Hi Grouse Timber Sale

Transportation Report

Prepared by:

Mike North

Forester – Logging Systems

TEAMS Planning Enterprise Unit

for:

Goosenest Ranger District

Klamath National Forest

October 19, 2009
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Hi-Grouse Project

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Table of Contents

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 1

Affected Environment ..................................................................................................................... 1

Environmental Consequences ......................................................................................................... 1

Alternative 1 – No Action........................................................................................................... 1

Direct and Indirect Effects....................................................................................................... 1

Alternatives 2, 3, and 4– Action Alternatives............................................................................. 1

Direct Effects........................................................................................................................... 1

Indirect Effects........................................................................................................................ 5

Cumulative Effects.................................................................................................................. 5

Hi-Grouse Project

1

Abstract

The transportation specialist report summarizes the existing condition of the 

transportation system, and the anticipated changes by alternative. Management activities 

are defined in the chapters 1 and 2 of the Hi-Grouse Project environmental impact 

statement. 

Affected Environment

The existing roads in the project area have recently received maintenance, bringing them 

up to a condition suitable for the purposes of this project. These roads will not require 

any reconstruction prior to use, although they may need some pre-haul maintenance.

Reconstruction is defined as road improvements required due to an anticipated increase in 

traffic, service level or haul capacity. Reconstruction activities may include culvert 

upgrades, grading, rocking, paving, and drainage. Generally, reconstruction activities 

take place within the existing road prism. Maintenance is defined as work needed to 

bring the road back into its original condition. Maintenance activities include brushing, 

culvert replacement, grading, and rocking. Reopening of roads applies to the unclassified 

roads. Road reopening activities include barrier removal, brushing, grading, and 

temporary culvert installation. 

Environmental Consequences

Alternative 1 – No Action

Direct and Indirect Effects

The existing road system within the project area received maintenance and roadside brush 

was cleared to provide for public safety in the 2007 and 2008 field seasons. The roads 

and drainage structures are functioning as intended, which minimizes environmental 

impacts from sedimentation. This alternative would not change the condition of the roads. 

Many of the roads are improved roads. Approximately 9.0 miles of roads are paved, and 

20.5 miles are graveled. These surfaces wear out over time, and must be replaced. The 

cost of replacing the surfacing comes from two sources – appropriated road maintenance 

funds and surface replacement deposits from timber sale. Under this alternative, no 

surface replacement deposits would be collected. This means that surface replacement 

will be deferred further into the future until there are sufficient appropriated funds for the 

work. 

Alternatives 2, 3, and 4– Action Alternatives

Direct Effects

Alternatives 2, 3 and 4 propose treating approximately 5109, 3654, and 3955 acres, 

respectively. Timber management treatments include commercial thinning from below, 

ponderosa pine and mixed conifer restoration and re-establishment, lodgepole pine 

thinning and fuels reduction, plantation thinning, underburning, and creating fuel 
2

management zones along main corridors for fire control. Additional fuels treatments will 

occur after timber management treatments are completed. Fuels treatments include 

whole-tree yarding, biomass removal, piling and burning, lopping and scattering, mowing 

and underburning to reduce treatment generated fuels. 

The transportation system needed for proposed activities includes approximately 50.8 

miles of existing Forest Service system and non-system roads, temporary use of 3.1 miles 

of existing unclassified roads, and 0.7 mile (alternatives 2 and 3) to 1.9 miles (alternative 

4) of new temporary roads. Forest Service system roads are permanent roads which were 

planned and constructed as a part of a transportation system designed to meet the needs 

of the agency in managing the resources through time. Besides the existing system roads, 

up to 14 existing unclassified road segments and seven new temporary road segments are 

needed to access proposed treatments.

Road maintenance on haul roads may be needed prior to and during harvest activities. 

Maintenance activities include clearing of brush and small trees within the road right-ofway, surface blading to provide a smooth road surface, water drainage control, and dust 

abatement. All temporary roads used in conjunction with harvest activities would be 

water-barred, re-vegetated and closed to vehicle use following harvest activities.

Table 1 summarizes the types of roads within the project area and their usage for project 

activities. Table 2 displays the road type and use by alternative.

Table 1 Summary of transportation system needs by alternative

Road Type and Activity Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Alternative 4

Miles of New System Roads 0 0 0 0

Miles of System Road Haul 

Maintenance

0 42.3 39.2 41.2

Miles of Non-system Road 

Maintenance

0 5.5 4.8 5.0

Miles of Existing Unclassified 

Roads to Reopen

0 3.2 1.6 1.9

Miles of New Temporary Roads 0 0.7 0.7 1.3

Miles of Existing Classified Roads 

to close

0 0 0 1.5

Table 2 Road description and use by alternative

Road 

Number

Road Type Road Description Miles Alt 2 Alt 3 Alt 4 In 

Project 

Area

Surface 

Replacement * 

$/CCF

15 System Road Paved Road 5.86 Y Y Y No $2.30
Hi-Grouse Project

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Road 

Number

Road Type Road Description Miles Alt 2 Alt 3 Alt 4 In 

Project 

Area

Surface 

Replacement * 

$/CCF

15 System Road Paved Road 3.13 Y Y Y Yes $1.23

43N01 System Road Gravel Road 1.54 Y Y Y Yes $0..60

43N01.1 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.55 Y Y Y Yes $0.0

43N01.2 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.18 N N Y Yes $0.0

43N01.2 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.58 Y Y Y Yes $0.0

44N03 System Road Dirt Road 0.07 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N03 System Road Gravel Road 2.37 Y Y Y No $0.93

44N03 System Road Gravel Road 1.74 Y Y Y Yes $0..68

44N03.1 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.30 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N03.1A Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.45 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N07 System Road Dirt Road 0.77 N N Y Yes $0.00

44N07 System Road Gravel Road 0.61 N N Y Yes $0.24

44N07 System Road Gravel Road 0.59 Y Y Y No $0.23

44N08 System Road Gravel Road 0.59 N N Y Yes $0.20

44N08 System Road Gravel Road 1.38 Y Y Y No $0.45

44N54 System Road Gravel Road 1.57 Y N N Yes $0.62

44N60 System Road Dirt Road 0.16 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N60.1 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.36 Y N N Yes $0.00

44N61 System Road Dirt Road 0.93 Y N N Yes $0.00

44N61 System Road Dirt Road 1.85 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N61.1 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.23 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N61.2 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.30 Y N N Yes $0.00

44N61.4 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.22 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N61A System Road Dirt Road 1.25 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N62 System Road Dirt Road 2.21 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N62A System Road Dirt Road 0.34 Y N N Yes $0.00

44N62A System Road Dirt Road 0.24 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N75 System Road Gravel Road 1.56 Y Y Y Yes $0.61

44N75B System Road Dirt Road 0.86 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N75D System Road Dirt Road 0.95 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N77 System Road Gravel Road 1.66 Y Y Y Yes $0.65

44N77A System Road Gravel Road 0.63 Y Y Y Yes $0.25

44N77B System Road Gravel Road 0.99 Y Y Y Yes $0.39

44N79 System Road Gravel Road 2.51 Y Y Y Yes $0.98

44N79.1 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.38 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N79.1A Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.29 Y Y Y Yes $0.00
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Road 

Number

Road Type Road Description Miles Alt 2 Alt 3 Alt 4 In 

Project 

Area

Surface 

Replacement * 

$/CCF

44N79.2 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.54 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N79.3 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.24 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N80 System Road Dirt Road 2.19 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N80A System Road Dirt Road 0.91 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N80B System Road Dirt Road 0.21 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N84 System Road Dirt Road 1.83 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N84.1 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.84 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

44N84.2 Non System Road Unimproved Road 0.16 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

77 System Road Gravel Road 0.19 Y N N Yes $0.06

77 System Road Gravel Road 2.55 Y Y Y Yes $0.85

2-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.37 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

7-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.42 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

10-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.29 Y N Y Yes $0.00

12-1 Temporary New Construction 0.13 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

12-2 Temporary New Construction 0.11 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

12-3 Temporary New Construction 0.21 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

12-4 Temporary New Construction 0.06 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

12-5 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.08 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

12-6 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.02 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

12-7 Temporary New Construction 0.03 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

12-8 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.55 N N Y Yes $0.00

13-1 Temporary New Construction 0.04 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

15-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.11 Y N N Yes $0.00

16-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.60 Y N N Yes $0.00

18-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.14 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

19-1 Temporary New Construction 0.15 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

19-2 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.47 Y Y Y Yes $0.00

26-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.08 Y N N Yes $0.00

28-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.09 Y Y Y Yes $0.00
Hi-Grouse Project

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Road 

Number

Road Type Road Description Miles Alt 2 Alt 3 Alt 4 In 

Project 

Area

Surface 

Replacement * 

$/CCF

62-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.13 Y N N Yes $0.00

62-2 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.05 Y N N Yes $0.00

65-1 Temporary Unmapped 

Existing 

0.38 Y N N Yes $0.00

*Surface replacement costs based on experienced Forest costs (J. Davis, Forest Engineer 2009).

Indirect Effects

Each of the action alternatives produces timber. The purchaser will pay surface 

replacement deposits which are used to replace the paving or gravel when the surfaces 

wear out. Table 3 summarizes the estimated amount of the surface replacement deposits 

by alternative.

Table 3 Estimated surface replacement deposits by action alternative

Alternative Surface Replacement Rate 

($/CCF)

Total Estimated Deposit

2 $5.92 $259,552

3 $4.76 $14,815

4 $6.81 $171,961

Cumulative Effects

Alternatives 1 (no action), 2 and 3 would result in no net change to the transportation 

system within the project area. Alternative 4 proposes permanent closure of two road 

segments for wildlife habitat protection. These two roads are 44N62A and 44N80A for a 

total of approximately 1.5 miles of additional closure.