Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Chapter 3 • 1

Chapter 3 

Affected 

Environment and 

Environmental 

Consequences 

3.1 Introduction 

This chapter provides information concerning the existing 

environment of the Kuiu Timber Sale Area (Project Area), and 

potential consequences to that environment as a result of this project. It 

also presents the scientific and analytical basis for the comparison of 

alternatives presented in Chapter 2. Each resource potentially affected 

by the Proposed Action or other alternatives is described by its current 

condition and uses. Findings and disclosures required by policy and 

law are included at the end of the chapter. 

The chapter begins with a description of the environmental effects on 

resources associated with the four significant issues in the Project 

Area. Other concerns raised during scoping that are not significant 

issues are discussed in sections 3.6 to 3.15 of this chapter. These 

include potential effects (environmental consequences) that are 

mitigated in the same way in all alternatives, or resources that are not 

significantly affected by any alternative. All effects, including direct, 

indirect, and cumulative effects, are disclosed. Effects are quantified 

where possible, and qualitative discussions are included. The means by 

which potential adverse effects would be reduced or mitigated are 

described (Chapter 2 and Appendix B). 

The discussions of resources and potential effects use existing 

information included in the Forest Plan, other project environmental 

analyses, project-specific resource reports, agency and scientific 

studies, and related information. Where applicable, such information is 

briefly summarized and referenced to minimize duplication. The 

planning record for the Project Area includes all project-specific 
3 Environment and Effects

 2 • Chapter 3 Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS 

information, including resource reports, documentation of field 

investigations, and information resulting from public involvement 

efforts. The planning record is located at the Petersburg Ranger 

District Office in Petersburg, Alaska, and is available for review 

during regular business hours. Information from the record is available 

upon request. 

The land area of the Tongass National Forest has been divided in 

several different ways to describe the different resources and facilitate 

systematic and consistent analysis. These divisions vary by resource as 

the relationship of each resource to geographic conditions and zones 

varies. 

3.1.1.1 Land Use Designations (LUDs) 

The allocation of land use designations (LUDs), as discussed in 

Chapter 1, was accomplished with the Forest Plan. Each LUD provides 

for a combination of activities, goals and objectives, and uses. There 

are three LUDs within the Project Area. These are Timber Production, 

Recreational River, and Old-growth Habitat. The standards and 

guidelines for these LUDs were used for unit design and to analyze 

effects on scenery. The LUDs within the Project Area are discussed 

and displayed in Chapter 1. 

3.1.1.2 Watersheds 

The spatial analysis area for the assessment of all direct, indirect, and 

cumulative effects to watershed resources in the Project Area includes 

the entire Dean Creek, Saginaw Creek, Security Creek, Rowan Creek 

and Kadake Creek watersheds, and unnamed watersheds #109-45-

10090 and #109-44-10370. Other watersheds and portions of 

watersheds where no timber harvest is proposed occur within the 

Project Area. Cumulative effects were also considered for these 

watersheds. The watershed boundaries correspond to the 6th level 

Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC), and all are true watersheds, meaning 

that each watershed is well defined by topographic boundaries and all 

surface water within the watershed drains to a single stream or river. 

The watershed boundaries are large enough to allow a comprehensive 

accounting of all activities that affect current and future watershed 

conditions, yet small enough to allow the analysis to be sensitive to the 

potential effects of the proposed activities (Regional Interagency 

Executive Committee 1995). 

3.1.1.3 Heritage (Area of Potential Effect) 

The project’s Area of Potential Effect (APE) is the geographic area 

where timber harvest and road construction may cause changes in the 

character or use of historic properties, if any such properties exist [36 

CFR 800.2(c)]. The APE is defined early in the planning process 

before identification of historic properties actually begins so it may not 

3.1.1 

Administrative 

and Ecological 

Land Divisions

 
Introduction 3 

Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Chapter 3 • 3 

be known whether any historic properties exist within it. The APE 

includes all areas where the undertaking may cause changes to land or 

structures, or to their uses, whether the changes would be direct or 

indirect, beneficial or adverse. A combination of landscape features, 

Project Area boundaries, and areas where timber harvest and road 

building are proposed were used to help define the APE boundaries 

(see Figure 3-12). 

3.1.1.4 Inventoried Roadless Areas 

Inventoried Roadless Areas are undeveloped areas typically exceed 

5,000 acres and meet the minimum criteria for Wilderness 

consideration under the Wilderness Act. The Project Area includes the 

entire North Kuiu Roadless Area and a portion of the Security 

Roadless Area. 

3.1.1.5 Value Comparison Units (VCUs) 

For the purposes of project-level analysis, the Tongass National Forest 

is divided into Value Comparison Units (VCUs). These are distinct 

geographic areas, each encompassing a drainage basin containing one 

or more large stream systems. The boundaries usually follow major 

watersheds. The Project Area includes lands within VCUs 399, 400, 

402 and 421 on the northern portion of Kuiu Island. VCUs are used to 

analyze the size of small OGRs, and scenery, as VCUs are similar in 

land area to viewsheds. 

3.1.1.6 Project Area 

The Project Area is located on the Petersburg Ranger District of the 

Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska, on north Kuiu Island, 

approximately 12 air miles southwest of the city of Kake (Kupreanof 

Island). More specifically, the Project Area is within Townships 57, 

58, and 59 South, Ranges 71 and 72 East, Copper River Meridian and 

includes lands within Value Comparison Units (VCUs) 399, 400, 402, 

and 421. It is encompassed by National Forest System (NFS) Roads 

6402 and 6415 and the peninsula between Security Bay and Saginaw 

Bay. 

The size of the Project Area is approximately 46,102 acres (Figure 1-

2), 356 acres of which are non-national forest system lands. Access to 

the area is by boat or floatplane. 

3.1.1.7 Wildlife Analysis Areas (WAAs) 

Wildlife Analysis Areas (WAAs) are land divisions used by the Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game to report community harvests of 

selected wildlife species. The Project Area makes up approximately 32 

percent of WAA 5012. Some of the wildlife and subsistence analyses 

for the Project Area are reported by WAA. 
3 Environment and Effects

 4 • Chapter 3 Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS 

3.1.1.8 Biogeographic Province 

Twenty-one ecological subdivisions of Southeast Alaska are identified 

by distinct ecological, physiogeographic, and biogeographic features. 

Plant and animal species composition, climate, and geology within 

each province are generally more similar within than among adjacent 

provinces. Historical events (such as glaciers and uplifting) are 

important to the nature and the barriers that distinguish each province. 

Effects to wolves were analyzed at this landscape scale. 

Environmental consequences are the effects of implementing an 

alternative on the physical, biological, social, and economic 

environment. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 

regulations, implementing the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), include a number of specific categories for the analysis of 

environmental consequences. Several are applicable to the analysis of 

the proposed project and alternatives and form the basis of much of the 

analysis that follows. They are explained briefly here. 

3.1.2.1 Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects 

Direct environmental effects are those occurring at the same time and 

place as the initial cause or action. Indirect effects are those that occur 

later in time or are spatially removed from the activity, but could have 

some effect in the foreseeable future. Cumulative effects result from 

incremental effects of actions when added to other past, present, and 

reasonably foreseeable future actions, regardless of which agency or 

person undertakes such other actions. Cumulative effects can result 

from individually minor but collectively significant actions over time. 

The Catalog of Events for Kuiu Island lists all past, present, and 

foreseeable future activities. It includes known private, federal and 

state projects as well as Forest Service activities. Foreseeable future 

activities include those projects that have a developed proposed action, 

been funded and/or has been cleared through NEPA. Each resource 

specialist considered the catalog and included events that were 

included in the cumulative effects analysis. These activities are 

identified in the cumulative effects section for each resource in this 

chapter. The catalog is located in the project planning record at the 

Petersburg Ranger District. 

3.1.2.2 Unavoidable Adverse Effects 

Implementation of any action alternative may cause some adverse 

environmental effects that cannot be effectively mitigated or avoided. 

Unavoidable adverse effects often result from managing the land for 

one resource at the expense of other resources. Many adverse effects 

can be reduced, mitigated, or avoided by limiting their extent or 

duration. The interdisciplinary procedure used to identify specific 

harvest units and roads was designed to eliminate or lessen the 

3.1.2 

Analyzing 

Effects 

 
Introduction 3 

Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS Chapter 3 • 5 

significant adverse consequences. The application of Forest Plan 

Standards and Guidelines, BMPs, project-specific mitigation 

measures, and monitoring are intended to limit the extent, severity, and 

duration of potential effects. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss 

such measures and fully disclose any adverse effects. 

3.1.2.3 Short-term Use and Long-term Productivity 

Short-term uses and their effects are those that occur annually or 

within the first few years of project implementation. Long-term 

productivity refers to the capability of the land and resources to 

continue producing goods and services long after the project has been 

implemented. Under the Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act and the 

National Forest Management Act (NFMA), all renewable resources 

are to be managed in such a way that they are available for future 

generations. Timber harvest can be considered a short-term use of a 

renewable resource. As a renewable resource, trees can be 

reestablished if the long-term productivity of the land is maintained. 

This long-term productivity is maintained through the application of 

the resource protection measures described in Chapter 2, in particular 

those applying to the soil and water resources. These protection 

measures are also discussed throughout this chapter, in particular for 

soils, water quality, biodiversity, and economics. 

3.1.2.4 Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments 

Irreversible commitments are decisions affecting non-renewable 

resources such as soils, wetlands, and heritage resources. Such 

commitments are considered irreversible because the resource has 

deteriorated to the point that renewal can occur only over a geologic 

time period, at a great expense, or not at all. The destruction of an 

archaeological site is an example of an irreversible commitment. The 

implementation of this project is not expected to result in irreversible 

effects. 

Irretrievable commitments represent opportunities foregone for the 

period during which resource use or production cannot be realized. 

Such decisions are reversible, but the production opportunities 

foregone are irretrievable. For example, the construction of a NFS road 

for long-term management is an irretrievable action. The commitment 

is irretrievable rather than irreversible, because trees could be 

reestablished in this area, but the amount of timber production during 

the period of time when the land was used as a road could not be 

regained. 
3 Environment and Effects

 6 • Chapter 3 Kuiu Timber Sale FEIS 

Much of the Tongass National Forest resource data resides in an 

electronic database formatted for a geographic information system 

(GIS). The Forest uses GIS software to assist in the analysis of this 

data. GIS data is available in tabular (numerical) format, and as plots 

displaying data in map format. For this EIS, all of the maps and most 

of the numerical analyses are based on GIS resource data. 

GIS data does have limitations. This is especially true when comparing 

data layers used for the Forest Plan with project-specific data layers. 

The GIS data uses data collected during field reviews. Initially, the 

GIS data is obtained by aerial photo interpretation, then areas that 

project activities may affect were field inventoried and the GIS data is 

updated where the information is available. GIS data and layers 

become part of the project planning record. 

There is incomplete knowledge about many of the conditions and 

relationships of forest resources and social needs. Forest management 

is a complex and developing science. Wildlife population dynamics 

and habitat relationships are not completely understood. The 

interaction of forest resource supply with economic and social 

conditions and communities is an inexact science. However, the basic 

data and central relationships are sufficiently established in the 

respective sciences to adequately assess and disclose the possible 

adverse environmental consequences. 

3.1.3 

Resource 

Information on 

Geographic 

Information 

System 

 

3.1.4 

Available 

Resource 

Information