Improve approximately 150 miles of existing non-system roads and construct approximately 350 miles of temporary roads for haul access; decommission when treatments are completed. 

Relocate and reconstruct existing open roads adversely affecting water quality and natural resources, or of concern to human safety.

The following section described the affected environment and effects of alternatives relating to threatened, endangered, and Forest Service sensitive species that may occur or have habitat in the project area. The analysis presented is summarized from the following report which is incorporated by reference: Aquatic Specialist Report for Rim Country, by Stephanie Coleman, 2019. The indicator for riparian/wetland vegetation was used as a surrogate for the riparian conditions. A more comprehensive analysis of Watershed Condition Framework scores for the Rim Country Project Area as they relate to aquatic species and habitats can be found in the Aquatic Specialist Report (Coleman 2019)

This section details the affected environment and environmental consequences for the threatened, endangered and Southwestern Region Regional Forester’s sensitive plants (hereafter Southwestern Region sensitive plants), within the project area. It establishes the baseline against which the decision-maker and the public can compare the effects of the action alternatives. This section also describes the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of implementing each alternative on threatened, endangered and Southwestern Region sensitive plants. It presents the scientific and analytical basis for the comparison of the alternatives presented in the Alternatives section. The information presented here is part of the Botany and Noxious Weeds specialist report (Crisp 2018), which is incorporated by reference.

The noxious and invasive weed analysis is part of the Botany and Weeds Report (Crisp 2018), which is incorporated by reference.

The Rim Country Draft Environmental Impact Statement documents the analysis of three alternatives, including the no-action (Alternative 1), the Modified Proposed Action (Alternative 2), which is the preferred alternative, and one additional alternative (Alternative 3). Alternatives 2 (as modified) and 3 respond to issues brought up by the public during the scoping period. The alternatives are described below.

Alternative 1 is the no-action alternative as required by 40 CFR 1502.14(c).3 It represents no changes to current management, and current forest plans would continue to be implemented. Ongoing vegetation treatments and fire management activities, as well as road maintenance, recreation, firewood gathering, authorized livestock grazing, and other activities already authorized in separate NEPA decisions would continue. There would be no other restoration activities approved with the Rim Country Project. The potential direct, indirect, and cumulative effects from no action will be analyzed. The no-action alternative is the baseline for assessing the action alternatives (Alternatives 2 and 3).

Alternative 2, the preferred alternative, is the Proposed Action as presented for scoping, with additional detail, clarifications, corrections, and modifications in response to public comments received. Changes made to the Proposed Action in response to public comment include:
Modifications to acreages and mileage of treatments based on additional modeling.
Additional clarity, details, and definitions of key terms used.
Elimination of even-aged shelterwood silvicultural prescriptions to address dwarf mistletoe infections, replaced with regular restoration treatments.

In addition, the proposal to mechanically thin trees and implement prescribed fire on approximately 1,260 acres in the Long Valley Experimental Forest was dropped from this alternative, as well as from the Rim Country Project. In discussions with researchers with the Rocky Mountain Research Station, it was decided that experimental treatments for the experimental forest would be analyzed in a separate NEPA analysis.

This alternative, as modified, responds to the Dwarf Mistletoe Mitigation issue through the use of intermediate thinning (IT) treatments and/or the application of prescribed fire to address moderate and high levels of mistletoe infection. The presence of dwarf mistletoe will not be used to prioritize areas for treatment, but it will be addressed where it exists. Considerations for implementing IT treatments and prescribed fire will be included in the implementation plan as they continue to be developed with the 4FRI Stakeholder Group. Other restoration activities in Alternative 2 include vegetation treatments (mechanical thinning and burning) using the Flexible Toolbox Approach for Mechanical Treatments (see appendix D of the DEIS), as well as comprehensive restoration treatments for meadows, springs, streams, and riparian habitat using the Flexible Toolbox Approach for Aquatic and Watershed Restoration Activities (see appendix D of the DEIS). Alternative 2 also includes treatments to restore habitat for wildlife and rare species.