm and dry and have protection from the harsh climate conditions, high winds, biting insects, rodents, bears, and other wild animals. The shelter site also needs to provide security for equipment used in the monitoring. The requested cabin site is within the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness; as a result, the Forest Service is required to ensure consistency of this project with the Wilderness Act, ANILCA, the Forest Plan, and other laws and policies specific to wilderness as well as other resources. If the project is authorized, the Forest Service must seek ways to minimize effects to the wilderness resource. Management Direction Minimum Requirements Analysis (MRA) Section 4(c) of the Wilderness Act prohibits structures and installations unless they are the minimum necessary for administering the wilderness for wilderness purposes. Accordingly, and in compliance with Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2320 and the Alaska Region FSM Supplement for Wilderness Management (R ); , Policy (6), the Forest Service has conducted an MRA in order to determine if administrative action is necessary for the administration of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness and, if so, the minimum activity for sheltering fisheries monitoring crews on the Stikine River. The MRA also evaluated the effect of the associated activities on the quality of wilderness character. The MRA is documented in the October, 2017, Minimum Requirements Decision Guide (MRDG) Shelter for employees conducting fisheries monitoring on the Stikine River in the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. The Regional Forester determined that replacing the Sonar Cabin with a new a permanent rustic cabin at the existing cabin location is necessary for wilderness administration and is the minimum necessary means for long-term, safe and efficient sheltering for the fisheries crews monitoring salmon migrations in the Stikine River. An extensive list of laws, regulations, policies and Forest Plan direction which govern the replacement of the cabin can be found in the MRDG Shelter for employees conducting Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 5

12 Sonar Cabin Replacement fisheries monitoring on the Stikine River in the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness and in the Wilderness Resource Report. Key direction applying to this project comes from the Wilderness Act, ANILCA, wilderness management policy, the Pacific Salmon Treaty, and the Forest Plan. Public Involvement This project has appeared on the Tongass National Forest Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA) since July In July 2015, a public scoping notice inviting comment on the proposal was published in the Wrangell Sentinel, Juneau Empire, and Alaska Dispatch News in Anchorage. Scoping letters were sent to individuals, organizations, and agencies on the project mailing list and a scoping flyer posted online, on Facebook, and in public locations around Wrangell. The Wrangell Cooperative Association, the federally recognized tribal government for the project area, was also sent a copy of the scoping notice. Eight written responses were received. A legal notice was published in the Ketchikan Daily News and the Alaska Dispatch News, the newspapers of record, on June 20, 2017, making the Environmental Assessment (EA) available for a 30-day comment period, and notification sent to the project mailing list. To ensure wide notification and encourage public comment, courtesy notices were also published in the Ketchikan Daily News, Wrangell Sentinel, and Petersburg Pilot on June 22, The EA was posted on the Tongass National Forest website at Ten comment letters and s on the EA were received, and are included along with Forest Service responses in the project record. Issues Two issues were identified from the public and internal scoping responses. Issue 1. The need for safe and efficient shelter for ADF&G s Canadian and American crews in order to successfully conduct the Stikine River fisheries research and monitoring projects. Salmon monitoring on the Stikine River is an essential part of the State of Alaska s obligations under the Pacific Salmon Treaty between the United States and Canada. ADF&G is required by the treaty to provide in-season estimates of the abundance of Chinook salmon. This information is used in the sustainable management of commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries in the United States and Canada. The monitoring data must be collected in an efficient and timely manner and in accordance with monitoring protocols. The monitoring typically occurs from April through July (or October if coho salmon runs are also monitored). Monitoring is currently focused on the Chinook salmon stock assessment project which began in Coho and sockeye salmon are also included in the Pacific Salmon Treaty and it is likely additional sampling for these species could become required each season in the future, which would extend the field season and require additional personnel. The Pacific Salmon Treaty is in its 32 nd year and is expected to continue well into the future. While the Treaty is up for renewal there are no indications that it will not be extended. The need for fisheries monitoring data from the Stikine River will continue because the data is the basis of fisheries management for both the United States and Canada. 6 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

13 Environmental Assessment The monitoring requires working long hours, seven days a week often in the inclement weather of Southeast Alaska s rainforest. Strong winds blow through the Stikine River valley. Suitable, safe, and clean shelter is essential to crew productivity. It is also important to crew morale and the retention of experienced employees. In order for crews to be productive and safe, they need to be sheltered where they can be warm and dry and have protection from the harsh climate conditions, biting insects, rodents, bears, and other wild animals. The shelter site also needs to provide adequate security for equipment used in the monitoring. The area generally receives heavy snows. In some years there is still considerable snow pack remaining on the ground when ADF&G needs to begin its monitoring. Health and safety of monitoring crews is an important factor in consideration of ADF&G s sheltering needs. Health and safety includes the following factors: providing warmth and shelter from the inclement weather conditions in the area, reducing the crew s exposure to the harmful effects of rodents and biting insects. Biting insects are present in great quantities during periods of the year. reducing the risk of brown bear incidents and risk from other wildlife species such as moose. Operational efficiency is also a factor in meeting the monitoring requirements. Operational efficiency includes: shelter in close proximity to the sampling locations, reducing travel time and increasing safety, adequate space to shelter four people, their supplies, and monitoring equipment at the Sonar site, secure storage for monitoring equipment and supplies, adequate river access to shelter during all river stages, secure boat moorage at the shelter at most river levels, a relatively stable river bank for access to the shelter, a shelter that is economically feasible. Issue 2. The effects to Wilderness Character. The Sonar Cabin site is in the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. Wilderness effects are assessed through provisions of both ANILCA and the Wilderness Act of Because the Wilderness Act requires preservation of the area s wilderness character, activities can only be approved in wilderness if they are determined to be the minimum necessary for the administration of the area for wilderness purposes. The effects of the alternatives on the five qualities of wilderness character must be considered along with effects on the wilderness resource as a whole. The five qualities of wilderness character are: Untrammeled Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 7

14 Sonar Cabin Replacement Undeveloped Natural Opportunities for Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Other Features of Value In addition to the five qualities of wilderness character defined above, the Wilderness Act mentions societal benefits to wilderness that go beyond recreational use. These non-use values are, for the most part, intangible aspects of wilderness character that are difficult or impossible to quantify. The challenge of wilderness stewardship is that decisions and actions taken to protect one aspect of wilderness character may diminish another aspect. Issue 2: The effects to Wilderness, is discussed in greater detail under the Environmental Effects: Wilderness section of this EA. Alternatives Three alternatives were considered in detail in this analysis. Alternative 1 No Action Under the No-action Alternative, the Sonar Cabin would not be replaced. All improvements would be removed from the site and any disturbed areas would be rehabilitated. The site would no longer be authorized to provide shelter for employees during fisheries monitoring.. The crews would continue to be sheltered in the locations used during the field seasons: Kakwan Cabin and tent platform, USGS Cabin, Forest Service Wilderness Administration Cabin, Shakes Slough public recreation cabin #1. Alternative 2 - Proposed Action In this alternative, the Forest Service proposes to authorize ADF&G to replace the Sonar Cabin with a permanent two-story rustic cabin about 18 x 18 feet (324 square feet) in size at the same location to shelter fisheries monitoring crews. The tent platform at Kakwan Cabin would be removed once the reconstructed Sonar Cabin is available for use. National and regional policy define temporary and permanent. Definitions in R-10 Supplement include: Permanent Foundation. Footings, piers or jacks installed to support the bearing weight of the structures specified on the face of the authorization. A permanent foundation requires some excavation and is constructed of durable materials. Temporary Facility or facilities. Any structure or other human-made improvement that is intended to serve for a limited time and can be disassembled and stored, on site, during periods of non-use. Further, the facility can be readily and completely dismantled and removed from the National Forest within 48 hours. Temporary facilities do not involve excavation of surface materials for a permanent foundation. Definitions in national wilderness policy, FSM , state: Permanent Improvement. A structural or nonstructural improvement that is to remain at a particular location for more than one field season. Permanent improvements include 8 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

15 Environmental Assessment such items as trails, toilet buildings, cabins, fences, tent frames, fire grills, and instrumentation stations. Temporary Structure. Any structure that is easy to dismantle, that could be removed completely from a site between periods of actual use, and that must be removed at the end of each season of use if the non-use period is greater than 30 days. The cabin would be used to shelter four employees and storage of the nets and other equipment needed for the salmon monitoring. Existing improvements at the 0.3 acre Sonar site including the outhouse, the boardwalk trail from the river to the cabin and to the outhouse, and the steel bear proof food storage locker would continue to be used. The original cabin s remaining structural materials would be recycled into the replacement cabin or removed from the site. The orientation of the cabin would be shifted slightly from the original cabin orientation to take advantage of existing trees and downfall to minimize visual effects from the river. All construction activities would occur within the previously disturbed area. See Figure 3. ANILCA allows for the use of motorboats and the temporary use of motorized equipment for fisheries research, management, rehabilitation, and enhancement activities. Cabin materials and supplies would be transported to the site by motorboat. Under this alternative, limited motorized and mechanized equipment would be used in combination with traditional tools and skills to move and lift heavy building materials, reduce the risk of injury to employees, and to reduce construction time. Time and Duration of Activity The construction is anticipated to occur during the 2018 field season. Any activities associated with construction would be limited to the spring, summer, or fall seasons when river levels allow for the transport of materials to the site. Weather and river conditions outside of this time period do not allow for construction. Work on site may be completed in one or two seasons depending on the timing of the work, and conditions on the river. Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 9

16 Sonar Cabin Replacement Figure 3. Sonar Cabin Replacement Conceptual Site Design (not to scale) Alternative 2 Design Features The Sonar Cabin would be designed as a two-story structure of approximately 18 x 18 feet to provide living quarters while minimizing the building footprint. The new cabin would be rustic in appearance. ADF&G would be responsible for the purchase and construction of the cabin. The cabin would become a Forest Service-owned facility permitted for use to ADF&G. The following project design elements would be used to reduce or mitigate the environmental impacts. These have been found to be effective when used in other projects on the Forest. 1) The Sonar Cabin would be designed to blend into the natural setting consistent with direction in the Forest Service s Built Environment Image Guide (September 2001). Dark non-reflective colors would be used to minimize visual effects. Materials for building the cabin would consist of products suitable for use in construction and compatible with conditions found in Southeast Alaska. 2) The cabin orientation would be shifted slightly from the original footprint to take advantage of existing trees and downfall to minimize visual effects. Vegetative screening would be maintained or developed to reduce visual impacts of the cabin from visitors boating on the river. 10 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

17 Environmental Assessment 3) Site disturbance would be kept to the existing disturbed area to minimize effects to the vegetation, soil, and water resources in compliance with the Forest Plan. Existing materials and infrastructure from the old cabin shall either be re-used during reconstruction or removed from the wilderness area. 4) The Sonar Cabin design will meet Forest Service structural requirements (including for snow and wind loads) and the engineer-stamped plans must be approved by the Forest Service Regional Engineer. The Forest Service shall assign a qualified inspector to the project. 5) Limited motorized and mechanized equipment would be used to reduce construction time and to reduce risks to the construction crew. Motorized/mechanized equipment and tools would only be used when hand tools would not be practical or safe. The Forest Service shall review and approve the list of equipment proposed for cabin replacement work in advance of any work at the site. Authorized motorized equipment would be used at the river s edge beyond the wilderness boundary to the maximum extent possible. 6) If any unknown heritage resources are discovered during construction, all construction would cease and the resource would be evaluated. 7) If any unknown endangered, threatened, candidate or sensitive species are encountered prior to or during the implementation of this project, the project will be re-evaluated. 8) All equipment and materials must be cleaned and inspected before arriving on the site to reduce the potential for invasive plants. 9) The standard invasive plant clause for control and eradication would be included in the special use permit and would be enforced through permit administration. Any invasive plant treatments would be approved by the Forest Service in advance. 10) Construction activities would be limited to weekdays during normal working hours to limit the sights and sounds of construction on other wilderness visitors. 11) Crews working on this project would receive training on wilderness awareness and ethics. They would implement minimum impact techniques such as the Leave No Trace principles, and shall abide by all wilderness regulations specific to the Stikine- LeConte Wilderness. 12) Cabin construction activities would comply with all Federal and State safety requirements for training, personal protective equipment, and practices. Contract terms and conditions would include providing for safety training and equipment for employees working at the site. All associated boat travel would comply with Coast Guard and State of Alaska boating safety policies. 13) The cabin and cabin site would be monitored through permit administration and as part of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness monitoring program. 14) The tent platform at Kakwan Cabin shall be removed, using hand tools, once the reconstructed Sonar Cabin is available for use. Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 11

18 Sonar Cabin Replacement 15) Monitoring equipment and work items being left at the end of the monitoring season shall be stored only within the cabin. Alternative 3 This alternative would authorize ADF&G to construct, install, and use three temporary structures at the existing Sonar site to shelter four fish monitoring employees and equipment during the field season. The structures would be used for sleeping, cooking, and storage. The remaining portions of the original Sonar Cabin would be reused or removed from the site. The other existing improvements at the 0.3 acre Sonar site including the outhouse, the boardwalk trail system and the large steel bear proof food storage locker would continue to be used at the site. The wooden platforms would remain on site year-round but the temporary structures on top of the platforms could be any structure or other human made improvement that is intended to serve for a limited time and can be disassembled and removed during periods of non-use. An example of a temporary facility would be, a panelized knock-down wooden cabin, wooden frame for wall tents, or boonie barn type structures. These structures on top of the platforms would be disassembled during the off season and either left on site (e.g. wooden frames) or removed from the site, along with any monitoring equipment. The three temporary structures would be placed within the 0.3 acre Sonar site using the original cabin site and clearing and levelling two additional sites for the structures. A total of approximately 840 square feet of additional disturbance would occur: each temporary structure is estimated to be 10 x 12 feet in size (120 square feet). An estimated 200 feet of additional board walk trail with a 3 foot wide disturbance area (600 square feet) would be constructed to access each individual temporary structure and the outhouse. See Figure 4. Personnel, equipment, and materials would travel to and from the site by motorboat on the Stikine River. Time and Duration of Activity Construction of the additional board walk trail is anticipated to occur during the 2018 field season. The installation and take down of the temporary structures would be required annually at the beginning and end of each field season for the duration of the monitoring activities. Any activities associated with installation would be limited to the spring, summer, or fall seasons when river levels allow for the transport of materials to this site. Weather and river conditions outside of this time period would preclude the need for the installation. Work on site would be completed in approximately 1 week depending on the timing of the work and conditions on the river. 12 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

19 Environmental Assessment Figure 4. Temporary Structures Conceptual Site Design (not to scale) Alternative 3 Design Features ADF&G would be responsible for the purchase, construction, and installation of the temporary structures. The same following project design elements as in Alternative 2 would be used to reduce or mitigate the environmental impacts except as noted below. These have been found to be effective when used in other projects on the Forest. 1) No motorized or mechanized equipment would be used to establish the camp, construct the additional boardwalk, or to set up or take down the camp each year. 2) Dark non-reflective colors would be used to minimize visual effects. 3) Vegetative screening would be maintained or developed to reduce visual impacts of the temporary structures from visitors boating on the river. 4) Site disturbance would be kept within the 0.3 acre Sonar site and use the existing disturbed area to the maximum extent practicable to minimize effects to the vegetation, soil, and water resources. Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 13

20 Sonar Cabin Replacement 5) The tent platforms and camp would be monitored through permit administration and as part of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness monitoring program. 6) No equipment or supplies would be left or stored at the site after the end of the monitoring season. Alternatives Considered but not Analyzed in Detail The following alternatives were identified during the analysis and were considered, but not analyzed in detail. Shelter monitoring crews at additional public recreation cabins. This alternative would allow ADF&G to shelter their fisheries monitoring crews at three additional public recreation cabins, depending on their availability each year. These sites include the Mount Flemmer, Twin Lakes, and Mount Rynda cabins, which are over 5 miles from the Sonar site. This alternative was considered but not analyzed in detail. The distance is too far for safe and efficient monitoring of the drift nets because the crews are spread out along the river corridor. In addition, these public recreation cabins would not be available for the public to rent during the period they would be occupied by ADF&G. Do not authorize any shelter sites for ADF&G fisheries monitoring crews. This alternative to not authorize any shelter sites on National Forest System land for ADF&G fisheries monitoring crews was considered but not analyzed in detail because the monitoring requires crews to be on site throughout the monitoring season. If no shelter was authorized, ADF&G would not be able to conduct the fisheries monitoring in the safe, efficient, and timely manner required under the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Require ADF&G to shelter fish monitoring crews outside of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. This alternative, requiring ADF&G to shelter their crews outside of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness boundary, was considered but not analyzed in detail because there are no practical locations to shelter the fisheries crews outside of the wilderness area and still allow the crews to conduct the fisheries monitoring in a safe, efficient, and timely manner due to the remoteness of the area, the proximity the crews must be to the monitoring sites, and the difficulty and time it takes to navigate the river. The fisheries monitoring is specific to the fisheries resources of the Stikine River and cannot be replicated at another location on the Tongass National Forest. The monitoring of Chinook salmon occurs in the United States portion of the Stikine River, the entire length of which flows through the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. This monitoring can only occur on the Stikine River where it flows through the wilderness, and the crews need nearby shelter (within ½ hour of the monitoring sites) to be efficient. Transporting crews to the monitoring sites each day from outside the wilderness would affect their ability to accomplish the monitoring in a safe, timely, and efficient manner. Transport of personnel and equipment by means other than a motorboat such as by floatplane or helicopter. This alternative, which would require ADF&G to transport personnel and equipment from Wrangell by means other than a motorboat, such as by floatplane or helicopter, was considered but not analyzed in detail because access to the monitoring sites by floatplane and 14 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

21 Environmental Assessment helicopter would be hazardous and unreliable. The winds and inclement weather conditions on the river would not allow for assured access to the monitoring sites which is essential for the monitoring protocols. The river current is too strong to safely land floatplanes. Helicopter landings within the wilderness are not appropriate when other means of easy access, such as motorboats, are allowed for in ANILCA. Helicopters could only be used when weather was favorable and lower river levels provided gravel bars on State of Alaska land for landing. Helicopter access would be prohibitively expensive for daily access. Provide a floating facility within the main stem or a slough of the Stikine River that has been determined to be outside of the wilderness. Under this alternative, ADF&G would build and place a floating facility in the main stem or a slough of the river to provide shelter for the monitoring crews. In June 2016, the U.S. District Court, Alaska District, accepted the Forest Service s withdrawal of its objection to the State s claim of sovereignty for the beds and banks of the main stem of the Stikine River and select sloughs above the point of tidal influence. Tidallyinfluenced waters on the Stikine were previously disclaimed. These areas of the river are now considered to be State jurisdiction and are therefore outside of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. This alternative was considered but not analyzed in detail for the following reasons: Feasibility: It would not be practical to shelter crews on a floating facility on the main stem or sloughs of the river due to the high winds, strong currents, and constantly changing river levels. The Stikine River is said to be the fastest free flowing river in North America. The sloughs are also subject to strong currents. The float house itself would have to be constructed specifically to withstand these forces and be secured in place with substantial anchors and/or piling. Shore ties to the Wilderness for additional security would likely be needed. The river level also fluctuates dramatically over the seasons. If a float was anchored outside of the main stem, it would likely not be accessible at all river levels. The river also floods periodically and river levels can rise or fall suddenly, sometimes changing by several feet over the course of 24 hours. This makes securing a float very difficult. Floats that went dry on an uneven surface could be damaged. The river also carries a lot of floating debris, including whole trees and logs, which can be very hazardous. Logs and debris could strike the float, damaging it or tangling in the anchor and safety lines. Any float would require a constant high level of maintenance to deal with changing river conditions. Safety: A floathouse would create additional safety concerns for the crew over a land camp due to the hazardous conditions mentioned above. There are no known locations on the river with access at all river levels where a floathouse could be placed that would exclude these types of risks, not only to the crew, but also to the structure. Administrative: A floating facility in the main stem or slough of the river would need to be large enough to house four employees and monitoring equipment. The floathouse would have to meet all federal or local safety, construction, and sanitation requirements. It would require a substantial structure and anchoring or piling to hold it securely in place. A floating structure Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 15

22 Sonar Cabin Replacement meeting these requirements would be expensive to build and to maintain. For those reasons, there are no floating structures used by agencies on the river. There are privately owned floathouses in the sloughs and side channels of the river. None of these are authorized by either the State or the federal government. They are very basic, economical structures that would not meet federal or local safety, construction or sanitation standards. These private floathouses are used for short term recreation purposes. The State recently sent letters to the floathouse owners notifying them that their occupancy on the river was not authorized. Under State policy, these would not be authorized because they are in violation of the current State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources Area Plan for Central/Southern Southeast which does not allow floating camps/floathouses in the Stikine River for several reasons: Floathouses can only be authorized if they are in salt water; therefore, they are not allowed in the freshwater of the Stikine River Floathouses are not allowed in the State Area Plan land use designation WT-01 Stikine River tideland (i.e. downstream of Limb Island ) because the WT-01 land use designations do not allow floathouses for habitat, public recreation and tourism, transportation, harvest and to remain undeveloped reasons. Floathouses are not allowed adjacent to areas designated as Wilderness because the State defers to the upland owners (the Forest Service in this case) and floathouses are not compatible with Wilderness management. Wilderness impacts: Even if a feasible and safe location on a slough and outside of wilderness could be found for the floathouse, its presence would not be without impacts to wilderness character. The floathouse structure would be substantial and would be immediately adjacent to wilderness and highly visible, with few options to screen or minimize its impacts to the undeveloped and opportunities for solitude qualities of wilderness character. Furthermore, the floathouse could require shore ties to the wilderness uplands, and these would be considered installations in wilderness, which are also prohibited under Section 4(c) of the Wilderness Act. Build a new cabin at a new site for use by both ADF&G crews and Forest Service crews to replace both the Sonar and Wilderness Cabins. An alternative to replace both the Sonar and Wilderness cabins with a new cabin at a new site on the south side of the river for use by both ADF&G and Forest Service crews was considered but not analyzed in detail. A new cabin site would require disturbance at a previously undisturbed area within the wilderness. It would also require a larger structure of adequate size to provide shelter for both agency crews. The funding necessary to develop this new site and build a new cabin is not available to ADF&G or the Forest Service. Replace the cabin at the Wilderness Cabin site with one large enough to house both ADF&G fisheries crews and Forest Service crews. Building a larger, replacement cabin at the Wilderness Cabin site would require a larger footprint than the current cabin. The existing cabin would be torn down and unavailable during construction, further displacing ADF&G fisheries crews. Additionally, a cabin at this location would not address access concerns early in the monitoring season the beach at Wilderness Cabin is less steep than at the Sonar site at higher water levels, but Wilderness 16 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

23 Environmental Assessment Cabin is extremely affected by water levels. Lastly, such an alternative would require a large structure adequate to provide shelter for both agency crews, and neither agency has the budget to fund this scale of facility. Have ADF&G fisheries crews and USGS crews share housing at the USGS cabin. An alternative for ADF&G and USGS crews to share use of the USGS cabin was not analyzed. The USGS has welcomed ADF&G for occasional and temporary use of the USGS cabin, but if the ADF&G crews were to reside there every year for the duration of their field season, ADF&G would impinge on USGS crews, their work, and the equipment they use. In addition, the cabin is too small to suffice for crews and gear. Existing Condition and Environmental Effects The environmental effects of the alternatives as they relate to the existing conditions are described in this section. The environmental analysis focuses on those issues and resources most likely to be affected by the Proposed Action. The 0.3 acre project area is the analysis area for direct and indirect effects. Direct effects are the results of immediate project activities whereas indirect effects are those that occur following project implementation. Since land managers are required to manage the wilderness resource as a whole, the area used to assess cumulative effects consists of the entire Stikine- LeConte Wilderness. The cumulative effects analysis takes into account the past, present and reasonably foreseeable activities listed in Appendix A. The definitions for the terminology used in describing the degree of effects are provided below: No Effect Negligible Minor Moderate Major No effect to the resource. Little or no impact to the resource; any change that might occur may be perceptible but difficult to measure. Change in resource would occur, but no substantial impact would result. Change would be perceptible and measurable but not alter resource condition. Noticeable and measurable change would occur and would alter resource condition; integrity of the resource would remain. Substantial impact to resource would occur; impact is easily defined, highly noticeable, and would measurably alter resource integrity. Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 17

24 Sonar Cabin Replacement Existing Condition The Sonar Cabin site was developed in 1983 to provide safe and efficient shelter for crews conducting research and monitoring of salmon on the Stikine River. The Sonar site was originally chosen for a cabin because it provides a good site along the river from which to operate the fisheries monitoring. It provides safety and effective logistics for the crew, as well as the best available compromise of the main river channel location, boat moorage, river access, soil stability, and visual screening. The Kakwan Cabin is located near the lower end of the drift gillnet sampling reach and the Sonar site is located near the upper end of the reach; the combination provides the crews with efficient access to the entire sampling reach and access to shelter and safety equipment at both ends. However, the Stikine River is a dynamic system which changes every year, even during the season, so the exact location of the monitoring activities within the area may shift slightly depending on the weather, river snags, and fluctuating water level. The Sonar site is also adjacent to the project s net maintenance area on a large, open river bar. Considering the longevity of the Pacific Salmon Treaty and changes in monitoring technology over time, the site also provides future adaptability because it is a good site for a sonar installation. The site is near the monitoring locations on the river and it provides a good river bank access point with access at most river levels, which fluctuate dramatically through the seasons. The gradient of the riverbank allows for boat storage throughout the river s height fluctuations, and the stable, rocky surface of the riverbank is unlikely to erode. Compared to other sites along the river, the site s soils are stable. The site is also flat and provides good vegetative screening with large trees and brush between the cabin and the river, which reduces the risk of theft or vandalism. The Sonar site is approximately 0.3 acre in size. The original Sonar Cabin was an approximately 16 x 18 foot, two-story modified A-frame structure. Other improvements at the site include an outhouse, a boardwalk trail from the river to the cabin and to the outhouse and a large steel bear-proof food storage locker. The cabin site has had some minimal excavation to place the cabin foundation on a sound gravel surface and the outhouse has been excavated. In the summer of 2014, substantial rot was discovered in the cabin and it was determined to be unsafe to use. The upper portions of the cabin were removed in The cabin s foundation, porch, stairs, outhouse, and boardwalk trail remain in place. ADF&G is authorized under a special use permit to use the site to support salmon monitoring and research. 18 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

25 Environmental Assessment ADF&G driftnet crew on the Stikine River (photo courtesy of ADF&G) Environmental Effects Issue 1. Need for safe and efficient shelter for ADF&G fisheries monitoring crews The Stikine River Chinook monitoring project is essential in meeting the State of Alaska s obligations under the international Pacific Salmon Treaty. ADF&G is required by the treaty to provide in-season estimates of the abundance of Chinook salmon. This information is used in the sustainable management of commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries in the United States and Canada. The monitoring data must be collected in an efficient and timely manner and in accordance with monitoring protocols. The monitoring requires working long hours, seven days a week in the inclement weather of a temperate rainforest. Strong winds blow through the Stikine River valley. Suitable, safe and clean shelter is essential to crew productivity. It is also important to crew morale and the retention of experienced employees. In order for crews to be productive and safe, they need to be sheltered where they can be warm and dry and have protection from the harsh climate conditions, biting insects, rodents, bears, and other wild animals. The shelter site also needs to provide adequate security for equipment used in the monitoring. Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 19

26 Sonar Cabin Replacement Alternative 1 No Action The No-action Alternative would not replace the Sonar Cabin to provide shelter for the fisheries monitoring crews and the Sonar site would no longer be authorized for fisheries monitoring use. ADF&G crews would continue to be sheltered in the locations used during the seasons. By having crews spread out along the river, efficiency could be reduced which could in turn have adverse negligible effects on the fisheries being monitored. This in turn could cause the fisheries to be managed more conservatively. Alternative 2 Proposed Action Alternative 2 would authorize the Sonar Cabin replacement. The replacement cabin would provide safe and efficient shelter for four members of the crew conducting the fisheries monitoring on the Stikine River in one structure at the Sonar site. The cabin would provide a durable long-term, hard-sided structure which would provide a warm and dry environment and protection from bears, moose, and other wildlife. The cabin would enable less snow removal time for fisheries crews to access and use the shelter at the beginning of the season. The cabin can be made rodent-proof to reduce the potential for transmission of diseases to humans and the contamination of equipment and supplies. The cabin can also provide protection from the biting insects which are present in great quantities during periods of the year. The cabin would withstand the high winds in the Stikine River valley and provide protection from falling trees and branches. The cabin would also provide secure storage for equipment and supplies at risk from animal damage or theft. The tent platform at Kakwan Cabin would be removed once the Sonar Cabin becomes available for use. 20 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment

27 Environmental Assessment Deep snow at the Sonar Cabin site, May 2007 (photo courtesy of ADF&G) Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment 21

28 Sonar Cabin Replacement Alternative 3 This alternative would authorize ADF&G to install three temporary structures at the existing Sonar site to provide shelter for four fish monitoring employees and equipment during the field season. The structures would be used for sleeping, cooking, and storage. The temporary structures and all monitoring equipment would be removed at the end of each field season. The temporary shelters would provide a basic level of warmth and shelter from inclement weather conditions. They would provide limited protection from rodents and biting insects. During a high snow year, crews would need to spend time and effort clearing deep snow from tent platforms and boardwalks before they could even set up their shelters. Shelter would not be available at the beginning of the monitoring season. ADF&G would need to bring in and install the temporary structures on top of the existing platforms before the monitoring began. Crews would need to clear any snow from the platforms and boardwalk before shelters could be installed, which would require considerable time and effort during years with a heavy spring snow pack. This could result in delays to the monitoring and temporary lack of shelter if snow removal and installation of temporary structures a substantial amount of time. The temporary shelters would not provide the same level of protection to employees from large animals such as bears and moose. There would be unavoidable lingering food odors from cooking and food storage which could be an attractant for bears. Supplemental methods of protection would be required such as electric fencing. The temporary shelters would not provide secure storage for equipment and supplies which would be susceptible to animal damage or theft. The temporary shelters could be susceptible to damage from the high winds and would not provide adequate protection from falling trees and branches. Issue 2. Effects to Wilderness Character The Stikine-LeConte Wilderness is largely an intact, unspoiled, and naturally-functioning landscape dominated by the Stikine River and the LeConte Glacier. The lower 40 miles of the Stikine River flow through the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. The beds and banks of the main stem of the Stikine River, below ordinary high water, are considered to be State land and are not part of the wilderness area. Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude and for Primitive and Unconfined Recreation are plentiful across the wilderness, especially in areas away from the main stem of the Stikine River. The reduction in motorized uses during winter improves the Undeveloped quality seasonally, and the Untrammeled and Natural qualities of wilderness character remain high throughout the year. The strong cultural and subsistence values of the Stikine River and its fisheries mean that the Other Features of Value quality of the wilderness is intact and such values remain high. Potential effects to Wilderness are evaluated using five qualities: Untrammeled, Undeveloped, Natural, Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation, and Other Features of Value, which determine Wilderness Character. The analysis area for direct and indirect effects is the Sonar Cabin site and the 40-mile stretch of the Stikine River that passes through the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness, including wilderness lands and waters within sight and sound of the river. The area used to assess cumulative effects consists of the entire Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. 22 Sonar Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment