National Forests and Grasslands in Texas

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1 United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service National Forests and Grasslands in Texas Sam Houston NF 394 FM 1375 West New Waverly, Texas Phone Dear Friends, File Code: 1950 Date: June 24, 2016 This letter is an invitation for you to comment on our proposal to construct multi-use and equestrian trails within the Sam Houston National Forest. Background We, the staff at the Sam Houston National Forest, have been working with the Sam Houston Trails Coalition to develop trails to provide for multiple-use activities throughout the Forest. Most recently, our partners in the coalition have received funding from the State of Texas to develop additional trail opportunities in the north western portion of the Sam Houston National Forest they are calling this the Richards-Raven trail system. Project Area The project is located several miles east of Richards, Texas in Walker and Montgomery Counties within the Sam Houston National Forest. The project is within compartments 1 through 9 and 18. Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 shows the location of the proposed trails. Figure 1: Richard-Raven Trail Vicinity Map It s Cool to Be Safe Printed on Recycled Paper

2 Figure 2: Proposed Richards-Raven Equestrian and Multiple Use Trail (north half) Sam Houston 2 National Forest

3 Figure 3: Proposed Richards-Raven Equestrian Trail (south half) Sam Houston 3 National Forest

4 Purpose and Need The Sam Houston National Forest lies just fifty miles north of the Houston metropolitan area. The population of areas just south of and adjacent to the National Forest is continuing to grow and expand, creating more demand for recreational opportunities on the Forest. In cooperation with local community organizations, in particular the Sam Houston Trail Coalition, we have identified a need to provide additional recreational trails on the west side of the Sam Houston National Forest. In particular, there is a need to expand non-motorized recreational opportunities, especially equestrian opportunities, on the west side of the Sam Houston National Forest. In addition, currently, there is no legal access from the existing multi-use off-highway vehicle trails within the national forest to reach recreational opportunities on adjoining private land. Therefore, there is a need to connect existing multi-use motorized trails to motorized recreation areas off of national forest system lands. Management Direction The 1996 Forest and Land Management Plan for the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (the Forest Plan) allocates the project area to two management areas: Management Area 2 - Red-cockaded Woodpecker Emphasis Management Area 4 - Streamside Management Zones primarily located along unnamed streams in the area, as well as Caney Creek. The proposed trail construction would help meet the Forest-wide and MA-2 management direction for recreation and trails identified in the. The includes strategic goals for providing a range of recreational opportunities and opportunities for cooperation and partnership between the Forest and local communities ( page 43-43). For Management Area 2, the directs managers to develop new trails and roads as necessary to provide access for recreation and other compatible multiple uses. New trails, trailheads, or parking facilities may be built where needed to improve recreation opportunities (MA-2-11). Proposed Action To meet the need for additional recreational opportunities on the west side of the Sam Houston National Forest, we are proposing new construction of approximately thirty-one miles of multi-use and equestrian trails in a looped trail system. The project includes extending the existing multi-use trail three miles on the west side of FM 1791, starting at the existing northwest trailhead near the junction of FM 1791 and Forest Service Road 208 and terminating at Forest Service Road 209A7 near the entrance to a privately owned and operated campground with separate motorized trails for adults and children on a 700 acre tract called the Outlaw Trax. This new multi-use trail extension would be designated as open to off-highway vehicles (50 inches wide or less). The remaining twenty-eight miles of new trail are non-motorized that would be designed to an equestrian standard (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). In addition, we propose to construct three trailheads, each approximately 2 acres in size, to provide the public parking areas to access the trails. The trails would be constructed using Forest Service standard practices and in compliance with Forest Plan standards and guidelines for motorized and non-motorized trail construction. Design parameters will be based on US Forest Service technical guidelines that provide for the survey, design, construction, maintenance, and assessment of National Forest System trails based on their designed use, designated trail class and management intent (Forest Service Handbook ). The trails would meet the Trail Sam Houston 4 National Forest

5 Management Objectives: (1) Equestrian trail - native surface, sustainable, trail class 3 (developed), nonmotorized, and multi-use; and (2) Multi-use trail - native surface, sustainable, trail class 3 (developed), motorized, and multi-use. Trail construction methods seek to minimize natural and cultural resource impacts (see Project Design Features below). The proposed action includes removing understory vegetation within a six to eight foot wide corridor through the forest and constructing a two to four foot wide single-track, natural surface trail tread within the cleared corridor. A combination of machinery, such as a small trail-building dozer and rotary drum mulcher, and hand tools, would be used to clear forest litter and understory vegetation and construct the trail tread. No trees would be removed for trail construction. Several ephemeral streams would be crossed via arch culverts, raised trail treads or armored crossings using appropriate materials. Approximately 12 stream crossings will require either wooden or engineered bridges ranging in length from 12 to 80 feet (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). Bridge design and construction will be similar to new engineered bridges on the existing multi-use trail. Construction of the trailheads would involve clearing understory vegetation and some large mid-story and overstory trees and spreading rock aggregate to create a hardened surface for the parking area. Some midstory and overstory trees will be removed from the proposed trailhead to improve access and maneuverability while also managing for aesthetics and shade. All dead trees in the site would be pushed over and pushed to the boundaries of the site as perimeter markers, burned on site or hauled off site. The trail construction would be funded through grants acquired by the Sam Houston Trail Coalition from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Recreational Trails Program. Full implementation of the proposal depends on receiving these competitive funds and, therefore, the project is likely to be implemented in multiple phases. Full implementation is not guaranteed. Implementation would be anticipated to begin in fall of Future maintenance of the proposed trail would be conducted to Forest Service Standards and funded and performed by the Sam Houston Trails Coalition. Project Design Features Survey for wildlife and heritage resources was conducted concurrent with the trail design work. This helped to ensure that the trail location was planned to avoid effects to red-cockaded woodpecker habitat and heritage resources. In addition, the trail location was designed to limit ephemeral and intermittent stream crossings. Wildlife and heritage survey of the proposed trailhead sites would occur prior to construction. The following design features are also included as part of the proposed action to reduce effects to natural resources and ensure compliance with standards and guidelines. Table 1: Project design features Resource Design Features Source Endangered, threatened species or sensitive communities Endangered, threatened species or sensitive communities Endangered, threatened species Inventory, identify, protect, and manage habitat for proposed endangered, threatened, sensitive and exemplary plant communities. Red-cockaded woodpecker clusters may be closed to protect the habitat of this endangered species and to prevent harassment from vehicle noise. Trails will be located away from nesting clusters, however if RCW move into these areas, use may continue unless disturbance is verified. Signs may be placed around clusters if needed. Design the trail to avoid impacts to Blackland Pairies. Work with partners to implement gating/blocking of roads, signage, or educational (FW-025), Appendix E Project specific Sam Houston 5 National Forest

6 Resource Design Features Source or sensitive activities to prevent off-trail motorized use into nearby Blackland communities Prairies. Non-native invasive plant species Heritage Vegetation Safety Where feasible, avoid crossing moist soils, seeps or sandy soils by adjusting the trail location. For moist soils or seeps encountered on side slopes, adjust the trail location upslope. Where necessary, use armoring trail construction techniques, geosynthetics, and/or improved trail tread construction techniques. Where feasible, adjust the trail location to avoid crossing any intermittent, ephemeral stream(s) and/or minimize the number of crossings. If the trail is located less than 50 feet from a pond, adjust the trail to 50 or more feet from the pond edge. Where a crossing is necessary, use armoring trail construction techniques, geosynthetics, and/or improved trail tread construction techniques. Design and construct roads and trails to minimize siltation and maintained to provide surface water drainage away from streams and into vegetated buffer strips or other filtering system. Install waterbars, rolling dips and/or sediment catch basins on all trail sections as appropriate to minimize erosion. If suitable sod material is not available, then reinforce waterbars with corduroy or similar stabilizing material. Minimum waterbar spacings are found under Forest-wide Soil and Water Standards. Designate trails with no gradients exceeding 25 percent. Control of invasive species would follow the NNIPS EA and Management Plan for the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (USDA 2008) In the event that historic or prehistoric cultural resources are discovered during the construction or maintenance of trails, work within the immediate vicinity of the discovery will stop and the Heritage Resources staff will be notified. The cultural resource will be protected until consultation between NFGT and the SHPO is completed and a treatment plan is developed and implemented. Where possible, locate trail tread a minimum of 3 feet from trees 6 inches or greater in diameter in order to prevent root exposure. Sings that provide navigational maps and Forest Service Trail Use regulations would be installed. National Best Management Practices National Best Management Practices (FW-053) (FW-159) (FW-160) NNIPS EA National Historic Preservation Act Project-specific Project-specific Comments welcome I am inviting you, the public, to comment on this project. At this time, it is anticipate that this will be the only designated opportunity to comment on this project. The comment period is intended to provide those of you interested in, or affected by, this proposal an opportunity to comment or make your concerns known before a decision is made. If you have specific comments or concerns about this proposal, please send them to the address listed above or on-line at: comments-southern-texas-samhouston@fs.fed.us. Comments may be mailed to Warren Oja, District Ranger, Sam Houston Ranger Station, 394 FM 1375 West, New Waverly, TX You can also submit oral or hand delivered comments at the Ranger Station within normal weekday business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Although your comments are always welcome, comments received within 30 days of the date of the legal notice in the Conroe Courier will be most helpful to this particular planning process. Comments we receive from you in response to this solicitation, including your names and addresses, will be considered part of the public record and will be available for public inspection. Sam Houston 6 National Forest

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