White Mountain National Forest United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Eastern Region Batchelder Brook and Guinea Pond Snowmobile Bridges Decision Memo Batchelder Brook/Guinea Pond Snowmobile Bridge Projects Towns of Warren and Sandwich Grafton and Carroll Counties, NH Decision Memo Prepared by the Pemigewasset Ranger District October 14, 2010 For Information Contact: Jenny Burnett Pemigewasset Ranger District White Mountain National Forest 71 White Mountain Drive Campton, NH 03223 jburnett@fs.fed.us Phone: 603 536-6107 Fax: 603 536-3685 www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain
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Table of Contents Area Maps..3 1 Summary...4 2 Background...5 2.1 Project Area...5 2.2 Purpose and Need...6 2.3 Alternative Actions Considered But Dismissed...7 3 Decision to Be Implemented...8 4 Rationale for Categorically Excluding the Decision...8 4.1 Category of Exclusion...9 4.2 Finding that No Extraordinary Circumstances Exist...9 5 Public Involvement...11 6 Findings Required By and/or Related to Other Laws and Regulations...11 7 Administrative Review or Appeal...12 8 Implementation Date and Contact...12 3
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1 Summary 2 Background After careful consideration of public input, the recommendations of appropriate resource specialists, and the requirements of applicable laws and regulations, I have decided to authorize construction of three snowmobile bridges. Two will span Batchelder Brook in Warren, NH and the third will span a drainage across the Guinea Pond Trail in Sandwich, NH. 2.1a Project Area- Batchelder Brook The Batchelder Brook proposed bridge sites are along the Batchelder Brook Snowmobile Trail, as identified in the White Mountain National Forest snowmobile system map. The Batchelder brook Snowmobile Trail is 3.6 miles long, running from the Forest boundary in Warren to its intersection with the Three Ponds Snowmobile Trail, forming a connection between Ellsworth, Rumney, and Campton and the Warren to Woodstock Snowmobile Trail. It is an important link between Snowmobile Corridor Trails 5 and 11, the two primary north-south snowmobile trails in Grafton County and in east-central New Hampshire. This segment of trail is groomed regularly and maintained by the Bruhawachet Sno- Trackers, Inc. snowmobile club out of Rumney, NH. The section of trail in question is locally referred to as part of the Three Ponds Snowmobile trail. Batchelder Brook winds down slope to eventually join the Baker River, while the trail proceeds more directly on an old road, crossing Batchelder Brook twice. The lower proposed bridge is 0.3 miles southeast of the three-way junction with this section of Batchelder Brook Snowmobile Trail, Forest Road 401 out of Moosehillock campground, and NH State Primary Snowmobile Trail 153, also known as the Warren to Woodstock snowmobile trail. The upper proposed bridge is 0.4 miles above the first, or 0.7 miles southeast of the aforementioned three-way junction, at the edge of a large clear-cut. While currently the trail at this upper portion crosses two forks of a brief division of the brook, relocating the crossing 100 upstream was deemed preferable by Forest specialists to enable a single span crossing. 5
2.1b Project Area- Guinea Pond The proposed Guinea Pond snowmobile bridge is located on the Guinea Pond Snowmobile Trail as identified by the White Mountain National Forest snowmobile system map. The trail at this point is on the same footprint as the Guinea Pond hiking trail. The Guinea Pond Snowmobile Trail is 1.3 miles long, running north from the eastern end of Sandwich Notch Road to connect at a three way intersection with the Flat Mountain Pond and the Sidehill Powerline Snowmobile Trails. The project area is located within a tenth of a mile of this intersection. The Flat Mountain Pond Trail affords a less developed, more adventurous motorized winter experience out to its terminus at the Flat Mountain Pond shelter, while the Sidehill Powerline connection provides a loop back to the Sandwich area off the popular Sandwich Notch Road. Generally the area offers a more remote backcountry experience, and is groomed and maintained by the Sandwich Sidehillers Winter Trail Club. 2.2 Purpose and Need- Batchelder Brook and Guinea Pond Snowmobiling is an important component of winter recreation and tourism in New Hampshire. Local snowmobile clubs work hard to maintain trails, applying for grants and matching funds to keep their local trail systems well constructed, drained, and stable. It is part of the WMNF goals and objectives to provide winter motorized recreation opportunities on NFS lands in areas designated appropriate for such use. These trails are an important component for the statewide snowmobile trail system, and are located in Management Area 2.1, General Forest Management, which is suitable for winter motorized recreation. The first or most southerly existing Batchelder Brook crossing is a rocky ford across the brook. Banks have eroded and the stream is overwidened in the crossing area, relative to the undisturbed reach up and downstream. While Forest specialists have not indicated that there is a resource need to repair this area, a bridge would allow the banks to naturalize over time. The existing ford does not reliably freeze to allow for safe snowmobile passage for much of the season. The second crossing of Batchelder Brook involves a 300 foot relocation through a clear cut. Specialists felt that the added disturbance was a worthy trade off for a more stable crossing area. Currently the crossing is at a spot where the brook di- 6
vides briefly, and the original proposal was for two smaller bridges. A pair of bridges here would be a more risky investment than the single larger bridge downstream because of the relative likelihood of unpredictable changes to the current flow in the divided area. Additionally the banks are higher and better suited for a bridge at the downstream spot than where snowmobiles currently cross. Batchelder Brook can open early in the spring, and in some seasons the crossings never freeze adequately to provide a safe crossing for snowmobiles. The absence of a bridge here can prevent snowmobilers from connection with many popular routes and limits access to the State trail system in Lincoln and Woodstock and points north. The Guinea Pond proposal was submitted by the Sandwich Sidehillers Winter Trail Club with encouragement from the Forest Service due to a safety concern. The project entails construction of a small bridge over a low-lying area on the railroad grade that drains water between two marshes. While the cross-drain is shallow, it regularly fails to ice bridge and creates a hazardous void in the trail. As a dual use trail the bridge would also improve the hiking trail and protect against resource damage as currently hikers frequently trample trailside vegetation or throw debris into the drainage in an attempt to keep their feet dry. 2.3 Alternative Actions Considered But Dismissed As the Batchelder Brook trail necessitates the crossing of the same brook twice I considered relocating this trail to keep it on one side of the brook, thereby eliminating the crossings. Specialists noted and I agree that the impacts of such an action would be considerably greater than the installation of the two bridges. The current footprint of the trail is stable and well-drained, and the meandering nature of Batchelder Brook would require a relocation that is considerably longer than the current trail. There were various possible locations for the Batchelder Brook crossings that were carefully vetted by Forest Specialists as well as recreation and timber staff, and I am confident that the best location for all considerations was selected. There are limited options at the Guinea Pond site besides the no action alternative, as the area is a marsh on either side of the trail. The maintaining club has in the past placed pallets in the drainage after the first snowfall to mitigate safety 7
hazards, but the removal of temporary bridging can be very difficult to time, and result in clogging of the drainage or pallets lost in the marsh. I dismissed a no action alternative on the described projects because it does not address the purpose and need erosion due to the existing fords and a compelling safety concern on system snowmobile trails. 3 Decision to Be Implemented My decision is to authorize the Bruhawachet Snowmobile Club to construct a 42- foot bridge and upstream a 36-foot bridge across Batchelder Brook along the Batchelder Brook Snowmobile Trail in Warren, NH. The bridges will be constructed to Forest Service standards, will be 12 feet wide, and will support snowmobile grooming equipment. The proposal is consistent with the WMNF Land and Resource Management Plan s (Forest Plan) goals, objectives, standards and guidelines. Construction of these bridges is not expected to change the amount or nature of use these trails currently receive. Implementation is expected to occur during fall of 2010, when soil conditions are favorable for all soil disturbing activities. It is expected that this project would be completed prior to late fall, 2010. The responsible clubs or their contractors will complete the work. This decision is based on my review of the project record, including input from the public and appropriate resource specialists. The record shows a thorough review of relevant scientific information, a consideration of responsible opposing views, and the acknowledgement of incomplete or unavailable information, scientific uncertainty, and risk. My decision is also based on my past experiences with similar activities on the White Mountain National Forest. 4 Rationale for Categorically Excluding the Decision Based on information in the project record and experience with similar activities on the WMNF, I have concluded that this decision can be categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment. Decisions may be categorically excluded from documentation in an environmen- 8
tal impact statement or an environmental assessment when they are within one of the categories found at 36 CFR 220.6(d) and (e), and there are no extraordinary circumstances related to the decision. 4.1 Category of Exclusion I have determined that the selected action is a routine activity within the following category of exclusion found at 36 CFR 220.6(e)(1): Construction and reconstruction of trails. 4.2 Findings that No Extraordinary Circumstances Exist Based on information presented in this document and the entirety of the project record, I have evaluated the resource conditions listed in 36 CFR 220.6(b)(1) and determined there are no extraordinary circumstances related to this project. As indicated in 36 CFR 220.6(b)(2), the mere presence of one or more of the listed resource conditions does not preclude use of a categorical exclusion. It is the degree of the potential effects of a proposed action on these resource conditions that determines whether extraordinary circumstances exist. As long as the potential effects on these resources are minor or non-existent, there are no extraordinary circumstances (Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 30.4). A summary of the project s potential effects on each resource condition follows. Federally listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat, species proposed for Federal listing or proposed critical habitat, or Forest Service sensitive species. The Endangered Species Act requires that federal activities not jeopardize the continued existence of any species federally listed or proposed as threatened or endangered, or result in adverse modification to such species designated critical habitat. As required by this Act, potential effects of this decision on listed species have been analyzed and documented in a Biological Evaluation (project record). As detailed in the Biological Evaluation (BE), this decision will have no effect on listed species or designated critical habitats because no listed species or critical habitats have the potential to occur in the area that would be affected by this project. As discussed in the BE, Canada lynx is not considered to be present on the WMNF south of Route 2, and there is no critical habitat for this species on the Forest. Potential effects of this decision on Regional Forester sensitive species (sensitive species) also have been analyzed and documented in a BE (project record). Based 9
on known occurrence records and habitat conditions, one sensitive species, the Eastern small-footed myotis, has very low potential to occur in the area that would be affected by this project. For the reasons indicated in the Biological Evaluation, the project would have no impact on this species. This project also would have no impact on any other sensitive species because they do not occur in the project area. Floodplains, Wetlands, or Municipal Watersheds Executive Orders 11988 and 11990 direct federal agencies to avoid adverse impacts to floodplains or wetlands, which are defined in the executive orders. This project will improve the condition of the associated watershed by replacing a ford currently traversed by snowmobiles, ATV s and groomer with a bridge spanning bankfull width. All necessary wetlands permits will be granted prior to project implementation. Congressionally designated areas, such as wilderness, wilderness study areas, or national recreation areas The project area is not within any congressionally designated areas. The nearest congressionally designated area is the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Impacts from this project would be limited to the immediate area of activity and will not affect any congressionally designated areas. Inventoried roadless area (IRA) or potential wilderness area This project is not within any Roadless Area Conservation Rule (RACR, 2001) inventoried roadless or potential wilderness areas nor will it have any effect on these areas. Both bridges across Batchelder Brook are in the South Carr Mountain IRA identified in 2005 WMNF Forest Plan revision. None of this IRA was recommended for wilderness consideration during Forest Plan revision. While construction of these bridges will have minor effects on roadless inventory criteria (noise during construction and the addition of small bridges), they would not affect the eligibility of this area for future roadless inventories (see project file). Research Natural Areas There are no Research Natural Areas in or near the project area. This decision, with impacts limited to the immediate area of activity, will not affect Research Natural Areas. 10
American Indian and Alaska Native religious or cultural sites; and archaeological sites, and historic properties or areas 5 Public Involvement This decision complies with the National Historic Preservation Act, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The Forest Archaeologist reviewed the project site and historic records for the area and determined that this project has no potential to affect historic properties (see project file). As described previously, these projects were proposed by the Bruhawachet and Sandwich Sidehillers Snowmobile Clubs. The clubs have applied for grant monies from the State of NH to purchase materials for the bridges. Pemigewasset District staff and Forest Specialists have discussed the proposals carefully and visited the site. Limited scoping of known interested members of the public took place and no objections have been raised. This project was listed in the Schedule of Proposed Actions beginning October 2010. 6 Findings Required By and/or Related to Other Laws and Regulations My decision will comply with all applicable laws and regulations. I have summarized some pertinent ones below. National Environmental Policy Act This Act requires public involvement and consideration of potential environmental effects. The entirety of documentation for this decision supports compliance with this Act. Forest Plan Consistency (National Forest Management Act) The National Forest Management Act (NFMA) requires that all site-specific project activities be consistent with direction in the applicable Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). This project implements the WMNF Forest Plan. As required by NFMA Section 1604(i), I find this project to be consistent with the WMNF Forest Plan including goals, objectives, desired future conditions, and Forest-wide and Management Area standards and guidelines. 11
7 Administrative Review or Appeal This type of activity is not covered by the 2005 Earth Island Institute v. Ruthenbeck court ruling. Therefore this decision is not subject to appeal in accordance with 36 CFR 215. 8 Implementation Date and Contact Implementation of this decision may begin immediately. For additional information concerning this decision, contact: Jenny Burnett at email: jburnett@fs.fed.us, or by phone (603-536-6107), or by FAX (603-536-3685). Additional information about this decision also can be found on the White Mountain National Forest web page at: <www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain>. /s/ Molly Fuller October 14, 2010 MOLLY FULLER Date Pemigewasset District Ranger Responsible Official 12