i

North Fork Burnt River Mining

Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

Baker County, Oregon

August 2010

Lead Agency USDA – Forest Service

Responsible Official Steven Ellis, Forest Supervisor, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest 

Further Information Sophia Millar, Team Leader

Wallowa Mountains Office

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

88401 Highway 82

Enterprise, OR 97828

(541) 426-4978

Abstract This Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement documents 

the re-analysis of the proposed mining activities in the North Fork 

Burnt River watershed as previously documented the 2004 North Fork 

Burnt River Mining Final Environmental Impact Statement. This 

Supplement has been prepared to provide additional information and 

analysis to address the deficiencies identified by the District Court of 

Oregon on August 4, 2006. The scope of this Supplement is narrower 

than the scope of the North Fork Burnt River Mining FEIS; it 

incorporates new information and provides clarification of the

previous analysis. The NFBR Mining analysis area (approximately 

106,500 acres) is located on the Whitman Ranger District, northwest 

of the town of Unity, Oregon in Baker County. The preferred 

alternative is Alternative 4 which would authorize the approval of 

mining operations with additional Forest Service Best Management 

Practices and Road Management activities. Alternative 4 also includes 

a Forest Plan Amendment for open road densities within specific 

Management Areas and subwatersheds.
ii
iii

Contents

Summary of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement...........S-1

Introduction

Introduction to the Supplement..........................................................................1

Court Findings. ......................................................................................2

Scope, Format and Context of this Supplement.....................................3

Specific Consultation, Coordination and Analyses. .............................4

Other Specific Changes from FEIS........................................................9

Structure of the Supplement.................................................................10

Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need

Document Structure. ........................................................................................11

Location of Project Area..................................................................................11

Background......................................................................................................11

Purpose and Need for Action...........................................................................11

Proposed Action...............................................................................................11

Decision Framework........................................................................................12

Laws, Regulations, Policies and Plans.............................................................13

Public Involvement ..........................................................................................13

Issues ..............................................................................................................14

Chapter 2 - Alternatives

Introduction......................................................................................................15

Alternative Development Process....................................................................15

Changes in the Plans of Operations. ................................................................15

Alternatives Considered in Detail....................................................................15

Elements Common to Action Alternatives. .....................................................16

Alternative 1.....................................................................................................16

Alternative 2.....................................................................................................17

Alternative 3.....................................................................................................27

Alternative 4.....................................................................................................30

Monitoring under Alternatives 3 and 4............................................................33

Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Further Study ..........................34

Comparison of Alternatives.............................................................................34

Preferred Alternative........................................................................................37

Chapter 3 – Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences

Introduction......................................................................................................43

Updated Cumulative Actions Common to All Alternatives. ...........................43
iv

Watershed and Soil Resources.........................................................................44

Affected Environment..........................................................................44

Environmental Effects. ........................................................................51

Alternative 1...................................................................................56

Alternative 2...................................................................................56

Alternative 3...................................................................................71

Alternative 4...................................................................................79

Fisheries...........................................................................................................84

Access/Transportation System.........................................................................91

Noxious Weeds................................................................................................96

Wildlife Habitat ...............................................................................................96

Heritage Resources ........................................................................................110

Botany............................................................................................................110

Rangeland Management.................................................................................111

Visual Quality. ...............................................................................................111

Social/Economic. ...........................................................................................111

Additional Disclosures...................................................................................111

Chapter 4 – Persons and Agencies Consulted

Recipients of the Draft EIS............................................................................117

Preparers ........................................................................................................119

Appendix 1A – Water Quality Protection Measures

Appendix 1B – Closed and Decommissioned Roads Proposed for Use

Appendix 1C – Site Characteristics

Appendix 2 – General Requirements

Appendix 3 – Discussion of Roads Analysis and Erosion Model

Appendix 4 – Open Road Densities

Appendix 5 – Operations with Ponds

Appendix 6 - Determination of Significant Surface Resource Disturbance

Appendix 7A – Effects of Suction Dredging in the Analysis Area

Appendix 7B – Stream Characteristics and Suction Dredging

Appendix 8 – Modification to Plans of Operations

Appendix 9 - Road Proposals changes since 2004 FEIS

References ............................................................................................................R-1
v

Index of Tables, Figures and Maps

Table Page

Table 2-1. Comparison of Plans of Operations by Alternatives 2, 3, and 4........................18

Table 2-2. Operations Proposing Road Construction under Alternative 2..........................24

Table 2-3. Operations proposing use or construction of Fords, Bridges, and Culverts

under Alternative 2............ .....................................................................................25

Table 2-4. Plans of Operations with Existing or Proposed Ponds. ..............................................26

Table 2-5. Plans of Operations and comparison of Forest Service determination of potential

for a discharge of a pollutant. .....................................................................................35

Table 3-1. Hydrology of the Sites with Adits that Discharge Water. ..........................................47

Table 3-2. Adit Discharge Analytical Results..............................................................................48

Table 3-3. Summary of the Water Test Results of Adit Waters. ..................................................49

Table 3-4. Features Analyzed and Characteristics of Concern. ...................................................53

Table 3-5. Plans of Operations with Existing or Proposed Fords, Bridges, and Culverts. ..........58

Table 3-6. Plans of Operations with Existing or Proposed Ponds within an RHCA. ..................61

Table 3-7. Plans of Operations Proposing Road Construction.....................................................62

Table 3–8. Miles of closed roads and previously decommissioned roads proposed for use 

 in Plans of Operations................................................................................................64

Table 3-9. Plans of Operations and Forest Service determination of potential for a discharge 

 of a pollutant under Alternative 2 and creek potentially affected.............................66

Table 3-10. Forest Service WQPMs for Plans of Operations using Fords, Bridges, Culverts. .....72

Table 3-11. Plans of Operations and comparison of Forest Service determination of potential 

for a discharge of a pollutant. .....................................................................................75

Table 3-12. Comparison of miles of previously closed and decommissioned roads and 

 new closed roads proposed for use. ...........................................................................80

Table 3-13. Updated Existing Open Road Densities by LRMP Management Areas. ...................98

Table 3-14. Updated Open Road Densities by LRMP Mgmt. Areas within Subwatersheds. .......99

Table 3-15. Percent of the RHCA Within a Subwatershed. ........................................................104

Table 3-16. Comparison of Alternatives, Open Road Densities by Management Area. .............107

Table 3-17. Comparison of Alternatives, Open Road Densities by Subwatershed. ....................107

Appendix Tables

Appendix 3

Table A3-1. Erosion Response Curves for North Fork Burnt River non-point sources. ................3

Table A3-2. Estimated sediment delivery ratios.............................................................................4

Table A3-3. Parameters used in the GIS analysis of the roads........................................................7

Appendix 4

Table A4-1. Open Road Densities by Operational Maintenance Level by Management 

Area and Subwatershed...............................................................................................2

Table A4-2. Management Areas and Forest Plan Guidelines.........................................................4
vi

Table A4-3. Open Road Densities by Management Areas 

(by Operational Maintenance Level). .........................................................................4

Table A4-4. Open Road Densities by Management Areas within Subwatersheds.........................6

Table A4-5. Comparison of Alternatives Open Road Densities by Management Area. ................7

Table 4-6. Comparison of Alternatives Open Road Densities by Subwatershed. .......................8

Table A4-7. Open Road Densities After Implementation of Forest Plan Amendment. .................9

Appendix 6

Table A6-1. Activities Exempted from Forest Service Authorization or Approval.......................3

Appendix 7A

Table A7A-1. Plans of Operation that listed suction dredging as an activity in the 2004 FEIS......2

Table A7A-2. Sites identified in Plans of Operation where suction dredging is proposed.. .........14

Table A7A-3. Sites identified in Plans of Operation where suction dredging is proposed 

and summary of potential impacts to Fisheries.. .....................................................22

Appendix 8

Table A8-1. Modifications to Proposed Plans. ...............................................................................1

Table A8-2. Operations added or Withdrawn from Alternative 1 and Alternatives 2-4. ...............3

Figures Page

Figure 3-1. Example of stream cross-section and potential for discharge...........................55

Maps Page

Map 1. Alternative 1....................................................................................39

Map 2. Alternatives 2, 3 and 4..........................................................................41