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Logo Department Name Agency Organization Organization Address Information
United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
Shasta-Trinity National Forest Supervisor's Office
3644 Avtech Parkway Redding, CA 96002 530-226-2500 TDD: 530-226-2490
Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper
File Code: 1910 Date: April 1, 2015
Dear Interested Party: The Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Trinity River Management Unit, is seeking public comments relating to the proposed Swift Creek Trails Re-Route Project. The project’s purpose is to design, construct, and maintain the trails in the Swift Creek watershed to withstand the normal traffic and reasonable user behavior during the managed season of use in order to have minimal negative effects on adjacent resources. This project is currently being analyzed under a Categorical Exclusion (CE). The category is described in the Code of Federal Regulations as 36 CFR 220.6(e)(1): Construction and reconstruction of trails. Background/Existing Conditions The Swift Creek watershed is a popular and heavily traveled destination in the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area, with over 40 miles of designated trails designed for non-motorized hiker/pedestrian and/or pack/saddle1 use. Undesignated trails are also present, and in some cases sensitive meadows and seasonally wet areas are being negatively affected. Portions of the Swift Creek and Landers Lake trail(s) are experiencing erosion and entrenchment caused by the heavy use the trails receive and the nature of the trails’ current location. Both trails currently pass directly through Mumford meadows. Trail users have progressively widened portions of the trails, or created new pathways around wet meadow areas. Such widening has created soil erosion and damage to nearby vegetation. Rutted trails create channels that increase the velocity of spring snow melt, leading to a cycle of erosional soil loss and deeper ruts over time. These trails would benefit from re-routing to improve visitor safety, reduce erosion, prevent further damage to vegetation and reduce long term maintenance needs (see the location of the trails in Figure 2 on page 4). An undesignated trail branches off of the Swift Creek trail in Mumford meadows heading southwest towards Mumford Basin, and finally intersecting with the Blacks Basin trail. A portion of this undesignated trail currently bisects Mumford meadows, which is becoming entrenched and causing damage to riparian vegetation. Designating this trail as an official system trail (Mumford Basin trail) would reduce impacts to resources and would allow routine trail maintenance activities to occur. Re-routing the portion of the trail that bisects Mumford meadows would reduce erosion, improve safety and prevent further damage to riparian vegetation (see the location of the trail in Figures 2 on page 4).
1 Forest Service Handbook 2309.18 - Trails Management Handbook, Chapter 20 - Trail Development. 2008.
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Desired Future Conditions The desired future conditions of the trails are based on the land management designations within the area. The identified trails are located in Sections 3, 4, 9, 10, 15 and 16 of T. 36 N. and R. 9 W., and Sections 34 and 35 of T. 37 N. and R. 9 W. Mount Diablo Meridian. Elevations range from approximately 5,500 feet to 7,500 feet. All trails are within the hydrologic unit code (HUC) 6 Swift Creek watershed (see Figure 1 on page 3). There are two relevant management prescriptions that apply to the trails; Wilderness and Riparian Reserve. Wilderness Area In 1984, with the passage of the California Wilderness Act, the Alps became an official, congressionally-designated wilderness area. The project area is located within Management Area #42 (Trinity Alps Wilderness) of the Land and Resource Management Plan3 (LRMP). Riparian Reserve Portions of the identified trails are located within Riparian Reserves. Riparian Reserves are to be managed to maintain or enhance riparian areas, wildlife and fisheries habitat, and water quality by emphasizing streamside and wetland management4. Why I am Making this Decision The LRMP identifies desired conditions and management objectives for the land allocations and Management Areas within the planning area. The following LRMP Goals, Standards and Guidelines apply:
Manage Wilderness to meet recreational, scenic, educational, conservation, and historic uses while preserving wilderness values (LRMP pg. 4-6).
Trail construction, reconstruction, relocation, and maintenance should be accomplished in a manner consistent with the purposes of the Wilderness Act (LRMP pg. 4-34).
High standard trails exist where public demand is the highest (LRMP pg. 4-94).
New recreational facilities within Riparian Reserves, including trails and dispersed sites, should be designed to not prevent meeting Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives. Construction of these facilities should not prevent future attainment of these objectives (LRMP pg. 4-55).
2 LRMP pages 4-93 to 4-95. 3 USDA Forest Service 1995c. 4 LRMP page. 4-59.
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Figure 1.
The purpose and need for the project is to design, construct, and maintain the Swift Creek trail system to withstand the normal traffic and reasonable user behavior during the managed season of use in order to have minimal negative effects on adjacent resources. Proposal Approximately 1.5 miles of the Swift Creek trail, and 0.5 miles of the Landers Lake trail would be re-routed (see Figure 2 on page 4), moving the trails out of Mumford meadow to reduce resource damage and promote users staying on the trails. Logs and boulders would be placed on top of the existing trails to direct users onto the new trails, and any existing erosion control features such as water bars and/or check dams would be maintained to address the erosion concerns. Portions of the existing trail that are rutted and channelized will have the edges “scalped” off and the small plugs of soil and vegetation would be placed in the channels to further address erosion concerns (see an example of this action in Figure 3 on page 4).
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Figure 2. Existing trails are in shown in black. Trail re-route sections and the approximate location of the Mumford Basin Trail are shown in red.
Figure 3. Trail crew is “scalping” the sides of a channelized trail and moving the plugs of soils and vegetation onto the trail to minimize further erosion.
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Nearly 3 miles of undesignated trail would be added to the Forest System as the Mumford Basin trail, and be designated for hiker/pedestrian use (see Figure 2). Approximately 0.2 miles of the Mumford Basin trail would be re-routed, moving the trail out of Mumford meadow to reduce resource damage and promote users staying on the trail. Logs and boulders would be placed on top of the existing trail to direct users onto the new trail, and any existing water bars/check dams would be maintained to address erosion concerns. Routine trail maintenance activities (cleaning erosion control features, removing loose rock, cutting and removing vegetation that is growing into the trail, etc.) may also be performed on portions of the Mumford Basin trail. Implementation will take nearly three months to complete and could begin in the spring of 2016. An interdisciplinary team of resource specialists will evaluate the potential effects of the proposed action to ensure that no extraordinary circumstances are associated with this proposal. As part of the analysis, the team will also develop site-specific resource protection measures (RPMs) and Best Management Practices (BMP), which will be included in the final Decision Memo. Your Involvement The Forest invites you to participate in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process by providing comments during the public scoping period. More information on the project can be found here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=45938. Although comments are welcome throughout the process, providing your comments by April 16, 2015 will be most useful for us to consider your input during the analysis. Written comments may be submitted via fax to 530-623-6010 or mailed to David R. Myers, ATTN: Stephanie Riess, Weaverville Ranger Station 360 Main Street Hwy 299, P.O. Box 1190 Weaverville, California 96093 or hand-delivered during normal business hours (8 am to 4:30 pm Monday-Friday, excluding holidays). You may email comments to: [email protected]; attachments may be in the following formats: plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), Word (.doc, .docx), or portable document format (.pdf). Please address Subject comment to “Swift Creek Trails Re-Route Project”. The Forest Service pre-decisional objection process does not apply to a project or activity that is categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act 36 CFR 218.23(a). Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the Agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent environmental documents. (Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Chapter 22.1).
