Roads Analysis Report

This report documents the Forest-Wide Roads Analysis for the Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland. The purpose of this analysis is to provide Line Officers with information necessary to identify and manage a safe, efficient, environmentally sound road system that is responsive to public and agency needs. The road analysis document provides a recommended strategy for managing the road system, but is NOT considered a decision document.

As required by the final road management policy published on January 12, 2001, this analysis followed the six step process outlined in the report Roads Analysis: Informing Decisions About Managing the National Forest Transportation System (USDA Forest Service, 1999, Misc. Report FS-643).

This forest-wide analysis focused on the main road system of the two forests and grassland. Roads selected for analysis at this scale include all currently designated Highway Safety Act roads (maintenance level 3, 4, and 5), plus any maintenance level 1 or 2 roads that have a functional classification of arterial or collector. Main roads from other jurisdictions such as State, County, and BLM were also considered in the analysis if they are within the National Forests or connect forest roads to other adjacent transportation networks. The remaining maintenance level 1 and 2 local roads under Forest Service jurisdiction will be analyzed in the future, at the watershed or project scale, as project opportunities and budgets allow.

Following the six-step analysis process, the existing condition of the road system as related to access needs, current uses, and resource concerns is described and documented. Using a set of screening questions, the interdisciplinary team identified important road-related issues that were used to drive the analysis. A set of rating factors were developed and used to compare the relative value of the road system in terms of access needed and current uses with any associated problems or risks to important resource values such as wildlife, water, fish, and vegetation. The benefit/risk assessment led to some recommended changes to road maintenance and management strategies. Some specific road improvement opportunities were also identified in the process.

In addition to describing the benefit/risk rating assessment discussed above, chapter 4 of the road analysis document provides a summary of the important access issues and resource concerns found within each of the 5th field watersheds in the analysis area. The purpose of the watershed summaries is to provide ID teams working on project or watershed scale road analyses, or other NEPA documents, a quick reference for important road related issues and opportunities identified at the broader forest scale.

The final chapter of the road analysis document summarizes the opportunities and recommendations for altering existing maintenance activities and management plans to better meet the current access needs identified through this analysis. Chapter 5 also provides guidance and suggestions for conducting finer scale road analyses at the watershed and project levels.
 

KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Current maintenance levels do not match access needs. The current road network provides adequate access for Public, Private, and Administrative needs; however this Roads Analysis indicates a need to adjust maintenance levels on some roads to better serve our road users and to minimize adverse effects to resources.

Recommendations

• Change objective maintenance levels to those proposed in the Road Management Recommendation Tables in the Appendix.
• Move roads from existing operational maintenance levels to proposed objective maintenance levels as opportunities and budgets allow.
• Adjust the Highway Safety Act road system as proposed on Maps 5 and 7 in the Appendix.
• Update Road Management Objectives for all roads in the analysis to reflect changes listed above.
• Update road data in INFRA and GIS databases.
   

2. Current maintenance budgets are insufficient to meet current maintenance needs. Recent forest-wide condition surveys indicate that our current road maintenance funding only meets approximately 30% of the annual maintenance needs on the Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests. The deferred maintenance backlog for both forests exceeds 70 million dollars and will continue to grow until additional funds can be found.

Recommendations

• Seek additional funding for road maintenance through regular appropriations.
• Seek additional funding sources and methods for rock replacement on aggregate surfaced roads.
• Seek new and additional funding sources for road maintenance and improvements through any available funding programs such as Capital Investment Programs, Payments to Counties, Forest Highway Programs, etc.
• Develop the Public Forest Service Road System as proposed on Maps 14 and 15 in the Appendix.
   

3. The current road system poses risks to water quality/quantity and fish habitat. Many roads were constructed in close proximity to streams or cross streams and contribute to sediment movement. Many culverts throughout the project area are too small (undersized) and are barriers to fish passage. The current road system has increased the hydrologic network causing water to flow more quickly from most 5th field watersheds.

Recommendations

• Check for proper culvert sizes on all stream crossings.
• Check roads for adequate cross drainage during project analysis.
• Evaluate surfacing needs on roads with high traffic volumes.
• Adjust alignment away from riparian areas, as opportunities arise.
• Repair fill and cut slope failures in a timely manner, especially those located within landslide terrain.
• Seek additional funding for road maintenance.
   

4. The current road system and its uses pose risks to wildlife and wildlife habitats. Many roads were constructed in close proximity to streams or cross streams. Most areas outside of Wildernesses and Roadless Areas are well roaded. Many roads and land areas see extensive use year round by passenger vehicles and off-highway-vehicles (OHV), including over-snow vehicles. These factors often result in collisions, harassment, and displacement of animals, as well as the roads acting as a barriers to movement. In addition, the roads themselves often result in habitat loss and fragmentation.

Recommendations

• Relocate roads away from sensitive wildlife areas where feasible and when opportunities arise
• Review and update forest-wide travel and access management policies for motorized traffic both on and off roads.
• Minimize wildlife harassment by enforcing existing travel management policies.
• Ensure existing seasonal restrictions are effective.
• Implement additional seasonal restrictions where needed.
   

5. The road system and its uses pose risks to plants and plant habitats. Some roads are affecting unique habitats and plant communities, including TES, and riparian and wetland habitats. In addition, some roads also facilitate access to gathering sites by Native Americans.

Recommendations

• Continue to treat, and monitor for noxious weed infestations along all roads.
• Relocate roads away from sensitive plant habitats where feasible and as opportunities arise.
• Review and update forest-wide travel and access management policies for motorized traffic both on and off roads.
• Minimize off-road ground disturbance by OHV's by enforcing existing travel management policies.

The Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland have developed this "forest level" roads analysis. The purpose of this analysis is to provide Line Officers with information necessary to identify a road system that is safe and responsive to public and agency needs, is environmentally sound, affordable, and efficient to manage. The area considered in the analysis is shown on Map IV-1, Vicinity Map, in the Appendices-Volume IV.

This analysis identifies opportunities for increasing benefits of our road systems and reducing existing problems and risks. It provides a framework for examining important issues and developing relevant information before managers enter into formal decision-making processes under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that change characteristics and uses of national forest road networks.

This analysis does not make land management decisions nor allocate land for specific purposes since both require NFMA and NEPA based forest and project planning. It follows a process, similar to a watershed analysis, that is intended to produce a management strategy NOT a decision document.

BACKGROUND

On January 12, 2001 the Department of Agriculture published its final rule and policy regarding the national forest transportation system. The road rule and policy, as they have become known, are intended to ensure that the National Forest Road System meets current and future land and resource management objectives; provides for public uses of National Forest System lands; allows for economical and efficient management; and, minimizes and begins to reverse adverse ecological impacts associated with our current transportation system. The policy requires that a forest-wide (mid-scale) roads analysis be completed by 1/12/2003. In addition, roads analysis at finer scales (watershed and/or project level) will likely be needed to support site-specific transportation system decisions in the future.

ROAD ANALYSIS PROCESS

The Road Policy requires the use of a science-based road analysis process to identify road needs, issues, and opportunities and to actively engage the public and other state, federal, local, and tribal partners in the analysis. The document Roads Analysis: Informing Decisions About Managing the National Forest Transportation System (USDA Forest Service, 1999, Misc. Report FS-643) was developed and published in 1999 to provide guidance and direction in conducting the analysis. The process consists of the following six steps:

• Step 1: Setting up the analysis
• Step 2: Describing the situation
• Step 3: Identifying the issues
• Step 4: Assessing benefits, problems, and risks
• Step 5: Describing opportunities and setting priorities
• Step 6: Reporting

The product of the roads analysis process is a report that documents the information and analyses used to help identify the optimum road system needed for safe and efficient travel and for the administration, utilization, and protection of National Forest System lands.

Again, roads analysis is NOT a decision-making process. Rather it is designed to provide an assessment of the existing forest road system from a landscape perspective. It highlights problem areas and opportunities in the road system so that Forest Service land managers can make well-informed management decisions regarding the transportation system on national forest lands.

ANALYSIS PLAN

The six-step process described above is meant to be an integrated, science-based approach to transportation planning that considers ecological, social, and economic issues. Line-officer participation is essential to completing the process. As such, the Forest Supervisors for the two forests assembled an interdisciplinary team (IDT) of resource specialists to conduct the analysis, and established a Board of Directors, made up of the Forest Planning Staff Leader, the Forest Natural Resources Staff Leader, and the Forest Engineering Staff Leader, to help guide the process. The Board of Directors and the IDT worked together to develop the analysis plan that established the scope and scale of the analysis, identified project objectives, established information needs, and determined how best to invoke public participation and involvement in the process. Each of these elements of the Analysis Plan is further described in the sections that follow.

SCOPE AND SCALE OF THE ANALYSIS

This forest-scale analysis focused on the main roads or "backbone" of the transportation system for the two Forests and Grassland, including the interrelationship with state, county, tribal, and other federal agency transportation facilities. This includes all arterial and collector roads on the forests, as well as all other roads open and maintained for passenger car travel, (i.e., maintenance level 3 through 5 roads, also referred to as Highway Safety Act roads). The intensive analysis was limited to roads under Forest Service jurisdiction, but the use and effects of roads under other jurisdictions were considered where those roads ran through the forests or connected forest roads to other main transportation outlets and facilities.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this analysis is to provide line officers with critical information to identify and manage road systems that are safe and responsive to public needs and desires, are affordable and efficiently managed, have minimal negative ecological effects on the land, and are in balance with available funding for needed management actions.

The objectives of this analysis are to review the main road systems of the two forests and grassland to:

• Determine consistency of current road management practices with Forest Plan Standards and Guidelines
• Establish the context, provide guidance, and define analysis needs at finer scales
• Compare current maintenance budgets with existing and future maintenance needs
• Identify existing parts of the road system that are essential for public access and resource management
• Identify where additions to the existing road system are necessary for public access and resource management
• Identify where changes to existing road management objectives are warranted
• Identify major environmental risk factors for individual roads
• Identify ecological, social, financial, and economic issues pertinent to future decisions about the transportation system
• Identify potential maintenance and restoration needs for future project consideration
   

INFORMATION NEEDS

This Roads Analysis project was one of eight projects selected for study under a National GIS Core Data Pilot Program in 2001(See Appendices-Volume I, Appendix I-1, GIS Core Data Pilot Program Final Regional Report, for more information). As part of the pilot program, the project team conducted an intensive Information Needs Assessment (INA). The BLM actively participated in the INA in an attempt to establish the same definitions and data standards for transportation planning across all of Central Oregon. The INA helped determine what information was available, what additional information was needed to address the key questions and issues, and what resources, (time, people, skills, etc.), were needed to conduct the forest-scale roads analysis (See Appendices-Volume I, Appendix I-2, Roads Analysis INA Summary Report for more information).

This analysis was based on the best scientific information available at the time of writing. The final report is considered to be a "living" document and will be updated and revised as new and additional data become available and conditions warrant.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

It was decided early on in the process to reach the individuals, agencies, and organizations that may be interested in participating in this Roads Analysis process; or may have specific issues, concerns, or recommendations regarding specific roads. As a result, an intensive Public Involvement Framework and Communication Plan were developed. As part of this effort a letter describing the Roads Analysis Process and how to get involved was sent to all members of the public on our forest-wide mailing list. A second letter, tailored to Federal, State, and Local agencies, and organizations, was also circulated. In addition, individual contacts were made with Indian tribes, environmental organizations, forest products industries, and county road masters, to name a few. An article also appeared in the Schedule of Projects, which is circulated quarterly to both the Ochoco and Deschutes National Forest mailing lists and to the Prineville District of the BLM.

Once this Roads Analysis Report is completed we will again ask for feedback on its content and make adjustments as needed.

ANALYSIS OVERVIEW

The following is a brief overview of how the six-step process was followed by the interdisciplinary team for this analysis. The first step was discussed in detail above and the remaining four steps will be discussed in detail in the each of the following chapters in this document.

Step 1 - Setting up the analysis. The interdisciplinary team and the Board of Directors worked together to establish the scope and scale of the analysis, identified project objectives, established information needs, and determined public involvement procedures.

Step 2 - Describing the situation. The interdisciplinary team described the existing road system in relation to current forest plan direction. Products from this step include: maps of the existing road system, descriptions of access needs, and information about physical, biological, social, cultural, economic, and political conditions associated with the road system.

Step 3 - Identifying issues. The interdisciplinary team identified important road-related issues and the information needed to address these concerns. The interdisciplinary team also determined data needs associated with analyzing the road system in the context of important issues, for both existing and future roads. The output from this step includes a summary of key road-related issues and a list of screening questions used to evaluate them.

Step 4 - Assessing benefits, problems, and risks. After identifying the important issues and associated analytical questions, the interdisciplinary team reviewed the major uses and effects of the road system including the environmental, social, and economic effects of the existing road system, and the values and sensitivities associated with unroaded areas.

Step 5 - Describing opportunities and setting priorities. The interdisciplinary team identified management opportunities, established priorities, and formulated technical recommendations that respond to the issues and effects.

Step 6 - Reporting. The interdisciplinary team produced this report and maps that portray management opportunities and supporting information important for making decisions about the future characteristics of the road system. This information sets the context for developing proposed actions to improve the road system and may be used for future amendments and revisions of forest plans.

INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM

The following resource specialists made up the core interdisciplinary team who conducted the analysis and developed this report. It is important to keep in mind that this project encompasses two National Forests, a National Grassland, and a significant portion of a BLM Resource Area. IDT members were responsible for the entire analysis area, not just their individual Forest.

Member Responsibilities

• Paul Cuddy- Team Leader/Economic/Social
• Elly Young Co-Team Leader/GIS Coordinator
• Rick Collins- Transportation/Financial
• Rodd Kubitza- Transportation
• Kathy Farrell/Les Moscoso- Writer/Editor
• Jim Minogue- GIS Analyst
• Larry Chitwood/Carrie Gordon- Geology/Soils
• Dan Rife- Aquatic/Fisheries
• Marv Lang- Recreation
• Dana Butler- Hydrology
• Kyrie Murphy- Public Affairs
• Shane Jeffries -Wildlife
• Dave Owens- Fire/Fuels
• Katie Grenier- Botany/Weeds
• Terry Holtzapple- Traditional uses/Archeology

In addition to the core IDT members, the resource specialists listed below worked directly with the team and played a significant role in completing this analysis. Also, there were many occasions when the IDT met with other district staff members and resource specialists to seek input and guidance at different phases of the analysis. So there are many other individuals who are not listed that also played key roles in completing this project.

Member Responsibilities

• Jim David- Soils
• Barb Franano/Rich Vacirca- Fisheries
• Jim Seymour- Hydrology
• Bill Johnson/Tom Mountz- Fire/Fuels
• Dave Zalunardo/Heather Bernier/Monte Kuk- Wildlife
• Laurel Skelton/Barb Smith -Recreation
• Paul Claeyssens- Traditional uses/Archeology
• Deb Mafera- Botany/Weeds
• Walt Miller- Landline
• Brenda Warner- Special Forest Products
• Bob Rock- Range
• Phil Horton/Ray Horgen/Steve Bigby/Ken Kittrell/Dale Putman- Transportation

The analysis area discussed in this document includes the Deschutes National Forest, the Ochoco National Forest, the Crooked River National Grassland, and portions of the Prineville District of the BLM. Some segments of roads from other jurisdictions, such as state, county, and private, are also considered in this analysis. The study area includes over 12,000 total miles of roads; however, the in-depth analysis is limited to approximately 2,500 miles of arterial and collector roads and 100 miles of high standard local roads under the jurisdiction of the National Forests. (See Maps IV-2 and IV-3 in the Appendices-Volume IV for a description of the roads included in the analysis.)

The arterial and collector roads, and the high standard locals were selected for in-depth study because they provide primary access to and through the National Forests and are best suited for analyzing the broad scale issues that are addressed through a forest-wide roads analysis. The remaining "local" roads will be analyzed, in-depth, in the future through site-specific watershed and project scale roads analysis.

Management direction for the transportation system is detailed in the Ochoco and Deschutes Land and Resource Management Plans, the Northwest Forest Plan, the Inland Native Fish Strategy (Infish), and the Interim Strategies for Managing Anadromous Fish-producing Watersheds in Eastern Oregon and Washington, Idaho, and Portions of California (PacFish). Forest Service transportation management policy is outlined under Title 7700 of the Forest Service Manual (FSM) (USDA 1994).

The following describes the existing condition by resource area for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, as well as the Crooked River National Grassland. Descriptions are based on how each resource area is affected by the road system in terms of condition of roads themselves and use of the roads.

ROADS

Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland

The Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland include more than 3,200 miles of Forest Service roads. Most of the transportation system on the Ochoco National Forest has been developed primarily on the more gentle slopes found on the southern portions of the Forest. This part of the Forest, (approximately two-thirds of the total area), has the transportation system needed to provide access for most present and future management activities. The northern one-third of the Ochoco National Forest has a less extensive transportation system and more difficult terrain for road construction.

State highways and county roads provide primary access to the Crooked River National Grassland. These roads are suitable for passenger car use. The remainder of the transportation system on the Grassland is composed of roads constructed by previous land owners (prior to 1960, the area was composed of homesteaded lands). These roads were designated as Public Usage Roads by Jefferson County. Under this designation, the county assures that the roads remain open to public use. However, the roads are to be maintained by the public that uses them. Under terms of a cooperative agreement with Jefferson County, the Forest Service maintains approximately 84 miles of these roads for public and administrative use. These roads are normally suitable only for high clearance vehicle use and are impassable or closed seasonally during wet weather. The Grassland has more roads than are necessary for management, but the Public Usage designation prohibits closure. The open, flat terrain generally makes road closure ineffective.

There are 3,257 miles of Forest Service Roads on the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland transportation inventory. Seven percent of the road system is in the Maintenance Level 3, 4, and 5 categories, (maintained for standard passenger cars and subject to the Highway Safety Act). Maintenance Level 2, (maintained for high clearance vehicles), accounts for 62% of the road system, and 31% of roads are currently closed to vehicular traffic, (Maintenance Level 1).

Approximately 695 miles, or 20 percent of the total road system, are arterial and collector roads. The remaining 2,564 miles (80 percent) of roads are local roads that are generally designated for high clearance access.

Table 2-1: Miles of Forest Service Roads by Maintenance Level for the Ochoco National Forest.

Forest Plan Direction

(Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan)

Goal: The overriding goal of the Ochoco Forest Plan for management of the transportation system is to plan, design, operate, and maintain a safe and economical transportation system providing efficient access for the movement of people and materials involved in the use and protection of National Forest lands.

Desired Future Condition: The principal access roads will be readily identifiable; they will have paved or gravel surfaces and will be suitable for passenger car use. Signs will assist the traveler in finding their destination. The other roads will appear rough or primitive. Some roads will be closed with gates or signs.

Resource Objectives: Transportation systems will be planned to support resource activities in the management areas and to serve multiple resource needs rather than individual project proposals. Manage traffic as needed to control access due to structural limitations of the road, safety, or to meet resource objectives, such as (ORV) travel management needs. Traffic safety will exist for all roads on the transportation system. Safety of traffic using Forest roads will be ensured through restrictions. The full range of traffic management strategies will be used including prohibiting traffic to unrestricted use by all vehicle types. Use signs to inform the public of the reason for restrictions to the transportation system. During commercial hauling activities, public access will generally be discouraged or prohibited on single user local access roads. All system roads would be maintained to at least the basic custodial care required to maintain drainage, protect road investment, and minimize damage to adjacent land and resources. Basic road maintenance would occur at intervals approximately every 5 years, higher levels may be chosen to reflect greater use or for resource protection.

The miles of roads open to passenger vehicles (Mtc. Levels 3-5) and high clearance vehicles (Mtc. Level 2), should be 67% at the end of the first decade and decreasing to 59% by the end of the fifth decade. The Forest Plan objective for roads Open and Maintained for Passenger Car use at the end of the first decade is 844. The forest currently has only 232 miles in this category, primarily due to declining maintenance budgets that have lead to a reduction of road miles maintained.

Standards and Guidelines: Specific direction concerning construction, reconstruction, operational management and environmental protection requirements for the Forest road system are described in the Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines section (pages 4-224 through 4-227), as well as in the Management Area Prescriptions section (pages 4-228 through 4-235) in the Ochoco National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan; and in the Grassland-wide Standards and Guidelines section (pages 4-108 through 4-111), as well as in the Management Area Prescriptions section (pages 4-111 through 4-118) in the Crooked River National Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan. Additional standards and guidelines affecting road management are found in the Northwest Forest Plan, and the PacFish and Infish documents.

Deschutes National Forest

The Deschutes National Forest transportation system includes over 8,500 miles of Forest Service roads. A primary road system was developed throughout the forest to provide essential access to communities and State or County highways. A secondary system was developed off of the primary system to meet most other inter-forest land management needs. Most of the forest has gentle terrain that has made road construction inexpensive and convenient; thus, the forest has been roaded extensively. The gentle terrain of the Deschutes National Forest also makes effective road closures difficult.

There are 8,517 miles of Forest Service Roads in the forest transportation inventory. Five percent of the road system is in the Maintenance Level 3, 4, and 5 categories, (maintained for standard passenger cars and subject to the Highway Safety Act). Maintenance Level 2, (maintained for high clearance vehicles), accounts for 84% of the road system, and 11% of roads are currently closed to vehicular traffic, (Maintenance Level 1).

Approximately 21 % (1,788 miles), of the total system are arterial and collector roads. Only 363 miles of those are maintained for passenger car travel. The remaining 79% of the system (6,729 miles) are designated as local roads of which only 87 miles are maintainted for passenger car use.

Table 2-2: Miles of Forest Service Roads by Maintenance Level for the Deschutes National Forest.

Forest Plan Direction
 

(Deschutes National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan - 1990)

Goal: The overriding goal of the Deschutes Forest Plan for management of the transportation system is to plan, design, operate, and maintain a safe and economical transportation system providing efficient access for the movement of people and materials involved in the use and protection of National Forest lands.

Desired Future Condition: Access to and within the Forest is well balanced between travel needs and the environment. The planned increase or decrease in recreation activities are coordinated with road and trail construction, reconstruction, and management. Roads and trails are maintained in safe conditions consistent with the expected user; the signing is accurate and informative.

Roads to most recreation sites are paved or gravel surfaced in a conditions suitable for passenger cars. Many of these roads are also constructed with adequate alignment, grades, and structural capacity to safely allow the hauling of commercial products. The quality of scenic views has been maintained through timber management and road maintenance operations. The Cascade Lakes Highway continues to be maintained and improved to the standards of a National Scenic Byway.

Some of the road system has been closed for the protection of wildlife habitat or to reduce erosion; however, the majority of the mileage remains open for ongoing timber management activities or for general public access such as hunting, fishing, pleasure driving, and fuel wood gathering. These lower standard roads are available for use by the more experienced drivers. Maps, signing and primitive conditions at the beginning of the roads managed for high clearance vehicles give traveler's advice on what to expect. Unexpected road conditions are adequately signed.

Resource Objectives: The development, maintenance, and management of the Forest development road system will be responsive to resource management objectives. Many road-related activities will occur in support of the timber management program, with additional activities undertaken to facilitate recreational use, forest administration, and resource protection.

The miles of roads open to passenger vehicles (Mtc. Levels 3-5) and high clearance vehicles (Mtc. Level 2), should be 73% at the end of the first decade. The Deschutes is currently at 90%. The Forest Plan objective for roads Open and Maintained for Passenger Car use at the end of the first decade is 850 miles and should increase to 1000 miles by the end of the third decade. The forest currently has only 450 miles in this category, primarily due to declining maintenance budgets that have lead to a reduction of road miles maintained.

Standards and Guidelines: Specific direction concerning construction, reconstruction, operational management and environmental protection requirements for the Forest road system are described in the Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines section (pages 72-73), as well as throughout the Management Area Prescriptions section in Chapter 4 of the Deschutes National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Additional standards and guidelines affecting road management are found in the Northwest Forest Plan, and the PacFish and Infish documents.

Roads of Issue: Four roads within the forest-wide roads analysis have been identified as "roads of issue" in the Deschutes LMRP. They are the Waldo Lake Road (FDR 4290), the Windigo Pass Road (FDR 60), the Todd Lake Road (4600370), and the Irish-Taylor Road (4600600). Specific management direction outlined for each of these roads is as follows:

Waldo Lake Road - Road 4290 provides a connecting link between the Cascade Lakes Highway on the Deschutes National Forest and the Waldo Lake Recreation Facilities on the Willamette National Forest. The Forest Plan identifies an opportunity to enhance recreation on both of these forests by improving this connecting route and adjacent recreational facilities. However, the need to improve and pave the road must be driven by an analysis of future recreation opportunities and not merely by a desire to provide an additional travel route between Bend and Eugene. Until the analysis is done, the road between Clover Meadow and Waldo Lake will be maintained as a single-lane gravel road. This road will be closed to all commercial haul, and not be plowed for winter use.

Windigo Pass Road - Road 60 provides a connecting link between the Crescent Lake areas on the Deschutes National Forest to the Oregon Cascades Recreation Area on the Umpqua National Forest. Forest Plan direction is to manage this road at its current design and maintenance standards for the foreseeable future. This road is left unplowed and maintained as a snowmobile route in the winter. The road may be improved in the future to accommodate increased traffic demands. However, any future upgrading of this road cannot be undertaken until further NEPA analysis and coordination with the Umpqua National Forest is completed.

Todd Lake Road (FS road 4600370) - Maintain for passenger cars, at low speed, between Hwy 46 and Road 4600380. Maintain for high clearance vehicles only from road 4600380 to Three Creeks Lake.

Irish-Taylor Road (FS road 4636) - Maintain for high clearance vehicles only at the current standard.

Road System Classifications (Ochoco & Deschutes NF's)

There are several road system classifications either in use today, or proposed for use, by the Forest Service that are important to any discussions about roads at the forest scale. These include the Highway Safety Act road system, the Primary/Secondary road system, the Forest Highway road system, the Public Forest Service Road system, and the unclassified road system. These road system classifications are briefly discussed below.

Highway Safety Act Road System

Forest Service maintenance level 3, 4, and 5 roads are subject to the Highway Safety Act of 1966. The Forest Service maintains a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Highway Administration requiring that certain safety standards from the Highway Safety Act be met on all roads "open to public travel", as defined in the MOU. Maintenance level 3-5 roads are given this designation because they are generally available and maintained for low-clearance passenger car use. The present Highway Safety Act Road System includes 232 miles on the Ochoco National Forest and 449 miles on the Deschutes National Forest. (The HSA road systems for the two forests are displayed on Maps IV-4 and IV-6 in the Appendices-Volume IV.)

Primary/Secondary Road System

The primary/secondary road system was identified for both forests through a forest-wide Access and Travel Management (ATM) analysis between 1995 and 1996. These roads provide the key travel routes needed for long-term management of the National Forest. They provide vital linkages to local communities, State and County Highways, private land ownership as well as furnishing inter-forest connections to trailheads and major recreation sites. The Ochoco National Forest identified 686 miles of these roads, and the Deschutes identified 2,667 miles for the primary/secondary system.

The remaining roads not designated as primary/secondary ("other roads") are generally local routes whose long-term status will be analyzed at the watershed or project scale. These routes will be considered for including as secondary routes, or as candidates for reduction of maintenance standards or decommissioning.

The primary/secondary road system is summarized for each forest in the following tables and displayed on Maps IV-8 and IV-10 in the Appendices-Volume IV.

Table 2-3: Primary and Secondary Road System for the Ochoco National Forest.

Table 2-4: Primary and Secondary Road System for the Deschutes National Forest.

Forest Highway Road System

The Forest Highway Program is a federal program administered by the Federal Highway Administration with an objective of constructing and improving roads that connect National Forests to the main state transportation network. These routes may be state, county, or Forest Service roads that provide access to and through the National Forests. Designated Forest Highways qualify for federal funding for both improvements and enhancements under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21). Forest Highway funding can be used for planning, design, and construction work on designated routes as well as for other enhancement work along the routes such as parking areas, interpretive sites, bicycle lanes, etc. Tables 2-5 and 2-6 below lists the roads designated as Forest Highways within the analysis area; they are also displayed on Maps IV-12 and IV-13 in the Appendices-Volume IV.

Table 2-5: Forest Highway Road System for the Deschutes National Forest

Table 2-6: Forest Highway Road System for the Ochoco National Forest

Public Forest Service Road System

The Forest Service has been working closely with the Federal Highway Administration recently to develop a new Public Forest Service Road Program that is somewhat similar to the Forest Highway Program discussed above. This program would also be funded under the Federal Lands Highway Program using Highway Trust Funds under TEA21 (or the next Transportation Bill to be voted on in 2003). By definition, a Public Forest Service Road (PFSR) is a Forest Service road that is "open to public travel", as in the definition of our Highway Safety Act roads. However, not all Highway Safety Act roads will qualify as Public Forest Service Roads. To qualify as a PFSR, the road must be a maintenance level 3, 4, or 5 road under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, provide unrestricted access, and serve a compelling public need. Under this definition most of our Highway Safety Act roads that are arterials or collectors are listed as "potential" PFSR's; it is not anticipated that many local roads will fit this definition. Tables 2-7 and 2-8 list the potential PFSR's that the forests have selected to perform work on and include in the new program under the first round of funding (2004 - 2006), if the PFSR program is approved and funded. All potential PFSR's are displayed on Maps IV-14 and IV-15 in the Appendices-Volume IV.

Table 2-7: Proposed Public Forest Service Road Projects for the Deschutes National Forest (FY 2004 - FY 2006).

Table 2-8: Proposed Public Forest Service Road Projects for the Ochoco National Forest (FY 2004 - FY 2006)

Unclassified Roads

Unclassified roads typically result from low-standard temporary roads either built within the scope of timber sale contracts or from other unplanned, off-road vehicle uses such as gathering firewood and accessing dispersed recreation sites. After their intended use, such roads are typically decommissioned but are often visible as primitive wheel tracks or show up as features in aerial photos. In general, it is thought that unclassified roads have a low impact in terms of erosion and sedimentation. It is estimated that the Ochoco National forest has approximately 600 miles or more of unclassified wheel tracks and the Deschutes may have a higher number than that. These roads typically have not been mapped or recorded in the forest transportation database, but management direction in the new Transportation Policy of 2001 requires that we begin to inventory and track these unclassified roads in the future.

Road Maintenance Funding (Ochoco & Deschutes NF's)

Road maintenance funding has declined substantially over the past decade for both forests. Over the past 3 years the Deschutes National Forest road budget, (including both road construction and maintenance funds), has averaged around $1,800,000 and the Ochoco has averaged around $1,000,000. After overhead and other administrative expenses have been factored out, approximately $750,000 has been available for "on-the-ground" road maintenance work on the Deschutes and approximately $280,000 has been available on the Ochoco. These amounts are expected to remain relatively stable or slightly increase in the foreseeable future; however, they are substantially less than what is needed to fully maintain the road system to the objective standards.

Beginning in 1998, the Forests began conducting road condition surveys to determine the annual costs necessary to fully maintain the road system to standard. In addition, any deferred maintenance work items necessary to bring the roads back to standard are recorded and documented. Tables 2-9 and 2-10 below compare the amount of road maintenance dollars currently being spent on the road analysis study roads with the amount of dollars needed to maintain those roads to standard as determined through the annual and deferred maintenance condition surveys.

Table 2-9: Comparison of Existing Maintenance costs with Annual and Deferred Maintenance Needs for the Deschutes National Forest.

* Note: The figures in the table above reflect actual on-the-ground maintenance costs only. Overhead and other administrative costs (approximately 40%) are not included.

Table 2-10: Comparison of Existing Maintenance costs with Annual and Deferred Maintenance Needs for the Ochoco National Forest.

* Note: The figures in the table above reflect actual on-the-ground maintenance costs only. Overhead and other administrative costs (approximately 40%) are not included.

For the Deschutes National Forest, the results of this analysis show that we need to spend approximately $33 million dollars to bring the road system back up to standard and then spend approximately $2.1 million annually to keep it maintained in a safe and environmentally sound condition. For the Ochoco National Forest we would need $37 million for deferred maintenance and $1.6 million annually. Although it would be desirable to request the funding necessary to accomplish this work, it is not anticipated that increases in funding of this magnitude are going to be available anytime in the foreseeable future. Therefore, options for managing the road systems are limited to either reducing the mileage and/or standard of roads to maintain, or continuing to prioritize maintenance work on the existing system and accept a continued increase in our deferred maintenance backlog.

In addition to the large discrepancy between our present road maintenance funding and our projected road maintenance needs, the amount of road maintenance work traditionally performed by timber purchasers has been dramatically reduced over the past decade. The reduced opportunity for sharing road maintenance responsibilities with timber purchasers, both in terms of work performed and collection deposits, will continue to compound our lack of ability to keep up with our maintenance needs.

This condition is becoming very evident in our backlog of both surface rock replacement on our main roads and brushing on our local roads. The crushed aggregate and cinder surfacing on most of our main roads is worn out. We have traditionaly shared the work and expense of replacing surfacing materials with timber purchasers during active timber sales. With the dramatic decrease in the timber program, we have very limited means of replacing surface materials on our roads. This condition is becoming severe on both forests and can only get worse without new funding sources being found. We are also noticing a profound increase in the number of our objective maintenance level 2 roads that we can no longer drive in a full sized vehicle due to encroaching brush. These roads were typically brushed out as part of our active timber sales, but many have not had project use in years. We expect to see a significant portion of these objective maintenance level 2 roads move into an operational level 1 (closed) category due to lack of ability to maintain.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC

The communities surrounding the Forests depend on the forests and grasslands to help meet their needs and the road system serves as the interface between the needs of the local communities (e.g. timber, forage, mining, and recreation) and the ecosystems themselves.

Livestock, agriculture, minerals, and timber were/are the backbone of the local economies and as a result strongly shaped the social fabric that still defines most of the communities today. The existing road system was developed largely in the context of this historical perspective.

The goods (e.g. timber, minerals, livestock) and many of the services (recreation, scenery) supported by the Forests are highly dependent on the types and location of roads that provide access for these uses. As a result, access to the resources on the Forests will continue to have a profound effect on both the economic and social dimensions of the communities that surround them.

Over all uses of the road system and public lands within the area is changing in character as a result of the changing social an economic conditions in the region.

Roads have become vital components of the human use of forested systems. Without roads, developing the economic activity critical to the quality of modern life would have been difficult, and roads remain central to many forest uses today.

CULTURAL RESOURCES

On both the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, there are over 3,200 known cultural resource sites, the majority of which reflect prehistoric use patterns prior to the 19th Century (the most common site type being a scatter of stone tool detritus), and the remaining are associated with more recent historic uses related to exploration, early settlement, mining, ranching, timbering and recreation. Cultural Resource sites can be found in almost any location on public lands. In general archaeological sites are found in or near riparian areas and terraces, including their confluences, areas providing shelter and access to food and other economic resources such as, camas prairies, on lithosols productive for lomatiums and bitterroot, at natural fisheries (cascades, falls and freshwater shellfish concentrations), by obsidian and other suitable tool-stone sources, along riparian areas productive for willows, red osier dogwood and tule marshes, etc.

During the 1840s and 1850s thousands of emigrants passed through Oregon territory on the way to their future homesteads in the Willamette Valley. Few looked to dry Central Oregon for land until the valley filled-up with settlement. Hostilities between Native Americans and emigrant wagon trains and parties of miners passing through, also limited settlement of Central Oregon. Mining developed more fully during the 1860s in Eastern Oregon, which resulted in improved transportation routes, establishment of small communities and created local needs for natural resources and foodstuffs. Settlement took root during this era, with small populations centered around water, protection from weather and winds, and adjacent to transportation routes.

The following site types and/or features are known to have high values and/or be at risk due to proximity to identified travel routes:

Table 2-11: Site Type Determined Susceptible to affects of transportation system.

BOTANY

The Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests as well as the Crooked River National Grassland encompass a wide variety of plant communities. Roads within this analysis area travel through high elevation mixed conifer forests, ponderosa pine forests, juniper woodlands, and low elevation shrub-steppe communities. Plant habitats include:

• Ponderosa pine, dry mixed conifer forests and meadow openings.
• Juniper woodlands, grasslands, pine forest fringe.
• Riparian (including cottonwood galleries, swamps, and meadows).
• High elevation wet meadows and springs.
• High elevation forest/alpine habitats (dry and wet mixed conifer forests, lodgepole forests, and alpine areas).
• Shrublands.

Special Habitats

Botanical species diversity is dependent on the variety of habitats found throughout the National Forest. This diversity is a vital part of ecosystems that is important to the viability of other organisms, such as insects, birds, and mammals. Special habitats for this analysis are defined as those habitats that are unique in plant species composition in comparison to the common and dominant coniferous forests, juniper woodlands, and shrub-steppe communities. Special habitats considered in this analysis are wetlands (i.e., ponds, bogs, swamps), wet, moist and dry meadows, aspen stands, cottonwood bottomlands, and scablands. These habitats often represent a relatively small portion of the landscape, yet are vital to overall ecosystem health.

Threatened, Endangered & Sensitive Plants

There are no listed Threatened or Endangered plant species on either the Deschutes or Ochoco National Forests. The Deschutes National Forest has 25 plant species on its Sensitive Plant List; the Ochoco National Forest has 26 plant species on its Sensitive Plant List.

Current maps and GIS analysis indicated the following sensitive species occur within 200 feet of roads:

• Achnatherum hendersonii (Henderson's rice grass)
• Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. estesii (Estes artemisia)
• Astragalus tegatarioides (bastard kentrophyta)
• Botrychium crenulatum
• Botrychium minganense
• Botrychium montanum
• Botrychium pinnatum
• Botrychium pumicola
• Calochortus longebarbatus var. longebarbatus (long-bearded mariposa lily)
• Calochortus longebarbatus var. peckii (Peck's long-bearded mariposa lily)
• Castilleja chlorotica (green-tinged paintbrush)
• Gentiana newberryi var. newberryi (Newberry's gentian)
• Penstemon peckii (Peck's penstemon)
• Scheuchzeria palustris var. americana (scheuchzeria)

Noxious Weeds

Weed populations are found along road shoulders, in dispersed campsites, trailheads, and timber harvest landings -- anywhere there is a ground-disturbing activity. The introduction of noxious weeds threatens habitats for sensitive species, such as Peck's penstemon, and degrades wildlife habitats. Noxious weeds threaten essentially all types of habitats, including low elevation ponderosa pine forests, juniper woodlands, grasslands, and shrublands. Diffuse and spotted knapweeds are spreading rapidly along roadsides and disturbed sites. Cheatgrass is an invasive non-native species that rapidly spreads off disturbed roadside shoulders into native plant communities. Noxious weeds can out compete native species and reduce habitat quality.

Roads have a direct effect on the introduction and movement of noxious weeds. People, animals, and machinery move noxious weeds from place to place. Roads provide constantly disturbed habitats, devoid of competing vegetation, for establishment of weeds. Road maintenance contributes to the movement of weed seed, especially along major road corridors, such as Highway 97. One contributing factor is the movement of seed from cinder pits or other aggregate sources when the materials (and seeds) are moved and placed on roads for surfacing or to treat icy highways in the winter. Sometimes these material sources are used as waste disposal areas for other projects further contaminating them with seeds from the waste debris. Another factor is the large amount of recreational traffic coming through and from the cities of Bend, Redmond, Sisters, and LaPine, where spotted and diffuse knapweeds are well established.

Table 2-12 lists State-listed noxious weed species that are documented or suspected to occur on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, and indicates what species occur within 200 ft. of roads within the scope of this analysis. However, mapping is incomplete and the actual number of noxious weed species occurring within 200 feet of roads may be greater than listed below. Two hundred feet is an arbitrary distance; noxious weeds, such as yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), may not occur within 200 feet of roads (it does occur within 500 feet) but are likely to become spread and become established along roadsides and are a serious concern.

Table 2-12: State-listed Noxious Weed Species that are documented (D) or suspected (S) to occur on Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests. Noxious Weed species that will be analyzed in this analysis are those known to occur within 200 ft. of roads with the Road Analysis Area.

Survey and Manage Plant Species

In 1994, the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service adopted standards and guidelines for the management of habitat for late-successional and old growth forest related species within the range of the northern spotted owl, commonly known as the Northwest Forest Plan (USDA Forest Service and USDI Bureau of Land Management 2001). The Northwest Forest Plan (as amended by USDA Forest Service and USDI Bureau of Land Management 2001) includes mitigation measures (Standards and Guidelines) for species that, either because of genuine rarity or because of a lack of information about them, the Agencies did not know whether they would adequately be protected by other elements of the Northwest Forest Plan. These species are called "Survey and Manage". These Survey and Manage species are largely non-vascular plants (mosses and liverworts), lichens and fungi. The importance of these species to the health of ecosystems is just being recognized. The majority of these species are found in mature to late-successional forests. Intact forests have substrates and microclimate (temperature and humidity) preferred by these species. Several species are dependent on pristine riparian or aquatic conditions. Roads create openings to interior forest habitats, reducing the quality of the habitat. Fragmentation of habitat creates conditions that many species may not survive. (USDA Forest Service 1998). Western portions of the Deschutes National Forest are within the Northwest Forest Plan.

However, due to lack of GIS and database information, this level of botanical analysis will not evaluate the effects of roads on Survey & Manage plant species. These organisms will be evaluated in future analysis, assuming that more complete information will be available.

WILDLIFE

The roads analysis for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests including the Crooked River National Grassland and portions of the Prineville BLM encompass close to two million acres. Habitats across this vast area range from low elevation sagebrush bunch grass to high elevation subalpine fir communities and from remote areas with very limited human intrusion to rural habitats adjacent to large population centers.

Many species are sensitive to harassment or human presence at particular use sites, which is often facilitated by road access; potential reductions in productivity, increases in energy expenditures, or displacements in population distribution or habitat use can occur (Bennett 1991, Mader 1984, Trombulak and Frissell 2000). Examples are human disturbance of leks (sage grouse and sharp-tailed grouse), of nests (raptors such as ferruginous hawk), and of dens (kit fox).

Threatened, Endangered & Sensitive Animals

There are three species listed as threatened (Northern Spotted Owl, Bald Eagle, and Canada Lynx), one candidate (Oregon Spotted Frog), and several other species have been petitioned, or have some other potential for listing under the Endangered Species act (western sage grouse, California wolverine, mountain quail, northern goshawk, and fisher) by the US Fish and Wildlife Service that occur within the planning area. Negative effects of roads on western sage grouse, California wolverine, Canada Lynx, and fisher have been well documented in many studies.

Wildlife Management Objectives for Roads

Deschutes, Ochoco NF, and Crooked River NG Plans set management objectives for open road densities and seasonal closures to prevent disturbance to sensitive populations or habitats.

Table 2-13: Management Objectives for Open Roads and Seasonal Closures by Area. (m/m2 = miles per square mile)

In most areas existing open road densities are higher than the identified objectives. The Trail System and Off-Highway Vehicle Management and Development EIS completed by the Ochoco N.F. in 1996 found road densities ranged from 0 to > 12 m/m2. Average road densities in General Forest and Winter Range designations were 4.01 m/m2 and 3.14 m/m2 respectfully. Similar results would be expected for the Deschutes N.F. Road densities in some areas have been reduced from these levels due to an increased effort to close roads. Since 1996 very little administrative road construction has occurred; however, non-system roads continue to be created by forest users.

Other Forest Plan objectives for wildlife management as related to roads and road uses are described in Appendices-Volume I, Appendix I-2, Wildlife and Aquatic Road Direction.

Wildlife Habitat Effectiveness

Many of the low-elevation habitats in the analysis area are declining primarily due to increased conifer competition. Low elevation ponderosa pine stands once contained a sparse distribution of large diameter trees with very open stand conditions under the primary canopy. In some situations the presence of roads reduces the effectiveness of returning these habitats to more open stand conditions. Higher densities of conifer trees have been providing increased hiding cover and habitat security. Returning these habitats to more natural open conditions increases impacts of road associated factors like hunting, poaching, sight seeing, etc.

The majority of interior old-forest habitats exist at higher elevations. Both the Deschutes NF and Ochoco NF have designated large blocks of high elevation old-forest habitats as wilderness or roadless areas. Higher elevation habitats dominated by large structure have not been impacted as extensively as the lover elevation habitats; however these habitats were historically very stable with limited amounts of edge habitat. These habitats have been penetrated for timber harvest, recreation, and mass transit. Highway 26, 97, and 126 all go through high elevation habitats. In a review of forest fragmentation effects Reed et al. 1996, found that roads added to forest fragmentation more than clear-cutting by dissecting large patches into smaller pieces and by converting forest interior habitat into edge habitat. The total landscape area affected by clear-cut and roads was 2.5-3.5 times the actual area occupied by these disturbances (Reed 1996).

Analysis for the Trail System and Off Highway Vehicle Management and Development EIS for the Ochoco NF and Crooked River NG found 33% of the analysis areas riparian habitats were influenced by road construction. Roads in the analysis area were within 25 feet on 17% and 400 feet on 52% of riparian habitats measuring from the center point of the riparian area (Ochoco NF, 1996). Similar influences could be expected on the Deschutes NF with potentially higher percentages in areas of the Cascade Mountains with greater annual precipitation and higher concentrations of riparian habitats.

The population of Central Oregon is one of the fastest growing in Oregon. This is resulting in increased volume and type of vehicle access into wildlife habitats. Higher volume roads have been shown to preclude habitat use by some species. Increasing numbers of people walking through forested environments searching for mushrooms, antlers, and for other recreational activities increase energy expenditures of wildlife avoiding these contacts and can lead to habitat avoidance or death. Species most sensitive to road influences, road densities, or human activities include: elk, deer, antelope, bighorn sheep, wolverine, Canada lynx, and small mammals. Although vehicle induced mortality of larger animals occurs on forest roads it is generally less frequent than on highways due to generally lower vehicle speeds and traffic volumes. Higher levels of mortality are common for small mammals like squirrels on forest roads due to the direct association with forested habitats.

Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use has increased dramatically in the past several years. These new vehicles are capable of directly accessing habitats and further damaging habitats and reducing security levels. The Crooked River National Grasslands is closed to vehicle use off of designated roads. Some management areas on the Deschutes NF are designated route only use, others including the largest land base designation (General Forest) are open to off road vehicle use. The Ochoco NF is open to motorized vehicle use off of established roads except in riparian areas, on slopes greater than 30%, or if there is a designated closure. Quantifying the potential effects of OHV use associated with system roads is much more difficult in areas where vehicles area allowed to travel off of designated routes. Although OHV use off of established roads occurs on all administrative units it is safe to assume the levels and associated impacts are greater on those areas allowing vehicle use off of designated routes.

There are three designated OHV trail systems where OHV use is concentrated on National Forest and Grasslands, and one on adjacent BLM lands. These areas allow OHV use on designated routes only. Effects of OHVs on wildlife may include increased expenditure of energy due to stress from disturbance, destruction of vegetation which supports wildlife habitat and food, lower reproductive success due to disturbance during critical mating and reproductive periods, greater competition for resources due to population concentrations, displacement of animals, and although rare, even mortality. Species with greater sensitivity to human disturbance are likely precluded from utilizing habitats associated with these areas. Species like big game can adapt to predictable activities in specific areas but surprise encounters cause increased stress and may cause animals to move to other areas. This movement may cause greater risk of predation (Lyon 1979). In the Blue Mountains of Washington, Perry and Overly (1976) found reductions of deer use in habitat 1/8 mile from roads and reductions in elk use ½ mile from roads. Other species acclimate to the disturbance with only occasional increased energy expenditures due to disruption or low frequencies of death from vehicle impact or nest destruction.

ODF&W in conjunction with the Forests have identified three major migration corridors within the analysis area. Deer, elk, and antelope migration routes have been altered due to several state highways. The expansion and sprawl of population centers has forced several sheet migrations into more restricted corridors. When these focused migration points come in contact with a state highway of the magnitude of Highway 97 numerous animals are killed yearly.

Public lands in Central Oregon receive the bulk of hunting pressure because of their open access to the general public. This results in drastic increases in the number of individuals utilizing forest roads just prior to and during the big game hunting seasons running primarily from August through December. In some populations on the Ochoco NF and Crooked River National Grasslands there is a definite shift from public to private land use by big game animals during the hunting season (Pers. comm. Ferry). Poaching and recreational shooting of small mammals is well documented throughout central Oregon.

Private and commercial fire woodcutting is a way of life for many people in Central Oregon. This has resulted in reduced down log and snag levels within 200 yards of most roads. Repeated woodcutting in areas where off road vehicle use is allowed have resulted in numerous nonsystem roads being created. The greatest effect of woodcutting on down logs and snags occurs in areas with high road densities relatively close to population centers. Species that depend on large trees, snags, or down logs, particularly cavity-using birds and mammals, are vulnerable to increased harvest of these structures along roads (Hann and others 1997). Post sale monitoring on one timber sale on the Ochoco N.F. revealed woodcutters had removed >80 snags after sale activities were completed. Management objectives for snag numbers were met after timber harvest activities but subsequent woodcutter activity reduced snag numbers below desired levels (Kuk, 1999 pers. com.).

AQUATIC RESOURCES

The roads analysis for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests encompasses national forest lands and streams within the Deschutes basin above Trout Creek, the Crooked River basin lands, and portions of the upper John Day River basin. It covers ten 4th level HUC watersheds that encompass 69 5th level HUCs and xxx 6th level HUC's.

Problems associated with roads that affect fisheries on both forests include increases in sediment from surface erosion and road fill failures. Fine sediment effects spawning and rearing success, and can decrease pool depth. Deep pools are an important habitat parameter for survival of both adults and juveniles in winter and summer, as these areas provide modulated temperatures. Roads on both forests have constricted floodplains and stream channels, reducing habitat complexity and area, and ground water retention, along with the reducing the streams ability to respond to floods and other catastrophic events. Constriction of the channel cause changes in channel type and gradient, which can result in channel incision, which further contributes to decreases in fish habitat. In addition, roads paralleling streams interrupt the flow of riparian and upland materials to the stream system. Shade, large wood debris, subsurface water flow, and course sediment inputs have all been interrupted resulting in reduced habitat complexity and increased temperatures.

Perhaps the largest impact from roads on the fisheries resource has been in the form of reduced access to habitat from impassable culverts. Many stream crossings have culverts that are poorly designed not only for fish passage but also for passage for flood flows. These culverts have effectively eliminated upstream fish passage for juveniles and in some cases adults. Genetic interchange is therefore limited in these areas to a downstream flow, although perhaps more importantly is the loss of upstream passage for fish during summer low flows when cooler temperatures are likely in the headwater areas, which could result in mortality.

Forest Plan direction for Aquatic Resources as related to roads and road uses is described in Appendices-Volume I, Appendix I-2, Wildlife and Aquatic Road Direction.

RECREATION

The Central Oregon area is a premier attraction for a wide variety of motorized and non-motorized recreation. The quality, quantity, and variety of recreation opportunities invite recreationists of all types to visit and reside in the area. The variety ranges from Cascade crest to high desert; from high elevation winter activities to the summer flats of Fort Rock, from designated areas for motorized activities to a multitude of non-motorized opportunities. With reasonable driving times from much of the west coast, the area is accessible all year long for a number of attractive recreation opportunities. The consistently desirable weather increases the popularity and the population of central Oregon.

The gentle topography of much of the area made it easy to utilize the railroad to log much of this area in the early 1900's. Many of these railroad grades became roads after they were abandoned, while open forest stands on the gentle terrain provided easy access to large portions of the area. Over the years, access roads to key recreation sites, mostly related to water or geologic features, were constructed by the agencies or in some cases by the users. With the advent and refinement of the 4-wheel drive vehicle, additional roads were created accessing other dispersed recreation sites, firewood cutting, and in some cases, just accessing new areas. The increase of access lead to the increase the stocking of water-bodies, leading to more recreation use. The development of the reservoirs added to the draw of fishing and further access needs around the reservoirs.

As a result, there are more roads across the landscape than is necessary to provide appropriate access to the developed and dispersed recreation sites. The relatively easy topography and the sparse vegetation have allowed the construction of user created roads.

Developed Recreation

State, county, or level 3-5 roads generally access developed recreation sites. In most cases these are paved or high standard gravel surfaced roads. In most cases, these are 2 or 4 digit roads. There are some sites, which are accessed by level 2 roads. These usually get maintained over other level 2 roads.

Approximately half of the recreation use on the Deschutes NF is associated with developed recreation sites, whereas on the Ochoco it makes up approximately twenty percent of the use. The typical season of use is the May through October with the bulk of the use occurring from the 4th of July through Labor Day. In addition to USFS sites there are many (8 on the DNF) private resorts, which are operated under a special use permit. In just about all cases state or county roads access these sites.

Dispersed Recreation

Dispersed Recreation takes place outside of developed recreation facilities and includes such activities as camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, caving, forest product collection, rockhounding, mountain biking, ORV use, and horseback riding. Much of these activities take place at locations associated with a water feature (lake or river). This is where roads and trails have been constructed over the years, either planned or user created. It is also where some of the most significant impacts occur, such as the degradation of water quality and erosion problems.

Approximately half of the total recreation use is attributed to dispersed types of recreation as mentioned above. In general, dispersed recreation takes place on the lower standard roads as well as user created roads accessing the more remote parts of the area, further from developed sites and higher standard roads.

Driving for pleasure is the number one national recreation pastime. People drive roads of all types and standards just to explore. All types of vehicles will utilize most roads in order to access desirable areas.

Trailheads are considered developed sites, which access dispersed recreation activities such as hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and OHV riding. Trail use has grown significantly in the last 20 years, in part from user trails being created (especially mountain bike and OHV). There has been a consistent increase in trail use due to the population and popularity of the area growing dramatically in the last 20 years. The types of use seeing the most increase in central Oregon in recent years have been OHV, mountain bike and snowmobiles. In all 3 cases, the central Oregon area has become known as a destination for these uses. All of these uses utilize roads as trails, especially lower standard roads. There is continued opportunity for utilizing unnecessary roads as trails. There has been a move to reconstruct and authorize user created trails in OHV and mountain bike trailed areas.

Dispersed camping is desirable by those who seek a more pimative camping experience or for those who don't want to pay fees associated with many developed campgrounds. The more primitive experience fits well for some people. The increase in self-contained recreational vehicles has increased the level of dispersed camping. Dispersed sites are usually unmaintained and can contribute to resource impacts such as soil erosion and water quality degradation. As a result of this and the trend for less roads to maintain, more and more of these dispersed campsites are being closed, obliterated, or just made less accessible due to the closing of roads. These are generally lower standard roads that access dispersed campsites.

Collection of forest products is a common use of the area. This includes woodcutting, plant collection, cone collection, rock hounding, Christmas tree cutting, etc. This generally requires the use of lower standard roads or user created roads for access into more remote areas.

Fishing and hunting are two very popular pastimes for today's society. Both require use of all types of roads. The popular fishing spots in most cases have primary roads leading to them. There are some cases where lower standard roads are used to reach more remote fishing holes. Hunting generally uses all roads but especially lower standard roads to reach remote areas.

Primitive Areas

There are a number of primitive areas in central Oregon, including Wilderness areas, Oregon Cascades Recreation Area, and other unroaded areas. There are a total of eight National Forest Wilderness areas in central Oregon as well as numerous unroaded areas, such as old growth, research natural areas, Wilderness study areas, and more. Improved level 3-5, or state and county roads mostly access these areas. There are additional restrictions in most of these areas, such as non-motorized and non-mechanical transportation means used within these areas. Travel is generally by foot or horseback. Roads leading to trailheads accessing these areas may be lower standard roads, but usually come off of primary roads.

Use of these primitive areas is classified as dispersed recreation and consists of hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, sightseeing, photography, and others. The current trend is toward more (80%) day use, rather than overnight use.

Roads and road management have become hot topics for resource specialists and the general public when discussing most resource management activities today. Many issues and concerns revolve around the balance between resource management, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitats, plants and plant habitats, and access to public lands. In order to address this topic and focus the direction of the analysis, the Road Analysis Team developed a set of issues (business needs) and key questions for addressing the issues, using the results of a public involvement effort and an Information Needs Assessment (INA). The public involvement effort and the INA were discussed in Chapter 1. Following is a summary of the Issues and Key Questions developed through these efforts and used for this Roads Analysis.
 

• SCHEDULE OF PROPOSED ACTIONS
• PROJECT INFORMATION
• PLANS, ANALYSES, ASSESSMENTS
  • Forest Plans
  • Major Documents
  • Monitoring Reports
  • Roads Analysis
     

ISSUES SUMMARY

Below is a list of the issues, by resource area, that were used to guide the analysis. They were identified by members of the IDT during the INA process, as well as from comments received by the general public from this and other site-specific analyses proposals. This is not an exhaustive list, but was used to direct the Roads Analysis Team to key areas of concern for this analysis (See Appendices-Volume I, Appendix I-4 for more background on these issues).

Aquatics

Water Quality/Quantity: There is a concern that roads are affecting water quality in terms of sediment and stream temperature, and may be affecting water quantity from increased drainage networks that deliver water quickly to stream systems. Additionally, stream channels across the forests have been impacted by roads and have changed channel types, caused channel incision, and wetlands and floodplains have been filled and disconnected from their stream channels.

Aquatic Populations: Aquatic populations of fish, amphibians and invertebrates have been impacted by roads. Stream systems have a reduced capability to produce these populations due to increased stream temperatures and sediment, and channel constrictions. Road crossings have affected the ability of fish populations and other aquatic species to migrate successfully into previously occupied habitat or to have upstream genetic interchange.

Botany

Effects on plant habitats: The presence, type, and location of roads may affect unique habitats and plant communities, reserve areas and their associated species, research natural areas, and the quality of riparian and wetland habitats.

• TES Plant Species: The presence, type, and location of roads may affect sensitive plant species and other plant species of concern.
• Noxious Weeds: The presence, type, and location of roads affect the establishment and spread of noxious weeds and non-native invasive plant species.
• Cultural Plants: The presence, type, and location of roads may affect plant species used by Native Americans. Road type and location may also affect access to gathering sites.

Wildlife

• There is a concern that the road system or the human activities it facilitates causes adverse impacts to wildlife such as collisions, harassment, displacement, avoidance, or serve as a barrier to movement.
• There is a concern that the road system or the human activities it facilitates causes indirect impacts to wildlife including habitat loss, fragmentation, negative edge effects, and snag/down wood losses.
• There is a concern that the effects of the road system may have adverse impacts on the ecological conditions needed to maintain species viability including impacts to critical or key habitats.

Social/Economic

With the concerns outlined above, there has been a trend of managing roads to better enhance or protect plant and animal habitats. Many roads have been closed and/or restored to natural conditions in an effort to do this. Though many miles of road are still open and available for travel, the impression of the general public is that they are being locked out of their public lands. They are concerned that this, along with fees to utilize some forest resources, will conglomerate until they are totally locked out of many "free" places open to them now.

KEY QUESTIONS

The key questions below were developed to help the Roads Analysis Team address the issues and concerns discussed above. Many of the questions came from the Roads Analysis Guide (FS-643, August 1999), and others were developed by the interdisciplinary team during the INA process. They are intended to identify potential areas of conflict, public issues or concerns, and/or known problem areas as they relate to the issues described above. By defining quantifiable criteria to measure the issues by, the team was better able to identify real problems and opportunities to resolve them. Like the key issues, the key questions are categorized by resource area. Not all key questions are applicable to all locations.

Aquatics

• Where and how do roads and 303d listed streams interact? Are roads contributing to the listing of water bodies to the 303 (d) list? How do road/stream interactions influence temperature, dissolved oxygen and ph parameters?
• Where is sediment potentially coming from relative to roads? What is the potential for sediment delivery from identified road to stream?
• Where are the areas of vegetation loss due to road proximity and/or crossings?
• How many miles of roads contribute to an increase in drainage? Where and how does the road system generate surface erosion?
• Where do roads and all streams interact? Where do roads constrict stream channels and flood plains?
• Where do we have Rosgen A-G type streams?
• How much riparian vegetation has been impacted from roads? Where are the areas of vegetation loss due to road proximity and/or crossings?
• Where do fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates occur in the watershed relative to roads?
• Where are roads constricting streams and reducing aquatic species habitat?
• How does the existing road system affect water quality?
• Should the transportation system in identified special watersheds (key, A1/2, high priority restoration) be treated differently then roads in other watersheds?
• Where and how does the road system affect mass wasting? Where are landslide prone areas likely to be?
• Where and how does the glacial terrain interact with the road system?
• Where and how does the Mazama Ash falls interact with the road system?
• How many roads do we have in riparian areas? What is the density of roads in riparian areas?
• Where are there barriers to fish passage?
• How does road development and use affect water quality in municipal watersheds?
• How and where does the road system affect risks to water quality from chemical spills or roadway-applied chemicals such as oil, deicing salts, herbicides, and fertilizers?
• How and where do roads affect wetlands?
• How and where does the road system affect fine sediments that enter streams lakes, and wetlands?
• How and where does the road system modify drainage density that affects water quality and quantity?
• How are road culverts affecting stream quality?
• How and where do roads affect water quantity?
• How and where do roads affect stream geomorphology?
• How does the road system affect access construction, maintaining, monitoring and operations of water diversions, impoundments, and canals?
• Are roads affecting municipal watersheds?

Botany

• How and where do roads affect special and unique habitats?
• How do roads impact reserved lands (Late Successional Reserves and Riparian Reserves) that are habitat for rare and unique species?
• What Late Successional related species are found adjacent to roads and how is their habitat affected?
• How and where do roads affect Research Natural Areas?
• Are there unique plant communities affected by current or potential roads?
• How and where do roads affect the quality of riparian and wetland plant communities?
• What TES plant species are located in habitats with high probability of impact from roads?
• How and where do roads, mineral material sources, water sources and their use contribute to the spread of noxious weeds?
• How and where do contribute to the spread of noxious weeds?
• How and where do developed recreation areas and trailheads contribute to the spread of noxious weeds?
• What are the relationship of the transportation system and the intro/spread of noxious weeds and other non-native invasive species?

Wildlife

• Are their threatened and/or endangered species in the planning area?
• Where does the road system intersect areas important to wildlife movement (dispersal, migration etc.) thus increasing mortality due to collision?
• Where does the road system allow public access to areas used by wildlife during critical periods (reproduction, rearing, wintering) or is rare or unique habitat (caves, wetlands)?
• Where is road induced fragmentation and habitat loss causing negative edge effects?
• Where is the road system contributing to the reduction of habitat for species dependent upon snags and down logs (where snags and down logs are limited)?
• Do the impacts of the road system contribute to a decline in the ecological conditions necessary to maintain species viability?

Fire

• Does the road system provide necessary (based on risk) access for firefighting resources, water sources, fire camp locations, and other improvements?
• Does the road system provide necessary access for fuels treatment including personnel, contract administration, equipment, and water sources?
• How does the road system affect access to water sources for road reconstruction/fire/range needs (water wells, pump chances, tanks, etc.)?

Lands/Minerals

• What is the likely transportation system needed for future needs (mineral materials, geothermal etc.)?
• How does the road system affect access to rock hounding areas?

Recreation

• Is there adequate road access to all existing and planned developed sites? Are access roads maintained at a level commensurate with the type and amount of use?
• Is there an adequate amount of roads available to meet the demands for driving for pleasure and other dispersed recreation activities access needs such as, camping, hunting, fishing, sight seeing, forest products collection, caving, etc.?
• Are current regulations for road and trail systems adequate for current and future OHV use needs? Should OHVs be required to operate on roads and trails only in designated areas?
• Is road and trailhead access appropriate to primitive areas/Wilderness areas/unroaded areas appropriate for the type of use and carrying capacity of the site?

Archeological

• How and where do roads provide access for traditional cultural practice sites for Native Americans? How and where do roads and their use affect cultural plant species and access to gathering sites?
• How and where does road access affect archeological sites and historic properties?
• Which roads are historic transportation routes?

Social/Economic

• How does the road system connect public roads and provide primary access to communities?
• How does the road system connect large blocks of land in other ownership to public roads? How does the road system affect managing roads with shared ownership or with limited jurisdiction?
• How does the road system address the safety of road users?
• How does the road system affect access needed for Administrative use?
• How does the current Highway Safety Act roads system affect or support current Travel Access Plan?
• What is the impact of converting roads to highway safety act standards or designation as Public Roads?
• Can we afford the cost of maintaining roads in risk-prone (unstable terrain, high erosion potential, etc.) areas?
• How does the road system affect managing the timber base and other lands?
• How does the road system affect access to range allotments?
• How does the road system affect operating water diversions, impoundments?
• How does the road system affect access for collecting special forest products? How does the road system affect managing special use permit sites?
• What are the economic characteristics of the surrounding geographic area?
• What are the social characteristics of the surrounding geographic area?
• What social and economic trends are occurring in the region relevant to management of the road system?
• What is stakeholder perceptions related to the road system?
• What conflicts exist among the various uses, users, and managers of the road system?
• How does the road system affect the costs and revenues to the Forests?
• How are local communities social and economic health affected by road management?
• To what extent are the local communities dependent on forest resources (timber, mining, grazing, recreation, etc.)?
• How does the road system affect market and non-market, and priced and non-priced outputs?
• What is the road system relationship with the urban interface zones?
• Does the road system affect people's sense of place?
• Does the road system affect certain groups more than others (civil rights)?
• Does the road system affect who receives the benefits and who receives the costs associated with the forests (equity).

In Step 4 of the Roads Analysis Process, the interdiciplinary team systematically examined the major uses and effects of the road system in order to assess the ability of the road system to meet current and future management objectives. The process used for the assessment as well as some general results are described in the sections that follow. A detailed summary of results, organized by 5th field watersheds, may be found in Appendices-Volume I, Appendix I-5.
 

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The basic principal behind the assessment was to compare the benefits (needs) of the road system with the impacts or risks that the roads impose on key resources. In order to make this comparison, the study roads were divided into individual segments and given a set of ratings to measure the relative values of their road use benefits against their resource risks. The rating system used was based on a set of "factors" developed by the Roads Analysis Team to address the issues and key questions identified in Step 3 of the process as described in the previous section.

As mentioned above, the roads were divided into segments for the road rating assessment. The segments were based on a variety of physical and administrative changes along the road, such as surface types, jurisdictional changes, watershed boundaries, etc. The reason for breaking the roads into these segments was to allow for the maximum flexibility of resource specialists to tailor their individual resource analyses to the study roads. For example, an aquatic analysis may need to know when the surface type changes on a road to assess surface runoff and sedimentation, and a wildlife analysis may need to know where a certain management area crosses the road to assess habitat disturbance.

RATING FACTORS AND RESULTS

The rating factors were developed for four broad topic areas: Human Uses, Aquatics, Botany, and Wildlife. To ensure consistency across all four areas, a numerical rating system of, 0 = no effect/not applicable, 1-3 = low use/effect, 4-6 = moderate use/effect, and 7-9 = high use/effect was used for each category.

The following sections give a brief summary of the factors used in the assessment followed by tables showing the overall distribution of the rating results for each factor. These results include all roads rated in the analysis for each forest. A more complete description of each factor, including the environmental processes, social, economic, and biological attributes, key question(s) addressed, the criteria for its numerical rating, and the data and analysis process used, is included in Appendices-Volumes 2 and 3. The Appendices also include a set of spreadsheets showing the individual ratings for each factor on each individual road segment.

Human Use

The Human Use rating factors considered public, private and administrative uses. Human Uses of the road system within the project area are the benefits associated with roads. Public and private uses of roads include access to both developed and dispersed recreation sites, access to private lands, and as travelways through the Forest to other lands. Administrative uses include all major activities necessary for resource management including access for timber stand management and livestock grazing, and access for wildfire prevention and suppression.

Table 4-1: Human Use rating distribution summary for the Deschutes National Forest.

Table 4-2: Human Use Rating distribution summary for the Ochoco National Forest.

Aquatics

Aquatic risk rating factors were developed to assess key processes associated with roads as they link to aquatic environments. The list of factors includes: geologic hazard; road related sediment; floodplain off-channel habitat; riparian habitat function; flow effects; at risk fish populations; and wetlands. Geologic hazard relates to both active and dormant landslide terrain and its potential for mass wasting, and also to soil types and the potential for erosion (sediment movement).

Table 4-3: Aquatic risk rating distribution summary for the Deschutes National Forest.

Table 4-4: Aquatic risk rating distribution summary for the Ochoco National Forest.

Wildlife

Wildlife rating factors were developed to address five main issues: wildlife movement (dispersal and migration), human disturbance during critical periods (reproduction, rearing, wintering), habitat fragmentation, decline in habitats for threatened, endangered, and sensitive species, and reduction of key habitat elements (i.e. snags and down logs).

Table 4-5: Wildlife risk rating distribution summary for the Deschutes National Forest.

Table 4-6: Wildlife risk rating distribution summary for the Ochoco National Forest.

Botany

Botany rating factors were developed to address three main issues: special plant habitats, TES plant species, and noxious weeds and non-native invasive plant species. Special habitats considered in this analysis are wetlands and riparian plant communities; wet, moist and dry meadows; aspen stands; cottonwood bottomlands; and scablands. Road proximity to plant populations and/or habitat (within 200 feet), current use, and other factors were used to develop the overall ratings.

Table 4-7: Botany risk rating distribution summary for the Deschutes National Forest.

Table 4-8: Botany risk rating distribution summary for the Ochoco National Forest.

WATERSHED SUMMARIES

As mentioned earlier in this chapter the overall strategy for the benefit/risk assessment was to use fifth field watersheds as the basic geographic scale to bound the analysis, and to look at individual road segments within that watershed. The fifth field watershed scale was selected for a number of important reasons. Given the scale of this analysis (two National Forests and a National Grassland), using fifth field watersheds would allow one to discern important interactions without getting bogged down in too much detail (sixth field), or become so watered down (fourth field or sub-basin) as to become meaningless. Focusing at this scale will also help to prioritize watersheds for further analysis based on resource concerns and potential restoration needs, identify issues within individual watersheds, establish the context for watershed analysis or project scale analysis, and identify potential management options for the main road system within a watershed.

Since the roads being analyzed in this process consisted of the major road network that accesses the Forests, and are the major travel routes within and through the Forest, it was important to not only look at a road within a particular watershed, but where it originated, where it was going to, and its relationship to other roads. For example, although there may not have been anything significant about a road within a particular watershed, if this road was the major access to a destination resort in another watershed, than the rating in this watershed would reflect that fact. Whereas, if there was another access to this resort that provided the primary access to the same members of the public or communities as the road being evaluated, then the road being evaluated would get a different rating within this watershed.

A watershed summary was developed for each of the 69 fifth field watersheds within the analysis area. It is believed that this is an important component of the process in that it provides an opportunity to look at a watershed in a holistic manor not just on a road-by-road perspective. The watershed boundaries are displayed on Maps IV-16 and IV-17 in the Appendices-Volume IV. A summary of benefits, problems, and risks associated with the roads within each watershed may be found in Appendices-Volume I, Appendix I-5.

Step four of the road analysis process identified the level of use and need for each road segment as well as identified relative levels of environmental impacts and risks associated with the roads. This chapter describes how that information was used to identify opportunities and formulate recommendations for potential changes to road management activities and road improvement projects. Recommendations and guidance for further road analysis at the project or watershed scale is also provided at the end of the chapter.

ROAD MAINTENANCE OPPORTUNITIES

By comparing the access needs with the environmental risks identified in Step 4, an initial assessment was made as to whether present road management practices were sufficient for a given road segment or whether road maintenance efforts need to be adjusted either up or down to match present conditions. The following strategies were assigned to each road segment and are detailed in the Road Management Recommendation Tables in Appendices-Volume II for the Ochoco National Forest and Appendices-Volume III for the Deschutes National Forest. These recommended changes are also displayed on Maps IV-18 through IV-21 in the Appendices-Volume IV.

Management Strategies

Maintain As Is: (Existing maintenance efforts are generally in balance with access needs, no resource impacts are identified that would warrant a change in maintenance levels.)

Increase Maintenance Level: (Access needs identified exceed existing maintenance efforts and/or resource impacts have been identified that indicate a need to perform maintenance at a higher level.)

Decrease Maintenance Level: (Access needs identified do not support maintaining road at current level. Resource impacts are low and do not require maintenance to continue at present level.)

Implement Seasonal Travel Restrictions: (Access is generally needed during the snow free season, but resource concerns indicate a need for travel restrictions to be implemented at some time of the year to mitigate negative impacts.)

Close Year Around: (Access needs are low and only necessary for administrative or project use. Road can be closed between projects. Resource concerns or maintenance budget limitations indicate a need to close road between project activities.)

Decommission or Convert to Other Uses: (Full-sized vehicle access is no longer needed, road can be removed from the transportation inventory. Road can either be stabilized and returned to resource production or converted to other uses such as a motorized or non-motorized trail.)

Work Required

In addition to the management strategies listed above, the frequency of road maintenance activities was further categorized as needing to be performed on an annual, regular or "as needed" basis. These terms are defined where annual maintenance is performed at least one time per year, regular maintenance is performed at least every other year, and as needed maintenance occurs infrequently as conditions require, maybe once every 5 to 10 years.

The following tables summarize recommended changes to maintenance levels and maintenance work frequencies on the analysis roads:

Table 5-1: Summary of changes to Maintenance Levels and work frequencies for the Deschutes National Forest. (all units in miles)

Table 5-2: Summary of changes to Maintenance Levels and work frequencies for the Ochoco National Forest. (all units in miles)

For the Deschutes National Forest, the results of this part of the analysis show that the majority of the road system, or 1702 miles of road, should be maintained at the present level, 147 miles should have an increase in maintenance level, and 37 miles should have a decrease in maintenance level. Thirty five miles of roads in the analysis were identified to be put into a maintenance level 1 category, (closed), and no roads were identified for decommissioning. Approximately 32 miles were identified that would have a benefit to resource values if some type of seasonal restriction were implemented.

For the Ochoco National Forest, 541 miles of road, should be maintained at the present level, 158 miles should have an increase in maintenance level, and 10 miles should have a decrease in maintenance level. None of the roads in the analysis were identified for seasonal restrictions or additional closures.

It is important to note that these recommendations were made based on a comparison of access needs and environmental effects without consideration to available funding. Each road segment that had a change in maintenance level or work frequency was evaluated for the resulting effect to the maintenance costs associated with the change. The individual changes to maintenance costs for each road segment are shown in the Road Management Recommendation Tables in Appendices-Volume II for the Ochoco National Forest and Appendices-Volume III for the Deschutes. Those changes are summarized by maintenance level for the two forests in the tables below:

Table 5-3: Summary of changes to Maintenance Levels and corresponding costs for the Deschutes National Forest.

Table 5-4: Summary of changes to Maintenance Levels and corresponding costs for the Ochoco National Forest.

The results of the analysis show that if the road maintenance recommendations are implemented, there would be a net increase of 65 miles of Highway Safety Act (HSA) roads on the Deschutes and a net increase of 124 miles on the Ochoco. With compensating maintenance cost increases and decreases from changes to both maintenance levels and maintenance work frequencies, the overall change to the maintenance cost requirements would almost break even on the Deschutes, with an estimated overall increase of $548, and would increase by $5,249 on the Ochoco. However, as discussed earlier in the Existing Condition section of this report, our available maintenance funding would still only be about 1/3 of what is needed to fully maintain the road system to standard.

If we were to try to reduce the number of miles of road to that which we could fully maintain on the Deschutes National Forest with our present appropriated maintenance budget of $750,000, we would only be able to maintain approximately 200 miles of our main road system. The remaining 1680 miles of our arterial and collector road system would either have to be closed or put into a self maintaining condition. On the Ochoco National Forest we could fully maintain less than 100 miles of our highest use roads before the current $300,000 maintenance allocation is used up. With the amount of public, private, and administrative use identified for most of the roads on our road systems, it would not be feasible to close any significant number of these main roads. If maintenance levels are significantly reduced below where they are presently at today, we will not be able to provide the transportation service that is expected and necessary for our administrative and public needs.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to the road maintenance opportunities discussed above, several road reconstruction projects and other opportunities for site specific resource improvement projects were identified during step four of the analysis. These projects are listed in the watershed summary sections of Chapter 4 and need to be further analyzed for feasibility at the watershed or project scale. If further analysis finds them to be desired projects, funding for implementation would be sought through any appropriate programs that come up in the future such as the Capital Investment Program, the 10% Road and Trail Program, the Deferred Maintenance Program, etc.

No site specific needs were identified for adding new roads to the main transportation system through presently unroaded areas. However there are a few identified needs for realigning some sections of existing roads to alleviate resource concerns. These roads are identified in the spreadsheets and discussed in the watershed summaries. There will undoubtedly be occasional needs to add local roads to the system in the future to support various commercial and administrative needs. The need for and standard of any of these roads will be identified during project scale analysis and appropriate decisions made through site specific NEPA analysis.

KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Current maintenance levels do not match access needs. The current road network provides adequate access for Public, Private, and Administrative needs; however this Roads Analysis indicates a need to adjust maintenance levels on some roads to better serve our road users and to minimize adverse effects to resources.

Recommendations

• Change objective maintenance levels to those proposed in the Road Management Recommendation Tables in the Appendices-Volumes II and III.
• Move roads from existing operational maintenance levels to proposed objective maintenance levels as opportunities and budgets allow.
• Adjust the Highway Safety Act road system as proposed on Maps IV-5 and IV-7 in the Appendices_Volume IV.
• Update Road Management Objectives for all roads in the analysis to reflect changes listed above.
• Update road data in INFRA and GIS databases.

Current maintenance budgets are insufficient to meet current maintenance needs. Recent forest-wide condition surveys indicate that our current road maintenance funding only meets approximately 30% of the annual maintenance needs on the Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests. The deferred maintenance backlog for both forests exceeds 70 million dollars and will continue to grow until additional funds can be found.

Recommendations

• Seek additional funding for road maintenance through regular appropriations.
• Seek additional funding sources and methods for rock replacement on aggregate surfaced roads.
• Seek new and additional funding sources for road maintenance and improvements through any available funding programs such as Capital Investment Programs, Payments to Counties, Forest Highway Programs, etc.
• Develop the Public Forest Service Road System as proposed on Maps IV-14 and IV-15 in the Appendices_Volume IV.

The current road system poses risks to water quality/quantity and fish habitat. Many roads were constructed in close proximity to streams or cross streams and contribute to sediment movement. Many culverts throughout the project area are too small (undersized) and are barriers to fish passage. The current road system has increased the hydrologic network causing water to flow more quickly from most fifth field watersheds.

Recommendations

• Check for proper culvert sizes on all stream crossings.
• Check roads for adequate cross drainage during project analysis.
• Evaluate surfacing needs on roads with high traffic volumes.
• Adjust alignment away from riparian areas, as opportunities arise.
• Repair fill and cut slope failures in a timely manner, especially those located within landslide terrain.
• Seek additional funding for road maintenance.

The current road system and its uses pose risks to wildlife and wildlife habitats. Many roads were constructed in close proximity to streams or cross streams. Most areas outside of Wildernesses and Roadless Areas are well roaded. Many roads and land areas see extensive use year round by passenger vehicles and off-highway-vehicles (OHV), including over-snow vehicles. These factors often result in collisions, harassment, and displacement of animals, as well as the roads acting as a barriers to movement. In addition, the roads themselves often result in habitat loss and fragmentation.

Recommendations

• Relocate roads away from sensitive wildlife areas where feasible and when opportunities arise.
• Review and update forest-wide travel and access management policies for motorized traffic both on and off roads.
• Minimize wildlife harassment by enforcing existing travel management policies.
• Ensure existing seasonal restrictions are effective.
• Implement additional seasonal restrictions where needed.

The road system and its uses pose risks to plants and plant habitats. Some roads are affecting unique habitats and plant communities, including TES, and riparian and wetland habitats. In addition, some roads also affect access to gathering sites by Native Americans.

Recommendations

• Continue to treat, and monitor for noxious weed infestations along all roads.
• Relocate roads away from sensitive plant habitats where feasible and as opportunities arise.
• Review and update forest-wide travel and access management policies for motorized traffic both on and off roads.
• Minimize off-road ground disturbance by OHV's by enforcing existing travel management policies.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROJECT ANALYSIS

According to the Forest Service Road Management Policy published January 12, 2001, all NEPA decisions signed after January 12, 2002, that involve any of the items listed below, must be informed by a Roads Analysis.

1. Changes in access such as current use, traffic patterns or road standards (FSM 7712.13c). (e.g., closing currently open roads, opening currently closed roads, adding/changing seasonal restriction periods, changing maintenance levels, etc.)
2. When adding new roads to the transportation system (FSM 7712.12b). (This includes both new construction and newly acquired roads.)
3. Road construction, reconstruction, or decommissioning (FSM 7712.12b, FSM 7712.13c).

This Forest-Wide Roads Analysis satisfies the requirement for informing decisions about road related projects on our arterial and collector road system and on all maintenance level 3, 4, or 5 local roads included in this analysis. In some cases it may be sufficient to inform decisions about specific projects involving other local roads.

Although a Roads Analysis below the Forest Scale is not automatically required for individual projects, it is anticipated that watershed or project specific roads analysis will be necessary to inform most road related decisions at the project level. It is the responsibility of the Responsible Official to determine the need for such additional analyses. The flowchart on the following page was developed as a guidance tool to help the Responsible Official determine the need for roads analysis for individual projects.

When the Responsible Official determines that a watershed or project level roads analysis is needed, the analysis must be conducted according to the same six step process used in this analysis, but will be focused on the needs and issues associated with the local road system in the project area. The risk assessment tables and watershed summaries developed in step four of this analysis should provide good broad-scale background information when beginning site specific project analysis. The ID team who worked on the Forest-Wide Roads Analysis, (as listed in chapter 1), is available to help offer advice and guidance to project ID teams starting their project analyses.

Decision Guide for Project Analysis

Step 1: Will the NEPA decision involve any of the following?

• Changes in access such as current use, traffic patterns, or road standards
• Adding new roads to the transportation system. This includes both new construction and newly acquired roads

• Road construction, reconstruction, or decommissioning, where there may be adverse effects on soils and water resources, ecological processes or biological communities.

   

  NO - Document and proceed with project planning
  YES - Go to step 2

Step 2: Is the project on an arterial or collector road? If so, is the Forest-wide Roads Analysis adequate to inform the project decision?

YES - Reference Forest-Wide Roads Analysis and proceed with project planning
NO - Go to step 3

Step 3: Is there sufficient information within the Forest-Wide Roads Analysis, Watershed Analyses, ATM Plan, etc., to inform the project decision?

YES - Document and proceed with project planning
NO - Go to step 4

Step 4: Conduct Watershed or Project Scale Roads Analysis

• Ø Identify appropriate scale and intensity of road analysis to inform decision.
• Proceed with road analysis following six step process outlined in FS-643.
• Address the following items at a minimum:
  1. 1. Identification of needed and unneeded roads.
  2. Identification of road associated environmental and public safety risks.
  3. Identification of site-specific priorities and opportunities for road improvements and decommissioning.
  4. Identification of areas of special sensitivity, unique resource values, or both.
  5. Any other specific information that may be needed to support project level decisions.
• Proceed with project