Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact for
GooseBayCabin Replacement
Environmental Assessment
July 2009
ChugachNational Forest
Glacier Ranger District
PO Box 129
Girdwood, Alaska 99587
Decision
It is my decision to implement the Proposed Action as described in the Gosse Bay Cabin Replacement Environmental Assessment (Goose Bay EA).
This decision will allow for the following activities to occur:
(1)Construction of a 15 foot by 17 foot handicap accessible public use cabin in Goose Bay during July 2009 and 2010 (see Figure 1);
(2)Decommission and removal of the South Culross public use cabinand restoration of the cabin site through the use of native plants, trees, and soils during July through September 2009 or 2010.
Applicable Forest Plan Direction and Forest Service Policy
This decision incorporates the following forestwide standards and guidelines, Best Management Practices (BMPs), Forest Service Policy and Forest Plan direction
(1)Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 2509.22 – Soil and Water Conservation Handbook Sections 12 through 18;
(2)Forest Plan Standards for Wildlife (Forest Plan pp. 3-28 through 3-33);
(3)Forest Plan Standards for Threatened, Endangered, or Sensitive Plant Species (Forest Plan pg. 3-27);
(4)Forest Plan Standards for Soils (Forest Plan pp. 3-22 through 3-23);
(5)Forest Plan Standards for Heritage Resources (Forest Plan pg. 3-34);
(6)Forest Plan Guidelines for Vegetation Management (Forest Plan pg. 3-25);
(7)312 Fish, Wildlife, and Recreation Management Area Direction (Forest Plan pp. 4-63 through 4-65).
Mitigation
The following mitigation measures are incorporated into this decision:
(1)All equipment and materials must be clean to reduce the potential for invasive plants
(2)If any heritage resources are discovered during construction, all construction must cease and Forest Service archeologist must be notified.
The Goose Bay EA) is the supporting environmental analysis for this decision and is incorporated by reference. This EA briefly discusses the need for the project, the alternatives considered, the environmental impacts of the Proposed Action and no action alternatives, and a listing of the agencies and persons contacted.
Rationale for the Decision
I have reviewed the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for “significance” (40 C.F.R. §1508.27) and I have determined that the decision is not an action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment either individually or cumulatively; nor would this decision affect the quality of the human environment in either context or intensity. Therefore, an environmental impact statement (EIS) will not be prepared. This conclusion and finding is based on the following factors:
Context / Intensity / Reason not SignificantRecreation Opportunities and Experiences / Improved experience and expanded opportunities / The South Culross public use cabin will be available for reservations until the GooseBay cabin is constructed; therefore, recreation users will not “lose” a cabin in this area of Prince William Sound during construction.
The GooseBay public use cabin will be handicap accessible; thereby providing more recreation opportunities to those with disabilities.
The GooseBay public use cabin anchorage is expected to be more secure; thereby improving visitor satisfaction with this public use cabin.
The GooseBay public use cabin is located one mile from the South Culross public use cabin; therefore, the opportunity for public use cabins in this area of Prince William Sound will be unaffected.
The capacity of the GooseBay public use cabin is identical to the capacity of the South Culross public use cabin.
Disturbance to wildlife habitat. / Minimal / The project area is not considered critical habitat or a travel or migration corridor for any wildlife species. It is not expected to cause any meaningful effect on any species population viability either generally or locally because of the small size of the project area relative to the size of the existing intact habitat for these species.
In addition, the location of the GooseBay cabin will reduce undesirable bear and human encounters.
Spread of non-native plant species / Minimal potential for spread or establishment of non-native plan species / All equipment must be reasonably clean before entry into the project area to reduce the potential for the spread of non-native plant species. No non-native plant species are identified in the project area.
Disturbance to sensitive plant species / None / The project area is not considered critical habitat for sensitive plant species, nor do any sensitive plant species currently exist in the project area.
Disturbance to fisheries resources / None / The location of the GooseBay cabin is not near any anadromous streams.
Disturbance to heritage resources / None / No historic properties are known; therefore, no historic properties are expected to be affected.
Public Involvement
To date, the public has been invited to participate in the project in the following ways:
(1)The Glacier Ranger District contacted the Chugach Alaska Corporation and the Chenga IRA Council.
(2)The Glacier Ranger District posted a scoping notice in the Turnagain Times, at the Girdwood Public Library, and the Girdwood Post Office requesting comments on April 1, 2009.
(3)A legal notice offering a 30 day comment period on the proposed action was posted in then Anchorage Daily News, the newspaper of record for the ChugachNational Forest, on June 6, 2009. No comments were received during the comment period.
Consistency
Compliance with Other Laws and Regulations
National Forest Management Act – The proposed action is consistent with all Forest Plan standards and guidelines, and all proposed activities are allowable under the 210 Backcountry management area prescription (see Forest Plan pp 4-34 through 4-36). No Forest Plan amendment is would be required.
CZMA
Under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), Federal agency activities within the coastal zone must be consistent with the Alaska Coastal Management Program (ACMP). This is a Federal agency activity as defined in 15 CFR 930.51(a). Consistency with the ACMP will be determined prior to implementation.
Endangered Species Act – Biological evaluations were completed for threatened, endangered, proposed, and sensitive animal species. No threatened and endangered animal species would be affected by any of the action alternatives.
Bald Eagle Protection Act – Management activities within bald eagle habitat will be in accordance to a Memorandum of Understanding between the Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No bald eagle nests are known in the project area.
ANILCA Section 810, Subsistence Evaluation and Finding –There is no documented or reported subsistence use that would be restricted by any of the action alternatives. For this reason, none of the alternatives would result in a significant possibility of a significant restriction of subsistence use of wildlife, fish, or other foods.
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 – Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires that all federal undertakings follow the regulations found at 36 CFR §800 to identify and protect cultural resources that are within the project areas and which may be effected by projects. The Glacier Ranger District will follow the procedures in the Programmatic Agreement between the ChugachNational Forest, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) regarding management of the project area.
Executive Order 12898 – Environmental Justice – Implementation of this project is not anticipated to cause disproportionate adverse human health or environmental effect to minority or low-income populations because the proposed activities are not expected to cause any affects to human health or result in meaningful adverse environmental consequences.
Executive Order 13112 – Invasive Species – Invasive species populations will have little potential to spread in the project area.
Implementation Date and Administrative Review or Appeal Opportunities
The Forest Service, Chugach National Forest, Glacier Ranger District, has completed the Goose Bay EA. Based on this analysis the Glacier District Rangerselected the Proposed Action.
Copies of this Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice may be obtained by contacting:
Joshua Milligan
Seward Ranger District
PO Box 390
Seward, Alaska 99664
As required by Forest Service appeal regulations found at 36 CFR §215.5, a legal notice of the opportunity to comment on the Proposed Action was published in the Anchorage Daily News newspaper in Anchorage, Alaska on June 6, 2009. The 30-day comment period ended on July 7, 2009. No comments expressing interest were received. Pursuant to Forest Service appeal regulations at 36 CFR §215.12(e)(1) this decision is therefore not subject to appeal.
Implementation of this action may occur immediately upon publication of legal notice of this decision in Anchorage Daily News newspaper, published in Anchorage, Alaska.
Kate WalkerDate
Glacier District Ranger
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