Steamboat Project

Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D

Past, Present and Foreseeable Future Actions
Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-2

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Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-3

Resource Area/Action Time Period Action Details Effects Potentially Overlapping Steamboat Project Effects

Fire/fuels

Fire suppression ~1900-present Objective to suppress all fires 

as quickly as possible.

• Pine encroachment into hardwoods and grasslands.

• Increased density of ponderosa pine.

• Increased density of small diameter pine (i.e., increased ladder 

fuels).

• Decreased areas of hardwoods.

• Reduced snag development.

• Decreased water yield.

• Increased risk of high severity wildfires.

• Lower availability of forage.

Big Elk fire 1949 4,940 acres (within Steamboat 

project area)

• Creation of snags.

• Increased forage.

• Reduction of stand density.

• Effects for most resources have likely been mitigated by time (over 

60 years).

Little Elk fire 2002 663 acres (within Steamboat 

project area)

• Soil disturbance.

• Increased early seral stages.

• Decreased density of ponderosa pine.

• Creation of snags.

• Creation of open areas for browsing, forage growth.

• Increased weed infestation.

• Increased down woody material.

• Increased drying in areas with high overstory mortality.

• Decreased recreational access.

• Decreased scenic values.

• Possible exposure of heritage sites.

• Increased awareness of fire hazard (due to proximity to populated 

areas and threat to homes).

Ricco fire 2005 3,959 acres (within Steamboat 

project area)

• Soil disturbance.

• Increased early seral stages.

• Decreased density of ponderosa pine.

• Creation of snags.

• Creation of open areas for browsing, forage growth.
Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-4

Resource Area/Action Time Period Action Details Effects Potentially Overlapping Steamboat Project Effects

• Increased weed infestation.

• Increased down woody material.

• Increased drying in areas with high overstory mortality.

• Decreased recreational access.

• Decreased scenic values.

• Possible exposure of heritage sites.

• Increased awareness of fire hazard (due to proximity to populated 

areas and threat to homes).

Boxelder fire 2006 225 acres (within Steamboat 

project area)

• Soil disturbance.

• Increased early seral stages.

• Decreased density of ponderosa pine.

• Creation of snags.

• Creation of open areas for browsing, forage growth.

• Increased weed infestation.

• Increased down woody material.

• Increased drying in areas with high overstory mortality.

• Decreased recreational access.

• Decreased scenic values.

• Possible exposure of heritage sites.

• Increased awareness of fire hazard (due to proximity to populated 

areas and threat to homes).

Picnic/Cavern/Kine 

prescribed burns

2007-2010 1,046 acres • Reduction in understory fuels (e.g. small diameter pine and down 

woody material).

• Increased forage production.

• Small pockets of overstory mortality.

Fuel break construction 1987 80 acres • Reduction of small diameter pine.

• Decreased density of ponderosa pine.

• Decreased canopy cover.

Chipping of fuels 2003-2004 78 acres • Reduction of small diameter pine.

• Short-term increase in woody material on forest floor (until chips 

decompose).

• Redistribution of fuels.

Cutting and piling of fuels 1990-2005 563 acres • Reduction of small diameter pine.

• Decrease amounts down woody material.

• Redistribution of fuels.
Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-5

Resource Area/Action Time Period Action Details Effects Potentially Overlapping Steamboat Project Effects

Hazardous fuels thinning 1994 8 acres • Reduction of small diameter pine.

• Removal of brush and other understory woody material.

Timber management

Cavern timber sale 2000-2008 1,664 acres • Decreased density of large, overstory pine.

• Removal of small diameter understory vegetation.

• Creation of patch clearcuts; open forage areas for big game.

• Increased young pine in the understory once regeneration became 

established following shelterwood harvests.

• Wildlife habitat improvement through clearing of understory 

vegetation, maintenance of browsing areas.

Crossing Salvage III timber 

sale

2000 649 acres • Reduction in the number of potential snags in the harvest area.

• Reduction future fuel loading.

Kine timber sale 1997-2005 689 acres • Decreased density of large, overstory pine.

• Creation of patch clearcuts; open forage areas for big game.

• Removal of small diameter understory vegetation.

• Increased young pine in the understory once regeneration became 

established following shelterwood harvests.

• Wildlife habitat improvement through clearing of understory 

vegetation, maintenance of browsing areas.

Kirk timber sale 2000-2008 735 acres • Decreased density of large, overstory pine.

• Removal of small diameter understory vegetation.

• Increased young pine in the understory once regeneration became 

established following shelterwood harvests.

• Wildlife habitat improvement through clearing of understory 

vegetation, maintenance of browsing areas.

Picnic timber sale 2004-2007 866 acres • Decreased density of large, overstory pine.

• Removal of small diameter understory vegetation.

• Increased young pine in the understory once regeneration became 

established following shelterwood harvests.

• Wildlife habitat improvement through clearing of understory 

vegetation, maintenance of browsing areas.

Piedmont timber sale 2002-2006 101 acres • Decreased density of large, overstory pine.

• Removal of small diameter understory vegetation.

• Increased young pine in the understory once regeneration became 
Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-6

Resource Area/Action Time Period Action Details Effects Potentially Overlapping Steamboat Project Effects

established following shelterwood harvests.

• Wildlife habitat improvement through clearing of understory 

vegetation, maintenance of browsing areas.

Windy timber sale 2005-2009 1,542 acres • Decreased density of large, overstory pine.

• Removal of small diameter understory vegetation.

• Increased young pine in the understory once regeneration became 

established following shelterwood harvests.

• Wildlife habitat improvement through clearing of understory 

vegetation, maintenance of browsing areas.

Skislide timber sale 1989-1998 1,648 acres • Decreased density of large, overstory pine.

• Removal of small diameter understory vegetation.

• Increased young pine in the understory once regeneration became 

established following shelterwood harvests.

• Wildlife habitat improvement through clearing of understory 

vegetation, maintenance of browsing areas.

Stagebarn timber sale 1981-1990 5,547 acres • Decreased density of large, overstory pine.

• Creation of patch clearcuts; open forage areas for big game.

• Removal of small diameter understory vegetation.

• Increased young pine in the understory once regeneration became 

established following shelterwood harvests.

• Wildlife habitat improvement through clearing of understory 

vegetation, maintenance of browsing areas.

Historic timber harvest 1920s-1980s Repeated entries, many 

before environmental 

documentation required by 

NEPA. Primarily harvest of 

large trees.

• Stands of dense, small pine with scattered overstory pine.

• Increased pine stocking in small diameter classes.

• Increased fuel continuity and potential fireline intensity.

• Increased thermal cover for big game.

• Reduced forage for big game.

Firewood cutting Ongoing Cutting of snags (allowed 

prior to 2001) and down trees 

for firewood; mostly within a 

few hundred feet of open 

roads.

• Loss of snags.

• Reduction in down woody material near roads.

Roads/motorized travel

Stream crossings Ongoing Roads that cross perennial or 

intermittent stream channels.

• If not maintained, could contribute to sedimentation of streams.

Road decommissioning Late 1990s FSR 226.1A in Waite Gulch • Reduction in miles of system roads; roadbed remains but is not 
Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-7

Resource Area/Action Time Period Action Details Effects Potentially Overlapping Steamboat Project Effects

was decommissioned under a 

previous decision; this route 

would be added back to the 

NFS under Alternatives B and 

C of Steamboat.

used for motorized travel.

• Reduced disturbance of riparian areas and soils.

Off-road motorized travel Ongoing Water crossing and unofficial 

trails in various locations. Not 

authorized under new travel 

management plan, but still 

occurs occasionally.

• Bank damage and erosion at stream crossings.

• Compaction and soil displacement on trails.

• Disturbance of wildlife and rare plant habitat.

• Introduction and spread of noxious weeds.

• Possible exposure or damage of heritage sites.

Road maintenance Ongoing Periodic maintenance on open 

NFS roads.

• Maintenance of drainage features reduces the chance of failure and 

sedimentation/damage to streams.

• Improved safety/access on maintained routes. 

Travel management plan 2010-foreseeable 

future

Change to travel management 

regulations. Paradigm shift 

from “open unless designated 

closed” to “closed unless 

designated open”. Creation of 

new trail/road system where 

motorized travel is allowed.

• Fewer off-road motorized travel effects (soil compaction, erosion, 

displacement, spread of noxious weeds).

• Restriction of motorized vehicle use to a specific trail/road system, 

depending on vehicle type (car/truck, ATV, motorcycle, etc.).

• Separation of motorized and non-motorized recreation 

opportunities through implementation of designated trail systems 

for each activity.

Range

Livestock grazing 1880s-present Sheep and cattle in past; 

currently cattle only. 

• Possible soil compaction in concentrated use areas.

• Streambank damage in some locations.

• Trampling of rare plant and snail habitat in some locations.

• Spread of noxious weeds in some locations.

• Changes to meadow plant communities.

• Decrease in aspen and willows.

• Reduction in amount of forage available to wildlife.

• Decrease in small-animal cover provided by grass and down woody 

material.

Water diversions Mid-1900spresentSpring developments and 

pipelines.

• Decreased water in some streams.

• Availability of water to wildlife in locations where water is not 

naturally available.

Fences 1999-present 

(maintenance 

ongoing)

Barbed-wire fence along 

allotment boundaries within 

the project area.

• Restricts cattle movement across allotment boundaries.

• In some areas, reduces impact of cattle to riparian areas or other 
Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-8

Resource Area/Action Time Period Action Details Effects Potentially Overlapping Steamboat Project Effects

areas of resource concern.

• Increased public safety by keeping cattle off of high-traffic roads.

Wildlife

Decrease in beaver 

population

Late 1800s-Early 

1900s

Trapping of beavers for pelts 

and to prevent flooding of 

lowland areas.

• Lower water table.

• Changes to plant communities.

Hunting Ongoing • Drives deer and elk to no-hunting areas during hunting season 

(approximately September-November).

• Affects deer, elk, mountain lion, turkey and grouse.

Weather and other natural disturbances

Natural forest processes Ongoing • Creation of snags.

• Continuing encroachment of undisturbed non-pine stands.

• Increased stand density.

• Development of understory in goshawk nest stands.

• Decreased evidence of disturbance.

Drought 2000-2007 • Some riparian areas and shrubs still show signs of damage from lack 

of water.

• Some reduction in forage availability.

• Reduction of water table in some areas.

• Probably influence on extremity of the mountain pine beetle 

infestation.

Mountain pine beetle 

infestation

Ongoing Beetles are native, 

widespread infestations occur 

periodically; current 

infestation is largest in several 

decades. High levels of 

infestation west of project 

area near Custer Peak. Beetles 

at endemic levels in 

Steamboat project area.

• Creation of snags, most of which are short-lived.

• Increase in downed woody material.

• Reduction in stand density.

• Loss of commercial timber.

• Potential implications for wildlife habitat, both beneficial and 

detrimental depending on species.

• Potential safety hazard to public from falling trees in areas of heavy 

recreation use (trails, campgrounds, etc.).

Recreation, lands, minerals

Hunting camps Ongoing Scattered hunting camps in 

spring and fall.

• Increased fire risk.

• Possibility of noxious weed spread/introduction.

Camping Ongoing Dispersed camping. • Increased fire risk.

Mining Ongoing Scattered small mining claims; • Possible soil displacement or compaction.
Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-9

Resource Area/Action Time Period Action Details Effects Potentially Overlapping Steamboat Project Effects

no large, commercial 

operations.

• Possible stream sedimentation.

• Possible introduction/spread of noxious weeds.

Non-motorized trails 1989-present Centennial Trail; includes both 

motorized and non-motorized 

sections within project area.

• Maintenance of trail corridor.

• Recreational use of trail.

Other

Noxious weed treatment Ongoing Various locations • Reduced weed infestation in treated areas.

• Possible detrimental effects to native or rare plants from herbicide 

application.

Power lines 1970s-present Various locations; associated 

with private property.

• Removal of vegetation along powerline corridors, both initially and 

periodically to keep trees out of corridor.

• Short-term ground disturbance where powerlines are placed 

underground.
Steamboat Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Appendix D – Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions D-10

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